[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Ah, but did you go through things with an open mind, or were the experiences colored by your cynicism? Or did you stop reading before you got to the end of my post?

As for questioning things, you likewise do not know nearly as much about me as you think you do. Of course I question my path. And at times I have strayed, and had to find my way back. Anyone who walks with a mentor will tell you the same. And anyone with the Talent will tell you that there are... other sources of power that call to you, urging you to accept them in return for greater power. Blood magic, insects, the toxic path, they all call to those who have a bit of power, and want more. At times, they can be very difficult to resist. Some of the battles I've fought in the past would have been so much easier if I could just stab my blade through an enemy's chest and use their blood to summon a spirit of terrible power to fight for me, just to give an example.

As far as Tir Tairngir goes, that is an issue which is settled, in my mind. I've made oaths which I intend to stand by, for good or ill. Because if I went back on that oath, what is stopping me from taking an easy way out and seeking the paths of blood or the toxic way? As a combat mage who follows Shark, those paths clearly offer more power than I have now. It is so small a difference between Shark the Destroyer and Shark the Ravager. So small a difference, and yet if you let yourself go, then it is so difficult to come back.

Someone with the Talent must have something to hold to, to base their practice around, and as a place to hold to as they climb higher in power. If you lose faith in those things, then you will fall into darkness unless someone is there to stop you. That is the reality I face every day. I've seen it happen to others I've known for years, and there are those I've spoken to who managed to claw their way back from that abyss. So I will place my faith in my sword, in those I consider friends, and in Tir Tairngir. I don't do this because of naivete, but for my own sake. And for that, I will be the hunter who swims in the deep, and knows neither fear nor hatred for those who fall before me. Because otherwise, I fear what I will become.

If you cannot understand that, then count yourself fortunate.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (20:46:22/10-03-74)

[Wolfboy]

>>>>>Give me a few days Card and i'll find you the specs for a short lived bike build that was done just for when Haley's comet came through. I bought one back then and its a sweet ride, somewhere between a Skorpion and an Electroglyde. A Triumph Dragon. It has handlebar mounts for up to an SMG sized weapon, along with plenty of armour and mileage. Mine has a sidecar mounted with a HMG hidden in it. As for the other discussion going on right now, there is some truth to both of your arguments, and as the old song says, you have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. We are not just the sum of our experiences, but also of our breeding because it is our breeding that opens and closes doors for us all.<<<<<

--Wolfgar (18:04:22/10-07-74)

[DaveB]

>>>>>[ // upload Great André Cooking lessons! media file :: user Autumn :: 10/08/74 //
// abrupt cancellation :: end file //
// command line "alsoemqpleka" :: not recognized //
// live audio-to-text conversion engaged //
// console messages mode:: y //
// command line "uakjajelrmjcn" :: not recognized //

// male individual recognized (Smiley) //
Smiley : What? How many?
// male individual not recognized (Unknown1)
Unknown1 : Nine prisoners! Three of them wounded. What do you want to do with them?
Smiley : Just kill 'em and burn 'em with the rest of the bodies. Ain't got not time to play prison warden!
Unknown1 : I was hoping you'd say that! Hahaha!
// sound recognized :: machine gun spray//
// user recognized (Autumn) //
Autumn : Jeez guys! Can't a girl take a fraggin' nap and work on her tan without you boys using your big loud toys?! Tsk. And they still claim they don't compensate.
Unknown1 : Women...
Smiley : If you're done whining, there's a really big hairy spider crawling up your comlink.
Autumn : AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Smiley : Hahaha!
Autumn : Get it off! Get it off!
Unknown1 : I think she likes you! Hahaha!
Autumn : Arg! Where's my gun! Where's my gun!
// sound recognized :: gunshot //
// connection terminated :: disconnected at source //]<<<<<
      --Autumn (20:12:36/10-08-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Hmm. Looks like we won't hear from Autumn again until she replaces some gear. Funny that someone being trained by a guy like Smiley would still be afraid of spiders.]<<<<<

--Kusanagi Motoko (22:47:23/10-08-74)

[Kot]

>>>>>[Well, bad things can happen to people who take them lightly. There's at least three Awakened species that can turn your brain into porridge with just one bite. Oh, and welcome back. Just managed to finish my Walkabout, and in one piece - body and soul intact. It took a while, but the things I've seen, and tricks I've learned were worth it. As much as staring a dragon in the face and being able to brag about it. I almost had to change my underwear though...]<<<<<

--NiSayer (23:33:33/10-08-74)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Hahaha! The damn spider posted this! That's hilarious! And now Autumn is pissed and, I assume, pretty embarrassed!

This damn woman. I did a pretty good job in making her a heartless and merciless killer. I mean, one day she walked, alone, in a Tamanous ghoul den and worked herself a deal to get rid of dead bodies. Yesterday, she killed at least five guys with an assault rifle then proceeded to "work on her tan" while we boys were dragging and burning dead bodies all around. You can't really get that much more fearless and cold. And still, all it took is an inoffensive, although pretty big, spider to make all hell break loose. Hahaha!

Indeed, I'll have to remedy to that.]<<<<<
      --Smiley (14:58:10/10-09-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Let me guess, the old trick of locking them in a box with a couple hundred spiders crawling all over them until they either go insane or get over their fear? I know, it may be cliche, but it is still a classic way of dealing with someone's 'issues' without resorting to things like PAB mental rewiring. Never know what the techs might be paid to slip in with the other conditioning.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (01:07:22/10-10-74)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Not quite what I had in mind but, yeah, something like that.]<<<<<
      --Smiley (23:07:18/10-010-74)

[Wolfboy]

>>>>>Gods fragged Azzie pitite batards. is anyone in the Del Rio area, if so or you can get there in six hours or less join me at the uploaded coordinates. Its open combat on this one so load heavy. I so am not going to let this turn into Alamo 2074.<<<<<

Wolfgar (17:43:38/10-14-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[My team just finished up some unrelated business in the CAS, Wolfgar. We should be able to get to you in one hour. It'll be me, a mage, and a hacker, with combat drone support. Five Medusas, though we've upgraded the internal components to modern specs.]<<<<<

--Faust (20:44:22/10-14-74)

[Wolfboy]

<<<<<Thanks Faust, prep everything for air drop, this is going to be a hot LZ but we'll have some good cover fire to get inside. We're wheels up in 3 hours.>>>>>

Wolfgar (23:30:20/10-14-74)

[All4BigGuns]

<<<<<Can't get there quick enough myself, but I'll send word to a couple I know that moved back down there a couple years back. You'll know 'em when ya see 'em. One's a cybered up troll and the other is an elf woman carrying a dikoted metal hockey stick sharpened to a razor's edge.>>>>>

Predator (23:52:16/10-14-2074)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[For those who care, we made the flight all right. Redeemer is speaking with spirits to prepare for battle, and Angel is speaking with the Pack, as we call them, briefing them on the basics of this mission. She's better at speaking with them than I am. I'm going over our gear, getting everything ready for the drop. It has been... interesting living with these drones by my side, when I had not seen their like for almost fifteen years, except in my nightmares and regrets. Redeemer thinks it is therapeutic for me to be with them, and Angel enjoys having 'pets' that she doesn't have to clean up after.

I guess some of you wonder how we got our hands on a pack of five Medusas, yeah? Well, all I can say is that we returned 'home', on a run. Yes, we were picked for the run because of what we were back then. But because of that, we found the Pack. They responded to old command codes, and have followed us since. Angel hopes to teach them to be smarter, and increase their abilities. I don't understand it, to be honest.]<<<<<

--Faust (01:09:22/10-15-74)

[Kot]

>>>>>[Faust: You're welcome. It was no bother, really. One deep-fried lame-ass hacker wannabe, on the house. Remember kids, high-profile gear and top-notch soft doesn't make you a combat hacker. He wouldn't be much of a problem for your lady, but I was bored anyway. And I do have my own beef with them. Hope you'll get out in one piece. Gotta go, I have traces to redirect to former Burkina Faso. ]<<<<<

--NiSayer (01:15:31/10-15-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Angel gives her thanks, Ni. She was tied down running interference on two other hackers attempting to infiltrate the tacnet. The Pack may know how to run the drones they inhabit, but they are ferals, so their ability to deal with hacking is instinctual, not trained.]<<<<<

--Faust (14:20:22/10-15-74)