View source for Thread:FleetCaptainT/@comment-27324808-20170430070726




<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">'''Forty-one'''</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  There was a change in atmosphere </span><span style="font-weight: normal">going into the Maelstrom Mine. The jump was intradimensional so fast enough to disorient Intrepid. The first</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> thing </span><span style="font-weight: normal">he</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> felt was the heat.</span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>He, </span><span style="font-weight: normal">Cyclone, Edgar, and Allison </span><span style="font-weight: normal">had </span><span style="font-weight: normal">emerged in </span><span style="font-weight: normal">a long hewn tunnel. S</span><span style="font-weight: normal">team jets </span><span style="font-weight: normal">blasted in </span><span style="font-weight: normal">through </span><span style="font-weight: normal">holes</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> in the </span><span style="font-weight: normal">rocky</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> floor </span><span style="font-weight: normal">and puddles of water collected in low spots, while condensation dripped down from a</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> stalactite </span><span style="font-weight: normal">studded</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> roo</span><span style="font-weight: normal">f</span><span style="font-weight: normal">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal">The tunnel ended with a large fan built into the wall that lazily tugged the steam elsewhere in the facility. There was a constant sound of dripping water.</span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>T</span><span style="font-weight: normal">he Future Dimensioners </span><span style="font-weight: normal">had</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> set up a shield zone, </span><span style="font-weight: normal">similar to a building zone, not far ahead</span><span style="font-weight: normal">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal">Leading the team, Intrepid </span><span style="font-weight: normal">ran into it and </span><span style="font-weight: normal">they</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> were instantly protected </span><span style="font-weight: normal">from the heat and noise.</span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>"The primary </span><span style="font-weight: normal">Ore</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal">repositories</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal">a</span><span style="font-weight: normal">re directly below us,â Mara said, âthatâs where all this steam is coming from, </span><span style="font-weight: normal">since Maelstrom</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> fog is separated </span><span style="font-weight: normal">from the Ore </span><span style="font-weight: normal">in steam vats. </span><span style="font-weight: normal">The fog is</span><span style="font-weight: normal"> directed </span><span style="font-weight: normal">to power the Maelstromâs Unverse </span><span style="font-weight: normal">Gateways, </span><span style="font-weight: normal">while the leftover steam is just blown around in these tunnels and re-used.â </span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">''<span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>So this is just harmless steam.</span>''<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> Intrepid said, considering the steam jets in the tunnel. </span></span>''<span style="font-weight: normal">Harmless</span>''<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">, </span></span>''<span style="font-weight: normal">except scalding to touch. </span>''<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">âWouldnât want to touch Maelstrom fog, though.â he said to himself.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>"Maelstrom fog </span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">has Unverse breaching properties.</span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">" Future Dimension's Cyclone, Charles Bradfordson, clarified. â</span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Itâs an aspect of their chaotic nature. Needless to say touching it, or traveling through Unverse infected by it, would infect you too.â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">So itâs conventional transportation going forwards.â Future Intrepid said. âThereâs too much Maelstrom interference in the Unverse here. Use of a manipulator any further into this Mine will infect you. So no Unverse breaches, inter or intradimensional.â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>Edgar folded his arms. âI thought this would be an in-and-out operation. Whatâs our escape plan?â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">You can leave now.â Future Intrepid said.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">There will be fighting.â Future Luke advised, cracking his knuckles.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Iâm not leaving.â Edgar stated.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>The Shinobi shared glances with the rest of the team. They all nodded. âWeâre not leaving.â Intrepid declared.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Now that thatâs settled,â </span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Charles projected a </span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">holographic image from the arm of his suit, âthis is what a Maelstrom Unverse Gateway looks like.â Illuminated over his arm were schematics for something like a giant metal box,</span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> cube-shaped, with a drawbridge-style ramp that became its sixth face when closed. Numbers indicated the container was a hundred feet in each dimension, large enough to move a small army and tall enough to fit the Darkitect. Maelstrom Fog was fed into the cube by tubes.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">There are a few Gateways here.â </span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Charles continued.</span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> âOur primary target is the Ore collectors, if we take them out we take out the entire Maelstrom, but if we canât hit them weâll crash the Gates instead.â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">We could split up and hit both.â Cyclone suggested.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Weâre already splitting up.â Future Mara said, twirling a revolver, while </span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Future Intrepid unsheathed a Long Sword. â</span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">I already said, â</span></span><span style="font-variant: normal"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Weâll distract them, so you can get in and use the antitoxinâ. You four are the strike team.</span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>Intrepid also remembered Future Mara counting the Maelstrom forces at over ten-thousand Stromlings and other assorted Maelstrom monsters. Cyclone also remembered. âYouâre going to die.â the brown haired boy warned.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>Future Intrepid shrugged it off while Future Luke pretended to inspect his weapons. âIâm not planning on it,â the former said, âand besides, weâve got each other.â He turned to Charles, Luke, and Mara. âItâll be just like old times, right? </span></span>''<span style="font-weight: normal">Right?</span>''<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">â</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>â<span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Letâs just go.â Charles huffed before his visor closed, sealing him behind his helmet. With that he backed out of the shield, turned to the fan, and raised a laser pistol. A piercing shot rang out smashed the contraption.</span></span></p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">
</p>

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Â  </span>Without a doubt security forces would convene on them soon. Charles lead the way into the newly opened tunnel, followed by Future Intrepid, Luke, and Mara, while ambient alarms blared from deeper in the tunnels, farther in the mine, with over ten-thousand Stromlings between them and their targetâ¦.</span></span></p><ac_metadata title="Chapter 41"> </ac_metadata>