World Tree MUSH

"YOu're sure about this?" Anne looked from Eddie to the backpack at his feet, then back to Eddie. WOrrie was plain in her voice as she watched him inspect the bag again. "It took the two of you a week to find your way back last time."

"I know." Eddie sounded tired as he shouldered the bag. "But I've been mooching off of you and Dan long enough. I'll be back hopefully in a few hours. If you see Dan before i get back..." He looked down at the ground. Then took a breath before looking back to Anne. "Let him know I'm glad he's been a friend, I'll have to pay you both back sometime."

NOW

Venom was gleefully bounding through the ruinsof a once-great city. Black tendril pulling him to a new perch. They scout around. THWIP. Off to the next wall, or crumbling roof top. Venom laughed at the twin moons hanging above.

<Wonder what happened here.> Eddie pondered in Venom's head. <No bodies, no anything. It looks like it's all been here awhile, but not long enough to have weathered down. Kinda looks like those old war pictures of what citis would look like after being firebombed.>

"Well aren't you just mister cheer and sunshine?" Veom grumped as it landed, rolling as soon as it contacted the ground and raising up at the edge of what may have been a park space, or it may have been a parking lot with bench seating at the edges. Hard to say. Either way the tar-black being reached over its shoulder as parts of its substance slid away to reveal Eddie's backpack. "Now le'ts see here..." 

Sandwiches. Chocolate (very important.) Protine shakes....

Venom grinned as it pulled a sealed container from the pack. "You said the butcher said this was fresh, right?" The lid twisted off and venom sniffed at the contents before pupending the container into its maw before chewing. Then it frowned. "Not bad, but something tasted... Off."

<Like... Bad off, or just 'not the usual round of bottom of the barrel scumbag off?> 

Venom shrugged before twisting the container's lid back on and putting it away. "Eh.." It sat, reclining against hte bench, letting its arms splay out as it looked up at the alien landscape.

Ruins. Good places to bump into monsters, and Ace knows from monsters. She's moving quickly through the streets, backpack slung over one shoulder, knife in her boot. Looks like she's looking for something. Spotting the park she also spots the...well. Monster. Except that last time this seemed to be a reasonably okay monster, so Ace gives Venoma thumbs up.

Before turning Venom raised a hand to give what Eddie would consider a friendly wave. Then when it stood its face turned to the punk explosives girl and grinned (careful, dont' show too many teeth, that scares people.) 

"Lost or is this somewhere you've been poking around?" Venom remembered Ace, the girl that didn't shrink away and put herself in harm's way to help. "You are the first person we have seen since coming here. Is this place dead, or just abandoned?"

"Bit of both," Ace says. "I think just abandoned. I haven't found any bodies and there's a remarkable lack of artifacts, which kind of implies people left."

Venom grunted, "Matches what Eddie's been saying." It gestured to the backpack of food. "Hungry?" 

There was a drone watching, not large at all, maybe the size of a rat. In fact it had a tail, one that acted as antenna transmitting to others of its kind. Satilites realigned. Intrudes in the Broken City? What Heresy was this?!

The black receeded, showing Eddie's face atop Vnom's massive body. "Hey just as a bit of an update we did some poking around and turns out beneath all the digging those machines weredoing is like a big city full of people. Like... cavern sixty metershigh, buildings like outta early last century." He sounded half excited about the development. "Supposed to go talk with the town's council next week as advisor on 'other worldly visitors." 

He inclined his head to one side just before Venom engulfed Eddie's face. "Most persons we have seen coming to and from have been of the helpful variety. It seems we've gotten lucky so far."

"Need a hand?" Ace asks. "I've got some, ya know, experience dealing with similar situations." She might only be 19, but she HAS done it.

A nod from Venom, "Given one of the local priests has decided we are somehow Abominatio," If anything it sounded more amused than anything. "Amusing to see so many cluster to take our side in an argument over a local really."

More drones gathered. Orders to hold position. Except one accidentilly nudged Ace's foot. Little boxy metal thing with six feet beneath it, a cluster of tiny cameras and pinhole openings in the unadorned chassis. It would squeak if either tried doing anything to it though and try escaping. Otherwise it would try backing away before going very still.

Ace looks down. "I seem to have a friend." She actually drops to one knee to examine the little drone. "Don't be afraid, I only blow up things that deserve it."

The drone squeaked at Ace and backedaway. INTRUDERS IN BROKEN CITY. 

Venom's large white eyes narrowed at the drone but made no move to step forward. Instead it calmly state, "At least three others nearby. Possibly five more but they blend in with everything here."

UNDERSTOOD. TAKE NO AGRESSIVE ACTION. Larger machines were en route. Vehicles being loaded and given directives.

"Explosives huh?" Venom purred contently. "Knowany doctors? Eddie seems... concerned at our living arrangement, that we may not be getting enough by going to slaughterhouses."

"I know one. But he's not here," Ace says, wryly. "He's probably looking for me. Probably. We didn't part on the best of terms."

A grunt from Venom, "Relationships are something we are not good with." It reached over t ograb its bag before continuing. "Eddie's ex has remained friends, but-" Venom's head turned at hte sound of treads crunching on broken pavement.

A transport, easily four meters tall, boxy, looking like something from the first world war, lumbered into earshot. 

<Well in fairness we kinda are on their land. Her'es hoping it isn't a warzone buddy.>

Venom stood facing the thing that made the noise as it slowed to a halt, its front end opening to reveal a pair of three meter tall silver humanoid machines. "EXPLAIN." Harsh artificial voice. "YOU ARE TRESPASSING. YOU ARE NOT KNOWN TO US. EXPLAIN."

Venom growled low before moving to try stepping between Ace and these newcomers.

Ace rolls her eyes. "Ya know, we might be trespassing, and we might be a little bit lost, but we're just...curious sightseers." She doesn't correct Venom's false impression as to her relationship with the Doctor, not right now.

<Lemme handle this one man,> Eddie's voice sounded shakey.

Venom grunted before slowly taking another step towards the machines as it seemed to shrink, then the black faded back into Eddie's body. revealing a black T-Shirt with what looked like album art on it. "Yea hey sorry we didn't see any signs or posted guards." He swallowed as he looked up at the giant machine.

"YOU ARE CARRYING A KLYNTAR." The leftmost machine stated.

"Is... that bad?" Eddie asked, curious and trying to stall for time. "Like I dunno what the score is here guys but Venom's been good about living with me for the past three months."

The two machines lookedat eachother, survos whining as their 'heads' swivled first to eachother, then to face Ace. "FEMALE HUMAN UNINFECTED." Neither looked as if they were raising weapons... yet anyway.

For some odd reason, Ace relaxes a little bit at the word 'human.' So, they can't tell. "So, what happened here? Everyone seems real twitchy."

"WAR HAPPENED." One of the machines stated. "THE LAST. WAR."

The other machine continued. "OUR CREATORS ATTEMPTED TO /PURGE/ US. WE DEFENDED OURSELVES."

Venom said nothing. <Sounds like some Forbin Project nightmare stuff happened.> Eddie commented wryly. <Least their not attacking but... how the hell do they know what you are Vee?>

"WE REBUILT." The first machine stated before raising a manipulator arm and pointed towards the ruiend city, "EXCEPT HERE. NONE ARE ALLOWED HERE. A WARNING TO ALL OF WHAT WAR IS."

"BUt you're machines, shouldn't you have perfect memory?" Venom grumbled low, curious in its own way. What use does a machine have with monuments or reminders?

"Not necessarily," Ace says. "I've met a few sentient machines, and when you get to the complexities needed to sustain consciousness..." For a moment, she sounds a *lot* smarter than Venom might have been thinking. But only for a moment.

"Huh..." Venom looked at Ace, hard. There was more there than just a punk girl that liked to blow things up. 

"CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER." One of the machines stated. "ALSO WE HAVE AN ACTIVE SPACE PORT. WE WISH TO BE OPEN WITH VISITORS THAT OUR HISTORY HAS BLEMISHES TO IT."

A nod from Venom, "My host is a reporter from Earth." Both machines instantly swivle to face Venom. The Symbiote raising up to stare at both in response, the muscles twitching and swelling as it tried to make itself as imposing as possible. "A different earth from the one you may know. One that narrowly missed an invasion of my kind." A pause. "An invasion Eddie and I stopped before it could start."

"FACINATING."

"There's a spaceport?" Ace inquires. So, that means there is a solid civilization here, she just hadn't found it yet. "Invasions...must be Tuesday." A grin and a wink at Eddie.

Venom grinned at Ace, "If we are trespassing on sacrid soil we would appreciate a ride." 

"THIS IS AGREEABLE." The machines then turned back to the large tank-like vehicle. Moments after the hatch closed an open bed truck-like vehicle approached. It had no driver but the bed had chairs and when the back lowered into a ramp there was a clear hint this was their ride. 

Again shrinking back down, Venom let Eddie sit down, cradling his bag. "This... seems like something that just kinda happens with you." He looked at Ace and then nodded over at the large tank, "Ever see anything like these guys and it actually not turn into a giant set of explosions? Just... yeeaa after the movie with all the people in pods and machines all over? Iiii kinda have to admit to having biases here."

"Rarely," Ace notes. "However, they haven't started shooting yet and if they do..." She can blow things up. She heads onto the truck bed. It has seats, at least.

Eddie offered Ace a sandwich, "You don't mind meat do you?" THe truck wouldn't start until both were seated and lap belts cinched around each automatically. "I mean if things go bad no sense running on an empty stomach," Eddie was already eating a sandwich, "Am kinda curious since the whole Klyntar thing, that actually is the species Venom is. So... I dunno. I'm more surprsed Vee's letting me take lead and not just start tearing everything to sshreds."

<You did say we needed to try more peaceful options Eddie.>

A shrug. THeir vehicle drove on. The air was cool, the night clear. After a turn onto a four lain road there were other vehicles, all driving in rows of five or six that would fracture, and splinter as each entered or left a feeder road. Eddie was suddenly curious, remembering research he did on vehicle automation and platooning when that was the big topic of discussion.

Ahead was a large city, wheeled vehicles, treaded ones. It had the look of lights and sound and... Life. things were happening here beyond manufacturing, storage, and Charging.

Ace nods. "Just means this world has them too, seems like some worlds are really similar to each other," Ace says, with a slight shrug.

Busy streets. Humanoid machines, many even having hair, clothing, and 'fashion' of somesort even if the styles were hard geometric lines and contrasting colors. Eddie's head shook as their ride stopped and the ramp unfolded in front of a large imposing structure even by local standards.

"Yea to me that just means they know sonics and fire are the best ays to make us a liability." He sighed and grabbed his bag before offering Ace a hand before a vaguely female shaped robot stepped out of the front door. "This way please."

The less harsh tone caused Eddie to raise an eyebrow, "Millitary sleeves are geared more for understandability than subtlty." It... smiled. Vaguely human features on a very plastic-y body smiling. "This way. There is much we would like to know about these portals that have been appearing, especially if they're starting to crop up in the Broken City."

She would then extend a hand to Ace, "Organics tend to not react well to numaric designators. THe last tourists I had to interact with called me Marge. You may do the same if you like."

Ace nods a little bit. "I'm Ace," she says, supplying no other name. Probably she doesn't bother with another, she seems the type to use a mononym and not care what anyone thinks about it. "And apparently the portals are a part of reality most don't know about until they, well, show up."

Marge nodded as they were lead through a room that had a series of detectors, which promptly cause Marge to stiffen and a dozen slender metal clad humanoid machines to step out of alcoves along each wall. "PARASITIC ORGANISM DETECTED."

Venom seethed, black tendrils creeping up Eddie's neck.

"That will be QUITE enough thank you. This is our guest," Marge glowered at the guard units. "An Envoy from earth."

The guardians stiffened at the word 'Earth' and bowed in unison before reversing back into their niches.

"Huh... so I take it Earth is special to your people?" Eddie smiled, "I don't mean to be rude but while I'm willing to stay for a bit, and actually since I'm a reporter and kinda interested in what you guys know about my buddy here." He then gestured to Ace, "But if the lady here wants to get off Mister Bones's wild ride maybe point er at the nearest vine out of here?"

Marge looked from Ace to Eddie, "Easy enough to provide. Your transport has already been given the coordinates. We do so want to make a good impresion on the wider community after all."

Ace nods. "I'll be back, though." She offers Eddie a grin. "I've been in weirder situations." And parasite? She'll have to ask. Or maybe find a library...