Forli

[FoxTrott]

Three red dots appeared in the corner of the browser, interrupting a search for evidence. Amarinn closed several windows, and opened his radar program. There were a few things heading towards Forli, some extremely close.

"They figured out I'm here," he said. His voice was that of a heretic, knowing nobody was listening but still speaking anyway. Frantic eyes darted around the dimly lit room. He needed at least a week more to continue his research, but it was too late now. They were coming--he knew it.

Amarinn grabbed the thumb drive from his computer tower, and shoved it in his pocket. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled up the command console, and input a long series of number. The ancient computer whirred, and came up with a response of "Run: Program: CATALYST: yes/no." He left it at that screen, and turned to gather the rest of his supplies.

The room was cramped, but every inch of every wall was covered in papers. Most of them were newspaper clippings tacked to the wall, with headlines such as "DEADLY EXPLOSION: How Will Ravonia Recover?", while the rest were pictures and such printed off the internet. Amarinn ignored all this, and went for the filing cabinet. It wasn't organized in the slightest, but he somehow knew exactly where to go. He pulled out a file labled "BACKUP," and another labled "MISC." The amazingly fit twenty-something shoved them into a messenger bag, along with a laptop, several maps, and a few electronic devices.

Amarinn looked at the computer, and sighed. With the messenger bag hanging from his shoulder, he typed into the command console three letters: Y-E-S. Quickly, Amarinn climbed up a makeshift ladder out of the room, to see his first view of the now-dead Forli. He was close to the coast, and was able to see a few abandoned fishing vessels, just as he had hoped.

First, to deal with the arrivals. Amarinn glanced around the murky area, challenging anything to come at him.

[Sparrow]

Still scanning the surrounding waters the Orb continues its approach. Still at a good distance away it begins scanning the coast, then to even its surprise, it picks up a scan of life. The Orb stops, hovering five feet off the ground, it had only gotten about seven feet past the tide. It scans the surroundings, passing a red light over the area, searching for the hint of life once again. It purposely makes hovering sounds to draw attention of whoever or whatever is nearby.

[FoxTrott]

Amarinn heard the faintest noise. He pulled a device from his messenger back that looked like a portable radar, picking up any signals out of the ordinary. Aside from the obvious radiation eminating from the ground, there was an electronic signal relatively nearby. Just on the shore, he could see a spherical object floating above the ground. His mind was whirring with the possibilities. Cautiously, Amarinn advanced towards it.

[Sparrow]

The Orb listens to and continues scanning the surroundings. After a moment it picks up a signal from a nearby device and detects movement not to far off. Quickly it turns to where it was detected, shuts off its scanner and snaps its eye open. Seeing Amarinn causes it to open and shut its lens twice, as if blinking in surprise. It hovers staying in place, rerunning calculations of the likeliness of survivors.

[FoxTrott]

It was some sort of spy drone, Amarinn figured, it must be from them. He fiercely stared back at its eye. Slowly, Amarinn rose his arm, and concentrated on the sphere. In his mind's eye, he invisioned it imploding, its shell crumplying like an aluminum can. With all his might, he clenched his hand into a fist, his grubby fingernails nearly drawing blood. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, all his energy channeled into the motion.

If all his practice had paid off, it would become a crumpled mess.

[Sparrow]

During the middle of the calculation the Orb detects a sharp increase in pressure. It quickly attempts to distinguish its cause; however its internal wiring is already being crushed. Its shell develops hairline cracks and it begins to short-circuit. Its gyroid, now highly damaged, locks and can no longer keep it in flight. It falls to the ground and its shell splinters. The small explosive compartment cracks, also being affected. It doesn’t take long for the self-destruct to be forced. The Orb explodes, sending off a super heated ball of fire causing nearby sand to transform into glass. The explosion causes enough force to easily effect an area over a half mile wide. It would have been greater, but the sudden attack had affected the explosives properties. After the explosion, drops of molten glass and small flakes of ember rain down falling like snow; most embers burn out before reaching the ground.

[FoxTrott]

Amarinn reflexively held up his arm to shield his fast. The force pushed him back before the fire got to him, sending him flying for a good couple yards and knocking him to the ground. Sand flew in all directions, creating a cloud hanging over the blast site. Amarinn briefly wondered if this is what it felt like when the bomb had fallen.

He opened his eyes to see that he was still alive, with all body parts intact. He stood up, coughing from the debris. He was bruised, but otherwise okay. Amarinn smirked.

[Sparrow]

Three Orbs that were traveling together towards Forli detect the explosion and come to a halting stop about twenty feet from shore. They record the wreak and send a live feed to the Main Lab.

~In Epocheia~
Frank, an Epocheian scientist level 3, notices an alarm beeper set off.
He turns to the monitor,
“...? What’s this?” he says, clicking the alert button.
A popup pops up that reads,
“Orb 7B 463-127 Detonated. Location: Forli. Cause: Unforeseen pressure.”
Surprised he clicks to view ‘Live feed’. He sees the explosion remains,
“Oh dang...” he says quickly.
He presses a button turning on the contact radio,
“Attention, situation in Lab room B-12, assistance requested.”
He continues to watch the feed.

~In Forli~

Two of the Orbs break from the group and continue on to investigate. Once at the beach they split up and go opposite ways. They keep their lenses open to watch for danger. After a moment an Orb sees Amarinn at a good distance. It drops to the ground to keep out of site and rolls around him in a large circle until it is behind him. From there, about 40 feet away, it hovers up to his eye level and quickly hovers over to him. It stops about a foot away from him and blinks on the text,
“Hello, are you well?”
Then it waits for a reply.

[FoxTrott]

Amarinn continued towards the coast, noting there was a dock nearby with a few small boats tied to it. He jumped back at the sudden presence of the orb, and was about to explode it when it flashed text at him. He stared at it, confused, and turned his expression into a scowl before swatting it away.

"Obviously nothing but a drone," he growled to himself, "keep going."

[Sparrow]

The Orb makes a static sound as if annoyed, then brings up the text.
“Drone? I am offended at this claim.”
It steadies itself,
“If you do not wish to speak, then allow me to return to my work. I am not here to cause any problems.”
After a short pause to adds,
“What says you?”

[FoxTrott]

Amarinn watched the text on the thing's screen, wondering what would send a drone to Forli and why. He readjusted his messenger bag.

"Shoo," he mumbled, "I don't need a bug following me around. I've better things to do. In fact, I could wipe your circuits and reprogram you to be a vending machine. How would you like that, drone?"

Obviously, Amarinn's time spent underground didn't help his social skills.

[Sparrow]

“...”
The dots stay for a moment.
“Son you are disappoint. FAIL threat is FAIL.”
The Orb hovers slightly to the right.
“I am here for a reason separate from you. Though you hold interest.”
The Orb drifts back a short way.
“I am here to scan and study. To find life. To calculate damage. That is all.”
After a moment it adds,
“The question of whether or not you were here at the time of the.... Incident.... Falls into question however.”

[FoxTrott]

"It wasn't just an "incident", " Amarinn said, still continuing towards the dock, "It was a mass murder of nearly every. Single. Person. In this country. And I've an idea of who was behind it." He turned around to look at the orb. "I was here, however. And I'm alive."

Amarinn began concentrating on the orb. "Problem?"

[Sparrow]

“...?”
The Orb halts.
“No, there is no problem.”
After a moment it adds,
“I apologize if my explanation is faultily.”
It quickly glances around,
“The fact that you survived provides hope.”
After a moment it decides to ask,
“Who do you expect did this? If I may ask.”

[FoxTrott]

Hope? Amarinn scoffed. He pitied whoever hoped somebody survived, as the survivor would end up less human than before.

"I've plenty of theories," Amarinn replied, relaxing. He suddenly tensed. That's it! The drone was luring him into a false sense of security! He scowled, and concentrated on the sphere, trying to damage it but not implode it like the last one.