November Miniplot: Clever Pests

[savmods]

Who: Anyone and everyone
When: Around and after November 17
Where: Avagi
What: A small-scale reunion

Escalation

In the last week, the opening portals have brought a range of opportunities to Avagi. Some station-dwellers have leapt at the chance to be outside, exploring the gardens or the Forest of Renewal. Others chose to test themselves in the Temples. Still more have met with the Kaittans, trading knowledge and training for resources they could bring back home. Among these items? Fresh, delicious food. Those residing in _______ Suites were already familiar with the occasional skittering sounds. Recently, those noises have increased abruptly—in volume, and in the areas they can be heard. Strange odors and paste-like droppings have turned up throughout the station, and breakable materials may be torn, gnawed on, or otherwise despoiled. Actual edibles left out are stolen, or devoured on the spot. Whatever creatures are responsible leave a variety of small bite-marks, and seem to target both plants and meat.

Emergence

Many may be motivated by the current crisis. A few have been making efforts from the start. A partnership self-dubbed Extermination Squad Alpha (araignee_du_soir and squadgoals) has faced continued frustrations against the creatures in the walls, attempting traps, cages, mines, and tracking tech, and finding themselves repeatedly outmaneuvered. In light of the new incursions, they redoubled their efforts, comparing salvaged feathers against the Kaittan's repository of knowledge, and diving headfirst into the ventilation system to pursue the vermin to their lair. On Nomber 17, success will be found... of a sort. While Avagi has neither day nor night, it's a quiet shift for those still on the station. Many occupants are off attempting the trials or otherwise exploring Kaittos. Others are occupied with rest or repair. Those who are conscious may note a slower, bulkier scrape making its way through ceilings and walls. Vent maintenance? Persisting for several hours, it seems innocuous enough. Until, suddenly, it isn't. A loud explosion can be heard over the animal nursery: metal and insulation crunching and giving way, followed by loud shots. Those close enough may spot the bright blue flares of biotic energy, or even the larger figure that hits the floor amidst collapsing ceiling, damaged machinery, and a spatter of what were probably once eggs. As for the smaller shapes that flood out across the station? Everyone will have ample time to get a look at them. Coffee mug included for scale. Those present for Thisavrou's collapse may have reason to remember Region Six. The creatures nesting above the Animal Nursery include all of those species, and several more. However, the escapees of the former Ingress Complex research labs differ from your previous encounters in one highly significant way: Adults range from the size of rats to no bigger than a small chicken. With their nesting site wrecked, the mini dinos will stampede throughout the station. Aggression levels vary highly, and while some of the herbivorous species will avoid encounters, others will charge (or swarm) anyone who gets in their way. What these creatures have lost in size, they've gained in intelligence, and they will show several adaptive behaviors well outside what might be expected of a natural breed. Pack behavior is common, as is teamwork between even unrelated species. While predation does occur, most of these creatures have moved to a scavenging model of survival: and you and yours have recently laid out a full buffet of treats. Velociraptors can open doors—though biolocks may offer more delay. Over the next few days, the chaos will settle as the pests that do escape find new retreats to nest in. They will, however, be seen more commonly throughout the station after. Those who are able to catch, kill, or calm one long enough to examine it will find the creatures aren't merely small, but shrunken, and all to a close scale at their adult growth.

---

[[ooc: For questions, please hit up our latest mod update!]]

Comments

COMMANDER SHEPARD ★ ota!

[squadgoals]

1. INCURSION

[It's not easy work. It's not even the fun kind of hard work—it's just work, monotonous and exhausting. The vents, made for air, and not the passage of a full-grown adult woman, are cramped, dusty, and dirty—to put it mildly. Whatever the hell their quarry was, tiny angry birds or otherwise, she was certainly getting close—as evidenced by the marked increase in... guano. In the dark of the vents, Shepard pulls a face that would speak volumes, were anyone around to see it. Regardless, she pushes on.

As she nears the venting for the animal nursery, there's an increase in temperature. It's enough that she can feel it before even checking her omni-tool, and moves forward, intrigued. Body heat of a nest?

Rounding the turn of a vent, it opens up into a wider crawlspace: and there, at the center, shines a broken incubator, radiating waste heat—absolutely covered, surrounded with what, despite their various sizes, had to be eggs.

And, of course, their entire extended (fully-grown) family.

It happens in the space of a breath: she sees them, they see her, and Shepard, one eezo-glowing arm raised in the start of a biotic mnemonic, is suddenly obscured in a literal cloud swarm of tiny, bitey, scratchy, angry dinosaurs--

--the blue fire of a biotic nova rips through the mass of feathery bodies--

--as the floor (or ceiling, really) gives way without warning, panels and all participants falling, flying, fleeing, Shepard letting out an involuntary groan at the sudden drop--

--then slamming into the ground, back-first, scraps of technology, decaying food, and fluffy adversaries raining down around and on top of her.

Completely winded—but apparently not enough to stop her continued offensive barrage, she fires off multiple rounds from her pistol, each shot taking out at least one of her larger retreating attackers in between coughs and splutters for breath.

But the vent residents didn't avoid capture for this long by sticking around—in the blink of an eye, any non-wounded combatants have flown the proverbial coop, leaving Shepard, covered head to toe in a slick mix of dust, guano, and crushed eggs, lying on the floor, staring up at her latest destructive work.]

2. SITREP [Closed to Widowmaker]

[Still coughing for her breath back, she pushes herself up enough to switch on the voice channel to Widowmaker, attempting to clear her throat as much as possible before it connects, picking chunks of broken incubator out of her back.

This was going to be a fun conversation.]

Found 'em.

[Despite best efforts, her voice is notably rough, her wry exhaustion seeping through unhindered.]

3. ACQUISITION

[Over the next few days, Shepard can be seen around, taking care of various matters further related to the sudden vermin flood.

Eggs, first, which are easy enough to apprehend—will you help her in gathering up all the different little pebble-looking things? There's several containers lined with cloth—who knows how they'll use them? If you're feeling generous, maybe you could lend a hand helping her clean up the mess, too. Don't worry, she showered.

Next, hunting. Now that they had an effective bait in the form of fresh Kaittos food, it was just a matter of drawing them out. There's no such thing as a positive space station infestation, and no matter how adorable the tiny dinos are—they're going down. Welcome to the cull.

Finally, trapping. Easily convinced by some who claim the new-found minis for scientific purposes (and "scientific purposes" for others, who just miss their dog), she begins trapping some, placing them in cages in the Animal Nursery area. The cages are securely locked (with both physical and digital defenses), sorted by species and size, and marked with notes that say "DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT PERMISSION". There's contact details and a name next to the cages ("Shepard"), if you haven't met her yet. Are you helping Shepard trap? Interested in acquiring a species for """Science"""? Better let her know.]

2

[araignee_du_soir]

[The beep from her communicator caught her attention right after she'd handed over the transcribed sheet music to a very pleased Kaittan and was waiting for her supplies to be placed into a wheeled cart to take back to Avagi.

Oh, good. It looked like she was going to get to kill something soon.]

Shepard, bon travail. Your persistence has born fruit.

[squadgoals]

It's borne something. [There's a cough before she continues.]

Found their main nest. Whole thing was situated in the vent crawlspace directly over the Animal Nursery. They've been using an old broken incubator—you could feel it radiating heat. [Now, as she attempts to shift off the incubator's broken remains, she can feel it radiating pain into the small of her back.] Whole thing was covered in eggs. Turns out? We haven't just been hunting one kind of creature: we're looking at about ten or so different species of miniature dinosaurs. They're small, fast, and a pain in the ass.

[beat;]

Anyway, the ceiling collapsed, and excepting the ones I picked off, the whole hive is currently AWOL. Backup requested, whenever you have a minute. No rush.

[From the ACE comes the background sound of shifting, the crunch of tech and eggshells, and a barely audible groan.]

I'm going to see what I can do about cleaning up the rest of the eggs, first.

[araignee_du_soir]

[Dinosaurs... that would explain the bird feathers. At least she knew what they were dealing with now. Reptiles had some exploitable weaknesses.

Someone else might have asked Shepard if she was okay given the sounds that could be heard and the description of what happened. Widowmaker didn't bother asking Shepard stupid questions.]

I will head back shortly. There is another incubator - an intact one - in the Nursery. It should have its power severed until we have this under control.

3

[magneticfields]

[ This entire situation is viscerally disgusting. Lizards the size of rats with mangy feathers chatter and squeak at Erik from their cages as he painstakingly repairs the ceiling.

Which is a slow process, as he has to clean out the filth as he goes. And also takes his time because this time he will be absolutely certain that no more vermin have a way in to their favored lair.

He is rinsing a duct with a disinfectant solution as Shepard returns with yet another shipment of creatures. He grimaces. ]

If we're going to cull, we should cull. Keeping specimens is foolish.

[squadgoals]

Science.

[It's a single word, said with a shrug. She already has a sneaky feeling that she'll see a number of them with cute little collars by the end of the month, but whatever. As long as they're not in the vents or troubling the ship any more, she guesses she doesn't care.]

Maybe we can try cooking a few. Raise 'em for eggs. I'm sure we've got a few budding farmers on board.

[magneticfields]

[ Erik's grimace deepends. Biology is such a messy, squishy science. ]

Speaking as the former subject of a scientist, killing them is kinder.

[ He lifts one of the dented ceiling panels onto a countertop and splays his hand over it, feeling out the full extent of the dents, the invisible tears and warped metal. Carefully, he reaches into it and begins tugging the molecules back into shape.

Metal is much cleaner than anything found in a bio lab.

His eyebrows raise a bit at her suggestion of eating the things. ]

These creatures have been subsisting on garbage for a few centuries. Probably cannibalizing each other as well. It's possible they're edible but unlikely they will taste like anything a non-starving person would want to eat.

Widowmaker - OTA

[araignee_du_soir]

[After having been contacted by Shepard that their combined efforts had finally resulted in the vermin being identified and the nest found, Widowmaker had returned to Avagi from Kaittos. As much as she lamented having to leave such a place of culture and beautiful weather, the prospect of finally getting to kill something and finish the extermination mission was enough to draw her back. Plus, she liked Shepard and would give her backup.]

1. Residential Areas

[In full tactical gear with her visor down, the lenses glowing a muted red, and rifle across her back, Widowmaker strolled down the hallways of the various residential zones... pulling what basically equated to a wagon behind her.

Two cages rest in the bed of the wagon, each with a few of the miniaturized dinosaur vermin inside. One cage seemed to have herbivore types while the other contained the more carnivorous ones - all in various health states as she just didn't care if they were injured or not. It seemed there was a bit of food in the one cage, to keep the carnivores fighting amongst themselves instead of working together to try to get the cage open, and the herbivores were bleating pitifully at their containment.

But she wasn't going around with a traveling dino zoo for no reason. Her infravision scanned the rooms as she passed them, until she found ones that showed multiple vermin signatures as they scavenged from the Kaittan supplies Avagi residents had acquired. Without warning, she would open the door and toss in one of her venom mines, stepping back into the hallway when it went off and flooded the room with a temporarily debilitating gas. The effects would wear off in a few minutes, allowing those affected to regain their strength and clear their head, but it made the vermin lethargic if it didn't knock them out given their size.

Entering the room once the gas had dissipated enough that her altered physiology would handle it, Widowmaker calmly and casually plucked the minidinosaurs up by the tails to carry back and deposit into their respective cage.

If the occupants of the rooms were present for all this... an apology murmured in French was the best they might get before she went to move onto the next area. At least the effects are temporary!]


2. Non-Residential

[With the nest destroyed and feeling threatened, some of the tiny dinosaurs had decided to get aggressive in the wake of things. Perhaps they even cornered residents to express their anger or try to force them away from a choice area they had 'claimed'. Lucky for the one being harassed that there was a friendly neighborhood spider around to help out.

Of course, the caliber of a sniper bullet was far too great for such small creatures. Hopefully, the splattered remains of the dinosaur she just shot from the doorway wouldn't stain. At least it made the others scatter... for now.]

Do you require medical attention?

2.

[magneticfields]

[ Erik could take care of these things. Of course he could. He stomps on the first, not even bothering with more exotic methods of slaughter.

But it doesn't die. It just wails. And then a swarm of others come, whether to lend aid or bedevil him further is unclear, and ultimately unimportant. Erik focuses on killing the mortally wounded one while the others nip at him.

The situation is quickly out of hand, and he reaches out to gather whatever isn't bolted down to start whipping around the workshop at the creatures but his focus is broken by the thunderous report of a large-caliber weapon at far too close range.

The wailing creature explodes, and the others scatter. Covered in viscera from a creature that had been solid but was now mostly a fine mist still settling around the workshop, Erik turns to see the responsible party. ]

No, but it would appear you require a smaller-caliber weapon.

[araignee_du_soir]

[There was a tiny smirk hidden in the corner of her mouth at the fact that this was now the second time she had rescued Erik. It didn't reflect in her eyes - she'd had no need to make use of her visor - as she shouldered her rifle after converting it back to assault mode.]

I work with what I have available. [She reached into her boot to pull out the large knife she'd bartered for on Kaittos.] And this is not designed for throwing. I'm sure that will all wash off.

[magneticfields]

[ Erik doesn't miss the smirk, and while he's not annoyed, exactly, he'd be more amused by the situation if it weren't so disgusting.

At least he had managed to get some nice soap on the planet. ]

Nice knife.

[ Bigger than his SS knife, even. Which he would offer, except that is a special souvenir from Argentina and he keeps it for a special purpose. It would be wasted on these creatures.

But a thought occurs. He holds up one finger as he gathers a few bits of scrap metal. He focuses on them, searching deep into the molecular structure until they shiver in his hand, shift, stretch and coalesce into a small throwing knife with a keen edge. ]

Here. [ He offers it to her. ] Let me know if that works.

slides a wildcard in here

[flexing]

Of a trip back to Avagi, Zarya had certainly not expected to find ... well, this. But this is exactly what she'd found, and one makes do with what one has. An infrared scan of this particular room will turn up at least one dinosaur silhouette, and one large human one as well. They're both at a table toward the center of the room, human standing next to it and the tiny little beaked thing poised on top of it.

"Stanovis'!" Zarya holds a morsel above the dinosaur, a bit of fruit brought over from Kaittos she'd found it trying desperately to get to, and regards it sternly. At the word it straightens up obediently, ceasing its grasping attempts. "Good. Syat!"

This command apparently hasn't quite made it into its head yet, as the little thing just stares at her — specifically at the fruit in her hand — intently. Zarya sighs, but she doesn't look ready to give in yet, and repeats the command a few more times, slower and more firmly.

[araignee_du_soir]

Normally, one of the vermin coupled with a single person when there was no obvious distress wouldn't have warranted her attention. And though this certainly wouldn't have her deploying a venom mine, it did merit looking into if only because what her visor showed her painted a ridiculous picture.

Moving to the doorway and raising her visor, Widowmaker took in the large woman and the tiny dinosaur. The juxtaposition was rather absurd because of their sizes and the failing attempt to train the pest. Did the Russian really think it was a good idea to keep one of these little beasts as a pet? From outside in the hallway, the vermin she had caged called out to its fellow dinosaur.

"I am here to take that off your hands."

[flexing]

Zarya glances over her shoulder toward the door, and the little creature takes the opportunity to spring for her hand and the treat. She jerks both of them up and out of range, sternly adding, "Nyet!"

It drops back down obediently and, satisfied, Zarya turns her attention to the new arrival again. Considering that they're in space the blue skin strikes her for only a second or two as unusual, but her look in general — that's worth more than a second or two of consideration.

Anyway.

"There is no need," she says brightly, and drops her eyes back to the dinosaur with a cheerful smile. "She is very well behaved, you see? Soon she will know syat!"

Pathfinder Raeka | OTA its tiny i know

[salarianpathfinder]

[First there was the desert thing, and now there's teeny tiny dinosaurs getting underfoot. Raeka has had enough of this place and it's shenanigans, and has precisely zero patience for this bullshit.

The area outside of the Greenery is littered with tiny, charred dino-bodies. Raeka is hanging around outside the door with her omni-tool activated, just waiting for any more of the little fuckers to try to sneak in past her. She will incinerate every tiny dino on this station if she has to.]

Badou Nails | OTA

[brokeassgoing]

[having lived with an infestation of many animals, probably including scorpions or scorpios or something, the scraping and skittering hasn't bothered him.

Not even the sounds of not-so-little feet bother him. He's found a newspaper, what the fuck's the news these days, and he's in his inner sanctum.

He turns a page. Does a double-check on the tp supply at his side. And sees two big beady reptilian eyes staring at him.




Should you be in the residential area, in those billowing hallways, you'll hear a shriek that you should definitely run away from, and no doubt see the sprinting redhead, pants around his ankles (underwear on thanks)--]

JEFF GOLBLUM--- GOLDBLOOM? WAS RIGHT!!!! LIFE FINDS A MOTHERFUCKING WAY!

[chaoticlootral]

[Okay, well, was just trying to have a good time? Relax? This is not a sight he wanted to see, okay. Please. Spare him. Watching Badou sprint by, but not making any move to follow.]

You, uh, got something to share with the class?

[brokeassgoing]

[he stops, lets his pants drop to his ankles as he gestures and screams:]

THE GODDAMN DINOS ARE ALIVE AND THEY'RE BREEDING IN THE WALLS! AND THEY DEFINITELY ATE MY SOAP!!

Nathan Drake | OTA

[ascendit]

[This treat is deliberate. In a rare moment of forethought and planning, Nate leaves out a Kaittan vegetable in the hallways of the 🙀 sector, then sits back with a book he's also acquired from Kaittos, holding a bag that usually contains a sleeping bag (thanks for the camping gear, Moira captains!). In time, one of the long tailed little dinosaurs emerges. He gives it a moment to start feasting on the alien tuber before launching forward, the book on his lap flying to the side as he throws the open sleeping bag bag over the dinosaur. The bag flails as he gathers the fabric underneath the dino so he can get it off the ground and flip it, the dinosaur sliding down to the bottom of the bag.]

YES!

[As an afterthought, he opens the bag so he can throw in the vegetable. Sure, it's captured, but it can still eat.]

[inconsequence]

[At the commander's request, they'd begun prowling the perimeter with enough weapons to ensure that none of the skittering little pests would take them off guard. It takes their mind off...things. Things of an otherwise unpleasant nature. They've still a date with Kaittos to adhere to, but for the time being, they will assist where Shepard has requested they do.]

[They watch Nate catch the thing warily before stalking forward, Knife in hand, with something in their expression almost indicating approval.]

Excellent. Hold it still, and I will put an end to it.

[Chara, no.]

[ascendit]

What? No!

[Appalled, Nate clutches the wriggling bag in his lap, shielding it with his elbows.]

I'm keeping this one; you can't kill it.

Nova Barnett née cloney | OTA

[petridish]

[Nova's seen the bigger dinosaurs in Region Six in its developmental days, and then saw the babies during their incarceration there. You know who hasn't seen them?

[Her pet pod crab, Kai.

[Being of a placid, unafraid species, Kai doesn't react as tiny velociraptors swarm its four legs (not quite coming up to the first joint of said legs). As one tries to sink its teeth into Kai's shell, it's Nova who reacts as she comes around the corner to this odd sight, immediately forming the biotic mnemonic for Throw with both hands.

[The swarm goes flying in two different directions. Unfortunately, so does her precious pet, her control over her biotics not quite fine enough for this level of precision yet.

[Activating her omni-blade, she runs to Kai, putting herself between the dumb crab as it finds it feet and the velociraptors as they regroup. She did not retrieve Kai from the Savrii to lose it to miniature dinosaurs.]

[closed to magnus]

[chaoticlootral]

[ Hey, what’s up homie, wherever he is, whatever he’s up to, Taako is suddenly all up in that business. He’s got the face on that suggests hes Up To Some Shit, and it’s probably not good? ]

Mags, Mags, how’s it hangin’, you, uh, got some time? Got a hankering for some business? . . . Got your plumbing tools? [ His axe. He means the axe. ]

[ruffboi]

[Magnus is sitting on his bed, carving a cute little dinosaur. But when Taako bothers him, well - he knows Taako is up to no good. Which means he's probably going to get hurt or taken advantage of. But it'll still be fun.]

What. You mean --

[Holding out one of his hands. Is that the plumbing tool?]

[chaoticlootral]

[Oh? Well? Gross? But if he wants to?]

Personally not into shoving my bare hands into johns, but up to you, my man. Was thinking more along the lines of, y'know. [Making an axe motion. Taako has never held an axe in his life, so it might not be the best charade ever done.] Think you'll like this one.