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

[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.

[Carolina was just about to remove a bottle from her pack as well, but Kat beats her to the punch, so the freelancer just reshoulders her bag.]

Delta, can you give us anything on what might be the source of the water? [She's not the most familiar with the geography of the new universe she'd been plopped in.]

[York hands his filter to Kat - it's the easy kind, just attach it to a bottle and pour through it.]

Possible. It appears we are in a tectonically active region; if the water has a high mineral content, an underground spring is likely. If it is icy or contains surface sediment, rain or snowfall through a fissure in the mountain is more likely.

[Kat gives it a few moments to cool before using the filter to make herself a potable sample, listening to but not contributing to Carolina and Delta's conversation for the moment. Once satisfied it's cooled and filtered enough, she takes a drink, swishes it around in ehr mouth a moment in consideration, and then leans over and spits it out.]

Sulfer, slightly acidic. Geothermal hotspring, maybe. York, do you recall any major eruptions or seismic activities in your time here?>

[Carolina nods, watching Kat take a drink of the water. Sulfur, slightly acidic. They had come through the mountains, there's any number of possibilities that could give that. She glances between them.]

If it hasn't, we could be standing in a ticking time bomb.

No eruptions I know of. Seismic activity's a little harder to judge, because that could just be the castle messing with us at any given time.

The tunnels look pretty clean of cracks, though, and I haven't seen anything that looks like pyroclastic flow.

Well, the water's enough to point at something going on, but unless we see or hear further proof I don't think there's immediate threat.

[Carolina takes another look around the side chamber they're standing in before taking a couple steps toward the open side of the room.]

Unless we just haven't seen it yet. [Below, she can see there's a long way down.]