Scene #5726: Incursion

Owner	Pose
Carna	A resolution was made, to approach Coeus, one of the gods, about what they can do to help. While there is no telling where Coeus might actually be, if a singular physical location even applies to such a being who can exist within all of Emblem City, Coeus' Workshop seems like a valid location to start at least. As always, it is a hive of activity, though that activity seems a bit more pitched and frantic than in the past. Many are scrambling to come up with devices, weaponry, vehicles -- anything that can help protect their city, even if that city is increasingly looking unfamiliar. Some seem distracted, unfocused, and uncertain due to the sudden changes and fear they are undergoing, and sit or stand around listlessly, lost in their thoughts. And all throughout the facility, there is a constant hum of energy that vibrates the floors and walls, and a deep blue glow from the power that the newly constructed gathering tower is siphoning from the sun. The day, previously 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds of daylight, with only a 1-second night, has been shortened by this power extraction, and it is already nearly night at a mere 16 hours in. The curfew has not changed, at least, so people can stay out and see night for the first time in... How long has it been? Not that there's much to see. There's no stars in the sky, and certainly no moon. Just huge empty space above. There used to be a huge empty space below and off the sides of the various city-section islands, but now buildings stretch onwards and onwards filling the terrain from horizon to horizon. At least some of the buildings are starting to look a bit more stylized as efforts are made both by inhabitants and perhaps by Coeus as well to refine the huge wealth of structures that he has 'grown'. But why he needed to add so many more in the first place is unclear. There are directories available, but none of them say, 'Coeus Is Here' or anything. Still, one could try one of the floating, holographic info boards. Or ask around. Or just wander and hope they bump into him.
Leyanne	Paird is the one most familiar with Coeus; they've worked together on the Gyrodyne she flies, including reinforcing some of the components with... well, Paird's not entirely sure what he's done, but it's something to do with the PRAYER system, and led to degraded (but not completely lost) control when the system glitched. She looks around as she steps into the sprawling workshop, heading straight up to one of the holographic boards. "Where's Coeus?" She asks it.
Asterios	Large has contributed in no small amount to trying and give a bit of personality to the... Frankly quite disappointing expanse of urban sprawl that now occupied so much of the city. That said, the longer night seemed almost... Relaxing to him, for some unknowable reason. How strange, the darkness was familiar in a way he didn't realize he had missed. But now they need to find the man responsible for... All of this. Still, Paird is already taking care of one avenue, so Large goes for another. He starts asking around if anyone has seen the reclusive inventor-god.
Carna	The screen simply tells Paird that he is unavailable. Helpful. Large's inquiry gets a different result from a harried-looking individual with arms full of dynamite with the fuses lit and sizzling. He jogs in place as he hears the question, stammers and uhhhhs a lot while looking between the dynamite and his destination, and tries to think about something other than the dynamite. "Uhhh... Uhhh... I, uhhh... I DUNNO!" He sprints across the large lobby and into the next room and out of sight just in time for an explosion to rock the building. Pretty standard stuff for this place. Well, that was productive. Now what? A bespectacled lady in a labcoat walks up and says, "The last I knew, Lord Coeus had gone to see the prisoner. The saboteur who tried to destroy and corrupt PRAYER and its related systems, being held at the Temple. He is reclusive, as you know, and rarely moves about in a physical body." The unhelpful display on the board that Paird pulled up suddenly switches from 'Unavailable' to '987th Sub-Level'. Hm. Either he just became available or he wasn't here until a moment ago. Or both. At least they have a destination now, and the various lift-elevators and teleportation pads and mad-science contraptions should allow them to get down there relatively easily. Even if levels that low tend to be restricted, as long as they can supply a reason, they should be allowed, right?
Leyanne	Paird, upon sight of Large... flinches, very visibly, her eyes going wide - and goes for her pistol. But then she recognises him - or rather, the lack of doomfog and sound-deadening, and relaxes, visibly just as her hand brushes the handle of the firearm. "Oh, Large, it's you." she says, sounding shaken, but relieved. "I've got him on Sub-987. It's very low, that might be hard to get into..." She nods her head towards the nearest transportation device - a large, pneumatic tube - and starts making her way there, beckoning Large. She's quite obviously nervous around him, however.
Asterios	Large... Just sort of stares at the pile of lit dynamite and the poor bastard in charge of carrying it around. It's a blank look. The kind of look that says 'I have no idea what the fuck.' "Hey, wait--" he starts, but it's too late! The guy's already running off... And exploding!! Oof. "...Will that guy be alright?" Large asks of the bespectacled labcoat lady. "What was he even doing with... All of those explosives?" Beat. Ah. So that's where Coeus is. Makes sense. Large bobs his head at her response, "Alright. Just... Make sure that guy gets medical attention, okay?" It's probably fine! Nothing Coeus' lab does is ever... permanently dangerous. ... "Paird," the architect says, but tilts his head at her very obvious flinch. "...Hm. Sorry, did something happen? I've been getting a few odd looks lately..." He's certainly not some kind of doom monster. This guy might be gigantic, but he also has the demeanor of someone who would feel guilty about even inconveniencing a fly. "Aa, yeah. Let's go see if we can find him." But... Will he even fit inside the pneumatic tube...? It'll probably be a tight squeeze.
Leyanne	Paird nods. "You could say that." she says, dryly. "We went out into the forest after dark, to try and find Prometheus and find out... more about what's going on, if he knew. Maybe about how these invaders were getting in, or something. Turns out there's a monster guarding it, a hungry monster that eats people and... it's imprisoned there. Who bears a more than passing resemblence to you, old chap." A pause as she looks at the tube. "We might want to find one of the other ways to get around." She instead leads him off to one of the elevators instead. They're designed for freight, so they should fit Large.
Asterios	A monster in the forest...? Large makes an uncomfortable noise at that. "I'd heard rumors about that... But I've been busy downtown overseeing some of the new beautification projects ever since the city's expanded. You're sure that it looked like me...?" That's disconcerting. "Could it be someone with similar modifications...?" Well, at least they've found an elevator that'll fit him better. That's always nice!
Carna	The elevator ride is long. Any sign of outdoor light is gone a few minutes after they descend, with only the illumination provided by the elevator itself, and occasionaly lit markers of various floors as they pass them by. Eventually, they descend into a completely open space of some kind. The sub-level ticker keeps climbing as they descend, and eventually they are stopped at sub-level 980. Things start impacting the outside of the elevator lightly, and the clicking sound of them skittering around culminates in the doors opening, to reveal an assortment of Selenes looking curiously in at them. "Welcome. Please state the purpose of your presence on this level before continuing, and your destination." one of them says in its clearly synthetic voice. Nothing creepy here. The Selenes look mostly like innocent youngsters with machinery/puppet parts to them, though their limbs are distinctly non-human, branching off at elbow joins into multi-limbs, protruding from their backs, and have some sort of flight assembly for lower bodies. They aren't carrying any obvious weaponry, as is typical of Selenes. They are protectors, not soldiers. Restraining trouble makers is their usual method of suppression, not violence. These, despite their unusual bodies, seem no different.
Leyanne	Paird nods "Close enough that when I saw you walk in I shit a kitten." She admits. "And I don't know why PRAYER would turn someone into a man-eating monster that glowed red and gave off a sound-deadening fog. That's a very... particular... set of upgrades likely to cause trouble. Reminded me of the myth of the minotaur in the labyrinth." She shivers. As the Selene speaks, she blinks. "We'd like to see Coeus. We're... I can't speak for Large, but I myself, I'm... scared. I don't feel safe here and I want to offer my assistance. And... ask for some answers perhaps."
Asterios	Large seems... Distinctly disturbed by what Paird is telling him. A man-eating monster? Sound-deadening fog? The architect goes pale at the thought, wide eyed in worry and maybe... something else? No. He grunts, rubbing softly at his temples. The Minotaur... Is it? "That's... Horrifying. I'm sorry that you and the others had to... My God, I can't even imagine. A cannibal monster. Did those outsiders do that to some poor innocent soul? How terrible...! Someone should put it down, for its own good as well as ours." There's a pause, then, as the Selenes and the way ahead reveal themselves. "My friend is quite right. We need Coeus' help to repel those... Invaders. Whatever they might be."
Carna	The Selenes take the explanation in stride, unquestioningly. However, they do need a little bit of additional information. "Understood. We still require your destination before we can permit you to continue. It will be faster, safer, and more efficient than attempting to navigate an under construction area." Oh, right, they didn't mention that part, just why they were here. "If I may recommend a destination, Lord Coeus is presently on sub-level 990." Wasn't he on 987 before? Seems he's going deeper. Either way, as the Selenes originally requested, a destination is needed.
Leyanne	"We tried." Again that dry tone. "I don't... think it was the Outsiders that di that to him. It felt... the forest obeyed him. It felt... wrong, but like he belonged there, like the forest was HIS... it belonged to him and.... just as much as it belonged to him... HE belonged to IT. As if... the shifting, maze-like nature of the forest was part of... his power." She blinks at the Selene when they request clarification. "Oh. Uh. Yes sub-level 990 please. He was on 987 earlier... if he moves before we arrive, please redirect us."
Asterios	Large stares into space for a very long time. He closes his eyes, shaking his head. "I don't want to even consider that it's anything but a fluke or a... a corruption of some kind. What reason would there be to have such a creature out there...? We don't know enough about those outsiders to completely discount their involvement, but..." No. They can talk about this later. The Selenes are still waiting. "Floor 990 it is, then," Large answers with a shrug. It's always semantics with these things, isn't it? Strange that he seems to be going deeper, but... Maybe he's got something to do down there?
Carna	"Understood. Please relax. We will conduct you safely to your destination and adjust accordingly should it change." The elevator doors close, and the Selenes gather along the outside, using their flight units to detach the elevator and fly downwards with it. Through a few transparent gaps, they can see the elevator shaft literally stops at 980. It was not possible to continue going down any further without tumbling into an empty void of some kind. They weren't kidding about it being under construction! Or maybe blocking direct access to lower levels unsupervised is intentional. Either way, the sub-level display continues to tick upwards, as they continue to go downwards. 981. 982. 983... About every three seconds they clear a level. And each level is pretty big. But there's no sense of momentum. There are many protective features inherent to Emblem City, just as the scientist lady would have reminded him when he asksed about Dynamite Guy before. They're already dead. It's not like they are going to die again. No, the worst fate for the dead at this point is not dying again, but ceasing to be who they are. And that is, supposedly, what the intruders represent. What they did to poor little Soupi... Turning her into some kind of... Brutalized cybernetic zombie-looking thing. That smile she always had, the good cheer she shared, the wonderful food she made for everyone... Gone. Replaced with some horrible monster, visible in a flicker of a dark and terrible energy that sucked in everything around it. Some... Void. Who can deny the intruders are the enemy in the face of such a corruption? Maybe there are answers not being shared with the residents of Emblem City, but surely it must be for their safety. Right? 990. 991. 992. It seems Coeus is still going deeper, and the destination is adjusting accordingly. Good foresight on Paird's part to request that. Given the Selenes are flying quite fast and the delay between levels has extended to about ten seconds per tick, it seems that the levels are getting larger. There's greater distance between them. They come to a stop, finally, on level 999. The elevator is slotted into some sort of structure, and then the doors open to reveal a darkened hallway, only occasional bars of light near the ceiling giving something dim to see by. The floor gives off a red sheen, appears to be wet, and... Sticky. The hall goes both left and right, but the sounds of machinery working come from the left, while the right just continues on and on out of sight, with the same, seemingly-blood-covered floor the whole way. What experiments is Coeus getting up to down here? ...Or is the intruders, corrupting this place again and he's here to stop them!?
Leyanne	Paird gives a wry smirk. "Perhaps Prometheus values his privacy?" She laughs. It's always been the british way to Diffuse tension; joke about it. She steps out onto the floor, listening to the sound of her feet pulling off it. "Oh, lovely..." Paird looks around, slipping her sidearm from its holster but keeping it aimed low. At times like this, Paird really wishes she carried a bigger gun. She sniffs the air cautiously. "Is this Coeus experimenting or... something worse. Is it the invaders, do you think? MY LORD COEUS? HELLO? ARE YOU HERE SIR?"
Asterios	999. 999? That's... That's deep. Too deep. It took them so long to descend to meet the Selenes to begin with. How is it that he was on floor 990 then and now he's on the 999th? That doesn't make sense-- unless Coeus is in a hurry for... Some reason or another. And what they find does nothing to make the situation any less strange. "Is this..." Large staggers at the sight, "Is this blood?" It... feels like blood. Looks like blood. Smells like blood. The massive architect murmurs a quiet prayer to the moon before following the actual soldier out into the hallway. "I don't know. I thought this place was still under construction. What... What is he even doing down here...?"
Carna	The voice enhanced by divine power resonates through the halls, more feeling than sound, in response to their calls. I am here. Be cautious in your footing. It definitely seems to be coming from the direction of the machinery. If they don't just stand around in the blood, and actually move towards it, around the corner, they come across... A number of pedestals situated around a large but somehow also cramped room. Machinery extrudes from the walls in many locations. There is a throne upon which Coeus's physical shell he wears when he moves about is seated. A mechanical thing without any apparent secondary-sex characteristics, it's unclear why everyone assumes he's male. They just do. The same mask that appears in the walls and such when he is moving about in his 'other' form comprises the face. A simple plate of stone with silver accents, a couple gouges for eyes and a horizonal space for ventilation approximating a mouth. There is also a gaping hole in Coeus's chest, the armored body torn apart, and blood pouring out voluminously from a number of pipe-like structures inside, surrounding an empty space at the center. In a human body, many vital organs would be located in such a space. In Coeus's case... That mass of blood-soaked machinery has been set aside on a pedestal. And another. And another. Similarly-sized masses, removed and set to drip upon those chest-height columns like macabre art displays. I understand you wish to speak with me. Coeus says, apparently unperturbed by his current situation.
Leyanne	Paird blinks at the voice and nods. "Thank you, my lord." She says, following the sound of machinery. The noise /usually/ means Coeus is working there, at least it has meant that when she was after help with the Gyrodyne. Then she rounds the corner, blinking as she takes in what she sees. "...oh!" She looms mildly horrified, until she realises that this is all Coeus. This... calms her. He seems unbothered by it, so it's probably operating, at least partially, as intended. It's a bit weird, even for him, so she's not -completely- at ease. She looks around again. "Interesting, er, experiment you've got going on here, my lord Coeus. Um. Can we be of... assistance, perhaps? We're worried about... about the invaders, really. We... I want to find out what they want and stop them."
Asterios	This-- This is... This is horrfying. Paird might be okay with all of this, but Large doesn't seem to be. The enormous man staggers at the sight of... All of this. The dripping mechanical organs. The blood flooding out of the great machine-god's chest. Sure, it's not his actual body but-- Machines are not /meant/ to leak blood...! "This..." Large sounds very much like he's trying not to hurl. "Pardon, sir, I just... What is this? What are you doing to yourself, and why are you doing it so deep underground...?" He looks to Paird then and gives a weak, hesitant nod. "...Yes. It's as she says. We... Came to ask for help. For weapons, tools... Anything you may be able to spare. We'd like to offer our assistance, but we are concerned that we may be overmatched."
Carna	Coeus listens to them, and responds, That is, in fact, what I am working on right now. You see, the Selenes were never meant to be fighters. They are companions. Protectors. Servants. They are many things. But they are not weapons. However, these intruders have demonstrated that weapons is what we need to fight them. I have thus been constructing some upgrades suitable for the task. Little metal pipes and tubes seem to be extending from the insides of that bloody cavity, regrrowing and rebuilding themselves before the eyes of the two noble souls, like a spiderweb of steel forming spontaneously without a spider to weave it. Actually, it is good that you came. You will get to witness first hand the birth of new beings. Life in a place of death. For that, they need my blood, you see. The god rises from his gore-drenched throne, pushing himself up effortlessly on large, dripping, clawed hands. He then raises one of those hands and closes it as if grabbing something invisible. When he does so, that energy that has been humming through the workshop, that Paird and Large may only just now realize had stopped, leaving them in near-silence, on the descent to this place, returns full-force. Blue light courses through previously invisible patterns in the floor, walls, and ceiling, tracing some arcane runes or almost-circuit-pattern, and eventually ascending through the pillars those piles of bio-machinery are lumped upon. The energy drained from the very sun pours into them, making them sizzle and crackle with power, and gradually unfold, twist, and convulse, until they expand into vaguely humanoid frames. Simulacra similar to Coeus' own shell, but without the seams and clear artificiality of either Coeus or Selenes. They have smooth, continuous exteriors, the lumpy metal and blood melting down and then resolidifying into 'skin'. These entities twist and writhe, and then eventually... They sit up. They have a variety of very simplistically-designed expressions. Like doodles on a page, but that page is the front of their head. They all have two little points extending up from the corners of said heads, on top. Like horns, or ears. These will help you. These will protect you. They possess enormous superhuman power, beyond what even the PRAYER System can grant. I still have work to do, but if you have a question of me, you can ask it of them. Coeus informs the two of them as he gestures around vaguely and begins to make his way out of the machinery-filled room. You may call these Crows.
Leyanne	THe blue-haired woman nods as she listens to Large. "Yes, exactly. I'm a fair marksman, and a good pilot but... I feel... outclassed. I want to help, but... well... I've never had much need for PRAYER, beyond the enhancements to my machine but... um..." she trails off as she listens to Coeus, looking at the... Crows. She blinks, stepping forward to gently poke the nearest Crow, cautiously. She appears to have completely forgotten that she's still got her pistol in her other hand. "...Life? Is that... wise, my lord?" She looks around, warily. "Not that I don't trust you, my lord, but one thing I remember about living people is that they are... unpredictable." A pause. "While I welcome these Crows, and the protection they bring... I at least would be greatly reassured if we were granted more... ahem... personal protection? We want to take a more proactive role in defending Ember. I'd like to return to the world of the living, one day. When the time is right. I will not have them jeopardise that!"
Asterios	There's something genuinely... unsettling about how Coeus works. About how these Crows come to life, assembled and moulded out of the very stuff of the divine and the light of the sacred sun. It's the strange intersection of the mystical, the holy and the profane. A joining that truly was never really meant to be-- that should never have been. Large watches with awestruck and terrified eyes as the quickening unfolds, the Crows come alive. He... "My Lord, these are... Amazing. Creatures born of godly flesh and divine light, there's a story about that kind of thing, I think. But... To have expended yourself so, to have drained the sun, that worries me a little bit. And besides that, the city is... No longer itself. There's a monster in the forest wearing my face. It's all so strange, Lord." Large sighs. If he had a hat, he'd be wringing its rim right about now. "I am... Concerned. I suppose. There are so many questions. I just wish these outsiders would leave us in peace."
Leyanne	Paird nods in agreement with Large. "Is it not enough that we're already dead? Can they not let us rest in peace?"
Carna	Coeus pauses to look back at the two of them. You are unsatisfied being protected. You wish to be protectors yourselves. It is not a question. Very well. I will send a request to Phoebe. You may have noticed that some souls awoke to inherent power, transcending their limitations, during the previous attack. They have absorbed a piece of PRAYER into themselves, realizing their own wishes and potential, as a result of the sabotage wrought by that shadowy creature. I shall do the same for you two, and any others who wish to do battle. But keep yourselves safe. They seek you, and the others. They will twist your minds and senses to their wills. He then turns back to them, and his long, clawed fingers gently dap a drop of Coeus's viscuous blood upon the foreheads of each. The Crow that Paird pokes does not react, maintaining its fixed, cartoonish face. But it does hop down. And then the others do the same. It seems they will have some company on the way up. Coeus examines Large at those words. A monster bearing your face in the woods? I will inquire with Prometheus on this matter. Until I have answers, avoid venturing there again. It may be the product of the invaders, or a side-effect of their sabotage. But they can not be permitted to have a single one of these souls. You are under my protection. Rest assured, I hear your concerns and understand them. When the next step of my preparations are complete, I will be able to attend to everyone once more. Then he walks into a wall of machinery, melds into it, and vanishes from sight, simply leaving a blood stain on the surface instead. Now to go splash through blood puddles to the elevator and inform everyone of the good news. Coeus has made even greater protectors and will give them greater strength to protect themselves in turn. And he will investigate the mysterious figure in the woods too. See? Nothing bad happened coming to see a god. Everything will be just fine.