Clinch River: Keep Mum About This Job

Indeed, a search through the PC's files would prove exceptionally useful, as it contained a map of the facility with the research areas carefully marked, as well as the assorted offices. Other than that, however, there was little in the way of what might be called directional guidance. However, there were quite a few memos and the like being sent back and forth, a few emails and the like that didn't actually seem to have been opened.

There were a few sounds of commotion coming from through the halls, roughly where Sigurd himself had been perhaps twenty, maybe thirty minutes ago at the most. However, that wasn't the direction of anything he was here to find. The research labs were further down this hallway, as were the administrative offices.

Only one way to go then, right?

All he learned is that he is in fact in a facility that was doing some pretty shady stuff. He’s used to that though. He is working for Claudia who is shady in her own way. A woman who clones herself is up to something, and, even if it’s just rumors, those rumors spawned from some manner of truth. Hell, him even being here is proof that his contractor is up to something. It’s not his job to worry about it though. Anyway, he didn’t care much about the information before him, but now that he’s looked through it, he might as well try and make it useful for later. A quick few clicks and things are being uploaded onto a flash drive. He’ll look through things later when he’s no in some dump that has monsters crawling around, and, by the sound of it, something’s coming from where he just came from. Guests? Monsters? It’s time to go either way.

With a sigh, he raised his sword and brought it down, destroying the pc before him. He then went about running his sword through the harddrives and everything, dismantling the room until everything proved useless. If he has guests, they’ll have to find their own map. Anyway, he began his descent further into the facility, his next stop being the research labs. If anything, that’s probably where they’re keeping the object he’s after. It would be where they are conducting research with it, and, if it’s not there, then that means all this mess made them move it. Hopefully, they didn’t have any time for that.

The path toward the research labs was a relatively smooth one, at least as far as one could hope for in an abandoned laboratory such as this. There was still rust on the walls, collapsed paths that didn't seem as though any human could have made it through, but the path toward the lab that Sigurd had committed himself to was still clear. In fact, it seemed as though it had been kept clear, rather than simply happening to be walkable by chance.

Eventually, however, one of the doors he walked through did not lead simply to more crumbled paths, more empty places filled with the smell of decay and the overwhelming pressure of unknowable energy. It instead led into a room lined with computers, filled with shelves that held a great deal of file folders and books, and in the center of the room sat a large glass tank. Or, rather, what was left of one. Whatever had been inside was clearly no longer present, but it had left quite a scene behind. Torn pipes that leaked water and mysterious black fluid onto the floor, half-crushed or eroded skeletons splayed across the floor.

And even with the oppressive energy keeping any spiritual senses dulled, there was on overwhelming sense that something was still in this room with Sigurd.

“And here’s where I would find my target, but…” With a quick look around, the scent of death and destruction, putrid and vile- “...it seems I’ve just found another hiccup.”

Again, his hand is on the handle of his blade, ready for something but not anything. It’d be pretty impossible to be ready for anything when underground without the ability to use any of his powers. The dense aura about the place is especially damaging for someone like him. However, he won’t get anywhere standing around waiting for something. Those noises behind him had long vanished, but they could start back up at any second. First things first; see if he can learn anything from the scene.

Everything before this moment proved too innocent for his liking, so it just made sense it led to something like this. Anyway, it’s best to get something from here. His eyes are carefully looking around for anything of use. There is a nice supply of technology around that has to have something for him. Maybe another clue? Maybe a sign on what might attack him?

The dropping sound from the walls filled the area, but looking through the computer panels revealed a bit less helpful of a scene than the last desk Sigurd had used. The water and viscous black fluid had long since interfered with the electronics, and now any use that these databases might have had was simply gone. The same could not be said, however, for the paper files, which were still fully accessible on their shelves when Sigurd when to learn from them.

Specimen DG-77 Status Report, March 2179

DG-77 does not currently seem perturbed by its presence in captivity, or by any loss of what would be considered 'humanity.' It is currently entirely animalistic in nature, if observation is to be believed, and while it reacts aggressively to prey or feed, it seems unwilling to expand its territory any further than its tank.

Further reports will be updated.

More reports followed, many much the same, though ending almost unceremoniously with a shorter, quicker memo.

Specimen DG-77 Status Report, May ?

Previous observations are deemed invalid. Specimen will kill and expand with extreme prejudice.

More sound echoed through the room, through the lab itself, but there was nothing yet to aggress upon Sigurd. The laboratory, from here, could certainly lead to the administrative offices and the archives. But it was clearly becoming more dangerous.

The computers are useless. Whatever this sludge is has corrupted everything. The only source of information around proves to be the books and files lined up on shelves. Everything not stored was ruined by whatever had grown impatient in this room. The reports he read simply enforce the thoughts in his head. He's in danger. Everyone around him is in danger, but he doesn't care about them right now. If this creature comes for him, then he will just have to deal with it, and, in turn, no one else will have to deal with it. However, he shouldn't simply stand still and wait for it. He has a job to finish, and who knows who else has a job to finish as well.

"Well, come for me, big lug," Sigurd found himself muttering as he left behind the room and went to leave and continue his journey through the laboratory. It's just a matter of time until he finds something worth looking at in this dump. Everything so far has been about directions and scary monsters. All he needs is to find one object. He hates these jobs that revolve around playing hide and seek.

"Lug?"

A remarkably human, female voice echoed through the room as Sigured called out, though nothing stopped him as he continued ever deeper. The hallways now were less cold, less stark, and in a way they almost resembled a standard office building more than some secret military laboratory. Rotted wooden doors, offices with shattered glass windows looking into the hall. If not for the subterranean nature of the place, it might have even resembled a completely normal highrise.

"You're a bit rude, you know."

Some of the black sludge dripped down from the ceiling, forming a puddle before coalescing and reforming into what was, at least visually, an undressed woman. Judging by the lack of spiritual signature, of course, it was unlikely that was actually the case.

"But what brings you here, hmmmm?"

He's going to ignore that. If he doesn't give whatever that was any attention, it might just leave him alone. In fact, it'll think he didn't hear it and maybe, just maybe, give him a pass. He knows how dangerous a female voice is, and, hopefully, it won't follow him into the surprisingly normal hallway. Of course, everything still resembles an underground base that got ransacked, but there's less goop and grime.

However, there's just enough to where something disturbing could still occur, and that something disturbing did occur. That female voice returned, and this time, he couldn't ignore it, for it fell from the ceiling. He watched the goop on the ceiling drop, splash, and then transform into a naked woman. There was the instant desire to cleave her in two and continue forward. He's not here to congregate with the dangers that lurk around, and he knows that this is going to lead to nothing but trouble. However, simply because he's unsure of this woman's capabilities, he withheld from any rash decisions. That doesn't change the slight wariness that adorned his face, his eyes narrowing.

"Business..."

"Business, huh? That's what brought me here, too."

There was almost an eagerness to speak in her voice, as if she was glad to have heard that particular line of conversation but wanted to refrain from making her excitement too obvious. It wasn't especially subtle. Was it because of how long she'd been in this place? Who could say?

"What sort of business? I can probably help out."

The woman was either willfully ignorant of the situation, or was simply delusional. Either way, she seemed interested in Sigurd's efforts, edging a bit closer to him as she spoke.

"Help? So, you're not a spawn of this place..."

Should he believe her? Should he strike first before she can? Run? Talk? Possibilities, solutions, and complications run through his head. The process of gauging this woman proves as difficult as every other situation similar. A part of him wished he was versus another monster. Reacting instead of interacting always proved the easier of the two. Killing a monster doesn't take much thought compared to this. However, he chose the more diplomat approach for now, considering the woman is nearing him.

"I'm simply searching for an item is all... You know about any... rings?"

He didn't want to reveal what he's after, but he knows she's going to ask about what it is he's after. If she knows anything about what's going on down here, then his answer should prove enough for her. That'd just make her more suspicious though. However, if she doesn't know, then maybe she could actually help him.