(no subject)

[runningred]

[from here}

The view behind the door is one of desolation. Windswept and bleak. If there was ever vegetation here, it is long gone. The air is thin and cold, acrid with smoke. Jay reached into his belt and pulls out a small rebreather and goggles, offering a set to Gav.

Stock shudders on Jay's shoulder, making soft sounds of distress. "It's okay, darling. You're safe with us."

Comments

[runningred]

"You and me both." Jay answers darkly.

The way leads up a dark hallway, half collapsed so they have to clamber and crawl through the gaps.

Stock races ahead, slipping through the gaps. Jay tries to call her back but she darts off into the gloom.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche follows as quickly as he can, for once thankful for his small stature, and not caring what the rubble does to his hands.

[runningred]

Jay takes it a little slower, his broad shoulders a little harder to slide through the gaps.

So Gav will get to the Hive first. The large, open space is honeycomed up the walls and across the roof with little niches, about the right size for a drone.

Some niches seem to contain drones but the floor is littered with broken shells and shattered bodies.

[street_sparrow]

"Stock?" Gavroche calls out. "Where are you?"

[runningred]

There's a soft, keening sound from the centre of the floor and a low blue glow.

Jay makes his way to Gav, taking in the scene. "Oh hell!" He scans the room. "Can you feel any of them? Are their any survivors?" He hopes desperately that some of the survivors made it here and shut down in grief. Maybe some in the niches.

[street_sparrow]

"I think Stock might have found someone." Carefully, picking his way through the sad little robot remains, he makes his way to her.

[runningred]

Jay makes his way over, shuffling his feet with care so he doesn't crash the bodies of any of the fallen drones.

He scoops Stock up and passes her to Gav. "I'll do everything I can, babe. You and Gav search for other survivors."

She shudders in Gav's hands, rippling with distress. ~so many dead. So many broken~

[street_sparrow]

"Don't look at them", Gavroche says, infinitely gentle as he cuddles her close to his chest. "Can you sense survivors?"

[runningred]

~others, in the combs. But the core is dead and they are cold. There is so little power left. They may die if we move them~

Jay focuses on carefully scooping the suvivor into a bag, using expanding foam to keep fragile parts from shifting when moved.

[street_sparrow]

"We won't let that happen. Jay brought things to help, maybe he can even feed them more power. Or I can."

He thinks he can convert his energy into the kind they need.

[runningred]

"What do you need?" Jay calls, stowing the survivor carefully in his pack.

~power. Or they will never warm~

[street_sparrow]

"Take us to them", Gavroche says briskly. "I can lend them some of mine."

[runningred]

Jay looks to Gav as Stock flies up to check the hollows of the combs. "She's found more?" He's only been getting half the conversation.

[street_sparrow]

"Yes, sorry, I forgot - she says there are some in the catacombs. And that they need power, if they're ever going to wake up again, but they're not getting any from resting here."

[runningred]

"How many, Stock? I've got four battery packs but with a bit of rewiring, I should be able to split each one between for or five survivors. It won't be much, just a trickle but it'll keep them warm till we can get them back."

Stock starts to answer but there is a rumble and dust falls from the roof. Jay growls, "We might need to hurry."

~fourteen I think? More maybe but need to scan the combs~ She spins and sends little glowing red dots scattering, marking the places where the survivors are.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche looks up, already murmuring words under his breath and giving all his focus to talking the roof into staying up, supporting it where necessary with hardened air.

[runningred]

"Stock." Jay calls, "This is not a nice thing for me to have to ask but... I need wire, more than I have on me." And the ground around them is littered in the shattered mechanical bodies of the dead. "I need-"

~Do!~ Stock's answer comes strong and fast ~Honour their deaths to save the living~

Jay gets the affirmative but glances to Gav for confirmation.

[street_sparrow]

He finishes his spell to his own satisfaction a moment later and nods.

"She says their deaths should be honoured, and not wasted."

[runningred]

"Good." He's already working, tools slipped into his belt in readiness. "I need you and Stock to get the survivors and get them down here. I'll wire them up as quickly as I can. The sooner we're out of here the better."

[street_sparrow]

"On it." He's already moving to where Stock has indicated survivors with her lights, gathering them up gently and pumping a little energy into each one.

[runningred]

Their fragile shells hold only the faintest flicker of life, steadied a little by Gav's gentle push.

Jay works like a man defusing a bomb on a timer, swift and sure because there's not time for indecision.

Again the roof trembles and dust falls but only as far as Gav's defence. Some of the combs are high up and the only way is to climb, although Stock does her best to hold the damaged forms in her force field to get them to Jay, weak with fear and sorrow.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche sends a little tendril of reinforcement Stock's way as well, supporting the broken shapes she's bringing down from higher up.

[runningred]

Jay works swiftly to stow the survivors, getting them into his pack to carry back. He tosses one of the battery packs to Gav. "Give this to Stock, she needs it."

She wasn't exactly on full charge when they came here.

[street_sparrow]

He catches it almost without looking.

"Stock, c'mere and show me how to plug this into you."

[runningred]

She carries another to Jay before going to Gav. She makes a section of her shell blue, matching the blue of the battery interface. One the areas touch, the battery seems to adhere to her.

Jay whistles and tosses Gav a roll of tape to keep it secured while she's working.

~should not use all. Others will need power too~