Current Timeline.
<Melati> Sitting slouched over on the edge of the bed, Melati was busy staring at her feet and rubbing the back of her head. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened - only that it left her mind in a haze. No... she remembered having felt awfully sleepy all of a sudden, as had Alison...
<Melati> She promptly looked up, finding herself alone inside their small room. Her friend's bed looked used, but the blonde girl was nowhere to be seen. That obviously explained the unusual silence.
<Jessica> Jess had heard a lot more activity in recent days and, after some discussion with Broo, she had decided to do some recon. Fortunately, this was not a difficult task as, by now, Viper had instructed the scientists that she was permitted to wander around the labs and ask questions. Clearly, the woman expected her to be sucked into their cause nice and neatly.
<Jessica> Strolling down a corridor that had been under construction during her tour, Jess peered into one of the rooms via the small window in the door. "... Mel?"
<Melati> Melati's pointed ears twitched when she heard the familiar voice. It wasn't Alison's. She looked around for the source, spotting the small window that had opened on the otherwise featureless door. "Jess?" The lizard girl blinked, then tried to get up - a little too quickly perhaps, as she found she was still quite wobbly on her legs.
<Melati> "Jess! Is that you?" She steadied herself against the wall, before managing to step closer.
<Jessica> "No, it's the abominable snowman." Jess replied, her eyes flicking to the unoccupied bed in the room before they went back to Mel. "What are you doing here?"
<Melati> "Fuck me if I know. I thought you might tell me that." Melati reached the door, trying to peek out through the small window. She didn't see much except for a small part of Jessica's face. "What are you doing here? We were all looking for you."
<Jessica> "Uh... yeah... I sort of got abducted by a woman with green hair.... you might have met her by now, she sort of runs this place? She goes by 'Viper' most of the time..." she chewed her lip.
<Melati> "I haven't seen much except the inside of this room," Melati replied. "Though, I guess calling it a cell would be more appropriate. Is that where we are, then? We... we followed the distress message sent by you... then the jet crashed, and Alison and I woke up in here."
<Melati> "Have you seen the others!?" Her voice became almost pleading as she asked the question. "Do you know if everyone is okay? No one is telling me anything. Please, I have to know!"
<Jessica> "I didn't send a distress message..." Jess gave her a confused look. "Others?" She glanced along the hall, "There's other doors so I can go and have a look inside if you want?"
<Melati> Melati cursed under her breath and punched the wall by her side. "Dammit... figured it would be a set up." She looked back up at the other girl. "You could do that?" Saying that made her pause for a moment, a frown darkening her expression. "Hey, how come you're out there? Did you find a way to break out?"
<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "I really wish it was that simple... I'll be right back...." She moved away from the door to check the other rooms.
<Melati> "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Melati muttered, pressing her head against the door to see where Jessica was going. Unfortunately, the small window didn't allow for much beyond the small stretch of hallway right outside the room.
<Jessica> Jess checked the four other rooms along the hall, both occupants of each room seemed fine apart from the fact they were unconscious. Chewing her lip, she returned to the door to talk to Mel again. "There's eight other people... that's all of them, right? They're fine..."
<Melati> "Oh, thank god...." Melati breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, with me and Ali in here, that's everyone accounted for. Thanks, Jess." She glanced from side to side. "Okay, can you get us out of here? I've no idea what this place is, but I don't feel like sticking around to find out."
<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "I don't have the code for the door... and even if I did I don't actually have any clue where the exit it is. This place is like a maze...."
<Melati> "Damn... but there must be something we can do." Melati hooked her claws into the small viewing window and gave the door another pull and shove, with the same results as before. "Does anyone know you're walking around there all by yourself? Maybe you could check for a way out."
<Jessica> Jess nodded, "I'm pretty sure at least twenty scientists saw me on the way down here... three of them definitely did because two waved and one opened a door for me..." She pushed a hand through her hair, "It's kind of... complicated..."
<Melati> Melati blinked, the small gap in the door doing nothing to obscure the confusion on her face. "Complicated? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She didn't conceal the impatience in her voice. "What's going on, Jess? Why do you get to be all chummy with these people?"
<Jessica> Jess chewed her lip, "I didn't... I didn't turn you in... I swear... I just... she thinks... she keeps saying that I belong here... that I'm family...."
<Melati> "What? That's bullshit." Melati's eyes narrowed, a sharp edge creeping into her voice. "You don't buy any of that crap, do you? What the hell are they doing with you? Some kind of brainwashing thing?"
<Jessica> "Of course I don't buy it!" She frowned, "Most of it... like I said, it's complicated... but brainwashing isn't off the table either so I have to behave myself..." She shuddered at the reminder of the brain room.
<Melati> The lizard girl's grip on the door tightened, her claws scraping against the tough material. "Jess... I'm going to ask you now, and I swear to any god I don't believe in, you better be honest with your answer." Melati fixated the other girl with a stern glare. "You didn't sell us out, did you?"
<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "No. I would never do that... you guys are my family... not her... you're the only family I have..." except Broo.
<Melati> Melati remained silent, merely watching Jessica with an intense, piercing look. Once several seconds had passed between them, she took a deep breath and gave a slight nod. "I believe you," she said. Her head dropped as she let out a sigh. "Sorry, but I had to know. This is... messed up. All kinds of messed up."
<Jessica> "Yeah... you don't even know just how messed up it is..." She rested her forehead against the door. "You're okay though? Do you feel okay? How were things back at the school?"
<Melati> "I guess so," Melati replied, the agitation in her voice being replaced with exhaustion. "As okay as you can be after worrying you might have gotten your entire team killed." She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Things were tense back home. We were looking for you."
<Melati> She gave a dry huff. "Can only imagine how tense everyone has to be now."
<Jessica> "You were looking?" She couldn't keep the surprise from her voice but she caught herself and bit down on her lip. "Is... is Sebastian okay?"
<Melati> Melati nodded. "Considering the circumstances, anyway," she told Jessica. "I never thought I'd miss his smarmy attitude, but I'd take that over grumpy Shaw any day now. He's been worrying about you."
<Jessica> "He has? Really?" Her tone was beyond hopeful, "He hasn't like... forgotten about me already?"
<Melati> "Why would he, silly? He's been a total wreck the last couple of days." Melati looked back up at Jessica and let out another sigh. "Stop worrying. The guy clearly loves you, you dolt."
<Jessica> She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. "Viper... showed me some things... said he'd already moved on..."
<Melati> "Then you should know better than to believe anything these people try to tell you," Melati insisted. "I have no idea who they are or what they want, but they're clearly toying with your mind."
<Jessica> "These are the people my dad was running from for all those years... I finally found out why... she gave me a whole bunch of letters..."
<Melati> Melati was silent for a moment, her lips pressed firmly together. "I'm sorry," she told the other girl. "She manipulating you. There's something she wants from you. From all of us, or she wouldn't have lured us here."
<Jessica> "I know what she wants from me... she's not exactly subtle about it..." Jess sighed heavily, "She's been using my father's research..."
<Melati> "Research?" Melati asked, sounding alarmed. Her eyes narrowed. "What kind of research?"
<Jessica> "He was a bio mechanic..." She chewed her lip, "She's shown me some stuff..."
<Melati> "Let me guess, this is not going to fill me with confidence, is it?" Melati gave Jessica a wary look. "It that the reason we're here? To be lab rats or something?"
<Jessica> "I don't know... but probably..." She looked away down the hall, "The giant insects we fought in the subway? That was her..."
<Melati> Melati tensed as she looked down at her hands, one forming a fist to punch the door again. "And now we're right in the middle of that horror show, eh?" She huffed. "At least we don't have to look for the ones responsible then. Sure, I could probably go without being fed to some insect monsters."
<Jessica> "I, um... I don't think you're the food... they apparently ship in cows for that... but there was talk of releasing them on a small town maybe... if they can get them to come back... which is where I come in, I guess...."
<Melati> "What do you mean?" Melati asked, not sure if she should feel confused or irritated. Both seemed like a good choice at the moment. "Are they going to use you as bait?"
<Jessica> "In a manner of speaking..." She looked down at the floor, "Pheromone trap..."
<Melati> Melati blinked, until she put two and two together. "Oh hell no, they think they can control those things with your pheromone powers? Jess, those things are most likely going to end up eating you!"
<Jessica> "That's what I'm afraid of... but she saw them pause in the subway when I tried it before so... it gave her ideas... I guess the sciencey people are working on it or something... I'm kind of expecting her to turn up any day now with a test subject for me to practice on..."
<Melati> Melati took a deep breath and bit her lip, glancing past Jessica's face into the hallway. "We have to find a way out of here," she said. "There has to be way to open these doors. We free the team, inform those back home, then shut this place down, before they can get even more people killed with their little freakshow."
<Jessica> Jess nodded, "I'll, um, I'll ask around about where we are and stuff... and try to find a way to get out... If I can do it... I'll get you all out... I promise..."
<Melati> "Thanks, Jess." Melati managed a small smile. "You're our best chance at the moment, so I'm counting on you." She bit her lip. "Just watch out, okay? I really don't want to put up with dour Shaw any more."
<Jessica> Jess gave her a small smile, "I promise I'll be careful... actually... you've given me reasons to be careful... I didn't care before... not after what she told me..."
<Melati> Melati returned the smile and nodded. "We came here to get you back, so don't make me have crashed the jet for nothing by doing something stupid like getting killed. No one left behind, okay? I promise that."
<Jessica> She nodded back, "Me too. I'll get you all out of here in one piece... somehow..."