trans_9 | Proving Ground [ Open To All ]

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Proving Ground [ Open To All ]

The sensoriums made for a convenient training ground for all the right reasons, but most of all because they allowed Motoko to cheat. It hardly seemed fair for the world around to be controlled by whatever constituted the strongest mind, or the most established, but on these proving grounds, as ever, fairness was not part of the equation.

The world was a sleepy summer day, warm with cicada song and dry, ragged grass, knee-high in places, scorched to the earth in others. An abandoned, decrepit skeleton of a Soviet military base dominated the landscape, dotted here and there with holes like dark hollow eyes among the crumbling walls and roofless, exposed innards. Once, this place had been alive, and now it was as bleached as bones in the grass, as nature retook what man had conquered.

Here and there the rusted-out remains of tanks slumped where they had been abandoned. Red paint, incongruously fresh, marked a series of them as targets at the far end of a carefully 'makeshift' firing range, though most sat aimlessly, unmarked and unattended. The place nearest the door was dominated by one such tank, perhaps in slightly better repair than the others, and perched upon it was the reason for all the fuss and trials. Major Kusanagi folded her arms and leaned her back against the treads, casting a sidelong look at what was left of Section Nine.

It was going to be a long day.

[ OOC: ~~Wait for Subthreads, please.~~ OKAY, GO GO GO GO! ]

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John blocked the strike, and followed it up with kick aimed at inner calf. He didn't know what her abilities where, but getting the fight down to the ground where he could more easily control it seemed like a good start.

The Major stepped back to avoid it, not because she needed to, but to avoid breaking the bones in John's foot, and because it was what she would have done without the indefatigable buffer her shell provided.

Grasping his leg when it flashed by was child's play- and only slightly faster than her predetermined limit, so she raised her arm, intending to lift him bodily off his feet in a throw.

This John was actually more used to than he'd care to admit. Flying back he rolled to cushion his impact, and scrambled back to his feet. Well he'd learned to not try that again. Advancing again, but stopping just out of her reach he waited for her to give him an opening.

He recovered quickly. Good. Deliberately, the Major turned aside with the answering assault, allowing him an opening that was as manufactured as the environment around them.

He went for it by attempting to grab one of her limbs to gain some control over this fight.

It was a good choice, expertly executed, and if he hadn't been trying to throw his weight against the mass of a small car, he might have gotten somewhere. As it was, Motko simply stopped toying with him, took another step back and, grasping John by the neck and groin threw him onto his back, like so many pounds of uncooked meat. It was over in milliseconds and she wasn't even bothering to hold onto the defensive stance.

"Not bad, for what it's worth," She pronounced over his defeated form, "You'll do."

That was defiantly familiar. A little too familiar in fact. The last time he'd been tossed around like that he was in the bowels of Skynet Central where he'd gotten his scars. Once he'd recovered he slowly got up to a sitting position. "You're not human." It was in no way a question. "Only metal throws people around like that."

"I can think of a few governing bodies who wouldn't see it that way," she returned, in good humor. He wasn't the first aboard to notice, not by far, though people usually picked up her inhumanity from here choice of aesthetics before experiencing physical strength.

"I'm cyborg," Motoko corrected him, "Military-spec, full-replacement."

"Replacement?" That was didn't match up. Unless she was like Marcus? That must be the case. Military spec though? So her universe actually embraced that kind of thing. It was a bit disturbing to him. "So you have a human brain is what you're telling me? You became this willingly?"

"The result is the same," the reply was patiently even-toned, explaining something very basic to a naive child, "It's prosthesis on a grander scale."

The Major doesn't do peg-legs or hook hands, "Speaking professionally, it's an extreme advantage. Is this going to be a problem for you?"

"It's uncomfortable, but if you're really human in there I think I can deal with it. I've seen something like it before." The person he was speaking of had almost gotten him killed though, but it was a little hard to stay made it him when he'd saved his life in the end. Also with him being here....maybe he should be a little more tolerant. "Just don't expect me to 'upgrade' alright?"

"Don't go running to the icu with every little thing and we'll call it a deal," but mostly she was just mocking him. OR maybe the Major was serious-- it can be difficult to tell. Either way, she's smiling just enough that it shows, "You'll do."

"I think I can manage that. As long as you don't make a habit of throwing me around like that." John was oddly used to that sort of possibly humorous/possibly serious statements. "So what exactly did I just sign up for?"

"Did you participate in the recent conflict with the Ohm?"

Stupid question, she knows, but it's important to get a baseline for these things.

"I did. I was part of the group that brought the defense grid back online." From his tone it was clear he wasn't overly proud of that fact. The whole thing had been just as much of mess as the rest of the planetary defense, and it was small miracle any of them were still alive.

The Major folded her arms as if to say 'so there we are,' and leveled a cool gaze across at John, "It's a miracle there were no real casualties. The organization on this ship is a joke. Ordinarily, I don't care- people too stupid to save themselves generally take care of that problem on their own, but I have a vested interest in the continuing issues we're going to have against the Ohm."

Unusually honest, but if anyone warranted it, Connor did. She liked his natural wariness enough to look past his shortcomings. Frankly, anyone who's first reaction to being kidnapped was to steal a cache of weapons and hole up was at least not stupid, if nothing else.

"I'm putting together a team. In the future we need to be able to take out small, important targets quickly," like the node, for example. Motoko knew the principles involved, and if they had simply known what they were up against, planned better and struck in a more organized fashion, the battle would have ended in a dramatically less embarrassing fashion.

As to that end... they'd address it later.

"We organize, or we die. Glad to see someone else here understands that. So how long do we have to get the team ready?" This was his way of telling her he was on board. While he wasn't looking forward to being under someone else's command again he could do a lot more good working with her than anywhere else on the ship, except maybe as the Captain, and that didn't seem very likely to happen. At least her down to business attitude would make it easier. Less ego to get in the way of completing the mission. It was also a chance to work in his element again. Hitting the enemy hard, and then bugging out before any real resistance could be encountered. "Also what kind of resources are we going to have access to? I know the mission drives the gear train, but I'd at least like to have some heavier hardware on hand in case of another surprise attack."

"I'm capable of getting us whatever we need," She replied in a way that was edged in smugness. The mixed benefits of having your fingers in the collective pies of Neuropathy, Lex Luthor, and Security.

The joys of scheming.

"Unfortunately, we have between now and whenever the next contact with the Ohm or their interests comes up," Which made every hour a nebulous decision since missions calls rarely came in more than an hour ahead of time, "I'd like to be at least useful as quickly as possible. We can add functionality as we go, but the priority is going to have to be limited to basic training and cohesion."

"Good, I have some weapons I'd like." Grenade launchers for one. They should break up those formations of warriors nicely next time he ran into them.

"Tell me what you want me to do?" He could think of several things already, but he was willing to let her direct him for the moment. It was also her team, and he didn't want to disrupt whatever schedule she'd already planned out.

Ah, and here is where more than John himself began to matter.

"What you've already done," she noted mildly, and the edge of sarcasm to her tone was enough to convey her whole opinion on the placement, "We need a fortified location in the city. I know you haven't been here for particularly long, be believe me when I say we're fighting a war on at least three fronts- and the Ohm are the only one that has any problem coming right up to our doorstep."

With that, John's Omnicom chimed cheerfully, displaying a helpful list of everything he could possibly want to fortify and stockpile a useful weapons cache of modest size, for the team, "I've given you clearance to security-level access to weapons and possessions. Try doing this discreetly, if you can."

He'd better.

"No point in doing it if it isn't discreet." He'd helped smuggled weapons across the border, moving them from one end of the ship to the other quietly would be easy. Security still hadn't found several of his stashes after all. Still, there was the issue of a suitable location. His current hideout had the space, but not the security. Especially with that cat about. "I've been fortifying Grand Central Station, but I think for this team we'll need somewhere else. I only set up shop there out of expediency anyway. I'll see what sort of alternate locations I can find. You have any issue with me setting up in it? I'd prefer to not stay in the crew quarters."

"We should set up multiple safehouses eventually," but it didn't need repeating that for now functionality was all that mattered. Growth after sustainable life, after all, "But for now, I see no problems with that."

"I'll get a list of possible locations, I already have a few in mind. Do you have a secure way for me to contact you when I'm finished?" Last thing he wanted was Security having any idea where he was storing this hardware, especially as some of those locations were his own personal caches.

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Proving Ground [ Open To All ]

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