EPISODE 8: WHAT IS THIS YOU FEEL (2)
[[SFX: Gurney wheels down hallway.]]
X: Huh. Good -- it is Thor. But there's some kind of weird rubble all around her feet?...
[[SFX: Gurney wheels down hallway.]]
Thor: Experiment Girl. Hey. [[Looks at gurney.]] Jeez -- what happened?
X: Well, the good news is, we found Chen. The bad news is, he's super hurt. And Chance found us. And Kai's down. And the Councillor might be sending some kind of assistant to murder us. [[Thinks]] That's a lot of bad news, come to think of it. We should probably do some good stuff to balance it --
Thor: [[Interrupts, looking at the gurney.]] Holy crap! What the -- what did they do to Chen?
X: [[Uncertain.]] For now. That assistant guy took a big chunk out of his side. But I think he's stable, at least. [[Small pause.]] What happened here? [[SFX: Nudges a tiny metallic drone with her toe.]] What are these little… metal things all over the floor?
Thor: A.I. defense drones. The Councillor must've finally figured out how to activate them. [[Considers, darkly.]] Or more likely, Chance told him.
X: Aw. They're kind of cute.
Thor: [[Drily]] Yeah, well, resist the urge to hug ‘em if you see ‘em comin' your way. They're smart, nimble, and their ammo packs a nasty sting.
X: [[Dubiously]] You took them out easily enough. There's like 50 of them here.
Thor: [[Purses lips, speaks frankly.]] Mmm, well, I am good at my job. You are not good at my job. You see ‘em coming, you run.
X: [[Frowns, catching on.]] Wait… you're not coming with us?
Thor: [[Smirks]] I hate to break it to you, Experiment Girl, but there's a lot going on here. A lot more than you know. [[Brief pause.]] Though… I do owe you one for starting this mutiny. Couldn't have gone better if I'd have engineered it myself. [[Regards X for a moment, sighs.]] You know, I might even like you, if you weren't such an annoyingly wide-eyed, bushy-tailed moon child.
X: I… I don't know what any of that means.
Thor: [[Snorts]] It means that if you run into anyone wearing a gold uniform, you tell ‘em, “The Lion's Paw greets you,” and then get the heck outta their way. Got it?
X: I… guess? But… um… why would I be running into anyone in a gold uniform? Everyone I've seen with Caldwell Enterprises wears gray.
Thor: [[Grins]] Exactly. [[Pauses]] Let's just say there's more than one reason the Councillor's been freaking out lately.
X: [[Tilts her head.]] You did something.
Thor: [[Laughs]] Oh, I did a whole lot of somethings. But don't worry about that right now. You just get back to the Cavatica and take good care of Captain Chen and Killbot for me. Okay?
X: [[Realizes]] You smashed up the Cavatica's communications pod!
Thor: [[Sighs]] And you're not listening to me. Now is not the time for startling revelations. Now's the time for you to get moving. Got it? [[Slight pause, then annoyed.]] ...Go!
X: [[Annoyed, insulted]] Okay, okay.
[[SFX: Gurney starts moving.]]
X: [[Pauses, turns.]] But when we inevitably meet up again later, I'm gonna want some answers!
Thor: [[Fading away]] Fine! Whatever! Just GO!
X: [[Pleased at apparently having won that argument.]] Yay, good. Okay.
[[SFX: Gurney moves into the remote connector]]
X: [[Resumes talking into her recorder.]] All right… uh… pushing the gurney down the remote connector toward the Cavatica… urgh. You'd think the wheels would make this easier, but these two weigh a ton. Well, not a literal ton, unless Kai's suit is made of an unusually stable isotope of flerovium! Heh!
… No one's ever around to hear my awesome science jokes.
Also, this IV stand is super awkward… maybe it would help if I set my recorder down on Chen's chestplate and --
[[SFX: Scuffling, sets down recorder.]]
X: Oh yeah, that's a lot better. [[Sighs, reflects]] So… looks like Thor's been up to some kind of espionage… What's her end game? Oh my gosh! [[Stunned silence]] Is she the bad guy? Is she our Dennis Nedry?
[[Doubtfully, providing a counterpoint to herself.]] I don't know… if she were after the remaining embryos, she could've taken them, like, a million times already. They're just right there in the glasshouse cryotanks, very clearly labeled as per lab regulations.
So if she doesn't want to steal the embryos -- which, according to the Councillor, already belong to Caldwell Enterprises, thus negating the need to steal them -- then… I guess she just wants to cause a lot of damage for some reason…?
[[Grimaces]] Blegh. My brain is fried. [[Pause]] Assuming the clock has switched over to Day 10,319, I haven't slept in more than… woah. Have I not slept since Thor found my mother's body? [[Nods slowly, doing the math.]] So… yeah, going on a full 24 hours. That's probably not very healthy…
Chen: [[Stirs, regaining consciousness. Still sedated, though seems mentally clearer.]] … X? [[Shifts, grimacing.]]
X: Aww, speaking of not very healthy, how are you doing?
Chen: [[Alarmed/on the verge of panic]] X, I can't move my legs.
X: Oh! Don't worry. You're not paralyzed or anything. Kai's just on top of them. I made a super hilarious joke earlier about an isotope of flerovium, but I'm not sure you would have gotten it.
Chen: [[Frowns]] Why is… [[Tries to sit up; glances around, blinking.]] Wait, where are we?
X: Remote connector, heading back to the Cavatica. Remember, you were in prison for some mysterious reason, all critically wounded, and Kai and Dani and I rescued you?...
Chen: [[Tries to mentally place who Dani is.]] Dani… The intern?
X: [[Sighs]] Yes! [[Annoyed]] Why do people keep sounding surprised that the intern is a smart, capable, and fully functional human being? She's back on the Enforcer One acting as our mole right now. Oh! And speaking of moles…
[[SFX: Whirring sound of drones.]]
Chen: [[Tries to sit up again, more alert.]] Shh shh shh. Wait. [[Pauses.]] …What's that?
X: Hmmm. Must be the second wave of AI drones. Thor took out a whole bunch of ‘em earlier, but for some reason, she didn't think I'd be able to --
[[SFX: Drones approach.]]
Chen: [[Interrupts her]] X, Thor had a disruptor. We can't take them without a disruptor... [[Frustrated with himself.]] Heck, I can't even sit up. Go. Run. Now.
[[SFX: X attempts to pick up speed; the gurney wheels rattle.]]
X: Mmgh. I can't get this stupid gurney to go any faster!
Chen: [[Impatient; frustrated.]] Without me.
[[SFX: Drones approach, continued.]]
X: [[Strained.]] I'm not going without you, you dummy! Can you reach one of Kai's guns?
Chen: [[Grimaces with pain.]] Maybe… [[Reaches.]] Agh…
[[SFX: Gurney continues to rattle down hall; soon comes to a stop.]]
X: Okay. Okay. We're here. We're gonna be --
[[SFX: X tries the airlock door handle. It clicks but does not open.]]
X: Aw, what the heck?! Come on! [[Rattles door handle again.]]
Chen: Is it locked?
X: [[Frustrated.]] No, it can't lock! Remember, you guys busted through the lock when you first boarded?
Chen: [[Grunts as he manages to grab one of Kai's guns.]] Welp, I've got one of Kai's guns now… for whatever good it'll do… this thing's like a cannon…
[[SFX: X hip-checks the door.]]
[[SFX: Gun charges.]]
[[SFX: Drones approach in a swarm.]]
X: [[Looks up.]] Aw. They really are super cute. So small!
Drones, together: Greetings. Please surrender or die. Thank you.
X: [[Delighted]] Awwww. And so polite!
[[SFX: Chen shoots at the drones. They disperse easily around the blast.]]
Chen: [[Grits teeth]] And covered in razors, and full of caustic acid. Keep trying that door!
[[SFX: X hip-checks the door.]]
Drones: Perpetrators resisting standard subroutines: please standby for neutralization via death. Thank you.
[[SFX: Gun charging.]]
[[SFX: Drones begin to fire; the sound is tiny and adorable.]]
X: [[Takes tiny laser fire.]] Oh! Ow! That hurts!
[[SFX: X hip-checks the door.]]
[[SFX: The door opens with a strange crunching sound.]]
X: Ha! Got it! [[Takes tiny laser fire]] ...Ow!
[[SFX: Chen's gun fires.]]
Chen: [[Cranky.]] I can't hit them -- they're too small! [[Takes tiny laser fire]] Ow! X, get behind me and pull the gurney through the door after you.
X: No! You've already taken -- ow! -- too much damage. It's my turn to play human shield. Ow! [[Pushes the gurney through the door.]] Ow… ow… ow!
Drones: [[Continuing to fire.]] Your compliance is appreciated. As your neutralization nears completion, please remember: at Caldwell Enterprises, we invent the...
[[SFX: Door shuts.]]
[[SFX: Atmo: Cavatica Dash Core.]]
Drones: [[From other side of door, still firing.]] ...future.
[[SFX: The A.I. drones continue firing on the other side of the door.]]
X: [[Frustrated]] OK, it's shut, technically, but I can't latch it! [[Leans against the door to hold it shut as tiny laser fire continues.]] Mmf. The door's heating up from all that fire. [[Pauses, then curiously.]] Oh, that's weird.
[[SFX: Faint, almost indiscernible humming sound.]]
Chen: [[Struggles to sit up and see.]] What?
X: [[Puzzled.]] There's some kind of… pale pink crystalline substance growing all around the doorframe. I think that's what was sealing it shut. [[Looks closer.]] I've never seen anything like it before…
Chen: [[Through gritted teeth]] X! Survival now. Science later.
[[SFX: Sound from behind the door of the A.I. drones firing]]
X: Right! Um… Oh! Charge up your gun again!
Chen: [[Looks at her like she's an idiot.]] X, those drones are too small and quick to hit, not to mention shielded against any --
X: [[Interrupts him]] I know! But the wall of the remote connector's not. Shoot that, and they'll get sucked out into the vacuum!
Chen: [[Nods once.]] Got it. Go!
[[SFX: X opens the door into tiny adorable drone fire. Chen's gun fires, and suddenly the drones are sucked out through the hole in the remote connector wall and into the vacuum of space. Brief absence of sound.]]
[[SFX: Airlock door slams shut again, though sound is not audible.]]
[[SFX: Sound returns, slowly.]]
X: [[Pleased, though sounds vaguely exhausted.]] Nice. And it should deter Caldwell Enterprises from coming after us for a while. [[Peers at Chen.]] You okay?
Chen: [[Nods]] All things considered, yeah. You?
X: Yeah. [[Grimaces.]] Wow. You were right… that acid really stings.
Chen: [[Smiles]] You did good, X.
X: Thanks. [[Abruptly]] Hey, I'm sorry I called you a dummy earlier. I didn't mean it. I was all caught up in the moment, and I'm a little short on sleep.
Chen: [[Half-amused; slightly weirded out she's apologizing for this minor thing.]] It's… it's okay. Believe it or not, I've been called worse.
X: [[Relieved]] Good. [[Frowns]] Well… I mean, not good. Because… that would… [[Embarrassed]] Ugh. My brain is, like, collapsing in on itself from lack of sleep. Just like...
Chen: ...like my legs underneath Kai's weight?
X: Oh! Gosh, right! Let's get you to the glasshouse. I've got sufficient medical supplies now to get us back into some semblance of quasi-health.
[[SFX: Sound of gurney wheeling toward glasshouse.]]
Chen: So… what happened to Kai?
X: [[Purses lips.]] Chance. He said the gun was set for “stun”, but… I think it maybe hurt Kai worse than an actual killing blast would have. Do you know how to fix… or [[waves a hand]]... bring back online, or… rejuvenate, or… whatever it's called for Kai?
Chen: No. But… [[Reassuringly]] We'll figure it out.
X: [[Stressed/overwhelmed]] Heh. Right. We'll figure it out. No problem! We'll just add it to the list of all of the things we need to figure out.
Chen: [[Looks at her.]] X. Look at me.
X: [[Petulant but compliant.]] Ugh. What?
Chen: [[Confident.]] We'll figure it out. One thing at a time. We're in this together, X. Got that? You're not alone anymore.
X: [[Mutters, dryly.]] Yeah, well, maybe that's what I'm worried about.
Chen: I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but you can trust me. We're going to be okay.
X: [[Deep breath.]] Yeah. Okay. We're going to be okay.
