Asgard Defense Force Einherjar

Ludwig whacked himself against the head with his left hand. "Oh! If you are looking for refreshment try the chips... I am currently doing a study upon that particular dish... Or try the others, and tell me of the qualitative data you have recovered from them." Ludwig shrugged, "OR EVEN IF NOT... try it anyway... Science DEMANDS ANSWERS ON THIS...! Science is always seeking knowledge FROM THE METAPHYSICAL SECRETS OF THE HEAVENS! TO THE PHYSICAL SECRETS OF THE EARTH! I DOCTOR LUDWIG FIELDER, DESCENDANT OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, CONTINUE THE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRIES THAT THE LINEAGE OF FRANKENSTEIN IS KNOWN FOR!" He said as he finished with an over dramatic bow.
 
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Quiet steps echoed through the corridors outside, as Randall inwardly cursed himself. He'd been so damned busy getting a resync done with Warden, he'd completely lost track of the time. And now he'd be showing up to the welcome party like a green pilot... Shrugging, he murmurs "It is what it is." Doing his best to enter the room unobtrusively, he gives Ludwig a small wave as he enters. The emblem of the program gleams at his neck, as he walks over to him. "We understand, Lud, and I'm sure you're doing your ancestor proud." A small grin forms on his face, as he turns to the two new pilots.

Eyeing them skeptically, his mouth turns upward as he gives them a nod as he walks over. "You two are the new pilots? I thought there was one or two more, but there's still time. I'm Randall, one of the current pilots. How'd the two of you qualify for the force? Rocking back on his heels a bit, he crosses his arms behind him as he studies each of them.
 
Elisa tentatively samples a single chip. She'd never really been much for junk food. And, thankfully enough, a distraction approaches to save her from the salty trap that lay within.

She turns to regard Randall as he approaches. "I'm Elisa Hawke, pleased to meet you. And, new wouldn't exactly be accurate in my case. I can assure you I am entirely qualified to pilot an Einherjar." She doesn't seem fazed by the scrutiny, standing straight and meeting his gaze without flinching.
 
Ludwig offers a salute to Randall. "Ah Pilot Randall! It's a good thing you were able to make it... try the refreshments... as you may or may not have heard, I'm conducting an experiment with it. Have you killed any Guana scum recently!? Again, thanks for defending humanity from the vile threat of that alien life form... OH! ALSO! If you ever get to Guana technology... or even a partial corpse of a Guana! I'D VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT!" Ludwig nodded, as he smiled happily. Ludwig adjusted his glasses, as he cupped his chin in thought. "What to make... what to make..." He pondered on this for a moment, before returning his attention back to the refreshment table, grabbing a handful of chips, and shoveling them in his mouth.

As soon as he swallowed them down, "Oh, Pilot Randall. Do you need anything from the Science Department? I offered my services earlier... but you weren't here. And. It'd be rude to NOT OFFER IT TO YOU!" Ludwig nodded, as he returned his focus to the refreshment table.
 
"Nice to meet you, Elisa. And trust me, you wouldn't be here if you weren't worthy. Don't need to prove yourself to anyone, we'll trust that you'll be able to keep it together." Turning around as the scientist speaks, he laughs "That's why I was late. Warden took a hit couple of days back, had to resync since drivers got jostled. And don't worry, I'll bring you souvenirs next time, if you get some manipulators onboard for sample extraction." Politely taking one of the chips, he nibbles at it as he continues listening. "Haven't come up with anything original, but I'll let you know when I do." Turning back to the other new pilot, he tilts his head "And who would you be, miss?"
 
Ludwig clasped his left hand into a fist. "I'll get the manipulators on the Warden. I'll take a look at it, make sure the engines aren't damaged, the weapons are still functional, the structure is still optimal, that the oxygen supply is still alright..." Ludwig went on and on, about the various tasks he would be sure to check on. After all, the Einherjars are the glorious vanguard of scientific achievement! Ludwig knew that it must be fully operational, and it is engineered into perfection. Ludwig took the wrench from his belt, and clasped it in his right hand.

Ludwig tapped his wrench against his left palm, "THOUGH... I'll need to make sure I have all the necessary tools. After all! A SINGLE WRENCH WON'T FULLY REPAIR THE GLORIOUS WARDEN!" Ludwig boisterously laughed, as he smiled widely. "Yeah, today will be a fun day, still a shame that the Guana were able to damage your Einherjar. BUT YOU TOOK THOSE LITTLE CREEPS OUT! Ah... I can just imagine the devastation you brought upon them... With the glorious Scientific Achievement of Humanity! Which I am sure the other Pilots will do as well! I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THEM! Yes, they will valiantly defeat the Guana..." Ludwig shook his head, as he glanced back at the refreshment table. "Yeah, I'll go work on Warden soon! I'll probably drag other members of the Department with me... after all a 40 meter juggernaut of human innovation is something we all care about! FOR SCIENCE!" Ludwig glanced at his wrench, and looked for something he could work on with it. Disappointed he did not find any robotic parts, after all as Major Jaegar said "This is a welcoming party not a laboratory." he decided to place his wrench back on his belt, as he stared again at the refreshment table, looking for a new treat to examine for science.
 
"Of course. Perhaps I should have said that I'm fully trained in Einherjar piloting?" Elisa says it rather plainly, despite the fact that it's a very unusual claim for someone her age. She doesn't feel the need to elaborate any further. Proving herself wasn't really the kind of thing that she spent her time thinking about.

"Warden? I'd guess that's what you call your Einherjar?"
 
Big city, huh.

"Middle uh nowhere in the south of the US of A originally, moved a bit closer to civilization for better 'net service and all."

Ludwig seemed quite happy at Chloe's participation, she wasn't really certain if she'd every get used to his energy. At least she'd always know what kind of a mod he was in even if she didn't quite understand what he was talking about half the time.

Until he mentioned the Dew.

"Fuck YEAH!" She shouted, too loudly. Passing it off with a sheepish grin, "Yeah, that stuff kept me going during all nighters."

Ludwig though, it seemed, was already onto some other train of thought. Wasn't there some famous quote about how close genius is to be crazy or other? If so, Ludwig had to be the smartest and curiosity-driven people Chloe had ever met.

Another new pilot showed up when Chloe was trying some of the other appetizers, what looked like a little sausage wrapped in some kind of cheese. Thankfully his inquiry was held off for a few moment while the others talked back and forth.

"Name's Chloe, I got in on account that I took first place in the Global Immersive Shooter Tournament." The last bit was said with some confidence and a wide smirk, even if she hadn't really amounted to anything afterwards it was still the highlight of her life. For now.

OOC: Yeahhh, being awesome at video games. Totally merits any worth in the real thing >_>
 
Ludwig blinked at Chloe, he just stared at her blankly. He cupped his chin with his left hand for a moment, before removing it. "THE GLOBAL IMMERSIVE SHOOTER TOURNAMENT? The Ultimate FPS Tournament, which took the top players from around the world, in the greatest multi-player death match!?" Ludwig gave a thumbs up in approval.

Ludwig slyly looked from side to side, "You know the video game is just another product of engineering and coding! While the game systems aren't as advanced as... say robots... it is always fun to tweak with the programming every once and awhile." Ludwig took a handful of chips and chomped on them, and quickly swallowed them. "I was working on a small side project of a video game... But sadly, I didn't have the time to devote to the various source codes, nor the art assets... But the art assets are not nearly as important as getting the code to produce a nice, stable game. I mean, I WOULD NEVER PLAY A GAME WITH SLOPPY, UNRESPONSIVE CONTROLS!"

Ludwig then took his napkins notes from his pants pockets yet again, quickly glancing over them. "Hnn.. many things to manufacture, but the Einherjar comes first after all! IT DEFENDS HUMANITY! Also.. Speaking of the Orbital Dew! " Ludwig frantically searches the refreshment stand, "There has to be some of it here... SOMEWHERE... But ah, yes. I've got to contact my associates... we will have much work to do."
 
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"Global Immersive Shooter Tournament... That video gaming event?" Elisa looks moderately confused. The girl seemed quite confident about her victory in such a thing, but what bearing could it have on Einherjar piloting?

"If you don't mind me asking, how does that relate to Einherjar piloting? I'm not familiar with the event. I don't suppose you've received any training?"
 
"Yes yes yes! Arrrgh! D'ya remember that bullshit with the hit detection in Warfield 4? I mean, the game was fun and all but I got sooo pissed when I was making clear headshots, nadda. Then I get lit up around a corner." She let out an exasperated but somewhat nostalgic sigh. "I know your work is important, humanity survival an' all that, but if ya ever got some free time I could try helpin' ya out with your little side project?"

Chloe gave a nod towards Elisa. "Nah, nothing formal. Militaries're using plenty of virtual training though. Not as fun or precise as some of the better made shooters out there, but close enough. I admit though, the mecha games aren't really my preference. Usually third person or some shit. Although there was this one cool one where you were in a cockpit and had to actually drive the thing!"

Her excitement cooled a little bit. "Heard it lost support though a few years ago, I didn't get to play it much since I had to get ready for the nationals at that time."
 
Ludwig raised his right index finger in the air, "Warfield 4 had an abysmal story line... What is it with the cut scenes where you can't do anything!? I don't want to be STUCK IN A HALLWAY! Or maybe I'm thinking of a different shooter..." Ludwig shakes his head, as he realized he dropped his napkin notes, "Gah!" he quickly procured them and shoved them in his pants pocket. "OH THAT HIT SYSTEM... WHOEVER SOURCE CODED THOSE HITBOXES!" Ludwig shook his left fist in anger.

Ludwig then smiled ear to ear, "A video game tester... OF YOUR CALIBER WANTING TO TEST MY SMALL SIDE PROJECT!" Ludwig looked absolutely stunned, as he chuckled, "I WOULD BE HONORED! A GAME TESTER IS A MOST VALUED ASSET! I will absolutely try to make time for that project...! I should have free time at some point." Ludwig glanced at the refreshment stand, "They... lost support for the Tournament eh? ... That's a loss to the whole E-sports community." Ludwig sounded, rather bummed, as he shifted through the refreshment stand slowly, his melancholy from that news affecting his speed, until.... He spotted some cans of Orbital Dew. Ludwig grinned ear from ear, "Orbital Dew! DO THE DEW! I knew it had to be here somewhere... Glorious! I really must give my thanks to the staff for having this sugary stuff stacked here..."
 
"Ah. I'm not very familiar with video gaming, so I can't really comment on that. I would expect that they'd focus more on being fun than on being realistic, though. And I doubt fully emulating synch with an Einherjar is even possible with current civilian technology."

She does glance at Ludwig as he speaks (he was pretty hard to avoid noticing), though she's only vaguely aware of what he's talking about.
 
"Hah, yep. You aren't playing those for a story or anything. Even though you were right, they tried to force you to listen to the little scenes and crap by locking your control. That shit was old a decade ago, and bringing it back wasn't even good in a throwback nod kinda way either."

Being a tester could be neat. A brief worry flared up that the game might be as dense as his vocabulary was. A fan of the shooter he was, but did he understand that fast-paced adrenaline fueled competition of players. He definitely appreciated the technical aspects and was a fan of the sport...with his passion he'd probably be able to produce a crazy good indie game!

And then he found it. Chloe would admit it, she has an addiction to the green mistress, and what a sweet temptress she was. Discarding what thin layer of sociability she had, the pilot grabbed a can, popped it open and took a long draw from it. Snapping up another two she immediately stuffed into the pockets of the hoody. Another long sip with a satisfied "hmmm" before Chloe responded to Elisa.

"Lotsa mods out there add in all the realistic stuff. Like they got some of that for the most part in the stock experience, like they actually have wind factored into some of 'em." She paused after that. "Can't argue with that though, never got to sit in a cockpit yet."

"...what's it like?"
 
"It's honestly hard to describe. With the neural link, it doesn't feel like you're just sitting back and controlling a machine. I haven't piloted it into battle yet, though. Just some trial runs, live training, and things of the like. In some ways it's like you're fighting with your own hands, in some ways not. Of course, there's a lot more to consider than in standard combat."

Elisa just watches Chloe procure three cans of some soft drink. The action seems to confuse her, though she doesn't comment on it.
 
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Having maintained his silence throughout the whole discussion about video games, Randall gives a small nod at her description. "After being in combat several times, I still can't describe it. Its different from person to person, I've been told, based on some psychological mumbo jumbo, but for me at least its like you become the einherjar, and your body moves of its own volition to manipulate the controls. Though that might just be because of my experience."
 
Ludwig, took a can of Orbital Dew, and began to chug it. Though he noticed, that Chloe was downing them extremely quickly. Ludwig took another napkin, and brought out his pen again. He tapped it against his nose, as he took a second can and drank.

"The can is.." Ludwig looked at his partially consumed can of delicious sugary cola, "Five inches in height... She consumed the entire can in... three seconds, at the most." He began scrawling down something, "If I were to attempt to beat that speed..." Ludwig began tapping his pen in a consistent fashion. He took a third can of cola, and drank it as he was tapping the pen. Ludwig then placed the can down with a quick thud. "That was, not close enough..." Ludwig shrugged, as he glanced l around, from the pilots, to the staff, to the highly wonderful refreshment table. He then chuckled a bit. "Ah, that "Psychological Mumbo Jumbo" as you so colloquially put it is a fine example of showing the differences in people's organic programming. It's what makes each individual member of humanity so special!" Ludwig again resorted to incredibly hammy theatrics, "THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, IS SPARKED BY THE INDIVIDUAL LIGHT WHICH DIFFERENTIATES THE ORGANIC CODES WE SHARE!" Ludwig realized he left his new napkin note on the table, as he placed it away in his pocket, "And with humanity united... The very HEAVENS CAN NOT OPPOSE US!"
 
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"It sounds like the same idea honestly, just in this case you get to control something real instead of a digital avatar."

Although lag issues here could get you killed without any kind of a respawn.

She didn't respond long enough to swap out the empty can for a fresh one, this one she drank a bit slower now that she had fed the beast initally.

"Ahhhh. Randall...right? You said you've actually fought the Gauna before? What're they like? Is it true they raise the dead into zombies?"
 
"Well, it definitely doesn't feel unnatural to me. Immersive might be the right word. When I'm in the middle of doing something in the Einherjar, I don't need to stop and think about what controls to hit. I might say that the Einherjar feels like an extension of my body."

Elisa continues to avoid the junk food and soft drinks.
 
Grinning, he looks at her skeptically "You're kidding, right? We haven't given them a good enough chance in years to try, so I suppose it's possible." Taking on the stereotypical 'spooky storyteller' voice, he can't hold it anymore and begins laughing. "I wouldn't give it to much credit, since people thrive on creating rumors and stories to scare each other." Scratching his jaw, he looks around "Weren't more pilots supposed to be coming?"
 
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