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Post by Celes Chere on Apr 24, 2009 10:11:44 GMT -5
Celes listened carefully as Tseng gave an explanation of his actions that she felt was rather hesitant and vague. When he mentioned the word “trust,” she jumped a little, feeling almost guilty. Of course, she hadn’t done anything to betray his trust, but she certainly hadn’t done anything to deserve it either. She wondered why he would say such a thing. Her heart threatened to crack at the desperation that fringed his otherwise smooth, commanding voice. But this time her head kept her heart in check, using her military aptitude to put together the pieces.
She considered what she knew about Tseng (which was admittedly very little). He was a clear-cut leader, and seemed capable of making the kinds of ruthless, never-look-back decisions that every good leader must make. But he also didn’t strike her as the type to automatically trust a pretty girl when she came near. If he claims to trust me, she thought to herself. Then there must be nobody else here he can trust. This meant one of two things: either there had previously been a command structure in place that was now gone, or Tseng was naturally paranoid. Either way, she’d have to tread carefully from now on. There could be serious risk here.
Then again, could she afford to leave? Could she reasonably walk away from Tseng and his enigmatic request? Where in this strange new world could she go? She could continue wandering, of course. But that would almost surely get her nowhere. At least with Tseng, and with his company, she would be going somewhere, perhaps learning things, and maybe, just maybe, she even had a shot at finding some of her friends. Finding even one of her former companions would be worth even the greatest risk.
But she still couldn’t imagine what kind of help he could possibly need, especially from her. It had been too long since the last time she’d been involved in anything of any importance. She wondered if she had the spirit for it anymore. As she’d found out earlier that afternoon, her fighting skills were below par, and frankly she’d been drinking too much. She felt generally addled, hopeful but realistically doubtful. She took a long, slow, deep breath as these thoughts rolled around in her head. The elevator rushed upwards and she fought the urge to sit down with her head between her knees. Her stomach lurched dangerously and she was glad it had been so long since she’d last eaten.
“I want to help you, Tseng, I really do,” she started carefully. “But I have no idea what I’m getting myself into here. I can’t just sign away my loyalty. I don’t even know what ShinRa represents. I don’t know what you represent.” She paused again for just a moment, collecting her thoughts. “I’ll help you, but I’ll need to establish some conditions.”
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Post by Tseng on Apr 24, 2009 10:44:22 GMT -5
Tseng focused his mind on the present and pushed aside the haze of doubt that had come over him as they continued down the elevator shaft towards the large landing pad below. She wanted to know what he stood for or what the company stood for. The question series of cautious statements set Tseng at ease. It was always easier to deal with mistrust rather than trust in his line of work. Yuki did the same thing when he extended an opportunity to join the Turks which coincided oddly with the appearance of the strange infiltrators from the same gate. All the coincidences were laid against her especially after the comment on loyalty. Normally, Tseng would have rescinded his offer of acceptance had it not been for the decided lack of remaining Turks at his disposal.
"Fair enough, I will try to be as brief but thorough as possible. ShinRa Light and Power is a weapons development, civilian technological development, media, and power company. It doubles as the world government and military force for the place we are and for a few other cities across the planet. The company is no longer what it used to be as I am the only remaining executive left with any authority or access codes. As a result, the organization now stands for whatever I decide it should stand for which happens to be the protection of the civilians within the walls of every ShinRa controlled region. Suffice to say, I personally," he trailed off for a moment not sure what to say next as the question of what he wanted had been the reason for his mental debate earlier. ShinRa's survival was important, but why was it important? Did he really care about the civilians? Before today, merely keeping the company alive had been enough as Rufus or his father would set the policy and agenda. Now, it was his turn, and he needed to make a choice. "I personally want to redeem the company in the eyes of the people. And figure out just what happened to the world."
The look in Tseng's eyes changed as he stared off into the distance. He stood straighter again but left his muscles relaxed, so he could enjoy the moment. All the anguish and agonizing over what to do and waking up after a near death experience was gone. A freeing sensation coursed through his veins and his breathe became easier by the minute. The burden of choice was lifted from his shoulders as the decision had been made, and Tseng wouldn't need to ponder his next course of action as it was now laid out before him.
"More than that, I need to put an end to all these world shaking problems that keep threatening the safety and security of those ShinRa is meant to protect," Tseng's voice was filled with conviction as his lips blossomed into a friendly, relaxed smile. An unusual expression for him, but at the moment, he was in a good mood. "Besides, I want to be able to finally take a vacation."
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Post by Celes Chere on Apr 27, 2009 13:12:55 GMT -5
The more Tseng spoke, the better Celes was able to understand him. His description of ShinRa’s purpose in the world was still entirely beyond her, and she hoped that a general understanding of “civilian technological development” and “media” were not prerequisites for her help. But as he continued, she perceived the rather grand scope of Tseng’s precarious current position in the company. She found herself admiring him strongly for a brief moment. He was only one man, and yet he bore the burden of this situation with a straight back. Even his suit, she noted, remained unrumpled and sharp.
But it was his personal goal that was simultaneously intriguing and inspiring. Of course, Celes had no idea what kind of reputation ShinRa had among the people. She’d seen in her own lifetime that the masses frequently hold resentment for those in power, but she wasn’t certain that it was this resentment to which Tseng now referred. And then to say that his position with ShinRa could potentially lead him to the answers about the world that she so desperately sought herself? Her suspicions had been proven accurate: if she wanted to learn what had happened to her homeland, sticking with Tseng – and ShinRa – would be her best bet.
Celes was a bit taken aback by Tseng’s smile; he didn’t exactly seem like the laughing type. But his smile was definitely welcome. Celes wasn’t sure she’d seen anyone smile in the last few hours. His suddenly relaxed attitude calmed her in turn, and she allowed herself to return a smaller smile, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
“I believe we may be able to help each other then,” she said a bit more mysteriously than she’d intended. She felt a sudden thrill in her stomach, although she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t the feeling of nausea that threatened to overtake her if she stayed on that elevator for one moment longer. Thankfully, at that moment, the inadequately-sized box glided to an unnervingly quick stop and the doors flew open. It took Celes a moment to reorient herself, and when she did she realized that she’d unconsciously reached out and grabbed Tseng’s sleeve to steady herself. She blinked a few times, then stood straight, removing her fingers from where they clutched at the smooth, expensive fabric. She cleared her throat and stared straight ahead. She didn’t know where to go. She needed him to lead so that she could follow.
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Post by Tseng on Apr 27, 2009 13:39:50 GMT -5
Finally, some good news, Tseng mused as Celes mysteriously responded favorably towards his sudden speech. The small smile at the corners of her mouth confirmed his suspicion that she would be a willing ally in the coming days. The fact that she hadn't laid out a specific lists of demands including loyalty to foreign power which could possibly be sending spies into the city was another relief. A lot was a stake here beyond his own pride, but it felt good nonetheless that he had made the correct decision in bringing her along. Perhaps there was something to the random acts of trust Cloud and his friends seemed to place in people. The ragtag band of terrorists had been very effective.
The stopping motion of the elevator must have knocked Celes off balance momentarily as she suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his less than expensive tailored suit from Wall Market. He still had yet to change into a proper Turk Uniform. The motion of her grabbing his sleeve wasn't enough to jar him physically off balance but was enough to emotionally tilt him more than a little. From this angle, he was able to realize just how stunning she was with long blonde hair and strong measuring eyes. She hoped that all the blinking she was doing prevented her from noticing his admiring rather than analyzing gaze as she released his sleeve and looked forward at the open door waiting for him to make the first step forward.
The helicopter on the landing pad already was powered up as expected. Slowly, Tseng closed his PHS and placed it back inside his suit jacket. The personnel on the landing pad to be a little nervous as he approached them. Most employees of ShinRa were a little put off by the Turks to begin with, much less their leader. In addition, Tseng was now the acting President of the company which meant that they had double the number of reasons to be worried whenever he appeared unexpectedly. However, the reason Tseng figured they were most worried was because he was armed to the teeth with a variety of weapons that defied logic and comprehension considering he normally carried more subtle weapons into the field or left the fighting to his subordinates. The smile on Tseng's face only grew; it was helpful sometimes to keep people, even your subordinates, guessing.
Silently, he walked with Celes towards the helicopter where a set of SOLDIERS were loading it up in preparation for it's flight to Junon. It was probably going out with one of the last units that consisted of the convey, Tseng had ordered off earlier. However, Tseng had a different purpose in mind for this mobile weapons platform. With a hand outstretched, he motioned for the commanding officer to walk over to him, "Is this helicopter loaded down for long range operations?"
The SOLDIER didn't hesitate in his response as he snapped to attention, "Yes, sir."
Tseng nodded his head. Good, I won't have to worry about waiting around for one to be fueled.
"I will be commandeering the vehicle for a special operation. Have another chopper brought to the pad to move your unit into position in Junon," Tseng paused in mid-step as he moved past the SOLDIER. "Oh and leave the materia cases, weapons, and equipment on board."
He continued forward again as the SOLDIER barked another affirmative before yelling out orders to the other SOLDIERS on the landing pad all dressed in full armor and with swords on their backs. The MPs on the landing pad move to quickly assist as directed not wanting to look bad in front of both the President and the SOLDIER 1st Class Tseng had just been speaking with. The scene was one of efficiency and a blur of motion as the 3rd Class and 2nd Class SOLDIERS disembarked while waiting for Tseng and Celes to get aboard. Once they were on board, Tseng immediately moved to the cockpit and took a seat at the controls waiting for Celes to take a seat herself before slowly edging the vehicle off the landing pad. It had been awhile since he'd needed to do this himself; but as he nudged the control stick forward, it all came back to him.
He waited until they were making progress through the city before pulling off his Ziedrich bangle and handing it over to Celes along with a Hardedge he'd picked up from the cargo supplies in the back of the helicopter. Once the weapon and armor had been passed over, Tseng handed her the photographs from the file the nervous assistant had given him, "Do any of these look familiar?"
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Post by Celes Chere on Apr 29, 2009 11:55:28 GMT -5
Celes stepped off the elevator, following Tseng with no small measure of relief. He headed directly for one of the strangest contraptions Celes had seen since arriving in Midgar. It was clear what it was for, though, and she smiled a little with excitement. It had been too long since she’d taken to the skies. She tried to follow Tseng’s speech as he and the heavily-armed soldier exchanged information, but unfortunately she understood very little of it. She made a mental note to pay excessive attention in the future – her best way to learn any of this would be by immersion only. Surely, Tseng didn’t have the time or the inclination to sit with her and explain everything about the way his world worked.
The “helicopter” began to pump the propeller at the top, and suddenly the whole world was wind and noise. Soldiers as fully-suited as the first swarmed around them in a way that seemed almost comically perfect, just narrowly missing one another at times as they hauled equipment, yelled orders, and moved out of their way. They climbed aboard and Celes quickly found a well-padded seat with dual straps. With some surprise, she watched as Tseng settled into what appeared to be the pilot’s seat. So he could fly as well? Celes’ respect for her new commander was growing by the minute – it was certainly all very impressive. But his real merit would be tested in the field of battle, should a battle ever come. She hoped, of course, that bloodshed would be entirely unnecessary.
After once again trying to look around and understand some of the things she saw – the flashing lights, the moving sticks that steered the helicopter, the monitors and buttons – she had almost given up for the moment when Tseng thrust a serious-looking blade into her hands. Now that she understood. Before she even had a moment to examine it, he tossed another relic her way: a bracelet pulled from his own arm. It looked to be made out of silver and gold and brass, and it shined fiercely in the suddenly-visible sunlight that now poured through the windows near her. She squinted in the brightness and turned away towards the blade.
A moment’s study clearly showed that it was a far superior weapon to her own Rune Edge. As reluctant as she was to part with her faithful sword, however, she knew what the wiser choice would be. And when entering an unknown situation, she’d found it was always best to be as prepared as possible. She carefully removed the Rune Edge from its leather holster and replaced it with this newer blade. The weight was marvelous. She’d have to find a few moments to get in some practice with it soon. She realized suddenly that she hadn’t thanked Tseng, and was preparing to do so when he finally spoke again himself, this time shoving a stack of glossy papers into her hand and asking if she recognized them.
Curious, Celes peered at the photographs carefully. The images were a bit blurred in places, but it was clear that they depicted a security breach of some sort. After a long moment of reflection, she handed the photographs back to Tseng, shaking her head. “No, they’re not familiar,” she said loud enough to be heard over the roaring engine. An image popped unbidden into her head of the figures in the photographs lying in a pool of their own blood, and she felt a little sick, even though air travel was clearly more acceptable than elevator or train travel. “Who are they?” she asked, her voice grim. With a start, she fully realized her place and sat up straighter. “Sir,” she added formally.
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Post by Tseng on Apr 29, 2009 12:20:13 GMT -5
Tseng placed the pictures back into his folder though he was a little surprised by her sudden formality. He'd grown used to Reno and Elena's less than professional demeanors when on a mission though it was nice to see not everyone had forgotten about the chain of command. Honestly, Tseng wasn't feeling very formal himself at the moment though, but he didn't feel the need to tell her to relax she probably would once the initial confusion over the exact nature of their situation passed.
Quietly, he pulled out a set of headphones hanging from the rack next to his head. They hit snuggly over his ears blocking out some of the noise from the whirling blades overhead. Helicopters were quickest, most reliable form of transportation available to ShinRa for traversing the vast expanses of land which made up the main continent other than overland convoys. The loss of the Gelinka and the destruction of the Tiny Bronco eliminated virtually every other speedy mode of transit. The airship which used to act as the flagship for the ShinRa fleet was lost to Avalanche as well meaning that only the ShinRa helicopters could even hope to cross the distance between Junon and Midgar at speeds the company could deem acceptable.
Once his head piece was one, he motioned for Celes to do the same and pointed at the microphone while making mimicking speaking to strike home the point that she would need to talk into them to be heard. He wasn't sure how familiar she was with the technology ShinRa had at it's disposal; and judging by the wide eyed wonder she'd expressed at stepping into the helicopter, he wasn't willing to take chances. They would definitely need to be on their guard and communicating with each other if they were going to find the people who had violated the sanctity and security of Midgar's outer walls.
Patiently, he waited to speak until Celes had put the headphones on so as to not need to yell when speaking, "The individuals caught photographed infiltrated the city unannounced through unknown means. They were caught studying the city and moving through the Slums armed with what appear to be triple barrel shotguns, possibly some new form of ranged weaponry that was made an arms manufacturer other than ShinRa."
He paused to focus his attention back on piloting for a moment as he passed over the wall surrounding the city and swung back towards Sector Five to give Celes a good view of the wall to which he had referred earlier. "The nature of their equipment and ordinance is a cause for alarm considering Yuki and your stories about different places and lands. However, of greater concern, is the fact that they were confronted by the gang members you saw in the files. The kidnapping of any citizen within ShinRa territory is an offense that needs to be dealt with. We're going to find the people responsible and discern exactly why they felt the need to remove people from my city."
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Post by Celes Chere on Apr 29, 2009 14:45:32 GMT -5
Celes stared at the strange contraption he handed her then with intense confusion painted on her face. She understood his pantomime, however, and she gingerly fit the soft round parts over her ears. She jumped when his voice flooded over her, low and smooth and commanding. It was as though when he spoke, she could hear nothing but his voice, which soothed her in a strangely unnerving sort of way. In a world with so much noise, something like this – something that dulled every sound except the voice you were supposed to be listening to – must be the most useful invention of all.
His synopsis of their situation was brief, but to the point. In fact, it was one of the first things he’d said since her arrival in his office that she understood. Someone they didn’t know from a country they weren’t aware of had snuck into Midgar, combed the city for some unknown information or input, and carrying weapons ShinRa had no hand in creating. Before leaving, they had snatched up five citizens of Midgar for unknown reasons, taking them to some unknown location.
Celes covered her smile with her hand. Oh yes, she understood this very clearly. For all his power, and for all his equipment, and for all his underlings, Tseng had no idea what was going on either. While this should have given her pause to reconsider her acceptance of his proposal (after all, it didn’t look like he could offer her the information she wanted), she instead chose to let it comfort her. She wasn’t the only one who was utterly clueless.
She thought about the appearance of those strange-looking clandestine operators. She’d certainly never seen anything like them before in her life. The way they held themselves, and the odd-looking black creatures that seemed to lead them, gave her a chill. Still, their motives were not clear. In fact, they could pose no threat whatsoever – perhaps they, like Celes and Tseng and Yuki themselves, were simply trying to make sense of a world turned upside-down. Perhaps where they came from, these sorts of actions were not meant to be unfriendly at all. She sighed, realizing how unlikely that was, but Tseng’s threatening statement rang of revenge, and this worried her. He spoke out of loyalty to his city, of course, but it seemed to be the sort of loyalty that clouded one’s judgment, that caused feuds and wars and needless deaths.
Clearing her throat, she spoke slowly, hoping that he would be able to hear her as clearly as she had heard him.
“I think now would be a good time to discuss my conditions, sir,” she said, her voice happily sounding much less timid than she’d feared it would. When setting conditions, one must be strong.
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Post by Tseng on Apr 30, 2009 7:48:57 GMT -5
The smile expanded slightly on Tseng's face as he scanned the edge of the wall finishing his extended flyby of the structure. As expected, the infiltrators were no loner here though that hardly meant the chase was over. ShinRa's helicopters were designed with extended flight times in mind, so it was time to put the mako to good use and begin searching the area for those strangely dressed people. They wouldn't be too hard to spot if they were carrying around a group of Midgar citizens who were most likely unskilled at best at wilderness survival or covering their tracks. Obvious signs of their passage would exist as the prisoners would need to be fed and allowed to move at a reasonable pace if their captors wanted them alive for questioning. If fortune was on their side, their foes would be at a severe disadvantage of speed compared to Tseng's helicopter. Fortune however rarely deigned to smile upon him.
As he eased the helicopter towards the distance, he caught a glimpse of Celes covering her mouth with a hand. It was an odd motion though Tseng didn't pay it too much mind as there were more pressing concerns to bend his analytical skills. They needed to figure out in which direction the unit traveled which came down to a matter of logic. A highly organized scout team would need to move in the path of least resistance if they were going to drag along prisoners. The most likely angle then would not be towards the ocean as there was hordes of helicopters and SOLDIERS moving in that direction not to mention ShinRa's fleet of ships and submarines. More likely, they would head North, South, or East. If they had come from the North, they would have hit Kalm and thus would have been unlikely to need prisoners from Midgar. Now, he was left with East and South.
Tseng's train of thought was interrupted by Celes's comment about her conditions. A curious feeling ran through his body as he considered what to say to a statement like that. Yuki, he'd wanted to include in the Turks and despite the question of her possible disloyalty had expected some level of obedience. She would be perfect in helping form a new cadre of Turks, and it was best to humor her requests as much as he humored the eccentricities of his other subordinates. However, Celes was a different case altogether since he hadn't really recruited her into the company. He had a feeling that she wouldn't enjoy the prospect of being a Turk nor did he figure she would want to be subjected to the grueling process of becoming a SOLDIER. Why was it then he had brought her along on this jaunt into the wilderness?
After carefully considering all the possible permutations and answers to the question, he selected the one he had started with. He needed someone he could trust to provide him with a reasoned opinions of his opposition tempered against his more rational processes. Once selected, he promptly discarded it as the thought was a cover for his real reason; one, he wasn't quite ready to admit to himself just yet.
"Celes," he said her name in his precise and clipped manner but without all the formality he normally placed on a name. "You don't need to worry about any stipulations right now unless you want to join with the company."
He paused chewing his next words momentarily, making sure they weren't laced with gunpowder. "I asked for your help not your compliance in this endeavor. Please understand that you are free to do as you wish."
Once again Tseng couldn't quite bring himself to admit just why he asked her to come along. It was just too much to admit that without the Turks, without his family there was no one left he could trust. He needed a friend, "And please, call me Tseng."
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Post by Celes Chere on May 8, 2009 16:08:05 GMT -5
Celes’ breath caught in her throat, and a lump formed there for reasons she could not determine. He wasn’t giving her orders? She wasn’t serving him after all? How could this be? Under what circumstances could there be no conditions, no stipulations? She took a moment to process all he said. Call him Tseng – were they friends? Were they two warriors with temporarily shared interests? Or were they (as she had secretly hoped all along) simply two wandering souls, equally lost and confused, but finding strength in their companionship? She wasn’t sure what to make of it. She swallowed hard, and the lump gradually melted away, with nary a teardrop spilt.
A deep, shuddering breath centered her again, and she gripped the handle of her new weapon, allowing her fingers to get a sense of the texture of the hilt, the weight and balance of the blade.
“I see,” she said simply, quietly. There was nothing more to say.
Her eyes wandered around the interior of the helicopter, and she was finally able to look at their equipment closely. The sun streamed in through the windows, illuminating the entire cabin now. Some of these items looked very familiar, and that gave her a sudden rush of relief. Not everything in this strange new world was different from what she knew.
There were two large bundles that looked very much like the tents Celes and her companions used so often between towns. There was other camping equipment, too – primitive fire starters (Edgar would surely have had a tool to beat out the old flint-and-steel routine), cookware, and shiny packages, the labels revealing their contents – Steamed Fish and Vegetables, Fowl and Rice, Meatloaf and Potatoes. There were bags and bags of potions and other concoctions that seemed to cover a plethora of possible ailments: antidotes for poison, eye drops for blindness, even a handful of ethers.
She examined the weapons as well, realizing for the first time that they didn’t appear to be so different from the prototypes created in the warfare development lab at Vector. Sometimes she’d been allowed to press her nose against the glass as a child, watching them test-fire rifle after rifle after rifle. Clearly, these weapons were much more finely tuned and well-crafted than those prototypes had been. One thing became quite clear. They were not likely to be returning to the ShinRa building anytime soon.
The silence had been prolonged enough, and now began to feel almost oppressive, but the consistent beating of the propeller began to lull Celes into a sort of trance. She stared out the window, drowsily recounting the events of the day. With a small, sleepy smile she realized how very busy her day had been – and the sun had only just begun to set. Tseng continued to pilot the helicopter, eyes forward and severely scanning the horizon. She wondered if he was one of those people who never slept. Almost as soon as the word “sleep” came into her mind, her eyelids lowered of their own accord, and she was drowsing. A few moments later, a sharp dip in elevation caused her to jerk awake again, and she flushed a bit when she realized what had happened.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t realize how exhausted I was.” Stifling a yawn, she looked out the window to face the setting sun. She opened her eyes wide, trying to let the beams wake her up. “Where are we?” she asked then, looking below them at the unfamiliar landscape. There didn’t seem to be a speck of civilization within miles.
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Post by Tseng on May 11, 2009 4:37:37 GMT -5
As Celes dozed in the helicopter, Tseng was busy keeping his eyes open for any sign of the infiltrators or their mode of transportation. Not a single sign of the interlopers was observable, and he was beginning to wonder it was those men had traveled to Midgar on foot. Even from their current vantage point, Tseng could tell that the infiltrators couldn’t have a base close enough for them to consider walking to be a preferred method of transportation. No sign of fires, no signs of vehicle treads or tracks, the strangers had vanished as mysteriously as they’d appeared. If they had arrived by an airship there should have been some sign of its passing considering have massive they were. If they had arrived by aircraft then there should have been signs of at least a makeshift runway for the tires. ShinRa’s Gelinka had required a rather massive one as he recalled.
On a whim Tseng, started to take the helicopter further south lowering the altitude in a vain effort to find some sign of the men. The dip woke Celes up, and it was good to hear her voice amidst the frustration of thus far finding nothing. “I’m not sure where exactly we are other than south of Midgar. Some of the usual terrain features aren’t present.”
He brought the helicopter back upwards again and began to fumble with the radio built into the helicopter’s control panel. If the PHS worked maybe he could get lucky and find that the radio controls were operational as well. Slowly, he tuned through the military channels as he brought the helicopter in a wide arc closer to the mountains giving Celes a good view of the eastern range that separated half the continent. Assuming the attackers had disappeared into the mountains, the likelihood of finding of them was nil considering how many small caves and mines riddled the entire area. It would the equivalent of finding an Avalanche member in the slums, virtually impossible without a great deal of planning.
The range brought a smile to Tseng’s face as he thought back to his time spent in Wutai and the mountains surrounding the great city. There was something serene and calming about a mountain range. It stemmed from the solitude the quiet, desolate ranges of snow and rock offered to those daring enough to traverse their surfaces. Sparing a moment to indulge, Tseng glanced over at Celes to see her reaction to the tall peaks and spires they were currently flying through before moving his eyes forward as the helicopter eased deep into a ravine and past snow covered ledges. Still, there was no sign of the interlopers and very little chatter across the military channels. Until, Tseng hit a broadcast of static indicating he was close to a channel in use. A look of concern passed across his eyes as he noticed the frequency wasn’t any he recognized. Who else had military radios this far away from Fort Condor?
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Fujin
Lvl 2
Even though I've lived clumsily until now, I'll still try to do what's right.
Posts: 207
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Post by Fujin on May 13, 2009 17:34:49 GMT -5
[OOC: BTW guys, don't stop posting on account of my return. At least, not until I actually start posting myself - I wouldn't want to bust up your rhythm.]
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Post by Celes Chere on May 18, 2009 11:59:48 GMT -5
[OOC: Don't worry, it's only my own lack of motivation that's been busting up our rhythm. We'll figure out a way to hook up with you when you're ready to jump back in. Welcome back, by the way. ] Tseng’s answer came with a tinge of frustration, and Celes furrowed her eyebrows as she looked out the window at the mountainous region they were flying through. No kidding, she thought to herself grimly. I don’t think there’s anything “usual” about the world anymore.She continued to scan their surroundings, looking herself for anything familiar. Her time spent aboard Setzer’s airships so long ago had given her a very good eye for the terrain of her world – both before and after the explosion of magic from the Goddesses rearranged things forever. Still, nothing seemed to strike any chords in her memory. She rather suddenly felt Tseng’s eyes on her, even as his hands slowly turned a knob on the dash. Click, click, click… She began to wonder if the quiet, commanding man had any idea where they were supposed to be going, or even what they were looking for. “Do we even-” she began, turning suddenly towards him, before she was interrupted by a very unusual sound coming from the instrument Tseng was using. She recognized the sound, and it gave her a chill. In Vector, some of the engineers had been experimenting with long-distance communications devices. They had just made a breakthrough when Celes defected. She remembered that sound, so alien, so foreign, so loud and unsettling. But they had all been so happy to hear it. Someone had tried to explain it to her, saying that it meant their theories were correct, and that messages could be transmitted across great distances. It still sounded like useless noise to her. Looking at Tseng now, she saw a spark of the same excitement in his eyes as he looked sharply at the instrument, but this excitement was heavily tempered with caution, and even doubt. Her heartbeat quickened. Were they on to something? The soldier in her thirsted for action, but still she was wary of what might come next. She imagined that someone with the fortitude to head up a huge corporation like ShinRa could become fairly ruthless, but she wasn’t ready to explore that possibility in her mind yet. “What does that mean?” she asked, nodding toward the instrument which was still pumping static into their headsets.
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Post by Tseng on May 18, 2009 13:02:57 GMT -5
"It means someone out here is using long range radios to send transmissions. The static is because they're far off," Tseng continued to fiddle with the dials and settings. He couldn't quite match the signal and lacked the proper equipment to boost the signal. Slowly, he pulled out his PHS and began to wire it into the system while keeping the stick locked into place to maintain a stationary position so as to free up both hands. He rather didn't feel like crashing to his death anytime soon as life was just starting to become interesting.
In no time at all, Tseng had jury-rigged his phone to accept signals from the radio. It was a long shot, but the PHS system still was active and considering the range on the devices, he figured tapping the radio into the network might boost the signal he received. If the device failed to work, he would probably end up frying the dashboard and his PHS at the same time. It was not an exciting prospect. As a result, he was pleasantly surprised by the coherent if coded phrases he heard begin broadcasting across his headset. The language was familiar enough but the military jargon was different from ShinRa's making it near impossible to tell what precisely they were talking about. His best guess was that the speakers were transmitting coordinates or merely reporting in. Then again, he couldn't be sure if it wasn't just idle chit chat either.
Tseng's former smile faded as he understood his job now... find the threat to ShinRa and assess the situation before taking any action. It was a precarious situation, but one the Turks had been designed to handle.
"I think I found our friends," Tseng pulled back on the stick now raising them out of the ravine with a look of triumph in his eyes.
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Post by Celes Chere on May 27, 2009 9:04:45 GMT -5
Celes nodded slowly as Tseng explained, her eyes still fixated on the rocky horizon. Nothing. Absolutely nothing looked familiar to her. She shivered a little, reminded suddenly of her absolute aloneness in this world. Maybe her friends were out there somewhere - but maybe not. Maybe she was the only one. Unbidden, her mind flickered from unbelievable scenario to unbelievable scenario. Had she somehow been magically transported to another realm, another world entirely? If so, how could she get back, if it were even possible? She swallowed hard. Was she dead? Was this some sort of strange reincarnation, like being born again into a new challenge? Was this heaven? Was it hell? Where was the world she knew? Had it ceased to be, or did it still exist out there, somewhere? Had her friends been scattered as they had been after Kefka ruined the world, or did they simply vanish, like Tzen and the rest of everything she knew? Her head began to swim and she gripped the cushion of her seat tightly. Tseng's commanding voice snapped her out of her pontifications, and she was instantly grateful.
She turned to gaze at him, and was slightly taken aback. He looked fierce and determined, which she had figured out wasn't an unusual expression for Tseng. But there was something more to it, almost a self-gratification, as though he were also relieved - as though he'd been doubting his own abilities, but they had just been comfirmed to him again. He seemed genuinely happy.
The helicopter lifted away from the peaks gently, and Celes began scanning the ground below them, looking for any sign of activity, even though she knew the signal could potentially be coming from miles away. Her pulse fluttered, and her mind sharpened. She breathed slowly and evenly, trying to control the surge of adrenaline that suddenly quickened her blood. No use getting too excited, she reminded herself. It could still be hours before the culprits were located. Still, her fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt of her blade in an almost menacing way.
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Post by Acts Of God on May 28, 2009 4:01:45 GMT -5
“Blue tall, this is new ground six. All white over here.” The soldier crackled over his radio in a wispy voice. They’d been out here for days scouting the area in what he was quite sure were needlessly repetitive acts of paranoia. They’d already taken satellite photos of the continent and scouted the area with Nidhoggs, and now the government was insisting on getting a close-up view of everything. What was the point? The world had changed overnight and no matter how many times they squinted and shook their heads clear it wasn’t going to change back.
“Ground six going blue.” He spoke again as he glanced over the area once more, turning up nothing more than one or two monsters minding their own business. The whole mission was an exercise in procrastination while the scientists tried to make heads or tails of the situation. Why were they out here when they could be looking into the actual points of interest around the world? That plate city, for example, or those weird ruins to the northeast.
As the group headed back to their transport, the Terminators began looking strangely about the area before staring off in the distance and grabbing their weapons. Looking facelessly at one another in what was mutually understood to be a worried confusion, the humans followed suit and amplified their vision in the directions the cyborgs were looking. An odd looking aircraft was approaching their general direction, and from the look of the thing it could only have been from that Midgar place. Nothing that small could have held the fuel necessary to come all the way from Galbadia, assuming Galbadia even still existed.
“The sky is gray, blue tall. Repeat: the sky is gray. Odd fly is inbound on ground six. Contact pending. Clicks wired. Orders?” He shouted in his helmet, gripping his weapon tightly as he watched the craft approach. As it got closer, the machine began emitting a strange ‘beating’ sound as its blades chopped at the air relentlessly. That must have been how the cyborgs had caught it first. He had a bad feeling about this.
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