CLOSED ♔ i'll tell you 'bout a secret i've been undermining

[superswank]

WHO || Sydney, Sylar, Drax, Frankie, Allison [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a biological weapons threat for the Ukrainians 
WHERE ||Antarctica
WHEN || April 10th [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Not all international intrigue happens in presidential palaces, plush business offices, and smoky dives next to waterfronts.  Some happens in the coldest, dreariest parts of the world.

The Ukrainians expect the Knights to head for the Russian research station from the drop point, stop to disable both the helicopter and communications tower, then enter the compound. Once there, they are to find Prytyka and question him on camera, transmitting this conversation live via a satellite uplink with their contact, Kuchma.

They are currently been flown to the drop point 2 miles from Adelie 14, and Kuchma is on the plane with them, providing them all with arctic gear and final requests.  They have access to thermal undergarments, snowsuits, boots, parkas, snow goggles, gloves and mittens, as well as a portable satellite phone and video camera, and several AKSU-74 sub machine guns.

"Many firearms are unreliable in the extreme Antarctic weather, so you might wish to take one," Kuchma cautions. 

Comments

[risked]

[Allison follows! (move silently 19, spot 18, listen 13)]

[superswank]

[ sylar and allison notice a clipboard hanging by the door that says "Room assignments log", which lists all personnel, with their room assignments, next to the intercom. syd checks out the door and gestures to indicate that the hallway is clear. ]

[watchmaker]

[what if sylar .. gently took the clipboard for later as they pass by it ... as in that's what he's doing.]

[risked]

[Allison saw that... but he's on their team and also he can electrocute things. She's not gonna argue his theft.]

[superswank]

[ syd goes to push open a door across the hall, glancing into what looks like another unlit lab, empty. she looks back at the others, shakes her head. no prytyka there.

there's another door marked lab here, two doors marked storage, and then at the end of the hall is another door marked 'biolab'. it's also possible to turn right while standing in front of that door and zigzag to continue further down this hall. ]

[spinerip]

[Drax's move silently is an unsurprising 8. Is he even trying? We just don't know. He's just way top clompy to actually be silent. He strides forward to push open the biolab door.]

[superswank]

[ welp. of all the rooms to lack subtlety on...

inside the biolab the lights are on, and three people are inside. this man, as well as a woman with double braids and beady brown eyes, and an elven male with white-blonde hair coiled tight in a ponytail, a tattoo resembling an eagle claw just below his right eye.

all three of them look up from their microscopes, etc. when drax pushes the door open, eyes widening in uncertain fear, as prytyka asks something in another language.

syd frowns slightly and responds in kind, raising her gun to point at him and give some sort of order. (intimidate 15) they all look suitably frightened, raising their hands and backing away a few steps, as she nods for everyone to move inside the lab so they can shut the door. ]

[watchmaker]

[sylar waves goodbye at them with a smile because he's a giant dickhead. and then starts looking around once they're gone? spot nat 20?!?!?!]

[risked]

[Allison gets into the lab and glances around (spot 25).]

[superswank]

[ i'm not sure there's all that much to see, sob. other than the fact that these people are all unarmed.

syd gestures to the others to get out the video camera, modem, and satellite phone they were given. someone will have to make a computer use DC 10 check to set them up properly. ] Do you speak English?

[ prytyka nods. "Yes, I do. What... what is this?" ]

[watchmaker]

[well sylar's computer use check was ... exactly 11. it's not much harder than setting up the bluray player in lila's room, ok. so he's doing that in the bg.]

[risked]

[Allison will just keep an eye on the interrogation/questioning of the guy they were there to find.]

[superswank]

[ syd looks back at the others, ignoring his question for a moment to tell them something that seems to be troubling her. ]

That wasn't Russian he was speaking. That was Ukrainian.

[ the scientist looks even more confused. "That is because I am Ukrainian. I don't understand. What do you want from us?" syd frowns deeply, turning back to him as sylar gets the camera on. ]

Identify yourself, please. [ she nods at the camera.

he swallows, but looks into the lens. "Vi-- Vitaliy Prytyka." ]

Tell us about the work you've been doing here, Mr. Prytyka.

[ he blinks rapidly, confused again. "This-- this is a research facility. An environmental research facility." ]

[watchmaker]

[sylar squints like WELL ... he could be lying. that could be a thing. it's not like he's going to come out all like YEP I'M ACTUALLY SECRETLY DOING BIOWEAPON RESEARCH LOL.]

Is that all it is?

[risked]

[Allison moves to watch him.]

What about the drilling? What research is that part of?

[superswank]

[ he squirms uncomfortably, but then sighs, and looks nervously at the camera lens, then back at them. "There's a... secondary purpose to the lab. In addition to our research, we routinely conduct mineral surveys of the area. The studies have been covert, but they recently bore fruit." he looks down again, and then admits: "We struck oil. Lots of it. Beneath the ice."

syd's eyebrows climb up, as this clearly wasn't... where she thought that would go. she looks at the others like ???? before asking: ] Why was this kept secret, exactly?

[ he scoffs. "The mineral exploitation of Antarctica has been banned by treaty since 1961, that's why. The ban's been slowly losing international support over the last few years, growing weaker, but it still technically stands. A large-scale violation would create... controversy."

syd's lips press together, the situation making her increasingly uncomfortable. without looking away from prytyka, she says: ] Someone get Kuchma on the line.

[spinerip]

Ah. That was why we found oil. [Drax glances over at Allison with a firm nod, then looks back at Prytyka..] You should search for more efficient forms of fuel. Oil is worthless on civilized planets.

[watchmaker]

[sylar will ... be the one to do get kuchman, then. since he did such a good job setting all this shit up.] Did you want him patched in or to chat?

[superswank]

Patch him in. [ she wants to see what he's got to say about all this shit tbh ]

[watchmaker]

On it. [computer use 17??]

[superswank]

[ within moments, the ukrainian agent appears on the screen.

"I've been receiving what you have transmitted so far," he says, in his heavy accent, "It is not good enough. You must get this man to tell the truth of what they are doing here."

prytyka's mouth hangs open at that, and he looks between the screen and the knights, confused and outraged. "The truth?" he says. "That is the truth. I don't understand what you want from me."

sydney's brow creases for a moment, before she says: ] We want to know about a strain of streptococcus you're keeping here in the lab. Do you admit to keeping that bacteria at this research facility?

[ "Of course we have it on hand. Streptococcus is a common research bacteria. We use it to test environmental conditions on biological entities." ]

[watchmaker]

We're talking about a less common strain. Something special. You know about that?

[superswank]

[ he looks over at sylar strangely like wtf is this guy smoking.

"What? What are you talking about?" he looks back at sydney like maybe she'll help but she's just glaring at him like spill it, charlie. ]

A strain that has something to do with haemorrhagic fever. [ prytyka shakes his head, insistently. "There's nothing like that here. I don't know what you even mean."

kuchma grimaces on the screen, baring his teeth.

"He's lying. You must make him talk." ]

[risked]

[Allison draws her bow out and readies an arrow, pointing it to Prytyka's shoulder. (thanks, quick draw) She tips her head to glance to him.]

I'm sure you have an idea of how physics works. This close range -- it's not going to feel good -- at all. [intimidate 17]

Is there anyone else here, that works in these labs, that might have dabbled in that strain of bacteria? Anyone that might just be here to use the labs for their own purposes?

[superswank]

[ the guy looks ready to fucking pee himself when allison PULLS AN ARROW ON HIM. he goes totally pale, lifting both hands in front of himself.

"Please! No! I-- I'm the head of this project, I hired these men personally! No one would do such a thing here!"

syd glances over at kuchma on the screen, who is simply glowering out at them.

"He wants to protect his men. Put the arrow through his shoulder, girl. Show him you mean business." ]