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Re: Interactive Story - LARP/MMORG for the whole CofI to join in, if you like or dare

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"Amazing. Incredible." Ben says as he nonchalantly closes his helmet and reaches to scan the gas...

With another hand, he stores the samples, carbon or no, in a pouch and begins a thorough search to some sort of center to this thing. He also begins to verify his hunch that this is some kind of life form. Microphones record the voice and displays it in a holofield before him...

He calls out into the chamber...

"Listen to me. I am Benjamin of Zeldar. My companions and I mean you no harm. We seek to free you from the others that have captured you. (points to Julianne) They have killed one of us. They will kill you. We must work together to be free. Or be killed by the others."

He replays the message, shifting over all his language cards in his voder. He also projects the "universal" Pictorial coding the Hive uses on meeting unknown sentient life. It may not speak Galanglic, but it may understand Math. He begins with a tonal and visual range of prime numbers...

He records everything that happens as he casts an eye on the gas' prorogress from the coffins.
 
Ref says: The webbing around Zeke loosens a tad before resuming its usual tightness. A pattern of lights appears on the cube flashing an elaborate sequence of complex geometrical shapes. It then begins to constrict Zeke almost to point of him losing consciousness then relaxes again. The cube begins to pulse red, an aperture opens inward inside Zeke can a distorted tiny creature of some sort.

pruitt-mutant.jpg


Quizzically, the flaps around the cube reseal.

It would seem that the object is revealing a story but unsure that it can trust Zeke or there are two different entities at work. Perhaps, Zeke will have to enlist the help of others.

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Owen stares at Panthera, something about that last bit she uttered sounds familiar from his naval days. Nervously, he pulls out his pen and begins to scroll the words down indicating that these are phonetic approximations. He pales as the words are analyzed by the computer. He reaches for his sidearm almost instinctually before remembering this planet had him check it in. Looks through the medical kit finding some bandages and ties Panthera's hands behind her back. Grabs the web gun and points it at Ditzie.

"Now, don't you try anything, we have to work together or we all die horribly like poor Julianne back there." he nervously croaks as he reaches for a stim from the medical kit and injects Panthera as a attempt to revive her.

The pad has completed a translation of the words, “Alpha, Beta, Gamma - Control please respond.”
-------------------------------
The gas, Ben’s analysis confirms would be detrimental to his well being, as it a biogenetic agent that Hiver surgeons commonly use to render a patient unconscious, one specifically designed for Hivers that keeps a portion of the brain active, so as not cause the usual form of shock associated with trauma.

The response to the primary numbering sequence seems to have an effect. A series of lights appear on the floor. Leading to the corridor that slopes downward away from the coffins is where the object seems to want to lead Ben.
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Ben comes across a large cathedral like room after travelling what seemed a long distance down the corridor. In the meantime, the lights around him seem to wink empathically that he is now moving along the correct path. When he looks back hardly any distance was in fact transversed. Clearly the laws of space & time have bent in some way in this object, as things seem much bigger on the inside than the outside of this object.

Within the cathedral room, there is a box in the centre similar to what he saw on the view screen earlier. Craning his prime limb upwards, he sees a human suspended by some webbing.

Some vine like structures descend from the ceiling complete with a comfortable pad to rest. Upon sitting on the pad, it genteelly hauls him up till he is eye to eye with the human.

The human is wearing powered armour and does have a FGMP which seems to have been drained of all its charges. The man looks haggard and tired as if from a long ordeal. Ben's presence suddenly wakens him from his stupor. "Cut me down, please." he pleads.

"Who are you? I think you will stay there until I can determine if you are friend or foe. There has been far to much foe of late."

Ben begins to scan the man...
 
Panthera stirs but does not seem to be roused by the dose. She does not seem to notice the bonds securing her wrists; instead she seems to be snuggling into Ditzie's lap, like a pet needing comfort. She's making slight whimpering sounds...

Ditzie is non-plussed. Suddenly, after what seemed like weeks of being ignored and unheard, now she's the centre of attention! She cradles Panthera's head in her lap, whilst staring up at Owen over the muzzle of his 'slinger.

"What the ****ing hell do you think you're doing? I don't take kindly to folk pointing guns at me." Ditzie's jaw juts belligerently, and her murderous frown would make even an Aslan think twice...
 
"Ben isn't it?" Zeke says in a voice The hiver is certain to recognise."Look,consider me a prisoner or whatever you wish,just get me down from here.I'm begging you,PLEASE!I'll swear my services to you indefinitely,if that's what you want.We have to work together and I'll even help you get away from the Count,if you'll just get me down!"Zeke knew he was taking a chance asking for help from a creature he was hunting just a few hours ago,but he had no choice.And as far as he was concerned,the Count had broken their contract by acting so recklessly."Ben,if you help me,I swear I'll be eternally greatful and will do all I can to help you and the others get out this place."
 
"Hear me, Human." (continues to scan him for weaponry) " I will brook no further treachery from your kind here. I will release you. But I will put this (holds up small black plastic tube) Thorium Stored Inert Explosive on your Armor. If I die. You die. You should hope that I live. And see to it that I do. If your conduct is from now on honorable. I will release you fully. "

Ben Mol Bonds the device to the back of Zeke's helmet ring, and begins to cut him down with his springblade and cuttertorch...

"I do not recommend tampering with the device. I dislike violence. But I will kill you if you ever point a weapon at me again. Do you understand me?"
 
Ref says:
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The web bonds cut relatively easily with Ben's tool, as the strands become disattached; they quickly blacken and turn into a carbonate power. The pad widens and allows Zeke to come on board. It gently glides down to the ground level. The cube pulses briefly and array geometric symbols appear on the side.

----------------------------
Owen blinks at Panthera, "You had better tell me who you are and what you are doing, Zhadontis** and if you try getting into my head, I swear that in the first instance that I have - you will die." he flicks a switch on his naval vacc suit and suddenly there is a buzzing sound in direction of Owen.

"Don't try to zombie any of these I will not hesitate to web you all and leave you here." Owen retorts and nervously flicks his pen, on and off.

----------------------
Zeke is picking up a very faint Naval signal coming from another part of the object. As tracking is next to impossible but it tells him that the signal originates somewhere from an area above them, yet, that is impossible for that is how he descended from the outside.
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**The Zhodani equivalent of bitch.
 
Ditzie's face goes red, her shoulders hunch, she yells: "GET THAT GUN OUT OF MY FACE OR I'LL GET WEALLY WEALLY ANGRY, and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry...." Ditzie's eyes narrow murderously...

At that point Panthera starts to stir and opens her eyes. She spits out blood from where she had bitten her lip.

"Better do as she says or it's gonna get messy, Owen. And stop it with those filthy stims. That was Panthera's habit, not mine!"

OOC: I didn't Zombie Ditzie, just thought she might say something while Panthera was out.

Panthera, or not-Panthera, is pale beneath her dark skin, with new stress lines on her face. She tries to sit up, then notices the restraints on her wrists.

"Nice Owen," she flashes a rather familiar smile,"but pointless. We got better things to worry about than each other's life story. I'm guessing we've all got hidden agendas here. And I'm not going to be messing with anybody's head after what I just saw. It isn't nice. If you thought it was bad then well, its far, far worse than you thought. So be a good boy and put the 'slinger down, and let me try and contact Benny. This problem transcends politics and any petty differences our governments may have."

Ditzie is once again non-plussed; nay, speechless. She looks down at her 'friend?' with her jaw literally on the floor.
 
Ref says:
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"You stay away from me, do you hear, mind ripper, do you hear me? I have seen what your kind can do." nervously pointing the gun at Ditzie then back at Panthera. "Felix, come-on, Man, we cannot let them take over. No, no, no..." Owen then collapses, taking long & short breaths as his eyes pale from fright and fear.

The object's crystalline colours slow to a crawl, a violent shaking occurs, about 75m in front of the party a sinkhole appears in the floor. It is approximately, 1 meter in diameter, large enough for a human to easily fit through, without gear.
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"Oh dear, it seems Owen is suffering from a bout of PTSD"

She looks at Felix and Ditzie. They're looking back at her with expressions of shock and mistrust.

"Hey, it wasn't me. We're inside an Entity, it has a very powerful Mind that almost lobotomised me a few minutes ago, and it is mightily pissed off."

BIIIIIGGGG sigh.....

"Ok, I guess you got some questions. I will answer some; others I won't. The short answer is yes, I am an, er, unofficial representative of the Consulate. But that doesn't change anything. Panthera is not an act - that was, is, real. My original objectives are the same as yours - investigate and survive. This new data complicates matters. How to proceed will require discussion. I will now endeavour to contact Benny. I'll be closing my eyes and quite helpless. You can leave me bound if you like, or maybe you'd like to untie me. Up to you. There's a chance this Entity we're in will disrupt my Send. If so I'd appreciate it if you stopped me choking on my tongue if anything untoward happens. Oh, and watch that hole over there." Wan smile.

n-Panthera closes her eyes. OK, a calculated risk. Relax, suppress that primordial fear, channel the Mind. Focus on the Hiver mind, it must be nearby. Quest out to the now familiar alien neural topology, the innocent morality of Benny, avoid at all cost the coiling malice surrounding everything.

OOC: 3 points to Send to Benny if within 5m, 4 points if upto 250m away. If the message gets through....

"Benny.... Benny.... It's Panthera. Obviously you realise now that that was a skein over something deeper. There is no time to discuss that now. Our goals are the same - investigate and survive. But our situation is fraught. We are inside some kind of Entity, an exceedingly unhappy one, to the point of malevolence perhaps. We need to contact this Entity. I tried, but it nearly destroyed me. This thing is like a nuclear powered headache. I speculate that the lights on the walls are some kind of communication. Do you concur? Are you able to decipher the lights? As to our condition: we are in a corridor just adjacent to the room in which we were all in. what is your condition?"
 
Ref says:
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Panthera's eyes close just about the same time. Owen's eyes open. Rubbing the back of his head, "Panthera, what just happened, you went all freaky and why are your hands tied behind your back. Maybe, we should try to contact Ben...," switching on the com and static parlays across the channels.

Looking the quizzical look of the other members of the Party, "WHAT!?!?"

Panthera's mind drifts over to thoughts of the Hiver but the Overmind's presence is either blocking or protecting access. Nor can she seem to get a fix on the position of the Hiver's mind. It could be also that the alien's mind is impenetrable due its physiology or mechanic means of blocking the signal.

What she does see is millions of macroscopic organisms cooperating and interlocking then coming apart. What it all means, she is not sure.

She opens her eyes, only to hear, Owen cry out, "WHAT!?! Come on, guys, what is it?"

The walls of resemble the organisms of her dream trance. A hollow throbbing can be heard throughout the corridor akin to the playing of Australian Aboriginal instrument - the didgeridoo.
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OOC: If you not familiar with it samples can be found on the Internet. If having trouble check out the dog bark (?) on this web page.

OOC: Never accused Panthera of actually Zombieing Ditzie or Felix but you must admit this would be the first reaction of an Imperial ex-soldier to the events of rather passive players.

OOC2: Awaiting the resolution of the Dialogue between Ben & Zeke before I narrate the next section. So the ball is in your court, guys.
 
OOC: To Clarify, Zeke will NOT be cut down until he agrees to behave. If he does not respond, Ben will leave him right where he is. The removal of the material above is only Ben testing if it is possible.

Ben eyes Zeke Cautiously...
"Well. What is your answer?"
 
"Damn, I hate it when that happens.... Owen: feeling better?"

Subtle shrug of eyebrows to Felix and Ditzie.

"No way of getting throught to Ben. The Overmind seems to be suppressing everything. Owen, do you mind untying me?"

Ignoring Owen's dazed and confused features, she offers up her bound arms to him with a grin.

Then she looks over to the hole in the floor of the corridor.

"Ditzie, cover that hole with the slinger: It may be the Overmind offering us egress to another portion of itself, or it may be letting something in here to us. I can't sense anything.... But that noise doesn't sound friendly."

Looking at everyone's dumbfounded expressions: "Come on guys, we have a situation here. Our little mini-drama is of no consequence in the greater scheme. Our task is to locate Ben. I think we may need him more than he needs us. We can chew the cud then..... Come on, snap to it!"

She stamps her foot in a rather fetching manner.
 
Ref says:
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Ditzie does as she is told.

Owen scratches his sideburns, "What exactly do you mean, Overmind, the last thing I remember is that you blanked out and were lying on the floor. I was writing something, then nothing. Don't you think we ought to find Ben, perhaps, what is this thing that we are in, it seems almost organic and where should we go all great and mighty leader?"

Felix shrugs, "Maybe, it is not hostile maybe that is a form of cleaning vent. What makes you think it is hostile? But, I agree with Owen, we should just be standing around here, maybe there is something that is valuable further on or at least show us the way out. And if we can find our 8 legged friend in the meantime, all the better. But, I say, we have to look out for each other and ourselves, first, as there is no guarantee of a welcome reception waiting on the outside."

-------------------
Zeke & Ben can now hear hollow throbbing can be heard throughout the corridor akin to the playing of Australian Aboriginal instrument - the didgeridoo from forementioned post.
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"I give you my word!I am at your service,no matter what has transpired in the past,I will back you up from this point on."Zeke exclaims his vow as positively as he can.He will protect the hiver at all cost,or until he is released form service.
 
Ref says:
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The scans that Ben makes are conclusive there are no weapons on his person. His armour remains oddly fully charged. There is a distinctive pattern of thousands of tiny organisms pulsing throughout the webbing. These are akin to sparkling bugs that Ben witnessed earlier when he was taking samples, save, here they form all the colours of the rainbow. The drumming of the didgeridoo has subsided for now into the background replaced by the sound falling water.

Zeke hears a bleeping that seems to indicate a very weak Naval distress signal lies somewhere in the inky blackness that lies ahead.
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"I'm feeling better thanks, Owen, and don't let it bother you. In here is weird and our mind's may be playing tricks on us."

She walks over to the hole and gives it a sniff. "OK this is my department."

Panthera gets her last piece of synthirope from her kit, and holds it out to Owen and Felix. "You're going to hold me - I can't trust this wall so I'm not tying on to it. Ditzie you're covering."

She straps on her light harness over the red skinsuit she was wearing under the HEV, and removes her underboots. The HEV is long gone, so boots are hardly necessary. Guess I'll be taking an alternative route out of here...

"I'll try to climb and brace, but if I should drop it's you who're gonna have to hold me; so be ready. OK, here goes."

Without further fuss Panthera climbs down the hole head first...
 
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