1620/Reboot: EP 2 In the Ruins

Reboot: EP 2 In the Ruins
Date of Scene:	20 February 2015
Location:	The Grid <TG>
Synopsis:	The party heads to Arjia City to seek out more ISOs they luck out but a commando team sent by Tesler is hot on their heels.
Cast of Characters:	Deelel, Staren, 626, 631, 673, 686, 707, Corona Arclite
Tinyplot:	Reboot

---

Deelel has posed:
Accessing Archived Data

Previously

The ISO known as Turing was uncovered by some old friends of her, who wanted to have some meaningful dialogue with her. Thankfully some out of system help was able to interrupt this little reunion.

The Grid - The Ruins of Arjia City

Turing does not know yet the true nature of most of her saviours yet, but she's been recovering in a safe house out of system thanks to all of them. Still she didn't want to go back on some level. She had thought about running vanishing into the net where Clu could never find her? Yet that nagging feeling of running on the few remaining ISOs that have still clung to life since the purge dragged her back.

The trek had been a long one through the waste there was terrain sure but it was desolate the local analog to stone was about it and snow in a few areas, it was cold but the cold didn't seem to trouble Deelel and Turing too much. Thankfully Deelel had used some connections to get them some functional off grid kits for their light cycles. Ahead loomed a hulking ruin of what had to have been a huge city once.

"Arjia city....what used to be the spiritual heart of the Grid, its still located over a code nexus so we need to be careful about Clu's forces. They still sweep the area to purge grid bugs and those who might try to tap the nexus for their own means."

Deelel notes as her cycle moves along at rapid speed towards the city Turing is on her own bike and this is where the ISO chimes in.

"About several hundred cycles ago, Clu laid siege to the city, we tried to fight them off but in the end we were overwhelmed by the shear number of enemy troops. Some of us, surived and scattered to the winds like myself. I was away on a recon mission..."

Turing trails off a little, the memories are bad. For humans and like lifeforms? Even immortal ones? Time makes painful memories fade, for those born of the grid? Their memories are always as clear as the day they happened, perfect recall is a gift and a curse.

"I caught wind there's a few others hiding in the old tunnel system under the the city, it's a maze and when the primary tower went up during the siege? The plans to them were lost, not to mention factoring in the damage."

It was a bone yard as they near there were blasted out emplacements here and there, and the odd wrecked but somehow intact light tanks, and choppers as well. Also if one were to pay attention as they passed the old defence line there are no seeming remains of any of the programs who lived here.

"We'll make away for the old bunker ahead it has an entrance into the tunnel network and from there we can start following up Turing's leads."

Corona Arclite has posed:
"It's like the Industrial Wastes out here," Corona murmured as they cruised along towards their next destination. "Just less toxic and polluted." She pauses to watch a light tank wreck as they passed it. "In some ways... how come they ain't, watcha call it? Decompiled? Decompiled these tanks and stuff. Reuse the code." She's still kind of making sense of most of thise computer related business.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Earlier Kyra had been insisting that they take Turing out of the Grid completely for her own safety. The effect would still be the same-CLU's forces couldn't find her only this way they REALLY wouldn't find her. Sadly, this was not to be, Turing insisting on helping in the search for her bretheren.

    "Meaning...this is an ideal place for any survivors to be hiding. CLU's probably been through here a long time ago, I guess?" Kyra asks the ISO.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "When I heard we'd be helping digital beings in a foreign Infosphere, I never imagined it would take the form of a location like this. Cities and highways and people... wars and conflicts... I don't even have an options menu!"

    She's riding her own cycle alongside Deelel.

    "If all the plans were lost... we do have leads, yes...?!"

Reker (631) has posed:
"Honestly, if I were CLU, I'd have gone over this place, left it alone, and then wait for people to think it's safe before sweeping through the area again..But I'm just hoping CLU is more 'megalomanial supervillain' and less 'tactical genius'." Reker has been siding with Kyra on taking Turing out of the grid entirely and putting her in a Union safehouse, but really it's not his call, so he's doing his best to be extra vigilant.

He still has the twin sticks in his hands, just in case they get attacked. He'd much rather have an assault rifle, but it seems like nobody on the grid invented guns, so he'll have to make due with what he has in the mean time.

Staren has posed:
    Of all things, a magic broom flies alongside Rory's cycle. "We're not really interacting with it on the data level. We're physically here. Something weird is going on... that's the Multiverse, for you. The whole Cyber Core is like that." He's in his armor, which has aesthetically shifted slightly to look like something that belongs here, but it's still clearly combat armor. In case they run into CLU's forces... and it's also environmentally sealed, because that's just common sense when entering underground tunnels.

    "You know, I was wondering earlier. If the mysterious ISOs might be some form of upload, or upload-based AIs, and that's why they're different from Basics... but, it seems without access to the Grid's hardware, there's just no way to compare them."

    Staren looks around at the wreckage. "Why destroy this? Why not conquer it? Where is everyone, did they /kill/ all the inhabitants that didn't escape to the tunnels?"

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    Gakupo hadn't managed to come in during the first mission, the one to extract Turing. He'd heard about it later, and the thought of real, true LIFE that was digital... well, that was just too amazing a concept not to investigate! So he'd gone along this time, to see if he could help with this. There's no way he's leaving people that might be so much like himself-- or completely different, who knows? --here to fend for themselves when they could be hurt.

    To note, Gakupo is... different here than in the rest of the Multiverse. Being a vocal synthesizer program, well... he's a program, even if he is technically in a physical body. So it's likely that whatever rules are at work here will read him as at least partially exactly that-- a music-creation program!

    He's kept his jinbaori and hakama, but the bodysuit underneath is the more familiar 'light suit' that just about all of the programs here seem to sport. It's white-- he's no game warrior --with blue accents. His hair's still purple, though, and the stylized Japanese character 'gaku' ('music') is still in purple on the back of his jinbaori.

    Anyway. He's keeping pace with the rest of the group, keeping mostly silent, listening. Rory's statement is the first to get him to speak. "That's why I'm here. I'm... well, I'm basically a program myself. But I'm 'alive'. Sort of. I had to come help." And then Reker speaks up. "He has a point," he replies. "What if he's had spy Programs watching the area and reporting back to him?"

    He has no answer to Staren's questions, because... well, like he said, the plans are gone. So how could they tell? But as for why destroying things? "Maybe destroying a location gives them less places to hide?" he suggests.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu is in the same get-up as last time, although hearing that this used to be the 'spiritual heart' of the virtual world - or this part of it, at least - prompts her to perk up. "Huh. So you had monks and nuns and priests and the like running around?" she asks. "Might be worth looking around to see what's left of the churches, monasteries, or what-have-you."

Unsurprisingly, she's on her own lightcycle, and if not handling it like a champ, then at least very competently. And if she's had any thoughts about evacuating Turing from the Grid completely, she's kept them to herself.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "No one's got to it or felt the need, it's not like we can make more basics. There's more supplies than resources, and things keep getting smaller without a user like Flynn to make more of us? With what Clu's doing we're going to die out eventually."

Deelel looks pretty grim about that she doesn't want to see the Grid die out or be left in the hands of a mad man. It does weigh on her but the ISO's are worse off, there are other systems connected to the User world.

Turing replies as to Kyra as she starts to slow down her bike.

"Yes, that's right hide where they think is clean already he more expected us to go to ground in the out lands, or in the more remote cities. A few managed to but it got messy, a whole medical centre was cubed and they say the ISOs did it. That's a load of Glitch, Clu's people likely did it for scare tactics."

Deelel brings her bike to a halt as they reach the old blown out bunker, her bike dreezzes as she replies to Rory.

"Because Turing knows the area already, it's on her disc. When we mean data, information that wasn't stored on someone's ID disc. Not even Clu's people check those without cause."

Turing is starting to wonder about her saviours but she's not going to say that out loud still she's watching them and there's something strange about all of them save Deelel and maybe Rory. More questions, as Deelel's about to say something Turing raises her hand while Deelel goes to work on the door. If one were to pay attention about the bunker? Here and there are ID discs like the two programs wear, and there's a lot of them. Some are stuck in the terrain others are just laying there on the ground.

"That's also another possibility Reker but a risk we have to take. This city used to house half a million ISOs and basics. There's a lot of places to hide and Clu's had to stretch his forces to take the entire grid. The risk of patrols is a very real one yes. The first question gets a strange look from the ISO however she answer the first one.

"They are still here."

she points to the discs.

"What's left of those who lived here."

She's looking shook up but she then stares at Staren.

"What the glitch are you talking about uploads? Only the creator ever travelled between whatever world Users come from and the Grid."

Hardware? She's bright enough to catch on he's talking in an external manner, wait if he means that? Are they from another system or wait are they?! She doesn't say anything else as Deelel works the door open. Gakupo words seem to make her think and she looks right at him. Okay she's almost certain there's some insanity going on here at this point. She simply nods to Gakupo he seems nice enough but he's got the hard disks turning for her.

Deelel meanwhile pops the ruined door as she notes

"A monument, a warning, this is the price of defiance."

Turing notes to the foxy totally a program.

"There was an Oracle, she was one of the first to perish."

Turing says nothing else as she follows Deelel into the the bunkers and into the tunnel. Inside there's more signs of battle and even blast marks from heavy weapons, the there are signs of heavier weapons of which haven't been sign by of the non natives. Worse there's more discs here and there inside. The way down is easy enough to find it's damaged but intact but there's little power, thankfully everyone's light suits give off enough light to see.

Corona Arclite has posed:
Good thing Corona held onto that other light lamp. She fiddles with it a bit and flicks it on, helping to illuminate the way into the tunnels. "Either way we oughta be on our toes. Even if they didn't see where we went, the jerkasses know we're here and helping." Even if they don't know -what- they are yet. "They may just go to the most likely places looking for us if they can't follow us directly."

Staren has posed:
    'Cubed?' Staren hasn't heard that term.

    Deelel explains the discs are functionally corpses. "Oh." he replies, morosely.

    Re: Uploads, he explains: "I can become pure data. So can some others. There's technology from Rory's world that does it. It can put us back in our bodies after, too... We may not be able to get to /this/ system, but it's a thing... and who knows what experiments might have been done on other worlds with such technology? Still, in a world where computer systems manifest as /this/..." he waves his hand around, "I suppose it's at least as likely that the ISOs are natives... or programs from another system connected to the Sea of Simulation." He shrugs.

    As they look into the tunnels, he puts his broom away in his bag (which is clearly not large enough...) and frowns at the sight of the disks. "...Would it help, if we tried to find where the Grid's hardware is? Is there anything it would allow us to do that you want, Deelel?"

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Cubed..." Based on context, Kyra assumes that it means killed or destroyed. "What a terrible coverup, doing that to a medical center of all places." She seems vaguely offended by this, likely due to her impending profession.

    Kyra pulls the lightcycle to a stop right up next to Deelel's and hops off, the vehicle disappearing back into its rod as she does. Without a second thought, she clips it to her suit. Pausing, she turns to look at Reker carefully, then points at him.

    "Let's hope you didn't just jinx us!" With that, she heads into the bunkers and tunnel, looking at the discarded discs littered around, which is more or less the equivalent of remains for these programs. Curious, she picks one up.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"An Oracle, huh," Xiaomu says quietly - and as she brakes her lightcycle to a halt, she goes over to the 'abandoned' discs, kneeling in front of the pile and clasping her hands in front of her. A prayer for the departed?

... well, she *is* Buddhist. Technically. Even if she fails at most of the vows she ever took.

The huli jing rises back to her feet and moves to join the others, unstrapping her staff from where she was wearing it across her back while biking. This also frees up access to her identity disc, if she should happen to need it. "Also, I'm guessing 'cubed' is shorthand for 'sliced up into lots of tiny pieces' or something comparably grim?"

Rory White (673) has posed:
    That mysterious word, cubed, pops up again... but when Rory spots the disks lying around after getting off her own cycle (a somewhat clumsy process she struggled with for about twenty seconds of intensely looking everywhere to judge the motion... she's not used to riding things!) a frown comes to her face...

    Yeah, it makes sense now.

    "If Clu's forces do show up, what are our best options for defending ourselves?" If her integrated weapons are still functional.. well, she programmed her Simulmorph to have certain defenses but how well this has converted over...

    Onwards they go. Rory's following along, checking over her gear, senses, everything's getting a far more rigorous self-diagnostic to see what of her paraphernalia will work and what won't...

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    ID disks. Everywhere. Programs wouldn't just leave those lying around, would they? Not from what Gakupo understands. He almost wants to collect some of these disks, bring it to a monument... something to show they won't be forgotten. But not now. With those poor people living this close to this much death... Gakupo can't imagine how difficult it is for them. Hopefully there will be time to remember the dead later. Now it's time to help the living. But his sad look is unmistakeable.

    He enters the bunkers with the rest of the group. His headphones will give off some light, too. And he switches his vision mode to low-light mode so he can see better. Gakupo also switches on his motion detection, marking the rest of the group in his sensors as 'friendly'. Then he returns to the conversation, nodding to Staren's words. "I might be able to do that too, if you think it would help," he volunteers. He started as data too; maybe he can return to it?

    That word, 'cubed'... Gakupo can guess its meaning. It's some form of death that pertains to Programs. He looks to Xiaomu. "From the context, it seems to mean death," he reasons. And he agrees with Kyra's assessment of the coverup of the medical center. "But I understand why. If they can turn the whole System against the ISOs, the ISOs would have no place to hide." He's starting to see how all this works, he thinks. Maybe.

Reker (631) has posed:
All the ID disks laying around reminds Reker of some stuff he's seen before...He doesn't like it. He shakes his head after trying to shake off the thoughts.

"When they take damage they're reduced to data cubes, is the best way to describe it." Reker says, as he holds up one of the sticks in his hand and the end sparks to life, "Hit one of 'em with this the other night and it basically tore his arm off. If I'd got him in the torso or head, I'd bet it'd be fatal." He says, turning the weapon back off, "So that's what they mean."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel descend into the tunnels it's a mess down here, there's fallen sections from above and some wreckage but there trail of disc seems to trickle off as they head deeper in. She notes to Corona for a moment.

"There's also grid bugs here most likely, but so long as we keep clear of the code nexus we should be all right, Corona."

She does however seem on edge this is a killing field to Deelel she knows what happened here after all.

Turing replies to Kyra.

"They label us as viri and a danger to the grid but look at them. Their fear is over powering their common sense and directives."

She mutters something but it's hard to make out.

Deelel shakes her head at Xiamou and she looks to Turing.

"We'll explain later, yes they are not from the grid to put simply. Yes Xia we turn to vowels when we're derezzed or killed."

Turing now is certain she knows what they are she's a bit weak in the keens but has to over come any feelings she's experiencing She's nearly overcome by the implications however? Users. How so many who know nothing of this world but they came to save her. She has to focus but it's clear she's a bit off her game. She shakes her head a little bit.

meanwhile Kyra picks up the disc and it still ha power a face appears in data point form it looks to be a a young man, to her they'd have the sort of face structure to be from Ifrit and there's a few bits of information there. His name was Compile he was just a maintenance program and a moment later she accidentally trips something the face vanishes and a vid window pups up. It's a battle, chaotic there's violence everywhere explosions and Compile is staring down several heavy sentries alone he says only one thing.

"FOR AJIRA FOR THE CREATOR!"

HE throws him self at t5hem he actually gets one but as he's twisting about to get a second the feed changes he's looking down, there's a glowing staff through his chest and there's a short scream before it gives out.

Deelel wishes to do the same but also she knows gathering them to leave them to energy pools or into the sea of simulation would get Clu's attention he'd know someone was there.

"He's an admin program he doesn't have full control over everything. Flynn still has control of a number of things. Look these are things I and Turing don't have access too."

She is clearly trying to not say I wasn't made for admin work I don't know.

Reker does a pretty good job of explaining things about cubing and seems to have picked up on things very fast all things considered. This is pretty good and Turing gives him a bit of a look.

"You really are something I have to admit, I still owe you."

Reker might not know it but in the grids culture saying I owe you is worth more than someone owing you a large amount of money in the organic world.

What seems to be about half an hour or so passes passes. During this time Deelel and Turing get very quiet after a while as they descend into the tunnels. Still everyone's making good time and finally Turing speaks up after they reach a fully intact area.

"This is the way we should be just about it."

There's been one odd thing about the trip the path is clean and there's a feeling of being watched, Turing is about to say more, when that feeling would be proven right.

A gruff voice can be heard it sounds a lot like the guys in heavy armour as a seemingly lone program appears in the tunnel carrying a light staff. It's clearly a heavy Sentry like the sort Reker fought but the circuit lines are white rather than red. He holds it well and stares them down.

"Halt Identify your selves, Programs!"

If one is perceptive there's movement in the shadows this program is not alone.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu smiles disarmingly, raising her hands ... although one is still holding her monk staff. "We mean you no harm. You could just call us CLU-less wanderers, I guess ..."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Horrible. I wonder if there'd be any outrage if people knew the truth about that incident." Kyra points out, a distant look on her face. Surely someone would get angry if the sick and helpless were sacrificed so blatantly.

    Kyra tries not to act too surprised when she seems capable of accessing the last memories of the disc's former owner. In fact, seeing such a thing was a little offputting, especially the part where Compile straight up dies to his opponents. "...should we do something with these?" she asks, holding the one in her hands up to Deelel. She waves it in a disarming fashion when the mysterious (fortunately not CLU-aligned) guard appears.

    "Friends." she says quickly, "We're all friends."

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite reflexively holds up the lamp so it can be seen clearly. "It's only a light program! Not a weapon!" ... Wait, he isn't actually attacking. Oh, okay. "We're just.. explorers you could say."

Reker (631) has posed:
Are we all friends? Reker turns his attention towards the new arrival, shifting his position a little bit, to hide his right hand from view as he holds up his left hand. While this guy has the same armor as the Black Guards, the coloring is different.

Reker is always very much alert, and he thinks he catches the movement out of the corner of his eye. His right hand shifts behind his back, just a bit, so he can have his disk within range to grab it if he needs to.

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    Gakupo halts immediately as the program stops them. Yes, he sees that movement in the shadows-- between his low-light vision and his motion detection, he can see them. But not clearly enough to identify them. For the time being, he raises his hands away from his visible weapon-- the katana at his side-- to show that he means no harm.

    "Vocaloid-3 voicebank Gackpoid," Gakupo offers, by way of introduction. He saves his more fanciful introduction for some other time... like another time when it wouldn't get him killed. It's worthy to note that this is at least partially how his program introduces itself to a computer's OS and asks for permission to run.

    It's also worthy to note that his lights are blue here-- even his headset and hair fastener have blue lights here instead of the orange they are in the real world.

Staren has posed:
    At the sentry's voice, Staren looks around, and then takes a defensive stance. After a moment of looking over the sentry's armor and listening to the radio... it seems they've decided he's a friend. "We're friends, from another realm. Something more like ISOs or Users than Basics." He waves a hand at Deelel and Turing. "But our friends here have explained things, and we want to help. We don't like people like CLU. So, are the people in the shadows yours, or are we /both/ about to get ambushed?"

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "My official designation would be meaningless to you." Rory answers gently... before sprouting a warm smile. "So might my name, but it's Rory."

    This is after she was looking over the light staffs and seeing how useful they might be for self-defense in this strange realm. She has her Identity Disk of course, but why use something so valuable?

    But she rises without grabbing one and answers simply.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks to Kyra.

"We'd need the ones who did it ID discs to prove it. Without their memories there's no way it would stick. You need to understand people see ISO's like your people see your great enemy."

Deelel's paid attention to it from the look of it Turing looks at them for a moment. She stares at Staren but it seems it's she was right, users. What kind of program was Deelel to have found so many?! So may for lack of a better term Gods walking along side mere mortals.

Alpha is old he still recalls the old system, he recalls his old user from so long ago. He halts he knees down on one knee holding his staff as he looks other over for a long moment and then the faceplate looks intently at Staren.

"I thought we'd been forsaken by all the Users like Flynn had... I ..."

There's a tremble in the program voice it's flat out utter religious /awe/. It would be as if a deity a figure like Buddha had come down before you offering to help.

The other two programs drop out of hiding, both are female and wear armour like the Blackguard save they only have half faceplate and the visors are not tinted at all they also are looking down right stunned.

Deelel meanwhile has made a horrible mistake and she knows it. She forgot to lay down a ground rule which she's going to have to do at this point. %
Gakupo is noted as a mufti Media program and the others also look up. The lead Sentry says.

"My ID is Alpha, these are Bios and Cache. We are all that remains of the System Monitors who do not serve Clu."

The two female programs are not as reverent as Alpha. One of them speaks up who has brown hair.

"What kind of /users/ wait until all the ones crying out for help to them have been butchered!?"

The hate that Staren has for any form of deity us now being fully directed at him.

"BIOS THATS ENOUGH!"

They had been watching long enough to see they were not normal programs and Alpha does not seem happy with her words.

"The users have a plan for out world it's not for us to know."

Meanwhile

Paige looked out the transport as it came in for a landing int he ruins of the ISOs old city. Long ago she'd been sympathetic to them until her friends, had been slaughtered by two and she was the only one left alive by the time the then LT Tesler had arrived on the scene.

"So my dear, would you like to have the honour of leading this into battle or shall I claim the glory of striking down the ISO menace?"

"Enough Pavel. We're to find the target and terminate them after finding out what they know and confirming they are indeed an ISO."

Pavel is taken a back a bit as he moves to get out of the transport as soon as it lands, Paige and a team of Blackguard follow.

"Keep alert there may be the remains of the local defences intact and they will consider us hostile. Team two with me, team one take to the air and see what you can find."

Paige looks to Pavel

"As for you and your glory? Take team Three and fan out through the ruins."

Back in the Tunnels

Deelel looks to the group and it's clear she's made a terrible mistake.

"From this point on do not say what we are, copy? I can't believe I was so stupid."

She only has herself at fault here.

Turing at this point looks to the programs before them.

"Yes I am a ISO, we had come looking for others, we have a place we can hide."

Alpha pauses.

"There are a few, we done our best to protect them, but there are sadly not many we were making ready to move hiding places in a few cycles patrols were starting to pick up."

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks at Alpha's reverence, taken aback. "We're not..." he starts, and then Bios tells him off. He blinks at her, and his expression hardens behind his faceplate. "We are not /your/ users." He replies, sternly. "This system was /inaccessible/ to us until recently. Even now, we are constrained to entering this system physically -- We do not have access to the system's code, and even if we did..." He waves a hand around, upward, to indicate the city above. "I have never seen a system like /this/. My programs are more akin to animals, if you even have those, than Basics. Mindless automatons. I don't have the power to create /this/... at least, not the people. And even coming anywhere close would require tools found in other worlds that I don't truly understand."

    Staren shrugs, "I don't know anything about plans your Users might have. We've never met them. We are travelers who found our way here and wish to help with what power we /do/ have. Will you accept that help for what it is, or will you project your hopes and dreams of someone else onto us and hold us accountable for what we are not?"

    He puts his hand on his hip, giving a decidedly less friendly glare to the System Monitors now.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Duly noting the instruction not to reveal her true identity, Xiaomu lowers her arms, grounding her staff with a soft chime of the rings, and bows politely to the sentries. "Call me Xiaomu; I'm an indexing and search program for Eastern myth, folklore, and religion. I'm a little rusty so far from my database, though, so please don't ask me too many esoteric questions ..."

Why would a search program have fox ears? Hopefully, nobody'll ask.

"And more importantly, I'm one of Deelel's friends," Xiaomu finishes. "She needed help, sent out the word, and I figured I could lend a hand for a while."

Corona Arclite has posed:
"The sentiment is touchin', but we ain't no gods. We are here to help though." If Corona's tail was visible it'd be twitching now, though. "Keepin' on the move is good. But ya don't have anywhere you can, y'know, hunker down and defend yourselves?" She jestures someone in general at the area around them. "Not that this is the very best neighborhood I can see."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Due to what Deelel says, Kyra decides to gather up a bunch of the other ID discs found lying in the tunnel. She ties to not access them as she collects them, as distracting (and disturbing) that would be at the moment.

    "...though I thought we were going to wait until after the mission..." Kyra starts to murmur, just a little bit bothered by the various reactions to them being described as User-like. Deelel's interjection of the 'rule' seems to be entirely justified at this point. Poor timing for the middle of a mission where they wanted people to cooperate. "Staren, you should probably stop talking now." Kyra says flatly. "Look you guys-" she directs this at the surviving ISOs, "The important part is we're here to help, alright?"

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Startled by the reaction Staren's provoked, Rory's left wide-eyed for a good ten seconds. As always, her body language is stiff on speaking but quite legit when it's reactionary or incredibly basic. So, reality check: Users are practically deified by their creations, and the locals are upset and bitter as much as they are reverent.%R    When her expression returns to neutral she can just slowly shake her head at Alpha and the other Monitors.

    "I am no User... at least not one for this system. You and I might be closer in nature than the users... I am a kind of program too. My purpose was overseeing user living spaces, but that purpose doesn't bind me. And I won't stand for the pointless cruelty that's happening here. Deelel here has convinced me to help!"

    Determination flickers in the bluenette's eyes there, her expression flickering as she actually clenches a fist.

    Seems spending time at XCOM and watching people a lot might be helping a little with that body language issue. A little!

    "... I'm just um... very unfamiliar with this system and what I CAN do... so bear with me, please!"

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    Gakupo seems sheepish when Deelel points out their error. "Er... oops?" he voices quietly. Though since he's probably pretty clear of suspicion for the moment-- he's a Program, after all, so he isn't subject to the reverence and/or 'why God why?' attitude that the Programs here have directed at those non-Programs in the party.

    He stays quiet in the conversation, listening to the anger, the reverence... and the responses from the others. He really has nothing to add, but he nods to the security Programs following Rory's words. "It's true, I'm no User. And I'm not from this system. But I'm willing to help. I can at least try to help stop it from getting worse in this system," he says, his voice gentle, but firm. He means it.

Reker (631) has posed:
Once he's sure nobody's gonna bes tabbing anybody, Reker pulls his hands back to a more neutral position and lets them down to his side, "I'm not a user. At least not in the traditional sense. It's a long story." He says, "And I really don't have time to tell it to you, or really probably even time to tell you why I don't have time to tell you."

Good 'ol Reker being purposely confusing.

Deelel has posed:
Alpha says,

"You are still Users."

However he does nod to Deelel and isn't going to bring it up again, Bios just /looks/ at Staren her eyes are growing cold. Alpha also looks at Staren as does Cache. The two Monitors look at Staren for a moment, before Kyra says something. It's a good thing too Deelel was about to speak up and it wouldn't have been pretty.

Alpha nods to Xiaomu as he's got other things to worry about right now a display on his armours HUD pings and that tells him there's more company.

"Deelel wait? You mean the Deejay from Argon?"

Deelel looks sheepish.

"I'm not the twins no but yes that's me."

Alpha is just going to look at all these user debasing what they are.

"Look I just got a scanner ping, we have company so as long as your not viral, I'll take your help. Bios Cache, arm the traps, we need to get the ISOs and get out of here."

Deelel has issued her rule for a moment.

"Alpha? Can you and your programs help with Turing and the other ISOs, I can give you a location to go to and we can meet up there. There's an access point to another system we can get you and them out of here for the moment."

Turing nods in agreement at this and sighs.

"Let me guess? Your going to delay Clu's forces and act as a distraction?"

Deelel nods.

"Yes, that's the plan, Turing, and the monitors will go however Corona and Rory go with them and help them, the rest of us are going to delay Clu's troops. Once the others are clear we're going to breaks away into the tunnels and meet up at the warp gate."

The unspoken bit is is Alpha's crew are not on the level? She trusts they can deal with it, right?

Meanwhile Paige is at the lead of a Black Guard force entering the tunnels and she's fully suited up her face hidden bu a hel3mt as they move in at a high clip, they get on light cycles and will close the distance in a matter of moments.

"We have contacts ahead, assume if it's not one of ours it's hostile."

"Yes Maam!"

Comes the replies of the Blackguard with Paige the party will see their cycles coming down the tunnel just after Turing and the System Monitors leave to round up the other ISOs.

Staren has posed:
    "If they can't handle the truth, that's their problem." Staren mutters as the system monitors turn away. "Alright." He smiles. "Blowin' things up is a little more my speed than trying not to alienate the locals. Let's give CLU's troops hell!" He turns to Deelel. "Are they on the surface or in the tunnels, and how do we get to them?"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu smiles casually, "Just point me where you need me and tell me what you want!"

Admittedly, without Reiji here, she can't afford to go too over-the-top ... no meter-thick ice walls this time, sadly. But she's got Suiren, and she's got her handguns, and she's got the weaponry Deelel hooked her up with on her first visit to the Grid - the staff/baton, and her identity disc. She should probably focus more on using those so she doesn't stand out too much, shouldn't she?

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "No, not...viral." Kyra's very careful with her words here. The usual host of biological warfare agents she carries were not taken into the Grid with her. She figured they wouldn't be effective at all given that the Programs were inorganic life. So unless the fleshbag viruses were to be translated into computer viruses when crossed over, there was no need to bring them along. In the middle of an ISO mission was not the best of times to test this effect anyway and these guys were SUPER SERIOUS about viruses.

    "Uh, hey Dee?" She points down the length of the tunnel at the approaching light cycles. "Those look kind of orange. Do those look orange to you? I think the trouble is here." As per earlier instructions, Kyra activates the full face-obscuring helmet of her suit, masking her identity to the incoming CLU soldiers and adding a voice-distorting digital warble to her words.

    Now when presented with an enemy charge like this, Kyra has one response. She pulls out the baton, rezzes in her lightcycle, gets on, and flies STRAIGHT at them chicken-style.

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite lets out a sigh when Alpha mentions incoming trouble, one that's both a bit exasperated and just all too familiar with this sort of thing happening. "Just can't go nowhere without trouble followin'." She pulls out her baton and activates the full cover of her headgear, but then Deelel suggests going with the Turing and the Monitors. She doesn't object, but she doesn't put the staff away either, just to be safe. "Right, we'll keep an eye on roundin' em up, no problem. Com'n Rory." She gives Turing a nudge to come with them and turns to follow Alpha and the others.

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    That's all Gakupo needs to know-- there's enemies coming. He'll be able to see them soon enough anyway. So as the System Monitors leave with Turing to get the ISOs out, he heads to stand on the front lines. It's a very particular posture-- turned slightly to the side, left foot slightly forward, knees slightly bent, left hand on the sheath of his sword, right hand on the handle, but not drawing it yet. He's waiting.

    He also activates that identity-obscuring helmet he managed to get his hands on. It doesn't do anything about his odd Japanese-like outfit over his light suit, but it hides his face-- and his hair too, because that stuff is pretty identifying too.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Being told the party will be splitting puts immediate worry on Rory. Her face tightens up nervously and rather childishly but she states, "Wise decision. That way the pursuers won't gain any information on the ones they actually want. ... Be carefu!"

    Before she leaves though, she grabs one of the light staffs lying around - the one she was going for earlier. And then onwards with Corona and the others!

    "Grid rules are new to me. I think I have a feel for how to deploy my tools now... but this is VERY different from being an Infomorph. If anything too strange happens don't count too hard on me just yet... but I'll try!"

    Indeed, she's been taking stock of her inventory for quite a while now and reviewing experiences and data at a fantastic rate. Just by observing the behavior of basics and tools like Light Cycles and Identity Disks...

    "This is a world where a firewall is armor... so hacking and security functions must appear as weapons and suppression tools... the programs as people..." Is she murmuring to herself or is that for Corona's benefit?

Reker (631) has posed:
    Good. Reker has been itching for a fight. He's looking forward to the upcoming arrival of CLU's forces, "Good." He starts to look around for the best place to place himself, "You guys don't all need to stay...How many are we thinking are going to be here?" He wonders.

    He's sure if he could set up an ambush he could take all of them, but he's never going to turn down the help. He closes up the helmet on his suit and spots the cycles coming down the tunnel, "It's showtime."

    Reker grabs the disk off of his back, no time to set up now, and does his best impression of Steve Rogers as he tries to strike first, to bounce his disk off a wall near one of the bikes and take out the vehicle.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks at Staren.

"I heard that you already been warned."

There may be measures she will have to take she can not allow Staren's personal hangups to risk the operations here. However for now her helmet forms about her face as she gets ready to fight. She looks down the tunnel.

"It's them!"

She know it all right and Deelel's going for the disc on her back, it hums to life.

Corona and Rory would get going with the Monitors as they move quickly through the tunnels until they come to a living area of sorts Alpha uses something to get past the lock it's hard to see, the door rezzes away and he calls out. There's about ten programs all there looking to the arrivals.

"...Flynn, they found us haven't they?"

"Not quite but they are sniffing about, look got a chance to get to another system. We need to move and take this chance while we got it."

There's staring from all ISOs.

"Grab what you can and we're going."

There's not much to grab some batons are snatched up, a few canisters of energy in the small living quarters and Alpha pauses as they start to leave.

"Bios set some light charges here, we need to hide just who was here."

Bios nods as she moves about setting the charges one of the ISO's is injured and will need some help getting out of here. %R That's when the Blackguard come, there is no warning at this point, this area is a well known if your not military, your not supposed to be here.

The lead program bike vanish she now attempts t land in the centre of the group going after Kyra with her disc, while the other black guard do much the same. Everything is rapidly turning into a melee. Blackguard are coming in rapidly at this point and they are flat out trying to kill the people here.

Back at the evac point the last of the ISOs should be with help able to get out and Bios has finished setting the charges, the timers are primed and Cache calls out.

"Time to go Programs!"

With that they snap on visors to hide their own faces and moves out. The people in the melee only need to hold them for a few moments the ISOs were ready to run already it seems. They just need to cover the last of their tracks. Reker meanwhile does take out one o the lead bikes it goes crashing away exploding into voxels, shockingly it's pilot is alive but isn't moving from the looks of it. Still there's quite a few to go.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks at Staren.

"I heard that you already been warned."

There may be measures she will have to take she can not allow Staren's personal hangups to risk the operations here. However for now her helmet forms about her face as she gets ready to fight. She looks down the tunnel.

"It's them!"

She know it all right and Deelel's going for the disc on her back, it hums to life.

Corona and Rory would get going with the Monitors as they move quickly through the tunnels until they come to a living area of sorts Alpha uses something to get past the lock it's hard to see, the door rezzes away and he calls out. There's about ten programs all there looking to the arrivals.

"...Flynn, they found us haven't they?"

"Not quite but they are sniffing about, look got a chance to get to another system. We need to move and take this chance while we got it."

There's staring from all ISOs.

"Grab what you can and we're going."

There's not much to grab some batons are snatched up, a few canisters of energy in the small living quarters and Alpha pauses as they start to leave.

"Bios set some light charges here, we need to hide just who was here."

Bios nods as she moves about setting the charges one of the ISO's is injured and will need some help getting out of here. %R That's when the Blackguard come, there is no warning at this point, this area is a well known if your not military, your not supposed to be here.

The lead program bike vanish she now attempts t land in the centre of the group going after Kyra with her disc, while the other black guard do much the same. Everything is rapidly turning into a melee. Blackguard are coming in rapidly at this point and they are flat out trying to kill the people here.

Back at the evac point the last of the ISOs should be with help able to get out and Bios has finished setting the charges, the timers are primed and Cache calls out.

"Time to go Programs!"

With that they snap on visors to hide their own faces and moves out. The people in the melee only need to hold them for a few moments the ISOs were ready to run already it seems. They just need to cover the last of their tracks. Reker meanwhile does take out one o the lead bikes it goes crashing away exploding into voxels, shockingly it's pilot is alive but isn't moving from the looks of it. Still there's quite a few to go. Gakupo Kamui the digital singing samurai would finds he's got two programs closing in on him trying to make it so he can't deal with both of them and finally another is trying to ramp his way and /run/ Xiaomu over. While another throws a light charge at Staren.

Staren has posed:
    Staren turns towards Deelel. His eyebrows raise slightly, but his expression is dispassionate. "What, you want me to try not to kill them? After what they did here?"

    But then, they're here! He turns towards the tunnel, missile launchers on his shoulders raising into position and firing. He knew he'd be in a tunnel, so these are lower-damage, small blast warheads. He follows this up with a blast from each of the two beam cannons on his right arm as they approach. When thing turn into a melee, he draws his beam sword and tries to flank one of the virii, only to have to dive out of the way when some sort of explosive is thrown at him! "Seems they have no problem with trying to kill /us/!"

    Assuming his armor's weapons /work/, anyway. Otherwise, well, he's going to be frantically trying various devices from his bag to see if /anything/ is functioning!

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite knows explosives but she doesn't know how to get this sort of thing working around here, so she takes a moment to watch Bios get started. Though by the end she's actually helping with the charges, actually climbing up to place a few near the ceiling to make sure it comes down to fill the room properly and make it impassable once they're gone. She has a knack for picking up these sort of things quickly even if she doesn't entirely understand -how- it works, and that certainly applies here. With the last one in place she drops back to the floor and rejoins the others. "Let's get outta here and set the babies off to cover the trail."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Hoo boy. Lots of enemies in a confined space, and Xiaomu can't afford to go totally nuts with the ice magic. Only one thing to do: she pulls out her handguns and opens up on the approaching enemies, laying down a whole lotta firepower. Are any of these goons from a bullet-hell game? Because they'll need to be, to get through Xiaomu's barrage.

Once the charges are set, though, she takes a last few shots, holsters Silver and Platinum, and powers up her lightcycle to get outta Dodge.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Eep!"

    So what are a white mage's melee skills like? Terrible. Kyra has no melee skills. NONE OF THEM. Unless dodging counts as a melee skill and it might as well in this case when the aggressive lady Program comes after her. Though she has multiple ID discs on her, she doesn't attempt to actually wield any of them, opting to back up and duck and dart around each of the woman's blows. If anything, it makes for good stalling tactics and it means that Kyra doesn't hurt anybody when she does so. But at the same time...Kyra does not like this arrangement and she knows it won't last. Eventually she does take a clumsy swing at Paige with her own baton but it's only to get some kind of breathing room between her and the Program.

    Because as soon as possible, she's going to jump on her bike and join Corona and Xaiomu.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    With nothing much to do herself, Rory dedicates her spare time (with the speed that she can think at, this is quite a bit) to observing the others and their organization and tools. This place still baffles her and probably will for some time after all!

    But it's because of this that she has more time to play lookout for trouble ahead and around! So that's what she does.

    "Just two eyes and two ears... how anyone manages like this...?!"

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    Gakupo may be classified as just a multimedia program... but his media is a little more varied than just music. In his case? Fighting techniques. Which is good because he has two bits of bad news coming his way! He stands as he was, keeping both of the enemy Programs in his field of vision as best as he can. He waits.

    Until they strike. That's when he goes into action.

    A light disc is thrown; Gakupo unsheathes his sword and hits the disc, trying to send it at the one holding the sword. Hopefully that distracts the sword-wielder enough that Gakupo can get a strike at the sword-user's legs. Hit or miss, he will get out of the swordsman's melee range as soon as the attack is swung and try to strike at the disc-wielder's arm to make it harder for this one to attack him.

Reker (631) has posed:
That disk that Reker threw takes out the bike and comes swinging back around, where he grabs it out of the air. Locking it back down onto his back, he grabs his stick and splits it into the twin eskrima style weapons.

Both of the sticks light up, crackling with energy, as he moves to engage the attacking CLU troopers. He knows they've got a lot more people, but these guys have never dealt with an Elite before, so Reker knows he can keep pace with a couple of them. Picking his targets, he makes a motion for them to come get him.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel sees there's a miss understanding but she has no time to correct things as she's got a blackguard on her and she's trying to not lose her head. She just has to wonder about Staren at this point. As for Staren at this point he's able to actually do pretty well and ends up taking down a few black guard with some of his personal items.

Deelel's She's not about to argue semantics at this point. She's too busy trying to end up cubes and her disc to join the dead of this city. She'll defend her self as best she can.

Xiamou's however locked in combat but she's righting with range the ranged fire is causing issue and forcing some of them to be suppressed some bikes go down other guards are forced to cover, she'll get a few discs lobbed at her but she's cubed a few and disabled others with her barrage with that she's fleeing pretty well.

Paige has faced down Kyra and is /damn/ good like she's very likely the leader from the looks of it. She's trying to get in Kyra's face and bring her down she actually does speak.

"Your defending those monsters? Your all insane!"

She twists and tries to get Kyra but Kyra is proving to be quite the issue thankfully the swing was not expected. She expected a disc, not a /baton/ that was odd and it's enough to give Kyra just enough of a window to wriggle free and run.

The S A M U R A I does quite well to take out the legs of one guard, he's alive but it's not pretty he scream and his legs below the cut turn to cubes, the other one loses an arm for his trouble as well.

Reker's challenge is answer yet Paige understand whats going on now.

"It's a delaying action they are a diversion!"

Two do answer Reker's call but well he does out class them. and he dispatched them with some trouble. These guys are not elites but far as non elites go they are near the top of the pile in this world. Still in the end they drop. Deelel gestures for Reker to run but she's taking off on her cycle now.

Meanwhile the escape team is doing very well with getting the people out of here.

One of the ISO's look to Rory for a moment as they go and comments back.

"Former Utility I take it? Be thankful you have senses at all, still you have my thanks and I think everyone feels the same."

Thanks to the party tying up the most dangerous of the hunt teams they bought time for Alpha's crew, Corona, and Rory to get the ISO's away with Turing's help they should be able to get to the gate with no issue.

Meanwhile someone's found the old lair and Pavel rubs his hands together.

"I shall be first."

After all he has to get the glory for himself, he can't let some run of the mill Blackguard get the credit right?

As he moves in that's when the blast goes off. He's sent flying down the hallway while his troops dive for cover. One looks to the other and whispers.

"You know he kinda had that coming."

"He did, we should put in a transfer to Commander Paige."

The other nods, they get up and go off to fetch Pavel. While Paige calls things in and for once sees justice was done to Pavel. So one thing didn't go bad.

Corona Arclite has posed:
"Close 'nuff." Corona replies to the ISO, not wanting to start a big scene again while they are on the move. "Now lets get these folks outta here before we lose our head start."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Kyra very, very quickly gets the impression that she's fighting another Elite when facing off with this woman. This makes getting away even more important because she definitely cannot keep up a sustained melee engagement. On more than several occasions the orange-hued ID disc comes flashing by her face.

    "Monsters? They're wrong, they're anything but monsters! It's a shame that more Programs can't see that!" She manages this brief exchange before bugging out of there on her bike.

    She gives the woman one last peek over her shulder as she speeds away on her bike.

Staren has posed:
    See openings. Take them. Enemies are cubed. Then there are fewer enemies, putting himself and his allies in a better position.

    Logically, this path will eventually lead to victory.

    One of the enemies speaks. "'Those monsters?'" Staren echoes, with a coolness brought on by not having the mental processing power to spare for investing heavily emotions at the moment, "/You/ are the ones who destroyed people's homes and slaughtered them. We are not defending monsters... we are /ending/ them."

    Staren has ample tricks -- He has beam swords and beam cannons, homing micromissiles, and the occasional grenade rolled to an enemy's feet, and he switches to whatever weapon can take advantage of an opening seamlessly. See openings. Take them. Enemies are cubed. Then there are fewer enemies...

    His allies start bailing. "Nnngh..." Staren gives an annoyed grunt. They were /winning/ this. By not finishing the job, these virii will be free to kill again another day... But, the opportunity is past now -- his allies are retreating. Staren shouts and starts to go into a sword-and-beam combo on the guard he's engaged with, but just as the virus is going on the defensive, Staren deactivates his sword and throws a bunch of smoke bombs. Then his wings activate and he takes off after his allies. Some more micromissiles and grenades are chucked in the viriis' general direction to discourage pursuit.

Gakupo Kamui (686) has posed:
    Gakupo raises a hand to the side of his helmet, and a blast of sonic energy forms in front of his facemask. This he sends at the Program whose arm he took, just enough to throw it out of the way. He's not going for lethal here. And then it's discovered that they're just stalling. Yup. That's their cue to leave!

    Assumedly Gakupo also has transportation out-- whatever it is, he'll get on it and start out when the others do! He also still has his sword in hand, so he may be aiming for non-lethal strikes to other enemy Programs on the way out, too. Though injuring is more because injured enemies mean THEIR allies will need to tend to them, which means fewer Programs pursuing them.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "Utility program... something like that! Overseer and management is closer. My sensor coverage is usually a hundred times better... but I shouldn't complain now. Sorry!"

    She doesn't FEEL like she's being so helpful, given all she's doing is running and keeping an eye out while others do the hard part, but...

    On the other hand, helping everyone keep their spirits up is important, isn't it?%R    So she tries a 'you're welcome' smile in return! "Thank Deelel! She's organizing all of us!"