Post by Marcus Drago on Oct 5, 2015 0:31:28 GMT -5
Well... You're a very positive man, Marcus thought when Henry mentioned the misery thing. Marcus didn't enjoy the way this sounded, a spore that could break him down from the interior. He preferred his enemies to be killable. Unfortunately, the only way these spores could be killed is by medicine, and the daemon knew that there was no medicine just yet for this.
Henry helped everyone into their suits, moving so fast that Marcus almost called him the road runner. This man was a hard worker, and definitely in a rush to see an end to this beginning apocalypse. Henry did have some fine suits, though; and one that fit Marcus pretty well, even with his large black wings.
Attached to the suits were a set of miniature cannons that fired some type of projectile. The mechanism was very hard to work, and Marcus tried to test fire one and failed. It appeared that this technology worked best with air canisters, and would not work otherwise. Marcus would need to ask Henry how to work these things when the man wasn't so busy.
After Henry finished suiting everyone, he walked to the docs with his barrel, and below his feet suddenly appeared a submarine.
"Well, this has just gotten funner," Marcus said as he stared down at the water vehicle. It seemed old, like the ones that he had to destroy during the world war years. It was a beautiful model, no doubt, and Marcus was sure that it would fetch a heft price at an auction. However, the daemon questioned if that thing was efficient enough to drive them the rest of the way.
Reluctantly, Marcus got into the thing when it was his time, and when everyone was settled, he would continue to speak. "One thing doesn't make sense, Henry... If all your people was affected by those spores, how did you escape it? Did... Did you even escape it? And why did you keep on that suit after you reached nice clean air? I don't think that the spores would have affected you then..."
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2015 8:29:59 GMT -5 by Marcus Drago
Post by Benjamin Locke on Oct 6, 2015 19:02:19 GMT -5
As he lounged on the ground, one shoe half on, half off, Locke listened intently while Henry went on and on about some mining operation and algae or something. He finished his sandwich about halfway through. The portly man nearly let out a loud belch but he managed to muffle it somewhat. Would've been rude to burp in the middle of whatever crazy happened to be rambling on about now.
Ben did his very bestest to avoid giggling while his suit was fitted to him. But a guy can only do so much and he was feeling very ticklish right now. Once it was done, the portly indidvidual was feeling very dignified. He had his very own dive suit and dive weapon.
"Do we have to return these when we're done, or are they for us to keep forever and ever?" Locke asked after raising his hand and waiting a few seconds.
At the sight of the submarine, Ben couldn't help but clap his hands. This was getting rather exciting though the portly man almost regretting choosing the form he had, considering the cramp space they were all about to be occupying. Oh well. He couldn't rightly be blamed. It's not like Locke had be planning on climbing into a tiny submarine with like four other people.
Post by Henry Plashnikter on Oct 11, 2015 0:53:44 GMT -5
Henry followed the second to last person inside of his little waterproof can of air and engines, having to shove his way through cold shells containing warm bodies in order to reach his pilot's seat. There would be no going back now, not once they were under way. When the engines started, rumbling to life with an almost sickly sounding grind, the small craft lurched into motion and dived into the ocean. Questions would have to wait until they reached their final resting point, whether it be for them or for the sub, as the engines drowned out nearly all noise. The helmets were relatively quite however, and seemed to have been constructed with noise suppression in mind.
The ride would be a long one, the tension building within the sub broken only by the irregular bumping and grinding of the cylinder on some exterior entity. What few portholes were in the sub offered little respite from the cramped and almost tangibly black interior, the thick glass windows were clouded in addition to being quite small.
Eventually, after a trip that had lasted hours for some, days for others, a rotting pier began to approach. Sickly green water pounded against the hull of Henry's submersible, threatening to clog the engines or break through the riveted hull and drown the people within. They had arrived, finally, and in preparation for their departure into Hell, Henry opened a compartment near the access hatch of his vessel. A filtered air compressor and several unusually large rebreathers were held within the storage box, and instructions were given to mount said air tanks.
Post by Linette Nerissa on Oct 11, 2015 21:18:48 GMT -5
It felt extremely weird for Linette to be under water and not actually in the water. No wonder some humans found the ocean to be such a scary place; being inside metal machines like this one would make most feel uneasy. Not to mention to grinding gears of the engine would surely give her a headache after a while. It also explained why Henry was so versed in his knowledge of the deep blue.
After an hour boredom truly sank in and began to drive Linette stir crazy, The dull throb in the back of her brain didn't help much either. She wished she'd thought to put her I-pod and head phones into her suit before Henry had sealed it shut. With out them she would drown into her own boredom. Eventually her headache placed her into am uneasy sleep.
Not knowing how long had passed she awoke to the sound of Henry opening the top hatch of the sub. She wondered what dangers were waiting for them outside.
Post by Marcus Drago on Oct 13, 2015 15:39:39 GMT -5
Marcus wasn't surprised to see that this old chunk of metal was too loud to speak in. He had been inside of one of these things before, and he remembered that it took an awful amount of intelligence to manage. Marcus was impressed that this man even owned this type of vehicle. Did he pay for it, or did he steal it?
The daemon kept all his questions to himself when the submersible finally reached the top again. Several hours underwater really made a man think, literally. Marcus had too many thoughts racing, and asking all of them would really ruin the fun of this adventure, for now. The hatch hadn't open yet. Instead, Henry moved to a compartment and pulled out filters and rebreathers. Oh great, I'm relying on an air tank! Marcus thought when he saw the manual. He wasn't too fond of counting on machines like these to keep him alive. What if they were destroyed through battle, or from him tripping over a rock? It just didn't spell good things for Marcus. However, he went with Henry, for now, desperate to see what was happening in a city so close to Rome.
Post by Benjamin Locke on Oct 13, 2015 19:41:06 GMT -5
So. The sub was cramped. Uncomfortably so. Ben didn't like it but he could live with it and not be freaking out the entire time. The ride itself was fairly boring and uneventful as well. Shortly into the entire thing, the portly individual realized he honestly had no idea where they were going. Henry might've said so, but Locke probably wasn't listening. Well, he knew the part about the town but unless the town was underwater he wasn't entirely sure why they had to be stuffed into a submarine to get there.
Anyways, the trip was a pretty long one. Locke wasn't entirely sure how long because he took a nap at some point, but he was pretty sure that it took a while. Some stuff about rebreathers and air tanks, instructions. Ben listened and followed directions, not paying too much attention to what the others were doing. Naturally he assumed they were also doing whatever.
Post by Henry Plashnikter on Oct 15, 2015 13:02:37 GMT -5
Henry allowed his motley crew of conscripted cave explorers to figure things out for themselves, making some room for them to finish gearing up by climbing out of the sub and onto a rotting dock nearby. The thing was really more of an unstable platform almost entirely made of fungus by this point, but it would sturdy enough to hold at least a little weight for a while. If it happened to break, the water here wasn't deep anyways. They were perhaps fifty meters from the shore, a quick walk through the murky water wouldn't hurt anyone.
A quick walk through the nearby settlement might hurt people, however. Things had only gotten worse in the few days that Henry had been gone, and what structures and people remained outside were almost entirely unrecognizable. Houses were no longer man-made structures, but lumps of seething fungi. Neighbors, friends, and family were more or less in the same shape. They were walking spore incubators, coughing and wheezing out toxic clouds of green and yellow. Unfortunately they were also still half-sentient, and it looked like they were still willing to throw punches at whatever happened to wander too close. Their strength wasn't much a problem, but the spores and organic bits and pieces that they released on contact were going to mess with some of the electronics and moving parts on Henry and co's suits.
If they managed to make it through the town then they would be set until they got to the mining site, but that was going to be the only break they would get. Rather than speculating on the future however, Henry waited patiently for people to climb out with him before moving onward. So long as everyone kept their distance from the spore incubators they would be fine, but once one was alerted, they were all going to be alerted. Something about a hive mentality that Henry couldn't quite wrap his head around.
Post by Linette Nerissa on Oct 18, 2015 12:42:21 GMT -5
Linette's head still throbbed a bit after the long voyage in Henry's obnoxiously loud submarine, the sight of the surrounding waters almost made her tear up. The fungus that had managed to contaminate the island also was crushing the marine ecosystem surrounding it; the water was to murky to make out any living creatures. The city itself wasn't much of a prettier site; Henry had not exaggerated when he had said that the place was a desolate waste land. What once must of been a village now stood a cluster of over grown fungal mounds.
"Henry how exactly do you plan on getting to the mine that you were talking about? The locals don't exactly seem all that welcoming." Linette gestured to the fungal invested villager on the beach. The creature didn't seem very agile or powerful but if the spores could take over what ever they came in contact with; it made navigating through this demented wonderland all that more dangerous.
Post by Marcus Drago on Oct 21, 2015 18:08:00 GMT -5
Marcus silently whistled to himself when he stepped to the surface. A lot of time was spent in the sub, trying to get that damn air filter to fit. He stepped outside right after Linnette, and onto a platform that seemed less stable than a stack of bricks. Instead of walking on it, he floated in the air. If anyone was going to take a plummet for the large party member's weight, it would not by Marcus.
As he looked upon the town, he noticed what anyone would describe as complete hell. Fungus grew in ever nook and cranny, and people were walking spore carriers. Evolution had given whatever fungus that started this a great advantage, and Marcus was terribly afraid of what would happen if these spores got into the other towns by following the wind.
We need to stop this, he told himself as he waited for the rest to leave the submarine.
Post by Benjamin Locke on Oct 21, 2015 23:16:01 GMT -5
At the sight of the fungus covered dock -- Or should he say dock covered fungus? -- Ben shuddered and gripped the weird weapon Henry had given him just a little bit tighter. The entire scene was creepy. From what Henry had told him, this stuff was getting inside people and driving them bonkers.
Locke was suddenly glad for the protective suit he'd been given. The portly man wouldn't have come within a mile of this place without it. It granted him some measure of security but he still felt somewhat uneasy and knew that he wouldn't feel anywhere near safe until he was far, far away.
The blue haired woman asked a question that was probably pretty important but Ben wasn't paying attention to her. He was staring wide eyed at one of the walking spore incubators. The portly individual found it difficult to imagine that such a creature had ever once been human. He turned his attention back to the group in time to catch Henry's answer -- If the man even bothered to give one.
Post by Henry Plashnikter on Oct 24, 2015 17:58:21 GMT -5
"We walk through them. Do not let them get too close or touch you, otherwise we'll have to fight off the entire town. Or, what's left of it." said Henry, his voice solemn as his feet trudged forward off the end of the dock. Unless something went horribly wrong, he was going to come back and deal with his people in his own way. One at a time, with an air rifle. For now they would cause no harm unless they were disturbed.
"The mine site is through the town, up the mountain ridge. If we move quickly we can be there in a half hour. If someone touches or is touched by a mushroom head, we'll have to fight through the rest of these... people, to get there. We'll not make it until a few hours have passed, in that case." The old man said once again, continuing his walk towards a nearby road overgrown with mold and similar such fungal growths, and up towards the mountain in the distance.
Post by Linette Nerissa on Oct 26, 2015 22:52:08 GMT -5
"We walk through them. Do not let them get too close or touch you, otherwise we'll have to fight off the entire town. Or, what's left of it." Henry's announcement made Linette a little nervous. She was by no means a complete clutz, but her and the ground had a long standing relationship. She'd nearly tripped attempting to get into Henry's submarine, and not to mention what she was trying to avoid also moved. Linette glanced side to side trying to gauge everyone else's opinion of the situation. No one seemed to be particularly worried.
"The mine site is through the town, up the mountain ridge. If we move quickly we can be there in a half hour. If someone touches or is touched by a mushroom head, we'll have to fight through the rest of these... people, to get there. We'll not make it until a few hours have passed, in that case." Henry finished and began his way through the fungal mine field. Linette swallowed hard: it was to late to turn back now and besides how hard could it be to navigate right? She followed closely behind Henry.
The submarine ride wouldn't have been as bad if it weren't so cramped inside. But they survived and after what seemed like forever they were off again. Pandora made a mental note never to volunteer to help crazy old men again after witnessing this. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. Like she was inside a weird sci fi movie scene. Although it was a bad situation, Pandora couldn't help but think about how cool it looked.
Henry explained things and gave the group good warning about danger. Pandora listened patiently while continuing to take in the sights. Linette had a good idea staying close behind Henry so Pandora did similar and took her place closely behind. She looked anxious so Pan lightly placed a hand onto her shoulder as reassurance. There was no way she was going to let anything happen to one of her only friends.
Post by Marcus Drago on Oct 27, 2015 11:59:21 GMT -5
"We walk through them," Henry answered Linnette. "Do not let them get too close or touch you, otherwise we'll have to fight off the entire town. Or, what's left of it."
"That's comforting to know..." Marcus said under his breath. He felt entirely uneasy about this town. Fungus grew from every roof and floor, man and dog, in the most queer of manner. He also knew the capabilities of fungi, and this could not possibly be possible. Some were toxic, yes, but none were zombie makers. The oddest thing that seemed to trouble Marcus' mind, however, was the solution to all of this. There was no way that these people would be allowed to leave this land and infect others in Greece, Marcus would never allow that, so the only other solution seemed to be to burn this entire city. Henry, however, seemed to have other plans as he was guiding them to a mine as though they were going to war.
Were they going to fight a monster? These people and Marcus against some type of fungus creature? That was a possibility, and another was that Henry was the cause of all this mess and probably planning something sinister. How else would he be the only person to survive this mess?
"The mine site is through the town, up the mountain ridge," Henry continued. When everyone was off the unsteady platform, Marcus hovered above the ground until he could make a safe land. Once his feet touched the ground he fell into strive with the rest of the group, but behind them. "If we move quickly we can be there in a half hour. If someone touches or is touched by a mushroom head, we'll have to fight through the rest of these... people, to get there. We'll not make it until a few hours have passed, in that case."
"Interesting," Marcus said after Henry. "So they have some sorta root connection with each other. Or is it telepathic? This seems mostly like a supernatural monster's doing. If that's the case, then I guess are weapons are an appropriate acquirement." Marcus paused to let everyone think, if he talked too much then he might lose someone. "However, there is something that I just can't understand, Henry. How did you survive all of... This? We need to know in case we may need to do the same later."
Post by Benjamin Locke on Oct 29, 2015 20:12:16 GMT -5
Ben shuddered. He certainly had no intention of letting any of those things touch him, suit or no. It gave him the creeps just looking at the darn things! While he would certainly attempt to avoid attracting any of the beasties' attention, the portly individual had never been too particularly talented when it came to stealth. It was just never a skill he'd bothered to develop.
The portly man followed Henry cautiously, careful to watch were he stepped, not wanting to be the one to bring a horde of infected villagers down on their head. Sure, Ben could always just teleport away if he had to but that would be lame. Besides, his caution was tempered somewhat by his curiousity. Locke really wanted to know what was going on here in this strange place.
Marcus started blabbing again. At least this time he managed to bring up an interesting question. How had Henry survived?