( open ) our ag wing's back and you're gonna be in trouble (hey now! hey now! our ag wing's back)

[initiates]

Date & Time: October 31st, 3313, 11:59PM - November 3rd, 3313, ????
Location: Agriculture Wing, Moon Base to start. Cafeteria, warehouse, docking bay, VR rooms, Transport Pad, or Observatory later on.
Characters: Any & all!
Summary: Space Zombies are allowed out of the Agriculture Wing, slowly revving up their systems to try and infect and absorb as many of the Transports (or 12 Initiative Members) as possible.
Warnings: Log will be locked for potentially graphic violence. Please warn in threads should the violence or gore become graphic.
Notes: Specify a date and location in your top comment. You may specify multiple dates/locations. Specify a time if you wish as well.

Everything is a success at first, from the cool rush of air out of the Agriculture Wing once the doors are fully unlocked, to the heady sense of accomplishment for finally moving forward on something good for the long-term usability of the Moon Base. It's intended to remain a resource, after all, but not be a permanent home. Fraying tempers and the sense of cabin fever descending on Transports continues to showcase how important it is to get back down on Earth to regain some breathing room.

There's little enough dust between all the unmoving, unlit structures, many even supporting the barest dried husks of what once grew there. Upon the lightest touch, they disintegrate, turning into a dust that falls to the ground. The silent rows will be reclaimed and turned into functioning units, based on Transport efforts, and Transport time invested in the project.

There's just one problem. Something stirs in the reclaimed wing, among tangles of hosing and wiring. Skitterings and movements that make no sense for a long abandoned Moon Base. The further in Transports go, relying on magic or technology to generate light past the bare minimum maintained by the base, the more disturbing sights they may run into.

Of course, the most disturbing of all might be lying just around the far corner -- but don't worry, it's only a flesh wound. Try not to get surprised in the machinery, caught suffering from not looking up or caught making out with anything unsavory this holiday season, Transports. We need all of you to stay alive!

We can't bring you back right now!

Comments

[timehalt]

[ There's no time--no time to get out of here with him and no time to think. So she does the only thing she can think of--she activates her Innocence again in a rush of power and light.

The bubble coalesces in a large square--just enough to encompass the both of them in its protection. The monster's claws tear at the barrier, barely an inch from her face, but the structure holds without taking any damage and continues to as the monster strikes again.

With the immediate danger seemingly over, Miranda stumbles back a few steps, then lets herself sink down to her knees with a relieved, if strained, sigh. ]

[overclocking]

[ Despite the fact that he probably should have anticipated this—Miranda was using the ability when he found her, after all—there's still a moment of very acute disorientation. ]

Ah-?

[ Holy power weighs heavy on his senses, and he's more concerned by the fact that it isn't hurting him than anything else, including the creature clawing at their newfound sanctuary.

The quiet sigh of relief does come. It's just far more delayed than usual. ]

[timehalt]

[ Man is it good to be safe again. As much of a drain as it is to use Time Halt so frequently, she'd much rather be exhausted than dead. A quick mental check-up has her confident she'll be able to continue this activation for a good time yet, but it doesn't solve their problem in its entirety. They'll have to figure something else out eventually. They...they! ]

Oh!

[ RIGHT. She turns, concern raising her voice. ]

Are--are you all right? Are you hurt?

[overclocking]

I'm fine! [ Immediate, perfunctory; it isn't a lie. He's not injured. ]

This- what is this?

[timehalt]

Oh, ah, well.

[ No sense keeping it a secret now, huh? ]

It's my Innocence. It's something Exorcists, from my world at least, can use. To, to fight or help; whatever we can do against the Noah and akuma--um, demons, I think is the easiest comparison, but I don't know if you have any where you're from. Um.

[ OOPS. That's not really answering his question anymore, is it? ]

So-so I just used my Innocence to stop time here, for a little while. We should be safe for now.

[overclocking]

[ Ahahaha. Excellent.

Chrono runs a shaky hand down his face, trying to reconcile adrenaline and exhaustion. She isn't the first demon-killer he's met since coming here, and she likely won't be the last. But it does confirm why he has a headache, and why his discretion until now has been justified. No self-respecting Exorcist would fight without a holy weapon. ]

What's your name? [ Non sequitur, maybe, but he wants to know. ]

[timehalt]

[ Aw, you think she's self-respecting. ]

Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Miranda. And you are?

[overclocking]

Chrono. I'm sorry, should have introduced myself when we first met... that's my fault.

[ Winces as a creature throws itself upon the barrier with renewed vigor, but he keeps his eyes on Miranda. ]

Um- how long can you keep this up? [ And how long can he safely stay under it...? ]

[timehalt]

Have we met?

[ She must admit to a vague memory of purple hair, but... ]

Ah, that's--[ She pauses, gaze turning inward as she gives herself a good mental check. ] ...probably a few more days if I don't have to activate it again. These, ah, creatures don't seem to be as strong as most akuma, so we should be okay for a while.

[overclocking]

Um- sort of. You had heat stroke at the time, so maybe...

[ Okay, no. Priorities. They need to focus on getting out of here safely before reminiscing. (Tries to ignore thinking too hard about "akuma" and what they might entail.) ]

Even so... we can't stay here that long. We need a plan.

[timehalt]

Oh. Oh! I'm sorry, I don't remember much from that time... [ Eheh. ]

Ah. [ Right. ] What kind of plan? I can't hold them off unless we're in here. My...my Innocence isn't designed for combat.

[overclocking]

[ He's not surprised she doesn't remember, honestly. Mostly he's glad she didn't shrivel up and expire on that beach.

He turns to face the creatures clawing at the invisible barrier, at her prompting. What kind of plan, indeed... He reaches for the edge of the barrier, thoughtfully. ]

Can we touch anything outside of this field while you have it activated?

[timehalt]

[ She drops her eyes at his question, twisting her fingers in anxiety. ]

Ah, no. This is actually a space of stopped time--we can't move anywhere or affect anything outside the barrier. We're--we're safe here, but we can't...leave.

[overclocking]

[ He's struck by the urge to reassure her—she brings that impulse out of him, it seems—but stays focused on the matter at hand. ]

We can't stay here for days—and we can't call for help. [ What a time for these devices to stop working... ] I can freeze them, if I can get to them. If we time it right, we can run.

[timehalt]

[ Say whaat. ]

You can--you can freeze them? How?

[overclocking]

It's [ demonic bullshit, which is much harder to explain than simply, ] a kind of magic.

I think it's our best shot.