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Post by dargene on Apr 12, 2014 5:45:30 GMT -6
Meldom had been looking around in the main room, after he was sure there was not a single terminal he decided to check out each room.
He entered room 4 he thought as it was the largest it would be the most likely place, but soon after he walked out with no result, he moved to room three, passing room six looking in as he did so he noticed a mass of metal and what appeared to be lights flashing, stepping inside the room he made the deduction it was a mainframe of somesort judging by the layout.
He stepped forward and looked around the console a small holographic keyboard popped to life.
"Think i found it, may take awhile to decode"
He scanned the console with his omnitool and watched as it interfaced "Good news is our stuff is slightly compatible, they must have used technology similar to ours, more advanced however.
A large amount of data popped up via his omnitool and started to flash, each alien letter began turning to a now readable one, "Will take awhile to do this whole database".
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Post by Eric Lysander on Apr 12, 2014 13:49:24 GMT -6
Back in the Valiant's med bay the data chip supplied by Corwin Havens was loaded up on a terminal. Any and all information on River's unique implant was accessible, including a diagnostic program to ensure that the spares were in perfect working order. Eric's attention was split between River and Iskra poring over the data until the echoes of nails tapping on steel plating became evident.
Accompanied by a low growl.
Eric eyes went to the floor. The varren Parr sat a few feet away, studying him intently.
"It's not whatcha think, Parr," he said in a steady tone "I'm just helping your mom work, okay?"
Parr groaned in a puzzled manner.
"She's gonna be busy for a while so she can't play wit ya," He flicked his hand at the corner where his armor was situated. "G'wan n' sit over there... g'wan... if you wanna help Mommy, make sure nobody comes in..."
The varren shook its head and snorted.
"G'wan now..."
With a disappointed whine Parr got off its haunches and trotted over to where Eric indicated, laying flat on its stomach facing the doorway.
"Stay... good boy."
With a guard in place Eric returned to assisting Iskra, her confidence appearing to be fully restored. No doubt the data chip was very thorough and settled any lingering questions about the operation she was about to perform.
Nails on plating again. Only it was much quicker. In fact much too quick for a varren. Parr could be heard whining loudly.
Eric moved to shoo him out of the med bay. "Oh, c'mon, ma-"
Ohhhhhhh shit!
Parr was still in his corner, pressing himself down on the deck as hard as he could, as if he was trying to pass through it to get to safety. It's blue eyes seemed ready to blast out of their sockets like cannonballs at the spidery form they beheld.
A Keeper. A Keeper had snuck on board the Valiant.
This Keeper was not like its more plodding cousins on the Citadel. Eric was once cited for trying to pose one's legs. It did not seem to be bothered by the human's interference as it just kept working at its wall panel, returning its manipulated leg to normal position. The creature before Eric now was armored head to toe with alternating brown and green plating. Each of its limbs appeared to have a type of miniature cannon mounted on them, swaying about in unison or dividing up coverage between front and rear at the keeper's command.
Stunned, Eric mouthed "bad guard dog" at the poor, frightened varren who feared the worst. What was this thing doing in Master's room? What does it mean to do to Master?
Since Parr was clearly no threat, the armored Keeper scuttled up onto a wall and surveyed the area, briefly checking inside a cupboard whose door was ajar. Eric slowly and steadily moved one hand to his comset earpiece and another to Iskra's back.
"Doc, " he whispered tensely. "Be reeeeal quiet... and don't move... we got company..."
The demo expert wondered how this thing got on board and why no one else has spotted it. Going over the day's events he realized that he had forgotten to reset the ship's security system since it went groundside; his mind was only on helping River and Iskra. The Keeper's head ceased darting hither and thither, fixating on Eric.
He thumbed on his earpiece. "Come in... anybody..."
[Insert acknowledgement from any team member outside the Valiant.]
"You guys said ya found a dead keeper...? Well the one I'm lookin' at... ain't so dead..."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 15:35:34 GMT -6
Iskra studied the readouts from Esteban quietly, barely hearing the soft exchange between Parr and Eric.
While the material did have some raw genetic material, Iskra could see that it could be easily modified depending on how she wanted to use it. Bringing up the comm, she softly answered Bridges.
"The material you scanned has similar properities as fetal stem cells. Whatever cells are around them they will clone. The medicial uses for this material are endless."
Iskra sighed, glancing over to River on the table. These cells could even fix many of the problems she was having. As curious as she was about where the material was found, she needed to get back to the problem at hand.
"Dr. Narei going dark."
With that she shut off her comm and started brushing River's hair from her neck. The strokes were long and slow as Iskra let her memory take hold.
"Why do you like brushing my hair so much, Auntie Iskra?" A much younger River asked, swinging her feet.
"Because you are the only spieces in the known universe that has fringe like this" Iskra smiled, continuing to gently brush the girl's hair.
There was a soft touch on her back, yanking her from that pleasant afternoon. "Doc, " Eric whispered in her ear "Be reeeeal quiet... and don't move... we got company..."
Iskra whole body tensed, the cloaking device on her shield immediately activating. The Drell disappearing from sight.
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Apr 12, 2014 15:38:57 GMT -6
Artacus turns back to the wall he walked through earlier, proceeding to walk through it. "I'm done with these two.. time to continue my search." He thought to himself as he continued onward.
The turian aimlessly wandered around the ruins with his gun at the ready, keeping a firm grip on his shotgun. He then spots an open door to what seems to be a room.(Room 3) "I don't think I've checked this room yet." He said quietly, cautiously stepping through the door with his gun pointed forward. He would glance around the massive room, lowering his weapon. Artacus slowly walks to the middle of the room, suddenly, a bright flash of light obscures his view, blinding him only temporarily. "Huh?!" He exclaims as he leaps back into a crouched position, aiming his gun forward. Artacus squints his eyes at the source of the bright light, before he could make out what it was, he noticed something very peculiar. It seemed he was no longer in the ruins, it looked like he was outside! He stood up, scanning around for the Valiant. But alas, the ship wasn't there. "What is going on?" He thought to himself.
A large thunder of explosions is heard behind him, a battle probably? He quickly turns around and slightly widens his eyes. In the distance he saw thousands, maybe even millions of those "Keepers" in the heat of a battle against a foe that looked awfully familiar. "I was right... that wasn't a Geth ship." He thought to himself as he saw them... The Reapers. "It doesn't seem far... I need to take a closer look." He grips his shotgun. "Let's get to work.." He said to his weapon as he sprints off into battle, jumping off the ridge...
(Details approved by Game Master)
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 12, 2014 17:39:29 GMT -6
A burst of motion filled the edges of Maelstrom's vision. A flood of gray began to swarm around him, and he knew that, despite his caution, they had somehow provoked the beings in the hive-room. They were already past him, surging towards his team-mate.
"Watch out!" Maelstrom called, throwing a biotic push at Cruendi'has to get him clear of the coming wave.
His biotics were at their full potential, but he did not know what he could do to help himself. His specialties were precision strikes or powerful blows, not areas of effect. With the insects surrounding him on every side as they now were, he felt helpless.
Curiously, though, they left several inches of room by his feet. Their numbers kept swelling by the moment, though, as the sea of creatures around him grew and grew until they covered the floors and walls for almost a dozen yards in every direction. Thankfully, the batarian was just outside their field of interest.
Only then, once they had established themselves around him, did their pattern resume. He turned around, finding it exactly the same on every side, a swirling field made up of different currents moving independent of each other yet perfectly synchronized. There was no place where they were still and no place where there was gap to see onto the floor or walls. It was complete coordination of every individual. Something about the pattern made him uneasy, almost nauseous.
He thought he saw a twinkle out of the corner of his eye. Then another and another. In a matter of moments, the entirety of the floors and walls became a swirling display of various colored lights, all moving to the pattern of the insectoid beings. The shades changed gradually and the intensity varied from moment to moment as the currents of light and color surged throughout the corridor. It made Maelstrom dizzy, and he stumbled to keep his balance.
As if responding to his discomfort, the pattern changed, and Maelstrom found himself unable to move a muscle. He could not reach for his gun. Could not cry out for help. Not even blink. Or breathe.
Again, the pattern shifted, and Maelstrom felt released, collapsing to his hands and knees. The bugs moved out of his way, to avoid being crushed, but promptly moved back to within inches of him, keeping the pace of their mysterious dance. As Maelstrom looked back up, he found his mind flooded with one impression. One compulsion.
The insects started moving down the corridor, still surrounding him on all sides, and he kept his place amidst the swarm. He did not want to, but something deep inside told him it would be a mistake not to heed their direction. That their intent was not malicious. It promised peace, but somehow he could only think back to that tank and the helmet he was forced to wear. Again, he was a prisoner...
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Post by Game Master on Apr 13, 2014 22:13:10 GMT -6
[GM Post: The Valiant]
It flowed through metal and vacuum with the same speed and muted grace, invisible to the organic eye. It moved in ways four dimensional beings couldn't fathom. It simply slipped through the higher dimensions allowing it to appear and disappear on the three dimensional plane at will. It was not organic nor synthetic. Rather...
Subject: analysis and adapt. Target entity: level beta. Confirming dimensions. Testing and confirming atomic bonds.
It was a wavelength. A thing that could exist from gamma to radio waves, any and all at once. It was a weapon. More than that, it was the final legacy of a defeated race.
Strengthening bonds. Target self: transmogrify
It stood still in the medbay, taking form of its creators. Six armor plated legs spread out to provide leverage. It's thin body covered in the same brown and green armor. Minuscule cannons were at every joint, moving of their own volition... trying to find a target. It detected additional waves coming from one of the agents in the room. It existed like its creators. But the waves were different.
Analysis: Communication problematic. Accessing technology. Accessing. Analysis. Incompatible. Problematic. Cannot adapt or assimilate. Theory. entity's technology may be able to adapt. Attempting communication. Must warn...
"(unintelligible)", it attempted to speak, it's thin mouth moving in unison with the unearthly sound. "(unintelligible)"
It paused and tried again, to no avail.
(insert whatever response you'd like)
It gestures toward the door, giving what appeared to be a waving motion toward Eric... beckoning him to follow.
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Post by grandest on Apr 14, 2014 11:41:11 GMT -6
On his way into the room, Maelstrom suddenly calls from behind, "Watch out!" Before Cruendi'has has a chance to react, he feel the biotic blast hit him in the back and knowcked the wind out of him. "What was that f-" Cruendi'has had turned around and could feel the blood drain from his face. The insects from the behind the wall had surrounded Maelstrom, swirling about and finally encasing him entirely. "Maelstrom!" He shouted, but dared not step closer. The man came back into view after a short moment and appeared calm. "Maelstrom?" No reply. Instead, the Merc in Black walked calmly among the swarm, down the hall. "Come in... anybody..." Eric Lysander's voice chirped over the comms. "Yeah, Eric, we're gonna-" The human urgently cut Cruendi'has off. "You guys said ya found a dead keeper...? Well the one I'm lookin' at... ain't so dead..." Cruendi'has paused, Eric was still on the Valiant. Now a Keeper was there. "I am not getting paid enough for this." He muttered to himself. Over the comms, he relayed his own situation. "We've got a problem down here too. Maelstrom's, uh, hypnotized or something. Those bugs are pulling him down the corridor somewhere. I'm pinging my position and following him."
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 14, 2014 23:14:52 GMT -6
(The following section is written from Emily's point-of-view.)
Conditions fulfilled...
Standard anti-infiltration scan initiated... System security confirmed...
Re-checking conditions... Confirmed... Conditions fulfilled...
Secure channel- recipients: Shala'Bekk Vas Neema and Eric Lysander...
Secure channel- properties: Priority override and Two-way...
Initializing security protocol 37: Standard VI interface avatar and limited emulation...
Initializing interface with organic units...
"Security protocol 1,087, section 6 activated. Maelstrom has been incapacitated. Systems monitoring his vital signs show interference with higher brain functions. Subject not responding to onboard suit resuscitation systems. Status estimated as imperiled but recoverable. Immediate aid is requested. Awaiting reply."
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 14, 2014 23:16:22 GMT -6
(Returning to Maelstrom's point-of-view.)
Maelstrom was vaguely aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, of his name being called. People talking to and about him. The voices were like the snippets he sometimes heard when falling asleep though, present until focused upon, at which point they dissolved into incoherent mist. At times he thought it was Cruendi'has. Sometimes he was certain it was Emily.
More than once, he felt a sudden jolt. A safety measure tying the Vengeance's VI to his suit. The electrical pulse, depending on its intensity, could knock him out of the trance-like state induced by an Ardat-Yakshi or restart his heart or anything in between, based on the determinations of his suit's biosigns monitoring systems and Emily. That it was initiated more than once seemed like it should be concerning, but it was not relevant, he decided. Somewhere deep inside, a part of him was screaming to be let loose, but that did not seem terribly troublesome either.
The only thing that was important was following them.
Maelstrom turned the corner into another room, following the flood of light and thought. Meldom was standing by the terminal. For some reason, that was frustrating. The salarian was standing where he needed to.
"Meldom," Maelstrom said. Something about the act of speaking, hearing his own voice, gave fire to the part of himself still fighting what was happening to him. "Meldom, help."
The pattern of lights and swirls paused for a moment, as if confused. It then shifted again, and a new wave of purpose flooded Maelstrom, trying to smother the flames of resistance welling up within him. Before he knew what he was doing, he raised his SMG at the salarian.
This time when he spoke, there was no revelation. No aid to his inner struggle. The only emotion in his voice was the frustration he felt at the salarian standing where he needed to be. "Meldom, move away."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Apr 15, 2014 8:39:56 GMT -6
Cruendi'has’ news was not any better. "We've got a problem down here too. Maelstrom's, uh, hypnotized or something. Those bugs are pulling him down the corridor somewhere. I'm pinging my position and following him."
Damn, Eric cursed to himself. Abruptly his comms switched frequencies. He tapped his earpiece repeatedly but was unable to raise Cruendi’has again or any other team member.
"Security protocol 1,087, section 6 activated…”
A cool, female-sounding voice Eric never heard before had hijacked the line.
“Maelstrom has been incapacitated. Systems monitoring his vital signs show interference with higher brain functions. Subject not responding to onboard suit resuscitation systems. Status estimated as imperiled but recoverable. Immediate aid is requested. Awaiting reply."
No shit – I got my own problems right now!
The Collector Ship may be on its way back, River was clinging to life, some ancient security system had apparently been triggered when Bridges entered the ruins and possessed the Mercenary in Black. And now there was a fully armored and armed Keeper inside the medbay looking straight at Eric, Iskra hidden from view within her cloaking device.
Matters had escalated rather quickly.
The Alliance veteran needed to act to regain some measure of control. The Keeper was still on the wall near the cupboard. Its armaments ceased to scan around, pointing upwards and away from Iskra and Eric. Its head began to bob, what looked like mandibles or an orifice opened and strained out sounds.
“Kaaaaiiin… eneeeoddi…”
What the hell?
The Keeper strained again. “Kaaamin… enevoddi…” It then waved one of its limbs to the medbay entrance, brought it up to its head and then repeated the action over and over.
Wonderful… and me without Reese’s Pieces, Eric grumbled to himself in a remembrance of another of Uncle Wes’ vids.
He whispered to Iskra. “Doc… I’m gonna try to lure it outta the med bay. Looks like it wants me ta follow it. Soon as we’re outside, seal ‘n lock th’ door… keep River and yourself safe…”
Eric started inching towards the med bay door, careful not to make any quick or large motions that could be mistaken as a hostile action, one hand still tapping on his earpiece. The Keeper had stopped vocalizing but still swept its limb at the doorway.
"Security protocol 1,087, sect-“ Eric’s earpiece sounded.
“I heard ya the first time, Lite Brite!” Eric rasped at Maelstrom’s VI Emily. “Love ta help out but there’s an intruder on th’ Valiant! You want me to help your master, help me get this thing off tha ship! I need to contact whoever’s still on board to converge on the med bay but stay outta sight until my signal. Gotta get Iskra and River outta harm’s way… see what this thing wants…”
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 15, 2014 9:20:28 GMT -6
(This section is from Emily's point-of-view) Audio input- Subject Lysander...
“I heard ya the first time, Lite Brite! Love ta help out but there’s an intruder on th’ Valiant! You want me to help your master, help me get this thing off tha ship! I need to contact whoever’s still on board to converge on the med bay but stay outta sight until my signal. Gotta get Iskra and River outta harm’s way… see what this thing wants…”
Analyzing request...
Begin probability assessments...
Analysis complete... Voice pattern scan indicates 91% probability of sincerity...
Probability assessment complete... Probability of attempted subterfuge within acceptable parameters for compliance...
Conditions fulfilled...
Standard anti-infiltration scan initiated... System security confirmed...
Re-checking conditions... Confirmed... Conditions fulfilled...
Processing...
Initiate locator scan... Complete...
Secure channel- recipients: All organic units inside Valiant...
Secure channel- properties: Priority override and one-way...
Editing audio... Complete...
Initializing interface with organic units... Begin playback...
"' ...there’s an intruder on th’ Valiant!... I need... whoever’s still on board to converge on the med bay but stay outta sight until my signal.'"
Resuming communications interface with organic unit: Eric Lysander...
"Message sent. Request fulfilled. Awaiting reply."
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Apr 15, 2014 9:40:37 GMT -6
The turian approaches ever so closely to the ensuing battle, increasing his speed at every turn. He slides to the nearest rock, stopping in his tracks. "Yes.. that's definitely it.. that ship that attacked the Citadel, and there's more than one?" He thought to himself as he peeked over the boulder, silently watching the battle infront of him. He observed the fight closely, noting every move and every tactic in his mind.
The Keeper-like beings seems to be winning, a quite strange observation. They fired nano-bots to hack non-critical systems in the ship, firing mass effect fields to weaken the armor, EMP pulses to short out their weapon systems, and releasing hydrogen gas clouds and then igniting them. Artacus looked at the battle in an intrigued interest, then looks to the so-called "Geth" ships. "These must be the "Devourers" I assume.." He stood up, activating his omni-tool and proceeded to record the tactics the "Keepers" used to destroy their devouring opponents. "The Reapers will fall.." He said to himself, deactivating his omni-tool and grabbing his weapon once again..
"Now... how the hell do I get back?" Artacus is then surrounded by an aura of light. The battle seemed to disappear, the rocks also seemed to disappear. In fact, the whole scenario he was in disappeared. Artacus looked around, adjusting his gripping on his shotgun. "Easy enough.." He thought. "This is Artacus, I made quite a find.. anything on your end?" There has been nothing but silence. "Something's not right.." He thought, gripping his weapon and hastily exiting the room.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Apr 15, 2014 11:02:53 GMT -6
Five seconds elapsed before Emily said “Message sent. Request fulfilled. Awaiting reply."
“What message?” argued Eric in a harsh whisper, a couple of feet away from the med bay entrance with his eyes still on the intruder and it’s rhythmic, almost entrancing movement. “I don’t wanna send a message. I need you to ope-"
Out of the corner of his eye Eric thought he could see a few crew members taking up positions around and behind the command station. He did not know how exactly the VI managed this; the thought of owing his life to a machine made him feel ill… a matter to be debated later.
“... never mind…”
Eric paused just inside the entrance and held a hand out to the command center in a slow, lowering gesture, his eyes looking outwards to the command area, to the intruder and then back again to indicate its position. The crew members followed his directive and awaited his next instruction.
Eric now looked squarely at the Keeper, cocking his head out the door. “After you," he said to it in as calm a voice as he could summon. "You obviously want my attention; well you’ve got it. First Contact protocol usually warrants introductions. We can get ta know each other better out here...”
Who am I kidding? This guy doesn't even understand a word I'm sayin'...
[Emily may interject, repeating the urgency of Maelstrom’s situation]
“Whatever this thing is probably controls whatever has a holda Mal,” he whispered tensely over his earpiece. “If I can reason with it or get the drop on it, I can get it to free him. Does that com-pute?”
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 15, 2014 11:35:02 GMT -6
(This section is from Emily's point-of-view)
Audio input- Subject Lysander...
“Whatever this thing is probably controls whatever has a holda Mal.” he whispered tensely over his earpiece. “If I can reason with it or get the drop on it, I can get it to free him. Does that com-pute?”
Analyzing probabilities... Error... Too many unknown values...
Processing...
Computational conflict in logic pathways... Rerouting to custom security and tactical protocols...
Processing...
Emergency conditions fulfilled...
Standard anti-infiltration scan initiated... System security confirmed...
Re-checking conditions... Confirmed... Emergency conditions fulfilled...
Resuming communications interface with organic unit: Eric Lysander...
"Insufficient data to support or refute stated conclusion due to an excess of unknown variables. System protocols indicate continued cooperation. Awaiting further commands."
Data burst received from visor...
Analysis: on-time and with correct security encryption... Identification: Maelstrom...
Processing audio-visual feed at 1,000x real time... Complete...
Resuming secure channel- recipients: Shala'Bekk Vas Neema and Eric Lysander...
Initializing interface with organic units...
"Situation update. Significant risk of injury to Meldom. Probability estimate impossible due to an excess of unknown variables."
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Post by PaladinKOSP on Apr 15, 2014 11:56:35 GMT -6
"This is Artacus, I need a sitrep." He said into the comms, hoping for anyone to reply as he rushes down the hall. "Damn it.. something's going on. The human and that batarian are nearby though.." He thought as he decided to find the other two.
As he finally arrives to the room he was in before, he couldn't see the human and the batarian, not even the bugs crawling along the walls. "This keeps getting more difficult..." The turian thought, looking around for any clues of their disappearance. "They can never be in just one place, can they?"
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Post by dargene on Apr 15, 2014 14:09:55 GMT -6
"Meldom help"
He turned his head to see Maelstrom holding the SMG up at him, Meldom stood his ground and raised an eyebrow "Hm.. Problematic"
"Meldom, move away."
The data on Meldoms omnitool had almost finished, separation at this point would mean the loss of the data and possible corruption of the other "Can't" He said plainly, "moving Interrupting data will loose it..maybe permanently.." he looks at the SMG once more "I can see you are not yourself..so i will move" he says, severing the connection between his omnitool and the terminal he moves away.
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Post by Esteban Bridges on Apr 15, 2014 21:07:43 GMT -6
Esteban stepped away from the room, into the well lit hallway. There was a lot he wanted to see in the base still. Finding that central database was key to figuring this place out. He took a deep breath, taking in the processed and recycled air within his armor. He held that breath for a couple of seconds, feeling it fill his lungs... counting to himself until he released.
"Come in... anybody... You guys said ya found a dead keeper...? Well the one I'm lookin' at... ain't so dead..."
The Engineer exhaled, more out of surprise than anything else. He didn't see anything head for the exit. He cast his gaze over at where they entered, as if he was trying to catch sight of the Keeper. He stared over there, struggling to find the right words.
"We've got a problem down here too. Maelstrom's, uh, hypnotized or something. Those bugs are pulling him down the corridor somewhere. I'm pinging my position and following him."
Esteban blinked, surprised. Maelstrom hypnotized, he repeated to himself. He shook his head, more in disbelief than anything else. It didn't sound right to him. If Maelstrom's suit was environmentally sealed, there would be no way for the bugs to release a gas to get him. There's no other way that he knew that bugs could control anyone. Something else was going on... he frowned to himself, and started walking to the left.
He took a mental inventory. Iskra was too busy with River. Maelstrom's suit was protected by a VI, so getting access to it would be time consuming... Esteban made another left, walking down the middle of an empty hallway....but if he could get access to the suit's environmental controls, maybe he could change the air mixture to trick the body into thinking it was suffocating. Maybe...Esteban took a right.... maybe... where the hell am I?
Esteban came to a halt in front of a perfectly visible brown and green wall. I went the wrong way, he realized.
He shook his head at himself, disappointed. He let himself get caught up int he moment. He activated his omnitool, his armored forearm lighting up... covering with a faint neon orange glow. Cruendi'has’ beacon was a blip on the screen, telling him exactly where everyone was at.
So Esteban turned around to head to the room where they are at. He laughed at himself, turning on his comm channel to talk to everyone. "What's the condition of Maelstrom right now? Can someone give me a report?"
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2014 23:03:44 GMT -6
Iskra pressed herself into a tight ball into the corner, her panicked breath filling the air.
Their claws scraping against the ruin walls...
The taste of her own blood in her mouth...
They had her, the blood had been tasted, the sharks circling in...
The Doctor shook, terrified and in some echo of a pain that was a faded scar on her skin now. Too many memories of the abinos could be so easily triggered, too many scars to think fighting was a good idea.
It was a few minutes before her mind released her, the quiet noises of the machinary helping River breathe greeted her in reminder that now was not the time to lose it.
"Asa..." Iskra whispered quietly to the VI. The small probe appeared in front of the huddled figure.
"Yes, Dr. Narei?"
"Please lock the doors. Nothing is authorized to enter without my permission."
There was a loud thud and the sound of decompressed air as the door sealed them from the outside world. Iskra felt she could breathe but her heart continue to pound like she had fled through the ruins of Rakhana with nothing but her knife.
A few pangs of the old wound echoed as she got up from the cold floor, her muscles almost giving out as they relaxed from their taunt state. Careful, she walked over to the skin, splashing the cold water on her face before maticulous washing her hands.
She watched them shake of their own accord as she let the water roll down the length of her fingers. The sheer adrenline no more a dying blaze than the galactic core.
...I cannot do this...
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Post by Maelstrom on Apr 16, 2014 0:25:54 GMT -6
"I can see you are not yourself... so I will move," Meldom said, deactivating his omni-tool and taking several steps back.
Maelstrom did not- could not- feel pleased about the development. He was simply focused on getting to the terminal. Without any hesitation, he moved to the interface. He switched his SMG quickly to his left hand, training it again on the salarian, while his right worked the alien runes with impossible fluency.
As he gazed at the screen, the pressure against his will was somewhat eased. He knew it had to do with the lights given off by the bugs. That was the only thing it could be. With the screen taking up so much of his field of view, the effect was less pronounced.
Less pronounced, but not eliminated.
As his right hand glided over the controls without his even looking at them, he said, "I'm sorry, Meldom, I really don't know what's going on. I just really need to do this. I don't... don't think I want to... but I need to."
A galaxy map quickly flashed up onto the screen. With the flashing of the insects' lights, it seemed familiar to him, though he knew consciously that it looked wrong. Stars were out-of-place. A complex mathematical formula overlaid the galaxy map, enough to fill the average computer terminal and then some. Without the recording device, there was no way anyone would have recalled it.
His hands danced over the controls again, seemingly of their own accord.
After several seconds, the mathematical sequence faded, and the view of the galaxy zoomed at a dizzying pace to a single star cluster. It paused at that level for only a moment before zooming in to a single system. Another pause. Then it focused on a specific planet.
As the globe loomed before them, Maelstrom entered another sequence, and a new mathematical formula, far simpler than the previous, only a few lines of text, appeared in front of the sphere.
Somehow, Maelstrom got the impression he was being told where to go.
His free-will struggled to reassert itself. Deep inside, part of him tried to stop his fingers from moving, as his right hand again began to work the holographic keys of the terminal. Somehow, the fact that he was not even looking directly at the keys made him even more anxious, to not even see what he was entering.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Apr 16, 2014 8:21:59 GMT -6
Eric was still coming to grips with the concept of a cybernetic “conscience” buzzing in his ear as he confronted the Valiant’s intruder, hoping his suspicions were correct. That he could do or say something to it that could get Maelstrom out of the fix he was in and also have it leave. There was another alternative in mind in case the intruder was in no position to comply. Whether or not the VI Emily would comply with it was another matter.
"Insufficient data to support or refute stated conclusion due to an excess of unknown variables,” Emily concluded. “System protocols indicate continued cooperation. Awaiting further commands."
Of course, thought Eric as he finally edged past the door to the med bay. As the door hissed shut, the intruding Keeper scuttled through the narrowing gap with blinding speed, blowing past Eric to settle itself on the deck a few feet before him. Its cannons still pointed upwards, the Keeper still had the demo expert in its sights.
Emily unintentionally added further to the tension. "Situation update. Significant risk of injury to Meldom. Probability estimate impossible due to an excess of unknown variables."
“This whole mission’s an unknown variable!” Eric barked then caught himself; he was still being watched. His raised voice only caused the intruder’s head to lean in slightly more and nothing else. Eric inhaled deeply and thumbed his earpiece again.
“Alright… I command you to open a channel to the entire crew. I want them to listen in as well as respond,” he said in a measured tone. “As far as all the variables have played out, we have two sides intruding on each other’s territory. If we’re gonna save Maelstrom and free our ship we may need to abandon the ruins. Keep me apprised on his status.”
[Insert Emily’s response/commentary]
Eric assumed an authoritative stance and waited for the Keeper to say or do something. Anything at all. The unbearable lack of activity on its part suggested that it wanted him to make the first move.
So Eric obliged, regardless of its ability to comprehend him.
“My name is Commander Eric Lysander of the Systems Alliance. You have one of my crew held hostage against his will… let him go…”
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