RP: LSDF Akahar [Chapter 3.0] - To Tear Free

Mynydoed, Loading and Launch Hangar

Aran'ya watched as Ny'za debarked from the WINTER-II frame and joined the frazzled group of survivors, giving the previously timid soldier a respectful salute. She recalled speaking up in her defense not long ago, and inwardly wondered what things would have turned out like if she had instead held her tongue.

Widow observed with a quirked eyebrow at this very different Aiesu that soon appeared before them, like the matron of a plane they had boarded, and yet she was also strangely similar to the one that had been crying moments ago in their escape pod. Just who the hell was this mysterious Lorath woman who made construct copies of herself in all shapes and sizes? Like a bunch of dolls that could be used and thrown away... it was all just a bit creepy to contemplate. No wonder Harariel didn't trust them farther than he could blast them. But they did know about this 'Structol' compound, and how to manipulate it... and with time to research, perhaps she could understand it more as well.

When they were left with 'R' again, the line about anti-ionization explained why all of her sensitive body hairs were still standing rigidly on end, like a Tarantis spider being poked and prodded and tingled. The Lmanel woman couldn't begin shifting back to normal if she remained here, so she started to follow along with a slight grumble, "Other than feeling somewhere between a microwaved bird and a living pincushion, I'm just peachy."

Of course, the tall assistant likely already noticed on her scanner the fact that Aran'ya's WIND suit had residual traces of structol contamination on the hood where it contacted Merril's dripping sweat, a sample of which was still soaked in a wipe sealed tightly in a lead-lined bag in her medical kit she was carrying a bit unsteadily (not to mention the fact she still had that injector filled with her own body's venom at lethal dosage). DNA preserving nanomachines and anti-radiation medications were also circulating in her bloodstream, and the powerful concoction was beginning to make her a bit woozy as she fleetingly glanced Keib's way... or maybe that was just more of the atmospheric side effects.

Mynyndoed, Loading and Launch Hangar

Once on the ship Jiji found herself taking off her helmet, the cleaned wound on her head seemed to be handled well by Aran’ya, and wasn’t bleeding anymore. She was holding a bunch of parts that was once her Doll-3 and looking a little woozy from the radiation. She looked at Ny’za with a soft smile and said; “I’m glad you’re okay Ny’za…”

She followed the group as her ears twitched, there wasn’t much wrong with her to be exact, she had typical radiation sickness, as well as the wound on her head, and a few bumps and bruises, perhaps some whiplash from the sudden tumbling the pod took, otherwise she was pretty okay. She was mostly just exhausted.

Mynydoed, Loading and Launch Hangar

There was a slight twinge of satisfaction as Widow stepped forward and identified herself bringing their present number to three. Not too long after Pitch joined the group along with Bright and after some needlessly showy introductions they were to move off along with a new larger L'manel-like. Given that he didn't have any better ideas of where to go and what to do on the behemoth of a ship Glacier was content to fall in line and go where told.

This had Glacier finding himself paired off with those who had been infected after an honest admission of being attacked aboard the Akahar, after all he would rather be proclaimed clean than to have the infection devour him at its leisure at a later date. Standing around with the others who had come into contact with the infection, Glacier found that he was oddly content despite being possibly infected with something that he had next to know knowledge of. Things had calmed down and for the moment he would continue to wait, and to watch, with little to say in a situation that was well beyond his expertise.

Mynyndoed, Loading and Launch Hangar
Keib seemed to be quite happy - no, that was the wrong word - relieved with the turn of events that'd come to be. He seemed to be safe. His crew seemed to be safe, he watched them move off. The medic, well, the one named 'R' supervising them didn't seem too plussed about the concerns of the team. All the usual according to her scanners - acute radiation poisoning, a few of them had the strain of Sourcian on them which had to be decontaminated, and were marked accordingly.

"Okay, you heard her. Glacier, you're infected," Keib said, pointing the soldier towards the chamber. "Move along now-"

Mid sentence, something resembling a claw could be seen at the edge of the hangar, where the void met the interior seamlessly. This was followed by another claw, and a pair of ears and a scalp. Keib's heart sank as he pointed his finger out at the claws, mouthing without being able to scream. 'R' didn't bat an eyelid, but figures similar to her emerged with massed Silva Rifles emerged. Other defences of larger sizes emerged from the walls, prepared to retaliate.

"Wait!" the taller Aiesu said, pulling her glasses down and watching what was unfolding with a curious smile. "You know if she wanted to kill us, she would've already, no worries," she said as Keib was trying to scramble away, nearly knocking the Akahar's Aiesu over as he tried to cover her. The information from the Mynydoed's Aiesu didn't exactly put either of them at ease as they saw Merril's face creeping up over the ridge and ... into the Mynydoed. Though the order to not fire seemed to be implicit, the other 'R's did not back down or go at ease. Not until they could definitely confirm things were safe.

Or if the beast had to be put down. The question of whether they could or couldn't never seemed to cross their mind, or reflect in their body language. Like they already knew the answer and were perfectly comfortable with it. Keib and his crew were only able to speculate as to what their answers and options were over the past eight hours.



Soon, her face was visible, and the rest of her climbed inside of the Akahar on all fours naked; An almost perfect aspectation between a lmanel and the feral wildcat Va'haar she'd chosen. Though, to say that she was a house cat was to say that she was nearly the size of a house - well, a Frame, just like the one Ny'za was in.

The taller Aiesu, meanwhile, was mesmerised. "So! This is... this is Merril?" she asked as the lmanel(?) in question recognised her name, ears flicking forward at Aiesu, sniffing the air. She didn't recognise the scent of the construct but she did recognise that of the others, padding forward on her hands and knees like a cat spotting something interesting.

Especially the WIND armour with the captain's insignia on it, and the out-of-place Nepleslian .45 pistol strapped to one side of it - clean from 'infection' thankfully. The man wrapped inside the armour meanwhile was *this* close to screaming externally.

"Hey." Merril said, mouth way too wide for a normal Lorath, lips appearing to open all the way to the base of her ears as she spoke. The taller Aiesu seemed to marvel at what was going on, looking amongst the others. "Hey. I know you're there," she sniffed him. Well, Keib was definitely there, but he wasn't answering immediately as he was face to face with the thing that caused him so much headache.

♫ Wardruna - Rotlaust Tre Fell ♫

He just wanted this to end already, but it seemed the cat had come back. If she was coming back - why? She had no intention of being cured, or being 'apart' from herself.
What was there left to say to the beast - or for it to tell? What was there valuable enough to say left?

THREAD END

(Image courtesy of @Eistheid)