Leon was, somehow, 900 kajillion light-years away from everything and everyone he ever knew. But what was he doing right now?

Walking through a ruined city that was crawling with raging infected in an attempt to locate and rescue any survivors. Again. Not that this work wasn't his stock and trade, but one would think that fate would have something else in store for him. But what is, is. At least he wasn't completely on his own, this time, having gathered a small group to go in and help.

With the virus having leaked out here initially, there was no telling where the hot zone was, so as a precaution, he (and anyone else who went) was wearing a modified combat-ready environment-suit. It was fairly light weight, but had some added padding in addition to body armor, and had ts own re-breather to supply air. In addition, he had a few weapons with him, as well as several clips of 'specialty' ammo, since he really had to be ready for anyone to be infected.

He moved through cautiously, looking for anyone who needed help.

((OOC: Open thread for anyone, infected or not, stuck in the city, and for anyone helping with the evac. Interacting with Leon isn't required, and you guys can free thread amongst yourselves if you want.))

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, and as a result, these creatures have evolved sharp eyesight to compensate for the unusual distance maintained between predator and prey. Komali was no different— and though the infection raged through his body, his eyesight remained clear.

He was hunting.

He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He didn't need to be alone. In fact, he felt...good. Very good. Who needs them?

Nobody.

That thought didn't feel as good, and the uneasiness upset him. It made him angry. If nobody needs them, then...why should they be here? Why should they be allowed to stay?! No. No, how dare they!


A movement, down below! The bird-child homed in on it like a beacon, folding in his wings and diving for the kill. He didn't need a mother! He was a hunter! The impact, when it came, only brought that edge of anger into sharper focus. He didn't just want to move and jump and fly, he wanted to rip and tear with teeth and beak and talons.

Everything was itchy, and he needed to give vent to the rabid, ceaseless urge to hurt.

It was night on the ship - or at least as close to night as the ship ever got.

But while most of the crew slept, something had been released from within the ship. Something invisible, something undetectable, and something very, very dangerous.

If you passed through parts of the City, you might start to feel a little sick...

It had been quite awhile since Vivio was able to spend time with Komali. Between her healing period, catching up with Einhart and the bomb scare, her life was pretty busy. However, hearing Komali had learned to fly piqued her interest. It was amazing to hear about another flier, especially someone that wasn't powered by magic.

Thus, she decided to see Komali's skill in the City, feeling that the Sensoriums just wouldn't convey the true sensation of flying.

As well? She was blissfully unaware of the incident with Sherry and Komali.

"It was a dark night. Filled with...darkness!"

And, so it was, deep and menacing twilight perched outside the narrow dungeon window, like a vulture, waiting to strike. It was damp, moldy with disuse. Heavy-jawed moblins patrolled the halls, deadly spears held ready to attack any intruder- or escapee that thought to escape their grasp!

"All hope had been lost- but not for Cowboyman!"

Because, of course, neither the evil Ganon, or his evil minions were counting on Cowboyman's ingenuity! Already, he'd wriggled out of his bindings, climbed to the upper stories and was even now sneaking through the impregnable fortress towards the fiend's very headquarters!

Cowboyman bravely pushed open the door, crept into the highest room in that sinister tower...

"Alright, you varmint, come out and face justice" Komali declared, mimicking the deep voice a no-doubt heroic Cowboyman would have used.

But the only answer was a long creak as the door screeeched shut. Ganon was behind him!

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a green-skinned alien and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

In the City, near one of Sherry's many hiding spots (safe until her parents decided to plug some kind of tracking device into her), a little girl and a little bird boy stood atop of a two-story whitewashed building. There really, logically, wasn't any reason for Sherry to be up here with him. But she knew, she just knew, that if she was down below, calling encouragement, Komali would probably never jump down.

Not that she blamed him, but as someone without wings, it was probably better that she didn't go flinging herself off of buildings. "It really isn't even that far down," she urged.

"I bet you won't even hit the ground."

Any other day, maybe, the Doctor might be wandering the ship, looking for something interesting to pull apart or poke his nose into. He still hasn't had a chance to inspect the brain of the ship, after all, and there's that great big city he'd like to explore as well...

But right now, he'd rather not. He's tired and annoyed, and any place he could wander, it wouldn't be far enough. So instead, the Doctor has sprawled on his back, halfway upside down, on one of the couches on the Obs Deck. It seemed as good a place as any to sit still for a while - maybe not the place to go if he wanted to be alone, but he'll take company over quiet just now.

He doesn't actually seem to be paying attention to anyone who might be in the room, though. Instead, he's playing with an unidentifiable bit of patched-together technology - it's got buttons and flashy lights and a little dish and there is absolutely no outward indication of what it actually does. It's... entirely possible it's not meant to do anything, at least at the moment; he just wanted something to do with his hands, though someone to talk to (or talk at) would undoubtedly be a better distraction.

The reactor may have been saved, but the Ohm's primary purpose in overloading it had been achieved: the planetary defense network on Zokez II was now deactivated.

It was now the true invasion could begin.

A matter of minutes after the reactor had been saved, a number of vast, Ohm Leviathans appeared in orbit above the planet, some of them devouring those fleeing ships they could get their hands on.

Across all of the islands on the planet below, numerous shimmering lights appeared, and out of them poured hordes of Grunts, Grenadiers, Tanks, and all manner of other Ohm types. They swarmed over the cities, destroying everything in their path, and slaughtering anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in their way.

Wherever they went, destruction followed. Left unopposed, they would raze the entire planet without any effort.

But they are not unopposed.

It was time for the crew to finally do what they were Chosen to do.

[ooc: General Ohm fightyness! Check here before posting.]

Stacy's voice speaks over the whole of the ship. What she has to say has become very familiar over the the podlings have spent here.

||Pod Release Protocols Initiating,|| she says. ||Please proceed to the Observation Deck to meet your new crew mates.||

Those crew members that don't head to the Obs Deck on their own are hurried there via gentle but insistent tentacles. A few people stop by Engineering to help bring and pass out omnicoms and comm rings to the new crew members as well.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Komali was under a table. The bottom was fairly clean, but that was only because the ship didn't provide much in the way of bubblegum. His sleeves were pressed up around his elbows, and for good reason— the white feathers coming in at his elbows were long enough to make long sleeves cumbersome and frustrating. He'd finally noticed the length when Komali went to scratch at his wrist and found what would soon be flight-worthy feathers peeking out of his sleeve.

And that was when the screaming started.

And so, for now, he was huddled in a ball under a table, waiting for Samus to rescue him from the horrors of Rito puberty. After all, how could he be growing feathers without the magic of Valoo's scales? What right did he have to that honor? He was just a coward.

This was something that Nanoha and Fate had made a promise - it felt like months ago - to do once the Nightmare King had been defeated: The two of them and Vivio would have a nice family picnic with homemade food, just like they would back home. Of course, Nanoha had extended the invitation to the other children on the ship - not only did she want Vivio's friends to feel included, but she felt slightly responsible for all of them in her own way, and thought that they could all use a boost in morale after the trials they'd gone through.

So, Nanoha had arrived in the Sensorium long before the time had come, turning the area into a replica of her kitchen back home, and had gotten to work cooking. She'd always liked to cook; not only did it smell wonderful but it was therapeutic and relaxing in its own way. Eventually, she had quite the assortment of neatly-packed bento - rice, chicken, some dried nori seaweed and even some tempura and salmon. All in all, it was just like she'd learn to make growing up, and more than enough to feed their little gathering.

Once she'd made and wrapped the bento in the cloth that they'd later use as a tablecloth, she changed the location to a wide, rolling meadow with short grass, studded with trees to provide shade for the bright, warm sun overhead.

Nanoha smiled to herself, waiting to see who'd arrive first.

Samus had been through hell and back. Several times by now, actually. That never seemed to slow the hunter down, though. There was always work to be done. When Samus got knocked down, she had to pick up and keep going.

It just so happened that the last thing to (literally) knock her down was an anti-tank rocket. Fortunately, she had a full suit of powered armor to protect (mostly) her. Unfortunately, it kind of did some serious damage. Nothing she wasn't able to fix, she just needed time do do so.

The hunter patched her injuries up well enough and hauled herself down to the engineering department, picking out a spot in special weapons to start on the tedious task of restoring her armor.

Slowly but surely, the nightmares have been chipping away at the mental defenses of the crew.

Even those who attempt to stay awake to avoid the nightmares find themselves too on-edge to completely concentrate their defenses.

And the Nightmare King has not been idle during all this, no. He has been slowly feeding off the crew, gathering his strength so that he may yet break free from his prison.

And he now uses that new found power, reaching out to affect the minds of the crew even in the waking world. Even those avoiding sleep will find themselves drifting in and out of their nightmares, bringing everyone a taste of despair.

After all, no one can escape the grasp of the King of Nightmares.

No one.

[ooc: OH NOEZ. As you can guess, the Nightmare King is getting stronger. As such, the crew will start experiencing waking dreams. These are much more subtle than the normal nightmares, however, and are more so depressing and surreal than actually brain-breaking. Mostly they would be miserable versions of the character's normal life, or perhaps even their life on the ship.]

Dragonroost Isle rose out of the sea as a living volcano, sleeping, but with a fire in it's belly that warmed the rock-hewn nesting caverns of the Rito no matter the weather. A true island paradise for an airborne people, all spires, stone and strong prevailing winds, hot thermals rising off the deep-heated rock that made flying a pleasure. Palm trees and coconuts, crabs and sand-flowers that bore enormous blue-black fruits...a beautiful and serene life.

And, in this simulation, empty. Not a living thing except plants, seagulls and little skitter red crabs in the sand. Somewhere far off a bird calls, a mournful, mooing caw. Another answers, then falls silent, leaving nothing but the wind and the faint sound of a small child crying.

Komali sat on the bed that was a sensorium recreation of his own, in a room that was the same, curled arms around his knees and cried.

It is that time again, meatship.

Once again, the King of Nightmares has deigned to spread his touch to all of your dreams.

This time, however, he has decided to give them a much more personal touch, sending his very own children to visit each and every one of you, slowly sowing the seeds of madness within all of you.

Such a kind and loving king he is, isn't he?

[ooc: Alright folks, Nightmare King is ramping things up a bit. These nightmares are a good bit more dangerous now, and he's sending in his minions to make things a little more real. The nightmares will be of a much more serious nature this time, designed to start driving the crew slowly insane. Characters are more likely to run into nightmare minions in the guise of someone or something that will tug at the edges of their sanity. Also, this time, the characters can have joint dreams, as these nightmares are of a more mystical nature this time. Once again, tagging in isn't mandatory, but if you want to, go crazy (literally)!]

[Additional Note: Any injuries won't be carrying over to real life at this point in the plot but don't worry, we'll get there eventually!]

[NOTE: This takes place DURING the holiday plot. If your character is involved in that, then they're still on the surface and not on the ship at this time.]

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies. The mission is still going on, so if your character is offship, they won't be around for this.]

[ooc: Newbie Helpers List | Instructions: Post your character with one post establishing them as being podpopped. Tag each other in groups of 2's, 3's, and 4's, to get some interaction to start with. If a thread doesn't already have 2 or 3 people tagged in, tag it with your character's podpop popping near the other people, rather than making a new subthread. If you would like to play out them talking to the AI, please send an email to the mods making the request--we do this only by request. Then move onto the big Newbie Meeting. Once your character has gotten the rundown from the old crew, you may start posting entrance posts and freely tagging.]


||Pod Release Protocols Initating|| Stacy's familiar voice sounds out to all the podmates through the ship.

In the Pod Caverns, there are the sounds of: Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There is condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in the pods, as the people inside slide out onto the floors, covered in slime.

--

( There was nothing... )