Log:Crosstime Apocalypse, Scene 1

Crosstime Apocalypse 2014/01/03 	 Pescara Pleiades 2

Champions Mush - Friday, January 03, 2014, 8:19 AM

Conference Room

''This room is a study in well-lit grey: the upper walls are light grey with darker gray carpeting and wainscoting. The prominent furniture is a single long table, lots of chairs and plenty of electrical outlets for laptops, projectors, and all the paraphernalia of modern meetings.

Commander Pescara Siata of the SDPA Space Forces is always a somewhat austere woman in her late 20s with short dark green hair and yellow eyes, but when she requests an in-person meeting with Sergeant Sieglinde Nachtmann, she looks stiffer than usual, as if she is consciously clamping down on her emotions.

Pleiades walks in and salutes, "Sergeant Nachtmann, reporting as ordered, Ma'am."

Commander Pescara Siata returns the salute and gestures to a nearby chair in the otherwise empty room. "Have a seat, sergeant," she says. "You might need it before we are through."

Pleiades nods, "Yes, Ma'am." She sits down, at attention.

Commander Siata frowns, sighs and starts to say something then stops herself and changes direction, asking instead, "How long have you been with the SDPA sergeant?"

Pleiades blinks, "Um. I started at the Academy when I was 11, Ma'am. I was formally accepted into the service a year before I graduated, when I was 15. I'm 21 now. So 10 years, or 6 years, as you like it, Ma'am."

Commander Siata nods, "And how many times during those years have you had to issue orders that you knew were likely to result in the death of somebody under your command? ... and I don't mean average combat missions, but the *likelihood* of death?"

Pleiades shakes her head, "Never, Ma'am. I've always been the lowest ranked person in my units."

Commander Siata hmms, "Lowest ranked at sergeant? You've been keeping elite company." She sighs again and says, with a hint of a smirk, "If we both live through this, remind me to do something about that."

Pleiades nods, "Yes, Ma'am. I had the honor of serving in Strike Force Six, under Major Apocalyptica during my previous combat duty."

Pescara says, "Okay. Back to the matter at hand. A few years ago, several brilliant mages in research shared with the SDPA a disturbing report. They were studying the habitability of several worlds; specifically they were looking to see if common markers could be found that could predict why some populaces died during a disaster and some survived. They found something they did not expect."

Pleiades listens attentively.

Pescara says, "In several of the world they were studying, they found a serial progression - specifically, the destruction of each world in the series occurred one after the other chronologically."

Pleiades says, "Something's moving from planet to planet. Do we suspect a relic from the Last War?"

Pleiades says, "Er, wait, these dated from before the Last War, nevermind."

Commander Siata shakes her head, "This progression is fairly recent: last 18 years by our best estimate. In addition the pattern was missed because the destruction was not the same on each world. The last world hit by this had a zombie infection, the world before by flesh-eating cockroaches.

Pleiades fists clench. "And it's coming here, Ma'am?"

Commander Siata nods, "It may already be here. Since the SDPA was made aware of it, we discovered several intelligent shapeshifters called 'fear mongers' that have been following in the destruction's wake like Earth remora following a shark.

Pescara says, "A fear monger was recently captured in Washington D.C. on Earth."

Pleiades nods and relaxes slightly, "Fortunately this planet has an abnormally high number of Rank B and higher mage-equivalents. Have we alerted the planetary authorities to this threat?"

Commander Siata nods, "We have notified a few key people, but given the presence of the fear mongers, as you can imagine we have been reluctant to start a panic based on such vague information as we have.

Pleiades nods, "I see, Ma'am. So what is our defense plan?"

Pescara says, "Reconnaissance. We station an agent on Earth to find out anything they can about the intelligences we theorize to be behind the attacks so that we can organize an effective defense in the future."

Pleiades nods, "So we'll be receiving another agent, Ma'am?"

Commander Siata shakes her head slowly, her eyes growing wet but not crying through sheer force of will. "No sergeant. You are the agent. I will be leaving to a quarantined monitoring station today."

Pleiades smiles, "Roger that, Ma'am. May I speak freely. Ma'am?"

Commander Siata nods, swallows and chokes out, "Of course."

Pleiades says, "Ma'am, I understand your concerns, but don't worry. This planet is as or better protected than our capitol, Migard. The local Mages may be a bit less organized, but they make up for it by having greater power than our rank and file Combat Mages. If you don't mind me being a little creative with my orders, I'd like to stop this entity, whatever it is, here, and not just perform reconaissance. I'm terrible at Intelligence work, but I'm good at plunging headfirst into trouble and fighting through it. And, um, if I don't survive, please let my father and my sisters know that I love them. Um, and, um, Investigator Theresa Lancaster too.""

Commander Siata smiles, "If can form some type of effective force, I encourage you to do so. The existing earth forces are concentrating on the fear mongers in the hopes that one is following more than his brethren's trail. The one in Washington D.C. appears to be a native of the last planet who followed the others when the last of his food succumbed to the zombie infestation. You can assist them if your paths cross, but don't forget your mission. I'll download the results of the last two agent's reports to your gauntlet once our researchers are done with them ... or perhaps a bit faster if you don't mind piecemeal reports." She stands in dismissal, but holds out her hand for a shake instead of a salute. "I'll do what I need to do, but for now you should look forward to telling your family how you feel after this has all blown over."

Pleiades nods, and smiles as she shakes her hand, "Will do, Ma'am. And, while it hasn't been very long, it's been a pleasure serving under you Ma'am. I look forward to writing up my report after this incident with some trepidation."

Pescara says, "Don't wait for a complete report. Keep me informed as often and as quickly as possible."

Pleiades salutes, "Yes Ma'am!"