Scene #5032: Covenant Code

Owner	Pose
William Pauwel	The last time Will and the others met with the mysterious dragon-riding warrior from the sky, it was not exactly under the best of terms. They had just come away from an encounter with something that can at best be called 'nightmarish' and at worse could be said to be 'potentially apocalyptic.' Then, the Iron Angel called Marchosiel demanded the return of Will's prized family heirloom, ostensibly in order to combat creatures that were kin to the one they had slain. A foreign psychic cop managed to talk the space knight down from taking the gun outright. But that was then. Now, Will's friends have determined that they need answers. Answers about Tellus, about the mysterious black smoke, and about an uncertain future. How exactly is it that they're getting the attention of someone who regularly flies around the world on a giant mechanical dragon? Will has the answer to that! It involves a series of radio transmitters set up on a stone mesa in the middle of the Frontier. That way, in case things do go wrong, they'll have plenty of room to deal with it. "Alright," he says, fiddling with a couple of dials on what looks like a handmade radio set. "I've turned it on. Y'all know what you're going to be asking him when he shows up, right? I'm hopin' if we keep him talkin', he'll get called off to do something or other 'fore he decides to ask for the Solano again." The radio antennae beep into the aether. Now they just need to wait.
Millium Argent	Millium is here! ...She wasn't here last time. Claire is here as well! After several outings of no being personally present. What? She /likes/ living. Unlike the rest of you crazies. The two stand ready, with Claire just sitting on a nearby rock, laptop opened as usual. But her red gaze is on the sky, peering about slowly. Millium is standing a bit away, smiling sheepishly and scratching her cheek a bit. "Ahahaha.... I actually have no idea what we're going to ask him! I wasn't here!" Pause. "....Oh! Oh, I know! Maybe I can ask about the Azure Star! He's gotta know something, right? I mean, a guy FLYING IN THE SKY must know something about A THING THAT WENT INTO THE SKY, right?" ...But Millium, that's not why we're here.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa has found it hard at times to aid Will since the multiverse explodedbut like Mel she hasn't given up helping Will where she can and lest be honest. After the Coral and the black dust? WIlliam's world might need the Paladins help in general let alone the League's attempt to uplife one of the local powers. Kotone is here again and she now is going to wait she looks mostly in good spirit and doesn't seem bothered by the nature of her armour and had long got used to it.. "So we just sit back and wait now then, and yes I have some ideas of what I want to ask I just hope they are the right ones."
August Kohler	August is here, and for once isn't complaining at all. He's dressed in a coat and a pair of jeans, and has his cheap mirrored bracelet on his wrist. He's standing not far from Will, watching as he works with the radio set in interest (as an engineering student), before speaking up. "Alright. In a worst case scenario, do we fight back, or book it? Either way, we need to have a backup plan." And then he pauses, staring at Millium. "The hell are you going on about /this time/, Argent?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna's in her Light Suit, and the full Matrix of Light is with her - Elner floating by her shoulder, with Jiina, Marina, and Erina behind her, in their armored combat forms. Yuna isn't outfitted for combat because she expects a fight, though ... Well. That's not quite true; this is still Tellus, and there's a chance the meeting with Marchosiel won't stay entirely friendly or peaceful. But still, Yuna considers the Light Suit to be more a matter of formality than tactical readiness this time out. While the blonde young woman is still trying to wrap her head and her heart around some of the implications of being the Savior of Light, the fact of her title - of being the chosen champion of a powerful entity on the side of Good - seems to be relevant, even if her title is from a completely different universe than this one (pre-Multiverse, anyway). What she doesn't have, right now, is a clear sense of what she wants to ask; William's question is thusly replied to with a wry grin and a quiet, even sheepish, "Still thinking about it." And she is. She's got a couple of ideas, but ... well, maybe hearing other people's questions will help her focus in on what she wants to ask. She'll just be standing over here racking her brain for a little while longer, don't mind her.
Mel Brock	"I know exactly what I plan to ask," Mel replies to Will, hands in her pockets as she looks to the sky. "...'course, I also feel like I should ask why you didn't just have me park in low orbit and send out a rendezvous request. Pretty sure I could do it so he'd hear." She turns Kohler's way and adds, "You all book it, I hit him with my brain until either he decides it's not worth it or you all get clear. Hopefully it won't come to that, if for no other reason than it wouldn't be worth the damage he'd take."
William Pauwel	"She's talking about another Ancient treasure. Something called the Azure Falling Star. Reckon she might be right, though. Iff'n there's anyone in the world who knows anything about it, it's going to be this guy. Or, uh, someone he knows. Probably." Will seems a bit uncertain about all this-- for good reason, considering his and Marchosiel's prior conversations. "'Cause I sure didn't want to do something that might turn bad outside of breathable atmosphere in a place that he probably can call friends to," Will answers Mel, because apparently he's the type of guy who still likes things like 'working lungs' and 'not embolizing or baking in the unrestrained light of Tellus' sun.' He scratches idly at the nape of his neck as the towers' beeps drone on and on. And on. ...And on. And just when it seems like nothing's going to happen, there's a sound like a sonic boom. Something large and distinctly dragon-shaped streaks down from on high. It's him-- it has to be him, the figure riding on the back of that beast is just as distinctive as the mecha-dragon itself. Marchosiel slows his descent as he approaches the mesa, but the thrust his machine is putting out still gives the impression that one is standing under some kind of jet-powered super helicopter. The dragon touches down. Its wings fold around itself, and the rider dismounts. "It's you again," Marchosiel says to the gathered Watch and Paladins. His armor looks less pristine than it usually does. There are scuffs and burns here and there. Has he been in combat recently. "Have you called me here to return Judgment?" What, no--" Damnit! He skipped right to the question. Will grumbles into his hat. "No, Judgment says he still ain't complete yet. We've just been... building up on questions, I guess. We were hoping that you might answer some of them." Marchosiel seems... Disquieted. Or maybe just a little bit annoyed. The knight's shoulders rise and fall in what seems to be a prolonged sigh. "And so you have called me from my other business? Very well. Since I am already here, I will hear your questions." That seems to be the signal.
Millium Argent	Ah. There it is. Well, there HE is. Claire mildly shields herself with a hand, watching the proceedings quietly. She candidly turns her laptop towards the guy and his metal dragon, and snaps a picture. Then she shifts her posture again and starts typing. Another report in progress, huh? She doesn't need to say anything. Because everyone else is going to ask all the pertinent questions for her. And some not so pertinent. Millium meanwhile just raises an arm to shield herself from the rushing wind and just sounds out her awe. "Whooooooooa! That's so cool!" She'd answer August, but Will already did that for her. An the moment to speak of the happenings around it have sorta passed. Maybe later. Maybe. But questions! Questions! "Oh! Oh! Me! Me first!" She starts, hopping up and down eagerly. "Mr Flying Angel man! I wanna ask; do you know anything about the Fallen Azure Star? Y'know, that story about the Azure King that went up into the sky?" She smiles and bonks her head lightly. "I know, I know, it's just a legend, but I have to know! Please? Pretty please?" Millium clasps her hands together and flutters her eyelashes. ...Millium please.
Mel Brock	"We've gotten a lot of nebulous talk and vague descriptions and ominous stuff about 'the enemy' and 'the war' and 'the ancients'," is the first thing Mel says in reply to Marchosiel. Her hands are out of her pockets now. "And to be honest with you, we're getting pretty damn tired of it. If it didn't have anything to do with us, yeah, sure, have your mystery and your intrigue and your vague, nonspecific danger." The marshal waves a hand. "Whatever. But, uh, it does. We're dealing with this shit too." She starts to pace. "We had that great big lava-spewing Herald. You were there. We've had this black smoke turning people into horrors, and we're pretty sure it's some kind of nanotech. We've got you demanding the Solano for the purpose of some vague 'saving the world', and we've already seen first-hand it's pretty effective against nanotech like the black smoke. We've got some kind of ancient crisis so dangerous you'd erase entire cities with intense heat because that's /better/ than the alternative. So I've got a theory, and I'm gonna say it, but I'd really rather you just lay everything on the table rather than give me a 'yes', or a 'no', or 'it's complicated', or 'terrible glory of the long-dead forerunners and their hubris'." Only now does the Marshal uncross her arms, and look at Marchosiel squarely. "The smoke. It's the enemy, right? Or some part of it. The ancients did something stupid, they made some kind of nanoswarm intended to augment themselves, but too much of it in one place turned sapient. How close am I?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	And here's Marchosiel now. Yuna bows politely to the ancient guardian (or whatever he is), all nice and formal, and offers a brief smile along with a polite, "It's good to see you again," even if it ... maybe isn't as nice as it could be. Certainly the android angel of judgment (?) isn't wasting time on pleasantries ... Yuna doesn't really know anything about the Fallen Azure Star, but Millium seems to be local, so Yuna just listens to Millium's question, filing it (and however Marchosiel may answer) away in the back of her head. Mel's question seems MUCH more on-task ... and the Marshal's question, combined with Marchosiel mentioning 'other business,' brings something else to click into place. "So - if you'll pardon my asking - what 'other business' are you dealing with when you aren't around us, or vice versa?" Yuna inquires. "You say it's something you need Will's Judgment to assist with, but ... is it something that only you, or any others like you who remain, can fight? Is it something that we humans from across the Multiverse could confront if push came to shove?" That came together better (and faster) than she thought it would, really.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa looks to August then back to mell for a moment. "All right if your certain about that Mel I don't like leaving people behind but I won't argue this." Then she pauses for a moment as it seems they will have to wait fo whoever they were calling. At this point? Kotone is playing a smart phone game at the momnent as the being they sought to signal arrives. She looks up and puts the phone aqway it's time to be asking questions and she's willing to wait for her turn as questions start to fly at this point. Also Mel is aksin the basic quesitosn she wanted to but she will think on some questions to ask based on what the others ask before them.
August Kohler	As Marchosial arrives, August just steps back and watches. He doesn't say anything, or ask any questions, mainly because Mel asked the most pertinent ones already. He /is/ sizing up Marchosial and the dragon, especially to see how wounded they are, though. Just in case!
William Pauwel	"Mine's pretty similar to Mel's," Will says, moving to sink into a conveniently placed rock. "I've heard from Judgment that it's a weapon to fight this... Enemy of yers. But what IS it? It keeps tellin' me that it's classified or that I don't have the clearance, but y'all keep saying it's some kind of amazing weapon, so... What /is/ i--" Marchosiel holds up a hand as if to cut Will off. "One at a time," he rumbles before his eyes fix upon Millium as she poses her query. They glow bright like two tiny stars set into the darkness behind his visor. He does not seem to be affected by things like 'cute poses' and 'adorableness.' "The Fallen Azure Star," he says, then, turning his face towards the sky. He seems to grow... almost wistful, maybe? There's a note of melancholy in the knight's voice, as if remembering something from long, long ago. "It's an old story. Older even than I. It's not accurate, though. The world in the story of the Fallen Azure Star and its Azure King does not refer to Tellus, but another. One far from here, even more ancient than our own. But as for the Azure Star, it is said that it still sleeps here on this planet." Then there are... More pressing questions. Ones of far more import than legends about a star from a distant world. Marchosiel's shoulders slump slightly. He shakes his head, it sounds like steel grinding against steel. "You know that I cannot tell you that. I do not have clearance to speak on classi--i--" "--i--" Something changes. Marchosiel's body spasms unnaturally, limbs and joints jerking like a puppet on strings. Its eyes flicker, the light within fading to black. "I--I--" Its head lolls back, sparks flashing across the inside surface of its visor as the thing becomes a single contiguous bar of light. Light pours outward, upward, filling the air. "I--" Another change. There is a voice. It does not belong to this Angel of Judgment. "I AM JUNO"
Victor Xix	"I am Juno." Of all the strange and alien details of the man who forms from light, it is those staggering, wine-colored eyes that command attention first and foremost. They are not the eyes of a human being. They have not been the eyes of a human being in a very, very long time. As the hologram builds itself in startling realism, it builds from those eyes, those piercing, ancient, knowing eyes. Around those eyes it constructs a fair and handsome face, though a face marred by circuitry, by lines, by wires and tubes that stick in and out of it at odd and unusual places. A slight body forms under that face, but it is a slight body jutted with spikes and wires, with gears and metalworks, to the point where it seems as if it is more 'compact' than 'slight,' as if it is a body into which all manner of power has been fitted in as efficient a space as possible. Around that body is a throne of metal with more wires and circuits that hum and pulse even through the holographic connection, with tubes jammed directly into fleshy, biological parts of Juno's body - like his right shoulder, his left upper arm, or his leg. Purple hair is the last to form, purple hair that spills down his back and his front like a sheathe, like clothing, as if it has not been cut in all the time he has ever been alive. He opens his mouth to speak to Mel. His tongue shines with cybernetic circuits. His voice resonates with a mechanical quality, echoing as though he was speaking through multiple speakers at once. At the same time, there is none of the halting mechanicalness that even advanced robots tend towards, none of the obvious machine-nature behind that voice other than its echo. It's musical, like it's been autotuned, like the voice of a god if a god was run through an autotuner. "That is incorrect," that echoing, strangely musical voice says, "CODE: PARADISE was not created for the purpose of augmentation and did not go rogue. It continues to function exactly as intended even now. The element that drove the PARADISE unit to its current state was a then-unaccounted individual's ruinous commands. No CODE has ever malfunctioned in the span of recorded history." The hologram's eyes move towards Yuna. It's like watching stone grind against stone as they move. Tectonic plates in motion. "All available units have been deployed to suppress PARADISE emergence wherever it is most efficient. The Herald-class emergence you have described is only one of many such manifestations."
Mel Brock	In times like this, Mel Brock falls back on her training. Her PCS-3 is in her hands in the space of a heartbeat when that resonant voice first speaks. She has it up and ready to fire immediately. But her finger is not on the trigger just yet, exercising proper trigger discipline, and she doesn't open fire. This, thankfully, proves to be the correct choice. She has received her answer. Slowly, the space cop lowers her weapon again, turning to look Will's way briefly, then Yuna's, before asking her next question. "Then what was it intended to do? And what were the alterations to its program?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	The grinding from Marchosiel, the spasming and sparking, prompts an alarmed look to cross Yuna's face - alarmed and worried. There's nothing she can do to assist, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to. And then ... the other voice, and the hologram. Juno. Was Juno ever human? Organic, perhaps, but more machine than man, at least at the time that the holographic avatar was constructed. Maybe Juno is a pure cyber-mind now, Yuna thinks. But more important than what Juno is (and who), he's answering their questions further than Marchosiel could ... and in a way, just appearing before them answers other questions. Certainly Yuna was wondering who was out there besides Marchosiel; she knows a little more now just by the presence of Juno as he addresses the group. And among those words .... "Was Code: Paradise always meant to be a weapon?" asks Yuna, sounding a little dazed. Her question may not quite have been answered, but ... if the Black Dust - Code: Paradise - is the threat, the 'other business,' which Marchosiel and Juno are standing against, then it does answer the question Yuna had asked the android angel.
Kotone Yamakawa	The information is staggering it sounds like the whole nightmare is due to user error and not something breaking. That in a way makes everything far more tragic and worrysome she now moves to ask her question afte the information tht Juno has to first give out is given. "One of my first encoutners with things on this world was with a coral that had infested an old resarch lab that altered and tianted every living thing there even some of the machines. IS this connected to Paradise? Also is there a means to countermand it's orders?"
Millium Argent	Marchosiel answers her question! ....and it just makes her squint in confusion by the end. "...Huh? Wait, a world not Tellus?" Her face goes blank and she blinks a few times. "....Uhhhhhhhh...." Nope! She got nothing! That's completely not in the storybooks! Another world!? Wow, she's really gotta get to the bottom of this, and... and she's got no leads! ...Except for that location underwater. Even more incentive to go and actually do it. She's gonna have to borrow a sub from the guild, isn't she? Bah. But the others ask more pertinent questions at that point...and the strangest things start happening. Their fine metal friend seems to be creaking and grinding and then... "Oh." Well that's not good. Is it? She's pretty sure it's not good anyway! But he has answers! More answers than Marchosiel was willing to give. Code: Paradise is the name of that nanoswarm? Claire is definitely getting all of this down. Her fingers blaze across the keyboard as she types, saying nothing still, beyond a radio comment. But Millium, being Millium, has to ask the least important question. Probably. "Sooooooooo... Juno, right? ...What are you? What did you do? Were you some kinda super bigshot? DID YOU MAKE CODE: PARADISE!?" She gasps dramatically and points! ...Welp.
August Kohler	August steps backwards again as Marchosial begins to freak out, moving his bracelet up to eye level. Luckily, he doesn't need to summon his Persona, because the strange man facing them does not seem hostile. The redhead just grimaces, that mechanical voice putting him on edge, as he listens. PARADISE...that's what they're up against. But then, Juno also said something else interesting, something August has been wondering, and Millium references it as well. "Was this world Earth?"
William Pauwel	Juno. Will's eyes widen like saucers at Marchosiel's evident malfunction. No. Not malfunction. The one they're speaking to is no longer Marchosiel but... But something else. Something that somehow seems to him to be even more alien than the Iron Angel itself. Will can't pull his eyes away from the hologram-- he watches the machines, sees the circuitry move. This... This is a person, isn't it? Is it still? At what point... At what point does someone become more machine than man? "J-Juno. You-- who are you? Are you the one that Marchosiel was calling 'The Emperor?'" If so... If so, that means a misstep here could mean almost certain death. Maybe they could have fought off Marchosiel alone, but Yuna was right-- could they push back an entire force of these guys? His question on his gun is, for now, forgotten. There are more pressing things in his mind.
Victor Xix	Juno is silent for a moment, like he's processing something. Then, that musical voice emerges again. "Be not afraid. You will not come to harm unless you seek to endanger the operations of the Marchosiel unit. You are not agents of CODE: PARADISE. A contingency plan for escape is unnecessary. I am the ultimate authority over the Marchosiel unit and all its peers." "CODE: PARADISE was designed for the explicit purpose of revitalization and reinvigoration of landscapes and ecosystems damaged by over-reliance on CODE warfare." Juno turns his hand over. A globe spins into being above it, populated by buildings, then surrounded by space stations, then the moon itself...then a third massive body. A second moon. Sattelites whir with incredible detail around all three celestial bodies as they spin above Juno's hand. Then, abruptly, there are explosions appearing across the landscape. Buildings are devoured in beams of light. Infinitesimally tiny dots come together in a march to swarm across continents, and it is perhaps with some horror that it becomes clear that those dots are armies large enough to be seen from space. Explosions burst between Tellus and its moons, large gouts of fire. Juno speaks in that same calm, reassuring, musical voice as the globes spin and destruction caves in large parts of the planet, levels mountains, and obliterates trees. "In the wake of the events that came to be called the Aeon Wars, the nations of Tellus came to an uneasy peace as they grew aware that it was impossible for their battles to continue in the scope and scale they currently achieved. A new CODE, devised to mimic a more ancient and far more unstable tool meant to give life, was conceived of and built by the confederation of nations, in order to reestablish and repair the ravaged landscape." The globe continues to whirl. Black smoke explodes across it. In its wake, mountains rise. Tiny dots move across the surface; again, that mind-bending realization that what is moving is actually trees being born in such large numbers as to reach orbit. "For a brief period of time, CODE: PARADISE restored and reorganized much of the ecosystems already present. However..." The globe stops spinning. The dark smoke suddenly explodes upwards like a horrible skull, spreading across the land. Where it moves, the land is twisted. Tainted. Poisoned. The hologram Tellus looks visibly sickened. "...under the influence of the renegade scientist in charge of the project, the CODE was twisted into an instrument of destruction. Its ability to manipulate elements on the genetic level wrought havoc. The assembled nations again came together, and agreed to deploy their Greaver armies and all available CODEs to its destruction. Eventually, this proved impossible, so its sealing and deactivation was enough, though at costs that would have been deemed unacceptable were it not for the power of the CODE itself. It is possible that one of these manifestations is responsible for the coral you have described. Without more data, I cannot confirm if it is the work of CODE: Paradise or an alternative explanation." Juno turns his eyes to Millium as the holographic world and its moons vanish. "I am the operator of CODE: Victory. My purpose is the destruction of CODE: Paradise. I am not of the Enemy." "I do not know that," he says to August, "If that is a name that Tellus owns, it is before any recordings I have access to." "I also do not know if any such means to countermand the orders left by PARADISE's creator exist. I have theorized, but I am reluctant to give incorrect information when precision may be the difference between the planet's doom and its deliverance."
Victor Xix	Juno's grinding eyes turn towards William. The purple-haired thing stares at him for a long moment. "Yes."
Mel Brock	"Tell us anyway," Mel says immediately. "Most of us are from outside, from the Multiverse. A couple of us are from spacefaring civilizations, myself included. We need to be sharing information this, especially if CODE Paradise is waking up again, because with our outsider's perspective, we might all come up with ideas you'd miss. And aside from that, even having a bad idea is better than having no idea at all." She shoves her hands in her pockets. "I don't know what all you have planned, but we want to see Paradise dealt with once and for all, too, preferably without killing everyone on this planet or permanently ruining the ecosystem." The Marshal pauses, then adds, "And tapping our secure comms without permission is pretty rude, just FYI. I can understand and all, but seriously, guy, we're trying to build some trust here."
Millium Argent	"Woooooow, okay... So that's a thing that happened..." Millium mumbles, her cheerfy demeanor lessening quite a bit at watching that hologram of Tellus basically blow itself up. Well, not itself, but by the people living on the planet. It's a shame too because CODE Paradise looked like it was doing it's job! But then it all went to hell again. Millium raises a hand, speaking a little more quietly. "...Do you know exactly who messed up CODE Paradise? And why did he do it? ...Also, what's CODE Victory? Is that Mr Metal Man over there?" She points to Marchosiel as she asks.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"So it wasn't actually intended to be a weapon, except the 'renegade' perverted its functionality to wreak havoc instead of healing the planet," Yuna muses. That's slightly less creepy and disturbing - and it makes the name logical. "So if the altered program can't be terminated or de-altered ..." She pauses, her mouth hanging open briefly. "... There's something about Will's father's gun that can halt Code: Paradise? Is that why Marchosiel wants it?"
August Kohler	"I have an important question, then." Well, no confirmation on the Earth thing is a bummer, and Juno is creeping August out by hacking their comms, but he's still curious. "Why are you telling all of this? Obviously, according to what Marchosial said, this is classified information. What do you seek for us to do with this information, because I'm not under the impression you're just telling us to tell us."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa watche as some of the dark history of WIlliams world is laid out before them, if this source of intformation can be trusted. She nods for a moment to Juno. "I am afraid we ... purged the lab I'm afraid. Still thank you for taking your time with my question." She thins it doens't hur to be polite and there's a lot of information as it is. "I understand you won't wish to give us bad data but many of us are not native to this world, and given out of world contact? Paradise could spread off world and we need what informationg we can. I have seen a world over run by nanotechnology before."
William Pauwel	"Is--" There's a question that's been on Will's mind. A question that he's been desperate to hear an answer to for weeks now. He may not express it; he may look like he's ever the happy-go-lucky gunslinger-repairman of The Watch, but... There's a reason he's doing all of this, after all. A little shred of hope he's been holding onto for all this time. "This stuff. Paradise. It can... Infect people, right?" That's what the corpses were, after all. That's what happened to... ... "...Is there a cure? Can someone who's been infected-- can they fight it off? Did the Ancients have medicine that could do that?"
Victor Xix	Juno smiles. It is not a happy smile. It is the smile of something that has not smiled in a very, very long time, and is trying to seem very familiar and comforting. "I am given to understand that it is rude to speak about someone privately when they are in front of you. Perhaps we shall acknowledge both parties as being in error and carry on." The smile vanishes. It doesn't fade - it /falls off/, as Juno returns to his normal, inscrutable expression. "If you wish to press the point, however, it is you who sought answers. You are in no position to demand my compliance or my manners. I broke into your communications to ensure that you were not agents of PARADISE or threats potential to my operations on Tellus. You do not need to trust me. I need to trust you. Do not mistake these things." Juno pauses again, then levels a finger at the Solano. "I am JUNO, Administrator of CODE: Victory. Acknowledge my voiceprint and the password I have transmitted to your central core, Terminal Judgement. I grant access to CODE: Judgement's targetting systems and mapping functions to be displayed to your current operator until such time as I have revoked them. Bypass the O-Unit's clearance under emergency protocol Rho Omega Chi Kappa Mu Alpha Nu. Five sites have been uploaded into CODE: Judgement's targetting systems." Juno's finger falls back to his chair. "These are sites likely to contain laboratory notes and information about CODE: PARADISE. These sites may contain further expansions on methods to permanently erase CODE: PARADISE or otherwise subdue it. I am incapable of devoting Marchosiel or other units to the retrieval of this information at this time. The containment of PARADISE manifestations is deemed more important in the priority list." "CODE: JUDGEMENT is a weapon capable of obliterating wide swaths of PARADISE in a single blast. When used correctly, with access to the proper firing mechanism, it is capable of destroying PARADISE manifestations more efficiently than any other CODE." "You are not of the Enemy. You are therefore deemed an acceptable risk at this moment in time. Should you prove to be untrustworthy, I will exterminate you and find someone else to perform the task." Juno's eyes swing to Kotone, and also to Mel. "Your worlds and the safety thereof is not considered a priority over the continued survival of the human species living on Tellus. You do not need to know how to take control of CODE: PARADISE. I will not entrust you with that information. I will not entrust anyone with that information. If you are uncertain as to why then you need only look at the world that currently is to understand. An outcome that sees any individual take control over CODE: PARADISE is one that has been deemed unacceptable." Juno's tone goes back to that quiet, serene, musical tone. "The Marchosiel unit is one extension of CODE: VICTORY I have access to, but is not individually a CODE nor a Terminal. It is an outcome. I will not share further information on the nature of CODE: VICTORY. My personal safety will not be endangered, nor my operations." Juno pauses again. "If it is truly important for you to know the name of the man who took control over CODE: PARADISE, his name was Dr. Hamelin Seranade. Speculation on his motives is irrelevant; if you wish to know, he likely wrote it down on paper, for no records of his reasoning exist in any databanks I have access to." Juno considers Will's question. "There is treatment." He does not say 'cure'.
Millium Argent	Millium brings a hand to her chin, trying to look thoughtful, and actually thinking over everything that's said. This Juno guy is pretty strange! It makes her all the more curious about him, but it looks like this is about the best that they're going to get out of him. A bit rude, on both ends, but nonetheless they've gleaned a ton of new information today. "Allllright then. I guess this is the best we can do, huh?" She muses thoughtfully, shaking her head in the end. "Dr. Hamelin Seranade..." Not a name she's familiar with. Claire gets a glance after and she shakes her head after a bit of digging as well. Nope! But still... why would one guy want to destroy the planet, when it should have saved it? What drives a single man to do that? "It's kinda sad..."
Mel Brock	Mel stares right into those eyes, unwavering, for several long seconds. Okay, so he's got her on the radio. But then, finally, she brings her arms up and crosses them over her chest again. "Alright. So maybe not telling us how to control Paradise. I can accept that. But you're wrong about one thing, Juno. We /do/ need to trust you. We're here doing the same thing you are, and I'm not sure how much more clear I can make that - we want to destroy Paradise. We want to end it. I don't have any ties to this world, I don't have any desire to set up shop here or run off with a bunch of CODEs when no one's looking, I just want to make sure that people aren't gonna wake up tomorrow to see Paradise seeping under their doors, heading towards their kids and their spouse and them. When I'm satisfied that's the case, I'll probably only show up here again for Will's barbecues. Assuming he doesn't have them somewhere the wildlife will eat us." She uncrosses an arm, and makes a sweeping gesture. "I'd very much like to help you. I'd very much like /you/ to help /us/. But right now you're keeping us at arm's length. We're doing a lot of flailing in the dark here, and until now all we've ever gotten is vagueness. And we can't work with someone we can't trust. All I'm asking is we start swapping info. Start working on the trust thing. We find out something interesting, we run it by you, you tell us what's what. You find out something needs handling, you let us know, and you give us all the info you can about it."
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna nods slowly as her question, among others, is answered. She's not sure if she really likes Juno's attitude towards them, but ... at the same time? She can't ENTIRELY blame him. Juno's first, last, and only concern, from the sound of things, is Tellus and its restoration - stopping Code: Paradise from tearing the world apart and starting to patch it back together. If it were Yuna's own native Earth ... or for that matter, any of the worlds she's 'adopted' in her travels through the Multiverse ... she might well be just as unrelenting in trying to save them from a threat such as this. To protect the family whom she loves and her precious, irreplaceable friends, what wouldn't she do? "Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Juno," Yuna finally says, bowing again to the hologram. "I can't think of any more questions I need to ask at this point."
August Kohler	August has no more questions. He has some opinions on things, but isn't comfortable stating them while Juno can read their comms. He just glances nervously at Mel as she says her big statement, and watches to see how Juno reacts.
William Pauwel	A command. An administrative command-- one from one of the highest authorities amongst the Ancients. Terminal Judgment flickers with light, then surges. "Emergency Protocol-- code verified. Voice recognition-- Administrator Juno of CODE: Victory, confirmed. Password acknowledged and matched. Verification complete." The weapon's glow fades back into the crevasses of its framework, flashing only once more before vanishing again. "William, please make use of this information at your discretion." Will stares at his gun. He looks up at Juno and opens his mouth to speak, but then... Treatment. Not a cure, but... Treatment. Will's expression is... Mixed. It's hard to tell whether the news inspired hope in him, or dashed it upon the rocks. That's not just because of the complicated look on his face or the moisture gathering near his eyes-- but also because he's tilted his hat in such a way that it makes it impossible to say for sure how he's feeling. That's the benefit of wearing a hat, you know. A hat lets a cowboy hide his emotions. His breath shudders in his chest, carrying outwards to his shoulders and all the way down to his legs. He glances out from under his hat at Mel and the others, and then looks back up at Juno. There's... more than a little mist in his eyes. "Emperor... Administrator Juno," Will corrects himself, then gingerly plucks the hat from his head and holds it against his chest. "You didn't have to tell us... Any of this. I mean. Everyone else who might know-- they've said so-and-so was classified. Or that they couldn't tell us because they didn't know, or didn't have the permissions. But you just... Came here, without us callin' for you, and explained uh... Everything. All of that." "I've got some more business to take care of in Iskandria," war-business. The worst kind of business. "But rest assured, I'll go for those laboratories. This is my world too, my planet, my home. If there's somethin' out there that's going to destroy it, then I'll do whatever it takes to stop it. And I know that by tellin' us all this, you're... Doing a lot more than just extendin' a hand. Yer openin' up a can of worms that nobody here knows for sure what will do." "The least I can do, as a Chaser an' as a Tellurian an' as a Pauwel is to do what it takes t' make sure y'all don't regret what y'all did for us today."
Victor Xix	"You do not need to trust me," replies Juno's mellifluous voice, "You do not have any other sources of information on this subject, or you would not have risked access to Marchosiel and the threat of losing CODE: JUDGEMENT. You have no choice but to believe what I am saying in absence of contradicting evidence. As any information you find independent of me will corroborate my own offering, it does not really matter if you trust me or not. I, however, have access to many other sources of information and many other individuals I could make use of. It is simply marginally more efficient to take this path towards my goals than the other ninety-three projected paths, and therefore it is optimal." Juno's eyes turn to William. "The least you can do is exactly what you would have done regardless of my interference or information," Juno says plainly, "The same statement remains true: you did not need this information. You would have found much of it eventually. I am simply accelerating the process for my own ends. There is a 100% probability that you would have stumbled upon one of the laboratories now encoded in your Terminal's data structure under your current path." Juno hesitates, like it's trying to decide between two very important options. "I have been watching you," he says finally, "All of you. I will continue watching you. The instant you entered the Tellurian sphere, you became part of my calculations. In the interests of trust, I inform you of this. There is nothing on Tellus that occurs without my knowledge, down to the smallest detail." "Please make your future plans with this in mind. It will improve the efficiency of your plans substantially."
Millium Argent	"................." Millium is silent at the revelation that Juno has seen everything. EVERYTHING. She turns this over in her mind. Ruminates upon it. Lets it stew in her mind. Juno is always watching. Always calculating. Then that means.... THAT MEANS... "Does that mean you've seen all of my concerts!?" Claire facepalms.
Victor Xix	"Your concerts have been recorded and added to the vast sum of data utilized to make predictions involved in the destruction of CODE: PARADISE as a possible means of social influence," Juno responds completely seriously.
Mel Brock	There's a long silence from Mel. "If there's nothing that occurs on Tellus without your knowledge down to the smallest detail, why don't you seem to know much about the coral?" Her voice contains a certain wariness that wasn't there before.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna glances at Millium briefly at the mention of concerts ... and sympathizes with Claire's facepalming. That also explains why Juno casually eavesdropped on their radio, too. As for William? Yuna doesn't see how she would regret any of this meeting; they came, they asked questions, they got answers - even if they didn't quite expect the source most of those answers actually came from. And then Mel raises a fairly good point. Yuna's own guess is that the coral is some kind of 'blind spot' ... She keeps her mouth shut for the moment, though. There's probably a perfectly logical explanation, whether it parallels Yuna's own guess or turns out to be something else entirely.
Victor Xix	"I am aware that it took over a facility in the ocean. I am aware that it attempted to access the core. I am aware that it was dealt with by several members of the party currently questioning me, as well as several individuals you have chosen not to involve in this questioning for what I am forced to guess are off-world reasons." "However, I do not know everything. I know everything that occurs. The substantial difference is this: if PARADISE moves, I am able to find it. If PARADISE does not move, but generates a new strain of mutant life, I can only assume that PARADISE is responsible when such is not necessarily the case. I do not enjoy making assumptions. They are detrimental to my projections." "The tone of your voice suggests that you believe that I am responsible, or that I am masking my responsibility, or that I am falsely stating my own capabilities for intimidation. I am not responsible for the coral. If I was responsible, I would not need to aggressively access the core - I have Administrator-level clearance over all facilities other than the O-Unit." "This same reasoning is why I require agents to go to facilities on foot: to verify what are only suspicions. My eyes are everywhere. My hands can only spread so far, and I do not trust my sight as absolute." "Additionally," Juno adds, "It would be ignorant to assume that no power in the now-recognized Multiverse is incapable of hiding from me. It would similarly be ignorant to assume that PARADISE has not developed means to hide information from me in the millenia since it was activated. Its purpose is evolution. Assuming that it cannot evolve itself is an assumption I am always unwilling to make." "Finally," Juno says, "My speculation on other sources for the coral is both irrelevant, and relies on knowledge too dangerous for anyone besides myself to possess. I am in fact incapable of speaking of it due to the level of classification it possesses. I hope this will help you understand why I am unwilling to speculate further."
Mel Brock	"No," Mel replies. "The tone of my voice suggets only that I suspect you're keeping things from us that would weaken your position in relation to us, when we're the ones going out and risking our lives. And yeah, maybe I also suspect you're overblowing yourself a little. But mostly it's the way you keep acting all high-handed and holier-than-thou and the god damn smug attitude when even you admit there's things you might not know and things you might be missing. I don't like you. And I trust you even less than I did about two minutes ago, which I must admit is a pretty impressive feat. I mean, thank you for giving Pauwel answers and all, but at this point how do I know you're not gonna feed me some info in a week or a month or a year, that has me running off to die as part of your master plan?" She doesn't actually wait for an answer at this point. She turns, heading back in the direction of the Chaser in a casual walk.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa looks to Mel for a moment and simply nods she has nothing else to say at this point, still though there's some things to listen to and the mention of a Treatment is noted but not a cure. The only way she could think of to stop thi was if a miracle happened? They found the command codes and ordered paradise to self terminate in some fashion that didn't doom the world. She hwoever takes stark note Juno is watching, them. She doubts she could keep Juno out of her own cyberentic brain and that /scares/ the hell out of her.
Victor Xix	"I am absolutely keeping things from you that would weaken my position in relation to you. You have decided to speak on further information privately off-world," Juno points out placidly, "So I believe that this goes both ways. As for knowing that I will not feed you something that will kill you:" Juno's eyes close. "I absolutely will feed you information that may cost you your life in order to preserve as much of the Tellurian human race as I am possibly capable of. I feel that I have made this perfectly clear. I am willing to sacrifice 90% of the life of Tellus to preserve 10. That is not an unacceptable outcome. I am simply searching for alternatives that do not require such extremities." "If I wished to solve the problem of PARADISE," Juno says slowly, opening his eyes again, "I could have done so, at the cost of this entire planet's biosphere." "Please be aware of this in the future when speaking to me."
William Pauwel	"Ah, well," Will pales at the revelation that... That this guy can and has plotted to blow up the world to defeat his ancient foe. That's sort of like hearing that you're functionally at the mercy of some kind of god with his finger hovering over some kind of 'explode the world' button. This... This must be like what it's like to live in places that actually do have gods. ...Huh. "...Well uh. Thanks for the vote of confidence in our abilities, pardner," Will says to the floating face in the sky. "I appreciate it. Really. And... Thanks for not just takin' the quickest way out here. We'll do our best." E-even if Mel and the others might think he's untrustworthy. Well, that's just fine. William Pauwel just isn't inclined to disbelieve a guy who can turn his gun on and off and apparently knows how to blow up the world. Or maybe the cowpoke is just glad to have a few straight answers for once.
Millium Argent	Millium waves up at Juno, all grins and sparkles "I have another concert in a week! Watch that one too!" Millium please. This is important stuff.
August Kohler	August just turns away once Juno's finished speaking. He knew Juno was tapping their comms when he said they should speak off-world, but he didn't really feel he had an alternative, as Juno claims he can watch them at all times. And even if August dislikes Juno, and his thought patterns, and his methods of doing things, he's pretty sure that they don't have a choice here: one way or another, they're going to tangle with him, so it's better to do it in the way least likely to get everyone killed. "Come on, guys. You want to get something to eat?"