View source for 2325/A Glimmering Surface

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/27
|Location=Danbur <DB>
|Synopsis=The fourth reagent must be found! Diane leads a group to some mines where they find more than just minerals.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=113, 222, 670, 673, 741, 772
|Tinyplot=The Great Work
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Again the hunt for reagents bring the Elites far off into the wilderness. This time it's through dense woods and past smaller villages, and on the trek to wherever Diane is leading them, they should be able to notice a trend in the area; mining. The villages and the inhabitants are clearly here because of the riches of the ground and slight hills, though the landscape is strangely flat in most places. Most of the journey is done by railroad, and after some hours of travelling it appears that they are finally at their destination after finally arriving at an old village that has clearly been abandoned for quite some time.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Houses still stand, if barely. There are heaps of debris littering the street corners, which are otherwise empty. There's no sound of life except for the wildlife that has made this place theirs again, with rodents scattering about and various birds perched in the windows and peering curiously down at the visitors from afar.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they progress through the village they come across a mining cart that is filled with earth and ore, and Diane lets out a gasp as she hurries over. "Come on!" But as she reaches the cart and inspects its contents, her face falls with disappointment. " No... this isn't the right materials we need... the old reports I found did mention that this place used to export the rare metal composite. It has to be somewhere around here!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy has been with Diane the entire journey, of course. The trip by railroad has been fascinating! They don't have many trains where she lives, after all. And certainly none this old-fashioned! She's spent the entire journey recording video of the countryside go by on her phone and chattering with Diane.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With her today she's brought Mr. PomPoms, her cyborg kitty, and Mana, her Gastly. Not taking any chances today apparently.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She follows along with Diane. "So what are we looking for? I mean. What does it look like?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason says "an Ore that can not melt this is something that does have my interest." She notes before she can't help be amused at Mandy and what's come along. Mortal support should not be underestimated after all. <br /><br /> "How generous of you." <br /><br /> She gives Hiei a look. She recalls his radio banter, and well she's not got the most positive view of him. <br /><br /> "Shall we get to our search now?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This time, Diane has some more unusual company. A medium height woman with grey skin, black armor, and obvious cybernetic enhancements. Hoses stretch from her head where hair would usually go, and connect about her neck and shoulders. Other than that, her head and body look human. Those aware of the Borg would likely know her as Regina of Borg. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is her entourage that really make it unusual. Cold, emotionless cyborgs that appear even more heavily modified than herself surround her. There are 8 of them, forming an octogon around the woman. An octogon that they maintain without a word from her, even if she suddenly changes direction. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Such an ore would indeed be a worthy find." the woman agrees as she and her small group follow after Diane. When Diane inspects the cart and is disappointed, Regina tilts her head. "If you have a description of the material, my drones may be able to scan for it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"An ore that cannot melt. I could very easily test such a thing. If it truly cannot melt, then I will be the most appropriate test." Hiei states as he suddenly appears behind Diane in what he's noted is speed, but appears more like teleportation. "I'm here out of curiosity, but as a general favor for sating my curiosity, I will keep you alive." he notes to both Mandy and Diane.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"An ore that cannot melt. We were going to test these things! I had several to offer." Rory mumbles, bewildered by being way out here in the middle of nowhere.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's ready for combat in the worst case, carrying the same laser rifle as earlier. A Saucer dances around in the air doing scans of the abandoned village...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane pulls away from the cart and turns to Mandy at the question. "We are looking for a metal that looks polished. Even small amounts of it is insanely expensive, so we can't buy it... not on my brother's salary. And the State would surely not understand why he needs it..." she sighs, her expression serious. She turns towards Hiei and nods. "That would be good if you could test any metal we find." Perhaps he has his uses besides being annoying? But he isn't as unnerving as the other guest that's come with them...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A nervous glance is cast towards Regina and her eight followers, and Diane nods her head carefully before she continues on down the rail tracks that the cart was pushed on. "Yeah... well, it's a very strong metal that does not melt, like the others say," she repeats and walks in a brisk pace, though she does reach out to take Mandy's hand.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Onward they go, and soon they will see that there's indeed a mine in this village. At the very centre, with the houses being built around it. A near vertical shaft descends into the earth, with freight elevators built into the side, as well as a system of pulleys. "Maybe we can find it down there...!" Diane sounds hopeful as she heads on over, looking at the others. "Can you do a scan down there?" she asks Regina.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy is utterly perplexed by Diane's nervousness. She herself just smiles at Regina of Borg and her drones, apparently not at all disturbed by their appearance. "A metal that looks polished? So, you mean, it's very lustrous even as an ore..? Hmmm." She crosses her arms. "Well. The techies will probably be able to find it faster than me, but I'll keep an eye out just in case...!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She taps the top of her cyber-kitty's head. "Mr. PomPoms. Record."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hiei is... ignored completely. How rude, Mandy!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina of Borg seems unconcerned with how her and her drones' presence might unnerve the others. She is along mostly in the hope that she might aquire a sample. "A 'strong metal that does not melt' will not help me refine the scan." she says as they approach the village center. "However, the lustrous quality does help a bit." she adds after a moment. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When Diane requests that they scan down the mineshaft, Regina looks toward a pair of her drones and they hold their tool arms up before stepping forward. They lean over the shaft, and beams of various colors are sent into the darkness below. Then, the pair stand up straight again and turn toward Regina. In perfect, spooky, syncronized monotones, they say, "Scans complete. Scans indicate a large deposit of metals, one of which closely matches the material in the mining cart. Scans for the metal in question are inconclusive." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina raises an eyebrow as Mandy smiles at her. The Borg Queen does not return the smile. "We need more accurate data if you wish a more helpful scan. All we can really tell at this point is that yes, there is metal in the mine." she says, almost as if this is a waste of her time.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason humms at Diane for a moment as she gives some more information. So she's going to get to work looking for this ore or metal they need. It could be either from what she was told. She does however to work. Her eyes dart about for a moment, however there are now cyborg zombies tromping on in and that gets Lyria's attention. Okay this was getting into some serious Extraversal Horror, here. <br /><br /> She's going to keep back form them if she can, for now she's going to start looking. <br /><br /> "Remora! Search pattern alpha." <br /><br /> She calls out and the serpent like drone gets to work starting aid Lyria in her search.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei looks down at his hand, wiggling his fingers for a moment, perhaps lost in his own thoughts and not necessarily paying attention. Though he does add, "If there is a material that I cannot burn, I'd like to know of its existence, and test the validity of the claim." he explains as he continues to follow the other with his general aura of boredom and irritation that he always carries with him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a curious sight, and Diane keeps her distance as the drones scan the shaft and put up one hell of a lightshow. But to hear that there is metal down there, that's encouraging. But to give more information...? "I... I don't know much more about it, sorry..." She sighs, then heads towards the freight elevator. "Let's go down and check."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The trip down is a bit rickety and unsettling, as the metal creaks and protests at the weight of all the people, but it holds. And after a few minutes they are down at the bottom of the mining shaft. Darkness is lingering there however, with no lit lamps or lanterns. "Uh... do any of you have any torches with you...?" Diane asks meekly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina sighs softly as she is told there is no more information available, then shrugs lightly. "Well, we will continue passive scans." she says as they step onto the elevator. Her drones wait for it to return in order to keep the elevator from being over-stressed. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When asked for a torch, Regina looks to one of her drones again, and it raises its arm. A bright light eminates from it, providing plenty of illumination. "I am sure you will get your chance." she says to Hiei as her drones look around, no doubt scanning for metals. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina looks at Diane again. "If you do not know much about it, how will you know when we find it? Are we simply going to attempt to melt every mineral we encounter?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Searching a mine shaft for ore is search pattern -alpha-?" Mandy asks Lyria incredulously. "I wouldn't think that would come up that often..." She's probably misunderstanding something here, of course.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy reaches into a pocket to produce a tiny little LED flashlight. Switching it on, it produces a beam of light! "...Mmmh. Hold on..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She fiddles with the flashlight a bit, removing the lens, then unseating the LEDs. She reaches into her pocket again, producing a few paperclips, which she twists together to form a frame for the LEDs.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She switches it back on, and the LEDs shine in every direction, producing a nice orb of light instead of a direct beam. Handy!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then Regina gets one of her drones to produce light anyway. She pouts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei reaches up to remove his headband, opening that large, purple third eye again. He tries to search down into the shaft in an attempt to see if he can gain more information on the Borg's scans, or at least helpfully compliment it. But any number of things could make remote viewing difficult or impossible, such as the fact that he has no solid idea what he's looking for, or if there could be some strange magical interference. "I'm trying to remote view it with my Jagan."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason Says "No it just means non combat mode and using scanners to search for an non living item. I do salvage work quite a bit." <br /><br /> She's now geting back to work to search as Remoral looks about with it's scanners, while Lyria is taking to using the two eyes the Gods gave her to look maybe they will get lucky, she's laso still keeping away from the borg. Maybe Hiei will luck ou an with the cyborg zombies about, he suddenly is far from the worst company here now!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know what it looks like, I have seen drawings of it!" Diane protests and looks mildly annoyed as Regina seems to question her and the mission.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But at least they have light now, and she stays close to Mandy as they begin venturing deeper into the mining tunnels.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Regina and Hiei scan in their different ways there are several things to pick up. For one, the tunnels go all over the place, in all directions and deep under the village itself. More so, there's ore all throughout the tunnels and in the ground. It's more of the material they found up above on the surface, but there are faint amounts of a different material deeper into the mines.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Geological surveying isn't one of my strong points. These drones aren't outfitted for it either." Rory's woes aren't that severe though.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Particularly since the Saucer drone descends with the rest of the group and opens up some panels, displaying dozens of rather powerful light-emitting SOMETHINGS. They're not LEDs, that's for sure.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"if all we need to do is look for shiny things, that should be simple!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy reaches down to take Diane's hand. Awwww! Oddly enough Mandy probably looks more confident than the girl six years older than her. Se's holding up her makeshift wide-angle 'lens' flashlight, although with the Borg present isn't not achieving much they weren't doing already. Still, might be handy if they end up splitting up?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy hmmms. "...Do you know what the other metal they're mining here is? There's a lot of it..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I don't know what most of anything is down there, but at least I know there's lots of ore." Hiei answers with a shrug of his shoulders. "It seems like there's different ore deeper into the mine, but I don't know enough about any of this to identify it. I'm sure they'll be more helpful. I can at least navigate." He motions to the Borg.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina smirks lightly as Diane responds with annoyance. "A drawing? I hope it was a color drawing." Regina says as she and her drones continue scanning. "These tunnels are extensive." she says as her drones fan out a bit, moving a short distance down several tunnels. Regina's head turns toward a certain reading. Regina nods in agreement with Hiei. "There seems to be a different reading further into the tunnels, particularly in that direction." Regina says, pointing down one of the tunnels. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Without really waiting for the others, Regina and her drones start down the indicated tunnel.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gratefully, Diane holds tightly onto Mandy's hand. "I do not know..." she answers, though she does keep closer to Hiei. Perhaps it's better to stay close to the fighters down here, they do not know where to go after all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when Regina begins walking, she isn't slow to follow her, hoping the others aren't slow either.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More ore can be seen as they head on down the tunnel. Yet as they venture on... is that a faint rumbling? A growl echoes throughout the area...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane yelps and pulls Mandy closer to her, eyes wide in horror. "What was that?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy is quick to follow Diane! ... Obviously. They're holding hands.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As that rumble and growl sounds out, Mandy steps closer to Diane, trying to stand slightly ahead of ehr while still holding onto her hand. "Mana!" The Gastly promptly swoops around in front of the two girls. "I guess there's a monster down here, huh? Man your world is just FULL of monsters..." You're one to talk, Mandy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason says "I'm in the same boat as Rory but still I might be able to fin something still." <br /><br /> She's not made her drone for mining but he's able to find thing maybe his own scanners will luck out but so far there's nothing like what they are looking for at this point. <br /><br /> "That is still something Hiei." <br /><br /> Lyria contiunes her search and foes follow after the cyborg zombies. She's got no idea what they are but her skin's crawling at the sight of them. <br /><br /> "...that sounded like a creature. Remora! Return!" <br /><br /> The snake like drone obye and falls back in with the party once it catches up to them. <br /><br /> "Keep alert, and do not split up."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei suddenly draws his sword in a flash, even though his scabbard is usually completely covered and hidden from sight. He tries to peer, deeply into the abyss of the tunnel with his third eye, but continues walking regardless. "If there's a monster, I'll simply kill it. We can have a picnic when this is over." he says with his typical dark, deadpan humor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rory ends up sticking with Mandy and Diane hwen the growl kicks up. "N-nothing friendly! What kind of beast would live all the way down here?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While her actual body is there with the other girls... the Saucer? It just floats down the tunnels towards the sound, sticking close to the tunnel's ceiling and switching on infrared.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Borg all come to a stop at exactly the same time as the rumble is heard, then each raises their tool arm and the soft whine of energy weapons charging can be heard. The drones form a square in front of Regina, with Regina as the rear central piece, then start walking. She walks in time with them, the many Borg sensors coloring the walls as they scan. "A hostile creature within a cave system. It is doubtful it is predatory. Unless there are rock-creatures within these tunnels." she says as she continues walking. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Remain behind my drones. They will provide cover if anything should attack." Regina adds, looking over her shoulder at the others.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Down the tunnel more rumbling can be heard. In the darkness it might be hard to see at first, but then it becomes clear. Something is coming towards them!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A gaping maw opens, sharp fangs glinting in the light provided by the Confederates. It's hard to see, but it looks like a large, sturdy crocodile with a somewhat short snout. Large enough to swallow a person whole!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane does what Regina tells her to, and she pulls Mandy with her, shrieking in horror as the cave beast advances, heading towards Hiei!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy hmms a bit. "Plenty of things could live down here. Badger Moles, for instance. Or, like, at least a hundred varieties of Pokemon. There's some species of dragon that live in caves, too..." Mandy rambles a bit. But then the beast is heading towards them and things get quite a bit more serious.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She allows herself to be pulled by Diane. "Stay calm! We're surrounded by Elites, nothing's going to happen to you!" she calls above the din of the charging beast. "Mana! If it gets too close, Lick it, okay?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I suppose I would look like a good meal." Hiei says as he suddenly bursts forward in a blur, holding his sword tightly at his side. He tries to launch himself directly into the crocodile's throat rather than deal with the potential of tough outer scales. <br /><br />His intent? <br /><br />He's going to try and cut his way out of its stomach to escape through its back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Borg come to a stop as the crocodilian emerges, then they fan out into a wall of cold cybernetics. Each one raises an arm while Regina unholsters the two plasma pistols at her waist. "Interesting." Regina says to Mandy before the Borg open fire. Volleys of searing green plasma fly toward the beast while the Borg steadily back away, attempting to keep a safe distance. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Hiei launches himself to attack, the Borg concentrate their fire on the head so as to not hit their ally. While that is happening, lasers are scanning the creature, searching for weaknesses, cataloging its biology, and filing the information away for use if they encounter such a creature again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason is now going for her pistols at this point and she opens fire on the thing. <br /><br /> "Remora cover Diane and Mandy." <br /><br /> With that added t owhatever protection they might have? Lyria's going to help Hiei as she fires elementally charged rounds which today happen to be ice. The weapons are fairly rapid fire and hpefully are able to do something to the beast.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unlike the others, Diane is no Elite and certainly not used to danger like this! Absolutely terrified she clings to Mandy and pulls back. "I-it's coming towards us!" she wails!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hiei bursts forward, and he seems to be what the beast focuses on, and it tries to swallow him whole. Only to discover that sharp blades do not go well with sensitive flesh inside mouths. And the green plasma shot from Regina and her drones, and it recoils, bleeding profusely and roaring in pain.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scans show that the creature is indeed tough, its hide rough and stone like. Its belly is the weakest part of its anatomy on the outside. The ice appears to have some effect too as it freezes, cooling its blood and flesh.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though it makes a choking sound before it lowers its head... and then it spits up a vile and reeking fluid. If it hits any of them, a burning sensation should be felt, and as it falls on the ground it sizzles.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acid!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:113|Rose Petal (113)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mandy yelps a bit as Hieie just jumps right into the thing's mouth. "Really?! You're doing THAT?!" But, well. It seems to work. So what room does she have to complain?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the creature throws up ACID, Mandy takes several dozen steps backward, dragging Diane along with her. "I knew I should've brought my breathing mask..!" Fumes, you see.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei immediately kicks back out of the thing's mouth as acid starts pouring out. He's no stranger to acid. the smell, the sight... he didn't expect this thing to have stomach acid -that- strong, though. <br /><br />It lands on his clothes and starts to eat through his entire top, which he tosses off of him, breathing heavily in all of that. <br /><br />He peers down at his arm, which is starting to sizzle and burn, as well as parts of his torso. Now he seems -incredibly- irritated. "Fist of the Mortal Flame!" he shouts, thrusting his fist forward to fire a torrent of flames, about the heat of a blowtorch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Three of the drones are hit with the acid, and while they do not even react it does melt into their armor. After a few moments of melting, sparks start to fly from those drones as circuits are damaged. They shudder and twitch even as they keep firing, then they fall forward as their systems failures become too great to bear. Regina stays safely behind her wall of protective drones, though she is firing around them. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She, unlike her drones, seems rather unhappy about her fallen. But, she says nothing. Words are useless on a creature such as this. Instead, she and her remaining drones just keep firing, focusing on the belly and mouth. The drones continue to back away, since they can shoot plasma from about 100 meters, but this creature is unlikely to be dangerous at longer ranges. Luckily for the Borg, they can survive even in a vaccuum, so a little toxic gas from gastric juices is nothing to worry about.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria takes notice of effect the ice round are having. She keeps shooting now with them hopefully it will keep effecting things as it is. THen comes the acid? Oh just lovely there's acid and she has no easy supply of base to try and deal with it. <br /><br /> Remora meanwhile is moving to act as a barrier between Diane and the monsters clealry intending to use itself as cover for her. <br /><br /> "I'll try to slow them down, just keep laying down the fire go for the mouths if you can!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ACID and giant mouths?!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"F-frightening... what are you doing?!" That WAS to Hiei but apparently Rory didn't need to worry. Her actions mirror Mandy's though. She steps back several times... but also stumbles and gets splattered with it. She doesn't show any signs of pain though, even as her clothes sizzle and flesh does likewise. All she does is try to scrub it off where she can and keeps backing up...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'll look awful in a bit, but it's unlikely to damage anything more than skin-deep.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upright again, she extends an arm. The flesh splits open as a tiny tube extends... and fires a micro-missile! Several more soon follow!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yeah, that's probably going to hurt.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stench causes Diane to cough and reach up to shield her mouth and her nose with her hand. Within these confined tunnels the air is not about to get any fresher!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fire that is thrown towards the crocodile beast causes it stagger backwards, having its mouth burnt. The ice too slows the beast down a fair bit and pulls back, though its tail is in the way as it struggles to back up more and get away from the attacks.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Again it hacks up another round of acid, aiming for Hiei and Lyria! Just in time for Rory's micro missiles to hit it, and it halts the attack.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Further scans do show something though... is that something glimmering INSIDE the large beast's mouth?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei tries to concentrate his flames on the second burst of acid to keep it from entirely consuming his body. But he can't block it all, and still finds acid burning his arms and even landing on parts of his face occasionally. <br /><br />He looks back at the others momentarily, primarily Diane and Mandy. "You two stay as far back away as possible!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As the thing opens its mouth again, Regina's eyes focus on that glimmer. "Hmm...perhaps this creature does eat rock." she says, then she reaches down and collects a plasma grenade from her belt. She activates it, causing it to let out a little chime, then throws it toward the creature, aiming for its mouth. She is hoping that it will swallow the grenade, or at least catch it with its mouth. "Staying far back is good advice." she agrees as she steps behind a drone. "You may want to step away as well, Hiei." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The explosion from the grenade is powerful enough to shake the tunnel, and what isn't harmed by the explosion may be burned by her own form of acid. Namely, sticky burning hot plasma. The effect is fairly localized, though, so only those very close to the creature might get burned by the plasma. Like...Hiei for instance. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina looks to Diane as the grenade explodes. "The creature had a lustrous material in its mouth. Considering the creature expelled acid, and that we have been hitting it with extreme tempuratures, it is likely that is the material we came here to find."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason has goggles on but she's got no time to put them down over her eyes. She's forced to stop shooting for the moment, so she's not turned into pile of steaming goop by the acid. She hits the groundf hard and then gets the warning to get back. She's got an idea of where this is going, she starts to falls back shooting again as she goes. She doesn't noticve just how close the acid was to getting her. Then Regina calls out just what she's found in the thing's mouth. <br /><br /> "If we can bring this thing down we can get hopefully what we need and leave!" <br /><br /> Remoral meanwhile is contiuning to act as a barrier to protect Mandy and Diane as needed. While Lyra is snapping off a few more shots as she back pedals.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With her Ai-assisted scanners pinging up an interestin find, Rory quickly blurts, "Confirmed sighting of SOMETHING shiny within the creature's maw! ... Are we REALLY going to risk it that way?! I don't have any more micromissiles..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So instead she brings the laser rifle around and takes some potshots. They'll probably not be very effective...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It would've ben easier to simply test available materials first..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane can only nod at this point, wrapping her arms around Mandy and trying to shield the younger girl despite her fear at the beast that threatens them!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The thrown plasma grenade flies through the air, and sure enough it doesn't go unnoticed by the tunnel beast as it chomps down on it. In that very instant the grenade goes off, and the entire tunnel shakes from the blast!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rocks and debris go everywhere, along with guts and acid that will surely sting a lot if it hits anybody who was too slow to seek cover.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane groans as she pushes herself up, having been thrown over by the blast and the rocks. There's blood running down the side of her face, and she winces and she makes sure Mandy is okay. Then she turns her attention back to the others and the beast... who is barely breathing at this point, its blood pooling on the floor of the tunnel.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Hiei immediately runs back toward Diane and Mandy when Regina mentions getting out of the way. He does his best to deflect rocks with his sword, but he can't keep them all away as Diane gets blown back. He does, however, do his best to shield them from the acid, which burns his arms and even wears down his sword a bit. "Ugh... I hate acid..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina's drones standfast as the explosion rocks the tunnel. They are pelted by rocks and acid and intrails, but emerge alive, if a bit melted and dented and bleeding. "That would be easier..." she agrees with Rory, "...but, as this creature was already attempting to kill us, it is like humans say, 'two birds with one stone'." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the creature is down, Regina and her drones move toward it. The drones lead the way, of course, just in case this thing has any strength left to fight. If it does not, the drones move to finish it off with plasma shots to the head. "Are all of you still functioning?" Regina asks the others. Her eyes move over them, taking stock of their injuries. She pauses a moment, then twitches her head ever so slightly. And...atop her shoulder, a small glow of green light appears. In that glow forms...a shinki? A nurse-type shinki by the looks of it. "Queen Regina! You actually summoned me!" the little shinki says happily, then looks around. "Oh my! Injuries! I will take care of those right away!" the little nurse says a bit too cheerfully. And with that giant syringe in her hands, it doesn't make things any better. "Now, who needs treatment first?" the shink asks before gasping at Diane. "Oh no! A head injury!" She zips over on fluttering wings that seem to be made of a pair of swords.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason is now dusting herself off at this point as the thing seems to be down. IF that metal surived the plasma grenade? Clearly it's the thing they are after they are going to have to find out at this point. She gets up to move towards the creature, he pistol held ready. <br /><br /> "I have some healing potions if they are needed." <br /><br /> She's not going to count the monster dead just yet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rory White's not looking too hot. Her outfit's scorched and melted weirdly in places, flesh has been eaten away to show metal... the flesh is also BLEEDING in places but this doesn't seem to be causing her any kind of pain. Even if some of the metal's sparking she's only made cursory pokes at some of it. "Minor damage. Easily repaired! Hopefully nobody else is injured..." She's not really sure, because SOMEONE WENT AND GOT NEARLY EATEN earlier.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Just as she's getting up though... KABOOOOM!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she's smashed with a boulder coming in too fast for her to see it. The sheer force knocks her into a wall. There's a horrible proest of screaming metal and electronics that leaves one leg in terribly bad shape and a rather startled-looking Rory struggling to shove the boulder off... "That could've gone beter. Not so minor!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Are you okay?!" Diane sounds extremely worried as she notices Hiei doing his best to shield her and Mandy from the blast, and the sight of his arms sizzling as well as seeing the acid run down the edge of his sword... it does make her realise just how dangerous this situation was. Regina's question does make the teenager tear her eyes away from Hiei, and she nods. "Y-yeah, we're fine..." Relatively fine anyway. When the shank appears though she looks confused. At least until the little nurse is heading her way with a huge syringe. "Oh, I'm fine! It's nothing, I...!" She's had enough crazy for tonight, thank you!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It doesn't appear that the best is any shape to fight as it lets out a final shuddering breath. It lies still, and upon scanning further it should be clear that there is a large amount of purified mineral lining its stomach.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'll live." is Hiei's answer to Diane, staring down at his sword with a deeper frown rather than paying attention to his wounds. "Now I have to find a way to get my sword repaired." he says with an incredible amount of irritation. "Did we at least get the rock?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason is alive, she's intact mostly and she looks to the beasts as Remora seems to be wanting to get near the bodies. <br /><br /> "With the way Remora's acting we may very well have it." <br /><br /> She looks to the borg queen tilting her head. <br /><br /> "You have the better set up for this, anything from the corpse?" <br /><br /> She's not about to stick her hand in it given the acid, they need to find a way to deal with that to get the prize if it is in there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The tunnel's inhabitants are treated to another high-pitched whine of protesting mechanical parts as Rory finally shuffles free and promptly topples to the ground , landing on her knees. One leg's utterly smashed, the other's heavily damaged. Both arms seem to be in good shape. If she was a human the leg might very well be a writeoff.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This expedition did not benefit much from my presence. Hopefully it was a success. What happened to the original plan of checking available materials and augmenting them with magic?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The shinki pouts as Diane declines her help, so she floats over to Hiei instead. "What about you? You look hurt!" she says, entirely too cheerfully again. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Regina seems to have practically forgotten the others. As she sees the readings from the creature's stomach, she looks to one of her drones, who holds up his weapon arm and produces a circular saw. Which, he then starts using to slice the creature's belly open. Another drone moves to stand in front of where the opening should appear, and a faint shimmering of green forms around the belly of the creature. A force field, designed to prevent acid from spraying out if and when they breach the creature's stomach. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Indeed." Regina answers Lyria. "The readings indicate that this creature's body contains what we suspect is the mineral Diane has been searching for. Purified by the creature's stomach acid."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:741|Pius Athanor (741)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh oh!" Diane looks startled as she spots Rory, and she hurries over. "Will you be okay?!" It's a good thing Rory isn't human, then she can be fixed, right? The mission was indeed a success despite their injuries, and Diane nods her head a little. "Yeah, it seems that we found the mineral..." Four out of five reagents have been found and retrieved. Which means they only lack one.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stomach is easily sliced open, and with the beast mostly torn to bits by the explosion it's easy to get to the stomach itself. There's a fair bit of mineral in there too, and surely enough that Regina can have some of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Diane lets out a sigh, then does her best to help Rory up. "We need to get her back... though thank you all, for helping. I'll tell my brother to give you extra compensation for it. And to cover any repairs you need, Rory," she quickly adds as she gives Rory an apologising look.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:772|Hiei (772)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Heal my acid burns." Hiei says without any hesitation, continuing to stare at her sword, which, again, is still his primary concern. "Well, I'm not getting paid for this, so once my wounds are healed, I'm leaving."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:222|Regina of Borg (222)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yay!" the little shinki says as she injects Hiei. His wounds start to knit almost immediately as the Borg nanites that the shinki has repurposed for healing get to work. He might feel a bit of tingling as they repair him. Regina, after taking a decent sample of the mineral, calls out to the shinki. "Britt. It is time to go. Any of you who wish it may ride aboard my ship to the nearest safe outpost." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any who accept that invitation would be engulfed by a shimmering green light, and would slowly fade away as they are transported to the Borg ship while the Borg themselves suffer the same fate.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lyria Mason says "Good news then. We can get the metal then get out of here. So shall we get what we're here for then leavet his place?" <br /><br /> She pauses for a moment moving to toss a potion to Hiei. <br /><br /> "Catch, this won't do everything but it will help." <br /><br /> She sighs and now goes to do what she can to help with the others. Though with the nanites the potion might not be needed. Lyria would just walk herself out. She's just too creeped out by the borg.<br> <br>


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