Maharg67's Den (shorter works, short stories, poetry, etc.)

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 19.2[28]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

Jack sighed. "Who composed the message?"

 

The FEAR Captain looked steadily at the undying man and then spoke. "A Captain of FEAR Security Intelligence stating that logically speaking it is necessary that the Brotherhood of Steel do more to deal with the threat of Alma and her followers, her puppets."

 

Jack sighed again. "I am afraid that the Brotherhood will know its a fake."

 

The FTrooper officer did not seem pleased, somehow, though her expression remained straight. "Marshal Pointman took charge of the message and altered it. He congratulated us on our fine efforts but advised us that the message might need just some alterations because it was being sent to illogical humans."

 

Jack suddenly smiled richly. "I apologize for my earlier comment. Clearly you FEAR Clones had everything under control."

 

Ava011a kept a neutral expression but somehow gave the impression of being pleased at Jack's words. "Marshal Pointman will be in contact with you as soon as he can."

Edited March 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Forum%20Additives/ce322fb4-0bc0-48ab-b7a3-5bc9ffb07539_zps7p9gtnde.jpg

 

The Curse of Quamaire
One 27.1[27]{27}

EllessTane examined the glowing symbols projected onto a wall by an ancient device. The symbols were faded but she could read them readily enough. "The MerLink project was a dark, unwise act and it ended in the enhancement of the power of the Nameless Enemy. The twisted Azezizozu and Zynemer went on serving the Nameless Enemy but being free from the MerLink the Ayleid, Dwemer and Aldmer fought against them. They had been seduced into being part of the MerLink that had been used by the Nameless Enemy to then control them."

 

CaembraZiv was in the large, formerly hidden, chamber that was partly filled with exotic containers and even more exotic devices, most of them being mysterious in their purpose. "So the Aldmer were involved in the event. The first of the Mer peoples designed and built the NetworkTowers that are far more than the Nocomer understand."

 

"That is, unfortunately, true." Krestyle spoke quietly as EllessTane frowned at CaembraZiv for his poor choice of words. "Yet we are not so ignorant as you might suppose, CaembraZiv!"

 

The warrior leader sighed. "I apologize for my foolishness, Matriarch Krestyle."

 

Krestyle nodded, as if accepting the apology, and then spoke again. "The NetworkTowers are an ancient network of special devices embedded into the towers that are part of the bigger network. It was here that the MerLink carried out the project that gave so much extra power to the UndeathlyGod. We have a strong, but not good, reason for concealing the truth. Our ancestors, who were Necromer, served the project by helping to gather up victims and sacrificing them in terrible necromantic rituals. We saved a few of them as our ancestors, of the Necromer, became Nocomer."

 

EllessTane nodded. "Those humans, goblins and other 'mortals' amongst you are those you 'saved'!"

 

Krestyle sighed. "They can live, as 'mortals', as long as they remain inside the NetworkTowers. There is a price to pay for they do not get old and they can not truly sleep. They have all gone quietly mad. We care for them as best we can."

Edited June 29, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 20.1[29]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

Apart from area patrols, and sentry positions, the expeditionary group were not active until Marshal Pointman arrived except for preparing to shift. He did so with FEAR FTroopers but also locally recruited FSoldiers who outnumbered the clones by over three to one. Pointman also brought robots, androids, cyborgs and exotics being supermutants and rhouls (defensive aggressive ghouls). There were also large raddogs and radcats who had a fine ability to 'sense' exotic threats such as Alma but also a strong 'animal' defense against such.

 

The FSoldiers used power armor almost identical to that used by the Brothers of Steel but with some useful, effective, upgrades. This included built in back-up weapons and reactive armor platelets along with energy deflective shielding. All of this was to be found in the FTrooper armor also.

 

The expeditionary group was ready to move when Pointman, and co, arrived and so the shift of home base took place. They moved to a subbunker, a smaller complex inside the complex, designed as a survival place in case of disaster. They had found it through deep computer hacking and a FTrooper squad had checked it out first to find it clear of threat. They also found some very interesting surprises.

 

There were status-capsules with 212 humans and 19 animals but there were also 51 chimpmen, five orangumen and 31 gorillamen. The last two were genetically engineered beastfolk such as those that served Caesar's Empire centered in Nebraska. There were many valuable resources in the subbunker; indeed there was far more than would have been generally expected to be found in such a place.

 

Pointman, and Jack, grinned mildly at each other. Pointman wore FTrooper armor. He spoke to Jack. "A FEAR Force has gone to the DC Citadel where they have set up base with the assistance of the Brotherhood of Steel. Alma is a threat but there is something that is a mysterious greater danger; the answers to that mystery may lie in Juno Base. We have a clue what the threat is; we fear it to be a monstrous child of Alma that is even more of a threat than Alma herself is."

Edited March 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 20.2[30]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

Owen (Torchwood) was obviously unhappy at the idea. "Was the creation of the 'monster child' due to some kind of cloning experiment done by foolish PreDoomsday scientists?"

 

"Good guess!" Pointman nodded. "The information that we gained, as scant as it was, indicated that would make sense. What is feared as that more was done than more basic forms of cloning. We fear that 'extras' were added to the mix such as exotic genetics and biotech processes. We have code named the threat as 'Juno' simply because it arose here in Juno Base. Juno knows we are here and that we threaten both it and Alma. I 'sense' this through my genetic link with Alma, my clone mother."

 

Jack did not appear to be surprised in the least. "I also 'sense' this Juno but most probably in a different fashion than you do. He is malignant!"

 

There was a need to get settled into the subbunker and to gain from the resources there; there was also the need to bring the lifeforms out of status and to attempt to gain from them, being especially knowledge of what took place in Juno Base. Until that was done, the new home-base being secured, they would not send out another group deeper into Juno Base. Or at least that was the plan at the time!

Edited March 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 21.1[31]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

The attack came hard and fast! Cybermen marched quickly along hallways while parasite infested humans rushed along holding things to use as crude weapons. Guns blazed as FTroopers first took on the attackers, soon being assisted by FSoldiers and Brothers of Steel. Grenades, and grenadeshells, exploded. Laser pulsebeams shot along the hallways. Perhaps the defenders would have suffered more for something dark, and powerful, attempted to attack their minds.

 

Except that something very peculiar happened as Alma reluctantly came to their aid. Yes, Alma was fighting the one called Juno but was having a hard time of it. Then something else came to assist Alma, being her powerful psychic son named Paxton and also two others, unidentified, who were also linked strongly to Alma.

 

The thin metallic things came shooting through the ceiling and shot through the attacking figures, destroying them at once, even the well armored cybermen. They, and the poor enslaved ones, died mercifully quick. Then the metallic things, that drilled holes through people and machinery, were gone leaving many small holes in both the ceiling and floor. Did Alma control them or was there more to it than that?

 

Jack examined some of the dead cybermen as others were looted of anything useful. He spoke to the others. "The attack was from Juno but it was only a testing probe."

 

Pointman frowned. "I do not think Juno controlled the cybermen directly. Perhaps there are cyberbrain network-systems involved and Juno has hacked them." He shrugged. "This 'Juno' is very unlike our mother, Alma. No I fear that he is some kind of monstrous cybernetic entity."

 

Which was not good news! Things were going to get worse as other DC Factions became involved in what was happening at Juno Base.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 22.1[32]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

The Brotherhood of Steel had been meant to send a large reinforcement force to Juno Base but all that arrived was a small group of a courier, a scout and two soldiers. The Enclaven, traditional enemy of the Brotherhood of Steel, had been sending floating fanjet lifted eyebots into the DC to spy and, in some cases, to broadcast propaganda. Many had been destroyed or captured though the booby-traps in the eyebots made that difficult. Now the Enclaven were sending elite Stormtroopers, and regular Forcetroopers, into the old Washington DC area.

 

They came with Enclaven robots and military ground vehicles along with heavily armed-armored atomic motorized vertibirds. Despite being generally quite tech advanced, the Brotherhood was less so than the Enclaven except in a handful of areas. They found themselves being pushed back towards their heartland centered on the DC Citadel though they made the Enclaven may heavily for every bit of ground they took.

 

The Outcasts of Steel quickly made an alliance with the Brotherhood, quickly putting aside old grievances, in order to survive. Tech was shared for the first time since the splintering took place.

 

The Enclaven was having trouble with the terrain, with rad-monsters of all kinds, with the berserker true Raiders, with very tough gangers and even the local rad-humans. Settlers, tribals, even some gangers, were forming wary alliances and using age old guerrilla tactics against the invaders. Talon Mercenaries even showed some desperate courage, especially their elite units. Mercenaries were of great value to the defense. The Enclaven were learning, the painful way, that their brutal tactics were turning all against them and that their lack of local knowledge was soon punishing them.

 

The Brotherhood wanted to access the resources of Juno Base, taking as much research-development data to the DC Capital as was possible. They wanted to send a convoy of smaller faster vehicles to get what ever else they could from Juno Base.

 

From the start Jack, Pointman, Lyons and others 'sensed' something wrong with the newcomers.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Forum%20Additives/ce322fb4-0bc0-48ab-b7a3-5bc9ffb07539_zps7p9gtnde.jpg

 

The Curse of Quamaire
One 28.1[28]{28}

 

The UndeathlyGod stirred terribly and began to clamber slowly, massively, out of the depths of the great pool that it had wallowed in for so very long. As it did it crushed many smaller undead creatures but it cared nothing for such. Only its deep hunger, to feed on life, mattered.

 

Armies of the undead began to gather, they had no choice in the matter. Zombies, vampires, lichs, wraiths, skels, much smaller undead tentaculars and other kinds of the undead were there. Some of the zombies, the skels and some others used armor and weapons, some of it being of necromantic magic.

 

The great cavern chamber shuddered horrible and ancient ruins, though very sturdy, crumbled before such a terrible force.

 

The UndeathlyGod's invasion, of the Overworld, had begun but it would take much time for the slow monster to get to where it wanted to be, where it needed to be, to complete its horrific plan.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 23.1[33]
Juno Base Mysteries

 

The fake Brothers of Steel surrendered quickly enough and admitted that they were members of a splinter group known as the Outcasts of Steel, not to be mistaken for the Exiles of Steel. Their high command had wished to see if they could get away with tricking the Brotherhood into giving over data. The leader, of the small group, had always thought the plan to be a foolish one but she had never had much respect for most of her leadership.

 

She sat at a metallic table in her power armor, with the helmet removed. "Even our power armor is different enough for us to be detected so the mission was most foolish." The brown skinned woman shrugged. "Our leadership has been acting most peculiar since the stranger came to Fort Independence (heavily fortified main base of the Outcasts of Steel) and held a secret talk with a few of them. The fact is that the stranger came from this direction and I am a part of a large minority (of the Outcasts of Steel) who wish to know what is happening."

 

Pointman frowned softly. "Describe him!"

 

Lieutenant Erasha (of the Outcasts of Steel) did so with much accuracy.

 

Pointman scowled. "Have heard accounts of him before causing troubles in the North American Wastelands as far north as EagleEnclaven and as far south as the Free Confederacy of Ammexico."

 

Lyons turned her head to Pointman. "I would like to hear more about the EagleEnclaven, and Free Confederacy of Ammexico, when you have time."

 

Pointman shrugged. "The EagleEnclaven split from the Enclaven when the Enclaven was taken over by clones and the so called Free Confederacy is a brutal slave nation-state made up of at least 50% slaves. Neither can be trusted though both are hard enemies of the Enclaven; especially of the old style human controlled EagleEnclaven, that is much more like the old Enclaven, that the Brotherhood of Steel has fought in the past. The clones (of the Enclaven) are identical to the Clonetroopers that serve Alma and somehow I do not think that is a coincidence."

 

Lyons nodded. "We have also heard of him. The Regulators (special law enforcers) have been keeping a look out for him but with out success."

Edited April 1, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood

One 23.2(34)

Juno Base Mysteries

 

When the newcomer spoke only Jack, and Pointman, did not seem to be surprised. That is except for two FTroopers on sentry duty. He stood with his back to a wall, wearing a trench coat and wide brimmed hat, and he had a tough worn face that was quite handsome. He emanated a sense of strength greater than normal. "He is Angros, the cyborg-clone son of the one that you call Juno. The irony is that is what he was called Juno, by most, before you came up with a name for him. I do not think it is a coincidence."

 

He gave a kind of odd grin-smile. "Name is Graham Maharg, also known as the Mysterious Stranger, the Ghost Who Walks, the Father of Steel and the First Regulator amongst other titles."

 

Pointman turned to him. "Hello, father!"

 

The Mysterious Stranger smiled. "Brought some 'gifts' for you, the grandchildren, and others that need them. I am sorry that I took so long to get here but I had some other matters to deal with, that I will not discuss here-now, and I had to get the 'gifts' to bring here."

 

Lyons was staring hard at him. "I thought that the 'Father of Steel', the 'First Regulator' and the 'Mysterious Stranger' were all typical DC stories of no real reality."

 

"No, I am real, and one of my tricks is to instigate movements that will hopefully improve the situation for at least the majority of folk in the World Wide Wastelands, the WWW." He sighed softly. "The Brotherhood of Steel seemed to be going wrong until the splintering, and the big shift to the DC, took place. The Brotherhood of Steel, on the Western Coast of North America, is in big trouble thanks mainly to its own foolishness; the Brotherhood of Steel is doing well here in DC. Regulators are going fine and have always done so despite the many obstacles facing them."

 

He looked into Pointman's eyes. "Your suspicions are correct and you know what to do."

 

Pointman pulled out a compact Mark2B1 laser-pistol and shot an Outcast of Steel in the forehead but it was not Erasha. She did not seem overly shocked as her aid fell to the floor and shuddered horribly before laying dead on the floor.

 

Pointman spoke. "He died before he died here."

 

Erasha nodded, as if to herself. "Yes, we were close and we know he was turned into some kind of cyborg puppet."

Edited March 31, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

DC Torchwood
One 23.3[35]
Juno Base Mysteries

Graham Maharg (the Mysterious Stranger) studied her with an odd casual intensity. "Now you can tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as you know it."

Erasha frowned hard. "Very well, nearly all of us fell into the psyker induced trap of Angros' making. Before we knew it he was in charge of Fort Independence and most of the Outcasts of Steel had either become followers or had been turned into pitiful cyborg-puppets. A large minority escaped, fighting all the way, then headed off to hopefully form a temporary alliance with the rather chaotic, ganger like Exiles of Steel. I was sent here as a bit of double trickery; the cyborg-puppets would be 'discovered' and then sacrificed; you would believe me, and the other survivors, innocent and would trust us."

 

Graham Maharg gave a smile-grin. "Deceptive complexity, wrapped inside deceptive complexity, is typical of Angros. Not that I wanted to be but I am his clone-father thanks to a betrayal and some stolen genetic material. That means I can 'sense' aspects of his twisted dark nature, amongst other things." He pulled out an odd looking quadrupedal barreled pistol, fairly large but not overly so, and shot Erasha with four kinds of very small darts.

 

Erasha froze into stillness.

 

Pointman snorted with anger. "An unstable clone of the real Erasha. At least Alma always makes sure her clone followers, and puppets, are stable even if it is for largely selfish reasons. What are the darts doing?"

 

The Mysterious Stranger responded while he studied the clone (of Erasha) with some intensity. "Gaining data, stabilizing her and keeping clone-Erasha in a comfortable dream like secure state. I need to focus on this matter, for now."

 

The others got 'the hint' and soon Maharg was alone, in the room, except for one FTrooper sentry.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Maharg67