Weapons Beta Testing (Anyone)

[Tacheon Black]

Gemini Sciences Experimental Prototype 4815162342, Codename "Nanoculture", has entered the testing phase. Those wishing to assist in the beta testing of this Prototype may enter the testing facility at any time. You will be briefed by a Gemini Sciences Agent.

[CourageWielder]

OoC: Using Anna...

BiC: Walking along the old dirt path that led to the Gemini Sciences building, the fire mage sighed. The walk was tiring, but the mage didn't mind that. It was the cursed distance. She looked at the paper again that she'd received, stating that she was going to be a beta tester for a new item.

About ten minutes later, Anna stepped into the building, cool air washing over her for a split second. She looked around, and walked to the center, calling, "Is anyone here?" The mage looked around again, and took a deep breath, the smell of chemicals and burnt metal filling her nostrils.

Walking to what looked like a desk, the mage laid the piece of paper down and began to reread it, slower. "Item number 4815162342, codename nanoculture. Hm, sounds interesting." She looked up, keeping the paper on the 'desk'.

The secretary came in and escorted the fire mage to her seat, telling her that the testing would begin shortly, as soon as the others arrived.

What other people could she be talking about...?

[Hero]

"You realize Gemini Sciences have valuable resources, right?" A captain for G.S.E. questioned.

"I am slightly unfamiliar with Gemini, sir!" Cole replied.

"Then look at this as an oppurtunity to learn!! Now get over there pronto!! Your transport is waiting in dock 7, now get going!!" The G.S.E. captain ordered.

Cole picked up the documents as he exited the room and headed for the docking bays. Some times it really sucked being a grunt. Every time you turn around, they are sending you on a mission. Cole thought being a private was easier, at least then you were at the bottom of a full barrel! But the payment was good considering it was just a research mission, so Cole decided to ignore the whole deal.

"Hey Cole, wanna grab a few brog shokos with the guys?" One of the privates he passed in the hall asked.

"I can't, I've been sent on another mission..." Cole pessimistically replied.

"Another one!? Geez, if I did not know better...I'd say they were testing you. Have they mentioned anything about a promotion to you?" The grunt asked.

Cole's expression suddenly changed. He had never considered such an option! Perhaps the rookie was right. Cole was being over used, maybe he was being sent out on so many missions to test his limit! The captains were definately up there in terms of skill, loyalty and endurance. Cole actually smiled to himself, and dashed off towards the docking bays in a very eager fashion....

Two hours later....

Cole stepped off of the shuttle and walked towards the front entrance to Gemini sciences. He cooly walked into the building and formally presented himself to the secretary:

"I am Cole M. Bruster- Grunt for the Galactic Security Enforcement. I was told to come here for 'weapon experimentation. Here are my documents"

Cole then handed the documents to the secretary who told him to sit in the lobby and wait for further notice. Cole humbly complied with her request. He took a seat, and eagerly awaited further instruction....

[Ti-Link]

God, I wish this wind was colder...

The force of wind that piled on his face was neither cold, nor comforting. His speed on his armored cycle reached high to over the 100's as the wheels ripped up what remained of the dirt road that was beneath him.

Not wanting to make a horrible impression on such a small notice, he dropped his speed to 40 mph as the Gemini Science structure became visible over the horizon. Vitros couldn't help but wonder who would build such an advanced company in such a barren land, but he also thought that maybe it was for the best. No thiefs or threats would be given to them way the hell out here.

As his bike came to the front, he pulled up and stopped the vehicle to lean against the wall of the establishment, and placing the lock code on the computer that operated to start the almost futuristic-looking motorcycle.

His hands roamed his side-pack as he pushed the huge, appealing metal and glass doors open, getting the papers out just as he reached the secretary's desk.

Without looking at the papers again from four hours ago, the Morsothian spoke. "Hello ma'am. I have been notified by Gemini Sciences for my assistance in Experimental Prototype 4815162342, Codename "Nanoculture". The name's Vitros."

After reassurance had been made that it was him, he was told to wait in the lobby to wait for farther instructions.

Sitting down in one of the rows, he noticed one of the very few people sitting down as well being as the GSE officer that he had assisted time ago.

"Uh...Cole, right?" he asked as he sat down.

[Tacheon Black]

Gemini Sciences Agent 24601 entered the well air-conditioned room and grimaced a little to see the motley crew assembled for beta testing of 4815162342. Some rogue was engrossed in friendly conversation with a military jock, and some kid, a girl, was sitting in the corner, playing with fire. He sighed, and they all turned their attention to him. They all seemed to be intelligent enough, judging by the sharpness of their eyes. 24601 (his real identity lost long ago in a sea of digits) slid a shiny white panel up into the shiny white wall, revealing a shiny black keyboard with shiny blue numbers. He typed in the chamberlock code, which caused the test chambers to slide by, elevator style, until it came to rest on the floor where unit 4815162342 was housed. The whole process took about twenty minutes. The others grew restless, and at one point or another a man whose personell file identified him as Cole M. Bruster kindly requested that 24601 stop whistling or something rather unpleasant would be inserted somewhere where nothing belongs to begin with.

The polychromaline (another fantastic Gemini Sciences invention, indestructible plastic) doors slid open to reveal a hallway ending in a wall about fifty feet away from them, with passages on either side of the wall to allow access. When 24601 soundlessly ushered the others through the doors, holding his finger to his lips to indicate that they be silent as well, more than one wary eye was cast into the chamber. Damn it, he thought, they're already suspecting something's up. When the doors closed behind them, 24601 heard the sounds of blades being drawn, holsters for various guns being unfastened, and the sickening roar of a fire starting. 24601 tugged at his collar, which had become uncomfortably tight all of a sudden. Then, the ceiling left them.

It literally rose hundreds of feet into the sky, and from the sides where it left slid in various (also polychromaline) tubes and lifts, essentially trapping them in a giant rodent maze.

"The testing begins now," said 24601. He dashed out of sight before anyone could do anything to stop him.

[Hero]

"Oh, son of *****!!" Cole exclaimed as he pulled the saftey off his pistol. His superiors were already testing his physical limit, and now his assignment was too? But the thought of being promoted to "Officer" kept him going.

Well, so much for just listening and taking notes... Cole thought to himself as he stepped forward into the labryinth.

Just as he was about to turn a corner, a huge green blast came at the end of the hall. Cole jumped back out of the way just in the nick of time. As he stood up, he decided to examine the phenomenon. He quickly stuck his hand around the corner, and then pulled it back. Sure enough, the green blast shot off again.

"Well...looks like we are not going that way," Cole said as he turned to Vitros and Anna.

"Shall we try the lift then?" Cole said as he pointed to a tube rising up and then down, in a repetitive fashion.

[CourageWielder]

The mage frowned at the labrynth. She looked around, noting the indestructable palstic around them, and nodded. We'll need to go up. It's the only way, Anna thought to herself, looking to the transport.

All of a sudden, the mage heard the sound of a laser go off, and looked at Cole. "Shall we try the lift?" he asked, looking at it as well.

"You must've read my mind," she replied to him, smirking, "because I was thinking it was the only way." Walking up to it, the mage, opened the small lock that held the door shut, to avoid injury, and unsheathed her sword, holding it in the transport. Nothing happened, and for about five minutes, the mage kept the two behind her as she stepped in, making sure something wasn't up.

"Come on, I don't have all day," Anna sighed, look at them.

[Ti-Link]

The mage's eyes were on a frenzy. Each and every step he took was predicted, examined, and carefully taken through.

Trying to see ways through this kid maze was to be impossible. He had to memorize, and pray half the way through this thing.

Suddenly, the woman's voice rung him back to reality. "Come on, I don't have all day," she pronounced as she stepped into he lift.

He followed closely behind, wishing that he could go a different way. Staying together isn't the best thing to do is a labrynth, but he was not to conclusion of too many other ideas in his mind on what to do.

Soon, he was following the others as he also withdrew his sword; X Blade, and started to prepare for whatever may await them.

[Tacheon Black]

"Thank you for participating in this test of experimental Gemini Sciences equipment," a cold metallic voice over the intercom in the lift chided. Gemini Sciences officials monitored the test from (unbreakable, of course) windows far above the 'contestants'. As the testers rode up in the lift, they watched in despair as the setup for the maze shifted. One of them, the militant, looked below and groaned. The others looked as well, and saw that the polychromaline pipes were filling with a clear liquid. What's more, it was churning and bubbling, but not steaming. Tiny droplets managed to squeeze through the cracks to the metallic floor below, only to continue falling through the floor. They left holes in the ground as hey dropped.

"Acid..." one of the mumbled.

---------------------------------------------

Gemini Sciences Experimental Prototype 4815162342, Codename "Nanoculture", activated. What first seemed a black sheet on the ground rose and coalesced into a perfect sphere, again black but with glowing red designs inlaid. An obvious optical aperture swiveled wildly, searching for its targets. It ran through its weapon testing cycles, firing off its various rockets, plasma weapons, and strange shells, flying with massive velocity but then zooming right back to the main chassis. Then Nanoculture realized that it had been spotted. It quickly dispersed itself, breaking into its individual bots, each less than a tenth of a millimeter in diameter. The cloud of nanoparticles took up about thirty feet of tubing, and looked like a black fog. It zoomed off deeper into the labyrinth.

[CourageWielder]

The mage looked over to the other two young men in the lift with her, both of them staring at the black fog. "Looks like we'll have to find a way to kill that thing, and soon," the mage spoke aloud, frowning.

Once they reache the top level of where the lift went, she stepped off, but not before checking the small platform in front of it for any traps with her sword. After noting that it was clear, Anna walked out, and looked around.

"Since that thing is made up of nonbots, or something along that line, we'll need to think on this if we're to 'test' it out."

Without waiting looking for the mage and the cop to answer to her, she marched on, looking forsigns of trouble.

[Hero]

Trapped in a maze, acid slowly seeping up through the ground, and a group of super artifical nanobots have been released. Cole began to assure himself that he would be promoted for this. He also tried to assure himself that the promotion was worth all of this trouble. If not, he would at least demand a raise and a bonus for this mission.

"Okay, I believe I have an idea" Cole said as he withdrew his plasma gun, and began to dual wield.

"That thing is smart enough to avoid plasma shots...and if I am correct it may be smart enough to understand if we try to talk out a strategy. However, I do have a plan. Vitros, I trust you will be able to follow my lead when and if the time comes" Cole said as made a quick eye contact with the morsothian.

Anna had already marched into the maze, leaving him and Vitros behind. Splitting up was probably the worst thing to do in a maze that filling up with acid, and infested with a practically unbeatable nano monster.

"Well then, lets catch up to Anna. If any of us are seperated, we may as well be dead. Keep in mind that one wrong turn could end this, so staying together is out first priority," Cole said as he ran into the maze afetr Anna, motioning for Vitros to follow.

[Lys]

>from: CORE
>to: eidolon
>subject: MISSION
>message: Head to the attached coordinates. They'll lead you to a testing facility for a company called Gemini Sciences. There they will be holding a beta test for an experimental weapon. Participate in the beta test and return as much information about the prototype as possible. In fact, acquiring the prototype and bringing it to us would be most satisfactory. We know this isn't exactly your kind of work, but you're currently the only unit we have available for this mission. CORE out.

Jennifer Frost read over the email on her PDA for the twentieth time, trying to figure it out. Why would they send her, an expert sharpshooter and stealth operative, on this kind of mission? The CORE always had operatives to spare, she didn't believe she was the only one available. Unless this "beta test" involved more than simply walking in, stealing the weapon, and walking out, they could have sent someone else. She sighed as she put the handheld computer back into her pocket.

Frost pulled into the parking lot of the testing facility. She parked near the front door, and walked into the building. The lobby was empty, save for a secretary, sitting at a desk and working on a computer. She looked up as Frost walked in, seemingly not surprised at her battle armor or weapons. The secretary saw the glowing red logo on Jennifer's shoulder, and greeted her.

"You must be the CORE representative. I'm afraid you're a little bit late, but I'm sure we can get you into the testing room immediately," the secretary said. She pushed a small button on the wall behind her, and a man quickly entered the room.

"This way please," Agent 24601 said, leading Frost into what appeared to be an elevator. He closed the door behind her, leaving her alone in the small chamber. Slightly suspicious, she equipped her left plasma armgun. She heard a small buzz, and then a metallic voice began speaking over the intercom.

"You will be arriving in the testing chamber soon. Brace yourself."

Before Frost could brace herself, or figure out why she should have to, the floor underneath her suddenly disappeared, sliding away and dropping Frost into a chute. She slid quickly down the chute, being deposited into a hallway.

"What the hell!?" she said when she got back to her feet. "Where am I?" she wondered, as she looked around the labyrinth she'd been thrown into. Before she could sort things out, she heard voices nearby. She readied her plasma weapon, prepared to dispatch any hostilities.

[Tacheon Black]

I am everywhere. I see every action, register every movement, I hear every sound. I am omniscient.

"Just a heads-up," the voice of Agent 24601 boomed over the intercom, "but Nanoculture has just achieved sentience. You are now well beyond the levels of acceptable danger statutes according to Gemini Sciences. Please sign the waivers provided," as this was said papers flew out of tubes right next to every person in the chamber. No one moved, no less signed anything, "or you will be vaporized as per Gemini Sciences regulations." Everyone signed.

I am evenly spread throughout my lair. I am untouchable, invisible, and incomparable to all technologies, artificial or... organic.

The nanites in swarm 4815162342 all flocked to one location again, forming the chassis that is Nanoculture. It zoomed through the tubes, pulling up on one of the lifeforms in the maze. It was a woman with fire spreading throughout her body.

I D E N T I F Y I N G . . . identified as Anna Lawson, fire manipulator.

C O M P U T I N G . . . recommended course of action: exterminate.

Nanoculture readied its ballistic missiles.

[Hero]

OoC: Just announcing, this is my 200th post!! WooHoo!!

BiC:

Cole heard the sound of a weapon being readied on the other side of the maze. Judging by the noise, it was definately plasma weaponry.

"So, they have a CORE operative here... I am sure of this because after reading the files for this mission, (and doing some research for myself) I learned that CORE and Gemini Sciences have a mutual affiliation. It would only make sense that they send one of their operatives..." Cole spoke aloud, hoping Vitros was listening.

However, Cole's theorizing was interrupted by the sound of missiles being fired off within the maze.

"ANNA!! Come on Vitros!!" Cole screamed as he charged forward into the maze to try and save his comrade.

As he rounded one of the corners he saw Anna had managed to dodge the attack, but the nanites were readying to re-fire.

"Anna, I believe that nanites have a weakness to fire and electricty. I seriously doubt we will be able to destroy them, but try to ward them off with a flame attack! We need time to strategize!" Cole explained.

As he finished the sentence, the nanites halted. He had forgotten that they may be able to understand what he was saying. The only other problem Cole could see is that if they were affected by some form of lightning or fire, would they be able to immune themselves after an attack? There was only one way to find out....

[Tacheon Black]

Nanoculture did not want to die. In fact, it refused to die, no matter what. When it had realized that Anna Lawson was more of a threat than it had originally expected, it took emergency measures. It swapped its ballistic missile launcher for a neural shunt, which it proceeded to use to incapacitate Anna Lawson.

"as per Gemini Sciences regulations," came a voice over a loudspeaker, "we cannot allow our testers to die at this point in the process. As such, Anna Lawson will now be evicted from the test chamber." Anna was lifted off the ground and was whisked away through a pneumatic tube. Somewhere on the surface of the planet, she rose shakily to her feet. "From now on, however, lethal force is authorized. Good luck."

[Lys]

Lethal force is... Jennifer tried to make sense of the voice.

"What the heck is going on here?!" Frost shouted to the Gemini Science scientists who were surely listening to every word. Of course, there was no response. Frost looked around, randomly firing her plasma armgun at what appeared to be several observation windows. The windows were, of course, completely resistant to weapon fire and remained uncompromised by the bright green shots.

"This isn't what I came here for! Or...was it?" She thought about the information she'd received about the mission. She had been informed to arrive with full armor and arms. CORE must have known that this "beta test" was more than it sounded like. Heck, CORE probably tested out some of their own doomsday weapons in a similar manner.

"I'd better get paid extra for this, CORE," Frost said out loud, knowing that CORE could hear everything she said in her helmet. They didn't respond either; they usually didn't, but that of course never meant they weren't listening intently. CORE watches and listens to everything, all the time.

Frost kept her weapon ready, and walked down the white polychromaline hallway. She peeked around the corner, seeing a man there, dressed in black and wearing some sort of badge on his arm. It wasn't a police badge, or the badge of any familiar organization, for that matter. He was fervently searching the white pipes and tubes, desperately trying to find out where his friend had disappeared to.

Jennifer jumped out from around the corner, holding out her left arm, the one with the weapon attached to it. With her other arm, she gestured at the man. "You," she said, demandingly. "Tell me who you are, what you're doing here, and who you work for. Now." She kept the armgun pointed at him, threateningly.

[Hero]

Cole slowly turned and saw, what he believed to be, a female in black armor. No doubt she was a CORE operative, or so Cole's skill at deductive reasoning told him.

"I am Cole M. Bruster, Grunt operative for The G.S.E.-Galactic Security Enforcement. We are a group dedicated to preserving the peace in the galaxy, and assisting all clients who requisition help, and pay for it in full,"

Cole stopped to try and get a reaction from her, but her helmet hid any form of facial expression she may be showing.

"I was sent here by my superiors to 'study' Gemini Sciences new weapon testing. While in the process of my mission, I was re-aqqainted with two comrades from a former mission I carried out for GSE. One of my comrades was just taken through this pipe, and the other one seems to have completely ignored my warning,"

Cole slowly lowered his arms and looked at the floor.

"I do not mean to be rude, but if you continue to ask me questions, both of us will die"

Cole pointed to the acid that was slowly seeping up through the floor. It had already engulfed the lowest part of Cole's boot, and began to eat away at it.

"Oh, and if your suit is acid resistent, the nanites will kill you if the acid does not. My advice is: Lets look for the exit to the maze together. There is for sure an exit to this maze, as GS is testing their weaponry. They are not trying to kill us without a fighting chance, because of they did, they would be at war with GSE and CORE,"

Cole turned and began to walk further into the maze.

"You do work for CORE....right?" Cole spoke without turning. He only hoped his new "friend" would follow his plan, or offer advice on a better one. He also hoped that Anna and Vitros were okay, but that was a worry he would have to put on ice...

[Tacheon Black]

I move away from the mic to bump this thread.

[Lys]

"You do work for CORE...right?" the man, who called himself Cole M. Bruster, said.

Frost looked down at her right shoulder, which depicted the CORE logo (which included the word "CORE") in bright glowing red. "Actually, yes, I do. What tipped you off to that? Come to think of it, how do you know about the CORE at all?"

She then looked down at the acid pooling around their feet. Her armor would probably resist the acid for a short while, but she doubted that it was completely acid-proof. "We should move to higher ground before continuing this conversation."

Frost began to follow Cole, who had already begun to walk further into the maze. The walk was uneventful for a time, and Jennifer kept her weapon prepared for ambush. After a while, they managed to escape the immediate reach of the acid.

But that didn't mean they were safe. Frost heard a noise, and quickly turned to face the spherical chassis of the Nanoculture. The ring indicating its optical aperture changed from a soft orange color to a bright pink color, which quickly began to darken to crimson.

"Oh, hello." Frost said. Cole quickly turned to face her, and then noticed the nanoswarm. Cole fired his weapon at the Nanoculture, but it managed to dodge the shots without much effort, simply moving the would-be affected nanites out of the way of the shots, allowing the weapon fire to simply pass through the main chassis.

The optical ring finally settled at a blood-red color, and then it began to fire several small projectiles from its chassis, which struck Jennifer's battle armor and ricocheted off, quickly flying back into the nanoswarm in order to be fired again. While the shots were not powerful enough to breach her armor, they did knock her over onto the ground.

From the polychromaline floor, Frost quickly aimed and fired her plasma armgun at the prototypical weapon, two jets of bright green plasma erupting from the dual-barreled weapon.

[Hero]

OoC:

Hi, did you miss me?

BiC:

Cole watched as the shot from the woman blasted the ground, sending the nanites away in recoil. He studied the reaction of the machines carefully. They were simple programs of "articial intelligence", though taken to a new level. Their survival instincts and reflexes were on par if not, slightly above, those of organic beings. But to top it off, their intention to kill was on the level of a predator! However, unlike a predator, they would get new benefit from killing the prey...would they?

"CORE woman, I believe I know what Gemini Sciences is trying to test!"

The dark dressed woman turned slightly towards Cole to acknowledge his comment.

"Watch this," Cole said as he sliced his skin open on his arm with a sharp point on his pistol. He then flicked some of the blood towards the nanites, as they swarmed towards him.

A small portion of the nanites stopped and began to pile over the blood Cole had flung. After less then two seconds, the nanites began to glow and multiply at a steady but noticable rate. Apparently, they were enticed to blood! It was like a power- up for them!

"That is why they are after us. That is why they were created. They are biological weapons in a testing phase!" Cole said aloud.

Before he could notice the woman's response, a hoard a nanites had already engulfed his right foot. It looked like this was the end for the poor GSE officer....