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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5027873" data-attributes="member: 3285">No Pain, No Gain: Part 10 – Life With JennyArmbruster greeted the agents the next morning with pop-tarts and frozen waffles.&nbsp;&nbsp; She probed for information; Hammer and Archive were less forthcoming, but after enough prodding provided their names and some basic information. She was unnervingly perceptive and guessed at details they never mentioned.&quot;What are you studying here?&quot; asked Jim-Bean.&quot;Me,&quot; said Armbruster with a smile.&nbsp; &quot;I was a researcher for Dawn Biozyme before the change.&nbsp; I'm pretty lucky, I guess – the first human to enter a wonderful new phase of existence. You say you battled the Tindalosians, hmm?&quot;&quot;Among other entities, yeah,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&quot;All these Elder Races…they are going to let us grow and develop to our full potential.&nbsp; We are going to be…&quot; Armbruster drew a deep breath, &quot;Something Elses!&quot;&quot;And what is that, exactly?&quot; asked Hammer.&quot;I'm not sure.&nbsp; That's what I'm trying to find out.&quot;Other than bland human news in five minute chunks, idiotic talk shows blaring in the background, and unnervingly reactionary soap operas, the march of time became difficult to track.&nbsp; Hours passed.&quot;Did you hear that?&quot; asked Archive.&nbsp; They all craned their necks to listen. There was a scrabbling noise, like brittle silk and powdered glass. &quot;It sounds like…millions of tiny feet,&quot; said Hammer. &quot;Jimmy?&quot;&quot;I'm not sure I want to look,&quot; said Jim-Bean with a frown.&nbsp; He concentrated…Armbruster was sprawled against the far wall of a cave. A horde of crickets scrabbled down from a hole in the ceiling towards her.&nbsp; At first Jim-Bean thought she was about to be consumed by them, but then he realized it was actually the reverse.The bugs swarmed over her, fighting to enter her gaping mouth. Her eyes seemed to acknowledge his presence even though she couldn't possibly see his scrying.&nbsp; Without attempting to speak, her gesture seemed to be an offer to share…Jim-Bean sprang back, once again in the cell, sweating.&quot;Well?&quot; asked Archive.&quot;It's better off if you don't know,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&nbsp; The scrabbling sound lasted for a full half hour.&quot;We have got to get out of here,&quot; whispered Hammer. &quot;Relax,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&nbsp; &quot;You heard her.&nbsp; She's a researcher.&nbsp; She was probably pretty antisocial, left to her own devices, all alone down here.&nbsp; I know how to handle her.&quot;Hammer snorted. &quot;You mean like how you handled Lisa Howell?&quot; &quot;You know how to handle a fourteen-foot high giant with a monster dog for a pet?&quot; asked Archive. &quot;Did you notice the bulges under her armpits?&nbsp; I think she's growing another pair of arms!&quot;Jim-Bean waved him off.&nbsp; &quot;I just need to gain her trust.&nbsp; Give me time and I'll have her eating out of our hands.&quot;He tried not to think about what Armbruster was eating out of her hands.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="talien, post: 5027873, member: 3285"] [b]No Pain, No Gain: Part 10 – Life With Jenny[/b] Armbruster greeted the agents the next morning with pop-tarts and frozen waffles. She probed for information; Hammer and Archive were less forthcoming, but after enough prodding provided their names and some basic information. She was unnervingly perceptive and guessed at details they never mentioned. "What are you studying here?" asked Jim-Bean. "[FONT="Impact"]Me,[/FONT]" said Armbruster with a smile. "[FONT="Impact"]I was a researcher for Dawn Biozyme before the change. I'm pretty lucky, I guess – the first human to enter a wonderful new phase of existence. You say you battled the Tindalosians, hmm?[/FONT]" "Among other entities, yeah," said Jim-Bean. "[FONT="Impact"]All these Elder Races…they are going to let us grow and develop to our full potential. We are going to be…[/FONT]" Armbruster drew a deep breath, "[FONT="Impact"]Something Elses![/FONT]" "And what is that, exactly?" asked Hammer. "[FONT="Impact"]I'm not sure. That's what I'm trying to find out.[/FONT]" Other than bland human news in five minute chunks, idiotic talk shows blaring in the background, and unnervingly reactionary soap operas, the march of time became difficult to track. Hours passed. "Did you hear that?" asked Archive. They all craned their necks to listen. There was a scrabbling noise, like brittle silk and powdered glass. "It sounds like…millions of tiny feet," said Hammer. "Jimmy?" "I'm not sure I want to look," said Jim-Bean with a frown. He concentrated… Armbruster was sprawled against the far wall of a cave. A horde of crickets scrabbled down from a hole in the ceiling towards her. At first Jim-Bean thought she was about to be consumed by them, but then he realized it was actually the reverse. The bugs swarmed over her, fighting to enter her gaping mouth. Her eyes seemed to acknowledge his presence even though she couldn't possibly see his scrying. Without attempting to speak, her gesture seemed to be an offer to share… Jim-Bean sprang back, once again in the cell, sweating. "Well?" asked Archive. "It's better off if you don't know," said Jim-Bean. The scrabbling sound lasted for a full half hour. "We have got to get out of here," whispered Hammer. "Relax," said Jim-Bean. "You heard her. She's a researcher. She was probably pretty antisocial, left to her own devices, all alone down here. I know how to handle her." Hammer snorted. "You mean like how you handled Lisa Howell?" "You know how to handle a fourteen-foot high giant with a monster dog for a pet?" asked Archive. "Did you notice the bulges under her armpits? I think she's growing another pair of arms!" Jim-Bean waved him off. "I just need to gain her trust. Give me time and I'll have her eating out of our hands." He tried not to think about what Armbruster was eating out of her hands. [/QUOTE]

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