Press Release - SCHUEMANN & ASSOCIATES TO RELOCATE

[Dabblez]

(( That was very, very enjoyable, Sundai, especially the New Years Eve fireworks bit!)

[Blackpetal]

Blackpetal sighed as she fit her apartment key into the electronic lock. It had been a while since she had been back to her apartment in Rome, and she couldn't remember in exactly what condition she had left it. She waited as the door opened with a whoosh and walked in. A thought turned on the stereo in the corner. A second thought started some tea brewing. As nice as her place in Jobe was, Petal always felt like she coming back home when she came back here.

Petal smiled and looked around. Everything was neat and tidy. Suddenly, as her eyes scanned the room, she was struck by the sense that something was wrong. Another cursory look about the apartment and everything still looked fine, so Petal began to focus, scrutinizing the details of her life in the apartment as she tried to determine what was wrong. What fragment was out of place? Her gaze alighted on a bare spot, and suddenly she realized what was missing.

"My research!" she shouted in alarm. She looked around in a panic, trying to determine if she had simply mislaid the material, but it was nowhere to be found. Petal sank to the ground and rested her head in her hands.

Who could have taken them? she thought to herself. Who would even know that I had them?

Petal began to catalog what had been taken. Several ancient texts and histories of the Redeemed and Unredeemed seemed to be missing, and several more recent documents she had recovered that described their more recent struggles also were gone. Also missing was a draft report she had been reviewing from the Jobe scientists describing their findings on the degrading condition of the Shadowlands.

It was all on a pile right here! she thought in frustration. Could someone actually have come into the apartment and TAKEN it?! If so...does the thief know what he has? Did he take it deliberately?

Petal looked helplessly around her apartment. Suddenly, it no longer seemed the warm and inviting space it had been only a few moments earlier. Her tea kettle gave a mournful whistle, but Petal didn't get up.

[Aslon]

Aslon's eyes shut. The frozen wind blasted against his armor rattling it around, his Scythe strapped to his back flung around like a twig on a branch during a storm. The blood that stained his once white armor was blasted away in the unrentless wind. His fist clutched something, something that made the dripping blood from it freeze as it fell down. He'd lost his protection from the cold in the battle, but no matter what he must go forward into the frozen wasteland that was only known as Pneumbra. By the time that he had reached the Unredeemed Temple so far away, his lips were cracked and bleeding, his face blasted red and blistered from the eternal winter. He crawled before the other Unredeemed who did not help him, only watched as he painstakingly made it on his knees and hand, curious what he clutched so dear. As he wretchedly slid into the temple he collapsed, healing auras barely sustaining his life.

He awoke shortly to no bed, no comforting or soft gestures to reward his task, only the hard shell of the floor of the Temple. Painstakingly he rose, stumbling for a bit as he went before The Prophet. Showing his grim work to the Prophet, the Prophet gasped in horror summoning the Unredeemed Lady Vanya at once. Aslon turned and went to her, bowing before Vanya's Majesty not entirely of his own volition but more so of his muscles'. He handed her what she desired, and she laughed with glee rewarding him as he collapsed onto the floor. He remembered red, blood red, everywhere and Vanya mumbling a few things with glee and merriment shortly before he passed out.

Aslon's eyes opened, unaware of the day that had passed in his recovery inside the Temple Barracks. He'd found new equipment, his glaringly white armor removed from him leaving only his under clothes. He rose too fast and immediately regreted it, eyes reeling back as he fell upon his pillow. His eyes slowly rolled around to a table next to his bed, showing a small black box with a symbol on it. He achingly reached over and opened it revealing a plush material underneath a small Key like object with the Symbol of Vanya over it. He looked back up onto the ceiling and reflected....

...He'd come here to find the purpose out for why he and Sundai were together. He'd always trusted, the voices of the Unredeemed, ever since he'd gotten there from child hood when he'd found the Insignia of Thrak just outside of his father's watch as a guard. He'd come to learn to trust them, to listen to them, but Sundai had always presented a problem. She listened to the "Spirits" as she called them, he'd always found that aspect of her so fascinating and intriguing about her. He never knew truely why, but only to follow her, protect her, teach her of the land and the new land to come to them. To be strong for her as if she held some importance.

He'd left her a note, saying he was leaving, he had not told her why nor perhaps would she understand the need for this pilgrmage. Despite all their similarities, so much stood between them in understanding of the reasons why. He had the Unredeemed, she had...well she had her Spirits, or so best he could figure. This was who he was, just as he presumed those Spirits were apart of her, too. She may understand the act of what he did, but she would not entirely understand the reasoning behind it.

She would not understand the comming need. The incident with the apartment showed him only too clearly that were consequences to befall her, and consquently him, they must both be prepared for it in their Homeland. To be able to hide, and run, and be protected within the only place they knew as their true home. He had concluded this trip was the only solution, that he had to go forth and lay a path that might one day lead to their salvation should it be so. He would be strong for the both of them.

He'd learned much since he'd gone, in such a short period. He'd traveled from land to land, spoken to the Librarian's of the great Soul Cache's in each Temple, learning all he could of the Redeemed and Unredeemed. He'd learned their languages, their writings, their symbols, their histories in the great war that still raged on today. He'd taken part in battle, assinated, spied, or fought on the front lines of that all out war. He had needed to learn, to protect her and be strong for her. He was her defender, she may have very well been his Queen.


Slowly Aslon got back up, he saw new armor and new adornements, clearly with marks of Vanya and other items clearly of Rubi-Ka origin. He did not question how they came to aquire these items, only that now they were for his usage. He suited up, now refreshed and refilled with vigor and tenacitity to tackle whatever might come his and Sundai's way. He was prepared, he had learned, and he was ready for anything that might come their way in these lands he'd once called home but now saw as so strange as he traveled further and further from Jobe.

He went back to Jobe, he went to her apartment and entered. She'd left it unlocked, again, he sighed in the darkness waiting for her attack. When none came he set his scythe down across a chair in the living room fixing himself a drink. It had been a while, a few days that seemed like another lifetime to him, he sat down comfortably in a cushy chair. He noted the apartment around, looked for exits and defensive positions without turning any lights on, he waited for her return...

[Sundai]

She had spent the last few hours at the Omni-InternOps research facility in Omni-HQ. A drab and oppressive building that housed over a quarter of Rubi-Ka's processing power. Away from the constant hum of equipment, Sundai could concentrate more on what she had been told; which was nothing.

"How could all of these documents mean nothing?" she wondered. Engaging in secret meetings with cleared officials, covert investigations, and political posturing; for "nothing?"

Actually they had told her that the documents didn't "appear to be anything of value" but that they "would look deeper into it once resources became available". It wasn't plans for a new robot, a new weapon, or vehicle; rather it was nothing more then hieroglyph's. "Doodles?" one technician had suggested to her. She wasn't sure what a doodle was, but their lack of concern revealed to her their lack of knowledge.

She had seen markings like these near the "redeemed's" temple. Those papers may have far deeper implications then a new weapon or bank account statement...

She tightened her grasp on the folder of documents as she walked across the harbor and to her apartment. She opened the door and walked in but abruptly stopped in the hallway. Her ears had tuned into the darkness. While darkness made it harder for people to see, it made it easier for people to listen. Every sound is amplified by darkness, at least it seemed that way to her.

She heard breathing in the opposite room. She would have been frightened but the breathing seemed to be calm. She hadn't exactly snuck in so whoever it was knew she was here. She listened carefully but didn't detect any movement that would indicate an attack. If she was to be prey - her predator was foolish for selecting an environment such as this. Her eyes pierced through the darkness and she carefully made her way further in. Rounding the corner, her eyes fixed on the direction of the breathing. Her fingers ran gently across the blades of her weapons as she walked further in to greet the uninvited guest.

She had walked down the ramp to the living room when he began to speak to her. She listened to his words as she moved closer. He didn't spend his words freely, like the Rubi-Kan's seemed to. They always carried weight and importance. He stood up to meet her and they stared at each other momentarily in the dim moon's glow. The folder dropped to the floor as she embraced him tightly.

He spoke gently in her ear while holding her. A soothing voice that cascaded unto her spirit. They parted after several minutes both with a happy sigh. She wasn't sure if he was back for good but she didn’t care. He was here, with her, again, now.

He leaned down to pick up the papers for her. He began to examine each one slowly. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up at her while strangling the documents in his hands.

Several minutes later Sundai had an encrypted communication link established with Director Age of Omni-InternOp's.

[Blackpetal]

Petal paced nervously and frowned as she tried to imagine the future. If only she knew for certain what fate had befallen the documents stolen from her residence in Rome, she could at least react to it. Instead, there was only ominous silence, and Petal felt a growing sense that things were going to get darker before the end.

Of course, it was remotely possible that whomever it was that had stolen the papers didn't know, or hadn't yet guessed their relevance, but Petal found that difficult to believe. The fact that nothing else had been stolen...that the apartment hadn't even been searched, suggested to Petal's mind a much more deliberate and targeted motive.

Petal sighed and shook her head. She had lost count of the number of times she had repeated this line of thought. It always came to the same end: she couldn't act until the thief revealed himself. Whether the intent was blackmail or some more sinister purpose, Petal couldn't risk the potential misstep that any attempt to anticipate the thief's goal would entail.

Reluctantly, Petal stopped pacing and forced herself to sit, rested her chin in her hands, and waited.

[Betji]

Smiling as she stacked the odds around her nano-lockpick like the good fixer she wasn't, Betji opened Petal's apartment door, let herself in, and knocked from the inside.

"Petal, it's me, Betji."

Hearing a non-commital sound from inside, she opened the inner door and grinned her best supernova smile at the woman to whom she'd given her heart. Petal tried to brighten up with a happy smile, but the distance in the eyes, the faint furrow on her brow, told a different story to an experienced eye.

"Sorry about the door, but you know I like to keep in practice for missions. Don't worry, the lock still works."

"Better than last time!" Petal retorted, and Betji playfully scuffed a CDS boot on the carpet. The last time she'd attempted Petal's door, the lock had required replacement afterward.

Betji propped her rifle nearby, sat down companionably and gave her ladylove a very thoughtful look.

"It's only a matter of time now." Betji reflected, looking at Petal. "Regardless of whether anyone realizes the importance of those papers, your activities and beliefs are certain to draw unfavorable attention sooner or later from some omni employee with an especially close association with the Unredeemed.

"Unless you want to abandon your religious convictions, it's simply a choice between leaving on your terms, or waiting until they do something that forces you to leave... assuming you still that option."

Blackpetal listened, but Betji wasn't sure if her friend, confidant and lover was entirely tuned in to what she was saying. Seeing her distracted, unable to concentrate, was both uncharacteristic and disturbing.

"Petal, you known how interwoven Omni and the Unredeemed are. Heck, you pointed it out to me! Why wait for them to come after you? Wouldn't it be smarter to keep the initiative and you make the first move, your way, on your timetable?

"Besides, time is not on our side. In addition to giving Omni the initiative, my clan contacts, once superb, are weakening as old organizations fade. A few months ago, I felt sure I could recruit whatever aid you might need. Now I'm not so sure."

"You know I love you,. I'll support whatever you decide. Just please, please, do something quickly, before it's too late."

Betji waited for an answer, but Petal was still lost in thought. Rising slowly, she kissed the most important woman in her life on the forehead, collected her gun, checked the status of various unobtrusive devices she'd recently placed in strategic locations, and let herself out. The door locked itself behind her.

[Marisha]

Marisha sat at her desk, tapping at the glass. For the thirty third time, the desk responded “You have no new messages, executive.” Outside, the suns began to rise, and the office slowly began to brighten.

She stared at the message floating before her. For the thirty-third time, she reread the message. It continued to say the exact same thing. The language was plain. There was no way to create a plausible misunderstanding, no way to follow the letter but not the spirit of the instructions.

“Damn them. Damn them to the darkest, coldest pits of hell.”

The orders were without explanation. A request for a face-to-face meeting had gone nowhere, unanswered. If the orders weren’t carried out in a timely manner, it would look bad.

With a whir, the windows behind her opened, and fresh air and sound poured into the room. The automated systems did this every day. The windows opened and the heaters shut off when the outside temperature rose above 18 degrees, closed as the air conditioners went on at 25 degrees. When it rained, the windows closed. When it stopped, the windows opened. When it got to bright, the shades dropped down. Too dark, the shades rose again. Sensors inside and outside the office monitored the environment, and Marisha as well, adjusting to make the office comfortable and pleasing to work in.

Marisha turned slightly, and watched the windows slide open. Numerous systems, all working in unison, the only goal being increased productivity. For a moment, she pondered what Rubi-Ka would be like if the entire corporation worked in the same manner.

She returned to the message and focused on one word. Unconditional.

Thirty-three hours had passed. She couldn’t put it off any longer. “Desk, connect me to the legal department.”

A new hologram appeared above the desk. “Inform Schuemann that were dropping our request to block their transfer to Jobe.”

The young bureaucrat blinked “Executive? I’m not sure I understand.”

Marisha stared at the young solitus. I’ve not seen her before. Most likely another settler, she thought to herself. “There’s nothing to understand. Carry out my order.”

“Yes executive.” The poor child looked confused. “Is there anything specific I should tell them?”

“Tell them anything. Tell them we decided the files weren’t worth the trouble. Tell them our horoscopes told us to drop the case.” Marisha leaned forward with a snarl. “No, tell them that we look forward to working with them in the future. Only that, nothing more. Do I make myself clear?”

The young bureaucrat nodded and Marisha closed the channel. Turning her head, she looked out the windows at the suns rising over the Rome skyline. Her eyes focused on one building in particular, one that would shortly have a vacancy. Damn you, Schuemann, she thought to herself.

[Blackpetal]

Petal listened to the voice on the other end of her comm with a look of growing confusion on her face.

"Y-yes... I understand," she finally said. "Thank you."

She disconnected and cast a bemused expression at no one in particular. In the corner, she heard Icarus whir faintly as he tried to determine whether this particular facial contortion had an action associated with it, but finally he stopped and utter quiet settled down on Petal's apartment again.

They're dropping the suit? Just like that?! Petal thought to herself. Maybe the threat of revealing those documents scared Marisha even more than I expected...

Petal tried to laugh a little to boost her confidence, but it didn't help. As elated as she was by this unexpected turn of events, Petal couldn't help but be a bit nervous as well... And what had the legal clerk meant when he said, "We look forward to working with you in the future"?!

"Why does that sound more like a threat than a 'let-bygones-be-bygones' type of statement?" Petal asked ruefully. Icarus, of course, had no answer. Petal sighed.

I suppose the only thing left is for the transfer paperwork to clear... she thought. As if in answer to her thoughts, Icarus powered up fully and looked at her.

"A new gridmail message has just been received from Omni-Administration, Master."

Petal raised an eyebrow. "Read it, Icky."

Icarus raised himself up and began:

Ms. Schuemann:

After a security review and the processing of your finalized paperwork, we are pleased to inform you that your request to relocate the offices of Schuemann & Associates to Jobe has been approved.

We apologize for the delay in this matter.

Sincerely,

Administrator Smythe

"Who is processing paperwork at this hour? And 'we apologize for the delay in this matter'?! Since when does Omni-Admin apologize for ANYTHING they do? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark..."

Petal sighed again. Whatever her reservations, this was the opportunity for which she had been waiting. She flipped her comm open.

"Baxter. Still up? Good. You won't believe it, but they just cleared the move. I want everything in the new office tomorrow. Let's not give them the opportunity to change their collective mind, hmm?"

Petal clicked her comm shut. Movement at last...

[Blackpetal]

Petal stood in the now empty former offices of Schuemann & Associates, watching as movers carried the last few plants and other items out. Behind her, Icarus stood by, vigilant and watchful. It had finally happened, but rather than feeling relief, Petal felt only a rising sense of apprehension. After all, no matter how she figured it, a far more difficult struggle was yet to come.

((This is the end of Act 1 of this unnamed story. Thank you so much to everyone who participated...I hope those of you who read it have enjoyed it. ^_^ Look forward to Act 2 very soon! ^_^ ))