Ex Machina; Infiltration

[animusmods]

Characters: Riki and the infiltration team
Setting: administrative levels
Format: any
Summary: Riki's efforts must be sabotaged. Stealth is the name of the game and time is of the essence.
Warnings: psychological horror

Though the chipped unit does not follow, he sees to it that the team advances the rest of the way. At the end of the lit corridor is a set of double doors, heavy-duty polished metal with small windows set into each one.

Through the windows, a massive machine is visible, connected to thousands of holographic screens that are hard to make out at the speed at which they're being manipulated. The machine sits in the center of the room and is networked to four elaborate terminals stationed along the walls via a complex tangle of panels, wires, and towers. Each of these terminals controls its own set of floating screens; the sheer amount of holographic monitors in the room is disorienting, and really, it's hard to tell what's connected to what.

In the chair in the middle of the enormous set-up is Riki, maneuvering all of the screens with the same ease with which most people breathe. His back is to the doors that lead into the room, and for the moment, he is utterly engrossed in his work.

Comments

[animusnpcs]

"They have?" Riki looks confused. "Dunno where they went. Doesn't have anything to do with this."

[puppy_lancer]

Riki's confusion sure sounds real enough. Lancer looks over to Enoch.

"...Guess we're gonna have to ask someone else about that, then."

[animusnpcs]

"If you wanna try your luck asking Ruana, anyway. Doubt Zo did it, or he'd've told you."

[stitchedupbodyguard]

"...What about the countdown?"

Veronica finally spoke up with something that had been bugging her, having kept quiet while preparing for a clash that may or may not yet come.

"The countdown hasn't changed, even when the tower had a power outage."

[animusnpcs]

"The power outage is a symptom of the countdown getting short, not the other way around. Unless you mean the one in January, which was Jason."

[the_white_rider]

Gandalf listened attentively all all other questions-- But something bothered him.

"And what of this tower, once our worlds saved? There will be no more energy and Ruana will realize only you could have sent us back, won't she?"

[slightlyoblivious]

"That's the thing, though. Back in January, you asked for our help to power up this place. Shouldn't the countdown have gotten shorter after that?"

Yukiko's certainly interested in the other questions, but that's the big one.

[animusnpcs]

"Didn't think you'd care much what happened to me. As for that, I can handle it. January was Jason tricking me."

He seems more disgruntled, perhaps by the reminder of January.

[warriorscribe]

"So then..." Enoch's expression wavers a bit. This is sounding less and less solid the more they stay on this subject. "You have our soul energy by convenience?"

[animusnpcs]

"I can't really shove it back into you."

[midgarhorizon]

"Hey... I think we all agree here Jason was an asshole. I don't want to see any more people die here, even you and Zo. Rick was enough." Reno sounded exhausted; mentally, emotionally, just all around tired. "Maybe we can help, maybe we can't, but after all the fucking bullshit we've been put through here we deserve to know the whole story before it's too late, Riki. There's a lot of people here that'd stay if this place was safe."

[puppy_lancer]

Lancer all but rolls his eyes at Riki's comment.

"But it still seems like a waste if you're just gonna horde it. You made it sound like an emergency when you took it."

[animusnpcs]

"What do you want me to do with it?" Riki sighs, his annoyance growing. "I told you what I'm doing here."

[sageprincess]

"But the unfortunate truth of the matter is that we cannot trust you on your word alone."

Zelda's voice is low, skeptical when she finally speaks up. She doesn't trust Riki as far as she can throw him, and nothing this conversation has produced has convinced her otherwise.

[animusnpcs]

"What do you want me to do?" Riki's impatience is growing.

[warriorscribe]

"...It's true." Enoch's voice betrays his reluctance to admit it. "I'm sorry, Riki. There are many of us here who feel you can't be trusted. But not all of us. You know that I trust you - or would like to."

He pauses, and takes a breath, lets it out slowly. "It's also true, what Reno says. Restoring the tower is one of our goals as well, if we can. There are those who would like to stay. If you are working for our combined benefit, you will have nothing to fear if you leave this room, only for a few moments, and allow us to look at it for ourselves."

[midgarhorizon]

"And how about you give us a translation upgrade so we can read this stuff? If this thing pans out, maybe one of us can work with ya." Reno speaks up, probably for the last time. He's getting nervous and he knows his big mouth could get them into trouble here, not with so much riding on this. "There's no reason why we can't try work together to save everybody's skin, y'know. We're not totally unreasonable and nobody likes sitting around."

[animusnpcs]

"That's all? I can leave for a little while. The longer you take the more you're wasting my time, though.

As for translation, we'll see. I can't do it right now."

He'll step through a door in the back, though. The room is empty except for the residents within.

[keybearer]

Riku blinks, arms dropping to his sides. He glances at the door for a few moments, before sighing. "Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be. You think he's really gonna do that for us?"

[the_white_rider]

Was Riki honest? Maybe. But after what they heard, a healthy dose of skepticism couldn't hurt. It wasn't in the administrators' habits to be benevolent.

"Will he save our worlds at the cost of his own life?" Gandalf slowly shook his head. "I do not think he would want to save this tower only to then die. There has to be something more."

[sageprincess]

"Regardless, Aria's people should be able to translate the language, at least. Hopefully that will help provide insight into his true intentions."

Zelda will be heading back to the entrance they used, both to inform Aria and to get out of this darkness. She's had enough of it already.

[animusnpcs]

The entrance is sealed.

[midgarhorizon]

"Well, fuck."

[sageprincess]

...

"Aria?" Zelda will now start banging on the door, calling for the retrieval unit that used to be on the other side.

[animusnpcs]

There's no response. Inside the room, there's a vague hissing noise.