A Shimmering Light In The Dark Sector [IC, Invite Only, 18+]

[Spikey844]

11 hours ago, Cyriann said:

As I was preparing some chocolate for myself and Sereena I see Jean, passing by and making herself a tea before returning back from where she came. 

"Huuu..." I look at her leaving, as she clearly hadn't noticed neither me or Sereena. "I guess the others are back then..." I turn to Sereena giving her a lightly hot chocolate. I spin my own cup a few times in my hands before returning to the board and start preparing coffees while sipping my chocolate. 

"How about we go get them with a few cups for them all ?" I say looking at Sereena as I go to the exit of the room with the cups on my hands. 

"I'm a little ahead of you on that front," Annika said, the kettle already beginning to boil away. Several mugs were already out on a plastic tray, along with sugar, small bags of instant coffee and a box of tea bags. She was still armed, rifle now slung over the back instead of front, her pistol on her hip. The kettle clicked off moments later, and she placed it on the tray. She balanced the tray on one hand, thanking her virus enhanced strength, then reached in front of Jean's face and snapped her fingers. Loudly. Twice.

"Back up," she said, firmly but not unkindly, "we gotta debrief, and I want to know what's going on with that laptop you got given." This was quite deliberate. She could feel the negative emotions emanating from the younger woman. She moved past the others, and managed to scale the ladder with just one hand, still carrying the tray. It was tricky, but she managed. 

[MetroFallout]

For her part, Tara simply followed Annika and waited to be shown where the debrief was going to happen. No matter how small her role might have been, she's still a part of the capital expedition despite it feeling like it's taken forever for them to get back.

"I'm ready for the debrief." she said simply without another word leaving her lips.

[Drakeardian]

Dmitri frowned at the news on how Shane had died but he didn't feel much remorse or sorrow.

"Poor bastard" he commented as the lasiran shut the hatch and climbed down to join the others in drinking hot cocoa

[Denny2669]

Hayden woke up after Dimitri's efforts, rubbing the sleep off of his eyes "I... fell asleep?" he asked, to no one in particular. There was no morning sun to shine realization into his eyes, but he figured it had to be morning. He stood up from the console, taking his time and checking the systems before Dimitri yelled that Annika's team was back. So it wasn't a dream, he thought. He couldn't help but smile that they're alright, but then he looked down at himself too see he's still in his mangled Warframe. He managed to slip away into his room before they entered so he could change from this mess of an armour...
... wait, what's he getting so worked up for anyway?

Hammond however was still snoozing off at the couch, only waking up from the noise of people around him. He sat up and saw people in the kitchen, greeting them. 
"Kinda rude to not wake me up, y'know?" he spoke to whoever was still there, rubbing his jaw "I prefer taking short naps..."

By the current time, Hayden had stepped out of his quarters, dressed in his usual outfit, carrying his frame's helmet as well on his way to the upper deck. While he was walking through the recreational room, he announced "Everyone to the CIC. Time for a debrief." before scaling the ladder, with one hand because he was holding the helmet, but he managed. He tried to avoid interacting with anyone on the way until he got to the CIC, putting the helmet down at a table and waiting.

Spoiler

((Thanks again Spike! :3))

 

[Cyriann]

I turn left and right as th whole Liset spins into life, a bit too fast for me, but I get a hold of myself as Hayden calls everyone up.

"Guess those drinks will be for those that were woken up by the call then." I turn to Sereena to invite her to come. "I dont' know how I'll be with Hayden , I'll be more comfortable if we go together, I let you lead the way, I'll make sure not to spill anything down." I say as I step aside to let her take the lead.

"Hammond !" I call out to him. "A coffee will be waiting for you in the CIC !" I say as we start moving.

[kyrozon]

28 minutes ago, Cyriann said:

I turn left and right as th whole Liset spins into life, a bit too fast for me, but I get a hold of myself as Hayden calls everyone up.

"Guess those drinks will be for those that were woken up by the call then." I turn to Sereena to invite her to come. "I dont' know how I'll be with Hayden , I'll be more comfortable if we go together, I let you lead the way, I'll make sure not to spill anything down." I say as I step aside to let her take the lead.

"Hammond !" I call out to him. "A coffee will be waiting for you in the CIC !" I say as we start moving.

Sereena replied with a small nod. "I'm sure you will be fine." she hums as she walks ahead to the CiC. She runs a hand over the small bump on her shoulder. The spike had grown to be more round than sharp. It was an odd comfort to know that there was less chance of accidentally poking someone with it.

As soon as the two would enter the CiC, Zek would speak up with a chipper "Morning everyone!" 

[Drakeardian]

Dmitri began to help Annika make drinks, collecting some teabags, a coffee jar of coffee and some hot chocolate for everyone around, placing the items on the table as he sat down and sighed.

"Who wants to start? should Annika start at the Capital or shall we start with what we found in the Dark Sector?" asked Dmitri to everyone as they arrived.

[Spikey844]

"Should probably start with you," Annika said, "my debrief will probably be longer and a bit more complicated." She add instant coffee and sugar to her mug, then the boiled water, with some milk on top of that. She glanced at Hayden. "Want some?" Then she eyed his helmet, "and why do you have your helmet with you?"

She gave Seerena a look as she entered with Cyriann, and smirked slightly. She didn't have to read their minds to know they were closer than before, just their body language. She refocused on organising her thoughts. The documents weight heavily in her pocket, and on her mind.

[Cyriann]

At first I reel back seeing Hayden, but Sereena's presence by my side is enough to not have me go hide immediately. Swallowing hardly I give the coffees I had made to those having nothing before seating as far as possible from Hayden and right next to Sereena. 

My breathing is rapid due to the stress but at the very least I manage to not show too much of my anguish directly, pushing me to remain silent for now. 

Edited January 31, 2018 by Cyriann

[Spikey844]

Just now, Cyriann said:

At first I reel back seeing Hayden, but Sereena's presence by my side is enough to not have me go hide immediately. Swallowing hardly I give the coffees I had made to those having nothing before seating as far as possible from Hayden and right next to Sereena. 

My breathing is rapid due to the stress but at the very least I manage to show to much of my anguish directly, pushing me to remain silent for now. 

Annika's slight smirk became a calculating stare at Cyriann's reaction upon spotting Hayden. The Frenchman had nearly recoiled, as if jerking away from a foul smell, and was now breathing fast as if under stress. His emotions were all over the place, and he took up a spot on the opposite side of the room to Hayden. She tilted her head slightly in thought, considering whether or not to question him, then decided against it. She took a sip of coffee. Perhaps it would come up in the debrief. 

[Drakeardian]

Dmitri sighed and shook his head and leaned back "Well...When me, Hayden and Sereena got into the Dark Sector...we found soldiers there who were being interrogated by some cult members." he stated as he poured himself a cup of coffee, black as the night's sky and sugerless. "Who were later killed by these members but once we reached the inner sectors...we found something."

He leaned forward and looked to them "This Cult? The Black Seed they called themselves and they worshipped the Technocyte as if it were a god, called us heretics to their supposed god called Lephantis." Dmitri stated as he shook his head "We gave them a choice to die or leave and they left...but not after I shot their leader in the shoulder and the leg." Dmitri said in a cold tone as he looked to the others "Fortunately, We got the material we needed along as well as killing this Lephantis."

[Cyriann]

I listen to what Dmitri says until I remember something Sereena said in the evening. 

"Sereena mentioned a beast, something that looked like..." I pause à moment and describe Mimas. "And that... Is the most problematic of my two mind buddies as it only has murderous intents, it called itself Mimas the time I met it back on the ship... Can you tell me if it spoke or did anything that seemed abnormal for  a beast ?" I lower my head mentioning the incident, before asking my question.  

[Drakeardian]

"The weird Stalker thing? They just taunted at us and they tried to attack Sereena but the thing speaking was unusual however..." Dmitri hummed as he recalled when it died "It...laughed when I rammed into it." he stated to Cyriann.

He sipped his coffee and hummed "Come to think of it, Lephantis was weaker when this...Mimas died." 

[Denny2669]

The smell of coffee drilled into Hayden's nose. He wasn't much of a caffeine drinker, but this morning it smelt rather enticing, being in good company. He nodded when Annika offered some. "Sure." he responded. Then she asked about the helmet, and he took a look at it before placing it before him on the table.

"Dimitri gave a simple rundown of what happened, but I think it'd be easier for you all to see for yourself." he raised his hand, holding some sort of remote and poiting it towards the large wall monitor typically used for military presentations. He pressed a button, and the screen lit up, now connected to his helmet's camera with was thankfully still intact. He accessed the file dated yesterday, and played it, showing the events starting with the cultists' executions. "Here we see the cultists. The leader is clearly infected, but he's still sane enough to speak. If he's a Tenno, he'll be making a bad name for us." he pressed the button again to fast forward, now showing the monstrosity the cultists worshipped "And this, is Lephantis." During the footage, Cyriann may also see shots of the creature Sereena described to him.

"Questions?" Hayden didn't seem all that troubled explaining the matters to them. Either he was good at hiding it, or relieved it's over.

[404Cygni]

Jean walked in, a mug of tea in her hands. She sat down with rhe others, staring in the distance. It would be difficult to determine how much of her was here at the moment.

[Spikey844]

Annika's eyebrows shifted upwards as she listened to Dimitri, Cyriann, Hayden, giving the latter a mug of coffee once it was made. "Well at least you had an interesting time. Not that ours was boring either." She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Travel to the capital was easy. A few infected tried their chances, but they weren't hard to deal with. When we reached the entrance we followed the wall around until we met Shikari. She spoke to use over the comms before we left the Liset." She straightened slightly, hands going behind her back, legs shoulder width apart. Dimitri would recognise it as a parade rest position. "She led us down a side entrance, through the sewers. It was down there that we met up with Shane again. We... ended up having a disagreement." Her tone was flat, almost monotone. "Shane provoked memories, ones I'd rather not talk about. I lost my temper and invaded his mind, forced him to obey my commands for a few moments." Her eyes were locked forward. "When I released the control, he tried to kill me. Tara and I stopped him." She blinked, then seemed to relax slightly. 

"We left his body there. We had no way to safely destroy it that would not also draw undue notice. Shikari guided us to a safehouse of hers, and informed us of Nefaniel Anyo. He essentially runs the Capital, running something of a protection racket. There are also 5 groups, syndicates as they are known, who the next level of power." She fills them in on each of the groups and their attributes. "Shikari also infromed us that Nef wants to get out of Lasria, and so has been funding research to wipe out the virus, and presumably us along with it. She'd come across a rumour that he'd found an option that wasn't simply nukes, and was apparently more disturbing and with easier reach. The only way that we were going to be able to investigate would be by getting into a private poker game with his son, Davis, at their casino. Shikari could get us access but couldn't get behind the table herself. Since I've played poker before and I can read minds, I volunteered to play. I posed as a rich snob, which meant abiding by the dress code, Tara and Jean went along as my bodyguards."

Annika paused, took a sip of coffee, then continued. "I wasn't the only player at the table, besides Davis. Glass Perrin was there, as was one Dustin Weber, a representative of New Loka, along with an Chinese man by the name of Nako Xol. He had a brother, absent from the game, who according to Anyo were hired as security. However, Anyo cut Xol off, so there may be more to it. While I was not able to extract much information with coming across as overly curious, there were few things that caught my attention. Firstly, Anyo claimed that the Technocryte situation had been 'practically dealt with'. Xol also seemed extremely confident that he could deal with us, referring to the Tenno as 'trophies'." The word came out as a sneer. 

"Towards the end of the game, Anyo began to run low on money, so instead.." Annika pulled out the documents she had won from Anyo, placing them on the table. "He bet this. These documents would allow us to send a message out the country, as well as receive one in reply." Then she smirked and drew out the money. "I also manged to quadruple my starting money. We now have over 1 million rubles to play with." 

[Cyriann]

I ask Hayden make a new stop, on a rapid image, where he had Sereena, Dmitri and the beast in his sight.

Everyone would see me holding my breath before the image of the beast wrestling with Dmitri. "That's him... How ?... How did he do this !" I slam my fists in the table as Edge's hilt and eye spring out of m back looking clearly at the screen as well. The pain of the hit gets me out of my thoughts as I take my fists out of the bend I made in the table, a good solid 3cm. "How could I ?..." Everything seems to spin a moment as my breathing accelerates, I flinch the table holding me enough to not fall.

"Hayden..." I turn to him, with no trace of the earlier fear. "Did you destroyed every last bit of that monster ?"

[kyrozon]

Sereena jumped in her seat slightly as Cyriann slammed his fists into the table. She stuttered to get some response to him out as Zek chipped in. "Well, since Annika over there is an example of telepathic abilities, Lephantis might've had something like that? And he saw Mimas in your head and decided to give him a fleshy murderous body?" He proposed. 

[Cyriann]

Le 02/02/2018 à 16:47, kyrozon a dit :

Sereena jumped in her seat slightly as Cyriann slammed his fists into the table. She stuttered to get some response to him out as Zek chipped in. "Well, since Annika over there is an example of telepathic abilities, Lephantis might've had something like that? And he saw Mimas in your head and decided to give him a fleshy murderous body?" He proposed. 

"Hell take me..." I have my face in my hands as I sit back. "If he escaped... If that thing escaped that means it could be anywhere..."
"I don't think so." The eye in my back makes a movement from left to right to dismiss that idea, imaging a negative shake of the head. "I chained him when I awoke, if he did escape, it was only for a short time."
I turn around looking at the eye. "Edge, are you absolutely sure he is in there ?" I give a few hits on my temples as the eye closes and mimics a nod. "I can even feel him clawing in the back of my thoughts."

A long sigh goes out. "Sorry for that... But I really am concerned by that thing... Would he ever escape again it could end up far worst than on the ship." I slump down in my seat slightly. "But that still doesn't answer my question, have you destroyed every last bits of that monster or did anything lingered ?" I ask my question again, less tension in my voice as my right finger passes in the two curves I imprinted in the metallic table.

[Denny2669]

Hayden took a sip of his coffee, nodding to Annika. It'll take a second to kick in, while he listened to Zek and Cyriann's concerns. He did not get to fight the creature himself, but it must've been formidable if it frightens the frenchman so. The dent his fist caused in the table was an made him frown, the boy could use better control over his emotions, but for now he'll settle with reassuring him. "Only piece that's left of that thing is inside you." Hayden said, pointing at Cyriann for emphasis "It all started rotting away when we killed it, this 'Mimas' being the first to crumple to dust. Though... we can only hope it won't come back a second time. The virus just keeps evolving."

The Annika gave her report. The death of Shane seemed to surprise Hayden, though only a little. He knew his stupidity would get the better of him eventually, though he did not expect it to not be his fault in the end... 'Could it have been Lephantis?' he thought, before continuing to listen to the report. The syndicates, Shikari's worries, the poker game, and their prize. He set his cup on the table and took the documents, starting to read through them, reading some parts out loud.
"Please make sure the shippment and it's contents are legal, safe, properly packaged and do not contain or have come into contact with technocyte and/or otherwise infected material... -After signing and specifying the contents of the cargo, it is to be delivered to the specified warehouse within three days of receiving this document, for safekeeping until transport is ready... -please keep in mind the service fee of 2000 rubles... -May profit guide us, Anyo Corp."
The last part seemed to confuse him, but the rest interested him more. "This cargo plane doesn't leave often. This is strange..." he spoke, his eyes skimming over the details again "Shipping supplies into Lasria makes sense, but nothing ever comes back out, not even transmissions. Anyo wouldn't do this if it weren't very important to him..."

He set the files back down on the table, now avaliable for anyone else to take a peak while he picked up his coffee again. "Anything else?"

[MetroFallout]

"Nothing from me, though I'd appreciate something to do. That trip to the capital left me bored. Only thing I did was kick the as$es of two thugs who were gonna beat up ol Darvo." said Tara, shrugging before drawing one of her revolvers to spin it. "Might get some actionable intel if you pump Darvo. He owes us a favour."

Edited February 7, 2018 by MetroFallout

[Spikey844]

Annika was quiet for a moment, then glanced at Jean. "Someone approaches us as we left and gave Jean a laptop, called her sister to boot." She looked at Jean with raised eyebrows, then, realising she was completely spaced out, walked over to the other Brit and poked her gently in the arm. "Jean? You with us?"

[404Cygni]

When Jean's eyes opened, they weren't the usual chestnut anymore. They were silver. And the voice, while patient, definitvely wasn't Jean's. Nor really human. Emet was running the show, which clearly said things about Jean's state to those who could reading between lines. 

"Hello. Terribly sorry but my Host isn't quite feeling well, at the moment. Can I help you with anything ?"

Meanwhile, Alpha had taken position on Jean's lap, somewhat between her and Annika. He made something that sound like a huff and stared at her accusingly.

Edited February 8, 2018 by 404Cygni

[Drakeardian]

Dmitri frowned at Emet's apearence as he squinted at them before he leaned back, looking to Annika then asked "You said one million ruples?" he asked as he looked around "It may be enough to get some supplies to upgrade the Liset AND fill our armouries." 

He leaned forward as he looked to the others "So another question, any thoughts on this Black Seed Cult?"

[MetroFallout]

"What's the Black Seed Cult again?" asked Tara, still spinning her revolver while swiveling her chair to face Dmitri and with an eyebrow raised. "Mind explaining who they are? Because I don't think I've encountered them."