deernet | [Transmission 06][Omni Malfunction]

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[Transmission 06][Omni Malfunction]

[CW: Resident Evil-typical violence and mild gore, canonic character death, pain referenced.]

[Red and white static fills the screen, then clears on a view of a basement laboratory space, a life support tank containing a monstrous humanoid figure, which some of the Sleepers may recognize as the creature that broke through in April. The view shifts back to a lab work top terminal, someone wearing tactical-looking black leather half gloves typing what seem like access codes.]

[A dark-haired, fresh-faced young man in drab green tactical gear, pistol in hand, hurries into view, ready for anything, but from the look of shock and dismay in his pale grey-blue eyes, he hadn't braced for what he sees.]

[A confrontation, a first-person view of a scuffle, ending in the viewer holding the young man on his back at gun point, looking down into his eyes and noting the fear and dismay in the other's eyes.]

[The fluid drains from the tank. The beast comes to life, striking the glass with the heel of its hand, cracking it in one blow, then shattering it in the next. Its other hand, larger and thicker with long, bony-looking claws whips out. The view swings up, looking down at the beast as if the beast has lifted the viewer clear of their own feet. The edges of the view turn slightly grey and blurry. Blood spatters through the range of sight. Everything tumbles, chaotic, a whirling view of the lab space that stops abruptly, as if the beast has tossed the viewer aside, as an angered child might toss aside a broken toy. The view shows the basement ceiling, ductwork and wiring and metal stringers, all growing more and more blurry, then fading into darkness.

[The view cuts to red and white static, then the image of Wesker's face, almost painfully close, fills the screen.]

Did the device record any of the procedure? [A harassed sigh and he glances slightly to one side as someone off-link complains noisily about lost data.] Cypher, did you have a hand in that?

I didn't do a fing, boss. It just... did that.

Yes. And now the whole town saw it. [He reaches in and taps at the edge of the screen.]

[The view goes to red and white static again. Then the display fills again with a confused view: first person on

[A plastered ceiling fades into view, blurry, clearing, then blurry again before it finally clears. He looks down, along himself as he lays atop the covers of a comfortable bed, then peers about the room: a wicker basket and a metal briefcase on the bureau.]

[He sits up slowly, looking down at himself. Reaching down, he untucks his cashmere jersey-style shirt and lifts it almost to his armpit, uncovering his badly bruised flank, which he stares at for a long moment, as if expecting the bruises to fade.]

[Except they don't. He lowers the shirt, then lifts his forearms, sleeves rolled to the elbows, before his face, revealing a set of antlers freshly tattooed on the skin, the skin red from the recent work.]

Is this someone's idea of a bad joke? What have you done to me? What do you hope to accomplish? [He speaks, his voice slightly deeper than some may recognize.]

What and where is this place? [He asks with an annoyed sigh.]

[Then the door opens and a cheery young-looking man with spiky brown hair and soulful brown eyes far older than the face that holds them enters.]

"Deerington. You're in Deerington."

[The view goes to red and white static again, then an angled view of Wesker looking away from the device almost thoughtfully. Or embarrassed. Or both.]

That was something no one needed to see but persons involved.

((OOC: And another casualty of the memshare player plot. If you want a random memshare to break through, feel free to ask, just specify if you want canon, personal canon, or Deerington CRAU things.))

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I had Hephaistos's automaton from ancient Greek mythology in mind when I suggested the name. Marketing at the company that financed its creation claimed no one would get the reference. [He punctuates that with an annoyed sigh.] But you're not wrong in saying either label applies.

Very likely: and I don't doubt the ones who made me what I am had manipulated my genetics, to make them more receptive to the positive elements and less susceptible to the negative. I kept my looks, intellect and personality, and for that, I'm grateful.

I'm not super into Greek mythos so... [ There's an audible shrug to her tone. She didn't catch the reference but she also doesn't think it should've mattered if people did or not. ]

...what was their goal in doing all of that to you? You remained yourself so they obviously didn't want some mindless weapon. [ More advanced humans? Something to sell to the people who wanted to be 'more' than what they were? She doesn't know enough about Umbrella, or Wesker, to even make a wild guess. But she does know there had to have been a goal there.

Maybe just to see if they could? ]

A little story time in order then [He says that with a paternal note.]

Among the Olympians, the twelve principal gods of the ancient Greek pantheon was Hephaistos, the god of blacksmiths and other craftspeople working in metals of all kinds, a brawny, ugly god, lame in one foot, but with a clever mind and deft hands. Among his many creations and inventions was Talos, a humanoid automaton brought to life with the blood of the gods and given to King Minos and Queen Europa of Crete, to guard the shores of their island kingdom. If a ship flying the colors of an enemy kingdom approached, Talos would toss large rocks at it until either the ship turned around or the rocks struck and damaged it. Any landing parties that managed to reach the shore would find themselves confronted by a metal humanoid twice as tall as a grown man with a dutifully protective streak to match. I had Talos's defensive qualities in mind when we were developing what would come to be the Tyrant.

[A long pause, as if he's weighing how much he can - or should - reveal to her.]

That's something I barely knew about in its entirety until shortly before I fell into the world which gave rise to this one, a revelation that served as the last piece in a puzzle that was hard even for me to take in.

...They'd made this way as an attempt to create a perfect human, the next step in human evolution, the first of their kind: stronger, swifter, more resilient against disease and injuries. Except it didn't work as they'd planned. Only two of us survived out of dozens and the other, my sister by adoption, disappeared without a trace, going her own way. I don't doubt she was putting our keepers as far behind her as she could, and I don't blame her for that.

[ She listens with a rapt expression as he speaks. Her schooling meant that both Greek and Roman myths were only ever touched upon and her teachers had the surprising ability to make even the most interesting subjects dull. Now, she almost wants to look further into the subject. ] You really put some thought into what you wanted to call it, then. Shame how it turned out.

[ As he continues, her expression becomes visibly bothered. A tiny frown tugs at her lips and the muscles in her jaw tighten. ]

I wonder how many stories need to be told before people learn that playing god never turns out the way intended. [ a pause and she adds ] Why didn't you leave like your sister?

That's the downside of working under the auspices of a corporation: They can give you all the funding and resources you need, but at the price of working for people with more interest in cutting a profit and giving the buyer what they think they want. Some of our buyers were more about offense then defense.

[A harassed sigh.]

I apologize for the rant. I suppose it's one of many factors that's lead me to having a cynical view of the world.

That's the problem with people enamored of power. They don't always listen to the right stories, choosing instead to create the same narratives over and over again.

I left in my own time: I might have lingered to pocket some trade secrets, to sell them to a competing corporation. I am not a hero: the mile-wide streak of pragmatism running down the middle of my spirit makes that improbable. But this place and the world that birthed it are built on making the improbable possible.

[ She lets out a quiet chuckle when he apologizes. ] You're fine. I like to listen to people bitch, especially when they have a good reason to. [ And he has plenty of reasons to from what she's heard ]

See, and that just sounds like character growth to me. Or the possibility of character growth. Isn't it natural we change as the world around us does?

You're a good listener. I appreciate that. And I suppose it's hardly dull stuff to hear, given some of the commonplace muck some folk complain about. I suppose even their small grievances have validity.

If one doesn't change with the world, there's a risk the world will consume you. It's a basic principle of evolution. I think it applies to more than just science-based worlds.

Edited 2022-07-18 05:01 (UTC)

It definitely helps that you bitch about more interesting things than Average Problem A or Relationship Drama B. [ Wesker is an interesting man, that's certain. Strange and mildly intimidating but interesting. ]

There are plenty of people that fight that kind of evolution, though. I mean, you can see it in some folks here, from Trenchies to Sleepers. Hell, I probably fight it more than I should but I chalk it up to my rebellious nature.

I can say one thing with assurance: my life, whether in this place, the world that gave rise to it, or the world of origin I'd vacated, has certainly had above average things to mutter about. I think the same can be said for most Sleepers here.

There's something to be said for a rebellious nature: it aids in ones survival, so long as the rebellion is focused against that which would hinder one's development. It helps, though, to discern what the hindrances are. Some, paradoxically, can prove to be aides to ones development.

You’d be surprised at what some Sleepers want to talk about. Some people, no matter how interesting their lives are, are surprisingly normal.

I don’t like anyone or anything that tries to control me. Or underestimates me. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t. Not that I’m like that with everything. I mean, when my dad told me to stop drinking, I did. When he told me to not rescue him from the cult that took him, I said fuck that and immediately went to do it.

[An indulgent, even fatherly chuckle of approval.]

Bit of a contrarian in a protective manner? I respect that. Your family's lucky to have you, though I suppose... we're all making our own circles of people we consider family or something like it here.

[ her voice warms at his words ]

I think I’m the lucky one when it comes to my adoptive parents, and maybe doubly so given that I have Rose here. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to come to this place and have to build a circle myself.

I mean, I kind of grew up on the run. I couldn’t get close to people without risking everything my dad had done for us. Even now, I still have trouble getting close to people.

It's no simple matter, letting people close to you, particularly when you're accustomed to keeping people at arm's length. Or if you were programmed to keep humans at a distance. [He's learning to break through that, but so much has changed in him, it's going to take time to rewrite what he has become.]

Dare I ask what put you on the run? I've known a similar life. [Thus there's an understanding after a fashion.]

[ the similarities between them may be minor but they make her feel far more at ease with him when it comes to more personal discussions. they’re both having to learn to live in a new way and knowing that brings some comfort. ]

There’s this cult back home, the Order of Valtiel, that had been after me. My mom saved me from them when I was nine but it… it had been a choice between my safety and hers. [ and given the kind of driven mother Rose is, there’s no doubt of the choice she’d made. ]

She got me to my dad and then… then I never saw her again. My dad made me cut my hair and bleach it so they wouldn’t recognize me and then we were on the run. For nine years before they managed to really catch us.

I take it they were a religious cult? Devotees of some fallen angel?

... And so she traded her safety for yours? 'Greater love hath no one, but they lay down their life for another', I've heard it said. But it's not so simple for those left behind.

I apologize for the dark talk. I'm nothing if not prone to questioning things.

Mm, kind of. Their god disappeared and is meant to be reborn some day but until then they follow one of her attendants. They’re fucking crazy though so… [ there’s an audible shrug. she does not subscribe to their brand of nuts. ]

Yeah. It’s unique kind of awful and I’ll probably always wished she’d chosen herself.

[ at the apology, she chuckles warmly ] You’re good. I’m the same way honestly.

A semi-apocalyptic group, albeit a non-Christian one. Hm, original, but no less dangerous, no doubt. It's been my observation that many people involved in cults are frighteningly rational, however, they've hitched that rationality to something insane, which is probably the more dangerous way to be crazy.

[A note of fatherly approval.] Maintain that mindset: it will serve you well, particularly in this place.

I don’t know if they were any more rational than your average group of rabid religious fucks but their determination was almost admirable if weren’t so frustrating to deal with. They were driven.

I’d like to think there isn’t a thing in this place that would change that about me. I mean, you’re still kicking with it and you’ve been here longer. [ she’s still young enough that she can’t see or understand how the world can change a person. ]

That's about the only appreciable aspect of people like that: their drive. Besides the scientific cult which shaped me, there was another in my world of origin: Los Illuminados, or 'the illuminated ones', a group centered in a village in the Gallician district of Spain. They'd infected themselves with a mind-altering parasite peculiar to that area: for some, it made them stronger and more resilient, for others, it made them susceptible to manipulation by the more resilient, who would send them to defend the village against any threat. I discovered them when I was studying that parasite: it was a bit outside my usual specialization, but it helps to diversify

[He chuckles, deep in his throat, amused, but with an affably dangerous note as well.] I doubt it would. You seem capable of rising to whatever this town can throw at you. Yet take care not to get over-confident. There's times this world's predecessor brought me to the brink, and while it hasn't happened here, there's always a 'yet'. Make sure you have plenty people covering your back, but also, make sure you can cover yourself in a pinch. Someone's teaching you defense tactics, yes?

A fucking parasite? [ there’s a distinct eugh in her tone. she’s imagining a tape worm or something equally disgusting and horrifying. ] That just sounds like a whole mess. I can see how studying that could be useful but… Yuck.

Mm! I’m learning karate, actually, and working with a man named Maul on… other things. I’ve also got a pistol and I’m not a completely awful shot. [ she’s been trying to cover all her ground. close combat, her powers, and long distance. ]

We were trying to isolate the aspects that raised a person's resilience. Luckily, the cult largely collapsed, thanks to a young man named Leon Kennedy, taking out their illustrious leaders. They may have reorganized, which creates its own problems, though I doubt they've regenerated to their previous strength. Or they may have been contacted, deprogrammed and treated by an organization which works with survivors of bioterrorism acts.

[A pleased, even indulgent chuckle.]

Ahh, you know my adoptive elder brother by adoption? You're in highly capable hands if you're training with him. If you want a spotter or some assistance with your pistol proficiency, I'd be honored to assist you.

It sounds like a lot of possibilities there.

Wait, Maul's your brother? [ there's something bright in her tone. she has a certain amount of adoration for Maul, largely in part due to the similarities in the horrors they've endured, and it pleases her to know he's formed such deep bonds. ]

You know, I'd appreciate any help I can get with the pistol. I'm not bad at it, dad made sure of that, but I could always use the advice of someone more skilled than me.

We've known each other since Sodder's Nightmare, when he rescued me from my own folly and when I stood with him when several Sleepers misjudged him. He was among the first I met on the shore when we were called to this rare new world. I take it you know him well? [A dark brightness of his own: clearly, he's pleased to find she's crossed paths with someone whom he deeply values and trusts in.]

There's a shooting range at the Gate where I practice in the afternoon, every other day. You're welcome to join me there, if you like. I'd better warn you: I'm a meticulous trainer, though I do try to be fair. I was in the Army for five years and in law enforcement after that: that colors a person's technique.

He was kind of the first person I met here that I felt could understand what I've been through and not judge me. I can see how others might not get along well with him, he's a little rough around the edges, but he's important to me.

[ the warning just makes her more certain he'll be a suitable instructor for her ] That sounds damn good to me. I'll be sure to come by then. Thanks, by the way.

He knows what is to be judged and found wanting, and as dark and dangerous as he may be, that is one thing he won't stoop to committing.

[A pleased, if closed-mouthed chuckle.] Sounds we shall be meeting soon. [More serious now.] I'll have something for you that I lent to your mother. It's fitting that you have it.

[Transmission 06][Omni Malfunction]

Absolutely no worries! I totally get it (have had intermittent family stuff myself this year)

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[CW: Human experimentation, social Darwinism referenced]

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[CW: Body horror, cult activity, and deliberate infection via parasite referenced]

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((OOC: I apologize for the delay: Life got interesting >.<))

zero need to apologize! you're fine!

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