Geartopia : The Case of the Assassination Plot

[cityship]

||Attention, Attention. Would the following personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Please bring with you any weapons and tools you might need. Attention, Attention. would the following personnel please report to the Observation Deck:

Allenby Beardsley
Maridian Gladespring
Ellyn Vitner
Red Robin
Sam Winchester
Dean Winchester
Kanoe Zouichi

Attention, Attention, would the following personnel...||

Stacy's voiced called the entire crew, until all of them were gathered at the Obs Deck. Then, a dossier appeared on the screens, along with the image of a rotating planet.

Planet Designation: Geartopia
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Homo Sapiens, Homo Animalia, Machina Erectus.
Water: 20.6% of the planet's surface.
Climate: Earth-like, Arid desert
Landscape: 70% Desert..
Air: Normoxic concentration.
Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue
Sun: A class G2V, yellow star.
Warnings: Wildlife, humanoids and plant-life can be hazardous.
Mission: Find out of town mayoress Nomalanga's suspicions of foul play are correct. Full shore leave will initiate once this is problem is resolved.

Once the entire team was ready, they were whisked of to the planet with little fanfare, their ship landing close to a town, where a woman...well not quite a woman, but a cross between a woman and a hyena dressed in a strange outfit, greeted them along with three other figures behind her. They had arrived near the end of the day, and the sun was beginning to set behind them, staining the sky a deep orange color.

She greeted them with a bow and a wave.

"I think you for coming 'ere just barely an 'our after I send out my distress signal." She mentioned for them to follow her, while the three other figures remained behind.

"I will make this quick, as we are short on time. My name is Nomalanga, and I'm mayoress of Utorian, 'ave been for the past five years. We have asked for a small team to aid us cause some of Snidley's damn dogs have been trying to upsurge the town from my grasp. "e's was the mayor before me, but was removed for having no 'onor. He still has control of some sections of the town due to loyalty and fear, and some townsmen still suspects I threw 'im out to get more power. Now 'e's trying to regain it all, but I have no proof except for a tip I was given by one of my own that says the attack's in two days and there's enough clues stuffed in the 'aunted cave to get the entire town behind me."

She pointed to a cavern on the far left, covered by the dunes of soil and desert sand.

" 'Alf the townsfolk believe the place to be filled with ghosts at night so no one enters unless they have to. But during the day we go in and get our supplies of underground water. The entire place is a maze. I wish I could 'ave send the distress beckon sooner, but we had problems with space pirates recently."

"There is also another problem...the tip also told me one of my own three is a spy. If you could also find out which one, we could end the terrible man's grasp on the town and myself. I am pretty sure they already suspect that I have doubts, but you may find clues inside the cavern. You can also speak to them and ask a few questions, but you should get into the cavern as soon as possible, as not to get too many ghosts attacking you. And there are also men-eating bears spotted inside. My people are strong, but our technology is nothing compared to yours. Once we have more time I can explain to you how I was able to contact you at all. But for now, I can supply you with guns and torches, if you don't have any."

She seemed like a truthful woman, even if her speech was strange and spoke of someone who had lived a harsh life, despite the clothing she wore.

"My three don't trust you at all, due to our stance with outsiders and our last distress signal falling into pirate ears. I understand if you refuse, but if you accept I will make it worth your while, and the rest of your comrades on your ship will be welcomed with open arms one justice and truth is brought to light. My people do not have much but we can offer clothing and animals from our lands in exchange for your services."

[And done! There is no posting order, feel free to all start you own threads to ask questions, or butt in each other's threads while they talk back and forth]

Comments

[battorch]

Tim was silent, at first, as he took a look around, moving absolutely silently. He noticed the multiple sets of tracks, now to mention the clicking noise, and he was well aware of the talk of creatures in the caverns.

"Going to switch to my own light," he said after a moment, and he offered Ellyn the torch he held, and he moved to take the flashlight from his belt. He wanted a more subtle light source, crouching to examine the freshest set of tracks in particular.

[combustible_me]

"If ya wanna keep it, I c'n be m'own light. If not...I'll take it." Except really, she'd probably end up assimilating the fire. Waste not, want not.

She moved over to inspect the left side, careful not to let her own boot prints foul the tracks, and at least attempting not to get in Red Robin's way.

She tried to take note of the clicking, and if it sounded more organic, like insects, or technological. Not that there was a lot of that back on the ship, but certain things made that sort of noise, in her experience.

[cityship]

The freshest tracks seemed to lead into the corridor on top, should they continue to follow it. However, the clicks were getting much loud and nervous and sounding like tiny squeaks. Definitely not technological.

[battorch]

Tim gave Ellyn a curious glance. He didn't know much about her abilities or powers, so being able to provide her own light was plausible enough. "Take it," he said.

He took pause from investigating the tracks, glancing up again. He lowered the intensity of his own flash lighter, and carefully scanned the periphery of the room. "Something living," he said, mostly to himself. Maybe insect, maybe small mammals. It was hard to tell with what little he'd heard, but they sounded on edge. He wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks. "Stay quiet," he said, his own voice lowering.

[combustible_me]

The torch went out. Mostly because Ellyn had just pulled the fire from the end of it into herself. She just gave a brief grunt, holding the extinguished torch down to her side like a club.

Ellyn held very, very still, not holding her breath, but breathing shallowly enough that it was quiet enough.

[cityship]

The light move from one side to the other before they found the source of the noise.

Hidden away in a corner, was a huge family of white, fluffy bats. They moved close together when the light reached them. the scraps of the dried flowers below them was a good indicator that they were eating the flowers that were regularly being deposited here.

[battorch]

Tim watched her for a brief moment, but he'd have to learn more about her powers-- obviously fire-based-- later. This was time sensitive, after all. Still, the lowered light was a good thing, so he appreciated that-- high amounts of light, and especially fire, tended to agitate animals.

He shifted his own light away, so he could still see them but would hopefully not both them.

As (admittedly adorable and) innocent as they seemed, Bats didn't trust. Not even bats. (Besides, Tim has seen a few too many movies to believe the cute things won't turn nasty at the drop of a hat.)

"Doubt these are going to do us much good," he muttered, casting a sideways glance to Ellyn. Still, he gave them another cursory glance before he straightened up. They didn't have an immediate use, as near as he could tell.

[combustible_me]

Ellyn grunted again, and kept her voice low. "Prolly not, but ya think if they'd been disturbed in th' past they'd be a bit more agitated wit' folks showin' up."

She wasn't incredibly well-versed in animals, but she'd had a couple of passing encounters, and her mother had made it a point to teach her a bit.

Some of it had actually even sunk in.

"So do we press on, or try an' look someplace else?"

[cityship]

The bats remained where they were, still huddled together.

[battorch]

Tim nodded, glancing at her again. "True," he said. He wasn't an animal expert himself, but...

"Or else there's something else in here affecting how they behave." He turned the flashlight back to the fresh set of prints from before, trailing it up ahead. He peered to see how far ahead he could see.

"We could try and see what made those tracks. Something or someone was here recently," being unfamiliar with local fauna and being on a planet with inhabitants like these... made it a little harder to say. "It could be worth checking out. With caution."

[combustible_me]

"We c'n always leave 'em here, an' if the tracks don't pan out we c'n come back an' I c'n paw through 'em. I don't really...get sick or nothin' like that," Ellyn said with a shrug.

"An' I second yer idea. Jus' lemme know if ya think we need more light. Fer now I figure usin' yers is prolly th' best bet."

[cityship]

They had their answer a few seconds later. The trail led farther into the cavern, but there was a bright white light up ahead. It was hard to make up of what exactly this light was, however.

[battorch]

Tim nodded. That would be the logical step, anyway. They could track the creatures back down if they seemed like they would be useful. "That may be useful," he said, in response to her immunity. He'd keep that in mind.

He didn't have a chance to say anything about the light, though, before the bright light answered for him. "Guess it's not necessary, then," he said, shutting his flashlight off as they got closer, and exchanging it for his staff, pressing the button to expand it to its full size. "Proceed with caution." They could not, after all, see what was waiting for them ahead.

[combustible_me]

Ellyn wasn't sure she'd need her greatsword, but she unburnt it anyway, one hand wrapping around the hilt. If nothing else, she could poke things with the flat of the blade, and not run a risk of injuring herself.

Yellow eyes squinted against the brightness of the light after the relative darkness they'd been in. She gave a grunt, even as she stepped forward, muscles tensing. The last thing Ellyn wanted to do was have to deal with something that spewed water in close quarters that she couldn't get away from.

"Can't see nothin', can't tell if'n there's movement up there," she grumbled quietly. Though she certainly had been trying...

[cityship]

There was no movement for a few seconds. Then then, suddenly, what they couldn't see now stood before them.

A ghost, dressed in torn clothing. It was a lion homo animalia, the mane half rotting as was part of its skull. It then walked towards both, before passing right through, causing a chill in their bodies.

SAY BACK! it warned, snarling. REMOVE YOURSELVES FROM THIS TROUBLED LAND BEFORE YOU ARE CURSED!

[battorch]

Tim nodded to Ellyn at that. Good, she was armed herself. He shouldn't have to worry too much about her.

He froze when the woman appeared, not willing to aggravate it. Of course, it had its own plans-- he shuddered as it passed through them (that was uncomfortable). Did it have to be ghosts?

"Sounds kind of like a challenge," he grunted to his companion. "Obviously there's something back here worth investigating."

[combustible_me]

Ellyn grunted in agreement. "Ain't 'fraid o' ghosts," she growled, tightening her fist around her sword. "I say we oughtta go look."

Especially since it seemed like it was a ghost, and not one of those Wild Ones, which she assumed would...probably look different.

"Ya want me t'go first?" Not that Ellyn was thrilled at the prospect, but...she could be brave!

[cityship]

The ghost did not seem to pleased about this decision.

NO! SAY BACK! it warned, again. I HAVE SEEN MEN INSTALL GREAT TRAPS HERE. IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE YOU WILL NOT JOIN ME IN THE NEXT!

[battorch]

Tim was about to answer Ellyn in the negative when the ghost protested once more. Clearly it wasn't going to make this easy.

Tim frowned, then turned his attention back to Ellyn. "Avoiding and escaping traps is a large part of what I've been trained for," he said. "I'll go first, since our company is so insistent that it's dangerous." He eyed the ghostly man again, cautious.

[combustible_me]

Ellyn narrowed her eyes. "Awright, jus' be careful. If'n there's any 'splosions I c'n minimize the blast, at least."

Assuming, of course, that was the type of traps that the ghost had meant. Probably not. Didn't mean she wouldn't try.

"I'll be back here 'til ya give the safe signal."

[cityship]

Well this didn't make the spirit too happy about it.

Are you not listening to me? You may be trained in many things, but this is out of your league, boy!

And now he attempted to block them completely.

[battorch]

Tim nodded to her. "I'll keep that in mind," he said.

To the ghost, Tim frowned his displeasure. "What can I say?" he said, "Risk versus reward." He took a breath, then stepped forward to step through.

[combustible_me]

Ellyn scrunched up her face at the ghost, eyes narrowing. She didn't have a lot of experience with ghosts, but weren't they supposed to be incorporeal for the most part? What was this one's game?

She stayed in her position for the moment, but lifted her sword, clasping it with both hands. At the ready, if she needed to do something.

[cityship]

It's not a question of it being a risk or not! It's just a trap!

Great ghosts of the pasts, these two were infuriating. He adjusted his tie, and with a sigh, pushed himself past Ellyn with an Excuse me, and walked right into Tim.

Against his will, Tim found himself stepping backwards.

[battorch]

Tim would have tensed up at the sudden intrusion and the inability to stop himself from walking backwards.

Ohgoditwasinhim.