Cracking The Dome

Participants:

elisabeth2_icon.gif emerson_icon.gif felix4_icon.gif

NPCs by Emerson

Scene Title Cracking The Dome
Synopsis When a flash mob intends to save their loved ones from the Dome, FRONTLINE is called in to talk them down.
Date February 16, 2011

Queens


The dome. For weeks now, it's loomed over parts of Queens and Roosevelt island lie a semi-transparent tumour, a caner upon the city of New York that slowly blackens over the course of time. With little being said of the events transpiring inside and even less appear in the reputable media as of late, it's hard to now the true state of things without inside information or without seeing the dome for one's self.

And finally today, some people have grown sick of it all.

A small group has gathered in Queens - normal looking folks, dressed causally enough for a day like today, standing as close to something as dangerous seeming as the dome. But this crowd today isn't just a throng of worried onlookers and protesters. Today, there is a purpose and a will - and they all hope, a way to do what they seek. The text had gone out just over two outs ago, at least that was how it started before it propagated to FaceBook and other forms of social media - a call for a flash mob at Dome's edge.

The goal? To free their loved ones from a captive hell inside what appeared to be a slowly dying bubble.

A shout rings out as Elizabeth Harrison and her FRONTLINE squad approach from their patrol around this section of Dome's edge. Their presence had been requested once the group had begun to form, even the PMCs and soldiers otherwise patrolling the area unsure exactly what to make of the whole thing.

"It's time to take bac out loved ones!' one man shouts through a megaphone, looking over the rest of the crown. "To save them hell itself around them! And we're not just going to stand here, and let them rot like everyone else has!"

"No!" rises up impassionedly form several in the crowd like a battle cry. While no actual action ahs been taken yet, it may only be a matter of time.

Elisabeth's leading her squad on a double-time job around their route to get to the situation at hand. And even as they arrive, it's going south. «Shit,» she growls into the comms. «You two, be ready for all hell to break loose. Lemme see if I can soothe the savage crowd a little. Get our comms on the same frequency as the guys already on the ground.»

Bonus: Elisabeth's helmet is specialized for her ability — its HUD screen slides, similar to an old-style motorcycle helmet, out of her way so that her face is visible. And the exoskeleton'd soldier chooses a bit of an attention-getting arrival. Go, go, gadget exoskeleton. She slings her rifle off her shoulder and chucks it at Ivanov, expecting him to grab it. And she jumps the bumper and races up over the trunk and onto the roof of one of the nearest HumVee, into full view of the crowd. Hey, at least her helmet's on!!

~"Everyone, I'd like your attention, please!~" There's a beautifully husky contralto with just a hint of a reverb effect that carries over top of the entire hub-bub, exquisitely clear and understandable.

Of course Fel grabs it, with his accustomed smoothness. He's entirely geared up, which means he looks like something out of TRON, only without all the glowy lines. (He'd like the glowy lines, but he can't justify them). ANd now he's playing Science Fiction Movie Goonboy at Liz's side, helmet turning this way and that, the crowd's distorted reflection sliding along the polarized hemisphere of his facemask.

Hannah Emerson follows a bit behind the pair of FRONTLINErs, and despite the potentially tense situation, she has a very casual posture about as she walks - if Horizon armour had pockets, she'd probably have her hands slipped in to them. Heck, it's probably a miracle that she even has her helmet on - but the last thing she wants is a stone cast by some agitated protester to knock her squre in the temple, much less anything else.

"I can't say I blame them," she notes quietly as follows behind. "No idea what they thinks they can do that hasn't already been tried, though."

A chorus of "no"s continues to rise up through the crowd, only ceasing when Elisabeth makes her presence know to them from the top of the Hum-Vee in grand fashion. The looks she gets in response are as varied as the people in the crowd. Fear sits in the eyes of come, looks of caution and surprise from others, and still more glare angrily at the FRONTLINE squad leader as she shouts for their attention.

There's a tense silence, briefly interrupted as some man in the crowd lets out a "Fuck off!", but thankfully the est of the group seems more level headed for the moment.

Footfalls echo out as the man with the megaphone looks to her, eyes narrowed as he begins an approach. "What do you want?" is a standoffish inquiry, intentionally so. "We're just here to get the people we love back. We're not looking to hurt anyone. Unless you're here to help…"

With her voice audiokinetically enhanced to carry to all, no shouting required, Elisabeth talks to the man in charge. "~In point of fact, I am here to help. A special set of drills is being modified as we speak to make an attempt at disrupting the Dome.~" It's amazing to her to be able to feel the thrum of the crowd's noise once more… her ability is finally coming back into its own, and she continues to carefully lace it with the subsonics that have always served her well in crowd control situations. "~The drill is almost complete and we'll be making the attempt tomorrow. Ladies and gentlemen,~" Her blue eyes look out over the crowd. "~I know that you're worried. I have friends and loved ones in there too, and I'm just as worried as you are. But if you attempt to rush this field…. it will just enhance the tragedy. A man on the inside yesterday literally turned himself into human hamburger attempting to breach it. I don't want to see that happen to you or anyone inside. Please let us keep working at this methodically, scientifically. I know it's slow. I know it's frustrating as hell. But I swear to you, we're not just twiddling our thumbs out here.~"

<What -do- they think they're going to do?> wonders Fel, over his link. His accent's present, that funny mingling of Brighton Beach and Moscow, and he rolls his shoulders, as if to work out any kinks. The armor's not heavy, especially not his - must be a psychological thing.

"A drill?" The man replies incredulously, before he raises the megaphone back up to his mouth and turns to face the crowd behind him. He raises it to his mouth, a bit of a sneer on his face as he speaks. "Do you hear that, everyone! They have a drill! Because no one's thought to attack this Godforsaken piece of shit with a orceful, pointed object yet. A drill! Why didn't I think of that!" The sarcam is thic and palatable as he turns back to Liz, eyes narrowed. "You're not here to help. You're here to make us move along so you can try the next big thing that won't work."%rEmerson shakes her head as she looks over towards Felix, letting out a bit of a sigh. "I hope that's not what I sound like when I get smart with the boss."

Emerson shakes her head as she looks over towards Felix, letting out a bit of a sigh. "I hope that's not what I sound like when I get smart with the boss."

Elisabeth's tone is arctic as it carries across the top of the instigator. "~Sir, can you vibrate molecules fast enough to pass one solid object through another? Because there are some of us who have specialized abilities that may in fact make this possibility a reality. If you'd like to personally throw yourself against the dome and become chunky salsa, I for one am not going to stop you. It's a free country. Feel free.~"

Taking a moment to effectively mute herself and the leader along with the HumVee and her two squad mates and the soldiers nearest the HumVee inside a bubble, she very sweetly adds in a soft, sibilant voice laced with ~put the fear of God — and a blonde — into you~, "~~But if you continue to instigate a riot here, sir, I'm going to be forced to place you under arrest for an indefinite period of time. And I guarantee you that your megaphone is not going to do you a bit of good inside a jail cell. I don't want to do that. Please don't make me.~~"

Fel's rifle isn't at the ready - he's got it loosely slung. And it's hard to tell where he's looking, considering the faceplate. But simply by his posture, he makes it clear he's turned his attention very firmly towards the instigator. Going to back Liz up by force, if need be.

That gets the man's attention, at least more than the mention of the drill had. He furrows his brow, turning back to face Liz with slightly narrowed eyes. "A riot? I don't know what you're expecting, but this looks to me like a largely peaceful demonstration." He raises a finger to point at Liz. "Arrest me, and you're telling these people that you don't care." His tone is accusatory, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a ceramic cup. He holds it up for Liz and everyone else to see, eyes shutting for a moment before the glass begins to crack and splinter, before finally shattering into broken pieces that cascade to the ground with a series of dull clinks.

"We're getting our loved ones out today. Either you can help, or you can step off and get us someone who can."

Elisabeth shakes her head slightly and she moves to pull off her helmet, blonde hair showing. Squatting down on the rooftop, she releases the silence bubble just as quickly as she put it up, once again letting her words carry to all. "~Then go ahead.~" There is genuine regret in her tone, and some amount of hope. "~Try it. But understand that you're taking the consequences of this action onto yourself.~" She won't try to stop him. She can't. All she can do is warn of what has happened to others. "~I have no interest in stopping your attempt, sir. I do have an interest in your safety. But if you choose to try anyway, more luck to you. If you can bring it down, I'll be the first person congratulating you.~" She stands up and gestures for the soldiers to keep back. Activating her throat mic, she murmurs into it, «I don't know what he thinks he's going to accomplish, Felix. But he's got the right to try.»
«Shit. He's an entropist?» Like it's a hobby, or something. But Fel's comet to point like a spaniel in sight of quail. Eagerly attentive. «He's gonna fry himself like an egg. But…..you're right. Maybe he can do something. Have we had some sort of teep try for the mind at the center?»

The man stares up at Liz for several moments as he considers her words. For a moment, it seems like he might falter or relent in his efforts. But, it would seem, there is no such luck as he turns away, waving a hand back dismissively at her, her squad, and the soldiers.

"Ladies and gentleman!" he announces with the megaphone held high. "It would seem that there are no plans to hinder us this day! Today, we bring freedom to those we care about, and to those trapped inside this insidious dome! And if one of us fails, then let there be someone else ready to step up and take their turn for the cause! Because we have had enough of everyone sitting on their asses while people die and destruction reigns within, so let us bring it to an end ourselves!"

Once again, a chorus of cheers erupts out from the crowd, though dimmer than the time before - the presence of FRONTLINE has put a downbeat note on this whole effort for some, and others are now trying to sneak their way out of the crowd, whatever their reasons would be. The orator tosses the megaphone to the ground as he rolls up his sleeve, the amplifier letting loose with a bit of feedback when it lands. Fingers flex as he approaches the dome, cocky smile on his face as his hand comes to rest against the dome, eyes closing confidently as he concentrates, seeking to put an end to all of this once and for all.

What he gets, however, is no sortof reward for his efforts.

The dome does not splinter and crack like the ceramic cup he held earlier, like he had assumed and hoped it would. For a brief moment, there is simply a blue shimmer where his hand rest. He grimaces, shaking his head as his cocky smile fades into a look of stern concentration. The veins inside his hand begin bulge and blue- and he screams as his skin starts to crack from the finger tips back, blood seeping from the wounds, and yet his hand never seems to retract.

Behind him, the crowd reacts similarly, a handful of screams echoing his, and in the front where he is in full view, panic begins to set in, at least one person turning and running.

«Get medics out here ASAP», Elisabeth barks into the comms. «Keep the crowd to a minimum, do not force anyone to leave.» She launches herself off the HumVee, heading for the guy through the wave of panic. "~~STAY CALM AND MOVE BACKWARD, just like a fire alarm, people. The effect will not spread to you. Please remain calm and orderly as you retreat!~~" Goddamnit. Fucking assholes never listen!

The FRONTLINE director as no idea if she can get this man's hand off the dome, but she's sure as hell going to try. She wades through the panicking throng and comes up next to him. She doesn't touch the dome, or even him. But she does start up a low-level hum in the back of her throat, a sound that she hopes she can create a resonance vibration between him and the field to get him loose. Because the alternative? The alternative is watching while someone chops this man's hand off to get him free. Fuck.

And Elisabeth will watch every moment if it has to happen. She says to the man quietly, "Try to pull away, gently and slowly to minimize the damage, all right?" He's an asshole, but he doesn't deserve death.

And Felix is playing at being the World's Most Expensive Border Collie. Because he darts down and out into the crowd, herding them together, without forcing them into a lethal crush. Better that than standing and gawking.

The crowd, confused and scared, isn't too adverse to being corralled by Felix, outside of the few that have already run for their cars or for taxis or whatever other means they have of escaping what they just saw happen, while some onlookers simply disappear back into the woodwork from which they emerged when this all started - it's hard to tell how many were genuinely here to help, but the thinned out crowd that Felix has contained seems to indicate that maybe support for this venture wasn't quite what the man had expected it to be.

"I can do it!" the orator screams between wails of pain - his hand not yet removed intentionally, if only through sheer will power. But the overwhelming pain mixed with Liz's effort to separate his hand form the dome work in conjunction to release him from it's grasp, his own arm broken and bloodied as she yelps and stumbles back, tripping over his own feet. Hitting the ground with a thud, eyes clenched shut as tear of pain stream down the side, he reaches up at the dome, to heaven, with his inured and as if still willing it to break like th glass he had hoped it would.

Medics swarm around him, even as Elisabeth follows them to him, the man's arm reduced to a barely functional bloody mess as they work to wrap it and stop the bleeding. Today, it had been just one man who had tried to take the matter of the dome into his own hands, and for his efforts he had had his arm rendered scarred and broken, likely to never full heal again.

Heaven help them should anyone else decide to.


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