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.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba stumbles out of the way, still dazed from that last hit, but he can summon up enough energy to from at Curufin.

"You're entirely too excited about this."

He spins around and flashes his light to try to prevent any more attacks from behind.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin smiles at Kaiba. "What do you expect? I survived almost six hundred years of war in my own world. If I hadn't been excited about killing, I wouldn't have lived that long."

He turns around and scans the darkness for more of these creatures. He shines his light, too, though he isn't sure that an SCA in flashlight mode is actually enough.

[blue_ice]

"...survival of the fittest."

Kaiba is quiet, aware of how weak he is, but determined to get them through the facility safely. He coordinates his wrist spins, and when one rushes he manages to swing the briefcase to give Curufin a few more seconds.

He hisses---those claws are sharp---but he'll pull through. "Did you see anyone else up there?"

[so_dark_a_road]

"More like, 'They that most enjoy killing the most do the most killing.' Not exactly a homily from inspirational literature, but an expression of the pragmatic attitude I and my brothers maintained, living in a land full of Orcs, Balrogs, dragons, giant spiders, hill trolls, and other perils. All of them trying to kill us."

He rather admires Kaiba's use of the briefcase as a weapon. That shows ingenuity.

The monster doesn't get a chance to claw Kaiba a second time, because Curufin sticks his sword into its thorax. It falls on its back and bothers no one ever again.

"I've got my first aid kit in my rucksack, for whenever we get a break. Meantime, let's make sure there's no more creatures on this floor that can harm us or anybody else. Yes, I've seen some of our teammates. Are you looking for anybody in particular?"

Yet another of those things comes out of a dark corner, but it doesn't live long. The Elf's sword is hungry.

[blue_ice]

"I'm especially worried about the kids. They were sent here because our team is usually safe---and look what's happened."

Kaiba silently curses his decision to leave his duel disk behind. It could have really saved him just now. But he'll have to follow Curufin, flashing lights in every blind spot. Those skittering noises in the dark are unnerving to say the least.

"We're lucky the walls are glass. With strategic placing of lights, we could light entire floors and hold them back."

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."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba didn't seem to suspect anything for now. He was looking a little winded but otherwise fine, briefcase tight in his white-knuckled grip. He squinted against the flash of light as he sized her up.

"...let's find the others," he murmured, taking up his position behind her. There was another clattering sound to the left and he spun that way, lifting his wrist.

[loveandduty]

"Got it? I think there might be some people over this way?" She had gestured for a brief moment before reaching to doing a spin kick toward the direction he had been pointing the light at, kicking one of the monsters away.

"That won'rt keep them down for too long, but lets go moving"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba nodded and followed her, light swinging every which way and briefcase in hand. He had to pin down a few long enough to kill them, but the mysterious warrior could handle most of it.

"Upstairs! I heard something."

[loveandduty]

Venus used her belt to unleash an attack dead ahead so it could at least clear a path. It worked as she headed forward.

"The stairs are this way right?"

[blue_ice]

"Right."

He followed, flashing the light around corners and trying to avoid another ambush. "Do you hear anything?"

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!

[blue_ice]

"More wonderful news," Kaiba groaned, smacking a few more keys on his keyboard. "I want to go over every computer we've found again, but it's like trying to translate a text in another language without a rosetta stone."

He digs his fingers into his temples. "We need to prepare to fight, but everyone has their own outbreaks to deal with."

[iamnotgod]

"Even I barely grasp the basics of the programming," Webmind replied, in as close to a sigh as his vocal modulator allowed.

"And all of the people who would normally be able to translate this for us are, of course, being targeted."

As soon as he composes the thought he knew it sounded right... which was bad for the rest of them.

"Fighting with what, however? I could certainly fire a weapon, if we needed to arm ourselves with something more serious than light, but I would not count myself as a trained professional."

Being an expert in a field because you'd read all the established literature was not the same as being an expert in something that required physical practice; Webmind knew this fact, and strongly disliked it as of this mission in particular.

[blue_ice]

"Who? Is there any way we can bring more help in?"

They need to solve this, and soon, if they're to have any hope of completing the mission. He looks at his companion, face resigned to their fate.

"It's all we have, light. It might have been a bad idea for the train to largely stick the noncombatants on a single team."

[iamnotgod]

"I believe the Spider-"

Kumoko, not that Webmind addresses her by any particular name.

"Can arrange for teleportation of a certain number of people - but apart from volunteers from the Terrans and perhaps the Gry, we are largely on our own."

Not reassuring, he knew.

"But we are all armed, technically speaking."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba stares down at his wrist and sighs. The light is bright, but small...and he needs it working, no matter what.

"Right. The first priority is securing our position and making sure everyone is safe. Then, figuring out what's coming and making a plan to stop it."

He glances up at the glass ceiling, the stormy sky above. "But what kind of storm would specifically destroy the building lights and leave the other equipment undamaged?"

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?"

Re: Lights Out

[blue_ice]

Kaiba is thrown by one monster into another, struggling in their claws until a surge of light from the ground prompts them to drop him. He swings the briefcase while they're stunned, making space, and staggers to his rescuer.

"Wester? I'm fine, just---here---"

He shines his SCA light behind them to ward off sneak attacks.

"Need any more cards?"

reminder that wester has super strength

[bloomingdespite]

"I'm-" One of the monsters makes it past Dark Requiem, and Wester doesn't hesitate for a moment before turning on a dime, grabbing its shoulder, and plunging their extended duel disk into its gut. Several times. When it falls, they mercilessly stomp on its neck.

"-fine. You?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba lets out a low whistle. Brutal, but an efficient tactic.

"You're...not to be messed with."

He sounds impressed, even. He keeps a respectable distance, but the concern is still there.

"Did that damage your disk?"

[bloomingdespite]

"It's fine." On closer inspection, their disk is, curiously enough, black. "I'm pretty sure the Americans designed this things to be used as a murder weapon in case of emergency."

[blue_ice]

There's a small frown in his expression.

"Everything's about violence with them. Hmph. The one peripheral that wasn't on my list."

But the next revision will fix that, at least on his personal disk. He sets about finding every monitor that still works, activating as much light as he can to buy them a reprieve. When he's exhausted his options, he digs through his deck, withdrawing Dragon's Orb and Krystal Dragon and turning them over.

"Need any more lights for the field?"