You reach end of the hall and the door opens before you, letting you in what must have been the central hall for this section. Defining feature of the chamber seemed to be a clerical desk that may have once served as facility's reception, now the few office chairs behind it were vacant and among them another of the alien growths pulsated faintly, surrounded by a few more of the inert greenish figures. Behind the desk are several tables and a line of food dispensers, suggesting this part of the facility may have served as a cantina. Above, embedded in the far wall, you could make out shielded platforms that might have served the security personnel overlooking the chamber. As you file into the open, mindful of the increasingly dense presence of strange vines, you realize that an elevator shaft runs along the wall.

"This is the main access to the warehouse on surface." Eve informs you. "The office section I mentioned earlier is past that checkpoint." The gynoid points to an entryway across the chamber, one of two framed by a mass effect projectors. Both gates were currently unpowered but the one Eve indicated was also open, allowing you unfettered access. The other one that Eve previously identified as secure access to the next section. This other door was not completely shut - it was partially open to let a particularly thick bundle of vines through. The crack was not wide enough for any of you, however.

You exchange glances with your companions and head quietly towards the open access to the office section. You pass the inactive checkpoint without incident and find yourselves in an ordinary looking office space - three desks with terminals, a coffee machine, a few shelves, some of them occupied with withered potted plants, other lined with stacked foils, binders and datapads. There were two other exits from the office - one was a doorway behind which was another, similarly outfitted office that is additionally fitted with a conference table and a vidwall. Another was a staircase going around a smaller elevator shaft that apparently facilitated convenient access to two more levels of office space above you, as well as one of the security platforms overlooking the central chamber and a secured room housing a computer mainframe connected to the office terminals.

Naturally, the first thing you do upon this last discovery is giving Eve a questioning look. She inclines her head with a wry smile.

"I cannot be certain, Ford, but based on signals from the emergency routine I have not found any indication that this station could be connected to any system outside this section."

"She's saying that this computer is probably dedicated to the office block and maybe the habitation area. Unless there's a hidden path that's not active under emergency power." Lea helpfully adds over the comm.

"I can try to physically access the storage devices and try to access their content, but without utility of native access protocols the process will be very inefficient."

"Alternatively we can light this place up and take what we want... but they're definitely going to notice that." Lea adds in.

"Can't we grab the drives and book it?" Feria whispers. "I bring the evidence to Thing and we'll have a pitchfork mob here in no time."

"Whatever we do, we still have the missing people to look for." You reply in hushed voice, shaking your head.

"Right, of course."

>Have Eve analyze the computer storage elements under her own power - less obvious, but still discoverable and very time consuming.
>Have Eve restore power to the facility and access the office computers. This is virtually guaranteed to alert someone - or something.
>Search the offices - perhaps one of the clerks left behind something of interest?
>Leave the office section and head towards the other security checkpoint, into the presumed heart of the facility. You will need to force your way through the door somehow though.
>other course of action (Specify)

A non-comprehensive summary of previous issues:

https://pastebin.com/Wxid98e6

Previous issues:
First thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3369286/
Subsequent threads:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Henri%20Ford

>>4289431

>Have Eve analyze the computer storage elements under her own power - less obvious, but still discoverable and very time consuming.
>Search the offices - perhaps one of the clerks left behind something of interest?

>>4289512
agreed, let Eve crack the thing while Ford Faria and LeaBot continue searching. maybe we can find personal logs that may shed some light into this or some other useful information

>>4289512
+1

"Eve, dig in." You tell the gynoid. "Meanwhile, we'll look for more tangible clues." You add, looking at Feria. The ladies give you a quiet nod, even the drone Lea commandeered bobs in assent, although the drones specialized manipulators give her very limited utility for this task. Still, every bit could help.

Eve doesn't waste another moment and approaches the mainframe. You spend a few seconds watching her crouch next to it and, with practiced (or so she made it look) movements recovers a set of tools from somewhere on her person and gets to work dismantling computer's casing. Fortunately the alien vines did not seem to give this piece of hardware any particular importance, allowing the gynoid to work relatively unfettered.

Confident that she's got matters in hand you withdraw from the server room and look around you, plotting your search pattern. You had several options where to start: supervisor's office right next door was one obvious option, with highest potential for clues assuming the person in charge was a slob. With Eve's presence security systems should not be an issue, although independent mechanisms might be. Another place to search would be the security watchpost. If you come across physical locks, that's where keys might be. And then of course there's the office spaces themselves. Individual employees may not have had a lot of privileged information but they may have been less careful with it and sifting through their workplaces might give you an idea what was going on here even if it's not spelled out elsewhere.

"Any idea what exactly we're looking for?" Feria asks.

"Clues." You say, thinking aloud (though not too loud) "Anything that could tell us what was going on here and what went wrong. Handwritten memos, notebooks, datapads, anything that could contain personal account, or anything that seems out of place. Any keys for physical locks could come in handy, too."

"Gotcha. We splitting up?"

>Yes, I'll take the (supervisor's office? security watchpost? office space?), you take the (same selection)
>No, let's stick together, and let's start with (select location)
>(optional) have Lea's drone accompany either of you or send her to a separate location. You get vague impression that sending her to accompany Feria may not be appreciated by the Asari.
>other plan

What is the policy on search?
>Safety - you'd rather not check an item than risk disturbing a vine hugging it.
>Thoroughness - you'll do what it takes to access a potential clue, even if it means taking chances.
>other

Regardless, please roll some 4d100s (in order: (You), Lea, Eve, Feria)

Rolled 31, 49, 93, 52 = 225 (4d100)

>>4290315

>Yes, I'll take the (supervisor's office? security watchpost? office space?), you take the (same selection)

She takes the supervisor's office since it's right next to Eve she can call her if anything bad happens and she has support in no time

We take the security office

If Eve is not finiahed by the time we finiah our search we meet up with Feria and search the offices together.


>Thoroughness - you'll do what it takes to access a potential clue, even if it means taking chances.

Rolled 44, 59, 30, 59 = 192 (4d100)

>>4290520
+1

Rolled 35, 15, 40, 3 = 93 (4d100)

>>4290520
+1

Rolled 78, 58, 24, 55 = 215 (4d100)

>>4290520
+1

>>4290520
Oh, let me add that LeaBot comes with us

Rolled 62, 44, 50, 84 = 240 (4d100)

>>4290315
>>4290520
I'm a bit late, but +1 and roll because I'm addicted to random number generation.

"Yeah. Could you take the supervisor's office? It's right next door, and if you come across something suspicious, Eve will be close by to help."

Feria's eyes dart to the gynoid and she nods. "Alright."

Having settled on the plan of action you head towards the security post, Lea's drone in tow. Once you reach it, several potential points of interest make themselves apparent - the room's furnishing is in line with the corporate style seen in the office spaces with addition of the alien creep and things you would expect given its function: surveillance feeds, strongboxes for equipment and seized items, stash of medical supplies and the most obvious element - the shielded balcony overlooking the central chamber, including clear view of the main access elevator.

You get busy going through the strongboxes first. Between your own suite of tools you previously used on ancient artifacts or smuggler caches and the software toolbox Eve got together for you and Kris when you were deciding who goes where cracking them open offers little challenge, with exception for one of the boxes that has one of the alien vines obscuring access. You decide to provisionally leave that one be and continue your search elsewhere.

Contents of the boxes you do get open is of mediocre interest when it comes to gathering intelligence, though it could prove beneficial yet.

"What are these?" Lea asks.

"Stun batons." You answer, looking over the revealed bounty. There were some pieces of personal armor, restraints, a few ordinary pistols as well. You don't see any equipment you would not expect a rent-a-cop to wield, nothing that would suggest the watchmen posted here to be prepared to deal with anything... otherwordly.

Like unknown mind controlling biomass spreading throughout the facility.

You sigh in your helmet and resume the search, turning your attention to the other containers and furnishings. You do discover a hidden compartment in a refrigerator containing several cans of pre-reaper commercial beer, but as valuable as a discovery that is it brings you no closer to your objectives.

Eventually the only container left to be opened is the strongbox obstructed by the alien vine. Watching the maintenance drone float around the room, looking for spots you might have missed, gives you an idea.

"Lea, could you hover over here?" You beckon her towards the remaining container. "I'm going to need you to affix this vine with a mass effect field after I move it aside. Can your manipulator do that?"

"Should be. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Well, if they're any denser further in we're going to have to disturb these eventually. Might as well try it now when there could be clues to be uncovered."

"Okay. Please be careful, Cap."

You steady your breath and reach for the unnatural growth. Delicately you brush your gloved finger against it... and wait for a few seconds. When there is no response that you can see, you feel emboldened enough to slowly, carefully push the offending vine out of the way, into the position where -

"Now."

Lea's drone's manipulator come to life, the dark energy lashing out to grasp at the matter before it, fixing it in place. This is another stressful moment for you, as you await whether the vine will react to the agitated eezo. Once again you count a few seconds, then allow yourself to relax when nothing happens. Maybe the vines were entirely inert after all? Maybe you needn't worry about them that much.

Still, not wanting to push your luck you turn your attention back to the box and a few moments later see its cover hiss open, revealing...

"Seized contraband?" You murmur. You can see a satchel of dried leaves with a label attached, You don't bother reading it, looking at the other items. A box, no, two small boxes of aged paper cards with colorful images. This belongs in a museum! A plastic horn, about arm's length, in two pieces, jagged edges hinting that the item was not supposed to part this way. A musical instrument, perhaps?

The box is empty aside from this.

"Let it go." You say with a sigh. The mass effect fied gradually dies down, allowing the vine to ease back into its original position.

Well, that could have gone better. Perhaps your companions have fared better.

"Eve, Feria, you got anything?" You key them in your commlink.

"Nothing yet." Feria says. "This guy had about as much personality as a salarian tax collector."

"I have something." Eve says, lifting your spirits. "Most of the data is encrypted and will take substantial time to crack, but I have come across cached private logs from some of the personnel. It could shed some light on what happened here. I'm sending you a compilation now."

"Excellent job. Thank you, Eve." You grin.

"So, care to give us an abridged version?" Feria asks.

There's a brief pause. Is it hesitation? Can Eve hesitate for periods of time comparable with meatbags like you?

"It appears this facility was chosen to study a sample Exogeni obtained on an offworld research colony built on top of Prothean ruins. The researcher shares some emotional misgivings on nature of the specimen and wisdom of bringing it to Earth.

"The fuck are 'emotional misgivings'?" Feria asks.

"Ones borne of intuition rather than factual assessment of observed phenomena."

"Well, in hindsight they seem rather vindicated." You mutter, looking around.

"They seem rather reasonable in foresight as well." Lea interjects. "I mean, we had rules against bringing Geth tech to the fleet, and we had at least some idea of what it can do! And there still was that debacle on late admiral Zorah's ship."

"Indeed." Eve says. "Final journal entry displays a notable shift in expression and deep reverence for a concept of unity, presumably indicating influence of the specimen following breach of its containment." She concludes and falls silent.

>Ask Eve to tell you more.
>Go through the file Eve sent you right away.
>Make another sweep here in the watch post. Maybe you missed something?
>Move onto the office space.
>Abandon this section and move deeper into the installation
>other course of action

>(optional) Grab the stun batons? (Y/N)

>>4291600
>Ask Eve to tell you more.
>Move onto the office space.
>Grab the stun batons.
Do the stun batons collapse or fold? I ask because having them tucked out of sight is useful.

>Ask Eve to tell you more

File: vuvuzela.jpg (32 KB, 1097x544)

32 KB JPG

>>4291600
>Ask Eve to tell you more.
>Move onto the office space.
>(optional) Grab the stun batons? (Y)
also grab the playing cards, those things can be useful on long space trips

also, if we can, desintegrate that plastic vuvuzela, those things are a blight on humanity's history and should be purged even if they have historical value, the cost of it's existence is just too high.

>>4291600

>Ask Eve to tell you more.
>Move onto the office space.
>Grab the stun batons.

>>4291600
>>4296541
+1

Nodding to yourself you quietly mull over the situation. What Eve just confirmed was what you were thinking happened, no surprises so far. But she made it sound like she found something more than that...

Absently you walk over to the equipment lockers and test one of the stun batons, activating it and getting a feel how it handles.

"Did you find anything else?" You ask over the comm. "Eve?" You add after a few seconds.

"Yes, Ford. Well, between observations of the journal's owner and contextual clues they left behind it appears there was some difference in opinion among the leadership. Possibly, the reason why the containment breach happened in the first place."

"You mean that didn't happen when Reapers showed up and fucked up everyone's day?" Feria asks in.

"No. Signs of the... controlling presence... appear on logs dated shortly before the Reaper arrival in Sol. Though possibly within timeframe where an informed party could know of their approach."

"Would a corporate blacksite be connected well enough to pass for one?" You think aloud as you collapse the stunner and snap it onto your belt. Then, after some brief consideration, you sweep up a few more of them from the box to outfit rest of your party. You were not sure if they'd do anything to the greenish humanoids but they should at very least be effective if you came across one of the cultists from the topside.

"...I can't in good confidence answer that." Eve replies after a moment.

"Nah it makes sense." Feria opines. "There's no way this place was not working with the spooks. Probably brought in people off the streets to experiment on, too."

"I guess we'll find out. Anyway, you mentioned some dissension earlier, Eve? Any idea what it was about?"

There it was again, the hesitant pause. Was she unsure of what she was saying? Or whether she should say it?

"It appears the facility supervisor was in disagreement with the project lead scientist over fate of the specimen - specimen referring to the focus of installation's operation. The supervisor was apparently prepared to terminate the project, possibly even ordered to do so by their superiors. The scientist on the other hand seemed insistent on continuing the work."

"Let me guess, the egghead did something retarded in their rush to prove themselves?" Feria offers.

"Unkown. However, it seems a likely scenario."

"I suppose we'll learn more when or if we enter the labs." You take the vote, walking over to the contraband storage. "Though considering we still haven't... Eve, any signs or mention of any kidnappings?"

"None. I can see nothing that would suggest experiments on people, with possible exception of the containment breach itself. However, there is no record of Cult activities that came after."

"Right. Our client's son only presumably came here after these took over." You nod. "I suppose we'll simply have to continue our search..."

Check your messages, Ford! An alert blinks in your helmet's HUD. You do so and find one from... Eve?

Ford, I cannot be certain because there are no explicit references, but some of the encryption protocols I'm seeing here are the same ones we recovered in the Cerberus base. This facility may not be a cell in itself, but it is possible some of its members worked for, or were members of, Cerberus.

Well. That could explain Eve's apparent hestitation. You were pretty sure Feria was not a Cerberus agent, but by the same token she was unlikely to be aware that the organisation was still active. Could you be open with her about their involvement? On one hand, she did volunteer to help you here. On the other, Alliance intelligence would probably not appreciate that becoming a common knowledge.

With a sigh at having to make another judgement call regarding classified information you turn your attention to the loot box before you. The broken plastic horn. You had heard the legends, visions - or maybe more accurately echoes - of great evil, of menace to mind and spirit alike, tugged at the edge of your consciousness. Maybe you should...

...your fingers shift slightly in your omnitool's haptic interface, skirting controls for one of the custom modules...

You relax, and chase the darkness away. Or was it righteous wrath? In either case, you've already fulfilled your vandalism quota for this month, justified as it was.

It was time to move on.

You do sweep up the two decks, though. Whoever had them confiscated would not likely need them anymore. You do remember to put them into sealed container, though, mindful of possible spores in the air.

Now it was time to move on.

>You found what you could in here. Let's find a way to access the labs.
>Go look through the office space.
>Actually, let's give this place a once over. Maybe you missed something on your first sweep.
>talk to someone about something (who? what about?)
>other course of action (specify)


Tell Feria of (possible) Cerberus involvement?
>Yes. She deserves to know.
>Not yet.
>Not ever. The knowledge could put her or others in danger.
>other reasoning

>>4299577

>You found what you could in here. Let's find a way to access the labs.
The more we delay the more chance those things wake up so lets keep moving for now.


>other reasoning
No yet, we are not certain of their involvement and disclosing that now would not give Faria any benefit since whatever Cerberus op was here is probably long gone or turned into a plant.

But if we confirm it or if the information somehow is relevant for her survival or gives her an advantage we tell her.

Cerberus tinkering with mind controling plants? Why am I not surprised?
And it blew on their faces too? Not surprised either....I swear, the thing that kills most Cerberus is Cerberus itself.

>>4299577
>You found what you could in here. Let's find a way to access the labs.
>Not yet.

>>4299577
>You found what you could in here. Let's find a way to access the labs.
(Camera pans down to a shotgun under the desk)
>Not yet. Maybe never.

>>4299577
>>4299756
+1

"Alright, let's wrap it up here and move on." You say into the comm. You've spent enough time in the office already. It was time to finally reach for the heart of the matter.

You don't wait for acknowledgments from your companions as you head back towards the reception and sure enough are joined on your way by Eve and Feria.

"So, you found something?" Feria asks as she catches up."

"Nothing relevant, I'm afraid." You reply. "But going by what Eve found, everything left of interest would be in the labs section."

"Yeah." the Asari nods. "Damned corps. And spooks. There's no fucking way this was done without the oxies consent."

"Oxies?" Lea asks.

"Alliance spooks." Feria explains. "You know, the kind of people that would use civilian settlements to bait rival militaries, experiment on bioengineered weapons, ignore cosmic extinction machines until they hover right outside their windows and send hit squads to violently suppress persecuted minorities while allowing oligarchs to get away with planet-scale embezzlement or genocide."

"That's just Extranet folklore." Lea replies. "Well, most of it, anyway." She adds quietly.

"Pfft. How old are you, girl?"

"Not much younger than you!"

"Oh, how would you tell?"

"It's in Laspis's profile file in the 'Clarion Rouge'!"

"Hey! What are you, some sort of spook? Besides, as if I gave away my data so easily!"

"Ladies, please, calm down." You decide to intervene as the volume of Feria's side of the exchange picks up and you approach the infested reception hall.

There's some grunting and grumbling from the Asari but she does quiet up and your party navigates the chamber without further incident. Your attention darts to the cluster of the green humanoids, still immobile as they have been, as you walk past. What exactly are they? Are they really what remained of the facility staff, or are they perhaps simulacra created by the alien growth? Could they actually even move, or were they inert, perhaps a warning or a decoration?

Well, as tempting as it would be to poke them for more information, you still had an objective to accomplish here and that you managed to get this far without confrontation gave you a measure of optimism. Still, that optimism might soon find itself broken, you realize, as you come to a halt in front of the half-closed security gate.

You actually have to carefully tread your way around a tangle of the vines as they split from the thick bundle passing through the door and spread out into the network covering inside of the chamber. The bundle in question is keeping the door open wide enough to see into the passage behind it, as much as the dim glow of emergency lights allows. It does reveal that there is another security station past the door, supposedly to supplement the second balcony overhead. You wonder idly if the guards in this balcony had higher clearance than the ones posted in the first one...

"I estimate my body is flexible enough to squeeze through." Eve offers, judging the crack. Yeah, there's no way you would fit, especially not in your suit and with jetpack. Maybe Feria could, with some creative use of biotics. Lea's drone should not have troubles here, either, and the notion rekindles memory of some of the crazy stunts combat engineers were doing with theirs on the battlefield. Though they had state of the art equipment available to military or criminal syndicates, the drone Lea's commandeered was just a stock maintenance model.

>Have Eve squeeze through. You'd be splitting your party unless you find a way to open the door from the other side, though.
>Look for ways to open the door widely enough to pass through. (Force, or subtlety? Suggestions welcome)
>Cut the door open. Your cutting tool should be up to the task, although the discharge might not go unnoticed...
>Look for another way in. Could there be another way in?
>Restore the power to the facility. This should allow the door to function normally, but will definitely alert the cultists on the surface.
>other course of action

>>4301325

>Have Eve squeeze through. You'd be splitting your party unless you find a way to open the door from the other side, though.
She can check the security station to see if there is a way to open or a manual way on that side, we search for something around here too. If nothing is found we just cut the damn thing.

Note to self, find an awesome military grade drone for Lea latet

>>4301325
>>Cut the door open. Your cutting tool should be up to the task, although the discharge might not go unnoticed...

>>4301401
+1

>>4301325
>Have Eve squeeze through. You'd be splitting your party unless you find a way to open the door from the other side, though.
Lea can assist with the drone.

>>4301325
>>4301401
+1

"Go ahead." You whisper and nod at your synthetic friend. "Look for a way to get us in from the other side, we'll keep looking over here."

"Of course." She replies and you watch her turn around and walk over to the jammed door. After a few strides she can make avoiding the vines she reaches the point where she has to climb the bundle to squeeze through the opening. You find yourself holding your breath, wondering if the added pressure doesn't cause the entity (or colony?) to react, if it's capable of such.

Fortunately it seems that the contact either doesn't bother, or is not actionable by the alien growth. Still, the gynoid makes an effort to take hold of the door as she fits herself into the opening, partly to let them carry some of her weight, partly in attempt to push them apart. Maybe she will manage to force it open on her own?

No such luck. As if on cue you can hear her words in your earpiece. "I made an attempt to force the door open, but it appears to have a local safety mechanism in place, one I cannot control with the network access I have. Applying further force could trigger an undesirable response."

Without tarrying any longer than necessary, the artificial woman squeezes herself through the door. It's a tight fit and elasticity of the borderline arcane compounds that allow her to adjust firmness, texture and coloration of her tissue are put to the test. It helps that her disguise is essentially a function of her skin and she has no extra layer that could catch on get in the way, it's as if she's wearing nothing at all.

And she's gone, leaving you to shake aside idle musings and get back to the task at hand. You look around the doorframe, wondering if you could perhaps find some sort of access to the opening mechanism. Lea's drone hovers higher and begins scanning the wall on its own, while Feria takes another angle, instead surveying the chamber interior for something of interest. The three of you spend next few minutes on this, with nothing to show for your efforts. You begin to wonder if you should call Eve and ask what she found on the other side when her voice preempts the question.

"Eyes up." She says. After a moment of confusion you look up at the security post overhead - and are met with Eve looking back down at you.

"Well now!" You say to yourself.

"The area is clear, apart from another cluster of the humanoids." Eve says, gesturing to the side and behind her. "You should be able to reach here without issue."

"Good job, Eve." You grin.

Getting to the security post is indeed a trivial task for your jetpack. Feria refuses your offer of assistance and jumps up on her own, drawing on her biotic powers to lighten and propel herself. You do at least carry Lea's bot, taking some strain off its repulsors.

Inside of the security post is not unlike the one on the other side of the reception hall, with some inactive surveillance displays, a snacks dispenser and a pair of lockers with some stock Avengers and first aid equipment in it. When cursory sweep reveals nothing of particular interest the three of you (and a drone) head downstairs into the checkpoint that Eve previously squeezed into. The thick bundle of vines that continues through the door is in the way, but emboldened by the passivity it has so far exhibited you are only a little squeamish about climbing over it to reach the other side of the checkpoint.

There you pass through an open gate and find yourself in what probably used to be sterile white corridor, with several coloured lines painted to offer the personnel guidance. You can still make some of these out, and the ones covered by alien vines you can infer from labels visible further down the corridor on either side of you. Other than that, much of the surface is covered by a network of the gray-green tendrils, more dense here than anywhere you've seen so far. You're clearly getting closer to center of the infestation, and that is especially apparent on the closest door you can see labelled "Main Lab". The door itself appears to be open, but that doesn't help you much - the frame is entirely filled with the infesting matter, the strands packed so tightly that you're inclined to believe they are purposefully blocking the way to the labs... or at least this entrance to it.

You could try to force your way in now. Or you could try and find another entrance. Additionally, you could explore more easily accessible parts of the facility.

Decisions, decisions...

>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary lab" line.
>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary containment" line.
>Take the route left. Follow the "Toilets" line.
>Take the route right. Follow the "Emergency venting system" line.
>Take the route right. Follow the "Changing room" line.
>Risk it and get to burning the vines blocking the "Main Lab" access.
>other course of action (specify)

>>4304970
>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary lab" line.

>>4304970
>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary lab" line

>>4304970

>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary lab" line

>>4304970
>Take the route left. Follow the "Secondary lab" line.

The choice here is clear. There was no pressing need to resort to aggressive excavation when there were still promising avenues of exploration. Secondary labs of the facility may not give you direct access to source of the infestation but they may contain further clues on what transpired here.

The party progresses unchallenged down the corridor, following the trail towards secondary lab area. You pass a branching corridor where the "secondary containment" line separates off to the right. Given what you've so far seen from layout of the place, if there was an alternate entry to the primary lab, it would likely be that way. For now, though, you continue exploring.

Before long you reach another door, also framed with the alien matter, though not to an extent where it would keep you from entering. Doing so reveals a hall, comparable in size to the office areas you've visited previously, well outfitted with computational, analytical and experimental machinery, some of which you recognize from your own visits to CIX's specialized facilities where some of the artifacts you recovered would be further studied and analyzed. You counted four - no, five dedicated workstations where, under ordinary circumstances, professionals of questionable ethical standards would sit, stand or kneel (it appears Exogeni allowed for custom ergonomic furniture) while digesting readings from the lab equipment.

You approach one of the devices to take a look at what could have been studied here. You're not terribly surprised to see the alien matter at the receiving end of the machine's sensory apparatus. Rather than a prepared sample - if at this time decayed or otherwise deteriorated - it was a miniature node of the alien vines, connected to the network spanning the installation. The node was much too small to be the source of the infestation - perhaps the network simply reclaimed it as it spread through the installation? In either case, the vines extended to other components of the device and some of its extremities were bent in a way they were clearly not designed to go. The machine was not operable. Walking over to another workstation you are met with a similar sight - it would take a good amount of time and replacement parts, perhaps replacements for the entire machines, to get this laboratory working again. Assuming, of course, someone would have the bright idea of having it restored.

"Eve, do you think you could get to the data storage of these devices?" You ask.

"Possibly. I would need to spend some time physically dismantling the machines, though, and there is no guarantee the memory cores themselves will be intact."

You nod in acknowledgment, but before you begin to decide whether or not to pursue this option your attention is drawn to a wall of armoured glass that took up most of one side of the lab. As you walk closer you begin to realize there's another hall behind it, submerged in relative darkness owing to part of the emergency lights illuminating it being covered by the green growth that turns out to be abundant in the other chamber - not only vines covering the walls but also several nodes the likes of which you've seen surrounded by the humanoids earlier. The green figures themselves seem to be mostly absent, aside from a pair that is settled in what appears to be its default state on either side of a closed blast door. But those two figures are not the ones that give you a pause.

"If these aren't guards then I'm a Batarian commissar." Feria says, following your gaze. "Wait, those are...!"

"Yeah." You say silently as the Asari points to the other pair of figures lying against the wall, opposite to the guarded entrance, huddled against each other.

"They appear to be asleep." Eve announces as she joins you. In fact, when you focus you are almost sure you can see their chests heave with breath. The two of them were dressed in their Adventurer garb, though without visible weapons and without helmets, allowing you to confirm their identities.

You have found Mark and Rita. Now it was time to decide what are you going to do to get them out.

>Leave the labs and head to main access to what is obviously "secondary containment". Perhaps you'll be able to simply open the door and walk into the cell.
>Make your own door. The glass looks solid, but it should give way to your cutter. It was most likely what it was made for after all.
>Actually, let them be for now. They appear to be unharmed. Try to look for the alternate access to the primary lab before recovering the... prisoners? hostages?
>Actually, let them be for now. Help Eve dig for the data drives, with luck some might be intact.
>Call someone (specify who)
>other course of action.

>>4308657
>>Make your own door. The glass looks solid, but it should give way to your cutter. It was most likely what it was made for after all.

ok, let's cut them out, I say they are primary objectives, when they are secured we can investigate the lab, but we gotta make sure they won't stand up and attack us all zombie like if we try to mess with the main lab

>>4308657

>Make your own door. The glass looks solid, but it should give way to your cutter. It was most likely what it was made for after all.

Hopefully the "guards" can't react to that, it's a better bet then the doors at least since I suspect that is how they ended up there

>>4308657

>Actually, let them be for now. They appear to be unharmed. Try to look for the alternate access to the primary lab before recovering the... prisoners? hostages?

>>4308657
>Make your own door. The glass looks solid, but it should give way to your cutter. It was most likely what it was made for after all.
Feria can help Eve with the data drives while we make a door.

For a few moments, you lose yourself in thought. On one hand, the two looked, at a glance, unharmed for the moment. At the same time, they were obviously put under lock and key, in a facility designed for the purpose. That displayed a measure of intelligence, alongside with a very clear intent to keep them contained. That could mean that any attempts to liberate the two would be met with opposition. If you wanted to keep exploring the compound in relative peace, surest way to achieve that would be to move on now and return to pick the two up later.

However, that would mean leaving the two under the alien being's control and abuse - your imagination was already supplying scenarios where bodies of the two would animate under the alien's (aliens'?) thrall, or worse, shrivel and turn into those green things you've seen scattered throughout. You had no intention of allowing that - the two were your main objective here and you were not going to keep them captive any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Having made up your mind you bring up your omnitool and activate one of the extra modules - the cutter that has already served you well before.

"Feria, I may need your help when I'm done with this." You say. She nods back wordlessly. "Eve, Lea, keep an eye out."

You give one more look around the transparent wall, looking for an appropriate spot before settling for roughly the center of it, step forward and get to work.

It takes you several minutes to cut out an opening large enough for you to pass through. You make some allowance for the notion that you may need to be carrying the captured adventurers if they can't be roused. Still, eventually the loop is complete and you can deactivate the cutter. Then, with help of Feria's biotics, you carefully pull section of the wall in and set it gently on the floor.

You note with some satisfaction that the two humanoids at the door stay in their dormant state throughout. Maybe you were needlessly worried after all?

First things first though. You approach the sleeping adventurers, omnitool in scanning mode.

"Careful, Ford. They have been exposed to the spores." Eve reminds you.

"They must have." You murmur. "And for a good while, too. But in that case why do they need to be imprisoned?"

"Maybe they're not prisoners at all. Maybe the cultists have them and they're here only to bait us in so the trap can snap closed around us." Feria offers.

What a joyous perspective, you gulp and look down at your omnitool. It shows nothing anomalous. Then again, it didn't with you, either. "Well, only one way to find out." You say and lean forward to awaken them.

"Mister Blanc. Miss Rouge." You call them by their names. "Wake up. It's time to go. It's time to go home."

The woman moves, but your satisfaction is quickly dashed when she doesn't open eyes. She merely draws the man into an embrace.

"But I'm already home." She murmurs sleepily, and the sleeping Marc wordlessly reciprocates.

They're dreaming.

"Damn that's adorable." Lea opines over the comm.

"Yeah, well, that's not very helpful for us right now." You sigh and reach out to shake them awake.

That seems to do the trick as first Marc, then Rita open their eyes and look around groggily.

"Wha..." Marc blinks

"...damn." Rita growls. "So this is real."

"You're from the Guild." Marc observes. "...Feria? You came for us?"

The Asari has the decency to blush slightly. "Yeah..." She says.

>Alright, they're awake. Time to scram. Head to the exit, back the way you came.
>Alright, they're awake. Time to scram. There were emergency exits you didn't want to activate because they raise alarm...
>Alright, they're awake. Now you can conclude your exploration together.
>Maybe should make sure you and the two are on the same page, and that they're not controlled by spores...
>Maybe you could take this chance to get their account of events that brought them here in the first place.
>other plan

>>4312947
>Maybe you could take this chance to get their account of events that brought them here in the first place.
>Maybe should make sure you and the two are on the same page, and that they're not controlled by spores...
And try to get them something to protect them from more exposure.

>>4312947

>Maybe you could take this chance to get their account of events that brought them here in the first place.

Let's see what they know and how they ended up here

>>4312947

>Maybe you could take this chance to get their account of events that brought them here in the first place.

>>4312947

>Maybe you could take this chance to get their account of events that brought them here in the first place.
>Maybe should make sure you and the two are on the same page, and that they're not controlled by spores...

talking we can see if they talk about unity that way we were talking

"Can you tell us what happened? How did you end up here?"

Marc's gaze darts to you, then to the greenish humanoids, then back to you. "You want to speak of this now?"

"Better now than when it's too late." You nod. "These have not responded to our presence so far." You frown. "Did you see them move? Do you know what they are?"

"Yes, and no. Last thing I remember before waking up here is these things rushing me. When I tried to approach the door they would animate and throw me back. They don't seem to bother the cultist that brought in some food... some hours ago?" Marc exchanges a glance with Rita.

"It was a few hours before we went to sleep. I don't know how long we were out." She says.

"So they wanted you alive, at least for now." You muse. "So, let's start at the beginning."

"Right. Well, I guess this started when Feria showed me one of those posters and I learned that Klara survived the war."

"And then run off after her, alone." Rita remarks.

"You're right, love. I'm sorry, I should've..."

"What brought you to the cult?" You interrupt, not wanting the recount to derail.

"I knew Klara was- is pursuing her conviction with passion. There was no way she'd lie low during times like this. But even so, nobody I asked could tell me of having seen or heard about her. So when I learned there was a secretive cult - and apparently espousing Unity and fellowship, which I was sure she'd appreciate, I knew I had to look into it."

"Yeah. He had the bright idea of slipping into the warehouse under cover of darkness with no backup or preparation."

"That's... true. I very much underestimated this community, and never expected that I'd find something like... this." He waves his hand at the still dormant guards. "I managed to sneak into the warehouse, but they got the drop on me when I was trying to get into the elevator down. When I came to, I was here. I thought I was screwed, but Rita was able to track me down somehow." He turns to regard Rita at that.

"Your suit. There's not many of these around." She says, tapping breastplate of Marc's rather robust armor set. You caught yourself wondering if he could not have simply punched his way out of the cell until you notice the socket from which a power cell has been removed. "I was able to follow the energy signature between my own hardware and some poorly secured surveillance stations the anarchists have set up... right up until when and where it went dead."

"Impressive." Eve nods. Feria on the other hand was frowning and fuming silently.

"I narrowed down his location to the warehouse above, and decided to try pose as a willing initiate to get inside. They were already on alert, though, and when I began poking around they caught me and threw me in here." Her expression softens a bit at that. "At least they locked us up together." She concluded the story.

You mull it over for a moment, then ask. "Do you have any idea what these things are?"

"None whatsoever. I don't even know what this installation is."

"It's a spook black site playing with alien infestation that went predictably to shit." Feria speaks up. "We need to purge it with fire and magnets! But not before we expose it to public. Everyone needs to know!"

"We're in the middle of a city, Feria." Rita objects. "What we need to do is get the Alliance to clear a perimeter and get it under control."

"Fuck no! I mean, yeah, we need to make sure people are safe before fireworks, but we can't let the government handle this, they'll just bury it, and probably try to get us with it, too!" The Asari raises her voice.

"No, what we really need to do is find Clara. I'm sure she is still here somewhere." Marc takes the vote.

"We haven't encountered any... recognizable... humans so far." Eve notes.

"Yeah, I was under impression these floors are a pure freak show."

"We still haven't reached the primary lab." You point out. You don't add that none of you may like what you find there. The notion however brings to forefront of your mind another important issue. "Do you feel anything strange when the 'Unity' they espouse is mentioned?"

The two exchange glances while you and Eve both attentively examine their reactions.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Rita says. "The notion does feel kind of... heartwarming?" She frowns. "I guess I should feel more upset about a cult that imprisoned the two of us."

"That's... pretty much exactly what I feel." Marc says. "Wait, what are you suggesting?" He turns to you.

"The cult, or perhaps rather this alien thing, seems to be using some sort of airborne mind altering substance, maybe spores." You explain. "Apparently it makes you friendly towards them."

"That's why you are wearing helmet." Rita remarks dryly. "And why they took ours. Not like we had them on in the first place."

"I think you can fight it. Counter it, deny it. Expel it. I managed, somehow." You tell them.

"Alright, what exactly did you do?"

You tell them your experiences. Both agree to try and repeat your method, and after repeating the keyword several times as the two adventurers struggled against the unseen influence you are thankfully distracted from watching them both vomit by a shout and a rush of movement.

"Watch out!" Eve says, letting loose a burst of her SMG. You remain only vaguely aware of the ripple and glow of Feria's barrier coming up as your muscle memory reaches for the familiar sequence that sends omnitool's fabbers whining as it erects a radiant shield between you and a gray-green figure that was bull rushing you.

Whatever the reason that the humanoids were kept dormant until now has obviously worn out, though you have little time to ponder whether the cause was all the noise you were making, Marc and Rita's rejection of 'Unity' or something else entirely, as the alien creature (or construct) hammered into your shield.

You were about to reverse the momentum with a counterstrike of your own when a flash of blue struck into humanoid's side, sending it against a wall and onto the ground. Preparing to keep the pressure on it before it picks itself up you are taken a little by surprise when it disintegrates into a pile of dust. Looking around shows you, that the other one that took a burst of Eve's gunfire, has been similarly pulverised.

"It seems we've outstayed our welcome." Eve comments.

"Then we need to leave." Rita says.

"No, we need to finish this." Marc opposes, picking himself up, slowly and with effort. "Klara could be here, too."

"And what will you do to those husks? Let them punch you until they tire out?" She objects, pointing at his unpowered armor suit.

"He could use the drone's power source. Eve should be able to rig it up." Lea says over the comm. Naturally, that would deprive Lea of her avatar.

"Well, ultimately it appears to be your show, mister..." Rita eyes you questioningly.

"Ford. Henri Ford. CIX." You reply laconically as you consider your options.

>Escort the two to the surface. You came here to find these two and have no intention to expose them to more danger.
>Press on. There's only the main lab area left, and as most likely source of the infestation it is also most likely to hold answers - including that of Marc's friends' fate.
>Split the party. (specify how)
>other plan

(optional) Marc and Rita are currently unarmed while you carry a small armory on you.
>lend Marc or Rita the Mattock rifle
>lend Marc or Rita the Volkov rifle
>lend Marc or Rita the Javelin rifle
>distribute the stun batons? (there's enough for everyone.)
(you cannot lend anyone Libella's pistol - it's coded to you.)

(optional) You may wish to call on one of the powers to help contain this place. Whoever you call is going to take a while to react, but once you call them there's no calling them off in case you change your mind later.
>Yes, call Graves (Alliance)
>Yes, call Libella (Spectre/Council)
>No, don't call anyone yet.
>other

>>4318495
>Press on. There's only the main lab area left, and as most likely source of the infestation it is also most likely to hold answers - including that of Marc's friends' fate
we can go all out now, letting the power back on and letting Eve hack the shit out of everything to make us a path

>lend Marc or Rita the Mattock rifle
>lend Marc or Rita the Volkov rifle
they can decide who handles better what weapon we go with shield and pistol at the vanguard and use the other sniper if needed

>distribute the stun batons? (there's enough for everyone.)
yes

>No, don't call anyone yet.
I'm actually tempted to call both but I need Feria focused right now and not freaking out in paranoia, we can tell Lea to contact them if something happens to us becausethey won't be able to give us any help right now.
so my vote is

>other
"Lea, keep an eye on the surface, if you see any movement from the cultists or the people that live near the warehouse, call the cavalry, both of them"
because I don't want this cult going panic mode and trying to spread before we attack it's center, so we would need the help of both alliance and spectre to contain it....

>>4318602
+1

>>4318495

>Press on. There's only the main lab area left, and as most likely source of the infestation it is also most likely to hold answers - including that of Marc's friends' fate.

>lend Marc or Rita the Javelin rifle
>lend Marc or Rita the Mattock rifle

>Yes, call Graves (Alliance)
>Yes, call Libella (Spectre/Council)

>>4318602
This, but we should call them both later

It doesn't take you long to arrive at a decision. You were virtually in the heart of the installation, and now that the alien presence seems to have taken an exception to your activities you no longer had reason to maintain a low profile.

First order of business, though, was ensuring everyone could at least to some extent defend themselves. Recovering two of the rifles off your back (are you glad now that you chose to take them all with you) you pass the Mattock and your trusty Volkov to the adventurers. Marc takes the former, Rita the latter, while nodding appreciatively at the relic weapon.

"We're finishing this today." You announce. Marc gives you a grateful smile, Rita simply nods without argument. "Eve, can you do as Lea suggested and salvage the drone?"

"Certainly." The synthetic woman says, lets the drone land in her palm and when it shuts down gets to tinkering with it.

"Lea," You talk to your comlink as you recover two of the spare stun batons you took with you, "I'd like you to monitor the situation topside. If it looks like things are going to escalate there, don't hesitate to call both Alliance and Libella. I don't want to jump the gun, but I'm not going to be taking chances either."

"Understood. Taking off."

You survey the group, and in doing so listen in to the ambient silence. You could hear some distant [hidden movement], but nothing actionable right now. Marc rolls his shoulder, his armor's servos following his intent with a barely perceptible whirr. "Ready?" You ask. Your companions give you a nod or murmur an agreement. You grip your sidearm and head out.

Considering what you saw of the facility layout so far you reason that exit from the 'secondary containment' where you were now should bring you closer to alternative access to the primary lab. Since the guards are no longer in the way you can simply walk out of the door. You approach it and give Eve a look. She nods and the door opens. You move to step through - and it shuts itself again. You raise your eyebrows and turn to your sytnthetic friend.

"What happened?"

"Malfunction." Eve responds. "At least, that's how it appears to the service protocol. In truth, it appears the infestation is capable of effecting a local override."

"This shit can interface with tech as well?" Feria asks.

"It appears the control is limited, or else extremely complex and subtle, as otherwise I would have found records of access in more sophisticated systems than door control mechanism."

"Wonderful." The asari shakes her head.

"What can we do about it?" You ask.

In response Eve surveys wall next to the door before settling on a spot.

"Damaging this cluster should deprive the entity of access." She singles out a small growth where a few of the tendrils joined.

You draw the pistol, take aim and fire. The weapon makes a subdued noise and you feel both the ghost of recoil and a familiar otherwordly prickle of a mass effect field countering it, and the organic blob you were aiming for shatters in a cloud of dust and ichor that quickly dries to match. Marc and Rita take some steps back and cover their faces, for whatever good it could do. Eve nods and the door opens.

Passing through your group makes it into the empty corridor. If your sense of orientation serves, going right would take you back to the hallway you were taking to the secondary labs, and the overgrown access to the primary lab.

>Go right. There's time for subtlety, and then there's time for ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW (although using that after all this cutting will deplete omnitool's power source for its more energy intensive functions for a while)
>Go left. Maybe there's a more convenient entrance - you can keep the main one blocked, not just for you, but for anyone else as well.

>>4320700
>>Go left. Maybe there's a more convenient entrance - you can keep the main one blocked, not just for you, but for anyone else as well.

for saving energy, as much as it pains me not to use orange chainsaw

also, lol at hidden movement

>>4320700

>Go right. There's time for subtlety, and then there's time for ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW (although using that after all this cutting will deplete omnitool's power source for its more energy intensive functions for a while)

>>4320700

>Go right. There's time for subtlety, and then there's time for ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW (although using that after all this cutting will deplete omnitool's power source for its more energy intensive functions for a while)

>>4320700
>Go right. There's time for subtlety, and then there's time for ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW (although using that after all this cutting will deplete omnitool's power source for its more energy intensive functions for a while)
Whenever ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW is an option it must be chosen even if it drains energy

>>4320700
>Go left. Maybe there's a more convenient entrance - you can keep the main one blocked, not just for you, but for anyone else as well.
Save the chainsaw for later.

Your first instinct is to follow through with your previous plan to find alternate access to the lab. Part of you also urges you to conserve the charge of your omnitool modules - you may yet need the utility. But...

...You head right. The time for subtle approach was past and this way you already knew was there. And now that your host has lost their patience with you, you will force an entrance.

Your companions follow you, their footfalls echoing behind you. They too have abandoned pretense of quiet movement - especially Marc's suit was never too appropriate for that in the first place, making you wonder why did he choose it for his incursion. But even noise from your companions is not enough to drown out the sibilant stampede approaching from behind the corner ahead.

Raising your hand to gesture for a halt proves unnecessary - first of the featureless humanoids that emerges into your field of view is dropped with its head pulverised, rest of its body following suit as it collapses to the ground before even managing to adjust its direction to face your group, accompanied by a familiar sound of Volkov discharge. You have little chance to appreciate Rita's skill however as environment quickly becomes rich in targets, forcing you to pick some for your sidearm as you join your companions in firing.

"Incoming behind us." Eve informs as she ejects a spent heat capacitor and snaps in a new one.

"I've got them." Feria says and the hallway is set alight with the white blue explosions of a mass effect pulse oscillating down the corridor you've just walked, throwing another group of the creepers against the walls. Some of them disintegrate, few attempt to rise to their feet only to be put down by individual dark energy projectiles or short bursts from Eve's weapon.

As suddenly as it started the battle is over.

"That was... easy." Marc says, replacing Mattock's thermal clip.

"We're not out yet." Rita warns him.

"However, I can detect no more hostiles on immediate approach." Eve informs.

"Then we better finish it and get out." You say and resume your advance, your companions in tow.

No further opposition is met as you close the remaining distance to the overgrown laboratory access.

"Was that it?" Feria asks doubtfully. "I think we saw more on our way here."

"Maybe they are gathering a bigger group." Marc thinks aloud.

"Some coordination seems likely as I'm picking up activation of the main elevator." Eve says.

"Can you stop that?" You ask.

"I could if not for the local overrides." Eve says. "I can attempt to interfere with the systems however and slow them down."

You nod appreciatively and face the mass of alien matter that stands in the way. "Better make it count, then."

Checking the indicators on your omnitool your fears are confirmed. You have enough energy for a brief burst of the additional module the Asari technician gifted you on your trip to Enceladus - how distant that seems now! Still, it seems only fitting that what ended one mind controlling threat would be instrumental in dealing with another.

As an afterthought, you add: "Marc, Rita, You might want to stand back and shield yourselves."

Finally, without confirming whether your advice was heeded, fully intent on making the most of the activation time you take a stance you expect will allow you to deliver a long cut from top to bottom, inhale a breath - and activate the module. Once again - and this time you are considerably more lucid to benefit from the experience - the handheld device whines in protest as its circuits are tested and the otherwise rugged mass effect projectors channel energy orders of magnitude above what they usually do. The ambience is set ablaze with the orange radiance as the field of force articulates itself into a shape of a semi transparent chainsaw, eager to rip and tear into obstacles in path of the one who called it forth.

You pour yourself into momentum of the ethereal blade, the alien matter parting before you and turning to dust that for a moment obscures your vision. Knowing that you have not the luxury of waiting for it to settle you press onwards for another second or two before the glow grows dim and the tool falls silent. The projection gracefully disperses and for a blink of an eye you are worried that your efforts have been for nothing, but soon enough you realize the darkness before you is too deep to be just caused by your cuts.

"I want- I want one of those." Marc manages to express among coughing.

The opening you created is large enough for a person to step through. Once you do, personal shield up and weapon in hand, you are treated with a view that is in some way reminiscent of the secondary lab - desks and machinery arranged throughout a room large enough to allow for comfortable work for several scientists. One obvious difference is in sheer amount of the organic matter covering and weaving through them. There are however several other features that stand out.

Firstly, one of the work stations is shielded from rest of the room by a transparent wall. Judging by a few personal effects still present on its surface and on shelves visible on far wall, this workstation might have been dedicated to a particular researcher, perhaps the one responsible for condition of the facility.

Next was what possibly used to be the containment chamber, now you can only barely make it out between the vines, clusters of alien matter, faintly pulsating sacs and other organic features spanning height of the room and covering its far side. You think you can make out shadows of movement inside, something that with some imagination could have vaguely humanoid shape.

Finally, possibly most eyecatching on account of looking out of place, was a woman clad in simple civilian robes. She was standing in front of the overgrown containment chamber, unarmed, hands joined over her chest. Her guarded posture belies neutral, tranquil expression of her face.

"Please, stop." The figure says in an oddly resonant voice. "Why do you fight?"

"Oh God... Klara, what did they do to you?" Marc exclaims, taking a step forward before Rita stops him, an impressive feat considering his outfit. Still, he breaks the movement.

"Klara is of Unity. She embraced it willingly." The woman says, locking her unblinking eyes with Marc's. "Why did you refuse?"

It's at this point you realize what feels strange about the voice. You feel like you're hearing two distinct voices speak at the same time. Quick look around you confirms it's none of your companions, easing one panicky thought off your mind while preserving mystery of its origin.

>The entity seems willing to talk. Maybe you could get it to surrender without fighting?
>The entity seems willing to talk. Maybe you could ask her something and learn more about it?
>Maybe it's distracted by talking... seize the initiative and start shooting.
>Stand back, let Marc and Klara(?) talk. Maybe he'll achieve better results on his own?
>other course of action

>>4325493
>Stand back, let Marc and Klara(?) talk. Maybe he'll achieve better results on his own?
remind him of the process we used to get the thing out of him, if we are hearing two voices maybe she is not completely lost. if we sense things are going out of control we can interrupt and
>The entity seems willing to talk. Maybe you could ask her something and learn more about it?


>>other course of action
"Why did you refuse?"
was her willingness like ours? you never asked if we wanted unity you simply entered, and if I was not aware I would be consumed, was she really willing?

>>4325493

>Stand back, let Marc and Klara(?) talk. Maybe he'll achieve better results on his own?

>>4325493
Willingly and knowingly are not the same thing.
>The entity seems willing to talk. Maybe you could ask her something and learn more about it?
What are you?