<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'> *points at the laptop* "I think we should shut it down then bring it back to base. Need some power left in there so it doesn't start to forget its data. No power in the capacitor or PC at all means lost data...I think. Either way, I doubt even Gwahir can do much in just 10 minutes. Let's bring it back, charge it up, then check it out." *hears Headcrab over the comm* "I hear you. We've got some test tubes, notes, and a laptop. And about that request, sure. I'll keep my comm open. You can hear me scream like a little girl when we find something that stares back at us <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->." </span></span>
<span style='color:orange'><b>"Okay, time to get to work." *cracks knuckles and [starts to bring the programs back online]</b> <i>"What was that cracking I heard?"</i> <b>"Just my knuckles."</b> <i>"I think you should see a debug program about that. It didn't sound good, by human standards."</i> <b>"They'll be fine."</b></span>
<b>Lol. I'm here, but I'm lurking cos my character's kinda useless unless someone slashes themselves on something. And I have an exam in eight hours.</b> <span style='color:green'>"Well, what now?"</span>
<span style='color:gray'>[Give's himself 3 minutes to hack the laptop, if he can't gain access in that time, he shuts it down, if he does manage to gain access, he'll download the contents to his PDA before shutting it down anyway]</span>
<b>Even though the character is not worth much to the squad, he is still an asset to the story. We need to keep this thing alive.</b> <span style='color:gray'>[You gain access to the computer after 2 minutes. You start copying the harddisk, but the currents transfer time estimate is 20 minutes, you have 4 with the disks of the laptop spinning. While considering a shutdown, you notice that there's no hibernation option. If you close it down, you'll lose open windows.]</span>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'> "You know...we could always leave this to the techies back at the Guardpost. I've talked to some of 'em for help with my homework and they seem pretty smart. Closed windows probably won't stop them from doing their job. Just...eh...save all the work currently on and then shut it off. Just my two cents." *gestures back down the hall to Data Core* "Besides, they may need your PDA space in Data to store all those logs they've found. Could be quite the load." </span></span>
<b>Mmm...two pounds of turkey I'll say. Turkeh!</b>
<span style='color:white'> *Ed gets an idea* "By any chance does the laptop have an outlet connector? If it does, I may be able to power it off Wynona's power cell, But im not sure. I'll be down there in a minute." *Ed sprints through the door towards the kahraa labs* </span>
<span style='color:orange'><b>"Alright, now that you're all out of sleep mode, how 'bout telling me how to get the nano-grid back. Some Users want it back ASAP." Program: If Users want it, then we'll see what we can do. "Alright then. Guys?"</b> <i>"Yeah, how's it going in there?"</i> <b>"Well, the programs are all out of sleep mode and I think that they know a way to get the nano-grid back online."</b> <i>"Good work, Merc. You still needed in there?"</i> <b>"Hold on a sec... There's some kind of small virus in the system, no-one in here knows how it got here but they want me to get rid of it. That virus is stopping the programs from getting the nano-grid back online.</b> <i>"Alright, but be quick."</i></span>
<i>Merc - An electronic warning signal spreads through the data network: "Warning, unauthorized program hi-jack. Increase security to level A"
Ed comes running into the kharaa labs two minutes after. When he plugs the gun charge cable into the computer, the power meter starts to increase:10 minutes...15 minutes... However, at the same time, power drains from Wynona's power cell, which was probably not designed for powering a high-capability computer charger: 90%...80%...</i>
<b>What did I have her do this time?</b> <b>EDIT: BTW, I'll be up at Kawana for the week after tomorrow, it's on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. See ya in a week, don't kill my character or Merc while I'm gone.</b>
<span style='color:white'>"Crap! How much time do you think your gonna need to copy that hard drive, Gwahir?" *Ed, still panting from the sprint, asks as he stares at the dropping power meter on Wynona with a distressed look.*</span>
<span style='color:green'>[moves from the data group to the lab group, looking out for anything he may be able to help with/fiddle with/identify/use (interact meaningfully with <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->) on the way]</span>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'> *sees the laptop charging up* "Hey...that's kinda cool. I just hope that this doesn't render Ed a sitting duck. Then we run into aliens and then he has to go dualies or whack em with a pipe." *observes the laptop more* *watches idly as the data transfer goes on* </span></span>
<b>"I hate to be the guy to say this, but I think we're screwed." "Yea, I have to agree with the rookie on this one."
xect, you mentioned something about our RPG and some other RPG merging? Well, you better get it done quick. This one's going to flatline or something real soon.</b>
<span style='color:green'>*waves a hand in front of Grim* "I'm right here." *grins* "Now let's see those notes. I'm just a field medic, so I dunno, but still." *takes notes from Grim, and [starts reading through them, utilising what medical knowledge he has to try and understand what was going on]*</span>
<b>Yeah, I agree this is pretty stagnated, and I'm trying to push it forward. It's just quite hard, you have two groups with each their computer. One has their hacker seemingly AFK, the other is currently copying the harddisc rather than reading the data already open. I'm seriously about to have to have something screwd happen to progress this thing.
I need you people in here to get things moving. I know you want to get this thing going, and so do I, but I have to get it to fit spark's universe, and thus I can't just modify the universe to boost action as I usually can. I can get you to it quite quickly, but if you post only one post each day COMBINED, quickly is a long time. Please, start actually posting and it won't take long (even though your character skills don't fit perfectly, post anyway, they're still there).</b>
<span style='color:green'>[You can see that they've been taking bacteria tests of all of them. There's results of the tests on the papers, but you can't make out wether or not they are what they ought to be.]</span>
<i>lab group - 50% power left on Wynona, 40 minutes of power on the laptop, harddisk transfer 40% complete, PDA running out of storage space (can take approxemately half the harddisk data). Conversation log and data file on the laptop are STILL open *cough*hint*cough*, and still minimized.</i>
<!--QuoteBegin--xect+Dec 1 2003, 02:44 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (xect @ Dec 1 2003, 02:44 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><i>*cough*hint*cough*</i><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <b>LOL</b> <span style='color:green'>"Hey, what are those?" *pushes past the lagged-out Gwahir (ssh!), [opens up the conversation log and data file and reads them]*</span>
<b>Repositions the lagged out Ghawir in a funny position then takes a picture</b>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'> "You know, if we aren't really doing anything in here...we should pick up this stuffle and regroup with the guys in Data Core. No use just hanging out here separated for no reason. In numbers, there is strength." *walks around idly* "Or...you know. You could just give me that laptop so I could play some solitare." *smirks* </span></span>
"Log BEGIN EB20: Hey Jack HH99: Geez, stop that, you know we aren't supposed to use names on this system EB20: Who cares, no one reads those logs anyway. HH99: No idea, but I don't like taking the chance. EB20: Come on, the important dudes have more important things to think of. That funny orbital station has arrived again. They're probably drooling over the new data now. Wish it was me. HH99: Sure you do? I don't like these people, they're real far out. Why do they keep away from officials anyway. EB20: Not sure exactly, but I know they're researching things with methods that wouldnt be approved. Last time they were here, I overheard them speaking about some experiment where they'd try to insert kharaa memory into the mind of a human clone, in order to get inside information. Imagine what they're reporting now if that thing worked. Holy crap that'd be a wonder. HH99: A wonder?, are you insane? EB20: Insane? What are you talking about, it would be the biggest discovery of the whole war. HH99: You people really are crazy, next thing I hear some of you are probably going to try and create damn hybrids or something. EB20: Not a bad idea actually. HH99: Geez, you're disgusting. I really should re... environmental sound: *sound of something exploding* environmental sound: *people screaming* HH99: What was that? EB20: What was what? HH99: That thing, what's going on? EB20: Nothing here, must be your side. Or, more likely, you're just being paranoid. HH99: Stop that crap, I'm serious. Someone's screaming. EB20: Yeah right. You know these things can't escape. environmental sound: *scratching on metal* HH99: ****, they're trying to get in here. EB20: *laughing* you really need a holiday. Seriously, calm down. They can't escape. HH99: Hey, I'm not kidding you, there's something out there. EB20: Aw come on, go see the shrink, you're really out of your mi... System speaker: RED ALERT, RED ALERT! Hostile lifeform detected, containment failed. EB20: STOP IT, that's a seriously bad joke you're running. HH99: I'm not joking. EB20: Oh yes you are. These things can't get out, and you know it. HH99: Hey, listen, you're the one with the disgusting sense of humor. EB20: Now if it isnt you joking, why did thAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHH HH99: Hey, what, what's going on? What's happening? Say something. ****. *Connection lost* Log END
The data file contains some data on the tests of the aliens, along with a few comments:
(below a result from a lerk blood analysis): This thing looks weird. It has the signs of a third-hive lerk, yet it does not have those of a second-hive lerk. And we know it has only had access to one hive.
(footnote from observations of a gorge in artificial hive environment): This is weird. It constructed that hive far faster than they usually do. Almost like it used less resources to achieve the effect.
(from the observation of a caged skulk) This is funny. It seems it's able to see us through the walls. It looks in the direction of people walking the hallway. We've tested this further. They're able to do it even when the people in the corridor are completely silent, and we have checked over and over that they are not wounded when passing, so it's not their scent of blood playing a part."</i>
<b><span style='font-family:Arial'><span style='color:blue'> "Oh, that doesn't look good. It's like all that crazy stuff Ven was telling us about." *Absentmindedly munches on some jelly beans* "I think we're gonna have to be careful with this information. Who ever authed this isn't gonna want it traced back to them."
*Kick a desk* "We might start ending up with 'accidents' happening to us. I don't know if we can trust anyone but ourselves on all of this. I suggest we act like we just came in, grabed the stuff and didn't look at it. It proably won't last for long, but it might buy us some time to figure out where all the peices are on the board."
*Paces around the room* [Tries to think of anyone who can help us] "Anyone have any contacts that could help us? Friends, family, someone you went to collage with? Anyone?" </span></span></b>
<span style='color:white'> *Ed gets an uneasy feeling* "Am i the only one who thinks the "Wierd" ship thing sound awefully famillar?" *Ed notices some odd looks* "Human, with Kharaa stuff put in him, onboard a ship full of odd things? And does anyone remember the outlandish story Ven told us about his past? I know that if i was a scientist, messing with human and alien body systems, i'd implant an outlandish story to try and throw people off. Plus, what was the first vessel we encountered after the release of the new Strain?..." *Ed draws his pistol.* " And, If someone found out about your secret project, what would you do? Send them unprepared into a situation where they were at a disadvantage. I've got a baaad feeling about this" </span>
<b>Do I (my char) understand any of the data?</b> <span style='color:green'>"Figures. Don't bloody trust the marines that had to SHOOT at these things. No, get yourSELF killed in the process of finding out what we already farking knew. Although that whole seeing through walls thing is kinda spooky." *looks at Ed* "I'd call you a conspiracy crackpot, but I'm getting the same bad vibes. Here, take this." *tosses Ed his pistol* "I'm not much good with it anyways. Hmm...this might sound like a dumb question, but what are our plans for evac?"</span>
<b><span style='font-family:Arial'><span style='color:blue'> *Listens to Ed and NightShade* "OK, that's it, were getting out of here now. Bork this mission, we are leaving."
*Groups up everyone and heads out to the ship*
"Ok everyone, check your corrners and stay sharp. I don't like it."
[Weapons at the ready, gets the team the frag out of here] </span></span></b>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'> "I hear that. Let's get the hell out of here!" *shoulders weapon and runs to the front of the group* *turns back* "I'll scout ahead. I just feel that somethings gonna bite us in the **** real soon. I'll be no more than 3-4 meters head of you guys." *runs off a bit* *activates radio* "And no...I am not running away. Just...scouting head. Honest." *keeps at position 3-4 meters ahead* </span></span>
<span style='color:gray'>*starts moving again* "Something happen, oh, you read the data" *Shuts down, the laptop, pulls the power source and hands it to Ed* "Maybe this'll help Wynona back to near full power" </span>
Comments
*points at the laptop*
"I think we should shut it down then bring it back to base. Need some power left in there so it doesn't start to forget its data. No power in the capacitor or PC at all means lost data...I think. Either way, I doubt even Gwahir can do much in just 10 minutes. Let's bring it back, charge it up, then check it out."
*hears Headcrab over the comm*
"I hear you. We've got some test tubes, notes, and a laptop. And about that request, sure. I'll keep my comm open. You can hear me scream like a little girl when we find something that stares back at us <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->."
</span></span>
*cracks knuckles and [starts to bring the programs back online]</b>
<i>"What was that cracking I heard?"</i>
<b>"Just my knuckles."</b>
<i>"I think you should see a debug program about that. It didn't sound good, by human standards."</i>
<b>"They'll be fine."</b></span>
<span style='color:green'>"Well, what now?"</span>
<span style='color:gray'>[Give's himself 3 minutes to hack the laptop, if he can't gain access in that time, he shuts it down, if he does manage to gain access, he'll download the contents to his PDA before shutting it down anyway]</span>
<span style='color:gray'>[You gain access to the computer after 2 minutes. You start copying the harddisk, but the currents transfer time estimate is 20 minutes, you have 4 with the disks of the laptop spinning. While considering a shutdown, you notice that there's no hibernation option. If you close it down, you'll lose open windows.]</span>
"You know...we could always leave this to the techies back at the Guardpost. I've talked to some of 'em for help with my homework and they seem pretty smart. Closed windows probably won't stop them from doing their job. Just...eh...save all the work currently on and then shut it off. Just my two cents."
*gestures back down the hall to Data Core*
"Besides, they may need your PDA space in Data to store all those logs they've found. Could be quite the load."
</span></span>
<b>Mmm...two pounds of turkey I'll say. Turkeh!</b>
"By any chance does the laptop have an outlet connector? If it does, I may be able to power it off Wynona's power cell, But im not sure. I'll be down there in a minute."
*Ed sprints through the door towards the kahraa labs*
</span>
<b> Here's hoping I dont get eaten. </b>
Program: If Users want it, then we'll see what we can do.
"Alright then. Guys?"</b>
<i>"Yeah, how's it going in there?"</i>
<b>"Well, the programs are all out of sleep mode and I think that they know a way to get the nano-grid back online."</b>
<i>"Good work, Merc. You still needed in there?"</i>
<b>"Hold on a sec... There's some kind of small virus in the system, no-one in here knows how it got here but they want me to get rid of it. That virus is stopping the programs from getting the nano-grid back online.</b>
<i>"Alright, but be quick."</i></span>
"Warning, unauthorized program hi-jack. Increase security to level A"
Ed comes running into the kharaa labs two minutes after. When he plugs the gun charge cable into the computer, the power meter starts to increase:10 minutes...15 minutes... However, at the same time, power drains from Wynona's power cell, which was probably not designed for powering a high-capability computer charger: 90%...80%...</i>
<b>EDIT: BTW, I'll be up at Kawana for the week after tomorrow, it's on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. See ya in a week, don't kill my character or Merc while I'm gone.</b>
*Ed, still panting from the sprint, asks as he stares at the dropping power meter on Wynona with a distressed look.*</span>
*sees the laptop charging up*
"Hey...that's kinda cool. I just hope that this doesn't render Ed a sitting duck. Then we run into aliens and then he has to go dualies or whack em with a pipe."
*observes the laptop more*
*watches idly as the data transfer goes on*
</span></span>
<b>"I hate to be the guy to say this, but I think we're screwed."
"Yea, I have to agree with the rookie on this one."
xect, you mentioned something about our RPG and some other RPG merging? Well, you better get it done quick. This one's going to flatline or something real soon.</b>
*Over the comms* "Hey NightShade, can you look at these notes and tell us anything? You guys on your way now right?"
*Kicks an empty can around. "There is some weird stuff going on, I don't like how this all feels." </span></span></b>
"I'm right here."
*grins*
"Now let's see those notes. I'm just a field medic, so I dunno, but still."
*takes notes from Grim, and [starts reading through them, utilising what medical knowledge he has to try and understand what was going on]*</span>
I need you people in here to get things moving. I know you want to get this thing going, and so do I, but I have to get it to fit spark's universe, and thus I can't just modify the universe to boost action as I usually can. I can get you to it quite quickly, but if you post only one post each day COMBINED, quickly is a long time. Please, start actually posting and it won't take long (even though your character skills don't fit perfectly, post anyway, they're still there).</b>
<span style='color:green'>[You can see that they've been taking bacteria tests of all of them. There's results of the tests on the papers, but you can't make out wether or not they are what they ought to be.]</span>
<i>lab group - 50% power left on Wynona, 40 minutes of power on the laptop, harddisk transfer 40% complete, PDA running out of storage space (can take approxemately half the harddisk data). Conversation log and data file on the laptop are STILL open *cough*hint*cough*, and still minimized.</i>
<b>LOL</b>
<span style='color:green'>"Hey, what are those?"
*pushes past the lagged-out Gwahir (ssh!), [opens up the conversation log and data file and reads them]*</span>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-family:courier'>
"You know, if we aren't really doing anything in here...we should pick up this stuffle and regroup with the guys in Data Core. No use just hanging out here separated for no reason. In numbers, there is strength."
*walks around idly*
"Or...you know. You could just give me that laptop so I could play some solitare."
*smirks*
</span></span>
The message log:
"Log BEGIN
EB20: Hey Jack
HH99: Geez, stop that, you know we aren't supposed to use names on this system
EB20: Who cares, no one reads those logs anyway.
HH99: No idea, but I don't like taking the chance.
EB20: Come on, the important dudes have more important things to think of. That funny orbital station has arrived again. They're probably drooling over the new data now. Wish it was me.
HH99: Sure you do? I don't like these people, they're real far out. Why do they keep away from officials anyway.
EB20: Not sure exactly, but I know they're researching things with methods that wouldnt be approved. Last time they were here, I overheard them speaking about some experiment where they'd try to insert kharaa memory into the mind of a human clone, in order to get inside information. Imagine what they're reporting now if that thing worked. Holy crap that'd be a wonder.
HH99: A wonder?, are you insane?
EB20: Insane? What are you talking about, it would be the biggest discovery of the whole war.
HH99: You people really are crazy, next thing I hear some of you are probably going to try and create damn hybrids or something.
EB20: Not a bad idea actually.
HH99: Geez, you're disgusting. I really should re...
environmental sound: *sound of something exploding*
environmental sound: *people screaming*
HH99: What was that?
EB20: What was what?
HH99: That thing, what's going on?
EB20: Nothing here, must be your side. Or, more likely, you're just being paranoid.
HH99: Stop that crap, I'm serious. Someone's screaming.
EB20: Yeah right. You know these things can't escape.
environmental sound: *scratching on metal*
HH99: ****, they're trying to get in here.
EB20: *laughing* you really need a holiday. Seriously, calm down. They can't escape.
HH99: Hey, I'm not kidding you, there's something out there.
EB20: Aw come on, go see the shrink, you're really out of your mi...
System speaker: RED ALERT, RED ALERT! Hostile lifeform detected, containment failed.
EB20: STOP IT, that's a seriously bad joke you're running.
HH99: I'm not joking.
EB20: Oh yes you are. These things can't get out, and you know it.
HH99: Hey, listen, you're the one with the disgusting sense of humor.
EB20: Now if it isnt you joking, why did thAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHH
HH99: Hey, what, what's going on? What's happening? Say something. ****.
*Connection lost*
Log END
The data file contains some data on the tests of the aliens, along with a few comments:
(below a result from a lerk blood analysis):
This thing looks weird. It has the signs of a third-hive lerk, yet it does not have those of a second-hive lerk. And we know it has only had access to one hive.
(footnote from observations of a gorge in artificial hive environment):
This is weird. It constructed that hive far faster than they usually do. Almost like it used less resources to achieve the effect.
(from the observation of a caged skulk)
This is funny. It seems it's able to see us through the walls. It looks in the direction of people walking the hallway. We've tested this further. They're able to do it even when the people in the corridor are completely silent, and we have checked over and over that they are not wounded when passing, so it's not their scent of blood playing a part."</i>
*Kick a desk* "We might start ending up with 'accidents' happening to us. I don't know if we can trust anyone but ourselves on all of this. I suggest we act like we just came in, grabed the stuff and didn't look at it. It proably won't last for long, but it might buy us some time to figure out where all the peices are on the board."
*Paces around the room* [Tries to think of anyone who can help us] "Anyone have any contacts that could help us? Friends, family, someone you went to collage with? Anyone?" </span></span></b>
"Am i the only one who thinks the "Wierd" ship thing sound awefully famillar?"
*Ed notices some odd looks*
"Human, with Kharaa stuff put in him, onboard a ship full of odd things? And does anyone remember the outlandish story Ven told us about his past? I know that if i was a scientist, messing with human and alien body systems, i'd implant an outlandish story to try and throw people off. Plus, what was the first vessel we encountered after the release of the new Strain?..."
*Ed draws his pistol.*
" And, If someone found out about your secret project, what would you do? Send them unprepared into a situation where they were at a disadvantage. I've got a baaad feeling about this"
</span>
<span style='color:green'>"Figures. Don't bloody trust the marines that had to SHOOT at these things. No, get yourSELF killed in the process of finding out what we already farking knew. Although that whole seeing through walls thing is kinda spooky."
*looks at Ed*
"I'd call you a conspiracy crackpot, but I'm getting the same bad vibes. Here, take this."
*tosses Ed his pistol*
"I'm not much good with it anyways. Hmm...this might sound like a dumb question, but what are our plans for evac?"</span>
"OK, that's it, were getting out of here now. Bork this mission, we are leaving."
*Groups up everyone and heads out to the ship*
"Ok everyone, check your corrners and stay sharp. I don't like it."
[Weapons at the ready, gets the team the frag out of here] </span></span></b>
"I hear that. Let's get the hell out of here!"
*shoulders weapon and runs to the front of the group*
*turns back*
"I'll scout ahead. I just feel that somethings gonna bite us in the **** real soon. I'll be no more than 3-4 meters head of you guys."
*runs off a bit*
*activates radio*
"And no...I am not running away. Just...scouting head. Honest."
*keeps at position 3-4 meters ahead*
</span></span>
"Something happen, oh, you read the data"
*Shuts down, the laptop, pulls the power source and hands it to Ed*
"Maybe this'll help Wynona back to near full power"
</span>