Trinity Universe: Holo Lives

[Asbjørn]

Harker dashes forward through the cloud, allowing his senses to guide him toward ‘the stage’.  He holds to hope and his team as he realises that the two chromatics from the left passage have Flared into a mess of  colours and Patterns…Colours and PATTERNS…  and are now moving swiftly toward the smoky entranceway and to him.

*Great... ::rolleyes one smoke grenade would have done it, Hastings... I can't see sh!t here... ::angry But Harker can...* ::sly

Seeing Harker head quickly into the cloud Tiger gets on his tail, putting his left hand on Harker's shoulder if possible. As he emerges from the smoky entrance he scans the room for enemies. Making contact, he steps in front of Harker and fires another cryogrenade towards the advancing chromies, followed by a series of controlled bursts towards each of them.

[ezekiel]

Caroline Hsu turns her hard, challenging stare towards Talvin.  ”Do you not believe that a priest is a spiritual leader?”  Her dark eyes flick toward Daniel for a moment.  ”Ah, perhaps you do not at that.”

"Didn't say he was a priest eider..."

(later)

As smoke fills the room Talvin runs towards the tunnel leading, he knows, to the witnesses. Weapon at the ready for any interfering chromie, he tries to get through the hall as fast as possible without totally jeopardizing his safety.

[Umoja]

Warrior joining the fray. Oh lord. The hectic violence.

Daniel pulls out his screamer, and focuses on the approaching warrior. Warrior with a heavy type of bioweapon. "Warrior with weapon! Approaching the fray!" His voice is oddly choked in fear. Did he make any sense? No! Crap! Why can't anyone else see this? Why do clears always have to lead the blind? Why do the blind have the power to deal with what the clears see? His thinking, going on an agonizing long time. Daniel starts to fire shots down the hall with his screamer, wildly hoping to at least spook the approaching warrior.

[Archer21]

Feeling Tiger's hand on his shoulder, Harker tenses, then relaxes. "Two targets on the left," he says, just before Tiger sees them. Waiting, terrified, Harker forces down the bile that always sneaks up on him during combat. Fighting the urge to get the hell out, he keeps his senses focused on the Witnesses, praying that Tiger is as good he says.

[ProfPotts]

Pausing to reload both grenade launchers & coilguns, Hastings lets the rest of the group head into danger first, absentmindedly wondering if his presumption that the rest of their little squad has received basic night-fighting training was a mistake or not... At least he can be sure that the Clairsentients won't have a problem with the smoke, & neither will a trained recon guy like Tiger... ::sly

Running through the lingering smoke cloud the Englishman keeps on the lookout for more enemies, laying down more smoke & coilgun shells as is needed.

"Warrior with weapon! Approaching the fray!"

If Hastings can see the guy Daniel is talking about, he'll thumb the selector on his carbines to single-shot & aim to shoot the Chromatic through both brains - one shot each. [Thank goodness for ECSs ::wink ] ::chowyunfat

[knave]

[knave]

Chrome Prime: Hell in Hall

Tiger

Seeing Harker head quickly into the cloud Tiger gets on his tail, putting his left hand on Harker's shoulder if possible.

Harker

Feeling Tiger's hand on his shoulder, Harker tenses, then relaxes. "Two targets on the left," he says, just before Tiger sees them. Waiting, terrified, Harker forces down the bile that always sneaks up on him during combat. Fighting the urge to get the hell out, he keeps his senses focused on the Witnesses, praying that Tiger is as good he says.

Tiger

As he emerges from the smoky entrance he scans the room for enemies. Making contact, he steps in front of Harker and fires another cryogrenade towards the advancing chromies, followed by a series of controlled bursts towards each of them.

Emerging from the thick smoke in a rush, Tiger has little chance to scan anything as he steps in front of a distracted Roosevelt Harker. TiMe StOpS Incoming laser fire is what Tiger notices first, followed by two aliens charging in from his left and flickering with more colours and shapes that he knows names for -they are still twenty meters off, but the laser carbines they’re carrying are FLASHING and hissing and they’re moving FAST! Awesome despite his forewarning. He hears a sizzle and then smells burnt plastic… and flesh. He realises he’s been hit! A strange calm descends.”Phh-unk!” Smoke weaves lazily from the barrel of the L-K’s grenade launcher. The two chromatics see, and try do dodge, but the shot is perfect!

BADOOOMSSSSSSSSSS! The splash/hiss of the liquid nitrogen evaporation doesn’t quite cover the squawks of the two splashed and blinded chromatics! One on them falls to the ground and begins thrashing right there. The second keeps charging toward Tiger and the cloud, but its aim goes wild. Tiger lines up a controlled burst, but is delays his shot a second as Talvin dashes past behind him and Daniel actually gets between him and the target, bleating

"Warrior with weapon! Approaching the fray!"

and firing wildly with his screamer. To Daniel’s credit, or possibly his good luck, one of his shots actually hits Tiger’s target sufficient for it to be rocked back a step – opening it up wide for several short burst’s from the young man’s L-K. It goes down muscles spasming and twitching…

Peripherally, Tiger sees Hastings emerge from the smoke behind him – coil weapons raised, aiming carefully.

,,

Hastings

If Hastings can see the guy Daniel is talking about, he'll thumb the selector on his carbines to single-shot & aim to shoot the Chromatic through both brains - one shot each. [Thank goodness for ECSs ::wink ] ::chowyunfat

Following the direction of Daniel’s run, Hastings makes out a brief shimmer on the raised ‘stage’ area at the rear of the hall. Tracking over the area with his ECS magnification, he realises that a Chromatics up there has just dropped prone and blended (or that’s what he would do at least!) - using the high raised stage as a sniping position! He realises that the whole group is at risk – and that Daniel and especially Talvin are in the middle of the chamber – far from concealment never mind actual cover! He has no shot from here...

Harker

The light about the three witnesses grows ever stronger. A blushish/yellow light – somehow Roosevelt perceives it be oily-slick – finally coalesces between them…and seems to gather itself. The three witnesses watch expectantly, their lights respectfully dull.

Talvin

DANGER!!! A flash of bright death from the high stage…. Right – THERE!... DANGER!!! Caroline Hsu drops to her knees, black gloved hand outstretched defiantly – somehow holding back the tide, blood slowly oozing from her small nose.

[Tiger is now Injured with lethal damage and wounded with bashing damage]

[Archer21]

His senses still focused on the Witnesses above him, Harker doesn't yet realize his companion is injured. *Hmm...wonder what that could be? It looks like it's forming into something...could they be making a construct of light? No...this is different than their normal displays, and they're just staring at it. Whatever it is, it's oily and dirty, almost tainted...uh oh.*

Dreading what he's about to do, Roosevelt lifts his shotgun and takes careful aim at the coalescing light, talking over his shoulder. "Tiger, something strange is happening with the Witnesses, we have to get up there and grab one right now, or I'm afraid we won't leave here alive." His target in sight(so to speak), the linguist pulls the trigger.

[Asbjørn]

[...]He hears a sizzle and then smells burnt plastic… and flesh.  He realises he’s been hit!

*SH!T...!! Nothing vital. Keep going. Check it later. Just keep moving.*

[Where is he hit?]

A strange calm descends.”Phh-unk!”  Smoke weaves lazily from the barrel of the L-K’s grenade launcher.  The two chromatics see, and try do dodge, but the shot is perfect!

Reflexes taking over, Tiger hears and registers another grenade sliding into the launcher as he raises the carbine and readies himself for the kill.

Tiger lines up a controlled burst, but is delays his shot a second as Talvin dashes past behind him and Daniel actually gets between him and the target, bleating and firing wildly with his screamer.

*Jesus! What the f*ck are you doing here, man...?*

To Daniel’s credit, or possibly his good luck, one of his shots actually hits Tiger’s target sufficient for it to be rocked back a step – opening it up wide for several short burst’s from the young man’s L-K.  It goes down muscles spasming and twitching…

"That's five down, a couple of thousand to go..."

As he speaks on the comm, Tiger checks and if necessary reloads his carbine while looking around.

Peripherally, Tiger sees Hastings emerge from the smoke behind him – coil weapons raised, aiming carefully.

*What's he aiming for...?*

Tiger turns - in the same routine fraction-of-a-second speed that feels like an eternity - to face the direction Hastings is aiming, raising the carbine to his shoulder while moving along to keep Harker covered. The smoke and smell of burnt plastic, fiberweave and flesh trail his movements and mix with the smoke already in the room.

"Where's your target, Hastings? I don't see anyone. Clears: Where's the big one?"

Dreading what he's about to do, Roosevelt lifts his shotgun and takes careful aim at the coalescing light, talking over his shoulder. "Tiger, something strange is happening with the Witnesses, we have to get up there and grab one right now, or I'm afraid we won't leave here alive."

"Well, don't just stand there. Do someth..."

His target in sight(so to speak), the linguist pulls the trigger.

"...ing."

Even though he has no idea what the hell the academic is talking about, Tiger follows him along, doing his best to cover him.

[should Hastings say anything like.. oh, I don't know... 'Sniper on the plateu! Cover fire!' or something like that, Tiger will of course join in immediately.]

[ProfPotts]

"Where's your target, Hastings? I don't see anyone. Clears: Where's the big one?"

Hastings fires one smoke grenade up at the sniper (indirect fire), & the other - simultaneously - at the feet of the exposed group members in the centre of the chamber. As he does so he replies to Tiger,

"There's a sniper prone on that 'stage' - be a good chap & lob a few cryo-nades up there would you?"

Presuming no more pressing targets present themselves, Hastings proceeds to lay down some covering fire towards the sniper's position - short bursts to keep it's head down. To the group as a whole he says,

"Move it people! Let's get out of the killing field shall we?" ::sly

[knave]

(Right Sorry... The hit on Tiger was an angled burn across the left side of his belly with most of its power being absorbed by his armour layers, but still carrying sufficient power to 'cut' about an inch into his flesh and blister the surrounding tissue)

[ezekiel]

Talvin

DANGER!!! A flash of bright death from the high stage…. Right – THERE!... DANGER!!! Caroline Hsu drops to her knees, black gloved hand outstretched defiantly – somehow holding back the tide, blood slowly oozing from her small nose.

Talvin pauses midstep and throws a quick glance at Caroline *not yet..when, where?* Talvin grabs a chromie grenade off his belt as he looks up at the stage *There!* The small cylinder lobs towards the unknown danger spot as he runs towards Caroline...

[Archer21]

The shotgun goes off with a roar, and Harker, watching the Witnesses, realizes there's no effect. No shot flying into the light, no reaction from the Witnesses... *Damnit, you know better than this!* Letting his viewpoint dissipate, he refocuses on his current location. Immediately, his sensitive nose picks up the scent of burnt flesh from next to him.

Before he can ask Tiger if he's alright, Hastings arrives and mentions the sniper, along with a suggestion to move. Harker agrees. "We have to get to the Witnesses as quickly as possible, something's happening up there. This way." The area already mapped and stored in his memory, Roosevelt starts towards the rough-hewn stairs leading up the the stage.

[knave]

Harker

Dreading what he's about to do, Roosevelt lifts his shotgun and takes careful aim at the coalescing light, talking over his shoulder. "Tiger, something strange is happening with the Witnesses, we have to get up there and grab one right now, or I'm afraid we won't leave here alive." His target in sight(so to speak), the linguist pulls the trigger.

Roosevelt’s trigger finger squeezes and his shotgun BARKS out its burst – and he finally realises how far into the vision he has fallen. For what seems like eons his consciousness floats between the two worlds, but then his sight retracts fully… He is next to Tiger (who is shouting about something important…) and a billowing cloud of smoke. Hastings is nearby with both carbines raised and is taking aim at the high ‘stage’ area. Roosevelt realises that he must cross the seventy or so meters of cavern, and clamber up the steep stair/trail next to the open chasm, up to the stage at which point he will be able to see into the room in which the witnesses are ‘creating’ the light form.

The area already mapped and stored in his memory, Roosevelt starts towards the rough-hewn stairs leading up the the stage.

Tiger

Tiger turns - in the same routine fraction-of-a-second speed that feels like an eternity - to face the direction Hastings is aiming, raising the carbine to his shoulder while moving along to keep Harker covered. The smoke and smell of burnt plastic, fiberweave and flesh trail his movements and mix with the smoke already in the room.

Tiger sees Harker fire off a shotgun burst into open space… obviously aiming for a well concealed chromatic, but no pale blood flies, so he must have missed. Harker’s eyes flicker and he looks shaken before he starts running off toward the other clears, and toward the other danger.

Hastings

Hastings fires one smoke grenade up at the sniper (indirect fire),

The grenade whistles through its arc toward the stage – a flickerflash of a laser carbine on automatic flashes from somewhere on the stage – sufficiently back that there is no angle to target its origin for anyone in the hall.. A small explosion occurs –an unbelievable display of accuracy- the arcing smoke grenade breaks into halves, one of which clatters straight down into the chasm, whilst the other bounces onto the stage, but with its contents slowly dropping down in curtain before the audience.

& the other - simultaneously - at the feet of the exposed group members in the centre of the chamber.

The second grenade flies true… Daniel and Talvin are almost immediately surrounded by waist high smoke that continues to spread upward and outward.

Hastings proceeds to lay down some covering fire towards the sniper's position - short bursts to keep it's head down. To the group as a whole he says, "Move it people! Let's get out of the killing field shall we?" ::sly

Tiger joins in laying down some suppressive fire towards the stage.

Talvin

Talvin pauses midstep and throws a quick glance at Caroline *not yet..when, where?* Talvin grabs a chromie grenade off his belt as he looks up at the stage *There!* The small cylinder lobs towards the unknown danger spot as he runs towards Caroline...

Talvin winds up and lobs his grenade up toward the ‘stage’ – the throw is straight, but doesn’t quite have the legs…it arcs through air and lodges itself on a small shelf just below the stage proper adding a stream of smoke rising to meet the falling curtain.

Turning back, Talvin sees Caroline Hsu emerging from the dwindling smoke cloud behind Tiger and Hastings and Harker. She has her auto-shotgun professionally held at the ready, but doesn’t appear to be in any danger otherwise. A sudden chill of realisation flickers though Talvin… her danger is coming soon… his is now. He throws himself to one side.

Madina

Below the descending smoke curtain, and to the left of the rising column there is a flash that Daniel sees clearly, he twists and sees Talvin’s body disappear completely into the chest high smoke now covering the centre of the cavern….Turning back, weapon raised, the curtain has fallen.

Talvin

Rolling to a crouch, the realisation that he hasn’t been hit, hits…

[ezekiel]

Talvin takes aim at the threat on the high stage, trying to merge vision and reality into one cohesive spot. He sprays the area with lead hoping to see the thing bleed, giving himself and the others something to take a bead on.

[ProfPotts]

Turning to Tiger Hastings says,

"Keep his head down!", indicating the sniper position.

He'll then lay down as much smoke as is needed for cover, including each of the other five entrances to the hall (the Chromies are afraid of the dark after all). Reloading with cryo-nades, he'll then make sure the rest of the group are on their way to the targets, & join them.

[Asbjørn]

The grenade whistles through its arc toward the stage – a flickerflash of a laser carbine on automatic flashes from somewhere on the stage – sufficiently back that there is no angle to target its origin for anyone in the hall..  A small explosion occurs –an unbelievable display of accuracy- the arcing smoke grenade breaks into halves, one of which clatters straight down into the chasm, whilst the other bounces onto the stage, but with its contents slowly dropping down in curtain before the audience.

*Wow! Great shot! And that angle should put him about... there. ::devil Let's see if you can hit this one...*

As they all move closer to the plateau Tiger unhooks a cryo from his harness while calculating the distance and angle of the throw.

Presuming no more pressing targets present themselves, Hastings proceeds to lay down some covering fire towards the sniper's position - short bursts to keep it's head down.

Tiger joins in laying down some suppressive fire towards the stage...

...taking care to time the bursts from his carbine with Hastings', so the sniper never gets a moment's opening, even when one of them has to change clips.

When he gets within throwing range of the sniper's position, he stops firing and shifts the carbine to his left hand, takes a moment to aim, then throws the cryo grenade in a twisting, screwed curve towards the sniper.

[i know throwing is supposed to be a might action (for some reason... ::rolleyes ), but dexterity and athletics should count for something too, right?]

[phoenix]

Taka discreetly follows Ms. Hsu out of the fray, calmly reloading his carbines.

Using all his senses, he tries to scan to see if he can get a bead on any other Chromatics in the vicinity, ignoring the sniper with complete trust in Hastings and Tiger's marksmanship.

[knave]

Chrome Prime: Charging the Stage

Talvin

Talvin takes aim at the threat on the high stage, trying to merge vision and reality into one cohesive spot. He sprays the area with lead hoping to see the thing bleed, giving himself and the others something to take a bead on.

Talvin rises from his crouch, but it doesn’t help – the vapour and plastic fines of the anti-chromie smoke block all vision. He reaches out with his senses… THERE! BADADADADA! he squeezes off a burst – the creature recoils, scrambling rapidly back from the edge and eliminating his angle. A sudden rush of wooziness floods over him… a roller coaster through a hall of mirrors...light flashing in from all sides… Julie is shouting something important into a com-link…somewhere else…in the future… And once again he is in a reality surrounded by smoke. He hears the soft crunch of boots –Hastings’ boots approaching. Hastings’ grenade launchers fire… he is flooding the side corridors with smoke. Tiger’s carbine rattles off short burst after short burst, keeping the sniper back. Hastings is shepherding the group forward out the central smoke cloud. Daniel and Harker are nearby, and ever watchful… their senses skipping across the psi flow and back. Taka is bringing up the rear, Caroline Hsu refusing to be held back. The Nihonjin warrior is turning this way and that, pushing his enhanced senses seeking new targets.

Tiger hurls a grenade – with accuracy, and almost enough power HSSSSSSSSSSSSSS it falls short landing on the stage but not far enough to catch the retreating sniper in its radius.

The group reach the base of the steep stone stair. …They have called for reinforcements… The sniper has backed off toward the entrance to the room above not willing to face Tiger’s suppressive fire… the three inside the room are four…

A STRONG SURGE OF PURE TAINT ROILS away Talvin’s vision

Harker and Madina - at the base of the stone stair

TAINT! Somewhere on the mountain and STRONG Before the vision is washed away, Harker glimpses the light form flicker like a candle being blown out.

Daniel

Some instinct, some facet of your preternatural awareness makes you look up. A small metallic object passes through the pillar of frozen vapour burning up from centre stage… it’s going to land right at the base of the stair…INCOMING!!!

[Asbjørn]

Unless somebody stops him or beats him to it, Tiger moves towards the rough stairs and starts climbing ahead of the rest of the group. Although it's obvious to the observant members of the team that he now is a bit slower and less agile than his normal self, he still moves with greater ease than most.

[Again, assuming he's allowed to go first, and doesn't get blown up by the incoming object... This action will most likely be aborted if he's warned.]

[Umoja]

It's almost funny. No one else can see it. It's like being the one eyed man in the land of the blind. Daniel forces himself into movement, preventing his thoughts from going any deeper. "Falling. Now! Move your idiots! MOVE!" Daniel dives out of the way of whatever is falling, not even trying to comprehend what the problem is, just knowing it's a problem.

[Asbjørn]

"Falling.  Now! Move your idiots! MOVE!"

Turning to the sound of urgency in Daniel's voice more than his actual words, Tiger spots the incomming object as well... ::blink

*Move where, moron? There's no cover here...*

Seeing no alternative, Tiger leans closer to the stairs to brace himself for the coming explosion while swinging his carbine up to his shoulder. His sights track the glint of metal through the smoke for a fraction of a second before he squeezes the trigger. Once.

[Willpower on that shot...]

[ezekiel]

"Aberrant coming, get your big guns!"

Talvin straps his carbine around his should and retrieves an odd looking pistol from a shoulder holster. He extends his senses to determine if another route can de found leading to the Witness room.

"Daniel, they've called backup, where will it be coming from?"

*lets hope this squid is the only backup they'll get... Julie will probably be calling some backup...probably got my message...I hope, no time to check...*

[knave]

Tiger

Already on the first stair, Tiger turns back to Daniel, tracks the line of his eyes,

Daniel

Dives flat onto the rough rocky ground.

Tiger

turns, raises his carbine, CRACK!

...

...

...

...

BADOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The single shot hit the incoming grenade dead centre, sending it flying back over the chasm, before it exploded.

Very small, hot metal fragmets clatter over the group as they charge up the stair...

Talvin

senses the sniper move back into the room with the three witnesses... one of the witnesses moves toward the entrance, and the bizarre 'light' (which seems to have stabilized now) moves back a little - toward the room's far exit.

Chrome Prime: Centre Stage

The group is finally on stage. A blue glowing, milky eyed chromatic wearing not even a webbing harness stands sillouetted in the doorway to the next room. More light of various colours shimmers from behind it. Light forms flicker across its skin,

The Clears

Sense a strong surge of psi energy emanating from within the room - but with no visible effects.

Harker

The Chromicator III flickers to life on your HUD. *You are stupid? foolish? to come to this holy? sacred? high-cave corruptor/deceivers. The wise? holy? pure? guide destroys you in the future. Drop your mostly black weapons. Bare throats so guide does not kill corruptor/deceivers, adds to herd? farmyard? instead.*

Caroline Hsu

Closes her eyes and slowly lifts a gloved hand, fingers outstreched - a guesture that, as the clears well know, the human psyche somehow ties to extended sensing.

[phoenix]

The single shot hit the incoming grenade dead centre, sending it flying back over the chasm, before it exploded.

Taka nods approvingly at Tiger, then, unhurriedly but losing no time, moves up the staircase, ignoring the shrapnel explosion behind him.

"Aberrant coming, get your big guns!"

Taka snaps to attention at this announcement and moves quickly to the back of the group, drawing his carbines and preparing for battle (for the record, he's also carrying vibroblades at his sides).

[Archer21]

Praying that the Chromiecator is wrong, Harker's mind races furiously, re-checking the likelihood and accuracy of the translation, comparing it to his own observations and (unfortunately small) experience with the Chromatic language of light.

"Aberrant coming, get your big guns!"

*Oh, hell.* Quickly considering the reaction this statement will likely have on his comrades, Roosevelt does something he hopes he'll live to regret. Inputting the proper commands to the Chromiecator's display, he lets his shotgun dangle loosely, then runs forward, hands up in a gesture of surrender. The headset's holo flickers to life with(hopefully) a similar message: ]"I GIVE UP I GIVE UP DON'T KILL ME".

Doing his best to do cross the distance quickly, Harker pretends to stumble as he nears the Witness, dropping to one knee and drawing the pistol strapped to his thigh. Whipping it up and level, he concentrates on a snap-shot, firing a tranq dart at the alien and praying that he scores a hit.

[Asbjørn]

"Aberrant coming, get your big guns!"

*Big guns?* Tiger thinks as he runs up the stairs. *Nobody said anything about bringing any bigger guns... And if I had, don't you think I'd be using them by now..?*

[Roosevelt] lets his shotgun dangle loosely, then runs forward, hands up in a gesture of surrender.

*What the...?!? ::confused SH!T!! ::blink These bastards have psychic powers too!!! He must have messed with Harker's mind....* ::crazy

Quickdrawing his tranquilizer gun, Tiger fires two darts in the chromatic's direction.

Doing his best to do cross the distance quickly, Harker pretends to stumble as he nears the Witness, dropping to one knee and drawing the pistol strapped to his thigh. Whipping it up and level, he concentrates on a snap-shot, firing a tranq dart at the alien and praying that he scores a hit.

*Oh. So that's what you're doing...* ::rolleyes

If the darts hit and the witness drops on our side of the doorway, Tiger moves quickly forward to drag it away from the entrance while shooting a couple of cryos into the next room.

[if he's got any left, that is... How many did he manage to get his hands on...?]

[ProfPotts]

Hastings holsters one carbine & draws a dart gun - ignoring Harker's theatrics & just firing it at the Chromatic with the milky eyes [soon to be dead from an overdose I'm guessing... ::rolleyes ].

As soon as that one's out of the way, he heads into the next room - shooting any Chromatic he sees with the dart gun (the armed sniper being his priority if he sees it - who'll get a burst from the carbine instead).

If Tiger throws the grenades in first, the Englishman will (obviously) wait for them to go off (but will also give the youngster a dark glare - killing the kidnap targets isn't a good way to complete the mission... ::sly ).

[knave]

Chrome Prime: Talking to Aliens? Lock and Load!

Climbing the stair

Talvin

Where will the reinforcements come from…where will… vision blurs: A solid wave of lit up chromatics sweep into the main chamber from every one of the side passages… their bodies flickering rampantly – and then uncertainly as some press gingerly forward toward the stair to the stage…there is a little time still.

Facing the 'Witness’

The Witness stands silhouetted in the entranceway to the next chamber having delivered its demand for unconditional surrender.

Harker

Praying that the Chromiecator is wrong, Harker's mind races furiously, re-checking the likelihood and accuracy of the translation, comparing it to his own observations and (unfortunately small) experience with the Chromatic language of light.

Everything in Harker’s experience corroborates what the Chromiecater is saying – the creature appears to be offering life (albeit with the status of an animal) for unconditional surrender.

He jogs forward with his shotgun dangling by its strap from his shoulder. Holo-projected lights flash over his body.

"I GIVE UP I GIVE UP DON'T KILL ME".

To which the Chromiecator adds an undignified bark/whine.

Tiger

Tiger’s face reveals his astonishment as Harker trots forward through his line of fire with Chromie lights playing over his body. He quick-draws his tranq-gun anyway.

The Chromatic begins to ‘reply’ – just as Roosevelt stumbles to one knee, clearing the shot.

Harker

The scaly, blue glowing creature begins a reply, *I speak the absolute truth. It is good? wise? for animals to obey pe…*

Harker pretends to stumble as he nears the Witness, dropping to one knee and drawing the pistol strapped to his thigh. Whipping it up and level, he concentrates on a snap-shot, firing a tranq dart at the alien and praying that he scores a hit.

THOK!THOK! THOK!THOK! Tiger’s and Hastings’ shots are almost simultaneous, followed by a similarly synchronised second from the young point man and a single shot from Harker’s surreptitiously drawn weapon.

Four darts stop in mid air, a mere foot from the chromatic’s body and stick there, as if clustered around the bull’s-eye on some invisible dartboard. The Chromatic’s milky fore-eyes blink rapidly with the side swivelling chameleon-like eyes matching the rhythm in reverse. It’s blue glow begins to intensify, rapidly becoming painful to the eye and expanding down the light spectrum causing filters to kick in and vision to degrade on all settings of the group’s vision gear.

The Clears

Psi surges from the glowing chromatic in a cascading torrent that is both beautiful and intensely frightening, but that pales beside the strength of the psionic might unleashed in the room behind… A God awakens…

Everyone but Hastings

For a fraction of a second it is as if your entire life has been replayed before some God sitting in judgement over you. Your pettiness and your glories and pretences and your virtues have been counted one, by insignificant one. You have been found wanting… but just as suddenly the pressure is gone…

Hastings

Shielding your visor allows you to see a little, though you actually feel the heat of the chromatic sun through your hot weather gear! A great weight seems to press down over you momentarily and Caroline Hsu cries out in pain. Through squinting eyes you see her dropping to her knees, with blood oozing from her small nose, but still with one black-gloved hand held up defiantly. ”Quickly!” she hisses.

[ProfPotts]

*Right...*

"Tink - smoke."

As he speaks the rather cryptic words, the Englishman leaps towards the glowing alien scumbag... er... Chromatic, throwing all his weight into the attempt, in an effort to press the barrel of at least one gun against the thing's body. If it's the dart gun, then dandy - if it's the carbine, then 'thems the breaks...' ::sly

[knave]

Hastings

"Tink - smoke."

As the others recover, Hastings leaps forward with thick all obscuring smoke pouring forth from his armour. A meter from the chromatic, he feels as if the air is tightening about his limbs, as if he is moving through oil, then through syrup, through molasses - he reaches the point at which the darts remain embedded and pushes forward more, now moving ever so slowly, his forward motion almost halted, pressing his two weapons even further forward -almost at the chromatic. He is entirely vulnerable and the heat of the creature's incandescence is painful, searing exposed flesh and causing his reinforced gear to smoke and his specs to shut down. The two weapons press ever forward…

*ZZSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS* Blue laser light flash/hisses from the creature straight into the centre of Hastings’ chest… just as smoke obscures all vision.

THOK! The sound a firing dart gun.

[Asbjørn]

The weight of a larger consciousness pushes Tiger to his knees, and he staggers a few steps towards the cave wall as he sees his relatively short but definitely eventful life passes before his eyes in a flash.

Half blinded by the light and smoke, he still hears the sound of Hastings gun, and feels the bright flash of the laser. Staying low to keep out of potential danger and hopefully find less smoke there, Tiger crawls in Hastings' direction while checking for any vital signs.

"Hastings? Hastings, do you copy?"

[phoenix]

OK, that's definitely no Chromatic.

Taka recovers to see Hastings stagger backwards from the laser attack and reacts with lighting speed, twin carbines leaping up to face the creature just as the cavern fills with smoke.

Taka summarily switches to heat vision (Hastings was burnt just by getting near it, right?) and keeps his weapons trained on the creature.

"I assume that you psions don't feel any psionic action coming from it. If not, please tell me. Now."

He sets the guns to strafe and begins to watch the creature's actions like a cat watching a mouse with a box of hand grenades.

Does it show signs of tranquilizers?

Does it appear to be able to see?

Does its heat appear to be wearing off?

[knave]

Chrome Prime: All Smoke, No Mirrors

Tiger

Recovering from what you slowly realise was the mother of all mental assaults you find yourself on your knees, near blinding light blotting out your vision even through the filters. You make out a humanoid form sillhouetted against the blue sun - Hastings trailing thick, billowing anti-chromatic smoke that seems to be sucking in the light - beginning to refract at odd angles. The surreality of the whole picture is magnified by the fact that Hastings is running in slow motion. You shake your head again. There is a somehow even brighter flash directly in front of Hastings, coupled with the all too familiar hiss of laser and smell of ozone before the smoke conceals all. Then the sound of a dart gun firing.

You crawl forward trying to raise the Englishman on your tac-radio. More and more smoke dulls the light to a near bearable level. You hear whimpering from behind. Glancing back you seeing Caroline Hsu lying on her side, propping herself up with one arm, the other hand outstetched... Her face looks haggard in this light, it is almost as if you can almost see her skull through her flesh. Her eyelids are flickering and streaming tears, her eyes rolled back to the point that only whites are showing, blood oozes from her small nose, and from the edge of her lower lip where her teeth have sliced into it. She whimpers again.

Taka

Recovering from the telepathic attack, you find yourself lying flat against the steep stairwell that you recently climbed at the side of the stage - NIHONJIN *Emergency Thread Avoidance Maneuver Disengaged* flashes onto your retinas. You find you can stand, and quickly scramble back onto the stage. A billowing pillar of brightly glowing smoke completely covers the entranceway to the next room. The rest of the group seem to be recovering too, though most are still on their knees.

You switch the view modes of your vision gear. Infra-Red - the billowing cloud traps massive heat - the whole thing is near boiling point. You can see nothing in it. Ultra violet - again, the whole cloud is glowing brilliantly with trapped and refracted light.

"I assume that you psions don't feel any psionic action coming from it. If not, please tell me. Now."

You set your guns to strafe.

[Archer21]

Moaning, Harker raises himself to his knees. *Well, that was enlightening...* Seeing the thickness of the smoke, he doesn't bother trying to peer through it. Stripping off one of his gloves, he stretches out a hand towards the smoke and closes his eyes. Willing his touch away from his body, he searches for Hastings body, gritting his teeth and ignoring the incredible heat.

[ezekiel]

Talvin holds his head between his hands as he collapses on the floor under the assault. Debilitating pain keeps him dazed as he notices the onslaught diminish.

A solid wave of lit up chromatics sweep into the main chamber from every one of the side passages… their bodies flickering rampantly – and then uncertainly as some press gingerly forward toward the stair to the stage…there is a little time still.

*not...much...time...*

"The...witnesses..are..or will be.. escaping through a far exit in de next room...We must hurry! Others..many others.. will be coming through de side passages. Daniel, Harker, try to determine if der is anoder way out or if we must go back down..."

Talvin stumbles towards Carolines body as he removes a med kit from his backpack.

[Asbjørn]

Tiger keeps moving forward, crouching low and using mainly sound and touch to search for Hastings.

*Afraid of the dark, my ass... So what if we can't see sh!t either?* ::angry ::rolleyes

"The...witnesses..are..or will be.. escaping through a far exit in de next room...We must hurry! Others..many others.. will be coming through de side passages. Daniel, Harker, try to determine if der is anoder way out or if we must go back down..."

"Advancing on the doorway and moving as fast as I can, Talvin. Searching for Hastings on the way. I don't know about you guys, but I've got close to zero visibility here. Harker? Anyone? Is the chromie down? Talk to me!"

If none of the clears can tell him anything about where he's going, he'll have to rely on his own senses. If he feels the heat picking up, or his movement slowing for no apparent reason he'll be more on guard, ready to fire towards the doorway with whichever of his weapons has the highest exit velocity.

[knave]

Chrome Prime

On the stage

Burning Smoke

THOK!

Hastings

Pain ripples out from your sternum dulling out the boiling fire of the superheated, vapour rich anti-chromatic smoke that is all about you. All you know is that your dart gun made contact with something solid and you fired. You keep pressing forward, knowing that staying in the cloud will end you. Ever so slowly you feel the pressure on your limbs lessening - you are moving once again - and then it is gone completely. Immediately you trip and fall over something lying on the ground ahead of you. ”Robert? Robert? Extreme heat is affecting your vital functions. Smoke emitters deactivated. Suggest you keep moving and or use a cryo grenade.” You scramble forward just as a strong gust of wind rushes painfully past you from ahead, clearing the smoke and heat, but still burning into your seared flesh.

You manage to force open your gummed and seared eyelids and realise that you can see the next room without being blinded by light. A strangely anachronistic bio-screen type device takes up a large part of the wall – one third of which is displaying a small scale map of this mountain, whilst the rest of the two meter of screen shows what could easily be abandoned and wrecked comms rooms. Aside from this one piece of machinery, the room contains a stone ‘table’ structure. You hear retreating tap/scratch sounds from the entryway to the next room.

[Hastings has taken three levels worth of lethal damage to the chest and a further lethal level from being boiled alive putting him on Wounded]

Talvin

THOK!

Talvin stumbles towards Carolines body as he removes a med kit from his backpack.

Letting your paramedic training take over the administering of a stimulant to Caroline Hsu’s near prone form, you open your still raw psi senses… and shudder as you sense the pure strength and beautiful complexity of the psi-form in the next room, but moving away… you grit your teeth and concentrate, expanding your attunement.

An eddy in the current, a vortex, no - a hole in the Psi - is moving speedily up the mountainside. Moving up toward the chromatic fortress… You realise that it is this structure that the tunnels behind the stage lead up to. Escape to the surface and to the aberrant/s lies that way… Coming back to your senses, you notice that the light has changed again. The blue light has completely vanished – even within the smoke. A small psi surge from the direction of the entryway. Hot smoke starts billowing out of the doorway towards you, spreading out and cooling down as it goes.

Harker

THOK!

Seeing the thickness of the smoke, he doesn't bother trying to peer through it. Stripping off one of his gloves, he stretches out a hand towards the smoke and closes his eyes. Willing his touch away from his body, he searches for Hastings body, gritting his teeth and ignoring the incredible heat.

Something clicks within and your sense of touch extends to encompass the entryway. HEAT! Heat everywhere! You can feel Hastings’ upright, forward stretching form, and the blazing chromatic element directly in front of him. Hastings is moving forward, the chromatic slowly collapses – you suddenly realise that the dart went straight into one of its milky eyes. Hastings falls over the body and scrambles forward on all fours. A gust of wind suddenly blows the smoke back into the main chamber – your chamber!

Returning to your mundane senses, you realise that the smoke is no danger as it spreads and cools. Tiger runs into the cleared room, with weapons ready.

Tiger

Calling out for information from the clearsentients you push forward into the searing, bright smoke, with carbine at the ready. Your body begins to slow as you get closer and the heat increases amazingly, but suddenly the lights vanish and then the impediment disappears too and only smoke remains around you. You press forward, but your boot makes contact with something fleshy on the ground. You bend down to check if it is Hastings, but quickly realise that it is a chromatic. Wind rushes past from ahead, clearing the searing smoke. Finally the next room is revealed. Hastings lies on the ground, peering into the next room, whilst a wide screen takes up most of one wall, flickering with pictures of destroyed comms rooms.

[ezekiel]

An eddy in the current, a vortex, no - a hole in the Psi - is moving speedily up the mountainside. Moving up toward the chromatic fortress… You realise that it is this structure that the tunnels behind the stage lead up to. Escape to the surface and to the aberrant/s lies that way… Coming back to your senses, you notice that the light has changed again. The blue light has completely vanished – even within the smoke. A small psi surge from the direction of the entryway. Hot smoke starts billowing out of the doorway towards you, spreading out and cooling down as it goes.

*right...*

"Taka, I will take care of Caroline. We need to get one of de witnesses and you're one of de fastest. - Talvin closes his eyes a moment as he extends his senses - You're very close to the witnesses Tiger. Shoot to incapacitate, I repeat, shoot to incapacitate. You're in no immediate abbie danger. *I tink* They are [insert meters and direction here] from you"

Talvin drags Caroline up to the "witness room" behind the stage as he speaks through the comm

"The aberrant is making its way up the mountainside. I believe dere are exits through de tunnels above. It may be coming in dat way. Chromies are coming in de side passages. Daniel, can you collapse dose tunnels?"

[ProfPotts]

Hastings crawls clear of the burning smoke, then stands. Resisting the pain (it's only pain, right? ::wink ), & thinking better of brushing himself down, he whispers,

"Thanks Tink."

Then switches to the unit comm',

"I think I got one, can anyone see it? It should be alive - I used a dart, & the Chromatics are more resistant to heat than us. Oh... & are you slackers all in one piece?"

Moving stealthily further into the room, the Englishman covers the entrance from which he can hear noises. Whispering into the comm' he adds,

"If it's convienient, a medic would be nice too - no rush now... Skin's so over-rated anyway..." ::rolleyes