The last part of Summer's speech caused a minor, but still notable shock on Celeste, as she started thinking
-“She said... Ultimate Mode? That description... It doesn't match with GeneSys' records of that particular battle. Could it be...? Is Dr. Reitman's theory correct? But that could only mean...”
Celeste's hands suddenly turned unusually tense and shaky... Something about Summer's declaration seriously altered her... However...
-“...No, it's still to early to jump to conclusions... I'll have to report and discuss this findings with Dr. Reitman later on... I really hope his suspicions are incorrect... But if he's right...”
Clearing her mind of those distressing thoughts, Celeste made a conscious effort to calm her hands, and then she addressed back to Summer:
-“Thank you, Ms. Turing. It's good to know you'll try your best to fulfill my selfish request.”
Even though her speech was as polite as ever, this time there was something decidedly different about it... Celeste sounded and looked far more cautious, and strangely distant when compared to just few moments ago... Her tears even stopped completely... All because of that last part of Summer's exposition.
-“Despite our conflicts and differences, in the end we're all part of the same team. There will come a day in the near future, when we'll all need the strength of each other in order to survive the terrible battles that await us... Please, don't ever forget that, Ms. Turing.”
After saying that, she gently let go Summer's hands, before stating in a slightly ominous tone.
-“I hope you can find the strength to do what is right, Ms. Turing... For your own sake, and everyone's else too. Despite the circumstances, I'm glad of having spoken to you. Your sincere concern is greatly appreciated.”
After saying that, Celeste attention turned towards another individual who was among the people currently gathered in the room. She recognized her from GeneSys' latest mission's briefing updates...
-“Ms. Turing, I've got another favor to ask you. The last person who entered this room, is another fellow pilot who will be joining us in our future missions... She must have come to introduce herself. Could you please tell her to close to me? I'd like to speak to her for a few moments.”
edited 27th Jun '13 11:53:41 PM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Summer happily replied to Celeste "It's no problem and your request isn't selfish at all." as she noticed Celeste slightly change her tone and shake her hands at that last sentence, clearly explaining that whole detail of the Ultimate mode to her caused something to pop in her head.
Regardless Summer let it go, hoping to address it with her later. And left Celeste's side to let the new pilot in.
Dan felt a bit better after reading some comics and decided to take a walk around the base. He quietly stopped by the mech hangar, inpsecting the repairs being done to Mexa and Nexus.
Man it's impressive how fast these guys are working on fixing these mechs. Either they're really well trained or SERVE offers enough money/incentive to make them work fast. Still pretty damn cool. I wonder where Samson is? I should've talked to him about the events at the Bio-Lab before the recent fight. Dan thought as he whipped out his phone and called Samson, hoping for the two to talk.
Celeste made a small gesture with her hand, to indicate the girl that she had to come closer. As the girl approached to her, Celeste noticed two peculiar details that intrigued her, but also made her slightly uncomfortable.
The first one was the design on the t-shirt the girl was wearing. It was an incredibly gruesome scene featuring an explicit instance of dismemberment, and underscoring the grotesque image, there were a couple of words: Cannibal Corpse. She assumed it was meant to be the name and cover art of some kind of Metal band. She was only tangentially familiar with the genre, in great part thanks to her brother, who was always a big fan of Power Metal. On a personal level, she has never been a big fan of that music, but she could tell why her brother loved it so much: There was too much energy, and inspiring vibes it. She even grow to like some of the ballads those musicians created from time to time, like that heartwarming song called Save Me
made by Edguy.
However, she could tell from the unpleasant art on the t-shirt, that this Cannibal Corpse dudes weren't the kind of Metal her brother liked... And the more she looked at the picture, the most nauseous and uneasy she got. She has never been good when dealing with extremely violent stuff; she had learn how to control herself, in order to deal with the horrifying challenges and scenes that GeneSys' pilots have to deal in almost daily basis... But on her leisure time, she preferred to avoid those kind of cruel sights as much as possible. She decided to try to divert her focus from it, to avoid getting sick.
The second detail was far less abhorrent, but it still surprised Celeste a little bit. Whenever she uses her sight to scan a person, she always starts from the ground up. The reason? She always liked to take notice of the kind of shoes they might be wearing. As funny as might sound, she has the odd, but strangely accurate, perception that one can tell many things about someone's personality by just looking at their footwear. “They say us where we've been, and where are we going”, she thought. However, when she scanned the girl's feet to take a quick glance at her shoes, it was immediately evident that she wasn't wearing any at all.
-“How is that possible?”, Celete thought, while her eyes let escape a subtle reaction of surprise, “Didn't anyone say anything about this possible infraction to the 'dress code'? I guess SERVE's policies are really far more lenient than GeneSys' regulations... I still remember how this guy got reprimanded because he was wearing a silly t-shirt under his standard uniform jacket... I can't even imagine the kind of lecture this girl would get if she showed to a GeneSys' installation while completely barefooted. Still...”
Despite the unexpected change on her usual routine, Celeste decided to go her usual flash inspection, and try to decipher something about this person based on her unshod feet. She could easily tell they were quite strong and nimble, a far shot from her own tender and fragile feet, which were usually encased in her standard issue boots. Her soles were covered by layer of dirt, a clear mark of the long walks she must have taken before reaching this place. Her toes were distinctively restless and mobile, a sign of an unbounded amount of energy, and her affinity for roaming around unrestricted by footwear.
All in all, Celeste couldn't help to smile after having seen this peculiar pair of feet. Thanks to her quick analysis, she inferred that this person was a remarkably eccentric individual, who wasn't limited by society's standard conventions, and that she had a great degree of confidence, fortitude and unbounded emotion. Having finished her extensive, but surprisingly fast stream of consciousness, she politely spoke to the girl in front of her.
-“I apologize for the unpleasant scene you had to witness a few moments ago, Ms. Kinipela. As you might be aware, yesterday was an extremely difficult day for everyone of us, and all that tension and stress has inflicted a heavy toll on our mental and emotional health. Still, I hope that awkward first impression hasn't tainted your perception of this team.”
She took a little break to clear he damaged throat, and to catch her breath...
-“Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Celeste D. Caballero, former Test Pilot #7 for the GeneSys' organization, now member of Echo-City's Delta Squad. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
She said while performing a little bow, as she stood confined to her bed.
edited 28th Jun '13 9:39:53 AM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Loke got the feeling the girl was scanning her, she blinked nervously, rubbing the back of one leg with her foot, unsure of what to say. It was clear this girl had just been through hell, as opposed to her who still had not been in war.
"What happened? I saw the news, was it the three Eldritchians?"
edited 28th Jun '13 9:41:18 AM by TroyandHawk
Good to be backSlightly embarrassed by what she considered to be a remarkably serious blunder of her, Celeste proceeded to explain Loke her situation...
-“During the last battle, an enemy caught me by surprise with a strange attack which temporarily disabled my shields. The beast then took the chance strike my mech with its colossal strength, inflicting serious damage on me, despite being protected by a reinforced cockpit and my powered-armor suit.”
Celeste coughed a little bit, she was exerting a lot of extra pressure on her damaged voice right now...
-“Still, I was pretty lucky to survive that... And thanks to SERVE's medical treatments, I'll be able to return to battle in a few days. I might not be a good pilot, but one can't deny I'm fortunate!”
She said while forming a smile on her face, trying to appear strong, despite being terribly ashamed of her sub-par (for her own standards) battle performance.
edited 28th Jun '13 9:57:42 AM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Loke could tell the girl was both in pain, and hiding something, got closer making it easier for her to speak
"Thanks for telling me, now rest, you sound like you hurt your throat or something."
She smiled warmly, admitting to herself the girl's focus on her job was kind of cute.
edited 28th Jun '13 10:15:23 AM by TroyandHawk
Good to be backCeleste looked to the girl's eyes as she came close to her, there was a clear hint of curiosity in them, but also a strange warmth which she hadn't seen on any other of her comrades so far. It certainly made her feel more comfortable, but also slightly confused... After all, most of SERVE's agents are very cautious of GeneSys' pilots and personnel; so, seeing this girl being so sincere about her emotions and intentions was something unusual to her.
-“A-A-Anyway, I must apologize for my rudeness, I addressed to you by your last name without giving yourself the chance to make a proper introduction. I'm kind of a big nerd when it comes to mission briefings, but I don't know if my comrades also read that information, so It'd be greatly appreciated if you could introduce yourself to us! Please, go ahead!”
edited 28th Jun '13 10:17:23 AM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Loke ran her index and middle finger the right length of the mostly faded Glasglow smile scar on her face-a habit she had developed since she got it a few years ago, she smiled at...Celeste was it?
"It's fine, call me Loke. Don't worry so much! Alright? You're safe, no one's going to hurt you if you mess up!"
edited 28th Jun '13 10:21:04 AM by TroyandHawk
Good to be backLoke's last statement slightly startled Celeste. She has always been extremely conscious, and respectful of people's boundaries and privacy, which is why she usually addressed everyone by their last names; it's only when the person in question grants her with their explicit permission to use their first name that Celeste will do it son... Even after all these years working with him, he still hasn't been able to address to Captain Kiske by his first name, because he has never opened that barrier for her.
So, now that Loke had granted her that permission, she decided to adjust her speech...
-“A-All right, Ms. Loke! I'm sorry... I-I'm not very good when it comes to dealing with people... I've always been an extremely timid person, and sometimes I don't know if what I'm saying it's the right thing to state... But, I digress... Whatever might the case, it's a pleasure for me to be meeting you in person, Ms. Loke!”
Then she formed a genuine smile on her face. This time, she wasn't trying to emulate fortitude, she was genuinely happy to be in company of this new comrade of her!
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Loke leaned back, laughing softly.
"Calm down Keiki! You need to stop freaking out alright? It can't be healthy! All I did was tell you my name, but thank you. It's a nice to meet you too."
She ran her fingers down her left scar, still smiling happily,
"Mind if I ask you a question?"
edited 28th Jun '13 10:54:46 AM by TroyandHawk
Good to be backThe sound of happy laughter, whether true or not, slowly began rising from Faith's throat. Her fists clenching with renewed passion, she speaks "Well now, you're in luck! Use that silly brain of yours to compare and contrast Solaris & Nexus! Doesn't sound too hard right? I would do it myself, but I hardly know about Laser Boobs there. And hey, once that's done we can celebrate with cake! Cake is nice, don't you agree?"
Small smirk at Puller's response, Gerald cracks his neck side-to-side. "Well then... Perhaps you have seen the design specs for Mexa's shock sword or the internal laser system for Epine Noir? A while ago a former engineer left behind a very trashed mecha, otherwise unremarkable accept for the highly detailed hand system and its arm. It still needs to be tested, so I would thankful if you did test this out on some of your older models. Anyways..." Pulling out a pen and holding his clipboard out Gerald begins writing down a concept, and then hands the paper to Puller.
Electronic Gauntlet: As Head Mecha Engineer I, Gerald Long offer you my subordiates aid and resources as required. The Electronic Gauntlet has three main elements; Electricity charged, chamber for releasing a stream of high-voltage electricity, and if possible for you an extendable length factor not unlike a chain. In regards to the arm itself, you have full access to review all information regarding R.U.D.O and what we have done with it if you so desire. The electricity must not be able to overload the mecha or damage, should you design the gauntlet to electrically charge the entire arm. In addition you may feel free to add a shield to the gauntlet. If this is not enough for you to begin a rough prototype, then simply ask for more information.
Clearing his throat a bit, Gerald continues "In addition, if you have valuable technological information for my own mecha I will supply yours with nanomachines to repair or reattach damaged material. That's the least I have to offer, and I know very well how people may be unaccustomed to SERVE's more advanced mecha constructions. If the gauntlet is unworkable for your mecha I have plenty of other suggestions, though I would prefer to be humored with something more advanced than standard equipment."
"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."Emil blinked in confusion when he looked at the masked Sgt. Kovacs once more and somehow knew that the Marine was giving him the evil eye. Resolving not to anger or even get too close to the potentially insane Marine, The Frenchman merely focused back on Sgt. Gdolkin before asking a rather sensitive question.
"How did the battle go with the Beast?"
For a moment, Emil had a look on his face that screamed of guilt and a feelings of uselessness before he quickly forces a smile on his face as to not worry his comrades with his insecurities.
"I'm sorry, it's just that my weapon exploded right in front of my cockpit and sent shrapnel into my chest cavity that I didn't know what happened..."
edited 28th Jun '13 12:31:04 PM by Strigon
Shameless Self-promotion ho!Trying to adjust her body language and speech to appear less apprehensive, and more relaxed, Celeste spoke to Loke once again...
-“Sure thing, Ms. Loke! I'm an open book! Granted, the book's in Spanish and some of the pages have fallen out, but I'm an open book, nonetheless!”
Celeste said, trying to make it sound as some sort of joke... But with her injured voice, and her still odd mannerisms, the phrase sounded a bit too strange.
-“...What I'm just trying to say is: You're free to ask me whatever you please! I'll try to answer your inquiries with complete honesty and sincerity.”
An comparative analysis of Nexus-One and Solaris Collapse capabilities?! Alex was pleasantly surprised to hear Faith stating such pragmatical request! For a brief, but genuinely tense moment, he imagined she'd propose something involving karaoke, cross-dressing, a bear cub driving a mini-cart, and a Bollywood style musical number... You know, something far more outlandish and in line with the strange streams of consciousness that she had displayed so far.
-“Very well Ms. Long, that's a reasonable petition. I'll gladly help you to perform that analysis”
He took a second to clear his throat, so that he could answer her other question with clarity.
-“...And regarding cake; I've never been a big fan of it, but I'm not adverse to it either. So, if sharing a slice with you would help to compensate for my mistake, I'd say: Sure, let's go eat some in a near future.”
edited 28th Jun '13 4:32:18 PM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!""Heh, reminds me of the power fists we use in the infantry," Puller pulled out a cigar and lit it it up. He puffed on it briefly. "We got some specs to trade, and I wouldn't mind a few hands around here, even if they're civilians. Now, as for a trade, are you in need of long range death dealing, or short range?"
- "The battle could've gone better, whoever the hell that was that just charged in there kinda screwed us all over. God rest his soul, that poor bastard got ripped apart. Jack here just about died from a beast shredding him, and I had it bite down on my gun and destroy it."
Waving away the smoke in disgust, Gerald lets loose soft puffs of air from his nose as if trying to get rid of the smell. Looking towards Puller, Gerald speaks sternly "I don't know how it is at your base, but this is a no-smoking environment. There's plenty with the mechas after all. Though, I would consider we make an equivalent exchange until one of us bores with this. The nanomachines are rather weak to be honest, repairing cracks and at the most closing small gaps. It will try to cover exposed areas, yes, but even if you used the standard supply you'll regrow six inches of armor at best. You'll need either a network for the nanomachines to spread or hollow cavities in the armor. Either way, may I see the design specs for these power fists?"
"Leave Leo alone Thomas! You're still my brother, and I don't want to see you punished by the law. Just give me Leo, alright?" Standing in front of a young child, fear burning in the eyes as Uncle and father fought. Father held in his hand a hammer, and his other hand nails. The nails slipping through his fingers, the child screamed in horror as Father carved off half of Uncle's face. Uncle screamed in pain, trying to cover the left side of his face. The child looked down to see Uncle's eye and his torn off face. Illness filled the child's stomach, wanting to vomit as Uncle's last eye stared in a sad state of remorse. Father screamed next as his right shoulder was blown through by Uncle's right eye, and the child began crying, screaming, and hiding in fear as they tried to kill each other. Then, then... Father stumbled towards the child, holding the bloodied stump that was his right shoulder. Laying down on his knees, Father said to the child... Said to Leo "He won't take you from me, he failed... He can't win you now Yvonne, he can't win you..."
Waking up startled Leo looked about the room to find Emil. Breathing quickly Leo began looking for his iPhone, wanting to talk to someone.
"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."Celeste's expression turned instantly somber after hearing that question... She felt directly responsible of the terrible fate that befell on Hans during that last dreadful battle...
-“Unfortunately, I've never got the chance to meet Mr. Liddmin face to face... And the little time we spend fighting together, trying to defeat those three Eldritchians, was a short amount of confusing and agonizing minutes... I don't want to taint Mr. Liddmin's memory by speaking of those horrible last moments...”
Her hands clenched, firmly grasping the blanket over her with tension, before speaking once again...
-“...However, I would also be betraying him if I just pretended those painful events didn't happened... I'll tell you what happened during that battle. The last time we saw each other, he was going on a senseless rampage through Echo-City, causing a serious amount of unnecessary collateral damage. Hadn't most of people been evacuated when he did that, the death-toll would have been extremely high.”
Celeste eyes got all teary after remembering what happened after that.
-“I tried to stop him using my mech, but he easily swept me aside. I told to him that if he didn't stop, I'd have to disable him by force. I hesitated... And the next time I saw him, his mech laid rended apart on the ground after the vicious attack of one of the invaders, while also being bombarded by a previously hidden enemy. I shielded its damaged machine from the attacks, but it was already too late... Mr. Liddmin was dead when I reached for him.”
She started crying once again after stating that...
-“If only I hadn't hesitated, I would have easily cut its mech limbs, then I'd have taken him back to the base, and he wouldn't have died in such a cruel manner... I failed to save Mr. Liddmin back there, and now there's nothing I can do to atone for my terrible mistake.”
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Loke quietly hugged the crying figure,
"It's okay, you did fine."
She withdrew, putting a hand on Celeste's shoulder,
"You did all you could, alright? It's not your fault, sorry. It's just, I was scheduled to replce him as we both have Brawler-class mecha...So, I want to know more about him. But, sorry to ask that. Are you okay?"
Good to be backDespite feeling so heartbroken right now, Celeste managed to gather the emotional and physical strength to continue on, in great part because Loke's tender hug made her feel better, giving her energy to continue speaking despite the sorrow...
-“You don't need to be sorry, you didn't know about that painful event... I'll be fine, but... It's just that I'll always feel terrible when one of my comrades passes away. I didn't know Mr. Liddmin too well, and I've already witnessed the deaths of several of my fellow pilots already... But it's something that never gets easier.”
Referencing to the last part of Loke's statement, Celeste left out a brief chuckle, which was mostly drowned by her tears, before replying...
-“It's funny that you said that... My mech is also a Brawler-Class machine. He has saved me in a lot of occasions; to me, he's more than a machine, he's a dear friend. I wish I was stronger pilot, so I could harness all his power and potential.”
After saying that, Celeste's tears subdued a fair bit. Somehow, thinking about her mech, while being in Loke's arms made her feel a lot safer... She felt like they were allies that she could trust, and that even if she wasn't a strong pilot, with their support and strength, she'd be able to face any challenge that laid before them.
edited 28th Jun '13 9:52:04 PM by VPhantom
"It's better to burn out... THAN TO FADE AWAY!"Puller clipped the end of his cigar before stowing it away, "Sorry, I can get you the specs right now." He walked over to one of the work benches and pulled a blue print out of the cabinet, "it generates a field that disrupts physical matter when it hits, its a bit slow on the go, but when it hits it packs a wallop." He offered Gerald the blue prints.
The flesh is weak!

"Don't feel bad about this problem. And besides I don't hate Faith that much anymore. I disliked her when we first met, since she was hot blooded and had a big ego for herself. It really ticked me off but since then things have been relatively ok. Her hatred of me isn't reciprocated in any way or form from me. If anything she's just using me a scapegoat for the problems she already has. Why her Dad joins in on hating me however is something I don't get at all. They both sent me this 'present' at my house for a cheap laugh. And why they call me a virgin whore still makes no sense. How can you be a whore if you're a virgin? Anyways I'm rambling on. I'll forgive Faith and all but she really needs some major help. Holding an irrational grudge like this is never healthy." Summer explained in a long tangent.
"Besides we're both ok now." Sarah added, still wrapping her mind around Faith's problems.
"Also Faith's mention of me survivng even though my mecha should've killed me is a long story. But basically..." Summer quickly thought about disclosing this info to Celeste but changed it at the last minute "..basically in a fight against the Eldritchian that mind raped us, both me and Dan activated our mech's Ultimate Modes as a last ditch effort to stop it even though we would die. We succeeded in killing it and mysteriously managed to survive. We're still trying to figure out how." Summer lied as she awaited Celeste's response while still holding her hands close.
Alex anxiously awaited Faith's reply, hoping he wasn't going to regret this decision. Especially if he gets derision from his co-workers for hanging out with someone like Faith.
edited 27th Jun '13 10:46:41 PM by JRPictures