Hey, that wasn't there before...

[cityship]

Since time immemorial (or at least since before any of the crew members have been awake) there has stood a massive...thing...against one of the walls in Special Weapons Division.

It looked like some sort of large, alien device, though none of the engineering crew could ever figure out what it was for.

However, since it wasn't really harmful, nor did it seem particularly useful, no one ever really paid much attention to it.

Or maybe the mods needed a lame excuse for what's coming next so STFU

However, it is not so much this strange device that was of interest to anyone in the area right now.

No, instead, they might find the sudden sound of whirring machinery and the general sounds of technology activating coming from the wall behind the device that might get their attentions.

...Hmm. Isn't that interesting?

Comments

[staturity]

She was the one who called him here so she went ahead and answered first. "The device started beeping, I took it off and opened the door behind it. Stacy must have decided it was time to let us in."

[morphitudinous]

Billy nods, raising a hand to his temple and pressing it there. "Hmm. That's the likely explanation behind the sudden beeping, but I'm not entirely sure it was her doing. After the Yeerk infection, I'm a little wary about unleashing unknown presences on the ship without investigation."

That said, he raises his omnicomm-now enhanced with a scanner mode-to the occupied pod. "The scanner is detecting human brain tissue inside that pod, but its genetic structure differs from normal tissue."

[kirasaves.livejournal.com]

"So it's been... altered? Maybe genetically modified?" That's the first thing that pops into Kira's brain, anyway.

[riseupnchargem.livejournal.com]

Having poked around the room to his satisfaction (but steering clear of the operating table and the creepy apparatus hanging over it), Jamie joins the others near the occupied pod.

"Who'd do something like this?" he asks no one in particular, peering at the pod's contents. "Modify a brain and stick it in a metal shell. With legs." Yeah, that's not creepy at all. Then: "Are we gonna let it out?" He kind of hopes the answer is no.

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

"Be careful and cautious," Mei Ling automatically quotes the Chinese idiom, "I don't think it's a good idea."

Mei Ling isn't exactly adventurous. She hopes the rest of the group is sharing her sentiments.

[staturity]

"We can't just leave it in there. That's a person." Probably.

[morphitudinous]

Billy's more than a little scared about making this decision. He really doesn't want to cause a catastrophe like he did with the hallucinogenic plants again. But Cassie's comment stirs his old heroic instincts. It's (mostly) a human brain. If there's a person trapped inside their own head and they can help it---they can't just leave it there.

"Agreed. It'd be inhumane to leave someone there, trapped within their own mind. I think we should at least view the options. But be ready to defend yourselves should something goes wrong. It would probably be wise to have Security on standby as well."

With that, he transmits a quick alert and pushes the control button for Pod 1. Now let's see about those options...

[cityship]

[View Subject Status] [Release Subject] [Terminate Subject]

[kirasaves.livejournal.com]

"We should probably View Status first," Kira suggests. It seems like the most sensible thing to do, right?

[morphitudinous]

"I agree. View status, please", he says while pushing it.

[helipack-jack.livejournal.com]

Jack in the meantime is very... Jack. He subtly picks up a datapad in a sidelong, covert fashion and examines it. He's curious dammit. Though if anything comes jumping out of that pod he's gonna be one of the first out of the room.

[cityship]

Subject: 78349-4471-99809
Stasis status: Active
Bio-signs:

It was here that a rather standard set of vital signs were shown, save that only the brainwaves showed any activity, and even those were rather little, considering it was in stasis.

[Release Subject] [Terminate Subject] [Return To Pod Control Main Menu]

[morphitudinous]

Like Billy should have expected any helpful information from Stacy. Ha.

Stumped, he turns back to talk to the others. "I'm honestly at a loss here. As Cassie said, this is a living brain. The vital signs confirm that. To leave the person trapped within their own mind would be inhumane---but at the same time, we can't be certain if it is a friend or foe. What do you all think?"

[staturity]

"Stacy, is there any information about who's in this pod that you can give us that you haven't all ready?" Cassie knew exactly what reaction she was expecting but she had to ask.

[cityship]

||Information Classified.||

[staturity]

"Why am I not surprised." Cassie sighed. "My vote is to release him- her- it. It's not right to keep it trapped in there."

[helipack-jack.livejournal.com]

Jack looks up. "Sure, go for it. If it attacks us though I totally had nothing to do with it."

[kirasaves.livejournal.com]

Kira nods. "Cassie's right. Whatever - whoever - is trapped inside there... they probably wouldn't want to stay in hibernation forever. But everyone should be on their guard, even so."

[morphitudinous]

So it's settled. He'd been leaning toward releasing it anyway, but the agreement of most of the others is comforting. But it's his responsibility in the end.

Before he can second guess himself, he pushes 'Release Subject' with a trembling finger and backs away to watch.

[not-robocop.livejournal.com]

Shloooop!

That's the sound that comes out as the stasis fluid within the pod is drained through attached pipes. The pod door opens, and the object falls to the ground with a small tink! noise.

After a few moments, it begins to move, standing on the small legs underneath it.

It backs up slightly, regarding the group for a tense half-minute.

Then, it speaks.

"Hnn...I appear to be at a severe disadvantage."

[staturity]

"My name is Cassie Lang. You're on board a sentient alien vessel. We've all been brought here against our will and we have no idea why. I can give you a more detailed explanation later. Who are you?"

[not-robocop.livejournal.com]

"Rudy Conners," he says simply. "I'm normally taller than this, but I seem to have misplaced my body."

He looks around the room, spotting a large, cylindrical container sitting in the corner of the room.

"Ah, here we go."

He skitters over to the container, climbing up the side. He quickly taps in a rather complex code into the keypad on the side using his insect-like legs. The top of the container hisses open a few seconds later.

"Would one of you mind tipping this over for me?"

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

...misplaced his body. That was certainly new. Now that their new friend is out of their pod, Mei Ling supposes she should go along with the crew regardless of whether or not she actually wanted to release him.

"Okay," she says, giving a slow, small nod to Rudy. She nervously puts both her hands on the container and tips it over for him.

[not-robocop.livejournal.com]

As the container tips over, a mass of what appears to be liquid metal spills out onto the ground. The liquid seems to come together into one, hemispherical mass.

The little spider-brain-bot rather nonchalantly jumps into the mass, and there's another shloop! sound as the mass now forms--a la Terminator 2--into this (http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/1934/4177720060520022432larghn1.jpg).

The now-properly-embodied Rudy turns to Mei Ling, giving her a polite nod.

"Thank you, miss."

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

That was certainly unexpected. Mei Ling stands with her mouth agape for a few very long seconds before managing to spit out a few words.

"No problem."