Nier Miss 2

* Not Earth Bet *

"She's waking up!"

"Don't yell!"

"All of you get out of here! She. Is. A. Patient!"

Taylor's eyes fluttered open to behold... the inside of a tent?!

Memories flashed in to displace her confusion.

Emma jumping out of the bushes, shoving her out into traffic. Getting smashed by a car, then...

Two vast shapes swimming through space.

Back to the street when she reached out and TWISTED. Seeing Earths stretched out like strings of pearls on a necklace. But it wasn't the only necklace and there were a lot of them and they stretched into directions that didn't exist and-

She'd landed hard on hard packed ground and cement. There was activity off that way, so she'd headed there, looking for someone to call an ambulance.

And she'd begun to faint just as someone too beautiful to be real came up to her, said she'd be okay, scooped her up and then froze. The shock on the young man's face that stayed there for a few seconds until she'd groaned in pain and then-

She didn't have a word for all of it. Whatever it had been had obviously been profound.

"Thank you," had whispered the guy holding her. "Please. Please don't die."

Someone she didn't know was crying for her and trying to move as if she were made of thin glass and going to break if he jiggled her.

Yeah, that had been completely outside of her experience. She'd wanted to say something, anything, to assure this guy but what do you say in such a situation? She'd fainted at some point after that, things were pretty fuzzy.

So here she was in a tent. Two redheaded girls nearby, sitting on stools. A bunch of implausibly attractive people looking in through the tent flap.

One of the redheads turned towards the crowd. "Out! Now!"

The tent was closed and Taylor wasn't sure what to make of any of this.

* Earth Bet *

"So, you got what you wanted," said Director Piggot, sitting back in her chair and regarding the video-chat.

"She triggered, but not as a Tinker," said Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown. "A Mover of some kind."

"Could be a Tinker and a Mover," noted Director Piggot. "We've got one here in Brockton Bay after all."

"Squealer? She's a Tinker with a heavy transportation specialty. Taylor Hebert teleported and initial findings say it was an interplanar teleport," said the Chief Director.

"She went to Aleph?" asked Director Piggot.

"No. We have people on Aleph checking there, but indications are that it is likely further off," said the Chief Director.

Director Piggot regarded her superior in rank. "I understand this was deemed necessary due to paradox. We didn't even realize how off the rails it had gotten until four months in. Which brings me to the next question. What about Shadow Stalker?"

"You've already tracked down the people responsible?" asked the Chief Director.

"If we hadn't known something was going on, we'd never have noticed until things had already hit the fan," admitted Director Piggot. "As soon as it did, we isolated the individuals covering for Hess here and started tracking the money trail."

"Good," said the Chief Director. "When you lay down that hammer, make sure no one gets to scuttle away. Also - I want to be notified immediately if and when Hebert returns."

"I have four of the survivors from Ellisburg on my staff, and they're keeping an eye out. If Taylor Hebert or the Terminator Squad shows up - we'll know."

* Taylor *

"So, uhm, thanks. For saving me?" sort-of-asked Taylor as she limped along. Apparently they hadn't had a number of needed supplies due to a complete lack of preparation for having humans around. Which had been a LOT of revelations.

"Oh, it was nothing," said the guy who was apparently named Chet.

"No. It was definitely something," sort-of-mumbled Taylor. Being half-carried by a hunky guy with broad muscley shoulders and the sort of face that would grace a romance novel was making her just a bit self-conscious. Okay, a lot self-conscious. Even if they all said that they were androids. Which she wasn't entirely sure she believed. "Just, uhm, one thing."

"What is it, Taylor Hebert?" asked Chet eagerly.

"Why does everyone have to stare like that?" asked Taylor.

Chet rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, it's kind of important. You being here, that is."

"I don't know why that one girl wants me to go to the moon either," grumbled Taylor.

"Ah, uhm, I'm sorry, Mistress," said Chet.

"Seriously, don't call me THAT," said a thoroughly red Taylor. "Remember? Taylor. Tae-lohr."

"Yes, Mis... Taylor," corrected Chet.

"Incoming!" called out Arnold from the lookout tower. "YoRHa transport."

"Is that bad or good?" asked Taylor.

"Could go either way," said Chet, taking most of Taylor's weight to hurry them along. "Probably here to make sure you get medical attention or supplies. Don't worry, Taylor, we will protect you or die trying."

"Can we hope it doesn't come to that?" asked Taylor.

"That we can do," agreed Chet.

* Daniel F. Hebert *

The anger was real.

The need to control that anger was equally real.

So, while he felt a really desperate need to confront his old college buddy Alan Barnes and remind him of that bar fight they'd been in back in those days - he didn't.

Though he really really wanted to.

Instead his anger was on a low simmer. Primarily, his concern was for his daughter who had vanished after being hit by a car.

Yeah, that was his major focus right now. It was still early though, Taylor had been gone for four hours according to the clock. It just felt longer.

* Refugee Camp *

"Make way, we need to get the human to safety!"

"Verify the unit's humanity, I still think it must be a sensor malfunction. Or maybe it's a trick of the Machines!"

Terminal Beta, one of the Red Girls, hung back. Observing. As soon as the word had been passed up to YoRHa, it had reached them.

How HAD a human survived? Would it turn out to be something they could use?

Watching the YoRHa as they checked and confirmed the human was indeed human, uninfected, and apparently suffering from injuries, she filed that information away.

"...you're going to lock me away?" The human sounded panicked. Understandable. Profiles on humans indicated that the illusion of freedom was important to their psychological health.

(Crackle)

Terminal Beta performed a blinking action to clear her eyes and bring internal sensors up. That had LOOKED like electricity but wasn't. If it had been there would have been the release of ozone and shifting of magnetic fields. Instead she was reading a gravimetric disturbance.

The units Chet and A2 were in close proximity to the human, as was a YoRHa unit.

More units were lunging forward, while the YoRHa unit was attempting to restrain the human.

(Crackle crackle FOOM!)

Terminal Beta raised an eyebrow and looked to leave the camp. The human and those in direct contact with her had just vanished. She would have to go over the data, but it didn't appear to be a disintegration effect. Instead it had looked as if all had just gone in a (ERROR) direction.

Yes, this did bear watching. Their sole purpose was to "defeat the enemy" and if a new enemy could challenge them and allow them to evolve? The human's importance had just increased significantly.

* Sanctuary Hills *

"It's all over, but the cry-crying," sang the radio.

Nate Smith, the Sole Survivor, didn't care what was playing as long as there was something going on in the background. The revelations about the Institute were weighing pretty heavily on his mind. Particularly the revelations about his son.

(crackle)

"Sturges? Is the teleporter supposed to do that?" asked Nate, pointing at the teleportation device they'd built earlier.

(crackle crackle)

"Uhm, no?" asked Sturges as he put down the hammer and nails he'd been using to try and fix a draft in one of the compound's walls.

(Crackle crackle crackle FOOM!)

A number of confused-looking people were now standing on the platform, though one fell off due to the lack of room on that platform.

"Oh hell, this isn't home either," said a young girl as the others took up a defensive stance around her.

* 6S *

YoRHa model 6S "Alvin" looked like a young human male but was not. He was an early model android of Scanner type. Information gathering was his main function. Duty assigned was to a) assess unit to determine if unit was actually human somehow. This had been done and was positive - subject was indeed human female of mid-teen age.

Duty b) was assessment of health of human unit and then assisting in human survivability.

Determining what had happened was quickly done as he went over his recordings of the events. Alternate Earths had been a theory without any available data - how could there be any data to support it as all processes were firmly rooted in the single observable universe? Yet here they were on Earth and an Earth with a very different history.

The technology was just as quickly scanned, analyzed, and recorded. There were many useful things to dissect through such methods and would be invaluable to YoRHa thereafter.

Alvin was quite intrigued with this Alt-Earth. His sensors allowed him to determine a large number of things. The Stimpacks used to accelerate Taylor Hebert's healing? Quite intriguing though the shortening of telomeres indicated some undesirable long-term effects. Also placed a strain on the human healing and immune systems. Further development of this product seemed advisable.

The turrets were actually more efficient than current designs and the friend-or-foe identification process was significantly different from the ones currently in use. Side-by-side analysis by those more versed in such could prove beneficial. The group of "super mutants" that had attacked the previous day certainly found their presence less welcoming.

Likewise the implants within the brains of several of those in range of his scanning equipment was quite interesting. There was a ping-reaction on a specific frequency. Further analysis was required.

Their current planning session, dealing with revelations of attacks on surface humans by these underground dwellers was reminiscent of the Morlocks section of the novel "the Time Machine" he'd had a chance to peruse at one point.

"Zis Institute. It is filled with ze learned men, yes?" This female appeared to be one of the local androids originally produced by this Institute and then acquired by this "Railroad" organization. Something wrong with her speech processing though.

"Indeed, Miss Curie, though their actions to this date are rather..." This was a purely robotic individual who also had some odd malfunction with their speech processing.

"Amoral," said the human apparent-leader or second-in-command of the local human populace. Nate Smith, who also went by "Sole Survivor" and "General" as well as a couple of other name-designates. "You can say it. I'm kind of in a moral problem here. That's apparently my son who's become a monster in charge of these people."

There was a large human population here on this world, but the world was in serious difficulty as far as environment and hostilities from alternate factions.

The local-android was named "Curie" then? Alvin filed that and wanted to scan more deeply if permission was obtained.

Alvin performed a throat clearing gesture. "As we are visitors, we will not participate in the harming of humans or interceding in your struggles. We are not under such restrictions when it comes to other androids or nonhuman opponents."

"We are not under the YoRHa command structure," said one of Resistance androids designated Chet. "What are you suggesting then?"

"From what I understand, this 'Institute' has data and resources you are lacking," pointed out Alvin. "That is your major objection, is it not, Curie?"

"Well, oui, yes," admitted Curie. "Surely zey have advanced medical facilities."

Alvin nodded. "Those of you from my own world have considerable expertise in salvage reclamation, do you not?"

"Ah," said one of the Resistance androids. Alvin thought this one had been named Sheila? "Yes, so you're suggesting we play to those strengths? Run in while you attack and grab everything we can?"

"It has the advantage of being simple, and plays to their strengths," said A2, the rogue unit looking distrustful.

"But you don't care for it?" asked Alvin.

"Anything that places Taylor in danger, such as going into an enemy installation, is not something I am particularly happy with," admitted A2.

"Wait, you're going to leave me behind?" asked Taylor.

Nate scratched his head. "Honestly, I don't know anywhere in the Commonwealth that is exactly safe."

"That is rather a point," agreed the floating-ball-with-arms named Cogsworth. "Still, you've been collecting power armors, sir. Perhaps if she were here and in one of those?"

The one called "Deacon" had been called a "bullshit artist" by the one named "Piper Wright" but had spoken several times over the past few days. Some of which had actually not been fabricated stories according to what Alvin had been able to determine. He spoke now. "That's all well and good but some of the data Tinker Tom pulled off of that holotape indicates the Institute is still replacing humans with loyal synths like at Warwick. How do we shut down the Institute doing this kill-and-replace thing?"

"How do we even reach them in an underground base even if we've got a pretty good idea where they are?" asked another of their "Minutemen" soldiers. "You can't dig down to it - any earthmoving equipment is going to trigger seismic sensors and then you'd have teleporting synth armies attacking."

"Let them come!" said Strong, a supermutant who apparently had different dietary requirements than others of his kind, one fist impacting his own chest. "Let them come bringing weapons! Strong kill them all and take their guns!"

Piper decided to put her own two bottlecaps in. "Hey now, big guy. Settle down for the moment. Which faction is going to get involved here? Railroad and you have to rescue all the synths and they want you to blow up the Institute. Brotherhood can bring the heavy firepower but they want to kill all the synths and also blow up the Institute. You said the Institute wants you to be their operative."

"If we're talking about 'factions' then I'm most likely backing the Minutemen," said Nate.

"Speaking of, there's a settlement that needs your... I'll send someone else," said Preston Garvey, changing what he was about to say when people started glaring at him.

"Why just one?" asked Sturges. "I mean, sure, the Minutemen got your back. They aren't the only group in town to have a gripe with the Institute though."

"You said you can't leave just yet?" asked Nate of Taylor.

"No, it feels like I'm out of juice. Not as much as I was on arrival." Taylor shrugged. "Powers don't come with a user manual. More's the pity."

"Dimensional transport," said Nick Valentine, sitting a bit off from the others. "Like something out of a radio drama or one of those comic books."

"Huh," said Nate. "That gives me an idea. Your outfit's looking a bit worn, but I think I've got something that'll fit in with your world's standards."

"Oh?" asked Taylor.

"Wait. You don't mean..." Nick Valentine looked back and forth. "Huh. A superhero outfit for someone who says she's from a world of superheroes. Kinda fits."

hyperion, thanalan, goblet, plot 22, 4th ward