HtH94 – Minara Visits Brilliance
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Minara teaches Piaccta how to spread Managed Democracy.
Orion Section, Brilliance.
We now turn our attention from matters of the theatre house, to the theater of Galactical Warfare!
In an undisturbed corner of the planet Brilliance, a sole figure lies back in a horizontal folding chair, slurping greedily from a straw. She lies back beside a clear pool of water, the peaceful scene is broken up by a thumping pillar of machinery, automating the collection of geological data crucial to the fight for Managed Democracy! (TM)
[Heavy slurping noises]
"Ahhhh, that really hits the spot!"
A lazy hand sets down the glass beside her chair, as she leans even further backwards into the realms of relaxation. Brilliance is an untouched paradise, full of evergreen forests, lush plantation, and scenic vistas. High mountains rise up in the distance, an orange gas giant peeking out amongst the mountain tips. A true change from the recent horrid, arid desert landscapes riddled with hateful bugs and bots alike. No, here is a true idyllic paradise! Not an enemy in sight, just her and the self-fulfilling objective.
Of course, Minara Incognito is not one to simply slow down and enjoy the scenery, so even when surrounded by nature, her hand goes to the touchscreen embedded in the upper arm of her armor. Basked in the dim blue glow, she scrolls down the various news bulletins that had piled up in her absence :
>IT HAS NEVER BEEN SO OVER FOR THE HXLLDIVXRS
>CONSPIRACY OR EMBEZZLEMENT?! TRUTH REVEALED IN NEW EXOSUIT SHADOWS! (YOU WON"T BELIEVE WHAT WE FOUND)
>HIVE GUARDS HAVE HEAVY ARMOR ON BRILLIANCE?!?!Somehow, the headlines seem less appealing to her than before.
She slides the visual display shut after one scroll. The headlines themselves have not changed, it was the same cycle of "its so over", "we're so back" content vultures that have been circling since Cybxrstan. New outrage must happen, so that views go up! Not that the girl was completely innocent, but you would never catch her dressing up in Txrminid-thirst cosplay for the clicks!
So what changed?
Maybe it was just the planet itself.
It IS a comfy and relaxing spot!
For now.
"Tsk... Clickbait used to mean something...!"
(beeping noises over the intercom)
"Friend Minara, aren't you running under-equipped for this mission?"
Mistrál's face pops up on a floating screen to Minara's side. Behind her on the deck of The Fist of Family Values, a sunny little gremlin is climbing atop the holographic wartable, only held back by an exasperated Democracy Officer!
"What? No! Relax, Mistrál! This is just a low difficulty mission for the Super Credits!" Minara turns around so her friend can take in the beautiful landscape as well. "Come on down, the weather's fine, and the scenery is good!"
Just before our more rational friend can reply, Piaccta bounces into the video call's feed, the Democracy Officer toppled down on the bridge face-first,
"Piaccta wants to go! Now! Piaccta is very good with bugs! And weeds!"
"See, that's the spirit! It so happens that I am VERY good at this game! Hold on, hold on, watch this...!"
Wanting to show off to a potential new diver, Minara flicks a yellow-tipped pistol and twirls it around in her hand, letting loose a seven-beamed barrage of lasers at an unsuspecting alien bug in the distance!
The alien bug bursts in a cloud of gloomy red haze.
"That is not an occurrence that usually happens." Mistrál comments off-handedly.
Minara is too busy blowing off the tip of her overheated laser pistol and looking cool in front of her junior to hear Mistrál's comment.
"Wow! Do ALL aliens run that fast?" Piaccta points to the ground next to Minara.
Out of nowhere, yet another knee-high bug appeared, baring its chitinous fangs!
"What do you mean... AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
There is a moment of unregistered shock, before Minara brings the terrified butt of the pistol down on another nearby many-legged interloper!
It too, explodes in red haze.
The girl jumps up and down on the bug's corpse as if it would flatten her embarrassment at having looked throughly uncool for a moment!
"Take that! Take that! That's what you get for messing with Managed Democracy (TM)! When did it sneak up on..."
Just as the model for the newly departed bug slides into the ground, the moon shines its light down a visible shadows moving in the distance! Where the original bug had fallen, even more bugs had heard the gigantic ruckus Minara was creating and headed this way!
What's more... they were moving fast!
Faster than any bug Minara had seen before, that's for sure!
The smaller ones at the front catch laser beams in the head, falling down and exploding in red. When the other bugs move through them... The horrifying skittering noises seem to increase in speed and intensity, closing the gap in an instant!
At this point, the girl's auric eyes have shrunk down to the size of tiny pinpricks, the pistol jammed from overheating again!
"It appears that the red mist makes for more aggressive---"
Mistrál's obvious commentary was interrupted by excessive screaming in the night, a lone shadow chased by the teeming swarms of alien bugs!
They pour over the verdant green slopes, chasing after the formerly over-confident girl now screaming for extraction at the top of her lungs!
Run, Minara, run!
Aboard The Fist Of Family Values.
"At least that will make for a funny clip when friend Minara gets back."
The feed freezes with Minara holding the chat box with both hands while sentry turret bullets bounce effortlessly off a big bug behind her.
Piaccta nods her head, having learned the ways of spreading Managed Democracy (TM) from a seasoned (?) warrior!
"Big sister Minara--- Is smart AND cool!"
SUPER-STREAMER TIPS: "Running away is smart when facing a superior enemy!" - Piaccta
We are trying something different! This is a simul-posting at the same time as the Scribblehub release! Go check out the entire series at this link!
