Jul 13 109 PA - Wilderness Towing Mishap

From Chronicles

Over the radio waves a distress signal comes in the early morning of Saturday July 13th 109 PA: "Mayday mayday. This is Alex, an on-call mechanic and vehicle repair specialist. I have been called far north of the city along the old road to assist a broken vehicle but something has gone amiss and I now look to be trapped. I estimate I am a hundred miles north of the city. Please assist if you are able..

A message comes over the radio - "This is Gabriel at the O.S.S. You call has been received, men are on the way, at least two of us. ETA possibly up to an hour at that distance. Please advise as to the trap and enemy forces."

Alex replies over the radio: No hostiles of any sort yet. But the vehicle seems to have tethered itself to me somehow. It is too heavy for me to pull on the tether and seems to be rigged with explosives to prevent me from forcing the tether's release. Please hurry. I imagine all sorts of people have heard of my distress..

When Gabriel and Sithik arrive they may be surprised to see another is already there. A very fancy hovercycle sits humming above the ground as someone looks to be investigating the robot's predicament. That predicament is Alex hovering above and alien looking ATV with a heavy electronic cable leading to its underside.

The noise of a jet pack can't be masked, unfortunately. Particularly when it's ripping through the air at full speed, loaded with weapons, armor and a small box. Gabriel arrives as he indicated, roughly fifty minutes after the initial transmission was received in Kingsdale. Though he contacts Alex over the radio, he also makes a few circular passes over the area, checking the wilderness for nasties of any sort. Local bands would hear, "This is Gabriel, I am above you. Please advise the identity of the hover vehicle and what you were towing."

Sithik gets there as fast as he can with Gabriel. Giving a quick assessment of the situation taking note of the two unknown vehicles as he activates some of his defenses should things get ugly.

"The hovercycle belongs to another rescuer. He's checking out the situation," Alex answers with a shrug. "I was not yet towing the alien vehicle, merely assessing it when this tether was fired at me without warning. I believe it is a theft prevention device of some sort," the robot explains, keeping still as the cable tying it to the vehicle doesn't look to offer a lot of play.

Jac'lyn picked up a mayday and headed north. It's not like there was anything else important going on, and the execise'd be good. Since she probably couldn't find a cargo flight headed this way to hitch a ride, she's probably jogging.

If anyone could see the airborne Gabriel's helmet, they'd see it offer a nod. "The potentially alien vehicle has made no move toward the other vehicle or the person on the ground?" he tries to clarify. If no other warning is offered and nothing seen in the trees, he'll lite where he can, in the most open area possible of this dense canopy; not carrying a weapon immediately, but all of them ready on hand exactly as he'd been prepared for more northeasterly pursuits days ago. Apparently he didn't have time to change.

Sithik lowers himself down toward the ground vehicle that has Alex in its grasp. "Have you contacted the owner who sent you out here?"

"I tried." Alex confirms to Sithik. "But got no reply. So instead I broadened the request as it's not safe to just wait here.." The robot explains then nods back to Gabriel. "No, but I do believe he is being much more careful than I was initially. My client made no mention of this device. I fear he just forgot to deactivate it."

Jac'lyn breaks into the clear from the heavy foliage, looks around, and lowers her weapon. If it weren't for the tangling, she's say one vehicle was trying to tow another. "So... all that for getting a little tied up? Don't you have anything sharp on one of those arms?" Alex has way more than she does. That doesn't even count the tattooed guy and anyone else landing nearby.

Gabriel stops at what he hopes is a safe location - roughly twice the distance that the existing tether has reached to Alex's mechanical bottom. "Client? The owner of this, ah... alien vehicle... sent you out here to tow it back to the city and now can't be reached?" His faceplate rises to scan the skies, and once more take a look through the trees. The hard-hitting pulse rifle is removed from his back, and he slaps the base of the two magazines tucked into the receivers, ninety rounds left in each dual-feed. He looks to possibly consider taking to the sky, but questions the unknown person on scene first - not the jogging woman, the other. As this person was initially referred to as a 'he,' Gabriel returns it. "Sir, do you have any idea how to disconnect it? Perhaps it could simply be blown," he offers as a quick suggestions.

Sithik doesn't touch anything, but instead visually inspects the line starting at how it is attached to the entrapped robot down to the vehicle itself. "Has it emitted any power through the tether?" +weather

The tether seems to have magnetically sealed itself to the robot's underside. It is a bulky contraption large as a man's torso. Lights blink to indicate its functionality and power being conveyed along the tether. Though it looks strong enough to be pulled on as well. From beside the alien vehicle a fellow in Western-style stile EBA steps out, wiping his armored gloves from the inspection. "None, but it's definitely an explosive device. Probably designed to catch unsuspecting thieves and withhold them for prosecution, or terminate them if that is undesirable," the owner of the hover cycle sitting beside the crash explains. "But I’m not expert in this so noting more I can offer. Maybe I'll head back to Kingsdale and look for your clients though?" The fellow offers and Alex quickly nods. "That would be most appreciated. They are light blue in skin tone without any hair. Bulbous heads and red lidless eyes. Simply holes for ears and very gurgly sounding voices."

"That's kind of a big detail to just forget," Jac'lyn comes closer but keeps several yards distance. "You sure they weren't just baiting you into this? Blue, bulby, and red-eyed don't sound very honest to me." She turns to scan their surroundings, just in case it is some sort of reverse salvage scheme.

Gabriel asks, "Anyone recognize that species? Maybe they're just idiots who forgot to turn off an alarm, someone can fly them out to turn it off, and Alex can be on his way. Alex, do you know how they might be most easily contacted?" He steps a little bit closer, and adds, "Which part's the explosive? The HESH against Alex's butt?"

Sithik finishes his own inspection of the tether, "I could attempt to cut it if you like. But with explosives, you may be damaged in the process. I leave that decision to you." he then calls to the red eyed folks, "Get in touch with a man called Tek if you can. At Uncommon Mechanics."

"Big to us now. But to them it is just a switch on the dash. Easily forgotten. Like leaving the headlights on," Alex notes with a shrug to the newcomer in her cargo clothes. It then looks to regard Gabriel at his comment. "No surely it will blow up the vehicle and not the suspect," the robot intones sarcastically before shaking its head at Sithik. "That would surely set it off I think."

Jac'lyn looks from one, to another, to a third, and rolls her plated shoulders. The rifle is finally slung on one of them. "So, who's got a pry bar? Or feels like turning off the mag lock without turning on the boom?"

Gabriel repeats his questions. "Does anyone recognize that species in Kingsdale, so that they could be contacted and dragged out here? It would be an easy matter, if they want this vehicle back." The sarcastic note is shrugged off as he asks again, "Is the explosive the HESH, or the cord? Or both. I can handle explosives, but I doubt that touching it would be a good idea for me, and figuring out something alien, even less."

Sithik gives a shake of his head to Gabriel in answer to all of his questions. "Can you direct me to disarm the explosive? I can take the brunt better than most."

"Why would it be in the cord? And what in the world is a HESH?" Alex asks back to Gabriel. The situation starting to exasperate the robot. It definitely doesn't look approving of playing with the explosives. "Alternatively may we can look at the vehicle for controls or a computer port? I could plug in to a computer port.."

"Squash head," Jac'lyn walks to the disabled vehicle to try and open it up. "Won't put a hole through armor, just shreds anything inside." If she can get inside it, she can probably find all kinds of switches to try. One might be the right one.

"Sorry, Alex, but I don't even known the controls on a regular vehicle these days. Not going to start poking around an alien device." Gabriel then expands on Jac'lyn's brief explanation. As for HESH, it's an explosive that impacts the surface of the target and spreads out before detonating. The idea is to cause the inside of the target to fragment without the necessity of a larger explosive to actually penetrate it. Which would mean very bad things for your innards, if you have any hollow areas." He points to the cord, commenting, "We used line charges that looked exactly like this to clear minefields. You can shape a plastic explosive just about any way you want, so there's no reason that it couldn't be in there. Still, let me take a peek. Sithik, if I'm lucky, I might be able to give you a hand. But alien technology?" He offers a rolling, armored shrug. "I hope it was designed easy. Or by an idiot." The last is tacked on with a chuckle as he gets closer to inspect the portion directly attached to the hovering robot. After a few minutes of concentration, his official opinion is confirmed, and he waves Sithik back. "Don't touch the cord or the charge, I think it'd be easy to trip, and the charge is massive. Just need to figure out how to release it properly. I need phone book for ugly aliens in Kingsdale..."

Sithik gives a shrug at the Robot, "I suppose that might work." The hunter is not touching anything at this point, not wanting to be the one to set it off by mistake. "I don't know much about this sort of thing, so will go on your expertise."

Alex hovers away from Gabriel and Sithik. Being less trusting of their inclination to tinker as time progresses. "It's locked I know. I didn't want to break in if it could be avoided. It would appear it cannot be," the robot laments as it floats closer to the armored girl.

Jac'lyn can't get the door open, but she can peer in the window. "There's a port. Inside. Right next to the switch that turns the thing off..." another shrug, "Or detonates it. I'm going to guess that they didn't remember to give you the keys, either." She takes several steps beck from the door and unslings her shotgun to draw a bead on the window, or the lock if it looks easier.

"Whoa, whoa," Gabriel calls quietly, waving Jac'lyn to lower her shotgun. "Let's not get hasty, it doesn't seem to have a timer. Be gentle around high explosives," he advises. "Alex, did that thing attach itself to you as soon as you touched it, or was there time before it hit?"

"Not much time if any. I had just started to assess the vehicle's condition and what I would need to do to get it out of this rut and back to Kingsdale," Alex answers, some patience returning. "I assured my clients that the keys would not be necessary to tow the vehicle back to town. That seemed to reassure them greatly. I am not so reassured now.."

"I'm not anywhere near the ex-" Jac'lyn stops and eyes Alex. "Well, I wasn't. You might want to back up some. Just in case." She aims for the window, and at an angle that puts the shot through the other window, if it goes through. Then she gives it both barrels.

Jac'lyn plants her front firmly when she goes to fire. Right in a pile of something recently digested. Her boot skids and the line of her shot is swung up towards Mars just as the weapon goes off.

Gabriel winces as the shotgun goes off... somewhere... and even keeps his cool, but doesn't keep his usual sense of formality and courtesy. "Sonofabitch! You think a vehicle that attaches a bomb to someone that touches it might now take kindly to being shot?! Put that fucking shotgun away and point it somewhere safe," he instructs. Not bothering to wait, he keeps his distance, but inspects the point where car and tether come together, trying to determine how it might work. "Let's just try to think this through. Worst case, Alex shells out money to bring out a real mechanic to take a look. I don't have anywhere to be until the sun goes down."

"A real mechanic? I spent six years training to be a real mechanic you old flipping sod," Alex growls, clearly offended. "Trained and specialized to work on the most advanced Coalition robotics. But now as a machine I'm just a tool. Something that can never be real is that it?" the robot asks, tilting aggressively at Gabriel. "Bugger off then, you don’t even have any tools." It lashes before looking to Jacylyn. "That tool is a bit extreme.. maybe instead we can look for another way?"

Spitting out curses in American and Euro, Jac'lyn wipes the crap off of her boot in the grass. "It's a fragging machine, not going to hurt it's feelings. And I didn't see you flying off to go grab a greasemonkey, so do something or shut up. Don't think you're going to talk it into letting go." Her eye turns to Alex, but keeps the weapon lowered. "I've got a blade," she shrugs, "But I thought you were in a hurry to get out."

Gabriel points to the box at his side. "I have some tools. I mean 'real mechanic' as someone who is better than I am, and whose ass isn't currently attached to a bomb, making it difficult for said mechanic to fix the problem himself. Just take it easy, you're judging yourself a tool, we didn't say anything." Continuing to keep distance from the car, he inspects the mechanism rather than abandon even a pissed-off robot. "Simple enough. Grapple gun with a charge attached. The key now is to figure out how it's detonated. Physical means? Electronic sensor?" As he thinks, he looks to Jac'lyn, though his own face remains blankly armored. "If you built a car that grabbed a thief just by touch, wouldn't it follow that just *possibly* it might have a defense for something that tries or does harm it even more? We're not in a rush," he repeats. "Let's just see what we can see. Okay?" The last is said to the general air of everyone around as he peeks at the visible innards without touching anything. Just like your mother tells you to do - look, but don't touch.

Sithik quietly observes the current round of events, a shake of his head to the shotgun method of fixing things. "Is it possible to simply remove the panel on your body that it is attached to?" trying to help in some way.

Alex stares at Sithik for a moment. One could almost imagine the robot blinking it had eyes and lids. "That’s brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that,” it remarks, its tone turning from night to day with that revelation. It nods to Gabriel's tools and Jaclyn's knife. Those should serve. Let's move away from the vehicle so it doesn’t get damaged if anything goes wrong.

"Never built a vehicle, just drove them, but security systems can only do so much," Jac'lyn isn't worried about the vehicle. She steps away from it because Alex intends to move, might want to borrow the use of her blade, and the blade's attached to her leg.

Giving the robot mechanic his due, Gabriel looses the small portable tool kit that he'd brought along just for this problem's potential solution. A short verbal warning is given to still not touch anything that isn't yourself or Alex, but he otherwise follows to where the 'bot wants to go. "Just don't pull the tether too far, Alex. I'd rather have the car detonate than myself. Besides, it might snap back hard; we don't know how much tension's actually in the cord."

Sithik moves over to help as well, if nothing more than to help hold the panel that is to be removed. "Thank you Alex."

Alex nods and looks to Jac'lyn first. "Alright miss you'll need to cut away the plating concealing the bolts first. The panel would have four on each long side and to on the short sides." It explains, one of its tool arms gesturing to the sides as described. "The plating will be much thinner than the plate itself, a scrape of a vibro-blade should reveal them," it says before an arm gestures to Gabriel. "The bolts are 9/16ths torques, if you want to pull that out of your tools and undo them as she finds them."

"Yeah. Just don't get complicated, this is only for field repairs, not replacing a transmission," Gabriel replies to Alex as he unlimbers the pieces from the kit. Of course, just out of abundant safety he keeps his distance until the proper cuts have been made, and then contines to avoid even brushing the charge. It might look inert, but one never can tell.

Sithik hovers ready to hold the panel to be set to the ground gently when removed, "How heavy is this to be expected Alex? I don't want to drop it."

Jac'lyn nods and pulls the shortblade from its sheath and spies the indicated area before beginning to cut at it. She uses both hands and careful, controlled pressure. "Try not to move around too much. Might nick something important."

"About 325 pounds," Alex answers to Sithik as it nods to the progress made by Jaclyn and Gabriel. It does manage to hold perfectly still, impressive for a floating machine. "If you need I have some tools as well, every shape and dimension used in mechanics today." It notes to Gabriel on not getting complicated.

Gabriel smiles beneath his safe helmet. "I'll try to stick with the 20th Century ones that I recognize. Bolts are coming off, what's next?"

Sithik nods to the robot's answer, "Will be no problem then." Simply standing ready for when it's free, being sure not to be in either of the makeshift mechanics' way.

"20th century?" It's good Jac'lyn's done cutting, or her twitch might've cut something that Alex didn't want cut. She steps back out of the way to clear room for the tool and catcher.

"Once all three bolts are out miss.." Alex pauses and looks to Jaclyn for her name.. "Will need to wedge her knife under the plate so our strong friend.." another turn for a lacking name. "Can gain the purchase needed to pull it free. I imagine its magnets are holding my innards as well as the plates. But separating them shouldn't trigger the pressure sensors."

Not having muscles to lift a heavy plate with attached heavy charge, nor wanting to be a third person crammed into a small area to pry off the outer plate, Gabriel steps back and waits for something useful to do. Like keeping an eye on the tether to make sure that it doesn't get squirrly.

Sithik is ready to have the plate pried free, hands in position to support the weight about to be dropped into his custody.

Jac'lyn leaves the field off for this part. No reason to cut up any more innards than she has to. She jabs the blade into the seam and pushes it over to try and pry up the edge. "Don't drop it on your foot. Might blow it off." Along with the rest of them.

It takes a very strong pull to free the plate from Alex's saucer body. But free it does to sit easy in Sithik's arms. The robot would surely breath a sigh of relief if it breathed. Instead it nods. "Good good, leave it on the vehicle for now and we will return to town. I will find my clients so they can rectify the oversight," it instructs before pausing. "And I'd compensate the three of you for your efforts, if you don’t mind.."

Now that things seem to be quiet, with no explosions evident, and no creatures bounding from the wilderness - Gabriel raises his faceplate for a bit of beloved fresh air, a breeze that he revels in for a few seconds. Then there's a light chuckle and as he closes up his small tool kit, his drawl comes out as, "Pay is always appreciated, but I didn't come out to save someone from harm expecting it. Whatever you feel will keep your own mind at ease, Alex. I'm happy either way."

Sithik easily sets the panels to the side of the vehicle, gently as possible to not jar the explosive connected. Once set aside, "I will stand guard in case anyone else decides to mess with the vehicle."

"I can offer you a ride back to town if you need." Alex offers to Jac'lyn before making its departure. In due time it will return to relieve Sithik with the appropriate tools and instructions on disarming the device that trapped the robot. Then it will finally tow it back to the owners for a well deserved fee.

Gabriel remains behind for a while, enjoying the wilderness air. However, as soon as the sun starts to go down, he'll return to Kingsdale and other pressing business.

Sithik stays until the robot returns and vehicle is safely towed to town.