Me, Myself and I

[Maharg67]

0020: I WAS THE EYE

 

I, the 'Eye', flew across the DC Wastelands and observed many events typical of the Mars Wastelands though also some more unique ones.

 

A killclaw pack was driven back by giant ants, rad-ants, but only with the death of a few of the big quasi-insect creatures.

 

Settlers depart from a smaller settlement, finding it too isolated and otherwise unable to defend itself with the growing troubles, and headed for a bigger settlement for possible security. They took what they could with them.

 

A rogue virus infected sentrybot shot it out with some Talon Mercenaries, basic thug-soldiers of the Talons, and forced the humans to retreat.

 

A pack-tribe of rhouls found a hidden trove of cans of baked beans in hot chilli sauce, were soon happily feasting on some of the food along with some tasty, crunchy fire roasted radroach meat and muttfruit.

 

A fishing convoy, of fisherboats and two guardboats, fished the DC-River waters as some diresharks circled at a distance, drawn by all of the fishing activity.

 

The fighting continued to rage at the Centropolis Grand Mall where a small force of Outcasts, of Steel, had joined the Brothers of Steel in protecting a heavily fortified position from supermutant assaults. Power armored sappers worked hard to extend, and to enhance, the defenses including the earthworks. The supermutants fought with berserker courage and strength but with only basic tactics.

 

Zhouls broke open a NukaCola vending-machine and were soon glugging down the strange drink. NukaCola had harmful addictive effects, and other harmful side effects, on many but not on ghouls. Ironically it seemed to do them good.

 

A small group of savage, berserker insane, GaryClones escaped from TekVaultDC108 and were soon seeking trouble. They soon came to grief as they ran into two adult deathclaws that tore the clones apart, despite the enhanced abilities of the GaryClones, before devouring the bodies.

 

I, the Eye, observed much more than this.

 

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0021: I WAS JAKEMAN

 

I made my way through a large mixture of urban, rural and semiwilderness environment that was the Super Virtual Reality Domain of Welcome Hub City One0102. I was unable to be fully tricked into believing in the false reality but was quite impressed with its 'limited reality'. One could touch, taste, smell, hear and more in such a place. Non Player Characters, NPCs, moved in the area and were either non interactive dummies or partial interactive or fully interactive. With me was Benjamin Washington, in an avatar shapeform that looked like a younger, slimmer, version of himself. He was smiling from ear to ear as he looked out over what was a PreDoomsday version of the great city of Centropolis. Roboremotes hummed around, along with humans and some androids with color-coding of purple skin and hair. Ironically most of the androids were basic so did not really need any color coding to say they were androids.

 

I walked to a lookout platform, jutting out over a drop and a great area of well organized garden. Smiling, genial, Benjamin joined me to look out from that large, raised area of city that was a series of huge semi-enclosed platforms and other structures including huge pylon towers. A monorail train slid overhead, underside of a monorail that took trains above, and below, in a very clever fashion.

 

I spoke. "That was very clever of you, Benjamin Washington, the way you created that fake version of yourself and placed yourself, semiconscious, in that locker. Why did you do it?"

 

Benjamin did not turn his head. "I suppose you can pick up traces, reflections, of past events. Your kind can often do things of that nature. My parents warned me of this so I am not surprised. Though they have passed on, they visit me in special dreams. They were not mere mortals, as I am, but adopted me out of kindness and enhanced what was a mentally, physically, handicapped child into one that could operate as more than an average mortal. They asked nothing of me but I fell in love with this place and it, along with my parents, became the very core of my life. I needed to alert the general community of the existence of the super virtual reality chamber with out it being me who 'seemingly' found it. My parents, in my dream, asked me to do this. I have another, smaller set-up, kept private for my own use and would prefer to keep it that way."

 

I nodded. "If you wish! Your parents were named Dorothy and Kenneth Washington. Records, such as they are, indicate that they were fairly typical Mars Wastelanders except for their high level of education in many areas. When they came to RivetCity, and began both the centre and the society, they brought a good deal of solid, useful wealth in the way of EI$ coins and other resources. Do you know where they came from?"

 

"From space, from the Solar System Federation, the SSF, to serve it though they were not human. The SSF is made up mostly of advanced human society that somehow survived in space colonies in the Belt and the Jovian Moons (moons around Jupiter). They have outpost colonies at the Martian Moons, of Phobos and Deimos, as well as on-in Luna, the home world's moon." Benjamin sighed. "My parents would have gone home, would have taken me with them, but were trapped by the terrible mixture of real reality and ultimate virtual reality of this world. Something was done here that was never supposed to be done. Ancient alien technologies were interfered with in order to create a kind of utopia, for the ruling elite factions, who could alter reality at will. The utopia would be a dystopia for most who could not manipulate reality but who would be manipulated indirectly, if not directly, by the elites. Something went very wrong with the plan, was bound to go wrong, but it may have been no accident."

 

I felt a strange sensation of disturbance with mind, body and spirit that I could not explain but which was most disconcerting in nature.

 

I, we, did not really comprehend my, our, own nature. I was, we were, waking up from some long semiconsciousness, from a long recovery process from some kind of damage done to mind, body and spirit. What damage, from what and why? Those were questions yet to be answered.

 

Benjamin frowned softly. "Your kind, what ever your kind really are, were at the core of what happened. My parents were not of your kind but were cousin people to your kind, that is 'distant cousins'. My parents called your kind the Q-Continuum, or just the 'Q-Entities as led by AlphaOmega, the Great Q who first created the Q-Continuum. Except that you may be hybrids being part Q-Entity and part something yet to be fully defined. My parents warned me that your kind could be dangerous but that you three, as one, could be trusted and that one day I would need to form a close alliance with you. Which I would like to propose now so that I can show you some other secrets hidden in, and very close, to RivetCity."

 

I nodded. "Consider the alliance formed."

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0022: I WAS JACKOMAN

 

Jackoman emerged, materializing, to carry out tasks that Jakeman could no longer do as she was tied to carrying out essential tasks in RivetCity. Jackoman was like Jack but taller, broader, older looking though still youthful. Jackoman wore light power armor of a kind known as survival power armor. It was enhanced, augmented and otherwise adapted to Wastelands conditions. Jackoman had to go to Zhouls' End, to beneath the Centropolis Grand Mall and to the DC-Citadel. It was stark, very warm, sunlight that bathed that part of the DC. It glinted off some areas of metal but not as much as it once would have for most metal was now covered in dirt or rubble.

 

I was fairly close both to RivetCity, though I could not see it thanks to clusters of damaged buildings and piles of rubble, but also close to where I would need to plunge down into the horrors of Zhouls' End. The area was empty of all life except mutated plants, some strange glowing mosses and such as radroaches and rad-ants. A big powerful radbeetle tumbled into view, out of some rubble, but then began to dig itself back beneath again for survival reasons. In moments it was gone. A big old atomic motorized sedan shifted slightly and then slid down some rubble a bit more. It came to rest with a gentle crunching noise.

 

Depressing and fascinating, a place that had bustled with much life and that now was a gray reflection of its former self but one with its own form of bustling, savage life.

 

A soft sigh escaped me for I had no desire to go to Zhouls' End but I stood gracefully and quietly, adjusted my kevlar backpack and then set out moving with much power, speed, agility and quietness. Then I was going down through a utility ladder tube, was vanishing from the surface. My progress was quick only because I was well experienced in moving through such cramped, dark mazes and had been to Zhouls' End before. It was where zhouls often went to die or just to sleep endlessly. It was a place of loss of hope where even zhoul berserker rage had died away. So what was there that was needed? An amulet of some kind that hung around the neck of just one zhoul amongst so very many of them.

 

Twice I paused when some ghoulers went past! Ghoulers were berserker radhumans like zhouls who could use guns. They were very dangerous and the only good thing about them was that they were quite uncommon even in the DC which was one of their main areas of habitation. They paced past, emanating rage and even hatred. They could not handle what had happened to them and took it out on anybody that they could, including other ghoulers at times. They went past with a crazy mixture of weapons, many of them very basic. It was easier to avoid them than to fight them especially in that area which was one of their home territories.

 

Then I was at the very edges of Zhouls' End and I was soon running into a surprise. A group of rhouls, in hooded robes, were tending to the needs of zhouls and the zhouls were quietly accepting the attentions with odd, crooked smiles on their faces; they actually enjoyed what was happening, in their own zhoul fashion.

 

One of the rhouls came forward and I bowed to her, then gave to her three food bars and two stimpaks. "These are for you." I added some priced prize-caps that could be used to operate both vending-machines and far less common mattercators. NuKaCola, and other big corporations, had launched the 'prize-cap' program of gaining prizes of both goods and services, some of them being quite surprising in nature. The prize-caps I gave over were only for bottles of NukaCola or foodbars and such like. They were of basic value. Prize-caps were as much solid currency in the Wastelands as were Emergency Issue Dollars, EI$. "I am Jackoman and you are?"

 

"Sister Petrayis of the Order of Compassion of the Orderhood of Service Support. Yes, also of the Sisterhood of Compassion! We rhouls are sent to tend to the zhouls for they are more accepting of us. Even the ghoulers give us more respect, in their own way. We have heard of you. You can be very violent and yet the zhouls, around us here, do not react to you in fear." She shook her head in wonder. "You, and others like you, often help less savage of the zhouls. We could use your help for something dark is out there, threatening the zhouls, something that frightens even them and the ghoulers."

 

I, Jackoman, nodded. "Yes, I can 'sense' that there is something both threatening and very exotic out there. It feels like a zhouler, perhaps or perhaps more than one of them."

 

The disfigured face of the rhoul woman showed concern and in that I could hardly blame her. Zhoulers were zhouls with strange psychic powers; they were zhoul versions of psykers. Psykers were Wastelanders with strange psychic abilities of different kinds but most were of only basic power and general powers. Zhoulers tended to be a narrow focus of psyker powers of darker, more destructive nature.

 

I spoke again. "I will see what I can do and will return to report to you, Sister Petrayis." I kissed her on a cheek and she looked surprised than anybody would do so to a ghoul. Then she smiled.

 

I was soon gone to hunt zhoulers for in truth I could 'sense' more than one out there but had not wanted to worry Sister Petrayis too much.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0023: I WAS JACK

 

So there had been a revolution of sorts and as it took place I realized that it had been well planned for a long time. Not only that but my family, the Harringtons, were deeply embedded as part of the plot. My mother was a very canny political woman and she had been busy, behind the scenes, helping to manipulate matters but others had been part of the process such as Professor Brown, Karl Reagos, various more moderate members of the elite Founding Families, various Guild people and a couple of identities only hinted at. The new Megaton Town Council came into power with out an election but with a promise of new kinds of elections being held one year in the future.

 

In truth the lives of most Megatonfolk did not change at all. The 'revolution' was something they were informed of by others, not something that they took part in. I was one of those!

 

The LifeVault was declared to be a 'normal part' of the settlement and under the jurisdiction of its laws, including the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Office. Stored away resources were often released into the community either at low cost or for free. Special preserved sealed food rations, survival blankets, medical kits, basic survival electric lamp-torches, basic survival clothing, furniture, fittings, basic decorations, toys, tools and more were given away. Basic double barreled shotguns were rationed out to some folks along with shotgun shells. Space was freed up so many people could move deeper underground and into what was actually improved accommodation. The community school was soon being moved to better space where it could expand with new resources given. So was the community hospital, the community prison for low level punishments and the community shelters for men, women, children and families. Plans were being made for the community orphanage, which was small and badly in need of expansion.

 

It appeared that wonderful things were happening and yet I found myself feeling wary. I also realized that many key folk in Megaton, including myself, had been left out of what had taken place and had no real authority in the new regime; I doubted that this was an accident. Confessor Cromwell was not happy that the large Megaton minority, of the Children of Atom, had not been even consulted in what was going on. Sheriff Simms was angry that nobody had told him what was taking place. I was annoyed because I had hoped to be given at least some indication of what was happening.

 

It was about this time that the Harrington Family Elders began to pressure me to leave the Harrington Family Bunker and to move myself, my pets and some others to some other place in Megaton. My refusal to provide them with all information that I gained, to serve them rather than the community in general, had angered them. They had even pressured me to spy on Professor Brown and to find out 'what Moria Brown was really up to' in the Emporium. They could not seem able to believe that Moira was basically straight forward, was what she appeared to be on the surface. That is except my mother, Elaine, who was wiser than the majority of five family elders. My grandmother, Teresa, was even wiser but she had been pushed out of any real family position of power years ago. Teresa had never accepted the changes taking place in the family that was becoming increasingly political, manipulative and selfish.

 

I began the move of my companions, my property, from the bunker to the Emporium where I would use the new revealed chambers. Moira was very happy with the changes that would see the two of us sharing the same bedroom, her idea, and the same big double-bed, very much her idea. With me came Heroica the hound dog, Kitty-Kitten the huge cat, Oopsi the neobaby, the android HenryFirst, Echobeak the parrot and SamSak the robot. Resources were moved, some being very valuable and some of the family elders trying to claim them but failing to. Elaine stood up for me and that was enough to stop any attempts to steal my stuff. As it is I gave over some valuable items to the family, which impressed many relatives including some that I normally did not get on with.

 

After I gave my first cousin, Sebastian, a bolt-action rifle he gave me some important information in the form of a warning; a dark influence, in the form of a mysterious man and woman, were behind the so called 'revolution' and had seduced many others. Yet others, such as my mother and Professor Brown, were openly wary of the strangers. The man was named Alterman and the woman was named Patrina. They were beautiful, pale white of skin, hard of eyes and there was something about them that was darkly disturbing to those who were more aware on a spiritual psychic level. Sebastian was far from being a good person but he was also wary of the pair. He was very pleased with the rifle and I was even more pleased with the warning.

 

Somehow I had failed to know of many important things happening in my home settlement and this had to change.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0024: I WAS JASMINE

 

Thanks to secret expeditions sent to the surface in the past, that had become an open secret through out TekVaultDC101, vaultfolk knew about deathclaws. So, upon confronting the distorted radroach monsters complete with their claws, they called them roachclaws. Roachclaws had attacked DemivaultDC101D but also ratclaws, spiderclaws and even manclaws. Yes, distorted human creatures attacked the other demivault and even used basic weapons though not guns. The mystery was where had they come from? The few vaultsuits seen, captured, were adorned only with a curious set of symbols and numbers being '+=+112358=+RDV023' on the chest and upper back along with the shoulders. The attacks had come in only a small way at first and only as distorted creatures excluding humans. Only the manclaws came with distorting things clinging to their backs, ready to jump onto and cause other lifeforms to suffer terribly. Except that, more often than not, the process failed and either the creature died or both the creature and potential host ceased. Victims who survived intact began to gain immunity of sorts and the transforming creatures ceased to attack them. Vireclaws was what the vaultfolk had come to call the transforming monsters.

 

It was oddly pleasing to learn that there were immune radroaches, radrats, radspiders and other creatures out there, including humans. The distorted victim monsters might kill them but never turn them into their own kind.

 

DemivaultDC101D was standing out against the threat, for the moment, but needed assistance. The expedition, that was to go to the main vault, would now go to the nearer demivault instead. It would be much the same except with another golfcar, this one full of extra equipment, and supplies, for the other demivault. I said goodbye to my friends and got ready as I could for the expedition. Before I went, though, I did a 'trick' that was both new and old to me. I sat cross legged on the floor of my cramped bedroom and focused on using my own mind-eye capacities. Thus I reached out towards the other demivault and found there both a surprise and a disturbing truth.

 

Not all of the refugees from DemivaultDC101D were infiltrators but the leaders of the refugees were all former humans with brainbugs inside their skulls along with the altered remains of their brains. There were four brainbugged humans and they were captured and taken to a medical isolation chamber. Here they were carefully examined. I also helped examine them, along with my father and some others.

 

I examined the creatures, each exposed but still inside a human skull for they were merged into the human brain spinal networks and would be very hard to remove to be examined intact. "These creatures are known as brainbugs and are ancient. I would say they are of Zetan or Graynari bio-engineering. Graynari, the 'Grays', are linked with the zetans. Yet, having said that, their are some minor but distinct differences that indicate these are 'copies' of those more ancient kinds of brainbugs. The brainbugs do not give orders but relay orders from a controlling mentality. They not only receive data, including direct instructions, but also send data to that controlling mentality. They are organic remotes that in turn integrate and control various victim hosts."

 

My father frowned softly at me. "So you are manifesting the same kind of abilities that your mother, Catherine, gained as she got older in ScienceCity where we all once lived. You used your 'mind-eye' to spy upon DemivaultDC101D. Now you have information beyond anything that I have gained. Who are the 'Graynari' that you speak of? Oh, yes, you spoke of 'Grays'. I suppose you mean those pseudoscientific entities that were supposed to have visited the home world once, abducting people."

 

"They were real though the 'little gray men' were actually biological remotes and the so called 'flying-saucers' were transdimensional shapshifting infiltration vehicles. Not all abductees were real abuctees though they were a minority of all who claimed to be so. Not that all false abductees were knowingly fraudulent, far from it." I sighed. "My mind-eye impressions of DVDC101D were far from complete. I glimpsed a brainbug being placed into a naked man lying strapped to a metal table. He was semiconscious but felt no pain. The two working on him were some kind of androids but not of the known kinds of the Marslands. They are bioplastic vat-androids, or vatdroids, being in many ways different from the various cantdroids be they replicants, duplicants or others. They are copies of an alien form of servant remote entity, known as autons. Autons serve the Nestines of alien intelligences. As far as I know, the Nestines have never come to Mars though I could easily be wrong about this. They may have sent autons, humanoid or otherwise, as remote explorers of this world which what they often do in their explorations of the Multiverse. My information is fragmented, is frustratingly incomplete."

 

"Which also makes you like Catherine." James frowned softly. "She did not die when you were born, though she seemed to be dying. No, she told me that she would return one day and then she just... just vanished."

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0025: ME, MYSELF AND I (PLUS OTHERS)

 

I, Jakeman, studied the super virtual reality network-system, in RivetCity, and tried to learn as much as I could. There was the general, open, SVR Zone that most could access and the secret, closed, SVR Zone that very few even knew about, let alone could access.There was much to learn and yet it was worth the time, and effort, to understand more of what was in that place.

 

I, Jack,sought to speak with my mother, Elaine, only to be fobbed off by her personal assistant who was my older half sister, Tanya. I did not like Tanya but I knew she would not push me away unless Elaine decided she should do so. So, why was my mother avoiding me? I soon found that she was doing the same to others such as Sheriff Simms and Confessor Cromwell. Tanya would only say that Elaine was very busy with a series of important meetings and that everything would be explained in a short time. The move to the Emporium was completed. Two more chambers were discovered, were opened up, but they were fairly basic and partly filled with semijunk and junk.

 

I, Jasmine, helped to defend DemivaultDC101E, Demivault-E, from a moderately large attack of the altered creatures being called vireclaw-puppets by that time. Manclaws came rushing along the tunnel with many more other kinds of vireclaw-puppets. Roachclaws swarmed along the way as did ratclaws and spiderclaws. Turrets burned many with pulselaser guns while 20mm autogun-turrets ripped shredded them. Activated proximity mines sprayed the tunnel with metallic pellets or explosions of flame. Then the fighting between our force (human, robotic units and android defenders) and the enemy swarms began. The fighting was savage but the vireclaw-puppets were mindless attackers who were crowded into a tunnel and they all perished while no defenders were even touched.

 

I fought in survival power armor, vault issued type, and blazed away with a proper autorifle. I had shown one of my other tricks, duplicating one damaged autorifle to end up with two rejuvenated autorifles. The 'trick' used valuable energy and only a few learned that I could do so. Still, I did not like the way that the Overseer looked at me after I gave the armory two 'new' weapons from one damaged one. I hoped that Alphonse would not cause trouble when it came to me leaving with the expedition, which was delayed of course, but was hoping for too much.

 

I, Jackoman, hunted for the zhoulers causing trouble in that part of the underground at the edges of Zhouls' End. They were dangerous, unstable creatures full of agony, hatred and cunning. At first they eluded me but I was soon picking up the patterns of what were three zhoulers who were truly dangerous monsters. The greatest difficulty was that I was in their home ground, their hunting territories of dark, cramped, sometimes flooded, areas that they knew much better than I did.

 

I, the Eye, kept on moving and observing.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0026: I WAS JAKEMAN

 

I was painfully aware of the growing demands of RivetCityfolk to be allowed access to the SVR network-systems. The finding of capsulechairs, and related equipment, was not going to be easy. In secret I rejuvenate-duplicated some hardware but I was limited in how much I could do such 'tricks'. Then Benjamin Washington showed me a secondary chamber full of SVR and other hardware, firmware, software. The extra five capsulechairs, and other SVR related stuff, was soon being formed into a secondary chamber for more general use. The RivetCity Leadership Council had not been greatly united for years and now fell to squabbling about control of and access to the centre.

 

Sages of Steel, a subgroup to the Orders of Steel, sent three of their scientists along with others, to the centre and came with equipment of their own to add to the project. They would have priority access to the SVR network-systems and the mass of valuable data that still remained in its databanks except a relatively small amount kept hidden. They would also gain access to the major, mediate and minor SVR domains that the network-systems supported. There was one major SVR domain and it was Marslands Paradise, a great city with many features from educational to recreational including a big amusement theme park. In SVR the seemingly impossible could be attained, be it illusionary, which made super virtual experiences very interesting. The mediate domains were the Marslands Tropical Islands, the Marslands White Highlands and the Marslands Magical Kingdoms. The nine moderate domains were Tranquility Lane, Mutant Mazes, Casino Royal, Adults Only Land, Young Folks Paradise, Commerce Connections, Arts Creative Central, Survival Training Ranges and Military Security Central.

 

The problem was, at first, that only so many of the thirteen domains could be made fully active at any one time. Choices would have to be made.

 

Trevor Bannon was soon proving to be a problem. He was a shrewd, clever businessman with a big permanent stall in the RivetCity Markets but he also charged too much for his goods, was greedy and selfish. Trouble was he was also a member of the RivetCity Leadership Council, a non elected body of people with too much power. Professor Li Madison was another member as was Captain Nelson, Marshal Harkness and Melonie Brent. Bannon was soon demanding that he, as a good business manager, be put in charge of the SVR network-systems; he would make a good profit for RivetCity and RivetCityfolk by hiring out the uses of the SVR network-systems. Of course he really meant he would make a grand profit for himself. I kicked him out of the growing complex myself and he glared hatred at me before he stomped off.

 

Harkness put security guards around the SVR Centre, around the DC Preservation Centre. In return I passed over to RivetCity Security two good condition protectron robots, five autorifles, two pump-action shotguns, a large supply of ammo and a tripod-lasergun along with additional gear and supplies. Marshal Harkness was most pleased with the gains and even more pleased with how I had treated Bannon; many were very amused by the way that the greedy fool had been shown out but also warned me that Bannon was a dangerous enemy; this was partly because he had tight links with some very unsavory factions of the DC including the DC Syndicates and the Tenpenny Family based at the Tenpenny Towers. Ever since the mysterious disappearance of Edgar Morris, the only real business competition to Bannon, about a year before, there had been growing suspicion about Bannon's link with the crime. Unlike Bannon, Morris had been a fair minded trader, a man who saw himself as much as a service to the community as a money maker. He had been far more popular than Bannon. The Morris Family continued to run a large stall and were once more starting to challenge Bannon.

 

There was just one more chamber of equipment and supplies; some medical stuff was given over to the small RivetCity Hospital and some items to the struggling RivetCity Community School. Most was kept for the expanding RivetCity SVR Centre, as it was becoming generally known as.

 

I had become the Manager of the SVR Centre simply because I was the only one who could really run it. I was trusted enough, by RivetCityfolk, to do so and had all the right experience and skills. I also was as fair as possible in who got to use the SVR facilities and how they got to use them. I wanted all to have some access. Jackoman would have to carry out the tasks set for me out in the DC Wastelands. There was more to discover in and around the SVR Centre but also outside of RivetCity itself. The next one would be amazing.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0027: I WAS JAKEMAN

 

It came to surprise me just how much of the battle-carrier had never really been part of RivetCity, had been sealed off from it. Over 50% of the internal layout was sealed off, forgotten. Of the roughly 50% that could be accessed, only about 31% was being used. It was an amazing waste of resources and the irony was that it was a lack of certain kinds of resources that had led largely to this waste. In other words many areas needed repair work done, even reconstruction work, before they could be properly used. As it was many network-systems had been looted or damaged and needed work done on them.

 

The struggling New DC Republic wanted to build up its presence in RivetCity, which was theoretically part of the NDCR. The Sages of Steel were interested in placing a research and development centre there so they could have access to resources while gaining more freedom from the Brotherhood of Steel's influences. The Regulators wanted to put an outpost there including a secondary HQ. The NDCR also wanted to place a Sheriff's Office into RivetCity so that RivetCity Security could focus on security; Marshal Harkness supported this idea fully. The Church of Atom, also to be found in Megaton and other places, wanted to enlarge its chapel there. Canterbury Commons wanted to form trade agreements with the merchants of the RivetCity Markets that would include opening up new stalls both in the RivetCity Markets. The NDCR Republican Guard wanted to put a garrison of Republican Guardsmen into RivetCity. The discovery of the SVR Centre had sparked off a whole set of events that largely had nothing to do with the centre.

 

Flashman, a roving reporter for the 3DTower Station run by the famous 3Dog, came to me with a small group and we had an interview about the SVR Centre. Flashman was canny as a investigative journalist and soon worked out that I was holding out on something. I simply told him to be patient and to stay at RivetCity for a few days, that it would be worth his while though I preferred it if he would be discrete. Getting the 'hint', Flashman did so.

 

The next 'discovery' that Benjamin Washington showed me was a 'doozy'! It was just as Benjamin hinted it would be. It was a large area long sealed off with doubles of big armored doors, airlock fashion, and the air in it was stale. Air regulation network-systems were fully activated before we went in as a mixed team of Security Guards, two Sages of Steel, two Steel Brothers, and some others including Flashman, as promised. Flashman had his companions with him. We made our way through what was almost a 'ship inside a ship' with much equipment, much weaponry, robots and androids in bays, turrets, a big command centre and many storage rooms full of gear along with many other facilities. From workshops to barracks to a big battle command chamber to a big medical bay, they were all there. Yet that was not the biggest surprise.

 

The biggest surprise were the status-capsules still functioning nicely and in each a man or a woman. They were military people who had gone into status as a last resort. They were in surprisingly good health. There were 143 of them in neat ranks and, to our surprise, there were also some children, dogs and even two cats.

 

Just the implications of what had been found was amazing! The actual results would soon be almost overwhelming.

 

RivetCity Security cordoned off the known access points to the secret area. The safety of the 143 had to be taken into account and also the fact that there was so much military hitech in the area. Attempts were made to keep the find secret, while sending secured communications out, but the idea was a futile one from the start. Powerful DC Factions, across the Wastelands, would learn of what was there and the best that could be done against hostile ones, was to delay that happening. It was quickly decided that the issue was too large for the RivetCity Leadership Council to have sole responsibility over, with only Bannon demanding that it be otherwise.

 

I was in the newly revealed zone when word came of a column of refugees coming to RivetCity. There were increasing movements of settlers and even such as gangers, bandits and tribals. The cause was the increasing savagery of the Three Way War but also other rising threats. Professor Li had taken over the project to bring the 143 out of status. The process would be a complicated one with problems such as the need to quarantine the awakened to illnesses that had arisen since Mars Doomsday.

 

Something was niggling at me so I went and used my growing abilities to probe into the status-capsule folk with my mind-eye. Moments later the program to bring them out of status was halted. Some of the adult humans, sixteen of them as far as I could tell, had something small, alien and disturbing inside them. My use of mind-eye abilities was new so I was not sure of the others. I managed to convince Madison and we began a very careful, select set of testing procedures.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

0028: I WAS JAKEMAN

 

I frowned as data ran across the small screen. "Madison, the reason the small alien infestations did not show up before was that somebody has very cleverly interfered with the medical scanning network-systems of the status-capsules. I have undone the sabotage, with a little difficulty and have begun some real medical scans."

 

In moments there were sirens, along with flashing lights, as the medical network-systems detected the alien intruders inside sixteen adult humans. The same warnings should have sounded before. Madison Li examined the screen and shook her head. "The indications are that the sabotage would have taken at least days to carry out and that it was done centuries ago."

 

I went over more data and then darted my fingers over an ergonomic keyboard. Datasymbols flowed along with numbers and letters. Diagrams came and went. Then I was examining program code itself and soon found the truth. "No, Madison, the sabotage took place about eight months ago."

 

A Steel Sage, one Brother Meiking, examined the coding and whistled softly. "Who ever did the infiltrating, and changes, was excellent at such work but was in a hurry and so made mistakes. So is my opinion."

 

I supported the middle aged man, with his patchwork skin of different racial colors. He was a so called 'patchskin' mutation of which there were many amongst the Wastelanders.

 

Jarisha had been assisting, has used his growing auric mage skills on those in the status-capsules. He had been working at the RivetCity Hospital using his abilities to help diagnose, stabilize and heal patients. That was what he was good at, what he wanted to do, and I had assured him that I supported him wholly in what ever he chose to do. Now he was being of great help as he 'aura probed and scanned' the alien things.

 

He visibly shuddered. "Biomechanical entities with toxic-acidic blood and biometallic skin. Each would, if not in status, slowly expand out and devour the host body until it is fully changed into a black biometallic humanoid complete with a bizarre 'banana shaped head' and a long skeletal like tail. They are not like the thing that was in the dead, bloated zhoul."

 

=-= Hivaca, they are a very dangerous hive minded species focused on their queens, thinkers and watchers. Queens rule, thinkers come up with strategies of survival and watchers supervise but all three hivaca types also fight. Then there are guards, soldiers, strikers, workers and drones along with specials. Drones are winged and are the only males. Specials are specialist hivaca only created for special needs; they are often stored, status fashion, when not needed or are disposed of to be recycled for the good of the hivaca.

 

Yes, vague memories spoke of meeting such before but not really Jakeman's memories. No, shared memories from before. It was time to better understand my, our, true nature. We were one as three but with the primary at our core and such as Jackoman that could be brought forth at need. Such was just a glimpse at what I was, at what we were. I focused back onto more immediate concerns. Just what madness was happening there in the Mars Wastelands, in the DC? Why the hivaca infestations on top of the infestation of the zetan like creature and the infestations that Jasmine was facing in TekVaultDC101? Were they all linked? Did they have anything to do with the warned of threats of the Earth, the Zetan Empire and the Tripodic Martians?

 

I looked around the gleaming, clean chamber of the status-capsules that was so different in appearance from much of the big old battle-carrier, and I wondered just what was going on.

 

I turned to Madison Li. "I suggest we bring out of status the tabby ginger female cat first, the one named PuddyTat, and place her in quarantine. We can do some tests on her. Amazing, a specimen from before Doomsday with comparatively clean genetics. Still, we will not harm her."

 

Madison Li sighed. "Considering how you looked at me then, I would not dare to do so."

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Terminals%20Used/TERMINAL-IT-Workit-00066.jpg

 

Simple Feedback: :thumbsup: = okay :thumbsup: :thumbsup: = good :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: = very good :dance: = so good I want to dance

 

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/Dragonpen61/Terminals%20Used/TERMINAL-IT-Workit-new011.jpg

Edited December 27, 2012 by Maharg67