What a day, she thought.
Sleep was so desired this evening, but work had to be done concerning the day’s events. So there she sat, on the edge of a couch in Reet’s infamous “fireplace room”, back against the wall. Slowly, she’d tap at her comm’s keypad, trying to relax a bit while she worked. Clanners and employees alike bantering in the background near the fire didn’t distract her too much, but it kept her mood mellow. Tapping lightly at the keypad once more, Raquel finished up her report and settled in to give it a quick read over before being satisfied.
Andromeda – ICC HQ – 09:00(gmt) January 4th, 29477
On Saturday evening, several members of such organisations as SPARTA, Devil’s Advocate, Draco Legionis, and Law Society of Rubi-Ka along with an un-affiliated employees entered ICC HQ to begin an operation of extraction. SPARTA Operatives Ashwell and Markarian, along with myself were assisted by Don “Doncarnage” Matusz, Simon “Catuela” Peasley, Shad “Metalynx” Somani, “Boundbylove”, Jennifer “Velynna” Devilos, and Racheal “Blackpetal” Schuemann of Devil’s Advocate, Malcom “Alamexis” Age of Law Society of Rubi-Ka, Cyrus “Dartagnan” Bacarella and Corie “Kailey” Bacarella of Draco Legionis, and Julia “Julilla” Silvestrini. The entire group met on the platform just above the ICC HQ to prepare as unseen as we could. Devil’s Advocate members became the “distraction” team, myself, Operative Ashwell, Doctors Silvestrini and Bacarella formed the extraction team, Mr. Bacarella stayed with Operative Markarian, and Mr. Age and Miss Schuemann were off site to prepare for any legal related actions.
Operative Markarian prepared several routines on her terminal, as well as assisted in the ID “masks” applied to the members of the teams. The distraction team was prepared, openly willing to show their faces. Operative Markarian and company remained on the platform as she worked on security layers on the HQ below. Having applied some nano-surgery to my facial features, I took the extraction team to the edge of the HQ to drop down as soon as the security was taken care of. One by one, Jen pulled the layers down, sensors, camers, doors.. the extraction team dropped in and headed for the nearest unsecure door, slipping in as Jen confirmed the previously assumed location of Tisantous, inside. The map and coordinates Jen fed to the inner team aided them as they slipped into the interiors of the HQ. Soon they located Mr. Saar’s beaten and bruised body, secured him for transport and began to make their way out. The distraction team which had been causing a bit of ruckus outside met them as they began exiting. During this time I had stationed Malik near the exit to begin his program to transport the extraction team within the allotted five minutes available to complete this “mission”. The security could remained breached for only that long, and as the extraction team met Malik to be ported, the distraction team pulled their weapons and threatened us.
During the pre-hit planning stage on the platform, I had received a comms from a source on a rumour that Don and Catuela had planned to “kidnap someone unimportant within an hour or so”. Naturally since Catuela showed up at this operation, it was apparent who that captive was. This is partly why Malik was given the order to begin his warp-nano as soon as the team hit the doors. Don and company had thirty seconds to grab Tisantous and thankfully they did not succeed. Tisantous was safely transported to Rome Red, along with Malik, the two doctors, and myself. Mr. Age had met us there when we arrived and kept an eye out as I quickly herded the group to my apartment. We made it there safely and Don and company haven’t seen hide nor hair of Tisantous since as he’s being kept in my apartment(security having been tightened quite a bit) while Juls watches over his condition. He’s stable for the moment, and will be taken to Omni-Med under heavy security.
At this time, DA members have not made any further threats, and claim to have attempted the betrayal to insure their safety, holding Tis ransom as a way to keep OTSEC from letting them take the fall for this dangerous operation. As amusing as it would be to insure they DID take the fall, that was not intended in this operation and Mr. Age himself offered his protection to the fullest extent of the law that he could provide.
Spartans - I salute you!
Raquel Svancara
Intelligence Team Leader - SPARTA
She nodded slowly, a finger pressing a small light to confirm the packetmail. The agent leaned her head back to relax further against the wall, to take a moment’s rest, which only managed to remind her how tired she was. Minutes passed and Raquel noticed she was starting to doze. Quickly, she shook her head and opened her comms display once more. May as well check up on …
The transmission light flickered eerily up at the young opifex, almost on cue. She pursed her lips together and answered the comms.
“Hello.. Miss..?”, the voice was weak and some kind of uncertainty laced it.
“Raquel Svancara… Mr. Saar, you’re awake!” she replied excitedly. It was good to hear his voice, and to hear how steady it was after all the… pain he endured. She inquired to how he was and suddenly he asked where he was. Raquel had posted some security at her apartment, Juls was also staying there to watch over Tis’ health. So, she explained his being in her apartment. He replied back with more uncertaintly and frankly said he wasn’t in any apartment, and was indeed outside! This came as odd and worrisome to Raquel.
“Okay, stay there, I’ll be right over”, she muttered while gathering her things off the couch. She gave the patrons of Reet’s a wave and headed out the door, making her way to Borealis. Her worry grew as she slipped through the city, Tisantous sending her another transmission.
“Ohhh, Don’s… here.”
Raquel gasped loudly, worry etched across her face for certain now. She picked up her pace, now in the grid, hurriedly making her way to the Rome exit. Tis would not become victim to more criminal greed. The agent growled as she ran through Rome Red, unsheathing her Boomer as she did so. As she entered Rome Blue, the best guess, she tapped her comm. to confirm Tis’ location. Sighing with relief at confirming his position, Raquel swiftly ran to HighRise 7. She could see two figures standing there on the platform, one in a cloak, the other not, their silhouettes seeming like living shadows. Creeping up the platform, she gradually and quietly made her way to the pair, Don’s back to her. Calmly she closed in on the soldier, pressing her pistol into his back. She wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t going to beat around the bush with her expectations. He better behave, she thought…
“No Sezzy, I’m not here to take him.”, Don quipped at her.
Raquel wasn’t happy to see Don there, but she didn’t plan to go shooting him down in the middle of Rome Blue. They retorted over the lack of trust between the two, and Don kept up with his untrusting attitude. The agent was highly annoyed. How could she put faith in someone like Don, knowing full well he’d pull what he did. Annoying and amusing it was to be the one to relent and trust… Tisantous wasn’t doing all that well, coughing in the background of their banter. Finally Raquel focused on Mr. Saar’s medical plight. She sneered at Don as he walked off in anger at her, and placed a shoulder under Tis to help him to Omni-Med.
Carefully they wandered across Rome, Raquel closely studying Mr. Saar from time to time. He was so weak, so racked by what they had done to him, but he was alive. Alive.
Now to get him safe. He needed to have his vitals fully checked, any wounds healed, damage repaired, and he needed rest. Raquel smiled briefly, hoping that he would soon acquire that. Things seemed so hopeful now, now that he was free. Someone had other plans, however, as Tis groaned loudly against her and gripped his head tightly with his palms. Raquel pulled away, concerned, curious about what was assaulting this poor nanomage now. He doubled over at the waist, gripping at his head, screaming. The agent pulled up her wrist and tapped on her comm. to activate a bio scan on the politician. Things looked normal to her eyes, but she was no medic afterall. Something started itching her inner ear… like, a small twing, and Tis doubled over once more before leaning up and suddenly activated a nano-program. A swirl of yellow notum swooshed around his form, the sound of flesh being torn apart filled the air.
The agent gasped, realizing what was going on by the time another swirl of notum formed. Something had gone rogue in his NCU system. Damnit, she muttered inside her head. She whisked out a device and snapped it into Tis’ cloak, after opening the fabric. She pressed a few keys, barely noticing the approaching yalm. Something was horribly wrong with the sequences running in his NCU, and Raquel started trying to pinpoint the problem.
“What is going on?”, Don asked her.
“There’s some kind of unauthorized.. something overriding his NCU.”, Raquel replied. Don looked around worriedly, muttering about someone being near. Perhaps… though it was a satellite link. Don suggested what seemed to be the most viable option for the moment. Tisantous was in horrible physical shape, and his NCU executing such dangerous nano-programs would kill him soon. The state of his insurance, at this point would be questionable no matter what the records read as. She nodded to the Devil’s Advocate member, then began pressing some keys on her comm..
“I’ve seen Jen do this before, I think I know the correct commands… I guess we’ll see.” She concentrated as Tisantous wept in pain, her fingers moving deftly over the small lit keys on her comm.
Program layer down.
Connections severed.
Basic NCU functions disabled.
Instantly as she tapped the last command in, Tisantous yelped and fell limp to the ground of Rome Blue. Don and Raquel dived to catch each one of his arms, held him up and knew where they were headed. Omni-Med.
Lights shone down on the trio as they passed the park benches of Rome, the Whompas, and the clubs of Omni-Entertainment. Gently, they carried him onward, his breathing ragged as his body fought against the lack of power to his NCU and systems. Being a nanomage, this was rough on him, they expected. Continuing on, west, Raquel could even spot the medical offices. They eased closer, so near, yet it felt miles away with each step. They came to the ramp to the building, Tis becoming quite heavy at this point. Tis’ body began to tighten, tense, muscles coming to life as he stood up between then. Startling the two carriers, Tis merely stood there strongly planted to the ground as a voice traveled in the air.
“-attempting to rebuild signal with host-“
“-location verified-“ Raquel grabbed at his collar, pulling, yanking, needing him inside. They had to find this device and remove it, and fast! She pulled on him harder, his body unmoving. That same female voice ehoed out once again.
“-engaging self termination sequence-“
“No!!”, the agent screamed out. She knew what to do, what this was. Slowly a countdown process began and Raquel accessed the link in his belt again, tapping in the counter-sequences on her keypad. Faintly, she could hear Jen’s voice in the background. It took a long few seconds to register her presence there as she tapped at her comm., but when she did, the agent calmly but urgently called out to her.
“Jen! Get over here, fast.”
- AO webcomics for the sake of being silly
