The Gears of War [Inv Only/Core]

A deep rumble in the floor is followed by the whine of electric motors pulling two concrete plates apart exposing a short passage way into the ground descending evenly into the dark. The hum of florescent lights flicker to life and shed a white light that fills what can only be called a tunnel. Starting down it Gage heads down into the depths of the earth. The walls, ceiling and floor are all made of the same metallic sheets, painted white for the 'clean and sterile' look. The walk is long, enough so that he can’t help but wonder if he had made the tunnel too long, the end of the tunnel coming up in the distance after a solid ten minutes of walking down the slowly descending tunnel.

The empty tunnel lets his footsteps echo into the light, seeming to go off into the distance reverberating endlessly but eventually they fade into nothing. At the end of the tunnel a massive steel door meets him, tall and broad with a matching large steel frame. To the right of the door way a hand print sensor keyed to his own palm rests, along with a simultaneous sensor to read his energy. The lights on the key board are dead, the only source of energy that they can get being either a small pulse of Reiatsu from Gage's own hand or a energy signature that matches both his own energy and is exerted in the same manner, in small pulses that are spaced out about one per half second.

She was simple at first, filled with bugs and broken scripting but he fixed it as best he could before he found that she needed an additional energy source to keep her from bogging down and locking up from sheer lack of power. Rather than outfit her with a stronger power source to the wall he decided that he would like to have her run off the grid so he converted one of his ‘Soul’ Gems into a fuel source through thermal plating and some rather inventive wiring. This had the odd side effect though of giving LNI something that he had no idea how to recreate. Using the soul in the soul gem Lani became self aware, for the first time speaking to Gage and commenting to him that he should go get some food as he had been at the job for nearly a week straight with spotted meals in between.

“And would you like this in the main work area or in the private rooms?” Lani spoke of the main steel table and of the smaller rooms attached that he mainly used as storage. “Let’s make a thing of it. Put it out in the main work table and let’s get the tools out, I have some ideas that I want to put on paper before we get started.”

He spoke of a program and that is just what it was. It was a simple CAD program that he had picked up on the web but he had found a better way of manipulating it than by using the basic key and mouse system. He has found that by using Soul Communication he is able to actually inset himself into what can only be called the ‘inner’ world of mundane souls. That includes Lani and the CAD program that she has running when he merges.

The arms all lower down from the ceiling,” And what would you like me to do with this armor?” Gage crosses his own arms watching the three arms open their own individual three fingers with cameras and laser scanners mounted in the tips. Blue lights zig zag back and forth across the metal, quickly rendering the armor in full detail on his wall size computer screen.

“I don’t care. Scrap it for parts and keep everything that is still usable. Everything else destroys. I don’t want to see any of this out on the streets.” Within a minute it is done, the armor pulled up in full detail on the computer with all the damage seemingly repaired.

Then it was different, the ground seeming to buffer in front of him outwards until the entire room is finished, perfectly matching his workshop down to the placement of the tools. Standing next to the table is a knockout of a woman, perfectly proportioned figure standing 5’7”. Long blond hair goes down to the base of her shoulder blades with a single black hair band holding it in a ponytail. Her outfit is blue, trimmed with black but made with a form of skin tight material that allows her to leave next to nothing to the imagination.

“Hello Sir. I have your armor ready,” Lani taps the blue damage free armor on the shoulder as it lays on the table making it hover up as if hung on invisible strings. The gauntlet that was ripped free is reattached, seamlessly assembled and painted.

“Good,” Gage walks forward grabbing the plating on the shoulders and chest to pull them free one at a time effortlessly leaving the whole armor stripped of its skin leaving the mechanics underneath exposed. “Alright, Lani. So we have new hybrid hydraulics and servos so let’s get rid of all this...mess.” Tapping the multitude of pistons and other motorized pieces of electronics underneath the plating he watches as they all vanish one at a time shifting to a see through phase before simply becoming a mesh of wires that vanish.

“Alright, swap material and let’s go ahead and expand this so that it is a full body exoskeleton. I broke one of my legs a few months ago and it probably wouldn’t have happened if I were wearing leg armor,” Gage pulls the armor off the counter and holds it up against his chest, his body floating through the back of the armor with no effort so that he is basically standing inside the skeleton. Blue lasers shine on his legs, scanning the dimensions and getting a good picture of what he needs as far as size for the large braces that go around the major limbs and joints. From his feet up, starting like boots the lights start doing what can only be called ‘printing’ like an amazing 3D printer the metallic frame. Boots have the structure around the souls and at the ankles with a three portioned pivot allowing for both side to side, forward to backward and then rotating in place clockwise and counter clockwise. Running up the lower leg to the base of the knee there are three braces molded against the calf and the front of the shin. The bar in the front of the shin is thinner, simply there as additional protection from impacts the front of the leg so that on hard strikes the shin does not break the bone. The knee itself looks a lot more complex, a heavy set bearing on both sides supporting the weight of the suit.

Just like that it’s gone, the pain fades to nothing and Gage is able to stand up with no effort but he could still feel the slightly restraining motion of the armor. “Lani, I want to get all the impact points lined with a bolt point covered with molded impact rubber and then silicate. If I come down that hard I don’t want to bruise just from taking a knee.” Gage smiles at the suit. If that thing is really going to be his new combat outfit then he needs to make sure that it is up to snuff for the rather ‘intense’ landing that he oh so fondly uses. “Also, what kind of structural integrity are we looking at as far as max holding weight?”

Lani sets the glass tablet down for a moment and walks around the table to look over the armor. She knew every inch of this armor down to the smallest seem so if she was looking it over she was most likely just running calculations. “Two handed lifting strength is over five and a half tons before integrity is compromised. Seven ton,” walking around to his back and grabbing the back the brace on the back of his neck she continues,” maximum can be supported on the back before the torso and legs fail fatally. It looks like one arm is capable of lifting one and a half tons, the shoulders bearings being the fail point.” Gage and Lani go back and forth for nearly an hour and a half discussing the removal of bind points on the armor so that the most mobility can be maintained while not jeopardizing the structural strength of the suit.

“Alright, how much longer with the rendering are you going to be?” Gage grabs the front of the frame and literally pulls himself out of the back like he is shedding a skin. The back of the suit was simply a frame, no actual motors hooked up to the body making the majority of the armor being see through as if it were a human skeleton.

A beep on his phone replies with text. [Would you like to install an elevator as well? The distance to the surface exceeds 500 meters and that would be quiet a climb.] “Yeah, I think we will probably need one eventually.” With that he started on his walk, changing his mind about five minutes in. “Jesus, Lani. Put that elevator system on order to be delivered to the shop. Also order me a Pizza, supreme with everything on it. Go ahead and order yourself something too.” [How kind of you.] Gage grinned at the comment, she was a playful AI, more personality than he had ever really expected. “What can I say, I am a benevolent man.”

With that Gage started on his way, using five well placed, exceptionally long steps to cover the distance between him and the end of the tunnel. With that he climbed up and out of the floor of the garage and closed the path behind him. Heading into the kitchen he sits at the table, the sudden explosion of movement from stepping making his head ache. Forehead on the table he closes his eyes, exhaustion from the Soul Convergence setting in and leaving him with an unusual level of hunger as with every time. “Lani. How long until the food gets here?” Gage mumbles out his face distorted by surface of the table.

“Ah sir...your Pizza,” Gage laughs and takes the Pizza,” you know now that you catch my attention I have a question. Would you fill out a survey for me?” She was caught off guard. A pretty girl like her, she was most likely hit on at every other stop that she made.

“Yeah but only if you promise to go on the website and leave a good review for me too,” Gage grins at her.

“Alright its only two questions, here it’s on my phone,” Gage hands her the phone with a smile as his contacts list is open. He intended on getting her number and if she gave him a false one then she would at least have his. Giggling to herself a moment she takes his phone and types a name and a number, Gage unsure if it is real but he would not have Lani check it. That takes too much of the fun out of the game. Handing him back his phone she smiles.

“You made me a deal. I filled out your survey, fill out mine,” and with that she turned and left leaving him holding his phone in one hand and his pizza in the other.

There she sat, elbow propped against a window sill. The atmosphere was pleasant in contrast to the dreary and sharp bite of the winter air outside, settled in a dim-lit café the interior was mainly made of thick woods aged to give a rustic and relaxing tone to the environment. It however, bore deep into the contrast of her physical appearance due to her growing age. Set in-front of her was a half-drank americano drink that steamed wistfully into the air, caressing the light just above.

Her eyes were half-lidded and docile from the late night driving into her state of mind. She was tired, but familiar with the tones of exhaustion that were setting in. It was at this time that her phone buzzed and lit up. The touch-screen was a simple image of a recent mobile game, nothing particularly fancy- But what did draw as interesting was the notification. She had spoken to a few acquaintances in her field asking them to dig for anything interesting that is ... Supernatural- While to most that would draw laughter or suspicion most of her contacts knew to a small degree of the world beyond the living. And such; she got a link to a message.

[Are you unique? Find yourself more in touch with the things around you than anyone can grasp? Do you have potential? The potential to learn to fly? The Potential to fight? Do you have the skills to communicate with those souls around you to get what you want done? If so message me back and I will teach you to be everything that you were meant to be. -Warhound533]

Her eyes drew away from the snow-fallen skies that lured her into the memory of her unforgiving past. Something she strangely held dear- A memoir of growth. To the message, her brow rose from the eye that remained open. Settling the marks in her forehead even deeper as they wrinkled. "Intriguing" was the hushed word that left her mouth- Till the waitress in a lofty dressed garb approached with a pleasant smile and traditionally cute posture. "How is everything going today miss? Are you enjoying your drink?" her tone was intentionally high-pitched to fill the role of an adorable waitress. It was only met with disdain in the woman's expression, not sparing a look over; "Fine, you can go. I'll call you when I need something."

---

It didn't take very long until the woman weighed the pros and cons of the advert. Initially skeptical having been warned a decade ago of people that hunt and enslave the usage of her-- Kind. Despite the conflict in her mind, she had signed up and messaged back.

"Hello Warhound533, I believe I may fit this label you seek. I am at the Weary Traveler Café & Inn in Tokyo for the night. Meet here for a coffee if you wish to talk." - The Forsaken" Staring at the message, she had pressed send. Interested in seeing what came of the hand to the wolves.