She's distracted enough that she responds by default. "Girl I knew in--"
A pause. She's measuring this first and keeping her breath. She licks her bottom lip. "She snipped four inches off my ponytail one day. But considering that never went on my permanent record, I am curious..."
"As am I." Brainwave continues, inching closer. "Funny story that I've never shared with anyone, when we first acted as a team, I had some difficulty bringing your brother into the psionic link that we use as a team to communicate, even though he was more than a willing participant. I assumed it was because of his unique physiology and all that. So when soemone decided that it was in the best interests of humanity for you to become our houseguest, I've been subtly testing that theory since you've gotten here. And I must say, navigating your physiology to get to the point where I can comfortably 'read' you was difficult, but, as you can figure out, not impossible.
Now, would you care to share with me why exactly you were having a meeting with a group of people that includes three people who have tried to kill our group before? Or should I just interpret that for myself?"
Trevor's headed home from a rare day off spent familiarizing himself with the base. The television, tuned to CDTV and turned up to an unhealthy volume, drowns out the sound of the crawlers until Trevor switches it off on his way out. As he's reaching his suite's light switch, though, he hears the tapping of their legs on the metal walls of the air ducts. One hand ignites as the other touches the communicator clipped to his t-shirt collar, and Trevor stares at the drop-ceiling as he follows the movement of the sound.
"This is Trevor. Anyone know why it sounds like there's something crawling through my air conditioner?"
There's a dull echo as feedback. Then, a modem sound from somewhere in the air ducts.
A mass of sparks and smoke, and a piece of metal drops in a thunk. Two crawlers drop down in front of Trevor while others cling to the ceiling as they move out of the hole. The two in front are scanning him.
To be honest, Trevor isn't sure what the crawlers are up to. Being the son of a general contractor, though, he knows that the hole they just made constitutes about five grand worth of damage, so odds are it isn't anything good. He thumbs his comm to the emergency channel as he backpedals back into his room to keep all of the crawlers where he can see them, and starts assessing which ones to take out first as he sends out a mayday that he doubts will get through.
"This is Hotshot calling anyone who can hear me. The Outsider's base has a problem, and needs back-up. I repeat-"
His attempts at transmission only seem to increase the communicator's disruption, and as it starts to smoke and beep alarmingly Trevor throws it at the two crawlers in front of him. Half way to its target Trevor pumps heat into the communicator's power pack, hoping for at least a smoke screen if not an explosion.
Tara does need sleep, just not a lot of it, and Amelia has been getting worse and worse as the medicine loses it's effectiveness as time goes. Within a month, it won't do anything. Her tolerances build up fast.
Everything will be more clear with sleep and shower. Then she can get back to it.
Just outside the base, Crystal Stone is giggling just a little. Inside the base, a half dozen crawlers that she is directly crawl slowly into her older sister's room.
She can't remember the good anymore. To the point there might not have been any good. Tara the golden girl. Tara the oldest. Tara the one her parents wanted her to be like and who all the teachers loved - all looking down on her - always down.
They inch towards the person that ruined her life before it even started.
Three of Amelia's little machines are looking at him with laser red eye. One of the beams moves away from him after a second and focuses on one of the others.
Then the beams are back on Chimp, scanning over him. Oh my, what if they're actually gawking?
"Tom and Jerry report no one in the power generator. Don't want to go in there." Because the crawlers might overheat and explode and that would be bad. "I'm having Lock, Shock, and Barrel shut doors to cut everyone off. The alien is still up...Checking on the others."
"The elemental toasted Palpatine and Ripley. I've got no back support, they're all out on the board so use them, just, in the name of me not getting ripped limb from limb, kay?" Amelia slides out into the hallway outside of her lab. There's all kinds of stuff starting to fill the hallways, now. She straps the breathing mask over her face-- because she's dying but she's not stupid!-- and starts navigating through the halls.
Her lab purposefully isn't far from where Caleb spends most of his time. She's cautious through the halls. Corrine's a teleporter. Damnit, almost forgot! "If you see her signature start moving around, have one of 'em, any of 'em, put her down ASAP. They're all rigged to handle her, they know what to do."
"I got something for her if they don't get her first."
She gets to the door and stops, checking inside for a second. There's smoke of a fire past but everything looks okay in here. Amelia purposefully doesn't search in the debris for her brother yet. She just surveys the destruction. He's going to be mad.
Caleb's slumped against overturned furniture. Bloodied up his temple a bit but he's fine. Out like a light. She sets the amulet in his hand and closes his fingers around it. Seconds later she's back out in the hall. She doesn't allow a second glance. "Okay, which way?"
Comments 92
...time for Phase 2 of the experiment.
"Who's Cessaly Spassky, and what exactly did she do to piss you off?"
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A pause. She's measuring this first and keeping her breath. She licks her bottom lip. "She snipped four inches off my ponytail one day. But considering that never went on my permanent record, I am curious..."
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Now, would you care to share with me why exactly you were having a meeting with a group of people that includes three people who have tried to kill our group before? Or should I just interpret that for myself?"
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"Sharing pecan pie recipes," Amelia says pleasantly.
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The crawlers are about. Laser red eyes are examining surfaces as they go. They're not interfering with anything. Yet.
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"This is Trevor. Anyone know why it sounds like there's something crawling through my air conditioner?"
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A mass of sparks and smoke, and a piece of metal drops in a thunk. Two crawlers drop down in front of Trevor while others cling to the ceiling as they move out of the hole. The two in front are scanning him.
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"This is Hotshot calling anyone who can hear me. The Outsider's base has a problem, and needs back-up. I repeat-"
His attempts at transmission only seem to increase the communicator's disruption, and as it starts to smoke and beep alarmingly Trevor throws it at the two crawlers in front of him. Half way to its target Trevor pumps heat into the communicator's power pack, hoping for at least a smoke screen if not an explosion.
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Everything will be more clear with sleep and shower. Then she can get back to it.
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They inch towards the person that ruined her life before it even started.
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Realistically, he's passed out in a pool of drool, barely aware of his surroundings, at the com-station.
One bleary eye opens and attempts to focus on the strange sound he's hearing.
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Then the beams are back on Chimp, scanning over him. Oh my, what if they're actually gawking?
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He ponders for a moment that perhaps he should send out an alert. Someone like Travis should totally come out and look at these things.
That requires moving his arm.
And he seems to have forgotten how to do that.
He tries... and collapses out of his chair and into a heap on the floor.
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Her lab purposefully isn't far from where Caleb spends most of his time. She's cautious through the halls. Corrine's a teleporter. Damnit, almost forgot! "If you see her signature start moving around, have one of 'em, any of 'em, put her down ASAP. They're all rigged to handle her, they know what to do."
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"I think she's towards Quadrant 5 near the Chapel. Anyone up for last rites?"
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She gets to the door and stops, checking inside for a second. There's smoke of a fire past but everything looks okay in here. Amelia purposefully doesn't search in the debris for her brother yet. She just surveys the destruction. He's going to be mad.
Caleb's slumped against overturned furniture. Bloodied up his temple a bit but he's fine. Out like a light. She sets the amulet in his hand and closes his fingers around it. Seconds later she's back out in the hall. She doesn't allow a second glance. "Okay, which way?"
Reply
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