Gateclosing 101 - RPLOG

Participants

• Crypto
• Hreit
• Magnus
• Moose
• Randel
• Yejian

Date

6/2/2022

Log

T'is high noon somewhere in the world. Right here, actually, on a lonely, dusty road leading out of the city and at great distance from the safety of the nanite server. Even with clear skies overhead, the sun offered little reprieve from winter's biting winds. All that extended beyond this point were dead wastes and barren field, untouched by the hand of progress, ruined and mostly reclaimed by nature. It had been over a decade since the nanites hit, and while Fairhaven had recovered from a post apocalyptic dump into a somewhat functioning metropolis, the same can not be said about pretty much anywhere else. All that remained now of the abandoned old world were ruins, consumed by ivy and pretty much reduced to rubble. Such harsh terrain necessitated mores of transport more suited to traversing the wildlands, and thankfully the group arriving here to follow up on their job description would be met with something rather unexpected. Was... was that a humvee? By all that's holy and otherwise, it really is! Looking rather dusty with a dent here and there, the machine appears exactly as one might expect to see it in the world that once was! Leaned over its opened hood was a familiar feline, his body covered by an unbuttoned brown leather duster, black undershirt beneath and loose camo cargo pants. Around his neck remained woven the same scarf he seemed so attached-to, its fabric guarding his neck, ends tucked under his duster to protect against unnecessary stains. He looks quite busy, perhaps verifying that their transport was all set for the journey ahead~

Walking up to the transport is a human man that is about six feet tall with a fit and trim build, looking to be about 160-180 pounds, belaying the fact that his dense nanite-altered body makes him more around 250 pounds before taking into account worn gear. He is Caucasian, with a short-cut head of dirty blond hair, the kind that tends to darken with age, and a clean shaven face. Even though his head is exposed, he doesn't seem phased at all by the bitter winter winds. His ancestry, other than being mostly from Western Europe, is hard to pin down, but it has given him a handsome face with a confidant looking jaw line. It is almost a shame it is never seen, given it is often masked or overridden by most nanite infection forms. Lastly his eyes are a dark green and brown, which currently look unenthusiastic about the mission at hand, though it does brighten up when seeing a working vehicle has been aquired. Gear-wise, he is wearing a long coat over a thick long sleeve shirt and cargo pants, pockets already stuffed with items, with a pair of sturdy boots; with the expectation of having to walk all day. On top of his clothes, is a Zephyr standard issue armored vest, with a common issue pistol holstered on one side and a med-kit on the other side. His well-used and maintained equipment pack is on his back, and his ID badge is pinned to his armor, indicating it is the Zephyr field agent Randel, who is in rare form today, being human for once. "Hey, what's up?" he says to the feline, smirking in amusement, and curious to see Magnus' reaction to his uncharacteristically normal form.

There's a bit of pride and warmth that swells in Yejian's heart every time she sees that scarf. But, today was a trip of business, not casual visiting. The lapine knight wanders down the road, without her spear today. She preferred a slightly different piece of equipment for her trips outside of the bubble, as evident when she draws near Magnus and plants her shield lightly in the ground and leans forward. "Soooo. Where are we headed?"

A canid of several varieties approaches. A water dragon watching on and finally turning to return home. Here is Hreit walking on two, not four. Yet ever looking a bit haggard, or worse for wear. A jacket that's seen better days remains white, edges trimmed in blackness, from fire and heat. Covered in layer after layer of pinned bandages in lieu of thicker clothing. Like a few layers of hand made garments, even partly covering her hands. Her feet covererd in thicker leather strips this time around. Three handles sticking up at her back. Carefully settled in between her back and the small pack settled there to prevent them moving about or wobbling. She seems, a bit jumpy, eying everyone that's already here. Also approaching magnus, though seeming a bit unnerved at something. Not that her own appearance wasn't unnerving itself already. "I think I'd talked to you about this job on the comms?" She asked openly, holding up a highly customized phone-like device that still has Zephyr marked on it. Looking like it belonged to someone a bit higher up that totem pole.

Crypto carries a full pack of weapons and utility items for the journey ahead. Beyond that, Crypto is so nondescript it would be forgivable to completely forget his presence. He walks in the footsteps of other people almost out of habit as he makes his way to the humvee. He glances towards the group, puts is stuff down, and waits for further instructions.

Moose eases himself off a big, rumbling motorcycle driven by another deer, nearly identical to himself. "You sure you're okay, Pops?" the driving stag asks, different from his father only in being a little softer around the edges.

The mustached stag waves off his kid and lights up a thick cigar. "I can handle myself, Junior," he says gruffly, though fondly and stalks toward the waiting humvee, ornaments and charms rattling in his antlers.

Moose is not a moose, he is a big, dad-bodded white tail deer with a thick, luxurious, white mustache tinged with leaf green at the edges. He fills the plaid shirt he wears nicely with a layer of softness over thick, working muscle.

He takes the cigar from his lips with thick fingers and blows a ring of bluish smoke away from the group. "Moose," he growls, "How can I help?"

*clank clank* The feline looked quite preoccupied, tossing a wire over one shoulder and reaching into his pocket to rummage around for a moment, then pulling free a new one and gripping it between his teeth. He fidgets with something else for a little while, huffing the words "Shoddy Prommie Tech..." under his breath. He then places the new wire in place and produces a lot of sparks somehow, as though he were welding something without using a welding kit! Well, he certainly wasn't holding one. When approached however, he'd cast a glance over one shoulder, then back towards what he's working on, then immediately does a double-take at Randel. Magnus blinks a few times then turns around fully and tilts his head a bit, confused as to whom it was he was being addressed-by. "Randy?" Well, the nose knows, but the form was not one he'd expect the other to wear. "Randel, from Zephyr's head doctors? Uhhh, well, I mean you smell like him, but..." Magnus turns one hand around in the air and glances off towards the sky. "You don't look... I mean, yeah."

The feline then raises one hand and clears his throat. "We'll get to the mission briefing as soon as everyone arrives. Speaking of which." There's the all-too familiar face that could melt his heart with but a single smile. When Yejian approaches him and leans her shield against the humvee, he wraps his arms around her and applies the warmest of hugs. "Surprise to no one, here you are again. At this rate I should just give you notices in advance when I am plotting one of these excursions. Thank you, for being here for me. It means more than you know." He'd reluctantly slide his arms off of her, then turn towards the others arriving at the scene. Magnus leans back a little too suddenly and *CLONK* hits his head on the still raised humvee hood, causing the support latch to release, and then *BONK* send the metal down to hit him again right on the noggen. He mutters a silent cuss, then closes the hood, chuckles awkwardly at those around him, and moves to climb atop the vehicle.

Now standing on an elevated platform, he clears his throat and raises his voice. "I see a lot of familiar faces here today. This is good. I know for a fact that the lot of you can be relied-upon, however it needs saying that, as you've been briefed already, this excursion into the wastelands will occupy the better part of two days. I sincerely hope you've all made peace and settled your affairs for the duration, and beyond in accommodation for any roadblocks we may encounter, of which I expect many as is the case with venturing beyond the bubble. I've already plotted a route for us, and we won't be expected to engage in combat as you already know. However, a wise man warned me when I was still fresh out my mother's womb, to expect the unexpected and never anything less. I encourage yu all to do the same! Now, whenever you are all set, please take your place in the transport. There are six seats, pick whichever you find most comfortable. I will be your driver for this encounter." Magnus clasps his paws together, then climbs back down from the hood of the vehicle.

He then turns towards Hreit and greets her properly with a nod and a smile. "Yeah, I am honestly surprised you chose to do a followup on this. Regardless, you've already proven several skillsets that would be quite useful. Whenever you're ready..." he'd motion towards their transport. Those feline eyes dart towards Moose, a brow rising as a faint memory of distant past crosses Magnus' mind. Something about this one overstepping a few boundaries... Magnus crosses his arms and remains still for a moment. "I don't know lad! It depends on what abilities you bring to the team! Big fella like you though would certainly find a way to prove themselves out in the wasteland. My only request, perhaps avoid filling the humvee with smoke. Just as an act of consideration towards the rest of the team. Else, whenever you're ready!" Magnus nods and extends one hand to shake with the large mutant.

Whether or not Moose accepts this, after the exchange is over, his glance wanders towards Crypto, and all the gear he seems to be carrying. "Well, looks like you came prepared. That's good, hopefully we won't be needing all this out there, but t'is an inescapable fact that one is better off having something and not needing it, rather than the other way around. Welcome to the team, whenever you are ready, kindly take your spot in the transport." His eyes gloss over the various agents in his group. "This is a lot of weight... the humvee should be able to bear the load, thankfully we don't have any added cargo to worry ourselves with, and the damn thing has been modified to accommodate the more heavyset of folks. So then!" Magnus moves over towards the driver's seat door, and plops his ass down behind the steering wheel. He turns the key, prompting the engine to initially hiss, then rumble, and roar to life. Road trip time~

Randel's smirk turns into a stifled chucking when seeing Magnus' reaction, not expecting such a flustered response. He quickly adds, "Yeah, the scent is correct, and I shift to best fit the situation. If I'm going to be stuck in a form while away from the Bubble, where humans are the norm, then I'm grabbing a body that's the most useful." When seeing the comedic head bumping with the vehicle hood, he gives the large feline a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but then holds it there for a second as he uses his nanite ability to check if he is actually aright; a typical habit for the nanite augmented doctor. After a long moment of focusing, he steps back, looking a little stunned, as if shocked by something. He pats a gain, and says, "Just checking your head. You're fine. But I think I got a bit of a feedback from that electrical power you have."

Then he backs up into position for the briefing, seeing familiar faces and few new ones; looking them over casually to size up the group his is working with for the next couple days. When told about the length he sighs regrettably and states, "Yeah, The Big Z is used to me going off on my own, as well as my mate back home. Still hate being out of the bubble though, for any length of time." A satisfied smirk comes to his face and adds, "As for my desk job, they can handle things for a while without me. And hopefully realize how important I am."

When seating is being assigned, Randel stands back and watches, seeing how people will puzzle themselves into it first, not seeming to mind where he goes in seating order.

Yejian returns the hug with a warm smile, before stepping back to listen to the briefing. "Mmm. Not my first time. I've brought all I should need, I think... Even my tent. Still, though, if you want to give me notice, I am happy to accompany you almost anywhere, Magnus." She rounds the back of the transport and tosses her hiking pack in, with her shield set atop it. Lastly, she loads herself, in, too, claiming a window seat. It wouldn't do to sit between and force two unlucky souls to chafe against her armour.

Although Hreit had approached, she constantly seemed to be looking somewhere else, hiding her face, her eyes, but as she'd finally looked to magnus, and was actually actively welcomed. She smiled, a rare occurrence, though none here might have known that as she nodded back to him appreciatively. Her eyes sitting like white circles in a black void, striking and odd, with four seeming to occupy the space of where her right eye would be instead. Impossibly so in fact. And the matter that it didn't change outside of bubble either.. Yet piling in now she wasn't one of the largest around. Allotting her the option to sneak in first further back, far back as she could safely in fact. Basically wedging herself against the right wall trying not to stare at anybody, to look as small as possible, unapproachable or distant. But she still maintains a subtle smile, staring out whatever window is nearest. Feeling welcomed was a nice change. And despite this being the first time she's been in a running vehicle. The engine is almost more comforting somehow. Funny that it would be one of the things that didn't freak her out. She'd spare a glance at whoever was next to her later.

Crypto produces a silent nod and heads towards one of the rear window seats. He arranges his gear so that it takes up the majority of leg room but leaves the assault rifle unpacked with the safety on. He stares outside the window and waits for the journey to begin.

Moose blows twin columns of smoke from his nostrils and takes the offered hand in a firm grip of his own. "Yeah," he says, "I can do that." Recognition suddenly dawns on his face. "Say, kid," he frowns, "Listen, sorry about last time. I was still tryin' to figure out... boundaries. Was in the wild a long time."

The big deer dad hauls himself into the front of the humvee, since no one else called shotgun, hunkering down to make room for his antlers and mashing out his cigar before tucking it away for later. He leans an elbow against the open window frame. "Let's ride, kids," he rumbles.

The feline blinks a few times, then realizes that yes, this WAS the guy that'd gotten a little too handsy with him. With the entirety of the squad packed up and ready to roll, Magnus simply waits for them to all get cozy in their seats, and calls out. "Windows up folks. It's freezing out there." He turns on the heater, and before long the compartment fills up with a bath-like warmth. Magnus then turns around to look at Moose, then opens his arms and casts a knowing smile his way. "I don't know what you're talking about. Whatever it was, I am sure it doesn't even matter anymore." Looks like that's settled, yeah? Although Magnus didn't much appreciate being called kid either, it'd been a long time since he'd faced the hardships of this world. Such tiny matters were so insignificant now that t'was the equivalent of being sighed-on by a hamster at this point. "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be arriving at our destination anywhere between three and nine hours from now, all depending on whether or not we encounter any roadblocks as mentioned previously. There is a high likelyhood we'll be going through a sandstorm along the way, which will significantly slow us down if that is indeed the case, at which point I recommend plugging your ears or distracting yourselves in some way because things will get noisy for the duration. Our target is..."

Before them appears an illusory manifestation of what looks to be a derelict observatory, perched high upon one of the distant mountaintops. The structure seemed somewhat taken by time from what the image conveyed, yet solid enough to suggest someone had been upkeeping it. "This place. She's located roughly three hundred and fifty miles south-southeast of our current location, total route taken into account. If you have need to stop, merely give me a pat and I'll pull over. Leaving the server is a harrowing experience to those most used to the nanites, however I encourage you to steel yourselves and remember that t'is merely a trick of the mind and little else." With that, Magnus terminates the illusion, grasps the stick shift, presses down the pedals and sets the party on their way. Before long, they were joined by little more than the distinct humm of the engine and the sounds of rapid winds battering the humvee from all sides.

Somewhere along the lines, the feline would insert a casette... yes, one of those ancient things, into the player on the dash. Ambient tunes start playing through the speakers mounted into each of the car seats, at least making an effort to help the trip pass them by faster. Huh, Guns and Roses. How about that? Sure enough, they inevitably run into that sandstorm Magnus had mentioned, though it proves to be more of a sand gust than anything else. "Looks like we caught the tail end of it. Looks like we'll be there sooner than we thought!" And indeed they were, within just past those three hour estimates, the mountain capped by an observatory in the far far distance comes into view. Astonishingly, they'd not broken down once, or even faced a single bump in the road that'd upset their path. Lady luck truly did smile down upon them today. "There she is... we'll be arriving soon, if anyone has any comments, questions, suggestions?"

Randel settles in, stuck between a couple people, but doesn't seem to mind much. When feeling the cabin warm up, there is a deep sigh as he relaxes some and tries to enjoy the heat while he can. He does fidget a bit, fishing out what looks like a hip flash but with buttons on one of the broad sides, and a basic LCD read out on it. He presses a few buttons on it then takes a quick swig of nanites, before putting it back and focusing on the mission briefing, nodding and seeming to make note of the image and location. "Yes, I know." he answers back quietly in regards to leaving the nanite server's effects, being more than aware of it, especially during helicopter trips to Woodfield or other nearby places; with the uncomfortable feeling seeming to get worse as the years went by.

While on the road, he tries to introduce himself to the group, and especially to the new people in the team. With people able to get a closer look, he looks to be about in his mid-30's, almost looking to be untouched by nanites in his current appearance; though small things like sharp tips on his fingers say otherwise. He talks about some of his skill sets, being mainly a nanite infection form researcher, a field agent, but also a medical doctor. Despite his disdain for being out of the server bubble, he is very still glad to be on the trip, which reminds him of the earlier and more exciting days of the P-day chaos. Not even an hour into the trip, Randel groans deeply in annoyance and pushes out a bubble of heightened nanite activity, dampening the harsh effects of being out in the wastes. That and the music helps a lot with easing the augmented human's state

There is a relief on Randel's face when hearing that the trip is going better than expected, despite the sand storm, and asks, "Ok, so... who's the leader of this group, Magnus I take it? Just wanting to make sure the chain of command is clear, so we don't get any confusion." He then thinks for a moment and asks, "So, what are we expected to run into there? Any threads we need to worry about?" After the question he takes another swig from his nanite flask.

The bun is feeling quiet snug in a heated vehicle like that. Nestled into her seat, her head leaned against the door frame. "A mountain visit, is it? I can never escape the mountains," Yejian murmurs. "But at least this time I won't be climbing it by foot." Had the trip taken towards the longer stretch of time she might well have dozed off like that, but with as short as it is, she's still quite happily watching the landscape pass by. "I wonder what they're doing all the way out here, anyway. It's too bad mom didn't come, she'd probably be able to appreciate the trip a lot more." She's pretty glad to chat it up to pass the time, though. A jolly, amicable knight is she.

Hreit stayed quiet, though at least noting their destination. Planning tended to be problematic for her, for numerous reasons. Following that by just watching outside pass them by, things she'd never seen. Actually seeming more comfortable rather than less, the further away they were. So starting only with a gentle smile, still a jaded look on her face. By the mark of one hour, She'd gone from a jittering paranoiac to a calm and perceptive canid. Though ever focused on what passed outside, she did say a couple things back and forth, though a bit blunt and less wordy, accidentally ending any conversation made with her in a few words, even as she appreciated it. But the moment Randel questioned who was lead, she instantly snapped out. "Not I." Actually laughing a bit before asking her own question. "We are out here looking for a researcher aren't we?"

Crypto catches some sack time as soon as he settles in, or at least tries to with some music from the old world screeches in the foreground and people socializing. Beyond the polite but brief responses, he doesn't say much and just stares out the window and across the horizion. Despite the sandstorm, the trip was quicker than expected... almost unusually so given previous estimates. Crypto checks his gear and plans for the worst, a practical approach since the apocalypse. The illusion suggests that something or someone was doing the minimum to prevent the place from collapsing but allowing it to be overrun. If the intent was to present an abandoned area, the group could be walking into an ambuse. An observatory is an unusual target as Crypto's usual missions involve factories, shipping yards, and other places where supplies could be found from the old world. "What makes this place so special and what are we looking for?"

"Spent more time outside the bubble than in it," Moose grunts after giving an appreciative nod to Magnus.

The burly deer is quiet for most of the trip, actually starting to snore at one point, though he does wake up long enough to snort his appreciation of the music choice before descending once again into "meditation."

He rouses himself as Magnus announces their target is in sight. "I'm mostly here to observe," he admits, "I look big and tough, but I'm bot much use in a fight..." he hesitates, "Most fights anyway. I'm kind of a counselor. Help ease ferals back into society. If it comes to it, I am here to talk mutants down. Or whatever."

"I am just your driver, though I will be accompanying you for the actual encounter. You folks settle amongst yourselves who you'd like to listen to. Pesonally the way I handle command is I opt to have a team of people who can rely on one another and formulate strategies as parts of a greater whole. Having just one person barking orders is severely restrictive." The feline shakes his head, then elucidates some finer details. "We're looking for one, Professor Vladim Kozlov. He's Ex-Zephyr and wanted for industrial espionage. Hence why he has exiled himself in that big bowl up there. Truth be told, I couldn't give two hairs off my pelt about what he did to wrong Zephyr, but the information he has could be crucial for repelling the otherworldly threats. This is why he has agreed to see me, I've long since severed affiliation with the big three and have been doing my own thing. He is... admittedly not going to be very happy to see all of you here, but with things being the way they are outside the bubble's reach, I'd much rather have a team backing me up than to meander my way on my own out here and get my shit kicked in by gods-knows what. If I'm right, then the good doc will be fine and expecting us, but... you know that feeling you have at the bottom of your stomach, where you just know, you just KNOW something ain't right? Yeah..."

By then they were halfway up to their mark, though at this point the road was more of a narrow path and the humvee was visibly struggling to take some of the harsher terrain. Even so, they'd proceed onward, slowly but surely... that is until Magnus hits the breaks and stops them a few inches short of a sudden drop a hundred feet deep beneath them. Looks like a landslide had taken their route up to the Observatory with itself. "This is as far as we go ladies and gentlemen. From here on, we have to go on foot. Brace yourselves, it's hella cold out there." With that, the feline opens his door and lets in the cold air. At this altitude, it was FREEZING out there, easily in the low teens of Fahrenheit or negative teens celcius. Magnus rubs his arms and shivers a bit, then casts his glance upwards, a good ten or fifteen minute hike being all that separated them from their goal. "Alright! Looks like we're jumping this. Unless anyone has any brilliant ideas. I suggest you put those leg muscles to good use." The gap was hardly too wide, no more than nine feet across, easily leapable with a running start.

Randel soon notices the lack of chatting among the team and gradually quiets down until they reach the destination, closing his eyes and letting his mind relax while listening to the nostalgic music.

The trance breaks when near the destination, and listens carefully to the briefing. When the comment about 'Ex-Zephyer wanted for industrial espionage' comes up, he pats his chest, grabs his ID Badge and pockets it away, not wanting to spook the guy. "I'm no Z-Police, and the otherworldly threat is way more important that trade secrets right now." He comments about the mission. He then sighs and says, "I ask who's in charge because I... just want to make sure I don't mess things up. Just so used to solo missions amongst ferals, and felt like I've..." he trails off, feeling as though he should keep things brief.

When reaching the sudden drop, Randel has no idea just how bad it is, being buried in the middle of the vehicle. He sighs sadly when the heat is sapped out of the cabin, but doesn't seem to faze him. Though he does look annoyed, especially when seeing others looking cold, as if he wished he could do more. "Damn..." he says quietly when seeing the gap, "Yeah, can't drive further." He then looks at the group and asks, "So how are we crossing this? Moose, you're pretty big, "You could straddle that, right?" looking at the large white tail deer anthro, "Or maybe jump over or send a few logs across?"

"If something happens, I'll do my best to protect. That's what I do, after all." Yejian stretches out a little, and braces herself as she clambers out of the vehicle. She was thankful at a time like this for her fluffy pelt and extra weight. She did wish she had brought a hat, though... Tugging her ears down so as not to catch extra wind, the rabbit shoulders her backpack and takes up her shield from the luggage. "To that end, I don't mind taking point as we advance."

"For the more immediate concern of this gap..." Yejian fishes up a length of rope. "Even if you're confident in making the jump, I might suggest tying off with this. One end to the humvee, one to you. That way if you fall, at least... It's not a tragic. Then when you get across, untie your end, we reel it back up, tie off the next person, and so forth." That said, she ties one end to the humvee's bumper and starts to get herself secured. She's not one to sit idle and contemplate overmuch. Brave and Bold, as it goes.

Crypto grimly grabs his bow, stashes the rest of his gear in the humvee, and suffers the cold temperature outside. Eventually the group comes upon the gap that impedes their path. The thought of making that jump is daunting considering the fact that the fall is more certainly fatal. Crypto is glad that someone had a rope.

Crypto cries out, "Could someone help me up?"

Crypto nods towards Moose, "Thanks" as he makes it to the other side.

Hreit stepped out with a neutral shiver, breath catching the air in whisps as she tightened her arms to hug around herself a moment, to get used to it, being the last one out to see the problem. She hadn't had much more to add, and was probably more responsive than good at planning.. And while the plans that were tossed about were good. She didn't trust them necissarily. Idly thinking to herself, looking around, pointing at the cliff face with a note to "watch the cliff.. It might go again." And, sliding her pick carefully from between her pack and such. There wasn't even any sign of what she had done. And bolted forwards, leaping right over the gap.. And surprised as she planted and landed, without any rope or anything at all. Kind of wishing she'd had the forethought to figure out something for her ears.

Moose is not wearing any sort of heavy coat or winter protection, but the frigid air does not seem to bother him at all. He steps from the humvee and immediately lights up his cigar, clenching it between his teeth. He steps close to the shivering Magnus and throws an arm over the aquafeline's shoulder. He smells strongly of cigar smoke and animal musk, but he is also warm. Like a big, musky space heater. And his touch is... comforting, even if it was not exactly asked for.

Moose waits just long enough to get Magnus warmed up, and for Yejian to move aside, then he rolls his shoulders a couple of times, gives one or two experimental hops, then runs forward, taking a flying leap across the gap. Turns out, nothing runs, or jumps like a deer. He lands lightly on the far side, and throws down the rope that Yejian brought along to haul Crypto up. Then he turns to face the others with his arms open wide. "Come on over," he says, standing ready to help any other jumpers, "Papa Moose has got you."

"Looks like this isn't gonna be a problem." Magnus makes his own running leap, and clears the distance with a light roll on the other side. He dusts himself off, then assists wherever possible with the others. He turns back towards the Humvee and reaches into his pocket, retrieves a keyfob, and locks the doors with the press of a button. "Gonna be nice coming back to this thing and getting warm again." With Randel also making his leap with little to no issue, the feline gestures for them to follow, giving Moose a passing pat of appreciation on the right shoulder along the way. The trek upwards was fairly uneventful, just lots of frigid winds that chew at their resilience for a while. Eventually the group arrives before a pair of large, heavy steel doors with a functioning intercom system on the cold, white wall near them. The observatory was quite the marvel to behold, massive in size and well upkept. Thankfully there were no signs of struggles or bloodshed in the area. Magnus shivers in place and leans against the corner connecting the doorway to its connecting blockade, where he'd be out of the wind's harrowing grasp. He reaches out with one finger and presses the call button on the intercom, then gestures for the others to gather around. No answer... He presses it again... and again... and again... until a voice finally sounds off from the speaker. "Good grief! Can't a man use the restroom in peace?! Who's there?!" Magnus blinks a few times, and covers his mouth, then glances around the party. Seems they needed someone with a silver tongue right now...

Being familiar with the research types, Randel steps up and says, "Oh... Oh! It is working! I'm really sorry about that! I thought maybe someone led us astray. Professor Vladim Kozlov? We heard you were held up here and are one of the leading researchers in the... Otherword? Outer Realm! That crazy incomprehensible plane. I'm Doctor Randel, a nanite infection researcher and psychologist, and well... Long story short, I got several patients that talked about insane hard to describe events and having even weirder and very disturbing biology. Nothing that nanite infection forms could explain. I've been in my field for over 10 years, and I feel like I'm way, WAY, out of my depth here and we could really use some your advice on a number of things. I was hoping that we could, huh... share notes?" He then pauses a moment and looks at the rest, if they want to add to it.

Yejian finds a place to leave her end of the rope for when it comes time to make the jump back, but for now, she readies her shield and makes the way up the mountain once the others are across. A chilly hike to be sure, and she passes it in quiet if only for the sake of focusing on enduring the cold. The shield proves more useful at protecting her from the wind than any other threats, at least. And while she is eager to take on just about any challenge, she leaves the trial of conversation to the others. For now.

Hreit had easily returned her pick back to her pack, and was now just steadily rubbing her ears and keeping them covered from the wind, staying a bit crouched to lower her surface area as much as she could. The bandage layers were doing quite a bit of work though. Keeping her covered bits comfortable as they went. It kind of felt weird. Like a layer of mild warmth across most of her body, and then her ears were just *cold*. She'd be fine if it weren't for the wind, had been doing stuff like this all winter, sleeping amidst the elements. But she knew that out here it could be a lot worse. So that wind.. She finally shivered, teeth chattering noisily for moments at a time. As they arrived, things still found a way to almost make her laugh, but when there was actually a response, she stepped aside instantly, very similiarly pressing against the structure to get out of the wind at least a bit. Shaking her head, refusing to say a word here, knowing full well the mess her talking tends to lead to.

Crypto speaks into the intercom, "While we have countless number of scientific teams, none of them have been able to make and progress with understanding this otherworldly phenomena. We believe that your research is paradigm shifting and believe you are the only one knowledgeable enough to understand the issue.

Moose huddles in close with the others. Not because he is cold, but because he assumes the others are, and he is a big, musky, hot water bottle.

"It's cold out here, Professor Kozlov," Moose says, leaning over the others, "Can we discuss all this inside, please?"

The intercom remains silent for a little while, a soft whirring heard from somewhere above them. Well would you look at that. There's a small camera perched just above their heads in the overarching doorway. "What kind of fool do you take me for, boy?! You traveled all this way to share NOTES?! Who are you?! Who sent you?! Bah... ohhh sweet melancholy, it has been eons since I've last conversed with an educated mind. All there is out here is the... the beasts. They just hiss and growl. Hmph. Well as entertaining as you might be, I'm afraid you might find my pursuits a little bit unbecoming of one in your specific field of study. Hmmm, but my my, what a motley crew of zany characters you all are. Not the sort I'd expect at my doorstep, that's for sure."

Some more radio silence follows, and Magnus makes a show of gesticulating that this man is coocoo by spinning one finger near his right temple. This seems to catch the ire of Kozlov. "I SEE THAT you felinoid CRETIN! I AM NOT THE CRAZY ONE HERE! EVERYONE ELSE IS! Ohhh... they laughed. THEY LAUGHED WHEN I PROPOSED THE HARMFUL AFTEREFFECTS OF EXTRAPLANAR ENTITIES IN OUR REALITY! Well WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?! Certainly not them, that's for sure. I mean, why else would you fuzzballs be here? HUMPH!" Magnus lowers his hand and looks a little jaded... perhaps he had not noticed the camera above them? "I didn't mean to imply..." He gets cut off. "Oh I know exaaaactly what you meant! So then..." Crypto speaks up, which elicits a laugh out of the man. "Haaa haaa haaaaaa... ohh this does bring tears of joy to my eyes. So the corporate shills have run out of ideas. Ohhh, this is too goooooood! If they're this stumped as to come running after me, then indeed we have something to talk about!"

Then Moose chymes in with the all too rational request. "Hmmm, maybe. Yes. No? Yes. Yes, you can come in. Hands off your weapons, though... wouldn't want anyone spontaneously turned inside-out now, would we?" A faint cackle is heard, then a loud *clank* as the door seals unfasten, releasing the locks and permitting the entryway to swing open. Warmth gushes out from the well maintained interior, a brightly lit expansive chamber stretching out within their line of sight through the doorway. "Wipe your feet. AND DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! I don't care what kind of scientists you claim to be, but this is my home as much as it is my lab. Now then, I'll be with you in a jiffy. Roy will handle you until I decide to emerge." Wow, talk about strange wording. Things only get even weirder however, when a robotic quadruped, no larger than a common dog walks into view. Its metallic exoskeleton seems custom-tooled to conceal whatever components lay beneath, its head distinctly canine-shaped yet lacking in any of the features expected of a living being. Two hollow camera lenses peer at the group, then a synthesized voice sounds off from within it. "Follow." It instructs, then turns tail, whirring as it steps deeper into the complex.

Crypto Quickly walks into the building to avoid the cold and follows the construct.

Randel tries to hide a crestfallen look when being called out by the crazed scientist for just comparing notes, before looking relieved that the guy seems to be warming up to them, despite the insanity and paranoia. Already in the back of his mind, he feels like he's talking to an insane patent, though one that is far from a safe work environment, but at least has some extra muscle in case things go south. When the professor starts laughing in vindication, he honestly can't help but chuckle as well in empathy; knowing how maddening it could be to be discredited for so long. With the reaction to Crypto's comments, he seems more amused, and sighs in relive. Despite the disturbing amount of insanity vibs coming from Kozlov, the fact that the guy was happy made Randel a bit more at ease, though still cautious, knowing first-hand the issues of neurotic mood swings from patients.

"Yes, there will be plenty to talk about," Randel adds while watching the doors open. There is a deep sigh, and... the nanite bubble he is maintaining flickers! "Crap! I can't use that here" he mutters quietly, realizing that his Nanomagic ability is still limited, "Fine, was going to try to say do as he says. We can't afford him changing his mind on a whim and doing who knows what to us... among other things." After that holds his hands behind is back, making sure not to touch anything, and look around the place, marveling at the facility the mad scientist has.

Yejian wipes her paws off as requested upon entering, then takes a moment to rub the cold out of her ears. "This is quite the reception! Not what I was expecting," she says, as she sets off after 'Roy.' All the while, she takes in the building around them. She had never been anywhere quite like this. Exciting!

Moose waits for the others to enter, then ducks his antlered head under the doorframe, being careful to wipe his hooves before entering.

The big deer looks at the robotic dog. "Thank you, Roy," he rumbles, surprisingly gracious, though he has not put out his cigar.

Hreit would wipe her feet politely, holding a moment before only dashing another step or two in, shaking herself, getting the cold out of her fur at least a little bit, then stopping again. Eyes quickly catching across their surroundings, and much to her delight, nothing but stuff that would burn nice if they had to torch the place for some reason. Then again... Maybe if.. She shook her head, no, bad idea, terrible idea. Terrible awful bad. She muttered to herself a bunch of words incomprehensible followed by "Stupid thoughts go away.." Focusing back in to see what everyone was doing and get back on track, apparently following a robot. And she didn't even question it either. Though not understanding that it is an actual automaton, just assuming it another person like that was normal. And yet, with those thoughts, she'd gone from a sagging tail at the cold, to her tail wagging at all the different things she could do if something went wrong. All the ruckus she would raise the moment it was acceptable.