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[TheMajonese]

"At the exclusion of using her brain", Naomi said but she was prudent enough to keep her voice so low that only her brother could understand her.

 

Chris didn't show any reaction as he moved to the console next to the dead asari. He looked at the message on the display and sighed. If she had been able to hit the 'send' button, they wouldn't so much trouble right now figuring out what happened here. "I'd say we do the same as in the living facility." He nodded to Naomi and they both began searching the command center, weapons drawn and carefully securing every last corner, just in case that there was any survivor left.

[Kel Riever]

The team needed to find the medical facility anyway, but Tolema asked if she could stay behind and see what she could find out that was useful about the Command Center’s main control room.  Arcadia asked again for Juric to remain with her.  Tolema started on a terminal using the codes and information made available by Hestyas.

Out the opposite side door to the control room, where the trail of the asari’s, and others’, blood had come through, what had happened made more sense.  There was a stairway down to the main entrance, where the initial fighting had seemed to come from.  Between the control room and the main entrance, was spattered blood, thick gore trails, and the damage from the discharge of the Scimitar shotgun.  The body count was above ten, maybe it was almost twenty, though it was hard to tell from the carnage.  It appeared she had locked the door, but either vorcha had gottern through or some already inside had come after her. She had fought them, but as many as she killed, they had gotten to her in the control room at last. 

What was useful about the main entrance stairway was that easy to read signs directed people to the various locations inside the building.  Down the gory stairs and to the right was the garage, while the medical center was just across the hallway from the control room.  The door to the medical center was unlocked and after making themselves ready, the team moved in.

It was no longer unexpected to see the scenes of carnage, but the medical center was different in a couple of important ways.

The first was what looked like the removal of any bodies that had fallen fighting here, except for one on a table.  Gore and disarray characterized the medical center like the other rooms, but except for the one, no corpses.

The second was that the body on the table, which was normally meant for medical examinations, was another of the asari.  This one, who was clad in a scientists or doctors uniform, was strapped down.  Unlike her predecessor, she had not been torn apart, suffering only one wound across her thigh that seemed like a ragged rip.  On closer inspection, she did have a few other wounds, but likely given to her by the laser scalpel on a tray next to her, with the unique exception that she had been shot through the temple in the manner of an execution, with some sort of gun.  

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren began tissue analysis from the samples she took in the mining complex on the instruments in the hospital lab. Then she put the first corpse on the table in the medical lab and after getting dressed in protective gear, began performing both a forensic and medical autopsy. She recorded everything she observed during the procedure. She carefully examined the body. She drew blood samples and analyzed them in the high tech instrumentation available.

 

After about an hour the sample analysis was complete. It took her a couple of hours to finish the physical examination of the first vorcha (cutting open and examining the internal organs, comparing them against the baseline for vorcha, etc., you know the routine).

 

She also asked that the Asari's corpse be brought in as well.

[Cknarf]

If there was one thing Kurik was good at, it was handling corpses.  He brought the asari to where Lauren wanted, this time, carrying the body as if it was an actual person, as he did with literally everything that wasn't a vorcha.  He set her down carefully, and headed back to the area with the large windows that overlooked the rest of the complex.

 

Such a pleasant view.

 

Because if anyone could appreciate a whole lotta barren nothingness, it was Kurik.

[Kel Riever]

One thing that was frustrating for Lauren was that the equipment at the base was not prioritized for analysis.  With her expertise, she could find out what she needed, but there was a lot more work on her part.  As the time closed on an hour, a picture began to be created that the foreign chemical was not something that the vorcha would have normally had in their systems from the dosage that was meant to protect them; it wasn't from the company.  And Lauren had confirmed her suspicion that the chemical was some sort of steroid.   Before the hour was up, while she let the final analysis run its course, she started paying more attention to the physiology.  She wasn't familiar with the vorcha and yet, if something had abnormally affected them, there might be an anomaly that stood out.

While this was happening, Naomi and Chris were clearing the building.  It was the same, carnage but not as much.  The garage was found with another grizzly.  This one was rammed into the door, the vorcha driver inside apparently trying to get away before fighting with another that had been on board.  Not much else, though there was no third asari found.  Last, they used the maintenance hatch to check the rooftop.  It was a small airlock, so only one of them could pass through at a time.

Tolema reported by com about what she'd found out in the control room.  "I'm not a miner, but this is painfully mundane, even if some of the systems are complex below their operating interface.  I think it was meant to be used by vorcha.  That makes much of the system easy to figure out on the surface for us if we need.  I'm not sure why we'd want the earth mover to find its way back up here, or activate the exploration shaft drill, but we could if we wanted to.  There is one thing that bothers me, though...I can't get anything through to the Primary Shaft.  Not control overrides, not security.  It's blocked out, possibly from our end, but more probably from over there."

On the rooftop, there wasn't much to see, but the building was uneven, necessitating the use of several ladders and a lot of climbing, nor was much of it clear, with air processors and other life support equipment causing congestion.  But about the same time as Kuric was looking out the window and Naomi was scanning out across the barren landscape, both of them caught sight of something. 

They weren't sure at first, but then it was certain; the Grizzly that had been by the dormitory buildings in the living area, the one that had been 'up on blocks' for repair, had movement on its upper hull.  There was a vorcha, in an environment suit, slipping out of the hatch and over the side opposite the Control Center, which put him out of side.  But there was no mistaking what they had seen.

[TheMajonese]

Naomi stared at the spot where the vorcha had disappeared and held her breath as if he was going to reappear every moment. "Did you see that?", she asked Kurik excitedly without averting her gaze from the grizzly. "That one's still alive! Let's get him!"

 

Chris turned around just to see his sister draw her Mattock before storming out of the room, taking the same way through and out of the command center they had used to get in. "Naomi! WAIT!", he shouted but she didn't stop.

 

"Hurry up, Chris, before he can get away!"

 

With a curse on his lips, he followed Naomi and contacted the team. "We spotted a vorcha close to the living facility", Chris informed the others, "he might be a survivor of all this and could tell us what happened here. We're...trying to get to him."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren called Cadi over to the table. She really appeared frustrated. "Cadi, something isn't right here. It's a steroid compound of some sort that is in their systems. I can't tell what it is. This lab isn't set up for this type of analysis, but I can tell you that it isn't something natural to the vorcha and by the levels it isn't something that would protect them from the environment. I would, by deduction, say that the presence of this substance was the cause. In other words, something called roid rage.

 

"I've heard Vorcha physiology adapts readily to harsh environments very easily so there would be little need to give them any supplement to protect them. Still we should check with the Asari and ask if they administer any medication or steroidal supplements to them and if so, ask what it is. If not, they have another problem - how did this substance get into so many vorcha? I would suspect food, and I would ask them about that."

[Cknarf]

Kurik followed the twins without hesitation, ready to tackle the ever loving sh*t out of something.

[Cainhurst Crow]

Menos heard the chatter over the comms, getting on the talk to the group, "Take it in alive and unharmed! If this Vorcha's a survivor or not, we need it to know what happened here!" Menos chastized as he looked to the others discussing things.

 

"A steroid? Who would be dumb enough to try and roid up some Vorcha's?" Menos asked as he looked between the two, "If it wasn't from the company, then we need to figure out who it was from..." He got on the comms, this time back to Soba and Reith, "The asari working at this facility? Were they allowed to prescribe steroids to their workers? Did they request any be brought in? Or did anyone else come to this outpost preceding it falling out of contact, like anything even a month to few months back?"

[Cknarf]

"I'ma RKO that lil b*tch!"

 

"Affirmative. We will refrain from using lethal force unless absolutely necessary."

[Kel Riever]

Getting out of the building with the airlock involved took time, which was one problem.  Naomi couldn't get the inner door of the lock closed before Chris and Kuric were, if that was her plan.  Once the outer door was open, the three were running downhill, across the facility.

Problem number two:  The facility.  The distance out to the living area and Grizzly was not short, being nearly half way across the compound. 

The good news for the pursuers was that the vorcha was running panicked, in a straight line south, out of the facility where the main entrance road was.  Also, the vorcha looked fatigued, or wounded, as his run wasn't at an effective pace.  If he'd been moving faster or couldn't be found, it might have been prudent to get in one of the team Grizzlies and hunt him down.  As it was, chances were greater the three would catch up to the vorcha at about the same time one of the drivers would have sense to get around and have them loaded up.  Cadi ordered one of the team Grizzlies to go ahead and follow as a precaution, but it was only for unexpected events, and additionally because after a good run, a ride back up to the Control Center would likely be appreciated.

Cadi got on the com specifically to Naomi, "I know you can hear me and I am asking you not to hurt that vorcha."

While the run was on, Menos was getting a response.  It was Saba on the line, sounding agitated with the situation, but under control.  "What?  Steroid?  No...I'm...hold on I am looking into it!"  There was a pause of a few minutes, then, "It is confirmed, no...there is nothing we use for the vorcha that is a heavy steroid base presence, not in food...we do not drug vorcha through their food!...nor otherwise.  It is a problem for the vorcha with their adrenaline glands.  The effect of steroid based compounds is multiplies for them compared to other species.  I want to know what was found.  What was found?"

By the time the vorcha running across the facility was caught up with, about mid way between the living dormatories and the exploration shaft, he finally fell to the ground, not just from fatigue, but from fear of his chasers.  He was fully covered in his yellow environmental suit, but he turned to Naomi, Chris and Kuric, trembling, raising his hands in surrender.  "I don't want to die!...Please...I didn't do anything!" the vorcha shrieked with his external com, the message picked up through the audio of the three. 
 

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren got on the coms. "Saba, I don't have the instruments here in the hospital to identify the compound. The only thing I can confirm is that its structure is definitely a steroid. I would need more sophisticated equipment to do that. Something that you might have in the main facility. Also apparently our team is in the process of capturing a survivor. We can bring the samples and the two remaining vorcha corpses for examination," she said then her voice got soft. "Also, there was an Asari victim who should be examined as well. In any event, you will want to identify her, notify her family, and make whatever arrangements your people make for your dead.

 

"We can head out again after we have more information, and perhaps a counter measure."

[Cknarf]

"That has yet to be determined." Kurik said, keeping his weapon trained on the vorcha. "Up." He gestured with the muzzle of his rifle. Deciding that the vorcha wasn't moving fast enough, he used his support hand to pull him to his feet. He was less than gentle in his handling, but wasn't explicitly trying to cause harm or discomfort. He did a quick check for weapons, before radioing in.

 

"We have successfully secured the surviving vorcha."

[Cainhurst Crow]

"This isn't adding up though. The vorcha getting steroids would explain the rabid violence, but what about moving the bodies? Strapping that Asari to the table?" Menos asked aloud to the others as he followed with the group, his omnitool bow materialized and ready for action.

 

"Those aren't rage-fueled acts. It's too deliberate. Too methodical for someone going mad on adrenaline to come up with..." Menos said as he shock his head, "There's gotta be something we're missing. Some part of this we're not seeing..."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"My suspicion is  that someone is deliberately trying to sabotage  the Asari  efforts with the Vorcha," Lauren said. "If we can identify the substance, perhaps we can track it. It might make our search for the perpetrator easier."

[TheMajonese]

Chris was worried when he saw the look on Naomi's face. It was obvious that she was seeing this as a challenge, the stormhammer mission became increasingly irrelevant to her.

 

She grabbed the vorcha in the neck, pushed him forward and pointed her rifle at his back. "If you don't want to die, then don't try anything and we don't have a reason to shoot you..."

 

On the way back to the rest of the team Chris kept his eyes on the enviroment. "What's your name and what were you doing here?", he asked without looking at the vorcha. With the pile of dead bodies inside the facilities and the enigma of the recent events around that mining operation, he wasn't going to trust anything. This vorcha might be just a bait or a distraction to lure them into a trap.

[Kel Riever]

"No! No I don't want to die," the vorcha said to Naomi over his shoulder as he cowered.  If someone could get a power trip out of watching a being grovel in front of them, this vorcha appeared born for the role.  "You, I will help you.  You are kind if you would offer to shoot as punishment.  The others...I know you have seen them.  Please don't let it happen to me."

Thinking the team wanted him to move, the vorcha took meager steps in the direction he thought Naomi was indicating.  Kuric and Chris both immediately determined that he seemed to believe Naomi was the leader, as it was she who threatened him so much.  "You're strong," the vorcha placated, "You can survive, maybe get us away from the shadow lady.  She did this to all of them, she cursed them!  With her magic...We must leave, leave at once!  I am sorry for not trusting you earlier.  It is just that...that our guiding lights...they couldn't save us.  They couldn't save themselves..."

Certainly it sounded like the vorcha had lost part of his mind.  But his references likely had a base in reality.  He went on with some explanation.

"I was working on the vehicle when it all happened, the...the screaming!  I heard it in my com.  I was outside."  The vorcha made a circular symbol, an asari gesture for 'All is one'.  "I was prudent.  I hid inside, but I knew that someone would come looking.  I knew the sound of evil.  So I kept my suit on, and left the hatch open.  They thought that no one would be inside with a suit.  They were the minions.  I knew because they had the shadow armor.  I thought they were gone many hours later but when I took a look through the hatch window I saw the shadow lady walking amongst them.  She had armor too, but she wore a robe.  A long black robe.  And she had green eyes that glowed..."

With a trembling hand, he pointed to the Primary Shaft structure.  "There she went with her minions.  Come, we must leave before they discover us!"

Back at the base on the com, there was a long pause after Lauren spoke.  Then Saba answered, "Do it.  Finish scouring that facility then come back here.  The family of the asari have already been notified.  One is a cousin and the other two are nieces.  I want you to find the third and bring all the asari back, however you find them.  Don't come back until you have them all.  Saba out!"

The line was still open, but it was Reith now on it.  "All right, it's a tough situation.  But that's what there is to do.  Finish searching the facility, bring back the vorcha you have and the three asari."

[Cainhurst Crow]

"We'll get the bodies. Meanwhile we need to look at anyone who went to this mine in the last few months. Maybe anyone who visited this world and left short-handed." Menos said to the comms as he and the others continued to run, making it to the doors, "Chances are if this wasn't done from the inside, then someone came here from the outside to cause this mess..."

 

With that he and the others made the long trip to get to the others and regroup, the desolate landscape around them emphasizing how very alone they were in this place.

[TheMajonese]

"Shadow lady?" Naomi sounded confused. She looked to her brother but he just shrugged.

 

"I have no idea what that is supposed to mean..."

 

"Great...", Naomi muttered before she turned back to the vorcha. "That doesn't really help us. Who is that shadow lady? Is she one of the asari that worked here? What was she doing here? And who are those minions you mentioned?" She pushed the vorcha ungently forward. "Let's get to the command center and then you tell us everything. We need to know what exactly happened here."

[Kel Riever]

"They wore black, the shadow armor," the vorcha winced.  "They had guns like you.  But their faces were smooth helmets.  The Shadow Lady, she had...instruments.  Sharp ones.  She had the knowledge of things that made us lose ourselves..."  As the vorcha answered, Naomi was aware that the group from the Command Center was heading out, and down towards tehm.

The time in the Command Center had been spent as well as it could be.  Lauren had wrapped up her work.  She had a solid hour and a half, in which time she got back results that showed whatever was used wasn't just a steroid based compound, but it had trace elements of pharmaceuticals that might have a heap on effect of driving the vorchas' system into overdrive.  One was a set of chemicals that disturbingly inhibited the reasoning part of the mind, much as certain, highly addictive, illegal and dangerous drugs did.  Even without the last bits of analysis, it was as certain as it could be that the foreign chemicals were meant to induce a frenzied state in the vorcha.  Lastly, the method of delivery was likely airborne.  Not only did that make the chemical highly dangerous, but it showed an intentional development for easy deployment.  Lauren's suspicions ran high that it could have easily been delivered through the life support systems; in the enclosed environment of the buildings, there would be no escape from it. 

The rest of the Stormhammer team got down the hill.  Communication was wrapped up with Reith, and there was a report in from Kamau that the perimeter was still clear.  That left a few other structures, but most importantly, the Primary Shaft structure to be explored.  Nobody was taking chances and everyone was on their own version of being alert. 

As the vorcha in the environment suit cowered, he abruptly stopped talking.  Somehow, it was possible for his head to lower in fear even further, and he slowly turned to stare to his left.  Even before anyone else looked, they felt the hair on their necks stand up or bumps on their skin as they sensed the trouble.  The first verbal warning came from Kamau, "Hostiles to the west!  Get your guns up, they're coming out of the Primary Shaft structure...."

The largest entrance to the shaft was meant for vehicles to pass through and went down into the planet.  It was wide enough for the earth mover, and had no sort of gate, so when the first figures were spotted, they were coming out of the shadows.  First, they came singly, then in pairs, and then it was clear far more were coming.  They were vorcha, hunched over, and they didn't have on any environmental suits.  Parasc's cold did not seem to concern them, though, as the madness in their eyes showed only that they wished to kill.  But this horde wasn't feeding on itself.  This horde was focused on the team and they were moving towards them.

[Cknarf]

Kurik first took a knee, then took aim. The following burst from his rifle hit center mass, the third projectile passing through the first target, and embedding itself in the one behind it.  Despite the wound, the second vorcha continued to advance, seemingly unaffected as it stepped over the one that had fallen before it.

[Cainhurst Crow]

Menos looked to the shaft as he drew his sniper rifle, the incisors 3 round bursts aimed for the enemies hordes, aiming for headshots to thin their numbers quickly.

"Goddammit. Were these things just waiting for us to get out here!?" He wondered as he held his rifle in one hand, reaching down to draw his Scropion pistol. He aimed the charged trigger and fired the blue sticky grenade at the vorchas lines.

The grenades detonated loudly, menos quickly holsteribg the pistol and getting back on picking off targets with maria.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

As Lauren drew her weapon, she hit her com again and contacted Saba who heard gunfire in the background. "The chemical cocktail is airborne. This is probably just the first. Get everyone in the other facilities in environmental suits!"

 

She turned her shotgun on the incoming Vorcha and fired.

[Kel Riever]

The grenades made for impressive, wet, explosions.  The gunfire was effective too.  But as the horde kept exiting and broke into a lumbering charge, everyone present could tell that despite the distance, despite the fire, that the horde was going to eventually reach them, and they were in the open.  

Lauren contacted Saba and while the indicator on her omni-tool showed the reception was clear, there was no answer from the other end.  

Arcadia was laying down steady bursts.  After it was evident there was no acknowledgement from the other end, she spoke to confirm, "Major, are you receiving?  We are under attack.  Please acknowledge."

Again, there was no response.  Then Lauren noticed the indicator on her omni-tool blinking to indicate an interrupted connection.

Suddenly, Naomi was hit by an incoming projectile, or more correctly she was near missed, and the shield of her armor collapsed.

Immediately after, Cadi was hit by another shot, both collapsing her shield and winging her in the shoulder.  Her paulderon absorbed the impact but she was sent spinning to the ground.

"New hostiles!" Kamau shouted over the com, his message clear.  "Two snipers!  Black armor, by the entrance.  They must have let the vorcha out!  I don't know why they haven't been turned on.  The vorcha are ignoring them."  There were there loud retorts from the mound of ore near his location.  "One is down!  The other under cover.  But there are a couple more...."

Using optics, it was clear there were snipers, clad in black light armor, moving to vantage points on the outside of the Primary Shaft structure.  They were using cover, but they were there, a handful of them, and their presence made the situation worse.

[Cknarf]

Kurik glanced over, as Cadi was sent to the ground. He held his position and continued shooting. He fired over the vorcha, in an attempt to suppress the snipers.

 

"I suggest we find cover." He said, his words likely prompting a few 'no sh*ts' in the minds of the others.