No.5025
>Date: June 19th, 2013
>Time: 8:13 PM
>Location: Paradise City - PsiTech Labs HQ
>It was beginning to grow late, but the sun had only recently begun to set over Paradise City, as was typical this time of year. Despite the time, the city remained as bustling as usual. Shops were open, people walked the streets. Nothing unusual.
>Near the center of the city stood a relatively tall, almost perfectly cylindrical shaped building. The PsiTech labs tower. Having only finished construction relatively recently, it was in pristine condition.
>Inside, the building was fully furnished, with an almost casual appearance. It looked, for lack of better words, like a tech bro's dream furniture. Spaces were open, bean bag chairs, carpets and knick-knacks were everywhere.
>Despite the open space and generally "welcome" atmosphere, the CEO's office was accessible only via private elevator, with the office itself sitting behind a pair of heavy metal doors. Inside, the founder and CEO remained. He was of relatively short stature, and wore casual clothing, looking like your typical tech bro trying to appear "hip".
>He paces around the office, his hand fidgeting with a pen. Click. Click. Click. Suddenly he stops dead in his tracks, and turns to look out the office's massive windows. He narrows his eyes.
"…What?"
No.5026
>>5025>A shadow darts across a neighboring rooftop, quickly vanishing from view. The man continues to stare out the window, before backing towards his desk. He reaches under the desk, and presses a hidden button."LOCKDOWN INITIATED"
>Sirens begin to blare in the building as all possible points of entry begin to be blocked by thick metal coverings. "ALL PERSONELL TO REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE. MORE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED SOON."
>The mechanical voice continued to repeat the message over the intercoms several more times. No.5027
>>5026>Outside
>Passerby stare at the building, confused as it almost entirely becomes encased in various layers of thick metal sheets. Security officers begin to form a perimeter, preventing anyone from getting too close.
>Littered all around the building exterior are a series of cameras, Meta-Gene dampeners, and even a collection of strange looking devices emitting a soft purple glow. These devices seem to increase in luminosity for a moment, before returning to a state only slightly brighter than they were originally.
>Near the entrance, a security officer stands with his finger to his ear."Mhm. Got it."
>The officer moves closer to the others, announcing:"Alright boys. Nobody gets in or out until lockdown ends. Got it?"
"SIR YES SIR!"
>The officers begin to fan out, forming a perimeter around the building. Unbeknownst to them, a figure watched them from a near-by rooftop. No.5028
>>5027>The figure suddenly darts towards the entrance, creating a shockwave that throws back several officers. Alarms begin blaring, the strange devices begin to intensify in glow and officers begin to train their weapons on the figure."UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE INTRUDER!"
"FIRE!"
>The figure rushes the officers before they can act. The first officer is grabbed by the throat, and then thrown across the street. The next, their neck broken by a surprise wheel kick. The next has their weapon taken and then has a fist smash into their ribs, sending them crashing into a wall, and so on.
>The woman moves towards the entrance. She stops for a moment, observing the glowing devices on the wall. She reaches towards the ground, her fingers tearing through the concrete like tissue paper. She grabs a handful of concrete and then hurls it at each visible device.
>The devices are immediately smashed, going dark and losing their glow. Satisfied, the woman moves her eyes towards the entrance of the building. She reaches her palm out towards it. The thick barrier covering the entrance tears off and is flung aside.
>The woman smirks and begins to walk into the entrance casually."Stop right there!"
>A group of armored officers, now sporting their own strange looking tech arrive, blocking the woman."Surrender now or-"
>The woman's smirk turns to a grin, and she immediately smashes into the first officer. Just like before, she dismantles them one by one with extreme ease, tossing them around and generally smashing up the place. No.5029
>>5028>The CEO's office"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"
>He screams into his phone. The building shakes and rumbles, with the woman making her way up the building's individual floors."SIR! THERE'S AN INTRUDER IN THE BUILDING WE CAN'T STO- AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
>The guard is abruptly silenced. "Hello!? Hello!?"
>Nearly dropping his phone, the man begins backing away from his office's entrance and towards the side of the room. He then turns to run, only for the door to his office to be smashed and knocked over. No.5030
>>5029"Ah ah ah!"
>The man freezes up. "You're not going anywhere!"
>The man tries to turn around and get a look at the intruder, only to find himself unable to move. What he first thought was fear keeping him in place turned out to be something worse. The woman was remotely holding him in place."L-Let me go! I'll give you anything you want! Just let me go!"
"Anything?"
>The woman sounds intrigued. Slowly, the man can feel himself turning to face the woman. Before him stands a tall, beautiful and physically fit woman. She has long brown hair, and eyes that glow. Unbeknownst to him, she bears a great resemblance to Stephanie Thompson."What about…"
>She makes an exaggerated thinking motion."…All your research, your technology and your loyalty? Even the secret stuff you keep in that hidden room over there."
>She nudges her head in the direction of the wall the man was previously trying to get to."W-What? How did-"
"You can't hide anything from me!"
>She walks towards the man, flicking him on the forehead. The force of the flick alone is enough to make him bruise. He winces, and lets out a yelp of pain. The woman leans closer to him."…Or The Collective."
No.5031
>>5030>The man's eyes widen."N-No! You can't!"
"I can. And I will."
>The man feels his body begin to rise in the air. A force begins to enclose around his throat."P-PLEASE! STOP!"
>Once again the woman takes an exaggerated thinking pose."Hmm… no. A message has to be sent. And I'm the messenger."
"WAIT!"
No.5033
>>5032>Date: November, 2017>Location: The Collective New HQ - Ken Thompson's primary lab.
>The room is dark, illuminated only by the soft glow of various monitors and technical devices, as well as the massive tube central to the room.
>Ken stares at the tube, watching as a woman floats within it's green liquid in fetal position. The woman looks nearly identical to Stephanie Thompson, with only minor variation in facial structure. Her hair is long and brown, and she is slightly taller than Stephanie."Mission simulation success."
>Ken doesn't respond."Mission simulation success."
>Ken still doesn't respond."Uh.. sir?"
>Ken suddenly looks almost startled, and then turns towards the man standing at a computer station."What?"
"Mission simulation success, sir."
>Ken gives the man a slow nod, and then turns his attention back towards the woman in the tube."Good. How much longer until memory implantation is complete?"
>The man begins to work at the computer station, clicking around and typing. After a moment he gives a reply."…Roughly 21 more days, sir."
"Excellent."
>Ken smiles. "Continue to monitor the subject. Physical trials will begin after awakening."
"Understood."
>Ken places his hand on the tube, smiling still. He lowers his voice, speaking to both himself and the woman inside."
Soon. Soon you will awaken. Orion and Circe will have a big Christmas surprise."
[TO BE CONTINUED]