Armature Noir: White Echo - Revision history

FBH at 23:48, 22 December 2015

2015-12-22T23:48:25Z

FBH: /* 7 */

2015-12-22T23:46:44Z

FBH: /* 3 */

2015-12-22T23:43:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:43, 22 December 2015
Line 156:		Line 156:

	“The local militia might not be so happy with a flight of armatures and a gunship in their nice clean port.” Hitoe said “Especially when there’s fighting in land.” We were close to the pier now, and I could see the familiar dark skinned blond forms of the twins next to a cute Chinese woman who only my secondary senses told me was an android. All quite sensibly wore bikinis, the twins in green and red, Blue in well, Blue.		“The local militia might not be so happy with a flight of armatures and a gunship in their nice clean port.” Hitoe said “Especially when there’s fighting in land.” We were close to the pier now, and I could see the familiar dark skinned blond forms of the twins next to a cute Chinese woman who only my secondary senses told me was an android. All quite sensibly wore bikinis, the twins in green and red, Blue in well, Blue.
	One of the twins waved at me. I gave her an I’m watching you gesture in return, and saw her grin. ~~Hitoe thought she had a grudge against me, but it was nothing~~ to ~~the one I had with the twins~~.
			One of the twins waved at me. I gave her an I’m watching you gesture in return, and saw her grin. I tried not to clench my hands.

	“Let’s just get loaded up and get out of here. I don’t want to fight in a city.” An turned down the peer and waved to her pilot on the other end. The woman began to stuff her book into a backpack next to her, then collapse her sun-lounger.		“Let’s just get loaded up and get out of here. I don’t want to fight in a city.” An turned down the peer and waved to her pilot on the other end. The woman began to stuff her book into a backpack next to her, then collapse her sun-lounger.
Line 199:		Line 200:

	“Hold on!” Came Rara’s excited voice. “They’re still on us.”		“Hold on!” Came Rara’s excited voice. “They’re still on us.”

	==4==		==4==
	“Perimeter, this is Sidereal, come back.”		“Perimeter, this is Sidereal, come back.”

FBH at 23:40, 22 December 2015

2015-12-22T23:40:47Z

Show changes

FBH: /* 3 */

2015-12-22T17:04:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:04, 22 December 2015
Line 87:		Line 87:
	“Tch.” She came in at me again, leading with a kick, then going in for the knife again. I got my hand up just in time and grabbed her wrist again, reeling her in for a punch in the stomach she didn’t seem to feel. Instead we ended up trying to control the knife again, both hands on it. I felt the tip scrape across my midriff under my tank top, deflecting off my skin, and was eye to eye with her. “I was hoping to settle this in our machines, but if you’re here then we might as well…”		“Tch.” She came in at me again, leading with a kick, then going in for the knife again. I got my hand up just in time and grabbed her wrist again, reeling her in for a punch in the stomach she didn’t seem to feel. Instead we ended up trying to control the knife again, both hands on it. I felt the tip scrape across my midriff under my tank top, deflecting off my skin, and was eye to eye with her. “I was hoping to settle this in our machines, but if you’re here then we might as well…”

	“So mad about ~~that boy~~ of yours~~. And he’s not even dead.~~”		“So mad about those friends of yours?”

	She ~~grinned~~, forcing me back slightly. ~~“You’re a romantic~~ Melek, still using that fat body of yours. ~~I’ll show~~ you ~~the future of humanity~~.” In a second I was going to have to change the game, twist to one side and push the knife past, then elbow strike her in the. . .		She snarled, forcing me back slightly. “I can't stand you Melek, still using that fat body of yours. I'm going to carve their names into you.” In a second I was going to have to change the game, twist to one side and push the knife past, then elbow strike her in the. . .

	“Ahem.” We both stopped to look up at the throat clearing noise. The woman watching us was a splash of colour in the general whiteness. Dark skin and Chinese features, hair dyed bright red, her skin covered in a maze of intricate multi-coloured snake tattoos. Wearing a bandeau well. I knew her as well. “I’d rather you didn’t, given I took so much trouble to hire two of the best Landsknecht in the business.”		“Ahem.” We both stopped to look up at the throat clearing noise. The woman watching us was a splash of colour in the general whiteness. Dark skin and Chinese features, hair dyed bright red, her skin covered in a maze of intricate multi-coloured snake tattoos. Wearing a bandeau well. I knew her as well. “I’d rather you didn’t, given I took so much trouble to hire two of the best Landsknecht in the business.”
Line 113:		Line 113:
	“We’re all pretty ridiculous.” And we were. Children of the disasterous wars of epistemology. Augmented soldiers without a country, the ghosts of armies.		“We’re all pretty ridiculous.” And we were. Children of the disasterous wars of epistemology. Augmented soldiers without a country, the ghosts of armies.

	We continued to walk down towards the port. I began to feel envious of the other two women’s swimwear. The town began to get busier as we walked into the centre of it, passing hawkers and merchants, most sitting under awnings of predictable white and looking pretty sleepy and half hearted. They had stalls full of all manner of crap to sell to spacers, local food and ornaments, various novels and media, and most importantly, drink. I bought another bottle of what I thought was soft drink but turned out to be a particularly fizzy larger, and tried to drink it slowly. The crowd shifted around us, a distorted heat hazed mirror in the brightness of shop windows.		We continued to walk down towards the port. I began to feel envious of the other two women’s swimwear. The town began to get busier as we walked into the centre of it, passing hawkers and merchants, most sitting under awnings of predictable white and looking pretty sleepy and half hearted. They had stalls full of all manner of crap to sell to spacers, local food and ornaments, various novels and media, and most importantly, drink. I bought another bottle of what I thought was soft drink but turned out to be a particularly fizzy larger, and tried to drink it slowly. The crowd shifted around us, a distorted heat hazed mirror in the brightness of shop windows. The glass was dusty, boards bleached by decades of sun and salt air, the entire city seeming half decayed, people thin from more than just a good amount of exercise.

	"So what's up with this dude who hired us?"		"So what's up with this dude who hired us?"

FBH: /* 2 */

2015-12-22T15:20:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:20, 22 December 2015
Line 64:		Line 64:

	“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”		“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”
			==3==
			I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself, pulling my sunglasses away with my other hand so I don't get water on them. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.

			Too goddamn hot.

			I’d heard Argo-3 had the galaxies’ best beaches, but I hadn’t expected it to be basically all beach. The city was laid out across a series of free standing buildings on sand bars and built up coral reefs of a tropical island chain. Houses just above the tide line, with the gleaming lines of popup flood barriers around them, the metal covers uncomfortable to look at in the sun. Bridges extended across the channels but there was sand everywhere, gleaming white that matched the light wood of the bridges and boardwalks, and the white marble effect building, offset only by green palms, imported, and various garish native flowers. Most of the streets were covered, long lines of white sandstone supporting wooden rooves to keep the rain out when monsoon season came.

			The space port was a lagoon on one side of the city, lift craft bobbing in the water in long rows between floating peers. Light craft were tied up all around them, probably to ferry supplies to the ships, but few of them moved now. Apart from the two guys now disappearing around a corner, there was no one around, just a few automated delivery vehicles. Not even a taxi, the heat seemed to have flat out shut the city down. I couldn’t really blame it.

			I took off my cap and fanned myself. Dropping on the absolute cheapest passenger flight, Armature shipped in on a cargo line, I’d thought I was so damn smart. Little had I know why a midday landing was half the price of any other slot. I looked at the job sheet again. What the heck kind of a name was Domoto Daisuke? Almost certainly a fake one to be honest. Rich, claiming to be young, and semi-famous. I wondered why he suddenly felt the need for a pile of mercenary bodyguards. Maybe there was trouble with the locals. There had been a couple of guntrucks and an armoured deployed at the airport, so old that I'd assumed they were decoration, but maybe not.

			“Urgh.” I drained the remains of the water in my bottle and pulled the second one from my bag. As I did so I saw something. A Shadow, growing rapidly, and a moving glitter, the sun reflecting off something and falling in front of me.

			Knife.

			I whirled around and stepped to one side, out of the way of the blade. It went past on one side of my chest, then came back and almost got me in the face. I ducked to one side, pivoted, and kicked at my attacker’s stomach. She blocked the kick with a raised knee, tried to knee me in return with her other foot, only for me to side kick it away. I tried to kick back but crashed into a light pillar instead. I could see the fury in her eyes as she came in at me with the knife, and grabbed her wrist, managing to get it off to one side so she didn’t stab me.

			The clinch, both our hands on the knife, fighting for it gave me a chance to see who my opponent was. It wasn’t difficult to tell. There are not many people I know who are that white. I don’t mean she was Caucasian, I mean she was flat out white skin and white hair albino. Under her sunglasses, those eyes are colourless blue. The tight bikini she wore was white too. The only colour on her body was the blue sunhat. I knew her very well. She looked at me from under a wide brim. “Your senses aren’t worth shit Melek.” She tried to knee me again, our legs working together in a rapid series of short thrusts and parries. Her face was furious.

			“Everything around here’s pretty white Hitoe, you’re camouflaged.” I smirked at her, hoping fury would make her make a mistake. She tried to head butt me, knocking her sunhat aside. The sandstone cracked slightly where she hit, but it dazed her a little. I threw her backwards and circled left, getting some room.

			“Tch.” She came in at me again, leading with a kick, then going in for the knife again. I got my hand up just in time and grabbed her wrist again, reeling her in for a punch in the stomach she didn’t seem to feel. Instead we ended up trying to control the knife again, both hands on it. I felt the tip scrape across my midriff under my tank top, deflecting off my skin, and was eye to eye with her. “I was hoping to settle this in our machines, but if you’re here then we might as well…”

			“So mad about that boy of yours. And he’s not even dead.”

			She grinned, forcing me back slightly. “You’re a romantic Melek, still using that fat body of yours. I’ll show you the future of humanity.” In a second I was going to have to change the game, twist to one side and push the knife past, then elbow strike her in the. . .

			“Ahem.” We both stopped to look up at the throat clearing noise. The woman watching us was a splash of colour in the general whiteness. Dark skin and Chinese features, hair dyed bright red, her skin covered in a maze of intricate multi-coloured snake tattoos. Wearing a bandeau well. I knew her as well. “I’d rather you didn’t, given I took so much trouble to hire two of the best Landsknecht in the business.”

			Hitoe glared at me, and then stepped back stepped back, frowning at me before the knife coiled back into her wrist band. “Fine. I don’t want your filthy blood on me anyway.” She leaned down to retrieve her sunhat.

			“It’s too hot anyway.” I shrugged, resettling my camp on my short, messy hair.

			“You guys can settle whatever it is between you after the job is done.” She fell in with me. “You have your machines here?”

			“I don’t know about her, but mine should be being unloaded. How many more do we have?”

			“Another Armatures and a Sikari team.” We walked down the hill towards the town proper.

			“Anyone I should know?”

			“You know Xue Blue? Her, and the Twins.”

			“The Twins? Them I know They’re good.” If I was one who held grudges, I’d have a grudge against them nearly as severe as the one Hitoe had against me. “I don’t much about Blue though”

			The whole Armature part of the Landsknecht community is fucking incestuous. Everyone knows one another and is constantly comparing. Of course there were exceptions. I didn’t know anything much about Xue Blue. An was our condottieri but the mails said the employer had reached out to us personally. “She’s an ex-Chinese military AI. I worked with her before on Alpha-C. She’s pretty ridiculous.”

			“We’re all pretty ridiculous.” And we were. Children of the disasterous wars of epistemology. Augmented soldiers without a country, the ghosts of armies.

			We continued to walk down towards the port. I began to feel envious of the other two women’s swimwear. The town began to get busier as we walked into the centre of it, passing hawkers and merchants, most sitting under awnings of predictable white and looking pretty sleepy and half hearted. They had stalls full of all manner of crap to sell to spacers, local food and ornaments, various novels and media, and most importantly, drink. I bought another bottle of what I thought was soft drink but turned out to be a particularly fizzy larger, and tried to drink it slowly. The crowd shifted around us, a distorted heat hazed mirror in the brightness of shop windows.

			"So what's up with this dude who hired us?"

FBH: /* 3 */

2015-12-22T14:34:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:34, 22 December 2015
Line 63:		Line 63:
	“I don’t believe it.”		“I don’t believe it.”

	“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”		“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”
	~~==3==~~
	I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself, pulling my sunglasses away with my other hand so I don't get water on them. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.

	~~Too goddamn hot.~~

	I’d heard Argo-3 had the galaxies’ best beaches, but I hadn’t expected it to be basically all beach. The city was laid out across a series of free standing buildings on sand bars and built up coral reefs of a tropical island chain. Houses just above the tide line, with the gleaming lines of popup flood barriers around them, the metal covers uncomfortable to look at in the sun. Bridges extended across the channels but there was sand everywhere, gleaming white that matched the light wood of the bridges and boardwalks, and the white marble effect building, offset only by green palms, imported, and various garish native flowers.

	The space port was a lagoon on one side of the city, lift craft bobbing in the water in long rows between floating peers. Light craft were tied up all around them, probably to ferry supplies to the ships, but few of them moved now. Apart from the two guys now disappearing around a corner, there was no one around, just a few automated delivery vehicles. Not even a taxi, the heat seemed to have flat out shut the city down. I couldn’t really blame it.

	I took off my cap and fanned myself. Dropping on the absolute cheapest passenger flight, Armature shipped in on a cargo line, I’d thought I was so damn smart. Little had I know why a midday landing was half the price of any other slot.

	“Urgh.” I drained the remains of the water in my bottle and pulled the second one from my bag. As I did so I saw something. A Shadow, growing rapidly, and a moving glitter, the sun reflecting off something and falling in front of me.

	~~Knife.~~

	I whirled around and stepped to one side, out of the way of the blade. It went past on one side of my chest, then came back and almost got me in the face. I ducked to one side, pivoted, and kicked at my attacker’s stomach. She blocked the kick with a raised knee, tried to knee me in return with her other foot, only for me to side kick it away and use the momentum to jump back. I was taller and had some reach on her even with the knife. She came at me again, and I just managed to slap the blade aside, jabbing her in the face with the other hand. She rocked back dodged another blow and jumped backwards, circling right.

	My opponent was white. I don’t mean she was Caucasian, I mean she was flat out white skin and white hair albino. Under her sunglasses, those eyes are colourless blue. The tight bikini she wore was white too. The only colour on her body was the blue sunhat. She looked at me from under a wide brim. “Heh. Your technique’s good, but your senses are still shit Melek.”

	~~“Everything around here’s pretty white Hitoe, you’re camouflaged.”~~

	“Tch.” She came in at me again, leading with a kick, then going in for the knife again. I got my hand up just in time and grabbed her wrist, reeling her in for a punch in the stomach she didn’t seem to feel. Instead she grabbed the knife and pushed it forward. I grabbed on as well, looking down into her intense blue eyes. “I was hoping to settle this in our machines, but if you’re here then we might as well…”

	“Ahem.” We both stopped to look up at the throat clearing noise. The woman watching us was a splash of colour in the general whiteness. Dark skin and Chinese features, hair dyed bright red, her skin covered in a maze of intricate multi-coloured snake tattoos. Wearing a bandeau well. I knew her as well. “I’d rather you didn’t, given I took so much trouble to hire two of the best Landsknecht in the business.”

	~~Hitoe sighed and stepped back, frowning at me before the knife coiled back into her wrist band. “Fine. I don’t want your filthy blood ruining this outfit anyway.”~~

	~~I shrugged at her, “It’s too hot to deal with this,” then inclined my head to my employer. “Mistress. Sorry about that.”~~

	~~“Don’t worry, I’ve worked with Hitoe before. I know how she gets.” She fell in with me. “You have your machines here?”~~

	~~“I don’t know about her, but mine should be being unloaded. How many more do we have?”~~

	~~“Another Armatures and a Sikari team.” We walked down the hill towards the town proper.~~

	~~“Anyone I should know?”~~

	~~“You know Xue Blue? Her, and the Twins.”~~

	~~“The Twins? Them I know They’re good.” If I was one who held grudges, I’d have a grudge against them nearly as severe as the one Hitoe had against me. “I don’t much about Blue though”~~

	The whole Armature part of the Landsknecht community is fucking incestuous. Everyone knows one another and is constantly comparing. Of course there were exceptions. I didn’t know anything much about Xue Blue. An was our condottieri but the mails said the employer had reached out to us personally. “She’s an ex-Chinese military AI. I worked with her before on Alpha-C. She’s pretty ridiculous.”

	“We’re all pretty ridiculous.” We continued to walk down towards the port. I began to feel envious of the other two women’s swimwear. The town began to get busier as we walked into the centre of it, passing hawkers and merchants, most sitting under awnings of predictable white and looking pretty sleepy and half hearted. They had stalls full of all manner of crap to sell to spacers, local food and ornaments, various novels and media, and most importantly, drink. I bought another bottle of what I thought was soft drink but turned out to be a particularly fizzy larger, and tried to drink it slowly. The crowd shifted around us, a distorted heat hazed mirror in the brightness of shop windows.

	“By the way Hitoe. Are those two guys behind us friends of yours?” I asked in a low voice. The men kind of stuck out, in that they were the only guys in the whole street wearing shirts. Definitely off worlders, tough, grizzled spacer types. Gangsters.

	~~“Oh, you finally noticed?” She asked. “No. I thought they were yours given how you didn’t say anything.”~~

	~~“No.”~~

	“Left down the alley.” An said conversationally, and broke into a run. We followed, pounding past the startled merchants, and I heard one of the two men yell in surprise, then heavy footsteps as they followed. More from ahead. At least four. We went left, then right, pounding across a bridge past a startled delivery robot, then into the courtyard of a large market square. An lead us across it, then skidded to a halt at a pair of closed gates. “Shit.”

	I grabbed Hitoe and pushed her to one side. There was a sharp crack and fire ripped across where we had been, blowing chips out of the gate. An dived the other way, ending up behind a pillar. The stack of boxes in front of us seemed to be absorbing the gunfire pretty well too.

	~~“Gunpowder firearms. That’s pretty old school.” I muttered.~~

	~~“Get off me.” Hitoe said from underneath.~~

	~~I rolled to one side without getting up and winced. I’d scraped my knees pretty badly. “You have a gun?”~~

	~~“No”~~

	~~The rest of our pursuers were arriving, and other attackers were stepping out from around the market, aiming at our cover.~~

	“Well girls, you lead us a merry chase, but that’s over now.” The leader, an older man with a straggly beard, dressed in local fashion stepped forward. “You’ll come with us. Don’t worry about your friends either. They’ll be joining you shortly.”

	~~“Is that so?” An raised an eyebrow. “Cause I have a prior appointment.”~~

	~~“Hah. You’re going to be. . .” the man blinked and broke off. “Gonna be…”~~

	~~His eyes rolled up and he collapsed, twitching. The others looked down in shock, then someone thought to pull his trigger.~~

	I didn’t quite see what happened next, but I’d figure sometime while the impulse was travelling down his arm, the snake like Armature that had appeared in front of us whacked him with one of its arms. It was a love tap really, but it send him spinning across the market. The fastest of the others got time to pull the triggers on their weapons, rounds bouncing uselessly off the Armature’s shell, before collapsing as well, nervous systems shutting down as the suit’s anti-riot function took them.

	~~“Nice going partner.” An tapped the suit’s tail.~~

	“Yay!” The armature’s countermeasures dropped fully and it coiled up next to An and preened, scale pattern skin glittering. An patted her suit again and then walked forward to where Hitoe was regarding the old man. Hitoe shrugged, then kicked him casually. The man groaned and rolled over, then looked up at her and tried to curl into a fetal position as the feeling of the riot ray got into his system. “Urgh.” He glared hatefully up at her. “You bitch.” Hitoe kicked him again. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me! Your fucking employer will be dead before you…”

	~~Hitoe kicked him hard enough to knock him out. “We should get moving I suppose.” She looked at me. “Oh and Melek?”~~

	~~“Yeah?” I picked up one of the enemy’s SMGs and checked the magazine. It wasn’t likely to get any use now An had her freaky AI snake Armature here, but it made me feel better.~~

	~~“Thanks~~.”

FBH at 20:51, 19 December 2015

2015-12-19T20:51:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:51, 19 December 2015
Line 17:		Line 17:
	Afsheen felt her stomach lurch as she fell at speed, and winced as her gun hit the rope and bounced off, the attachment point jarring her arm painfully. She cursed under her breath, but most of her attention was on the descent timer. She always pressed the manual break, worried in case the automatics failed. It was foolish, but if they did fail, she’d crash into those below before she had a chance to know about it. The timer hit Zero and Afsheen pulled the trigger, decelerating sharply. The second stage of the automatics worked and she separated from the line, manoeuvring unit firing to take her along the wall to gecko grip at her position. The blurred shape of a drone was next to her on one side, a commando on the other.		Afsheen felt her stomach lurch as she fell at speed, and winced as her gun hit the rope and bounced off, the attachment point jarring her arm painfully. She cursed under her breath, but most of her attention was on the descent timer. She always pressed the manual break, worried in case the automatics failed. It was foolish, but if they did fail, she’d crash into those below before she had a chance to know about it. The timer hit Zero and Afsheen pulled the trigger, decelerating sharply. The second stage of the automatics worked and she separated from the line, manoeuvring unit firing to take her along the wall to gecko grip at her position. The blurred shape of a drone was next to her on one side, a commando on the other.

	Afsheen lowered a fiber optic down to look into the floor below. As expected it was filled with stacked prefabricated huts, with several of the ubiquitous ‘pike’ automatic ~~launchers~~ rotated back and forth on the edges. Human guards and a few old drones, bell shaped minitanks left over from the Union wars sixty years ago, were in cover, weapons pointed out. The humans weapons were even older than the drones. Rifles and RPGs. Afsheen felt a flare of anger in her heart that this operation was necessary. How could they have lost to these people? Even if they hadn’t really lost.		Afsheen lowered a fiber optic down to look into the floor below. As expected it was filled with stacked prefabricated huts, with several of the ubiquitous ‘pike’ automatic beam systems rotated back and forth on the edges. Human guards and a few old drones, bell shaped minitanks left over from the Union wars sixty years ago, were in cover, weapons pointed out. The humans weapons were even older than the drones. Rifles and RPGs. Afsheen felt a flare of anger in her heart that this operation was necessary. How could they have lost to these people? Even if they hadn’t really lost.

	“Wait for Bravo element to get into position.” The operation up to now had been conducted in such silence that the order was almost shocking. Afsheen ran a system check on her cannon, checking that bumping it against the line hadn’t fucked it up any. It looked good. She loaded the silhouettes and positions of her targets into the gun and the nearby drones, the basic set was already loaded, but with the close recon you could refine it. Human being with this equipment and within distance of this position was a target. Automatic gun system was a target.		“Wait for Bravo element to get into position.” The operation up to now had been conducted in such silence that the order was almost shocking. Afsheen ran a system check on her cannon, checking that bumping it against the line hadn’t fucked it up any. It looked good. She loaded the silhouettes and positions of her targets into the gun and the nearby drones, the basic set was already loaded, but with the close recon you could refine it. Human being with this equipment and within distance of this position was a target. Automatic gun system was a target.

FBH: /* 3 */

2015-12-19T03:39:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:39, 18 December 2015
Line 65:		Line 65:
	“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”		“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”
	==3==		==3==
	I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.		I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself, pulling my sunglasses away with my other hand so I don't get water on them. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.

	Too goddamn hot.		Too goddamn hot.
Line 81:		Line 81:
	I whirled around and stepped to one side, out of the way of the blade. It went past on one side of my chest, then came back and almost got me in the face. I ducked to one side, pivoted, and kicked at my attacker’s stomach. She blocked the kick with a raised knee, tried to knee me in return with her other foot, only for me to side kick it away and use the momentum to jump back. I was taller and had some reach on her even with the knife. She came at me again, and I just managed to slap the blade aside, jabbing her in the face with the other hand. She rocked back dodged another blow and jumped backwards, circling right.		I whirled around and stepped to one side, out of the way of the blade. It went past on one side of my chest, then came back and almost got me in the face. I ducked to one side, pivoted, and kicked at my attacker’s stomach. She blocked the kick with a raised knee, tried to knee me in return with her other foot, only for me to side kick it away and use the momentum to jump back. I was taller and had some reach on her even with the knife. She came at me again, and I just managed to slap the blade aside, jabbing her in the face with the other hand. She rocked back dodged another blow and jumped backwards, circling right.

	My opponent was white. I don’t mean she was Caucasian, I mean she was flat out white skin and white hair albino. The tight bikini she wore was white too. The only colour on her body was the blue sunhat. She looked at me from under a wide brim. “Heh. Your technique’s good, but your senses are still shit Melek.”		My opponent was white. I don’t mean she was Caucasian, I mean she was flat out white skin and white hair albino. Under her sunglasses, those eyes are colourless blue. The tight bikini she wore was white too. The only colour on her body was the blue sunhat. She looked at me from under a wide brim. “Heh. Your technique’s good, but your senses are still shit Melek.”

	“Everything around here’s pretty white Hitoe, you’re camouflaged.”		“Everything around here’s pretty white Hitoe, you’re camouflaged.”

FBH at 00:44, 19 December 2015

2015-12-19T00:44:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 18 December 2015
Line 32:		Line 32:

	They were too late.		They were too late.
	~~*****~~
			==1==
	Hikikomori. Was it even possible to be as rich as he was and still be a NEET? Daisuke sat in an armchair and looked out at the sea off the veranda. The armchair was his favourite to sit on outside, because the fibre didn’t stick to him in the heat. The house was as big and fancy as you could possibly want, founded in splendid isolation at the edge of this world’s Southern continent, of which he was the sole owner.		Hikikomori. Was it even possible to be as rich as he was and still be a NEET? Daisuke sat in an armchair and looked out at the sea off the veranda. The armchair was his favourite to sit on outside, because the fibre didn’t stick to him in the heat. The house was as big and fancy as you could possibly want, founded in splendid isolation at the edge of this world’s Southern continent, of which he was the sole owner.

Line 41:		Line 42:
	He pulled on his sunglasses and checked his messages. Most of them were completely irrelevant, thank you notes from the anime studios he funded and various merch he’d bought. He stopped, stomach suddenly trying to crawl up his throat as he saw the last message. He straightened, looking at it to open it and tried to put his glass down.		He pulled on his sunglasses and checked his messages. Most of them were completely irrelevant, thank you notes from the anime studios he funded and various merch he’d bought. He stopped, stomach suddenly trying to crawl up his throat as he saw the last message. He straightened, looking at it to open it and tried to put his glass down.

	It fell from his hand and struck the paving stones. Daisuke felt cold liquid spray across his legs, and heard the maid’s surprised yelp.		It fell from his hand and struck the paving stones. Daisuke felt cold liquid spray across his legs, and heard the maid’s surprised yelp.

	Neither of them seemed too important now.		Neither of them seemed too important now.
	~~*****~~		==2==

	“You’re asking me to leave our people to die!”		“You’re asking me to leave our people to die!”

Line 62:		Line 64:

	“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”		“Believe it. I had it checked and double checked. Your soul’s safe. Think on this when you have qualms.”
	~~*****~~		==3==
	I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.		I stepped out of the spaceport building and winced. It was goddamn hot. I took a long drink from my water bottle then shook my head and dumped the rest of it over myself. Two local guys in board shorts and sandals checked me out as the liquid stuck down my tank top, but I gave them no more than a smile. I was in a hurry, and not in the mood.

	Too goddamn hot.		Too goddamn hot.

	I’d heard Argo-3 had the galaxies’ best beaches, but I hadn’t expected it to be basically all beach. The city was laid out across a series of free standing buildings on sand bars and built up coral reefs of a tropical island chain. Houses just above the tide line, with the gleaming lines of popup flood barriers around them, the metal covers uncomfortable to look at in the sun. Bridges extended across the channels but there was sand everywhere, gleaming white that matched the light wood of the bridges and boardwalks, and the white marble effect building, offset only by green palms, imported, and various garish native flowers.		I’d heard Argo-3 had the galaxies’ best beaches, but I hadn’t expected it to be basically all beach. The city was laid out across a series of free standing buildings on sand bars and built up coral reefs of a tropical island chain. Houses just above the tide line, with the gleaming lines of popup flood barriers around them, the metal covers uncomfortable to look at in the sun. Bridges extended across the channels but there was sand everywhere, gleaming white that matched the light wood of the bridges and boardwalks, and the white marble effect building, offset only by green palms, imported, and various garish native flowers.
Line 145:		Line 147:
	“Yeah?” I picked up one of the enemy’s SMGs and checked the magazine. It wasn’t likely to get any use now An had her freaky AI snake Armature here, but it made me feel better.		“Yeah?” I picked up one of the enemy’s SMGs and checked the magazine. It wasn’t likely to get any use now An had her freaky AI snake Armature here, but it made me feel better.

	“Thanks.”		“Thanks.”
	~~*****~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:48, 22 December 2015
Line 193:		Line 193:
	I hit the hatch closed and saw the laugher tech coming out of the cockpit seams in the fading light. It’s not healthy to look at it too long, but I kind of like it. It looks like alien supertechnology should look: nothing like what a human can come up with. I felt it flow across my face, and fell into the world of the Armature, where everything was clear and slow. I stood, ripping out of the container, and saw a flight of artillery shells landed, blowing a mass of steam out of the harbour, but barely even shaking the Armature.		I hit the hatch closed and saw the laugher tech coming out of the cockpit seams in the fading light. It’s not healthy to look at it too long, but I kind of like it. It looks like alien supertechnology should look: nothing like what a human can come up with. I felt it flow across my face, and fell into the world of the Armature, where everything was clear and slow. I stood, ripping out of the container, and saw a flight of artillery shells landed, blowing a mass of steam out of the harbour, but barely even shaking the Armature.

	<<They’re going to fuck up their nice shiny port like this>> One of the twins said. The Sikari turned, emitter elevated and spat out a fan of vector beams. They arced up and then shot down to hit a distant target. <<That should keep them busy for a while>>		[They’re going to fuck up their nice shiny port like this] One of the twins said. The Sikari turned, emitter elevated and spat out a fan of vector beams. They arced up and then shot down to hit a distant target. [That should keep them busy for a while]

	<<Get aboard so we can lift!>> Rara’s gunship was hanging at the end of the peer, is force bubble pushing the water back on all sides, drones patrolling around it. I did just that, running forward and pulling my Armature into the side compartment. There was a clunk as it engaged.		[Get aboard so we can lift!] Rara’s gunship was hanging at the end of the peer, is force bubble pushing the water back on all sides, drones patrolling around it. I did just that, running forward and pulling my Armature into the side compartment. There was a clunk as it engaged.

	Thank god I’d put my duffle with my Armature rather than trying to carry it with me. There were a series of clanks as the rest loaded, and the gunship lifted away. I pressed the cockpit release and dropped the ramp. I wanted to get into my flight suit before anything else happened. The motion of the aircraft almost knocked me flying.		Thank god I’d put my duffle with my Armature rather than trying to carry it with me. There were a series of clanks as the rest loaded, and the gunship lifted away. I pressed the cockpit release and dropped the ramp. I wanted to get into my flight suit before anything else happened. The motion of the aircraft almost knocked me flying.
Line 240:		Line 240:
	Rara watched the world pass around her in slow motion, feathering the gunship’s forcefield wing as she ran, mach 3 at a hundred meters up, towards the island. On the rear display, she could see the wave of more than a hundred fighter UAVs launched from the mainland. Their radar shouldn’t be able to track her gunship, but they were somehow matching her moves. Obviously there was something more behind them. As she watched, the first one launched a pair of long range missiles. Another pair followed. The missiles were closing at relative mach 1, it would take the missiles over one hundred seconds to reach her. Even though the low-yield banimax nuclear weapons they were tipped with were a relatively grave threat, that was an age.		Rara watched the world pass around her in slow motion, feathering the gunship’s forcefield wing as she ran, mach 3 at a hundred meters up, towards the island. On the rear display, she could see the wave of more than a hundred fighter UAVs launched from the mainland. Their radar shouldn’t be able to track her gunship, but they were somehow matching her moves. Obviously there was something more behind them. As she watched, the first one launched a pair of long range missiles. Another pair followed. The missiles were closing at relative mach 1, it would take the missiles over one hundred seconds to reach her. Even though the low-yield banimax nuclear weapons they were tipped with were a relatively grave threat, that was an age.

	Far more worrying was the streams of fire now rising up from the island ahead. <<Everyone prepared to drop back there?>>		Far more worrying was the streams of fire now rising up from the island ahead. [Everyone prepared to drop back there?]

	<<Melek’s spraying on a flight suit. She’ll be 10 seconds>>		[Melek’s spraying on a flight suit. She’ll be 10 seconds]

	That fucking girl. <<As soon as she’s in, prepare to drop.>> Rara spun the gunship to one side, drunk walking rapidly, and hoping she didn’t kill any of the pilots with hard ~~maneuverers~~. None of them had been wearing pilot suits when they’d got into their machines, which made them vulnerable to high-G maneuverers. Hell, if she didn’t angle this right she could reduce herself to chunky salsa with an overenthusiastic jink. Maybe Melek didn’t have such a bad idea after all. Rara selected decoys and began to cycle drones out as fast as she could.		That fucking girl. [As soon as she’s in, prepare to drop.] Rara spun the gunship to one side, drunk walking rapidly, and hoping she didn’t kill any of the pilots with hard maneuvers. None of them had been wearing pilot suits when they’d got into their machines, which made them vulnerable to high-G maneuverers. Hell, if she didn’t angle this right she could reduce herself to chunky salsa with an overenthusiastic jink. Maybe Melek didn’t have such a bad idea after all. Rara selected decoys and began to cycle drones out as fast as she could.

	The first vector beam reached out at her from the island, slicing past the gunship to the left. Rara corrected, the blast raising steam behind, and then there was a forest of beams reaching for the racing aircraft. Rara's drunk walk got them through, some leaving glowing planes across the craft’s shields but none penetrating. In return, Rara fired off a wave of missiles back down at the emitters. Her own volley was less than the fire coming off the island, but maybe it’d keep their heads down.		The first vector beam reached out at her from the island, slicing past the gunship to the left. Rara corrected, the blast raising steam behind, and then there was a forest of beams reaching for the racing aircraft. Rara's drunk walk got them through, some leaving glowing planes across the craft’s shields but none penetrating. In return, Rara fired off a wave of missiles back down at the emitters. Her own volley was less than the fire coming off the island, but maybe it’d keep their heads down.
Line 250:		Line 250:
	For a moment she was in the clear anyway. Emitters would take a good ten seconds to recharge. In ten seconds they’d be too close anyway, over the horizon and into the realm of the pikes carried by whatever drones and vehicles defended. And here they came. Twin concentrations of unvectored beams, slashing in at her from both sides, a massive arc of fast moving brightness racing in towards the gunship as Rara pulled into another evasion pattern. Bolts passed by on both sides of the gunship, as Rara sought every hole in the pattern big enough to fit, her world a hell of fast moving bullets of energy.		For a moment she was in the clear anyway. Emitters would take a good ten seconds to recharge. In ten seconds they’d be too close anyway, over the horizon and into the realm of the pikes carried by whatever drones and vehicles defended. And here they came. Twin concentrations of unvectored beams, slashing in at her from both sides, a massive arc of fast moving brightness racing in towards the gunship as Rara pulled into another evasion pattern. Bolts passed by on both sides of the gunship, as Rara sought every hole in the pattern big enough to fit, her world a hell of fast moving bullets of energy.

	<<I’m back in my frame. Gods I almost cracked my fucking head open>> Melek sounded stressed, unusual for her. Rara had no time or concentration for a quip.		[I’m back in my frame. Gods I almost cracked my fucking head open] Melek sounded stressed, unusual for her. Rara had no time or concentration for a quip.

	<<Drop light green. Get out there and break those pikes>>		[Drop light green. Get out there and break those pikes]

	The six machines dropped away from the back of the aircraft, thrusters keeping them just above the water below. Rara almost screamed in relief as fire split away from the gunship and towards new target. Some, at least were her friends, but right now, the fire they were drawing was all that kept her alive.		The six machines dropped away from the back of the aircraft, thrusters keeping them just above the water below. Rara almost screamed in relief as fire split away from the gunship and towards new target. Some, at least were her friends, but right now, the fire they were drawing was all that kept her alive.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:46, 22 December 2015
Line 262:		Line 262:
	A moment later the vector beams struck, small mushroom clouds of flame rising up on the inner part of the island. If anything, the enemy fire redoubled. I could sense it moving, trying to herd us further into the crossfire. The pattern changed, then changed again, each one harder to evade than the last.		A moment later the vector beams struck, small mushroom clouds of flame rising up on the inner part of the island. If anything, the enemy fire redoubled. I could sense it moving, trying to herd us further into the crossfire. The pattern changed, then changed again, each one harder to evade than the last.

	~~<<I have a pretty good idea.>>~~ Even over the link I could hear the strain in An’s voice. <<The only unit of this strength on planet should be the Free Company who got hired as well, Echo Chamber.>>		Even over the link I could hear the strain in An’s voice. [I have a pretty good idea. The only unit of this strength on planet should be the Free Company who got hired as well, Echo Chamber.]

	<<Fucking Lunarian Pikes? This just gets better and better!>> One of the twins laughed, a little hysterically. The Sikari launched a screen of anti-beam smoke out front as a second volley of vector beams slashed in. Energy discharge deflected off the water in a spray of glowing sparks. The Lunarians have never been all that great at using vector beams, but the volleys they were throwing at us were nasty. <<Got 4 screens left.>>		[Fucking Lunarian Pikes? This just gets better and better!>> One of the twins laughed, a little hysterically. The Sikari launched a screen of anti-beam smoke out front as a second volley of vector beams slashed in. Energy discharge deflected off the water in a spray of glowing sparks. The Lunarians have never been all that great at using vector beams, but the volleys they were throwing at us were nasty. <<Got 4 screens left.]

	We ran through the anti-beam smoke and out into the thick of it again. There were cliffs up ahead, those should give us cover from the minimal vectoring on the pikes. It wasn’t going to happen though, because the Free Company machines were coming to meet us. The island looked like a paradise, more of the white sand, but coloured with a delicate mix of local and Terran plants, deep greens and purples. The effect rather spoiled by the swarm of enemy metal coming over it at us.		We ran through the anti-beam smoke and out into the thick of it again. There were cliffs up ahead, those should give us cover from the minimal vectoring on the pikes. It wasn’t going to happen though, because the Free Company machines were coming to meet us. The island looked like a paradise, more of the white sand, but coloured with a delicate mix of local and Terran plants, deep greens and purples. The effect rather spoiled by the swarm of enemy metal coming over it at us.
Line 270:		Line 270:
	Heavy lunarian crabs moved up on the cliff, beams spraying out in profusion. We were closing still, but that just made the pike fire harder to avoid. There was steam everywhere, making it hard to see. I was starting to take hits regularly now, Grune Ritter’s mirror shield glowing with coppery light as it pumped the energy out.		Heavy lunarian crabs moved up on the cliff, beams spraying out in profusion. We were closing still, but that just made the pike fire harder to avoid. There was steam everywhere, making it hard to see. I was starting to take hits regularly now, Grune Ritter’s mirror shield glowing with coppery light as it pumped the energy out.

	<<One of those nukes is still incoming from behind>>		[One of those nukes is still incoming from behind]

	An’s voice came through. <<When the nuke goes up, cut thrust and sink. We’ll use the thermal flare to hide, then hit them as they start to pull back. Hold your volley till then.>>		An’s voice came through. <<When the nuke goes up, cut thrust and sink. We’ll use the thermal flare to hide, then hit them as they start to pull back. Hold your volley till then.>>

	<<Cop->> I was going to say copy, but then the nuke went up. At the last instant before it did, I saw An’s machine spit out a cloud of decoys. As nukes go, it was pretty small, a five ton bomb, the maximum a banisher would let through. Still it was enough to boil the sea in a great gout of flashing steam. I switched thrust downward, dropping under the waves and falling towards the sea bed. There were still pike beams passing, cutting through the water as the mercenaries above us hosed the ocean with fire, but they were defuse. They’d followed the decoys, not us. We moved along under water, and I began to ache, nerve impulses catching up to me through the heady rush of the laugher control system.		[Cop-] I was going to say copy, but then the nuke went up. At the last instant before it did, I saw An’s machine spit out a cloud of decoys. As nukes go, it was pretty small, a five ton bomb, the maximum a banisher would let through. Still it was enough to boil the sea in a great gout of flashing steam. I switched thrust downward, dropping under the waves and falling towards the sea bed. There were still pike beams passing, cutting through the water as the mercenaries above us hosed the ocean with fire, but they were defuse. They’d followed the decoys, not us. We moved along under water, and I began to ache, nerve impulses catching up to me through the heady rush of the laugher control system.

	I watched the map as we moves around, flanking the block with another part of the chalk cliff, flanking where the pike block had been. I pulled my Zweihander and ran a final check on the big weapon, then gave a thumbs up to the twins. Here, the Sikari would go up first. The four of us in Armatures waited in the shallows at the base of the cliff, still mostly under water. I checked my medical status, found nothing broken and instructed my body to take anti-bruise measures. If our employer was still here I wasn’t going to meet him black and blue, just on the off chance he was a prince. After a moment, the link went live, a double click. The Sikari were ready.		I watched the map as we moves around, flanking the block with another part of the chalk cliff, flanking where the pike block had been. I pulled my Zweihander and ran a final check on the big weapon, then gave a thumbs up to the twins. Here, the Sikari would go up first. The four of us in Armatures waited in the shallows at the base of the cliff, still mostly under water. I checked my medical status, found nothing broken and instructed my body to take anti-bruise measures. If our employer was still here I wasn’t going to meet him black and blue, just on the off chance he was a prince. After a moment, the link went live, a double click. The Sikari were ready.
Line 282:		Line 282:
	I kind of expected the Lunarians to charge, but Echo-Chamber were an old unit. They knew that there were Sikari out there and they knew that the position they had was untenable. Most Lunarian units I’d fought against hadn’t had that, they were just pure aggression. Echo-Chamber impressed the hell out of me by turning, laying down a storm of final protective fire and anti-beam smoke and pulling back through it. Targets multiplied as the decoys popped.		I kind of expected the Lunarians to charge, but Echo-Chamber were an old unit. They knew that there were Sikari out there and they knew that the position they had was untenable. Most Lunarian units I’d fought against hadn’t had that, they were just pure aggression. Echo-Chamber impressed the hell out of me by turning, laying down a storm of final protective fire and anti-beam smoke and pulling back through it. Targets multiplied as the decoys popped.

	~~<<Let them fall back~~. They’re a distraction. Sikari, hold here, Armtures, head for the house at maximum speed.>>		[Do not pursue. They’re a distraction. Sikari, hold here, Armtures, head for the house at maximum speed.]

	<<Sure hope this kid had a good force field and banisher setup cause otherwise he could get toasted if we have to fight>> I observed. It was a pretty sour comment but I was hurting.		[Sure hope this kid had a good force field and banisher setup cause otherwise he could get toasted if we have to fight] I observed. It was a pretty sour comment but I was hurting.

	<<He does.>> We accelerated through the forest, drones up above the trees to spot for us.		[He does.] We accelerated through the forest, drones up above the trees to spot for us.

	The enemy weren’t pursuing, that probably meant they had what they came for. Telemetry from the gunship showed several air transports streaking away to the south, contacts hashing out under heavy ECM. The block that had faced us was pulling back in good order to another transport just landing behind them. It was strange behavior for Lunarians, even experienced ones to let us go after giving them a bloody nose. I wondered what exactly was up. As unready as we were they could easily have hit us again and maybe overwhelmed us. The units they were throwing at us were only drones anyway.		The enemy weren’t pursuing, that probably meant they had what they came for. Telemetry from the gunship showed several air transports streaking away to the south, contacts hashing out under heavy ECM. The block that had faced us was pulling back in good order to another transport just landing behind them. It was strange behavior for Lunarians, even experienced ones to let us go after giving them a bloody nose. I wondered what exactly was up. As unready as we were they could easily have hit us again and maybe overwhelmed us. The units they were throwing at us were only drones anyway.
Line 292:		Line 292:
	The house was big, and pretty and wrecked. A big English style mansion with attractive wooden fittings and big windows. The windows were broken and the doors smashed in. I could see the ruins of several security robots littering the gravel drive. I moved around the back, finding a veranda with a view onto the beach.		The house was big, and pretty and wrecked. A big English style mansion with attractive wooden fittings and big windows. The windows were broken and the doors smashed in. I could see the ruins of several security robots littering the gravel drive. I moved around the back, finding a veranda with a view onto the beach.

	<<Got some life signs inside. They register as the maids on the information system. They were hiding in one of the house shelters.>>		[Got some life signs inside. They register as the maids on the information system. They were hiding in one of the house shelters.]

	<<The Lunarians are pulling out. Got nothing on scope. Even those local fighters don’t want to come and play.>> Whichever twin was speaking sounded vaguely disappointed. I envied her her Sikari’s more shock insulated cockpit. My body had really started to hurt.		[The Lunarians are pulling out. Got nothing on scope. Even those local fighters don’t want to come and play.] Whichever twin was speaking sounded vaguely disappointed. I envied her her Sikari’s more shock insulated cockpit. My body had really started to hurt.

	<<I’m going to try to actually put on my flight suit>> I popped the hatch and slid down to the gravel with a crunch. My outfit really had seen better days after being hit with an explosive round. As I pulled the spray out of Grune Ritter’s cargo compartment I heard a hiss behind me and looked around. The ground beside the veranda had opened up and a young man, a little overweight but still quite handsome and wearing only a pair of shorts had risen out of it.		[I’m going to try to actually put on my flight suit] I popped the hatch and slid down to the gravel with a crunch. My outfit really had seen better days after being hit with an explosive round. As I pulled the spray out of Grune Ritter’s cargo compartment I heard a hiss behind me and looked around. The ground beside the veranda had opened up and a young man, a little overweight but still quite handsome and wearing only a pair of shorts had risen out of it.

	“Hey. I think I found our employer.” I looked at him. “You okay? How’d they miss you?”		“Hey. I think I found our employer.” I looked at him. “You okay? How’d they miss you?”

	He took a deep breath. “Well that’s the problem you see.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m only part of him.”		He took a deep breath. “Well that’s the problem you see.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m only part of him.”