We are looking for the base of operations of a cyborged pilot named Ardra. Ardra had been hired to transport something belonging to the Zenobians, but has been also linked to the transport of the PAX that was stored at the "Angels of Mercy" and the organ harvesting operation we found on the derelict ship. We want to find that base and anything in it. In our last fact finding mission, we were attacked by a replicant.
This operation has been linked to grievous crimes, so I expect the worst. I called upon the some dangerous friends: Gallagher, LilyBell, Gabe, Emma and Vega answered the call.
Emma’s dangerous, she ripped apart a replicant and Ardra with her fashionable shoes.
Gabe summed it up: See a bad thing, point and shoot? See anything interesting, pick it up.
I warned people to defend themselves at all costs, these people harvest eyes and kidneys from the living for a living. Please do not get separated, but if you do, keep in touch on the radio.
We had an encounter with Ardra the day before last, so she knew we were looking for it. Ardra's objective seems to be destroying records.
Cross referencing our slowly increasing file base, we found an area in the Blackburne wastelands that was a probably location. Gallagher gave strict instructions to keep everything in house and no one go near the locals.
I scouted ahead for a landing spot. No sooner do we all land but Gabe is shot by sniper fire. It took a minute or so of running around, but Vega, Gallagher and LilyBell ran him down and put him down. Lily shot him many times with her bow and Gallagher finished him off. "LilyBell save best for you."
In the meantime, Gabe was fixing up her wounds and of course we misplaced Emma.
"EMMA!" I end up saying early and often. I don't know if Emma is not a listener, not a follower or just easily distracted. I am getting used to reconstructing what happened to Emma by looking at her helmet cam pics. I specifically say "Stay together" and her first question is "Then we split up?"
Emma: "I'm noticing a trend on these missions Jai... I always get bitten!"
DUH! Stay with the group why don't ya?
Some kind of partially cyborgized reaver. Emma took it down, but not before she was bitten, AGAIN. She said that it seemed to be under external control and was fighting said control.
I radiod Emma and Gabe to catch up with us.
Why the Alliance guy? Dunno. This is the first appearance of the alliance and an officer no less, not a mere grunt. No one seemed to make any thought about it. Evil things happening, Alliance, of course.
In any case, the Alliance officer had some documents on him indicating Mini Zebes lab. Gallagher had a lead on this lab a while back, but nothing came of it. Maybe we were premature in our assessment.
Gallagher had a vague idea of where it was and LilyBell seemed to know a lot about it.
"Lily know that very well. It where Mindo had the big brain. Here mades DNA transfers and coding. IT gots 5 levels. Bad things inside.
Gallagher, Emma and LilyBell make their way down to the bottom level. Meanwhile I got stuck in some pink good and am paralyzed. Vega and Gabe are still catching up.
We hear Ardra shout: "KILL ME!"
Gallagher is calling for us to get down there, but I can't move. Vega and Gabe find me.
Ardra shouts: KILL ME
LilyBell: "nonono, nothing good here.
Gallagher Aeon: Get down here.
Ardra shouts: I SAID KILL ME
Gallagher Aeon: Now!
Jai: HELP! "Paralyzed. Can't move."
LilyBell: This a bad place.
Ardra shouts: LESS TALK! KILL ME NOW
I think that's when the shooting started. Ardra activated some automated defenses and shot at Emma, LilyBell and Gallagher. For hesitating to kill her? Suicidal Cyborg logic.
It seemed to remember Emma, called her "the waif". Which is odd, because it was completely destroyed.
LilyBell taps on the glass
Data Screen whispers: Scanning.... Data 2 Downloaded...
LilyBell connects to the gencon but has not gotten a response. Looks in awe at the creature, "It beautiful, like Miss Raids."
Emma: "Can't help but agree..."
LilyBell: It talking to me. No move me
Jai: Find records and stuff
Gallagher Aeon: "There’s a warbot here."
LilyBell: "Her not a warbot. her....her like me."
LilyBell puts away her weapon. "Chemical data transfer. Run. Go. it self destructing."
Gallagher Aeon shouts: "Everyone get out!"
Ardra shouts: 10...9....
Jai: "Everyone out!
Ardra shouts: 8...7...
LilyBell stands staring at the creature, "No, Lily not leave it."
Ardra Aurotharius shouts: 3.....
Gallagher Aeon runs back in
Ardra shouts: 2....
Ardra shouts: ...................................................
Ardra is Offline.
LilyBell: "WHY YOU TAKE ME OUT?"
Gallagher Aeon: "I went back in for Lily."
Emma Ditko lets out a gasp... "That was close..."
LilyBell Snoodle stares at the ground
Vegaslon Plutonian: "Oh God."
LilyBell Snoodle: "Why you make me leave her?"
Gallagher Aeon: "She wanted to die. Wasn't gonna let you die with her."
LilyBell: "Her thank me. We talked. It not a machine actually. It genetic construct, like this one, but not."
Jai: "The one we saw the other day was mechanical."
Gallagher Aeon: "...with a metal skeleton and no skin."
LilyBell shrugs, "Lily talk to this one, just fine to me."
Gallagher Aeon: "Looked like a warbot to me, with angel wings."
Emma: "It's not a warbot... Its... something else"
Gallagher Aeon: "She was in pain, she was suffering."
Gallagher Aeon wonders why Lily is shaking.
LilyBell just looks at them "We all suffering. Lily want go home, bad place. No come here no more. Bad."
We went back to the hemlock, Gallagher had to pilot. After a while, I got the feeling back in my limbs and I could move.
Folks were not much for debriefing, a little shaken maybe. There was a data chip which turned out to be a homing beacon of some sort. Gallagher cut it off in time and said he would use the equipment in the big radio tower to try and figure out its source.
The equipment we found was all genetic data encoding and retrovirus transplant, the stuff you use to overwrite someone's DNA.
The only other data is uploaded into Lily's head and she did not seem inclined to share it. All she told us is that it was some chemical data. I think Ardra like Raids touched a certain delicate spot in LilyBell. I did not press the matter.
I just wanted to lie down. I will maybe figure something out tomorrow. No one was hurt too bad. Hopefully we will figure out what to do next.
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