"I was there first. He ran into me." Gregory really needed the others. "'Sides, you don't know anything. You just want war." He contemplating telling her about the Comet and its threat to all of them.

Gregory looks at Ash and her friend. They needed to know.

Gregory undorms in case she goes crazy on him before he speaks again. "I lied earlier."

"What did you say?!"

He had her full attention now.

"Did you say -I- wanted war? Listen, you genetic freak, WE didn't start this! They came to US. They attacked US. They broke the defenses, came in, took everyone they didn't kill prisoner and brought them here to be slaves! You think I -like- trying to fight supermen with...with spitballs and rocks? We're doing this because it's this, or be...do you even KNOW what they do to their slaves? Huh? We're risking our lives fighting, because there are things worse than death, Gregory. So do not EVEN try to moralize to me, or say I'm a warmonger because the second there's peace, real peace, not the...the domestication they're trying to push, I'll be the first one at the party!"

Then his last sentence registers and her eyes narrow.

"About what?"

Whoa! It was not the response he had either wanted or expected. The abbies of this city had wronged her people, like they wronged KB and the people of Newborough. Maybe that was the link he needed.

"The people here do bad things to me and friends. We fight them too. Except....now..."

Come on, spit it out His mind reeled.

"I not here to scavenge. I came with friends to help stop comet that kill everyone. Kill you even."

James laughs, "Brother no need to be so coy. My cybermancers have been aware that somebody was acessing the computer systems in this building. I hadn't figured it was you but given the knowledge you seem to already have I can put one and one together. As you well know we intend to launch several of our number into space. I belive that I can activate one of the orbital weapons platforms and use it to shoot down the comet when it approaches.

"In the mean time several of our hardiest members will embark to the object itself and do what they can to break it apart into more manageable chunks. " James is silent for a moment, a thoughful expression on his face. "Father told you I was working on a ship to gain control of the nuclear devices in orbit didn't he? He failed to mention why I was doing it, instead letting you assume I was going to hold the planet hostage."

James sighs and shakes his head, "Brother, our father is mad, he believes that human and nova both deserved to die during the burn and that this comet will finish what the burn failed to complete, the utter extinction of our races."

Charlie has his hand wrapped around his battered weapon but Ashley keep him from raising it toward Gregory. "Why don't we just kill him and get it over with. The only reason I dropped that grenade is because Mr. Invisible here was playing with me. I lost my footing and the grenade fell from my hands. Not my finest moment I know but he was toying with me. How can we know if anything he says is even truthful?" The anger in Charlie's voice is clear and his finger is already on the trigger of his weapon.

Outside, beyond the ruined walls the fighting had stopped and now the three of them could hear orders being given. "Tend to the wounded, kill the humans, check those buildings for any more troublemakers." The three of them could hear foot steps crunching through the rubble around their position, and the steps were getting louder and closer.

"I tried," Ash replies shortly. "He's bulletproof. Fortunately he didn't take it personal...wait..."

She frowns, tilting her head as new sounds impinge. Her lips form a curse, but she doesn't utter a sound. Meeting Charlie's eyes, she gestures towards a copse of trees, then takes cover herself...crouching behind some tall bushes growing out from a pile of rubble.

She takes hold of her grenade with her right hand, then winces and rubs her forehead with her left. Lousy past-street-date aspirin just didn't work when you were this stressed every day...

Raider looked thoughtful. "Yes that is what father told me..." He allowed himself to show a little doubt on his face, but inside he knows that James would do exactly that if given the opportunity. He wouldn't be at all surprised if he planned to launch only part of the platforms arsenal at the comet and hold the rest in reserve.

"It is a good thought to send those capable to the comet and do what they can there. But..., we can't wait until it is closer. We need to launch the missiles as soon as possible. If we wait till the last possible moment all of the chunks will hit and do devastating damage, almost as much together it would for the entire comet to hit as one mass. If we hit it quickly there is a large chance at least some of the pieces will be scattered and miss us. I would suggest a staggered hit launching the missiles 2 at a time. That is assuming the ability to correct their trajectory in flight. If they don't have that capability, it is something I can add, but I would still say to launch the first barrage immediately. If you have enough, make it 5 at a time to be safe."

Doug sends to Raider,

*Wow he's good. Could sell sand to people living in a desert. Why missiles? Why not just teleport or warp a nuke or three up there?*

Raider returns, *I strongly suspect he doesn't intend to launch them all, but to use whatever is left over to hold the world hostage. And I think he is wanting to wait until the last minute so that he can conserve as many missiles as possible hoping the novas will take care of the comet without the need of 'his' missiles.*

Doug sends to Raider,

*There have to be other novas involved in this thing.*

Anna wished she was back again home where the world had just been as large as the farm of her father reached. She loved the stories of her grandfather especially the one about the old oaken tree he had planted himself in the backyard of their farm. She never saw it but in her world it was the most beautiful place on earth she could imagine.

Right now she was at the worst place she could imagine. Trapped by machines and machineloving Aberrants. Everything around was the root of the evil that has been brought over the world. At least that was how she thought of it. She understood what her new found friends tried to accomplish though and she felt she had to help them.

*Maybe I should volunteer to go with the others and try to reduce the size of the comet? I think I can control parts of it if it has an earthsoul.*

Doug forwards that message to Raider along with the comment,

*Of course James would need a Warper to get her up there.*

Even though Gregory had saved his life, the man still wanted to kill him. Gregory started to think that Ash, and her people, might be as bad as the abbies of New New York. When he remembered that her people were wronged as they were, he understood the hatred. He just wished it was at the ones in this city and not him.

Gregory was alerted to danger by voices, followed by the grating sound of rubble being walked upon. Ash and her hurt friend immediately took cover, and began to slowly move away from their spot. Even though they had tried to hurt him, and still did, he didn't want them to get caught.

Gregory blended into the suroundings and began shadowing the two of them. If they got into trouble, or were in danger of being caught, he would provide a diversion. Then, maybe, they would trust him.