route_29 | Outbreak: Rocket missions START

July 8, Goldenrod Rocket base infirmary, 20:46PM

Proton stands before him again, looking positively giddy. (Archer has long since learned that this is almost never a good sign.) Ariana leans her hip against the gurney, watching Proton twirl the long tube in his hands, expression dubious.

"How are you feeling?" Proton asks, his voice teeming with interest. Archer swallows dryly.

"I've felt better."

Chiron lays just out of reach of his dangling arm, occasionally looking up at him with unkind eyes. The Houndoom's body has never felt this hot before, he thinks. Intellectually, he knows they had the best results with the Suicune samples, but he still fervently wishes they could have used the Fire extract instead. His vision swims when he turns his head; he's too cold; everything around him is so hot but he can never get warm. Along the inside of his arm, the blue threads of veins are drawn on the skin, with mottled silver-blue specks along his jaw and neck like paint. He keeps cutting his tongue on how sharp his teeth have become. Proton laughs, reaches out roughly to take one of Archer's arms, examining the blue spots on his palm and wrist. Ariana frowns.

"That's going to go away, isn't it?"

"Maybe," Proton says, making her frown deepen. Archer agreed to this. Ariana looks down at him, unimpressed.

"If you die, I'm getting your office," she declares. "So can you actually do anything?"

It's a good question. He supposes it's been a few days now, like this, and he's certainly feeling better than the first day, which he spent in a bleary delirium, panting and vomiting, skin peeling at the joints from ice burns. Proton helps him sit up, then stand on shaky legs. He hates being weak like this, but if this works—if this works—

"Go on," Proton encourages, steadying Archer at the elbow. One step forward, another. He's so cold, but the world feels so crisp, so perfectly crystal clear. He reaches out, touches the infirmary wall.

It's like a sudden release, water after a long hot day, the bathroom after being cooped up. At first there's just the wall and then there's ice, ice everywhere in blasting crystal tendrils. Chiron whines and barks, Proton and Ariana step away. Archer doesn't care about anything anymore: there's only him and the ice and it's so perfect and beautiful. So natural. The light winks off of it and it's like he can taste those colours, hear the prismatic flickering like bells. He inhales, breathes out, lets the Frost Breath tear apart the cabinets. He can hardly hear the blast, but he feels Ariana's hands when they land on his shoulder and arm. Distantly, Proton is shouting for him. But can't he see? It's so warm here. It's so hot and if only he could just cover everything with ice, then—

Chiron's blazing teeth sink into his calf. Archer can feel it, the scorching pain of the mouth and the tear and the magmalike Houndoom saliva. He falls. Chiron stands over him, teeth bared. He has never been more closed-off to Archer than in this moment, and yet, Archer doesn't care.

"So," Proton's voice reaches him, dry and droll. "Do we have the go-ahead?"

Ariana's body is too hot, but he lets her help him off the floor. His calf is already beginning to heal.

"You have the go-ahead," she says, so Archer won't have to.

It's so beautiful.

[[Here is the official kickoff for full-on Rocket testing! The kidnapees from the first wave of tests are starting to get released, characters are free to hear about this 'strange new illness' going around.

There's still space to sign up for anyone looking to participate! Looking at you, new people! You have until the 12th to sign up.

RNGs have been distributed, and if you're not satisfied with your score or don't want to deal with potentially dangerous side effects for months, we will re-roll in a lower range at players' discretion. Please contact a mod if you'd like a lower re-roll. Executive Archer here is about a 3, to give you an idea.]]