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hadriel_logs2019-02-22 10:31 pm
circumitus) wrote in hadriel_logs2019-02-22 10:31 pm
Entry tags:
they pray for oil and not for love [CLOSED]
Who: Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and (later on) Nick Valentine.
What: After discovering some abandoned structures, Rey returns with backup to explore some dangerous ruins and technology.
Where: Command Center near a frozen cliffside out in the tundra.
When: February 17th thru early-March.
Warnings: Rage against the Null-machine and swearing, most definitely.
Love's influence was obvious the second Rey saw Laura with her name on an arm. That alone was incentive enough for her to find the quickest excuse to abscond the city despite having only briefly returned.
Fortunately she had a purpose. The structures she had scouted during her lonely trek had been curious, for sure, but without any clear knowledge of what to expect and no one to watch her back, Rey was at least more prudent than to hazard into the unknown by her lonesome. After all, the last time she had ventured into a seemingly abandoned base which housed a powerful supercomputer, she had been a woman named Safronov at the time. Her mission at the Grigoryevich Underground Command Center was to dispatch the GRIGORI program's backups at a terminal, only to turn out to be within the entire subterranean base... Though she hadn't yet become the 'Rey' that she is now, those memories of falling prey to the GRIGORI's traps is all too personal and real to just ignore.
At times, she can still feel the phantom bullet from her own gun inside her brain. It comes and goes but is always there as a grim reminder of her blunder upon underestimating a synthetic's ability to adapt.
Much to Rey's fortune, it didn't take long for her to find someone just as willing to leave in a timely manner as she was. After a while, the Love-inscribed name on her arm began to fade, and beyond a day's walk it was gone entirely, free of the desire to seek that person out in lieu of her need to check out the ruins she had recently discovered.
And that is a relief...
What: After discovering some abandoned structures, Rey returns with backup to explore some dangerous ruins and technology.
Where: Command Center near a frozen cliffside out in the tundra.
When: February 17th thru early-March.
Warnings: Rage against the Null-machine and swearing, most definitely.
Love's influence was obvious the second Rey saw Laura with her name on an arm. That alone was incentive enough for her to find the quickest excuse to abscond the city despite having only briefly returned.
Fortunately she had a purpose. The structures she had scouted during her lonely trek had been curious, for sure, but without any clear knowledge of what to expect and no one to watch her back, Rey was at least more prudent than to hazard into the unknown by her lonesome. After all, the last time she had ventured into a seemingly abandoned base which housed a powerful supercomputer, she had been a woman named Safronov at the time. Her mission at the Grigoryevich Underground Command Center was to dispatch the GRIGORI program's backups at a terminal, only to turn out to be within the entire subterranean base... Though she hadn't yet become the 'Rey' that she is now, those memories of falling prey to the GRIGORI's traps is all too personal and real to just ignore.
At times, she can still feel the phantom bullet from her own gun inside her brain. It comes and goes but is always there as a grim reminder of her blunder upon underestimating a synthetic's ability to adapt.
Much to Rey's fortune, it didn't take long for her to find someone just as willing to leave in a timely manner as she was. After a while, the Love-inscribed name on her arm began to fade, and beyond a day's walk it was gone entirely, free of the desire to seek that person out in lieu of her need to check out the ruins she had recently discovered.
And that is a relief...
THE TRIP.
On the other hand, over three years of experience with the situation of both the gods and the Null gives her a better idea than most on what best to look for. So when she brings up the buildings she had located out by the frozen cliffs, about a few days' walk from the city, she hopes it's enough to entice at least one or two capable tagalongs. Safety in numbers, and all that, but not too many that it might set off whatever alarms that might still be active at the facility she found.
Despite being in a rush, Rey's preparations show that she knows what she's doing, and that she's done this before. In fact, she's carrying much more than a woman of her size should be able to, even one with her muscular physique. She even seems underdressed for the frigid climate, acting more as a pack mule than a normal person traveling across an arctic landscape. Heat radiates off her skin, if there's ever any question that she's at all cold.
For the journey, there's some cooked perishables for the early half, and field rations for the later stretch. On Rey's part, she eats very little -- only consuming the minimum food and water to keep her energy up. At night she sleeps only a few hours, keeping watch while offering the other two men she's with to rest. She doesn't make much conversation, but is willing to indulge when it comes up.
If you're lucky, however, you might even catch a crude joke.
ota to all........ 2 of u
Add it to the growing list of things he misses about Riverview: how easy it was to find something else to focus on within ten minutes. No point fixating on that, though.
So Finn is, broadly speaking, here! Helping out with anything that he can contribute to, more than happy to keep an extra pair of eyes on the horizon.
Talking to Poe and hanging around him in general are a given; it would take a lot to leave him inclined to do otherwise, even right now. But as someone who tends to like people more than he doesn't and who puts a lot of value on teamwork and unit cohesion, Finn makes sure to go out of his way to nail down some one on one conversational time with Rey. When he can. All the better to try to get a better read on her.
He's got a good feeling about her, but feelings only go so far without doing the followup. Finn's likely as anything to just take a seat nearby and offer a short greeting. Test the waters, as it were. Very cool-like. ]
THE NULL.
"Can't believe all of this shit is still intact," she mutters under her breath until she stops dead, gesturing for the other two companions to do the same.
Turns out that the buildings aren't the only things left still standing. Somewhere nearby, she can hear the telltale whir of machinery activating, and heavy robotic footfalls begin patrolling the area.
Having encountered the Null before on the previous planet in a similar status, it figures that they would leave behind more motion-activated sentries in case the gods or their hosts ever returned. Or maybe they're more curious than she gives them credit for...
With a sidelong glance, Rey assesses Finn and Poe. "Don't suppose you two are caught up on how to deal with Null."
They're both still fairly new fish, right? How much could they know?
no subject
The sounds of heavy footfalls are hard to miss, especially in a place they've thus far been checking out very quietly. Not ideal. Finn can't say he's very surprised to hear it coming, though. That's about in line with his and Poe's usual luck. He doesn't really know about Rey's.
"I've heard more than nothing, less than I probably should. If you've got some tips, I'll take them."
Otherwise he went to the armory for nothing, and Jyn would probably laugh at him if she saw him completely fail to be effective with an axe or whatever.
THE COMMAND CENTER.
She's patched up and ready to go, stepping over the Null remains and advancing towards one of the steel structures. Three buildings, three of them...
"Should we split up? Cover more ground?"
No, that's a terrible idea that people make in terrible movies.
no subject
He's crouched by one of the guardians when she speaks, casing it for any kind of detail that might be useful to know later on. Looks up to follow her eye line to the buildings.
"I'd feel better if we stuck together. The closer we are to each other, the closer we are to backup if we need it. Doesn't hurt to play it safe."
THE VISITOR. [closed to Nick Valentine]
No, it's more of a workplace than a home. Even the Speakeasy is more welcoming than this.
At least this has shelter from the storm, and she isn't entirely alone this time. The company would be irritatingly distracting if it wasn't also welcome in that regard.
Several days have gone by, pouring over the data offered here. After some trial and error, it's become easier to decipher what it is she's seeing here -- it's a relay system. One wrong move and they could easily attract unwanted attention. Learning about this makes Rey all the more cautious moving forward, ignoring her waning energy due to a lack of sleep and food.
Rest comes secondary when she has a goal placed in front of her. It also makes her that much more alert when she realizes very soon that she isn't alone in the central hub of the communications building. The maser quickly slides out of her belt holster, aimed at the entrance to the humming room.
"Who's there?" She knows that she isn't the only one who has stayed behind to investigate this place, so she doesn't immediately start firing. But those footfalls and movements sound uncannily inhuman...
no subject
The other reason for his own trek to the bunker is that Nick needs her. He needs his family, needs someone who knows where he's been, what he's suffered through, and understands exactly why it is all of this is affecting him so strongly. It's not just about being more like the Null in terms of construction than a real person; it's not just his memories, his body, and the shady circumstances of how he came to be. It's not about what he's done within the city, dealing with both gods and citizens to help maintain what little peace they have. What the Null have done -- both in the past and painfully close to the present -- hits Nick square in the chest, too close to his heart for comfort. Try as he might to swallow it down, it keeps coming back to the forefront of his mind, clouding his judgment.
As much as he might like the dramatic entrance from a shadowy doorway favored by many detectives, he knows better than to do that, especially here and now. "It's me," Nick calls from the corridor as he makes it to the doorway, stepping into the light. With his battered frame and torn skin, Nick always looks worse for wear, but there's a tiredness in his glowing eyes, a heft to his shoulders that says he's not here for a casual visit.
no subject
Well, this sure as hell could have gone really badly.
Lowering her arm and aim, Rey holsters the hand-maser into her belt once more, eyes intent on Nick's rather ominous silhouette emerging from the doorway.
"Nick... What are you doing here?" Rey asks, visibly relaxing her broad shoulders as she slides into one of the seats in front of a communications terminal.
no subject
But he did, and here she is; however, he can't find the words, and ends up standing there in the doorway for several seconds, numb as the weight of all that has happened comes down upon him. He'd bickered with DiMA at Fear's temple, tried to convince him to stay because he didn't want to lose his brother if it all went wrong; he went to the trade despite the obvious danger because he didn't want to lose the city, or the gods who were their best bet at survival. He had to put himself at risk so someone else wouldn't be.
It was when they were being transported away, as Delight was obliterated before them, that he'd come face-to-face with the fact that he might never see Rey again -- a thought that had definitely crossed his mind, but one that he'd tried to bury out of necessity. He'd known the danger, had come to terms with what should be a finite existence long ago. Someone synthetic needed to go, and better him than Hadriel's other choices.
But that was before he had a family, one he'd do anything for. He had promised her he'd take care of himself, that he'd stay alive for her sake just as she would for his. They trusted each other to take care of themselves so that they could take care of each other. How would Rey have felt to return home, only to find out he went on this exchange and didn't come back? What would she have thought when she learned Nick knew about the lab, and about the likelihood of it being an ambush, but went anyway?
His heart feels heavier than it has in some time, his fingers curling against his palms, the metal of the bare one scraping against itself as it tightens. He starts with the easiest news.
"Delight is dead."
no subject
"Ah," is all she says at first. A neutral expression prevents any physical hints of a response, save for apathy. "Is that all?"
No, of course it's not all. When is it ever? Rey knows that she hadn't been paying attention to the going-ons lately, especially being so far out of the city these past couple weeks. There was a lot of work here to be done, and much to bring back. If she kept up with everything, she might have returned sooner.
Which is a shitty way of looking at it, isn't it? There's no one but herself to blame for that one.
After another pause, a single bitter laugh escapes her lungs. "Guess the Null didn't take to the exchange? Or... shit. Told Fear about not sending her over in one piece, but didn't think he'd actually do something like that."
no subject
"It was a trap, Rey," he utters, his eyes lodging themselves on the floor so they don't burn a hole through her. He remains affixed to his spot halfway through the room, as though afraid even getting near her would break him. "Or maybe it wasn't until Delight launched herself at them. Hell if I know. Hell if I know anything except that we almost didn't make it back. We probably weren't supposed to make it back at all. Not me, not DiMA, not anyone."
no subject
"No shit it was a trap! Did you really think they were promising a smooth exchange with the ones they've been actively trying to wipe out? Can't think of any reason why the fuck you or DiMA would've gone along if you hadn't." She's no longer sitting, the seat pushing back as Rey shoots to her feet. "Figured people would've realized there was a reason why the Null didn't leave an open line for negotiations when they first came with the trade, but maybe that was giving everyone too much damned credit!"
no subject
"I didn't ask DiMA to come," he cuts back, "but someone synthetic needed to go. What were we supposed to do, leave Tranquility with them?"
no subject
It could have happened to Nick or DiMA, and neither possibilities sit well with her. She might not have known his brother for all that long, but it seems like such a waste to put themselves into harm's way so unnecessarily.
"Would have expected people to go in ready for a fight over an exchange."
And now a god is dead. Which is better than Nick, at least.
no subject
And he certainly did try. If there's a thread of family resemblance between them, it doesn't stop at their stubbornness when it comes to protecting others. He tries to hold his temper as he continues.
"Last time, they had some kind of machine that could cripple real people. I wasn't about to take the chance they'd use that again, so I offered to go. What did you expect me to do?"