so, where is the Duke, anyway? (part CXLIX)

(Roleplay entry. Continued from CXLVIII.)



Hiro turned away from the station, taking them to the freighter named "The One That Says 'Bad [M*therf*cker]' On It", which had just returned that day with a highly classified payload. TOTS had a top of the line infirmary on it, which was fortunate, seeing as the station med bay was definitely not safe.

Hiro laid Justine on an infirmary bed, lowering the isolation lid as Rusty arrived.

"Bard," he said, glancing over his shoulder, then back to the control panel on the bed. "She's stabilizing."

Rusty looked on with concern. "What do we know so far?"

"She was in the black but shielded. Running out of oxygen. She should be okau, I think I got her in time."

Satisfied with the readouts on the bed, he turned to Rusty. "We need to get the thing off the station." Stepping to the door, he turned down the main corridor towards the shuttle pod bay. "Come with me."

"Here's the plan. We take the shuttle down to the station, go in with drones and take the thing out. Buckle up." Bringing the systems on the shuttle online, Hiro opened a channel to the station.

"STAN: Send all drones to level three."

"Acknowledged."

Hiro docked the shuttle at his private bay on Level 3 and the two of them rushed to the containment module. The alien inside the tank was awake, staring at them with one baleful yellow eye. The two of them could feel the influence of the creature as it tried to convince them to let it out, that they were being attacked again.



Knowing that it was all illusion, they fought against it, maneuvering the containment cell with the aid of the droids back aboard a truck.



"Make sure it's fastened down tight, we’re heading for the Gate."



The Gate was...occupied. Tentacles emerged from it, threatening the space around it.



Hiro piloted the space truck as close as he could get without becoming entangled. "Rusty, now! Push it off!"



The Bard scrambled to unhook the containment cell, pushing it off the back of the truck and towards the tentacles and the Gate. The tentacles wrapped around the pod, pulling it back through and the Gate began flickering and sparking. "Ohhhhh [f*ck]," said Hiro, turning the truck away from the Gate and putting the throttle down.

"STAN: We're heading back to TOTS. The Gate is going unstable. Shields up over the station!"

"Acknowledged."

(Continued in part CL.)