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| Hong Kong | |
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| Topic Started: May 13 2010, 09:10 PM (1,101 Views) | |
| Porcu | May 13 2010, 09:10 PM Post #1 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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CITY-STATE PASSES MARKERS, INTEGRATION COMPLETE WITH FINAL VOTE Posted Image Hong Kong - The small, stable and successful city of Hong Kong was recently reported to have successfully completed its final marker on its road to becoming a dependency of the Republic. Hongkongers have been very supportive of the efforts to make their city a dependency, the initial vote three years ago passing by an overwhelming 77%. Hong Kong provides Porcu with another major center of shipping, as well as commerce and finance. Despite sharing some of its recent history with the World Military Dominion, the city of Hong Kong has been able to prosper and maintain its complete independence. However, it appears that successive administrations of the city-state have virtually dried up its coffers and left its economy and people in an unstable position. Proposals for integration with the surrounding territory in China itself were popular at first, but failed due to various disagreements ranging from issues of language (which language takes precedent, Mandarin or Cantonese?) to administration (what kind of administrative system should be enacted?). Eventually, the Republic of Porcu was seen as a viable option, known world round for its nearly unparalleled openness and tolerance. With just a final vote needed by the Hongkongers themselves before the measure passes to Parliament in Stockholm, Hong Kong expects great things in the future. If Porcu's other dependencies are any measure of success, Hong Kong can almost certainly guarantee itself a return to glory. |
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| Menhad | May 14 2010, 10:27 AM Post #2 |
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ET2(IDW)
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"Imperial, capitalist scum! Your greedy plans are not accepted here! You chains of slavery will not be tolerated, for the workers will rise and your defeat will be great. Leave now and never come back. -Maksym Zakhaev, Voice of the People. U.E.S.S |
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| Filo | May 14 2010, 01:13 PM Post #3 |
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General
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Transpolar-Aleut Nation will be glad to have economic ties with the city of Hong Kong. The Transpolar-Aleut nation has many oil well and drill much oil. Due to the producion in NAN, the Transpolar Aleut nation has so much surplus and need to sell. Are Honk Kong autorities willing to allow our ships enter in your port? -- Ivan Polarleaf, economic advisor of TPAN |
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| Telosan | May 14 2010, 01:47 PM Post #4 |
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The Foremost Intellectual Badass
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This expansion only exemplifies the once again growing threat of European powers in Asia. However, Celebes is in no position to contest this on our own and unless others decide to take action with us, we will have to let this pass. Instead, we refuse to acknowledge this move as well as any right the Porcuians claim to have in this part of the world. ~ Generalissimo Thufir Irulen ~ |
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| NRE | May 14 2010, 04:32 PM Post #5 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Beijing, The Crumbling Eastern Empire... The city of Beijing was a ghost town of its former self. For a month after the Dominion Wars were finally over, fires raged across the city filling the night sky with their ash and smoke. Day in and day out the people did little, all wondering if this what the end of times. No word came from above and it seemed the city, nay the entire Empire fell silent. The great dragon of the east seems to slumber though some fear it was not sleep that fell upon him but instead the veil of death. Yet even before their very eyes a force was at work within the limits of Beijing, nay with the entire Empire itself. One by one those who were once die-hard supporters of the Dominion and its cause began to disappear throughout the city of Beijing. At first it was authoritarian figures like small government officials and law enforcement personnel. People that the Chinese had lived with for years during the Dominion and grow to accept them on some level as residence of the city. Though their positions were relatively respectable, their disappearances seemed to cause no alarm. No one ever wasted a breath of air to ask where these people went. Truth be told, these people did not go far. Posted Image The Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace of the Ming, Qing, and Conn Dynasties. Located in the middle of Beijing it was the very heart of the city. Before the Conn and for almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 miles. There was truly nothing like it in the whole of Asia nor the world. It was truly the heart of the dragon of the east and for years untold since the arrival of the Conn Dynasty, the walls of the Forbidden City never fell silent. The Dominion Wars changed that and after the Fall of Zapht it appear as if the Chinese people had been abandoned. Normally people faced with chaos would riot, neighbors would killed neighbors for scraps of food, gangs would take the streets, and anarchy would ensue. This was not the case in Beijing nor anywhere else in the whole of the Empire. For the Chinese people of the Eastern Empire were disciplined. They had for generations learned their place in the greater whole and had built an unwavering faith an loyalty to the throne. This loyalty would never be broken and this devotion would not be forgotten. Posted Image The foul stench hit his nostrils as soon as he'd entered the Forbidden City. Crossing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony he came to the sea of flagstones. Although it was no longer the spacious, open sea that it once was. Hundreds of corpses littered the courtyard, all driven unto the pikes where they now rested. Mutilated by the buzzards and ran rancid by the hot sun there were very few left that could be identified by their faces alone. It was a forest of the dead as hundreds had been put on display and it was almost impossible to make the journey from one side of the courtyard to the next. Taking his time he crossed this forest, glancing at the bodies and noticing a few new ones that had been added since last he'd visited. Finally he came to the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. There about mid-way up the stairs was perhaps the worst of the dead. The body had been beaten, stabbed, shot, burnt by the sun, and pecked at by the buzzards. The royal vestments were almost all but gone and surely there was no way of recognizing the face. Stepping around this last body he made it to the top and entered the hall. Bright red columns littered the interior of the hall and seemed to go on forever in every direction. Marching forward from the door he traveled the complex path until at last he made it to the great throne, surrounded by magnificent golden pillars, it was an indescribably beauty with which to behold. Yet no one sat on the throne and it seemed for sometime no man would. Instead, a man wearing royal vestments of his own sat on the steps that led up to the platform of the throne. Maps of the Eastern Empire were all sprawled out in front of him, a few men of some importance surrounded him. "Gracious Prince Yu" said the man who'd entered the hall. "I come with precious news from afar your majesty" Yu lifted his head and looked at the man. With a smile developing over his face he welcomed him to the circle. "Commander Zēng" said Yu, "come forward with what you have." Commander Zēng bowed and then handed the Prince a report. Yu read it over and then in a small fit of anger, crumpled the report in his hands. Zēng and the other adviser fell deathly silent and frozen in their spots as Yu got up from his seat and began to pace. Men had already lost their lives speaking to Yu out of turn or in times when their words were not asked for nor warranted. "The legacy of the Empire is slipping away from me" Yu said aloud. "I cannot protect the Asia people while my own Empire remains fractured. Yet I cannot in great conscious simply sit by and allow foreign Empires to spread across greater Asia in their vicious conquests of lands not their own. Where we the Empire we were at my birth, these Porcu would be no match of us. We'd wash Hong Kong in their blood. We crush the British too, and all the other powers than have come to Asia in our time of weakness." Yu again took a seat on the steps and began looking over his war maps. It was clear that he desired action but could not find a way to act. What army he had loyal to him, fought within the Empire and could not be called away from their fronts to fight afar, especially in Hong Kong. Daring his chances, Commander Zēng spoke. "Your graciousness" he said, choosing his words carefully. "Other nations have spoken out asked the Porcu. Allow me to send Dai Li agents to gather intelligence on these invaders and perhaps spread propaganda to lead the people of Hong Kong to revolt. A revolt by the people may prompt the other nations to act, defeating the Porcu for your excellency." Yu tilted his head up quickly and began glaring at Zēng who now feared for the first time, for his own life. Though only seconds pasted, for Zēng it was a lifetime until yet another smile cracked over the Prince's face. "This is why you command my Dai Li Commander Zēng. Dispatch three of your finest to Hong Kong and tell them to survey the area to better understand the Porcu, their intentions, and most importantly their defenses. Also, have them disperse propaganda against the Porcu to the Hong Kong people. Have them force a change of mood and insight riots where they can. If the Porcu wish to have Hong Kong, we will force them to fight for it." Zēng bowed, "I shall dispatch three of my finest at once your excellency" he said. Commander Zēng then left the room and Yu, who began discussing war with the other ministers of the room. |
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| Kasnyia | May 14 2010, 05:29 PM Post #6 |
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Chairman of the Bank
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The Kasnyian Empire will observe this new development. The Grand Parliament, on behalf of Emperor Maximillian Xavier V, would like to inform Porcuian authorities however that all Asia falls under Kasnyian stewardship with regards to non-Asiatic influence. As such, Porcu should be made aware that their presence in Asia is a privilege. If it is abused, it shall be taken away and holdings shall be seized. So long as Porcu understands its position as a guest of Asia, there shall be no trouble. - Statement from the Imperial Grand Parliament of Kasnyia |
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| Porcu | May 15 2010, 04:22 PM Post #7 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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Hong Kong Known as the "Pearl of the Orient", the city was a bustling mass of metal and flesh, appearing as though the activities of the rest of the world were irrelevant. Colonel Alberto Tosca, now working for the Abwehr, gazed out from one of the dozens of skyscrapers that towered straight into the heavens. Tosca thought it was incredible how Hongkongers could have progressed their city to this point without too much foreign help and was uncertain if an official bond to Stockholm was best. However, still a ranking officer of the Republic, the Colonel kept his opinion to himself, especially now as he stood in a crowded office with a large panel of Porcuian government officials and current Hong Kong city government members. Tosca's attention was quickly brought back to the business at hand once the necessary personnel had made their way into the conference room. The last such gathering of government officials from Porcu and the city of Hong Kong had determined that the Pearl of the Orient had successfully passed its final marker, completing its "road map" to becoming a dependency. The city had made all the necessary preparations in officially tying itself to the Republic and this conference today was to hammer out the final, last minute details before the final series of steps were complete. Still needed were a final referendum from the Hongkongers themselves on the question of their status as a Porcuian dependency, a recognition of the vote by the Hong Kong government before the successful passage of their own bill officially declaring themselves a Porcuian dependency and, finally, the successful passage of a similar bill in Parliament in Stockholm declaring and approving Hong Kong's status as a dependency. It was clear that the Porcuians gathered in the conference room next to Tosca were eager to wrap up their business, especially since support among Hongkongers continued to be so high. The conference progressed boringly enough and Tosca had to fight himself from falling asleep. Outside, another beautiful, temperate day looked over the local markets and businesses as they peacefully went about their business. This peace, however, was not to last. |
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| NRE | May 17 2010, 03:22 PM Post #8 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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OOC: I'm going to make some assumptions here Porcu. If you feel they're off base just PM me otherwise I guess we'll let it ride and continue. IC: The markets, Hong Kong... Today, like any other day in the bustling markets of Hong Kong, prices were high but affordable and merchants were eager to sell to customers almost as eager to buy. It was not yet noon in the markets but business was already high, perhaps a little too high for this time of day. Women, children, and the elderly were out in mass it seemed for this day at market. On the faces of the natives, it appeared to be a day like any other day. People came to the markets seeking what they needed and the merchants did not disappoint. Yet subtle as it was, there was a tense feeling int he air. Fliers had begun cropping up in the slums of Hong Kong. Invisible to most, they were quickly circulated to much of the underclass. Circulated through an organization calling itself the society of lóng , the pamphlet of sorts was more of a letter than another else. Only a few sentences long, it was very short and to the point. It read "
Now this letter never made it to the upper echelons of society and perhaps there was a point to that. Not surprisingly, the "middle" class and wealthy were highly supportive of the union with Porcu and while most of the poor also "supported" the union, they were more of a bubble vote than anything else. They supported the union because they were told to do so, perhaps not in so many words as they were through the praises of Porcu by the local government. Basically it boiled down to the fact that there was a lot of money to be made with Porcu as their masters and the wealthy couldn't pass that up. However, while they held their chains tightly, the wealthy forgot to throw the keys of the poor's mental bondage far enough out of reach. The letter was slowly waking the very thoughts the wealthy and the government hoped to keep asleep. That was why on this very day, a day of relatively good business and exchange that a man had to die. His name was for the authorities to decide, although it was apparent given the local of his body that he was a merchant. Who his shooter had been was yet another mystery for the authorities to solve as no one seemed to have gotten a good look at the boy, although most agreed it had been a boy in his late teens. The disagreement that had caused the shooting you may ask, well as the authorities would also come to find, the argument steamed over particular items this shop keeper decided to sell. Items clearly marketed as "made in Porcu." Given the size of the crowd the boy shooter easily disappeared into the mob well before the authorities were ever on the scene. He made his way quickly across town to a small basement beneath a tea shop in a better part of Hong Kong. "It was done as you asked" said the shooter, handing the firearm back to the man that had given it to him in the first place. "You've done your nation proud" said the man, handing the gun over to one of his two associates. "You do understand this was but the first step. There will be other deeds asked of you, asked of all those who wish to continue calling Hong Kong their native home. These imperialists must pay for their arrogance and greed." "Agreed" said the boy. "Don't worry I like all the others understand that more will be asked of us." "Good" said the man. "Now go find your brother and bring him here. He is gathering information on those immigrants as we speak, information about military convoys and such. We need that information to move forward with this fight." The boy said nothing, merely nodded and left. |
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| Porcu | May 20 2010, 07:34 PM Post #9 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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"Gentlemen, I present you Project Glaucus. Fourteen years of intensive research has yielded an incredibly effective and technologically superior defensive weapon. "先生们,我向你项目"Glaucus”。 14年的深入研究已经取得了一个非常有效的防御武器和技术优势。" rattled off the translator standing directly beside the Porcuian representative. After a long series of discussions between OKW and the Nixon administration, it was decided that Hong Kong would be the best place to debut the Porcuian defensive super weapon. Everyone in Stockholm hoped that the weapon would never actually have to be used, but increasing tensions between the Porcuian dependency of California and the Western Union, as well as continued unrest in South-East Afrika, made at least the threat of a suitable defensive weapon necessary. Colonel Tosca was present as part of the Porcuian delegation to Hong Kong during this unofficial unveiling ceremony. Beside him sat other Porcuian military officials, some directly from OKW and others from the Abwehr, in addition to local Hong Kong government and security officials. The announcement of Project Glaucus had been made a few weeks ago and the local Hong Kong government was quick to request a conference to determine its possible utilization in defending the city. Tosca had no doubt that Stockholm had pressured the city, but it was true that left alone Hong Kong would essentially be an open city should a foreign force decide to take the city for themselves. Also in the back of the Colonel's mind as the conference moved on were the numerous murders and violent acts which had occurred in the past few weeks. Hong Kong struggled with occasional crime just like any other city or nation, but the sudden and dramatic increase in violent crime should have acted as a flashing warning sign to the local authorities. At least Tosca thought so; however, it seemed that this increase was being overlooked and ignored. Dozens more local merchants and store owners had been killed, their supplies of Porcuian goods stolen and/or burned on the street. Despite the flood of thoughts rushing through his head, Tosca's attention was eventually brought back to the presentation the Porcuian representative was explaining with the help of a rather well built translator. "...And so, this weapon would be able to reliably defend the city from unwanted intruders and enemies within approximately a 400km radius from the city. The only downside to the weapon, and still an issue not completely solved by our scientists, is the incredible amount of heat generated by the firing of the Project's cannon. Trained Porcuian military personnel of the Heer will be operating the weapon until a sufficient number of Hongkongers are suitably well trained to operate and properly maintain the weapon." "And how long do you expect that to be? I mean, before it is that city officials gain responsibility for the weapon..." the Hong Kong Chief of Police asked, with the help of the translator. "It depends on several things. First, the final vote regarding Hong Kong's status as a Porcuian dependency must pass with majority approval. Second, it depends on how exactly the schedule is decided for training local replacements. A final construction site must also be decided and voted on...There are still a couple of important things to finalize before we can talk specifically about the process of transferring responsibility of the weapon to Hong Kong." A hand shot up in the crowd belonging to what appeared like a local city council member. With the questioner sitting in front of him and slightly off to the side, Tosca was able to get a decent look at his profile, noting the man too had a strong facial build. |
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| NRE | May 24 2010, 02:37 PM Post #10 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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"Lau Ka Fai" said the hand that had shot up in the crowd. Since being called on the man had risen and introduced himself, a well mannered man by outside observation. "This merger will be historic not only for your people but the people of Hong Kong. Certainly the Porcuian govrnment understands the fact that before the Dominion, such a move would have been unthinkable or considerable more difficult than it is now. Furthermore, in this time after the Dominion, Asia is leery of outside intervention and very few regions or people are ready to bow to a new overlord having only broken the shackles of the last. That said, it appears that today Hong King and Porcu may be ready for a lucrative partnership. However, I believe there are still questions that need answering." The Porcuian official gave a nod, handing the floor over the Hong Kong official. "First, What exactly with be the status of Hong Kong as a dependency?" "Officially" said the Porcuian Official, "Hong Kong will be classified as an Overseas Dependency of the Republic. Those citizens of the dependency will enjoy broad support from Stockholm with regard to education, commerce and transportation. As a dependency, Hong Kong will be protected by the Porcuian Wehrmacht and, as a dependency, Hong Kong will enjoy the benefits of Porcuian agreements with other national governments such as the Confederate States of America and Ulgania." The Hong Kong Councilmen wrote in a note pad before continuing. "What exactly will be our rights here in Hong Kong as a dependency of Porcu? Would we have legal rights to independence should we so seek it in the future?" "As a dependency, all rights enjoyed by those in Porcu are also to be enjoyed by Hongkongers. Should you and your government wish to relinquish the title of Overseas Dependencies you are more than welcome to. After all, the Republic only wishes to promote healthy and prosperous trade between herself, her other dependencies and Hong Kong." Again the Councilmen wrote what the Porcuian official had said, then continued with questions. "What sort of economic relationship does Porcu seek to have with Hong Kong?" "The Republic wishes to see Hong Kong continue to grow and prosper as a major trading and commercial hub of Asia and Oceania. Porcu seeks to facilitate this continued growth with free trade and financial support if needed. Porcu looks to improve the human condition of those citizens in her dependencies and we feel the best way to accomplish that is through an economic partnership." "Will we" asked the Councilman, "have any sort of representation in Stockholm? If so, do we choose this representative or will it be given to us by Stockholm?" "There is" said the Porcuian official, "currently no system in place whereby the citizens of the dependency have direct representation in Parliament in Stockholm. Hongkongers will continue to be able to elect local government officials and there will be the addition of the Governor-General, who currently acts as the voice of the people of the other dependencies. If something needs to be addressed to Parliament, it is currently the responsibility of the Governor-General to address Parliament or make known the wishes of those living in the dependency. Parliament in Stockholm is concerned with the business of Porcu Proper; the dependencies have their own semi-independent government which manage most of the affairs of the dependency. "What of foreign relations, will Porcu seek out relations with other Asian nations and if so, are there any of interest so far?" asked the Councilman. "That is something I am not able to answer at this time. Porcu maintains a very tolerant and open foreign policy and would be keen on establishing relations with other East Asian nations, but that is something to be decided in the future." The Councilman wrote that last response before acknowledging the Project Glaucus. "Is the rail gun our sole defense against foreign aggression or will detachments of the Porcu military also be present here? After all, foreign nations are not always welcomed in Asia by all nations." "For a short immediate period after Hong Kong is officially declared to be an Overseas dependency, there will be a small detachment of Porcuian soldiers stationed within the city, numbering less than 500." said the Porcuian official. "These soldiers will aid in the training of local Hongkonger police and defense forces, which will slowly and through several different phases take more and more responsibility for the defense of the city. Of course, should Hong Kong require a larger military presence, the local representative government need only ask. For the most part, Project Glaucus will be the city's sole protection, but I assure you that it is more than adequate." The Councilman looked pleased with the answers he had received. The Porcuian official thought he might be done with his question, but there was one last question the Councilman wanted to ask. "We've of course heard different offers on different locations" said the man. "Would it be possible to know the location that Porcu is looking most heavily at, for the construction sight of the weapon?" |
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| Porcu | Aug 4 2010, 10:59 PM Post #11 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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OOC: I realize that this is a lousy post, but unless this gets moving again - even slowly - I'll have little incentive to finish this up with you NRE. Apologies. IC: "Indeed, there are several different prospective plots that would serve as an ideal spot for the construction of the Project. It was actually part of the schedule..." the Porcuian official said, looking over as some of his colleagues who had joined him for the conference this afternoon. "Would those officials, administrators, and members of the press who were given a special pass at the beginning of the conference please gather their things and promptly proceed to the main lobby. There will be a bus which will transport the small group of us around to the various sights..." another Porcuian administrator said, filling in the left-over thought of the other Porcuian official. Colonel Tosca searched through the packet of papers he had found on his seat when he had first arrived and discovered he had been given one of the passes. Holding it tight so as not to drop it, Tosca stood and proceeded as best he could through the thick crowd toward the main lobby of the hotel where the conference and Project presentation was hosted. Tosca passed the translator for the Porcuian official only for a brief moment, but was struck by his glaring physical stature. However, since some farmers and merchants that Tosca had encountered in the city were rather strong and well defined, the Colonel brushed off the thought as another example of a previous Chinese manual worker who had transformed himself into a white collar worker of the city. Shorty after dismissal, all those who were selected to proceed with the next part of the presentation were gathered and accounted for. The translator took his position near the front where the Porcuian official had placed himself, forwarding directions to his fellow countrymen in their native tongue. ... The bus ride was one that took some time, but this was only due to the fact that the destination was at the top of one of the mountains overlooking the city, the harbour, and the surrounding territory. From the front of the bus, the Porcuian official explained the benefits of having the Project built here, with necessary assistance from the translator, and then had everyone descend to view the immediate area and take questions that no doubt would come up from members of the city council or the police. |
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| NRE | Aug 5 2010, 07:30 PM Post #12 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The Councilmen looked out the window of the bus and jotted down a few notes in his notepad. He listened as the Porcuian official went on about what sort of installation would be constructed on the site and then the bus fell temporarily silent as the floor was opened to questions. A few of the others asked questions about the environmental impact of the construction, how many of the locals would have a chance to be employed in the construction, so on and so forth. The Councilmen then raised his hand to be recognized by the Porcuian official, having finished his own personal notes. He waited patiently and then when it came his turn to speak he rose from his seat. "What will be the power requirements for this new weapons, if that can be disclosed. Furthermore, how will the weapon receive this power...from a local source or a power planet build near or around the weapon? Sure this weapon will require a good amount of power and unless I am mistaken this particular area is remote. Plus, if the amount is what I'm sure we all expect it to be, surely the local power supply isn't equip to handle the added pressure if you will." |
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| Porcu | Aug 5 2010, 09:19 PM Post #13 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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The specificity of the Councilman's question caught the Porcuian official slightly off guard, but an immediate answer was given. "Uh...Unless I am mistaken, most of that information was included in the packet you were given at the beginning of the conference..." The chiseled Councilman was taken aback by the response, dropping his head as if to look over some of his notes before raising it again. "I apologize, but I seem to have forgotten my packet on the bus and my notes are only very general..." "Ah," the Porcuian official responded, raising his hand as to not worry the Hong Kong Councilman. "There is no need to worry. Since we are here, it would be appropriate to cover these details once again. The installation will need significant power supply if it is to function effectively and efficiently 24/7. As you mentioned Councilor, the city of Hong Kong does not currently have the capacity to power the installation on its own and so various approaches are being considered. Undoubtedly, most of the installation's power supply will come from the city's own energy network through a series of proposed subterranean cables. The city of Hong Kong is currently debating measures to reinforce its current energy network, while at the same time investing heavily in alternative energy sources, most notable wind and solar, to further increase its capacity." "And what if the network were to be knocked offline?" asked the Hong Kong Chief of Police. "I assume there is a backup source of power in case the city is knocked about my an earthquake or strong storms?" "Indeed..." responded the Porcuian official. "The Wehrmacht (Armed Forces of Porcu) are currently experimenting with an extremely secure wireless energy transfer via satellite. Initial results are highly encouraging, but this system is still a few years from its final stages." "So? There is no backup?" the Chief of Police replied in confusion. "The only source of backup power that will be at the installation's disposal for the immediate future will be energy stored from solar panels and some stored from the power supplied by the city, and those would only be enough to provide a single attempt of firing the gun." The Porcuian official worked to assure the Hongkongers that such a scenario was extremely unlikely to occur, due to the relatively stable and peaceful nature of the city and its neighbors. The Porcuian official added that scheduled visits would be made by forces of the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, so even if the railgun were to go offline the city would still be well protected. Edited by Porcu, Aug 5 2010, 09:21 PM.
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| NRE | Aug 10 2010, 05:45 PM Post #14 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The Councilmen seemed content as he began scribbling something down in his notebook. The Porcuian official looked at the rest of the small crowd to see if any further questions were to be had. It appeared as if he'd satisfied the crowd for now. The scenery of the mountain top was certainly breathe taking as they could see all of the city below them. Surely many of the developers had reservations in uprooting the natural beauty of the area to put the weapon. Still, it was by far one of the most logical spots to house such a defensive armament. Spending only a few moments more to look around the site and allow the Porcuian official to walk-out the layout of the facility in vague terms for those interested, it soon grew time to leave as they had a few other locations to visit. The guests and officials slowly gathered onto the bus, with the more inquisitive Councilmen being among the last to return to the bus. Getting on slowly, there was a sound that echoed through the mountain valley, causing a automatic instinct to turn around and look. Smoke was billowing from what looked like one of the more busier districts of the downtown area. "My word" said the Councilmen, "whatever could that have been?" The Porcuian official standing just in front of him wondered the exact same..... 15 minutes earlier... The train station was terribly busy today and that was what Kim Lu was thinking as she gathered her briefcase and coat an walked over to the boarding area. She was an investment banker, one the best in Hong Kong or at least she would be when the firm finally gave her the chance. Fresh out of university she was bright, energetic, and full of determination. She came from a middle-class family of three boys and one girl, lucky Kim. She'd really mind though, as she loved her family dearly. Not yet making the "big bucks" as the Americans use to say, she wasn't quite ready to live on her own so she remain at her parents house. Boarding the train she spotted an empty seat and took it upon herself to grab it first. Wow, must be my lucky day she thought to herself as usually there was never a seat left open. Sometimes young men would offer their seats but she always felt guilty as she felt she at least owed them her number, especially the cute ones but her job hardly left her time to date. The Train quickly filled up with all manners of people from Hong Kong. Young and old, tall and short, men and women, rich and poor. Mostly a silent ride, sometimes the occasional beat could be heard (an sometimes felt) by some young student who played their ipod to loud. They'll be deaf before their thirty Kim would think to herself, only to smirk when she realized her mother use to say the same when she was exactly like that. Filled to capacity (perhaps even a bit more than was legal), the train began to pull away from the station and with in seconds it was roaring down the track. Familiar with the scenery from the outside, Kim often choose to look around the inside of the train during her trips with today being no different. Sometimes she'd notice familiar faces, by familiar it meant that they road the train often and she'd seen them on this particular train at this particular hour often. Other times, much like today, she'd notice new faces she'd never seen before and would play a sort of mental game, trying to guess what they do and who they were. Looking around she saw an old woman, at least in her eighties. Her face was one of a woman who had bore an unnaturally hard life but was not entirely the worse for wear. Her posture had gone, probably years ago, but she wear this expression on her face as if she couldn't be happier. Perhaps she was visiting a grandchild today, one she hadn't seen in sometime. That made Kim feel warm inside and she secretly wished the woman the best of travels. Sitting a few seats to the woman's left was a sharp looking man in his late thirties from what Kim believed. Dressed in what could only be an imported suit, perhaps from Venice or Porcu, her seemed rather bored by the whole trip. He held his briefcase in his lap and if Kim didn't know any better, she swore the man was going to fall asleep right then and there. Kim smirked again thinking how funny it would be if he did fall asleep, his head bobbing around as the train roared on. Content to what was to her right, Kim looked left and spotted what was undoubtedly the sorriest soul on the train. The man was probably sixty, but his face wore the age of a man well past his natural age. His cloths were tattered, his shoes had long since worn out, and he probably hadn't eaten a good honest meal in days. Probably spent his money of the day for the train ticket she thought to herself. Kim felt sorry for the poor man and could only hope that if he was as bad off as she thought him to be, that he'd at least spent the money to go see a relative that would take him in. Focused on the poor old man in rages, Kim notice him going into the inside breast pocket of his worn out jacket. Something metallic caught her eye as it glistened from the sun's light pouring into the train car from the large windows. Kim had watched too many terrible movies as she found herself worried. Oh my goodness, he's got a weapon she thought to herself. Her muscles began to tighten and she began to perspire. She was afraid that the man had a knife or worse a gun. Maybe he was made at the world and was ready to take his revenge on the better off of society. She wanted to say something, alert someone but she couldn't find her voice. Wait, wait this is silly she though I am overreacting......or am I.... The man's hand began to slowly emerge from his coat and while she was utterly terrified, she couldn't turn away. Oh no he going to do it, he going to....to....he going to.... The man began to file his nails, the large metal file was meant for metal working but he was obviously not educated enough to know the difference between it an a emery board. All at once Kim felt so silly, so ridiculous at her reaction to the poor old man. I shall stop watching those horror movies at once she thought to herself. DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM, DOWN WITH PORCU! SHE CANNOT HAVE US WITHOUT A FIGHT! The yelling caught Kim by surprised as she turned back to her right to see the smart dressed man open his brief. Kim never felt another sensation, she was too close to the bomb to suffer when it went off. The explosion completely destroyed the train car, sending hot twisted chunks of metal into the buildings around the high rise track and onto the streets below. The car before it suffered extensive damage but shielded the remain front cars from the blast. The remaining three cars behind where the bomb had exploded came crashing down as the track underneath the car had been so structurally weakened it began collapsing from the weight and stress. Had the conductor not kept going, the remaining cars of the front would have also suffered the same fate as a few feet of track in either direction also collapsed from a domino effect. When the initial smoke cleared from the street below it looked as if a bomb had been dropped on the city block. Almost all the windows from the buildings around had been shattered by the blast of the bomb and the destruction of the track. Rumble and debris was everywhere, the smell of the dead was also apparent. Rescuers first on the scene had never seen anything like it. News reporters would soon be on the scene but by the time they got there they would already be too late to cover the story. An anonymous and practically untraceable blog was quickly being linked throughout Hong Kong cyberspace. The society of lóng claimed the attack as a victory against the imperialism of Porcu. They sighted their reasons for choosing that train because it was a vital transit for the business district, a district coming more and more heavily influenced by the idea of becoming apart of Porcu. The particular stop it had made and the stop it was on route to make saw, statistically, the heaviest flow of high-ranking business people of the business district. Their deaths would certainly come as a significant blow to those bent of betraying Hong Kong to the European imperialists. The message was soaked with propaganda painting the passenger's killed, at least their targets which included several individuals which sat on some of Hong Kong's wealthiest companies and banks, as traitors to Hong Kong and only out to make a profit an not in protecting Hong Kong. The innocents killed, were causalities of war whose sacrifices would be honored when victory was achieved. No doubt Kim's family felt otherwise... Edited by NRE, Aug 10 2010, 05:46 PM.
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| Porcu | Aug 13 2010, 06:22 PM Post #15 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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OOC: Nice post NRE. IC: An intense expression dawned Tosca's face as he peered down into the city center where the explosion had taken place. Without delay, Colonel Tosca made his way next to the head Porcuian official and whispered into his ear. "I suggest that we proceed as quickly as possible back into the city. I must return to Abwehr headquarters, however, the Hongkongers must be kept under safe watch. Have the bus return back to the hotel and keep everyone secured inside until I send the police." The Porcuian official nodded quickly and stepped away from the Colonel, working to quickly get everyone back onto the bus and trying to calm them at the same time. Tosca looked back down the mountains surrounding the jewel that was Hong Kong and felt an awful feeling he had not felt since he had cruised through the dry dirt roads of South-East Afrika with the Ulganian General Mateljan in tow. Approximately 25 minutes later... "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain calm. The Hong Kong city police are currently on their way and an investigation into the events earlier this afternoon are already underway." the Porcuian official bellowed, with the Chinese interpreter following suit. The Hong Kong Councilman from earlier, however, was not interested in waiting around for the police to arrive and escort everyone out. By politely asking a hotel worker where the restrooms were located, the Councilman momentarily disappeared from the larger group and quietly made his way to another nearby exit, finding himself on an adjacent street packed with businessmen and women. Amazing, though a major incident had occurred, people still went about their business as if there was no reason to panic or worry. How ignorant they were. Across town, Abwehr headquarters... Colonel Tosca had been quickly dropped off earlier, before the bus holding the selected members of the earlier conference drove on, and now found himself peering over the shoulder of a fellow Abwehr agent and at a computer screen. "Unfortunately, we do not have video of the incident and witness accounts are still being gathered. At this point, we are still unsure as to exactly what happened." the Abwehr agent said. "How powerful were those explosives? Could this be an amateur's work?" "I take it you haven't been watching the news..." the agent responded. Colonel Tosca looked around until he spotted a television that was on in another room. There was a small crowd gathered in front of the television screen, though most workers in the headquarters seemed disinterested in the latest developments. Tosca's status as a Colonel, clearly displayed on the insignia of his military uniform, cleared his way to the front of the crowd. The scene displayed by the news, every possible angle being covered and shown from numerous cameras, was gruesome and Tosca now understood how stupid his earlier question had been: there could be no doubt that such an explosion was caused by military-grade explosives - no doubt indeed. Not wishing to have more scenes of the incident ingrain in his memory for now, Tosca carefully squeezed through the crowd and exited back out into the hall, finally ending up back near the agent he had been talking to before. "Hey, what's your name?" Tosca asked. "Lau, sir." "Alright, Lau. I want you to procure a small office for me while I gather a couple more people. I want that room ready in no more than ten minutes." "Understood sir." ... "Gentlemen, I've selected you to join me in forming the lead Abwehr team for this investigation. My name is Tosca Alberto. Any questions?" A fat hand shot up. "Sir, I've heard nothing about the Abwehr working on this investigation." "That is because no official position has yet been taken and Stockholm has not given orders." "Then what's with this meeting?" a short, fiery agent barked back. "I'm taking the initiative in forming a team and beginning investigative efforts into this incident. No, I do not have official approval, but I do not expect that to be too difficult. As of now, this is simply a local police investigation of a man gone nuts, but I suspect that only more filth will turn up as the police keep digging." "So, what are we to do?" Lau asked. "Just keep an eye and ear on things. Record the news feed and begin collecting whatever information you can. In the meantime, I'll be working to get final approval and establish ourselves as the Abwehr's team." |
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| NRE | Aug 17 2010, 10:58 PM Post #16 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The basement of the teahouse that state above it was awfully hot for this particular time of the year. It was muggy, dusty, and smelly but that really didn't bother either of the two men nor their apparently friend, the tea house owner's son. He'd met the two men plus their third companion some weeks ago at a bar, the conversation was lite at first but over the course of a relatively short time it got deep...and political. Stephen Chu was the tea house owner's son and he hated the name for everything it was worth. "Its more civilized, more European and that's the way of the future" his father would tell him. It seemed to matter not that he was ridiculed at school constantly as a child for what the other kids believed was a silly name. Zhao, along with his friends Cheng and Tong seemed to sympathize with Stephen at the bar and then quickly made him realize that if Hong Kong became a protectorate of Porcu, more children would suffer his fate as it would become more and more pressing to make Hong Kong children bare European names. This was want awoke the patriot in Stephen and much to the others surprise, his passion wasn't the only one that existed in Hong Kong nor did it come to be that hard to change others sitting on the fence. Zhao had been with Stephen in the basement for much of the day, printing pamphlets to spread through night clubs. Both Cheng and Tong had left the basement early that morning as they'd did several days before. Stephen never really understood where but at the same time he never really cared enough to ask either. He was comfortable with them men and hardly ever asked questions. Didn't even asked what was in the shoe boxes he helped Zhao deliver to that guy they'd met a few nights earlier that lived just a few blocks down. Man was his apartment nice, very well off guy to say the least or at least Stephen thought so. While printing off one of the lasts of the pamphlets, Cheng came in using the back door. Stephen noticed he was wearing finer cloths than he usually wore as well as a badge he only caught a glimpse of. Councilmen... Stephen thought that was odd but again, didn't care enough to wonder over it further. Cheng said little when he first came in but after changing his clothes, he pulled Zhao aside to speak with him in private. Stephen could over hear some of the conversation. Apparently Tong had decided to remain at his post a little while longer, see if more could be down within the enemy camp. Zhao thought it was a dangerous decision but Cheng apparently was assuring him that Tong would play it safe. The two returned and Zhao looked at his watch, it was getting late. "Lets grab these and start putting them on a few walls and lamp posts in the market, don't waste too many of course as I want to have a good lot for the clubs tonight." Stephen and Cheng simply gave a nod and together the three men grab the pamphlets and left the basement from the back door.... .................................. Tong was getting itchy for some real action, as he followed the Porcuian official around, interpreting for the man to all the dumb struck people on the streets. He didn't particularly like Zhao's plan as it involved a lot of calculated moves but Zhao was his superior and he was ordered the follow what the man said. At the same time however, as this was certainly an unusual assignment, the men had been given some 'wiggle room' to do as they pleased so long as the results were within their mission objectives. Certainly Tong did not wish to do anything that would jeopardize what the men had already done nor what they were intending on doing but at the same time his current post did provide an unique opportunity. The Porcuain official relied on Tong's ability to interpret for him heavily, at least as far as Tong could tell as he showed no signs on knowing any real parts of the language. This gave Tong an idea, a very brilliant idea as far as he was concerned. Though the train bombing had certainly not slowed the people of Hong Kong down, for those living in the affected district it was certainly something that had now put them on edge. Tong believed he could convince the official to make a public appearance at the crash site, to speak with the people directly and assure them that Porcu would be with them during this crisis. Now undoubtedly the Porcu official would make some long-winded speech about mutual cooperation and so forth but Tong really wouldn't be listening. Instead, he'd relay his own message on the officials behalf. Once in which it would make the official appear to be blaming the event on the people of Hong Kong for not bowing to the Porcu. That his nation would be taking direct military action for their disobedience and crack down hard until they obeyed. Surely this would anger the ground and Tong was betting it would insight a riot, one directly solely at the official. Certianly a dead Porcu official would be worth its weight in gold for propaganda and fear posted toward Porcu an their hopes for Hong Kong. So pleased with his idea, he wasted no time in finding the official and working to talk him into the appearance. He only hoped his power of persuasion was strong enough to fool the official into the trap... |
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| Porcu | Aug 19 2010, 10:34 PM Post #17 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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"A most excellent idea!" the Porcuian official said in response to the translator's suggestion for an impromptu speech. There was some effort needed in persuading the local police that were currently on the scene of the terrorist attack, but when it came down to demanding to have the opportunity to speak and try and reach the Hongkongers gathered the Porcuian official, and Tong more precisely, got what he wanted. The scene was a total mess. Strewn metal, body parts, and glass littered the immediate surrounding area and apart from the cries of the surviving victims one could only make out occasional orders by the police barked in Cantonese. Paramedics were on the scene and were doing their best in attending to the injured, though it seemed like many would not make it. It was here that the Porcuian official, flanked by several police officers and his trusty translator, spoke out to the mass of Hongkongers who had gathered around the site, many of them simple onlookers with expressions of pure disbelief. "Oi!" the Porcuian official began, megaphone in hand. "Let me be the first to say that the perpetrators of this horrific attack will be swiftly caught and brought to justice!" "People of Hong Kong! Behold the fruits of your laziness and disobedience!" Tong, the translator, added with a megaphone of his own. "I cannot say that I understand what you are going through, but rest assured that your fellow countrymen and the Republic of Porcu will stand by you and support you through this difficult time!" "I can assure you that this is only the beginning and that the Republic of Porcu will not sit idly by as our investments here are summarily destroyed!" "Now is the time where a strong, unified front is necessary in order to show those terrorists watching us that they cannot shake our morale, they cannot shake our determination to oppose them, they cannot shake our commitment to freedom and liberty!" "You have only yourselves to blame and can look forward to a continuation of such violent acts until order is restored! Freedom and liberty are illusions you may indulge in only when the iron fist of order is established and you have proven today that you are not deserving of those illusions!" A fist-sized rock floats out from the air and hits the Porcuian official squarely in the head, sending him to the ground in shock. Tong moves to assist the official, who reaches out to his translator with an expression of disbelief. A mighty gash opened itself up from the thrown rock and the Porcuian official wipes the blood trailing down his cheek and nose while trying to address the locals gathered. The last thing the Porcuian official will hear and see are the roars of the crowd and their angry faces when another well-aimed piece of debris knocks the official back down to the ground for good. In the chaos, and while the police work to contain and hold back the crowd of infuriated citizens, Tong quietly disappears from the scene, a great smile painted across his face. === "Lau, what do you have?" "Nothing sir. There hasn't been any new developments from the police; crews are still attending to the injured." "Holy shit..." a voice says aloud from across the office space of the Abwehr HQ, grabbing the attention of Colonel Tosca. Another crowd gathered in front of the television that broadcasts the local news, but it appears that there were new developments from the changed expression of those watching. Tosca made his way over and again is disgusted by what he sees. The images on the news show an official of some kind seemingly addressing the massive crowd gathered around the site of the attack. Tosca's limited understanding of the Chinese characters allow him to pick out pieces such as "speech", "offensive", and "death". It is only once the news depicts the graphic end of the speaking official that Tosca understands the full meaning of the recent development. Horrified, yet mystified, Tosca cannot understand why the crowd felt compelled to end the official's life in such a brutal manner. His confusion is compounded by the careful observation of another Abwehr worker also watching the news. "That guy was Porcuian..." Tosca retreats back to where Lau is busy at work, typing away at his computer and reviewing all kinds of information. "Did you see what's on the news?" Tosca asks. "No." Lau responds, his curiosity driving him from his seat and to the other end of the office where the television was located. While Lau is gone, Tosca decides to round up the other Abwehr workers he gathered from before. First up was Glösse, the pudgy and aggressive man from before, a worker who was evaluated highly on his work in the field. It appeared, however, that his current stretch in the offices of HQ was due to his drinking. Second was Lavaninus, a tall, well-built individual who had gained the respect of his fellow agents with his determination, though he too was spending time as an office worker due to behavioral difficulties. Third was Runis, an average looking fellow who had scored incredibly high on field tests and aptitude tests but was rather content with an office life. Located on various floors in the Abwehr HQ building, Tosca initially had a difficult time dragging these men from their posts, mainly because their superior officers did not want them to leave. However, a simple piece of paper clarified the misunderstanding on the part of these officers and soon Tosca returned to the floor Lau was on with three others in tow. Upon arriving, Tosca looks around for Lau but cannot find him, only to have the native Hongkonger drag him back to his desk a few moments later. "Look at this..." Lau said, sitting back down at his desk and bringing up a video showing the Porcuian official, his speech, and his death. "I managed to get a copy of the video with full audio and found this out...Listen..." Lau played the video and Tosca and the others gathered around to listen to the alternating segments of Latin and Cantonese, but none of the Porcuians have much experience with the native language of the city and therefore the exercise is wasted effort. "What?" Tosca asked Lau. "They aren't saying the same thing." Lau replied. Tosca takes a moment to absorb the information before guiding everyone into an empty office. Tosca leaves momentarily, shutting the others inside. Glösse turns to Lavaninus and asks about how Tosca was able to drag them from their posts. "I have no idea. It did seem he was carrying a document around, but I dunno what it says." Lavaninus responded. "I bet he bribed one of the higher-ups into signing some form..." Lau and the others talked lightly for a couple more minutes until Colonel Tosca returned and begins to hand out orders again. "Woah, woah, woah..." Glösse said, his fat hands waving back and forth in front of him. "Listen, Colonel, I've got some work to get done before happy hour starts and I'd rather not waste time doing a minor job with you guys..." "Perfectly understandable, but I am your commanding officer now. You have been reassigned under my command and are now a member of my team." "What's going on sir?" Runis asked. "As I mentioned before, I worked to establish an official Abwehr team to look into this matter and investigate and I recently finalized most details." "So who'd you bribe?" Glösse barked back. "Oh, I didn't have to bribe anyone..." Tosca replied, drawing from his uniform a folded sheet of paper, the same sheet Tosca had had the COs of Glösse, Runis, and Lavaninus read. "Wow!" Lau said reading over the document. It was a fax sent directly from Abwehr Headquarters in Stockholm and seemed to be signed by none other than the Chief of the Abwehr himself, Admiral Koenraad. "I've already secured a separate, private space for us on the 22nd floor where we can work independently and in peace. I want you guys to quickly gather your things and meet over there in...no more than half an hour." Tosca said. "No, thank you." Glösse replied, stepping away from the others and heading towards the door. "That's a shame. I guess that Moutai I ordered will just have to be sent back." Glösse's eyes widen at this and he turned around slowly. "Moutai you say?" "Well, yes...But I'm not a big fan of the stuff." "22nd floor, right?" Glösse asked. With a nod from Colonel Tosca the chubby Abwehr agent darted out of the room and disappeared from sight. Lavaninus and Runis asked about the 'Moutai' Tosca spoke of before, getting a detailed answer from Lau about the popular Chinese liquor. Soon, the others leave the empty office Tosca had borrowed and give their word that they will meet up a little later. Lastly, Tosca turned to Lau and ordered him to write up a list of equipment he will need. "I'll see that we get everything together by the end of the day tomorrow. I'd like to get started as soon as possible." "Should I get started on that video I showed you before?" "Excellent. Do what you can and see if you can have something for us in half and hour." "Very well sir." |
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| NRE | Aug 21 2010, 09:53 PM Post #18 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Tang's disruption made the local news on almost every channel. Zhao caught a glimpse of the action while passing a electronic store that happened to have several TVs in the window. Son of a bitch he said to himself as the group passed by. The club scene in Hong Kong was about like any other place in Asia or the world for that matter. Kids not old enough passed through the doors with fake identification cards or with a few extra notes in the hands of the door man. Drugs, alcohol, loud music, and people who be regretting what they woke up to the next morning were the generic elements that each club had. Like three relatively young guys just out to have a good time, the group passed from club to club getting to know all kinds and slipping them a flyer. They'd been at it since 9pm or so and it was well passed midnight before Tang finally caught up with them. Stephen and Cheng gave Tong a warm welcome as he met up with the guys at the bar. Zhao on the other hand, did not seemed as pleased. "We need to talk" he said in Tong's ear just loud enough for him to hear over the music. The two excused themselves and walked off from the bar. They entered the men's room and Zhao began inspecting the stalls. "You like what I did with the official didn't yo..." Tong never got the last part out, as Zhao moved quickly to punch him straight in the gut. The room was empty, so no one heard Tong as his body felt to the floor with a hard thud. "I should kill you here" said Zhao in disgust. "Our orders are simply child and I shall repeat them only once more. I told you we are to only set actions in motion. silent hands in our war against the foreign scum. Your actions today were direct, you may have compromised our entire plans." "No Zhoa..." said Tong through the pain, his voice strained. "No one suspected anything, these foreigners don't understand the language. Honest, they won't catch on....." "For your life, I hope you are right" said Zhao. "I will not die by the hands of this scum, I can assure you of this. If any of us are to die in this mission, I will make sure it is you and ensure it is forever remembered as a dishonorable death." Tong slowly began to rise from the floor as Zhao moved over to the sink and began washing his hands. Afterward, the two men exited the bathroom and moved through the crowd back to the bar where the other two were waiting. Tong continued to hold his stomach as they made it back to Cheng and Stephen. "Want a drink?" Stephen asked Tong, who declined. "We should be moving on to the next club anyhow" said Zhoa. Cheng finished his drink and the four men left the club, walking down the street towards their next club. "We're going to hit two more clubs and then get back home" said Zhao. "We've got a big day tomorrow and I don't want to spend too much time out tonight." |
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| Porcu | Aug 25 2010, 04:10 PM Post #19 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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"Alright Lau, what do you have?" "Well, sir, I haven't been able to completely translate both statements from the Porcuian official and his translator but from what I have managed to get done, there is no way that the statements are similar." "So, it appears we have a translator who purposefully distorted what was said by the Porcuian in order to excite the crowd that had gathered around the site. Any leads on his identification?" "None." "Alright gentlemen..." Colonel Tosca says, looking away from the seated Lau to the rest of the team gathered around. "We don't have anything to go on except this small, but good lead. As Lau continues to work to identify this guy, I want Glösse and Lavaninus to visit the attack site and gather as much information as you can from the police officers and medical workers that were present. Runis, I want you to think of possible districts that could act as good hiding places and start scavenging for info too." "Do we even have that kind of jurisdiction?" Runis asked. "I'm working on finalizing that..." Tosca replied. "Idly, we should have complete jurisdiction throughout the entire city by the end of the day. City police will be required to assist you in any way possible, but for now I suggest that you grab a gun and get moving. I think what we're seeing now is just the beginning." Glösse, Lavaninus, and Runis head out, leaving Tosca and Lau behind. As Tosca gathered a stack of papers in his arms, he told Lau to gather whatever remaining tech equipment he needed and then to start working to identify the stray translator. Coordination with the local police would prove difficult, especially considering how local Hongkonger pride was at stake with the Porcuian Abwehr breathing down everyone's neck, but full disclosure of information could prove decisive in catching up to the perpetrators of the recent series of riots, protests, and terror attacks. ... "There doesn't seem to be much here." Lavaninus said to his portly comrade. "Nah..." The two Abwehr agents had been greeted with caution and skepticism by local safety forces on the scene of the original terrorist attack and now the scene of the additional stoning of the head Porcuian official. A native of Corlo, Porcu, it was tragic that through his beliefs of an extensive cooperation between Stockholm and Hong Kong he managed to get caught up in circumstances that would take his life. Medical workers had simply covered the bloodied body while police kept curious bystanders at bay. Work continued to be prioritized to the monorail train attack. Lavaninus and Glösse had tried to gather some meaningful information from people at the scene, but few were of any help. Furthermore, neither was able to dig up any information regarding the possible identity of the translator, though it was clear now that he was ethnically Chinese, if not a naturalized Hongkonger. This complicated the situation, for it seemed to indicate that recent events targeted against spreading Porcuian influence could very well be the work of true citizens of Hong Kong, rather than some foreign, manipulative force as initially suspected. Lavaninus pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tosca. "Yeah, Lavaninus here...Glösse and I haven't been able to find anything of real interest. This translator is definitely of Chinese origin though, but whether he's from the mainland or a Hongkonger is unknown." "I see." "Should we head back?" "Yes, there's nothing more we can really do today. Lau has just finished putting together all his computer equipment and is working to ID the translator, while Runis is looking over several maps and districts. I think I'll have you two join him tomorrow on a survey. Hopefully, Lau will find something or the police will have pieced together some additional information." "Roger that." |
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| NRE | Aug 27 2010, 02:33 PM Post #20 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Zhao stood before an audience of his two other friends, Stephen and a few new faces that had joined. Most of them were young men in their 20's, a few were older but by no more than say 10 years. All together there were about 8 or 10 people crammed into the small basement. They constituted the society of lóng, or at least most of their leaders of the organization. Zhao figured that all together, with the recent attacks he'd orchestrated, they had about 30 solid people on their side with dozens more that were fence sitters. Push the stakes one in his favor, and they'd fall off the fence on his side. Behind him taped to the wall was a sketch of the Bank of East Asia. It was the third largest bank in Hong Kong and of particular interest to the group was the fact that it was dealing with a majority of the funds being pumped into the region by Porcu. "You see gentlemen, Porcu is trying to buy your beloved city off of you through the wealthy elite." said Zhao. "These fat, pompous, and arrogant lot think they can simply hand over this country on a silver platter if millions are funneled into their pockets. I say we change that, I say we rob these fat cats and give this dirty money away to the starving, the poor, and those best deserving. We'll show Porcu they can't buy this city through the wealthy!" Everyone agreed, though they kept their voices to a minimal. Zhao then went through the task of outlining his basic plan for robbing this rather large and important bank. It was a sound plan as far as everyone in attendance was concerned although truth be told, none of the natives had ever robbed a bank before. When the meeting was over, the men and women were sent on their way to start preparing for the whole plan to go down. What Zhao didn't tell his very willing participants was that not only would they be stilling from the wealthy Hong Kong elite who he'd personally painted through propaganda as selling Hong Kong out to Porcu, but he'd also be using the operation to get access to bank computers where he planned on creating a new transfer program into the system. The basic function of the program would be to steal small outs of money from every account in the bank, accept those held by Porcu. This money would then be funneled into a overseas account that would bare Porcu official names. So basically, when it came out in time, he would look as if the Porcu government was robbing the very people they supposedly came to help. Now to just get everything ready for the big day... Edited by NRE, Aug 27 2010, 02:34 PM.
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| Porcu | Aug 30 2010, 12:43 PM Post #21 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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The next morning, as the sun's rays broke through the small slits in the screens covering the large windows of the office space, the Abwher's investigation team met to go over their plans for the day. Unfortunately, Lau had not been able to find a match for the translator and for the time being he was safe as a neutral face in a sea of millions in the Greater Hong Kong area. Local police records did not provide any leads, yet Lau continued to type away at his series of computers in the hope of uncovering something useful. The office that Tosca had procured for his team encompassed an entire floor, the 22nd, of the Abwehr headquarters, centrally located in downtown Hong Kong. For now, it was still a rather empty looking space with a portion completely overwhelmed with numerous computers and tech equipment. A large table opposite Lau's work area housed various police and government documents, though these, like the digital records scanned by Lau, were of no help to Colonel Tosca and his men. The city government of Hong Kong had remained quiet for much of the time following the attack on the monorail train in the hope that the police would be able to provide some concrete information, but with no information readily available the city council had released simple, generic press statements, referring to the perpetrators as "villains" and their attack as "cowardly." Stockholm had also remained quiet; however, with Admiral Koenraad insisting for a strong response the Porcuian government eventually released its own statements, calling on Hongkongers to "defy the perpetrators of this attack and stand strong beside their countrymen who wished to live in a free and civil society." The internet was abuzz with conspiracy theories of one kind or another and while most respectable newspapers gave no light to these sort of ideas, some saw an opportunity for a quick, short-term profit. "Are we to go scouting again, boss?" Grösse asked Tosca. "Yes, I think you three [referring to Grösse, Lavaninus, and Runis] should head out and see what you can dig up. We still have nothing concrete to go on, so a thorough search is necessary. Lau, anything yet?" The native Hongkonger peeled his gaze away from the computer. "No. The police still haven't come up with anything solid. There aren't any suspects and the initial motive of discontent with increased Porcuian influence is a shaky one since this process of integration with Porcu has been going on for years. This sudden upswing in dissent is disturbing but inconsistent with the general trend of approval." "Is this all just a rouse?" Lavaninus replied. "I'm not sure." Lau responded. "Very well then." Tosca said. "Grösse, Lavaninus, and Runis, you scan the outer districts and follow any possible leads. Question everyone. The police are officially our backup, but because of the heat these incidents have created I would think that we'll be on our own for the most part." The three Abwehr agents nodded, replied with varied tones of voice, and left the office. Tosca planned on doing a little digging of his own that day and did not want to waste any time. Lau, as always, sat in default command in the office, running over countless pages of information online. |
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| NRE | Sep 2 2010, 07:44 PM Post #22 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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The general crowd were all within the lobby of the Bank of East Asia. There was first and foremost the older gentlemen who had, in his early lifetime, made very sound financial decisions. Saving everything he made and doing little to squander his earnings, he now sat very comfortable in his twilight years. Even the Dominion had failed to put a dent in his savings but as a man who'd always been a cautious mind, he came every week to make sure his money was still where it was suppose to be in the amount it was suppose to be. Then there was the mother of two who also came this day every week to cash in her husband's weekly check. He was a brick mason and made a honest, decent living at his. Certainly not the wealthiest individual in his neighborhood, he and his family were comfortable. His wife faithfully took his check to the bank first thing as soon as the bank opened and just before she had to get her children to school an herself to the small seamstress shop she worked at with her grandmother. The rest of the individuals who were in the bank were a small hodgepodge of everyone who hand an account with the large bank. Apart of the big three in HongKong banking, the Bank of East Asia was one of the major holders of Porcuian money that had been slowly flooding into the area over the years the two had been in conversation. Better schools, hospitals, and other essential institutions had all be possible because of the money the bank held. It was also one of the main banks used by the wealthiest of Hong Kong. Low crime in the particular district where the bank was localed allowed only a small group of many 2 or 3 security guards max for the entire massive building. This may be seen unusual for a corporate headquarter, but the district was quiet and the CEO of the bank saw little need for in real muscle in the building. This was especially so, since the vault itself was one of the most sophisticated vaults in the entire world and the entire building was guarded over by an elaborate security system. Zhao sat in the lobby of the third floor of the adjacent building to the bank. Though usually a man that liked to stay "hands on" when it came to operations, he decided to sit this one out and let Cheng and Tong handle business. Stephen was also kept out of the operation as he was still green as far as Zhao was concerned, besides he'd need a driver if this went sour and Zhao wanted to leave his perch quickly. Cheng and Tong entered the bank with three other men who'd been recruited by Zhoa's growing network of cells throughout the city. Entering the building one at a time so as not to raise suspicion, Cheng was the first to enter, Tong the last. Cheng would be the computer man on this mission, Tong would mostly be crowd control, the other three there purely for muscle and carrying capacity. Once the security guard standing in the corner was established to be the only one and the four security cameras were found, the men went to work. Pulling their automatics from their coats, Cheng shot and killed the security guard, the others utterly destroyed the security cameras. The instant shots were fired, which at the moment the guns came out everything seemed to go into slow motion, everyone in the room fell to the floor. Opening the briefcase he'd brought in, Cheng made an announcement. "This is a robbery" he said, yelling to everyone that could hear him. "In this case I have a bomb and so long as everyone cooperates I'm willing to to cut it off." 1:00 An hour was on the clock of the bomb for those who could immediately see it. Placing a man at the door, another at the stairway, Cheng and Tong went to work behind the counter with the bank employees. "We'll be tanking 5 million thank you very much" said Tong to one of the male employees he pulled off the floor. The man reluctantly began to walk Tong down to the vault. Cheng left the third extra guy in charge while Tong was down in the vault and he was going upstairs. "I want to make sure the security system is completely shut off" Cheng told the guy as he entered the stairway. This was of course a lie, as he instead was heading towards the building's computer core where he'd be backing a few account changes. The men, like the bomb, where now on the clock... |
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| Porcu | Sep 2 2010, 08:50 PM Post #23 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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"Damn it..." "There's nothing here." "Yeah, I guess you guys are right." Lavaninus replied sticking his hands back into his trouser pockets, his jackets held back revealing his standard issue pistol. The three Abwehr agents had searched large bits of five districts that harbored the majority of Hong Kong's poor and underclass. The few acquaintances the men had were of no use, mostly because these acquaintances knew what could possibly befall them if they were spotted talking to Porcuian officials, yet the Abwehr agents pressed on in the early morning hours. The cool sea air that occasionally blew through the narrow streets and alleys of the districts battled with the warm rays of the rising sun, whose dominion continued to spread as the minutes passed by. Glösse, Runis, and Lavaninus had asked a number of individuals, some politely, some not-so-politely, for any information they had. No leads had come up and frustration had slowly begun to sink in. The three agents had been at work for several hours when they had finally decided to take a short break, resting outside a café while drinking coffee. They knew nothing of what fellow agent Lau was up to or what their boss Colonel Tosca was up to, though they assured themselves easily enough that they too were hard at work. Interestingly enough, the city's daily rhythm had not altered since the chaotic events of the past few weeks and that was more a tribute to the citizens themselves, rather than efforts by their own elected officials or Porcuian officials in visit. "I never thought coffee could taste so bad..." Glösse said with a disgusted look. "You do know where we are right? This isn't exactly the business district..." Runis said, taking a sip of his own coffee with no emotional expression. Suddenly, Lavaninus' cellphone rings and a moment later finds itself pressed against the agent's ear. "Yes?" "Tosca here. We've got a situation." ... Colonel Tosca stood outside the main entrance of the Bank of East Asia, a host of local Hong Kong police surrounding him and the building itself. He gazed up at the shiny glass facade of the structure, one that rose well into the sky, and wondered what was going on inside. As the police worked to establish a solid perimeter and evacuate nearby buildings, Tosca waited for Glösse, Runis, and Lavaninus to join him while Lau did everything he could from their makeshift headquarters with the Abwehr offices. Earlier, Lau had finally been able to break through the metaphorical wall, finding a series of documents through the Office of Immigration regarding the lost translator from before. Several cross-references later and Lau was certain that he had found the individual responsible for the brutal, public death of the Porcuian official. Though Tosca had pressed for more details, including information on associates, Lau was not comfortable providing any more since he himself was not certain of anything beyond the positive identification of the lost translator. Soon enough, a small car rolled up next to the Colonel and Glösse, Runis, and Lavaninus stepped out. Glösse inquired about the Colonel's clothing, which consisted of standard issue SWAT gear, and was met by a swift reply. Apparently Tosca had already set his mind on storming the Bank and re-establishing order long before he had arrived at the scene. Informing his men where their gear was, Tosca ordered them to change and to remain on standby. The police were currently trying to figure out the situation as best they could and were in the process of trying to communicate with the robbers, with the intention of counting the robbers and the hostages and formulating a plan of action from there. Colonel Tosca was convinced that this was no ordinary robbery and was tied in some way to the other violent, anti-Porcu events of the past few weeks, though he had nothing on which to base this claim. Lau was doing the best he could back in the Abwehr HQ, but because the robbers had begun to systematically destroy the video cameras inside the Bank there was little he could do at the moment. Ironically enough, at the moment it seemed that the local media and television crews were providing better intelligence than the police with their own cameras and helicopters. Lavaninus, all changed into his protective gear, walked over to Tosca. "So, what's the plan, sir?" "Well, the plan is to safely recover any hostages that are inside and to take into custody, or to kill at worst, the robbers. Now how are we going to go about that?" Tosca said looking at Lavaninus. "I have no idea." |
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| NRE | Sep 6 2010, 02:20 PM Post #24 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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About ten minutes after having left, Tong returned with several duffel bags crammed with cash...but no bank worker. Apparently he'd grown tired of the man he'd taken with him to the vault and after having opened the rather sophisticated room, Tong killed him in cold blood. A few minutes alter, Cheng returned from his upstairs adventure. He'd successfully hacked the banks computer system and already began the siffling program that would soon paint Porcu in a very ugly light...when it just happened to be exposed to the media. With all the members of the robbery now together, Cheng received a text message on his phone. It was Zhao who had been ordered to evacuate with Stephen from the building across the street. Not that Cheng nor Tong needed a text message to see they were not surrounded. Luckily for Tong and Cheng, they weren't standing in direct vision to the glass doors of the bank so seeing them from the front door was not easy, unless you had your face straight against the glass looking in. The two men began to whisper between each other. "Looks like simply walking out isn't apart of the plan anymore" said Tong "No it doesn't" said Cheng, "Zhao said we have to go to plan B" The two men knew exactly what that meant an walked over to the guy who Cheng had left in charge of the men when he'd left. "Have they tried to contact us?" he asked Cheng "The phone has rang several times since you both were gone" he said. "No one dare pick it up though." Just then the phone began ringing again. Cheng order the man to pick it up and see who it was. He did so and through the conversation Cheng and Tong realized it was a Hong Kong officer outside the building...though they really expected no one else. Cheng began counting the people they had hostage on the ground floor of the bank...it was about 25 people. "Tell them we have 27 hostages we're willing to set free" Without question the man did as Cheng said and told the officer the number of hostages. Tong instructed him to tell the offer that they would let the hostages go and would be willing to negotiate afterward. The officer seemed pleased by but although he told them to stay on the line, Tong took the phone and hung up. "He'll be calling back soon so listen up." said Tong, among the men of his crew. "There is a service entrance within the basement levels near the vault. I was able to get the codes from my friend before I had to kill him. Gather everyone up and be prepared to let them all go and after that's done come down to the Vault area. Me and Cheng will be waiting at the exit and we'll make our escape together but we must all be quick before they realize our escape plan." The other three men gave a nod of agreement and began rounding up the people. Cheng and Tong disappeared almost immediately along with the briefcase they'd brought with the bomb. The three men ordered everyone up and in an unorganized manner had everyone gather near the door. Just as Tong predicted the phone was ringing again and the same guy picked it up and said they were ready to let the hostages go. Everyone from the young mother with her children, the bank employees, the old man, and two men in baseball caps had all be gathered as the men began funneling them out the door. It was somewhat chaotic as the people began running for their lives towards the police barricades to get away from the bank. It was kind of hard to keep track of everyone as they were moving and the men inside the bank did not even wait to see the last few people out the door. Quickly the rushed to the back of the bank and began hustling down the stairs.... |
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| Porcu | Sep 7 2010, 07:44 PM Post #25 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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"What are we to do, sir?" Lavaninus looked at his commander, a fire in his eyes. It was obvious that Tosca's men wanted to get to work and not waste anymore time standing around like ducks. As the small crowd of people, composed of the bank hostages and the two spies from the Eastern Empire, were shuffled and directed towards the police barricades that surrounded the Bank of East Asia, Tosca grabbed his gun and led his men towards the Bank's entrance. Giving word to the police commander in charge, Tosca motioned for several officers to follow his own men into the Bank. Before double-checking that everything really was fine and that all the hostages had safely made it outside, Tosca, his men, and the police moved closer to the Bank. Another couple of moments went by before Tosca gave the order to charge in. Moving quickly, the Hong Kong city police took the lead as they crashed into the main lobby, sweeping over the area in order to find any left over hostages or robbers. Tosca and his men followed, providing support to the city police, and kept their eyes sharp. Suddenly, a blast radiated throughout the Bank's main lobby, destroying men, metal, and glass alike. Members of the Hong Kong city police were the hardest hit by the explosion that originated from the briefcase that one of the Eastern Empire spies had left behind. The detonation even caught Tosca and his men off guard, their eyes and ears focused on remaining robbers and hostages, not necessarily on briefcases with enough explosive power to blast out entire building levels. Besides, how is a briefcase in a bank an unusual thing? Tosca arose after being blown to the ground, his head spinning slightly but unscathed other than that. He looked around and spotted Glösse first, a nasty wound spilling blood onto the marble floor. Tosca ran to him and checked to wound, immensely grateful that it was not one that posed a serious risk to Glösse's life, and looked around for the others. Lavaninus had also gotten back to his feet and was currently checking on Runis. Lavaninus pulled Runis to his feet and batted his SWAT jacket to remove some of the dust and debris that covered it. Both quickly moved to Tosca's side and reassured Glösse that he was fine. "Glösse's fine, but we need to get some medics here right away for these officers." Tosca said. As Tosca dragged Glösse to a pillar so that he could sit up against it, Lavaninus and Runis ran across the main lobby and began to assist the injured police officers as best they could. Amid the yells from the police officers outside the bank, curious to know what was going on inside and how everyone was, Tosca's phone began to ring. Picking it up, Tosca was pleased to hear Lau's voice. "Sir! How's everyone? Are you alright?" "We're fine, Lau. A little shaken, but certainly well compared to some of these officers." "That's great because I just saw our man walking out of the bank." "What?!" Tosca replied in disbelief. "I managed to spot him in the crowd of hostages that was leaving the Bank right before you and the police stormed the lobby." Tosca hung up the phone and informed Glösse of his plan. Disappointed and frustrated with his condition, Glösse pushed Tosca on and told him to catch the bastard behind all this. Tosca yelled at Lavaninus and Runis, got their attention, and then ordered them to follow him out of the Bank. Leaving the Bank as a storm of firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel were running into the Bank, Tosca scanned the area but to no avail. The hostages were being held and attended to by officials outside the Bank, but the terrorist translator/robber was nowhere to be found. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Tosca spots a regular-looking sedan moving around the outside of the perimeter the police set up. A quick gaze gave him a clear look at the driver and passenger of the car, there being no possible mistake as to the latter's identification. Tosca let out a bellow, ordering Lavaninus and Runis to their own car, while at the same time running towards the car holding their suspect. The crowd that had gathered around the Bank made movement by foot or by vehicle difficult and Tosca was able to get relatively close to the car before it sped away, taking a sharp turn and disappeared onto another street. Tosca's antics had cleared a path in the crowd and a moment later he was able to get into the back of the car Lavaninus and Runis were in. "Turn left in one block...I have a feeling those two guys weren't alone in that Bank." Tosca said, returning his pistol to its holster. "Roger that!" Lavaninus said as he stepped on the gas. "Do you think they're going to double-back around behind the Bank? There are a couple of possible exits where any other robber could get out and meet up with those guys in the car." "My concern at the moment is not loosing track of that bastard of a translator." Tosca said as Lavaninus steered the car beautifully around the turn and onwards, the Abwehr agents hot on the trail of the Eastern Empire spies. |
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11:48 AM Jul 13