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Challenge  Cypher's Invitation    Challenge #01
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Played by    8 Posts Tatiana Beckett
" I suppose it is.", she replied nonchalantly before gulping down what was left of her drink and surrendering the glass to one of the employees tasked with taking them. When it came right down to it Tatiana wasn't interested in any of this, hell life itself hardly held her attention for more than ten minutes, as long as it kept her from doing any real work for the day she would go right along with whatever Cypher had planned.

" Have it your way then~ You are probably missing out on a good time.", she scoffed somewhat sarcastically at the thought of any of this being a good time. TIt wasn't long before she was herded right along with the others, ready to embark on the adventure that awaits as riveting as it was probably going to be (HA).

Tatiana follows the crowd


Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield Jessie Michels
Posted 07-10-2021, 10:10 PM This post was last modified: 07-10-2021, 10:13 PM by Tatiana Beckett
Played by    32 Posts Asena Noir
If nothing else came from this Asena would at least have learned a valuable lesson about not accepting invitations from anyone. This should have been an instant NO but of course, her own curiosity pushed her to accept the invite and now here she was feeling like her heart was going to pound right out of her chest. Why couldn't they just skip all this crap and get right to the point, they were all fixing to be turned into flesh-eating monsters. Ok, that may have been her anxiety talking but it was still a possibility!

Her eyes stayed on Micah for the longest, half tempted to just pick him up and toss him full force at the guards and make her grand escape as if they would really try to stop her. Of course, she wasn't quite strong enough for all of that but it was still, however, a very real option. As soon as the guards began moving in on them, gathering them together, Asena was ready to bolt, she didn't want to go any deeper into this hellish building than she had to...and then he opened his mouth and just like that her protective instincts kicked in full force.

" You're supposed to be the smart one, why would you say something so stupid?!", she said through gritted teeth and a half glare. " You're really going to let curiosity drag you into something like this? What if it's a trap? What if they just use you for bait? You don't know what's waiting for you past this room.", that was it, she couldn't leave him to fend for himself, he would absolutely one hundred percent die without her. " I guess I'm going with you then.", It was a reluctant sentence but she truly felt like he needed her, besides if anyone was going to take Micah out it was going to be her at a routine physical.

Asena very dramatically follows the damn crowd


Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield Jessie Michels
Posted 07-10-2021, 10:34 PM
25 Posts Plot/NPC
FOR THOSE THAT FOLLOWED THE CROWD

There's a buzz of excitement in the air as the people invited to the event begin to condense together at the end of the main hall, the guards from before loosely surrounding them. Dr. Nadir stands at the head of the crowd, her calculating eyes making a sweep of the faces in front of her — looking for something or... Someone. The expression on her face doesn't change, but she leans in close to a guard to whisper something in his ear before she turns her attention back to the crowd of guests.

"Thank you everyone for your cooperation. For the main event, we will be taking you to another level of Cypher's headquarters. This floor is not usually open for the public to visit, restricted even to many of Cypher's own personnel. It is my privilege today to accompany you to our restricted section to unveil our latest project." Once Dr. Nadir finishes speaking, she heads off down one of the many halls that split from the main entrance.

The group of attendees gather near a set of elevators, and slowly people are loaded onto the elevators and taken down into the restricted area of Cypher. As people are being loaded, guards keep to the outskirts of the group — loose in formation, although a few more than necessary pack in the hallway leading back to the main entrance hall.

As if to prevent anyone else from leaving.


FOR THOSE THAT TRIED TO LEAVE

At first it appears as though no one is going to be stopped from leaving the event. All attention is focused on the people that have gathered where they were supposed to, led away by Dr. Nadir and Cypher guards. No one pays attention to those sneaking away.

Not until a comm is received.

Although no one is directly confronted yet, the guard that Dr. Nadir had been whispering to just moments ago now lingers in the main hall, watching the exit with sharp eyes.


CHALLENGE ROUND


  The next staff post will be on July 18th.

Posted 07-11-2021, 10:10 PM
Played by    59 Posts Ananke Drakos
Lingering in the back, Ananke waits until the attention of the crowd turns to the front and tries to slip away. Stealth isn't her forte, at least when it comes to humans, but it looks like it'll be easy enough to leave without anyone noticing- at least until she gets a text.

A series of texts.

A series of increasingly cryptic and infuriating texts.

The specialist shoots off a quick 'No' to the stranger who has taken it upon themselves to try and control her. She spends her whole day doing what she's told to do by the Military, but a complete stranger? Ananke is less inclined to listen to someone who hasn't earned the authority. She could give less of a shit about this Project X they're so desperate to shove down her throat.

Yet despite the urge to block the number and run off and never look back, Ananke can see that a guard has been posted by the exit... and not to definitively predict the outcome, his gun is much bigger than hers.

It's either a confrontation now or a possible confrontation later. So fine. She'll play along. I see you're not giving me a choice either way. The specialist texts back bitterly, as much as one can do over the phone anyways. She slinks back to the crowd, but not without trailing significantly behind.

Posted 07-13-2021, 07:36 AM This post was last modified: 07-14-2021, 01:03 PM by Silhouette
Played by Andromeda    32 Posts Micah Scofield

The crowd was shepherded to a narrower space, a hall, that opened up into the chamber where glass elevators wide and tall awaited to deliver them to this "restricted level" that Dr. Nadir hinted at.

Again, Micah felt eyes examine him, his clean white coat, "Cypher" employee tag clipped to the pocket of it. Yet he knew nothing of what was occurring, despite his status as a mid level scientist in the organization. This "Project X" must have been kept clandestine for a lengthy amount of time, as Micah could not recall seeing any top secret, restricted files on the Cypher database. And if anyone could remember a file that blared in red letters "TOP SECRET" on the coding system he helped develop, it was Dr. Scofield.

Someone slunk up beside him and the doctor canted his head slightly to see a full head of rich, dark waves. He would have smiled but simply nodded his head down a smidge, if only to acknowledge the change in her decision.

"If so, I've been bait for a long, long time, Ms. Noir," Micah stated, glasses lens reflecting the towering, sterile white walls that encased them not unlike a prison. A hint of a grin flashed in his eyes, like he were enjoying this mystifying, drawn out game. "Of course it's a trap. Cypher is nothing, if not discrete in their intentions."

He stated this matter-of-factly, as they stepped into the elevators. Before them, the Cypher facilities stretched out, a sprawl of neat, white lines, everything so spotless and uniform one would not think the world was falling apart around them. What secrets lied behind blank faces, Micah only wondered for a split second, before his work drew him back into his own mind.

"You exhibit more symptoms of anxiety than the average person,", Micah glanced at Asena with an examining eye, like they were already in the doctor's office, Asena the patient, Micah the doctor. His face was devoid of any emotion but open calculation. "A psychotherapist might be able to help. Cypher offers therapy sessions free of charge to any soldier of the Military."
Tag : Asena Noir Tatiana Beckett Ananke Drakos
Posted 07-15-2021, 04:10 PM This post was last modified: 07-15-2021, 04:10 PM by Micah Scofield
Played by    8 Posts Tatiana Beckett
Could things possibly get any crazier in this world than they already were? Tati doubted it. How could it? Were they going to add some of those classical horror movie zombies into the mix? That would really shake things up! Maybe a werewolf or two? GREAT! She adored dogs. Project X couldn't have been any crazier than what she was so as enthusiastic as she seemed her bar was fairly low on the 'wow me' scale.

She moved right along with the crowd, taking note of the guards while she listened to Dr. Nadir blah blah blah right on. It wasn't long before she found herself in the elevator along with the rest of the sheep, spotting Ananke at the back of the crowd, looked like leaving really worked out well for her.

Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield
Posted 07-17-2021, 03:32 PM This post was last modified: 07-17-2021, 04:43 PM by Tatiana Beckett
Played by    32 Posts Asena Noir
As soon as Dr. Nadir began speaking Asena zoned out, her brain working hard to try and decipher the ulterior motive behind all of this if there was any at all. Why couldn't she have just told everyone what the hell was going on first? Why drag it out like this? Maybe everyone didn't want to see what project X was. What if it turned out to be something totally disgusting instead? She was half tempted to turn and leave as they approached the elevators that were supposed to take them to the restricted level, the point of no return. She could find her way out of the building from here...but once she got to where they were going she doubted there would be any way out.

She stuck close to Micah, much closer than she normally would have until he stated that all of this was of course a trap. She could have ripped his entire head off right then her mind instantly going from protecting him to use him as a human shield if she had to. " Are you fucking serious right now? Why are you just going along with it if it's a trap?!", she snapped her voice hardly over a whisper. Why the hell was she going along with him going along with the trap was the real question. She was easily the biggest idiot in the room, she should have listened to her gut and left him to whatever trap his stupid company had set up.

The best part of all of this was going right along with it, stepping into the elevator listening to Micah say something about her anxiety. How could she not be anxious in a place like this? He was too calm but it was expected from someone like him. The moment he suggested psychotherapy she gritted her teeth and smiled right over at him the most forced smile she had ever managed in her life. " Listen here, once all of this is done I am going to come to your office and we can certainly talk treatment there.", her voice was low once again ready to snap at any moment and of course held a bit of a threat. She was going to come and visit him alright, and make his life absolute hell until she gets booted out.


Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield
Posted 07-17-2021, 04:42 PM This post was last modified: 07-17-2021, 04:42 PM by Asena Noir
25 Posts Plot/NPC
Everyone's shepherded into the elevators like cattle.

Dr. Nadir doesn't join the crowd at first, staying off to the side with her bodyguards, clinically watching as groups enter the elevators one at a time. Slowly the elevators descend into the earth, going through basement one, basement two — all the the way to basement 10. An armed guard accompanies every group for the duration of the elevator ride, and once the destination is reached, the guard leads the group out of the elevator and into a small hallway.

The ceiling, walls, and floors are white as before — still the same, sterile environment as the lobby. It's crowded now, the air buzzing with excitement from sporadic chatter from the guests. The last to arrive is Dr. Nadir and she immediately takes to the head of the group, leading everyone down the hall. The trip appears to take everyone down a long winding hallway, the clicking of footsteps echoing off the harsh architecture. Arriving at a set of locked doors, Dr. Nadir snatches her Cypher pass out of a pocket to scan and unlock the doors.

In the brief silence — a sound is heard.

Was that a scream?

It's too quick to tell, and before there's any chance to question it, Dr. Nadir is on the move again, guards at the rear hurrying everyone along to keep pace. The head scientist doesn't slow her walk until everyone finally pours out from the cramped hallway into a massive room — from the doctors rushing around, pushing buttons on various different medical machines, it appears to be some type of control room. Dr. Nadir turns on her heel to face the crowd, an unusual and rehearsed smile on her face now. It looks out of place, even if it does appear as though she's truly excited.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, what you've all been waiting for! Meet Project X!"

A dramatic flourish of her arms draws everyone's attention to the left, where a massive set of windows look down into a large, circular room. While everything is the same monotone white, the walls, ceilings, and even floors appear to be padded. And in the middle...

In the middle sits a lone chair, with a man strapped to it. Or at least, what appeared to be a man. Shackled practically from head to toe, it was difficult to see any part of his body except for his head. Massive, fleshy growths covered what used to be his eyes, the entire rest of his face scarred and torn, and covered with patchy grows that made him appear much more monster than human. He appears to struggle before he suddenly gapes open his jaw and releases a feral scream — his jaw opens an entire ninety degrees, all of his teeth long and pointed. Like fangs.

"Isn't he magnificent?" Breathless.



CHALLENGE ROUND


  The next staff post will be on August 1st.

Posted 07-27-2021, 09:25 PM
Played by Andromeda    32 Posts Micah Scofield

With a simple shrug and voice bland matter-of-factly, he responded in a level volume, "I'm bored" to Asena's low whisper imploring just why he would wander into a trap. It's because everything Cypher did as an organization, he expected. If he could not predict it, he could read it in Cypher's files- every planned experiment or breakthrough or inquiry. In his mind, it was only natural to be so curious about what was denied to him, that knowledge just out his reach whereas everything else intellectual came easy to him. It left a haunting ghost of a smile on his face, as the sleek elevator doors parted to winding halls and a locked door.

"That's good. I'm glad you've listened to reason," Micah said with a nod that could only be pleased, clearly having missed the threat in Asena's voice. "I can book you down for one after this."

All other discussion about Asena's mental state, and the nervous conversation rolling around them, halted when a noise split the air. It sounded like a scream, like it were produced by something organic but inhuman, a tonal range incapable of a person's fragile chords. The white flash of his lens hid his eyes, momentarily blinding others to the emotion that flared in them, as the rest of his face was set stony. The metal door groaned open and the crowd funneled into the room, blindingly white like much of the rest of the facility.

The first thing that hit Micah's orifices was the smell. Rotted, tinged with copper blood and something pungent, decaying, horrible, ten times how the tent of his clinic would smell after months of seeing injury and detritus. Around him, emotion rolled through the crowd, and it was far less varied than when Dr. Nadir teased the reveal of "Project X" and Cypher guards coaxed event guests into the elevators.

Micah, too, was moved. In the way his mouth hung open, his eyes fixated, as his tall frame permitted him to see past the crowd of heads at the man in the center. No, the thing. Questions sprouted in Micah's head, and whatever natural revulsion and horror existed in the scientist fell to curiosity, discovery.

"Fascinating," he breathed, mirroring Dr. Nadir's wonder and excitement.

His candid, unmasked and unbothered voice, otherwise commonplace, seemed strange amongst the gasps, the blatant screams, the trepidation. "Is it Infected?", as casually as if Micah were addressing Dr. Nadir, one on one, at work.

Tag : Asena Noir Tatiana Beckett Ananke Drakos
Posted 07-29-2021, 08:39 PM This post was last modified: 07-29-2021, 08:44 PM by Micah Scofield
Played by    59 Posts Ananke Drakos
Ananke has had a bad gut feeling, a ravenous pit in the bottom of her stomach, since the moment she stepped on the premises. She'd been expecting a farce. She'd been expecting the worst. But this? This was blasphemous.

The man in front of them is practically dead. If he's not, he must wish that he is. Rotten, blistering flesh wraps around pointed teeth. Inhuman teeth. He looks ravaged. He looks diseased. He looks-

"Infected," she hisses. The man next to her voices a similar concern, but the specialist is more occupied with the fact that Cypher's so called secret project is just a mutated man. No, a monster. Her arms curl inwards in revulsion, but also to keep her hands closer to the concealed fire arm just inside her jacket. She doubts it'd be a good idea to unveil it now and shoot indiscriminately- the horde of heavily armored soldiers still surrounding them means that wouldn't bode well- but it's better than nothing when faced with an Infected in the middle of the city. She's fought them outside Stronghold's walls, and even in the underground of the city's streets, but seeing one in the heart of the Citadel...

"What have you done?" It's nothing short of horrific.

Posted 07-30-2021, 08:26 PM
Played by    32 Posts Asena Noir
She wanted to shake the life out of him the moment she heard 'i'm bored', her eyes narrowed, hands clenching and releasing at her sides. She should have just left him to die, now she was going to have to kill him to make up for it. She stepped out of the elevator a total jumpy mess, eyes darting trying to process their painfully plain surroundings. " There isn't going to be anything after this, we're all going to be dead.", her words came through gritted teeth her tone harsh.

The normally harsh soldier was sent into a panic attack the second a scream entered her ears, unable to decipher if it was human or not, did it matter? Her hand clenched her stomach, her breathing growing faster, this was the end. Dr. Nadir looked excited, excited to show off her hard work, excited and creepy, none of this was right. Asena moved forward with the crowd to take a look at this project X and just like that she was out. She didn't want to see anymore, the second its jaw went back as far as it did, she moved to the back of the crowd her stomach in total knots but pure anger was rising up inside of her.

" Why would you even make something like that?! ", she snapped, her eyes moving to Ananke briefly before glaring back at Dr. Nadir. " You need to kill it now. If that thing gets out into the city then what? Who is going to be stuck doing the damage control on that?!", she was not pleased in the least and she wasn't afraid to make it known fuck repercussions, fuck cypher, and fuck all the damn scientists who had a part in this.

Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield
Posted 07-31-2021, 11:51 AM
Played by    8 Posts Tatiana Beckett
Tatiana shuffled down the hallway with everyone else, glancing back at the guards every now and then to make sure they were still where she expected. As they walked she couldn't help but think about how this would be the perfect place to have a nice meal, all these people all huddled together, it would have been a nice little blood bath. She shook the thoughts from her innocent little head, a smile stretching across her lips knowing she wasn't like that, not anymore besides it probably would have been her end if she had.

She snapped from her daydream as soon as she heard a scream, that was never a good sign. As Dr. Nadir was introducing her wicked little project Tati pushed her way to the front of the crowd and practically pushed her face on the glass trying to get a good look at the monster. It was pitiful, was it just another mutation like her or was it something totally man-made? She didn't want to end up like that, not at all. " How long did this take? Years? Months? What's the process?", she had plenty of questions but the biggest was is this how she was going to end up eventually? She put her hand upon the glass looking down almost longingly, it wasn't fair to keep it locked up like this, they should let it out. No, they shouldn't, but they should.

Tag : Ananke Drakos Micah Scofield
Posted 07-31-2021, 12:03 PM
25 Posts Plot/NPC
Gasps. Quiet murmurs. One or two claps from those still enraptured by the entire event. It's clear there's a disconnect in the crowd as some look on with horrible fascination — others, in fear. The expression doesn't change on Dr. Nadir's face, who instead remains looking pleased with her unveiling.

"Indeed it is, Dr. Scofield. A genetically modified Infected." There's pride in her voice.

But not all who attend are so taken by the creature. Dr. Nadir's piercing gaze turns on the two soldiers that become vocal about their disgust in the creature. While her expression does not change, it is clear she's not impressed by them speaking out against her. It's a cool rage, a quiet rage. The guards shift slightly as they stand beside her, but they do not draw their weapons.

"You act so enraged for something that your very Military pays for. While kept under a blanket of secrecy, Project X is a joint venture between the Military and Cypher." She sweeps a hand in the direction of the creature behind the glass. "Meet your modern day super soldier."

Dr. Nadir snaps her fingers and one of the guards beside her disappears through a door at the back of the large room. "Thank you for your interest, Ms. Beckett. This has been decades worth of research in the making, and our first successful test subject to undergo the process—" a hint that there had been many more that had come before, "which is a secret that only our top scientists to have access to."

"Now watch our super soldier put to the test." A dramatic hand wave towards the room.

A previously hidden door opens up, and the guard that had previously left the crowd now enters the room. The creature seems to sense his presence, as it begins to scream once more and struggle against the binds that keep it pinned to the chair. As if rehearsed, the guard takes a couple steps into the room, lines up his shot — then fires without hesitation. The previously white room gets painted in red as blood and body matter explodes from the creature's skull, a perfect headshot.

It falls silent, and the guard lowers his gun.

A second—

Five seconds.

Flesh stitches itself back together, repairing what normally would have been a killing blow to any other level of Infected. The creature stirs back to life and screams once more.



CHALLENGE ROUND


  The next staff post will be on August 8th.

Posted 08-03-2021, 03:21 PM
Played by Andromeda    32 Posts Micah Scofield

The doctor gave one nod of his head in Dr. Nadir's direction, acknowledging that his question was received and answer. The others around him may have used the word "horror" to describe the scene planted in front of them, but to Micah, it was a marvel, perhaps even a scientific breakthrough.

He stepped closer to the glass and planted a curious hand on it. For once, he allowed himself to imagine, to dream of the possibilities that could arise from Project X, especially if he convinced the overseers of the project to allow him on the team. All of those years of research, of stowing away those patients newly infected and running clandestine experiments on them, all of it could come to fruition, and he could no longer have to hide in the shadows for fear of toying with legality.

The attack came unexpected, as the sound heralding it were gasps of shock from the invitees as the actual shot was muffled by the thick glass before them. It came in a wave of blood, that coated the glass in front of Micah red. He remained still, eyes anchored on the Infected form before him, not flinching or moving even as the glass before him was splattered scarlet.

Thanking his stifled reflexes as he watched the marvelous process of the Infected's head reforming, organ and skull and flesh twinning within each other to replicate that head. Micah's heart leapt with thrill as in cautious then panicked movements the creature stirred to life again.

"Absolutely breathtaking," Micah breath fogged the glass as he exhaled his amazement, wonder that seemed misplaced in the face of that screaming, jerking monster.

Tag : Asena Noir Tatiana Beckett Ananke Drakos
Posted 08-07-2021, 07:06 PM This post was last modified: 08-07-2021, 07:06 PM by Micah Scofield
Played by    59 Posts Ananke Drakos
It doesn't take the experience of a nest elimination soldier to know that the thing they're looking at is an abomination- in fact, Ananke isn't even the most furious one here, considering Asena's reaction. The specialist is briefly offended that somehow the doctor thinks they're the ones acting abnormally, when they have quite literally made their worst nightmares come true.

The nightmare is made even worse than the demonstration- whatever Ananke had expected next, she didn't think they would shoot at the thing, and then make the crowd watch in horror as it healed itself.

So. Apparently gunfire would not have been a productive course of action.

"The only thing worse than an Infected is an Infected that survives a gunshot to the head," Ananke says, mirroring Dr. Nadia's silent rage. "All I see is that you and the military have spent your 'decades of research' making my job harder." What are they expecting to get out of this? To be able to pit their unkillable Infected against the killable? To somehow control this beast and prevent it from turning against its creators?

Posted 08-07-2021, 08:52 PM
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