epidemiology | [closed]

Entry tags:

[closed]

CHARACTERS: Haise Sasaki (

pursuit) and Arima Kishou (

prodigism)
DATE: Some time before everything goes bad
WARNINGS: Probably violence and beating up infected
SUMMARY: Continuation of investigation thread

[ Considering the strange and otherwise eye opening evidence they found within the sewers going back to them to investigate further was a no contest choice. It seemed like everything around them was falling apart quicker than they knew how to piece it together and Arima, if he could, would like to find out as much information as possible about the underlying history and cause of this epidemic. So he'll designate a point and time for them to meet and he'll be waiting outside the familiar entrance that they used in their first descent into the sewers to look for more clues. That same suitcase by his side as he keeps an eye out for anyone who might be wandering by. ]

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[Haise keeps the appointed time in mind all day, even as he goes about the routine of playing his role in the local police department. What scraps of information they've found were deeply unsettling, with the implication that there's a presence here promoting this epidemic's spread.

It was one thing to suspect that someone had introduced this disease, and quite another to think that there's some insidious follow-up to that. What was the purpose?

Whatever that truth is, they need to find it and fast. So when his shift is done for the day, Haise is quick to make his way to where he and Arima had arranged to meet, dropping into view behind his superior right on time. A quick glance up will see small punctures along the side of a neighboring building, evidence of how he got here so quickly.

Tucking his shirt back in is probably a hint too. Good thing it's dark out]

Sorry for the wait.

[ He can still see you doing that, Haise, but he doesn't comment knowing well enough just what exactly the other had done. Any time before what had happened back home he'd question it, even have it put him on edge to a degree, but he's quite fine with it regardless. ]

It's fine. [ Says Arima with his usual tone of voice as he looks towards the sewer entrance once more. ]

We'll try a different route today. Perhaps we'll find something else in another part of the sewers.

[When Arima begins laying out their plan of attack for today, Haise snaps at attention. It's a visible change borne of much of his brief existence involving work for the CCG. He stands straight and listens intently, staying quite still until Arima's explanation is finished]

Understood. [Because, of course, it's a mission now] I'll be sure to keep en eye out for anything useful.

[Although Arima's eyesight is better now, Haise is still likely to have better vision. After all, as a half-ghoul, he sports the keener senses of a predator... Not that he'd like to think of it that way]

[ He'll nod as he turns towards the tunnel now, beginning their descent back inside of it once more. It's more of the same thing as usual, the dank humid atmosphere and pitch blackness consumes the senses. At least they were both skilled enough to not let that hamper them, and this time Arima is more or less without any disabilities.

This should be fine but he's still going to proceed with caution. Getting bitten or infected would be bad for all parties involved, so he's going to try and avoid that at all costs. ]

If there truly is someone doing this then there will be a trail somewhere within the sewers. [ They just have to find it is all. ]

Tracking certainly falls under our purview.

[Haise can easily agree with the reasoning, and if there is something to be found, he's reasonably confident they'll manage. Their skills and experience are useful in this field, and it's a relief to have something purposeful to do in the face of this epidemic. Thus far, this mission has had frustratingly few leads.

Once more, Haise takes point, if only because he'd be much more difficult to infect than his superior. Arima's the more powerful combatant, but if his skin were broken it could be a real problem.

For one thing, he couldn't stop his superior if he lost his reasoning]

To think they were using the sewers like this though...

It's a perfectly good place to do something like this. At least we managed to figure it out before it was too late. They've probably been doing this for quite some time. After all we've only just arrived here, so the time that they've had to work down here might be years.

[ Arima knows they're specialty is this exact thing, but this sewer system is large compared to most places they've done investigations of. And it's only the two of them and not several squads doing the investigation. Not to mention the darkness making it hard to keep sense of where they've come from is another disadvantage as well. Whoever or whatever they were up against seemingly knew these sewers well, who knows how long they've been operating within them prior to them arriving here.]

Keeping that in mind we should try to find routes that are more secluded and closed off.

[Years... It's a disturbing prospect to think on, and yet one Haise can't deny. For all that this seemed like a bare-bones operation on the part of any perpetrators so far, that could be a carefully-manufactured deception. Now that they've uncovered something much more directed, the prospect of long-term planning does seem that much more realistic.

Unfavorable for them, but at least it would be more information to work with. They might be able to suss out more responsible parties than one "Dr. Percy" who appears to have appropriated that identity]

Right... [A pause, as he debates before asking, if only because it borders so heavily on suggestion] If we find anything, should we report to the rest of the squad?

[Because if there's more than what they've found so far...it could be very telling of what's really happened here]

Doing so will provide a wider range of coverage in whatever we find. [ He sees no reason to keep any of this information a secret from the others. He knows how capable many of them are so he can be certain that the more information they share the better this will go. ]

For now lets focus on finding something to report back. [ Whether or not it'll end up being a good report is another story entirely. ]

[Haise is glad they agree on this point. Still, he'll never lose sight of the difference in their status back home. It's only natural to defer to his superior's authority with that in mind, and his shoulders relax by small degrees as he advances through the tunnels.

It's a relief, but Haise knows better than to let his guard down during their search]

Which way, then?

[He might've taken the lead, but Arima's the one with the plan of attack here]

[ Arima will turn to to the left this time he our guard up as he tries to maintain awareness around him and Haise. It was easier now with his eye back to normal and he was definitely not having as much trouble as he once was. ]

We'll take the left tunnels this time. [ And there's also the sounds of screeching and yelling in the far distance of the tunnel system. It's hard to heard as anything but infected as he continue to make their way down the maze like system of tunnels beneath the city streets. ]

Understood.

[Haise follows that guidance, listening for the distant sounds of would-be attackers. It seems that the infected are present in no small number, and after their previous findings, he supposes that it's no surprise. Something is going on down here, and it's much more complicated than they'd first surmised]

I wonder just how many there are down here...

[It's impossible not to wonder. They've seen concentrations of ghouls for events like the auction, or even in their bases of operation, but this is something altogether different. These are people who seem to be trafficked by someone else]

There's no telling at this rate. Whoever is bringing them down here and keeping track would be our best bet at getting an answer.

[ Will they actually succeed in this mission at doing so? Arima isn't sure but he's willing to track and hunt them down to get answers. ]

Just one more person to find... At least we're suited to this sort of work.

[He listens intently as they advance, though the way sounds echo through the tunnels doesn't help in gauging distance. The voices are growing nearer, he's sure of that much.

And if they could find a concentration of them, that might prove they're on the right track after all]

Finding one person in a maze of tunnels will be a feat. But perhaps finding their location will be easier.

[ He's not doubting their abilities but more or less stating the reality of it all. Finding a single person in these sewers would take days, and that's time they don't have to spare, but finding where they live might be easier. ]

At the least, we can eliminate some possibilities...

[Or as much Haise can hope for. They are specialists, after all. Surely they'll come across something, even if it's only some hint or clue. This sort of work is where people like them can really shine.

Well, in a manner of speaking. Their work isn't such a terribly bright thing so much as a dark undertaking]

[ Haise has a point the more possibilities they knock out the easier it'll become for others to find out things. But to do that they had to navigate their way through these sewer tunnels. And after what seems like forever they finally hit a fork in the road. ]

Which way do you think is best? [ Arima normally doesn't ask things like this, to anyone, usually taking the lead himself. But he's found that keeping up that charade is pointless here. Besides Haise had one thing he did not and that was enhanced eyesight within the darkness. He could see and discern things normal humans could not in this lack of light. ]

Is there anything different about either side? [ One side might actually be more destroyed and in disrepair than the other. But that might make it all the more suitable for hiding. ]

[Haise straightens his posture when he's spoken to, glancing back at Arima with obvious surprise. It's not a question that he would've expected. Even though he's taken point, he was still prepared to listen to his directions as they make their way through the sewers. He takes a few moments to answer, if only because he was caught off-guard in this manner, clearing his throat quietly]

Straight ahead, I hear more noise...and it's quieter to the left. The sounds are more distant.

[There isn't so much to see yet, but he's sure of what he's hearing. At least that much gives him some indication of what they might expect, and he considers what the two options afford them]

I think the left extends further.

[So, in the end, he thinks there's more to pursue that way]

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