<<* Time dilation is still in effect *>>
X's voice, clear of static, rings out on the comms channel. "Pick your targets," he says, "Check your shots. I was going to get closer for a better look, but things are about to get hairy. It looks like we have a civilian in there as part of the ritual. Make every shot count. Signal your ready status, and we go on 3 when everyone is ready."
"Unless you count the bloody bits and bobs, you are mistaken." replies Lady S. "You might wanna go quarteback again and try to get them all at once."
Block concurse with the Lady S, adding "Yeah, that's no civilian. That's a spider factory."
Ace's voice, somewhat calm and yet really keyed up erupts on the circuit. "3, All. Confirmed. Heads up. Something's crawling overhead. No visual, audio only, sounds like many legs."
Block's voice somehow pops back onto the channel, seeming somehow calm yet incredibly well sped-up: "One three ready!" it practically threatens defiantly.
Lady S's voice comes on strong over the comms, "Ready to tango."
There is stone cold silence, followed by another THOOOMMM-THoooom-thoooom, bass echoes shimmering into the dark otherwhen. Something scuttles quietly somewhere overhead, but inside the bay, not out here where it could be seen.
Ace's voice growls menacingly, "F4 your TPS cover letter Bob..."
And then, for wonder, everyone can actually HEAR X's voice ringing out loud and strong into the area, the bay, everywhere. "Alright guys." he says out loud, "GIVE 'EM HELL!"
In the gallery, the bay that has been converted into something like a church for the most evil acts possible, the seven worshippers (three to the left, four to the right) all jerk their heads level, looking towards the door as though in shock or total surprise.
Almost a millisecond later you hear the muted "Ka-chukk!" "Sish!" "Pop!" of an underbarrel grenade launcher firing a rifle grenade. Somewhere near the left side of the doorway you actually SEE the ring-charge (propellant) flash a dirty yellow, and the smell of, of, of something somehow plastic and sharply metallic fills the air.
The "Ka-chukk!" noise of X's rifle grenade is the trigger point, and Lady S's weapons thunder into the otherwise echoing silence, followed by Ace, then Block. [That's a thinly-veiled description of Initiative order. We can argue about it later.] The actual sequence of events follows. Read closely, and see if you can follow, too.
X's rifle grenade launches in a flat, direct path, slamming into *something* just ahead of the laboring youngling, causing it to bounce straight up, very like a straight path, not a parabolic arc. (Note: The ceiling is only 20 feet high in here.) Way back in the back, the shadowy something turns around (you can't be sure which way it's facing) and begins making some weird scrabbling, gargling noises. The seven "persons in waiting" jerk their attentions to the door at exactly the same time, as if maybe they're under control by the same controller. Something large, black, furry, and multi-legged drops down from the top of the doorway, narrowly missing block (fell just ahead of his Fichetti). Lady S discharges both pistols at once in a thunderous blast, the shockwave of which can be felt out to thirty feet. At that point Ace fires his rifle, and pretty much at the same time Block fires a burst from his Fichetti. And if that wasn't enough, the grenade (up until now not very closely watched, except maybe by X himself) finishes its bounce off the ceiling (left quite a divot up there!) and lands right on top of the laboring spider queen, and explodes with an uproar leaving no room in the world for any more noise.
Somewhere far, far away from here you hear a keening wail, something like a cross between tremendous longing and extreme pain, with a large-ish measure of frustration mixed in there somewhere. The effect is both electrifying and terrifying all at the same time. |
