TUELLER: Tueller rolls around and punches it hard, holding onto spines like it’s a pommel and pummeling it as he goes.
TUELLER: He snaps off a spine and stabs it into the neck of the lusus and drives it deep.
STORY: Tueller basically rides this creature as it flails around the room, punching it with unnatural force in the spine until he stabs it and it stops bucking him and settles, dead, on the ground.
TUELLER: Punching it with his glove into the general region of the brain.
STORY: You’re surrounded by dead fish.
STORY: Tux stands. “Shit! That was amazing!”
ALEJO: Alejo sort of just collapses to the floor, in a half sit, half just faint. “Well damn. That actually worked.”
STORY: Jac taps on Tux’s console. “You got an alarm there.”
MILLICENT: Millie wiggled behind the servers and found the culprit. There it was. A coolant fan blew under the strain. Cheap, spacer crap.
MILLICENT: Pulling herself back out of the labyrinth of wires and servers in the basement of her lab, Millie headed down the row and row of servers and other subservient machines that aided her last, desperate effort. Grabbing a plastic milk jug she swept a replacement fan and some wiring in, then pausing briefly at the table when she ate, designed and slept, and added a water bottle to the pile. She might be back there a while. But she _was_ going to find an ally, whatever the cost.
—
STORY: When last we spaced, the three of you finally collected your crew and woke up.
STORY: The plan has been remembered and completed: Millie and Tariq lay underwater (with rebreathers), tied up on the floor of the control room. Six lusus guard them, spread out in front of the large, curved window separating you from space. Alejo stands in the middle of the room, acting as a distraction. Tux and Jac are ducked behind the only cover, a panel towards the back of the cone-shaped room that they are both tapping buttons on, attempting to access the systems that fall in line with your plans. Tueller waits outside, makeshift flamethrower in hand.
STORY: Alejo, what are you doing?
ALEJO: Having just reentered his body, Alejo is slightly disoriented for a moment, but he shakes it off, shouts, yells wildly and jumps up and down a few times, being sure to catch the attention of all six of the lusus, which appear surprised by the show.
STORY: Well, shit. Let’s see how you do. Face Adversity + Influence, please!
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 8 + 2 = 10
STORY: All right! Six terrifying beasts from hell center their attention on you. You remember the five you helped kill before now and how close to dying each of your crew was every time you encountered one.
STORY: What now, Alejo?
TUELLER: What’s the approximate size of the room we’re in?
STORY: 20′ at the narrow end, 50′ at the wide end
ALEJO: Alejo is about 20 feet or so from the nearest one, then, give or take?
STORY: Sure.
STORY: A distance they can easily traverse in seconds.
ALEJO: Of course. Just trying to gauge how fast Alejo can traverse the distance between him and the console.
ALEJO: Alejo pulls the grenade out, brandishing it. “You may be beasts, but I’m guessing you’re not totally mindless! This will blow a hole right through those windows and kill us all! Stay back!” He is blustering and moving with each bounce back, towards Mille and Tariq and the console, but trying to look like he is not.
ALEJO: He’s also buying a little more time for everyone else to do their thing.
STORY: The lusus glance towards each other, grunting hisses back and forth and slowly, carefully, closing in on you as you back up.
STORY: Millie, you’re underwater and tied up. What are you doing?
MILLICENT: How deep is the water and how closely are my guards watching?
STORY: Three feet, and they’re not watching you at all, but Alejo is backing up in your direction, so they’d notice if you just stood up.
MILLICENT: What is most vulnerable in this situation?
MILLICENT: I’m using my Deduction
STORY: Since you know that Alejo has explosives and Tueller is behind the door with more, the windows are the most vulnerable.
MILLICENT: Okay
MILLICENT: Millie rolls over onto her back so she can keep half an eye on what’s going on. With her head pointed toward the console she starts moving slowly underwater, using her feet and a slow snakelike crawl. Her intention is to draw as little attention to herself as possible. To that end, she will angle herself away from the path Alejo is following if necessary.
STORY: All right, let’s have Face Adversity + Mettle
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: josh rolled 10 + 1 = 11
MILLICENT: oooh 11
STORY: All right, you wiggle, hands still tied behind your back, legs bound together, forward with your feet, slipping past the crowd of murder beasts and your co-captain and duck behind the console. Tux looks down with surprise when you bump into his knees, then reaches down to help you up and goes back to typing from a squat.
STORY: Tariq does his own bit of wiggling and is nowhere to be seen in the murky water.
STORY: Alejo, two of the lusus are circling around, again slowly, starting to trap you between the six of them. They still move hesitantly, the top halves of their bodies out of the water, keeping their horrendous eyes closely on you and not making any sudden movements. What do you do?
TUELLER: “Doc, give me a sign when Jac vents the water….that’s my cue.”
TUELLER: —Should probably call Millie “operator” since she has to connect all of us.
ALEJO: He raises the grenade, threateningly, and pulls the pin. But not really. He has the grenade angled towards his body, so that the pin isn’t visible to the lusus and with the hand that he uses to mime pulling it, he’s palmed a round of ammo. He tosses the round, very theatrically, into the water so that it makes a visible splash. “Don’t push me!”
STORY: Is the round of ammo supposed to be the pin or the grenade?
ALEJO: Pin.
STORY: Okay. They hesitate, stop where they are, and look around at each other.
STORY: The two behind you don’t move, but they don’t come closer either.
STORY: Your move.
ALEJO: How trapped is Alejo now, with the two behind him?
STORY: I would describe him as surrounded by ten-foot spiked tentacle monsters.
STORY: So pretty trapped.
STORY: Very effective at being bait, though!
ALEJO: — Yay.
MILLICENT: Millie makes it to Jac and taps her on the leg with her head, then looks up at her from the water. Smiles. Nods.
MILLICENT: Is helped up by Tux.
STORY: Jac looks down.
STORY: “Now?”
MILLICENT: She mouths, “Now”
STORY: Millie, let’s have a Command roll please!
MILLICENT: Oh cool
MILLICENT: I can do this with my Expertise instead of Influence
STORY: Correct!
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: josh rolled 11 + 2 = 13
STORY: Well dang.
TUELLER: Well I like that.
TUELLER: —These exceptionally high rolls do not bode well for Tueller, though.
STORY: I believe that’s our first 13!
MILLICENT: I thought Tueller must have rolled a few whooping ass already
STORY: All right. Jac nods, taps a few buttons on the console, then ducks down, grabbing Tux’s shoulder as she does.
STORY: Alejo, you’re standing?
ALEJO: Yes.
ALEJO: At the moment.
STORY: I’d like you to roll Face Adversity + Mettle as the water is suddenly vented, shooting through of the grates and out of the two portholes Jac has opened into space.
MILLICENT: Millie’s shaking her tied hands behind her back at Tux like “eh? eh?” at Tux
STORY: Millie, Jac’s pressing you and Tux against the console and you stay put.
STORY: But it does get very, very loud and very, very… motion-y in this room.
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 5 + 2 = 7
MILLICENT: “Now, if you please, Mr. Ya’Makasi.”
TUELLER: Tueller kicks down the door.
STORY: All six lusus are thrown from their positions surrounding Alejo, scattered to one side or the other of the room and sucked against the vents. Three go to the port wall, where Tueller is emerging. Three more and Alejo are thrown starboard, and Alejo, you find yourself trapped against a floor grate by the very large and slimy back of a lusus.
STORY: Tueller, other than some dripping from the ceiling and the air rushing through the grates, the room is dry. What do you do?
TUELLER: Charbroil worms.
STORY: All right! That seems like a Launch Assault roll, if you please.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 6 + 2 = 8
TUELLER: Oooof.
ALEJO: Partial success is still success!
MILLICENT: —yeah it could be worse
TUELLER: I’ll suffer harm.
MILLICENT: —brave call, with a flamethrower
TUELLER: —Collateral damage, targets suffer lesser fate, or Adding threats are the other choices, and all of those seem worse here.
STORY: You activate the flamethrower and point it straight at the lusus’ faces, and the three of them shriek in misery and unison. Another few seconds of sustained exposure to the flames and they’ll be toast – and it seems pertinent at this point to mention that the room smells _delicious._
TUELLER: —Are lusus just large morkfish?
STORY: As you adjust your grip to cover a bit more of the third creature, the fuel tank Millie has rigged to the back comes a bit loose and drips fuel onto your arm, dissolving through the fabric of your suit and giving you a chemical burn.
STORY: This is a minor injury! I feel weird saying roll to brace for impact because it’s not an impact? But Brace for Impact!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 8 + 2 = 10
TUELLER: —I think it works here, because the armor is taking the damage rather than me.
STORY: You whip off the glove of your suit and plunge your arm into a shallow pool remaining on the deck, rinsing the fuel off before it can do much harm.
STORY: Oh that should have been Major reduced to Minor. Well, whatever!
STORY: Always time for more damage later on.
TUELLER: ….
TUELLER: Tueller tosses the collapsing flamethrower at the still burning lusus…
TUELLER: It falls apart dramatically and splashes them with more fuel to their fire.
STORY: They die shrieking in animal fury.
STORY: Alejo! Three lusus are getting their bearings, one of whom is putting its weight on you to stand up. As the one to your right slithers upright, you see Tariq, unconscious, lying on the floor. What do you do?
TUELLER: 
TUELLER: —Flamethrower guy is always the worst job.
TUELLER: —Well, not always 
ALEJO: He tries to shift free enough to draw and level his assault pistol at them or as many of them as he can shoot in rapid succession. He’ll empty as many rounds as he can get off without running the risk of shooting Tariq.
ALEJO: He’ll start with the one standing on him.
STORY: All right! This is close quarters, so Launch Assault, please!
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 3 + 2 = 5
ALEJO: –$%%#$%@#$%@!!! I hate dicebot. So much.
STORY: Your gun is waterlogged; it jams.
STORY: Millie, what are you doing over in console-land?
MILLICENT: —oofta
STORY: Tux has reached down and, with his pocket knife, cut the vines holding your arms together.
ALEJO: Oh, right. Mine should have been a 1 but it also doesn’t change anything.
MILLICENT: Millie slides up to the console and finally attempts to contact Noma through her visor. I’d like her to take over this system.
STORY: Millie, there’s no answer from Noma. She’s offline.
MILLICENT: Millie takes over the console system herself
MILLICENT: And frowns, worried
STORY: Let’s have an Access roll, please!
MILLICENT: I have a Data Point for Nahar technology, can I use it here?
STORY: You sure can!
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: josh rolled 3 + 2 = 5
MILLICENT: WELP
STORY: You type, and type, and unhappily slam your hand down on the console. Tux looks confused. “What are you trying to do?”
MILLICENT: “I want to cut off their broadcast. There are people on the moon that are killing each other because of it!”
STORY: Tux nods. “Just a second.”
STORY: He comes to a low squat and starts typing.
STORY: Tueller! Alejo is pointing a wet gun at a monster that is turning around to eat him. What do you do?
TUELLER: Run after that monster to beat it with my bare (not bare) hands.
TUELLER: Running at that monster, tossing off the suit gloves to show my knifesledgehand gloves.
STORY: They’re just sledgehand gloves now. The knife stuff was temporary.
STORY: But let’s have a Launch Assault!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 7 + 2 = 9
TUELLER: Is this a sneak attack from behind?
STORY: No, you just walked in with an exploding flamethrower. They’re aware of your presence.
TUELLER: Fair.
MILLICENT: —hahaha is this a sneak attack
TUELLER: —well it’s definitely flanking, at least.
MILLICENT: —granted
STORY: — if only that were a thing in this game.
STORY: What do you do?
TUELLER: Take damage!
STORY: All right! As you leap at the monster, you punch it hard in the head-area, wrecking its.. mouth-thing. Xenobiology isn’t your strong suit. Either way, you get spiked in the chest and arms with some of the junk sticking out of this beast as you smash its head into jelly.
STORY: Roll Brace for Impact for a Major injury
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 10 + 2 = 12
STORY: You avoid most of the big spikes and take only a few deep scratches in your arms and chest.
STORY: Minor injury!
STORY: Alejo, you now have a dead lusus on you. What do you do?
MILLICENT: —take a nap and wait for Tueller to finish the job?
TUELLER: Tueller takes a spike right to the chest, but the armor blunts it. He’s definitely going to have an interestingly shaped bruise if he doesn’t get stabbed to death later.
MILLICENT: —he just beat one to death _with his hands_
STORY: Hey, I said deep scratches!
ALEJO: Wiggle out from under it while reloading and unjamming the pistol and getting ready for another round of attacks! As soon as it is unjammed, Alejo will fire.
TUELLER: —Well, like five or six.
STORY: I mean you can also have a bruise but you get scratched too.
STORY: I want you to have to take a good shower or risk fishborne infection.
TUELLER: Fair point.
ALEJO: “Thanks!” He shouts in Tueller’s direction as he slips free.
TUELLER: “Kill more.”
STORY: All right, Alejo, you can step back – but are now square in the reach of one of the two remaining monsters. Launch Assault, please
TUELLER: —You also have a grenade still.
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: ablair01 rolled 12 + 1 = 13
ALEJO: Finally!
STORY: Tell me what happens to that lusus!
MILLICENT: —-13 number 2!
ALEJO: It raises up, mouth wide, ready to chomp and Alejo shoots it straight through the teeth killing it instantly. He then pivots towards the remaining monster, dropping to a knee and getting ready to fire again.
STORY: Millie, Tux furrows his brow, shakes his head, and points to the display. “There’s no signal.”
STORY: “It stopped. While we were in the Weave, I think.”
MILLICENT: Is Tux armed?
STORY: Only with his pocket knife.
ALEJO: –Jac should be.
MILLICENT: Can I try to access the system to a different intent? Or am I locked out forever?
MILLICENT: Or for the scene or whatever?
STORY: It’s beyond your skills.
MILLICENT: Okay
MILLICENT: Millie goes to help Tariq
MILLICENT: Doctorin’ style
STORY: There’s a lusus between you and him, one Tueller is standing next to and Alejo is pointing his gun at. You’re running by?
MILLICENT: Hell yes. My crew’s hurt
STORY: All right, I’d like a Face Adversity + Mettle please!
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: josh rolled 5 + 1 = 6
MILLICENT: shit
MILLICENT: come on
MILLICENT: dang ol’ dice
STORY: Tueller, Alejo, Millie steps out from behind the console and attempts to make a break for Tariq. The lusus immediately notices and swivels to attack her.
STORY: Anyone getting involved before she’s whacked?
ALEJO: Yes.
STORY: What do you do?
TUELLER: Oh probably.
ALEJO: Shoot it!
ALEJO: In the head.
ALEJO: So Alejo is aiming high, to avoid any collateral damage to crew.
STORY: Alejo, Get Involved + Mettle please
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 7 + 2 = 9
TUELLER: Tueller is trying to dive and grab onto the tail, as well.
STORY: Tueller, Get Involved + Physique!
STORY: Alejo, you can shoot to distract the lusus from Millie, but it’s going to survive, and it’s going to focus all its attention on you. Proceed?
ALEJO: Yes.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 10 + 2 = 12
ALEJO: Nice!
TUELLER: Tueller’s grabbing onto it so it can’t get away, and punching it with fists that hit like sledgehammers.
STORY: Millie, with the help of ja-boys, you make it to Tariq without any difficulty, slipping by as Tueller leaps onto the lusus’s tail, throwing it off balance as it lowers its head and lunges for Alejo.
STORY: Alejo, let’s have Face Adversity + Mettle to dodge this attack
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 11 + 2 = 13
STORY: You step neatly out of the way as it slides by, Tueller continuing as its rather aggressive passenger.
STORY: Tueller, Launch Assault please
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 10 + 2 = 12
MILLICENT: —wow, you dudes are really throwing some rocks, huh?
ALEJO: 13×3 and what 12×2? Nice.
TUELLER: Tueller rolls around and punches it hard, holding onto spines like it’s a pommel and pummeling it as he goes.
TUELLER: He snaps off a spine and stabs it into the neck of the lusus and drives it deep.
STORY: Tueller basically rides this creature as it flails around the room, punching it with unnatural force in the spine until he stabs it and it stops bucking him and settles, dead, on the ground.
TUELLER: Punching it with his glove into the general region of the brain.
STORY: You’re surrounded by dead fish.
STORY: Tux stands. “Shit! That was amazing!”
MILLICENT: Millie examines Tariq
ALEJO: Alejo sort of just collapses to the floor, in a half sit, half just faint. “Well damn. That actually worked.”
STORY: Jac taps on Tux’s console. “You got an alarm there.”
ALEJO: He turns towards Millie and Tariq. “Tariq? He alright?”
TUELLER: Tueller gets up, and pulls that spine out, and goes around to each corpse, slamming the spine into the brain to make sure they’re all dead, not unconscious.
MILLICENT: Millie stands, waits until Tueller is finished rekilling lususes and pushes him against a console to give him an examination. “He’s fine, but I don’t envy his headache when he wakes.”
TUELLER: “Do not want a repeat of the Excession” he says more to himself.
STORY: Tux looks down at the display. “Shit. Distress call from the Dreaming Room.”
STORY: He rushes out the door Tueller came in, and down the hallway.
MILLICENT: “His rebreather line popped out, but he didn’t all the way drown.”
STORY: Jac moves over to Millie. “I’ll stay with him, you go.”
TUELLER: Millie’s treating Tueller?
ALEJO: Alejo stands, a little slowly and tenderly. “Where is it?” He reloads as he moves in whatever direction Tux points.
MILLICENT: “You’ll live too, Mr. Ya’Makasi. And I believe we’re needed elsewhere.”
TUELLER: Tueller tries to explain where the Dreaming Room is from his earlier review of the map
STORY: As you follow, you remember this part of the plan – Kahn was staying behind with Jenny, who is still concussed. He was to monitor Veni as he entered one of the Dreaming Chambers and helped the crew enter the Weave.
ALEJO: “Lead the way.”
TUELLER: “Through that doorway, up the second set of stairs, and it’s the big fancy door. Let’s go.”
STORY: Tux dashes down hallways and up stairs, the path he takes vaguely familiar to you as you regain your memories of traveling through this building, rescuing innocent grell and sending them to the laboratory you secured, killing another handful of lusus as you did it.
STORY: And you remember, with frustration, that you have yet to locate Vorlou, the grell’s leader, or Zura, the head of the insurgency.
STORY: The four of you reach the entrance to the Dreaming Room together and fling the double doors open.
STORY: Kahn sits on the floor, leaning back against a glass tube five feet wide that reaches floor to ceiling, filled with a clear liquid. It is one of three such occupied tubes in this room. The tube on the port side holds a woman, four and a half feet tall, with hugely dramatic red hair and an impatient expression. The center tube holds a writhing, furious lusus. The third tube holds a six foot tall man, standing silently with his eyes closed. A pool of blood coats the floor around Kahn, and he holds his arms to his stomach as he nods weakly at your arrival.
STORY: Lefthand tube:
TUELLER: Like, enclosed in a tube?
TUELLER: Like bacta tanks?
STORY: Righthand tube:
STORY: Correct, like bacta tanks.
STORY: The glass distorts their appearances slightly, and you can tell it’s thick.
STORY: Kahn groans. “Bet you didn’t know they could shoot you with this psychic shit.”
MILLICENT: Millie rushes to Kahn and checks his wounds
ALEJO: Alejo rushes to Kahn. “How bad?”
STORY: Millie, Assessment + Expertise, please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: josh rolled 8 + 2 = 10
STORY: Kahn smiles, then coughs weakly. A little blood comes out. “Not as bad as it looks.”
MILLICENT: —Jess swivels her chair over to me, looks over my shoulder, “You better roll well on this or you’re going to kill my favorite NPC.”
TUELLER: —This is totally on her!
STORY: Millie, you have to agree. He’s lost a lot of blood, but the wound is clean, what with not actually being caused by a projectile. It looks like someone just poked a hole in him and ripped him open a little. Gross, but fascinating.
STORY: He needs to be stitched up, and he needs fluids, but you can probably stabilize him here.
STORY: Speaking of, Patch Up please!
TUELLER: “Which one did that, cowboy?”
STORY: He shakes his head and exhales. “I’m not sure. They don’t exactly point weapons at you.”
TUELLER: “And no one exchanged words, first. Rude.”
STORY: Jenny lays propped up against a nearby console. She’s fine.
STORY: Still unconscious.
ALEJO: “Always looking to steal the attention, huh?” He smiles. “Well I have an atom splitting headache, so buck it up.”
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: josh rolled 7 + 2 = 9
STORY: You improvise some first aid from what you have nearby and stabilize him. He’ll still need fluids and rest, but he can make it out of here with help.
STORY: Kahn nods to you as you slap some medi-gel into the wound. “Thanks, doc.”
MILLICENT: “You’ll still need fluids and a week or so off your feet, but you’ll be fine.”
STORY: He nods again.
STORY: “Sorry, captain, you know I’m a drama queen like that.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods, stands. “I say we dock his pay.”
STORY: “Where’s Tariq?”
ALEJO: Alejo offers him a hand to help him stand, when he’s ready.
STORY: He shakes his head, refusing the hand. “Deal with these three first, please, and also: Tariq?”
ALEJO: “Knocked out. Drama queens stick together.”
MILLICENT: Millie flashes Kahn a quick smile.
STORY: Another nod.
MILLICENT: “Tariq’s fine, he’s sleeping off a lack of good oxygen bender down the hall.”
MILLICENT: “You’ll convalesce together.”
TUELLER: “Js with him.”
STORY: Tux is standing behind the middle tube, looking at it sadly.
MILLICENT: “Now then, these three?” Millie indicates them with a nod and a questioning look
STORY: He stands with his arms crossed.
STORY: Tux points to the middle tube. “Is that… who I think it is?”
TUELLER: “Either of these Zura or Vorlou?”
STORY: “Guys.” Tux swallows.
ALEJO: “Jesus. Veni?” Alejo moves to stand by Tux.
TUELLER: “…shit.”
STORY: Tux nods. “He’s the only one unaccounted for. We never saw him in there.”
ALEJO: “I did.” Alejo swallows hard.
TUELLER: “Could be another grell?”
TUELLER: “They’re not exactly wearing nametags.”
ALEJO: “It’s Veni. I’m pretty sure.”
STORY: “…fuck.”
MILLICENT: Millie looks down and sighs
ALEJO: Alejo reaches up and touches the tube, open palm.
ALEJO: “I’m so sorry.” He whispers this.
TUELLER: Tueller goes to check out the controls for the room.
TUELLER: See if there are obvious “Open,” “Close,” “Vent to Space” settings.
STORY: Tueller, the console Jenny is sleeping on has fairly straightforward controls. Open, lock, clean.
STORY: Along with a secondary command for indicating which tube you’re sending the order to.
MILLICENT: “I believe it’s time we all had a talk about the future.”
TUELLER: “Got tube controls here.”
MILLICENT: “All of us, if you please, Mr. Ya’Makasi.”
TUELLER: Tueller takes a last glance, and then comes back over.
MILLICENT: “Can you hear us in there?” Millie is speaking to the tubes
STORY: “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be involved in that conversation,” comes a voice from the port-side tube. The redhead nods to you, an eyebrow raised.
TUELLER: Saying as he does, “Wonder if clean is an autoclave setting.”
TUELLER: To himself.
TUELLER: “You want out?”
ALEJO: Alejo turns and faces Millie and Tueller.
STORY: “I want all of us out,” she states calmly.
ALEJO: “All the grell are out.”
TUELLER: “Except you two.”
TUELLER: “You Zura?”
ALEJO: “All the grell are ready to get out.”
ALEJO: “I should have said.”
STORY: She nods. “The very.”
MILLICENT: “Let’s take a moment, please.”
TUELLER: “Cool. We were also sent to find Vorlou. That him?”
MILLICENT: Millie steeples her fingers. “To review what we know.”
STORY: “If you wouldn’t mind relieving my friend’s suffering, please.” She gestures to the middle tube.
TUELLER: “Does ‘Clean’ autoclave it?”
TUELLER: “Sorry. Scour it with fire.”
STORY: “Yes.”
TUELLER: “Anyone want to say words first?”
ALEJO: Alejo raises a finger to Millie. “In a minute.” He moves to the controls. “I’ll do this.”
STORY: “Another version of their sanitized reality, that name. Cruel.”
STORY: “They ‘clean’ us. We’re ‘kept safe’ here. Monsters.” She continues to mutter to herself as the four of you figure out what to do.
MILLICENT: “Boys, I know that violence is meant to be very soothing, but I’m asking you both to step away from the controls for just a moment.”
ALEJO: “Veni, I’m sorry. I wish . . . ” He trails off. He glares at Mille.
MILLICENT: “I want to try to talk to the lusus who took Veni’s form. If he is uncooperative, by all means, eliminate him painfully.”
MILLICENT: “Excuse me? Lusus in Veni’s body? Can you understand me?”
STORY: It writhes against the glass.
MILLICENT: “Can you speak?”
ALEJO: Alejo does not look in a patient mood, but he does not interrupt or hit Clean. Yet.
STORY: It screams, placing six lamprey mouths on the glass towards Millie.
TUELLER: Tueller comes closer to Millie, ready to protect her if need be.
MILLICENT: Millie sighs. “Clean it, I suppose.”
ALEJO: “Curiosity sated then?” He mutters this and then hits the button.
MILLICENT: “We’ve now given it more of a chance than the nahar gave the grell. I’ll sleep fine tonight.”
ALEJO: “I won’t.”
TUELLER: “Still up in the air for me.”
STORY: The tube fills with fire for a count of five, and the creature inside disappears. A pile of ash remains.