Lieutenant Retrieval

Log Title: Lieutenant Retrieval Characters: Cookie, Guardian, Kamakura Location: Southwestern United States Date: August 23, 2019 TP: Dire Wraith TP Summary: After finishing her transformation in a cocoon, Lori Henshaw took off running. Cookie and Kamakura search for the missing Joe. As logged by  Cookie

Log session starting at 21:08:21 on Friday, 23 August 2019.

'''It's been a busy eighteen hours or so since Lori Henshaw managed to finally emerge from her cocoon and then escape the Pit. Thankfully, aside from cutting her way through the elevator doors to the main lift, there was no real damage to speak of. Given Evac's report, it's perhaps been safe to say that she was running on pure instinct when she emerged -- certainly capable of fighting if she'd wanted to, but she went to a lot of trouble to evade instead.'''

'''In that time, weird sightings had come in of some robotic-looking creature across the Midwest. The last report, from maybe an hour ago, was Colorado Springs. And what, exactly, is near Colorado Springs, one might ask?'''

The United States Air Force Academy.

Lori, it seems, is angling to go back to where her military career began.

'''Cookie takes the roads easily in a beat up utility truck. She's in the driver's seat with a mysterious tupperware container sitting on the bench seat next to her, carefully buckled in so as to not bounce around while she and Kamakura look for the wayward Joe Lieutenant.'''

'''The nice thing about fight-or-flight instinct, aside from the obvious split-second implications, is that is can't last forever. Eventually, Lori's higher brain functions should kick in, and her rational mind be restored. But then, growing violently ill and then watching in horror as you're entombed by it... really, it's little wonder that she's reacted the way she has.'''

'''Thankfully, that process has already begun. Her systems are, however, still twitchy -- so quick to respond and react. At the moment, however, she's standing on a mountaintop, watching as vehicles scurry about. Some of them are ground security for the Air Force Academy, while some aircraft are doing flybys in the general area. And soon, Cookie and Kamakura hear a transmission from one of the pilots in the air: << Control, this is Highball. Got a visual on something, looks like it matches the reports. Six klicks out, up near the top of the mountain. >>'''

'''Said mountain is the one Cookie and Kamakura are now ascending. Nice to have confirmation.'''

'''Cookie 's truck bounces up the roads with a remarkable fearlessness considering how steep the cliffs are and how rough the paving (or, rather, the lack thereof) is. She keeps her eyes ahead, watching the road and the portion of the mountain right in front. "Let me know if you spot something first."'''

'''<< Copy that, remaining on-station. >> Up above, the aircraft -- an A-10 Thunderbolt II -- begins circling around the top of the mountain. After a few moments, another transmission. << Confirmed, Control. Looks like your bogey on the ground. Just standing there, though. Maybe it's done running. Also see your dust plume -- about another mile at most, and you'll be at the top. Be careful. >>'''

'''Sure enough, Highball called it right: about another mile, and Cookie and Kamakura reach the top of the mountain to see Lori. But instead of that Iron Man-esque look that she originally had, this looks much more alien and potentially menacing. Overall, it's like some sort of insectile exo-skeleton look, with a metallic orb at each side of the head, a slightly larger one with a bio-luminescent crystalline ring around it embedded in the center of her forehead, and a smaller orb just over top. That last, from Evac's reports and the Greenshirt squad at the Pit, was the one that fired some kind of concentrated laser. And true to Highball's word, she's just standing there, watching with what look like stylized multi-faceted optics.'''

'''Cookie gets to just where she can see the shiny metal and parks as best she can. "Copy that. Thanks for the assist," she comments to the radio, then gets out. With the tupperware.'''

'''The short and not terribly imposing SeaBee hikes over the uneven ground and pauses a short distance away, giving a wave. "Lieutenant?"'''

'''<< Roger that. Highball, returning to base. >> And with that, the A-10 peels off and heads back towards the Academy.'''

'''Cookie can see the right-side metallic orb move forward as Cookie emerges from the vehicle. The sound the figure makes is strange -- a rattle-like sound, obviously mechanically filtered like Cybertronian voices; honestly, it sounds sort of like breathing, even though there's seemingly no rise or fall of the figure's chest to signify such. For a moment, the figure looks at Cookie, then up in the air as the Thunderbolt II veers off to return to base. Then back at Cookie again.'''

'''Emitting what would be a quiet sigh otherwise, the figure speaks -- the voice just as mechanically filtered as the 'breathing' sound. "Did I... hurt anyone?" The voice, despite the modulation, is clearly Lori's.'''

'''Cookie puts on her cheering up face. "Nope!" She takes a couple steps closer. "The doors are going to need some work. You did a real number on them. But nobody was in the way on your way out." She holds up the tupperware and opens it. "Want a cookie?" The scent of freshly baked chocolate chip wafts out.'''

'''Both metallic orbs on either side isntantly pivot forward at Cookie's movement, but then move back to position. "I might..." Lori replies slowly. "Just... well..." She looks around, and actually foot-scuffs. "Did you bring any clothes, by any chance?"'''

'''Cookie hehs, glancing back at the truck. "Well, I didn't bring any emergency pants, but there's an extra jacket and a stadium blanket in there. We could probably figure something out."'''

'''"Might be a good idea," Lori says. "'Cause I... uhh... don't seem to have my clothes anymore." She shrugs. "Hate it, too... I had a really cool t-shirt I was wearing before all this happened."'''

'''Cookie nods. "That stinks, yeah. Why don't we both get over to the truck? I don't think you'll fit into it like that, but at least you can be right next to it and we can hold the blanket over your head so there's no sat pics."'''

'''Guardian moves slowly towards the truck. "Yeah, the last thing I need to do is let the entire world see me in all my glory." Her voice, especially at the end, carries a sarcastic tone. Once she gets beside the truck, she opens the door -- incredibly gently -- and reaches for the blanket to set it on top of the vehicle. Then she steps back a little. "Reason for this," she warns.'''

'''The armor seems to expand slightly, then suddenly break apart, joint by joint. Unlike before, when the armor would revert to a liquid state and be absorbed into her body, the armor now seems to shrink and fold in on itself before disappearing. Ironically, it's much more akin to Cybertronian transforming with subspace than anything else.'''

'''And there, in it's place, is Lori Henshaw... naked. And even as she quickly reaches for the blanket, Cookie catches something -- a shift in hair color and style, eye color and more. It's literal shapeshifting, and for a moment, Lori looks... just like Cookie. Then, just as quickly, the physical characteristics change again and Lori reverts back to her true appearance, just as she gets the blanket and wraps it around herself.'''

'''Cookie blinks a few times, startled less by the armor than by having a temporary doppleganger. "Well, shit. That's different." She offers the cookies again. "Something from the glowy aliens?"'''

A brilliant flash of light, and the armor seems to retract and fold in on itself before vanishing from view, leaving Lori Henshaw in her civilian attire.

'''Lori blinks, looking bac at Cookie. "What's different?" she asks, reaching for one of the chocolate chip cookies. Apparently, she isn't aware of what she just did. "The armor? Yeah, it's... taking some getting used to. Pretty freaky when I saw my reflection for the first time."'''

'''Cookie coughs, taking a cookie for herself and trying to act casual. "Nah. It's impressive and all. No, what's strange is that you didn't look like you for a moment, there."'''

'''Lori blinks again, this time staring at Cookie. "What do you mean, I didn't look like me?" she asks. "Who else would I look like?"'''

'''Cookie shrugs. "Me, apparently." She takes an intense interest in the chocolate chips before her.'''

'''Lori frowns, looking at the rear-view mirror to look at herself. Then she looks at Cookie again, her eyes focusing intently on Cookie. After a moment, it starts again: changes in hair, eyes, facial features. Soon, she looks just like Cookie again, and then her eyes slowly move to look at her reflection. Eyes widen in shock and surprise. "Holy shit..." She looks back at Cookie, her features reverting back to normal again. "Holy SHIT!"'''

'''Cookie arches her eyebrows and nods agreement. "It's freaky as hell. I don't even have sisters."'''

'''Lori looks up. "I'm sorry, Cookie! I had no idea!" She looks at herself, even opening up the blanket a bit to do so. "This is crazy... what the hell did that Dire Wraith DNA do to me?" She wraps the blanket back around herself firmly. "Okay... no sense in waiting any longer. Guess we should head back. I'm sure Doc's gonna want to go over me with a fine-tooth comb."'''

'''Cookie nods. "I don't envy you the number of needles you're probably going to have to put up with." She circles the truck and swings back into the driver's seat. "Going to have to call in a heads up before we try to go through the gate, I think. I don't know if Doc's little gizmo is going to recognize you."'''

'''"Can't be any worse than the nearly eight years' worth of it that Jane and her R&D pukes put me through," Lori mutters bitterly. She climbs into the back of the truck and puts the seat belt on. "Probably no telling. If I can shapeshift... I could be anyone I wanted." She shakes her head slowly. "Last thing I need: to find out I'm basically a female Zartan."'''

'''Cookie carefully maneuvers the truck and begins the rather steep descent. "Could be worse. You could have his fashion sense."'''

Log session ending at 23:31:04 on Friday, 23 August 2019.