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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 7, 2020 9:22:54 GMT -5
WARNING: OXYGEN LEVELS CRITICAL. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS INOPERABLE. SWITCH TO MANUAL.
Lydia suppressed a cough as she reached behind her seat, switched on the emergency oxygen tank, and shakily secured the mask to her face. At the same time, fumbling in her attempts at multitasking, she did her best to reroute what little power Proteus II had left, shutting down every system she deemed non-vital. It was still a steep climb to her salvation. She couldn't waste a single molecule of oxygen.
At the very least, she had managed to escape Will's stomach by riding on the waves of gas. Following that lucky break, scaling the esophagus was proving difficult. The pod's thrusters were in critical condition. She still had some boost left, but trying to keep the pod on a straight path while using it was nigh impossible, and she couldn't risk spending it all at once and only making it halfway to the mouth.
Eventually, Lydia made it to the epiglottis, her boosters expended, her breathing hampered with genuine panic. She was still too far back for a direct escape, and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before her ship was dead in the water.
"Will...?" The silence on the outside was making her nervous. She didn't want to risk turning her visual feed back on and shorting everything out. All she could ask for now was reassurance. "Please tell me we're close..."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 7, 2020 9:40:24 GMT -5
"... We're close."
Will groaned and placed a palm to his head, running fingers through his matted bangs. His nausea had subsided somewhat now that they were away from the disgusting sight, but he wasn't going to be accustomed to these mechanized transport contraptions anytime soon. He felt the damn thing come to a stop, and he shakily got to his feet. "C-C'mon...! We need to hurry!" He attempted to run, but felt his feet grow weak, wrapping an arm around someone's shoulders.
"I don't think you're in any shape to be running, Will." There was a bruise on Percy's jaw and a burn mark around one eye, but other than those, the brunette seemed unharmed, supporting the taller blonde as they left the vehicle. "Thanks for the ride, and thanks for your help." He nodded towards Rio, Cat, and Mickey, giving a thumbs-up with his free hand. "Now... where the hell do we go?"
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Post by ColArana on May 7, 2020 17:20:57 GMT -5
As the vehicle came to a stop, Ryan sprang up to his feet immediately. "Will." He ran over and helped support Will alongside Percy on the other side, seeing the man was clearly out of it, and unsteady. "We don't have long. We're going to Mexus. Right now." Ryan mentally tried to pull up a GPS to direct the group to Mexus as quickly as possible, and started trying to pull Will along at a brisk pace. He couldn't run. He doubted Will could handle a full on sprint like he'd done before. "You just gotta make it a few more minutes Will. Just a little longer, okay?"
Meanwhile, a black cloaked man inside the camper adjusted his hat, lifting the brim higher to expose his eyes. He'd been leaning in the corner the whole way there, the brim pulled down to hide his face. It had been hard to tell if he was sleeping or not, but it seemed he was fully alert. "Shall we go then Master?" He asked Jack as he walked towards the door, his eyes however, trained not on Jack, but on the motley crew that had brought him there. He'd been keeping a close vigil on them since he'd gotten into the vehicle, all his senses focused on their actions, as per Jack's instructions. He didn't consider any of them trustworthy, except maybe for Rio. And even then, all it took to change that was the right motivation. To say Avenger was still on guard would be an understatement. However, he also didn't seem particularly as hurried as any of the others, with his casual amusement or indifference to the outcome of the quest that had brought all of them to this moment.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on May 7, 2020 18:30:17 GMT -5
Jack had spent much of the trip staring out the window, ensuring that the camper van was on the right course. He found no need to issue mental commands to the driver, so while his eyes were trained on the landscape below, his mind had been focused on Lydia, tracking her voyage to the nearest orifice. He trusted her piloting skills under pressure, but naturally he had to worry about her slightly.
Soon enough, the camper van gently lowered into the field inside Mexus's perimeter fence, mostly for quick access to the building but also because the guards' panicked reactions amused Mickey. Once parked, Mickey switched on the camper's intercom system and addressed his passengers. "Alright, ladies! It's make your mamas proud time! Get in there!"
"Let's go!" While Ryan and Percy took to offering Will support, Jack took the lead, leaping out through the camper's back door in a frantic rush and addressing the armed guards surrounding them. "DON'T SHOOT! WE HAVE LYDIA!"
The guards quickly lowered their defenses and examined the team piling out of the vehicle. Reassured, they began ushering the ragtag ensemble in their jog towards the building. All the while, Jack continued urgently barking orders. "Everyone inside! Hurry! Avenger, stay with the trio! Make sure they stay out of trouble!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 7, 2020 18:42:19 GMT -5
"You're good, guys! GO!" Rio called from the camper's top floor balcony, waving the group off as they started filing out. He overheard Jack's order to Avenger to stick with him, Cat and Mickey, a request that Rio absolutely could not blame him for. Now was not the time for the Trio of Three's unique style of trouble. As such, while the rest of the gang engaged in their final sprint towards the lab, Rio stayed inside the camper van to look after his companions, waiting for the right moment to make their case known.
Max was beyond words as she followed the team outside, nodding to the Mexus guards and handing one of them her plasma rifle for safekeeping. She stuck to the back, her anxious eyes trained on Will, fretting over his, Percy and especially Ryan's sorry states, questioning how much longer Lydia could last inside Will. It was down to the wire for sure, and as Max clutched her messenger bag close to her chest, she felt that tension inside ready to blow.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 7, 2020 18:55:13 GMT -5
Cat shoved her head out the window, frowning at the group as they departed for the lab. "UH, YOU'RE WELCOME, BY THE WAY!" She then sat back down and folded her arms. The nerd was asking the cloak guy to babysit them. The indignity of it all...
Oh well. Rio and Mickey seemed content to stay put in the van for now. Cat would get her chance with the big boys soon enough.
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Lydia allowed herself a moment to take a few deep breaths and stare up the steep climb that separated the pod from the mouth. Proteus II didn't have the power to propel itself any further. The boosters were depleted, the thrusters were dead, and even if the idea of climbing wasn't completely daunting, the pod's hydraulic arms could potentially sap its remaining power too. Even Lydia herself was losing steam, sadly accepting that there was no way she could get herself out of this spot.
Then again... she wasn't the only person she could rely on.
Succumbing to her last resort, Lydia released the pod's grip on Will's epiglottis, letting it slide back and drop down his windpipe, gently floating downward as the updrafts slowed its descent.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 7, 2020 19:36:03 GMT -5
"C'mon, Will. I think we're almost there."
Percy shot a grateful nod towards Ryan for helping him support Will's weight, and another to Jack for getting them past without hassle. "Hey, thanks for that. I can't help but think you look familiar. Have we met before? Are you my long-lost cousin from Aicarme?"
As Percy kept up a stream of chatter, Will tried to keep himself from worrying too much. Lydia... "P-Please tell me there's a way to extract her. I can't imagine she can extract herself..."
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Post by ColArana on May 18, 2020 6:08:24 GMT -5
Avenger tipped his hat to Jack. "Good fortunes Master. I shall keep to appraised of the situation here." Avenger smiled with feigned politeness at Rio, Cat and Mickey. "You three seem to get yourselves into some interesting situations, don't you?"
Ryan sighed at Percy. "He's a friend of Lydia's. Apparently there were some major complications along the way here." He reported to Percy, as he moved Will along, pulling him past the guards. Ryan looked at a nearby guard. "Hurry and get Doctor Pendleton! Have him start setting everything up! We do not have much time!" He snapped.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on May 18, 2020 19:51:39 GMT -5
Jack raised an eyebrow, just barely glimpsing back at Percy over his shoulder as he sprinted inside the building. "Uh, no? I was the dead body next to Will yesterday morning. I-I can explain it later! We need to get her out!"
The guards raced ahead of the team, one of them unlocking the door to the main lab and promptly ushering them inside without pause. The moment he set foot in there, Jack shouted at the top of his lungs, "FIRE UP THE CHAMBER! START THE PROCEDURE! HURRY!!! GO!!!"
The lab technicians scrambled to their stations, and within seconds, the miniaturization chamber roared to life, warming up for the enlargement process. Dr. Pendleton dashed to the edge of the balcony, meeting Jack at the top of the stairs with a firm pat on the shoulder, looking past the intern at the man directly behind him. "Mr. Lowe... Where is she??"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 18, 2020 20:00:01 GMT -5
"Heh..." Rio slowly shook his head and turned to Avenger with a smile that was equal parts humorous, exasperated, and genuinely polite. "You don't know the half of it."
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With the guards leading the way, opening every door for them, Max watched the team file into the lab, never slowing her pace until she was inside the hallowed testing room herself. The panic and determination were evident in her face, particularly as she offered Dr. Pendleton a brisk nod. "David. I have the chip!"
She briefly glanced at Will and gave Ryan a quick shake on the shoulder. Then she slammed her bag down on the nearest desk and started anxiously, breathlessly rooting through it. "I've got it here somewhere..."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 18, 2020 20:11:29 GMT -5
"Wiiiiill...!"
Lydia's voice was weary, scared, and just barely clinging to consciousness. The pod had gone still, swayed only by the constant movement of the organ it had come to a rest in. Its lights were turned off, providing little to no view of the cilia that surrounded it. There was nothing left for Lydia to do besides breathe and talk, and she frequently pulled the oxygen mask away from her mouth so the latter was more coherent between instances of the former.
"Will, you remember when I told you not to sneeze? Redact that! I need you to sneeze, buddy! I'm in your lung and I don't have the power to get myself out!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 18, 2020 20:33:15 GMT -5
"... I'll think about that later. Pleased to meet ya!"
As Jack quickly got them in, and the technicians began starting whatever contraptions they had, Percy shoot Will, and by extension Lydia, a concerned look. Will swallowed a lump in his throat at the sight of Dr. Pendleton, looking down and away. "She... she's... lungs, I think, doc. I'm not smart. I... Unless you plan on cutting me up now..." He brushed a piece of hair out of his face. "... 'M not sure if..."
Will trailed off, seeing Max go through her bag in search of the chip. Max... bag... stuff in... bag...
His eyes went wide. I... I think I know what you mean, Lydia!
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Post by ColArana on May 20, 2020 19:25:16 GMT -5
Ryan looked around the room as he was desperately trying to find something he could do to help. Anything to shave off a few more seconds from the time it would take them to get Lydia out and restored. He looked around for a technician and ran over to them. "Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?" He asked, quickly.
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ThePopcornFairy
Poster On Dah Wall
Slightly Used and Mostly Confused
Posts: 223
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Post by ThePopcornFairy on May 20, 2020 20:15:20 GMT -5
"Lung..." Dr. Pendleton ran his hand through his hair and sucked in a deep, airy breath as he looked back at his crew, then Max, then Will again. "No no no, we're not gonna cut you open. We just need to..."
"Lydia's already on it," Jack assured the doctor before turning to the others. "Ryan, I need you primed for when reenlargment is complete! Max...!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 20, 2020 20:25:43 GMT -5
"!!!"
Max locked up on the spot but said nothing. The moment she overheard where Lydia was inside of Will, she knew what had to be done.
Momentarily halting her search for the microchip, Max threw herself back into her messenger back and quickly procured her perfume bottle. She then forced her way past Dr. Pendleton, ripped the cap off the bottle, and hit Will square in the face with five or six spurts of the stuff without warning.
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