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All three ships have landed safely on Tavros. Scans of the planet and its atmosphere have provided no hint as to what could possibly be ailing this native people. As the crew disembarks, there are shadows and murmurs existing all around the edge of the clearing.
"A reminder," Katrin says as she adjusts a sword around her slender waist. "We are not here to do anyone harm, but if they attack us, you defend yourself, or get to safety. But if at all possible, avoid serious injury or death."
Majors slips out of the airlock clad in his heavy armor and his various weapons. One might notice that he has a nicotine patch on his neck. "Hmmm.. It was through the jungle and along the river where I first spotted them." He says.
Tharsis shimmers into view below his bridge module, opening a hatch near his boarding ramp from which he extracts his portable emitter. Donning it, he moves to join the rest.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Looking at Wyri's face as he limps down from the boarding ramp, one might think he thought he had arrived on Comorro. Just another day, another time limped down that damn ramp. Blue glowing eyes survey the clearing with a distant interest. "This explains the training." Is all he has to say at the moment.
Akamatsu nods a bit to Katrin's words but doesn't reply much more than a vague sound of acknowledgement. After a moment he notes "What exactly is wrong with them, anyway? I imagine this is a bit worse than your average stomach flu." Vessa steps off the ramp after Aka and looks around taking stock of what she sees.
Alaria reappears with a mobile emitter of her own, heading after Tharsis and the rest. She spares a glance at the foliage surrounding them, brows furrowing.
Ruin has conceded risk; he's clad in an Alopex-issue smartsuit, but over that is his usual black cassock. No weapon, but he does have a PDA in one hand, and a workbelt of tools around his waist, as he disembarks to take a look around.
From around the edge, a solitary figure emerges. Standing at five and a half feet tall, skin, hair and eyes all darker toned, she could easily be considered attractive, with delicate features. Dark blue tattoos span her entire body with ancient writing and art. She is naked. "Thomas Owen Conrad-Majors III," she speaks, though her gaze flickers across to the company he keeps. "Have you brought us our cure? Will you stop our dying?" The whispering murmurs along the edges, once disjointed and individual, come together in a unified sound of an ancient Earth dialect, perhaps Middle-Eastern in its origin.
Katrin keeps her hands clear of her weapons as she gestures the crew back into a more unified clump. "I am Katrin Lomasa, formerly of Fastheld,: she introduces. "Mr. Majors is under my employ and he came here under my orders. My team of scientists have been unable to identify what could be ailing you based on the blood sample provided. Perhaps you would let us examine your people more thoroughly?"
The woman hisses angrily, her brown eyes focused on Majors. "We struck a deal with Thomas Owen Conrad-Majors III. We will speak only through him. You promised us a cure when you landed. Provide us with your cure."
Akamatsu raises a brow to the reaction Katrin gets and looks to her with a raised brow. It's about now the ronin tries to change his posture a bit to try and look slightly more of a menacing figure. Though it doesn't seem like much of a change given his rather unimpressive height.
"Ah.. It is good to see you again Miss." Majors says as he takes a step forward and nudges Katrin back. "As you can imagine one man, even one of my caliber cannot cure whatever it is you have. I gathered a good number of friends together to come here and work on a cure. These things take time as you can imagine." The Sivadian glances over at the ships and the people gathered. "You can very well take me captive if you'd like to ensure their good behavior. But I dare say I am probably the worse behaved of the lot."
"I can vouch for that.." Tharsis mutters with a grin. While the talking is going on, however, he activates the sensors on his emitter, scanning the woman in question and the surrounding area to get data that may be pertinent.
Ruin shakes his head and steps forward. "If there is to be a captive, I suspect I can learn more as one than others, and until the ship takes off I am of little use in any event." The glowing, cassock-clad engineer studies the woman. "You have a complex problem, ma'am. We can't just wave a wand to fix it."
Wyri moves towards Katrin, his clockwork inlaid cane ticking to its own little rhythm as he does. He at it, as if checking the time, before giving his attention back to the speaker. An olive tinged hand comes up to run through his silver hair.
"Will the lot of you stop with the captive talk. Let's first start by letting them know that we are still working on the cure but we need their help, huh Majors." Vessa moves over to stand just behind him, "And how about not making mention of the possibility of aggression." she whispers in his ear.
Alaria stares at the be'tattoed, wild beauty. Then leans over to whisper to the nearest crew member, "She's nude. Oh goodness..." But otherwise, she stays silent. Majors apparently made the deal, after all.
There is a hiss of anger from both the woman and her unseen companions. "We told you to bring the cure if you were to land here again," she says. Her eyes focus on Majors, still, never moving away from him. She considers, head tilted to the side. "We will accept your offer. You will remains our captive until your collective bring us the cure." Her head tilts in the other direction, eyes unfocused before she frowns. "Ziad will allow you to conduct scans so you will find our cure." Her expression hardens. "If any harm befalls us, we will return the harm to Thomas Owen Conrad-Majors III."
Katrin clears her throat and shakes her head. "I have great objections to you taking one of my people, even if we have one of yours in return," she says with a frown. "We would be happy to work with you but finding a cure could take some time. If this is an environmental cause, you risk exposing him to it as well." She focuses in on Majors. "Tom, you don't have to do this."
Majors takes his time unsealing his helmet and attaching it to his hip. "There are worse fates then being taken captive by a derranged naked woman." He leans in and whispers to Katrin with a chuckle. "If anything seems amiss, take off without me. I can surrive in the wild till you come back." He adds before he turns and offers the group a smirk. "Hmm, do not take too long mates, I fear I'll miss cold pints and Gilbert and Sullivan in no time." The Sivadian then makes his way towards Miss Nuddie Native. "Ello luv, miss me much since last time?"
Tharsis steps back next to Alaria, linking his emitter with hers to share information he's gathered through his sensor scans. "Check this out sis.." he says softly. "These life readings of that native... they're a bit off. Almost like a clone, with some slight genetic drift. And I'm picking up some odd brain wave activity.. and she said 'collective'. It's like there's telepathic signals bouncing back and forth between all of them... like a network of some kind.." he says, compiling a data packet to share with the others once the conversation's over.
Akamatsu loosens up a bit once the natives start becoming a little more agreeable. Given that mediating and curing illness isn't exactly his exertise he merely stands there being useless for the time being.
Ruin seems willing to acknowledge the choice, whistling a passage of some quick-paced, fairly cheerful sounding tune. He notes, "Vollistans in their caves often appeared to develop a group mind. Would you call this similar?"
"Try not to enjoy yourself too much," Wyri calls after Majors, his tone light hearted, possibly to counter the glum news that Majors is about to become the hostage of god knows how many naked women. The tall Aukami scratches his chin as his thoughts turn to what may eventuate of all of this.
Vessa does not look happy, in fact decidedly unhappy. Grabbing his arm before he heads off she whispers in his ear again. "If you are going to do this then please behave, the entire mission is probably going to rest on your good behaviour and I rather would like to see it succeed. Remember Majors, just because they are female and naked does not mean they want you." she lets go and steps back but does not look happy about it.
Alaria studies the data, gazing blankly into the distance as she 'looks' over the readings. "Psionics and possibly genetically modified or... grown - ? Perhaps like a Specialist?" she ponders aloud. "Oh, dear, I hope Thomas will be all right..." She nods to Vessa. "Sound advice."
An equally naked man bearing similar features and markings to the woman emerges. He is younger, perhaps only in his early twenties, and seems sickly, but just as handsome as the woman was beautiful. There is a greyish tinge and he moves with a stiffened gait. "Ziad, we will watch over you," the woman promises, kissing both of his cheeks before stepping forward to gesture Majors toward her. "Come, Thomas Owen Conrad-Majors III."
Katrin seems more than a little doubtful about letting one of her own wander off into the jungles but she clears her throat. "My people are going to need freedom of movement across this planet," she says with a frown. To Majors, her eyes narrow. "Keep your pants on and mouth shut. We will solve this problem as rapidly as we can." She gestures to the male native. "We mean you no harm. My scientists will take you to conduct a full physical on you." The Fastheldian woman looks at the woman again. "Your name, so we may best communicate with you?"
"Amina."
Ruin considers this, and notes, "They aren't...Sivadian. That does not, however, rule out Specialist origin. Terra might be a more logical source if that assumption is valid." He glances toward Wyri. "If they're a group mind, that may mean the illness is...well, mental in origin. What can you sense, please?"
"I will endevour to try." Majors informs Katrin with small nod of his head. "Ello Miss Anima." The Sivadian murmurs as he moves to stand next to the native. "Oh? You have blokes too? How delightful for the womenfolk." He adds.
Vessa sighs and shakes her head then looks at the male who joined Amina and considers him closely before nodding to him respectfully, "Hello." she greets with a cautious smile.
Wyri stiffens suddenly, his golden eyes flashing a dangerous shade of red for a moment before his hand can reach up to cover his face. He clears his throat. "It's... they're everywhere..." He mutters, voice soft, the knuckles of the hand clutching his cane turning white.
Alaria can't go a single. Damn. Day without hearing of or seeing virile manbits. There's one, yep. Though it's attached to a rather dashing male. Wyri eventually catches her sight. "Are you all right?"
Akamatsu nudges Vessa a bit in the ribs after she greets the male coming their direction and whispers jokingly "Don't make me tell Maina on you." There is a bit of a chuckle before he gives the man his own nod and makes sure his gaze never leaves eye level.
"We will return with your man once you have found our cure," Amina says and nudges Majors off into the thicket. Ziad seems more than a little uncomfortable of suddenly finding himself alone, surrounded by so many foreign people, but stands still, chin lifted. Seems he has no problem displaying himself.
Katrin gives the man a professional once over, not lingering in any spot for too long, but her attention is caught by Wyri and she reaches out to him with concern. "Wyri?" she asks worriedly, one hand resting on his back, the other cupping his hand atop his cane. "What's wrong?"
Vessa moves over to stand next to Katrin and Wyri, smiling kindly to the naked man and not seeming to notice he is naked, looking briefly to Aka she says, "Tsk, she is foremost in mind man now hush." looking to Wyri in concern, "Who is everywhere?"
Ruin murmurs, "The natives' group mind, I suspect. Where, Wyri? Surface level or below the surface?"
It takes a moment, but Wyri is able to recover to his usual self. When he lowers his hand from his eyes, they're a steady rain blue once more. "I'm okay." His voice is a little shaky before he clears his throat and manages to steady it. "I think it was some kind of... telepathy?" He shakes his head again. "Like a... a wall of noise, all around us." Then he seems to remember something. "Ah yes, we're surrounded." He adds helpfully. The tall Aukami directs a slight shrug towards Ruin. "I'm sorry, I couldn't tell. And I'm not going to try again."
Alaria lets her eyes linger on Wyri for a few more moments, before Katrin and Vessa move to him. Her attention turns back to Ziad, and she approaches, circling him. Holographic squares of readings appear before her as she does a thorough scan of the man. "Please stand still..."
Ruin blinks. "...That's interesting," he muses. "Would you agree that it suggests their telepathy has limited range? If it didn't, they would be as overwhelmed as you were, I think." He makes a note in his PDA, and then comments, "I am not versed in organic sciences. I'll take notes where I can, but you'll need to take point."
Ziad stiffens but stands still. "Your confederacy of dunces moves with disfunction," he comments. "You lack unity and communication. You are closed." He speaks with distain and dislike.
Katrin watches Wyri with concern for a few moments longer. "Don't give it another thought," she says gently. "We will discover what is necessary without having to cause you harm." She looks to Vessa and the others, "We will put together a surveillance team to check out the rest of the planet and give Alaria and Tharsis a chance to scan for any possible environmental causes that we can see yet." She turns to the crew. "You are all dismissed for the time being. Stay close to the ship for now. If you want to be a part of this exploration, give your name to Vessa and she will pick a team." The Fastheldian eyes Ruin. "I already know you would prefer to stay with the ship. Perhaps you can get together with Tharsis and Alaria about any technology required or modifications needed to get the information we need."