Gonzaga Pt 2 - Arrival - RPLOG
Participants
Date
8/02/2017
Log
Neil exits the interviewing room about fifteen seconds after Amethyst does and leaves the hut entirely. He returns exactly five minutes after talking Ameythyst he needed a five minute break. "Pegasus, come with me. It is time for your interview." he says as he heads into the room.
Alissa steps aside from the podium and digs through a small bag as Neil exits the hut. She removes a bunch of strawberries from the pouch and says, "Would anyone like some fruit? I have some to spare." before eating one of the strawberries, biting it so that the stem may be discarded.
Amethyst takes a few steps over to Alissa, clasping her hands together in front of her and tilting her head. "Fruit? May I try a few?" She asks, cocking her head and looking over the strawberries curiously. She then turns and flops down on a nearby seat, kicking her legs idly. She then looks over to smile softly at Firecracker, raising a hand to wave. "Good luck! Not that you'll need it!"
Willy looks at the strawberries with a smile and picks one from the bunch "Thank you" he says as he gently removes the leaves and stem before be noms on it happily. The fox wags his tail with a smile. "Man I always love these when I was younger."
"Oh! Me! I knew there was gunna be snacks!" Firecracker chirps out happily, darting through the air to the podium and landing atop it. "Thanks!" she says to the husky before opening her mouth nice and wide, bending down to the fruits, and clamping her tiny teethies down on one of them. With the sweet thing held in her mouth, she spreads her wings and shoots off through the door after Neil, waving goodbye to all the people left behind!
Alissa smiles and her tail wags happily. She takes four berries from the bunch and sets them in Amethysts hands when she cups them to recieve the strawberries. "I'm glad you like them." she responds to Willy and Navara. She watches as the tiny pony carries away one of the large ripe strawberries, "Good luck!" she wishes the Pony.
Inside the beige interviewing room Neil walks around the desk before sitting and returning to perfect posture. He watches the small, strawberry carrying, Pony fly around. "Please take a seat and we will begin." he says.
Firecracker lands atop the desk with the strawberry in her mouth, closing her jaw to take a bite out of the fruit and letting it drop on the desk in front of her. "Fanks! Buh I dun weally needa sead, sho yoo gan geep id!" she says to the interviewer, mouth stuffed with juicy redness and making her words rather difficult to understand as she chews.
Amethyst brings her cupped hands to her face, taking a deep sniff of the fruit. She then smiles and nods approvingly, beginning to nibble on them... Though some juice escapes her mouth and trails down the corner of her mouth. "Wow, these are so sweet. I really should expand my diet now that I'm above ground..." She muses for only a moment before continuing to savor the berries.
Willy finishes off his strawberry. "Not bad at all. A little sweeter than the old store brands I recall, but that something that can be good on their own." he says before patiently waiting on Fire's interview.
Neils eyes widen as the strange creature lands on his desk with a piece of fruit. He hums lightly, a sound that is more similar to a louder version of the whirring noise that always comes from Clockwork Foxes, for just a moment before saying, "Are you sure? You may want to... become larger so that if while on mission and something stops you from flying you don't get left behind or stepped on." he says.
Navara chomps happily on her strawberry, licking her lips when a little extra juice seeps out. Looking over the strawberry curiously, she ponders softly. "I wonder if I could make anything like this..."
Firecracker makes a rather loud gulping sound as she swallows down her bit of strawberry, and then points to it with a hoof as she offers some to her interviewer. "Want some? And am I s'posedta be bigger for this? Okay then! Say whenta stop!" she says to the clockwork fox before she inhales a deep breath through her mouth, plugs it with her hoof, and then blows, quickly getting larger in her spot on the desk as she keeps her ears perked for a signal to stop her growth.
Alissa smiles as the agents enjoy her strawberries and she eats another of them. At about this time Cookies who had been fairly quiet excuses herself and rushes out explaining that they would not be able to participate in this contract. Alissa watches the door, a bit confused at the going on, before shrugging and returning her attention to the agents still here. "Make strawberries? You mean like grow a garden of their plants?" she asks as Navara suggests making them.
Neil watches the tiny pegasus as she expands in a way that almost makes him wonder if she is somehow made of synthetic materials. He watches, his head tilted slightly to the left, as she expands until she is about five feet tall. "Alright, that size should be about enough." he says. He then tales a breath and continues, "No thank you about the strawberry. I have some questions for you. The first of which being what do you think qualifies you to take this contract?"
Amethyst glances to Navara as she finishes her strawberries, licking the juice from her lips. "A garden would be cool, but I would be worried about any... pests. You don't exactly have just small critters who will want your food..."
Willy licks his lips as he finishes his strawberry. "As long as you have the people power to deal with them, you should be fine. New Dawn after all has a small community far setup as is, and they don't seem to have any big issues."
Navara chuckles softly, finishing her strawberry off right up to the leafy nub. Leaning back into her chair, she stretches her legs out in front of her, looking over to Amethyst. "Gardens for stuff like this is nice, sure. Though, I was actually thinking about what I can do with the NICE I had recently installed. Still figuring out what I can do with that nanomagic."
Firecracker pops her hoof out of her mouth as she reaches just a bit over five feet long, still leaving her about 4 feet tall when standing on all fours. "Okie dokie lokie!" she says, still sitting atop the desk as she bends down and scoops up the strawberry with her tongue to finish the snack! "Oh! I know that one! You wanted someone to 'deal with unexpected elements'," she says, raising her forelegs up to make airquotes by bending her 'wrists', "and no one expects the Spanish Inquisition! Their chief weapon is surprise! And the element of surprise is unexpected and I love surprises!"
Alissa slowly nods as she recognizes the subject is drifting into the nanomagical. He smiles at the three agents and makes to effort to conceal the remaining strawberries. "I don't know if they're able to make fruits... I wonder if their taste would be affected." he says.
Neil, the clockwork fox whom up to this point had shown no indication that he wasn't actually a robot, snerks as Firecracker uses the old Monty Python line. He immediately calms himself and says, "While it is true that the element of surprise is very effective I am here to evaluate you on your specific skills in how they relate to this contract. Are you qualified to work with pre P-Day tech? Do you have applicable Nanomagics?" he asks a very feint tone of amusement in his voice.
"I have no idea! Maybe!" Firecracker replies with a wide smile. "First ya gotta tell me what those things are then I can tell ya if I am or not or do or don't!"
Amethyst tilts her head at the mention of nanomagic, though she seems content to listen, her fluffy tufted ears at attention atop her head. Likewise, her tail wavers in the air between the kitten girl's back and the back of the chair.
Neil again tilts his head, confused by the pegasus, "Well... a qualification would be having demonstrable skill with technology, Nanomagics are the abilities provided by the varius programs exicutable via a Nanite Interface Control Enhancer, or as most people call it a N.I.C.E." he says. He takes another breath.
Navara turns briefly to Alissa as she joins in the subject. Though, she furrows her brow, scratching behind an ear as she thinks. "Well, from what I understand so far is that with culinary nanomagic you can make fruits. Can't make anything that grows...but it still taste like a fruit. Just has the nutrients of whatever biomass you make it out of...or I could produce something like that as a syrup or juice...." Navara scratches her, thoughtful and trying make sure she had caught on with everything she had been when she had the NICE installed.
Alissa nods slowly, "Oh... so you could make carrots into strawberries but not strawberry plants?" she asks, she sounds quite curious about the idea of making fruit from not-fruit.
"Oh! Roomie has a compy that he let me play with! Does that count?" Firecracker asks cheerfully. "And I'm probably the nicest nicer that ever niced a nicety!" she adds, jovially swinging a foreleg in front of her.
Amethyst tilts her head more, as if that was even possible. "Nanomagic sounds... confusing." She muses, flicking her tail and leaning back in her seat. "I've heard it's useful on the field, but I've never looked into it, myself..."
Neil watches the human-sized pegasus blankly for a moment before saying, "Alright... so you do have a Nanite Interface Control Enhancer, could you list what programs you have for it or demonstrate them?" he asks.
Willy nods inquisitively "Huh...so it's kinda like...I doubt most people will get this...like a replicator from old Science Fiction shows, making stuff from the reworked materials of other things?"
"I have no idea!" Firecracker answers happily once again, "Is there a wayta check or somethin'? What's it look like? I got a lotta stuff!"
Navara sighs, scratching her cheek. She nods to Amethyst. "You're telling me. That's why I've been trying to practice with it!" Chuckling, she nods to Willy and Alissa in tandem. "Yes, and yes. And, they would taste and feel like strawberries, but they'd have the nutrients of a carrot."
Neil blinks a few times. He then says, "I can provide you with a test for technical skills." he then opens a drawer and sets the reassembled Bamboozler on the table. "This thing is broken and I am not sure what it is. Could you tell me and fix it?" he says. Alissas eyes widen slightly, "That is amazing. It'd certainly make eating the less yummy healthy things more bearable." she comments.
Amethyst giggles. "That would actually be really cool for things like rations. Maybe you could make dry, pasty rations taste like chocolate cake!" She continues to kick her legs, her body swaying with the momentum.
Willy nods "yes that would. I do wonder though if it also can be used for not so nice means, but having tasted the honey from you Navara, I don't think that’s coming from your rapture of course." he says with a smile.
Navara purrs softly, tilting her head she considers the possibilities. "I....think I might be able to that to rations? Maybe?" She shrugs to Willy. "I'm sure there is some nasty this you could do. My focus is just even learning what I can do."
Firecracker blinks at the Bamboozler, tilting her head this way and that in confusion before suddenly perking up in realization! "Ohhhhh! This is onea those art thingies you make outta a bunch of different parts, right?" she asks before standing over it and moving around to see it from from all angles. "Oh no, wait! There's some computery stuff and an art thingy all mixed together!" she says with a smile, pulling out bits of a toaster and blender from the full computer she quickly puts together with her forehooves inexplicably. With the computer put back in working order, she turns to her remaining pieces, picking up the scraps and licking them before placing them back together, arranging them in roughly the shape of a Christmas tree as they are held together by her gluey saliva! "There! Computer thingy and part arty thingy! Two for one!" she giggles as she presents her finished work back the fox, tongue still poking out of her mouth as she smiles.
Neil looks dumfounded down at the now functional computer, totally ignoring the tree-like peace of art, "That is impressive." he says. He looks up at the Pegasus, "Well now... I believe you will be able to contribute to the mission." he says as he rises from his chair. "Come with me. Alissa will want to give you your briefing." he says. He then leads Firecracker out of the beige room and says to Alissa, "All of these applicants are acceptable. You may brief them."
Alissa nods slowly as the agents get into some detail of Nanomagic. She then perks up when the door opens and Neil emerges to make the statement. "Alright." she says and moves to the podium. "Now if everyone would listen for a minute or two I have a presentation to prepare you for this operation." she says then pauses for a moment to allow the Agents to take their seats. She starts, "Today we are sending you to Spokane, in Washington State. We have made arrangements for Zephyr to fly you over Oregon to avoid the unnecessary danger of the Packminds. Once you land by RSXs Headquarters Neil will lead you to one of our Washington Safe houses where we have a reassembled motor-vehicle prepared with enough fuel to reach Spokane and return. Upon reaching the city we want you to focus your salvaging efforts on the grounds of Gonzaga University. We believe that the University poses the greatest chance for salvaging intact computers and solar panels. While we do have enough panels for our needs here in New Dawn some of our research projects do desperately need these sensitive materials. With the vehicle are several sealable reinforced glass cases. Please fill these with salvage before returning to earn full payment. Any questions?”
Amethyst straightens up and ceases her fidgeting, listening intently to the briefing. As they're asked die questions, she raises a hand, speaking soon after. "Do we have any information on hostiles in the area? Depending on the amount of potential danger we might need to adjust our strategy and watch each other's backs."
Willy is about to ask a question but Amethyst asked it for him. The fox looks over at the two to see what sort of response will be given.
Navara looks around at the team, feeling a bit out of place. Not having heard the interviews of the others, she raises hand. Amethyst had already ask her main question, but she had another. "I take it others of the team know how to properly dismantle some of these items for safe transport?"
Firecracker pronks happily behind Neil as he leads her back to the main room for briefing, reemerging from her interview more than ten times as large as she was when she went in. "Hiya again, peoples!" she chirps out happily as she enters and then plops her rump down in her chair in front for the information session.
Once Alissa finishes speaking, Firecracker's hoof shoots up in the air, waving around and around frantically as she waits for Amethyst to finish her question, then dropping it and blurting out, "Got any more snacks?!"
Alissa nods when she receives the first question, "Really this is the first time we have sent people to Spokane... and why we wanted only the most qualified agents. We don't know if there will be hostiles." At about this time Neil chimes in, "Yes, as per your interviews I have made sure the group has all of the necessary skills that I believe you will be able to achieve mission success with no assistance beyond being shown where the motor vehicle is in Woodfield." Alissa then clears her throught after Neils interruption and continues, "Only the strawberries that we had a moment ago." he says to Firecracker.
Amethyst nods a bit, her hazel eyes break away from Alissa and travel across her companions. "I suppose we'll have to stick together then, or at least in only a couple of groups. We don't want to be overwhelmed." The kitten girl grips the edge of her skirt tightly, seeming a bit on edge.
Willy nods "Rough, going in blind." he says "Hopefully if there is any there, they will be scare of us as we are uneasy about them. No further questions." he says as he listens in more.
Navara glances briefly at the others and then gives their Neil and Alissa a nod. "I believe I'm set."
"Aww..." Firecracker groans in disappointment for a second before quickly perking back up, "Oh well! Good thing I have my own!" she says, reaching a hoof up into her mane and digging around a couple seconds before pulling out a hoof full of strawberries! She hops up out of her chair and heads for the door, offering the snacks to the others as she bounces along on three hooves, popping the fruits into her own mouth as well. Once she goes out the door, she immediately turns around and pokes her head back in. "Oh wait, where we are going again?" she asks with a giggle.
Alissa nods and Neil says, "Excellent. Then if you would follow me I with lead you to the truck and we can begin the excursion into Spokane." he walks out of the hut with the Agents then answers Firecracker, "You are going to the city of Spokane using the truck we have prepared in Woodfield." he replies. He then uneventfully leads them through Fairhaven, to the Zephyr Building and speaking with some of the Zephyr employees the group is then directed to the helipad where the chopper is waiting. Neil exchanges pleasantries with Mike before boarding and urging the agents to do as well. Once the entire group is aboard the chopper takes off, flying the three hour trip to Woodfield. Along the three hours Neil remains mostly silent, taking deep breaths, until Woodfield is in sight. Neil smiles and quickly disembarks the helicopter once it lands. He stretches and says, "Alright... the safe house is only a block and a half from here."
The second the helicopter leaves the bubble, Firecracker's Distributed nanomagic is activated, keeping the group in bubble in effect. The entire three hour trip is filled with talking or humming or singing from the pegasus as they travel making it quite a bit more lively than the usual three hours of silence the trip is.
Once the group makes it to their destination, Firecracker pops out of the helicopter to continue on their trip to the car and then to the great unknown! "Okie dokie lokie! Where to next?!" she asks enthusiastically as she looks around.
Neil nods in agreement with Amethysts comments. "Yes, it would be best if this doesn't take until tomorrow morning." He finishes his stretching and walks off of the RSX Helipad before looking behind him and saying, "Come along." He then leads the party the block and a half to the Safe house. He then unlocks and opens the garage door to the building revealing a vehicle that looks like a cross between a dune buggy and a pickup truck. "This is the vehicle we have prepared." he says. He then climbs into the bed of the strange vehicle and shows you two large transparent boxes. "These are the reinforced glass containers we want you to put the salvage in on recovery. Nanites, especially the nanite soup of an established bubble, will devour the salvage if you don't or the boxes are damaged. Oh and that is another thing don't let the word 'reinforced' fool you. These are still made of glass. If you're not gentle they will break." he explains then climbs out of the truck. "Now your destination is north-east along Route 395. Spokane should be just under one hundred and fifty miles from here. You should have just over enough fuel for the three hundred mile round trip." he says.
Willy nods "That is noted. I did use them before with the science missions. Shouldn't have any issues." he says before opening the driver’s seat door "I'll drive" he says as he hops his way in. Quickly he inspects the setup, looking for what he remembers as gas pedal, break and ignition. He also looks to the center "hehe, too bad there isn't any radio stations left for this trip" he says as he gets prepared.
Navara wandered around the vehicle Neil explained everything. Taking in the curious mix of vehicle, and looking where to seat herself. Her eyes are drawn to the transport boxes, and she nods slowly as they are warned about them breaking. "Understood. We'll be careful to treat them well." Her ears flick at the sides of her head as she tries to figure out if it'd be better to seat herself in the bed with the transport boxes.
Firecracker hops right into the back seat of the car buggy and sticks her head out the window. "Ready to go!" she cheers out happily, bouncing in her seat in excitement as she waits for the adventure to really begin!
The nearly three and three quarter hour long trip to Spokane is largely uneventful. It isn't the smooth ride it may have been a decade ago but between the vehicle modified for the times and the good driving of Willy they hit very few large bumps and jostles arriving in Spokane as the Sun is beginning to set. Rolling along Route 395 they arrive in the city on an Overpass giving them a decent view into the city.
Amethyst fiddles with her hands a bit along the ride, seemingly in another place... Mentally, at least. As the sound of the tires shift upon driving onto the overpass, the kitten girl snaps back into reality, her tufted ears indecisive as to whether or not they're folded back. She glances out the window, taking in the view, a bit taken aback by the new surroundings.
Willy gazes around a bit as they reach the overpass. "Hmm...doesn't look like there is anyone out on the edge of town. Don't know if that’s good or bad..." he says before spying the chewed up road sigh. Slowly down as he reaches the off-ramp, he slowly eases the car off the highway and onto the state road that leads into the university.
Navara is alert, very alert as they close in on the target city. Her ears twist and swivel, but still most anything but the vehicle is drowned out. Her eyes scan roads and nearby landscape as they head down the ramp. "Don't see anything either. Not yet at least." Leaning just slightly, she looks down at the river they are passing over on the way to the campus.
The city remains quiet as they roll down the off-ramp, over the Spokane River, onto the street. It is a trivial task from there to navigate into the center of the campus. There is evidence of recent habitation, firepits, bits of recent litter, and to anyone with a mutant’s sense of smell the whole area reeks of human. As they reach the center they see a spot that would be great for them to park. Not an actual parking spot as where one would park to avoid tickets before P-Day but it's convenient and in the absence of the government they're unlikely to be ticketed.
Amethyst looks around curiously, her fluffy tail flicking beside her in the car seat. "This place seems rather odd..." She notes as they approach the parking spot. "We should be careful as to not disturb more than absolutely necessary..." Her hands go to grip at the hem of her skirt again, her body tense.
Willy eases the vehicle into the space and parks it as straight as possible. "This place does seem rather quiet, especially since it seems people have been here." he says as he turns the engine off and gets out. Stepping out, he does his best to keep his nose to the wind, just in case.
Navara hops out the vehicle, her ears on a constant swivel as she cautiously approaches the one of the firepits. A voice echoes softly in the heads of the entire team. /This is Navara. I'm using Nanomagic to communicate. Going to check the firepits./ Kneeling down, she brings her hand over one of the pits, feeling for heat and then inspect the ashes. Her gaze is drawn to the footprints around them. /Firepits her being used less than an hour go. These footprints of fresh. People were here within about...fifteen minutes? I'd not be surprised if we are being watched./ Standing back up, she begins looking around, trying to find a place to get the high ground to look over the campus.
Firecracker scrambles her way out of the car window to land on the ground outside with a clippity clopping of her hooves. "Oh! Peoples are around?" she asks nobody in particular as she looks around to see if she can see any of the peoples nearby. In order to get a better view, she extends her wings and flaps her way up into the air several dozen feet, looking down and around from above. "Helloooooo?! Anybody home?!" she shouts out to the campus from above, then waits for a response.
The sound of Fires loud words echo through the campus without reply as darkness descends upon the university. Her words go without a response as the campus again grows quiet.
Amethyst exits the vehicle, her ears pressed firmly against her chestnut hair, occasionally popping up to take in the sounds of the environment. The kitten girl jumps a bit at the nanomagic communication, nodding nervously at the words said. She moves over to Willy, keeping close even as the other two inspect the surroundings. "Someone watching? I mean, we're not doing anything inherently wrong, so hopefully they don't hate us..." She says softly, under her breath. She lets out a quiet squeal as the pegasus's voice rings out around them. As bubbly as it is, it only makes the oncoming silence more unnerving. "Let's just.. Do what we came here for, and leave as soon as possible. Don't want to disturb anyone..."
Willy goes "Huh" and looks around when he's "Mind pinged" by Navara before shaking his head "Oh right, nanomagic..." he softly says before looking to her. "Thanks for checking" he says before he hears Fire's yell and sighs. "I guess we should expect we may see a welcoming party soon. I don't know what you guys plans are, but if we can be diplomatic first, I'd prefer to be." he says. As he says that he sets one hand back on the holster of his aptly named "Thunder Stick" as he looks around a little "Ummm...guys...you think the car will be ok with use not around?" he asks.
Navara's ears perk up as she hear some movement, but from where? "I'm all for diplomacy if we can manage it." Lowering her voice to whisper, she murmurs. "I definitely hear something out there. Keep your guard up. I'm going to see what I can find from the treetops." Approaching one of the campus trees, she extends her claws and starts to climb. It's rough, scratching away bark and barely make it to one of the branches. Though, ones she is up there, she leaps from branch to branch gracefully. As she finds a good lookout point, she scans the builds. Something catching her eye. Though, she chooses caution, not bellowing it out.
Firecracker's adorable head adornments swivel and flick as they pick up on the nearly silent sounds of motion on the wind while she hovers above. "Come on Peoples! Ya don't haveta be all sneaky hidey!" she calls out again, "We're not gunna hurtcha or anything! We're just here to look around and see if there's anything to take home with us! But if you guys are here already and using the stuff, we don't wanna steal it!" As she speaks, she turns around in midair, speaking to three distinct areas where she picked up on the sounds. "Oh uhhh... I have strawberries!" she offers, still waiting for a response from the sneaky noises.
After Firecracker yells into the darkness a second time the world goes quiet again. There is a minute long pause before the sound of movement picks up again. First only audible to Firecracker then to the rest of the party. A few moments later a single human walks out of one of the buildings with an electric lamp. "So you... creatures want to buy things from us?" he asks.
