anemoi | Transformation Matrix

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Transformation Matrix

[The basement of the labs was dark and still, a graveyard of steam pipes and forgotten items and disused equipment that no one really wanted to see anymore. The area was all too familiar to Gordon; this was where his suit's charging station was sequestered.]

[But this isn't why he had come here this time. He coughed, leaning against the wall; pale, clammy, and trying to catch ragged shreds of breath. His lungs felt like they were on fire. At first he thought it was just stress, or exhaustion, or some fucking flu virus... he doubles over and coughs from the bottom of his lungs. Pieces of bloody... something, splatter to the floor. His own lung tissue maybe. Oh god, no wonder he couldn't breathe. There's plenty of soft defenseless tissue for the nanites to mess around with in there...]

[Yes, he knew exactly what was going on. That's why he wanted to get as far down and away from people as possible. Lock himself up. Hopefully the others will figure out what happened to him--]

[He lurches into another violent coughing fit and doubles over, wrenching himself to the floor. And those splatters of inert bloody tissue recoil from the impact, and slowly begin to inch away.]

[Video]

[Oh hey, look, it's one of those wormy scientist guys! Why is the background so dark...?]

"Ah, is this thing on? Oh, alright. Ahh... ahem... It seems that just to compound the difficulty the power to the labs has gone out. No one is sure of the cause, and to top it off our illustrious Mister Freeman has gone missing. I knew the boy couldn't handle the pressure of administration. It may be a while before we can--wait, what was that? No, over there. By the air duct! Oh FINE, I'll go looOH GOD--"

[The rest is cut off by screams and a sickening prolonged crunch. It's safe to say that the Labs would like some help.]

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Ran observes the tendrils a bit longer -- and then slips out a slightly smaller shikigami. Focusing, she activates it with as little light as she can, before slipping it up through the vent where the tendrils are coming from.

Friend, or foe? This must be established.

[It takes a messy swipe, claws forming and flashing only at the curve of the swing and then dissolving with a slight hiss. It ultimately misses, however, and the creature is infought and quickly liquefied like its brethren. Again, leaving nothing living behind.]

[The tendrils hang in midair for a moment after its wrestling partner is dissolved. They're close enough to easily lash out at Rex, but they don't. In fact when they DO move again, they do something one would never expect a tentacle monster to do... meticulously curl one tendril around the other, wringing the ichor off and giving a very human-seeming downward flap at the end. God that was nasty.]

[The shikigami, meanwhile, has quite a meandering path ahead of it. Airduct, to shaft, to airduct, around the top of a room, down a service shaft, into a steam tunnel... All the way down to sub-basement storage A. There in the dark, connected to several dozen tendrils snaking into service shafts and steam pipes, hangs suspended a faceless bulbous mass of pink, white and red flesh. It doesn't seem to be able to move, but the way it has snaked its way into the service shafts it can control the entire facility if it wanted.]

Rex does, in fact, fully expect a violent retaliation from the tendrils, and can't help but lean in when they don't. How strangely...not monster-like. He tries to gingerly poke it.

Then he turns back to Ran, recalling the shikigami she just sent through the vent. "What was that thing you sent through there, anyway?"

Ran's eyes are closed, focusing on her sight through her servant. "A shikigami. Shh."

She refocuses, and channels her thoughts through it. Strange one. Do you understand what I am saying to you now? If you cannot speak, then simply show a sign.

[It pauses, even the tendrils in the corridor with them going still.]

"...What's it doing? Why isn't it attacking?" "It's... I think it's trying to think of a way to communicate!" "Nonsense! This thing can't possibly be intelligent! Look at it, it can't even perceive we're here! That was... a battle for territory we just saw. Nothing more." "Then why isn't it trying to get to us now?"

[As the gaggle of scientists make themselves known once again, the tendrils react by recoiling into the air duct. There's a sense of rapid motion within the walls, a slight tapping here and there that cause the labcoats to huddle together again...]

[And then another sinewy appendage slithers from a closer duct, and the end uncurls and lays something at the ground. A pair of thick black glasses, smudged with red.]

"...OH MY GOD! IT ATE FREEMAN!"

[...the tendril sags a little. He has no hand, and he must facepalm.]

Edited 2012-07-02 05:56 (UTC)

Rex pauses before he leans down and gingerly picks up the glasses. Well that can't be good. Hopefully that's not Gordon's blood on the glasses. Hopefully he just dropped them when getting away from this area and someone else's blood got on them.

"Okay. Add that to the to-do list: find Gordon."

He glances from the glasses to the tendril, glasses to the tendril.

"It looks like it's trying to communicate with us, though." He crouches and inches closer to the tendril, trying to see more of it and follow it visually to its source. "Wonder what it's trying to say."

Ran, her eyes closed, speaks slowly, deliberately, her focus clearly not all in the room with them. "I believe... we have already found him."

She maintains her focus. Gordon. I strongly believe it is you. The probability of it being anybody else is low. Please remain calm. The boy who cures is with me. I shall send him on his way. If you could provide me directions, I will assist him in reaching you as soon as I can.

"What? Where??" "What's she talking about?" "...Oh god... you mean that thing IS Gordon?!" "And yet he's somehow retained the mental capacity to communicate with us! Amazing!" "...Hm, what's the Lab's policy on dissecting fellow employees again?"

[Oh thank god... He retracts from the nearby vent and there are the faraway beeps of a door lock. A door to a service elevator opens, leading downward to the basement.]

[Also another door is slammed open by a second tentacle, leading to the machine shop and motor pool. A quick way out for the other scientists... he hopes.]

Edited 2012-07-02 06:27 (UTC)

Rex frowns at the scientists. "No one's dissecting anyone."

His eyes follow the sound of the beeps to the service elevator. He walks over to it and places a hand on the corner of it. "So...is this supposed to lead us to him?"

She nods. "So it seems. It is fortunate that he was able to maintain his senses even in this state. Be careful, however; I am certain the less cordial creatures are still around."

She looks over at the scientists. "I will safeguard their exit. If I do not hear from you in half an hour, I will pursue. Is that understood?"

"Oh thank heavens! We're going to get out of here after all!" "Are you certain? Those creatures that you fought look like drones of a sort. Who knows how many of them there could be!" "Well, we needn't worry about that now. We've got this, uh... young lady and what USED to be Gordon to protect us on our way out." "...maybe if we just dissected PART of him. One tentacle. He probably wouldn't notice--

[CLUNK. Oh would you look at that. Ceiling tile fell on his head. What're the odds?]

"OW!"

Rex can't help but smirk at the sight of the tile falling on the scientist's head.

"You guys keep an eye out for vicious ceiling tiles, then. I'm gonna head down."

With that, he enters the service elevator, waiting for the doors to close and take him to...wherever.

She nods. "Come along now. And no more talking of your compatriot as if he were a THING. It is clear he does not appreciate it." She leads the way, a shining shikigami in front of her.

The elevator doors slide shut and Rex descends downwards. He can probably hear the low screech of large objects being moved before he even comes into sight of the chambers below, but as the darkness gives way to the lower levels he can see crates being slowly but surely rearranged in front of doors, blocking off flanking doors. ALL the doors, actually. How does he expect Rex to...

Oh. One tentacle waves from a busted six-foot-diameter pipe jutting out precariously above a bafflingly-deep pit. Of course. Why does it always come down to using the plumbing for transportation in these things, anyway?]

[Meanwhile, the ever-present protective tendrils seem to peer at Ran and Company from every vent as they make a circuitous route through the machine shop. Not a single machine is whirring or humming, leaving the whole place still, dark and deathly silent.

"That's the first time I've seen those pistons over there so still! It's... unnerving." "Isn't that the generator? Perhaps we can get them going again!" "And risk being seen by more of those THINGS?"

What do, Ran?

Edited 2012-07-03 06:09 (UTC)

Ran runs a series of logistical situations through her head. Escaping now would ensure the safety of all involved, but simultaneously slow down dramaticly the progress towards an overall cure. Meanwhile, restarting the generator would allow for further progress once the threat is neutralized, but also risked the greater loss of life. At the same time, however, with their unexpected ally...

She mulls. "Tell me quickly. How long would you expect restarting that to take?"

Rex does a quick look around. The doors are all blocked off. He could go through any one of those...but then he spots the tentacle. It probably wants him to go over there instead. Rex approaches the pit and looks down. No end in sight. He tosses down a bit of rubble near the pit, listening to where it may fall. He hears nothing.

"Huh. Guess it's the pipe or nothing, then."

At least it's not a train tunnel.

Rex carefully navigates the pipe's edges and the pit before crawling into the pipe itself.

"Don't worry, it should only take a few moments! Ah, assuming all goes well, that is." "Right, let's get started." "Just keep on the lookout."

Keep on the lookout? What do they think they are, a gang of ten-year-olds? Anyway, they get to work mulling over the busted generator and arguing in sniffy, sotto tones amongst each other. The light through the narrow shop windows do little to fight against the darkness. They're all so drawn into the task that the familiar squishing steps are ignored... except by Ran. There's an advantage to having large ears.

Back down in pipe world, the tendril dutifully retracts when Rex follows it, replaced by one further down to the side. It's very dark down there, and easy to get lost... plus it smells funny. Kind of a cross between chicken fat and motor oil. Is that pipe grading downward? It is. Down down down--WHOA CRAP IT JUST GAVE WAY AND THE STEEP SLOPE ROLLS REX RIGHT OUT INTO THIN AIR... and onto a concrete floor five feet below.

...in a red-security-lighted steam tunnel. wtf. Well, at least Gordon's waving at him from a nearby vent to urge him along. Obviously he meant for that to happen. Yeah.

Rex is about to comment on the growing stench when suddenly the pipe seems to give way and he begins falling. He shouts, surprised, but is cut off abruptly when he lands on the concrete on his back.

"Ouch."

It takes him a few moments to get himself up onto his elbows after that, and then onto his legs. But he manages to stand up, roll his shoulders a bit to get the pain out, and moves on.

"This isn't creepy at all."

He begins walking towards Gordon's gesturing tendril, cautious and wary.

Steam oozes out of overhanging pipes above, and the hiss echoes one way and then the other... The tunnels twist and turn and again grade downward; there's no way to tell how far down Rex actually IS by now.

Suddenly a second sound accompanies the idle workings of pressurized water vapor; thudding, splattering footsteps. The tendril nearest him goes still, and then shoots back into its hiding spot--or rather, into and then out of a vent behind Rex, along with five or so of its buddies. They latch across the tunnel on wires and outcroppings, drawing tight, creating a net of sorts. It distends as something shiny and blistering red raises a limb to bash it.

Rex can fight it, a megaton fist transfers impulse quite well through the holes of a tendril net. Or he could run, too.

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

Rex decides it's a better idea to run towards whatever-it-is with a giant metal fist pulled back, ready to slam it into the next century.

The net dilates at the last minute and the bloodbeast is bashed backwards, sliding down the tunnel's floor from the inertia and leaving a nice red smear. Another leaps around it and charges...

And the grating beneath it buckles as a thick cluster of tendrils yanks it downwards. The beast falls out of sight with a satisfying splat.

Well, they can't go back. May as well keep going. Down the tunnel, to a concrete service annex, down some iron stairs to the side. The tendrils are now more present, hanging overhead... a few yank open the grate to a service elevator, the last part downward.

Rex is about to fight the next beast, but finds it's unnecessary. Instead, he lets his fists fold back into his arms and continues walking downwards, following the path downwards. He takes the presence of more tendrils as a sign that he's getting closer and continues on, eventually finding another service elevator.

"Uhh...thanks," he says to the tendrils holding open the doors as he walks through them.

Yes, it's awkward, but he didn't want any uncertainty. Not when they're this close. The sign nearby reads BASEMENT STORAGE: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY!

The lift descends into the wide, dark-red expanse littered with crates bearing indecipherable numbers and letters. The floor is cordoned off with black and yellow safety tape at arbitrary points. Grates and steam pipes curtain the ceiling, although as he continues to watch him he may notice something as the lift touches ground.

Some of those pipes occasionally contract. They're not pipes, they're bundles of tendrils suspended along the ceiling. Follow them back?

When Rex steps out of the lift, he's wary and tense, hands bunched into fists, ready at a moment's notice to smash something into the floor. He explores the area quietly for the moment, trying to figure out where he is and where to go from here.

It's then that he notices that what he thought were pipes are actually moving. Probably the same tendrils he's been seeing since he started leading those scientists through the labs.

Might as well follow them, then.

One bundle of tendrils is joined by another, and as Rex rounds a partition they come together and--

Oh god.

A bloated mass of peach, pink and red about the size of a small car hangs, sagging and suspended about ten feet in midair by the very tendrils it'd been using to manipulate everything to help Rex on the way down. It doesn't make a sound of greeting, although a few spare tendrils... wave at him.

Transformation Matrix

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