Actually, no. This is a business headquarters, essentially, so you should already be able to guess the contents of the next two floors.
Yeah, that'd do it. Pity you can't just steal Garrick's truck, huh?
**********
Getting to L13 was easy. There was a very nice set of stairs in the back of the storage room- beautiful polished hardwood, ornately carved- which led right up there... and it's not like the door at the top of the stairs could really stop me, even if it were locked. Barely any AMF at all. It's like they aren't expecting an attack from this direction.
Wait a second. Where are all the people? The important levels always have a bunch of soldiers on them... and this is nothing if not an important level. I looked around a bit, noting the continued opulence in the hallways. If anything, it's more important than the last one. Same paneled walls, fancy carpets, and ridiculously ornate lights... but antiques in glass cases? Wooden doors with gold nameplates? This has to be an executive level. I snuck forward, my back to one wall, and risked a look at the rest of the floor.
Okay, so the level's mostly open. One elevator to the left, and one to the right. Corners must be offices- there's four office doors on the left side of the room, and two on the right... which means the rightmost elevator is probably the way up. Nobody in the lobby, either. Looks like I'm clear, once I check the- what is that?
I crossed the room, covering both elevators as best I could, and made my way to the right side of the room. There was a dark spot there, a blotch on the otherwise-flawless green carpet- no, more than one. ...that looks like blood. A couple of drops, a smear there... I'd guess somebody got hurt, and then fell to the ground. What the heck happened here? I knelt, touching one of the
drops with a gloved finger, and lifted it to the light. Definitely blood- and fresh, too. Whatever happened here was recent.My train of thought was derailed by a sudden clattering noise from the center of the room. I turned at best speed, lifting Malleus, an array of missiles forming in front of him-
-EnemyhereNOTALONE-
Only to see nothing that wasn't already there.
-phew. False alarm. I walked back over to the center of the room, still at least somewhat cautious, and took a look around.
No sign of anybody else here. I relaxed a bit, letting myself loosen back up. Looks like somebody's briefcase just fell off the shelf. No biggie. That mystery resolved, I went back over to the bloodstain, and slowly, quietly, opened the nearest door- only to see a man, dressed in what was once an impeccable suit, slumped down on the floor. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face, staining the lapel of his otherwise-white dress shirt.
That's... less blood than I expected to see. Is he-
One quick scan later, and I almost sighed in relief. Still alive. Good. Looks like a gash on the forehead, some blunt trauma- almost a broken nose- and bruising around the neck. I'd guess somebody hit the guy, knocked him to the ground, and then choked him unconscious. [Malleus! Scan the level! I want to know how many people are here, where they are, and what state they're in!]
[SCANNING.]
While the Area Search progressed, I took a look around the well-appointed office. Desk you could land a jet on... images of- yes, that's the same guy- shaking soldiers' hands... testimonials from clients? What is this guy- Vice President of Sales for the PMC?
...huh. 'Chief Marketing, Negotiation, and Client Communication Officer'. Looks like I was close.[SCAN COMPLETE. FOUR OTHER HUMANS PRESENT. ALL POSSESS SIMILAR INJURIES.]
[Give me locations.]
It turned out that two vice-chiefs and two visitors had also been roughed up, knocked out, and stashed in various rooms on the floor. None of them were in any danger, as best I could tell, so I just made sure they were secured, crept into the elevator on the right side of the room, and went up to the top level.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
Yeah, that'd do it. Pity you can't just steal Garrick's truck, huh?
**********
Getting to L13 was easy. There was a very nice set of stairs in the back of the storage room- beautiful polished hardwood, ornately carved- which led right up there... and it's not like the door at the top of the stairs could really stop me, even if it were locked. Barely any AMF at all. It's like they aren't expecting an attack from this direction.
Wait a second. Where are all the people? The important levels always have a bunch of soldiers on them... and this is nothing if not an important level. I looked around a bit, noting the continued opulence in the hallways. If anything, it's more important than the last one. Same paneled walls, fancy carpets, and ridiculously ornate lights... but antiques in glass cases? Wooden doors with gold nameplates? This has to be an executive level. I snuck forward, my back to one wall, and risked a look at the rest of the floor.
Okay, so the level's mostly open. One elevator to the left, and one to the right. Corners must be offices- there's four office doors on the left side of the room, and two on the right... which means the rightmost elevator is probably the way up. Nobody in the lobby, either. Looks like I'm clear, once I check the- what is that?
I crossed the room, covering both elevators as best I could, and made my way to the right side of the room. There was a dark spot there, a blotch on the otherwise-flawless green carpet- no, more than one. ...that looks like blood. A couple of drops, a smear there... I'd guess somebody got hurt, and then fell to the ground. What the heck happened here? I knelt, touching one of the
drops with a gloved finger, and lifted it to the light. Definitely blood- and fresh, too. Whatever happened here was recent.My train of thought was derailed by a sudden clattering noise from the center of the room. I turned at best speed, lifting Malleus, an array of missiles forming in front of him-
-EnemyhereNOTALONE-
Only to see nothing that wasn't already there.
-phew. False alarm. I walked back over to the center of the room, still at least somewhat cautious, and took a look around.
No sign of anybody else here. I relaxed a bit, letting myself loosen back up. Looks like somebody's briefcase just fell off the shelf. No biggie. That mystery resolved, I went back over to the bloodstain, and slowly, quietly, opened the nearest door- only to see a man, dressed in what was once an impeccable suit, slumped down on the floor. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face, staining the lapel of his otherwise-white dress shirt.
That's... less blood than I expected to see. Is he-
One quick scan later, and I almost sighed in relief. Still alive. Good. Looks like a gash on the forehead, some blunt trauma- almost a broken nose- and bruising around the neck. I'd guess somebody hit the guy, knocked him to the ground, and then choked him unconscious. [Malleus! Scan the level! I want to know how many people are here, where they are, and what state they're in!]
[SCANNING.]
While the Area Search progressed, I took a look around the well-appointed office. Desk you could land a jet on... images of- yes, that's the same guy- shaking soldiers' hands... testimonials from clients? What is this guy- Vice President of Sales for the PMC?
...huh. 'Chief Marketing, Negotiation, and Client Communication Officer'. Looks like I was close.[SCAN COMPLETE. FOUR OTHER HUMANS PRESENT. ALL POSSESS SIMILAR INJURIES.]
[Give me locations.]
It turned out that two vice-chiefs and two visitors had also been roughed up, knocked out, and stashed in various rooms on the floor. None of them were in any danger, as best I could tell, so I just made sure they were secured, crept into the elevator on the right side of the room, and went up to the top level.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.