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Starbound Flotilla	This game zone for IFO, Interstellar Frontiers Online, appears to be a tremendous, shattered-open planetoid instead of an island in VRMMO Earth. The fractured planetoid drifts far above Earth, something like two thirds of the moon's size at least, and it glitters with a startling array of lights that indicate spots of activity, habitation, or perhaps even space colonization. Segments of the tremendous planetoid seem to offer strange mineral themes, conspicuous organic growth, or even obvious technological artificiality, depending on the nature of the individual fracture.     Today's site of interest is a small space station lodged hard against a tremendous and mineral-rich fragment of Altair V. The glittering rock shines as the Flotilla leads the charge in. "We've set up some defenses you guys can make use of, but the moment we get Tormod plugged in and turn it on, every Neurovore from here to the core's gonna be crawling up our hangar door and every other breach they've made in this place since this business started." George says.     Tormod, probably stowed somewhere on Septette's craft, makes an angry noise, because he always makes angry noises. But this time, he seems angry about the probable presence of Neurovores. The Flotilla pull in, making sure everything's clear... --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufoundry. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Starbound Flotilla --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 15 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. 4 Neurovore Cells - Rubbery, slime-like support units that take over corpses. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- N/A
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko, her targeting information reading "HIBIKI," as it always does, has arrived. She makes sure not to be the first or second person in, but her now-customary mecha is here, her mini-sats all stored away under her circular "wings," some kind of gun in her robo-hands but not currently pointing at anything. Behind the controls, she's busy setting up the same sort of ad hoc network she's used a few times before, when virtually visiting this virtual land.     "Tactical network coming online, invites sent. Accept them and authorize outgoing sensor data and incoming display data, please." She speaks in a practiced business-like manner, her tone calm.
Corona Arclite	No rough and tumble Loader mech tonight. Someone's got to be running those defenses once things get hot, and since she's got familiar with that sort of thing Corona's a good bet to do so. Not that she doesn't have her own trick or two up her sleeves as well. "Check on the tacnet." Pumps her shotgun, as she's probably going to need to clear out a few creepies in order to get to said defenses. "Ready t'drop soon as we've got an opening."
Silica	Silica's here. She's got her Swordfish fitted with that wing gattling laser, and a small missile pod filled with Plasma Seekers. She wings over around the transport the Flotilla are using, and swoops in low, tracking targetting locks over a group of hostiles at the landing site. "I'm on it. Leo-1. Fox 2!" The pod opens, and a pair of missiles angle out before locking onto their targets. The explode with a combination Concussion and Thermal warhead. She pulls up and out of the dive run, as Hibiki's incoming tac-net invite pops up. "Roger." She quickly taps the accept button on the screen, then goes back to scanning for targets.
Yuna Kagurazaka	For most of the distance to Altair V, Yuna was catching a ride with somebody else - preferably inside, but if space was at *that* much of a premium, Yuna would have braced herself on someone else's hull or just flown alongside. She wasn't coming alone, either - Elner's with her as usual, and Jiina and Marina are sticking as close to her as they can. As for Erina? Look no further than Yuna's Light Suit; even though the battlesuit protects her more than adequately against the hard vacuum of space, it doesn't let her maneuver *that* well, so she's taken the precaution of assuming Flight Form to get here. And with the Flotilla leading the way inside - plus reporting the presence of hostiles - Yuna flies into the hangar as well, the Matrix Divider appearing in her hands as soon as she spots the Neurovores. It's those Neurovore Cells which draw her attention to start with ... her attention, and her firepower. Jiina and Marina are sticking close to Yuna for now, but their own weapons are at the ready *just* in case extra firepower is needed in a hurry.
Septette Arcubielle	The DRIVE ME CLOSER swerves in wild and apparently erratic patterns on approach to the hangar. The stripped-down fighter tacks this way and that, practically fishtailing as it nears the hangar doors. Finally it brakes with a hard flare of retrothrusters just as it enters the atmospheric field, skidding across the hangar floor in something approximating a smugglers' turn and very nearly hitting the back wall!      Those crazy maneuvers have a calculated purpose, of course- the curving swathe its sharpened hull cuts through the pack of neurovores is optimized to slam as many of the enemies as possible with the multi-ton craft's momentum, though the inherently clumsy means of attack means that many will doubtless be able to get out of the way.      Finally, the open-hulled craft's cockpit- such as it is- pops open, and Septette leaps out of the haphazardly-parked vehicle. In one hand is a picnic basket with CRUISER TORMOD nestled on a blanket inside, its blinking core poking up from under the wooden lid. Her other arm is unfolded in a horrendous assemblage of red-hot blades, menacing any neurovore packmates that stray too close!      "Hibiki, connection accepted. I'm on the ground. Focus the Cells first, if any of you can get a clear shot!"
Alexis Maaka	Maaka doesn't arrive with her gunship, partly thanks to the tight quarters of the battlefield. She DOES pack an LMG, a Knight's Armament product with more Keymod than she knows what to do with the damn thing. She arrives thanks to the teleporter, beaming her to the surface as her helmet folds into place, the cyborg opening up a burst on the Neurovores with a RATTATAT of 5.56 NATO. Altair V has some odd gravity thanks to its size, but Maaka's boosters will help her compensate for it as she uses the storage containers as both cover, and a means to navigate the hangar bay, her magnets giving her a handhold while she runs and shoots at the same time.     She leaps off of the container, grappling to another one as she fires off a burst from the hip. "Don't get stuck in one place, it'll give them an easy target!" She advises, hooking into Hibiki's tactical net for good measure.
Iria	Hyper Blade. That's the name of Iria's personal craft. And it's what she's using to get to Altair V with her allies as well. There's a slight scowl on her face as she approaches, as she knows wherever there's stuff to be found, there's also trouble to be found. And already, it seems there's trouble lying in wait with the neurovores anticipating their arrival. As soon as the craft pulls into the hangar, Iria jumps out quickly and joins Yuna in attacking the Neurovore Cells as well. "Yeah, this is Iria, I accept your connection," She replies to HIBIKI in between a few shots. "But save the communication right now, I'm a bit busy."
Tomoe	Tomoe had loved games like this once but more and more? Carginal has twisted what was fun into a fight for surival. Oh for her boring life from before SAO happened, but she's never going to give that. Still here she is today they have found an odd station which was smashed into a good deal of minerals which could be of use to them. She hears as they have some defance systems up she also has her own fighter ready today as she brings up the Electonic Warfate systems are online and she's making use of missiles for the moment keeping her guns silent. "Moving in ot get their attention, I'll get them tofocus on me, you all cut them down when you can!"
Staren	Staren flies along with the group in his own transforming mecha. It's larger than the local machines, but while it might be a bit cramped for him to dogfight, there's more than enough room to stand and act as a turret. Staren figures this will be some sort of survival / tower defense / enemy wave type deal. With the mecha he has more ammo and doesn't have to move as much, so hopefully even if it lasts a long time he won't get tired.     Anyone who's got some sort of tactical network, he syncs up with, happy to share targeting data and such.     Staren follows Yuna's lead of taking down the cells first, because who needs other monsters coming back when they're killed? With fewer initial enemies present, the mecha is using its handheld laser rifle since the cooldown is less of a nuisance. For now, he saves the railgun and missiles for later...
Kirito	Kirito's brought his Loader, but this time is grinning a bit as it flies in through the atmospheric shield and swoops down for a landing - one that's a bit more graceful than his first few with the ungainly machine!     Why grin so much? It probably has to do with the fact that there's HEAVENLY LIGHT pouring into the arena, and there's air to breathe.     "Finally, I don't need to rely on this thing..."     But he'll take all of the Extra Hitpoints he can get.      "Time to wipe these things entirely out." The boy determinedly grunts to himself, steeling his nerves.     Using the Loader mainly as an Extra Healthbar comes into play very quickly, as he decides that the best thing to do is - in the wake of the initial bombardments, GERONIMO DROP into the fray and send his machine wildly dash-lurching through the fray slamming its weapons into every Neurovore in sight with far more finesse than he's shown before.     It seems the Black Swordsman's finally getting the hang of using the machine, because elements of his two-sword style are showing up with the battle tactics - even if most of it's stylishly SKEWERING Neurovores and very little slashing.
Starbound Flotilla	At this scale, the ships can far more easily take out foes like this. Though a swarm of high-level Packmates might cause trouble for even a hardened group of players, the heavy tanking that gets done to Taunt them and draw their attention means that the precision focus on the Neurovore Cells works wonders, preventing them from supporting their allies with mobility and resurrection that could threaten to bypass the superior mobility their many attackers demonstrate, and the volume of fire and brutal melee on the Packmates means they're scattered and damaged badly. Those few that remain will pose no trouble for those who want to head south, but they're something worth dealing with for any who remain, as their bounding, angry, screaming counterattacks with viciously sharp tentacle strikes threaten anyone who stays in the hangar to focus on defenses there. Those who move south quickly enough will have no trouble bypassing these dazed and somewhat damaged stragglers, and likely should; spending more time here than necessary is sure to only make the later dangers all the more severe. --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufactory. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. Flight is enabled in this area. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Hibiki Corona Silica Yuna Septette Maaka Iria Tomoe Staren Kirito ASSORTED SHIPS --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 4 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.02 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the MANUFACTORY FLOOR.
Silica	Silica switches to All Range Mode, bringing the Swordfish to a hovering stop inside the atmosphere bubble. She sweeps her eyes across the remaining targets, and tags them for the gattling laser, letting rip with a short burst each. That should make it easier for those on the ground to take out, if not outright destroy them. The Cait Sith then looks at the turrets, then sends out a remote request to the onboard system for a sync-lock as she comes up alongside it. Her own skill should easily outclass the automated systems on the turret after all.
Corona Arclite	Once the first wave has cut through the majority of the neurovores in the hanger Corona makes her move. The less she has to stop and fight, the quicker she can get on the next defense line and be ready to return the favor of path clearing. Letting someone pick off the lingering creepies she uses her parkouring skills to bound from crate to crate like platforms to quickly cross the hanger, giving a boost from her steam-jet boots here and there to help compensate for where gravity is fluxating, or the crate shifts at an odd angle from her stepping on it.
Septette Arcubielle	As the mob of neurovores is pruned down to manageable size by her ruthlessly effective (if still somewhat uncoordinated) teammates, Septette pulls her blades free of a packmate and reaches into the basked to pat Tormod gently on the 'head'. "Don't worry, little buddy," she croons as she strolls southward through the scattered carnage of the hangar floor. "We'll get you there safe."      Normally, she might kick down the door or slag it, just for the chance to prevent any of the facility's internal alarms from going off- but they need this to be a fortifiable position later. Begrudgingly, she pries the door open with her bare hands like a civilized(ish) person, stepping through to the unknown other side with her shawl fluttering behind her. "Vanguard, to me!"
Staren	So far, so good. This is just the beginning though, Staren's sure. Once they plug Tormod in, the /real/ fight will start.     For now, he contents himself with firing at the packmates whenever he has a clear shot...
Alexis Maaka	Maaka primes and throws a grenade at the packmates, pitching it like a softball with all her strength after she gauges distance and angle of motion and so forth. She calls, "INCENDIARY OUT!" to warn her allies, as the explosive goes off with a firestorm of thermite that will burn anything in a five yard radius, reducing metal to molten slag and probably doing the same thing to anything fleshy too.     Then she opens fire on stragglers, trying to either cut them to ribbons with MG fire, or simply kite them toward her friends to fnish off.
Kyoko Takada	Corona, Silica's Swordfish, Yuna and Elner, Septette, Maaka, Iria's Hyper Blade, and Staren are plugged into Kyoko's network, and then combined with the input from George and the Flotilla's existing network. The immediate effect is for enemy positions to light up for anyone with a HUD (which should be most people, because of the game-like world structure), even through cover, so long as at least one person has spotted the position. That detection buff will stay in play as long as Kyoko's maintaining the connection, with anyone who joins in afterward also gaining the benefit.     It's safe enough to head in now, middle of the pack, so her unnamed mecha does, getting in somewhere far enough from anything hostile and behind cover. Not much she does requires direct line of sight to her own position, but being within one bounce has its benefits. Getting "further inside" also has its benefits, so she follows toward the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR once the way is clear.     On the way, she looks at the interface for the turrets, and applies some high-level target prioritization for when the turrets are needed, later. Specifically: Sending in cleaned sensor data from the tacnet, Kyoko sets the turrets to prioritize targets that aren't already being fired on, with an extra weight to focus targets they're already on. That should reduce both waste and redundancy.
Yuna Kagurazaka	While Yuna hasn't gone head-to-head with the neurovores before, it's still rather satisfying to see them getting taken out en masse like this - particularly given what she's picked up about their capabilities and their nature. Plus, well, there's just their *name*. Granted, the last thing that tried noshing on any part of her brain was an infovore rather than a neurovore, but the distinction is kind of trivial - Yuna decided she doesn't want anything using her tender brainmeats for a buffet table of any sort. She's tempted to switch to Powered Form now, while things are relatively clear .. but instead, she stays in Flight Form - still keeping Jiina and Marina with her - as she flies south towards the Manufactorium. She isn't sure if there will be any more 'creepies' to dispose of in there, but if there *are*, she doesn't want to leave her friends to deal with them alone. The remaining neurovores in the Hangar seem to be pretty well handled, in any case ...
Iria	Iria has a feeling about the Manufactorium. There's definitely something there that they want to check out. Call it a hunter's intuition. When Yuna takes off towards the Manufactorium, Iria follows behind her quickly. "We don't know what's down there," Iria comments as she checks her weapons. "But I have a very bad feeling about it all the same." She narrows her eyes. "Then again, being cautious never got me anywhere!"
Starbound Flotilla	Corona manages to parkour in over the densely packed cargo without trouble. Septette, herself, is more than capable of prying open the blast door that seals off the interior, since all it is is a matter of strength to breach. Kyoko can use the cover from Yuna and Iria to slip in as well, keeping in between the two pairs of two. When Septette gets in and plugs in Tormod, he wastes no time activating the interior machinery and beginning its motions. The bursts of power emissions begin to draw in local small Neurovores, like bugs to a bug zapper. --------------------------- <Manufactorium Floor> ----------------------------     Where the magic allegedly happens. This factory floor is full of dozens of massive robotic arms, where machine parts are assembled into heavy crafts, suits, drones, or other machinery. These parts are ever mobile, and require the considerable processing power of a Von-Neumann Probe brain, making it one of their backup sites. Whenever the station is active, the floor is frequently menaced by swinging arms and structures, but this can be as much an advantage as a danger, since any foes could be led into the paths of oncoming industry. It's open to the hangar, letting starlight spill in to light up the work alongside chemical lights, now that all the proper interior lights have long since failed.     The central console, connected to a huge power conduit and foundry center in the middle, contains a slot for a Von-Neumann Probe brain to be placed, granting it control of the robotic construction systems. This is also where an encampment of sorts has been set up, where sensor and control data for all of the turrets and enemy sensors can be accessed by Kyoko. Surrounding it are a dozen automated anti-personnel turrets set up by the Starbound Flotilla. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Hibiki Corona Septette Iria Yuna --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTH: Entrance WEST: Power Systems EAST: Processing Systems SOUTH: Materials Handling ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.02 Cruiser Tormod is plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 1. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar.
Septette Arcubielle	Septette wastes no time taking her little mechanical buddy out of the basket and plugging it into the console, throwing in a good-luck rub for good measure. Tormod's glossy screen-surface is almost like a bald head, isn't it? She flashes the probe a reassuring grin before turning on her heel, adjusting the shawl on her shoulders, and adopting a stern yet smiling expression. "Do your thing, Tormod. I'll be back."      A rustle of fabric and a metallic clank later, she's already at the entrance to the POWER SYSTEMS room, her sharp hands already glowing a dull red in preparation for whatever horrors might lurk on the other side. She pauses for a moment to allow any allies who feel like following her to catch up, then nods to herself and plunges her fingers into the door, pulling it open forcibly...
Starbound Flotilla	The further use of fire, turrets, and other heavy weapons manages to do in the final Neurovores. They're brutalized long before there's even a chance for their counterattack to inflict significant damage, though it's possible that some redistribution of turret processing power might be done here. Kyoko can apply her buff in any distribution of percent that adds up to 100! as those last smaller ones are dealt with, a few bigger foes rush in. The heavy, many-legged creatures, with their fluttering wings, look like those awful xenofauna shrimp! They gush acid, mostly at the vehicle-flying sorts. The Hangar, it seems, will be a likely source of vehicular chaos and higher-scale fights! On-foot combatants will be far more useful further in, most likely.     Of the five that enter, two of them are brought down almost immediately by the heavy turret fire, with Hibiki's and Silica's handling. It's slightly overkill. Those that aren't brought down are harshly menacing the group with gushes of violent acid spit! It looks just like that cheesy glowing nonsense fluid in every mid-20th-century sci-fi. --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufactory. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. Flight is enabled in this area. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Silica Maaka Staren Kirito Tomoe ASSORTED SHIPS --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 3 Neurovore Hunters - Fighter-sized crawlers with limited flight ability and acid spit. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.07 Cruiser Tormod is plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 1. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar.
Tomoe	Tomoe sees there's air there is light she can bail on the fighter, she sets it ot auto and snaps open the cockpit, she leaps out her wings taking form, now this was more like it for her. If she had to fight she could do a lot better like this as she actually happy for a moment as she takes flight. That's one thing that hasnb't been twisted for her as she leave her fighter behind? She starts to chant, runes dance around her body. Then comes the rays of light focusing on the Neurovores atteming to impale them upon rays of light as she starts throwing out her personal taunts too. "Come on Kirito! Let's do this" She will remain with Kirito for moment and ready mooncutter for some high speed spear action when she could get close.
Corona Arclite	Corona Arclite takes a look around, letting out a low whistle. "Already plenty of turrets 'round here." She pulls the Matter Manipulator off her belt and gunslinger twirls it in her hand. "Let's get some other defenses up then." She frowns a little as breach warnings come up as soon as Tormod starts the machinery. "An' rawht fast, too." The fox gives a nod to Yuna. "Let's get our doggies amovin' then." She hustles for the Materials Handling room as suggested, while dialing up a few selections to the front of the inventory slots in her Manipulator so they'll be ready to put to use once they're inside.
Alexis Maaka	Maaka heads in to the Manufactorium, after she parkours after Corona when they start moving across the cargo. Along the way, she lets off gunfire at the Neurovores before she takes off in a sprint, catching up with the Engineer fox.     Maaka scans the area alertly with her LMG as she kicks in a door and enters. "LOoks like the power's out." She muses, before she begins to take the advice of Kyoko and Septette. Again, she takes point, clearing the room and keeping an eye out for hostiles.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Okay, Jiina, you're up," Yuna calls out, easing down to the floor and disengaging her combination; her thruster pack and wings and other aerial accoutrements detach, leaving her in the basic Light Suit while Erina reassembles next to her - and practically before that transition is complete, Jiina's form goes translucent and 'phases' around Yuna, initiating the transformation into Powered Form. Once the heavy exo-frame has assembled itself fully, Yuna powers up the hover-thrusters and heads to the south - although she's going slowly enough to make sure that Corona can keep up with her. By preference, Yuna will lead the way - party tank that she tends to be - but she's not leaving Corona behind; Powered Form may have raw speed if Yuna needs it, but Corona will have *agility* that the bulky suit lacks, and the ability to make tight maneuvers in close quarters without losing much time trying to reorient.
Silica	Silica jukes her fighter aside as that acid spit comes rushing past, it skims past her shield, letting out smoke as the energy barrier flickers and shimmers, destroying the acid by annihilation, but draining power quick. She syncs up the turret she's paired up with, and has the heavier cannons fire on a different target, while she locks on with the gattling laser on her ship's wing. A strafing burst sears across the hangar, followed by a volley of three Plasma Seekers. This is the designed target, after all. Another 'Fighter' type enemy, the warhead designed to strike, penetrate then explode for maximum damage.
Kirito	Kirito is not one to leave a job half-complete. Their goal is to ERADICATE these things and install their trump card where it'll do the most damage... making this one of the most hated sorts of missions in a way.     But one this crowd is up to, definitely.     Now, though...     The Loader comes in for a haphazard leap-landing amidst the remnants, skidding slowly to a halt. It'll probably bang into a wall given Kirito's lack of skill, but...     but the Spriggan LEAPS forth from the cockpit, wings sprouting and taking him into a tumbling backflip that ends with him SLAMMING both his swords into the ground and sending BOLTS OF LIGHTNING in a huge area around him at the surrounding Neurovores!     "Right with you, Tomoe! These things are history!"
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko plugs in and familiarizes herself with these turrets, as well. They'll probably need some more defenses in here, but clearing out the other areas, or at least seeing what's in there, is a higher priority than committing resources now. Really, she just wants some more information before trying to find any solutions to the puzzle.     To that end, she leaves the turret power distribution as it is, but starts launching her mini-sats. She has a lot of these, enough to cover a fairly large battlespace, but sends just one wave under lower power toward the WEST, to flit in on their own thrusters once the way is opened and scatter over the space. She expects the TACNET will benefit from additional buffs once more enemies appear, but holds off on that for just the moment.
Staren	Staren sees the breach warnings. The neurovores aren't coming through the hangar at all! "Aww nuts." Just as he starts to move, though, the neurovore hunters show up! And an advantage to being in a mecha instead of an actual turret is he can try to dodge or block with his shield! (Since it's energy, toggling it off and on again just makes any goo on it fall to the floor.) Some bits of acid get around the shield or he dodges a bit too slow. Not enough to be a problem yet, but he'll have to learn the pattern if he wants to deal with several waves of this...     Staren doesn't just dodge and block, though -- he offends as well! Firing a 3-pulse burst from the laser rifle at one of the neurovores farther away from Kirito and Tomoe -- then a hatch on the right arm pack opens up and the three barrels spin up before disgorging a hail of hypersonic metal, trying to coordinate attacks with Silica to catch enemies in the crossfire!
Iria	As Yuna goes ahead, Iria lags behind her slightly, keeping an eye on the rear flank. She doesn't want to take the risk of having something or someONE sneak up on them while they're moving ahead. She darts her gaze from side to side, her eyes open quite a bit, and her hands ready to go for her weapon if need be. All the while, Iria's got a bad feeling about this. Already there's more enemies here, and who knows what kind of enemies might be waiting in the Machinatorium. Just like Corona, Iria also has superb agility and has no trouble keeping up with Yuna.
Starbound Flotilla	Heading into the power area, it becomes clear that the astroid this was attached to was one where a nest of Neurovores had made their home. When this facility rumbled to life, it unfortunately wakes these creatures up, and spurs them to come investigate. They've burrowed through maintenance tunnels, slipped into airlocks, or otherwise breached areas of the Power Systems and are in desperate need of clearing out. They're getting around and through doors with the help of the Neurovore Cells, which seem to have learned to use emergency airlock handles!     This is going to be a room-by-room clear. The existing defenses really could use some shoring up, so that will help a great deal. ------------------------------ <Power Systems> -------------------------------     An area full of innumerable hazards. Bare power conduits based on strange and sciency fluids slide their terrifically powerful acids all around the walls and towards areas that need power. This area is far more claustrophobic and requires dealing with short tunnels, maintenance areas, tough arrangements of power transformers, and other suchlike. The Flotilla have placed power boxes to control various conduits, allowing combatants to flood tunnels with acid. The Starbound Flotilla have set up several stun-turret emplacements in various tunnels. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Septette Maaka --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 15 Neurovore Cells - Rubbery, slime-like support units that take over corpses. 20 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- EAST: Manufactorium Floor SOUTHEAST: Materials Handling. ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.09 Cruiser Tormod is plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 1. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 100% Accuracy Buff is applied to Power Systems.
Starbound Flotilla	Looking in on the Materials Handling area is probably a dream come true for Corona. Unfortunately, the dream is full of Neurovore Packmates leaping all over. They've come in through open cargo receiving areas, jammed wide by some mechanical manipulation. No Cells, so this is pure run-and-gun melee, from the look of it, but there's way more offensive power at use here! Watch out, the moment the group enters they're going to have to deal with Neurovores screaming, stabbing, trying to tackle them straight into the hazards here! ---------------------------- <Materials Handling> ----------------------------     Huge volumes of metal in molten, solid, and mysterious other forms goes through here. Practically seas of the stuff are bridged with walkways and small platforms that roam above it on tracks, each hoisting their own containers of critical engineering substances. This is an area where falling is deadly. The cargo bays that open out into the regions southward let starlight spill in from the side, mixing with the glowing heat of shining metal. It's a great place if you're a fan of forging, and awful if you're not. Far too hot.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several chemical weapon turrets here, set atop the roving platforms and alongside walkways. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Yuna Corona Iria --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 30 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTHWEST: Power Systems. NORTH: Manufactorium Floor. NORTHEAST: Processing Systems ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.09 Cruiser Tormod is plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 1. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 100% Accuracy Buff is applied to Power Systems.
Alexis Maaka	Maaka bursts her way into the Power room, and she swaps from her LMG to an automatic shotgun, cocking the Saiga and loading in a drum mag. The loose power conduits make her a bit wary to the area as a whole, firing upon the Neurovore packmates, blasting away while she leaps over a toppled over power conduit, trying to clear out the first room she comes across. "I'll cover you, watch for the sparks and acid!" she calls to Septette.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna's first reaction upon seeing the racing, tearing, snarling neurovore packmates is to freak out ... or it would be, but she feels the surge of panic rising and digs in her heels, emotionally as much as physically. The 'lenses' set into Powered Form's 'outer' shoulders slide open, the revealed emitters behind them sparking and flaring already as Yuna braces herself for the recoil ... and then those two beam cannons go off, twin torrents of concussive radiance *TEARING* forward with relentless force, aiming to hammer as many of the Packmates flat as she can get in her first shot. Its only after those twin blasts subside that Yuna re-conjures the Matrix Divider and summons her kite shield. She can't fire like that continuously, but trying to reduce the opposition up front is the best way she could think of to *use* her heaviest firepower. And now they can work more on picking off the survivors. And, well, not *being* picked off *by* them.
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko sets her mini-sats to auto-explore. Thankfully, the things are boxy contraptions, each roughly the size of a child, and can fit through human-sized doorways without issue, so long as they're operating under zero-g rules. She's probably going to lose at least a few of them, and quickly, but she sets the map models for those in POWER SYSTEMS to get a repeating map ping wherever one of her machines is lost, in addition to the corridor map data that should help them get around.     Things don't yet sound too dire in the hangar, so she takes the next moment to send a second wave of mini-sats toward MATERIAL PROCESSING. They'll get in after the fight has already started, and have the same initial order: scatter and set up coverage. Maybe once that's done, Kyoko will have time to upgrade the network, but there's still one room to go.
Septette Arcubielle	Claustrophobic room-by-room tunnel combat! Septette can barely contain her glee and/or decades of trauma- it's really hard to tell, with her businesslike expression. This place is uncannily reminiscent of the subterranean warrens that bogged down the Abyssal War's offensive pushes; if it only had eldritch frescoes on the walls and distant eerie chanting, it'd take her right back to simpler, pre-Unification times.      She beckons for Maaka to follow her, though the cyborg could easily break off on her own recognizance if she wished, and starts moving through the corridors with swift, practiced efficiency. Her blades and claws are held out in front of her in a stance reminiscent of a duelist's rapier and parrying dagger, and her movements are peculiarly reminiscent of urban tactics Maaka might be familiar with: she hugs corners while rounding them with her weight on her front foot, like a version of 'slicing the pie' developed specifically for melee engagement.      As soon as the neurovores come into view, her preparedness pays off: Septette catches sight of a pack of neurovores in an open room before they notice her and dives in, conjuring up a glowing blue magical circle around one of her hands. She darts past the packmates before they can set upon her, digging both blades into a cell before blanketing the floor in ice crystals. "Maaka! Got any incendiaries left?"
Iria	Neurovores... Why did it have to be Neurovores? Maybe said by an Indiana Jones wannabe, but definitely not Iria. As soon as Yuna calls out to Iria and Corona, the bounty hunter spins around and goes wide-eyed before scowling even deeper than before. "Just as I suspected!" She exclaims, pausing as Yuna proceeds to attack initially, and then she calls out for both her and Corona to go, and Iria's going right then and there. "Going!" Iria calls out as she draws her rifle and opens fire on the surviving Neurovores. "You picked the wrong time and wrong place to show your ugly mugs!" She comments.
Corona Arclite	If it wasn't for DIRE SITUATION due to ALIEN INFESTATION Corona would feel right at home here. But not right now, maybe afterwards there will be time to poke around if they don't end up destroying the place. Business first, pleasure later. "Yep, that's a lotta the rascals," she murmurs in dry sarcasm. "Gonna have to roun' em all up and put em outta our misery." She's all too happy to let Yuna take the lead though, and start gunning into the horde of creepy crawly fangy beasty space varmints. Not that she isn't helping. After Yuna unleases her big blast andCorona points the Manipulator and triggers what she had prepped, deploying a couple of metal barricades on the platform in front of the group. They're simple structures that aren't going to take damage for long, but they'll at least temporarily delay the first rush of enemies and give her companions some extra cover. Probably not going to be the -last- rush, either, Corona doesn't need to be as paranoid as she is to consider that. With the temporary cover in place, she grabs and flips open her analysizer device. Now where's the activation command for those turrets?... They're gonna need all the firepower they can get.
Starbound Flotilla	Tearing through the neurovores out in the Hangar with the more classic methods winds up calling on skills in a bit more of a graceful way. Now that things are open to starlight and have a contained atmosphere, Kirito can dump huge amounts of DPS on targets Silica and Staren aren't brutalizing with their precise long-range fire, while under the generous protection of Tomoe's covering tanking. It looks like another mass of Hunters will be coming through, this time with more numbers to deal with the turrets. While two die, five more seem to have made it through. The others seem to be breaking off. Heading for... Somewhere else? Worrying. The hangar might cease to be a point of danger in a moment. For now, the new pack have swarmed, trying to surge past Tomoe before she can Taunt, and get after Silica and Staren, leaving a pack of Packmates in their wake to try to leap onto Tomoe's craft, and to stab Kirito's more vulnerable form! --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufactory. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. Flight is enabled in this area. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Silica Staren Kirito Tomoe ASSORTED SHIPS --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 10 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. 6 Neurovore Hunters - Fighter-sized crawlers with limited flight ability and acid spit. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Material Processing.
Starbound Flotilla	A pair of waves mean Kyoko can see and hear everything in the two offset regions. This allows the groups therein to receive a significant buff to both their maneuvering around these regions, and their ability to ambush and land precision strikes. Depending on how much effort she puts into processing the map for a given area, she can focus on buffs for the turrets, or buffs for the individuals; this means it's more effective to heavily map areas with people, and more effective to turret-manage areas without.     That's something she'll have to think about as she goes though. Cruiser Tormod has just emitted a ping like an egg timer declaring its time complete. It looks like he's progressed to stage two, but wants to be moved now! His big TV-display shows images of the processing area. Shit, someone better move him over there. --------------------------- <Manufactorium Floor> ----------------------------     Where the magic allegedly happens. This factory floor is full of dozens of massive robotic arms, where machine parts are assembled into heavy crafts, suits, drones, or other machinery. These parts are ever mobile, and require the considerable processing power of a Von-Neumann Probe brain, making it one of their backup sites. Whenever the station is active, the floor is frequently menaced by swinging arms and structures, but this can be as much an advantage as a danger, since any foes could be led into the paths of oncoming industry.     The central console, connected to a huge power conduit and foundry center in the middle, contains a slot for a Von-Neumann Probe brain to be placed, granting it control of the robotic construction systems. Surrounding it are a dozen automated anti-personnel turrets set up by the Starbound Flotilla. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Hibiki Cruiser Tormod --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTH: Entrance WEST: Power Systems EAST: Processing Systems SOUTH: Materials Handling ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Material Processing.
Staren	More neurovores, and they're trying to speed past Tomoe as if they understand how taunt skills work!     ...But if they understand how taunt skills work, then why are they affected by them? Ugh, video game logic...     "Nope!" Staren quips, sweeping a spray of railgun fire while charging up to them then manifesting an energy sword attached to the side of his machine's wrist to make a sweeping follow-up attack! Now he suddenly remembers the Science! bonus is a thing... maybe he'll have to come up with some appropriate mecha-scale weapons...     If they can actually clear out the hangar this wave, he's going to take a quick look outside and see if it's possible to attack enemies before they even reach it...
Kyoko Takada	"Remaining mini-sats... about 60%? As long as they don't wipe out too many of the ones deployed... looks like our team in Power Systems are preventing that. Nothing over in Processing? Maybe it's just not detected? Okay, let's move out. No time to waste, things will only get worse if we hold back." Kyoko closes out several windows of information, disconnecting from the turret system and maneuvering over to Cruiser Tormod. Locking away her mecha's firearm, she disengages the angry brain and picks it up for transport, immediately moving EAST once she has it secure. She can still keep up on what her drones are doing as she moves, but only if nothing distracts her too much.
Starbound Flotilla	Meanwhile, deep in the acid hellscape that is Power Systems, Septette calls out, and if Maaka can follow up, they'll be able to pull off a science-type PLASMA COMBO, blowing out a huge volume of Neurovore Cell support. This combo could work wonders, over and over, especially when focusing on the dynamic and morphic biomass of Neurovore Cells. Unfortunately, this means that the Neurovore Packmates are left in stronger numbers; a half-dozen descend on the pair as they worm their way through these tunnels. It looks like they're capable of pack-level ambushes, coordinating to deal massive damage after going without heavy focus! ------------------------------ <Power Systems> -------------------------------     An area full of innumerable hazards. Bare power conduits based on strange and sciency fluids slide their terrifically powerful acids all around the walls and towards areas that need power. This area is far more claustrophobic and requires dealing with short tunnels, maintenance areas, tough arrangements of power transformers, and other suchlike. The Flotilla have placed power boxes to control various conduits, allowing combatants to flood tunnels with acid.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several stun-turret emplacements in various tunnels. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Septette Maaka --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 5 Neurovore Cells - Rubbery, slime-like support units that take over corpses. 15 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- EAST: Manufactorium Floor SOUTHEAST: Materials Handling. ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Material Processing.
Alexis Maaka	Maaka has prepped for this. She loads up a drum mag of ray rounds in her auto-shotgun, opening fire upon the NEurovore pack while trying to avoid hitting Septette. "I got a few left, you got something in mind?" She asks, grabbing a thermite grenade to prime and get ready to toss. The cyborg keeps firing in rapid fire of laser buckshot, (LASER. BUCKSHOT.)b before she tosses the Thermite grenade. "SKULLY, HIT IT NOW!"
Starbound Flotilla	Yuna manages to keep away from the incoming attempts to tackle everyone into pits of deadly molten supermaterial, thank goodness and good gracious. The one-two punch of her own strikes coming with the followup from Iria gives none of the packmates any sort of opportunity to recover and counterattack, putting them on the run. More and more are streaming in, and the more meager turret activity here can't keep them back, but maybe Corona can fix that. With her own efforts, the defenses are reinforced, the systems activated, and things are brought up to power. These chemical weapons are based on certain Gamma and Beta Agent properties, meaning that they should be harmless to humans, even as the turrets begin to disperse huge clouds of the stuff. It's rendered the foes stunned, but still violent. Their thrashing, sharp masses of tentacled heads are just as violent as ever, but ranged attacks may churn through their mass well. ---------------------------- <Materials Handling> ----------------------------     Huge volumes of metal in molten, solid, and mysterious other forms goes through here. Practically seas of the stuff are bridged with walkways and small platforms that roam above it on tracks, each hoisting their own containers of critical engineering substances. This is an area where falling is deadly. The cargo bays that open out into the regions southward let starlight spill in from the side, mixing with the glowing heat of shining metal. It's a great place if you're a fan of forging, and awful if you're not. Far too hot.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several chemical weapon turrets here, set atop the roving platforms and alongside walkways. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Yuna Corona Iria --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 30 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTHWEST: Power Systems. NORTH: Manufactorium Floor. NORTHEAST: Processing Systems ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 2 breach is detected at the Hangar. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling.
Tomoe	Tomoe is glad to be fighting along side Kirito, Silica and Staren, it's good ot hve people from back in the days SAO along side her today. She trusts in the team that has got inside to be able to handle things. She keepos tabs on Kirito as she moves into combat she seems tobe fine to use her own self rather than her fighter for the moment. The enemy flees past her faster than she cna taunt. They also seemto be trying to get on her craft this isn't good thing she'll be trying to get after the ones who are going after the Kirito and she'll be firing off her tuants again even as she goes. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
Kirito	Kirito, vulnerable? With both his swords drawn?     "Bring it on!" The Black Swordsman's feeling far more confident in his skills now that he's out and about properly. He swoops, loops about and buzzes around with great ease to slash and strike and strike some more with impressively choreographed flurries. Keeping both swords constantly on the offensive without them getting in each other's way is no easy feat but he seems to have found several rhythms for accomplishing exactly that!     Sure. SURE, he seems more vulnerable outside the Loader. And he is.     But the best defense is often a good offense, and there are none of those pesky CELLS around!     Kirito flips about in the air and skids back across the ground, counting on the highly aggressive AI and watching their timing...     His stance deepens ever so slightly, and both blades blaze with cerulean light...!!     "NOW!!" With exacting timing he begins a Sword Skill! But this isn't the single stroke of lightning as before. Instead as the enemies near he LURCHES forward into a blitz of colorful motion, swords whipping about in great circling arcs and criss-crossing with ludicrous speed and coordination. Each slash into the Neurovore flesh unleashes HUGE flares of sparkling cosmic energies many times the Black Swordsman's size which leave sizzling starlight sparkle decals on the walls that quickly fade.     All things considered, the particle effects are a bit much.     But the impact? One cannot SWORD these creatures NEARLY enough... but Kirito's churning through them like a giant rock drill!     Yeah. He's vulnerable. If you can get through STARBURST STREAM.
Yuna Kagurazaka	All that did was hold them back? Granted, Yuna normally restrains her firepower enough that she won't kill people by accident, but ... Or maybe these Neurovores are THAT tough, which is worrying in its own right. Either way, there's reason to worry aplenty. Yuna's jaw clenches a bit and she keeps firing, ramping up the output from her Matrix Divider to work on taking out the Packmates - one at a time if necessary. She's not sure if Neurovore gibs in the alloys are going to mean anything (good or otherwise) for the results of whatever Tormod is fabricating, but she'd just as soon not create a chance to find out either way - so, killing them cleanly without driving any of the monsters into vats or crucibles or what-have-you. "Iria, Corona, if either of you have grenades or other area weapons, might be a good time to use 'em ... !" she calls out. Granted, Corona is doing something with those 'turrets' already - Yuna's not sure what, but if it's another area-effect (which it seems to be), she'll trust the vixen to help make this a bad day in Neurovoreville.
Silica	Silica jinks her fighter, disconnecting from the turret and beginning to actually maneuver as more Hunters come storming through. She shifts from All Range to Hybrid mode, keeping a low forward speed but still able to maneuver in tight spaces. The ones trying to break in further are of concern, and these are the ones she goes chasing after, rolling through the acid splashes to deflect them away from her shields, showering the walls and containers with the noxious phlegm. Eyes track, and multiple target points light up on the Hunters she's chasing down. "Missile battery, full spread!" she commands the computer, the missile pod opening all its tubes and unleashing a swarm of missiles at the offending Bio-Fighters.
Septette Arcubielle	Septette glances over her shoulder and leaps into the air, snatching the incendiary grenade out of its arc. She counted the seconds on the fuse of the last grenade Makaa threw, and counted the time since the subtle sound of the pin being pulled on this one- in her mind, a perfect timer starts counting down until this one will go off!      She coats the grenade in a layer of jagged icicles while wrestling down a packmate with her other hand, then rolls the enchanted grenade towards the center of the room. "Maaka, hold position for a second!" The yggdroid dramatically HURLS the packmate across the room, and in the instant that the grenade explodes, its tumbling body is interposed between Alexis and the grenade! Its body shields her from the attack, dissolving into voxels an instant later as the room clears.      Septette wipes her face of glowing sci-fi plasma, seeming to be fairly resistant to the effect herself, and steels herself against the next wave of Packmates. "They're getting more organized," she muses calmly, skewering one of the quadrupedal beasts as it lunges for her face. "I wonder..."
Iria	These enemies are a bit persistent. Iria's working up a bit of a sweat here. "Looks like I'm gonna have to break out the big guns!" Iria says with a sneer as she reaches for a couple of grenades and throws them in the direction Yuna indicated. "Suck on THESE!" All the while, Iria's shifting to her grenade launcher. "We'll take you all down!" She even fires a couple at the turrets while being mindful of Corona.
Corona Arclite	Corona Arclite allows herself a moment of giddiness as the turrets do their tactical work and stagger the space beasties. Though they're still not something she wants to get up close and personal with. Still more alien busting to do here, celebrating comes afterwards. The gas turrets are at least keeping the neuros back for the time being. If there is one thing Corona does accel at, it's taking advantage of her environment. "Just keep yer distance an' fingers on the triggers," she replies, followed by firing her grappler chain up to grab one of the platforms moving along the overhead tracks. It reels her up to brace herself on the side of the platform, holding on with the grappler with one hand, and pulling out her plasma scattergun with the other to lob a few spreadfire rounds into the horde. Between plasma, the turrent gas, and Iria's explosives maybe they can get some combo chain action going on in this madness.
Starbound Flotilla	Slamming the enemies with wave after wave of aggro-drawing electromagnetism draws some off of Kirito, though not all. It's enough to make sure that the only damage he sustains from this is the spike to his Infection Index, and a whole, whole lot of exhaustion. This means she's the one who has to deal with most of the packmates, though by modulating that Taunt, she can let some slip back into coming after Kirito, only ever below his level of being able to handle it all.     Staren's question has a complicated answer, and it's the fact that Taunt is based on electromagnetic countermeasures, and therefore, one can be totally aware of how it works, and yet still have electromagnetic perception organs or equipment forcibly scrambled in such a way that the only reliable target is the source. This is something George would explain later, after Staren has spent a long time dealing with the blood from the Neurovore he just skewered, and possibly with the damage that might come of it trying to bite his mecha's arm off after, though with all this turret backup, much of the Hunter-scale combat is a breeze! Silica has the right idea though, chasing after those Neurovores that rush inside. She can keep them from getting to the core Foundry area of the Manufactorium, but she'll need to be a hell of a dogfighter to keep up, since it'll mean dogfighting in the Manufactorium itself! Her pursuit takes her into the central chamber... And around those mechanical limbs! --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufactory. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. Flight is enabled in this area. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Staren Kirito Tomoe ASSORTED SHIPS --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 2 Neurovore Hunters - Fighter-sized crawlers with limited flight ability and acid spit. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is detected at the Manufactorium. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling.
Starbound Flotilla	--------------------------- <Manufactorium Floor> ----------------------------     Where the magic allegedly happens. This factory floor is full of dozens of massive robotic arms, where machine parts are assembled into heavy crafts, suits, drones, or other machinery. These parts are ever mobile, and require the considerable processing power of a Von-Neumann Probe brain, making it one of their backup sites. Whenever the station is active, the floor is frequently menaced by swinging arms and structures, but this can be as much an advantage as a danger, since any foes could be led into the paths of oncoming industry.     The central console, connected to a huge power conduit and foundry center in the middle, contains a slot for a Von-Neumann Probe brain to be placed, granting it control of the robotic construction systems. Surrounding it are a dozen automated anti-personnel turrets set up by the Starbound Flotilla. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Silica --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 2 Neurovore Hunters - Fighter-sized crawlers with flight ability and acid spit. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTH: Entrance WEST: Power Systems EAST: Processing Systems SOUTH: Materials Handling ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is detected at the Manufactorium. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling.
Staren	Fittingly, trying to devour the Star Hawk's arm has about the same results as trying to eat the SDF-1 Macross's arm: Though damaged, it isn't severed in a single attack, and now all its weapons can fire /inside/ you.     The results are probably really messy, though. And doing that one or two more times might actually lose him the arm. He makes a mental note to NOT engage the hunters in melee after this.     With Kirito and Tomoe free to handle the last crawler, Staren decides to check outside, to see if he can find out where these neurovores are coming from if they aren't just spawning inside.
Starbound Flotilla	Heading into the Processing Area, thankfully Hibiki's Loader will prevent the cold from getting to her too much. Once she's inside though, she'll find the source of why Tormod needed to go here. Someone's been messing around! Control panels look recently used, and many flash bright red errors. Someone came here and messed with a bunch of stuff! The sensors are still working fine, though, they haven't detected any Neurovore enemies...?     It's when her sensor net establishes in Processing that she catches sight of something, and it pops up on her radar. There's an IFO /player/ in here! Someone by the name of "Bennings". They've slipped elsewhere; Kyoko could pursue, or focus on planting the brain into the slot. ---------------------------- <Processing Center> -----------------------------     Cold. It's cold in here, above all else. Not deadly cold, but the kind of cold that a server farm is, where you can expect a lot of computers to not overheat. As per the norm here, everything is magnetic tape and weird blinky lights, none of which should be as effective and functional as they are. The huge columns of steel offer cover and protection for the machines entombed therein, visible through gated panels and glass; the area has a very cold war aesthetic. The central pillar has a slot to place a Von-Neumann processor into.     The Starbound Flotilla have placed movable, sweeping anti-personnel laser turrets her. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Hibiki Bennings --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTHWEST: Materials Handling WEST: Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is detected at the Manufactorium. 100% Turret Buff is applied to the Hangar. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 50% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling.
Silica	Silica's not very strong. She's not very tough, but she /is/ very nimble, and while she's not as purely agile as her peers, like Kirito or Yuuki, she has this wily sense of surroundings that lets her overcome her physical shortfalls! To this end, she's relying on instinct to get her Swordfish through the gaps and openings between manufacturing equipment, predicting in miliseconds when a crane or manipulator arm is going to move enough to squeeze through.     Additionally, she's not leaving those Hunters alone! Every opening she gets has a burst of laser, or a couple of seekers going after the Bio-Fighters, aiming to bring them down in one of those metal processing furnaces or other hazard that'll destroy their structure.
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko hears the trouble from Septette, and starts relaying orders to her drones as she talks. "I'll send the wave there ahead. Be prepared to respond quickly, or I'll lose those, and I've moved far enough away you won't get another wave immediately." They were already on auto-scouting behavior, but now they'll behave more aggressively, trying to find the spots on the map where the proper station area ends and vulnerable breaches begin. The machines are made to be many and disposable, not highly evasive, so this is far more likely to result in losses. On the other hand, it'll mean springing ambushes, if so. The most important thing about a sensor network is the sensory capability, so it'll be hard to maintain an ambush without destroying them.     Then, she arrives in Processing. Things look mucked up here, and it slowly dawns on her why. Her main goal, though, and she's focused on it, is plugging the AI into its slot and letting it do its thing--every moment wasted is wasted for the team. She moves to do that right away, scattering mini-sats as she flies over, and keeping an eye on her own back. Only after the Von-Neumann is in place does she plug into the turret systems, and route power away from the Hangar and into Processing and the Manufactorium, weighting to the former.
Starbound Flotilla	Maaka manages to rip through these swarms with a combo-setup of heavy plasma and thermite with Septette, turning the in the acid alleyways into the sort of chemical chaos that one could find in a laboratory brawl. Stray thermite mixes with the strange acids out in the power conduits, creating gushes of brilliant fire that blast apart creature after creature; with the new supercharged acid traps, the pair here could easily clear out the remaining breach. One hopes there's nothing further. The noise of machinery and the strange power emissions are winding down.     There's few packmates left, and the ones who are left after those ambushes gone wrong are the sorts in such bad positions that they can be easily hunted down. This is cleanup, at least for now. It looks like Tormod's processes are finishing up soon. Hibiki's scouts just finished finding basically every breach point, meaning the pair can seal them back up, too, for now. ------------------------------ <Power Systems> -------------------------------     An area full of innumerable hazards. Bare power conduits based on strange and sciency fluids slide their terrifically powerful acids all around the walls and towards areas that need power. This area is far more claustrophobic and requires dealing with short tunnels, maintenance areas, tough arrangements of power transformers, and other suchlike. The Flotilla have placed power boxes to control various conduits, allowing combatants to flood tunnels with acid.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several stun-turret emplacements in various tunnels. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Septette Maaka --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 5 Neurovore Cells - Rubbery, slime-like support units that take over corpses. 5 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- EAST: Manufactorium Floor SOUTHEAST: Materials Handling. ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is detected at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Alexis Maaka	Maaka takes over once Septette sets off some kind of PLASMA BOMB with that thermite charge. Her armor is scorched and blackened, but she's otherwise fine as she tries to avoid getting shocked too badly, though a Neurovore packmate knocks her near a fried conduit and leaves her vulnerable thanks to shockage. Crying out in pain as her systems go haywire for a second, she drops her shotgun, stumbling to a knee as she doubles over and tries to catch herself from doubling over.     Her hand reaches for her thigh, and she draws a massive 10mm pistol, the Type 40 Kama firing rapidly at the remaining beasts as Maaka regains her composure and consciousness. "Let's wrap 'em up!" She calls out to Septette, as she primes a frag grenade and flings it at the Packmates.
Kirito	Now that the Packmates are down... Kirito's left nervously eyingg the huge Hunters.     Nervous because after slashing through the Packmates with Starburst Stream, his body is frozen for about three seconds... and he narrowly pulls off a backflip-wingburst of flight that takes him back towards his Loader when it wears off.     "Big enemies call for big weapons." He murmurs, finally appreciative of having the thing on hand. In only a few seconds he's in and resuming operations!     "Hangar's almost secure!"
Tomoe	With Kirito makeing his move she will follow it up she'll start using a sword art of her own. Staren makes his exit and that is fine with her as has Silicia good. Kirito and her can clean up while Slicia provides her skills and information of this game to their allies. When Kirito calls now? She sees him launch his attack she knows what one it is and she'll follow it up with her owns sword skill. "LUNAR REQUIEM!" With the beast finally down she'll drop to the hanger floor and look to Kriito with a goofy grin on her face. 5R "Right, let's finish the clean up so we can join the others."
Starbound Flotilla	Neurovore gibs in alloys are known to create fantastic swords. Turret gas ignites hard, turning the areas into blazing infernos, and helping emphasize Iria's grenade-work! These creatures are tough as hell, but being bullet sponges really doesn't work out when you're on fire, subjected to tons of plasma damage, poisoned, and /then/ shot; the cleanup is working well, and the group is having an okay time dealing with the issues of lasting erradication of these things. After long enough, it looks like the automated defenses, or just a quick cleanup op, could easily wipe the last of them out. The fire has burned out one of those jammed-open doors, letting it close. This might be a bit of a hint that burning away the biomass propping them open could help fix the issues, and bring a final closure on this, leaving them able to take a break for now. ---------------------------- <Materials Handling> ----------------------------     Huge volumes of metal in molten, solid, and mysterious other forms goes through here. Practically seas of the stuff are bridged with walkways and small platforms that roam above it on tracks, each hoisting their own containers of critical engineering substances. This is an area where falling is deadly. The cargo bays that open out into the regions southward let starlight spill in from the side, mixing with the glowing heat of shining metal. It's a great place if you're a fan of forging, and awful if you're not. Far too hot.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several chemical weapon turrets here, set atop the roving platforms and alongside walkways. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Yuna Corona Iria --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- 7 Neurovore Packmates - Menacing canines with dangerous tentacle heads. ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTHWEST: Power Systems. NORTH: Manufactorium Floor. NORTHEAST: Processing Systems ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is detected at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Starbound Flotilla	All-Range brawling these things is an incredibly tense experience with the huge arms swinging around and assembling... SOMETHING in the middle of the chamber. But Silica's dogfighting lets her brutalize these hunters with smashing crane swipes and heavy blows from robotic arms. Thankfully, Kyoko's buffed up some of the turrets in here, and it's starting to take them down. One downs when the lasers stun it, knocking it off-course and throwing it into the churning industrial maws of manufacturing. The other is forced, when trying to dodge those beams, straight into a waiting blast of laser from Silica herself, bursting it in a puff of voxels against the ground.     And the interior is cleared! Thank goodness that breach didn't go bad. --------------------------- <Manufactorium Floor> ----------------------------     Where the magic allegedly happens. This factory floor is full of dozens of massive robotic arms, where machine parts are assembled into heavy crafts, suits, drones, or other machinery. These parts are ever mobile, and require the considerable processing power of a Von-Neumann Probe brain, making it one of their backup sites. Whenever the station is active, the floor is frequently menaced by swinging arms and structures, but this can be as much an advantage as a danger, since any foes could be led into the paths of oncoming industry.     The central console, connected to a huge power conduit and foundry center in the middle, contains a slot for a Von-Neumann Probe brain to be placed, granting it control of the robotic construction systems. Surrounding it are a dozen automated anti-personnel turrets set up by the Starbound Flotilla. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Silica --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTH: Entrance WEST: Power Systems EAST: Processing Systems SOUTH: Materials Handling ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is detected at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Septette Arcubielle	"You don't have to ask me twice," Septette replies, bringing her taloned foot down on one of the last packmates as it tries to scramble away. Her elemental drones spawn in around her, before zipping off to repair the area and run cleanup duty: the YELLOW drone swoops over to Maaka and sauters the sparking conduits near her into a less zappy state, the RED drone seeks out the airlocks revealed by Hibiki's recon to weld them shut, and the BLUE drone clogs up the warrens and open tunnels they've bored through the metal using a seemingly endless supply of supernaturally-tough ice.      Once they've finished covering the exits, the drones start hunting down the fleeing packmates too, though it takes two or three of them ganging up on a single enemy to bring it down. Septette herself helps Maaka clean up the room before offering the cyborg a hand, if she's still kneeling. "I think we're done here, Ms. Maaka. Let's head back to the Manufactorium, shall we?"
Silica	Dogfighting at that kind of speed, in that kind of environment is tiring. And as the last Hunter goes down, Silica starts to pull out of the morass of manufacturing arms... only to get swatted down by one of them and send tumbling into the side wall. Thankfully away from the churning maws of industry. "Waaah! OOF!" The Swordfish comes to rest, and Silica scrapes herself off the inside of the cockpit bubble. "Computer, damage report."     Engines offline, shield offline, weapons offline, communications offline, life support at 20%... "It'll buff right out..." she jokes to herself, as she brings up the emergency repair unit to get Life Support and Comms back online.
Corona Arclite	It doesn't take long for Corona to see what she needs to do next, ears swiveling at the sound of one of the gates clattering closed. "Clean up what's left of 'em, Ah'm gonna go block em off," she calls back to Iria and Yuna, before hoping her way onto another platform. Again her natural agility and honed parkouring skills come into place, getting herself into a position where she can make a few aimed shots at the doors to ignite the biomatter jamming it oepn to clean it out as well.
Starbound Flotilla	The hunter explodes, but it's way less gorey than it could be, what with the fact that they explode into voxels. Staren can check outside, but what he seems might be less than informative. Where they're coming from is everywhere, in the sense that they seem to be drawn in by the progressive pulses of energy that come off of the Von-Neumann manufactorium. He can see how, in the distance, they move in every time the energy rises, and then slow every time it falls. They're just ambient NPCs, but drawn in dangerously. But they're beginning to slow down. Whatever Tormod was doing, it's mostly finishing up.     Kirito gets the big weapons back, which is good, because Hunters are a hell of a lot bigger than Packmates. Mixing that up with Tomoe's Lunar Requiem, though, is able to finish this off; that final hunter is torn up, and bursts dramatically into voxels and loot! The Von-Neumann faction have this weird space-knight aesthetic rooted in really weird mixes of Cold War era alien movies and some kind of Star Trek inspiration mixed together, and so loot in their zones takes that as well. --------------------------------- <Entrance> ---------------------------------     The wide entrance to the main area is full of flickering lights and holography that was once meant to guide large crafts into and out of the manufactory. The size of this side of the structure is large enough to enable heavy Loaders, small fighter craft, and other such vehicles to fly around with plenty of open space, and there's old cargo containers in varying states of gravity drifting or sitting around to provide cover, for both allies and foes. The seal that preserves internal atmosphere stays strong, a shimmering blue shield. At four points around the opening, the Starbound Flotilla have mounted anti-vehicle laser turrets. Flight is enabled in this area. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Staren Kirito Tomoe ASSORTED SHIPS --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTH: The Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Starbound Flotilla	And they ARE done. While Maaka handles the brunt of the offense, Septette manages to close up most of the utility issues. Fixing up power, and butchering more of the Packmates stunned by the frag grenades -- stunned by a frag grenade is so weird, but this is a non-science thing, after all -- and finally, the business seems to be concluded in the acidic hell that is the Power Systems. Loot finally drops! It's fancy acids and hazard-suit materials and other suchlike, which the Neurovores appear to have taken. Looks like they can head out, though! ------------------------------ <Power Systems> -------------------------------     An area full of innumerable hazards. Bare power conduits based on strange and sciency fluids slide their terrifically powerful acids all around the walls and towards areas that need power. This area is far more claustrophobic and requires dealing with short tunnels, maintenance areas, tough arrangements of power transformers, and other suchlike. The Flotilla have placed power boxes to control various conduits, allowing combatants to flood tunnels with acid.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several stun-turret emplacements in various tunnels. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Septette Maaka --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- EAST: Manufactorium Floor SOUTHEAST: Materials Handling. ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the PROCESSING CENTER. Assembly is at stage 2. A class 1 breach is detected at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Staren	So there's no one source to bottleneck them at. That's disappointing. He takes a few potshots at distant enemies, but decides he can do more good helping out at the manufactorium.     Silica's not responding. For a moment, he's annoyed, wondering if she's remembered that her actual radio can still be used even if something's preventing her from acting in the game -- that was half the point of the kanto bootleg nervegear!     Then he remembers that the SAO kids are using augmas now, and feels bad for being annoyed.     The Star Hawk transforms to hybrid mode and flies through the hangar to the manufactorium. He's not picking up any enemies... But where's Silica? He has Dawn, his support AI, check the tacnet data history to see where her ship was last connected.
Starbound Flotilla	Kyoko's successfully plugged that thing! It seems like "Bennings" was planning to approach, circling around; the scouts can't get a camera feed, only a feed of scanning data and establishing radars. That was, until one of those turrets lanced a brilliant whipping laser beam out of the pillars and scythed at him. There's a noise that's very unlike pain, more like the noise a person would make upon realizing something.     As he leaves, he makes a... Noise. It sounds, in every sense of intonation, like it /should/ be dialogue, but nothing about anything he's saying matches up. It even "feels" like the translation effect worked, but what was /translated/ was fundamentally wrong. The throat sounds inhuman in every way that a normal throat could sound human. "#'# ##### ## #### ####!" His strange non-voice calls out. "######## ###'## #######!! #'# ##### ## #### ##!!! ### #'## ### #### ### ### ## #####, ###!"     And then he's escaping, through some maintenance tunnel or another. Might be something valuable if Kyoko managed to get a recording, though?     Well, Tormod has fixed whatever he broke, thank goodness. Well, he fixed some of it, and then flashed angry directions to Kyoko on his screen, telling her what needed pushing somewhere else, and hopefully she obliged him. This seemed to take the assembly to Stage 3, whatever that means, and... He's ready to head back. ---------------------------- <Processing Center> -----------------------------     Cold. It's cold in here, above all else. Not deadly cold, but the kind of cold that a server farm is, where you can expect a lot of computers to not overheat. As per the norm here, everything is magnetic tape and weird blinky lights, none of which should be as effective and functional as they are. The huge columns of steel offer cover and protection for the machines entombed therein, visible through gated panels and glass; the area has a very cold war aesthetic. The central pillar has a slot to place a Von-Neumann processor into.     The Starbound Flotilla have placed movable, sweeping anti-personnel laser turrets her. Flight is disabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Hibiki Cruiser Tormod Bennings --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- SOUTHWEST: Materials Handling WEST: Manufactorium Floor ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 3. A class 1 breach is resolved at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is resolvedat the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Alexis Maaka	Maaka grabs the loot, content to patch herself up with some health items as she retrieves her shotgun to reload the weapon. Sighing, she slings the shotgun and reloads her pistol before holstering that weapon too, nodding to Septette. "Well, that was...an experience. Guess we're clear."
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko just hopes that she doesn't have to carry the anger-AI to every room once, plus pit stops. She doesn't know how this was supposed to work. But the alert channel from the tacnet is telling her things are "...all resolved? Oh, good."     She's not going after Bennings, but she does dump that last minute of feed from her mini-sats to local storage, to be analyzed later. Maybe she'll find a repository somewhere within something she can match it against for translation. In the meantime, she picks up Tormod again, taking it back to the Manufactorium once more. She doesn't have a free hand to wave, exactly, but looks over toward Staren and Silica's ship on the way.
Starbound Flotilla	Iria and Yuna have a natural protective default action of sort, and so Corona gets all the cover she needs to parkour her way to good positions, and fire incendiary plasma and burn out the biomass jamming the cargo doors open, shutting them -- perhaps too permanently -- and resolving the issue here, for now. As the last of the Neurovores are cleaned up, Corona gets rid of the last of the openings, and the area is clear. This zone, too, is at last resolved! Thank goodness. Now they can have no troubles getting back into the Manufactorium floor. ---------------------------- <Materials Handling> ----------------------------     Huge volumes of metal in molten, solid, and mysterious other forms goes through here. Practically seas of the stuff are bridged with walkways and small platforms that roam above it on tracks, each hoisting their own containers of critical engineering substances. This is an area where falling is deadly. The cargo bays that open out into the regions southward let starlight spill in from the side, mixing with the glowing heat of shining metal. It's a great place if you're a fan of forging, and awful if you're not. Far too hot.     The Starbound Flotilla have set up several chemical weapon turrets here, set atop the roving platforms and alongside walkways. Flight is enabled here. -------------------------------- <CHARACTERS> -------------------------------- Yuna Corona Iria --------------------------------- <ENEMIES> ---------------------------------- N/A ---------------------------------- <EXITS> ----------------------------------- NORTHWEST: Power Systems. NORTH: Manufactorium Floor. NORTHEAST: Processing Systems ---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod wants to be plugged in at the MANUFACTORIUM FLOOR. Assembly is at stage 3. A class 1 breach is resolved at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium. 75% Turret Buff is applied to Processing. 25% Turret Buff is applied to the Manufactorium. 60% Turret Buff is applied in Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Power Systems. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Materials Handling. 33% Accuracy/Evasion Buff is applied to Processing.
Tomoe	Tomoe sees the thing is down and pauses for a moment as she gets some loot. She wasn't expecting this and will be quite curious about it once she has a moment to check over the loot. She'll grab her loot before she'll start making for her own allies, are all right. Once that is done she grins. "Let's get going we should see if anyone else need help." She does see though their allies seem ot be doing pretty darn well. With STaren off she turns to Kirito. "Well come on black swords man lets go."
Septette Arcubielle	One by one, the breach alerts clear up, and Septette seems to visibly cheer up and brighten with each green alert- not quite as cheerful as she becomes on hearing that Silica hasn't bitten it, though! She makes her way out of the POWER SUPPLY area with a spring in her step and an unprofessional grin on her face, clutching the ragged and seared remnants of her shawl around her shoulder- and only stealing an occasional glance back to make sure that Maaka's following.      Once back at the Manufactorium Floor, she takes a sharp turn and heads towards Hibiki and Tormod leaving the Processing Center. Septette drops her shawl to pick up the padded picnic basket again, holding it out for Tormod. "Hey, Hibiki- the stressball's not being too demanding, is it? I can take it off your hands, if needed." If given the chance, she'll gladly take it and plug it back in at the Manufactorium's center!
Starbound Flotilla	---------------------------------- <ALERTS> ---------------------------------- Area Infection Index: 0.15 Cruiser Tormod has now obtained a VESSEL. Assembly is at stage 3. A class 1 breach is resolved at Materials Handling. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Power Systems. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Hangar. A class 1 breach is resolved at the Manufactorium.     Cruiser Tormod's disembodied brain slips easily into the slot out of Septette's claws, or Hibiki's gauntlets, and when the Manufactorium finally ceases motion, what remains in the middle is strange to imagine. It's sort of a miniaturized version of one of those Von-Neumann Probes, designed after the classic flying saucer. Interlocking rings churn and rotate on the surface of it, giving it a series of strange, dynamic greebles, and like the old Cruiser Tormod body, it possesses dozens of interlocking arms. Oddly, though, there is something particular here: As Cruiser Tormod's processor is lifted by a mechanical arm into it, the top is no longer an aggressively screaming series of interlocking televisions, because that was terrifying and awful. Instead, the smooth thing appears to be... Based, in some sense on Septette's eye, shining purple even as it rotates a singular, massive display. Some sort of thank you to her? Some sort of gesture of rivalry? Something that doesn't even have a human psychological analogue?     There's a moment where it "roars" another angry roar, like it did long ago, and its health bar spins up as if it were a boss... But then it seems to rest. It doesn't seem capable of proclaiming any kind of gratitude. It's not even clear if these Von-Neumann berserkers know /how/ to feel gratitude. But after that roar, it seems to settle, many robotic arms nestling it on the Manufactorium floor. Tormod seems to have... Grudgingly(?) accepted the help, and to have also shown some sort of non-aggression. Does this mean he's going to help against the Neurovores, or...?     Well, he's not leaving for now. Maybe this will be clearer tomorrow, after they've finished up some finishing touches.
Kyoko Takada	Kyoko is content to let Septette handle the emplacement, only staring slightly at how she looks up close after a battle. Definitely somewhere on the obviously inhuman side. Shaking that off, she goes to check through the turret network, but it's confirming what she already knew--the enemy is all gone. No abnormalities. Even when upping the sensitivity, nothing's out of place. "Mission accomplished?"     She's briefly apprehensive as the boss display shows up, but nothing registers as overt hostility, so she works on settling her own nerves back down.
Septette Arcubielle	"Mission accomplished, Hibiki," Septette replies, giving Kyoko a warm smile as she places Tormod in the bezel. Her voice always sounded distorted over the radio, like a noblewoman speaking through a dying furby- and in person, it's abundantly clear that wasn't just an artifact of a buggy headset. As Tormod puts itself back together, her expression shifts to a dazzled, almost proud look- like a parent watching a dance recital, almost.      "See you out there, kiddo," she mutters under her breath as she locks eyes with the berserker's monitor. "And happy hunting." She makes an odd, swift motion- a shallow curtsy, maybe??- and then turns on her heel to leave. Though her face is turned away, those in the Manufactorium Floor might catch her reaching up with one hand... perhaps to touch her eye, or to dab at her cheek.