RVB Arrancars Meta Arc
Recovery One!
Fade in on a dead red body and a dead blue body. In comes a soldier in dark armor with yellow highlights who leans down over one of the bodies and starts fidgeting, causing a green glow to emanate upon him.
Voice: Prime display activated. Restoring functions.
The voice is revealed to be an A.I.
A.I.: Hello, how may I be of assistance to you?
Soldier: Instruction: identify yourself.
A.I.: Executing; I am intelligence program Delta, as created for the special operative program Freelancer. I have been assigned to agent Foxtrot Twelve. Or, York. My assignee was recently killed in combat.
Soldier: I noticed. Hold on.
Radio sounds.
Soldier: Come in, Command. This is Recovery One. I've located the Delta A.I. He appears in tact.
Command: This is Command, we need a full inventory of the carrier's equipment before it's decommissioned.
Recovery One: Why do you need that?
Command: Recovery One, please respond to the directive. Perform a complete inventory.
Recovery One: Roger Command. Recovery One out. Delta, instruction: run a full system diagnostic, with detail on armor components, analyze inventory.
Delta: Executing, result: all components present. Armor at 70% peak capacity.
Recovery One: Not bad for an old locksmith. Hey, need you to start a countdown for me. One hundred on the clock.
Delta: Initiating. One hundred. Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. May I make an inquiry?
Recovery One: Go ahead.
Delta: Why was I not destroyed?
Recovery One: What?
Delta: When an assignee is killed in action, protocol dictates that all intelligence programs be destroyed.
Recovery One: Yeah that's what they told me at first too. But you were encrypted until you could be recovered. I'm here to recover you.
Delta: Recovery carries risk. Destruction ensures that an A.I. will not fall in to enemy hands.
Recovery One: Are you complaining?
Delta: Not at all! Just noting a discrepency.
Recovery One: What do you want from me guy? You cost a lot of money, okay? It's cheaper to recover you than it is to delete you. Go bitch to the accountants.
Delta: If I have offended you, I do apologize.
Recovery One: Yeah, I'm all busted up about it. Now, store yourself in a portable component, okay? I'm moving you.
Delta: You could insert me in to your own A.I. slot. I do not show it as occupied.
Recovery One: I don't think so.
Delta: If you are having difficulty, I can walk you through the implantation procedure.
Recovery One: I don't do that.
Delta: Are you Agent Washington?
Recovery One: That's me.
Delta: Then I understand. You had, difficulties with your assigned A.I. unit.
Washington: Difficulties? Yeah, I suppose that's a word.
Delta: In that case, I must insist that you terminate my program. Destruction ensures that an A.I. will not fall in to-
Washington: Look, Delta, just relax. I don't think you're in any danger of getting hijacked by one of the four dead guys here with us.
Delta: Three.
Washington: What?
Delta: My sensors indicate only three inert human forms. Yourself and one other remain active.
Washington: Wha-
Several rifle rounds shoot past Washington's head.
Washington: Huh!
Washington starts running.
Washington: Great, thanks for telling me!
Delta: I suggest you return fire.
Washington: Ya think?
A plasma grenade lands at Washington's feet.
Washington: Son of a-!
Washington and Wyoming run past each other shooting, and Washington comes up dry.
Washington: Dammit.
Wyoming reloads, then retreats.
Washington: What the hell?
Delta: Perhaps he realized that York's equipment was charged to detonate. Currently T-minus four,
Washington: Instruction! Storage, now!
Delta: Executing.
Delta disappears back in to York.
Delta: Two. One.
Washington collects Delta and jumps off the building as York's body explodes behind him, and lands below.
Washington: Well, at least that was easier than the last one.
Radio sounds as Washington starts jogging.
Command: Recovery One, this is Command, we have a level one distress signal, immediate response necessary.
Washington: I just wrapped that up, Command. I'm headed home.
Command: Negative, Recovery One, this is a new signal.
Washington: That's the fifth one this month.
Command: Affirmative.
Washington: (sigh) Alright, send me the coordinates.
Washington reaches his jeep and drives off. The screen cuts to black.
Washington: I'm on my way.
Fade in on a light purple soldier with a green trim standing over a dead darker purple soldier.
Washington: What I don't get is the motion tracker. No one can get by one of those while they're active. You sure you don't have anything in your logs? ... South. You with me? South!
South: What?
Washington: I need you to concentrate, South. Okay? I know he was your brother, but the sooner I can piece together what happened, sooner we can track this guy.
South: Right, uh, sorry.
Washington: Don't sweat it. Now, your logs. Nothing?
South: No, not even a ping.
Washington: And you didn't hear anything.
South: I heard him- I heard him scream. I came around the corner, and then, ...nothing.
Washington: You mean you didn't see the attacker?
South: No, I mean nothing. I heard him scream, I headed towards him, and then suddenly you're standing over me asking me if I'm alright and telling me my brother is dead.
Washington: Yeah. You were out about eight hours. North's armor started a level one distress and they got me here stat.
South: Yeah...
Washington: Level one, South. Something you wanna tell me?
South: I'm sure you already know.
Washington: I need you to confirm it.
South: He still had Theta.
Washington: Well I didn't find Theta on him, South. Did you take it?
South: No, I don't have it.
Washington: Do you still have yours?
South: No Wash, I never had one. I was in the implant group behind you, remember? And after what happened to you, nobody got any more.
Washington: Don't sound so bitter.
South: Of course not. Bitter wouldn't win the war, right?
Washington: ...I have to take care of your brother now, South. You might not want to watch this part.
South: Can I, have a few minutes alone with him first?
Washington: You can have one minute.
South: I guess I should say thank you.
Washington: I guess you should get busy. Your minute's already started.
Washington walks away, but not too far, and we hear radio sounds.
Command: This is Recovery Command responding secure.
Washington: Command, this is Recovery One.
Command: Hello Wash, we have you secure, go ahead.
Washington: I'm on the scene.
Command: What's the status of the twins?
Washington: North is KIA. South is still functioning.
Command: What is the status of North's A.I.?
Washington: You guys knew he had Theta?
Command: Recovery One, please respond to the previous inquiry, what is the status of the artificial-
Washington: It's not here, okay? It's gone. This one's gone too.
Command: Understood. Please wait for directive. ... Find out what you can, clean up the agent, and report back.
Washington: Already on it.
Command: The whereabouts of Theta are top priority, Recovery One, you of all people do not need to be reminded.
Washington: No. You're right. I don't need to be reminded of anything.
Command: The mission is now level zero.
Washington: What?
Command: We need a full recovery of the current incident.
Washington: Are you serious?
Command: Recovery One, please confirm the previous directive. ... Recovery One please confirm you're now level zero, you are ordered-
Washington: Yeah. I got it.
Washington walks back up to rejoin South.
Washington: Time's up. I'm sorry.
South: I always thought, being a twin was, a hard thing. Everyone always finds a way to put you together. It's like you're not considered two people. Even when we were kids, our parents dressed us alike, and when we joined up and got sent to the program, they stuck us together. People thought we were special somehow I suppose. I used to hate that. All I ever wanted was to have my own life. And here I am now, just wondering how I'm gonna live without him.
Washington: Yeah.
Washington raises his pistol at South's head and fires as the screen cuts to black.
Washington: I wouldn't go worrying about that if I were you.
Fade in to Washington standing over North and South.
Washington: You're dead now. Remember that.
South: (getting up) I don't understand any of this. And my ears are still ringing from that shot you fired.
Washington: It had to sound good for the radio. One second, I need to talk to somebody.
Delta:Hello, how may I be of assistance?
South: What, is that your A.I.? I thought it killed a-
Washington: Pipe down. We don't have time for explanations. Delta, have you been monitoring the situation?
Delta: I have.
Washington: Are we set here? Is she clean?
Delta: Can I interpret that to mean "is South now off of Command's active register?"
Washington: Yes.
Delta: Affirmative.
South: W-wh- What register?
Washington: Instruction: give me thirty on North's clock. Hold on the log.
Delta: Complying. Completed.
Washington: Now, log to Command and include a similar description of South's termination.
Delta: That would be dishonest.
Washington: Yes. It would.
Delta: Executing. Completed.
South: Wait a minute, w- how did you get him to lie?
Washington: There's a lot you don't know. We're moving. Delta, storage.
Delta: Complying...
Delta's avatar fades.
Washington: Go.
South: No.
Washington: Excuse me?
South: I am not moving an inch until you tell me what the hell is going on.
Washington: Fine. Stay here with your brother then. Everyone thinks you're dead anyway. And in fifteen seconds, that will be true.
Delta: Ten seconds.
Washington: No sweat off my back, just one less lie for me to live.
South: Hh, well... shit.
North's body detonates, and we fade to a view overlooking the water from atop a building with sounds of controlled rifle firings.
Delta: I have been monitoring the comm channels.
Washington: Try again. I need you as accurate as possible if you're going to cover me.
Delta: Still no activity to indicate that Command suspects South is still alive.
Washington: Good. That means we're clear.
Delta: As much as you can be. And I would prefer if you did not use the word "we".
Washington: Hyeah, h- okay Delta. I promise to take the fall if we get caught.
Delta: ...
Washington: Right, sorry. If I get caught.
Delta: Thank you.
Washington: Now, South.
South stops firing at pylons.
Washington: I need you to test something.
Delta: I have concerns about our next action. Agent South never rated for something like this.
South: Rated for what? What have you gotten me involved with?
Washington: I didn't get you involved in anything. It did when it came after your brother.
Delta: Agent Washington believes that something is hunting the Freelancers one by one.
Washington: In the last month I've been ordered to the sites of five different dying Freelancers in an effort to recover their intelligence programs.
South: Why you?
Delta: Agent Washington's experience with the Epsilon program makes him a primary candidate for recovery.
South: Epsilon? Epsilon went insane and killed itself inside his head! And from what I heard from the other recruits, he went nuts himself. Weren't you certified Article Twelve after that? Unfit for duty.
Washington: The people who certified me were the same people that uncertified me. Which, once they needed me, they did. Funny how the system works.
Delta: In either case, he is the logical choice. It is highly unlikely Wash would attempt to steal an A.I. for his own purposes.
Washington: Every Freelancer I've seen in the last four weeks has had three things in common: their A.I. was missing - but Delta here was left somehow; I think that was a fluke.
Delta: My assignee was killed in an unrelated firefight.
Washington: The agents were also dead, but for some reason you were left alive. And I wanna know, why that is.
South: You said three things. What's the third one?
Washington: During training, what enhancement did you get?
South: My armor enhancement? I can make a domed energy shield. Why?
Washington: Can you do it now?
South: Sure I h- wait a second-
Delta: The third thing they all had in common was that their enhancement was removed.
Washington: Just like yours. The Freelancers are being killed, South. And someone, or something, is stealing their A.I. and enhancements.
Delta: And now Agent Washington is trying to escort us back to headquarters as quickly as possible-
Washington: No. I'm not.
Delta: Excuse me?
Washington: We don't need to. I've been following the trail of this thing for a while now. But once I got you Delta that changed. Now we're the ones being followed. South being left alive was nothing more than bait to slow me down. This thing has already killed four different Freelancers, South.
Delta: All agents with higher battle ratings than Wash.
Washington: Yes, thank you for pointing that out Delta. I'm not going to be able to take it out by myself. Someone has to help me, protect Delta as well.
Delta: I see now. That is why you want me to implant in South.
South: Excuse me? In who?
Delta: The only way to properly protect me in combat is to integrate me in to your armor. Agent Washington will not allow me to do that.
Washington: And somebody has to.
South: I can't, a-I haven't been rated for implantation.
Washington: Well, make up your mind quickly. It's here.
Delta: My motion sensors-
Washington: Are going to be useless. South, get Delta in your head now, and flank left. We have to stand against this thing here-
A rocket sails over Wash's head and hits the wall behind him.
Washington: Move!
South approaches Delta.
Delta: I should warn you: the first implantation can feel a little... odd.
Fade in to an A.I. lying on the ground. Cut to Washington, inside an enclosed room.
Counselor Zommari: Agent Washington? Agent Washington?
Washington: Sorry, what were you saying?
Counselor: Were you thinking about Epsilon again, Agent Washington?
Washington: No.
Counselor: What happened with Epsilon was not your fault, Agent Washington.
Washington: I didn't think it was.
Counselor Zommari: We have safeguards for the unstable emotional patterns of an artificial intelligence. Sometimes these algorithms fail.
Washington: Oh. So then it's your fault.
Counselor: We prefer to think of it as no one's fault.
Washington: Really.
Counselor: Just a possible, but rare, unfortunate outcome.
Washington: How convenient.
Counselor: Are you having new feelings about the incident?
Washington: No. Just the same old feelings. You know, that I had another person in my head, and I got to experience first-hand as their mind unraveled while mixed with my own. That I still have trouble distinguishing between its disintegrating thoughts and mine. You know, the usual.
Counselor Zommari: What about the hostility from other agents who lost out on assignments once we suspended the use of implants?
Washington: What about them? Am I supposed to feel bad for them, er something?
Counselor: Do you think you could work with an A.I. or another agent ever again?
Washington: ... No, I don't.
Counselor: Good. Then we have a job for you.
Snap back to the present, with Washington in a firefight.
Washington: South! I need you out here now! Get over here right now, South! Where are you!?
Cut to South's point of view, which is hazy and has Delta in the middle of it.
Delta: Keep breathing. Hearing my voice internally can be jarring, at first. I am told it helps clear the mind to concentrate on one thing. May I suggest that you try-
South Dakota: Will you please not talk for a second, that might help!
Delta: Technically, I am not talking.
South: Delta. Please!
Delta: My apologies.
South: Okay, I'm feeling better.
Delta: Remember to keep breathing.
South: Yes, I'll keep that in mind. How many enemies?
Delta: I do not detect any on my sensors. But the gunfire would indicate that we are facing only one. This is an atypical enemy. I can offer no advice.
Washington: South, I need you out here now!
South: I'm on my way!
Delta: I have functions that could assist in battle. Would you like me to run the tutorial program?
South: Are you kidding me?
South arrives behind Wash at a building's corner, under fire.
South: Wash, I'm here.
Washington: Good, I need help on the left. This guy moves fast, so keep your eyes open. South, you okay?
Delta: She is experiencing difficulty with my presence.
Washington: How difficult?
Delta: Patient has trouble-
South: I'm fine! Let's get this guy.
Washington: No.
South: No?
Washington: See that ship?
Cut to a parked Alien sip sitting on the edge of an incomplete ramp.
Washington: You get to it and take off. Get yourself and more importantly Delta back to base. I'll cover you as best I can.
Delta: Wash, is your armor adequately compensating for your wounds?
South: You're hit?
Washington: Just twice, I'm fine. Movement on twos. On my mark: sync.
South: But-
Washington: Sync!
South: Sync!
Washington: Move!
Washington moves from cover, but South immediately shoots him in the back. Washington screams in pain. Delta's color changes to red, then a dark purple.
Delta: Alarm! Friendly target, cease fire!
South: Calm down, just stacking the deck in our favor.
South steps in front of the Meta, who is glowing, changing colors, and reloading a Brute Shot.
South: Listen to what I'm about to say, because you have a choice. Wash is dead. I put a timed charge on his body. So if you want his equipment you'd better get it, now. Or, you can come after us, and lose it for sure. So, what's it going to be. Chase us in hopes of beating us? Or go for the sure thing, and find us another day.
Enemy: (growls)
The adversary runs off to the right.
South: Smart move.
South flees. Radio sounds.
South: Come in Command.
Command: Hello Recovery Two, what is your status?
South: Mission accomplished Command. We were able to draw out the enemy, just as you projected. Sending logs now.
Command: Excellent news. We'll use the data to devise a new strategy to combat it. What is the status of Recovery One?
South: KIA. The enemy took him down.
South gets in the ship and starts slowly flying away.
Command: Understood. Was Wash ever aware of your efforts at any time?
South: Negative. He acted exactly as the profile predicted. He even set up the encounter.
Command: Return to base, we'll rate you for implantation as agreed.
South: Negative.
Command: Say again, Recovery Two?
South: Negative. You got what you wanted, and I have my A.I. now. You won't be hearing from me again. Goodbye.
Cut to Washington's lifeless body lying on the ground. The enemy stands over him.
Command: South, you know we have other agents. We will find you, South.
Cut to black.
South: It's not you I'm worried about.
Ok every one here the start of the next Red vs Blue Arc with new characters and action. Also don't worry you all learn who everyone is in time Ok. So sit back and enjoy. However, here one new character, the Counselor is Zommari.