Codec whispers, _{"Yeah, he's talking around us in circles and tongues, but I wouldn't provoke the guy. He'll haul off, and get us mauled. I don't think getting to a hardline is gonna be easy either..."}

"Are you holding an extension of your Residual Image? Is that how attacks can become so powerful the the Martial Arts? You're not just using a shell picture, but your entire digital being to attack someone?"

He closes his hand and opens it again.  You see a Chinese star there.  "I can manipulate the code surrounding my residual image so that you see nothing.  But even this," he says, nodding down to the star, "is nothing at all.  Nothing but code.  You did not see it because I did not let you see it, but had your eyes been open to the code instead of to what your minds perceive through the code, ah, then I could hide nothing from you."

He pauses, lets the star fall to the dirt at his feet.

"Before we continue," he says, "you must prove yourselves to me.  How do you prove yourselves to an Awakened AI?"

Screed snickers, "Put him to sleep?"  His youthfulness strikes again.

Zhang stands still as a statue.  It is apparent to you that he will not continue until you get the right answer.

Hint:  The answer is in mission 4.

Screed shakes his head as he smiles, "See, programs have to obey their rules, don't they?  Fine."  He states in a singsong voice, "There is nothing but the Matrix."

"You are very wise," Zhang says.  "Now, do you know why that is true?"

Screed throws his hands up in frustration, "Because you guys are stuck in here, except for the ones who can escape."  He looks at his compatriots that do belie that rule of there being nothing but the matrix.

"Ah, you shall learn the truth in time.  Now, are you ready for your training to begin?"

He holds out his hand and says, "Take my hand."

Screed conctentrates as he holds his own hand out.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Wed 18 Oct 2006.

"Are you afraid of me?" Zhang says.  "Grasp my hand with both of yours tightly."

Screed shrugs, "No, not really.  I wasn't before.  It's just I used my normal method of hand to hand fighting in my previous actions."  He glances left and right to the others, "Okay, guys, you can't do worse than me.  That means I'm the strongest one here in terms of ability since I'm holding all of you up off the bottom of the list."

He grins widely as he steps forward and does as the master asked.

Jade says, "Are you sure you want to do that?  We don't know what he has in store for you, Screed."

"Screed, I believe that there is definitely a difference between an awakened AI, and a Human..."

Shadow snickers at the comment of Screed's offensive talent, "Don't worry, what's the worst that could happen besides this program attempting to rewrite your brain or just deleting it."  Shadow smiles big at Screed, "Have fun and remember, it only hurts if you let it."

Screed laughs out loud as he takes the master's hand.

Dracos watches silently.

Screed takes Zhang's hand.  Zhang concentrates for a moment and then strikes out with his other hand, hitting Screed directly in the chest.  Screed flies across the open area and lands against one of the boxy buildings before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

"Who is next?" Zhang says, turning to the rest of you.

Codec approaches and announces, "I'll go next..." As he takes the man's hands he tenses in concentration.

OOC: Do I roll something or just pray? ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 02:21, Thu 19 Oct 2006.

OOC:  Praying is always good.

Zhang takes Codec's hand and also strikes him in the chest, sending him flying back to where Screed is, and also knocking him unconscious.

"Who is next?" Zhang says.

Gone is Shadow's frivolity, replaced with a look of shock.  When the small man asks for the next volunteer Shadow looks back and forth at those still standing and shrugs his shoulders,
"This should be...different."
Moving forward he places his hands around the man's hands and closes his eyes.
"C'mon you sprite, hit me."

Zhang hits Shadow and knocks him back unconscious, just like the others.

"Who is next?" he asks.

[unconcious dream sleep]
[this guy needs to get beaten...harshly]

Jade looks nervously around.  "I guess I'll take you."  She extends her hand, ready to block his attack.

Zhang does the same to Jade and then turns to Dracos.  "You must be last he says," and before Dracos can respond, the old man has clasped his hand and hit him in the chest.

You all awake feeling somewhat dizzy, almost drunk.  Your fingers tingle slightly and you feel...more powerful and distant from this code you are in.  Somehow, you realize this old man through his punch has imparted some of his code to you, has imbued you with power you did not have before.

He sits in a lotus position, eyes closed.  Without opening them or raising his head, he senses your alertness and says, "When one receives power, one often does not realize the scope of that power until it is tested.  Now it is time to test your power.  If you are as good as I hope you are, then you will survive."