Zephram
Silvermasque
Jelme + horse
CS Officer
Emperor Karl Prosek
This message was last updated by the GM at 07:44, Thu 05 Oct 2006.

Once air supply has been arranged and - a few moments later - Zephram arrives to render the question fairly moot, 'Masque is again swift to act. The two officers are deftly stripped of external communications gear but otherwise left in any armour they might be wearing, minus weapons and any documents or portable information storage gear of course which are dropped - like anything else stripped from them - into his pack.

 That done there's much duct-taping going on for a few moments as they're rendered into a convenient package for slinging under his lower-left arm as his radio snaps and crackles with faint surface traffic...

 He's taking this all very well.

 Once the potential Proseks are under control, Zephram will make sure that neither one is critically injured.  If he can distinguish which one is the authentic Prosek by facial appearance alone, then he will certainly make note of that.  After everyone is safe and secure, Zephram will speak to his fellow Tolkeenites.

"I apologize for this... I am sure some warning would have been appreciated before pitching you all into the earth like this.  But there was precious little time..."

Zephram pulls out his radio while talking and then begins a broadcast.

"Xion, this is Zephram, Silvermasque, Jelme and I have both prisoners secure.  What is your status?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:40, Thu 24 Aug 2006.

  "Silvermasque, do you have any cybernetics that can detect tracking devices?  Make sure these men aren't transmitting, if you can.  If not, We may have to descend deeper into the earth to block any signals..."

   Zephram does not yet start the digging spell on its way to an escape.  It could be a long journey underground and an extra couple minutes won't make much difference.  He keeps an ear on his radio though, hoping to receive updates on the progress up on the surface.

"I have removed radios I could find." replies 'Masque, "And both are unconscious - but homing signals or implants I cannot find. Maybe they will not pass through thickness of rock above, maybe they will - depends on strength of signal, youbet - but I think it would be bad idea to go topside with half of Coalition army waiting for us."

 This said he's nonetheless shouldering his burden effortlessly, untiring in a way that even the seemingly limitless strength of the supernatural cannot match, as he packs away once more the handful of equipment pulled out in his haste to arrange for Jelme and the second officer to breath.

The Cyber Knight takes a deep breath - then replies :

"It is likely that the Emperor would be tracked - any implant could be placed directly into his flesh. I doubt there is little we can do to avoid being followed. Unless we make for Tolkeen the entire way underground."

He pauses to take a breath again.

"Perhaps myself and the officer can go back above ground - to avoid the breathing problem down here - Zephram will likely require environmental body armour or some other means to stay alive down here... but if we meet up and split up we can get the Emperor the whole way to Tolkeen underground - if there are others above ground that can ignore the need for air - they can in turn come back down here. If we can't dig everybody out - we can at least get the Emperor to safety"

   "Agreed.  I cannot safely ventilate this tunnel.  Any holes I make to the surface could endanger the mission."  Zephram turns to the officer before staring at him and then at Prosek for a few moments.   
   Zephram will take the officer's body armour, leaving Prosek with his intact.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Sun 27 Aug 2006.

 The armour is no longer perfectly environmental - two simple breather-masks have been rigged up to a couple of holes hastily slashed through the MD material on either side of the helmet with tubes poked through them rather ruin its lines - but will provide some measure of breathing capacity for the others - turning five hours for one man to something close to an hour each for four - allowing for a certain amount of wastage.

 But then, there were a few minutes when it seemed to 'Masque as though that would be needful, and nothing to persuade him it wouldn't be since.

 This of course solves the /immediate/ breathing problem,.since both men have been pretty thoroughly shocked into unconsciousness.

   Once breathing arrangements are made, Zephram radios Xion once more.  "Xion, we're ready to move, what's your status up there? Can we surface?"

   After the stomping of Calliandra starts Zephram concentrates on the vibrations and tries to sense their location.  He can feel them, but with all the Coalition equipment moving in the area, it is difficult to separate all the noise.  Zephram keeps at it though and eventually he gets his bearing and sets his digging spell up to tunnel right to the source of the sound.

 "Forest was little bit to left..." remarks 'Masque as the digging starts up and keeps on going a combination of the inbuilt gyroscopic navigation system and sufficiently sophisticated cybernetic audio systems to pinpoint a gnat with wind at a hundred yards proving remarkably handy when dealing with tracing sound, even underground, "Hair to the right."

 Of course, if /he/ was doing the digging the team would still be about fifty yards back in a bubble-shaped hole watching him convert solid rock to brickettes at a distressingly slow and careful rate - but everyone's got something to contribute.

 It's just a nice change for him to be able to contribute something that isn't concentrated violence.

Jelme pauses for a moment...

"You are going the right way. Master is this way."

   Zephram pauses for a moment, wondering if Jelme was referring to another cyberknight... Maybe 'Master' was a rank? His curiosity gets the better of him and he voices his question.  "Who is Master?"

"Your companion - the powerful one, on the surface. I am to lead you to him."

 "Is it just me or is his conversation creepy as all hell suddenly?" asks 'Masque, throwing a glance of his visor towards the cyber-knight (who presumably is leading his horse) as he progresses up the tunnel in Zephram's wake, bent double to fit the tunnel comfortably, with a Coalition prisoner under each arm - both sharing oxygen from the one prisoners suit, as is the Warlock ahead of them and, presumably Jelme behind.

 Huzzah for duct-tape.

   Zephram activates his psionic sense of see aura and takes another look at Jelme, hoping to contradict his suspicion.

PM