|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 10, 2012 11:28:41 GMT -5
"Mmm," Aya made a sound of acknowledgement as she tipped the jar's contents out into the sink, placing it somewhere safe. It had been the same thought on her mind as well. Even though it might delay it for a second, it was better using it as dead drop rather than keeping it attached once the monster started digesting the train.
She quickly glanced at the raven haired girl after her back turned, watching her leave the car. Aya forgot about Sam after that, moving to clean her glove and slip it back over her exposed hand.
Returning to the rear of the train served as a method of meditation for her mind's duress. It always ended up being a fight of endurance between her and the Eater. This time Aya could not afford that, she had to out-think it; it was a little easier considering she had an entire train at her disposal, however maintaining its integrity remained of importance. She could not forget what the train was initially meant for. Keeping it within a reasonable condition was essential.
An old memory passed her mind. Someone well known to her, a friend more than an associate; a partner in battle. Tyson stood with his M60E4 equipped covered head to toe his signature armor, 'Armor...' Aya cited the thought. Armor she had helped to create. It's properties were the same as the EBR, only opposite.
Her mind already began clicking together ideas. Aya had thought beforehand that the armor might have been kept in cargo, only decided not to bother looking for it. Returning to the forwards cars which held the cargo, noticing their movement from Samantha's project. Aya started pulling open plastic crates which looked like they might hold the armor, quickly finding thick vests and head covering helmets.
The hind casing of an ExoEBR was quickly unfastened, her thin fingers pulling at the trigger and core of the weapon removing it from the receiver. A thick, metal cylinder was dropped on the floor; tapping it would reveal it was far from hollow. This was the ExoEBR's Inertium centre. For the most of it, Aya felt like she was handling Plutonium.
In her energy she quickly gathered up half a dozen rolls of ductape and began taping together a large bowl out of the armor, covering each join between the vests multiple times over to ensure they would never tear apart. After another short search Aya got her hands on some C4, twisting off a piece and carefully smearing it around the trigger attached to the Inertium cylinder, jabbing in the detonator. As quickly as possible Aya finished taping up the armor, causing it to now resemble more of a rough, silver ball. It was large, tall enough to meet the girl's stomach. It would wind up being one nasty supplement for the Maw.
After rolling the WMD-IED to the back of the train Aya moved to regroup with Sam, entering the nose of the white bullet.
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Jan 11, 2012 9:52:26 GMT -5
Sam heard Aya step as she watched the speedometer quickly raise above 185 and began pushing two hundred. When they dropped the dead weight at the rear she had complete confidence they would go above 200 mph easily. The speed came at a cost however. Already the girls could feel the cold air from the mountains creeping into the train and sending cool chills up their backs.
Sam focused on the dials and readings to make sure nothing was going to fail on them and so far it looked good. Feeling as relaxed as she could given the situation the witch tried to comprehend what in the world the beast-worm chasing them could be. It was unlike anything she'd ever ran across. Of course she'd killed a variety of BOWs, and she'd heard stories of Giant monstrosities from some of her friends. But none of their stories compared to what she faced today.
The train suddenly shook and let out a groan. Reflex caused Sam to snatch up the EBR once more. But it was only seconds later that she realized it was just the strain being put on the train by the growing speed. Realizing she needed a more rational grip on her opponent she looked toward her only partner seeking help.
"What in the world is that thing?" She spoke quietly and directly. Fearing what the beast was capable of she sought only to have an understanding of it for their next encounter. And after Aya's daring rodeo ride, she seemed to have a damned good idea.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 11, 2012 12:24:30 GMT -5
"It started off as a Gnathostomulid," Aya began her explanation, quickly describing the scientific name for Samantha's sake, "A type of worm, microscopic in size. No larger than a millimetre in length. It was part of an experiment," once she were sure she had the perplexed girl's attention, she went about navigating the console's monitor, "Seeing how species interact with the virus. This one took an unpredictable turn when a different insect fell into its petri dish, both under the influence of Tyrant."
Scanning the path ahead revealed the ravine the train would pass through. It was an alley of death, one they had to conquer before being able to fight the Eater on even grounds. Aya groaned. There was all the possibility it could get the upper hand on them and hit the train. It was essential the locomotive came out of their without another scratch; already it would look strange after turning up to its destination without a carraige.
"The two subjects made conflict with eachother, and although the insect which had fallen in were nearly ten times larger than the worm, it fell victem and wound up being devoured," with a wave of her hand swiping the screen a wire-mesh diagram of the track was displayed, zoomed out and looked at length wise, it showed how long the trek would be through the ravine and onto a more level part of land, "Then it started to change. It grew exponentially taking on anthropodal attributes, then its maw mutated. It almost had a fetish with eating, chewing through the glass of it dish. The case it were held in was changed several times over catering for its size and appetite."
Looking ahead of the ravine showed the flat land in a gap between mountains. There was no other vantage point the Eater could utilize after that, it would have to just chase the train, "It grew teeth and a circular mouth to shovel in just about anything. Whatever is edible is stored in sacks insides its body while waste is instantly funneled through and out the other end," Aya measured the length of track they had for retailiation, confident with what was on offer, "It's original form was more built for a moist, water environment. That's why I always ran into it in costal regions. Only now it seems it's made a penchant for land, considering it can consume just about anything. Seems it had enough whale in its diet to persue a different white meat,"
Most people held their jaw open at the existence of something. Aya made it her duty to study it until she fully understood it, usually helping close the jaw in the process. Everything monstrous which existed in the wastes came from something in the time before, it just took a little effort to find out what it was. Although in the case she had witnessed the birth, and inevitable fall, of a true Collosus.
"We're coming up to a killzone," Aya said, pointing at the image on the display, "We should be able to clear it in 20 minutes with the extra speed you gathered, however we'll need to keep the Eater off us with the EBRs the entire time. More than likely it will try to take on the track ahead of the train bridging through the ravine. Just a nudge should keep us safe."
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Jan 12, 2012 13:50:25 GMT -5
Sam sort of blacked out as Aya went about messing around with the computers. However her mind was tuned in on the story being told. In her mind she saw it all happening from the beginning and leading up to now. Insane when you think about it. But she wouldnt put it past the t-virus strand. Afterall she did know exactly what it was a stain of, and what it was capable of.
"We're coming up to a killzone," the statement pulled Sam back into the present. "We should be able to clear it in 20 minutes with the extra speed you gathered, however we'll need to keep the Eater off us with the EBRs the entire time. More than likely it will try to take on the track ahead of the train bridging through the ravine. Just a nudge should keep us safe."
"Alright. Guess we should be getting to a door then." Sam picked up the EBR and headed out of the cockpit and toward a side door. She was much more level headed now that she had a better understanding of the situation and the way the beast operated. One thing pricked her mind however. "I hope he doesnt come up from under the track before we get to the bridge we will have no way to stop him from ruining the tracks."
She stood next too the first door of the train and found some thick cable on the floor. It gave her the idea to tie herself to the hand rails so if she needed a better angle she would be able to lean out of the train farther without falling out. After settling in for the short sprint to the bridge Sam leaned against the wall cradling the EBR like a child. She gazed out the windows at the passing snow covered terrain.
"So is this thing following you or what?" She asked Aya quietly.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 12, 2012 15:14:48 GMT -5
"We just have a bad habit of running into each other. Not that often. Last time was in '07," Aya answered. In all likeliness this seemed as if it would be the last time, too. She had a much greater advantage this time, undisputable at best. It was about time the Collosi was put to rest.
A low pitch warble vibrated through the mountain rock and steel of the train, warning of what was to come. Even if the Eater appeared primal, it still seemed to own a sense of respect for its arch nemesis which has evaded it for all these years. It wanted to let Aya know it was about to attack, "Here we go," she breathed, smacking the door release button and climbing out on top of the train again.
Darkness patiently waited for the locomotive as it speared into the narrow gap, vanishing between mountains. Falling snow was suddenly cut off, shielded by the high mouth of the ravine. After adjusting to the change in light it seemed nearly tranquil and focused compared to the white noise they were in. Standing on the top of the train were much easier having the rushing wind blanketed considerably with little air movement in the valley. It meant the slip stream the locomotive cut were much wider, enough of a gap for Aya and Sam to manouver in comfortably.
For all the good that was traded in, the negative severely outweighed. Earth lined both the train's sides, ample means of being attacked surrounded them. Aya knew the one thing the Eater generated plenty of was heat; her pupils flickered as their cornea accepted Redeye, taking the opportunity to spot the collosal monster before it ejected from the rock. With such a cold environment, it would stand out like a watermelon in a pumpkin patch.
A white haze began growing in her view, seeing the Eater burrow through the dirt and gunning it towards the train. Aya raced to where it would emerge and lined up a shot, firing as it blasted out of the wall. The force knocked it downwards, under the bridge, burrowing back into the opposing wall for another attack.
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Jan 13, 2012 10:32:30 GMT -5
The eruption of rock and stone could be heard from the other side of the train. Aya did well to fend off the attack. But the constant rumble didn't bode well, another attack was likely coming soon. Sam gazed at the stone wall on her side of the train the rumblings becoming stronger. Pin pointing the apex of vibrations she guessed at where the beast would attack from next. Leveling her EBR and leaning out the door she waited.
Silence and stillness suddenly took hold of the canyon. Nothing except the train moved, no near-earthquake tremors, no deep rumble from within the mountain. The silence took Sam off guard, she was expecting an attack and none came. She was wondering what happened when she got a mental image of a snake coiling up and tightening all its muscles before it launches out at lighting speed to attack.
It was but a second later that the the wall halfway down the train erupted once again. Animal instinct caused the witch to react with superhuman speed. She snapped herself and the EBR to the left and pulled the trigger during what most people would consider a blink. To her she twisted, took aim and fired as she saw the toothy maw of the Eater speeding out of the wall.
The blast was close enough to the train that the shockwave emitted from the EBR knocked out a few windows and rocked the train a bit. But the purpose of the blast was served. The worm was knocked back and pinned in its own hole long enough to allow the train to barely pass. Soon as it did the Eater made its way out and began burrowing down on top of the tracks the train had just passed over.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 13, 2012 11:05:17 GMT -5
Taking on the relentless attack proved fatiguing, burning conflict nearly turned the cold crevice into a fiery fissure. Collateral damage to the train proved unnavoidable after a couple of counter attacks from Sam; Aya only wished they had a little more space.
The two women continued to fight the onslaught, persevering in the madness. The ivory girl could not help but applaud the Eater's strength to withstand so many EBR blasts, shrugging them off unlike the first shot it had taken. More than likely it rallied up its iron hide to fend off such a brute measure of mass. As if to be ironic, it decided to return the favor of physics with its next move.
The Eater had taken dozens of shots, pulling away for a change in execution. Already Aya had reloaded twice, unscrewing the cylinder in favor of another. She remained crouched on the roof, patiently waiting for the next attack, daring the phallic bastard to emerge again. In her experience she had rendered collosus to gravy; instead of fearing it the determined girl welcomed a challenge.
Challenge accepted, it seemed. Light was cut from the opening of the ravine. Grinding between cliff edges, the Eater drilled along the surface above the train threatening to drop straight in on them. Even though it were difficult to see without ample light, the silhouette of large rocks began to fall landing on the roof of the train.
Breathing deep into her diaphragm, the H+ opened her mouth and propelled her voice to wherever Samantha were, "Shoot! Up!" echoing off the stone walls with a deft rumble. The plate of her EBR suddenly reached for the sky, firing without concern for accuracy at the belly of the beast. It constantly bounced with each shot removing duress from the edges of the cliff for only a couple of seconds.
Ammo ran out for her rifle, chucking it off the side of the train and sprinting towards the next break in cars. Aya skidded along her tail feather dropping into the gap and instantly picking up a fresh EBR. Dragging the bolt back exposed the rod, a freezing sound stemming out of it for a second, before being slapped shut and continued firing.
The Eater was not happy with the retaliation, not to mention its anthropodal exo-skeleton failed to cover its underside meaning the damage was magnified. Through the darkness of the ravine several thin objects snaked about, lashing at the locomotive. Once near the spot lights of the car it were clear tentacles extended from the behemoth's body, "That's new," Aya noted as each tentacle crashed through a window, latching on to any random object they could find.
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Jan 13, 2012 13:53:00 GMT -5
Encounter after encounter lead the duo to their current predicament. Somewhere along the train Aya shouted out as the Eater burrowed high above the train raining rocky shrapnel down upon them. Sam's ears tuned in on her partner making her sound plain as day among the chaos.
"Shoot! Up!"
Sam leaned farther out the car than she had yet putting faith in on the cable holding her in place. She raised a fresh EBR and began firing upward not only to cut back on the amount of dangerous falling rocks but also to put some damage into the worm. It roared in response to their retaliation.
From her angle Sam did not see the tentacles that Aya had, until they were already reaching into the car from the opposite side she was on. When something grabbed her legs and pulled her inside the car. "What the f---!" She was cut off as the tentacles pulled her hard enough to caused air to escape her as she was caught against the cable. She fought to reach her knife wrestling with the limb to reach down to her calf.
She finally caught the end of the blade and ripped it from its holster by the tips of her fingers. Feeling like she was bout to be ripped in half she violently swung the blade at the tentacle. The first strike barely wounded it and caused it to twitch. The failed attempt made her resort to cutting the cable anchoring her to the train. Sam was yanked from the interior of the vehicle and out into the ravine. As she passed through the doorway her head was knocked against the door way giving her a nasty laceration on the side of her head.
She was slung around for a bit above the train while she attempted to stave off a concussion. Finally she gained her senses and mutated her forearms and hands to their monstrous state once again. With a roar the witch slung herself upward and pulled the extremity taut between her left hand and legs. Her right arm; equipped with the Cro-van Ka-bar, became a blur as it forcibly cut through the limb. Now free she free fell back toward the train.
Much like a cat Sam twisted mid-air to face the train just before hitting the roof. Trying to land on all fours simply caused her to crumple and begin sliding along the roof against the trains motion. After rolling a few times she found an opportunity to dig her claws into the steel tearing it to shreds until she came to a stop. With her other hand she wiped the warm, red ooze from her face and flipped her hair out of her mouth.
"AYA! Watch out for the tentacles! They're tough!" She hoped her message would be received to her partner before she met a similar fate.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 18, 2012 12:59:39 GMT -5
"Yes," Aya said in a harshed breath while tangling with one of the writhing appendages, "I am aware of that," quietly retorting to the obvious fact. The alpine donned girl had descended back inside the train car, often leaning out and launching an EBR blast at the Eater whenever time best presented an opportunity.
A knife like hand lashed out at one of the tentacles flailing around through a window; Aya tied the two together which were in her graps letting them fight between themselves. Running toward the rear end of the car and setting foot outside, she ducked as a tentacle speared its way through the gaps between cars.
Aya unhinged an item from the back of her belt, holding it out in front of herself and activating it. The compound bow assembled itself automatically, clicking together, whirring as the wire released from its casing. She unclipped her quiver from her backpack as she strode by, slinging it over her shoulder. The Eater's most recent means of attack would be its undoing.
Stepping outside once more, with a quick upper slice the tentacle which breached the gap in the cars was cut off; Aya quickly cleaned her sullied blade on the handrail before climbing back topside, even more strings descended from the worm. As curious as the geek were to figure out how they worked in conjunction with the collosus, she was more concerned about the integrity of the train which, from simple observation, was already in a terrible state.
With an eagle's eye the archer garnered paramount accuracy letting loose a titanium shaft, skewering one of the tentacles into the rock wall. It went elastic for a moment before the arrow broke out of the dirt. Aya tried another shot, watching as the flesh divided from the tension and the tentacle snapped. Either way there was a measurable window for her to exploit the idea.
The falling rocks moved to a float, sailing snow easing to a glide, and gushing wind reduced to a gentle breeze as time shifted into a crawl. Locks of her hair licked at her face as the tranquil girl listened only to her breathing.
Inhale, standing with the posture of a lady and the stoicism of a statue, the bow hung at one side as Aya tuned in with everything that moved around the patriotic locomotive. With fluidity and flow her left hand reached for a shaft, slipping out three from their quiver and firing each one in the time it took her to exhale. Already her hand returned to the quiver, resupplying the valiant bow with its tooth and claw, firing the arrows out in elegance.
Her determination refused to let up pinning each tentacle against the nearest rock face. Even though they eventually snapped loose Aya moved quickly enough, anchoring more tentacles than there were ones which broke off. It was taxing against the Eater, slowing it down to the point were the sky could gradually be seen ahead of it.
Light eventually peeled back into the ravine as Aya fended off the swarm. She moved down each car to remain with the beast, her quiver running dangerously low as the behemoth worm finally pulled away from the train. A different shaft was drawn from the pouch, more thick in design with aggressive fins to its sides. The archer stood side on while aiming towards the Eater down wind, bow perfectly verticle as she drew the string back.
The shaft launched, aimed at the grouped up tentacles instead of the Eater's maw. After a short flight the arrow split in two, separating as the shimmer of fine wire flickered just before slicing through a row of the anchored tentacles.
It was similar to being pranked in a tug-of-war game when the opposition suddenly lets go of the rope. All the energy the Eater expended to propel itself suddenly took it by surprise as all of its tethers broke, messing with its shifted weight. The serpent of earth rolled as the edges of the cliffs broke its support sending it awkwardly into the ravine below.
The killzone passed as white finally engulfed them again. The landscape around them level now though they were still kilometres above sea level. Uneven winds returned battering the bullet train as it traveled across white tundra. Blood dribbled from its nose and gritted teeth, yet still the locomotive sprinted through the unforgiveable, white desert.
Aya disassembled the bow, parts of it snapping as it folded back into its neat package and hitched on her utility belt. She felt a sense of triumph after emerging victorious, knowing the Eater would have had to have known anger after being outwitted and outdone in its moment of opportunity.
Even with the howling blizzard and standing several cars down Aya could still make out the jet black hair of the her partner, thumbing downwards to suggest they meet inside.
Speaking at a bit of a shout, "We need to seal the windows so the whole train doesn't tear itself apart," Aya said while holding her fringe over one ear, "There are panels above each frame which can be pulled down, I'll get started moving towards the nose of the train," she was about to head off before something else popped into her mind, "And search for some radios too. If noise like this keeps up in our journy I think it's best we kept in touch with some reasonable sense of effeciency."
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Jan 23, 2012 10:47:44 GMT -5
Sam saw no point in reverting her arms back to human form. Her secret was probably already out from the last time she had use them anyway. The witch began hacking away at the tentacles that tried to grab hold of the train. If they got enough leverage and pulled the train off the tracks Sam and Aya would be done for. As she sprinted from limb to limb she caught a glimpse of Aya further back the train.
She had a bow in hand and became a blur as she began pinning the extremities to the walls with inhuman speed and precision. Sam gazed at the brunette's movements, it only served to solidify the feeling she had been having. Aya was the same as her, maybe not exactly but they both shared something. The witch pulled herself from her mind and took hold of the big picture.
Sam knew her job. In order for Aya's plan to work she needed to make the tentacles let go of the train. Calling forth a bit of her reserves the girl began flinging herself at break neck speeds along the top of the train severing the arms as quickly as possible. At the speed Aya was going she would have a small window of time to help her out.
The eclipse of the Eater began to move back the length of the train as it slowed down. About the same time the witch found herself at the nose of the bullet and looked back toward her partner who was firing her last arrow. Cold, snow speckled air blew by as the train exited the ravine. Aya's arrow found its destination and a chain of events caused the grotesque worm to plummet into the valley far below.
The white noise of freezing wind filled the air for a moment. Sam welcomed it after the chaos. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath letting the cold fill her lungs and cool her off. With an exhale that sounded like an 'Aahhh...', Sam let her body relax. Tension could be felt releasing from the base of her skull, down her shoulders, arms, torso, then legs. When she opened her eyes her fore arms had returned to her slender human form. She then checked her head. The bleeding had stopped and regeneration was already beginning to take place, blood still matted down her hair and froze to her face however.
A noise further down the train cause her ears to tune in on Aya. "We need to seal the windows so the whole train doesn't tear itself apart," Aya said while holding her fringe over one ear, "There are panels above each frame which can be pulled down, I'll get started moving towards the nose of the train. And search for some radios too. If noise like this keeps up in our journy I think it's best we kept in touch with some reasonable sense of effeciency."
Slipping back into the train Sam started shutting the panels along the first few cars before returning to the cabin and dug around for a set of radios. Not knowing why they didn't think of such earlier she stumbled across a set in a drawer behind the captain's seat. She returned to the first car and sat herself in the soft chair next to an EBR and awaited Aya's arrival.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Jan 26, 2012 6:00:23 GMT -5
Snow billowed through the door as Aya opened it briefly to step through, sounds of strong wind blistered the air quickly before being shut out. She dusted her shoulder and pulled her beanie off feeling a little contented. The shudder from the train had stopped after all the windows were closed, a sense of peacefulness ebbed through their car.
Gear was removed as Aya pulled off the quiver, setting it down next to her backpack. The strained girl leaned against the table for a moment, dealing with over excerting herself. She praised the guardian who lived inside her, aware that without her it was unlikely the bullet train would have made it out of the ravine. She tapped her chest in respect.
"Good job out there," she spoke with gratitude even though neither of them had worked side by side. Aya sat down opposite Samantha, untying her hair and bunching it up again to make it neat, "We're on a plateau now. Won't be long until we've cleared the mountains all together," with one last flick of her pony tail she let her hair hang on its own, the uneven cut meant locks hung down over her shoulder looking like a very feminine mullet, "He's gunna race us down into the foothills. Once we reach that point the train will not be able to handle the speed," she gave Samantha complete eye contact, even if the little raven girl already knew the severity of the situation. This was their last chance.
"I set up a bomb down the back car," Aya started, vaguely pointing down the direction it could be found, "It needs to eat it whole. From the size of the load I'd wager it would kill it for certain. It's dangerous for us though," the negative of the situation came into play; collateral was always existent, no doubt proven many times before for both the girls, "It might take out some of the rear of the train, or maybe the rest of that end carraige. Even though the explosion won't hit us, the shockwave will. Being within its killzone'll turn your organs to mush. So we need to give the train a boost, at least for a couple of seconds."
Aya stood up and snatched a radio from beside Sam, "Think you're up for that?" she asked her partner. Aya was not about to have her be the one to throw the bomb in the Eater's maw; guilt would form if Sam was harmed in the process. Despite the fact her body was more physically ready for a blow out of such proportions, Aya's soft spot for the fairer sex guided her decision in the end.
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Feb 2, 2012 22:38:18 GMT -5
Sam mulled over what would soon be happening in her head. They were already pushing the train hard, using energy that already wasn't intended to be used, and over charging the electric motors and magnets to generate more power. There was only one solution.
"We gotta cut the extra weight. Cut off all the cars except the driver. Its the only way we will stand a chance of getting away from the killzone."
She knew that her plan would involve luring the worm to attacking from the rear. It was during her planning of this lure that she realized another benifit of this method.
"Afterall you did say these things dont need to fall into the wrong hands." She held up her EBR as an example of what she was talking about. "So we take what we want, and let the rest get ate up by the worm and destroyed in the explosion."
She felt as if her plan would kill the two proverbial birds with one big bang. "This means that you wont be alone at the rear of that train. I couldnt let you do that alone anyway. We need to get him to attack us from the rear, sprint to the front and cut the fat ass off this lady."
She gave a slight grin, it was all she could muster given the situation. It wouldnt be pretty if it went down badly. But it was the best mode of attack she could come up with. She rose from her seat and peeked out the windows.
"I dont think we have much more of an option. As you said, we dont get outta that blast radius we will turn to mush. Lets put this worm into the ground once and for all." She reassured her partner with a pat on the shoulder.
Sam picked up a few unused EBRs and carried them to the cabin of the train. She wanted to have a spare and a couple to experiment on. She then headed to the rear to take a gander of the ghetto WMD.
Wind assaulted her hair and body as she left the sheltered area of the train and stepped out onto the remaining half of the last train. The bomb wasnt hard to find. It had been placed in the middle of the floor not around too much else since most of anything else had been blown out of this semi-cart.
It was decently sized and if she had no prior knowledge of what was powering it she wouldnt have expected much. But knowing its charge was the issue, it'd detonate and probably be seen from space.
"You ready for this chica?" She questioned Aya. Sam then hefted one of the large EBRs off the ground holding it with one arm at her side awaiting the oncoming battle.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Feb 7, 2012 10:11:04 GMT -5
A motion of Aya's hand slicing against her own throat indicated removing all the carraiges from the main engine would not be such a smart idea, "These weapons are volatile if they're broken. The explosion itself might cause a chain reaction in the rest of the EBRs. We can disconnect the last couple of cars which don't have any cargo," she was fast becoming fed up with how much damage the train had taken already; in honesty only to herself she wanted to hold onto it all. It's contest were supposed to lead her straight to the end client. Already she was having difficulties figuring out how to fix the original dilemma.
"I've gotta make sure that mutant swallows the bomb whole," she leaned in, "Otherwise it might tear off the detonater," Aya took Sam by the arm and began to walk her away from the bomb, "Just get ready to disconnect the cars while I'm on my way back," they reached the doors leading to the next car, the winter girl thumbed it open and pushed Samantha through.
An expression of confidence coloured her features. Aya did not have to say she would be fine before turning to face the explosive device. She had never considered herself being one to be worried over; maybe it was overconfidence, but her determination had always reigned supreme and pulled her through. No matter of struggle or cost.
Either way she could protest her decision by remaining where she stood. Rumbles ruptured the ground once more as the growl of the Grave Digger penetrated the air. When the massive round maw broke the surface and began consuming the track behind them Aya felt a knot unravel in her stomach. She needed this face off as much as she needed closure on the weapons trafficking. Her creation was knocking on deaths door.
Responsibility always existed as a strong word. Admitting responsibility usually took the most courage a human being could manage. Much weighed on Aya's shoulders which thousands would no doubt beg answers for. How many innocent people had this creature killed? It was only one of many terrible incarnations she had invented, yet remained one the ivory girl would gladly extinguish.
Rotten teeth and slimy red flesh quickly encroached upon the train, spinning and kicking up rock all across the tundra. Aya could smell its foul breath.
The warble of its vocal chords echoed through the train and her ears. It seemed they both knew this was do or die; Aya booted the wrapped up ball into its mouth looking only for a moment to be sure it cleanly entered before heading in the other direction.
The Eater's teeth were already grinding against the metal of the car before Aya pushed through the doorway. Loose contents of the next car shook free flying all about the place; in bids to defend being hit Aya held up her hands to deflect any of the projectiles.
After blasting over the threshold the second last car disconnected slipping away from the locomotive. The weight held the worm back while it allowed the bullet train to pick up some more speed. Observing out the rear door indicated just how far they were from the monster.
A rhythmic bob in Aya's body showed her counting, a small trigger held in one hand, "Nine. Ten," she nearly crushed the trigger in her hand after squeezing. Already pulses could be seen pushing out of the Eater's body, yet to break the skin.
The body armor Aya had used to deliver the Inertium rod was made of the same element, broken down to fit into a weave. However rather than halving electrons to improve protons, protons was halved to improve electrons. It meant the armor could deflect bullets, so much so as to keep a .50BMG from penetrating the wearer. With the EBR rod igniting inside the shell it was escalating in the friction of its own mass furiously trying to break out in order to drop its kinetic energy. What this resulted in was blue-like slashes slicing out from the Eater.
It opened its maw to display a light show breaking out of its own mouth right before the real explosion kicked in. Like a water balloon its body puffed up and popped scattering pieces of deceased worm across the frozen tundra. A wave of energy pulsed out from the killzone rippling across the snow in waves.
Frantically the locomotive attempted to outrun the crescent of energy, almost in vein. The rear car lifted up off the tracks, still containing the two girls. Aya could feel gravity disolving as she floated in the air. Everything which was not bolted down began to rise on the spot.
Wrapping her arm around Samantha's waist Aya pulled her away from the rear end of the car. The bullet train was going to make it out of the blast radius; the rear car on the other hand was not going to survive as well as the rest of the locomotive would.
Pushing the Raven haired girl was fairly easy without mass bringing them down. Aya left Sam to clamber for herself as she pulled on seats and handles to move toward the opposite end of the car. Telling which way was up became difficult; although the sky was still in the same place, the end of the car they moved towards still felt very much like the roof.
Aya's feet slowly fell towards the solid floor indicating the wave was nearly at its climax; remaining time was short. The wheels of the train car in front of them screech against the rails as it was lowered back down. Aya opened the door letting Samantha step on through, following close behind.
Everything dropped. They both stood on the safe side as the third car for the day was sacrificed. It would not land on the track properly after being lifted up so high and was already after hitting the dirt began to violently shake. Its shackles were torn as its own friction tore it off from the rest of the locomotive, sending it tumbling down snowy hillside.
They watched as the carraige vanished into the thick blizzard. Aya sat by herself for a moment to relish their survival. A completely unpredictable obstacle had emerged in their journey. The girl could only begin to think of what might happen next.
Ahead of them was the descent back into France's pale green countryside. A seasonal forest lay out across the landscape, the railway plotted straight through it.
|
|
|
Post by KR0R1C on Feb 13, 2012 22:48:59 GMT -5
"These weapons are volatile if they're broken. The explosion itself might cause a chain reaction in the rest of the EBRs. We can disconnect the last couple of cars which don't have any cargo."
Sam was beginning to reevaluate her decisions. Perhaps she didn't have as much of a grasp of the situation as she had initially thought she had. She'd been so use to playing the role of leader all her life that one time she didnt understand the situation she stubbornly walked forward without thought. She was grateful for Aya, glad that the brunette beauty was around else she would have made an irreversible mistake.
She decided to step down and let Aya call the shots. It was then that Sam found herself back in the second to last car. She watched closely through the windows waiting for her time to cut loose the last car. It wasnt long before the quakes turned into an eruption of flesh and tooth from behind the train. The worm was faster than before on the open terrain. It took no time for it to catch up and blot out the light from within its maw.
The witch watched as Aya launched the explosive pill into the abyss of the eaters throat and came sprinting back to her side. Standing poised and ready Sam pulled the lever to release the last cart just as her partner made her step over the latches. The now free car quickly sunk into the belly of the beast and slowed it down as the train responded with a lurch of speed, its dead weight finally relieved.
The two stood gazing out the window as they sped away. "Nine. Ten." quietly mused Aya, her line was punctuated with the clicking of the detonator. Even from their distance waves of energy could be seen lashing out of the worm. Steadily they became more active and more powerful. Finally as if shouting one final curse to the world the gluttonous creature opened its mouth just before imploding and sending shockwaves of energy blasting in every direction.
The train responded to the forces feeling as if it would be turned on its top. Sam suddenly found herself being pulled along, and away from the windows. Her inner ear was shaken by the force causing her to lose sense of balance, and the chaos around her did nil to provide any indication of what was going on.
Finally regaining some form of composure allowed Sam to realize Aya was pulling her along she righted herself and passed through the doorway to the next trolley before turning back to help her sister as gravity found them once more. She saw through the open doorway as one more car gave a wretched squeal of sheering metal and came loose before rolling off into the blizzard.
The duo sat in silence for what could have been hours in their minds. A feeling of weightlessness still hung over Sam as the past events washed over her and sunk into her being. Her heart pounded against the inside of her skull. The rhythmic beating slowed to match the cadence locomotive. Finally finding her will to take control of her body again the witch felt as if ice water was poured through her veins as her muscles relaxed thanks to enhanced dopamine enzymes. She pulled herself upright and faced her partner.
"Im almost afraid to ask whats next." She gave a reassuring grin from behind blood matted black hair. Pulling the locks out of the way she looked out the windows as trees became thicker around tracks and green replaced white. She could smell the thickening forest and welcomed it. In her minds eye she remembered the track from the cockpit. She wasn't 100% sure but a guess placed them near to the border of Belgium or Germany.
|
|
|
Post by Lunapocalypse on Feb 16, 2012 9:56:57 GMT -5
Stoicism engulfed the train with the passage of time.
One window out of a dozen had somehow managed to avoid all damage. A fingerprint could be faintly seen left behind by someone from a long time ago, almost defining heritage for the little engine; a reminder of past. Focus shifted as Aya looked beyond the print and out at the forest.
She had cooled down now, resting peacefully on a crescent beverage bar pushed to one side of the car. Her chin buried in her arms, her eyes nearly hidded behind her sleeves and fringe. In a bid for comfort the tired girl wiggled her backside on the hard wooden stool, switching her legs over in their crossed position.
Sam returned to the control room soon after their arrival to the pines quickly relaying that they had crossed into Belgium. Direction was uncertain at this stage. Even with her powerful perception the adept dragonfly could not predict anything further down the beaten track. What was originaly a simple stakeout became a journey of abrupt turns. Aya quickly presumed the worst had only just begun; as such, it explained her downcast state. Talk about throwing a spanner in the works, she thought.
Hanging in her hand was a reasonably thin titanium rod, a custom piece to her own EBR, swinging loose like a pendulum. Some deep reflection was spent observing the object, harmless in its appearance yet dangerous in the ethic which created it. Squeezing the end of the rod generated a leathery sound from Aya's glove as she buried her face in her arms wishing her own sense of righteousness had never caused any of this to happen. For all the 'right' she ever wanted, the only thing which left in her wake stood all the wrong.
She did not want to admit it; it taxed the virtuous maiden of her morality. Aya was still coming to terms that she had eternity to fix her mistakes, and even after all she could do there would still be no place in Heaven for her.
|
|