Chapter Six: All Hands on Deck

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus (Tag!)

The sheer mess of sounds is enough to give Elinor a headache. The longer she listens, the worse the confusion gets. A ringing in her ears begins. Elinor feels her brain and ears asking her to increase her distance from the computer console instead of moving closer to it.

Spoiler: Kaerri

Your blue/gold d20 rolled a 1 backed by an 18 on the die, so no Skill Fumble for the Perception check.

Mario, Toph, and Cera however, have no such rejection of the senses as they get closer to the workstation, just a huge difficulty in hearing what is being said. Once they are within 20 feet, Toph and Mario hear a music track. It's repeating over and over again, but neither the American-Italian or the Japanese-Meltrandi have any idea of what is being said. At least that's what you think is being said. There is so much audio traffic it is very hard to tell.

Just then, the middle monitor flashes with a change on its impassive surface. When you look, you see stylistic words posing a question. "Ey! ¿Quien eres?" Below this question, a cursor blinks inside a message bar... awaiting an answer. The keyboard before it slowly shifts through the colors of the rainbow. It sits silently.

How do the Wild Cards proceed?

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag! Kaerri Psychie Sherwood )

The situation becomes a little clearer for the Wild Cards. For one thing, Elinor's mind (or rather her ears) is not having it - the electronic cacophony coming out of the speaker is just too much. Unless she focuses herself with everything she has (i.e. if Kaerri decides to use an Action Point), Elinor's ears are not going to be of much help here.

So too is Cera stuck at an invisible wall that may as well be Mega-damage. Her hearing is fine - it's what she's hearing that she can make neither heads nor tails of. And why not? Ura-Meltrandi do not have television commercials, internet videos, movie clips, choruses of songs, and whatever else the creator of this mixture of sound files put together. Because of her background, Cera honestly has no idea what to listen for and therefore feels (at least in human terms) like she is trying to shoot down a bumblebee with a slingshot at night on a roller coaster. Still, to the alien's credit, she keeps trying.

Mario comprehends one thing - the closer he gets to the speaker, the more his ears pick up. Being a tanker and lover of hard rock, he knows well the difference between music and noise. The computer was producing a lot of both, especially the latter. Just like the station outside in the hangar with the Esper.

This has so confused the Esper's Sam units that they apparently gave up on trying to figure it out. At Mario's current distance, he is at the limit of the information he is going to get. Something inside of him pulls him a little, tells him he needs to close with the sounds if he was going to get anywhere. Because staying where he was seemed about as useful as a M1A3 Abrams without treads.

Toph understands all of this too. Except there is one thing going through the half-Meltrandi's mind - a tingling itch that pokes and nags at her. A feeling she is forgetting something and something important. Something that pertains to this and something no one else present can do. But what in her father's name could it be?

Meanwhile, the Wall-crawlers are not still bystanders. They skitter eerily across the ceiling and walls, spreading out in a manner that makes great use of their numbers. Of the six of them, one was 60 feet directly above Elinor now, its unblinking eye fully upon her. Cera's flamethrower lifts toward it, daring it, but knowing what will happen if it falls flaming onto her dentella. Cera nods toward Elinor and looks up, drawing the Georgia farm-girl's attention to it.

Cera stands ready to literally light them up if the word is given. But you are soldiers. Combat pilots. Tank drivers. And an alien auxiliary specialist from a race born to kill. And when you watch the Wall-crawlers, you know you are being stalked. Herded. All the while, the Marauder stands ominously still, its flesh-burning guns remain aimed harmlessly at the floor. It doesn't even seem powered up. Perhaps something in its protocol hasn't needed to bother. It is not threatened.

For here, inside the mysterious reactor room of Chessel Corporation's Outpost #5 in VeraCruz Mexico, the Wild Cards seem to be the prey.

However, they are not without their talented friends. About this time, Hitomi comes over the polyphonic nexus. She sounds relaxed and curious. "Hey, Wild Cards? What's your situation? Do you have time to talk or are you fighting for your lives or something?" Her tone comes off so casual as if fighting for your lives were an everyday occurrence.

What do the Wild Cards do?

(Image credit: Pinterest)

STATUS

Location: Inside the Reactor Room at Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): "Loaded" (live) by Boom Boom Satellites

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor rubbed her ears, but to no avail -- the cacophony just refused to make sense, and her poor ears had had enough. She moved away from the computer to let Mario and Toph get a better position, silently wishing them luck, and took up a guarding stance instead, keeping narrowed eyes on the stalking Wall-crawlers with a returning nod to Cera.

"Not just yet," she replied to Hitomi. "Stopped to see about tapping the computers, but it's making this mucked-up noise I can't make heads nor tails of. Mario and Toph are seein' if they can figure it out. Will that transceiver thing let you hear what we image through the Nexus if it's a sound? Maybe Cera can sorta think it at you, so's you can try your hand at it. If you aren't busy juggling calls yourself, that is."

 

[Sherwood]

Mario glances over at Toph, then back to Elinor before shrugging and saying, "One way or another, we should try to get the info from the computer. Someone should try to either use mundane hacking skills to get into it, or a small team should try to Traverse the damn thing with someone standing watch over the ones that are going into the Blue World. Lt. Hall? What is your call?"

 

[Purr]

Mario comprehends one thing - the closer he gets to the speaker, the more his ears pick up. Being a tanker and lover of hard rock, he knows well the difference between music and noise. The computer was producing a lot of both, especially the latter. Just like the station outside in the hangar with the Esper.

The sounds seem to tease Mario as he remains 20 feet away. He is close enough to the workstation's speaker now to hear, but not close enough to understand.

 

[Sherwood]

The hell with this pussyfooting around. What is that noise coming out of the speaker? Mario sets his jaw with a determined expression and advances closer to try and decipher the sounds.

 

[Psychie]

Toph keeps a tight grip on her knife and keeps a close watch on the robots as she slides up with Mario closer to the terminal.

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor nods at Mario, replying over the Nexus. "Good thoughts both, if we can't figure out this damn noise soon. It's getting on my nerves. I'm inclined to take a leap into the wild Blue yonder myself."

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag!

"Not just yet," she replied to Hitomi. "Stopped to see about tapping the computers, but it's making this mucked-up noise I can't make heads nor tails of. Mario and Toph are seein' if they can figure it out. Will that transceiver thing let you hear what we image through the Nexus if it's a sound? Maybe Cera can sorta think it at you, so's you can try your hand at it. If you aren't busy juggling calls yourself, that is."

Hitomi's voice is as cool and comforting as only a professional's can be in stressful times. "Does it sound like someone took 50 different television channels and is playing them all at once? Ah! That sounds like one of Chessel Corporation's special little security inventions - a synchronic scrambler. It's supposed to give you a headache unless you know what to listen for, and what I bet you're listening for is some kind of clue that provides access to the workstation.

"Transceivers are only radios for us non-Traversers. All I can do is hear what all of you are thinking." Hitomi laughs a little. "'All.' As if the ability to hear what you're thinking isn't mind-blowing enough! Wild Cards, follow me here. You're inside an outpost in Mexico. I'm thinking the clue is in Spanish. Tell me what you're seeing on the workstation. It's on, isn't it?"

* * *​

The hell with this pussyfooting around. What is that noise coming out of the speaker? Mario sets his jaw with a determined expression and advances closer to try and decipher the sounds.

Spoiler: Sherwood

Given the circumstances, I am carrying over the benefits of the Action Point you spent earlier to this new Perception check. =)

What Mario hears as he closes in sounds like listening to 20 simultaneous radio channels while tripping to LSD - it is entirely too much sound unless... one is able to filter out the other sounds. Imagine being inside a crowded concert. The music, the cheering, the chatting, the sheer loudness of it all merges into one giant crashing wave of sound after another. Now imagine listening for something specific. In this case, something, anything, in Spanish.

Mario is trying very hard, but sometimes that is enough.

"Soy Capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan..."

It is a sound byte being repeated over and over and over again. But Mario doesn't speak Spanish any better than Cera does.

Toph keeps a tight grip on her knife and keeps a close watch on the robots as she slides up with Mario closer to the terminal.

Toph listens hard too, but hits a stone wall. Too many sounds! Too much confusion! How is anyone supposed to understand anything in that sonic, electronic mess? But then Toph remembers to listen for Spanish. She is still in the process of trying to unravel this headache-inducing mess when something inside of her beckons. Like an untripped breaker in her mind, a switch is waiting to be flipped.

Toph can ignore it or go after it or whatever else she chooses, which is a lot better than roadblocked Elinor or ignorant Cera are capable of in the moment!

What do the Wild Cards do now?

(Image credit: Pinterest)

STATUS

Location: Inside the Reactor Room at Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): "Loaded" (live) by Boom Boom Satellites

 

[Sherwood]

Mario sends out, "I am hearing 'Soy Capitan, Soy Capitan' over and over, but I don't speak Spanish to have a clue what it means."

 

[Kaerri]

Hitomi's voice is as cool and comforting as only a professional's can be in stressful times. "Does it sound like someone took 50 different television channels and is playing them all at once? Ah! That sounds like one of Chessel Corporation's special little security inventions - a synchronic scrambler. It's supposed to give you a headache unless you know what to listen for, and what I bet you're listening for is some kind of clue that provides access to the workstation.

"Transceivers are only radios for us non-Traversers. All I can do is hear what all of you are thinking." Hitomi laughs a little. "'All.' As if the ability to hear what you're thinking isn't mind-blowing enough! Wild Cards, follow me here. You're inside an outpost in Mexico. I'm thinking the clue is in Spanish. Tell me what you're seeing on the workstation. It's on, isn't it?"

"It is," Elinor replied, and looked back at the screen, sounding out the words in her Georgia accent. " 'Ay, kee-an err-es,' I think is what's on the screen. If we're gonna be doing more stuff around here one of us ought to pick up Spanish," she added, half to herself. She was trying not to laugh -- a captain made of soy?

 

[Psychie]

Toph looks around and sends out, "I am thinking we should give Traversing the computer a try, but keep someone out of the Blue World to keep guard over the rest of the party. Once we get the computer eating out of our hands, we can then copy over as much data as we can stuff into our external media devices and see if we can't set the reactor to blow the place to high heaven."

 

[Psychie]

Toph pauses for a moment, then says, "I have this strange feeling as I listen to this that there is a switch in my mind that is just waiting to be tripped. I don't understand it, but I can't shake the feeling."

 

[Purr]

"It is," Elinor replied, and looked back at the screen, sounding out the words in her Georgia accent. " 'Ay, kee-an err-es,' I think is what's on the screen. If we're gonna be doing more stuff around here one of us ought to pick up Spanish," she added, half to herself. She was trying not to laugh -- a captain made of soy?

Hitomi translates and thinks aloud. "'Ey! ¿Quien eres?' That's Spanish for, "'Hey! Who are you?'"

* * *​

Mario sends out, "I am hearing 'Soy Capitan, Soy Capitan' over and over, but I don't speak Spanish to have a clue what it means."

"Soy capitan. That's 'I am captain.' Mario, are you absolutely certain that's what's being said?" A simple check of Mario's own hearing and he is sure - that is what he is hearing.

* * *​

Toph pauses for a moment, then says, "I have this strange feeling as I listen to this that there is a switch in my mind that is just waiting to be tripped. I don't understand it, but I can't shake the feeling."

"Toph, if there's anything I've learned about technopathy, it's to trust your feelings and follow them. Technopathy seems to want to work with the Traversers, so I say race after it! I've been there when it's worked for The Professor!"

 

[Kaerri]

"It's your mind, Toph, but I'd say, trip the switch and let's see what happens. We aren't using these gifts enough as is, I'm thinking. Too used to dealing with things on, um, a more physical level?" Elinor shook off the thought to stay with the present. "Anyway, give it a try and let's see. After that, I'm thinking what Mario hears is the password to the computer. It's asking who we are, the clue is 'I'm the captain' -- or 'soy capitan,' I guess, we should probably stick to Spanish. English probably won't be what the programming's looking for."

And once they've got what they wanted from the computer, they could get back to the rifles, and then back to the robots skittering about. Elinor kept her eyes on those. She didn't want any surprises from that direction -- even if "that direction" was "everywhere" at the moment.

 

[Psychie]

Toph steps up to the terminal and sits down in the seat, and looks up at Elinor. "Ok, I'll try going in and making nice with the terminal in the Blue World. If I get in trouble, don't come in after me. I don't want any of you getting hurt if this turns out to be too dangerous. Wish me luck!" She takes a deep breath and places her hand on the top of the keyboard and closes her eyes, making the transition into the realm of the machine, looking for the core of the terminal.

 

[Purr]

Toph doesn't even get that far and quickly realizes she does not need to!

Instantly, something "clicks" inside Toph's head as one of her Knacks comes alive (guess which one?). Suddenly, she can hear the Spanish inside the scrambling device as her Knack allows her to blow aside all other irrelevant sounds and focus on it.

This is the sound she (and Mario) are hearing, except for Toph, she has the ability to focus only on it!

Spoiler: This

"La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens (That's where the "soy capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan..." is coming from! Listen close!)

Toph is certain. "I am captain" in Spanish is the phrase the computer is asking for when it asks, "Hey! Who are you?" =)

 

[Psychie]

Just before she goes into the Blue World, she says, "It is saying, 'I am captain' in Spanish. I am certain of that. It is the answer to the question of when it asks, 'hey, who are you?'"

 

[Purr]

(Per our OOC conversation in Fat Gandalf's, Toph does not go into the Blue World but remains. =) )

All around you, the feeling of being watched, stalked even, was increasing. The Wall-crawlers didn't take their electronic eyes off of you. The reactor kept on with its constant humming, the reminder that incredible amounts of energy were nearby and flowing from one place to the next. While the machines watching you made very little noise, your own movements inside the huge reactor chamber instead seemed amplified. Another thing that might feel amplified was your knowledge that you carried nothing upon your person with Mega-damage capabilities. No Cyclone, no Mega-damage guns, not even the Cyclone's plasma saber.

But then again, neither did the robotic company you were sharing the room with.

Hitomi's reply is a positive one. "Sweet! You Traversers and your crazy Knacks! Have you used that information to get you into the workstation yet? I'll help you translate any Spanish you can relay to me."

What do the Wild Cards do?

 

[Purr]

"Doctor Hitomi?" Cera sounds curious in the polyphonic nexus. "You speak this human tongue, Spanish, as well as English? How many languages then are you familiar with?"

"Familiar with? Fourteen," Hitomi replies, "though I could certainly brush up on my Chinese and German. Part of my duties in Project Eternity is to act as interpreter when we come across Traversers." There is a pause and Hitomi adds over the Technopathic Transceiver with a light laugh, "What? You think there is some cosmic guarantee out there that all Traversers speak good English?"

Cera, with a smirk, then mentally says something "aloud" in a language not even Toph or Mario comprehend. It is definitely not Zentraedi.

Immediately, Hitomi delivers a witty-sounding reply followed by what sounds like a question for your Ura-Meltrandi squadmate. Cera's gasps suddenly and her smirk fades.

"Yes ma'am!" Cera answers in English, a small smile upon her face. "I understand you completely!" Then she faces the Wall-crawlers, her Sam-made flamethrower at the ready.

 

[Psychie]

Toph looks over at Elinor and says, "What is the call? Do we want to use this 'I am Captain' to try and access the computer?"

 

[Kaerri]

"Do that," Elinor confirms, "and relay whatever you see to Hitomi. These crawlers are making me antsy." She glanced over at Cera. "Ants are a small bug, looks like this --" She pictured the small, black "sugar ants" that like to invade picnics, then the larger red ones that leave nasty bites. " 'Antsy' means fidgety or nervous -- like my skin gets if I think they've been crawling on me."

Digression over, she nodded at Toph. "Let's see what happens."

 

[Psychie]

Toph nods. "Yes, ma'am! Entering the command phrase that will hopefully unlock the computer. Everyone, stand by for trouble if this doesn't work as promised." The young doctor then types in the phrase in Spanish, making sure to spell it correctly so she doesn't trigger some attack program on those robots.

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag! Kaerri Psychie Sherwood

"Do that," Elinor confirms, "and relay whatever you see to Hitomi. These crawlers are making me antsy." She glanced over at Cera. "Ants are a small bug, looks like this --" She pictured the small, black "sugar ants" that like to invade picnics, then the larger red ones that leave nasty bites. " 'Antsy' means fidgety or nervous -- like my skin gets if I think they've been crawling on me."

Digression over, she nodded at Toph. "Let's see what happens."

When Elinor glances over at Cera, she sees Cera already poised to ask the question, except that Elinor has tactfully and smoothly removed the need! Cera nods to her dentella, clearly satisfied with the description she provided. "You humans appear to have this 'antsy' feeling upon meeting Scraths. Even Unit One who is among our easiest to approach. It is a fear I have difficulty relating with. By War-queen Taniya's kill-count, may it exceed all others, in a universe like ours, what is so strange about a race of incredibly-loyal Mega-damage insects who interact via telepathy?" The 2nd generation micronized Ura-Meltrandi seems to be thinking aloud and not requiring an answer.

* * *​

Toph nods. "Yes, ma'am! Entering the command phrase that will hopefully unlock the computer. Everyone, stand by for trouble if this doesn't work as promised." The young doctor then types in the phrase in Spanish, making sure to spell it correctly so she doesn't trigger some attack program on those robots.

Toph's reward for her efforts comes quickly. The characters on the monitor vanish replaced by a loading screen complete with a multi-colored spinning wheel. This appears before Toph's eyes along with a computer-generated crazy little voice with a Hispanic accent shouting, "'Eeeeyyy, amigo! Lezzz DOO DIIIISSS!" A program launches and displayes a series of unfathomable options as everything Toph sees is in Spanish. Sure, she can pick out the occasional word as it might relate to English, but this is too many words and too many ways to get it wrong.

Just at that moment, all of you hear Hitomi's voice come over the polyphonic nexus. This time, she sounds hurried. "Wild Cards, listen up! This is Professor Stein's polyphonic nexus, right? Well, he's overdone it and is about to fall to sleep. I'm pretty certain that when he leaves consciousness, this nexus goes with him! And that means no secret communication line to the Broadsword. Can any of you make one of your own?"

Cera's response was quick. "I cannot. Unit One can create a polyphonic nexus of her own. I recommend sending her to join us."

Hitomi came back. "I could lose you at any moment. If that happens, we'll have to use radio which can be tracked. Any ideas?"

Cera looks back toward the exit. "Our military radios are on our Cyclones."

Back at the workstation, Toph is facing a wall of Spanish that may as well be Mega-damage for her ability to proceed through it. Since none of you speak Spanish, without Hitomi's help, this route is denied you.

What do the Wild Cards do?

(Image credit: Gelbooru)

STATUS

Location: Inside the Reactor Room at Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): "Loaded" (live) by Boom Boom Satellites

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor shakes her head, forgetting Hitomi can't see her. "I don't. I'm with Cera -- see if Iris can get one going for us. Radios are a no-go unless the Sams can produce something mobile enough to get through that barrier, which I'll ask if we can't get a new Nexus going. Meanwhile, let's try to get through this Spanish quick as we can."