OtO waits for Derlur

#21

I’m taking that as a yes. No I don’t know what they want you for.

I plan on turning you over to them. There is no way you or I can take care of anything from down here. I expect you will be considered a prisoner, so I will need a way to track you. I’m sure you nomads have a way to do that.

After we hash that out, I plan on having you run out the door enough so you can sign to your friends out there that there is a plan. At which point I will pull you back inside, but not before cutting your fingers off in the door. Your friends are talkative, but not stupid. I’m sure one of them with gather the pieces and hold life on it. That way if you get killed, you allies can revive you.

I will then beat you an inch from your life, and then knock you out. I will take you north, leaving signals pickup.

Your job will be to gather names and remember faces. Be friendly to your jailers, gather information. Try and delay doing anything for a month, I hope my task will be done at that time and I will pick you up and bring you back.

Oh, and if you have the capabilities remember a piece of you is back here, self immolation would be an option if something horrific came up.

#22

Derlur was confused about this plan. Why did he need to cut fingers off and die?

“No need for any of that. I will be followed no matter what. I already made the proper arrangements should something untoward happen. So it only leaves me this: I will go wherever you want me to go. In return, I wish for training in technology. Presuming I live through the ordeal. In response for full cooperation. You don’t have to give me anything, I just wish to be taught what things are and how they are used. You can begin during our trek through the desert. Fair?”

#23

So you have set up a way so that if you are killed, you can only be revived down here?

And this is a covert operation under which I have never ran before. You and I are the only ones knowing about this, where we are going to find out who this organization is, and what the are after. Hell, this is more secretive than anything I worked on under VLAD.

You need to understand the gravity that this situation is. Outside, we must maintain all pretenses that I captured you. We must act like prisoner and captor. This must be real. I can’t assume that the satellites are not compromised, I can’t assume that there aren’t people watching outside, plants from this other agency.

The idea with the finger would allow your friends to collect a piece of you, hold life on it, to be able to revive you if you are killed. The beating would be to establish that you were captured.

Training you in the desert would be a betray of these basic premises. I can’t do that and ensure any chance of return.

After, we can discuss what you wish to know. If we make it back, I will devote some time to what you want to know.

#24

Fine then, we go now.

OtO walks up to Derlur, and brings his fist acrossed his snout. “This is going to hurt, I have to make it look real” was the only explanation given.

The normally soundproof walls in the hotel failed, as thumps were heard outside. The sounds lasted for about 15 minuets accompanied by shaking of the nearby rooms.

The door opened and a barely breathing Derlur was thrown out, into the wall (assume 1 hp). Blood was clotting in his fur, though several cuts. Derlur was completly disarmed, and his cloths were in disarray. OtO locks the door and drags Derlur the nomad away, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

#25

Returning down the hallway days later he was surprised the blood still looked fresh. A maid was washing it and it didn’t seem to move or disappear. She kept cursing to herself in accented Earther. When OtO could be seen she ran over before he could enter his room and pressed a letter into his hands with a small polished stone.

The letter said simply, “Violence is not tolerated in the underground hotel. Make sure it does not happen again.”

The stone was separate and had a small note on it. The note said, “I went with you on your mission, isn’t it time you paid me back? I’ll send over a Nomad when I’m ready.”

OtO made his way safely to his room. He put the crystal on the table and it began broadcasting
(OtO and Derlur may now continue their post VlAd meeting convo here)