Getting some answers...Hikage style



Alameda(#1341 RLntN)

Alameda, formerly the site of the Naval Air Station and the associated Marine base, is now home to the newly formed EDC and its massive launching, recovery and repair facilities. The city seems to have adapted to the change rather well. The carriers, cruisers and destroyers formerly tied up alongside the piers have been replaced with hyper-sonic fighter craft, interplanetary interceptors and shuttles of all varieties, but the servicemen never change. The towers and hangars of the EDC shine brightly in the sun.

Contents:

Terran Standard Troops #4172

Alameda Base Defenses 

Terran Standard Troops #5033

Militant Sensor #6827

Main Complex 

Obvious exits:

Fly  leads to Sky Above San Francisco.

Ferry  leads to Uptown San Francisco.

West  leads to San Francisco Harbor.

Hikage activates his hologram system and takes on the appearance of the Benefactor Ravenstep.

Ravenstep has arrived.

Ravenstep is standing at roughly 7', his body is slender yet muscular. You can tell the guy works out to keep his shape. His skin is tanned, eyes are black and sparkling with mischievousness. His hair is short and jet black making a nice contrast with his skin. You can see a swiss army watch on his left wrist and a silver ring on his left ring finger.

He is currently wearing the Standard EDC Uniform.

There is a holster strapped to his LBE on the left side. There is a Carbon steel Ka-Bar Combat Knife inside the left boot. Around Ravestep's waist is a utility belt (just like Batman!) which contains a bunch of gadgets such as: GPS locator, miniature flashlight, Gerber multi-lock, UV strobe light, lockpicks, and other handy gizmos. Finally you see he is carrying a small metal backpack (which contains other gadgets, rope grappling hook, cutters, electronic lockpicking kit) which is attached to his Load Bearing kit.

You manage to infiltrate through the defenses.

Main Complex 

The guards check your identification and wave you through into the main complex.

Main Complex (#1348 RLntN)

This is the main complex of the Earth Defense Corps's HeadQuarters. Based here in the beautiful city of San Fransciso it rises above the tranquil park below. To the north is the multi-level EDC Command Tower, beautifully designed in blue glass it shines brilliantly in the sun. A large EDC crest is subtly blended into the building. Over to the west, you can see star fighters taking off and landing. Behind you is the gates leading back down to the peaceful park below.

Contents:

Terran Standard Troops #5544

Obvious exits:

Southwest  leads to Barracks Hall .

East  leads to Prisoner Confinement Area.

North  leads to Alameda.

South  leads to Hangar Bay .

West  leads to EDC Command Tower.

Ravenstep> Main Complex (#1348 RLntN)

Ravenstep>

This is the main complex of the Earth Defense Corps's HeadQuarters. Based here in the beautiful city of San Fransciso it rises above the tranquil park below. To the north is the multi-level EDC Command Tower, beautifully designed in blue glass it shines brilliantly in the sun. A large EDC crest is subtly blended into the building. Over to the west, you can see star fighters taking off and landing. Behind you is the gates leading back down to the peaceful park below.

Ravenstep> Contents:

Ravenstep> Terran Standard Troops #5544

Ravenstep> Obvious exits:

Ravenstep> Southwest <SW> leads to Barracks Hall <EDC>.

Ravenstep> East <E> leads to Prisoner Confinement Area.

Ravenstep> North <N> leads to Alameda.

Ravenstep> South <S> leads to Hangar Bay <EDC>.

Ravenstep> West <W> leads to EDC Command Tower.

Ravenstep> You move east toward the Prisoner Confinement Area.

Ravenstep> Prisoner Confinement Area

Ravenstep>

The prison confinement area is a maximum security area filled with EDC guards posted on a rotational shift twenty-four hours a day. Fully-armed men and women stand guard, the only living keepers of those within the cell. When the cell is occupied, prisoners of war lurk behind a powerful electrical forcefield that blocks them from freedom. When it isn't, the guards' numbers decrease to a minimum, as there are better and much more exciting posts for them to deal with. Security cameras along the walls scan everything inside, other guards watching from screens in another room. Never has there been an escape from this maximum security area, hopefully there never will be.

Ravenstep> Contents:

Ravenstep> EDC Prison Control

Ravenstep> Obvious exits:

Ravenstep> Cell A <CA> leads to Cell A.

Ravenstep> West <W> leads to Main Complex <EDC>.

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet sits in the cell, with the others, cooling her heels, and such. Because she's been a bad bad girl. They are letting her have a book or two though. She's not going to just be staring at a wall. They're probably either asleep, playing a game, or getting taken out for investigation purposes. Hoorah for investigations.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep walks into the detention area. It is the first time the Benefactor has come to visit his rogue comrades. Being in the Intel department means the poor bastard probably has to shed some light on what happened.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep stops infront of Layla's cell and looks at her for a few second. Something in his eyes...Compassion ? I always knew you Militants were trouble ? or maybe just a great big why ? The benefactor grabs a small stool and sits near the cell door. "Not interrupting anything important am I ?"

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Looking up from her text, the archaological wonder just. . .looks at Ravenstep for a moment. Because y'know, it is the first time she's seen a Benefactor close up since before her defection. "Greetings." Layla says, "I have nothing important to do right now." She gives him one of those almost-smiles. Not quite a cheery grin, not quite a scowl. "Can I do something for you?"

Ravenstep> Ravenstep grins "Why yes you can. That thing with the space station and the conquering the world and such. Even I love pranks but I think you guys went a bit far. That's what I want to talk to you about...among other things. I am going to level with you and what I am about to tell is probably no surprise but...let's play with our cards on the table." He stands up and paces around the cell door area. "It will not surprise you that we do not intend to release ANY of you until we know what happened and that you are cleared by certified medical staff. And that BEFORE releasing you. We will check and double-check what you tell us. Ergo, none of you will step outside them bars until we know the truth."

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet shrugs, "We have gone over that with Colonel Fairbourne." She states, setting aside her book, "And I will tell you the same thing that I told her... I do not remember taking over a space station, but I will accept whatever punishment they choose." She frowns, rubbing a fist against her cheek. "Apparantly I did those things." Accent. Normal. Voice. Normal. Hey. You're tallking to the nice doctor.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep scribbles some notes on his pad and nods "Ok so you have no recollection about taking over the space station and planning to crash it into the Ocean therefore destroying many major coastal cities. That's ok. Sometimes I forget where I park my car or what I had for lunch." The Benefactor seems relaxed no trace of sarcasm. "What about -before- the space station incident ? What is the last thing you remember before being brought here ?"

Aramasu Hikage switches off his radio.

Ravenstep> From Cell A, The good doctor gives Ravenstep an odd look through the forcefield. "Cybertron." She answers, "It should be in what file they are keeping on us for prosecution. The colonel was very clear that our session was being recorded." A ghost of a smile curves her lips, "Or had you forgotten that?"

Ravenstep> Ravenstep ducks the verbal jab and simply keeps scribbling "I did not read the commander's notes yet. With all due respect this kind of incident requires to be handled by professionals so, no offense if I start from scratch." The Benefactor looks at the Militant and is half-glad there were no -serious- injuries following the space station incident. "Allright you mentionned Cybertron but can you be more...specific ? Where on Cybertron ? What area ? Do you remember coordinates ? Did you write anything down somewhere ? Do you remember a monument or marker near where you were ? Do you remember what you were doing on Cybertron and what happened to you there ?"

Ravenstep> From Cell A, No serious injuries? 27 deaths? Great. Now that's a light thought.

"Several coordinates, actually." Layla answers, realizing that starting fresh sometimes does help. "But the last place I remember clearly was the mini-lab inside our shuttle, where we installed the cores. Then waking up on a transport on the way here." She idly tucks a loose lock of hair behind her ear, thinking, "My notes are in your custody, as are ... Michael's."

Ravenstep> Ravenstep writes down the mini-lab shuttle thing and a note to check for which shuttle was used to and to treat that particular shuttle as a crime scene. "The Cores...I was coming to that. What did you find exactly ? During the fight in the space station. Some participants noted energon-based weaponry and..." The Benefactor reaches into a pocket and pulls out a picture of Layla in her power armor KOed with some green liquid oozing out. "Care to develop a bit more on that green ooze thing ? Apparently when your armor was damaged it started leaking from it."

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Does my butt really look that big in the suit?

Okay. So maybe that's not the questin that comes to mind. "We had to use some Energon feeds to make sure that the cores functioned within tolerable parameters within our suits." She shakes her head, "I . . ." She stares at the picture. Yes. That's really her. She was really in the corridor of a space station. "I would think that you would be able to figure out what it is from the chemical composition." she shakes her head, "Probably just energon contaminated with the coolant from ..." She shakes her head, "Or perhaps a chemical additive...." She doesn't know.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep nods "Yes chemical analysis is under way but took a bit of time to get started. Quite frankly nobody was really eager to touch that stuff if it turned out to be some nanaite-infected goop that takes over your brain and make a mindless-zombie of the saucer people or Quintesson." He looks up at her looking deadly serious about the ridiculous statement he just made. 4 seconds pass and he cracks a smile "I am kidding...mostly. Though the theories which emenated from the grunts or that could be heard in cafeteria were...entertaining to say the least. As for the cores themselves...They were laser cores from...Cybertronians ? Or something else ? Do you remember what 'pushed' you or 'gave you the idea' that it might be 'cool' to plug that stuff into your suits and -how- to wire some completely alien technology to your own ?" He scribbles a few more notes silently cursing himself as he almost let a 'machine' slip out. "No offense doc but as good as you are, fiddling with that kind of stuff is a tad beyond your usual field of expertise. I suspect Briar probably did the actual modifications but that still does not explain the 'motive'. Ok you find some 'cores' and decide to jack them into your suit. I found a used tire in a ditch once and you did not see me trying to plug it into my suit."

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet shakes her head, "It was actually Michael's idea." She smiles, ever so slightly, "He is the one who came up with the idea that we could use the deactivated cores in order to enhance the performance of our own suits--" She gives a huge shrug, "The man had a theory, I read it, and it seemed to ... make sense. It was kept under cover because of the nature of the project." Wry look. "The mach- Cybertronians might have objected." Eh. Ethics. Such a gray area.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep grins because of Layla's slip, old habits die hard. "Yes, given my usual field of operation I understand the 'gray area'. Yes the Cybertronians might have objected given it would be the equivalent of desacrating a grave to take organs or body parts you could use on yourself. Kinda freaky if you ask me." He fakes a little shiver. Yeah give this guy an oscar he deserves it. "So you followed some wild theory and plugged the thing into your suits. Do you remember -anything- after you activated your 'core-enhanced' armors ? Does it become like a sudden blank to you ? Or did you gradually lose notion of what you were doing up to the point where it becomes a blank ?"

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet sighs, "I remember suiting up, and keying a diagnostic..." She frowns, "And then it goes away." She isn't looking up at Ravenstep. "After that... nothing." Except for the nightmares. Which have faded, and she's not really willing to talk about them.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep writes everything down "You mentionned...many coordinates. Did you find all the cores in one place ? Was that what you were looking for in the first place ? Or did you stumble upon the cores and thought it was a neat idea ?" Makes a note to make up some BS excuse to the Autobots so they don't have to know about the desecration.

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet shrugs, "We went looking for them, in the places where the Cybertronians themselves no longer go. It was an intriguing journey," She adds, "I was recording to see if I could find more of the differences in the history of their world, as well as those in this." And she gives Ravenstep a genuine grin. "Archaeological curiousity, perhaps."

Ravenstep> Ravenstep looks up with a curious look on his face "You guys went underground ? Without troop support ? That was pretty reckless. I have seen some of the stuff that lurks down there. I would not go there if my suit was not as good as it is." He scribbles furiously some details that cross his mind.

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet shakes her head, "There are a few surface areas that none go to. A chemical swamp. A deserted city or two." She wasn't there for the last one. Ah well.

Ravenstep> Ravenstep nods and smiles as those last two bits of info will save him the trouble of finding where all them notes are in custody as he would look stupid asking his way around his own base. "Thank you that was most helpful. I will talk to the doctors and see if I can speed things up for you."

Ravenstep> From Cell A, Layla Bastet shrugs, tilting her head to one side, "Your kindness is appreciated, although I believe the phrase 'don't rush' comes to mind. Investigations should take their time." She reaches for her book again. Medical texts. She's reading medical texts. What a geek.

Ravenstep> You head west toward the Main Complex <EDC>.