3/10 DR
-Kapak's Orbiter-
<Sometime before the beginning of the story of the OR>
The inside of the Orbiter was just the same as the landing craft, but thankfully the lights were much brighter. It was damp and warm, the air's moisture clinging to the Tenno's skin. The ship creaked and groaned, either from strain on the metal or some hidden creature growling in hunger. The golden spores continued to flit around the compartment, providing that almost whimsical feel to the otherwise nightmarish, living dungeon that the ship was. Through the masks, the Tenno could smell the air- it was not an unpleasantly stench-filled atmosphere, but rather a stale, mildewy feel that assaulted their nostrils. Each aspect of the ship seemed to be normal besides the swathes of infested growth that coated consoles and machinery alike.
To the left, there was a stripped down modification station which was covered in little clay jars, each of them housing a miniature infested tree. To the right, the foundry, which was currently using some kind of stringy flesh to sew together what appeared to be some kind of Infested weapon. Instead of 3D printing the weapon using a resource synthesizer, three insect-like claws wove the meat-like material together like some kind of unholy tapestry.
Further down, the Companion Modules: the glass done typically used for bathing pets in X-rays to preserve their genetic integrity was down, covered in a spiderweb of cracks. There was nothing inside except what looked like a disembodied heart beating by itself. On the other side, several inactive Djinn sentinels floated lazily around a column of light shining from the ceiling.
Kapak:
"Take me to the infirmary, would you?" Kapak coughed to his Engineers. Together, the three stubby ape-like monsters helped Kapak awkwardly get down the ramp and slowly eased him across the Orbiter compartment. Without another word, he disappeared down the slope at the back of the main Orbiter compartment, and around a corner. There was the hissing sound of a door opening and closing, and then silence, leaving Vuko, Koya and Kuve standing at the edge of the Landing Craft's boarding ramp.
> Vuko:
The lack of a rough stop threw him off, as he expected the Liset to halfway crash into the orbiter. The air didn't bother him much as all of his attention was focused on how surprised he is by how smoothly everything works, despite it being mostly infested tissue. He walks down the ramp and begins to investigate the equipment with curiosity, stopping by to look longer at the foundry, fascinated by the flesh-sewing machine. Using the occasion of Kapak being gone, he strolls over to the column of light, and pokes one of the Djinns, curious to see how they would react.
- "Quite a strange fellow, isn't he?" - He comments leisurely to Kuve as he is about to touch the sentinel - "Can we trust him?" - Vuko asks, after turning around, while facing both Koya and Kuve, knowing that there is no point in trying to hide the conversation from his companion's sister as they are mentally linked. Kuve's sister He thinks to himself. How is it possible that she survived the incident... how could she have survived the... the Zari... Zari......
Vuko's eyes go blank, as he is staring seemingly into nothing, completely lost inside his thoughts.
> Koya:
"Yeah. He might be a weirdo who likes disgusting things, but is quite ingenious when it comes to biological experimentation."
> Kuve:
"Yeah. He might be a weirdo who likes disgusting things, but is quite ingenious when it comes to biological experimentation."
The sisters answer in unison as they both look back at the Tenno and smile at him. They follow this by looking at each other, grinning and smiling in approval before the perfect symmetry is disrupted by Koya's sudden addition to the statement.
> Koya:
"...and a good fri... partner...", the girl donning a bob cut adds with an almost nostalgic tone of voice as she pulls out a small tablet from one of her pouches and begins tampering with it.
Some of the Grineer armour she had been wearing have begun to fall off, the switch from her previous shoulders-out, masculine-like stance loosening the seams of each part significantly. As the pieces land on the ground, a fleshy thud can be heard in the room they are in.
> Kuve:
"How did....?"
> Koya:
"I do that?", interrupted the soldier with a grin on her face, putting the tablet aside for a few seconds to answer comfortably. "It's been centuries since we've been together, the five of us. Years of tampering between me and Kedh have resulted in our synergy with the implant becoming more intimate... more natural, in a way. We both have a broader control over it, and are able to desync and sync whenever we want... and yes, I can teach you how to."
> Kuve:
"... thanks...", the other sibling answers with eagerness and a nod. She then dismisses her sister back to her own business while she walks towards Vuko to take a look at the Djinns, noticing his odd facial expression and wondering discreetly if he has been bitten by some unseen vermin. The blonde girl shakes his shoulder a little bit to test the waters and see if she can get him out of this trance... or perhaps poisoning shock. "...Vuko...?"
The Djinn Vuko had poked emitted a foghorn like blaring noise, zipping sideways and slamming into the wall. Before Kuve or Koya could say anything, a massive, red holographic eye manifested in the center of the Orbiter compartment. Its visual presence was so noisy that it seemed to pierce the darkness in Vuko's mind, a fearsome, angry red dot that began to glow with increasing intensity.
Several glowing, shattered shaps began to orbit the eye in a violent, virtual maelstrom as a voice rang out throughout the room, cold and emotionless. It sounded like the unholy cacophony of a thousand voices speaking at once, with a slight robotic edge.
⇝Helminth:
-UNIDENTIFIED ORGANISMS ARE SENSED. THE UNMARKED DRAW NEAR. IDENTIFY YOURSELF OR YOUR ESSENCE SHALL BECOME AS IT WAS IN THE PRIMORDIAL AGES.
The rest of the Djinns activated, their lights glowing blood red, swarming around Vuko and Kuve with their poisonous Stinger rifles aimed at their heads. Koya was not being targeted.
-KOYA OF HELIX, PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT YOUR PROTECTION FROM THE ENEMY IS TAKEN CARE OF. DO YOU WISH FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION? OR SHALL YOU GRANT THEM TO MY MASTER, TO OUR BODY?
> Vuko:
When Kuve shakes his shoulder he blinks a few times, looking confused like he was just awoken from a dream. Within a moment he remembers where he is and tenses up, which his partner his could feel with her hand.
The appearance of the invasive cephalon instantly made Vuko on edge, as his arm sprung to the side, covering Kuve’s chest and pushing her behind him, while he took a step forward. After positioning himself in front of his companion in a protective manner, even though they were surrounded, he spoke out loudly. - “I am a Vuko Drakkainen and this is Kuve O’Helix. On behalf of your master I order you to stand down or else.”
> Koya:
"Ah... the old times...", the soldier snickers with nostalgia without turning her eyes away from the tablet. She does not seem concerned in the least, and in fact smiles after making her comment while pacing in circles and looking up. "These are not enemies, Helmy. You can rest assured of my safety. Sis, Vuko, I’d appreciate if you did not touch anything... you might lose your fingers..."
> Kuve:
"....creeeeeepy...", her sister comments as her eyes dash from one pointy end to another in no particular order. Her hands remain in Vuko’s shoulder, showing appreciation for the offered protection.
⇝Helminth:
-HOW ENDEARING. DEMONS PROTECTING DEMONS. THE HELLSCAPE MUST NOT FLOW THROUGH HERE.
The Djinns floated back into the pillar of light, suspending themselves motionless once again. The eye turned to Koya.
-KOYA OF HELIX, ONE OF THE NEW DEMONS BEARS THE NAME OF YOUR LINEAGE. IS IT RELATED TO YOU? YOUR VISAGES BEAR THE SAME FORM, YET DIFFERENT. A COPY? A CLONE? OR TWINS OF THE WOMB, PERHAPS? BORN FROM THE SAME CELL, LIVING FOR SEPARATE DESIRES OF FLESH.
An infested claw resembling an insect's leg lowered itself from the ceiling. The end of the limb held some twisty mass of flesh that ultimately ended in a row of empty test tubes.
-PLEASE DEPOSIT SOME FORM OF SECRETION OR BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE INTO THE VESSEL PROVIDED. I WILL STORE YOUR LIFE WITHIN MY MIND SO THAT I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU UNTIL YOUR LIFE IS UNRAVELED. OR, UNTIL MY MASTER REMOVES YOU FROM MY CARETAKING. BUT PLEASE, DEPOSIT NOW.
The limb extended forward towards the two.
> Vuko:
As the Djinns fly back into their place, Vuko lowers his guard, but doesn’t relax completely, still unsure of the cephalon. Helminth’s comment about them being demons doesn’t fully surprise him, as he has been called much, much worse in the past, but it certainly peaks his interest.
Once the limb lowers itself, he gives the projection a stare, almost like he was trying to read some kind of non-existent facial expression. - “You want a sample?” - He asks in a semi-aggressive tone. - “I’ll give you a sample.” - With that Vuko pulls out a slick, lightly curved dagger from the back of his hip, raises it along with his other hand above the phial and slides the blade along the inner part of his palm, which he then clenches into a fist, letting the blood drip into the tube.
> Koya:
"Twin of the womb; one out of other four to be precise. I see that your DNA recognition has several decimals of precision as most clinics we went to confirmed our DNA to be 99.99999% similar between us.", the soldier replies to Helminth with just a hint of excitement dressing her tone of voice. She briefly interrupts her browsing to peek at the row of tubes, shivering with nausea as the memory of her first visit to the ship returns to her.
The flashback seems to affect both sisters, for Kuve suddenly looks back at her sibling with repulsion and fear.
> Kuve:
"You had to refuse giving blood and saliva... huh?", the blonde girl in Tenno clothing asks with morbid curiosity before stretching her left hand towards the test tube and motioning the act of cutting with her other hand, as if silently requesting the unknown creature for some tool to perform the deed. Her skin, much like her sister's, has turned red out of embarrassment and indignity.
> Koya:
"Helmy here can be... thorough... indeed...", she discreetly admits while covering her own facial expression with the tablet and returning to her own business.
⇝Helminth:
The eye blinked and shrunk down in size as Vuko complied.
-THANK YOU, VUKO DRAKKAINEN. YOUR ENTHUSIASM TOWARDS MY PROCEDURES IS MOST DELIGHTFUL.
In the meantime, a second arm descended from the ceiling, in its hand a silvery blade that was surprisingly clean of the infestation; a Gazal Machete, with its blade wrapped in some kind of clear, plastic bag. Black Orokin writing was present on the bag, reading "STERILE." The infested limb flipped the Machete around so that the handle faced Kuve.
-ONCE YOU ARE PROPERLY INDOCTRINATED INTO MY VISION, I SHALL ESCORT YOU TO THE LIVING QUARTERS.
The eye turned to Koya.
- KOYA OF HELIX, I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE TRANSGRESSION, BUT MY MASTER HAS INSISTED ON KEEPING THIS A SECRET UNTIL THIS MOMENT. THE MORTAL COIL IS WROUGHT WITH THE UNEXPECTED. YOU WILL SEE SOON WHAT I ALLUDE TO.
The eye turned back to Vuko.
-YOU ARE A POWERFUL ONE. YOUR STRENGTH IS GREAT, FOR ONE OF THOSE WHO POSSESS OUR FLESH. I WONDER IF YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE US STRONG; OR DID WE MAKE YOU WHAT YOU ARE?
> Vuko:
He massages his palm, while letting the blood dry up and clot the wound. - “I don’t think you want to know.” - He answers, still unsure of the cephalon, as he turns towards Kuve. - “Just do it quickly, I’m suddenly starting to feel an urge to leave this place and take this ridiculous bowl off of my head.” - Vuko says, giving Helminth a dirty look.
> Kuve:
"Yeah... yeah...", adds the dubious girl as she takes the item from the other limb and raises her opposite hand at chest level. She is hesitant at first, as if nervous about feeling pain, but then finds the courage to puncture the tip of her thumb hard enough until it releases a fat drop of blood. The Tenno briefly stares at it with morbid curiosity before depositing it in one of the test tubes displayed next to her. "...this is an odd way to ask if someone wants to be your friend, you know?", she confesses to Helminth as her eyes become slightly tearful and she kneads the injured thumb.
> Koya:
"You crying baby, that didn't hurt at all...", the soldier states, once again putting her tablet aside and arching an eyebrow in disapproval.
> Kuve:
"How would you know?!", her sibling counters with her usual childish frown before introducing her finger on her mouth.
> Koya:
The other sister simply reacts by opening her arms out wide and staring at her counterpart with clear contempt in her eyes. As if to stress her point, her hand lets the tablet drop to the floor with another organic-sounding thud.
⇝Helminth:
The lids slid overtop the tubes as the claws disappeared back into the ceiling in the blink of an eye.
-PLEASE, KUVE OF HELIX, KOYA OF HELIX, VUKO DRAKKAINEN, DESCEND INTO THE HEART. MY MASTER HAS PREPARED A SURPRISE FOR YOU.
The lights of the Orbiter began to glow a little brighter, making it much easier to see, illuminating a path down into the lower deck of the Orbiter.
~The three move deeper into the Orbiter, stopping before the large, round doors of what was usually the Somatic Link room. The doors opened, revealing a rather small, dark room, where they would have been expecting the large, spacious expanse of the Operator's throne room.~
⇝Helminth:
-A PLACE OF CLEANSING. PLEASE ENTER. MY MASTER WISHES NOT TO ALLOW THE SEED OF MY LIFE TO BLESS THE AIR.
The lights of the dark booth flickered on, bathing the walls in a bloodred light, revealing several holes in the wall, each resembling spray nozzles.
> Vuko:
- “Yeah... sure...” - He says with doubt as the cephalon informs them of the surprise. Shortly thereafter he follows the lights down into the depths.
Vuko steps into the chamber with a single, overly dramatic step, thinking it must be some kind of disinfecting mechanism. - “I don’t think anyone would enjoy being blessed with your seed.” - He says towards Helminth, clearly poking fun at him, while chuckling lightly.
> Kuve:
She descends into the addressed room behind Vuko with both arms holding his shoulders like he was some form of shield, and her face peeks above his right shoulder. She then releases the left shoulder of her companion and arranges her fingers on her left hand in the shape of a gun, resting the palm on the same shoulder. "I am armed! No funny business", she threatens with a dramatic intonation she got from a film.
> Koya:
"Calm down, this is simply a room Kapak included in this ship for people who don’t like infested tissue... or don’t want to die intoxicated... that’s gruesome.", the soldier explains as she follows closely behind the duo and motions. "...that goes without mentioning we can actually see in here"
As soon as Koya's foot crossed the threshold of the black room, the door slammed shut with a clang. The room began to fill with a a light coloured, bluish-grey smoke. The red light of the room flickered through the steam, casting a miasmic, nebulous purple storm to whip around them.
There was a ding, and a loud sucking sound as the gas was sucked back into the pipes, and the door opposite to where they had entered opened, revealing the Somatic Link.
The room was polished clean, everything completely shining and spotless, without any sign of infestation. Well, except for the actual Somatic Link. It was covered in a cocoon of thick, wood like infestation that was often present in Orokin Derelicts. Behind the woody exterior, they could make out what appeared to be a much more fleshy, wet, pulsating chunk of meat, rhythmically beating as if it were an actual heart. Next to this mass of flesh stood another Engineer- or at least it seemed like one. This one was rather... obese. Its arms and legs were considerably fatter, and its torso was like that of a balloon. It was holding a metal tray in its arms- nothing was on it, however. It seemed like it was on standby for something. It did burble and wave at the trio.
To the right of the group, was some kind of shower comprised of several metal bars set up to hold several opaque, white plastic sheets. Next to it was a Grineer water purifier, which was also very polished and painted to the point that it almost did not look like it was Grineer in origin.
Next to the shower were several tables set up in the formation of a kitchenette. While it may have not been Orokin-level in terms of quality, all the appliances there were extremely well polished and neatly arranged.
To the left of the group were 3 cots set up, each with a small Corpus bench next to it acting as some kind of nightstand. Again, everything was neat and tidy, displaying a strange level on cleanliness for what Koya had known Kapak to have (or at least consider clean).
Finally, in the very center of the room, in front of the cocooned Somatic Link, in front of the 3 cots, and in front of the shower, was a convex, holographic display. It was currently displaying several pictures in a slideshow format- mostly Corpus businessmen in formal wear shaking each others' hands.
⇝Helminth:
-YOU MAY TAKE OFF YOUR BREATHING APPARATUSES.
There were no spores floating through the air here. The fat Engineer waddled over like the fat thing he was, bowing its head while making some funny sounding, squishy noises. It held its metal tray out to the three, looking up to them as it did; it was only elbow height compared to them.
> Vuko:
The sudden burst of white blinds him causes him to try to cover his eyes with his arm, but without much effect as the glass helmet is in the way. As his eyes accommodate, Vuko starts looking around. What catches his attention first is the cocoon. - “Is he in that thing?” - He asks Koya, as he leans back to her, not breaking eye contact with the infested tissue. As his eyes shift to the fat creature Vuko thinks to himself: Great. Another one of the infested whatever-they-are-supposed-to-be. Is he a.. butler?
- “And here I was hoping...” - The Tenno says out loud, while taking the helmet off. - “...I wouldn’t have to hear anymore from you.” - Vuko takes the glass bubble under his arm and walks over to the slideshow. - “And what is this supposed to be? Are they... corpus?”
> Kuve:
"Whoa... fancy", the girl giggles as her eyes sparkle with curiosity and admiration for the arrangement of utensils, furniture, and overall decoration. Her eyes have not adjusted to the new lightning, and are barely able to make the silhouette of the shapes of nearby objects, but that does not stop her from bouncing from one place to another for a thorough inspection of each one. She slides, spins and jumps from one item to the next, gazing with delight at the marvelous work. Clearly not made by Orokin architects but regal and elegant nonetheless, and clean. Her parading continues for a while, and just when it seems than no immovable object would be able to stop her momentum, she comes to a halt in front of the small, round creature bowing its head.
"You're adorable. Imma call you Mr. Chubbs. You'll be my new best friend, yes?", she proposes with a grin and wide open eyes donning a light emerald hue due to the lightning; her torso is bent in a perfect ninety-degree angle with her legs, and her head is bowed just enough so her face is pointing at the thing directly. She does not seem to wait for the would-be-servant to respond, and instead proceeds to imitate its squishy noises as if trying to communicate.
> Koya:
"Whoa... you've really worked on this for some time, you twisted genius...", the soldier whispers to herself as she too gazes in awe at the presentation. While familiar with the work of the Nidus operator, it is clear there are enough new elements to provoke her surprise and spark her interest. The mirrored reflection of the blonde girl clearly does not share the latter's methods of exploration, and simply turns in her place just enough to get a general glimpse of the position of each piece of furniture; her lack of movement somehow hinting at the possibility of exhaustion or maybe fear of turning her back towards Vuko. Whatever the case may be, she too shows a genuine smile at her new potential residence, which is already significantly more hygienic than the previous dump she had to lived in during her spying on Mars, and apparent by her constant looking on her sister, she is glad the search is finally over.
"...Oh... that's... ", she attempts to explain before her sibling baptizes the thing with a Kubrow-esque puppy name and snickers at it. Kuve had always been the most creative out of the five when it came to jokes, randomness, and parties.
Kapak:
A laugh filled the room as the flesh within the wooden-like technocyte roots pulsated to the syllables of words. "Ha ha ha! Mr. Chubbs. I quite like that," said Kapak's voice as the beating heat matched the words. The fat little Engineer grumbled before jumping in alarm as Vuko walked away. It followed Vuko, prodding his leg with his metal tray and pointing at Vuko's mask. "He would like to take your mask," Kapak spoke again, "you having to carry that thing around would be quite unpleasant, I'd imagine. Don't worry, Geth- I mean, Mr. Chubbs would be more than happy to hang them up on the wall for your ease of access later on."
⇝Helminth:
As Vuko watches the slideshow, an image of a shirtless, muscular Corpus wielding a Prova appears on screen as part of the slideshow, giving the middle finger to whoever was viewing. Abruptly, the image was replaced with Helminth's eye again.
-YES, VUKO DRAKKAINEN, THESE ARE CORPUS INDIVIDUALS, MOSTLY INVOLVED WITH A SOCIAL EVENT KNOWN AS THE INDEX. MY MASTER WASTES MUCH OF HIS TIME VIEWING SUCH AN UNNECESSARY PART OF THE LIFE CYCLE. MY FLESH WAS NOT GIFT-
Kapak:
"Ah, give it a rest Helminth, it's perfectly healthy to sit back and relax some time." Kapak gave a lighthearted chuckle. He was obviously very used to Helminth's banter. "Ah, Koya, this must be quite the surprise for you, hmm? I'm sorry for making you sleep in the infirmary- quite a dreadful place for a nap, in hindsight- but I figured you would appreciate this all the more, especially after we finally found your sister. I have stored extra cots in the storage container by the door, for if- I mean, for when we find your other siblings."
Mr. Chubbs, obviously impatient, opened his strange mouth, grabbing the mask from Vuko before he could give it to him using a sticky extendable tongue. Obviously some manners couldn't be taught. He waddled back over to Kuve and Koya, thrusting the metal tray forward with a huff and a burble.
> Vuko:
Vuko doesn’t pay much attention to the cat-like behaviours of Kuve, who is all over the room. - “Damn! You really are inside of this thing. Are you stuck in there? - He asked, after jumping a step back in surprise, missing the engineer by an inch with his foot. - “And what do you-“ - *He started saying to the chubby creature only to be interrupted halfway through by the appearing image of the cephalon.- “You know Helminth, or whatever you are called, it would be nice if you didn’t shove your projection in my face every five seconds.” - He complained, as the helmet was suddenly sucked out from under his arm. Vuko quickly turned around, facing the creature, his left hand venturing behind his back, where the dagger was hidden. - “You little...” - He said with spite in his voice. After giving the engineer a death stare, he let go of the blade, letting it rest in its sheath. He then proceeds to take of the odd backpack and put it down, leaning against the nearest wall.
> Koya:
"When, indeed", the soldier reaffirms with a stern look; her eyes do not seem to be aiming at anything in particular, thus it is clear her mind is elsewhere. She takes a few moments before approaching the cot that is closest to the wall, and when she does, she uses her right palm to softly press against the area destined to support her body. It feels surprisingly comfortable, and the placid expectation of a good rest makes her immediately drowsy. She has always been the kind of person who is able to withstand exhaustion, hunger, and pain as long as her mind is kept away from the notion of a solution to these, but as soon as she is conscious of an existing opportunity to eradicate them, her determination and willpower break in an instant. Naturally, the stoic girl had been able to set aside her tiredness so far, but now? The piece of furniture in front of her is like a siren whose chanting is seducing her eyelids and muscles to stop moving.
Koya does not even try to resist the calling, and soon falls flat on the mattress still with her mask on.
> Kuve:
"Here, you most kind sir... oh...", the blonde girl comments as she removes the mask from her face and places it on the tray. She cuts herself short as some part of her seems to fade away, leaving her with a particular feeling she had completely forgotten about. It is comparable to when someone gets water in their ear, causing all sounds to be suddenly muffled, and there is not much that they can do about it. She feels as if her eyes were closed, her ears no longer listened as good as before, and her awareness has been significantly impaired. The Tenno tries to shake away the feeling by making an effort to open her eyes wider, and using her pinky to clean her ear from an invisible blockage of water, but none of these actions have an effect, leaving her confused and anxious.
"This is so weird...", she whispers to herself before turning her attention to the muscled man on the screen, and walking towards it out of curiosity. "...who is that, Mr. Chubbs?"
Kapak:
The squat little infested ape squawked as it placed the tray on the ground and began to swing its arms around violently as if hitting imaginary foes. It wasn't a very thorough explanation.
"That last image before helminth decided to grace you with his lovely blood red eyeball? That was John Prodman, employee of the month at Anyo Corp for like, 3 or 4 years now. Also the most legendary warrior to set foot in the Index." Kapak laughed. "I met him once, he signed a poster for me. I happen to know some extended family of his who were able to get me to see him."
Mr. Chubbs picked up the tray and walked over to Koya, offering to take the mask.
⇝Helminth:
-MASTER, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOUR SOCIAL BONDING TIME, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF. THE NEST OF POWER STILL GROWS, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO COMMUNE WITH YOU IN THIS WAY.
The eyeball blinked.
-WE HAVE RECEIVED A TRANSMISSION, FROM THE ONES WHO SHARE THEIR MOTHERS. I SHALL PATCH IT THROUGH.
The display flickered as a horribly ugly, familiar face surfaced.
Vay Hek:
"TENNO!!!!!! DID YOU REALLY BELIEVE... IT WOULD BE THIS EASY!!???!!!??" The ship rocked suddenly, knocking several things sideways. Mr. Chubbs tipped over like a vase, rolling across the floor like a bowling ball until he crashed into the wall.
Kapak:
"You gotta be- Helminth, get us the MUCK out of here! Everyone hold on!" Another explosion rang throughout the ship, sounding like it was occurring just behind the metal walls of the thing.
> Kuve:
"Ah!", the blonde girl lets out a loud screech as she is knocked back by the hasty motion of the vessel, though somehow the reaction sounds enthusiastic, and not fearful. She gets up as soon as she notices the round creature rolling away from her and tries in vain to run after it until it collides with the wall. The inexplicably cheerful Tenno hurries up to take it in her arms, and draws her lips close to it to confess something. "It's him... He came for me! My prince!"
She giggles throughout the second explosion with a gaze filled with expectation while tightening her embrace on Mr. Chubbs. "I should've wore something more elegant, don't you think? Or done something to my eyelashes, right?"
> Koya:
The soldier wakes up after the first impact, though is not fully alert until the second one confirms the severity of the situation. She slides off the mattress and runs towards the odd Somatic Link station as soon as she can, almost tripping on her way with her own sister. "...now what...?! Tell me you have some miraculous weapons hidden somewhere in this mess of flesh and... experiments..."
> Vuko:
- “You said we lost him!” - He exclaimed out loud, making it sound like it’s Kapak’s fault they’ve been found. As soon as he finished saying that, the sudden shift of the vessel caused him to stumble backwards into a nearby wall, smacking his head into it with quite some force. Vuko slid down the wall onto the floor to a half-sitting position, white spots appearing in front of his eyes, blurring his vision. I shouldn’t have trusted him. He thinks to himself. I knew getting onto this ship was a terrible idea in the first place, but I couldn’t have denied her even the slightest chance it was really her sister. But it was. And she got us into this mess..... Crap. I’ll need to find a way out of this, but for now I’ll have to make sure this infested fool doesn’t get us killed. The flurry of thoughts quickly goes through his head as he massages his forehead, hoping that it will help ease the headache.
As the explosion rang through the orbiter, Vuko instinctively put his hands back on the ground, trying to prevent any more sudden movements. - “What she said.” - He looked at Koya, referring to the weaponry. - “I’m not waiting to get killed. Give me something to shoot those bastards down!”
Kapak:
He chuckled nervously. "Weapons? What weapons? We're on a Tenno Orbiter, not an Orokin Destroyer. What, if I give you a Tiberon or an Opticor, you expect you can pierce the armour of a Balor class Fomorian? Man, get outta here. Or more accurately, HELMINTH, STEP ON IT." There was a shudder for a moment, and then the ship was still, and the sound of explosions and associated racket dissolved.
"Well done," Kapak's voiced sighed. "We sustained pretty heavy damage on the starboard side. Might not be able to fix it unless we set 'er down somewhere."
⇝Helminth:
-YES, MASTER. HOWEVER, HULL INTEGRITY READINGS ARE STILL AT OPERATIONAL LEVELS, AND INTERNAL AIR PRESSURE IS STAYING CONSTANT. HOWEVER, OUR FLESH BLEED AND OUR STRENGTH LEAKS. IT SHALL NOT WANE COMPLETELY YET, UNLESS WE SUBJECT OURSELVES TO FURTHER TRAUMA.
Kapak:
He hummed as he addressed the Tenno. "We definitely lost them now. They only managed to track us due to our staying in Mars' orbit. But there's no feasible way for them to follow us post punch. You can all relax now!"
Mr. Chubbs burbled from Kuve's arms, as if scolding her choice in men. The fungal monkey furrowed its brow and lay limp as her arms were wrapped tight around him, preventing any movement.
"I'll be joining you soon, and hopefully Koya and I can answer any questions you have. Any and ALL questions. Oh, and Getha- I mean, Mr. Chubbs, do grab the Tenno some food would you? Hopefully we still have those cookies we made with the recipe Koya gave us." Mr. Chubbs wriggled free from Kuve's iron embrace and waddled across the floor, entering the kitchen-like area to rummage for the food.
⇝Helminth:
-VUKO DRAKKAINEN, PLEASE HALT THE TENSING OF YOUR MUSCLES. TESTOSTERONE LEVELS DETECTED IN YOU AT THIS TIME TELL A TALE OF EITHER LUST OR VIOLENCE, AND I FEEL IT IS OF THE LATTER. WE ARE NOW FREE FROM THE CLAWS OF THE CLONED ONES.
The eye blinked from the display as it drank in Vuko's position against the wall.
-IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT YOUR TRUST IS NOT YET GIVEN TO US. WE WILL EARN IT IN TIME, FOR YOU SHALL SOON EXPERIENCE THE FACT THAT OUR MIGHT IS YOURS.
The eye closed as it disappeared from the display, which then filled up with images of a whip-wielding Corpus fighting against a four-legged robot.
> Koya:
"You know what I...!", she starts before the sudden landing craft thrust cuts her short. Her balance is severely affected by both her sleep grogginess and the motion of the spacecraft, but she manages to land on all fours with only minor scraping to her knees. Once she realizes the menace is away for good, she stands up and crosses her arm at the mention of baked sweets by Kapak, arching a brow at him in disapproval. "She is an addict. You can't give her cookies"
> Kuve:
"Coooooooookies!", the other sister yelled as she ran closely behind Mr. Chubbs with the clear intention to devour every good she encounters. She knows Koya's cooking skills are decent at best, but her recipes have always been something special.
> Vuko:
He slowly rose up from the ground, still a bit hazy from the blow to the head. - “You better be right about losing them this time. I could use a little break.” - With that, Vuko made his way towards the cots and sat down on the edge of the left-most bunk with a clear intention to loosen up, but whatever the reason, he couldn’t. With something clearly on his mind, he watched the two sisters squabbling, a delicate smile forming on his now tired face.
Kapak:
The airlock to the room hissed as Kapak stepped into the room, bumping his head on the threshold as he passed out of it. Obviously he did not install the thing to his height. His teeth tightened into a grimace for a moment before standing up straight and relaxing his face into a skeletal smile as he watched Kuve excitedly pursue her prey.
By the kitchen, Mr. Chubbs held a glass jar triumphantly over his head, filled to the brim with golden brown cookies, each harboring neat, evenly spaced chunks of a warm coloured, brown chocolate. The dust on the lid proved that it had been stored for a while, but as Mr. Chubbs unscrewed the lid for Kuve, her nostrils were hit with the delightful aroma of.... COOKIES. And good cookies at that. As Kuve would begin to hungrily devour them while Mr. Chubbs stood by her, awkwardly holding the jar before her like a loyal servant, her mouth was filled with the explosive deliciousness that only Koya's chocolate chip cookies could.
"Ah, the child-like innocence so many of us have lost, huh, Vuko?" Kapak said jovially as he sat on the floor beside Vuko's cot, his massive torso still at his eye level. Kapak's body, while still rather twisted and grotesque, looked much more 'healthier,' if you could say that. The lack of burned flesh, bullet holes, and chemical-withered meat hanging off of him was all gone, revealing a much tougher looking exterior of muscle and bone-like armour plating. "I must say, thank you. There aren't many who are so quick to trust me, let alone help me. I do hate, HATE fire, but your quick thinking may have saved me today." Kapak scratched his head as he looked towards the wooden technocyte roots cocooning the Somatic Link. "Well, uh, saved me trouble at least." Kapak smiled as he raised a hand, palm towards Vuko's face. "You okay? You might have a minor concussion. Your cerebral metabolic rate for glucose seems to be rising by the scent of things."
> Vuko:
He chuckles delicately seeing the Nidus hit his head. - “Yeah, I miss that sometimes. Not having the burden of it all.” - He answers in a calm and a bit scratchy voice as Kapak sits down beside him. - “On the other hand... I don’t think it’s healthy to hold onto it. Look at her.” - Vuko nods his head towards the cookie obsessed Kuve. - “She’s been through so much...”
As the topic of the conversation changes, after a few moments of silence, he once again responds to his comrade. - “Don’t thank me. It was a purely tactical choice. With you unconscious or dead we would have a much harder time getting off Mars.” - He pauses for a moment and turns his gaze towards the Nidus, looking where his eyes should be. - “Though in my profession you learn to be a quick judge of character. I think we’ll get along just fine. Maybe with a few bumps along the way.” - A smirk forms on Vuko’s face as he says the last sentence. He holds out his left hand a bit in front him and snaps his fingers, causing a small, cerulean flame to dance at the tip of his fingers. It burns for a few seconds, shining an almost white light, only to be put out as the Tenno opens the palm of his hand.
As Kapak inquires about his health, he answers a bit reluctantly. - “I guess I did hit my heard quite hard during one of the maneuvers... but that’s not what worries me.” - With that, he lightly pats his left shoulder.
> Kuve:
"...Ah yes... now these are good cookies. Not the best, no. But certainly good", the devourer of baked sweets assesses out loud while dexterously holding two cookies on each hand. Her cheeks are swollen from the tremendous bite she has just taken from one, and small crumbles fall periodically whenever her lips part. Her eyes are closed, as if trying to focus on the task at hand, though some movement behind her eyelids is quite visible. The decent taste cause her to recall memories previously hidden in those abandoned corners of her hyperactive mind, memories of the old times when life was simpler and plain, and yet, she feels none of the nostalgia, for she is happier living day by day.
"I'm still surprised how in despite of our link anyone could tell Kayn cooks a lot better than you, you know?", she adds dryly before using her teeth to shred another significant part of a cookie. She then motions to Mr. Chubbs, as if silently asking if it wants some.
> Koya:
"Cooking involves far more than just experience and/or recipes. Some people just have a certain magical touch that makes their food more delicious", the sibling softly explains as she makes her way back to the cot; the rush of adrenaline which previously fueled her actions now replaced completely by the promise of a good rest on a spongy mattress. She is way too tired to argue with her sister, and it is true that she is not the best at the culinary arts, but that comment was certainly one hurtful burn which demands reprisal. "Others, as you might attest, have the complete opposite effect: they turn whatever they touch into prison food."
Kapak:
He smiled at Vuko's remarks, not minding the strong-headed Tenno one bit, although his smile faltered at the appearance of the fire.
He glanced over Vuko's shoulder shoulder and lifted his finger, cautiously running a gobbled index finger over the posterior portion of his shoulder.
"Is it in pain? Can you move your arms? Fortunately, from here it doesn't seem too serious, I can probably fix you up in a jiffy. Koya would be able to advocate for my, ah, medical care."
While Kapak inspected Vuko, Mr. Chubbs continued to stare blankly forward while holding up the jar of cookies to the Tsarina of biscuits. It was impossible to tell what was running through the creature's mind, as it lacked pupils, eyelids and everything else that most creatures use to express themselves. Even when offered some cookie, the infested monster seemed indifferent, its long, horizontal mouth remaining partially open, his body still, other than turning himself in Koya's direction and holding out the cookies to her.
As Kapak runs his finger of the shoulder, he will find that there is a hard bump, about 3 centimeters down from where the shoulder ring should have ended.
> Vuko:
- “I can move it.” - He explained, as he showed that he can by moving his arm in a circle. - “But it hurts like hell.”
> Koya:
"Ah yes... Kapak's quite the expert at fixing broken bones and damaged tissue", the soldier confirms while she begins settling down on the bunk, and pressing the sides of the pillow behind her nape; she does not bother with removing her footwear, and simply raises her feet and lets them fall dead on the mattress with a spongy thud. After shimmying her way into that sweet resting position deemed perfect by her backbone, she closes her eyes and sighs before adding: "...if you're into tentacles and viscous liquids, that is..."
> Kuve:
The childish Tenno stops eating for a few seconds to scan the features of the small creature posing as a waiter, leaving the hand that is holding the cookie frozen in midair in front of Mr. Chubbs. Its distorted design amuses her, for it is fairly adorable in despite of its distorted factions and rough appearance. The sight is enough to make her visualize herself in a similar shape and condition: small, chubby, misshaped, and communicating with guttural noises. This image sticks in her mind as she giggles and forcibly introduces the baked sweet into the tiny waiter's mouth, clearly misunderstanding its body language. "Here!"
Kapak:
Without hesitation, Kapak grabbed Vuko’s arms, twisting and pushing until there was a sudden, jarring pop. He leaned back on his heels, staying at eye level with the Tenno as he laughed and raised his hands, glancing towards Koya.
“Look at that! No ‘icky tentacles’ required! You just had a little bit of a dislocation, I just reset it.” He tilted his head a little and grimaced. “Oh dear... where are my manners? I should have offered you some painkillers before doing that. Er, would you like some now?”
In the meantime, Mr. Chubbs’ eyes seemed to bulge outwards even more than they already did as the cookie entered its slot-like maw. As it’s leathery lips closed over the baked treat, there was a brief crunching sound before the squat little thing spat it out onto the floor in a slimy pile of goo.*
“My Engineers don’t like much other than meat, darling. They descended from a strictly predatory, carnivorous Hunter.” Kapak called from across the room before turning his attention back to Vuko.
> Vuko:
He grunts as Kapak twists his arm, and with the ‘pop’ Vuko almost screams, covering it with the loudest of grunts as he clenches his fist with part of the bedding in his hand, trying to withstand the pain by redirecting it elsewhere. - “I think I’m good.” - He says quietly and without any bass, like he was holding his breath during the sentence. After a few moments have gone by he adds. - “The worst has passed. Thanks for fixing me up.” - With that Vuko pats Kapak’s shoulder with his good arm. - “And if you don’t mind I would really like a bit of rest now.” - As he finishes saying that, he begins taking off his suit, starting with the heavy duty shoes, revealing a layer of black, tight-fitting clothes. After piling parts of his suit next to the bunk neatly he lays down, wanting to rest.
> Kuve:
"Oh... really...?", expresses the playful girl with disappointment while looking up and down at the odd concierge and its reaction, and discreetly sliding her feet away from the pile of goo. She frowns for a brief moment before her eyes open wide and seem to shine brilliantly with a new idea. All of a sudden, her free hand quickly grabs a cookie from the jar which she once again shoves into the creature's mouth. "Time to evolve, Mr. Chubbs. You can't go extinct on me, buddy!"
> Koya:
"Your disregard for basic genetics offends me beyond measure", responds her sister in a tired voice as she weakly slides off the pillow behind her head and positions it in front of her face to dull the external sounds. She wants to continue criticizing her sister's ignorance before she remembers that it is not the lack of information what makes her statements silly and comical, but her own negligence for all the data shared through their link. "...but yeah... Kapak... you too need to evolve into something less ugly... hah..."
Kapak:
He tried to smile warmly at Vuko as he lay down to relax. Gratitude from his help was something Kapak always appreciated. He stood up and walked across the room to Kuve and Mr. Chubbs.
“Oh dear. I’m afraid that evolution doesn’t quite work that way, Kuve.”
Mr. Chubbs proceeded to spew out the cookie once again in a wet bolus as Kapak couldn’t help but chuckle. He turned towards Koya, and whipped his imaginary hair, even though she wasn’t watching.
“What are you on about? I am GORGEOUS. Helminth told me so!”
> Vuko:
Vuko, who is now laying on the bed in a half-sitting position with his legs crossed, laughs at Kapak’s vision of his own beauty. - “I don’t want to spoil your self-esteem, but I don’t think Helminth is the most reliable standard for beauty.” - He says while still laughing.
He then turns his head to Koya, and says, still in a cheerful tone. - “I’m surprised, you, of all people, seem to have forgotten how annoying she can be.”
> Koya:
"You don't really know how long you and her have been gone for... do you?", she replies to Vuko while arching an eyebrow before her tone of voice adopts a particular somber quality as it becomes slightly hoarser, and her eyes seem to reflect a certain grief.
"I had partly accepted never seeing her again. Forgetting traits such as this was perhaps the healthiest thing to do... but I digress...", she concludes as she closes her eyes and rests her head back on the pillow.
> Kuve:
"All you need is several layers of make-up, and a wig... and a good lipstick, for sure", the blonde girl whispers while her eyes scan her host up and down, frowning as she performs a rigorous assessment of its facial features; or rather, lack thereof. The playful Tenno likes a challenge when it comes to beautifying Warframes through different colours and attachments, but this individual certainly look like a hopeless case.
Kapak:
"Pah! You're just jealous!" Kapak scoffed with mock insult. He sat on the floor, and stared at the display in the middle of the room. An image of the Orbiter popped up, an area on the side of it highlighted in red. "Void curses and harrowed blood," Kapak swore, "We took quite the hit on the broadside. Thankfully just from a standard battery. If we'd been hit by the Fomorian Eye..." Kapak shuddered, turning towards Vuko. "Imagine a weapon that could destroy an entire Orokin Tower in one fell swoop.*
While Vuko was left to his imagination, Kapak stood up and dusted himself off. "Is there anything else I can get you guys?" He asked the trio, "It'll be a while before we get to our next destination. Hopefully quickly too- I would like to set this tin can down sooner than later and get it patched up."
> Vuko:
Kapak’s words, however unimaginable destruction were supposed to create in Vuko’s imagination seemed to have little to no effect, instead just making him smile delicately. - “I think we are all good here, right ladies?” - He answers seemingly for all of them. - “You however really should pilot. I would prefer not to a crash in an infested ‘tin can’ or however you call this flying brick.” - While saying the last words Vuko was already laying on the bed with eyes closed and hands behind his head, preparing to doze off.
By the time Vuko replies to the host's question, Koya is already lying motionless on the bed with a pillow placed on top of her face to muffle external sounds; if it was not for a barely audible exhalation every so often, anyone could mistake her for a corpse. Her sister, whose cheeks appear to be swollen due to several large chunks of cookies she tried to eat all at once, simply nods at the question while pressing both arms against her chest like a squirrel.
Kapak:
“Well, alright then. You’re welcome to leave this room at any time, by the way. Just remember to take off the masks hanging by the wall over there before you step through the airlock.” Kapak turned to walk away, but paused as he turned back to the group.
“Ge- I mean, Mr. Chubbs, take care of them, eh?”
The fat monster nodded it's bubbly head up and down and wobbled back and forth on its heels, letting out a compliant burble.
Kapak looked wearily from the Engineer, to Koya, and lastly to the ancient technocyte roots at the back of the room. He gave the group a warm smile and disappeared into the airlock.
