Chapter One: ‘And the dead shall walk the earth’

[Priest]

From the recumbant form of the shaking Jodie May a trail of blood leads down the passageway in the direction, according to signs, as the Medical Center. Jodie May looks toward the photographer her face a mixture of terror and fear, "All dead" she repeats in a toneless whisper, "Billy!...No!"
At Jonathan's suggestion Emily nods, "It might be for the best, she has lost a considerable amount of blood. For the moment I think I have stopped the bleeding, if we can get her to her room I can get the supplies I need from the infirmary" She looks on approvingly as the writer gently lifts the blood stained woman from the floor, with the assistance of Pedro of course. As they lift her Jodie May suddenly grabs Emily's arm, "Not the infirmary, please not the infirmary"

OOC: The adventure continues with Scene Two: 'Infection' at 20:00 GMT Monday

[Priest]

Ricky Moskey:

Having made the phone call and alerted ship security you spend the next five minutes watching the door and listening intently. However nothing outside the door is heard before a sharp knocking alerts you to a visitor. To accompany the knocking you are aware of a male voice calling your name, “Mr Moskey? Ship Security here you reported a disturbance”. Motioning Katie to stay in the bed you cross to the cabin door and peer through the security peephole. Outside you can see two uniformed figures, one of whom, from his proximity to the door, is obviously the speaker while the other seems to be studying the blood trail on the floor and looking down the passageway toward the medical center. “Mr Moskey, Sir. Open the door, please”

OOC: The adventure continues with Scene Two: ‘Infection’ at 20:00 GMT Monday.

[Garrett]

"Yeah? What the hell do you want, I think it's pretty damn obvious why I called you." He said motioning to the blood, and keeping his voice hushed so Katie wouldn't hear him.

[DrPeterson]

Jonathan smiled reassuringly at Emily and then started guiding Jodie May towards her cabin, reflecting on the way that the blood staining onto his shirt matched the dirt on his tuxedo jacket rather well.

[Mr. Handy]

Pedro helps to support Jodie May and guide her back to her cabin. "I can understand not wanting to be in the infirmary under the circumstances," he says. "It can't be too sanitary there either."

OOC,I'd forgotten that you wanted us to put all of our speech in the same color. I usually choose a unique color for the speech of each character I play.

[Priest]

Despite the sartorial and physical discomfort of helping, though at most times carrying a woman that seems to be constantly drifting in and out of consciousness when not babbling something about Bill, dead people and eating, it is relatively easy to find the Haynes’ cabin. Number 403 is indeed at the ‘front’ of the ship, in fact it is almost the entire bow of the ship. Obviously money was no object here, once inside the expense of the cabin, or state room, is overpowering. Everything is white, Gold, or pink, even the TV surround is finished in a gold lacquer. French windows open onto the private deck which surrounds at least half of the bow area. The views from here would be spectacular, but then that’s what you are paying for.
In the center of the room is the piece de resistance, an enormous circular bed based on a raised plinth. It looks like something out of an early Holywood historical production. From the ceiling hang sheer curtains, and in the center of the bed lies a forlorn white Stetson hat.
At Emily’s bidding you carry the distraught female to the bed, noting that the bleeding has indeed stopped. As you gently lay her on the white silk bedcover her eyes alight on the Stetson hat, “Billy!...Dead, all dead…Don’t!...Stay away!!” with a short gasp that may have been pain, Jodie May seems to fall into a deep sleep, her breathing faint and irregular.
Emily turns to you all, but seems to only have eyes for Jonathan, “Well, what now? She seems stable but running a fever. We can wait here and call security, or some of us can look in on the infirmary and see what she was babbling about”

Spoiler:

Mr Handy: Don't worry. The text rules are more so that we can differentiate between speech and thought

OOC: Please do not advance the action beyond conversation for the moment.

[Priest]

Scene Two: Infection

Marcello di Monti:

So far the cruise was living up to its claims. First night aboard, a few hours out of Miami and already someone had died. Admittedly the rumour was that it had been a simple heart attack, but given that the guy was something in armaments anything was possible.
Still, you had enjoyed the party, the food and the champagne and had made a valuable future contact in Howard Forthington himself, a self made man said to be worth millions of dollars. Now however you and your ‘personal secretary’ have retired to your state room on passenger deck four at the stern of the ship with a large bottle of expensive champagne to prepare some notes for a forthcoming political rally.
After the noise of the party, which even the death of a passenger had done little to subdue, the peace of one of the Pinnacles most prestigious state room cabins had seemed a haven. With the French windows open to allow access to the private deck and the cool night sea breeze the only sound was that of the gentle slap of the sea against the ships hull, and the occasional giggle of pleasure from you companion.
A scream of pain, probably female from its timbre, disturbs the tranquillity of your night and judging from its volume not far from your door. You weren’t aware of it but Gabriella, having better hearing obviously, swears to have heard running footsteps receding in the distance as if moving away from the stern of the ship towards the lifts that occupy a position somewhere in the midships. This was followed by the sound of someone along the same passageway opening and several seconds later closing a door. Then for perhaps five minutes, silence, to be disturbed once more by a knocking and a male voice asking someone called Moskey to open the door.

[kabukiman]

-Can't we rest in peace in this boat? Gabriella, go tell the man to make less noise, or I'l have to make a complain. And bring me a glass of water, I'm thirsty.

[Priest]

Marcello di Monti:

Gabriella returns swiftly carrying a tall glass of water, "It seems that whoever this Moskey character is he has upset the security people. There were two uniformed men outside a cabin further along the passageway. I did not think telling them to shut up would be a good move" For a moment Gabriella's brow furrows in thought, "One of them seemed to be looking at something on the floor".

[Mr. Pear]

“You guys stay here and take care of her. I’ll go and have a word with those medics in the infirmary. Surely they can shed some more light on her automutilation or whatever she did in her hysteric rage. I don’t think there’s any need bothering the security. A psychiatrist might be of better use to her now.”
Luke turns around and proceeds through the breathtaking suite, still wondering what a fortune this must have cost. Before closing the door behind him, he casts one more look upon the pitiable woman and her caretakers.
“I’ll be back in no time!”

Stupid lunatic drama queen! You wanted to marry a rich asshole earning a fortune on mass murdering children while stuffing his own face full of hamburgers so now his cholesterol exploded and you can’t cope with reality so you start biting your own arm like the freaked out street dog you are so I have to spend my night running around the ship looking for band aid after your beloved sweaty balloon already fucked up the opening party don’t you know I have a whole day full of work ahead of me tomorrow and can’t afford to be miss the arrival at Nassau in the morning of course you don’t you’ve probably never even worked a day in you life you just marry an obese bank account instead you lazy whore.
An endless flux of thoughts crosses his mind while he runs back towards the infirmary, holding his camera in one hand to prevent it from dangling from his neck. Once arrived, he knocks on the window and tries to look inside.

[Priest]

OOC: Excellent stuff Mr Pear. Please hold it at the point where you have left the Haynes' state room so everyone can catch up.

[Garrett]

OOC-Ricky's still just standing at the door talking to the police right?

[Priest]

OOC: Just for clarification. As Scene One: Celebration ends The characters are in the following locations;
Dr Donahue, Jonathan Moore, Pedro Rodriguez and Jodie May are in the Haynes' state room cabin 403. Luke Hoffman has just left the room and is outside the door.
Ricky Moskey and his duaghter are inside their cabin with Ricky talking to the two ships security officers in the passageway.
Marcello di Monti and Gabriella are inside their stateroom a little up the passageway from Ricky.
Dependant upon everyones next actions, we begin Scene Two: 'Infection'.

[Priest]

OOC: To hell with the weekend post rule, I'm having too much fun. Keep posting men.

Scene Two: 'Infection'

Ricky Moskey:

The uniformed security officer outside the door looks over his shoulder towards the blood you are indicating, "Hmm, looks like someone had an accident". He opens his pocket book, licks the point of his pencil and begins to write, there is something about the guy that reminds you of a regular cop without doughnuts and coffee. "Now let me see, you didnt see anything, just looked out at your daughters prompting".
As he speaks the other officer begins following the blood trail towards the infirmary's closed doors, before stopping with one hand on the door handle, "Hey Sam, there's some strange shit going on in here", he turns the handle and gives the door a gentle push...

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm not so sure," says Pedro as Luke leaves. "If she'd done this to herself, there would be blood somewhere other than her arm. Something traumatic happened in there. Maybe there's some sort of disease spreading in the infirmary? I've heard that can happen on cruise ships, particularly norovirus." He regards Emily. "You would know far more about that sort of thing than I, Dr. Donahue. What do you think?"

[Garrett]

"What do we got a 'mad doctor' chopping his patients up?" Ricky says sarcastically, leaning casually on his door frame. He looks over his shoulder to see his daughter still sitting on the bed with a curious expression on her face. He also takes a closer look to see how well armed these guards are.

[Priest]

Pedro Rodriguez:

In answer to your question Emily nods, "That concerns me too. That the wound ideed looks like a bite, a human bite, the impression would seem to indicate that it came from another source, not the distraught widow". As she speaks so Jodie May, whose breathing was becoming shallower and more erratic with every second, shudders one large breath. Her body suddenly going rigid before relaxing into an unmoving position in which a stillness of her chest indicated she had stopped breathing. Emily moved like a flash to begin CPR., for several long minutes she worked furiously to restore life. It was painfully obvious that she was struggling in vain, Jodie May, recently widowed, was dead.

[Priest]

Ricky Moskey:

You get no reply to your sarcastic remark as the officer near you is now engrossed in watching his collegues next action.
Having opened the door the officer draws a Glock 9mm pistol from a holster at his side and points it into the room, "What the!...Step away from the body...Do it NOW!". As if in answer to his command a low moaning issues from inside the room, "Stop or I'll fire"
Whether he would have fired or not is suddenly irrelevant as he is suddenly jerked from sight into the room. His disappearance accompanied by bloodcurdling screams and an increase in the moaning sound.
"Stay here" commands the second security man as drawing his weapon he runs towards the door theough which his partner disappeared. His arrival at the doorway coincides with the emergence of what must have been a medical staff member although it is difficult to tell as he seems covered in blood as if he had been bathing in it. With a low moan that seems almost sexual he reaches towards the advancing officer who skids to a halt and adopts a two handed regulation firing stance, "Hold it or I fire".
You know what's coming and begin to close the door concerned for the safety of Katie if bullets start flying. Obviously the command had little impact as the officer fires three times at point blank range into the chest of the advancing medical technician.
You can only watch in horror as the officer is grabbed by the technician, who has failed to notice the impact of bullets, pulled into an embrace and ignoring the screams of the officer begins to tear large amounts of flesh from his exposed neck with his teeth.

OOC: You need now a fear roll. 1d10+1+4 -3 you must make over 9 to succed each two levels over 9 is a quality success. If you make less than 9 it is -1 off your essence and you get to roll 1d10 on the fear table.

[Priest]

Luke Hoffman:

You have barely taken a dozen steps from the door of the Haynes' cabin when you hear the unmistakeable sound of a pistol being fired three times in quick succession followed by a horrible scream of fear and pain. It appears to have come from the direction of the Medical facility which is your destination.

Pedro Rodriguez and Jonathan Moore

As Emily starts to flag in her efforts to revive Jodie May, you hear, muffled by the closed door of the cabin, what sounds like a pistol being fired several times.

Marcello di Monti

No sooner had Gabriella handed you the glass of water and explained about the security further along the passageway, than you hear screams and a gun being fired outside the cabin door.

[Mr. Pear]

Luke started off in a fast pace, but upon hearing the shots, he suddenly stops and stands pinned to the ground. He looks up and down the corridor several times as if he’s expecting the gunman to come running his way. He presses his back against the wall and listens carefully for footsteps.
OK.. this is getting bad. No mistake possible, those were gunshots. So maybe she wasn’t crazy afterall and we do have a killer on board this ship? Maybe someone attacked her and the medical team and is now on his way making more victims? Maybe it would be smarter to just go back to that suite? No, I can’t, I have to get to my room and get up in the morning for that photo shoot. But this guy is still out there and might get away with this. Or it might be something entirely different..
Torn up by his own curiosity, he decides to choose the investigation over safety. He flicks on his camera, adjusts the ISO and aperture for maximum light sensitivity. A good photographer always needs to be prepared. You never know he happens to see the culprit or whatever is happening out there in the dark. He proceeds in the direction of the gunshots with soft steps, careful not to make any sound, while listening intensely and constantly looking over his shoulder.