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2FLOOR> Riley crawls in from Downward-Sloping Tunnel.
2FLOOR> Niko crawls in from Downward-Sloping Tunnel.
2FLOOR> Riley obviously slipped one time too many and went through the vent and onto the floor. Along with three of the little buggers. I bet this wakes up the passerby. Covered in gook he's managed to snag one of the beasties at least.
2FLOOR> Niko comes through the vent with a little more grace, though not a heck of a lot more. He, too, is covered in stuff of various colors, the most notable one being a vivid disturbing green streak. He's still got 'his' critter, and promptly scrambles over in an attempt to collect the others. "C'mere... come on. Not going to hurt you." Looking over, he inquires, "Y'okay, Chief? Did they get you again?"
2FLOOR> Riley struggles to sit up, having a great deal more difficulty than you at holding on to his singular critter. But then it's screeching and trying to get away, whereas yours is being all cute and purring. "Stupid vicious little pointy-toothed -demons-...." Riley's not feeling charitable at this point, no matter how adorable the animals are. "That's a yes in case you can't translate Riley-to-Standard. Just -get- those things."
2FLOOR> The little animals are entirely content to be captured, they like -Niko-. He's nice, let's play with him. "Omo daaah!"
2FLOOR> Niko looks to be at a loss for a moment, then tugs off his uniform jacket, revealing the electric blue short-sleeved shirt beneath. (No flowers, but it does have a cute fluffy bunny on it. Maybe the critters will like it.) He deposits 'his' critter in an impromptu sack made of the jacket. "Stay," he suggests, before scooping up another. "Good pointy-toothed demon. That's right."
2FLOOR> Disentangling the third critter from where it's gnawing on his arm, Riley groans quietly. He's not terribly inclined to stand up just yet, he's just going to sit here and be a mess. Anya's probably getting a picture of both of you as this all occurs. Groaning at the clatter he looks towards the medical bay, "I think we're gonna need a containment unit. A big one."
You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Great, it's jacketless green and greasy security officers, next on WWF!
Niko, snagging the rest of the critters that have been unearthed--numbering four, perhaps?--Niko nods his agreement. "How quickly do they reproduce?" he asks, rubbing absently at a green streak across one cheek. He doesn't see Clara just yet; good thing, too, as he's still attempting to close the 'sack' made of his jacket, and he'd likely drop it if he saw her there.
Clara stalks out, steps purposeful, although her attitude is completely novel. Whatever the furry thing is, she has it cradled in her arms and is making cooing noises at it, a delighted smile on her face. "Hey, fel-..." She pauses and just stares before a big grin covers her face. "Well, all spiffed up and no where to go."
Riley has a pissed off demon-Furby in either hand, offering them to Niko. Smeared heavily with green and black, he's also got bite marks all over his hands and arms. From the fanged menaces he has in either hand presumably. Funny though, the ones Niko has are purring up a storm. "Damned fast." He nods to Clara, "It's the new look for Security this year. Slime."
Niko starts as he hears Clara's voice, then groans quietly. "Perfect," he murmurs, reaching for the demons. "Come here," he adds. "I've got 'em, Chief. Hi, Clara. Y'want me to take that one, too?" He's really trying to be blase about this.
Riley is more than willing to hand over the beasts. Using the wall he shoves himself to his feet, ignoring the green, red, and black marks he leaves on the wall. "Clara, do you have a containment unit handy by any chance?"
Clara shifts the critterling up at one shoulder, one arm about it and scratching behind on ear. She makes another soft murmur of nothing at it as she gives both men a long look and heads to the injured one. "That's okay, Niko. I'll hold on to the little darling for a bit. You look like you lost a fight, Riley. Yes, I do...I'll be right back."
You hear a soft purring noise from... somewhere. Maybe there's a Zaeltan stuck in a wall. But if there is, Riley didn't put it there.
You head towards the Medical Bay.
2FLOOR> Niko gathers the two critters with the others, in his jacket, and holds the makeshift sack securely. He eyes the wriggling bundle for a moment, then shakes his head, very slowly. "This," he says quietly, "Is bad. This is very bad."
Clara heads through, waving a hand at the nurse on duty with a grin. "I got it, Giani," she assures, the woman nodding and returning to her work as the doctor heads down the hallway to procure a fairly large unit, dragging it by one handle, the furby perched on her shoulder.
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Subject: Demon-Furbies Invade Complex
By: Leila At: Wed Jan 13 22:16:16 1999
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What's that furry thing ducking around a corner? Not a figment of your imagination, it's a Denner. The small animals (Which look suspiciously like Furbys and speak in mystical gibberish) are loose all over the Complex. Using water to breed, and breed rapidly, there's become a plague of the things. Security's attempting to round them up. There's just one problem. Denners are -adorable-. Cute, lovable, great pets, they're wonderful to have around. Well, except for that thing about breeding in mass quantity if they get wet. Rumor has it Niko Casymed brought one in thinking it was a toy. His boss isn't pleased. Most especially since Riley seems to be the -only- person the creatures aren't enamored of. So look out, a Denner might be trying to curl up in your lap next time you turn around. Security is asking for help in trapping the small things.
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You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley sets about re-closing the vent. "Iolytus Nikolaos Casymed, I think that's something of an understatement. We'll steam out the ducts, set the traps... Post notices... I can't believe this is happening -again-."
Clara drags the ethical containment unit out by the handle backwards, not quite big enough to simply pick it up. She pauses at the comment and glances up with a frown. "Are these critters sentient?"
Niko straightens at the tongue-tying repetition of his full name, just about at attention. He doesn't say anything in response to Riley's comment, perhaps thinking that silence would prevent him from getting himself in more trouble. Instead, he heads over to the containment unit, with his wriggling jacketful o' Denners.
Riley shakes his head, rubbing at a gnawed spot gingerly, "No, they're gengineered things. Very low order intelligance, all they can do is respond to a set of learned triggers with one of a host of learned behaviors."
Clara flashes a smile up at Niko as she flips the door of the unit open, murmuring, "There goes a quiet night of rounds," before crossing over to Riley and unholstering the scanner of evil again with a sigh. "How you can walk away from cannon shot without a scratch, and then this..." The Denner on her shoulder chirps out something unhelpful.
Niko carefully unloads the Denners into the unit, really unable to resist petting one before closing the door of the unit. "I didn't see the one I brought in," he notes quietly, making sure the door is securely fastened.
Riley wipes at the bites, trying to get the worst of the green gunk out of them. "I ride the luck. Sometimes the luck hits a tree and falls over." He shakes his head, "They got into reclamation, we're going to have hordes of the things. Nick, I need you to comm Anya with where you bought that thing. We need to go impound any remaining stock."
Niko nods to Riley, with a murmured, "Yessir." He takes a step or two away, head lowered over his comm-unit as he speaks quietly into it.
Clara makes the effort to run the scanner over the worst of the bites and the goo annointing it, brow furrowed. "Infestation?" she murmurs distractedly, eyeing the readout. "What's the breeding cycle like? I'd like to get the bites treated before too much later tonight."
"I just want the coolant out of them, talk about insult on injury." Riley shakes his head, distracted from the gnawed holes as he regards the critters ambling inside the unit. "I think we clocked it at 26 to 28 minutes last time. Litters of eight to ten, they breed in water. We're gonna have a host of the things on hand soon enough." He notes the one on Clara's shoulder, "Uh, could you put the fluff up? Lest it escape? It just takes one..."
"Too right that coolant needs to come out. And a hypo of antiviral agents until I know what diseases these things are carrying," Clara agrees, then blinks in astonishment. "Saints above," she mutters, then nods bemusedly and gathers the Denner off her shoulder and into her arms like a baby, murmuring to it until it's safely confined. "A shame. Such a darling little thing, too."
Cuteness personified, the critters peer pleadingly through the plexi-glass. Let us out... We love you.
Oh dear, see at heart Riley -adores- cute and fuzzy things. He can't figure out why these things hate him. "Um, I think we better put a blanket over that or something."
Niko doesn't look at the containment unit. It was difficult enough closing the door on the cute little critters. Ending his quiet conversation with Anya, he grips his hands behind his back, gaze flicking between the others. "I can get one," he offers, clearly glad to be doing something. "Can I snag one from Medbay, Clara?"
Clara is still kneeling by the unit, her fingers resting on the glass as she stares inwards, a pained look on her face. "Huh? Oh...yeah. Could you please?" she agrees vaguely, pursing her lips, then exhales gustily and forces herself to stand up. "Maybe they'll just go to sleep if it's dark."
"And we need a big vaccumn cleaner. That worked great last time. Although the sounds were exceedingly disturbing," Riley continues to muse. Muse and drip. Laundry -and- janitorial will be so pleased. "We're also going to need a place to lock them in."
Niko is off for medbay like a shot, though he does cast a decidedly disturbed look over one shoulder. He mutters to himself, "-Vacuum- cleaner?"
Niko heads towards the Medical Bay.
We're so cute! And so -pitiful-. A tiny paw pads at the glass. "Ah-may u-nye?"
Clara returns to Riley, extending a hand to one of the bites, but pausing above the skin. "Permission to touch?" she asks automatically, wincing at the tiny voices. "What happens to them after they're rounded up?"
You hear a piercing voice announce, "Kay ay-ay u-nye!"
Riley tears his gaze from the box, nodding at the question, "Uh yeah, just don't poke too hard if you please. I'm missing a few chunks, and some of that's bruise from the tunnel." He shakes his head, "They port em back to the original planet. They can't breed as much there, something about the water."
Niko arrives from the Medical Bay.
Niko comes back out fairly quickly, with a blanket that's pristinely white, except where he's touched it. He covers the containment unit, tugging the blanket so that the Denners are no longer visible.
Clara exhales a measure of relief, her hands far more gentle than her words as she examines one of the more severe lacerations. "Good. That's a fair sight better than what I was expecting you to say." She tilts her head to peer at something, half stepping to one side for better light. "This needs patching." She glances over her shoulder with a grateful look at Niko. "Thanks. A -lot-."
We may not be visible, but we can still be fainlty heard. "Ah-may? Ahmay!? Do lo kaa?"
Riley casts a rueful look at the softly pleading box, "We can keep that in the brig. If they -do- get out it's a contained environment." He pointedly ignores the word 'patching'.
Niko bobs his head in a quick nod to Clara. His gaze flicks towards the vent, as if in preparation for going back, Denner-hunting, but then he shakes his head. "Easier if they're not in there," he mutters. At Riley's words, he nods, moving purposefully towards the box. Clearly, he's itching for -something- to do to make up for his colossal error.
Clara looks over to stare at the box for a moment wistfully, then sighs. "Let's just hope you don't need all the cells in the brig for anything else anytime soon. She peers up at Riley. "I need you in Medbay to fix these, Chief, but it can wait...oh, a half hour. Tops. Niko?" she calls over. "Are you injured too?"
Kyara arrives from the Research Library.
Riley nods to Clara. Half an hour is a sufficient time to recover at least -some- dignity. Dignity is good, especially if you're without your jacket, green slimed, black slimed, and munched on. "Let's get these things locked up, an all points out. We'll have to get the proximity screens going. And steaming the tunnels."
Niko shakes his head, moving to man one end of the box and ignoring, with a wince, the sudden chatter of cute little voices. "I'm fine, Clara. Woefully ignorant, but fine." At Riley's words, he nods, looking decidedly chagrined. Kyara gets a faint smile, and a polite nod.
Kyara's eyes widen as she steps out of the library with a yawn. "I thought I told you not to get hurt, Riley!"
The blanket covered box is emitting a mass of cute little sounds. Begging sounds. Pleading sounds. Small, cute, innocent, how could you -do- this too us sounds.
Riley moves to snag the other end of the containment unit. At Kyara's outburst he all but groans. "I'm innocent. Really. We have demon-rats."
Clara looks entirely too relieved at that news, but only for an instant before she waggles a finger up at the Chief. "Half hour. Tops," she repeats. "I'll go get set up and alert the med staff for possible further injuries from these things." She glances up while reholstering her sanner. "Not his fault," she agrees.
Clara mutters something about 'as opposed to republi-cats', heading towards Med bay.
Kyara creeps forward to peer gingerly at the noisy container. "What in perdition...? Demon-rats? I've never heard of that species."
Riley looks decidedly chagrined, "I don't think it'll be a problem, Clara. They like people." Except him. That really bugs him. "Got it Nick?"
Niko snags his battered and begrimed uniform jacket, then, hefting his side of the containment box, nods. "Got it, Chief." He seems more than eager to get to security. He must have forgotten that Anya's there.
Riley heads towards the Security Central.
Clara stops at the door, peering over her shoulder with a wistful grin at the diplomat. "Sorry...you got us all at an odd time. You're more than welcome to come on in and keep me company while I concoct, though. It's likely safer in there."
Kyara nods, following with a confused expression.
Niko heads towards the Security Central.
You head towards the Medical Bay.
Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
SECURITY> Anya is extremely busy, setting up the Furby-hunt. She is not however, too busy to snap a picture. "Good grief, you two look awful."
Riley gives Anya a quelling look, "An all points, Anya. And security sweeps. And wake up maintenance, we need the tunnels steamed as of ten minutes ago."
SECURITY> Niko smiles tightly at Anya, continuing with the containment box into the brig. He tugs on the begrimed, becoolanted uniform jacket, buttoning it securely over the fluffy bunny shirt. "You want me on sweeps, Chief?"
Kyara gestures back the way they came. "What are demon-rats?"
Clara stalks back into medbay, gesturing towards the shelving units. "We need twenty hypo units, 10cc full antiviral agent spread, and a patch kit. I'm prepping for minor," she calls over to the nurse on duty, then heads to wash up, sighing. "I'm not sure -what- they are. Little furry critters, adorable as anything. Evidently they infest, though."
SECURITY> Riley shakes his head, leaning heavily against one of the desks. "Not until you're cleaned up. Nice shirt." He pauses to consider, "Anything else you can think of we should do?"
SECURITY> Niko shakes his head after a moment's thought, expression carefully... well, expressionless. "Is there any particular race here that might be particularly bothered by the Denners?" He inquires. "Like the Utani and the Shriners?" He pauses a beat, perhaps realizing just what he's comparing, then shakes his head.
Kyara blinks, turning her head quickly to look at something, and shakes her head. "Infest, huh?" She watches the nurse for a moment. "I take it they bite too?"
Clara makes a face, using a brush to scrub fully, mainly to keep her hands busy. "Addison's the only one I've seen chewed up so far, but then I just found out about this. The one I found just wanted to cuddle. Still, better safe than sorry."
Kyara eeps. "Riley was bitten? Is he alright?"
SECURITY> Riley sits on the desk's edge, glancing back down at his arms and the coolant going directly into his bloodstream. Nice colors. "Not that I -know- of, mind. Last time they seemed to be universally fond of people. Individuals had fits, ones not liking small furry..." He acks quietly, "Lady Attina, we need to call her. She had the vapors for a week straight last time."
SECURITY> Niko suggests, showing his truly masochistic streak, "I can go tell her, when I go to get cleaned up? After I'm cleaned up, that is." He rubs lightly at his forehead with one hand, smearing the grime there and murmuring something in his native language.
Clara hesitates, then snaps off the disinfectant and shakes her hands before reaching for a towel. "He's fine," she assures, only a ghost of uncertainty lurking. Sometimes it's better to reassure folks. "I just need him in here to get him cleaned up and stitched." She doesn't mention the coolant.
SECURITY> Riley peers at you oddly. Whether he's wondering if you're a lunatic or if you're starting to have funny colors too is questionable and irrelevant. "Why don't you call her first, -then- get cleaned up, and then think up some more strategies. I don't think we can do what we did last time again."
Kyara glances out the door. "You know what it's like trying to get him to undergo medical treatment."
SECURITY> Niko nods slowly, moving to take a seat at his desk. He starts to speak into his comm-unit, grimacing at the response.
<OOC> Jess peers at the news: "Furbies are a threat to national security."
Clara pauses to stare at the door grimly, then shakes her head. "He'll be here," she says firmly and bustles about, setting up the instrument tray and getting the disinfectant wash ready. "He knows what he's doing."
<OOC> Leila snickers, "They're a threat to Alliance security too!"
Kyara nods reluctantly. "Sure he does, when it comes to Security matters."
SECURITY> Riley rummages about at Anya's desk, attempting to organize some kind of anti-Denner stratagem. He has a brilliant idea. "Somebody call Denner. This was his fault originally, let him figure it out." Okay, it's not a brilliant idea, but Riley's a little snozzed.
Clara glances up at the wall chrono, folding her arms and absently tapping a foot and making her best effort not to look concerned. "I'm not worried," she asserts. "He's a grown man." Which is why she's personally attempted to herd him to sleep for two nights running.
Kyara rolls her eyes. "Grown men are just little boys when it comes to going to the doctor. That's universal." Hey, you ain't the only one, Doc.
SECURITY> From the shrill words coming from Niko's comm-unit, Lady Attina is making her displeasure very clear. Niko nods occasionally, speaking quietly into the comm-unit. When, after a good ten minutes, he finally ends the conversation, he looks over to Riley. "Aren't you supposed to go to medbay, Chief?" he asks mildly. "And it's not Denner's fault -this- time."
SECURITY> The brig pleads quietly in many cute voices, "Dah no weyo?"
SECURITY> Cheerfully Riley notes, snagging another comm unit to replace his battered one, "Everything's Denner's fault. That's his job." He nods at the first, "Your lady friend'll be over here with a stick if I don't. I'm on um...ummmmm...uhhh..." He peers at the communit. "Not my normal number. Umm, 3 maybe?"
Clara makes a distracted sound of exasperation, starting to pace. "I'm not worried," she repeats. "He's a perfectly responsible adult."
Kyara points at your feet. "Then why are you wearing a hole in the floor?"
SECURITY> Niko eyes the brig, then moves to peer at the comm-unit. "Okay, Chief," he says, after repeating the number. "G'wan. As entertaining as it'd be to have Clara over here with a stick, you'd probably better not keep her waiting any longer."
SECURITY> "That one, what you said..." Riley just has to find medbay now. Well, at least he's figured out where the exit is.
2FLOOR> Riley arrives from the Security Central.
2FLOOR> Well, no, -that's- not medbay. Medbay doesn't have power units... And um, probably not the one with all the books either. Riley may be snozzed, but at least he's mastered the art of trial and error.
SECURITY> Niko peers after Riley for a long moment, then heads over to one of the monitors. "Doomed," He murmurs. "Utterly doomed."
Riley arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Kyara blinks at Riley. "Oh wow... Doctor, you were correct."
Aha! -This- is Medbay. It's all shiny and has the right scary people in it. Gee, it's awfully bright in here for Riley's pupils to be that wide. "No sticks required."
Clara stops pacing abruptly, over balancing only slightly before regaining her composure. "I'm -not- worried," she emphasizes again, trying to look dignified. The dignity fails as she takes one look at the incoming patient and splutters. "Cheese o'pete, Riley. Come on, get over here," she snaps, heading over to assist.
Kyara giggles at Clara's reaction.
"Cheese?" Riley sounds confused. But then with phrases like that being bandied around, he'd probably manage that without coolant in the bloodstream. He sits down where he's supposed to, blinking a number of times at the brightness. "I don't think they eat cheese."
"Giani, I'm gonna need help," Clara calls over to the nurse. "Scrub up and start disinfecting the left side?" She gives the curtain an absent, half-effort tug and immediately snaps a hypo to the Chief's neck before feeding the result to the computer. "Are you dizzy?" she asks expressionlessly, starting to clean out cuts. "Do you need anesthetic?"
Kyara looks Riley up and down. "How badly did you get bitten?"
"-Really- interesting colors," Riley offers, "M'fine. Just fine. Just don't ask me to tell you my comm-number."
Kyara smirks. "Tell me your comm-number, Riley."
Clara pauses to give the man an assessing look, checking the dialation of his eyes and clenching her jaw. She reaches the gauze up to remove coolant from his neck and snatch up another hypo. *Hissss* "Antiviral, boss. Also a poison control for coolant." She starts on one of the largest cuts, sanitizing before reaching for a resonator.
"It's not three. I know it's something -other- than three." Riley blinks a few times at Clara. "Thanks. Coolant's...." He trails off as a purring sound comes from someplace, "...Not as evil as those things."
Kyara whirls to peer into that corner again. "I could have sworn I saw something moving over there earlier."
A cute little gray critter goes bounding across the floor, "Do rah u-nye!"
Clara closes her eyes for an instant, then looks up gratefully as the nurse comes around to the other side with more antiseptic to start work there. "Ignore it for now, Riley," she mutters. "You'll get it later. Any cuts under your shirt?"
Riley tilts his head back and forth slowly in a controlled headshake. "No, just the ones on my arms. From trying to grab them in the dark."
Kyara yipes, dodging a furry... was it a cannonball? "Now I know what you mean by 'infest'! Surely those things mar the sanitary state of the medical bay." Riley gets a slight look of disappointment for that remark.
The cute critter bounds up to Kyara, pawing gently at her leg. "Ah-may me?" Ohhh, how -sweet-... It's cute, it's furry, it wants to be your friend.
"I -told- you to spend time with something less furry," Clara murmurs with a faint grin, eyes on her work as the resonator knits the skin closed on one of the larger bites. "I'll get them later, Kyara. If you want, you can take that one to security, though."
Kyara blinks down at the creature pawing her. Usually they're taller than her- this is something new. "Don't... bite... me."
Riley leans against something convenient, letting it take his weight. "This wasn't my idea... Someone brought one in."
Bite? Bite -you-? Oh surely you must be mistaken. The Denner is cute, it's purring pitifully, it just needs to be -loved-!
Kyara tentatively reaches down for the creature, immediately looking around for somebody to hand it to. As for the... being... who brought these creatures in, she has one notion. "Execute whoever did it."
The Denner curls up in Kyara's hands, nuzzling her in a gleeful state of ecstatic purring. You love me! You really love me!
Riley looks a little startled at Kyara's suggestion, "Uh, I'd really rather not..."
>>OOC: A voice from the peanut gallery cries, "No, don't do -that-! What would happen to his eyebrows?"
>>OOC: Funny, that first voice sounded suspiciously Nikoish didn't it?
"I can't get the coolant out of this one, Doc," Giani pipes up apologetically from the other side before flashing a shy smile at Riley. -She's- less furry than one of the critters.
Clara moves around after snapping off the resonator. "Get the smaller cuts on the other side. I'll take care of this. Who -is- responsible?"
>>OOC: No. Not at all Nikoish. Nope.
Kyara glances toward Riley, and sighs. "Yes... sic the doctor on them."
Riley tilts his head again in another of those controlled headshakes. He's not going to shake it too hard. That's potentially very bad right now. "Names are being withheld to protect the innocent. A vendor sold it to the person telling them it was a toy. Not three."
Kyara peers at Riley. "Three for one? There was a sale?"
Clara hesitates, then looks up. "Riley? Riley, over here. Boss, this is going to hurt. A lot. I'm giving you a local, but it'll leave your upper arm numb for the night." She seems inclined to let the details soar by, concentrating on her work.
"Huh?" Type 'help' for help. Riley blinks at Kyara, "No, three's not my comm-number." Since comm-numbers are sixdigit alphanumerics, that's pretty brilliant of him. He blinks at Clara as well, "Upper. Still be able to use the shoulder and fingers?" One armed Denner hunting does not appeal.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving. You get the impression that it's very, very cute.
Clara nods vaguely, pressing the hypo just below the gash before starting to probe for contamination. "Mm-hmm. You might experience a faint loss of sensation in your hand, but not much. Head clearing up at all?"
Kyara ohs! "I thought you meant he said it was a toy, rather than three toys..." She trails off. "Never mind me. I'm confused."
Riley's brows lower as he watches Clara work. He's quiet a moment, "Uh, yeah. Some. Most of the colors are gone. Thanks." He wiggles the fingers slightly, an involuntary gesture. "Nets."
Clara makes a noncommittal sound, focusing on what looks like it would be a fairly painful procedure if Riley could feel it. Without looking back, she reaches for the antiseptic and start to clean out the gash, bits of solid black on a small tray now. "Nets?"
Giani pauses in her cleaning to grin innocently at Kyara. "I thought he meant three toys too."
"Nets," Riley reaffirms, "Lots of them. Catch the Denners with them. And Maintenance needs to lock down reclamation."
Kyara smiles sheepishly at Giani. "Thank goodness."
Clara finishes sealing the gash with the resonator and nods vaguely. "Nets. Good idea." She exhales a sigh of relief and stretches back to snag the printout of the bloodwork before swearing a frustrated oath and tossing it aside to prepare another hypo. "Skycraper...stubborn...-more- antidote," she mutters.
Riley's brows furrow still further. He offers to Kyara, "Think I pissed her off."
Kyara's eyes flicker to Clara. "Well, it's offset by you having the good sense to come in here of your own free will. I think."
Clara glances back, trying to hide a smile threatening at that. "I'm not angry with you, Chief. You've been great. Just too damn big for one dose to do it." She administers a second dose to counter the coolant and steps back, the nurse taking away the used supplies. "You need a shower and sleep, but I know the latter likely isn't happening." She casts a grin at Kyara. "It is. Lots easier than hunting him down with a stick."
Riley wiggles his fingers again, blinking several times. "Wow, thanks Clara. That's better, a lot better." He unleans from the wall, sliding carefully to his feet. "A shower however I can and better manage." He blinks a few more times, snickering. "Although if I look ridiculous enough to scare off delegates..."
Kyara shakes her head firmly, though Riley's comment produces a wry smile. "You're going to sleep, Riley," she says firmly.
Clara rubs red-tinged hands on a towel, eyes dancing. "Right now, you're enough to scare off brave men and swooning women. Get a shower, then do what you can. Your head should clear up entirely in...I'll say forty-five minutes." She nods wistfully at Kyara. "He should, but I'm not enforcing it right now."
A brief stacatto siren sounds. It's the fire alert. Oh no, that doesn't mean...yes it does. The sprinklers go off.
Kyara starts to sigh, and lets out a yelp as the sprinklers do their thing. "Oh no..."
Nodding Riley acknowledges the information, "So no talking to Lexington for 45 minutes. I can manage that. Thanks Clara, you're a miracle worker." Just then the sprinklers go off. Riley pauses a beat, "I could have used the shower in my -quarters- thanks." Then the horror hits and he goes pelting out the door, "Water...breeding...Denners...-damn-!"
SECURITY> Niko, with a strangled sound, starts to tab through commands to figure out where the fire is, and shut down all the other sprinklers. Of course, he's also trying to talk with an annoyed diplomat. He's not a happy camper.
Kyara stares after Riley with a look of horror. "Water makes them breed?" Her gaze swings to Clara, begging her to deny it.
Riley hits a puddle near the door, using it to slide into the turn. Oh wow, he's been watching too much anime.
Clara peers up in horror, then snarls a highly unladylike oath and darts towards her own control panel, fumbling a ring of keys from her pocket and trying several before getting the right one. "Come on, come -on-..." she mutters, punching in a code. "Every half hour or so!" she confirms, voice tight.
SECURITY> Riley comes pelting in. Well, at least the worst of the goop's off. Battered and dripping he may be, but he has a -purpose-. He careens over to the databoard where Niko's at. "Emergency override code 'I swear I didn't take your damned fries Charlie-seven." He adds, helpful, "Type that in."
Kyara lets out a curse in her native language, staring at the furball in her arms... the /wet/ furball. "Oh /no/."
SECURITY> Niko mouths his thanks, attempting to ignore the irate voice from his comm-unit long enough to type. That'd be Lexington's voice. Covering the pickup so that the diplomat can't hear, he says, with a heavy sigh, "Two just spawned in his room, Chief. He's going to be up to his eyeballs in Denners."
Clara stabs a finger back, finally getting the medical override in to shut off the sprinklers in Medbay. "Get that critter under the incubator!" she orders, falling into emergency mode as she rushes over to snap on the warming, -drying- unit. "Then we'll have to get it to Security."
SECURITY> Riley reaches to offer to take the comm. It hasn't been 45 minutes, but Lexington is his nemesis after all. "We're -all- going to be up to our eyeballs."
Kyara rushes to the unit holding the critter out at arm's length, tripping in her haste. "Dry, yes, dry is good." She plops the furball into the machine, half-hoping it doubles as a blender.
Clara snaps the lid shut on the unit, which merely emits a soothing hum and a waft of warm air at the adorable creature within, then rubs back sodden curls. "Good work," she says shortly, starting to prowl the perimeter in search of any more. "We can't take them to Security wet, or they'll get the others wet."
SECURITY> Niko shakes his head, maintaining his hold on the comm-unit. "This really is a disaster," he mutters. "And I've got it, Chief. Thanks." He removes his hand from the pickup, and starts his litany of yessir, nosir, all my fault sir, whenever Lexington pauses.
The sprinklers trickle off. Cleaning robots appear to begin repairing the water damage.
Kyara shakes her head in disbelief. "This is crazy." She joins the search as well, occasionally glancing toward the door. "How badly was he hurt?"
Clara makes a noise of dismay and scoops up another shivering, precious bundle of fur and holds it in like an infant. "There, there baby. We'll get you warm and dry," she murmurs, hurrying over to another incubator. "Who?" she asks of Kyara absently, incarcerating the critter.
Kyara brings over a pair, brown and grey, to offer them to you. "Riley, of course."
SECURITY> Normally Riley would probably insist, but even he knows enough to lay off until the coolant high is gone. Sliding into Anya's chair instead he sets about organizing sweep up crews. Soon enough security people begin trickling through carrying adorable purring lumps. "Get them dry and stuff them in containment. No, I don't care how you do it. Throw them in the dryer for all I care, just -do- it."
SECURITY> Niko looks decidedly ill by the time he finishes his conversation with Lexington. "Sorry that took so long, Chief. He, uh, really wanted to complain." He shakes his head; now he's wet -and- dirty, what a lovely combination. "Where do you want me? Hunting 'em?"
Clara accepts the creatures and edges them into the third, final unit with a shrug. "He'll be fine," she says, fairly well dancing around the subject as she heads back to the second unit and liberate the dry Denner and let him join the first. "He's tough."
Kyara is, unfortunately, quite literal. "I'm sorry, did I say it wrong? I wish to know how serious his wounds are."
SECURITY> Riley rakes water off the top of the terminal, frowning slightly. He blinks a few times, "Uh, oh.. Find some way of getting these things dry before we stuff them in containment. Blankets, towels, hairdryers.... -something-."
Clara finally gets all four freshly dry and fluffy critters into one unit and starts to push it towards the door. "Oh, that. Deep lacerations, contaminated with level four coolant and plasteel bits, not to mention whatever germs these little beasties carry. I'm off to Security. Coming or staying?"
SECURITY> Niko mutters something about disrupter cannons being pretty warm. "There's the blanket on the containment unit. There's a start. Maybe we can get more from medbay." He lopes into the brig, returning with the blanket in question, then starts to accumulate critters in a large bag. He got it somewhere; maybe it's a trash bag, for the massive trash can that must exist, as Riley keeps throwing stuff away.
Kyara hurries to join you. "Coming."
Kyara arrives from the Medical Bay.
You head towards the Security Central.
Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
An eerie chittering echoes behind you, "To loh kaaa!"
Clara pushes in an incubator used for infants, but now containing four adorably dry and fluffy Denners. "Got more stowaways, guys," she calls. "And another two units like this in Medbay, if you need more dried out. Would that help?"
It finally sinks in, and Kya misses a step as she follows the doctor in. "Every half hour?!?"
Hey, that's why we have NPCs. To empty the trash. Riley gives up on trying to field his comm, instead he snags a headset and tugs it on over dripping curls. It's okay, the headset's wet too. "No, we can't use poison gas, sir. As tempting as it is, that would kill people too..." He blinks at Clara, "You -are- a miracle worker. That's perfect."
Niko, attempting to towel off a Denner with a blanket, casts a look of sheer gratitude to Clara. "Remind me to grovel to you when this is under control, okay?"
Another security officer comes in with a Denner in one hand and a portable hairdryer in the other. The creature is in heaven, like a cocker spaniel with its head out the window, "Oh ta meyo!"
Clara gives Niko a look of momentary interest, then flashes a quick grin. "I'll remember," she assures. "Trade me? I'll give you the dry ones, you give me the wet ones two at a time." She mumbles into her wrist comm, giving the order for both other units to be wheeled into Security. "Every half hour," she finally confirms to Kyara.
Kyara pales.
The brig continues to yammer adorably to itself.
Niko is, alas, juggling damp Denners, almost literally, and so doesn't notice that look of momentary interest. Too bad. He's busy thinking of the amount of trouble he's in for all this, and could use the cheering up. He drops the wet critters into that garbage bag, from which is coming much giggling and purring, then takes the time to dry his hands before extending them for dry critters. "This," he says quietly, "Is beyond interesting."
Riley speaks quietly into the headset, typing away. Those still slow to respond fingers are hampering him a bit, but he's trying. Niko gets a wry grin, "No Nick, this is the -Complex-. Can you give Denner a page? He really does know more about them than anybody else. He lives in town."
Garrand arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Clara smirks faintly, sodden curls dragging in her face mercilessly and giving a faint indication that her hair is likely a lot longer than it seems as she nudges down to scoop two damp Denners from the bad and incubate them. "What in the world made this man engineer these things?"
The room is currently in chaos. There's water everywhere, the security officers are green and black slime be-icked, and there's lots of damp critters all about.
Riley shakes his head quickly, "He didn't. Some gengineers did, looking for a new hot pet. Denner just brought one to the Complex the first time this happened. Hence the name."
Niko nods to Riley, lifting his comm-unit once more. "Switched off, Chief," he reports, with a groan, shuttling the dry critters into the brig with the others.
Garrand groans. "Is there no end to those beasts?"
Kyara slowly shakes her head, slumping down into a chair. "This is not good. This is very much a badness." Despite her attempts at stifling, a series of sneezes escape her.
Riley decides it might be more efficient if he empties the water out of the keyboard. "I'm afraid not sir, but we're on top of the problem, really." He blinks at Niko. "Off, I swear... Can you do me a huge favor and go -get- him?"
Garrand says "Get who?"
Clara calls out to a pair of interns coming in, each pushing an incubator. "Over here guys!" She continues to shuttle wet beasties into the one incubator, tripling the rate with the new additions and handing off the dry ones to another security guard. "This is gonna be a -long- night."
Niko nods emphatically. Getting out of the complex, what a great idea. He'll live longer that way. "Gotcha, Chief." He starts to ask a question, then shakes his head, moving to tab at the terminal, instead. "I can check on the vendor while I'm out that way, make sure we got the rest of the critters. There were," he adds, wince audible in his voice, "A lot of them. I'm just glad it didn't look like rain."
Riley clambers to his feet, still yammering into the headset periodically. He steps out of his office, carrying a uniform jacket that's miraculously dry. The closet thankfully doesn't have sprinklers. He tosses the coat to Niko, "And put that on. The bunny'll never get you past building sec at his apartment." But the admiral's pips on the collar probably will. He nods, "Thanks Nick."
Clara pauses, one dry creature in her hands that takes advantage of the pause to clamber up and snuggle against her wet lab coat as she peers at Niko, a few things falling into place mentally. "Take care of yourself, Niko," she calls over the chaos, then, "Faaugh! You're wet again! Back into the dryer, kiddo."
Garrand coughs into his hand. "Would you like my assistance, Mr. Riley?"
Riley blinks at Garrand, brows lifting, "Sir, at this point I can use all the assistance I can get. You can either chase down the buggers running around on the floor or in the hall, or if you'd help dry them one..."
Garrand says "I think I'll chase them."
Niko catches the coat with a murmured thanks, then tabs a few more keys. As he tugs on the rest of the uniform, utterly oblivious to the admiral's pips, a paper spits out of one of the printers, presumably with Denner's address. He nods to Clara, with a tight smile, then pauses by her, speaking quietly. He mutters to Clara, "Uh,... do... say... our... trip... might... postponed... a while. I'm not exactly... what the... for... but... be positive." With another of those tight smiles, he lifts a hand, then heads for the exit.
You sense Niko catches the coat with a murmured thanks, then tabs a few more keys. As he tugs on the rest of the uniform, utterly oblivious to the admiral's pips, a paper spits out of one of the printers, presumably with Denner's address. He nods to Clara, with a tight smile, then pauses by her, speaking quietly. "Uh, I do think it's safe to say that our... trip... might have to be postponed for a while. I'm not exactly sure what the consequences for this are going to be, but they can't be positive." With another of those tight smiles, he lifts a hand, then heads for the exit.
Niko heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Kyara gets up to assist Clara, not seeming to mind too much when she sneezes on the critters occasionally. "Here, give me some of those beasts."
Garrand returns, carrying a wet denner.
Riley continues to give commands via the headset. He steps into his office again, returning still talking but with a Denner held carefully so that its teeth are pointed away from him. Funny, the rest of the creatures look thrilled, this one's all but foaming at the mouth trying to eat Riley. He can't help but snicker as Niko leaves, "Wonder if he'll notice people saluting."
Garrand says "Someone mind drying this bad boy off?"
2FLOOR> Niko peers after Garrand, buttoning up the uniform jacket as he heads for the elevator. He mutters to himself, "... trouble... capitol T... rhymes... D... stands for Denners."
Clara hesitates for a long moment, staring blankly at one of the incubators after Niko leaves, then starts and tugs out a dry creature and hands it off before reaching for the wet one from Garrand. "Thank you, sir," she offers, stuffing the little one into the machine. "There's a whole bag full of wet ones there, Kyara. Saluting, Chief?"
Riley plunks his damp Denner into the laundry basket someone has thoughtfully provided for the damp ones. It stops freaking as soon as he lets it go. "The jacket he went out in has Admiral's pips on the collar. It's a good look for him." He goes over to a dispatch map, not quite grinning.
Kyara glances over, and moves to open the bag, peering into it. Hopefully the critters aren't looking for an avenue of escape. "Come here, you little..." Thankfully the rest is lost to inaudibility as she brings a fresh trio over to Clara.
Garrand wipes his hands on a cloth. "Um, how about while I am working with you, at least in private, you call me by my first name instead of Sir. I have never liked being treated like a diplomat in private.
Riley blinks at Garrand a few times, grinning at him ruefully as he heads to a comm-center. "Um, I'm afraid I don't -know- your first name."
Clara has had way, way too many surprises dumped on her in the last few days as she murmurs, "Admiral?" at Riley's back, then shakes her head, too busy to mull it over as she shuffles the new trio of furry wetness into the incubators. "Thanks, Kyara."
Garrand chuckles. "Garrand."
Riley nods his thanks to a couple of folks from maintenance who come in with dryvacs and towels to start mopping up the mess that security is. The stream of Denners also starts to slow somewhat. "It'll be good for him. He can never learn too early about the evils of being saluted at."
Kyara digs into the wiggling bag again, and tosses a particularly large creature in Clara's direction. "That one looks pregnant," is her wry explanation.
Riley is here, there, and everywhere. He doesn't like Denners with their damp, damp hair. He gestures to the laundry basket, "In there sir."
"Hey, saluting's not all -that- evil," Clara protests somewhat half-heartedly, changing out a group of Denner's before deftly catching the oversized one and pulling it instantly in to her chest. "Poor baby," she murmurs, giving it a cuddle before slipping it into an incubator.
Garrand chuckles. "My names Garrand. No need to call me sir. At least unless there are other dignitaries around.
Garrand puts the furball into the basket.
Riley scoops up a dropped Denner, pulling his fingers out of munching range at the last instant. "Poor baby my left foot, those things have -teeth-." He plunks the critter in the basket. The tide of in brought ones seems to be slaking. "I think we can about leave this to the night shift. Most of them will have gone to ground to birth their litters."
Riley nods to Garrand, "Garrand, check."
Kyara counts heads in the bag. Or bodies, as the case may be. "I think you're right, Clara. It's going to be a long... " She blinks at Riley, and sighs in relief. "Thank *achoo!* you."
Garrand smiles.
Garrand smiles to Kyara. "Bless you".
"Not unless I'm flying south for the winter," Clara murmurs absently, then grins over at Garrand and nod compliantly before making a face at Riley. She swings to Kyara after showing a pair of guards how to operate the incubators. "You need to get to bed and get warm. See me first thing in the morning if you're still sneezing."
Kyara peers at Clara. "Huh? Oh..." She shakes her head. "You don't understand. There's a /reason/ I never had pets."
Riley snags a towel, mopping things down. Still rattling orders into his headset he half shoos folks slowly towards the door, "Everybody get home, get dry, get some sleep. I can't thank you enough for the help. We'd be lost without you, but the next phase of this assault will have to come tomorrow... Uh, later today."
Clara pushes a mass of curls from her head with a squelch. "Aah. Allergies. Okay, stop by Medbay on your way to bed and ask for a dose of propanalomine." She drops into a chair finally, and waves a hand. "Thank you for your help, again."
Garrand nods, and alows himself to be shooed out. "Good night all.
Garrand heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Kyara nods gratefully, heading for the door. She merely pauses to murmur "Good night" to Riley as she heads out.
Kyara heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley lets the other security folks process the remaining Denners, seeing as they behave when he's not touching them. He blinks at Clara, grinning wryly. "I meant you too, you know." He perches on the edge of a desk.
Clara watches the folks at the incubators with a gimlet eye for the equipment, then glances up sidelong. "That a fact?" she replies mildly, grinning back. "I'm not the one with a dose of local anesthetic and a double dose of antidote in my system."
You hear a soft purring noise from... somewhere. Maybe there's a Zaeltan stuck in a wall. But if there is, Riley didn't put it there.
Riley slides from the desk edge to the chair. "Yeah, but I have to wait til we do one last sweep and lock down the tunnels. You don't hafta'."
Clara lifts an arm to lean it sideways on the back of the chair and rest her head on it, pushing back hair that's just starting to dry back, frizz already in force. "Think so? I don't think I'll take any chances. Most of my staff's already asleep."
Riley lifts his shoulders in something approximating a shrug. Tiredly he grins, "I won't push it then. If you're determined to hang out in a damp security station while folks dry hairballs and stuff them in the brig..."
"I want to stay long enough to make sure the incubators won't be mishandled," Clara replies somewhat wearily herself. She glances towards another officer carrying in a box of rounded up Denners and groans. "Although you folks may have to drag me kicking and screaming from my quarters in the morning."
"We won't bother," Riley grins ruefully, reaching forward to tap a series of commands into the terminal. "You'll deserve the time off." At this point a petite woman comes all but running into the office, her uniform half set to rights and looking peeved. "-Riley-!! I leave you alone a couple of hours, just heaven help me a few hours and look at this!" Riley's response is to begin laughing quietly. He's trying not to, but the fact that he's put his head down and is shaking with snickers makes it pretty obvious.
Clara raspberries lightly. "I'll program my terminal to wake me up," she counters, then peers up with vague, disheveled amusement as she picks her head up from her own arm and offers the woman an exhausted smile. "Lieutenant Pendleton, I presume?"
"This is not," There's a snicker, "Funny!" Okay, even Anya can't help but snicker, "An entire building of drowned rats." She nods to Clara, "Anya, yes. The one who's supposed to keep these lunatics in line." She heads over to where Riley sits, "Shoo hyena, that's my desk."
Riley is obedient and cedes Anya's seat to her, snagging Niko's desk instead.
Clara smirks and pulls one knee up, heel balanced on the edge of the chair, to rest folded arms on. "Clara Aleron," she introduces herself. "Riley, you really oughta shoo on upstairs. After all the stuff I pumped into your system, I'm surprised you're still upright."
Riley isn't exactly upright, he's leaning against the desk and poking at the terminal's keyboard. "Oh no you don't, I'm not headed up until you are."
Anya nods politely, "Nice to meet the object of Niko's droolage in person at last." She blinks, "Pumped into his system?" She gives Riley a decided frown.
Clara grimaces at Riley, but nods at Anya vaguely, letting the droolage comment pass by. "Enough to stop a gryphon," she agrees mildly. "Which he's about as big and stubborn as," she adds, wrinkling her nose at the Chief. "You've got a deal, sir."
Riley climbs back out of her seat, heading to where Riley sits. Snagging the shoulders of his t-shirt she all but hauls the security chief to his feet, "Upstairs with you. I can run this place as well as you can." Her tone clearly implies that she could do it better. "Both of you. Before I toss you in the brig with the hairballs."
Riley is about to make a snide response, but he can only look horrified at Anya's threat. "Uh, yeah, upstairs. Good plan."
Clara winces as well, and the furballs actually -like- her. She climbs to her feet and plods over towards Riley and wrinkles her nose again. "Thanks, Anya. Holler if those things stop working," she adds, gesturing at the incubators before jerking her chin up at the taller man. "Lead on, boss."
Anya peers at the incubators, nodding. "We'll get them back to you first thing in the morning, Chief."
Riley just shakes his head, "Night Anya, I owe ya." His boots making soggy noises, he heads out.
Riley heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley has left.
You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley pushes the button.
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide open, smoothly.
Riley walks into the elevator.
You walk into the elevator.
Riley pushes the button marked 3.
The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
The elevator glides almost imperceptibly upward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #3.
With a ping, the doors slide open, smoothly.
Riley has left.
You leave the elevator.
Riley looks decidedly relieved, "Looks like the water didn't get most of this level."
Clara unbuttons her lab coat finally, a few random drips falling as she makes a face at the dampness. "Hell of a night, no?" She pauses to peers once more at one of the worse gashes before stepping back and rubbing her eyes. "Thank goodness. The last thing I want to hear all night is whatever those things were saying."
Riley nods, rubbing at his forehead a moment and then brushing soggy curls back. "One of the wilder ones certainly. Nights like this only come along once every few months." He squeezes out the tail of his shirt. "I hope I can find enough intact pieces to even field a uniform in the morning."
Clara chuckles, shaking at the edge of her coat and nodding. "I'd offer you one of mine, but it'd look more than a little silly," she decides. "You'll pull it together, though. I have faith." She sobers and gestures at your arm. "Seriously, if that gives you any problems, call me, okay?"
Riley regards the arm, flexing the fingers. "Will do, but I think it's set. Nothing a little sleep won't cure. G'night Clara, thanks again. You really are a miracle worker."
Clara sketches a thoroughly lazy salute, dismissing the compliment. "Nope. Just a plain, ordinary doctor. Sleep well, Riley."
Riley manages a rather snappy salute in return. You could cut yourself on a salute this sharp. He grins mischievously before waving as well. "You too. See you later."
Clara rolls her eyes, smirking. "Silly man," she mutters and heads down the hall to her room, peeling off the lab coat as she goes and muttering to herself about a fair ton of bleach for it.