Other Worlds: V 2.0

[initiates]

Date & Time: May 21st, beginning at 0900.
Location: The Initiative Hold and all throughout Elmer's world
Characters: Anyone participating in the fighting, anyone staying behind.
Summary: Elmer's world is fought for and lost.
Warnings: Violence, death.

They reopen the portal at 0900, May 21st. The first scientist who stepped through was killed within thirty seconds; the rest who followed made it back through to Exsilium, albeit not unscathed. The portal was shut again by a panicked operator, although a second operator knew to keep the coordinates locked.

Within ten minutes, the alert had been sent out. There's no time to wait for the Transports to gather en masse; as soon as they have a sizable enough force to stand a chance at fighting through and clearing their gateway's location, the door is opened again.

Immediately inside the door is a desolate, grim scene. What had previously been the coast of Japan is now scorched earth, blasted sand, and little else. As the first point of contact for this world, it has undoubtedly suffered the worst. Here, the UE didn't stop at governments, financial centers, and capitols — the UE destroyed everything in sight. There are enough UE soldiers remaining in the broken country to give the Transports a difficult battle, although by now the bulk of their forces have moved on.

The Initiative will soon realize the necessity of opening more gateways, just as the UE had done. Transports will be deployed to London, Berlin, Paris, DC Washington, Moscow, Beijing, New York City, Hong Kong, Madrid. Through each of these windows, the destruction is staggering. Buildings are more husks than structures, everything that can burn is alight, and the death toll is off the charts. Blackened bodies seem to line every street, while pieces litter the ground among the rubble. There's no doubt that the UE has no need of the people of this world. They're after resources only, and anything and anyone already here is to be removed.

You can find UE soldiers everywhere. They move in coordinated squadrons of 20, and each of them carries a small arsenal. Even without their incredibly advanced and destructive weaponry, they're fearfully formidable. Each soldier, while still only human, is a genetically perfect clone, further enhanced by technological implants. They're all highly trained in physical combat. Even if you can disarm one of them, don't count on close-range attacks being any easier to handle. They've brought along cannons, small flying craft, and lightweight tanks. Each of these is the top of the line in terms of technology, geared toward destroying as much as it can, as quickly as it can. The United Earth is here to destroy, and they won't stop to wonder why their targets go from being civilians and scrambling, off-guard, comparatively primitive militaries, to trained and powered Transports.

For anyone staying at home, they'll find that any Initiative presence has withdrawn fully to the Hold. All Initiative employees are needed, and most of them in the med bays. The majority of the Initiative focus is on recalling and resurrecting fallen Transports, but attention is still needed for the living-but-wounded. Any Transports who stay in Exsilium and offer their help will have it immediately accepted; they'll be put to work in the medical wings, runnings supplies, or simply set at a machine and told to keep an eye on the numbers: Transport vitals, UE movements, and maps upon maps of changing statistics and colors.

At 1500, the Initiative will recall all Transport soldiers back to Exsilium and seal shut the gateway. The UE numbers are too great, their soldiers too powerful, and Elmer's world is lost.

Comments

[hostage]

[There's a question he doesn't know the answer to. He looks around somewhat helplessly, as if there's anyone there who can tell him what he needs. Of course, everyone's too busy fussing over new arrivals. And while no one's rushing him out, he suspects they'll want the bed sooner or later.

He's still shaking, though. He's not even sure he can walk. He doesn't want to admit he feels like he might faint the moment he stands up.]

Um...

[hejhej]

[Lisbeth tilts her head. It was a simple enough question.]

You can stay here if you want. Jules' presence might be too much for you right now anyway.

[hostage]

Yeah.

[A good plan. He reaches for Lisbeth's hand to clutch it tightly.]

[hejhej]

[She reaches for his without hesitation. Lisbeth leans forward and kisses him, placing her other hand on his shoulder blade.]

[hostage]

[He's silent and still for a moment. Then he takes a breath and the words come spilling out:]

I thought it would get easier. You'd think, like... Like you get used to it. I don't know. The whole thing was so wrong. Coming outta nowhere like that, and Saul doing - that. And now back to normal like it didn't even happen. I mean, I'm glad, you know, I didn't die out there like that. But the first time made sense. This... None of it. None of it makes sense.

[hejhej]

[Lisbeth furrows a brow as she tries to decipher what he's talking about. Then both brows goes up as she realizes exactly what he means.]

What's different about the first time than this time?

[hostage]

[What does he mean? He seems like he's searching for it, looking around as if the answer's floating in the air.

And then:]

It's because I saw it coming the first time. I knew he'd come for me. That's what it was. Everything tied up neat like that. It's like... of course that's how it would end.

[hejhej]

If Saul saved you the first time, why wouldn't he a second time?

When we talked, it seemed like he cared about you.

[hostage]

Saul didn't -

[Shit. He shouldn't even be talking about this. Why is he talking about this?]

[hejhej]

Save you?

[then another idea occurs to her.]

Or are you saying you were expecting to die the first time?

[hostage]

Nevermind. I'm, um... I'm getting all mixed up.

[hejhej]

[She doesn't believe him, but who's to say being brought back to life didn't fuck with your memories? Lisbeth doesn't push any further.]

Okay.

[hostage]

[He's grateful that she drops it. There will be a good time to talk about this... someday. He can't imagine when, but eventually. Not today. He sniffs and lies back against his pillows.]

[hejhej]

[They both had stories they were saving for later dates. Lisbeth looks around at the other before turning back to him.]

Do you mind if I do work next to you?

[hostage]

No, please.

[He likes it when she works. He's happy to lie here and watch her at it and not have to think about anything.]

[hejhej]

[Using her foot, she drags her bag over to her. Lisbeth takes out her computer and squeezes in beside him on the bed. She starts it up and continues what she'd been working on when the explosion happened.

Jules always asked too many questions whenever she saw Lisbeth on her computer. And she wasn't ready to leave Jesse just yet.]