Gaignun Kukai, Jr.

E.S. Asher's Tech Attacks

2013-01-14T15:38:56Z

E.S. Asher

2013-01-08T21:37:50Z

Ship Name: E.S. Asher
Ship Type: A.M.W.S. (Big humanoid mecha)
Size: 15.12m (height)
Typical Crew Size: 2
Powered By: Vessel of Anima or Erde Kaiser generator, any other generator compatible with its power systems, including generators designed for A.M.W.S. mecha of similar size. Actual means by which these generators work is never fully explained.
Weaponry: Initially equipped with a Shield Lancer melee combat weapon on one arm and a gatling cannon on the other. It can optionally equip a flight booster and a powerful energy cannon capable of destroying several A.M.W.S. units in one shot, as well as an assortment of other weapons. The Asher's armaments can be customized and modified with relative ease, like most of the player-controlled mecha in Xenosaga.

For an example list of the equipment available for the Asher, please see here. The relevant sections are [0023], [0027], and [0031]-[0033]
Special Abilities: Big robot that can (if Vessel of Anima is installed as the generator) only be operated by those with a "Shining Will". The E.S. Asher can also perform different Tech Attacks depending on the person sitting in the co-pilot's seat, as detailed for Xenosaga characters here. Ostensibly if someone else were sitting in the co-pilot's seat and had some kind of battle specialty (for example, chaos's aura attacks), they would also allow the Asher access to some kind of special attack.

Charge Clean: Clears any status effects while charging for special abilities.
Power Shield: Reduces damage by 20% when charging for special abilities.
EMAX300: Increases amount of EC the Asher can charge for special abilities to 300 (from 200).

Description: link
What is your character's claim on this ship?: Jr. is the pilot of the Asher.
Anything Else?: N/A

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sayonara_baby @ 2013-01-08T15:53:00

2013-01-08T20:54:36Z

Player Info:

Name: Tetra
Age: 27
Contact: Tetradecimal , Tetravolte@AIM, tetradecimal [at] pandemona [dot] net
Player Journal: tetradecimal
Reservation Link: (if applicable)

Character Info:

Full Name: Rubedo
Called By: Gaignun Kukai, Jr.; Jr.
Age: 26ish mentally, 12 physically
Canon: Xenosaga
History: link
Personality: Under normal circumstances, Jr. gives off the impression of an impulsive, passionate, cocky young boy who just so happens to have been given command of an enormous battle cruiser. He adores action movies, collecting old guns, and classic adventure novels, like The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And he’s apparently used his love of flashy action movie stunts to inform his own fighting style, which features plenty of trick shots, firing guns akimbo, coin tossing, and flourishes. Similarly, Jr. often gives his A.G.W.S. armored fighting unit rough treatment, forcing his mechanics to constantly repair run-down systems pushed beyond their operating limits. Also: Jr.’s idea of a great way to handle enemy battleships is to “give ‘em a little nudge” – in other words, ram his own cruiser right into them nose first so he can board them personally, guns blazing.

While his behavior may seem impulsive at times, Jr. can also be surprisingly thoughtful, dedicated, and prudent and cautious in protecting his crew. For example, the Durandal’s nose was expressly modified to serve as a battering ram while ensuring that the rest of the ship (in which a sizable complement of civilians make their home) remains undisturbed and structurally sound. And while reckless with his own life, Jr. tells his personnel to avoid taking risks and place their own lives above mission objectives, regularly expressing concern for their safety. Even honing his fighting style to the point where he can reliably ricochet a bullet off a tossed coin and strike a human target is an accomplishment that would have required extensive practice and dedication (regardless of whether his time would have been better spent elsewhere). As the commanding officer of the Durandal, Jr. is required to make decisions that affect his crew at the drop of a hat; if an enemy fleet appears, he’s the one who needs to decide to pull his people back or rush in on the offensive.

In keeping with his concern for his crew, Jr. takes a hands-on approach to his command of the Durandal, so much so that everyone on the ship recognizes him on-sight and speaks with fondness (and also sometimes exasperation) about his antics: his efforts to teach the resident Realians how to flirt with girls, his enthusiasm for collecting antique firearms, and his fondness reading old Earth books (made from paper, even!). So acclimated have Jr.'s personnel become to his presence that they basically accept his unchanging, unaging appearance as a matter of course and no one questions having a seeming twelve-year-old in charge of the ship.

Lightheartedness aside, Jr. does have a few skeletons in his closet. As a U.R.T.V., Jr. took part in a disastrous operation on the planet Miltia fourteen years ago, where his attempts to avoid the destruction of the planet by severing the mental link with his fellow U.R.T.V. units resulted in the deaths of some 660-plus fellow U.R.T.V.s. While Jr. and another U.R.T.V. variant (the man now known as Gaignun) were rescued, the others were killed or driven mad without the protection of the mental interlink -- including Jr.'s twin brother, Albedo, who managed to survive the incident, but became a raving, homicidal madman as a result, obsessed with Jr. and those closest to him. The events of the Miltian conflict thus left Jr. with a deep sense of guilt and anguish, as well as a fear of his own Red Dragon abilities, to the point where he now remains in the form of a twelve-year-old boy in the hopes that this will prevent his U.R.T.V. abilities from fully maturing. As an extension of that guilt, Jr. sees Albedo, who systematically seeks to hurt those most important to Jr. as some twisted combination of attention-seeking and revenge, as something of a personal responsibility. Jr. will do anything in his power to stop Albedo... and make sure nothing like the Miltian conflict ever occurs again.

Among the main cast, Jr. is acquaintances with chaos, friendly with Shion (if a little suspicious of her ability to entangle herself in top-secret incident after incident), and protective of MOMO, a little 100-series observational Realian who happens to resemble his first crush. He goes out of his way to give MOMO a good luck charm after it’s revealed that she’s being pursued by the unsavory U-TIC organization, and also attempts to rush headfirst into an enemy stronghold when it turns out she’s been kidnapped.

Among the U.R.T.V.s that have survived to the present day, Jr. is closest with his younger brother Gaignun; the two of them essentially run the for-profit Kukai Foundation together, with Jr. specializing in combat operations and Gaignun dealing with the business end. Jr. does not get along at all with Albedo, his twin brother, who has survived into adulthood only to become a cackling, scheming, twisted madman and murderer, who shows up on multiple occasions to try and goad Jr. into using his Red Dragon powers to kill Albedo once and for all.

So what does Jr. want? The safety of his friends. The happiness of those around him. To ensure that U-DO, the being he holds responsible for the destruction of fourteen years ago, never again threatens the people of the Federation. To ensure that dangerous artifacts like the Zohar stay sealed safely away from people who would use it for their own gain.

(And a little excitement while he's at it.)

3 Interesting Character Facts:
* Jr. was born as a conjoined twin. He was separated from his brother, Albedo, with no complications, but the two grew up closer than most of the U.R.T.V. units did with each other.
* Jr.'s alias, "Gaignun Kukai, Jr.", as well as the name of his ship, the Durandal, are references to a heroic poem called The Song of Roland. He also used to have a cat named Gaignun.
* Jr. is a big enough fan of the Terminator films that he made "Sayonara, baby!" one of his catch phrases (It's "Hasta la vista, baby" in the U.S. version of the film, of course). He also likes Bruce Lee, or at least he likes making Bruce Lee noises when he kicks things.
Powers:
Jr. is an excellent marksman who specializes in the use of twin pistols in battle. He also happens to be a U.R.T.V., a genetically engineered “designer child” designed as a countermeasure against U-DO, a mysterious and (seemingly) malevolent force whose nature no one in the Xenosaga universe completely understands. As a U.R.T.V., Jr. is capable of producing a special “anti-wave” energy whose wavelengths are designed to counteract the wave energy produced by the presence of U-DO. Were Jr. producing these waves by himself, the effects of the resultant waveform collision would be fairly contained (limited to the scope of a building or room, rather than a space station).

If the effort involved the efforts of over 600 U.R.T.V.s, however, enormous amounts of thermal energy would be released, resulting in the destruction of the U.R.T.V.s and everything around them (as might have occurred fourteen years ago during the Miltian conflict, had the U.R.T.V.s been fully deployed). Jr.’s anti-waves are stronger than that of the other U.R.T.V.s, and his ability to use this energy to destroy things around him is referred to as “Red Dragon”.

Jr. can pause his cellular development, effectively remaining at the same age indefinitely. He also possesses some telepathic ability, as he is able to communicate mentally with the other U.R.T.V.s and his brother, though he must be conscientious in monitoring what information he sends along, since it’s less of a mind probe than it is the sharing of two sets of thoughts. He was also the recipient of a vision just before a major offensive during the Militian conflict, which predicted the destruction of the planet Miltia as a direct consequence of the U.R.T.V.s' actions.

Episode I Abilities
Jr.’s Tech Attacks (link to video):
Prelude to Battle: Shoots one enemy from afar. (Physical/Line/Pierce)
Moonlit Serenade: Shoots one enemy with an energy wave attack (Ether, Line/Spirit)
Storm Waltz: Shoots all enemies in a large area. (Physical, Line/Pierce)
Last Symphony: Shoots one enemy a whole bunch of times. (Physical, Line/Pierce)
Mystic Nocturne: Hits all enemies with a targeted energy field (Ether, Air/Spirit)
Angelic Requiem: Hits all enemies with piercing gunshot attacks (Physical, Air/Pierce)
Soul Rhapsody: Hits one enemy with an energy attack. Absorbs Gnosis-type enemies (Ether, Line/Spirit)

Transferrable Ether skills (can be taught to others):
Psycho Arm: Increases his own physical attack.
Ether Flare: Increases the efficacy of Ether abilities by 25%.
Psycho Pocket: Steals item from one enemy.
Chain: Evasion down for biological or Gnosis enemies (i.e. it doesn't work on machines).
Misty: Disables spells for biological or Gnosis enemies.
Coin Lock: Blocks all status changes and support effects for one ally.
Speed Machine: Increases an ally’s speed by 25%.
Medica All: Significant health recovery to all allies.
Life Shot: Significant health recovery to one ally.

Non-Transferrable skills/Ether skills:
Dandyism: Automatically revive self once while protecting a female character.
Magnum Joe: Ether attack vs. one enemy, one use per battle.
Buster Joe: Ether attack to all enemies, one use per battle.
EP Half: Ether abilities cost half as much as usual to cast.
EP Max + 15: Increases Jr.'s capacity for casting Ether abilities by 15%.
All Guard: Disables status effects.

Episode II Abilities
Jr. can combine his efforts with other characters in battle to pull off various dual techniques. In Xenosaga, these are named and include the following: (list from here)

ELEMENTAL NOCTURNE | Jr + chaos
An Aura attack that targets all enemies.

FIERY RITORNELLE | Jr + Ziggy
A piercing, fiery attack that targets all enemies.

SILVER DUET | Jr + MOMO
A single-target, non-elemental attack.

Note: In Episode II, characters have access to "pools" of common abilities that any character can learn so long as they have the experience to do so. This FAQ has a full list of these abilities (search for G2100 for appropriate section), but since a lot of them are auto-buffs and debuffs, I'm not really inclined to play them out.

Episode III Abilities
You can find a list of abilities here, some of which are automatically learned and some of which need the player can learn by choice. Since these are mostly rehashes of Episode I and II abilities, I didn't want to enumerate them all, but Jr. would take the path A line, which involves more physical and fire attacks.

Special Skills: Handling firearms, talking endlessly about books and films, an impressive capacity for technobabble, piloting mechs, flirting.
What is your character's comm icon and why? A stylized picture of Durandal, Jr.'s battle cruiser.
Anything else?: N/A

Action Tag Sample:

[There's a twelve-year-old kid standing around in one of the corridors, and he's addressing a kitten with orange-and-brown markings scattered across its fur.]

Hey, there. What's wrong, you lost? Where's your mom?

[But of course it can't answer. He takes a quick look around, kneels down, then picks up the kitten and wraps it in his coat to keep it warm.]

Well, no problem. Tell you what, you can just stick with me until we find her.

[The kitten meows.]

By the way, I'm starving. Why don't we stop and get something to eat first? And I guess we'll have to see what they've got in terms of kitten food, huh?

[He starts walking toward the cafeteria, careful not to jostle the kitten around too much.]

You know, I used to have a cat. 'Course, that was kind of a while ago. But don't worry -- the two of you don't look anything alike.

Third Person Prose Sample: link

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IC Contact

2013-01-04T16:02:00Z

Yo! Just leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can.

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Contact, Permissions, HMD

2013-01-04T16:00:48Z

Contact Information
AIM: Tetravolte
Plurk: Tetradecimal
Email: tetradecimal at pandemona dot net

I'm on generally from 9AM to midnight EST.

Threadhopping with this character?: Ask first
Backtagging with this character?: Sure
Hugging this character?: Sure
Giving this character a kiss?: Ask first
(Something more intimate?): Ask first
(Relationships?): Ask first
Punching this character (provided they can fight back): Sure
(Injury?): Ask first
(Death?): Ask first

Is there anything you do not want mentioned near this character?: Just common sense stuff, I guess
Is there anything you need us to know about interacting with this character?: N/A
Anything else, please mention here: N/A

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Character Relations, S-Z

2013-01-04T15:58:48Z

Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)

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<div style="padding-bottom:2px;border-bottom:1px dotted white;margin-bottom:4px;">RELATIONSHIP<span style="float:right;"><i><span style="color:red">♥</span>♥♥♥♥</i></span></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
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comments

Character Relations, M-R

2013-01-04T15:58:38Z

Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)

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Character Relations, G-L

2013-01-04T15:58:27Z

Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)

comments

Character Relations, A-F

2013-01-04T15:58:15Z

Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)

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Plots and Multi-Character Logs

2013-01-04T15:57:39Z

Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)

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Index Post

2013-01-04T15:56:18Z

OOC Information
Contact, Permissions, HMD
Application

IC Info
Plots and Multi-Character Logs | Character Logs A-F | Character Logs G-L | Character Logs M-R | Character Logs S-Z (original logs code)
IC Contact Post

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Exsilium Application

2012-12-21T16:18:35Z

» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Tetra
Current AGE: 27
Player TIME ZONE: EST
Personal JOURNAL: tetradecimal
IM & SERVICE: Tetravolte@AIM
Player PLURK: Tetradecimal
Current CHARACTERS: Hisoka

» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Gaignun Kukai, Jr.
Canon & MEDIUM: Xenosaga, video game
Canon PULL-POINT: End of Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht.
Character AGE: 26, appears to be 12.
Character ABILITIES: Jr. is an excellent marksman who specializes in the use of twin pistols in battle. He also happens to be a U.R.T.V., a genetically engineered “designer child” designed as a countermeasure against U-DO, a mysterious and (seemingly) malevolent force whose nature no one in the Xenosaga universe completely understands. As a U.R.T.V., Jr. is capable of producing a special “anti-wave” energy whose wavelengths are designed to counteract the wave energy produced by the presence of U-DO. Were Jr. producing these waves by himself, the effects of the resultant waveform collision would be fairly contained (limited to the scope of a building or room, rather than a space station).

If the effort involved the efforts of over 600 U.R.T.V.s, however, enormous amounts of thermal energy would be released, resulting in the destruction of the U.R.T.V.s and everything around them (as might have occurred fourteen years ago during the Miltian conflict, had the U.R.T.V.s been fully deployed). Jr.’s anti-waves are stronger than that of the other U.R.T.V.s, and his ability to use this energy to destroy things around him is referred to as “Red Dragon”.

Jr. can pause his cellular development, effectively remaining at the same age indefinitely. He also possesses some telepathic ability, as he is able to communicate mentally with the other U.R.T.V.s and his brother, though he must be conscientious in monitoring what information he sends along, since it’s less of a mind probe than it is the sharing of two sets of thoughts. He was also the recipient of a vision just before a major offensive during the Militian conflict, which predicted the destruction of the planet Miltia as a direct consequence of the U.R.T.V.s' actions.

Jr.’s Tech Attacks (link to video):
Prelude to Battle: Shoots one enemy from afar. (Physical/Line/Pierce)
Moonlit Serenade: Shoots one enemy with an energy wave attack (Ether, Line/Spirit)
Storm Waltz: Shoots all enemies in a large area. (Physical, Line/Pierce)
Last Symphony: Shoots one enemy a whole bunch of times. (Physical, Line/Pierce)
Mystic Nocturne: Hits all enemies with a targeted energy field (Ether, Air/Spirit)
Angelic Requiem: Hits all enemies with piercing gunshot attacks (Physical, Air/Pierce)
Soul Rhapsody: Hits one enemy with an energy attack. Absorbs Gnosis-type enemies (Ether, Line/Spirit)

Transferrable Ether skills (can be taught to others):
Psycho Arm: Increases his own physical attack.
Ether Flare: Increases the efficacy of Ether abilities by 25%.
Psycho Pocket: Steals item from one enemy.
Chain: Evasion down for biological or Gnosis enemies (i.e. it doesn't work on machines).
Misty: Disables spells for biological or Gnosis enemies.
Coin Lock: Blocks all status changes and support effects for one ally.
Speed Machine: Increases an ally’s speed by 25%.
Medica All: Significant health recovery to all allies.
Life Shot: Significant health recovery to one ally.

Non-Transferrable skills/Ether skills:
Dandyism: Automatically revive self once while protecting a female character.
Magnum Joe: Ether attack vs. one enemy, one use per battle.
Buster Joe: Ether attack to all enemies, one use per battle.
EP Half: Ether abilities cost half as much as usual to cast.
EP Max + 15: Increases Jr.'s capacity for casting Ether abilities by 15%.
All Guard: Disables status effects.

Character HISTORY: link
Character PERSONALITY: Under normal circumstances, Jr. gives off the impression of an impulsive, passionate, cocky young boy who just so happens to have been given command of an enormous battle cruiser. He adores action movies, collecting old guns, and classic adventure novels, like The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And he’s apparently used his love of flashy action movie stunts to inform his own fighting style, which features plenty of trick shots, firing guns akimbo, coin tossing, and flourishes. Similarly, Jr. often gives his A.G.W.S. armored fighting unit rough treatment, forcing his mechanics to constantly repair run-down systems pushed beyond their operating limits. Also: Jr.’s idea of a great way to handle enemy battleships is to “give ‘em a little nudge” – in other words, ram his own cruiser right into them nose first so he can board them personally, guns blazing.

While his behavior may seem impulsive at times, Jr. can also be surprisingly thoughtful, dedicated, and prudent and cautious in protecting his crew. For example, the Durandal’s nose was expressly modified to serve as a battering ram while ensuring that the rest of the ship (in which a sizable complement of civilians make their home) remains undisturbed and structurally sound. And while reckless with his own life, Jr. tells his personnel to avoid taking risks and place their own lives above mission objectives, regularly expressing concern for their safety. Even honing his fighting style to the point where he can reliably ricochet a bullet off a tossed coin and strike a human target is an accomplishment that would have required extensive practice and dedication (regardless of whether his time would have been better spent elsewhere). As the commanding officer of the Durandal, Jr. is required to make decisions that affect his crew at the drop of a hat; if an enemy fleet appears, he’s the one who needs to decide to pull his people back or rush in on the offensive.

In keeping with his concern for his crew, Jr. takes a hands-on approach to his command of the Durandal, so much so that everyone on the ship recognizes him on-sight and speaks with fondness (and also sometimes exasperation) about his antics: his efforts to teach the resident Realians how to flirt with girls, his enthusiasm for collecting antique firearms, and his fondness reading old Earth books (made from paper, even!). So acclimated have Jr.'s personnel become to his presence that they basically accept his unchanging, unaging appearance as a matter of course and no one questions having a seeming twelve-year-old in charge of the ship.

Lightheartedness aside, Jr. does have a few skeletons in his closet. As a U.R.T.V., Jr. took part in a disastrous operation on the planet Miltia fourteen years ago, where his attempts to avoid the destruction of the planet by severing the mental link with his fellow U.R.T.V. units resulted in the deaths of some 660-plus fellow U.R.T.V.s. While Jr. and another U.R.T.V. variant (the man now known as Gaignun) were rescued, the others were killed or driven mad without the protection of the mental interlink -- including Jr.'s twin brother, Albedo, who managed to survive the incident, but became a raving, homicidal madman as a result, obsessed with Jr. and those closest to him. The events of the Miltian conflict thus left Jr. with a deep sense of guilt and anguish, as well as a fear of his own Red Dragon abilities, to the point where he now remains in the form of a twelve-year-old boy in the hopes that this will prevent his U.R.T.V. abilities from fully maturing. As an extension of that guilt, Jr. sees Albedo, who systematically seeks to hurt those most important to Jr. as some twisted combination of attention-seeking and revenge, as something of a personal responsibility. Jr. will do anything in his power to stop Albedo... and make sure nothing like the Miltian conflict ever occurs again.

Among the main cast, Jr. is acquaintances with chaos, friendly with Shion (if a little suspicious of her ability to entangle herself in top-secret incident after incident), and protective of MOMO, a little 100-series observational Realian who happens to resemble his first crush. He goes out of his way to give MOMO a good luck charm after it’s revealed that she’s being pursued by the unsavory U-TIC organization, and also attempts to rush headfirst into an enemy stronghold when it turns out she’s been kidnapped.

Among the U.R.T.V.s that have survived to the present day, Jr. is closest with his younger brother Gaignun; the two of them essentially run the for-profit Kukai Foundation together, with Jr. specializing in combat operations and Gaignun dealing with the business end. Jr. does not get along at all with Albedo, his twin brother, who has survived into adulthood only to become a cackling, scheming, twisted madman and murderer, who shows up on multiple occasions to try and goad Jr. into using his Red Dragon powers to kill Albedo once and for all.

So what does Jr. want? The safety of his friends. The happiness of those around him. To ensure that U-DO, the being he holds responsible for the destruction of fourteen years ago, never again threatens the people of the Federation. To ensure that dangerous artifacts like the Zohar stay sealed safely away from people who would use it for their own gain.

(And a little excitement while he's at it.)

» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON: His pistol-centric Ether abilities, which can become stronger in power, with a greater area of effect.
Character INVENTORY:
* Two antique Makarov pistols
* Connection Gear with Vaporizer plug-in (basically an advanced PDA that can also be used to vaporize things like barrels and medium-sized junk.
* Clothes (armor, various accessories)
* Some restorative items for healing health, ability points, and status effects

» PREVIOUS GAME INFORMATION ( IF APPLICABLE )
Previous GAME(s): N/A
Previous GAME SETTING(s): N/A
Your character's DEVELOPMENT: N/A

» SAMPLES
First PERSON:
http://thenet.dreamwidth.org/2087.html#comments
http://thenet.dreamwidth.org/10292.html?thread=245300#cmt245300

Third PERSON:
Jr. hopped up on the bed (he had to hop, he wasn’t tall enough to just sit on it, like Gaignun was), snagged the hardcover novel lying on top of the covers, and opened it up. The scent of old paper wafted up to greet him, and he savored the smell, running his fingers along the smooth surface of the first page.

The first time I laid eyes on Terry Lennox he was drunk in a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith outside the terrace of The Dancers. The parking lot attendant had brought the car out and he was still holding the door open because Terry Lennox's left foot was still dangling outside, as if he had forgotten he had one. He had a young-looking face but his hair was bone white. You could tell by his eyes that he was plastered to the hairline, but otherwise he looked like any other nice young guy in a dinner jacket who had been spending too much money in a joint that exists for that purpose and for no other.

Now that was the beginning of a novel, just the way he liked it: it got to the point, it grabbed you right off the bat, and he could just about bet that it ended with a real bang. He’d have to thank Mary for snagging a copy for him, even if she clearly didn’t appreciate the value of words printed on actual paper. People never did. Just like people didn’t get why he’d bother using old-fashioned projectile firearms instead of energy weaponry.

The answer, of course, was that pistols were way cooler.

But this Marlowe guy, he seemed like he knew what it was all about. He had to, in order to live in the hard-boiled, gritty world of Old Jerusalem – where you had to be on the lookout, or else some mug with an itchy trigger finger was going to perforate you real fast. Or break your kneecaps.

He continued reading, stopping to flip a page every now and then, legs swinging behind him in ill-disguised excitement. Eventually, though, the rate at which he made progress through the novel slowed, and he began to nod off. Tomorrow they’d probably arrive at the Miltian star system, and then they’d find out what the S.O.C.E. had in mind for MOMO. And what they’d already risked so much to put into motion.

Groggily, he closed the book, put it up on the nightstand, and shut off the light.

The Gnosis, the Zohar, U-DO, U-TIC. How did it all fit together? Why was the U-TIC organization showing its face now, after years of being near-nonentities?

Well, whatever. No matter what the U-TIC was up to, there wasn't much they could do without the original Zohar. And the Emulators were all locked up nice and tight in the Durandal's isolation area. And if they were gonna try anything else, well, then he was going to be right there to stop them.

No matter what.

» ADDITIONAL NOTES
N/A

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