Maia Sanders: As your wish, Commander. Operation Golden Rail has been noted down for the summary file. Notifying pilots from Team Sword and Team Shield now.Few minutes later, the strategic operation screen switches to tactical, showing the satellite maps of the area and photographs of the site.
22nd Late Winter 1001
OPERATION 2: GOLDEN RAIL
Two-and-half hours later
The tactical screen shows the arrival of Maglev 1000, slowing down and parking in front of several police and medical vehicles, about a kilometer from the crash site.
Soon enough, four cockpit cameras go online as the pilots take their seats in the VanZer 995s. Soon, the headpiece cams of the Mecha also get online.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Natsugawa ready, Commander.Carla Whiteforest: Whiteforest ready for round 2 against the Mu!Sota Tamayashi: Tamayashi reporting all systems nominal, sir.Josephine Fontainblanc: Fontainblanc here. I'm ready.The Maglev opens its doors and the ramp extends, allowing the four Pilots take their Mecha outside.
Carla Whiteforest: You two don't worry, you're in presence of veterans. We can do it!Sota Tamayashi: ...you literally had just one assignment before this.Josephine Fontainblanc: *giggle*
Let's just concentrate on the job, okay?Ichirou Natsugawa: 4 from Roll, +1 from Interpersonal Skills, +2 from Dayamato Native, -1 from Threat Level: 6
Sota Tamayashi: 2 from Roll, +3 from Interpersonal Skills, +2 from Dayamato Native, -1 from Threat Level: 6
Final result: 6
First thing is to establish some working relationship with the public service officers on the site, and Natsugawa and Tamayashi do so over the comms. They manage to direct Dayamato workers to clear the path for their Mecha and to keep away from the action for the time being.
Ichirou Natsugawa: I'm glad we got them out of the way. I was worried we would have them right under our Mecha's feet whilst we're fighting.Sota Tamayashi: Alright girls, listen, there are four cargo wagons of heavy liquids and then sixteen cargo container units. The Mu have been sighted in front and middle operation areas. The local emergency unit comissioner wants us to remove the liquid cargo from the tracks first, then look for survivors, remove cargo containers and exterminate the Mu, in this order of preference if possible. Sota pointed his mecha towards the cargo train, and numerous sources of Mu particles began to peep onto his sensors in various positions and signal strengths.
Sota Tamayashi: There's a lot of Mu Particle readings...Josephine Fontainblanc: Should we work in pairs, then? One to go deal with the Mu while the other helps with overturned cars?Carla Whiteforest: Works for me. Me and Ichirou will go hunt Mu, you two do the heavy lifting!Sota Tamayashi: So be it.Sota Tamayashi: 4 from Roll, +3 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 6
Josephine Fontainblanc: 1 from Roll, +1 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 1
Final result: (3.5 =>) 3
Sota and Josephine quickly manage to lift and push two tail-end liquid cargo units aside. Then they pull apart two liquid cargo units that were lodged together because of mangled latching mechanisms. And so those two of the liquid cargo wagons are set aside as well!
However, the breaking of mechanisms inadverently damages one of the cargo units, and soon a dark brown liquid begins to ooze from the side of it.
1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*Not Yet Complete.
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 0/8
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 0/16
Carla Whiteforest: 5 from Roll, +1 from Crowd Control, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Meanwhile, Carla Whiteforest overtakes Ichirou's Mecha and moves to the sidelines, climbing the slopes of the valley the railtrack was laid through.
A host of centipede-like Mu quickly emerges from the bushes, charging Whiteforest's mecha, but she, calmly, retreating step by step, shoots down each and every one of them, until seven of centipede corpses litter the area.
Ichirou Natsugawa: You got them?Carla Whiteforest: Yeah! Sorry for not letting you have a shot at them but I had an itch since I didn't get to shoot any last time. Natsugawa shrugs in his cockpit.
Ichirou Natsugawa: I wouldn't worry. I have a feeling we will encounter plenty other of Mu aliens today...Josephine Fontainblanc: 5 from Roll, +1 from Sciences, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Sota notices the leak and moves to try and fix the clamps but Josephine stops him.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Wait! I'm doing a material scan on the liquid first, just in case... She types away at the cockpit's computer console, and soon the chemical composition of the liquid shows up.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Just like I thought.Sota Tamayashi: Carbon-based fuel?Josephine Fontainblanc: Yes, and I'm pretty sure a spark from our VanZer's power gloves would have a chance to ignite it. Can you contact the emergency workers and tell them about the leak?Sota Tamayashi: Will do, give me a second.Ichirou Natsugawa: 5 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -1 from Ambush, -1 from Threat Level = 6
Carla Whiteforest: 4 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -1 from Ambush, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Final result: (5.5 =>) 5
Suddenly, a bull-shaped Mu rushed from the other side of the overturned train!
Carla and Ichirou quickly spread out from the mutant-bull's path, and when it was past their positions, they each sent a beam from their laser rifles. The bull-alien shrieked and tumbled over its own fleshy legs, crumbling into a pile against the dirt slopes.
Ichirou Natsugawa: We ought to spread out to both sides, I think.Carla Whiteforest: Alright. Happy hunting, score big!Ichirou Natsugawa: Please don't jinx me like that...Sota Tamayashi: 1 from Roll, +3 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 3
Josephine Fontainblanc: 5 from Roll, +1 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Final result: 4
Having contacted the local emergency workers about the leaking fuel unit, Sota rejoins Josephine and the duo moves towards the first few container units. Suddenly the bio-monitor inside Josephine's cockpit flashes a dot.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Someone's trapped under the Container number 14!Sota Tamayashi: Must be one of the train's crew!Josephine Fontainblanc: If I'm reading the scanner correctly, it seems some of cargo packages got stuck above them and prevented them from being crushed... you lift the container, I will pull them out!Sota Tamayashi: Alright! The two move their Mechas into positions.
Sota Tamayashi: One, two, three! Sota lifts the cargo container, and the stress and weight monitors inside his cockpit begin flashing yellow warnings at him. Meanwhile Josephine reaches into the spilled cargo underneath the container. Soon enough, the metallic, blocky fingers of her Mecha bring forth into the light a wounded, barely counscious, middle-aged Dayamato man in light blue worksuit.
That's when the warnings on Sota's monitor turned from yellow to red. His Mecha's grip on the container slipped, and it crashed down onto the tracks again. One of the sides of the container pops open and numerous packages, barrels and boxes began to tumble down.
Sota Tamayashi: Did you get him?!Josephine Fontainblanc: Yeah, he is barely conscious but I got him in time. What happened?Sota Tamayashi: I think I grabbed the container incorrectly or something. Maybe should've shifted my Mecha's weight a bit... Sota looks at the mess of boxes and small containers around his Mecha's legs.
Sota Tamayashi: I hope I didn't damage any sensitive cargo in there.Josephine Fontainblanc: I think it's better we damage some cargo than lose a man's life. Speaking of, this guy needs medical attention.Sota Tamayashi: I will contact the emergency workers right away!1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*Not Yet Complete.
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 1/8 (1 Alive, 0 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 0/16
Ichirou Natsugawa: 5 from Roll, +3 from Crowd Control, -1 from Threat Level = 6+
Ichirou takes his Mecha to the other side of the overturned cargo train and scans the slopes for Mu readings. Sure enough he gets several of them.
He preps his rifle and stomps the ground to rattle them out of the greenery - and shoots them down as they come: boar-sized, hedgehog-shaped, a dozen of them meets their fiery fate thanks to Natsugawa's laser rifle.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Hey Carla, I'm at twelve Mu down, how about you? He asks through the radio-
Carla Whiteforest: 6 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -1 from Spindly Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 6+
-whilst Carla is busy with a spindly Mu, a centipede like one of those she shot before, but much bigger and wriggly. It lashes at her with its spine-riddled tail end, but she punches it with her Mecha's right fist, crushing the sharp-looking spines. As the Mu recoils from this sudden stopping of its assault, Carla levels her rifle and pulls the trigger several times.
The laser blasts shoot into and through the monster, sending its corpse towards the ground, smoke raising from the perforations on its fleshy carapace. Mu readings in the field sharply decrease with this one's death.
Carla Whiteforest: I believe I'm at nine now! But I'm getting all the big ones, so that's gotta boost my score. Natsugawa replies on the radio.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Hey, big Mu still count as one!Carla Whiteforest: No, they don't! Another voice came in on the radio.
Josephine Fontainblanc: Hey, don't make it a shooting competition, some people are working here!Sota Tamayashi: 6 from Roll, +3 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 8
Josephine Fontainblanc: 1 from Roll, +1 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level = 1
Final result: (4.5 =>) 4
And working they do!
When the medical team arrives to take the wounded train crewmember onto the stretcher, Sota and Josephine, mindful of the weight-shifting issue of Sota's earlier, work together to lift the cargo containers off the rail tracks. They take their time, especially Josephine, but they remove four containers with relative ease.
1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*Not Yet Complete.
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 1/8 (1 Alive, 0 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/16
Sota Tamayashi: 5 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -1 from Ambushing Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 6
That was when Sota, moving to another container's end, notices a slight increase on his Mu Particle Counter. He turns his Mecha around just in time - a large horse-shaped Mu bursts out of the foliage! Sota is ready, however, and shoots at the beast's legs, laser-cutting one of them off clean!
With a terrible shriek, however, the thing continues its (now five-legged) charge against him.
Sota Tamayashi: You're not going anywhere! Sota then pushes his Mecha forward and his power-gloved fist strikes at the head of the beast, stopping its charge. The servos monitors beep and flash warning lights briefly at him, but the pilot has his hands on the control sticks of his Mecha's arms, applying enough force to keep the Alien in its place.
Sota Tamayashi: That's enough of that! He yells, then tilts the body of his Mecha to let the Mu tumble past him. He aims his rifle and pulls the trigger.
The red beam strikes the horse-Mu in the side of its head, piercing through and shooting out fleshy shrapnel from the other side. The monster lets out some gurgling sound before collapsing in the pile of mutated flesh like the others.
The Mu Particle readings diminish greatly once more.
Carla Whiteforest: 1 from Roll, +1 from Crowd Control, -1 from Threat Level = 1
Carla continues forward and almost reaches the train's forward end.
Carla Whiteforest: I can't see any of the crew in here... She leans her Mecha towards the front cabin, not noticing the little beeps of her Mu Counter before it is too late!
Carla Whiteforest: Shit! Carla turns her Mecha around only to get a viewscreen-full of Mu tentacles. Mu Particle Counter spikes to the maximum at 'local' reading, indicating immediate corrosion effect if she weren't protected by layers of plasteel, tritanium and carbonmesh. But with the viewscreen blocked, she can't do much than flail around and shoot wildly with her rifle, the shots scoring a very unlucky Mu and missing all others.
One of the electronic readouts sparks and buzzes before turning offline as she struggles to regain control of the situation. Warning alarms blast at her ears as various material monitors note gnawing and acid damage to some of the outer components!
VanZer-002: 1/2 Hitpoints left!Suddenly, a console explodes in her face and she shrieks, glassy shrapnel damaging her hand.
Carla Whiteforest has been Wounded!Carla Whiteforest: Ow, oh fuck! The Mu have taken me by surprise, I don't see anything on my screen, help!Ichirou Natsugawa: 1 from Roll, +3 from Crowd Control, -1 from Precision Required, -1 from Threat Level = 2
Ichirou Natsugawa: I'm here!! Ichirou runs from the other side of the train, hopping over the derailed train and knocking up a cloud of dust. He starts shooting the Mu coiling at and near Carla's mecha, but a fateful shot strikes a Mu that was attached to the mecha's back and blasts some of circuitry hidden under the protective armor plates. The camera feed to the inside of Carla's mecha suddenly cuts off as it tips over and faceplants the ground with a loud crash.
VanZer-002: 0/2 Hitpoints left!Carla Whiteforest: You shot one of my reactor conduits, you, damnit, Ichirou! Carla's angry voice comes through the static. One of the technicians at the Operations Room turns to face the commanding officers.
Technician: Probably one of the power directing units was fried as well, given the camera feed is down. That means she will have minimal power for most crucial of systems only until we can fix her Mecha's power network. Cockpit seals and air filtration should be fine, though. Her VanZer will probably have to be extracted to the Maglev by others, however.Ichirou Natsugawa: Sorry about that...Maia Sanders: I will notify Chief Engineer that she and her crew will have some work to do for next few days.Josephine Fontainblanc: 4 from Roll, +1 from Engineering, -1 from Threat Level
Sota Tamayashi: Josephine, I will go assist Carla and Ichirou.Josephine Fontainblanc: Go, we can drag the cargo units off the rails once its safe to do so!Sota Tamayashi: Of course. Sota then takes his Mecha forward, while Josephine turns and approaches some of the derailed cargo container units.
Josephine Fontainblanc: That said, I'm not gonna stand around and do nothing like some dumb blondie... Her murmur is clearly heard over the commline with HQ, whilst she slowly lifts three cargo wagons one by one, dragging them off the rails.
1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*Not Yet Complete.
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 1/8 (1 Alive, 0 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 7/16
Ichirou Natsugawa: 2 from Roll, +3 from Crowd Control, -1 from Threat Level = 5
Sota Tamayashi: 5, +1 from Crowd Control, -1 from Threat Level = 6
Final result: (5.5 =>) 5
Carla Whiteforest: Come on, come on, at least get me my viewscreens back you outdated piece of- The audible clicking and clacking of buttons (and an angry console-slam) comes from Carla's static-filled commline, whilst Sota arrives with his Mecha mid-cursing.
Sota Tamayashi: I'm here, you guys alright?Ichirou Natsugawa: Could be better. Carla's VanZer is out of commission.Carla Whiteforest: Yeah, yeah I will just, sit it out, I guess. Fuck. As if on cue, Mu Particle readouts spike to low-mid values and the two Dayamato pilots turn toward the source:
Half a dozen or more of centipede-shaped Mu roll and scamper down the valley slope, heading for the head of the train.
Ichirou Natsugawa: More of them!Sota Tamayashi: Where do they think they're going?? The duo starts shooting, blasting the macabre mutants with ease, tearing them apart.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Seven more down!Ichirou Natsugawa: 3 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -2 from Armored, Agile Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 3
Sota Tamayashi: 4 from Roll, +3 from Battling, -2 from Armored, Agile Behemoth, -1 from Threat Level = 4
Final result: (3.5 =>) 3
Suddenly, there's a spike in Mu Particle reading, localized in one source.
A large, rugged bull-shaped Mu speeds from behind the tree cover of the railtrack valley's slopes, roaring and opening its mouth full of tentacle like appendages.
Ichirou Natsugawa: What the hell- Ichirou blasts the assailant with his power rifle - to no avail! Sota does too, and his shot blasts some of the rugged carapace off the alien.
That doesn't stop the bull-Mu from running right at Ichirou, who doesn't get a chance to dodge - the thick, oblong shaped head of the alien crashes against his Mecha's chestplate. Sparks fly in the cockpit and warning beeps fill the audio feed as the pilot groans from sudden force.
VanZer-001: 1/2 Hitpoints left!Sota Tamayashi: Watch out, Ichirou! Sota yells before scrambling to adjust the power level of his laser rifle.
Ichirou Natsugawa: A bit- too late- for that!! Ichirou replies before grabbing the alien by its head, pushing against the monster that continued to try and rush him down. Most surprisingly, his Mecha, despite its feet dug into the soft ground, gets pushed across the dirt, the metal appendages digging two visible rows as they go.
Ichirou Natsugawa: SHOOT IT ALREADY, SOTA!! Ichirou shouts in panic as his cockpit's consoles notify him of several different issues at the same time. But then, from the side, comes the air-burning laser blast that tears through the middle-part of the bull-Mu, blasting clear a hole through its carapace and sending smoking chunks outwards, splattering on the ground with a follow-up of black, organic rain.
The alien roars in pain and tumbles downward whilst Ichirou's Mecha disengages and and he pilots it a few steps away.
Carla Whiteforest: Guys? Guys??Josephine Fontainblanc: Are you alright? Sota, Ichirou! As the girls chime in on the radio, Ichirou lets out a deep sigh of relief.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Yeah.Sota Tamayashi: Phew, that, that was a big one. In the meanwhile, technicians within the Operations Room analyze the damage readouts.
Techncian: Readouts indicate about 60% of chestpiece have caved in, Commander Greene, that will require several days of repairs at the very least, or a total replacement at the worst. Right after that, the Maglev's crew joins the frequency's chatter.
Maglev Operator: Maglev here, we have some good news Pilots. Our onboard scanners read zero Mu particle emissions within the maximum range of our sensors. There's no more Mu aliens left in vicinity of operation area. Good job.1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*MU THREAT EXTERMINATED
*VICTORY TO MAIANS
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 1/8 (1 Alive, 0 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 7/16
All Mu Aliens have been eliminated in Operation Area. As a result, Threat Level is being lowered by 1 to Low (no modifiers)
Ichirou Natsugawa: That was way more dangerous than the first mission.Josephine Fontainblanc: Glad to hear they're all gone. Can you guys lend me a hand now? These cargo wagons are surprisingly heavy and hard to move.Sota Tamayashi: Is it okay to leave Carla like this? The girl in question chimes in through the static of her communications equipment.
Carla Whiteforest: It's not like I can, you know, get away anywhere. I can wait.Ichirou Natsugawa: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking, -1 from Where Did the Trainmen Go = 4
Ichirou Natsugawa: Sota can go, but we still haven't found the remaining seven of the train crew. I will check the main unit for... well, anything. Sota Tamayashi: Alright. Josephine, I will be with your shortly.Josephine Fontainblanc: Alright. Cool. While Sota directs his Mecha back to the middle-length of the derailed cargo train, Ichirou takes his damaged Mecha towards the frontal cabin that Carla tried to inspect earlier. Turning on the bio-scanner, he takes some partial readings, before he notices something on the corner of his viewscreen.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Worksuits. Then he realizes that a train cabin's floor shouldn't have such a dark red coloration to it. He punches through the cabin's window and extends his hand towards the giant pool of dark liquid, allowing the scanning equipment to get a reading.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Like I thought... I've found seven worksuits swimming inside the driver's cabin. It's full of deoxygenated blood and degraded organic materials. There's not enough of them to get a separate scan, but-Carla Whiteforest: Corrosion got them, is what you mean. Carla chimes on the radio, and Ichirou grimaces in his cockpit.
Ichirou Natsugawa: Yeah. So, that's that objective completed, I guess. Ichirou turns off his bio-scanner and claps his hands, uttering a short Dayamato prayer.
1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*MU THREAT EXTERMINATED
*VICTORY TO MAIANS
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 8/8 (1 Alive, 7 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 7/16
Sota Tamayashi: 5 from Roll, +3 from Engineering = 8
Josephine Fontainblanc: 3 from Roll, +1 from Engineering = 4
Final result: 6
Now that Sota has arrived to help, Josephine and he begin pulling the overturned cargo wagons from the railroad. They do so with ease, and are easily focused on the task now that they do not have to worry about potential Mu attacks.
Ichirou arrives to help with the very last of cargo units.
1. Eliminate Mu Aliens present at Cargo Train Crash Site.
*MU THREAT EXTERMINATED
*VICTORY TO MAIANS
2. Find out what happened to the 8-person Cargo Train Crew.
*Train Crew: 8/8 (1 Alive, 7 Dead)
3. Help with clean-up and recovery of Cargo Units.
*Liquid Cargo Units Removed from Railtrack: 4/4
*Cargo Container Units Removed from Railtrack: 16/16
22nd Late Winter 1001
OPERATION 2: GOLDEN RAIL COMPLETE!
Three hours later
When the Maglev 1000 parks in its designated spot within the Hangar, the Engineering crew is already present, along with a doctor and two nurses and their medkits. The four VanZers leave down the main ramp, but when Carla's is guided out of the Maglev by two others, Chief Engineer grasps her luscious black hair in anguish.
Chief Engineer: Augh! It was shiny clean when it left the Mecha Bay today, what
did you do to it!?The cockpits slowly open and Carla is helped by the nurses out. Her burns, while quite nasty, have already received some first aid from Ichiirougawa emergency workers. The doctor begins a med-scan while his nurses begin taking care of Carla, whilst engineers in the Bay take their tools and material scanners to determine the extent of the damage done to the two VanZers deployed during Golden Rail.
The other three Pilots in the meanwhile line up for debriefing, looking quite tired and exasperated - though they do their best to salute properly.
Subcommanders Shiek and Scarlet can debrief their respective Pilots now!
