Disobediant Servant
Mirror Desert (Western Sahara)
What once was the magnificent desolation of windblown sand has now become a near blinding expanse of solar panels and monitoring equipment, occasionally sparsely broken up by substations, roads, natural caves, rock formations, and occasional ruins of older structures from the bygone ages when traders plied these sands atop camels and wagons. The largest generating plant ever built, all for the glory of Dr. Albert W. Wily. The heat is incredible, and the sight is breathtaking. But if you don't have a good reason to be here, you might be best leaving.
Wilyworm Somewhere along the expanse of mirrors, not so different from a mirror herself, lies a strand of silver ribbon, entwined around the bases of the generating solar panels, sparkling under the same sun. She is being tended...spoken to clearly, though not affectionately, by a figure shrouded in light off-colored robes under the blazing, dry heat. And he explains to her, very clearly, that this would be the place she was now set to guard. The head--as much as a worm has a hand--bobs briefly, understanding...and the shrouded figure then steps off.
A quarter of a mile below the Earth's surface, the huge drilling machine Seismic Earthworm is heading towards the diamond mines. At this depth, the shocks never reach the surface, but since he is rising rapidly, and slightly off course, the sensors will notice a disturbance at any moment, and mirrors will begin to crack.
Quicksilver Earthworm does notice these fluctuations, and immediately, she goes to work--as her master has so instructed. She merely feels for a moment, the waves and ripples in the ground beneath her, then, she dives, suddenly, into the sand. The figure trying to retreat does take notice of this sudden movement...and he looks up, seeing the first hairline crack that appears in the surface of one of the mirrored panes. But he is not as fast, by far, as Quicksilver, whose tail disappears in the sand as she chases down this hidden intruder.
Seismic Earthworm pauses suddenly as he feels another entering the ground. And she's not trying to be stealthy. On a hunch, he clicks to the WYRMS freq, which is transmitting not in radio waves, but gravity waves. [Quicksilver?] He moves up more slowly, this time there will be no mirror-cracking tremors.
Over this gravity signal there is no response. Yet, there is a swift burrowing, bearing down on Seismic at incredible speeds, levelling out at his position, then, moving directly toward him.
Seismic Earthworm . o O (Oh crap.) Straight up now. Quicksilver would have the advantage anywhere, but it would be less aboveground. And he's still hoping that somehow, a fight can be avoided.
The figure on the sand is still looking around for the worm, wondering what exactly she rushed after, when he feels the vibrations start to rumble under his feet again. He takes a step back as the rumbles grow near. Underground, Quicksilver turns about, and gives chase, pushing sand aside quicker than she might water.
And in rapid succesion, two worms burst from the ground. The first continues straight up until balance fails, and then he slams down across the desert, sending a quaking shatterstorm through the mirrored sands, before turning to face Quicksilver. "Sister... it's me! Don't do this!"
"Sister...." the word spoken, at a whisper, by the figure in the sands. Still several mirrors away from the point of the worm's emerging, he watches, for a moment. ... What will she do?
And what she does...is hesitate. Stopping herself in a forward dive, even as her graviton emitters begin to charge, Quicksilver draws back, and looks, out of jeweled sensors...at one so much like her. Like her, but different... and her head tilts a bit, to the side.
Seismic Earthworm tries again on the WYRMS freq. [Do you remember this? Do you remember anything before they took you from your cradle? Please... come home with me...] His weapons remain uncharged and he scoots back a little, unavoidably crushing a few mirrors undertread, as Quicksilver surely must be doing herself. "Quicksilver... please."
Quicksilver draws back a second time. Though it is hard to tell, from the posture of a worm, if anything, she seems hesitant. A mirror does crack, right behind her.
"KILL HIM!" comes a sudden shout from the side, as the robes surrounding the small figure melt away into nothing but shadow, then pour like liquid off the body of...a Robot Master. "We've set you to guard this place, now do your JOB!"
The worm looks to Seismic, and, over his frequency, transmits a single word, with a voice that echoes as if spoken over the tops of water. [No.] Then, she turns to face the Robot Master, Gemini Man, and her top moves from side-to-side, communicating to him just as she did to Seismic... No. And she dives again underground.
Seismic Earthworm sighs sadly. [I won't try to force you.] Now his weapons charge, and he turns to Gemini abruptly. "YOU however, I -WILL- force!" A trampling rampaging machine crashes across the desert, the sands giving him purchase and even a little extra speed than normally allowed the immense reploid, as he tries to crush, wrap, or smash against Gemini with his coils.
Gemini Man is surprised at the worm's fury, but he moves much more quickly, diving aside as Seismic charges him. Yes, mirrors crack, and Gemini is not happy about this one bit. He grimaces, gets his footing on the sand, and then, splits, into two bodies, both standing in combat-ready posture. One twin smiles, even as the other frowns. "I don't think you stand much of a CHANCE," he says, pointing his blaster at the worm, and firing a white burst. "We already know your weakness..."
Seismic Earthworm growls as he misses, then levitates the shards of mirrors off the ground. He was intending to throw them at Gemini, but they serve the purpose of blocking the laser rather nicely. He snarls a little as he realizes what just happened... "And we know yours." An orb of darkness forms at the tip of his drill, then launches forwards. "RELEASE HER!"
The dark burst cuts through the air, breaking a mirror, but neither of the twins, who scatter. "She is not our PRISONER..."
Seismic Earthworm roars and thrashes as both shots melt through his armor, looking from one to the other... and then taking a deep breath, before spraying a wash of etching fluid across at both. "Whatever you have done to her, I want it UNDONE."
One Gemini Man hisses as the splatter of acid strikes the upper half of his body, eating away at his armor, and, more importantly, at his optics. He almost falls as he attempts to wipe the spray away. The other twin, however, swiftly moves to fill the gap. Knowing his close-combat skills are next to worthless against such an outsized opponent, the Gemini nevertheless moves in to close the gap. As he runs forward, he leads with his weapon, firing of another pair of shots at the earthworm. "It will not... can NOT... be undone. EVER!"
Seismic Earthworm chokes for a moment, then nods, and quietly states. "If that is true, I will have to bury her beside her brother Borehole." He feels not the lasers this time, nor does he roar, though the blasts dissolve his armor similarly. Instead, the orb of darkness returns, this time descending on Gemini from above.
This time, the charging twin is hit, and as the other is still working to remove the acid from his face, both are in similair situations of unpreparedness. The frontmost twin is knocked down, and rolls, trying to stumble back to his feet.
Seismic Earthworm closes. Quickly. Well, for him, anyway. This is likely the fastest he has moved in his entire life. The armor at his tail rattles uncomfortably and dents from the impacts. But then that huge maw opens, and the worm descends cleanly over the trapped twin.
The Earthworm grabs, and swallows, draining energy...and the crystal on the other twin's head lights up with a flash, though hardly visible under the sun. The hologram is disabled. Seismic's meal was partial, if still satisfactory. Now alone, Gemini Man, his face scarred by acid burns, does nothing more than raise his own weapon, blasting out at the worm with another burst of brilliant white. "You will not bury her...if you don't leave here alive."
Seismic Earthworm continues downward into the ground, the light making a deep slash down his form. The ground rumbles, and the worm disappears. But not for long. Underground, his velocity more than doubles, and he angles up, rising towards Gemini as the drill's whining grows louder.
The drill bursts from the ground, spraying sand, and Gemini Man tumbles out of the way just in time to see the worm go careening by. Running out of options, and seeing the worm has more staying power left to go, Gemini Man doesn't reactivate his clone just yet, giving him time to recharge. Rolling away from the flying sand and debris, he shoots an angled shot at a mirror, that bounces directly off, and sails up toward Seismic just as the worm's momentum ceases.
Seismic Earthworm's momentum doesn't cease, though. He keeps going up. The laser makes another long mark down his body, and he snarls, panting heavily. Yes. He's damaged and it's really starting to show. He crashes down to the ground in a spiral, shattering mirrors all the way and hopefully enclosing Gemini.
Gemini Man falls to the ground again as the world falls apart around him, not having time to properly react to the attack that effects both himself and the environment.
Seismic Earthworm squeezes tightly against himself and grinds partway into the ground, forming a liquid-tight containment around Gemini. His drill clicks over, and the red gem glows, filling the entire tank with a spray of napalm before he touches it off.
As the ruby burst strikes the stunned Master, he feels energy start to seep out of his emitter systems. ...No way he can get the hologram back on-line in this condition... He struggles back to his feet, shaking, and leans forward on his own knee. "Can't..." He feels power come back into his weapons systems, slowly, but gaining.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Guys, we got trouble out at the solar array." "Again."
Seismic Earthworm hesitates, and is struck. Well... that makes it sound like his hesitation is the reason he was struck, but no. That's really just coincidence. He'd have been struck anyway. Seismic stares sadly at Quicksilver for a long moment. [Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "New panels... most likely. He's broken more than enough."
[No. NO!] Quicksilver moves forward, toward Seismic, as if to push him back. She is barely using her speed, but there is an intensity in that transmitted word. Is she...trying to protect the Robot Master? Yes, she most likely is, as she turns and looks at Gemini, as he stumbles foward, blinks in the light. She gestures with her head, as if telling him to run. And, for now, run he does, kicking up sand and glass as he makes the quickest exit he possibly can.
Gemini Man retreats from the area swiftly, leaving him open to pursuit or parting shots from Freeze Man.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Quick Man transmits, "So where are we going?"
Bwahaha! Here come's the cavalry! *fanfare* Freeze Man is rocketing towards the area where Gemini and Seismic are fighting on a hoverbike that looks just like a speeder bike from Return of the Jedi. He's wearing a trenchcoat to keep the sand from ruining his paintjob, and his helmet is off. Not that the sand blasting into his face is bothering him, he doesn't feel anything. An excited, confident grin is plastered on his face, and he's ready for action.
Seismic Earthworm watches Gemini go... and starts to reach forward as if to nuzzle her, but instead pulls back sadly and slips into the earth again. Freeze Man reaches the area as the behemoth worm starts to slip underground. "Oh no you don't!" Freeze Man sends the bike screaming downwards towards Seismic's retreating back-end, then leaps off at the last second, hoping that the worm doesn't get underground before he hits him.
Seismic Earthworm's tail reels from the blow! It hits the ground with a sound whack! But then it too disappears into the earth, and a moment later the ground closes behind him as the tremors grow from his retreat. If there's many mirrors left intact in this area, it would come as a big surprise.
Gemini Man turns around, skidding, in the sand, as he hears the bike approach. Backup...good. Actual backup. He heads over toward Freeze as Sy escapes...and throws a dark glare at Quicksilver. "You STUPID b***h. Why didn't you ATTACK HIM!?" Quicksilver draws backward, slightly, as if ashamed at the rebuke. "Go on...he's gone, Freeze. We'll HANDLE this."
Freeze Man watches the worm disappear, and grumbles. "Great, I wasted a bike for nothing. Now how am I getting back?" He looks at Gemini yelling at the drone, and sighs. "That's why I give my orders directly to my Joes. No mistakes." He then turns, and starts running back to the nearest city. Whee.
Gemini Man calls out after, just to clarify... "She's not a DRONE. She's a REPLOID." And this fact is certainly clear, as she hangs, in shame, then lay her bulk onto the ground, sadly, right in the piles of glass.
Sphere Outpost
Obvious exits:
Submerge leads to Underneath Central Atlantic.
West leads to Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Northwest leads to Atlas Mountains.
North leads to Barbary Coast.
East leads to Eastern Sahara.
South leads to Ivory Coast.
Up leads to Sky Above Sahara.
Seismic Earthworm misses you with his Body Slam attack.
You miss Seismic Earthworm with your Clone Laser attack.
Seismic Earthworm misses you with his Crushing Blast attack.
"She does as she pleases, as you have seen," the Geminis call out, one, then the other. Yes, obviously a lie, but spoken smoothly.
"She chooses to stay with us," one twin says, and then, they both aim their blasters, and fire again, two more bursts against the giant frame of the worm.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Double Shot attack.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Acid Blast for 10 units of damage.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Laser Barrage attack.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Fissure for 9 units of damage.
Gemini Man is temporarily disoriented by Seismic Earthworm's Fissure attack.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Devour for 18 units of damage.
Seismic Earthworm drains energy from Gemini Man with his Devour attack.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Gemini Cannon attack.
Seismic Earthworm misses you with his Diamond Drill attack.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Gemini Laser attack.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Tremor for 0 units of damage.
Gemini Man is temporarily disoriented by Seismic Earthworm's Tremor attack.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Ruby Flare for 6 units of damage.
And suddenly there is a rumble again, beneath the earth, beneath him, and he moves his weakened body aside to get away as Quicksilver emerges, once more. Slipping out of the sand like liquid, she rests herself between the combatants...seperating them.
But Gemini is now unyeilding. If he cannot hit Seismic directly, he will hit him indirectly, and he fires from his recharged weapons, boucing a shot from mirror to mirror to mirror.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Ricochet Blast attack.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "Glass Houses..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Seriously."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "STOP THROWING ROCKS"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Freeze Man transmits, "My thoughts exactly."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Freeze Man transmits, "Well, I suppose I /could/ save you."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Hey, it's not our fault this place is...fragile. We were setting Quicksilver up to do the ...guard business. And her BROTHER's shown. Don't know if we can hold out much longer... hits HARD."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Quick Man transmits, "Soooo... What exactly do we need? (OOC: Slow-mode chip for better understanding... Too bad it doesn't work outside radio talk.)"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Freeze Man transmits, "The giant worm?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "That's the one."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Freeze Man transmits, "Okay, I'm on my way. Be thankful."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "So what? You need solar panels? I hear that GreenPEACE set some up on Ralph Kleinbots' roof yesterday."
Seismic doubles over himself and clicks to his blue gem, arcing the spray of liquid nitrogen over his sister, and using a slight gravity field to ensure none of it drips on her.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Sapphire Frost for 12 units of damage.
You are below your courage-endurance point.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Quick Man transmits, "I'll help! I can ride the vehicle!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "Fine, Vehicle Bay, let's go. I don't wanna hear Bass get all bitchy later cuz Gemini ratted on us."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "To the vehicle bay."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Quick Man transmits, "No, after that."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Toad Man transmits, "Woonder Twin. Stay on channel, or some ****."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "We're all right. I think we've wounded him...considerably."
Seismic Earthworm retreats from the area swiftly, leaving him open to pursuit or parting shots from Freeze Man, and Gemini Man.
Freeze Man strikes Seismic Earthworm with his Smash attack.
Freeze Man retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots.
