(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]

She shudders in shared pain with the sleeping drone as she lowers the survivor to Jay with Gav's help. "Need that tape back." Jay calls, not looking up from the task ahead of him. "How many more to go?"

~Four~ Stock calls, pushing herself up into the gloom of the dome again.

She lets out a high note of alarm and draws away from a comb in shock. ~need help! There are young~

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche tosses the tape back in Jay's direction and immediately starts climbing the dome, making solid air to help him.

"How many young?"

[runningred]

~two hives. Six~ She approaches then backs off again. ~They are wild. Take care~

As Gav gets near the little niche, he will here a high, angry buzzing like wasps. Black and red forms no bigger than a golf ball dart out at Stock, flashing violently.

Jay stands up, watching through his goggles.

[street_sparrow]

He makes soothing noises, dropping back into the Speech as they won't understand him the way Stock does.

"~It's all right, little cousins. We're going to take you somewhere safe."

[runningred]

They buzz angrily and make darting little charges at both Gav and Stock. Stock puts herself between Gav and the feral young, shooting fast bursts of information to them but it does nothing to calm them.

Jay whistles again and with deadly accuracy, throws the can of expanding foam to Gav.

[street_sparrow]

Again, Gavroche's head snaps round at the whistle and he catches the can out of its trajectory and sprays it at the young without missing a beat.

At the same time, he coaxes their bodies to shut down into the equivalent of sleep.

[runningred]

Stock moves to support the other side of the lump of foam now encasing the sleeping young. ~They must be caged. They are wild and will do harm until they can be taught not to~ She sounds very, very upset. ~The last two are to your left~ She points with a light to the niches. ~Can you bring them down? I will take these to Jay~

[street_sparrow]

"Are they orphans?" he asks Stock gently, moving to the left as he puts the last two into the same sleep as the rest.

[runningred]

~we are not born as you are. Our young are built in the right season and given time to come to life with the support of the hive. These had no support, no protection, no guidance. They know only death and pain~ Her speech is becoming more natural now that she's getting the hang of thinking the way humans talk.

Jay straps the bundle of young in place and stands to help Gav with the last ones. "Is that it? If so, we need to get moving. I don't trust that roof."

[street_sparrow]

In essence, then, they are orphans and he nods sadly.

"Are these the last, Stock?"

[runningred]

Stock gives an affirmative sound in answer and helps Gav and Jay stow the last of the survivors.

She hovers for a moment. ~There is something I must find. I will meet you outside~

Jay watches her start to hover away, looking alarmed. "Where is she going?"

[street_sparrow]

"She wanted to go and find something", Gavroche says, watching her go. "She said she'll meet us outside."

[runningred]

Jay shakes his head and shoulders the bag. "We can't let her go alone." He follows the direction Stock went.

It isn't easy to climb through the ruined building but Jay's surprisingly flexible for a broad shouldered guy.

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche certainly isn't letting Jay go alone, when there could be anything out there.

He follows, quick and agile.

[runningred]

Stock makes her way into a smaller chamber, too small for the humans to follow. She buzzes around a pillar of coloured crystalline structure. She uses her force field to push on the shapes, light pulsing inside them weakly.

After a moment of pushing, one of the structures opens and a small blue crystal is released. She takes it with care and retracts part of her casing to slide it inside.

~We go now~

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche looks at the crystal with respect.

"I'm glad we could save that too."

[runningred]

~Recordings. It will tell us what was done here~

Jay reaches out to cup Stock as she comes back to them. tucking her gently into his jacket. "Alright. Time to get out of here."

[street_sparrow]

"Back to the bar", Gavroche agrees, reaching out in a silent offer to carry something.

[runningred]

Jay gladly hands over one of the sacks. The collective weight of the survivors isn't exactly light. He's quiet as they walk back towards the door, clearly planning the next step.

[street_sparrow]

"What are you thinking?" Gavroche asks quietly. "Whatever did this, seems to be gone for now."

[runningred]

"I'm thinking Stock is the best person to answer that. I'm thinking I need to remodel the workshop, get a big generator running and get all of the survivor's juiced up again. But slowly. Some of them aren't going to be able to move without some serious repairs."

[street_sparrow]

He nods.

"At least it's easier to repair their bodies than human ones - in a way - and get them back to full working order."

[runningred]

"True, I guess. But it took me month to get the triplets running again. Longer still with the twins and they weren't half as bad off as these guys. And the babies look like a whole world of messed up."

Stock's voice comes soft from inside Jay's jacket. ~we trust in you~

[street_sparrow]

"The babies are going to be difficult", Gavroche says quietly. "I couldn't feel anything physically wrong with them at all."

[runningred]

"Looked like they'd turn feral, the way they were coming at you and Stock."

Stock makes a small, unhappy sound from within Jay's jacket as they near the door.