Code FenrisAPI: IN the news today, the town of Palmas, New Mexico, has been destroyed. What at first appeard to be a Rikti attack, was determined to be a clash between an army powered suit named Phoenix, and a small group of Rikti. Here's the footage. (cut to scene of town burning, then a flying armored unit sending firebolts at nearby buildings and running bystanders). The Governor of New Mexico has declared a state of emergency. FEMA trucks are already underway from the capital to aid the victims of this ferocious attack. We have been told that the President has been in close contact with the Governor, and has promised whatever federal aid necessary to aleviate this catastrophe. The Department of Defense has not issued a statement on the horrific attack by one of its units upon the citizens of New Mexico. Sources close to the President have told us that Phoenix is part of a black ops nicknamed Project Mythos, directly under the command of the Armed Forces. More news as they develop.
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Oversight Commitee on Defense Department Spending
Kelley: Now we come to the appropriations for the powered armor project. I believe this is called Project Mythos, isn't it?
(Sen. Jack Kelley, Dem., MA)
Irons: No, sir. The Department of Defense refers to the project as Red Spear. Mythos is a name coined by the media.
(Maj. Gen. Jeremy Irons, DoD)
Kelley: This is the same media that covered the Phoenix disaster, where your unit called Code Phoenix burned down the town of Palmas, New Mexico.
Irons: Sir, I believe that is a mischaracterization, and with all due respect, an irresponsible representation of the events you refer to- fostered by the media at large.
Kelley: I beg to differ General. In fact, the armor unit we refer to as Code Phoenix was seen, across the nation, on live video capture, destroying the center of town. What part of this event would you consider to be "mischaracterized?"
Irons: Several things, sir. As I stated in my written brief, the pocket of Rikti operations the unit in question uncovered were themselves responsible for a little over thirty percent of the collateral damage. About sixty percent of all damage was caused by the inability of local forces to contain the destructive effects of the battle. Over seventy percent of all life losses were the direct results of an evacuation order that was not acted on by local authorities.
Matheson: Let me rephrase the statement then, General. The appropriation in question goes to fund a project of which Code Phoenix is part. Code Phoenix was responsible for a battle in which it, directly, destroyed ten percent of an american town and took the lives of nearly fifteen thousand of its citizens. Indirectly, it also caused the destruction of the rest of the town, during a battle with five.. five, General, five Rikti. Do you consider this statement to be a mischaracterization of the events and the involvement of Code Phoenix?
(Sen. Irwin Matheson, Rep., NJ)
Irons: Sir, with all due respect, you can characterize it any way you please. I believe my statement in the brief you hold, is exact and to the point in this matter. I believe this is as far as I can responsibly discuss the events in open session.
Kelley: And you feel, General, that the defeat of these five Rikti is commensurate to the cost in this particular case.
Irons: No sir, I do not. I believe the Rikti are dangerous in more ways than just destruction. It is my belief that the Rikti's only goal is the destruction and enslavement of humanity. It is also my belief that we will be called to make more sacrifices than the ones we've made so far, and that the cost of destroying every Rikti on this planet IS commensurate with any such sacrifices we are called to make. In regards to Code Phoenix, the unit has been deadlined for further testing.
Greely: You mean, it is powered off for the moment, until you determine what happened, after which time it will be back on line and possibly responsible for the taking of more american life.
(Sen.Greely, Rep., Kansas)
Irons: No sir. I meant Deadlined. This means the unit has been disassembled to component parts and will not be reassembled. The term you refer to is Redlined.
Kelley: General, no one on this comittee is blind to the necessary cost of freedom. The existance of an appropriation budget is a means for the responsible development of means to defend the american public against threat both foreign and domestic. What this comittee is having trouble with is accepting this project... Red Spear? As a RESPONSIBLE means to achieve this with the money the taxpayers have entrusted us.
Irons: Sir, the development of the powered armors of Red Spear are a necessary cost of defending our freedom. While I have no problem with the Superhero projects at large, it is my belief that this nation needs a defensive option that is wholly responsible to a direct chain of command, ending at the desk of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, that is the President of the United States. It is a belief we share with the President, who signed the bill authorizing the creation and development of Red Spear. Like any such project, we expect some setbacks, but my written brief details the extensive progress we have made this last year towards achieving the goals of the project.
Kelley: I see in your brief, General, that you intend to bring another unit- Code Fenris, is it? active to continue your testing. Isn't Fenris the wolf of Northern Mythology- a son of Loki, the betrayer of the Gods, who placed it among his brothers in Asgard for the sole purpose of causing chaos?
Irons: Sir, the unit is Code F. Because of the powers inherent to the unit, that is, the manipulation of cold, and because of the snout-like design of the headpiece, it received the name Fenris. It could well have been Foxtrot. Each of the units, Code A, Code B, Code C, etcetera, will eventually carry a name of some sort. Code B, for example has been nicknamed Basilisk and Code G is nicknamed Gorgon. The name itself is only a mnemonic aid, and nothing else should be read into it.
Greely: Would the General care to comment on Code Phoenix then? How did we get a unit Code P?
Irons: P stands for Prototype, sir. It was the first unit assembled.
Matheson: And what is to stop Code Fenris from destroying another town. Say... District of Columbia, for example.
Irons: Several safeguards have been implemented since the last testing session. Most of the power output of the unit have been blocked off with redundant safeties. The unit will be closely monitored by the DoD, to include weekly disassembly and reconstruction to assure all parts are operating within projected parameters. In addition, the DoD has begun a more comprehensive study of the effects of power armor on the personnel involved, and has shifted recruitment accordingly. Rather than Air Force test pilots, we are now training Army armor commanders. We believe they show a more stable aggression profile.
Matheson: Stable aggression, General?
Irons: Sir, it is clear that the mind set that goes to making a great pediatrician is not the mindset that should be strapped to the seat of an F18 loaded with nuclear weapons. It is a fact that the personality necessary to make a combat pilot involves a certain amount of "aggression". We have found, however, that the tank commander mind profile shows acceptable aggresion levels while fostering a more controlled personality.
Greely: Will there be a Code Kraken, General?
Irons: Sir, it would be irresponsible to name a combat unit after its enemy. No, I can categorically say that there will not be a Code Kraken. There are no current plans to expand the test armors beyond the G unit.
Kelley: Very well General. We will approve the appropriation for Red Spear provided you supply the commitee with weekly briefs on its performance. Further, we wish the unit to be tested alongside a responsible superhero group, and the commitee will open a line of communication with said group that they may evaluate the unit independent of DoD testing.
Irons: (confers with an aid) Very well sir, in which case we request you place the unit with Black Atom.
Greely: This Black Atom, is he the leader of a superhero team?
Irons: Yes sir. An officially licensed superteam operating out of Paragon City.
Kelley. Very well. Now, let's discuss this appropriation for more lab space in the Rikti Technology Research division.
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DoD
Form 314-C
23 APR 04
SFC Ramirez, Ezequiel
Reassignment confirmed to Project: Rebirth for a duration to be determined, not to exceed three years. Combat Pay, Jump Pay, and Hazardous Duty Pay authorized. All costs of relocation of military and dependent personnel to be reinbursed according to schedule D. Housing costs and living expenses authorized as necessary.
Equipment: All personal effects and Red Spear equipment for the support of Battle Unit Fenris to be relocated by Army transportation.
Destination Paragon City. Report to Black Atom no later than 0600 hrs 25 APR 04.
*edit* Ok, so I'm obsessive I found a few spelling errors. Corrected. -Cup
Edited by: Caerwaen Graeholm at: 4/23/04 7:36 pm
I decided to try something we discussed one night on the forums. I was encouraged to try this by some of you, and I thank you for the confidence.
Not a real big change. Fenris is a controller, Ice/Storm. Elemental controllers are very similar (ice compared to cuprum's earth), but storm over force field gives me even more situational control. Aiming for full lockdown.
Re: Code Fenris
Very cool Cuprum. Though I must say I am disappointed we didn't have a Texan sitting on the appropriation committee. He'd have helped push it through.
Black Atom Project Captain
Posts: 12
(4/23/04 9:36 pm) Reply
Fenris
Wow.
Wow.
So THAT's what goes on during those C-Span things I flip past?
Hey mano, hope everything’s good. Don’t know when you’ll get this, I’m sending it to tia’s house knowing you’ll stop by when you’re on leave next. You do the same, I'll stop by when I can.
My new duty station is going OK. Paragon City is too busy for my taste and the only green I’ve seen is at a place called Perez Park, and that’s so overrun with crime you can’t walk two steps without a fight. I’m writing you from a place that they call Boomtown, where I’ve been spending a lot of time lately. There isn’t a single building standing, it’s just a mass of twisted metal and smoking brick. It reminds me of our tour in Costa Azul, remember mano? It must have dropped in the pot the same way here. Sometimes, I can close my eyes and I’m there; but that always reminds me of Berto, and Snake, and Peewee so I try not to do it too much. I come here to remind me, to keep it real you know. The Fenris is strong even with all the safeguard governors and if I’m not careful, this could be what is left behind when I’m through.
I was thinking, I have two lists in my mind. One has the names of people who are my friends, the other has names of people who used to be my friends and are gone. Sometimes I’m there listening when they lower the body, and in my mind something moves the name from one list to another. I wish I could stop writing names on the first list, but it just isn’t my way.
Mano, the headaches are getting worse. At the end of every day my skull feels like it’s holding more brain that fits in there. I’m sure telemetry is recording that but I haven’t heard anything from Col. Hawkins about it so maybe it’s supposed to be this way. I am not nauseus like you are on the Gorgon, and my appetite is OK as long as I can hold my head straight and sometimes, I just want to put a saw to it to relive the pain. It’s figurative, I’m not loosing my mind, it just feels like I need an overflow pipe or something. I’ve passed out twice now, there’s these little mechanical monsters called Clockworks that shoot the Fenris with electricity and I can feel it right through the inputs. I’m glad for the helmet, so my new unit can’t it, it’s embarrassing as hell to fall asleep on the job.
I miss our old unit, and I miss the feel of Charlie One rumbling beneath me with a round up the spout looking for trouble. I miss the revving at idle that puts you to sleep in cold days. MSG Williams removed the governors from the propulsion jets and now the Fenris and I can fly, which is a small consolation. My new unit is tight, but strange in many ways. It’s odd you know, these people see the elephant everyday but it’s different for them, not like the guys in the tanks; it’s like when you’re in a task force with marines, navy and air force pilots, squids and seals and everyone is the same but completely different you know? But they’re right, and tight, and they’ll take the bullet for you if they can so it’s easy to fall into the old patterns.
Give Felicia a big kiss for me, and tell her I loved the dulces she sent me. She’s the best thing that ever happened to you and don’t forget it- hang on to that mano. And I want a nephew, so get some leave. If you have a chance visit Brandy? She’s still at Fort Hood, living off the pension. I haven’t really had leave and I promised Hockey I’d watch after her. With my new paygrade I’ve been putting a little extra into a scholarship fund for little Robin; it’s not much but it’s the best I can do.Take Felicia with you, talking with someone who understands is the best medicine sometimes.
Te quiero mucho, be careful, be strong, be proud. No matter what you do, or what people think of what you do, all that matters is that in morning you can look in the mirror and be proud of the man standing there looking back at you.
I found a few spelling errors. Corrected. -Cup
Edited by: 
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