[muffled spooky scary skeletons playing in the distance]

[geonomy]

Who: You! Me! Everybody!
Broadcast: idk but we've sure got a pretty broad cast of folks eh, eh
Action: HECK YEAH PLANET MINGLE
When: 10/7 until plot update or recaptcha

It's a deep, deep forest filled to the brim with fungi, mysterious life forms, and pitch black darkness. Explore if you dare and discover all these things and more! Just don't get lost...

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

Shockwave

[Natasha plays the part of communications officer aptly when the distress signal reaches them, combining her Red Room training with the job specific knowledge that came with her augment in an attempt to gain any additional information about the signal.

She doesn't, it should be noted, trust it. Easy to attribute her concern to a suspicious mind, but this kind of signal could so easily be a trap, or else a signal still sent long after the crew of whatever ship initialized it had met their eventual fate leaving the SOS as a metaphorical ghost leading more ships into danger.

Which isn't to say she'd advise ignoring it. It does mean she's cautious, though.

When the shockwave hits, she swears sharply under her breath. Sometimes she hates being right.]

Exploration

[When they make planet side, Natasha regards the dense forests grimly. Not the sort of environment where her skill set is at its most valuable. While her survival skills are nothing to be ashamed of, at her heart Natasha is a spy. She's at her most useful among other people.

That won't stop her from scouting the area surrounding the landing site. She goes out well armed, and at first at least her forays are limited to the range where light still filters down through the canopy, even if the trees at ground level are still locked in a fairy tale twilight.

Anyone she runs into while scouting will get a wave and an invitation to come closer and share information.]

Wildcard!

Exploration

[stretchy_girl]

[It's been a good several hours since her shuttle landed, and Gemini's spent that time flying over the forest as a bird. There really hasn't been that much to see from above the forest cover gets so thick, just trees, trees, and more trees. Until she spots a shuttle parked in a clearing. Perhaps she can play a little with the crew of another ship, they might not laugh but Gemini certainly would.

She doesn't spot anyone at first, but after circling for awhile spots Natasha through the branches and swoops down to land a few hundred metres behind her. The movement of branches is the first clue that something now far bigger than a bird is moving through the undergrowth, keeping out of sight but circling ever nearer.]

Re: Exploration

[outstandingbalance]

[Movement in the branches isn't new. Since Natasha touched down, it's been a feature of this world. She's yet to spot much living other than birds and oversized mice, but it's clear those aren't the only things in the canopy. Natasha notes when something seems out of place, sounds out of the general quiet rhythm of the forest, but at least at this point there's no cause for more than that.

Natasha continues her investigation of the surrounding area methodically, getting the lay of the land.]

Re: Exploration

[stretchy_girl]

[This is most definitely not an oversized mouse, unless on this world they're more akin to alien space monsters. There a monstrous hiss and Gemini slithers out of the shadows, black scaly armour glinting in the light, massive clawed hands flexing.

Boo!]

[outstandingbalance]

[The reaction is immediate; Natasha came prepared, and while Gemini might—if she knew who she was facing—have opportunity to take pride in the fact she was able to take her by surprise, the immediate reaction in the face of shock is to raise the assault rifle slung across her back and take a bead on the monster.

Her finger twitches at the trigger, but doesn't quite pull. The thing hasn't attacked yet, the only thing that keeps her from firing.]

[stretchy_girl]

[That lack of fear is really disappointing. Gemini had hoped for a scream and at least some terrified flight, but all she gets is a weapon levelled in her face. It won't kill her, but Gemini knows from experience that high-energy plasma stings like hell. She's more cautious now, but not yet ready to abandon her act.

So she slithers closer, a maw full of razor sharp teeth opening to give a mighty chest shaking roar. Maybe that'll get the woman running?]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha opens her stance, shifting back on one foot. it's not that she's not afraid, exactly, but she tamps down on the fear. Clarity sinks in. She doe consider making a retreat, but running might turn her into prey and she has no reason to believe she'd outrun the alien.

Instead she lowers the tip of her weapon briefly, firing a warning shot at the ground in front of it in a clear sign not to come closer.

The muzzle comes back up almost instantly, ready to fire again if the thing takes that for a challenge.]

[stretchy_girl]

[The blast from the weapon draws an angry hiss and stops Gemini in her tracks. She'd been hoping to trigger a flight response but instead she's got fight and with the Augment holding her back a fight just wouldn't be the same.

Instead she slithers to one side, tail flicking thoughtfully and after a moment her own clear feminine voice emanates from the beast's maw.]

You're not easily scared are you?

[outstandingbalance]

[Hearing the voice changes things. If it—she—speaks like that, then she can be reasoned with. Potentially, at least.

It also heavily implies the point to start with was to scare here.

Natasha snorts, her answer dry.]

No.

[stretchy_girl]

[The creature's form shifts fluidly, shrinking down into Gemini's human form, black haired and looking distinctly irritated.]

How very boring of you.

[She observes, sidestepping Natasha and walking right past her, seemingly unworried by that rifle pointed at her.]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha lowers the gun's muzzle though there's the distinct feeling in her posture that it could come back up at any moment.]

If that's the kind of entertainment you were hoping for, I would be.

[stretchy_girl]

The augment would have stopped me from harming you anyway.

[She shrugs, a certain viciousness in the twist of her lips.]

Lucky for you.

text after the shockwave »

[mucked]

[ once the captain of the starstruck has her own ship's affairs in (relative) order, she makes a point of reaching out to other vessels -- hailing both captains and communications officers. when it comes to natasha's ship, she specifically pings the latter: ]

How are you lot faring? Catch anything in those signals aside from our honeypot of an SOS?

text

[outstandingbalance]

Don't I wish. Just that distress signal and then the shockwave scrambling the equipment for a few minutes.

Seems like a trap, but if it is, where are the teeth?

text

[mucked]

Lying in wait, I suspect. Doesn't make me any less curious.

text

[outstandingbalance]

In that case, they'e missing a hell of an opportunity.

Or they're waiting for something else.

[A pause before the next message.]

I doubt you're the only one who wants to know more.

[mucked]

...Do you?

[ want to know more. it's a bit of a courtship, perhaps. an overture to join her in the deep, dark pit of curiousity. ]

[outstandingbalance]

I just might.

[She's a spy, after all. Curiosity is both necessary for the job and one of its biggest hazards.

Natasha wants a better vantage.]

[mucked]

I thought so.

Steve is always telling me there's strength to be found in numbers.

[ if you catch her implication... ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha expects a follow up like that. She doesn't assume and she doesn't rush into agreeing, but when the implication is laid out more clearly, she considers it.]

And when Steve says that, does he usually follow up by going off and doing something stupid on his own?

I like to think we're smarter than that.

[mucked]

Bit of a hypocritical bastard, isn't he? [ hmph! ] And us? We're much more clever.

[outstandingbalance]

It's true.

Plus, I'm saving up my hypocrisy for where I really need it.

Does this mean we have a rendezvous?

[mucked]

We have a rendezvous, Ms. Romanoff.

The tree-line is at least worth a bit of reconnaissance. How does a half hour sound?

Shockwave

[geonomy]

[Just after the shockwave ends, Nat's comm device buzzes to life, and on the other end is Clay as well as footsteps, having left his post to go make sure everyone was okay and accounted for.]

Is everyone okay?! Please respond!

[outstandingbalance]

[The response is prompt, though Natasha's voice is a little grim.]

No injuries.