And, furthermore, he's having to leave himself vulnerable near an active combat zone; not the perfect situation. Tattletale may yet be in danger, and we don't know what kind of situation he'll be in when he wakes up. Nanoupgrades are nice, but if you're locked to the wall by KaiserTM-brand metal spikes and have Hookwolf sniffing your breath for felafel, they won't help as much as you'd like in that situation.
Stealing Fire (Worm SI)
- Thread starter Jack Stargazer
- Start date
- Location
- France
I really like the story so far. It's a really fun read. Hope it gets updated soon.
- Location
- Turkey
Man, SI together with tattletale combines creates Robert Downey jr. Sherlock Holmes.
. (Also, Tattletale already knows about Coil's power when canon starts, but that seems a pain to edit out.)
1.T.2 - Abandonment Issues (Tattletale Interlude)
- Location
- Canada
Sorry about the long wait folks, real life sort of interjected.
On the plus side, I'm a real lawyer now. So that's a thing.
And look! A new chapter! You can call off the assassins.
1.T.2 - Abandonment Issues (Tattletale Interlude)
As Jack drops like a boneless doll I take stock of the situation.
Well. I have been in worse situations, but most of those were Coil related, in the vein of "there's a literal gun to my head".
I suppose it's at least a refreshing change that someone else is responsible for an imminent threat to my life for once.
… No. No it isn't. Fuck this.
I hold back the desire to kick Jack's prone body and turn towards the door, where the noises of approaching figures are starting to get louder. The son of a bitch had led me in here and left me alone. This is what I get for trusting someone else to come up with a plan.
Shit, we should have brought the whole group, we should have brought Taylor, she'd have this whole place filled with hornets and she could help me carry this bastard. When we get out of here I'm going to…
I shake my head. Get it together Tats.
Well, here goes nothing.
I start to grin. Sometimes, you can't do anything else.
Well then, that's something.
I push the button jack indicated on the 'gun' he gave me. Interesting thing, certainly has some heft, though it's oddly comfortable to hold considering its size. The glow from the barrel intensifies slightly, and I feel something moving in the dangerous end. I've set it for an area burst.
I duck down behind the table and wait.
About thirty seconds later, the door is pushed open and I can hear footsteps as the ABB goons pause, looking at the mess left from that idiot's tinkertech building… shit! I left Jack on the floor!
I poke my head out of the pile of overturned tables and chairs I'm hiding behind. The goons are gesturing at Jack and gibbering in some language I don't understand. Two begin to raise guns and one moves a hand to his belt for some kinda radio. Fuck what did Jack say about twitching?
Well, here goes nothing.
I point the gun over top of the table-pile. The glow turns red, and the gun seems to shift slightly in my grip to center on the goons.
Auto-aim feature built into weapon.
Well fuck, I'm sure glad I have a power to figure this shit out.
As the goons notice and start to yell, I pull the trigger. The gun seems to charge for a second and then with a strange sound fires a burst of blue energy!
The burst strikes the goons, and a blue lightning effect seems to travel up and down their forms. They begin convulsing and collapse to the floor. Luckily, none of their guns go off.
Well damn. This thing is actually pretty useful.
Scratch that, this is definitely going to crap out as soon as I need it most. I set the thing back to single target, which my power tells me gives me maybe 6 shots. Hopefully I won't need any more.
As I move towards Jack and throw an arm around his shoulder, I hear a voice coming from the unconscious goons. I turn quickly almost dropping Jack - who really needs to cut down on the brownies, fuck I thought he was a beanpole but he must weigh as much as Brian. Less muscle but more height. I'm barely up to his chin, I'd have to stand on my toes to…
Nevermind. Not important, shut up brain.
The bodies aren't moving luckily, but that radio on one of their belts is spitting something in Chinese, which probably means we need to move a while ago.
I start dragging him towards the door. Maybe my luck is starting to come around. That was actually pretty easy.
With a grunt and a gasp, I push Jack's body up against the wall. Fuck, I thought I was in shape, but hauling around…
...of somnolescent Tinker takes it out of you. Fuck.
I lean against the wall and slide down the the floor next to Jack. He seems to still be breathing fine, and his eyes are clearly moving under his eyelids. He's muttering something, but I can't really make it out, and I don't actually care enough to use my power to help. He's got a bit of a goofy smile on, I'm not sure if it's because of whatever drugs he slipped himself but it's a bit cute.
Doesn't make up for leaving me to do all the hard work. Asshole.
I take a deep breath and try to get my heart rate under control. Well, back to it.
I look around. We're in a back office, probably for one of the head researchers here. His code was the number of the room backwards - probably breaking about 10 different 'best practices' rules. So much for password security.
The room pretty much screams 'workaholic'. The only things up on the wall are degrees and awards. No pictures of family, no casual vacation photos, hell this guy doesn't even seem to have a dog. There are bookshelves full of binders and reference books, file cabinets, and a desk that looks like it costs more than the salary of most of the basic researchers. Plus a very nice chair. Aeron, looks like.
I sit in the chair. It's as comfortable as it looks. Fuck I needed this.
I put my feet up on the desk and start thinking. By which I of course mean I start Thinking.
So much for some casual industrial espionage.
Well then. That's something. I guess Jack wasn't just blowing smoke about that. E88 really is connected to Medhall. Fuck, no wonder they always seem to be so well equipped with much less profitable street crime than the ABB or Merchants. Their front company is the biggest non-government employer in the Bay!
Fuck. That might be our way out. How long would it take…
Fuck. That fast? How haven't they realized this place is under attack yet?
As the familiar headache begins to intrude on my brain I close the gates on my power. I guess it's time for small 't' thinking.
Ok, So I hit this switch and five minutes later this place becomes a gang battle. If this place is so important to E88, they'll come in force, and should be able to finish off the remaining ABB members quickly. I just need to get back to a door, and get the fuck out while the gettin' is good.
Only one important question left. Man I'm going to be beat after today.
The twinge becomes a throb and I groan. Fuck I've still gotta carry this asshole out. There will be a reckoning for this.
It will be grand. There may be newspaper headlines. Children will cry in the streets.
If I can manage it, it will be seen from orbit.
I slam the button and move to grab Jack. This is going to hurt. I haul him up onto the other shoulder, and drag him out of the room down the hall, holding the gun in my off hand. I'll have to drop him if I want to aim the damn thing, but fuck, he deserves a few bruises for this.
About three minutes later the gunfire starts. Looks like E88 is ahead of schedule.
I start hauling Jack down the hallways stopping most corners to check with my power and listen for any new arrivals. My headache gets worse and worse, and I begin to pant from the exertion in dragging him around as my eyes start to water from the pain. Luckily I find what must be their street clinic, and there's a wheelchair in there I manage to dump him into, which makes my life a lot easier.
I'm almost all the way to the back entrance now, and I haven't seen any other ABB or E88, though the gunfighting is still going on out front. This actually wasn't that hard.
Just as I turn what must be the second last corridor, the explosions start.
At first, I think that it must be a grenade. But the sounds and the screaming - it's clearly not just a normal grenade. Something strange is happening. I can hear something that sounds like fire, lightning, and a whistling wind. Behind me, the corridor is filling with frost, and my breath starts misting…
Shit. Bakuda bombs. Multiple bombs. How does she even have this many left after the shit they've been doing throughout town?
Oni Lee is on site. Oni Lee is armed with Bakuda explosives as grenades. Oni Lee is copying grenades. Clones maintain viable tinkertech for duration.
Oh fuck. That is bullsh….
Oni Lee appears in the hallway behind me for a moment, and I hear a clink as he drops something. Seconds later, the clone dissolves into dust.
I push the chair with all my might and take the last corner on one wheel. I can see the door ahead of me but…
There is a dull thud behind me and the air in the hallway becomes a raging windstorm. I can hear doors being pulled off of their hinges, and walls cracking as whatever explosion… or…
… Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I can feel my feet slipping on the floor. I push the wheelchair with all my might and jump at the last second to put my weight on the back, letting our momentum hopefully push us out of the effect. The wheelchair swings wildly as we approach the door, and just as we get close I can see the piece of ruptured door which is right in the way. I have a split second to understand exactly how fucked we are, and then the wheel hits it and I'm airborne.
I flip over the wheelchair, which turns on its side and wipes out. I fly out of the remains of the door and land hard on the pavement, only barely managing to roll. I feel something give in my side where I land, and my vision momentarily turns black from the pain.
Ugh…
I cough and spit blood. Shit I think I bit my tongue. A few seconds of checking leads me to believe I probably haven't punctured a lung, but goddamn I hurt.
I look back up.
The door is gone. The entire section of the building has collapsed inwards from the… whatever that was. The second floor is basically a ramp going upwards in contact with the ground. There must be a literal ton of building material right behind me, and somehow I wasn't crushed.
But fuck. Jack? Shit. He fell off the wheelchair.
He's not outside. He fell out inside the door. Where a ton of ceiling now sits.
I fucked up.
He's dead.
He's dead and it's my fault. I fucked up. He trusted me and I fucked up. Again. Just like Reggie.
I sit there staring at the wall for a long time. After a while, when I hear the sirens from the approaching fire trucks, and smell the smoke, I leave.
It takes me almost an hour to limp back to the lair. Every step is agony from the wound in my side, and my head is throbbing in tune with my heart beat. I stumble and cough blood into my hand, leaning up on the wall of an alley way and leaving a bloody handprint as I move by.
I basically collapse when I get inside.
When they ask, I tell them the tears are from the pain.
AN: I'm a dick.
On the plus side, I'm a real lawyer now. So that's a thing.
And look! A new chapter! You can call off the assassins.
1.T.2 - Abandonment Issues (Tattletale Interlude)
As Jack drops like a boneless doll I take stock of the situation.
- I'm in an E88 front company, at night, committing a robbery.
- My luck continues to be impeccable, as the same day I decide to do this, the ABB decides it's time to do a raid.
- My only companion in this poorly planned shitshow is currently lying on the floor bleeding from the skull and drooling from what seems to be a self-inflicted robo lobotomy. Fun.
- I have a single Tinkertech gun of some kind, a pile of tables and random junk Jack threw around when he was in build-mode to hide behind, and an unknown number of assailants armed with at least submachineguns.
- Last time I checked, I still wasn't bulletproof.
Well. I have been in worse situations, but most of those were Coil related, in the vein of "there's a literal gun to my head".
I suppose it's at least a refreshing change that someone else is responsible for an imminent threat to my life for once.
… No. No it isn't. Fuck this.
I hold back the desire to kick Jack's prone body and turn towards the door, where the noises of approaching figures are starting to get louder. The son of a bitch had led me in here and left me alone. This is what I get for trusting someone else to come up with a plan.
Shit, we should have brought the whole group, we should have brought Taylor, she'd have this whole place filled with hornets and she could help me carry this bastard. When we get out of here I'm going to…
I shake my head. Get it together Tats.
Well, here goes nothing.
I start to grin. Sometimes, you can't do anything else.
Three ABB members coming. Slight scent of cordite - armed with guns. Guns have been recently fired. There were guards in the building. Dead. ABB members walking casually - don't expect anything. Coming this way. Directed. Looking for something.
Well then, that's something.
I push the button jack indicated on the 'gun' he gave me. Interesting thing, certainly has some heft, though it's oddly comfortable to hold considering its size. The glow from the barrel intensifies slightly, and I feel something moving in the dangerous end. I've set it for an area burst.
I duck down behind the table and wait.
About thirty seconds later, the door is pushed open and I can hear footsteps as the ABB goons pause, looking at the mess left from that idiot's tinkertech building… shit! I left Jack on the floor!
I poke my head out of the pile of overturned tables and chairs I'm hiding behind. The goons are gesturing at Jack and gibbering in some language I don't understand. Two begin to raise guns and one moves a hand to his belt for some kinda radio. Fuck what did Jack say about twitching?
Well, here goes nothing.
I point the gun over top of the table-pile. The glow turns red, and the gun seems to shift slightly in my grip to center on the goons.
Auto-aim feature built into weapon.
Well fuck, I'm sure glad I have a power to figure this shit out.
As the goons notice and start to yell, I pull the trigger. The gun seems to charge for a second and then with a strange sound fires a burst of blue energy!
The burst strikes the goons, and a blue lightning effect seems to travel up and down their forms. They begin convulsing and collapse to the floor. Luckily, none of their guns go off.
Visual effect purely for show. Weapon has multiple vectors of effect: interrupts voluntary nerves, overloads pain receptors causing unconsciousness, causes overproduction of soporific hormones. Second or further shots on stunned targets extend effect, but risk of permanent or lethal damage from heart attack or hormone toxicity increases with repeated use.
Well damn. This thing is actually pretty useful.
Charge will be exhausted in two more shots at current level.
Scratch that, this is definitely going to crap out as soon as I need it most. I set the thing back to single target, which my power tells me gives me maybe 6 shots. Hopefully I won't need any more.
As I move towards Jack and throw an arm around his shoulder, I hear a voice coming from the unconscious goons. I turn quickly almost dropping Jack - who really needs to cut down on the brownies, fuck I thought he was a beanpole but he must weigh as much as Brian. Less muscle but more height. I'm barely up to his chin, I'd have to stand on my toes to…
Nevermind. Not important, shut up brain.
The bodies aren't moving luckily, but that radio on one of their belts is spitting something in Chinese, which probably means we need to move a while ago.
I start dragging him towards the door. Maybe my luck is starting to come around. That was actually pretty easy.
With a grunt and a gasp, I push Jack's body up against the wall. Fuck, I thought I was in shape, but hauling around…
88.5 kg
...of somnolescent Tinker takes it out of you. Fuck.
I lean against the wall and slide down the the floor next to Jack. He seems to still be breathing fine, and his eyes are clearly moving under his eyelids. He's muttering something, but I can't really make it out, and I don't actually care enough to use my power to help. He's got a bit of a goofy smile on, I'm not sure if it's because of whatever drugs he slipped himself but it's a bit cute.
Doesn't make up for leaving me to do all the hard work. Asshole.
I take a deep breath and try to get my heart rate under control. Well, back to it.
I look around. We're in a back office, probably for one of the head researchers here. His code was the number of the room backwards - probably breaking about 10 different 'best practices' rules. So much for password security.
The room pretty much screams 'workaholic'. The only things up on the wall are degrees and awards. No pictures of family, no casual vacation photos, hell this guy doesn't even seem to have a dog. There are bookshelves full of binders and reference books, file cabinets, and a desk that looks like it costs more than the salary of most of the basic researchers. Plus a very nice chair. Aeron, looks like.
I sit in the chair. It's as comfortable as it looks. Fuck I needed this.
I put my feet up on the desk and start thinking. By which I of course mean I start Thinking.
Computer is new. Powerful. Designed for use in research. Networked to the lab. Security measures tight. USB Key required for connection. Key not present.
So much for some casual industrial espionage.
Desk high quality. Plate on the corner. Dedication. "To Humber from Heller, excellent job on project 14." Phrases are coded. Slogans. Neo-nazi references: HH for names, 14 referencing neo-nazi symbolism. Owner is connected to E88.
Well then. That's something. I guess Jack wasn't just blowing smoke about that. E88 really is connected to Medhall. Fuck, no wonder they always seem to be so well equipped with much less profitable street crime than the ABB or Merchants. Their front company is the biggest non-government employer in the Bay!
Hidden alarm under desk. Alarm related to desk. Doesn't alter police. Silent alarm. Alerts E88.
Fuck. That might be our way out. How long would it take…
Alarm indicates location is important. Location performs research for Medhall but also functions as E88 street doctor location for fixing up gang members injured in clashes. Avoids hospital and questions. Important location.
Response to alarm within 5 minutes.
Response to alarm within 5 minutes.
Fuck. That fast? How haven't they realized this place is under attack yet?
Guards killed too quickly. Extra guards called off to begin preparations for attack on ABB.
As the familiar headache begins to intrude on my brain I close the gates on my power. I guess it's time for small 't' thinking.
Ok, So I hit this switch and five minutes later this place becomes a gang battle. If this place is so important to E88, they'll come in force, and should be able to finish off the remaining ABB members quickly. I just need to get back to a door, and get the fuck out while the gettin' is good.
Only one important question left. Man I'm going to be beat after today.
Reinforcements will come from north, E88 territory larger that direction. Will see ABB cars parked on street. Firefight will begin there, move in towards clinic. Rear exit will be free longest.
The twinge becomes a throb and I groan. Fuck I've still gotta carry this asshole out. There will be a reckoning for this.
It will be grand. There may be newspaper headlines. Children will cry in the streets.
If I can manage it, it will be seen from orbit.
I slam the button and move to grab Jack. This is going to hurt. I haul him up onto the other shoulder, and drag him out of the room down the hall, holding the gun in my off hand. I'll have to drop him if I want to aim the damn thing, but fuck, he deserves a few bruises for this.
About three minutes later the gunfire starts. Looks like E88 is ahead of schedule.
I start hauling Jack down the hallways stopping most corners to check with my power and listen for any new arrivals. My headache gets worse and worse, and I begin to pant from the exertion in dragging him around as my eyes start to water from the pain. Luckily I find what must be their street clinic, and there's a wheelchair in there I manage to dump him into, which makes my life a lot easier.
I'm almost all the way to the back entrance now, and I haven't seen any other ABB or E88, though the gunfighting is still going on out front. This actually wasn't that hard.
Just as I turn what must be the second last corridor, the explosions start.
At first, I think that it must be a grenade. But the sounds and the screaming - it's clearly not just a normal grenade. Something strange is happening. I can hear something that sounds like fire, lightning, and a whistling wind. Behind me, the corridor is filling with frost, and my breath starts misting…
Shit. Bakuda bombs. Multiple bombs. How does she even have this many left after the shit they've been doing throughout town?
Oni Lee is on site. Oni Lee is armed with Bakuda explosives as grenades. Oni Lee is copying grenades. Clones maintain viable tinkertech for duration.
Oh fuck. That is bullsh….
Oni Lee appears in the hallway behind me for a moment, and I hear a clink as he drops something. Seconds later, the clone dissolves into dust.
I push the chair with all my might and take the last corner on one wheel. I can see the door ahead of me but…
There is a dull thud behind me and the air in the hallway becomes a raging windstorm. I can hear doors being pulled off of their hinges, and walls cracking as whatever explosion… or…
Implosion.
… Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I can feel my feet slipping on the floor. I push the wheelchair with all my might and jump at the last second to put my weight on the back, letting our momentum hopefully push us out of the effect. The wheelchair swings wildly as we approach the door, and just as we get close I can see the piece of ruptured door which is right in the way. I have a split second to understand exactly how fucked we are, and then the wheel hits it and I'm airborne.
I flip over the wheelchair, which turns on its side and wipes out. I fly out of the remains of the door and land hard on the pavement, only barely managing to roll. I feel something give in my side where I land, and my vision momentarily turns black from the pain.
Four cracked ribs.
Ugh…
I cough and spit blood. Shit I think I bit my tongue. A few seconds of checking leads me to believe I probably haven't punctured a lung, but goddamn I hurt.
I look back up.
The door is gone. The entire section of the building has collapsed inwards from the… whatever that was. The second floor is basically a ramp going upwards in contact with the ground. There must be a literal ton of building material right behind me, and somehow I wasn't crushed.
But fuck. Jack? Shit. He fell off the wheelchair.
He's not outside. He fell out inside the door. Where a ton of ceiling now sits.
I fucked up.
He's dead.
He's dead and it's my fault. I fucked up. He trusted me and I fucked up. Again. Just like Reggie.
I sit there staring at the wall for a long time. After a while, when I hear the sirens from the approaching fire trucks, and smell the smoke, I leave.
It takes me almost an hour to limp back to the lair. Every step is agony from the wound in my side, and my head is throbbing in tune with my heart beat. I stumble and cough blood into my hand, leaning up on the wall of an alley way and leaving a bloody handprint as I move by.
I basically collapse when I get inside.
When they ask, I tell them the tears are from the pain.
AN: I'm a dick.
Last edited:
- Location
- The Outer Plane Of Munchkinry.
Nope. Too OOC for me. He's going to be redoing a bunch of stuff in his body anyway, so i can't see her not taking advantage of that to get a good kick in.
Wait... He had a brain jack in his skull and is passed out. Few minute window..... Considering your signature....
He turned himself into an infomorph didn't he.
He turned himself into an infomorph didn't he.
- Location
- United States
Good to see another chapter.
So predictions
If he is out for a long time he might be found by a clean up crew and be mistaken as a gang casualty, then he wakes up in the morgue.
Or he wakes up under rubble, and if he gets out himself he will run into a gang fight or at least the aftermath of one.
So predictions
If he is out for a long time he might be found by a clean up crew and be mistaken as a gang casualty, then he wakes up in the morgue.
Or he wakes up under rubble, and if he gets out himself he will run into a gang fight or at least the aftermath of one.
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
That is a very good option for surviving in the Wormverse as an SI, especially if you don't have any physical record of your existence. It'll suck for a while not having a physical avatar, but it shouldn't take too long for him to commandeer one of Saint's stolen suits once he's properly integrated into the Net.
Plus he'll be able to steal Halbeard's girlfriend, which is a good thing. Dragon is far too good for Colin anyway.
- Location
- Canada
Welcome to the Bar.
TortugaGreen
Constantly out of the loop
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, reread time! And Jack, at the very least, won't be walking around soon, if he is under that rock. If he isn't, Oni Lee problems aren't helping any. I do hope he's still alive so we can have more story, at least that isn't just exploring the relatively minor butterfly-ing of the plot, which would be boring.
Prince Charon
Just zis guy, you know?
Not 100% certain that it's dead, or indeed that the SI is.
nullptr
Mostly Harmless
- Location
- The 906
If someone tells you the hero is dead, but can't show a body, assume they are not. Otherwise the SOB will surprise you when you least expect it and ruin your plans once again.
- Location
- Canada
Y'know, I didn't expect this many people to jump straight to "It's dead, GG."
I won't comment on the status of Jack, but I will say that the story isn't yet over.
I won't comment on the status of Jack, but I will say that the story isn't yet over.
Orion Zete
[verify weaboo]
- Location
- Malaysia
You could say it was a deadhanger
- Location
- France
Congratulations for your degree. The killers won't take a refund, though, so...Good luck?
Nice chapter and interesting story. I'm gonna take a guess and say that something about the nano-machines Jack implanted himself with are gonna save his ass. That or he's gonna spend some time in the tender mercies of one of the gangs. Or both.
Nice chapter and interesting story. I'm gonna take a guess and say that something about the nano-machines Jack implanted himself with are gonna save his ass. That or he's gonna spend some time in the tender mercies of one of the gangs. Or both.
Vox De Harlequin
Consequences are for other people
- Location
- Hyalean Theoric World
Considering what his tinker specialty has so far been demonstrated to be, I find it highly unlikely that he turned himself into an infomorph.
A Techno-organic Blacklight on the other hand...
A Techno-organic Blacklight on the other hand...
NorthSouthGorem
To Walk Down Every Path
- Location
- Maplewood, NJ
*sits up and pays attention*
Subrosian_Smithy
endless
- Location
- Washington
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Hers
Why not? That seems pretty in line with the "human augmentation" theme.