Life's a Carnival and then you die - Chapter 2

Master Index » Logs » Life's a Carnival and then you die - Chapter 2

Table of Contents

GM: TeeJay
Players: Katral, TeeJay
Synopsis: Katral and TeeJay go on an impromptu rescue mission
Date: 2084-05-28

Hitting the 'trix

The route from the Carnival back to the surface is a lot easier than the route in. Obviously, there's some emergency escapes that of course no one had shared with TeeJay, or any other outsider for that matter. But the happenstances seem to demand for a quick response, so Jared, rather worlessly, leads them through some stair cases into what seems like another supply tunnel from days in the past, that, after some distance, leads to a staircase to the surface. The worry for a friend, and it seems like the people in the carnival are a small enough bunch that one member's friend are considered the carnival's friend, seems to be looming over him, not like he was very talkative before.
The staircase ends in an emergency exit/entrance in a back alley, without any fancy or decor, just like typical garage exits. And it provides no cover from the floods of water that have begun to pour from the skies. Every now and then, it seems there's a small grain of hail pinging against a piece of metal. All in all, it's pouring cats and dogs, making a stay outside definitely something you would like to avoid by any means. All in all, they're like two blocks, or a five minute run through the mostly deserted streets, to get back to the car that brought them in.

+ show rolls

Katral starts moving the moment he's out of the back alley. He draws his coat closed, adjusting the strap to his cyberdeck bag. Looking over his shoulder, he announces to Teejay and Jared "If you can, cover me while I make my way to the nearest 'point. Think there's one around here I haven't used in a bit. It's going to be exposed, so please do all you can to keep my meat-bod breathing." He looks ahead, trying to make sure he's got everything settled and good, and they aren't about to be made into wormfood. It's somewhere close…

TeeJay pulls up her coat as she finds herself getting a free shower. She gives Jared a nod. She's got her master covered from here, then turns to him while pressing her body against the closest wall to get at least some measure of protection from the elements. "How far is it? We can go fetch the car. Is that point out in the open somewhere? If so, you can sit in the back sets…", she suggests, almost having to shout to be heard over the sound of heavy precipitation against corrugated steel and glass.

"The jackpoint is for personal use, can you drive it up the curb? I might be able to get the cable to stick if I'm close enough." Katral instructs, turning to Teejay. "If not, there's at least a roof over them, most of the time. Don't want water getting into the jackpoint if you can avoid it." He's shuddering lightly, despite being somewhat used to the low temperature. Might be the adrenaline causing his veins to pull back some.

TeeJay niddle-noddles her head. "Yah… should work…", she thinks aloud, cowering into her coat as good as she can. In the distance, lightning can be seen and around six seconds later, its thunder reverbs through the side alleys. "Comeon… let's get running. Worst case, we'll have the car nearby to get us where we needa get… giddy up… no time to lose…" And already, she nudges her head towards the main street, where it almost feels like there's curtain of water separating this side of the road from the other. And off she is, leading the way to where the old Nomad is parked, promising warmth and protection. At least, in these adverse conditions, one hardly needs to deal with people on the street. Noone in their right mind would be outside right now.

The run is more of a jog, so as not to slip in the water. But its still rather brisk, and they make their way to the car posthaste, Kat being of singular focus. "Alright, the coordinates are nearby, sent them to your pocsec on the way over, so you can make the magic happen." And sure enough, he's fiddled with his own phone to send Teejay a message. His jaw is set, as is his mind.

TeeJay sighs in relief as, after entering the parked vehicle, she finally closes the car's door behind her and can sink into the warmth of its seats. She doesn't quite mind that she's making a mess of the seat. Nothing that cannot be cleaned up in due time. Right now, time is of the essence. She waits for the decker to hake is seat, all the while jacking into the vehicle, then sets it in motion, the wipers running at maximum pace. She's speeding, but in the current weather that just means she's moving at an otherwise normal speed, to the designated location. "Think we're safer in here than we'd be out there. Wouldn't like some short circuit to fry your brain…", she notes while driving with otherwise utter concentration, only shortly thereafter letting the vehicle roll out at the indicated coordinates.

"That's going to happen one day or another, anyway. Better I did it trying to save someone important than hanging back in safety." he curtly informs her, though its less out of anger and more the determination. Perhaps adrenaline is peaking him a bit, too. "I'll try not to be too long. These kinds of hosts usually don't take more than a minute or two."
Security tally for jackpoint local host

+ show rolls

Katral appears upon the host, in his Golden Gryphon persona. He's got no time to show it off however, and there's most likely nobody around to see it anyway, so he swoops upwards, towards the RTG. It's where he needs to be, and swiftly. His wings fold against his body, and he soars.

The jackpoint's security system does not prove to be much of a hindrance for the skilled decker and his top notch tools, revealing a plain, almost nondescript host using standard iconography. It's used mainly for transit, maybe just connecting a couple of local jackpoints, and its security might be better tailored at keeping snooping script kiddies from the outside world at bay than stopping real deckers using this LTG as a stepping stone to get into the bigger world of the matrix.

Before he logs on, Katral fiddles with the phone one last time, attaching it firmly to the cyberdeck via a second cable. Always good to have a spare! This way, he should be able to utilize any data from it. Not to mention, it probably holds the number of the person he's supposed to locate. Glad its already been opened, he gets to work.

+ show rolls

Katral shimmers as he appears, golden and godlike, upon the scene of the UCAS/Denver portion of the RTG. It stretches far and wide, but nevermind all that, he's got a gal to save. As icons flit to and fro around him, he looks up the info on the phone as to its Matrix Service Provider, so he knows what to look for. Or at least, gets a hint as to its name so he can look the connection up, should it be legit.

As Katral squeezes his matrix persona through the gate that connects hit LTG to the larger RTG, things start to begin to look huge. Like a wide, open field, albeit a digital one at that. Every few meters, there seems to be a link to yet the next LTG, and matrix entities can be seen whishing by on their route through the communication network.

+ show rolls

Katral scribbles in the open air with his talons, and all of a sudden text appears, that starts spinning and flying through the air. It spins and spins, and eventually points towards a singular point amongst the many glowing nodes that make up the local grid. Gotcha.

+ show rolls

In the vast field of doors that link this interconnecting network to virtually everything, or so it seems, it's a godsent that Katral has his little helpers with him, especially this arrow that homes him to a rather remote little connection. Traffic around here doesn't seem huge. Weirdly, given that there was a cellphone to be reached. Maybe just some small service provider… who knows.

+ show rolls

Katral taps at his beak, his Golden Gryphon persona taking on the role of detective fairly well. Alright, time to look around, see if he can't locate where the access logs are located. He takes the aid of those little searching numbers and texts, flitting them about to see where they stick

+ show rolls

The LTG that Katral is connecting to seems… slightly odd for an MSP. A lot smaller than one would expect. Usually MSPs would be huge, providing for a metric shit-ton of customers, and would reflect that by their looks. This one seems cozy in comparison. No one has bothered to give this host a special iconography, so it's all the very easily comprehensible standard entities that Katral quickly can identify, but it all feels small. Or, maybe, confined rather.

+ show rolls

Letters, numbers and pointers rush out from Katral's search tool. Looking for any host they could stick to, to guide the way through the digital maze, where not always all is like it seems. But those letters just seem to linger, hang in the air, like there was no connection to another host that his requests would seem to have any special affinity with. And since there are no connections to other hosts visible, it might just be that this is a tiny, but nice little one-host system.

Katral would swear, but it can be hard when your current form is beaked. Besides, he has no time to deal with all this jazz. After all, he needs to save someone, pronto. So he just gathers the letters up again, thinks about it for a moment, then flicks them around the node again, trying to see if there's a file anywhere with the info he needs. Most likely seeing some heavy automated manipulation.

+ show rolls

This host definitely seems somewhat harder to deal with, but that might just be the rising tension in Katral that's making itself known. Actually, amongst all the data in here, there is a file seemingly containing communication logs, including positional records. The file seems surprisingly small, tho, placed in a rather remote corner.

Katral looks at the data, looking so innocent and totally not some killer IC about to eat him. He's seen this a million times before, even fell victim to it once, so he's going to be very mindful. He brings out a small magnifying glass, from where on that Gryphon form? Better not ask. He looks the file over, whatever shape it may take, trying to find hidden seams or fuses.

+ show rolls

The file in question itself shows the nasty signs of an IC being attached to it. But, nothing that should give Katral any worry. A simple scramble IC, keeping the data protected from peeking noses. More or less.

Katral replaces the magnifying glass with what looks like a broom. He picks it up, and starts sweeping over the IC in question, trying to shoo it away like a spider from its nest.

+ show rolls

In fact, the Scramble IC does seem a bit like a spider, holding the file in a firm grip. It moves to block any access to it, by shifting its body around, making closer inspection of the file impossible, and at the same time gives whoever tries to and odd look, and opens a very abstract mouth wide, in expectation of proper cookie. Not having said cookie, that broom does at least seem to have some effect, shooing the creature to the side some, and for an instant, revealing a vulnerable spot to the file, which Katral plunges a finger through, finally being able to touch the file in question.
Not wanting to waste any time, he downloads the file immediately, letting its precious datajuices soak into his talons and up into him, like a freakish Mork from Mork and Mindy. Or attempts to, in any case.

+ show rolls

There isn't all that much to be loaded, thankfully. While matrix time scales sure run differently than those on the outside world, a full fledged logs file from one of the bigger MSPs might have taken ages to load. And to later analyze. But this MSP seemingly only has quite a limited number of customers, making the download an easy and quick feat.
Now that he has the file, all he needs is to check it for all the data it has on the person's location, and some way of triangulating that to the actual target. A tool to do that should be available in this very host, if Kat is lucky.

As expected by the small size of the files, those logs comprise only a few dozen different devices being connected to this "provider", whatever kind of provider this is. The data contain information on calls made, along with periodic information of position of all devices. Amongst them, the device that Tara most likely used. It's got a call that quite well matches the one she's supposedly made right before… whatever happened happened. And positional records for just that time. That position points to an old, supposedly abandoned building complex in the warrens (yay)! It seems that after the phone call, the phone has not moved at all.

Got'em. Katral is pleased enough with this information, and so goes to resolve things in the appropriate way. Namely, gracefully logging off, so as not to obtain any nasty stink or dumpshock when leaving. He folds his wings together, and then…

+ show rolls

When the decker opens his eyes, he sees a disgruntled TeeJay looking at him, tapping her foot at the vehicles' floor impatiently. "Had a good nap? Chop chop… time is of the essence…", the colourfully haired chic informs him, with a semi-cheeky grin. They're in too tense a spot for her to let herself drift and make use of the fact that Katral was all out of it… but sure a trace of the thought might have crossed her mind, likely leaving to more frustration rather than joy.

Katral shakes his head, as reality comes back to his bleary eyes. "Blech. Not even a single neuron burnt. Should've stolen all their records just to mess with 'em." Katral sits up straight, unclenching his face muscles. "Alrighty. Got some coordinates, and we need to get there fast. You think you got the motor to handle it?" he asks of the trained rigger/mechanic.

TeeJay snorts slightly and gestures to the windshield, where the wipers still have trouble fighting off all the water that's been pouring down on them, and it seems the storm is getting worse before it's getting better. "I sure have the engine to make maximum speed through this shite here, but it ain't gonna be what I'd call FAST by any means…" Other than that, the Nomad might be practical, but it sure ain't a racing car. "Chop chop, unplug your shit and strap in…", she urges him.

Katral is unplugged in a second, like a bad date, and strapped in, like a good date. "Gotcha. Now let that pedal hit the metal, and floor it, someone's life is on the line. Someone who's probably worth more than a few dings on this thing."

The petite rigger gives Katral an evil sideglance. "Don't talk about things you have little clue of. A 'ding' in this thing costs you sex for the remainder of the year…", she notes. Like she could pull that through easily. However, she does not let that stop her, and she engages the engine. No levers being pressed are involved, just commands through the fibreoptic cable that connects with the base of her skull. "… got any clue on where we're headed? Maneaters? Vampires den?" She ponders for a moment. "… what's that called that vampires have? Den? Coven?", she catches her mind wandering while she pushes the rugged looking van through the deserted, and partially submerged, warrens roads.

"Abandoned complex. So presumably, all those things you mentioned and more. 'least I brought gel rounds this time, should let us take down anything non-lethal-like. Unless they really were attacking that girl, then all bets are off." Katral says, stuffing his cyberdeck down the bag again, and prepping his other tools: The Uzi and Laser.

Katral looks entirely focused still, a weird look for the otherwise very lackadaisy decker.

"Yay… and we're going in… kinda blind?!", TeeJay asks, keeping her voice matter-of-factly. "Or were you able to… kinda determine what anyone might want there?" In the distance, another lightning strikes one of the higher buildings, and this time, the thunder only takes a mere one and a half seconds to rumble through the vehicle. "Ah well… this day's as good to die as any other, neh? Can you look in the back seat, somewhere under that rubble there should be my katana… and my guardian… I think it might be time to bring in the real weapons, eh?"

"Hai hai. Gotta do something, and besides, all these straps were chasing me. Not that you'd know." He unhooks himself from the chair, evil thing, then goes for a walk towards said guardians and cutter, to see about arming Teejay for the fight ahead. "You know, if we're gonna keep running into fiends to fight, I DO need a grenade of some kind, eventually. At the very least."

TeeJay noddles while still trying to make out shapes outside, to help her NOT set the vehicle against some wall. "Got any indication as to what height above ground that signal came from? So we might at least GUESS how high we've got to be looking…", she says just before the left front wheel catches a pothole and sends the car tumbling.

+ show rolls

Fortunately, with a little bit of good luck and a little bit of skill, she brings the vehicle back under control, quickly turns around to peek behind herself, checking where Katral might have been flung to.
Katral stumbles slightly, as the car takes a tumble. Well, a light shudder, in any case. Maybe not so light, as he has to catch himself with one of her drones. Well, what he hopes is a drone, and not some strange extra bit of junk in the back of her van. Or her Katana. He only has so many fingers.

"Hold on tight… we're almost there…", the petite rigger announces, chuckling as she sees Katral fight for his balance, and maybe his fingers, behind her. "… and in this weather, I don't take complaints about my driving. Any sane person would NOT be driving full stop. So…" And moments later, the vehicle begins to decelerate. "… I think we're… kinda here…"

Singin' in the rain…

As he vehicle approaches the coordinates, it comes to stop near the remains of an office building, only four stories remaining. With the rubble from the upper floors collapsed in upon the center, and spread across the old sidewalks around it, it's easy to tell that the building is in no way habitable anymore. Many of the surrounding buildings share the same fate. It remains to be hoped that when this building, or parts of it, came down, there were no people inside. What's remaining of the collapsed structures now seems to serve as makeshift homes and shelters for those that eke out a meager existence here in the Warrens. However, there's not a soul to be seen.

Katral scans the building, looking it over with those everpresent stereotypical sunglasses. "We really need some kinda bot to do the recon for us. But we ain't got that kinda time." He dusts himself off, and preps to hop out of the van posthaste. Trying to recall, in his head, what kind of background noises could possibly have been heard in that call, if the associate had told them at all.

As Katral steps out into the rain, he feels that actually, pollution and rain make a baaaaad mix. The air seems cleaner than usually, but the droplets that fall from the sky bring all of it down onto the living and dead things on the ground. It smells bad. It sure IS bad. All the less surprising that noone wanders out here without much reason currently.

"I KNEW I shoulda brought an umbrella. Damn acid rain." Lucky for him, he make a sprint for the building complex, hoping to find some cover from the rain under the front door extensions that usually accompany such buildings. At least a LITTLE protection from the accursed fall.
Inside the vehicle, TeeJay unplugs herself from the console and gathers her things. Another lightning strikes in the distance as she stuffs her gear into her back. The MP in her Holster is replaced with a heavy pistol, one she feels more at home with, and the katana from the rear seats finds its place in her left hand. She looks out, towards Katral, then, after a moment of thought, plugs some small devices together and spans a fibreoptic cable from one of them to the socket in her skull. A tacticom and a transducer. Only then, she steps out of the car, running over to where Katral has found cover from the rain. There, she presses herself against the wall at his side, breathing. "Great… now we're in the rain… and now?!"

Katral shouts, to be heard over the rain "Now we bust down the door, and get everyone's attention before we MELT!" Katral shouts, looking at the nearest entryway, trying to determine if it is barred, shut or just not there. He did run out here to the entryway rather swiftly without looking after all, to get under its cover.

+ show rolls

The building is the shattered remains of a formerly much taller building, having crumbled down to approximately four floors. On the outside, at ground level, the building is in ruins. What remains of the inside of the building seems to be choked with rubble from the above floors. The same rubble seems to block the entrance to the building. The buildings around do not look a whole lot better; the area is littered with rubble. Looking around, you can spot surveillance cameras spread around the structure nonetheless.

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Alright, see anything, any way inside? They probably already spotted us, but might think we're just drifters. Whoever they are, on the other side of those cams. Might see things differently if we break in anyplace. »

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « Yeah, I see them cams, too. So what now, doesn't seem like we can just charge in the door… for lack of things to charge, eh? »

Her voice sounds slightly different than when she speaks physically, as it's synthesized by the transducer.

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Knew I shoulda brought the explosives… again. So, see any kinda fuse boxes or the like? I'd say cutting power to them, whoever they are, is our best bet. They might come out to either check or go for us, and we find a way in after we find a way over them. »

Katral keeps himself pushed up against the wall, to make sure the 'crete takes most of the rain's punishment, as he vocalizes.

TeeJay pulls her coat up further. "Please tell me this ain't what you consider a romantic evening…", she yelps as she tries to dodge her head in between her shoulders. Yet another lightning strikes in the distance. What a shit weather. What a shit night.

Not enough that it's raining dogs and cats. But those dogs and cats smell. And, it seems like they're itching on the skin, too. That's what you get from blowing all sorts of chemicals and toxins into the atmosphere and wait for it to get washed down with rain.

+ show rolls

The surroundings are quite as desolate as the building itself. There's other buildings around. There's two car wrecks, half buried under rubble that noone ever cared to move out of the way. A small shed. There's too much rain coming from above for sure. A number of security cameras that you've already seen. An exit stairway from a garage. A number of huge trash containers that likely haven't been cleared out for ages, now home to a number of creatures. Usually. Right now, whatever might usually rummage through these has fled elsewhere, somewhere drier.

+ show rolls

The "stairway", its basically a door to descending stairs, seeming rather nondescript. It looks basically like an old emergency exit stairway of a garage. So it starts at ground level, tho it's almost buried under the rubble. There are no signs of recent usage, no telltale tracks or scratch marks.

So. Either the shed, or the stairs. Well, the shed at least ought to have another roof he can more easily hide under, while the stairs down might be flooded. Shed it is. He runs towards it, hoping at least there will be some way to get inside so he can protect Teejay from the awful weather, and disrupt whoever is inside's plans. What he tells her is very different, however: "See if you can find any way inside, I'll try this one, maybe there's tools or another way in!" as he runs towards it.

That 'whoever is inside' person might already have noticed Katral and TeeJay if they're not all too dumb or drunk or both. If those cameras are real, that is. As Katral opens the doors to the shed, he finds himself in front of… just another door. Sliding doors of an escalator. At the side of it, sitting prominently, a PIN pad and a palm scanner.

He brought his electronics kit. This time. He rummages around in his bag, trying to find it. Shouldn't be TOO long. Popping open the pad, getting at the guts inside. Switching his sunglasses to microscopic vision. Yeah, that'll do it.

All the while, TeeJay, loyal little rigger and pet, is speeding around the house, trying to find another way in as suggested.

+ show rolls

He starts working. Sweat, not even there. Starts breaking that box open, without triggering anything alarm-like. But it isn't like it matters, if they already saw him on the cameras before. Still, eventually, he'll get that shell off. Eventually. A lifetime in half a minute.

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « There's some garage entrance here… did you see that? »

+ show rolls

The second case has no chance against those expertly fingers working on it. All it takes is a little prodding in the right spaces, open up a small ridge, slide in that screwdriver and unlock the release bolt. It's merely fifteen seconds, and it lies open in front if him.

Still, not a drop of sweat on him. The rain might compensate for that, if it wasn't burning holes in his coat. Still, now to start altering the circuitry, to hopefully let him inside. As he does, he vocalizes, trying to keep his mind from overheating:

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Any luck? »

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « Yeah… there's some stairs leading down here… dunno… DID you check up what height that position was at? »

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Couldn't get much accuracy I'm afraid. This is what I got. You small enough to squeeze inside? »

+ show rolls

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « No squeezing required whatsoever. Even you fatty would fit inside… »

Clicks, tips of little tweezers, devices prodding at the innards… and there, one part of the puzzle complete. He switches to the second target, finally. Hopefully he should be on the right road. Why else hide behind this impressive lock?

+ show rolls

As the second set of electronics is shortwired, there's a 'DING' sound, and the doors to the elevator slide open, revealing a spaceous cabin, easily two by two meters in size. The walls are meticulously clean and polished. Hanging in the back of the elevator, there's a frosted glass plaque with obscure signs on it, almost like egyptian letters. To the side, there's some gas detectors of some sort. Right besides the entrance, there's the panel, with five buttons, marking from top top to bottom "0" to "-4".

Katral adorns himself with the gas mask, rummaged out of his bag of tricks. He's carrying a lot of kit, but not all, and he almost wishes he had grapple at the moment. He calls out, using the comms once more.

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Got an entryway. We can go down a much more direct way that doesn't involve crawling over glass shards. Hoping there's something there that's actually related, but at least it looks operational. »

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « What now? Your path? Where are you? »

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « If you can make it. Unless you wanna spend your time out in the freezing cold and shitty weather? »

Commlink-sox> TeeJay sends, « Ya still at that shed? Comin… »

Katral takes the time it takes Teejay to return to look at the "egyptian lettering" first, trying to discern if he has any idea what they actually properly resemble or mean

While TeeJay works her path through the littered grounds, dodging her head low between her shoulders like that could keep any more of the water off her, Katral can notice, as he steps into the elevator, that it's a lot higher-class than the environment it's built into seems to be. Perfectly in shape. Clean, and easily cleanable. Those signs on the frosted glass… they look very intricate. A lot of care was put into then, but their closer meaning will likely be evident only to people of this certain field of expertise. From his new position in the elevator, he can, however see a small panel right besides the controls, where a red warning box flashes "Containment Protocol Active. Please Return to Quarters and Wait for Further Instructions".

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Hmmmm, we've got some sorta high power operation here. Much more than some domestic dispute or kidnapping. And we've got some kind of containment breach or one that was about to happen going on." »

It's only a minute before TeeJay rounds the corner to the small, stops in her tracks and whistles as she takes note of the high-profile elevator with her master in it. "Now you really seem to have found something, eh? Whatcha do? Speak the magical sesame words?" She's quick to step in under the roof, and who could blame her. If the color of her hair was dye of any type, it would certainly already be wasted.

"Something like that. I just seduced the elevator, opened it up and made it spread for me. My usual talent." Well, that certainly puts the decker's probes and things into new light. "I'm gonna say that what we have here is either some kind of containment facility, or someplace where they make something that might leak out and alert the surroundings they're being naughty here. Best case for us, we've run into a meth lab. Best in that we could air the place out and hopefully not pass out. But… might not spell anything good for whoever might be down there." He motions towards all the things he's spotted, keeping an eye on the surroundings outside in the interim. "See anything I haven't? I can probably learn more if I deck into the place from someplace inside."

TeeJay gives the elevator an odd look-over. It definitely seems out of place here. Everything pristine. Meticulously clean. Hidden away. Sturdy built. The rigger feels how her nose and forehead wrinkle in thought. "Dunno… feels too high profile for just another meth lab, if you ask me…" Her thoughts are interrupted by yet another thunder, echoing loud in the elevator chamber, after everything has lit up for a split second. "… and I dun' like this one bit…"

"Well, whatever the case… this does seem sketch enough to be at least relevant to our investigation. And worst case scenario, their cameras might have caught something that might give us a clue as to what is going on." Katral reasons, looking the elevator over one last time. "So… wanna guess what floor is safest? And more importantly, do you have a mask of your own, or can rig one together?"

TeeJay blinks, looks at the mask Katral is wearing, like seeing it for the first time. "Nope… dun' even own one. Dinna think I'd come walkin' into some hazmat thing…" She ponders for a moment as she steps into the elevator cabin. "… speakin' of cams… don't you think they might 've caught us, too, in the meanwhile?"

The decker sighs, nodding. "Probably. Unless they're otherwise occupied. If I can find a jackpoint, I can deal with that. I didn't bring my datataps, so we're going to have to go semi-legit, unless you can find me a port here in the elevator somewhere. Which… I'd doubt. But I'd be happy for the change of pace in luck."

+ show rolls

TeeJay shakes her head. "In this elevator? Gosh, there's jack shit in here. Glass panels and steel… wouldn't even know where to pry this thing open with a screwdriver…" She nudges over to the odd shapes behind frosted glass. "… oh, and they got some weird retro-style art stuff going, eh? Maybe it's an art hideout… and they use some gas stuff to conserve their goodies… keep bugs away and all…" She pushes out her bottom lip, blows raspberries while pushing her hands to her hips. "So… what now… try our luck and press some button?"

"Well, first off, I'm just going to look at the buttons and see which ones sees the most pressing. Got microscopic vision on these babies " Katral indicates his sunglasses "So migth as well, right? After that, if its inconclusive….. we're going by the very scientific method of Eenie-Meenie." He sighs, shoulders drooping for a moment, before resetting and leaning over the panel, checking it. "But one way or another, we're going to get some answers. Maybe not the ones we want, but we'll get them. Any way you can put on some rags or something over your mouth, til we find masks downstairs? I'm hoping they keep some, whoever they are, if they're checking for leaks."

The operations panel does not show any signs of wear. It's basically a glass plate with capacitive sensors behind it, quite obviously. Easy to clean, little to no wear. All befitting a sterile environment. And also, not leaving many marks. With microscopic vision, Katral will see that basically all buttons have been pressed recently.

Katral swivels his finger over the panel, eyes half-lidded, as he counts in his head, eventually leaving his finger hovering over the -3 button. "I'd REALLY be a lot more comfortable if I knew you weren't gonna pass out from whatever is down there once we step out. But I also don't want to just leave you up here. Can't leave a pet unattended." He looks at her, trying to think it over. "How long can you hold your breath?" Probably not a euphemism or innuendo.

TeeJay arches her brows. "Long enough for you, usually…", she notes, observing that finger as it's hovering. "So three's the charm?"

Katral presses it. Then nods. "Better be. If ANYTHING goes sideways, we're booking it out the way we came immediately. And after this, I'm investing in gas detection tools."

+ show rolls

The input field around Katral's finger fills with red colour and the elevator doors begin to slide closed. From outside, once more the sound of a nearby thunder can be heard. The storm is picking up rather than fading out. And just as the last light from outside is cut off by the closed door, the egyptian-looking sigil behind frosted glass begins to light up, quickly to a searing white, and a moment later, an painful bust of energy seems to fill the room.

+ show rolls

Katral grasps his forehead, feeling like his bloodvessels are about to pop out of his skull as the light permeates the area. He grits his teeth, like that was going to help rather than hinder. "Fragging… magic. Never know when its gonna hit, or what its gonna do. Never run into anything like this before and…" he suddenly turns to Teejay, examining her in bewilderment. Is she hurt? Like the woman they're trying to rescue might be?

TeeJay staggers as if struck, a strangled yelp bursting from her throat as the unseen force claws its way through her skull. Her breath locks up mid-inhale, caught like a glitch in her system. Hands clamp against her temples, eyes wide with panic for a heartbeat. Then, she gasps sharply, air rushing back into her lungs, and glares around the cabin with wild, accusatory eyes. "Drek!" she growls, voice trembling with still tension. "If that's the welcome mat, I ain't keen on staying for the house tour… Tell me that was a one-time show, 'cause I am *not* a magical trauma sponge."

All the while, the elevator sets into motion, descending towards level minus three.

Katral shakes his head to clear it. He steps over to her, placing his hand on the back of her neck, right where her collar sits. He checks on her as the elevator descends, dropping his hand away from his weapon for a moment, as if inspecting a prized car that just got a dent, perhaps? "You're still breathing fine… good. After we're done here, let's go burn down the nearest magical library. It won't help, but it'll make me feel better." He turns after saying that presumed jest, looking towards the door that is about to open in a few moments presumably. Then steps to the side, so there are no clear lines of fire. "Get ready to hit the "close doors" button if the air is toxic."

"Always down for a little arson therapy…" TeeJay mutters with a crooked grin, displaying her distaste for magic almost too open, but the moment of cheeky glee doesn't last. She flickers into motion, activating her ruthenium cloak with a low whisper of power. Her outline ripples, bends, and then vanishes completely, leaving only a faint distortion in the air beside Katral. Just as she shifts toward the control panel, eyes scanning for the emergency override, the world above them detonates in sound. A deafening *crack*, sharp and primal, roars down from somewhere on the surface. Maybe lightning, striking far too close. A split-second later, the elevator lurches to a dead stop, as if to confirm that potential suspicion. The lights blink out, leaving them in sudden, suffocating darkness. No flickers, no backup hum, just silence, thick and absolute. TeeJay freezes, teeth gritted, her hand hovering just above the panel she can no longer see, waiting to feel what the dark plans next.

Katral lifts his hand up to his face, flicking on the thermals on his sunglasses. "Alright. Let's see what we can see. Check for an emergency or maintenance hatch, there usually is." he instructs, maintaining his calm. "And get ready to climb some. I brought some climbing gear. But I don't think I brought the grapnel."

Just as Katral finishes laying out their next steps, the dead silence breaks with a low, rising hum, distant at first, then sharpening into the whir of backup engines spinning to life. A heartbeat later, dim red light spills back into the cabin, casting long shadows and painting their faces in wrong hues. The elevator shudders, then resumes its descent with a muted jolt. TeeJay exhales slowly, her invisible form shifting just enough for the distortion to catch the faint glow. The flickering panel now blinks a solemn -3, framed by the still-glowing warning: "Containment Protocol Active. Please Stay in designated emergency areas." She doesn't speak, but her breath hisses softly through clenched teeth, her fingers brushing over the edge of her heavy pistol, the faint tension in her stance saying it all… whatever's waiting below, she's ready to meet it, or at least shoot at it.

Katral reaches into his pack, and produces a mini-respirator from one of his kits. "Prepped this for mountainclimbing. It won't do much against some of the more dangerous gasses in all likelihood, but it will absolutely help you breathe if the air gets sucked out. Just put it over your mouth and nose, twist the cylinder, and you'll be able to breathe for about an hour. Just in case." His own sound is muffled from behind the mask, but he takes time to enunciate.

From seemingly out of nowhere, a hand reaches for the mini-respirator, and a moment later, it's vanished from sight. Just in time for a soft *DING* sound as the elevator comes to a stop and its doors prepare to open.

Katral shimmies to the side as before, gun raised in the air. His laser, this time. Making himself as small of a target as he can, pressed up against the inside of the thing as he can.

As the elevator doors slide open onto Sublevel 3, a wave of cool, sterile air rushes in, tinged with the faint scent of ozone. The corridor beyond is bathed in dim, pulsing red emergency lighting, casting long, twitching shadows across the polished white floor. Frosted glass panels line the walls on either side, etched with softly glowing ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that flicker faintly with residual magical energy. The air feels dense, almost pressurized, and the ambient hum of emergency systems adds to the oppressive silence. Occasionally, low warning chimes echo through the halls, synchronized with flashing panels that read: "CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL ACTIVE. PLEASE STAY IN DESIGNATED EMERGENCY AREAS."

To their left, a wide, sealed frosted-glass door marked Security Operations can be seen. To the right, the corridor curves deeper into the sublevel, revealing further sections, their labels hard to read from the distance. A sense of abandonment hangs in the air… there are no signs of personnel, but terminals blink silently, instruments hum within sealed rooms. The whole level feels suspended in time.

Katral cannot, and will not sniff the air, with his mask on. He looks towards Teejay, trying to see if the "dense"-feeling air is affecting her in any way. Perhaps as a kind of canary for the coalmine situation. He doesn't say anything, because the sounds might attract attention they do not want. Instead, he scans the room for any kind of cameras or detection devices, because why make the lives of whoever might be in the facility easier?

He can hear TeeJay sniffle at his side. "Smells like clinic… with something extra… dunno…", she notes, but it would appear that olfactory impression matches very well with the entire atmosphere of this place that, intimidating as it might be in full light, when buzzing with people, but under the pulsing emergency lights, it seems even more threatening. He can hear her carefully move forward, to scout out the environment, making use of the one thing she has going for her: she's near invisible, after all. He can her her whisper. "Remind me again WHAT devil rid us to just barge in here hot-headed? Can't we just like… go home, have some drink, or coke. And laugh about it all?"

The decker pauses for a moment, mulling it over. "I think it was the devil of my own expectations for myself from an early childhood, and knowing what I had to fight back in the old country. Knowing I always had to deal with bigger and bigger threats, or I was going to fall short. And that's not going to happen, any more than I am going to allow that person to die if I can avoid it. Coke will have to wait, at least until we're all safe and home. Then we can splurge on all of it until we go nuts." he agrees, swiveling his modded uzi up. He pauses for a moment, then reloads the device with gel rounds. He's got his laser backup, in case things need to turn lethal. And he's slain enough creatures today. Well, physically, anyway. Might still slay some beings mentally, if Teejay is any indication.

+ show rolls

There's little in those hallways that could give cover would be an understatement. There's literally NOTHING. Those hallways are devoid of any decorations other than occasional egyptian looking runes on the walls every now and then. Apart from those, it looks like a mix of hospital and military base. No decorum that could get in the way. TeeJay's already scouting ahead, with entire disrespect for those glyphs on the wall, maybe because she's somehow too distracted or intimidated by the overall atmosphere. But, she's sneaky at least, for Katral notices nothing of her until her voice suddenly whispers next to him again. "There's nothin' on the hallways, but there's some doors… a data center… and there, on the other side… there's some section reading 'Fabrication' and 'Labs'. All separated with those doors… with card readers…"

Katral nods at what Teejay is saying. She can afford to not have to worry about detection with that ruthenium of hers. He better get some himself at some future point. "Let's head to the data center first. There's got to be a way to get some data on the facility, maybe find out if our target is here or how to get a card for the doors. I can deck in, as long as you fancy waiting a few minutes more." He's in his element now, and seems like he's shaking the rust off enough to know what he is going to do and commits to doing it. He moves up ahead after her, well, what he presumes is after her.

"I'd love to say 'stay in cover', but… seems like that's easier said than one here…", the near-invisible decker mutters as she walks ahead, trying to make enough noise so her master can hear her, but less than would alert anyone. The two sides of being invisible. Not even your friends can see you. She leads Katral down along the hallway, turning right before they're finally in front of yet another reinforced frosted glass door, the plaque besides it reading "Data Center", below which, there's a card reader for granting easy access. If you're one of the lucky ones in possession of one of said cards.

Katral scans the way down the corridor. Can't help but hope there's a card being held by some unlucky former resident of this place, if they got caught on the wrong side of the lockdown. "Don't tell me, I gotta do this door too, huh? " He starts rummaging in his bag, attempting to extract his kit.

Those maglock card readers seem quite intricate. Given that extra care was taken so this place basically has no seams where avoidable, it's quite clear that bypassing it might take longer than just opening a couple of screws, albeit it's sure possible.

Katral says "Keep your eyes peeled for any open doors, or things out of place. Might be they've got an emergency can opener around here somewhere."

+ show rolls

Katral starts working on the lock, wishing he had an easier time wiping the sweat off his face when working on this, but the gas mask is stopping that from happening as easily. He tinkers, eyes focusing on everything but the thing in front of him, leaving him exposed to any sudden sneak attacks.

+ show rolls

That little bugger of a maglock casing seems to be made in hell, designed to just be a burden. It's breakable, yes, but the super-sterile custom housing makes it more troublesome than the actual device would warrant for. TeeJay's taking the lookout while Katral gets himself busy on the device, keeping her eyes and ears open, while oggling around the corner every now and then. And finally, she hushes over towards Katral. "A guard just came outta the security-thing room… making rounds or whatever…"

"Drek. How far off is he? Any place except the elevator we can split to?" the decker asks, working as best he can to get the thing open enough to work with. "Drek drek drek…" he murmurs, quiter now so as not to attract attention.

+ show rolls

TeeJay shakes her head, and it might be good that Katral cannot see her wary look. "Nah.. and he's right between us and the elevator… and… he's headed our way…", she sends via the comm, not daring to speak any more as footsteps can be heard approaching along the hallway. Already, she's pushing herself tight against the wall right behind the corner that he will round on his way over towards them.

Moving towards the recess of the door, Katral hisses at Teejay: "See if you can sneak up behind them, knock them out. Worst case, if they spot me, I'm gonna have to use my own method." indicating the uzi he's got with him. "Just don't get caught in the crossfire."

It's only few seconds before said guard that could be heard rounds his corner. Whatever these guys are doing here, they're going the full monty. This one's wearing an actual light security armor, complete with helmet and all, an SMG at the ready, with a flashlight attachment to it that announces his approach just as good as his footsteps aleady do. Strapped to his calf is a combat knife, and at his hip as an additional sidearm dangles a good old ARES Predator II.

+ show rolls

He passes TJ without actually taking any note of her. Hardly surprising, since not even Katral can make out TJ's shape clearly. The light of his lamp swaying through the hallway, almost making connection with the doorframe. The tools spread there, the already slightly manipulated maglock. He hasn't gotten aware of them just yet, but he will sooner rather than later.

+ show rolls

TeeJay seizes her chance. She's right behind him as he has turned the corner, so he's easy prey. She's got him lined up. And time is of the essence. So she steels her resolve, putting all in that punch right for his vulnerables.

The punch lands true, but… his armor proves to serve its purpose well. Much of the blow is cushioned off, and while the punch sure pushes air from his lungs, it leaves him standing upright, albeit tumbling slightly, trying to recover from the surprise.

+ show rolls

The punch lands true, but… his armor proves to serve its purpose well. Much of the blow is cushioned off, and while the punch sure pushes air from his lungs, and sends his body toppling over, it still leaves him in a fighting stance.

+ show rolls

Katral swivels out of his recess, aiming the gun straight at the man's face. "We got you cornered, give up and drop your weapons!" Sweet and simple, barked out with confidence and absolutely in no way the option used by a runner that is trying not to alert the entire base.

+ show rolls

The young man who's finding himself collapsed on the ground gasps, looking up at Katral with big eyes. He groans in pain from the point where TeeJay's fist mad made contact with his body, but he's quick to comply, instantly dropping the gun from is hands and spreading his arms as wide from him as he can. "It's… it's okay… I yield…" He doesn't seem to dare moving for now, knowing that any wrong move could be the last wrong move of his life, and in fact, he savours that more than this fricking job, good pay making no difference when you're in no state to spend it.

+ show rolls

Katral moves over with his trained at the man. He kicks the gun to the side, then moves up behind the man. "Lie down on the ground, arms behind your head." he instructs , lowering his voice somewhat. Still curt, still in control, but not loud enough to attract attention. He hopes.

TeeJay has been using her momentum to fling herself onto the young guard's back, and is now 'helping' him by pulling those arms right where she'd want them. "Got anything to send him sleepin?", she manages to get out between breaths. "… oh, and we should try to get outta this hallway, I recon…" Already, she's patting down the guard's sides. "… he's gotta have some badge, right?"

Katral shakes his head. He indicates the bag, but it does not seem to hold a medkit, from first glances. "Check his pockets first. " He reaches into the bag with a free hand, holding the uzi with the other, rummaging around a bit before extracting a coil of rope. Meant for mountain or wallclimbing, but…

"Badge's…. it's on my belt, okay?", the subdued guard manages to get out. "Listen… just… just knock me out or whatever, but… I've just got together with a girl… don't shoot me…" He doesn't struggle in the least, his eyes still locked on the gun that's still primed for his head, making all other thoughts but survival rather redundant to him.

Katral extracts the rope, and pushes on the man's back. "Eyes front." he instructs, nodding towards where he expects TJ to be. "Keep trained on him while I fix this." He speaks to the man next "No need to worry. We don't waste ammo on surrendering folks, this is all business." he lies. Maybe if he implies this is a corporate attack or shadowrun, he can stop there from being any repercussions for themselves. While his face IS mostly covered by the mask and sunglasses, there's at least some details he hasn't gotten hidden yet. Might need to get a haircut after this, finally.

TeeJay's face is not hidden, but the ruthenium of her skin that tries to adapt with the background makes identifying any features of hers a hard feat. Plus, in foreseeable future, she wouldn't be recognized as the same woman anyway. Now that the youngster is lying there right in front of her, just the way she likes her youngsters, she brings up her own heavy pistol, keeps it pressed against his neck, just as reminder that loud noises can be last noises. "We should get outta this hallway… this is just… way too exposed in these weird hallways…", she mutters, loud enough for him to hear, adding a "… what are you frickin' researching down here, anyways?"

The young guardsman grunts under the weight on his back as Katral tries his best to tie him up. His eyes flick between the masked man and the hard-to-make-out person at his side. "Dun' ask me, I'm not paid to do the science… it's some chemistry-stuff, but if I had the degree to understand what they're doin', I'd have some real job that pays, believe me…", he admits, straining his arms some, and wiggling on the ground.

Katral puts his knee on the man's behind. Not on his back, because he isn't out to actually make the guy choke. "Calm down now. Let me just grab your badge, and I'll get to putting you someplace nice and safe. You DO want to be safe, right? What's your name, kid?" he asks, even though he's probably not THAT much older. To this guy, he's probably ancient.

Teejay, being invisible, has a much easier time actually patting the guy down for his ID and whatever else useful he could have. Smaller hands too. She also has a lot more experience patting down men for their treasure. Still having that gun aimed on him, while Katral finishes tying up the wriggler.

"Lennard…", the young guardsman on the ground tries to get out, even shifting his body around so Katral can easily take the card from the side of his belt. Seems this young breeder is willing to survive this after all. "Did you guys trigger the alerts and all?" This must be one of the most exciting days of his life so far, after all, so who could blame him for some curiousity.

"Hey, I know you're security and all, but I'm fairly sure we're the ones asking the questions? Like, for instance, what room can we stash you in where you're not in any danger, and there aren't any recording devices or other patrols going? Bear in mind one of us isn't easily visible and can check to see if you're being -redacted-ful, scan?" Katral asks. Pointed, but not antagonizing. He's already got the guy on his back, and he IS complying.

Teejay on the other hand just shrugs, adding to the questions : "What levels did the alert start on anyway? Just so we know if you clocked us or not."

Lennard just shrugs, his eyes still mistrustfully darting to and fro between the man and his near-invisible girl. Her hands feel good, for sure. But he's too busy to actually enjoy that right now. "There's cams in all rooms on this level… but there's some corners where they don't shine… we sometimes used them for snogging, Clarissa and me…", he lets -redacted- blurt out of himself, hardly noticing the point where he diverges from the essential into useless blabber. "Alert's started down on fourth. Everyone's supposed to be in their quarters or on their evac posts until the containment teams arrive to clear the situation…"

+ show rolls

Katral rolls his eyes, then shrugs. "Fine. Point us to one where we won't be obviously spotted. For your own protection from whatever is going on here, and our itchy triggerfingers, we're gonna leave you tied there. You in comms contact with anyone, or is that under lockdown too?" He lets up on the man's back, since the guy still has his hands tied and can more easily be lead someplace on their feet.

Lennard nudges his head over across the hallway to the door with the plaque reading 'Fabrication'. "If you stand over there in fabrications, just below the cam… that's outta sight from the cams…", he notes, slowly trying to get to his knees now that the weight is lifted off his back.

Katral aids the man up, tugging on the back of his security getup. "Alright." He nods towards Teejay's general direction. "Use his card, check out the room for us, would you?" he asks, as nicely as one might when doing a B n E. He's sounding curt again, but at least now he's somewhat calm and collected rather than on the edge.

The little rigger is quick to fetch that security guard's card, and even quicker, it seems, moving over to the door to the 'Fabrication' room, again, a sturdy looking door of what seems to be frosted glass sliding to the side and revealing a glance inside. Katral might see his meth-lab suspicion confirmed, for inside, there's what seems to be a sophisticated biochemical facility with everything the heart might desire.

"They never ask you to wear any kinda extra protective gear around here? Seems like a good place to catch something, or contaminate the place." Katral suggests, tapping the guy on the back with his gun to make him move forwards just a bit. Though not enough to have him actually be spotted by any cameras inside the room up ahead. He keeps his eyes moving around, trying to determine if anything else is amiss. So far, this place doesn't look like a hotbed of activity.

That nudge of a gun to his back sure seems like a motivation for Lennard to move forward, into the fabrication room. "Nah, not really. There's some emergency kits in case something does haywire, but… We've never had much of a problem… we never had much of a lockdown… until today, that is…"

Katral pats Lennard down on the way over, making ABSOLUTELY sure there's no comms devices or anything of the sort to make his day a hassle.

+ show rolls

There is no comms device whatsoever to be seen on his body. No trace at all. No mikes visible. No transceiver or transmitter unit. Seems this guy's pristine. Near naked in terms of comms. Almost suspiciously so.

"…why ain't ya got any comms on ya? If you're security and all, shouldn't you have something that might help you keep in touch? You wouldn't happen to have any internal 'ware in you, would you?" he asks, checking the guy for any external ports 'round his skull for any kind of indication. He stops, the barrel of the weapon on his back as he asks. Awaiting Teejay's all-clear all the same, but now he's suspicious…

Lennard just shrugs. "Whatcher lookin' for? 'course we got some ware… But… but I ain't dumb enough to be callin' backup when ya got me at gunpoint, mate… comeon… Just dump me here, dun' frickin' shoot me…" As his words spin on, he more and more notices what a bad situation he might be in, just simply due to the fact that he might be wired in with his homies. "… really… just… if you dun' trust me, knock me out… but dun' shoot me, please…"

+ show rolls

TeeJay peers at Katral, narrowing his eyes as she sees his thoughts racing. She might not know what exactly he's thinking, but she knows him well enough to know his thoughts are in overdrive. "Wait… wait…", she urges the decker before he might do anything stupid, and she half pushes him aside, but not far enough to reduce the threat of the still cocked gun. And before Kat could interject anything, she has turned to Lennard, eyeing him sternly. "Is there a certain Tara workin' in this facility?"

Katral is about to either deliver a hard punch to the back of the guy's head, or something worse. Still, she IS the more levelheaded of the two, despite her… issues, and so Kat bites his tongue.

The young guard sure is aware of what Katral might be about to do, and it shouldn't be surprised that his eyes are wide in panic and his voice and breath match. "No, no… there's… none of the guards or scientists, nope… I… " He ponders for a moment. "There's a chica that works down on level four, but I dunno her name… maybe that could be a Tara… or whatever, or she ain't…"

Katral grumbles, shaking his head. "Well, that's inconvenient. And here I was thinking…" he stops himself, looking towards Teejay. "Lucky we didn't go through this place blastin'. Had my itchy triggerfinger going." He stops, then pointedly asks the man "And you have NO idea what is going on down there, 'sides more stuff that needs containing?"

If his hands weren't bound, he'd surely be holding them both up defensively as he shakes his head. "Nah, I dunno jack. We're not supposed down there and there's not even cams down there for all I know. Think I dun' even wanna know what they're doin' there, that guy that's doin' security down there is freaking me out just standin' next to him…"

"And do you have access to level 4 with this badge of yours?" Katral asks, raising the butt of the gun, ready to knock the guy out. Better not to tell him he's going to actually hit him, or he might tense up and prepare for the shot.

Lennard shakes his head. "I dunno… might be… never checked it. Like I said, I've never been down there and am glad to keep things that way…"

Katral surges forward along with the weapon he's wielding, smacking it into the back of the guy's skull. Hopefully not splintering anything inside TOO hard. He's most likely going to get something like a concussion. Hell, the knockout might not even work for that long. But at least now the guy is staying safe. Safer. And isn't in as much danger of getting in their way.

Unable to defend himself even if he wanted, the hit catches the guard full on and his lights go out near-instantly, making him drop to the ground like sack of flour.

"Alright… one down… x minus one to go, eh?", TeeJay notes, spending one second looking down at the poor youngster in security armor, then turns to throw another glance across the room here. "Got any idea what the hell they're cookin' here?"

"First glance? High grade drugs. But… I kinda doubt it. If they've got some kinda setup further down like this, the drugs might just be a byproduct. Like they're using the drugs for something. But… I might be wrong, given the defenses upstairs. Still… might be wrong on that one. Could just be another research facility and they like keeping their options open. 'shoulda asked our friend here what corp he was with, cuz I'm presuming they hired him cheap." Katral says, as he sits down on his haunches, bringing some of the rope he's got in his bag. Actually… " You wouldn't happen to have your katana on you, would you? I'd hate to use all my rope to tie up one guy."

+ show rolls

"…toxins, maybe. I mean, at first glance. Not sure who they're hoping to poison. Presuming they wouldn't want an underground lab for pesticides." he eventually speculates, as the adrenaline of the situation leaves him for a second. He reaches for the fallen man's knife, and starts to work on the rope. Shouldn't need THAT much to bind his legs too.

TeeJay smirks, still pondering. "Likely not just some herbicides, I guess… if they're doin' it out here with all the… bojingles around. But then again… I never quite get corpos and their decisions much. Weird reality they're in, if you ask me…" With her foot, she nudges Lennard's unconscious body, watching his body move, then returns her attention back to the decker. "So… next move?"

"Get him out of sight and mind. Hopefully without attracting the camera's attention. Then we check if there's more coming from wherever he came from. And… after that, I'd say, either get me connected to the internal 'trix to get us to know what we're dealing with, or head down to the 4th as fast as we can to save Tara. Hopefully." Katral finishes tying the man up, then moves to lift with his legs in something akin to a fireman's carry. "Little help? He weighs more than you do by a fair margin, can't really throw him around like I would you."

TeeJay noddles, unaware for a moment that her gesture might not be perceived too clearly with her shape still seeming blurry. She hasn't turned off the ruthenium yet, and why should she? "Yeah, yeah. Hang on…", she notes, moving in to help pulling the security guard to that indicated spot underneath the camera where noone should find him all that easily. Well, unless they look, but since time is of the essence, looking for a better hiding might be stretching it. "I'd rather not coax out more of his fellas. But he said them were not allowed on level four? I'm torn… doesn't feel a lot like the promised land, does it?"

"Well, defenses are sure to be tougher down there. Unless they got torn up by… whatever is going on with the facility. We should get you a proper mask too, just in case something goes haywire. His post might have something or a clue to the emergency kits. Keep your eyes peeled. Should be something on this level, if there's drugs being made here. See anything in the lab? You can check without being as easily spotted after all." The decker says, wiping his hands clean. Wishing he had a DNA scrubber.

Actually, on the wall, there's a box labelled 'Emergency Kits', right above a device in a wall mount, labeled 'Defibrillation'. Looking around, it quickly catches TeeJay's eyes. "How about… one of those?!" She walks up to the wall-mounted box, and is almost about to break the glass to take out some gas mask as she notices some small wirings coming from that housing. She stops in her tracks, and utters a "Hm… seems they've got some smarts, after all. Guess if I break the glass here, we'll trigger yet another alert… so… maybe just forgo it for now…"

"I'd REALLY like it if you had some defenses down there. I could try disarming it but… presuming the camera is seeing the box over there?" Katral asks, standing to the side and keeping a low voice, just in case.

TeeJay steps aside, giving Katral access to the device if he wants it. "Fine, knock yerself out… Yer right. Might be better to be safe than sorry… but ain't you a bit overprotective of me?" She chuckles slightly.

Katral shakes his head in frustration. "Unless you got a ways to keep the kit from showing up on cam, or making it cycle for a few minutes, that's a no go." He looks towards the camera, trying to plot out in his head if he can sneak up on it to manipulate it first. Most likely not, without alerting someone that the feed isn't working.

TeeJay shrugs. "So, skip about them worries for now and let's keep going? This ain't a fricking dungeon crawl, after all…", she suggests, pushing herself away from her spot along the wall. She doesn't seem to concerned to show up on cams, even if really CLOSE examination MIGHT give her away.

Katral reaches for her shoulder to grasp it as she passes. "Hey. Just because I'm gung-ho and like danger once in a while doesn't mean I'm going to have you waltz into someplace that might have a gas leak just for the sake of my bravado." He lets her go after that, then turns towards where they came from. He isn't happy about the situation, but he isn't going to waste time griping about it. "Tara is waiting. Let's go."

"Where /are/ we going, after all? Seek the 'trix, or head down into the pit? The pit of… whatever pits there?", TeeJay inquires, and when Katral looks closely, he can even see her eyes resting on his.

"If we can find a trix port, I can get this done in less than a minute. I can shut down any security measures that might get us in trouble, or at least open some paths for us. If we can't find a port in the direction he came from… we go in. Mindfully."

The decker says all this as he trudges, looking over his shoulder.

+ show rolls

TeeJay nods, not that that nod might be seen clearly by Katral, as she tries to keep a few steps ahead of the decker, to be his eyes and ears. Recon, her new role, likely, that she will be even better at after her new additions. "So back towards the elevator it is?"

Katral looks past his shoulder, and sees a datajack where they just left the guy, more or less. "Agh…is that jack over there anywhere near the camera's field of view? Can't get a good angle from here." So, he asks the semi-invisible lady what her faux-elven eyes sees

TeeJay stops in her tracks. She'd just been planning ahead, now she's turning back, stepping back into the door to the fabrication area and squinting her eyes as she looks over there, then up at the camera that Lennard had pointed out for them. "I'd say that's in sight. The camera more or less covers most of the room… just not straight down… and everything that's hidden behind some devices…"

Katral shakes his head. "I MIGHT be able to sneak over there if I borrow your cloak and hook up the cable. Well, actually, you could do that too. But… I'd be risking them seeing the cable, even if it isn't what they're scanning for. Let's check the other rooms on the way to the elevator first, and if we don't find anything, let's just go for that option. I don't wanna go down there blind. Or with a ton of other cameras to spot us as we enter and leave." They might be trying to outrun a corporate response team, but they're caught between a rock and a hard place, might as well play it safe for THIS part. He turns towards the elevator again, peering at the rooms they pass, and aiming for the ones near where their knocked-out friend came from.

TeeJay narrows her eyes, giving Katral a quizzical look. "How's bein' spotted in that room any worse than bein' spotted on the hallway?", she just offers, but already, she's gotten into gear without waiting for any response of his.

"Cameras in high security areas means they might decide to break lockdown to go check on us. I don't know what their security setup is like, but they might decide to forego orders if we're poking someplace REALLY dangerous." Katral responds, keeping his eyes glued to the various doors, just in case someone were to pop out and come visit. He in particular looks towards the Data Center door at first, but idly ponders if Security Operations would have less cameras on account of the sec teams not wanting to spy on themselves. But then, might be other people hiding out in there…

+ show rolls

TeeJay is keeping a lookout in an advance position while Katral presses his ear against the door to the data center. He does hear some sound inside, the soft breathing, no… wait… snoring of one person inside. However, given that this is supposedly the data center, it's very quiet in there.

Katral presses the badge, then should that fail, any other items he's pilfered from the guard against the door's maglock. After all, he's already opened the door the hard way once.

As Katral presents the security badge to the cardreader, it near instantly flashes a green light, and not a second later, the respective door slides open sideways, revealing a glimbse into this operation's data center. It's not huge, as one might have expected for an location of this size. To the left, there's two racks full of server hardware, but where one might expect flashing and dancing lights, the hardware in this rack lies dark and peaceful. By all means, one could quickly come to the conclusion that it's shut down. Adjacent to that mainframe, seemingly almost integrated into it, is a console that lies similarly dead. And right next to that console is what people might call the 'office' for the on-site support, with a desk and a small locker and a myriad of little nerdy toys to keep one geek entertained during long hours. Oh, and that geek is there, too, he head planted on the desk, breathing deeply and regularly.

"Keep an eye on him." Katral mouths, moving over towards the man as stealthily as he can. Gotta be a jack around here somewhere… he's not sweating, especially with how much the place has been shut down, nor from the exertions of the last few minutes or even the fact they are on borrowed time. Keeping cool as a cucumber.

+ show rolls

TeeJay moves over to the sleeping corp decker(?), keeping a wary eye on him, her eyes flicking to the door every now and then until after a couple of seconds, that door slowly slides closed again after noone is standing in the frame again. Quiet enough not to wake sleeping dogs. Or deckers. "Aye, boss.", she chuckles.

+ show rolls

Walking over towards the console and letting his eyes scoot around, Katral can make out that this room features a security camera as well, in one corner under the ceiling.

The decker sighs, shaking his head. "Nope, not gonna work. Alright, better we just head for the 4th basement floor then. We COULD try invading the security office but… got a feeling it might be a bad idea. " He turns, having seen what he can see. Unless TJ has spotted something on the man he asked her to keep an eye on, best to just move before they wake someone.

TeeJay pulls in air through clenched teeth. "Yeah… I'd like to avoid security as good as possible by any means. And… where Lennard came from, there might be more…" She ponders for a moment. "… and the longer he's missing, the more likely it'll be that they'll start looking for him. I dunno… I think if there's anything interesting here, it likely WILL be down on four… tho I ain't sure I wanna see it…"

"Worst case… we do see it, then book it. If we deliver bad news, at least we've done all we can. And if there's something we can do, this is our window." Katral muses out loud, as he trudges towards the elevator again. Hopefully, no more surprises from security on THIS floor at least.

TeeJay tries to steel herself, throwing another glance at the sleeping decker. She'd likely live to switch positions with him right now, but as things stand, there's still people to save and the world to be made a better place. Without asking herself how SHE could really contribute to that and losing herself in despair, she follows Katral out of the room, and quickly tries to take the lead to guide them back to the elevator that still stands open at the end of the hallway that led them here.

+ show rolls

Passing the security operation room, the runners can well hear there's some motion going on inside. Are the next guardsmen preparing for yet the next rounds? Noone seems to be standing too close to the door tho, the frosted glass would surely give away something like that.

Katral nods to Teejay, moving swiftly towards the elevator. "We only got so much time. They might even be prepping for the arrival of that vaunted team. Best to hurry." he whispers, as he does so as stealthily as possible.

The route back to the elevator goes without any hitches. The hallways in this godforsaken facility are really deserted as could be. The red emergency lights seemingly not just for show. But where IS everyone? Pondering about that, the runners find themselves back in the elevator, and TeeJay's almost pondering pressing the button to level four, when she hesitates. "Shall we? What if there's headaches again?!"

"You're right. Better you go first, to absorb most of the blast." he retorts, shaking his head. "Just keep your eyes out for more like what hit us. And be prepared to bounce if the team arrives. They'll probably have to deal with at least some of the security too, so we might be able to sneak out. Not so sure about our target." He looks at the button she was about to press. Then looks around, for just a few seconds. All he can afford, really.

We're all going down…

With a sigh, TeeJay presses the button '-4' and with a gentle *DING*, the doors close. This time, that rune, glyph, or whatever it is doesn't seem to glow up. Maybe it's used up. Without complaint, the elevator sets into motion, downwards, its security having been tampered already. The ride is smooth, but seems painfully slow, every second seeming to stretch.

The decker reaches into his coat, patting at his sidearms. He looks to Teejay, making sure she's still got the temporary solution to the gas he'd found for her. Let's hope there hasn't been a big leak down here, as suspected and perhaps expected. Moment of -redacted-.

Once again, the elevator doors slide open, this time into a dimly lit room bathed in the dull glow of red emergency lights. Gone is the sterile, militarized look of the upper floors. Here, the atmosphere shifts… tightens. It's as if youve stepped into the intersection of a maximum security prison and the an exposition of ancient egyptian runes that adorn all walls.

The room resembles an oversized locker room, but nothing about it feels mundane. Lockers line both side walls, their metal doors matte and scuffed, each one closed… too deliberately. Narrow doors lead off to what might be showers or restrooms, but in this light, they seem more like ominous thresholds. A set of six hazmat suits hang along the far wall, three on either side of a large airlock. They sway ever so slightly, as if disturbed by a draft you can't feel. The airlock itself looms directly opposite the elevator, a silent gate to something deeper, or worse. Two poorly lit hallways split off to the left and right near the elevator, the red glow failing to pierce the shadows beyond. The whole space hums faintly with a low, mechanical tension.

"Alright… first thing's first. We should probably don one of the hazmat suits each. And… if we know some way of triggering these things without getting blasted ourselves, now would be the time to do it." He's entirely clueless on how magic works. Far as he knows, so is Teejay. But he might as well ask. He looks towards the suits, trying to determine if anything else besides a draft is causing them to move.

Stepping out of the elevator, a slight air draft can be felt. This room seems very well ventilated, maybe to wash away any and all traces of whatever pollution one might be taking along from the airlock. Whatever that might be. Upstairs, things looked like there were toxins created here.

TeeJay is stepping from one foot to the other. This looks way too mystic for her personal taste. But she tries not to show it too much. She gives a short peek in both directions of those hallways, but from this angle, not much can be seen other than there's not too many doors in these hallways, but only one in each.

+ show rolls

"Yeah, seems they REALLY don't want anybody paying attention to this place. You're right, bad vibes all around." He straightens his shoulders, then mindfully starts moving out towards the hazmat suits, keeping an eye on all the runes in the room. "Stay in the elevator, alright?" he asks of her, presuming that the space might give her an edge in surviving all this. He has no knowledge on how to trigger these remotely, if they are the kind of thing meant to blow up in someone's face as they move in.

Even as Katral moves past some runes on the walls, there does not seem to be any effect on him. It seems like all these runes have a different purpose than the one that guarded the entrance. Or a different target audience.

"Alright. We're safe so far. Might be they're built to keep something in rather than out. But… in which case, might be we run real fast to here if we're caught up in whatever is going on in there." Katral notes, as he approaches the hazmat suits. Time to see if these fit.

Of those hazmat suits is of enormous size, troll-fitting, it seems, the rest of them seem to be standard issue, fitting humans of any body size as long as it's not too extreme on either side. So both TeeJay and Katral should not have a hard time donning one. (At least at TeeJay's still prevalent body height). The idle noise of vents and machinery keeps humming. At least due to the ventilation the air is clear and not some eerie mist that would just make this an overall nightmare-savvy environment.

TeeJay follows Katral over towards those suits once he's made most of the distance across the room. He survived it, so she's quite positive she will, too. She gives those suits a grumbling glance. "Okay… if I'm donning this, I might as well just drop the ruth act already, neh?", she mutters in thought, letting her eyes dart around, and in all the red light, making out a green-and-white lit pointer to an emergency exit through one of those restroom/showers.

"I guess. Unless you can get some ruth out over the suit somehow." He's only ever worn a ruth cloak once, and he's not really that familiar with the particulars. He dons the suit, sealing it up and making absolutely sure there aren't any leaks by pressing down on parts of it, listening for any untoward toots. "Keep an eye out for that emergency exit. Juuust in case." He idly wonders, internally, if the toxins were being used for a similar purpose as the runes. After he's done checking himself, he looks towards the hallway to the left. "See anything that might show where our target might be? If not, might as well pick one and go."

TeeJay shakes her head. "Don't think it works well this way… well, dun' see any soul around anyway…" As she reaches for one of those hazmat suits, she lets her eyes dart around. Checking out the airlock. Less one as would be found on a spaceship, more like in a clinic, with the difference that down here, it would seem that the deparated room is underpressurized, not overpressurized. Apart from the buzzing of the ventilation systems, not much can be heard and the dim emergency lights make the overall atmosphere eerie. "You're the one who got them coords and led us here. So… if anyone should know it's you, eh?"

"No telling if they moved in the interim, but, yeah." He rechecks the phone coordinates in his head, but can only really use his own phone to try to locate wherever that may be. After all, he has no internal GPS of his own, far as he recalls. The Encephalon, as useful as it is, doesn't count. "In any case, get the suit on. Always helps to have a little extra protection. Up until you have to start running."

TeeJay gives Katral a side glance and a slightly amused look along with it. "Yes, dad…", she notes as she moves to don the protective suit. "You just watch our six while I deal with this… thing. Usually you ask me to UNDRESS, mind you… sheesh. The world is going to shambles…" And she sits down on one of the benches to pull that protective layer over her body.

+ show rolls

Katral gets somewhat distracted by Teejay dressing. That's some weird reverse-peeping. Still, he looks about themselves, trying to note if there's anything or anyone coming to eat them whilst they are in this odd situation.

It's not a minute later that TeeJay finishes the last seal on her protective suit. She throws a quick pose for Katral before picking up her gun again in one hand, the katana she brought in the other. Donning the holster over this seems out of the question. "Allright… now… where to? Into the belly of the beast? Or… think we need to look somewhere… along these hallways… ?"

Katral is glad the suit allows for opening and resealing, as he realizes that while he kept most of his kit in the bag, his phone is not amongst those items. He generally doesn't take calls during Shadowruns, after all. So after some opening and fiddling, he procures and checks his phone for the position they're after.

Checking that position he got from Tara's phone and his own's phone, it actually seems like wherever Tara would be is behind that airlock. Not extremely far, and to-the-meter pinpointing might be beyond the accuracy of the readings. But it seems the general location lies on the other side of that airlock door that, like all other doors, seems to be made of frosted glass. Reinforced at that, and it's only the special construction of the doorframe that makes it stand out as it does. On the right side, the button to open that gateway dares to be touched, glowing with a soft amber color.

"Damnit. Well, unless we want to be covering our tracks and checking our backs elsewhere on the floor… I guess we have to head into the airlock. " Katral grouses, but preps his laser all the same. Hopefully, the toxins aren't flammable. Or if they are, they get whatever is attacking people first. He checks around, trying to spot if there's any mention of avoiding open flames. Usually those little stickers are everywhere when that is the case.

There are no such stickers around, but maybe it's because people here are instructed of what they're allowed and not allowed to do, and there's little threat of anyone suing. Or maybe it's just because fire is fine. Who knows? TeeJay moves up besides Katral and gives him a nod. She once more turns towards the hallways behind them, narrows her eyes, then focuses her mind on the gateway ahead of them. A deep breath, its sound distorted by the hazmat suit that even encloses the head completely. "Allright…. here we go?"

Katral presses the button. "Here we go."

Katral looks less than tense as he does his presumably semi-badass pose and action. But he knows they have a team probably arriving soon, no time for anything fancy.

That airlock door gives a short hiss and slides to the side, opening the view behind itself to a small room with alcoves to each side. One alcove contains a series of rifles, stored side-by-side, loaded and ready to use. Opposite of the entrance of the airlock, there's another sliding door, but this one is made of see-through glass to reveal sight at what's behind. A wide hallway with extra-wide doors to each of the sides, two on the one side, one on the other, that one door having been marked with yellow caution tape that's well visible even inside that red emergency light that prevails in there, too. There are again sigils or runes on the walls, those seeming even more expressionful than those outside.

Katral keeps his laser up high, flicking to and fro to keep his sightlines clear. He peers towards the rifles and the runes, eyes squinting to make out what make they are. Well, the rifles, he has NO idea about the runes. The phone might give him a better direction to keep his eyes, but first things first: The things that might kill things.

To the experienced runner, those rifles quite easily identify as ELD-AR rifles or at least some variation thereof, that are used to deliver liquid combat agents.

Katral stalks over to said rifles, ahead of Teejay's position. He examines them more closely, trying to determine what they are loaded with. He hasn't got much training with rifles. Spray weapons, however… he has a little knowhow.

+ show rolls

TeeJay watches Katral inspect those rifles, and she ponders for a moment, then groans. "Got a hand free for one of those… I… am kinda loaded…", she mutters. She ponders for a moment, kneels down, begins to tie her katana sheath to the side of her hazmat suit to free a hand. "I already hate those suits… and /not/ cause they're chafing…"

Katral thinks on it for a moment. "Why'd they wanna have insecticide to kill off ..whatever? Or stun it. They got a giant cockroach in there or something?" he asks aloud. He's never been to Chicago, the poor fella.

+ show rolls

Katral has HEARD of insect spirits of course. But never ever ran into one. Could it really be, right here in Denver? "Well, this just got… real hazardous. We better make sure nobody infected gets out of here." he mutters, looking about. He has no idea how these spirits even works, but he does know what HAPPENED to Chicago, more or less.

Katral picks up one of the rifles, just to test its heft, putting his laser in his bag for the moment.

"Did I mention I don't like this?", TeeJay notes as she fetches an ELD-AR in her free hand. Just to be safe. If they have a reason to sport these here, she might have a good reason to carry one. To protect her from… bed bugs. Maybe it's just bed bugs. "Can we be going already?" Behind her, the airlock door slides shut. "Whatcha mean… infected?"

"Yeah, we can go.. and I don't know, didn't insect spirits infect people or summat? Like they took 'em over? I don't remember the history.. if it IS insect spirits." Katral notes, as he ponders if it is a better idea to bring the specialized gun for the problem rather than the one he's already got.

TeeJay gives Katral a confused sideglance. "I … was talking like… 'go home'… not 'go in', ya know…", she clarifies, and there's clearly some wariness in her eyes. It's an open secret she isn't on the best terms with anything magic and… who could blame her?

Katral would never even consider going home. Where's the fun and excitement in that? "No, we can go once we've figured this one out. We made a promise, after all. And we need to see it through." He seems very adamant about this one.

TeeJay hmms, her shoulders sagging slightly. "All right then… I'm right behind you…", she gives in, pushing herself up to her feet and scanning through the hallway in front of him, separated from it only by that sliding glass door, just waiting for Katral to press the amber coloured button. It almost feels like an arcade game starting on the push of a trigger, but… reality isn't an arcade game, is it?

Katral keeps the rifle in his arms, for now. He can use the laser pistol at some other point, having stuffed it in his bag. He'd have to work to extract the holster otherwise. And then… he makes the motion to open the final way in. Pressing on the amber coloured button. No more delays.

+ show rolls

Without much excitement, the door slides open, and oh, surprise, no targets or enemy come flying into the hallway from both sides. TeeJay makes careful steps forward, somehow feeling more naked now that she's wearing more to hinder her stealth. For a moment, she ponders if she wouldn't be better off wearing nothing at all, but she manages to push that thought aside. Those two doors on the right read "Storage I" and "Storage II", the door on the left with the yellow tape blocking entrance reads "Lab". Still, you see no cameras in this hallway. Maybe Lennard WAS telling the -redacted-. Speaking of which, time might be of the essence more and more…

+ show rolls

Katral raises his laser pistol, and siddles up to the side of the door with the yellow tape in the way (presuming it will not stop him). He looks towards the other doors, grinding his teeth. He'd rather be spending time checking out the two other areas, to make sure there's nothing he's missing in terms of what is going on here, rather than going in blind. But he's on a timetable.

As the two runners step up to the door to the left (the tape WILL actually get in the way if you try to just walk through it), they notice that, like all other doors, it comes with what seems to be a card reader to open it. However, this card reader's frame seems to be glowing in a gentle red.

"Any ideas what that'd mean?" Katral asks, rubbing his chin as he examines the device. "Think it is going to blow up on me if I try to touch it without authorization? Or is it just a special kind of device that requires a LOT more effort?" Like she would suddenly be the tech expert.

TeeJay shrugs. "Maybe it's just an indication that either this door requires special authorization… or that it's locked for the moment… or both… or maybe we're just plain fucked…", she offers, pushing forward her bottom lip poutily.

+ show rolls

Katral works his hardest, under a lot of pressure. What would take others a third of an hour, he accomplishes in 5 minutes. Popping the device open, hands trembling only slightly, as he works to obtain and remove the top layer from its current attached state. He tugs it loose, then mindfully puts it away, before getting at the underlying workings. It isn't the hardest lock he's ever broke, but it certainly is the longest. A long and intricate web of electricity, finally disassembled after a marathon of moving limbs makes it so. He internally thanks his altered body, and is reminded to send a thank-you note to his surgeons. With a final CLACK, the device is undone.

TeeJay waits patiently, her eyes shifting between the hallway, her vision back to the airlock and the doors, and Katral as he proceeds with his electronics workings. She knows good things take time, and so she's not rushing him despite the urge to leave this place. Now. Or… rather, yesterday.

As the door slides open, it reveals the sight to a scene of massacre. The air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and scorched ozone, clinging to the back of the throat like regret. The emergency lights taint this all into an even more surreal view. A surgical table at the center, once pristine steel, now drips with gore, massive restraints to hold a specimen in place, torn apart by brute force. Broken instruments and shattered glass crunch underfoot, strewn chaotically across the floor. Blood pools dark and viscous in the shallow depressions of the tile. The telltale stink of ruptured chitin and burnt flesh hangs over everything, sharp and sickly-sweet.

To one side, a female body lies twisted and slack, her chest caved in, hands still faintly curled in a last-ditch somatic gesture. Three guards fared no better… two were hurled into the walls hard enough to crack both bone and concrete, while the others were eviscerated at close range, their armored vests ripped like paper. The impressive body of an ant spirit's true form dominates the center of the carnage: a grotesque form of blackened chitin slumped in death, ichor steaming where it leaked onto scorched runes. Its mandibles, each the length of a human forearm, are smeared with flesh and blood, frozen mid-snap. Whatever wards once held this place together are broken now, leaving only the grim silence of a failed experiment and the heavy weight of violence clinging to every surface.

"Fuck. We're too late." Katral notes, lowering his weapon." All this rushing and we still didn't make it." He makes for one more glance around the area, trying to determine if anything or anyone might have survived to leave the place. Or how long ago this even happened. "See anyone hiding outside?" he asks of Teejay, letting her keep their rear clear.

+ show rolls

TeeJay swallows hard. Looking at this gorefest, the colour has left her face faster than one might expect, and faster than her skin's colour processors could replenish the artificial ruthenium, it might seem. She swallows back the taste of bile and stomach acid that threatens to fight its way up and into her suit. Even if she cannot smell what went on here under her hazmat, the sight alone leaves her knees shaking. "I think… anyone would have been to late… for… this…" She reaches to the side, against the doorframe, for support, her eyes looking at the tormented female body. With a nudge of her head, she mutters. "That… her?"

Katral squints, and grits his teeth again. This time in despair. But its all he can really do to keep things in. He steps over gingerly, raising his phone. He has to document this, and to check if there's even an inkling of life left in the person. Just to be sure. There isn't, but he has to, to make sure she gets her final respects if nothing else. "Going to check. Keep an eye out."

+ show rolls

The good lady on the ground clearly has beathed her last. But it would seem that with her last efforts, she at least managed to do enough damage to the giant ant to make it meet its maker, too. Her last expression seems strained, now dull eyes glazing at the ceiling. She was clearly not wearing a hazmat suit, but even that would be hard to tell, for there's pieces of such suits spread across the room, and parts of it still hanging on the dead security men. In contrast, she is wearing a lab coat over tres chick clothing, the fine silver chain with a beautiful pendant that she was wearing around her neck now soiled with blood, too. Not too far from where she lies, almost hidden underneath a piece of human flesh, lies a cellphone.

Katral takes a picture of the woman, as much as it pains him. "The necklace… Teejay, would you mind grabbing that? If they want a memento of her of some kind. Going to grab the phone too, over from over yonder. Just to make sure there's no traces and in case she's got info on here.. worth her life. Then lets leave, fast as we can." He does as he said, moving on his way to grab the item underneath the flesh. Looking around to see if, against all odds, there's a hazmat bag as well to bag it in.

TeeJay shakes her head. "Nah… I… I can fetch the necklace…", she mutters as she forces herself to move over towards the dead body on the ground. She looks down at her almost apologetic, teeth clenched. "Sorry about this…", she sighs, shakes her head, then her fingers closer around the necklace and with one firm yank, she pulls it off the female corpse. Straightening up, she places it into her pack, before looking back over at the decker. "… if YOU could trace her phone here, then whoever is running this shithole… can trace it, too… and I ain't deliverin' trackers to people I try to get on good terms with…", she notes. "… lets' leave this place. You got a pic, I got the charm… not much more we can do… unless you wanna go sight seeing…"

"I can turn off the MXP connection, and keep it someplace untraceable." he promises. "And if I can't… at least I can crack it before dropping it outside, later. Just leaving her message to die here with her, if there is one… I am not THAT cruel." Yet? In any case, he now half wishes he'd hurt the people who ran this place more. But that's not what he is here for, at least not today.

TeeJay throws up her hands. "What fricking for… we came to save her… hardly anything we could have done. We got a souvenir… what else is there to be had…", she sighs, taking a glance around the mess that used to be a lab, and is turning towards the door already. "I say let's get outta here, lets get back… I dun' wanna spend a moment longer here than necessary…" Her voice is slowly leaving the realm of controlled speaking, tumbling over itself.

Katral grabs the phone, deciding to fiddle with it as best he can on the way out at least. Worst case he wastes their resources by dropping it off outside the facility, whatever bastards did this.
Katral moves out with her after that. They got what they came here for, he agrees.

+ show rolls

Strangers in the night

TeeJay is already tring her best to speed back towards the airlock. To get this god forlorn place far behind her and the images she just witnessed out of her mind. Distance is good. She's just passing the door of "Storage II", when from behind that door, a male voice can be heard screaming. "Help! Is there anyone out there? Help me!?"

"What? Who are you? Are you waiting for the extraction team?" Katral asks, just slightly slowing his pace. "They're on their way, or so I hear!"

That answer doesn't quite seem satisfying to the man behind the door, and two seconds later, someone bangs his fists against the frozen glass sliding door of 'Storage II', shouting out. "No… you don't understand… they're keepin' me prisoner here… please… You're none of them… you need to let me out…"

TeeJay's stopping in her tracks, turning. Eyeing the door for a moment of thought, then looks up at Katral, indecisively.

Katral looks at the door. Brings up his badge. "Keep your weapon ready" he mouths at Teejay. "Stand away from the door." he instructs. "We're going to try something."

"Yes, man… thanks… oh lord…", that male voice behind the door can be heard, then the sound of someone shuffling backwards over the ground. "Yer heaven-sent… I thought I was done with when all this… screaming started… and then the power and all…"

TeeJay in the meanwhile nods towards Katral. She lets the ELD-AR dangle on the strap over her shoulder and raises her heavy pistol, holding it with both hands and keeping it primed on that door. "Coverin' ya…", she acknowledges.

Katral presses the badge against the door. Hoping that whatever storage here isn't as high up the security list as the actual Giant Ant containment was.

The card reader's frame flashes green, and a second later, the door slides aside, revealing the 'storage' room behind it. And it looks more like an array of maximum security prison cells than something you and me would consider 'storage'. A series of five cells with reinforced bars, and only the barest necessary living amenities (basically, a steel stretcher, a sink and a loo) and no privacy whatsoever. All of those cells are empty, one cell door is standing open. And on the floor, a few meters away from the door, there's a rather beaten up looking man in a green patient gown. "Oh gosh, I knew it you weren't one of them… please… help me outta here…"

Katral stands back for a moment, looking the man over. He wouldn't happen to be sprouting mandibles or look like he would love to snack on some fallen leaves, would he?

+ show rolls

The man on the floor in fact looks rather strained and weak, the fact that he's crouching around on the floor might be attest to the bad overall state that he seems to be in. (You could consider him on an M wound level at least) He's around 40'ish years old, stubbles of his beard untidy. His overall physique would be good, or… likely used to be good before he entered this place. Now, it's degraded to sub-standard, but the caloused hands might serve as an indication that he has seen his good share of the honest work of a craftsman. Across his body, he has several scars from surgical procedures, whatever their nature might have been. He has a big mole on his right hip, a large tattoo with a name on his left lower arm and a small patch of rigid hair on a discolored, hard piece of black skin under his upper arm.

"What did they do to you? You look like you've been through the wringer." Katral asks, mustering some actual concern to add to the concern he has about the person being the sort of being that might go berserk at a moment's notice. He looks about, because the team might be arriving at any minute.

TeeJay looks up at the man in the hazmat suit surveying him. "They… they abducted me… locked me in here… I'm a carpenter… my… my name's John… yeah, it sounds clichee, but it really is… drugged me… locked me in here… there's been others, but… they disappeared. Dunno… sometimes they're sedatin' us… taking us out for a couple of hours, then… return us back to our cells… with more cuts… they're using us as lab rats…" As he talks, he looks close to tears. "I…", he starts to say, when suddenly, over speakers, a loud announcement can be heard.

"THIS IS CAPTAIN KENNETH BROOKS OF THE ARES ARMS SPECIAL MAGIC CORPS CONTAINMENT TEAM. I AM ASSUMING CONTROL AS CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER AT THIS FACILITY. MY TEAM IS BEING DISPATCHED THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY ANDW ILL TAKE OVER FOR SECURITY AND CONTAINMENT. PLEASE REMAIN DILIGENT AT YOUR POST UNTIL RELIEVED BY THE CONTAINMENT TEAM."

TeeJay, tense before that announcement already, her gun still primed at that prisoner lab-rat hybrid visibly gets more nervous, easy to see for Katral who's known her for quite some time, and knows how to read her. "We gotta get out… like… NOW!", she urges, nudging her head towards the door and towards the airlock. "… if we can make it out at all any more… dun' wanna end up like…" Her pistol gestures towards 'John'.

+ show rolls

"Sorry about this." Katral intones, stepping away from the man. He raises the insecticide rifle he'd gotten slung. "Keep your eyes closed, this might sting a bit. Just making sure you ain't gonna sprout mandibles." This of course would give the creature warning, but he isn't going to willfully blind the guy either. Hopefully, he's fast enough.

"Nonononono… whatcher doing…", the man on the ground almost screams in panic, cowering and raising his arms defensively. "Don't shoot me… I dinna do anything… I… I just wanna go home… please, don't… please… just… just get me outta here…" His voice is miserably wailing, like he's sincerely afraid to die down here.

The decker squirts the person on the ground, entirely without euphemism or double entendre. Sadly, he has no faster way to check the guy for bugginess, as he has neither a blood testing kit , time, nor a coder to help him.

The assault rifle makes a soft repetitive thumping sound as Katral unloads its capsules into the prone and curled up Presumed-Man before him. Sorry to say, he has no blood testing kit, time, nor true ability to test the person before him other than this.

John on the ground screams out as he sees the bullets flying towards him. How should he know just what the nature of this rifle is, and it does send projectiles hurling towards him nonetheless. The initial contact brings forth a yelp as the bullets make contact with his body, bursting open at the first resistance and soaking the patient gown with its contents. Then man looks up at Katral with confusion, not sure what to expect. Maybe he was thinking that he would lie there, in his own blood, his body punctured by the bullets. Then, all of a sudden, his face gets a pained expression, and he gets more panicked. "No, please… what are you…" He reaches for his gown, tries to rip it off him as he begins to squirm on the floor and scream. "It… it BURNS…. STOP IT… IT BURNS…!"

Katral sighs. "Knew it. Sorry, but I've no idea about anything in regards to bug spirits." He turns to Teejay, as the man thrashes in pain. "We gotta go. Know if bug spirits of any kind can be trusted and kept with our bizarre bazaar? We're leaving in the next 30 seconds, one way or another."

TeeJay's eyes go wide as she even hears Katral's suggestion, and she shakes her head. "Shoot it or leave it here… I've got a bad feeling as is… we're LEAVING…" Suddenly, 'John' not even deserves a personal pronoun for her, even if she's usually a kind hearted being. "Those freaks are gonna bust in any moment… and… it's ARES… so… I'm outta here…" Is there panic to be heard in her voice?

+ show rolls

Time to say goodbye

You hear the pfff-kshhhh-sound of the outer airlock door disengaging.
Katral drops the AR, then moves out of the room. Time to split as fast as possible. This guy, or whatever it is, will have to distract ARES in the meantime.

+ show rolls

As Katral steps out into the hallway, he can see how already, the second door of the airlock opens up, without waiting for the first door to close. However, there's noone to be seen. If before, the runners had a lingering latent sensation of unease, now it turns to a palpable feeling of danger, and outright fear that seems to try and take root in their guts.

+ show rolls

Katral runs as fast as he can, ducking down slightly to make himself less of a target. He knows Teejay is a smaller target already, and given she was the one that tugged him to actually run first, he presumes she'll be alright.

+ show rolls

As Katral makes his move to dash towards the emergency exit, to get the fuck out of here, a notion that both his reasoning as his guts agree on, a bulky creature appears in the airlock, a hulking figure with some sort of cape, just poofing into view ahead at his side as he tries to pass. From a corner of his eye, he can catch sight of long, sharp pointed teeth sitting in the face of a huge pale faced troll that takes a swing as he tries to pass by, but feels his hand rebutted. His eyes never leave the fleeing runner, and his other arm speeds out as he summons forth a ball of dark energy that surges at the fleeing decker.

+ show rolls

Katral feels the energy connect with him, feels it pull on him, but gritting his teeth, he fights it down, manages to keep himself together, to continue his run for the hills.

+ show rolls

TeeJay steels herself. She needs to get out of here. She needs to. She has no other choice, her body doesn't allow her anything else but trying to get past this creature and out of its range. She puts all she has into a sprint, trying to get past that ghostly troll. Vampire. Whatever it might be, but it's definitely giving her the scare of her life. She dodges her head as she passes him, barely making his swing at her miss, barely allowing her to dart past him and towards the restrooms entrance where the emergency exit is supposed to be.
The entrance to those rest rooms is rather plain. It's basically just a small walkway between the lockers to one side of the large locker room that splits into one section to the left with toilets, and another section to the right with showers that basically span behind the lockers of the bigger room, if one is to believe the small signs next to the doors. These doors, not surprisingly, do not carry any maglocks. Nor does the large door with an emergency lever that leads straight ahead and is marked with a green illuminated emergency exit sign.

+ show rolls

The ashen coloured troll grunts in frustration, looking at his hand for the shortest of moments while he turns his body around. Both Katral and TeeJay had run fast enough to be out of sight of him, so what he does is trot over towards them. He'll get them yet. And while he prepares to do so, he again fades out of vision as he approaches. And as he comes closer, so comes the feeling of dread again.

Katral flips that lever, which unfortunately follows the laws of physics, as does the door. It takes a few precious seconds to open, seconds that that dang troll is using to stalk after the two of them, letting them get closer to death…

+ show rolls

Behind the door, there's an old-fashioned, rather plain stairway of a good ferrocement built. A staircase spiralling upwards, a flight of stairs covering half a level. On the good end, this means one might be out of sight of the mage rather quickly. On the other end, it means it's hard to determine what's ahead.
Katral becomes a blur, as he puts one foot before the other, his muscles straining as they haven't in a long while. He really should have spent more time in the gym lately! Hopefully, this won't result in his early retirement.

+ show rolls

The mage has not quite surrendered his hunt on his prey yet. He is well aware the runners might be escaping his grasp if he does not act now, and so he does, again locking his eyes onto one target and spreading his fingers to send yet another bolt of dark energy at it. Said target being TeeJay who's just about trying to follow Katral up the stairs. He catches her in the back, and he catches her well, making her yelp out in pain, almost staggering as she tries her best to make her way up the stairs. Her feet threaten to give out underneath her, but she forces herself forward, just that extra bit yet. Just outta that mages' grasp that keeps following them.

+ show rolls

TeeJay manages to get her feet under herself, sheer will and good training allowing her to still make quite a pace up the narrow staircase, even if she's wincing with every second step. From below, they hear the heavy steps of the troll/vampire mage that follows them upwards, slowly falling behind, but he's not quite giving up on them yet. And the reason for that might be what lies ahead of them. Suddenly, the ascend along the stairs stops, as a good bit of the stairway has broken in on itself, heavy rubble blocking the further ascend. Not all is lost, though, for instead of clearing out all the rubble, whoever built this has just decided to go the easy way and install a ladder that leads upwards to a hatch. Quite cost effective a solution certainly, but at the same a major holdup considering there's a troll mage following them through the semi-darkness. It's a climb of four meters up and a hatch to open. Should be easy, right? But time is more pressing than ever.

Katral will rush ahead of Teejay. He trusts she can outpace the… weird creature below, and he's got his sights set on bashing through whatever obstacle is in front of them, which apparently just seems to be a hatch atop a ladder. Should be doable by his Runner legs.

+ show rolls

The somewhat smaller rigger comes running after Katral, reaching the ladder just as Katral begins to push the hatch open. "Wait… wait for me…", she pants, looking back down the stairs where they can hear troll footsteps beginning to gain back ground on them. She puts in all the strength she has left into pulling herself up that ladder with the annoying hazmat suit not really helping her freedom of movement too much. Comeon. Just those few steps and then be done.

Hoping internally that Teejay's van is ready to abscond with the two of them, Katral pushes the hatch open with gusto. He hasn't had this much physical exercise in weeks!

His heart is pumping, that's for sure. He feels ALIVE, just as most of the people he saw before were not. He feels a mixture of dread, sadness, and complete excitement.

As he pushes open the hatch, he is greeted by what seems like a flood of water from above. It still hasn't stopped raining, and in the distance, once more thunder can be heard, and lightning that pierces through the darkness. Fortunately, Katral is still well protected by his hazmat suit. It might be cumbersome, it might make hiding near impossible, but at least it keeps him dry for now.

TeeJay scuttles up the ladder, and is quick to roll herself up through the hatch. One out there, she just shouts. "Run… run… if he catches up… I dunno how long I can run like this…", she lets her transducer send over the comms, while she herself is breathing hard. Those suits sure aren't made for prolonged sprints, and it's clear the air supply is getting to its limits should they try to keep up this pace.

Katral slams the hatch shut behind them. At least this way, the troll is busy and without a sightline for a few more seconds, before he runs towards their getaway. Still carting that phone along, so he's going to have to do something about cracking it soon.

TeeJay looks around once she manages to get back up to her feet. She reaches behind herself, pulls open the zipper to her hazmat suit. There's no time to take off that fricking signal-coloured outfit too quickly, so it will have to do for now. She looks for the closest corner to vanish behind, and, sending a "Comeon… get cover…" over the comms connection with her transducer, she begins to run there. Fifty meters to cover, give or take.

From below, the sounds of the troll ascending the ladder can be heard.

+ show rolls

While running, the runners can see that the inside of the multi-story building that they had originally checked for an entrance is all lit up, from in there, there's the sounds of a large rotorcraft to be heard.

Commlink-Frosty> Katral sends, « Can't be good. Let's get outta here. »

Katral continues to run, following the advice of getting to cover. He starts unzipping the hazmat suit partially on his way, if only to allow some air in. Hopefully, should at least allow him to breathe in a few seconds, and not allow in too much water.

Behind them, the runners can hear the hatch of the emergency exit being thrown open forcefully and soundfully, and the huge frame of the troll climbs out of the small opening. She straightens up, like to even further increase his body height, scanning his surroundings.

+ show rolls

What is there to do, but run? Luckily, he still recalls where they parked, not too far from here, and zigg-zagging through cover might give them both some breathing room. The troll better at least get some stinging in its eyes, with all this going on. He has no idea if it would be affected by reduced sunlight as is.

He has not yet given up. He is yet on the run. And he still has one up his quiver. Just before the runners flit around the corner behind the building that will ultimately break his line of sight and will lose them to the rain, he unleashes yet one more of his bolts. One to make things count. He is breathing hard from the chase, but still, his eyes lock on that hazmat suit running there in the distance. Maybe he can still catch one of them after all. Or maybe both.

+ show rolls

Katral shudders, as his world suddenly becomes a flashing caleidoscope of pain. It isn't the worst he's ever felt, as he's experienced near-fatal dumpshock, but it doesn't feel great.

TeeJay is struck harder. She's been hit before, is slower, is lagging behind far enough, and as the spell hits, it almost throws her to the ground, but what it does is press the air from her lungs in a loud yelp of pain. She staggers, manages to save herself around the corner of the house. For a moment presses herself against the wall, but… she's not done. They're not done. "We… need to be on the move…", she gasps, already pushing herself away from the wall again, limping through the rain like a hurt deer limping away from a car crash. "We… we need to get one or two corners between him and us…" She looks back, looks ahead. Back around the corner that they went, buildings seem to stand closer. Providing more cover. And finally, hopefully allowing them to escape their pursuers for long enough to get rid of those suits and head for the car.

+ show rolls

Katral moves as Teejay requested. After all, what hope do they have right now of fighting a mage without most likely earning permanent scars or even death?
The decker moves, hunched to stop the water from reaching inside, and to stop the troll from getting a good shot at this distance. Hopefully, that should be enough, as the bad weather and broken arena provides some cover for their mutual escape.

TeeJay drags herself along at his side, trying to entirely pull off the hazmat suit at least from her head as she walks. The rain does not seem to bother her in the least, and, to be blunt, she looks like shit. Her face is pale, her eyes wide, and the only thing that hides the sweat from her face is the plentiful water that washes down over it. But she needs to keep moving. Around one corner. The next. The next yet before she finally, weakly states "Let's sit down there under that roof… get rid of those suits…". She doesn't bother to speak up physically, but uses the still activated tactical comms as she lets herself sink down onto the remains of a bench.

Katral opens up the hazmat suit as much as possible, once its moderately safe to do so. He groans, then reaches in and rummages through his bag, trying to find something of use in the situation. "Let's… catch our breath. I'll see if I got anything for you in my lil' bag." He is moving very slowly and awkwardly, even with the light stunner in comparison to Teejay's hit. Probably well-versed in healing by now.

With non-deliberately slow motions, TeeJay peels herself out of that hazmat suit, groaning softly. "Did I ever mention I hate magic? Gosh…" She reaches up to her temple like she could press away the pain with a magic finger gesture there, peeks over at Katral while her feet kick away the remaining bit of white plastic that wrapped around her a minute ago. "… and we definitely need to pack some proper equipment for when we next head into some shit like this… it's okay to yolo in… but I WILL pack some proper gear… gosh, I could kill for some stims right now…"

Katral shakes his head. "Nope… I got a medkit lying around SOMEWHERE I believe. But probably around my apartment. Wasn't really expecting an impromptu run into a facility like this. And… yeah, screw magic." He walks over to her, rummaging through his bag for a while longer. "Gonna make absolutely sure. I'm good enough with medicine I should be able to do… something, but I ain't too familiar with magic wounds."

TeeJay leans heavily onto one arm to keep herself upright. "It's okay… let's just… get ourselves outta this fuckin' rain… I'm sure they've got somethin' at the carnival… wouldn't even mind someONE…" With visible efforts, she pushes herself up to her feet again, reaching for Katral's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Can you drive? Wouldn't wanna end my ride by setting it against a wall just 'cause I'm kinda feeling a tad low…"

"Yeah, I can drive. Lemme just.. squint my eyes a bit til the ringing goes away." he offers, rubbing at said eyes like doing so would make magic-induced shocks less effective on his mind. "Go lie down in the back of it once we get back… want me to carry you?" he offers, a strangely affectionate thing to say. Maybe because she very nearly almost died, and it was his call that did it.

TeeJay almost snickers as she shakes her head. Maybe even because she's not used that level of affection from him. Their relation might be a very close one, but only very occasionally based on tender care. That shake proves to be a bad idea tho, for it brings forth yet another wince. "Nah, I can walk…", she announces, pulling her cloak closer around herself. "… so… back to the car, then back… there? Or wanna make some stop at a drive through?"

"To be honest, if I tried to eat anything in the next few hours after seeing what was down there, I think I'd probably hurl. Let me just… fiddle with the phone, see what I can get, then drop it down a sewer someplace. They probably aren't going to check GPS until they've secured the facility, and I'll turn it its connection off… actually I'll do it right now." he says, bringing the phone up with his free hand. Shouldn't be TOO hard.

+ show rolls

The device's radio is quickly disabled. At least all obvious radio connectivity is. If the device has a hidden tracker, Kat could only determine by disassembling it altogether. Browsing through the phone is harder. It seems like a prime corporate level phone that emphasizes compartmentization and protection of data stored there. But eventually, Katral breaks through. Regarding the operation in the facility, there's no trace on it, however. Seems like whatever she did down there, she did no take notes on this device or do any professional communication via this device. There are some call logs to very few friends, amongst them the gal from the carnival aparently, and her number is stored as 'Lyra', and some unspectacular text messages.

Katral copies what little personal data he can find, then looks around on their trip towards the car, trying to find someplace really inconvenient for the corpers to drop it into.
Katral drops the phone into the first grimy cesspool he can find. 'cause Fuck 'Em

TeeJay watches the decker dispose of the device, and for a moment fetches the chain she got from Tara from her pocket. "Sorry we couldn't help you, Tara… whatever shit you did get yerself into… or were part of…", she sighs, shrugging. From all it looks, said Tara might not have the most innocent woman on earth, but still she didn't deserve THIS. TeeJay takes a deep breath, then stuffs the pendant back into her pocket. "Let's get going… I… really should lie down some, I think…"

Back at the Carnival

An hour later, the runners find themselves back, settled around the underground campfire, the heat from the flames casting flickering shadows against the stuctures surrounding them. Across from them, the skull-poet rests, its gleaming metallic eyes scanning them with an eerie, unblinking stare. The light catches the chipped edges of its cybernetic skull, highlighting the jagged lines where organic and machine once met and now only machine seems left. Its jaw creaks open as it speaks, the mechanical voice rasping from a speaker buried deep within its hollowed-out mouth. "Ah, the silver tear of fate, such a cruel and bitter weight," it intones, its voice dripping with an almost theatrical sadness, "Tara's path was twisted, no doubt, a soul so kind, yet lost in the shadows, caught in a bout."

The skull-poet pauses, the tubes running into its skull pulse faintly as its cybernetic eyes flicker with a hint of sorrow. It shifts its gaze briefly toward Lyra, noting the tears that streak down her face as she clutches the silver pendant, now the last remaining precious fragment of her lost friend. The skull's tone softens, a touch of reverence creeping in as it continues. "But don't you fret, dear child of pain, for in our hearts, she'll still remain." Its eyes shift back to scoots between Katral and TeeJay, its voice rising again, growing more purposeful. "The carnival owes you, yes indeed, for facing darkness with such speed. To brave the depths, to fight the fight… your courage shines in the endless night." The skull's empty eye sockets almost seem to widen in acknowledgment. "Your actions, carved in shadow's ink, will echo longer than you think…"

"Still, we failed, I cannot lie." Katral has given up being angry at the poetry, too tired from all the pain that has been suffered that day. "We didn't arrive before she did die." Maybe there was really nothing for them to do. But he still feels like drek for allowing it to happen. And now, what do the Carnival want? Revenge? Security? He can't say. But he hasn't really brought the group anything like real closure or safety from his actions. He's removed the gas mask now, obviously, and his face looks haggard and worn, like he was twenty years older. He coughs lightly, the rain having affected his throat something fiercely, even if he didn't breathe it in properly.

The skull-poet's hollow gaze flickers with a moment of mournful understanding, as if it can taste the sorrow hanging thick in the air. Its mechanical jaw creaks open once more, the rasp of its voice cutting through the silence like an old, worn record. "Ah, but fret not, brave souls of night, for fate is cruel and rarely right. The path you walk, though steep and wide, was never meant to turn aside." Its cybernetic eyes gleam with a kind of knowing sorrow, as if the weight of countless lost souls rests in the hollow of its skull. "You could not save what time had claimed, no matter how the game was played." The pause stretches out as the tubes running into its skull pulse with a faint, rhythmic hum, a mockery of a heartbeat. "Yet memory, dear, is all we need, to honor her with thoughts that bleed." It studies Katral and TeeJay in turn, its gaze piercing yet strangely compassionate. "Rest, weary ones, for peace is due, and I shall see the leaders, true. Your sister's place among this fold, I'm sure will be granted when the story story is told." The skull's voice quivers slightly, as though the very thought of Tara stirs something deep within the mechanical remnants of its form.

Katral turns to Teejay, placing a hand on her shoulder just as she did before. "Well, I guess that counts for something." he murmurs to her, unheard by the rhyming skull. He turns towards them, bowing his head. "Let me know if there's anything else you need. To further the blossoming of this alliance's seed." He grasps Teejay by the hip after that, to help steady her. She's much too broken for anything else. "Come on. Let's find you someplace to lie down." he whispers, indicating her wounds. "Don't want you busting anything permanent."

TeeJay slumps further into her seat, a tired groan escaping her lips as the weight of the day's events lingers in her bones, making her feel like a wrung out teabag. Her eyes are heavy, barely holding themselves open as she rubs at the back of her neck. "You don't need to spur him by speaking in rhymes, too, you know…" she mutters, her voice hoarse, but there's no fight left in it, only painful exhaustion. She lets Katral's comforting touch ground her, the feeding on its warmth, a rare treat for her and maybe all the more precious just because of that. "I need some coffee. And a couch," she groans, barely lifting her head, her body swaying with the weight of her words. Maybe she'd even need a doctor, but she sure won't talk about that. Her gaze turns back to the skull-poet, her lips curving into the faintest of tired smiles. "Yes, if you could put in a good word with the elders… I'd be more than grateful. And… I will of course vouch for Aurora." A daring declaration, maybe, given the ghoul's youthful vigor. Her voice softens as she speaks, a quiet request nestled in her words. She glances back at Katral, her expression turning vulnerable, almost childlike. "Can we go home?" she asks, her voice cracking slightly as if she might actually whine, but it's more from weariness than anything else. "Please?"

"Yes, we can." he responds, just as weary, if only in spirit. "Going home to get you rubbed clean of all that acid rain, gunk and whatever else may've been down there. Feel like we could take five baths and still not be clean." Hopefully, nobody here hears that and takes it the wrong way. He leads her out, though he does glance at the Carnival as he does, still genuinely intrigued and wondering what they might be up to as they split.

page revision: 1, last edited: 03 Jun 2025 17:55

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Shadowrun: Denver

Complicated Shadows

Hitting the 'trix

Singin' in the rain…

We're all going down…

Strangers in the night

Time to say goodbye

Back at the Carnival

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