Time to Get to Work?

[itsananimalthing]

[Riddick happens to be pretty damn good at psychic network projections. So when he sends this out, when the screaming starts, there's sound to go with it. No visual, because he's not that mean, but he'll offer it if anybody wants it. So his thought-voice, which sounds a whole lot like his speaking voice except maybe slightly less gravelly, is punctuated by screams, groans, and the occasional screech of brakes and crash of metal.]

So I guess this is what we're here for. There's some crazy cannibal people out here in the streets tryin' to eat other people. Or somethin'. I got head-pictures, if anybody wants 'em. I guess if you wanna fight, feel free to get out here and fight.

If you don't, better stay inside and lock the doors. This don't look like it's gonna be a lot of fun for folks who ain't interested in a little head-bashing.

[His last word is accompanied by the sound of something both wet and crunchy. Maybe it's actually a head-bashing. Who knows?]

Comments

[amadine]

Assuming they aren't the product of something we brought along with us.

[Because crazy cannibal people? Sounds pretty fucking familiar.]

[turbedon]

Seriously, has no one watched a zombie movie? They're not cannibals- well, in a way I guess they are-

[Insert a slew of language that the Batman would tan his hide for as he has to scramble up a building to avoid getting grabbed by the infected.]

This must be that virus that was all over the news since we arrived. We've got to get the uninfected to safety, otherwise we're going to have a lot more corpses and zombies on our hands. Which... really would not be astrous.

[willyousee]

From what I can see in the chaos, they do not appear to be like the Stricken. They're not aiming for any particular target, or exhibiting many group tactics. These aren't warriors. Nor do there seem to be Sirens or anything equivalent. There's only fear and aggression being directed at them. Nothing calming.

[ Someone's tense but calm, watching from his hotel window. ]

[willyousee]

Show me. Please. But only if you can stay safe and do so at the same time.

[wholeheaded]

Gracious Glinda, all of you be careful.

[ yeah, like that neededto be said. there's a little pause as he tries to get the potential head-bashing noise out of his mind as quickly as possible. ]

I'm at the hotel, they've got us on lockdown here.

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, princess is right, they ain't like those merfolk. They're all shambly and stupid. And easier to take down.

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, that'd be me. Never seen a zombie movie. How about this is the part where you tell me what a zombie is, and how best to take one down?

[Be glad he didn't ask you what a movie is, buddy. Riddick has at least figured out that slang, by now, after a few days in modern Texas.]

[itsananimalthing]

Ain't hard. Just be warned I don't see like most people. Might take a minute to get used to.

[He finishes the corpse he was working on with another wet slicing sound, then steps back and opens up the visual feed. It's full of violet halos, particularly around the edges of people but also outlining buildings and stationary objects, but the streetlights and car headlights are actually painfully bright. Riddick looks around pointedly to give Alcuin a view of the zombies on the move, but avoids looking directly at the lights. It's actually automatic, for him, that avoidance, rather than done consciously.]

You seen anythin' like this before?

[itsananimalthing]

Worried about little old me? I'm touched. Who has you on lockdown?

[turbedon]

Usually undead, reanimated through a virus that's transmitted through bites- basically they look like walking, angry corpses most of the time. Sometimes missing body parts, open wounds, pus oozing, all that nice gory stuff.

Best bet to take them out is via headshot though I guess decapitation or explosions could also work. Burning the bodies for extra measure might be recommended.

[He's definitely feeling a bit off about the thought but he's in his Robin mode which means he's got to keep his big boy pants on.]

[willyousee]

[A thread of alarmed tension runs through Alcuin’s mental voice, but he’s keeping steady enough.]

Interesting. No, I haven’t, unfortunately. Has anyone tried talking or asking them to stop instead of attacking them?

[wholeheaded]

Lots of guys black uniforms, shields, helmets, carrying big guns and looking ready to use 'em. The police, I think, APD? And some others from... F-E-D-something.

[turbedon]

Uh, yeah, everybody just stop and talk to the walking dead casually slaughtering anyone that get's in their way!

Seriously, zombie movies. Next time we have access to a TV and Netflix, I'm sitting you all down for some education.

Or actually, Alcuin, you could google them up, if you remember how to use the internet like I showed you. Some of the results are pretty gory though, just to warn- [Flare of OHGODWHAT panic and silence because someone's busy scaling up a wall again.]

[willyousee]

[The alarm sharpens.] Walking dead? How is that possible?

[Fear spikes high enough to break through the calm.] Robin!

[turbedon]

I'm okay, I'm up as high as I can go, God bless tall buildings and window cleaners. [Amazing how his mental voice can be both calm and just a bit freaked out.]

To answer your question - I'm not sure if they're actually dead... but judging by the way they're behaving, I'd say whatever virus they've been infected with has effectively killed their brains. Or most of them at least. They're... they're not acting like humans, I can say that for certain.

[willyousee]

Blessed Elua... Is there no way to subdue, or talk them down?

[Someone may be googling "virus" and getting approximately a billion results.]

If it's an illness, might it be curable?

[turbedon]

Not without getting bitten and torn to pieces. [He feels a bit nauseated because... yeah. Even that's more than he's seen in his many years serving under Batman.] People aren't staying traught and it's chaos in the streets right now. Kiiiiinda getting the feeling their panicking is just working up the zombies more.

[itsananimalthing]

Decapitation, I can do. Maybe I can work settin' 'em on fire, too.

[Better start looking for some oil or something, maybe, since he does happen to have a lighter on him. Useful idea.]

Maybe I oughta look into gettin' a gun. You think it's worth it?

[His tone is more jocular, conversational, than the conversation probably warrants.]

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, there's not much talkin' goin' on around here, princess. They're the ones doing the attacking, for the most part. I hardly hafta go after them at all. They're on me almost before I got the chance.

[Speaking of. The visual feed keeps going, unfortunately for Alcuin, as another one rushes at Riddick, and he neatly slices its head off with his pair of curved knives, turning in one smooth motion to gut another one coming from behind. Sorry, Alcuin.]

[itsananimalthing]

What're they sayin'? They threatening everybody, or actin' like they own the place and should be obeyed, or what? How organized are they?

[He's trying to get a picture of whether they're government, private, or terrorist troops, essentially. Whether or not he needs to actually worry about the people back at the hotel or not. Not that he would worry a lot, but it'd be something to consider, if it wasn't safe to go back "home".]

[turbedon]

... As much as I hate guns, that might be your best option to stay out of biting range, yeah. [There's a definite shudder of revulsion but also a grim acceptance from the kid.] That or throwing knives, or maybe a bow and arrow set. Worst case scenario, loot a drugstore and get a lighter and some hairspray.

[willyousee]

[...Luckily he's not prone to throwing up. Doesn't stop there from being an involuntary sound quickly cut off, though. Several long moments of psychic silence later, he speaks up again, strain much more evident in his mental voice.]

So I see. Thank you, Commander, I don't need to see any more. What do you need that we can provide? Not all of us are fighters, unfortunately.

[wholeheaded]

They're telling us to stay in our rooms and aren't really answering questions. They've got guards posted at the elevators and stairways... I have no idea how they're dealing with anyone coming in from the outside. [ a little pause here. ] It'sless that they own the place, more-- they remind me of the Sorceress' troops back home. I'm sure they'll make examples of people if pressed.

[willyousee]

[You are so not alone there, Dick.]

I'll try to find out more information about this illness. Is there anything else those of us who cannot fight should be doing to help? There doesn't seem to be any access to magic in this world, so that limits our options.

[turbedon]

In all honesty, right now? All non-combatants would be really helpful just by staying off the streets. Maybe try calming everyone else around you if you can because panic is the key ingredient for disasters - heavy on the dis.