Pashban III: Escape from The Sulphur Palace (Game I of 2214

Going through the wrecked hallway, the three women began to hear indecipherable echoes. As of someone speaking. Sometimes they were low and murmuring, and at times rising to sharp and loud. The echoes became less muddled as they went along. At last they worked their way around a sharp bend in the path and saw movement.

"No! No...no...can't let 'em through, can't let 'em...god dammit..." The man was hunched over something, his back turned to the women as they emerged. Just beyond him was a large round structure; a lift.

The man turned and his eyes widened as he saw them. He pointed.

"You! You gotta help me! We can't let 'em through!" He was bearded and stocky, and there was a quaver in both his voice and his outheld hand. His eyes were livid with fright.

The chokers had already gotten here, it would appear. The wardens lay sprawled out on the floor and one still in his chair clutching at his throat. Without a word, she went forward and began searching the bodies for weapons. "We can each have a S-22c and a tazerod. We'll divide up the clips evenly," she said as she checked the ammo of her new sidearm. Sliding the clip back in, "We'll divide up the clips evenly."

Keeping the gun in her hand, she turned towards Patron. "Ex-warden, would you mind trying to close that door? And what's the closest way to the lifts from here?"

Alsion listened acutely to the strange sounds, which she became increasingly convinced were voices. Someone was up ahead. Even before they spotted the man, she had already formed a mental picture of who or what they would soon be dealing with and began formulating an appropriate strategic response. He is male, possibly middle-aged, and does not seem to be mortally distressed, though the erratic tonal inflections of his voice suggest panic and/or paranoia, possibly dementia. Proceed with caution

She drew the R-80a from where it hung on her backside and lifted it into firing position, safety off, as they neared the last bend. He was close -- probably in the next room -- and she didn't want to walk in on a crazed man without a weapon on-hand. They entered and she could see him, in the distence, hunched over something with his back to them. "No! No...no...can't let 'em through, can't let 'em...god dammit..." he muttered to himself. Alison gestured to the other two to remain silent as they drew nearer. She lowered the rifle, lest she startle the crazed man, but she wouldn't put it away completely -- not until she knew what he was huddled over.

Suddenly the man turned, eyes wide. His movements were quick, spasmodic. He pointed. "You! You gotta help me! We can't let 'em through!" he exclaimed.

Alison glanced at the other ladies, though she was quite sure he was talking to her. Somehow, she had become the impromptu leader of this threesome. She addressed him, her calm monotone voice standing in stark contrast to his raving. "Your statement requires clarification," she began. "Define 'they'. And please do so in such a manner that I might understand why you seek to keep 'them' out. Furthermore, would you please relocate yourself two meters to the left or right, that I may properly identify the object that is currently concealed behind you. Once these demands are met, your appliation for assistance will be processed and responded to accordingly. Your compliance would be greatly appreciated."

"We can each have a S-22c and a tazerod. We'll divide up the clips evenly," she said as she checked the ammo of her new sidearm. Sliding the clip back in, "We'll divide up the clips evenly."

Keeping the gun in her hand, she turned towards Patron. "Ex-warden, would you mind trying to close that door? And what's the closest way to the lifts from here?"

Freddy didn't think this was going to end well, he looked nurviously at one then the other, then quickly prettended to rumage through the room. It would have been plenty enough to find nothing but his luck had other ideas. A gaurd!

The man looked up, panicked and pressed the button on a small remote that he was clutching despratly. Hercules Recieved a level seven jolt, the shout so close made the gaurd turn white as he released the button. "Stay in here, stay quiet and you should be fine." he told the gaurd who nodded eagerly. Freddy was not in the mood to watch the man get killed by Hercules. He was about to close it when a thought struck him, he snatched the remote swiftly pocketing it giving the man a shhh finger.

He closed the door, turning to hercules. "You ok boss?" He asked and continued his searching, grabbing himself a taz rod and S-22c, though he had never used either. He wondered how much worse that shock the 'boss' had gotten could get, he might have to try that out later.

“Bitch!” Patron heaved, only just managing to hold back the bread he had for breakfast. Another shock. Another freaking shock. He heaved again. “Son of a **** bitch!”

Spitting on the ground, he pushed himself to his hands and knees. The taste of bile remained as he waited for his head to stop spinning, than pushed himself to his feet. “What… the… HELL!” Grabbing the nearest obstacle, in this case a stool, he hurled it at the nearest plasma-screen, shattering the screen. The rain of glass and plasma was rewarding for a second, but only a second. Then the need for destroying something bigger came.

He fought of the urge to grab the gun and shoot the woman, instead calmly walking to his weapons and hanging them from his belt. The familiar weight was comforting, granting a sense of control he had lost when he went from warden to inmate. Next up was the door. He leaned back on it, looking at pipsqueak and puppet as he pushed. “I am going to butcher whoever is doing this. Don’t worry about me.”

“I am going to butcher whoever is doing this. Don’t worry about me.” Hercules growled, Freddy was facing away from him thank goodness, he could feel his face go white for a second. He forced his self back to normal, or at least fake self. He turned back looking the herculian monstrosity over, he couldn't see much in the way of salvation, but at least the man could get them out of here, or at least Freddy hoped so.

"I'm sure you'll get the chance boss, but first shouldn't we get out of here?" He asked/hinted at.

Lillith bit her tongue to keep from laughing at the giant. Served him right for grabbing her. "Yeah, yeah we get. Would you please show us the way out of here already? Me and Freddy will keep you covered while you lead the way, alright?"

He was likely going to yell at me about how he's in charge and a bunch of other worthless stuff, though Lillith. He's just lucky that he's useful right now.

Before he could answer, Lillith walked over and checked the various screens. "It's too bad the power is out. Otherwise, we could see if any others have survived. Right now, we could use all the help we can get."

The door closed with a loud ring of metal. Patron let it vibrate trough his body, then calmly walked over to the stool amid the pool of the glass shards that had once made the plasma screens. One by one, passing the remaining screens, he shattered them, blow by blow. Moving in a lazy circle, he ended next to the woman, throwing the now slightly budged stool at her feet. “There we go puppet. Another worry solved. Now we couldn’t look to survivors, even if we had juice.”

“You worry too much about other’s sakes. How ‘bout saving yourself, then worry about the rest when you got your ass in a ride out of here.” He moved to a door on the other side of the room and started another show of power. The shocks were doing his muscles no good. “C’mon puppet, give me a hand here. Elevator is this way, an’ if we’re going to get this door open, I need a hand.” Making a slightly obscene gesture, he gave her a dirty wink. “Who knows, maybe I’ll give you a hand one we dump pipsqueak.”

“You worry too much about other’s sakes. How ‘bout saving yourself, then worry about the rest when you got your ass in a ride out of here.” He moved to a door on the other side of the room and started another show of power. The shocks were doing his muscles no good. “C’mon puppet, give me a hand here. Elevator is this way, an’ if we’re going to get this door open, I need a hand.” Making a slightly obscene gesture, he gave her a dirty wink. “Who knows, maybe I’ll give you a hand one we dump pipsqueak.”

Freddy's face turned white again as he was moving to help the giant, he stepped back out of habbit. He looked hercules' face over carefully. The man was only slightly kidding, freddy had no doubt that the man would kill him once the time came. He faked a laugh. "Good one boss." He said, though his eyes where unable to hide the worry that nowover took him. He had thought he had gotten the man under control, but now he wasn't to sure.

"Groups can accomplish more in battles than individuals. And realizing that help is good isn't worrying to much...," she calmly whispered while turning towards the door. The giant man was trying to move it but haveing trouble. Great, he's not even at full strength anymore. So much for him being useful. Oh well...

Ignoring his wink, she grabbed the door and started trying to open. "Hey, Freddy pitch in. We could use a hand."

"Hey, Freddy pitch in. We could use a hand."

Freddy nodded slowly, then going to the opposite side of her pushed himself, the door opened easily with the three of them pushing and reveiled another hallway, they shouldn't have to much further to go, but Freddy certainly didn't want to be the one taking the lead, last thing he needed was hercules behind him. He was also begining to rethink that nickname. Hercules was a hero, this man was obviously not. Grendel might be a better discription. Hiddious demon.

The man stared blankly back at Alison for a moment, and with a snap in his eyes, his demeanor changed from desperate to hostile. With a yell of defiance he reached down to retrieve a small piece of sharp, twisted metal from the floor and flung it wildly in Alison's direction.

"You're with them!! They talk like that! Keep the f*** away from me!" He backed away, nearly stumbling, and Alison caught a glimpse of the object he was toying with. It appeared to be a jumble of electronics, but she spotted amidst it a small fuel cannister.

"I'll fix you, Aerus bitch! I won't let you have this piece of s***!"

“Right.”

Suppressing the lingering need to destroy something, Patron started heading towards the elevator. He had hoped to find the controls for his collar, but had given up on finding it in the warden-room once he had been shocked. Whoever had it must have head for the hangar deck, or perhaps the rec. room, before the chokers killed the other wardens. And now the sick bastard was just pressing the button for giggles.

Save the rage for him.

"You're with them!! They talk like that! Keep the f*** away from me!" the man yelled before throwing something. "I'll fix you, Aerus bitch! I won't let you have this piece of s***!"

Alison narrowly sidestepped the jagged piece of shrapnel he tossed at her. She would have pitied the man, in his madness, were she not preoccupied with more important matters at the moment. She was more concerned about the crude bomb he was hovering over. His mental state seemed secondary by comparison. Insane? Yes. But that can easily be rectified through the application of a well-placed bullet, she thought.

"My contract with Aerus has been rendered null and void on account of incarceration," she replied. "I am no longer 'with them', as you say, nor do I seek to further their agenda, whatever it may be. In actuality, my knowledge of the current situation is far more limited than your own."

She paused for a moment, sizing up the situation, visualizing trajectories, and lining up a shot in her head. Then decided against it. For the sake of the other two ladies, she wouldn't take that risk. Not to mention he might have useful information, if she could somehow get through the many layers of paranoia and madness that gripped him.

"I ask that you please reconsider," she said. "If I am 'with them' and I am here with you, that indicates that the facility has already been compromised; destroying the lift will only succeed in trapping you here, with the enemy. If I am not 'with them', and all of 'them' are still out there, you will only succeed in trapping us inside this facility, surrounded by 'them' on all sides. Whatever my affiliation, either option would be undesirable.... As I said, your compliance would be greatly appreciated, sir."

Dexter had moved about the side of the man, positioning herself so she could take him if he turned from Alison. She stood to a side where Alison could clearly see her, out of the harm of the firing zone in case Alison did kill her.

“Better do what the lady says,” Dexter said. “While your equipped only for throwing punches and whatever you can find lying about. The girl has a gun that bullet will travel in a b line straight to your skull quicker than anything you find to throw. My suggestion, you put down the goodies and step away from them. When I come to look them over you stay very, very still.”

Freddy followed after calmly, watching the giant's back, he slowed his pace, motioning for Lillith to slow down with him before speaking in a hushed tone. "I just retreived the control for shocking hercules' collar. I'll use it if he does anything to overly threatening to either of us, but I certainly don't want to kill the man, so I'd rather find another way to handle him without killing him." He gave her a smile, he trusted her to be more knolidgeable about things like this than he was, and told her just as much saying. "You look like you know his type."

"You look like you know his type."

"Thankfully, I usually can just avoid his type..." she whispered. The giant was so sure of himself and his strength; which in a way was somewhat admirable. If he wasn't so obsessed with being in charge, then he wouldn't be such a bad guy. "Sooner or later he'll get the collar off, so I would suggest you don't let him know you have the controls. Only use it when necessary." With this, they were in control of the giant and he didn't even know it. Her lips curled up into a grin. "I gotta admit, the thought of shocking the hell out of him is very appealing," she joked.

"You! You gotta help me! We can't let 'em through!" He was bearded and stocky, and there was a quaver in both his voice and his outheld hand. His eyes were livid with fright.

"Your statement requires clarification," she began. "Define 'they'. And please do so in such a manner that I might understand why you seek to keep 'them' out." Alison began after a quick glance back at Kaye and Dexter. "Furthermore, would you please relocate yourself two meters to the left or right, that I may properly identify the object that is currently concealed behind you. Once these demands are met, your appliation for assistance will be processed and responded to accordingly. Your compliance would be greatly appreciated." Her voice was smooth and mechanical, her disposition betrayed no emotion. Kaye was beginning to wonder if this 'woman' might actually be some sort of complex A.I.

The man's features shifted instantly from fear to rage. He threw a chunk of jagged metal in their direction, and screamed at the top of his lungs. "You're with them!! They talk like that! Keep the f*** away from me!" He backed away, nearly stumbling.

"My contract with Aerus has been rendered null and void on account of incarceration," she replied. "I am no longer 'with them', as you say, nor do I seek to further their agenda, whatever it may be. In actuality, my knowledge of the current situation is far more limited than your own. "I ask that you please reconsider," she said. "If I am 'with them' and I am here with you, that indicates that the facility has already been compromised; destroying the lift will only succeed in trapping you here, with the enemy. If I am not 'with them', and all of 'them' are still out there, you will only succeed in trapping us inside this facility, surrounded by 'them' on all sides. Whatever my affiliation, either option would be undesirable.... As I said, your compliance would be greatly appreciated, sir."

Kaye nodded, offering the man a small smile that she hoped would warm Alison's robotic words. Her muscles were tensed, ready to spring into action in the event the situation erupted into violence, but no one could outwardly tell, what with the gray hooded jacket and tattered grey jeans that had become her uniform. The man would pose no threat physically, he was built like a brawler, powerful but graceless and sloppy, and therefore easily bested by someone of Kaye's talents.

Alison's voice was cold and detached, her words emotionless and logical, and though she held a weapon, it seemed as if she had no intention to use it. Hopefully this man could see that. More hostility was the last thing they needed. And besides the man's intimate knowledge of the facility, he also had information concerning the attack, information that could help keep them alive. He could also remove the collars, or at least Kaye hoped he could. Without the collars giving them away, and with all the commotion of the attack, they could easily slip into a uniform and transport vessel and escape. If they survived this whole fiasco.

“Better do what the lady says,” Dexter said. “While your equipped only for throwing punches and whatever you can find lying about. The girl has a gun that bullet will travel in a b line straight to your skull quicker than anything you find to throw. My suggestion, you put down the goodies and step away from them. When I come to look them over you stay very, very still.”

"We don't want any trouble, Sir." Kaye added, raising her hands, taking a small step from behind Alison so that he could get a good look at her. "We all simply wish to survive this attack just like you, and our chances will increase exponentially if we can all just work together. We can help you with whatever you're working on, but first you need to calm down, and explain exactly what's going on. Your trust earns ours."

He looked behind him as he hurried, his breathing ragged and panting. When the women spoke again he glanced between them frantically, perspiration lining his forehead.

"I ain't letting you get what you want!" He screamed. "I'm gonna seal you and your goddamn drones..." He turned back to the makeshift bomb and fumbled over it. His breath came rapid and panicked. After a few moments, he collapsed in a heap in front of it. Sobs wracked his body and he made little whimpering sounds.

"I don' wanna die..."

"I don' wanna die..." the man wailed after he had collapsed into a sobbing heap.

“You don’t have to,” Dexter replied calmly. She walked over to him and knelt down her eyes fixed on his face. She carefully took the electronics, rose and moved back several paces. The wiring was a mess; she would have done a cleaner job in the planning stages that even the simplest of factory hands could have constructed in a tidy manner. None the less she was familiar with the item. She turned it over in her hands biting her lip. “Tell me everything you know about this hunk a junk and we’ll all be friends like.”

"I don't wanna die..." the man said, sobbing.

“You don’t have to,” Dexter replied calmly. “Tell me everything you know about this hunk a junk and we’ll all be friends like.”

Alison put away the rifle, allowing it to hang from her back by its shoulder strap. She could draw at a moment's notice, but for now she didn't want to alarm the man. He was already frightened enough without Dex using the gun -- and the young lady behind the trigger -- as a bargaining chip. Alison didn't particularly like being used as a threat, expecially by someone she hardly knew, but whatever Dex had said must have worked. She brought the man to tears. Am I really that scary? she thought, but quickly shrugged it off.

She approached Dex and took one look at the 'bomb'. Battery. Wires. Fuel source. Crude timer. It was little more than a fuel tank rigged to a simple circuit that would provide a spark. Though, she had to admit, the timer was clever; for a moment she thought he was suicidal but now she realized he planned to set it and run. Smart.

"There is nothing we need to know about this," she said and abruptly snatched the wire from the negative terminal of the battery, effectively defusing it. Then she turned to the man. "But, if you don't mind, I would like to have this collar removed. You are one of the overseers of this facility, correct? If so, you possess the means to deactivate them."

The man let out a ragged breath, and looked up at Alison, his hands still shaking. He shook his head adamantly, looking down again.

"No...no, I...I don't know..." He looked over at the elevator. "You gotta get out. More'll come. They're looking. Looking..." He rose slowly to his feet, and looked between them. He blinked, some sort of hazy remembrance flashing in his eyes.

"That's...that's it! I know what I gotta do. It's what they told us to do." He straightened and looked at the women.

"Take the lift to the hangars. You'll find something there. I have to make sure the others know." He gave a curt nod, and turned, running back down the hallway to some unknown destination, leaving the bomb in Dexter's hands.

"I gotta admit, the thought of shocking the hell out of him is very appealing," she joked.

Freddy smirked but didn't say anything for a little while, he wondered how far the walk was going to be. "So do you know how to fly? I'm betting hercules doesn't, and I know I don't, makesomething fly, sure, fly it, not really."

Misho, Rimor, and Herman

The cage hovered above the pit of sulphur, swaying gently meters from the ceiling. Wizzers floated and zipped around the outside of the cage like a swarm of angry wasps; their spinning blades buzzing loudly.

Herman began to climb the chain hand over hand, and one of the omnidrones glanced off the chain just below his feet with a loud metallic clink. Below, one blazed past Rimor, whose head was still stuck in the cage bars. It ripped past, tearing an angry gash in his back.

Looking up, Herman spotted the mechanical hoist from which the cage hung. Above it, a large piece had been rent from the top dome; their only way of escape.

Herman kept his hands moving, pulling himself hysterically while avoiding omnidrones. A wizzer lived up to its name, speedily zipping by Herman's face, nearly catching his cheek in the process. He felt his grip slightly loosen. It's a good Herman didn't have arthritis in his hand. He had his eyes on the prize, which came in the form of the large piece of metal above the mechanical hoist holding the cage. He wished he could help the other two who paid him a visit on the cage, but the situation didn't allow.