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Post by Slytherclaw on Aug 9, 2016 1:26:04 GMT
Amber frowns as the second holotape comes to an end, looking up at the screen with it's violently bolded warning that the effects of the machine only work once per person. The possibilities of this are...bizarre and horrifying and absolutely awe inducing. She turns to ask Bunnie to see the keys, remembering the locked compartment next to the computer, and pauses as she realizes that conversation has gone on around her while she was distracted.
She freezes as realizes the topic. And oh dear, are those tears? She awkwardly remains seated, looking away to give her fellow vault dwellers a bit of privacy. Emotions are so...messy. She's flushed as she looks around the room, waiting for Cecil to compose himself, and glances at Kat to see how she's handling this.
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Post by Seya on Aug 9, 2016 17:27:23 GMT
Kat shuffles a bit awkwardly as the vaulties--minus one Goldilocks--spill their hearts out all over the goddamn place. What a mess. Something about seeing level-headed Cecil with teartracks on his cheeks makes her gut twist, and she turns away as Bunnie and Christine talk him out of whatever lull he'd been in. Cecil's Bonsly wailing away near her feet really wasn't helping the situation, and it took a great deal of willpower not to throw the little shit at its master and tell them both to console each other. Fuck. Why'd they all have to go and get so miserable again, all of a sudden? Like--
"...mighta made some bad decisions in life, never had nobody to steer her right. Dangerous but nobody wants anythin' to do with her..."
Uugh.
(He's not talking about you!) part of her tried to reason, but Kat felt herself getting nauseous and defensive in turn. She pressed her lips tight to stop from yelling and gave Amber a half-grin when she saw the little blondie glance her way.
"I think it's fair time we got our asses in gear, huh?" she says to the group, voice only cracking a bit. After a moment of hesitation, she pulls off her broken goggles, strides up to Cecil, and tugs them in place over his eyes. "Not good for much else, but these babies are rose-tinted for a reason," she laughs weakly. "I think right now that's just what you need, huh? And don't you dare take 'em off until you can tell these chickas five reasons you're happy to be alive and kickin'. Got it? Now let's gather our shit and get back to town so we can turn that bitch in."
She pats his already-slapped cheek twice with a little grin and makes for the door.
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Post by Robot on Aug 9, 2016 20:53:01 GMT
"H-Hey, I don't have moments like this often, I ain't even the chatty type!" Cecil called after her a bit flustered. "Gonna be like that, I ain't takin' em off then." His face stung when she touched it, but everything about the moment felt right, and like it was long in coming. Embarrassing as it had been, he didn't feel quite as under scrutiny as he had been that whole while.
"Once Amber gets the Jalopy going again, we can head back, do some trading. Maybe get with old Scrimshaw and see if he wants in. Might be able to offer us some assistance for a cut, or to come along. Definitely our guy to see if he knows anything about the vault numbers, or what we're heading into. Either way, it's us chilling here till we got our wheels back." Eager to be done with the mushy stuff, like Kat, Cecil swiftly made for the exit.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 10, 2016 0:27:53 GMT
Glancing after the departing Cecil, Christine says to the rest of the group, "I'm just going to go downstairs, make sure everyone's still healing properly." Looking over at Amber in particular, she says, "But, you'll all probably be happy to know, the little critters you rescued seem like they should make a full recovery, given some time." Not sure if I can say the same about the human... I'll just need to wait and see on that.
She pauses as she's about to exit, before saying, "If you're going to do anything with that machine, though... please, come get me. I want to be on hand... in case anything goes wrong."
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Post by Lockdown on Aug 10, 2016 14:42:40 GMT
Downstairs, the raider has come fully to her senses, and gives an impressive sneer. "G'won, torture me all ya want, I'll never tell ya that Annie kept all our loot behind that blue tool chest, or that she had a buncha spare caps in the floor safe undah the computer! You won't get a thing outta me!" It takes a moment for everything she just said to parse, before her sneer dissolves into a sheepish expression. "Whoopsies... uh-heh, I don' suppose ya could forget I said all that?" Cecil elects to stand guard over the woman, while the rest of you attend to your own self-assigned tasks. Amber is able to utilize the scrap metal in the garage, along with some dregs of propane and a welding torch to repair the buggy; requesting Bunnie's assistance with the process. Kat follows along to poke through the garage, and investigate what the raider woman had said was in there. Kat recovers 6000 food scrap in dried berries and jerky, 600 tech scrap, 2000 bottlecaps and 4 Confusion Pester Balls. Amber roll Tech Edu please. DC 10. If you hit the DC, roll a d10) Either way, the Buggy is repaired come morning. After repairs on the buggy are complete, Amber wanders back upstairs to investigate the locked bottom drawer in the holotape room. She finds several clips of darts similar to the ones that Bunnie had found, along with a second pistol. Amber finds a Syringer pistol, 20 sleep darts, 20 confusion darts, and 20 Rage darts Christine settles down in one of the unoccupied rooms, either in the clinic or in the garage, to tend to all of the injured pokemon, and any wounds that the rest of the group may have sustained. Cecil in the meantime, takes up a post as guard over your awake and surprisingly chatty captive. As he lets the woman's light chatter flow in one ear and out the other, he notices a ping on his Vault-Dex. Analysis complete. Subject is mutated form of base species known as "Aron". Originally rock and ground type, small burrowing creatures used for the extraction and processing of metal ores. Mutations appear to have allowed the species to metabolize metal, creating a hard exterior shell. Stability of mutation implies multi-generational true-breeding of trait. Effects on evolutionary line: Unknown.As the evening draws down, you all come together to share a meal before settling in for the night, Cecil feeding the captive at Christine's insistence. In the morning you can make any last-minute decisions about the machines upstairs, or the fate of your captives before heading back to Purewater.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 10, 2016 18:04:08 GMT
"What?" Christine says aghast, at returning downstairs to the raider. "Why would I torture you? You just need to stay on there because if you go moving about, you're liable to tear something inside that I can't put back together. Your leg especially. If you try moving that before it fully heals, you might never be able to use it again. I don't think that's something that you want to happen. Now, I've got some other patients to take care of, but if you need me, I'm sure you can talk to my... assistant," she gestures to Cecil, "And he'll be able to get me."
At dinner, she says, "So, everyone seems to be on the track to recovering properly. Once we get back to Purewater, though, I'd like to just give everyone a quick checkup, just in case we managed to pick up something in the wilderness. Or something from any of these bioweapons. I don't think so, but... better safe than sorry." She looks over at Amber. "Speaking of heading back, is our ride all working properly now?"
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Post by Slytherclaw on Aug 11, 2016 4:30:20 GMT
Amber is deep in thought as she eats, and it takes her a few moments to realize she's being addressed. Grease still streaks her cheek from where she'd been working out on the jalopy, and her jumpsuit is open to her waist, hanging. The tanktop underneath has seen better days.
She nods at Christine, chewing and swallowing. "Better than before," She says with a shrug. "Good parts. We can leave in the morning, after we finish taking apart the machines for scrap."
She'd presumably shown off the dart gun she'd found earlier.
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Post by Robot on Aug 11, 2016 11:00:47 GMT
"I'm having a go at it first." Cecil pipes up after swallowing his current mouthful of MREs, waving off the volley of scowls and looks of disbelief that followed. "Just listen for a second alright? I've been doing some thinking." Cecil's usual slouching posture pulled itself up into a more respectable one. "Ignorance and poor decision making costs in blood up here, and damn near everything we encounter is a bioweapon we ain't never seen before. There's gonna come a point that knowledge 'bout how they work is going to be damn near invaluable, like Amber's tech and Christine's medicine. We -need it."
Taking another bite of the dried food, he waved the bar of food around like a conductor's baton, tucking half the bite into his cheek as he spoke. "So I figure an extra light touch won't do much. Just enough to get by, cause the surface is about necessities and nothing else, see? Rest of you got knowledge and skills we can't have you forgettin', I've just got a healthy paranoia and I look damn fine, and honestly I don't see it costing me either." He winked at Kat through her goggles.
"I also kinda want to test it out for Marissa." Cecil's mouth drew into a frown. "We got to talking quite a bit, I don't know what I can do for her 'side from trying to get her setup in Purewater. The holotapes we found upstairs talked about 'repurposing criminals for troop morale', she basically lived a life that did that to her from childhood. Ain't no sob story neither." Sighing and scrubbing a hand through his bangs, Cecil's forehead furrowed.
"Right now her only skills are stabbing people, and the mattress mambo, hardly remembers her parents. Father's dead, mother was sold to the gene children when she was pretty young by her Mom's second partner. From there it was a brothel caravan, then Annie. I wanna help, but where the fuck do I even start? She's primed to be taken advantage of by literally anyone willing, and that don't sit right, not here."
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 11, 2016 23:44:46 GMT
"You don't see it costing you your looks or your paranoia, Cecil..." Christine says, "but, what about your self? How do you know that you'll still be you on the other side? All we are is a bundle of memories and experiences, sensations and decisions..." She sighs. "But, if this is a decision that you truly feel is right for you... you're the one who has to make it. Just... make sure that you'll be happy, if it ends up that you aren't the same person you are now. Consider if a little knowledge is worth that."
"As for Marissa..." She runs her fingers through her hair, thinking, "Well, let's just tackle one problem at a time, shall we. If you're sure that you're going to do this, we should wait until after, and see what happens. Not to mention... I want to make sure that I've fixed her up as best I can before we even consider doing this. Once that happens, I'll talk to her. See what she thinks. Something like this," she says, adamantly, "it's not a choice that should be made for anyone. No matter what."
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Post by Robot on Aug 11, 2016 23:56:38 GMT
Cecil slowly removed Katora's rose tinted goggles, and slid them across their makeshift table to the surface girl, giving Christine a little tight-lipped smile. "Them five things that make me happy? Four of 'em are sitting at this table, and the fifth is probably back home, or in Purewater. I'll figure it out later. Thoughts to words, I need everyone in one piece to get 101 going again. Need 101 going to keep the rest of'em out of harm's way, awful lotta doe-eyed 'innocents' down there too. Couple memories for a lot of lives seems like a fair trade to me. Need more bio-weapon info then our Vault Dexes will give, and this place was a military installation. They got what we need."
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Post by Seya on Aug 12, 2016 0:12:00 GMT
Kat leans forward on her arms, gazing idly at the goggles in front of her. Every mention of a 'bio-weapon' pinched something uncomfortable within her-- that was proof enough these vaulties had a long way to go to adjust. But... to be fixed by a machine?
"I ain't a fan of the idea," she growls at last, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "I ain't seen anythin' like these, and I like t'think I've seen a lot. How d'we even know they work proper-like anymore? They been around ages. A million things c'n go wrong, yeah?" And fuck, she didn't even want to get started on worrying about 'Marissa'. Cecil's soft spot for the girl grated her nerves to no end; wouldn't be the first time a raider lied herself out of a worse fate.
His care for broken people would be a lot more endearing if it didn't make her want to throw up from anxiety first.
"Well. I ain't callin' shots for you, as much as what you're proposin' disgusts me. But put the crazy one in there before yourself so we can make sure it won't completely blow your brains out, yeah? If you're gonna be killin' part of yourself off, just make sure it's only that parts you want dead. Precision mental mutilation."
She finally retrieves the goggles, and pulls them down over her eyes, falling silent and unusually sober as she pushes away and moves to lie down nearby.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 12, 2016 0:16:37 GMT
"No." Christine says, sharply, focussing on Kat. "While I may not like the idea of Cecil going in there, if he does, it's his choice to make. I will not, however, just stand by and let you make the choice for someone else."
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Post by Robot on Aug 12, 2016 0:25:48 GMT
"It ain't nothin' /dying/, it's just gettin' repurposed. Nothing saying I can't relearn things I forgot again, just got to remember what they are first. No sense in arguing about it though, we'll talk about it more in the morning. Shit's been too serious today, and I'm almost out of smokes, can't wait for a burger and to see where our scavenging gets us back at Purewater, that'd be something. Real meat habit forming. As for Marissa, it was just a thought, gave her a warning about him, probably pass her off to Lucien to keep after her. Bout as close to an honest woman you can expect, and if he gets stabbed out of it I'd call it a double win." Just like that, Cecil let the issue drop, and turned conversation back to simpler things.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Aug 16, 2016 11:50:54 GMT
Amber's head bounces around as she watches the conversation, not bothering to contribute. She was...honestly rather impartial on the topic. There was a part of her that was absolutely horrified at what the machine could do, but there was an equally large part of her that was internally geeking the hell out at the possibilities and complexities involved in the process.
"What's the plan tomorrow?" She asks as their topic comes to a close.
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Post by Robot on Aug 16, 2016 14:01:10 GMT
"Well, way I see it anyway, we got like two options." Cecil crossed his legs and sat back, arms folded over his middle.
"Head back to Purewater, dump off Annie with their guards so they can give her whatever qualifies as justice. If we bring Marissa along for the ride, I can probably use her to swing enough leverage with Lucien to get us an in at the water plant. We can address whatever their issue happens to be, and get that water purification chip we need for back home. That's option A." Fishing his switchblade out of his pocket, he began cleaning and trimming his nails, taking his eyes off of the girls.
"Option B, we head back to Purewater, lick our wounds. Do a bit of trading, and load up to go downstairs. I'm awful curious, and I ain't keen on getting gassed. Also wondering if I got the balls to look into what's in the basement after what we found in the attic, if you know what I mean? That said, this place might have a good number of the bits and bobs we need, if it ain't occupied. Either way we go, gonna need to make nice with crazy so he'll let us use the jalopy again after Fender munched on it. Might want to see if Scrimshaw is interested in our holotapes, or coming along for Option B."
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Post by Slytherclaw on Aug 16, 2016 14:09:02 GMT
Amber flashes a right smile. "I doubt he'll mind us using it again," she says, somewhat smugly. "I'd like to come back here and look into the vault system. If there are people down there...maybe thEy need help, too. Or...If not, maybe there's done of the things we need for home."
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Post by Lockdown on Aug 20, 2016 1:42:24 GMT
The sun rises to find the duo of ancient buildings unmolested, the Vaulters and their companion sleeping in relative safety and peace. Their prisoners are awake, Marissa keeping surprisingly quiet now, and gently accepting any food offered to her. Annie however, is a snarling ball of teeth and squirming limbs. Thankfully she's gagged, so you can't tell exactly what she's snarling, but from the tone none of it is complimentary.
It takes little time to disassemble any of the pods, should you decide to do so. It seems that Amber got a head start on the project, and has removed a number of components and systems already while the rest of the group slept and Cecil kept the last watch.
Piling everything you've decided to take into the back of the renovated buggy... more of a scaled-down truck now with the enhancements that Amber has added to the frame and engine, your group completes any last-minute preparations for the ride back to Purewater.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 20, 2016 2:14:44 GMT
She found herself groggily slouched over her workstation in the Vault, someone shaking her. A voice sounded, “Get up, doctor… you fell asleep again. You should really head to bed. This new vaccine can wait.”
“I can’t, Professor,” she replied, knowing what had happened. “We… I let this virus into the Vault. I don’t know why the purgative from the surface hasn’t been working… I need to find the answer.”
“I know it seems bad,” Skrub says, “But working yourself to exhaustion isn’t going to help anyone. I know you’re doing everything you can. You know more about this than we all do, after all. And you’re the only doctor left…”
“I… I’ll just finish up this, then I’ll go to bed,” she says, yawning. “I’ll test it in the morning.” But it wasn’t long before she fell back asleep at her station.
***
Waking up, she felt disheartened. It had been months. Many tests. And still nothing. Sometimes the vaccines and cures seemed to work for a time… but, eventually, all of them had failed. The Pokérus was spreading, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. They didn’t even know how. It wasn’t food. Air. Touch. Nothing. And it was slowly, inexorably, killing the Vault. She braced herself for another day of failure.
It wasn’t long, though, before one of Skrub’s aides came in, white faced. “Uh… doctor, I think you should come with me. I think we might have had a breakthrough. But… well, it’ll be easier to show, then to explain.” It was the first good news in a while, at least.
She followed him, until they came to a plain room, with nothing more than a desk and some papers on it. Skrub sat behind it. “Come in, doctor.” He doesn’t look very happy, more resigned. “Have a seat. And just leaf through that folder in front of you.” She does so, and recognizes most of it. “That’s all the information that I gave on the Pokérus, and its effects. And then here’s the surface purgative formula, I’d recognize that anywhere, even though I’m not a chemist. I’ve been using that as a base for all my vaccines.”
“Yes. All that information you gave was very informative. It represented our entire store of knowledge about the virus.” He passes over another piece of paper. “Now, what about this? Have you ever seen this before?” She look it over, squinting.
“No, sir,” She shakes her head, “What is it?”
“Well, let’s just say that I decided to send an expedition to the surface to see if I could learn more.” His face remains unreadable. “They went to the place called Purewater, and brought back some purgative. That is the formula you see before you. The other formula… that wasn’t from your notes. That one was also from our surface expedition. It was compiled from the various food and water they encountered before purging it…”
The implications set in, and she recoiled in horror… and then woke up. While the surrounding area had been peaceful, Christine's sleep certainly had not been. When she wakes up, panic briefly sets in, before she reassures herself that nothing could possibly have happened in the last few hours. Amber had even begun the process of taking apart the machine, she noticed when she went to look... that was a relief. It seemed that Marissa was recovering well, so she was happy about that, though she does make sure to ask the woman herself how she's feeling. Sometimes how patients respond tells it better than her own diagnostics. Hopefully the other one... whatever her name was, Christine hadn't caught it, didn't hurt herself too badly. Because it looked like she would be one of those... less cooperative patients. To help clear her head, and wake herself up, she goes outside, in part to see what the creature that Amber had given her did. It was certainly interesting, and touching it did jolt her a little bit more awake briefly, at least. What she wouldn't give for a caffeinated beverage of some sort... After that, she makes her way to pack up all of the medical supplies that she's spread around, before going off to find Amber. "Hey, Ambe..." Christine asks, before yawning, "Sorry... tired. Anyways, Amber, did you happen to find anything in the computers to say what these did?" 'These' being the gun and trio of darts that Bunnie had given her yesterday.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Aug 20, 2016 19:17:18 GMT
Amber is dozing off in a corner when she feels something climb up and curl in her lap. She peeks open one eye drowsily, staring down at the energetic electric type that chirps up at her. "Morning, Topaz," She mutters, letting her head fall back against with the wall with a thud. The spark that follows, arcing through her jumpsuit, is enough to wake her up fully. She frowns at an abashed looking Pichu, hair full of static.
"Fine," She groans, pushing herself up and grabbing the small pokemon in her arms so she can stand. She spends some time waking up, washing up with any water she can find, and generally preparing to face the day. Christine's voice knocks her out of her thoughts. She glances at the dart gun.
Had the computer...well, no, but...technicalllllly...
She nods, looking away. "I've got an idea," She says quietly. "Found another one last night as well as a bunch of the darts. They seem to be something like tranquilizers, except with a variety of effects. The chemical compounds aren't too complicated, either, barely...that is, um, I /found/ information on how to make them so...they're not super harmful, I think, for the most part. That one is literally just a quick acting tranq, if the color is anything to go by. The other is...for disorientation?"
She squints down at one of them. "Probably. That, or it's an aphro..." She trails off. "It's probably disorientation. "
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 20, 2016 19:53:52 GMT
"Oh, more darts? And finding how to make them?" Christine asks. "Well, that's good. Because I only have the three. And if they aren't that harmful, that's also good. If," she yawns, "If it ever comes down to having to face, well, other humans again... I'd rather not actually hurt them. I'd much rather not face them in the first place, but I also know that it takes a lot to get Cecil to change his mind once he's set on something."
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