[There is a certain sensation one gets - in a workshop, in war zones, in loading bays, that eerie creeping feeling down your back of what would happen if all of the machines came to life. A certain, almost alive silence, like one is being watched happens in those moments. The splash of their footsteps just a little loud, the cadence of their breathing echoes like it might give their position away to deadly machines that could - by no logical means activate again.
None of that logic really helped the electric feeling up one's spine, or the pressure between the shoulder blades. It's just before Miles' hand finally reaches the doorknob that the metal shrieks again, suddenly, howling some banshee like defiance...
One of the cutters teeters, buckles under the strain of rust, roots and the punishment just levered on it, and slams back towards the far wall.
WHAM!
Taking some part of the hull with it, it crashes backwards off into ... emptiness.
Fresh, cool air, damp to Miles' face, and the roar of rushing water issues forth from the new gap.]
[ Holy shit. Miles nearly jumps out of his suit at the colossal noise. He does flinch up with his knife, ready to take on more godawful plant monster or whatever the hell is about to pour through that gap ...
That very dark gap. With a hell of a lot more water than he would have expected to hear, and fresh air? What the hell? He turns to Bel - oh thank god, they're still here - and then stares back at the gaping maw. He should just go straight out and take Bel with him. He should do anything except carefully approach this new hole with his curiosity burning him up from the inside out. (How much power does he even have left? His display is thoroughly cracked, the readout unintelligible.) ]
What the hell?
[ Is it another chamber on the ship? What else could it be? ]
[It's a bad idea to go check it out. In fact, it's an absolutely terrible idea.
Which is why Bel is practically climbing over Miles to see. (From where Bel holds the gap above Miles' head, the suit reads 25%...)
It takes a moment for their eyes to adjust... but slowly an image becomes clear, little pieces at a time. The distant filtering of lights, the underground river glittering in the harsh, nearby sun... and curled plant life, rich and deep along the banks of the river, pale blues and greens curling in the dim light...
One can even see where a creeping vine has rooted itself along the panels of this side of the ship - likely how the monster infested the algae beds... the pooling damn of the river by the body of the ship below might well explain the river inside as well.]
[ 25% left. Which means Miles certainly has less, which means this is even worse of an idea, but ... Miles follows after Bel, utterly speechless for a moment. They've been on a completely alien planet for how many days now? But this is something else.
He hadn't realized how close they were to the outside of the ship in this room. Maybe if they get free of it, the power will stop draining anyway. Miles carefully slides down the outer hull of the ship, coming to rest in a soft bed of this strange plant life. It's even prettier up close. Most importantly, the slope is gentle enough he could make his way back up if he needs to. ]
I was wondering how a planet this dry could have so much water. [ He breathes in the words reverently. ] Do you think this is where the Queen nested?
[Bel keeps pace, knife still in hand, but slack jawed. The ground they step boot into is soft, like a fertile soil rather than the harsh, burnt sand above.
The curled plants seem to be some kind of fern. The widespread leaves with gentle star patterns fold up and curl in towards the stems when brushed by accident... and soft pulses of light flutter through the plants' veins as they move... Something about the hue and glow was incredibly familiar.]
It must be... How the planet could support that sort of biodiversity and larger creatures didn't seem even possible.. but this explains it entirely. God, I wonder how far it goes...
[The light washes over Miles' suit briefly. So much dimmer, so much less concentrated by the pearls of undigested plant in the Queen's gullet, some small tears in the suit mend near Miles' fingertips.]
Milesopolis is out. Just calling that.
[Bel is kneeling at the banks of the river, fishing at something in the shallows.]
[ Ah. Miles' eyes widen. Even without his power readout to tell him what just happened, it's clear enough what those lights can do. Some part of him instantly feels less tired and sluggish. (He'd been very close running just now. Uncomfortably close.) ]
Milesia? Milayar?
[ He seeks out another fern, running his fingers over that one as well. Just to prove his theory.
There's a similarly glowing object underwater for Bel, gliding slowly back and forth with the movement of the current. Faintly piscene, covered in round glowing bulbs of it own. ]
[The crackling glow washes over Miles fingers, lapping in gentle waves up his forearm.]
Denied. [They answer lightly.] Taurayar, perhaps.
[Carefully, Bel reaches into the water, first missing as refraction plays its tricks. The fish like creature bobs almost leisurely out of the way, and then back, almost accidentally brushing the herm's hand.]
[ The glow from the fish spreads from its globes to Bel's hand with a similar crackle of energy. The glow remains, if somewhat diminished, as the fish hurries off to find a safer hiding spot. Miles, meanwhile, is turning his hand over, watching the last ripples of his own power absorption with no small amount of fascination. ]
As hilarious of an idea it is for her dealing with that merry band of intergalactic misfits without us... [They make an 'after you' gesture back to the rift.]
[ Miles stifles a laugh at that. There's a mental image for the ages. ]
She would kill us. A second time. Because she's already going to murder us.
[ He carefully clambers back inside. Back into hydroponics, back along the hallway they'd come down before, and back to the original rift - much easier to climb out of this time, courtesy of Bel's junk pile. The sun has set by the time they emerge, but their hasty little comm hookup still flickers in the twilight. ]
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no subject
None of that logic really helped the electric feeling up one's spine, or the pressure between the shoulder blades. It's just before Miles' hand finally reaches the doorknob that the metal shrieks again, suddenly, howling some banshee like defiance...
One of the cutters teeters, buckles under the strain of rust, roots and the punishment just levered on it, and slams back towards the far wall.
WHAM!
Taking some part of the hull with it, it crashes backwards off into ... emptiness.
Fresh, cool air, damp to Miles' face, and the roar of rushing water issues forth from the new gap.]
no subject
That very dark gap. With a hell of a lot more water than he would have expected to hear, and fresh air? What the hell? He turns to Bel - oh thank god, they're still here - and then stares back at the gaping maw. He should just go straight out and take Bel with him. He should do anything except carefully approach this new hole with his curiosity burning him up from the inside out. (How much power does he even have left? His display is thoroughly cracked, the readout unintelligible.) ]
What the hell?
[ Is it another chamber on the ship? What else could it be? ]
no subject
Which is why Bel is practically climbing over Miles to see. (From where Bel holds the gap above Miles' head, the suit reads 25%...)
It takes a moment for their eyes to adjust... but slowly an image becomes clear, little pieces at a time. The distant filtering of lights, the underground river glittering in the harsh, nearby sun... and curled plant life, rich and deep along the banks of the river, pale blues and greens curling in the dim light...
One can even see where a creeping vine has rooted itself along the panels of this side of the ship - likely how the monster infested the algae beds... the pooling damn of the river by the body of the ship below might well explain the river inside as well.]
This... it's almost like another world...
no subject
He hadn't realized how close they were to the outside of the ship in this room. Maybe if they get free of it, the power will stop draining anyway. Miles carefully slides down the outer hull of the ship, coming to rest in a soft bed of this strange plant life. It's even prettier up close. Most importantly, the slope is gentle enough he could make his way back up if he needs to. ]
I was wondering how a planet this dry could have so much water. [ He breathes in the words reverently. ] Do you think this is where the Queen nested?
no subject
The curled plants seem to be some kind of fern. The widespread leaves with gentle star patterns fold up and curl in towards the stems when brushed by accident... and soft pulses of light flutter through the plants' veins as they move... Something about the hue and glow was incredibly familiar.]
It must be... How the planet could support that sort of biodiversity and larger creatures didn't seem even possible.. but this explains it entirely. God, I wonder how far it goes...
no subject
We'll get a whole survey back here once Quinn finds us. Scan this place from top to bottom. Maybe they'll even let us name it.
no subject
Milesopolis is out. Just calling that.
[Bel is kneeling at the banks of the river, fishing at something in the shallows.]
no subject
Milesia? Milayar?
[ He seeks out another fern, running his fingers over that one as well. Just to prove his theory.
There's a similarly glowing object underwater for Bel, gliding slowly back and forth with the movement of the current. Faintly piscene, covered in round glowing bulbs of it own. ]
no subject
Denied. [They answer lightly.] Taurayar, perhaps.
[Carefully, Bel reaches into the water, first missing as refraction plays its tricks. The fish like creature bobs almost leisurely out of the way, and then back, almost accidentally brushing the herm's hand.]
no subject
Taurayar. I agree.
[ The glow from the fish spreads from its globes to Bel's hand with a similar crackle of energy. The glow remains, if somewhat diminished, as the fish hurries off to find a safer hiding spot. Miles, meanwhile, is turning his hand over, watching the last ripples of his own power absorption with no small amount of fascination. ]
I think our energy troubles are over, Captain.
no subject
[Bel watches as their own readout jumps, 30, 40, finally settling on 55% from that brief touch.]
This is absolutely incredible...
no subject
[ Well, they have options. Miles heads for one of the larger glowing plants, which turns out to be a fungus. Edible? Something to find out later. ]
We should get back to where Quinn can find us first.
no subject
Bel nods and straightens.]
As hilarious of an idea it is for her dealing with that merry band of intergalactic misfits without us... [They make an 'after you' gesture back to the rift.]
no subject
She would kill us. A second time. Because she's already going to murder us.
[ He carefully clambers back inside. Back into hydroponics, back along the hallway they'd come down before, and back to the original rift - much easier to climb out of this time, courtesy of Bel's junk pile. The sun has set by the time they emerge, but their hasty little comm hookup still flickers in the twilight. ]