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

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

OOC: Must... play... simon... damn...Ref...

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The stones flash incessantly and wink on and off. On a hunch Zeke presses one of the gems, he finds it depresses inward then comes out again. The second time that Zeke tries the game a shimmering wave appears in the doorway.

Nothing happens when Ben touches the wave, however, when Zeke touches the wave, it seems like there is some force that is pulling him through. Sticking his head, there seems to a long tunnel (think Sliders combined with Stargate). "I think it is a portal of some kind tied into the genetic sequence of the person who presses the gems."

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Panthera and her company are still in the room, Owen has yet to materialize. Felix looks up, "I am not sure, if we are going to get out this one alive, thus far, we have been very lucky. I say we forget about the others and focus on getting on getting out of here." He pulls out a body pistol, "Now, I don't care much for politics, Zhodani girl, but if you are able, why don't you just teleport us out of here."

"Look!" Ditzie is pointing at the letters they are turning yellow then green, "What does it all mean, not meaning to interrupt your soliquity Mr. Body Gun but I think our best way out is if we just listen to her. She seems to know everything."

 

[Klaus]

Just keep the same poker face at Felix, on and on and on, until he blinks. All with the same half-smile Panthera was wearing when he pulled the gun.

Meanwhile, in her mind... Is Owen dead? Like Julianne? Not so sure. If this entity was truly hostile we'd be dead. Whatever's happened to those two still may not be pleasant or desirable, but not necessarily terminal.

Having memorised the area to Felix' immediate left, and despite looking directly into his now not so cocksure eyes, concentrating on exactly what his trigger finger is doing, Panthera's Mind is ready to pounce.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Ben turns to Zeke as one of his views continues to work sequences...

"Keep going. It will not respond to me, but I can record what you do and will tell you when you make mistakes. "

Ben goes to the coffin and shakes loose an ulna bone from one of the remains and tries to activate the pattern machine with that. to use it to punch into the machine with.

A holographic question (in Hiver) floats next to Ben's head as he memorizes it: "Why would such a strange creature as this be adapted so to Humans?"

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Ben is suddenly feeling very drowsy. The tendrils that emerge from the bottom of the coffin are surprisingly tough as they wrap around each of his legs and prove impossible for him to escape. The lid comes down and firmly clasps shut. There is a drilling sound as feels a prick against his central organ trunk.

OOC: Roll again END to save against system shock.

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Felix, points the gun lower and tightens his finger around the trigger, "I don't want to die here, get us out of here, preferably somewhere warm."

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

OOC: 8 Overall.

Ben backs away from coffin.

"I think this thing might have poisoned me. Remember what happens if I die."

 

[Klaus]

Dumb bastard!

Panthera teleports to just behind Felix, one hand gripping his gun wrist, pressing the nerve cluster that will cause him to drop the gun, the other hand's thumb and forefinger lightly holding his adam's apple.

At least, that's the plan, as long as the Overmind doesn't interfere...

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Panthera dematerializes before everyone's eyes. Not before, Felix lets a shot out and passes harmlessly through the space that was once Panthera. However, not so luckily for Ditzie who takes the shot as a near coup de grace just right above the heart. She collapses and blood is spouting out everywhere splattering before forming a steady pool on the ground.

Felix stutters and drops the weapon, in response to Panthera's nerve pinch, " Honest, I did not want to hurt the girl. O my God, I am so sorry, sorry. What have I done? I just wanted to be free of this psychedelic prison, I never signed up for this. My God, I am sorry, so very sorry. Why can't I just leave? Why are you hurting me? I have not done anything but been compliant..."

------------------------------
Zeke watches the Hiver tread backwards for a second into the darkness before the darkness totally envelopes him. The portal's stones begin to fade and with it the link.

---------------------------------
Ben is feeling very drowsy now. His system is experiencing a fatal shock as the object begins to probe him intensely, he struggles but it is no use the effects of the drugs combined with the strength of tendrils make it impossible to escape. Truly, this has become his coffin. Nor can even reach the buttons on his voder.

Suddenly, he feels his whole being enveloped by the blackness of death. As he experiences this he sees his entire life from the time his parents threw him out of a spaceship on Zeldar, the elders teaching him the fine art of manipulation and his journeys that lead to this point. There is a light that seems warm and comforting which is beckoning to come forward.

 

[Klaus]

"You stupid little shkivva!"

Panthera pushes Felix away from the fallen girl, picks up the gun, removes the magazine, and pockets them both. She goes to Ditzie. She doesn't turn her back to Felix at any time.

She looks into Ditzie's dilated eyes, her face white and stricken.

"Hush, don't try to speak. It's gonna be ok"

Using her telempathy she emanates feelings of safety and comfort into Ditzie's young mind, and then directing her thoughts tentatively towards the Overmind, an emotional plea for help, to help an innocent.

Two green bottles.... as the Solomani battle-hymn(sic) goes. These are not my comrades; the primary comes first, yet this is wrong. What has Panthera got me into?

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

As Panthera reaches into Ditzie's mind, she is immediately repulsed by the images of wanton violence and savagery that exists in the girl's mind. This was no ordinary schoolgirl. She seems to indicating to he knee stocking, "Use it as a compress." she utters as blood splatters from her mouth.

Felix cries out, "It wasn't me, I couldn't have shot, no I just wanted, no it wasn't Me." crying he clutches his temples in foetal ball. "I didn't, I couldn't, and I wouldn't. No! Where am I? Why are they hurting me?"

 

[Klaus]

Panthera does as Ditzie asked. She gets the knee stocking and tries to staunch the blood flow.

There's more to this girl than meets the eye. Another secondary? Got to keep her alive if I can.

"Shut up Felix. You got me angry. You won't like that. Have you got any medical supplies?"

Panthera rips off her right pants leg at the thigh, and pulls off her personal medkit: not much left - the low dose stims are gone and the meds are Zho specific. The emergency medical slow is still there though. Maybe it'll work on the girl's physiology. If Felix hasn't got anything then perhaps there's no longer any choice.....

 

[Tierrennes]

Zeke head for Ben in an attempt to pull him free of the darkness before they both die.
"Hiver!I'm comin'" He tries to break the tendril from around Bens limbs and searches for a med-kit.

 

[Klaus]

As the Zhodani agent continues to work on Ditzie's broken body, she says to Felix:

"So, tell me where you got the gun from. Tell me what you're doing here. Be truthful. I do have means of checking. Right now I'm trying to save this juvenile's life, so I would prefer not to have get inside your head. If you make me, I promise you will regret it."

The set of her face has a different cast to it. She doesn't look like Panthera anymore, somehow. There's a coldness about her.

"Speak up Felix. I haven't got much patience left."

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Zeke scrambles over to the coffin with his might lifts the lid which manages to crack it open about 60cm (about 24inches, Yanks). This vacates some of the gas. There to his horror he sees hundreds of tendrils surrounding the Hiver. He pulls out the Hiver's cutting tool, pondering over the tech begins cutting away the tendrils, which fall away and decompose/decay right in front of him. Standing on the corner with all his might attempts to lift the lid further. Again it rises another 90cm. Then he scoops up the inert body of the Hiver. To his great pleasure (as did not fancy doing CPR on the Hiver a) due to his ignorance of the alien's physiology b) with his knowledge of Hiver dietary needs), the Hiver is alive and well...drugged, it would seem but seems to be making a rapid recovery.

Seeing the Hiver's blinking eyes and sluggish movements of his limbs, he releases that he is still suffering from the effects of the gas. "Well, at we know that the object is compactable with your biochemistry." he quips with the smile.

Looking over the Hiver, "I don't know much about your species, I am afraid but you seem no worst than wear. Let's head back to the arch. Hopefully, we have given the stones enough time to recharge..."

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From underneath his jacket his profilers a couple of pills, shaking he offers to Panthera. Then at the last minute snatches them away. "Their** mine. No, no. The girl must live or I must die. If we give them everything how will we live."

A strange croaking voice, "You got to believe me, Panthera, I had nothing to with Ditzie's death. Yes, the gun was mine, and didn't kill those people either. They were estranged cultists. No...please." he swallows both pills and his body goes into shock and becomes very limp.

Panthera cannibalizes some of Med nanotech from the cast and applies it to wound, Let's hope they have the same blood type...as the wound has stopped gushing but the danger of Septicaemia is even more deadly and something she has nothing to take of in these primitive conditions, oh, if only I had a nice hot tub filled with lots of bubbles... thinks one part of Panthera that she thought she had banished.

As best she could tell Felix was truthful throughout, although she a strong migraine from the ordeal. Either Felix is also psionic or the overmind was actively interfering. Might not be unfriendly but it certainly is not nice, either. Why hasn't attacked her, is the mystery.

**Intentional, not a spelling or grammar mistake.

 

[Klaus]

If the wound in Ditzie's chest has stabilised for the moment, the agent takes the opportunity to search Felix for more surprises.

OOC: from now on Panthera will be refering to herself Iaia (pronounced Yaya)

Cultists? With holes in the back of their necks. Just like the corpses in the room where the primary was last seen... Does Felix have Shields?

After checking Felix out Iaia picks up the fallen 'slinger and returns to tend to Ditzie. She checks the snub pistol and verifies how many rounds are left in the magazine.

Ditzie is unconscious, breathing raggedly, and is bone white. Iaia feels a very faint and intermittent pulse.

She's going to die unless she can get help. I have to find the Hiver. Maybe I should terminate the other...

Iaia contemplates snapping Felix' neck, but decides against it. Instead she fires a squirt of webbing around him, to keep him secured.

Looking down at her ruined skinsuit, more like a swimsuit now, and splotted with Ditzie's blood, Iaia sighs. The headache is a pounding hammerblow to her brainstem. Her blood chemistry is very exotic: the remnants of the blocker-beaters mingling with the psi drugs and the stims Owen gave her. Stay focused. Remember your training. She concentrates on the metronome of the migraine, meditating briefly on the rythmic pulse. Some clarity returns, though the stabbing pain is still ever present.

She looks around the chamber:

Is there still a portal in the 'ceiling'?

Are the lights and symbols still flickering?

Can she hear anything?

 

[kafka47]

OOC: If it is all the same can we agree to keep it as Panthera, even if Iaia is her true nature.

Ref says: The portal that was in ceiling which was forming part of the floor is slowly closing allowing the rope to fall down.

The symbols have resumed their green colour.

Just a faint dingling of bells.

 

[Klaus]

Panthera tries yelling.

"BENNY! BENNY!"

OOC: my digital gremlins continue... the power cord to my laptop shorted tonight, so I'm down to 92% battery power, and counting. Gonna try and get a new one tomorrow (£60, damn Apple!), but it's May Day holiday, so I'm not sure how successful i'll be. My posts may be brief and infrequent for the next few days... But I'll be back!

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Ben cranks up the voder and his voice booms inside the chamber. Meanwhile, he begins to slowly contract his held limbs in an effort to escape.

(head up, talking apparently to the air)

"Do not kill me. I understand that you are trapped. I want to free you. But if you stop me I cannot. We need to leave this room and get working."

(returning it to speech setting and calling to zeke)

"Zeke if this thing kills me. I cannot deactivate the explosive eventually. If you know of how to get out of here. Lets do it. It seems to only respond to humans."

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

As Ben looks back an ooze seemingly weeping from the crystal coffins themselves soon covers the coffins and they are pulled back behind the wall. The wall forms a blister, then scab and heals itself.

There is some scarring on Ben's body, but that too seems to undergone a rapid healing process. Together, they decide to make their way back to the only other known exit. As the progress down the corridor, there is a vacuum-like sound, looking behind them, the aperture behind them closes.

"Going on a bear hunt, going on a bear hunt..." mutters Zeke

Indeed, the portal that Zeke created has dissipated. They return to the room with the gem archway. Here we go again, as they punching in the sequence. (OOC: Both Zeke & Ben are welcome to try again recording the results)

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Panthera's voice echoes throughout the chamber. As if it were distant call across a vast empty hollow space. The letters pulse gently. Still the language is indecipherable. Ditzie continues to moan and Felix is quite content in his foetal ball, albeit more protected by webbing.

She feels a pounding from her left breast, initially; she passes it off as nerves from the drugs and excitement. She then reaches in to displace the gun to reveal that the gun has transformed into something all together very different from the body pistol that she had placed in her breast pocket.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

OOC: It ate through my suit? Is my suit comprimised?