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.

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Comments

[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.

[araignee_du_soir]

[What an interesting ability. It certainly explained Erik's workshop. Other than a raised eyebrow, Widowmaker had no outward reaction to the knife creation. She sheathed the large knife in her boot and hooked Widow's Kiss onto her back so her hands would be free to take the throwing knife.

Turning it over, she touched the meat of her thumb to it to test the keenness of the edge.]

Plenty sharp. [And then with a fluid motion, she turned and threw it at a wall decoration. It stuck, handle quivering with the force, which garnered a nod from the sniper.] Well balanced.

[Crossing over, she pulled it from the wall.] This will do nicely. Can you make another?

[magneticfields]

[ Erik doesn't smirk but his expression is decidedly nonchalant. ]

I'm glad it suits. How many do you need? The standard is what, six? Nine?

[ He pulls a few more screwdrivers out of the drawer and starts manipulating them into knives similar to the first one. ]

[araignee_du_soir]

Six is standard, but I don't need that many. My late husband could throw two in a single hand with deadly accuracy. [Her eyes were on the knife as she mentioned Gerard.] I am not that good.

[magneticfields]

[ Erik's expression softens at Widowmaker's mention of her late husband. Magda had no skill for fighting and no interest in learning. Her weapon of choice were words. Words so sharp that cut so cleanly he wouldn't notice he was wounded until he saw the blood on the floor. ]

He sounds like a formidable man. May his memory be a blessing.

[ He hands her the second knife, with the expectation that she will test it as well. ] Will four suffice?

[araignee_du_soir]

[Bleessing... curse. Widowmaker didn't know any more. She hummed in response, not wanting to talk about Gerard in any detail. Usually she didn't even mention him, but sometimes the conversation ends up with a reference or two coming in. Him and his knives...]

Four will do fine.

[Taking the knife from Magneto, she indeed tested it like the other and found it satisfactory. She tucked them into the bracer on her left arm that housed her venom mines and grappling hook.]

[magneticfields]

[ Erik quickly crafts two more like the others and hands them to her before wiping more of the gore from his arms. It's starting to dry and crust over. He makes a note on his A.C.E. to find a way to install a slop sink. He doesn't blame Widowmaker for her reluctance to speak of her dead spouse. Erik didn't expect that talking about Magda would ever be an easy thing. To let her name rest on his tongue, thoughts of her warm him, knowing that in a moment reality would reassert itself the way it always does. ]

Is there anything else I could do to help in this effort? I do not want a repeat of that performance. [ He looks around the workshop, doing a cursory search for cracks or openings they might squeeze in. ] I could seal the deck better.