Lt Alex Storm - A Staircase in the Dark
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Karen Morris
Jan 16, 2026, 12:48:08 AMJan 16
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((Unknown Monastery - Callis 1))
Alex knelt down, running her pointer finger around one of the notches before gently slipping it down further … the space was deep, further down than her finger would go.
Storm: See these notches? ::pointing to the circular cut-out spots in the corners of the stone.:: I’m wondering if there are two more on the other corners under this shelf, but it’s too heavy to move.
MacKenzie raised an eyebrow.
Brexis: Let’s move this shelf and see.
Nat’s head - and body - popped into the room. Alex raised an eyebrow at her, then let it go. The call was MacKenzie’s.
Cole: Here, let me help. That thing looks incredibly rickety.
With no verbal warning or gesture of restraint from the Captain, Storm called out…
Storm: On three. One, two, three.
The trio carefully moved the shelf away from the wall, Alex knelt down and checked for more notches and sure enough, there were two more identical notches in the back two corners of the same stone.
Storm: Four staves that match the notches in the four corners of the stone? Hey Captain. I think we might have found something in here.
MacKenzie peeked into the room.
MacKenzie: What've you got?
Brexis: ::Gesturing to the stone:: Looks like each corner of this stone has a pretty deliberate little notch in each corner. Could be something.
Cole: ::crouching slightly despite her shoulder protesting, eyes tracking the cuts:: Those don’t look random. Someone taking time with those could be a mechanism of some kind.
Storm: That was my thinking as well. I’m wondering if this is the key to a hidden room or something.
MacKenzie: What do you make of it?
Brexis: Lieutenant Storm suggested the staves match the notches. Maybe we should stick them in and see what happens?
Cole: What’s the … ::beat, shaking her head:: Nope not going to finish that thought.
Looking at Cole with raised eyebrows, Alex deadpanned …
Storm: Please don’t.
The commanding officer rocked her head back and forth.
MacKenzie: How do you think they were used? What might that tell us of the people who lived here?
Brexis: Well, based on how little we know already, I don’t think we can deduce much unless we actually see what happens. ::gesturing vaguely:: But, that could open us up for more potential problems. Like our friends outside. Whatever this is may tip them off to something.
Cole: ::straightening slowly:: If this place was meant to keep something out… or keep something contained… then whatever this is might be part of that system. ::beat:: Which means ignoring it could be just as dangerous as activating it.
Storm: I’d think we’d hear them if there were any large creatures nearby. ::Turning to Brexis:: And we may feel them if there were.
MacKenzie: Response
Charlotte made eye contact with them all, a twinkle coming to her eye before she asked…
Brexis: Where are those staves at?
Cole: ::already moving:: I converted them into spears, old habits die hard, but they’re still intact. ::glances over her shoulder:: And reversible, if we need too..
Nat held them out in front of her.
Storm: I say we give it a whirl. We might find something that helps us all down there.
MacKenzie: Response
Alex accepted her stave from Cole.
Brexis: Let’s do one at a time. But everyone stay alert and listen.
Cole: ::nods once:: Agreed. If anything changes, sound, pressure, temperature, we stop.
Storm: Nat, why don’t you go first?
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Cole stuck the end of the stave into one of the notches. It fit perfectly. She turned to the other three and nodded towards them.
Alex went next, inserting her stave into the second hole. She lowered it slowly, feeling her way along the smooth stone, and when it got to the end, she twisted it, and felt something lock into place.
Cole: ::after a breath:: Okay. That’s two.
Leaning down and putting a hand on the stone, Alex checked to see if she could feel anything - any movement, any jostling, any breath being released from below. She didn’t move for a moment. Waiting for the trap that never came.
Nothing.
Her eyes ping-ponged between Charlotte and the Captain.
Storm: Who’s next?
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Holding her breath as the last stave dropped into place, with her hand still on the stone, she felt a click. But nothing happened for several seconds, until the distinct grinding noise of one stone moving over another hissed in Alex’s ears.
Off to the side in the wall, a panel slid open, revealing a set of stairs going down.
Cole: Well … we can’t un-ring whatever bell this is.
Storm: I’d ask if we dare, but I can’t imagine us leaving this unexplored.
Her eyes drifted over to MacKenzie.
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Storm: If we go down, we will need fire. We could wrap some of the tattered fabric around four of the leg bones I found in the other room earlier.
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
Storm: Oh!
Turning to the shelf that they had moved.
Storm: I had found some liquid that looks like oil in here.
Looking over the shelf and finding the pottery vessel she had discovered earlier, Alex pulled the cover off the bowl and showed the others the viscous, yellowish liquid.
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
Storm: Would someone like to help me grab those leg bones and fabric?
As Alex turned to leave the room, her stomach knotted in on itself, causing it to growl. She rubbed it - both to quiet it and to soothe it. Why the secret passage? Where did it lead - to safety or destruction?
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
~*~
Tags / TBC!
~*~
Lt Alex Storm
Tactical Officer
USS Artemis
O240103SK2
Alex knelt down, running her pointer finger around one of the notches before gently slipping it down further … the space was deep, further down than her finger would go.
Storm: See these notches? ::pointing to the circular cut-out spots in the corners of the stone.:: I’m wondering if there are two more on the other corners under this shelf, but it’s too heavy to move.
MacKenzie raised an eyebrow.
Brexis: Let’s move this shelf and see.
Nat’s head - and body - popped into the room. Alex raised an eyebrow at her, then let it go. The call was MacKenzie’s.
Cole: Here, let me help. That thing looks incredibly rickety.
With no verbal warning or gesture of restraint from the Captain, Storm called out…
Storm: On three. One, two, three.
The trio carefully moved the shelf away from the wall, Alex knelt down and checked for more notches and sure enough, there were two more identical notches in the back two corners of the same stone.
Storm: Four staves that match the notches in the four corners of the stone? Hey Captain. I think we might have found something in here.
MacKenzie peeked into the room.
MacKenzie: What've you got?
Brexis: ::Gesturing to the stone:: Looks like each corner of this stone has a pretty deliberate little notch in each corner. Could be something.
Cole: ::crouching slightly despite her shoulder protesting, eyes tracking the cuts:: Those don’t look random. Someone taking time with those could be a mechanism of some kind.
Storm: That was my thinking as well. I’m wondering if this is the key to a hidden room or something.
MacKenzie: What do you make of it?
Brexis: Lieutenant Storm suggested the staves match the notches. Maybe we should stick them in and see what happens?
Cole: What’s the … ::beat, shaking her head:: Nope not going to finish that thought.
Looking at Cole with raised eyebrows, Alex deadpanned …
Storm: Please don’t.
The commanding officer rocked her head back and forth.
MacKenzie: How do you think they were used? What might that tell us of the people who lived here?
Brexis: Well, based on how little we know already, I don’t think we can deduce much unless we actually see what happens. ::gesturing vaguely:: But, that could open us up for more potential problems. Like our friends outside. Whatever this is may tip them off to something.
Cole: ::straightening slowly:: If this place was meant to keep something out… or keep something contained… then whatever this is might be part of that system. ::beat:: Which means ignoring it could be just as dangerous as activating it.
Storm: I’d think we’d hear them if there were any large creatures nearby. ::Turning to Brexis:: And we may feel them if there were.
MacKenzie: Response
Charlotte made eye contact with them all, a twinkle coming to her eye before she asked…
Brexis: Where are those staves at?
Cole: ::already moving:: I converted them into spears, old habits die hard, but they’re still intact. ::glances over her shoulder:: And reversible, if we need too..
Nat held them out in front of her.
Storm: I say we give it a whirl. We might find something that helps us all down there.
MacKenzie: Response
Alex accepted her stave from Cole.
Brexis: Let’s do one at a time. But everyone stay alert and listen.
Cole: ::nods once:: Agreed. If anything changes, sound, pressure, temperature, we stop.
Storm: Nat, why don’t you go first?
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Cole stuck the end of the stave into one of the notches. It fit perfectly. She turned to the other three and nodded towards them.
Alex went next, inserting her stave into the second hole. She lowered it slowly, feeling her way along the smooth stone, and when it got to the end, she twisted it, and felt something lock into place.
Cole: ::after a breath:: Okay. That’s two.
Leaning down and putting a hand on the stone, Alex checked to see if she could feel anything - any movement, any jostling, any breath being released from below. She didn’t move for a moment. Waiting for the trap that never came.
Nothing.
Her eyes ping-ponged between Charlotte and the Captain.
Storm: Who’s next?
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Holding her breath as the last stave dropped into place, with her hand still on the stone, she felt a click. But nothing happened for several seconds, until the distinct grinding noise of one stone moving over another hissed in Alex’s ears.
Off to the side in the wall, a panel slid open, revealing a set of stairs going down.
Cole: Well … we can’t un-ring whatever bell this is.
Storm: I’d ask if we dare, but I can’t imagine us leaving this unexplored.
Her eyes drifted over to MacKenzie.
MacKenzie/Brexis: Response
Storm: If we go down, we will need fire. We could wrap some of the tattered fabric around four of the leg bones I found in the other room earlier.
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
Storm: Oh!
Turning to the shelf that they had moved.
Storm: I had found some liquid that looks like oil in here.
Looking over the shelf and finding the pottery vessel she had discovered earlier, Alex pulled the cover off the bowl and showed the others the viscous, yellowish liquid.
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
Storm: Would someone like to help me grab those leg bones and fabric?
As Alex turned to leave the room, her stomach knotted in on itself, causing it to growl. She rubbed it - both to quiet it and to soothe it. Why the secret passage? Where did it lead - to safety or destruction?
MacKenzie/Brexis/Cole: Response
~*~
Tags / TBC!
~*~
Lt Alex Storm
Tactical Officer
USS Artemis
O240103SK2
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