MISSION: GET TO ZE CHOPPA

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: August 23rd, 2753 (OOCly forward-dated to the 1st)
Location: Uruguay National Defense HQ
Characters: All transports!
Summary: All transports are sent back to Uruguay to download a self-aware AI before it gets bombed out of existence by an early incarnation of the UE. Time distortion effects will be set right either on the way there or on the way back, according to player choice.
Warnings: violence, action movie tension, 3 terabytes of foot fetish porn.

The Transporter drops the entire transport population into what will quickly be established as Home Base, a mile from the vast, sprawling facility that is Uruguay's National Defense HQ. The low roar of helidrones moving above is pervasive, but the black ships can only be glimpsed here and there through the thick cover of trees overhead. If you keep calm and quiet, it's likely you won't be spotted. It's the UND HQ their attention is on, after all.

The population is quickly sorted by attending Initiate employees according to who volunteers to fight and who volunteers to protect, along with those with enough skill to access the computers, and those with enough skill to get them there. The fighters move out first, off to intercept the early UE's ships and ground troops, and to draw the automated defense systems of the facility alike. They'll be in a crossfire, and neither side will be happy to see them there.

The techies and their escorts are sent out far more quietly, in groups of three. Their task is to sneak past the front lines and into the facility itself. There might be alarms and automated defense drones, so those escorts may well be called on to earn their keep. The Initiative can't give any information about which building will house the AI's mainframe, that information was long since lost to history. All they can do is send out enough people to hope that one of them manages to find it.

And remember — as soon as the UE troops withdraw, there will only be minutes until the bomb drops. Everyone would do well to work fast.



[[ Mission information is here, and the techie/escort teams, along with their hacking results, are here. Each techie/escort group will have their own established thread, but Team Distraction and Team We'll Stay Here, Thanks are welcome to thread where ever and however they like! The newbie log that goes up on the 1st will also encompass the arrival back in Exsilium, if you'd like to play that out as well. ]]

Comments

[mushroomthief]

It wouldn't take Sam long to find Frodo. The tween had stopped some distance from where those who been singled out as not part of the fighting group, and had frozen, starting up at the sky in a mixture of wonder and fear.

The strange creatures passed over him, only bare glimpses here and there through the trees, but it was enough to whip his hair about from their passage.

[undroppedeaves]

There he was. Sam let out a sigh of relief that he had found him unharmed and still within the perimeters of their safe area. Sam hurried to his side. "It's for the best you stick near the others, master Frodo." Sam's voice was low but he tried not to sound as feared as he felt.

[mushroomthief]

Without realizing it, Frodo's had started to reach for what lay around his neck. There was that feeling, that he ought to hide, and quickly, before whatever these things were saw him. It was only when the sound of another hobbit hurrying up behind him that the motion stopped. Frodo couldn't hide the relief. Sam! The tween hurried to meet the other hobbit.

"I wanted to get a better look," Frodo tried to explain. Then he had found himself frozen in place, though this last was something he preferred Sam not know about. Pippin had said he thought he could be very brave, and it didn't seem brave at all to freeze on the spot. He hurriedly tried to change the subject. "Why do you call me Master Frodo?"

[undroppedeaves]

Sam nodded at him, he of course would not have thought any less of Frodo for freezing at these strange noises and shapes in the air. He knew how brave he was, or how brave he would be.

It still confused him, but the strength he knew Frodo had was still there in tween Frodo, just not yet found.

The change in subject had him blinking, "Well because your cousin to mister Bilbo, and I mind my manners." He began to steer Frodo back to the safety of the group.

[mushroomthief]

Frodo stuck close to Sam, and didn't argue as Sam steered him away, back to the others. He snuck a glance at Sam. Was he scared at all? He looked puzzled by what they had found themselves in. Frodo could hardly blame him for it.

"Oh," That settled it. Bilbo would be Master of the Hill back in Hobbiton, and things were more proper over there, and manners minded more. That made sense, though Frodo didn't think he could ever get used to being called Master Frodo. He was certainly not master back at Buckland, other than snatching the mushrooms out from Maggot's nose. "I guess I had better get used to it then." And that last was more under his breath.

"Do you know where were are?"

[undroppedeaves]

Sam smiled again but pretended he hadn't heard the muttering. "Some place called Uruguay from what I understood, I doubt we'll be here for long though."

He hoped not, he didn't like this place one bit, what were the Initiative thinking sending them all here, including the children.

[mushroomthief]

They came to the edge of the group, where those that were too young to fight and those that were not fighters, or preferred to protect the latter two, were staying. Another of the great beasts passed over them. Its passage kicked up leaves and dirt, and filled the air with a low hum that rattled through a hobbit from their feet on up.

Frodo's eyes stung. He squinted. He liked new places, seeing new things, but he didn't quite like this particular place at the moment. These creatures would be best seen anywhere but in their passage or under them. He had to shout over the hum. "I can't say I have ever seen or heard of such a place! You're not joining the others are you? I saw Aragorn go off with them."

Part of him hopes Sam and Pippin don't fight. Fighting seems like it's more for the Big Folk, not hobbits.

[undroppedeaves]

Sam winced as well, shielding his eyes. "Nor I, until now." He shook his head, he felt a bit bad about not helping but from what he could see he would be naught but a hindrance.

"Aragorn is a brave fighter." He assured Frodo, "I'm not sure if Pippin has gone with them."

[mushroomthief]

Frodo couldn't help the relief that Sam would not go off and fight. He liked the hobbit, or at least, what he saw of him, and he hardly seemed like a warrior to him; not like Aragorn, at least. He was brave for staying by to protect the others, but Frodo found it hard to imagine him charging ranks, sword swinging.

The awful beasts passed. They seemed to come in uneven waves, leaving the hobbits with a few moments of peace. The trees and dust settled down again.

"He seems like so. I didn't know Pippin could fight."

[undroppedeaves]

"He can." Sam told him, though he hoped Pippin hadn't gone. Though he knew the hobbit could handle himself, he had told Sam he had fought in the wars of the Big Folk whilst Frodo and him traveled on to Mordor but he still worried.

[mushroomthief]

A hobbit off to fight in a war. Frodo looked back over his shoulder, to where he had last seen the others leave. The world outside was a stranger place than he thought.

"Come on, we ought to see what we can do to help the others back at camp."

[undroppedeaves]

Sam nodded, "You're right master Frodo," he tensed as another set of air ships passed overhead and hurried Frodo back to the camp, best they stuck with everyone else.