[hr][center][h3][b][u][The Abyss - Paracausal Research Facility: Muriel][/u][/b][/h3][/center]
[center][color=00aeef][A Fate001 / XianaEvermor Collaboration][/color][/center][hr]

ID shuffled about the elevator platform on its ten minute descent into the abyss, willing it to move faster. The elevator hung out in space, with the abyss wall behind them and nothing but a rail between them and the endless darkness below. She leaned against the rail, still not quite recovered from the ribbing Nora had given her earlier, if the wisps of steam from the rapidly evaporating moisture in her cloak and boots were any indication. The elevator was near silent, and with naught but the dim glow of the elevator’s control panel, it was nearly pitch as well.

The substructure of the Tower spider-webbed into the darkness as far as she could make out. Networks of conduit and pipe, unsightly bulges and twists that defied the otherwise uniform symmetry of the rest of the tower pressed ever closer to the cliff side as they descended. As she understood, this part of the tower was mainly support facilities. Miles and miles of generators, hydroponics, water and air purification, and tinker-made production foundries of which only a fraction were currently in use. 

Theoretically the tower could support a massive population in isolation near perpetually should some world-ending disaster afflict the planet… like that would ever happen. Now the majority of it gathered dust in the Abyss, out of the sight and minds of the people who made it.

ID’s eyes gleamed luminous amber in the darkness as she shifted mana into them; a [Sight] Fortification. The world became monochrome and grainy, but it was better than fumbling around in the pitch darkness.

Triple checking all of her equipment, MG pulled out a combat shotgun and after a few moments of consideration began loading it with the custom buckshot shells she was supplied with. Was the rock salt a needlessly painful addition? No. And it was probably some form of crime to use it. Oh the humanity of it. That probably wasn’t even considering all the other crap that might have gone into them but she didn’t really ask questions. So long as bullets made holes she was happy.

After her force multiplier was sufficiently loaded and a shell racked, Nora took a moment to think before casually stating. [color=#7FFFD4][b]" You know, if you're not gonna take a shot at [i]Mr.Muscles[/i] maybe I will. If he’s got you acting like this then he’s sure to be a catch .  . . Or you know, I could just tell our wonderful boss you have a boyfriend."[/b][/color] Nora didn’t even look at ID before closing and locking her helmet with a soft clang. 

[b][color=#db60b0]"WH-!!"[/color][/b] ID spluttered, whirling around and spitting syllables for far too long. The control panel screen behind her stuttered and artifacted, and the camera view of the landing chamber flickered with static as an enormous black hound with glowing red eyes strode across the screen, pausing to peer seemingly directly at them. Glitches and artifacts sizzled across the screen and the dog vanished  before ID folded her arms in a huff and composed herself.

[b][color=#db60b0]"Whatever, it’s not like I [i]like[/i] him or anything! I said it was [i]purely contractual[/i], and the fact that he’s hot has nothing to do with our working relationship,"[/color][/b] she quipped, turning back around to check the landing chamber camera. The flush of her cheeks at the edges of her mask was, thankfully, hidden by the gloom… the hot, glowing footprints she left on the elevator floor, however, were not.

MG let out a snort of a laugh. [color=#7FFFD4][b]”So you admit you think he’s hot. Not really helping your case here [i]Hotshot[/i].”[/b][/color] she glanced to the floor and clicked her tongue. Maybe now was the time to cut the teasing and get back on track; didn’t want the floor to fall apart like wet clay. Extremely hot wet clay. ID bristled grumpily.

[color=#7FFFD4][b]”Getting on topic. I know I’m not usually one to ask questions regarding missions. But the suits don’t tend to send the both of us on [i]simple[/i] jobs.[/b][/color] She checked her equipment once again. A nervous tick. 

A film of frost began to grow out from MG’s feet, creating a hiss of steam as it reached ID but didn’t impede the woman. [color=#7FFFD4][b]” Are we cleared to use excessive force? This shit is already making the hairs on my neck stand up.”[/b][/color] The former soldier was not usually one to voice concerns unless something was really bothering her. 

[b][color=#db60b0]"Officially speaking,"[/color][/b] ID began, slipping back into her mask of controlled composure. She’d learned to trust the Merc’s intuition, and if MG was feeling uneasy then it was time to get serious. The temperature began to normalize. 

[b][color=#db60b0]"We’re here to find out why the facility stopped communicating with Ichabod. [i]Officially speaking[/i], there shouldn’t be any reason to use force… However, facilities don’t typically just go dark without explanation. Also, I strongly suspect that the psychic wave emission that caused so many problems yesterday originated here: it came from this direction, and [i]Muriel[/i] is the only facility here,"[/color][/b] she explained, checking the monitor again.

[b][color=#db60b0]"So… [i]Officially[/i], this is an investigation… but my ‘educated guess’ is that we’ll run into trouble. I don’t know what to expect so yeah, ‘excessive force’ is authorized. If it’s not immediately dangerous I’d like to try and get a read on the facility before we sterilize it,"[/color][/b] she noted. [i]Get a read[/i] was code for [i]doing some spooky Esper shit.[/i]

Oh hell. It was gonna be more of that weird shit, MG just knew it. It wasn’t like she asked or really cared much about what Menagerie was up to: she was just a hired gun for them. A well paid and supplied hired gun, but still. There had been a few times when she had to capture, kill, or stalk something she really didn’t want to. Made some of the beasts down here seem tame on occasion. 

The air around MG continued to stay cold as the descent almost finished, her powers took a second to “warm up” and it was better to get that ready now. [color=#7FFFD4][b]”Are we expected to recover anything, no secondary objectives? If it’s any of the weird crap I can’t guarantee I’m not gonna try and scuttle this place on our way out . . . Gods there better be another way out besides this lift or I’m gonna complain your ear off.”[/b][/color] She thought she felt the lift lurch for a second suddenly. MG braced and looked to ID to see if that hadn’t just been her.

[b][color=#db60b0]"I was told to ‘investigate the circumstances’ so… no [i]explicit[/i] secondary objective. Not yet, anyway,"[/color][/b] she said evenly, though she couldn’t ignore the gnawing pit of dread in her stomach. Someone should have contacted them for identification after the elevator had hit the half-way point. The fact that she used an override code to activate the elevator should have whipped the whole facility into a frenzy of [i]how do you do, ma’am’s[/i].

[b][color=#db60b0]"Oh, I’m sure the facility is full of all kinds of weird, spooky shit,"[/color][/b] ID chirped, far too cheerily. Her turn to tease. [b][color=#db60b0]"And unless you have a personal teleporter squirreled away in that rig of yours this is, indeed, the [i]only[/i] way out,"[/color][/b] she informed with a smile.

MG grumbled and affixed a bayonet to her shotgun that was definitely illegal.