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Post by Lockdown on Dec 28, 2015 20:06:38 GMT
"Well, you can take your chances alone," she retorts, her voice having gone cold. "I'll gladly stand by if you want to endanger yourself with your stupidity, but not everyone else here." She stares at him. "I am a preserver of life. So while you may be happy with a weapon of death, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to be."
"And don't call me babe."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 28, 2015 21:25:19 GMT
"Don't be so dramatic. Flouting on about how 'everybody's at risk'. Hate to break it to you Doc, but we're leaving your sterile lil lab with your soft spoken nurses and square patients. You might want to toughen up a bit, cause I think you're in for a bad time." He gently tapped the ball against the creature, experimentally, recoiling as went from being solid, to a red, diaphanous silhouette, before disappearing completely.
"You've taken the tests, you know your history. Outside these walls is a world that we couldn't live in." He stands, an edge in his voice. "So generations ago we ducked our heads, tucked tail, and hid in a nice, safe little metal box underground, where we all had to get along and play nice." He closed on her, his voice dripping with venom. "We get to find out what's out there, and you're gonna lecture me about keeping safe?" The last word spoken in a deathly whisper, the skinny greaser well within the medic's comfort zone now.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 28, 2015 21:26:06 GMT
Skrub opens his mouth to begin replying to Christine, Amber and Bunnie's questions, when Cecil's actions cut him off. His brows knit dangerously as the room begins to descend into a squabbling mess, while the Sandile looks on in a bored manner, before putting his thumb and forefinger in his mouth, and giving a sharp whistle, one you've all heard before. With painful connotations for Cecil in particular from the one time he didn't heed it. Skrub is looming close behind the boy, his body language impying very carefully restrianed mayhem potentially in the works as he glares at Cecil. "That's enough, both of you. Christine, while it's admirable that you're looking to keep the rest of the group safe, Cecil has a point about familiarizing himself with his new partner. And they shouldn't attack unless verbally ordered to use a specific command or a standard attack, or unless they're actively attacked first. The pokeball system includes a series of post-hypnotic commands and signals emitted from the ball in order to keep the mon docile and controllable. But if you mistreat them, they can and will override those signals. They are not simply 'weapons of death' they are still living creatures that deserve respect and respond to the care they are giving! Some of the video footage I found in the archives regarding handlers that forgot that is... disturbing, to say the least." Skrub turns to Cecil just as the boy is starting to smirk. " However Cecil, you need to be more cautious. I stuck my neck out for you kid, getting you on this expedition. You have the makings of a potentially great man, and you're a scrappy fighter on top of that. But you need to stop and think before you act. You're on this expedition to help protect the others, not to pick fights with the one person out there that's going to be able to patch your dumb ass back up after you insult someone who won't simply lie back and take your sass. But if you learn to control that mouth of yours, you can be a real asset to this expedition. Hopefully you won't let me down." As he finishes, there's a soft chime from all of the dexes, and a matter-of-fact robotic male voice begins to speak from Cecil's dex. "Scanning and analysis complete. Subject identified. Sandile, "Desert Croc pokemon". Created for ambush combat in desert and arid environments, has a specialized membrane in its eyes that protects them from harsh light. Subject tapping into 5% of full potential. Likely attack capabilities are Leer, Rage, Bite and Pursuit." There's a flat buzz. "Warning, Atypical attack. Syncing with pokeball..." Cecil's wrist buzzes as a wireframe model of Fink fills the screen on his wrist, before being filled in to a full image of the Sandile. The image shrinks down, and another wireframe image comes up of some kind of quadruped, followed by another buzz and a large question mark appearing over the frame. "Genetic match not found in database. Genome splicing confirmed." Dex XP is shared in this setting, so congrats, you've all got your first scanned mon XP. Skrub takes the time to take a few deep calming breaths as the dex rattles off these facts. "Now, to answer your other questions. Yes Bunnie, should all go well, you'd be welcomed back to the vault, likely hailed as heroes. As for bringing other people back from outside..." He rubs his chin. "As much as I supposedly run this place, there's the Vault organizational committee to take into account as well. You'd need to sell them on it, and whoever you brought back you have to impress all of them." His face goes serious. "More to the point however, it is imperative that you do not divulge the location of the Vault to anyone unless you are absolutely one-hundred-and-ten percent certain that they can be trusted. I shudder to think what the information here could be used for if it fell into the wrong hands." Turning to Amber, he gives a small smile. "I understand that I'm asking a lot of you," his gaze sweeps the rest of the group, "of all of you. But yes, the bio-analysis engine and scanner can be used to identify plants suitable for human consumption, as well as medically beneficial substances. And while it may be distasteful to think about, according to my research, some pokemon should be edible, and were even used to bolster food production. In fact," he brings up a new picture on the large display, of a strange bipedal creature with horns and a long tail ending in a heavy-looking ball, "This is called a Miltank, the milk it produces has a high concentration of healthy fats and vitamins, making it very effective at accelerating the healing process. One other pokemon is capable of creating similar substances using a symbiosis between itself and a large number of beneficial plant-life that adhere to its back and neck." He sighs. "Unfortunately both of them still require resources we simply can't spare in order to ensure high-quality production from even one of the mon. There's no way to effectively feed a small town's worth of people on that kind of output." He sighs again, before moving on to look at Christine directly. "In regards to your worry about diseases, you don't need to be too concerned, we had stores of vaccines against most communicable diseases from before the Cataclysm, and those are what we've mainly been using these labs to produce, besides making sure that the research and information here remains understood. You've all been inoculated as part of your regular medical checkups, so if nothing else, it should give your bodies a fighting chance against what you might run into out there."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:23:55 GMT
"Thanks old man." Cecil muttered softly, giving Christine a respectful nod, Fink's ball stowed in the jacket pocket opposite his knife, the teen gave the outspoken woman her space back. Settling his back against the wall in a thoughtful silence, Cecil rolled his metal lighter back and forth along his knuckles deftly.
Cowed and a bit agitated, he kept his mouth shut and his ears open. So this was Skrub's game. Big daddy had wanted him to keep the more 'sensible' types safe, trusted him just enough to not screw it up. Really it wasn't a bad call on his part, Cecil really would do anything to get above ground and stay there. Christine was feisty, which he could take in stride. Compared to Bunnie maybe a bit naive about the way things worked outside of her comfort zone. Least she spoke up. He'd give her some space and a bit of patience.
It took a bit thought, but the greaser seemed to come to a decision and finally put his lighter away. He nodded to himself as though settling on it. "Sorry Christine." Cecil hardly made eye contact, and the apology sounded forced. It hadn't been demanded, or even prompted, but it would've been the first time in his adult life he'd made such an utterance to anyone but his mother. "If we're done here, I need a smoke."
Pushing off the wall, he shouldered his way past Amber and Joe, making for the door. Actively avoiding eye contact with the spectacle'd nerd, or even the down-on-life janitor
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:24:10 GMT
"Well, thanks for the apology," Christine said to Cecil as he was leaving, her voice less frosty now. "I get that you mean well, but you just need to think. What if there hadn't been safeguards?"
Turning back to Skrub, she says "I do appreciate all of the reassurances, sir. I'm...sorry that I overreacted. I'm not used to seeing things like that - things that could possibly kill everyone in the Vault. I suppose I should check to see what this Dex has to say about mine, while it's safe." She finally grabbed the ball that Skrub had said was hers, and tried releasing it like Cecil had done.
"...does this thing even have any bones?" she asked seeing it for the first time. "It...looks too round and squishy." She imitates Cecil to try and scan it. From what she could tell, it seemed to look around at everything, and not like what it saw. She swore she saw it sigh.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:25:19 GMT
The scanner flickers over the little mon as it looks around After a few moments, Christine's dex beeps, while the others emit that soft chime again. "Scanning and analysis complete. Subject identified. Happiny, "Playhouse pokemon". Created for commercial sale as companions, high affinity for healing abilities and evolved form's defensive capabilities utilized for medical support. Subject tapping into 5% of full potential. Likely attack capabilities are Charm, Pound, Defense Curl, Copycat and Natural Gift." There's a flat buzz. "Warning, Atypical attack. Syncing with pokeball..." Christine's wrist shakes as a wireframe model of the mon fills the screen, before being filled in to a full image of the Happiny. The image shrinks down, and another wireframe image comes up of some kind of ... blobby shape, followed by another buzz and a large question mark appearing over the frame. "Genetic match not found in database. Genome splicing confirmed."
Skrub looks up as Cecil takes his leave. "Don't go too far boy. You're all going to be leaving within a half hour once this briefing is done."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:26:11 GMT
"All the same to you pops, I don't need anymore lectures today. I wouldn't miss this for the world, I just need some space. You'd throttle me if I lit up in here, besides." Cecil gave Skrub a half-smile over his shoulder, and a mock salute, before heading from the lab complex to the main hallways, which he well expected were still jammed with people.
Smoking was one of the few things that really evened him out. Cecil had never really given much thought as to why. He could deal with the hateful stares, and the jeers out here. It was in there that he couldn't take. They'd be outside soon, and it'd be easier for him, he hoped.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:26:33 GMT
Amber hesitantly pokes at the ball she'd been given. Cecil made a point, that they should get to know them before it was dangerous...and the Professor said hers was supposed to be rather docile... She swallows hard, pressing the button that makes the ball grow in her hand.
"I'm going to..." She mutters softly, barely paying attention to the rest, before she cracks the ball with a shaky hand. She steps back almost immediately as the bright red light that escapes, even though she's now expecting it, and stares at the blue pokemon that forms with wide eyes. It's almost half her height, bulky and a bright blue, with a stripe across its chest. Bright red eyes blink widely at the people in the room as it looks around, a soft hiss escaping from a large, gaping maw of flashing teeth. Amber is pressed against the wall without even thinking about it, pupils blown wide as she stares at it nervously.
"G-good...monster..." She says, stepping forward cautiously. She reaches out with one hand, triggering the machine on her wrist, and tries to touch it on the snout. The teeth seem so large, up close, but it doesn't react negatively as she inches forward. It's skin is dry and scaly...and it's...no, it's still pretty scary up close, but she supposes it does seem more curious than outright murderous.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:27:24 GMT
Bunnie turns and follows Cecil out of the room. She catches up with him and matchest his pace.
"You could have asked about safety before letting your alligator out. You know how Christine is. Had that thing bit someone she would have spent the next hour patching us up. Was nice to see you apologize though. Really didn't expect that. You must want out of here as bad as I do."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:28:06 GMT
Everyone else was putting their monsters on display. Suddenly Joe could feel the pressure to do the same - obviously it was expected, and he'd missed some social cue - sure, the Overseer was reprimanding Cecil for his recklessness, but that was hardly news. No one else got the staredown for following suit. Well, if they all wanted to scan everyone's 'pokemon' (who the hell had decided to give portable bioweapons such a cutesy name, centuries ago?) the consequences of releasing the Grimer would be on their heads.
But he'd probably get blamed anyways.
Hesitantly pressing what was apparently the release button, Joe stared as a puddle of red light turned into a puddle of purple goo on the floor. Slowly at first, it began to convulse, wavering up in uneven patches to form an indistinct blob. Two large, vacant white eyes rolled out of the muck, whipping in different directions before orienting on Joe. A pair of disturbingly humanoid pseudopods pulled free of its mass, reaching out towards Joe, bits of ooze dripping off its arms to be reabsorbed as they fell. It began to sluggishly but inexorably undulate across the floor in his direction, various sickly shades of mauve and violet rippling across its surface. It left a greasy, steaming trail in its wake that Joe had no doubt was highly acidic. Pinned to the spot in abject horror, he was unable to even flinch as it began engulfing his boots, eyes wide and mouth frozen open in a silent scream. The Grimer let out a low, gurgling moan that sounded almost happy.
Joe gagged, immediately regretting opening his mouth. He hadn't been too far off the mark about the smell.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:28:30 GMT
"Oh god!" Christine cried, her eyes wide, staring at the blob that had began engulfing Joe's boots. "What's happening? Mr. Vargas, are you okay? If you can move, see if you can return it to it's container! Quickly!"
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:29:00 GMT
Joe released a long, croaking gasp before he finally managed to find his voice. "B-but it's touching me! What if I get zapped into the ball too!?" he moaned, half-heartedly struggling to shuffle his feet out of the doggedly persistent Grimer's grasp. At least it didn't seem to be eating through his heavy work boots yet. And it didn't actually hurt... but any moment now surely it would get through to his vulnerable skin. "Who knows what that could do to me. Might as well just shoot me now and save you all the hassle of listening to me scream as I'm slowly digested alive."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:29:25 GMT
"Well, getting zapped can't be any worse than eaten alive, right?" she cried. "Just do it, Mr. Vargas!"
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:29:50 GMT
"It has been established that I made a mistake, wasn't the first, won't be the last. Can we drop it please?" At the mention of mistakes, the boy glanced towards Bunnie. Cecil turned his head away from her as if looking at something of interest. His left hand briefly rose to scrub under his eyes. "I'm dying in here. First opportunity comes along to see something that isn't dullsville and I almost lose my chance to leave."
Fishing the pack out of his coat pocket, the greaser retrieved the cigarette he'd planned to have earlier and eyed the box before tucking the paper tube in his lips and lighting it. "We're all getting out of our comfort zones Bun, some of us more then others." He took a long drag and admired his fix again, rolling it between his fingers. "Guess I'm quitting after these are done. Should probably make them last." He snubbed the butt on the wall, tucking it back in the pack.
"What're you doing Bun?" Cecil finally broached the question, leaving the unclear statement hanging in the air as he finally looked at her directly. His tone was tired, as if the statement encompassed everything from their initial encounter to her decision to leave the vault. His posture was more relaxed then it had been around Skrub and the others. Bunnie knew how to talk to a man, he could say that much at least.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:30:37 GMT
"Mr. Vargas,, Ms Barret compose yourselves!" Skrub snaps. "Take a moment to observe. Mr. Vargas, while your partner is undoubtedly leaving behind a somewhat noxious trail, you'll note that it has a membrane that keeps its mass whole and cohesive, and there's no affect on your boots or the floor otherwise. He is not attempting to digest you, he's simply happy to see you. As to your assumption about the properties of pokeballs, the recall laser is calibrated to a genetic lock. It only affects the creature that is synced with the pokeball. There is no evidence at all that they can affect humans. According to the literature I read, a major component of their manufacture makes it impossible for a human being to be affected by the capsules."
As Skrub is talking the janitor down from his panic attack, Amber's pokedex gives that now-familiar beep, while down the hall a soft chime can be heard echoing the one coming from Joe and Christine's dexes. "Scanning and analysis complete. Subject identified. Totodile, "Big Jaw pokemon". Created for aquatic ambush and harrying, its jaws are highly developed and capable of closing at two-thousand PSI and locking closed, dragging down a target as it tries to flee. Subject tapping into 5% of full potential. Likely attack capabilities are Leer,Scratch and Metal Claw." Once again, a flat buzz. "Warning, Atypical attack. Syncing with pokeball..." Amber's wrist shakes as a wireframe model of the mon fills the screen, before being filled in to a full image of the Totodile. The image shrinks down, and another wireframe image comes up of some kind of ... blobby shape with four nubs for legs, followed by another buzz and a large question mark appearing over the frame. "Genetic match not found in database. Genome splicing confirmed."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:31:17 GMT
Amber only half pays attention to the chime of the pokedex, distracted wholeheartedly by the scene in front of her. It takes her a few moments to realize that she looked away from her partner, jaws of death and all, with her hand still on its snout. She jerks her hand back, practically giving herself whiplash as she looks back at the blue pokemon. It blinks back at her, letting out that strange hiss again that...if she didn't know any better, she'd assume was a laugh. Or...he was laughing. She was pretty sure it was a boy, anyway.
Still, the pokemon seems more curious about their surroundings than interested in biting her, so she stands back and watches as the Totodile waddles around the room, poking around at the mechanical parts, sniffing things, and occasionally leaning forward to try and bite a piece of metal before pulling back with a grumble. She winces as she notices slight dents in a pole attached to one of the machines. Still, it doesn't seem to be doing much damage, so she follows a distance behind and watches it, distracted from the Joe's drama by the slowly lessening fear of her own destructive monster.
She eventually holds out its ball, fiddling with it, until it finally sends out the red light that returns the monster back to its red energy form to store, and glances back towards the professor for further instructions.
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:32:14 GMT
Bunnie shrugs, not sure what exactly he had meant by his question but looks him in the eyes regardless.
"Don't read too far into it. I'm just trying to make sure Skrub doesn't think he made a mistake. Because if he starts second-guessing sending you out, he might second-guess his other choices. And make no mistake, I want out of this place. I want to go out there. I want to go out there so bad it hurts. He saw me follow you out here. Meaning he'll believe that at the very least I might be able to keep you in line. Just work with me long enough to get out of here and we'll both be happy. Ok?"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself before she gets worked up, she reaches into her pocket where the Pokeball is still contained.
"Might as well let this little guy out. Seems to be the popular thing these days."
She presses the button and a beam of light shoots out, forming into the shape of a small rabbit-like creature. She rolls her eyes, the irony not being lost on her. The Nidoran walks over to her and begins to nuzzle her leg as she reaches down and begins stroking its back, being careful to avoid the poison barbs on its ears.
"You're a cute little fellow. You gonna keep me safe out there? Make sure no big-bad scary people attack little defenseless me?"
The Nidoran turns to Cecil and makes a sound that could almost be taken as a growl, causing Bunnie to stifle a laugh.
"No silly, not him. He's harmless enough. You've got the right attitude though." She looks up to Cecil. "You might have to watch yourself around this little guy. He's got some spirit it seems."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:33:41 GMT
"I'm sorry again sir." Christine said, ashamed, her eyes still locked on the puddle of goo. "If this is going to be the new normal for us...I'm going to have to get used to it."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:34:37 GMT
Cecil
"That ain't really all that long, s'what, a half hour? Assuming Christine hasn't fainted at the sight of another gator." He rolls his eyes and gives her a sly smile. "It's good to talk to you again bun. What is that thing anyway? It's pretty rad, I'm digging the spikes."
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Post by Lockdown on Dec 29, 2015 19:34:59 GMT
Bunnie
"Skrub called it a Nidoran. I think I'm gonna call him Doug though. He looks like a Doug. I guess I should give it a scan real fast..."
She points her Vault-Dex at the Nidoran and gives it a quick scan as it once again begins nuzzling her leg. She lets out an impatient sigh and sits down, resting against the wall.
"This feels like the longest half hour of my life."
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