Miner Fiasco

A blue stasis field appeared around Regalia as the elderly knight finished speaking, and froze him in place just before he could open the GMDs. A window appeared next to Minah with Jeff's face in it. "Umm... no. I can't let you do that." Jeff said in a tired voice. He sighed and then spoke to his Navi: "I just connected an Untrap. Minah, please check the second MD for traps."

"Sure thing, boss." Minah replied as her hands started to glow green. She reached into the stasis feild, apparently unaffected by it, and touched the solid MD with them. After a moment, the message [TRAP DISARMED] appeared above the green crystal, which prompted Minah to wear a startled expression for a moment. "Huh, good catch." Minah said in an amused tone. "That would have suuuuuuucked...."

"Yep." Jeff said simply. "Gonna open them?"

Minah stepped back from Regalia, and looked at Jeff's window with a grin on her face. "Naaah. Let's let him have his fun."

"Okay then." Jeff said finally before closing the window and removing the stasis field. Regalia then accessed the two GMDs as soon as he resumed operation.

[spoiler=Mystery Data Rewards]Regalia.EXE: WoodTower1; PropellerBomb1

Lucia.EXE: BurnSquare1; IceSlasher1

Sylk.EXE: NeedleCannon1; BusterPunch

Rhea.EXE: Lock-On1; GolemHit1

Minah: G-Force1; AirStorm1[/Spoiler]
Rhea was still busy fidgeting with the buttons, about to send the crane arm to lower onto the mech in her own game of Giant Mech UFO Catcher. Oblivious to the fact that the battle was over, Machcross Rhea's speedy hands still hammered at the loudspeaker button, deriving unknown degree of enjoyment from the act. Her fun was interrupted, however, when a large display obstructed her view of the control panel by appearing holographically on top of the panel.



"YOU HAVE GAINED:

- 1350 Zenny
- 50 Bugfrags
- FXP: Regalia.EXE +10 ; Lucia.EXE +10 ; Sylk.EXE +15 ( ;D ) ; Minah.EXE +11
- Misc. Rewards: Lock-On1; GolemHit1

YOU HAVE LOST:
- Your sanity
- Your attention span
- Can you just get down here and rejoin the group, please? -With love, Harley"



"... Oh," Rhea noted simply, swiping at the display to dismiss it, turning, opening the door. Her pods expanded again, throwing out two streaks of glowing, orange discs into view and flew out of the control room to join the others. "Sincerest apologies. I was preoccupied," Rhea said to the others, engaging in a soft landing toes-first, then standing securely on solid grounds as the pods shut themselves behind her again.
Regalia paused for a moment, bewildered at how, exactly, Minah had moved so instantaneously-- but when everyone else seemed to have moved a little as well, he caught on; he had been stasis'd. Again. Inwardly, the grumpy navi heaved a sigh. At least he hadn't tripped this time...

When Rhea landed, Regalia instead turned to her. "We noticed."[color=5A6351][/color] He flatly said, expression unreadable behind his visor-- but his lip sitting in what seemed to be a slight frown. "I think it wise for you to go up there again-- or for someone else to go in your stead-- and for they or you to learn what the controls actually do rather than playing with them. We could likely use at least some of the things here."[color=5A6351][/color]

He paused for a moment, then turned to Minah. "...Or we could ask our handy, knowledgeable guide."[color=5A6351][/color] Before Regalia could pose a further question-- a small pouch with a z on it appeared in his grip, coins jingling inside. "Thomas?"[color=5A6351][/color] He queried, looking up.

"We just got a new chip from Jeff. Hand that to Minah, please." Regalia nodded, then offered the little bag of coins to Minah. "What here do you think would be of use to us, Minah? Should we bring the Mechs at all, or would they be a liability given our unique adversary? And are there any supplies here beside the Mechs that could be useful?"[color=5A6351][/color]

Offered: 800z, Barrage of Questions (free)
In the heat and throws of battle, Lucia was far too focused upon her goal to notice or pay any attention to the odd sensation that was currently overtaking her systems. But with the battle won and the enemies dealt with, she could finally let out a soft sighed breath; odd for the normally energetic navi as she sat atop her mount looking quite exhausted. Why would soon become clear as she sat up and lifted her arm to start looking at herself, only to stop and gasp out in shock at what she saw.

The once burning band around her faintly tanned wrist had lost its bright blaze, revealing the silver bangle that was beneath. But what shocked her more was that her skin had started to take on a lighter color, as if the color of her frame was somehow draining away. Lucia shivered and hugged her arms around herself as she slumped forward, murmuring a faint, "M-Master.." Just before she fell from atop her mount to the ground beside him.

Though Lucia wasn't the only one who was having problems, Artio wasn't looking so well either, as the dark blue wolf shifted and tried to step and claw at the dirt. Letting out a low groan as his paws started to suddenly sprout crystals, much like the shockwave the Cybeast had sent out had caused not minutes ago. The great wolf looked down in shock as the gemstones started to grow and creep up his legs. Making him growl out and finally roar as the spreading crystal suddenly enveloped the beast in a large, solid gemstone, encasing him completely within.

Moments later the crystals shattered as the great beast re-emerged with a terrifying roar that sent echoes throughout the tunnel. Though what now stood among the shards was no longer the wolf everyone had come to know. Claws and legs looked slightly different, while form seemed to have lengthened and body structure had become sleeker. Tail had grown longer while head showed the truth of his change. Gone was the slender muzzle and sharp eyes of the pack leader, replaced by a shorter, stout maw and hunter's red eyed gaze of great cat. Though the greatest of changes to have overcome the support program, was the fact his spikey, electrified coat had taken on the rigid, hardened sheen of the very gemstone he'd been trapped within. From head to tail-tip the large tiger seemed to have gained a permanent guard of crystal, alternating from purest blue and darkened onyx that marked the stripped tiger's form perfectly.

Artio soon started to shift, grunting and letting out a heated sigh as the crystalized coat he was now sporting seemed to at least move and bend to allow freedom of movement between those gemstones. Looking himself over with a scowl before finally hissing coldly. "Oh what fresh hell is this." Letting out another huff, the beast slumped slightly from where he was standing, taking a droll look in those glowing red eyes, "I've become a cat."

Meanwhile, Lucia, who had fallen to the ground beside the beast, was slowly starting to sit herself back up and let out a visible shiver. Her once tanned skin took on a light, chilled blue shade; each flame that once wrapped about her form had gone out completely, while her burning crimson locks lost their color and instead turned to a dark ocean blue. Shuttering again, Lucia quickly crossed an arm over her chest as she cried out in shock from the chill that filled her suddenly. Sitting there like a candle that'd been put in a freezer for far too long. "Master! Master!! What's happening to me!?"

"Fascinating." Came the respond from beyond the net as Vincent watched the two and the changes they had undergone after a flash of light had overtaken them. "Truly fascinating."

"No it's not! Change me back, I don't like this, I'm cold and clammy and my flames went out and I hate it! What's going on!?" Navi huffed out, but made no moves at all to stand back up nor to uncover her chest as she kept her arm tight to her tube top.

"Calm down, I'm working on it Lucia, do try and relax."

Navi huffed out and scowled as a holoscreen appeared in front of her, showing a direct link to her operator. "Calm down!? I'm blue! Blue damn it! I look like something from an old Saturday morning cartoon or a bad movie! What the hell is going on!?"

"Mmm, it seems your core coding has been overwritten, not sure how yet, a glitch, but a truly astounding one. I haven't seen or heard of one like this. Quite amazing really, try to summon your bow."

Lucia let out a scowl at the screen before dropping her arms on either side of her in a huff. "A glitch, you call this a gli-eep!" Squeaking, Lucia promptly covered her chest again and grumbled under her breath. "Fine.." Free arm reached out to one side as she flicked her fingers, attempting to call upon her bow in a flurry of flames like she'd always done, but what came instead was a sudden spark between her fingers that made her scream out in surprise at being shocked as she clutched her hand close again. "What the hell was that! I couldn't do it!"

"Interesting, It seems your base code was altered, to the point you can no longer interact with fire of any kind. I'm rather curious to see how it effects your other functions, I'll have to study this code in detail.."

Lucia gave another huffed breath before leaning closer to glare at the holoscreen in front of her. "Oh well that's just great, but what about me!? I'm all blue, and cold, and my chest is all pokey and I can't do anything like this! Do something!"

The image on screen seemed to chuckle at that, nodding softly as a holo-keyboard appeared before the operator on screen. A flurry of keystrokes later, Lucia rose to her feet while a blue beam surrounded the frosty little navi.

The beam of light concealed the changes done to her graphic model as Vincent programed in a new outfit for her. Feet were concealed within high top white shoes with large golden cuffs and soles. Bare legs only partly hidden beneath dark ocean blue skirt that hung to mid-calf, though a deep V cut rose up to just beneath right hip, not high enough to reveal what lay beneath, but more than enough to allow free movement for combat. Above Lucia now wore a white sleeveless cotton shirt and sports bra beneath that kept the navi's B-cups held modest. Below that, she now sported a wide, light brown waist wrap that came out in thick bow behind her. Completing the outfit was a red headband, drawing back her deep ocean blue hair, which still seemed to rise and flow as if the navi was underwater. Topping the band was Lucia's navi symbol, twin arrows crossed in front of a flame.

With change in coding complete, the beam faded, and Lucia stood there for a moment, looking over herself before sniffling faintly. Not at all enjoying the change that had happened to her, still, she and her now crystalized big cat started to gather up their share of the battle spoils before joining the others. "This sucks."
"Mmmmmm that was so gooood." Sylk chimed as she stretched against harleys sturdy back. She was more then pleased with how the battle turned out, for her at least, and finding a trusty companion was just that much more of a bonus to the often lonely spider.

With a swift motion sylk shifted her position and slipped off from Harleys back, moving to collect the spoils of war from the crystalline enemies and Mystery data scattered about the field. The exhilarating feel she got from that battle was one Sylk hadn't felt in recent fights. It was as though it had sparked something inside her that she had long forgotten. It got her blood boiling, and she was itching to see the beast that made this all possible.

Walking back to her accomplice of the fight, she moved slow with a sultry sway in her hips. Sylk ran a hand gently along the equines neck before planting a quick peck on his cheek.

"That was the most fun I've had in a long time~ I look forward to doing it again sometime, Hmmhmmhmm."

As her word's trailed off the spider's attention was now on her companions. Adrian and Herself were still behind on information, but the urge to know more was overshadowed by the desire to hunt for the true beast of the mine.

"So, what now hmm? Do we rest, gather supplies and prepare? Or should we venture on to find and stop whats causing all these problems?"
Minah's attention was drawn to Rhea as the purple Navi flew back to the group in spectacular fashion. "That looks fun," she commented to no-one in particular. She listened to Rhea's apology and just shrugged at it. "Ahh, don't worry about it. You already unlocked all the warehouses for us, and opened the mining mech bays. That was plenty help enough." As Minah turned away, she added: "Nice wings by the way."

Minah accepted the bag of coins, and sent them to Jeff's PET. She hadn't bothered to ask what they were for, since she had heard the conversation leading up to the transaction in question. Instead, the yellow helmeted miner just smiled and mentally prepared her answers to each of Regalia's questions. "What would be of use? Having one of those Mechs suuuure woulda been handy." She looked in the direction of the fleeing Progs... that were now long gone. Her brow furrowed for a moment, but her expression returned to normal as she turned her head to face Regalia once more. "Other than that, I suppose we could take a look-see in the warehouses and see what kind of gear has been left here. It's worth a peek." Minah smiled. "At the very least there should be some extra safety gear for the new arrival." Minah hiked a thumb in Sylk's direction for emphasis.

"Speaking of..." Minah said as Sylk walked back to the group. "Yeah, that was a nice workout." Minah stretched a bit before continuing on. "But now we really should get you outfitted for proper spelunking. The mines are sorta hostile in a big way." She smirked. "The big bad something can wait a few minutes."

A 'this sucks' from one side drew Minah's attention to Lucia. The miner Navi was a tad surprised at her comrade's appearance. "That'sssss an interesting look for you." There was a hint of laughter in Minah's voice and amusement written all over her face a she spoke. "What happened there, sweetie?"
Lucia stood there, still with arms crossed, though more because she was unhappy than anything else at this point. Frowning as she looks herself over and feels across her hair. Looking over at Minah before sniffling again, "Interesting look? I'm blue! I'm blue and cold and, and, and-" Stopping before she finished that train of thought, Lucia let out a huffed grumble and stomped her foot before finally sighing dramatically, "How do those watery navi's do it, this feels awful!"

Looking back up to Minah, Lucia shook her head slowly and opened her arms as if to show herself or at least display her change in both clothes and appearance. "Master says.. it's a glitch. It's a glitch and I hate it! Gah, stupid crystal monsters, stupid lasers, stupid glitches!" Back she went, the little fire bug little water sprite, stomping and throwing another little temper tantrum over what had transpired, right at the end of the battle no less.

Artio seemed to at least be taking his changes better, as he moved up beside Lucia and the others with a smirk, "At least you're not a cat, I don't even see how someone could like them. This beast we're hunting has a bad sense of humor.." Though at least the crystalline feline could laugh at himself some, though it was pretty obvious he hated it.

"Well, sadly we don't have any means of removing the glitches, not easily anyway. The one method we do have, would take too much time to do. So you'll just have to live with it for the time being."

"Live with it!? Damnit that's not funny! How can we fix it, Subchip? Someone's got one of those right, or or or how about like, I don't know... Blah.. Oh! Log me out of the system! The PET, it could cure me right Master! Jack me out!" Lucia let out another huffed breath before finally smiling, realizing there was at least a fix and she could return to normal.

"Yeah, that'd take too long, you have a job to do Lucia, focus on that, and you'll do fine. Besides, gives you the chance to see what it'd be like, to cross-fuse with an Aqua Navi. You tried to team with one in the past remember. Think of it as a success to that."

Scowling, Lucia huffed and grumbled again as she slumps slightly, starting to pout once more about her current state and condition. At least until Artio stepped up beside her and nuzzled against her side, making Lucia hug him, "At least you aren't a cat."

It took her another moment, but finally Lucia let out a soft breath, and did her best to put on a smile, though it was pretty obvious it was forced, "So, right uhm, introductions maybe. For the tentacle-girl-thing?" A faint giggle came out, despite herself, but was quickly stifled. "Er, right, well I'm Lucia, and this is Artio! And uhm.. That's Minny, the big guy there is... Well he's a knight I think, Rega- Regal something, well, it's fitting a knight at least. And the last one, She's Ray Ray! She didn't have wings before though, she looks a lot different now! That's so cool, wait, did you get glitched too? How come you got wings and I got turned blue!? No fair!"
"My name is Regalia. If it will give you the drive to properly recall my name, Lucia, I will give you a fix for your problem."[color=5A6351][/color] Regalia grumbled, arm whipping forward through the air. A pair of boots materialized in the Knight's hand at the end of the arc, sent sailing through the air by the momentum-- before they landed at Lucia's feet.

"Put these on. Glitches can be fixed by a Status Cure; these boots apply it passively."[color=5A6351][/color] The boots were an exact replica of the greaves and iron-armored boots Regalia wore, all buckled and bolted and welded together, and while they looked a fair deal too large for Lucia, she could probably get them on if she tried.

"You can always take them off after you are done, if they are too much of a 'fashion disaster' for you."[color=5A6351][/color] Regalia clicked, turning back towards Minah.

Should've let het glitch a while... it was kind of funny. Thomas said quietly, careful not to let Lucia or her operator overhear.

Ssh.[color=5A6351][/color] Regalia replied.

"That sounds like a good idea."[color=5A6351][/color] The elderly knight smiled at Minah, taking a step towards the warehouses. "Shall we?"[color=5A6351][/color] With that, Regalia headed towards the warehouse on the left, intent on searching it.
"The warehouse, hmm?" Sylk raised an eyebrow as she wondered just what kind of goodies and toys might be lying in wait in a mines storage. After all she already knew they carried mechs so the possibilities were pretty large. Of course the chance it was just simple mining gear was also there, but Sylk was confident she could pull of that ensemble and make it work, so it wouldn't be a disappointment either way.

" May as well give it a look then." Sylk said, returning Minahs gesture with three thumbs up of her own. As she was about to make her way towards to warehouse though, Lucia's words caught her attention.

placing a hand on her waist as she stopped abruptly, Sylk gave Lucia a once over taking in her new look. "I never was a fan of the water types for some reason. Something inside just irks me about them." She noted, placing a finger to her lip as she pondered what that could mean. "Well that aside, I'm Sylk, its a pleasure to meet you all." Giving a bow as she spoke.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at Lucia's tentacle comment however, giving the girl Sylks full attention. "Though Lulu, I already told you I was a spider. Did you perhaps have some sort of traumatic experience that causes to to mistake arms for tentacles? or are you just kinky like that? Well I wont judge either way, hmmhmmhmm."

With that being said, Sylk decided to embrace her curiosity and focus once more on the warehouse. "We can figure that out later I'm sure, hmmhmmhmm" Sylk added with a devious smile, before disappearing into the warehouse to scavenge it's contents for useful items.
Rhea nodded in approval, with her arms folded, of Minah's absolutely good tastes, mechanically flipping her wing pods open and closed slightly, as if engaged in a round of mechanical flexing and bragging. As Minah mentioned that the possibility of using the Mechs gone, though, the purple petite could not help but to turn and look at the Mechs' way. "Is it not possible to operate them? What are the requirements for them to carry out their functions?" Rhea inquired, blinking as she attempted to identify the root cause of their inability to utilise them. She had no issues against exploring the open warehouses, however, and proceeded to made that fact known to the others.

On another side of the area, however, Harley seemed to be enjoying himself. "Why, glad to be of service, young lady," Harley noted with a snort, spinning around in a poor attempt to use the snort to clean his tail, even as Sylk slipped off from his seat. The equine gave Sylk a playful wink even as he received a quick peck, as if welcoming the notion just as a fun note.

Rhea just stared at the exchange, with no comments necessary from the deadpan petite to express her... whatever she had on her mind.

Watching Lucia explode into a bundle of whining from being blue did not affect Rhea, however, all the way up until the introductory stage. "Negative. My registered Navigator name is of a singular syllable. A quick scan has also been performed to reaffirm the lack of a glitch within my syste-" before she could finish, Rhea's wings and MachCross was gone, and she was again the petite little purple android. Rhea blinked once, and shrugged.

Rhea turned to Regalia, about to follow him, wondering why she was not feeling entirely happy about Regalia in general.

... She decided to tag along behind Sylk instead, leaving Harley the horse to join with Regalia the (old) knight.