The future of warfare in UC.
[Main Street]
One of the two men broke away from the group, towards the girl playing the flute. He tossed a couple of bills to her. "You know where we could get some water here?" he asked. The saloon signs on the street didn't fill him with confidence, though the one with the dancer...well, Ritchie swore that the Cap knew how to poledance but he sure as hell wasn't going to ask her demonstrate.
"Did you mindread him?" the taller man asked the woman, listening to the self-professed god.
"I'm not going to dignify that with a response," the woman. "We're off-duty, technically, but remember..."
"Yeah, we're not secured either."
Nous restons ici.
(Edge of forest)
The skeletons were no longer much of a threat, and were being destroyed with ruthless efficiency. The big problems now were the lizard-thing and the wraith. The latter she knew how to deal with well: salt and silver were the preferred remedies for a ghostly infestation, though iron could be used in a pinch. The problem was that she was a ghost too, and thus couldn't make use of its weaknesses. Best to deal with the big brute, then.
She had one and only one force rune left, but with a target that large, she couldn't possibly miss, and she'd charged this one heavily. Flicking the rune around and taking aim at the beast's head, she crushed the little tablet. A blur of concussive force rushed out, striking her target square in the cranium. There was probably enough power behind the strike to kill an unarmored human, but between the shields, the armor, and the thing's own thick skull, she doubted she'd rattled his reptilian brain enough to do more than give him a mildly rung bell.
Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!
Crazy Kiwi
Southern Desert
The creosote bush toppled, landing on Peggy and Karl. It was too light and airy to do them any harm but its loss now left them exposed to view. One of the robed figures was running straight towards them, followed by a slower-moving, and obviously injured, cultist armed with a pistol.They were still too far away to accurately engage with pistols so Karl and Peggy each fired four more shots in the direction of the advancing cultists.
After the first shots had been fired, Kris, Teri, James and Wolfe trained their weapons on the remaining cultists who had not fallen. Kris and Teri made full use of their rifles' semiautomatic action to get off several shots in the space of time it took James and Wolfe to fire another three each.
[Edge of Forest]
Moreg was beginning to think charging into this fight was the third stupidest mistake he'd ever made. (The other two were "piss off Urdnot Wrex" and "piss off Urdnot Grunt".) A bolt of plasma bit into and destabilized his barrier. A blast of lightning finished the job, causing his shields to shatter with a sound like glass. So Anne's assault only had to deal with his armor, and was enough to hurt as much as that headbutt Grunt had given him so long ago. And just as he was shaking that off, he was attacked by the a scimitar. He managed to parry with an armored claw, pushing the sword to the side, which led to him turning his back to Hoshi.
Fortunately for him, reinforcements arrived. The necromancer, Maridel, was a pale, ragged high elf with a small, futuristic gas mask. She wore modified Thalmor robes; it was clear from the removal of all Thalmor symbols and their replacement with various small animal skulls that she had either cut all ties with the organization, or had never been a member and simply looted the robe off a corpse. She wielded the expected ice staff in her right hand, but there were some very strange scars on her left hand. Scars only left by something unheard of in Tamriel: cybernetic enhancement. And there were her eyes — not the usual yellow of her people, but icy blue-white and whirring with tiny machinery. She kept behind trees and in cover, not leaving herself open to an easy attack.
The cyborg Miyuki had noticed earlier was the Queen of Diamonds — an ork shadowrunner, pale and with graying blonde hair; she seemed to be in her late fifties. (An impressive feat — old age is rarely a threat to those in her line of work.) She was dressed in a black shirt, slacks, gloves and had a black leather duster with teal highlights; enough to cover her many, many cybernetic enhancements. Most prominent was her left arm, entirely replaced by machinery. Like any self-respecting Street Samurai with nuyen to spare, her weapon of choice was an enchanted katana. A helmet with a visor covered the entire top half of her face. She too avoided putting herself in the open; she'd have to eventually, but for now, she wanted to strike from a position of advantage. "You fucked up good," she yelled to Moreg in a German accent; she'd have rather threatened them into giving her their goods. Still, she was ready to take them the hard way.
"I noticed," Moreg replied.
edited 19th Sep '15 2:58:30 PM by KillerClowns
Laugh and grow dank!
[The Forest's Edge]
Crowe ducked back into the cover of the embankment again. He leaned over to Cyrus and said, "I'm not sure how you expect me to do that! Besides, it looks like he's got other things to worry about."
Then, Miyuki landed in the ditch with them. Crowe, startled, aimed his weapon in her direction. "... And now, so do we, apparently." He looked up where she was pointing, at the wraith. He snapped his arm up and fired a shot at it, which passed straight through without doing anything.
Ctowe swung back around to glare at Miyuki, his face a mask of fury. "Idiot, go! You'll draw it to us!" His point of aim transferred back to her as an incentive.
yey
Main Street
As the next train pulled up to the station, a young girl with messy short crimson hair came flying out of the doors, running towards the center of the town at high speeds. She skidded to a halt, panting and looking behind her. The breeze tossed her torn white summer dress and yellow ribbon which was tied around her neck. She was pale and thin and looked almost like a human child except her blue eyes which snapped wide open and turned red as she gazed upon the town.
"Scanning. No sign of enemy, little sign of advanced technology. Very primitive town. They shouldn't be able to track me here." she muttered to herself, her voice slightly distorted. Lightly hugging herself she added, "No major injuries either since the breakout. Objective, make absolute sure I wasn't followed."
She had taken all the precautions, making sure to disable the tracking device in her own system and putting all her energy in her defense mechanisms. And now she found herself in this strange, western-like town. Stumbling along, she felt herself become paranoid. They could be anywhere, they wouldn't stop until they captured her again. Not paying attention to where she was going, she bumped into a man who looked to be a soldier standing with a similar looking woman. Gasping a bit as she looked upon them terrified, she garbled, "I-I'm sorry. P-please don't hurt me."
edited 17th Sep '15 3:28:39 PM by Sphinxyness
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
[SOUTHERN DESERT]
Christopher stumbled back in fright as the large, dark tendril missed as it struck at him, firing a shot partly out of instinct, but mostly out of sheer fright.
Meanwhile, Carsten began to at least attempt to shoot down the other nearest tendrils that had lashed out at them, while G-3 set its sights on Vargas. Unfortunately, Christopher's earlier command to leave him alone came into effect, leaving the machine to only point it's weapon at the ringleader.
After a split second of futile urging, Tana realized what was holding the robot back, and immediately put up her own weapon, aimed right at the middle of his head, and pulled the trigger...
[temple]
His eyes hardened.
He was hardly the one who needed to heed risks. What was she taking him for, a leech?
"See if I would keep to my word, despite... 'hazards'," he repeated, voice perfectly even, as he flipped the crown of his veil off his head.
Without taking his eyes off hers, Tsadro touched a finger to one of several small tattoos on the inside of his arm. Lines of golden light flowed up and down his left arm, from the tips of his fingers to the back and side of his neck, where the glow faded away.
"I am your bodyguard for a reason. If I miss a spell and something crushes me, I'll live. Doubt you would," he added, looking her up and down for effect.
One of Doctor Acquati's sons regards his poor health with levity. He laughs about the time when cleaning up after his cat put him in the hospital, how he mistook his mother for a nursebot shortly after losing his vision, how he lost a year of high school to MRSA and pneumonia. Acquati called it a coping mechanism- making light of a bad situation destroys its power... over mindset. None of which changes the fact that humans live for barely any time at all, even ones with Aitherionian blood and Rivari protection.
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
The future of warfare in UC.
[Main Street]
Ritchie Smith took a moment to step back. "Is there...some reason I should?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Honestly she reminded him of that flower girl, annoying.
His companion's head dropped a moment with a long-suffering sigh, before coming up again, and she lifted her sunglasses, showing green eyes in addition to her blonde pixy cut. "Rich, don't be an ass or I'll make you scrub the tank down again. Kid, we don't know you, you don't particularly look like a Zeke, you've got nothing to worry about from us at the moment."
edited 17th Sep '15 1:21:55 PM by Night
Nous restons ici.
They/Them
[Edge of the Forest]
The fact that Morag parried the scimitar took Azuhl by surprise. He jumped back to avoid any swipes, keeping in mind any ways to stop the brute.
His mind was a buzz with strategy. Should be take another potion? Should he poison the scimitar and hope for the best? Should he use another Shout? He had no idea how this thing would react.
Azuhl considered that now was the a better time than ever to at least temporarily stop Moreg. Azuhl's amber eyes turned to a dull golden as he looked toward Moreg.
Suddenly, Moreg would find himself surrounded in a dull green light, grasped by unknowable limbs and unable to move. This would hopefully by time for the others.
edited 17th Sep '15 6:38:41 PM by DarkbloodCarnagefang
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Drummer Boy
[Edge of the Forest]
"Crowe, Miyuki, if projectiles just pass through that thing, it can't be solid, right? Magic's our best shot. Let me deal with it." Cyrus hid himself behind the embankment. Kito, let me know if the brute comes closer or throws another grenade.
Hurry. I smell reinforcements. They've gotten closer.
He clenched his fists, expecting blue flames to engulf the wraith. They wouldn't pose much danger to any trees they came in contact with because Cyrus could simply cut off the flow of magic and they would disappear.
edited 17th Sep '15 5:59:15 PM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
[The Desert]
"Hang up a sign," the agent said, warily noting the distant sounds of combat, "and not answer any questions about it. You might piss some people off. Or maybe the weedkillers won't show. We'll see." He began to help Kiyoshi back to town. "Speakin' of pissing people off, that demon wreaked a lot of havoc and, fair or not, folks gonna be looking at you. Got a plan to help pay for that collateral damage?"
[Edge of the Forest]
The wraith let loose a howl and disintegrated into a pile of ectoplasm, causing Miradel to cringe in annoyance. And then Moreg was removed — if only briefly — from the battle. "It won't last," Miradel said.
"That's actually quite convenient," the Queen of Diamonds replied. With her disobedient enforcer out of the picture, there was a chance for a more sane resolution to the matter. Carefully, she sheathed her katana and, hands up, revealed herself. "Parlay! We can try not killing each other!" Then she looked over at Moreg and per-emptively yelled, "shut up!" Of course, she was ready to move if somebody so much as pointed a stick at her, and the HUD of her visor would warn her very quickly of that.
The other two agents were moving through the forests, taking up positions, but heard the Queen of Diamonds and would not attack so long as her offer of parlay was heard and negotiations were in progress.
edited 17th Sep '15 7:01:24 PM by KillerClowns
Main Street - Outside General Store
After what felt like hours, Saya was starting to get a little discouraged. Unlike last time, it didn't seem like anyone wanted to stop and take a listen. Her troubles were obvious from the tone of her music; it hadn't changed that much from its initial form, although it might have gotten a little sad. Furthermore, the song was having difficulties finding new rhythms to use. It incorporated what it could, but the resulting melody seemed to be lacking something compared to before.
That whole affair with the demon really had messed her plans up. She'd expected to find some difficulty getting some new acquantainces after they were all separated, but she wasn't expecting it to be this hard. As she glanced around the town forlornly, the thought came to her that she should just leave this place and head back home, spoils be damned. After all, she'd had enough insanity for one day.
She didn't get the chance to act on it before a man came up to her and, lo and behold, actually was nice enough to tip her.
"Thank you!" she said to him, before frowning. "Well...there was this nice-ish bar up that way," she motioned in the direction she came from, "But then there was some...craziness, and now I'm not sure if it's still open or not."
She shrugged. "Beyond that, I unfortunately don't know. I really haven't gotten the chance to explore this town much...."
The song reverted to its previous self after she'd stopped playing. She couldn't hear it now, which she took as a sign that there was nothing to note. The man speaking to her did look very different from the sorts she'd met back in the Waste, if not quite as interesting as Kiyoshi or Lia.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
The future of warfare in UC.
[Main Street]
"Eh. Bar. Suppose it's worth a shot." He peeled off another bill and handed it to the girl. "Unless it has huge holes in the wall, it won't be the worst place I've ever had a drink, at least." The music...hadn't stopped, not in perfect time with her stopping playing. Which was weird, but not particularly threatening. "Well, I guess we'll have to go look for ourselves mostly."
edited 17th Sep '15 9:26:17 PM by Night
Nous restons ici.
[Desert ~ Near Railroad](Joe, John)
"Right-o." Joe said, rising out of his crouch. He eyed the trail of the footprints again, nodding slowly. "Yeah... I think yours came from off the beaten path a bit. So I... I guess we're gonna head this way." He pointed, and raised his eyes to find a rough-looking foot trail that ran off from the side of the wider road. He wished he could say something with a little more assurance or confidence, but Joe was no navigator or outdoor survivalist. Any plan he thought of came about only because it seemed to make some kind of sense to him.
He gave the train tracks, the distant bridge, and the edge of the river one last encompassing gaze, blinking a few times before he had his fill. If they ended up walking even further out of the way, it was important that he could at least remember how to get back to the train tracks. They were his second best bet. He took a deep breath, then shot John a smile and—as casually as a bandaged, beat up, man-sized, talking lizard thing lost in the desert could say—said, "Alright, lets go."
As they walked, Joe finally uncapped his water bottle and raised to his mouth. He used a bit of the water just to rinse his mouth out as best he could; it was still fairly contaminated by the muddy river water that had seeped in during his 'swim' and the 'nap' he had following that. The rest went straight to his belly. It was hard not to drink the whole thing for how refreshing it was, but he heartened himself with the thought it'd be even more refreshing in a half hour when his throat had dried up like a long skinny raisin.
"Hey John," he said after a little while, turning his lizardy head toward the man, "didn't you say that you were here with someone else? But you two split up earlier? Do, uh... you think that the other person might've gone back to your car?"
this place needs me here
PAINKILLER
[Southern Desert]
Vargas turned, and faced a bullet. His inner magic tried to block it, but it was too fast. He fell.
Todd stumbled up, and helped his comrade up as well. Blood dripped from Samuel's mouth. He shoved Todd away and turned toward the fallen ringleader.
Vargas was convulsing on the ground. He lived through a gunshot, but barely. It was lodged square between his eyes, and a part of the bullet still stuck out. Samuel held out his gun and shot him several times. Vargas went limp, then still.
Todd asked, "Sam, are you all right?"
"I've had worse," Samuel muttered. He felt his back. There was a gash, though not deep. "How are you?"
"I'll talk to you about it. But I'm all right."
He pat Todd's shoulder and ordered, "OK. Stay out of trouble." He looked to see how the others were holding up.
A cultist almost made it to Karl and Peggy. She formed a fireball in her hands, but was killed before she could release it. The injured one behind her was struck in his other leg. He fell, and presumably quit.
The one commanding the darkness found himself alone. He furiously created more smokey darkness to block gunshots and to hide from more.
Samuel noticed. He ran towards him and shoved him forward. The occultist stumbled out of the smoke. He stared out, only to be met by many shots. His body shook, and collapsed.
They were all down and out. The remainder sat up. He looked around. He raised his hands in surrender, and cried out, "Don't kill me! Please, I beg mercy."
Samuel dispersed the magical shadows and heard it. He shouted, "Don't shoot him." He approached the survivor.
The cultist's voice cracked, "Don't hurt me."
"I'm not," Samuel said as he knelt down near to him. He grimaced a bit. The gash begun to sting. He looked into the eyes of the survivor. "Why would I want to kill a good soldier?"
The survivor lowered his hands. "G-good? We were good? Colonel, you killed everyone."
The Colonel nodded. "There were more of us than there were of you. If you were terrible, all of you would've been killed quicker," he said. He knew he was overshooting the praise. It was for good cause. "Can I ask you for something? Do you know a healing spell?" The remainder nodded. "Heal yourself."
The cultist's eyes widened. He didn't ask questions, and did so. He lay his hands on his wounds. A rune appeared over each hand, and a warm light formed underneath. He lifted the hands up, and showed the blood stopped. The wounds in his legs begun to heal faster. "It's not a powerful spell, but..."
"Can you heal me? Your leader thought he could strike me when I wasn't looking."
The cultist now appeared surprised. He turned the question over in his head. While they did kill his comrades, they were only there to take back the Commander. In addition, Samuel himself was courteous to his own enemy. He could easily run away from Samuel, even kill him. He decided. "Turn around and take off your jacket."
The bald man turned his back and took off his top clothes. From the sweat that was accumulating, it felt good. The cultist placed his hands on his back, and begun to heal the gash.
Todd found it safe and went to his friend. His mouth fell open. Amazing.
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.Temple
Chloe paused a moment and Ooohed at the man's sudden glowing. It must have been a protective spell of some kind. As for her, she knew no magic whatsoever. "That's pretty fancy. Alright, alright, I'll let you go ahead then." she replied, holding the torch in a way that it gave the two of them enough light to see a bit ahead. "Hmm, I know the chamber where I found my sword is down a hall somewhere nearby." she muttered, forgetting this temple was a bit of a maze to get through.
Main Street
The girl stood up and gave a quick bow. "S-sorry if I annoyed you." she replied and stood back up. Her eyes had been switched to blue since she ran into them and she stared up at the two. "My name is Chisa. I...I'm not from here. I'm...I'm actually on the run from someone, and though I was programmed with self defense mechanisms, I fear I can't stop them on my own." she explained, not thinking how weird it was telling this to complete strangers.
"You two look strong though. Though I believe I have lost them, I am lost myself and would like assistance." she added.
"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"
Crazy Kiwi
Southern Desert
Cultists fell under the fusillade of shots and one raised his hands in surrender. The group from Terra Nova all ceased firing even before Samuel called the ceasefire as there were no more active combatants.As Samuel dealt with the survivor and got wounds seen to, the group exited their places of concealment and began to advance over the three-hundred or so metres towards the enemy emplacement.
Peggy looked down at the bullet-riddled corpse of the woman who had charged towards her then turned and ran back to the bushes where she fell to her knees and violently evacuated the contents of her stomach over an indigo bush.
A comforting arm was laid across her shoulders and Karl's voice was in her ears telling her it was all right and natural and that he was there for her.
Her body shook and the taste and smell of vomit and bile threatened to overwhelm her. Her mind replayed the violent demise of the woman.
Karl knew exactly what Peggy was going through. He remembered the battle at the farm house and how he, too, had thrown up afterwards. He wished he could make it all better but knew that all he could do was be there for Peggy as she went through the long process of coming to terms with what she had done.
For his own part, he didn't enjoy the fact that he had killed again, but he didn't feel as sickened by it as he had the last time.
Teri looked sadly around at the fallen opponents. If only they had surrendered after the first volley of shots, the loss of life could have been avoided.
Her hands were shaking slightly but on the whole, she felt OK. The movies were right: the second time was easier. Which wasn't to say she was eager for a third time.
Wolfe lit a cigarette and wandered over to inspect one of the hovercraft.
"You thinking we could use these to get back to town?"
Wolfe turned to face Kris who had come up behind him. "Yeah. It's gotta be more comfortable than the top of an APC."
Kris nodded and lit one of her own cigarettes, noticing that her hands were shaking. She was relieved that the fight had been so quick and that there had been no fatalities on their side.
James looked around at his comrades and allies with satisfaction. It had been a good, swift and decisive battle and nearly everyone was unscathed.
Kris, Teri and Wolfe seemed to be fine so he made his way over to where Karl was comforting Peggy and squatted down beside them. He silently laid a hand on Peggy's shoulder, knowing that there were no words that could make it better.
Karl lit a cigarette and passed it to Peggy, who was shaking so badly that she could barely get it to her mouth.
"Sorry." Peggy's voice was faint and raspy.
"Don't apologise," said James, "you did well and you survived."
Teri walked over to where Samuel was getting healed by the sole survivor of the cultists. "Are you OK?" She hadn't missed Todd's reaction to being rescued and figured that they were more than just comrades.
[SOUTHERN DESERT]
Tana heaved a sigh, relieved it had been so quick. Her legs soon began to tremble, making her opt to sit down against the rock for stability's sake. Sadly, less could be said for Christopher, who merely collapsed heavily against the rock with a complete deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. Did he just kill?
After a moment's reflection, Tana gently pulled the pistol out of her friend's hands. His grip gave away with practically no effort, hardly even noticing.
Meanwhile, Carsten approached the surviving cultist as it got to work on the gash in Samuel's back, giving him a certain look. It did look menacing, but entirely unintentional.
"Name?" It asked, its eyes glitching oddly, as if blinking.
PAINKILLER
[Southern Desert]
Samuel faced Teri. "Yeah. Stings, but I'm good."
The survivor said, "All right, it's good." As he stood, he jumped back at the sight of Carsten. He then processed its request. "Oh, uh. My tribe name is— Vic," He lowered his hood. He had tanned skin, brown eyes, and a boyish face. His age was scarily young for an occultist: 19. "I guess I'm a prisoner now."
"Not exactly," Samuel said as he stood up. He threw on his jacket, but not the shirt underneath. He discarded it in the dust, since it had gotten bloodied fairly quick. His chest was left bare as a result. "But once we figure out how to get back, then yes. How are you holdin' up?"
Vic began, although appearing to burp, "It was my first uh... Mission," he looked around him. "I-I... Excuse me," he then turned, and fell to the ground as well. Though the battle was quick, it had been a first for a couple people.
Todd saw the others. He noted that Samuel had brought a lot of people. It was not unlike him to do so, but still surprised him. "Huh. I'm almost flattered all of you came out here just for me. Thank you, all of you," he said sincerely. Commander Todd Kimball was a couple years younger than Samuel, and a bit leaner. Other than his longish blond hair, he had some light scruff. He wore a royal blue uniform (though dirtied considerably) and a crimson beret. Its emblem was a golden hawk in flight. He had gotten bruises and a cut on his cheek.
Samuel stood back from where Peggy was. He wanted to empathize with her, but he forgot how it felt to kill for the first time. He did recall it being torturous, but he couldn't call back who he killed and why. Killing had gotten easier for him. Now that was scary. He wanted to say that she should've stayed back, but a first time had to come for people in combat.
The Colonel headed towards the hovercraft and started them each. They exhausted wind, kicking up any loose dirt. The four metal bars that held them up automatically folded and hid away inside. He said, "They're controlled just like cars, go ahead and take 'em back to town." For the rest of the group, he shouted, "I know you're all a bit unnerved if anything, but we should head back. I would say drinks on me, but I ain't got any money."
Todd shook his head and smiled. "I have plenty. You all deserve it."
Samuel went to the middle of everyone. He ordered, "OK, here's how it'll go. I want Vic to get bound and put in the APC. Todd, you can ride up front with Tana," he pointed to the older woman for him, "I'll head back with the Terra Novans by hovercraft. Sound good?"
Current Time: 4:00 PM
Current Weather: The heat began to recede as the sun sunk lower, though it was still a bit until sundown. The gusts began to taper off as well. There was a more pleasant afternoon feel.
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
The future of warfare in UC.
[Main Street]
"Woah. Hold up." Jeannette shook her head. "Got no idea what you're talking about. Not sure I can help either, technically..." Four tanks on flatcars, sitting at a siding, waiting for their ride to continue on. Their Rules of Engagement weren't quite do not fire unless fired upon when it came to non-Zekes, they could act in defense of the town or its populace if that was considered necessary. It'd be a bitch to unload, though...might shred the tracks, just driving off.
Also human enhancement talk, which was...something that had been prototype stage forever, as far as she knew. If this was a human. There were humaniform robots, they could simulate a human well enough for about five minutes, but they were ludicrously expensive, more curiosities...the last time she'd seen a figure quoted, it cost more than her tank several times over. "You can hang out with us, though. We were just trying to find a place to get some water. Enough for twelve people."
Ritchie blinked. "Major-" Not "Cap"; not if someone could overhear. The rank was brevet but it had to be respected.
"It's a kid, and it's not like we're carrying anything classified, and you all can keep your mouth shut." Jeannette replied. She held out a hand. "I'm Jeannette. You?"
Nous restons ici.
Crazy Kiwi
Southern Desert
Teri nodded at Todd. "You're welcome and I'm glad to see you're relatively unharmed after being captured. We couldn't leave you stranded or let Samuel take on an armed group single-handed." She grinned. "The Time Team strikes again."Karl and James helped Peggy to one of the hovercraft and got her into one of the seats then Karl got in beside her, cradling her in his arms and murmuring reassuring words.
Kris got into the driver's seat of the same hovercraft and looked over the controls while James settled into the seat beside her. It looked simple enough to drive, so Kris had every confidence that she could get it back to town.
Teri and Wolfe settled into the other functional hovercraft with Teri at the controls and Wolfe holding both rifles. "Looks like you're riding with us, Samuel," Teri called. She was looking forward to getting underway.
[SOUTHERN DESERT]
With a little effort, Tana got to her feet as she listened to Samuel's instructions on vehicle arrangements. When he finished, she reached and began helping up a still-dazed Christopher.
"So does Chris ride with you too, or...?"
[Desert]
John tapped his chin. "Perhaps. Then again, I don't know if he wants to go to the desert." He frowned, "Oh, I hope he's not too worried about me. I hope he'll understand..."
The air was far more pleasant compared to earlier, but he still wanted to leave as soon as he could. As they walked, he took another look at Joe, and a random thought came to his head.
"...Have you ever tried juggling things with your tail?" he suddenly asked.
[Main Street]
"Wha' makes y'think I'm benevol'nt?" grinned Kyle. "Yer talkin' t'me like this, ain'tcha?" He laughed. "An', an' 'sides, yer takin' a real damn selfish course wit' that line o'thought. Yer basic'ly sayin' that if a god 'xisted, 'e'd 'ave to make yer life better jus' 'cause 'e could. 'Cause as we all know, th'only way to show someone you care is t'wait on 'em 'and an' foot. T'ain't like that'll make one real bratty, 'elpless species that 'spects everythin' from me and can't find its way out o'a room wit' a closed door."
He threw an arm around Hana's shoulder. "Plus, lessay for a se'ond tha' I did do tha'. So what yer sayin' is..." He looked Hana in the face, eyes surprisingly alert. "...you wan' me t'drill into yer mind, fuck wit' your sense'o right an' wrong 'til it fits what I say is good, yank out yer 'bility t'indulge yerself a little an' have a little fun 'cause that might be bad, an' then go 'round an' do tha' to every single bein' in the whole goddamn universe. Jus' 'cause you can't figger how to be nice fo' yerself." Kyle took his hand from around Hana and took another drink from his bottle. "Ruins free will, tha' does. Y'like free will, don'tcha? Wha' makes y'think tha' you'll 'scape that an' not become th'kinda person y'hate now?" He tsked disapprovingly.
"And e'en then, absence o' ev'dence ain't ev'dence o' absence. Y'still ain't gi'en no ev'dence that rel'gions're man-made an' jus' there t'control th'masses."