((And now for the "official" version to commence...))

[prankster_femme]

((This takes place as roughly the same time as this arc*Wingblade fumbles as she inputs the access code Steadfast gave her. She's shaking and the air is hitching in her cycling systems, though she's physically undamaged. Once the door slides open she throws herself in and onto the berth, then opens a comm to Steadfast, her voice breaking

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[0ut_of_sight]

After leaving Steadfast's quarters, our intrepid heroes the group of four Seekers (plus one skitterfluff) make their way through the maze of corridors to the lab. The door they find when they get there looks pretty much like the rest of the base does, nondescript and purple. And perhaps in need of a bit of a clean to remove the beginnings of a few small patches of rust.

Echoshift pokes at the control panel just to check that yes, the door controls do still work, and then he keys in the default code. The door slides open with a slight noise of protest at some as yet unknown point of friction, revealing the lab beyond.

Echoshift looks around the room and up at the lights. "Well, the power seems to be working okay at least," he observes.

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade pauses to fuss over Squirmy a moment, making sure the skitterfluff wasn't alarmed by the unusual noise the door made when it opened. Then she waits for her sister and mama to enter the room.*

[strataseeker]

Photon strides confidently through the doorway, adding over her shoulder, "Strata did repair the primary systems controls for the entire base."

She looks around, noting the equipment she needs with a satisfied nod. "I believe these facilities shall prove ideal, Echoshift. Thank you. Could I trouble you for a status report once you have determined the location, type, and extent of the potential damages to the engines? It may assist in directing my investigation," she explains, holding up her hand that the mutated creature is still stretched out on.

[lavender_wings]

Steadfast watches Wingblade fuss over Squirmy, glad that the creature doesn't seem inspired to run away. Then she enters the room alongside Photon.

[0ut_of_sight]

Echoshift nods briefly at Photon's first remark. Truth be told he's actually a little surprised that Strata's handiwork is holding up as well as it has. She'd told him she was a repair tech, true. But he'd had no examples of prior work on any base systems to judge her words by. As it turned out, she was actually pretty good. He'd give her that much.

"Sure. If you and the others'll be okay getting set up here and stuff on your own, I'll head down to the engine bay and see what there is to see. I'll comm you back when I find out what's what." He glances back down at the dead creature in Photon's hand and pauses to reach one hand over to where Squirmy is still curled up on Wingblade's arm. He gives the skitterfluff an approving scritch behind the ears; a useful critter to have around indeed.

His optics then go back to Photon. "Have fun with the er, rat-thing in the meantime, I guess..."

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade follows Photon and Steadfast in, sticking near the door and out of the way. She grins at Shifter when he leaves.* We're all together, of course we'll have fun! *she absently skritches Squirmy behind his other ear, enjoying cuddling him*

[strataseeker]

"We will manage. Thank you Echoshift," Photon replies. "If I determine anything of note, I shall forward it on to you and Strata."

[lavender_wings]

"I'm sure we will," Steadfast agrees with a slight wry grin, watching Echoshift leave. Wingblade has Squirmy, Photon has a dead rat - now Steadfast only needs something to keep herself occupied with.

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade moves closer to Steadfast, still scritching behind Squirmy's ear. Once there she peaks at the mutated rat Photon's holding* Now what do we do with that thing?

[skitterfluff]

Squirmy hums happily, then stops humming to look at the rat.

"Neek?"

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade continues to scritch Squirmy, and murmurs soothingly to him.* They're working on why that looks so odd, an' Strata went to go check out the area you pointed out. *Wingblade doesn't know if Squirmy can understand her, but she would like him to start humming again.*

[skitterfluff]

Squirmy settles back down and hums for a while, looking at the dead rat intently. Every so often, he gives Wingblade a curious look. "Neek?"

[strataseeker]

Answering Wingblade's earlier comment, Photon moves towards a likely looking work surface

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade blinks blankly at Photon's explanation of the steps. She's able to pick out different ideas in what Photon said, but the complexity and speed at which Photon delivered the speech has Wingblade a bit overwhelmed.

When she asks about Squirmy, Wingblade's CPU finally catches up to what Photon's saying and she comes out of the dazed stupor.*

Uh, I can try... Don't know if he'll understand, though...

*Wingblade raises the arm with Squirmy on it up so that she can look the skitterfluff in the eye.* Can you get us a normal rat, Squirmy? One from a different part of the base?

[skitterfluff]

Squirmy yawns, then tilts his head slightly and looks at the pastel Seeker. "Neek?"

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade looks up between Photon and Steadfast.* Do we have a holoprojector or something that I can show him a picture with? He doesn't seem to understand us talking.