RP Curio Squad: Soul Transferred

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields
Inside NMX Flagship Wreck

Ametheliana said:

"Some answers," Tsubei said. Whether a statement or a question was impossible to tell.

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“Hai!” Akahana affirmed. “This is a NMX Flagship, for sure.” She began. “We’re inside what I believe to be a cloning facility, Taii.” The Snowy Neko said, before shining her flashlight in the direction of the hemosynth tanks. However, the Analyst’s luminescent cyan gaze suddenly widened as she took in the unfinished creatures gestating inside the tanks. Once more, her digital mind worked to identify them, in the hopes of finding out what they were and how far along the bodies were in their development. However, Akahana didn’t let that process hold all of her attention.

“This must be where all the yūrei are coming from.” Akahana mused. “But why now? After all these years? Was something planned?” She added, wracking her digital mind over questions with unknown, if terrifying answers.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Woods

Once their first captive had communicated the plea to Misaki it felt like she was hit with a runaway gunship.

I will do what I can. My name is Misaki. We came to investigate something that happened during a massive battle. The Chusa tried, turning to Kaze, "I have established contact with her. She is fully sentient, enough to respond to me. I believe we should let her up and stop trying to stun them. She asked me for help." While the right thing to do in her opinion, she also assumed cooperation would help the most with actually getting answers, and not leaving any of them wandering around alone like they had been. What the soldier really hoped was that there was a way to help them, as it seemed they were not exactly some sort of menace to the security of the Empire, but cut off from time and place and left to their own devices with outsiders wandering around in their home. That was, anyway, her best grip on the situation.

If they showed real aggression or duplicity there was always another option.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields

Tsubei followed Akahana's gaze, studying the creatures inside. They were only a couple, little more than a quarter of a full Nekovalkyrja. Usually those being made in a hemo tank would be growing quickly, but as the two looked, no obvious development was being made. The taii looked down, studying the hole they had entered from and put a hand to the gnarled, jagged metal.

"I'd say when the flagship fell, this compartment remained intact enough to keep doing what it was doing. Check for any kind of signal or power source. If it is something strategically done, there would have to be a signal given."

Woods

"Detain them without hurting them," Kamikaze called as she looked to the mud pit where most of those that had come from the sludge were stunned or downed.

I hear them in the forest. Just like I heard you. Sprufnikkamazzar must have sent for them. If you don't find them, he will. We've lost Nataria. If-if we've failed at taking Yamatai, too, the consequences will be-

The blued woman shook her head, looking lost on the table. The time spent as a ghost in the forest, waiting for more of her own kind and wondering what the punishment for failure would be etched furrows in her forehead.

Kamikaze put a hand out and touched her shoulder, "I'm going to do a few more tests. You're doing fine." She looked back at the screen while still squeezing her muddy and pale shoulder with a light pressure. It was almost a que to Misaki too, from Kamikaze, that she needed to keep the hybrid laying down for scans.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields
Inside NMX Flagship Wreck

“Are they going to be viable?” Akahana questioned as she focused her luminescent gaze on the hemosynth tanks and the creatures inside. “It seems they’re being grown in an inefficient process.” The analyst added.

Ametheliana said:

"I'd say when the flagship fell, this compartment remained intact enough to keep doing what it was doing. Check for any kind of signal or power source. If it is something strategically done, there would have to be a signal given."

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“Hai.” Akahana answered. With that, the Snowy Neko waded her way through the muddy glop, before extending her hands out towards areas that seemed like where power lines might be located, in an attempt to sense any electrical activity which might point her in the direction of a power source.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Woods
"Thank you." Misaki replied with a reflexive little bow to Kamikaze. Her gaze returned to the woman on the table, and she placed her hand near enough for hers to grab. You may hold my hand if it makes you feel less anxious. They want to finish scanning you, please stay laying down. She sent first, though she floated herself to be eye level by crossing her legs and moving downward to make everything easier.

The records she synced to backed up her hunch: the leader she was waiting for (and frightened of) was long dead. The consequences will be nothing. None of you will be punished. Sprufnikkamazzar died long ago. During the battle for this world 14 years ago, by local reckoning. Your lives are your own if you wish to live in peace. Though we might need assistance finding all your sisters so no one is left alone here. This must be confusing and frightening. Try to breathe well, focus on the sound of your breaths, slow and smooth. She wanted to assure the unnamed spawn that they would be treated fairly, but decided not to try to overwhelm her as she led by example and began to slowly control her breathing to make sure the other officer could finish up, as much as it would help their new friend as well.

The situation had echoes of when she was shipped off to train in the Star Army before being deployed to the Eucharis. Things were very different when she left the Palace.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
NMX Flagship Wreck

"I don't know," Tsubei Kyoka said. "I don't even know if we can cull them ourselves if they aren't."

Once in the muck and groping about, Akahana could sense the faint energy signature in a few places. They seemed to coincide with the places inside of the ship wreckage where hemo tanks were hooked up according to Akahana's recollection inside. There was also an energy signature situated in the middle of all of those she had felt before that Akahana could feel from further away. What was out of place, however, was one location on the outside of the ship, seemingly along a hull fragment. There was a small energy source that was connected to what felt like a parabolic antenna, smooth and curved like a large flat serving bowl.

Woods

"A-are you sure?" her voice was less steady than her footing had been when Misaki had dragged her. A little wetness came out of the side of her mouth and she switched back to speaking directly to Misaki's mind. "I thought I talked to him. I tried." Before she began to fret, she matched her breathing to Misaki's and Kamikaze took the opportunity to swiftly pull out a hypospray injector to gently sedate her.

"Thank you for reaching her," Kamikaze said, a gentleness in her icy blue eyes as she looked down at her patient with a frown. "We know a lot more because of it. I need you to find any others in the woods. Try to reach them the same way. Do you need backup?" She didn't look at Effy, but the grey-haired Elf had edged closer to Misaki, as if ready to accompany her before even being asked.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Woods

Yes, gone for a very long time. I promise, for what it is worth. Rest a little, we're going to go find them. Misaki waited until she was sure she slept before removing her hand to look to Kamikaze, respectfully bowing a little at her praise. "Once I realized they are more scared than any of us, it became even more simple. No need to use subterfuge if the truth costs us nothing."

The Eihei was still 'all eyes' thanks to the situation. It had become more about seeing any of the others than intercepting threats at that point. "We will be fine. I can always pick her up if I need to fly. They are shaky, I assume they will not approach if we go in force." The career XO turned and glanced at the resting hybrid anyway, "...I hope her condition improves. This feels more like a SAR then forensic cleanup operation suddenly. We will depart right now."

Misaki bowed again and made her way back into the deeper part of the woods. She started to tell them the same thing she had told the first: that they were there to help, and their tormentor was gone. To come be with their sisters, as well. Though it was strange for her to think of for some reason she could not understand.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields
Inside NMX Flagship Wreck

Akahana silently transmitted the details of her findings to Tsubei, rather than verbalizing them. Now that she knew that each of the hemosynthetic tanks had their own dedicated power supplies, Akahana wondered if they could be safely turned off without harming the gestating Nekovalkyrja inside or if they would have to be transferred somewhere else before such a thing could go forward.

Another part of her wondered if SAINT might decide to cull them instead.

“It seems like each of the hemosynthetic tanks has their own dedicated power source.” The Snowy Neko said. “I believe the entire system is using the antenna to communicate with something outside, which transmitted orders to create the yūrei.” Akahana suggested.

“I hope it isn’t who I think it is.” The Snowy Neko added, her words hanging heavy in the thick, swampy air of the compartment.

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Woods

"Whatever type of operation it is," Effy said coldly. "It seems like we've solved whatever mystery the curio squad came here about. In a sense, we've helped cleanse this forest. We're here to help." She looked around and then repeated that last phrase louder, as if saying it to the forest's strange new inhabitants.

Eerily the whites and blood red of the trees and forest floor had taken on a brighter, less hazy complexion as the morning light grew in intensity. Instead of the otherworldly glow, it was becoming saturated and all too real, as if there were no shadows to lurk behind any longer.

Inside NMX Flagship Wreck

Tsubei looked up to Akahana as if the snowy haired woman said she had seen a ghost... again.

"Who do you think it is?" the woman said, then stepped towards the panels on the walls of the ship segment, studying them. A few moments later the space they were in shifted as if they were in an earthquake. Tsubei smacked her hands on the panel and her hips floated upwards, keeping her feet off the floor as it moved.

"The grav shuttle is here to take this for research at Black Sands," she said as she let go of the panel to be sure Akahana wasn't hurt or about to hurt herself in the sudden movement that the grav beam had caused in picking up the ship fragment. "Careful."

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields
Inside NMX Flagship Wreck

“The NMX or maybe a remnant group.” Akahana replied as she moved away from the panels. “Though I don’t know what they could stand to gain from it at this stage.” She added with a slight frown. “I hope Black Sands is able to find out more about this than I could.”

Planet Yamatai
Forests Outside of Winsonville
Mud Fields

The grav shuttle kept pulling up the fragment until the pair inside saw light coming in from the top where they had entered. As more light seeped in and the piece of the NMX flagship was pulled up higher, the shrapnel sharp metal they had passed by when getting in and out of it gleamed bright.

Tsubei winced, "That would have stung." She put an arm around Akahana and pushed her side into the Santo Hei as she added, "You really went in head first to this despite the muck and mire of it all." With her free hand she wiped a large swathe of gray brown mud off of her own forehead to exemplify her point. "I'd be appreciative if you could continue analysis on the NMX Neko back wherever they go. Something tells me it won't be Black Sands. Maybe Vicky?" Without waiting for an answer, she let got and jumped into the air, then floated out of the opening of the hull.

"But I'm not waiting for that hunk of ice to get to an onsen and shower!" There was an urgency to her voice as she hovered in the air, a wide pale smile showed to Akahana between the dark grime that covered the bottom of her face. "Kamikaze owes us a good scrubbing!"

[END]