2574/I Didn't Break It. It Broke!

I Didn't Break It. It Broke!
Date of Scene:	24 September 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Phage, Crusader

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Phage has posed:
It's a truth of any operative's life. No matter what you've done, what you're doing or what you're trying to do... For someone who's supposed to be alone you sure need a lot of people to do it. Finance, logistics, contacts, hardware, software, lgends, tactical support, expenses... the list never ends. One of the worst things is you never have a full roster of people you can turn to. The world keeps turning though...

As Carl Mach rounds a corner and sighs in relief that there's somewhere still open, a parcel tucked under his right arm, he hopes this is somewhere that can help. Technical difficulties. Mach's electronics guy? Lottery win. Some things you'd never see coming. "Hello there?"

Mach says manouvering his way into the store, being more careful not to bump his broken something off of anything inside to get a view of anyone inside, "Look, I know the hour's lousy but I'm in a real jam here so, if anyone's about and able to get this thing going... You'll be my new best friend." Mach finishes speaking as he finally gets orientated.

Crusader has posed:
In response to Carl out comes an adorable little Corgi, without a collar! As it stands the electronic store itself is a mess. Piles of electronic parts both retro and modern wre piled up with seemingly no ryme or reason to how it is supposed to be organized. The corgi wags his bushy tail and barks several times as if to annouce Machs arrival before sitting down seeming happy as a clam

As if in response to the barking a deep beastial voice sounds off from the back "Be vere in wan moment! Hauf no fear!" the voice seems to come from the back room which has notable and very obviouse 'stay out' signs.

A few moment latter and a rather large man at seven feet comes out - bigger than most bodybuilders, and older than he appears with his white hair and voluminiouse beard. He was dressed /very/ formally as if he was going to visit a gala...which make him seem out of place of the rather old store.

But none the less he cracks a smile "Hello Little Man! How kin Bjorn help you!" he asks in his deep voice.

Phage has posed:
Damn. Was Mach's first thought. He thought he kept himself in shape but this guy looks like he could flatten him, other or no, without even thinking about it. At six foot five Mach's not too dwarfed by the height but it's the build. None of that show and steroid you'd see in a fashionable gym. Built for function, not form, and its work that payed off. Mach kinda hopes the guy's not working a cover. As, frankly, he'd rather not find out how right he may be.

Leaning the parcel down Mach raises a smile, first at the little one who announced his arrival, then at the the man who gave such a warm welcome additional warmth comes through. "If you can help me Bjorn, you'll be a savior. Carl Mach..." He extends one hand for the bigger man to shake and adds with a nod of his head towards the little corgi, "What's that one's name?" He then looks at the parcel and remembers about it. "Yeah. It's a board, supposed to trigger a signal if the one standing on it shakes. Failsafe for a bigger bit of kit. Problem is it's not working." Mach looks hopefully at Bjorn since Mach needs it and ideally, doesn't wanna talk about the other equipment. As it's a little too telling for a first contact.

Crusader has posed:
A hearty laugh follows "Little dog is Borgi! Beware, he will assimilate all beings and turn them into Borgi Drones. Oooooooo" he says playfully, the dog barking in reply! "Go on little Borgi, go take your nap, while Bjorn deal with nice man!" the dog stride off and lays down in a dog bed nearby

He looks to Mach and smiles gently, he was clearly a man who know he was built like a tank, was proud of it, but didn't seem be a show off type. He looks to the parcel "Hmmm. Is that all?" he asks "Well, let me have a closer look at it, and Bjorn can figure out what is wrong. Might just need to recallibrate the sensitivity" he tells Mach going for the most obviouse solution first

Phage has posed:
Mach carefully unwraps the parcel.The contents might have a few other problems on it. Like several distinct stab marks through the upper plating, the cuts gripping in almost as if whatever stabbed the plate then curled round it and squeezed... in several places. Handing it over Mach says, with a note of embarrasment, "Yeah. It's a failsafe for... a stress test I need to do." True. "For work." False. "So I need to make sure it's definitely working so I'm safe to keep up with the testing." True, if not misguided...

"Bjorn, I know it's pretty much wrecked but if you can get it going, or even rig something else up that'll do the same thing, five volts on the output sensing a shake on the sensors... then you'll be doing me a huge favor. I'll certainly take any optional extras out to get it done as soon as is possible." Okay. So he gave a little of the game away but, the truth is bizarre enough that lying's not really needed.

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn cants his head "Alright, but your the one who choose the optional extras. Just remember that" that was a bit omnimouse. He picks up the object and looks it over with interests. "Fair warning...this might seem a bit odd...okay it will seem odd" he crushes the parcel. Outright crushes it into smithereens as if it was nothing. If it looked bad before, it looks worse now!

He than....procedes to eat all the peices untill none of it is left. One burp latter and he pats his stomech, which sound more like hitting a metal drum. "Alright, it should be good as new within a few minutes" he tells him. Internally...well he was begining to repair the object. Unsual physiology for the win!

"Now you want to tell Bjorn what this is really for?" he wonders. Of course he was already intergrating with the parts internally, begining to syphon off and figure out other bits of info as he begins repairing the mechanism. He didn't actually need to 'eat' it...but it helped keep his cover

Phage has posed:
... he's learned the world is a stranger and stranger place as he moves through it. The eating of it though... yeah. Hands up in the air, tendrils too, no way on this or any other world would he have seen that one coming. Although, with the casual manner Bjorn tucked into it... guy might just be the most valuable thing in the world. Someone who knows what they're doing. As no way would you say I'll fix it by chowing down on the same.

No one's got the stones big enough to do that as a front. He'll quit now if he's wrong. Still stunned by an unusual approach Mach says, largely without thinking... "It's part of some gear I cobbled together. I said stress testing. More specific, trying to see what I'm suddenly more vulnerable to and how much I can take. Work out if there's a way to fix it. I'd say I wen't through some strange changes recently... but... to be fair... I don't think I got enough strange in me to surprise you."

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn smiles easy to him."Ahhh, Bjorn enjoy making gear. Bjorn has made shock grenades, flame throwers, and even disorienting bombs to name a few!" he was quite open it appears. At least to a point "Bjorn has tried making some armor...but Bjorn not really need it." he claims. He whistles a merry tune a moment

"As for Strange..." another deep resounding chuckle "Bjorn has strange in spades. Bjorn has ears if you wish to speak of these strange changes, perhaps He understand, perhaps he does not" he shrugs, not seeming like he would force it. "But it never hurts to have some friends. Bjorn tries to be friend to all he can"

Phage has posed:
Mach shrugs and nods his head. "You got me there. Gotta trust someone sometime..." He starts and looks a little around him. "Before. I was just a guy. A spy, a merc, something like that, just a company cut my cheques and backed me up rather than a government. But this is a world where gods and supers walk amongst us. I can do surgery with anything that fires a shot, holds an edge or has weight enough to deliver a blow. But... I was just a man. Getting older too. Slower. Already outclassed and nearly obselete."

He nearly reaches inside his coat bt decides smoking might not be the best plan with all the tech around. "Then I got an offer. There was something the boss had, something they thought only I could use... something that'd get me back in the game. So I went and tried it on. The tech guys thought it was a biological suit of armor. I got it to take me on. I can do many things that are just... impossible... but there's more than I bargained for too."

He looks around, "Hard to explain, easier to show you but... not sure that's the kinda thing you wanna see from a walk in." The question's implied. Mach'll show and tell if Bjorn has eyes to go with the ears.

Crusader has posed:
"This sounds strangely familiar" he notes. Bjorn cants his head. He felt bad for Carl right now. To feel outclassed and obselete must be horrible "But to be fair, ordinary men can do extrodinary things! Bjorn has seen it many times! Bjorn himself is of 64 years of age, so Bjorn speak from expereince...and no Bjorn not always been like this" indicating his obviouse build

He hmmms a moment "Please Mutant Town is down the street, nothing you have that can scare Bjorn off!" he claims "But..." he glances to the windows...and the shadow begin to folkd close from motors uptop. "So you do not have to worry about being seen from outside folks"

Phage has posed:
The light from outside fades and the fluid fabric of the costume forms something far more familiar to one of the bonded pair. Now standing at a equal height of seven feet, the black liquid surface of the costume scarred with yellow scores, blades, spikes and claws jutting from the surface, there's now a faceless smooth surface viewing Bjorn with two white eyes flickering across the surface. A jagged jwa splits the very head of the thing, once man, when it speaks, "We are the Phage symbiote and the host of Carl Mach combined. Our pairing was recent. We discovered certain exposures made us particularly vulnerable and that equipment was part of a system we were using to establish our tolerances... train to fight through such agony... be prepared so should it happen amidst combat we could take action." The pitch strangles and raises more by an octave with the next words, Phage taking control of the conversation, "The host is all that matters. He must be protected at all costs. Even if it means such testing."

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn looks Phage up and down "Evening Cousin" did he just refer to Phage as a Cousin! "We are....we it depends on our shape. In this state we just go by Bjorn" he informs Phage "Never thought we would meet half our species on earth" he flicks a smile "Althought...we have our difference."

He offer Phage a handshake, clearly unafraid of the...very spiky, sharp and dangerous looking being. "Hmmm...are you a Klyntar still connected to the Hive Mind...or a free floating one?" he suddenly wonders "Only half klyntar ourself" seem he has more in common with Carl and Phage than how he seemed at first!

Phage has posed:
The clawed gauntlet of Phage takes the hand and, after input from Mach it completes the handshake. "We are not connected to anything or one rather than out host. Any memory we have was that inheirited from the progenitor. We did not even know that there were others save that which made me. Such as relations. Welcome cousin." Phage doesn't usually do speaking parts. However Mach's not touching this complex conversation. Phage is the expert in this team. He can talk alien.

"We can only suspect from... investigations my host actioned that we were altered, or attempts to the same were made to make me more compatible. It was assumed the vulnerabilites in the bond were a side effect of such treatment." Phage decides to relay its pride at this. It can converse with others like he can. Maybe he should be speaking more often. Internally Mach hits his metaphorical head against a wall. Now he's created a monster. Phage thinks it's chatty.

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn nods "Well, we say cousin, for we are not full ...but it is a human term we enjoy and seems appropiate. We were instead made by mixing the base of two seperate species with similar capabilities. Klyntar and Phalynx" he informs him "As such my vulnerabilities and abilities do vary, like yours. Facinating how humans came to try the same thing as my own creators."

He cants his head "One notable difference...is my bonding procedure at my descretion can be perement at my descretion, completly assimilating another being into myself" he says. He chuckles "Such alien thoughts can drive humans a bit crazy! Still it is nice to meet a pair with similar origins so to speak"

Phage has posed:
Phage stands unblinking at the information it recieves. Mach's temporary self punishment allows a few seconds of Phage, still shaking Bjorn's hand, in silence before desperate instructions are given after Mach realises he's not clearing up this trainwreck. Phage takes his host's instructions rather well. Or in it's opinion well. "I am the symbiote. We gestated upon this world. Our host seemed optimum to senses and understanding. He has proved to have potential far beyond expectation. Even now development continues. Not all can sublimate several forms like you cousin?" See. Speak about points the other raised. This is conversation. Mach doesn't know how to internally respond. In the privacy of the space they keep especially for him... he wonders a few things.

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn stops the handshake and chuckles. "No, no. Not all. That particular trait belong to the Phalynx. Originaly I was" he consider how to world this "Incomplete - despite having absorbed other beings within the andrameda sector. We were sent to earth because humans seem to have special qualities that make things work for someone reason. Once on earth we intergrated with an unsuspecting human - Bjorn Arttursson." he says. "And became complete. No longer being made up of shattered minds, but instead a whole being."

Phage has posed:
On cue Phage also disengages the handshake in a clunky movement. It's obvious it has seen the music on the sheet a million times before but never heard it played. Usually Mach handles the operation of the structure. It handles the more complex and subtle. "Yes. So you are complete." Phage says in understanding. Mach meanwhile buries himself in a happy place to let this play out. He's fond of his other. Impressed by, not what it can do, but it's enthusiasm, readiness to go to the wall and not letting the lack of experience it has slow it down. But, if it was a training session Phage would still be a rookie.

Still. We all gotta learn sometime, right? "There is a question cousin. Can forms like ours be compromised? By devices, traps, other subterfuge? It has been a concern of the host. He believes the human who sourced our meeting did not allow the union without means of undoing it at a later time. Are they capable of this?" Okay. Kid's a rooke but a natural talent. Mach wouldn't have got close himself.

Crusader has posed:
"Complete yes...but desiring much more" Bjorn says...thought somehow that sounded very...ominiouse. He himself maintains his human form for now. Though he does seem to reach through his suit and into his stomech and pulls out the device Mach had originaly given him - looked brand new.

"Of course, just like all beings. While we do not share all the shame weakness as a typical klyntar...and it can even be somewhat different from klyntar to klyntar, there are a few commons. For instance, most Klyntar are sensitive to certain sonic frequencies. It can force you to detach from a Host, make it difficult to communicate or cause great pain" he informs Phage. "You can also be poisoned via dopamine inhibertors or a high dose of vitamine C"

Phage has posed:
Phage stores all the information hungrily. However, deciding it has mastered conversation it asks, "More. Should you specify... it could make sourcing much more expedient cousin. This pairing has expanded my understanding of many things. Acquisition being one of them." And Mach said it had the subtlety of a brick.

"Consider... cousin. As exchange of service for service is a concept I have incorporated from my time. There will be opportunity to discuss detail." The fluid recedes with a nod of Phage's head and Mach finds himself suddenly back at the forefront, looking at the repaired device. A blink or two is what it takes form Mach to state Phage can geek out at him later.

"So you know." Mach says, "Everyone's got their story. That's mine. Thanks. Not just for the repair. Phage's goin' a hundred miles an hour with new things it knows. Also, from what it's saying, I'm in the clear. Now... that is better news again." He grins broadly. "So what do I owe you for the work and advice?"

Crusader has posed:
Bjorn smiles "As a note...the more we speak of is a bit different than the norm" he said that more for Phage benefit so it can at least know that as Phage learns, it might understand if they ever talk again that Bjorn may reference something else. But what is the real question

But this exchange for service to service is now in his head. He will certainly need to look into this. But as Mach comes to the forefront he laughs. "Aye, we all have our stories indeed! Bjorn is glade to hear this Phage is happy, and is of course Happy to have repaired your device. As for how much - it will cost you fifty twenty five dollars" he tells the Man. He than winks "And if you ever need someone who walks the side of both Human and Alien, Bjorn is happy to lend hand....just do not go telling anyone about this"

Phage has posed:
Mach reaches into his 'jacket' and puts a money clip down on the table. "Includes the tip. Silence is on the house. There's many official ways of saying it... but some things aren't anyone else's business. So you won't hear me saying anything to anyone. Especially since I'll be back all right. It turns off the crazy and chaos knowing this isn't an unfamiliar feeling. Couldn't have been better fortune to have met you today Bjorn." He lifts the repaired plate, taking time to make sure it was tucked under his arm that didn't betray how easy it was to carry. He shrugs and looks at Bjorn, "You know how it is. Someone always could be watching. Thanks again. I'll see you around." With that Mach makes his way to the shop door, as careful as he once was in arriving.