[network] @curiouschloride | morning 352 | video | But I flew too high [open] [cw memory loss]

[motherserpent]

[The shaky video shows mostly the ceiling of a stairwell. The young woman crouched over the tablet is breathing rapidly but clearly trying to be quiet, her eyes wild with fear. When the video starts she's already speaking in the rapid near-whisper of someone trying to contact outside help without alerting anyone nearby to her presence.]

My name is Tess Cauldwell, I don't know where I am but I think I've been kidnapped and I think they drugged me and this isn't even my computer and I can't get it to dial out of this -- network -- thing and if anyone's out there I really, really need you to call nine-one-one. There was --

[She swallows thickly. Flinches violently at the sudden sound of a thump against a nearby door.]

Body bags. It's a morgue, I don't -- I don't know more than that -- god, that thing can't be real --


[EDIT: I forgot that Tess would still be covered in red lines arranged in fractals, with her eyes completely red. Apologies for the oversight in description!]

Comments

@Technicalities; video

[tadashiwashere]

[ Maybe if he takes a moment to talk to Al before responding to the video, Tadashi might find out what he's getting himself into. As it is, his backlog of reading as he tries to catch up with the better half of the past year hasn't told him about Tess in particular.

As his video switches on, he does his best to be the calm presence someone brand new might need. Sort of how he'd deal with his Aunt Cass when things became cafe-devouringly-bad.]

Whoa, hey. I was just there a few days ago. You're in the hospital, right?

[His eyes flick over the screen, trying to confirm his guess by the visuals.]

As long as you're inside, you should be safe for a few days. What's going on? Tell me how we can help you.

perma-video

[motherserpent]

I mean, I guess? Maybe? It could be a hospital, I don't know, I've never been here in my life.

[Why does he sound so calm? This is not a time to be calm! Or maybe everything's a hallucination and it is a time to be calm; how fucked are her perceptions even? But -- she just told him she thinks she's been kidnapped; who the hell is calm about that? Maybe a kidnapper would be calm about that.]

You can call nine-one-one. That's super a thing you can do to help me right now because I need a goddamn adult.

[tadashiwashere]

[Oh, no. He's approached this all wrong, hasn't he?]

I can't call anyone outside of this town -- I woke up here the same as you. I've got the same tablet computer that I assume you do, but my cellphone is missing.

[And as calm as he's trying to be, the thump has Tadashi worrying.]

I'm what you've got right now. Can you tell me what that noise was earlier? Falling snow, or something else?

[motherserpent]

[Tess squeezes her eyes shut; blows out a shaky breath through her nose. Can she trust this guy? None of this is normal or okay...and he's brought her right back around to the other thing that is not normal or okay just as the thing on the other door thumps against it again, louder this time.]

There's -- there's something in the room where I woke up. In a body bag, I woke up in a body bag and there's this thing and it looks like -- like a flying snake and -- and --

[tadashiwashere]

[An anomaly?

Better play it safe than be sorry later.]

Hang in there. Look around for me -- do you see anything useful for blocking the door? I want you to make sure it's secure, then move away if you can. I have a guess as to what it might be, and they'll normally give up after some time passes and move on.

[motherserpent]

It's a stairwell.

[This said in a desperate hiss.]

I can't -- there was someone's bag in there but I had to get out, lock it in there; I barely got away from it.

[Another thump! and Tess shudders with fear -- and gathers up the tablet to start creeping her way up the stairs.]

@igjwerkekhgjghkl; video

[fuckingwolverine]

[Lilly neither understands nor cares about network etiquette, and so here she is barging into this conversation to impart some wisdom. The camera is pointed at the ceiling, but her voice is close, like she's nearby but just off-screen.]

Coatl!

[Get it right, lady.]

[motherserpent]

Shhht!

[Tess's attempt to silence the child suddenly on her tablet is immediate and all too loud itself. She stabs a finger at the screen, trying to turn down the volume even as she scrambles up the stairs, away from the room where she's left RGBV trapped.]

@totheark; text

[0thingsonmymind]

youare
back

[motherserpent]

Uh...no.

[She doesn't know what this message is about. Is pretty sure she doesn't want to know.]

text

[0thingsonmymind]

icould
not

iwill try
a gain

[motherserpent]

'Kay, dude. Good luck, I guess...?

[0thingsonmymind]

iwill letyou
know

*Or forget that he offered ot kill someone for her after the event, one of the two.*

[motherserpent]

Yep, great, you do that. Whatever you're...talking about.

@godsend, video

[termineur]

Hey- hey, it's- well, it's not okay, but you're not in immediate danger. I can get you the guides, here--

[ His screen shuts off and a moment later she's receiving the Survival and various other guides that get passed around here to new arrivals. ]

[motherserpent]

[By now she's at least located to a slightly less precarious location in terms of the loyal pet monster she's left locked in the morgue, though the darkened corridors of the hospital above are no less creepy. Tess doesn't immediately respond, busy latching on to the information being offered and skimming over what he's sent -- but she doesn't even read all the way through before she's back, face and voice all disbelieving.]

What the fuck is this supposed to be? Lockdown? Nanomachines? Fucking -- death and revival, fuck right off, that isn't a thing, none of this is even a thing! What the fuck did they give me?! What is this on my skin?! Is there anything, I can't even -- I don't even fucking know --!

[termineur]

[ And he comes back on video. ]

Unfortunately, it's a thing here, where we've been brought to. People are being pulled here from outside this universe, so the rules are different here. Compared to where you came from, this is going to read like a dystopian post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. And it sucks.

What's on your skin is something that's been happening to people around here. It's probably related to a glitch in the nanomachines, but we haven't figured out what it means yet.

Anyway, if you need help figuring out your location, I can probably help with that. I'm not sure if you've got food with you or not, but we can get you to somewhere that stocks it.

sorry about the edit

[motherserpent]

No. No. I'm not going to -- we're not going to talk about -- about nanomachines and food stocking and -- whatever -- shit -- stuff -- whatever bullshit you're all trying to sell me. I was in a body bag and someone's going to explain to me how the hell I got here and what the fucking point of this -- why the hell me --

no worries!

[termineur]

Tess, hey. I'll answer your questions and I'll be completely honest, promise. But you've got to calm down or none of its going to come together at all. So take some time and breathe, or kick a wall and throw the tablet, whatever you need to do. And I'll be here when you're ready to talk.

[ This is practically the opposite of their first talk, but hey- they all need some time to break down in this place. ]

[motherserpent]

How the fuck do you know my name?!

[And it just keeps escalating. She does indeed throw the tablet, which is probably counter-productive to getting any questions answered. For a minute or two she can be heard yelling obscenities and about how she doesn't even know anyone in the mob, what the fuck, why this, etc., etc.

When she finally comes back to it she doesn't pick up the tablet, but stands looking down at it imperiously. Her voice is calmer, at least, the next question more coherent.]

Is this a kidnapping? Because that's not going to work; I don't know anyone with money. And I don't borrow money; I'm not an idiot.

@jemesouviens; video; private

[jmencalisse]

[Nnnngh.

Don't get involved with the crazies, don't get involved with the crazies, don't get involved with the-- ah calisse.]

Miss Cauldwell? I am Detective Bouchard from the Sûreté du Québec. I know this is very frightening but please, take a couple of deep breaths and try to remain calm.

private

[motherserpent]

Oh thank Christ.

[Her breath is still shaky and too rapid, but there's real relief flooding into her voice. How she got hold of a Canadian cop she doesn't know, but this is fine. She's going to be okay -- there's a cop and she's going to be okay.]

I don't -- I don't know where I am, I don't know who took me.

private

[jmencalisse]

It's alright. Just stay on the line with me, okay?

[Stupid. Why is he doing this? This is so stupid.

But somehow the relief in her voice prompts him to continue.]

Are you injured? Can you walk?

private

[motherserpent]

Okay. Okay, I can do that--I can walk. I'm not hurt, I don't think I'm hurt--I think they gave me something, I'm seeing things....

private

[jmencalisse]

[That doesn't sound good.]

What kind of things? Is something there with you?