Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » One of a kind: Rift crystal

Wildner walked the marketplace in London for the twentieth time that week. His ChronoClonia had transported him here last saturday, and since it had to recharge, he was stuck here, for now.

He strolled about in his summer clothes. They were still obviously army clothes, but they'd draw the least attention of all. He looked left and right, nodding and waving to people he'd met or who recognized him.
This summer market really is a big event... he thought.

It was then that he saw it. At first, he wasn't sure if he saw this correctly, but as he looked again, there it was. A rift crystal. The only way for him to get back to his wife and daughter. He had a determined look on his face as he approached the stall. "How much?"

"Hello, Commander. We have received reports of alien activity around the skies of London. It would appear the aliens have detected the presence of a powerful artifact that, if acquired, could give them the means to open a portal and unleash a full fledged invasion of Earth. This artifact - this 'Rift Crystal', as it has been dubbed by our research team - is of great importance and must be retrieved and studied before the aliens get to it."

The Commander frowns. Most of the X-COM operatives are already engaging the aliens in other regions of the globe, and the few ones present at the base are critically wounded and being healed in the med-bay. Waiting for the others to return will take time - time they don't have. Only one operative is both currently in the base and able - Captain Stollsteimer, who has also returned from her previous mission sustaining grave wounds, but has very recently been checked out.

The Commander has no choice. Stollsteimer is outfitted with her weapons and body armor, since violent resistance from the aliens is expected at some point, and embarks in the Skyranger transport aircraft. Another mission that she probably won't come back from, and this one she'll have to undertake alone.



Wildner is probably not attracting much attention - Sheila most definitely is. Clad in Ghost-class body armor and with a plasma rifle in hand, most people probably think she's some sort of really good cosplayer, as she walks down the street! But she can't afford to be embarrassed. She checks the radar on her wrist; she is approaching the source of energy readings, and no aliens in sight so far.

That's when she sees it. It matches the description exactly - she was informed that the item would probably be in the possession of someone, so she isn't too surprised to find it for sale, just like that! The Captain approaches, all while keeping her eyes open for possible attacks.

"I need that.", she says, interrupting the others, and making a small gesture towards the crystal. "I'll match his offer." She has been given money to purchase the crystal, but has permission to acquire it through other means if necessary.

Wildner swore as he recognized the logo on the newcomer's armor. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to have it. I need it to... well..." he couldn't just blurt out he was from the future, it'd draw the wrong kind of attention. He subtly unclasped the hidden pistil underneath his vest. He made it look like he was scratching herself. If things got out of hand, he'd know what to do.

"You do not understand what's at stake, citizen. Don't interfere.", she says in the determined tone of a professional doing her job, before deciding that she isn't going to waste time chit-chatting. It's an urgent matter and she's well aware of it.

Wasting no more time, the operative reaches for the Rift Crystal.

Wildner's hand shot out and grabbed hold of her arm, keeping it up in mid-air with determined force. "No, you are the one who doesn't understand."

Sheila's arm is grabbed, and she doesn't seem at all amused. The humming noise the plasma rifle does, as her finger wraps around the trigger, is probably a sign of that displeasure. The rifle, pointed at Kenneth's face, emits a soft hum, as if warming up.

"Cease resistance or I will resort to lethal force."

Out of nowhere, Wildner's pistol was pressed against her stomach. His face was as blank as could be when he spoke. "Now you listen to me. That rift crystal is from my time. Yes. I am from the future. Now as hard to believe for you as that may be, it's the only way for me to return there, to return to my wife, to my daughter. To embrace them once again. I haven't seen them in years." He allowed the first bullet to click into place. "Now you tell me in my face that you can take that away from a man."

Sheila's expression hardens. She isn't sure if she believes this guy. It sounds far-fetched, but then again, she's a woman with a plasma rifle that shoots aliens. She has an open mind.

"A pity, but one man's wants aren't more important than an entire planet's fate." She looks down at the weapon pointed at her stomach, very unimpressed. "Conventional weaponry. You're out of your league, citizen." The humming plasma rifle, already pointed at the other's face, approaches his face threateningly.

"Move one inch and I'll shoot. My armor can take a bullet - can you take a plasma blast to the face?" For the moment, she stands still, but if she detects a single movement, she'll pull the trigger.

Wildner grinned. "You obviously don't know the power in this 'little' gun." his face turned neutral again. "A threat to the planet?" he chuckled. "Do you even know what this is exactly?"

Face to face, each of them a trigger's pull away from death, and Sheila is finally starting to show some concern. The clock's ticking, and the fate of the world's at stake.

"We can stay here all evening, then. Or until the x-rays arrive, kill us both and take the crystal for themselves. Be reasonable and we'll both live through the day."

"Be reasonable?" he laughed. "This might just be the only way for me to get back home. If I use it to repair this -" he showed her his chronoclonia, "- then I'll be on my way and you won't hear of it ever again."

Surprisingly enough, a very displeased Sheila lowers her weapon and turns away from Kenneth. She grabs the crystal and shows it to him, but doesn't try to leave. Instead...

"We'll do it like this, we'll toss a coin. Heads I get to keep it, tails I'll give it to you so you can do whatever you please with it. Got a coin?" As many pockets as Sheila has all around her armor, none of them have coins in it. Bills, sure, but you can't spin a bill.

Wildner lowered his pistol right after Sheila lowered her gun. He wasn't sure about this... could he gamble on his only way to get back to his family?
"Is there truly no other way?"

Sheila just shrugs. "Unless you want to go back to pointing guns. You want the crystal, I want the crystal. Let luck settle this. Got a coin or not?"

"I always do."

Wildner pulled a coin from his pocket. Not a regular coin, but one from the future. A rare on, even for his age. It was silver with gold lining, a gift from his daughter.

"Then hurry up and flip it already.", Sheila says, holding the crystal tight.

Wildner flipped threw the coin up in the air. He then caught it and pushed it back upon the table, keeping his hand on it. He was shaking with tension. a 50 percent chance of seeing my family again...

(flip a 2d10 dice to see who wins, no modifier.)

Wildner sank through his knees, the pistol falling from his hand onto the ground. "why..."

With a victorious grin, Sheila speaks into her communicator. "Artifact acquired. No alien resistance. Preparing to retreat - going silent." She clicks something on the back of her suit and, just like that, vanishes.

Mission accomplished.