Video

[gordonowesmeabeer]

[The last few minutes of the fighting on Elmer's world involved someone literally dragging a semi-conscious Barney out of a crashed UE tank and back through the portal, after a piece of rubble from an explosion clipped him on the side of the head and knocked him half unconscious. It's a mystery why he chose video for this, as the left half of his face is basically one big mess of bruise and scab, his eyes are blood-shot, and he generally looks like hell.]

Hey, uh, I don't exactly remember who it was, but thanks for dragging me back through the portal back there. Just because they can bring us back from the dead doesn't mean I'm wild about throwing my life away.

[He winces, reaches off screen and gingerly plants a giant ice pack on the injured side of his face.]

Sort of related to that, important thought:

UE pretty clearly just followed us to that world. Almost like they did it just to spite us. They KNOW what we're doing here. Seems to me it's only a matter of time before they just show up here and smash us into raspberry jam. Do we have some sort of secret weapon no one told me about that'll stop them?

Comments

video

[demonbloodblade]

[Meliantha, looking tired, stares at Barney.]

Helm's good right arm, are you going to be all right, Barney? You look like some kind of fresh Hell.

video;

[bittertears]

If we had any idea of that, then it wouldn't be a very well kept secret, would it?

video;

[worldswillburn]

Your guess is as good as mine.

Voice

[maddeninghatter]

Isn't it obvious?

Re: video

[gordonowesmeabeer]

[He kind of waves her off.]

It looks worse than it is. I'll be fine in a week or two.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

I hope the Init's got some sort of hidden death ray, then, because we pretty clearly just pissed UE off.

Re: Voice

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Yes. That's why I'm asking.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Then I guess all I can do is hope we don't wake up to the sound of bombers tomorrow.

[priad]

You fought well.

[ As to whether it was Priad, he's not saying. ]

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Not well enough.

Not that I think I could have. We were just too badly outnumbered.

Re: video

[demonbloodblade]

Good. Glad you made it.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Barely. You shoulda seen me yesterday. Concussions aren't fun. But we lived to tell the tale.

Was it you dragging me out of New York at the end there? I was kinda semi conscious.

Voice

[maddeninghatter]

Do you think we really - to use your turn of phrase - "pissed them off?"

[ He's been eavesdropping on the other conversations. ]

[demonbloodblade]

I was in... uh... Hong Kong, trying to keep my guts from falling out, when they called the retreat.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Dang. That must have sucked.

Least we're both able to get better.

[demonbloodblade]

Broken arm, too.

Oh, and killed by Adam. That poor man. He didn't even know what he was doing at the end.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Guess we don't all get a chance to get better...

[demonbloodblade]

I'm no priest, but I may give offerings in his name.

Re: Voice

[gordonowesmeabeer]

[Eavesdropping is a bad habit you know.]

It can't just be a coincidence that they showed up there so soon after our guys did. Didn't look like they were enslaving anyone either, they were just killing everyone. That sounds to me like they were sending us a message. "We know where you came from. Step off."

And if that wasn't enough, we did just kill tons and tons of their soldiers.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

I didn't know him, but no one should be turned into a weapon like that.

Voice

[maddeninghatter]

Yes, yes - the United Earth seems the sort of organization that cares very much about the well being of its infantrymen.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

They'll care about the well being of their wallets, if nothing else.

[maddeninghatter]

Which they're fattening up, with all the riches of that world.

[ A little pause. ]

Haha! How depressing this conversation is. Particularly when my intention was to allay your fears.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

It was a good try, but I guess I'm just gonna be a pessimist no matter what.

[maddeninghatter]

Yes, you are! A determined one, too. You must be delightful at parties~♥

But I must say - the prospect of being turned into strawberry jam isn't such a terrible one, particularly if there are hot crumpets, too.

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

You alright?

...What happened?

[gordonowesmeabeer]

I was holding them back from the portal for those last few minutes when an explosion rocketed a piece of rubble into the side of my head. Then there were some vague memories of leaning on someone?

Guess someone helped me back because when I could think straight again it was the next day, I was back here, and we had lost.

[trustycrowbar]

Hm... You look like hell, Barney.

[Like HE's one to talk. He may be cleaned up and out of that suit, but he's still bruised up, leaning to the side a little, and generally worse for wear. His tone is also low and flat, like it's effort to give anything anything the words themselves.]

I thought about that too. I wish I could say that we do have something, but far as I know we don't. The speceship we captured is a hopeful point, but it's still in bad shape, and that means it'll take longer to reverse-engineer. I hate to say it, but the only thing we can do right now is just sit around and be as vulnerable as possible.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Yeah, well, maybe all the girls will finally leave me alone for a few days.

[He chuckled hollowly, then winced and shifted his icepack.]

I'd feel better if we knew ANYTHING about UE's leaders. With the Combine we could guess how they'd jump half the time because we knew Breen. These guys are totally opaque.

[feel_nevermore]

Are you still injured?

[bittertears]

Perhaps, though I find it hard to believe they weren't already "pissed off."

[worldswillburn]

Would be one heck of an alarm.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Not seriously. Mainly it's just a headache and a face that can scare children.

[trustycrowbar]

...you don't know?

The UE is controlled by a computer. An AI. Some previous intel clued us in to this, and it explains their ruthlessness and efficiency. I guess it's one of those things no one bothers to mention... As for where the AI ends and the human leaders begin, I couldn't say.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

I was under the impression they were tolerating us because we weren't a threat in their eyes.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Wouldn't hit the snooze button for that.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

...Huh. Who'd a thunk it.

[trustycrowbar]

Yeah. A computer has taken over the world... [He pulls off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose briefly.] It'd be great if we could just saunter over and pull the plug on the damn thing, but obviously it's more complicated than that.

[Suddenly he can't help but wonder. Initiative A.I. was rescued from the United Earth. Is she related to theirs...?]

[He shakes the question away for the moment.] Anyway, That explains why their logistics are so good but their risk assessment is sloppy. Computers are good for sorting data and maneuver coordination, but generally not that great at estimation, and even worse at sizing up their opponent.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

The robot apocalypse happened and nobody told me.

Okay, so does that mean we can say they're not gonna be hellbent on revenge?

[trustycrowbar]

Not REVENGE, but they're pretty partial to punishment and intimidation, which in some cases is worse. Revenge is only a single event of retaliation. These guys'll go at it for as long as it takes, until they think we've had enough. I've seen it happen.

[worldswillburn]

Not even for five more minutes?

[think carefully about this.]

[bittertears]

And now it seems they've taken steps to continue to ensuring that.

[priad]

Sometimes the greatest skill a commander can have is to know when to withdraw.

[gordonowesmeabeer]

Yeah, gotta choose your battles. I know that one all too well.