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

[highhealplz]

[ It doesn't take any thought; he's casting as soon as his eyes land on Koltira. He begins with the usual barrage of supportive spells, ending with the new addition of a protective golden glowing aura that settles on Koltira's skin and armor. ]

Brace yourself.

[ He's near enough by now not to have to raise his voice -- and that's all the warning Koltira gets, before the next magic that hits him is that green wave of healing light. It's half again as powerful as it used to be, and he fully intends to cast it as many times as he has to. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[He does brace himself, but the healing still hurts like hell. Koltira clenches his fists as the holy energy sears him, as he struggles not to vocalize the terrible pain. He goes rigid, his teeth grinding. But the spell does its work. The open wounds stitch closed, leaving behind a new--albeit still dead and blue with cold--skin in their wake.

Koltira came to Ashraf very badly injured, and he sinks to his knees as the spellcasting continues. It may take another round.]

G ... go on.

[highhealplz]

[ He remembers this. Of course, he'd retained the knowledge that healing Koltira's particular brand of undead works, but brings pain. But there's a wide gap between remembering a fact, and recalling the look of pain on a face he'd considered dear.

He's pretty sure he'd cried last time.

This time he only nods, striding to a stop directly before Koltira. First, with a murmur of pneuma, he calls to life a gently swirling, glowing mist, to circle through the air around the two of them. No bullets will be sneaking through that while he's distracted. Finally, he returns to the healing. Another one -- and a third, forth, and fifth, until all signs of wounds have disappeared. ]

How's that?

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira swallows his scream--at least at first. But the continued healing is too much, and he eventually howls from the pain of it, clutching his chest even as its bones mend and its muscles repair themselves. Panting, on his knees, Koltira looks up at Ashraf and says, his echoing voice rough and thick with agony--]

--good.

[highhealplz]

[ He glances around once, as he finishes, to be sure there isn't any impending enemy attack. Deciding that the area is clear for now, he drops to his knees before Koltira, hands finding their way to either side of his face. He casts a second blessing -- the most soothing magic he knows, with healing out of the picture. ]

I'll stay with you a while to ward off attacks. [ But not for too long. There are too many people hurt and dying for him to pay attention to just one of them for long. Gently: ] Stand up, soldier.

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira scowls. He jerks away from Ashraf, shaking his head, because he agrees.]

No. I'm fine. Get on with your work.

[highhealplz]

[ His hands hover for a moment, then drop. He stays crouched, though. ]

My work is protecting people and aiding warriors. I'm pretty sure that includes you, Koltira.

[deadelfwalking]

Yes, and you have aided me. You need do nothing else.

[Koltira stands, albeit with difficulty. His armor is shot to hell. It's going to take at least a week for him to repair it. He lifts Byfrost--its blade now positively writhing with miasma--and casts about for more enemies to strike down. For him, these battles are far from over.]

[highhealplz]

[ There's... something about that sword. He hadn't noticed it before, in favor of Koltira, but now he eyes it.

But only for a second. There are still more important things to think about. He stands as well, and makes a shooing gesture at Koltira. ]

Go, do your thing. I'll be behind you.

[ wasn't even listening ]