genessia | Cpl. Gerald Reporting for Duty

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Cpl. Gerald Reporting for Duty

[When the pod opens in the Bay, it takes a while for the young woman inside to even wake up. She shifts, groans, and soon everything comes into focus. She's staring at a cave ceiling. What happened...?]

[When she moves, she notices the box settled on her stomach, and how her rifle is stuffed into the pod next to her. Sitting up she opens the box and goes through what's inside to find the necklace, video phone, money, and note explaining where she was... Genessia? But how? All she could remember was going to sleep in her bunk. Was this a dream?]

[It had to be. She was in full uniform. She didn't go to sleep in full uniform, that's for sure.]

[Maria gets out of the pod, her boots protecting very well against the water. Reading the instructions on how to use the phone, she tries to make an announcement.]

---

[The screen shows a blonde-haired girl wearing a red beret and square-framed glasses. She has green eyes, and it's clear to see the butt end of a rifle from over her shoulder. The rest of the details of her uniform are unclear.]

G... Greetings. I am Corporal Maria Gerald of Squad Thirteen - The Valiant Hearts; Forge Special Forces. If there is anyone out there, please respond. I repeat: please respond.

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[Is that... IS THAT WHO--]

[Oh my God, it is!]

Maria! [Amelia would really try not to look too excited to see her friend, but she can't really contain it.] Maria, is it really you?!

Oh my goodness, Amelia! [It's comforting to see a friendly face, especially Amelia's.] It's me, yes! Where are we? How did we end up here?

[It's so good to see you, Maria! You don't even know!] Well, that's a tough one to answer. But maybe you should come to my place first, and we can get you all set up.

[She's already getting her coat on, but she hands her phone to Bit.] Say hello to Maria, Bit! And Maria, don't leave the bay!

[Having been handed the phone that looks almost entertainingly large in Bit's hands, he waves to Maria excitedly.]

[Oh it's great to see Bit too. Maria smiles to the little robot and gives a little wave back of her own.] Hello Bit! And alright, I won't go too far... just let me get out of the water.

[Maria only goes as far as the shore, and she waist right in that spot for Amelia. It's alright! She's used to standing in one place for a long time!]

I'll be right there! [Amelia's scrambled to put on her jacket and ushers Bit along with her. He'd follow in his usual duckling-like fashion, but when his little legs had a hard time keeping up, Amelia put him on her shoulders so he can just ride along. It's a bit of a trip to the Bay - Amelia actually catches a bus, and is dropped off there not far from Maria.]

[When she steps off the bus, she runs right for Maria.] Maria! Hey! [She stopping just short of hugging the girl, Amelia blushes just a little. The thought had crossed her mind.] Uh... Welcome to Genessia!

Edited 2014-01-22 21:04 (UTC)

[Hearing Amelia's voice, Maria turns towards her to see her come running straight at her. For a second, Maria is almost the one to hug her! But, then, she decides not to since it seems her friend hadn't done it either. It was a little awkward, but... that's Amelia for you!]

I'm... glad to be here? [She gives Amelia a confused look.] So this really isn't Ironhart?

No... this isn't really Ironhart. Come on, let me tell you about it... [She waves Maria along and starts making her way back towards her home. It's quite a few blocks away (if she remembers the map right), so the two of them have a bit of a walk ahead of them! And despite the fact that Maria's armed to the teeth and dressed in uniform, it seems like not a lot of people seem to pay her much mind - the average Genessia citizen is no different than your faceless NPC in a game.]

This is a place called Genessia. The note should have said that much. No one really knows how they got here, just that they woke up in some weird pod and were told to just... live here.

And this place is really weird... You just missed a huge battle.

[Liking Maria so much, Bit doesn't have any problem making his way down from Amelia's shoulders and becoming rather insistent that Maria instead carry him as they walk.]

Edited 2014-01-22 21:17 (UTC)

[Maria loves Bit! So she picks him up and carries him as Amelia starts leading her home. Hearing about Genessia is strange... What kind of place is it where someone just wakes up in pods? it seems very sci-fi. Honestly the whole thing reeked of Rudolph... some almost fictional-sounding, terrible virtual reality.]

A battle...? [That catches her attention.] There are battles here? It's a dangerous place?

Yeah... [Amelia still shudders to think of the giant creature that had destroyed so much of the city, including a lot of her home. Somehow it got fixed - almost magically - and that wasn't any more settling.] This place is evidently one of the most dangerous places I've ever been in. [Pair that with the fact that Wily's a world-domineering crack-pot... Gugh. Why did she vote for that guy?]

... But with you here, I'll feel a bit better. But I don't think this place actually has a military like Forge did... So maybe you'd have to work for one of the Guardians.

[N-No military...?]

This city doesn't have a standing military and it's that dangerous? You have to be kidding...

Well, working for a guardian sounds... I guess very similar to what I'm used to doing. Perhaps I could look into that... [After all, she's not sure what someone with her skills can do... well, actually, she's really good at book-keeping and documentation. That's always useful!]

[No, no military. But don't worry, all your weaponry needs are easy to cover! If she can't load you up with grenades, Ruby can probably fix your guns should they need repairs.]

I haven't actually met any of the Guardians yet. I can't really tell you where they hang out. Maybe you should... I dunno, make a job posting?

[After a while, they make it - the Matisse! Amelia lead Maria up to the second floor and into her home. It's a single-story apartment with a conjoined living room and bedroom, separated only by a half-wall. It has a kitchenette and a bathroom too. And, as expected, it's messy as heck. For example, Maria might find a plastic baggie full of nuts and bolts in the fridge.]

Home sweet home! You should really get a place here. Or you can just stay with me if you want.

[Oh wow. Amelia's home is as messy as she remembers it. But this is without her Dad around to add to the mess, so... was it really just Amelia who never cleaned up? Maria doesn't ask. it would be kind of rude, but as she looks around the home she knows that she can't even stay there. It's not big enough!]

Maybe I will get my own place here... It seems a little... crowded. A-Anyway, I suppose I'll look into some sort of job...

[Awww, come on Maria! Aw well, it wouldn't be as fun as we think because Amelia hates sleep-overs or anything remotely girly.] Well, I can show you to the super's office and get you set up then, but maybe you'd like to relax first, huh? Maybe have some coffee?

[Except romance novels, if she remembers right!]

[Amelia was right, of course... Maybe it was best that Maria take a second to really gather herself before she sets out to make a living in this new world that she's apparently not supposed to leave.]

Okay... Yes, that sounds best. I'll take mine with lots of milk, please.

[Stepping over Amelia's usual mess, she clears herself a place to sit before doing just that.] So... what about Galen, or the Captain?

[Yeah yeah, shut up!]

[Amelia moves to her kitchen, setting up her coffee-maker and turning it on. This place was great, you know. Pre-ground coffee beans,a machine specifically made to make coffee... this wasn't the sorta stuff she has back at home! Well, pre-ground beans are, but they're way more expensive.]

[When Maria asks her question though, Amelia sighs and shakes her head.] Neither of them are here, Maria. It's just you and me and a bunch of other people. But all these people, they're from entirely different worlds... entirely different universes.

[Maria sets Bit down next to her so her lap is open. She fidgets a bit, rubbing her hands together. No Gale, no Ziel, and people from entirely different worlds? How is that possible? Just trying to think about it makes her start worrying.]

This can't be real. What you're saying is impossible. H... How could you be so comfortable with that?

I'm not comfortable with it. [Amelia said this firmly, and for the moment left it at that. At least until the coffee was done.]

[Bringing Maria hers, Amelia sat herself next to the Corporal and let Bit climb into her lap.] Maria, before you got here, I don't think I've ever felt so alone. Not only were you, Gale, Ziel, or any one I recognize here, but this place has technology I've never seen before. I couldn't just start working to take my mind off things. I'm really in the dark here.

[She's been up for days just trying to learn as much as she can. She's holding up well enough.] But we're here together now, so maybe we can get out of here together and go back home. For now, we have to play nice with everyone else who's stuck here.

[That's right... There are other people stuck here, isn't there? Maria's almost ashamed she thought of herself first. If she wants to get home, she needs to help all the others.] Right... [Maria sighs, sipping her coffee.] ... Then I suppose that will be my job. I'm going to look for a way out of this place and back home. [She's not much for investigations, but if she looks around enough she's bound to learn something. All she needs to do is find out where to look.]

[Oh wow. The Valiant Hearts? That is such a cool team name. They sound like the nicest military group ever.

A teenage girl pops up on Maria's video phone.]

Um... Hello. I'm Ruby, nice to meet you!

[Maria blinks, but smiles at the younger girl the same way she'd comfortingly smile at any child she dealt with in Forge.] Hello Ruby, it's nice to meet you too.

[Um... what does she say now? She gets a little nervous.]

... Can I help you with something?

[Oh no, this is getting a little awkward.]

Oh, right! I could really go for a-

[Wait a second.]

Wait, weren't you were the one asking for people to respond? Don't you need something?

I... O-Oh... Right...

I'm sorry! I... I wasn't sure what I'd do when someone actually responded!

[She clears her throat.]

I just... woke up here. I was just, um... I guess testing the waters?

I got in touch with a friend so I guess I'm waiting for her now! [Well now she's just crazy embarrassed and acting weird.]

Don't worry about it, I-uh... kind of did the same thing when I first got here. It's kind of awkward when you first wake up in those weird cocoon thingies.

[It's okay, she's great at acting embarrassed and weird too.]

Testing the waters? Well the stuff in the Bay is kind of cold... you should go somewhere else.

[Oh Ruby, you're so funny. But that's not what she meant.]

It's... it's a figure of speech...

Anyway... I am going somewhere else. [Hm... she takes a shot in the dark, because knowing Amelia...] Do you know Amelia Inglebert? She's a scientist and inventor who is also here. She's from where I'm from.

O-oooooh okay.

[That makes Ruby freeze for a second. Oh she's met Amelia and while Amelia is nice, she may have experimented on Ruby a little.

It was awkward.]

Y-You're not a science k-kind of person like her? A-are you?

Ah... hahah... Hahahaha!

[Maria can't help but laugh at Ruby's expression.] You've met Amelia alright!

[She calms down, but is obviously really entertained by that.] No. I'm a Marksman in the Forge military, the one she worked for, for a while... I met her when she had already left to freelance on her own.

[Wait? What is she laughing about? Ruby will laugh too, because that's the safest response.]

Oooooh A marksman... That's so cool! I have a scythe that's also a customized high impact sniper rifle?

What kind of weapon do you have!?

[A sniper rifle? Maria perks up.] A scythe that's also a sniper rifle? That sounds very interesting - very unique. I think back where I come from, we were just beginning to experiment with multi-faceted weaponry like that.

I have a few weapons, though... They're not as impressive as that. I have a standard-issue Ironhart Military rifle, two custom-made pistols, and one longsword.

[And she's good with all of them, thank you very much. Except not as good with her sword.]

It's pretty great, I made it myself so it's the only one of it's kind.

[She'll hold the folded up weapon to the screen so Maria can take a look at it.]

Oh wow, that's quite an arsenal, sounds like you're covered for pretty much any range.

That was the plan, yes! A soldier must be adaptable for any situation, especially one like me. [She looks at the weapon shown off to her. It sure doesn't look like a scythe all folded up like that...]

... I assume it's compacted so you can carry it around. That's actually really interesting! And you made it all by yourself? Amelia must adore you.

Yeah, that's exactly it! Oh right, I should actually unfold it!

[And she'll stand back and so Maria can see as it goes from a folded bundle into a pretty darn big red and black scythe.]

Yeah everyone at the school I went to forged their own weapons.

Iiiiiii haven't actually shown it to Amelia yet.

[She's not sure if she wants to either seeing as most things in Amelia's room were in pieces on the floor when she went there.]

[What the heck is THAT? Wow!]

Everyone at school? You must come from somewhere really amazing!

And if you do show it to Amelia, maybe you shouldn't let her touch it. In fact, I recommend that.

[She'll shrug a little.]

I guess, it seemed pretty normal to me.

[She'll nod in agreement.]

I think it that would be the best for everyone, especially for me and Crescent Rose.

I... guess it would seem pretty normal to you, wouldn't it? Of course.

[Heheh...]

Well, Amelia may be... eccentric, but she's not a bad person. Trust me when I say that even if she can be hard to get along with, she does care for people.

Well yeah. Everyone doing it makes it kind of normal, I guess.

Y-yeah, I know you're right about that. She may be kind of really weird, but she was just trying to help.

I'll know what I'm in for the next time she offers to.

I read you, corporal.

[Military-styled communication became second nature to Sofia after being an agent for too long now, so she responded to that without even thinking]

Can't say I'm one of your troops, but I'll be happy to escort you until you find shelter.

[Hearing that sort of military talk is actually comforting to a soldier like her.]

I've recently come into contact with someone from home, so I believe I'll be finding shelter soon. Could I ask you to identify yourself?

Oh, that's good.

You can call me Sofia.

Sofia. Very well! It's nice to hear from someone. Are there many people here? From what I can tell there are many citizens but they don't seem... talkative. [Maria is referring to the nameless, almost faceless people she sees passing her by. "Regular" women, children, and folks going about their daily lives.]

Not many of us with necklaces, yeah. Those citizens aren't really people, they just exist to make this place feel less desolate.

They're... not really people? Truly? That's... [Well it doesn't make her feel any better.]

Yeah, they're not.

[Sofia answered as direct as always. She doesn't have much else to say]

[And she's stuck here.]

... Well, I'll just have to get used to it, I suppose.

Thank you for your assistance. I won't take any more of your time, as I have work I should be looking for. But... one last question. Would you know of any place someone with a soldier's skill set could go?

I think they're hiring City Guardian assistants. Contact a man who goes by Captain Hammer, he's the city's Guardian, and he'll help you out.

Captain... Hammer?

[Well, he is a captain. Maybe he's part of the military!]

Thank you, that should do nicely. Over and out.

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Cpl. Gerald Reporting for Duty

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