[The Forever Tree]Rustdeity IC.

[Sakuro]

"I am here of my own accord. Your former associate merely informed on you."

Imperious corrected the injured Enginseer when they implied he was on an errand from someone else. At the question concerning the Tlolkku's status, Lucas' suspicions were roused. He had been leery of leaving the armor and it's occupant alone for a couple reason. They could self-revive. The Enginseers, who lusted after technology, may try to sneak it away.

"Why do you care about the Tlolkku?"

... he inquired as he lowered, then raised his right hand, palm up. As he did this the nanite fashioned construct broke party, degrading into a swirling gray cloud. Amidst this Imperious panned his eyes back and forth, searching the skynode's interior and beyond. Planning ahead for the next step of his assault, if more threats existed. Privately he spoke to SHi'Halal.

"Keep tabs on the Tlolkku's armor if you are able to. I do not want anyone secreting it away."

Switching Shi'Halal's Flight/Utility Dynamic Array over to Speed 10, Quickness 10, Super-Strength 3, X-Ray Vision [Extended 2]

Adjusting the Blast/Arsenal Array to Include Datalink 1 [PF: Machine Control, Dimensional 3]

While he speaks with the surviving Enginseers, he intends to look around with X-Ray Vision to see what kind of activity is taking place outside the room. I'd also like to keep tabs on that armor using (maybe Datalink would help there), in case the Tlolkku was faking their demise or in the event the Enginseers try to nab the armor.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Datalink 1 [PF: Machine Control, Dimensional 3] ; Create Object 14 [Power Feat: Precise (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technology" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Speed 10, Quickness 10, Super-Strength 3 ; X-Ray Vision [Extended 2]

[Hoid]

OOC:
Search check! Any Super-Senses that enhance mundane sight can be applied!

The Enginseer sighed, a curiously organic sound. “She promised us technology. Rustdeity is in shambles. The Tlolkku have what we need. And why should you care about our research? We intend on eliminating biotwists. You and I are both bioelites. We should be working together on this endeavor!”

[Sakuro]

... buying time then, Imperious deduced when the Enginseer mentioned that they only asked because her group were being paid by the Tlolkku. That or greed for technology was an extreme priority for these people. When the person compared their group to Imperious, and suggested they work together, Lucas' jaw clench. His response was intense and cold.

"You are genocidal hatemongers. I am nothing like you."

Punctuating that last statement he formed his hand into a fist and brought it down line a hammer. Following suit the nanite cloud hastily fabricated a new spiked ceiling, and dropped down on the Enginseers occupying the room.

Since you alluded to other vision based senses being useful ... I'll make a tweak to the Dynamic Array setup.

Here is the Search check: Search: 1D20+10 = [5]+10 = 15

Ultravision [Extended 2], Infravision [Extended 2], X-Ray Vision [Extended 2], and Datalink 2 [Machine COntrol, Dimensional 3] are all active. As is Quickness 10.

Regardless of what the Search turns up, he's going to try to kill the Enginseers, though the rank of Create Object is reduced this time: DC 24 Reflex for half. DC 34/24 Toughness.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Datalink 2 [PF: Machine Control, Dimensional 3] ; Create Object 14 [Power Feat: Precise (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technology" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Speed 10, Quickness 10 ; Ultravision [Extended 2] ; Infravision [Extended 2]; X-Ray Vision [Extended 2]

[Hoid]

All throughout the lab are vials, filled with a green pus, almost like raw sewage. They held viable TEGS samples, and they’d brewed up enough to, Imperious reckons, kill tens of thousands of biotwists.

OOC:
I’ll let you coup de Grace them.

”The Tlolkku is moving again,” Shai’Halal confirmed. ”She has just dived a further depth down. If we are to catch her, we must act immediately.”

[Hoid]

Imperious dives down to V4 in pursuit of the Tlolkku, going to depth five in an instant...and is plunged into madness.

The skynode is a churning, superheated mechanical nightmare on depth five, all moving parts and rotating platforms and doors opening and closing. In the center of it all is a humungous figure, an Icon of such power as to dwarf all others Imperious has seen before: resembling a stone idol of some primitive beast-god, this mega-Icon is chained.

It roars it’s defiance, and Imperious hears it say, |-WRATH. WRATH AND IRON. I SHALL GIVE YOU BOTH, LITTLE MEN, WRATH AND IRON A’PLENTY! HEAR ME, MY MASTER! ANSWER ME! WHY WON’T YOU ANSWER ME!-|

Standing before the Icongod is he Tlolkku, her helmet off and tossed to the ground. Imperious was surprised by how...human...she looked. Her skin was green, but her scales were so fine and faint only Imperious’ eyes could clearly make them out. Unlike most reptiles, the Tlolkku has a full head of hair cut short and black as night. She looks up at Imperious, and her eyes are slitted like snake-eyes.

She shouts, TOO LATE, HUMAN! YOUR KIND IS ALWAYS TOO LATE! and turns back to the Icongod.

OOC:
Roll initiative!

With Her Quickness added in, She gets a 19!

[Sakuro]

Lucas was disgusted by the cyborgs. More for their ideology and the disease they had surrounded themselves in than their inhuman appearance. He had come into the material world with the expectation that he and Shi'Halal would have to cleanse the site. THough Shi'Halal confirmed his concerns about the Tlolkku, Lucas could move on without doing something about this room's taint. If Enginseer reinforcements arrives, they could reclaim the TEGS cultures.

"TEGS is everywhere. Fill the room with the decontamination gas you scanned from Dancer-upon Oblivion. Then takes us to the same depth as the Tlolkku."

In response to his directions the gray killing-construct that had delivered the death blow to the mad scientists broke apart. First dissolving into a gray cloud. Then the cloud swirled inwards upon itself, it's color and density changing to a pea-green fog of sterilizing gas. With the gas having filled the room Imperious descended ...

After recovering from transition to mesh level five Imperious immediately took in his new surroundings. It was a chaotic night terror, no doubt reflecting the personal turmoil of the Icon that was linked to the skynode. When he saw the Xeno standing in front of the restrainted mad-Icon he made to fly at her, blades of white-hot plasma erupting from his armor's forearms.

"Get away from that Icon!"

Imperious fills the lab with decon-gas Using Create Object. Then, switching Shi'Halal's Flight/Utility Array to Super-Movement 3 [Dimensional Movement 3], he drops to the the same Datasphere mesh level as the Tlolkku. I think that is depth five.

Once on mesh level five, the Dynamic Arrays are going to get switched up again. Flight/Utility becoming divided between Flight, Quickness, and Visual Super-Senses. Blast/Arsenal becoming melee combat focused.

Here is an Initiative roll: Initiative: 1D20+10 = [7]+10 = 17

Once his Dynamic Array is readjusted Imperious will have Quickness 10. If Quickness is being added to Initiative that will be an additional +10 to his roll, for a total of 27.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Enhanced Strength 30 and Strike 3 [Feats: Might (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technological Weaponry" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Flight 5, Quickness 10 ; Ultravision [Extended 2] ; Infravision [Extended 2]; X-Ray Vision [Extended 2]

[Hoid]

OOC:
Your turn, then!

The Tlolkku steadies herself and laughs contemptuously, then spits. No! I think I’d rather set the skynode to meltdown!

[Sakuro]

There was bearly any time before he yelled his demand and Imperious collided with the armored alien. Rather than thrust or slash with his blade weapons, Imperious grasped hold of the reptile woman. His arms took her into an embrace. Limps coiling and hooking around her, searching for purpose. Endeavoring to restrain her. Then he pulled at the Tlolkku, and made to fly away with her at incredible speed. He didn't want her anywhere near the crazed Icon. Who knew what harm her alien mind had in store for it's coding.

Going to drop the super-senses from Shi'Halal's Flight/Utility Array in favor of more Flight ranks.

Imperious is going to move in, try to Grapple her, then carry the Tlolkku away from the Icon at Flight 10. He has Move-by Attack. So he can move, attack, and then move again with his remaining movement distance.

Here is an attack roll to start the Grapple. Using Accurate Attack -3/+3: Attack to Grapple: 1D20+13 = [9]+13 = 22

Here is the actual Grapple check: Grapple check: 1D20+27 = [11]+27 = 38 Accurate Attack would make the bonuses and negatives balance out, so it was not applied to the roll.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Enhanced Strength 30 and Strike 3 [Feats: Might (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technological Weaponry" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Flight 10, Quickness 10

[Hoid]

OOC:
She got a pretty good roll...but not good enough, as her opposed Grapple check resulted in an 18.

Ok, before I post anything in-character, where are you flying her? Simply out and away from the skynode? Up or down some depths? Ascend back to the physical realm?

[Hoid]

Imperious grabs the xeno and rockets up and away, into the non-existent skies of depth five. The Tlolkku struggles, but her armor obviously doesn’t give her the same type of advances Shai’Halal does for Imperious.

As he zips into the digital skies, he sees a wall of red, angry pixels awaiting him...then, an instant later, he punches through, only to make a shocking discovery: from depth five, the orbital Datasphere can be accessed! Imperious and his enemy are in, well, ‘outer space’, with giant blips marking where ships are/float like coffins at sea.

The Tlolkku hisses, Not good enough to kill me, ape! Then her mind erupts, albeit in some technological fashion and pure mental force headbutts onto Imperious’ mind!

OOC:
Swing...and miss!

But Imperious’ Mind is ready, and through force of Will shrugs off the attack.

I see, I must be more creative with disposing of you!

OOC:
Your turn!

[Sakuro]

Past red sky and into the regions beyond that, Imperious realized corresponded to the vacuum of space, he peripherally took account of his changing environments. Lucas' brow furrowed behind Shi'Hala's face plate when the mental assault battered at his psyche.

"You should have kept your helmet on."

After making this observation loud for the Tlolkku's benefit Lucas speaks privately to Shi'Halal.

"Lift dimensional anchor. Take us out of the Datasphere."

After the transit to physical reality Imperious was briefly left without flight. The ability to easily manuver temporarily suspended for the shift between dimension. Despite this he angled ne of his plasma blades over the Tlolkku's back and tried to rake it over the meat between her shoulder blades.

Switching Shi'Halal's Flight/Utility Array to Super-Movement 3 [Dimensional Movement 3]. Then transition to the physical world.

After that, Imperious attacks the Tlolkku using Accurate Attack -/+2: Attack Tlolkku, Accurate Attack -2 Dmg/+2 Atk: 1D20+12 = [2]+12 = 14

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Enhanced Strength 30 and Strike 3 [Feats: Might (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technological Weaponry" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Super Movement 3 [Dimensional Movement 3]

[Hoid]

OOC:
A miss, unfortunately.

With literally inhuman flexibility, the Tlolkku snaps her arms free and perfectly blocks the blocks the plasma blades with the forearms of her armor.

She speaks, but whatever she’s saying is no longer hearable as Imperious ascends back to realspace. A few moments later, the Tlolkku frosts over and her motions come to a halt.

”Impressive,” Shai’Halal notes. ”She is not yet dead.”

[Sakuro]

A few seconds after leaving the Datasphere Shi'Halal's flight systems readjust and their position in the void is stabilized. The reptile woman's dexterity was impressive. As was her tenacity in general. Unfortunately all of her abilities were turned towards destruction. Emerald lense covered eyes took in the Tlolkku's still, frozen, form.

"She's hardy. I wonder if that is a Tlolkku trait, or the armor. Do you think we can remove the armor from her body, without damaging it further?"

... Imperious inquired of Shi'Halal. It was a piece of advanced technology. Something worth holding onto once the Tlolkku was dealt with. Or maybe it was sustaining her. Reviving her when she should have died during their previous exchange of blows. Either way, with the Xeno's movements had ceased, and he did not intend to wait to find out if she would self-revive in the void. Imperious brought a blade of searing hot plasma to her neck, and made to remove her head from her shoulders.

Adjusting Shi'Halal's Flight/Utility Array to the following: Flight 5 ; Quickness 15 ; X-Ray Vision ; Ultravision ; Infravision ; Microscopic Vision.

Then Imperious will exploit the Tlolkku's stillness and try to kill her. Here is an attack roll if it is needed: Attack Tlolkku, Accurate Attack -2/+2: 1D20+12 = [8]+12 = 20 DC 33 Tough if it hits.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Enhanced Strength 30 and Strike 3 [Feats: Might (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technological Weaponry" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Flight 5 ; Quickness 15 ; X-Ray Vision ; Ultravision ; Infravision ; Microscopic Vision

[Hoid]

”I am not sure,” Shai’Halal replies. ”Best we be ginger with this technology.”

OOC:
No need for either an attack or a Toughness save. She’s hardy, but she’s not that hardy.

”You will be relieved to know,” Shai’Halal notes ”the Tlolkku is finally deceased.”

[Sakuro]

"Good. I was beginning to think she had nine lives."

Imperious disengaged the plasma bladed arching from his forearms. While the Tlolkku's head was left to drift in the vacuum, he held onto the body. Prying the armor off the body without ruining it was a project for later. Now he needed to finish securing the skynode.

Descending back into the fifth level of the Datasphere he returned to the skynode, where he had found the xeno saboteur poised to kill the ancient Icon and the artifact it was meant to watch over. There he collects the Tlolkku's helmet. Aside from wanting to keep the armor, he couldn't risk other Tlolkku activating some program within it from a distance that might harm the Icon.

He pauses for a moment, looking at the stone idol that acted as a representation of the Icon. His jaw clenched. Lucas wanted to do something. Place salve and balm to it's wounded code. But ignorance prevented him from being able to do so.

"Someday, we will return to ease your mind ... or end your suffering."

After those words were spoken to the maddened AI, Lucas asked Shi'Halal to take them to the fourth mesh level. There had been a room they were unable to see into. The unknown could hold dangers best not avoided. So they moved to investigate this place.

HP: 2
Conditions: Healthy.
Encephalon: Activated
Communion Array: Impervious Toughness 20
Blast "Arsenal" Dynamic Array: Enhanced Strength 30 and Strike 3 [Feats: Might (+1 pp), Variable Descriptor "Technological Weaponry" 2 (+2 pp)]
Flight "Utility" Dynamic Array: Flight 5 ; Quickness 15 ; X-Ray Vision ; Ultravision ; Infravision ; Microscopic Vision