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Post by Morgan Bryn on Aug 12, 2014 15:58:02 GMT -6
Morgan stared at the tube with a frown, looking hesitant. She'd expected some sort of physical shot into her own body, not her equipment. For some reason, having her equipment fail on her scared her more than a mere inoculation into her arm.
"Uh... it's back here," she answered, lifting the side of her coat and holding it back awkwardly, indicating the generator's housing that ran down her back. "What is that exactly, if you don't mind my asking before I get this injected into my gear..."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2014 20:19:09 GMT -6
"A chemical countermeasure that works with your shield to keep you invisible to the Seeker Swarms." Iskra offered it to Morgan to allow her to inspect the dark liquid, before bringing up a small projection of a Seeker. "They are a small, bug-like device used by the Collectors, used to find out and paralyze their victims into a stasis-like state. This countermeasure will keep us hidden from them, though in a higher concentration, they will see through the measure..."
Iskra watched as the holographic simulator had the bug dart around the air, "We will need to use a different method of protection should that time come."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Aug 13, 2014 8:56:05 GMT -6
From where he stood Eric saw a small flick of light dart about the medbay interior as Isrka was explaining something to a concerned looking Morgan. Squinting his eyes he could make out wings on it. A Seeker bug sim.
There were none deployed on Barce but within a Collector stronghold their presence was assured, especially if the tide was turning against the home field. Eric’s team was to infiltrate and hijack the base control systems. Depending on how much control the team’s techs could wrangle, multiple options were available for dealing with the swarms. Opening and shutting vents and accessways to steer them away from the rescue team and the prisoners. Venting sections of the base to eject the swarms into space. Adjusting atmospheric controls to either freeze or roast them in flight. As he had said to Maelstrom earlier sometimes it was more expedient to turn the enemy’s environment and weapons against them.
Eric mulled over these and other possibilities as he waited for Esteban and Joe to arrive.
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Post by Morgan Bryn on Aug 13, 2014 19:48:30 GMT -6
Morgan stared at the holographic representation of the machine-like insect, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She'd heard rumors of Collectors and their practices, but hadn't studied up on any of the files, as they were largely classified. Clearly that had been a mistake.
"And there's... whole swarms of these things?" She swallowed uneasily, quickly handing the tube of serum back to the doctor for application. "I'm scared to ask what other methods might be available should we run into an unexpected amount of these things... or how many an 'unexpected amount' might be exactly."
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Post by Esteban Bridges on Aug 13, 2014 22:42:35 GMT -6
Esteban stepped into the med bay, taking a look around to see who was there. His dark gaze passed from Eric to Iskra to Morgan, three of them looking at a glowing projection of a seeker. "I'm scared to ask what other methods might be available should we run into an unexpected amount of these things," Morgan hesitantly handed something back to Iskra, sounded more than a little nervous. He could understand why. Those things were designed for intimidation. "... or how many an 'unexpected amount' might be exactly."
He set his helmet down on a nearby table so he could grab it on the way out, making a faint clink... announcing his presence. He wanted to try to alleviate her fears, at least a little bit.
"We talked about fallback plans awhile ago," Esteban spoke up confidently, nodding a greeting toward Eric. "Barriers can be used to keep the swarm away short-term while we withdraw. There are the biotic and the technological options." Esteban came to a stop close to the seeker projection, staring at its strange wings. He frowned, shuddering. The seekers looked worse close up. "But the counter-measure should be more than enough, provided we are fast enough."
If, he thought. If.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Aug 14, 2014 8:55:52 GMT -6
Esteban arrived before Joe, nodding a greeting. Eric returned his gesture and listened as his employer listed other ways of dealing with Seeker swarms should Iskra’s formulation fail to dispel Morgan’s fears. Eric then volunteered his earlier meditations on the Collectors’ chief means of immobilizing specimens for capture. “If we get lucky and get control of the systems inside the Collector base we can also deflect or redirect the swarms by cutting off passageways, venting sections to space, changing the temperature and so on… depending on how much control we can take. We’ve got a talent bunch on hand; we should be able to hijack at least one system.”
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Post by Joe Fischer on Aug 14, 2014 12:01:53 GMT -6
Joe arrived at the medbay to find a small crowd inside it, all huddled around a holographic picture of a seeker bug and discussing different methods of dealing with them. He was tempted to make his usual boisterous entrance, but this was a talk that could benefit the team, so he kept his mouth shut and listened in to see if there was anything meaningful he could contribute.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 17:54:38 GMT -6
Iskra bristled at the other men's voices, shutting down the projection. They hadn't been asked and then to give wrong information...
The young doctor gently plugged in the serum into the shield generator of the woman standing in front of her, reading the message she had just seen pop up on her omni tool. The fire inside her only fueled by the contents.
As soon as Eric finished the Drell rounded on Esteban. "First of all, there is not proof any technological measures can be used against the greater swarms. A bubble biotic field is the only known defense. Knowing this, WHY would you send both biotics on the same team? If your team get surrounded by the swarm before you even get to a control room the mission will already be compromised."
Iskra ejected the empty tube from Morgan's back, "You know Karn's biotics are not strong enough defensively to create what is needed."
The tube was put back into its place, the doctor quickly grabbing another full tube. In a long stride she was behind Eric and plugging it into his shield generator. "While we are on the subject of the mission, who's idiotic idea was it for me to be the second team leader? Both Maelstrom and Joe are the more logical choice."
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Post by Morgan Bryn on Aug 14, 2014 20:01:20 GMT -6
Although Morgan had heard Bridges enter the medbay behind her, she hadn't realized Eric and Joe were present as well until they all started speaking up at once.
Morgan could read Iskra's irritation plain on her face, and at first assumed the Drell was simply irked due to the fact that she had been speaking to Morgan and they had been interrupted, but once Iskra started speaking, Morgan could tell there was clearly more to the situation.
To the Drell's credit, there was a huge difference between being able to stop a swarm with biotics and being able to stop them with tech. As a non-biotic, Morgan was rather keen on determining the difference as quickly as possible. If her tech wasn't going to save her, she'd rather know sooner than later.
Granted, there were other tech-based options as Eric detailed. They could potentially cordon off sections of the base and vent them into space, but venting wouldn't do them a shit bit of good if the swarm was in the same compartment as they were. All in all, if a swarm came after her, Morgan wanted to know the best way to deal with it as quickly as possible, and at the moment, the best option seemed to be clinging to the nearest biotic she could find.
Morgan listened to the interaction as Iskra finished with her ministrations and stepped over to Eric.
"While we are on the subject of the mission, who's idiotic idea was it for me to be the second team leader? Both Maelstrom and Joe are the more logical choice," Iskra added, clearly annoyed.
Morgan's eyebrows rose as she leaned herself up against one of the exam tables and crossed her arms in front of her. "Daaaaaammmn..." she said softly, secretly amused at the trouble in paradise that was unfolding before her.
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Post by Esteban Bridges on Aug 14, 2014 20:40:05 GMT -6
Esteban rose up to his full height, his dark eyes narrowing to slits. His voice carried an uncharacteristic edge to it.
"I did nothing to deserve that tone, Iskra," Esteban nearly hissed. "Your displeasure with Maelstrom's plan gives you no right to speak to me like that. Especially when I extend to you every courtesy possible."
"Every courtesy? How about asking me if I even wanted this job? You know why I came with you this time..." Her voice drifted, looking displeased with herself that she was even going to say what was next. "...And it was not to save those people"
"I was coming here to ask you if you wanted to lead," He folded his arms across his chest. He was not sure what was going on, but he would not tolerate disrespect. "Nothing was finalized about the plan. Nothing."
"Not finalized?" Iskra's eyes narrowed as she pulled the tube from Eric's back, "Everyone on the ship has gotten the message that I'm the leader, you did not think to ask me in private before doing so. I hardly believe there is 'choice' in the matter."
Iskra walked over to him and placed his serum on the counter next to his helmet, the hiss from her teeth like a snake ready to strike. "Leave."
"There is always a choice," Esteban responded, walking to his helmet. He did not touch the vial. His resolve was set. "You are very clearly rejecting the position I just offered to you. That's fine. I will ask Maelstrom instead."
Iskra says nothing and turns back to the last of the vials.
"And Iskra," he paused at the door before leaving. He felt an ocean of emotion boiling below the surface. Anger. Betrayal. Sadness. "I ... I am disappointed in you."
Esteban looked at Eric. "Eric, grab Maelstrom and report up to the upper level. I will have things to discuss with the both of you."
With that, Esteban left.
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Post by Joe Fischer on Aug 14, 2014 21:03:28 GMT -6
Joe was not the least bit surprised at the boss' response to Iskra's challenge; what did surprise him was her admittance that she had not come along to save the people imprisoned by the Collectors. And as much as he wanted to know what her real reason was, he also knew she was not going to tell him.
He looked over at Morgan and said, "How about we step outside and give Iskra a minute?"
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Post by Morgan Bryn on Aug 14, 2014 22:02:04 GMT -6
Morgan stayed quiet, surprised at how heated the conversation quickly got. She hadn't known any of these people for long, but there was clearly something bubbling under the surface that wasn't being said. The way Morgan saw it, such things could get people killed, which was an eventuality she'd like to avoid.
She mulled over what was being said; Why put someone in charge of a team if they hadn't even been asked? She would have gotten that if this had been a military vessel, but as far as she was aware, either Iskra or Bridges were ex-soldiers. At first Morgan wondered if perhaps they were placing the biotics in lead positions, but that wouldn't make sense considering both Maelstrom and Iskra were on the same team. Either way, this didn't sound like the kind of thing to wait until the last minute to discuss with the team. Perhaps they weren't as much of a cohesive unit as she'd originally thought.
Morgan's eyes widened in surprise as Iskra literally demanded Bridges leave, but she quickly frowned again at the boss' assertion that Iskra was rejecting the position in question. That wasn't the impression she had gotten at all. From what the Drell was making it sound like, she hadn't even been asked yet. None of this was sitting right with Morgan, considering what little intel she had to go on regarding the mission in the first place.
As the argument wound down, Bridges headed for the door, turning back for just a moment. "I ... I am disappointed in you. Eric, grab Maelstrom and report up to the upper level. I will have things to discuss with the both of you." With that, Bridges left.
Morgan whistled softly. "Ouch..."
She was about to ask Iskra if she was alright, when Joe spoke up quietly. "How about we step outside and give Iskra a minute?"
"Why?" Morgan questioned simply, looking from the merc back to the Drell. She knew he was trying to minimize the suddenly awkward situation, but running off had the potential to be the exact wrong thing to do when someone was upset. "It should be up to her, don't you think?"
(reply Joe?)
"Besides, all the action's in here." Morgan smirked before looking back over to the doctor who was fuming a short distance away. "Iskra, do you need space, or do you need to talk?" she questioned plainly, not seeing any reason to sugar-coat it after what had just transpired. If the Drell really wanted to turn her into chunky salsa, she could have done that back in the cargo bay. "And if you need to talk, how about starting with why you're really on this mission, since Bridges didn't tell me there was more than one goal here..."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Aug 15, 2014 5:15:34 GMT -6
"Why?" Morgan asked. "It should be up to her, don't you think?"
He felt a little silly with his helmet still on, so he took it off. "I imagine she's feeling a little...exposed...right now," he said. "I think we should give her a minute to...cover up."
"All the action is in here," she replied, before turning to the drell. "Iskra, do you need space, or do you need to talk?" she asked. "And if you need to talk, how about starting with why you're really on this mission, since Bridges didn't tell me there was more than one goal here..."
He just stared in amazement at the team's newest addition.
She's either got the biggest balls on the team or the fewest brains...maybe both.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Aug 15, 2014 8:41:18 GMT -6
Iskra was precise but uncharacteristically a bit rough as she connected the anti-Seeker tube to Eric’s shield projector, jostling him slightly. Eric did not intervene or react lest she got even angrier. Bad enough she did not approve of his or his employer’s non-biotic countermeasure suggestions – not everyone had the ability to bend dark energy fields to their will. But she seemed downright insulted at the suggestion that she should lead the rescue team. And then her confession about the prisoners not being her main concern… Joe looked surprised at the team doctor; he was all for saving any prisoners he could find. The newcomer Morgan seemed to be enjoying the conflict on some level, having the luxury of no close ties to anyone on the ship as of yet.
Esteban put Iskra in her place, pointing out that the plans and team assignments forwarded to everyone earlier were not finalized and that he wished to ask her if she agreed with his and Maelstrom’s choices. The doctor dismissed him anyway and he started out of the room without taking his inoculation but stopped a second to look at Eric.
"Eric, grab Maelstrom and report up to the upper level. I will have things to discuss with the both of you."
“…righty-o, Mr. B…” Eric nodded quietly as his employer left the room.
Joe suggested leaving the drell doctor alone for a bit but Morgan was insistent on finding out what her true motivations were for being on this mission, exclaiming how this room was “where the action is.”
Eric decided to take up the newcomer on that point.
“Morgan,” he called out to her. “… did we forget several hours ago? She lifted up all those boxes around you… by herself…! And you wanna dig into her…? Not smart. I was gonna congratulate her and offer some advice. Now I’ve got questions for her too but it’s her call if she wants to open up to us… and she just ticked off the boss… Joe’s right - she needs some time in a neutral corner…”
An under thought plagued Eric throughout his speech: when the hell did I become the good cop in this outfit?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 13:21:26 GMT -6
Iskra stood with her back to the three still in the medbay, shaking with rage. He knew...by the stars...he knew why I was here and yet...
"...and she just ticked off the boss...Joe’s right - she needs some time in a neutral corner...”
"Would you stop assuming what I need and actually ask me?!" Iskra yelled at the men, slamming her hand into the table. The medbay immediately silenced, leaving only echos of chaos.
The young doctor stood open in front of them, her heart bleeding in her hands as she fought the urge to break. He was the one that broke the promise to her and yet she was the one standing here being treated like the enemy. She had to face it, she no longer trusted the man she had put her whole homeworld's fate into.
"This...never leaves this room." She finally spoke, calmer. "Asa, quaritine protocols." The medbay immediately went into lock down, the door locked behind the two soldiers, the binds closing them off to the outside world, the system disconnecting itself from the rest of the ship. Nothing to get in and no one to overhear.
Not wishing to scare them any more than she had, Iskra immediately began to explain. "Three weeks ago I found a machine on my homeworld that produced enormous amounts of radiation." A holo appeared between the small group of the twisted metal. "Its construction, and the components it is made up of, are not native to Rakhana."
"The implications of this could mean that the fall of my homeworld was sped up by some unknown force. I approached Esteban to help me learn of this device, and in return he promised me that I would be allowed to retrieve any possible Collector data on this machine. Clearly that is no longer the intention."
Iskra's voice wavered for a moment, her soul still burning with anger. "I am sorry, but you must understand that if this fell into the wrong hands my homeworld would never see peace. My life's work is at stake."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Aug 15, 2014 13:51:27 GMT -6
Iskra's outburst, combined with the lockdown, made Joe a bit nervous; he felt his hand reaching for his shotgun.
But then she began her explanation.
*****
"...my life's work is at stake," she finished.
"Damn," he whispered as he realized what she was trying to do: to restore her homeworld, much like the quarians were. The scope of such a task was beyond his ability to comprehend.
He looked over at the others, who were still apparently processing what she had said.
"So, if you find anything at the Collector base on this thing, then it wouldn't be your rapid industrialization combined with the inability of interstellar travel which almost wiped out your people," he said. "It would be a smoking gun, proving the Collectors--and maybe the Reapers--nudged your people towards destruction."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 14:27:50 GMT -6
"Not...exactly." Iskra spoke carefully, surprised at Joe's knowledge of her homeworld. "How to put this...It is like the first domino falling in a line. It would have all happened eventually, someone just tipped the first one early."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Aug 15, 2014 14:44:39 GMT -6
Eric cast his eyes down and breathed. Maelstrom and Esteban appeared to have forgotten the doctor’s tendency to get involved emotionally when they nominated her to lead the rescue team. Consumed with her research, with so much depending on it, very few could handle that kind of sustained pressure without cracks appearing. Her disclosure of his employer’s promise to her had Eric questioning his motives as well. If getting data on Ambassador Udina was really for stopping him from further selling out the human race or just selling out the Barce expedition that almost cost Esteban his life. Compelling him to lie, wheel and deal to gather up a group to carry out his revenge. “That –uh… I…” Eric fought for words. “… I’m… you’re probably the only one on this ship who could care less about a paycheck. Somethin’ like that you don’t lay out on just any CEO’s desk and expect them to take pity on you. I’m guessin’ you and Bridges have history or you know someone who’s got history with him that gave you an in.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 14:50:37 GMT -6
Iskra's eyes flickered, unsure of where Eric's line of thought was going. Surely they knew...?
"I am friends with the man who hired Esteban, the man who paid for this ship and these expeditions."
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Post by Maelstrom on Aug 15, 2014 15:11:31 GMT -6
The booming sounds of the simulation running within the Vengeance sent vibrations through the hull, as Maelstrom looked up to the corner of his HUD, noting the time on the chonometer. Only a few minutes left until the last-minute briefing Bridges had asked him to request from everyone, and there was still not a soul there. He found himself pacing. Being prompt was a matter of common courtesy and professionalism in his mind- enough so that he considered someone late if they were not several minutes early.
As he walked foreward and back along the decking, he watched the readouts scrolling by on the diagnostics Emily was running on his equipment. Everything was running at peak efficiency. Occasionally, she increased the power to one system or another to be absolutely certain that it would handle full-power in the middle of combat. All emergency batteries were charged as well. A last-minute scan was checking his gear's operating systems for any malicious software.
And then they were done. Two minutes before the meeting was supposed to start.
Trying to take his mind off his growing irritation, he pulled his Cerberus-modified geth assault rifle off his back and started a manual check of all system. An old habit from his time working with Alliance Military. Before landing, whether or not anyone was late, he would repeat the ritual with both his Cerberus-modified geth submachine gun and his Collector submachine gun.
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