/OOC this little story is based on a dream I just had. I'm no literary master, so please don't shoot me, hunt me down, or dissect me.
Quinn awoke with a start. Awakened by the sunlight shining through the windows of his home in Rome Blue he staggered out of bed.
He went through his morning routine as usual; maintanence on ToyWabbit, showering, etc... However he had the nagging feeling that somehow this day would be different. Too different...
Together he and ToyWabbit went on a mission. It was one of those retrieve and return missions where an item had to be picked up and returned to the terminal. As he read the mission specifics something caught his eye...
"A mysterious package"? he said to his 'bot, puzzled. "Do you remember when we had to retrieve something like these?"
"We no pull many return missions, Master" the 'bot responded.
"Ah, forget it for now..." said Quinn. "The mission was offering seven million creds for it. We'll just do this mission so we can get a Yalmaha."
Things went smoothly for the duo. They found the mission area in Omni Trade. Room by room ToyWabbit destroyed all opposition against him while Quinn kept the robot at full repair. Finally they reached the package they were asked to retrieve.
Quinn was puzzled. He had never seen a blue glow around any item he's ever taken during a mission. Carefully he put his hands around the object and picked it up. For a moment, the glow spread to his hands and was gone.
"hmm...." Quinn mumbled, puzzled. "What in the name of Ross was that?"
The 'bot was puzzled as well. It did not have a sophisticated mind, but it knew something very bad was about to happen.......
"Systems on hyper alert, Master..." it said to Quinn. "Preepair we must bee"
"What the... you've never been this serious before, ToyWabbit." a surprised Quinn responded. "Let's just get out of here"
Quinn and ToyWabbit made their way out of the mission area and headed towards the Grid access terminal. All the while he noticed that ToyWabbit was shadowing him more closely. He knew that Engineer robots guarded their "masters" (he and ToyWabbit think of each other more as friends than as master/pet), but not as closely as ToyWabbit was guarding him now. What had his powerful Gladiatorbot worrying about him this much???
Just as they were passing a basic shop Quin and 'bot noticed a scene going on. A young nanomage engineer was being accosted by several agents on black cloaks. She was carrying a package... the same kind of package Quinn was carrying right now! The young engineer looked like she had just left the training area and out of her very first official mission. She was still using a patchwork automaton. Quinn thought back to when he was like that, but a voice broke his train of thought.
"You will come with us" said the agent wearing the white cloak.
"W-wait... This is what you want, right?" the nanomage said, putting the package on the ground in front of her.
Immediately one of the agents shot at the box.... it was empty. The girl was obviously stunned by the revalation. Something was very wrong...
"You will come with us now, Engineer, or else!" the agent hissed again.
By this time a bunch of her companions surrounded her. Several powerful Atrox Enforcers and Soldiers, as well as many solitus, opifex, and nanomages showed up to protect her.
"Fine, girl. We'll take you by force!" the agent snickered. "We've been wanting to test out our new toy anyway."
As Quinn and ToyWabbint looked on the battle for the girl began, but it was over almost instantly. One of the agents cast a mysterious nanoprogram at the crowd, and it had a horrible effect. As he watched everyone that surrounded the girl looked lethargic... some couldn't hold their weapons, others looked like drooling idiots, their intelligence drained out of them. The girl's automaton was still in good shape and was fighting the agents... 'til they shot it to bits. One of the agents snatched the weakened girl up in his arms.
"Another of our experimental subjects has been retrieved." said the white cloaked agent. He immediately turned to the man and the 'bot watching them.
"You there!" he said to them. "You will come with us as well."
"First tell me... " Quinn answered back. "What will happen to that girl! And what's so important about this package?!?"
"Ah... another research subject." he grinned. "Let's just say we're from Omni-med's black operations department. You'll be informed on a need-to-know basis on the girl and the package... if you survive that is."
"Master, hostile entities detected. Run!" ToyWabbit screamed. The Gladiatorbot was suddenly upon the white clad Agent, ripping him to shreds.
"Hey! What'd you do that for?!?" said a horrified Quinn.
"Questions no ask! Go run! Grid!!!" the 'bot responded to him. "We buddies. You resummon me, yes?"
"Alright, I'm going!" Quinn said as he dashed for the Grid terminal.
One of the Agents began casting that mysterious nanoprogram that had weakened people more powerful than Quinn, but ToyWabbit blocked the program's path, and ripped the caster to shreds.
Another Agent began casting, and Quinn activated the terminal. He gridded before the program casting was finished.
"Aw, jeez... where do I go now?" Quinn thought to himself. "And what did they mean by me being a research subject?"
He then came upon the portal to Newland. Without hesitation he hopped right onto it, hoping Omni-Med's Shadow Ops won't follow him. Soon he was in Newland City. Not quite as stuffy and grand as Omni-Trade, but at least he would be safe for a while. Or so he thought....
Just as he approached the gates to Newland city several soldiers lead by a Doctor approached him.
"Clansmen!" he thought as he tried to keep his distance from them. "Now what do they want?"
"Our spies tell us you escaped the Omni scum who wanted to do research on you, my Engineer friend..." the Doctor spoke, trying to sound friendly. "Perhaps you will benefit the Clans?"
"And why would I surrender to you guys?!?" Quinn snapped. These clanners reminded him of the ones that raided his father's home near Newland City so long ago... the ones that tortured his little brother, mother and father to death.
"We can guarantee you'll be safe from those scum..." the Doctor answered him. "But unfortunately you have to be... dissected."
Quinn made a face at the Doctor, then bolted for the gates. The Clan soldiers opened fire on him, but were soon being decimated by the ICC guarding the gates.
"Don't let him get away!" the Doctor screamed. But it was too late. Quinn made his way inside Newland City and was in front of the Borealis Whompa.
"I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning..." he mumbled as he stepped through the whompa. "Let's hope Borealis is more safe than....."
As he came through to Borealis something struck him in the back of the head. As he watched everything go black, Quinn lost conciousness. An Atrox then dragged his body through the Stret West Bank Whompa....
to be continued....
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Sorry this was long, but this was a very freaky dream. I made up parts I couldn't remember, tho... but it kinda makes sense. I hope you all enjoy it (if it makes any sense)
