Whistling in the Dark [Network Post 2]

[legionnpcs]

[The video opens on Karate Kid in an area of the ship that seems just as damaged as everywhere else. Behind him panels are sparking. Despite the chaos, he seems perfectly calm, but that's no surprise when he's largely unruffled by everything.]

One of the support staff discovered something that may be of use to us. The people that are possessed -- it's possible to free them with a source of bright light. It has to be shined in their eyes or a similar sight organ.

[He carefully sneaks up a hallway and up to one of the possessed, a purple woman who is working on sabotaging a console. The possessed staff member looks up at him with four eyes that temporarily flash black -- and then screeches as he shines a bright flashlight in her eyes.]

[A black shape, a being made of shadow, suddenly rips away from her body, its edges going fuzzier and more indistinct the longer it's out of her body. Then, it starts to crawl away, flying away through the air by stretching itself out in little leaps.]

Are you all right?

[The woman looks confused but fine. "What? Where am I? What's going on? How did I get here?"]

You're going to be fine. There were entities on board that were possessing people but so far anyone who's been freed seems to have not suffered any injury. Can you get to Medbay on your own?

[The woman nods and Karate Kid helps her to her feet so she can start walking, then turns the camera back on his face.]

The question remains: how do we trap them and get them off the ship? It's possible to free the infested but we still have to prevent them from possessing others and find a way to relocate them.

Killing them may be out of the question. Everyone I've spoken to that's seen them says that when they do speak they seem somewhat intelligent -- if confused. They seem to be in a panic rather than hostile.

[ooc: This post can be used for the characters to figure out solutions to get the creatures safely off the ship. The mods are open to many possible solutions.]

Comments

[nerdninja]

For starters, it'll be a lot easier to trap them if we don't have to chase them across the entire ship to do it.

We pick the best possible turf for us to hunt on, we let that area go dark and keep the lights on everywhere else.

[googledox]

I concur, we've spent too much time attempting damage control. Our chances might be improved by purposefully causing areas of the ship to mirror the conditions they're attempting to create, and using them as traps.

That still leaves the question of what we can use to properly trap them.

[nerdninja]

Something we can seal off fast, for starters. I'm not sure how fast these things can work when they feel threatened, but the last thing we need is for someone to get nabbed because they were fumbling to screw the lid back on a jar at the critical moment.

[googledox]

[Donnie's right. And fortunately, there are things around the ship that they can use.]

I think I may have just the thing...

[And Jason has a good idea, too.]

[nomoresparkle]

If I had my normal powers, I would suggest making a bubble or cage of light around the things.

But that doesn't seem like a thing I can do anymore.

[iamresponding]

Even if your powers can't do it, I think you're still onto something. I haven't seen them phasing through anything. It seems more like they can just leak through any possible holes.

There's gotta be stuff we can use to trap them in that's airtight.

[nomoresparkle]

Well, if light can hold them, wouldn't it be possible to flood a room or hallway with light? Like, to make sure there's no shadows for them to use or whatever?

Obviously, using lighting that we have control of, not something these things could access.

[iamresponding]

Sounds like a plan to me. Herding 'em. We just have to work out where to herd them to and how to trap 'em.

[kingtyrantranger]

The trans suits are supposed to protect us in space, right? I mean, they don't just filter out smoke and all, we can actually stand in a vacuum, right?

[googledox]

[Brainiac 5's eyes go wide. Good job, Jason, you thought up a clever thing before the 12th level genius even considered it.]

Affirmative. Spare transuits could potentially be used to trap them and are designed to conform to the shape and form of a sentient very quickly. There are also refrigerated vacuum flasks we use in engineering to transport Dilonium control rods for the power core. We have quite a few empty ones and the suction could make it so they can't escape easily.

[Everything's coming together now, thanks to their combined efforts. They have the first vestiges of a plan now.]

Gates, I need you to teleport to the engineering bay and to my lab so you can collect spare vacuum flasks and transuits to distribute them to all available Legionnaires and some of the support staff.

The rest of you -- you'll need to create traps for the creatures. I'm transmitting schematics to all of you now.

[Bleedly boop. Here are those schematics.]

These areas are the nearest spaces to each of you that still have functioning life support and lockdown controls. By adjusting the controls you can all create traps to lure the creatures by turning off the light and heat.

Those of you that have powers that produce light and heat and those of you that have access to engineering tools around the ship that can also do so can help herd the creatures where we need them to go.

When we have them trapped in these spaces we can use the vacuum flasks and empty transuits to catch them. If any of you have particular difficulty gathering them in the transuits or flasks, we can also potentially use Umbra to trap them. It's highly likely that they'll be attracted to her Darkfield and she can pursue them more aggressively if you're having difficulty.

[kingtyrantranger]

[Oh, hey. He said something smart. That was good. Maybe then Brainy would look less exasperated whenever Jason couldn't find the 'any' key.]

[legionnpcs]

On it!

[And off Gates goes to make sure everyone has what they need.]

[enthraller]

I can get them into the things.

[He's been feeling uncomfortably useless for too much of this experience, forced to rely on near strangers for most of it. But this, at least, he's certain he can do.]

[googledox]

They've been responsive to your powers?

[If so, this maybe just got even easier.]

[enthraller]

[Saralegui frowns slightly, glancing away with something like discomfort. He's not used to speaking so frankly about his powers.]

They seem at least somewhat sentient. It's enough.

[googledox]

Excellent. We can have you working the same detail as Umbra, for any that are particularly recalcitrant while being herded into their traps.

[enthraller]

Alright.

[At least he's good in the dark.]