Zenith Project

[Jericho]

turning from Schism, Jericho looks to the door of the shop. He had weapons, the only two he would really need. He struggles within himself. He was taught that guns shouldn't be used unless one is placed in a dire situation. He turns around, though, looking to the weapons within view. He picks up a weapon, looking over the design. Made with a different intensity of plasma. It was more of a handgun, but the trademark plasma canister within the handle gave away that it was, indeed, just like his left arm's armor. Perhaps he could use this in a different way than it was designed. He gives a smirk, passing it to his left paw and giving it a spin. Sure, he was defying his teachings, but he could do a better job with something that hit a target the same time it fired a round.

[Istauri]

Istauri looked up

"The Masters? They're the ones who trained me, they taught me almost everything I know. They're the ones who put this collar on me" He tapped his collar and blue symbols scrolled across it. They read:

ISTAURI:ANI5269-PSI

"They added that last part after I attacked one of them without touching them, I bled all over the place and passed out. That was when they started training me."
"To be honest i don't know much about them. I only know that they aren't Animas." He recited "That Animas are to serve them and that all good Animas wear their collars" He paused and looked at the others. "You don't have collars?"

There was a click behind him. In the corner of the room Schizm was performing some interesting 'modifications' on some some weaponry.  Istauri looked at Schizm, anger and sorrow eminated from the wolf. 'Masters they may be,' he thought 'but the pain they can cause is far from benevolent.'

[Moddex]

Moddex turned to reply, but no words came out. He gave a moment to ponder instead, starring at Istauri. "I have heard of some Animas speaking of 'The Masters'. Talk, but only rumors. Most who did acted very strange. But that serial code... 5269-PSI. I believe they marked you under a psionic listing. That would mean...", said Moddex as he trailed off into thought. He continued stacking a few boxes of plasma cells and ammunition for a T1-28 Ripper he found for an R Series. Perhaps we was planning to fit it to one.

"Scizm, we need a van or something. Got one?"

[SchizmWolf]

He put down the partially completed machine and turned toward Moddex.  

"Well, Jani keeps... kept... a couple of bikes and a little T-car in the garage back there." He pointed to the door behind him.  "But I think he has something else, too.  There's this door that connects the garage to another room, but it's got this huge lock on it.  I suppose i could get it off, but I don't really know what's in there other than that it's a vehicle of some sort.  He never took it out."  He got up and turned to the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll open it up an let you know what's going on."

Schizm opened the door out into the gloomy interior of the garage, a small car shaped like a T, true to it's name, parked inside.  That would never get them all out of here.  Sighing, he turned to the door and pulled out the little bag of tools he'd been using on the gun.  If that's even what it could be called.  Pulling out a little acetyline torch, he sheared the first padlock.  No time for niceties.

The second lock was a bit more difficult, but nothing he couldn't handle.  Schizm pulled out one of the smaller plasma pistols he'd upgraded and shot the handle to the lock in, calling back quickly that he was okay.  He opened the door, careful not to touch any of thescorched metal, and looked inside. It was dim, but only to an Andros. Whoa...

[Jericho]

Personally, Jericho would have taken a bike. It would give him room to use his weapons, lead danger away from everyone else, and not risk getting the others shot. He looks down to his waist, then looks around quickly for a belt with a holster. He wasn't able to find one before he heard a gunshot, his paw with the pistol coming up quickly, looking around the corner. He settles down a bit, standing back up from his searching and just hanging onto the gun. "What did you find?"

[SchizmWolf]

"Oh...my..."  Schizm was speechless.  This was more than a van.  Hell, this was bigger than anything he'd ever expected to find in here.  He felt his fur quivering with excitement, but he couldn't force the words out for the moment.

"Ummm, Jericho..."  Schiz realized Jericho was approaching him.  What about the others, though?

"Guys, there's a tank in here!  A damned Andros tank in here! One of the old HAV-109's!"  The thing was huge, making the T-car behind him seem like a kid's tricycle.  And the guns... they wouldn't have to worry about a whole lot with the turrets on that thing.

But would it run?  It was easily as old as he was, and Schizm inherently distrusted Andros-made machines.  Jumping into the musty room, which probably hadn't been opened for a while, he set to work looking at the engine and gaped.  Jani had done a lot of work on this bad boy.  The eight separate plasma-cell batteries attached to an oversized and armored engine testified to that.

"Jericho, this thing is unstoppable.  The engine... I've never seen such a huge block, and it even has a separate tank, a whole tank, for the nitrogen condensor.  An engine like this should explode with that much power, but the plasma cells  are hooked up to that and then to the engine.  Not only is it going to be fast, it will live forever."  Schizm stopped to take a breath.  He didn't know how much of that Jericho had understood, but he knew that it had knocked he himself for a loop. "I'm going to check out what he did to the armor and the firepower. "

He hopped onto the turret and into the main cabin, which was so armored up it left little room for him.  Luckily the cargo hold was only half as reinforced, which is to say that it could take a direct hit from an armor piercing plasma round and keep on going.  Oh yes, this was a good thing.  A little fiddling around and he found that it had basic controls just like the older model Street-Rovers.  Piece of cake.  

[Moddex]

"This is perfect! This will do great in breaking the lines around the city. On top of that, we have these spare bikes which can flank anybody coming and cover as support fire. Let's start loading up the tank and prepare to move out", said Moddex as he rushed back to the gun office to grab some medical supplies in the back room.

[SchizmWolf]

Schizm checked to make sure that Moddex was finished with him for now before hopping back out of the turret.  Running into the shop he pulled out the keys to the bikes and threw them on the counter, then back to the gun case, still swung out.  He closed it, picked out the most powerful sniper rifle in it.  His specialty.  

Finding as many rounds for it as he could, Schizm stuffed his pockets with rounds.  Plasma was good, but too easily dispersed.  Bullets he liked better because they did more damage (especially with the illegal hollow-point rounds he had in one of the cases) and because it was more fun.  Took a bit of skill, and Schizm was better with it than most highly trained Enforcers.

With the gun slung over his shoulder, Schizm sighed and turned back to the partially assembled device he'd been working on.  He'd have to finish it quick if it was to prove any use in the upcoming confrontation.  He just hoped he didn't have to use it.  In truth, he was afraid to use it.  Not for him, but for any innocents in the vicinity.  He swallowed drily and started to finish it.  By the time he was done he was shaking, but he slung it over his shoulder along with the sniper rifle.  It looked pretty intimidating, but it's look wasn't anything to what it really was.  He'd give anyone a crash course if they asked, but he would rather it remained his little secret.

Jumping back into the tank once again, he opened the slot that allowed him to see outside the heavily armored turret enough to slide the sniper barrel out.  Then he turned the ignition.

The thing sounded more powerful than it looked, which was hard to pull off.  Schizm hoped it performed as well as it sounded.  He checked the artillary counter and saw it was loaded with five rounds.  He had checked them out, and what Jani had put into it wasn't anywhere close to legal.  What would happen would be akin to a very localized atom bomb explosion, only smaller and without radiation.  It would take out anything it came in contact with.  He liked it.

Pressing the button for the cargo door, he shouted out through the intercom. "OK, everyone, we're ready to roll.  Get in and wait for instructions."

[Rhakshi]

Rhakshi watched as teh doors slid open. It had reminded of a time in his earlier life. But he had taught himself not to lay on such memories. Looking at the tank, and the awe inspired anima's, he gave a long sigh. He had seen many super weapons before, and destroyed them. They were nothing new in his consideration.

[Jericho]

"We're taking at least one of these" Jericho says, looking over a bike he called dibs on mentally, running a paw over teh smooth surface. He looks to teh tank. "Is tehre room to store one of tehse? I've got a feeling I'll want one later." He smirks. He knew he would feel too enclosed in teh tank, but if he had to, he would ride in it with teh otehrs.

[Moddex]

"I too will ride one of the bikes. I don't really know too much on street rover or tank operations. I also have an idea on how we can shield the tank", said Moddex as he grinned. "Istuari, do you think you can make a concussion field around the tank while it's moving?", he asked. He loaded the extra medical supplies in the cargo hold of the tank and shut it tight. Patting his hands from the dust that collected on the tank. He walked over to one of the bikes. It looked much like the one he rode before he crashed, taking him back in his moments briefly. He shook his head and mounted the vehicle after grabbing the keys from the work counter. "What are you riding in, Rhakshi? A bike or in the tank?"

[Istauri]

I've never done a field that big before, I could try. I think i could keep a field up for a short amount of time but if we get hit by anything I'm not offering complete safety. If we do come up against heavy armament then I'll probably be quite out of it afterwards.

[Moddex]

"Then make due with your strength, but keep reserve. The whole thing's well armored on it's own so if you get tired, the tank can take a few hits. You may want to ride in the tank to be able to rest while creating the barrier", said Moddex as he started his bike up. It turned on with a low, soft drone from the engine. "Everyone ready? Let's move out to the north exit!"

[Rhakshi]

Rhakshi had plenty experience with small fast vehicles before. So he took one that was left and decided to drive around the tank. He'd have to dodge any ballistic fire that came there way, but he would manage if he had to. He hopped onto one of the bikes

[SchizmWolf]

"OK, then.  Let's roll."  Waiting for everyone to get settled in, Schizm turned the ignition.  For one heartstopping moment it did nothing, but after a tense moment, the armor-clad behemoth roared to life.  He fiddled for a moment with the controls, adjusting the height of the mirrors and visors to his height.

He slammed the knob that control the tank- three settings, "2nd", "1st", and "RE"- into the "RE" position.  Revving the powerful engine once, careful not to let the mechanism catch and throw them out through the garage door, he listened.  It was purring, and it sounded different than any other vehicle he'd driven.  It was... humming.  That would be the plasma cells in the engine.  They were active all right.  Jani must have charged them hot before he installed them.  Charged them really hot.

"Everyone good to go?" Schizm shouted out of the hatch.