An Unlikely Pairing

[Vixentrox]

Cathern sits at her grid terminal at her place in Jobe Plaza. A light floral scent drifts in the air. She had just finished cleaning the place. Yes, she could have someone else do it but sometimes doing house work allowed her mind to wander and analyze things.

It had been "interesting" times as the old proverb said. Aliens had a near blockade on the planet. The vaunted Omni fleets no where to be seen. For that matter, where are the other hyper-corporation fleets? Surely they are missing the Notum? ICC should be spurning the other corporations into action shouldn’t they? ICC shuttles get shot down all the time now. A few weeks ago she had the sudden realization that “we are on our own…”

That thought put a plan into action. Going through her Intel databases she searched for the right sort of Omni. She never understood how a hyper corporation allowed such diversity in its ranks. She suspected that if they were on Prime, things would be much more regimented. Yes….this division should be suitable for her plan. Society of Salvation. They would do nicely she had thought.

A few meetings followed with Everwatch, Msice and Daewen. Things were progressing well. The initial talks were promising. Still…there was a lot of distrust. Many in her Clan had escaped the claws of Omni for a reason. She knew she was taking a risk in pursuing this plan. Well, that is why she arranged to have a social meeting between the two organizations. That should help break the ice a bit.

Cathern sat up suddenly. "Dammit, here we go again!" Aliens in the city next door her comms reported. She Hurridly typed up her message.



To: April "Everwatch" Garasha

From: Cathern "Vixentrox" Flowers

Greeting Ms. Garsha. This weekend we have as you are aware a meet/greet between our two organization. I should like to meet with you an hour or so before that starts. I want to go over a few things in private. If this is acceptable to you, let me know. I'll even let you choose the location provided it's on neutral turf. Awaiting your response.

Cathern

[Nevver]

What? What are you all looking at?

It says, "An Unlikely Pairing," not "A Snowball's Chance In Hell Pairing!"

[Vytocyt]

Xelun swivelled the monitor so the rest of the Nanomage Liberation Front could see. "Skincrawler's idea of using the Alien Attack alarm as a distraction finally paid off. I grabbed almost almost a whole millisecond of bitstream capture as their security systems were scanning the skies instead of scanning for hackers."

Nohva exhaled loudly as he finished reading what Xelun had discovered.

Titanmage shrugged. "So what can we do about it?"

Everyone looked to Prime Minister Lydadoc....



General Vytocyt
Nanomage Liberation Front

[Vixentrox]

Cathern listend to the chatter of her friends and family. She looked at the gridsite and seen the comments. So far, it appeared her members were willing to follow her lead in meeting with the Society of Salvation personnel. Thinking back to ancient times when one ruler would give gifts to another upon meeting or to cement a treaty, Cathern considered what token she should give to April and her Society.

[Autumnleaves]

What? What are you all looking at?

It says, "An Unlikely Pairing," not "A Snowball's Chance In Hell Pairing!"

Thanks to technological improvements and mild weather, hell is almost habitable this time of year.

[Missice]

meta looks over at April's comm and sees a message from Vix. She smiles softly, thinking that things are going to go well. She never lost her love for the Clans, even after joining Omni. meta is the kind to follow her heart, which brought her to Omni to be closer to April. Her heart has always longed for peace between Omni and Clan, maybe her dream will be realized.

[Vixentrox]

"Frelling hell!" Cathern curses under her breath as she paces around in circles in her little forcefield, anti-grid cell. She was more upset at herself than anything. "Men!" Once again it was a man causing trouble in her life. She never should have accepted the drink or bought into his story. Walking around she looked up again at the cieling wondering again if that ceiling fan was the key to escape. April and her and barly even been searched. "Amatures!", she hissed to herself, not too loud, knowing had she been sharper they wouldn't even be here.

With any luck her distress call was sent when her comm was blocked. After Relle had been taken Cathern had a back-up alert system set up in case she herself should be taken prisoner.

Glancing over to the center of thier shared cell, Cathern watched the breathing and eye flutter of April. She was dreaming Cathern thought. Hopefully good dreams....of bashing that guy's nose in. Cathern stopped walking and sat next to April. They had drugged April with something but it didn't hold long. They had talked. All pretentions dropped. Politics pushed aside. Just two women in peril. Cathern sighed and looked up at the fan again then to April. Cathern gently repostioned April's head on the little pillow made of clothing. Laying down next to April, Cathern watched the fan go round and round. "Is the fan the key?" she thought to herself.

(remember this is player, not character knowledge)

[Vixentrox]

"Heh....torture....like I have not been tortured before?" Cathern thought about the total lack of food and water or sanitary facilities. How long had she been trapped in this cell? It was driving her a bit mad. April seemed to sleep most of the time. Maybe she was the smart one...or maybe the drugs are longer lasting and produce lethargy? She looked a little ill too. Hopefully it was just the stress and nothing truely wrong with April.

If nothing else, the lack of attention from the NLF jerks left Cathern plenty of time to tinker around with what she could. She wasn't an enginneer or anything but she had learned a few things when studying about eletronic listining devices and transmitters.

Digging through her packs she found some old NCUs, computer chips, and other odds and end she always seemed to have. Slowly she assembled a very rudimentry transmitter with no recive capablities. After many hours of work, Cathern thought it was ready. The forcefield around her probably would block all signals but it was certainly worth a try.

Turning it on she spoke into the small mic.

**Hello Fion love can you hear me?**
**Hello Madorina can you hear me?**
**Hello Del can you hear me?**
**Hello Micia can you hear me?**
**Any guild memeber..I hope you can hear me.**
**I think I'm being held in an apartment. There is some sort of force-feild prison built in here.**
**It was those Nano-Mage Front....Nano Mage Liberation Front people behind this**

Cathern's ears perked for a second. It sounded like someone was coming.

**I have to go. I Think someone is coming. My love to Fion.**

Cathern quickly hid the transmitter and fiegned sleep next to April. After a few minutes, no one came. False alarm. Not wanting to risk much more, Cathern made a last set of transmissions.

**OK, I think I may be in Borelais. We went to there city, looked like Agean. I was captured in Newland at Neuters. I may still be in newland. Not sure.**
**April is alive though I don't think she is well. Hope you all get this. Cathern out**

Hiding the transmitter, Cathern laid down next to April again. April needed water and needed it soon. Surely the NLF wouldn't just let them wither away to death.

[Madorina]

[Vixentrox]: *srtchhhhssshhh* dead air noises*
[Vixentrox]: *srtchhhhssshhh* dead air noises*
[Vixentrox]: *srrrrhheeehhhhhcchh...rment...hhhhssssshhhrrkkkss ...forcield is...Skkrkrshssshhhhh*
[Vixentrox]: *srreethhththhhhhhhhhhcccchh...mage Front...hhhheeeeekkkkkk*
[Vixentrox]: *rrrreeehhhhhssgg...I have to go bessskrrkjjhhsssss....love to Fi..shshsheeerrchhhhh*

This was all that I had heard. Recordings of this have been turned over to WE leadership. At this point, at least we know that Cathern is still alive, maybe not for long long though.

Hard to dispute the fact that NLF is involved, despite their denials.

[Whisperin]

We got another message from Vix. I recorded it so here it is:

*srrrreeetchhhhhhh....again. Hope someone rece....kkkkrrreeeshsshhhh....Borelais ap...ffeeeehhhhhaaakkksshshs....no water..eeekkkktttthhss*
*reeeesshhkkkktchhhaaa....April not....kkkkkrreeshhhhhsstchaaa....last. NLF is re...kkkkrreeaccahhrrrr*
*hhhisssssssssshhh....love to...rreeekkkkaaashhiiiiiaa*

And that was the last thing I heard.

recordings has also been given to WE leadership.

[Ramiyana]

Ramiyana finished mixing the 70 parts of liquefied proteins together with the 30 parts of a colorless liquid known as Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a pharmaceutical that is absorbed directly through the skin with out damaging any tissue. He placed the pasty mixture inside an emptied, sterilized tube of Ancarim Sun Tan Lotion he picked up from Zoftig Blimp in Hope. He showed a small smirk on his face as he tightened the cap on the tube.

“Well a simple Bronto Burger and Omni Cider, would do the trick but this seems more … poetic.” He said out loud to himself with a deep sarcastic tone in is voice. “Not sure if they will enjoy the garlic scent this stuff emits.”

It had been a few days since the ‘guests’ had received any of the fine cultured hospitality the NLF has to offer. Ramiyana entered the lift leading from the engineering room to the bottom floor of the NLF head quarters. As he exited the lift he passed by Prime Minister Aazamon making his way up.

“Hail Ramiyana, Till All Are Free!” boomed Aazamon with pride.
“Hail, sir!” Ramiyana responded.
“Where you off to Rami? Making the daily rounds to all the back allies and its vagrants?” he chuckled.
“No sir, I am off to feed the guests.” Explained Ramiyana. “Three days so far and no food or water. I bet they are showing a wonderful shade of gray by now.” Ramiyana said with a wink.
“Hehe, You are a nutcase Rami. Make sure you are not followed while you go about this. Follow all the proper protocols.” Aazamon said.
“Yes sir.” Ramiyana replied.

Ramiyana clicked on the grid entrance in the head quarters and embarked on the long route to his final destination. Several passes through various whompa systems and a short run through a mountain pass stood in his path to ensure no one was able to track him

Upon reaching the area where the ‘guests’ where having their stay Ramiyana inputted the security password into the keypad controlling the outermost door to the cell. The door slid open with a whoosh. He entered the hallway leading to the secondary door. Once inside he heard some noises from the other side of the secondary door. Not wanting to disrupt any potential information he could gain while listening in on the noises he sat down with his back against the wall and listened. He cocked his head in attempt to make out or decipher the noises emitting from the next room. He could not make anything out that seemed to be of any interest. It just sounded like a low 60-cycle hum mixed with static. He assumed it was the anti-grid barrier inside the room holding the occupants. Ramiyana reached his hand deep into his pocket and pulled out a handful of pills and popped them into his mouth and chewed on them while waited patiently until the noise had subsided.

Several minutes and pills later the noise was still creeping from behind the secondary door but in a much lower decibel. Reaching into his pocket once and finding nothing but lint, he felt it was time to finish what he came here to do. He stood up and walked down the hall to the secondary door, entered the security code and the door swooshed open revealing the occupants inside.

Ramiyana stepped into the room and looked at the two ‘guests’ in the center of the anti-grid circle. The Solitus named ‘Everwatch’ was laying on her side curled up in the fetal position. The other ‘guest’ an Opifex named Vixentrox staired back at him with its piercing eyes. Ramiyana took out his bio scanner and scanned the Solitus lying on the floor to see if it was still alive. It’s breathing patterns where slow but regular and appeared that the Solitus was asleep. Turning his attention back to the Opifex he could feel the cold stare emonating from it. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the tube of Ancarim Sun Tan Lotion. The Opifex made no posture change at Ramiyana’s movements; it only kept its hard piercing stare towards Ramiyana. He tossed the tube onto the floor next to it.

“It rubs the lotion on its skin.” Ramiyana spoke to the Opifex in an almost sinister sounding voice. “If it wants to eat.”

No response came from the Opifex as Ramiyana turned to leave the room. He glanced back at it once more to catch the cold stare from the Opifex. He closed and sealed the secondary door as well as the first door and grided out.

[Vixentrox]

Cathern gave an evil look when the NLF man came in. He chucked in some bottle of something then departed. Examining the bottle, Cathern opened it and wafted its scent up to her nose. Her nose crinkled a bit. Whatever the hell it was, it wasn't suntan lotion as the bottle said. "Screw that, probably drug laced whatever it is.", Cathern whispered through her parched throat while looking at April. Poor woman. Meta would be devestated if anything happened to April, Cathern knew.

She had tried transmitting again earlier, in the vain hope that someone would hear. She may have to rely on her own wits. Cathern looked up at the ceiling fan again. Maybe if the fan shorted out, started on fire.....it would drop power to the force shields? Maybe it would just burn them alive?

Cathern looked at April again. Maybe April is allergic to what was given her? April seemed very pale and her breathing was shallow. "Frelling hell...she's gonna die on me..." There would be no reclaim with this field around them Cathern was certain. Cathern wiped April's forehead. She had to take the risk, and take it soon.

[Vixentrox]

Free. Anger. Plotting. Revenge. Relief. Happiness. Love.

Cathern had sat many hours in contemplation in the days following her escape coupled by the rescue at the same time. The fan was indeed the key to getting out of that trap. She had managed to short out the fan, causing it to start on fire. As she suspected, the short combined with the small fire caused the power in the apartment to drop. Her primitive transmissions were able to be received and a team of her Clan family there to assist. The forcefields dropped. Choking on the smoke, Cathern dragged April out of the horrible place in Borealis where they had been kept. They were immediatly evaced to Whisper's Edge HQ for emergency medical treatment. Both had recovered in time, physically. As for mentally, well, Cathern's mind burned with hellfire though it was kept under control. It was rare for her to loose control of her emotions.

A new Omni division had formed right as April and Cathern had been recovering. Omni. Sometimes they acted just like a big government. How OT-RK paper chasers allow divisions to be made and disolved and changed on a whim. Maybe someone had a vested interested in making stationary for all the different divisions. Anyway, a person named Daewen became head of the division. The work that Cathern started with the SoS would continue with Daewen's folks. They seemed a decent sort, less rabid on brainwashed than the typical cog. Only time will tell how that would pan out. With the aliens becoming more aggressive and organized, Cathern was sure she was doing the right thing.

[Maephina]

Maephina read the morning's grid feed with a dissatisfied look on her face. As she read over reports of a member of the Clerical staff being abducted, she felt a pang of despair hit the back of her throat in the form of a lump. As she read further, that lump dissolved into a shallow, empty well of disdain.

Cathern had been in talks with the leader of SoS.

SoS...the Society of Salvation. She had observed members of this organization on many occasions at various locations on Rubi-Ka. As she checked her clans data banks for more information she learned the SoS had been involved in a few offensives into clan territory in very recent memory. Hardly the stuff one would desire in a potential ally.

Further investigation revealed that the now former leader of SoS had either been replaced or stepped down due to some internal conflict.

Mae could only guess it had much to do with April's involvement with Cathern. Not surprising really Mae thought.


She shook her head and continued reading, the sickening sensation of betrayal and rage slowly building up inside of her as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening. It seemed the leadership of Whisper's Edge, in all it's good intentions had finally allowed it's practices of Omni-recruitment to catch up to them.

And the fact that leaders of the NLF were responsible for the kidnapping only solidified her displeasure with these events.


Mae's thoughts were relentless. She tried to rationalize these events from a political standpoint. “How can we trust her now? How can the clans really afford leadership within the CoT that is so sympathetic to Omni Employees? What gives her the right to be judge and jury over which employees should be entitled to walk the streets of Tir? Or Athen? Who's to say this wasn't all an elaborate set up? There's nothing to indicate those so called neutral SOBs weren't in league with Omni-Tek on this. What if it's the other way around?”


Her memories took her back to a time before she was clan nearly 2 years ago when she returned from Earth.

Things were very different then. Almost everyone she knew or loved was gone or fled north from Omni oppression. It did not seemed, at the time, that Mae really had much of an option. Mae thought about this fact frequently and had decided each time; if given the chance, I would not do a single thing differently.


Mae shut her eyes and focused her mind. She let the feelings building up inside her pass away into the well of emotion she kept locked deep inside, allowing her to focus her emotional energies into feats of nano-technology.


Mae sipped her from her cup of coffee, punching up her clans grid interface. Once it had fully loaded, she input the following message:


Nanomage Liberation Front - Responsible for numberous acts of terrorism and sabotage, this 'Nuetral' organization has made a name for themselves by making a nuisance of themselves. Everyone in this organization is 'Kill on Sight' to members of CS and the leadership currently have a substantial bounty on their heads. To my knowledge they do not currently posses any notum mining facilities (as this would completely contradict their publicized policies and beliefs) but if/when they do have or obtain a base it should be reported to an officer immediately.


Satisfied, Mae sat back in her chair and downed what remained of her coffee. She logged off from the grid and went to get dressed, her mind still reeling with the news of Cathern’s abduction and escape from Borealis. “Neutral my ass” she thought. “Those little nano mages are becoming too bold for their own good.”