[ch'Vania ~~ Byh'hie's cabin]
Llunih quickly sat up out of a sound sleep, sniffing the air of the darkness wearily. She could hear the soft snoring of Rylan beside her, who had drunk himself into a stupor earlier. Quietly she left the bed, stepping out of the room. Her bare feet softly -- silently -- padded out into the dimly lit room beyond the door. Llunih's eyes, already tinged a bright red around the rims, slowly spanned the cabin around her, searching for that which had brought her out of sleep. The Tal'Shiar agent was dozing quietly in the far corner in the room, sitting up in a chair. He too, had seemed to have io drink too many -- she could still smell the alcohol on him. Silently, her body tensed and ready to spring, she headed towards the faint shuffling sounds in the kitchen beyond, and peered around the corner to those inside.
Byh'hie sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor, leaning up against the wall. The slow, steady rise and fall of her chest indicating that she too had succumbed to sleep. The smaller Academy boy, still puttering quietly within the room muttering to the strange Tribble asleep on his shoulder, diligently went about his experiment. Llunih smiled for just a fraction of a second -- there and gone again -- knowing that the boy tried his best. She had been trapped too long with her unnatural ability, and in all likelihood, his cure would na work. Nor at this point, did she really believe that she wanted it to.
Again, the small hairs on the back of her neck seemed to stand up, and she pulled back away from the kitchen's door frame, sniffing the air around her once more. There! She could smell it again!
Bending low, she padded silently towards the darkened window frame at the front of the cabin, while her Rihan ears slowly grew ever longer....the nails of her hands forming razor sharp talons.......the color of her eyes turning more and more red, until they were filled with that strange, eerie glow. She came to a stop, crouched beneath the window ledge, and waited; sniffing the air again tentatively. A smell of dampness and rot. Not Rihan....or once was, but no longer is.
Though the window was closed, she could still hear the rustling of the trees as the wind softly blew. And still she waited...forcing the sound of her own heartbeat to quiet, as her ears strained to pick up the slightest sound. Then, without warning, came the even softer sound then the night's gentle breeze....the tell-tale 'squik-thuk' of footsteps as of some io walking through a shallow swamp.
The sickening, cloying smell of rot and dampness was stronger to her now, though she knew the others would not catch the aroma for awhile yet. By the soft sounds outside, there were at least half a dozen of the beasts.
She paused a moment considering....then shrugged and still crouched low, she silently made her way to the door. She couldn't have called on the others for help. She hadn't the voice....at least, na a voice they would readily understand, and she didn't want to warn those outside of her presence....na yet. In any case, two of their party had been drinking...na likely to be of much help. It was better to let them sleep it off.
Slowly...and oh, so silently...her taloned hand which was now growing a thick pelt of black fur... pushed on the latch and opened the door, just enough to squeeze herself though. Quickly, she closed the door behind her, shutting the normal Rihans inside the safety of the cabin With a few, quick 'snap-pop' sounds of her bones rearranging, she stood to her full half-'werewolf' height of seven and a half feet. Taking another tentative sniff of the misty outside air, her eyes peering through the darkness as easily as if it were bright daylight, Llunih targeted her prey.
She could see the six shambling, slime-dripping, multi-tentacled figures steadily approaching the small cabin behind her. Her mouth pulled back from her elongated jaw-line, revealing several deadly sharp-looking teeth, and a low warning, rumbling sound emanated from deep in her throat. The six shambling figures paused in their uncertainty....but only for a moment before they once more stepped forward.
Llunih crouched down once more, and with the snapping of bone, and a blood curdling snarl, her body grew massive, as it changed into it's four-legged 'full-werewolf' stance. Na longer mindful of the sleeping forms inside the cabin, Llunih gave a ear-piercing howl in challenge to the six intruders, and sprung off her hunches and into the battle beneath the trees beyond.
[Kastra'Nostra System: In orbit around ch'Vania]
"Dropping out of warp, rekkhai," called the Helm officer.
"Ie... full sensor sweep. I do na know why Star Command sent me here, but..."
The acting science officer stares wide-eyed at the readings. The science panel beeps a cacophony of sounds. "Uhh... rekkhai... perhaps au ought to look at this."
Stepping up to the Science Panel, Rhagarokk looks down on the readings. "Large extra- dimensional rift? Subspace tearing? Give more power to the sensors. I want to know what I'm looking at." A few seconds pass, and even the normally scientifically astute Rhagarokk stands stunned. "It's... it's... almost as if the sub-dimensional particles are 'whirlpooling' down into the planet... life signs?"
"About 300 Rihannsu and many more... unidentifiable. It's a good bet there are XD's down there."
"Condition Red," called Rhagarokk as the oira is bathed in a red glow, "All hands to ninte stations. I want full dimensional and spectrum analysis on the rift, and give me a way to close it as soon as au figure io out. Launch a full probe spread around the planet. Tac, is the planet habitable?"
"Ie--"
"Good. Prepare a shuttle for me and assemble an away team. Elements, why didn't I get here earlier?"
The TAC officer spoke up. "Rekkhai? There's no reason for au to go down there."
Rhagarokk spun on his heels to look at the rookie TAC officer. "There's XD's down there, possibly preying on innocent citizens. I have every reason to go down there. I'll set up a relay on the shuttle to get readings on the surface. We may be able to close the rift, but it won't do anything about what's already on the surface. We haven't got time for this- those are my orders. Have a team ready for me at the Shuttle Bay in 10 seuren-a. Make sure there's a biologist among them." Without a further word, Rhagarokk ran into his office. Snatching up his lab coat from the hanger on the wall, Rhagarokk ran back out to head for the shuttle bay.
[SRR Wildstrike: Shuttle Bay]
Donalh tr'Rhagarokk stood by the Cradol'lacednt class vessel, tapping his foot impatiently. The four other members of his team, including a rather timid looking female biologist, walked in at roughly the same time. The biologist, a little out of breath, spoke first. "Rekkhai, why aren't we just transporting down?"
Rhagarokk looked up, as if he had suddenly been brought out of a haze. "Transport? If this interference doesn't scramble the signal, then we have to worry about being inhabited by some extra-dimensional entity! Have no fear, though, my scientific genius has devised those suits of ninte-a. They vibrate at a certain frequency on the subspacial level so that nothing of that sort can possess au. Any questions, class?"
t'Seebia, the biologist, shook her head. The Senator was beginning to show his Professorial roots again. Besides, the suits wouldn't protect her from being eaten.
"Good," continued Rhagarokk, "Everyone into the shuttle. We've got work to do."
The flight from the Wildstrike was a little rocky, but less so than everyone expected. Rhagarokk stood at the window, gazing outside. Out there, invisibly, were trillions of particles pouring in from some other dimension. He was a little hesitant about this mission- they weren't sure what would be greeting them when they landed, but it probably wouldn't be pleasent. Interrupting his quiet hesitations, a message comes in from the ship.
"Wildstrike to Rhagarokk... have some preliminary readings from the rift. It's a rift to a lower energy plane of some sort. These lower frequency particles seem to be clumping up. Planetary scans indicate that most of these 'clumps' are heading to one place, but then there is the occasional one that splits off. We don't know quite what to make of it."
"Acknowledged. Relay the coordinates of this focal point to the helm, and keep me updated. Rhagarokk out."
[Later]
The turbulence increased greatly as the advanced shuttle got deeper into the atmosphere. All five members of the team were belted into their chairs. The elongated nose to the shuttle poked out from underneath the cloud cover.
"Proceeding to the focal point, rekkhai," said the Pilot, "It-" The pilot was suddenly interrupted by a scraping, tearing sound on the shuttle's hull.
"Report!" called Rhagarokk, studying the readings.
"I do na know, rekkhai, there's nothing to suggest this on sensors..."
Making a small squeaking sound, the biologist sitting in a passengers seat pointed at the view screen. The entire crew looking up as one, gnarled humanoid shapes with huge bat wings are spotted swarming all around the ship.
Rhagarokk quickly took action. "How did those things get through the shields? Nevermind, just reinforce the shields, and fire on them with the disruptor banks."
"Ie," said the tac member of the team. Disruptor beams lashed out, taking out one flying shape after another, but the swarm was too many. Before another shot was fired, the unmistakable sounds of the engines blowing out is heard by an already panicked crew. The shuttle began a sharp dive towards the surface. Power began to flick on and off inside the cockpit. Before anyone could react, the shuttle plunged further towards the surface, coming into contact with a large mass of trees. Inertial dampeners made the flight non-deadly... but the occupants braced themselves for a rough landing...
[On the surface]
Spin, lunge, claw... the beast had taken over. But the werewolf's rage was not enough- the monsters would soon become organized enough to kill her. A loud sound, coming in the distance, entered the enhanced ears of the werewolf. Something large was coming this way... and fast. The tentacled monsters moved in on the werewolf, who responded by diving into the woods. Momentarily thrown off, the monsters began to shamble after her, until one of them looked up. And then, with a sound loud enough to wake the dead (so to speak), the shuttle landed on them. The werewolf picked herself up after the shockwave knocked her off her feet, and peered cautiously at the new arrival. With a whoosh, the coughing inhabitants spilled out of the shuttle, weapons drawn. The tac officer spotting the creature nearby, the team turned to see the shaggy beast. The werewolf growled and prepared for another fight...
[In Byh'hie's Cabin at the time of Impact]
Rylan, still under a drink-induced sleep, suddenly falls to the floor as the sound of something large slams into the ground outside. "What the Areinnye?!" he mumbles, cradling his head in his hands. Picking himself up off the floor, he notices that Llunih is not there, and he runs out of the room.
D'Tarik, who's been working steadily and calmly throughout the night, at first seems unaffected by the unexpected noise, then suddenly jumps as if realizing for the first time that something has disturbed the silence of the night, as Byh'hie springs to her feet. The crash didn't seem to disturb Vynnd at all, who only snored rather loudly, but remained sound asleep.
Rylan grabs up the disruptor that he had left on the table earlier, and runs out onto the porch, still in his bare feet. D'Tarik quickly picks up sprinkles from the work table, and follows Byh'hie as she leaves the kitchen, heading cautiously outside. Rylan grabs up his disruptor that he had left on the table earlier, and runs out onto the porch, still in his bare feet. He suddenly comes to a halt, seeing the crashed shuttle and it's survivors, and the form of the werewolf a few feet away. The survivors and the beast seem to eye each other wearily.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::catches the newcomer- and the cabin, out of the corner of his eye:: Uniformed Rihannsu...?
Rylan> ::looks at the crashed shuttle and the newcomers, and walks slowly forward. Calls out to them, gun ready:: I would appreciate it if au wouldn't shoot that particular werewolf. ::small smile::
D'Tarik>::walks out of the house with bags under his eyes, not really prepared for anything like this::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::looks confused:: Werewolf? ::eyes Rylan carefully before slowly pulling out an odd-looking tricorder. Motions for the other crew to keep their weapons drawn, and begins scanning:: No XD influence...
Byh'hie> ::walks out of the house with a modfied Disruptor in hand::
Rylan> ::nods, eyeing the tricorder a moment before positioning himself between the newcomers and the creature:: Llunih, change back....
Sprinkles> ::lets out an eerie half-squeek/half-howl::
Rylan> ::raises an eyebrow at Sprink's strange new sound, then addresses the io holding the tricorder:: What did au mean XD influence?
tr'Rhagarokk> ::puts away his tricorder:: I am Senator Donalh tr'Rhagarokk of the SRR Morrhae'vnu. Care to explain what is going on here? ::looks at Sprinkles out of the corner of his eye, but does not appear to react::
D'Tarik> ::stands in the back looking confused, the form on his shoulder has red glowing eyes, and they seem to be focused on the site of the crash::
Rylan> ::sheepish grin:: I think it best to go inside the cabin, if au want to talk. ::casts a glance back to Llunih who has changed into her Rihan-self:: It's na all that safe out here in the daylight, let alone in the dark.
Byh'hie>::looks to Rylan:: Hann'yyo for just inviting them into my house, Rylan!
tr'Rhagarokk> ::raises an eyebrow at the werewolf changing into a Rihannsu girl:: Err... Ie. Inside. ::looks over at his fellow crew, who simply nod and begin to search around the shuttle::
Rylan> ::winks to her:: Au rather they walked in without an invite? They *are* armed au know.
Byh'hie>::looks at the new group:: I could take 'em. ::walks into her cabin::
Rylan> ::shakes his head at the blond's statement, then walks with Llunih to the shuttle-crew:: Leave it...it can wait till morning.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::smirks slightly, before turning around:: My crew can do fine... and they have work to do. Please, lead the way, I will join au.
Rylan> ::shrugs then leads the way::
D'Tarik>::walks over next to Rylan before they go into the cabin:: I finished my work last night. ::winks at Llunih:: I did it.... I hope.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::shrugs and follows::
Rylan> ::enters the cabin and smirks at the sleeping agent. Addresses D'Tarik:: We'll have to find out about it later....there's company right now ::nudges the boy:: Au explain it this time! ::rubs his forehead:: I've a headache...
tr'Rhagarokk> ::surveys the cabin and mouths the word "Rustic"::
D'Tarik> Why do I have explain it? I've been up all night doing work for au and ninte girlfriend there.
Rylan> ::sees the Senator enter and motions into the room:: Please...make ninte-self comfortable. ::grins at D'Tarik:: tr'Rekkohan here can't wait to tell au all about the planet.::nudges the boy forward a bit::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::nods and sits down:: Ie... please explain.
D'Traik doesn't speak, however; rather he looks like he is trying to remember something about the new guest that he can't quite place his finger on. His pet is also eyeing the new guest as well. Sprinkles also has a new and noticable mouth....full of shiney little fangs. Rylan doesn't seem to notice the Tribble, though, as his head still hurts from having one too many earlier. He sits down across from the Senator and pours the man a drink from the pitcher on the table. Noting that the smaller boy has as yet not spoken, Rylan sighs, and begins to explain, "We were sent here 'cause of some experiment of wonder-boy, here." He indicates tr'Rekkohan with a slight nod of his head.
tr'Rhagarokk> Ie, D'Tarik... I'm familiar with his work. But what I want to know is how au have befriended an XD... and what else is going on on this planet.
Rylan> An XD? ::raises brow:: Na sure what au mean.....
tr'Rhagarokk> An XD...extra-dimensional entity. Ninte "friend" ::gestures at Llunih:: has cells that are possessed by extradimensional energy beings which are manipulating her actions. It happens to be MY job to exterminate beings such as those.
Rylan> ::looks from Llunih to the Senator:: Last I knew, she had been infected by a diseased strain of some sort..... ::looks to D'Tarik for the answer:: He says he might be able to cure her. ::glares back at the Senator:: Au won't touch her. ::gestures outside:: Go kill another creature, this io is with us.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::puts his hands up:: Now, now, calm down... since au all seem to be free of any influence, I'll trust ninte judgement... but are all creatures on this planet as... friendly as this?
Rylan> ::shakes his head and shrugs:: Na that we've met anyway. So far, she's the only io that hasn't tried to eat us...cept for io that Vyynd met. ::gestures to the still-sleeping agent:: But that io lost a fight with Zombies.
Byh'hie shrugs and sits down, just listening to the conversation flowing back and forth between the Senator and Rylan. D'Tarik, meanwhile, seems to have remembered whatever it was he had been trying to place about the newcomer, but instead of saying anything, he just kind of twitches a little every once in a while. The taller boy and the Senator talk awhile until the situation had been explained to the Leih's satisfaction.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::nods:: Monsters of yore... there's more going on here than au all know. The planet is flooded with extradimensional particles... these monsters are probably products of that. There's only io thing to do then...
D'Tarik> tr'Ragarok...
Rylan> ::listens carefully, waiting for the plan, casting glances once in a while to D'Tarik's strange behavior::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::stops:: What did au say?
D'Tarik>::starts shakeing:: Umm uh uh....that's who au are....right?
Rylan> ::brow raises slightly, waiting for the mini-drama to unfold itself::
tr'Rhagarokk> The name is tr'R-hag-arr-rhock-k. Ragarok is... well, we are related.
D'Tarik> I am sorry.....very sorry.
tr'Rhagarokk> Now, as I was saying...By order of the Rihannsu Star Republic and my authority as Minister of the Temporal and Spacial Investigation Division of the Afwe Galae [science fleet]......
Rylan makes a note to ask D'Tarik what that had been about later, and turns his attention back to the Senator at the formality of his speech. D'Tarik intrests perk up at the mention of the Science Fleet, and the boy now seems to be hanging on the Senator's every word.
tr'Rhagarokk> I induct all of au- except the XD- into the crew of the SRR Wildstrike, as per my mission orders.
Rylan> ::pauses thinking about it:: Except the XD? ::glances to the silent girl then shakes his head slowly:: Au'rh na going to kill her.
tr'Rhagarokk> No, I will na, as long as she does nothing to warrant it and a cure is in the works. However, legally, I can na induct someone in that state into the Rihannsu military.
Byh'hie> Am I part of ninte orders too, rekkhai?
tr'Rhagarokk> ::looks over at Byh'hie:: Ie... provided au can fill in a little more of what au were doing here before these individuals landed.
D'Tarik>::stands up:: Ummm rekkhai, I think I have found a cure for her kind of XD.
Rylan> ::nods:: With all due respect, rekkhai...we can't leave her here. Na if D'Tarik is right about his 'cure'. ::grins slightly and winks at tr'Rekkohan:: Just think about what his cure could mean to the furtherment of science.
tr'Rhagarokk> Well, then, by all means, administer the cure and let's get on with this. Come morning, I will need au all to support the investigation on just what is going on here, while my ship works on the rift.
D'Tarik> Au mean now rekkhai?
trRhagarokk> ::looks slightly confused:: Ie... is there any reason na to?
Rylan> ::waits a moment, then whispers to the smaller boy:: Au said au finished it...what's the problem?
D'Tarik> Well...umm....it has not been tested, and I'm na sure if I want to test it on my friend. What if something goes wrong...rekkhai...?
Rylan> ::nods:: Ie....good point...
tr'Rhagarokk> ::sighs:: So au suggest we wander out in the hopes we'll find another werewolf? Possibly io that is hostile to us? I say, in the interest of science, au try it on the io we have here now, and can easily study. The entire fate of the universe could be at hand, and au are worried that au own cure will "hurt" ninte friend!
Rylan> ::glares at the senator:: Ie....that worries me plenty, actually. ::looks to D'Tarik:: Can't au test it some other way...io that will have less....*serious* consiquences should it na work?
D'Tarik> ::is confused as what to do at this point, looks to Rylan:: Well, I already did that...
Rylan> ::looks surprised:: And? What happened with the test then?
tr'Rhagarokk> ::grimaces:: I do na want to order this, but I will. When there are quintillions of particles from a lower energy plane pouring into this universe every seuren, I can na really be concerned with the well-being of io person. ::glances over to the girl and states sincerely:: No offense meant.
D'Tarik> Well I tested it on two different cells. The first io degenrated....the second split into two halves; the io half being werewolf, and the second being our normal cell base.
Rylan> ::looks utterly confused:: And? What the Areinnye is that supposed to mean? Will it work, or won't it?
tr'Rhagarokk> ::cuts himself out of his speech:: Ie, do tell.
D'Tarik> Well...au see...both of those are ......ummm ... bad. But I think I have perfected it now.
Rylan> ::eyes narrow:: Au *think*!? Au have to be *sure* with this tr'Rekkohan! Au might kill her.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::walks over and places his hand on D'Tarik's shoulder:: Look... don't ask me how, but I'm familiar with ninte work, and I believe that if au think au have perfected it, it'll work.
Llunih> ::smiles at the smaller of the boys, quietly waiting for him to approach::
D'Tarik>::sigh:: Very well.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::takes out a tricorder::
D'Tarik>::takes Sprinkles off his shoulder and places the recently modifed Tribble on the table::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::leans down closer to the Tribble, and whispers:: Long time no see, Sprinkles, although au wouldn't remember it...
D'Tarik>:: begins to gather his equipment and prepare the vict... err, subject::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::turns to Rylan:: So... Rylan was it? What were au training for before the expulsion from the academy?
Rylan> ::glances to the Senator, still worried about the girl:: Lots of things. I took many different classes rekkhai. Little bit of everything...I never specialized.
tr'Rhagarokk> Ie... au seem like a Command student, the way au have been taking charge. ::before the student can respond, turns to D'Tarik:: Ready?
Byh'hie has long since passed out asleep at the long-winded debate, having lost interest after the Senator's provision to her joining the crew of his ship. At the Senator's question, D'Tarik takes a very large needle from out of his coat. The syringe is full of a bright red liquid. Rylan's eyes widen at seeing the object in tr'Rekkohan's hand, and forces himself to remain seated, pushing aside thoughts of knocking out the two males. tr'Rhagarokk points his tricorder at the girl, and begins monitoring, waiting for the smaller boy to start the experiment.
D'Tarik> Ok, I'm going to inject this directly into au'rh blood stream. And I'm not going to lie...if this works, it's going to hurt....*alot*.
Llunih> ::nods, then smiles again, having come to terms with pain along time ago::
D'Tarik> Ok, umm...we may want to do this outside....::starts to walk towards the door::
tr'Rhagarokk> ::stops him:: No, I do na think that would be a good idea. Do it here. Now.
Rylan> ::nods:: Ie....there's things out there D'Tarik. If au have to do it...do it now!
D'Tarik> Fine, fine. Ok Llunih, change into ninte werewolf form. It's the only way it will work.
With a momentary raise of her brow, Llunih slowly begins to change into her half-werewolf height. Once the horrifying transformation was completed, D'Tarik sighs and injects the beast. The girl twitches about violently for a seuren, before coming to a rest......she is still breathing.
tr'Rhagarokk> ::looks at his readings then up at the assembled people:: Congratulations, D'Tarik, ninte cure worked. Unfortunatly, the disease seems to be regenerating itself from scratch. She's cured... but only temporarily.
|