Iris(sis) pages: You get a call from Estelle Mackey, a 9-1-1 dispatcher who works in the Houston area who was familiar from back in the time of the Rangers.

Long distance to Iris: Bowie picks up. "Maverick Hunters. Bowie speakin. Whut's up?"

Iris(sis) pages: Hello, Bowie...it's Estelle, with Dispatch. Listen, honey, we got us a problem here. Fire and Rescue needs some help with a rescue in West District. It's an electrical...some reploid is tangled up, wrapped up in live wires. Would you be able to assist?

You paged Iris with '*hesitates for a moment* Yeah, Ah can come. Whut's the location?'.

Iris(sis) pages: 3800 block of MacElroy, next to the BP-AmoConOil tower, south side. Thank you, sweetie. I'll tell the captain. He'll appreciate it.

You enter the Texas.

Texas

Proud and independent minded, Texas is known as the Lone Star State, having once spent a short tenure as an independent nation before joining the United States. The second largest state besides Alaska, Texans are a fiercely proud people, who enjoy their steaks extra large and their music with country style. Much of the state is large expanses of plains and desert, though several small towns, large cities, and Mega-cities dot the landscape inbetween the vast stretches of emptiness. The heat is often above 100 in the summer, though the low humidity makes it not quite as noticeable.

Iris [Uniform] [RF] El Paso

Submerge <D> leads to Underneath Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf <G> leads to Gulf of Mexico.

North <N> leads to Great Plains.

East <E> leads to Louisiana.

Southeast <SE> leads to Central Mexico.

Southwest <SW> leads to Mojave Desert.

West <W> leads to Southwest United States.

Up <U> leads to Sky Above Western United States.

The scene at the south side of the BP-AmoConOil tower is fairly chaotic, but it's an organized chaos. Emergency vehicles line both sides of the street -- police blocking off the road and working crowd control while the Fire Department tries to figure out how best to handle the problem at hand.

The problem is quite apparent: There is a small figure that almost looks like a little girl, tangled in masses and tangles of powerline cables. Apparently, she fell from a long height (perhaps off the tower itself), and on the way down got snared in the network of power cables in Grid 8 of the oil company's power supply network. It's a very dangerous situation. In fact...if that WERE a human girl, she would certainly be dead many times over by now. That's the only way that the fire department knows the victim is a reploid: she's still alive after being zapped by millions of electrical volts, and she's still wriggling to get out. But she's snared in there good. The fire department has long poles and grippers, but it's going to be a difficult rescue.

Bowie rushes to the scene as quickly as time and traffic will allow. While he's been out of Texas DPS for over a year, many of the people still serving recognize him either by face or by reputation. The rest let him through after a few waves of his Hunter badge. After a moment, he makes his way to the captain. "Bowie reportin, sir..." Looking up at the poor ensnared girl, he grimaces. "Quite a mess...whut have we got on scene?"

The fire captain, one Chad Owens, shakes his head, looking at the suspended form about 50 feet up from the ground. "Glad you could git here, Bowie, ah 'preciate it. We got us a 'ploid in a bit of a fix. Ah don't think we got the equipment to git her down in one piece, to be honest. We got the ladder unit, which can git -up- there, but the juice is off the scale in voltage," he explains in a very calm voice that reveals little about how really upset he is. He's a young man...youngest fire captain in Houston's history, and he doesn't want to make any rash decisions that would further endanger the victim -- or quite possibly make MORE victims unintentionally.

"HEEEEEEELLLLLP!!!", cries the lady entangled in wires overhead. She wriggles some more, and some loud electrical snaps can be heard. She whimpers in pain, and things quiet down once more.

Cyclops has connected.

[OOC] Bowie says, "Oh sure, send the electrically weak person up against this...;)"

Bowie scowls in concern, his eyes on the girl but ears focused on Owen's words. "No way t'shut the power down, then, huh?" Not good. He shakes his head, then looks around at the chaos on the ground. "We got a spare electrician's suit on hand? Ah don't fancy gettin zapped any more than Ah have to."

The fire captain nods. "We do," Owens says, quickly heading over to a compartment in the side of Unit #1 and pulling out an appropriate suit. "'Fraid no matter what we give ya, it's gonna be a good-sized zap. But...this'll lessen it. I called BP-AmoConOil, they said she landed on some...router or another an' they're havin' trouble with the shutdown. But they're workin' on it." He shakes his head, staring up at the dangling, wire-wrapped figure above. "Miracle she's still alive...must be made a'sturdy stuff. What we're gonna do in the meantime is cover the ground with absorbers...in case more wires fall, they're all still live at this point."

From up above, a plaintive little wail, softer than the first one... "I'm sooooorrryy...call my brooooother!!" *snap* *crackle*

Bowie nods, brow still furrowed in concern. He begins donning the safety white and yellow suit of rubber and non-conductive ceramic, making sure that each of the patches is sealed properly. "Ah thank Ah'm gonna have t'cut her out. No way we'll be able t'untangle her frum that spider's web. Anybody know who she is?"

Captain Owens squints up at the small figure. "We cain't really see her too good from here...an' she cain't hear us callin' up to her, so maybe you'll have better luck gettin' an identity when we send you up on the ladder. Lemme getcha some cutters. Least that won't be bad...we got ones where the metal is insulated."

Bowie nods as he finishes suiting up. "If ya got plasma cutters, that'd be best. Clean cut, no contact." As an extra precaution, he puts an extra set of gloves on over the first set. It'll hinder his dexterity, but he's willing to accept that. Finally, he switches his usual stetson for a hard hat. After checking the suit one last time, he starts heading for the ladder.

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Commander Jet Stingray transmits, "Freaking dangit, we got a problem here!"

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie transmits, "Sorry, Jet. Got mah own problems here."

"Ah'll see what I can getcha. I think Marquez has cutters like that, over in #3. Be right back." Owens hustles over to the #3 truck, presumably to speak to Marquez and get the appropriate cutters for the job.

Overhead, the female reploid is still well ensnared in the wires...there's dozens of them, tangled all around her little form in various stages of breakage. She isn't going anywhere anytime soon. What might seem a little familiar is her unusually long brunette hair, hanging straight down.

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Commander Jet Stingray transmits, "Unless your problem... Nevermind."

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie transmits, "Ah'm about t'go play with a couple million volts a electricity. Ya'll excuse me if Ah'm not tryin t'get werked up."

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "My god, handsome!! Be careful, okay?? Call me if you get too hurt."

Bowie waits at the bottom of the ladder until Owens returns with the cutters. They get hitched into the toolbelt on the front of the suit. Then begins the slow and careful ascent. It would do him nor her any good if he slips and falls along the way.

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Ah'm bein real careful. An if Ah get hurt, Ah'll make sure ya get called."

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Ah love ya. An don't wurry too much, okay?"

Owens himself is operating the ladder on #1. He feels an obligation to keep Bowie as safe as possible, despite the extreme risk.

The tangled girl, upon seeing a rescuer ascending in her direction, begins wriggling again. The closer Bowie gets, the more he can see how burnt up she is. Most of her skin is intact, though in certain parts where the live wires are suspending her, it's burnt and melted straight down to the metal skeletal-support. She's probably in a lot of pain.

Bowie implicitly trusts Owens. Houston FD doesn't hire fools, after all. He continues upwards, thankful that he doesn't have to sweat. Between the suit and the stress, a human would be sweating up a storm. Once he's close enough that he thinks she can hear him, he calls up to the girl. "Hold still, an don't struggle! We're goin t'get ya down!"

Iris tilts her head a little bit toward the approaching rescuer...she's lost a lot of her sensitive hearing equipment to electical shock, though Bowie is near enough that she can hear his voice. She calms a bit, or tries to, and the wriggling subsides. Her face, even crossed with pain and torment, seems startlingly familiar.

Bowie reaches the top of the ladder, swaying slightly from the breeze and from his weight. The ladder is at its full extension, raising to almost level with the wires. Making sure his feet are firmly planted, he begins to look over the situation. To the girl, he musters a reassuring smile. "Howdy...."

The rest of what Bowie was about to say is lost temporarily as he belatedly recognizes her. Of all the people he was expecting to meet up here, dangling from suspended electrical wires at fifty feet above the ground, Iris was definitely not one of them.

[OOC] Bowie decides the most prudent course of action is to /not/ call Colonel until after you're rescued.

Iris doesn't immediately recognize Bowie -- but of course, he's in the electrical suit, with a different hat...and she's pretty traumatized at the moment. She's also looking at him upside-down, and his voice sounds a little bit muffled to her -- most of her listening equipment is fried. "Th...thank you for helping...I'm sorry for this mess..." The wires are crackling angrily, and one can feel the electrical charge in the air just from proximity. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt..."

[OOC] Iris grins!! 8)

Bowie picks up where he left off, his initial surprise gone. "Don't wurry 'bout that right now, missy," he says in a surprisingly calm voice. "Ah'm goin t'get ya down, but t'do that, yer goin t'have t'stay calm an listen t'me. Ah'm goin' t start cuttin wires. Ah need ya t'stay as still as possible until Ah can get ya free."

Iris sighs. "Okay, understood," she says softly. At least she's calmer now, and not wriggling around...it makes the job of cutting wires a bit easier.

Bowie says "Thankee." As he looks over the tangled web again, he finds the first of the wires to slice. It's one of the two wrapped around her right arm - it doesn't appear to be directly supporting her, and it's the closer of the two wires to him. Positioning himself so that the wire shouldn't snap back at him, he takes the cutters from his belt and reaches out to make the first cut.

Iris closes her eyes tightly as the severed wires snap loudly, resulting in some of the wires dropping -- now devoid of charge, they land harmlessly on the insulation spread below. Her arm appears to be freer than it was, as well as part of her shoulder.

Iris receives a radio transmission from Colonel.

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie transmits, "Attention Repliforce. Ah've got Miss Iris. Do not, Ah repeat, do /not/ go showin up here until Ah say so. This is sticky enough without any help."

Bowie watches as the first wire falls away, then turns his attention back to Iris. "That's the first one. Ya'll right?"

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Commander Jet Stingray sounds rather annoyed. "Stupid Stardroid toy... Hope you sink to the bottom of that really big trench in the ocean. Now, what's this about Iris? She in trouble?

"I...think so, yes...it all happened so fast, I felt very silly..." Iris murmurs tremulously. "I was standing on the top of that tower...and the wind just kicked up, and...I got swept right off the roof!"

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie transmits, "Yep. But the situation is in hand."

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Commander Jet Stingray transmits, "Define 'in hand', dude."

Colonel arrives from the Great Plains.

Colonel has arrived.

The intercom/speaker on top of the ladder crackles to life, and Owens is on it. "Hey, Bowie, how's it comin'? If it's gettin' to be a problem, just call, okay?"

Bowie says "It happens. No one's blamin ya fer this. Ah'm goin t'cut the next wire now." Thus far, he's not letting on he knows who she is. If she can't hear the radio chatter, that's just as well. He reaches out again, leaning forward to reach the second wire, the one that's ensnared her legs. Cutting this one should free them, but it might also cause her to slip back as she loses that support. "Whutever ya do, don't struggle." He severs the wire.

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie transmits, "Ah'm gettin her down. Trust me. Ah'm shuttin this off, don't need distractions. *click*"

Iris is currently suspended upside-down by dozens of live electrical wires, as Bowie (who is on a tall fire truck ladder) cuts her down carefully, wire by wire. She probably isn't here by choice, one could safely assume. The work of freeing her from this ensnared state is painstaking. Bowie is cutting wires, one by one, with a plasma cutter. Iris doesn't move as asked, though her body jerks from the momentum of the severed wires releasing their grip. As Bowie cuts a few more away, she dangles about two feet lower than when he began. "Whoah..."

Bowie says in the same calm voice, "Yer doin jus fine, missy. Now, Ah'm goin t'move the ladder over closer to ya, but don't reach fer it. Otherwise yer goin t'give mah buddy down thare the shock a his life." Supposedly, the ladder is insulated, but it was not designed to withstand electrical voltage of this magnitude. He then radios down to Owens (fire chief and person maneuvering the ladder truck), "We're about half done. Move me over about two feet forward, an angle t'the left."

Colonel arrives on the scene on a hoverbike... This one is his own. Colonel has been following the transponder that Iris is carrying. As he arrives on the scene to see what happens, he hops off the bike... Thankfully, the bike has an auto landing sequence to keep it from being smashed. Colonel runs over and looks up at Iris. "What has happened here?"

Owens complies carefully, obligingly maneuvering the emergency vehicle in a precise fashion.

Iris, in the meantime, is fighting down terror. She trusts Bowie, but the situation itself is very frightening. She can feel the cables loosening as Bowie cuts them away -- and she's in the vulnerable position of being head-down, so she has to contend with the fear of falling 50 feet onto her head. "Ummm...okay...I'm trying really hard not to move..." She doesn't react at all, as her brother calls up. Her hearing and comm circuits are fried to the point where she can't really hear any sounds unless they're right on top of her. She DOES, however, see him as she peers down. "BROTHER!!!" She wriggles inadvertantly, in her excitement.

Colonel has disconnected.

Bowie mentally facepalms as someone apparently moves in on the scene below them. If this is Iris, then that must be Colonel. "Hold still," He repeats in the same calm manner. "Yer brother will be right thare once we get ya down. Now. Ah'm goin t'free yer right arm. Once Ah do, Ah want ya t'grab on t' the ladder. Then Ah'll finish cuttin ya down." To Owens, he radios, "Clear the truck. Ah'm about t'light it up like a Christmas tree." After that, he sincerely hopes that this suit is as good as they said it was. Once he gets a positive sign for Iris, he reaches out and severs the third wire. Two to go.

From below, there's a sudden quick flash of movement as Owens exits the fire truck cab, and orders everyone to stand clear of the vehicle.

"I'm sorry, I just got excited," Iris apologizes meekly, then nods once Bowie gives her the instruction. "I'm ready," she murmurs as yet another wire crackles and falls away toward earth. Bowie's suit is holding up fairly well, under the circumstances. There's a few electrical scorches, but nothing major.

Hiryu arrives from the Great Plains.

Hiryu has arrived.

The designers of this electrician's suit will get a glowing recommendation from him once this is over. Bowie's been getting a good buzz from the electricity, but even his less-than-optimal resistors have been able to shunt the excess. "Good goin. Now. Ah'm gettin that one around yer waist next. Once it's free, transfer yer weight t'the ladder." This wire's pretty tricky, as Iris' weight has distended the wire down almost out of his reach. Hooking his arm around the topmost rung, he leans out and down and cuts through the next wire.

Iris meeps at the sudden release -- as Bowie cuts the next wire, gravity works its magic much better than intended, and suddenly piles of severed wires are falling like a rain of dead snakes down onto the tarmac below. Iris quickly grabs onto the fire truck ladder, clinging there monkeylike. She isn't free of -all- the wires, only the ones which were holding her firmly in place. Now, she's tethered by several wires looping around her midsection, and one around her neck.

Bowie absolutely refuses to let her see the fright she just gave him. For a moment, he feared she would miss the ladder entirely. "Okay. All Ah need t'do is get these last few wires. An then we can go see yer brother, all right?" Making sure she has a firm grip on the ladder, he reaches down to sever those last few wires, starting from the neck down.

The last few wires snap and shock vindictively with an evil hiss, as if furious at Bowie for cutting them. Iris hangs on tightly to the ladder, her eyes closed as if she can't bear to look. "Okay," she whimpers.

How entertaining. A shadowy figure stands on a rooftop in the distance, scarf wrapped around his body, but still billowing out a little, caught in a breeze. Hiryu watches the machines fumble around with a mild hint of amusement that doesn't touch his face.

Bowie breathes a sigh of relief as the last of the wires slips free. Iris is a mess, and his own systems are complaining loudly about the abuse they've received, but things could have been much much worse. "Thare. We're goin t'bring ya down now. This is the easy part." To Owens, he radios, "We're free an clear. Ya can bring us down now."

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] Phoenixflame XO Bowie's radio clicks back on. "Miss Iris is safe, but could use a medic. Anyone in RF who can do a pickup in Houston, Texas?"

[Radio: (F) Joint-Secure] RF MSE Prismatic Spider transmits, "I'm on my way."

Prismatic Spider arrives from the Louisiana.

Prismatic Spider has arrived.

Owens runs back to the cab of #1, hopping back inside to take control of the ladder to bring it back down.

Iris is burnt badly in some places, but she's very alive and extremely grateful. Now that she's upright (and remarkably, able to stand, a testament to the durability of reploids), she turns to Bowie with a weak smile. "Thank you so much...oh!" She blinks, looking startled as she apparently recognizes Bowie, now. "I know you!"

Bowie gives Iris a smile. Once on the ground, he removes the hardhat, displaying a nice case of hat hair. "Yep. Bowie," he supplies in case she's forgotten his name. "Had no idea it wus you 'till Ah got up thare. Ah jus called fer a medic fer ya...now whare'd yer brother get to?"

Iris looks around. "Hm, I don't know...I hope he's not back at the base yelling at Bolero because I got hurt..." She looks sheepish. "That's my boyfriend. Obviously it's not his fault I fell off a building, but my brother would blame him anyway." She smirks. "Anyhow...thank you VERY much...that's the last time I go out of my way to get a really good picture. I don't think it was quite worth the trouble of getting blown by a gust of wind, off a skyscraper and into live powerlines. You're a life saver."

Prismatic Spider arrives on the scene in a Repliforce medical vehicle, homing in on Iris' location with the assistance of some quick directions... Of course, the scene people are making doesn't help. With the proper credentials, the vehicle is admitted. As the vehicle pulls up, Prismatic Spider and a few MSE medical assistants exit out of the back, Reploid Support Stretcher in hands. The Spider Scientist heads to Iris and Bowie and nods in greeting. "Hello everyone. Thank goodness you're all right, Iris..."

Bowie says "Yer welcome, Miss Iris. Jus...don't do that again, all right?" His smile becomes more of a grimace as his arm actuators start telling him in full detail just how much all the electricity was not appreciated.

Hiryu vanishes, as the situation is resolved.

"Oh, NEVER again, Bowie, you have my WORD." Iris promises, just as Prismatic comes in. "I'm sorry for the mess, Prismatic...my sensors are all messed up from the electrical shocks, but thanks to Bowie I lived through an awful accident."

Bowie leaves Iris in the RF medic's capable hands, then goes to stip out of the electrical suit. By the time Prismatic is done, he'll be long gone...

Prismatic Spider nods. "All right... Did you want to get on the stretcher, or would you prefer to walk?" Bowie's exit is noted but not commented upon... Injured parties first, after all.