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[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS
#5
[Image: 2-cover.png]

[image description: a cover image for the project, titled:
Universal Constants
Episode 2: Into the Depths

on the cover image itself is a tile room half covered in silhouette, with what's visible scratched up and stained in blood.]
 
 
[Image: 2-1-1.png]
 
 [image description: charon judgment talking to mandrake, a spider neuroth with black, gold and white markings. she is wearing a white sweater and gold pants meant for taurs.]


????: There are a few things down there you'll need to be on the lookout for, along with the duties that Dr. Artag and JB have you doing-
????: Are you listening, Judgment?


 
Charon lets out a yawn.


CHARON: Mm, of course.
CHARON: …You may continue.

????: ...Am I boring you, or did you not get enough sleep for something this important?
CHARON: The latter.
CHARON: First night in a new environment, bit harder to get rest than usual.
CHARON: You know the feeling, yes?
????: ...I guess so.


 
The neuroth sighs, massaging her temple.


????: Let's start over.
????: My name is Dr. Mandrake, and today, you will be heading into the lower levels of this facility to assist in cleanup and data retrieval.
MANDRAKE: Are you following that much, so far?
CHARON: Mm. Sounds simple enough.
CHARON: There will be horror wells, yes?
MANDRAKE: Yes, and while they should be contained, we have had accidents due to the underground not being fully staffed as it had been in the past.
MANDRAKE: You will be given protection and will be starting off in an area that can be locked down away from any breaches in the case that something does occur- which it shouldn't, we've been running checks.
MANDRAKE: ...as much as we can, anyway.
CHARON: I'll make sure everything goes to procedure, I'd rather not have staff be injured on my watch.
CHARON: What type of protection are we talking, out of curiosity?
CHARON: If it's fear of radiation, that's not really a problem for me- my body is immune and resistant to most forms of natural toxins and mutating substances.
MANDRAKE: Well, I suppose that means you're exempt from having to wear the horror-proof suit.
MANDRAKE: It's mostly the radiation risk that's the worry, but you should watch yourself around the residents going through rehabilitation as well.
MANDRAKE: Please try not to aggravate them, they've been through a lot and if they don't know you, they can be a bit prone to jumpiness.
CHARON: Understood.
CHARON: I take it that showers will be nearby afterward?
CHARON: I'd rather not drag any toxic material back with me.
MANDRAKE: Yes, you should be able to clean up before re-entering the upper lab.
CHARON: Good to confirm.
CHARON: How big is the crew we're working with?
MANDRAKE: You'll be going down with Dr. Artag and JB, and meeting up with Ruby, a nurse who works with our rehabilitated residents.
MANDRAKE:  There will be other crew members already down in the lab, but Dr. Artag prefers to keep the people actually exposed to the knowledge of the lower levels to a minimum.
CHARON: Keeping things small and close to the vest, understood.
CHARON: I guess at this point I have to ask what's the next step for me.
MANDRAKE: Well, as I was saying earlier...I want you to look for a couple things in particular.
MANDRAKE: You're probably just going to be in the Stasis sector today as people see how you can handle being down there and test your ability to be trusted.
MANDRAKE: Most of that sector's already been cleared out in order to make room for the rehabilitation wings.
MANDRAKE: It took us a few years to properly get going down there, and we haven't reached the last of the cells- and some of the remaining areas are...in need of some serious help.
MANDRAKE: I need you to mark down which cells need cleanup, anything you find within them, and anything else you notice that could be of use or of note to us.
CHARON: I'll make sure things are charted thoroughly.
CHARON: I’d like to keep things fast and tight. Longer I’m escorting non-combatants, the more potential of harm toward them. No overextending, no unneeded risks.
CHARON: I do hope everyone else will have a similar mindset on this.
MANDRAKE: You'll be among like-minded people, I'm sure.


She taps a pen against the desk, keeping her eyes trained on him.


MANDRAKE: Do you have any questions for me, Mr. Judgment?
MANDRAKE: If you have them now, it's a good chance to ask before I send you off to Hashbrown for an overview of what gets used in the underground levels.
CHARON: None, I think I'd like to move on for now.
CHARON: The faster I'm up to speed on how this job works, the sooner I can start thinking about the game plan for this.
MANDRAKE: Go for it, then...and good luck out there.




 
[Image: 2-1-2.png]

[image description: a bust shot of hashbrown, a desaturated cherished selected with a mostly-shirtless chest aside from an apron. a  screwdriver sticks out of the apron, and their expression is tired.]

????: Okay, so you've got a couple tools I can set you up with...all of which are optional, seeing as Dr. Mandrake called ahead and said you won't be needing the suit.

 
The going-on-elderly looking selected, having just introduced themself as “Hashbrown”, rifles through some boxes and cabinets, pulling out some gear and setting it on the table in front of Charon.


HASHBROWN: Do you want to start with the dangerous stuff, or the really dangerous stuff.
 
The dog leans in to take a look closely at the equipment.


CHARON: Start with the bare essentials and we can work up from there.

 
The snake points to a small box, featuring a few buttons and switches on its side. It’s nondescript, with no writing or decoration on it aside from a single green rim on the sides.


HASHBROWN: This here is a gadget that'll send a frequency out that'll make just about anything flinch at minimum and take something out entirely if you crank it up high enough.
HASHBROWN: It doesn't discriminate, though- horrors, terrors, people, whatever.
HASHBROWN: You'll be given some earplugs that'll keep you safe, but in case of an emergency, you might just want to scream for people to cover their ears and hope they do it fast enough that they don't get blasted.
CHARON: If it works, it works.
CHARON: I take it this is pretty high end tech, coming from a lab like this.
HASHBROWN: Only the finest, though one of the things here is based on some pretty vintage stuff.
HASHBROWN: We'll get to that one.


 
They move onto the next piece, a palm sized orb with a flat bottom. The selected picks it up to reveal an inset button underneath, pointing to it with a serious expression.


HASHBROWN: This here's a containment capsule.
HASHBROWN: It looks tiny, but when you press this, it’ll set off a timer. The longer you hold the button, the longer the timer’ll be.
HASHBROWN: Once the timer runs out, it'll expand to capture whatever's moving around near it- so if it goes off, stand still.
HASHBROWN: Want to catch something in an instant? Press and throw.
HASHBROWN: Setting a trap? Hold it down.
HASHBROWN: It forms a barrier between you and whatever's inside- fireproof, airtight, horror resistant- not proof. Resistant.
HASHBROWN: We're working on it.
CHARON: Never seen something like this in person, take that it’s not exactly public knowledge yet.
CHARON: I could see this being incredibly useful in a lot of situations outside once it's finished.
HASHBROWN: Very much so.
HASHBROWN: At the current point in time, it's...expensive to produce.
HASHBROWN: We need to figure out how to make it not that.
CHARON: It should be easier over time. I'm always willing to jump in and give my two cents on how to improve tools that can handle horrors.
HASHBROWN: That should be handy...though hopefully, you won't ever have to use these outside of testing exercises, yeah?
CHARON: Hopefully. Admittedly get a bit excited by the idea of seeing new tech in action but.. I’d rather not have it be at someone else’s expense. Won’t go seeking out danger if I can help it.
HASHBROWN: Good mindset to have about it, I suppose...just don't do anything stupid with 'em.
HASHBROWN: Last thing...


 
They hold up a long, metal rod with a ring orbiting the end.


HASHBROWN: This is your vintage Menagerie shock stick design, updated to modern standards.
HASHBROWN: Dr. Artag doesn't like that we keep these things around, but they're effective against horrors and residents turned terror- rest their souls- and we may as well not reinvent the wheel.
CHARON: Oh, I won't be needing that. I have something similar on my person.
HASHBROWN: Oh? What's that, then?


 
The dog rolls up his sleeve, fully exposing a gauntlet layered over a prosthetic brace. As he moves his fingers ever-so slightly, there’s a visible electric crackle between them, ready to shock.


CHARON: Being able to shock something that's effectively a giant nervous system without any specific vitals to hit is very handy.
CHARON: This is admittedly a refurbished older model as well, but it gets the job done quite well.
HASHBROWN: Yeah, but with that you gotta get close enough to let it bite you.


 
They hold up the stick again, this time with feeling.


HASHBROWN: This gives you range.
HASHBROWN: Not a lot, but enough to keep it from chomping that gauntlet of yours right off.
CHARON: I suppose I'll hold onto it, but no promises it'll be my first thought.
HASHBROWN: Not my fault if you lose your hand, then.
HASHBROWN: That'll be your gear, unless you feel like you're missing anything in particular in your kit- in which case, I can see what I've got laying around to accommodate you.
CHARON: I should be more than good with this unless there's something else.
HASHBROWN: Then we're done here.
HASHBROWN: Ideally you won't need any of this, but...procedure.
HASHBROWN: Don't get too freaked out down there.
CHARON: I've worked with horror wells before, as long as everyone handles things with caution I should be fine.
HASHBROWN: Yeah, well…


 
They laugh as they give him a stiff pat on the back, no humor in it.


HASHBROWN: That's not what I'm worried about.
HASHBROWN: Good luck.
[Image: TCP%20customs.png][Image: 2411]
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Messages In This Thread
[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 01-30-2024, 09:33 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 02-06-2024, 06:51 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 02-13-2024, 07:18 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 02-20-2024, 08:45 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 03-12-2024, 11:28 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 03-22-2024, 09:36 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 03-29-2024, 09:05 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 04-06-2024, 11:49 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 04-12-2024, 08:09 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 05-27-2024, 09:21 PM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 06-10-2024, 04:53 AM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 07-02-2024, 05:43 AM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 07-19-2024, 07:17 AM
RE: [PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS - by skinstealer - 07-27-2024, 11:31 PM

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