[EVENT POST] I FEEL STUPID, AND CONTAGIOUS.

[dishearten]

CHARACTERS: Open to all!
DATE: 3/11-3/12, ICly
WARNINGS: Zombie attacks? Violence? Shopping???
SUMMARY: Lockdown at the mall! Grab your CDs and your soft pretzel, it's about to get bad.

LET'S GO TO THE MALL LOCKDOWN Business has been rough for Woodhurst Shopping Center ever since riots and unrest about the Bristol Virus have shunned most to their homes. Perhaps ill-advisedly, in attempts to draw a few more customers back into the polished halls of the grandest shopping experience Woodhurst has to offer, a weekend of big sales, great bargains, and fun family activities was widely advertised in the Woodhurst Watch. There was even a scheduled public concert, performed by the University Choir. The turnout was smaller than hoped, yet the air was quite optimistic. Shoppers enjoyed the day of activities and fun, and the sense of security was bolstered by the increased security detail. There was even some members of the press on hand to document this return to normality in a troubled time. Everything was going well, until a scene broke out in the food court. Security tried to quietly remove members of the choir that suddenly seemed to snap, plowing into one of the food stands and starting to feed on raw meat. However, a good handful of them escaped instant confinement, and while many of the visitors fled the mall as soon as they could, soon Police Detail arrived and put the entire building on lockdown. Nobody in and nobody out until the situation was resolved. 18:00 TO 23:00 HOURS Anyone unlucky enough to be trapped in the mall is left to their own devices, with very little knowledge to go on. This includes many civilians, as well as a small number of Audentes agents. This also includes a small number of infected, more than just the university choir. There's a voice over the loudspeaker imploring people to hide in stores, barricade doors, and stay put until help arrives. The majority of the infected seem to linger in the Food Court especially. Bad news for anyone trapped and starting to get hungry as the hours pass by, without any obvious assistance from the outside. The members of ALASTAIR have a choice, help protect or just do their best to avoid the infected themselves. Characters can get into the Security Office for a camera feed on what is happening in the mall, and potentially use it as a base of operations to work from. 00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS It becomes apparent that the number of infected in the mall are somehow increasing, despite the lockdown. It means that those that have squirreled away into stores and outlets are growing less and less safe as infected numbers multiply and they begin attacking barricades. To make matters worse, anyone that hasn't found cover will find the infected extremely reactive, and willing to give chase around the mall. The security feed indicates the infected seem to be coming in from the Parking Garage. Investigation will reveal a sewer outlet on the bottom floor. Characters will have to decide whether they should utilize the tunnel as a means of escape, or if sealing it off would ultimately leave the remaining hours of lockdown a little less violent. 04:00 TO 09:00 HOURS It's been an agonizing 12 hours, and with surprisingly little aide from the outside. With time to make preparations and put plans in place, now it's time to end this lockdown once and for all. Audentes is tasked with neutralizing the remaining infected as well as escorting any remaining civilians to safety, by any means they decide on. It is up to Audentes to decide how the end of this event plays out, be it removing or otherwise drawing away the lingering infected, or putting them down once and for all. There are plenty of civilians that have been bitten and attacked, leaving the question in the air as to whether they are infected as well. What should be done with those that could be bringing the virus back to their families? The team is going to have to decide on the answer to that.

Comments

04:00 - 09:00

[ex_adept136]

[As much as Haise can agree that in theory that would be a convenient approach, he also knows why they simply can't. All they can do is protect people on-site, which he understands the vexing nature of. Unlike Perdition's Rest, they're without the luxury of using their weapons and abilities freely. Mission parameters have imposed certain limitations on them.

For this mission, their presence as outsiders was to remain under the radar.

So when he overhears the muttering, he thinks to respond — only to find that the fellow seems to have gone entirely still. A little too still, in point of fact, which spurs him to drop a hand on the man's shoulder and nudge him]

Hey, are you alright?

Re: 04:00 - 09:00

[scrap_metal]

[ Even if Genos falls asleep, his body keeps watch, so to speak. The touch makes him wake up, with all the sort of warning popping up, and there is an audible whirr as the machinery of his body switches to combat mode.

Fortunately, there is no danger, and he notices that stopping the motion of his hand, already half-way raised ]

I am. It's nothing. [ His answer is short, and a little too harsh. He's not liking the idea that he could reflexively grab, or maybe hit someone for waking him up. ]

What time is it?

[ex_adept136]

[It's the whirring that stands out most to Haise, a sound he doesn't expect from a sleeping man stirring. He'd much sooner expect that from turning on a machine, which leaves him with a rather distinctive impression. The lot of them aren't uniformly human, after all.

Still, it might be too early to make any assumptions, so Haise tucks that impression away for another time. He folds his arms behind him, one hand holding the opposite wrist]

Sorry for disturbing you. [Polite as ever] But it's just about dawn, now.

[And so it might be a good idea to be up and at it anyhow]

[scrap_metal]

Already..? [ He literally just closed his eyes, yet the nap seems to have taken a lot longer than he expected. ]

Are there any updates on the situation? [ He looks around, hoping to see a change. Maybe people preparing to leave. But he sees more trying to catch a moment of sleep just like he did, then any signs of preparation to move ] We need to get them out of here.

[ex_adept136]

I think we've achieved some level of stability, but it's...difficult.

[Considering the sheer numbers and lack of resources involved, there's no getting around the fact that it's a challenge. Haise casts a glance around, himself, particularly focusing on one barren storefront.

So far, it seems that his method of containment is holding, at least for the infected civilians he'd crossed paths with]

At this time, I haven't gotten a progress report from others... But getting people who aren't infected would be safest elsewhere.

[scrap_metal]

So still no word on when we're getting out... [ Genos scans the room quickly, the previous idea going back to him. When he speaks again it's with considerably lowered voice ]

Without food and water the civilians won't last long. There's chance some other group found a way out. [ it's a big mall, and who knows what's going on the other end ]

[ex_adept136]

[Frowning, he casts a lingering glance out over the mall. It looks entirely different to his eyes, now]

Evacuating them would be ideal... And given the size of our forces, it wouldn't surprise me if someone's come up with a way.

[He wishes their team were better coordinated, but it's difficult when there's no infrastructure by design]

[scrap_metal]

Making a way out, shouldn't be hard. It's a mall, not a bunker.

[ Not to mention some of the rooms should have window leading outside, or hidden employee passages with evacuation routes. Even if they were barricade from the outside, in Genos mind, he assumes he could just use brute-force through those. He might not have combat arms equipped but he's still a noticeably stronger then a regular human. He's going to assume other Audentes have some tricks up their sleeves too ]

But can we guarantee them safety outside? Someone must be enforcing the lockdown.

[ex_adept136]

That part I'm not sure of. It's been so hectic that I haven't had a chance to check...

[But this reminds him to dig his badge out of his pocket, because it might just be useful here. Once he fishes it out, he shows it to Genos]

My cover's with the local police department, so I should be able to alert them to the situation once I've got the means.

[scrap_metal]

[ Genos eyes widen in surprise ] That's useful! Much more useful then the one I got.

[ In case of the absolute worst situation when police is ready to shoot at the people leaving the mall, someone who is one of them might be a quite literal life-saver. Good place to start negotiations ]

[ He pokes at the badge with the metal plating of his finger ] Is that your real name, or is it part of the cover too?

[ex_adept136]

I think there are a good handful of us.

[So Haise can hardly claim that he's the only one who came up with the idea. He's not sure how many of them are here, but he'd be surprised if he was the only one]

But yes, Haise Sasaki is my name. [In Western order, since so many on their team are inclined toward it] It fit in just fine with my cover story.

[scrap_metal]

I'm Genos. [ Now, that introductions are in order ]

So what we need is to find you a way to contact the police department, right? [ there's an idea somewhere around here, and he's trying to grab it, even if he's a bit too tired to think fast ]

[ex_adept136]

Good to meet you, Genos, despite the circumstances.

[He takes another survey of their surroundings with a hum]

I should be able to place a call, although I'm afraid my phone got lost somewhere amid all this.

[scrap_metal]

It's a mall. There must be a working phone somewhere. Unless the landline got physically damaged.

[ Genos pauses to gather his thoughts, wondering around where such phone could be. ]
Any kind of office or security space... There might be phone box for customers, those usually have emergency numbers free of charge [ but phone bos also means open space, so he shakes his head ] Nah, that might be too risky.

[ex_adept136]

A security office might be worth investigation, actually...

[It's a good idea, he thinks, straightening as he glances around once again.

The quiet is almost surreal, now]

[scrap_metal]

I can scout ahead and locate it. [ Genos offers. Moving will help him stay awake, after all.

The silent is a bit unnerving. Maybe the infected are asleep too? Or maybe some nasty surprise is in preparation. ]

[ex_adept136]

Might it be safer for us to go together?

[Not that Haise doesn't have confidence in his teammates, but all hell did break loose here not long ago.

They might not be able to anticipate what comes next]

[scrap_metal]

I've got virus immunity. [ Not that he cares about his own safety in first place... ] But it will certainly save the time.

[ Even if he finds the office, he might not find Haise upon returning here. That would make the whole scouting quite pointless ]

Tell me when you're ready to go.

[ex_adept136]

You don't need to worry about me, either. Despite appearances, I've got tough skin.

[That might well be a gross understatement.

Haise dusts himself off, pocketing some zip-ties, having no doubt they'll see future use]

I'm all set.

[scrap_metal]

[ This seems to be common around Audentes, the "tough skin", but Genos would rather not test it. ]

The map is the first objective then

[ He leaves the safe place with unusual slowness, almost expecting his movement to trigger a wave the infected to swarm them but...nothing like that happens. The strange silence continues ]

[ex_adept136]

Right.

[Haise follows close at hand, gauging where to position himself so he can easily assist without hampering the other man. The quiet is something of a relief and a concern, since there's the possibility that they might be somewhere else causing trouble.

There's nothing for it but to continue, he knows, and so they press on]

[scrap_metal]

[ The map is near one of the corridor junction and where the escalators are located. And because it's a fancy mall, it's a very advanced map, the kind of one that has advertisement and helpful information on a screen next to it, and one that is... almost un-readable because it's built-in lights needs power to work. ]

Right, parts of the mall got power cut-off.

[ How inconvenient for them. He starts inspecting its side, wondering if they can get to a power cord. ]

We could try and search for another one, but maybe we can make this one work...

[ex_adept136]

We'd probably have to restore power to the area, for something like that.

[Which sounds a little bit like a side-quest in one of Saiko's games. He understands the gist is that something has to be done in order to take the action that leads to real progress in a story...or that's what he was told, anyway. Some parts were a little involved and abstract when not seeing them for himself.

He hums as he steps around the map screen, and it does seem that they'd have to do some hunting-around. Whatever powers this, they'd have to break it to try anything different as an alternative]

[scrap_metal]

Whole area? That might be too much. [ Genos taps his chin. ]

If this was just this device, I could handle it, but not who knows how many rooms.

[ And here he thought that being brought here with his daily set of arms could be useful. Aside from some tools helpful around the kitchen, they came equipped with a regular power socket.

Not that combat set would be much more of use here, since they were trying to not hurt the infected. ]

A reserve power generator could be somewhere in the basement.

[ex_adept136]

Shall we look there, then? We might find something useful along the way.

[If they were lucky, they'd come across a phone while they were looking around, which would spare them some time. Of course, Haise isn't much for banking on luck, but he won't discount the possibility.

He gestures for Genos to take the lead, if only because it sounds like he's got a better idea of where they're going]