trans_9 | 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! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"An Impala is a good car. Lots of room." For both people, and weapons.

"So it promises cake? Why?" The rest of what Dean told him he could understand. The AI was clearly testing the crew probably trying to find a weakness, but to offer incentive? That was really out of the ordinary for that kind of situation. Maybe it just wanted them especially motivated?

"One of the reasons my dad picked her out." With some helpful advice by a future son, *coughs*. Yeah, John, Dean's not a stranger to the time travel business either.

"No idea, other than to keep you going."

"Your dad had some sense. Wish there was more like you, and him on this ship." Just a few like them, and he could have a team he could rely on. Still he wasn't in any position to complain. A couple of allies is more than he had before.

"Why hasn't anyone done anything about it?" It seemed like this crew was completely blind to the actions of the AIs on the ship.

"Probably didn't want to risk a violation or that Punishment crap we get threatened with if we rack a high enough score with them."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, he sure as hell did." The guy was a son of a bitch and a deadbeat at times, but yeah he still loved and missed the old man.

"The ship is welcome to try to punish me." John didn't feel the need to go into detail with just what he would do if it did. He was sure Dean would pick up on the implied ripping out of its circuits.

"My mother tell you where you can find us on the ship?" Grand Central might not be the nicest place to live, but it was home for now.

Dean couldn't help grinning some and agreeing with that sentiment.

"Nah, not really."

"Grand Central Station in the city. At least for now. Most suitable location I could find on short notice. Plenty of room at least. Done some work on the place as well. I don't like to be somewhere without some defenses." Though with the recent arrival of a certain cat he was considering moving. There had to be somewhere more suitable in the city. He had only explored a tiny fraction of it so far.

Dean nodded and made a note of it. "Sure we'll stop by some time. Looking to grab a place ourselves. Quarters are too cramped."

It was an okay fit when it was just him and Sam. But now with Cas needing to sleep as well, they needed bigger residence. Plus easier to store their own guns when they're not in the Impala.

"If you need to feel free to crash with us. It's not the ritz, but it's livable." Hey at least he'd managed to get some water running in the place. "If you don't mind being around us some more that is."

Dean shrugged at that, "It's fine. If we get a place somewhere you guys are welcome over too. And hey I grew up mostly living in cheap and some downright shitty motel rooms. I ain't expecting much here."

John, and his mother had spent their share of time in shitty motel rooms as well. It was kind of scary the similarities between their life experiences. "Thank you, it's appreciated. When you do find somewhere we'll drop by to at least say hello."

Possibly also to assess the location's suitability for falling back to in case of disaster at the station.

Proving Ground [ Open To All ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]

Re: [ Entrances ]