I don't normally like putting messages up here, but I say this: I'm not exactly sure about the planet voice thing, seeing as how I skip past the interludes in AC 9/10th's of the time. :P
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earthprokhor.
Zakharov stirred a little from his position of sleeping at his desk. He was back on earth, a lonely seagull, flying high above the remains of Moscow…but not caring about the conditions of the world, not caring about his faction, just simply looking for a spare morsel of food to eat-
earthprokhor.
Zakharov opened his eyes and slowly stretched his arms out from their previous job as acting pillow. It'd been three years since he'd begun work in The Hive, and things were finally starting to come together. Yang was amassing giant armies for a land diversion near Silvering Point while a probe team smuggles a little gift into Gaia's Landing, care of the University and three long years of research. In a twist of irony, it was her proposal that made Planet Busters illegal. Zakharov smiled to himself.
earthprokhor.
Zakharov looked across the room at Shila, who was silently playing a memory game.
"Did you hear something?"
Shila looked up at him. "I haven't heard anything, Prokhor."
Zakharov shrugged and turned back to his paperwork. The plans were almost complete, and sleeping on the job wasn't going to help his people any faster. He picked up his pad-and slumped onto the desk with a thud.
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He "awoke" to find himself immobile, and in the dark. It wasn't exactly frightening, just different.
"Hello??"
earthprokhor.
"I knew I heard something. Who are you?"
earthprokhor. talk must we. confusion? discontinuity actions. understand none.
"Wait a minute, I know who you are. Deirdre told me about you, before the war. You're 'Planet Voice'?"
difficult explain. not now. talk must we.
"Fair enough. What do you want to talk about, Voice?"
earthprokhor. earthdeirdre. conflict. confusion? why.
"Why are me and Deirdre at war? I think you're a little out of date, Voice. I lost to Deirdre. My faction is gone. And as for why, if you ever find out, let me know please."
not say university stepdaughters. earthprokhor earthdeirdre. conflict her, conflict you. why.
"Because she destroyed my faction, Voice!! She destroyed my friends, my cities, everything I've ever worked for on this planet! And for what? I don't know that either! I've never shown aggression to her! I think one day something just popped into her mind that said, "I hate Prokhor Zakharov, and I want him dead as soon as possible!"
is true, earthprokhor.
"…what?"
something. pop! pop into head earthdeirdre. no know. talk earthdeirdre I! know? no. dislike earthprokhor, she. discontinuity university, she. why? no know. pop!
"...so you're saying that something popped into her head that made her want to hate me?"
is true, earthprokhor.
"Mind control. Oh, no. Voice, release me. I need to talk to Shila."
as wish. will speak earthprokhor again, but.
"That's fine! Just release me now, please!"
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"Ahh!" Prokhor sat up quickly, awakening from the Voice's vision. According to his clock on the wall, barely a minute had passed by. Zakharov looked over at Shila, who was still immersed in her memory game. He wasn't about to ask why she hadn't gone to check if he was alright. He knew she'd seen him nod off at his desk before, so why should this time be different?
"Shila, I want you to access Hive files about their working mind/control interface."
Shila looked at him with disdain. "Prokhor, that's not in our jurisdiction. Should we be seen looking in that file-"
"Shila", he interrupted, "this is extremely important to both our lives and the lives of our people. Now do it, please."
Shila hesitated, and then nodded. She seemed to go into a trance as she accessed the Hive datalinks. "Prokhor, that file is locked with level seven clearance required. I couldn't access that file, even if I tried to break into it."
"Can Yang?"
She concentrated. "…yes. It falls under base operations, so he can access the file."
Zakharov began to pace a little. "Can you at least see if this base, or other hive bases, is participating in mind control techniques against other factions?"
She nodded. "…The Hive. I cannot access where, however."
Zakharov nodded solemnly. "That's all I needed to know." Zakharov walked to the wall and pushed several buttons. The panel in the wall opened to reveal two pistols. He pulled one out of the wall and began to load it. Shila looked at him with confusion.
"Prokhor, what are you doing?"
Zakharov's mind was racing. "The only thing I can do. I need to get some answers from our 'ally'. Grab a gun, Shila. We're going to go ask a few questions."
~
