[audio] @kingofwei - backdated to June 23

[pure_havoc]

I come bearing some unpleasant news, which Commander Rosinante, Grandmaster Kuai Liang, and I discovered within the last day. Before I begin, if there is anyone with better medical training or healing abilities who can help the two of them, it would be much appreciated. We encountered a violent spirit who did quite a lot of damage.

That said, we went to look into a strange phenomenon the Grandmaster found while looking for torches, and ended up at what they have said is the 'radio tower.' I believe this is where the modern sorts managed their communications, Daylight explained some of it to me some time ago. There are many smaller details which any of us can relate to you but I take to the network to report some incredibly dire news, and to ask if anyone can recognize or translate part of a message.

[it takes some rather obvious fumbling to get the tablet to play a pre-recorded message while sending this one, pity his awkwardness, but then this message begins to play clearly. Kuai got a good recording of it to share.]

I confess I had thought that the reason the Night Market did not visit earlier this month was much more mundane. Flood damage, perhaps, or a loss of communication with Master Rastus. This...is far worse. I do not know the timing of the message, when it was first sent, but the fact that nothing has come up from the bottom of the lake to destroy us yet...well, I don't think I can say what that means.

There is also this, if anyone is capable of translating...

[a shorter recording, now that he's got the hang of it. Morse code if anyone has the chops to tackle it!]

I do not know if we have the resources to actually mount a rescue or do anything about it, but I feel our last remaining chances at survival may slip away if we do nothing at all. World Eater aside, it may be that the portal itself and our ability to resupply will be cut off if we cannot reach them at all. Your thoughts?

Comments

Text @ Soldier

[worthallthis]

[Resident Morse Code person to the rescue, as much as they hate coming on the network publicly:]

It reads "Message incoming, SOS. 5 and counting." And then it repeats.

Daylight had a lot of data on the radio tower from the dream. That is not the same message he heard.

Did you try to send a message as a reply

[pure_havoc]

We did not, mostly because their injuries required immediate care and there was no time.

But it is fair to say I also have no experience using such technology. Someone will have to go back to make that attempt, and if they do, be warned that there is a spirit with strong hands and teeth that was squatting there.

[worthallthis]

I will get some people together to try. I know a few things about radios.


[And he can't crash a tower into anything so if he messes up, like the ferry.]

What else can you tell me about the spirits?

[Teeth only matter in flesh, after all. He's got that handy metal arm, and he's been... nearly a match for most of the fighty spirits he's run into so far. Bring Misty and Javert, maybe even Minimus, and they might have a chance.]

[pure_havoc]

Excellent. I am glad someone is, it is beyond my understanding.

There was just the one, but it was savage. It tore the commander to shreds and also had the capability to use tools, as it stabbed the grandmaster. I injured it, with ice and with my blade, but it survived a lengthy fall to the ground and escaped so it may still be out there. It has long-fingered hands and moves rather swiftly.

@justfitz | voice

[rereremembered]

Nothing's come out of the lake completely, but that squiddy thing in the museum sinkhole definitely had a go at me. Or the torch I was saving.

[ or both. whatever. ]

But, er, yeah, don't like the idea of being "done for". I think we should give it a go, see what we can salvage.

voice

[pure_havoc]

...squiddy...thing? In the museum? Do tell.

voice forever

[rereremembered]

Right, after the flood I followed a feather, it took me to the museum where a torch had fallen into this hole in the floor full of water. It was a lot deeper than it looked at first, and then...these balls of light appeared, way down, and they had tentacle bits. It was coming up closer so I grabbed the torch and swam up and got as far away as I could. The arms still almost reached me, I got a picture before I got the hell out of there.

Re: voice forever

[pure_havoc]

So it did not actually reach you? I see.

It is difficult to know what is what, anymore. What is spirit, and what is otherwise. What is trying to harm us, and what is innocently failing to help.

Still, something of that nature is important to note. Especially if it matches none of the hallmarks of the spirits, and instead suggests something completely not of this world.

@HK

[catholicisms]

I'm no doctor, but I can do my best with first aid if nobody else can.

( furthermore... )

The doctor... That has to mean Solis. She's not around to help us out, but surely whatever those homing coordinates are, they can be found in her lab somewhere.

[pure_havoc]

And as you located the lab and the information, we should coordinate all of this. Along with someone experienced in the use of the radio to send messages.

[catholicisms]

I wonder if Clara could point us in the right direction. She doesn't seem to know much about specifics, but even generalities would help figure a place to start.

[pure_havoc]

At the very least I should hope she would know which piece of technology does what. There must be a way to look up the coordinates and...I assume something in there is capable of summoning the ships? That was what the message asked for.

@silent | voice because yo let his arm rest thanks

[callada]

If whatever killed Pluto is still down there at the station, we need a plan to deal with it. The message said they thought it was a young world eater and whether that's true or not, it's obvious it was tough to deal with or they wouldn't be asking for our help.

I'll be going down there once we figure out how to get the submarines to us. But if anyone has ideas on how to tackle something like that, let's talk about it before we just jump in face-first.

@ Stone, audio

[scarsolderthanyou]

How far down is it? If it's not too far, and it's a little one, I could shift and try to take it on. Or at least distract it while someone else goes for a kill strike. I'm pretty big, and I've fought large monsters like that before.

[callada]

Don't know. You were the one who visited it in a dream, right? How much do you remember?

[scarsolderthanyou]

I don't want to take the whole "underwater tunnel that turns around on itself" thing too literally for distance. Though it does seem like it was far enough that normally, I could hold my breath that long. Maybe not long enough for a fight on top of the swim, though.

If the thing's outside the station, if someone or something could tug me down, I could probably still fight. If it's inside, then I'm out of luck. I won't fit shifted, and I'm useless in groundling form since I faded.

[pure_havoc]

You know you have me and my sword, for whatever both are worth.

[callada]

Thank you. It's worth quite a lot.

[pure_havoc]

I suppose this is where we find out whether swords are of any use at all.

That said, I feel like I miss having a tactician at hand now more than ever. We have lost so many intelligent resources who could plan a raid in seconds flat. Now we will have to work for it.

@dr; text

[donttalktome]

[His thoughts are holy shit oh fuck oh my god, actually, but he'll leave that unstated.]

My only conclusion is that whatever came for them isn't finished down there yet.
There's no other reason it wouldn't already be up here.
It's foolish to think that the Night Market could've killed it on their own, but they might be holding it off.
I don't expect that will last.
From a tactical standpoint, it might be wiser to use whatever time they give us to prepare a defense, but then we risk losing the portal.

[And therefore their potential ability to get the hell out of here, so uh, no.]

I'd normally be the last person to say this, but it may be in our best interest to do as they ask.

[pure_havoc]

I quite agree. I don't know whether any one is left to be saved, but if there are, or the portal itself is in danger, those are reasons enough to go.

I am not sure what we can do, but knowing everyone in Beacon, we will still try.

[donttalktome]

[Yeah, he super wasn't thinking about saving people. Whoops.]

A valid point. If everyone's going to be reckless anyway, we might as well direct it into something useful.
I'll leave the directing bit to you.
The message mentioned coordinates that Solis had, probably for objects she could pull through the portal.
My own talents would probably be best used there.

[pure_havoc]

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

Master Matt has the information on the lab, if you need it. Otherwise, I believe you will be more than capable of finding what you need and using it to get us there. In fact, I think I will simply turn you loose to work your magic, doctor.

[if ever teasing came across in a text it sure would at the end of that sentence]

@silent | voice because don't make him type right now

[callada]

Might be slowed down if they injured it badly enough. Or maybe it can't figure out how to get out. Maybe it's not what they think it is.

Wish we knew more but we can still do our best to make plans before we head in. So, if you had to kill a large, deadly creature in a confined space without killing all the rest of us, how would you do it?

okay FINE he'll switch to voice but just this once

[donttalktome]

You think it's inside the station? I suppose the message didn't specify exactly how large it is...

[It occurs to him that Rosinante is specifically asking him how to murder something. Which he isn't entirely sure how to interpret, but there isn't really a lot of time for that right now anyway.]

Ideally, you'd be able to trap it in one place and attack it from out of reach, but we can't count on that. We don't know exactly what kind of creature a World Eater is, but if it's like the spirits at all, or if it is one, then there isn't much that seems to harm them other than overwhelming physical force.

[Which is... something they're a little short on. He sighs.]

It might be easier to list the things that you shouldn't do, especially given that the Helix Station is underwater. If the place is somehow still structurally sound, any explosion or damage to the outer walls could be catastrophic. It's not entirely unlike a space station, in that the pressure outside and the pressure inside are quite different. They don't exactly play well together. The fastest way to kill everything inside would be to breach the hull.