trans_9 | Sobek the Immortal [Closed]

Planet Designation: Kalimba Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Unknown
Sentient Life: Ruins and step pyramids suggest the presence of intelligent life at some point. Currently: Unknown.
Water: 70.2% of the planet's surface. Heavy rainfall/monsoons.
Climate: Earth-like.
Landscape: Primarily jungle and swamp, some plains, severe arctic conditions in northern and southern poles.
Air: Type I (breathable)
Sky: Blue-green.
Warnings: Medium to high levels of megafauna. Watch your step. Conditions in the atmosphere make several forms of orbital scans and equipment unreliable.
Mission: Archaeological investigation of step pyramids and ruins, investigate for signs of source of abnormal energy signature in target area.

The first thing the group would notice was that Kalimba's air was humid and heavy, with a light breeze. The morning had long since burned off most of the mist, and in the distance, clouds lazily drifted onwards towards the horizon. The typhoon season was a long ways off.

The undergrowth was tangled and dense, seemingly impassable in places. Vibrant flowers and vines took up residence where some of the tree cover faltered. With limited sunlight available, it was every plant for themselves. Disturbed by the archaeology group, "birds", each easily half the size of a person and more salamander than avian suddenly took to the air in a flash of brilliantly colored wings. They were gone almost instantly, slicing through the air and leaving only the ear-splitting shriek behind.

The hill sloped down. The cover of trees broke as they came out onto the stone remains of path that must have once been heavily used. Now, just like everywhere else, massive roots and tanglers tore at the ground, slowly swallowing any signs of civilization back within itself. There were trees of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see, a rolling wave of jungle and rainforest. Tan and dirty gray step pyramids, all more massive than those found on Earth, and the occasional obelisk rose through the canopy cover like claws, dotting the landscape.

Stac's scans indicated much of the planet was covered in these structures, with the largest in this location. Aside from the archaeological mission, her scans also indicated the presence of an abnormal power that may be of interest.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's the least I can do, and it's cheaper than cosmetic dentistry." She means that sincerely, despite the quip. She'd like to be able to do more for her, but even if Eva wanted it she'd need to gather her strength before she could go another round.

A begrudging snort of a laugh escapes her lips at the joke. Healing Eva has drained her of everything, her head has slumped back against the wall and weak wrists dropped to her sides heavily, but she can still laugh.

"Well it's solved the problem of there being a distinct lack of flushing toilets in here. So that's a plus."

She goes silent for a moment, even her wit doesn't feel as sharp as it should, there was a depressing undercurrent to it that she'd normally glaze over as inconsequential. Contemplative and trying to think clearly, she tries to wade through the fuzz that seems to be clouding everything. But all she can see is Daniel's eyes. "I can't think Eva. I know more about the Goa'uld than any of you and I can't think."

"Oh please, I raised a little boy. At least we aren't smearing it on the walls." Eva laughs too, a little rumble in her chest and throat. She can't afford to laugh out loud with that broken collarbone. But she does appreciate that offering, a little sacrificial lamb of a joke for Vala to send the message that she's still alive in there.

"So don't, for the moment. Rest a little before you're our expert. Rest and build up your strength." Vala's younger than Eva, Eva thinks, and suddenly it's coming naturally to want to mother her. Eva does her best to keep the urge tempered; Vala is, after all, not only an adult but a very capable one, and probably not receptive to anything too overbearing.

Eva's face sours a little. "Besides, I managed to get some information too."

There's a part of Vala that knows resting is good advice, but the nagging sense that things aren't going to improve and only deteriorate tell her that this could be the strongest she'll be.

"I don't know what he wants from me." That's the most frustrating part for her, he's gradually breaking her but to what end? If she knew what he wanted she could manipulate him. "He looks at me like he wants me." She means as a host, but Vala's innuendo driven humor kicks in, it's the only way she can deal with it and she smirks dryly through the weariness. "Which isn't unheard of, and I can hardly blame him. I'm sure the gaunt look is doing wonders for me."

It's not that far off the mark though, at least she'd thought it wasn't. He'd just used the threat to mess with her head it seemed. There are plenty of Goa'uld out there who do use their slaves for more carnal pleasures though, hell she's been one. It's not something she's ever talked to about to anyone, and probably has a hell of a lot to do with her skewed view of sex and relationships.

"What kind of information?" She asks, not even wanting to go down that train of thought journey.

Edited 2012-01-22 14:25 (UTC)

Eva laughs again, taking great pains to keep the laughter from becoming a spasm or a cough. "I think it's some sort of ego complex. I can't imagine he's popular with the ladies, so now that he's got himself a pair he's going overboard with the theatrics."

And yet it chills her to the core that he may be looking to make a host of Vala too. That now they may not be able to trust anyone, although the Goa'uld don't seem to make the same gestures towars secrecy that the Yeerks do.

"Information overload. He tried to beat me into submission by filling my mind up with his race's genetic memory. " She moves her shoulder as if she's about to shrug, but then thinks better of it. "It worked, for a bit. He doesn't like it when people are smarter than him and won't give him their fear and subjugation, it seems, so I think I subjected myself to the Goa'uld version of a hitting someone with a stick because they won't let you play with their legos."

She looks abashed. "I haven't been able to really sort through it all yet. It's...a lot to process."

Edited 2012-01-22 19:17 (UTC)

"It's their biggest flaw though, the ego. With any luck he'll trip over it and do that cliche thing where they announce their plans because they're so infallible they think it won't matter." Vala breathes out a weary laugh trying to sort through her thoughts, she's trying to tap into her own memories as Qetesh, the ones that her mind has locked away to keep her sane. It's probably not the wisest move, there's a reason parts of her own personal actions are buried so deep she can't easily access them, but there could be something vital in there.

"That was nice of him." Vala grimaces a little at the knowledge Eva now has, but the more pragmatic part of her knows it'll be useful if Eva can tap in without damaging her psyche. If she's been host to similar though, she already has that ability. There are few people Vala truly admires. It's an unfortunate side effect of her own past and personality, yet there's an instinctive belief in Eva that makes her trust her.

"We have nothing, if not time on our hands to get out of this though. We'll find a way." It's a huge admission on Vala's part to use the term 'we', "and we'll get Daniel freed too."

She's not sure if it's just blind optimism, but if it is, who cares? She needs that sort of egotistical confidence to keep going.

"And then he'll send his stupidest minions to guard us. Oldest mistake in the book." Eva would wink if she could. As it is it would be indistinguishable from blinking.

Her mouth twists up into a little half-smile at Vala's optimism. Or maybe just Vala's wishful thinking. It's better than rotting here under the weight of the situation. As tempting as it is to sit here and bemoan their status, Eva knows from experience that all that would do is shut them down. Bury them. Drown them.

Sometimes it would be tempting to drown, but Eva knows Vala must know all that from her experience too.

"Yes. Plenty of time. And two good heads between the two of us." She taps her temple. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, by the way."

"It's okay, given the circumstances it's understandable, and I've done similar." Vala half smiles through her exhaustion by way of her own apology. Besides the way Eva flung herself at the bars and injured herself isn't that far removed from her own instincts and actions in the past, she just can't see that witnessing that same temper and desperation flare up in someone else was the main reason for her irritability with her.

"I think he knows the Goa'uld that I was host to. I just can't bring up Qetesh's memories yet."

Sobek the Immortal [Closed]

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