((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

Comments

[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.

[lavender_wings]

Steadfast has noticed Wingblade's blinking. //I think you're using too big words for her,// she tells Photon, using private comm as to not hurt Wingblade's pride.

Then, there's the matter of instructing Squirmy to get them a rat (hopefully one already dead, Steadfast can't help thinking). "We should have one, let me look..."

[strataseeker]

// Ah. My apologies, // Photon observes.

"I believe I may have seen one in one of the lower compartments while I was locating the DNA sequencer," Photon adds, aloud.

A few moments later, she has a small vial with the sample for the sequencer in hand, which she holds up for Wingblade to see.

"This is the sample that the sequencer," she explains, nodding towards the given equipment beside her, "will read to tell us how this creature was designed. Much like a deep diagnostics scanner can piece through our own core programming."

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade nods.* 'Kay, got that. *She then carefully searches around the area Photon indicated, only using one hand so that she can keep a hold of Squirmy, and pulls one out.*

...Um, does anyone have a picture of a rat we can put in this thing...? *Wingblade gives the other two a sheepish smile.*

[lavender_wings]

"I don't," Steadfast replies. She's not in the habit of collecting rat pictures, for obvious reasons. "If you don't have one, Photon... I could maybe draw one." Her face shows that she doesn't like the idea, but one has to make do with what's there.

[strataseeker]

"Hmm," Photon murmurs as she loads the sample in the sequencer. "The best I can offer is a download of Squirmy with the original specimen that he caught in your quarters, Steadfast. That might be a bit confusing for him," she adds apologetically.

[prankster_femme]

*Pouts a little.* Then how can we communicate what we want to him? *continues to scritch behind his ear, the holoprojector on a convenient nearby flat surface*

[lavender_wings]

"I will draw something, then," Steadfast says. She switches on the holoprojector, setting it to display what she's drawing, fingers and stylus moving nimbly in the recording field. A few shudders run through her as she forces herself to imagine a rat in order to draw it, but she manages to create a reasonable likeness of an average, healthy Rattus norvegicus.

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade brings Squirmy over to the holoprojector. She moves Squirmy until she can look him in the eye, making sure she has his attention, then shifts him so he's looking at the holoprojector. She points to it.* Rat. Rat. *Then she kneels down and taps the floor, making sure Squirmy can see.* Here. *She then shifts him so he's looking her eye-to-optic again.* Rat. Here. Understand?

[skitterfluff]

Squirmy gives Wingblade a quizzical look. "Neek?"

Eight legs bunch, and the skitterfluff springs from Wingblade's arm to the floor, darts across the room in a flash of yellow, and disappears behind the floor-level ventilation grill.

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade blinks at Squirmy's quick deptarture.* ...Well, either he did or he didn't... Guess we'll have to wait to find out...

[strataseeker]

Photon glances over at their efforts periodically as she performs a, for her, rapid dissection of the mutated creature. Given the massive number of abnormalities in the internal structures of this creature, Photon is privately amazed that the life form remained viable.

As she works, she compiles a file of all the various structural and physiological changes in the creature, organizing it by system for Strata's perusal later.

"Good work, Wingblade. Whether he comprehended or not, you approached the attempt to communicate with him in a logical and comprehensive manner," Photon observes.

[prankster_femme]

*Wingblade beams at Photon's praise. Then she moves over to watch what Photon's doing to the dead mutated rat.*

[lavender_wings]

Steadfast smiles proudly as well.

Dissecting a mutant rodent is not her usual idea of fun, but she is glad that Wingblade is so absorbed in it - if nothing else, it will keep her mind off her sorrow.

[strataseeker]

Photon glances over, noting Wingblade's interest.

"Just as we have various systems that help us function, organic creatures do as well. Right now, I am examining all those various structures and systems to see how they are different from what I would expect from a normal rat. Such as the additional eyes, and these odd tentacles. Those aren't normal for a rat, yes? Well, if there are outside changes, there are likely inside changes as well. Examining them may reveal a pattern in those changes, which may help tell me what caused them. Knowing that may help Echoshift and Strata determine if and what type of damage there may be to the base's power plant. Does that make sense?" Photon asks after her careful explanation.

[prankster_femme]

Uh huh. *Wingblade nods, carefully absorbing what Photon's telling her. Then she points at the odd tail.* Have you had a chance to look at that part yet?

*She stands close to Photon as she watches her dissect the rat. She also comms her, only wanting to say this to Photon.* //Hey, Photon?//