Find cover. That robot does not look like good news.

approach cautiously, examine orb a bit but do not touch it.

Oh shit son, we're playing BALLBLAZER! Fuck yeah! We gotta grab that orb, it's a plasmorb, and toss it through the goalposts, hurry!

Any Blazer who doesn't understand forcefields doesn't understand the game. Imagine that your Rotofoil is surrounded by a big pillow of energy--that's your Bumpfield, and objects, like other Rotofoils, bounce off it.

When the Plasmorb gets close--about seven and a half meters--your Pullfield is activated and captures the ball. Of course, this is a /smart/ forcefield--it centers the ball on the goal side, as your Rotofoil snaps around to face it. Then you're ready to make a charge downgrid and make a goal.

Finally, you activate your Pushfield with the fire buttons. It's as if the big energy pillow is suddenly pushing out. It only works when the Plasmorb is within ten meters. You can tell when the ball is close enough to use the Pushfield by listening for the buzz.

Well, check out what's up your neck.

Suggestion 2010/06/11(Fri)13:03 No. 191951 ID: 731dcd
File 127628663645.png - (2.48KB , 640x400 , Lizzy.png )

You notice with some alarm a vaguely humanoid shape in the distance. Leaning against the mountain itself is some great mechanical monster in the shape of man. But it stands motionless. Regardless, it unnerves you and you search for options of escape. There are ramps leading up and down the mountain but both are close to the robot thing. There is, of course, the cliff to your back, but that as an option is at best an undesirable one.

You then slowly approach the orb. As you step closer, there is a surprised yelp from the orb itself. "Oh!" says the feminine voice you heard earlier. It's definitely coming from the orb. "Oh thank goodness, you're awake! I was so worried you weren't going to wake up in time! Oh, there's just so much to talk about, I hardly know where to begin!" She seems energetic. You don't feel in any kind of danger at least. "Welcome, Contestant X, to the games! I've read your dossier and I imagine you have all kinds of questions. Please, feel free! I'll answer to the best of my abilities. My name is Elizabeth and I'll be acting as your agent in your time here. I'll give you a moment to organize your thoughts, but I do encourage you to seek out a weapon at your earliest ability. We'll get to that in a moment though. Do you have anything you wish to ask?"

what are these games, what is that robot, how did i get here?

>>191951

"If you could point me toward the goalposts that'd be swell. I need to punt you through them for big points on the BALLBLAZER circuit."

oh and then say "so after this you wanna get soem coffee?"

Suggestion 2010/06/11(Fri)13:23 No. 191959 ID: 731dcd
File 127628783837.png - (3.36KB , 640x400 , object.png )

Your mind buzzes with questions as your hand idly travels up to the back of your neck. You can't see it, but you definitely feel something there. As your fingers touch it you feel a cold and metallic sensation and a shiver runs up your spine. Carefully, you probe the object. It's triangular in shape with three large circular openings with smaller holes inside. The closer your fingers get to the smaller holes, the more nervous you get. It's like an electric tension building as you get closer. There's also a smaller pair of openings above the trio of larger openings. You decide to leave it alone for now.

Elizabeth answers your questions with her energetic, salesmen-like vocal quality. "Well, Contestant X, this is Showtime! The most popular television show in the galaxy! You should feel very proud as very few people are recruited actively by Showtime itself! You were taken from your planet, Earth I think it was, and awoken from a long cryogenic freeze. I'm not aware of all the details, unfortunately."

"That 'robot' as you called it is a mawks. Oh, goodness, I don't think that translated right. Let me try again. It's a MOCS, or manually operated combat suit. It was going to be operated by one of my previous Contestants, but unfortunately they were killed just as the repairs were completed. He was so promising too..."

"As for what the games are, Showtime is a massive series of battles featuring Contestants like yourself. You'll be fighting monsters, beasts and other contestants all in the name of fame, glory, fabulous prizes and the entertainment of the galaxy! Umm, which brings me back to the weapon bit. The executives were pushing that you enter your first game terribly early, too early in my opinion considering your extended cryostasis. Your first challenge should be arriving in some small time so I encourage you to prepare yourself. You have several options as far as weapons are concerned and I'd be delighted to present them to you sir."

"Then again, I think we have some time. I don't think anyone could have predicted that you'd recover so quickly! We should have a bit more time to discuss things, if you'd like."

>>191959

"Is the MOCS a rotofoil, lady? I need to get in it then and win the game! Help me hook up to it, I gotta be THE MASTERBLAZER!"

"if i'm stuck here i should get a rundown on how it works." grab orb and walk over to robot "so how do i get in"

 

Masterblazers need laser light!

>>191959
Ask what weapons we can get while heading towards the suit. Bring the talking ball with you.

Suggestion 2010/06/11(Fri)19:45 No. 192287 ID: 731dcd
File 127631070335.png - (6.50KB , 640x400 , 4.png )

You approach the MOCS after grabbing a hold of the orb. "Ah, wait, umm..." Elizabeth stammers.

"I don't exactly understand everything that's going on," you start, "but it seems I'm going to be stuck here." You accept the prospect of fighting easily and feel a pang of regret somewhere in your conscience. You ignore it. You near the metal man and gesture towards it. "Fine then. How do I operate that?"

"The MOCS, Contestant X? Oh my. I hope it still operates. The repair was rather ramshackle and it was damaged some time ago by a stray plasma burst. See it on the chest there? But now that I think of it, we never did check to see if it worked. I just never thought to bring it up."

"Well, you can certainly see if it still operates. Just use the access ladder on the left leg and open the hatch. After that, plug the neural access chord into your spinal port and... Right, I keep forgetting about your profile. Look for a big chord with three prongs. You'll want to jam that into the back of your neck where we've installed a spinal port for direct access. That's about it, really. It'll react to mental commands something like operating your own body. I hear the process can be very unusual or frightening the first few times but if you'd like to make that your tool of choice then I'm sure you'll get use to it in time! I'm only so knowledgeable about such things though, so you may find yourself on your own in there."

"Then tell me about weapons." You start as soon as 'she' stops talking. "You said something earlier about weapons, what am I looking at here?" Something clicks as you say that. Military. You were most definitely a soldier. The details are still hazy but you feel yourself getting closer with every moment.

"Certainly, Contestant X. You currently have 1,000 credits in your account. That should at least get you set up. I can purchase a Splinter Rifle and have it ready for use in no time at all for a paltry 500 credits. It's a close ranged weapon that operates more like a shotgun than anything else really. The users just gave it that nickname thinking that it sounded better than a Splinter Shotgun. I think I agree, really. The audience loves this gun too! The razor sharp shards it fires make a gory mess out of opponents and it's close combat attachment (standard on all models) is a real crowd pleaser."

Elizabeth continues. "That's the safest option. I have something else from a previous contestant but it's terribly damaged. Regardless, I can offer you a Wrist Mounted Hyper Laser if you so chose. I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with it but I can tell you what it's supposed to do. Simply put, it charges briefly and then fires a pinpoint blast up to an extensive range. This takes about three seconds. It's darn pretty to watch in action."

"If neither of those options seem particularly attractive, I can search the local market. I can't really say what I'll find there but it's very likely that whatever I find will come second hand and not operate at full capacity. Give me a price range to operate by and I can find something, I'm sure. I just don't know what it'll be or how long it'll take."

She pauses to catch her breath. "My, these pitches can take a lot out of you!" She laughs lightly. "Hmm. I suppose there's one last option. You could fight unarmed." She doesn't seem particularly enthused with this. "You definitely have a great build and nobody fights unarmed. It's viable too, someone made it all the way to rank 4 with nothing more than their bare hands! I think it's a little too risky though."

"Well, what do you think X?"

get a shotgun and get in the MOCS, take orb with you.

wait, see if you can plug that one wire back in, don't like the look of that.

Suggestion 2010/06/11(Fri)21:00 No. 192360 ID: 731dcd
File 127631524518.png - (8.32KB , 640x400 , 5.png )

You start your ascent into the MOCS when Elizabeth protests. “W-wait! You’re taking me- I mean the drone with you too?” You give her a look as if to ask, ‘Why not?’ She pauses. “Well… There’s a chance the drone could be damaged in the fight but like this I can give you what little information I know.” She makes a nervous sound before continuing. “Okay. Let’s go! I’m mostly used to standing on the sidelines but I’ll do what I can.”

With a little difficulty, you manage to haul yourself up to the body of the machine where you find a loose hanging wire. You consider repairing it but it doesn’t look like something you could just plug back in. Looking at the other wires, they seem quite out of place with the machine itself, almost like they’d been added as an afterthought. “With proper finances, we could do a proper repair in the future,” Elizabeth interjects. “For now though, we should focus on the first challenge.”

Moments later you open a hatch leading into the body of the machine and pull yourself in. It’s dark. “Guess internal lighting wasn’t part of the mandatory repairs,” Elizabeth remarks. The light from outside illuminates enough to give you an idea of what you’re dealing with. Various wires and unknown devices hang out from open panels like innards falling out of a gaping wound. It’s almost painful to watch. “Actually, it might still function. It was a lot worse when we first got it.” More inspiring words have been said.

“Go ahead and get me that shotgun,” you say as you try to make out the strange and alien devices before you. At least the wasteland was something familiar. Certainly you felt out of place but never so much as now.

“The Splinter Rifle? Most certainly sir. I’ll go ahead and put the order in now and… done! We should have a delivery incoming in approximately 10 minutes. I imagine we’re quite ahead of schedule now so that should arrive in time to spare. In the meantime, I suggest you make yourself comfortable with the Sanctuary. Perhaps even get some time in with the MOCS.” You look at the three pronged chord and dread the notion of stabbing that thing into your neck. Especially in such a derelict vehicle. Still, Elizabeth has some confidence in it at least.

Your thoughts are interrupted as a weak shaking fills the vehicle. The hanging instruments sway slightly for a few moments and then come to a stop. “Looks like there was a docking nearby. New neighbors, maybe?” She laughs lightly. “So much to talk about. Well Contestant X, I’m ready to bombard you with the next wave of information when you’re ready. I realize this is all very sudden so if there’s anything you’ve missed just ask and I’ll repeat or expand on whatever you’d like. With that said, there are a few subjects I think you should hear about. Your SANCTUARY, POPULARITY and SUCCESS in Showtime, and the RANKS.” She makes a shocked sound. “Oh! And I just realized! I’ve been so rude, I’ve just been referring to you as Contestant X this whole time! I haven’t even asked your name!”

You barely hear her so focused is your attention on that dangerous looking chord. You grab a hold of it and…

jam that sucker in. gotta grab life by the balls if you want anything.

oh and name is: Ezechiel
let's start with Sanctuary.

>>192360

Your name is Thomas. Based on what little history you remember, there's some sort of irony in your helper being named Elizabeth.

>>192360
(hey what is this quest called, I'm trying to wiki it}

>>192592

I vote we call it "Thomas of Earth, Masterblazer"

Screw it, you think. “My name is Ezekiel Thomas of Earth,” you confidently say. A crazy dream like this, you might as well enjoy it and go with the flow. You consider questioning her further but instead chose to take the plunge.

“A pleasure working with you Mr. Thomas. That name, it’s not bad. Still, you may wish to procure a proper stage name sometime in the future though for now you should place your priorities elsewhere. “

You nod in agreement. Stage names, game shows, it’s all complete and utterly ridiculous but a part of you urges you on. “So all I’ve got to do is kill the enemy.” Absolutely ridiculous.

“That’s right,” is Elizabeth’s cheerful reply.

Adam’s nagging voice asks if you’re okay with that, if you’re fine with just killing people again. You ignore him and grab a hold of the chord. Playing along as best as you can, you stop a moment to think up a suitably cheesy one-liner. “All right, let’s do this.” You almost laugh as you take the device and drive it home.

Then you lose everything. It’s like every limb, every sense, like every last nerve in your body goes dead. A terrifying feeling of powerlessness overwhelms you. You gasp, you twitch, you shudder, or rather you try to but each time find yourself denied. Your paralysis ends quickly only to be replaced by something equally disturbing. You see through a set of eyes that is not your own only to have that sensation robbed and replaced by the cold hard feeling of cockpit floor. Elizabeth’s voice reaches you in jumbled phrases as your hearing returns, turns to static, goes to incredibly clarity and then repeats the cycle anew. “Mis mas alr fina admin edat if rip you’d like.”

And everything returns. Every sensation returns to your body all at once, overwhelming you for a moment as you sort everything into place. You feel bile creeping up your throat but you choke it down. Your eyes water and burn, your body aches and a sharp ringing fills your ears. But there’s so much more. The cockpit of the MOCS is lit up and beeps and whirs like it’s alive. The screens in front of you display the surrounding area but they seem an unnecessary thing. Yes, unnecessary, because you can see outside without them. Like a second sight overlapping your own you see through ‘eyes’ that are not yours. You realize you are on the ground and on the cockpit floor, both at the same time, crouched in a position something like that of a predatory animal ready to pounce.

You realize then a few things. Your breathing became irregular at some point, though perhaps that’s nothing too particularly strange considering your recent ordeal. During the transition you’re certain you heard a voice that was neither your own or Elizabeth’s. And what’s more, you are quite certain that this is not a dream, that you are, in fact, piloting some 20+ feet man-shaped vehicle and preparing to enter a battle to the death in some awful blood sport.

“Are you quite alright, Mr. Thomas?” Elizabeth asks.

first time is always the worst. since you didn't explode instantly i think you are fine, tell elizabeth that. take it for a test walk. walk around and move the arms and look all over. while doing this ask her about your SANCTUARY.

"NO, I AM ABOUT TO ENTER A BATTLE TO THE DEATH IN SOME AWFUL BLOOD SPORT, WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA??"

>>207601
Who the hell's Adam?
(and what happened to the art?)

RNG 2010/07/14(Wed)03:05 No. 207642 ID: 731dcd
File 127910194452.jpg - (36.07KB , 640x400 , Update.jpg )

“I’m… Yeah, I think I’m alright.” Hell no I’m not, you think. “This just might take a little getting used to.” There is nothing that is okay about this. You can hardly believe that she’s just talking about this like it’s just some ordinary occasion. But what the hell do you do about it? You have no idea where you are and just the slightest idea of what’s going on around you. But you’re not going to panic. You’re going to figure out what’s going on, get a game plan set, and then go from there. No sense panicking just yet.

You catch something, a memory. It’s a painful one. Adam. Yeah, you remember who Adam is. It’s funny, in a macabre way, but Adam’s probably not even his name. But there’s no way you could forget that kid. His blood soaked image haunts you as you recall the time and you hear a voice though you never heard him speak. “Murderer.” Yeah, that’s right. You killed that little boy. And you never forgave yourself for it. You didn’t even know his name and you killed him. Like hell you could just let yourself forget that. “Going to go and kill more people, murderer?” His voice haunts you but you know it’s nothing more than your guilty conscience. You killed him back-

“Mr. Thomas?” Elizabeth inquires again. “Are you quite certain you’re all right? You took the adaptation process rather well. I’ve seen others react quite poorly to it in the past but you seem to be in good physical condition. But are you alright.” She sounds genuinely concerned. You almost wish she were more callous. It’d be easier to think of her as an enemy.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright,” you say again. You breath deep. Focus. Survival first. “I’m gonna try and move now.” You hold back a warning for her to hold on as soon as you remember that she has no arms. That and that thing isn’t really her anyway. You tense your leg up and you step forward. You’re rewarded with the feeling of your ‘other’ legs moving forward as well. The machine moves one steady step forward and lands with a heavy whump. You find it a satisfying sound. It’s a powerful sound. You momentarily worry about your balance and stay still for a moment but everything seems alright. It’s as easy as moving.

Another step. Then another. No, not even another step, now you realize that you can command the ‘other’ legs to move without moving yourself and the machine is all that moves (Good thing, you were running out of room). You settle back in the center of the cockpit and the machine moves forward a little more. All the while your ‘other’ eyes monitor your surroundings. Your ‘other’ head swivels about on a mount and gazes over the land before you. Inside the cockpit data passes over the three screens, operating like a HUD. A cheerfully bright neon green data relay pulses a steady set of data, “MOCS Operating at 100% Capacity.”

And you stop. A few more strides ahead of you is the cliff and beyond that a seemingly endless wasteland. You take a deep breath. There’s something empowering about the MOCS. It feels damn good piloting it. You feel very in control. It’s amazing how easy it is to operate the thing. “You’re good,” Elizabeth remarks.

“Okay,” you say, feeling just a bit calmer. “So, there’s a lot for me to learn, right?” You’ve just got to play along with their game for a bit. “Tell me about the Sanctuary.” Hell, maybe Elizabeth can even give you some information on how to get the hell out of here.

“Certainly, Mr. Thomas. Put simply, this is your sanctuary. Ahah, it would be rather convenient if I had arms right now, wouldn’t it? A sweeping wave over the scenery before you, it’s got a nice feeling to it doesn’t it? What you’re seeing right now is a personal habitat built for the Contestant Identified as G0562. That would be you. This is the safest place you’ll know in your time as a Contestant. Think of it as your new home. You’ll rest here, train here, and perhaps even play here if you have the inkling.” She laughs lightly. Play? “You have free reign over everything that happens inside this place. You’ll create defenses, design your recreational facilities and do whatever if it is that you want to do with your hard earned credits.” Recreation? What the hell is this? “Again, this is the safest place you’ll know for some time. This is your Sanctuary.”

“And I’m going to be fighting here?” You query.

“Ahah, well, yes, that’s the case for now. This is your ‘home turf’ though, so you’ll generally have an advantage over your opponent due to your familiarity with the terrain. Granted, that’s something that you lack right now but…”

“So I’ll be fighting here a lot then.” Elizabeth seems about to protest but you cut her off. “Sanctuary hardly seems an appropriate name then.”

She titters nervously. “Ahah, well, it’s all relative I suppose. Your Sanctuary is an artificial cuboid habitat approximately 2 miles in length and width. It joins the other Sanctuaries and facilities of the Division to form the Division Proper.”

“Wait, hold on a second.” You look out over the Cliffside at the endless wastes. “There’s no way this place is just two miles wide.” This is ridiculous. You’re questioning that and not the idea that some place like this exists at all? The insanity here must be contagious.

“Oh my, really now?” Elizabeth sounds shocked. “You’re not familiar with holographic imagery? Mr. Thomas, I’m shocked. What kind of planet did you come from, I wonder? In any case, the walls of the facility are much easier to note when you’re near them. It’s all for the show, of course. Scattered throughout this Sanctuary and every other are countless micro cameras which record the innumerable battles and dramas that go hand in hand with being a Contestant in Showtime. The scenic backdrop of a great wasteland and an endless clear sky fit quite nicely with the aesthetics of this place, don’t you think?” She waits a moment, expecting a response, but you’re too busy trying to swallow the information being fed to you to even attempt witty banter. “This particular Sanctuary,” she continues, “is divided up in to seven separate areas, each with their own unique properties and such. We’re in the South-Western Quadrant, a place that former contestants have called the Devil’s Teeth. It’s a sizable piece of terrain with a huge underground system that connects to the Honeycombs. The Honeycombs are, again, a large and labyrinthine underground system that connects to the Devil’s Teeth in the South-Western Quadrant, connects to the Greater Wastes in the center of the Sanctuary and goes all the way to the South-Eastern Reception Area. That’s where we properly receive visitors, like formal meetings with Platinum Star representatives and other such occasions. The terrain there is much kinder than elsewhere with sparse vegetation and a few small bodies of water. After that is… My, I’m sorry. I’m really bombarding you with information here, aren’t I?” You’re damn right you are, you think. “As you can imagine, there’s quite a bit to all this, ahah.”

“Now where was I? Right. The Greater Wastes are kind of a midway point betwixt the four quadrants. While it’s generally considered to be the greater part of the South-Eastern Quadrant it still spreads out and connects to portions of the other quadrants. I suppose you could say that the Greater Wastes are the greatest landmark here. It’s very rugged terrain decorated with rocks and boulders and tunnels leading to the Honeycomb. Very dramatic scenery. Let’s see, then there’s the North-Eastern Quadrant, the Smelter. It’s a more industrialized wasteland scene with a giant pit of liquid metal stewing in the center of it all. A bridge crosses the pit and let me tell you, we’ve had more than a few outlandish battles on that bridge. Ah, such fond memories. Finally is the Forest of Spires in the North-Western Quadrant. It’s much like it sounds, a rugged place decorated by huge pillars of rock that stretch 30 or more feet into the air. We really do have such a nice Sanctuary.”

“There are two more areas, that’s the Inner Works, which is pretty much all the machinery and whatnot that keeps the Sanctuary and the Division Proper functioning properly, and a charming little place I like to call Headquarters. You may have seen a glass walkway earlier, there are several of those that lead to there. We have a few monitoring systems of our own as well as some rather Spartan living establishments. Any real official business will be conducted there. In fact, your Splinter Rifle should be arriving there any moment now.” Elizabeth takes a deep breath herself. “Mr. Thomas, I hope you won’t take offense, but as much as I do love my job and all that it entails, I’d highly appreciate it if you didn’t die anytime soon. This sort of thing takes a lot out of me, ahah.”

You do your best to digest all the information you’ve been given. Okay, this is a start at least, you think. You’ve gotten some valuable information here. Now, what do you do with it?

Deepest apologies. I skipped the art on the last entry because I could not, for the life of me, draw the MOCS in a crouching, predatory position to my satisfaction. I’ve been trying for quite some time now and I just said, “Screw it! Let’s get on with this already!” While I would prefer that this stay a traditional image quest, I may, on occasion, post text only updates. Sincerest apologies and thanks for sticking with me.

go pickup the shotgun then look for a MOCS size foxhole to hunker down in. need a good defense position if you are to insure victory. while doing that ask about POPULARITY and SUCCESS.

RNG 2010/07/17(Sat)03:54 No. 209267 ID: 8428e7
File 127936407142.jpg - (82.19KB , 640x400 , Update0.jpg )

“I’ll do what I can,” you tell her, a weak attempt to come back at her dark humor. “I think getting properly armed will give us a good start on that. After that, I’d like to get a look at the terrain and see if I can’t find a suitable area for the MOCS to fight in.”

“Excellent, Mr. Thomas. Then we’ll want to proceed to Headquarters. You see the walkway up the mountain there?”

You nod and smile as the MOCS does so in turn. Funny, there’s something charming about the machine. “Yeah, I see it.” Looks like you’ll be able to access it you just make your way up the ramps leading up the Devil’s Teeth. They’re big enough to easily accommodate the MOCS too. “Let’s keep going then. Popularity, success, I’m guessing this has to do with the show, right?”

“That’s right sir!” Elizabeth cheerily declares. “I’d say that the two go hand in hand, really. Doing well in the world of Showtime is much more than just surviving battles. After each challenge you’ll receive a certain amount of money as a prize. At this stage, I’d expect a 1,000 credit reward. That’s what an acceptable contestant would make at this stage. But a great contestant would procure five times that with ease!”

“Y’see if the footage of a challenge is particularly enthralling or fantastic there’s a chance that it could be aired on television. In such an instance, you’d be paid a bonus dividend as incentive to continue to perform at that level. What’s more, once Platinum Star or any of the other big name companies get their eye on you you’re certain to get all sorts of special offers and invitations to VIP events! All that leads to more fame, which leads to more money, which leads to more power and success!”

The MOCS continues to make steady headway up the mountainside. You’re paying attention to Elizabeth but you keep questioning whether or not you want to push the MOCS. Things like, ‘I wonder if I could climb up this without the ramps?’ or ‘I wish I had more room so I could really push this and run.’ Her latest comments catch your attention. “Wait, what are you talking about? If you kill someone, you kill someone. Life isn’t like those action movies you see in the theaters.”

She gasps in shock. “Oh, but life is like that Mr. Thomas! That’s what Showtime is all about! Really, showmanship should be a very big concern for everyone in the business! It’s the difference between a warrior lopping off a monsters head and them getting into a desperate struggle of life and death where our battle weary blood drenched hero rises from the aftermath victorious! There’s a kind of drama to all of this that’s truly beautiful, don’t you think?”

You’re disgusted. This whole thing, it’s vile. What’s she want from him, to jump from a cliff and body slam somebody after shouting something straight out of a wrestling show? But it’s even worse than that, these people are playing with lives like they’re toys. Life should be more precious than that.

Elizabeth must’ve noticed your troubled expression. “Mr. Thomas? I know I’ve asked this a lot lately but…”

You sigh in exasperation. Something snaps. “No damn it, things aren’t alright!” You catch yourself too late, what’s said has been said. “Tch… Listen Elizabeth, don’t you understand what you’re saying?” After you start you can’t seem to stop yourself. “You can’t really expect someone to be dropped into a situation like this and just gladly go off on a rampage! Just listen to me for a second and try to think of things from my perspective. This is crazy.”

“Wha… but…” she makes a hurt sound. “But Mr. Thomas…” She sounds ready to cry. You feel like you just kicked a puppy or something. “I don’t understand… This, this is such a privilege and… whu…” There’s no way she’s really crying, right? “People… people train their whole lives just to get a chance at being one of the glorious warriors of Showtime. People like my grandpa and… If they just make it, their families can talk about the honor of just being involved in this glorious event. So… so for you to get a free ticket in and to not feel grateful, I… I just don’t understand.”

The MOCS stops to a dead halt as you stare at Elizabeth’s drone in a dumbfounded silence. She is really crying. You hear soft sobs come from the orb. There’s no way. There’s absolutely no way this is happening. Is this society so radically different? And even thinking all this, you still feel guilty, like you did something wrong. Yeah, you think, that’s right, I did something wrong by objecting to be subject to a death match. How cruel of me. But even thinking so logically you can’t help but feel a little bad.

The rest of the travel to the walkway is silent. Elizabeth seems to calm down after a minute or so and you’re left with your own thoughts concerning the matter. Finally you stop in front of the glass walkway. It strikes you that there’s no way the MOCS will fit in there and you feel hesitant to leave the machine. You’d like nothing more than to just get a stronger grasp of the machine and its capabilities right now, even with the unpleasant air between Elizabeth and you. It’s just such a powerful feeling piloting the thing. It’s something like when you drove a car for the first time. Except instead of a car, it’s a monster truck and you’ve been given the go ahead to just go on and smash through neighborhood.

“Mr. Thomas,” Elizabeth suddenly says. She sounds down, dejected, almost like a completely different person. “I might not understand what you’re going through but…” She stops a moment and determinedly says, “but I’ll do everything in my power to assist you in your goals, whatever they may be.” She stops again and, regaining some of her vigor says, “After all, I’m your agent. You can count on me.”

"thanks, Elizabeth, i think it's mostly a culture clash. where i'm from things like this don't happen. now, do i just yank this thing out out my head or some shut down procedure i need to do?" follow her instructions on removal. don't worry you will be getting back into it as soon as you have your gun. get out with the drone and head towards the place you are picking it up at.