(Author's Note: This thread ties into Hunting Grounds.)
Sewers - under the Temple district
It has been down here, in the dark and filth, feeding on refuse and scraps, for weeks.
It did not taste the rot, the sickness that pervaded the vile scum and scraps which it encountered, did not register the slimy, gritty texture of its food and drink, down here, in the dark.
There was no caring, no desire for better tastes. All that mattered was satisfying its hunger, which seemed to increase, day by day.
It was able to perceive, in a vaguely excited way, that there was more above. Better fare, fresher fare.
Live prey.
Until recently it did not seem to matter. The spoor and waste it had encountered had, until now, sustained it.
But it wasn't enough anymore.
Now there was a need for more, for food that would give it the nutrients and energy it wanted, it needed, to survive, to flourish...for down here, in the dark, it had grown, was still growing.
And so it had been seeking to expand its feeding grounds, to find a way into the world above, driven not just by hunger, but by instinct, by the need not just to feed, but to hunt.
Rhy'din Orphanage
Penny Horvat has worked at the Orphanage for eight years, tending to those children whose families had abandoned them, or whose parents were deceased, or else those that had been snatched from other worlds by the Nexus to end up here, lost and afraid.
She loves her job, keeping the kids happy, clean and fed. There are occasionally those that are troublesome, but the matronly, motherly woman rarely has a situation she can't handle, if ever.
Today is a day like any other, and right now the kids are out in the courtyard, running and yelling and laughing, the chaotically pleasant sounds of children at play. Sitting near the entrance of the courtyard, she looks up from the book in her lap, a rather seedy romance novel, her eyes making their accustomed circuit of the courtyard where the children play and chase each other.
She's just looking down when she hears the screams of fear, of panic and pain.
The sound makes her stand up, looking around sharply, the book sliding from her lap, immediately forgotten as she searches for the source of the sound. It doesn't take long to find - the normally peaceful fountain in the middle of the courtyard looks to be a frenzy of activity, splashes and sprays of water thrown into the air by struggling figures.
She's more annoyed than concerned - the fountain is only a foot deep at most, and the kids are supposed to know better than to be playing in it. Long strides carry her over in that direction, and she's just drawing a deep breath to yell at the offending youths when she sees the water beginning to turn crimson, and she realizes that one of the figures isn't a child at all.
Whatever it is, it's a huge, hulking figure. Pallid flesh, rippling muscle, a bizarrely humanoid shape that looks to have too many limbs to possibly be a man. As she watches there's another painful scream which rends the air, cut off in the middle to become gurgling sounds, then silence during which all she can hear is the sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones crunching.
The hulking figure turns to look around, its eyes blank, white spheres in horrifying features with long, sharp teeth in a mouth that vaguely resembles a shark's - wide, with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The woman's eyes move down from this monstrosity to the limp form in its arms - a young girl, no more than eight years of age. Long, jagged tears in her clothes reveal the sliced, tender flesh beneath, and as her head lolls back like a rag doll's, Penny can see the torn, ravaged length of her neck, raw open wounds from which blood pulses weakly. Above this her features are blank save for the expression of terror which is fading as the life trickles from severed arteries.
As Penny watches, the creature bends and brings its mouth to the dead girl's flesh and digs in, tearing a huge chunk of flesh from the limp form with a sickening sound and a twisting jerk of its head.
Finally, the woman finds her voice, and her screams rend the air, mingling with the terrified cries of the children around her watching this spectacle.
At the sudden sound the creature drops its meal and looks slowly around at them from the abattoir the fountain has become, setting its eyes on the supply of fresh meat.
Batten Industries corporate offices
The Playboy is alone in his office, reading over a business proposal he'd received from one Zahra Khoury about corporate sponsorship for the Star's End Spacers hockey team, when the golden holographic figure of Diana pops up at the corner of his desk. "Sir, I have an audio hit in the southern Temple district, in the vicinity of the Rhy'din orphanage."
Frowning, he looks up from the letter. Despite her calm demeanor, he knows that the AI wouldn't disturb him in the middle of the day unless it were something of supreme importance. "Are ya serious, Di" What could be happenin' down dere at dis time o'de day?"
The golden hologram blinks her glowing cerulean eyes once. "Unknown, sir. Voice stress analysis indicates that the situation is one of dire implication."
The frown on his features deepens as he stands from the desk, looking out the window-wall that faces south. No trail of smoke on the horizon that might indicate the building is burning, but then, the AI would have reported that along with the audio information. "All right, Ah'll check it out."
"Very good, sir. Which suit shall I ready for you?"
He waves the question away with one hand, snagging the long coat from the back of his chair and pulling it on. "No time fer dat, Di, if'ts bad as ya say." Reaching under the coat, he strokes the seam with a finger to activate the armor.
Within moments it's no longer the Playboy standing in his office, but the dark, armored figure of the Ranger, walking over to touch a hidden panel on the wall, which opens to reveal an alcove just large enough for him to stand in. As the wall closes behind him, the whine of thrusters can be heard briefly, only to be cut off as it seals behind him.
Sewers - under the Temple district
It has been down here, in the dark and filth, feeding on refuse and scraps, for weeks.
It did not taste the rot, the sickness that pervaded the vile scum and scraps which it encountered, did not register the slimy, gritty texture of its food and drink, down here, in the dark.
There was no caring, no desire for better tastes. All that mattered was satisfying its hunger, which seemed to increase, day by day.
It was able to perceive, in a vaguely excited way, that there was more above. Better fare, fresher fare.
Live prey.
Until recently it did not seem to matter. The spoor and waste it had encountered had, until now, sustained it.
But it wasn't enough anymore.
Now there was a need for more, for food that would give it the nutrients and energy it wanted, it needed, to survive, to flourish...for down here, in the dark, it had grown, was still growing.
And so it had been seeking to expand its feeding grounds, to find a way into the world above, driven not just by hunger, but by instinct, by the need not just to feed, but to hunt.
Rhy'din Orphanage
Penny Horvat has worked at the Orphanage for eight years, tending to those children whose families had abandoned them, or whose parents were deceased, or else those that had been snatched from other worlds by the Nexus to end up here, lost and afraid.
She loves her job, keeping the kids happy, clean and fed. There are occasionally those that are troublesome, but the matronly, motherly woman rarely has a situation she can't handle, if ever.
Today is a day like any other, and right now the kids are out in the courtyard, running and yelling and laughing, the chaotically pleasant sounds of children at play. Sitting near the entrance of the courtyard, she looks up from the book in her lap, a rather seedy romance novel, her eyes making their accustomed circuit of the courtyard where the children play and chase each other.
She's just looking down when she hears the screams of fear, of panic and pain.
The sound makes her stand up, looking around sharply, the book sliding from her lap, immediately forgotten as she searches for the source of the sound. It doesn't take long to find - the normally peaceful fountain in the middle of the courtyard looks to be a frenzy of activity, splashes and sprays of water thrown into the air by struggling figures.
She's more annoyed than concerned - the fountain is only a foot deep at most, and the kids are supposed to know better than to be playing in it. Long strides carry her over in that direction, and she's just drawing a deep breath to yell at the offending youths when she sees the water beginning to turn crimson, and she realizes that one of the figures isn't a child at all.
Whatever it is, it's a huge, hulking figure. Pallid flesh, rippling muscle, a bizarrely humanoid shape that looks to have too many limbs to possibly be a man. As she watches there's another painful scream which rends the air, cut off in the middle to become gurgling sounds, then silence during which all she can hear is the sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones crunching.
The hulking figure turns to look around, its eyes blank, white spheres in horrifying features with long, sharp teeth in a mouth that vaguely resembles a shark's - wide, with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The woman's eyes move down from this monstrosity to the limp form in its arms - a young girl, no more than eight years of age. Long, jagged tears in her clothes reveal the sliced, tender flesh beneath, and as her head lolls back like a rag doll's, Penny can see the torn, ravaged length of her neck, raw open wounds from which blood pulses weakly. Above this her features are blank save for the expression of terror which is fading as the life trickles from severed arteries.
As Penny watches, the creature bends and brings its mouth to the dead girl's flesh and digs in, tearing a huge chunk of flesh from the limp form with a sickening sound and a twisting jerk of its head.
Finally, the woman finds her voice, and her screams rend the air, mingling with the terrified cries of the children around her watching this spectacle.
At the sudden sound the creature drops its meal and looks slowly around at them from the abattoir the fountain has become, setting its eyes on the supply of fresh meat.
Batten Industries corporate offices
The Playboy is alone in his office, reading over a business proposal he'd received from one Zahra Khoury about corporate sponsorship for the Star's End Spacers hockey team, when the golden holographic figure of Diana pops up at the corner of his desk. "Sir, I have an audio hit in the southern Temple district, in the vicinity of the Rhy'din orphanage."
Frowning, he looks up from the letter. Despite her calm demeanor, he knows that the AI wouldn't disturb him in the middle of the day unless it were something of supreme importance. "Are ya serious, Di" What could be happenin' down dere at dis time o'de day?"
The golden hologram blinks her glowing cerulean eyes once. "Unknown, sir. Voice stress analysis indicates that the situation is one of dire implication."
The frown on his features deepens as he stands from the desk, looking out the window-wall that faces south. No trail of smoke on the horizon that might indicate the building is burning, but then, the AI would have reported that along with the audio information. "All right, Ah'll check it out."
"Very good, sir. Which suit shall I ready for you?"
He waves the question away with one hand, snagging the long coat from the back of his chair and pulling it on. "No time fer dat, Di, if'ts bad as ya say." Reaching under the coat, he strokes the seam with a finger to activate the armor.
Within moments it's no longer the Playboy standing in his office, but the dark, armored figure of the Ranger, walking over to touch a hidden panel on the wall, which opens to reveal an alcove just large enough for him to stand in. As the wall closes behind him, the whine of thrusters can be heard briefly, only to be cut off as it seals behind him.