apocalypsehowmods: (Default)
Apocalypse How Mods ([personal profile] apocalypsehowmods) wrote in [community profile] apocalypsehowcomm2023-05-16 08:27 am

Event - Dogged


Dogged

The message goes out to everyone on ADI's network. It seems to be something captured live. It's Pam Ruan, head of HR who holds a prosthetic finger up to her lips before whispering, "Everyone's pushing for transparency right now, right? Figuring out where threats are coming from and sharing. I think that should come at all levels. Let's see what Nia's talking about with Mr. Zyrian Steel, hmm?"

The camera flips around as Pam clearly creeps closer to an office door. There are muffled voices, and Pam sets the phone face up before using one hand to shove the thing under the door. The video shows a sliding picture of the office's bland ceiling for a moment before coming to a stop. The voices become much clearer.

"-down in Wolf Trap," a masculine voice is saying. Presumably, Zyrian Steel. "There's just no need for that."

"Zyrian, this ain't a negotiation." Nia Lehrer's voice is familiar to most people working at ADI at this point. They've likely heard her speak in some pre-recorded training videos at the bare minimum. Nia's tone is no nonsense and clearly on the edge of snapping in frustration. "You're not hiring us. I'm sending my people down to Wolf Trap next month. We've got evidence of those signalhead things being on the march, one down that way, your kick off for New Horizons in the park, and evidence out of there about the Lullaby Girl from some of my people."

There is silence.

"You remember her? Ava? Or Amber, it seems like. She's the one you gave us those Lucidio masks to help train our people against. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you don't remember her, Mr. S." Another drawn out pause. "You ain't been straight with me for a long time. You ain't been straight with ADI since Tawnya was Warden. You tell me you need us in Buffalo, payback for helping in Wolf Pen and Cortana and the mobile med units, and not only do half the staff come back with crab claws and whiskers, but I find out you're using us for business politics." There's venom in her tone. "Or were you just going to stay quiet about Etcher's enterprises competing with your own software companies? ADI is not your personal attack dog. You are our client. And I thought my friend. But I'm about 30 seconds away from firing you from both."

Further silence, then a heavy sigh. "And I was going to offer to send you and your staff on such a nice retreat." There's the sound of a chair being pushed back. "Warden, I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. You are the dogs. I am the master. I hold your leash. Or have you forgotten just how much technology I've donated to ADI over the years, how many of your systems run on things I built? We've had a mutually beneficial relationship up until now- Well… you and I have. Tawnya got to be a problem before the end, too. But I made sure that was taken care of."

"You self-aggrandizing son of a-"

"You're a much more practical woman than she ever was, even with those shiny ideals you hold so dear. You'll compromise for the greater good, to protect what's yours. Such a good Warden, looking out for her charges."

"What are you talking about? And get your hands the hell off my desk."

"Haven't you ever wondered about the title? Warden. Odd name for a leader of any organization, even one like yours. But maybe not so odd when you consider your more eldritch masters." A scoff. "The Hunt always does pick out the most oblivious avatars, doesn't it? What does a Warden do?" A beat. "She controls the monsters, Nia. Sniffs them out and contains them. And she goes after the poachers coming after her prey. Tell me, have you ever noticed how you're always picking up on threats far afield with uncanny precision. It's been getting stronger, hasn't it? Tawnya was the same way. As was her predecessor, I imagine."

"That's not- I wouldn't ever…"

"Wouldn't you, though? Every time you sent your own dogs after a threat, reveled in it, you were being such a good Warden, instilling terror in the hearts of your enemies, ADI's enemies. So many cults know who and what you are and they fear it. Fear the Warden of ADI, famed avatar of the Hunt. Even now, I know you've compromised yourself. Have you considered what that's done to you? You let that Visionary kid stay alive. I rather think that might have been the start of your slide, hmm? Making exceptions, just this once.

"Now," he continues, voice growing louder and footsteps starting toward the phone, "I realize this is a lot to take in, to think about. Why don't you do that self-reflection while I attend to other matters? You are doing good work, puppy. I need a dependable pet to take care of all those nasty pests who keep trying rituals. But no need to worry about the New Horizons launch, really. I'll just-" Zyrian pauses and everyone will have a view of a middle-aged caucasian man with dark, slightly graying hair and a beard. He's wearing khakis and a Hawaiian shirt, and he's looking down at Pam's phone.

"Well… fuck." He stomps a heeled shoe on it and the transmission ends abruptly.


➥ Links
  • OOC Questions - LINK
  • General Setting Prompts - LINK
  • NPC/Mod Response Prompts - LINK
failedpromise: (Default)

[personal profile] failedpromise 2023-05-20 06:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Even if there weren't, I'd rather go down fighting." Give up and be left alone by the entities while they go consume someone else? No. No one should have to be an entrèe to some alien nightmare.

"We might need to change our tactics, is all."
worthallthis: (sheepish)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-23 06:22 am (UTC)(link)
Winter looks vaguely uncomfortable. "I don't know any other tactics," he admits. "I only know how to shoot things."
failedpromise: (Profile)

[personal profile] failedpromise 2023-06-05 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Cortana sighs. "To tell the truth, I'm not very familiar with the non military approach either."

Its the truth. She's a military AI after all -- shooting things and blowing them up is pretty much the default in her experience.

"But while it is sometimes necessary, I think over reliance on more destructive methods might be causing more harm than good. Violence instills fear, right? At least some of the avatars we encounter appear to have been lured to the entities while in vulnerable positions -- it may be more effective to seek ways to intervene before that happens."

She makes a thoughtful noise. "The more I think about it, the more I think George's approach was the right one."
worthallthis: (thinking)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-06-06 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
"George's approach." Winter pauses, thinking back. George is one person he does miss, who's gone, but he doesn't know exactly what counts as his approach to entities. What he does remember is: "Fish and goats? ... and the homeless people group?"
Edited 2023-06-06 16:13 (UTC)
failedpromise: (Cute)

[personal profile] failedpromise 2023-06-07 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"He was nonviolent, Winter."

Cortana corrects him with something approaching amusement. "You know that the options outside of fish and goats were bombs and flamethrowers, right? While they would have been effective, the destruction caused by burning an entire island would have likely caused a panic, and if the coal in the mines caught fire during an explosion it could have turned the entire town into a Superfund site." She pauses after this, though only for a moment or two. "No matter what we managed to prevent, the fears would still be fed. At least, the Desolation would be."

She chews her lip. To someone sufficiently nerdy it might be interesting how human her expressions are. "George's methods avoided that. Hell, he probably saved civilian lives. I think those are goals worth aiming for."

"And yeah, helping people in vulnerable situations. The homeless are easy prey for cultists: you can use promises of food and shelter to coerce them into joining, and if they get kidnapped for use as sacrifices fewer people are likely to notice or care. Limiting that resource could deal a major blow, similar to cutting off a supply line."
Edited 2023-06-07 21:52 (UTC)
worthallthis: (cautious)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-06-10 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that... is not a thing Winter ever really considers. Being completely nonviolent in mission situations. He looks maybe a little uncomfortable. "Fighting is all I know how to do." Without that-- what the hell even is he going to do? He's not good at people. He's still not one-hundred percent convinced he is one yet.
failedpromise: (BadNews)

[personal profile] failedpromise 2023-06-30 04:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"You're not the only one." Her expression darkens. Can she even be anything other than a weapon? The last time she tried to create peace and help everyone, she destroyed multiple planets.

"But I think we have to figure it out."
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-07-03 07:40 am (UTC)(link)
She might have a point. Fighting, killing, that scares people. But it's also terrifying not knowing what to do. If you even can do other things.

And of course, there's the biggest problem. "Not sure if we can do that working for the Hunt," he points out unhappily, looking around at the building around them. "Seems like fighting is what it's for."
failedpromise: (Worry)

[personal profile] failedpromise 2023-10-13 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"That and relentlessly pursuing seemingly impossible goals." ...Which trying to find a nonviolent approach could fall under, though she thinks--hopes--that it's too much of a stretch.

She sighs. "It'd be nice if we could put someone else in charge."