Ex Machina; Infiltration

[animusmods]

Characters: Riki and the infiltration team
Setting: administrative levels
Format: any
Summary: Riki's efforts must be sabotaged. Stealth is the name of the game and time is of the essence.
Warnings: psychological horror

Though the chipped unit does not follow, he sees to it that the team advances the rest of the way. At the end of the lit corridor is a set of double doors, heavy-duty polished metal with small windows set into each one.

Through the windows, a massive machine is visible, connected to thousands of holographic screens that are hard to make out at the speed at which they're being manipulated. The machine sits in the center of the room and is networked to four elaborate terminals stationed along the walls via a complex tangle of panels, wires, and towers. Each of these terminals controls its own set of floating screens; the sheer amount of holographic monitors in the room is disorienting, and really, it's hard to tell what's connected to what.

In the chair in the middle of the enormous set-up is Riki, maneuvering all of the screens with the same ease with which most people breathe. His back is to the doors that lead into the room, and for the moment, he is utterly engrossed in his work.

Comments

[morphballin]

"I will also remain, to cover the fire-users if necessary. And...attempt to use the machinery, if need be." She's no pro hacker, and she's lacking her scanner, and there's no blaster-port interface, but she'll try, damn it.

And there's the darkness. Shit. Samus readies a charge blast - mostly to provoide some semblance of light.

[notachickenhawk]

<I'm not an owl...> There's vague grumbling from Tobias, but he attempts to fly over to Asch's shoulder to get off the floor.

[sageprincess]

... Din, Nayru, and Farore, will this not end?

"Can it be stopped?" Zelda asks, forcing herself back to her feet and into a ready position with no small amount of effort.

[bloodyashes]

...Well, that's just great.

At the announcement, Asch resumes his place guarding Zelda's back. "He could throw damn near anything at us with the glamour. Be ready."

[greyerrant]

"I'm ready"

Garvi's fists crack, as he prepares for whatever is to come.

[animusnpcs]

Most discussion is going to have to wait--suddenly, everything goes silent. No one can hear themselves talk, let alone anyone else. Only telepathy continues working.

[warriorscribe]

"Riki trying to get us out of here, no doubt." Enoch tenses, realizing he can't hear himself speak. He may be unarmed, but nothing that was coming at him was real. He remembered in that book Lucifel had been given, he'd written about "acknowledgment" in Heaven, how Ezekiel was able to touch him, but his hand would pass right through Lucifel.

He'd tried with the glamoured blood before, and it hadn't worked. But it may be their only shot if it would otherwise kill them - and he had seen glamour kill. He had to try.

[no_longer_a_king]

Arturia tightens her hold on the retrieval unit's shoulder when she realizes how eerily silent it is. She tightens her grip on Caliburn and wills herself still. Calm. Control. Whatever is to come she needs to be careful.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...Oh shit, which is what Veronica would have said, had she been able to speak.

She attempted to speak a few time, calling out into the dark for anyone there only for her voice to be nonexistent.

Instead, she tried to traverse the darkened room, looking around for the others. She could see in infrared, maybe that would help.

[puppy_lancer]

It was quiet now. Too quiet. Lancer draws another fire rune, if only to try and make some light so he can see where his companions still are. He also tries to swear, but finds he can't even hear himself.

[slightlyoblivious]

It's too quiet, and Yukiko frowns, glancing around her. Too quiet and too dark. She takes her fans out of their pouch, just in case - they might only be film, but better than nothing.

[notachickenhawk]

<Great. Can anyone hear me? ... I don't know if anyone can hear me. I guess... I'll keep talking? I could sing, but I don't think anyone wants that.>

Tobias ruffles his feathers a bit. <So... uh. I guess we should wait. Stay calm. We'll be okay.>

[animusnpcs]

There are things moving in the darkness--glittery things. It's impossible to focus directly on them, because they keep moving just out of focus. But they're definitely getting closer.

[no_longer_a_king]

It's an illusion, she told herself, keeping very still and remembering long ago when Ruler had been pounced by the hellhound. It's only an illusion.

She wondered if Tobias could hear her, but she doubted it. She did not have any kind of telepathic ability to speak of.

[puppy_lancer]

When he hears words come inside his head, he's about to ask who was there and how they were talking to him like this (since so far as he remembers, he has no link with any Master who could possibly do this). However, he's distracted by the sight of the glittery things moving around. He holds his spear tight, ready to strike at them if they come too close.

Even if he knows it's the glamour, he still has to wonder what it is that's been cloaked over.

[midgarhorizon]

Propping his arm on his knee, Reno jabs his fist into his cheek and sighs. But, at least there's a silver lining. If Naoya turns into a zombie, at least he'll get eaten first.

That is, until he notices the glittering things. This is an effect of the glamour? Standing up, he tries to go toward one, trying to aim at it with his javelin.

[bloodyashes]

Silence. He hates silence. Asch pointedly scuffs a foot across the floor, hoping that will make some noise, but no luck. Anyone watching him at that point will see that he's obviously very uncomfortable. His breathing is intentionally measured and even, and he tips his head towards Tobias in acknowledgement of the telepathic message.

When things begin to glitter at the edge of the darkness, he watches with a mix of skepticism and paranoia. They might not even be real, but if they are...

[animusnpcs]

Reno's javelin is swallowed up by the glittering things, which giggle--the only audible sound in the room.

It's still impossible to see what the glittering things actually are, though.

[attheclocktower]

What if he was trying to hide what he was doing? The glittery things, the ones getting closer... what if they were more of the robots, hiding in the dark Riki was creating?

She's learned Strike Raid over her time in the Tower, and bringing her Keyblade out of the ground, she tries it now, thowing her Keyblade forward and calling it back to her, trying to see if it strikes anything. Or if she'll even be able to tell.

It was better than nothing.

[greyerrant]

Loken thinks back to the battle against the daemon on sixty three nineteen... this sort of half-perceptible foe seems strangely familiar. But he's going to hold, Astartes nerves being basically unshakable. And of course... his persona is as well.

[keybearer]

Riku's grip on his Keyblade tightens. If it weren't for the silence, he probably would've hissed or growled out his frustrations. Though it's tough to make out the glittering things, he focuses his mind on pinning them down. Raising his Keyblade above his head, he tries launching a Graviga spell at the unknown figures. Does it work?

[evokingfool]

The absolute silence was unsettling, with the darkness masking how uneasy Minato looked by this. The timing after the retrieval unit's warning doesn't help, or the glittery things he thought he saw.

He's not imagining them, right?

Sheathing his evoker, his hand reach for his sword instead, quiet and attempting to follow the things with his eyes.

[sageprincess]

Ask the retrieval unit if it knows what is happening, she tries thinking in Tobias' general direction and praying his telepathy works like that. She observes the glittery... things with suspicion, but following one leads to glance at Asch, and... right, sound elemental thing. He's probably not doing well with this. There's not much she can do, but she does reach out for his hand, taking it in her own.

... The giggling is what gets to her, though. That sounds far too much like shadow children for her to be comfortable. Tense, she doesn't attempt engaging them in any way beyond watching them when she can.

[midgarhorizon]

Reno curses, loudly, not that it matters in the silent darkness. That's one weapon out. Backing up where he thought he came from, he uses a foot to look for Naoya's body until he finds it, or what he thinks is Naoya. Without any actual powers and the fact those things just ate his javelin, he's fairly useless at the moment. Better to keep near the guy in case they need to get out quickly.

[warriorscribe]

It's too quiet. But he's not alone. He's not alone, that's the important thing. Everyone's here and he reaches out for the nearest person's shoulder, to remind himself of that even if Riki takes their sight away entirely. He watches the glittery things warily when he sees them, but his focus is on everyone else, watching, making sure they're all right - especially the retrieval unit.