Cave-In

[victorianflorist]

The choice that brought me to this position and those I've failed to make lasting connections with.

[King-Clod]

The few moments we actually had with Ortho. What kind of life they might have led if it hadn't ended here.

[Ignispark]

Considering current circumstances, perhaps it'd be fitting to reflect on how disaster can strike out of seemingly nowhere.

[knux400]

QUERY: DISASTER AT ANY MOMENT

You'd really rather think about something else right now.

QUERY: ORTHO'S LIFE

Ortho was... They seemed nice. Admittedly, you don't know much about them, but they seemed like they'd been here a long time and the job had worn them down a bit. Almost resigned in a way. You can't imagine they would willingly stick with this job knowing the circumstances, and they didn't look especially well taken care of, so they probably weren't in an ideal situation. You have no idea what the exact details are, of course.

They seemed to keep a positive outlook despite that, though, and they genuinely seemed to make every effort to help you succeed. Given you'd only just met, you can safely assume they have that attitude towards everyone. It would be easy to be bitter and distant in a situation like Ortho's, but... they seemed to make an extra effort to be kind to everyone. Apart from Mr. Stone. But from what you've heard of that guy, it's perfectly reasonable he'd get on Ortho's bad side.

It's hard to know what kind of life they would've had if it hadn't ended here, since you never knew that much about them. They definitely would have made an effort to keep helping people as best they could. You can't imagine where you'd be right now without them. Well, okay, you'd probably be in the exact same spot, but you get the feeling if this job had continued normally that Ortho would be a huge help.

QUERY: MY CHOICES & FAILED CONNECTIONS

0115316_11.tsl - 0:54

You stand in a waiting room. Around you are various Morbitians. Some are reading magazines, some are staring out the window, and you're pretty sure that Pockitt in the corner is just sleeping.

It's been 23 minutes and 49 seconds since you first walked in. You're... nervous? Nervous would probably be the right word to describe this. You're pretty excited for this job- photography has been a hobby of yours for a long time, and the pay is pretty decent, too. But... Jorge also warned you about the atmosphere. You don't exactly have a lot of qualifications, and there aren't many Barebones in this field of work. So part of it is excitement, but part of it is nervousness. It's hard to quantify exactly what the ratio is. Emotions are vague and indistinct like that.

The door opens and an older Beatfox pokes her head through.

"Pillbug?"

That's you. You follow her inside.

"Alright, go ahead and take a-" She cuts herself off, seeing your eight-legged body.

"...Just stand, I guess." You oblige, standing next to the chair. Before you are the beatfox from before, a De'moneres, and one you can't place- either a Mothlie or a Comber, you think.

"So you're interested in our..." She looks at the paper. "Field research division?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any prior experience with chenilles?"
"...No."
"How familiar are you with chenille physiology?"
"Not very."
"Behavior?"
"Not very."
"Habitat?"
"They prefer swamps, I think?"
"Have you had a field research position before?"
"No."
"Any sort of research position?"
"...Not really."

She sighs.

"...Any prior jobs or experiences you think would be relevant here?"
"This would be my first job. I enjoy photography as a hobby."

The De'moneres looks bored. The Comber? Mothlie? Is trying not to laugh. The Beatfox... She just looks exasperated.

"So you've got... no prior experience in this field at all, then."
"Correct."
"What do you have to offer?"
"Well, like I said, I do photography as a hobby, and..."

...

"I'm open to trying new things?"

She closes her eyes, breathes in, and then opens them again with a soft exhale.

"Listen, Pillbug. I don't think this is a great first job for you to have. Even at an entry-level position, being a field researcher requires a lot of prior knowledge about the species in question, the research process, and the field of study in general. It's not just... going out and taking pictures of things. I'm sorry, but it's really not in our best interest to take the time to bring you up to speed on everything."
"...Okay."
"So I'm sorry, but we're going to have to decline. Thank you for taking the time to come in today."
"Thank you for having me."

...

"Do you... know of any other places I can go to... take pictures of things? This camera, it belonged to a close friend of mine, and it would mean a lot to me if I could put it to use-"
"Sorry, kid. We're not really in the business of job hunting." The De'moneres cuts you off, his voice gruff.
"Thank you."

You turn and leave.


The door shuts behind you.





Just as you step through the doorway to the adjoining hall, you hear the Mothlie... Comber... it doesn't matter. You hear them start giggling behind you. They think you can't hear them, but you hear better than they can.

You were looking forward to this. If you'd taken the time to think about the situation, you could've saved yourself the hassle of showing up here in the first place. It's all so clear in retrospect. Why couldn't you have seen this coming? It was obvious.





You're done trying to get what you want. The next job you apply for will be one that's perfect for you. One that you were made for. Literally.











You hear voices up ahead.

[victorianflorist]

Let's rush towards them, we can't risk losing them if they're moving.

[King-Clod]

Don't call out to them yet, we don't want to spook them. Wait until we get a little closer to call out for help.

[knux400]

You quicken your pace down the tunnel, focusing on reaching the voices as soon as you can. Unfortunately, the assortment of parts you're dragging behind you is making quite a ruckus. You just barely manage to duck as a horror detection wand sails over your head, bouncing a short distance down the tunnel behind you.

"What the FUCK, dude?" A Volarie throws up their hands in confusion. A Botley stands awkwardly behind them- a J4WS, if you remember correctly. They look like they're about to jump out of their casing.

"I thought you were a horror or some shit! What the fuck are you doing charging around dragging all that scrap behind you?!"
"It's not scrap!" You quickly retort, before calming down and coming to your senses. "This is... what's left of my friend."

It takes the Volarie a moment to realize what you mean, but they seem to calm down once you do.

"Right. Right. Fine. But you still didn't answer my question."
"I heard you two talking and I got excited. It's been hours since I fell down here. I wanted to make sure I caught up to you, in case you were walking the other way."
"Why didn't you just shout something?"
"...I didn't want to startle you."
"So you decided that sprinting down the tunnel making slasher flick noises was better than just shouting 'hello'?"
"I, uh... I got excited, like I said."




...





"Whatever. You've clearly demonstrated you're not going to slow us down, so you can go ahead and stick with us if you want. What's your name?"
"It's Pillbug, but Roll-E or Pole-E is fine."
"I'm Exclusit, the quiet one is Matri." The J4WS botley gives a shy wave.

"...We should probably go back and get that horror detector." Matri says. "It might come in handy."
"Right." Exclusit turns and starts walking before you have a chance to respond. The two of you quickly follow them.

You walk.


And you walk.



There's no way either of them could've thrown a wand this far.

"Did... Did we miss it?" You ask.
"I've been looking everywhere, there's no way we missed it." Exclusit grunts.
"Well, we're walking uphill. It can't have gone far." Matri chimes in.
"Wait, we're-" You look at the ground. You are walking uphill. "That's... not right."

You stop walking. Matri and Exclusit look at you with confusion and exasperation respectively.

"I was walking uphill to get to you two, and if we're heading back the way I came, then this path should be going downhill."
"Maybe there was a fork at some point?" Matri offers.
"No, it was just one long tunnel. And we haven't passed any forks or branches just now, either."
"You sure you didn't hit your head or something, bud?" Exclusit says condescendingly.
"No, my head is fine. I was just here, and I'm telling you, the tunnel sloped the other way."
"So what, the tunnel just moved when we weren't looking?"
"I don't know! I'm just telling you what I'm-"

"The cracks!!!" Matri cuts the two of you off suddenly. Both of you turn and look at the excited shark for an explanation.
"The cracks in the walls! They're like... You know how when you get dirt caked on your hands, right, and then it dries up, but you bend your fingers, and it does these little cracks?"

Matri stands there with their hands outstretched, as if they were offering you something very large and very invisible.

"The walls are bending! Those cracks form whenever the walls bend too much, because it's rock, right, and rock can't bend-"
"Okay, and?!? Even if the tunnel we were just in bent, the wand should still be in here somewhere!" Exclusit yells.
"Well, uh... I don't... I don't really know how that happened. I've just been staring at those cracks ever since I fell down here, and I just-"
"So the tunnels bend, got it. Duly noted, let's keep moving."

[victorianflorist]

Lets echolocate as a last ditch attempt.

It is disquieting, to put it plainly, to hear the tunnel is flexing. Makes me feel like we're a pill (hah) being swallowed.

Take some record shots of the cracking formations and ask your companions if they would mind having their picture taken.

Even if we never emerge, someone might find the record we're compiling on this event.

[King-Clod]

Let's keep looking for a little while, but not spend too long on it. We still have a horror detector ourselves, after all. And I'm getting worried that the longer we stay down here, the more likely we are to... end up like Ortho did.

[knux400]

"Hang on a second. I want to try echolocating."
"You what?" Exclusit turns to you.
"Crawler barebones can do that! See, since they can't see when they're all rolled up, they can emit a high-pitched sound so that they-"
"Yeah, alright, Matri, they can't do it if you're yammering."
"...sorry."

With the room now quiet, you let out a shrill whine. After a moment, the sound comes back to you. The cave ahead of you continues uphill for a while, and the floor seems clear of debris. The wand isn't there.

"...I can't see it. I've got a horror detector myself, so it's not too much of an issue." You wave your wand at the two of them to accentuate your point. Something rattles inside.

"Oh, the battery must've dislodged when I fell, let me just-" You pop the battery in with a soft click and the three of you all jump a bit at the loud beeping that immediately starts emanating from the device. You fiddle with it for a few more seconds before Exclusit snatches it from you, pops it open, and rips the speaker out before handing it back. The reading is maxed out.

"Yeah, those things are useless down here. I just wanted mine because it's something heavy I can hit things with if I had to. But clearly it's not here, so let's just keep moving."

The three of you turn around, heading back the way you were going before. You turn to the cracks on the walls and floor, taking a few pictures. Exclusit pretends not to notice. Matri, on the other hand, is interested.

"Whatcha doin'?"
"Just taking some pictures so there's a record. Even if we don't make it out, someone could find them and figure out what's been happening. Hopefully. Actually, would you two be okay with having your pictures taken?"
"Alright!"
"Sure, whatever."

Matri stops and smiles for the camera. Exclusit just keeps walking, their back to you. You snap a picture of each of them, stashing the print copies in one of your pouches.

You keep walking.














"...Feels like I'm a pill being swallowed." You mutter.
"Hm?" Matri turns to you.
"Well, because the tunnels are flexing around for whatever reason, and I'm a little ball, and my name literally is Pillbug, so-"
"Ohhhh, yeah. You know, it's possible that might be what's happening."

Everyone stops walking. There's total silence for a moment before you and Exclusit both speak in unison.
"What?"
"What."

"I've been thinking about it, and it makes sense! That would explain the movement of the tunnels, the fact that our detectors have been stuck on the maximum reading this whole time, and- well, did either of you see that shape when the floor first caved in?"

You remember. The jagged black shapes that were like teeth closing in on all of you.

"We probably just got eaten by a really big horror!" Matri explains in a perfectly calm tone. Exclusit just stares at them, arms limp at their sides.


"FUCKING. WHAT."

[Wilds]

COOL. GREAT. THIS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU WANTED TO DIE.

At least your parts are going to be useful to someone - as this Horror's LUNCH.

OKAY. Okay. Take a deep breath. Ask Matri if they have any ideas on what we can do about this. You're all out.

[Ignispark]

So. Does anyone know what gives a horror indigestion?

[victorianflorist]

As awful as that is, that's kind of cool. You could probably count on your hands, not mine since I don't have them. how many people have been swallowed by a horror and didn't mutate beyond recognition. We could be truly exploring something novel.

[King-Clod]

I mean, we don't know if that's the case for sure. I'm just...not really sure what else it could be.

[knux400]

"We probably just got eaten by a really big horror!"

Once you hear those words, several things happen within your mind- all in the span of a few seconds.

Your first reaction is panic. You already weren't optimistic about your chances of making it out of here- but knowing you're inside a HORROR makes matters much, much worse. You have no idea what's going to happen to you down here- or to Exclusit, or Matri, or anyone else, for that matter. You've only ever heard of horrors in stories- from what you understand, they're hideous pitch-black creatures that lurk underground and attack anyone who comes too close. If you don't die from being mauled, the radiation will mutate you into one of them instead. Depending on what species you are. You're a little vague on the details.

But... That's also a cool way to go, honestly. It's a bit morbid, but this certainly makes for a much more interesting experience than just running out of power in a random cave somewhere. Now you have the novelty of running out of power in the stomach of a giant horror! Exciting. Obviously you'd rather not die, but the extraordinary circumstances make you feel a little bit better.

On the subject of not dying... You know next to nothing about horror anatomy, which makes it difficult to think of a way out. If horrors are anything like most organics, then these tunnels should lead either back up to the mouth or out the other direction- but it may be more similar to TCP, which have no organs at all- just indistinct goop. Or it could be something else entirely. You just don't know. The only thing you're certain of is that the walls are moving, which is going to make mapping this place very difficult- perhaps even impossible. You could try and kill it from the inside... somehow? You don't have any idea what you could possibly do that would kill a horror this big.

Of course, you might not be in a horror at all. Not that you have any other explanation for the odd cracks, the intensely high levels of radiation, and the shifting tunnels. But until that theory is disproven, you may as well operate on the assumption that you've been swallowed by a horror. It's a good idea to be prepared for the worst, and you can't think of much worse of a situation than this one.

You need more information, and you need to calm Exclusit down as they seem to be very close to freaking the fuck out. You decide to try and do both with a bit of humor. Hopefully it's not inappropriate in such a tense situation.

"So. Does anyone know what gives a horror indigestion?"
"Well, um, that's the funny thing! Most horrors don't actually have stomachs, since their diet is mostly scraps and shreds. It's actually quite unusual to have a horror with a proper digestive system- most of them are just black slime the whole way through. Of course, with the chaotic nature of horrors and the way they mutate, anything is possible, I suppose."
"So..."
"Um, I don't really know what would cause a horror to, uh, expel us. I think if anything it had eaten would cause that, it would've happened already."

Exclusit has calmed down just enough to submit their own question.

"Can we just fucking... kill it? From the inside?"
"Uhhhh... Generally the way you kill horrors is to burn them, I think? Like, completely incinerate their whole body."
"ShiiiiiiiiiIIIT!"

Exclusit is drifting back into freaking-out territory again. Should you try to calm them down? Ask Matri another question? Or do you have another idea?

[Wilds]

It's definitely time to calm Exclusit down. They're no use to us if they're panicking too hard to do think straight. We might be stuck in a horror, but we're not dead or definitively damned just yet, and that's worth holding onto.

[Ignispark]

...it also wouldn't hurt to think about what flammable materials might be potentially available, but that can wait until nobody is actively panicking.

[King-Clod]

Wait wait wait, big horrors don't just go under the radar, even ones in caves like this. Someone's going to notice if an entire spelunking crew went missing, and especially if the horror radiation of the area is off the charts. I'm sure someone's gonna send a knight in or something. That's what they use to deal with horrors, right?

(We're lying through our teeth of course. I know the company doesn't care about us, but we need to give Exclusit a little hope if we can. We'll try to figure out a solution in the meantime. I don't think any of us are organic, soo hooopefully we won't mutate as much?)

[knux400]

You gently place a claw on Exclusit, and they stop briefly.

"Listen, we're not dead yet, okay? That's worth holding onto. Giant horrors like these don't just fly under the radar, right? Someone's going to notice that all of us have gone missing, and they'll send in a knight or something. That's what they use to deal with horrors, right?"

Matri nods, but looks at you oddly. Given how much they know, you're pretty sure they can tell you made half of that up- but they also realize what you're trying to do, so they hold their metaphorical tongue. Exclusit, meanwhile, has come to their senses a bit. They're still upset, but they're at least rational now.

"Fine. Fine. So where exactly do we go from here? What do we do?"
"Well... I'm not exactly sure." Matri pipes up. "With the tunnels acting the way they are, I don't think walking is going to get us out of here. We might be able to find more survivors or stuff that's fallen down or something, but I don't think any horror would just... Let us out after it's eaten us. I, uh, I don't really have anything beyond that. Sorry."
"You said they burn horrors, right? Do we have anything flammable?" You ask.
"I don't think that's a viable escape plan by itself. The most we could probably do is burn through a wall once we get the rock layer out of the way. But even then, we'd have no idea where we were going, or how thick the slime layer is, so... But it's something worth keeping in mind, I think." Matri explains.
"You're the one carrying around an entire dead Barebones. If anyone would have something flammable, it's you." You shoot Exclusit an annoyed glare at that, but they do have a point.

You briefly look over Ortho again. There's nothing there that could be used as fuel, but you're pretty sure you could take one of their CAPACITORS, rig it up to the battery, and deliberately overload it to create a tiny explosion- nothing that could harm anyone, but just enough to get a fire started. Your FILM could be used as fuel, if only for a few moments. Obviously, the more of that you burn, the less print pictures you'll be able to take.

"I... kind of have some flammable stuff, but it's not that powerful and I don't have much of it."
"Okay. Any other bright ideas?" Exclusit asks. Matri simply shrugs in response, and Exclusit turns to you instead.

[King-Clod]

I think we should look for other survivors. Help out as many people as we can, in case someone's caught under rubble or something and needs help. They might have more supplies we can use to try to get out of here, something more flammable than what I've got. Or just more ideas. As we are right now, not sure we can do much else.