GBG Session 23.5: All Hands On Deck

<Darkling> As more small explosions rock the dome you've managed to make your way to the base. No car was waiting for you, so you've ran almost the entire way.
Wilhelm_Faustus pants, drenched in sweat. Ew.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja seems on the medicated side. There's a small, perpetual smile, but an otherwise blank and stupefied look on her face. Doesn't seem like the explosions are fully registering on her.
<Rasia> Rasia's just as sweaty, but scarcely breathing hard. Of course, she's also wired taught.
<Darkling> The whole way here people were in a panic, screaming and running about hysterically. Most were making for the docks around the dome.
<Darkling> Inside the base, there is more of the same, but with guards keeping them in check. Ordered chaos as they try to evacuate everyone.
<Darkling> Lit rushes the pilots to the same elevator they took before. The guard inside doesn't even ask for I.D. He just closes the door and the elevator rushes downwards.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan slicks back his hair, making an effort to calm his breathing as the elevator descends.
<Rasia> Rasia's nostrils flare, hands clenching tight. A fight in the ocean...would it draw Her out?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Mother, I'll shoot a Jotun for you. Father, don't die today. We have to chat first." Lahja mutters quietly to herself several times as the elevator goes down. Doesn't seem like she's coming out of whatever she's in anytime soon.
<Darkling> They rush past a few floors in utter disarray. Then the ocean level... There's something huge out there squirming around and smashing through the base. Then back to the carnage inside the base.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> That manages to get Lahja's attention, at least partially. Squirming. "Hello..."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Well that was interesting."
<Rasia> "Rrrrr."
<Darkling> Then you can see your Units as you move down to the last levels. All the work on them appears to be finished.
<Darkling> In front of Drei you can see the end of the bulk that was in the water above. It's bashed through to the cages and staring right at Drei with it's split mouth open wide.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I wonder what surprises we can look forward to..." Lahja stares rather blankly.
<Rasia> Rasia barks territorially, for all the good it'll do.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Darkling> Then a ruby spear is thrust through it and pulled out, blood flooding into the cages. Ivy's Aesir taunts it to follow away from your Aesir, and it obliges.
<Darkling> An engineer runs up. "This way to your plugsuits pilots. No time to waste!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> An exceptionally sluggish salute from Lahja as she runs along. That's an awful lot of red stuff...
<Darkling> Lit is off in another direction for the control room.
<Rasia> Rasia's already sprinting. As if I can't smell my own plug.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...isn't that the Troll that ate some of our classmates?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Well, whatever. The boy dresses in his test suit, still hating its design.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja is recklessly quick about changing into own and then moving along toward Null Vier, eager for combat.
<Darkling> Another big explosion tilts the entire dome and this time it stays skewed.
Rasia stumbles in her thick suit, bolting for the Cages.
<Darkling> The beast, now a bit more apparent that it could be the Troll from back home, is grappling with Ivy's Aesir. Water is starting to pour into the base, up to your ankles and rushing down the curved floor of the cages.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm pulls himself along into the Cage, fighting his way to Null Drei.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Out of my way!" He shouts up at the Troll
<Darkling> Whether because of its fight with Ivy or your shout, the Troll shifts forward, splashing blood and water about you, but leaving a clear, if not dangerous, path.
<Rasia> She nearly drops to all fours to up her speed, water splattering against her helmet and front, teeth snapping hard. Ein, Ein, Ein.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja is not amused. She lets out a hiss at the sight, finding herself more than a little disturbed and picking up her pace as she makes her way toward Null Vier. "I'll enjoy killing you, worm."
<Darkling> Behind you a ceiling fixture falls, crushing a hapless worker.
<Darkling> An unfamiliar voice comes over a loudspeaker, you can hear Lit shouting in the background. "All unnecessary personnel evacuate."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Hello, Drei. Did you miss me?"
<Darkling> There's a squawking over the loudspeaker as something causes interference, then Lit comes on. "Pilots, double time. Get in gear. This boat is sinking and we need you to stop it."
<Rasia> Ein's muscles ripple under the sleek C-Type. They even gave her a shark's tail? How cute. ...at least, we can hope it was their idea, not Ein's.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja makes her way into Null Vier, trying to calm herself with little success. "Hurry, silly fluid! Hurry up! We've got work to do."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Drei flexes works through a few quick motions as the pilots weights the gear and its limits.
<Darkling> Everything appears to be a go. Plugs close and fill with LCL. Lit appears on the screen, some labcoat in the background nursing a broken nose. "We're firing up the systems as fast as possible. Ivy seems to be able to handle the Jotun no problem, but the base sinking is up to you."
<Darkling> The Jotun/Troll lunges down the cages once more, mouth closing around Ivy's Aesir and pushing it back through the wall of the dome, seawater floods in as both disappear into the murky depths.
<Darkling> Locks release on the Aesir. "Get to it pilots."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja twitches. Sinking base? That almost seems like a waste of time that could be spent shooting things. "Sir." She says flatly with a salute as Null Vier launches.
<Rasia> Ein plunges into the water, a contented gasp slipping out before Rasia seriouses up.
<Darkling> The rest of the worm disappears , blood clouding the water behind it. The base begins to severely tilt now.
<Darkling> You can see Lit almost sideways on your viewscreen. "Make me proud guys." The screen cuts out.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Was this all a part of the plan? He had to wonder, Drei sinking before leveling out in the water.
<Rasia> Rasia's tail jerks, turbines whining to life to carry her towards the lowest part of the base. Sensible move.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja doesn't even wonder. Null Vier looks off toward the blood cloud whilst heading off after Ein, prompting a sigh from the pilot. Utter darkness is fine. Blood is not. What a strange sentiment, actually disliking the sight of blood for a change.
<Darkling> A viewscreen pops up with Ivy in it. "Don't worry about me guys." She looks pale. "This thing is tough for a Troll, but it's tiring out."
<Darkling> "There we go." She exclaims before it looks as if she passes out.
<Rasia> Rasia stares at the viewscreen, tightening her grip on the controls. "Ivy!" She bellows at the other two pilots.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm seems unmoved by Ivy's plight or the sinking dome.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "You should leave that to me, Rasia." Lahja salutes them. "Send me a message if things get bad where you are, alright?"
<Rasia> A nod. Rasia swats the water near Wilhelm's Eva, and looks for a point to grab onto the base's underside.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You're unlikely to save the base, given the structural damage." Wilhelm observes.
<Rasia> That doesn't stop her from throwing her weight into it, shoving impotently.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He sighs inside of his plug, moving to help her.
<Darkling> Metal groans under the effort. It's hard to tell if you are even doing anything.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> And then Null Vier is off toward the sinking Ivy, Lahja's thoughts taking a peculiar direction. Would you prefer being dead, Ivy? That would be interesting to know. Somehow this line of thought calms her.
<Darkling> Outside the dome you can see Ivy's Aesir sinking slowly alongside the severed head of the worm.
<Darkling> Blood and something else is seeping from the wounds on her Aesir.
<Rasia> Ein's turbines whine and scream in the water, her tail thrashing as claws scrape and dig into the metal.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Null Vier proceeds quickly but cautiously toward the sinking Aesir, looking about and seeming rather at home in the darkness. Blood, fine. But what's this other stuff? How interesting.
<Darkling> Ivy groans in her unconscious state. "Hnggh~" Something dark is working its way through her veins across her pale face.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Null Vier moves in to snag the fallen Aesir, Lahja always keeping an eye on the worm. Never trust a worm with severed body parts. "How awful, Captain." Would I prefer you dead now? Not nearly so reassuring.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...I wonder if this is what happened to Grendel..." The Aryan mutters to himself, watching viewscreen.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Lahja, you should let go of her..."
<Darkling> The base still seems to be sinking, however slower. Lit's voice comes through your plugs in ragged huffs. "Pilot's, not much we can do to help you. With the way the base is we're all evacuating. You should be safe in the Aesir."
<Rasia> "Rrrraaaagh!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A period of silence as Lahja's thoughts continue in some unhealthy directions. Killing someone is like taking their virginity. You can only do it once, but it's forever. Isn't that a pretty way to think of it. Null Vier starts pulling along the Aesir regardless.
<Darkling> The transmission cuts out as the base lurches again, a full 90 degrees to what it used to be.
<Darkling> Ivy's face looks pained and she moans a moment more before the video feed closes.
<Rasia> Ein struggles against the water, talons scraping against the base's outer armor as it's forced deeper.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It's lost, Rasia, save your strength."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Null Vier absently strokes the fallen Aesir, somewhere between affectionate and disturbingly twitchy. How to explain blasting a fellow pilot to bits? Or ripping them to bits? Going to be something on the conscience, too. What little is there.
<Rasia> The little beast is too stubborn, even headbutting the base. Looks like she isn't going to give up until the damn thing implodes.
<Darkling> You might notice you're no longer moving Lahja, and Ivy's Aesir is active again. It slams its spear between itself and Vier, pushing them apart.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A sigh from Lahja and then Null Vier lets go. Too late.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I told you to let go!" Drei turns from the sinking dome, water boiling as its three AT layers unfold.
<Darkling> The spear levels out, pointing at Vier.
<Rasia> Ein's neck snaps. For once, Rasia hesitates.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I'm ashamed to say letting go was never on the menu, Wilhelm. I'm not sure I should share what was." She doesn't sound too happy. Maybe even ashamed, but more like a kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Null Vier backs away ever so slightly, Lahja feeling a bit relieved at integrated weaponry. She's already pointing something at the Aesir.
<Darkling> ==============TO BE CONTINUED==============