[IC] Mey Hem: Submitted For Your Disapproval (cont.)

[Zamuel]

Sue'zhan continued, "I began hacking their bases. As terrifying as some of their weapons can be, there's tons of holes in their defenses. I kept finding more and more about their operations...things ranging from Liquid Smile to their mage hunting. One day, Master SAVAGE attacked a base and I was kidnapped. By chance we got to talking and I found he was looking for something. So we struck a deal--I'd show him the way to YPNR if he could get me there. And onto that, I'd get the information he was looking for if he didn't kill anyone from YPNR. I thought that would rein in his destructiveness while he took it as a challenge. After gathering information and one of his associates bringing him a hover board they found, eventually we arrived here and you saw the big fight."

After taking a breath, Sue'zhan said, "So with the original question of where we're going...

After all I had seen, I felt YPNR's leaders and plans must be stopped. I could never find details but I know all resources were being directed to something massive. I came here to stop the leaders or their plans directly. If I couldn't...

When I was hacking into the vessel's computers, I redirected it. If not deactivated manually, in about eight hours the vessel will have accelerated to the point of no return and crash into the bay outside of the Old Publishing District."

Suddenly, Monday March appeared with an expression of horror on her face. "No! You can't do that!"

 

[Destron D-69]

Dee's flush face paled to ghostly white... we're in the sandwich ...she thought

 

[MEDdMI]

EB stirred from sleep, sore muscles and stinging wounds reminding him of what had happened. He had been too tired to dream, or at least remember them. He listened quietly as the others spoke, still not sure how he felt about Sue.

He blinked at her latest words for a few moments.
"Wait... we're gonna crash?! Why-why would you- what about the people here?" He jumped to his feet, just barely keeping his voice from shouting. "We have to evacuate. We have to..." He started breathing heavily, his head reeling.

 

[Zamuel]

After Beathra mentioned that they still had the children to find, Sue'zhan solemnly said, "The only way I figured I could bring down YPNR's leadership was the most literal sense of bringing them down. I didn't realize just how many people might be here until I saw it on our approach. Too late to turn back then."

Meanwhile, Monday March tried to urge Elizilah to leave but the Chief Librarian continued to sit and listen.

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

The Knight pit his hand on EBs shoulder.

”This place will Not crash, because we will prevent it. And cut out the Rotten core infesting it. Stay calm EB, we aren’t in trouble. We merely have a deadline.”

Looking over at Sue’zhan however, he couldn’t help his tone hardening.

”Why would you do this? The level of death and destruction that will come of this—a floating city—impacting with the bay…! This place… The OPD…

Tens of Thousands of LIVES! Why in gods name would you condemn so many to a fiery grave?!”

Then he yanked out the dis he’d taken from SAVAGE.

”I have those files he made you steal! They are mine! And I will find Those secrets and those stolen mage children!

Can you stop what you’ve done!”

Omega turned as he heard Monday.

”Don’t leave! Don’t run away from this Monday. You and the Chief Librarian can help us stop this.

Do you really think those you serve, those who stolen kids, used scum like Cupid Thunder, slave traders, genetic experimentation and so much worse… Do you think they will care about the real people of YPNR. Or just themselves. Because I don’t think Correspondent 251 will have any qualms about it.”

Then he turned back to Sue’zhan.

”I spoke frok the heart. Forgive my anger.”

 

[Zamuel]

"I didn't know how many were up here," Sue'zhan said, before covering her face. "I guess...I just saw the end goal instead of the consequences. To your question, yes, there's a way to stop the crash. It requires a manual override that can't be hacked. Someone would need to physically go there to reassert control and pilot it."

Monday March angrily shook her finger at Kage, "I can leave if I need to. But you can't come here to save your friend then say I can't save mine!" Elizilah interrupted with, "Your worry is appreciated, Monday, but I'm not leaving. They need our help and I'm not turning my back on the people here. As much as I get excluded from some decisions, I am still considered a high ranking member of YPNR. I should be able to get you access to the manual override. However, I don't know where kidnapped children would be."

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Irritated at Monday, Kage mirrored her finger wagging.

”You misunderstand me Monday. I’m not stopping you helping your friends. If we work together, we can fix this, save the innocent AND not have to worry about interference.

I’m asking for your help, not demanding that you help. Please.”

Hearing Sue’zhan, the Knight nods.

”If we can find it, i can do it.”

As the Chief Librarian (Elizalah?) spoke, Omega made a choice. Frustrated that he couldn’t check with his friends first, but knowing that time was now (more than ever) of the essence, the Knight said.

”Friday, what Have you discovered and can you help with this?”

 

[CoffeeHorse]

This day is only a few minutes old and already Night Cap finds himself wishing he were in bed.

He will be making it back to his couch for a well earned rest. Nothing can stop him.

"Can we discuss this on the move? We've got to find that manual override."

 

[Patch]

Patch blinked. She sat up with a start, wiping away tears from her eyes and looking around. She was confused and disoriented to find herself in a strange place, but even those sensations were secondary to the realization that had now hit her: she was awake, and that meant she was alive.

She looked down at her hands. Apart from a circular burn mark, they were healthy-looking human hands.

She was utterly in awe. It was so miraculous that she could barely comprehend it.

This is it, she thought. I've been given a second chance.

 

[MEDdMI]

EB took a few moments to catch his breath, trying to shake off old memories of the Island falling to ruin.
"R-right. There's gotta be a map of this place."

Looking around, he saw Patch sit up and paused.
"Hey. Welcome back?" He considered her carefully, still nervous.

 

[The Doctor Who]

From the next room, Beathra entered, pipe in hand, momentarily distracted with cleaning it, staff tucked under one arm, the familiar smokey pine scent followed after.

"My apologies," he said, "I stepped out for a pipe, but heard concerned voices... Oh, hello Patch," he nodded to her with a friendly smile, "It's good to see you among the conscious once more!"

 

[Patch]

Patch wasn't sure what to say. The two of them had nearly died because of her. So she just nodded meekly. "Thanks."

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Omega his head as he heard Beathra an EB, then he saw that Patch was awake. Walking over, he nodded to her.

”Welcome back to the land of the living. How do you feel Patch?”

 

[Destron D-69]

Destron watched Patch quietly awake and tumble through thoughts and feelings that were very familiar... they were not close enough for Dee to take the woman into her arms and give her a hug, but with a slight lean to one side she was able to hand her a soft lavender scented handkerchief to deal with the dust in her eyes.

 

[Patch]

Patch quietly thanked Destron for the gift, and after gathering herself for a moment, addressed Kage.

"I feel... like myself again, in a way I haven't been in a very long time."

She coughed.

"There's something I need to say here. I need to say... I'm sorry. For everything that's happened. I know I can't make everything right just by saying that, because you all have gone through a lot because of me. So it's just a start. From now on, I'll be putting every effort into doing what I can to regain your trust. And I know that it will take a long time... but, I have to do what I can. I have to take responsibility for what I've done."

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Night Cap's ears perk up, but not all the way.

"We were never going to stop looking. Let's get you out of here."

 

[MEDdMI]

EB blinked at Patch for a moment, then suddenly he was on his knees next to her and hugged her, perhaps a bit harder than intended. He let her go after a few seconds with a slight grin.
"I'm good with that for now. Can you stand? We got a crashing island to deal with."

 

[Patch]

Patch blushed slightly, caught off guard by EB's sudden hug. But she was even more caught off guard by what he said.

"Wait... a what?"

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

For a moment, the Knight almost moved to hug her too… before Kage realised that perhaps his harder and more angular armour might not be particularly comfortable to receive a hug from. So he simply settled for putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and hoped nobody noticed his previous half-movement.

Patch quietly thanked Destron for the gift, and after gathering herself for a moment, addressed Kage.

"I feel... like myself again, in a way I haven't been in a very long time."

She coughed.

"There's something I need to say here. I need to say... I'm sorry. For everything that's happened. I know I can't make everything right just by saying that, because you all have gone through a lot because of me. So it's just a start. From now on, I'll be putting every effort into doing what I can to regain your trust. And I know that it will take a long time... but, I have to do what I can. I have to take responsibility for what I've done."

”Thats all anybody can ask. Of themselves and of other people. The fact that you’re free of that darkness is a good thing. I said before your path was dark and lonely. A path corrupted by the honeyed words of the bug witch, taking advantage of your fears and your desires.

Pain and fear and loss can make everything dark, to the point where you feel like you’re drowning. And at that point, any glimpse of help can be seen as a a lifeline. To either pull you up, or drag you down.”

With a sigh Kage recomposed himself.

”Regardless, you are free now and can chart your own path. As to our current predicament. Well…”

As concisely as he could, the Knight brought Patch up to speed on current events aboard YPNR. How they’d gotten here and the fact they had a time limit.

 

[The Doctor Who]

Beathra gave a warm, quiet nod to Patch's statement and turned his attention to the details of their current predicament.

"The children will have to wait for now." He said. "If they are here, then our immediate goal should still be to stop the station from falling. Alas, I have no skill with computers. I could, perhaps, call upon the air to slow us, but... well... I am no god. It would be no great help."