From airgiod@acca.nmsu.eduFri Mar 15 10:40:16 1996 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:32:43 -0700 (MST) From: TJ Reply to: crystal-logs@io.com To: crystal-logs@io.com Subject: Scorpion Attacked Crystal Vein All about you can see freshly painted A red scorpion, tail poised to strike. The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of E flat. You catch a sparkling glimmer of rich deep rose. The crystal rings with a sweetness and purity of tone. A hideous sound echoes through the rocks, the crystal, your very skull. An inhuman cry of pain. Scorpion shudders, yelping loudly as the sound echoes off the crystal surrounding her and swings to face the entrance, reaching down for her non-existent daggers that she had given to Kaylin. She takes a step back, pressed against the wall behind her. Something clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site. This 'creature' stands over six foot tall and it's looming shadow alone strikes a note of fear into you. Silhouetted by whatever light is nearby you can make out its vaguely anthropomorphic shape but little beyond that. Fur bristles along its limbs as they move wildly about itself, every so often there is a sharp reflection from its movements, then it is gone again. Though the gutteral growls and howling is enough to set your nerves on edge something in the deep red eyes chills your blood and freezes you were you stand. Rocky Outcropping in the Marshes The purplish-green hills undulate queasily without relief for as far as the eye can see. There is little to break the stark regularity of it all. The soil is marshy in this place, and you question if it is safe to leave a sled here. The ground sinks under your weight slightly, and a puddle of water begins to gather, soaking your feet. You get a clear view of the hills about you, but that's not saying much. A river, actually a creek, winds its way laboriously along the depression between the hills, carrying thick silt along with it and depositing it into a nearby pool of mud. This rocky outcropping is odd, there seems to be no other rocky areas for miles around here. All about you can see freshly painted A red scorpion, tail poised to strike.. Contents: Crystal Vein Obvious exits: Marshes A flicker of light momentarily dances across your line of sight. A hideous sound echoes through the rocks, the crystal, your very skull. An inhuman cry of pain. Crystal Vein All about you can see freshly painted A red scorpion, tail poised to strike.. The vein subtly sings to you in a scale of E flat. You catch a sparkling glimmer of rich deep rose. The crystal rings with a sweetness and purity of tone. Contents: Flaming red hair, highlighted with sunstreaks of gold, falls long and untamed, reaching well past waist level to wrap itself around her, dropping defiantly into her eyes occasionally even though it's been pulled back out of her way. Her eyes, in fact, are the most startling feature about her, glowing a deep, blood red and are the perfect compliment to her hair. Once those have been passed you see a lean, lightly muscled body that reaches a height of about 5'9 in her bare feet. Her waist is small, although not excessively so, and curves out gently into narrow hips, which in turn, trail down into long legs that seem to go on for days. She moves with a lithe grace, reminiscent of a dancer although it is far more animalistic than that. Dark colors wrap themselves around her, offsetting her hair and eyes to a startling degree. A deeply black shirt, laced up the front with white strings flows loosely around her frame, looking like a work shirt if the amount of creases and holes in it tells a true tale. Her jeans fit loosely and are a dull black, patches of rose lightening their coloring. Knee high work boots complete the outfit, scuffed and falling apart, each holding a dagger sheath. Something clambers into the entrance of a crystal vein site. A dark shadow suddenly covers the entrance to the vein. The hideous scream once again tears through your skull Scorpion blinks, hoping that she's having a hallucination and then groans, almost dropping to her knees as the scream ricochets through her skull. She tries to take another step back but is already pressed tightly against the wall. The figure looms in the entrance before staggering forward. As it towers above you all you can see are the glints of crystal, surrounding you, in front of you. It's scream changes pitch, agonizing in itself, ten times so as the vein cries out in response. Scorpion winces, slapping her hands over her ears in an attempt to muffle the hideous screeching. She slides a short step away from the beast before her, trying to move slowly enough not to alert it to what she is doing. The casing of Scorpion's cutter touches the ground, the creature turns. Though no features are visible in the dim light, its attention seems to narrow to the tool of crystal singers. The bellow that fills the vein this time has a horrify change of tone to it. Anger rings from the walls, flooding your senses. The shadowed figure shifts, blindingly fast, bearing down on you. Scorpion stands paralyzed for a moment, eyes darting toward the exit to the vein before she can stand the screaming no more and falls to her knees, holding her head tightly in hands that are trembling. She rolls over, lunging toward the exit. The creature collides with you as you move. A sickening tearing sound, first of clothing then of flesh. Pain blossoms from your shoulder, burning along your arm and through your chest. Icy sharpness continues to cut, pain so refined but a force and weight behind it that is inhuman. You find yourself unable to move, unable to stand, barely to writhe. Scorpion swears under her breath as the beast rams into her, the sound switching to a scream of pain that echoes off the crystal surrounding the area. She whimpers, attempting to gather enough strength to pull herself free and at least get out of the enclosing area of the vein. The pain shifts, flaring brightly through your body then vanishing from your arm only to be replaced by numbness. Suddenly you feel yourself slide against the rock, no longer pinned. Your screams are answered with louder cries. Pain, anger, tearing at your soul. Scorpion lies still, slowly collecting herself as the pain ceases, only to lose what little ground she had gained as the screaming once again pounds through her head and body. She shudders violently, forcing herself into movement and stands slowly, doubled over, to try and make it to the exit again. She keeps a wary glance glued to the beast, almost tripping in her haste to escape. The creature pauses and seems to look straight at you. Dark red eyes glower out from blackness, crystal glints from its shoulder. The eyes lower to the ground and you cannot help but follow them, looking down. Faintly outlined in the darkness, a shape, something familiar about it. It's.. it's.. an arm... your arm! Scorpion follows the creatures gaze to the floor, barely managing to control the scream that instantly springs to her lips as she recognizes the arm for what it is. She pales, struggling hard to control the urge to heave the contents of her stomach and swivels, back turned to it now as her instinct to survive kicks in and limps unsteadily in what she thinks, in her pain blinded vision, to be the exit. Your movement immediately attracts the creature's attention yet. Something blurs across you vision before you feel the pain again. This time roaring to engulf your entire side. Even through the screams the sickening sound of breaking bones echoes in your ears as your are thrown by the force of the blow into the wall again. Scorpion lands against the wall with a dull 'thud', sliding limply to the floor. She shakes her head, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the double vision she is now seeing of the creature before her and immediately groans as pain shoots through her skull. Her hand raises to her ribs, clamping down tightly to try and quiet the throbbing in them. The horrifying scream tears through the crystal again, reverberating through the air. A breeze passes before your face, for a moment a sweet relief, before the icy cut of crystal slices across your face and neck. The shadow of the creature's appendage withdraws to strike again. The sickening crunch that follows odd to even you pain flooded senses as the casing of your cutting is crushed under the thing's strength. Darkness swimming before your eyes, then nothing. You cannot see but there is nothing but silence. Scorpion shudders in pain, an unwilling scream falling from her lips and adding even more pain on top of what she is already suffering as it echoes loudly, mingling with the echoes from the creatures own scream. Still silence. A glint. Crystal? Scorpion rolls to her side, gasping loudly in pain and then falls still, afraid to move any further in case the creatures attention returns to her again. She strains her ears, listening. The darkness becomes absolute, then shot through crystal and finally blood red. Pain screams through your senses. Your body recoils from the shock as the impact of the creatures arm threatens to tear your head from its shoulders. The pain wells, becomes intolerable the disappears into oblivion, pulling your senses, your soul and your consciousness with it. Another roars shatters the night. Pain, loathing and triumph echoes through the sound, rising over the ranges and filling every hollow. As it fades into the night it is replaced with silence, so absolute and engulfing it may well be the silence of the grave. Flaming red hair, highlighted with sunstreaks of gold, falls long and untamed, reaching well past waist level to wrap itself around her, dropping defiantly into her eyes occasionally even though it's been pulled back out of her way. Her eyes, in fact, are the most startling feature about her, glowing a deep, blood red and are the perfect compliment to her hair. Once those have been passed you see a lean, lightly muscled body that reaches a height of about 5'9 in her bare feet. Her waist is small, although not excessively so, and curves out gently into narrow hips, which in turn, trail down into long legs that seem to go on for days. She moves with a lithe grace, reminiscent of a dancer although it is far more animalistic than that. Dark colors wrap themselves around her, offsetting her red hair and eyes to a startling degree. A deeply black shirt, laced up the front with bright white strings flows loosely around her frame, looking like a work shirt if the amount of creases and holes in it tells a true tale. Her jeans fit loosely and are a dull black, patches of vivid rose lightening their coloring. Knee high work boots complete the outfit, scuffed and falling apart, each holding a dagger sheath.. Her figure is barely recognizable as human, yet alone the figure of a once proud singer. Blood washes over he face and clothing, staining everything red to the point where you cannot even discern her features. The sight sickening to most, the unnatural way in which she lies draws attention to the most visible of her injuries. Her chest caved in, the depression noticeable beneath clothing, open cuts exposing flesh and muscle, the sickening glint of bone. Her face awash in blood,the injury beneath more than you can initially stomach. As you turn to look away some part of your mind grasps the thing that looks so horrifically alien. Her left shoulder ends in a ragged, bloody mess, nothing beyond it, arm lying loosely and unattached nearby. Something makes its way out of the immediate vein area. Something has left. Kaylin comes scrambling into the claim, mud covered, scratches and such from her trip down the stream. She stands dumfounded at what she sees. Scorpion lies in a bloody mess on the floor of the cave, left arm brutally ripped from her body, chest caved in and face unrecognizable as her own. She is blessedly unconscious. Kaylin screams and runs to you. Kneeling down she strips off her jacket and tries to staunch the flow of blood. Kaylin works rapidly, muttering and still screaming at the fates and all the gods as she tries to find a way to stop the flow. "Scorpi!!!! NO, not now. Scorpi!!" Kaylin speaks softly into her wrist comm. Kaylin speaks softly into her wrist comm. Scorpion lies deathly still, the only hint of life within her comes from the rattling she makes as she attempts to breath. Kaylin pulls out whatever she has in her back pack, wrapping and trying to stop your bleeding. Scorpion winces, once, as you jar her and then falls still again. Kaylin murmurs and mumbles to herself as she tries to stay sane at the mess she sees . She comms for help Kaylin sobs and picks you up as easily as she would a child. She holds you cradled and even slings your cutter on her back as she tries to get Scorpion groans loudly, pain lashing through her as you pick her up. She sinks further into oblivion. Kaylin speaks softly into her wrist comm. Kaylin tries not to hurt you, tries to carry you carefully Scorpion lies limply in your arms, beyond the reaches of pain. Kaylin speaks softly into her wrist comm. The sled struggles and whines but fails to pull free of the marshy ground. The sled struggles and whines but fails to pull free of the marshy ground. Scorpion lies silent, a spreading pool of blood forming under her. Kaylin screams at the sled "Go....go... got to go Kaylin staggers out of the sled, sobbing, carrying the mangled body of Scorpion Kaylin mumbles "Gotta get help for her, gotta stop the bleeding Briana glances around and stops to watch all the action... Kaylin stumbles over to the gurney she knows is there Kaylin carefully lays the bloody body on the gurney Scorpion is blessedly unconscious in Kaylin's arms. You are on the soft mattress of a medical gurney. It's strong shock absorbers prevent you from being jolted much. A big fluffy pillow is beneath your head. You are helped onto the gurney by the medic. Briana gasps after seeing Scorpy and rushes over to help get her into the gurney... Himiko emerges from the ready room with purpose. Briana looks at Kaylin "What happened? Kaylin keeps pressure on various places on her body, sobbing and mumbling. covered from head to toe in scorpions blood. Himiko pauses at the noise and peers back in, "MY GOD....." Himiko sinks to her knees, her face shock white, as she clings her carton of crystal. Kaylin looks up and blinks several times "Don't know. was in the sled sleeping, heard a horrible scream and went to the veins I found her like this. Blood so much blood, cant stop the blood Scorpion lies in an ever widening pool of blood, breathing short and gaspy. Kaylin goes back to mumbling and trying to stop the bleeding. Kaylin speaks urgently into her wrist unit, summoning a MediTech. Daron emerges from the ready room with purpose. Daron nearly trips over Himiko as he hurries in, "She still with us? Sorry, Himi." You've overworked yourself to the point you feel the crystal pulsing harder and harder in your blood and bones. Non-singers around you see: Scorpion is totally irrational. You should talk her into taking leave of Ballybran. Call medical if you can't. Daron says "C'mon Kaylin, we need you coherent. Let's get her into surgery." Kaylin leans on the gurney, weakened and puts pressure on the worst bleeding. Kaylin keeps mumbling blood. gods all the blood Kaylin nods "Yes, yes, alive, but too much blood Kaylin shudders "Daron? Stop it stop the blood. I can't Daron says "Get her to the Inf, I've called up all the blood I can that's her type." Briana glances at the medics and then stands back to let them work, her face pale as she glances at Scorpion. Scorpion shivers, body temperature dropping from loss of blood. Daron takes the lead pushing the gurney out. Daron pushes the gurney out of the room. Kaylin moves with a strange professional calm. Kaylin begins to gather the instruments she knows we will need. Kaylin moves back to the table and starts removing the remains of Scorpion's clothing. Daron attaches sensors to Scorpions forehead where it's been cleaned of the blood. You are helped off the gurney by the medic. Kaylin gets ready to move scorpion to the operating table Kaylin counts to the nurses "1..2..3.. lift Kaylin moves Scorpion onto the operating table. Scorpion is shivering uncontrollably. A faint moan hisses from her shattered chest as she is placed on the table. Kaylin begins cleaning the blood as it starts to clot and dry. Kaylin gets heated packs and puts them around scorpion Kaylin brings over a special heating blanket and spreads it over her. Only moving it to work on a specific portion of her body. Kaylin nods and says "She's going shocky on us. Got to keep her warm. I'll take her head and arm. You want to start on the torso? Daron nods, "Okay." He dials the temperature on the table a little higher to keep Scorpion warm. Kaylin pulls over scanners and takes a reading of her head. She hisses at the read out Scorpion is sickly white, but at least her shivering has slowed to only occasionally. Daron tries not to get sick as he takes notice of the damage in the chest, "She's lucky to be alive." Kaylin reaches up and actually hand pumps the blood into Scorpion's body . Kaylin nods "I heard the scream of whatever it was . Woke me up. It must have just finished with her." Kaylin nods to a nurse "Keep pumping the blood in. Scorpion stirs, as if able to understand what the two of you are talking about in her present condition. Daron makes a face as he uses the calcifier to reconstruct the bones, picking out the fragments that are of no use. Kaylin murmurs "Lay still, Scorpi." She reaches down and finds a pressure point and presses, deadening the worst of the pain. Kaylin murmurs "We can't take a chance with anesthesia. I 'll just have to use Frances' trick. Scorpion lies almost unnaturally still, restless stirring ceasing. Kaylin presses carefully on another point that deadens the pain to Scorpi's head. Kaylin shakes her head at the ruined face. Kaylin turns her attention to the empty shoulder and clamps and cauterizes the exposed bleeders. Scorpion sinks further into darkness, visions of the creature taunting her subconscious. Kaylin groans "She has nightmares enough now this. Goddess how will we ever keep her mind whole after this. Daron sighs, "It'll be hard... Hope she has someone." Kaylin sutures a flap of skin down over the empty stump of the left shoulder. She bandages it carefully . Kaylin sighs "Now, to deal with her face. Kaylin sighs and scans the face again. "Goddess. How will we ever. Scorpion whimpers quietly, eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids. Kaylin begins to carefully reconstruct crushed facial features. Using lasers to cauterize and stitch the skin with tiny tiny stitches. She does the micro surgery having to have the nurses wipe the tears from her eyes. Kaylin looks up at you "Ohhh, Daron, can we put her back together?" Daron says "We have to try." Kaylin nods and goes back to her delicate work. Daron is working on a particularly tricky area, and tries to hold his hands steady. Scorpion whimpers again, mouth opening on a silent scream. Kaylin sighs "And her res is sky high. We are going to have to let her heal in the tanks for a while I think." Daron nods Kaylin sighs and finishes her work. She begins to bandage her bald head and face, carefully leaving opening for her eyes and nose and mouth. Scorpion calms suddenly, nightmare vision retreating to leave her in an odd semblance of peace. Kaylin grimaces "can we put her into the radiant tanks now. Or just live with the high res for a while? Daron says "Let's make sure she's out of critical first, I think." Kaylin nodnods Kaylin sighs "Well Vyana will want a report on t his one. She kidnapped me you know" Daron says "I think she's repaid it in full just about..." Kaylin smiles "I could have stopped her but she was irrational and I needed time to talk with her. Brin died as a result of her cutter accidentaly turning on. She and Celendria were going at it." Kaylin looks at you "If Cele shows up, don't let me near her. I'll kill her, Daron." Scorpion stirs slightly and then lies still once again. Daron nods soberly, "Sure..." Daron sighs as he finishes up covering the ghastly wound with pseudo skin Kaylin steps back and wobbles a bit. Daron says "That's it I think... You all right Kay?" Daron leans against a wall She looks more like a side of beef that has faced a pack of starving hounds, her face and shaved head are heavily bandaged, with heavy bruising suggestive of fractures, the gashes have been cauterized and stitched closed, raised patterns on pale skin, the flesh swollen and tender. Her chest is covered with a wide sheathe of pseudo skin where her chest has almost entirely been reconstructed, the ribs and sternum barely holding together even with the liberal use of a bone calcifier. Her left arm ends abruptly in a heavily bandaged stump which has been covered with pseudo skin. Her back is being supported by a brace to keep her torso and back straight so her ribs don't regenerate improperly. The respirator supplies her with oxygen, though not too forcefully in consideration of the fragile state of her bruised lungs. Kaylin leans heavily on the wall. "Um, I don't think so." She slowly slides down the wall, looking very pale. Daron moves over to you, "What's wrong?" Kaylin shakes her head "After shock. It all just hit me" Kaylin sighs softly "I'll be okay. Just need to make sure Scorpi is out of danger" Scorpion coughs, a strangled groan falling from her pale lips. Daron glances at the medical monitors, somewhat worriedly Daron says "Gaws, it's worsen' 'Miko."" Kaylin starts to get up off the floor and slides back down. She looks at the monitors and sighs "She needs to cough." Her eyes moved to you startled "Oh Goddess, do you think it's the same thing? Himiko saw her when I brought her in." Daron slides down next to you, somewhat pale as he now thinks of what Himiko said. "Something big and fast. Nearly tore her arm out of its socket. The files there." Kaylin nods "Time to make sure Vyana is aware of this. The scream still rings in my ears of whatever it is." Daron says "Screams? Himiko mentioned screams." Kaylin can only imagine what that scream was like in the crystal vein. Daron says "Echoed painfully off the crystals I think she said." Kaylin nods "You'd better check with Himi, she may not be in too good a shape from seeing Scorpi." Daron says "I think... she'll be fine... I don't think I can move right now." Kaylin looks over at Scorpion and shudders "This time it did tear her arm off." Scorpion coughs again, a trickle of blood sliding down her cheek from her mouth to land on the table beneath her. Kaylin is up and off the wall in a flash at the cough. Catching herself on the operating table. She checks the monitors and notes the blood stained bandages. "She's bleeding internally. Kaylin moans and backs away from the table. "Can't stand the res....." She shudders. Daron curses as he struggles up, "Damn, she was clear a moment back." Kaylin groans "She's still bleeding internally. Let's just watch her and see if the sym can stop it." Kaylin looks up at the monitors. "Blood pressure is stable though. Best to leave it." Kaylin sighs deeply "Lets get her into Intensive Care" Daron nods, dredging up that last reserve of adrenaline supplied energy Kaylin signals for a gurney and gets the nurses to transfer Scorpion to it. Daron closes his eyes, "Gods... no more of this please." Kaylin signals for the orderlies to take her to Intensive Care. "I'll sleep there tonight with her. To make sure she stays stable." Scorpion lies loosely within the grip of the nurses, not even a groan escaping her even though she should be howling in pain at being moved. Daron says "Not to speak of the nightmares. Himiko had me up many a night." Kaylin sighs "She already has horrible nightmares of her son. Now this. Kaylin goes with the gurney, slumping tiredly. Kaylin watches as the orderlies and nurses on duty get you settled. Scorpion is placed as gently as possible into a bed and hooked up to various assorted beepy machines to monitor her status. She is pale and drawn looking, the only signs of life come from the short, rasping breaths the respirator forces her to take and the constant -blip blip- of the machines. ============================================================================== --Airgiod--The Silver-eyed Rogue-- --TJ Bennett-- http:/rever.nmsu.edu/~airgiod ============================================================================== Odi et amo: quare id faciam, fortasse requiris, Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excruciar. (Catullus) "I hate and love: You may ask why I do so - I do not know, but I feel it and am in torment. ==============================================================================