Doctor Who: The Clockwise Prolixity

[Epiphany]

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The coins in the tray number a full score. Twenty in all. They appear to be flat discs barely the size of a farthing, perhaps a centimeter and a half at most. They seem transparent, but for a faint tracery of spider-web like metallic patterns seemingly wrought through the transparent material. Each appears identical to the other. And other than their faint glow when the...the computer or whatever that panel was lit up, they seem completely inert now. Other than the tray they rest in, which had emerged from beneath the glass sigil-laden panel, there doesn't appear to be anywhere to 'plug them in' (or anything else for that matter).

Upon close examination, each coin has a faint curvature.

As for the room, the wall opposite the beds everyone had woken in features panels of what seems like glass. A pair of those panels are the length of a door, at least in as much as they began at about foot level and rise above one's head. There isn't an obvious door handle, though, simply a metal frame holding the door-sized glass panels in place. Nearby on the wall, where one might hang their coat when coming in from nasty English weather, is a square assortment of buttons arranged in a 5 x 5 pattern. Each button bears a sigil that shimmers with the same slightly hazy, faintly indistinct waviness seen in the glass panels.

Spoiler: Atmospheric Music

As others make introductions and begin to notice the temperature, the hum of the ventilation system cuts back, pitching down. It may take a few minutes to confirm but it could be that the temperature has stabilized at something...well, it's about room temperature now for a human's physiology anyway.

Beyond the glass panels resembling a doorway lies a corridor of metal. What little view any of you can get of it from inside this room, it appears to extend some distance in either direction. Square shaped panels appear to be set into a rigid metal bracing of the ceiling, as if supporting immense weight. Everything is brightly lit and remarkably clean.

...it's possible that just there, on the far right end of the visible corridor, someone determinedly looking might spot what looks like someone's hand lying palm down on the floor, fingers curled. Given the angle, it's impossible to tell if it's attached to a body or not. At least it looks human from here...

Spoiler: Chauncey's roll

Exactly how the coins operate depend on a dozen laws of physics not even dreamed of much less defined in Chauncey's native time period. His exposure to other time periods and their technologies, as well as the voiced appraisal of the minds his connected to, allowed him to puzzle out their utility, however.
The miniature golden filaments spread throughout the transparent material were designed to link to the nervous system, when placed against a good nerve bundle. Affixing one to a point along the spine or neck would likely do it and given their transparent nature, they would be very hard to spot on others. For that matter, they might function rather well if placed against the eyes, allowing direct connection to the optic nerve. These kinds of devices were typically medical in nature, judging by the appraisal of Chauncey's other selves, but given the 'Language Assimilated' message and the timing, it seemed likely that these are intended to work as some kind of a translation device, perhaps by interlinking with the parts of the brain that process language and feeding information in somehow.

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[Arynne]

Ivy looked around the room. "All right, between the mysterious voice suddenly learning our languages and the temperature suddenly becoming fit for humans, I think it's safe to say we're being observed by something. Which leads to the question of whether this room is supposed to be a medical facility, a holding cell, or a cage in a zoo. And if it's the latter two, what are those glowing coin-things for? And more importantly, how do we get out?" She gestured to the doors as she spoke, hoping Thoc would at least get the gist of what she was talking about, and also translated quickly for Ahassunu -- though the Akkadian version would more accurately be rendered as, "is this intended as a healer's chamber, a prison, or a pen for captured animals?"

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

"The Dragonfly Who Thought He Was A Mockingbird" by Akufen for the Appleseed Motion Picture Soundtrack because it is playing inside Chauncey's head... and mine. =)

Chauncey replied to Dr. Ivy. "Well doctor, if it is a pen or prison, it is awfully accommodating! For one thing, we are upright and able to move as we please. For another, we are able to freely interact with one another. And yet another, we have these..." he held up two of the coins to his face, "...tools... to work with. What kind of prison operates under those conditions? And where are the guards?"

"As for how to leave this room, I have no ideas yet." He pointed. "Could someone perchance examine the 'exit door' closely? Perhaps see what is outside? It would be nice to know more about where we are and soon!"

But as for knowing, Chauncey and his past lives had just had a discussion - a discussion that had made his mind whirl. These "coins" were not currency at all but something potentially far more magnificent and useful. "Likely neuro synapse enhancement of some kind," and "medical in nature," John the astronaut and engineer had said. "Best when you slap that puppy right on a nerve center," Kyx the temporal engineer from the 54th century had added.

Jumping Jehosaphat! The possibilities! The incredible science behind it all! What could it mean?

And what about Thoc the still-unhandsome lizard-warrior? Chauncey had wondered. What kind of nervous system did he have? And the... ah... robot Torrey had referred to as "Specimen Acquisition Bot"? Being a construct, it did not have a nervous system! And "Bot"? It must be short for robot, Chauncey concluded. Perhaps small, cute robots like it was.

"Medical in nature," he mumbled. "Neuro synapse enhancement..." Then Chauncey gasped. He reached for his spectacles. His nearsightedness! Could these things possibly improve... his poor eyesight? Did he even dare to chance it?

Well, he figured, if whomever had put them all here had wanted them harmed or dead, then they could have easily done that right easily! His past and future lives were inside of him giving their opinions as usual, but this... this decision and the responsibility to bore belonged solely to him. He would blame no other. Nor would he ask another in this strange, new group to do what he was not willing to do himself. The very idea was uncivil and inhumane, he thought as he glanced at the muscled Thoc again.

No, this decision to trust the unknown was entirely his own. A shiver of fear raced through him. Chauncey took a deep breath and gave a prayer to God who so often looked after doddering, trusting fools like himself.

"A leap of faith indeed..."

Then he set down his spectacles beside his cane and gently, simultaneously, placed one "coin" over each of his naked eyes.

 

[Silanon]

Kal'Thocalas

Apparently, the seer understood his thoughts, trying to let her know what the words meant. At least, she now turns towards the others, once more speaking to her apprentice (if that is what her role is at least - it seems as if the seer only directs words to her specifically). Some of the sounds - with lots of imagination and good will - seem to imitate his name, and more importantly, the name of his people. In the wrong order, unfortunately - maybe in an attempt to emphasize his importance for whatever they have in mind, or maybe because they don't know any better.

The mechanic seems to make some progress, judging by his quiet mumbling, just like those at home. He does point at what seems to be the exit door of this room, strangely different from the security door systems Thoc's familiar with. And as the apprentice pointed there as well, prior to the man, it seems to be high on the priority list, even though noone acts thus far. It makes some sense, certainly - to have control over all entry points is the most important part of staying safe, and it is the warriors' duty to take care of that. It is not surprising that a maskless fighter does not take care of that - however, that leaves only one in this room to protect them against whatever hostile creatures might be out there.

Him. His left hand once more grabs his pistol, ready to fight if there is need, striding over to the door - showing the agility of an excellent predator, ready to leap at any kind of prey that shows itself. But before he can even reach the closed exit, his head abruptly turns to the left, spotting a little detail from the corner of his eye. Hardly noticeable; but the small details are what, more often than not, make the difference betweeen staying alive and failing. It looks like one of their tiny claws, almost out of sight - lying there, in the corridor, just as cold as its surrounding. Perhaps its owner is dead, or asleep - or there isn't one attached to it any longer. A warning, potentially, that those who are in this room are prey of something. Have they noticed yet? Apparently not; or they have, and are simply too scared to act themselves. As a member of the Kalei, he shows no fear - getting close to the exit, his right hand performing the one series of movements that opens every single door at home that is meant to be used by his caste.

 

[basicallyaMarshWiggle]

>>query: Torrey(V)=“sorry, I can't remember the number. D'you have a short version?”
>>Searching...searching...
>>!ERROR!
>>Expand: ERROR=file.corrupted, access.path=1
>>Expand: Memory.file=31546513512453

Torrey’s question sent a quite literal jolt through Sab’s memory circuits, jump-starting access to a memory in the form of a video. Sab watched a past he had lived, but yet remained unfamiliar to him, through his own eyes…
He floated along a busy street strewn with garbage and neon lights, all the while asking time and time again his age-old question. The audio flickered in and out, likely still suffering some corruption errors. Occasionally a flying hovercraft would roar overhead, and the younger Sab in the video would have to pause while the deafeningly loud engines passed before resuming his task.
Finally, though, the reason the video file had been saved surfaced - the younger ‘bot spied a strangely dressed human a short distance away. She wore a short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with a large (although faded) red-white-and-blue flag. The view changed suddenly, and the audio recorded an sharp pop as the woman suddenly appeared in front of the video screen.
Sab paused the playback, searching through his files. A teleport system, in slight disrepair but nothing an internal diagnostic couldn’t fix. He sent the task to his subprocessors and resumed the video.
The younger Sab repeated his age-old question and...the woman grinned! A success! She gestured with her thumb to a building a short distance away, and began walking towards it. They talked - or at least, Sab assumed they did through the faulty audio - because when the corruption passed Sab heard her reply “Specimen Acquisition Bot? Too much of a mouthful for me, think I’ll just call you… Sab. Yeah, you alright with that?” The video cut to static and Sab never heard his own answer.

Sab turned to Torrey. The conversation seemed to have moved on while he had watched the video. “You may call me ‘Sab’, if you prefer.” The reptilian Kal’Thocalas strode towards the door, weapon suddenly drawn. Sab rotated sharply, some subprocess warning him instinctively of danger but it seemed that the reptile was more intent on guarding the doorway.
“I agree with Dr Llewis here” he continued, while keeping Thoc in the centre of his vision. “It seems that none of us are here by our own choice, and seeing as the majority of the galaxy are polite enough to ask before abducting others...we can assume we have been snatched away from our lives for one of three reasons: our own good, our Abductor’s good, or our own detriment. But if it is a prison or slaughterhouse, then they have been quite kind to us before our destruction. It seems that we have been summoned here for another purpose.”

>>dignostic.exe=complete; ending task
>>maneuverability systems=1
>>charge=100%

Without any warning, Sab vanished from in front of Torrey with a gentle pop and simultaneously appeared next to Thoc with the same sound.
“You saw something” he stated, discarding his usual calm, friendly intonations for something deeper, a more masculine tone with a sharp robotic cadence. He pointed his metal hand, one squat finger extended, towards the organic hand grasping the floor.

Spoiler

Sab is still in view of everyone in the room, and is located just under the door frame.

 

[Epiphany]

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Purr Putting a transparent disc next to one's eye is a disconcerting experience, to say the least. Especially for someone with no first-hand exposure to contact lenses. These aren't quite like those anyway. The moment Chauncey gets a good seal, there's a faint prickling sensation across that first eye followed by a faint, flickering blue image that seems to 'float' surreally before him. It shares some cosmetic similarity to the strange symbols on the panel where these coins had been found.

Then the second lens pops into place, followed by the prickling sensation once more. And the blue floating image abruptly vanishes.

As Chauncey surveys the room, nothing seems all that different and, in fact, his vision doesn't seem to be markedly better. But another pass over the glass panel that'd been the source of the audio transmission reveals a startling discovery; the runes aren't runes anymore. They're in English. This control interface appears to be broken up by category, including a section set for monitoring patients in the beds, a section for environmental control and lighting, another section for communications and apparently a four section for accessing something called 'System Terminal'. There's a faint gray shading over all four categories. Most of the displayed data falls under the medical monitoring which currently shows each bed displayed along with a number of error messages that suggest whoever's in each bed is dead...or absent, since you're all standing up. There's also a display box in the lower right that states 'Language translation enabled; LAD synched'.

Silanon Meanwhile, Kal'Thocalas finds the glass door impenetrable, the activation ritual unsuccessful. But then, this doesn't look anything like the doors at home. There is a control panel, or what looks like one, set along the right side of the pair of glass panels sealing everyone in. Strangely, it seems to have 25 keys instead of the standard series the Zil'Thanei employ. Each key is graced with a strange sigil made out of some kind of lettering that is a touch hazy and indistinct, almost as if there isn't ink there at all but rather a hologram projected across the surface of each key but its focal lens is a little uncalibrated and so producing some artifacts of imprecision.

Replicating the series of movements for his caste produces a sound but no other reaction.

basicallyaMarshWiggle As for Sab, the door is entirely flush with the floor. Very likely, this room is sealed, either to contain the people or to seal off a potential contagion via quarantine. Getting out into the corridor via teleportation, however, is certainly an option...

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[Esbilon]

When her eyes fall on the hand outside the room they are trapped inside, Ahassunu's gaze goes blank and she loses focus from her surroundings. Ivy's words barely register, and much less so do the blathering of the barbarians around her. Instead, she calls upon the greatest gift gracious Ishtar has bestowed on her, other than life itself, and sends her minds eye roaming outside their place of confinement.

OOC: Using Clairvoyance to look outside the room at the cost of 1 Story Point.

 

[Epiphany]

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Esbilon The world drops away and Ahassunu finds herself positioned out in the corridor. To the left, the hallway ends after a dozen paces or so in a door that looks more like a treasure vault than something people actually open up and walk through. Again, there's no visible door handle but there is a set of panels next to it that may hold the secrets to its opening. Or not. Perhaps the priests who built this place had no intention of allowing anyone sealed inside to escape?

To the right, the corridor proceeds some distance before ending in another portal just like the one to the left. Unlike the one on the left, it stands open. And by open, there's no visible trace of there being a door here at all, simply an open frame with no apparent means of sealing it. Lying just inside of the doorway is a body, a young woman lying face down, arms outstretched as if she fell and couldn't rise again. She wears a one-piece set of clothing unlike anything Ahassunu has seen, with a strange fabric and a uniform grey save for several patches of color embroidered with curious sigils and patterns.

The ever present hum of this place continues out here. Though Ahassunu has no ears to hear or nose to smell with, she's aware that the air is a few degrees cooler than in the room everyone is in now, perhaps the same temperature everyone woke to. And just faintly there's the trace of decay in the air, perhaps from the body...or perhaps from something else.

Beyond the doorway lies a corridor so long it seems to vanish into the distance. Countless doors adorn either side, just as cold and unfriendly as any she's seen in this place.

Success on Awareness + Medicine Roll: As Ahassunu dips her perception lower and closer to the prone woman on the floor, several alarming details immediately stand out. First, this woman's most definitely dead. Her eyes are wide, staring and rather dried out. She's also not breathing and Clairvoyantly Ahassunu can tell she's gone room temperature already. Second, there's no obvious sign of what killed her. No blood, no wounds, no sign of leprosy or plague or other contagion that would have doomed her though judging by the condition of the corpse's hair, she sweated a great deal before dying.

A last fact is immediately apparent: Other than the clothes, this woman looks exactly like Ahassunu herself, right down to the smallest detail.

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[Esbilon]

Back in her own body, Ahassunu cries out in surprise and grips the bed she is standing by to steady herself as her knees weaken at the startling sight. Turning shakily towards Ivy she says, "there's... there's a corpse lying outside. It... it's been dead for some time." She pauses, moving her lips slightly without making any sound as if she is choosing her next words very carefully. "It... It looks just like me. It looks just like me, and it is dead. I... I don't know what to make of such an omen, but..." she looks up and catches Ivy's eyes, fright written clearly in her own, "I do not think it is a good one."

 

[Silanon]

Kal'Thocalas

The precise movement of the hand causes two immediate results: For one, the almost expected one, as the door stays closed - playing a sound that is likely of importance, but unfamiliar to him. A brief glance at the control panel reveals not much more, and instead gives rise to even more questions. For example: Why would a seemingly high-advanced species use such a primitive way of sealing its doors? To replicate the rituals of the Zil'Thanei, it takes multiple cycles - he himself opened his first door during his fourth, and many need even more time than that. A panel like this one, on the other hand - even a child could find the right combination, given enough time. Not that it matters, at least for now - the unreadable sigils as well as the sound already tell him what he needs to know: He is not supposed to open this door, otherwise someone would have instructed him on how the panel works. That means however, that taking position here is as useful as anywhere else in this room; perhaps one can see the lying creature outside better from the respective corner of the room?

The second, rather unexpected result of his actions interrupts that line of thought. A sound to his right, surprisingly close, a bit as if one of the targets in the shooting range would get hit by a well-aimed shot. Only that this is certainly not a training ground, and lives are likely at stake. The reptile-like creature turns around on the spot, claw and pistol raised to deal with whatever thing managed to sneak up on him; before stopping in the midst of the motion. The very same robot he already noticed, releasing a series of different noises that appear to be closer to his native language, but still do not make any sense. Perhaps it is slowly adapting its configuration? His arm points in direction of the lonely hand out there, showing that at least the robotic senses have noticed the sign of danger; it is a completely different question what its gesture is supposed to mean. An order to examine the hand further? His plans in that regard are blocked by the door, telling him that now is not the right time. "I do not understand - activate Thaneian files." It is unlikely that the bot will be able to recognize the language, but it is certainly worth a try. After all, this entire place is not one where he should be. Maybe, this mechanical creature has access to the languages of all those specimen that somehow came aboard.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music in Chauncey's head anyway

"Den Makes Out (film version)" by Elmer Bernstein for the Heavy Metal Original Motion Picture Score (because it's just darned good music). =)

"Good heavens!" Chauncey grinned and clapped for his gamble had paid off! Through the strange devices, he could comprehend the unknown - the neurosynaptic enhancers turned gibberish into words as clear they may as well have been written in the Queen's tongue! Or close enough. Either way, this wartime doctor-become-time traveler would take his good fortune and appreciate it down to the tiniest bit!

Chauncey looked around the room carefully. When it was clear that his nearsightedness was still present, he donned his spectacles and looked again for anything else out of the ordinary in the room, especially those people in it, for something else might have changed while he was distracted with the enhancers.

He saw "Sab" speaking with Torrey and in a way that seemed to imply great independence. There was clearly more to the little fellow than what met the eye, however that eye was enhanced. Sab disappeared completely only to immediately reappear nearby. Teleportation! The little "bot" could change locations without physically moving! He had heard the theory but had never seen it in action until today. Simply marvelous. Chauncey hoped it might serve to get it out of this room if the rest of the group could not find a way to open the door from the inside.

He examined Thoc. Of all the people in the room, and indeed he was "people" to Chauncey; just one of a different sort altogether, Chauncey was surprised to see Thoc investigating the door before any of the others. So, at the least, the creature clearly understood the notion of pointing as Chauncey had toward the door. At least they had that much. Thoc reached for his weapon, no doubt it was some highly lethal device made purely for killing, just like what humans made in abundance except perhaps flashier and more efficient - just what the universe needed more of...

Thoc seemed to be on edge like everyone else. This seemed especially true when Thoc turned to Sab, weapon at the ready. Then Thoc spoke again and it may as well have been Ahassunu speaking for all that Chauncey could understand.

And speaking of that very pretty girl, suddenly she was suffering in some kind of emotional trauma! Oh dear! It seemed only this Doctor Ivy person could communicate with her, a fact which Chauncey was glad for. But what had happened? Had the full gravity of their situation finally dawned upon the young woman? Chauncey had certainly seen his share of young men crack under similar strain during what he liked to call, "The War That Should Have Been The Very Last War Ever." Something frightened the poor lass into screaming just now. But what?

If only they could all communicate and know where they were together!

Chauncey juggled his options. How best to serve everyone? How best to get everybody together and out of... whatever this was? Clearly, someone or something had the power to whisk each of them out of their times and places into wherever they were, likely some underground bunker, safehouse, or complex of sorts given by the structural supports he had seen.

But that is when, deep inside his ever-moving mind, John the Astronaut from Chauncey's future raised his hand...

Spoiler: Inside Chauncey's Mind

"Chauncey," John offered, looking serious. "You might not be underground at all."

Chauncey pondered. "No? Come now, John. But look at how it is all made! The supports, the walls. The very structure of this looks more sound than a battleship and ten times as sturdy!"

"Take notice of the absolute lack of dust, sir. If you are underground, shouldn't there be some somewhere? The impeccable cleanliness of this bay might not be restricted to just this room, but all over. You have what certainly appears to be alien technology and scientific components all wrapped up inside a place seemingly made to withstand the rigors of..."

"Of what, old chap? I fail to see what you are getting at."

"Space, Dr. Roundbottom. I think you might benefit from the possibility that you're all floating around in space."

Chauncey floundered for a moment. Space?! As in... not on a planet? "You mean... You mean to suggest that we are in a vessel of sorts? Among the very stars?"

"I do. Or a space station. I have been on my share of both. It's what I do. Of course, all were made of human construction. There are some distinct parallels between those accomplishments and where you are now. It's only a suggestion; I have no hard evidence other than what I've shared just now."

"So... I take it this changes things. Wait, wait! Do not give me the answer..." Chauncey thought hard. "Let me guess. Beware of any doors that you cannot see the other side of and which hold a purpose wholly unknown..."

"Right. Or you might find yourself thrust outside into the cold vacuum of space, in which case, only your little robot companion would likely survive."

"And... if you are correct, there are likely no... natural resources to replenish us. No... water, food, and a limited amount of air?"

"Yes to the first two, but the latter will likely be recycled air. Just be cautious - if you lose power, you eventually lose the ability to replace that air."

"And by power, of course, you mean electricity." Chauncey put his hands to his head and gave a big sigh. This might change things. If John were right, and they were all floating around in an interstellar vessel or city in the stars, how were any of them to get back to their respective homes?

And... a strange little thought then crept into the corner of Chauncey's mind... Did he want to return home?

What was back there anyway but war and death and blood and madness all around? Chauncey had seen his own dear friends blown to bloody bits. He had precious little family to return to. Ah, he reasoned, but this was a conversation for another time. These people here, whomever they all were, required his help every bit as much as he required theirs.

"Right-o. Thank you, John. As always, you provide some important perspective I lack."

"I live to serve," John saluted.

Chauncey returned the salute wholeheartedly before returning to the scene at hand.

"Everyone! Everyone! Please!" Chauncey waved his hands and smiled in a way he hoped would bring them... welll... hope! He especially made pointing gestures toward himself and the array of coins, er, neurosynaptic enhancers. "Do come over here this instant! I have discovered these little devices might help us - all of us!"

If Ahassunu did not appear to understand or if Thoc hesitated, Chauncey would calmly approach each, cane in hand. The former with the open arm of a gentleman to guide the beautiful young ladyor in the latter, he would slowly and gently motion the reptilian's ray gun back toward its holster, and if allowed, show him toward the enhancers.

"You see... by placing them in a nerve cluster on one's person," Chauncey paused upon coming to the realization that one in their party - Sab - had no such thing, "I can now read these instruments! It is as if these enhancers have altered my eyes to see the writing as if it were in my native tongue! Putting them in my eyes was a perfectly painless procedure and I can demonstrate if you would like. This way, we might all communicate!"

Chauncey put his cane under his arm. With care, he took two of the disc-like enhancers and presented them to the rest of the group. He smiled, the little boy in him coming out in delight. "Now then, who would like to be the next to enjoy these enhancements?"

 

[Kaerri]

Sab turned to Torrey. “You may call me ‘Sab’, if you prefer.”

Torrey nodded slowly. "Sab it is, then." He leaned back, sliding one hip up onto the edge of the nearest bed, and stuck his hands in his trousers' back pockets, a deliberately casual pose that he hoped would disguise his continued wariness of the others, especially Thoc. (Doctors probably weren't much of a threat, and Aha-sanu clearly didn't have any weapons. Sab was an unknown, but hadn't demonstrated any particular hostility to anyone.) He jerked upright when the bot vanished, only to reappear near the door. That was certainly an unknown where he came from! The others seemed similarly surprised, he noticed, and relaxed back against the bed. His gaze rested on the reappeared Sab and Thoc, who was investigating the door. Torrey was considering joining them when two separate, and completely different, emotional voices sang out through the room.

Poor Aha-sanu captured the majority of Torrey's attention, and he walked up to just within reach so that he could pat her shoulder comfortingly. He'd no idea what she had said, but she was clearly upset, and he couldn't just stand by and watch something like that.

He looked back at the equally-excited Dr. Chauncey, who was rather more pleased than disturbed. "Enhancers, is it? And you're sure there's no... unfortunate side effects?" Torrey didn't have any strong objection to trying on the enhancers, himself, but it didn't sound like Dr. Chauncey knew all that much more about this place than the rest of them did, and unknown tech could be pretty strange. Well, witness the talking, floating, teleporting Sab! On the other hand, could be that just being able to read this place's signs would get them out, not to mention a good deal more informed. For all he knew, that panel by the door was labeled with "Lock," "Unlock," "Open," and "Close."

 

[Arynne]

"Oh, that is not good," said Ivy, in response to Ahassunu's revelation. "That is very, very not good. But it answers the question of why nobody came to inspect us, after having gone to the trouble of collecting us in the first place."

Turning to the others, she said, "I think we'd better wait before trying to get out. This lady is, um, a psychic--" Do they use words like that where these people are from? "--and she says there's a dead woman in the hallway who's been lying there for some time. So...I would guess that either she was here by herself, or everybody in this place has been, um, incapacitated in some way. This is pure speculation, but if this room is a medical facility -- and it certainly smells like one -- it might be the only thing protecting us from whatever did--" she waved a hand in the direction of the silent outside corridor, "--that. We need more data before we risk opening the door."

She eyed the enhancers dubiously, then said to Ahassunu: "He says the little disks are clever devices that let him read the writing on the walls here. I'm divided: on the one hand, we need to know as much as possible about our surroundings; on the other, something here is deadly, and we don't know what it is." She spoke seriously, genuinely desiring the other woman's thoughts on the matter -- Ivy might be more familiar with technological concepts, but Ahassunu lived in a more dangerous world than that which Ivy had come from.

 

[Esbilon]

Having had some time to breathe, Ahassunu is more calm now. "Yes, I am inclined to agree. It is good that he can understand the writing on the walls, if that is what it is, but it seems to me an unnecessary risk for more of us to do the same."

She closes her eyes for a moment and immediately opens them again. She smiles sadly at Ivy and says "it is a terrible thing to see the face of one's own death."

 

[Arynne]

"When you say it is the face of your death," asked Ivy with concern, "do you mean the woman looked exactly like you, even down to clothing and hair?" Please tell me this isn't going to be like that Twilight Zone episode...

 

[Esbilon]

"Not quite," Ahassunu responds, clearly uncomfortable with the subject, "she looked just like me, but she was dressed most strangely. "She looks like me, she has my skin, my eyes and my hair, but she is dressed in a garment unlike any I have seen. Grey with patches of color, and made as a single piece fitting her body closely."

 

[Arynne]

Ivy squeezed her eyes shut for a minute. "So, there are two things that could mean: this is a, a vision of your possible death--" because I still don't know how to say 'your body from a future point in time', "--or just someone who looks very, very like you. If it's the first...you should probably not put any gray clothes on if you find them! If it's the second...that might be part of the reason you were brought here. It would be...interesting...to find out if there are people in this place, living or dead, who resemble the rest of us." She opened her eyes and shuddered a bit. "Very, very scary, but interesting."

 

[Esbilon]

"I do not think it is the former," Ahassunu says thoughtfully, now more able to shift this to the intellectual part of her brain rather than her emotional part. "When Ishtar lets me glimpse the future, it is never quite so clear as this. I felt as if standing in the hallway and seeing the... the corpse, and when I glimpsed inward I saw this room as it is."

 

[Purr]

"Enhancers, is it? And you're sure there's no... unfortunate side effects?"

From behind his round spectacles, Chauncey gave a serious glance to the chap named Torrey. "My dear fellow, I am not certain of anything at the moment except the clear necessity to know more."

Chauncey wanted to ask Doctor Ivy what was going on with Ahassunu, but being a gentleman, he did not want to interfere with their conversation lest some important element in it become lost. And so, he settled on the machine before him. Now he could read and comprehend what was on the screen. This was a huge advantage to what they all had but moments before. But to what end? He would see for himself.

Besides that, the technologically-inclined nerdy little boy inside of him was just having an absolute blast with all of this. Space cities? Alien computers? Floating teleporting robots? Ray guns? A timeless beauty wearing little more than his coat? Well, he thought, there was a distraction if there ever was one. Ahassunu's beauty was captivating, but Chauncey realized it would do no one any good, least of all him, if he fell into his emotions and gazed at her as he wanted to do. Besides, he reminded himself, he was, or rather would be, a beauty of equal measure in the future when he became Lily. The flower child of the 1960s was every bit Ahassunu's sister-in-womanly-attractiveness. Even Tommy the Brute loved to gaze at Lily though they were all the same person.

Such thoughts were nothing knew to Doctor Roundbottom, but this entire situation was nothing but new to him and all gathered. It was up to all of them to discover or stagnate... and Chauncey despised the uselessness of stagnation in times of need.

Spoiler: Inside Chauncey's Mind

Chauncey reached inside his mind while his eyes gazed at the computer before him. Eccentric and again close to distraction, he could feel his focus slipping once more. "Gang? Could... someone play some thinking music for me, please? I'm slipping again."

"I got'cha thinkin' groove right here, baby. Purse ya lips an' take a cool sip a this." It was DJ Heavenly, the 20th-21st century mistress of music and the tyrant of the turntables. Tossing her curly black hair behind her, the confident mix-master and breakdancer pulled forth a European groove that only the Princess of Pop could provide.

Spoiler: What she plays

"Breathe" by Kylie Minogue

Chauncey found himself pursing his lips for a moment. The song soothed and spoke of self-control. "My dear, you are full of surprises."

DJ Heavenly just smiled widely and blew him a kiss. "Surprises are tha name of tha game, Mister Chauncey. Now go an' do it to it, baby."

Chauncey unconsciously grooved to a sound no one outside of him could hear. His feet and head bobbed up and down ever so slightly. His breathing slowed and his eyes and hands joined together in working the machine. Chauncey made three attempts.

"It seems..." he muttered aloud, "...this device was recording our individual statuses before we returned to consciousness. Perhaps it also might provide detailed medical data, and more importantly, history." This was his first attempt - to access this sort of data. Where had they come from? How had they been brought here? How might their medical data be of further use here?

Then his view roamed to the communications display. This he wanted to examine in detail and, if possible, replay any communications stored inside the machine's brain, or computer database as John the Astronaut would likely have referred to it.

Lastly, Chauncey tried to get to know the System Terminal. True, much of it was greyed-out, but Chauncey wanted to try to see if he could learn how to find out what it needed. There was much to do and much on the line so Chauncey put forth his very best effort.

Computers! His mind raced. Nothing would be the same after their invention, would it?!

 

[basicallyaMarshWiggle]

Thoc turned, raising his pistol to deal with the sudden intrusion. Sab quickly floated back a meter. The reptile growled in its strange, snarling language at him - a response expected by Sab. The blue light of the scanner washed over Thoc several times as he spoke, stopping when he finished speaking. If his primary objective was to be delayed until he could safely escape here, communication with all present individuals would be paramount to their success.

Sab quickly organised the data he had gathered - breath rate, pitch, tone, syllable possibilities as well as visual data into some semblance of a language - coupled with more information taken from the scraps of audio and video he found from his time here so far. Medical data was filed away too - notably that his bacteria was vastly different to anything Sab had on his files. Traces of long-gone foreign chemicals - perhaps some type of battle stimulant, otherwise chemical warfare was another likely possibility - could be found in Thoc’s lungs, although other than that he was amazingly healthy. Even a few fractures were almost completely healed, far beyond the possibility of natural human repair.

Chauncey called everyone’s attention to him and explained the translation effects of the small blue disks now placed on his eyes. Sab halted the processing of Thoc’s data and considered the game-changer that Chauncey now offered. Communication with all present individuals was paramount to the group’s success...and this new device was a convenient, quick and timely solution to the problem. Chauncey offered the translators, one in each hand, to the group.

Sab considered the possibility that he was being inefficiently paranoid, and decided upon a temporary solution. He teleported over to the tray behind the Englishman, then picked up a translator and inspected it with his scanner briefly before tucking it into a tray hidden just under his monocle. Inside him, scanners virtually dissected every nanometer of the device, searching for traps and trackers and tricks - anything that could be used against the group.

 

[Silanon]

Kal'Thocalas

These lungs have inhaled the Crumbly Death, and these scales have weathered the deadliest fire his caste and people have ever faced. Whatever this robot can throw at him, it is likely that he survives - thus, the Zil'Thaneian warrior does not immediately take aim as the machine jumps backwards to reach its optimal combat distance; besides, if the creators of this artificial life wanted to create a deadly machine, it would have spit fire and death at him already. Instead, the eyes behind the mask observe a cold light from its sensors - likely trying to collect more data for whatever routine might run in the background of its mind. For now, it does not seem as if it would be able to answer his request; not too surprising, as his people have mostly been busy fighting their own wars instead of reaching out for more. But that also means that things will not become easier from this moment on.

Before the robot can reach a final result of its analysis, the likely responsible mechanic interrupts with a mixture of wild gestures and words he cannot understand. But as the machine next to him does react by turning towards the direction where the man apparently found what seems to excite him right now, Thoc's head turns around towards that direction as well, trying to get a grasp of the situation. Maybe the man notices his uncertainty, coming closer to offer more meaningless gestures - then, it happens. Maybe he doesn't know his proper place, or he thinks that this is a secure place; whatever the mechanic's reasoning is, he grabs for the pistol in Thoc's hand. Before his hands can touch what none of his kind should ever reach out for, Thoc already reacts in one of only two possible ways - the forewarning, as the man's eyes do not show the burning evil yet. Pulling his arm back, the mighty jaws release a loud growl, a sound that needs no further explanations other than the staring gaze that can be felt even through the mask.

Then, he abruptly turns away from the man with the staff, and gets closer to the screens and things that he has seemingly discovered - just in case the mechanic does know the right behaviour, and simply did not know a better way to alarm him. At first glance, the objects that lie there look unharmful; and compared to the dangers that seem to linger outside it is doubtful that the screens can show anything more severe, especially as the symbols there are as unclear as those on the door. Thoc's clawed hand grabs one of the strange devices, and holds it up to the light - before trying to break it to bits by brute force, and if necessary, firing off a shot of his pistol at it to test its resilience. If it is destructible, it causes no harm - if not, it might be of use.