|
Post by elizar on Jun 17, 2010 13:15:57 GMT -5
"It's pretty strange to have every user able to hunt down a mundane." Miles said. "Only goes to show how dangerous Carl is. And he's been at this for a long time."
Bryan was nervous. This was the same who had attempted to kill his mother when he had realized he was fighting a losing battle. He wondered just what he would do during this losing battle.
"Is there any confirmation of parasites on him?" Bryan asked the lead. It was a newer term over any forklift, humans or cars on board a ship, appeared shortly after the humans established their colony in carverse, and seemed to stuck, especially if one was talking about an enemy ship.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 17, 2010 16:30:25 GMT -5
"And that's precisely why he's dangerous, and they sent three users to deal with him." Lionel spoke up. "If Delfina, being a superuser, wasn't enough to take him on by herself, what makes anybody think this time will be any easier?"
"If there are any, they're keeping quiet." Cmdr. Stokes responded over the radio. "Carl might be any number of things, but he is good at maintaining discipline on board, and picking straw bosses who do the same. We can't ignore them either." She turned her attention to Capt. Desmairais addressing her through the comlink. "We have him on radar, ma'am. Looks like he's expecting us." Indeed, the target ship had initiated some quite drastic maneuvers, something it would never do if it was just another commercial vessel going about its business.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 17, 2010 16:50:11 GMT -5
(( There's Annikki and the "Dragon", did I miss the third or could I have it? ))
"Well, you could have hoped anyway." Miles shrugged. "The fleet's there, and Carl knows. You see that maneuver?"
"So we subdue Carl first, then a mop-up crew to deal with the rest?" Being in the army, and having been plucked out of his unit without as much of a warning left him very untrained in marine operations, other than what he managed to read about or even hear about.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 17, 2010 20:08:33 GMT -5
<<< Randy Jewison is also a user >>>
"Yeah." Picard affirmed, "At some point he'll realize that he's screwed no matter what he does, and then he'll get really dangerous.
"We'd want to take him alive, if possible." Annikki chimed in, "And we'd try to disable him first, get his rudder or screw and have him dead in the water. She angled her head as new orders came in. "Time to move in. It's going to be fast and hard."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 18, 2010 5:51:15 GMT -5
(( Ah, didn't see his name as I gleamed over the posts. ))
"Bryan's down there." Miles said low. "They wanted someone who knows user stuff but with none of their bias to check out the machine. Given what it does could unnerve most users enough that they would sabotage it."
"Despite what that machine has done to the satellites, it can still be useful." Gates said. "How about being able to shoot down nuclear missiles from the sky before they reached their destination, the densely populated destinations."
"Gotcha." Bryan said and hailed Desmairais for pickup. He did not want to be stuck on the ground where it would be dense with magical discharge. That last episode had been mild. He had remembered one particularly nasty where everything had been translated to pain. But he got into the air, safe from any errant discharge.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 18, 2010 14:38:58 GMT -5
"I'm sure that's occurred to everyone." Picard chimed in. "Carl might be an evil b*st* rd but it would be ironic if some good came out of this."
Capt. Desmairais lowered a harness and cable for Bryan, and retrieved him from Annikki's rear deck. Two other humans assisted him in getting on board. They were going to shadow the small fleet as it advanced, being equipped with wards that would provide some armor against any magic-based assault.
At the same time, Zoe left the KSC, making a beeline for the position that had been given her. She would likely miss the better part of the upcoming clash, but wanted to be there just the same.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 18, 2010 16:31:56 GMT -5
"I'm though sure that most users will lobby for the machine to be destroyed before it can be examined." Miles said. "Given that the battery that powers it is one of them."
Bryan took up his ward, and slipped it on. After taking a deep breath, he took it off then slipped it on again. After finding a more agreeable mix of senses, he left it where it was. After having been examined by user healers, they had told him that the damage was permanent, but would be less intense in time. At least he wasn't getting high from being near magical power.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 18, 2010 19:31:22 GMT -5
"You can count on that." Lionel snorted as he turned against his harness, leaving the stylus he'd been using to float in place. "Betcha there's a lot of bad feeling over what was done to Kam. They're still working with him, so far as I know, but Zoe says he should bounce right back."
Capt. Desmairais flew low and slow over the water, matching the speed of the ships. She addressed the three crewmen presently with her. "This is about as high and fast as we're going to get. If anything happens to me, you'll have a chance to bail, and don't hesitate! I don't want Admiral LeVasseur to have to explain your deaths to your next of kin. Clear on that?"
"Acknowledged, Cap'n." the technician barked back in response, and the rescue swimmer nodded. The latter pointed to a survival suit stowed in the rear of the cabin, indicating that Bryan should put it on.
Cmdr. Stokes called up Annikki and Lt. Branscombe to flank her, with the small boats staying under Annikki's cover for the present. They were commencing an intercept maneuver, while a radioman called on the as-yet unconfirmed target vessel to heave to for inspection. One thing was already certain - cooperation was not on that individual's mind.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 18, 2010 19:59:26 GMT -5
"And anyone going to research this machine properly is going to face some difficulties finding volunteers to see how the energy does flow." Miles said. "And look at that, a helicopter has started to fly around."
"I have every confidence in you." Bryan said as donning on the suit. As he touched it he could taste it, a burnt orangey taste. He listened on the open frequency of the team, remembering that just half a year ago he would have nervous jitters. The training he had recieved kept those jitters in place, though he was still a bit nervous.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 19, 2010 19:54:41 GMT -5
"That would be Bree's old classmate." Pilar remarked. "It's a wonder she can stay in service with her health issues."
Capt. Demairais maintained a position just ahead of the small fleet, adjusting her course in accordance with the target's movements. Sooner or later, if it was indeed Carl, he would make a real countermove. He was not the sort to give up without a fight.
The target, in the meantime, was turning at flank speed, appearing to make a run for it.
"Don't be too fast to take that bait." Desmairais warned the ships. "Feinting moves are his specialty."
Gradually, the target vessel came into view, still a speck on the horizon, though the dark hull could already be made out. There was a definite bow wave visible as the ship put out his maximum speed. The fleet followed tensely.
"We're giving you one more chance." Cmdr. Stokes spoke up on the general marine band. "Identify yourself and heave to. This is your last warning."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 19, 2010 22:11:51 GMT -5
"I think it's more like that being in service is the only way for her to get the health care she needs." Miles said. "Making her own meals can make her crash if she doesn't know what she's doing."
Bryan watched intently. Carl was old, but still cunning. Zoe had often spoken of her grandfather, and Bryan had in time connected the two, though Zoe would not have liked him comparing the two of them.
"I'm going to be very disappointed if it isn't Carl." He said.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 20, 2010 0:17:19 GMT -5
"She's racked up her own fair share of medals." Pilar commented. "You wouldn't think it possible that she could hang in there so long, but attitude makes up for a lot."
"That bogey ship is starting to put on the moves." Picard spoke up.
The pursuing ships spread out a little, as if to create a cordon to contain the fleeing ship. Carl was fast, they reckoned, after many years of mods and improvements, but age would have surely caught up with him by now. Soon, his endurance for extreme maneuvers would peter out and he would have to face them.
Capt. Desmairais' camera locked onto the still-distant ship, and a telephoto view emerged, passed onto the others.
"That's him." the Captain growled. "For sure now."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 20, 2010 5:38:29 GMT -5
As the image came to the station, Helen took a look at it. There was no need to keep searching for more ships. Absolute identification had gotten through.
"So this is the thing that has been bothering us so much." She said.
"I hope we do catch him." Gates said. "I wouldn't want to waste my last trip into space on a failed mission." While Gates was supposed to have retired from space, his replacement hadn't gotten enough training, and the excuse that there was no spacewalking or machines running. So back into space for him.
"Look at this." Gates said. "This has to be the container for the user. Given the specs, it can house an SUV with ease."
"And it still takes just as much space as the machine itself." Helen commented. "Either this is very home-brewed engineering, or there is so much to do with it."
"Look at the size of the focusing equipment." Gates pointed at part of the machine. "This bad boy in particular is the reason for all our travels lately. Lewis, you see anything with that machine?"
"Too bad Bree couldn't join with us." Bryan said. "She would have loved this."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 20, 2010 17:37:25 GMT -5
Lionel pored over the files and data. "Looks to have a highly mobile antenna. Very aimable. I wouldn't say it might be much of a threat to us, but Picard might want to keep his retros warm."
"What I was thinking." the shuttle replied. "Every time someone figures they've got a handle on that b*st*rd, he pulls another surprise."
"She would, only too much." Capt. Desmairais responded. "But the high brass wouldn't hear of that, and she's got a family besides. I have no dependents, the doctors made sure of that when I hit my teens. Genetically speaking, I'm a cull. Expendable."
The technician, who apparently had spent some time with her up til now, looked ready to say something but muzzled himself.
Desmairais turned her attention back to Carl. "It looks like he still has that infernal thing on him. What're the chances he could still use that?"
"Apparently it's not much use at short distance, ma'am." Cmdr. Stokes answered over the radio link. "But his crew are armed well enough and could give us more than enough to do."
"You have a boarding team ready to launch, Commander?" Desmairais asked, though already knowing the answer.
"They're on standby." the cutter answered. "The Jewisons will give them some cover and carry reinforcements." Both powerboats had a degree of Coast Guard auxiliary training, and Erika had been a volunteer deputy with the county sheriff's dept. in their locality for many years. Randy, being a user, would shield them. The task of the relatively green Lt. Branscombe would be to provide additional cover, at least at present. Annikki would require a bit of time to recover from the jump, short though it was.
Cmdr. Stokes accelerated to flank speed to close the distance on the fleeing Carl. The others followed in intervals. "Let the games begin."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 20, 2010 17:56:47 GMT -5
Miles frowned. "Pilar, tell Control that we're going to need a direct feed from the group below. Because we need to know right away if the crew aboard Carl even as much as glance at the machine. Lewis, do you have any idea how wide the beam is? Or can you tell by the photos if the beam can be widened?"
The problem was that the laser traveled at the speed of light. If their first warning was when they were pressing the button, the warning would reach deaf ears or most likely dead ears.
Gates looked at Miles, aware of why those orders had been made. Gates was well aware that this was his last time in space, but he wanted it to be the last time due to hearing complications, not death complications.
Bryan could only keep his eyes on Carl. His weapon, a newer design of assault rifle, was rested in his hands. There was the possibility that the crew of forklifts would open fire at them, and they had to reply in kind. And I thought that the first life I would take would be in HV Caliphate. He thought to himself.
|
|