Zoreck nods respectfully at the strange entity. "Thank you." He then looks at his friends and says, "I'll do as Sparky here showed us-- throw the switch in the other room, then run back here."
Unless there's an objection, Zoreck opens the door. "Okay, Sparky. Let's do this." He then heads over to the power room.
Rikkan jumps in to help them others as much as possible. He was a bit choked up by the strange creature's sacrifice, so he chose not to say anything.
Astraea watches the strange entity sadly, hugging her shield to her chest and avoiding eye contact with the others. "Why did this have to happen...?" she murmurs.
Inside, that sorrow begins once more to turn toward anger. Too many lives have been destroyed by Vuelib's masters. Escape might be the immediate concern, but it is not the first thing on her mind. That would be justice- or revenge, maybe.
"All right, then," she says, and follows Zoreck. "Let's just get this over with..."
The friends, with some sadness, agree to follow the plan depicted by the electrical creature's images... and so, as the wheels of destiny start to accelerate, Zoreck and Astraea follow the creature to the chamber that the friends had previously paid little heed to...
...whilst the others, waiting in the Gate Room, start to make their preparations for leaving Garsilt.
As Drancis awaits the return of his friends from the Power room, he holds up the clockwork message bearer with his mind wondering what else he will need to do.
The sphere should already be attuned to take us to Balimere...I hope...
Perception
Locke will follow Zoreck and Astraea.
The electrical being moves ahead of Zoreck, Astraea and Locke, its presence causing the lights embedded within the ceilings of the passageways to momentarily glow with brighter intensity... before fading as it moves away. Arriving at the chamber depicted by the creature, Zoreck and his companions watch as the being moves towards the control panel at the north of the room... and then, with an empathic connection made once more, it 'talks' Zoreck through the process of initialising the equipment here... a particular sequence of button presses and flicking of switches is shown repeatedly... over and over again until, as the being satisfies itself that Zoreck understands the process, the images fade and a feeling of wellbeing washes over the Kellid.
...floating into the central chamber of the room, the being ceases its empathic connection with the friends and, flashing a stream of electricity towards the doors, closes itself within the glass-walled containment. Even as the door closes, the control panel lights up... green, amber and red lights blink in repetitive sequences... as the first button that the creature showed to Zoreck glows with an inviting, pulsating emerald colour. Depressing the button, Zoreck watches as a metallic pedestal rises from the floor in the central chamber... the mechanical whirring that accompanies its rise ceases as it 'clicks' into position... and now the second of the buttons glows...
Pressing it, the air within the room seems to become electrically charged - an insistent humming builds and builds... and then, in a painfully bright flash, a stream of white plasma starts to pour from the being and over the pedestal.
...and the being is already visibly diminished.
*****
Meanwhile, back at the gate room... several minutes after Zoreck leaves, previously dormant panels gradually start to awake. Series of lights - a strangely beautiful kaleidoscope of colours - within an array of technological equipment built into the walls of the chamber start to glow with increasing brightness... as four separate spotlights, one from each corner of the chamber, direct their light on to the gate.
...it is obvious now, with the near-daylight brightness in the room, that the various runes - and there are many - around the perimeter of the gate structure may be manipulated in some way. Four in particular appear to have been recently 'pressed', the light feathering of dust that covers most of the gate is absent on these particular runes.
Andretta, initially taken aback by the sudden activation of the equipment within the room, calls to the friends, "The aura around the gate... it's growing stronger!!!"
"Does anyone know which order to push the buttons in, click. If we don't get it right, we might end up, whrrr, anywhere in the galaxy!"
"I think the clockwork mechanism we found in Lomrick's office has the coordinates already programmed in there!" Drancis replies.
At least...I hope so...
"The sigils of the gate determine the destination of the traveller... Assessing... the gate is currently aligned to Argosa. If the test subjects wish to travel to Balimere then the navigation must be reconfigured", as BR-N3R tells the friends about the reconfiguration, the machine uses its articulated tail to point towards five different runes.
...and as it does so, the lights within the equipment around the room grow brighter and brighter.
...meanwhile, in the room where the electrical being is contained within the central chamber, a steady arc of plasma... whites, violets and electric blue... runs from the creature to the pedestal from where multiple strands of cable lead into the ground...
...one by one, lights which were red as power was restored turn to a healthy green...
Drancis hurriedly moves to depress the five different runes indicated by BR. "Does the order in pressing the runes matter here?" He asks the robot. Once all five runes are pressed he anxiously awaits the return of his friends.
Pressing the runes seems to have, in the first instance, no immediate effect. BR-N3R, impassive as always, explains, "The order of entering the navigational information has no influence upon Gate operation... note that navigational input cannot be made until the gate is fully powered... Assessing: Garsilt Gate initialisation will be complete within four minutes and twenty five seconds... twenty four... twenty three..."
Looking at the electric entity and the power-level lights, Zoreck watches as they all flip to green. "That's it, Sparky... keep it coming..."
Looking at his friends, he asks, "So...should we wait here to make sure Sparky powers up everything, or do we head to the gate room in case there's troible there? I vote for heading to the gate room...if Rovagug eats this thing, we should be together to face it."
Within the power conversion room, the electrical being is bathed within a field of plasma… and is visibly shrinking in size by the second… until, accompanied by a flash of searing light and a dull 'thud', the plasma field collapses and the being... is gone.
Whilst, in the Gate Room, BR-N3R continues it's inexorable countdown, ”Power is fully restored… Excess power is being diverted to backup batteries, Initialisation of Garsilt Gate will be complete in One Minute…”
"It's gone..." Locke silently thanks the being that allowed them to escape I hope there is some kind of rest for your kind out there friend. "Let's make for the gate room as Zoreck says," he turns his back on the power conversion room and heads for the gate.
"Yeah... let's do that." Astraea sighs sadly and lingers for a moment before following Locke back toward the gate. Her expression remains dark as she goes.
With the electrical being gone, Zoreck, Astraea and Locke quickly make their way back to the Gate Room… just in time to hear the end of BR-N3R’s countdown, ”…three …two …one …zero”. The lights within the technological panels are almost universally green, a low hum starts to emanate from the gate structure and then, as the runes which are currently depressed start to glow sapphire blue, the space within the gate’s circumference becomes a silver-sheened fluid… lazily rippling, its appearance is almost like a vertical oil-dappled pool…
”Garsilt Gate is fully initialised… Test Subjects may reconfigure navigation as required… Reminder: Balimere coordinates are…”, BR-N3R once again indicates the runes that Drancis must press…
One… near the very top of the gate… pressing it, Drancis extinguishes all of the other runes leaving just the one that he pressed giving off a weak blue glow…
A second… this one about sixty degrees clockwise… and now both pressed runes are glowing with increased brightness…
A third… almost directly adjacent to the second…
…and then, even as Drancis races towards the fourth of the indicated runes, they are all extinguished… and, accompanied by an increased frequency in the humming noise, the runes that were originally pressed glow with a sharp white light…
BR-N3R, volunteering information in its impassive voice, ”Destination input has been overridden… Connection to Argosa has been made from destination gate”. The arachnid robot may have been about to provide further commentary or advice… but events overtake it.
…as the hum builds to a crescendo, the pool within the gate starts to ripple at an increased frequency… and then, emerging from the fluid-like surface of the gate… a green skinned arm lined with bone spurs… and then the rest of a single klaven guard. Its eyes narrow as it takes in the situation, seven escaped test subjects within the gate room… and then, moving through the gate next to it, a further three guards…
"I REALLY hate these guys! GRRAGHHH!!"
Zoreck charges at the nearest klaven, firing his pistol and also cutting an agressive slash with his sword.
Rushing forwards, Zoreck thrusts the muzzle of his pistol into the abdomen of the klaven... there is a muffled explosion, and the creature jolts backwards... a fountain of blood sprays from the heinous wound in its stomach as falls backwards into the opened gate... and disappears
...seemingly oblivious to the savage death of its compatriot, one of the guards charges at Locke - it's claw slammed hard against the chest of the escaping prisoner...
...whilst the other two, ducking past Zoreck's wild sword flourish, slash at him with their brutal claws...
Holstering his pistol, Zoreck grips his sword with both hands and chops angrily at the klaven that hit him.
An arc of crimson sprays across the floor as Zoreck's blade makes short work of the protective carapace sprouting from the klaven's chest... yet, despite the wound, the creature remains utterly mute... it's purpose seemingly nothing more than quelling this escape...
Locke follows Zoreck's example, gripping his blade in both hands, he chops into the Klaven attacking him with a deadly arc of steel and an echoing shout.
Drancis sees the creatures trying to deny them their escape and feels a *click* in his mind as he envisions grabbing one of the guards with his mind and propelling it into its fellow guard...
....but such an exertion required him to prepare for it first as he steps back to get a clear line of sight...
Rikkan tosses a bomb at any remaining klaven.
RTA with PBS & Precise Shot
Damage fire damage.
Between attacks and parries, Zoreck barks, "BR! How do we change where this gate opens up? There's gonna be more where these guys came from!"
With a single, elegant yet powerful blow, Locke slices the head of his attacker clean off its shoulders... the headless corpse, twitching slightly, drops to the floor... Whilst, upon the gate platform, the initiative has been grasped by the friends... Rikkan's bomb immolating the already wounded klaven and Illonna's blade cutting deep into the shoulder of the remaining guard...
BR-N3R, having scuttled backwards from the gate, replies - in its cold, mechanical voice - to Zoreck's barked question, "Garsilt Gate is locked into current destination for a further four minutes and thirty seven seconds... Over-ride is not possible from current location".
"Can we *CLANK* change it from the *SWISH* other side"?
Astraea seems to explode into a furious rage at the sight of the klaven. Now is not the time.
She grits her teeth and thrusts a palm forward at the remaining klaven, unsure what she is doing- only that the stars are speaking through her. The stars... and the cold darkness between them.
...the remaining klaven, claws dripping with blood torn from Zoreck's shoulders, catches the look from Astraea... and then, clutching its throat as it falls, it is dead before it hits the floor... For a few moments, everything is quiet... until BR-N3R replies to Zoreck, "The gate connection can be disengaged from the Argosa gate... Clarification: disconnecting the gates from Argosa will strand test subject 462-8734-a..."
BR-N3R's commentary is suddenly interrupted by another perturbation to the gate's liquid surface... stepping through come two more klaven, a lupine beast afflicted by the same calcification afflicting the humanoid klaven and, brandishing a highly polished blade, a third klaven that stands tall above the friends.
...this final klaven, a commanding presence at the gate, briefly surveys the scene before snarling, "Liquidate Them!!!"
Astraea feels some otherworldly force guiding her- teaching her wordlessly from within her own mind a new way to use her strange powers. The heat of a star's heart pulses within her for a moment, and she directs it mentally into the deadly-looking weapon held by the tallest klaven.
As the klaven’s sword suddenly glows orange with radiant heat, it juggles the blade between its hands… but it is too slow to react and Zoreck is confronted with the stench of burnt flesh…
…fighting through the pain of its burnt hands, the klaven slashes at Zoreck. The elegant blade cuts across the Numerian’s shoulder and, instantly, Zoreck is wracked with near unbearable pain… off-balance, he fails to see the creature’s off hand thumping into his midriff…
.
Moving around Zoreck, the lupine beast bites at him… but, instinctively, Zoreck swerves out of the way…
Illonna, standing in an advanced position near the gate, is set upon by the other klaven that stepped through. Fighting without weapons, they prove to be highly effective combatants… claw after claw slashing into the paladin even before she has a chance to fight back…
Locke steps forward next to Illonna. He begins to chant furiously, gripping his blade tightly in his hands.
As crises as the room was, Rikkan only felt comfortable throwing a bomb at the lupine creature.
RTA with PBS & Precise Shot
Damage fire damage.
Illonna shouts in pain and surprise and retaliates against the shocktroopers.
Zoreck grimaces and cries out in pain at his wounds. But he seems to focus the pain on cutting down the klaven swordsman, viciously slashing at his new opponent.
For Drancis, time seems to have slowed for him as he watches the Klaven Captain wound Zoreck severely. The other klaven shocktroopers also register on his mind, but barely so.
I know who the true threat is here. He MUST be stopped!
Gathering more of his power to himself than he never knew he was capable of before now, he pauses for a split second as to who to pluck up with his mind.
Very well...let's do this!
With an ease he could scarcely believe, he plucks the warbeast as if picking up a small bubble of water, and almost casually flings it into its master...
Badly injured by the initial attacks of the Klaven, Illonna misses as she swings at her attackers… whilst Zoreck, fighting through the pain of the Klaven leader’s attack, swings his blade… in a powerful downwards arc… at the creature. With a crunch of bone, his sword strikes hard against an outstretched arm…
Seeing that Zoreck is in grave danger of becoming flanked, Rikkan throws one of his incendiaries at the wolf-like beast… arcing through the air, it hits the creature and wreathes it for a moment in alchemical flame.
For a moment, it seems that the fight hangs in the balance… both sides capable of inflicting heinous wounds upon each other… and then the fates appear to smile upon the friends, Drancis – still becoming accustomed to his gathering powers – bowls the badly injured wolf-creature backwards into its apparent master. The sound of crunching bones accompanies Drancis’ initial ‘grappling’ of the lupine creature… and it has already fallen still by the time that Drancis flings it… and then, knocked completely off-balance by the collision, the klaven leader falls backwards… back into the gate… and disappears beyond the mirror-like surface…
…as it disappears through the gate, the fluid-like surface starts to shine with an increasingly intense light… and the gentle humming sound that had accompanied the gate’s operation becomes higher pitched. Moments later, the spotlights that were shining on the gate change from a bright white colour to a pulsating red… bathing the entire room in their crimson light…
"What's that mean, BR?" Astraea asks, the haze of anger fading now that the two most dangerous combatants seem to have been dealt with. She maneuvers past Drancis and reaches out to touch Illonna in hopes of healing some of her wounds.
”Assessing… Assessing… Gate malfunction has been caused by spatial feedback loop at Argosa gate… cause of spatial feedback loop are unknown at this time… Computing Prognosis… Please Wait…”
…BR-N3R scuttles towards the gate as the klaven, unperturbed by the disappearance of their leader, continue to savagely claw at Illonna.
Locke gives himself up to the frenzy of his own song and cleaves into the Klaven in front of him with abandon.
As the klaven leader and warbeast are knocked back through the gate, and the warning lights start flashing, Zoreck says, "I think we might have to go through now!" He then turns his attention to the klaven that's shredding Illonna, brutally bringing his sword down on it.
Attacking the remaining klaven, Locke and Zoreck come to Illonna’s aid… steel cutting into flesh as grace gives way to ferocity…
…and, as the friends focus their attacks upon the remaining guards, a sudden tremor – seemingly emanating from the gate – strikes the room. Dust, dislodged from various surfaces around the chamber, fills the air and the technological panels which had been illuminated with a near-uniform green… start to display flashing amber and red lights. The tremor itself is not hugely powerful but it does shake the floor somewhat… one of the Klaven, already staggered by Locke's blow, loses it's footing and ends up sprawled on the floor.
Reflex
Rikkan was barely able to keep his feet, but he did so, pulling his dagger as he moved to the fallen klaven and pounced, swinging the small blade.
Attack
Damage
Drancis staggers on his feet and is nearly unable to stay on his feet.
We have to get out of here...NOW!
He grabs one of the pieces of debris with his mind and whips it at the klaven that is still standing.