World Tree MUSH

    "Guys! ... Guys wake up!"
    It must be like three or four in the morning, standard time, after fixing the communications array and asteroid defenses, by the time Alty's voice crackles over the comms. "I have good news and better news." The little shinki says from her control room.
    "I found a short range, automate, shuttle in Engineering that can get everyone down to the planet. That's the good news. The better news? There's a long range ship, planetside, at the main terraforming station down there. That's our ticket home!"
    Jump cut to Engineering, after opening a few doors that weren't open before. Just as Alty said there would be, there's a small shuttle ready and primed to take the team down planetside. "I'll stay aboard the station on the off chance any other ships come by now that we have the comms systems running. Get aboard the ship down there and bring it back up and we're as good as free."

    "Absolutely out of the question."

    Hyouka has been tense ever since they discovered that an Alty-imitator has been using the radio; even if that voice did guide them to successfully doing the right thing, it's still incredibly worrying on the face of it. They have no way of knowing for sure. So for once, Hyouka's putting her foot down and being a stern Adult(tm). "First of all, if you're actually Alty, there's no way we're letting you stay on this station all alone. Second of all, you might not actually be Alty, in which case you're some random person trying to get me to abandon someone I consider a close friend. Either way, no dice. You're coming with us." Armfold, stern nod.

    DARGN says softly, "...Hyouka, that's unusually well thought-out for you." Hyouka hrmphs irritably.

  It's a toss-up whether Alty shouting or Ecco's snout bumping up against the ceiling is what wakes him up, but the dolphin does wake up with a squawk. He was having such a nice dream about not being in some kind of nightmare space station. Now he's not.

  But Alty has good news, so maybe it's not a total wash. Ecco twists and lets his jaw loll open a little, listening to the report.

  Short-range. Automate. Shuttle. These are all good human words. Long-range ship. Planetside. Main terraforming station. Probably functional. Ticket home. These are even better words.

  And then Hyouka cuts in, and all those nice things Ecco was hearing turn into an unsettlingly human record-scratch.

  The young bull's flukes droop as he flutes a warbling sigh. "Iki's nets, I just-t want to get out-t-t of here... what if I stayed here while you guyssss go get the shuttle? Just in case it's a trick-k, so Alty isn't-t alone?" Blunt snout swings from one person to the next. Eh? Ehh? "I mean, realistically, we've got-t to get out-t-t of here anyway."

    Cayde snatched up his gun at the wake-up call before remembering where they were. He hadn't meant to doze, but given he'd spent the previous night checking things out, he'd decided some rest couldn't hurt. 

    "Sounds great Alty. That uh...that is you, right?" After that weird episode when they'd finished clearing up the asteroid field, he's not sure what to think, despite saying that things were probably fine. Hyouka seems on the same page at least.

    Still, the Exo can't deny beign eager to get off this wacky station and its fun nest of zombies. "Dibs on the pilot's seat!" Wait, is it on autopilot? Well that'll be annoying. "-although I'm with Hyouka. We're not leaving anyone here." But still, he stakes his claim to fly.

    While she was fretful and nervous, Jessica had shown she could actually use the weapons, and getting close to a way off this station was uplifting! That is, until she hears the last part of the plan. "Um..." Fidget. Cat ears flatten in dismay at what she is hearing there. She's having trouble putting it into words, so Hyouka beats her to it.

    "E-even if we were imagining things," Jessica points out, "I don't think I want to leave you alone on the station. What if there's another meteor storm or one of those monsters appears agaain while we're away." Looks like she is with everyone else.

Serrah is fiddling with her sling as she steps into the shuttle room. She takes it off, flexes her arm a bit, winces, and puts the sling back on. "Okay yeah, I'm just about, uh, still-not-ready to take this damn thing off."

She grumbles under her breath. "Put a sock in it, DARGN," she says. She looks around at the others. "I'm with Hyouka and Jessica. And I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay here alone either, Ecco. Just in case you really are ... alone."

... She doesn't really want to think about the possibility that there is no "real Alty" left.

She pauses, and looks around for the nearest air vent. "Anyone got any suggestions for navigating through the air vents to look for the real Alty? It won't be comfortable with this damn arm, but I could turn into shadow."

    "My favorite jelly flavor is peach. You take your coffee with Irish Cream flavored creamer in large amounts and you like to spend a moment savoring it before drinking it all down in one go." Alty replies without missing a beat. "Jessica doesn't get lost easily unless she takes a bad misstep, I was irrationally afraid of Serrah even though I don't have any blood for her to drink, Ecco surfaces for air when he sleeps, and Cayde has a habit of twirling the Ace of Spades on his finger when he unholsters it." The observant little shinki proves her identity well enough.
    "Scary as it is to stay on the station alone, someone has to keep sending out the distress signal. ... Don't worry about me, I'm fine in this control room. --No Ecco, go with everyone else. And there isn't another meteor storm coming up on any of the scanners. You'll just all have to come back and get me before another one comes. Now get on board, the longer you all stay here the longer it is for any of us to get home. I'm already setting a course for the shuttle for you."

    Hyouka blinks softly, once, twice. "...that's Alty," she confirms simply. "But..." There's a deep frown from the elven-looking woman, glancing up at the ceiling as if speaking to the shinki through the vents. "I really don't like the idea of leaving you here. Not when there's something running around imitating your voice." She's visibly torn; while Alty is making at least some degree of sense, the cyborg's been on edge regarding Alty's safety ever since the backpack was yanked from her back completely without her notice. "If we're getting an escape ship, do we really need the distress signal?"

    A glance, over her shoulder at Cayde. Back me up, fellow roboperson?

    Blink. Jessica blushes, but the rapid fire of the data also means she doesn't get hung up on Serrah's blood drinking habit! That's a question for another time! The catgirl - who is rather tiny! - does peer at the vent as if to see if she can reach the vent and fit into it easily, but her thoughts are on something else.

    "Mm... yeah, do we really need that? Can't you put it on loop? Oh, maybe you can just get one of those dippy bird thingees to hit the button for you?" She holds up a finger and tilts it to the side, then up again, then tilt, then up.

    Back her up guys, what could go wrong?

  The idea of staying behind is immediately shot down, and Ecco looks disproportionately relieved at not actually having to stay behind. Phew. That was close, but hey, he's a good guy, he had to make the offer. He's all for finding ways off this horrible cursed chunk of metal.

  Phew.

  Ecco looks back and forth between the others, and then wheels to watch Serrah's study of the ventilation register grate. It's an option, but not one for him. One two three not it! Besides, don't awful things happen in those in the movies?

  "Okay fine I'm going with everyone else. Good enough for meeee," the bottlenose whistles, at not being left behind. Okay cool. Relief! "No suggestionssss from me, though. I sure can't-t-t fit in there." Suddenly, he whirls to face Hyouka, chattering. "Hey, don't-t you have anything you can ask her that only Alty would know? Prove it-t'ssss the real--"

  Oh, Alty's got that idea already. Maybe? He deeosn't actually know her, though, so he can't really verify any of this stuff.

  Ecco surfaces for air when he sleeps...

  The bottlenose can't blush. But he does squawk and clap his jaws in awkward irritation.

  He turns and looks at the rest. He doesn't shrug, because he can't; but he does tilt his head slightly. "Well... that-t'ssss good enough for me." A brief glance at the others. "Couldn't-t hurt," he offers to Hyouka, with a warble somehow indicative of a shrug. "Besidessss, maybe it'll warn anyone else in the area off."

Serrah manages not to have more than a slight wince at the comment about Alty's original fear. She nods to Jessica. "Yeah, like ..." She shakes her head. "Even apart from the fact that manually transmitting a distress signal doesn't make sense, I thought we agreed that the plan was getting the hell out of dodge and blasting the shit out of this space station until there weren't fragments big enough to spread whatever the hell caused this mess. I feel like we don't need a distress signal."

She lowers her voice. "Plus, whoever the double is might have some other way of, like, reading her mind or whatever." It's something she's been worried about due to her own situation with Vincent; thankfully, that wasn't the case, but still. This is one of the few areas where she's actually somewhat observant. She looks between Jessica and Hyouka. "Has she seen you guys enough to know how you take your coffee and whether or not you get lost?"

    The Exo pauses as Alty rattles off her observations. "Haha...yeah, I do," he admits with a grin. Really, how can you not twirl a hand cannon? It's like a necessity. Okay maybe that's just his thinking. 

    He glances at Hyouka, giving a slight up-nod. "A distress signal should be automatic. You'd think there should be enough juice to leave it running, Sundance already rerouted power. Should be good to leave, right?" And if not then that's another thing to add to the list of 'why this station is a piece of crap.' 

    "Anyway! We're broadcasting a warning signal to keep people away from this death trap so no reason to not all go down and then grab that ship and skedaddle."

    Jessica nods, "Huh? Oh yes, we were talking a few days before all this happened, because I had gotten lost. And I mentioned that wasn't really normal for me!"

    "Oh yes, absolutely," Hyouka replies to Serrah, nodding. "I even helped her find her favorite jelly flavor."

    There's a long moment of silence on the other side of the comms, and for good reason. Everyone has, thus far, presented Alty with no other choice than to leave the safety and security of her control room.
    Then comes the most epic of tiny sighs.
    "Give me five minutes."
    Roughly five minutes later, there's a soft clatter in the vents. The sound of tiny feet scurrying. And...
    "--..eeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
    That is the sound of a terrified shinki bolting at top speed, right before a vent grille is blown out completely off the wall and Alty comes leaping out, with Hyouka's backpack in tow. She doesn't stop, she doesn't say hi, she doesn't do anything except bolt her way inside the shuttle and hide under a chair.
    She really did not want to traverse those vents.
    All aboard.
    The shuttle trip is relatively unventful, though, being automated, it is a smooth sail out of the Engineering airlock and towards the planet, hitting the atmosphere at the right angle to not burn to a crisp on re-entry, and then gliding down through the air towards a landing pad on a sprawling complex.
    Huff.
    "This was the main base of operations for the terraformers here. Though it looks like no one made it offplanet in time, when... Whatever happened happened." Alty murmurs as the shuttle touches down and the doors open.
    The sight of the ship off in the distance should inspire some hope at least. Novo-VII is a chilly world though, and there's so little land that most of the base and buildings were constructed on floating platforms.
    "We'll probably have to find the control room for it to set up the launch."

    Hyouka is very careful to take the seat under which Alty is hiding. She even crosses her feet over the space underneath, protectively.

    It is nice getting the heck off the station, though. Stepping onto the landing pad, into proper natural gravity, is a huge relief. Already as they disembark, Hyouka is working on re-threading the straps of the backpack, sliding them snugly back into their loops so she can put it on again. "Do we know if the water here is safe for Ecco? It might be good to have someone who can maneuver down there. I don't need to breathe, but I'd also have a much harder time not sinking like a rock."

    She looks out at the ship thoughtfully, hands on her hips. "...come to think of that, can any of you fly it? Cayde, Jessica...?"

    Cayde had tried very hard to make the shuttle trip at least a little eventful, but the autopilot was stuck fast, and Sundance for some reason didn't want to humor him in trying to disengage it. Oh well. He's totally calling dibs on piloting the ship. Ships are easier than tanks.

    "Always something," he mutters as Alty speaks of the control room. He looks around, for the moment simply glad not to be stuck on that station. 

    "Ooh, me!" he volunteers abruptly at Hyouka's inquiry, hand shooting up.

  It doesn't take long to get situated on the shuttle. Ecco tries not to look uncomfortable, but all he can really do is float over the seating, since he doesn't actually fit in the seating. Most of the conversation gets glossed over because he's looking at the shuttle and admiring the shuttle. The novelty of space travel still hasn't worn off yet.

  He stares a little when Alty goes flying past and under a chair, though, blinking.

  ...whut.

  Moving on. Ecco looks toward the cockpit, eyeing it as the Designated Pilot gets ready. Except once they're getting closer to the ship, he's glued himself to the nearest viewport, staring at it and whistling with a high, faint 'eeeeee' of pure Science Nerd Being Impressed.

  Distracted by questions, though. Is the water safe? Ecco moves his head a little, to peer down into the inky depths. "Tastessss like seawater," Ecco observes, clicking at the choppy waves. "It-t doesn't taste like acid or anything... seemssss normal." The dolphin looks up at Hyouka. "Well, it's up to you, but I'm willing to dive. It'ssss your call."

  Cayde is eyed, a little blandly.

  "Probably not-t a good idea, buddy." Grin, grin. That's a lot of pointy conical white teeth. "Besides, if they need to shoot-t something, you're better off here. Right-t-t?"

Serrah frowns and nods. She's still very uneasy about all this, but she goes with the rest of the group without complaint, and she's visibly relieved when Alty arrives with Hyouka's backpack.

Serrah just sits quietly by herself on the way down (which was fine, no thanks to you, Cayde), but she's looking more and more uncomfortable by the time they reach planetside. She steps out of the shuttle and full-on winces slightly. "Welp. Sunlight is still sunlight, I guess," she says. "Guess all the windows had, like, filters against it." She's suddenly looking a lot more droopy than she did before. "... yyyyeah. Don't ask me to throw baseballs at full speed now, ahahaha ..."

She shrugs at Hyouka's comment about the water. "I might be able to swim, too. Especially if I shapeshift. I don't need to breathe, either." ... And then she glances at her sling. "Probably not a great idea for me to try, though." She laughs weakly. "Damn it."

She can't resist a chortle at Cayde's volunteering, but doesn't comment.

    "Ah, we don't have starships where I'm from. I can drive a car and a bike and probably muddle my way through getting a city to go where I want, but not a ship," Jessica starts answering... and Cayde just jumps right in! That enthusiasm from the robotic guy is startling, and she stares at him for a second.

    Pulling her jacket around her and zipping it up, Jessica shivers before approaching the where Ecco is talking about the water. The dolphin makes her feel comfortable compared to most of the others, aside from Alty and(surprisingly for anyone who doesn't know Jessica) Serrah. Speaking of...

    "I still have a magazine and a half, that should be enough, and Cayde over there has ammunition I think."

    The briney sea spray in the air says it all. The water should be safe for anyone attempting to swim in it. It's a little saltier than what Ecco may be used to, but it's water all the same. Though it may be a bit on the cold side, too.
    Luckily, Alty downloaded a handy map of the facility before leaving her safe room; a small hologram display popping up over her head to plot a course from platform to platform, which are each connected by some pretty sturdy looking bridges.
    "It should beeeee this way."
    'This way' being a course that zig-zags through a stone silent facility. No signs of people. Not one hint of a survivor. Just the sound of the waves lapping at the struts and supports that hold the metal platforms up.

    "We don't need to swim! We just need to jump!" Cayde says, rubbing his hands together all too eagerly. He does stuff like this all the time! He probably won't even break his legs. Anyway, it'll be fine so long as Sundance is here.

    Jessica does get a grin. Of course he has ammunition. "Too bad the tour didn't get far enough to tell us of what all's down here. But maybe we'll be clear of zombies at least." Hopefully. It's not the first time that he begins to wonder about the origin of those things. That was a problem yet unexplained, and he doesn't like secrets of that particular sort.

    As their way is mapped out, he eagerly takes point unless someone else reeeeally wants at it. "Reminds me of Titan," he says. "Let's just hope the zombies aren't down here and don't nest like the Hive."

  Fortunately, Ecco can cheat, floating over the platforms without much regard for logistics. Drifting down near foot level beside the platform's edge means he can feel the spray, opening his jaws in an expression of clear glee. Squeee, it's so nice to be near the water. Even if it tastes kind of funny, and it's a little too salty.

  Totally cheating as the others jump, yep. Just drifting along beside everybody. Of course, if anyone fumbles their footing, he'll be there to nudge them back in line with his nose. Or body slam them back onto the platform if they actually fall. Not being beholden to gravity is kinda nice! He'll have to thank Athena for this doohickey again later.

  He files after the others, drifting around in erratic circular patterns, eyeing the platforms' struts and supports with every other orbit around them. Ecco's content to follow along, kicking flukes and keeping pace near Cayde. "Sssso... uh... anything we should know about T-Titan?" he adds, cocking a bland eye up to Cayde. And shudders. Just a little. "Let'ssss not think about nesting hiving zombies..."

  "I'm sssstarting to wonder what'ssss down here, too." The dolphin sounds a little disgruntled. "What-t-t could have possibly caused all that-t, anyway? Dead thingssss are supposed to stay dead."

    Jessica really doesn't want to swim when it's this cold in the outer air. But as the facility turns stone silent, Jessica shows a hint that she's not completely new to scenes of death. "Do you think they evacuated? I'm not seeing any signs of fighting or anything. You'd think there'd be blood or damage..."

    She's keeping an eye out for such things, that's for sure.

    DARGN offers a dry, "I'm wary of anyone that enthusiastic about flying the escape ship." Hyouka responds in a faintly exasperated, "Well, unless you learned to pilot when I wasn't looking..." She shakes her head faintly, then says, "Ecco, as long as you can get back out here if you need to, I think it'll be good to have eyes underwater. No telling what you might spot down there that we miss."

    Alty gives them a map, and Hyouka adjusts her backpack straps, then falls into step right beside Cayde at the front. At first, she's relatively relaxed, but the longer they go on through a quiet, barren facility, the more on-edge she finds herself. "...maybe I'd better deploy my fists, just in case." ClackclackCLACK go the massive gauntlets as her arms reassemble themselves. As they walk, it's DARGN that speaks up again, directing her commentary at Cayde and Jessica both. "With that escape ship still there, this facility is entirely too devoid of life. In an evacuation, I would expect no vessels left. Don't let your guard down." Then, the AI adds, "Serrah, is there any possibility of your scouting ahead in this light, or are your abilities sealed?"

"Hmmm." Serrah frowns, looking around at the emptiness, and simply ... starts hovering. She doesn't look unsteady, but she sort of has a faint sense of unsteadiness there. "You prolly just jinxed it on the zombie front, Cayde," she says flatly.

She regards Ecco for a long moment when he makes that comment about things staying dead. She can't resist saying, "Speak for yourself, Ecco." She shakes her head. "But, yeah, I'm suspicious, too, Jessica. There wasn't any sign of zombies right after we got on the station, either."

She shakes her head at DARGN. "No, I can turn into shadow just fine, I'm just weaker in the sunlight. And it's just uncomfortable with an only-mostly-healed arm." She melts into a shadow with an uncomfortable grunt, and flows forward ahead of the group, just to see what she can. Of course, in this level of lighting, it's considerably easier to see that unnaturally-moving shadow.

    It's not long making the way from platform to platform before the team arrives at the one with the control center. And still no signs of life. It's almost too calm. Too still. Even Alty has pulled out one of her little swords from slipway storage as everyone progresses, with Ecco there in case someone loses their footing.
    Thankfully the control room is still operational, and the ship is as well, the launch sequence just needs to be primed, which can be done from here.
    But it's going to have to be done quick, considering the pale, clammy, hand that suddenly slaps against the control room window. Followed by the pale, discolored face of the dead man that presses against it. Followed by another- and another and another- it's a whole swarm of zombies that try to force their way in!

    "Titan's kind of like this. Ocean covering every surface of the planet, with only manmade structures to stand on. Although it's a lot more established than this. Or it was. Still, a lot of it left more than this." Cayde sprung along, Ace of Spades grasped and although held almost casually, still at the ready for anything that might decide to pop up. He'd be almost disappointed if there wasn't anything lurking around here.

    "I'm sure everyone was thinking it," Cayde retorts in defense to Serrah's comment. "I was just saying it." 

    Once they're at the control room, he all but skips over to the main panels, summoning Sundance to work her magic. The Exo's head immediately jerks towards the windows at the strange sound, his optics narrowing at the hands and faces to follow.

    "...called it!"

    One hand. Hyouka's fists clench. Another. Her gauntlets light up with lines of glowing blue, infusing them with water-elemental magic. A third and a fourth, and the cyborg brings her fists up cautiously... but the hands keep coming.

    Oh that's a lot of hands.

    That's... that's really a lot of hands. And faces. And oh dear this is a problem.

    At a complete loss for what to do, Hyouka lunges forward and plants her hands on the window, trying to push back and keep them from breaking it for as long as possible. "I already paid my NHK license fee, damn it, quit pestering me!"

That strange shadow sighs back in Cayde's direction. "Yeah, yeah ..."

Once they reach the control room, Serrah coalesces behind everyone else, letting out another grunt as she does. "Okay, I haven't seen anything --"

And then the zombies appear.

Serrah sighs, and facepalms. "... why do I even say anything." She shakes her head. "Yeah, I think at this point it's safe to just nuke everything once we get off the ship."

She furrows her brow at Hyouka. She's actually starting to look slightly sleep-deprived. "What the fuck is an NHK."

    "KYAH!"

    There Jessica was, just minding her own business, worrying about normal things, and then SMACK comes the hand! Her pistol is up and pointing that way... and while it doesn't fire, it isn't wavering either.

    "Maybe the survivors locked them in there before fleeing. That's why there are ships left..."

  Ecco turns half a bland glance on Hyouka, since he can't actually look at DARGN directly. Of course he's eager to fly. Everybody wants off this living nightmare of space station full of dead things gibbering in their brains. If he had opposable thumbs, he'd be right up there volunteering, too!

  Alas, he doesn't. He doesn't even have a neural jack to plug into a ship yet because he's a civilian. Boo. If his Earth ever exists again, he'll have to put in some applications for training.

  Of course, right now it's split into two or three and a half parts and none of them are actually Earth, so...

  Ecco shakes himself; turns his focus back to the current fresh crisis. "Oh." He realises what Serrah said a half-second later. "Sorry. I meant-t the freaky brainlessssss ones gibbering in our headssss." He chatters in that friendly Flipper sort of way. Laughter, or just some kind of noise the humans can equate to? "Thosssse can stay here and dismant-t-tled at the atomic level."

  He's clicking again, in the absence of sound; trying to find signs of something, anyone, but it seems as empty as the space station was.

  "What-t-t are they hiding here?" Ecco mutters, looking a little disconcert--

  And then there is a pale dead hand slapping the control room window, followed by the cold dead face of the dead man it belongs to. Ecco doesn't shriek, because he doesn't really have the vocal apparatus for that, but he does lurch about several feet straight back with enough force to bowl over anyone unlucky enough to be behind him. And he squeals. And it's terrified. Because there are more of them.

  "They're not ssssurvivors any more!" Ecco points out, voice threatening to drift way high up into the inaudible range. "Wh-what-t-t the hell is wrong with thissss place!?" he all but wails.

    Sundance should have an easy time at the controls. It's no time at all before the Hunter's loyal ghost companion can set up a launch.
    All that remains to do is to fight through the horde of undead clawing at the gates. And where is Alty in all this?
    Hyouka's backback is trembling for some strange reason.
    But more importantly, the escape ship is just a platform away, it should, in theory, be an easy trip if nor for the legion of undead blocking the path. But something else comes into play. Something that rises from the depths of the water itself; a massive tentacle- followed by another. Followed by something large and terrible slithering onto the control platform, opening three blue eyes and a maw of razor teeth, crawling towards the control room in a slow drag as its 'voice' scrapes along the mind once again.
    Join us in the deep.
    "No thank you!" Says a tiny voice from the backpack. "Make a break for it!"

    "We're good to go, people! And dolphins! -oh crap!"

    Whatever grin had been on his face vanishes when something bigger comes clambering out of the water. Cayde's face scrunches with distaste as he steps closer towards the windows to make sure he's not just imagining it. Nope, unfortunately not. He cringes at that all too familiar voice, shaking his head.

    "Right, soon as I start blasting, make a run for the ship. We're punching right through!"

    Without warning he hurls himself towards one of the windows- which would be embarrassing if it was reinforced, but it's still no big obstacle when he can ghost-step through solid objects. As soon as he's in the thick of zombie-town, his hand cannon sings, sparking with each pull of the trigger. He swings around with his knife for good measure, if only to clear him some space because he is going to kill something with fire once he finds a clear shot of tentacle-face.

"Too many things are wrong with this place!" Serrah calls back to Ecco. She groans as the monster pops up. "Oh, fuck, an aboleth," she says. "I already told you, you can't have me!" she shouts back at it.

She pauses, watching Cayde zip into the fray, then rises a couple of inches off the ground; looks like her plan is just to fly over all the zombies. "Yeah, no, fuck this noise. Jessica, Ecco, Hyouka, who wants a --" Beat. "Jessica, Ecco, either of you want a lift?"

    Make a break for it. Yes. For the love of all that is holy, yes. Hyouka stops trying to hold back the window. Instead, she takes a step back, and begins infusing mana into her right gauntlet. The glowing lines grow brighter, brighter, a hazy blue aura begins to shimmer around the massive arm. She charges just about as long as she possibly can, and then drives her fist forward and through the window - and unloads all that water mana at once. The result is a close-range burst of elemental energy, a concussive magical blast that quickly becomes a burst of water.

    "I can be my own lift anyway!" While the zombies are still off-balance, Hyouka hurls herself through, and then starts taking high, bounding leaps. If she can use her jumps to get past the horde and to the ship, she damn well will... but if any of them are in punching range when she lands, she's definitely taking a swing or two.

    But in all of this, the cyborg's being awfully careful never to expose her back to any one direction for very long. Keeping her backpack safe almost seems to take higher priority than keeping herself safe.

    Tremors are a problem for Jessica to have when she isn't holding a gun. When she's pointing that thing, her aim seems rock solid through sheer repitition and training, even if something massive and ugly and SQUEAL-inducing is crawling up! "W-wha!" And the horde is between her and the ship! And everyone else's escape too! She quickly tries to think of any sort of training that might apply to this, and...

    Well there is one thing. It isn't a vacuum outside, so no need to hold back her shots.

    *BLAM BLAM BLAM* Three quick shots fire out in succession, the powerful Originium shells sending their deadly cargo toward... the tentacled behemoth. The 'eyes' if she can make them out. The blasts might hurt it, and if it's controlling the zombies that might help. Even if they don't hurt it she's guessing they'll move to defend the leader here, breaking formation up so she and anyone else can bolt!

  Making a break for it sounds like a great plan. Ecco seems to be one hundred percent behind this plan. There's something bigger crawling out of the water, and Ecco wants absolutely no part of it, except that the thing crawling out of the water is between them and escape.

  "I'll t-t-try to batter you guyssss a path!" Ecco's statement is high-pitched; almost a squeal. No sooner does he call that than he's curled himself tightly before exploding outward, lunging for the front line of the ranks of the dead.

  He should at least be able to smack some of them out of the way, and the second he hits the line, he's thrashing like a creature possessed because ugh, the thought of touching those things-that-used-to-be-people is kind of gross. And horrifying on a primal level. So using his body like a battering ram against the hordes and opening up a path for someone else to hit the big tentacled thing seems like a good plan, and Ecco's stickin' to it.

  He does reserve a shrill squeal for the whatever-it-is. Join us, it scratches in his brain.

  "NOPE!"

    The zombies are numerous, but they are about as sturdy as paper in comparison to a squad of determined survivors who are dead set on escape. The windows shatter easily, which make for a great escape option as Cayde busts out, Ace of Spades already putting huge holes in anything in his path. Serrah and Hyouka are too fast and too far out of reach for the undead as they fly and leap their way for the ship, leaving Ecco to bodily slam an opening...
    For Jessica to nail the monstrous abomination in all three of its eyes. Originium rounds slam into the delicate, sensitive, organs, pulping blue eyes to mush and blinding the beast, earning a roar of rage and pain as its tentacles flail wildly; causing the zombies under its control to falter while it is physically and mentally staggered.
    Crossing to the next platform over where the ship waits isn't much trouble after that, nor is getting aboard, starting if up, and taking off for freedom.

    Hyouka doesn't stop. As soon as she reaches the ship, she turns around beside the boarding ramp and plants herself, fists ready, to drive off anything pursuing them until everyone else is onboard. Only when everyone else is on board - or at the very least, within a few paces of boarding - does the woman vault up herself and practically lunge for a seat, gauntlets already disassembling.

    But just before she sits down, the cyborg does one very important thing; she slips the backpack off her back, brings it around in front, and carefully holds it close, protective. She's not going to let go until they're a good few miles off the ground at least.

    Cayde looks impressed at Jessica's gunslinging, pausing to flash her a salute. He follows everyone to the ship, waving everyone to hurry it up- unless they've taken his advice well enough to beat him to it. 

    He's still claiming the pilot's seat, dangit.

    "Sundance!" he shouts, the Ghost entering the ship's systems as he starts powering things up. "Buckle up or somethin'!" he shouts over his shoulder, because he's ready to hit it as soon as everyone's reaedy and the hatch seals.

    Oh goodie, it sort of worked! But Jessica isn't going to waste the chance provided, fearing that she may have just pissed it off... or its fellows. "Iyaaah!" The catgirl squeals in panic, making a mad dash! She's used to being on a perch to snipe from, not threading through enemies!

    "I don't think I like it here! Too much water and things in the water!" Jessica declares loudly as she stumbles through, ears pinned flat and her hands fumbling to buckle up. She's also blushing a little at the quick appreciation Cayde gave, still unable to take praise well. If need be she will help Ecco or Serrah get secured though... a dolphin and an injured person both might need help.

When Serrah is halfway to the ship, she stops time. The next thing anyone else can see, she's at the entrance to the ship. "C'mon, Ecco, you're almost here!" she calls out encouragingly. "Oh, nice one, Jessica! Good choice of targets!"

She scurries inside with everyone else, and settles down in one of the seats. "I'm good, Jess," she says gently. She takes off the sling, flexes her arm, and gets into her seat under her own power. Then she puts the sling back on.

She pauses, and smiles faintly as she sees what Hyouka's doing. "So. Aboleths are, like ... asshole sea monsters," she says. "Possibly from another dimension. They have psychic powers that're like ..." She gestures vaguely. "Keeping Alty stays asleep through an alarm, and imitating her voice? Easy peasy." She shakes her head. "And the zombies, right, they're people who got turned into servants for the aboleths, and their skin is a membrane that can breathe underwater. But, uh, yeah, eyes are a good place to shoot." She yawns suddenly. "... Ugh, I'm a vampire who hasn't slept well in days, and it's daytime," she says flatly. "Don't be surprised if I just conk ... out ..."

And then her gaze turns towards Cayde. A half-smirk forms.

"Hey, uh, Sundance," she calls out conversationally. "Don't suppose you can hack into the station's thrusters or something?"

    Cayde actually turns in his seat to look back at Serrah then, staring at her a moment. And then he grins.

    "I mean...it's not impossible..."

    "Oh, I almost forgot," Hyouka says as they ascend, turning to look Serrah's direction. "...it's the national broadcasting company for Japan. Every Japanese citizen who owns a TV technically owes them an annual fee. But legally, they have to collect it themselves." Pause. "...Most of us would rather deal with Yakuza than NHK collectors."

  Bodily slamming an opening into the mass of zombies is good. It means the others don't have to worry about cold, clammy, grasping dead hands grabbing at them, because Ecco keeps at it, thrashing and slapping at them with powerful lashes of his flukes. When he's not side-swiping paths through them, he's using his snout and body as a battering ram.

  He makes a pretty decent battering ram. All the way to the ship, in fact, guarding the party's rear as best as he's able, while making their way towards the starship.

  "I was hoping my first-t trip on a starship wouldn't-t be like thissss!" the dolphin all but wails. "Let'ssss go, people!"

  The hungering dead falter, then, and the party makes it aboard without any apparent casualties.

  He darts over to the back of the passenger area, quivering and clicking compulsively to himself. Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew.

  "Nice shooting," he finally manages, to the others, a little weakly. He doesn't need any buckling because his gravity is independent of the ship's, so he politely shakes his head to Jessica's offer of help. "Thankssss, though."

  Silence.

  "I'm never going into sssspace again."

    Once aboard the ship and the hatch shuts, it rumbles to life as the thrusters kick into gear and carry the survivors up into the atmosphere... And then... There is silence.
    Peaceful, blissful, silence.
    Eventually, Alty pokes her head out of the backpack and heaves a sigh.
    It's over.
    It's all over. And it's all too easy to hack into the space station's thrusters, in passing, leaving the group's final sight of Novo-VII being the Nijiura space station slowly course correcting to careen into the planet's surface, impacting with an explosion that sends ripples and waves through the planet's surface that can be seen from space.