There'll be trouble when the kidz come out

[lucetimods]

Who: All remaining draftees
What: Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!
When: The 29th to 31st
Where: Vaskoth
Summary: Please read here for event information
Rating: B for BRRAAAIIIINSSSS

On the 29th, the Malnosso announce over the radios that the power cap will be lifted to a full 100%. Carol broadcasts a message.

On the 30th, the Malnosso declare Vaskoth completely lost. Those with radio access will discover that the enclosure is to be bombed.

On the 31st, survivors will have one last chance to evacuate or try to find the cure. 3PM is do or die.

Comments

Making the Cure - MSF Lab

[lucetimods]

For those who chose to work at the laboratory at the MSF base instead.

Making the Cure - MSF Lab

[complicatedliar]

[Loki is concentrating on chemistry, since that's where he's most comfortable without being able to bring his will to bear on things. He has "decorated" his corner of the lab with chalk boards and reams of paper, to go with the cobbled-together equipment.

His mind, at least, is unaffected by the power cap, and he concentrates on that, ignoring everything else entirely unless forced - at which point he becomes snappish. Now and then he will share what new conclusions he has along the chain, but he prefers to work alone, at his own pace.

Now that he's got his teeth into the problem, he's not letting go. Even if this wasn't his idea. Even if he's not doing it for any good reasons. It's still a puzzle, a problem, and he refuses to be defeated.]

[geniustheveil]

[Ami is known for overworking herself, for pushing herself so hard when she's focusing on something that her energy can seem frenetic, even manic.

It's only worse while she's under the effects of the proto-cure, with everything heightened and a driving need to keep her mind on one thing - lest it travel to the hunger she still feels, and worse places.

She eyes Loki's work for a long while before nodding.]

We should make progress that way. You've solved our earlier difficulties; however, I still don't feel we're near the end.

[complicatedliar]

[Loki just gnaws, slowly turning a piece of chalk in his fingers as he stares at everything he's written so far.]

Not nearly at all. This is not good enough.

[geniustheveil]

[The good news is she doesn't feel her need for sleep as keenly as she should.]

Let's start from here, then... I've found something relevant, I think.

[complicatedliar]

[Loki makes a curt gesture toward the blackboards, inviting her to go on.]

[geniustheveil]

[She doesn't have time to hesitate, so Ami steps up to the blackboard, and outlines her current train of thought.]

After that.. I want your help, please.

[complicatedliar]

[He nibbles on the end of his finger as she rights, entirely unaware that this leaves a small smear of chalk dust on his lip. He nods and begins writing immediately.]

There are two potential avenues to consider... thus...

[geniustheveil]

[Her eyes barely glance at the chalk smear; but the gesture draws attention to Loki's mouth, and makes her think of food, as if he'd been eating something...

She can't think like that.]

You're right. I hadn't considered that second possibility yet.

[complicatedliar]

[Loki nods.]

We must continue all avenues in this.

[He frowns at his work and then resumes writing, branching off one of his sets of equations into two more.]

Though theoretically first. See which branch shall take us to a conclusion we like.

[geniustheveil]

I'll work on this set. [She keeps up with Loki's level of thought as few people might be able to do; but even more notable, she becomes confident. This is something she knows how to do, something she can feel she's doing well. He is seeing her as few people see her.]

[complicatedliar]

[Loki nods. While he notes the confidence and the competence, he seems to expect it as a matter of course.] All right. I shall take the other, then. [He moves to the other board to give himself more room to work.]

[geniustheveil]

[Hard work is no excuse to forget manners, so Ami makes sure to remember to be grateful.]

Thank you. I'd like to thank you for all your effort with this.

[thefinaljedi]

[Luke, for his part, is working close to the Proto-Cured Ami. He gives Loki his space, and keeps in radio contact with Mordin. He's got plenty of experience working with medical chems and stims thanks to his involvement with the Krytos virus after the fall of Coruscant, but this is something wholly nightmarish. The conditions, and then nature of what he's working with grate on his nerves.

Emotionally, the Jedi is visibly shaken. He works himself to the bone, barely takes time to rest, and only eats when forced. There's no time for such things, he can eat and sleep when everyone's safe.

At some point, Luke will use his journal to attempt to contact people in the village with more medical expertise than him. Law, Spock, Syre, and Dr. McCoy should expect calls, and hopefully can help with it]

[geniustheveil]

[With Luke, Ami can show some of the stress. For the most part, she's smiling, albeit very focused on her work as always, but now and then a trembling of her hands, or a worried look quickly wiped way, tell that she knows she's working against time.

The dark circles under her eyes are not signs of infection gaining ground.]

They're people I would consider reliable, too. Their help should be very valuable.

[thefinaljedi]

I think so too.

[The dark circles under Luke's own eyes are very pronounced, but as he works, his hands are still steady. He's tired, and worried, but focused like a laser. Time isn't on their side...]

We just need some more ideas, anything we haven't tried yet.

[geniustheveil]

This isn't like anything back home.

[She has a fleeting thought of youma as she says this; but those were constructs, creations, and magically manipulated humans. It wasn't precisely an infection.]

[thefinaljedi]

There's...something like this at home. It's not the same though.

[Luke shudders, remembering boogieman stories from his childhood]

We call them Rakghouls.

[geniustheveil]

Anything like this would only be a story. [Some low-grade horror flick or, occasionally, a really well-done one.]

[thefinaljedi]

Clint Barton told me the same. Apparently entertainment is a lot different on Earth than in the Galaxy. Rakghouls are...well...they're...bad news.

[geniustheveil]

Is there a power in your world that can purify them? That can defeat them?

[thefinaljedi]

I...[Luke's voice catches and he turns away] have no idea. Rakghoul outbreaks are stories used to scare Rim World settlers. It's something people use to scare kids. I have no idea. I just...I don't know.

[To Luke Rakghouls are childhood boogiemen, not even as clearly understood as Sand People. He'd probably be a lot more jittery if it hadn't been for friends around.]

[geniustheveil]

[It seems like more than scaring kids, if it also produces that reaction in Luke, a grown man and a warrior.]

Where do they come from?

[thefinaljedi]

A virus, but nobody's sure where. All we really know is that if it turns up, it's generally the end of that colony.

[He leaves unstated the comparison between this one and the Rakghoul plague]

[geniustheveil]

[The comparison is apt, and she draws it immediately in her own thoughts.]

We could use anything you remember about how it can be stopped.