Rhen Var's Open Terrain

The Barloz continued it's descent, it's hull briefly heating up from the friction caused by the atmosphere, before being cooled as the Freighter slowed down to a relatively normal speed and the cold winds of the arctic planet blew across it's surface. Obadiah continued to run scans as he flew the ship through the sky, making sure to keep her low to the ground, incase the Elementis brother's had some sort of trap set in case of pursuit. But thankfully no such trap had been set, as they made their approach to a mountain range, where scans started to pick up an artificial opening from which the locator pings were originating from. When no orders came from Zion to stop, Obadiah guided the ship into the hangar bay entrance and extended the landing gear, before setting her down and lowering the boarding ramp
=Obadiah Traevis=
Looks like this is the end of the line. So, what's the plan Zion?

He had suspected that this was what Zion's grand plan was going to be, since he wasn't exactly a combat specialist, and was the only other person aside from Zion that was able to pilot The Sanctum. Although he did not like the idea of being forced to leave them all behind, he would do it because Zion had asked him to, and that was why he had been asked to, cause he would do the right thing by the girls
=Obadiah Traevis=
I wont let you down. I'll keep them safe. Now go get Amber back. We'll still be here waiting...

Ayora had long ago lost track of how much time had passed since she had entered this digital world, had it been weeks, maybe months, or maybe even years, she was not sure anymore. Time in this world passed differently to that of the real world, something which Kiru had once tried to explain to her was due to the processing speeds of computer CPUs. What seemed like years in here, could be mere weeks out in the real world, not that it really mattered to her anyway, since she was stuck here with no hope of escape. It wasn't all that bad though, she had grown used to the strange way her clothes glowed and the ring that she had found herself wearing when she had awoken, alone in a strange world. Kiru had been the one that found her and taken her in, teaching her all that she needed to know about how to survive in this world, and what the green ring that she wore meant. It was a manifestation of her strong will to survive, and so long as she maintained that will to do so, she could interact with this world in ways impossible to do so in the real one.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting for help, causing her to take a moment to look around, remembering that she had been traversing the mountains near the edge of the city. Kiru had asked her to come out here, expecting more people to arrive after that other woman had appeared just a couple days ago by digital world time. Sure enough, Kiru had been right, as Ayora quickly hurried down the side of a small rise and came to the cliff edge where the stranger clad in a cloak was hanging "Grab my hand!" Ayora quickly planted her staff against the ground, to act as a lever, whilst she squatted down and extended her left hand for the man to grab, waiting until he had a firm grip upon it, before she leaned backwards and started pulling him up "Come on!" She kept pulling, until at last his torso was up over the edge and he managed to get a foot hold, pushing himself up to safety, whilst she fell falt on her back, taking a few moments to catch her breath. Ayora then quickly rose to her feet, shaking herself off a bit, before moving over to the man and offering him a hand getting up "Well that was a close call, almost lost you on your first day..."

Ayora had been about to answer the man's questions, when a pair of women came rushing down the side of the hill, with one of them, a Farghul, exclaiming what she presumed to be the man's name in delight, before latching on to his side. The other armour clad woman came down and joined the group a few moments later, regarding her with suspicion, which was understandable, but Ayora could tell from the colour of their rings, that she had nothing to worry about. She returned her attention to the man then, noting his uniquely white colouring, which Kiru had once mentioned as a mere legend, as no one had been seen bearing its power for many eons as far as time here was concerned "Well, there are your friends... As for what, or where, this place is... It is a virtual reality, but we call it The Grid..." Ayora then motioned towards the city that was just visible between a pair of mountain tops, allowing the new arrivals a chance to take everything in "But right now, is not the time to discuss these things. I need to get you back to Kiru, she'll be able to explain things, and keep you safe..."

"Travel is not a problem..." Ayora then turned to a clear flat space and raised her fist, pointing the ring towards it, before several strands of light were produced forth from it, and started constructing a emerald green vehicle before their very eyes. Just as it finished constructing, Ayora heard a noise in the distance, causing her to snap towards the source of the sound, a pair of extremely dark grey vehicles appearing in the sky as she ushered everyone into the one she had just made "Well, you're about to find out what you need protection from..." Ayora then got in the pilot seat, before the craft took off and the engines powered it through the air, a pair of twin light streams trailing from the air craft as it gained momentum fairly quickly. But it was little enough to keep their pursuers from gaining on them, as a hail of what looked like laser fire rained down upon the ship, peppering the hull. Ayora then motioned to Zion to take the rear gunner position, a task he got to quickly, before the rear of the ship opened a little to reveal the turret "They're just programs! shoot them down!" Although she was certain he would be somewhat confused by her statement, he was willing enough to follow her command as the gun came to life a few moments later, littering the air with return fire. Two of the craft quickly fell to the laser fire, whilst the third managed to get in close, firing off a couple rounds which damaged the cannon, but thankfully did little else "Hold on tight!" Ayora then pivoted the control stick to the side, sending the craft into a spiral which the trails of light mimicked behind the craft, which the pilot of the pursueing craft was unable to keep up with, the wings of his own speeder being cut through and sending the remains hurtling into a mountainside "Yes!" Ayora then leveled the craft out, before decreasing the ship's altitude as they followed the mountains decline down towards the city, aiming towards a road that seemed to lead from nowhere into the metropolis. As they passed over the road, Ayora placed her ring into a spot on the dash, before the vehicle shifted it's shape, taking on the form of a futuristic truck as it touched down onto the road. As they got closer to the city, the truck gained more speed, with the draw of energy required to maintain the vehicle being less, the closer they were to the center of The Grid "Prepare to feast your eyes upon what we call home here..." The truck then passed down into a tunnel, before coming out the other side a few moments later onto a highway that ran through the city, huge skyscapers rising up all around them, as motorcycles and other similarly designed vehicles passed them by. It was a beautiful place, and could capture one's attention quite easily, but beneath its bright exterior, The Grid held a far darker secret, which had obscured the way in which she saw this place. She was certain that her new companions would very much feel the same way one Kiru explained everything to them, but first, she had to get them to her. Thankfully, the trip was not far, and before long, Ayora was diverting the truck off the main highway and down to the street level, passing by few people, since it was closing in on what amounted to night here. Ayora then pulled the vehicle into a garage, and waited for everyone to disembark, before the vehicle deconstructed itself and disappeared as she lead the way into the apartment "Welcome home... Kiru, we're back!"

There was a lot about this world that Zion did not understand, and so he had to take Ayora's word on what to do. Thus it was, that he fired upon their pursuers when told to, remaining quiet for the rest of the trip. He was certain there would be a time and place to ask questions once they arrived to their destination, and whilst they lost their enemy in the mountains, he got the distinct feeling they were not entirely safe yet. It wasn't until they arrived safely to their destination, that he let his vigilance down a little. It was then, as they entered the house, they he received the biggest shock thus far, as Amber strode up and kissed him. He held her close, not wanting the moment to end as he comforted her. He couldn't help but smile as she pulled away, embarrassed by what she had just done.

He still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Amber, but in that moment, he didn't really care. He was just so glad to see her alive and well. There would be plenty of time later to sort out his feelings once this was over. It was then, that he placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin, before using it to turn her face up to his. She was the only person left alive from his childhood. He knew above all else, that he could not risk losing her. Perhaps he might be able to even take a chance with her, and see if they could be more than what they were. However, that would have to wait, at least until he had rescued her, and they had gotten back to Honoghr safely
=Zion Morviael=
Maybe I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going to leave you with them...
It was then, that his attention shifted to Kiru, as he moved free of Amber. Her clothes were quite interesting, being a strange combination of form fitting pants and shirt, with what he assumed was some body armour vest over the top. So, this was the woman that Ayora answered to here. She certainly seemed interesting, and young. Though, considering that this world was virtual, her appearance may have remained the same over the years because of it. There was also the possibility that she was a Cinndao, in which case, she'd look like that for the rest of her life, virtual reality or not. It was then, that she smiled at him, and spoke, guessing that he had questions for her, her attention briefly diverting to Ayora
=Kiru=
Welcome home, thank you for bringing our guests here safely... her attention then turned to him in that moment and you must be Zion. Amber has told me a lot about you... Enough to guess you would get that ring...
He looked down at his ring, perplexed by what she meant with such a statement. He still had no idea what half of this stuff was, or even what it meant. From what he had seen Ayora use it for, it seemed to have some interaction type capabilities, and could create vehicles. But beyond that, he was clueless. He looked back up at Kiru then
=Zion Morviael=
What exactly do you mean by that? What exactly do these rings do? and why do the markings on our clothes match the colour of the rings?

=Kiru=
I thought you might have some questions... come, all of you, take a seat...
As Kiru motioned to the sofa's nearby, Zion was the first to take a seat. The others were quick to following, soon occupying seats nearby to him. Kiru then stood before them, as a number of holograms came up, to aide in her explanations that followed
=Kiru=
There is a lot to explain, that I must help you understand... I think the best place to begin, is with an explanation of where we are. Physically, we are located in a relatively small research base on Rhen Var. Hidden away within the side of a mountain. It was originally conceived as a scientific research facility by a number of Cinndao, so that they could live and work in peace. State of the art technology was invented, to allow a living system such as this to exist. We used it to run simulations and test discoveries that would have taken years and massive amounts of resources to perform in the real world. Things that could have resulted in catastrophic disasters were performed in absolute safety, in this virtual reality. Back then, we decided to implement a system of control. Access to certain areas were restricted based upon that system. For we agreed that certain singular strong traits within a person, would play a factor in the kind of work they would do and the decisions they made. To that end, colours were assigned to a total of 8 initial emotional ranges. Upon arrival, every newcomer was given a ring, which then established where they fit, and then, once digitised, a persons clothes were given accents to further show this alignment. An example of this, is Amber's ring and clothes being blue, to represent her strong hope. Ayora's are green, to represent her strong will. Your feline friend has violet, for her ability to love. And your other friend has red, to represent rage. As for you and I? we were assigned white, for our commitment to the preservation of life and commitment to others. There exists another, allied colour, as the term would go. But blue stands for compassion. Those that remain, are filled with fear and avarice. Their numbers were once few, and we tolerated their existence. However, that all changed when the Cinn Ion found this facility and created a ninth option... Death. With their arrival, the ranks of the fearful and greedy swelled...

=Zion Morviael=
So... Everyone here is a Cinndao? All of them?

=Kiru=
Yes, they are. If you aren't one, you cannot enter the system, or even use it. It was designed that way, as a place of peace and freedom for us. But the Elementis brothers and the Cinn Ion have turned it into a prison for all of us...

=Zion Morviael=
But... If that's true...
He turned to look at Tigress then, studying the female Farghul with interest. It wasn't possible. She was a Farghul, a species that would not have been able to mate with a Cinndao. Besides, he would have sensed something before now. They had spent some time alone together in the past. But then, he had not been thinking clearly at the time. And every time since then, he had always been with the others. He turned back to Kiru
=Zion Morviael=
How do you explain her? Tigress is a Farghul, not a Cinndao...

=Kiru=
I honestly can't say. If I had the access to the system, I could run a diagnostic scan of her pod. But all I can do is speculate. I remember hearing about some researchers who were running experiments that combined Cinndao DNA with that of other species. Since she was able to enter the system, I can only assume that the research was successful...
Zion turned back to look at Tigress then, searching her face for any clues about whether Kiru was close to an explanation

He kept her held at his side, as he gently petted her head. Sometimes the line between the cat and the girl was very blurred with Tiggy. But it was a fine enough one that he was sure she would be cheered by his actions. It was clear she didn't like having to talk about it. Or perhaps she felt guilty for not having mentioned it before. Though, in fairness, there had never really been any good chance for them to discuss it. She had spent several weeks in a coma, and the moment she woke up, they were off on some quest that had lead here. He could not blame her for having kept this to herself
=Zion Morviael=
Don't feel bad. There was really no chance for you to say anything... Besides, you had your own reasons for not saying anything. Considering the kind of danger I'm in just being what they consider a half-breed, I can understand your reservations. You would face greater persecution. But we will protect you. You can count on that...
His smile faded then, as he turned his attention back to Kiru. The longer they remained trapped here, the more risk they ran of being discovered and the Elementis Brothers coming back to kill them all. They also ran the risk, that once they escaped, Tiggy's secret would be out. Meaning that the Cinn Ion would renew their war against him and those he knew. To that end, his thoughts turned to escaping this place. For if there was a way in, there was a way out
=Zion Morviael=
So then, how do we escape this place? Surely there is some exit?

=Kiru=
I was wondering when you might ask that question... Normally, we would be released by an outsider or use the log out controls to do so. However, the robotic Sentries we might have called upon, have been converted by the Cinn Ion, and with everyone within the system, we can't have someone else do it. And with our system access restricted further by the Cinn Ion, we cannot log ourselves out...

=Zion Morviael=
But there is another way... isn't there?

=Kiru=
Yes... there is. For all their tampering, the Cinn Ion could only alter the system to a certain extent. They were able to insert their guards into a privileged access level, but they were unable to eliminate the White Admin permissions. We control the ultimate decisions of this system from specific consoles within this world. We can log everyone out and free you from this place...

=Zion Morviael=
Then why haven't you done it?

=Kiru=
A number of reasons... Kiru walked over to a window and looked out it, at the central spire that rose above the city roofs ...The sentries patrol the base, and we have spent too many years within this world, to be strong enough to defeat them alone. That, and the controls require two of us to activate them. I could not force a log out alone. That is what I need you for. We can release you first, time delaying the log out so you have time to take the sentries down. Once that's done, we can all be free...
Zion turned his attention to the spire that Kiru was looking at. Even from here, aerial patrols could clearly be seen. With that much security, it must be where they would have to go. The Cinn Ion certainly did not like making things easy. But he could understand their concern. A system capable of letting loose all of their prisoners was a threat. And if they couldn't destroy it, he was sure they would not anyone close to it. Meaning they'd have to fight their way inside
=Zion Morviael=
What do you need us to do? I doubt you would have spent so much time in here, without coming up with a plan for escaping. Surely you know every in and out of that building...

=Kiru=
Whilst I'd like to give you all extensive training on how to use your rings to aid in this assault, we wont have the time. So you'll just have to rely on a crash course from Ayora and myself. Whilst I would like to say there is some access tunnel we can make use of, no such option exists. We're going to have to force our way in from the front door... Kiru then pointed towards the top of the tower ...Up there...

=Zion Morviael=
There's no ground level entrance? Well, I guess that would just be too easy... So we have to fly in.

=Kiru=
After that, we have to descend through the tower, to the very base, where the system is located. The walls of the building are coded so we can't break them from the outside in. Except for the main entrance. But once we're in, we just need to keep them off our backs until we activate the system. I just have one condition, and that's that you take Ayora with you, when you leave. She's a brilliant student, and there is much she can learn. But her talents are wasted here, and she will need a safe haven, which we cannot provide.
Zion nodded, before turning to look at Ayora, studying the young girl. Well, young in comparison to his own age anyway. Although he would have conducted his own assessment of the girl, he was unable to do so. But he suspected that Kiru knew something about her which he would find out once they were outside the Grid. If she was asking him to take Ayora, then it was likely she was Force Sensitive
=Zion Morviael=
That depends. Are you willing to commit yourself to such training? If what I suspect Kiru is hinting at is true, then this is no simple task you will undertake. You will have to travel from here, leaving your friends behind. Can you do that?