Sekani wakes and finds himself strapped down and unable to move. He remembers his companion, lost long ago because Sekani was too afraid to save him. Since then he's tried to get over his COWARDICE, but it's been an uphill battle. Everything's so scary!

He looks around. His MYSTERIOUS(LY SEXY?) ASSAILANT appears to be napping on the floor. It looks like his STUFF is also on the ground. Sekani curses Elbereth for failing him.

What should he do?

Find a cutting tool and use it to engrave Elbereth on the floor. Huzzah for Nethack references.

>Retrieve STUFF. Take ASSAILANT'S STUFF, too. Try to sneak out.

OOC: But we can't move[/ooc]

WHOOPS my bad.

OOC: NOOOOO THE KITTY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Well, we aren't dead, that's always a good start. If the Lian wanted to kill us, we'd be dead right now, so maybe we should try waking her and convinceing her we're not a threat and just want to go home.

But maybe we should try to get out on our own first.[/ooc]

>Curse the bad nightmares
>Test the limits of being unable to move. Maybe the restraints aren't so night we can't slide out from underneath them. Or maybe they aren't too terribly strong and we can break them!

OOC: What are those restraints made of, anyway?[/ooc]

Figure out in head when the numerical value of a Fahrenheit temperature is larger than the value of a Kelvin temperature

REST as much as possible to recover strength while WAITING for MYSTERIOUS ASSAILANT to wake.

THANK HER for not killing you if she does wake.

>this if we can't seem to get out.

Seconding REST and WAIT.

Ugh.

Check PANTS.

That must be so uncomfortable.

WHY AM I SUBMITTING COMMANDS TO MY OWN--

[HEY

HEY SLINK

YOU FORGOT YOUR OOC BRACKETS GENIUS]

OOC: He doesn't need them, all of his comments are OOC[/ooc]

[I'm just givin him guff cuz he keeps whinin about it.]

[I CAN TELL THAT MY OWN COMMENTS AREN'T COMMANDS YOU JERK


AND I WASN'T WHINING.]

>Retrieve STUFF. Take ASSAILANT'S STUFF, too. Try to sneak out.
>Test the limits of being unable to move. Maybe the restraints aren't so night we can't slide out from underneath them. Or maybe they aren't too terribly strong and we can break them!
Sekani tries to move. He can wiggle his right arm slightly, but his left arm is too wounded to move and the straps are too tight to struggle out of. He can't escape.


>REST as much as possible to recover strength while WAITING for MYSTERIOUS ASSAILANT to wake.

Sekani decides to rest for just a little while longer...


....


>Check PANTS.
Once awake, Sekani realizes he's not feeling all that uncomfortable. Further inspection shows that his "Inventory" is completely empty! She must have taken all his items from his pants, which means...


Wow. That's quite an invasion of privacy.


>THANK HER for not killing you if she does wake.

Seems she's awake now. Sekani thanks her for not killing him. She says she's... not a murderer. She was acting in self defense, but realized that somebody who pees their pants twice in one conversation is not very threatening. She tied him up to be safe.

She asks him about the MAP she found in his belongings.

Ask her why she stole the items from his pants if they were soaked in urine. Compliment her tits.

"What map?"

OOC: Crap, if she found the map, she probably found the ID card too, so there's no real point lying about not being a soldier...[/ooc]

>Explain that he was using the GPS to navigate and didn't realize it wasn't working properly until he was hopelessly lost. He was trying to use the map to get back when he got shot down.

>Ask her why she stole the items from his pants if they were soaked in urine
She says that she had to be sure he wasn't concealing any weapons and, after a short pause, admits that she is very glad one of the showers is working properly.


>"What map?"



>Explain that he was using the GPS to navigate and didn't realize it wasn't working properly until he was hopelessly lost. He was trying to use the map to get back when he got shot down.

She notes that this "Facility" is exactly where Sekani would crash land from following this path, so it'd be quite a coincidence if he got lost and happened to go the right way. Also it's kind of pointing to a Lian settlement and going "TARGET" and everything.

Sekani fumbles for an explanation. Seeing his hesitation, she tells him he doesn't have to worry about lying to her.

It's okay if he was going to visit his Lian lover.

What?

PLAY ALONG WITH IT

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLAY ALONG WITH IT.

>Act embarrassed and say he was trying not to let her know of his.... peculiarity.

[No no that won't work we already complimented her tits.]

Break down in tears talking about wishing you could see her, how the nights are empty without her at your side, how you love her so much you were willing to risk your life to see her just one more time, even if you got caught by the Lian authorities and executed for it.

OOC: I was thinking that could just be attributed to stress, and he was trying to cover it up with his GPS story.

I don't think it -won't work so much as isn't as strong as your idea, which I support more[/ooc]

>Instead of what's posted above, since we're going with Guin's bit... Introduce yourself, and ask for her name!

> Become embarrassed, but say nothing and instead INITIATE SUBJECT CHANGE!
Tell her your name and ask if she can let you out, as you hurt, and would rather like to get yourself cleaned up after the incident.

[Better let her assume than outright lie; it'll be too hard to keep up later if we offer too much false information we could accidentally contradict.]

OOC: I guess it's time for me to jump ship and change whose plans I root for again!

Do this! Yoiko's right, we've already dug ourselves deep enough with lies, but if she absolutely must know what we're doing, I guess then we can lie =|a [/ooc]

>SPUTTER WILDLY AND DENY EVERYTHING

>Act embarrassed and say he was trying not to let her know of his.... peculiarity.
>Become embarrassed, but say nothing and instead INITIATE SUBJECT CHANGE!
Tell her your name and ask if she can let you out, as you hurt, and would rather like to get yourself cleaned up after the incident.
>SPUTTER WILDLY AND DENY EVERYTHING
>FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLAY ALONG WITH IT.
Sekani doesn't know what to do!!!

He breaks down into tears. "Hey-- hey! It's okay!"



"We can work together to get out of here and back to our loved ones! I believe you, really! I'll untie you, so please don't cry!"

Sekani has put on such a good show of being pathetic that she's really feeling sorry for him at this point.


She removes her cowl, presumably to appear less threatening.

Sekani thanks her, and introduces himself. She says her name is Amiel. Sekani is still recovering from his breakdown. He would very much like to get the pee out of his pants.

Take SHOWER.

Consider options for acquiring new legwear.

Wash STRETCHY PANTS in shower too.
But bring the BLANKETS with you, because that shower is going to be crazy cold from the lack of heater. It will be needed for later SNUGGLING AND DRYING.

OOC: Man, I didn't think about the shower at all. That's great Of course, one's broken, but hopefully the other's still fine.

May as well still use the theoretical laundry machine, if it exists, though. Assuming we have a working dryer. No point in throwing it in the wash only to have it be SOAKING WET for hours.[/OOC]

Hug A- no, too obvious

Ask how much of the place she's explored, or if there happens to be a laundry machine nearby.

>Ask how much of the place she's explored, or if there happens to be a laundry machine nearby.

Amiel says she's seen most of the rooms in this building except the COMMAND ROOM. She's been trying to open the door to the RECREATION BUILDING to the north in hopes of finding more clues about this place. She has not seen any LAUNDRY MACHINES.

>Take SHOWER.
>Wash STRETCHY PANTS in shower too.
>But bring the BLANKETS with you, because that shower is going to be crazy cold from the lack of heater. It will be needed for later SNUGGLING AND DRYING.

W-why is Sekani thinking about this? He was fibbing about having a thing for Lians, wasn't he...?



Sekani decides to utilize the SHOWER to wash his clothes. Amiel acts strangely as he disrobes, and turns away. Tezakians bathe together all the time in COMMUNITY BATHS, but Lians probably don't do likewise.

She asks if he'd prefer her to stay here for company, or if he'd feel more comfortable with her going outside.

[But Amiel, he's an avian! It's not like you can readily see anything. And come to think of it, aren't you a reptile? Also, haha, I just imagined the community baths being epic huge bird baths.]

> WHAT A STRANGE QUESTION. Glance at her curiously; realize she is red in the face. INQUIRE if she is feeling well. What if she has a fever!? OH NOES!

Feel her forehead to check for fever.

Ignore that you are nude while doing this.

OOC: Of course she's not, she has mammaries!

It doesn't say anywhere I can find if they're mammals or reptiles, so I've been assuming mammal for awhile now.

Also, wow. A blush through feathers. He must be really embarrassed![/ooc]

>Sing Carameldansen in shower.

[I've always thought mammaries on reptilian characters was more a feature of anthropomorphism than a suggestion of a change in classification.

The point is rather moot; they're all fantasy creatures anyway.]

OOC: Yeah, I know, I was just teasing ?

I could honestly see it either way. Spines aren't exclusive to reptiles, and it's kind of ambiguous.

Maybe they're reptimals =O[/ooc]

[In recent times I've been trying to play Reptile Races more straight in ...certain regards (see, Slissa. Although no longer cold blooded because apparently that comes with COMPLICATIONS.)

The Tezakians are also played straight (no boobs on the female!).

The Lian aren't actually reptilian. They have very fine hair that I probably won't ever worry about drawing cause I barely draw the fur on fluffy races anyway!

That they look like how I usually draw dwaggies is a combination of style simplification and style... limitations :( ]

[Aww, but being ectothermic is awesome!]

[Sadly ectothermic systems don't allow for the development of complex organs or brain function. Basically, if you want stuff that can be sapient, you need an endothermic system.

Explanation courtesy Slink begging me to step in for him.]

[I DIDN'T BEG!!!]

[Okay okay, fair enough. You didn't beg.

You demanded.]

[LOOK I DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE ANSWER OKAY I ADMIT IT ARE YOU HAPPY

I just remember you going "BAD IDEA DUDE BAD IDEA"

WHY DID YOU NAME ME DUDE >| ]

[Um.

Because I always name the protagonist Dude.]

[oh right thaaat's why I removed the ability to name characters from Beyond Lunch >| ]

[Couldn't possibly be because the rename function in RPGmaker doesn't work in English XD]

[...it doesn't?

BRB TESTING THIS]

OOC: Shouldn't you be updating cause you got 3 commands? =O[/ooc]

[You sure have been demanding lately. In the end my updates come "When I feel like it".]

OOC: Hopefully you'll forgive me for that one. I have a bad habit of not knowing when to quit about reminding people for things (ask Guin, he may remember a time ages ago where I couldn't stop reminding him about stuff). I've gotten better about it... sort of. I tend to UNDER remind people now in hopes that I won't incur the wrath of over reminding people, but sometimes I think to myself "jee, Bugle, you sure do under remind people too much, maybe you should remind them more," and, well, I tend to over shoot the target again =|

The best way to handle this is to just tell me to back off... much like you just did =D"

[I'm not going to need reminding to update. If I don't update it will almost always be because I either feel kind of bad, I'm napping, or something more important has my attention. Despite the vote of STRENUOUS I'm just going to go with the flow and update when it feels right, because otherwise my art style really suffers (see the last images of chapter 1). By default, I have drawn at most three or four times a month. My hand lacks the MANLINESS to do such huge marathons and I'm kind of forcing it!]

OOC: Good to know =Db[/ooc]

OOC: What, even Crono? =( [/ooc]

[...No but if I could find my CT disc I so would.]

[I am personally always fascinated about where people will draw their lines and suspensions of disbelief in fantasy.]

OOC: It is an interesting subject, to be sure! In my experience, it usually boils down to "What I like," though it can often be far more complicated than that. In the end, though, we're just going to have to admit that everyone's tastes are different and thus so will everyone's lines.

>WHAT A STRANGE QUESTION. Glance at her curiously; realize she is red in the face. INQUIRE if she is feeling well. What if she has a fever!? OH NOES!

Amiel says she's fine. She was just asking is all. Sekani doesn't know how to feel about her being concerned about him, after threatening to kill him and knocking him out. Maybe she's ill?

>Feel her forehead to check for fever.
>Ignore that you are nude while doing this.

Sekani asks if she's feeling okay. She looks like she might have a fever!
She says she's TOTALLY FINE AND HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HER HONEST.

Sekani checks her forhead.

Hmm. It feels pretty warm. She might be coming down with something.
She insists she's fine and that he should go take a shower right away and she'll just wait here for him and she's totally fine with him being naked it's absolutely no problem at all.

He doubts her sincerity.

>Leave the poor girl alone and go take that shower

> She is acting pretty funny about this. Genuinely ask if Lians bathe with their clothes on.

Yes, this.

Also since nudity does not seem to bother good ol Sekani:

Wash PANTS. Remain PANTSLESS until they have dried.

>Wonder if nudity = fanservice, even though nothing's showing.

>Wave to fangirls. (and boys)

>She is acting pretty funny about this. Genuinely ask if Lians bathe with their clothes on.
Sekani decides to get to the bottom of this.

Amiel says of course not! Lians only bathe together if they're children, or for romantic purposes. This is the first time she's seen a naked male, so of course she'd be a little nervous!


>Leave the poor girl alone and go take that shower
>Wash PANTS. Remain PANTSLESS until they have dried.

Sekani says it's okay, their race is just used to it. He also notes that his feathers are covering anything bad, so she isn't technically seeing anything worrying. He heads back to the shower and prepares to wash both himself and his pants.




What the hell!?


Sekani immediately turns off the shower. He can't see and his eyes are in incredible pain! What should he do?

>"AUGH WHAT HAPPENED! AMIEL! HELP!"

>"I CAN'T SEE"

Ask her to clean us off with her tongue.

Use the other shower?!

M-MAYBE WE JUST GOT THE BROKEN ONE

> PANIC
Even if the other one is broken, the dripping should be enough to clean eyes, right? RIGHT?

And if the other shower and sinks all fail/also run blood

Cry.

REOCCURING THEME: SEKANI CRYING

[It'd be marginally helpful in this case!

You know, getting blood out of our eyes and all.]

>"AUGH WHAT HAPPENED! AMIEL! HELP!"
>"I CAN'T SEE"

She sounds very surprised and asks what happened.
Sekani says the shower was blood instead of water. She asks which knob he turned, and he says he turned them both. She says the shower was fine for her but she only used cold water. She'll get his eyes cleaned right away.


>Use the other shower?!
>M-MAYBE WE JUST GOT THE BROKEN ONE
>Even if the other one is broken, the dripping should be enough to clean eyes, right? RIGHT?

She says it's okay-- water is now flowing from the shower instead of blood. She helps Sekani in the stall, saying she'll help clean him so don't worry.

>Ask her to clean us off with her tongue.
Tempting. Wait, no it's not!


Sekani feels a cloth rubbing his face. She must have had one on-hand, thankfully. The pain slowly fades from his eyes, and for some reason he feels... safe. That can't be right. Lians are the enemy, aren't they?

Thank Amiel for her help.

Once our eyes are clean enough to see, continue shower.

Note to self: Figure out later why the hot water runs blood.

>Try best you can to get blood out of pants =( They're probably perma ruined, though.

One might say it's... hot-blooded.


YEEEEEEEAAAAH!

Note that they have some pretty scary plumbing around here! Also ask Amiel if she knows of any races with acidic blood or something.

> Check the window with the solar powered water heater. See if you can find what it connects to because WHY IS THERE BLOOD IN THE SHOWER this is an outrage.

>Thank Amiel for her help.

"You're welcome."

Sekani manages to remove the blood from his body and pants. Thankfully nothing was permanently stained. The shower's pretty cold, but he's just glad he doesn't smell like pee anymore. Getting rid of the blood is a nice bonus.

After the shower, they set their clothes on top of the door leading outside so the sun could dry them. Amiel acted kind of strange for a while, but a bigger concern hit Sekani before he could ask her what was bothering her.



SEKANI IS SO INCREDIBLY COLD.


>Note that they have some pretty scary plumbing around here! Also ask Amiel if she knows of any races with acidic blood or something.

Amiel shoots him an odd look. She says that there's no races with that property, and asks if he's feeling all right. He says he's just kind of tired after all he's been through.

>AMIEL KISS SEKANI

> Wait, Sekani imagined this happening earlier, didn't he?
Attempt to activate psychic powers!

>Apologize for getting Amiel's clothes all wet and putting her in what must be an awkward situation for her =(
>Use blanket to warm up and dry off and stop being so uncomfortable, the put on FASHIONABLE STRETCHY PANTS, SENTIMENTAL ARMBAND, and AWESOME BANDANA OF BADASSERY (marking facing outwards) again, assuming Amiel didn't throw the bandana or armband away or something.

>Wait until clothes are dry to don them, for goodness' sake.

OOC: Oh right. Well, I guess I was assuming they'd dry when we did

Only the pants are wet, though, thankfully.[/ooc]

[Amiel's clothes are soaked too now though XD]

OOC: but that's not a part of the subset of pants, armband, and bandana![/ooc]

Actually scratch that:

Complete quest naked.

Not naked.

... We need our headband back.

Point conceded.

Seriously though:

Inquire as to what she's doing here.

Yeah, how'd she get in? She can't fly like Sekani, and the Lians never hang out in the desert! :O

>Also how she got into that locked room in the first place!

>Apologize for getting Amiel's clothes all wet and putting her in what must be an awkward situation for her =(
Amiel insists that this is not awkward and she's perfectly okay and he shouldn't worry about her at all.

>Inquire as to what she's doing here.
>Also how she got into that locked room in the first place!

Amiel explains that she was originally sent out into the desert as part of a typical patrol to look for infiltrators or other threats to the Lian homeland. Her company was attacked by a Sand Beast and they got separated. She wandered around and managed to find this place. She entered the FRONT GATE, in hopes of finding water, when it closed behind her. She was kind of hoping Sekani was the one who closed it, but it must be automated.

She found a HIGH LEVEL SECURITY KEYCARD in the desk located in the RECEPTION AREA. When she heard footsteps, she ran to the MEDICAL ROOM, locked the door, and hid.

She's kind of glad he didn't turn out to be an enemy. She needs to find out the true nature of this place. If it's a potential threat, it's her duty to ensure it is destroyed. If Sekani promises not to fly off and leave her alone, she will help him get the MEDICAL ROBOT repaired.



Sekani promises without even consulting his guiding voices.


>Attempt to activate psychic powers!

Sekani concentrates!


>AMIEL KISS SEKANI
Amiel is an indirect--

Uh...



Amiel quickly apologizes and says she doesn't know what got into her. She was just happy to hear she wouldn't be alone here. Sekani is very confused. Did that actually work, or was it very good timing?

Once your clothes are dry, don them and head back to the medical room and try to get that medibot running.

OOC: Apparently Sekani has the psychic ability to impose his cross species fetish on others... maybe he should make a mental note to try that out later, maybe it can get him out of a jam.

I have nothing useful to contribute since Guin more or less said it all. BUT MAKE SURE WE PUT BACK THE BANDANA AND ARMBAND[/ooc]

This! If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

Maybe this is all coincidence.
Maybe there was something in that syringe.

[There was obviously something in the syringe since the plunger was down and it was empty BUT WE MUST FIGURE OUT WHAT.]

OOC: Love potion![/ooc]

[Even if Sekani hadn't promised to stay, he can't really leave until he knows what it was and if we can do anything about it.]

>Heck, while we're still waiting, may as well strike up a conversation. Compare notes about what we know and don't know. Also, ask if she has any idea what could have been in the syringe... or if she knows were it went, when it disapeared?

An hour passes, and the clothes become dry enough to wear. Amiel thanks the desert heat, and Sekani realizes that they could have just waited outside and not have been that cold. Then again, Amiel would probably have exploded at the concept of running around naked for an hour.



They don their clothes. Sekani's smaller wounds have healed a bit, and his wing no longer needs to be dressed. His arm still hurts and he can't fly, though. Amiel says she'll help him get the robot working.

She takes a huge risk in doing that-- Sekani could easily fly away and leave her trapped. Why's she trusting him? He feels so conflicted. All his life he's been told that Lians were cruel and heartless, wanting nothing more than to eradicate Tezakians from existence. Why is she different?

He may decide to fly off later, but for now he'll see this through.

Amiel has become Sekani's friend! He can now suggest commands to her.


>Once your clothes are dry, don them and head back to the medical room and try to get that medibot running.

They head back to the MEDICAL ROOM. The MEDICAL ROBOT remains in STANDBY MODE. Should they turn it on, or try to disarm it first?

NEVER MIND ALL THAT I JUST REMEMBERED THAT THING IN THE HOLE.

Tell Amiel to see if she can retrieve whatever's in that mousehole out front.

OOC: She has shorter arms, how could she reach it?[/ooc]

HER PREHENSILE TAIL, DORK

OOC: Which is just about as long as Sekani's arms[/ooc]

[-eyebrow- no, it is quite a bit longer]

>Disarm, definitely disarm first.

>Also, ask what Amiel has in her inventory (And how much she can carry)

> DISARM
If it cannot be disarmed without the pair suspecting something could break, use the straps that kept Sekani down and wrap the MEDICAL ROBOT'S arms to itself.

Remember to tell Amiel we named the MEDICAL ROBOT Grasshopper.

Grasshopper! :D

>Tell Amiel to see if she can retrieve whatever's in that mousehole out front.

The mouse-hole was too thin for Sekani's BEEFY WING ARM to get very far, but Amiel believes she can reach it with her PREHENSILE TAIL.



Amiel reaches into the hole and manages to get a grip on the strange item within.



Neither Amiel nor Sekani have any idea what this thing is. It doesn't look dangerous, so they decide to hold onto it for now. Amiel adds it to her INVENTORY.

>>Ask what Amiel has in her inventory (And how much she can carry)
Amiel is able to hold up to three things in her INVENTORY. The only other item she has is her DEADLY WEAPON.

Sekani is able to hold two things. His pants can also store two items, but they can't be SHARP or HEAVY. At least, he'd be extremely reluctant to shove sharp things in his pants.


>DISARM
>DISARM
>Hey dude consider disarming.

The arms cannot be removed! They strip the robot of anything that could cause them harm. It looks kind of cute without all its MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS.


They activate the MEDICAL ROBOT.

"SLEEP_MODE_OFF.
PLEASE_ENTER_COMMAND."

Enter, uhh... "Perform first-aid" and hold out your wing?

>"Explain duties"

Oh yeah this is better. This.

>"RETRIEVE ARMS FROM TABLE"

Assign name: Grasshopper!

And then maybe get to fixin' that wing.

>"RETRIEVE ARMS FROM TABLE"

Everyone's arms are still attached, silly-pants!


>Assign name: Grasshopper!

"NEW_NAME_SET"
Its eyes light up-- literally. Sekani thinks it likes its new name.

>"Explain duties"

The MEDICAL ROBOT explains that it is designed to assist anyone who is sick or injured. It is capable of healing over 2,300 diseases and injuries. Its eyes turn blue.
"ERROR_MISSING_TOOLS"
Sekani swears he heard a tinge of sadness in the robot's mechanical voice.

Return tools, ask Grasshopper for first aid.

>Suggest Amiel be prepared to act in case something goes wrong, but proceed with the treatment.

Ask Grasshopper for his version information - including any info on his creators that might be stored therein.

>Ask where Amiel's cloaking device went since she only has her gun in her inventory...

>Ask where Amiel's cloaking device went since she only has her gun in her inventory...

Amiel's CLOAKING DEVICE is built into her suit! She thought it was obvious.


>Ask Grasshopper for his version information - including any info on his creators that might be stored therein.

"GRASSHOPER_IS_MODEL_TWO"
It states that it is unit Cxy-45b. It was the second version of MEDICAL ROBOT built after version one went on a rampage and killed everyone.

They most likely fixed that small bug for version two.

It says that its creator was RISHKAHN. It was built in AREA 2. It is programmed with the ability to heal Klis-khar, Lians, Tezakians, and Diubans.

It closes its chest plate. It must have been embarrassing being exposed like that.

>Return tools, ask Grasshopper for first aid.
>Suggest Amiel be prepared to act in case something goes wrong, but proceed with the treatment.

Amiel remains ready to shoot the hell out of Grasshopper should it go on a random rampage. Sekani points to his wound and whines that it hurts a lot and asks if Grasshopper can fix it.

Grasshopper responds that it can, but it is out of LABIATAE GELATIN. They will need to get some from a STORAGE ROOM. The nearest one is in the RECREATION BUILDING.

Amiel notes that she was heading to the command center to open the way to that very building when she... ran into Sekani

tell Grasshopper to just bandage the damn thing and give you some tylenol

also

> Stop whining, you're a MAN, be MANLY

> SUCK IT UP SEKANI. Aren't you a scout? Isn't that like a spy? BE AS RADICAL AS THE JOB TITLE IMPLIES. THIS IS MERELY A FLESH WOUND.

> Also man the fuck up and let the robot test your blood for toxins.

> Get the SYRINGE from our pile of STUFF. Ask if Grasshopper can identify the remains of the STRANGE LIQUID.

[But the syringe disappeared!!]

[I missed that! I thought it was in the backpack. /sob]

[Maybe we should ask Grasshopper if it can identify any toxins in our bloodstream?]

[This is a good alternative! If we can get Sekani to man up enough to give Grasshopper a small blood sample.]

>Make sure the cloaking device didn't get damaged when she got her suit wet in the shower

>Ask if Grasshopper knows anything about the thermo detonator strange thingy from the mousehole.

>Also, ask if Grasshopper is mobile and can come with them while they look for stuff... you know, after they leave the room.

>And while we're at it, ask if Amiel's suit can do anything else awesome besides cloaking!

>Stop whining, you're a MAN, be MANLY
>SUCK IT UP SEKANI. Aren't you a scout? Isn't that like a spy? BE AS RADICAL AS THE JOB TITLE IMPLIES. THIS IS MERELY A FLESH WOUND.
>Also man the fuck up

Sekani is a manly man! His arm just really hurts and he's had to run around with it for hours now! Any lesser man would be reduced to tears! But not Sekani. He is so manly he only cried twice.



Grasshopper takes a sample of Sekani's blood from his wound, and applies a bandage. The LABIATAE GELATIN would also work as a disinfectant, so obtaining it is the best way to ensure the wound is completely healed.


>Let the robot test your blood for toxins.

Grasshopper runs a scan on the BLOOD.
"UNKOWN_ENTITY_DETECTED"
Sekani's blood is tainted by something, but Grasshopper doesn't know what. Whatever is in Sekani's bloodstream is either very obscure, or it was made after Grasshopper was.

>Make sure the cloaking device didn't get damaged when she got her suit wet in the shower
>Ask like 50 questions

The CLOAKING DEVICE is fine.

Grasshopper says that the device from the mouse hole is a BALL OF INCREASED CONTAINING. They will have to ask a terminal for further information.

Grasshopper can't leave the MEDICAL ROOM. It was not programmed to navigate outside of this area.

Amiel says that her suit's only capable of cloaking.

>Ask what the various EYE COLOURS mean.
>Point out that Amiel's CLOAKING DEVICE is really awesome, but mention she should probably conserve power... assuming it's not solar powered or something.
>Look in CABINETS above sink
>Thank Grasshopper, then go to the terminal and prompt "inquire BALL OF INCREASED CONTAINING"

>Ask for a lollipop for being a good boy
>Mentally complain that Amiel's CLOAKING SUIT is way more fashionable than his totally NO LONGER FASHIONABLE STRETCHY PANTS

[Please limit your number of commands. I can't use all these.]

I second checking the cabinets, at least.

And I second inquiring at the terminal about the ball!

Shut up Sekani. You cried twice (THRICE NOW) and then pissed yourself in fear twice. YOU GET NO RIGHT TO BACKTALK.

Agreed on Bugle's suggestions. After those, try to open the COMMAND ROOM.

Hey, a ball of increased containing! That sounds a lot like a bag of holding! Sekani should grease it when he gets his hands/wings/whatever on some, just in case.

Ask Amiel the way to the recreation building.

>Shut up Sekani. You cried twice (THRICE NOW) and then pissed yourself in fear twice. YOU GET NO RIGHT TO BACKTALK.

Sekani has been through a lot, okay!? He's been wounded, frightened, and had a shower bleed on him! He'd like to see anyone not pee a little after all that!


>Ask Amiel the way to the recreation building.

Amiel explains that the Recreation Center is east of their current location. At least, that's what it said on the TORN MAP she saw in the trash can. The STORAGE ROOM would be just south of the REST AREA, which is just past the ENTRANCE.

>Ask what the various EYE COLOURS mean.
Grasshopper explains that it uses them to simulate emotions. It helps soothe patients.


>Look in CABINETS above sink

Stretching for a bit, Sekani manages to get it open.



WHAT THE HELL IS THIS. It looks like it's been dead a very long time. It is surrounded by DRIED BLOOD and its insides seem to be ...missing.

[sjklgdfhfgh]

climb up on the counter and more closely examine cabinet's contents. check the other side too

>SIC MEDIBOT ON HUSK

>Ask Grasshopper if he knows anything about the head =\
>Punch subconscious for constantly making you cry.

> ASK AMIEL IF SHE WOULD PLEASE COME OVER HERE
Not that I suspect that Grasshopper is planning anything dastardly with that clawed hand or anything just ask her to come over okay.

[There will be no updates today. I feel pretty dizzy and woozy. If I feel better later on, I might try for an update anyway.]

[Feeling a little better, but... not better enough. I think I will update once on saturday and once on sunday. People are usually gone all day but my thinking is they can give one command when they get home so we don't wait THREE DAYS for this semi-cliffhanger! Any thoughts?]

Sounds fine to me!

[I don't know if she informed you, but Yoiko will be out for the next two days. I'm sure she wouldn't be upset if you continued ahead a little, but such calls are indeed up to you.]

~Acedes

[She never tells me these things! In fact, I'm surprised she even told you!]

[Well, she doesn't have to tell any of us if she doesn't want to. She is as elusive as the shadows and as swift as the ninja, after all.

I definitely, DEFINITELY (definitely definitely) do not speak for her or in her place though; I just personally didn't want you to fret if player turnout is lessened over the next few days, due to people not being present. My own prerogative, you could say.]

~Acedes

[Asking Yoiko not to vanish mysteriously is like asking a ninja-cat to ...not... vanish mysteriously. IT IS AGAINST THEIR NATURE.

But Yoiko seemed to be into it with the current situation, so I think I will just make ONE SINGLE UPDATE tomorrow so she doesn't miss out on too much. Bugle is also gone all weekend, so it seems like the best course of action!

Besides, I need to rest up to fend off this slight hint of BURNING OUT.]

Thoughts:

Burn out and I kill you.

Work too hard and I kill you.

Bite off more than you can chew and I kill you.

Also, your plan seems just fine. But hey, there's nothing wrong with the WEEKEND CLIFFHANGER. It's a tried and true techniques used by many a webcomic =D

In theory Ralier has one in particular that's going to SLAUGHTER the readers...fufufufufu

i mean uh what

GOD I HATE CLIFFHANGERS >[

...but I can understand the need for an artist to take some time for themselves, so I deal.

>ASK AMIEL IF SHE WOULD PLEASE COME OVER HERE

Sekani desperately tries to get Amiel to move.

He's too late. Amiel lets out a cry.



She steps away from Grasshopper.





"NO_CONTAMINANTS_DETECTED"
Sekani asks if she's okay. Amiel says she's fine. She sounds a little annoyed, but also a little shaken up.

>climb up on the counter and more closely examine cabinet's contents. check the other side too

Sekani's arm is too wounded to effectively climb up, but he opens the other cabinet.
It looks like the rest of the corpse. Amiel tends to her wound until the bleeding stops, then joins him.

Grasshopper says the corpse appears to be the remains of the doctor. It claims it was likely in STANDBY MODE when she was killed, since it has no memory of the murder. Grasshopper betrays no emotion, which is unsurprising for a robot. Sekani knows this, but hearing the robot talk so coldly about the doctor's death makes him feel uneasy.

Praise Grasshopper for taking steps toward the robot revolution by acting outside of given commands.

Well it's a medical robot, ask if it can determine if the cause of death was something other than being TORN TO PIECES, via autopsy. (If there's some plague or something in that thing they should probably find out about it D:)

And if Grasshopper can determine said cause of death, bring PIECES OF DOCTOR over to him!

[I was hoping to avoid having to handle it incase it is plaque or something >_> GRASSHOPPER'S TALLER THAN THEY ARE IT CAN DEAL]

[Oh, well, hey, that too.]

If Grasshopper can get the parts, get him to do it! Otherwise, just wait until we can handle them without not touching them somehow.

>Go to the terminal and prompt "inquire BALL OF INCREASED CONTAINING"

OOC: Slink says the backpack has an inventory of 4, and "in theory" takes up one slot of Sekani's inventory, but let's ask about the ball before adding things to our inventory due to our limited space. Afterwards, I suggest we gather everything before moving on?[/ooc]

> Run back to the showers and get blood from there. Have Grasshopper test it.

OOC: Oh man, I wish I'd thought of that![/ooc]

Sekani asks Amiel to get information on the BALL OF INCREASED HOLDING, and says he'll meet her back here in a minute.


>Run back to the showers and get blood from there. Have Grasshopper test it.

Sekani uses a small plate of glass from Grasshopper's arsenal of medical instruments to obtain a sample of the shower blood.


>Go to the terminal and prompt "inquire BALL OF INCREASED CONTAINING"

According to this, they can use the BALL OF HOLDING to hold most of their items, freeing up their LIMITED INVENTORIES for other things. Only one of them will be able to hold onto the ball at a time, but that will only be an issue if they're not together. Amiel is unwilling to store her DEADLY WEAPON in it, though.


>Have Grasshopper determine CAUSE OF DEATH of the doctor.

Looks like it's already doing just that. Sekani hands Grasshopper the glass plate.




"BLOOD_CONTAMINATED. SEVERE_BREAKDOWN_OF_BLOOD_DETECTED."
The blood has been in the WATER HEATER (Sekani guesses) for a very long time. Whatever is infecting him is also inside the shower blood. Grasshopper is unable to determine if he was infected by the SYRINGE that hit him earlier, or by taking a dip in the shower. Either way, the effects of the CONTAMINANT are unknown.


>Praise Grasshopper for taking steps toward the robot revolution by acting outside of given commands.

Sekani compliments Grasshopper on taking so much initiative. It's like it really has a mind of its own!

Grasshopper... seems pleased? It's hard to tell.

But one thing's for sure. Sekani is contaminated. Grasshopper has no information on what it could be. Sekani considers the very real possibility that this "contaminant" may have killed off everyone in this facility.

His goal is clear. It is imperative that he find a way to cure his "contamination."

[WHY IS THE CONSOLE TELLING US TO RUN AAAAAAA]


HEY YOU GUYS, THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER HALF A ROOM IN THOSE BARRACKS

GO BACK AND CHECK THAT

YES. NEEDS MOAR 'SPLORIN' now that we're all patched up. Er, contamination notwithstanding.

But wait for Amiel to get back first.

Yay for exploring!

Except maybe - ...who said it best, Han Solo?

Yeah, Sekani, you should maybe go meet Amiel at the terminal, since you're done here already. Then you can decide what to do together.

>Yeah, Sekani, you should maybe go meet Amiel at the terminal, since you're done here already. Then you can decide what to do together.
Sekani decides to save some time and just go to meet her at the terminal.

They end up meeting in the hallway. She talks excitedly about the BIC and how it could hold 10 items. 10 items! They wouldn't have to deal with limited inventory space unless they grabbed every single thing in sight! And there's just no way they'd feel compelled to pick up everything.

Sekani smiles a little. He doesn't feel nearly as excited as she does, but watching her go on about the wonders of a tiny ball makes him momentarily forget about his troubles.


>HEY YOU GUYS, THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER HALF A ROOM IN THOSE BARRACKS
>YES. NEEDS MOAR 'SPLORIN' now that we're all patched up. Er, contamination notwithstanding.
>Yay for exploring!

They head to the WEST SIDE of the BARRACKS. There are LOCKERS here, one of which has been dented by an impact. The floor is stained by a strange liquid near one of the lockers. There is also a SEVERED HAND on the floor clutching a PICTURE.

Open whatever lockers you can.

Take a gander at the PICTURE!

Also sniff the strange liquid... carefully. In an attempt to figure out what it is, of course.

> Suddenly become compelled to shove everything into your inventory that isn't bolted to the floor.

Is that a hand attached to the picture?

Yep, as the description says, though it is partially cut off (teehee) due to a transparency goof on my end :(

[Iiiii'm made of all kinds of exhausted and apparently can't properly read or see. /fail]

> Check hand to see if it still has its insides.

>Open whatever lockers you can.

None of them! Sekani thinks that the code from the NOTE would work on one of these, if there was some way to recover the missing segment.


>Also sniff the strange liquid... carefully. In an attempt to figure out what it is, of course.
It hurts Sekani's nose a little bit. The liquid is probably a strong acid or base.


>Check hand to see if it still has its insides.

The hand is empty except for some dried blood. Either the insides have wasted away, leaving the hard outer shell, or something has eaten them from the inside out.


>Take a gander at the PICTURE!

It seems to be more creatures of the STRANGE RACE. Either a parent and their child, or two lovers. There's no telling how much sexual dimorphism these things had.

>Amiel sure likes that ball. Let's put it to use by sticking the backpack full of stuff into it. Nothing can go wrong sticking containers into containers!
>Get NOTEPAD from the other room and show it to Grasshopper to see if his ROBOTIC VISION can check the page below the missing half of the note for PENCIL IMPRINTS that might reveal the code!

OOC: Does that make sense? I'm trying to see if the person wrote the code hard enough to leave indentations on the next piece of paper down, and Grasshopper's robotic vision which might have stuff like a microscope being a doctorbot might be able to read that better than we can.[/ooc]

[You could do that by lightly running a pencil over the next page to see if it left indentations. >_>

Also, was the blood actually RUNNING DOWN THE WALL when we peeked under the poster...?

Also also, they could be siblings! Or just close friends! It's not like they're kissing! :P]

Uh consolidate inventory into ball thingy, ask Amiel what would be best to hold onto of their current items. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FRESH BLOOD.

OOC: I knew there was some trick, but couldn't remember what it was, so didn't bring it up all those ages ago.[/ooc]

Use pencil to check for indentations instead of asking Grasshopper.

[That punched locker is probably the one with the combination, since dude was so RIGHTEOUSLY PISSED about not being able to remember his code.]

> Examine back of photo
> Check under all beds and covers

Consider methods by which to provide Grasshopper a sample of the acid/base to examine.

> The STRANGE RACE doesn't seem to be fond of clothes. At all. Tease Amiel about their nakedness.

Seriously though, get a piece of the SUSPICIOUSLY FUNNY SMELLING clothes from the pile in the previous area so we can have Grasshopper check it later.

>Have Grasshopper check the STRANGE LIQUID too!

>The STRANGE RACE doesn't seem to be fond of clothes. At all. Tease Amiel about their nakedness.

Teehee! Sekani kind of enjoys making her blush uncontrollably.



What? She's gone! So much for THAT idea.


>Check under all beds and covers
Sekani finds nothing of note.


>Examine back of photo

Sekani figures the picture to be a father and son.


>Uh consolidate inventory into ball thingy, ask Amiel what would be best to hold onto of their current items. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FRESH BLOOD.
>Amiel sure likes that ball. Let's put it to use by sticking the backpack full of stuff into it. Nothing can go wrong sticking containers into containers!

Amiel returns. She excitedly announces that their inventory troubles are over. The BIC now holds the following items:
WATER CONTAINER
CONTAINER OF FOOD RATIONS
ANGRY NOTE
PENCIL
BROKEN GPS UNIT
MAP LEADING TO SCOUT DESTINATION LOVER
HIGH SECURITY KEYCARD

Amiel's inventory contains her DEADLY WEAPON

Sekani's inventory contains a shower LOW SECURITY KEY CARD


>Use pencil to check for indentations instead of asking Grasshopper.

Brilliant! Sekani praises himself for being so smart. He uses this COMBINATION on various lockers. Unsurprisingly, the one with a giant dent opens.




It contains a WIRE CUTTER and a BUNDLE OF WIRE. Amiel gleefully adds both to the BIC, bringing its total items to 7 of 10.

OOC: SCORE[/ooc]

>Ask AMiel if Sekani can hold onto the wire cutter as it's the closest thing to a weapon available to him, in case he needs to defend himself or they get split up. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.
>Take samples of the dirty laundry and the STRANGE FLUID to grass hopper for identification!

>Ask AMiel if Sekani can hold onto the wire cutter as it's the closest thing to a weapon available to him, in case he needs to defend himself or they get split up. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.
She obliges, but then says that he shouldn't worry. If anything attacks him, she'll protect him.

Sekani suddenly feels very strange.


>Take samples of the dirty laundry and the STRANGE FLUID to grass hopper for identification!

Grasshopper is unable to determine what the STRANGE LIQUID is. Its database doesn't cover chemistry unrelated to medicine.

Grasshopper explains that the clothes are often worn when visitors of other races show up. Not all races are as comfortable with nudity as the Klis-khar are. The cloth Sekani picked up on the way out contains various bacteria, but there isn't anything abnormal about it.

Amiel says they should probably get to the COMMAND CENTER so they can open the RECREATION BUILDING and get the GELATIN for Sekani's wounded arm.

OOC: OH, RIGHT, the whole NOT DYING thing thanks Amiel.

AND WE DON'T NEED PROTECTION FROM GIRLS, WE'RE A MANLY MAN AND WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR- ow, a splinter, Amiel, make it feel better =([/ooc]

>"LET'S HEAD FOR THE COMMAND CENTER, SANCHO, I mean Amiel."

Hmm. There were three other rooms back in that hallway that we haven't been in yet, though, aside from the command center... But I suppose healing should maybe come first. Ask Amiel if there was anything strange about the command center the last time she was there.

Follow Amiel's suggestion.

>Ask Amiel if there was anything strange about the command center the last time she was there.

She explains that the WIRING is messed up, so the MAIN COMPUTER isn't getting power. She repaired most of it, but was looking for more WIRE to complete the job.


>"LET'S HEAD FOR THE COMMAND CENTER, SANCHO, I mean Amiel."
Amiel doesn't know who Sancho is. Sekani says that it's the Tezakian word for "friend". She seems to buy that.


>Follow Amiel's suggestion.

They enter the COMMAND CENTER. There's a huge obvious panel with wires sticking out of it, and the MAIN SCREEN is currently off. There's also a vent in the wall, presumably to keep the place cool. It isn't doing its job.

Check VENT for SNAKES.

OOC: Well, it's more like sidekick, but close enough[/ooc]

>Use WIRE on WIRES with WIRECUTTERS if necessary.
>Flip switch form off to on.
>MAIN SCREEN TURN ON.

Ask Amiel if she's an engineer/electrician.

>Check VENT for SNAKES.

Sekani peers into the vent, but only sees darkness.


>Use WIRE on WIRES with WIRECUTTERS if necessary.

Doesn't look that easy. The wires have to be connected a specific way to prevent causing DANGEROUS SHORTS when the switch is flipped back on. The wires sticking out of the panel look useless, but Sekani can use his WIRE CUTTERS and BUNDLE OF WIRE to connect wires from the LEFT CONNECTION POINTS to their proper place on the RIGHT.

>Go to TERMINAL, Input INQUIRE COMMAND CENTER MAIN MASTER SWITCH
>Keep inputting similar commands until it's obvious the terminal won't help show the order of wires, or it does show the order of the wires!

> IGNORE BUGLE

> Suggested order to connect wires: If 1 is Red and 2 is Orange and 6 is Violet, proceed as follows:

3 -> Yellow
4 -> Green
5 -> Blue

And once they're connected in this fashion, THROW ZE SWITCH!

>IGNORE BUGLE




>Suggested order to connect wires: If 1 is Red and 2 is Orange and 6 is Violet, proceed as follows:

>3 -> Yellow
>4 -> Green
>5 -> Blue
>And once they're connected in this fashion, THROW ZE SWITCH!

Success! That or the panel is extremely happy to be broken.



Sekani notes that that was pretty straightforward! He just had to find the pattern in the colors.

Amiel chuckles weakly. Haha, yeah. The colors. She totally saw them and would have solved it if she had the wire.



The screen lights up with text. It looks like they can view any working SECURITY CAMERAS, open up some doors, ask for information the same way they did at the TERMINAL, or play an outdated game about a kid seeking to go way past breakfast.

> MOCK AMIEL'S APPARENT COLOUR BLINDNESS, LIKE A TOTAL JERKWAD

> Also play some BEYOND LUNCH WAY PAST BREAKFAST

[OH COME ON THE NAMES ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.]

>Mock Bugle's too cause he saw 2 reds and 2 blues.

I'd rather play Nethack myself. Does it have that one?

Take a look at the security cameras! That seems useful to start with. See if there's any information about why the mainframe can't connect to the terminals. (Unless of course that's the power backup error.)

> Use terminal to check date. Realize what day it is and dance and sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY for their GOD AND LIFE GIVER

> Check the camera for the RECREATION BUILDING before deciding whether or not it's safe to unlock it.

[I didn't see this in time (and also haven't drawn those backgrounds yet) so you are more than welcome to make this the first command of the next segment and I'll get to it!]

>Help

>MOCK AMIEL'S APPARENT COLOUR BLINDNESS, LIKE A TOTAL JERKWAD

Sekani apologizes for being insensitive because he's not an asshole. Amiel says it's okay, he had no way of knowing.


>Also play some WAY PAST BREAKFAST



Our hero, with an ORANGE FRO and a BROWN JACKET sets forth to defeat AUTOMOBILES for some reason that is never explained!

Sekani really wants to like this game, he really does. But it's just so terrible.


>Take a look at the security cameras!

The first camera shows the MEDICAL ROOM. Grasshopper seems to be doing... something with the remains of the DOCTOR.



This must be the restroom. Sekani guesses the creature was relieving itself when something attacked it. He pities the poor creature. What a horrible way to go.



The view switches to a camera pointing outside of the STRANGE COMPOUND they are currently trapped in. The sun is getting close to the horizon. Sekani guesses there is at best one hour left before the SOLAR PANELS cease producing power. Once that happens, the entire compound will go dark. They will have to move quickly to get his wing healed by then.

He shivers slightly as he realizes that he may yet end up spending the night in this godforsaken place...

I'm more shocked that there's a camera in the restroom than the fact that there's a body in said room. o.o

Well they run around naked all the time so they probably don't think that's weird at aaaaall.

Their society is different from ours!

I AM ALLOWED TO LOOK FUNNY AT THESE STRANGE BUG PEOPLE, OKAY :|

THE FIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION CLEARLY STATES "LOOKING AT STRANGE BUG PEOPLE FUNNILY IS NOT ONLY ILLEGAL BUT JUST PLAIN WRONG".

No, not the US constitution, the *WORLD CONSTITUTION*. I betcha didn't know Earth had one!

Yeah, but the 27th amendment is "I like pineapples" so most people don't take it seriously.

I take it very seriously

*eats a pineapple. WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE SHELL.*

Even the 83rd Amendment? Stating that every thursday is naked public dancing night?