trans_9 | (no subject)

Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There was condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in oblong glowing things that were clustered along the floors and walls of the huge, ancient-looking caverns.

For now, the ones that were cracking were the closest to the floor, but perhaps later, the figures sliding out of the pods would be sliding out onto the slimy walkways and platforms above.

Pop. Poppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiissss.

There was light, and unconscious minds breaking through the top of the briny, harsh waters of consciousness, as their bodies did similarly and broke free from the pods, sliding to the floor, shivering in pools of slime.

Once the temporary blindness that some of them had passed, and once they were free of their sleepy stupors: somebody had some splainin' to do.

But there would be no explanations, as the only thing that could explain was only watching, silently, almost as a mother would look at their child right after it was born.

Pop. KASCHUNKhissss.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

||Your belongings are in the Weapons and Possessions Lockers. They are accessible through the transport tube, which leads to the Hub.||

There went the lights again, up the hallway to a tube that seemed to drop off into nothing.

Yeah, uh...

"This time you get to go first."

More tiny blisters, filled with glowing.. stuff. His analytical mind was beginning to fail. Tony didn't understand half of it, so how was he supposed to neatly catagorize it all? Part of him was still struggling with it, even though biochemistry was really not his field.

They lead up, just a little bit, and he sighed, following them to.. yes, the transport tube, which looked like just black space beneath the entrance lip, and for a moment, he peered down, down, down..

"That's a good trade. I can deal with heights, doll." He had glanced behind him, then, grinned at her. She was not the cutesy sort, would not enjoy that, but he didn't know her well enough to nickname her. He'd think of something.

before she could really say anything, he'd stepped over, darkness engulfing him. Falling wasn't the bad part. Landing, on the other hand..

No falling, instead he floated in place, like there was an invisible lift supporting him.

Cybil carefully, gingerly stepped out onto that invisible platform.

Right. Okay. No falling death.

Good.

"Don't call me doll."

Then WHOOOSH, the transport tube whisked them off.

"Well, shit." That was said with good humor, for once. "I thought that was going to be far more dramatic." Of course, when Tony was expecting a drop, nothing. He merely turned around, regarded her with half a smile etched on his face.

At least he hadn't called her something like Sugartits. He would have pointed that out, when the platform decided to move with sudden, sickening swiftness.

Would she kill him if he put his hands up like he was riding on a rollercoaster? Well, regardless, he did it. At least he didn't whoop like an idiot. He had a taste for defying gravity these days.

They were swept along into the Hub of the ship, which looked like an inverse hive, a giant cavern with holes in the walls that led in every direction.

For a moment, they simply floated in the middle of it, hundreds of feet off the floor, standing on nothing.

"Fuck. Oh fuck." Reflexively, her hand went out and gripped Tony's arm.

She didn't mind heights so much, but at this extreme? This high? This strange place? With no idea what was holding them up or if it would fail?

He'd put his hands down soon enough, eyes darting over the scenery. This place was huge, obviously, as they had been moving quickly and they were still going... wait, no. Pausing, almost a sudden stop. None of it made sense to Tony, not from a builder's standpoint, but perhaps he had the wrong perspective.

A hand on his arm, then, and he glanced at her, almost pleased for a moment. Until he remembered he really had no control over the situation, and couldn't really help her if they did fall..

"I'd try to cushion you if we fell. I promise." Not like it would do much good.

"Can we go down now? Gently?" Be very specific, in case the thing tried to drop them a couple stories..

Don't smirk too much, Tony, because she's letting go now. It was less grabbing him and more just grabbing SOMETHING and he happened to be the only thing to grab.

Instead of letting them down, they were shot UP through another tube, helped along by glowing tentacles of energy, up--up...

And then they could see through the clear tube a whole CITY spread out below them. The tube they were shooting through was in the center of it. There were buildings, temples, a huge tree more massive than a sequoia...

"Where...where the hell are we?"

A guy could dream, right? It wasn't as though she were the sort to come running to him for protection. Tony was just a touchy-feely sort. Hey, whatever it took..

Then the lurch upright, about enough to pin your stomach to your knees, and his attention went upwards, too. Nothing. He'd at least like to know if it were coming, if he were about to be squashed against some odd alien ceiling.

No, not quite, and the confused cityscape rose into view. No, the buildings made sense on their own, it was the way things were jambled together, styles and architecture from.. everywhere.. "Everywhere. Nowhere. Holy shit." Still, in comparison to the room below, it was familiar.

"You don't think it's an alien lego set, do you?" Were they a collection? Playthings? Pets? Why were they here?