Onward: Orange

[voidtreckermods]

A Stormy Night

The night of day six of Grasshopper begins to get blustery, and rain begins to fall shortly after the sun sets. Just after midnight they are facing a full-on storm. It’s quite interesting to watch, for those who need a break from investigating. Especially up on the top floor, where the glass roof gives a good view; all the instruments are set up to monitor weather patterns and are operating perfectly, a fascinating watch for those interested in such things.

It’s a little noisy, but not too bad for those that want to sleep; it’s just another distraction along with the perpetual light. Still it is, for the most part, a peaceful night.

Lights OUT

Peaceful, that is, until about an hour before dawn on day seven, their third day on-world. A large clap of thunder booms overhead, a massive flash of light brightens even the sky around the station… and something hits the facility so hard that it seems to rock. The lights go out.

Every single light and screen in the building go dark at once. 

It’s only a few moments before the machines whir back to life. Monitors and equipment rebooting, a cascade of beeps and whirrs and start-up tones. The lights, however, do not come back on. Clearly emergency lighting has never been a concern for a people that can see in the dark.

It’s a concern now. From across the facility, everywhere there was an orb, there are now monsters. A lot of monsters. Grey, long limbed and ready to attack.

Luckily for the Voidtreckers, the monsters on the very bottom floor have found something more interesting than hunting them. Within moments, they smash through the grates along the floor, and begin clambering downwards.

Downwards seems to be through some kind of service shaft, though easily big enough to fit a person in. They skitter down into the darkness, if any of Orange try and follow they can. It will be a steep, treacherous descent; they may need to break out that climbing gear to descend safely. 

Something Approaches

Back in the facility, the monsters that didn’t descend are instead attacking anyone they find with mindless savagery. A little while after the attack starts those near the top floor will hear a siren, ringing out into the darkness. It is not constant, rather it peaks and fades. Anyone who goes to investigate will find it comes from a black metal machine on the top floor, its screen showing a now constantly flashing, wavy green line and the words SIGNAL FOUND. As time passes, the green wave on-screen grows taller.
Luckily, they only have to last the remaining hour until dawn and when the sunlight shines through the glass of the facility the monsters shatter. In their place rise familiar orbs. Any monsters on the sub-levels remain active whilst the facility is in darkness.

The alarm subsides during the day. The machine’s wave remains the same size, pulsing only occasionally. Once night falls on the third day (Grasshopper 7), it shrills, and the wave continues to grow.

Comments

[blue_ice]

lights out

Kaiba has spent most of the time loudly complaining that he isn't getting any sleep. It's too bright. Until...it's not. It all goes pitch black. And while that would normally be welcome, his blood runs cold. Unfortunately he can guess exactly what's about to happen.

He fumbles to switch his SCA's flashlight on, and as his eyes struggle to adjust to the dark, there's already something grey and ugly rushing at him from behind. There's a horrible screech and a flash of pain as he's thrown, crumpled against the wall---but he turns his wrist in time to narrowly avoid a mauling. He still has enough breath to bark instructions, but now it's a matter of getting through this floor alive and finding the others.

Once he's free, he'll twist his wrist in every direction as he hurries to shine the light, briefcase gripped tightly in his other hand. He will absolutely try to bludgeon monsters with it.

the wave

When they manage to light most of their spaces and account for everyone, he stops at the top floor, staring at the mysterious screen. The signal...is that what turned out the lights? He pulls his laptop out of his briefcase and starts to run analysis on the wave form, but there's only so much he can do without access to the internet.

"Linear growth. But what's growing...? Ugh." He drops his head in his hands.

Lights out

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin comes clattering down the stairs, shining his SCA light. He finds Kaiba trying to fight off the monsters by whacking them with his suitcase.

He springs at them, his sharp goblin sword at the ready, and he slashes the first of Kaiba's attackers. Then he stabs another. "Out of my way, insect!" he yells, a grin on his face.

Lights Out

[loveandduty]

With her little robo buddy/neat cup holder in hand or at least safely in her bag she had thought to bring with her, Minako was trying her best to figure out just where she was going.

All she had wanted to do was have a nice neat break, maybe a nice drink before continuing her search. Instead, she found herself in pitch darkness. Well, this wasn't good, not at all. In an instant and being thankful that they were in the dark meant she could change without anyone noticing.

At least she hoped that had been the case. Crystal in hand she raised it up and transformed using the phrase "Venus Crystal Power, Makeup ~!" And in an instant, she read ready.

"Is there anyone out there that need help." She called as she soon moved to attack a nearby monster before noticing a familiar face... at least one Minako would know. But Venus decided to play dumb for the time being.

"hey there, I assume you need help~? I can help fight them off. I have plenty of experience in that area."

The Wave

[iamnotgod]

Webmind feels little better off than Kaiba, running analysis - but they have both survived the night, and as they stare at the scan together...

"If this were echolocation, I would say whatever the machine is detecting is approaching this facility."

And us. Don't forget that.

Webmind's expression right now is a distinct frown. Word has been passed to the other teams, so theoretically all that's left is to choose whether to add to the fighting or not.

But what aid can he give this planet, give his teammates, in this hour of need...?

"Perhaps approaching the planet itself, if these monsters are not sourced from the planet."

If only he knew where to look to find this planet's history of reported solar disturbances!

Lights Out

[bloomingdespite]

The monsters are everywhere. Behind every corner, in front of every door, blocking every avenue of escape-

Until a figure emerges from the darkness, duel disk on their arm as they rapidly slap down and change cards too fast to follow. They raise their hands as a galaxy of light forms beneath Kaiba's feet shouting, "TWO SOULS, LIGHT AND DARK, MERGE IN THE INTERSECTION OF DIMENSIONS TO FORM TRUE CHAOS! PRINCE OF REVOLUTION, RESURRECT IN THE GALAXY'S RADIANCE! RANK-UP MAGIC PARADOX EVOLUTION FORCE: DARK REQUIEM XYZ DRAGON!"

And from the portal beneath Kaiba's feet emerges a large (only horse-sized in this environment, but with those wings it certainly seems large enough) dragon, which rushes forward to begin savaging the monsters. The figure, with a hauntingly familiar voice, rushes towards him. "KAIBA! Are you alright?"

Dyme | OTA

[swansongs]

a. A Stormy Night

The storm reminded him of home. Especially up on the top floor, where he could watch through the roof. If ever there was something to lull him into a sense of security, it was a rain storm. The drumming of the rain and the rumble of thunder were music to his ears.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is really soothing?" he said aloud.

b. Lights Out

He'd drifted off into a fairly deep sleep before the power went out, the loud noise startling him awake. Uncurling from where he'd been sleeping on the top floor, he looked around. Somehow, the dark was worse than when everything had been lit up.

"What the hell was that?"

Had the lab been struck by lightning? That scared him less than the fact he was in the dark now. The skin on the back of his neck prickled, and he got to his feet.

"How do we turn the lights back on?" Could they?

c. Something Approaches Part One

"Shit, fuck." He knew it. He knew this had seemed like a horror movie. Now there were monsters and he hadn't been wrong. He was wholly unprepared for this, and his plan was to bolt down a hallway, fumbling with his SCA to hit the flashlight symbol. Once he had it on, he glanced behind him, shining the light over his shoulder so he could see better. He discovered two things. The first was that he was better off not getting a good look at what was chasing him. The second was that the monsters didn't like light at all.

Still, he didn't slow down until he'd turned a corner and couldn't hear the thing behind him anymore. Only then did he stop running, instead walking backwards with his SCA held out in front of him to shine the light around. Unfortunately, it left him likely to run into something. Or someone.

When he inevitably bumped into someone, he nearly jumped out of his skin, screaming before whirling around.

d. Something Approaches Part Two

He was banking on both the dark to help him out and the monsters not being super smart. Those were the only reasons he darted into a room and squeezed himself into a cabinet, jostling the things inside before going as still as possible, even holding his breath as the monster that had been chasing him loped into the room, looked around, and left.

Afraid to make too much noise after that anyway, he shakily let out his breath, easing open the door and peeking out. He didn't believe he was safe yet, and was hesitant to step out.

Something approaches Part 1

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was the one Dyme bumped into, as the Elf came down the hallway in search of more monsters to kill or drive away. Actually, though they didn't like the light and ran away if he shined it directly at them, he preferred to kill them and not leave any chance they'd go elsewhere and kill somebody else.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed when Dyme yelled. "It's me, Curufin."

Something Approaches Part 2

[loveandduty]

Venus was making her rounds and checking that those who couldn't fight could at least be defended if necessarily, attacking monsters as she went and in some cases managing to somehow jump clear over them.

Once she got into the room she looked around.

"Is there anyone in here? I'm here to help."

B

[longforgottenpromise]

"I don't know." He fiddled with his SCA, turning on the torch. "But..."

They had to. Because even now he could hear movement through the lab. Fear flickered over his features. Because this had been bad enough in the desert, with red team, where he had been the only one who couldn't fight. Orange team had many who couldn't hold their own against monsters.

"Turn... Sorry... Turn on your light Dyme." His voice is harder than usual, a strain of fear.

[wisdominshadows]

Lights Out

Darkness descends and it would almost be a relief, Zelda thinks, if the storage room where she was trying to read an orb wasn't suddenly filled with gray shuffling things, only teeth and claws clear.

She reacts by instinct, throwing out her arms and calling on the gods. And whether it is her patroness, her ancestress, or some other god entirely, divine light comes to her aid.

The monsters cringe and step back, and for a moment Zelda feels relief- but there's something not quite right.

They're not fleeing, she realizes- not really. They're burrowing- but to where?

Well Something's Certainly Approaching

Wherever Zelda goes, the light follows. Or, at least, for while it does.

Because while she tries to rest in the daylight hours, magic always extracts its price. And she can't keep that light up forever.

Late into Night 7, the exhaustion she's tried to fend of nips at her heels. And while she tries to keep it constant, the light about her begins to flicker more and more, until she begins swaying on her feet in time with it's change.

Someone catch her, please, before she collapses entirely.

Lights out

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin is searching the facility for monsters to kill, and he comes down to the storage room where Zelda fills the space with light and drives back the monsters. They scramble for the gratings along the floor, smash them, and scramble down into the service shaft.

"What the hell?" exclaims Curufin, running towards the shaft after the monsters with his sword at the ready. "Why are they going down there?" He grins wryly at Zelda. "When there are so many good people to eat up here."

Something Approaching

[loveandduty]

Minako had been switching between her civilian form and her Solider form during the time as a way to keep her from getting too exhausted. Currently she was with her civilian form with plans to change back soon.

But instead, she found that could change when she spotted the other. making her way over she made sure to stay close to her so that she didn't collapse to the ground.

"We best get you to a safe area to rest up."

Something's Certainly Approaching!

[iamnotgod]

"Allow me," Webmind says, mostly to make Zelda aware there is someone next to her.

He activates his SCA's light, and projects white through his screen to make the 'face' glow.

"I can shoulder your burden for now; you need to rest," he insists, softly but firmly, stepping alongside her to add a bit of literalism to that 'shouldering'.

Curufin | OTA

[so_dark_a_road]

Stormy night:

Curufin stands on the top floor gazing out through the glass roof. The storm is lashing the windows with buckets of rain. The weather monitoring devices have their sensors up here, but Curufin is not currently paying attention.

"Rainy nights are spooky," he mutters. But he's smiling. On his own world, he spent his life in the mountains and the hilly country, and you know what the weather is like in those places. He likes it.


Lights out:

He takes a little time off from rain-watching to sleep, curling up in a corner with his jacket wrapped around him and his pack for a pillow. Suddenly, there is a massive thunderclap with an accompanying blinding flash of light. He leaps out of his corner and stares upwards. And then the building rocks with whatever mysterious force hits it at this moment. The bright inside lights go out.

Luckily, Curufin is an Elf, and Elves have great night vision. He also has his SCA, and he hits its flashlight switch. He runs for the stairwell and springs down it, coming out on one of the lab floors. He is just in time to meet up with some of the long-limbed gray monsters. They scuttle towards him out of the darkness. He whips his goblin sword out of its sheath and guards himself. Soon he is engaged in a life-or-death battle.


Something approaches:

After hours of fighting, he goes back up to the top level to make sure no one who can't fight back against the monsters is not trapped up there. He hears the siren wailing, exactly as it sounded in his dream vision. Soon, the sun rises and flashes through the glass, filling the level with brilliant light. The monsters that face him suddenly shatter and reform into the beautiful liquid orbs.

"What the hell??" he exclaims. He sheathes his sword and goes to take a closer look.

Stormy Night

[loveandduty]

Minako looked out at the rain. It was heavy, but always had some either nerving presence or calming, depending on the kind of rain.

"I mean if we needed a wash, then we have a method at least." she figured she would say out loud. "Make sure to warn people if you do." It was said playfully and as a joke really, but if it cut then tension why not.

Lights Out

[iamnotgod]

Webmind has not been sleeping, if only because he does not need to sleep, and so he was awake and aware when the storm made itself plain.

"Curufin?" he asks - no, calls; the distress does not come easily to this manipulated voice, but it is easy to tell he has been stilled.

One of the monsters is upon him, and while Webmind does have his flashlight on it is forcibly pointed the wrong way.

These creatures aren't monkeys, but one is certainly on his back!

"Hel-"

[longforgottenpromise]

It's been a very harrowing few hours, but at least in the lab he can hide, unlike out in the desert the first night when there had been nowhere to hide from the hoard of monsters that had assailed them.

He stumbles out of his hiding place as the sun rises, seeing Curufin and the orb. He watches the sword warily until it is sheathed and then approaches slowly. "It's like it is an egg..."

But one they can return into. It is very strange.

[gundamofthedesert]

Lights out

Quatre seemed to have the luck to pick the team that ended up with the storm, having been on the train when it was being rocked by the waves before. Now there was another one here. Well, it was interesting to watch in between taking breaks from looking at the equipment.

At least... until the power goes out. As the monitors restarted, it left everything in an eerie glow as the lights hand not turned back on. Only to be made worse by the sudden arrival of grey, long-limbed monsters.

You can bet that Quatre was grabbing the nearest object that could be used as a blunt instrument and he's going to start bashing them.

Something Approaches

Quatre happened to still be closer to the top floor when the attack began so he heard the siren. Quatre managed to disengage from the fight he was having with one of the monsters, running up to try and check on the siren. He frowned, definitely concerned about this.

Even after the monsters had disappeared at least for now, he would periodically head back to check on it, making mental notes on it. This...was not good.

Lights Out

[tactlesstantei]

[Scrambling to find some of the others in the lab in the wake of the power outage, Masumi ended up running into the confrontation between Quatre and the monsters. She barely paused before rushing to join the fray, aiming to punch one of the creatures rather than find a weapon to use.]

"Hey, you okay?" [She couldn't just leave someone to face these things alone.]

grasshopper 8 (mission day 4) hoppin' over for a few hours

[blitzcheer]

arrival

Tidus arrives just before noon after sending out this SCA call thanks to help from the Spider, a pair of Terrans towering over him but with friendly--if dirtied--faces. He searches for the first people he sees, asking until he finds the right person. "Hey, we're here to help with the lights. Which way you need us to go?"

heal/food

It's still light, which luckily means time for people to get the rest they can and prepare for the night later. Tidus goes between the few immediate rooms that doesn't take him too far into the lab, poking his head in with a-- "Hey, everyone good in here? Anyone hurt?"

He's also keeping an eye out for anyone who just looks exhausted, having a boost for that. But he's also got food to offer and hand out from the bag he's brought. Onigiri balls, delicately made in appearance--"These ones are plain, but these ones have veg in 'em," he explains, the bag carefully held and his hands noticeably clean. His face too, though the red sand does stick to his tattered purple-team outfit, dried blood in the places where tears can be found, but no wounds.

update

Otherwise, as much as Tidus would like to stay and help out, Red Team have more Terrans to locate and. But he does want to check out and ask, for those who don't seem immediately pre-occupied, "Hey--so have you guys found out anything? Or heard anything?"

All Tidus knows right now is that everything is chaotic. Hopefully though, there's some good news to be found in it all.

Arrival (request NPCs, or handwave Terrans fixing things?)

[iamnotgod]

The Terrans may or may not be surprised by this digital face, but Webmind is happy to see them all in turn.

"Greetings! I believe the damage is on the outside of the facility. This way," he says, gesturing with a hand

"Have you recovered well on your way here?"

Small talk, for both small Tidus and the large Terrans, to hopefully help the latter adjust.

[les_magique]

-A stormy night-

It was late. Samata sat in a computer chair built for someone eight feet tall, slowly spinning it around in circles as she stared up into the storm above as rain hammered into the glass ceiling above her. The occasional flash of lightning or rumble of thunder made her shiver slightly, but it looked to be more from surprise than from actual fear. She didn't get thunderstorms a lot back home, and there was something exciting about it that made it hard for her to sleep. Also she had never sat in a spinning chair before, and it was weirdly entertaining.

"I wonder what Terran theater is like."

It's late. Her mind was wandering to weird places.

-Lights OUT-

Samata had spent the day setting up remote eyes at very places around the facility, in addition to her normal investigations. Such a pity, then, that they were all rendered worthless by the lights going out. She stood at the very top of the facility and mentally flicked through them all but all she could make out was ominious shapes in the darkness. Nothing good, at least.

"What I wouldn't give for a lamp right now! Something's moving in the lower levels!"

-Something Approaches-

Samata wasn't much of a fighter. She had made a LITTLE progress with 47, but certainly didn't feel up to fist fighting one of these creatures.

That's what magic is for.

She noticed someone running from one of the monsters and frantically waved them towards her hiding place in one of the many offices the facility boasted. "COME ON! GET IN QUICK!"

The office didn't have a door that would stand up to a determined assault, but she must have SOMETHING planned, right?

A Stormy Night

[iamnotgod]

"Containing as much variety as any 'Earth' theater does, I would imagine."

Webmind was not in the chair, but he had found something to occupy himself with: a translucent globe, crackling with electricity.

"Only with larger props. Unless you wished to muse on storylines?"

He sounded interested at the prospect.

[tinkerheart]

Lights OUT
By some weird stroke of cosmic justice, Fëanor always ends without a weapon. There was a literally single mission when he had one. A sword that he borrowed. Even then he had it useable for a very short time before it broke. The thing just wasn't made with elves in mind. He mended it and gave back to the original owner.

Since then, out of no conscious act of his own, he somehow always ends without a weapon. When he made one, he gave it away. When he was offered one, he'd always find fault in them. When he quite purposefully took a spear with him, he lost it in the whirlpool. The Red Team's palantír still smells faintly of crab. Or it's his mind playing tricks on him.

So he has to improvise. Fortunately, here he has a lot of material to improvise from and this world is more receptive than the previous one. So when the monsters come he's surprised but not completely defenseless. And the mindless beasts, like everything else, run away from fire.

Something Approaches
"What is this foul screech?!"

It is the search for the source of the siren sound that leads Fëanor to higher levels. That lets him witness the monsters' transformation into orbs the moment the first sun rays go through the glass walls. He thought the monsters fled from fire. They didn't. It was light. How odd, not so long time ago he was asked to make a weapon out of light and he laughed. This is not what he had in mind.

Something Approaches - nightfall
Before the sun goes down again Fëanor sets himself a task. Elves never forget anything but he has trained himself in carefully, consciously not paying attention to certain memories.

Gold mingling with silver. Light dripping liquid, sparkling droplets like diamonds in the grass.

They could use this memory now. He just needs to push it past the years of his hatred for it.

"Do you remember the Trees?"

He might be asking his wife. Curufin if he's near and not obliterating the monsters on the lower levels with his goblin sword. He might even be asking himself. It's hard to tell.

Nightfall

[iamnotgod]

"... The Trees? That depends on what we need remember them for."

That may not be the voice Fëanor expects to hear, but then even Webmind could be quiet on approach when he tried.

"May I ask what you're planning?"

A polite question; if Fëanor needs to be more 'by himself' (not alone, not with monsters about), Webmind will understand.

Alice Liddell | OTA

[madcuriosity]

Lights Out

Alice is terrified of the dark, petrified, in fact. Which is why, when the light goes out, she jumps out of her skin. She had tried to remain calm but then, quite clearly, with every flash of lightning, she can see the monsters.

She screams.

And then runs, DT clutched tightly in her arms.

But she is seven, and the monsters have not yet found something more interesting to hunt.

She trips in the darkness on an overturn chair, falling hard to the ground and DT rolls away from her with a loud "wooooah!" trying his best to right himself as he keeps rolling, calling out for Alice. She scrambles to get up, her entire leg throbbing with pain as she tries her best to see in the darkness.

"SOMEONE! Someone please!" she's sobbing, trying to get back up onto her feet, what little light from her SCA the only light source as she calls for help as DT explains in the distance "I am still rolling."

"Someone please help! They're coming!"

[blue_ice]

There's nothing that makes him move faster than the sound of a child crying in fear.

"Point the light at them!"

Another light in the distance comes closer and there's a crash of metal hitting them, limbs flying in every direction as they catch these hands. Or the briefcase. He crawls over them to attack their eyes with the light, and one by one they start to pop. He's still wrestling as he tries to reassure her.

"There's a---ah, no you don't---safe room downstairs. We'll go there!"

Pop. The shadowy twig stands and tries to smile.

Reigen | OTA

[internetsexsymbol]

Lights Out

Ok, this is just a normal maintenance mission, Reigen's thought these past couple days, until it's not. He's doing some equipment work (luckily he's good enough with computers to keep them running when suddenly everything goes dark.

"Oi! Someone get the lights back on--" His voice trails off when he sees the strange monster now in the room with him. Like an evil spirit, but way creepier. And unlike spirits this one may be more keen on having him for lunch.

As it rushes toward him, Reigen scrambles and throws a large handful of salt at the creature's face and takes off running. Judging from the screech the creature makes, he probably just pissed it off. Reigen slams the door behind him and begins to look for something to barricade it. Can't let that thing get out.

Something Approaches

Reigen has been managing to narrowly avoid getting seriously injured, mostly surviving with standard scrapes and bruises from trying to get out of the way of the creepy leg men. "Lousy internet meme-looking garbage--" He groans when the siren goes off. "Oh, NOW there's a reason to sound the alarm, huh?!"

Annoyed, Reigen searches for the source, finding the flashing machine. "Signal found, huh...whatever it's looking for must be in that storm or something."

Lights out

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin comes to the level where Reigen is working, just to check on him, and is just in time to see one of the monsters try to make a meal of him. He whips out his sword and runs towards man and monster, but Reigen is clever and tricks the creature and then escapes from the room.

The Elf looks around for something heavy enough to blockade that door, grabs a desk, drags it over to the door and shoves it tight against it. "This ought to hold it shut. I"ll collect some more heavy furniture just in case that thing is strong enough to lever the door open even with the desk." He starts looking around again, and then goes to a very heavy lab table. "Help me move this over there?"

Expedition to the nearest of the five labs that were destroyed

[so_dark_a_road]

Riding the land train to the destroyed lab near the damaged city:

Very early in the morning of Grasshopper 9, Curufin and a few teammates got directions from some of the Terrans, found the train station, and boarded the train that was headed in the direction of the destroyed lab nearest the city where Purple Team was assigned. It is a fast above-ground train, and Curufin sits impatiently in his seat and stares out at the landscape as it speeds past. There isn't much to see, since there are few structures that are not hidden underground.

Curufin remarks, "Seems strange, doesn't it, to be on a train that isn't the Voidtrecker? And to look out of the windows and not see the Void?"


Locating the wrecked lab and gaining access to the ruins:

The train lets them off at a platform near the lab. They can see the ruins well before they arrive. The structure was wide and extensive, and so the field of wreckage likewise covers a great deal of ground. The three or so above-ground floors have pancaked and lie in a disorderly mass of broken and bent metal girders, wall plates, and other building elements, and there is broken glass everywhere. The floodlight posts outside of the building are likewise bent and broken and lying on the ground.

There are Terrans working on cleanup, but there are not many of them and there is a LOT of work and a LOT of ground to cover. They look up when the Orange Team members approach, stop them and forbid them to come onto these grounds. Curufin smiles and replies, "Oh, all right. We just thought we could assist in some way, don't mind us, we'll be on our way."

Of course, that's not what they do. They retreat and then circle the vast area of wreckage and come back around from the other direction.


Exploring the wreckage of the lab:

Luckily for them, the wreckage isn't completely flattened. There are sections of the building that aren't entirely crunched, and they stick up ten feet and partially block the view of the cleanup workers. So, Orange Team can sneak around in the rubble, ducking and running when they have to cross a space where the rubble is flatter. They begin to sort through the heaps of fallen and broken furniture, smashed lab glass and shattered instruments, all amidst the mangled metal of the walls, ceilings, and floors.

"We'd better look for traces of fluids and powders and take samples back with us," says Curufin. "If this place was demolished with explosives, there'll be chemical traces of whatever was used for that." He has collection equipment in his rucksack, and presumably he's not the only one who brought containers and scrapers and other implements.

[blue_ice]

"We're sure it was explosives?"

Kaiba is diligently searching for samples and taking them, of course, squinting and shining a light in the wreckage. "Monster attacks were likely involved if all these labs were studying the monster orbs...would the Terrans have evacuated and pulled the trigger to kill as many of them as possible?"

Or something else? He looks perplexed as he works.