8/1 Instance: Bugging the Bug

[Slarti]

Timelined a day or two after Zerg Rush

<Shaw> It wasn't hard to locate the creature when the door slid open. The dull thuds of its tail lashing the barrier of the containment cell echoed throughout the empty Danger Room. Sebastian approached slowly, taking in the pale, almost transparent chitin, the illusion made even stronger by the bright light flooding the room.

<Shaw> His presence didn't go unnoticed, and the creature turned in its cell, mandibles open wide in a threat posture. Lips peeled back in disgust, he moved closer to the cell.

<Danger> "I hope you don't mind the bright lights," Danger's voice remarked over the room's hidden audio system. "The creature appears to have a strong aversion to it, to the point where its kept in a more docile state - comparatively spoken, anyway."

<Danger> The sapient machine emerged from the control room shortly after, taking the lift to join her guest on the ground floor. Three parallel gashes in the metal covering her stomach area marred her usual pristine frame. "I learned that switching off the light greatly amplified its physical capabilities, as well as its levels of aggression."

<Shaw> Sebastian turned to watch Danger's descent, gaze dropping from her face to her stomach. "So I see." He took a step toward her and trailed three fingers across the gashes - the spread was wider than his hand - much wider. "It would appear you need more than the average exterminator for this insect problem."

<Shaw> Looking back up to her face after his hands retreated to his pockets, he smirked without much feeling. "Although, from what I understand, the others believe these... creatures... are the missing students."

<Danger> "Not an entirely baseless theory and possibly more than just wishful thinking, from what we've learned so far," Danger replied, turning to face the creature inside its cell. Yellow-green saliva dribbled to the floor as its mandibles clicked threateningly.

<Danger> "This specimen is not only noticeably different from the bulk of the creatures observed so far, it also displays some striking similarities to Jonas Greymalkin, one of the missing students." She looked back over her shoulder. "However, thorough physical exams have proven difficult, for obvious reasons."

<Shaw> "Really." His tone was flat and he turned back to the creature as well. "Inasmuch as I've seen some remarkable things over the years where mutants are concerned, I've never seen a transformation quite as dramatic as this."

<Danger> "Unlike the vast majority of these creatures, this one also appears to have higher cognitive functions - periodically, anyway - and Miss St. Commons swears it was able to recognize her," Danger continued. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to tell for sure until we find a way to safely sedate it."

<Danger> "Dr. McCoy is eager to get started with his tests, but all of the common drugs at our disposal had very little effect, and I think even the good doctor values his life higher than his boundless curiosity."

<Shaw> "It does tend to hobble efforts when there's a necessity to keep the creature alive." Its flat eyes seemed to be watching him as he talked, attention swinging back and forth between him and Danger, but appearing more focused on him. "And it would appear the creature can differentiate between artificial and biological life easily enough."

<Shaw> "There are very, very few organizations with the ability to do something like this - even if it's simply a genetically engineered creature." Sebastian took a side step away from Danger to watch the yellow eyes follow his movement.

<Danger> "The liquid metal monstrosities encountered by the rescue team at the crash site suggest the assumption that we might be dealing with the same people who were responsible for the abduction of Miss Kincaid not long ago," Danger said. "Even though their facilities were destroyed in the process, we failed to apprehend their key personnel."

<Shaw> Sebastian's expression twisted, finally settling into a wry smirk. "Yes," he said drily. "That's always the challenge - digging deeply enough to root out the heart of the hive."

<Shaw> "It would seem they're related - or at least the biotech capabilities were purchased by the highest bidder." He sighed, moving closer to the enclosure and ignoring the creature's warning hiss. "The possibility that this could all be Viper and her organization considering the distress call from Jessica..."

<Danger> "According to Doctor McCoy, the burnt bodies retrieved from the wreckage contained traces of the same mutant hormones that were found in the remains of the suicide bombers responsible for the attack on the SHIELD installation, most likely a ruse to convince us the bodies were those of the crashed team, or at least delay us from finding out the truth."

<Danger> "Consequently, we may have to assume that all these criminal activities can be ascribed to the same organization, including these recent... infestations." Danger looked back at the captive creature. "If this is true, and this in fact is Jonas, there are enough reasons to believe that Miss Drew may have been subjected to the same experiments by now."

<Shaw> He turned his head sharply to stare at Danger. McCoy's findings must have been very recent as he hadn't heard this yet. "It's all Hydra, then," instead of the triumph of discovery, though, his voice sounded strained.

<Shaw> Danger's speculation of course was exactly what he had been thinking as well. But, somehow, hearing it aloud made it worse. If his Jess was like this now... He tensed, closing his eyes and trying to keep his emotions in check.

<Danger> "Whoever they are, their influence and resources must be greater than expected," Danger said, followed by a brief pause. The robot stepped closer to Shaw. "Still, the fact that they went to such great lengths to capture some of our students means they regard them as valuable assets."

<Shaw> "So are mine," he snapped, then schooled his features back into a mask. "Valuable assets indeed - for their DNA, their abilities, for research. I know this game, far more intimately than most."

<Danger> Danger slightly tilted her metallic head to the side. "What I was trying to express is that their captors most likely have great interest in keeping the students alive," she said. "I'm aware the unclear fate of Miss Drew distresses you, so I was attempting to say something reassuring. I'm not very experienced with that."

<Shaw> He nodded shortly, but felt disinclined to talk. Walking to the far edge of the containment cell, he kept his a hateful gaze on the pale creature, which got increasingly agitated as the human moved closer. Sebastian met its eyes again and held them.

<Danger> Unlike her human conversation partners, Danger didn't experience longer periods of silence as particularly uncomfortable, and simply stood by to watch Shaw exchange determined glares with the insect-like creature. She spent the time considering some of the remarks he had made and interpreted them according to the psychological profile she had of him.

<Shaw> The silence wasn't uncomfortable for him either, as Sebastian was far from idle. The creature's mind was a chaos of instinct and aggression, which rather mirrored his own.

<Danger> "If I should give you two some time alone with each other, let me know," Danger remarked after another minute of intense staring had passed.

<Shaw> "You should get one of the telepaths down here," he said, finally breaking off his contact with the creature. Sebastian's telepathy was weak at the best of times, and in dealing with something so decidedly inhuman it was worse. "Even Xavier himself, if the man can stay awake long enough."

<Danger> "So it does still possess higher cognitive abilities?" Danger's remark sounded more like a statement than a question. "Miss St. Common's judgment may have not been clouded by wishful thinking after all." The machine fixated the giant insect with artificial eyes, as if she could pierce into its mind simply by looking hard enough.

<Shaw> Sebastian turned his head to give Danger a long, assessing look. "Not many know I possess the ability to discern that, and I prefer to keep it that way." After a pause, he moved to face her, hands back in his pockets. "A stronger telepath would be needed to know for sure, but yes."

<Danger> "I will inform the rest of the staff at once," Danger assured him, slightly bowing her head. "If one of our telepaths may be able to communicate with the creature, that might make any further examination and possible therapy considerable easier. At very least it would spare me the trouble of having my shell polished again." Her hand went to the gashes on her torso.

<Shaw> "Of course... anything that might help..." He was doubtful that restoration from this state was possible, but he'd been wrong before, much to his own distaste.

<Danger> Danger nodded. "Is there anything else I can help you with then?" she asked. "Perhaps a simulation to distract your mind?"

<Shaw> For once, any possible innuendo slipped his mind. "How is our... side project progressing?"

<Danger> "Quite promising, in fact," Danger replied. "I reserved some of the processing power of the control room's systems to set up an alpha version of our operating system. It's still somewhat... simplistic in its nature, but if you interested in an demonstration, I could show you." She gestured towards the elevator.

<Shaw> "Yes, please, that would be most distracting." He gave the creature one more glance before turning back to Danger. "And more productive, that much is certain."

[steyn]

Ossim, love it when i get to read about my characters through other players imagination. You two did a great job here.