>>35568410
You sit down on a bench, behind it is one of Little Downtown's many fake stores complete with animatronics. This one has a gun store with animatronics silently acting out a three-way shootout between the two shopkeepers, a SWAT officer, and two customers. The fake guns light up when 'fired' and the outcome of the firefight seems to be random.
You pull out your PDA. With a couple taps on the touchscreen you bring up the "Unable to Locate" App again, displaying the homes and current locations of everyone in Able Squad.

It's 7:54 PM. Who to visit next...
>Jezori the alchemist grenadier
>Suko the Valkyrie gunner
>Teza the psionic mechanic
>Vivel the loyal yet sleepy assassin
>Hazuko the loli bard
>Shizi the hacker mage

I'm ditching the [ ] vote format.

>>35568425
>Shizi the hacker mage

>>35568425
>Shizi the hacker mage

>Shizi the hacker mage

You set off towards her home.

On the way you pass by Little Downtown's "beach".
It consists of a pool enterable by a rather unnatural looking slant covered with sand. At the end of the pool are the painted walls of the fake city, depicting underwater life below the water level and seas and ships above.
The non-watery part of the beach is just sand dumped onto the floor, as you can tell from a few spots where people have dug to the floor. There are a couple sand castles are falling apart along with a discarded bikini top.
You continue on, looking up at Earth once or twice. It's been years since you or Rodney have been at home for real.

You knock on the wooden door front door. Externally her home is indistinguishable from the average small building aside from the lack of any signs or labels.
Unexpectedly the door slams open, nearly hitting you.
A man, more like a late-teen in appearance, walks out of the doorway a little, irritation very visible on his face.
"Who the fuck are you?"

>"I could ask the same question."
>"I'm [insert answer]"
>Ignore him and enter.
>[Insert option]

>>35569451
>"I'm Nomad, and I'm here to see Shizi."

>>35569451
>"I'm Nomad, and I'm here to see Shizi."

>>35569451
While we're part of a black ops unit, our name isn't classified, right?

Man, we should get ourselves a journal that isn't password-locked so that if we lose our memory again we won't have to try to hunt for clues.

>>35569889
Actually our name is classified. Might not wanna say it too often.

>>35569965
Ah, crap.
Is it too late to change >>35569484
to
>"I'm here to see Shizi, she already knows who I am."

>>35569965
ah yea, if our name is classified i support >>35570004

i am >>35569686

>>35570004
>>35570025
Not at all too late.

>>35570076
Thanks.

>"I'm here to see Shizi, she already knows who I am."

"I'm here to see Shizi, she already knows who I am."
"Another fucking dude? Christ on a pussy steak, I thought she only had three...HEY SHIZI, someone's-?"
"Let him in, that's my superior officer!" Shizi's distant shout orders.
"Superior officer? Holy balls, there's someone who can actually order that crazy bitch around?" He steps back and to the side, holding the door open for you while his free hand salutes.
Remembering that nobody on this station is a regular citizen of the Hegemony, you enter with a polite "thanks" to who you assume is one of Shizi's boyfriends.
The room seems like the typical apartment living room, if a bit large. There's also more than a few runes (some in blood) and symbol-covered pieces of paper on the walls and ceiling. And at least twelve security cameras. And at least two audio bugs.
And you think that might be an autoturret in the corner of the ceiling over there...
"Shizi's in the basement brother, good luck." The man points to a talisman-covered door before sitting down on a couch.
As you move to the door you hear the man say "TV on, lock further voice commands!" followed by a laugh track from a speaker you pass by.

...The basement's doors locked. Sighing, you knock.
"Coming!"
You hear footsteps moving up a staircase before the door open. Shizi greets you with a mild smile, still in the same somewhat revealing robe she was in earlier.
"Just in time, come down." You do so after she starts heading back down.
You jump when the door slams closed.
"Door autolocks closed." She explains.
The bottom of the stairs is, unless one counts the security cameras and magical-object covered doors, a nondescript hallway. Shizi opens one and then holds it open for you.
Inside is a room full of small totems, glowing machines, blood runes, computer parts, a couple radios, and...
"Don't overreact."

>>35571032
With those words she closes the door behind you and walks to the most notable thing in the room : a nude humanoid body covered with tape, stitches, magical symbols and bio-machinery, several plugs and a large amount of wires inserted into the body, rather bloodily in some places.
Shizi turns to you, a stereotypical mad scientist grin covering her face.
"Homunculi are known to be able to use magic. If intelligent enough they can use technology. I want to know if they can use certain forms of magitech rituals in conjunction with a drone that's a little bit above swarm-intelligence level."
A silver, bloodstained, combat drone hovers out from behind a machine. Several hiuman organs are visible through openings.
"Don't worry, I've grown all of those organs I've put into the drone with Jezori's help."

...
>"Estimated collateral damage?"
>"How many laws does this break?"
>"Uh, need any help?"
>[Insert option]

>>35571073
>"Estimated collateral damage?"
>"How many laws does this break?"

>>35571073
>"Estimated collateral damage?"
>"Is this off the record, even for us, or sanctioned so we don't worry about a hit squad?"

>>35571073
>"Uh, need any help?"
its not illegal if you aren't caught.

>>35571073
>"Uh, need any help?"

>>35571073
>>"How many laws does this break?"
followed by
>>"Uh, need any help?"

It's not like we are overly concerned with collateral damage.

So, I've been following this quest since the first thread, and I'm still a tad confused about this setting. Is this more or less a space age fantasy cyberpunk type of world? This nymphomaniac hacker mage is some type of arachne right? And we set up shop on a corporate controlled space station.

But could we perhaps get a little background on the factions in this world or how we work? Might help put our decisions as a character into perspective.

>>35572368
the arachne is Veronika the sniper, the mage is who we are talking to now.

>>35572368
Alright, some info.
The setting's post-singularity magitech cyperpunk sci-fi. The arachne is Veronika, Shizi's legs are normal minus a few sigils and runes.
The RDBFO, which controls Little Downtown, is not a corporation, it's an organization under control of the Terran Hegemony. What RDBFO stands for is best revealed in-story.

There are other factions but at the moment we aren't really aware of any except the Hegemony, the (near-extinct) Cryptids, and Thomo/who deployed the thirteen squads.

Apologies if I'm updating a little slow, my chair completely breaking hasn't helped.

>>35572762
Cheers.

>Shizi's legs are normal minus a few sigils and runes
Unf.

>"Estimated collateral damage?"
>"Uh, need any help?"
>"How many laws does this break?"
>"Is this off the record, even for us, or sanctioned so we don't worry about a hit squad?"

"Estimated collateral damage?" You ask with an unamused expression.
"Approximately seven elementals and one useless machine with programming bugged to hell." The drone angrily beeps and squish-clicks at her.
"Shut up URI!" She snaps before turning back to the homunculus, dragging a wire through some of its skin.
"How many laws does this break?"
"Well, regulations and guidelines aren't laws, so none at all." Bullshit.
"And how many of those is this breaking?"
"I'm guessing at least fourteen. I'm violating several rights with these two, disregarding the consent forms of a few councils, doing this without a license but barely any mage uses a license. Keep in mind you don't need to break any rules to go behind bars."
"Uh, need any help?"
"Yeah, hand me that stack of ofuda."
"Ofuda?"
"Those paper talismans on that monitor by your feet." You look down and see those pieces of paper with stuff written on them. You cautiously walk over to Shizi and hand her the stack of ofuda, which she starts putting on both the drone and the homunculus.
"Is this off the record, even for us, or sanctioned so we don't worry about a hit squad?"
"Not sanctioned in any way, shape, or form and nobody knows about this but you, me, and URI. Jezori only knows that I asked her to make some alchemical organs, which ain't uncommon."
"URI?" You ask, looking at the drone.
"Useless Ritual Implement." The machine in question does its best impression of a raging roar in MIDI format.
..

Shizi's finishing a magical circle around the homunculus, chanting things here and there while giving instructions, mostly just talisman placement.
“What’s the ritual do?"
"Gonna have these two summon a wind elemental. Didn't give the homunculus any mind whatsoever but I'm able to control his body through all the tech that's in him.”

“URI's gonna do everything else, including the unsummoning."
"Thought you said he was barely above swarm-level?"
"Nope, he's fully sapient. I just got software installed that only lets him properly talk when I want to."
"AI rights a thing?"
"Yep, quite a few laws about those...and done. Just make have the homunculus start the ritual. Stand way back." She pulls out her PDA and waits for you to back up. Instead you take cover behind the machinery furthest from the summoning circle.
"Playing it safe?" Shizi jokingly asks.
"What if Command comes down on us for this?"
"You don't get it Nomad? They think they need you, and they think you need us." Without another word she starts to type something on her PDA.
The homunculus' mouth and hands move, speaking words unknown to you while making odd gestures. The voice is deep and guttural. Slowly it traces its fingers over some of the symbols drawn onto, lighting them up.
The drone nervously hovers in place over a smaller magic circle in the summoning circle, as all of Shizi's work starts to glow. Seemingly reluctantly, URI emits a lifeless synthesized voice, uttering more arcane language, the words of both echoing unnaturally.

In the center of the summoning circle countless colors and shapes furiously fly about as the outline of a tall humanoid figure fades into being. The room almost immediately drops in temperature as howling winds fill it.
The wind elemental is a cloud-like white figure. The breasts and hips of an adult woman with the face and beard of an old man, its face is a pure scowl and it's glowing blue eyes are turned in your direction.
"ABBERRATION!"
The furious screech shakes the entire room, electronic pieces flying about while some of the homunculus' wires are dragged across its skin.

It takes a step towards you.
>Do nothing.
>Order Shizi to get rid of it.
>Shoot at the wind elemental.
>Try to "enter" the wind elemental.
>Try talking to it. "[Insert what to say]"

>>35573635
>>Try to "enter" the wind elemental.
I see no way this could possibly go wrong

>>35573611
>Approximately seven elementals
are elementals people or animals?

>>35573635
>>Try to "enter" the wind elemental.

>>35573635
>Try to "enter" the wind elemental.
I don't see any way for this to possibly go right
in fact, i bet it can actually harm us.

>>35573635
>Order Shizi to get rid of it.
Even without our memory we Gould be smart enough to not do something stupid.

>>Try to "enter" the wind elemental.

The moment the wind elemental takes another step is when you stand up, locking eyes with the spirit of wind. You take a few step towards it, force in every movement you make.
“ABHORRENT CREATURE!” The elemental’s jaw opens more than any human’s ever could as it screeches in hate, the winds around it flowing fast and fierce. URI flees and the homunculus’ body is gradually ripped the by the swirling gusts.
You can’t see Shizi in a quick glance and don’t waste any further effort. You’ll deal with this. Fists clenched, you find your ten grips on Rodney Watkins and release.
You immediately leap forward before your vision even clears, chittering loudly in your real form. As soon as you sight is clear, you look up. Wind elemental is still near the center of the circle, and you landed at the edge.
There’s no no time to look at yourself but you can feel your ten legs lengthen, lifting you a little off the floor.
“TRAVELING RUINER!”
With a slap-like wave of its hand the elemental sends forth a burst of wind. Using half your legs as a spring you dodge the attack with ease. You hear objects being shredded in the direction it went, but ignore it and charge at the spirit.
Another shot, reflexively you leap over it and towards the wind elemental’s head. One more burst it sends forth, one done too hastily without aim.
Apprehension is on the wind spirit’s face; a quick movement of the eyebrows, the drawing back of the mouth, the widening glowing eyes, the shoulders raising back, the “skin” trying to move away, it is all good.
Your legs pierce into its head as it gives a different screech, the wail of a terrified banshee, of a scared hurricane. You emit a loud series of clicks and chitters in satisfaction as your legs plant themselves into something gel-like, no different in texture from Rodney’s. You submerge into the wind elemental’s head, the last you see is its horrified eyes as your own slide into them.

>>35575844
COLD BREEZE BLOW WIND KILL FLYING KILL WATER INTO MORTALS LOVE FUCK BIRTH WATER SPINSPINSPINSPIN DESTROY SPIN AND BREATHE COLDEN IT ALL LIGHTNING IS FRIEND FRIEND MORTAL COWER HATE ICE CAN NEVER FINISH OFF BECAUSE ICE TAKE JOB KILL KILL FEAR FLEE FIRE SKIES OF FIRE
Your eyes ARE TORN open, you KILL LIGHTNING see strange shapes SPIN in an ethereal FUCK LIFE view. They SPINSPINSPIN stare in LOVE hate and fear at FLYING KILL WATER you.
You MORAL FIRE smile at NEVER JOB FLYING them maliciously. SPINSPINFUCKFIREFLEESKIES
“GET OUT OF IT!”
You release from the wind elemental after hearing Shizi.
“URI!” The panicking mage shouts.
An incantation spoken by voice synthesis echoes throughout the room, and there is one final screech as the wind elemental vanishes. Rodney looks at you with a concerned expression, shaking his head at you. You leap into him and grip his gel, becoming one with him again.

Shizi is hugging you before you know it.
“Jesus motherfucking Christ…” She says reassuringly.

-
That's all for tonight. Getting tired and got a shitload of college stuff to do tomorrow.

>>35575884
thanks for running

>>35575884
thanks for running
good night

>>35575884
That twas good. Thanks for the run.