The creature roared as Xand put another bullet into it, bleeding from a great deal of wounds already the new one also had a satisfying crack from somewhere inside its carapace. Its right claw seemed to slump uselessly as it rose up to its full height in agony.
Then it did something unexpected. It threw its head forward, trying to head bash.
Marco coolly starts on the next.
Marco works quietly on the next.
Marco finished the second panel while the monster continued to pound away at the door.
Even as he finished the third the sounds hadn't ceased but it didn't sound any closer to opening the door. Small sparks of electricity occasionally zapped out at him through his tools but the suit seemed to protect him fully.
Finally Marco found his flow again and through repetition he had cleared out all of the paneling so far. The engine seemed to be running smoother than it had.
Then he heard it. The wheel began to turn, the door wasn't open yet but it had finally gotten it started.
Xander slipped easily out of the way of the clumsy, disoriented creature, before grabbing the .22 again and sighing, raising both guns to bear on the beast. "I am wasting ALL of my good one liners on you. But more importantly, you have really pissed me off now. Just die you son of a b*+&*!"
Marco stoic as ever starts on the rewiring.
Marco then fearlessly begins on the engine.
Flip that switch.
Xander threw himself back just enough and let out a final resounding curse at the creature along with two shots from his guns. They both hit and the creature finally fell back. Becoming eerily still while more of its strange fluids flowed out of it in the air.
Xander had survived, and he had the pains from the creatures attacks to prove it now the adrenaline was wearing off.
Just as he was finishing the wiring, Marco heard the wheel turn a second time. The creature was almost through the door, but he was also almost done.
It was a lot more difficult working on the actual engine block than it had been on anything else. It was as though the designers had not wanted anyone but the best to work on these.
He had done it, just as he had succeeded in getting the engine back to running full, all that was left to do now was turn the engine back on and... he heard the wheel clank into place and the engine room door opened up.
He felt a cold feeling well up inside of him. He was out of time.
Grimacing in pain, Xander began to slowly reload his weapons, before sheathing them and stretching slowly. He popped the muscles in his neck, before reaching down and flipping on the radio once more, and hitting the broadcast button. "Nex, you alive?"
Without breaking his stride or stopping to relax, Xander floated over to the table he had been unable to use before, setting his hand on the edge of it and praying it would work.
"Marco?"
Marco heard the radio. But was to darn busy to answer. he turned it off. Like a boss.
Marco readies the fire extinguisher. And hurried to flip the switch.
Clara examined her surroundings and found the entire area to be completely empty of any other signs of life. There were woods that she hadn't seen from the doorway, behind and to the sides of her. It was peaceful here. No birds, no insects, no animals or other footprints. It would have been completely serene if only there wasn't that strange darkened doorway sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of existence, leading back to where she had come from before.
The radio she had seemed to static up a few times.
*** ** still **, Clara?
Clara, *** you there???
"Nex, ** alive?"
"**rco?"
This place was serene. A thought came to her, unbidden though it was. This is a dream. It's just a lucid dream I'm having.
All she had to do was maybe... close that door and all of the strange nightmarish things would be left behind.
Marco ran back to the Engine control panel and pulled the lever to get it working manually.
There was a strange clambering sound and a moment later, the thing that Marco had fought with already pulled itself up and over the edge of the elevator lift.
It seemed to look around before somehow spotting him at the end of the fifty foot aisle.
Marco busts out the gun and fires.
if hits
She look long and head at the thing on the screen.
She had found her focus, linking to her psicystal her mind was still.
Fear games, the creation of memostions in others, ilutions and projections,
Her training came to her then.
"Thing, I see you now, a see the need to induce fear in me, that shows intelegance, that shows intent, your projecting a need, your use of language and known forms, Using our cultural references, Nightmears from horror story's and films, your psionic that is clear, a group mind, the eyes in the dark. A group mind that needs to feed, what on thing flesh? Or more on minds? Of all the things a sentient mind can do, you choose this base course of action thing, that shows your less than me, you are locked to you nature, trapped by it. Your no better than a simple cell organism, I am disappointed, sophisticated minds would choose more advanced and intelligent objectives. Do you consume or convert thing? Is that all you can do in your hunger, how limited. Thing know that I have been trained in mind war games, do you understand, you will not dominate me thing, I am not dinner, I, know what you are now, thing and I will dominate you! Do you hear, Fear me thing because I, I I"m coming."
With that she projects mind as a knife into the image, sparked flying.
Energy splash,
There was a moment where the two stared at each other and then burst into motion.
The Impersonator started moving at Marco, and Marco drew his gun and fired.
As they began, the smooth female voice of the computer sounded all over the ship.
Marco shot out and hit the creature, unfortunately it was already moving and only took a grazing hit as it closed most of the distance between them.
A moment later, near the back of the engine room, there were suddenly large, red, glowing, engine coils and a sound of something heating up very fast.
Dc. 15 perception roll, if you succeed you can look at the spoiler above.
Marco decided to take the beast head on, and fired another shot.
If hits
The computer screen burst with the splash of electricity. Calista had not even given the creature time to react to her proclamation of war against it.
She was still inside the locked office but now she felt determined. There was at least one door out of the medical wing she had seen. Though she hadn't had long to speak with Marco, that meant there were possibly at least a few other people alive and with intact minds on this ship.
Now she just needed to get out of here.
Marco fire another shot, but the Impersonator seemed to have finally gotten a feel for the gun. It nimbly dodged from the shot, it's legs bounding in a strange defensive gait as it leaped in strange, almost unpredictable patterns at him.
Then it was upon him, raising its scythe-like mandibles again.
I request to use my cookie to have the creature roll a one on the roll to see if it hits.
Marco fires again.
She dreaded to the door out, there had to be a root up, on the map a service tube or ladder way, she would find it. Checking as she went she headed out of the medical wing to the cargo area and stores. She had the map in her mind now, That would be the most lickly place to have a service elevator.
There was a sudden explosion of flames that came racing out towards both of the combatants forcing them to roll out of the way or be burned to a crisp.
Marco noticed he was in trouble.
Clara really wanted to be off the ship, but she wasn't sure she could survive here. She wasn't sure she could survive on the ship. If closing the door would leave her here thought, she didn't think she should do it without any body else. It would be rude. Nexus. Do you read me?
Then she heard a computerized voice.
engines functional? Igniting thruster?
She stepped back through the doorway. Nexus! What just happened? Do we have control of the ship now?
As Clara stepped back through the doorway and spoke to Nexus, she didn't notice until the door had closed behind her. Now she could hear the thudding on the door again.
Nexus finally caught Xander and then Clara both speaking on his radio.
"Nex, you ali**?" then a moment later. "Marco?"
Not long after the echoing voice of the female computer announced the thrusters were igniting, he heard Clara call up.
"Nexus! *** ** happened? Do we ** control of the *** now?"
Marco turned just in time to see the Impersonator rolling up into a crouch from avoiding the flames. Waves of heat in the open area made it extremely hot to cross on normal footing. Marco was sure this thing would burn a whole lot more easily than he would in his suit, if it stayed here.
He took the moment of the distraction and made sure to put a bullet into the things back. It arched in pain but it turned and even though it didn't appear to have eyes, is sensed the floor had become superheated momentarily. used it's powerful legs to spring back at him.
But fortunately Marco was in a fairly confined space, it could only come at him from so many angles and he was ready for it. He tumbled back just as it leaped.
He'd almost misjudged how far it could extend itself. It may have looked humanoid, but it clearly followed other rules as it extended itself, nearly cutting his leg. Still the swipe missed and it was almost knocked off balance. Just in time for...
If hits
Marco gets behind whatever he can and crouches.
Calista exited the medical ward quickly. Just because she was confident in her abilities to confront something didn't necessarily mean she wanted to give it time to find her in a confined location.
She found the large door which led to a hallway, a message flashed over it now, "Security system override. Access granted."
Following the hallway led her to another large reinforced doorway. Again the security access was down and the doorway opened to reveal a large chamber filled with heavy duty equipment. Off to one side of the room were a number of transport vehicles for ground operations. An armored vehicle with what appeared to be a heavy mounted firearms sat off in a contained area. There were a number of mobile carrier suits used for heavy lifting. Stacks of steel barrel drums were likely filled with oils or fuels were left in the middle of the room. Near the large bay doors were sets of what appeared to be full body, hostile environment suits used on missions in space or unforgiving planetary use. Each was equipped with a jet pack for maneuverability.
There was an monitor station for management purposes that was surprisingly lit up at the moment. And off in one corner of the room, she could see a service elevator that would likely take her up and out of the area.
But before she had fully made her way into the room she noted something out of the ordinary. Though it was standing very still and had cover from some of the steel barrels, there was definitely one of the space-suits just visible on the inside of the room.
After no immediate response, Xander decided to get to work on examining the table. It appeared to be a holographic representation of the ships rotational field. There were a number of confusing diagnostics to go over and it seemed very involved.
Just then he heard the female computer voice announce that the ships thrusters were firing, and then a moment later he heard a response on the radio.
"Nexus! What happened? Do we have control of the ship?"
Then she makes a run full speed for the armored vehicle with what appeared to be a heavy mounted firearms. She looked for a way and and to lock it behind her.
Xander set down to examine the table but paused, frowning, as a female voice came across the Radio. "It sounded like the engines were firing but I don't know about control. And who may you be?" He paused, staring across the table. "When did you hear from Nexus last?"
Xander tinkers with the table for a bit, but cant seem to get it to work. Sighing in frustration, he turns and propels himself across the room, to the door beside the lockers, before taking a look inside, slowly, opening the door as silently as he can.
Marco rolled back and pulled himself around to the left of the hallway he was in. He no longer had cover from the flames but he was still fairly certain he could get out of the way if need be. He just needed to make sure the fire would catch that thing as well.
He fired and hit the creature again and hit, another hole smacked into the thing.
The imposter chased after him again and lashed out.
The creature cut at him but he fell back, it talon caught on another piece of the machinery. It seemed to lose its patience with Marco and with its other talon cut at his leg
It finally caught his leg and knocked him to the ground. It's slit like throat smiled down at him and it raised both of its claws to cut him down.
"Scream for me." It said and then...
It tried to dodge but was trapped by the intense burst of flames that sprayed over its back. All it could do was duck and cover itself.
If this is considered a trap. Then that bumps my reflex to 18.
Marco's instincts had him rolling where he grabbed onto the the edge of the second hallway and he barely pulled himself out of the flames and back into cover. All the while the Impersonator burned, huddled in the flames.
Calista gained a surge of emotions from the figure as she felt for it's mind before blasting it to daze it.
Fear, hatred, fatigue, uncertainty, confusion, and joy all swirled together in a confounding circle from the creature. As she began to run.
The mind was hit by Calista's uncoordinated blast and she felt a surge of fear and then fury take control of the individual as it began to move after her.
The steel barrels were knocked over as the astronaut brought a weapon to bear. A tiny blue flame lit on the end of the barrel marked it as a flame thrower.
Xander was doubly surprised as the moment the door opened up and suddenly there was a sound he had not heard before accompanied by the feeling of an extremely high wind trying to suck him out of the ship. Ahead of him he could see a long hallway and in that hallway were two things: a giant piece of debris punching a whole in the side of the ship, and space.
"What the f&*$?!"
Marco hoped the creature wouldn't move, he hoped it would just stay there until the flames burnt it again and again to a crisp, but it wasn't so. The moment the flames stopped firing, it suddenly shot out and swiveled its head at Marco. Horribly burnt though it was, it started to pull itself to its feet.
Xander slammed his hands into the doorway and kept himself from being sucked out into the hallway. He couldn't move and from what he could see from the hole, they were in some kind of a debris field. At least half a dozen ships, most of them broken up in pieces floated around a strange looking planet. It reminded Xander of a gas giant, it was so big and somehow... menacing.
He managed to get his feet under him and hit the close button. The air flow relaxed to normal.
Time to go. Marco makes a run for it down the hall looking for an exit.
Xander leaned up against the door, panting heavily. "Do NOT go in there!" He sighed, pushing away from the door before backing away slowly. "WHAT the HELL?" He hit the broadcast button, before thinking better of it and releasing it. 'F~&% it...'
He floated across the room and to the set of monitors against the wall, aiming for the green screen. 'Okay. What the hell do we have here then?'
Nexus began to move towards the panel- He had no knowledge of most engineering, but perhaps one of the others would be able to aid him.
Before he stepped forward the mike came to life- he was no longer alone.
He could not make sense of all the people talking at once, and pulsed his temples to handle the annoyance of the data overload.
But his brain was working- and that was good.
Hey a~@+&@$s, you know how much I LOVE talking to all of you, but please, one at a time. First, I have something of my own. Marco- you still have access to the layout of the ship? If not, do you know where everyone is? I can describe where Clara is- her mike sounds a little static'd.
I know I'm on top deck- that means I need to come down to you guys. If there are hazards, let me know. Judging from the encounter I had.... Well...
I'd rather not do that again.
Xander- what the HELL happened to you? I thought you guys were dead, and I was stuck with Clara...
Nothing wrong with her, but.... They seem to know a hell of a lot more about the ship.
Xander laughed softly before hitting the broadcast button and beginning to speak. "This ship is inhabited by huge f~&# off white creatures with claws, faces like a Chelsea smile and a severe attitude problem. I was just shooting one full of holes." He grinned, floating in the air, before he pulled one of the 9-millimeters from out of his coat and inspecting it, popping the clip and sighing before sliding it closed again and slipping the pistol back in to the inner pocket.
"Oh, and then I opened a door. We have a breach, and are in the middle of a f@$&ing debris field surrounded by other broken up ships. We are circling a huge f@@& off intimidating planet AND the engines just came back on. So... We are FUBAR, EVERYTHING is FUBAR!"
You have any operational controls where you are at, Xander?
And the thing that was attacking you- is it dead? Are you free to move around?
It's time all the pieces are on one side of the board. I don't think we're going to survive if we stay alone like this.
I still don't know what the f&** that psycho b#%*% was that attacked me.... or where she went...
Marco- you there? Xander, have you heard from Marco? Until I heard you the only person I've been hearing from was Clara. Of course- now it seems she is gone or her mike is acting up.