(sorry Aaron, but since you've been inactive for so long and not posted when I requested you to via FB... well, guess :P )

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GUNROD

There is a silence. "Another Illuxion?" the voice says, perplexed. "I didn't think there was another of my kind here. I've been trapped in this abominable contraption for who knows how long..."

Gunrod grunts and shatters the tube; a figure almost identical to Mira seeps forth from the broken pieces. Gunrod stares, but the Illuxion looks around.

"Well, I say, this does not look like any area I'm familiar with..." says the light being. He turns to Gunrod. "Thank you most graciously, although I cannot answer your question about what this place is, as I've not the foggiest idea myself. I was merely visiting a planet, and I was suddenly sucked into some sort of light-sucking system! An awful conundrum, but you appear to have solved it. Now, may I ask who you are?"

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UNAROSHI

"Down we go, then..." states Viluy, and they trek down through the catacombs.

"Why do you talk like one of them, anyway?" inquires the hot-headed one.

"I was created thus," snaps Viluy.

"I still don't trust you, you know," shoots back the youth.

Viluy's lip curls dangerously. "I'm an agent. I've been commissioned to help you and those like you out. I will say no more than that. You can't trust me, but I'm all you've got."

Unaroshi grumbles. "Fine. But turn on me and I'll make you wish you were never born."

Viluy shakes her head exasperatedly as they keep moving down. It is then that they catch some movement. The stairs have only one wall, so they can see all the way down into darkness, a giant pit that leads into... what, they don't know. Up above, there is no light as the ceiling is not too far above them, but is lined with circuit-like lines, and only Viluy can see them. But when they look down, they find some figures moving quickly on the lower levels.

Viluy stops Unaroshi with an outstretched arm. "Hold on. Make no sound," she says quietly.

Viluy gazes at the levels below. Indeed, there are shapes moving below, opposite of the stairs they are in. Viluy cannot see exactly what they are, but they are by no means machines...

"What is it?"

"I have no reckoning of these creatures before..." is the reply from Viluy. "They are no machines, or my eyes are deceiving me. Yet something about them seems... inhuman."

"Well? Are they allies or enemies?" says Unaroshi impatiently.

Viluy glares at him. "If I knew, I would have told you already."

"I tire of all this secrecy."

"Then throw yourself at threats like you just did, and see where that gets you," Viluy snarls, sounding much less robotic than before. Unaroshi grumbles again but otherwise keeps silent.

They eye the figures for some time before they start to move off.

"We should likely follow them," sniffs Viluy.

"I don't know, it could be a trap."

"Well then, fine. Make your third decision. And keep that spirit of yours in check, it didn't do you that well previously."

Unaroshi makes another hard choice.

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SAKER

Saker attended to Hachiel as best she could.

"What year is this?" asks the angel.

Saker tries to remember what it said on the map. "...year 2542, I think."

Hachiel's face pales. "But that's... that's over three hundred years since we started this conflict!!" she squeals.


"Are you serious?" says Saker, staring incredulously at the angel.


"It was the year 2230 when the Cosmic Collective attacked the machines... according to the humans' time," trembles the angel. She suddenly feels very faint. "Has... has it really been... that long..."


"How are you alive, then?"


Hachiel is a trembling ball of fright by now as she curls up. "I-I don't know. Sheer willpower, I suppose..."


"I guess angelic beings do not require sustenance, at least as much as humanity," snorts Saker. "Still, I will treat you as best as I can."


"Th-thank you," squeaks Hachiel.


"In return, however..." Saker's face grows hard. "I want you to tell me how to best go about defeating the machines, as I do not wish to remain here."


Hachiel looks at the spirit woman with a doleful expression. "I do not know. You do not have to worry much about the drones... I was told there would be weak points within the stronger machines, but... I could not find any. I do not know if any of the others in the Collective found any."


A grimace crosses Saker's face. She begins to barricade the exit Hachiel came from, and the ones beside it. It wouldn't do to ask Hachiel how to go three levels lower, since Hachiel had been lost in this place for over three hundred years... but Saker needed to warn Gunrod, at least, of this threat. She goes to the map again. For the first time, Hachiel shows interest in it.


"Is that a diagram of the facility?" she asks timidly.


"Yes," replies Saker shortly. She manages to find out where she is again, and traces a way from Vector 9E to Vector A1, where Gunrod is. She finds two ways; both of them lead back to where Saker fell from the party. One of the ways would be down a set of stairs near there, and then a short linear distance to where Gunrod would be... except there is a wall in the way. Saker disregards this path and studies the other. The other way is through an elevator near where the hole is, and that would take Saker a short distance to Gunrod. But Saker has no idea if there is power to the elevator, given the lack of power in these areas...


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MIRA

Taking the stairs to the left, Mira travels down them very fast indeed, having great speed. Before she knows it, she is several, several levels below where she came out of. She chooses a level at random and gets out. Helpfully, a sign nearby designates it "Vector 77". Mira has no idea what it means, but hears shuffling around.

Able to discern that it is not a machine, Mira calls out, "Is someone there?"

From behind a steel beam creeps a cloaked, hooded figure...

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SHEPARD AND MAXINE

Avarice contemplates Shepard for a moment. "You are curious, Arrival. Very well. However, we must eliminate some... burdens."

And with a horrible abruptness, Avarice lunges at Maxine and bites her head off in a gruesome display. Shepard yells and jumps backwards, as the body of Maxine drops to the floor. Shepard's sense of calm is eliminated on the death of Maxine.

"Why did you do that?!" demands Shepard furiously. "She did nothing to warrant anything like that!"

"Perhaps not... but I see further than you, human." Avarice rears up, its teeth stained. "I have studied your companion ever since I encountered you all. Her aggressiveness quotient was a detriment to our task."

"But..."

Avarice just stares condescendingly down at Shepard, who is now quite alone.

"Now then... you will accompany me to Vector R, where that filth, Byruit, has travelled," huffs Avarice.

"Sir, I don't think we can trust the human!" warns one of the androids. "Please send some of your loyal troops with you!"

"Do NOT question my orders!!!" roars Avarice. "Time alone for that when we have caught the scum!!! Now get back to your places!!!"

The android backs away fearfully, and then resumes its duties.

Avarice turns to Shepard. "You see, human, you are not the only one I am harsh with. Even my own kind I must set straight now and then." The machine grins. "My apologies. Now, let us go."