It's not like I'm walking alone into the valley of the shadow of death--

[sageprincess]

Characters: Enoch, Zelda, and their ragtag bunch of immortals (Lucifel, Naoya, Solas, Saber Lily, and Ruler)
Setting: Admin levels; night of April 9th
Format: Any, though action might be faster?
Summary: With Jason apparently busy examining the "malfunctioning" worker units, it's the perfect time to strike and retrieve the information Dax left behind.
Warnings: It's a break in. These do not have a history of going well. Character injury and death is possible.

It is a dark and stormy night, as cliche as it sounds. Most of the Tower residents should be asleep by now, or wandering the more interesting floors in search of monsters to fight.

Not these ones, though. A small group quietly begins to gather around the administrator elevator after the sun is well and truly down, several of them armed. Jason's announcement over the intercom yesterday had been just the tell they were looking for - one that informed them he was distracted - and despite some of the distressing disappearances that followed, they had to jump on this rare opportunity while it was within their grasp.

Dax trusted them with the information he had collected, and one way or another, they were going to find it.

Comments

[warriorscribe]

I'll look.

*Enoch turns and starts heading back the way they came, backtracking to the first hallway if possible. If anyone would like to come with him, they're naturally free to do so.*

[animusnpcs]

[There is still movement coming from behind the door in the first hallway.]

[sageprincess]

[Yeah, like hell you're going alone, Enoch. Insert 'it's dangerous to go alone' joke here. Zelda follows after, though... she frowns at the door when they reach it.]

That... does not sound like time has stopped.

[warriorscribe]

No, it doesn't... Should we still try to investigate it, in case Dax has left instructions for us...?

*In that case, maybe someone should go back and tell the others Lucifel's time freeze attempt didn't work...*

[faithstaynight]

We should. If we turn away from every light noise then I'm sure we will be missing out on something.

[Ruler frowns. If whatever it is that's moving behind that door is powerful enough to not be affected by time manipulation, then there might be a problem if they're all cluttered near the door.]

Perhaps the rest of us should stay some distance away from the door as another opens it, to better prepare for a possible ambush.

[sageprincess]

As anxious as it makes me, Ruler is right. We could be wandering that maze for hours if there just so happens to be something here.

[She exhales, bracing herself. This is either going to end well or very, very poorly.]

I will fetch the others. [And like that, she's off, informing the others of their plan and bringing them back.]

[no_longer_a_king]

[Arturia follows Zelda back easily enough.]

[warriorscribe]

*And Enoch steps back only so far as he's out of the immediate vicinity of the doorway, in the hall beyond, just in case.*

[brbtalkingtogod]

[Lucifel stands there with crossed arms when Zelda and Arturia come to inform them.]

So?

[sageprincess]

... We can still hear movement behind that door, but, even so... Enoch and I would like to investigate it. Perhaps there is something in there we can use to navigate this.

[She says with a gesture to the labyrinthine hallways.]

[repeatingsun]

I - could try to open the door from a distance, if that would help.

[Solas when did you sprout vines- you know what forget it.]

[sageprincess]

[...

Not

even going to ask.]

... We will have to see what the others think. Come with me.

[She gestures for the remaining members of the group to follow, then heads back to the entrance hall.]

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya's just following behind until he's needed. With their luck they'll run into something else electronic.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch is still waiting for them by the doorway. He's been watching the door to make sure whatever's in there stays in there.*

If these are more of them...do we have any plans to fight them? They're quite durable.

[sageprincess]

Arturia's sword seemed to work well enough on the other one. Aside from that, though...

[She's got nothing. But they're wasting time just standing around here and discussing.

Meatshields, Solas? Would you do the honors?]

[faithstaynight]

[Right. No more stalling. Ruler readies her sword, approaches the door....]

Be on your guard, everyone.

[Aaaand opens it.]

[animusnpcs]

[Two retrieval units, guarding the door on the other side, look over at the now open door. Their collars are chipped; they glance at the collars of the residents and then go back to their guard duty.

Another retrieval unit looks up. She's wearing glasses--this is entirely unique among worker or retrieval units.]

Yes?

[sageprincess]

[Chipped collars... like the ones from before.

Zelda visibly relaxes, stepping closer (though probably not around the more protective meatshields).]

Do you... work for Dax?

[repeatingsun]

[A chipped...Glasses? Solas is just going to tilt her head and put the vines away. They don't seem to mean badly...]

[animusnpcs]

Yes! [There's a hint of excitement in her tone--it's unlike other worker or retrieval units, even ones with chipped collars. She seems to correct herself on this point, calming down some.] Yes. I've been waiting for you. All of you, I mean.

[no_longer_a_king]

What is your name?

[Arturia is curious, to say the least. If this woman has a name, has origins like any other person, then what did that say about the other units in this Tower?]

[animusnpcs]

R-037. [Pronounced R-zero-three-seven. She adjusts her glasses a little.] That's my designation, anyway. None of us have names like you're all used to.

[repeatingsun]

Nice to meet you, R!

[sageprincess]

Zero-Three-Seven...

[Where has she heard that before--]

Mm, yes, this is definitely a pleasant surprise from what we were expecting. I suppose you know why we are here, then?

[animusnpcs]

It's nice to meet you, too. [She smiles almost childishly--maybe she's never gotten to say that to someone before.] You'll be wanting a way through the false maze, right?

[She turns away to what appears to be a wall, but after placing her hand on it, a door appears.]