Day Zero - Down in the Underground
Oct. 27th, 2008 08:20 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsOn the morning of the mission, one team makes their entrance through the old Morlock Tunnels.
What the hell am I doing here?
It was Callisto's turn to take up the lead for a bit. At least, she assumed that was what it meant that Sarah was now walking some way behind with the rest of the group, who were in quiet conversation about the day's events. She hadn't actually said 'you take the lead for a bit'. Indeed, she hadn't really said much of anything at all in Callisto's direction since before they'd left the mansion. But hey, what else was new?
It's not as though I didn't try. I didn't run off, did I? I've been right here the whole time, at the mansion, doing my thing... whatever my thing is now. It's not as though I've been in town to be able to go see her... Apart from all that time she'd spent in town lately, of course.
Callisto frowned, kicking at a random piece of debris, shattering it and sending it scattering along the tunnel with an echo that momentarily paused the subdued talking behind her. She turned down another side tunnel, one that would cut off a corner in their journey and hopefully save them a half hour or so's walk.
The others had barely rounded the corner behind her before Callisto had stopped short, quite suddenly, and appeared to be looking at first at the ceiling above her head, neck craned, and then at one of the walls, reaching to run one slim, pale hand along its rough, slimy surface. She turned back to catch Sarah's eye, a moment later voicing what the other Morlock had surely already realised.
"This isn't right."
"Sonofabitch," Sarah muttered, coming up closer to Callisto. She could walk these tunnels in her sleep, and yet, this tunnel was unfamiliar. They hadn't made a wrong turn, had they? "It's been a while since you lived down here. We're just turned around."
Behind his goggles, Forge frowned and called up a 3-D holographic map of the tunnels that he'd retrieved from one of the public archives. "As if this wasn't incomplete enough... damn archives didn't have anything past 1960. We're..." he pointed to a spot in the air, obviously gesturing to an image only he could see, "here, I think. Wait, no. There should be a T-junction up ahead, part of the Carnegie Tunnel System, but I'm not seeing anything. GPS is fucking useless this far down. How turned around are we?"
Julio massaged the bridge of his nose. This new aspect of his powers was taking some getting used to, as he was now essentially seeing in surround vision. But it was functional, and he didn't need night-vision goggles. He sent out another slight vibration and waited for the return, only this time he frowned when he recieved his 'pingback.' "--Wait," he hissed and waved his arms for everyone to quiet. He pointed to every member of the group as if he were counting, which was odd-looking as his eyes were half-closed. "...I don't think we're alone down here."
Callisto's eyes narrowed and she cocked her head. "I dunno," she whispered. "I thought..." For a moment it had sounded like... but then it was gone again. She shook her head. "There's nothing," she said a little more clearly. "Nothing close, anyway. But... Forge's right. There should be a junction right here, it's a shortcut."
"'S all twisted around. Someone's messing with the streams, pulling things all sideways and upside down." Amanda's tone was almost sing-song and for a moment she wobbled, leaning her hand against the tunnel wall. She figeted absently at the googles on her face, trying to relieve some of the pressure in her head but unfortunately it wasn't the strap being too tight.
"Uh... right," Callisto responded, sounding a little uncertain as to what exactly this meant. She jammed a hand into one jeans pocket, scratching the back of her head with the other. "Well, I guess we're just gonna have to backtrack a bit 'til I- we know where we are again. Was fine a minute ago. If we're just turned around, s'no big deal." She sounded pretty sure of herself, her tone gruff, daring anyone to argue. It was unfortunate that there was someone among them who knew exactly what an uncertain Callisto sounded like.
"You don't have any fucking clue, do you?" Sarah pulled her ponytail back tighter, angrily, and turned back around to the main tunnel. "And they told me -I'd- gone upworlder."
"You guys, seriously, I hate to interrupt, but could you all fucking shut up for a second?" Julio said quickly. He double-checked after Callisto said there was nothing. But his senses told him something was coming. He would rather be double damn sure it was a false alarm. "There is most definitely something down here that is not us, We might be lost--" he held a hand to cut off any potential protest from Callisto, "--but right now I care more about the thing that's coming at us from ...that way.." he pointed off to the left. "Oh no, sorry, things. Plural."
"'Things'," Jan scrunched up her tiny face, peering out into the darkness from her spot on Forge's shoulder. She'd had to fight what she would classify as 'things' before. They tended to be dead and icky, and she figured that here in these tunnels, a 'thing' wouldn't be any better than an undead zombie thing that wanted to eat her.
Forge adjusted his goggles and looked down the narrow tunnel that Julio had indicated. "Not picking up anything on thermal, let me switch to active IR pings..."
About five seconds passed, then the mutant inventor gulped audibly. "Okay Julio's right we need to get out of here right now," he stammered quickly. He turned and grabbed Callisto's arm. "Which way do we go to get the hell out of here?"
Callisto frowned again, shrugging off Forge's grip and stepping away, craning her neck back once more to examine the vaulted ceiling above them. Then she realised.
"Fuck... This is the Carnegie tunnels..." She pointed. "Those gas mains lead to the junction on-" She broke off as she realised no one would either know or care exactly where said piping led. "But we're in the wrong bit. We're like... a mile out of whack. The tunnels've gone all..." 'Sideways, and upside down'... So Amanda hasn't just gone fucking crazy, then...
So. Think. This set of tunnels used to lead where... and if it's at least twisted in sections, then...
Turning back to look at them, Callisto pursed her lips, and tipped her head down the tunnel in front of them. "This way." And she was off at a jog.
What the hell am I doing here?
It was Callisto's turn to take up the lead for a bit. At least, she assumed that was what it meant that Sarah was now walking some way behind with the rest of the group, who were in quiet conversation about the day's events. She hadn't actually said 'you take the lead for a bit'. Indeed, she hadn't really said much of anything at all in Callisto's direction since before they'd left the mansion. But hey, what else was new?
It's not as though I didn't try. I didn't run off, did I? I've been right here the whole time, at the mansion, doing my thing... whatever my thing is now. It's not as though I've been in town to be able to go see her... Apart from all that time she'd spent in town lately, of course.
Callisto frowned, kicking at a random piece of debris, shattering it and sending it scattering along the tunnel with an echo that momentarily paused the subdued talking behind her. She turned down another side tunnel, one that would cut off a corner in their journey and hopefully save them a half hour or so's walk.
The others had barely rounded the corner behind her before Callisto had stopped short, quite suddenly, and appeared to be looking at first at the ceiling above her head, neck craned, and then at one of the walls, reaching to run one slim, pale hand along its rough, slimy surface. She turned back to catch Sarah's eye, a moment later voicing what the other Morlock had surely already realised.
"This isn't right."
"Sonofabitch," Sarah muttered, coming up closer to Callisto. She could walk these tunnels in her sleep, and yet, this tunnel was unfamiliar. They hadn't made a wrong turn, had they? "It's been a while since you lived down here. We're just turned around."
Behind his goggles, Forge frowned and called up a 3-D holographic map of the tunnels that he'd retrieved from one of the public archives. "As if this wasn't incomplete enough... damn archives didn't have anything past 1960. We're..." he pointed to a spot in the air, obviously gesturing to an image only he could see, "here, I think. Wait, no. There should be a T-junction up ahead, part of the Carnegie Tunnel System, but I'm not seeing anything. GPS is fucking useless this far down. How turned around are we?"
Julio massaged the bridge of his nose. This new aspect of his powers was taking some getting used to, as he was now essentially seeing in surround vision. But it was functional, and he didn't need night-vision goggles. He sent out another slight vibration and waited for the return, only this time he frowned when he recieved his 'pingback.' "--Wait," he hissed and waved his arms for everyone to quiet. He pointed to every member of the group as if he were counting, which was odd-looking as his eyes were half-closed. "...I don't think we're alone down here."
Callisto's eyes narrowed and she cocked her head. "I dunno," she whispered. "I thought..." For a moment it had sounded like... but then it was gone again. She shook her head. "There's nothing," she said a little more clearly. "Nothing close, anyway. But... Forge's right. There should be a junction right here, it's a shortcut."
"'S all twisted around. Someone's messing with the streams, pulling things all sideways and upside down." Amanda's tone was almost sing-song and for a moment she wobbled, leaning her hand against the tunnel wall. She figeted absently at the googles on her face, trying to relieve some of the pressure in her head but unfortunately it wasn't the strap being too tight.
"Uh... right," Callisto responded, sounding a little uncertain as to what exactly this meant. She jammed a hand into one jeans pocket, scratching the back of her head with the other. "Well, I guess we're just gonna have to backtrack a bit 'til I- we know where we are again. Was fine a minute ago. If we're just turned around, s'no big deal." She sounded pretty sure of herself, her tone gruff, daring anyone to argue. It was unfortunate that there was someone among them who knew exactly what an uncertain Callisto sounded like.
"You don't have any fucking clue, do you?" Sarah pulled her ponytail back tighter, angrily, and turned back around to the main tunnel. "And they told me -I'd- gone upworlder."
"You guys, seriously, I hate to interrupt, but could you all fucking shut up for a second?" Julio said quickly. He double-checked after Callisto said there was nothing. But his senses told him something was coming. He would rather be double damn sure it was a false alarm. "There is most definitely something down here that is not us, We might be lost--" he held a hand to cut off any potential protest from Callisto, "--but right now I care more about the thing that's coming at us from ...that way.." he pointed off to the left. "Oh no, sorry, things. Plural."
"'Things'," Jan scrunched up her tiny face, peering out into the darkness from her spot on Forge's shoulder. She'd had to fight what she would classify as 'things' before. They tended to be dead and icky, and she figured that here in these tunnels, a 'thing' wouldn't be any better than an undead zombie thing that wanted to eat her.
Forge adjusted his goggles and looked down the narrow tunnel that Julio had indicated. "Not picking up anything on thermal, let me switch to active IR pings..."
About five seconds passed, then the mutant inventor gulped audibly. "Okay Julio's right we need to get out of here right now," he stammered quickly. He turned and grabbed Callisto's arm. "Which way do we go to get the hell out of here?"
Callisto frowned again, shrugging off Forge's grip and stepping away, craning her neck back once more to examine the vaulted ceiling above them. Then she realised.
"Fuck... This is the Carnegie tunnels..." She pointed. "Those gas mains lead to the junction on-" She broke off as she realised no one would either know or care exactly where said piping led. "But we're in the wrong bit. We're like... a mile out of whack. The tunnels've gone all..." 'Sideways, and upside down'... So Amanda hasn't just gone fucking crazy, then...
So. Think. This set of tunnels used to lead where... and if it's at least twisted in sections, then...
Turning back to look at them, Callisto pursed her lips, and tipped her head down the tunnel in front of them. "This way." And she was off at a jog.
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