paradisabeyond | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

After packing up camp and heading up, they reach their destination only an hour north.

The tomb is just a little off the road, a massive door with intricate carvings around the frame in an unknown script. The characters in the script are made up entirely by straight lines. Given that straight lines lend themselves well to carving, it may indicate that whoever created this script was used to carving in stone. The door looks like it will open, as the hinges are intact, but it's ridiculously heavy and will need a lot of people to pull on those big carved handles.

Heave ho?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well. Okay. Being trapped in the tomb wasn't what she'd wanted or planned, but consider the usual status of luck with a Freelancer, she's not at all surprised. She also can't blame it on York. All kinds of problems.

Still, Carolina's got her arms crossed, investigating the door that just sealed them in for some way out.]

Kat, get over here. [FFFFF whoops was that an order.]

[Did she just ... ?

Kat looks over slowly, her expression a touch perplexed but otherwise undreadable, before making her way over at a liesurely pace. Once she reaches Carolina she addresses her with a low, warning tone.]

I understand that you're new here, and some habits will be hard to break, but let me just key you in on a couple things; one, the only people here allowed to use that tone with me are York, Washington, Noble Six, and senior members of the Peace Patrol, and two; it's Lieutenant Commander Kat Sierra-320 or Noble Two.

[Of all the Spartans you had to order ... ]

Now, what did you find, Agent Carolina? [An order right back. Friend license revoked unil further notice.]

Edited 2011-11-14 22:05 (UTC)

[Carolina's not unfamiliar with having a friend license revoked and she's not unfamiliar with being reprimanded either. She's used to giving orders, she's used to being head bitch in charge, and as much as she'd been working to dim some of those habits, it's obviously not nearly out of her system. The freelancer simply stares back firmly, unwavering; she's not here to make friends after all. She's here to do her job the best that she can. ]

There's still a seam here. [She runs one gloved thumb along the ridge that, if nothing else only marks where the doors were once open. In her world, that means there's no reason to give up yet. Pause, breath.] What--- [Pause again. Don't order.] Do you think it's possible to get them open still, Noble Two?

[It had taken four months and a death before she and York were using names instead of callsigns, and even longer for her and Washigton. Kat's more familiar with being an ally then a friend. ~~Cue York whining 'why can't my friends just all t along?'.~~

She turns her atrention towards the seam and runs her fingers along it as well, then experimentally tries to wedge the fingers of her robotic arm in the space. If she'd had full use of her augmentations she would have attempted ro punch straight through it.]
Knowing this world, I'd apready say it's a slim hance, but it's worth a try. [Still a Spartan. Impossible is just where things get interesting.]

[Carolina's far more used to callsigns and isn't at all uncomfortable with using them. She could blame York for introducing Noble Two as Kat, but Carolina's not going to bother. It's not important. What's important is this door. She steps back when Kat moves toward it, eyes fixed on both her and the door. This is the kind of thing she'd order Maine to do and Carolina's doing everything in her power to not bark orders.]

I didn't bring any explosives or C4. [She's still pulling her pack off of her pack and pulling out a cigarette and lighter. They're for sensing air passages, not for smoking.]

[Dammit, why can't all my friends just get along?]

Power fluctuations aside, I don't think they'd work here. But smell the air - it's fresh, not musty. There's got to be another entrance.

And I left my frags in my other knapsack.

[She's going to step away to let Carolina do her thing, continuing to inspect the door before turning to look over the chamber itself.] It'll be good to cover all our options.

[Actually, York has a better idea and while there's not a limited air supply, filling the main chamber with smoke isn't a good idea. So, she just flicks the lighter on and runs it near the seal. The flame doesn't flicker once, meaning that the way in is definitely not the way out.]

It's not out that way, that's for sure.

[He tilts his head to the side a little.]

Coulda sworn I heard water earlier, too. If it's running, it probably meets the lake somewhere. Might be our ticket out.

Too bad I forgot my swimsuit. [Remember that one York? The one that was hardly there?]

You remember where you heard it before, York?

[Carolina flicks off the lighter and turns back toward them, unable to help the jealousy burning inside as her gaze flicks between the two of them. Still she's silent, barely resisting the urge to drill the hell out of York.]

[If this involves drilling him up against a wall with lots of physical contact? Yes please.

It probably doesn't.]

Yeah, it was when there was a lull in conversation. And I know we all packed torches - want to look?

[Kat's more or less oblivious to some of the finer nuances of social cues, thanks to her upbringing.]

Yes. We should save on torches; one should be enough light for the three of us.

[It definitely doesn't involve any physical contact, more like a verbal berating. The mention of sharing torches just drives Carolina's jealousy higher.]

Depending on what else this place has in store for us. [A little sharply.]

[...

Are you two seriously fighting over him? York tries to bite back his smirk as he pulls out a torch, since the two women are clearly not amused.]

So we light one, keep the other two handy. Anything interesting is going to have to be past the entrance hall, anyway.

[Maybe? ~~Yes~~. He was the closest Kat had to team for the better part of a year.]

[She raises her eyebrows at Carolina's tone, but doesn't comment. She really hast little idea what's upset the woman now.]

Then let's go find something interesting. [Making a motion for the torchbearer to lead ...]

[Carolina would not consider it fighting over York, more like making sure his mark is known. Which really isn't any different. She notices Kat's raised eyebrows and internally clamps down harder on that jealousy; don't let it interfere with the mission. It's so much easier to hide things under the armor.]

Stay on guard. [As she slides her pistol out of the holster on her thigh.]

[And he leads them on into the tall tunnel, glancing around from time to time.]

Someone obviously built this. But who?

[As they're passing one of the side chambers, he hears that water again.]

There!

Natives? Precursors to the townsfolk? What about the other castle, isn't somewhere in this general vicinity?

[And damn if she had her augmentations, she'd have heard that much sooner.]

[She steps forward, going silent and tilting her head, breathing deep to see if she could catch the scent in addition to the sound.]

Tombs aren't that unusual for royal societies. [Even if she's never seen one before in her life. Still York's signal of hearing water distracts from the conversation. She's slowly turning in place, trying to figure out where exactly it's coming from. The side chamber attracts her attention and she steps carefully inside. Well, the waterfall would explain the sound of waterfall. The back wall of the side chamber is completely open, revealing the waterfall just beyond.

Finding the water first, to her, though, is a victory and some needed proof of her capabilities.] In here.

--Good eyes. Think we ought to try it out?

[See if it tasted sweet, or metallic, or maybe sulfurous...three's a lot they can learn from the water. Once it's filtered, of course. York's not dumb.]

[Kat steps over to it, offering a nod to Carolina, good work, and stoops down to stick her fingers in, before turning to York.]

Delta, is this something you can sample, or would that take too much processing power out here?

[Carolina acknowledges Kat's nod with a slight nod of her own, feeling more like a new recruit than she's ever felt in her life. The mention of Delta just continues to remind her of just how behind she feels.]

We can take samples back to the castle with us if he can't.

My apologies, but my abilities here are minimal. Do you have a sample collection kit?

--Yeah, all I got are full water bottles. Got a filter though, if you want to taste it?

Sure, I'll take a taste. [She slings her sack down to pull out an empty bottle and fill it up, and then replaces the sack and stands, holding her hand out for the filter from York. She offers Delta a little smile.]

Maybe next time.