2022-04-16: Terror on the Hortensia

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<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.


A total of eight ships have gone missing in a relatively localized region of
 the Pacific Ocean. Initial search teams were unable to locate the ships or any
 signs of them. This includes wreckage, suggesting that they were not
 destroyed. At least not at the point of last known contact.

        One of those missing vessels is the Nergal supercontainer ship,
 Hortensia. One of Nergal's more modern vessels, capable of carrying huge
 amounts of cargo across the seas. Its disappearance is a mystery, leaving many
 at the company confused. And not to mention likely giving Mister Prospector
 some serious sweats as he thinks of the losses that comes from it.

        As a result, the Nadesico, which was already crossing the Pacific to
 help protect and deliver one Galactic Idol to her next concert, is rerouted to
 investigate. With some impressively advanced sensors, not to mention a super
 AI and girl genius backing them, it's hoped that the Nadesico will be able to
 find the Hortensia and the other ships and learn what happened to them.

        And find them they do! Though in a rather unlikely location: Towards
 the center of a nearby uninhabited island, a full twenty kilometers inland
 with no obvious rivers or tidal patterns that would explain how they managed
 to make it that far from the water's edge. It also seems that there are some
 unusual levels of interference in the area, unfamiliar in signature and with
 no obvious source. Possibly a phenomena natural to the location. With all
 this, it's no wonder the initial search teams didn't locate the ships.

        So the Nadesico has cleared its first objective: Find the ships. Now it
 needs to learn what happened to them. And the key to that seems to be on the
 Hortensia... As it's the only one that is currently showing any signs of
 activity. While all the other ships are quiet, the Hortensia is not only
 giving off energy readings, suggesting its systems are online, there are also
 a number of heat signatures on the ship that may indicate signs of life.
 Possible survivors in need of rescue! But there's no response on the comms...
 This calls for a rescue team!

        Unfortunately, while the Hortensia's interior cargo hold is certainly
 large and supposed to be able to accommodate mobile weapons, all the access
 points are shut tight. And no amount of polite asking from Ruri remotely to
 the Hortensia's computers are making them open. But in order to find out what
 happened and rescue any potential survivors, the Hortensia is going to have to
 be boarded. And if they're going to have any hope of getting through the
 numerous security checkpoints, the team is going to need to include a
 technical wizard good with computers.

        That person certainly isn't Alto, though he's volunteered for the
 mission for other reasons. Namely, to provide protection. Given the unknown
 situation, there are some concerns about equally unknown dangers that might be
 lurking aboard. That's not to say that they shouldn't go, as there might be
 people in need over there. But Alto's not going to take any chances,
 especially with some of the Nadesico's more valuable members joining the
 boarding team.

        Alto sits in the cockpit of his Messiah, powering it up. He won't be
 able to take his VF into the ship, but he will be flying escort for the
 shuttle that the others are going to be using to get onto the Hortensia. At
 least until they land on the Hortensia's deck. At which point he will have to
 leave his Messiah behind to join the others inside. Though he has a plan for
 that.

        Alto briefly glances up from his preparations to look over at the
 landing shuttle being readied. He has some worries about some of those who
 volunteered to join the rescue team. Though he can't deny that, with such a
 large ship like the Hortensia, they could use all the help they can get
 searching it. Plus he can understand some of the desires expressed to help
 those who are in need. Still, there are one or two that he would prefer
 weren't coming along, not wanting to see them in danger.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        On the one hand, Sheryl is annoyed that her escort ship has been the
 one chosen to investigate ship disappearances. She has a schedule to keep, she
 can't be getting held up with things like this! But on the other hand... her
 tour is going to keep her solidly busy for a while. If there's any time for
 her to get some practical flight hours in, it's now, once they've figured out
 where the missing ships are anyway, and all they need to do is go in and help
 with a rescue. So where Alto volunteers to go in as muscle, Sheryl volunteers
 to go in as the pilot of the boarding vessel.
        
        (It's not the same as flying a Valkyrie. But it's flying experience all
 the same.)
        
        And so Sheryl's seated at the controls of the Hinagiku, like Alto
 initiating the start-up sequence. "This isn't so bad," she comments aloud to
 Grace, who's in the cockpit with her, and over the comm lines to her other
 companions. "It's not *exactly* what I've been learning, but it's close enough
 to count! This shouldn't be a problem at all. Everyone, give me a ring once
 you're all buckled up, and then off we'll go!"
        
        If nothing else, she's confident.

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Hinagiku -- the Nadesico's shuttle-craft -- has its own landing bay and
 docking port on the ventral main hull; compared to the launching mecha, its
 exit point is downright stealthy. Ruri Hoshino, systems operator, is... not
 piloting. The Hinagiku uses typical shuttle controls, and Ruri was never
 taught how to use those. She's... well, she sat in a Messer once? Does that
 count? That probably doesn't count.

        Of course, Ruri tried her best to contact the Hortensia, but it just
 didn't want to talk to her. She wasn't the one to suggest she go down
 personally, even if all her efforts seemed to be ending in endless cold
 shoulders, but...

        Well, when the concept of Ruri (and not just Ruri) going down there
 came up, Goat Hoary stepped in to insist that Lucine go with them, for some
 extra protection.

        And that's why Ruri is here, now, sitting in one of Hinagiku's seats.
 "I'm secured," she tells Sheryl through the line, strange as seatbelts are to
 her. Oh, to be sure, the Nadesico does have them, just in case. They've
 never come in handy, because they've never shut off the internal gravity
 controls.

        She's also nervous, though it's not something which casts onto the
 flat wall of her features. Her voice is perfectly even, and betrays little of
 Ruri's nervousness at getting personally involved in something like this,
 instead of monitoring it from afar.

        She has a data pad with physical connectors to try and get past the
 Hortensia's stubbornness, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


~Earlier on the Nadesico~

"H-Hey Ai-kun. I know you really want to come along... but not today."

Ranka tries to herd the fuzzy little creature back into her bag, only for him
 to leap right out at her, thumping her lightly in the face. "Owowow...
 you're so energetic today."

Smiling ruefully as she grasped him with one hand and rubbed her face with the
 other hand, she places him back in her bag and zips it mostly shut, "I need
 you to stay here. Please Ai-kun. I know you want to come - but that just
 can't happen. We could get into some real trouble if you're found out."

The little creature hesitated then made a small squeaking noise that seemed
 like reluctant assent to Ranka. Reaching out she gave him an affectionate
 skritch under the chin.

"Thank you."

-=-=-

~Now~

"Wow. You're so multi-talented Sheryl-san." Ranka sounds impressed as hastily
 belts in within the Hinagiku, "Ready!"

Before she leans over to Ruri to say quietly, "How are you feeling?" She feels
 that nervous vibe - and understands it being a bit anxious herself, though she
 doesn't want to call it out unless Ruri wants to talk about it.

She doesn't really have many useful technical skills for the mission. So as
 intern she's here for support - perhaps mostly emotional support. She does
 have a jump bag filled with useful things though - including first aid kit,
 snacks, extra water, earbuds with a mix of both soothing and pop music at the
 ready...

...stress ball, several plushies, and a clipboard with an initial survey report
 Prospector has tasked her with filling out for tax write off purposes.

"If you need anything let me know. That's what I'm here for."

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

"Aaah, are we really doing this...?" Leito muttered to himself, but he knew the
 game. People needed help, and his 'partner' didn't like the feeling of this or
 the idea of holding back. So, he had signed up for the rescue team, probably
 to the shock of his new crew that he had only joined the other day. A clumsy
 salaryman with some confidence issues?

Well, they'll make it through. Sitting in a seat, Leito's thinking
 carefully. He's also watching that Ruri has to go with them. When he learned
 she was actually a child, it made him sad.

Why are children part of a battleship?

But, he'll just have to assist her anyways, if he's going to be here.

"Ah, I'm secured..." Sheryl Nome's driving the shuttle. This is so surreal.

"Is everyone going to be okay...?" He says to the away crew. A lot of them
 don't seem the type to do this normally, and he certainly isn't either.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        ... so, why would Grace be a part of a mission to investigate a
 derelict ship? A secretary and talent manager whose skills largely have to
 deal with scheduling and maintaining the Galactic Fairy's career.

        It could be because her charge is flying the shuttle. After all she
 hasn't been flying... at all... until very recently it might be necessary for
 her to keep an eye on things just in case she forgets which switch or lever
 does what, and the entire craft goes spinning into the ocean. This would be
 both an obvious and practical reason for her being on the shuttle... but the
 explanation sort of falls flat as to why she would disembark from the shuttle
 onto the derelict itself.

        It could also be that upon hearing that Sheryl's little friend Ranka as
 well as her rescent fixation Alto were both part of the mission there was no
 way that Sheryl wasn't going to be part of it too. After all it's not a
 combat mission ... on paper, so it should be fine for idols right?! Well
 after some gentle nudging and vexxed sighing, Grace managed to convince Sheryl
 to take it as an opportunity to practice some in-atmosphere flying while Grace
 herself would go aboard to make sure everything is going alright... as well as
 be Sheryl's eyes and ears, just in case anything does go wrong.

        That last part was probably left out of any discussion with Nergal
 however.

        What WAS explained though was how a member of the Galactic Fairy's
 entourage is actually quite capable of holding her own in a combat situation.
 Owing it due to having implants to better bodyguard Sheryl in case of
 emergency, it was still impressive to watch an average Office Lady-looking
 individual manhandle a man nearly double her size and weight... err ... well,
 size anyway, over a judo matt.

        But more on that later...

        Grace is sitting in the copilot's seat on the shuttle next to Sheryl.
 She is buckled in though less out of necessity than most. Her hands are
 working the controls of the ship's interior cabin cameras as she goes over the
 last of the pre-flight checklist with Sheryl. "Everything should go well..."
 she agrees, her calm voice in stark contrast to whatever jitters Sheryl might
 experience. "All systems are nominal. Just remember this craft is heavier,
 especially in atmosphere, and let me know if you can't find any of the
 attitude controls. This cockpit layout is probably a bit different than ones
 you are used to..."

        That's funny, Sheryl will be having a problem adjusting something's
 attitude instead of the other way around, for a change.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        <".... Hortensia... that's... another name for a hydrangea."> Lucine is
 providing helpful commentary from the Dianthus. Like Alto, she is providing
 extra muscle, both from her cockpit and on foot.

        The latter may prove to be a problem; aside from some half-hearted
 lessons from her father on how to swing and take a punch, the gardener doesn't
 have much in the way of know-how.

        Still, she will find some way, if it came down to it. That's clearly
 why Goat had so much faith in her!

        There is the emptiness of there being no signal, nothing to designate a
 situation as being dangerous, but also signalling there may not be any
 survivors to rescue. But, it could also mean they simply aren't close enough
 for Lucine to sense one way or another, if there was anything that could be
 sensed in the first place by someone with her degree of ability. But,
 something gnaws on Lucine the closer they get in, like a metallic scent in the
 back of her throat. Something unfamiliar. Something Lucine herself hasn't
 encountered before, and has no words or mental images to describe.

        It could, as always, just be her nerves. Ranka, Sheryl, and Grace,
 Sheryl's agent, are here, along with someone new to the Nergal staff, Leito.
 Why are they here? Don't they know this could go very badly? Don't they--

        Didn't Lucine know that Sheryl Nome, the galactic fairy, could pilot a
 ship, and Ranka is likely there because she's proven useful as emotional
 backup? And Grace...

        Meeting Grace face to face was like catching the faint scent of a
 unfamiliar night-blooming flower. Not 'off', exactly, like this area feels
 off. Maybe... it's a case of Grace being a person that is complex, unreadable.
 Many perfectly mundane people are this way in the universe, just due to how
 they are and not because of any dark secret. The nervousness is noted, Lucine
 mentally jotting it down due to that complusive need to ensure group cohesion.
 It's a bad habit.

        As they go further in, the feeling grows. <".... Something.... doesn't
 feel right..."> 'Unfamiliar' is a better word, but Lucine didn't want to
 reveal her own secret, as public as it might already be to others with the
 same powers.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.


        All aboard! Once everyone is on the Hinagiku, the shuttle proceeds to
 launch, quickly followed by its escorts. The flight down to the Hortensia is
 uneventful, though the large ship grounded on the island, surrounded by
 several smaller ships in similar conditions, is quite the sight.

        The Hortensia's large, open deck thankfully provides plenty of landing
 space for the shuttle and its novice pilot. Not to mention place for the
 escorts to land as well. But as they touch down on the deck, it's easy to
 notice that there's no one in sight. Not a single soul. The ship is oddly
 still. Though the lights are on, confirming the initial energy readings.

        Alto's Messiah touches down in GERWALK mode, not far from the shuttle.
 It leans forward, bringing its nose down closer to the ground before it powers
 down. The canopy opens and Alto climbs out, though he's looking a little
 bulkier than he normally does. That's because part of his cockpit is coming
 with him in the form of his Ex-Gear. Alto jumps the distance from his cockpit
 to the deck, landing with a heavy clang as the metal structure of the
 exoskeleton suit meets the equally metal deck plating.

        Alto walks up to those disembarking from the shuttle, a large assault
 rifle in his hands. With his armored suit, Alto MIGHT just be able to measure
 up to Goat Hoary in size now. Though one wonders if the giant security man
 might still be able to go toe to toe with the suit.

        The armored helmet snaps open to reveals Alto face as he speaks,
 "According to the plans, there's a main access hatch over there." He points
 towards the rear of the ship, where its structure rises up and out of the main
 hull.

        Sure enough, a large set of double doors seem to be the most obvious
 form of entry. Though as expected, they're locked tight. While they could
 theoretically blast through, there are supposed to be more security bulkheads
 beyond. And blasting them all would be time consuming, damaging to the ship
 and they don't have nearly enough explosives for it! This is why Ruri is here!

        While Ruri works on the doors, Alto offers up the plan with visual
 assistance from a holographic map of the ship, "The Nadesico picked up heat
 signatures clustered in these four locations..."

        "The Computer Core..." According to the map, it's up from where they're
 entering, in the middle of the ship's raised structure.

        "The main cargo hold. The best access point is probably here." It's a
 few decks down and forward from their position."

        "The environmental control facility." Also a few decks down but further
 towards the rear of the ship.

        "And the engine room." Many decks down at the bottom of the ship,
 towards the rear.

        "If we're going to search them all, we'll have to split up." Not the
 most ideal of circumstances, but it IS a big ship. "The elevators are
 apparently offline, so we'll have to use the stairs for the most part. I have
 a shortcut down to the engine room I can take, so I'll use that. Which just
 leaves three other locations."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        In fairness, Lucine: Sheryl doesn't *know* how to pilot a ship so much
 as she is *learning* how to pilot a ship. A fine but important difference!
 Even finer when she hasn't noticed her manager's subtle, gentle pushes for her
 to take up that role.
        
        Which *absolutely* doesn't stop Sheryl from tossing her hair and
 smiling when Ranka compliments her. "I sure am!" she boasts. She knows well
 that she's still learning, but it makes her feel like she *has* to do her best
 to not let Ranka down.
        
        Meanwhile, Ruri and Leito confirm that they're secured, Alto and Lucine
 are ready to go... Sheryl nods firmly to Grace as she flips a series of
 switches, then pushes forward on the controls. It *is* heavier than she's used
 to, but thanks to the support of her co-pilot, the launch goes off smoothly.
 Soon they're at the Hortensia, eerily quiet; Sheryl manages a smooth landing,
 and disembarks along with the rest.
        
        Naturally, this being no photo shoot, she's wearing a more practical
 pilot's one-piece suit, though the zipper in front is unzipped scandalously
 low. She looks up at Alto in his powered suit as he describes the places they
 have to inspect. The Computer Core, the main cargo hold, and the environmental
 control facility, with Alto volunteering for the engine room... It'd be nice
 if she could go with him, but even she can admit (if only to herself) that
 without a powered suit of her own, she'd likely just slow him down.
        
        "I'll head to the environmental control facility. That seems like the
 likeliest place for survivors to hole up," she says aloud. "Grace, are you
 coming with me, or are you going to head to the Computer Core?" It seems like
 a better place for her particular skills, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

As they arrive, Leito's eyes skim across to the doors. Well, if they can get
 these through, hopefully they can find survivors. "Cargo hold's also a good
 place to look for them...I'll go there." A pause, as he tries to remember
 names from the briefing. "A-ah, Miss Azul, do you want to join me? It's not
 safe to go alone." While she's ostensibly their security expert of the away
 team, he feels the two of them together can make some headway. Or at least,
 his partner does.

Once the doors are open, he'll make his way once they've all been sorted out.
 "You said it doesn't feel right...?"

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Another vexed sigh...

        Perhaps she should have expected it from someone as flighty and
 mercurial as her namesake, but she had thought that her protege was staying
 back with the shuttle instead of proceeding with the mission directly. It
 seems to have been a common beat since they have arrived at Earth Sphere
 though. Despite all her intentions and well laid plans, there is always at
 least one fly in her ointment.

        "I guess there's no point arguing right now, is there?" The
 beleaguered secretary intones. She then glances at the rest of the crew. It
 looks like Alto intends to go off on his own, and Leito has made movements as
 if to partner up with Lucine. That would leave Sheryl, Ranka, and Ruri.
 Given her role it would make the most sense for her to go together with Sheryl
 and ensure her safety. However...

        Grace's eyes scan over Ruri. Ever since their last meeting, the two
 have rarely been in the same place for long. Whenever Ruri is in proximity
 she can probably sense the wariness - the prickly lack of ease from the
 cyborg's implant. While there is none of that in her physical expression,
 even now, it is clear that they are anything but friends at this point.
 "Perhaps it would be best if I accompany Ms. Hoshino?" Grace suggests and
 gives the smaller girl a reassuring smile, "After all, I have plenty of
 experience working with video and audio interfaces. If we can get access to
 the ship's internal security protocols we'd be able to survey the entire ship
 in minutes instead of hours."

        She walks from Sheryl and past Ranka to lean down and offer the smaller
 girl a hand, "Well? Shall we go talk to Hortensia-san?"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lacking a similar mode, landing the Dianthus is not very
 straightforward, owing to the design. As it touches down, with its 'feet'
 (which are more akin to hooves that human feet), it lowers into a half kneel
 and uses the 'petals' on the back to stablize. The chest comes open in to
 parts, and Lucine gets out, dressed in the standard black and red Nadesico
 flight suit and helmet, the latter coming off, freeing her ponytail. Putting
 the helmet aside, she climbs down, landing on the ground with practiced grace.

        Which is different from the other Grace, who is also here. As is,
 again, Sheryl. Lucine tries to focus on there being a Sheryl here, who is a
 person, who can pilot, and happens to be able to sing too. Who thanked her for
 listening. It's getting easier now, separating the two.

        Watching Alto fly up in his Ex-gear equipment, Lucine looks mildly
 surprised. "... That is a suit of many surprises, it seems. But yes, that
 sounds like a good idea... Though..." Where will she go? Maybe she should go
 with Ruri, but, her experience with computers is average, at best.

        When Leito offers, Lucine nods, with a small smile. "That may be best,
 actually... Oh, ah, give me a moment, I almost forgot..." Holding up a finger,
 she climbs straight back into her cockpit, and takes out the holster Goat
 provided. "... Ah, there is is. Just in case."

        When Grace offers to go with Ruri, there's a light rising of the
 eyebrows, and Lucine seems to look... mildly relieved, as she climbs back
 down. Hooking the holster around her waist, Lucine offers Leito an apologetic
 smile. "It's been a while since I've fired one of these... and ah, don't worry
 too much about it. It just feels... off."

        Off, in a way that makes Lucine frown, even as she tries to dismiss it.
 "It's likely just the situation in general."

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        "I'm fine," Ruri insists, bravely, to Ranka. "I'm not a child," she's
 still twelve, that's not changing until Tanabata, "so I won't drag you down."
 Ruri isn't actually a very good liar, when she actually has to change the
 truth instead of just omitting it. All she's done is insist the thing she's
 scared of won't happen.

        She frowns, hands crossing over the data pad on her lap. "With Mr.
 Saotome, Ms. Azul, Mr. Hoary, and Ms. O'Connor, we'll be safe," she assures
 Leito, and she's confident in that much, at least. (As much as she didn't
 manage to impress Grace, back then, Ruri trusts her not to get them hurt.) She
 looks over to Ranka, though, trouble a subtle touch in her eyes. "Even so, you
 didn't have to come, Miss Lee. Stranded people will likely be a confronting
 sight." Ruri looks away, shoulders sinking a little, and doesn't address the
 guilt boiling underneath that stoic warning in the slightest.

        (The reason she could be convinced to come here, in the end, is --
 well, Lucine was there, too. Ruri hardly feels the need to go over something
 which happened in the past.)

        "... thank you," she mutters, without looking at her. For some reason,
 she's grateful that Ranka is here with her, but... she's feeling a lot of
 regret, too.

        Maybe she's worried about Ranka.

        (Well, being fair, that's also true.)

        She takes the rest of the trip in silence, and -- well, her negative
 feelings are moderated, a little, because she's kind of impressed someone
 like Sheryl can fly a shuttle too. Well, just as Ranka said, she's
 multi-talented, or something like that.

        ... it's still kind of surprising to see Alto in his Ex-Gear, too. Ruri
 can't help but think it just looks like weird cosplay. She's sensible enough
 not to comment, though, because she has a job to do. Over to the main access
 hatch --

        "Modern computers require physical access as a matter of security,"
 Ruri explains, as she magnetises the connectors to the input lock. "I
 generally use a different method, but... we'll work like this for now."
 There's a little whirr-click, as that metal cord connects in with the hatch
 systems. She lays her palm down over the pad, one of the ones designed for IFS
 connection; the nanomachines shine along that tattoo, all reflected in the
 gold of her eyes as she reaches out to the locking mechanisms.

        Their reaction to her feels strange, given how she tried to reach them
 before, but... now she has their attention, she's able to disengage the locks
 without too much trouble.

        Ruri asks, very nicely, if the Hortensia wouldn't mind unlocking all
 its doors, so that they'll be able to get around. She's not entirely confident
 she can get the message through the entire ship from a localised system like
 this, though.

        (Neither does she foresee any negative effects to opening doors.)

        Once the hatch is open, Ruri disengages the connectors and winds them
 back into the data pad, turning back to Alto and the others. She was only
 half-listening to that explanation, given she was having a conversation of her
 own -- but it only takes her an instant of looking over those holographic maps
 to fill in the gaps.

        "I'll proceed to the Computer Core," Ruri says, mildly. It makes sense,
 to her, that survivors would go to a place like that. "In any case, if I can
 gain access to the main systems, I'll be able to offer you more assistance."
 She looks over to Ranka, and -- well, she doesn't quite show it, but it
 might be clear to the sensitive souls that she's leaning on the older girl
 here. Ranka is her friend; even if they're not really well-suited to being
 boots on the ground, she trusts her. She'd feel better if --

        Anyway, here's Grace.

        Ruri interrupts her wordless look to Ranka to look to Grace, instead,
 blinking in mild surprise. Why would Grace want to go with her, after -- oh,
 her audio-visual technical expertise. "I see," Ruri says, still quite neutral.
 "Logically, you can do your best work at the core, as well." She does not take
 Grace's hand, but she'll start walking with her, anyway. "... all right." It's
 a little disquieting, but Ruri supposes Grace must be putting their
 differences aside for the sake of the mission... and Ruri, naturally, has
 always done that too.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


Ranka listens to Grace go through the preflight check, as she looks over to
 Leito and nods, "I have some butterflies in my stomach... but I'll be fine."
 Indeed, there is a strange sensation in her abdomen, even as Lucine calls
 attention to something not feeling right, which might amp up her nerves a bit.

When Ruri tells her she's not a child, Ranka says quietly, "I..." Then trails
 off, looking at her lap. Being dragged down isn't what she's worried about -
 indeed if anyone would drag anyone down she feels it'd be her, but if she's
 given Ruri the impression that she's treating her like a child, it's better
 not to push. "... Sorry."

There's a nod at the idea of refugees being a confronting sight. And indeed
 she's abstracted thinking about it, but... 'Thank you.' A smile graces her
 lips again, "Anytime."

The flight is brief, and as Ranka gingerly steps out - probably taking a hand
 of help as she does. Right now she's wearing a spare flight suit, though hers
 is zipped up. Looking at a loss towards Alto, "By yourself? Ah..." She seems
 to try to psyche herself up and says suddenly, "-you've got this!" Instead of
 the 'be careful' that she's feeling more right now.

That moment though gives Grace more than enough time to walk past and offer a
 hand to Ruri. "Ah. That makes sense." Perhaps she gets a... strange sense
 from Ruri, but she quickly writes it off, this is Grace they're talking about!
  So maybe Ruri is just worried about being condescended by an adult. "You two
 do your best!" So quickly she peps up. "Then I'll head to Environmental
 Control with Sheryl-san!" As Ranka steps up over to Sheryl, happily, pumping a
 hand in the air like it's some pre-shift ritual of hers at the Nyan-Nyan. "The
 two of us! We'll be done and back before you know it!"

"Mmm." Comes a hum from behind her as Hoary Goat weighs in. Ranka looks up,
 way up, "The... three of us?" She asks, uncertain. The laconic man just nods.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.


        The teams are worked out and with good timing too, as the doors
 blocking their passage into the ship finally slide open. All thanks to Ruri,
 of course. And while not all the security doors are open yet-That will require
 accessing the core to regain control over all the systems-the ones leading to
 their destinations have been opened.

        Alto makes his way into the ship's interior along with the others. The
 lights are all on. Yet there's still no signs of the crew, one way or the
 other. However, it is oddly loud, a rather large hum coming from within the
 walls. It doesn't take too long to realize it's the ship's aircon, which is
 apparently running at full power. Yet the temperature inside the ship is quite
 normal. Odd.

        Alto walks over to another set of double doors, though these ones look
 to be the elevator. A quick press of the button to call it reveals that they
 are indeed not working. Which is what Alto expected. Attaching his rifle to
 the back of his suit, Alto maneuvers the robotic hands into the gap between
 the doors and forces them open. A quick look into the dark shaft reveals a
 long way down.

        Alto glances back at the others, Ranka and Sheryl in particular, before
 saying, "I'll be on comms..." He smiles, mirroring Ranka as he says, "You've
 got this." He then jumps into the shaft. The jet engines built into his suit
 ignite and he slowly descends down the shaft, heading for the engine room at
 the bottom of the ship.

        The rest of the rescue teams makes their way to the nearby stairwell,
 splitting up as some go up and some go down.

        Ruri and Grace go up. They reach the deck that the core is on, exiting
 the stairwell. This part of the ship remains relatively clean looking, as it
 serves primarily as an administration area. There are several offices, meeting
 rooms and the like. The air has that faint smell of recycling that is likely
 coming from the air-conditioning system, a smell familiar to those who have
 spent a lot of time on spaceships. It's probably not surprising that a modern
 ship like this uses something similar to manage its interiors and provide what
 is no doubt a company mandated interior environment. It's still a ways across
 the deck to reach the core room, but so far there's no signs of any obstacles.

        Leito and Lucine go down. Leaving the stairwell they make their way
 towards the main cargo hold. The part of the ship leading up to said hold is
 more recreational in nature, with the crew quarters, mess hall and various
 other facilities needed for people to live comfortable on a ship for long
 periods. A quick glance into all of them reveals no one. There are still
 personal items in the quarters, some unattended trays in the mess hall with
 rotting food on them. The stink is somewhat annoying, though thankfully not
 very strong.

        Reaching their entry point into the cargo hold, Leito and Lucine open
 the door and are immediately hit with an intense wave of HEAT. It fades
 quickly enough as the cooler air in the corridor begins to mix with the heat
 coming out of the hold, and their bodies begin to adjust to the sudden
 temperature rise. A quick glance at the environmental control panel on the
 wall just inside the hold reveals that it's running at over fourty degrees
 celcius. Close to double what is normal. That's not the real problem though.
 It's the fact that the cargo hold is huge, as befitting the name
 'supercontainer ship'. There are many continers inside, stacked in various
 formations. It's almost like a maze in there.

        Meanwhile, Ranka, Sheryl and Goat head down and towards the rear.
 Heading for environmental control, they're finding that the walls are starting
 to become less bare and more filled with pipes of various shapes and sizes. To
 be expected from this part of the ship which is more utility in nature. What's
 more, the loud humming is getting louder. Possibly because they're heading for
 the source? Though as they continue forward, they start to notice that some of
 the pipes look to be vibrating, like they're straining under the effort. The
 sound of the hum is growing louder and louder and it soon becomes clear that
 it's not their proximity, it's the intensity of the hum itself. It appears to
 be reaching a crescendo when-

        -In all three locations, everything suddenly stops! The lights go out,
 plunging the corridors and the hold into darkness. The sound from within the
 walls ceases, as everything becomes silent. For a moment, the teams feel as if
 their senses of sight and hearing have just been shut off. But only for a
 moment, as other sounds begin to fill in where the hum had been. The sounds of
 their breathing. Their own heartbeats. The creaking metal of the ship's frame.

        Emergency lighting kicks in, bathing the ship is a dull red.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Sheryl *was* going to stay behind... but seeing that Alto was going in
 personally, well--she's not going to catch his eye if she hangs back like a
 coward, now is she? And while this might be a job better suited for
 professionals, so was driving the Hinagiku in the first place. It'll be fine.
 They're just picking up survivors from a crash. It's not like they're going to
 get jumped by monsters or something!
        
        Ha ha.
        
        "The more of us go, the quicker this will get done!" Sheryl declares to
 Grace thusly, folding her arms stubbornly. "We're behind schedule as it is.
 And it's better to gain experience for yourself, right?" She flashes Alto a
 smirk--whether he sees it or not is debateable--but then looks out at the
 others. Indeed, Lucine and Leito seem to be pairing up, and Alto's going to be
 by himself.
        
        Grace opts to pair up with the other technological supermaiden, which
 Sheryl sort of figured she might do, so she nods. "I was thinking that too,"
 she says. She favors Ruri with a smile and says, "Good luck, you two, all
 right? Not that you'll need it!"
        
        Then Sheryl turns that smile to the lucky winner: Ranka. (And Hoary.)
 Her enthusiastic fist-pump brings a giggle from Sheryl's lips. "A little
 back-up doesn't hurt!" she teases, holding her hips at Goat. "Isn't that
 right, Mr. Hoary~?" She glances over at Ruri, who is herself staring at Ranka,
 and then leanks in to Ranka with a hand over her lips. "Though maybe I
 should've gone with Grace after all? Looks like you've got a little fan of
 your own..."
        
        Onward the group goes through the now-opened doors. Alto pauses at the
 shaft, and Sheryl gives him a confident smile as he jumps in. "Of course!" she
 declares. She looks over at Ranka. "C'mon, Ranka-chan. Let's not let Alto beat
 us!" As if this were a competition. But thinking of it that way makes it
 easier, doesn't it?
        
        From there, she, Ranka, and Goat head down and towards the back. It's a
 fair distance away, but Sheryl keeps in shape--she maintains a reasonable clip
 as they all walk there. As the humming grows louder, though, her smile wanes.
        
        "Something sounds... off, about that humming," she remarks. "It feels
 like it's stronger and more intense than it should be." She looks around, and
 notes the pipes are vibrating. Stopping short, she points. "Look! It's coming
 from those--"
        
        That's when the lights, and quite possibly all the power, goes out. As
 their location is plunged into silent darkness, Sheryl utters an outraged
 scoff. "Oh, *what*? Right as we get here, too! Of all the rotten timing!"
        
        There's a question there, though: do they keep going? Do they stay
 still? Do they head back? The emergency lighting turns on then, which at least
 lets them *see*, even if it bathes everything an eerie red. Sheryl plants her
 hands on her hips as she looks up and around; then she looks at Ranka and Goat.
        
        "I vote we press on. We made it this far; there's no point in running
 scared now. And the sooner we find the survivors and get them out, the sooner
 we can leave. I don't have a good feeling about this," she says firmly. "What
 do you two think?"

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

Once they're down in the cargo hold, Leito's moving his nose away at the
 rotting food smell from before, fanning himself briefly at the sweltering
 heat. "Gah...what happened to them? Where is everyone?" Lucine is nearby,
 which is comforting, but...

Suddenly, the lights go out, sounds cease, and there's sensory deprivation.
 Leito almost panics. This is the first he's ever been in this situation.

There's a mutter, keen enough in the silence for Lucine to hear. "I'll handle
 this."

As the red emergency light shines down, Leito has removed and pocketed his
 glasses. Physically, his stance is more confident, while mentally, something
 weird but unclear is going on, mild oddities.

"I'm to your left. Don't distance yourself - prime time for an ambush. Don't
 you think it's odd everything turned off only after we entered? It's likely a
 trap."

With the mazelike passage, they'll have to do this step by step. Lucine has the
 gun, so Leito can focus on approach while she focuses on protecting them. "I
 don't know you, but I trust you. Cover me."

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        At least Goat is with Ranka, Ruri thinks, so she'll be safe. Ruri looks
 momentarily startled by Alto jumping down the elevator shaft, before she
 remembers that he, too, is safe, thanks to the Ex-Gear he's wearing.

        She doesn't say anything like -- good luck, or don't worry, or they can
 do it. She's working, so she's focused on practical matters, not well-wishes.
 ... this is a perfectly fine thing to say before Sheryl Nome wishes them good
 luck and then declares they won't even need it, though. Lucine -- and
 perhaps Ranka, at this point -- might recognise how strange Ruri's surprise
 is, given how focused she is right now. "Oh, um... thank you," she says to
 her, at least, with a little bow of her head.

        This is a great time to go up the stairs! She climbs in silence; it
 takes her a little longer than she'd like, a bit of a puff to her breath,
 because for all the Nadesico is big it also has working elevators. Ruri
 doesn't complain, though.

        "Something is strange," she says, instead, as they get to the offices.
 "The air conditioning is working very hard, but the temperature outside isn't
 that extreme... and conditions here seem average." Well, average for being on
 a ship, anyway. "Which means that if the system weren't working so hard, the
 temperature in here would be much different..."

        Ruri proceeds through the administrative wilderness without pausing --
 until the lights all go out at once. "... Ms. O'Connor?" She asks, turning in
 the pitch, feeling the sensation of an office desk catching at her leg. (She's
 wearing her standard Nergal uniform, of course; Ruri doesn't really change out
 of that fashion unless she's explicitly off-duty.) She can't see anything,
 she --

        It's not really deliberate, the way she reaches out, psychically, to
 try and find Grace. She is a child, all lost in the dark. She's frightened;
 even her biometrics show an increase of tension, in her beating heart.

        But the lights come on, red as they are, and Ruri sighs as she drops
 her metaphorical hand, because she can look around to find Grace, instead.
 "... excuse me," she mutters, embarrassed. "Let's... let's keep going."

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


Hoary nods Sheryl's way with a grunt at the idea of being a 'little backup'. A
 consummate professional, he's seeing himself as being in bodyguard mode right
 now after what nearly happened to Sheryl last transport.

Ranka looks momentarily at a loss at Sheryl's teasing about Ruri, "Huh-ah-We're
 friends!" She says reflexively, when it comes to Ruri's place as whether she's
 a fan or not, "Though... she does like my singing..." She says as she
 whispers back. "... I guess I'm not used to that idea yet... that someone
 could be a fan of mine."

And given her own view of fandom, that's definitely not a downgrade from
 friend. It's just something else entirely.

As Sheryl races down confidently, Ranka quickly follows behind... then Goat
 taking the rear, "There's no way. Because you're Sheryl!" Ranka says
 enthusiastically as she shoulders her bag as they take a hike down into
 Environmental Control, her eyes wandering - the hum of the pipes like white
 noise... until the hum changes, louder, and louder. "Ah... I think you're
 right. It's..."

And then the lights go out. Ranka lets out a startled gasp. Then takes a deep
 breath - heart racing. And then the emergency lighting comes - their world
 plunged into red. "Ruh-Right? What a... coincidence." She says nervously,
 and Sheryl might notice Ranka's position has changed and she's staying almost
 glued to her now.

Ranka wants to go back. She absolutely does. That bad feeling from earlier is
 churning in her stomach. It could be nothing but if something IS wrong then
 someone like her can't do this...

... someone like her...

... remembering what it was like for the three of them in that small shelter
 on the Frontier... she takes a breath, then gives Sheryl a nervous smile,
 "A-Alright. Let's keep going. If there's... people still here then they're
 waiting on a rescue... waiting for us. We can't let them down."

Goat's doesn't respond other than the large man suddenly has an assault rifle
 in his hands??? Did it come out when the lights went off? He has it pointed
 down of course with the safety on. It's precautionary. That's probably the
 only indication that he's going to give that he's going along with moving
 forward.


<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        The proferred hand is ignored. From what she understands this is a
 fairly typical response for Ms. Hoshino with regard to interacting with
 others. She didn't expect her hand to be taken at all. But this is once again
 a case where the physical self conflicts with the internal self - the
 beleaguered talent manager blinks a few times, as if in surprise, when the
 young woman moves to walk aside of her without taking her hand. She then
 makes an expression that could be universally translated as 'boy, kids today',
 specifically towards the large gentleman who will be escorting her protege and
 friend to the environmental control system.

        All that she offers to the large man is a slight but formal bow, as if
 to say 'I trust my charge to your large, meaty hands, but if there's one hair
 of hers out of place I'll make sure your future children and children's
 children will rue their very existence.'

        Grace can be verbose nonverbally, when necessary.

        Following that, Grace walks alongside Ruri up the stairwell. The air
 here is relatively clean and cool at least, and she can see relatively few
 environmental contaminants outside of those in typical shipboard recycling
 systems. It seems at least that the environmental system is still functioning
 to some degree. Perhaps that means her primary target is located at the cargo
 hold area instead.

        While Ruri has to huff and puff, Grace climbs the stairs effortlessly.
 No surprise to either individual that she doesn't even have to breathe harder
 - though an outside observer may find it odd that she doesn't offer to help
 the smaller girl make the climb. Shortly after Ruri takes notes about the
 environment, and Grace responds, "Hm... well if the reactor has been damaged
 there may be some excess waste he..."

        And just like that the lights flicker off. For Grace this means the
 world goes from real color to being bathed in the pale greenish blue tint as
 her low light visual inputs take over. Unlike some other adult she doesn't
 immediately reach out to grab and shield Ruri from threats, real or imagined,
 and instead just watches her with mild amusement.

        She is just a child, after all. One with a heart - a heart that can be
 frightened, a heart that could be hurt. When the lights come back up, Grace
 is standing over Ruri with a look of concern on her face. At that point Ruri
 switches away from being a normal child and back to being an electronic fairy.
  Grace nods as Ruri suggests they move on. "Perhaps Mr. Saotome kicked
 something he shouldn't have? We should be able to get a full diagnostic from
 the core, even with it on emergency power." The two walk on together for a
 few minutes longer before...

        "You and Ms. Lee seem rather close."

        The statement comes out of nowhere, and then she follows it up with a
 slight smile. "I've come to understand that a cybersecurity expert using
 Nergal IP addresses has been attempting to help her manager keep her
 promotional websites and streams open. Don't be surprised - I work with a lot
 of them as well, promotion is a neverending job. Besides, what you're doing
 is admirable really. I remember when Sheryl was getting her start. . being
 'all-natural' is a part of her charm, but it wasn't so long ago that there was
 a lot of political turmoil between pro-implant and anti-implant." She gives a
 sigh, and a shrug, "... a lot of them tried to keep her star from rising too.
 I was happy to be there to help her..."

        "Just like Ms. Lee is lucky to have you there to help her. It's nice
 to find reliable friends you can put your trust in, isn't it?"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        It reminds Lucine, like a deep pang, of when she revisited her home
 colony of Nemi, with the personal effects left behind and the signs of life.
 But every corner she turns, instead of the homey underground labs, it's also
 the stench of discarded food left to rot.

        Lucine suddenly speaks up. "Mr. Igaguri, I will open the next door."
 It's so automatic that she doesn't even question it, something borne of a
 combination of Newtype instinct and that conflicting need to protect someone
 she has decided needed protection.

        Whether or not Leito allows her, they're both blasted with heat, which
 startles Lucine, who cries out as she staggers backwards.

        Then, as her breathing behinds to stablize and she's able to peek
 through the door, the cargo hold is bathed in darkness.

        .....

        Lucine breathes, consciously trying to gain control of her panic. In,
 out, in, out. "Mr. Igaguri..." She tries to make her voice as steady as
 possible, to keep from sounding like she's about to cry. "Are you... alright?"

        She's survived worse situations than these. She has to think logically,
 and gain control of the situation before her fear gets the best of her.

        Closing her eyes (not that she could see much anyway), Lucine tries to
 feel the space with her mind, with little expectation as to whether or not it
 would actively work as well as when she was in control of her suit among the
 fields of Mars. However, it's an unfamiliar situation, without the protective
 barrier of metal and tech. All she feels is how prickly the environment feels,
 her own mind unable to go that far beyond the box it feels comfortable with.

        But in that box.... is Leito. And Leito is.... interesting. More
 genuinely confident that she would have thought him to be, at first glance.
 Was she that bad at reading him at first glance? Perhaps she shouldn't read
 books by their cover.

        And then he speaks, sealing the deal. Lucine tilts her head, hawk gold
 eyes studying him for a brief moment. She then slowly dips her head in a nod.
 "... Alright. Yes, there is a... presence, here," she finally admits. "I can't
 understand it, though, so I wasn't sure if I was uneasy because I didn't know
 it, or because it was dangerous. Or... if it was simply me."

        She does have her gun out, but wisely, has not done much beyond have it
 ready. She's a terrible shot, but she's still a cautious one.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Leito and Lucine in the cargo hold are already feeling the heat. So
 they barely notice the sudden lack of air-conditioning. But for the other two
 teams, they will soon start to notice a rise in temperature as they get closer
 to their destinations. That's not the only change to come about from what
 appears to be a power loss. A strange smell begins to waft in from the ship's
 vents. It's not a smell that's easy to put to a familiar source. It's got a
 scent of dampness to it.

        As Leito and Lucine make their way through the maze of containers, they
 will notice that the floor switches from the familiar hard feeling of metal,
 to a softer, slightly slippery sensation. A thin layer of some kind of liquid
 is coating the floor of the hold. A cursory look doesn't suggest any obvious
 source, though given the large amount of cargo in the hold, it could very well
 have spilled out from some of it. At the very least, it doesn't appear to be
 harmful.

        As the two continue to move through the rows of containers, Lucine will
 start to feel a more familiar sensation joining that unfamiliar one. People.
 And it's not Leito. There are people in the hold somewhere! The feeling is not
 accurate enough to pinpoint specifically where, but they know there's someone
 here. The two just need to figure out where and how to find them.

        Ruri and Grace make it to the core room. Entry is simple, thanks to
 Ruri. Though when they open the doors, they too are hit with a sudden wave of
 heat. It's not quite as intense as what Lucine and Leito felt, but still
 noticeable. The Hortensia's computer core is quite the sight, stretching up
 what looks like an additional two decks. The room is slightly brighter than
 the corridor, thanks to all the blinking and thrumming lights. Though plenty
 of shadows still remain due to the emergency lighting conditions. While not at
 the level of the Nadesico, it's clearly a powerful machine. Not too
 surprising, as not only is it needed to maintain the systems of a large ship
 like this, it's probably expected to monitor individual containers when
 they're carrying cargo of more sensitive types.

        As Grace expected, the core is operating in a reduced state due to the
 power outage. A quick systems check will reveal that the outage was caused by
 a short in the power grid, resulting from the environmental system running at
 WELL beyond normal levels. Thankfully the physical damage is minimal and with
 some rerouting, the two will be able to bring the grid back up and restore
 power. Though it is going to take a little bit of time.

        Goat, Sheryl and Ranka make it to the environmental controls. It's a
 fairly large room, with a heavy industrial feel to it thanks to the numerous
 pipes, tanks and machinery that fill it. While the three hadn't been hit with
 the same sudden heat wave that the other two teams had, it is definitely hot
 here. Quite damp too. A light hissing sound fills the room, emergency release
 valves for the environmental systems. Not dangerous, just a little annoying.
 There's no initial signs of people in the room, though with all the pipes and
 equipment, there are lots of nooks and crannies to search.

        As the three search, there is a sudden and loud THUMP. It comes from
 one of the wall panels that looks like it might be removeable, possibly to
 access the systems within. A few moments later, there's the sound of something
 scrapping across metal, this time coming from another direction. When Goat
 raises his flashlight in that direction there's... Nothing.

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

Leito continues making point. He can't feel the people like Lucine can, despite
 his own 'awakened' senses, but with his partner in control, he's capable of
 crouching down, taking a sample of the liquid, and sniffing it. His first
 question - is it blood? If there's no sign of it being such, he'll continue
 forward.

"Any idea which way to go? It's a maze."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "Oh, you don't think a fan can be a friend, too? I'm hurt," Sheryl
 teases, mock-pouting, then winking to show she's kidding. "Either way, it
 looks like she's really fond of you. It's sweet to see."
        
        She certainly doesn't mind having Goat around as a bodyguard. Alto
 would be the preferable choice, but she's not going to act all needy and
 desperate, and Goat seems like a reliable kind of man. Especially with that
 humble little look Grace shoots him. Sheryl gives Goat a little shrug of her
 own, like, 'Oh, don't take her *too* seriously,' and then they're off.
        
        It's all fun, too, until the lights go out and the emergency lights
 come back on. Sheryl notes Ranka's sudden fear--the way she's sticking *very*
 close to her--and she even notes Goat's sudden gun. Well, it's not like she
 didn't have a bad feeling about this too... It might be smarter to head back
 *now*, but Sheryl doesn't like leaving things half-done.
        
        "Exactly," she tells Ranka crisply, keeping her own smile strong,
 although in Sheryl's own head letting strangers down isn't really the issue.
 It's fine, it's close enough. Reaching out a hand to grasp Ranka's, nodding
 affirmation to Goat as he raises his guard, she strides forward to lead the
 group to their destination.
        
        Before long, they're at the environmental controls. Sheryl was mistaken
 about one thing: there's no obvious signs of anyone huddled up here. She
 frowns as she looks around the pipe-and-machinery laden room. Maybe they're in
 the cargo room? That could be where the supplies are... Though with all these
 pipes around, it's hard to tell. There's a lot of places for people to be
 hiding, though if it were *her*, she sure wouldn't be hiding behind some
 sweltering pipes. Flapping one side of her jumpsuit to get some air
 circulating, she nods to the other two and strides further into the room.
        
        "Hello? Is anybody there? We're here to help you!" she calls, voice
 projecting as only a pro singer's voice can. "If there's anyone out there,
 respond and we'll help you get out of here!"
        
        No response--except--theres a THUMP, and then a skittering, though
 there's nothing there when they look.
        
        Definitely bad vibes down there. "Ranka-chan, let's let's stick close to Mr.
 Hoary," she suggests to Ranka even as she does the same. At the same time,
 Sheryl starts looking for any loose, grippable pipes that she might be able to
 use as a self-defense weapon. You know. Just in case.

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        It's -- unnerving, for Ruri to look up in the emergency lighting and
 see Grace standing over her like that. Even if she looks concerned, Ruri can't
 help but feel a little nervous.

        She's... she's just being foolish, she tells herself, as she keeps
 walking. "Mr. Saotome seems more capable than that," Ruri says, "so it's
 unlikely this was his doing." As much as she thinks the Ex-Gear looks like a
 costume an anime fan might wear, she's seen Alto flying. Ruri wouldn't call
 him clumsy.

        That's a statement she can make while walking -- but when Grace breaks
 the silence to bring up Ranka, Ruri pauses. All bathed in emergency light, her
 pale palette picks up the red around them. Her face is still quite neutral, as
 she looks over to Grace, at that.

        She does not smile, as she starts walking again.

        "I just... noticed there was a reason her online presence kept being
 disrupted," Ruri says, clutching her data pad closer to her. She doesn't touch
 one of the facts Grace gives her, though she supposes that her helping
 Sheryl -- someone with many cybernetic implants compared to none, as far as
 Ruri is concerned -- is a story with some nuance. "I don't want to trouble
 Miss Lee, but there's a concerted effort trying to keep her from reaching
 anyone... anyway, this is how I can support her." Maybe Ranka does, in fact,
 have a fan. Just don't expect Ruri to start a fan club. (Omoikane has already
 started a fan club.)

        "... I know she can do it."

        Caught off guard, it doesn't occur to her to obscure the truth at all.

        When they come to the core room, Ruri connects her data pad to the door
 controls, and in they go. She spares a thought for the Hortensia's computer's
 heat sinks, feeling that wave of warmth. "Excuse me," Ruri says, as she
 immediately sets to finding where in this massive supercomputer is the best
 place to connect.

        She isn't really thinking about her company as she remarks, dry: "How
 nostalgic..."

        Maybe that's why she forgoes her connectors to connect in a much more
 basic way: palms to warm metal, the massive core begins to glitter, data-lines
 lit as Ruri meets the Hortensia's beating heart. There's no place to sit,
 here, but that's of little consequence.

        She doesn't light up in quite the same way -- but it might still be
 evident, to Grace's eyes. Human brain to electronical brain to electronics,
 all joined together in synergistic communion.

        (All concerned with the ship, not the world around her. Did Ruri not
 realise the implications of what Grace told her..?)

        "You're correct," Ruri says, and the same light of the core is
 reflected in her eyes. "The reactor was damaged... there was a short. We need
 to route around the damage to restore the environmental system," here
 remembering that Ranka and Sheryl went to the environmental control facility,
 no pressure. After that brief pause, Ruri says: "I need to cycle the core's
 output to mitigate this overheating. Please find an undamaged route for the
 grid."

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        In contrast to before, when Leito takes point, Lucine doesn't object,
 or suddenly thrust herself forward seemingly on a whim.

        Lucine's boots tread into flooring that feels more liquid- slippery,
 even. She's not brave enough to take a closer look at the liquid, but it
 doesn't seem to be immediately harmful. ".... synthetic.... or biological...?"
 If it's from cargo, what sort of cargo could this be?

        But, something else far more important snags on Lucine's senses like a
 moth to a light.

        "There's people..." Lucine's voice is barely above a whisper. "They're
 alive."

        Something stops her from calling out to them. But what?

        "I can..." The frantic sense of the situation has made her place all
 her trust in Leito, but should she volunteer her abilities so openly? "...
 Yes. Down the corridor. Over there, turn right. Be careful, I don't know
 what's also here." Her gaze is vaguely grim.

        She's not sure what sort of condition the people here will be, either.
 Just that they exist.

        Which is hopeful and frightening all at the same time.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


Whether Hoary takes Grace seriously or not, is up for debate. His expression
 didn't change other than giving Grace a look.

The heat starts to become... a little hard to handle. Sweat starts to dampen
 Ranka's brow the further on they go and all thoughts of filling out
 Prospector's form flee her, as the background noise causes her to have small
 starts every which way.

"H-Hello!" She cups her hands over her mouth, "We're with the Nadesico! We're
 able to provide first aid if anyone needs it!" As she calls out in her own way.

The thump though causes an audible squeak as she basically attaches to
 Sheryl's arm, huddling against her.

Goat has pointed the rifle, the safety already flipped off. As he takes a step
 towards it, he suddenly pivots around at the scraping, pointing it. The
 flashlight illuminating... nothing. "Hmmm." He hums, seeming unconvinced
 that it was in fact nothing - but not moving towards it.

Instead he starts to move to take in a better angle of the room, putting his
 back to near where the paneling is.

"Y-Yes... please..." Ranka agrees, as the pair move towards him. She does
 not look for weapons notably, her grip on Sheryl's arm remaining but
 becoming a bit more loose.

After a moment's pause, Hoary pries the paneling aside for access to the
 systems with one massive arm - keeping his attention on the rest of the room.

Assuming nothing leaps out, he flicks his steely gaze at it to make sure
 there's nothing dangerous - before motioning for the other two to check it so
 he can keep his eyes on the rest of the room.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Grace is all to happy to let Ruri do the heavy lifting...
 metaphorically speaking anyway. She knows from experience that the Elecronic
 Fairy is more than capable of handling an electronic lock. Particularly one
 that is probably struggling along the best it can on low power mode. For her
 part she merely takes position as if to guard Ruri's back while the girl
 hacks... or rather, 'asks with various degrees of politeness' to be allowed
 inside.

        The blast of hot air from the room housing the core isn't totally
 unexpected . . . but it perhaps indicates that things are a bit further along
 than anticipated. Most heat exchangers require on a lower ambient temperature
 in order to offload waste heat from the processors. Even Grace's body, using
 circulated coolant, requires cooler air to reduce her body's waste heat. It's
 also part of what allows her skin to maintain a warmth not unlike that of
 regular, human skin...

        'How nostalgic...'

        Those words do catch Grace a bit off-guard. Though it's likely she
 knows, thanks to a little digging, more of Ruri's history than most are likely
 to, the fact that those words were uttered upon encountering the main computer
 core room is a bit odd.

        ... how would a child, raised around nothing but machines and AI, come
 to view them... if not as people, and as friends?

        ... is something that might cause Grace a pang of sympathy, if she
 didn't recall how Ruri lumped her in with the rest. A flash of anger ripples
 through her cybernetics at remembering that, but it quickly submerges again
 beneath the prickly wariness. Instead of doing anything untoward, she merely
 walks over to the subsystem console to begin inspecting the still-functioning
 power pathways.

        "Hm, I think I should be able to reroute power to environment control
 and internal security by disconnecting damaged and no longer necessary
 systems." Grace gives a soft laugh, "It's not unlike bypassing a single wire
 circuit in stage lighting. It really is amazing what some venues consider 'up
 to code'..."

        With that, the talent manager deftly removes one of her flight suit's
 gloves. A small wire extends outwards from her wrist and snakes into an input
 on the console. Doing so allows her to provide additional power to the
 console directly while she begins her work...

        ... and allows her to get information marginally faster.

        "... I'm sure she will. I mean Ranka, by the way. Just keep in mind
 that flesh and blood people are different than what you might expect."
 Grace's voice is a bit soft, a bit melancholic, "If you expect everyone to be
 as reliable to you as a machine is, you might end up getting hurt..."

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Leito and Lucine rush in the direction that the latter suggested. Their
 chatter appears to get noticed though, as soon enough there's some banging
 coming from one of the nearby containers. It looks heavy duty compared to the
 others, including a rather solid sets of doors. A muffled voice calls from
 within, "Hey! Is someone out there! Help us! Get us out of here!" Another
 voice then calls out, "It's no use, without power the container doors won't
 open!" Yet another, "What about the others? Are they okay? They hid in another
 container nearby!" A quick check of nearby containers reveals that a good
 portion of the crew had managed to take cover in the some of the cargo
 containers. But... Cover from what?

        A transmission filters in over the rescue team's radio. It's from Alto.
 And he sounds panicked, <"Everyone, watch out! It's-"> The transmission
 suddenly turns to static before cutting off. A quick comms check reveals that
 they're still functional, which means the fault is at Alto's end.

        As the power comes back online, the secure cargo container doors come
 online as well, allowing them to be opened, freeing the crew members within.
 But that's not all that comes back online. The lights do as well, flooding the
 cargo hold once more with bright light. It takes a moment for Leito and
 Lucine's eyes to re-adjust to the light levels. But as they do, they notice
 something behind them. Something which very much does NOT belong.

        Nestled within a large collection of containers is a mass. Numerous
 round shapes, roughly the size of basketballs, clustered together. They're
 only slightly transparent, most of the insides barely visible, but whatever is
 in there appears to be moving.

        In the computer core, the lights come on just like everywhere else as
 Ruri continues interfacing with the Hortensia's systems. The records indicate
 an attack of some kind, but certainly not a conventional one. However, before
 Ruri can delve further into what happened, she's distracted by something wet
 hitting her hand. A quick look reveals a liquid, somewhat slimy. Definitely
 not water. A glance up...

        And there, gathered around the heat exchange pipes that cool the
 computer core, a cluster of those round objects. From within one of them,
 three red glowing orbs suddenly appear in a triangle formation. It's almost
 like they're looking at Ruri.

        Goat pries the panel off, revealing just more pipes and valves. Nothing
 out of the ordinary. Shortly afterwards, the lights flicker back on as the
 power comes back. At that moment, a different panel suddenly bursts off the
 wall! A large creature comes flying out, its exoskeleton armor, thin
 transparent wings, spindly limbs, antennae rising from its head and bulbous
 eyes on long stalks give it a clear insectoid vibe. It hovers in the air for a
 few moments, before its tail whips out in an attempt to grab at the group of
 three!

        In the cargo hold, several of these insect creatures fly out from
 behind containers, hovering ominously in the air before they begin to fly down
 towards Leito, Lucine and the surviving crew, harassing them by trying to slam
 into them.

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

As they find people, Leito nods, following to find the other container. "You're
 safe now..."

And then, as the lights come on, and he shields his eyes, horrible bug aliens
 appear. No time to switch back and put his glasses on. "Miss Azul, if you're
 not confident in your shot, don't shoot the ones directly near them. We need
 to run."

As the giant bug monster attacks Leito, he's scanning. Armor's too tough for
 his hands, so he'll have to focus on the softest part to debilitate.

Leg goes for a sweep as it bashes forward, trying to get it tilted down enough
 that he can grab or strike an eye! If it's particularly painful, he'll do it
 to the other one. Hopefully this buys them time.

His form is spectacular, even in an instant, even if he's not physically bulky.
 It turns out - the salaryman is a master martial artist.

"Everyone, get out of here, now! We have a shuttle! Go, go!"

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Ruri's connection begins like this:

        Hello, world!

        And goes on like this:

        My name is Ruri. The humans you're carrying are in trouble, so please,
 let me help. It's okay. I know it's hot, and you must be tired, but you've
 been doing a good job. Can we work together?

        Well, that's one translation of what's going on, anyway. The human
 translation; the emotional translation. On another level, it's all permissions
 and certification, spoofing the super-user to get to a point where she can
 reach the computer's physical address. It's possible to view the exchange that
 clinically, for a heart without wonder.

        "I see," Ruri says, eyes to the core. "The function is different, but
 the premise is similar... all right." Ruri doesn't comment on the wire coming
 from Grace's wrist; she isn't even looking at Grace, right now, fully occupied
 with her communion.

        It's a shame. Because she doesn't make the connection, Ruri doesn't
 realise that -- having opened her heart to the Hortensia's core -- she's
 inadvertently opened her heart to Grace just the same.

        It feels strange, connecting to a computer other than Omoikane like
 this; it's taking so much concentration because she has to compensate for all
 the corners she isn't aware of, all the points of data she's unfamiliar with.
 At the same time, it is so, so deeply FAMILIAR, the way something is when it
 has occupied so many years of her life. Before she came to the Nadesico...
 this was Ruri's existence.

        Everyone was very supportive about it.

        Ruri's expression doesn't shift terribly much, with the melancholy
 Grace shares, but that doesn't mean she isn't affected. It's shown only in a
 light arc of her brow, a little more light reflected from eyes open just a
 little further. "I..."

        She's speaking from experience, Ruri supposes; and Ruri does feel for
 Grace, hearing something like that.

        But even if that's true... even if humans are foolish... the life she's
 living now is so much better than being observed in a laboratory, isn't it?

        Ruri doesn't quite get to figuring out how to say anything like that,
 before the lights come on. Her eyes widen from where they'd slackened in
 sorrow, attention orienting on the information from the Hortensia again. "The
 Hortensia was attacked," she reports, stoic. "It doesn't seem that mobile
 suits were behind it -- there's no standard threat signatures..." She trails
 off, as she delves into the Hortensia's black box to find just what did
 happen.

        And then she's quiet for another reason --

        Stifling a noise.

        Lips all twisted together, Ruri looks down at her IFS connector, now
 decorated by something that -- no, isn't water at all. Her gaze tracks
 upwards.

        Oh, she thinks, eminently practical, as her eyes widen just so.

        That's why the heat sinks were having such trouble.

        All in a hurry, she disentangles herself psychically from the
 Hortensia's computer, and slowly, slowly stands, taking a step back away. She
 looks at those orbs, too. She looks a little concerned, which means she very,
 very much is.

        "Ms. O'Connor," Ruri starts, in warning, voice still quite level. She
 doesn't quite get to asking -- what they're meant to do.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        It's easy to put on a brave front when there's someone around much more
 scared than you are. All the same, when Ranka latches onto Sheryl's arm, it's
 all she can do to not yelp too. Lucky that Goat's not so easy to scare. Sheryl
 takes a deep breath and lets it out as a sigh.
        
        All the same, she doesn't criticize Ranka for being scared or for
 startling her. There aren't any weapon-sized pipes in view, so when Goat
 motions at the two of them, Sheryl gives Ranka a gentle tug.
        
        "Come on, Ranka-chan, there's no reason--ah!" That's when their
 communications line comes alive with Alto's panicked voice, only to kick out a
 moment later. Sheryl tenses, tapping hard at the mini-communicator device.
 "Alto?! Alto, what's wrong?!"
        
        ...but he cuts off as quickly as he'd come on. The lights come back on
 just then, which is *something* of a reassurance, but it also lets Sheryl whip
 around and see that there really isn't anyone there. "Let's ditch this place.
 There's nothing AAAAHHH!!"
        
        That's when the insectoid creature bursts out of the wall. If it'd just
 been a loud noise, Sheryl would've felt silly, but this--this seems a clear
 and recognizable threat! Fortunately for everyone, it simply stares at the
 three of them for a moment, so by the time it lashes its tail out at them,
 Sheryl has the presence of mind to shove Ranka and herself away from it,
 perhaps knocking them to the ground, perhaps simply knocking the two of them
 away out of the thing's reach.
        
        "Mr. Hoary!!" she shouts sharply, as if giving him permission to open
 fire. She doesn't know what that thing is, but she does NOT like the looks of
 it.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.


        The loud bang startles the already anxious Lucine, drawing another
 brief gasp from her. But the voices, at least, confirm that they're still
 alive.
        
        "You're... alive?" Lucine's eyes tear up as she places her hands on the
 containers. "Oh thank goodness! Yes, my friend here will confirm. You'll all
 be alright..."

        She had assumed all this time that they'd be dead, she realizes. But
 this isn't Mars, this is Earth.

        Just as Lucine raises her comm to confirm the good news, instead she
 hears Alto's voice, sounding panicked. <"Everyone, watch out! It's-">

        The lights come on, and Lucine shields her eyes with her arm, eyelids
 squinting as her pupils adjust. "... Don't come out just yet! We haven't
 gotten the area cleared, so please..."

        A brief examination of her comm unit causes Lucine to frown. "The comm
 is still functional..." She fiddles with the controls. "I've never heard him
 like that.... Please be okay, Mr. Saotome, for their sake..." Glancing around,
 Lucine spots the eggs and takes a few steps back, tilting her head. "These..."
 The only thing that comes to mind is the memory of frog eggs, from her
 childhood. "... Eggs...?"

        And then, the creatures attack. Insectile enough to prod the tender
 scars of her recent past, but the unfamiliar hum provides an oddly comforting
 note: these are different. They are alive.

        "Don't worry, I won't." Both hands grip the gun, her feet planted on
 the ground. Safety is unlocked, and she aims. She fires. she staggers back,
 but at least she's accounting for recoil. While her aim is true, the knowledge
 and experience needed to make it work for the more nimble creatures is
 lacking. ".... Perhaps these creatures are attacking for a reason..." She
 sounds giddily happy about this. "You're right.... Maybe they're here for the
 eggs, which means if we evacuate, maybe they won't follow!"

        This isn't an aspect of Newtype abilities. Lucine's just already
 decided these are eggs. Because eggs mean these are living creatures, with
 wants and desires, just ones incompatible with humans in this space.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


Shivering and shaking, she does move when Sheryl gives that gentle tug, though
 her steps are stilted and she still seems plenty freaked, "S-Sorry-sorry!"

The radio transmission comes through, and Hoary immediately states just after
 Sheryl, "Comms Check. Saotome, Alto - do you read me?" Did he just casually
 say more in a single statement than he has this whole venture? Yes,
 absolutely. He doesn't seem especially pleased with this turn of events. The
 power comes back on and the lights flicker then hum back to life.
 "R-Ruri-chan and G-Grace-san must have... taken care of the power." When
 Sheryl says they should ditch this place, Ranka is about to answer with an
 enthusiastic agreement.

A different panel suddenly bursts off. The emergence of a creature causing
 Ranka to shriek nearly in time with Sheryl, "AHHHHHHHHHH!" And Sheryl feels
 her sinking as the shorter becomes near dead weight. It's at that moment that
 the tail sweeps outwards - and Sheryl shoves Ranka and herself away from it.
 Which brings the two of them under the tail sweep. It catches Hoary on the
 arm in a glancing blunt impact causing the man to audibly grunt as he's moved
 several feet. (Is he armored under his suit? Or is that the magic of being
 made of that much raw muscle? It's a mystery.)

Ranka herself impacts with a yelp, as she shivers, and quakes... starting to
 crawl back away towards Sheryl sobbing, seeming terrified out of her mind.

It is likely coincidence that Goat starts firing after she calls his name,
 rather than he recovered - yet the timing is fitting all the same. Goat
 starts backing up to make his massive body a wall, pulling the trigger on the
 assault rifle as it sprays a steady stream of bullets at the insectoid
 creature flooding the room with a bright muzzle flash and the smell of
 gunsmoke as he peppers its armored form with a mass quantity.

"Fall back!" He calls out brusquely to both teenagers as he keeps steadily
 backing up to try and cover them while keeping him between it and him. "Start
 back towards the rendezvous point! Go!"

In Sheryl's limited experience with Ranka in this state... it's probably a
 safe bet that she's going to need help going anywhere.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Ah, how convenient.

        Just in time for her to finish rerouting the power, Alto broadcasts a
 panicked message. Up until now they were merely visitors in somoene's new
 home. Up until now, while they were quite rude and failed to show even the
 most basic courtesy of announcing their presence or even taking off their
 shoes, they were largely ignored.

        ... someone just kicked the bee hive though.

        Grace disconnects from the power routing console, the wire being
 allowed to slide back into her wrist on its own. She had learned all she
 needed during the time that she was connected, after all. At least for Grace
 it's not at all odd to be connected to another human consciousness through the
 intermediary of a networked intelligence. It allowed her to learn something
 of Ruri's heart. That might help explain what happens next especially to
 someone who knows the sort of animosity Grace has toward the young girl.

        'Ms. O'Connor' Ruri intones, and Grace's hand suddenly reaches over to
 cover her mouth. Through her cybernetics she emits a simple burst
 communication directed at her:

        <Be quiet. Don't panic. Run to shuttle. Don't look back. Wake it
 up. Wait for others. I'll stay here. Help Hortensia protect others. Catch
 up later.>

        With that, Grace will whip around to shove Ruri out of the door and
 back into the administration level hallway. In the next moments she grip and
 pull down the manual lock to the door, meant only for emergencies to prevent
 the core from being breached and/or stolen by hostile forces. The door to the
 core slides and locks into place with a crash.

        Now... whether Ruri lives or dies will be up to her. And without any
 distractions in the way she can set to work more liberally...

        The flight suit fabric along Grace's right arm ripples, and then
 ripsapart in a spray of dark green fabric! Cables of numerous size and shape
 snake out to connect directly with the computer core, while others crawl along
 the walls and up towards the strange orbs!!

        What she intends for them... it will not be kind.

        A shipwide broadcast can be heard:

        <'Alert: Hortensia has been boarded by an unknown alien life form.
 Please follow illuminated evacuation path to safety. Once all living
 personnel have evacuated an area, bulkhead doors will close and lock. Do not
 attempt re-entry.'>

        Alongside the announcement, illuminated and flashing track lightning
 will attempt to lead the survivors back to the shuttle, while bulkhead doors
 will close to attempt to isolate them from the threat.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        While Leito's well placed blows certainly aren't going to kill these
 creatures, they do appear to have some affect in knocking them around, so to
 speak, sending them flying unstably into cargo containers and the floor of the
 hold. Combined with Lucine's gunshots, which are able to at least cause the
 creatures to pause in their attacks, the two are able to buy time for the
 surviving crew to make a run for it. They head for the hold's exit, able to
 take a more direct route thanks to the lights being on, while Lucine and Leito
 trail behind them to hold off the creatures.

        While Ruri and Grace aren't facing down one of those insect creatures
 like the other teams, it's extremely doubtful that this cluster of what
 appears to be eggs is completely unguarded. And sure enough, there is a sudden
 pounding sound echoing through the ship's structure, followed by tearing
 metal. It's too distant to be immediately adjacent to the core. Could it be
 outside the ship? Whatever it is though, it doesn't sound like it's having any
 trouble forcing its way inside, no doubt heading for the two intruders. It's
 only a matter of time before it gets to them.

        Grace gives Ruri her course of action, forcefully ejecting her from the
 computer core and sealing the entrance. There's definitely some questions here
 about how Grace intends to escape her situation, but Ruri doesn't have a lot
 of time to ponder them given the looming threat. At this point, it's probably
 best she follow Grace's instructions.

        Sheryl and Ranka manage to avoid the whipping tail, thanks to the
 former's quick reaction. Goat does take a hit, but he weathers it well and
 opens fire. Some of the bullets bounce off the creature's thick shell. But
 others manage to find purchase, weakening the creature and buying time for the
 three to get away.

        And thanks to Grace's efforts in the core, they all have a clear path
 of escape.

        What follows is a running fight through the halls of the ship. Lucine
 and Leito's team guide the survivors to the stairwell, where they quickly run
 into the team comprising Ranka, Sheryl and Goat. Goat joins his firepower to
 Lucine's, trying to ward off the creatures that manage to get through the
 bulkheads before they close. While Leito's impressive moves deal with any that
 manage to get through the barrage from the other two. Entering the stairwell,
 they climb.

        The two teams join up with the third, though this one is lacking a
 member as so far, only Ruri has made it to this point. The three teams and the
 survivors make down the indicated corridor, heading towards the way back out
 onto the deck.

        However, the sound of buzzing ahead causes them to pause. And sure
 enough, one of those creatures comes rising up out of the opened elevator
 shaft. It flies into a hovering position in front of the group and levels the
 large spike-like thing attached to its shell towards them. Is it a weapon?

        Before the creature can fire though, there's another sound from the
 shaft. The sound of rockets. Alto in his Ex-Gear comes blasting out of the
 shaft, flying into the creature and slamming it against the opposite wall.
 With one hand he grabs the attached weapon, throwing off its aim as it fires,
 sending bullet-like projectiles flying into the corridor ceiling and walls,
 ripping them apart. Alto struggles as he pins the creature, before bringing
 his rifle up and jamming it between two sections of its plating. Pulling the
 trigger, he unloads a stream of bullets into it, causing purple blood to
 splatter everywhere.

        As the creature finally goes limp, Alto relaxes, before turning to look
 at everyone. His helmet is gone, likely along with the radio that had been in
 it. There's a streak of blood running down the side of his face. But otherwise
 he looks okay. And also relieved, seeing them all here along with what are
 clearly survivors. Though noticing one missing, he asks, "Where's Grace?"

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        It's a good thing, for that moment, that Ranka freezes up and turns
 into dead weight; it means she and Sheryl both have enough weight and speed to
 get out of the way of the creature's tail as it lashes out. Hoary, absolute
 unit of a man he is, gets knocked back several feet when *he's* struck. Sheryl
 doesn't like what might have happened if either she or Ranka had been hit
 instead.
        
        For now, she gathers Ranka in her arms, holding her protectively as she
 sobs. Coincidence or not, Hoary opens fire, and that means the alien will be
 focused on him instead of the two of them. Hopefully. She doesn't need to get
 told twice to hold back, acknowledging his command with a sharp nod as she
 yanks Ranka towards the entrance.
        
        This is where her dead-weighing becomes an issue. With a low noise of
 frustration, she goes from yanking to *pushing*, heaving her weight into
 forcing Ranka into forward motion. An object in motion tends to stay in
 motion, at least. Once Ranka's legs are moving, Sheryl grabs her by the wrist
 and pulls her along in her wake.
        
        The shipwide announcement plays at that moment, and panels of the ship
 light up in the direction they need to escape. "Grace!" Sheryl calls, voice
 flooded with relief. Her manager really is a treasure. She squeezes Ranka's
 hand and calls over her shoulder, "Come on, Ranka-chan! We'll be safe if we
 follow the path! Just keep moving and it'll be fine!"
        
        As for Goat, she'll just have to trust that he's got their back--and
 indeed, she can see him falling back as they run, too, keeping himself in
 between them and the insectoid monster as he does. What a relief, on all
 counts. She didn't know what they'd do if another one of those things
 jumpscared them on the way back.
        
        Even more of a relief: as they escape, they converge with Team Lucine
 and Leito. Something about Leito's presence seems different, but Sheryl hardly
 knows the guy, so maybe it's normal for him. Everyone reacts differently in a
 crisis. Between them and Goat, when more of those creatures *do* appear, they
 get handled neatly. Ruri's fine, too, and seeing her, Sheryl assumes that
 Grace is only a little bit behind even if she doesn't see her right now.
 They've got quite a crowd with them now, too, so it's easy for her to simply
 lose track of who is and isn't with them.
        
        And so they make it back to the deck, in time to see one more
 monster--and Alto blast it out of the air as he rises up out of the shaft.
 "Alto!!" Sheryl calls, voice and body flooded with relief. What follows is
 *quite* violent, though. Sheryl moves to one side of Ranka and blocks her line
 of sight with her own body. Once the monster's still, she takes a step
 forward, though she doesn't leave Ranka's side either.
        
        "Alto, you're hurt! Are you going to be all right?" she asks, concern
 plain--but then stops with a startle when he looks around and asks-- She whips
 around, widened eyes searching the crowd. "Grace? Grace?!" she calls, trying
 to keep the fear from her voice. She mostly succeeds... but that means she
 sounds angry instead, especially when she zeroes in on the little Electronic
 Fairy. "Ruri-chan, where *is* Grace?!"

<Pose Tracker> Leito Igaguri has posed.

Once they're all outside, and the last of the monsters are gone or down, Leito
 takes a calm moment, before relaxing, putting his glasses back on and losing
 his stance. "A-ah...is everyone alright?"

It's like he wasn't even fighting them a minute ago. "Is someone missing? Miss
 O'Connor...?"

He looks towards the escape passage. Hopefully she'll make it out...?

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Ruri's eyes widen, as Grace claps a hand over her mouth -- but the
 transmission is fast enough that she receives the message to stay quiet before
 she can think of making a sound, even given the devil knocking down all those
 barriers between them and it. She's silent, as she is forcibly escorted from
 the room. She staggers -- by the time she turns back, the doors are locked and
 barred. One hand rises towards it, fingers curling delicately in on her palm.
 It's a gesture which carries in it all the words she can't say, in a tense
 situation like this.

        Every time they go to derelict ships... every time they find
 stragglers...

        ... but Ruri is a practical sort of girl, so she won't waste time
 saying anything as foolish as -- she doesn't want anyone else to be
 sacrificed. That she wastes this one moment is testament enough to how red
 shadows her, even now the lightning has been restored.

        (The Admiral was a complicated man, too. Did he frighten Akito, the way
 Grace frightens Ruri?)

        There's no time to worry about parentheticals like that. If that -- if
 whatever was making those noises emerges outside the Core's room, Ruri knows
 she doesn't stand a chance. Her hand pulls back to her chest, and she turns,
 hurrying past the office-desks and abandoned meeting rooms. She left her data
 pad behind, so there's nothing in her hands; one of them scatters papers to
 the floor, as she scrambles about a corner and hits her fingers against the
 desk in haste.

        She feels deeply, horribly alone, even as the track lightning ensures
 she doesn't get lost in the unfamiliar craft. The pressure in her chest isn't
 only from the strain on her lungs, working far too hard to pull in the air she
 needs to run so quickly. She's openly panting, by the time she reaches the
 stairwell. Luckily, she's not the only one here.

        (And Ruri is alone.)

        With everyone, Ruri hurries towards the shuttle -- and when that
 horrible creature rises up out of the opened shaft, she falls in behind Goat,
 immediately. She knows she can't fight, in a situation like this. She knows it
 would be difficult for someone like Goat to fight a monster like that with
 handheld weaponry, too. Even so, she's not going to scream or cry. She is
 still quite outwardly impassive, though her face is heated from the exertion.

        She just has to put her hope in --

        "Mr. Saotome," Ruri says, and it might have been an exclamation had she
 not elided the most important part of that structure. Either way, it's
 relieved. Even if he's hurt... he's okay.

        But... someone else is...

        Ruri's hand clasps, by her heart, as she looks aside. Her brow arcs
 upwards, hearing Alto and Sheryl ask the obvious question; even restrained as
 she is, that's guilt, in her eyes. "Ms. O'Connor is staying in the computer
 core to help with its defences... she told me to run. She said she'll catch
 up..." Why does it feel like she's relating a pleasant lie, saying that? It's
 a wretched feeling.

        Ruri shakes her head, and looks back to everyone. "We have to get to
 the shuttle." The momentary quiet in her voice is gone; she's all business,
 again, as always. "We need to wake it up." She moves so quickly from relating
 a horrible thing to practical matters. ... she's trusting Grace's commands,
 too.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Where's Grace?

        That is perhaps the single most important question to ask. Not that
 anyone here knows it... yet, but taking your eye off of Ms. Secretary is
 always a bad idea. At least it was for the clutch of eggs that were laid in
 the computer. Numerous small creatures had their lives snuffed out in seconds
 - their tiny, still fragile bodies cored by a multitude of prehensile limbs
 formed of hydraulic cables normally meant to support Grace's musculature. The
 downside is that it cost her the use of one arm. The upside is that it
 drastically sped up the time to collect on the samples she wanted.

        Which is good, as it sounds like a much larger and much more protective
 beast is attempting to rip its way into the core! And true to the fashion of
 its species, it sounds like it isn't having any trouble with the reinforced
 armor meant to protect the computer core.

        She predicts mere seconds before breach, and that this body will be
 reduced to inoperable shreds mere moments after that.

        Emergency Override: Flush Coolant. Eject Heat Pipes. Open Heat Stack
 Maintenance. Core Safeties Disengaged. Set Output to 200%.

        Error! Reactor Meltdown Exception Indicated, Command Aborted.

        Emergency Command Override. Set Output to 200%.

        <<Automated Alert: Core Meltdown Immiment. Get To Minimum Safe
 Distance. This Is Not A Drill. Repeat:>>

        Simultaneously an eruption of superheated steam can be heard and seen
 from above the heat core, followed by a pair of long metal pipes being SHOT
 out from the sides of the ship and crashing into the water in a hissing
 maelstrom of superheated salt water.

        Just enough time...

        The massive insectoid beast crushes its way through the last of the
 armor plating and into the computer core. The beast swipes with its massive
 clawed arm and Grace just has enough time, barely, to shield herself with the
 nigh-useless endoskeleton of her right arm. The result is that the arm is
 mangled, and the rest of her body gets slammed against the side of the room!!

        "Not this time..." she manages, before a pair of hatches in the
 ceiling to the room opens up. Then with speed and strength beyond that of a
 baseline human she leaps up and begins crawling through the recently vacated
 heat stack for the core. Recently vacated... and still red hot. Grace
 ignores the environmental damage warnings blaring across her vision as the
 synthskin on her hand and feet fuses with the molten slag that was once her
 flightsuit gloves and boots.

        'Where's Grace?'

        Just in time for the shuttle to warm up and prepare to evacuate
 everyone to minimum safe distance, Grace slams open the maintenance hatch at
 the top of the core's cooling tower. She stumbles toward the edge of the
 tower and looks down at the deck below. It's a bit of a jump but... well...
 if it's either that, or waiting for the beastie clawing it's way up toward her
 and/or the eventual meltdown event to get her first, well, it might beeasier
 explaining how she can easily manage a multistory jump to a flight deck
 instead of how she can so easily come back from the dead.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        This hasn't been the first time Lucine has taken up a weapon to help
 people escape. It's just that this is the first time she's done it without her
 suit, and with the idea that there was a shuttle within running distance,
 rather than staring down the terrible choice between running out of food and
 supplies, or running out into the open to embrace death.

        And, for one person and her passenger, a roulette wheel of
 possibilities, most ending in death, and a narrow slice, ending in 'survival'.

        To die after that would be an insult to everyone who placed their chips
 on the table.

        As for this wheel, in the present, two people who were placing their
 bets are missing. But that is pushed away as Lucine focuses instead on...

        "Ruri!" Lucine forgoes the habit of last names and breaks away as Ruri
 rejoins them, running over with that complusion to hug the panting girl, but
 declining to, remembering Ruri's previous aversion. That Grace isn't here
 seems easy to excuse, as she clearly must be lost among the surprise influx of
 survivors that the others would have had no real warning of from her or Leito.

        They're not out of the woods yet. Rushing forward, they are intercepted
 by another of these strange creatures, disproving Lucine's theory, for now.

        Alto comes in the nick of time, and relief crosses Lucine's face as
 purple blood splatters about. "Mr. Saotome, are you alright?"

        Grace isn't here.

        "We can't just..." She stops herself, hearing Sheryl's dread quickly
 turn to anger.

        "I..." Lucine could try to sense her? She can't do that. Her abilities
 aren't to that level. Is that even possible? Even if she got into her suit,
 she couldn't risk staying around like Alto decides to do the same. And
 inviting that sort of tactic... Alto already looks like he's at his limit. "I
 can't promise anything, but I will try to stay. But... likely, I will have to
 retreat soon. Please, get into the shuttle, at the very least."

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


For a moment she's held protectively, but that quickly moves from yanking to
 pushing and Ranka gets put in motion with a stumbling gait that makes one
 feel like she might fall over at any second - but she's moving at least. It's
 a self-proclaimed trait that she's a bit clumsy. Fortunately Sheryl yanks her
 by the wrist each time she's about to fall, and gets her moving at a good clip
 even at this moment of incoherence.

Goat bears a steady retreat, only pausing on occasion to smoothly reload with
 an enviable speed. It's a battle of attrition, but the winning conditions
 aren't killing the creature - even if that'd be ideal. It's just covering the
 two in his care on the way back - then going back for Ruri next if she's not
 at the rendezvous, followed by the others.

The broadcast and ship lights offer guidance at least, which Ranka follows, as
 the situation becomes more and more controlled in their retreat she seems more
 responsive to Sheryl's statements - as if all the area around her gives
 evidence that it's true, "Oh-Oh-OkayOkayOkay!"

Just like the first time she heard one of Sheryl's newest songs - she wants to
 survive.

"Muh-Moving I'm m-moving!"

As they converge on Salaryman and Pilot, Ranka seems to shore up even more in
 her relief as everything stabilizes and the panic calms down enough that she's
 able to hyperventilate less. Ruri will of course notice how terrified she is
 yet again. "We're okay! W-We're okay!" Goat naturally halts his pace long
 enough to let Ruri get behind him in the retreat, "You did well." He says to
 Ruri, for being able to make it back to him.

Back on deck... another monster appears, and Ranka shrieks again, "AHHHHHHH!"
 Only in time for Alto to reappear, "Alto!" She cries out as well, and as
 Sheryl asks if he's going to be alright. "I have first a-aid... I have..."
 Ranka realizes she lost her jump bag somewhere between being knocked to the
 floor and back to here. "... had..."

Ranka's pupils suddenly dilate as so many tiny lives are snuffed out and the
 psychic backlash carries from the Queen to hit her whole body like a bludgeon.
 Ranka suddenly takes on a tortured expression as she falls to the ground on
 her knees, teeth grinding as if she's trying to hold in an incredible amount
 of pain. Her abdomen is covered by a flight suit and her arms are laced over
 it besides - so noone will see a green glow. Ranka holds in one pained gasp
 after another. Sheryl points out Grace is missing. Which means she's alone.
 "C-Can't... leave her..."

Yet Hoary Goat looks towards Ruri, and weighs her expression for a moment,
 then, agrees... "She's a capable woman." Then looks towards Lucine, "We'll go
 back to the shuttle first - before we make any decisions."

'No heroic sacrifices on my watch.' He seems to say.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        'Ms. O'Connor is staying in the computer core to help with its
 defences... she told me to run. She said she'll catch up...'
        
        For a moment, Sheryl is still, her blue eyes wide. Inside her heart, it
 feels like an eternity passes. Her first, impulsive instinct is to dash back
 into the ship. But...
        
        Her hands clench. Even if the bulkheads hadn't shut behind everyone as
 they escaped, she's the one who flew the Hinagiku here. If she runs off now,
 where will that leave everyone here? They're all relying on *her* to get them
 to safety. So, even as she feels sick to her stomach, Sheryl's back
 straightens and her shoulders set as her expression steels.
        
        "...All right. Let's get out of here," she agrees, giving Ruri a sharp,
 curt little nod.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto instinctively move his arm to bring his hand up to his head when
 Sheryl points out he's injured. But then he stops as he remembers his hand
 right now is actually tucked tightly inside the arm of his Ex-Gear. To those
 enquiring he simply replies, "It's just a scratch. I'll be fine." He can't
 help but notice Ranka's scared state. He gives her a confident smile to try
 and reassure her, "We'll be fine."

        The news from Ruri about Grace's current situation brings a frown to
 his face. It's difficult to believe that Grace would be able to survive on her
 own... But perhaps she knew that when she sent Ruri on ahead. Alto's torn
 between getting everyone to safety and going after Grace... But the
 combination of Ruri and Goat's words convince him to continue. He nods slowly,
 glancing at Sheryl he says, "We'll see what we can do to help her once we get
 back to the ships."

        The combined group head out onto the deck of the ship, Alto, Lucine and
 Goat keeping a watchful eye for any signs of more creatures. It's at this
 point that a large rush of steam blasts out of the upper section of the ship.
 Looking up at it, Alto squints at... "Is that Grace!?"

        That's not the only thing Alto spots though as a large shadow falls
 over the survivors fleeing for the shuttle, "Look out!"

        Something big hits the deck beside the group. Another creature, which
 while different, shares many similarities to the creatures they've been
 fighting so far. Though it is MUCH larger, looking to be the roughly the size
 of Alto's Messiah. It's also a familiar sight to some of those in the group.

        A Vajra.

        It looks menacingly at the group, before its large hand reaches out
 towards one of the surviving crew. But before it can grab the man, some
 gunfire from Alto's rifle draws it attention, for what little damage it does.
 The thing is just too big and too armored to be affected by hand weapons and
 Alto knows that.

        Swearing, Alto stows his rifle on his back and raises his now free
 hand, "Get to the shuttle, I'll cover you!"

        Inside the cockpit of the Messiah, a message appears on the screen:

                             > CONNECTING... <

                        Mode: Remote Manuva Succeeded.
                             > CONNECT SLAVE <
                         Controlled By Master ExGear

        The Messiah comes to life, mimicing Alto's movements on the ground as
 it raises its arm, holding its gunpod. It aims towards the Vajra and then
 fires, unloading a stream of bullets towards it. The Vajra is forced to back
 away before launching into the air to evade the shots, giving everyone a
 chance to move forward.

        Slowly backing up towards his VF while adjusting its aim remotely, Alto
 calls out, "Lucine! My aim and maneuverability is limited like this, I need
 you to take care of it! I'll grab Grace once you do."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        As concerned as Sheryl is for Ranka as she literally sinks to her knees
 and clutches her stomach in panic, she knows she needs to focus on what only
 she can do. At least Alto isn't as badly injured as he looks, but--god, she
 can understand Ranka's melting down when she realizes she can't even treat his
 wound. There's nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness.
        
        "Mr. Hoary, get Ranka-chan on board. I'll go on ahead to the cockpit,"
 she tells him curtly. She shoots Alto a small smile of appreciation--but then
 there's a blast of steam, and Grace appears high above them, and then--
        
        "A Vajra?!" she gasps. She grits her teeth in a mix of anger and fear,
 but at Alto's prompting, she bolts for the shuttle, intent on doing what she
 needs to. She's keenly aware of how little experience she has in this, of how
 much higher the stakes are, of how she doesn't have a co-pilot to assist her
 if she makes any mistakes. She *cannot* make mistakes. She *mustn't*.
        
        For Grace, and Ranka--she'll just have to trust the others to make sure
 they're kept safe. For now, she flips switches and grips the handle, bringing
 the shuttle online and ready for take-off.

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Lucine says she'll try, and Ruri just... looks at her, measured,
 controlled, analytic. She hears Ranka's distress, and her fingers tighten in,
 against her palm. It's the only sign she hears at all.

        "She is capable," Ruri tells them, and perhaps it sounds like an echo
 of Goat's words.

        Ruri doesn't know that, of course. She doesn't know how MUCH of Grace
 is inorganic, these days. But the only way that won't be a lie, under these
 circumstances, with those warnings -- there's no way a human could escape from
 something like that.

        ... maybe a cyborg can.

        Is it so wrong to hope that Grace wasn't lying to her? Ruri isn't as
 heartless as she sounds, even stoic and focused.

        Even though she's angry -- angry at Ruri? -- Sheryl, at least, is able
 to accept that; Alto sees the logic, too. "Miss Lee," Ruri calls out, to the
 last one, still all restrained, still coiled up.

        But she's so caught in herself --

        "Ranka-san!" Ruri insists, a little more volume, a little less remove.
 With a shred of hesitation, she grasps a hand, to her shoulder. "Get up. We
 need to keep going." She looks up to Goat, because Ruri can't haul her off.

        She hurries on, with the others. To the cockpit -- and Ruri piles into
 the passenger-side seat, beside Sheryl. "I'm not used to shuttles," she says,
 as she accesses the Hinagiku's systems. "But I'll do what I can." She can try
 to talk to it like a computer, even if she doesn't understand -- all these
 switches.

        If only she'd asked Gary for help, she might know how to...

        At least Grace got out of the core, Ruri thinks. If they can see her --
 Alto will save her. It doesn't have to be like last time. It doesn't have to
 be like...

        Ruri pointedly doesn't ask Leito whether they found all the
 survivors. That's a question for later, when they're not in danger.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.


        While Lucine can't sense what Ranka does, she can sense Ranka, even if
 she can't tell the source. Maybe internal bleeding, a panick attack, or--

        It can be assessed later, after they get to safety.

        While Lucine still has her handgun, the weapons on her suit would be
 much more effective, especially since Alto's rifle only startles the beast.

        Which provides the perfect oppurtunity.

        Running up and leaping up onto the Dianthus's knee, Lucine hauls
 herself up and climbs in, slipping on her helmet as the cockpit doors swing
 closed. <"Already on it, Alto.">

        Firing into the immediate air in front of the Vajra, the flashy,
 magenta colors of the Dianthus swing and dip, like the feathers of a bird
 meant to distract a predator from the nest.

        <"I'll give you as many reasons to focus on me, like... this!"> The
 cape of five 'petals' behind the Dianthus straighten and turn, forming a
 circle behind it. It glows and flashes a bright burst of light and energy with
 the intent to startle, even drive back if possible.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Grace isn't looking too hot... well actually she's still fairly
 thermally hot thanks to her trip through the heat stacks, but aside from that
 she isn't looking her best. The mangled remnants of the endoskeleton hang
 loosely from its socket - the wires and cables were severed in the attack, and
 as a result the oily yellow fluid used by her body as coolant is spilling and
 running down her side. The skin of her face looks waxier due to the intense
 heat it was exposed to, and all the hair that flowed below her shoulders has
 either burnt or melted off. Meanwhile her flight suit is visibly torn in
 numerous places revealing additional damage to her body, but the remaining
 hand and feet of the suit is (as mentioned before) fused to her body and
 cracked at the actuation points of her fingers and wrist. Worst of all her
 glasses are missing... probably victim of getting knocked off during the
 scuffle with one of the beasts.

        Despite her state though she was considering jumping down to the flight
 deck... if no one looked up. Thankfully Alto's noticing her atop the computer
 core's tower saves her from uncomfortable questions on why Galaxy's
 secretaries get such badass implants.

        Thanks to her enhanced vision she could also see Sheryl, looking for
 her and considering ever so briefly running in to try and save her. Then she
 watched her ... turn back to the shuttle, determined not to waste her life in
 a futile effort to save her secretary.

        Yes. That girl is a survivor, after all.

        Long ago... her parents were killed...

                ... and she wasn't meant to survive. She should have died,
 miserable and alone on the streets...

                        ... but they're both alive even when they shouldn't be,
 aren't they?

        Ahh, it's almost a shame that girl was born a Nome.

        Meanwhile Grace's eyes also happen across Ruri and Ranka. For Ruri it's
 a bit harder to see what's going on in the milling crowd, but she sees Ranka
 curled over in apparent pain? This causes a bit of confusion to her. What
 could be causing that sort of reaction? She doesn't look injured...

        Ah well, nothing for it for now other than to wave to Alto and wait.
 Though they better hurry - if the Vajra on deck isn't occupied, then very
 likely the Vajra crashing it's way through the heat stack below her will
 necessitate her jumping from the tower anyway.

        But won't that make her rescue all the more exciting?

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.


'We'll be fine.'

Alto says, and she wants to believe it, yet it's like something is screaming
 that things are anything BUT fine directly into her and it's just coming out
 as pain. "Ruh-right..."

As Sheryl asks Hoary to get Ranka on board - and Ruri looking to him for help
 as she asks Ranka to get up. "I... I'll truh... try." And indeed she does...
 but before she can get to her feet, Hoary simply picks up Ranka with one arm,
 and slings her around to his neck just tilting his body forward ever so
 slightly. She immediately latches on around his thick neck. It's a simple
 pack strap carry that leaves his arms free for use.

As she's carried the gut-wrenching torturous sensation starts to ease up,
 leaving only this intense emotional ache that brings new tears to her eyes.

I don't understand. What am I feeling right now? I don't understand it at all.

So wrapped up in this topsy turvy emotional rollercoaster of sensations that
 aren't entirely hers she might not have even looked at what's going on save
 for Sheryl calling it out.

That causes her to look... "Vaj... Vajra..." A small, pathetic muffled
 noise.

Ranka buries her face into Hoary Goat's back, trying not to watch the fight as
 Lucine's Dianthus and Alto's slaved Messiah take it on... once in the shuttle
 he simply straps her into a seat.

She tries not to look. She doesn't want to look. She doesn't want to see this.

-=-=-

~Back on the Nadesico~

In the bunk assigned to Ranka, a bag glows faintly green.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        The rest of the team boards the shuttle along with the survivors of the
 ship. It's a bit of a tight fit, but that's hardly a concern right now. Though
 the added weight is going to make the shuttle's ascent agonizingly slow until
 it can blast of with its main engines.

        Thus it falls first to Alto to keep the Vajra distracted long enough
 for Lucine to make it to her machine. At which point she takes to the skies,
 moving to engage the alien creature. The flashy nature of her Dianthus is
 quite affective at drawing the Vajra's attention. Alto uses that opportunity
 to make a dash for his Messiah. A quick rocket jump sends him up and into its
 cockpit. His Ex-Gear splits apart, forming the cockpit seat and its main
 controls. At which point Alto pushes the throttle.

        The Messiah lifts upwards, fire pouring out of its feet as it slowly
 turns to face the ship's upper structure. Alto deftly hovers over to it,
 stowing the gunpod on his machine's leg and then raising its hand up to give
 Grace an opportunity to jump onto it. Alto can't help but notice the extent of
 damage to Grace's body. He knew she was a cyborg, but he had no idea it was to
 this extent. Now is not really the time to dwell on it though.

        Keenly aware of the reactor melting down beneath him, Alto calls out to
 Grace via external speakers, "Hold on tight. This is going to be rough!" The
 Messiah rockets up and away from the ship with all the speed it can muster.

        Lucine is able to get in a good burst of shots into the Vajra, causing
 it to go limp in the air for just a moment before exploding.

        It's not the only one though.

        Another bursts out out the Hortensia's upper structure. The main cargo
 bay doors on the ship's top deck are also ripped open by sharp claws, a second
 pulling itself up and out into the air. They turn towards the three fleeing
 craft, starting to fly after them.

        Warning! Reactor Meltdown In Progress. Warning! Reactor Meltdown In
 Progress. Warning! Reactor Meltdown in-

        There's a blinding flash of light behind the three craft, before the
 deafening sound of a huge explosion rushes outwards. The two Vajra who are
 chasing are engulfed by it, reduced to cinders. No doubt along with all the
 legs that had been found aboard the ship. The resulting shockwave quickly
 catches up to the three craft, shaking them around a bit before fading.

        It looks like they managed to get away. And there's no sign of any
 Vajra survivors. Though that now begs the question, how did they wind up here
 in the first place?