Catherine also slowly stood up, grabbing her PDA which was fortunately not too damaged. She'd turn it on, only to find that there was no connection of any kind. "Connection to the mainframe has failed. And the lack of non-emergency lights makes me think that there is a facility-wide shutdown." Hearing those words made Jabal's skin crawl, as that meant only one thing. "If there is a facility-wide shutdown, then that means... all security systems are also down." Catherine's optimism and joy faded, as she put her PDA away to conserve power. "So, I suppose we ought to turn back then and... hope the government will come quickly to save us." Catherine remarked, to which Jabal shook his head. "I... I am not sure that is a great idea. There clearly is a massive containment breach, if we can feel air coming through here. A-And the blast was clearly not far away, given the damage over here. I think we ought to go the opposite way as to avoid any and all subjects. Besides, what place is safer than our office?"

Whilst Catherine couldn't question his logic, she also knew it was going to be extremely dangerous to head forward into the facility, knowing what kind of monsters could be roaming free now. Including some of their own subjects who might not be too happy to see them. "Shit, I just realised... Cyra and Nandi. We both let them go to deal with that rogue subject, right? Tengri told us to do so. Fuck, what if... what if they got hit by the blast? What if they're hurt?" Jabal mumbled, Catherine speaking more reassuringly, clearly not wanting to bring even more concerns into the equation. "Well, Cyra has incredible regeneration. And Nandi is so tough, I am sure both of them will be fine." Jabal still seemed uneasy, clearly not wanting their subjects to be hurt. "If you wish to, we can go back and check. But I doubt it will be an easy task to find them again." Catherine continued, which made Jabal shake his head. "No, let's... let's keep going. We first need to know what is going on, and we can do that best when we're somewhere safe."

Thus, the two would start heading deeper into the facility, walking a little slowly given the pain they were in. "You know who I'd love to find right about now? Toyotama. I'm sure she'd be able to help out a ton..." Jabal said in a more bemused tone, Catherine speaking in a more caring tone. "Maybe we'll get lucky and run into her? She was stationed in the western half of the facility, after all." Jabal seemed to enjoy the thought of encountering his healer subject, after which Catherine spoke up reassuringly. "But, if we don't find her, we can at least be reassured that the government will likely be here soon enough. They'll help us all out. In fact, they probably are already making their way over, considering the subject containment breach which led to this." This made Jabal scoff. "I hope they'll be here soon. And I hope they deal with whoever designed the subject that broke free." Jabal sounded a bit more annoyed.

Catherine chuckled in turn. "Oh come now. What if it was Tengri's subject? Or Logan's? You wouldn't want them to get in trouble with the government, would you?" Whilst Catherine was clearly being playful, Jabal was actually mildly bothered. "I highly doubt Tengri would make something he would so eagerly want destroyed. And Logan is too smart to make something which could cause such a mess. No, it's gotta be a Roraima or Andrei subject. Those bastards are always pushing it..." Sensing Jabal's hostility, Catherine took his hand and spoke more calmly. "Whoever it was, I am sure they will face justice for all the chaos they caused. Now, why don't we focus on more important things, instead of dwelling on such things will only upset us further?" Catherine would give a gentle kiss on Jabal's cheek, making the scientist start to smile again. "Right, let's focus on our well-being first. Once we get to our office with supplies, we'll track down our girls and make sure they are okay." Jabal said confidently, as the two headed further into the darkness…

...

...

...

...

...

"Come on, honey. There must be some way we can deal with Reika if we encounter her." Catherine said as the two were seated between two large, abandoned machines designed for creating metal panelling for subject containment chambers. "I'm sorry, Cath, I... I can't think of anything. I really am the biggest fool the facility has ever seen!" Jabal said in frustration, as he walked in circles with his hands on his forehead. Catherine was meanwhile heating up some food she had found in a small metal pan she had raided from a small guardsman kitchen, continuing to speak reassuringly. "You're not a fool, Jabal. We've all had subjects we've unfortunately neglected or let slip to Elbrus and Roraima. Do I need to remind you of Sesia and how idiotic it was of me to let Elbrus take the wheel with her?" Jabal groaned and gritted his teeth, before letting out a sigh. "I know, Cath, I know. But, with Elbrus, at least he was slimy and corrupted Sesia by giving her everything she wanted. With me... I abandoned poor Reika. I let that bastard Roraima ruin her. He told me all was fine, and I, the greatest idiot there ever was, trusted him!"

Jabal raised his voice, Catherine pausing with preparing their dinner and walking over to him. She'd hug him from behind and gave him a kiss in the neck. "You're not an idiot, Jabal. You're the smartest, most wonderful and kind man I know." Jabal thankfully calmed down, lowering his head and speaking softly. "If... if we do encounter Reika, I just want to apologise to her. I want to... say sorry for ever abandoning her. For being such a lousy bastard. She deserved so much better. I know she will never forgive me... and if she wishes to kill me then and there, I'll let her." Catherine would turn Jabal around, looking him into the eyes. "Don't say that, my love." She'd grab his hands and smile reassuringly.

"If we find her... You'll apologise to her. And ask her for forgiveness. And, I am sure she will forgive you." Catherine remarked softly, Jabal still looking away. "Are you sure, Cath? Last time I saw her, she didn't look happy with me. I... I imagine Roraima's treatment and the fact I left her with him made her hate me. Not that I blame her." Catherine remained optimistic, stroking Jabal's head. "I am sure she will. Reika was quite eager when she was newly created, wasn't she? Like a puppy, you said." Jabal scoffed and softly repeated her. "Like a puppy..." There was a moment of silence, as Catherine stroked Jabal's cheek. "Hey, cheer up, my love. Once Roraima is fired from this mess, you will be able to reunite with Reika, and show her all the love you have for her. I just know it." Jabal nodded calmly. "Okay..." Catherine smirked, before letting go and going back to the pot to cook.

"So, we've considered our options for if we encounter Kimmy, Feng, Sesia, Chloe... Granted, most just are using the guardsman gun we found, but... well, a plan is better than no plan." Jabal softly remarked, before Catherine said: "Why don't we take a break with this planning and focus on food? I made you some tomato and bean sauce and some wraps to along with them!" Jabal nodded and would get seated right beside her, as the two would start enjoying their dinner together. "Mmmmm, this is delicious. Even with the bare basics, you sure make delicious food, my love." Jabal said happily, Catherine chuckling as the two enjoyed their dinner in peace and quiet. Though, after having eaten a bit and getting ready to clean up, they heard something in the distance. Jabal would raise his hand to alert Catherine, as the two soon saw some light shining their way.

Jabal started smiling, as he saw the clear shape of several guardsman approaching them. "Cath, Cath! There's guardsman here!" Jabal said excitedly, clearly assuming the best. Though as the guardsman quietly approached, his smile faded as he heard a familiar, sadistic voice. "My, what are the odds. And here I was worried that I would have to send my forces all over the place to retrieve you..." Jabal froze up, Catherine letting out a quiet: "No, not her..." The front guardsman soon parted and gave a salute, before Feng stepped forward with a bemused smile and her hands together. "Jabal, my... creator. We meet in person at long last..." Feng said in an almost mocking tone, Jabal stepping back. "F-Feng, w-we... w-what are you t-talking about..." He said in genuine confusion and terror, Feng smirking. "Oh, don't you remember? Every time in the past we met, there was a barrier between us... A wall keeping us separate. But now... there is nothing between us. Your queen... is free at last." She spread her arms and spoke in an elegant and haughty tone, clearly feeling nothing but satisfaction at being the one in control now. Of course, Jabal was prepared for this, slowly stepping back as Feng approached him.

As Feng slowly stepped closer, Catherine gathered all her supplies in a bag, before grabbing one key item she was afraid to use. Still, she knew there was an agreement she and Jabal made for this situation. Thus, Catherine stepped out of cover, making Feng smile. "Of course, I should not be surprised... your girlfriend is here too..." Feng calmly remarked, Catherine shivering as she stood beside Jabal. "L-Leave us alone, Feng... Y-You don't want trouble." Catherine responded, making Feng smirk and laugh sadistically. "Trouble? My, what could you do against me now? I am no longer restrained, Catherine. No longer forced into a puny, pitiful prison cell... And you no longer have anything with which you can hold me back. No shock collars. No guardsmen who can hold me down. In fact..." Feng stepped to the side, as Catherine and Jabal looked on in horror. Four guardsmen stepped forward, Jabal and Catherine instantly recognising them. "No... You... you didn't..." Jabal mumbled, Feng putting her hand on the nearest guardsman.

"Yes... the people you assigned to guard me... to ensure I did not escape... now work for me as my own. My word is now their law. And if I so wish..." The guardsmen pointed their rifles at Jabal and Catherine, not saying a word as the two scientists grabbed each others hands, expecting a swift execution. "Of course, I... won't kill you. That would be counter-intuitive. Catherine could make for a fine servant to the throne, after all. And you, Jabal... you are the key to my eternal reign going interplanetary. Yes, you... have something for me." Jabal wasn't surprised, having already expected this from the get-go. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Your... remote." He said softly, making Feng smile brightly. "Yes, Jabal... and, if you willingly submit to your queen, I will be merciful. I shall let both you and Catherine live. But, you must swear your allegiance to me and give me my remote." Jabal looked over at Catherine, who by now was starting to let out tears as she shivered in fear.

Jabal gave a quiet nod to Catherine, before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. Feng assumed that he would accept. However, Jabal stopped after only a few steps, before speaking in defiance. "No." He simply said, Feng's smile fading and her hands turning to fists. "I... beg your pardon?" She said with gritted teeth, Jabal continuing to speak defiantly. "No. I would rather die than give you your remote." Feng squinted her eyes, before speaking in restrained rage. "How dare you say no to your queen..." Jabal looked back at Catherine, as Feng raised a hand. "Guards, seize them. Now." She said in pure rage, Jabal standing resolute as he closed his eyes in an almost accepting way. "Catherine, I love you..." He mumbled, Catherine pulling the gun she had kept safely on her and pointing it at Jabal's head with a shaking hand. Feng's eyes widened, and she instantly stopped he guardsmen.

"NO!" Feng yelled, as Catherine was sobbing whilst keeping the gun inches away from the back of Jabal's head. Feng looked on in horror, yet would find Catherine did not pull the trigger. Jabal also noticed this, opening his eyes and mumbling. "C-Catherine... w-what are you doing?" He whispered, Catherine sobbing and shaking her head. "I-I can't do it! J-Jabal, I-I can't!" She pleaded, Jabal remaining frozen in place. Feng's expression changed from rage to bemusement, as she shook her head a little. "Ts ts ts ts... Should've found yourself a girlfriend with the courage necessary for such a sacrifice. Then again, it is only fair that such a weak and pathetic man... would marry such a cowardly woman." Feng already stepped forward, only for Catherine to push the barrel of the gun against Jabal's head. "STAY BACK! S-STAY BACK! C-COME CLOSE ENOUGH A-AND I'LL DO IT!" Catherine yelled, Feng pausing and keeping her distance whilst waiting to see what Catherine and Jabal would do next.

"W-We made a promise... t-that if you ever got close... I-I'd kill him! AND I'LL DO IT IF I MUST!" Catherine said in a desperate, pained tone. Feng scoffed and spoke smugly. "I highly doubt you will, Catherine... You're too weak." Catherine sobbed a few more times, before speaking in a more determined tone. "T-Try me..." Feng's bemused look turned more surprised, as Catherine spoke confidently. "I love Jabal. And I am ready... to lose him... B-Because I know, t-that s-stopping you is what he wants above everything else..." Feng kept quiet, watching for a moment as Catherine pushed the gun against the back of Jabal's head again. Catherine and Feng's eyes locked, Catherine looking at her without fear and determination. Feng's bemused smile turned into a glare, her growling before hissing at them. "You have my permission... to leave." Jabal was stunned, having not expected to yield so easily. But, he also knew that Feng could go back on her word at any second.

"Don't put the gun away. Follow my lead and walk back slowly." Jabal calmly told Catherine, who realised what was going on. She nodded and softly responded "O-Okay." After which, the two started slowly making their way backwards. Catherine's heart beat rapidly, adrenaline coarsing through her as she tried her hardest not to lose focus. One wrong move, and she knew Jabal could be dead at her hands. Jabal remained calm though, speaking reassuringly. "You're doing great, my love. We just gotta get far enough away from her. Then, we can run." Catherine simply responded with: "Okay." in an almost out of breath voice, as they saw Feng getting further and further away. It felt like they were taking forever, each step lasting hours. Though, as they got further and further away, they could not hear Feng as she spoke up softly. "Oh, Perceval... would you mind grabbing Hetzen's rifle." The guard didn't even have to be ordered to do such, already grabbing a large sniper rifle and lining up a shot.

"Aim for Catherine. Try and shoot her in the shoulder. I wish for her to survive so she can serve me well as the court jester. The rest of you, run after them the moment the shot is taken and capture them both alive... And don't hesitate to make it hurt." Feng mumbled, as Catherine and Jabal were now a decent distance away. "Catherine, w-we're far away now." Jabal whispered to Catherine, her continuing to keep the gun pointed at him. "A-Are you sure? W-What if they shoot us?" Catherine asked anxiously, to which Jabal spoke reassuringly. "Then I'll cover you and ensure you aren't hit." Catherine nodded before responding: "O-Okay." Jabal kept his eyes on Feng and her forces, not being able to see them too well from a distance. Still, he knew they were likely far away enough to be able to safely escape. He took a deep breath, before speaking softly. "On the count of three we run, okay?" Catherine let out another "Mhm." before Jabal counted. "One... two... THREE!"

Catherine aimed the gun away from Jabal, turning around as she started sprinting along with Jabal. They both tried to lower their heads, knowing they might just get shot at. Though as Jabal crouched down, they heard a loud bang. Jabal heard something fly past him, before watching as Catherine stumbled to the floor with a pained cry. Jabal's eyes widened, as he watched Catherine move her hands to her face, letting out a yell. "CATHERINE!" Jabal yelled out, as he instantly rushed over to her to try and pick her up. She thankfully still moved and let out noise, Jabal grabbing his PDA and shining on her face. Though, to his horror, she was bleeding from the jaw, as her cheek and lower jaw had been pierced by a bullet. She was letting out tears and screaming in agony, blocking her face with both hands. Jabal looked back, only to watch a dozen guardsmen rush after them. "CATHERINE, WE HAVE TO RUN!" Jabal said in a panic, helping her stand up as the two ran as hard as they could.

Catherine kept on crying in pain and agony, Jabal holding onto her and helping her keep up. He felt her blood soaking his clothes as she was clearly struggling. "KEEP GOING, CATHERINE! W-WE CAN MAKE IT! I PROMISE! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" Catherine didn't respond, continuing to sob and breathe heavily as she tried to focus on her husband. The adrenaline kept them going, as they sprinted out of the foundry to head further south. They soon made it into the small green sector they had passed through earlier, Catherine by now stumbling and struggling to walk. Seeing this, Jabal would soon pick Catherine up, before running away with her in his arms. Catherine had bled out quite a lot, struggling to remain conscious. "Jabal... Jabal..." She mumbled, Jabal letting out tears yet continuing to run. Only after what must've been ten minutes of running did he finally stop, the two being in a small office space. And after taking a few small side-paths, he would hide in a closet and close the door shut behind him.

He'd immediately put Catherine up against the wall, before grabbing the pouch she had on her. "S-Stay with me, Cath... STAY WITH ME!" He said in utter panic, as he looked for any and all medical equipment. He fortunately still had some medical nanites and bandages, first injecting the nanites into her limp body before patching up her ruined jaw. Though, she was barely breathing, staring blankly in front of her. "No... nonono... NO!" He would keep wrapping bandages around her, keeping her upright and looking for anything which could help. "Come on, Catherine... Come on! D-Don't... please don't..." Catherine remained unresponsive, Jabal holding onto her head and soon resting his forehead against hers. "No, God please, don't let her die, please... Please, God, I love her... I love her... Please don't let Catherine go..." Though just as he feared she was gone, Catherine coughed a bit, Jabal pulling back to give her space.

Catherine coughed up blood and let out some groans, before almost falling to the side. Jabal quickly grabbed her, helping her remain upright as she took some deep breaths. Jabal looked at Catherine with tears in his eyes, her soon slowly moving a hand to his face and stroking his cheek. "J... Jabal..." She said with a hoarse voice, Jabal nodding and continuing to cry. "Y-Yes... Yes, C-Catherine... I-I'm here... I'm here..." He tried to remain calm, yet was clearly emotional. Catherine let out another groan, before giving a slow blink. "I... love you..." Jabal started smiling as he let out even more tears, before gently hugging her head and holding her close. "I-I love you t-too, Catherine... I love you so much..." The two remained quiet, hugging as Jabal grabbed his labcoat as well as any other warm items he could find, before wrapping Catherine under cover. Catherine remained quiet, clearly still being worn down from her injury and the loss of blood. Yet, Catherine would gently grip Jabal's hand soon after, blinking again to let him know she would survive...

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This quest is mostly story focused, with no really deep mechanics aside from basic dice-rolling. The story is rather freeform in terms of what choices you can make and what direction you want to follow. What your goal is in this place and who you choose to trust is mostly up to you. Do you want to explore the place and figure out its mysteries? Or do you just want to shoot shit and cleanse this place of monster girls? No matter what you opt to do down here, I will always try to give options for what you can do. You can also always send in your own choices and suggestions on what to do. Either way, I hope to provide a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone. My writing ain't perfect, so I always do appreciate it when feedback is provided so I can improve further.

Shared docs:
You, your men and your allies:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_NoldE7zglICEuon-YZNhxjXcqvjszveOsz4u8jz-is/edit?usp=sharing

List of scientists and subjects, along with some minor details:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Z64W31Eszz9CNi-ZWe-t38yqg6riZ9oUvinfd2-F9A/edit?usp=sharing

The monster girls sheets as provided by the government tablet (RECENTLY UPDATED AT LAST):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sIrSAkYFN57njvPYKcWzpjnme2nMD6Bzgkl-j4wU3LE/edit?usp=sharing

Sheets of monster girls you've befriended:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CPSZp0MxftcNaUFSfBxzkRh7MfEiPnA7G6Wzfm9dkSQ/edit?usp=sharing

Sheets by based documentation anon:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PaR_fOFnzAJnY57V71OM-g9mbPhPtGNOeV2ZrI73T-8/edit?tab=t.0

Also, a reminder that, if the site goes down again, that you can check the shared docs for updates from me still. I am also on the /qtg/ discord, where I am more than happy to chat with you guys.

Previous threads:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=Monster+Girl+Facility

Based artwork from anons:
https://catbox/. moe/c/1ajcpw

The text Annie does NOT want you to read!!!!!!!!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/192lqCy6s6Q6o4GU_GQDga6nf_spmoqccajlaUxFyOHk/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ymvqbg3otDTyb0pxPLNx7W5OHgPqYve6-CI5Bj-RIm4/edit?usp=sharing

Artist I commissioned for this thread's thumbnail: Can't find them and the site I used for comm'ing them no longer exists :(

>Recap from the previous thread.
After finally meeting France and Idalia, you'd head to Elbrus' office south of the frozen sector. Though upon seeing the horrors within (and looting it for files), you'd burn it to the ground. Afterwards, you'd also notice a turquoise drake subject passing through on the cameras. Though, you opted to not give chase. Instead, you returned to the hideout with the girls where you'd discuss your findings. Afterwards, you decided to split up in two different group. One headed down to find Jabal and Catherine, another headed towards the combat sector. A third, smaller group containing Laura, Kiliane, Massimo, Gwenllian and Cortina would stay back at base. You and France decided that you'd lead the group heading south towards the combat sector, whilst France would lead the group who'd search for Jabal and Catherine. Whilst travelling to the combat sector, you'd go through an office where you got into a fight with some paranoid guardsmen. Morgan was mildly injured, Reika killing a few guardsmen in response. Fortunately, further conflict was avoided and you were able to continue east. There, you'd discover Kaenum, who joined your group in heading north for a short diversion. You'd stay in a low threat containment chamber, some staff hiding nearby. Fortunately, you avoided getting into a fight, soon heading south again, reaching a medical centre where you'd split up to explore some of the locations.

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Though, you soon discover two soldiers scouting around, sending Kaenum out to gain their trust. And whilst they still appear on edge, you do manage to win them over somewhat, giving you the chance to sit down and talk...

Continuing from the previous thread...

>Bring up that you and your forces could be trusted. The "worst" group member you had was Reika, and she was far more of a misunderstood sweetheart than you could begin to explain. So really, the subjects on your group were probably not gonna cause trouble.
Wanting to be fully transparent, you mentioned all the girls you had with you on your side. Obviously, you'd mention that Oreas and Morgan were with you right now. Though, you also mentioned that another team had Kenai, Idalia and Vinisha. The guardsman nodded, not seeming too bothered by the three of them. Though when you mentioned that you also had a group with Chrysidus and Reika, his expression became more concerned. "Reika? FE-09? She is on your side?" He sounded rather stunned, you telling him that Reika actually surprised you with how nice she was, now that Roraima was no longer influencing her. More importantly, the fact that they were with you was a sign of trust and them being functioning partners.

You'd even say how some had been with you for weeks and how they had proven themselves to be more than allies. Though, the guard didn't seem too convinced yet. "Okay, that's... great and all, but I really REALLY don't think it'd be smart to have Reika pass by us. She will most likely get shot at, given... well, some past experiences she had with some of the staff there." The guardsman mumbled, which made Kaenum speak in concern. "Oh no, what happened?" The guardsman sighed. "Before this shitshow, Reika might have seen a few guardsmen as... targets for a test run by Roraima. Obviously, this was mostly Roraima's doing, but I know for a fact that the... people Reika injured won't be too pleased to see her again."

Hearing this and sensing the uneasiness, you said that you would try to contact the group who had Reika with them to get them to STAY AWAY from their hideout. That way, it'd avoid any conflict. The guardsman nodded and spoke in a more thankful tone. "That'd be appreciated. Thanks." He said, you already telling Alan, Oreas and Morgan to try and use the radio to contact anyone who was nearby. "Well, I hope your radios have better reach than our shitty things..." The guardsman mumbled, you reassuring him that things would go fine. You also let them know that another group would be passing through here in the future, who had Kamara, Thalia, Katya and Anofelis on their side. "Tha-Thalia... you've got her on your side?" The guardsman asked, you confirming that she had been quite the boon to your team. "Is... something wrong with Thalia?" Kaenum asked soon after, the guardsman pausing, to think before speaking reluctantly. "Well, I've heard some pretty nasty things about what she does with guardsmen..."

Obviously, you knew that Thalia couldn't control her powers, you asking if they had anything to do with that. "Well, sorta? I just know that she used to sing a lot to her guardsmen, and that... some guardsmen got a little too touchy with her. Some even against their own will." You reassured the guardsman that you doubt Thalia had any bad intentions. After all, you had Kaenum by your side who could sense emotions. If Thalia truly had bad intentions, it wouldn't be easy to hide them from her. Kaenum would speak softly. "Well, Mikhail, I can sense emotions, but... figuring out their intent would require some actual therapy sessions, something which I haven't exactly done with Thalia." Before you could ask further, the guardsman would step into the conversation again. "Okay, listen... maybe Thalia isn't bad. I'm just saying that I heard some pretty vile stories about the things she did. Given that she is an Elbrus subject, maybe she just... doesn't know better."

>Continue asking questions a out the various things you discussed or anything else on your mind. The subjects he mentioned by name, the disaster itself, the number of survivors and how things were going down here.
It was clear that the guardsman probably just wanted to drop the topic, you instead asking about Iliara, which was a subject you hadn't heard of yet. "Iliara Salomon, codename CA-15. She's a Tengir and Illimani harpy subject who has these tiny needles in her hand akin to a jellyfish. Now, before you say that that sounds like Glaucus or some other venomous subjects, Iliara is different. She doesn't actually have venom in those needles, but instead is capable of injecting medical nanites like the ones you can find around here. She can be a little... rough sometimes, and my friend did mention how she can be snide, but that is just because she's passionate about her job and hates seeing people get hurt. Again though, this is based on what my friend and some other guardsman have told me."

Next, you wanted to ask him about Naamah, since he mentioned how she hadn't really caused trouble. In turn, you wanted to know what she was like, given that Logan didn't go into too much detail and the government docs described her... as somewhat rapey and self-centred. "Oh, I wouldn't call her that at all, no. When she came through here, she was quite friendly and relaxed. She did... do the deed with a few guardsmen, but that was only because that is how she feeds. There was full consent there. She was described as a little rough at times, and did... cause some funny side-effects with people who did the deed with her. Mainly just making them desperate for more, but... it didn't seem too harmless. Hell, if you managed to befriend Thalia without issue, I got a feeling that you will be able to befriend Naamah without issue." It sounded somewhat reassuring. But then again, these interactions were all with guardsmen, not death squad members such as yourself...

>Tell the guardsman the things you knew about the disaster and what was really going on out there. You did say you'd explain everything you knew once he had answered some of the questions you had.
With the guardsman revealing quite a few details, you thanked him for the intel and decided to let him in on what actually happened to the facility. You corrected him by saying that there was a massive explosion which formed a massive crater. Through this crater, death squads were able to enter the facility, which were hired to execute any living organisms for bounties. The guardsman's expression turned more fearful, his eyes widening as he let out a: "What." You continued, telling him that the government did not inform you about much either and that you were mostly here to deal with subjects. In fact, most if not all subjects had escaped containment, with plenty causing a mess to guardsmen and death squads alike. So... so the government... hired you guys to kill us?" The guardsman asked anxiously.

You hesitated, before confirming that the government did not intend to save them. The guardsman lowered his head, before moving to the nearest door and kicking it. "Motherfucker!" He'd let out a groan, before putting both hands on his face to cover it. He let his head hang back, before speaking again. "Of course... of course we do all this shit for them, only for them to wanna... fucking disappear us as well! Sure! Why the hell not! And hey, why not just hire fucking... enemy death squads to do the job! So fucking great!" Kaenum would try to reassure the guard, speaking softly. "I am sorry that we have to bring you this news. You have every right to be upset with the government and their actions." The guardsman looked away and let out another groan. "It's... it's fine. At least we're fortunate enough to... y'know, have a reasonable group of death squads discovering our location. Still, fuck them... fuck them all. Pieces of shit."

The guardsman kept flinging insults around for a bit, soon even slamming his fist against the nearby wall, causing a bit of a bang. Afterwards, you told him that the government wasn't only treating survivors like garbage, given that the government had also disappeared several soldiers who didn't obey them or asked too many questions. "Typical..." The guardsman mumbled, before you mentioned that most death squads were on the middle levels, which meant that they should be safe from other encounters for a good while. "Huh, what brings you to this floor then, if I may ask?" The guardsman asked, having calmed down a little bit in the meantime. You told him that you were just passing through to get to the combat sector, which made the guardsman scoff. "Combat sector... fun. Well, I hope you guys keep finding subjects to recruit and befriend, and people to help out. You said you already got in contact with Logan, so I presume you saved him already."

You confirmed that you had indeed saved Logan, which seemed to cheer him up. Though, you also mentioned that so far, six subjects had died as well as three scientists. Mainly, Tengri, Illimani and Mona. "Did... were they killed by death squads as well?" The guardsman asked, you stating Tengri and Mona died in the explosion, whilst Illimani was shot. "Ah... yeah, I remember hearing news of Illimani's death. Quite the shame, honestly... He was a respectable guy, from what I heard." Kaenum nodded along, as it seemed that the guy was now up to date on what was going on throughout the facility...

>Thank him for the intel and let him know you understood his position and that you wouldn't insist. You just wanted to make sure that he and the other survivors knew you were around and that you meant no harm.
With that in mind, you thanked him for all the intel and let him know you would leave him and his men alone. "Thanks. I'll rush back ASAP and let them know what to expect and not to shoot. Make it easy for you and your men to pass through." You also let them know that there were some civilian staff to the north of here, and that they might wish to join this place. You even mentioned that they might have some spare food on them. "Huh, well, I'll bring it up to the rest of our group. Whilst the extra food might be nice, having even more mouths to feed might be an issue... Especially since the green section doesn't seem easily accessible anymore." You confirmed it was indeed a no-go at this point, before mentioning that the coolers were relatively untouched by guardsmen.

"Issue is that it's quite a walk away. And, I imagine that a lot of subjects are hiding there as well." You confirmed that you had ran into Glaucus on the way over there, and that Sirona was also camping out around there. Grise was also out there, being active near the deeper parts which actually still had high quality food. "Yeah, it... doesn't seem worth it. Still, I appreciate it." The guardsman said, before looking around and grabbing his items. "Anyway, uhhh, our main base is down the hall, two stairs up and then to the right. Just ought I'd let you know. Regardless, thank you and good luck on your mission. Hopefully, we'll see you passing through here again in one piece." He said, before turning around and getting ready to return back to his base.

>What do you do next?

>Have a chat with Kaenum, Morgan, Oreas and Alan about this encounter and the many things which were brought up. Maybe they had some thoughts to share about a topic which sounded interesting. (Write in what you chat about.)
>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups. You had to stay together to ensure no further fights broke out.
>Continue exploring this area, now that you knew it was relatively safe and where. Perhaps there were still some things worth finding down here? (Write in what you search for, if anything specific.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

(And we are back! I've updated plenty of the docs, so make sure to check em for any new details regarding subjects and what not. If there are any things missing such as links or docs I need to share, or errors which need to be fixed, please let me know! Oh, and do let me know your thoughts on the intro story. I hope it satisfies the wish of a story focusing on the head scientists and how they dealt with the disaster...)

The two of them behave about how I was expecting and we'd heard of Feng's disdain for Jabal before. At least we won't have to worry about whether Jabal would help us with her. I just hope Feng hasn't gotten her hands on Hetzen and wonder what light Jabal could shed on the disaster.
>>6358618
Entirely reasonable crashout
>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups.
We came down here to look for survivors and we've done that - I don't think there's much more of interest here so let's go and join the admin team to help sift through paperwork. I wanted to meet some more of the group to quiz them too but it seems there's less interest in that.

Good luck chaps, even if we can't offer them much material assistance right now.
I wonder if Morgan would know Iliara.

-----

Last thread, it was mentioned that the Demon came from somewhere in the east. The bottom levels of the Facility in the east are the Vinella Zone, and I'm pretty sure Vinella was released to fight her. Coincidence? I think not. Perhaps we might find answers there if we're willing to dodge the giant pseudo-invincible murderous vinegaroon with a crush fetish for them.

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>>6358618
>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups. You had to stay together to ensure no further fights broke out.

>>6358618
>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups. You had to stay together to ensure no further fights broke out.
I'm curious what the guards who knew her have to say about Thalia. I still don't fully trust her.

>>6358620
I'm wondering how Jabal and Catherine managed to escape Feng. Is she retarded?

>>6358618
>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups. You had to stay together to ensure no further fights broke out.

>>6358781
>I'm wondering how Jabal and Catherine managed to escape Feng. Is she retarded?

>>6358781
You would think she'd be capable of tracking the trail of blood left by Catherine. Maybe she got driven off by another powerful subject?

>Quickly try to regroup with the rest of the subgroups. You had to stay together to ensure no further fights broke out.
Once the guardsman left, Kaenum spoke rather happily. "Well, I think that went rather well. He trusted you quite a bit. Though, his frustration was... quite a shame to see." You said that you understood his frustration, given how he had expected the government to save them. Instead, the government was actively trying to find him along with his friends to terminate them. Regardless, you'd head back to Oreas, Morgan and Alan, the three fiddling with the radio. "So, did everything go well? Are we allowed to come over to their base?" Oreas said curiously, Morgan speaking more pessimistically. "Based on the rage I heard, and the fact we had to alert the rest of our team who aren't here, I imagine there might be some issues." You explained that you had at least found what you came here for: survivors. And with them clearly not too eager to meet up, you wanted to rejoin the group who was near the main administration to help them out.

Alan was still tuning the radio, you so far hearing just static. "I've been trying to reach out to them. I managed to-" Ironically, right as Alan started speaking, you heard the radio static fade, before hearing Anon speak up. "Ah, Alan? Is that you? Can you hear us properly now?" Anon said, Alan looking at you and giving a thumbs-up. Thus, you spoke to Anon, telling him that you had encountered other survivors down here. "Wooh! Nice going, Mik!" You heard Chrys say in the background, after which Anon spoke up again. "Heh, yeah, Alan already mumbled that you encountered some folk. Though, the connection seemed to falter right as he said something about Reika." Before you could speak, you heard Reika speak quite loudly into the radio. "Mik! Tell me what's going on! Do you need my help? Are we dealing with stupid guardsman who I can take down?"

You reassured Reika that all was good, and that you just wanted to let them know to keep their distance from the ICU, since the survivors there weren't too eager to meet up. "Huh? Why's that?" Reika asked, you mentioning that they just weren't in the mood to meet up with a bunch of death squads and potentially dangerous subjects. "Makes sense." You heard Mike say in the background, before you told them that you'd go over to them, since you had found what you were looking for and wanted to help them. "Sure thing. We've been looking around this place, and there are quite a few files to go through, that's for sure. So far, not much about subjects... but, I am sure that subject-related stuff is compiled somewhere close-by." You asked for their location, Anon quickly relaying it as you told them you'd be there soon enough. Thus, you'd again lead the way, as you brought up that you had hoped to talk a bit more with the guards, which made Morgan say: "Well, then why did you not simply follow them? T'is only fair for you to want to ask some questions."

You scoffed at Morgan's remark, telling her that you weren't going to make things awkward, or force them into interacting with you whilst they clearly weren't in the mood for such. Though, you'd then bring up that you wanted to ask the guards about Thalia, since you did feel a little concerned about what was said about her. "Maybe after we explore everything, we can go back up here and try again to talk with them?" Oreas suggested, which was something worth considering. "I must admit, I have met Thalia during therapy in the past... and she did seem a little odd to me. It was not helped by reports about her, indicating she did quite some... perverse things. Still, I got a feeling she was simply not taught proper boundaries and could do well by your side. You've already helped Reika from what I've seen, and based on what I have heard about Katya, I do think your group will help Thalia reduce her Elbrusian tendencies. Or at least, not force people into situations they don't want."

Alan looked at you, you knowing that he was thinking of Zaria and what Thalia put her through. Still, he didn't bring it up, you simply wanting to focus on rejoining the rest of your group. And after following the floor plan for a bit, you'd finally pass by some glass walls looking into a relatively small office space. And a short distance away, you'd already spot Reika grabbing storage containers and flipping them over. You waved at her, as you saw her starting to smile. "Mikhail!" She said eagerly, as you saw Mike, Anon, Artyom, Ignacy and Chrys soon after. And after joining them in the office space, you would quickly tell them everything that had happened and how your meeting with the guardsmen went. "So, guess that means we won't need to worry about exploring the ICU further..." Ignacy remarked after you finished explaining everything, after which Mike said: "I'd say that's quite nice. Means we can just focus on getting everything we want from here and then continue on our merry way."

You nodded, before Oreas asked: "So, what did you guys find so far? Anything interesting?" To which Chrys spoke up whilst holding up a large bag she had presumably grabbed from somewhere nearby. "Lots and lots of hard-drives." Chrys eagerly remarked, after which Anon spoke up. "We've looked through a bunch of papers, but there isn't much that is interesting for us. Just... patient records, operational records, funding and other bureaucratic crap. Fortunately, we also already discovered a few files documenting subject-related injuries. A few documents even specifically focused on venom caused by subjects such as Glaucus and that moth girl Lono. Also a report on a bite caused by this lamia subject called Merse Gorgon." It seemed that your men had only scratched the surface of what this place had in terms of files. Though, Reika did speak up soon after, doing so in mild frustration. "So, what else are we supposed to find here, Mik?"

Clearly, Reika was a little impatient in searching this place. And considering how she just dumped files all over the place instead of looking through them, perhaps it was for the best you assigned her to do something else. Not just to make sure you could work well, but as to prevent her getting bored.

>What do you do next?

>Tell Reika and the others what you were searching for in a more specific manner. Random documents were nice and all, but you clearly needed to find something a bit more specifically valuable to you. (Write in what you tell everyone to look for.)
>Read through whatever reports the group had already found to see if they had anything of value. The reports about subject venom might be nice, along with giving some intel about what the subjects were like and what led to the envenomation. (Write in what you wanna read specifically.)
>Just join the group in searching for anything of interest. And once you've read through as much as you possibly could or your men got tired of reading through files, you could leave and look for the other group. (Write in when you stop reading through files.)
>Contact the other group to see how they were faring. Maybe they had found a lot of medical supplies, or something else which was of interest? Besides, maybe they ought to know that there were guardsmen here who were not too eager to meet. (Write in what you discuss once you contacted the other group.)
>Chat whilst rummaging through the place.
>Something else...

>>6358900
Maybe Andrei was wise enough to make her stupid. Feng never did come across as intelligent.

>>6358913
>Contact the other group to see how they were faring. Maybe they had found a lot of medical supplies, or something else which was of interest? Besides, maybe they ought to know that there were guardsmen here who were not too eager to meet. (Write in what you discuss once you contacted the other group.)
Just tell them about the guards and ask if they've found anything interesting.

I wonder if there was a subject nearby jamming our and the guards radios. Kind of weird that the interference just suddenly went away.

>>6358913
>Tell Reika and the others what you were searching for in a more specific manner. Random documents were nice and all, but you clearly needed to find something a bit more specifically valuable to you.
Subject injury records
Anything from the day of the disaster

I'm feeling like we're going to have to call it before *too* long since we could spend days sifting through paperwork here. We're not in a rush but we do ultimately have somewhere to be. We can read the interesting ones later.

>Chat whilst rummaging through the place.
Does Kaenum have any idea of what Thalia can really do? Elbrus didn't tell her and people have implied there's more to her than we know.
Did she ever have any sessions with Feng? If so, what does she know?
Did Morgan know Iliara? Illimani's subjects are a small world.
For that matter, how's she holding up now?

>>6358976
I doubt it's a subject since it affected us in the previous sector too unless we've been followed or they have a really big range. I wonder if the Feds are setting up jamming upstairs and we're close enough to the surface to get caught in it.

>>6358913
>>6358989
+1
We'll just want to skim through - look at titles and toss if they're unrelated. Cut it down to a few seconds per set of documents.
Reika's doing fine, she can gather the files while we read them.

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>>6358613
>Jabal and Catherine were in the foundry section.
>Feng found them.
>Feng's forces chased them far to the south to a green section.
>This clearly happened weeks ago.
>Feng mentioned having scientists working on essentially getting her remote up and running and referred to Jabal in past tense
>Pic related.

>>6358900
>>6358976
What makes you think they actually got away? Jabal felt safe enough to enter a side room and hide in a closet but I'm 99% sure that Feng waited outside to snatch them the second they left and then either enthralled him and Catherine or Catherine managed to mercy kill him before being captured or killed herself. I think her mentioning how Jabal represented the worst by being soft was a slip on her part and a hint that she managed to get her claws on him.

Supporting btw.

>>6358976
>Maybe Andrei was wise enough to make her stupid. Feng never did come across as intelligent.
Extremely doubtful. What would the point be in a stupid commander type? Andrei seems too practical to waste the abilities Feng has by crippling her intellect, and she sure doesn’t come across like Ano or Reika.

>>6359044
Very possible. I had thought we heard about a sighting of one of them either by Annie or reported by death squads to HQ in the past but I could be mixing them up with other scientists.

>>6359091
Maybe not stupid like Ano or Reika but I don't think she has a high intelligence, maybe just moderate. Andrei's file on her doesn't mention her being especially intelligent at least. I wonder why Andrei thought specifically designing her to be a total bitch was a good idea though.

>Tell Reika and the others what you were searching for in a more specific manner. Random documents were nice and all, but you clearly needed to find something a bit more specifically valuable to you.
Hearing Reika's frustration, you told her that you didn't just want her to go through files at random. You were particularly interested in two things: Subject injury records and anything which happened on the day of the disaster. Though, the latter made Anon speak up in a pessimistic tone. "I really doubt they'll have anything for the day of the disaster. These sorts of files take a lot of time to set up, I imagine. And I highly doubt that the facility had some people working on medical files whilst shit was hitting the fan." You still argued that recent files were the most beneficial ones, given that they'd at least provide insight on what was going on before the disaster hit the facility. And if those couldn't be found, at least subject injury records would provide further details about the threats the facility had.

>Chat whilst rummaging through the place.
With you having explained what you wanted to look for, you'd start setting an example by right away checking through a bunch of nearby files. Though, you would also chat a little bit whilst rummaging through files. You started by asking Kaenum about Thalia and if she had any ideas as to what the siren was capable of. The implications seemed that there was a lot more to her abilities than you understood. "Well, from what I gathered, she has some kind of ability to force the release of certain chemicals in people through her singing. Though, I do suspect there might be more to to her than just that ability." Kaenum responded, which made Chrys speak up more curiously. "What do you mean with that?" Kaenum fortunately was quick to explain, bringing up something intriguing and concerning. "Well, considering what Elbrus taught her, I do worry that she might have some kind of corruptive influence she is not aware of."

You saw Mike, Anon and Arty all looking rather concerned, with Mike simply asking: "Corruptive influence?" Kaenum nodded before continuing. "Based on what I heard during my sessions with Thalia, her main ability gave her easy access to a lot of people in... extremely intimate ways. Now, knowing Elbrus and how strong this ability might be, I fear that... Elbrus might have planned something far more nefarious for Thalia. Her ability to sway people could go well together with an ability to alter people's minds to... give Elbrus power over them. It isn't helped by the fact Thalia is an innocent and somewhat clueless subject, meaning Elbrus could always just feign ignorance or shift the blame to whoever was 'corrupted'." This entire situation made your men think about what happened to Zaria, there clearly being some clear connections between what Kaenum suggested and what you saw with Zaria. Besides, you could see Elbrus trying something along those lines...

Though, there really was no way to confirm it now without files on Thalia or further intel. And whilst Elbrus was a creep, this did seem a little conspiratorial. Still, it left your men somewhat unsure what to think and the girls somewhat concerned. You decided to shift the topic, instead wanting to know if Kaenum ever had therapy sessions with Feng. "I wish I had. But alas, Andrei was not the type to accept others meddling with his subjects, sadly. Or at least, meddling with their specific purposes." Kaenum simply said, implying she did not have any experience with Andrei and his subjects. Still, you thanked her for letting you know, before quietly searching through the files a little longer. Though eventually, you decided to ask Morgan about Iliara. Though, this got Anon to ask: "Iliara? Who's that?" You explaining right away that it was a medical subject with nanite healing powers who was brought up by the guardsman you interviewed, Anon quickly taking a few notes on the tablet.

Afterwards though, Morgan would respond to the question rather calmly. "Well, she was quite a good and passionate medic. But, she could be a little... harsh and brash, to put it simply. She did not tolerate people messing around or getting injured in stupid ways. And she also wasn't too opposed to getting into fights herself with whatever pathetic gun she could find lying around." Your men seemed intrigued by this brash and harsh medic, with Anon even saying: "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like she might make for a good teammate." After which Alan said: "Hey, maybe she could patch you up, Morgan? A little help from a fellow Illimani subject." Morgan scoffed softly, before going quiet again. Though, you did soon ask her how she was doing, since you hadn't exactly paid attention to her and her injuries. "My injuries are only minor, Mikhail. I shan't be dissuaded from assisting you or your men, nor shall I stay out of combat if the chance arises." Morgan responded calmly, clearly still wanting to help out.

>Contact the other group to see how they were faring. Maybe they had found a lot of medical supplies, or something else which was of interest? Besides, maybe they ought to know that there were guardsmen here who were not too eager to meet.
You told Morgan to not overexert herself, and that she'd hopefully be able to fully recover once the other group returned with medical nanites. Morgan gave a quick and understanding nod, before continuing to quietly check through nearby files. Though, thinking about the other group, you decided to reach out to them. Thus, you'd pause and grab the strongest radio you got and tried to reach out to them. Fortunately, it didn't take long, as you soon heard Sigit's voice. "We hear you, Mik. What's going on? Everything okay?" He asked right away, as you started asking him about how they were faring and if they found anything interesting.

"Unfortunately, we didn't find too much. A lot of these places have already been looted. Lars did find a couple of vials of medical nanites which are nice. But aside from some tools and equipment, most of the things we're looking for have already been taken by other folk. Which does make me worry that we might just... run into some of the looters down here soon." Sigit calmly remarked, you reassuring him that you had already encountered some guardsmen. "Really? Where are they?" Kenai immediately asked in a curious tone, you mentioning their location, your quick meeting with one of them and the fact they sadly did not want to see any subjects. "Oh..." Kenai quietly said, before you heard Vinisha talk. "Do you think those guys maybe took the medical equipment we're on the lookout for now?" You couldn't confirm it, but it did seem like the most logical explanation. Still, it did seem like this entire trip through the medbay had been a bit of a bust so far. Whilst nobody had gotten hurt at least, you had so far found little intel of interest and materials...

Still, there was a lot you could go through down here, and maybe the other group would get lucky and find a lot of medical supplies in a place that hadn't been raided yet?

>What do you do next?

>Tell the other group to stop exploring the storage spaces and to make their way over to you. Once regrouped, you could try and rummage through here a little bit longer, or simply leave this place and continue your trek to the combat sector. (Write in what you do once regrouped.)
>Ask your men for a vote on what to do next. You didn't feel like you were going to find much down here. And even though you weren't in a rush, it was probably better to move on sooner rather than later. (Write in if there's anything specific you'll give your men the chance to vote for.)
>Tell the other group you'd head over to them once you were done exploring this place. It'd give both of you some time to keep exploring this place and maybe find some more supplies. And once you found even one file about the disasters or a valuable subject injury report, you could head out of this place...
>Something else...

(maybe not the most eventful update... but alas, the rolls weren't too kind when it came to exciting findings. Hopefully, the next turn will be a bit more exciting for you guys.)

>>6359350
>Ask your men for a vote on what to do next. You didn't feel like you were going to find much down here. And even though you weren't in a rush, it was probably better to move on sooner rather than later.
Do we want to move on now, or do we want to stick it out a bit longer?
I'm thinking we should take the L and make a move, we're just burning time here without turning up much. With luck, the next LTC area will be more interesting.

Well, now Andrei isn't here any more, I think Vinisha is overdue for some sessions and Kaenum should talk to her when she gets the chance. Girl got major self-esteem and abandonment issues.

-----

can't believe I was accidentally on to something nearly a year ago when I was concerned that stuffing the sushi roll could have potential corruptive effects because Elbrus. Let's not do that again ey?

>>6359350
>Tell the other group you'd head over to them once you were done exploring this place. It'd give both of you some time to keep exploring this place and maybe find some more supplies. And once you found even one file about the disasters or a valuable subject injury report, you could head out of this place...
More supplies are always good.

>>6359368
>I think Vinisha is overdue for some sessions and Kaenum should talk to her when she gets the chance
Yeah Vin getting mental help should be top priority.

>can't believe I was accidentally on to something nearly a year ago when I was concerned that stuffing the sushi roll could have potential corruptive effects because Elbrus. Let's not do that again ey?
And just let her starve!?!?!?!?!

>>6359397
Thalia has said she can.....self feed, she just prefers getting it from someone.

>>6359368
Supporting

>>6359407
You're a cruel man, anon.

>>6359438
I know. But with the alternative being actual brain damage, I don't think I'm being unreasonable.

There's a few facts I'd like to establish first to ensure safe fish sex. Is this theory true? Is there a safe interval to prevent accumulative effects? How quickly does it take effect? I think we could find out a lot by asking her a few pointed questions about the people who fed her.

>>6359525
Look anon, I think you're being a tad bit too much paranoid. Thalia is helping us out day one, not only that but she's been using that voice of hers left and right by our request mind you, if we were to suffer any negative or lasting effects they would already show by now, especially since between the days we spent on surface and the times we split something was gonna happen from such long time of abstinence. You need to remember most of the subjects here have been treated differently by their scientists and Elbrus raised her to be bimbo, especially since he realized she's actually smarter than even she think it is. She's already suffered enough, between learning about the stigma of being "Elbrus subject", everyone hating or wanting to shoot her on sight once they learn about her creator and her learning about just because she likes sex and needs to do so to feed doesn't mean everyone's wants or she should goad then else they might get veeery hurt about it. I'm all in to ask some therapy session about her to Kaenum but don't do something it might make the fish her even more depressed like shooting her a barrage of questions as if we don't trust her and think she have second intentions, we already had a huge character development with her on prior threads let's not make it go downwards.

>>6359530
It's not a question of Thalia's character, I don't hold that in doubt and I'm not the paranoid anon. But if what Kaenum suspects is true and sexual activity with Thalia may cause mental corruption to accumulate over time regardless of her intentions, we shouldn't be doing it. I sympathise with her, but not so much that I'm willing to risk that for her sake, even if it might make her sad.

>>6359537
We'll just have to mentally recover faster than we get mentally corrupted.

>>6359537
The real solution here is recruiting Naamah or some other friendly pleasure-feeder so she and Thalia can feed each other as much as they want.

>>6359679
Yes, however I hate yuri. So I say let her masturbate.

>Ask your men for a vote on what to do next. You didn't feel like you were going to find much down here. And even though you weren't in a rush, it was probably better to move on sooner rather than later.
The lack of exciting files in this sector and useful findings in the storage space led you to decide by vote on what to do next. You personally didn't mind the other group exploring the storage sector a little longer, given that supplies were always useful. But, you'd let your men decide if they wanted to move on or stick around a little longer. Thus, you asked whoever wanted to stay here a little longer to give an aye, to which Mike, Lars, Antonin, Ignacy, Kenai and Kaenum all seemed to give an aye. "Mik, I think we still have a decent chance of finding some useful stuff here." Lars said over the radio, to which Antonin also added: "There's no way that these guardsmen managed to take ALL supplies. Just give us a few minutes longer and we'll find something." You'd even hear Kenai speak on the radio, doing so in a slightly hesitant tone. "I, umm, also think we could... maybe find some valuable supplies to maybe help out Gwen and Kiliane..."

You saw Mike and Ignacy also didn't seem too opposed. But, when you asked who wanted to move on, you found most of the rest of your men all giving ayes. Some were more eager than others, namely Reika, Alan and Idalia. "We'll find plenty more reports on combat injuries and subject powers in the training sector and combat sector. Staying here won't teach us much, I think." Idalia suggested over the radio, after which Alan said: "That, and I just think searching through all this crap is really monotonous. We've found barely anything of interest so far." Reika nodded along as the rest of your men seemed to agree that it was better to pause the search and head onwards. And with such a majority, you told those who voted for the other option that you'd head forward. Though, Lars then suggested something you also were considering.

"Wait! Why don't we just explore this place a few more minutes whilst you make your way over to us? Maybe we'll get lucky and find a few medical nanites or some more useful equipment?" Lars suggested, to which the rest of your men didn't seem too opposed to. Thus, you gave them the okay to keep searching a little while longer. They shared their location, you telling them you'd be there soon enough. And thus, you told everyone to grab what few documents were worth taking along, before leaving. "Shame we couldn't find much more valuable information. I would've loved to read a bit more about the people who used to work here. That, and maybe find out more about some of the more... troublesome subjects." Kaenum remarked, you saying that there wasn't much that told you about the disaster, subjects which were involved in the fight against 'the demon' and injuries people took. Though, this did not seem too surprising to some of your men.

"I mean, it was kind of a given that... those files would probably not exist, given that all the folks who were injured in the disaster probably came her after the disaster struck. At which point, I doubt that documenting injuries and administrative work would continue." Anon would remark, after which Kaenum said: "Well, at least we got some injury files. Perhaps these files can be of use to us in the future?" Your men didn't seem too optimistic, a few of the injury files explaining some unique details about dangerous subjects. Though, after walking in silence for a bit, you had a more optimistic thought, as you asked Kaenum if she was willing to provide some therapy to Vinisha. "Ah, of course. I would be more than happy to help her out in whatever struggles she might have. May I ask though, what kind of help does she need? Is there something in particular with her which I have not noticed yet?" Kaenum asked, as you explained that Vinisha got some self-esteem issues and potential abandonment issues thanks to Andrei.

"I see. Well, I will gladly help her find that spark everyone has, to ensure she too can feel proud of who she is and what she is capable of." Kaenum responded, you hoping that she could really help poor Vinisha out. If Kaenum really was a good therapist, these sessions could become the start to helping out the others as well with their issues. Katya, Reika, Kenai, Gwenllian, all could use some help in the form of a talk from a subject who knew how to handle such topics. Though, it might take some time to see results. Still, your group would continue chatting about other topics as you made your way over to the others in the storage sector. And after a short while, you'd notice Lars leading the others through a hallway as they were about to enter another storage unit. Before they did such, you'd call out to them, as they quickly dropped what they were doing and headed over to you. "Ah, Mik, that didn't take too long." Idalia said as you said that you wanted to get out of here and try your luck with the low threat containment sector further to the south.

"Ah, before we do, we did find some useful items!" Lars said as he opened his bag and showed five vials of nanites, a few painkillers and a few vials with clear fluid in them. "Huh, what are these vials?" Artyom asked as he carefully grabbed one of them, Lars taking it away from him before saying: "Well, the box they were in said it was a potential antidote for subject-related envenomation. I don't know how that would work, but... maybe it counters specific toxins which subjects release? Stuff like venomous bites or stings from subjects like Glaucus." It seemed like a generally useful thing to have, even if subject envenomation had so far not been too much of an issue. Not to mention, it not exactly seeming like something which was guaranteed to work. Still, it was at least a useful find along with the chemical nanites which could help in future injuries...

Regardless, you would lead your man downwards, planning to take the main road path heading straight through this place. Your group did seem quite chipper, despite the lack of finds. "You know, things have gone quite nicely for us. I wonder if France and the others are doing fine as well." Mike soon asked, to which Idalia spoke confidently. "I fully trust that France has everything under control and won't take any unnecessary risks. So, I assume it will be just fine." This did make your men chat a bit about what subjects France and co would encounter, or how they would have to deal with death squads given that they were deeper. The last topic wasn't exactly fun to think about, given that any death squad encounter could endanger all of you. Though, those concerns soon faded, as they were replaced by more tangible concerns. "... Guys, w-wait, pause for a second." Kenai said nervously, as all eyes went to her. She sniffed the air a bit, before speaking in a very concerned and soft voice. "Do you smell that as well?" Your men and the girls all tried to smell the air, but you didn't notice anything in particular.

Kenai would move around a little, before pointing over to a small wating room which was to your side. She'd look at Artyom and quietly asked: "C-Can you come along?" Though of course, Arty was highly sceptical. "What... what do you need me for? Is... is there a trap?" He said in a very hesitant tone, clearly not wanting to get himself blown up in another corpse trap. "I don't know. That's why I need you to come along with me." Obviously, Ignacy would ask the question which was on all of your minds. "What are you smelling, Kenai? Is it something bad?" To which Kenai gave a simple response. "Blood. A very strong smell of blood." Your men looked a little concerned, as there were a lot of implications to this find.

More importantly, was it worth finding the source of this smell?

>What do you do next?

>Let Kenai, Artyom and a few other folks find the source of the blood. If Kenai smelled blood, then it probably had to be fresh... in other words, it had to be a fresh injury on... whatever was injured. (Write in who you send over to check out the source.)
>Just ignore the smell. You were in a medical facility, so obviously the smell of blood wouldn't be uncommon. It could just be some unwashed medical equipment, or even a waste basket which still had some medical material in it.
>Prepare for combat whilst you continued down this hallway. You knew that there were guardsmen in this place, along with 'mean' subjects like Hapi and Sirin. In other words, this could very well be the sign of a subject who got themselves a recent kill... (Write in how you prepare for combat.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6359753
>Let Kenai, Artyom and a few other folks find the source of the blood. If Kenai smelled blood, then it probably had to be fresh... in other words, it had to be a fresh injury on... whatever was injured.
Don't split up when there could be danger close. Everyone stick together with Kenai and our trap man at the front.

My reckoning would be someone who got injured downstairs coming here to try and get treatment, but it could well be a hostile.
There's not much in the leisure centre who I'd expect to slash or eat the staff. And while it'd be a funny way to run into Viridian again now she's around the leisure centre, I can't imagine she'd go up two levels like that.

>>6359753
>Let Kenai, Artyom and a few other folks find the source of the blood. If Kenai smelled blood, then it probably had to be fresh... in other words, it had to be a fresh injury on... whatever was injured. (Write in who you send over to check out the source.)
We go with them and also take Lars, Morgan, Alan, and any volunteers, the rest guard the door.

Also I forgot to say this at the time but I liked the Jabal/Catherine interlude. Showed Feng in quite the sinister light.

>>6359753
>Let Kenai, Artyom and a few other folks find the source of the blood. If Kenai smelled blood, then it probably had to be fresh... in other words, it had to be a fresh injury on... whatever was injured. (Write in who you send over to check out the source.)
Mikhail, Morgan, and Lars go with Kenai and Artyom. Don't want it to get to crowded in there.

>>6359778
Oh shit, I've just realised it's literally just going into a room. Uh, I'll amend to Kenai, Artyom, Morgan and Lars to not overcrowd. Let's not bring the guy with the flamethrower into a confined space.

QM, some deets on France's group members would help use them effectively.

also, posting as a reminder to myself:
>Team A
Mikhail
Mike
Anon
Artyom
Lars
Antonin
Sigit
Ignacy
Alan
Derek
Reika
Morgan
Chrys
Idalia
Kenai
Vinisha
Oreas
Kaenum

>Team B
France
Lautaro
Archie
Guillherme
Orhan
Majia
Zaria
Thaddeus
Evander
Lydia
Katya
Anofelis
Thalia
Kamara

>At the hideout
Gwen
Cortina
Lydia
Ingmar
Massimo

(damn, our group is big)

>Let Kenai, Artyom and a few other folks find the source of the blood. If Kenai smelled blood, then it probably had to be fresh... in other words, it had to be a fresh injury on... whatever was injured.
Seeing that it was just a small space to the side, you didn't want everyone to go in all at once. So you took only those who were truly essential: Morgan for defense and support and Lars for his medical expertise. Arty would go in to watch for traps, whilst Kenai would sniff out the source of blood. You told the rest to watch the door and any nearby spaces, just in case they saw anyone trying to jump you or trying to escape. "Do we shoot at anyone who tries to escape?" Alan said as he held up his flamethrower, you telling him not to get too excited since you didn't know if this was something dangerous or something non-threatening. "Let's just fight if something tries to attack us." Idalia suggested, which most of your men agreed to.

Thus, you'd signal Kenai to lead the way, Morgan and Artyom remaining behind her and you and Lars staying behind them. The room you entered was mainly just a room for check ups, some scanners and computers being visible. There were also some operating tables and a few storage spaces for operating tools. Though, they were clearly more basic tools, rather than anything expensive for precision surgery. Kenai sniffed the air and wandered past a few desks before entering a small room which had a few barely working coolers. And soon, Kenai pointed at the floor, as you saw the source of the blood. It was a blood bag which had been almost entirely emptied, a few leftover bits of flood staining the floor below. "That's the source of the smell? Just a bloodbag?" Artyom asked in a rather confused tone, clearly expecting something a bit more sinister. "Why do you sound so disappointed? I think it's quite concerning, actually." Lars remarked, as Kenai carefully picked up the bag and smelled it further.

"It isn't warm, but I can smell something else on it... something kind of reminiscent of a cleaning detergent. Or... some other cleaning material." Kenai remarked, which sounded a little odd to you and your men. Lars remained resolute though, as he looked at you and Arty. "Isn't it obvious? The blood isn't dry, so this was something done recently. And whoever used that blood bag didn't use it for a transfusion. Kenai, may I?" Lars said as he signalled Kenai to hand over the blood bag. Kenai did as told as Lars looked.l at the bag before pointing to a single hole on the side. "Someone poked a hole in it. And based on what we've seen from some subjects, I suspect a flesh eating subject probably drank from it." Kenai looked a little anxious, whilst Artyom and Morgan seemed to ready their weaponry in advance. Still, you had no reason to expect a fight just yet, as you made your way back to your men with the empty blood bag. And once you were back with your men, you'd show it to them as they all seemed confused.

File: Sibilia Dembélé, MM-3.png (1.2 MB)

1.2 MB PNG

"So, that's it? Just a blood bag?" Mike said, after which Lars remarked. "A blood bag somebody drank from recently. I assume a flesh-eating or blood drinking subject." Idalia was quick to nod, saying: "There are several subjects who can drink blood. It'd not surprise me if one of them was here and decided to have a sip." Kaenum would soon raise her hand and step forward. "Mikhail, did the guardsman we speak of not mention Sibilia being here? I recall that she consumed blood, so she might be the one responsible." Though before you could respond, you heard a voice from a short distance away. "Huh, you guys are dressed... weirdly." It was a calm, female voice. Your men all turned around, and saw a metallic mosquito girl standing down the hallway you in the very direction you came from. "Is that new guardsman attire? Or is that just some extra protection against bad subjects?" The girl said, as it seemed you had gotten your answer right away...

The subject, who based on her appearance alone was likely Sibilia, was... small. Very small. She must have not even been the size of a toddler. Hell, she made Chrys look like Viridian with how short she was. Yet, her body was clearly that of an adult. More importantly though, her... relatively exposed body was coated in a layer of reflective metal, her appearing somewhat like an android rather than an organic being. She looked at you without any malice or distrust. Hell, she seemed and looked more curious than anything, which either indicated a level of foolishness akin to Anofelis, or a level of trust akin to Kaenum. Either way, your men were clearly not too worried or inclined to grab their guns, as the mosquito gal stared at you without any clear signs of hostility. Then again, just because she didn't seem hostile, didn't mean she wasn't a potential threat.

>What do you do next?

>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy. (Write in what you tell her as you walk over to her.)
>There was no way this small well armoured Elbrus subject just revealed herself to you without any care in the world. Clearly, something more was going on and you had to be careful or ask some questions from a distance to figure out what she was doing here... (Write in what you ask her.)
>Tell her that you are indeed guardsman who dressed up in different attire to protect yourself. She was clearly a foolish Elbrus subject, so she'd probably believe you. And hey, it'd make her less likely to flee or try anything funny. (Write in what you tell her.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6360021
>Ask her what rock she's been living under for the past month. Hasn't she thought it odd that she's allowed to roam freely instead of being locked in her containment room? That she hasn't undergone any tests? That she hasn't seen Elbrus?

>>6360021
>>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy. (Write in what you tell her as you walk over to her.)
Say hello

>>6360021
>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy.
C'mon, girl. I'm sure she's seen and been shot at by enough death squads by now to know who we are. But if she's got questions, ask away, we're not going to attack her.

We haven't heard much about Sibilia from reliable Facility sources. Thalia thought Sibilia was lovely but she also included Hapi on that list so that's out and Elbrus' assessments are, well, from Elbrus. There are Juniper's comments but she didn't say them to us.

Well, cup-size anon, you've got your wish. It took me... 2 hours of searching, comparing and excluding subjects you haven't heard of yet, but... here it is. The breast charts:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qT6CV0gz0khrjWz3ZQWj7ZxpkaJ7JsVu9qUxnrzphfQ/edit?usp=sharing

And, on two more pleasant notes:
>>6359951
>QM, some deets on France's group members would help use them effectively.
Added them to the 'current squad and supplies' doc. They're not as elaborate on the personality front, which I may add later down the line. But for now, it tells you a bit about their weaponry, equipment and skills.

Secondly, a cute artwork of Kaenum playing her instrument was added recently to the catbox. I am quite curious which based artanon made it, since it seems to have quite a distinct style from previous artworks. Either way, it looks adorable.

>>6360142
>The breast files have been dropped

File: Ohmygah.png (60.3 KB)

60.3 KB PNG

>>6360150

>>6360142
>Hapi downgraded to a Q cup from her original U
OOOF
>Some subjects are even bigger at W

>>6360021
>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy.
Just make some introductions.

>>6360142
Finally. We have answers to our most burning questions.

>>6360021
>>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy. (Write in what you tell her as you walk over to her.)
Oh boy, I guess she didn't die on her cell after all. Let's introduce ourselves to Sibilia, we're not guardsmen we're deathsquads, she doesn't need to worry we ain't hunting any random subjects we see, Inquire if she won't mind answering a few questions of ours.
Does she knows what happened here in the facility?
She saw any other subjects around this place?
Does she knows were Alexandra might be?
Could she say anything about the scientists of this place like her creators for example. If the situation comes up perhaps explain to her Anderson despite having a track-record for doing so didn't abandon her, that was a lie made by Elbrus, we have the records of him bragging about lying about that if she wants to see.

>>6360174
>>6360173
>>6360046
>>6360027
Supporting. With how she's taking everything she's either the most oblivious subject in the world or at levels of denial it approaches delusion. I am praying it's the latter because otherwise I have no clue what on earth Lono saw in her.

>>6360142
QM, I'm sorry to say but... You forgot the non-subject characters. You better add them. It's of vital importance we know of Juniper and Larisa's cup size as well after all, just to name a few. Also no subject is higher than a W. Very interesting. Maybe Elbrus' biggest girl is hiding from us.

>Just casually approach the subject and tell her who you were. Obviously you weren't guardsman, but she probably wouldn't be scared off by that. After all, you had several subjects by your side, which would show her you weren't an enemy.
It was quite the surprise, finding Sibilia just out here on her own. And given how relaxed and friendly she seemed, you'd just calmly approach whilst explaining who you were. You mentioned that you were not actually a group of guardsmen, and that you were actually a death squad. You saw her thinking about what that meant, you reassuring her that you were not out there to hunt subjects. "Indeed, there is no need to fear Mikhail and his men!" Kaenum would reassure, after which Chrys calmly remarked: "Yeah, no need to be alarmed. It's a pleasure to meet you by the way, ummm... actually, what's your name?" Sibilia kept glancing over at the various subjects you had and back at you, before softly responding. "Sibilia Dembélé, MM-3. So, uhhh, death squads... you guys are down here to do massages and stuff, right?"

Any and all curiosity and friendliness turned to genuine confusion and bewilderment among your men and the girls. "Wuh... what?" Idalia even let out, after which Mike said: "Was that some sort of attempt at a joke?" Sibilia pondered for a moment, before shaking her head, leaving your men even more stunned. "What do you mean... massages?" Lars asked, before Sibilia pointed at your gun. "Well, uhhhh, I encountered another group of yours and... they gave me massages with those things you've got. They kinda make me think of the things guardsmen have. Is that some sort of common massage device?" Given how Sibilia sounded quite genuine, this either meant she was denser than Anofelis and Reika combined, or Elbrus had completely broken her mind before you got the chance to meet her. That, or she was just in complete denial about what the hell was going on and was stuck in a whole different reality.

Still, you wanted to be somewhat amicable and not question her too much. So, you asked if she knew what happened to the facility. "Well, there was a loud bang and lots of panic. Then, I was let out of my containment chamber... and things were a bit different from how they are normally, so I think there's something special going on... oh, and there's you guys. Um, I was told you guys were bad, but you guys have so far just been kind of funny and given me good massages and fun times!" At this point, any thoughts of asking the usual questions were starting to fade from you and your men's mind. You knew Roraima was capable of dumbing down his subjects... but this was reaching levels of blissful unawareness which made Reika look intelligent. "You have no clue at all what is going on, do you?" Mike asked in pure confusion and bewilderment, as you heard Sigit ask: "How the fuck did you survive down here for so long like this." To which Sibilia just gave a light shrug.

"It wasn't that difficult... I mean, why would I not survive down here? Things are quite peaceful and fun now." Sibilia remarked casually, making Idalia speak up in bewilderment. "B-But you... you encountered another death squad! How in the world did they not instantly just... shoot you a bunch of times and kill you?!" Idalia sounded insulted, almost as if she couldn't believe that Sibilia survived through everything. Though the bewilderment and confusion only got worse as Sibilia explained herself. "Kill me? They weren't trying to kill me. They tried picking me up after a while of using those guns for massages, but they weren't able to lift me. It was kind of funny watching a big strong man try to carry me and show themselves to be more like a big baby, hehehe. But eventually they just told me to wait in place for a bit and some of them left, but while waiting one of them was really mean so I bit him and stormed off in a huff." The fact Sibilia mentioned this so casually made some of your mens' jaws drop.

Unfortunately, Sibilia was far from done revealing just how dense and resilient she was. "There was also a time this weird wolf subject came by and killed some death squads who were massaging me. She tried nibbling on me for a bit but she hurt her teeth and walked off... Oh! There was also a time that one of Anderson's harem girls showed up and let me join in! That was a fun night! Though... I don't know where the others went after that. Guess they went back home for the night. A shame, they were really nice... I rarely ever got people to visit me before so like, it's really cool that not only am I able to walk around now but I get to meet so many beautiful girls and guys out in these halls! Speaking of which, you guys wanna have some fun too? I'm down for a lot of things!" An awkward silence befell your men, as all just stared blankly at Sibilia, who beamed with pride at the thought of... doing it with you and the rest of your men.

"Mik, didn't her files say she was... left in solitary confinement for a while?" Anon remarked quietly. Though, this ended up being a pretty bad move, as this was the one thing which DID make Sibilia respond. "Solitary... no! Don't say that!" She pouted, at which point Mike spoke up. "Relax, Sibilia, we know what you went through with Elbrus." Sibilia kept shaking her head though, as she continued speaking in frustration. "I don't care! Don't say those two words! I've dealt with that too much in the past and I don't wanna hear it again! I am free now and don't wanna go back to being alone!" You reassured her that she wouldn't be forced anywhere, and that you just wanted to ask her some questions and learn about what she had been up to. Fortunately, Sibilia did calm down a bit, as she spoke in a less upset tone. "Okay, good. I hate being alone. Stupid Elbrus, not letting me have any fun... Hmph..." Your men still seemed unsure on what to think about this entire introduction.

"So, uhhhh, I've asked this question to the other death squads, but what made you guys come here anyway? Is there some kind of celebration I'm not aware of? Something related to that subject escaping or what?" Sibilia asked, as there was no denying it at this point: Sibilia was on the level of Reika and Anofelis, but far worse. Yes, she did have a very potent level of defence which was worth investigating and utilising, and might have some interesting stories to tell. But... there was clearly a limit as to the bare minimum a subject had to be capable of intelligence wise, and Sibilia was reaching this limit. There was no way a subject could be THIS dense, right? This was beyond the levels of animalistic or robotic behaviour Roraima forced onto some of his subjects. This was Elbrus' effectively creating a sentient rock.

>What do you do next?

>Continue questioning Sibilia about... well anything, really. Is she with anyone, what is she doing down here, where has she been, how did she manage to survive, or anything related to her past. (Write in what you ask.)
>Tell Sibilia why you were ACTUALLY here, and that the 'massage tools' which were used on her were actually meant to kill her. It was the least you could tell her, given how much danger she had put herself in in the past. (Write in what you tell her.)
>Whilst Sibilia may be made of metal, there was no way she actually is THIS dense. Clearly, this had to be an act or of some kind to trick you. So, tell her to stop playing the fool and answer honestly. (Write in what you tell Sibilia.)
>Discuss with your men what they wanted to do with Sibilia. She was clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, so keeping her around was maybe not feasible. Maybe some of your men had other suggestions on what to do with her?
>Something else...

>>6360527
>>Continue questioning Sibilia about... well anything, really. Is she with anyone, what is she doing down here, where has she been, how did she manage to survive, or anything related to her past. (Write in what you ask.)
Okay we kinda got the picture, her files said she was a bit dumb and basically being locked away in solitary has broken her further.... Well another reason to put a bullet on Elbrus.
Could she describe the spider subject? What's her color? Was she more spider than human or the opposite?
Did she see any other subjects around this place? Perhaps Alexandra a big dark colored wolf woman?
Would she like to accompany us?
Does she know what happened to Elbrus? We are looking for him to have a not so nice talk about the way he treats the people and subjects from this place.
Can we try and lift her? We're kinda curious if that guy was just really weak.

>Tell Sibilia why you were ACTUALLY here, and that the 'massage tools' which were used on her were actually meant to kill her. It was the least you could tell her, given how much danger she had put herself in in the past. (Write in what you tell her.)
Let's dumb down as much as possible. Sibilia, those other death-squads weren't massaging her they were looking for a weakness on her body to kill her. Not everyone is like this, we aren't but some very bad people have been called here to kill people here, she needs to be careful.

>>6360527
>Continue questioning Sibilia about... well anything, really. Is she with anyone, what is she doing down here, where has she been, how did she manage to survive, or anything related to her past.
And what did the other groups say when she asked them that question? It's to kill her, by the way. At least on paper.
She was in Anderson's harem? x-ref her answer to Elbrus' notes
Dd she talk to Thalia a lot? She seemed to like Sibilia.

>Whilst Sibilia may be made of metal, there was no way she actually is THIS dense. Clearly, this had to be an act or of some kind to trick you. So, tell her to stop playing the fool and answer honestly.
She clearly understands heavy weaponry and what can actually hurt her given she runs away when it comes out. She's also sussed out where blood stocks are kept, navigated here on her own and known exactly where to go to find food despite probably having never been told about any of this. So I think she's laying the dumb-as-a-bag-of-hammers routine on a bit thick here.

>>6360530
I dunno anon, Elbrus's file on her basically said:
>"Subject MM-3 is a somewhat obedient and easily manipulated subject I created with some help from Anderson. Whilst the bug-lover wanted to just make her highly resilient, I decided to give her some more fun traits and teach her how to use that proboscis for more exciting things. And, having told her that Anderson didn't want her to be part of his harem, Sibilia has basically forgotten all about him in her adorable fit of jealousy."
So she is dumb but she wasn't totally clueless, he refered to her as being prideful, argumentative and wanting to dominate, guess being confined for a undisclosed amount of time till everything went to shit broke her.

>>6360541
I'm not disputing that she's not smart, I just think said evidence points towards her not being as unbelievably retarded as she's acting. I don't believe she's gotten dumber but she clearly has trauma from the sensory deprivation, perhaps she's pretending to be stupid and fucking with people to avoid being sent back.

>>6360527
>Continue questioning Sibilia about... well anything, really. Is she with anyone, what is she doing down here, where has she been, how did she manage to survive, or anything related to her past. (Write in what you ask.)
Ask about the Anderson subject. What she looked like and her name.
Ask if she's seen many other subjects while roaming around.
Ask if she knows Thalia.
Ask if she has any idea where Elbrus or Roraima might be.

>>6360530
>She was in Anderson's harem?
Sibilia wasn't saying that SHE was in Anderson's harem, she was referring to an Anderson subject she had sex with.

>>6360541
>I decided to give her some more fun traits and teach her how to use that proboscis for more exciting things
I fucking hate Elbrus so much.

>>6360547
The wording of "join in" implies that to me. In any case, the primary purpose of the line of questioning is to prod her for thoughts on Anderson and his harem to see if it corroborates Elbrus' notes.

>>6360548
I think she was implying this Anderson subject was having an orgy or something.

>>6360549
Duh, I'm being the rarted one now. Yes, that's the takeaway I took and while it doesn't say she was part of his harem, it's largely an excuse to bring up the topic with her really.

>>6360524
>I was told you guys were bad
Who told her that?

>they weren't able to lift me
Smaller than a toddler, but too heavy for a group of athletic men to lift? How much does she weigh? How dense is she? Was it ever measured? Gonna assume those wings on her back are just for show.

>Whilst Sibilia may be made of metal, there was no way she actually is THIS dense. Clearly, this had to be an act or of some kind to trick you. So, tell her to stop playing the fool and answer honestly.
I could see her being mixed up like this for a bit, but after this long? After a death squad encounter where they tried to kill her and she could observe their reactions and hear what they said? She clearly understands language, she's trying to play us. Ask the above questions before we confront her though.

As noted in >>6360541 her file didn't mention rock bottom intellect. She might be so prideful that she believes this act is good enough to fool us. Maybe if she insists on playing dumb take out the plasma railgun, tell her it's a really powerful massager and to hold still.

>>6360527
Why do we keep finding the special ed cases? I thought lobotomies were out of fashion but I guess Elbrus pulled a Roraima before everything went to shit or she's just completely delusional and constantly telling herself everything is fine when it's really not.

>>6360529
>>6360547

Supporting. May as well make it easy for us.

>>6360530
She was listed as easily manipulated as another anon beat me to the punch on, but this is an okay point. It could also just be she got hit by heavy weaponry once and realized it wasn't good for her. As for finding the blood, she could have just been told by someone and blundered her way here. In fact, I think it adds credence to her being less than an A+ student because she's here now weeks after when the blood should start going bad, refrigerated or not. If she was smart she'd have been here earlier. This is also assuming she intended to end up here given she was listed as nearby this place already anyway. For all we know she got here by luck. Lastly, her file had an addendum and was stated as having been old, worn down, and buried under tons of files. So we have no clue how long she's been stuck in solitary. Though, given she was locked away, when did Lono last talk to her? How long has it been? Was she let out at some point after god knows how long?

Supporting the questions here but not the confrontation. Even if I'm wrong and she doesn't make Reika look like Einstein by comparison I think it's a futile effort if she really is that dumb and a futile effort if it's all an act because she'd stop on her own by this point if it was one I think. I'd be worried about some sort of new Elbrus ability to screw us if it wasn't for the fact her height was described to be just about where she is now which implies she really was locked up with the key thrown away.

>>6360578
As funny as it would be to threaten her with a rail gun I don't think that's a wise idea. I don't think the other subjects with us would approve. It also depends on what the soldiers around her did. If they never outright said they were trying to kill her and she just came to her own conclusions as to what they were there for, they could have just rolled with it. Providing anyone other than the group she ran from actually talked to her in any meaningful way other than gurgles from dying to what I assume is Grise... Or just getting both the mind and literal meaning of fucked. Plus, it could just be delusion or mental degradation induced by extensive time in solitary confinement, which is a warcrime past 15 days, and knowing Elbrus and the knowledge the file on her is old, I think it's safe to say that it's been a bit longer than that.

>>6360593
Bro just read her dialogue. She's way too eloquent to be as low IQ as she's pretending to be. For god's sake, she literally calls us a death squad instead of a massage squad or whatever she's pretending to think of us as.

> If they never outright said they were trying to kill her and she just came to her own conclusions as to what they were there for, they could have just rolled with it. Providing anyone other than the group she ran from actually talked to her in any meaningful way other than gurgles from dying to what I assume is Grise
???
She mentioned she was surrounded by a squad who unloaded all their weapons on her for "a while", then tried and failed to carry her away, then half left to presumably get their own plasma railgun, then one of the ones that remained to watch her was mean so she bounced. That's an extended period of interaction with no Grise in sight. Sure, it's possible they were carefully watching their words the whole time, and they're one of the rare death squads who try to kill subjects immediately and also don't make some variation of "I'm gonna torture you to death!" the first 1-5 things they say, and that she just so happened to have a mental break in solitary that had a curiously specific intelligence lowering effect. Could you really say it's more likely than her faking it?

>>6360578
Rail gun chan needs more time in the spotlight. I support this wholeheartedly.

>>6360578
RAILGUN!
RAILGUN!
RAILGUN!
RAILGUN!
RAILGUN!

Supporting

>Tell Sibilia why you were ACTUALLY here, and that the 'massage tools' which were used on her were actually meant to kill her. It was the least you could tell her, given how much danger she had put herself in in the past.
Since it seemed that Sibilia REALLY was extremely dense (or at least doing a good act of pretending to be dense), you decided to tell her what was actually going on in the facility. You told her that the death-squads she had encountered weren't there to massage her. They were actually trying to find a spot on her body which could be pierced by bullets. "Why would they wanna do that?" Sibilia asked in genuine confusion, you stating that it was their attempt to kill her. This did somewhat concern and confuse Sibilia, her looking at your guns and the girls you were with. "Wait, why do they wanna kill me?" You explained it wasn't just her, and that the death-squads were brought here to kill people like her.

"They wanted to kill us too, Sibilia." Oreas remarked, after which you said that not all death squads wanted to kill her. After all, you didn't want to kill her, but there were plenty of evildoers who did. Sibilia continued looking confused, clearly not knowing why people wanted to kill subjects. "But, I don't understand. Why do you wanna kill us?" Sibilia asked calmly, to which Anon responded in a more direct tone. "It's complicated. You just have to know that the ones who shot you did so with the intent to kill you. Our group DOES NOT want to kill or hurt you, or other subjects. We've even had several subjects by our side to help us out." Anon signalled to the other girls, Sibilia continuing to look mostly confused. "I don't get it... why do other death-squads wanna kill us but not you guys? This doesn't make any sense..." From the way Sibilia talked, you got a feeling that she'd never really understand what was going on. Thus, you told her to not think about it and just remember that you were friends and that you wanted to help her.

>Continue questioning Sibilia about... well anything, really. Is she with anyone, what is she doing down here, where has she been, how did she manage to survive, or anything related to her past..
To distract her from her clear confusion, you would ask her a few more questions. You mentioned how she had met an 'Anderson Harem' subject, which got you curious as to who it was. You asked for a description, making Sibilia speak in a more swooned voice. "Well, she was a bit bigger than me, and had a lot of legs and... this long tail with a sharp thingie at the tip of it. She was brown and had nice green hair and big breasts which were really fun to play wi-" You cut her off before she could go into detail. Still, this already told you a lot, as it was clear this WASN'T a spider subject. This sounded far more like Sirin, which did make sense since she was mentioned as being around this place. Though, it did sound like this happened before she came to this section of the facility...

This did get you to wonder about the other subjects she got to see, you mentioning the wolf girl she seemingly encountered. You asked if she had darker features, which made Sibilia shake her head. "No, she was white and silvery and had a big blade she tried to poke me with... But that didn't work, so she bit me which was kind of funny." This made Mike ask the obvious question: "You ran into Grise? And she didn't kill you or turn you into scrap?!" Sibilia thought about it, before saying: "I don't know who Grise is... but, if that wolf was Grise, then Grise is kind of funny. She got funny and pouted after a while... which was funny, hehe." This made you wonder how tough Sibilia actually was, you asking if you could try to lift her. Sibilia nodded calmly, as you saw Alan step forward. "Alright, my time to shine." Your men smirked as Alan stepped forward, Antonin casually remarking: "Hey, if she's too heavy, you can ask me to help out as well."

Alan scoffed as he soon towered over the small metal mosquito girl. "Alright, let me try this." He'd grab her under her shoulders, before trying his hardest to lift her up. Sibilia smirked a little, as you watched Alan struggle to move her. "Hngghhh... come on... you can budge..." He mumbled, continuing to try and lift her up a little while longer. Until finally, he let out a gasp and shook his head. "Felt like I was trying to lift a goddamn truck or something!" Alan looked over his shoulder and remarked: "Alright, Antonin, you wanna help out?" Antonin quickly obliged, as the two would soon both try and lift Sibilia up. But, she hardly seemed to move, even as both tried to lift him up. It was clear that Sibilia was insanely heavy. However, there was one person who could somehow budge her, that being Reika. Your manticore girl eagerly grabbed Sibilia in her claws and started flapping her wings to help in lifting her up. And, sure enough, you watched Sibilia move a foot off the ground.

However, it wouldn't last long, Reika dropping her soon after with a very loud thud. "Hah... I did it! It was... heavy, but I did it!" Reika said proudly, Sibilia speaking in a surprised tone. "Guess you must be a super strong subject, kinda like Vinella!" It seemed Sibilia knew of Vinella, which made you ask if she actually encountered her. Sibilia looked concerned and quickly shook her head. "I did not! And I hope I don't! Vinella is scary and mean! Well, I've heard bad things about her!" In turn, you asked if she had encoutntered any other subjects whilst roaming about. "I saw a few in, uhhh, the place with lots of water. I saw this fish lady who looked very sick, and this weird green lady lizard who got angry at me for some reason I don't understand. And, uhhh... I also saw this transparent fish lady with weird red tentacles. She tried to eat me, but... that didn't work out well, so she left me alone. I, uhhhh, I maybe saw other subjects, but... I don't remember, I think."

It seemed like Sibilia had spent some time in the flooded sector, which was certainly a curious thing ot hear. This actually got you curious if she knew Thalia. After all, Thalia had mentioned liking Sibilia. This made Sibilia curious. "Why do you ask? Have you seen Thalia?" Before you could confirm such, Chrys casually said: "She's also one of our allies! She's... not with us right now, but we can maybe contact her later so you two can talk?" Chrys was maybe a bit too eager. But, at the very least, it seemed to make Sibilia cheer up. "That's nice! I remember Thalia being very sweet to me. She was one of the few people I could really trust..." The mention of Thalia being one of the few trustworthy people she knew made you want to ask about the people in her life. Or more specifically, her creator. Thus, you carefully asked her who else she trusted. Sibilia paused to think, clearly struggling to come up with an answer. Thus, you asked her if she trusted Elbrus.

Sibilia shook her head, before bluntly commenting: "No, Elbrus did lots of stupid and unfun things with me. Well, we did do some fun and sexy things together. But, he also was rude and didn't want me to be the one in control. He punished me for it and called me many mean things, which made me sad..." Hearing this, you asked if she knew where Elbrus was, since you wanted to talk to him about the way he treated his subjects. Sibilia shook her head again, right away responding: "No, I don't know where he is..." You even asked if she knew what happened to him, Sibilia again shaking her head and responding with: "No." You'd even ask about Roraima, since it was clear Elbrus and him were buddies to a certain degree. So, Sibilia might know a bit about him too. Though unfortunately, Sibilia just shook her head again, before commenting: "I don't know. I wish I could tell you. I also wanna talk with Elbrus and let him know I am not happy with how he treated me..."

Hearing this, you decided to ask her if she'd like to accompany you, since you always were happy to have more subjects by your side. "Accompany you?" She said curiously. Though before you could elaborate, Mike would clear his throat to get your attention. He'd signal you to come closer, as you told Sibilia to wait for a moment. You asked Mike what the deal was as he spoke with a hushed tone. "Look, Mik, I get we wanna save as many people as possible... but this Sibilia girl is REALLY stupid. Like, I got a feeling this has to be an act." Most of your men listened along, you clearly noticing that some of your men weren't too eager. "I don't know about this being an act. But, I do know that she is a liability with her level of intellect." Artyom added soon after, after which Alan spoke up in a more defensive tone. "A liability? We literally just met her, man. Besides, she isn't stupid. She's a goddamn torture victim from that son of a bitch Elbrus. Besides, you saw how tanky she is, right?"

Alan wasn't the only optimistic one, as Antonin said: "I think we can take her in and see how she fares. Maybe Kaenum or Oreas can ensure she knows the boundaries of the group and what is expected of her." Afterwards, Idalia would comment: "I think we shouldn't be too mean to her and leave her out. She already was abandoned from the sound of things... would it be fair for us to abandon her now?" Though, Derek would also shake his head. "I wanna be nice to her. But, I really don't know if she'd work well with our team. She really seems like a risky addition to our team... even if her suit, or uhhh skin, is pretty impressive." Afterwards, Artyom would remark: "Yeah, but it isn't a liability when she just approaches random death squads expecting massages." And again, Mike would remark: "You guys are hearing this, right? Massages. With guns. You're telling me that Sibilia is too stupid to realise what guns are?!"

Even you had to agree that there was something... weird about Sibilia's stupidity. It did not seem like Reika or Anofelis. It seemed... even more extreme. Perhaps even to the point of being an act. Though, why she'd even act this suicidal was quite a mystery to you.

>What do you do next?

>Just tell your men to drop the argument and that you'd have her join the party. You had already given her the offer, so it was pointless to retract it. Besides, just because she was objectively dumb, that didn't give you the right to abandon her down here. (Write in what you tell your men.)
>You had to agree with Mike. If Sibilia was putting up an act of stupidity, then that meant she was trying to manipulate you for some nefarious reason. And if she was genuinely this stupid, then it'd make her a pretty risky team-mate to have on your side. (Write in what you tell Sibilia.)
>Discuss Sibilia joining your team a bit further. Maybe you could all come to an understanding after you gave your own opinion and let the rest of your men decide. (Write in what you believe was the best course of action.)
>Do a little test with Sibilia to see if she'd let herself get hit by something truly dangerous. You didn't have a railgun, but you still had some explosives with you. If Sibilia was really a fool, she'd say yes. But if she was't, she might think twice about taking some ACTUAL damage. Unless if she was bluffing... (Write in how you test her out.)
>Ask Kaenum to talk with Sibilia. Kaenum knew a ton about subjects, and could probably figure out if Sibilia was genuine or acting like a fool. (Write in what you ask Kaenum to do.)
>Something else...

(>>6360203
>>6360600
Forgot to mention that both of these look adorable. Though, what gives with the android being all in favour for NO FUN ALLOWED?)

(Also, friendly reminder that the railgun is still with Thad in the other group...)

>>6360919
>Do a little test with Sibilia to see if she'd let herself get hit by something truly dangerous. You didn't have a railgun, but you still had some explosives with you. If Sibilia was really a fool, she'd say yes. But if she was't, she might think twice about taking some ACTUAL damage. Unless if she was bluffing...
Tie a big block of plastic explosive to her neck. We're going to do a little test - it should make a puff and make her feel good. Now stand there for a moment, we can't do it while we're standing too close.
We have no intention of actually setting it off of course, but it should force her to acknowledge knowing more than she admits to if she does. Because if this is her real personality, I'm going to want to fucking THROTTLE her very soon.

>>6360919
>Discuss Sibilia joining your team a bit further. Maybe you could all come to an understanding after you gave your own opinion and let the rest of your men decide. (Write in what you believe was the best course of action.)
Vote on it.

I don't think it's an act. I think she's just really fucking dense, literally and figuratively.

>>6360950
Support. But if we do decide to pull a test on her I say we warn the girls about it first, even if we're "pretending" to do something harmful I don't think the girls would appreciate to do it to another subject who's not even trying to fight back.

>>6360917
>However, there was one person who could somehow budge her, that being Reika
THE CHAMPION

>>6360919
>"You guys are hearing this, right? Massages. With guns. You're telling me that Sibilia is too stupid to realise what guns are?!"
Thank you Mike for being a voice of reason here.

Unfortunately she might not go for the bluff method anymore. After our honest explanations and subject companions she might realize we won't actually do it and keep playing oblivious. So our best option is probably
>Ask Kaenum to talk with Sibilia. Kaenum knew a ton about subjects, and could probably figure out if Sibilia was genuine or acting like a fool. (Write in what you ask Kaenum to do.)
Try to suss out why she's faking being dumb. Is it with hostile intent, to get us to lower our guards so she can harvest our blood? Or is it just to feel us out before she decides to run or stay with us?

>>6360968
Since people are too killjoy to want to set her up the bomb, I'll also back putting PI Solice on the case. I'm going crazy here, she has to know something right?

>Discuss Sibilia joining your team a bit further. Maybe you could all come to an understanding after you gave your own opinion and let the rest of your men decide.
Having asked Sibilia several questions, and even discussing her trustworthiness with your men, you were genuinely at a loss on whether to trust her. One half of you thought she could genuinely be that dense, given Elbrus' treatment. But, the other half had to agree with Mike in that this was an act. Still, since you didn't know what to think, you told your men you'd let them vote on the matter. Perhaps those with strong feelings could even explain why they felt the way they did. "Isn't there another way we can test her intelligence? Maybe we can have Kaenum talk with her to try and figure her out?" Chrys asked a little hesitantly, you saying that Kaenum could question her if your men all agreed to let her join. Though, you would be surprised to hear Kaenum suggest something far more bewildering in a hushed voice. "Mikhail, I... actually want to say something about that. When you asked her about solitary confinement, I... did not sense fear or anxiety... or even annoyance! I sensed PRIDE."

Immediately, your men went quiet, as it seemed Kaenum's ability to sense emotions had given you the biggest clue of them all. "Why did you not mention that sooner?!" Artyom hissed at her, Kaenum looking a little more reluctant as she responded softly. "I wasn't sure how or when I should've brought it up! You guys seemed to want to question her, and I did not wish to interrupt that. Besides, I was not sure if maybe she was just confused, or if I was interpreting her emotions wrong for some reason. I am sorry, truly. I should've mentioned this earlier." Kaenum sounded genuinely apologetic, clearly regretting not mentioning this earlier. Though, given her having only just joined the team and wanting to see the good in all life, you could imagine that Kaenum also didn't want to cause distrust or aggression towards Sibilia.

Still, this was DEFINITELY something you were going to have to bring up to Kaenum later. She had the ability to essentially sense the truth from the get-go, and she hadn't even thought of using it to help you out! Still, for now, you had to focus on Sibilia and the fact she was clearly acting. You didn't know why she was pretending to be an idiot. But one thing was certain, your men were were not opposed to finding a way to get her to talk. "Well, I don't think a vote on having her join will be that necessary then. So, now what?" Idalia said, as you brought up an idea you had. You'd place plastic explosives around her neck, which ought to make her drop the act and talk right away. "Oh yeah, that's gonna make her drop the façade real quick." Ignacy softly mumbled. Though, the girls were clearly not too favour of that idea. "T-That's a little cruel, don't you think, Mik?" Oreas asked, you saying that you'd not actually blow her up.

You mentioned that you'd simply use the explosives to see if she'd drop the façade, telling her to wear it and that it'd give her a nice 'neck massage'. Unless if she was truly dedicated to following through with her act, she was going to probably acknowledge that she wasn't actually a fool. The girls still seemed quite reluctant, Alan and a few of your men also seeming to find it a bit excessive. "Or, we can just tell her that we know she's lying and that she can drop the act." Antonin suggested, which made Mike shake his head. "Nah, I think we need to take serious actions. She's clearly pretending to be a fool for a reason, and I doubt it's a reason that will benefit us. I mean, come on, if she is really someone we can consider a friend, she would've probably not put up this act. She already saw that we have a bunch of subjects with us, which is a pretty good indicator that we aren't an enemy!" Afterwards, Alan spoke up in a more frustrated tone. "Maybe we can just nicely ask her to be honest to us? How about that?"

It was clear that there were a lot of different opinions on the matter. The girls clearly didn't want to threaten Sibilia with explosives, and most of your men had little hope that Sibilia actually well. But, you could tell that some of your men still wanted to give Sibilia a try WITHOUT threatening her with explosives.

Obviously, you had to make a decision soon. Looking behind you, Sibilia was clearly curious at what you and your men were whispering to each other...

>What do you do next?

>It was clear that Sibilia was up to no good. So, what better way to get her to drop the act right away AND prevent her from trying anything funny, than by telling her to use explosives as a neck massage device?
>Just give an excuse as to why you couldn't have her join the party and that you'd leave now. Whatever reason she had to act like a fool, it clearly wasn't one you wanted to find out. Better to just leave her behind and hope there was no trap waiting for you. (Write in what you tell her.)
>Ask her to drop the act and to stop pretending to be the fool. You could do so nicely, or you could tell her in a more stern tone that you wanted her to just be honest. (Write in how you tell her to drop the act.)
>Get Kaenum to read her emotions further to catch her in the act. Kaenum clearly was the best person to figure out her intentions, and would probably be the best in confronting her for her wrongdoings as well... (Write in what you ask Kaenum to do specifically.)
>Something else...

(... whoops, didn't see >>6361276 until the update was done. Anyway, hope the update isn't too all over the place. At least you now know Sibilia is acting, and you can decide what to do with her without fear of making a mistake... unless if there's a good reason as to why she's pretending to be a fool.)

>>6361293
Well, good to know I'm not being schizophrenic
>Get Kaenum to read her emotions further to catch her in the act. Kaenum clearly was the best person to figure out her intentions, and would probably be the best in confronting her for her wrongdoings as well...
Let her cook. If we try and confront Sibby too early, she might double down, panic or do something unexpected. While I don't get any malice from her and can put up with her fauxtardation easier now, I'd rather give PI Solice some time to try and get a better insight into what she's doing and potentially why so we can pick it apart more effectively and with more tact. We can try engaging her, leading her into certain topics and just so happening to discuss certain things around her to see how she responds and thinks to build up the case.

-----

>your men had little hope that Sibilia actually well
Huh?

>>6361293
Am I missing something? I'm not really sure how her feeling pride indicates that she's putting on an act.

Supporting >>6361329

>>6361360
What I think that's about is her apparently putting on a fake show of emotion, pretending to be scared and traumatised by her time in solitary when she's actually somehow proud of it.

>>6361361
Oh yeah, that makes sense. She's probably proud she managed to endure Elbrus' efforts to break her.

>>6361293
>Get Kaenum to read her emotions further to catch her in the act. Kaenum clearly was the best person to figure out her intentions, and would probably be the best in confronting her for her wrongdoings as well... (Write in what you ask Kaenum to do specifically)
Just chat with her casually and try to gauge her intentions. Specifically when she brings up our group does she sense any hostility or malice from Sibilia?

Also ask Sibilia who told her death squads were bad.

>>6361383
>>6361329
Support

>Get Kaenum to read her emotions further to catch her in the act. Kaenum clearly was the best person to figure out her intentions, and would probably be the best in confronting her for her wrongdoings as well...
Seeing that the girls were not entirely excited about planting a bomb around Sibilia's neck, you opted to go for something a little less dangerous. And what better way than to send the one person who could sense Sibilia's emotions and act as a pseudo lie detector? You told Kaenum you trusted her to gauge her actual intentions, and that she could sense the emotions which Sibilia had for your group. Kaenum and the other girls all seemed quite positive, with Kaenum even mumbling: "I promise I will figure out where she stands, and what her intentions are, Mikhail!" Kaenum seemed confident. Though, your men still seemed a little unsure. "Okay, what if she manipulates us into doing something bad?" Mike asked in soft concern, you reassuring him that Kaenum would probably figure it out before things were too late.

More importantly, you wanted to wait with confronting Sibilia, since she might just double down, panic or pull a quick one on you in turn. "I'm... not sure that is the most logical thing to do, Mikhail." Ignacy mumbled, before Derek sighed. "I don't think we have any other options, unless if we wanna just leave without her. And even then, that could very well be what she wants." Your men all looked at Kaenum, as you told her to casually chat to gauge her intentions. And whenever she brought up you or your group, Kaenum had to pay special attention, since it could be used to judge if she was actually hostile or malicious towards you. "Good idea, Mikhail. I shall do such right away." And with that, you gave Kaenum the go-ahead and finally stopped huddling together. "Sibilia, the group has decided that you can indeed accompany us for as long as you wish. Would you be okay with this?" Sibilia would give a casual smile, before simply responding: "Okay."

Kaenum would give a quick glance and a nod to you, before speaking more calmly. "I take it may be quite the change to join a group now. I mean, I only joined Mikhail's group yesterday, but I certainly have enjoyed working with them so far! I am positive you'll enjoy working with them as well! Actually, is there anything you would love to do as part of our group?" Kaenum clearly came out of the gates running, not hesitating to bring up a variety of topics. You just hoped that it wasn't too obvious that Kaenum was trying to gauge her emotions. Sibilia did end up responding after thinking for a moment, but you obviously couldn't know what the actual truth was behind her statement. "I'd not mind, uhhhh... well, I got pretty got eyesight and these glasses of mine also have all sorts of vision modes. I can maybe help out with looking around the place for... well, whatever it is you guys are looking for down here."

"Well, Mik already mentioned wanting to find Elbrus and Roraima..." Anon calmly and somewhat hesitantly remarked, which made Sibilia tilt her head again. "Well, I don't know where they are... and I do wanna talk with Elbrus. I wanna let him know I am not happy with how he treated me." She repeated from before, which made Alan scoff. "Don't worry, Sibilia. We'll find them, and we'll have a real good talk with 'em. Especially Elbrus." Kaenum smiled a bit, after which Mike spoke up reluctantly. "So, uhhhh, I guess we just move forward?" You agreeing and slowly making your way to the exit. You didn't want to go too far, and whispered to Artyom to be on the lookout for any traps. "On it." Arty whispered, after which you asked Sibilia who told her that death squads were actually bad. "Well, I heard it from some people in here, actually. They said they were hiding here. I don't know why. But they did say that the death squads were bad, which I thought was funny. You guys aren't bad, I think. And the guys who gave me massages weren't bad either!"

The latter comment made Mike scoff and speak in a more distrusting tone. "You would've felt different if they had some heavy weaponry on them." Sibilia didn't seem to understand what Mike was talking about, just smiling a little aloofly. Though, Oreas would actually ask a very interesting question next. "So, uhhhh, you mentioned Elbrus being a pretty mean guy towards you. But, what about your caretaker? I mean, my caretaker is this girl called Laura, and she is wonderful! She's also part of our group, actually! But, she's back at our little hideout now." It was maybe a bit too much information to give away. But, it did also give you a very interesting response. "I had a caretaker called Eric. I don't know where he is now though. I last saw him, uhhhh, some time before I was able to get out of my containment chamber." Before you could ask for further details, Kaenum would ask: "And what was this Eric like? How would you describe him and the way he made you feel?"

Sibilia looked up again to think, before speaking in a more caring tone. "Eric was pretty nice. He was very patient and sweet, and he taught me a lot! I did try and have some fun with him, which he sadly said no to. But, I still like him. Hey, can we maybe go looking for him?" Sibilia's question was met with some quiet from you and your men. Though, Idalia did eventually remark: "Um, I guess... we can try that? I mean, we do have a different mission we're focused on now." Though, this made Sibilia a little curious. "Huh, what sort of mission are you guys on?" To this, your men would look all over the place and go quiet. Clearly, nobody knew if it was worth answering this question. Perhaps it was for the best to keep it a secret for now, given that Sibilia may plan something based on your mission. Though, maybe telling her would be another good way for Kaenum to judge her character.

Speaking of Kaenum, she would look at you and give a quick nod, clearly implying that it could help to answer her question. Then again, Sibilia's attempt to play stupid did mean you could just pivot away from the question entirely. After all, it wasn't like she could suddenly start questioning you, given that it'd drop the façade. More importantly, it was probably time to start pushing for some more tough questions...

>What do you do next?

>Keep questioning Sibilia about her past, what she was up to and what she was interested in. Maybe she'd slip up eventually. That, or Kaenum could get a better idea of her character. (Write in what you ask her.)
>Respond to Sibilia's question, or simply tell about your own experiences to maybe get Kaenum to sense some more emotions from her. Maybe she'd show some interesting emotions to Kaenum once you responded to her question, or shared more about yourself? (Write in how you respond and/or what you tell her about yourself.)
>Lie in an absolutely outrageous way. Sibilia had to pretend to be the fool, so it wasn't like she'd be able to question you. More importantly, it'd help in giving Kaenum some ideas on how she felt about people returning the favour by deceiving HER. (Write in what you tell her.)
>Plan ahead for any traps or tricks Sibilia may pull. You obviously didn't want to get too paranoid, but Sibilia could very well have something planned for you and your men in the near future. An ambush, a trap, or even just some other quick trick. You didn't know what to expect and it was for the best to prepare for the worst. (Write in how you prepare for any sort of trap or trick which might get thrown your way.)
>Something else...

>>6361656
>>Lie in an absolutely outrageous way. Sibilia had to pretend to be the fool, so it wasn't like she'd be able to question you. More importantly, it'd help in giving Kaenum some ideas on how she felt about people returning the favour by deceiving HER. (Write in what you tell her.)
Let's fuck with her. You see we think subjects are amazing and this whole kill all subjects is a huge waste so we're rounding up as many as possible so our boss the big boss of Lodger himself, that's right our squad is that important, can hitch us a ride and get us and the subjects outta this dump before the government burn it to the ground, of course our boss gave us a test first, he said we need to get a big target before he takes this big of a risk so he said, we and the subjects were to hunt a level 10 subject, our choices were Vinella and Feng and we choose the later.
Something so stupid and crazy out to put her out her zone.

>>6361702
Support. Make her fucking sputter internally.

>>6361654
>"I'm... not sure that is the most logical thing to do, Mikhail." Ignacy mumbled
Making me miss KK here with comments like that.

>Respond to Sibilia's question, or simply tell about your own experiences to maybe get Kaenum to sense some more emotions from her. Maybe she'd show some interesting emotions to Kaenum once you responded to her question, or shared more about yourself? (Write in how you respond and/or what you tell her about yourself.)
>Lie in an absolutely outrageous way. Sibilia had to pretend to be the fool, so it wasn't like she'd be able to question you. More importantly, it'd help in giving Kaenum some ideas on how she felt about people returning the favour by deceiving HER. (Write in what you tell her.)
Tell her the government is so happy with Elbrus' work that they sent a whole fleet over to Alpha Copernicus so that Grand Leader Fictamor could personally present him an award! But Roraima was so jealous he staged a facility wide break out. Now we've been hired to retrieve both of them and escort them safely to the surface so Elbrus can have his ceremony and Roraima can be sent to the corner of shame to stand alone for 20 minutes.

>Lie in an absolutely outrageous way. Sibilia had to pretend to be the fool, so it wasn't like she'd be able to question you. More importantly, it'd help in giving Kaenum some ideas on how she felt about people returning the favour by deceiving HER.
After Kaenum asked about the mission you were on, you decided to mess with her a little bit. You stated how you and your men thought subjects were truly incredible, that they were a miracle of science. You thought that killing subjects was an incredible waste of resources, which was why you were gathering subjects. More importantly, the big boss of your death squad, John Lodger, would help you and the other subjects escape before everything was destroyed. Though, to garner his trust, you had to deal with a threat level 10 subject, which left you with a choice between Feng and Vinella, you deciding to go after Feng. Once you finished talking, even your men seemed confused about what the hell you were talking about. You would look over your shoulders and wink at them, yet you could tell most of your men were still unsure what to think about all of this.

You looked back at Sibilia, who seemed more-so confused than anything. She'd keep quiet and think to herself for a while, before finally speaking up in a genuinely bewildered tone. "Leader of Lodger? Threat level 10 Who? Wh-what?" You told her it would all make sense, and that you were going to deal with Feng and take her down. "We've already encountered her a few times, but Mik's cooking up a good plan to deal with her now!" Lars remarked, as you saw Sibilia continuing to look confused. "But, isn't Feng incredibly dangerous to go after?" Sibilia asked in a genuinely concerned tone, before quickly adding. "Or well, that's what I heard from the guardsmen I met here. They said she was pretty mean." You told Sibilia that you were confident you could deal with Feng and take her down, after which Chrys casually said: "Hey, maybe you can help us out with that?"

Chrys' simple remark made Sibilia grow quiet, as it was clear that some of your group members were starting to catch on with the fact you were sort of taking the piss. Kaenum would even smile a little smugly at you, giving a quick and subtle nod again. Thus, you decided to take it a step further, by telling her that you were a bit more hesitant about a different task you were given. "What task?" Sibilia asked, your men also keeping quiet and listening intently. Thus, you told her that the government had hired you to save Elbrus. You mentioned that president Fictamor wanted to save Elbrus for his 'valiant' work and even give him an award. Though, Roraima and his jealousy got in the way of that by causing the disaster, which in turn prevented Elbrus from getting his reward. This was also why you had to find Elbrus and Roraima, so the former could be rewarded and the latter could be punished. Sibilia stared at you in confusion, before giving a somewhat tired smirk.

"Even though that stupid Elbrus... did not treat me well, I can see why he got that award. He made me, after all. Besides, he also made a ton of other good subjects! And Roraima is also a big jerk, so he deserves to be punished!" Sibilia responded, you definitely hearing her speak up through mildly gritted teeth. "I must say, I am surprised you still support Elbrus. Do you not think that the way he treated you should make it impossible for him to get that reward?" Kaenum calmly asked, Sibilia shaking her head. "No, not at all! Elbrus deserves that reward! He did so much good! I think he deserves every award from this Fictamor president!" Sibilia again remarked, at least sounding a bit less agitated now. But you could tell that Sibilia clearly did not enjoy this. "I don't get it. I thought we all hated that guy and we wanted to kill him?" Reika soon asked, clearly not realising that you were playing a delicate game of pretend.

Though, you'd soon get a response from Sibilia which kind of showed she wasn't gonna pretend anymore. "Hating him? Why would anyone hate Elbrus? He's such a gentle, caring, compassionate, soft and respectful person! He is basically a saint amongst all scientists. In fact, I am shocked the facility isn't named after him, given the amazing things he did for this place and all the achievements he helped this place reach! In fact, I say we don't just stop there. We should create an award in Elbrus' name! The Elbrus 'greatest person of the year' award, or something like that! The whole galaxy ought to know of his brilliance and benevolence!" Sibilia's tone kept shifting, becoming more and more agitated and furious as she went on. And by the end of her speech, you could tell that she had nothing but rage towards her creator. Your men had gone quiet, as Sibilia realised what she had said. She let out an awkward giggle, before speaking in a pretend positive tone.

"But hey, what do I know? I'm just a dumb, simple subject, right?" Sibilia would give a tired smile, looking over your men for a moment. Her smile faded, as she'd let out a sigh. "Okay, we can stop this little game now. I know you guys figured me out already. "I mean, I probably shouldn't have kept up this act once it was obvious you weren't just here to kill us, but... here we are." Sibilia said in a more tired and frustrated tone, before looking away and mumbling. "Sorry for lying to you guys and pretending to be an idiot..." She looked a mixture of disappointed and regretful. Kaenum looked at you with a nod, before saying: "I can definitely sense genuine sadness." Sibilia seemed to raise an eyebrow at this rather specific comment. Though, given that she faked her stupidity quite well, you did wonder if she was actually sad because she messed with you guys or that she was sad because she was caught.

>What do you do next?

>Now that Sibilia was no longer putting up a façade, ask her some questions. Were there any things she actually was being honest about straight from the start? Why did she even put up the act to begin with? (Write in what you ask her.)
>Even though Sibilia apologised and seemed regretful, it was clear she was a natural trickster and deceiver. So, maybe take some further precautions just in case she still had some other tricks she could pull. (Write in what precautions you take.)
>Given that some of your men's distrust were proven to be quite valid, maybe discuss with them what you should do next. Better to let them help in deciding what to do next with Sibilia. (Write in who you ask for input.)
>Something else...

>>6362123
Ha, I knew she had daddy issues.

>>6362124
>Now that Sibilia was no longer putting up a façade, ask her some questions. Were there any things she actually was being honest about straight from the start? Why did she even put up the act to begin with? (Write in what you ask her.)
What does she actually know about the situation down here? What did she hope to accomplish by acting like an idiot? What kind of "fun" can she even have when she's so tiny and dense? Does she have any goals she's trying to accomplish in this post explosion facility? She seemed genuinely nervous about Feng, is that just because she's vulnerable to being controlled or is there another reason?

>>6362124
>Now that Sibilia was no longer putting up a façade, ask her some questions. Were there any things she actually was being honest about straight from the start? Why did she even put up the act to begin with?
If she's going to be honest with us now, does she want to start over and take all this the top?
Should we toss all of Elbrus' notes we stole from his office (we burned it down, by the way)?
What other Elbrus or Anderson subjects did she get on with? Thalia seemed to like her, but she also liked Hapi so....

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>>6362124
She has a good sense of sarcasm I will give her that
>>6362142
>I knew she had daddy issues.
pic related
The only real input I wanna add is just asking what her deal is, what is her goal so far.

>Now that Sibilia was no longer putting up a façade, ask her some questions. Were there any things she actually was being honest about straight from the start? Why did she even put up the act to begin with?
Since Sibilia seemed genuinely disappointed in having deceived you, you decided to give her a second chance. You even offered to give her a chance to start all over again from the top, which made her nod. "Yeah, that would be nice." She mumbled, you first wanting to know why she actually pretended to be an idiot. "Well, it's to get people to underestimate me and not view me as a threat. It makes it easier to approach them, question them and fish information from them without causing any fear. Hell, most death squads I've encountered before this were happy to give away sensitive information, thinking I'd not do much with it, or that the intel would die with me." Obviously, there had to be more to this, given that it was a pretty suicidal play to make.

"Okay, so you wanted to get intel from us... but still, why do it to us? You could see we got subjects with us, right? Clearly, we're not like the other death squads!" Lars asked right after, followed by Ignacy asking: "Also, is approaching death squads really a good strategy? I mean, you mentioned that guns didn't affect you much, and your metal skin does make me believe that, but... what about explosives? Or more exotic weaponry? Hell, Mikhail here has a man on his team with a plasma railgun. And I highly doubt you would be able to survive something like that." The rest of your men nodded along, Sibilia pausing before sighing. "To answer your question about doing this specifically to your group, I did it because I wasn't sure if you guys had imprisoned these subjects or controlled them. I even momentarily considered that you were maybe under Feng's control. I just... had to be sure. And hey, I dropped the whole act pretty quickly once I realised you were nice. Normally, I would gladly act the fool for hours."

You'd then reiterate Ignacy's question, pointing out that you had some explosives to work with which could hurt her. "Maybe it would have injured me. But, I would've made sure that it didn't get too far. Especially since I have a secret weapon. Remember that caretaker I brought up? Eric?" There was a moment of silence, before she raised her voice a bit. "I said, remember that caretaker I brought up, ERIC?" You'd hear a few noises further back, followed by footsteps as you watched a relatively dishevelled, tired and injured scientist approach. He had messy, long dark brown hair, a decent bit of facial hair and baggy eyes. His skin was a bit pale, as he was left out of breath as he ran over. "Geez, Sibby... No need to... yell at me to come over... You know my... endurance isn't the greatest." Sibilia smirked, before smugly teasing: "I know, that's why you never wanted to get more intimate with me, Eric~"

Eric took a few long breaths, clearly struggling to stay on his two feet. "Wow, okay... I let you leech off my blood, and you still can't forgive me for that, huh?" He mumbled in a slightly smug tone, before looking over you and waving at you. "Ah, sorry, I should probably introduce myself... My name's Eric. I am... Sibby's caretaker, yeah... Quite happy to... meet the first death squad which DOESN'T... want to kill us for no reason." Right away, Lars spoke up in a concerned tone. "Are you okay? You seem pretty sick." Eric nodded a little, before responding: "Yeah, I'm... I'm good. Just tired." It was clear there was more going on with the scientist. But, Sibilia would quickly speak up before you could question him further. "Eric here is my secret weapon. Whilst I distract death squads with my 'stupidity', he runs in and robs them of anything edible when they aren't looking. That, and he throws explosives their way."

As Sibilia remarked this, Eric held up a grenade which he had presumably stolen from a death squad not too long ago. "So, you steal food from death squads. Were you planning to steal from us?" Artyom asked, which made Sibilia shake her head. "Not when I figured out you guys are somewhat reasonable, no." After which you asked if she had any specific goals by assaulting and stealing from death squads, or if she and Eric had any other goals. "Survival, really... and dealing with idiotic death squads, yeah." Sibilia said, Eric nodding along. "How many death squads have you done this with so far? It's pretty risky and dependent on a lot of factors. So surely, you don't do it often." Idalia remarked, to which Eric softly responded. "We only do it when we think... we got a good chance of escaping with some food. I think we've done it a grand total of... 6 times now?" Sibilia nodded in turn, you then asking if she had tried it with Feng's forces. After all, she mentioned Feng now and actually sounded nervous when she was brought up.

"I didn't try it with Feng's forces, no. They don't exactly have any food on them worth taking, or intelligence worth hearing about. Besides, I'd rather not become a target to her." Sibilia responded, to which you asked if she was vulnerable to being controlled by her. "I don't think so? I just don't think it's worth risking her ire..." Sibilia calmly responded, to which Eric softly said: "If we defeated Feng's forces, she would make it her goal... to capture us and control us. Death squads... death squads are less threatening." It was worrisome to hear that Eric and Sibilia felt more at ease dealing with death squads than Feng's forces. Then again, with death squad, they probably didn't know that becoming a target to death squads was equally dangerous, given the sheer number of forces who could genuinely take her out. Though, this made you curious about what she knew of the disaster. Did Sibilia and Eric know what was actually going on down here?

"Well, from what we gathered from death squads and other survivors, the subject that escaped... somehow caused the facility to explode, plunging everything into chaos. The death squads who are here now were brought here by the government for some reason which I cannot begin to wrap my head around." Sibilia explained, after which Eric said: "I presume it might... just all be part of a cover-up. Maybe the government can pretend this was caused by... death squads later down the line and eradicate any suspicions that they might have played a hand in this place's existence... and its destruction. They definitely had a hand in this mess. I just... know it." Afterwards, Sibilia would ask: "Wait, were you... were you serious about the thing with Elbrus wanting to be saved? I know you were just messing around a bit, but... knowing the ties the government had with him, I am now worried that may just be the case."

There was a moment of silence, after which Anon sighed and said: "He is indeed wanted alive. Though, based on what we saw in his office, I think the only thing he deserves is a bullet through the head." The rest of your men softly nodded along and agreed, as you saw Sibilia pout a little. "That is fair. I would prefer just sucking up as much of his blood as possible and leaving him helpless... That ought to teach him a lesson." To this, Eric scoffed. "I bet even then, he'd still... refuse to indulge in depraved crap with you." Sibiliag groaned, as you asked how she even managed to 'indulge' in such things. Given her size and weight, it didn't seem entirely practical. This made Sibilia smirk and ask: "I don't know, you wanna see~?" In a teasing tone, you quickly refusing and instead diverting over to the topic of Elbrus' office. You said you were happy to share the notes you stole from that place with them, which made Sibilia look a little confused. "I don't think that'd be necessary?" Eric also didn't seem too interested in the offer.

You mentioned having burnt the office down, which did seem to amuse her and Eric a little bit. Though next, you wanted to ask what subjects she got along with. You mentioned Thalia and Hapi, which made Sibilia chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm not dumb enough to see Hapi as a friend. We spoke a few times. But, each time, she was tiresome and irritating. Thalia was quite sweet though." Sibilia didn't elaborate much further, instead moving onto other subjects. "Valentina was quite fun too. I liked her pranks, and the ones she pulled on Elbrus were quite amusing to say the least. Yuki was also really sweet. Honestly, most if not all Oni subjects seemed pretty respectable to me." You'd also ask if she had any Anderson subjects she was friends with, which made her look a bit more annoyed. "No, not really. I didn't really spend much time with any of them, since I didn't wanna be part of his silly little insect girl harem." Sibilia glanced at Chrys, before softly commenting: "No offense."

Despite this comment from Sibilia, the harem remark still made Chrys look a little confused and insulted. It was clear that Sibilia's relation with Anderson was strained... and worse, that this strained relationship wasn't just limited to Anderson himself. Why this was, you couldn't say for sure. But, given that you had two Anderson subjects by your side, it wasn't exactly good that this dislike existed.

>What do you do next?

>Keep asking her and Lars questions. She was bringing up a lot of interesting intel about Elbrus. Not to mention, some interesting information about other subjects and the way the facility ran. Though, maybe it was also good to ask Sibilia why she deemed Anderson's subjects part of a 'harem'. (Write in what you ask.)
>Get Lars to help Eric out right away. It was clear the scientist had some kind of medical condition. Either due to an injury or lack of nutrition. (Write in if you help in any specific way.)
>Offer the two of them some food. Given that she was sipping on bloodbags and even her own caretaker, they clearly had to be quite hungry. (Write in what you give her and Eric.)
>Let them know your actual intentions, now that they were being honest. That way, they could make an actual decision in if they wanted to join you. (Write in what you tell them.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6362142
>Ha, I knew she had daddy issues.
(Not just Elbrus daddy issues. Anderson daddy issues too! It's a Double Whammy Daddy Issue!)

>>6362191
(I love how Pelly just stares at Glaucus with contempt. She's watching food she cannot eat eat food she would like to eat...)

>>6362495
>Get Lars to help Eric out right away. It was clear the scientist had some kind of medical condition. Either due to an injury or lack of nutrition. (Write in if you help in any specific way.)
>Let them know your actual intentions, now that they were being honest. That way, they could make an actual decision in if they wanted to join you. (Write in what you tell them.)
Tell them our hopes for a grand escape. After that:
>Keep asking her and Lars questions. She was bringing up a lot of interesting intel about Elbrus. Not to mention, some interesting information about other subjects and the way the facility ran. Though, maybe it was also good to ask Sibilia why she deemed Anderson's subjects part of a 'harem'. (Write in what you ask.)
Aw yeah I wanna hear all the drama.

>>6362495
>>Get Lars to help Eric out right away. It was clear the scientist had some kind of medical condition. Either due to an injury or lack of nutrition. (Write in if you help in any specific way.)
Help him out a bit, guy looks like he's almost dying.

>>Let them know your actual intentions, now that they were being honest. That way, they could make an actual decision in if they wanted to join you. (Write in what you tell them.)
What we told her were mostly half-truths. We are actually going for a fight against Feng, not only because she was an legit threat but also because we butted heads too many times and we're on her shit-list so to speak. Either she's gone or we'll be.
Tell them they could join us if they want, the girls with us aren't the only ones we saved if they want to join but no trouble we can give them some info of some safe spots.

>Keep asking her and Lars questions. She was bringing up a lot of interesting intel about Elbrus. Not to mention, some interesting information about other subjects and the way the facility ran. Though, maybe it was also good to ask Sibilia why she deemed Anderson's subjects part of a 'harem'. (Write in what you ask.)
We're on a recruit spree to combat Feng, our main target is Alexandra, big black wolf/hound girl made by Logan, good at leadership, did she see her or any of her folks? Any subjects around here who are on the more reasonable spectrum rather than attack us on sight?

>>6362589
Supporting

>>6362589
Generally support but I'd like to make it clear she wouldn't be expected to fight Feng herself and we have others who are sitting it out.

We can't really divert to pick up any friends of hers in the leisure centre if she cites any there. And by the way, we have subjects from Anderson about who he had no sexual intentions for and kinda neglected. We have as yet not found any of his infamous spider wives.

>Get Lars to help Eric out right away. It was clear the scientist had some kind of medical condition. Either due to an injury or lack of nutrition.
Before tackling the mild drama which Sibilia apparently had with Anderson, you'd look over to Eric and tell Lars to go over to help him. "I was already thinking of doing that." Lars would say as he approached right away, Eric tiredly accepting the help. "I'm fine. Just a little tired... I've adapted well to the dark and the cold..." Eric mumbled as Lars would already start checking him. "You are REALLY cold, my god. Skin's also extremely pale. Is this something you normally had?" Lars asked, to which Eric responded: "I don't know? I mean, I didn't go outside too often in this place. Bit busy with tests and spending time with Sibby here." Lars would then look over to Sibilia, before asking: "He said something about you drinking his blood, right? How much blood did you drink exactly, how long ago was this and did you drink it all in one quick session or slowly?"

Sibilia was quick to respond, clearly being honest when it came to Eric's well-being. "It was quite a while ago now, over a week ago now I think. I measured just a litre, since that was the least he wanted to give away. And, I made sure to drink it slowly. It took a few hours." Lars nodded quickly, looking over Eric's body, before giving a nod. "I see. Eric, how much have you eaten and what?" Lars asked, Eric softly saying: "Uhhhh, not much. Mostly just... whatever we could find. Canned food, stuff wrapped in plastic, uhhh, a little bit of bread. I had a stale sandwich not too long ago..." Lars nodded again, before speaking more reassuringly. "Well, the good news is that, I don't think you'll die. Though, it is clear that Sibilia's blood-drinking has certainly impacted your health. So, you just need some iron rich food, protein, fruits and maybe some clean water. Fortunately, we still got some steak and have several rations containing fruit."

>Let them know your actual intentions, now that they were being honest. That way, they could make an actual decision in if they wanted to join you.
Eric seemed thankful as Lars stepped back and helped him back up. "That'd be nice. I could use a good steak. Thanks." With the issue of Eric's health somewhat resolved, you decided to let the two of them in on what you were doing exactly here. You mentioned that you had also not been entirely speaking the truth, which made Sibilia chuckle. "I mean, I could tell with the Elbrus part... But, I assume there are some other exciting truths you wanna share with us now." You nodded and told her one thing you had been honest about: You were going to fight Feng. Sibilia's smug smile disappeared, her actually looking quite concerned. "Wait, are you serious?" She said in a hushed tone, you explaining that Feng was a legit threat and that you had already butted heads with her too many times. In other words, there was no point in ignoring her.

"Okay, that... alright. I mean, you guys probably got the best shot at dealing with her. But, she isn't a Roraima subject. She won't be stupid or easily fooled. So, you really are going to have to bring your A-game." Sibilia added, you stating you already had quite a few girls who would join you in the battle. The ones by your side weren't the only ones who would join you in the battle against Feng. And, given Sibilia's incredible toughness, you didn't mind having her and Eric join in as well. "Give me some steak, and I'll consider it." Eric said casually, Sibilia looking over her shoulder at him and hissing: "Eric!" Before turning back to you and responding: "I don't know if I want to try that. Even with... double the subjects you have on you now, I can imagine Feng being an incredibly dangerous target to take down." To this, Morgan would confidently share her own thoughts. "All the more reason to go after her and take her down." Though, you knew Morgan wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"If we don't stop her now, she'll only grow stronger and more dangerous. And who knows what the government will try then?" Artyom mentioned, to which Mike added: "Yeah, for all we know, they'll just deal with Feng by blowing up the entire planet with any and all survivors still on it." Antonin also commented: "Besides, we're far from alone in wanting to stop Feng. There's dozens of forces who might wanna join us, both death squads and survivors. Hell, we're heading to the combat sector now to recruit a bunch of folk to help us out." Sibilia hesitated, before sighing. "I know that killing Feng would benefit all of us. But, I'd rather focus on just surviving and seeing what happens, rather than throwing myself into a potential meat grinder." Sibilia reluctantly commented, before adding: "Though, I wouldn't mind joining you for a bit to the combat sector." You said that she was more than welcome to join in, and that she could always retreat to your safe house if she wanted to avoid combat.

>Keep asking her and Eric questions. She was bringing up a lot of interesting intel about Elbrus. Not to mention, some interesting information about other subjects and the way the facility ran. Though, maybe it was also good to ask Sibilia why she deemed Anderson's subjects part of a 'harem'.
Sibilia nodded calmly, after which you explained that you were specifically looking for Alexandra in the combat sector, a Logan subject who was a great leader. You wanted to know if Sibilia knew her or the folk she worked with. "Alexandra? No. I heard of her, but... I don't know anything about her, really. The folk she works with, I don't know much about either." You then asked if there were any reasonable subjects around here which she saw. Specifically, subjects who weren't going to attack you on sight. "Around here? Not that I know. I know Arika passed through here, but... I am not too fond of her personally."

Knowing that Arika was another Anderson subject, you decided to ask if Sibilia's dislike of Arika stemmed from that. "Well, our dear friend Anderson may not have been as irritatingly stubborn as Elbrus, he sure as hell was just as neglectful of their wishes! Hell, Anderson was even worse than Elbrus, I'd say!" That was one hell of an accusation to throw at Anderson. "Worse than Elbrus? You're kidding, right? Sure, he was neglectful... but, you've seen Elbrus' office, haven't you?" Anon asked right after, Sibilia nodding before calmly saying: "Yes, I've seen it. Elbrus is an idiot who thinks he deserves everything. But, he was at least THERE for me. Anderson created me, only looked after me for a few days, then threw me to stay with Elbrus so he could... enjoy his bug and spider girlfriends." Looking at the other Anderson subject you had with you, Chrys, you saw that she looked a little disappointed. But, whether it was due to Sibilia's rage or because Sibilia had a modicum of truth to her remark, you didn't know.

"Right, Anderson had issues with that... But what is it about him having a subject harem? Last thing I recall, he only ever dated that spider girl of his, Haina." Idalia said calmly, to which Sibilia scoffed. "Yeah, just her." Before you could say anything, Eric sighed and spoke to Sibilia. "Sibby, I... remember how I mentioned in the past that... that wasn't true at all, right? Elbrus just made that up to mess with you." Sibilia crossed her arm and spoke in a more frustrated tone. "Then why do I constantly hear about it, huh? Guardsmen mention it, subjects mention it. The only other subject he made who he didn't fetishize and have his way with was Lono, and we both know why that was!" Sibilia's frustration seemed rather genuine, her genuinely seeming to believe this. Though, obviously, you had one counter-point to this entire belief Sibilia had created in the form of Chrys. Though, you could tell from how uncomfortable Chrys seemed, that she didn't want to partake in this argument.

>What do you do next?

>Just tell Sibilia that you'd drop the topic and that you'd head forward so you could head to the combat sector. You didn't want to start a bunch of drama now, especially since Sibilia seemed convinced of her theory.
>Explain that you met several Anderson subjects, and that abandonment was pretty common amongst them. Hell, you doubted Anderson had a bug-girl harem from the simple fact he abandoned most of them. (Write in what you tell her.)
>Point over to Chrys as another example of an abanoned subject. It wasn't like Chrys was going to have to argue in favour of Anderson, so there was no concern that she might offend Sibilia. (Write in if you also prod Chrys to speak up.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else…

(>>6362587
That is indeed a lovely vinegaroon. Maybe I ought to make more vinegaroon subjects... eh, kinda hard to find art for them. Anyway, I- Oh, Haina, what are you doing? Something wro- MMMM?! MMM!! MMMMMMM!!)

>>6362904
>Explain that you met several Anderson subjects, and that abandonment was pretty common amongst them. Hell, you doubted Anderson had a bug-girl harem from the simple fact he abandoned most of them.
How many of his other subjects has she actually gotten to know besides Lono? We have met several, none of them were "harem members" and she was far from the only one he neglected with not all of them having someone else to turn to. If she's going to start drama with them over so much as rumours (coming from Elbrus and his associates for fuck's sake, who straight-up admitted to lying to her on the harem topic to manipulate her away from Anderson in his records) that conflict with objective reality, she's going to find herself very unpopular, very fast. She can hate Anderson all she likes, but keep his creations who did nothing to her and some of whom we call friend and ally out of this.

>>6362904
>Just tell Sibilia that you'd drop the topic and that you'd head forward so you could head to the combat sector. You didn't want to start a bunch of drama now, especially since Sibilia seemed convinced of her theory.
I don't think she'd care too much about the specifics of how Anderson sucks, and she's already been polite to Chrys so I don't think her disliking his other subjects will be an issue. Let's just move on.

>>6362921 (me in case ip changed)
Actually, feh. This isn't worth starting an argument over now, just drop it and move on with a warning not to start shit with other Anderson subjects. This definitely isn't the last time this topic will come up.

>>6362904
>>Just tell Sibilia that you'd drop the topic and that you'd head forward so you could head to the combat sector. You didn't want to start a bunch of drama now, especially since Sibilia seemed convinced of her theory.
We can discuss the ethics of Spiderman in another time, just make sure she's aware she should be more open-minded and let's get back to our search.

>>6362904
>>Just tell Sibilia that you'd drop the topic and that you'd head forward so you could head to the combat sector. You didn't want to start a bunch of drama now, especially since Sibilia seemed convinced of her theory.
Dont want to make Chrys uncomfortable, simple as that

>Just tell Sibilia that you'd drop the topic and that you'd head forward so you could head to the combat sector. You didn't want to start a bunch of drama now, especially since Sibilia seemed convinced of her theory.
Seeing how uncomfortable Chrys was getting, you told Sibilia that you'd stop questioning her about it. Sibilia gave a quick and stern nod. "Alright, good." Though, you also warned her not start any fights with other Anderson subjects. This was already starting to bother Chrys, and you didn't want to have this happen once you met other Anderson subjects. Or worse, once she got to meet Anofelis. Fortunately, Sibilia did actually glance at Chrys when you mentioned that she was uncomfortable, Sibilia looking a little more regretful. "Okay, sorry." She said in mild annoyance, still feeling a little upset but clearly realising she had maybe let her anger go a bit to far. Regardless, you'd tell Sibilia and Eric that you'd head south, asking both if they were okay with that.

"I mean, I don't mind, obviously." Sibilia remarked. Afterwards, Eric commented: "You're heading to the combat sector, right? It's quite a walk away from here... I mean, I'll also join, but... you do have a plan to get over there, right?" You nodded, as Eric seemed somewhat relieved. "Alright, that's good to hear. I just hope we don't run into any of the lunatics down here." Eric would slowly make his way over to your group, before saying: "Alright, lead the way." And thus, you had picked up another two allies for your team. Though, unfortunately, these two did not seem like they'd join in the battle against Feng. At least, not until you convinced Sibilia to join and Eric recovered from his blood loss. "So, what lunatics are down here you're most afraid of, if I may ask?" Anon asked right away, clearly wanting to get some intel on subjects which might be a threat to you and your men.

"Well, there's quite a few. But, I don't know where many of them are exactly. Just that they're out there." Eric remarked, after which Morgan confidently said: "If you can name them, that would already be good." Thus, Eric started sharing some details about dangerous subjects he knew. Hapi was an obvious one he'd elaborate on, and he also mentioned a bit about Sirin. Though, it wasn't anything you hadn't heard before. He even knew a bit about Nicola, which would've been useful had you not already read through both Elbrus and Andrei's documents about her. Fortunately, Eric did know something more about a subject you had so far not heard much about. "God, talking about Nicola reminds me of... another subject which was essentially hijacked by Elbrus. You guys know of Alice?" Your men shook their heads. Though, Kaenum, Oreas and Kenai seemed somewhat aware of her. "I've heard of her, and how she was... one of Mona's subjects which ended up a victim to Elbrus and Roraima." Kenai commented in a saddened tone, Oreas nodding along.

Sibilia also looked somewhat upset, as Eric spoke up in a soft and disappointed tone. "Alice McGee, codename AB-156, is a weird angel harpy hybrid subject made by Mona. I don't know what she was designed for. But, what I do know, is that Elbrus and Roraima got their slimy hands on her quite early on. And... they did some unspeakable things to her. She was shocked, forced into depraved acts and restrained against her will." Sibilia looked away, clearly feeling quite disgusted and upset at this. "W-What happened to her next?" Derek asked in quiet discomfort, Eric looking away. "Well, last thing I recall, she was being fully trained by Roraima. I don't know what he did to her, but... I got a feeling that she will likely be another monster now, if Roraima's track record is anything to go by." After Eric finished, Sibilia spoke up in a more angered tone. "I saw it happen... the torture. We both saw it happen, Eric." There was a painful silence, as Eric looked down in a disappointed way.

"Yep... we indeed did." Eric said in a regretful tone, after which Artyom calmly yet sternly asked: "And... you did nothing to stop them?" To this, Eric sighed and spoke in a more defeated tone. "I wanted to, of course. I hated what Elbrus did to Sibilia and Alice, and any other subject he had a say over. But, there wasn't much I could do, sadly. After all, if I spoke up against Elbrus, he'd just reassign me to a different subject and get a mentally ill sycophant to do my job and make things worse for the girls." Eric looked down at the ground a little. "I at least was able to protect my Sibilia somewhat... treat her right and help her be a talented trickster. But, I still do think about Alice every once in a while... I wonder if she too had someone who looked after her and was able to protect her from Elbrus' vile influence." There was a bit of silence, as it seemed that Eric didn't know much more about Alice. All he knew was that she was another potentially corrupted monster, just like Nicola.

"Kaenum, did you maybe give therapy to Alice? You seem to be aware of her, at least." Antonin asked afterwards, Kaenum shaking her head. "I heard a variety of things about her. Some soldiers claimed she was friendly and trustworthy. Others mentioned she was... weird and creepy. I sadly was unable to ever see so for myself though." Kaenum responded, as it seemed you had hit another dead end. Still, it was a new subject, something Anon quickly noted down. And afterwards, to shift away from the uneasy mood the topic brought up, Anon would start asking Eric about other subjects, clearly trying to get other useful intel. Though in the meantime, Sibilia did actually try and chat a little with Chrys. And it seemed that the two were at least getting on decently well. "Trust me, Sibilia, I know how you feel. Anderson... also wasn't there for me that much. It made me feel incredibly sad, how little he visited me or reached out to me for anything." Chrys mumbled in a sympathetic tone.

"Well, did you at least have a nice caretaker?" Sibilia asked cautiously, Chrys sighing and shaking her head. "No. I didn't. But, look at the bright side! I now got a group of people who do care for me and are nice to me. Not to mention, other subjects who I can confidently call my friends, like Oreas here!" Chrys looked over at Oreas, who smiled warmly and put an arm over Chrys' shoulders. "Yep! We've been with Mikhail for a good while now, and we can safely say they have been nothing but kind to us!" Sibilia scoffed in amusement, before softly remarking: "Well, maybe we can find other subjects who were neglected and befriend them. Say, maybe we'll get lucky and find Lono in the combat sector, or somewhere nearby?" As the girls chatted along, and your men spoke with Eric, you'd soon reach the end of the medical sector. You'd find yourself going through a second reception area, as you saw another long, dark hallway ahead of you. It seemed that, unfortunately, you'd no longer get to enjoy the decently lit halls of the medbay, as you were ready to plunge into darkness.

>What do you do next?

>Just quietly keep going until you reached the next low threat level containment area. You could chat whilst you were exploring that place, or once you took a lunchbreak.
>Listen in to the chats between Eric and your men, or Sibilia and the girls... They were clearly talking about a lot of interesting topics, so you might as well just listen along and see if they'd bring up anything particularly of interest. (Write in who you listen to specifically.)
>Ask some questions to Sibilia or Elbrus about anything you wanted to hear more about. Sibilia could maybe tell more about life under Elbrus, or her own abilities. Eric could talk about his job, the subjects he knew and what Elbrus was like. (Write in who you ask questions to and what you ask.)
>Turn on the radio and see if Annie had any new announcements to make.
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

(Also, god bless you, artanon who posted the funny Viridian drawing in the Catbox. To the anons who may have not seen it, do check it out. It made me chuckle quite a bit.)

>>6363276
>>Just quietly keep going until you reached the next low threat level containment area. You could chat whilst you were exploring that place, or once you took a lunchbreak.
Oh boy another dark hallway in the not-SCP facility, let's keep quiet and alert for awhile until we pass the hallway. Never knows what may lurk in the dark.

>>6363276
>Listen in to the chats between Eric and your men, or Sibilia and the girls... They were clearly talking about a lot of interesting topics, so you might as well just listen along and see if they'd bring up anything particularly of interest. (Write in who you listen to specifically.)
Yo Sibilia and Chrys shittalking Anderson? Sign me up.

>>6363276
>Listen in to the chats between Eric and your men, or Sibilia and the girls... They were clearly talking about a lot of interesting topics, so you might as well just listen along and see if they'd bring up anything particularly of interest (those two)
See what they say.
Chrys was the first subject we met and we came *this* close to shooting her. She's always been a bit special to us as the one who changed our lives and indirectly saved many others through us and our own too given we might well have been killed at a few points without our friends. So chin up girl, you've got all of us now.
>Ask some questions to Sibilia or Elbrus about anything you wanted to hear more about. Sibilia could maybe tell more about life under Elbrus, or her own abilities. Eric could talk about his job, the subjects he knew and what Elbrus was like.
She presumably came through the LTC area to get here. Do they know who's in there?
What's the latest from the leisure centre?
How do we we deal with Lono anyway? We know she's nice but her hairs make her dangerous to even be near.

>Listen in to the chats between Eric and your men, or Sibilia and the girls... They were clearly talking about a lot of interesting topics, so you might as well just listen along and see if they'd bring up anything particularly of interest.
As you entered the dark hallway, you told your men to tone down their chats a little bit. Obviously, some whispers and mild banter was okay, but you didn't want to alert whatever monsters lurked in the dark. "Don't worry. I've got night-vision, so I'll be able to spot anyone coming our way!" Sibilia said proudly, her visor indeed changing hue a tiny bit as she turned on night-vision. "Huh, you got that built into your visor?" Idalia said curiously, Sibilia nodding confidently. "You're not the only one with night-vision." Mike said in a more smug tone, as you and the rest also turned on your night-vision. Sibilia was a bit disappointed, and would quietly start speaking to Chrys again. Of course, you didn't want to miss this conversation, so you decided to quietly listen along as they chatted about Anderson.

"So, what sorta abilities do you have, Chrysidus? The extra arms are quite fancy, but I presume you've got some other cool abilities?" Sibilia asked calmly, Chrys speaking happily." "Well, I can spray chemicals from my hands if I am annoyed. They aren't Vinella levels of painful, but they can certainly sting. I heard it compared to, uhhhh, pepper spray or something like that!" Sibilia looked mildly impressed. "Knowing the number of physical combatants out there, I am sure that ability can come to good use." Chrys rubbed the back of her head. "Well, a little bit. I'd say my other ability is also pretty good. My wings can actually release tiny scales which can cause people to become tired and sleepy. Quite handy if I can sneak up on people and put them to sleep!" Chrys showed off her wings a little, before speaking more curiously to Sibilia. "So, what about you? Aside from the metal skin, what other abilities do you have?"

"Well, I can basically extend a sharp needle from my mouth to feed with. It's also made of metal, so... it's somewhat useful if anyone ever tries to grab me. Other than that, I've got the visor which gives me all kinds of vision modes, aaaand that's it, really. The metal skin really is my main feature! It was actually a nice addition Anderson made. But, it does make me wonder what he had in mind for me and... what made him abandon me." Sibilia said that last part in a more sombre tone, Chrys patting her shoulder. "I know I should stop bringing him up, especially since you also know how his abandonment felt... but ugh, that idiot Anderson! I can't believe he made so many subjects just because of sex appeal and NOTHING else! Like, it's ridiculous! Even Elbrus tried to make some subjects who had different purposes than just being hot to him!" Sibilia said in a hushed yet clearly frustrated tone, Chrys seeming a little unsure how to respond.

"I mean, he clearly didn't make me with that purpose. And, I know Anofelis also wasn't made to be something Anderson would do... intimate things with. I think it was just Haina and maybe Nicola he did weird things with, but... even then, I never heard anyone mention him as being extremely pervy. Then again, maybe it just was because Elbrus was so much worse." Sibilia remained quiet, as Chrys spoke up in a more optimistic tone. "That reminds me, we did meet another Anderson subject not too long ago! A honey-pot ant subject called Elodie! She was... also abandoned by Anderson, actually. But, she wasn't created with any sort of weird intent by Anderson." Sibilia would look away, before sighing. "Well, I am glad that Anderson maybe didn't create all of his subjects to have sex with them. But, it still sounds to me like Anderson fucked with their heads quite a bit with all this abandonment and neglect." Despite it being somewhat of a jokey remark, it was also clear Sibilia's disdain hadn't waned much.

"By the way, you mentioned Lono as well... What was she like, if I may ask?" Chrys asked, clearly hoping to move away from Sibilia's hatred towards Anderson again. Chrys thankfully did such, speaking more calmly and optimistically. "Lono was such a sweetheart. She was covered head to toe with venomous hairs and spines, yet made it her mission to never hurt anyone ever. She was quite reserved and shy because of this though, and only ever interacted with people if she was behind glass. Though, instead of Anderson being the terrible creator here, it was all Roraima's fault for making her this way. The bastard was cruel, aggressive and sadistic. She wanted to make him proud, and the twat never stopped to hurt her and make her feel like she was worth less than dirt. It was a good thing he eventually moved on from her after Anderson and her caretaker stood up against him." This actually caught Morgan's interest, her asking: "They stood up against that fiend, and somehow it worked?! I thought that crook was able to get away with anything!"

Sibilia nodded and spoke in a more bemused tone. "Yeah, Anderson actually did a good thing there and made sure he was the one choosing Lono's caretaker and guardsmen. There was one guardsmen, think her name was Juniper or something, who seemed really fond of Lono and made sure Roraima didn't get the chance to abuse her further. Roraima did try a few times, but Lono's fear towards him and support from Anderson helped her resist. It did severely impact her, of course, making it hard for her to get to trust people... but Lono was able to avoid further torture. Probably because Roraima realised he couldn't break her and mould her into another subservient soldier." The girls all looked rather pleased, as Reika spoke up curiously. "I remember fighting Lono. She was indeed very nice, but did anger Roraima a lot. It is nice to hear she is doing good now. I don't want her to be sad because of Roraima's stupid tests!"

Sibilia was surprised by Reika's comment, looking at her for a moment before asking: "By the way, I've been wanting to ask this for a while now, but... you're Reika, right? Roraima's manticore subject?" Sibilia's question was met with a quick nod from Reika. "Yes! Roraima trained me a ton and taught me to always fight! But, after Mikhail and his men beat me with their stupid railgun, I learnt that Roraima is actually stupid and I joined this group! And I like this group a lot! The soldiers are all very friendly, and I enjoy the meat they give me! The girls are also nice!" Reika said in a cheerful tone, Sibilia nodding slowly before saying: "Okay, that's... fascinating. I just wanted to make sure. It's, ummm, great to see you doing so much better with this group. Actually, somewhat reassuring to hear that you've realised these things." Reika nodded quickly, before speaking more confidently. "I am also excited to start fighting for this group! Though, I have learnt now not to rush in and fight people I see, even if they are super stupid!"

Some of your men chuckled in response, the girls also seeming amused by Reika's remark. "Yes, rushing in is... indeed not the greatest thing to do." Sibilia confirmed, before you decided to quietly jump into the conversation. You mentioned that not rushing to violence had helped you quite a bit. After all, you had come quite close to simply executing Chrys upon meeting her. But, fortunately, common sense prevailed and you learnt that these girls were rather precious. And because of this, you were now going to save many other people. Not to mention, all of the girls helping you and your men out. You even argued that, without the girls by your side, you would've probably not survived for as long as you had. Sibilia nodded understandingly, her keeping quiet for a moment before asking: "I do wonder what your plan is going to be... Saving everyone is great, but... it won't matter much if we can't escape from this planet."

>Ask some questions to Sibilia or Elbrus about anything you wanted to hear more about. Sibilia could maybe tell more about life under Elbrus, or her own abilities. Eric could talk about his job, the subjects he knew and what Elbrus was like.
Obvously, you had no concrete idea on how you'd escape yet. You told Sibilia that you'd find a way and that you'd protect everyone on your team no matter what. Sibilia smiled a little when you said such, after which you took the opportunity to ask her a question. You asked if she came through this area, to which she nodded. "Yep. We were in the leisure centre when things went to hell." With that confirmed, you asked who to expect in the LTC area further down and who to expect. "Gosh, that's... difficult to say. It's a lot of weaker subjects, obviously, but... I don't know the specifics. I do know a lot of guardsmen made their way through it, so the subjects either fled or joined them. I don't think there were any when we passed through there."

Obviously, an absence of evidence didn't mean evidence of absence here, it still being very likely that there were plenty of subjects in this area. Still, you also decided to ask about the Leisure centre, wanting to know what was going on down there. "Well, the Leisure centre is pretty varied. There were lots of sport facilities for combat subjects and what not, but also a lot of spaces designed for entertainment. Some, uhhhh, some of the spaces were also designed for things Elbrus really enjoyed... I do know a lot of subjects wanted to stay there, given that it was a pleasant place and had a lot of resources. Though given the apparent proximity to the crater, I do wonder how many subjects have fled from there to go elsewhere instead." Sibilia commented, as it seemed that there would at least still be some subjects there. Or at very least, there'd be plenty of signs of subject activity there.

Next, you asked a bit more about Lono. Since she was brought up not too long ago, you wanted to know how your men could safely handle Lono without getting stung. Sibilia chuckled. "Well, just simply give her a hug, obviously! She is so shy, she wouldn't wanna hurt a fly!" Eric also heard this, quickly responding: "Funny jokes aside, just don't touch her and you should be fine. Her needles only release when she is either injured or pressure is put on her body. So, don't cause either of those things, and you should be good." Sibilia crossed her arms and pouted a bit. "Hey, touching her is totally fine! In fact, she is wonderful to hug! Her hairs are nice and her body is really soft... Besides, a hug is the quickest way to her heart!" Sibilia kept on joking, before Mike asked: "Do you think my hazmat combat suit could protect against the hairs?" Eric softly responded: "Assuming you are the guy in the orange hazmat suit... uhhh, I think so? I don't know what it is capable of. But, I assume it's designed to protect you from chemicals, so it might work."

Mike seemed a little unsure. Though, given where you were now and the darkness you were in, it'd take a while before you could settle down somewhere safely and give Eric some time to inspect Mike's hazmat suit. Speaking of which, you were by now a third of the way down the long, dark hallway. It was fortunately nothing too lengthy or dangerous to traverse. The hall was mostly just littered with more transport vehicles along with some haphazardly set-up barriers and barricades. Though, based on the state of these barriers, they must've been abandoned quite a good while ago...

>What do you do next?

>Just keep going on in silence. No point in discussing Mike's hazmat suit, or Lono or any other subjects right now. It was better to just keep going and see what would await you once you reached the LTC.
>Keep on chatting with or asking questions to your men, the girls, Eric or Sibilia. There clearly were a lot of topics worth discussing now to kill the time, so might as well bring some up. (Write in what you bring up or ask and to whom.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6363742
>Keep on chatting with or asking questions to your men, the girls, Eric or Sibilia. There clearly were a lot of topics worth discussing now to kill the time, so might as well bring some up.
I don't think we properly filled them in on The Sitch yet. What they know is correct and basically as much as we know. The "Demon" escaped, lots of subjects were released to fight them, the place blew up somehow and we've been sent in to shoot everyone while being told very little. Mona, Tengri, Illimani and several subjects are dead. Oh, and Anderson of all people is "safely" in government custody.
Where do they think Elbrus might have gotten to?
Did Morgan ever fight any of Roraima's subjects? What were they like?
Just a general question, we already know about Laura and might have heard snippets before but what were the other girls' caretakers like? Did they get on with them? Do they think they might still be alive?

We should totally send Vinisha to hug Lono. She might be a zombie but she's also immune to poison, can't feel pain, is perfectly her height, being frens would be a huge psych boost for both of them and they even have quite a bit in common. She's perfect.

-----

I'm not sure if I've asked this one before but, out of the girls we've interacted with so far, would any of them probably be dead by now without our intervention?
I also wonder how our guard friends in the green section are getting on. If they are alive, I doubt they're still in the green section for obvious reasons.

>>6363739
>"Well, I can basically extend a sharp needle from my mouth to feed with.
Now I need to see this.

>I can't believe he made so many subjects just because of sex appeal and NOTHING else! Like, it's ridiculous! Even Elbrus tried to make some subjects who had different purposes than just being hot to him!
Anderson is just a shittier Elbrus, you heard it from his daughters own mouth. God I hope GalGov is torturing that bastard as we speak.

>>6363743
>Just keep going on in silence. No point in discussing Mike's hazmat suit, or Lono or any other subjects right now. It was better to just keep going and see what would await you once you reached the LTC.
Covered everything important I think.

>>6363740
>we did meet another Anderson subject not too long ago! A honey-pot ant subject called Elodie! She was... also abandoned by Anderson, actually. But, she wasn't created with any sort of weird intent by Anderson.
Ah yes, the subject in maid attire that secreted alcohol through "various parts" of her body. Yeah I'm sure she wasn't created with any weird intent by Anderson at all.

>>6363773
Supporting.

>>6363781
Probably not. I bet he's nice and comfortable. I'd say he's probably panicking about his subjects being killed but let's be real, he probably only feels that way regarding the spiders.

>>6363740
>But, she wasn't created with any sort of weird intent by Anderson.
I don't believe that for a second. He didn't HAVE to design Elodie to secrete her alcohol from every hole she has, he could have just made it flow out of her hands or something.

>>6363773
Supporting

>>6363781
>Anderson is just a shittier Elbrus, you heard it from his daughters own mouth. God I hope GalGov is torturing that bastard as we speak.
A bit harsh. Elbrus is a sadistic murderer and rapist, Anderson's just an autistic freak.

Sadly no update today. Mainly because you guys KEEP BULLYING ME!!! I'm not an autistic freak!!! And how can you guys say I am shittier than Elbrus?! ELBRUS?! ME, SHITTIER THAN HIM?!?! :((((((

In all seriousness, I got an exam tomorrow and don't have much time left today to write an update today. Fortunately, after tomorrow's exam, I'll have the entirity of next week off, so I do promise to then work on daily updates again.

To keep you guys occupied though, I've got a few questions I'd love to hear you guys' responses to.
>Do you guys have any suggestions on how I run the quest or anything I need to change pacing wise?
>Am I introducing too many characters, or is it manageable to you guys and reasonable given where in the story you guys are? (High density of friendly subjects here = meeting lots of subjects, duh.)
>Any suggestions for the april fools side-story? The dating sim last year was hilarious and sweet, so maybe we can do something similar to that?
>Any other thoughts you wanna share with me regarding the quest, my writing, characters or anything else that has been on your mind?

Anyway, wish me luck on my exam. This one might be a tough one.

>>6364085
>>Do you guys have any suggestions on how I run the quest or anything I need to change pacing wise?
Nah I think it's fine, quest's being slow is mostly our fault since we're like a pokemon trainer but with subjects instead, if you wanna change pace you could do something like a time-skip for Mik's team in their quest for Alessandra, meanwhile we see how our scientist couple tracking team is doing on their part.

>>Am I introducing too many characters, or is it manageable to you guys and reasonable given where in the story you guys are? (High density of friendly subjects here = meeting lots of subjects, duh.)
Once again, gotta recruit em all. Despite how much our team keeps increasing I think you're doing fine, I think the only ones who aren't as flashed out are ironically our first crew members Laura, Chrys and Oreas since we spent most time with Ano, at the middle we teamed up with that other squad and Reika and Thalia got their char development, and on with the folks on the frozen sector and Katya. I think now Chrys is getting some chance to shine since now we're getting some insight on how Mr.Aracnophilia interacted with his subjects.

>>Any suggestions for the april fools side-story? The dating sim last year was hilarious and sweet, so maybe we can do something similar to that?
I dunno, how about a shitposting intermission, Annie and Kimmy join forces and narrate Elbrus and Roraima everlasting love for goverment sponsered dicks on radio.

>>Any other thoughts you wanna share with me regarding the quest, my writing, characters or anything else that has been on your mind?
I like how's the quest is doing till now just a few question of possible what if's:
What was Annie's tolerance threshold? Like we killed those facility people and Caera at start and Annie's was fine giving some amount of support even before our deal with her, would she tolerated us killing subjects as long as they were a boon for the facility to see then gone?

Could we have saved any of the killed scientists like Mona and Illiamini if we did something different?

Without giving any spoilers, could you tell how many subjects meetings did we lost, kinda like the above could we have meet a different subject encounter if we picked up a different choice?

Lore question, how's Mik squad seen by his fellow Lodgerites?

>>6364085
If you do badly on this exam, I will smash the innocent little spider in the corner over my desk with a newspaper. I think that should be some extra motivation to do well.
>Do you guys have any suggestions on how I run the quest or anything I need to change pacing wise?
I think we're all right for now since ultimately we're the ones choosing to stop and smell the roses here. But perhaps we can have some timeskips or increasingly abstract routine things we do after we've wrapped up the current arc. We'll see where we stand and what we want to do really, since it'd be a shame to miss out on opportunities to get to know characters. Many among the cast wouldn't be nearly so loved if their time with us had been abstracted or timeskipped - everyone should get time in the spotlight and just picking them up during a timeskip and having them introduced as someone we've supposedly gotten to know over the duration would threaten that.
>Am I introducing too many characters, or is it manageable to you guys and reasonable given where in the story you guys are?
We'll never say no to more characters and we're surely going to meet a lot more on this mission. Really, if we don't meet them then, we may well have gone in search of many of them later. The duration of the mission should give them enough time to settle into the cast - we're going to be a rather unwieldy group when all is said and done (and probably with a few strong and conflicting personalities) so we might have to split up further later to avoid trying to have too many characters on screen at the same time and people attempting to strangle each other, even if it might sadly cost them screentime.
>Any suggestions for the april fools side-story? The dating sim last year was hilarious and sweet, so maybe we can do something similar to that?
Girls' Night Out. Post-story, heading out for a night on the town, everyone gets absolutely smashed and intoxication-induced hilarity ensues.
>Any other thoughts you wanna share with me regarding the quest, my writing, characters or anything else that has been on your mind?
Oh boy I wonder if we're going to pick up any more characters on this mission who I really don't really like but have to tolerate because other people like them and they're too useful to ignore. *Looks pointedly at Kaenum.*
How many subjects on the roster have we yet to meet or hear of, out of curiosity?
I do wonder how many things are story gated, that we haven't found or found out because we're not at the right point in the story to have certain information, meet certain individuals etc. and if we're being held back to stop us sequence-breaking or progressing too fast. Call it paranoia, perhaps.

>>6364085
>I'm not an autistic freak!!!
Cope.

>Do you guys have any suggestions on how I run the quest or anything I need to change pacing wise?
Not particularly. Maybe correct mistakes made by us when we write in something that contradicts information Mikhail should know. Like telling those guards in the medical center that we've been here for weeks when it's actually only been one week at most.

>Am I introducing too many characters, or is it manageable to you guys and reasonable given where in the story you guys are? (High density of friendly subjects here = meeting lots of subjects, duh.)
I have no issues with it. Gotta catch em all.

>>6364171
I mean, we have been here weeks. Only two weeks mind you, but we're currently on Day 13.

>>6364173
We are? Oh okay then.

>>6364085
>Do you guys have any suggestions on how I run the quest or anything I need to change pacing wise?
Pacing has gotten slow - we're meeting a lot of new characters but it feels like there's been very little plot advancement.

>Am I introducing too many characters, or is it manageable to you guys and reasonable given where in the story you guys are? (High density of friendly subjects here = meeting lots of subjects, duh.)
Yeah, all the subjects is one thing but France's whole squad? I thought we'd be coordinating with them and working separately towards the same goal, not merging our groups.

>Any suggestions for the april fools side-story? The dating sim last year was hilarious and sweet, so maybe we can do something similar to that?
Subject game show competition

>Any other thoughts you wanna share with me regarding the quest, my writing, characters or anything else that has been on your mind?
You use the word "quite" too frequently and often in places where it doesn't quite (haha see what I did there) fit.

Subjects smirk and look smug a little too often as well.

Also >>6364171
>correct mistakes made by us when we write in something that contradicts information Mikhail should know

>Anyway, wish me luck on my exam. This one might be a tough one.
Good luck bro.

>Keep on chatting with or asking questions to your men, the girls, Eric or Sibilia. There clearly were a lot of topics worth discussing now to kill the time, so might as well bring some up.
After asking Sibilia plenty of questions, you realised you never really explained what was actually going down with the government. Obviously, you made some exaggerations whilst breaking Sibilia's façade, but you still needed to tell a bit more about the demon. You mentioned that their recollection was pretty much correct, with this "Demon" subject escaping from some place. As a result, subjects were released to fight them, only for the place to explode in some strange way. "We were already pretty well aware of the explosion, yeah. It was kind of hard to miss." Eric mumbled in response, after which you elaborated on the fact that you and other death squads were sent in here to shoot everyone. You also weren't told much at all, leaving you somewhat in the blind about the way the facility ran and how things fared beforehand.

"Curious why you weren't told anything at all." Eric responded afterwards, with Sibilia chiming in right after. "And why you decided to accept the job when you knew nothing about it." Anon responded before you could, quickly explaining the deal. "It was a lucrative deal. Some of us also thought the government was trying to extend an olive branch to death squads. You know, treat us less like enemies of the state." Afterwards though, you mentioned that Mona, Tengri and Illimani had sadly already died, which seemed to disappoint Sibilia and make Eric look a bit more neutral. "Shame. I quite liked Mona, and heard good things about Illimani and Tengri." Sibilia responded, after which you mentioned that Anderson was somehow the only person who had been saved and brought into custody so far. "Anderson is in custody?! What... what are they going to do with him? It sounds to me like the government wants everyone dead so, that'd include him too, right?" Sibilia asked.

You stated that you didn't really know, and that the government might keep him alive for one reason or another. Sibilia looked a little irritated, but didn't respond much further. Thus, you asked them where Elbrus might have gone off to. Sibilia didn't respond, either because she didn't know or because she was upset about the news regarding Anderson. But, Eric did have something useful to say. "Well, based on what you told us about staff releasing subjects to deal with this 'Demon', my best guess is that he headed towards Vinella's chamber to let her out. She's easily the strongest subject after Titania, so I suspect she would've been let out right away to maybe help out." This obviously caught your men's attention, with Anon asking: "And where would Vinella's chamber be exactly?" Eric thankfully didn't hesitate to answer. "High threat level containment area very deep within the facility. North of a large guardsman barrack area."

Antonin spoke in a slightly excited tone. "Hey, didn't one of those guardsmen Reika almost kill mention those barracks before? It's in the northwest somewhere, right?" Eric nodded, as it seemed you had another clue as to where Elbrus might be. As well as where Vinella could potentially be located, which made it important to avoid. Still, this could be a rather big lead, one which would give you access to the head pervert. "Is there a chance Roraima is maybe with him? I mean, from what we've gathered, Vinella was co-created by Roraima as well, right? Maybe the two of em could've gone downstairs together to let her out?" Derek asked soon after, to which Eric hesitated a bit. "Hmmmm, maybe? I'm honestly not sure. Roraima has plenty of combat subjects of his own, which he may have preferred to send out instead of Vinella. Especially since it would be more efficient for Elbrus to get Vinella and for Roraima to get someone else. Who though, I can only guess."

The topic of Roraima did make you curious. And as the rest of your men kept talking a bit more about Elbrus and Roraima, you turned to Morgan and calmly asked her if she ever fought any Roraima subjects. "Of course, I fought one of them! More specifically, I fought Tsuchi twice! She was so honourable, so confident and respectable. She was more of a Tengri subject though, and I am rather certain Roraima disowned her given her unwillingness to bend to his cruelty. Aside from Tsuchi, I did not fight any other Roraima subjects. I did want to fight Dhabus though! I already made it quite clear that that lunatic does not deserve an ounce of respect! She has no respect for the blade and is completely obsessed with pathetic and dishonourable weaponry. She was the archetypal Roraima subject and I would have loved to show her what true combat looks like!" Before Morgan could go on another rant about guns, you decided to let her know she didn't have to repeat herself. Morgan scoffed in mild annoyance, after which you decided to bring up another question.

You asked all the girls what their caretakers were like. You already had met Laura with Oreas, and were starting to get acquainted with Eric for Sibilia. But, you never knew really looked into the people who looked after Chrys, Idalia, Kenai, Reika, Morgan, Kaenum and Vinisha. Most of the girls looked quietly at each other, which already indicated that most didn't have the closest bonds with their caretakers. Reika was the exception though, speaking up eagerly. "My caretaker was fun! He always dropped lots of food to me and told me I was a good subject! I didn't see him too much though, and he was also not too talkative." There was a moment of silence, before Mike asked: "What was his name?" Which left Reika stumped momentarily, before simply responding with: "He never told me..." This told you enough about Reika's 'relationship' with her caretaker, your men seeming a bit saddened by the revelation.

Afterwards, Vinisha let out a sigh and responded: "I also didn't know my caretaker. Mainly because I... didn't have one. Andrei was never the type to get caretakers for his subjects. He didn't really trust people with his subjects that much, sadly." Vinisha looked down a bit, as you saw Kaenum softly patting her back to comfort her a little. Afterwards, Idalia spoke up: "I also didn't have a caretaker for the longest period of time. After Roraima dismissed me, I didn't have much to do until I was sent off. I do sometimes wish I had a caretaker. It would've been nice on those days where I was alone. Someone I could brawl with and learn more about the world from." It seemed most of the girls had pretty depressing stories about the lack of caretakers, or caretakers being rather absent. Fortunately, things did turn around as Morgan spoke up. "I did actually have a caretaker. It was a man by the name of Richard, who taught me many things about mastering the blade and fighting with honour! Honestly, I am certain Illimani and Cerro selected him just for me, given how well I worked with him!"

Hearing that there was one actually good caretaker, your men were obviously intrigued. "Where could this Richard guy be, Morgan?" Artyom asked, to which Morgan sadly grew less excited. "I am afraid I do not know. He was away when the disaster happened, so he probably went in hiding amongst the other staff. I do hope we can find him some time in the future..." Kaenum then also spoke up, seeming rather pleased. "My caretaker was a man called Gabbro. Very peaceful, soft-spoken and gentle. He taught me many things about life, the universe and the connection between all living things. Oh, and he also taught me how to play music and poetry! I do not know where he is now, but I am sure he will be with many others and keep them from falling to despair down here." This left Chrys and Kenai, the two looking at each other before Kenai signalled Chrys to go first. "Well, my caretaker was... not someone I saw frequently. If ever. I think she introduced herself once and then... hardly spoke to me."

Chrys sounded pretty dismissive and uninterested, as it was clear that her relation wiht her caretaker was also nonexisten. Thus, all eyes went to Kenai, who spoke up in a calm yet content tone. "My caretaker was a lady called Annabelle. She was quite sweet and did support me quite a bit. But, ummm, she wasn't Mona or Illimani. She did try her best, of course, and I do still wanna find her! It's just... well, yeah..." Kenai seemed rather conflicted as she spoke of her caretaker. Perhaps it was just that she cared that much more for Mona or Illimani. Or perhaps her friendship with her caretaker was just an amicable but not-so close one. Either way, you now knew that some of the girls had actual caretakers which were worth looking for and saving. Not just because it would help the girls, but because it was the right thing to do.

Regardless, you'd notice the entrance to the low threat containment area far-off in the distance, it only being a short few minutes before you reached the next sector.

>What do you do next?

>Just quietly keep walking as you made your way over to the low threat containment area. It wasn't much further ahead, so it was better to just focus on the mission at hand and to not get distracted by the chats among your group.
>Ask more questions which were on your mind to the girls, your men or Eric. You still had a few minutes, so you might as well ask some more questions before you reached your next destination. (Write in what you ask and who.)
>Turn on the radio to either listen to or chat with Annie. Maybe you could even ask her if she could help you set up a way to communicate with the other group who was looking for Jabal and Catherine? (Write in what you do with Annie's radio channel.)
>Something else...

(Wew! Exam went well, and am ready to get into writing again. Here's hoping I don't procrastinate this too much like today...)

(Anyway, I appreciate the input you guys gave. I'll keep it in mind for the April fools thing. And to answer some of your questions...)
>>6364101
>What was Annie's tolerance threshold? Like we killed those facility people and Caera at start and Annie's was fine giving some (amount of support even before our deal with her, would she tolerated us killing subjects as long as they were a boon for the facility to see then gone?
Depends on the context of the killing. If you guys killed in self-defence, or killed someone who was clearly a raving lunatic, she wouldn't have minded. If the kill clearly was out of greed, she would've objected hard. Even then, Annie's mindset is quite pragmatic overall.)

>Could we have saved any of the killed scientists like Mona and Illiamini if we did something different?
(If you got lucky and headed in their direction, maybe. Though, it would've been difficult and you would've absolutely needed help from subjects who knew where they were, which would've limited things a lot.)

>Without giving any spoilers, could you tell how many subjects meetings did we lost, kinda like the above could we have meet a different subject encounter if we picked up a different choice?
(There are a few I can think of at the top of my head. You missed a meeting with the zombie fish and Glaucus early on in the quest. You missed a meeting with Shesha several times now. You could've also met Nicola if you hadn't been extra careful...)

>Lore question, how's Mik squad seen by his fellow Lodgerites?
(Before killing Caera? Just a bog standard, respectable group of fellow Lodgerites. After the rabbit kill though, there might be some envy towards you guys...)

>>6364169
>How many subjects on the roster have we yet to meet or hear of, out of curiosity?
(... there is currently a total of... I think 160 subjects? You've recruited about 18 subjects and met several of em as well, so... I think you guys are starting to make a pretty good dent into the total subjects you've met. As for subjects you have yet to hear of, the cup size file unironically helps with it, since it ONLY covers subjects who have been (code)name dropped. That's 122, so that means you're still missing... about 40 subjects!)

>I do wonder how many things are story gated, that we haven't found or found out because we're not at the right point in the story to have certain information, meet certain individuals etc. and if we're being held back to stop us sequence-breaking or progressing too fast. Call it paranoia, perhaps.
(I'll just let you in on the fact that I got a couple of fun story beats planned out which will hopefully blossom sooner rather than later. That's all I'll say though, for now...)

>>6364212
>You use the word "quite" too frequently and often in places where it doesn't quite (haha see what I did there) fit.
>Subjects smirk and look smug a little too often as well.
(Good catch, Anon. I'll try and look for some synonyms to make it less jarring to read the same words over and over again. Just know that I won't *quite* stop with using those words and phrases.)

(Anyway, hope the update is good.)

>>6364530
>Just quietly keep walking as you made your way over to the low threat containment area. It wasn't much further ahead, so it was better to just focus on the mission at hand and to not get distracted by the chats among your group.

>>6364532
>there is currently a total of... I think 160 subjects
Utterly insane.

>>6364530
>Just quietly keep walking as you made your way over to the low threat containment area. It wasn't much further ahead, so it was better to just focus on the mission at hand and to not get distracted by the chats among your group.
I don't have anything particular to say right now.

We couldn't have saved Mona, could we? Didn't she get cooked by the Big Bang?
Also, I don't remember going near the flooded section before the Grand Misadventure so I'm not sure how we nearly met DS-14 and Glaucus. Though perhaps it's for the better since we weren't nearly so good at wrangling subjects then and didn't have Logan's advice so we'd probably have been attacked by Glaucus and it might not have gone very well for us. I'm still pretty cheesed off people didn't want to go after Shesha when she was a very powerful likely ally we could have found in fairly short order in the coolers.
I'm looking forward to all the eyes we get when we walk out of here with Feng's head on a platter. Maybe France's group can leverage their joint credit to get better gear like we did.

The topic of missed connections reminds me, who else could we have met in the very first encounter when we stumbled over Chrys? Again, I'm getting deja vu like I've asked this before but can't remember where, when or the answer.

>Just quietly keep walking as you made your way over to the low threat containment area. It wasn't much further ahead, so it was better to just focus on the mission at hand and to not get distracted by the chats among your group.
Seeing the entrance to the low threat containment area in the distance, you went quiet and simply focused on leading the way over. The girls and your men kept on chatting, mostly discussing their caretakers and how difficult it'd be to find some of them. Some of the girls even wondered if Feng could've gotten her hands on the poor scientists, though this was more-so speculation than anything. Regardless, it didn't take long for you to approach the main entrance, you already being met with some interesting sights, as you saw makeshift barricades near the entrance. "Looks like people have already set up shop here." Idalia remarked, as your group walked past the barricades. There were no clear signs of combat or people having used them in any way, which was somewhat reassuring.

Soon, you passed the main entrance, finding yourself facing more containment chambers just like the space to the north. Though, compared to the low threat containment level to the north, this place had been trashed far more by god knows who. Many of the chambers had their large windows broken apart, and it had clearly been done from the inside given how many glass shards were outside the chambers. The chambers which had small furniture or other items in them were especially messy. The place was littered with rubble and glass shards, as your men already started looking around. There was a small reception area to your right, some of your men checking it out whilst others looked around the chambers. "Do you girls know of any subjects who stayed here?" Antonin asked, most of the girls shaking their heads. "I know some of the smaller subjects stayed here... Mainly the ones which were viewed as harmless." Chrys responded as she inspected some nearby chambers.

"Which ones?" Lars asked, as you saw Anon checking the tablet to presumably check the map. You had two paths you could take on where to go next: You could head straight ahead or leftwards. Both paths had more makeshift fortifications a short distance away as well, such as furniture stacked together to form barricades, or metal sheets placed to create cover. Though, given what Anon said next, the choice on which path to go down was not exactly a difficult one to make. "Despite the lack of details the tablet provides on this place, it still at least says the elevator is straight ahead of us. Unless if the map REALLY simplifies things, which I highly doubt." Though, Eric was quick to remark: "You guys were really planning to take an elevator here? Seriously?" In a somewhat confused tone. Though, Mike would retort by saying: "Of course not. We know the thing probably doesn't work. We'll just need to find a way to safely climb down it. We've got rope to help us climb down."

Eric still seemed unsure about the way you wanted to go at things, but chose to keep quiet for the time being. "So, guess we're heading straight ahead then? Unless we wanna explore this place for more subjects or clues as to what ha-" Derek spoke up, only to be cut off by a loud alarm sound which suddenly came from somewhere. It sounded a little broken and off, but it was still rather loud. In fact, it was loud enough that your men immediately gathered together and got their weaponry ready. "What the fuck is that alarm noise?!" Artyom asked in bewilderment. "That's the alarm for when a subject escapes!" Eric responded in a concerned tone, which made Kaenum speak up confusedly. "How could it be going off though? Even if this place had electricity, why would it react to our presence so suddenly? Or is it responding to something else?" Most of the girls looked concerned, though Morgan and Reika would join your men in getting combat ready, presumably expecting the worst.

"Whatever is going on, I doubt it's anything good." Antonin said as he got his gun at the ready as well. "Maybe the machine broke for some reason? I mean, we don't even know how it works and what set off the alarm in the first place." Sigit right away asked, after which Mike responded: "Who the fuck cares?! It's making a ton of noise and probably alerted any surviving subject and staff to our location! We have to act now!" Before you could give a comment, Alan spoke up as he held something. "Uh guys? Could this have triggered the alarm?" He pointed to a tripwire he was standing on which was located behind some of the fortifications ahead of you. He had stepped on it, as you looked to the side and saw that there indeed were cables behind some of the rubble and fortifications to which the tripwire was connected. And, these cables headed a short distance away in the direction of the alarm. In other words, Alan hadn't watched his step...

>What do you do next?

>Tell your men to grab their guns and Reika and Morgan to get their tails and swords ready. Whatever was coming your way was probably going to prefer combat over reason. Or at the very least, be inclined to choose violence as a valid response. (Write in how you prepare for combat.)
>Retreat back down the hallway north. Maybe Kaenum, Sibilia or Kenai could keep watch and see who or what approached in response to the alarm, if anything... (Write in how far you retreat and what you do afterwards.)
>Ask Kaenum and the other subjects to get ready for whatever was approaching. They were going to have to be diplomats in case the people who approached were actual threats. (Write in who you will ask to act as 'diplomats'.)
>There was no reason to panic over the alarm. Just wait and see who approaches, or head straight ahead or leftwards. Maybe something would approach you, maybe nothing would. (Write in what you do.)
>Discuss with your men..
>Something else...

>>6364894
>Retreat back down the hallway north. Maybe Kaenum, Sibilia or Kenai could keep watch and see who or what approached in response to the alarm, if anything... (Write in how far you retreat and what you do afterwards.)
Just far enough to find a defensible position with cover. Hunker down there and wait for the alarm setters.

>>6364894
>There was no reason to panic over the alarm. Just wait and see who approaches, or head straight ahead or leftwards. Maybe something would approach you, maybe nothing would.
I'm fairly confident in calling this Gisela's work since it fits her MO and this is her patch - while we might have to defuse, she's a known friendly so I'm not too worried. Just wait here for a bit to see if she's going to come and check out her alarm. If she shows up, it'll be her friend Morgan's job to talk to her. Keep the guns close at hand though on the off chance something less friendly comes to inspect the noise.

>>6364894
>There was no reason to panic over the alarm. Just wait and see who approaches, or head straight ahead or leftwards. Maybe something would approach you, maybe nothing would. (Write in what you do.)
But just in case, don't just stand out in the open, have everyone take cover behind the barricades or hide in nearby containment cells and specifically keep Reika out of sight with Derek until we've confirmed they're friendly or we start shooting. And have Idalia use her camouflage to position herself behind whoever might be coming.

>There was no reason to panic over the alarm. Just wait and see who approaches, or head straight ahead or leftwards. Maybe something would approach you, maybe nothing would.
Given that it was a wire trap, your mind immediately went to this being SR-73's work. And given how Morgan spoke pretty positively about her, you told your men not to worry too much and to simply wait. "Mik, just because it's a trap device which uses a wire, doesn't mean that it must be Gisela!" Ignacy would say in a concerned tone, Artyom similarly voicing his hesitation. "The noise is also not just gonna get Gisela to come over. Whoever is in this place is bound to either flee or come over at this rate!" Of course, your men and the girls still seemed to trust your intuition. They looked at you and waited to hear if there was anything else you'd do. You told some of your men to check out the alarm to see if it connected to anything else. All the while, you told the rest of your men to ready their guns and not to stand too out in the open. Just in case it was someone a bit more hostile.

"Alright, you heard him. Everyone, get behind cover and ready your weapons!" Lars reiterated, as you saw Arty, Chrys and Derek getting ready to check out the alarm. Though, you'd stop Derek and ask him to maybe take Reika out of sight, given that whoever showed up might just view her as a threat. "Um, I was actually hoping to check out the alarm, Mik. Can't someone else maybe look after her?" Before you could insist he do so, Alan interjected and already grabbed Reika's claw. "I'll take care of this. You guys, check out that trap!" Alan thus led Reika to a side-chamber, the manticore fortunately following him without question. You then went to Morgan, who already got her shield ready to protect herself and some of your men, as you asked her to talk to Gisela if she did show up. "Of course, Mikhail. I shall ensure she shan't cause us trouble! Now, get behind cover as well!"

Vinisha, Sibilia, Kenai, Kaenum and Eric would hide in a nearby chamber, Oreas and Idalia would get behind cover as well, getting ready to join in with the combat. Though, you'd ask Idalia to use her camouflage to sneak ahead and position herself behind whoever might come over. "Roger!" Idalia responded, as you saw her looking around a bit, before going over to the nearest wall and climbing it. Idalia quickly started camouflaging herself, as you saw her carefully and sneakily making her way forward. In the meantime, Artyom, Chrys and Derek seemed to have gotten the alarm after Chrys flew up to get it. "It looks to be a very simple alarm system, Mik. It's not attached to any other trap or any other system. It's just the noise." Derek said confidently, after which Chrys looked ahead and spoke anxiously. "I see people coming our way! Run!" She'd quickly fly back towards you, Derek and Arty following suit as they joined you behind the barricades just in time to avoid becoming targets.

Not even a few seconds later, you started hearing footsteps and watched a group of 16 guardsmen coming your way with decently intact armour, guns and even some makeshift defensive gear. Metal panels and doors had been turned into shields by them, as they approached cautiously. "Guess it's not Gisela..." Mike whispered to you, as the guardsmen soon aimed their guns at you and your men. "We saw you guys messing with our alarm system and getting behind cover! Identify yourself and come out with your hands up!" One of the guardsmen yelled right away, their tone being far from the anxious tone of previous guardsmen groups. In fact, these guys seemed far more serious and sceptical than the previous groups you encountered, them already getting ready for combat and to fire at you. Looking around at some of your men and the girls who were behind cover, you saw that most of your men seemed ready to start firing right away. Even Oreas and Chrys looked at you and waited for you to give the command to start firing at them.

Still, you could tell that these guys weren't stupid. They clearly didn't want to get into a skirmish, given that they didn't just instantly fire at you. Though, one of the guardsmen yelled something a bit less reassuring soon after the first command. "We saw what we presume to be a subject working with you guys. Identify yourself, explain where you worked in the facility, how many of you there are, what subject is working with you guys and why you are here now and we may let you go!" Clearly, these guys did not think you guys were death squad members. Which could be a blessing or a curse. It could be a curse, since they may just see your outfits and instantly assume you were a threat to them. But, it could also be a blessing, in that they were not aware yet that you were 'the enemy'. Still, the cover you had meant you had a decent ability to coordinate if you kept it quiet. And, you had numerous options to fight back if things got bad. The girls and especially Reika could help out a ton here.

Really, unless if these guys somehow had grenades to hit you from behind cover or some other subject-killing level secret weapon on them, it seemed doubtful that they could do much to you in your current position. They may be threatening you to lower your guns, but there was a good chance that you had the tools necessary here to come out on top...

>What do you do next?

>Do as told immediately to garner their trust. Just drop your weapons, get out of cover and explain to them who you are. Better to be honest and prevent a fight from breaking out. (Write in what you tell them.)
>Convince them in some other way that you weren't a threat and that you just wanted to pass through here. Surely, you could talk with them from behind cover? (Write in what you tell them.)
>Lie to them to get into an advantageous position. You were just another guardsman group with only a single subject and scientist by your side. They could trust you! (Write in how you lie to them.)
>Have Kaenum or Sibilia or some other subject act as a diplomat to prove that you weren't a threat. Surely, Kaenum could gauge their hostility and convince them that you weren't a threat. Or, Sibilia could take some shots and let them know fighting is just going to hurt both sides. (Write in who you send in to talk to them.)
>Take some shots at them or threaten them to let them know you wouldn't bow to their demands. You had far better weapons, subjects by your side and the tools necessary to really mess them up. (Write in how you attack them.)
>Quietly discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6365358
Yeah, no. We're not leaving cover until we're sure they won't shoot us.
>Convince them in some other way that you weren't a threat and that you just wanted to pass through here. Surely, you could talk with them from behind cover? (Write in what you tell them.)
We're not facility staff but death squad soldiers, however we mean them no harm. The subject they saw is an Anderson subject named Chrysidus but we're traveling with a few other subjects who can also vouch for us. We're looking for the subject Alexandra both to get her in contact with Annie and to hopefully recruit her to help us kill Feng.

iirc Annie did want us to get her into contact with Alexandra and a few other subjects to discuss her plans with them, right?

>>6365358
>Do as told immediately to garner their trust. Just drop your weapons, get out of cover and explain to them who you are. Better to be honest and prevent a fight from breaking out. (Write in what you tell them.)
Just us though, everyone else stays behind cover, and we'll not come too far out. We can explain our Feng killing goal in visual sight for the added trust bonus, and everyone else will stay safe and ready to return fire if they start anything.

ouph, can't get em all right
>>6365358
May? What do they mean, MAY? They think we're staff members and they still threaten us like that?
Anyway, I don't think we should try and bluff this one too much. There's some major failure points where we could get caught in the lie (I'm particularly concerned that they'd want to get a look at us, which would give the game away immediately) which could send things to hell very fast. I'm having flashbacks to last time we tried to do this in Queenbase.
>Convince them in some other way that you weren't a threat and that you just wanted to pass through here. Surely, you could talk with them from behind cover?
yeah we're from the outside and, shockingly, not here to kill them. We've got one staff member and subjects IB-79 I think it's Chrys they saw, so be open about her and TO-22 here in our care don't mention too many, don't want to spook them - just stick to our two negotiators for now. If they're interested in a parley to avoid a pointless firefight neither of us want or need and will probably go poorly for them, those three can help negotiate for us so they can go back to guarding the way and we can go back on our mission to recruit help from the combat sector to take down one of Andrei's horrors.

>Convince them in some other way that you weren't a threat and that you just wanted to pass through here. Surely, you could talk with them from behind cover?
Seeing that you were relatively safe and that you didn't know how these guys would react to you being a death squad, you decided to stay behind cover. Obviously, you still had to do something, so you decided to talk with the guardsmen. You yelled that you were actually not a guardsmen group, but that you weren't there to cause any trouble. "So you guys are one of those fucking death squads killing people?!" One of the guardsmen yelled angrily in turn, you insisting again that you didn't want to get into a fight or cause any harm. You also immediately explained that the subject they saw was Chrysidus Carabid, IB-79, an Anderson subject who joined you along with a few other subjects. "IB-79, can you confirm by revealing part of yourself?" One of the calmer guardsmen yelled out at you, Chrys looking at you before taking a deep breath. She'd show all four of her hands from behind cover, before speaking up.

"Please, these guys really mean no harm! They have saved countless people and only acted in self-defence! I can vouch for them if necessary!" Chrys clearly was anxious, but she still kept her calm and did a fantastic job in vouching for you. The guardsmen remained quiet for a moment, as you mentioned that there were a few other subjects who could vouch for you, as well as a scientist. "What other subjects have you got with you?" One of the guardsmen yelled back, you deciding to go with the safe option of Kaenum, considering her status as a harmless, friendly therapy subject. Kaenum responded soon after, speaking in a confident yet reassuring voice. "I can also vouch for these men! We do not wish to fight you. Both because we do not wish to harm innocent survivors, and because we do not wish for our group to get injured. We assure you we will leave this place quickly and not cause you any trouble!"

There was another moment of silence, before one of the guardsmen yelled. "Alright, one of you, stand up and show yourself! We want to inspect you to make sure you are not a threat!" It was a strange request, and one which could definitely put you or your men at risk. However, before you could make a decision, Sibilia would take a MASSIVE risk by stepping out of cover without your permission. The guardsmen would instantly get tense, with one of them yelling: "Unknown subject! Identify yourself!" Another yelled: "It's MM-3, Sibilia Dembélé!" They fortunately didn't shoot, but this was a genuinely terrible thing to do given that this revealed the fact that you had more than just Kaenum and Sibilia by your side. You even saw Kenai and Vinisha signalling Sibilia to stop, Sibilia moving out of cover and showing herself. "What parts of me do you want to see?" She said in a mildly teasing tone, her giving a few winks as she calmly turned around and raised her arms.

The guardsmen kept quiet, one of them stepping a tiny bit closer and shining a light on Sibilia. And after a moment, he spoke up. "She's clean. No Feng marks on her body." The guardsmen calmed down a bit, with one of them saying: "Alright, you can go back now." To Sibilia, who gave you a quick wink and a smile before hiding back in cover. Whilst it was a REALLY risky thing for Sibilia to have done without your permission, it had helped in that the guardsmen now knew you weren't actually marked by Feng and her control ability. Furthermore, this gave you the ability to explain why you were here, stating that you wanted to head through to find a subject called Alexandra. Specifically, you wanted to get her in contact with Annie and to get her help in killing Feng. "You guys wanna kill Feng?" One of the guardsman asked in genuine curiosity, you stating you were recruiting people for the job, which was why you wanted to avoid a pointless firefight.

You offered to have Kaenum and Chrys negotiate for your safe passage, even offering to get the radio to get Annie to vouch for you. You didn't want a fight with them, they just wanted to guard whatever base they had up here, and if you could just pass, you would be gone ASAP to find subjects to recruit elsewhere. The guardsmen mumbled to each other for a short while, before one calmly yet firmly asked: "Where will you be goin' in here?" Kaenum spoke up again, speaking reassuringly. "We will simply head down this hallway, to the nearest elevator shaft so we can head down." One of the guardsmen responded in a bemused tone. "You're kidding, right? The elevator collapsed. There's no way you can take it." To this, you responded that you had traversed down elevator shafts before, and that so long as you could climb down to get to the lower floors, you would be fine. You reiterated that you really didn't want to get in a pointless firefight, promising to get out of here quickly if they just let you pass.

"What are you willing to give us in exchange?" One of the guardsmen suddenly asked. "Exchange?" Chrys asked in turn, after which another guardsman responded in a more confident tone. "Well, we've got enough food here for a while... but we could use some better guns and equipment to help us survive against... whatever threats came through here. There's plenty of dangerous subjects down here who we have to deal with too, some of whom... aren't as willing to talk as you guys." Another guardsmen responded: "Hapi, Reika, Thelxiope, Farah... there's a lot of threats out in the open, and you guys clearly got the equipment to deal with them, if you're confident enough to try and kill Feng." Afterwards, another guardsman commented: "Besides, you guys also got several subjects on your side! You say you've got Annie, and are even planning to recruit Alexandra. Surely, this means you can hand us some equipment? Right? You know, a small price for passing through here."

Hearing this sudden demand for equipment, Chrys spoke up in a more defensive and upset tone. "But that's not fair! We have clearly shown no ill will towards you guys! Not to mention, Mikhail and his men are going to fight against Feng! They need their equipment to take her down!" Kaenum spoke in a more calm and friendly tone to try and convince them. "They are doing you a service, by hunting down someone you clearly know to be a threat as well!" Unfortunately, Chrys' and Kaenum's remarks did not sway the guardsmen. "Unfortunately, they're the only death squad doing US a service! The other death squads haven't been so kind!" Another guardsman even added: "We've lost friends because of you bastards! Just because you are going after another enemy of ours, doesn't mean we'll just suddenly forgive and forget you people for what you've done to our friends and family!" It seemed that these guardsmen were going to try and use this opportunity to make some demands from you and your men.

>What do you do next?

>Accept and ask them if there was anything they wanted specifically. You could even be nice and show some of the goods you had to them. Though, there was the risk they may just get greedy and make even more demands. (Write in what offers you make them or if you show them any valuable equipment.)
>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble. (Write in how you convince them.)
>Tell them to piss off and that you'd rather find another route to the combat sector than hand over equipment YOU needed to kill Feng. (Write in what you tell them.)
>Tell your men to give them a 'demonstration' of the equipment you had. Perhaps it'd convince these guardsmen that it was far too dangerous for them to wield and that they better let you go through without an 'exchange'. (Write in how you attack the guardsmen.)
>Quietly discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6365462
(The two bugs having the most wonderful conversation is adorable. Though I am also amused that Chrys specified that her acid was NOT like Vinella's. That would've probably terrified Sibilia.)

>>6365612
>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble. (Write in how you convince them.)
What the fuck have WE done your loved ones?! Don't pretend you know us, asshole! We're heading into the combat sector, we're going to need our gear and we're not making any detours. We don't want to kill any of you but that doesn't mean we won't if you're really going to try and rob us. As if we'd even trust you not to shoot us in the back with our own guns at this point anyways. So, either you lot get lost or you're going to lose some more friends today, your choice.

Fuck these guys, nothing but a band of thieves. Being the nice guy clearly won't work with them. If they insist, I say we just let Reika loose. She could use the meat.

>>6365612
It's been a while since we got to pound the table
>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble.
Us people? Is this guilt by association now? We tangle with some of the worst monsters this place has to offer, we risk friendly fire incidents from people like you and we risk being black-bagged by our own state employers so we can stick our necks out and put our lives on the line every single day to do right by this place and its people, to rescue the alone and abandoned and eliminate the deserving because our peers and superiors will not. We do our best to avoid unnecessary deaths but their response being to act like highwaymen is testing our patience.
We feel able to go to the combat sector and take on Feng precisely because of our firepower and the allies by our side so it's not really up for being given away. We have made many friends among the subjects and these three are merely the most harmless among those here with us - if they knew who else was waiting in the wings, they really wouldn't be trying this. Do they feel lucky enough to find out?

>>6365612
>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble. (Write in how you convince them.)
We're risking our lives here just by not killing them, and they want more? Do they know what GalGov does to mercs who don't follow orders?

>>6365612
>>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble. (Write in how you convince them.)
No, we're not giving them shit, here's how it's gonna go, they are gonna make way for us and they aren't going to do anything stupid, else we're gonna punch through, it's their call if they wanna pick a fight with death squads + subjects who are with us, while we're saying all of this tell Idalia to sneak her way on their side and incapacitate as many as she can.

>>6365728
>>6365738
Guys, I don't think these pieces of shit care about our goal to help people or the risks we're taking just by doing that, Chrys and Kaenum have already told them we're good and they're still trying to rob us. It's time to stop being the bleeding heart for a second.

We could also tell them we have Reika with us before having her show herself, they probably won't want to fuck with us then.

>>6365743
I'd send Morgan forward first to keep their attention on us and her before signalling Idalia to go to work.

>>6365791
I know they probably don't and always intended to rob people (the opening comment says it all) but it's also very cathartic to lecture them.

I would hope the threat of subjectpower would get them to back off but fine, we can be more forceful. I think they'd think we were bluffing about Reika until they saw her, so we should straight-up call her out if it doesn't look like they continue to insist.

>>6365791
I'm not saying that in an attempt to get them to care, I'm saying that as a way of conveying no we're not giving you guys free shit. The implication is that it's our job to kill them, and us not doing that is already all they can expect.

If they press the issue anyway I'm fine with a Reika reveal or just telling them how outgunned they are.

>Try and convince them in some other way to let you through. Perhaps you can point out the benefits to having you go after Feng. Or, point out how Annie might get upset with them for this blatant theft. Or, you could even mention that you had other subjects by your side who wouldn't be afraid to really cause them trouble.
With the guardsmen demanding tools or equipment, you felt your blood boil. Given that you had been nothing but reasonable and hadn't hurt any of their friends and loved ones, continuing to be the nice guy was clearly pointless. Thus, you immediately spoke back to them, mentioning that you weren't giving them anything. "Well in that case, I suggest you bastards get out of here before we do start a firefight." One of the guardsmen responded in turn, after which another spoke up in a more calm yet snide tone. "Now listen up. We just need a few extra guns, ammo, and maybe some special tools to fix up machines. Besides, you bastards can always go back to your employers, right? Ask 'em for more weapons to kill innocent folks with." You obviously were still not gonna say yes, as you firmly stood your ground.

You pointed out how you dealt with horrible subjects, how you had dealt with friendly fire incidents from guardsmen who incorrectly assumed you would harm them, and that you even had to deal with your employers potentially executing you if they found out you were doing the RIGHT thing. Hell, you letting them go was actually a major risk you were taking, given how the government would take such mercy. "I doubt your actions here make much of a difference, given that you've already clearly spared a bunch of subjects." One of the guardsmen retorted, you again remarking that you were going to the combat sector to help save people and that you could only do such with all your gear. And, whilst you always tried to avoid unnecessary combat, you were not going to sit back and take this crap. If they wanted to fight, you would fight.

"Do you know how many of us are down here, buddy? We're not the only survivors here!" One of the guardsmen said, another stating: "The moment you shoot at us, reinforcements will come over. And we'll then be taking your equipment from your corpses instead! So if you don't wanna give us some help, you better turn around before things get ugly!" Another yelled angrily, you stating that you were ESPECIALLY not retreating now, given that it might just mean getting shot in the back by these bastards. "Like the death squads and government who shot us in the back?!" Another yelled, before one of them said: "Kaenum, Sibilia, Chrysidus, we suggest getting out of cover and coming over to us now! You don't wanna end up in the crossfire!" Before you could say anything, Chrys spoke up in a more agitated tone. "I'm not abandoning my friends! Just let us through and we won't cause you any trouble!" You heard one of the guardsmen groaning, before another spoke up. "Fine, you can die alongside these bastards!"

You bemusedly retorted that they were idiots thinking they could face you down. Not only did you have better equipment than them, but you also had far more subjects by your side who they didn't know about. It was their call to start the fight and test their luck. Though, you still didn't want to kill any of them, and any bullet or explosive they shot your way would be met with a nasty surprise. Thus, you'd radio Alan and whispered to him that Reika could go out the moment you said go. You also signalled Morgan to step forward, her forming a large shield and getting out of cover. "What the hell?!" One of the guardsmen yelled as you heard them all readying their guns. "Is that fucking Morgan?!" "How many subjects do these assholes have?!" "Do we shoot her?!" The guards all mumbled in confusion, as Morgan spoke up confidently. "I highly suggesteth thee to lower thy cowardly weaponry and let us through! If you do not, I am more than glad to destroy your cowardly weapons!"

Morgan lowered her massive shield to the floor, creating a pretty strong defensive bulwark in the middle of the hallway. "ND-12! What on earth are you doing working for these guys?!" One of the guardsmen yelled at her, making Morgan speak up. "Mikhail's words are truth! He doth not mean harm to any of thee! He hath proven himself a man of honour and courage! Now, lower thy weaponry and let us through!" The guardsmen kept aiming at her, yet no shots were fired. It seemed the guardsmen were reluctant to shoot at Morgan. Either because they knew it wouldn't be easy to deal with her, or because they knew of her and didn't want to risk her wrath. After all, the moments they shot at her, Morgan was going to destroy the few guns they had to protect themselves. The guardsmen would hesitate, before one yelled something which made your men even more enraged. "So, Mikhail is your leader? So, how do you think Mikhail's co-workers would feel if... news slipped that he was working with 'the enemy', Morgan?"

Hearing this, Chrys yelled in an even more enraged tone. "Are you suggesting you'd tell the government?!" After which Oreas accidentally revealed her presence by yelling at them in a more concerned and upset voice. "You couldn't! Nobody would believe you! A-And you'll get killed if you showed yourself to the government or other death squads!" Hearing this, the guardsmen mumbled to each other, Oreas having brought up a rather good point. Though, the one who suggested this insane scheme up spoke again. "We've got radios. We can try and reach a government frequency... We could even find another death squad and tell 'em what we saw. Not like we've got the equipment to fight back against 'em, so might as well just use that as a way to maybe get some mercy from them." One of the guardsmen spoke up in a more soft and uneasy tone. "Kacey, I don't wanna do this. Just... let them go through at this point." Though the other guards quietly rebuffed the suggestions.

File: Adenni Alchemilla, 57-WR.png (1.2 MB)

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"Hey, all I am saying is that... we'd be a lot less eager to share this revelation with other death squads if we got the tools to fight back against them!" The harebrained bastard who made the threat would remark, after which another guardsman responded: "None of us wanna fight. You guys don't wanna fight us, since you would've probably already shot us if you did. So, why don't you just help us out a bit with some resources? It's just that simple." Another would then add: "Or you can piss off. We don't want any death squads going through here, even those who somehow convinced a bunch of idiotic subjects to join you!" The harebrained guardsmen spoke up again. "But hey, the best path to the combat sector is through here. That's why you're here, right? So, I doubt you've got much of an option." Before you could respond though, Chrys would speak up with a level of rage you had never heard before.

"We've shown that we mean you no harm! Mikhail and his men have not done anything to hurt you or your men in any way! They've spared all of our lives and are doing something good for all of us! They are even giving you every chance to avoid a needless conflict! And all you've proven is that you're nothing but a bunch of bullies who aren't any better than the government! So why don't YOU just piss off!" Another guardsman would speak up in rage, before you suddenly heard a bang from somewhere above you. It sounded like a powerful gun being fired, but it wasn't from any of your men. Nor was it from the guardsmen. In fact, the gunfire sounded like it was aimed AT the guardsmen! The guardsmen and some of your men gasped, as you looked up and noticed a silhouette standing on one the walkway near the ceiling. "Try that again, Leutgar, and I won't miss a second time!" Your men got their guns ready and aimed them at whoever was above you, as it was clear that someone had somehow snuck up above you using the walkways which were used for maintenance crews.

The lights the guardsmen had used to point at you would move up, showing a subject you didn't know about at all. It looked to be a 6 foot tall plant girl with a fancy dress, strange plant like arms, long vine-like hair and two pretty fancy looking revolvers. "Adenni! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" One of the guardsmen yelled, before the subject spoke up. "I should be asking you guys the same thing! You told me that the alarm went off and that we were dealin' with a major threat here! And instead, we're facing a group who has been nothing but honest with us and who clearly doesn't wanna cause any trouble!" One of the guardsmen wanted to interrupt, saying: "But-" Though the subject simply raised her voice. "I thought I taught you guys some proper manners, but instead you behave knuckle-headed, threaten these guys and the innocent subjects who are with them and try to fire at a girl who points out your terrible behaviour! How dare you guys!"

The guardsmen went quiet, as you watched the plant girl holster her guns. She held onto the railing of the walkway before swinging forward. Her massive arms actually grew longer as she swung around the place, her soon letting go before landing in between Morgan and the guardsmen. "I helped get you guys food and equipment under the condition that we'd not harm any subjects who don't harm us. And this is what you do?! Shame on you!" The subject said, before turning around and looking over at you. "Mister Mikhail, I am terribly sorry my men behaved this way. I promise, they won't bother you regarding equipment again." She then glared at the guardsmen and crossed her arms. "Especially since I already helped 'em by bringing over food and equipment from the leisure centre!" The guardsmen went quiet, one of them mumbling in rage. "Ugh, why did we agree to this stupid goddamn deal." To which another hissed back. "I told you that threat of yours was a crappy idea." The guardsmen left, leaving you with the mystery subject.

The plant girl looked pretty friendly, and had clearly been the one who fired the warning shot at the guardsmen. Perhaps she was something of a protector to them? Or perhaps she really did make a deal with the guardsmen which helped her convince the guardsmen to back off? Either way, it seemed like she was a friendly girl...

>What do you do next?

>Wait until the guardsmen have backed off far enough before getting out of cover. For all you knew, this was all just a clever trick by this plant girl, and you'd get ambushed from behind or from some other location. You already failed to spot the plant girl, so lord knows what else could suddenly appear down here... (Write in when you decide to get out from behind cover.)
>Tell your men to remain vigilant and keep their guns at the ready. The sudden appearance of this plant girl seemed way too convenient. Perhaps this was a trick of some kind? Hell, maybe just tell the plant girl to back off first since you didn't want to take any risks here. (Write in what safety measures you take.)
>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out. (Write in how you introduce yourself.)
>Ask the girl who she was and who made her so you could see if she was actually trustworthy or to see if this was all a trick. For all you knew, she'd say something... off which would reveal that something else was going on. (Write in what you ask her.)
>Get your combat subjects ready for any incoming threat. Maybe ask Reika to come out of hiding and show you meant business. Or signal Idalia to follow the guards. Or just get Morgan to protect your men as you came out of cover. (Write in what you tell your girls to do.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6365846
>>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out. (Write in how you introduce yourself.)
Finally someone sensate, introduce ourselves and our squad, give her a quick rundown, we don't want no trouble, we just wanna go to the combat sector and try to recruit some people to help in our conflict against Feng, we pass through and we won't bother her or her folk any longer.

>Ask the girl who she was and who made her so you could see if she was actually trustworthy or to see if this was all a trick. For all you knew, she'd say something... off which would reveal that something else was going on. (Write in what you ask her.)
Before we go, inquire with her if we can ask a few questions from her. Who is she anyway and who is her creator? Any idea about what happened to facility or about the "demon" subject who wrecked this place? Does she knows Alexandra and/or were she might be at the combat sector? Any subject/people we should be aware going deeper in the combat sector both to avoid and who might join us?

>>6365846
>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out. (Write in how you introduce yourself.)
Introduce ourselves and thank her for getting those retards to back off. Those dumb bastards owe her their lives, we wouldn't have been merciful if they had actually shot Chrys.

>Ask the girl who she was and who made her so you could see if she was actually trustworthy or to see if this was all a trick. For all you knew, she'd say something... off which would reveal that something else was going on. (Write in what you ask her.)
Ask about her creator, any details she's willing to share about herself, if she's seen any other subjects or groups of staff and if she knows anything about Alexandra.

>Something else...
Inform of her of the infinitely more reasonable guardsmen back at the medbay and the band of civilian staff we encountered before them though the civilians may have moved on. Just in case she's interested in finding more survivors.

File: chrys right now.gif (647.5 KB)

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Damn, bug is a feisty little chihuahua.
>>6365846
I'm generally inclined to take Adenni at her word here since things seem like they line up all right. While she clearly has authority here, their behaviour and reactions are not those of people following a routine or in thrall and them having some kind of arrangement and them calling her when the alarm went off doesn't raise any red flags to me. She's also known to not be a killer, Alchemilla is not a suspicious genus of plants and I frankly just don't believe the malicious angle in the government notes.
>Get your combat subjects ready for any incoming threat. Maybe ask Reika to come out of hiding and show you meant business. Or signal Idalia to follow the guards. Or just get Morgan to protect your men as you came out of cover.
Idalia, follow them. Make sure they're not plotting anything.
>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out.
The cliffnotes version of who we are and what we're doing. And thanks for the save because it was seconds away from a blast out.

What's these assholes' deal anyway? They're the most horrible group we've met so far by a long shot.
Can we trust they won't try and doxx us anyway? We might have to.....ensure they tell no tales, because it's all of our lives at risk.
The information we got issued on her is full of holes and crap. Can she set the record straight here?
They mentioned Farah. Who's she?
and finally, the usual list of questions.

-----

What do we want the elevator for? Aren't we going to find our way down via the area above the training sector and it's the other group looking to go down here?

>>6365844
>Gunslinger flower girl
Oh hell yeah.
>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out. (Write in how you introduce yourself.)

>>6365846
>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out. (Write in how you introduce yourself.)
Phew, I was afraid we'd have to shoot a few more legs there.

>>6365898
I'm not too concerned about their info leak threats for the same reason I wasn't concerned about Feng doing it. We're the most effective squad down here by a mile. We can easily just explain away any accusations - other, less competent squads were gossiping about us and were overheard. The subjects/guardsmen who overheard us wanted to sow discord in the ranks and eliminate the top squad. Even if they want to put us under surveillance for a bit we have France's team now to look after subjects until we can shake any tails.

>Get out of cover and introduce yourself to the girl. The guardsmen had clearly taken the hint from this subject, and it was clear she was someone with authority around these parts. Besides, you doubted she had any tricks up her sleeve, given that she put herself in a pretty risky position whilst helping you out.
With the guardsmen leaving rather quickly and Adenni appearing reasonable enough to you, you stepped out from behind cover and thanked her. You were relieved that you didn't get into an actual firefight with the guardsmen. "Glad to have been able to help. Whilst I agree that those gentlemen could always use more supplies, you guys clearly need them more than we do, if you truly are going after Feng." Adenni calmly responded, as Chrys and a few of the others also got out of cover. Morgan lowered her shield, speaking up in a more irritated tone. "Needing supplies does not excuse threatening to spill Mikhail's secrets to the world." Adenni nodded in turn, speaking confidently.

"Yeah, it was indeed inexcusable. And to then shoot at your friend Chrys out of nothing but rage? Not only would it be cruel and dishonourable, but it would also break a promise they made with me. Rest assured, I'm gonna give them a rather stern chat once I get back." Chrys spoke up in a shook tone afterwards, clearly still being shocked someone tried to fire at her. "Thank you f-for doing so. And ummm, t-thank you for p-protecting me. I, uhhhh, I genuinely thought I got shot at when you fired your, uhhh, weapons." Chrys said as you saw her visibly shiver a little. Adenni scoffed and would put her hands on Chrys' shoulder. "Your eloquence and passion is admirable, Chrysidus. I would never let anyone under my control hurt you." Chrys nodded, after which you mentioned definitely being less merciful if those men attacked Chrys. Though, you'd then finally introduce yourself. Adenni grabbed her hat and gently bowed to you. "Adenni Alchemilla, 57-WR. I am a proud Mona subject."

However, Sibilia would step out of cover and casually say: "Aren't you made by Elbrus as well? I heard him mention that he helped work on you with Mona." Hearing this, Adenni's calm and casual appearance shifted to something more uneasy and disgusted as she scowled at Sibilia. "I am proudly disowned by the bastard. I'm a fine dame, not a common whore which he tried to make me into." She'd then look back at you guys, before calming down again. "So, you wish to get to the combat sector, correct?" She asked casually, you confirming that you were trying to find more recruits for Feng. You just wanted to pass through here and didn't intend to bother any of her men. Adenni nodded, as she looked down the southern hallway. "Well, if you wish to go down, there are some emergency stairwells which I can show to you. I would be delighted to lead the way to them." You and your men seemed relieved to hear this, as it made it FAR easier to just head down right here right now.

You said you'd certainly consider the offer, but that you first wanted to ask some questions if she was fine with such. "Sure thing. I would not mi- oh my, oh my!" Adenni said as Alan and Reika got out of cover, the plant girl clearly seeming uneasy. "Good grief, I knew you had some powerful tools and subjects at your disposal... But I did not expect you to have her on your bloody side!" Adenni took a few step backs, as Reika spoke in an angry tone. "I heard what was going on. I am so angry at those stupid guardsmen! If I see them again, I will kill them all!" Alan would pat her side and casually remarked: "Relax, Reika. It's all good now." Adenni took a few steps back before you heard someone land right behind her. It was Idalia, Adenni turning around with a gasp. "Woah, I presume you are also part of this group?" Idalia nodded and responded: "I was hiding up near the ceiling as well, just like you."

Idalia then looked at you and responded: "Apologies for not warning you of Adenni's presence. I tried to communicate, but I didn't wish to make my presence known, given how it could've only made the guardsmen more eager to fight." You said you obviously weren't mad at her, with Morgan even saying: "I think we all handled it rather well." Though, you would ask Idalia if she could head back up to the ceiling so she could go after the guardsmen. You didn't want them plotting anything in secret. Idalia gave a nod, before jumping back onto the wall and hiding herself with her stealth ability. "Quite the impressive subject line-up you have. Though, I must say that it will not be necessary for Idalia to follow my guardsmen. They will not do anything funny under my watch. I promise." Even then, you still told Idalia to head further ahead to just watch over them to make sure. After all, Adenni wasn't there to watch over them now, and wouldn't be for a while if she was going to show you the way to the stairwell and answer some questions.

>Ask the girl who she was and who made her so you could see if she was actually trustworthy or to see if this was all a trick. For all you knew, she'd say something... off which would reveal that something else was going on.
You asked what the deal was with these guardsmen. You had encountered plenty of them, some equally anxious to deal with you guys. But, no group had been this manipulative and aggressively insistent. Adenni looked a little disappointed. "These guardsmen were all stationed in the leisure centre when the disaster struck. They were in a bunker there and had to deal with a ton of Elbrus subjects escaping once they tried to leave. And not much later, they also had to deal with a bunch of death squads attacking them. As a result, they are rather bitter, jaded and anxious." In turn, Oreas asked: "So, why are you part of their group exactly? You don't seem like the bitter or overly aggressive type like them."

Adenni's tone became a bit more prideful, as she put a hand to her chest. "Well, I am an honourable lady. When I escaped my chamber, I ran into them as they were being ambushed by a death squad, whom I helped fight off. Afterwards, they thanked me and asked if I could stay with them to help protect them. And given that there is safety in numbers, I agreed to do such under the condition that they would not hurt any subjects who didn't try to attack them first and would never decline any guardsmen who wished to join them. I also helped provide supplies to them, which has saved them in numerous situations, so it is safe to say that they need me." This made Lars ask the obvious question: "So, you're giving them supplies and helping protect them and they almost get into pointless battles and try to shoot Chrys for speaking her mind... You know, there are some guardsmen groups not too far away from here who would be far less brazen and reasonable." Adenni shook her head in response, simply responding with: "I made a promise. Going back on that now would be unladylike and disrespectful."

It sucked that Adenni, like Morgan, was a strong follower of honour. Still, you weren't going to question it too much, considering that she prevented a major firefight because of her position amongst those guardsmen. Though, you did ask if they were trustworthy enough to keep your existence a secret. Some of your men and girls were pretty worried about this as well, with Mike even saying: "Maybe you can break their radios as a punishment for even suggesting it?" Though, Anon would calmly remark: "We can let Annie know about the threat and maybe ask her to keep a lookout on any information travelling out of this area." Antonin would add onto that: "I wouldn't worry too much about it to begin with. Who's going to believe some random guardsmen?" Finally, Adenni would scoff and comment: "Even if they do attempt it, they are going to thoroughly regret it. I will stop providing them with supplies and intel. Maybe I will even take away some of their supplies, given how much of a betrayal it would be to me."

It seemed like your secret was safe for the time being, given all these factors. Though, this did make you wonder what she and her guardsmen had been up to since shit hit the fan. "Mostly just scouring for food, supplies and recruiting more men. We've got quite a large number of guardsmen up here now, approximately 60 and we always try to recruit anyone else we encounter who is willing to join us." You asked what plans they had for the future, to which Adenni sighed and simply said: "Survival is our main goal, really. And to prepare for any more death squad encounters. You guys are the first death squad to come here, so I think this may mean we're going to protect and trap this place even more than before. Just in case we meet a death squad who is not nearly as reasonable as you folk."

You again mentioned the nearby guardsmen groups who might want to work together, to which Adenni responded: "I definitely will consider the option, yes." And afterwards, you'd ask about other guardsmen, survivors or subjects she had seen. "Well, aside from the guardsmen and staff members up here, I've seen plenty in the leisure centre. Though, they have probably either gone into hiding or retreated elsewhere. I've also encountered a few folk under Feng's control, but that is far deeper, being somewhere below the leisure centre. In terms of subjects though, I have encountered quite a large number in the leisure centre. Hapi, Sirin, Claudia and Rosalia were some of the nastier subjects I have seen in person or have seen some signs of that they are in fact there. There are some nicer subjects as well, such as Celina and Melanie, but they are rather skittish given what is going on." You'd also ask about subjects in the combat sector, since she seemed like the type who knew at least a couple of combatants. "Whilst I am indeed quite skilled with my guns, I must admit I have not spent too much time in the combat sector. T'is not the place for a lady such as myself."

You were a little disappointed, though Adenni did mention one specific subject. "I can see Hetzen being there though. I have seen her and have been challenged by her a couple of times , and I most certainly imagine her being there given her love for shooting and a drive to find people to challenge." These 'challenges' made your girls intrigued, with Morgan asking: "Challenged? In what way?" To which Adenni put a hand on one of her revolvers. "An aim challenge. I lost it, given she's incredibly talented. But unfortunately, she was also most unladylike and uncouth about her victory, which was rather irritating. Still, if you are recruiting subjects, maybe you could consider her? You already recruited Reika, so... perhaps you are the best people for the job?" It was certainly worth considering, even if it sounded like she might just challenge Katya to a shooting match to see who had the better aim.

Regardless, there was one other subject which you were curious about, given that one of the guardsmen had mentioned it. You asked about Farah, wanting to know who she was. "Chemical plant subject made by Roraima who can release some kind of... harmful toxins into the air. I have asked my guardsmen about it, but they simply know that it drives people mad in some way." It didn't seem like any of the girls or Eric knew about this Farah, which meant it might be one of Roraima's more secretive projects. Though, this also made you wonder how much Adenni knew about Alexandra, you also asking where she might be in the combat sector. "Well, like I said, I do not know much about the combat sector. And, all I really know about Alexandra was that she got along well with guardsmen and subjects alike. My best guess is that she made a fortress somewhere secure yet out of sight. But, I may be wrong with that."

It was disappointing, but not too unexpected. Adenni didn't seem like the militaristic combat subject. You'd also ask about Elbrus and Roraima's locations, given that she might know where the former was, given her being his subject. Adenni looked a bit more neutral, shaking her head. "I do not know where either of them area, I'm afraid. Apologies." Your men were a bit disappointed by lack of information about some of your bigger questions, with Artyom even saying: "Goddamnit, where are those two assholes? I wanna put a bullet through their head already for the shit they've done!" Adenni scoffed and mumbled: "I do not blame you for that desire." Afterwards though, you asked if she knew any escape routes, her sighing and shaking her head. "Had I known any, I would have already tried and find the quickest way over to it so me and these guardsmen can safely escape..." You then asked about what she knew about what happened to the facility and the 'demon', which made her raise an eyebrow.

"Demon? What demon?" Which already revealed that she was not in the know of this subject or what had really happened. Though, your question about Titania, her whereabouts and what she was like was met with an actual answer you could use. "Well, I heard that the doors to her containment chambers were opened during the lockdown of the facility. I do not know why, but I imagine it has to do with this 'demon' subject you spoke of. That, or Titania needed some open space due to her alleged emotional problems." This actually got your men's attention, with Anon simply asking: "Alleged emotional problems?" To this, Adenni looked surprised, before saying: "Yeah, Titania's emotional problems. I... right, you can take this with a grain of salt, since I only heard this once, but it does make sense to me for a number of reasons. In essence, it was alleged that Titania can be a very emotional subject, given her massive size, status and apparent loneliness. She sometimes had issues with her emotions, making her lash out in rage. I do not know the details, but I heard that a few guardsmen were hurt in an incident with her."

Anon noted it down, whilst the girls spoke up in concern. "But, I heard Titania was really sweet and gentle..." Oreas responded, to which Adenni sighed. "She is the biggest and most visible subject out there. I imagine she kind of HAS to behave sweet and gentle. If she does not behave properly, the government may terminate her given the abilities she has. Or worse, terminate the monster girl project based on her performance and behaviour." The girls remained sceptical, with Kaenum remarking: "I have never read reports about this, nor heard anyone speak of it. Surely, Tengri would've brought these issues up if it was pervasive?" Vinisha would then ask: "Who did you hear this from? M-Maybe the person who said it was just making it up?"

Adenni shrugged and simply remarked: "It is something I heard mentioned by some scientists who worked on me once, though it was very quickly shut down. It is clearly something which is not discussed commonly and something she apparently hides quite well. Like I said though, you should take this story with a grain of salt. I heard it once and... it does seem like a logical explanation." Your girls remained sceptical, with Eric even adding: "Yeah, I think it was just a joke. I once joked with some of my friends that I was having a date with Vinella." Adenni nodded understandably, before responding a lot less confidently. "Perhaps you are right..." Adenni went quiet, you deciding to ask her if she wanted to maybe tell a bit about herself. After all, the government files you had on her were pretty crappy.

This did get her to cheer up, speaking curiously. "Really now? What does the government say about me?" Anon would happily share the tablet, her reading it and soon scoffing. "Well, at least they are right in that I never kill anyone. It is unladylike to kill and much better to just incapacitate them and take their weapons! Though, I would not call myself boisterous! Also, I suppose these idiots forgot to mention my skills with a gun. I have shown it off quite a few times in combat!" Adenni chuckled, before speaking more calmly. "Tell you what, I'll provide you guys with some ACCURATE information whilst I show you the way. Would that be okay with you?"

>What do you do next?

>Accept the offer and follow Adenni to the stairwell. Maybe you could ask some other questions to her on the way over there, or bring up some other interesting points to discuss? (Write in what you ask her.)
>Talk to some of the other girls in your party once Adenni explained more about herself. You really ought to praise Chrys for standing up for you, or maybe ask Sibilia not to get into the action without your input. (Write in who you chat with and about what.)
>Contact Annie to let them know where you are and that there might be a group of asshole guards who would try and reveal your secrets over the radio. Maybe Annie could also talk about some other topics? (Write in what you discuss with Annie.)
>Just quietly listen to Adenni and let your men and girls ask questions to her. You already asked plenty of questions and didn't need more.
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6366059
>>Accept the offer and follow Adenni to the stairwell. Maybe you could ask some other questions to her on the way over there, or bring up some other interesting points to discuss? (Write in what you ask her.)
Since she's so good at grabbing resources ask her if she knows any good place for nabbing essentials like food, water, etc, it might not seem like it but our group which is kinda big is probably gonna get bigger once our recruitment campaign ends. Tell us about the leisure sector, how much was it affected by the disaster? Is the stuff there still functional and anything we should mind if we go there other than the subjects that she mentioned?

>>Talk to some of the other girls in your party once Adenni explained more about herself. You really ought to praise Chrys for standing up for you, or maybe ask Sibilia not to get into the action without your input. (Write in who you chat with and about what.)
Let's give some praise for Chrys, she grew a lot from our first encounter and that's a nice thing to see.

>>6366094
Supporting

>>6366059
>Just stay and talk to her for a moment.
Remember we decided *not* to go through the leisure centre. It was the original plan but we got warned it was a mess and decided it would be best to stay up top and cut down straight into the training sector. But the locations of the access points would be helpful for future reference.
Just the general leisure centre gossip. Who's running around? Where are the supplies or danger spots? Anywhere that's friendly territory? Friends and enemies to watch out for?
Deets on Claudia, Rosalia, Melanie and Celina. Claudia I don't recognise at all and the others haven' been mentioned in too much detail.
Talk to some of the other girls in your party once Adenni explained more about herself. You really ought to praise Chrys for standing up for you, or maybe ask Sibilia not to get into the action without your input.
Scoop Chrys up into a big hug. Little tiger's not getting away after that display and to go from bargaining with us for her life to willing to shout down armed men and stand and stare down gun barrels for us is one hell of an arc. While we'd never ask them to, we're still so proud of her.
Anyone here know Adenni from before, perchance?
I also want to see if Kaenum has a postmortem of the incident in mind. How do you handle people who will not listen to reason? How would she have handled it? Does she have any recommendations?

>>6365922
While we might well be able to fast-talk our way out in front of Moritz, it's really not something we want. While our rep may afford us some degree of insurance, GalGov could still take it as a cue to watch us closer or start joining dots and getting more suspicious based on past or future behaviour. Also bear in mind it would have been an active attempt to murder us all by proxy out of spite, as far as I'm concerned it would have been equivalent to aiming Vinella at us and I would have had no mercy for them after that.

>>6366059
>Accept the offer and follow Adenni to the stairwell. Maybe you could ask some other questions to her on the way over there, or bring up some other interesting points to discuss? (Write in what you ask her.)
Wouldn’t call herself boisterous? Not even a little?

>Accept the offer and follow Adenni to the stairwell. Maybe you could ask some other questions to her on the way over there, or bring up some other interesting points to discuss?
You told Adenni that she was free to lead the way, her giving a nod and turning around. "Very well then. Everyone, please stick close. I do not wish to risk another diplomatic spat with the guardsmen." She remarked in a slightly teasing joke, after which you told her to talk a bit about herself. "Well, like your friend Sibilia over there mentioned, I am indeed a creation from the brilliant mind of Mona and... the disturbed mind of Elbrus. Now, fortunately, I was always more of a Mona creation, especially since I made it clear early on that I did not wish to indulge in Elbrus' perverse acts. Whilst young, I started training to be a gunslinger as I believe it is called, as well as learning to hone my many limbs, which ensured that I could protect myself." Hearing about these 'many limbs' left your group a little confused, with Kenai quietly asking: "Um, Adenni... what do you mean with many limbs?"

Adenni gave an amused and confident smile, as you watched her hairs suddenly moving around extremely dexterously. "My hairs are living vines, capable of grabbing things, holding onto things and even wield weaponry. They even can help me draw my weapons quickly, or hold back Elbrus whilst he tries to be a disgusting pervert." Though, Sibilia once again seemed to get some amusement out of this, as she simply asked: "Those vines are absolutely something Elbrus gave you to indulge in his weird kinks, aren't they?" You saw Adenni look over her shoulder at Sibilia, speaking in a cheerful yet very passive aggressive tone. "I suggest you stop making such crass remarks and to get your head out of the gutter. Otherwise, I am more than willing to showcase the strength these vines are capable of, Sibilia!" Despite the clear threat, Sibilia kept on giggling to herself, as Adenni calmed herself.

"Anywho, Elbrus fortunately disowned me after realising I was not interested whatsoever, and that I was more than willing to hurt him. Unfortunately, that did mean I didn't have much training, or freedom, or friends, given that Elbrus prevented me from enjoying those things... but, Mona did help with that by setting up tests with me or letting me meet up with some of her subjects. Though, as admirable as it was, I must say that Mona could have done... far more for me. In fact, she and the staff could have done far more in stopping Elbrus from doing the things he did." Adenni seemed a little sombre as she spoke, before shaking her head and cheering up again. "But hey, I am free now, and the training Mona gave me has certainly helped me out a ton! I can sneak around, carry plenty of equipment and wield my glorious guns with elegance and grace!" Artyom would even remark: "And, with common sense." To which most of your men clearly agreed, much to Adenni's amusement.

Regardless, you asked if she knew any good places for taking essentials like food, and water. Your group was quite massive, and would only get larger as you recruited more and more people, which meant you needed a stable source of food. "Well, the green sector, if it hasn't been taken over yet, might be good for that. It has lots of food available. You just need to make sure it stays healthy is all." Right away, Lars would point out the obvious issue here. "Unfortunately, the section has already been taken over. In fact, it is basically a forward base for the government forces now." Hearing this, Adenni responded with: "Oh... well, maybe the frozen sector could work? It may not be pleasant, but surely it's not a place the government has gone very deep into? It also has lots of food, from what I remember!" Mike simply responded with: "Also been there, also wasn't good." After which you said you hoped to look somewhere a bit more near to this location.

Adenni thought about it for a short moment, before sighing. "Well, the leisure centre does have plenty of food courts and storage spaces which have supplies. But, based on my own experience, I doubt there is much you can find there which hasn't been raided by other survivors and death squads." It was disappointing to hear, but it also wasn't entirely surprising. The guardsmen already mentioned having stockpiled plenty of food, which probably came from the leisure centre. Though, this did make you wonder about how the leisure centre was ever since the disaster happened, and if there was anything functional which was of note down there. "Well, plenty of the gyms still work, for obvious reasons. Maybe the hot baths or pool areas could be used in some way? There are also plenty of arcades, areas to play games and other forms of amusement. There are a couple of food courts and small spaces which served food from around the galaxy. Oh, and a few... 'adult' spaces which Elbrus essentially created with his subjects and sycophants. Overall though, most of it has just been abandoned and deactivated. Maybe some have been occupied by survivors or subjects. I am not all too sure."

The leisure centre seemed like it had a lot of stuff going on. Though whether it was of interest to you or the girls was hard to say. Still, you wanted to know if there were any major threats down there or friendly territories. "Hmmm, I am not sure about friendly territories. Perhaps some guardsmen eked out a zone of their own there? Though, I doubt it is large, given most guardsmen and subjects already left early on. I'd say the most dangerous areas for sure are places like the gym or adult space. The former is home to combat subjects who probably are eager to look for a fight, and the latter is where the likes of Hapi and Claudia are staying at..." This actually made you curious about Claudia, Melanie, Celina and Rosalie who she mentioned not too long ago as being part of the leisure centre.

"Well, Claudia and Rosalia are a moth and spider subject who work together to protect other subjects. Unfortunately, their goals are not entirely noble, as they view humans as inferior or harmful to subject-kind. Granted, Elbrus and his ilk are indeed harmful to subjects, but they also view ordinary human guardsmen and scientist as 'complicit' in the terrible treatment of subjects. Claudia simply wishes to enslave humans for perverse purposes, whilst... Rosalia views any and all humans as deserving of nothing but death." Hearing this, Oreas would ask: "What about subjects and humans who work together, like us? Surely, she won't hate the people who actually protect subjects?" Adenni shook her head in a disappointed way. "I am afraid that their disdain runs extraordinarily deep. When I first met the two of them, they were reasonable. Kind even. But, when I mentioned working with guardsmen, they claimed I was a fool. And when I argued not all humans were bad... Rosalia threatened me."

It seemed like Rosalia and Claudia were not subjects worth looking for, given that they would view both you and your girls as enemies. You wanted to know where they were, which made Adenni shrug. "They can be anywhere in the leisure centre. Though, I imagine they'll stay away from the adult area, given that Rosalia would heavily disapprove of staying in such a space." You then asked about Melanie and Celina, given that they seemed a lot less troublesome based on what you heard about them in the past. "Well, Melanie is actually a Harpy subject made by Mona and Tengri whom I have met once in the past. She is rather sweet, but does have an innate dislike towards humans as well. It mainly stems from a bit of... trauma she has due to Tengri." Kaenum nodded to this and added: "I have indeed heard of this case. Tengri and her had quite the argument, based on something rather terrible Tengri remarked." Adenni nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Fortunately, she does trust other subjects quite readily and isn't aggressive. Just scared."

You then asked about Celina, Adenni simply remarking: "She is another harpy subject, one made by... I believe Catherine? She is a rather pleasant subject who is also very confident. She is highly agile and has the ability to create potent gusts of wind. As for what she is up to, I encountered her once and we had a lovely chat. Apparently, she was working with some other guardsmen she befriended and planned to stay hidden for as long as possible. I did offer her to come up here, which she did consider... but, I am yet to see her here, so I presume she is still somewhere downstairs." Once Adenni finished explaining the subjects, Anon would step forward with the tablet and bemusedly asked: "Can you repeat some of those things? For archival purposes." Thus, Adenni nodded and would repeat some of the things she said to Anon, giving you a chance to do something a little different.

>Talk to some of the other girls in your party once Adenni explained more about herself. You really ought to praise Chrys for standing up for you, or maybe ask Sibilia not to get into the action without your input.
As Adenni kept leading the way whilst chatting with Anon and some of your men, you slowed your pace and soon got beside Chrysidus. She quickly took notice, softly asking: "Something wrong, Mikhail?" You would pick her up, her clearly being a bit surprised. "Ummm, M-Mikhail?" She said as some of your men looked back at you and her. Though, you soon gave her a big hug, telling her that you were very proud of her stepping in to vouch for you. You even pointed out how you hadn't even asked her to do what she did, and she stood her ground against a bunch of aggressive guardsmen all on her own. Hearing the praise, Chrys would hug you with all four of her arms, speaking more quietly. "It was pretty scary, I must admit. But, I am also glad I did it. I feel... proud of myself."

You told her she was in the right to be proud of herself, with Morgan putting her hand on Chrys' shoulder. "You stood for what was right. You showed courage and honour. Your pride shall inspire us in the future, for sure!" Chrys smiled and quietly kept hugging you, her soon even resting her head on your shoulder. Eventually though, you loosened your grip, Chrys eventually letting go and walking happily beside you. Looking around, you saw that the other girls were also rather pleased. Vinisha, Kenai, Oreas, Kaenum, Sibilia and even Reika all seemed happy for Chrys. Though, this did make you wanna know if any of them knew of Adenni before this. "Well, I have heard of her from Mona... but, that's about it." Kenai mumbled, Oreas nodding along to that. Though, the rest clearly didn't know much about her before this meeting. You nodded understandingly, before another thought came to mind. One you wanted to bring up to Kaenum.

You asked Kaenum how, in the future, she would have suggested you'd handle guardsmen like these. She always praised pacifism and not hurting people, but this case had shown that conflict was inevitable sometimes. Unsurprisingly, Kaenum did have a response to this. "Well, I would've left and founnd a way to go around. Perhaps I would have given them food, some ammo at absolute most. Though obviously, I'd avoid giving them any weaponry. I would've also contact Annie ASAP as well to keep an eye on them and ensure they don't try anything. In fact, I think we still should do that, just to be certain." This made Mike speak up in a more bemused tone. "So, does that mean you agree that these guys aren't trustworthy? That, dare I say, they're actual bad people?" Kaenum shook her head. "I wouldn't agree to that. I believe they were desperate and scared. They saw a simple solution to get you to either leave or benefit themselves in some way. I still think that, in their state of fear, they might just do so still. Fear can make people do terribly foolish things."

Mike looked a little annoyed, whilst some of the othermen remained sceptical yet curious. Kaenum continued though, clearly having more to say. "With you guys however, I would point out that it's absolutely mad to contact the government with this intel. Mad as in, the old acronym: Mutually Assured Destruction. There is no reason to immediately jump to the antimatter option like they did. And frankly, those two extremely unreasonable guardsmen were most concerning. After all, you truly are the best hope anyone, including them, has on escaping this place so far." It was nice to hear that Kaenum had faith in your goal of leaving this place. Regardless, you'd soon notice a large open space in front of you, it being some kind of reception area. And to your right sat a large set of doors leading to what you presumed to be the elevator shaft. Fortunately, Adenni would not focus on that, instead pointing to a few doors to the side.

>Something else...
"Here we are. These are the emergency stairwells leading downwards. They are safe to traverse, but... do be careful. One is never sure what may lurk inside of them." Adenni said casually, after which Antonin asked: "I take it you won't be joining us on your way down, given the promise you made with those guardsmen?" Adenni nodded and put her massive hands together. "I am indeed afraid you are again on your own. If you do come through here though, I promise you will not encounter nearly as much resistance as before. And you know that I never break a promise." Adenni casually commented, after which you paused and looked over the stairwell. It was then that you mentioned how you were considering switching plans. "Excuse me?" Artyom asked, after which you explained that you were thinking of actually heading entirely south.

You mentioned that the leisure centre seemed pretty risky to go through. Not only was it likely teeming with death squads, but it was clear there were plenty of other threats down there which weren't worth dealing with. Instead, you could head south and go through the training sector. Your men didn't seem too hesitant, though Ignacy did say: "We've got a clear and safe path down here, Mik. If we head south now, who knows what else we'll run into." Though after speaking, he did add: "I trust your intuition, but... it is something worth considering." At least you had time to think things through, especially since you were still waiting for Idalia to return.

>What do you do next?

>Thank Adenni for the intel and her help. You didn't want to keep her occupied any longer, and she still had to lecture her guardsmen about their wrongdoing. (Write in if you tell Adenni anything specific.)
>Ask Adenni or the others for their inputs. Maybe they had some thoughts regarding the leisure centre which could help you decide? (Write in who you ask for input.)
>Head down the stairwell as soon as Idalia returned. It was a route you knew you could take and one which would lead to a potentially interesting, though risky, area.
>Go south instead. You had already heard plenty of times that it was likely safer. And having discussed it with Adenni now, you REALLY knew it was probably for the best.
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

(Checking back on the threads, it did seem that there was a shift in plans to instead head further south. But, no biggie. I'll give you guys the option to decide on the matter now. Hope this isn't too messy. I genuinely forgot about it.)

>>6366304
>Thank Adenni for the intel and her help. You didn't want to keep her occupied any longer, and she still had to lecture her guardsmen about their wrongdoing.
Where are the areas she's talked about? Does she have a general guide as to what's where in the zone and where the points of interest are?
We can also do our usual thing and quickly fill Adenni in on what happened and what's going on outside like we do to most people we talk to.
>Head down the stairwell as soon as Idalia returned. It was a route you knew you could take and one which would lead to a potentially interesting, though risky, area.
Fuck it, I'm game. We've got some targets, some guidance and a bath to wrangle the big dumb CATTHING into for a wash.

Oh yes, and call Annie while we wait. Here's what happened, keep an eye out for anything that surfaces and take any appropriate precautions. And perhaps give them a good scare and yet another finger-wagging to discourage further shenanigans.

-----

Birb's probably not wrong, but no pressure.

>>6366304
>Thank Adenni for the intel and her help. You didn't want to keep her occupied any longer, and she still had to lecture her guardsmen about their wrongdoing. (Write in if you tell Adenni anything specific.)
Thank her for her assistance, and wish her well.

>Head down the stairwell as soon as Idalia returned. It was a route you knew you could take and one which would lead to a potentially interesting, though risky, area.
Let's take this one,.while going south might be safer this seems like the faster path, once we get there let's see if we can ask Annie for a safe route to the Combat sector, preferable one without other death-squads, we can handle dangerous subjects especially since we have our subjects but we gotta avoid death-squads.

>>6366304
>Thank Adenni for the intel and her help. You didn't want to keep her occupied any longer, and she still had to lecture her guardsmen about their wrongdoing. (Write in if you tell Adenni anything specific.)
Thank her again for stepping in and wish her luck.

>Head down the stairwell as soon as Idalia returned. It was a route you knew you could take and one which would lead to a potentially interesting, though risky, area.

----
Honestly, I can't really blame subjects who resent the people who worked here, though hating humans as a whole is pretty extreme if somewhat understandable from their PoV. The whole point of this project was more or less just to create a perfect slave race. Naturally, it backfired spectacularly because all of the top eggheads down here were either arrogant retards, mentally ill freaks or useless cowards in the case of Tengri and Mona.

>Thank Adenni for the intel and her help. You didn't want to keep her occupied any longer, and she still had to lecture her guardsmen about their wrongdoing.
Whilst you were leaning more and more towards just heading down here, you still were considering your options. But, given Adenni's familiarity with the leisure centre, you asked her where some of the locations she mentioned were. "Hmmmm, I know the adult sector is in the south-western corner. Food courts are in the centre, and there's plenty of arcades in the north-western corner. Honestly, a lot of the spaces are interspersed and connected somewhat haphazardly. From what I gathered, the leisure centre was not the most well-planned out area, since it was a very late addition to the facility. In fact, the leisure centre used to be a bit of an extension to the testing area which was barely used..." Adenni explained, as you asked if she had some kind of general guide as to what's where in the zone. "I do not, but I am certain there are plenty of maps on display which showcase what is where. Just... don't be surprised if it is a bit of a mess to get through."

You thanked her for the information, before asking if you had actually explained what had happened outside the facility and what the government was doing. "You mentioned a little bit about the government working with death squads. Please, do tell me more." Before you could explain, Mike would casually yet confusedly ask: "Mik, I don't wanna be a buzzkill, but shouldn't we maybe decide on if we're taking this route or the southern route, rather than discussing these things?" You explained that you were still waiting for Idalia, and that it would be rude to not explain things. The girls all seemed to agree, whilst Adenni spoke in a friendly tone. "Mikhail can keep it short. I also intend to leave very soon, so I do not need a lengthy rundown of what is actually going on." Mike gave a quick and understanding nod, after which you explained what was going on.

You mentioned that the government had hired death squads and put the entire planet on lockdown and how the government had enacted a kill-on-sight policy for any and all survivors. You also mentioned that the government was highly secretive and was clearly plotting something, to which Adenni asked the most obvious question. "Huh, and what made you agree to this job then, if it's so secretive?" You again said it was mainly due to money at first, given that the job was highly lucrative. Though, it also initially was out of optimism that this might just get the government to no longer treat you like criminals. For the time being though, your main drive really was just to save everyone. "A most admirable job, I must say." Adenni said, after which you told her that you'd not keep her waiting any longer. You thanked her and wished her good luck, Artyom adding: "Do give those guardsmen a good lecture for us." Adenni scoffed before bowing. "Thank you very much. I will do my best."

>Head down the stairwell as soon as Idalia returned. It was a route you knew you could take and one which would lead to a potentially interesting, though risky, area.
Adenni thus turned around, humming to herself as she calmly headed back to her men. Though, Anon was quick to say: "Hey Adenni! If you see Idalia, please let her know we're waiting for her!" Adenni looked over her shoulder and smiled brightly. "Of course! Good luck on your travels and stay safe!" Thus, you would finally decide on the matter. You decided to take this root, since it was easier and quicker. "Excellent." Morgan remarked, the rest of your men also seeming to agree. "Here's hoping we don't encounter any death squads down there. That may honestly be the biggest risk we can encounter down there..." Lars mumbled, you saying that you felt confident that very few death squads could cause you trouble. The number of powerful subjects you had gave you a major edge, after all.

There was also another plan you had in mind, as you asked Anon to turn on the main radio again. "Take it we're contacting Annie?" Anon asked, you confirming your plan. Annie could explain what the best route would be and how to best avoid death squads. In the meantime, you could deal with any subjects and facility staff you encountered. "And, Annie can ensure nobody leaks our secrets!" Vinisha softly added, you nodding and stating now was the perfect time to chat with Annie. You turned the radio to Annie's frequency, being met with her voice mid-speech. "... -uch delicate methods such as spraying acid, explosives and heavy machinery, they have decided that this food should go to no-one, not even the honourable death squads working for them, who could very much benefit from this extra food! This policy also includes the destruction of various habitats and homes to subjects, which truly showcases the care and foresight the government has. Of course, death squads who wish to make some extra money are free to ask the government if they are able to assist!"

It seemed like Annie was ranting about a new operation by the government, her afterwards talking about some minor exchanges between subjects in the east of the facility as well as the northern-west. "I hope none of the other group didn't get stuck in that exchange." Antonin mumbled, after which Annie started playing another song. Thus, you'd call out to her, asking if she could help you out with something pretty risky. It didn't take long for the music to fade and for you to hear Annie yet again. "So, what's going on?" Annie asked in a relaxed tone, you explaining that you had had a pretty interesting encounter in this sector of the facility. "Oh, what happened? Is there an emergency?" You reassured her you were fine, but that there was a group of guardsmen who threatened to reveal your secrets to the government. "Huh. Want me to fry the circuits of their radio and communication devices?" Annie said in a more than eager tone.

Obviously, this was mildly excessive, you stating that the guardsmen leader, Adenni, had helped resolve the issue and would have a stern word with the guardsmen. "Oh, sweet, you met Adenni, huh? I didn't know she was there!" Annie happily said, after which Kenai asked: "Sounds to me like you two were friends, huh?" Annie quickly denied this though, responding with: "No, but I read some files on her and she seemed like a really friendly subject." To this, Chrys eagerly said: "She was! She defended me from getting attacked after I spoke in favour of Mikhail." Annie giggled in turn. "Glad to hear that. So, I presume you just want me to be on the lookout for anything slipping through from those guardsmen?" You told her that was the case and that you would appreciate her help. "Of course, Mik. I'd love to." She added, before you asked if she could do you another favour. "Sure! So long as it isn't anything... too intensive! I do still have a radio-show to host, after all!" Annie cheerfully responded.

Thus, you'd ask her if she could maybe give you a safe route through the leisure centre. You wanted to avoid ANY and all death squads and take the safest route possible. "Oof, that's... I mean, I can try? But, I also have other tasks I need to do, aside from just hosting the radio. I am currently looking into government files about subjects in the green sector, searches in the cold sector and ongoing fights in the combat sector. Not to mention, contacting other survivor groups to let them know of threats!" It did seem like Annie would struggle with this, Oreas soon suggesting: "Maybe you can just suggest a path which is the least likely to intersect with death squads?" Annie went quiet for a moment, before speaking up. "I can forward a path which statistically will be the least likely to make you encounter death squads, yes. Just note that, the risk of encountering death squads or subjects will still be high. Especially considering the route will likely head through parts with surviving subjects."

Your men looked at each other, before Anon said. "It may just be our best option here..." After which Vinisha asked: "H-How long will it take us to get out following this path?" Annie thankfully gave a rather reassuring answer. "Well, so long as you don't run into any enemy forces and don't get too distracted, I think you'll be out there within about an hour and a half from your current position." It didn't seem too long, it being something you could easily do today. Though, it again depended on if you'd encounter anyone down there. "I'll forward the map to the tablet you guys got. I suggest keeping your radio turned on though. Have it on an unused frequency. That way, you don't have to deal with my music revealing your location AND I can connect to that frequency if there is any sort of emergency." It seemed like the best possible plan you had, unfortunately. Still, it did give you some safety nets in case the worst came to be.

>What do you do next?

>Thank Annie for the help and let her go. She clearly was very busy and you didn't want to hold her up any longer.
>Ask her a few more questions. You were still going to remind her to maybe scare the guardsmen who threatened you and your men, but maybe there were some other things you could share with her now that you were chatting? (Write in what you discuss with her.)
>Set up a plan of action for how you'd go through the leisure centre. You had a map you could follow to get out of there as quickly as possible, but there may still be some other precautions you could take before you went through it. (Write in what you plan out.)
>Just head downwards the moment Idalia returned. You could plan things out once you actually got down to the leisure centre and saw what it was all about.
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

>>6366530
The lecture from both of them will be one for the ages
>Ask her a few more questions. You were still going to remind her to maybe scare the guardsmen who threatened you and your men, but maybe there were some other things you could share with her now that you were chatting?
What's going on? State doing scorched earth?
Other group doing okay?
>Set up a plan of action for how you'd go through the leisure centre. You had a map you could follow to get out of there as quickly as possible, but there may still be some other precautions you could take before you went through it.
Have Idalia patrol ahead of us to get better advance warning before running into anything.
Obviously avoid the sex dungeon, as much as you could sell tickets to Reika and Hapi beating the tar out of each other. The food courts may also be a place to avoid since they could attract survivors and in turn attract death squads and hostile subjects.

>>6366528
>delicate methods such as spraying acid, explosives and heavy machinery, they have decided that this food should go to no-one, not even the honourable death squads working for them, who could very much benefit from this extra food!
Dang, food's definitely becoming more and more of a problem. Expect to start finding more Massimos.

>Set up a plan of action for how you'd go through the leisure centre. You had a map you could follow to get out of there as quickly as possible, but there may still be some other precautions you could take before you went through it. (Write in what you plan out.)
Head straight for the sex dungeon, I thirst for Hapi blood.

>>6366581
Support for this one.

>>6366581
support

>Ask her a few more questions. You were still going to remind her to maybe scare the guardsmen who threatened you and your men, but maybe there were some other things you could share with her now that you were chatting?
You thanked Annie for the map, before asking her what the news was about. You hadn't caught all of it, her giving a quick rundown. "The green sector is being burnt down. Some subjects and staff managed to raid it for food, so the government has decided it needs to be destroyed. Instead of, you know, maybe just harvesting the insane amount of food there so it can be given to you guys." This sounded pretty bad, given how it'd kill an important artery to the few survivors who could maybe sneak in. Still, it wasn't too surprising. "Can anything be done to stop that?" Oreas quietly asked, Annie sighing. "Not sure. I've been looking for options to take, but... it's really just going to postpone the inevitable, I'm afraid." It was disappointing to hear, but it seemed like the green sector was going to meet its end rather soon unfortunately.

Regardless, you still had another question on your mind, wanting to know how the other group was doing. "I have been following their location and they have listened to my broadcast a few times. But, I haven't gotten any emergency calls from them, so I assume they're fine. Right now, they are near the anatomy laboratory, heading south." Your men tensed up a little, with Anon asking: "Shit, that is REALLY close to Feng, isn't it?" Annie spoke up in a more reassuring tone. "It is, but I believe they are still okay. Based on reports, the locations they are at right now might be the best option in finding Jabal and Catherine. Not to mention, maybe finding some other subjects? They're getting pretty close to Lucy!" Though, Mike would soon ask: "Wait, doesn't that mean we are really close? I mean, if we go down and then go down another level, we'd basically meet up with each other, right?"

Annie let out a bit of a sheepish chuckle. "In essence... yeah! Though, going down further from the Leisure Centre is a bit tough. From what I gathered, the stairwell you're about to take could theoretically go straight towards them. Issue is, it has apparently been blocked off if my data sources are correct." Regardless, it was nice to know that you were not TOO far away from your other group. Hell, you could maybe even reunite with them if they managed to find Jabal and Catherine early. Though, that was a pretty optimistic way of looking at the mission. "Just make sure that you monitor Feng thoroughly and ensure they don't end up in a firefight with those bastards. Or worse, getting chased by Feng's forces." Artyom commented, after which Annie responded: "Of course. Anyhow, I need to get back to making announcements. I've sent you guys a map with directions. Good luck!" You thanked Annie, after which her voice faded and you again heard music coming from the radio.

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>Set up a plan of action for how you'd go through the leisure centre. You had a map you could follow to get out of there as quickly as possible, but there may still be some other precautions you could take before you went through it.
Anon would showcase the map, giving you a moment to see the path. It seemed Annie had suggested a path around the contested, open areas, and a hopefully safe distance away from the adult section. If all went well, you'd be in and out within the hour and without any troublesome interactions. Honestly, the directions Annie gave pretty much perfectly showcased the plan you had in mind, so you simply told your men to follow what was on the tablet. And as your men checked out the tablet, Mike would ask: "Was there really a casino down here?!" In an incredulous tone. "It was mostly just a bar area for staff... but yes, it did also have gambling as a predominant part of it, sadly." Sibilia would respond, seemingly having the most knowledge about this place.

After a bit more time of your men checking out the map, Idalia would suddenly drop from the ceiling. "Ah, Idalia, you're back!" Vinisha said in a relieved tone, after which Morgan asked: "Anything of interest that happened with those fools?" Idalia shook her head. "I sadly did not see too much. Just that they had a very well defended base and that they were arguing rather aggressively about the threat which had been made. Honestly, there was a LOT of infighting." Idalia seemed to smirk a bit when the latter was mentioned, your men also finding it amusing. Still, it seemed you were fine, as you mentioned how you had talked with Annie and had gotten a map to follow through the leisure centre. "Great! So, what's the plan?" You showed the tablet, before asking if she could fill a special role for you and your men. You wanted her to patrol ahead using her stealth to warn you of any threats which you may run into. Just as a precaution. "Certainly." Idalia said, giving a quick salute.

It seemed everyone was ready now, as you told your men to stick close to each other and to be careful. You'd open the door to the stairwell and started making your way downwards. It was a pretty messy and dark stairwell, it having taken plenty of damage during the disaster. Still, it was at least easy to traverse for most of your men. The only exception was Reika, who seemed to find the tightness of the stairwell pretty irritating. "Who designed this stupid hallway!? I keep bumping my head!" Reika grumbled, after which Kaenum remarked: "I presume these stairwells are not designed for larger subjects. Perhaps the elevator was used for such tasks." Reika kept on grumbling, her continuing to hit her head on occasion as she walked down the stairs in a hunged over position. Until finally, you saw a set of emergency doors. Carefully opening them, you peeked outside and found yourself in a dark, humid and rather creepy place.

Looking to the left, you saw the large elevator shaft, the walls and glass around it having been shot plenty of times based on all the bullet markings. Looking ahead of you, you saw a large hallway heading straight ahead. It was littered with junk, rubble and all sorts of sport equipment and tools. To your right was a slightly smaller hallway which seemed to go on for quite some distance. Above you were plenty of maintenance walkways, but also some rooms and spaces which allowed for observation. Anon soon also peeked past the door, softly adding: "We have to head straight for a short bit, then take a right into a sport area of some kind. We have to be especially careful for this part, since the food court is only a ten minute walk from here..." You looked to Idalia, telling her to start heading forward already, her squinting her eyes as she also looked out of the door. After looking for a short moment, she'd rush forward and crawled up a nearby wall, before getting on top one of the walkways.

You saw Idalia heading a bit forward, before using night-vision to get a good look at her from a distance. Fortunately, she was nearby enough that you could see her signal that the coast was clear and that you could come along. "Alright, here goes nothing..." Anon commented, as you quietly stepped outside and headed for the nearest gym area. The quicker you went in there, the quicker you got the chance to hopefully get out of sight of any potential threat.

>What do you do next?

>Tell everyone to be quiet as you made your way forward. The less noise you made, the less likely the chance that you'd get spotted by god knows who was down here. Besides, you could chat once you were somewhere slightly safer. (Write in how long or until what point you'll keep quiet.)
>Ask the girls about this place. Maybe they could inform you of the various locations, their purposes, where some of the known threats might be hiding or just their own experiences here. (Write in what you ask them.)
>Head forward in a specific formation. You already had Idalia wandering ahead of you, which meant you had a good chance of being warned of potential threats. But, maybe setting up your forces in a certain way could protect you from any ambushes or major threats? (Write in how you set up your men.)
>Discuss with your men...
>Something else...

(Hope the map Annie provided will help you guys figure out the path to take and what decisions to make. It ain't perfect, but it might still be beneficial.)

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Picrel provided if, like me, you feel a little bit colourblind right about now.....
>>6367193
>Tell everyone to be quiet as you made your way forward. The less noise you made, the less likely the chance that you'd get spotted by god knows who was down here. Besides, you could chat once you were somewhere slightly safer.
Just until we're out of the halls and into the side sectors, away from the squad patrols. Lights off as well for now and physically lead any subjects without night vision.
>Ask the girls about this place. Maybe they could inform you of the various locations, their purposes, where some of the known threats might be hiding or just their own experiences here.
What was the sexual area even for? Was it just Elbrus' personal hangout spot?
Alcohol was banned in here, right? What went on at the bar?
What access did subjects have to this place? Did they ever get to relax here?

Our route still takes us very close to the Bone Zone and through the patrol routes later on. Perhaps we'd be better off cutting through the library and across to the tracks and Poolrooms (shown)? I also want to give the girls the opportunity for a wash, they're all crusty with >2 weeks of accumulated dirt, blood and grime on them by now

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>>6367191
Wait seriously? They're destroying the sector they already control? When they could just send reinforcements to guard it better or even use it as bait? WTF.

>>6367192
Nice map! Unfortunately looks like we'll need to cut through Death Squad territory to get where we want. Not sure why she recommends that turn in the play area - wouldn't it be safer to cross the hallway to the running track and pool and then go down to the exit? Much less time spent in the red patrolled area.

>It was mostly just a bar area for staff... but yes, it did also have gambling as a predominant part of it, sadly.
The "ADULT space" is right next to it and the gambling is what you have a problem with?

>>Tell everyone to be quiet as you made your way forward. The less noise you made, the less likely the chance that you'd get spotted by god knows who was down here. Besides, you could chat once you were somewhere slightly safer. (Write in how long or until what point you'll keep quiet.)
Wanna be at least an hour from the food court before we let up, though with our proximity to the red zone it's tough to relax at all.

>>6367229
This route also makes sense, I guess I should draw mine out. Should be the shortest that also minimizes time spent in the red.