OPERATION SEXY MARIO: CONCLUSION

[initiates]

Date & Time: Sept 19th
Location: The UE Holding Compound, and surrounding area.
Characters: Anyone being rescued, doing the rescuing, or doing the distracting.
Summary: There have been some slackers freeloading off the UE for the past couple weeks or so, so let's go drag them home.
Warnings: Likely violence! Let a mod know if we should update this.

Those meant for distraction and those meant for rescue alike are both loaded onto the same stolen highspeed train. It's a great distance to cover, but the train manages in just under two hours, and deposits both groups three miles from the Holding Compound — a desolate and cold area, with rocky, uneven ground, small but jagged hills well-scattered and covered in scraggly trees — and there they part ways.

The diversion is sent away north, to draw United Earth attention and aggression upward, further into the continent, while the rescue team takes a much slower and quieter route to approach the Compound from the south, closest to Exsilium. The rescue team's orders are to wait a full half hour, to be sure that all forces who can be drawn out of the Compound to meet the sudden onslaught from the north will have already left.

The diversion team won't have an easy job of it. The soldiers are heavily armed, and trained to fight to the death before they surrender. They're grouped in organized squadrons, about 20 in each, and seem to outnumber Transports by three to one. Scattered throughout these soldiers are the Masked, the UE's special forces. These soldiers strike with a deadly precision, enhanced speed and strength, and highly advanced weaponry. Also, oddly enough, they seem to have a few smaller members among them, standing about 4 feet tall, and wielding strange powers… Those familiar with the powers of their kidnapped friends may see distinct similarities.

The Compound itself, when the rescue team makes their way in, will be very quiet. All prisoners had been forced into locked rooms (together or separately — whatever was most convenient) before the soldiers had left to face the encroaching threat. There are still personnel left to man the base, of course, and a few of them are armed soldiers — but for the most part it's scientists and researchers. Careful, though. Even scientists and researchers are perfectly capable of sounding the alarm to bring back the armed threats.

Once everyone is out of the Compound, the train will begin running a return trip. It will be kept as long as possible, while the distraction teams sneak back from the battlefield in small groups, but it can't wait forever. Those on the battlefield for the longest, the hardest hitters or the most dedicated fighters, might just have to find another way home. So… any Transports with relocation abilities feel like lending a hand?

Comments

[affectate]

Yes, the fourth of June --

[Uh. Christ. What does she even say to that? Was she feeling something you'd call "worry" because he wasn't sleeping? Because he called her a friend even though he's human? It's not weird to worry for your friends, but they weren't, were they? He was just stupid enough to take her seriously.

And yet, here she is. It's kind of nice.

But even if goes with her previous idea and accepts being his friend just for now, she's not sure what to say. Does she capitalize on his guilt to make him sleep better, or brush him off so he doesn't worry? Christ, this is why being friends with humans is a waste of time. Humans leave if you upset them. This is too hard.]

Yes, I'm very concerned...! A lack of proper sleep may result in even more hallucinations, in addition to a lowered self-esteem and immune system, and ultimately an early death.

[A beat.]

I would prefer that you refrain from dying.

[substitutable]

Huh?

[He was actually planning to comment on her extremely logical negativity but he wasn't expecting the last words that came after the pause. He blinks at her, then he laughs a little nervously as he looks off to the side.]

Thanks... well, I can do my best. I mean, it'd suck to die for me, too.

[affectate]

Yes. Dying itself is not so unpleasant -- however, if you may be returned to life, such as in this place... you may not find it quite to your tastes.

Of course, you may consider it to be akin to a short nap, but I doubt that your friends would feel the same.

[substitutable]

You don't have to tell me twice. We've gone through it before, and it isn't pleasant.

What about you? From the way you said it, it sounds like... you've died before too.

[affectate]

Yes. ... Twice, I believe, but not since my arrival in this place. I've been forbidden from injuring myself. Ah, but the second death was not so unpleasant -- I did perform in such a way that I would not feel any pain.

[Is what she says, but she frowns slightly.]

... Although my neck did ache for some time... ... Were you killed, Mr Shintaro?

[substitutable]

[If he's bothered by anything she said he does his best to hide it under a carefully constructed nothing, although he also turns away a little, nervously.]

Aah... well, I guess. By a virus, you know?

[affectate]

You were ill?

[Elaine, on the other hand, was never really taught how to mask emotions, or even what most of them were, for that matter, so she ends up with this complicated kind of expression -- one part bitter, two parts uncomfortable. Two parts thanks to that added discomfort of feeling an emotion she's not familiar with.

She doesn't have enough fingers to count the times she's been in that same situation, even if she never actually died from it. Bad enough to keep her inside for fifteen years, but not good enough to kill her.

So it goes. It doesn't show in her tone.]

Ah, how very dreadful...! Thank goodness that you are in good health now, of course.

[substitutable]

I'm glad too. It was really horrible so you're pretty lucky you missed it. The entire dan was sick around that time.

[He didn't recover from it like the rest of the dan, but he did get better. Came back better might actually be a better word for it. But he's doing better now and that's what counts.]

It'd be nice if it doesn't happen again.

[affectate]

I am quite used to illness; while inconvenient, I doubt that it would be much cause for alarm.

[substitutable]

... Aah.

Well, it's still inconvenient, right? So it's good you missed it I think. People would still worry about you too.

[affectate]

[ - uh]

-- Pardon me? Ah, that is -- rather doubtful.

[substitutable]

[He's starting to notice the weird reactions she has whenever he tells her shit like this and he's starting to do this on purpose now.]

I would?

[affectate]

[uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

-- T-That isn't necessary, Mr Shintaro! I am very appreciative of your concern, of course, but I do feel that it is rather wasted on someone such as myself -- refraining from mentioning, of course, the air that is consumed through speech! A mortal human has only a limited amount of breaths to take, so please do not use something so precious to express concern over me! Rather than myself, someone such as Kido or Kano would be more suitable...

[substitutable]

Huh? Kido takes care of herself fine and Kano makes me worry for myself more than for him.

[He raises an eyebrow at her, mouth tilted in a frown as if to say "you're so weird."]

How I use my breath is up to me, right? But I'm telling you -- if you get hurt or sick, we're going to worry.

[affectate]

I --

[God she hates these people she hates literally all of these people how do they even do that? She recognizes these tactics. These are her tactics. How do they keep doing that, stealing her tactics? No, it's not like she invented them. If she recognizes them, why can't she handle hearing words like those? What's going on? It's happening again.

If he's anything like Kido he'll keep insisting, won't he? So just give up, already.]

... Yes.

[substitutable]

I mean, you're probably tougher than all of us. Maybe you have super healing or super pain resistance or whatever.

So I won't worry about you like I'll worry about someone like Mary or my own sister. But we're not used to things like that like you are, so be careful.

[And then he pats her head.]

[affectate]

I am immortal.

[She says, with his hand on her head. Oof.]

The state of my body, however, appears largely unchanged...? I am frail and prone to illness despite this status; I do not believe that I am someone commonly referred to as "tough" --

[And then she realizes she's made a horrible mistake clarifying that. What would she do with that information? "Ah, I see! In that case, I shall be watching you closely! Please do remain safe!"

Christ. Just couldn't lie, Elaine?]

[substitutable]

... I can see why illness is an inconvenience, then.

Well then, be careful. That place gets all cold and rainy all the time and if you're not used to the environment your body breaks down a lot. And if you need anything while you're sick you can just ask and I can get you some medicine or something. Kido can cook for you too.

But you're probably used to it too, so you'd know what to do...

[affectate]

Are there doctors in this place, then?

[Because she. Doesn't really know what to do. She gets sick, her father calls in whatever doctor she's using at the time, she's made not sick anymore? What is having responsibility for oneself?

But she's got an idea, yeah. All of that reading isn't totally useless. ... All of that reading she does while sick in bed.]

[substitutable]

There's an infirmary and enough Transports who know about medicine to lend a hand when we need it, but if it's just a cold you can probably tough it out? Just stay in bed and drink lots of water and have someone make you food.

[affectate]

Yes, that certainly is true... in an ideal situation, of course, I shall simply refrain from falling ill.

[substitutable]

Yeah, but this isn't ideal is it?

I mean, you're here, talking to me.

[affectate]

Ah --

[Well. That's actually kind of true. She's not not sick -- one wrong move and she'll probably be dying again -- but. She can breathe the air here and walk without crutches. She could probably run if she tried. She's holding an entire conversation with someone outside -- like she's been doing for months, but Shintaro saying that reminds her just how amazing that is to her.]

Yes, I suppose that it is -- I'm very grateful! Thank you for talking to me, Mr Shintaro!

[substitutable]

Huh? Oh-- yeah, that's no problem. You're welcome?

[affectate]

It is simply that -- several months prior to my meeting all of you, I could scarcely speak to others at all!

[Or, well. She could? She didn't have anyone to talk to. Or no one wanted to talk to her, until she met her friends.

And then there's these assholes. As far as they're concerned, she doesn't totally understand what's going on, but she does get a few things.]

It's simply... very pleasant, to be able to converse with others?