GAME EVENT: Day 17: [Ami] All Fall Down (open tag)

[island-muses.livejournal.com]

Three days after the survivors split themselves into two camps, either staying on the beach or moving into the caves, five days following Amanda's "banishment" from the camp and six days after Lucy's suicide, Mindfuck Island, as Scott so affectionately referred to it, settled down and life returned to normal. It said a lot, Ami reflected, that the survivors had reached a point where the day-to-day routines of survival were considered to be the height of normalacy.

There was a return to the routine of foraging, and Ami frequently found herself in the company of Rose and Molly, and surprisingly Daisy as well, when they ventured from the caves to go gathering fruit. More than once they also made the trek down to the beach to share the bounty with the older Rose, Claire and Sue, gathering up additional fruit and vegetables on their way back to the caves. They also scouted out an area for a garden, fortunately finding a suitable patch of land half-way between both camps. It was a bit of a trek for older Rose and Claire, who insisted on helping out with the garden and walked there with Sun, but Molly declared it to be the best spot and no one argued with the woman who seemed to know as much about herbs and such as Daniel did about languages.

Mid-afternoon found a small gaggle of women on hands and knees, working diligently to clear the area for what would become the community garden. Just a few minutes walk off the well-worn path between the caves and the beach, it had easy access to water, optimal sunlight, but was protected by foliage and shrubs enough to prevent anyone from accidentally stomping thorugh before the garden began a proper growth.

Laughing and talking with Claire, Daisy and Rose, her arms and clothes covered in dirt and grime, Ami realized that she was more relaxed than she had been for several days. She swiped at her face with the back of her hand, earning a laugh from the other women.

"Now you've gone and done it," Rose laughed. "Your own personal mud mask."

Ami dabbed at the dirt on her face, then winced as she realized she was only making it worse. "It's all natural at least. Maybe it will fight wrinkles."

"If it does, then we'll have to market it when we get rescued," Daisy suggested. Surprisingly, she too was covered in dirt from the weeding and clearing of the land.

"Craphole Island Face Care, eh?" Claire grinned, looking up from her patch of almost clear dirt. She made a face and promptly tapped her bump. "Don't you have somewhere else to put that foot?"

"Careful, Claire," Daisy warned, "When he's a teenager, he might just have an answer for you."

Ami cast out her awareness, as she did intermittently, just to be on the safe side. Scott and Megabyte were constants and most closely located were the women gardening with her. She knew that Molly was en route, and just beyond she could sense –

Startled, Ami blinked and peered cautiously into the distant trees. While the conversation continued, she reached out a bit more, a chill climbing up her spine. They were being watched; not by the Others, this didn't have that slimy, unnatural feeling to it, but they were being watched.

Just as the realization registered, Rose cried out, hand going to the side of her throat as she toppled over, twitching.

"Rose!" Ami scampered to her friend's side in alarm and that was when she heard it. The faint whizzing sound of air pressure escaping, and the same time that Claire gave a gasp and Daisy yelped, she felt the sharp pricking of something digging its way into her upper arm.

/Scott! Mega -/ was the only thought that Ami managed before the jungle tilted sideways and her awareness of everything became muted, blurred and then just wasn't anymore. Metaphorical fingers clawed at the metaphorical wall that cut her off from her abilities while darkness closed in on all sides. The world narrowed to a tunnel and then darkness swallowed her completely.

Comments

[Daniel] Armed? (open tag)

[lost-mckay.livejournal.com]

Daniel made it to the rest, catching up easily. He'd left Blaise back at the beach camp; made sense, really. He was going to remain, but the disappearances made that impossible. Stopping along the side, yes, he was familiar, if only via police television shows, with 'police procedures', he nodded at Jack as his brow quirked.

"Yes. That's another." He had his P90, his holdout pistol had been given to Clarice some time ago. "And Clarice. That's four guns and a pointed stick."

[Molly] Armed? (open tag)

[purplerhino.livejournal.com]

Molly was getting exasperated. "That's twenty pointy sticks to you buster." She jabbed at Daniel's chest with the feathered end of the arrow she was holding.

She always had a hard time with her temper. The curse of the redhead her da called it, rest his soul. It was worse when she was a bundle of contradicting emotions.

Fear for her friends, self recrimination that she had't gotten here in time to protect them, or been taken with them, as the Doctor's pointed accusation made clear. Anger at the man for the accusation and obvious wish that she had been taken instead of his platonic lover. Exaspiration that she understood how he felt and forgave the rudeness yet angry that she couldn't even hold that grudge.

She'd killed, animals, yes, but she no longer lost breakfast when she did it. She still felt deep remorse, pity and sorrow for the need, but she did it. She was capable. If one more person took a pot shot at her simple bow, they'd have an arrow between their feet.

She was vibrating inside with the tummult of emotions, her eyes still bright with tears she tried to stem from falling. Guilt was strongest under anger at the people who did this. The frustration, then all the rest. It felt like her body was too small to hold all these raw emotions within and any moment she woul'd fly apart.

"Four guns and a hell of an archer, now lets go get our friends back, damnit."

((OOC: Psst... Blaise is at the caves, not the beach. ;) ))

[Locke] Grim determination (open tag)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

The bastards had taken Daisy. Daisy, Claire, Ami, and Sun. Tranqed them like game. It was all Locke could do to not run down one of the two trails the kidnappers had left. Instead he forced himself to examine the footprints left behind.

Locke thought aloud as he canvassed the area. "There were eight, maybe nine. Male and female. A few are big or heavy. Not the Others. None were barefoot. They're wearing tennis shoes or hiking boots. No sign of a struggle except for..." He followed Daisy's loafers tracks a few feet away from the garden. "Daisy tried to get away. She collapsed here." Anger roiled. Locke closed his eyes and took a deep breath to center himself.

After another circuit Locke figured he'd learned as much as they needed to know. He faced the impatient group. "They carried the women off. Left in two groups. They're not stealthy like the Others." He pointed at the broken branches to the northwest. "Five or six went that way. The rest headed that way," he added, gesturing to the trail leading north."

Locke drew his bowie knife as he strode to the trail the smaller group of kidnappers had left. "I'll take this one. Fewer people, so it'll be harder to follow." Without another word he rushed ahead. They'd lost too much time already.

[Quentin, Charlie] Grim determination (open tag)

[rwarner.livejournal.com]

Charlie couldn't help it anymore. Locke had clearly pointed out the two paths the kidnappers had taken, then taken one of them himself. Somewhere out there Claire was at the mercy of some unknown sod who would probably hurt her and the baby. Pushing Quentin aside, he rushed off down the second, more trodden path.

"Charlie! Wait!" Quentin cried out, running after him. Behind him, Quentin could hear others joining in the pursuit. /That damn kid,/ Quentin thought to himself. /He's going to get himself hurt or killed if he doesn't restrain himself./

[Charlie] Saving Claire (open tag)

[rwarner.livejournal.com]

Charlie was blind to everything else save the trail through the jungle. Whomever had carried Claire off would definitely be leaving a significant trail, as he would be carrying a pregnant woman.

/Why are you so concerned?/ a voice echoed in Charlie's head.

/Shut your bleedin gob you git!/ Charlie's mind responded. /You never supported me! You were always jealous that mum loved me more!/

The voice continued, /This isn't about who mum loved more, this is about Claire. You've seen the way she looks at Damon. Even if you do save her, do you think she'll ever see you as anything more than a washed up addict?/

/Shut up! Shut up! It's your bloody fault that I got on that stuff! You promised me! You promised it would always be about the music! So you shut up!/

Charlie stopped in the forest and turned his head towards the canopy. "You hear me Liam! You SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!!"

[Quentin] What the hell?? (tag large group pursuers)

[rwarner.livejournal.com]

Charlie was a few feet in front of Quentin when he suddenly stopped.

"You hear me Liam! You SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!!"

/What the hell??/ thought Quentin as Charlie shouted loud enough for the entire jungle to hear him. He reached Charlie and grabbed him from behind.

"What on earth are you doing Charlie? And who the hell is Liam??"

Charlie attempted to wrestle from Quentin's grasp. "You get yer bleedin hands off me you sodding git! You've wanted to hurt me ever since you got here! Don't deny it! I can see it in your eyes!"

Charlie's had a wild, insane look in his eyes. The look he gave Quentin would melt steel.

"Now get yer hands OFF ME!" he said, wrestling free finally. "I have to save Claire!" Charlie pushed Quentin down as he ran off, continuing to follow the path as if his entire life depended on it.

Charlie's push knocked Quentin on his ass, and as he landed he fell back, hitting his head on a rock. The last thing Quentin saw before everything went black was Jack's face coming into view as the remaining pursuers caught up with his location.

Re: [Aiden] If only (Locke, open tag)

[det-aiden-burn.livejournal.com]

While everyone else had chatted away over the crime scene Aiden had remained silent. She'd gone quickly into CSI mode. Looking at footprints to determine how many kidnappers there were, they're approximate size, strength, and age. She heard Locke call it out, right in her opinion.

She wished she had her kit. Wished she could make casts of the shoe prints and fume the tranquiler dart on the ground for prints. And the GCMS could've determined what drug was used. Then they'd know how effective it was, and possibly even where it came from. One thing she did know. The kidnappers wanted the girls alive, which bid well for finding them alive.

But who the hell were these 'Others'? She raced after Locke down the trail, knowing there was nothing she could do by remaining at the scene. She wondered where all the weapons people had been carrying came from, and wished to God she had her gun. But who carries a gun on vacation? And she had no badge anymore to get her through security checks. She had her stun gun with her, on the back of her jeans under her t-shirt. But that did little good from a distance. And she was scared, but that didn't stop her. Fired or not she was still a detective at heart. Really it was her determination to set things right that had gotten her fired in the first place.

"Who are the others?" she questioned Locke as she followed close behind him.

OOC: If I screw up anything or something just give me a shout

[Locke] If only (Aiden, open tag)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

Locke looked over his shoulder to see who'd joined him: Aiden. She was level-headed. He hoped that she could hold her own in a fight. Locke gave her a nod then went back to tracking.

"Who are the others?" she asked softly.

Locke grimaced. (No one's told her?) Now was not exactly the best time to brief Aiden on the island's other inhabitants. Keeping his voice pitched low he replied, "People who have been stranded here for a long time. Years. They're... feral. Attacked us a week or so ago at night. They tried to take some of the women and children, but we fought them off." The vegetation had thinned somewhat, so Locke slowed to find signs of the kidnappers' trail. Although he knew Aiden wouldn't believe him, he added, "Some of them are telepathic. And, don't ask me how, but they nearly silently and leave no tracks in the jungle."

[Jon] If only (tag Aiden, Locke, open)

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

"Hey, so-called 'kid' listening over here," Jon muttered quietly, though he wasn't all that put out. Few of the survivors treated him like one, although he was still wary of this newcomer. The long walk back from Faith and Mara's plane had given him a chance to get to know Harkness better, but he'd not spoken with Aiden Burn at all.

"They're strong too," he added, scanning the trees while Locke concentrated on the ground, weapon held ready. "If it wasn't for Ripley.. hell, we could really do with her nose right about now. You got anything?"

Something caught Jon's attention then, a sound that didn't sound right.. but he couldn't place it - not even in terms of which direction it had come from. Like a whisper or an echo, only not.

"Did either of you hear that?"

Re: [Locke] If only (Aiden, open tag)

[det-aiden-burn.livejournal.com]

Feral she thought. Ok so it was Lord of the Files kind of thing. She could see how that could happen. Too much psychological stress. Like waiting to die in your own grave. Aiden shivered involuntarily.

"No tracks?" It sounded implausible to her. There should always be evidence, it was just a matter of finding it. But she was willing to roll with the punches here.

"Then they're not who kidnapped the girls? So who are we looking for then?"

[Ash] If only (Aiden, open tag)

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

"Maybe the folks who put us here?" Ash suggested--quietly. Charlie's incoherent rant at the top of his lungs was a reminder that they didn't all have to let the bad guys know they were coming.

Even as he spoke, he wondered if that statement made him sound as paranoid as he suspected it did. Aiden hadn't been with them long, so she might not know just how many bizarre coincidences they'd discovered. Hell, she might not even know about the Box of Many Things.

(Wonder if she's got something waiting for her in it?) he thought.

Re: [Aiden] Paranoia at its best (Ash, open tag)

[det-aiden-burn.livejournal.com]

At that Aiden's head turned around and she looked at Ash.

"You think someone put us out here? On purpose? That's a bit parinoid of you don't you think?"

Re: [Jonathan (Crane)] Whispers (Ash, Jon, Aiden, Locke open tag)

[nogitsune.livejournal.com]

Jonathan really didn't like people, an odd quirk considering the fact he ended up in the service industry. As soon as possible, he managed to slip away from the rest of the cast-a-ways without too much notice. It wasn't that hard, he had avoided making any sort of connection with the others.

He had explored the jungle for a few days after the first attack by the Others, looking a quite place out of the way to help with his experiments. He'd found it, and set up shop there, only checking in on the beach folks every once in a while. No one knew he was out there, to his knowledge, barring River who came to visit him at odd intervals. Trying to get her to stay put never seemed to work, unless she was restrained. He had been spending the night in his little sancturary when the sound of something being dragged along the ground roused him. Not that the sound itself was unusual, plenty of predators were nocturnal, and Jonathan wasn't prone to being frightened. It was that the things being dragged were pretty heavy. He sat there in the dark, waiting until he heard more footsteps, accompanied with familiar voices.

What were those people doing? An expedition in the dark?

Silently, he equipped the bladders filled with his fear toxin prototype. Moving carefully through the foliage, he headed toward the voices. He was pretty sure one of them was the teenager that was always taking the lead.

"What's going on out here?" He asked, tired. It was better to identify himself before someone heard him and chose to act violently.

[Ash] Paranoia at its best (Aiden, open tag)

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

"You'd think, wouldn't you?" Ash asked with a grin. Locke cast a glance back at them, then resumed tracking. Ash took the hint.

He moved closer to Aiden and lowered his voice. "I'll give you the full story some other time, but for now just trust me when I say I have good reason for thinking this way. I'll be you haven't seen the Box, have you?"

[Clarice] Loyalty (tag Molly, Daniel, open)

[lambs-heroine.livejournal.com]

Clarice was shaking and fighting to keep from drifting off into another bout of numb shut-downness. But there was a trail, and a plan, and she had a gun, and she was still a goddamned dead shot. And...she was needed, for more than that, it seemed.

Molly was getting emotionally battered by all of this. She'd been barked at for no good reason when she was already terrified, and now the gentle woman was in a position where she was about to make war on human beings. Clarice wished to God there was another way, but they neded every hand.

And so, since she knew just how it was to be this overwhelmed and worse, she stuck next to Molly as they struck out, hovering between her and Daniel, determined to cover both of them when the shooting broke out. And it would.

As she walked, she pulled the pistol from underneath her shirt, flipped off the safety, checked the magazine and barrel and chambered a round in a series of quick motions.

"Molly, can ah ask you to work on coverin' me and helpin' me get t-t-the--DAMN it!" That stupid stutter again. She gritted her teeth, swallowed a surge of anger and self-doubt, and tried again. "Get the girls dragged outta range when the fight starts?"

[Molly] Loyalty (tag Carice, Daniel, open)

[purplerhino.livejournal.com]

"I'll do what I can." Molly promised. "But I know I'm not strong enough to drag anyone more than a few feet, and carrying is out of the question. But I'll help you cover them."

Good. This was something she could do. Molly didn't even consider the thought she might have to kill. She planned on hitting limbs if she could, going for non-lethal shots as long as she was able. Beyond that she'd trust instinct.

Molly had her arrow notched, but held loosely with the bow. She wished she could offer Clarice reassurance. But the other woman no doubt knew odds better than Molly did. She was also a good shot, by her own word. So it certainly wouldn't hurt to stay close to her.

Molly's stomach twisted in a familiar way. She'd seen battle twice before. But this time there were no children or fosterlings to take to safety. She wasn't one of the non-comatants. She was one of the defenders, and others were counting on her. Daana, please don't let me fail them, she prayed silently.

[Doctor] Ugh (Tag Chris, Kenzaki, other responders)

[purplerhino.livejournal.com]

The Doctor Noticed Chris and Kenzaki at the fringes. Kenzaki appeared wounded.

He turned and saw the green ichor coming from the young man's side. It didn't smell like toxin, or like regular human blood. He was past any suprise any more, and holding on to his other emotions by force of will alone.

He crossed to the two men and tried to check the wound, but the young Japaneese man kept it covered, as if the green blood weren't cluing him in to his non-human physiology.

"Do you need stitches?" The Doctor mimed sewing and gestured to the wound. Pierson wasn't here, and House most likely couldn't handle the oddness.

As much as he wanted to run after Rose right this second, Kenzaki's wound most likely meant he had seen the kidnappers and was attacked. "Did you see them? How many? Guns?"

He tried to mime what he meant, but wasn't certain he was getting his questions across right.

[Kenzaki] Ugh (Tag Chris, Doctor, other responders)

[estirose.livejournal.com]

Kenzaki could guess what the other man was asking. One was if he needed stitches, and he shook his head at that. As for the other, the man wanted to know what he'd seen. He pointed in the direction he'd stumbled in from. "Burakku curosu," he said, repeating in his own language. "Black clothes." One of them had clothes splattered with his blood, he was sure. Not that it wouldn't dry to a nice dark green. "Naifusu." He added "Knives" in his own tongue.

He just hoped the other would understand. He tried to motion to the man holding him to put him down.

[Scott, Megabyte] Ugh (tag Kenzaki, Chris, Doctor, open)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

Scott followed Damon towards the garden. They'd bumped into Tommy and Emerson, who were heading back to the camp and explained what they had heard. Damon had come close to panicking from the news. It was virtually confirmation that the women had been kidnapped. Scott simply accepted the information. His Algeiban side kept the distraction of emotions at bay.

Once Damon felt that there was enough jungle between them and the beach he teleported them both close to the garden. They found the Doctor, Chris, and Kenzaki at the southern edge of the garden. Bright green liquid covered Kenzaki's face and dripped from one of his hands. Scott frowned at it before he guessed its origin: Kenzaki himself. He was trying to describe Ami's abductors to the Doctor.

Damon stared at the green blood for a moment, then addressed the three men. "What happened? Will Kenzaki be okay? Where are Ami and the others?"

Scott stepped up beside the redhead. Indicating Kenzaki he explained, "He says that people wearing black clothes came from that direction. They attacked him with knives." To Kenzaki he asked in Japanese, "Are you badly hurt? I don't know if I can heal you."

OOC: Scott's voice is still flat and emotionless. Tomorrow I'll post the conversation between Tommy, Emerson, MB, and Scott.

[Megabyte] Antsy and Impatient (open tag)

[island-muses.livejournal.com]

Megabyte didn't have the patience to deal with this. He understood the need to question Kenzaki, that the man might have information that could be useful, but he wanted to *do* something other than standing around playing detective. Claire and Ami had been taken, and if his muted awareness of Ami was any indication, they were very likely drugged. All the women were very likely drugged, and in his experience that didn't mean good things.

If he could just get a better sense of Ami but . . . there were more than just a few narcotic drugs in her system blocking him. He didn't like the ramifications.

"Who's tracking them? Unless the kidnappers disappeared into thin air, then they left tracks right? Who's tracking them? John?" Megabyte asked. He indicated the path that Kenzaki did and asked in Japanese, "Is that the way that John went?"

[Kenzaki] Owwww (open tag)

[estirose.livejournal.com]

Kenzaki was bombarded with a few questions at once, and he was becoming aware of people starting to look in his direction. He hoped most of them weren't getting the idea that he was bleeding green.

"I didn't see much, Sukotto-san, Dokutaa-sensei, Damon-san," he said apologetically in his own language. "I ran in and I only saw a little bit before someone hit me. They did not want me to see where they were going." He bowed. "I'm sorry, if I had been closer...." Then he'd probably would have been kidnapped or left for dead, he knew, but it didn't help when he faced the reality that he'd not been there.

He remembered Sukotto-san's question. Sukotto-san was like a robot, and Kenzaki hoped he was all right. "I am healing, Sukotto-san. Save your energy for those who were kidnapped."

[Doctor] (w/Jack and Molly) Antsy and Impatient (open tag)

[purplerhino.livejournal.com]

The Doctor nodded. If the man insisted he didn't need stitches, he most likely did not. Differing healing rates, most likely.

However, Damon's translation was appriciated.

"The trail split. Two or three went that way and he went after them. The majority went that way, and that's where we're going." The Doctor gestured the directions.

"I can follow these tracks, I think. Unless they go to rocky ground. I had some training in tracking, but... it's been a long while." Jack offered.

The Doctor didn't care who went with who. His focus was on getting Rose and the others back safely. "Alright go, and try not to let Charlie the Moron's trail screw you up."

Molly had apparently decided to go with them. More people, more danger.

He heard others following as well, but didn't look back.

[Scott, Megabyte] Which way? (open tag)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

Jack, the Doctor, and Molly set off down the second, more easily followed trail, but Scott and Damon didn't follow immediately. From the way Damon scowled at the two trails he was thinking the same thing Scott was: which way? "I don't even know if Claire and Ami are in the same group," Damon muttered.

"I might be able to help you sense Ami," Scott said calmly. Although he'd prefer that Chris wasn't right there to overhear, finding Ami was paramount. "I helped her 'boost the signal,' so to speak. I'm not sure how I did it, but I think we should try."

OOC: fikgirl, if MB takes Scott's offer, please NPC him. Scott will hold his sphere in his hand for this regardless of who's around. He'll want to focus all of his concentration on helping MB.

[Megabyte] Getting a Signal, Part I (tag Scott, open)

[island-muses.livejournal.com]

(Boosted her signal?) Megabyte thought about asking Scott to clarify what the hell he was talking about, then recalled Ami's off hand mention of Scott actually participating in one of her lucid dreams with Kevin. Unfortunately if Scott didn't know what he did, or how he did it, then there was a chance that it might be a waste of time.

But trying it was the only chance that they had if they wanted to get the girls back. Claire was pregnant and every moment she was drugged was dangerous for her and the baby; the lack of strength regarding Megabyte's ability to sense Ami screamed that she'd been given a lot more than a few sedatives. She was being artificially blocked. Megabyte didn't let himself dwell for long on what that really meant.

(He's telepathic, even if it's only limited. That means that I have to give this shot.)

Megabyte didn't particularly care that Chris and Kenzaki were there and watching them curiously, and he really didn't care that it meant outing himself to the two men. Recovering Claire and Ami made it worth the risk of alienation and a tag of "weirdness." Hell, he'd survived worse labeling before and likely would again.

"You're gonna have to trust me then," Megabyte told Scott. "It'll be easier if you let down your shields, and you're gonna have to let me in." He raked his hands through his hair, relaxing enough to allow the fleeting background awareness of his fellow Tomorrow Person surface. "And you're gonna have to find a way to sense Ami. *You* should have a way better sense of her than I do, anyway, and it'll be a bigger help if we can both feel her out there."

For the longest moment, Scott didn't answer. Megabyte huffed anxiously, "Look, I don't *want* to know your deep, dark secrets, okay? I don't care about them. I do care about finding Claire and Ami … and the others too and this is the only way that I can think of to do it. You offered, remember?"

"I can't feel her," Scott said simply.

"And I'm gonna help you with that, but you have to help me. We both want the same thing." (Time's wasting, Scott. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and help me find the woman you claim to love.)

"I'll do it."

Megabyte breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let's do this."


[OOC: starborn_scribe, I'll continue this in Part II, but if you want to jump in with a Scott reaction, feel free. Gonna take me a bit to get the actual Vulcan mind meld figured out and written up.]

[Scott] Getting a Signal, Part 1.5 (tag MB, open)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

Damon didn't understand. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself. Part of him had been ripped away. But there was no time and no need to explain.

Scott reluctanly released the numb comfort of his Algeiban side. A torrent of anger and despair filled the void. After pulling his sphere from his pocket, he dropped the mental shields that were now second nature to him. Damon's impatience and anger and Chris's and Kenzaki's confusion and curiosity came through loud and clear.

With Ami gone Scott felt raw and exposed. Clenching his fists, Scott met Damon's eyes. "Ready."