You head for food...
You head for food... |
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Cyberpyro strides down the hallway purposefully. For every step he takes, you have no choice but to take 2 of your own in order to keep up. His strides are incredibly long, and you end up trailing behind him and having to stay off to the side of him somewhat to avoid colliding with his tremendous Claymoor slung at his side. Amazingly, it swings very little as he walks; it's clearly well secured and carried well--something that comes only from an immeasurable amount of practice.
By the time you reach the first elevator, you're too completely out of breath from trying to keep up to say much of anything as the elevator shoots upwards, popping your ears as it does so.
When the lift comes to a stop, the massive Cyberpyro immediatly heads out the door again and into the labyrinth of hallways that marks this place as incredibly secure. He instantly resumes his earlier pace, and the earlier process repeats itself as people in the hallway step aside to let his impressive form pass, nodding respectfully as he does so, yet knowing not to salute or say the word sir lest they hear the "Don't call me sir" lecture as it had come to be known among those in both the DE and TRES Corps.
At long last, you arrive at your destination, where CP at long last slows down somewhat. He pauses briefly at a locker, where he drops off his massive Claymoor, secures it, and grabs an electronic doohicky of some kind.
"Gets in the way where we're going. The others will be ok, though, as long as I wear this..." he says, gesturing at the gizmo in his hand. He clips it on his belt quickly, and pushes a button activating it. In mere seconds, he looks like an ordinary average guy, if not somewhat larger than most.
He looks at a panel in the wall, notes some blinking lights, and pushes a button when they go out. "It's clear now." Instantly, a wall panel opens beside the panel to reveal an empty back hallway. You both step out, and you follow him as he saunters towards the front of the building, passing restrooms as you do so.
You emerge into what appears to be a normal McDonald's. Nothing exciting, but strange, nonetheless. People mill about the restaurant, munching and talking. What strikes you as strange, though, is that most of the people look more common than your guide. Someone splatters ketchup on themself and curses. Obviously real clothing.
Cyberpyro notes your gaze wandering about, and nearly grins from ear to ear as if to say, "uh huh, we're here, and we sell burgers, but nobody knows we're here!"
"Food's on me," he says as he steps up to the counter and places an extraordinarily large order. You step up, place your order, and he drops a purple card on the counter. The cashier picks it up, smiles, and you slip back to a corner table without another word.
Between bites, Cyberpyro explains to you briefly. "Oh, we make a few bucks selling burgers. Not enough to support the whole thing, but it's kinda fun, ya know? Samhain has an odd sense of humor some times."
Unsure what else to do, you simply smile and nod.
After finishing your meal, you slip back to the secret passage. After collecting the Claymoor and dropping off the electronic cloaker gadget, he takes you down a staircase into a huge dining area, literally large enough for hundreds of people. A huge counter runs the length of the room to serve people as fast as poosible. About half the tables are filled with people in Empire Uniforms, enjoying a brief respite and meal together in comraderie.
"This is the largest McDonald's ever built. Nobody realizes it due to the fact most of it is underground and concealed, but it is," he grins broadly. "What better way to honor Grimace than by serving both the general public and the entire Empire in the same place?"
Fleet Commander Samhain