IC - 19 - Surface of Titan - Everyone except Kiara

[aine]

“I, er, don’t think you should go out, Isabella. Look, can you see it’s all crystally- like the thing that attacked Jojo.” Nicole says, concerned that it’s some sort of trap.
“Where’s the person, Sam? Are you sure it’s human and not something alien?” Nicole tries to see the person too, whilst clambering forward to check on Moses.

[Mr. Handy]

"Over there," says Sam. "I don't know what exactly it is, but it looks vaguely humanoid. It's hard to tell from so far away. That's why we need to get closer."

[aine]

“I don’t know. It looks like a trap and that rover has already sprung it once. Weapons out and be prepared for anything. Moses are you with us?” Nicole shakes Moses on the shoulder.

[Mr. Handy]

"You're right," says Sam, keeping her weapons ready as she prepares to venture outside.

[Mephistophilis]

At Nicole's warning, Isabella reaches back into the cab and grabs a shotgun. She jumps from the top step of the ladder and lands gently in the orange snow. After a few shakes Moses eventually grunts something and pulls himself to his feet to follow Isabella out of the cab. He doesn't bring any weapon.

Isabella and Moses approach the rover while Sam walks past it down the slight incline towards the inlet projecting from the body of Ligeia Mare.

Isabella raps her shotgun on the rover's hull, 'Don't think anyone's in.'

Moses winds from side to side, looking up into the air and at the ground. 'It, it's amazing.' He crouches down and lifts a handful of methane snow, staring at it. 'So warm, I can feel it on my skin. The air, it's clear. And the trees. They must be making the oxygen.' He places the gloved hands of his surface suit on either side of his helmet and starts to twist it.

Nicole can't see any sign of this figure amongst the strange crystalline trees but she starting to lose sight of Sam as she disappears amongst the trunks and branches.

Walking through the trees, Sam catches only fleeting glances of the figure. She can't be sure but she thinks they might even be naked. There are slight impressions in the grass, like footprints. And as she nears the blue water the grass thins out to reveal an orangey-brown soil with distinct human footprints, prints of bare feet, leading down into the water.

[Mr. Handy]

"Whoever it is is definitely human," says Sam, "and possibly not wearing any clothes. Someone's about to go for a swim in the water, I think." She points out the footprints.

[Mephistophilis]

No footprints you can see.

[Starspawn338]

Just to be safe, Jojo runs his own internal scans to make sure he isn't malfunctioning. It seems apparent that this is only affecting the lifeforms but he wonders how they got infected.

"Please keep your suits on, no matter how enticing everything looks out there. We are on the surface of Titan and anything you see that is inconsistent with that fact should cause you pause." He calls to the others over the suit radio.

[aine]

Nicole watches from the rover. She keeps an eye on the ‘radar’ screen for any strange blips.
“Moses, keep your helmet on; that’s an order!

Sam, don’t go any further as I can’t see you; wait there for the figures to come to you.”
“They must be aware of us by now.” She thinks.

[Mr. Handy]

"Understood," says Sam, holding her position and keeping her shotgun ready, watching the figure carefully.

[Mephistophilis]

Isabella walks around towards the rear of the surface rover. She is obscured from view by the bulk of the vehicle. 'I'm going to try and open the rear hold doors' she says.

Watching from the rover, Nicole doesn't see anything unusual on the sensors, she can pick up the rover, Sam, Moses, and Isabella. Hang on. That is strange. There's no signal being reflected by the trees on any electromagnetic wavelength that she can read on the sensors. But they're definitely there, she can see them. That's visible light being reflected surely?

Still crouching down in the snow, Moses mutters something that weakly transmits over the suit radios, 'So beautiful.' He continues to twist the helmet of his surface suit and it visibly moves, a small spurt of vapour escaping from the seal.

Sam can't be sure, but from the bubbles and the ripples in the water she thinks the figure has gone under the surface. It is difficult to see too far down from this position. She'd need to go nearer the water to get a better look.

Glancing behind her she sees Moses continuing to crouch down in the snow. He mutters something, 'So beautiful' and unscrews his helmet. Taking great gasps of air as the dappled sunlight falls across his face. He smiles.

As expected, Jojo's internal diagnostics show that he is operating at, well if not exactly optimum functioning given his recent experiences, at least as well as could be expected and with no signs of any major malfunction or systems error.

Still crouching down in the snow, Moses mutters something that weakly transmits over the suit radios, 'So beautiful.' He continues to twist the helmet of his surface suit and it visibly moves, apparently breaking the seal as a white frosty rime creeps across the inside of his visor.

[Mr. Handy]

"I can't see the figure any more," Sam calls back. "Looks like whoever it is dove into the water."

[aine]

“I think this is all an illusion; the scanners aren’t picking any of it up. And, merde! Sam, Jojo, Isabella, get to Moses fast! He’s going to take his helmet off!”
If Nicole is nearest she will try to get to Moses in time herself.

[Mr. Handy]

"He just took it off," replies Sam, heading over to Moses, "but he looks okay."

[Starspawn338]

Jojo can do nothing more than watch as Moses removes his helmet. He knows what is going to happen next.

"Moses, don't do it!" He says over the radio but he knows it's going to be too late.

[aine]

Nicole hurries across the bright green grass towards Moses. It all looks so idyllic and yet the sensors can’t lie, whatever Sam says.

[Mephistophilis]

Nicole bounds across the distance to Moses in ungainly loping steps. Moses twists off his helmet, pulls it over his head, and lets it fall slowly to the surface.

Removing his helmet in a haze of vapour, Moses gives Nicole a smile.

OOC:   If you'd like to try and get Moses's helmet back on roll a Zero G test of average difficulty.

Moses looks completely unperturbed at the sight of Nicole barreling across the surface towards him. He reaches out a hand to Sam, 'Come on Sam the air's so clear. Feel the sun on your skin...'

As Moses lifts his helmet over his head Jojo sees a patina of frost start to form on his face, which has a blank, almost idiotic grin.

[Mr. Handy]

"Nicole said not to take our helmets off," Sam tells Moses. "There may be oxygen to breathe, but who knows what else is in this air? How did it even get here?"

[aine]

“Moses, no!” Nicole grabs the helmet as it rolls away from Her smiling friend and turns back to slam it on his head but...

Zero G 20. roll: 91

[Mr. Handy]

"Here, let me get that for you," says Sam, scooping up the helmet and handing it back.

Zero/Low-G roll (50% skill) to retrieve the helmet:
d%