Encroaching Corruption

[Blaze]

Matthew oddly relaxes at that, and calms down "...y-you sure?" Her eyes go wide as she looks the CEO in the eyes, "...t-totally sure?" Wiping the tears from her eyes, she pauses... and it dawns on her just how silly she is being. It doesn't matter if he says there is no monster or not! ...there is one! She goes to take his hand off from around her back, "...b-but..."

"100% I came down in the elevators and nothing happened to me. But if they make you that scared, would you like to come up to my office via the stairs?" he asks. Behind his back, he frantically motions for the gathered crowd to disperse

"Hey, stop that!" Paul says to the muggers, fear overwhelming her. Hey, weird voice, help me!

"Fine... if that is what you wish."

Paul suddenly feels a tingle as the world around him becomes... well, dull and gray. It's not like the colour was drained from the world though. It's more like... the life and vibrancy of everything within a few feet of her was sucked away. And that includes the two muggers. The looks of anger on their faces vanish, to be replaced by apathetic looks. Their weapons slip from limp hands as they meander off.

"Cut them off from the outside, subdue them, and bring them to me," she orders to most of her new recruits. "You three, come with me" she says, pointing at her previous carpoolers. "We need to get this place reorganized into a proper hive... A home."

Her instincts are buzzing as she looks over this chaotic office disarray. Not good. There needs to be easy access to nourishment, protective resting places, and easy and free movement throughout the hive. She looks over the cubicles.... Surprisingly perfect little nests, already clustered and divided into easy access. That part was good. Larger offices would serve for food and other storage... Incredibly, this place was already laid out like a hive! It just needed the finer touches...

The drones all nod and use both their knowledge of the building's layout and their newfound instincts to scatter and lie in wait to ambush the approaching firemen. Her former carpoolers line up eagerly to await orders. No trace of recognition appears on their face as they look at Kaitlyn and Kaitlyn would find it harder and harder to remember them as anything other than her loyal drones.

Dan is forced to mince, pose, pour, and flirt! As she furiously tries everything she can think of to escape, to no avail...

As the night goes on, the bar gets fuller and fuller, more and more people coming in. Dan may notice that people are starting to get... frisky. That couple she served earlier on are now frantically making out in their booth, hands inside each other's clothes. Single people are flirting with each other, as is normal, but they're doing so in a much more aggressive way...

A woman sitting at the bar sipping martinis groans and suddenly stands up. Looking around the bar, she sees a single guy sitting at the end of the bar and walks over to him. Sitting herself in his lap, she starts kissing him frantically, and he replies in kind!

[Knight Errant]

Dan, unable to do much more than watch, is surprised at this... twist. "What the heck is going on here..." He wonders, blushing at the displays going on inside the bar.

[Zilla]

Kaitlyn looks over her former carpool friends, standing at attention. The barest flicker of a memory tugs at the corner of her consciousness. These people meant something to her... What? Why would these drones be any more special than the rest?

Still.... that's not a bad idea. As her hive expanded, she would need something of a hierarchy... groomed heirs and subordinates with limited power.

"Come," she orders to the three. "The rest of you, make this place more efficient. Remove all the debris," she indicates a copy-machine for reference. "Strengthen our walls, block out the windows."

More visions of a busy, bustling hive swarm her mind, a perfect colony, buzzing cleanly and quickly, always growing, always welcoming new members.

[Shadowmaster]

"Woah...that was pretty cool." Paul says, kneeling down and looking at the discarded weapons, but not touching them. "What exactly did you do to them?" she asked the voice.

[Vomica]

With a few quick nods the girl falls in line, "...y-yes! Yes that'd be so much better!" The fear in her voice passes a bit at the offer... but then another worry emerges! She's never been in the CEO's office before, let alone anywhere that important! Her eyes go big in awe, and she hushes up... already feeling out of place! It's like being a tourist or something!

[Blaze]

Dan, unable to do much more than watch, is surprised at this... twist. "What the heck is going on here..." He wonders, blushing at the displays going on inside the bar.

Dan may start to realize that wherever she went, some kind of spicy sweet scent follows her! And as more people come in, it's getting stronger, and the stronger it gets, the less inhibited people are becoming! Suddenly, a high evil cackle sounds in Dan's mind, one that sounds like the woman from before!

Kaitlyn looks over her former carpool friends, standing at attention. The barest flicker of a memory tugs at the corner of her consciousness. These people meant something to her... What? Why would these drones be any more special than the rest?

Still.... that's not a bad idea. As her hive expanded, she would need something of a hierarchy... groomed heirs and subordinates with limited power.

"Come," she orders to the three. "The rest of you, make this place more efficient. Remove all the debris," she indicates a copy-machine for reference. "Strengthen our walls, block out the windows."

More visions of a busy, bustling hive swarm her mind, a perfect colony, buzzing cleanly and quickly, always growing, always welcoming new members.

The drones immediately get to work, no arguements, total efficency. A group heads to the cleaner's cabinet and extract a roll of black plastic bags, using duct tape to tape them to the windows. Another starts wheeling the various machines to the emergency exits, pushing them off the fire escape.

The three drones immediately snaps to attention, following Kaitlyn in perfect synch

"Woah...that was pretty cool." Paul says, kneeling down and looking at the discarded weapons, but not touching them. "What exactly did you do to them?" she asked the voice.

"I took away their interest in robbing you. Now they don't care about you, or anything." the voice says simply. Indeed, the two men walk out onto the road without looking. Suddenly, a military truck comes screaming down the road, the driver slamming on the breaks to avoid them. Both men stare at it disinterestedly as it ploughs into them.

With a few quick nods the girl falls in line, "...y-yes! Yes that'd be so much better!" The fear in her voice passes a bit at the offer... but then another worry emerges! She's never been in the CEO's office before, let alone anywhere that important! Her eyes go big in awe, and she hushes up... already feeling out of place! It's like being a tourist or something!

"Okay, then come along." he says gently as he leads Matthew to... the elevator. Memories of the event rise unbidden in her mind!

[Knight Errant]

"This... is weird..." She mutters, then blinks at the voice! "H-hey! You! Where... whats going on?!" She says looking around.

[Vomica]

Matthew stiffens up at that! She clings to the man's side, "...n-no! We can't go that way...! You said we'd take the stairs! Not this way! The stairs!" She hugs into him as tightly as she can, making walking a tad bit difficult! The girl even... well... her new level of emotional maturity shines through! And she whine-whimpers softly... staring up at the man with huge eyes.

[Shadowmaster]

Paul went even paler than she already was when she saw what happened. She sinks to the ground, sitting on the sidewalk. "Oh God...they just walked into that. Why did they do that?" she asks the voice.

[Zilla]

Kaitlyn finds herself gravitating toward a nexus, in the center of the building. It's in the center of a cubical farm. It'll have to be remade.

"Clear this area, for my chamber," she orders her drones. She knows she wants a wide, open area for this room, a place for her to sit and command, and see as much as she can of her hive. She must be its brain. It's her responsibility to her children... She must protect them, nurture them, and help them grow.

[Blaze]

"This... is weird..." She mutters, then blinks at the voice! "H-hey! You! Where... whats going on?!" She says looking around.

"Awww, forgotten about me already~?" the voice says cruelly as the image of the woman from before flashes in his mind! For a split second, it shifts into... something. Something that laughs in the face of what we know of geometry and space. Even for that moment, the image of it in Dan's mind causes a splitting headache .

"Having a good time mortal?"

Matthew stiffens up at that! She clings to the man's side, "...n-no! We can't go that way...! You said we'd take the stairs! Not this way! The stairs!" She hugs into him as tightly as she can, making walking a tad bit difficult! The girl even... well... her new level of emotional maturity shines through! And she whine-whimpers softly... staring up at the man with huge eyes.

THe CEO looks down at Matthew in confusion, but nods.

"Alright sweetie, we'll take the stairs."

He leads her over to the stairwell, a dully gray thing winding up the corner of the building. Echos of people walking up and down it travel all the way to the top and bottom as the CEO leads the young girl up to his office.

Paul went even paler than she already was when she saw what happened. She sinks to the ground, sitting on the sidewalk. "Oh God...they just walked into that. Why did they do that?" she asks the voice.

"They lost interest in everything... including self preservation." the voice says

"But would you not say they deserved it? From what I understand, your kind do not take kindly to those who attempt to force sexual acts on the unwilling."

Kaitlyn finds herself gravitating toward a nexus, in the center of the building. It's in the center of a cubical farm. It'll have to be remade.

"Clear this area, for my chamber," she orders her drones. She knows she wants a wide, open area for this room, a place for her to sit and command, and see as much as she can of her hive. She must be its brain. It's her responsibility to her children... She must protect them, nurture them, and help them grow.

The drones move in and begin to clear the room out... when a voice booms from outside, clearly amplified somehow.

"This is the police! Release the firemen now and come out with your hands up!" it commands. Righteous anger swells within Kaitlyn. These scum dare threaten her hive? They will die or be assimilated!

[Knight Errant]

Dan frowns, before wincing and holding his head. "Agh! I... no I didn't forget you... what are you!? And what are you doing to me?"

[Vomica]

Matthew sticks rather closely to the CEO, and her head darts in the direction of every single sudden noise that happens. She tenses up at anything unexpected and... well it just seems she is rather easy to startle at the moment!