Hive IC Story

[Rokossovky]

MilNET Secure Communication
From:HongHu
To:Rokossovky

I've just had the most interesting chat with a certain someone you've been waiting for. Oh, and that little present you sent to me will be most useful. Meet me at my quaters immediately. With PRAVDA airing Jamski won't have time to try and find out what we are discussing.

...well, that explains a few things... The Marshal's "free drink" was starting to number in the tens. ...at least she wasn't with Jamski all this time...and, though HongHu isn't any Comrade Claire, that uniform is rather becoming of her...how dare Jamski cancel a meeting after requesting one not moments before? If he was only under my command he would find himself having the "glory" of being point man for that patrol I just sent out. But regardless, knocking off the Deputy Chairman isn't in my best interest at the present time... Rokossovky's MilCOS went off again. ...my god does this thing ever stop...

MilNET Secure Communication
From:18th Mobile Regiment
To:Marshal Rokossovky

Mind worms encountered in sector (27,23). Leading platoon decimated, no survivors. Two reserve battalions sent in, effective. Husks being brought in, please advise next patrol.

...at least one thing worked out... Marshal Rokossovky rose from his seat and headed for the exit, his honour guards following quickly behind. As he looked up he saw the beginnings of the PRAVDA broadcast. ...I'd better hurry to HongHu's...

(OCC: Take it HongHu!)

[Jamski]

Jamski was everywhere in the studio.

Lights had to be just right, camera angles exactly so, the music volume perfect...

At least Claire was here, made-up and on-time.... that was one worry less... the show must be perfect, it must send the perfect message to the people of the Hive... So they would believe what HE wanted them to believe... and Claire was the tool he would use, to control the people's hearts...

"Camera one rolling..."
"Camera three rolling"
"Music up"
"Lights fade in on 3...2...1... Lights"
"We are live in 5...4...3...2...1...action"

"Comrades... welcome to "PRAVDA Tonight". May I have the great honour to introduce the new host of the show... MISS COMRADE CLAIRE FORLANI"

"Cue applause track"

Jamski relaxed...

The girl was a natural... but why would she only broadcast live...? I'd wanted to insist that this show be recorded in advance like all the others, so the Ministry of Information could check it over, but Claire had been very "persuasive"... Nice memories indeed...

* * * * *

"Thankyou for watching "PRAVDA Tonight" Comrades - Forward in Brotherhood, Industry and Solidarity for the Glory of the Hive!"
"And roll credits"
"Music up"
"Run applause track"

Jamski needed to ask Claire a few questions, but she was surrounded by the film crew... she would have to be dealt with later. Now the important thing was to locate Rokossovky, it didn't do to keep a Marshal waiting too long... He taps a few buttons on his pocket pad...

I hope he's still in the restaurant... no, he's moving... towards HongHu's private rooms...very interesting indeed... very interesting...

Jamski turned up the volume on the micro-bug the Marshal had washed down with his "free" drinks... and pressed record.

This could be of use....

-Jam

[Nubclear]

OOC: I have to....well, hone my psychic abilities and perform an exorcism (Hi Jamski! ) so, someone play my character till I get back.

[Snowflake]

“She really enjoys this, doesn’t she?” thought Comrade HongHu, a smile lingering at her lips while she watched the end of the “Pravada Tonight” show. “I wonder what is keeping the good Marshal. He should have been here at least 45 minutes ago.” Now the best timing for discussing anything meaningful had passed. HongHu didn’t want to let the Marshal in too deep of things anyway. Knowing him he would dash to the deputy chairman’s private quarters without a second thought, if he knew that Jamski is the man behind all these hush-hush, and blow up all the cushions that HongHu had built all these years. That Marshal Rokossovky was so anxious to get involved. In fact if it were not Comrade HongHu the Marshal would have had his own mindworm secret project.

But the old man, he must be dealt with in another way. He was not as simple as the good Marshal. Adamant as a stone and spoiled as a child, he was not one that could be persuaded. He didn’t need the Marshal to show him how his little secret was known to everybody under the sunshine. She needed to let him take the first steps. And who could that careless intruder be? There're not many people in this base that Claire didn't know ...

“Thump!” The slightly opened steel door flied open and a strong, tall figure in military uniform scuffled in, then collapsed on the floor. “Marshal!” Comrade HongHu let out a little cry while she hurried to drag the Marshall onto her loveseat. Rokossovky’s face was skewed in pain, but he felt much better under HongHu’s concerned and questioning gaze. “Must be those drinks!” His word squeezed out through tightened teeth. “Those bartenders! They want to murder everyone who has an appointment with Forlani so they’ll have a better chance to get to meet her. Like she’ll even lay an eye on those low-grade drones!”

“Here, take this energy drink. It’ll help you feel better.” Comrade HongHu passed a glass to the Marshal. “Or would you rather taste a sample of the whiskey that the Deputy Chairman send me on my birthday? It’s a rare vintage from the earth. Rather good quality I suppose.”

“No, my stomach hurts just hearing the word whiskey. Would you happen to have any of those delicious xenodoughnuts left by any chance though? I skipped my dinner for Forlani.” Marshal smiled rather sheepishly.

…
Deputy Chairman Jamski sat on his comfortable swivel chair. He adjusted the volume again by pressing a button on his pocket pad, which was now laying on his desk.

…
-- Looks like the Deputy Chairman is treating you pretty nicely!

Light-hearted laughs of Comrade HongHu filled the room again. Damn! This women laughs so much! Like everything is an amusement to her. Jamski secretly denied to himself that his heart had missed a beat.

-- The old man, I’m quite fond of him myself too.

-- So did you find out anything about him? Marshal Rokossovky’s voice sounded a little irritated.

-- Not much. Would you like another xenodoughnuts Marshal? You recovered so quick. This would have killed the old man if he were in your place.

-- Hahahaha … Rokossovky’s laugh was full of energy. I would take him any time and win him over like a child. Now let’s get back to the business. What did you learn?

-- Well, Claire seemed to have forg …
A deep, long, rumbling sound covered over the rest of her words.

-- Excuse me please, Comrade.

Static, rumbling, rumbling, static, static, rumbling …

-- Shuaaaa! Loud noise of flush.
…
…
Quietness.
…
Jamski tapped his pocket pad.
…
…
Quietness.
…
…

[Snowflake]

OCC: Here, take it wherever you want, boys. On the other hand, I, am going to do some work, before they can fire me. Just be careful don't do anything naughty to Comrade HongHu would you?

[Snowflake]

(Sorry I'm hijacking one of your ooc posts for the operation. It fits best around here - Kody)

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing,” Wujiang asked with some trepidation.

“No,” Tassadar replied honestly. The mindworm continued to wriggle furiously in the forceps. “I told you, we were working on releasing the psychic and intellectual potential of humans. Not of mindworms.”

It was a simple plan. Overly simple in retrospect. Clamp a mindworm just above the test subjects head. The mindworm would automatically create a link between itself and the subject when it sensed a suitable host. Then it would be a matter of trying to manipulate the link.

“It’s not working,” Wujiang said, stating the obvious.

“Test 32 produced no result,” Vander spoke into the operation log. Vander removed the electrodes from the mindworm and waited for a decision to be made.

“A single mindworm may not be powerful enough to initiate contact,” Wujiang theorised.

“It would be dangerous for the subject.”

“Jamski expects results Tassadar,” Wujiang replied. He removed the psychic shielding from the container with their research worms. Then placed the container next to the woman’s head.

A few moments passed where nothing happened. “Vander lower the mindworm so it has physical contact with the subject’s head,” Tassadar finally said.

As soon as the mindworm touched the woman’s head she started convulsing. Inside the glass container the other mindworms were writhing in a large boil like mass.

“It worked!” Tassadar cheered excitedly. “Now we need to find out how to manipulate the link.”

“Oh my God! The mindworm has wriggled out of the forceps!”

Wujiang lunged for another set of forceps. “Grab it! It’s burrowing!” Blood started to spill across the floor. “Too much blood. Too slippery.” Tassadar grabbed at the retreating tail with his hand. Screams and Tassadar is on the floor. “Hold her down! She’s starting to knock the container off the table!” There’s the crash of shattering glass. “They’re all over me! They’re all over me!” Images bombarded Wujiang. Sickening images.

STOP! The shout blasted away all the hallucinations.

Somewhere to Wujiang’s right someone is gasping, and from far away he can hear Vander’s wavering voice. “We need to get out of this lab. We have a contamination leak.” He felt himself being dragged across the floor. After a short time there’s the sound of a muffled explosion and the floor shakes a little.

“The subject Comrade Claire Forlani has died,” Vander recorded into the operation logs. ”Time of death 18 25. Cause of death, burning during decontamination of lab.”

“Cause of death psychic shock,” Tassadar corrected.

“The patient isn’t Claire,” Wujiang said absentmindedly.

“There are fewer mindworm husks than the number of mindworms that we started with,” Vander observed looking into the burnt room they had vacated. “Where does that drain hole go?”

[Vev]

As Kelvin stood in the corridor something that had been skirting the edges of his mind made its move. An invisible wave of thoughts crashed through his mind bringing with it a horde of fragmented emotions and clamouring voices. It was controlled by something alien and beyond his understanding. He could feel the various clammy fingers of thoughts probing and reaching further, each of them either pleading demanding or questioning for something. There was no reasoning that he could discern. Kelvin tired to shout out in fear, but it when he opened his mouth it came out as a soft hiss.

The voices abated momentarily before mounting another assault. This time it was worse. Cold tendrils coiled up his legs and torso, Kelvin looked down but saw nothing. The tendrils were now crawling up his fingers, hands and arm and the sensation felt like mass of greasy larvae squirming ever upwards. They were up to his throat then crawled into his mouth. Kelvin was now choking for air and it felt there was something wiggling inside his head.

STOP! Silence echoed in his head after his cry. Whatever it was had retreated and somewhere in the vast darkness someone was crying. A human?

The security guard, Galus stepped onto the corridor and saw Kelvin standing there motionless. He was angered by the intrusion, but just before Galus shouted he realised the kid shouldn’t have past the perimeter. Anton wasn’t at his post and now Galus was seething. If the Crimson Guard caught this kid here not only would the kid will be sent to recycling tanks, but Galus too.

“Hey kid! SCRAT! Are you deaf? I said MOVE IT!”

Kelvin snapped out of his trance and ran the other way as fast as he could.

Galus now have to teach Anton a lesson for lack of commitment and discipline.

[Frankychan]

Police Monitoring Headquarters

Comrade Frankychan leaned back in his chair, watching the numerous viewscreens on the wall opposite him. Each vidscreen showed some activity or another in the various bowels of The Hive. A viewscreen showed two unsuspecting citizens locked in a passionate embrace in a storage facility.

Naughty, Naughty.

Comrade Frankychan reached for his microphone and flipped the relevant switch

***Get back to work, lovebirds! You can fulfill the Chairman's need for more babies off-shift***

The two startled involuntarily and went back to their duties.

Comrade Frankychan grinned.

I love this work.

[Vev]

(OOC: Time to introduce a bit of direction as I had been lazy . Since the Hive haven't met any rival factions yet, we are all busy establishing a powerbase for ourselves, until the grand meeting which I will introduce . Also there will be a back post saying that the mind altering operation worked as Claire never remembered the operation. Plus Jamski does not sound like the forgiving type and will probably dispose of Wujiang, Tass and Vander in the lab if they fail to carry out their duties. It would be really great if two teams of people play off each other with Jamski and company on one side and Rosskosky the Marshall and company on the otherside. Meanwhile I'll introduce another pawn character to be pushed around by the millitary. Third parties are invited to side or hinder or form personal agendas. OOC: )


Comrade Kostya was in a Hive military buggy along with other members of his team, crusing on the rough bumpy surface performing routine patrols. He like many other join Hive soldiers joined the army to protect the civilians from the ever present dangers of mindworms.

"Hey Gavril, are you ready for another round of Hiveball tonight? Or are you still nursing your bruised ego?", said Kostya.

"Brusied ego? Hah! Kostya, you're the one with all the bruises and I am keen to give you more."

"True, but my team still won," said Kostya with a grin.

The radio crackled:
"Attention all units. Attention all units. All units to move to sector AH24 to combat mindworm outbreak. I repeat all units move to sector AH24 to combat mindworm outbreak. Over"

"I guess our Hiveball would have to wait," said Kostya before he swerved the buggy toward their new destination and accelerated like a demon.

[Kody]

As far as weirdness went, the dream rated at least a nine out of ten. Maybe even a full ten. However, the strangest part was that he remembered every detail.

He had been standing on a plain of xenofungus that stretched as far as the eye could see. He had known it was a dream because he hadn’t been wearing an oxygen mask and he didn’t have any trouble breathing. The rust red fungus was ankle deep and when the wind blew, spores had twirled around his legs moving with the breeze. A circle of mindworms was surrounding him with their front segments raised above the ground and their three lipped mouths slowly opening and closing. They looked threatening yet they did not advance on him. Clouds had slowly skidded across the sky and sometimes the mindworms had swayed slightly in the wind. However, nothing had happened until he had woken.

Kelvin guessed it was an after effect of the mental attack he had suffered in sector N589. It had been secretly whispered that mindworm research had been occurring among the workers of the factory. However, until now he hadn’t believed it.

Kelvin got dressed and simply left the quarters he shared with his family. He had too many things on his mind to worry about breakfast or grooming. His parents said nothing. With nine siblings to look after they never bothered with the oldest anymore. So he stood outside in the corridor staring at the concrete opposite to the door.

It was a female he decided. The person he had heard crying after the attack was a human female.

He wondered if she was cute.

“Kell!” Radanr shouted, breaking him from his reverie. “You didn’t come to the speech yesterday, and people started asking questions.”

“Oh Zakharov!” Kelvin swore. He didn’t know why the guard in sector N589 had let him go, but he knew he was very lucky. However, he had been exhausted and gone home afterwards, completely forgetting about the speech. If anyone accused him of being a counter revolutionary the crimson guard would be paying him a visit.

“Kell you’ve gone as white as UOP professor’s backside!” Radanr giggled. “Don’t sweat it. I told everyone that you had an important meeting with Comrade Vev. Everyone didn’t want to know after I mentioned his name.”

Kelvin gaped a little.

“I know I’ve been nervestapled a lot but give me some credit,” Radanr said as he swung around and started marching off to work. “Don’t forget to drool a fair bit at work today,” he called back.

Kelvin spent a good second frowning before hurrying to catch up. He guessed being forced to drool like a ****** for a day was far better than torture and the recycling tanks.

[Snowflake]

Originally posted by Vev
(OOC: Time to introduce a bit of direction as I had been lazy . Since the Hive haven't met any rival factions yet, we are all busy establishing a powerbase for ourselves, until the grand meeting which I will introduce . Also there will be a back post saying that the mind altering operation worked as Claire never remembered the operation. Plus Jamski does not sound like the forgiving type and will probably dispose of Wujiang, Tass and Vander in the lab if they fail to carry out their duties. It would be really great if two teams of people play off each other with Jamski and company on one side and Rosskosky the Marshall and company on the otherside. Meanwhile I'll introduce another pawn character to be pushed around by the millitary. Third parties are invited to side or hinder or form personal agendas. OOC: )

OCC: I changed my post so that Jamski will suspect that the operation worked. In addition, although act as if he was only an innocent scientist, Wujiang should be able to take care of himself not to become a victim of the evil deputy chairman. How else could he be a secret agent of the Commissionar Vev? Oh and we should really not be surprised if the real operation had a most unfortunete end. Scientific discovery is not obtained easily without sacrifice. The next one, could be quite successful, on ... Kevin maybe? And what would he become afte that ...

[Rokossovky]

"Pardon me my dear, I don't usually have quite that reaction to alcohol," the Marshal stated as he walked out of the washroom. His gate was more firm and in charge now that he had deposed of the offending substances and his eyes gave off the more characteristic alertness of a seasoned military officer. A quick tug on the bottom of his uniform smoothed out a crease. "Now, tell me about this little business with dearest Claire, she was rather absent from our dinner appointment, and I am sure you know something about it."

"Well, I am only one person Rokossovky, I can't be everywhere," HongHu's tone was playful, yet it had that "I know something that you would KILL to hear about" undertone she almost always possesed. "However, luckily for you I did have a chance to talk with her. She stopped by here on her way to the PRAVDA building, she needed some last minute support. Under that confidence is a layer of anxiety, but back onto topic. She actually told me to apologize to you, she had fallen asleep and didn't wake up until it was far too late."

Why am I being kept out of the loop...something is going on, I am sure of it... "And that was it? Well, I guess she can't be blamed for having a little nap. Oh, I just remembered, did you get the present I sent in with the last patrol?" The Marshal strode over to the fridge and found a bottle of water. I'd better start with the water now before my hangover makes life unbearable...

"Oh yes, the mindworms, live ones at that. I feel sorry for the fools you sent to get them for me, but, I think I may have a use for them." ...do I tell him about Jamski?... he is rather harsh...but his military connections are invaluable...if Jamski wants the project to succed he will need something that holds weight outside the political world...however... I will get the Marshal's attention...but I think I'd be better keep him leashed...save the cavalry for another time..."I have heard about a small group, independant I believe, who are trying to develop mind control using mind worms. They will appreciate these, and I may be able to find out more if I use them as currency for information."

"You will, of course, keep me informed of your progess?" The Marshal looked at HongHu with a surprisingly meancing tone, but it quickly faded. "What am I saying? Of course you will, you are my Director of Intelligence, if there is anyone who I can trust it is you. Not to mention you are a member of the CCC, also a very trustworthy position."

...ah yes, I do owe the Marshal my job in the CMC...my power...my security...no one dares touch me...they know if they did, it would be the last thing they ever thought about...the Marshal can be cruel and vengeful...best try and stay away from that side..."Yes, yes, yes, of course I will. You should go home and get some sleep, I hear there is another colony pod leaving tomorrow, you will want to be up to oversee the escort."

"Ah, yes. Thank you." Rokossovky hesitated for a moment. "We should meet again, over dinner,"

"Sounds good. Good night Marshal."

"Good night." Rokossovky's guard outside the door gave a crisp salute, and then something happened. A pad was handed to the Marshal and a look of horrible anger crossed his face. The door closed and all HongHu could make out was an inaudible barking of orders, something to do with "Jamski" and "missing men traced back to his quarters". She decided whatever it was it could wait till morning, acting care free for the Marshal for so long had worn her out, it was time to sleep.

[Snowflake]

Good piece Marshal!

[Rokossovky]

Good piece Marshal!

- Rokossovky

[Kody]

This story seems very very disjointed. Maybe it would be helpful to have a seperate thread discussing ideas and plot. That way the story could actually have some long term planning and plot line and we wouldn't have as much of a mess.

Kody