the name's velasquez. say vel to my face again and i'll rip yours off!
sure, babe. our relay stations detected a convoy of vulture supply
trucks spreading out across the city. my guess is that they're carrying
arms and missile components to the lowlifes of vulthaven... probably
supplying more of those spice gangs. vape the trucks before they
leave the city.
you've got a wingman for this one, vel. commander's orders.
commander satair can suck his...
it's going to be kendrick.
i don't care if it's satair's k'r'roc grandmother! you tell satair
that i fly alone. kendrick's a snot-nosed hotshot who doesn't value
his life, let alone his wingman's! send him to me, and he won't
return in one piece. is that clear?
satair's not going to like...
this is hornet alpha-6... clear me or else!
you're cleared to leave the hanger, vel. good luck out there.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
you have a problem with wingmen, velasquez?
not if they're someone else's!
i see. i'm assigning you to pilot recruit, training, and evaluation,
effective tomorrow.
unless, of course, you prefer a position in dispatch... or perhaps
the security monitoring station? maybe the officer's mess - i hear
they need a cook!
but i'm the best pilot you've got!
no. you just think you are. besides, you have a psych evaluation
scheduled in two weeks. that chip on your shoulder has been getting
bigger every time i send you out there! tomorrow you start evaluating
pilot performance, or i'll have you shipped out to the coal mines at
seraptis minor, in drag!
and i don't like the officers under my command using foul language on
t.d. communication channels, not to mention officers who make crude
remarks about my grandmother! now get the r'ox out of my office and
report to recruiting tomorrow!
lt. velasquez
op. coordinator amiel
satair's got me running a nursery. got anything else?
i shouldn't be doing this, velasquez.
give me something, anything. before i beat the crap out of you.
yeah, well... satair's got rordan and lazar assigned to street
reconnaissance first thing tomorrow.
no, there's a classified assignment in satair's personal database...
whoa! no can do! satair's sealed the file with a private access code.
want your throat ripped out?
you know, i think i remember satair's decoding matrix after all...
that's what i like about you, amiel. you're always thinking about
what's best for you.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
i don't care if you blew up a thousand terrorist transports! who in
hell gave you the authority to reassign yourself to the search and
destroy mission? you tamper with the mission assignments again, and
i'll have you dropped on the vulture's doorsteps with a lousy singing
telegram! i don't care if striker's an idiot! i already know that!
but at least he follows orders! if you were some test tube kl'a, and
not your father's daughter, i'd have you cleaning out the toilets!
now get out of my sight! get out, before i throw you out myself!
glad you're on this one, vel. one of our squads was taken by surprise
in the north quadrant. the squad leader, sadler, was destroyed along
with one of his wingmen. the other wingman, montgomery, is still in
the city.
montgomery? she's as good as scattered debris out there!
according to the most recent relay transmissions, her skid is
damaged and being pursued by two vultures. your job is to get her
back to t.d. headquarters alive. officer halo will accompany you.
halo? i don't need one useless wingman to save another!
then use him to draw vulture fire. obey satair's order... just this
once. the relay station is keeping a constant tab on montgomery's
transponder signal. she's all over the place.
montgomery bit it. there wasn't much i could do... the silly
bitch was taking a tour of the city and wouldn't just head home.
are you sure that you didn't waste her yourself?
i try to resist my temptations.
i know. we've been working together for years, and you still
haven't slept with me yet!
funny. those bastard vultures have a new ship - it looks armed
to the teeth, but the k'r'roc-shit pilot wouldn't engage me.
might be a surveillance ship?
sure. and you're the smartest person on the whole planet. if i
want your opinion, numbstick, i'll beat it out of you.
that's what i admire about you, vel. you always say what's on
your mind.
and here you are, wishing you had a mind to begin with.
nice job, vel. montgomery sends her thanks.
my life is complete. those vulture bastards have a new ship.
looks armed to the teeth, but the k'r'roc-shit pilot wouldn't
engage me.
might be a surveillance ship?
sure. and you're the smartest person on the whole damn planet.
if i want your opinion, numbstick, i'll beat it out of you.
that's what i admire about you, vel. you always say what's on
your mind.
and here you are, wishing you had a mind to begin with.
vulture colonel wolstencroft
i am distressed to learn that computer files detailing our new ship
design have fallen into enemy hands. it appears that someone has
seen fit to circulate privileged information. now that the traffic
department is aware of the vulture ship mark ii, i see no choice
but to include the vehicle in our operations.
under normal circumstances, i would be more than a bit upset.
however, there are far more pressing matters to attend to. a
splinter faction has risen to challenge my authority in vulthaven,
and i have learned that one of you is responsible for its
creation.
i don't know who you are... but if i were you, i'd consider
a new line of work...
several of you have encountered a new ship on the streets. ladies
and gentlemen, this is a vulture mark ii. it's fast, maneuverable,
and armed with four forward-firing ion cannons. maximum speed is
unknown. its only limitation appears to be its projectile
payload - no missiles.
commander satair
lt. striker
just how many of the suckers do those vultures have?
this is my briefing, striker. the vultures may have ten ships
or hundreds. we don't know...
lt. velasquez
lt. junior koth
rumour hassss it that the vulturessss are developing new ssshieldsss
for their new shipssss...
stop hissing in my ear, scaleface...
the data was leaked to us through the vulture media net yesterday
during the dune buggy derby telecast on channel nine. intelligence
believes that a splinter faction may be responsible. we'll keep you
posted. until then, keep your eyes open for those mark ii's!
this is a night mission, vel. you better check your infra-red display.
i'm tired. just give me the mission.
it's a fly-by-night. just patrol the streets for vulture scum and
do the usual thing. i thought k'lith was topside tonight?
he said he couldn't stomach another night with you.
thanks. hope you're not too scared of the dark, vel. too bad you're
not selarian.
well, they have the best night vision. that's why satair gives koth
all the after-hours stuff, you know. oh, by the way, watch out for
civilian cars out there - the vultures may decide to do some target
practice with them, but you don't have to. in fact, you might even
want to protect them for once...
just clear me before i punch your lights out and clear myself...
lt. velasquez
lt. junior koth
vulturesss don't fly with headlightsss, velasquezzzz... switch to
infra-red ssscannersss....
lt. velasquez
lt. junior koth
the bastard who murdered my father.
sssorry i ssstartled you. ssssatair wantsss to ssseee ussss... sssome
sssort of essscort missssion.
number one. you didn't startle me - i could smell you six kilometers
away. number two. i should tear that forked tongue right out of your
damn mouth.
at least wait until after the mission!
you slimy selarians are all the same - you all make me nauseous!
some of us don't like humansss much either, velasquezzzz...
aron demeter
commander satair
aron demeter, meet officer velasquez.
three hours - less than usual for velasquez.
aron demeter
lt. velasquez
did i put too much cream in your mug?
aron demeter
commander satair
your officer needs one hell of an attitude adjustment, satair.
it'll have to wait until the mission is over. officer velasquez is
your escort to the city perimeter.
aron demeter
lt. velasquez
i hope your transport is armour-plated, demeter. you're going to need
it!
commander, it's vital that i reach the perimeter alive. perhaps you
should assign a more... competent officer.
aron demeter
commander satair
i don't have a more competent officer.
aron demeter
lt. velasquez
looks like it's just you and me, sweetie-pie...
demeter's part of a splinter faction called e.g.g. listen, vel. we gotta
get demeter out of vulthaven alive if we expect any help from e.g.g. in
the future.
i don't want e.g.g.'s help! ther're all a bunch of criminal
k'r'roc's! idiots like demeter deserve to get their brains blown out!
fine. go ahead. blow him to peices. i'm sure satair will be
overjoyed with your initiative.
lt. velasquez
lt. junior koth
i ssuggesst we ssstick to the misssion, velasssquezzz. demeter'sss
jussst a sssmall sssnake.
go bake in the sun, lizard breath.
lt. velasquez
aron demeter
wolstencroft probably knows about this escort. he'll probably send
vulture ii's to nail both of us. you should probably just do your job,
velasquez, and i'll guarantee e.g.g.'s assistance in the future.
and you should probably just get off my monitor!
colonel wolstencroft
captain moloch
tell me, moloch, what do you see when you gaze beyond this window?
a playground? i'll tell you what i see. a city without will to
resist me... a fragile society held within my hand.
lieutenant marta velasquez has become a nuisance.
indeed. it's time i stopped playing with her, my friend. we are
about to introduce new technologies that will sweep away the traffic
department and others who stand in our way. i don't need lieutenant
velasquez meddling in our affairs.
have the good doctors perfected the new shields on the mark ii?
they assure me that they're ready for another test.
...erase lieutenant velasquez! consider it done...
colonel wolstencroft
dr. leopold ramses
i regret that your new shields have yielded less than perfect results.
it seems that moloch may have underestimated the skill of the opposition.
the new shields were just experimential. my twin brother has been
working on the latest prototype.
colonel wolstencroft
dr. philip ramses
yes. we can construct an improved version to refit another vulture
craft, at your command.
deadlines, gentlemen, we have deadlines. i don't blame either of
you for harkon moloch's miscalculation, but we cannot afford to waste
precious time rebuilding the special shields. we can use the normal
ones. let us proceed with your latest development -- is this the
device that will finally enable us to secure control of the city
streets?
colonel wolstencroft
dr. leopold ramses
a series of mines will be deposited in the streets of vulthaven
by vulture mine-laying trucks.
colonel wolstencroft
dr. philip ramses
each egg mine is equipped with a recognition sensor, allowing our
vehicles to pass over it safely. any other vehicle that flies over
a mine activates it. that vehicle is destroyed immediately.
traffic department skids have no shielding on their underbellies
so the streets will soon become too treacherous for their vehicles
to patrol. thank you, gentlemen. carry on. we will proceed with
operation: minefield immediately. i will tell commander geryon to
to mobilize his skids to protect the mine-layers. he will not fail
me. i cannot afford any more pilot mistakes. dismissed, gentlemen.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
e.g.g. has given me another useful piece of information. spies
working for the splinter faction have provided technical schematics
for the new vulture egg-mine. vulture trucks have already begun
laying these eggs throughout the city.
then why aren't we out there vaping those damn trucks?
chill out, velasquez. several surveillance vehicles have already
been destroyed, and rordon's stingray got wasted on patrol last night.
rordon was an idiot. the only thing he could drive was someone crazy.
hornet's aren't fast enough to avoid the mine's attenuated id sensors
and neither are stilettos, so you will have to shoot them down.
commander satair
lt. striker
what? you want us to make them blow up in our faces?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
no, we want you to stop on one.
that's enough, velasquez. striker, shut up and listen.
commander satair
lt. striker
the mines will not destroy you if you shoot them to pieces. that's
what the e.g.g. spies tell us.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
and we believe them of course...
i'm this close to replacing you, velasquez...
with who? nobody wants this half-ass assignment.
there will be vulture skids protecting the mine-layers. perhaps
lazar is better equipped to handle the mission.
the only thing lazar can handle is his penis.
commander satair
lt. striker
isn't there anyone in the world that you like, velasquez?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
sure, anyone who hates your guts.
striker, your shift will be right after velasquez returns, but
only if she doesn't manage to take out all the mines.
our delta-5 relay station intercepted a coded transmission between
vulture command and the vulture-controlled spice mines in the karse
teleris dune sea. our resident decoder, operation coordinator amiel, was
able to decipher the transmission.
at fifty-seven hundred radians tonight, a convoy of ion supply trucks
is leaving the v.c.i. with a conseignment of moloton bombs, to be used
for spice mining. we suspect that the splinter faction e.g.g. may try
to acquire these bombs by attacking the trucks before they leave the
city.
commander satair
lt. junior koth
the ssplinter faction hasss ssskidsss?
e.g.g. scavengers recovered the parts from destroyed vulture i skids,
which they've rebuilt and re-equipped. they want the moloton bombs
for future terrorist exploits, and we have no intention of helping
them.
commander satair
lt. kendrick
aren't we on the same side?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
get off the drugs, kendrick. that's what the spice-snorting
bureaucrats want you to think! they're all slimes with gelatin guts!
their only loyalty is to themselves, and their damn spice factories!
the last thing we need is a rebel faction running around the city
with moloton bombs, blowing away anything that may or may not be a
vulture base. letting them acquire ion cannons was risky enough.
gee, and whose idea was that???
don't question my judgement, velasquez.
it's questionable enough already.
the vulture convoy will arrive from the east soon. the mines are
to the north of the city, so it is probable that the trucks will leave
via the north gate.
the trucks are disguised as ion miners, so the vulture escort should
be fairly light. the biggest threat is e.g.g. itself. the splinter
faction probably has the same information that we do. your mission
will be to destroy the transports and their escorts before e.g.g. gets
its hands on the cargo.
commander satair
lt. kendrick
how do we distiguish e.g.g. ships from vulture ships?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
don't bother trying. just vape them all!
they'll be difficult to distinguish at night. you'll be driving with
infra-red scanners.
commander satair
lt. junior koth
unlesss you're ssselarian, of courssse...
you'll be flying stilettos. that'll give you an edge over the slower
e.g.g. skids. lt. velasquez will be team leader.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
i'm not flying this mission if kendrick's my wingman! he can't fly a
stiletto in daylight, let alone at night! besides, he'll just get in
my way!
i'm sorry to hear that, velasquez, but that's your problem. as
far as i'm concerned, you're taking him.
taking him out, you mean!
commander satair
lt. junior koth
commander sssatair, i think lt. velasquezzz and i are capable of
dissspatching the ssskidsss without kendrick'sss help. asss you
sssaid yoursself, the vulture essscort isssn't a major threat.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
besides, the officer's toilets haven't been cleaned in months!
commander satair and lieutenant commander white are waiting for your
report. they're in satair's office.
who's lieutenant commander white?
probably couldn't light a candle with her!
actually, she's an operations specialist from vultanova city.
better watch yourself, vel. she's got the personality of a
sandshark.
nah. i prefer shy, demure women who can't defend themselves. which
reminds me... you doin' anything tonight?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
the vultures must be using clone technology. they must have cloned
moloch before he died. no telling how many times, either.
lt. commander white
lt. velasquez
most genetic samples break down after two or three replications.
what are you, a geneticist? i'll just keep killing the bastard
till there's no more of him left! so help me, as long as just
one of him lives...
commander satair
lt. velasquez
we've got other concerns, velasquez. renee and her team have
analyzed the wreckage of the vulture transports.
lt. commander white
lt. velasquez
we detected no trace of moloton particles. the trucks weren't
carrying moloton bombs... or explosives of any kind, for that matter!
then what were they carrying?
commander satair
lt. velasquez
nothing. absolutely nothing.
lt. commander white
lt. velasquez
wolstencroft must have known we'd want to keep the moloton bombs out
of e.g.g.'s hands. looks like the vulture command wanted to turn
their splinter faction against us.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
and they succeeded. your confrontation with the e.g.g. skids is
already having repercussions. we've lost all contact with e.g.g.
good! now we can start treating them like the scum-suckers they
really are!
nevertheless, in future missions you will refrain from attacking
e.g.g. skids unless they attack you first.
we need to stabilize the situation with a gesture of good will.
i'll give them a gesture - not of good will, though!
you will do as you are told! if you don't, i'll remedy the situation
by sending you to e.g.g. with a formal apology and a side order of
bacon!
the way i see it, commander, you're just a short walk from getting
your butt blown off by two dozen moloch clones in suped-up vulture
skids! let me state for the record -- if i see anything that even
remotely looks like a vulture, i'll blow it to shrapnel, e.g.g. or
not!
velasquez, you really piss me off.
that's your job - to get pissed off. but don't let your attitude
get in my way. sir.
our surveillance copters have detected four vulture radar trucks
patrolling the streets, vel. satair thinks the trucks are scanning
the city for indications of an e.g.g. base. he wants the trucks and
their vulture escorts neutralized.
you're on your own, vel. none of the other t.d. officers want to fly
with you. face it babe, you're a health hazard.
several e.g.g. skids have already begun hunting for those four radar
trucks. this time, try not to get in their way.
i couldn't care less about the e.g.g. skids. if they get in my way,
i'll blast them into melted sludge.
should i convey your sentiments to the commander?
convey my middle finger to the commander, with a side order of bacon.
and no apology.
just make sure you destroy all four radar trucks!
colonel wolstencroft
dr. philip ramses
we have the e.g.g. wing leader, frank marko, in custody at our lab.
he is becoming more and more cooperative as we show him how much fun
there is to be had with the human body and a few select chemicals...
he should be ready for questioning now, colonel.
not questioning, philip. just one question... the only one that
really matters. a simple thing, to point out the location of e.g.g.
headquarters on a map, no?
colonel wolstencroft
major dispater
report on your progress, major.
my skids have surrounded the e.g.g. headquarters, and our forces have
begun penetrating the facility's innermost defences.
excellent. and thus ends the brief but nonetheless annoying legacy
of our notorious splinter faction. i want no survivors, dispater.
once you've destroyed their base, hunt down any e.g.g. sympathisers
lurking about the city streets. every last remant of that ill-
begotten organization must be eliminated.
i'll excecute the survivors myself!
at eight-thirty hours this morning, vulture command ordered an attack
on the splinter faction's secret headquarters near the dachrah-orzulon
spice mines. exactly forty-five radians later, the vulture media net
broadcasted the signal on all uncoded televid channels showing the
e.g.g. base being destroyed.
we know that several e.g.g. sympathyzers are still in the city. your
job will be to escort their transports to the city perimeter.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
we should let the vultures have them.
do us all a favour, velasquez...
they picked a fight with vulture command and couldn't defend
themselves. we owe them nothing.
commander satair
lt. junior koth
yesss, thisss would be our bessst chanccce to dissspatch the e.g.g.sss.
since our primary job is to keep the streets safe, i frankly don't
care whether you protect the transports or not. but there will be
vulture skids scouring the streets, and i want them dealt with.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
then let's get out there!
lieutenant velasquez, you and lieutenant junior grade koth will
patrol in hornets. ensign lazar and lieutenant dellestro will patrol
in stilettos.
why do i always get the selarian wingmen?
you're cold-blooded. you can relate.
colonel wolstencroft
major dispater
i'm tired of excuses, dispater. you assured me that all the rotton
e.g.g.s would be dealt with, yet several continue to stink up my city!
i will locate the renegades, but i need more pilots. the traffic
department trashed my best wingmen!
we do not exist in an ideal world, major. if that were so, i'd
have little use for militant imbeciles like you.
that little bitch velasquez really pisses me off!
she's just a woman, dispater. nevertheless, it's painfully obvious
that your pilots are ill-equipped to handle her. i have, therefore,
no choice but to find someone more skilled in such matters.
that will not be necessary, sir!
but i believe it is necessary. don't let velasquez trouble you
further, major. i wouldn't want you or your wingmen to suffer any
further.... humiliations!
tired of living targets, vel?
shouldn't you be whacking off somewhere?
you know i hate to bother you...
too late. next time, talk to me face to face!
um, no. i don't want my face rearranged.
it would be an improvement!
no time for insults, vel. striker and kendrick were nearly blasted
to pieces on their patrol two hours ago. looks like the vultures
have some hired guns --- freelance mercenaries in stolen stilettos.
carlyle got vaped by a stiletto patrolling the delta grid.
carlyle was probably nuked on spice.
now she's just nuked. satair believes the mercs are flying
stolen t.d. vehicles to confuse us.
sure. satair gets confused putting on his boots.
renee white thinks the skids were stolen from a hangar in vultanova.
she says the vultanovan skidyards have had a problem with security
ever since their power grid went down.
white only knows what she reads on cereal boxes in the morning.
yeah, well, she eats a lot of smart foods. listen, the mercs have
been trashing the streets in their spare time, giving us t.d. officers
a bad name. you'll need a stiletto just to keep up with them. satair
wants them vaped before they cause more damage. word is they want
you really badly.
you really want one? i'm surprised!
just to keep the vulture skids busy while i play with the mercenaries.
i'll get flannery and dickle on deck. hope you like rookies!
dickle?!?! i've got a partner named dickle?!?!? i'll just tell
vultures that and they'll fly into each other, they'll be laughing
so hard!
your wingmen will fly hornets, so you don't confuse them with the
mercenaries' stilettos.
just tell flaky and dickie to stay out of my sights, or i'll make
burnt cookies out of those rookies.
colonel wolstencroft
major dispater
our attempt to establish law and order in the streets is once again
thwarted by lieutenant velasquez and the traffic department. i'm not
pleased, major dispater. not in the slightest. quite frankly, i was
expecting more from you.
me?!? i had nothing to do with it! i'm not the one who hired idiot
mercenaries to kill velasquez! you told me to stay out of it!
and did you? your attempts to dispatch lieutenant velasquez were even
less successful.
my wingmen are incompetent.
then you attribute your failure to the inadequacy of your men? should
i have them executed? all of them?
it would be a good start.
i think it would be cheaper to just execute their leader.
no! that's crazy! please wait!
i don't think so... guards!
colonel wolstencroft
commander belial
commander belial, you are now in charge of the mobile ground forces.
disperse your pilots throughout the city. i want the streets under our
control in sixty-four hours.
get me peter amiel through the t.d. network.
colonel wolstencroft
op. coordinator amiel
colonel wolstencroft, sir, what can i do for you?
lieutenant velasquez is a menace. i want her off the streets...
right now.
that will be difficult. satair has... well... a soft spot for velasquez.
i see. naturally, if the task is too difficult for you, i'll
understand completely. however, the cost of spice is going up, i'm
afraid... well beyond the meager salary of a traffic department officer
like yourself. i don't reward loyalty, amiel, only results. i suggest
you try your best to make me happy if you want more drugs.
i'll leave satair no choice but to give velasquez the hook.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
i just received your psych evaluation from personnel. it's disturbing,
to say the least.
save it, commander. i'm on patrol in 15 radians.
you're not going anywhere, velasquez. i'm pulling you off the streets.
your lack of discipline is appalling. you're a mess, velasquez.
according to your psych evaluation, you're too unstable to pilot a
spice transport, let alone an armed skid.
and you're going to trust a stupid, full-of-shit computer psych
evaluation?
well i can't trust you, can i? you're deceitful, malicious and
ill-tempered. no one in the department trusts you. hell, none
of the other officers even like you! i've seen uthidian sunlizards
with more friends!
sure, and most of them work in this department!
say what you like, velasquez. from this point forward, until you
are judged fit enough to resume your duties, your combat missions
will be limited to those created in the simulation chambers.
yes... you're dismissed, velasquez.
lt. velasquez
op. coordinator amiel
velasquez! what are you doing here?
go back to bed, amiel. you never saw me here.
i'm afraid i can't do that, velasquez. i need to know what you're
up to!
satair's pulled me from all active skid missions. i'm reassigning
myself to helicopter surveillance.
you can't access classified operations files!
yes i can. you showed me satair's decoding matrix, remember? and
unless you want satair to know about that small breach of security,
i suggest you don't mention this to him.
you're digging a big hole for yourself, velasquez. if the commander
finds out...
... i'll come right back here and beat the crap out of you.
satair is right. you really are screwed in the head!
don't make me prove it to you!
lt. velasquez
commander satair
velasquez! what do you think you're doing?
my laundry. what the r'ox does it look like i'm doing?
you do not have authorization to pilot a recon helicopter. report
to my office immediately!
grant me clearance to launch, or i'll fly through the hangar
restraints!
velasquez, i have two hornets escorting a medical convoy to the
kappelar hospital facility outside vulthaven. the last thing they
need is an unreliable chopper pilot buzzing over their heads!
this sucker's loaded for bear, commander. i'll take out those
vultures before they get within range of the convoy!
look velasquez, i'll clear you to save the hangar, but please be
careful! just because you're invincible hovering above the city doesn't
mean that that convoy is - watch where you shoot!
don't worry, commander. flying one of these things is easier than on
the ground - no buildings to worry about! now open the hangar!!
want some advice, vel -- free of charge?
i certainly wouldn't pay for it...
before you steal another one of our helicopters, take a flying lesson
first. you could be arrested for flying under the influence! that
medical convoy was important... and now it's mostly scattered bits
of metal and medicine!
say that to my face and i'll put yours through a teranium wall!
don't get your rotors in an uproar.
i've got a missile with your name on it!
i just hope you like long vacations, vel. looks like you might have
a lot of free time on your hands, if satair doesn't lock you up as it
is!
the only thing satair ever locks up is his jaw.
i hear the seleri dune sea is nice this time of year...
then go take a flying leap in it. i'm sure one of the janitors can
cover for you - and probably do a better job!
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
would you like another kiaji sunrise, lieutenant?
if i want one, i'll ask for it.
of course. excuse my intrusion.
difficult day in the streets?
i've been relieved of duty.
ah. satair's got you flying simulations.
nothing. maybe you would like a selarian sandripper?
back off, boltbrain, or i'll put another dent in that wireless
head of yours.
the name's screwdriver, not boltbr...
you got crossed wires? i said back off!
certainly.
want to know how i got the dent in my head?
your father gave it to me.
my father? how did you know him?
he liked selarian sandrippers. came here all the time. never
ordered just one... always had to have three or four at once.
it was before the vulture incursion. your father was off duty,
having just finished his patrol. he drank 6 sandrippers back to
back and picked a fight with another sechian officer. when i cut
him off and asked him to leave, your father got mad and shot me with
his projectile pistol. the bullet deflected off my helmplate.
sounds like something i would do.
ah, so there's some truth to genetic heredity.
two weeks. sent to the simulation room for two weeks. your father
hated it. but then came the vulture incursion... and he was back on
patrol before you could say faulty wiring. they needed him. if you
wait around long enough, velasquez, they'll need you too.
you're not half bad, screwdriver.
i'm not a boltbrain, velasquez, and i see that neither are you.
commander satair
lt. commander white
lost two officers on that last patrol.
relay station reports fewer vultures on the streets. that's a good
sign.
no it's not. they're probably up to something.
i'm sure our contacts in the vulture media net will keep us well
informed.
i'm thinking of putting velasquez back out there.
it's only been two weeks! she's in no condition to fly a skid,
you said so yourself. you can't buckle under now.
four officers have died since i pulled her off the line.
more will die if you put her back out there.
i'm running out of time, renee. i'm running out of time... i'm
running out of pilots, i'm running out of options!
colonel wolstencroft
vulture lt. colonel velasquez
colonel bram wolstencroft, director of operations in vuthaven.
good. now tell me: what is your name, current rank, and posting?
marta louise velasquez. lieutenant colonel, ninth squadron.
currently stationed in vulthaven, seche.
lieutenant colonel, eh? you rise through the ranks quickly, my
dear.
colonel wolstencroft
dr. philip ramses
we thought we'd make immediate use of her combat ability.
good thinking, doctor. lieutenant colonel velasquez, kindly tell
us who your commanding officer is?
colonel wolstencroft
vulture lt. colonel velasquez
doctor philip ramses, scientist, vulthaven.
colonel wolstencroft
dr. philip ramses
i see there's still some work to be done, doctor.
we'll make the necessary... adjustment immediately. this was simply
for debugging purposes.
good. well, i think it's time we assigned our new lieutenant
colonel her first mission.
vulture lt. colonel velasquez
commander belial
lieutenant colonel velasquez, you and your wingmen will patrol the
city for t.d. skids. destroy all t.d. vehicles you encounter without
hesitation.
i don't need wingmen, commander.
i have no patience for disobedience, lieutenant colonel. you may
rank higher than me, but i speak for wolstencroft. if you fail to
perform your mission, you will be executed.
you couldn't execute a petrified lava lizard.
you are gravely mistaken. your skid has been outfitted with an ion
detonator that will go off after a certain amount of time unless you have
destroyed the enemy and gotten back to base, so behave! understood?
commander satair
lt. commander white
velasquez would never join the vultures... at least not willingly!
you saw her psych evaluation. you know how reckless and undisciplined
she is!
reckless and undisciplined -- yes. treacherous -- no! nothing in her
personnel record indicates that! besides, i know why she behaves the way
she does and believe me, that alone proves the point! one of my officers
has been taken and turned against us. i want to know how!
that doesn't matter anymore. dar, she's a threat to our department.
what matters is how we're going to deal with her.
no, renee. what matters is how we're going to get her back.
lt. velasquez
lt. commander white
how did those bastards get through the security grid undetected??!?!?
an intense security sweep of this facility has yielded few clues to
explain how the commander was abducted. the only clue we have is a
faint atmosphere disturbance inside this office. a similar pattern
was found in your quarters after your unexplained disappearance.
all we know is that sometime between last night and 0600 radians
this morning, commander satair was captured and taken to the v.c.i.
at 09:15 radians, his execution was transmitted across all uncoded
televid channels from here to vultmandu.
i'll kill them!! i'll vape every one of them, starting with that
fat son-of-a-bitch wolstencroft!!
i'm convinced there's a traitor within the department. someone
with access to t.d. communcations array, hangar, and personnel
bunkers. i've authorized a security check of all officer's quarters.
i did. as operations specialist, i have direct control over
this entire investigation.
fine. do what you have to. but wolstencroft won't get away with
this!! i'll blast that vulture slug into the next century! i'll...
right now, i'm more concerned about uncovering a possible security
breach within the department! until i find it, you're removed from
active duty!
you and half the department couldn't remove me from active duty!
you don't frighten me, lieutenant velasquez!
and you can't intimidate me, acting commander white!
and i'll have you dragged through the streets of vulthaven with your
feet strapped to the airfoil of a stingray!
...
you really want wolstencroft that badly?
i'm going to be his biggest nightmare!
very well...
lieutenant cartel, report to my office immediately.
i'm tired of running the gauntlet with you, velasquez! white wants
you scrubbed, but i'm going to let the vultures take care of that!
just stay out of my sights, cartel, or i'll take your head off.
fire at me, and i'll plaster your parts all over the city!
you couldn't plaster a wall!
did someone forget to put sugar in your coffee, vel? maybe you
two should kiss and make up.
tell officer cactus that she can jam a missile up her ass and blow
herself back to vultanova!
i'd rather not. your orders are to destroy the vulture ion convoy
and any vulture skids you encounter... and be nice to your partner.
you women are so irritable. i'm not granting anyone clearance until
you girls settle your differences!
listen, you desert-brained lizard! this stingray is equipped
with twelve medium-yield proton missiles.
you babes wouldn't blow away a nice guy like me, would you?
consider yourself warned. now clear us, mr. nice guy, before i
restructure your particular area of the hangar with my hornet's
pulse cannons!
ok! ok! clearance granted!
colonel wolstencroft
op. coordinator amiel
operation shutdown is waiting on only you, amiel. has our little
bug been introduced into the t.d. computer network yet?
commander white is conducting an intense security sweep of the
facility. i'm at risk of being uncovered just by talking to you,
let alone fooling around with the network!
you just worry about programming the invasive sequence! if all
goes well, i will personally guarantee your safe extradition from
vulthaven... and enough spice to last your lifetime.
colonel wolstencroft
lt. colonel mammon
the traffic department has destroyed our ion supply convoy, sir. my
skids were unable to defend it.
excellent, commander. keep up the good work.
colonel wolstencroft
vulture general kreel
do you always praise subordinates for failure?
i've run out of creative ways to execute them. besides, i have bigger
fish to fry!
colonel wolstencroft
op. coordinator amiel
operation shutdown is waiting for you, amiel. has our little bug
been introduced into the t.d. computer network yet?
commander white is conducting an intense security sweep of the whole
facility. i'm at risk of being uncovered.
you just worry about programming the invasive sequence! if all
goes well, i will personally guarantee your safe extradition from
vulthaven... and enough spice to last a lifetime.
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
the ion supply convoy made it through the city, sir. we were able
to keep it from being completely obliterated.
excellent work. it's a good thing, too, because i don't have a
creative way to execute you if you screw up!
colonel wolstencroft
commander belial
lieutenant colonel velasquez has escaped! she stabbed dr. ramses with
a syringe of terocil. she's used his id card to override security in
the skid hangar!
if she leaves the hangar, destroy her.
she's deactivated the ion detonator time bomb aboard her skid!
i'll jam the satellite signal to her ship. she won't have a map, so
she'll be blind out there. she won't last two radians!
you're wasting time talking to me, commander.
i told you she was unreliable!
the last thing i want is a lecture. i'll warn you once, belial. if
velasquez makes it back to satair alive, you won't live to regret your
failure.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
is this your idea of defection, velasquez? i believe i'm entitled to
an explanation!
the vultures tried to brainwash me, commander. i managed to escape
the vci in a vulture ii.
yes, we appreciate the opportunity to study the stolen vulture skid
more closely. if fact, renee is studying it very carefully. but i'm
more concerned with your state of mind!
frankly, i'm not sure what to do with you, velasquez. perhaps dr.
weathers should conduct another psych evaluation. we need to
determine how the vulture brainwashing affected you. right now,
you're certainly not the velasquez i know.
dr. weathers
lt. velasquez
do you remember anything about your experience, other than what you
have already told me?
somehow i was able to resist it. i don't know how.
when they started boring into your mind, what did you do?
i'm not sure. i tried to concentrate on the most intense memory
i could think of... emptied my mind of everything else.
very smart. in all likelihood, you shielded your other memories
by sacrificing one that affected you most deeply. do you remember
what the memory was?
dr. weathers
commander satair
probably her father. that would explain why her personality has
changed.
ah, yes, your father. if i recall, he's the reason you joined the
traffic department in the first place.
dr. weathers
lt. velasquez
i still remember him, but i don't remember what happened to him.
this could be a big step forward in her treatment, commander. the
vultures unknowingly stripped her of the one thing that made her a
threat to herself and your department. her entire behaviour has been
changed with the loss of one unpleasant memory. feelings of guilt,
hatred, rage -- they're no longer the driving forces of her personality.
she literally gave the vultures a piece of her mind.
dr. weathers
commander satair
that's the velasquez i remember.
dr. weathers
lt. velasquez
i want to know what happened to my father.
in due time, my dear. we don't want to rush things.
colonel wolstencroft
dr. leopold ramses
how's your brother, dr. ramses?
the treatment is progressing. the terocil injection damaged several
of his neural pathways, but i've begun the process of cerebral
reconstruction. he should recover.
i sympathize with your anger, doctor. we must however postpone any
schemes of vengance. i have received notice that the general kreel
himself is due to arrive in vulthaven tomorrow.
colonel wolstencroft
lt. colonel mammon
he is dissatisfied with our progress?
that's a profound understatement. he indends to place the city
under tight military control. we have until then to prove that the
streets are already under my dominion. mammon, you are now in charge
of our ground forces. mobilize your skids, lieutenant colonel.
destroy any t.d. officers you encounter!
colonel wolstencroft
dr. leopold ramses
undergoing intense psychological analysis even as we speak. it
will be some time, perhaps a long time, before satair puts her back
on the streets. and speaking of satair, i believe your molecular
converter is scheduled for another test, doctor...
commander satair
lt. velasquez
as much as i need good pilots, i'm not convinced you're ready to
resume your duties, velasquez. dr. weathers recommends that you
stay off the streets.
i'm fine! physically and mentally.
there could be residual effects of the brainwashing.
brainwashed or not, i'm still the best pilot you've got.
at least you haven't lost your modesty.
just give me one chance, commander, just one chance to prove that
i haven't lost my edge... that i can be trusted!
velasquez, i don't think you've met lieutenant cartel. nicola
recently transferred from vultanova.
i've been assigned as your replacement. i must say the vultures
in this city don't hold a candle to the ones in vultanova. they lack
the tenacity.
glad to see you're enjoying yourself.
this department needed someone good and reliable. that's why i'm
here.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
lt. cartel follows orders to the letter.
to do what? avenge your father's death?
wake up to reality, velasquez. commander, i don't think she's ready
for a combat mission.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
somehow you always manage to override my better judgement, velasquez...
get in your gear and report here in thirty-five radians.
we've just received word from intelligence that general kreel of
the vulturnus high command is coming to the city. that means we have
to expect an increased vulture military presence.
commander satair
lt. cartel
just what kind of military presence are we talking about?
our contacts at channel three have confirmed that troops from the cities
of vultanova and vultigoth are on their way. they're arriving in armoured
troop transports disguised as heavy ion trucks. the vultures have decided
to escort them safely to this city's vci.
and we've been ordered to take them out.
yes. cartel -- you, striker, and noyce will patrol the streets in
stingrays. the trucks are running with very heavy armor, so be careful
and use missiles. velasquez, you'll be piloting a recon helicopter.
you're job is to provide cover and take out the escorts.
commander satair
lt. velasquez
i could take out the trucks as well...
commander satair
lt. cartel
yes. let cartel worry about the transports. you concentrate on
the vulture vanguard.
commander satair
lt. striker
how many trucks are there out there?
we're not sure. but they'll be coming in two convoys. one from the
west, one from the north.
commander satair
lt. cartel
commander, the last thing we need is velasquez dropping bombs all over
the city!
commander satair
lt. striker
commander satair
lt. cartel
i recommend you assign kendrick to the recon 'copter.
you have a mission, cartel. get to it!
lt. velasquez
commander satair
come here often, commander?
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
commander satair is one of my regular patrons, velasquez. can i
get you something?
one selarian sandripper coming up.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
your father used to drink those.
did screwdriver tell you that?
no, i knew ric well, velasquez. we were partners during the vulture
incursion.
you never told me that. you flew with my father?
i flew with your father... on the mission he died. his last flight
was against a fleet of vulture ships and military transports entering
the area. this was before the city was renamed vulthaven. my hornet
was crippled with ion fire. your father was flying home from a long
stretch of garrison duty, and he jumped in to help me out. in the
end, he died covering my retreat back to t.d. headquarters. i've
never forgiven myself for the events of that day.
is that why you put up with my shit all the time?
part of it. years before the incursion, your father and i fought
for the affections of a woman named maria -- your mother. we both
adored her, but ric was the one who married her. to say your father
and i were friends... that would be a lie. in fact, we hated each
other.
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
remember the story about the dent in my head? your father gave
that to me after he and the commander started punching each other's
lights out in the middle of my lounge.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
you were the other officer?
ric and i had many fights. we both had serious attitude problems
back then. but, when it came down to us against the vultures, your
father gave his life to save mine. i won't forget that.
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
you see, velasquez? the commander isn't a spineless sandworm after
all.
lt. velasquez
commander satair
you did okay out there, velasquez. like it or not, i'm proud of
you.
can i be frank, commander? lieutenant cartel is really beginning to
piss me off.
she's got a lot to prove. in many ways, she reminds me of you. she's
determined, insolent... and committed.
she should be committed - to a psychiatric institute!
you don't know how many times i have said the same about you!
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
you sechians talk too much. drink your selarian sandripper... before
it cools.
commander satair
dr. leopold ramses
what the hell happened? where am i?
you're at the vci, commander satair of the traffic department. it
was bram's wish to reintegrate you. against my better judgement, i
conceded.
i don't know what you're talking about!
you military types never do. this tiny egg breaks down molecular
matter, stores it, and reintegrates it with less than point zero-two
percent dispersion. it will forever ruin the luggage industry, i'm
sure.
that's how you abducted velasquez and i. who are you? some sort
of vulture freak?
i am dr. leopold ramses, a scientist. my friends call me leopold...
but you may call me dr. ramses.
i demand to speak with wolstencroft... immediately!
in time. you must understand, bram's a busy man. he's preparing a
special video broadcast coinciding with the arrival of general kreel.
i'm sure your fellow t.d. officers will find the program... well...
engrossing.
colonel wolstencroft
lt. colonel mammon
the general will be here any moment, sir.
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
your obescity disgusts me!
you repulsive swine! vulturnus is on the verge of galactic
conquest, and i'm sent to this desert wasteland to correct your
inept blunders!
don't look at me! if anyone's to blame, it's those ridiculous
military morons you keep sending me. lieutenant colonel mammon,
you are dismissed.
to prove my point, i'm prepared to demonstrate how well i control
the city without military assistance. you see, general, an old nemesis
of mine has requested an audience, and i'm about to give him one...
his execution on the public networks!
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
it's obvious that you two hate each other, so let's just maintain a
professional perspective. if you want to remain on active duty,
you'll have to learn to work together as a team.
acting commander white
lt. cartel
i refuse to be her partner!
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
i'd rather fly with kendrick!
listen to me! frankly, i don't care much for either of you. and
i'm not the sympathetic r'ox satair was. you're flying together,
and that's final!
acting commander white
lt. cartel
i'd rather fly a vulture manure transport!
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
with your record, i'm surprised you don't!
acting commander white
lt. cartel
can we just continue with the briefing?
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
yeah, hurry up... nicola needs to change her diapers!
yesterday, one of our patrols picked up a v.c.i. defector, a
dr. philip ramses. we're conducting an interrogation scan at this
very moment.
he was one of the vulture mind probe specialists i encountered.
acting commander white
lt. cartel
one of your old boyfriends, velasquez?
he was also one of the vultures' top genetic scientists and cloning
experts. he takes full responsibility for the explosion that took
out v.c.i.'s laboratory yesterday. he's offered to help us penetrate
and destroy the vulture headquarters.
what does he want in exchange?
he has agreed to help us, if we destroy his clone.
according to dr. ramses, leopold was his first 'success' in the field
of genetic-replicant technology. philip is convinced that this other
clone -- leopold -- is unstable and out to get him.
maybe philip's not the sane scientist that he used to be.
dr. ramses admitted that before leaving the v.c.i., he was injected
with a severe dose of telerocil. that would account for his sudden
change in behaviour.
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
before escaping the vulture hangar, i stabbed him with a chemical
syringe...
acting commander white
lt. cartel
your verbal jabs weren't enough?
fifteen radians ago, one of our recon copters received a transmission
from leopold. he's planted a cobalt bomb somewhere in the city... with
the capacity to flatten every building and obliterate people within
one hundred square kilometers.
philip claims he's not. the two were secretly working on the
device for wolstencroft. leopold wants philip returned to the
v.c.i. alive within 600 radians. otherwise, he'll start the
countdown. philip believes the cobalt bomb is wired to a thirty
second timer detonator.
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
we've traced leopold's transmission to a mobile radar truck.
we've been using recon helicopters outfitted with cobalt-lerocite
detectors to locate the bomb. we think it's with leopold... in the
truck.
acting commander white
lt. cartel
wonderful. a psychotic clone.
leopold promises he'll start the countdown if any attempt is made
to destroy the bomb. our copters are too easily detectable, but a
pair of approaching stilettos won't be seen until they're within
striking range! once you're spotted, however, you'll have only
thirty seconds to destroy the radar truck before the bomb goes
off. watch for vulture skids and illegal spice transports...
several have been detected fleeing the city.
lt. velasquez
dr. philip ramses
glad to see you made it back in one piece. after your malfunction ten
days ago, i thought you might deliberately try to destroy yourself.
i kill vultures, doctor. you, maybe. me, not bloody likely.
i'm not a vulture, lieutenant. i regret that wolstencroft made
me use the mind probe on you, but i think i've more than paid the
price for allying myself with him.
and the point of taking off my arms?
heightens my sense of security. i don't wish to be strangled a
second time!
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
aren't you supposed to be with dr. ramses?
i want answers. i want to know who sabotaged my recon helicopter and
how.
as far as i'm concerned, the explosion was accidental.
a moloton particle flux in the weapon systems. the helicopter
was probably loaded with a defective moloton missile.
defective? you mean some shithead tampered with it!
and the ion disturbances it satair's office... the ones left behind
from his abduction?
the result of a molecular dispersion beam. ramses brought a molecular
converter with him from the vci. we think amiel used a similar device
to demolecularize both you and satair.
amiel never left t.d. headquarters! someone had to deliver the
converter to vulture command!
security matters are my concern, velasquez, not yours!
i'm making them my concern!
listen, velasquez! you're lucky to be alive!
you call this being alive?!?
when dr. ramses said he could reconstruct you, i was doubtful! but
i authorized the operation because dr. ramses was convinced he could
give us our first bio-mechanical t.d. officer... and officer who could
be programmed to kill vultures! a loyal t.d. enforcer! but you have
become unstable!
i have good reason to be! you turned me into this!
but look at you! you're more capable now than you ever were before!
with a few modifications, you'll become one of our best weapons in the
fight against vulturnus!
i'm not sure i want to be.
this was a mistake. we should've deactivated you after the first
malfunction.
deactivated me?!? i'm not a machine, doctor! no one deactivates
me!
what i meant to say was --
you've said enough already!
lt. velasquez
acting commander white
velasquez! an unauthorized hornet has departed t.d. headquarters
and is heading towards the city perimeter. locate and destroy the
traitor before the skid escapes!
whoever this is was probably responsible for satair's kidnapping, so
it's imperative that...
i'll nail the bastard. don't worry.
whoever you are, you'd better get your hornet back to t.d.
headquarters before i blow you apart!
lt. velasquez
op. coordinator amiel
sorry to disappoint you, velasquez, but i've got vultures watching
my back now! you'll have to fight through them to get to me! as
they say on vulturnus - adios, amigo!
as they say here in vulthaven - prepare to die, you treacherous
br'ach lizard!
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
it seems vulture command may have underestimated you. it appears
that you have everything under control after all.
the surviving t.d. antagonists will eventually deplete their fuel
and ammunition. they'll be routed from the city streets like
common vermin.
only a fool would gloat before his enemies are all crushed.
ah, the military! so predictably pessimistic! i forcast bright
days for the loyal people of vulthaven. a shame, really. i was
so enjoying your little visit.
your civilian sarcasm is really beginning to annoy me!
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
this one's on the house, velasquez. we owe you -- how do you
humans say? -- big time!
i'm afraid i need more than a drink, screwdriver. i think i'm
losing control of my life. ever since the commander's death,
i've wanted to obliterate everything that lives and breathes!
praise to the diode god... at least i'm safe!
i came here for advice, not robot humour.
but velasquez, humour makes the world go round!
then stop the damn planet, it's time i got off.
you may find this hard to believe, but some of us would prefer it
if you stayed around a while.
i'm surprised you can say that with a straight face!
don't be surprised. i wasn't built with the ability to smile.
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
you assured me the t.d. base would be left burning like a torch.
that i would see t.d. body parts flying across the cityscape like
ashes on the wind, that sort of thing. wonderful imagery,
wolstencroft, but i'm afraid that it's still just an image.
obviously, commander mammon is a bigger idiot than i imagined.
let me assure you, general, the t.d. vermin will be exterminated!
now i see why vulture command is considering a replacement.
a replacement? i assure you, that will not be necessary. at
this very moment, my scientists are perfecting a new technology
guaranteed to squash any resistance to vulture domination!
your speeches are more bloated than you are! one more failure,
and i'll puncture you like a balloon!
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
never underestimate the power of the scientific mind, general.
military might is a poor substitute for ingenius invention, as
i'm certain the good doctors will demonstrate.
then why are you recieving an urgent communication from them?
colonel wolstencroft
dr. leopold ramses
philip sabotaged the laborat..z. .! the entire fz.z..x. aflame,
and the holojection appara..fz.zn..fz.. destroyed!
and your brother... where's philip now?
he inca...itated three guards! i have to find him... fzn..z
..,. get him back! he .x....,z.. cerebral reconstruction!
doctor ramses, this isn't exactly a good time.
the.f fzz.nzz z..! his treatment isn't ..z.z.. .z.z... he's
beom.z..f.zz,.. unstable! it's .zz.zzzz..s fault! i'll kill
.z.x...! i'll get ....fz.z...z...fzz..xx, velasquez .z.z... or
.i'll kill them all!
colonel wolstencroft
general kreel
i've got blast holes the size of larcassan rats in the hull
of my skid!
then next time, stay out of my ion spread!
your ion spread was all over the stinking city!
so was your flying! i had that vulture bastard in my sights,
and you crossed my firing line!
if i hadn't moved in, that damn vulture would be back at the
v.c.i. instead of scattered in the streets!
next time you steal my kill, i'll shove an pulse cannon so
far up your ass, you'll be choking on raw energy for a week!
i could waste you in a split second, velasquez! one missile,
right between the eyes!
just try it, you breastless bitch!
i could punch your lights out!
you have trouble punching in to work!
enough! we'll settle this once and for all, woman to woman!
you don't even qualify for the fight!
you're an arrogant, ion-brained battle-whore. my loyalty is
to this department! your only loyalty is to yourself!
if you knew anything about loyalty, you wouldn't have been shipped
out of vultanova!
dr. ramses has provided us with the secret deactivation codes to
the vci's ion and kinetic defense systems.
acting commander white
lieutenant koth
we asssume he'sss telling usss the truth?
the information has been verified using truth serum. dr. ramses
has also provided us with a security scrambler to prevent the vci
from routing power to its defensive array. the defense screens are
generated from an orbital satellite, and we now have the means to
shut that satellite down.
acting commander white
lt. striker
will the vultures deploy every skid they have?
with luck, the vultures will have very few skids left by the time
the particle screens are deactivated. thanks to officer velasquez,
we have a stolen vulture ii. when the shields are down, a truck
containing both this ship and a high-impact bomb will go to the
v.c.i. once there, the timer on the bomb will be started, and the
driver will escape in the vulture ii... back to t.d. headquarters.
acting commander white
lt. cartel
and who's flying this doomsday device?
lieutenant velasquez is the only on-deck pilot with experience.
she will fly the vulture ii.
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
i'm not doing this because i hate your guts. i just can't risk
giving the mission to someone who hasn't flown the v-ii before.
we've altered its registry codes so that it appears brand-new.
with a new vulture ship as your cargo, the vulture skids shouldn't
attack you. once you get inside the hangar area, start the timer,
then jump into the vulture ii to get the hell out of there. once
the bomb explodes, though, you'll have to watch for the other
vulture skids. chances are most of them will figure out what we're up
to when their hangar vanishes off the map!
so i'm to take out the hanger, switch ships, and get out of there?
yes. oh, one other thing, your vulture ii will have seriously
reduced armour... the truck can't carry it if it's too heavy. you're
going to be practically naked out there, velasquez, so watch it!
good thing i was feeling suicidal this morning...
those sechians are a tenacious breed, but they have much to learn...
general kreel
dr. leopold ramses
general! the v.c.i. hangar has been destroyed!
a painfully obvious fact. where's commander mammon?
he was inside the hangar when it exploded, sir.
how fortunate. the day has not been a total loss...
the v.c.i.'s defence screens are down, sir. an attack is
imminent.
send out as many skids as we have left, and ready my shuttle for
departure!
mission completed. the hangar is destroyed!
congratulations, vel. sounds like you're ready to celebrate.
not with you, i'm not. just tell screwdriver to whip up a
sandripper...
not enough time, vel. we're launching an attack on the v.c.i.
right away... most of our pilots have left. a helicopter is waiting
for you on the landing pad - we figured you deserved the honour!
ok... tell screwdriver to keep my sandripper hot until i get
back, then.
aren't i hot enough for you?
i'm not into computer dating!
general kreel
colonel kovia
those pitiful sechians have no clue what they're up against.
i want you to dispatch a lander class destroyer to vulthaven.
why not simply pulverize the entire city from orbit?
discretion, colonel. the overlord wants a slave world, not
an empty sandbox. we'll make an example of vulthaven, even if
that means its destruction.
i'll dispatch the lander immediately, sir.
first we'll crush their spirits...
but when we've squeezed every last resource from this new slave
planet, what then?
then we'll crush their bones.
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
i want to know what's going on here! what have you done to me?
you were nearly killed in a crash, velasquez. it's a miracle
that you survived at all.
dr. philip ramses
lt. velasquez
they found pieces of you all over the roof. we saved what we
could.
how long have i been... like this?
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
three weeks... you went berserk once --
dr. philip ramses
lt. velasquez
-- so we had to erase your programming and start again. it was
a... minor glitch.
my programming? i'm not a bloody computer!
no, not entirely. just your left side.
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
to be honest, i'm more worried about your right side. if you're
able, report to my office in 45 radians.
you're both so comforting.
lt. velasquez
screwdriver
looks like we share even more common ground. maybe we can... you
know... interface sometime.
is that more robot humour, or a pass?
i've never had much success at either. care for a selarian
sunrise?
i've lost my taste. dr. ramses has me on a diet of protein syrup.
he says it's for internal lubrication.
sounds healthy. a lot has changed around her since you...
well...
exploded on the hangar roof? so i've heard. unfortunately,
none of the k'r'roc's around here will say anything! they're
all terrified of me!
i think someone screwed with my helicopter!
you know that for a fact?
i sure didn't blow up my chopper on purpose!
who would want to kill you?
just about everybody on the planet, i guess.
i guess i'd start with that k'clow cartel...
nicola cartel? haven't they told you?
acting commander white
lt. velasquez
nicola's dead, velasquez. it was an accident.
well, to put it bluntly, you twisted her head off.
when dr. ramses first awakened you, you attacked him. nicola
was in the lab at the time. when she tried to pull you off the
doctor, you turned on her. dr. ramses couldn't deactivate you in
time.
deactivate me?!? i'm not some bloody machine!
no-one blames you for what happened. you had absolutely no way
to control yourself.
i didn't kill my partner!!
lt. velasquez
dr. philip ramses
sure you did. made quite a mess, in fact. naturally, you
wouldn't remember that. i wiped your memory of the whole
experience. anyway, commander white said you would handle the
news fairly well. after all, nicola wasn't exactly a friend!
what else did i do? what else have you erased?!?
nothing else of importance, really.
who the hell decided what was important?!? you?!? leave my mind
alone!
i don't think i can handle this! i don't even know if i remember
how to fly!
just take it easy, vel. we really need you on this one. all
our other pilots have been either fried or injured... and the city
is at stake again.
my name isn't vel! what the hell is going on?
a vulture lander has been attacking from the north... this is
one of those great big ships they use for space-station kills!
make sure to watch for the cannons mounted under the ship - they
fire shots that can take out small asteroids, so you don't really
want to get in their way.
analysis of this thing's armour shows that only the head of the
ship will be vunerable to cannon fire... shoot that until the damn
thing starts going up in smoke.
the problem with this bugger is that it's already withstood all
that we've thrown at it, including all of our best pilots... except
you, of course. it has been carefully destroying all of the city's
important mines outside the city, and its final destination seems
to be the city's power plant to the south... if it gets there and
blows that up, the whole city is toast! don't let that happen,
comprendez?
understood. just tell me, carl -- is this just a nightmare?
welcome to reality, hon. keep your head on straight, and
you'll do fine. give those vultures your famous bird salute!
