secret tunnel thru the mountain

[thalassino]

Characters: vatheon + an eventual mystery guest star
Location: island + new area
Time: all week starting monday
Style: any
Status: open - threadhop & theadjack away

[ after the kicked up damage wrought by yami in the south forest quadrant settles down and becomes surveyable by monday, characters are in for a little— or, well, a big surprise that is the secret research facility. the entrance of it is easy enough to find, thanks to the destruction— although a lot of the research facility itself is destroyed as well. the power still works, at least! although whatever network it had seemingly been hooked up to is currently (and likely permanently) offline.

near the ENTRANCE of the facility, characters will likely find a very large chart on one of the walls— it resembles a map with handwritten annotations and will undoubtedly prove useful in further exploration. there's nothing else interesting near the entrance, sans for a few empty desks and a trash bin full of what appears to be torn up employee information of some sort. the other areas that can be found will be as follows:

DORMS

↪ pretty self-explanatory, although they are extremely minimalistic and completely abandoned. it's likely that the scientists made use of these— some of the beds seem a bit unkempt, as though they were recently used; whereas some rooms have full garbage bins with various papers. many of them are unuseful or flat-out irrelevant, others appear to be outdated schedule data— the dates on most of the papers seem to be from a little over a year ago. basically, the bins are filled with what they were made for— trash.

VARIOUS LABS

↪ deeper into the facility, it's obvious that quite a lot of research had been being conducted within— multiple rooms seem to be arranged for just that purpose. most of the rooms are empty or have a lot of strewn tools within them as though they were emptied in a hurry. although one room in particular was left as it was; it's both locked and blocked off though, and might take a little force in order to get into. once inside, a completely white room will be found that might feel familiar to people who had been directly involved in a strange event that had happened quite a while ago... the room is slightly less white than any "experiments" might remember, however. in fact, there seems to be quite a bit of dried blood about the place. the blood can be found on nearly everything in the room— the table accompanied with surgical tools, the cabinet filled with both syringes and old vials of a blue fluid, and a prominent list visible on one of the walls.

MAIN LAB

↪ one lab in particular found further within the facility appears to be bigger and better than all the others— it's also the only lab with a multitude of computers. due to the power being on, computers will be responsive— although because whatever network they once runned on is no longer online, the only data accessible is offline data found within any harddrives or memory devices.

and there is plenty of that. however, any data found is heavily encrypted and unlike anything ever seen before, so even a normally excellent hacker will have a problem getting past the security walls; and the only file that can be opened immediately seems to make no sense whatsoever:

w3spEvU3

furthermore, nearly everything resembling paper evidence has been torn or shredded, as evident by the completely empty and ajar file cabinets— not to mention the fact that there are plenty of scraps of unreadable paper strewn across some parts of the floor.

SUBMARINE EXIT

↪ in the deepest part of the lab is a peculair hallway that seems to drop downward— which is curious, since the facility is located so closely on the edge of the island itself. although everything becomes clear should one reach the room near the end of the lowering hallway— a majority of the equipment is damaged, but it is indeed a submarine exit of some sort. could this be how all of the scientists left so suddenly..? in fact, most of the submarines are missing— sans for one, but it's quite old and probably nonfunctional in its current state. you're fully allowed to try and fix it, but it will take both a team of people and several weeks.

CONTAINMENT UNIT

↪ also in the deeper part of the facility, although closer to the main lab than the submarine exit, is a completely closed off area— mechanical doors and a digital lock that seems to be online block all from entering. the door seems to open automatically for a keycard, but there's also an emergency override function— that activates via a password. blinking in an almost mocking fashion, it prompts you:

enter password: |

Comments

☣ OUTSIDE DAMAGE

[thalassino]

[ for those exploring outside the facility - or simply those who just haven't noticed it yet. that sure is a lot of damage... ]

☣ ENTRANCE

[thalassino]

[ it would look a lot fancier if it weren't halfway destroyed - there's even a reception desk of some sort. ]

Open

[coolerthansora]

[Roxas didn't take part in the battle. Vatheon has more than enough heroes and he knows he isn't one of them. But the island is someplace he frequents, and after it's all over, he heads up to take a look.

He doesn't like what he finds. An abandoned laboratory hidden within a place he's begun to think of as home... It sends a chill through him even in his coat. He stands still in the entrance, not sure if he wants to go any deeper. What if he finds the same thing as before, that none of this is real?]

[imaginarytides]

[Xion had held back from the fighting this time once she realized her attacks were of no use, instead opting to defend the city wherever it was needed. She'd been on the island to observe the eclipse, but what was supposed to be a relaxing evening quickly took a turn for the worse.

As a result, she was largely unaware of the amount of damage sustained on the island, so when she comes across the entrance to the secret lab, she's definitely suprised. Less so, she finds, because of its existence and more because it confirms her suspicions about their newfound home. An opportunity like this one was, in fact, too good to be true.

As she approaches, she notices Roxas looking around. It doesn't take her long to realize he's likely come to the same conclusions.]

Roxas?

OPEN

[doormat_hikari]

Ryou wasn't always the type to go explore things on his own. He had a bad sense of direction, but an abandoned building sure was curious. He did love ruined buildings, so his archaeological side pinged at him.

Ryou peered in the doorway. It certainly looked abandoned and destroyed, no doubt at fault to that Yami creature. "Hello?" he called out. As if anyone would reply.

☣ DORMS

[thalassino]

[ incredibly simplistic, yet somehow they seem nicer than your own place. if only they weren't virtually empty sans for the trash... ]

open

[fulmination]

<sub>[While everyone else was off exploring other parts of the facility, Kimblee had taken his time to copy down the map at the entrance on a piece of scrap paper sitting around at the reception desk. Back in Baschool, he didn't quite have the luxury of a map and spent some time bumbling around in the dark with nothing but a lantern.

Here, at least there was power and a map.

But that didn't make the layout any less complicated. Eventually the alchemist ended up stopping to go over the map in one of the empty rooms.]</sub>

Perhaps if I went back and took the left hallway to the labs... No, if I did that...

_{[Yeah. There's totally nothing wrong with a guy in an empty room talking to himself, right?]}

[kagayakashi]

[ Sorry to disturb, Mr. Talking-to-Myself-Man, but have a cute dog walk into the room! He's not barking though, and it doesn't even seem like the dog is paying any attention to the man already occupying the room. The dog goes straight for the trashbin right next to the table. As he starts sniffing it, Gracia walks in. But because she hadn't expected anyone to be in the room, she sort of walks in and then stops mid-step in surprise. She takes a few steps back, and then breathes a sigh of relief that she hadn't walked into him. She smiles. ]

I'm sorry, I didn't know that someone was already in here.

[ She turns to the dog, then back to the man. ]

May we take that with us, please? If you're not using it?

[ Gracia points at the trashbin, which Futon was currently carrying via biting the rim with his teeth. Please ignore the swollen wrist on her right hand, and the fact that she's not even pointing because three of her fingers - including the pointer finger - are broken, supported only by splints. So it's more of this weird awkward salute to the trashbin??? ]

[pactum]

[ Ciel has, of course, taken it upon himself to methodically search every. room. in the facility. (or otherwise make Sebastian do so, but shh.) but as he's already been through the dorm area once, it's the talking that catches his attention. he might have otherwise walked straight on by. but instead he pauses, approaches the door, and--

--wow Kimblee, your clothing looks as out of place here as his does. ]

What are you searching for?

[ it's fairly obvious that he's lost, so Ciel gets straight to the point. ]

Open!

[kagayakashi]

[ A fully grown dog with golden-brown fur is currently rummaging through the trash bin, his entire head inside the cylinder, with bits and pieces of paper and scraps flying out. Gracia sits just behind Futon, the trajectory of the paper falling towards her. With her legs crossed, she unfolds the bits of paper one by one to see if they hold any clues. So far, she has yet to actually see anything worthwhile. And as for the paper bits that did have something written on them, Gracia couldn't read or understand much of it at all.

She sighs, and waits for Futon to finish his rummaging. A line of trashbins she had gathered from previously explored rooms sit by the one Futon was currently searching. ]

Oh, and here I thought we'd find something. Isn't it a clever strategy to hide answers by throwing them away, though...? These kidnappers must be smarter than I thought!

☣ VARIOUS LABS

[thalassino]

[ what were these even used for? more importantly, what's that blocked off room— ]

open

[ravenly]

[Once the dust has cleared from the fight with Yami, Rue finds herself curious as to just how much damage was done. Judging on the network post by one of the Defense Force leaders, it was quite dangerous, so she hadn't thought to come up; but now that it's over, she can't help herself.

Especially not after hearing the ruckus and strange screeching noise she heard.

She wouldn't normally come alone, of course, though she's hardly the only one curious about it, is she? Especially with this new area she's just stumbled across. How it had remained invisible to her and everyone else until now is a mystery, but she's walking. And she's peeking in all of the rooms that haven't been destroyed out of curiosity, although when she comes across the white room, she stops.

She stops for two reasons-- one being a very strange feeling of deja vu once she walks in.

...]

Have... I been here before?

[But no, that's not possible. She's never seen this place until today...has she?

And second-- there's the list she spots on the wall.

She lets out a gasp upon seeing her name.

Why is it there?]

open

[xthecorvus]

[ He's quietly sorting through the lab, making sure keep his prodding around to a minimum but enough to leaf through papers. Go figure Team Phantomhive would be here, nosing about like they usually do. There isn't anything noteworthy about the tools, nothing much from the typical things one would find about a lab but-- hello. What was this?

His eyes are now trained on the list tacked on the wall. The names are familiar to him. Some of them, at least. The numbers are strange. However, he stops seeing his master's name on the list. Curious. Turning on one heel, he makes his way toward his master ]

...My lord? I've found something that needs your immediate attention.

Open

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Mitsuhide is far from one of the first to come into the labs. His mood since the end of the fight has been thoughtful, quiet, but not at all bad. His body still aches a little, but the battle with Yami has done two things:]

[One, restore his faith in his religion, and two, left a new power within him. It is weaker than it was, but still very much there, and its existence leaves him in wonder every time he stops to think about it. For a short while, he had been a kind of 'God,' and that power was a remnant of that time.]

[Nevertheless, he can see the wisdom in looking around this place. Its existence is not really a surprise; they have known for some time they are being experimented upon in some manner. When Mitsuhide steps into the white room (which another has already forced open by the time he arrives), he has to pause and suck in a breath. Because he was one of those who had been kidnapped. The memories of that time are vague, but the room he remembers, and the sorrow... it had filled him completely until Motochika had come to his side.]

[When he finds the list of names, and regards the numbers, the samurai shakes his head. He is on there, along with Gracia, his long-departed friend Rena, and Great Mother Amaterasu. All victims of the kidnapping.]

Odd that they would leave this here...

[One of his arms wraps around his chest. Mitsuhide has come a long way in dealing with his issues, but this place reminds him very vividly of being consumed whole by them.]

[He sighs deeply.]

open

[contemptibility]

[Guriko is gone.

That alone is enough to put Tiir in a bad mood—enough so that the sore temptation to kill someone is definitely there, though he manages to repress it, thinking of what happened last time.

So instead, he throws himself into distractions. Namely, exploring.

... Unfortunately, this backfires on him once he comes across a certain room. While the memories are vague, he can certainly remember his anger afterwards (and Guriko telling him that he attacked her, damn it). Seeing the list only confirms it all. Though he's always known that they were pawns, having it blatantly there like that only serves to infuriate Tiir.

Damn this all.]

Ha...

[He wants so badly to kill something that it hurts, but as he can't... Well, he'll settle for breaking into quiet laughter instead.]

Closed

[not_heavens_adam]

[Getting to the new area wasn't all that hard, he'd honestly been expecting more, but the place was abandoned so maybe not. This area made him pause, though. He checked some of the other rooms, letting Sola explore where he wanted, until he came across a door that was closed. Even closed he could make out traces of that familiar scent.]

We have to get in here.

There's blood.

☣ MAIN LAB

[thalassino]

[ hackers and crackers here is your playground. ]

open

[lamorteblanc]

[ Well, he's no hacker but he tagged along in case someone needed medical attention down here. Ever since the cavern, he's been careful. He takes note of the jumbled numbers and letters in the file though. ]

...I wonder if this is some sort of code...

[ But before he can dig further, the scraps of paper catch his attention. His brows furrow at the notes. That name makes him nostalgic. Truth be told, one can't spend an entirety locked up in the same quarters with a fellow madman and not feel a certain familiarity with him. There's muttering though, both palms on the table as he gathers some of the discarded paper scraps. ]

...Alpha. What did they do to you...? What were you doing...?

closed

[oceanbreasts]

[ It was almost necessary. There was something NEW and UNEXPLORED in the area and no Jake to go ADVENTURING. So someone had to go in his place. And, hell, Roxy was bored, so why not!

The place was pretty fly, really. All futuristic and shit. But as soon as she rounded the door to find this room, this beautiful room with all of its computers and knowledge just waiting, Roxy's metaphorical boner sprang to attention.

She stepped into the room and promptly threw herself at one of the machines to wrap herself around it, giving it a nearly inappropriate hug. ]

Oh sweet, sweet technolology...

closed

[aim_exorable]

[As he waits for Nepeta, Darkleer continues to do his best to get through all the encryptions on the computer he's designated as 'his'.]

☣ SUBMARINE EXIT

[thalassino]

[ whoever was here is long gone by now... ]

Re: ☣ SUBMARINE EXIT

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

*At one point or another in her once-over of the place, Rita Mordio stops here.*

Well... Looks like we may have our next project at some point here...

☣ CONTAINMENT UNIT

[thalassino]

enter password: |

open.

[pactum]

[ the containment unit is the last area Ciel explores. he likes it no better than the rest of the lab--which is to say not at all. as if it weren't enough that an earlier discovery had put him in a sour mood, everything about the smooth white walls and strange instruments here are foreign to him, and he looks as out of place as he feels, in his 19th-century clothing. honestly, he's only recently gotten used to electricity. this level of technology is nothing short of baffling.

which would be the reason he's currently leveling a none-too-kind look at the digital lock beside the door, lip curled in distaste. ]

[cheapshinigami]

[Tatsumi wouldn't pass off the oportunity to find more about this world, so when the secret laboratory was uncovered, he decided to go and explore. He left a not for Tsuzuki, not inviting the younger man to go with him. Muraki was sure to be found there, so better if his housemate stayed home.

Walking around the complex, he reaches a closed door. He sees the slot for a card, but he obviously has none. He also notices the password request and wonders if he shouldn't give it a try.]

Well, it's worth giving this a try. [He taps the first word that comes to mind: Vatheon.]