{Backdated} [Video: 001] Weds 9th December, Mid-Afternoon

[pastdoesntdefine]

[ When the video switches on, there's a woman dressed in black and dark green army gear, divested of weapons but clearly comfortable in uniform. Sharp viewers may recognise the outer facility area of one of the army bases, and there's a table next to her with obscured objects.

There's evidently someone else behind the camera, because there's an obvious pause as she waits for a signal to begin, before focusing directly ahead of her. Still wearing the protective helmet borrowed from the army, protective shades cover her eyes and the fabric of her balaclava is pulled up over her mouth. Someone doesn't want to be recognised on the network today - not her real face, anyway - and when she speaks, surprisingly clear, those who've had a chance to meet Agent Carolina in person will recognise her voice.

(Just don't ask about the power armor..) ]

I'm Agent Carolina. I believe some of you are already acquainted with some of my former colleagues from the UNSC space corp. The Government approached me with some intel that a few of our fellow Imports managed to dig up, intel that they wanted verified - and I did.

Congratulations. Thanks to you, we now know exactly where our neighbourhood party crashers came from.

[ She nods to the camera, and for a moment the screen goes black - followed by a series of black and white photographs of an island; first approaching from the sea, followed by a sequence of images leading off the shore, including a shot of a dead lemur spattered with poisoned darts, half collapsed over a device concealed in the sand.

Carolina doesn't speak again until there's a shot of a patrol group: an armored troop of humanoids, wearing a very familiar set of skullmasks, accompanying a heavy duty armored jeep as it trundled along a very well travelled path through jungle scrub. ]

They call the island 'Enoch'. It's just off the coast of Florida. [why is it always Florida?] I was under orders to keep my visit brief.

[ The image flickers again; this time? Video, initially shakey and lit up as though showing the world through night-vision goggles. Behold: the main enemy complex at the center of the island, the central building formed of a huge round dome, with the exterior formed out of an unusual-looking composite. The entire thing gives off the appearance of a huge human skull -- someone was paid well to emphasis a very specific aesthetic. ]

I couldn't see any aerial sweeps being done, but I don't think they were particularly worried about eyes in the sky. [The camera stops panning, instead zooming in on the local anti-aircraft artillery. Then the footage ends, and Carolina returns to the screen] There was a lot of troop movement, but how many there are was unclear, I couldn't get close enough for a better reading of numbers.

Either way, this place is well fortified, and they're well armed. They've obviously been here a very long time building a small army off the coast. They mean business. And until now? No one noticed. [...feels almost painfully familiar, actually]

I lacked the tools and time to hack their radio network, so I planted a device to track and decrypt transmissions on and off the island. Also picked up that lemur on my way out, and the trap it set off - might help to know just what kind of poisons they plan on injecting into trespassers. Anyone who's good with either? Get in contact.

If we're going to make a move, we should consider doing it soon. [her arms fold over her chest] I'll answer any questions best I can.

Comments

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[driftsintobuffetline]

Regarding any samples of that poison: I'd be interested in looking into it. If you're looking for qualifications, back home I developed a machine to extract toxin from the creatures attacking us and currently work at Starktech in the BioTech division.

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[pastdoesntdefine]

Sounds like you'd be eminently qualified.

We have one of the land mines responsible for the poison, too. How long might a toxicity report take on any residue left over, in addition to a report on the lemur?

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[superposition]

You know, it does beg the question of what a lemur was doing off the coast of Florida. I thought they were endemic to Madagascar.

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[pastdoesntdefine]

I wouldn't know. They're extinct in my century.

[superposition]

Are they? Pity.

[Things like that just make his inner conservationist sad. Also his outer conservationist. :( ]

What century, out of curiosity?

[darwinatrix]

[Competency. How refreshing.] Tell me more about the island. What defenses did they have that you could see?

[pastdoesntdefine]

Tropical, predominantly rock on the leeward side, with broad stretches of beaches. Forst cover is tall and dense enough that the base isn't evident from the shore. Plate I brought back was mass-produced, plenty of land-mine traps to deal with any trespassers. I can provide further copies of the facility photos, if needed?

The only thing I couldn't determine was an immediate means of transportation off the island, but going from the evidence uncovered by others, it's unlikely they're taking flights. There didn't appear to be any landing pads or outdoor spaces large enough to accomodate that sort of requirement for the force there.

Private

[darwinatrix]

[Yeah, switching this.] Boats, then. Or the same porter tech we use here, unless... [She frowns in thought.] How far off the coast would you say this is? Near enough that there could be an undersea tunnel? It's less likely than the others, I'll admit. [But she can't help think of the tunnel that homunculus dug underneath Briggs.]

Send me those photos. And any transmissions you intercept.

[followorders]

[Agent Carolina.]

How long until they're ready for an offensive strike?

[If you expect people to mobilize an attack, you better have a time-table.]

[pastdoesntdefine]

[ Locus.

For a moment, she debates not answering. Really, she should have followed up on his own earlier network post sooner. Knowing both he and Felix are here...

..and, she realises, neither know how much she knows.

Well then. Her tone is cool, clipped. ]

Depending on means of transportation, they could be ready in very short order. [hours, perhaps] They're well trained, well armed. Moved like units trained to work together, who've worked together for years.

That they haven't attacked yet means they're waiting for something. [or someone]

[followorders]

[Truthfully, the only reason he contacted her is to gauge her reaction towards him. You are being studied, Agent Carolina.]

A small force or large one?

[Either size will tell them a great deal.]

Voice

[mammal_robot]

That really looks like the kind of place a mad scientist bent on world domination would live.

Voice;

[pastdoesntdefine]

Given the things being uncovered by other Imports, that's only half as outlandish an idea as it sounds.

[mammal_robot]

No I'm being serious. Look at those AA guns. They probably read steampunk novels in their spare time. I'm fully expecting someone on that island to be unironically wearing a monocle.

Voice;

[abadidea]

[Isaac would be lying if he said he liked the sound of that.]

What kind of "move" are you talking about exactly?

Voice;

[pastdoesntdefine]

They've struck once, specifically at Imports. They will do so again, especially as they've some measure of response time, and they don't care who they hurt to accomplish whatever their goal is. [evil science, clearly] We need to hit them first.

Voice;

[abadidea]

[Yeah, that's what he was afraid of.]

So, you're talking about a full-on assault, then.

( audio; )

[chancetoatone]

I am no hacker, but I can infiltrate.

( audio; )

[pastdoesntdefine]

Their network? Or the island itself?

( audio; )

[chancetoatone]

The island. If they're prepared for ImPorts, a direct assault without some sort of sabotage may prove deadly.

voice

[buildsfriends]

I like the beach! I'm gonna go too. [just assuming that's ok with u]

Voice; oi vey

[pastdoesntdefine]

This isn't a holiday, Caboose.

[srs voice is very srs]

Re: Voice; oi vey

[buildsfriends]

Yes it is like regular beach day, so there will be no presents BUT there will be a cookout.

video;

[superposition]

[Sighs.] Of course it's a giant skull. Why wouldn't it be a giant skull?

[He's actually not that surprised that no one noticed the compound. Military intelligence is a huge oxymoron, in his experience.]

Anyway, good work, Agent. Do you have a better picture of those guns, by any chance?

Voice;

[pastdoesntdefine]

[ Even in her era, what they don't know or care about, they tend to ignore - especially if there are people who can be paid to continue looking the other way. ]

I do. Several closer passes from the footage, as well as a couple of photos. The design is..certainly more whimsical than I'm used to seeing for ground-based anti-air artillery.