The Center of Time

[Shayuri]

(OOC - Apologies for messup on geographics...I missed that there were 'two' springs somehow )

Echo looks around at Seregal, keying in on his words. She spies the lever there and blurts, "Don't pull that!"

She quickly realizes he wasn't reaching for it, and calms down.

"According to what I was shown, that lever would free the other two of those...creatures." Echo waves at the Originators. "There's a lot going on right now, but they seem to wake up hostile, so I'd rather not have to deal with all this and two more of them at the same time."

She goes over to Duncan and leans over to get a better look at the creature he'd knocked out.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

(As a quick geographical point, the abhuman "army" is upstairs, next to the rock-rimmed spring outlet up there with Antor and Wisco, and currently Echo, Seregal, Duncan, and Xaion are downstairs in the "Originators Chamber.")

 

[doghead]

Xiaon, a Strong Willed Glaive who Focuses Mind over Matter

Duncan, your first punch glances off the toughened skin, but your second clocks the being in the head enough to make him reel and wince, going limp in Xaion's grasp.

Xiaon lashes the 'Originator's' hands behind his back with whatever he has too hand - rope, a belt, the strap from his crossbow. It is only makeshift, but will impair the creatures ability to act freely, and prevent anymore 'energy sucking' hopefully. Done, he grabs the creature under the arms and drags it away from the fountain, propping it up against a wall or feature somewhere. If necessary, he gets Duncan's help.

"So, are we ready to hear what it has to say?"

 

[Guest 11456]

Ohm Eleven, A Mechanical Nano who Talks to Machines

Another shuddering breath, and it lets go of Ohm to fling its arm into the violent flow of the spring.

Ohm Eleven finally regains his composure and moves back to the spring trying to determine his next combination of stone presses.

 

[doghead]

Wisco, a Tough Nano who lives in the Wilderness

The leading abhuman shifts in place, looking very agitated. "They created the Wellspring," it says, pointing to the stone-lined spring in the floor. "They did not create the Womb." And here it gestures to the rest of the complex.
...

The leader goes very still, and you see motes of blue and purple energy start to dance around the rod sticking out of its head. "It will try to destroy this place. It will prevent the cycle from completion! You must be certain of its destruction before it can waken the others!" The other abhumans crouch and move to a defensive formation facing the mosaicked door.

Wisco remains still, watching events play out, his mind whirring.

"So," he says quietly. "The 'Originators' created the wellspring. You took it from them, imprisoned them, and created the Womb. If you tell me why the Womb was created, I can go down there and explain it to the others."

 

[doghead]

Xiaon, a Strong Willed Glaive who Focuses Mind over Matter

Xiaon gathers up his crossbow and reloads it.

Ohm Eleven finally regains his composure and moves back to the spring trying to determine his next combination of stone presses.

Xiaon shifts into a position where he can keep an eye on both the tall man, and the strange man.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Echo goes over to Duncan and leans over to get a better look at the creature he'd knocked out.

The Originator is quite tall, with dense musculature. It has no real mouth or nose, but there are apertures on its chest that seems to serve as air exchanges. Its skin seems to be very fine scales, and its flesh is very warm. The wounds it had received are no longer bleeding, but the edges still gape. It's cranium is elongated and enlarged compared to most humans. You see no evidence of mechanical enhancement anywhere on its body. It has a few faint older scars, deliberate and symmetrical, on its shoulders, looking like puncture wounds.

Xiaon lashes the 'Originator's' hands behind his back with whatever he has too hand - rope, a belt, the strap from his crossbow. It is only makeshift, but will impair the creatures ability to act freely, and prevent anymore 'energy sucking' hopefully. Done, he grabs the creature under the arms and drags it away from the fountain, propping it up against a wall or feature somewhere. If necessary, he gets Duncan's help.

"So, are we ready to hear what it has to say?"

Xaion, as the Originator sags in your grasp, the odd feeling you'd had before goes away. You still feel a bit strange, but no stranger than when you first walked down here. You are able to tie it up with a rope, and recalling its strength, spare no length or knot to bind it tightly to prevent it from getting leverage.

Ohm Eleven finally regains his composure and moves back to the spring trying to determine his next combination of stone presses.

As you begin to tap the crystals, the unconscious Originator's eyes snap open. It does not struggle, does not move, but its eyes follow you, as if waiting for you to do something... One combination of crystals seems to make the air warmer and more humid. One makes a lovely series of tones ring from the crystals. Another very complicated one makes a haze of gray dust spray from the ceiling and settle over everyone. Your sweat begins to mix with the dust, and you begin to find it hard to move.

-------------

"So," he says quietly. "The 'Originators' created the wellspring. You took it from them, imprisoned them, and created the Womb. If you tell me why the Womb was created, I can go down there and explain it to the others."

"The Originators guarded the Wellspring. They had entombed themselves in it. The Overwatch detected the energy of the Wellspring and sent an Excursion to tap into the unused energy, creating the Womb. The Womb was created to transfer energy to the place where time eats itself," the abhuman says with careful, precise clarity, as if reading from an unseen scroll.

---

OOC: Fireinthedust - Thanks for the compliment! But if you'd never gone back, you'd never know what you'd missed! Watching you guys traipse across the Sheer with an expanding jungle and abhuman army in your wake would have been a different variety of entertaining.

 

[Shayuri]

"Ohm, stop," Echo says. She goes to him and tries to tug him away from the stones and the crystals. "He's awake now, and you don't know what you're doing."

She looks back at the Originator and says, "Can we communicate? Can you understand me, and make me understand you?"

 

[doghead]

Wisco, a Tough Nano who lives in the Wilderness

"The Originators guarded the Wellspring. They had entombed themselves in it. The Overwatch detected the energy of the Wellspring and sent an Excursion to tap into the unused energy, creating the Womb. The Womb was created to transfer energy to the place where time eats itself," the abhuman says with careful, precise clarity, as if reading from an unseen scroll.

"What does that mean, 'where time eats itself? What would happen if the energy transfer stopped?"

 

[doghead]

Xiaon, a Strong Willed Glaive who Focuses Mind over Matter

As you begin to tap the crystals, the unconscious Originator's eyes snap open. It does not struggle, does not move, but its eyes follow you, as if waiting for you to do something... One combination of crystals seems to make the air warmer and more humid. One makes a lovely series of tones ring from the crystals. Another very complicated one makes a haze of gray dust spray from the ceiling and settle over everyone. Your sweat begins to mix with the dust, and you begin to find it hard to move.

"Ohm, stop," Echo says. She goes to him and tries to tug him away from the stones and the crystals. "He's awake now, and you don't know what you're doing."

Conscientious of the fact that the Originator is again awake, Xiaon decides not to shoot Ohm Eleven in favour of keeping watch over the captive.

"Duncan, please ensure number Eleven complies with Echo's request."