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srwu Jan. 26th, 2016 12:17 am)
a_centered_mind posting in srwu Jan. 26th, 2016 12:17 am)With the situation surrounding the Lady unfolding, and more threats looming over the horizon, a request is sent via video mail to all UG members. The sender? A certain friend of Willis, who tries to hide her concern behind a smile.
"Good day everyone. I know this isn't the best time to ask a favor of you since you're trying to figure out what to do, but I'll need a small group to accompany me to a certain facility for a short while. It's an old place that hasn't been used for some time, so I have some concerns about security. There's something I need to retrieve there, and on the bright side, maybe we'll find some of the leftover equipment useful too."
If anyone wants payment for this, I'll be glad to arrange something. Just know that I wouldn't be making a request like this if it wasn't important. Thanks."
--
1.
As Elys briefly explains to you: the facility in question is a massive offshore installation, hidden via some sort of visual stealth, and currently located between South Korea and Japan. Arriving in thick fog: you can make out the shape of a wide structure that looks like an oil rig - suspended above the ocean on eight legs, or pillars.
Ignoring the fact that this looks like a cliche horror movie setup, the shuttle touches down on a designated landing platform leading to a large door, not unlike ones you'd find on hangars. It can definitely accommodate even larger mecha, but probably not wider, non-humanoid machines like Bahamut.
While you're up close, the fact that the building looks uninhabited is hard to miss. There's also the appropriately-sized, and somewhat weathered logos of Aegis, Ono-Sendai and Caduceus - the three companies related to Willis - on the giant door before you.
Elys approaches on foot and places a palm against it.
"This is where it all started. It's been a while...and the place has seen better days and locations."
-
2.
(Mingle prompt)
Some power is restored, and the lights are turned on. The inside of the structure is empty, as you'd expect. But, it wasn't abandoned in a rush: the people who once worked here were very thorough as they left, leaving little behind. It's almost like walking into an unfurnished, new building.
There are exceptions though, like the circular room Elys is currently standing in which looks like a training space. A group of football-sized, sphere-shaped metallic drones are scattered across the floor, all inactive. She kneels by one to inspect it, but addresses you first.
"Ah, I forgot to mention it before: feel free to explore and keep any item that you fancy. All of it technically belongs to my company now, but what's left was supposed to be scrapped with this place long ago; no one will mind if it's put to use again. There's only one thing I'm here for, anyway."
However, the most you'll find are basic tools, if well-made ones, small amounts of supplies like replacement LED lights and panels, and maybe an abandoned cleaning robot or two. Still plenty for scavengers.
It's possible to explore the external walkways as well. But it's foggy outside and there is a sheer drop into the waters below, so be safe and responsible.
For the less adventurous: you can see that the facility was once able to connect to land, since there is a detached portion of a road leading to a broken gate. Beyond that lies a garden in the center of the complex, where an expensive looking car seems to have been crashed into an equally pricey but now defunct marble fountain. This was all left as is, which is strange to say the least.
-
3.
In a control room adjacent to one of the hangars, Elys approaches a console that activates the facility's mainframe. What comes up on the screen is a whole load of...nothing.
"All deleted. No surprise. This might as well just be a giant monitor right now. But...!"
She suddenly punches the center of the console, creating a hole in it and causing sparks to fly!
The empty screen comes alive. It displays BIOS information before continuing to boot into that very primitive, but once widely-used and popular OS that withstood the test of time: Doors XD.
Elys looks proud of this.
"I included a pressure-triggered backup memory system just in case, and paired it with a very reliable interface! Sometimes, old-fashioned is the best."
However, there is only one accessible file displayed...
"Good day everyone. I know this isn't the best time to ask a favor of you since you're trying to figure out what to do, but I'll need a small group to accompany me to a certain facility for a short while. It's an old place that hasn't been used for some time, so I have some concerns about security. There's something I need to retrieve there, and on the bright side, maybe we'll find some of the leftover equipment useful too."
If anyone wants payment for this, I'll be glad to arrange something. Just know that I wouldn't be making a request like this if it wasn't important. Thanks."
--
1.
As Elys briefly explains to you: the facility in question is a massive offshore installation, hidden via some sort of visual stealth, and currently located between South Korea and Japan. Arriving in thick fog: you can make out the shape of a wide structure that looks like an oil rig - suspended above the ocean on eight legs, or pillars.
Ignoring the fact that this looks like a cliche horror movie setup, the shuttle touches down on a designated landing platform leading to a large door, not unlike ones you'd find on hangars. It can definitely accommodate even larger mecha, but probably not wider, non-humanoid machines like Bahamut.
While you're up close, the fact that the building looks uninhabited is hard to miss. There's also the appropriately-sized, and somewhat weathered logos of Aegis, Ono-Sendai and Caduceus - the three companies related to Willis - on the giant door before you.
Elys approaches on foot and places a palm against it.
"This is where it all started. It's been a while...and the place has seen better days and locations."
-
2.
(Mingle prompt)
Some power is restored, and the lights are turned on. The inside of the structure is empty, as you'd expect. But, it wasn't abandoned in a rush: the people who once worked here were very thorough as they left, leaving little behind. It's almost like walking into an unfurnished, new building.
There are exceptions though, like the circular room Elys is currently standing in which looks like a training space. A group of football-sized, sphere-shaped metallic drones are scattered across the floor, all inactive. She kneels by one to inspect it, but addresses you first.
"Ah, I forgot to mention it before: feel free to explore and keep any item that you fancy. All of it technically belongs to my company now, but what's left was supposed to be scrapped with this place long ago; no one will mind if it's put to use again. There's only one thing I'm here for, anyway."
However, the most you'll find are basic tools, if well-made ones, small amounts of supplies like replacement LED lights and panels, and maybe an abandoned cleaning robot or two. Still plenty for scavengers.
It's possible to explore the external walkways as well. But it's foggy outside and there is a sheer drop into the waters below, so be safe and responsible.
For the less adventurous: you can see that the facility was once able to connect to land, since there is a detached portion of a road leading to a broken gate. Beyond that lies a garden in the center of the complex, where an expensive looking car seems to have been crashed into an equally pricey but now defunct marble fountain. This was all left as is, which is strange to say the least.
-
3.
In a control room adjacent to one of the hangars, Elys approaches a console that activates the facility's mainframe. What comes up on the screen is a whole load of...nothing.
"All deleted. No surprise. This might as well just be a giant monitor right now. But...!"
She suddenly punches the center of the console, creating a hole in it and causing sparks to fly!
The empty screen comes alive. It displays BIOS information before continuing to boot into that very primitive, but once widely-used and popular OS that withstood the test of time: Doors XD.
Elys looks proud of this.
"I included a pressure-triggered backup memory system just in case, and paired it with a very reliable interface! Sometimes, old-fashioned is the best."
However, there is only one accessible file displayed...
Tags:
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2
[Setsuko looks around from under the parked Virgola. The surroundings seem almost... peaceful.]
No, definitely not.
[For some reason her gaze is drawn towards the garden, time and time again.]
Hmm...
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[Taking a moment before she goes on to her objective, Elys joins Setsuko in looking at that garden. There is something there that catches her attention too.]
That car wasn't there the last time I was here. The garden itself was unfinished.
...Actually, it's odd that Genoveta didn't have a scene like that cleaned up before leaving...
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[As for a certain derp also on this excursion he comes to a complete stop when he comes upon the mess left behind in the garden. It seems like he knows exactly why the scene in front of them was left there.]
I can't believe she was serious about that...
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Oh.
So, it was Willis after all...
[For some reason Setsuko doesn't sound too surprised.]
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[Willis continues to dig around at the site of the wreck, whoever was in charge of cleaning went out of their way to specifically keep this scene preserved.]
Anyways, as for what happened...
[More digging.]
Back when Aegis was operating from here Genoveta forced me to serve as her personal driver for a day.
What she didn't tell me was that we were driving into the middle of a battlefield so she could get 'scouting information'.
It turned out that we were actually evacuating a dress that she ordered before it was destroyed by either side. Somehow we being chased by an entire MS platoon and I had to make a...rough jump with her car to get back here safely.
Instead of thanking me she billed me for the car and the dress...wait what is that...
[After clearing some of the rubble he notices a memorial plaque added to the scene that simply reads:
A Debt to Remember
PS: You better pay me for this plaque as well.]
..............
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[Instead of saying something about this and the plaque, Elys turns her attention to Setsuko immediately.]
Ah, I should really hurry and retrieve what I'm after. I'll leave this to you, Setsuko.
[And she departs, hoping that she doesn't have to mention how pathetic that ordeal was.]
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[Well, Elys is gone. It's just the two of them now.]
It looks like you had it rough. I have an impression of Genoveta already.
[Setsuko glances around the garden. The greenery's serenity strikes against the crash site, carefully preserved. It's almost ridiculous.]
It must've been rough.
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When she wasn't coming up with schemes to cut into my paycheck she was a good person I learned a lot from her.
Although, that might just be nostalgia talking.
[Memories began to spring up as he finally took in the scene around him.]
Other than this thing, most of my memories of this place are happy ones. I used to spend a lot of time in this garden between jobs...
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This place has a lot of history to itself, doesn't it? I wonder why it has been abandoned...
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[There's a somewhat sad smile on his face as he says this. He subconsciously clutches at his chest, holding something through his jacket.]
...if I had to guess, I think that they probably decided they needed a facility that neither Ono-Sendai or Caduceus have access to. History doesn't mean much in the face of having to be pragmatic.
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The history behind the facility is a sad one, then.
[In more ways than one, it seems.]
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"So... what are we up against here? Why do you need the Unity Group's backup. Ancient security robot? Ancient security bio-engineered creatures? Ancient security ghosts?"
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[You can tell she's not looking too happy about the word 'Ancient' being used, for some reason. She tries to mask that, though.]
But the danger is very real. These are open waters, and we've had this facility hidden here for years, just out of the reach of shipping lanes. So I didn't know what would be waiting for me here.
The possible threats aren't what you're expecting, unfortunately.
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[Cough.]
And what I mean is that this facility might attract the attention of certain crystal monsters and people that have shown up in my friend's vicinity for some time now. It's also in the open, like I've explained. So, I decided to play it safe instead of going alone.
The UG are the only ones I could count on for that.
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[She takes a step back, and the hangar doors begin to open slowly. The machinery sounds as old and poorly maintained as one would expect.]
This is another place other than the academy that we've both been in before. But I don't think our experiences here were similar.
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I always disliked that name though. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way.
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[She waves away some dust coming from within the facility, and steps forward.]
And you're right. To me it was mostly about tests. All kinds of different ones.
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When you began the UIIN Project
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[Elys is hesitant to speak about it, but she knows eventually it'd come back to this anyway.]
...That was back during the early stages when there were a lot of things we didn't know about UIIN Cells yet. I volunteered to help my staff find out more - like the limitations, and whether there were any crippling bugs in the system.
It was really something ahead of our time. And it was strange to have to catch up to something we made instead of the other way around.
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[Willis goes quiet for a second.]
Just...how far did you push things here without knowing...
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[Her response comes with a smile, but the feeling behind it is not joy.]
They say you don't appreciate what you have until you lose it. But it didn't hit me until much later.
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[Willis on the other hand is very obviously showing his worry.]
...trust me, I know what that feels like.
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I got into this in spite of the risks, so...
[Another biometric lock is released, opening three sets of blast doors in the corridor, while an alarm signaling the movement of the doors sounds.
Behind those is an empty hangar with multiple docks for mecha. Not just any mecha, but exclusively meant for the UIIN machines.]
...And we're here. The garden and the control center should be just beyond.
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[He remains quiet as the massive doors opened.]
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I wasn't forcing anyone to come with.
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I wanted to come...I mean I had to confront all of this sooner or later. It might as well be with people I care about.
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