In Case of Emergency... IV! (Open, Read First Post!)

[Monfrox]

Fort Amber, CBRN Threat Compound

"I see..." The researcher wrote down in Vir's file on the clipboard before looking up. "Is there anything else you wish to tell us about or would you like to voluntarily conclude this interview?" He asked only because he didn't seem to be too open to disclosing his life story.

Meanwhile, Kaul'i was much more helpful in that regard, even if she seemed a bit more flirtatious than any rock formation the observers had come in contact with.

"Right, that date matches up with the Aden Emergency timeframe. I hate to say it, but we're in the early 2000's now so we haven't a timeframe on how far or long it's been for you and the commando. But we now arrive at the most critical question of the night: Do you know how you came to be transported here?"

Many of the scientists, if they weren't paying attention already, were now on the edge of their seats. Even Mariah was feeling the suspense. The same could not be said for Allison, who watch Katka walk back to Lieutenant Pavlin with his machine and talked about it with him. Yes, she knew enough to know they weren't nukes, but there seemed to be nothing about them that explained how they got here or what happened. Allison watched them before looking to the capsule. Well, she wasn't just going to let State Security waltz on in and take them away, but was there a way to send them back to where they came from. There had to be. The only alternative was either sending them out in the world or...taking them into the Zone, and that had a chance of becoming a one-way ticket for any and all involved, just on the way there.

No, Allison was filled with a conviction to see to it that the innocent were not exploited, even if State Security was their own countrymen. So there just had to be something about the capsules that explained how they work. She didn't see anything on the outside, but took the step ladder to the front again and looked back at Katka and Pavlin.

"Mind if I check this out?" She asked.

They looked at each other before walking over and looking for themselves.

"What do you mean?" Pavlin asked.

"They had to be able to control it somehow, right? Or do something to get it to activate?"

"You mean like...a panel?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to go take a look."

"Better you than me." Katka commented.

Allison ignored the jab and quickly scaled into the capsule, feeling for any sort of irregularity in the glass.

"There's gotta be something..." She mused to herself.

[Sunset]

Monfrox...

"No..." Vir lazily opened one eye to move his dark gaze between the researcher and the clipboard before closing it again, "Go away. Store is closed."

Which was just about as good as it got when it came to the reluctant arrival. Kaul'i, on the other hand, was more than willing to keep pattering away, "Do I? Of course I do, love! In one of those purple capsules you lot found us in! Though you're not the same pair who found us then, are you? Since you're asking and all interested, I'll tell you - I was taking my vacation and I came across K'X'Z's Carnival of Wonders."

"K'X'Z's Carnival of Wonders?"

"Right! You've heard of it?" The answer was a quick shake of the head; "Well, now you have! And if you ever get a chance to see it, you should take it. 'Es not one to keep to a schedule so you never know, but if you happen to be looking down the right alley at the right time... Tickets are pretty reasonably priced too, for a wandering hyper-dimension carnival of oddities and wonders. I put down my thirty kez and started to take a wander through. You know - a quick pass to see what I wanted to see later, just in case he decided to up and bugger off before I was done."

"I'm going past the bleebs and the buzzywugs - seen those before - when there's this plinth sitting right there in the middle of the lane with a little plaque on it and one of those capsules sitting on it. Well, why would something so plain be sitting right out there in the middle of all that wonder? So I stops to take me a gander. Pod's plain enough, but it was the plaque that really drew my attention. Let's see," and for just a minute Kaul'i stopped her prattle to try and remember. "Ah yes!"

"Now, I can't tell you exactly, but it said something like, 'This Capsule was how K'X'Z first arrived in this dimension and was the first exhibit in the Carnival of Wonders. It was found..." And her voice trailed off.

"Where?" The researcher asked, "Where was it found?!"

"Well, that's the thing. I can't remember reading past that part. You see, just as I was finishing the first sentence - you know how your eyes read a little bit ahead of what your head is saying? - This big black arm shot out of the capsule, snatched me up like I was a daisy 'side oh the road, and now I'm here! Well, add in the part about where Ms. Allison found me. Can't say much about what happened between then and now. Thing must have put me to sleep and I can tell you, unless you're very boring that is very 'ard to do!"

On the other side of the Complex, Allison was finding her self-appointed task a lot harder than talking to the gregarious rock monster. The inside of the capsule was the same as the outside - perfectly smooth with no trace of any control panels, buttons, or other activation devices. On a hunch she put her bare hand up against the side but that too did nothing. Still, there was an odd feeling.

Like it was waiting.

Next Up:
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Whoever Posts First!

[Semparia]

This had obviously spooked everyone, had the thing just talked? Whatever was going on this warranted further research. As a researcher approached to take over the camera, two trucks were requisitioned from the closest military base, along with a three escort vehicles, along with some of the vehicles already at the scene. As the capsules were moved from the apartment building and into the truck, the researcher carefully observed whatever was inside of it with the camera to see how it reacted to the movement. Along the way someone put several layers of tape over the small hole in the capsule to stop the leakage, and generously layered around the handle of the camera in order to allow turning still. Whatever they deemed looking important, including a few samples of the goo placed into vials for further research, was put inside the second truck.

Afterwards, the landlord and those who had lost their apartments in the crash, were paid a generous sum, the landlord lost business and repairs, and the displaced for finding new apartments and the cost of personal items.

Semparia, in the middle of a forest far, far away from civilization.
The capsules were placed in one room, divided into glass rooms for each capsule. A researcher was constantly keeping an eye on whatever was inside "Capsule 1". Each capsule had been marked with a different number using a sharpie for convenience's sake. Outside of a couple of guards, no one else but two researchers were in the room at any one time. In a room over, regular tests were being ran on the goo, trying to figure out its chemical composition, what is the closest thing we have to it, basically just trying to figure out as much as possible about what is inside those capsules.

[Mokastana]

FEM Oxomo

It was time.

For over two years they ran tests: passive tests, active tests, human exposure tests, psychic response tests. They even locked a condemned man in the room with the Egg for two weeks before they began cutting, at the bagering request from Dr. Quito, just to see if it would respond to life. Life as we knew it, anyways. Every second of the past years were recorded and studied. It's secrets needed to be known, and there was only so much that could be done without breaking inside. If they could save the alien inside, they would, but research and knowledge was the end goal. Without more research and knowledge they knew very little of the alien’s aliens biology, other than what it seems to breath, its estimated weight and density.

It took two weeks for the FEM Oxomo to return to Earth. Dr. Quito would use that time to order the condemned man to do various things to the egg to try to get a reaction out of it. The psychic Delta stayed nearby, listening for a response, and keeping the prisoner/guinea pig obedient. If nothing happened, Egg One would be sent to a specialty built containment center in the Mejican Desert where industrial equipment was ready to begin cutting it open. Medical teams were on standby to study the body. Egg Two would be kept in orbit, unmolested by science as a backup in case something happened to the first.

Whether drill bit, shape charge, or miracle, they would crack the egg and learn what kind of creature they were dealing with.

[Monfrox]

Fort Amber, CBRN Threat Compound

Well, for Vir, that was that. For now, at least. The researchers sighed, collected themselves, and left two of the soldiers there to guard the cell.

"Very well, if you have nothing more to add, we'll begin filing the reports away. Thank you for your time and if you need anything, let us know."

It was fulfilling, to say the least. The only thing left would be to dismantle the capsules to see what could be found. But that could wait until tomorrow, couldn't it? The pencil-pushers went back to look over and talk amongst themselves. How exciting it was to find that there was indeed intelligent life beyond the stars! There would be talk of this for months to come. But for Mariah, she sighed and adjusted her glasses, watching Kaul'i. She wondered what would become of her if State Security got a hold of her. They could just want to know what her life story was like the others, but she somehow doubted it. Footsteps from behind caught her attention, though. Allison had returned.

"I hope you're not thinking anything rash." Mariah said to her as she walked out to meet her friend.

"I got a genius idea. So how did they get here?"

"Well, I think the capsule sort of...chose them, you know?"

"Right right..." Froxian legends and stories were big on powers that be choosing people for any and all reasons. "So what if we take them back to the capsules and put them back in?"

"That...sounds really...I mean, I guess?"

"Come on, let's go."

It wasn't hard to get past the guards at the cells. A quick bullshit excuse of getting the out to grab some food or fresh air and they yielded. After all, where could they go without being seen? Allison got to Vir before Mariah got to Kaul'i.

"Alright I'm gonna need you to come with me. Long story short: there's some guys on their way here that are a lot less nicer than us. My friend and I are gonna see if we can't send you back before they get here, alright?" She spoke to Vir in a hushed, but hurried whisper.

"Kaul'i, I'm afraid our time here has been shortened by a great deal. I need you to come with me. We're going to try to send you back to the carnival through the capsules before some shady types arrive and cart you off to who-knows-where. Okay?"

[Sunset]

Semparia...

...which largely depended on whether they wanted to be on the Naughty list or the Nice list.

Some details were easy enough to pick up; The goo was an especially dense aerogel. That is, it was made up of an uncountable number of very small bubbles that were themselves made from an interlaced silicon matrix. These bubbles were then carriers for an absolutely host of nano-scale machines - nanites - that seemed to have their own peculiar function. One of which was to induce an artificial slumber and sedation in the rat they had exposed some to. Wash it off and inside of a minute the rat was up and about and pooping everywhere.

The other nano-machines were a bit harder to puzzle out. Some looked very similar to the first and so it was decided that these simply replicated the function across different species - there were different species now, after all - while others...

That would have taken more research except for the chance encounter between one of the nanites and a skin flake from somewhere that had fallen on the sample. Right there under the microscope they watched as the dead tissue was inspected and then 'devoured', for lack of a better word, by one of the larger machines. Which then 'spat out' some of the smaller machines. Which also answered why the interior of the pod was squeeky-clean; The gel sustained itself off the biological detritus of the occupant.

That established the goo's purpose. As an aerogel, it was exceptionally good at cushioning the occupant from whatever might happen outside or even inside of the capsule - even a shaped charge or gas axe would be sufficiently disrupted to avoid (possibly unintentional) harm to the occupant. The gel would also keep them asleep and unaware until they reached their presumed destination. That didn't answer the question of where they'd come from, but questions always seemed to beget questions when it came to these sorts of things.

Over in Room 1, Subject 1 was hungry.

Or at least kept making noises that could broadly be interpreted as hungry. Cameras, microphones, and other recording devices had been carefully inserted through the hole and those of a more sensitive nature recorded what could distinctly be called 'stomach rumbling'. If the thing had a stomach. Given its apparent invertebrate nature, it was quite simply curled up in a slightly disgusting curve along the opposite side of the interior. It had moved and so had the eye, watching with interest as things came and went.

The next step - Naughtily Speaking - was to use a syringe-on-a-stick to poke Subject 1 and extract a sample. Was Santa watching though?

Next Up:
----
Mokastana
Monfrox...

[Sunset]

Mokastana...

It did not take Condemned Prisoner CB1138 long to open the capsule - less time than it will take me to write Monfrox's reply post, as a matter of fact. With freedom to move around the isolation chamber, the thing that struck the most interest was obviously Egg One. Now a scientist or researcher might well follow certain protocols to avoid contaminating themselves or the specimen, but CB1138 was a condemned man and thus it was not long before he had paced his way around the Egg and then given it a quick rap with his knuckles.

Which was, to the surprised of the outside observers, all it took.

In a sequence that has been repeated before and will likely be repeated again, when his hand was removed from the shell a faint shadow remained afterward. This was in the shape of a hand though not a human hand, as careful study of the recording afterward revealed. This hand had three fingers and a thick thumb while the middle-most finger was just as thick as the thick thumb. It was only there long enough to notice before it disappeared, a brilliant orange outline of the hand appearing somehow inside the shell before this too was filled from bottom to top with blindingly bright white light.

This was enough to send CB1138 reeling backwards and nearly tripping over something - perhaps his own foot - but then those same lines of orange light shot out from the fingers and base of the hand to quickly trace the outline of a doorway or hatch along the same facing side of the capsule. Crawling forward on hands and knees he stared at this while invisible eyes stared even harder. For a moment there was a pause, as if a step was missing and had to be corrected for, but then the shell began to melt away where the lines traced through it, the substance of the entry literally flowing away like water into the rest of the capsule.

Inside was the reptilian alien and for just a moment - only a moment - the prisoner stretched out his hand towards her and was about to speak when...

Next Up:
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Monfrox...

[Semparia]

Well for now, they wanted to see if they could actually get the rat out. They stacked several batteries, saw blades, and a saw, and then got to work. Their goal was to make a small square shaped hole in the container. They'd be doing this to container 2. As they cut, they set up a plastic box beneath the container to collect the spilling goo, and to place the creature into incase any problems appeared. Elsewhere, some top astrologists had been called up. They were asked to calculate where these containers could've come from. They were handed a recording of the event by a nearby bystander, the direction it came in from by a survivor(Or at least the closest they could give) and payed a hefty amount for their trouble. As the second container was being cut, three guards, one manning the saw and the other handing new blades and batteries, and the other keeping watch on the container, and two researchers, mostly for taking care of whatever came out, settled in for a long wait.

[Sunset]

Monfrox...

The hard part was waking Vir up; The man slept like a particularly unpleasant log and it took more than the usual amount of prodding to even crack his eyelids. Even then with those cold, dark orbs looking up at her and escape offered his attitude was insufferable; "You think you know nice? No kove, no tea. Not even stool for feet. How these not-nice people be less nice? You let them come - Vir not care about them either. I sleep, you go. Tell them to bring kove."

Kaul'i, on the other hand, took an entirely different and likely wholly unexpected tack on the offer, "Oh, Dearie... Thanks for worrying about me, but you shouldn't be putting yourself out there for me. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. But you - don't risk your career for me."

It didn't even seem to be bravado; Just a simple statement of fact. Given the peculiar nature of the alien it might even have been true. The question now was, would she insist?

Next Up:
----
Semparia...

[Shwe Tu Colony]

Through all the arrivals and commotion the Brynnes...

Assassin's Guild
Without another word or backward glance, Notburga left the building. Jefferson, though, grew noticeably more excited with the presence of the purple lightning. "Ah what's that?" he said to himself as the orbs in his arms fired out several streaks of sky blue light that struck near or at the purple lightning, "Let's see just what this is..." Once the streaks landed, they seemed to freeze the lightning in place, but it soon turned out that they were videos of sorts of the phenomena, suspended in time and space using some sort of elaborate magic. From here, Jefferson levitated the lightning near his holograms, which began to rotate around them as thousands of words flowed inside of Jefferson's projections. "I do wonder what my inspection shall yield?" he said to himself as he somehow read the words, despite their blindingly fast movement.

Hermes-Hina, Antique, & Debenham simply sat or stood silently, the former two likely waiting for Jefferson to form some sort of conclusion about what the streaks of lightning were. While electricity & its rules as they were known to most did not exist in Parfuhmerie's world, perhaps these purple streaks of lightning were evidence of multiversal distortion that was now interfering with such laws. Or, maybe it wasn't really electrical energy? Either way, for all of the absurdity of Parfuhmerie's universe, Psytrines were possibly the most absurd, & if they thought something was new, they would investigate it, Jefferson in particular having a terrifying fervor towards such research. He seemed to be driven by an insatiable desire to know everything.

For a short while, it was quiet, the only sound the high-pitched mechanical noises and blipping from Jefferson's equipment and hologram. Antique, bored of the surprising amount of nothing, closed his eyes and put his clock hand-wand to his forehead, but opened his eyes with a frenzied expression the moment one of the Brynnes spoke her sacred words. "Detecting hos— detrimental magical signatures!" he said, waving his clock hand-wand in a circle, only for the item to shatter & knock him back, "What! R-Rhythm disrupted! Jefferson!"
"Spe—" the man began, only for that rhythm Antique mentioned — Brynne's spell — to take effect & indeed throw him across the room, hitting the wall.

At the same time, the lights went out, & next came Debenham's panicked yelp, followed by her gliding her hand on her dress & igniting her fingers. "That's strange," she said, regarding her burning fingers with a nonchalant expression & the darkness with a slight fear, "There's no light switch over there, & that's not how magic works!"
"Ah, rushing Vuka, looks like we've got even more of an absurd plot going on..." Antique said, his shaking head palpable despite being nowhere near Debenham's flaming fingers. Shortly after, though, he & Hermes-Hina became visible with the glow of Jefferson's green holograms flying back out & surrounding him in their soft light, with the spheres lodged in his mechanical arms providing another blue glow.

Suddenly, something invisible wrapped around Debenham's neck & reeled her into the darkness from behind, simultaneously extinguishing her fingers, yet there was no sound from the couch being flipped over or impact from the wall being slammed into. "Wh-what the!" cried out Hermes-Hina, who waved his hand in a circle, a purple glow surrounding everyone in the area, "Debenham! Debenham! A-are you there?"
"I'm not detecting her presence anywhere," said Jefferson, a twinge of panic in his voice, "What could be going on?"
"Or an—" Antique began, only for him to suddenly stop speaking, his expression mortified.

A desperate choking noise began to come from him as his hands wrestled at his neck, as though trying to remove a noose. "Strange," Jefferson said in a casual tone, using his robotic arms to try to help Antique pull at his throat, "I'm not detecting any magical energy from this. Not one bit..." While attempting to help the other Domeses, the holograms suddenly began to flicker, & eventually they all faded.
The last thing the two Brynnes would see before their Psytrine friends would briefly disappear into the darkness & leave the two of them alone in the Assassin's Guild were thousands of holographic, yellow words levitating around Jefferson, wreathing around him like enormous butterfly wings that sprouted forth from his back.

I have to smile.
I have to smile.
I have to smile.

He'll always protect you.
Psytrine Containment Bay, December 20.
Dad, I'm scared.
Dad, I wish you were here.
Dad, where are you?
M-Mom!

Please, not Hazel.
Anything for you.
DON'T HURT HER.
I love you.

I HAVE TO SMILE.
I HAVE TO SMILE.
I HAVE TO SMILE.

"W-WHAT!" came Jefferson's enraged, terrified yell as he read the words, spinning madly to read all of them, his expression filled with an uncharacteristic torment. Then, the words vanished & were replaced with one enormous circle that repeated a phrase: YOUR EARS.
& just as quickly as the words appeared, they too disappeared, letting the Psytrines be swallowed by the darkness & leaving the two Brynnes now alone. Only, there weren't, for in the hallway leading to the assassins' bedrooms came the creak of a door opening, followed by a pair of yellow, glowing eyes from the hallway & the unsheathing of a sword. Somehow, in the darkness, the gleam of the blade could still be seen, & both Brynnes would be able to notice the reflection of the wielder — primarily a blue kimono.

The same blue one that D'aillisioux had earlier, but, assuming that it was him, his even, rhythmic steps & suave, swaying march towards them that moved his yellow eyes from one side of the hallway to the other clearly exhibited a strange sense of confidence. His mild smile was palpable. He had to, of course.

[Mokastana]

FEM Oxomo

For two years they probed the egg, trying to figure out what made it tick, looking for a way to open the case without damaging it. Years of work before they finally gave up and was taking it home. Yet, in the end it was the technological equivalent of trying to door handle only to find out it was unlocked. Dr. Quito squealed with glee as his theory was proven correct, completely ignoring the rapid response from the Federal agents and security around him.

Immediately the condemned prisoner heard a voice in his head telling him to back away, before a sharp pinprick pierced his neck. The collar around his neck had been refit with a simple serum that would knock him out. The prisoner felt the fluids enter his bloodstream as his limbs grew less and less responsive, vision blurred, for a solid minute he fought the drug, but the medical staff were experts in their field and he was out cold after a minute and a half.

The creature, now classified as Xeno1, would find itself in a bullet resistant clear container reinforced by steel and other, more expensive, metals. Through the glass, if it even saw on our wavelength, it would notice a few humans floating in space, military uniforms and white lab coats spread among them. A couple unique creatures would be in black and red fabrics, one a human/cat creature called a Neko, referred to as Deputy Situations Director Helen Null, and the other, a human psychic called Senior Special Agent Miguel Marquez.

The Special Agent again tried to contact the alien mind, but only passively, as everyone watched how it would react to the condemned man fighting for consciousness in the cell with.. “her?”

[New Dornalia]

Jolene raised an eyebrow at the whole proceedings once she was finished using her powers to bring the rat back to the land of the living, as she stood back and witnessed the rat’s transformation from freeze dried mess to...whatever it became.

Ambrose’s explanation seemed to make sense as he further clarified the nature of how SEXYE and her powers interacted. Yes, it was a lot to keep track of, but Ambrose was proving surprisingly upfront about the whole thing. Although she was wondering just what sort of randomness was behind Jolene’s own transformation and that of the rat.

At any rate, Jolene was more focused on the fact that her powers and Ambrose’s scientific achievements (of a sort--he noted that some race had modified his original chemical sample) were turning what was once a simple freeze dried rat into a rat person. Unsurprisingly, the rat had acquired...well, Jolene would call them “tracts of land” in her own polite way.

She stumbled back a bit, surprised and wiping her brow.

“Did--did you intend for that rat to, um….”

Jolene then motioned to her chest, and gestured in a bewildering array of gestures, motions, and innuendo as if to state the obvious, before she let the good Doctor continue with any explanation he was able to muster...along with his discussion of where Dr. Ambrose had gotten the sample from which resulted in this whole affair.

The last part about the machine piqued Jolene’s interest. Her tone grew apologetic, as Jolene raised her hand and coughed.

“Wait. You lost me. How did you get the sample back if it was lost? And how did you think the machine altered this sample?” Putting her index finger to her chin, Jolene noted, “There’s a lot of ancient civilizations and mysterious science I’m tryin’ to keep track of--it is a lot to take in at the moment.”

Then, a knocking on the door came about, in a stuttered, disorganized sort of rhythm, with a somewhat slurred tone of voice.

“Doctor?! DOCTOR! It’s Detective…..Kournie! Where y’all at, I gots to talk to you about your pod thingy and that there MILF you’ve got here in the room.”

Jolene turned to the good Doctor, and then to the door, and back again.

“Well. This just got interesting.”

[Significance]

Edit: -snip-

[New Dornalia]

Qith...

It did not seem whatever force had scattered the strange purple pods across the galaxy cared much for their contents; As soon as Nuniq touched the pod the events of the past played out as scripted - A shadowy hand print (and definitely not like her own) remained where her tentacle had touched the glass-smooth exterior and then this was replaced by itself but with a brilliant orange glow that managed to light the dim space all on its own. On another side of the pod not facing her a thin line of the same yellow-orange traced its way along the surface until it formed a rectangle. Inside the capsule the swirling purple mass of the interior writhed away into an infinity number of invisible holes while the shell - for it was now a shell - bled away as though it was a candy melting rapidly under the tongue.

Which left the pod without a door and whatever was inside defenseless under the sudden onrush of water. Perhaps then it was fortunate that the unfortunate contained within was similar to the Qith in at least its ability to withstand a life aquatic. A lean gray torso and a face that somehow looked put-upon though its wearer was still mostly asleep was flung around the inside of the pod as the vortex rushed in. Behind it swirled tentacles - how many was still uncertain - but the owner either didn't possess a bone in his body or they had all been broken by the onrushing tide. Either way, a moment later two yellow eyes began to open...

Next Up:
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Shwe Tu Colony
Intersteller Terra
Semparia
Macisikan
Mokastana
----

OOC: Done with Sunset's permission.

IC:

....and thus, the figure stirred.

The figure's eyes darted about, taking in its surroundings. The tentacles began to quiver and writhe with life. Slowly, but surely, the figure would begin to sit up, drawing a number of tentacles inwards to form a bipedal shape underneath what was clearly a set of rather mundane clothes all covered with fluids. Jeans, a button up shirt with an undershirt, a bright orange safety vest, a hard hat of some sort with a light on it, and some sort of metal exoskeleton around the clothing and the arms especially. The head of the figure would resemble some sort of cephalopod, with a smaller pair of tentacles that formed a faux-moustache over where it's lips would be.

If the ones who opened the pod cared to look, they would see the figure had a necklace of some sort, with a small card attached to it. The figure was seen on the card in a small picture, with writing and some sort of gilded chip on it. If the figures who opened the pod knew human scripts, they would be able to deduce that the figure was one Mortimer Kang, Shop Foreman, with a string of numbers and the logo of some sort of organization with a white sun, a red bird over it, and an Erlenmeyer Flask upon it with some obscure language on it.

The figure sat up, with an audible gasp. It's eyes grew wide, the size of dinner plates, as it took in the others.

Then, the figure would speak in a rather nasal, somewhat Southern twang as it appeared to panic.

"Wh--WHERE AM I?!"

Squinting, the figure looked around at the two tentacled figures that resembled cuttlefish. Looking around, the figure said, somewhat panicky, "S-stay back! I know Karate! Jiu-jitsu! Kravmaga! Fairbairn-Applegate CQC! Tentafu!" Then, he relaxed a bit, and rubbed his eyes.

"Wait--wait a sec."

Looking around, the figure asked, "You fellas Lakgang?? I mean, um, Tentaculans? The name's Mortimer Kang. Shop Foreman, Department of Education and Scientific Infrastructure, Colonial Republic of Earth. I'd tell you my Social Security number, but well, that there's private information. Where am I?"

[Sunset]

Semparia...

...a long, long time. Except that it didn't because almost as soon as the first blade had worn itself out there was a 'hitch' in the spin of the next one as it punched through and the edge of the blade was rimming in a slick orange fluid.

"What is that," the cutter asked, pulling his tool back to run a gloved finger across the flat edge of the blade. "That's not what we're looking for, is it?"

It was not. As he held up his fingers, the thick latex of his glove began to bubble and hiss and with a scramble he leapt back, pulling the glove off and tossing it away. It hit the ground with a 'plop' and the other two looked closer while a voice yelled over the loudspeaker, 'Glove up! Glove up...'

In short order the glove was mostly gone but whatever acid had attached itself to his hand had similarly trickled out. That drew gaze to the angle grinder first, where the blade was similarly scarred and pitted, and then to the pod. At the site of the cut there was more than a trickle of the same fluid running down the outer shell but perhaps worrying it was completely undamaged while the bracing that the capsule sat on was now pitted.

"Hey - look at this," one knelt close, keeping every part of his body as far away as possible. "The acid... It has to be acid, right? Look..."

It was barely noticeable but now that they all were it was clear - the thin stream was surging in regular, pulsing rhythm...

Next Up:
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Shwe Tu Colony
Mokastana
New Dornalia
Significance...

[Sunset]

Shwe Tu Colony...

The appropriate thing to do when faced with such a threat - especially by one or two clearly unprepared - would be to fall into each other's arms and beg the gods and the other powers that be for some manner of salvation and for just a moment the clear thought crossed both of their minds but a tentative step forward and a flare in the chittering purple lightning was enough to stop both in their tracks. Instead the further shrunk as far as she could into the couch, her eyes wide and hands held up in warding while the second threw herself under the table, a babbled explanation tumbling from her lips.

"It was not me," she wailed, her voice rising to a screech. "It was a rhyme! The priest - he taught it to me! To steel my soul against evil and keep me in the face of damnation! Madris vergo infami tocato," she repeated again, but this time there was power to it, though it didn't seem to bring strength to her voice. "Something we were taught as children!"

"Stop it! Stop," the first Brynne begged; "He'll kill you! He'll kill us!"

Next Up:
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Mokastana
New Dornalia
Significance...

[Sunset]

Mokastana...

Could it see? That was a good question and for the researchers and overseers gathered on the other side of the cage the answer seemed to be 'no'. Instead the creature - was it sentient? - continued to run its broad, clawed hands across the smooth interior. The easy comparison was that of a mime trapped in an invisible box, each movement there to feel out the limits of its confinement. Against the engineered surface the claws had made no particular impression and after a few minutes of scrambling at a corner it had given up, now content to search the surface of the interior over and over and ignoring the condemned man.

That it was trying to escape was clear, even as an impression in the mind of the Special Agent. There was a sense of confinement as well but fainter, as though it was remembering its time inside the capsule or that it simply conflated the two.

"Director..." One of the researchers spoke up, a bank of instruments at his disposal. "The walls of the cage are vibrating in a semi-regular pattern. Ultrasonic range. It may be trying to talk to us..."

Next Up:
----
New Dornalia
Significance...

[Semparia]

That is, problematic. Someone hurries off to get two thin sheets of titanium, one to wrap around the container and the other to try and scoop up some of the acid, or what they figure is acid, on the ground for testing. Once the titanium is wrapped around, and, assuming it works and is attached A-OK, if it doesn't work they will just keep trying with other known acid resistant materials.

But this begs the question, what is in the other ones? To say the least, they would be taking larger precautions. If each container held different materials, then there is a chance it could be radioactive, or other issues. They moved on to container 3, wearing hazmat suits and having a multitude of different metals and materials to try and contain whatever spewed out if necessary. They once again set a container underneath, this time metal, to store anything that spewed out assuming it wasn't destroying it, and set to work, this time with an extra person to handle the containing whatever came out if necessary.

[Monfrox]

Fort Amber, CBRN Threat Compound

Well, sure it couldn't be that easy. Nothing ever could. But the easy way was not what Froxians looked for, and quitting was a far flung fantasy. Stubbornness in the faces of nightmares was required of all its soldiers, and so here they would keep trying.

"Vir will care if Vir ever wants to operate his shop after tomorrow. Unless you don't care about being put on an operating table and pulled apart. Scrambled around. Cut to pieces of all sizes." Allison grabbed the closest thing she could on Vir that seemed like a shoulder and locked eyes with him. "You got one chance before things become a real waking nightmare for you and our window to get you out is closing fast. So what's it gonna be, huh?"

Mariah, in the other cell, sighed. "You won't want to be here. Not for long. If the local wildlife and government doesn't get you...something else will. Everyone here is living on borrowed time, and when it's gone...no one can save you. We hear it all the time. Squads out on patrol come back with one less soldier, sometimes we're not even lucky enough to find a body. Just bits and pieces of clothes or gear. You wanted to come to see humans? All the cultural enrichment and towering lively cities and sprawling green countryside? Girl...you ended up in the wrong country..."

[Shwe Tu Colony]

The appropriate thing to do when faced with such a threat...

Assassin's Guild
Undeterred by their cowardice, D'aillisioux continued to march forward, but at the mention of a priest, something happened. Something paused, something hesitated, something remembered, something had come attached to the word that despite its mighty weight fluttered in the air as any other word that had caused his suave swagger of a honed assassin to stop for a moment. There was a subtle stumble backwards at the mention of evil & in the darkness the boy's amber eyes fluttered closed, as though hesitant to hide them, & the blade's gleam began to tremble as well. For a short moment that felt like an eternity, it seemed as though there was salvation, that the boy's rage or whatever it was would vanish as quickly as it came, but there was still that vague sense of dread. But, he did not retreat, & neither did he move forward — D'aillisioux simply stood there, his body trembling with hesitation & fury.

"I can't, I can't!" he suddenly yelled out in the darkness as he fell to the floor, his piercing amber eyes coming out in tear-filled glimpses in the darkness, "I can't be... I don't want to be evil!" He seemed to be raving mad now, simply ranting gibberish — sure, there were words, but considered altogether, his motive seemed unclear. Was it pity, was it regret, was it a trap? Whatever sort of emotion he was trying to evoke, it was impossible to isolate. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I just don't understand! I'm too weak. I'm sorry that I can't stop myself, but this is my punishment...!" With that, he suddenly lunged forward, his tears a burning stream of water behind him & his amber eyes concealed, the only other thing visible the gleam of his katana. Assuming that some divine power did not stop him, the table that the second Brynne hid under would suddenly be wrapped up & dragged into the darkness by some enormous tongue whose entrance blew a chill wind through the strange, dark landscape.

Then, he would slice off her ears, & his burning tears would suddenly curve back around to incinerate the accursed parts once & for all. But just what was his punishment, when it had been the two Brynnes that had to face a killer child like him?

[Sunset]

New Dornalia...

"Not unless a ménage a trois is still on the table," Stephen replied, half muttering the last as he turned to the door. Then he stopped and looked over to where the rat-woman still stood on the table, nose twitching as she looked around the room in sudden awareness or perhaps comprehension. "Or would it be a ménage a quatre? But I shall lay considerations of mechanics and mechanisms aside - it is more likely that our dear Detective is more than mildly intoxicated and has chosen to express her imbalance by approaching my door for the purposes of disrupting what she may feel is amorous activity between the two of us. Unfortunately," he crossed the space between thought and door in a pair of steps, "I shall have to disabuse her of the notion."

A hand on the knob and there was a click as he turned it and swung it wide, only to receive the Detective across his threshold as she extended her fist to knock again, louder and harder and of course with more momentum. This momentum turned into motion and she half-stumbled through the doorway to find herself perhaps up against a more insidious foe than a naked old man and a delightfully under-dressed practitioner of the mystic arts - a first-class suite turned into a laboratory and a newly spawned crime against nature nibbling on a wedge of hundred dollar cheese taken from the mini-bar.

Next Up:
----
Semparia
Monfrox
Shwe Tu Colony...

[Genomita]

Spirit pagoda in Taghazi bog, Makhuna.

Agent Qas calmly regarded the alien as they (he? The stranger looked vaguely male based on their bone structure, but the androgyne wasn't certain) scrambled towards the back wall, the Cyar's rapid movement and search of their pockets almost resulting in some of the temple guards opening fire on them, which was only prevented by their superior officer's and the agent's timely intervention. The stranger stumbed through an attempt to introduce themself, confirming the agent's thought about their appearance. He certainly seems frightened enough for someone in their situation. Let's see if he really knows as little about it as he seems...

However, before Agent Qas could move to reply to Ensign Falk's words, the Cyar found himself quickly approached by the hazmat team accompanying the agent and sprayed head to toe with a clear, lightly stinging fluid that seemed to fade as quickly as it had appeared. "Just a harmless disinfectant, can't have you bringing in foreign pathogens." said the hazmat-suit clad Diran who appeared to be in charge of the team. Meanwhile the environmental isolation team spread out, some heading away from the building to establish a security cordon while others entered the ruined spirit pagoda and began to scan the area and both the Cyar and temple guard within, while others took samples of the air inside the building, the ground near the impact site and even the water around the late high shaman's bog body. Every trace of foreign contaminants the team discovered was marked, noted and contained to keep it from spreading.

While this happened Agent Qas turned to the squad leader of the temple guards, who responded with a curt bow. "Alright, what happened here?

"Agent Qas, a unknown object broke through the spirit pagoda's ceiling and floor and embedded itself into the ground next to the late high shaman's body, which miraculously remained unharmed. Shaman Dhunja was thrown on top of it by the impact force. Shortly afterwards, the object released this stranger and abducted the shaman in his place beforeclosing around her. Then it began to lift of the ground, started spinning and emittied strange, purple lightning before it disappeared. Several of my squadmates were struck by the unknown energy without visible effect. Shortly afterward it disappeared into thin air."

At this the agent began to scan the assembled members of the temple guard with a thoughtful look, the index finger of their upper left hnd briefly tapping their chin. "Squad leader Yuqin Tuhagar, I want you and your entire squad to accompany us to the nearest agency hq, where your squadmates can be tested for foreign contaminantsthat entered your bodies and lingering effects of the unknown energy. And maybe you or one of your soldiers will remember something that they initially missed."

Tuhagar responded with another curt bow. "Yes, that seems... wise. Who knows what that thing was, or what kind of energy it released. Right now we can only pray for the shaman's safe return and hope one of us saw something that could help her. Alright everyone, secure weapons and form up, we're leaving!" The teemple guard quickly followed suit, forming up in two rows and stowing their weapons, after which they were also sprayed with disinfectant. "And just so we are clear." the agent murmured into Tuhagar's ear "Not a word of this to people outside the agency hq, wether they're from your clan, your lover, your child or whatnot. We don't want to cause a panic." The diran squadleader responded with a nod and a subtle twitch of his head crest to show he understood.

As the hazmat team escorted Tuhagar's temple guard to one of the gravitic vtols Agent Qas turned towards Lae, their body languaged relaxed but attentive. "Now, Ensign Lae Falk, my apologies for making you wait. Your arrival cgave the temple guard a good scare.To answer your questions in order, whatever brought you here was not of our design and you are currently on the planet Dira, in the Star Community of Genomita. Now, if you would please accompany me. We would like to confirm your story at the nearest agency hq. Once that is done and everything checks out we can get you to the nearest embassy and figure out how to get you back to the Republic of Sunset without causing a diplomatic incident. You see, whatever object brought you here also abducted the shaman responsible for this place and came very close to destroying a sacred relic. The temple guards are a good lot, if a bit overzealous at times, and they'll want answers. As do my colleagues."
-----

Unknown planet

Dhunja had the vague notion of something large and threatening passing over her as awareness slowly returned to her. Still feeling drowsy from the drugs that had flooded her system, the young shaman nevertheless heard a sickening pop as the alien prison warden's arm was dislocated as she was yanked into the alien capsule behind Dhunja. Shortly afterwards a light air current washed over her prone body as the capsule disappeared. Where... am I? she wondered. Wherever she was, the ground underneath her felt very warm and hard. Well, only one way to find out. thought Dhunja as she carefully sat up and began to open her eyes... and immediately regretted it as her sensitive, nocturnal retinas were assaulted by the harsh rays of a alien sun. She let out a stangled cry as she wrenched her eyes shut, followed by a pained hiss as she ducked her head low and pulled her eel- like tail in, stars dancing behind her eyelids. She remained face down for a moment as she felt for an object inside one of her robe's pockets, producing a set of lenses connected by a thin light blue rope and equipped with a clip that allowed them to be securely fastened to her eyestalks. With her eyes still closed the diran sat up again and put her glases on, giving the lenses a moment to darken before opening her eyes again. Even behind her shades the shaman's eyes still narrowed into slits.

As she began to look around, she noticed she appeared to be in something that could be a prison yard, though it was a far cry from the star community's orderly and serene rehabilitation centers she knew. This one, by contrast, looked crude and positively medieval. She noticed there was a cell behind her, the unfortunate soul behind it's now rusted and scattered bars most likely already killed by the pole that had impaled him through the eye. Dhunja winced at the gruesome display before taking a deep breath, resting one gloved hand on the corroded metal bar and the other on the man's head before pulling with her full strength. The bar came lose with a sickening sound and she placed it against the wall before gently lowering his body so his head rested on her the base of her tail. She placed one hand on the man's chest where his heart would most likely be, the other hand feeling for the small bag of first aid supplies she carried on her in case there was still life inside him. "I don't know if you can hear me," she said in common, her voice quiet but audible to human ears "if you are still alive or what you believed in, but let me grant you this small kindness in this cruel place."

She normally carried those first aid supplies in case she encountered wounded people in the wilderness or someone was wounded on their way to her home. She was well aware the prison was full of other prisoners who would eventually notice her, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She was a shaman of her people, and she would either save this man's life or grant him release from agony as his soul moved on.

[Sunset]

Semparia...

For a few long minutes the thick trail of golden yellow liquid continued to spurt and flow in regular rhythm, each pulse less than the last until it ended entirely. This left perhaps a few hundred milliliters in the improvised titanium tray and this was immediately whisked away for testing with... startling... results.

"It's blood," the researcher declared, looking up from the eyepiece of a high-powered microscope while a digital view of the same was displayed on a monitor above the station. "Plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets - they're not exactly the same as ours, but there's no mistaking them. Amazing. What does the chemical analysis say?"

"It says I wouldn't touch the stuff, that's what it says," the other technician replied, reading off the results of his own analysis. "Tell the boys in the isolation chamber to double-up on their protective gear."

----

"Where did they come from? Well, there's no good answer to your question, Major," the astrophysicist answered, looking at pictures of the object. "They dropped out of the sky so they had to come from space. But according to SkyWatch;" on a table was a website devoted to tracking the myriad of satellites and other unnatural objects that orbited the planet so that astronomers both amateur and professional could make sure they weren't just looking at yet another piece of space junk; "There's no record of any object in orbit at that particular point in time. Do they show up on radar? If they're not of this earth, they might very well not..."

----

"Blade seven is dull, switching saws..."

Which meant they were close - very close. That also meant it was time to prepare the sample containers and as soon as those were duly arrayed the last blade was placed in the slot and whined to life, slowly grinding away at the near-impenetrable material. A chronometer conveniently set to one side counted down the approximate seconds until break-through and with a last whining screech the blade came to a stop and was pulled away. Purple fluid bubbled at the wound - the aerogel that presumably cushioned whoever or whatever was inside - and this was collected until the interior was clear.

"Endoscope..."

And the flexible tube was slid into the hole, the light at the end shining bright to reveal... A rat. Or at least it looked like a rat, though it was certainly of unusual size if it was indeed of the order Rodentia. All of the classic features were there; over-sized incisors, two beady black eyes, large round ears each with a serrated notch in them, and of course a thick pelt of glowing fur.

Next Up:
----
Monfrox
Shwe Tu Colony
Genomita...

[Sterkistan]

Sterkistan...

First, Down in the Bay...

"Electrical discharge? Interesting," the voice rang out, now more in the Electromaster's head than in the bay itself. In fact it would appear that Kallum was the only one who could hear what the arm - was it the arm itself speaking, or something else? There wasn't exactly a lot of time to figure that out. The pod was already hovering higher than the highest fingers and the hatchway now only a few feet away. More to the point, the discharge didn't seem to have any effect on the arm or the pod or...

Did it?

Suddenly purple lightning was arcing from one point on the outer shell to another, each crackling discharge leaving the taste of ozone on the air. Among the scattered screw, hair began to stand on end as the ambient static electricity began to rise. Where a finger touched metal there was a small discharge. Nothing painful for now, but...

"But are you just another Human? They keep making new ones all the time and its getting harder and harder to keep up. So, what are you," the voice asked again, turning him around and upside down as easily as a child might manipulate a doll. "Human, sorta-Human, 'your-mother-was-into-wall-sockets'-Human? Or have I found something new here..."

Second, Up in the Bay...

One of the interesting things about evolved life was that it was quintessentially based on several even more interesting things in physics and then chemistry. Elements liked to bond in specific ways; Hydrogen and Oxygen just looooved to form water. Amino acids also, by their very nature, easily fell into self-replicating chains when given a little 'push' by outside energy. Carbohydrates, being a compact form of nutritional energy, thus were often considered 'sweet' to a wide variety of different species. Those that complained that life throughout the galaxy was 'too similar' often found themselves on the wrong end of a lecture when it was pointed out that different planets didn't have different laws of physics.

The 'kangaroo' gobbled it up. This was followed by words but more importantly to the telepath emotions and meanings. Yummy, thanks, good. Can I have another? It looked at her expectantly.

Next Up:
----
Monfrox
Semparia
Macisikan
Ella2 6...

(Apologies for the quite lengthy delay)

========
Hangar Bay
Kallum struggled against the giant hand's grip, attempting to slip from its grasp.
"Well," Kallum responded, strained. "We aren't human, to start with."
He needed to buy time, with every arc of electricity that came from the arm, it charged his 'battery'.
From inside his helmet, he signalled his partner, Saguepol Merissa.
She shot out from one of the ventilation shafts in the hangar ceiling, wearing a mobility pack. As she rocketed toward the floating arm her suit drew a small blade across her right palm, enough to draw blood.

Merissa forced her blood to form a large blade, bringing it down on the wrist of the disembodied arm.

---

Medical Examination Room
Hisheldinia reached into the pouch slowly, this time producing an orange cube and placing it in her palm. This time, she slowly reached up with her other hand to touch the 'kangaroo'. If she was successful, she would attempt to probe the 'kangaroos' thoughts for images. The method was very gentle, almost as if the creature was asking itself for the information.

She needed to get an idea of the 'kangaroos' home, then maybe they could get a location and get closer to solving the mystery regarding the origins of the pods in the hangar bay.

==============

Hisheldinia kept the attention of the 'kangaroo' as a group of MPs ran down the hall to the Hangar Bay, they sprinted past the evacuated crewmembers, on the warpath to the anomaly in the Hangar. The MPs were armed with high-power stun blasters fitted with grapple hooks. As they entered the hangar bay, they surrounded the arm and fired their grapple hooks, alongside the blasters. They were trying to hold down the arm, so a partially-assembled Heavy Battlesuit on the other side of the could fire its heavy cannon at the arm's source, the pod.

[Sunset]

Monfrox...

"Fine!" Vir threw up his hands, jowls flapping angrily as his eyes grew as wide as Allison had ever seen them. "Vir go with angry girl, but only to shut angry girl up!" For one last time he crossed his arm into a sullen huff and looked up at her through slit eyes, "You ever consider that Vir want to get cut up? That might be Vir's thing? That maybe Vir reproduce by being cut up? Why you get in the way of Vir having children?"

"...is any of that true?"

"No," and he pushed himself to his feet, "But Vir prove he still have sense of humor in face of angry girl adversity. Go - I follow."

----

"What about you then," Kaul'i asked, walking over to brace herself in the cell door before looking back over her shoulder just a little too far at Mariah. "If this is the wrong country, why don't you leave? There's a lot more than this place out there - I've seen a lot of it, but there's a lot left to see." Turning her head back and glancing left and right, she retreated a step into the cell and then stopped, shaking out her arms and legs as though she was shaking the static out of a freshly laundered coverall. What had been a uniform near identical to Mariah's own grew in places, shrunk in others, and when she turned around 'she' was now 'he', right down to the name tag on his coat that read 'Dutch' under the new face.

"I told you," he said, a clever smile on his average face, "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. I wasn't the best infiltrator in our merry band of mercenaries, but I paid attention. After you..."

Next Up:
----
Shwe Tu Colony
Genomita
Sterkistan...