Author Topic: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm  (Read 33272 times)

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saltmummy626

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #5085 on: October 10, 2018, 10:43:25 pm »
[last few lines of the Atomos bit provided by dragon, with a little modification]

Branches sped away from the dying down commotion, satisfied in it's good deed for the day. The men had been too preoccupied to take more than a passing note of it, and that was fine as far as the homunculus was concerned. Being around people had been a bit nerve wracking though, especially when people from the hall had shown up. Branches was supposed to be dead after all. Those people didn't know that, even the people from the hall wouldn't likely know unless Helen told them, but it was still a case of "better safe than sorry."

No more zombies were encountered that day, but Branches had plans. Plans that wouldn't hurt anyone, but would likely annoy Helen. To start though, Branches needed a shovel and some servants. The south side of the road was Helens territory, but Branches decided it would lay claim to the north side of the road. After all, part of being a person was claiming things, and to that end Branches needed more thralls. More clay automatons to keep watch over it's land. Keep undead incursions from happening. They would need to be bigger, better, smarter. That's what Branches would do. It slowed to a walk, retracing it's steps back towards it's mud hut. It cleaned itself off in the lake before returning to bed. As Branches tucked itself in, the light outside began to brighten.


Jennifer, Catalina, and Larion sequestered themselves in Catalina's office and Jennifer shaped up immediately. The report she gave was terse, factual, and Catalina suspected, incomplete. She detailed the journey to and her infiltration of New Bangor, and everything she'd seen and learned there in. God's Army was on the wane, men and women stealing away in droves. It seemed, from what Jennifer had seen, that the people had lost the faith and that only the most fervent of Astor's followers were sticking around. Bishops and the more zealous crusaders or templars. They were afraid. Afraid of the bishops, afraid of the new robotic fighting force that was beginning to dominate the rank and file of the wastelands despotic faction, and very afraid of Astor. The Archbishop wasn't playing his hand so close to the vest anymore, almost like he'd stopped caring or had begun to get sloppy.

From a simple canvas document case Jennifer retrieved documents taken from New Bangor. The sort of things that Catalina would have kept under lock and key in a cabinet marked "confidential." They had been left lying around and easy to steal, so all three of the gathered agreed that they should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, they were interesting. Project plans for improved warwalkers and several new autonomous units labeled "Warhunter" and an improved mobile foundry the papers simply called "scrapper units." Jennifer also showed off a partial report on God's Army's attempts at creating Devil Hunters and something called "Mammon."

"I think the people are leaving because of that project as well. The people who came to God's Army did so out of fear of that sort of thing. Now that Astor is adopting it, well... It disturbs them." Jennifer explained.

Their was also the collection. Jennifer explained what she understood of how God's Army was collecting relics. It was more than just grabbing and equipping his soldiers with anomalous items, Astor needed them for more. It was the reason for the attack on the center the year before. A miscalculation of location. The real target had been the vault. To that end, Jennifer informed Catalina that Astor had been in the vault after they'd left it. The details of his foray were unclear and after all she'd been through, it was more believable than it had been before.

"Why was he in the vault?" Catalina asked, deciding that the "hows" of the matter could wait.

"He was looking for relics, an item called the 'Oath of Iron.'" Jennifer explained, tensing a bit.

"And did he find it?" Catalina asked, leaning forward a bit in her seat. She wasn't familiar with everything kept in the vault, but the Oath was one she knew. It had been deemed harmless and brought up to the second floor for testing and storage. "Why did he want it?"

"He found it, and I don't know why he wanted it." Jennifer lied, "But I had it for awhile. He allowed one of his crusaders to keep it because, as I was told, it was useless to him."

"But you don't have it anymore?"

"No."

"Care to share why?" Catalina said, nettled.

"I don't think so, 'Captain.'" Jennifer shot back. There it was again, that belligerence. "I think there are some parts of my trip I'll just keep to myself. Can't go sharing all the secrets now, can I? Either way, apart from the storm and my choice to leave New Bangor, that's all there really is to tell. Except..." She dropped the attitude for a moment, "Have everyone keep an eye out for a creature, black, bristly fur. Kind of greasy looking, four arms, face like a lamprey. It stalked me most of the way home and I've seen what it can do. If our men encounter it in the field, they should do what they can to evade it. Direct confrontation is useless."

"I'll put the word out, but Jennifer, there are parts of this report you aren't giving me." Catalina stated, settling back. The captain glanced at Larion, suspecting that he at least might have been let in on something. This spate of hostility seemed to be directed mainly at her.

"Yep, but I've told you everything I think is pertinent to the center. Anything else that may have happened between my leaving New Bangor and my arrival here are between me, myself, and Cheena."

"Cheena?"

"My imaginary friend, nevermind."

Jennifer slid her chair back and stood, making her way for the door. Catalina bristled in her chair and stood to follow.

"Atomos, come back here. Goddamnit Atomos I havn't dismissed-" She began.

"No, I dismissed myself." Jennifer hissed, spinning on Catalina in the hall. "My report is given. Like I said, I'm done. You can keep all your secrets and your cover ups to yourself, I don't care anymore. It's fine, since I don't work for you anymore. I quit, I'm out, I'm done. Dishonorably discharge me if you want, it's not like it would matter anyway since the old world is gone and being dismissed like that really can't harm me anymore. Do what you want because I am not your or anyone elses marine. I'm my own marine. I'm a ranger of the Cen- New Paris, but I don't serve you anymore!" She didn't wait for a retort, didn't wait for the explosion that would surely follow. Jennifer only turned on her heel and stormed off.

Catalina grumbled a bit as she made her way back to her office, now rather thoroughly irritated by all this. She wanted to go after her, to explain what happened. Only Jenny had shouted down everything she attempted to say and wasn't interested in hearing anything else on the matter.

It was Larion instead who decided to follow Jennifer, losing her in the center but knowing where she was going. He gave a knock on the door to her room. At first he waited a moment, about to knock again when she opened the door. "What is i- oh. Hey Larion...oh um. Whatever your actual name is..."

Larion stood there, rather typically unamused by this, though it manifested as a mere blank stare rather than the scowl he was tempted to give her. "First name, yes. Last name's Pierson." he finally said, before sighing a bit. "Is it alright if we talk?"

At that, Jennifer gave him a concerned glance. "Did Catalina put you up to this?" she asked, and he answered her rather simply. "No."
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