The War of Paradigm City

Zell finally took a second to look around at all the pilots, "Christ, I didn't know that there were so many of us..."

T"Metropolis? What are you talking about?"

"Those words are from Metropolis."

*She begins to step back from the sarcophagus. Vega looks towards what's her name Taegan's character.*

Vega:<Shouldn't you be dead? Oh well, no sense worrying about that now.>

L"That did not answer the question. This is why no one likes you...well, to be more accurate, no one likes you because you are a self-entitled, racist, ungrateful, emotionally stunted spy. Thankfully, you are horrifically incompetent, & the mere task of being escorted off of a premise nearly results in your hand being broken."

Zell shivered a bit at the heavy handedness of Lilith's insult, still, she had to admit, it wasn't exactly false, "That is a conversation for another time. What we need to find out is, what is Metropolis?"

"A book depicting the discovery of the Megadeus."

L"Frustratingly vague, I forgot to add that part."

T"It doesn't matter, we can look it up once we're out of here. Lilith, if you can communicate with Megadeuses, can you communicate with other machines?"

L"For the most part, no, but I could try interfacing with this chamber."

T"Please do."

*Lilith's pupils widen & start to glow as she moves her mouth eradically, making odd clicking noises.*

Zell was a bit creeped out by the whole experience, "I don't like this place."

Vega:<So any theories as to where we are? Secret underground laboratroy, purgatory, a whole 'nother part of the world?>

L"Done."

*The grid on the floor seems to expand in a 3 dimensional sort of way, until it opens up, revealing a tacky elevator interior, complete with classical music.*

T"How...where does it go?"

L"I have no idea."

"Lets hope up," Zell said, looking for a control panel for the elevator.

*Hitomi just enters the elevator. Vega waits for something to happen before entering.*

*Lilith comes out & drags the lolleygaggers into the elevator before Thiera presses the button. The floor ticker reads 666. Then 665. 664. 663.*

L"My equilizer indicates that we are, in fact, going up."

T"I don't understand how we could be going up OR down. There was nothing but solid rock around us for miles."

*650. 649. 648. 647.*

T"How long were we out, anyway?"

L"My internal clock indicates that we have been missing for 36 hours."

T"Great. I can only imagine what Rondsadt & Barbatos have been up to, with nearly 2 days free of us."

L"You worry too much. It's likely that they haven't even noticed until recently."

*637. 638. 635. 634. 633. 632. 631.*

L"When is that going to stop, anyway?"

T"I don't know. There was only one button."

*626. 625. 624.*

"Six six six... What a creepy number to start from," Zell said, a bit shaky, "Wait, are these stories average height? Six hundred and sixty six stories down... we're almost two miles down into the earth."

Vega:<So how do you fine folks all know each other?>

*Topaz is staring blankly across the elevator, at the pilots. She felt like ripping Vega's brains out for a brief second a few minutes earlier, but it faded away surprisingly quick. She covers her ears to try and get a few minutes of silence, staring at the decreasing number.*

L"I am Thiera's cousin. Zell moved in with us. This one--"

*She indicates Zell before grabbing Hitomi by the scruff of the neck & picking her up.*

L"--Is a home invader with a poorly concealed anti-android agenda."

~618~

Vega:<And here I thought she was a librarian. Oh well, times are tough I guess.>

"Put me down."

Zell fidgeted a bit seeing Hitomi treated the way she was being treated, and decided to turn her attention to Topaz, "Hey, you," She called, waving to catch her attention, "Are you alright? You look unwell covering your ear's like that."

*Topaz stares at Zell, taking her hands off her ears.*

Topaz: <I... I'm okay.>

*Lilith drops her.*

~616~

*The doors open onto the Megadeus hangar in Paradigm HQ. The elevator disappears around them, leaving no indication that it was ever there.*

L"Do you suppose that room was actually part of the Paradigm Building?"

T"...If it was, the only person who knew about it was surely Gordon Rosewater."

L"I think what you mean is that no one currently working for Paradigm knows about it."

T"What's the difference?"

L"We just rediscovered it, did we not?"

"We can get out into the open from here, can't we?" Zell said, looking around.

T"I did burrow in here with Basilisk, but we left the Megadeuses behind."

L"Perhaps they can be summoned? I can communicate with most Megadeuses remotely."

"Can you reach them now?" Zell asked, "Then again, they're about 50 stories beneath us, so I'm not sure how they would even reach us."

L"This is most odd. They appear to be in the tunnel beneath us."