Nobody, standing outside the Ionic Machine, sees it first, followed quickly by Felip. A small passenger aircraft flying in from the west. Large enough to hold a couple of dozen people. Of greater concern is the fact that it is armed with a 20mm side-firing autocannon and a forward firing Large Laser.
GM: What do you do?
NOBODY: The old man thumps on the side of the IM and bellows, "Incoming armed aircraft!" He then limps off as fast as he can, trying to keep the IM between himself and the incoming plane, in order to find some cover and concealment from the plane.
Those inside the Ionic Machine are already aware of the threat but there seems to be little they can do. They're pretty much sitting ducks. Dayne does maneuver the machine to the far side of the dome to put some rock between him and the flying machine, but it is not very good cover.
MAX: Thats what I figured... Can we judge anything more about the incoming craft. Is it coming for us, or going some where else (yes from the first message I think it comig for use, but...) Any more descriptions like markings and such?
The airlock opens up and Curt, Surge and Arpad exit the building. The first thing they see is the Ionic Machine moving at a mad pace to the other side of the building. Nobody has also taken cover. Coming in from the west is an aircraft (bigger than a Leer Jet, smaller than a C-130). It has no markings but does sport an easily discernible side-firing 20mm autocannon, and a forward-firing Large Laser. It looks like the jet is circling around to get a better shot at the Ionic Machine (although it has a pretty good shot even now; the building does not offer much cover).
SURGE: Hmm, is it firing shots? Surge will make sure he's as concealed as possible. ooc: I'm going to be away from my computer for the next few hours so I can't really respond quickly. At this point I don't have anyway of dealing with the attacking jet and will go back inside to inform the others...
The jet is not firing and, in fact, suddenly veers off from its immediate pursuit of the Ionic Machine and settles instead for circling overhead. Surge watches it briefly and then goes back into the house.
The jet continues to circle lazily.
CURT: Curt moves away from the building a bit and turns into a flat rock.
About 10 or 15 minutes later, the airlock cycles again and Jack comes out. He looks around for Nobody, finds him, and jogs over to him. They hold a brief discussion and then they both head inside.
CURT: If this much time has gone by, I'll turn back into my normal shape and look around. If there are members of my core group outside I'll go over by them. If not, I'll head back inside.
GM: Max is in the Ionic Machine. Vamperina is standing nearby watching the jet and surveying her surroundings.
Less than 5 minutes after Jack and Nobody went back inside, Jack and Brother Gray exit the building. Brother Gray is wearing a disposable vacc suit. Jack flashes everyone an OK sign.
At about the same time, a figure jumps out of the jet. The figure is wearing a battlesuit. The figure flies down to the house, picks up Brother Gray, and flies back to the now slow-moving jet, and enters it through a small cargo hatch in the rear of the craft. Then the jet then picks up speed and heads off to the northwest. In less than a minute it has disappeared behind the mountains. |