VOICE | username: hughes | after the network returns!

[ontheline]

 [So. We found a body. Not pretty. 

Hughes would rather not cause a panic, but these people are exceedingly good at handling bad news. Besides, enough people were there, so it's not like it's all top secret. Still, best get to it while the getting's good. Because someone out there might also have some information that may be of use.]

I hate to use the new system for anything other than stupid emoticons, but — right to business.

There was a murder in the camp. His name was Radek Mendoza, one of the original Tranquility crew members. From what I can see, he was violently stabbed to death; his face was somewhat mutilated, but his fellow crew was able to identify him for me. From what it looks like, he had come back into the winds and was possibly attempting to retrieve supplies, maybe wanted to find a different place to seek cover. Whatever the case, his crew members hadn't seen him since before the winds began.

There were also masks. Two masks around the area. But other than that...

... It's still a process, putting some pieces together, but I or someone involved in keeping records will update you if anything big happens. Until then, we could use anyone who has some experience, should they want to offer; the body hasn't been examined in detail yet. Maybe it's a fool's game considering we're not exactly a investigations bureau and our supplies are limited, but I figure we might as well be thorough about it, in case it becomes a problem later on...

Which I hope it doesn't.

Examiners, forensic aid, anyone handy with tech — anything could be useful in getting the fine details.

[He's not going to say it, but it's possible someone in the camp could have murdered him. After all, those masks? Those gale winds? 

Caused a lot of mental stress. 

... Or it can be...] 

I don't know if I even need to say it, but we're not alone on this planet. I'm guessing you guys got the hints?

That's probably something we should also address. The elephant in the room, right? And here we thought we were having enough fun with the environmental difficulties alone.

[That is concerning. To say the least. 

OOC: Anyone who was at the scene on the 1st, head on over here and let us know what your contribution would be, if you think your character would have been there on day one! If you'd like to poke in here to get an idea of where your person could go, you're more than welcome! Also questions are great, but I'm also still awaiting potential mod answers on questions Hughes will be asking, so apologies if I'm a bit slow on the responses! Basically this is just for some discussion to bloom about either the murder or the idea that they're not alone on the planet, so feel free to threadjack and have at it.]

Comments

[voice]

[circumitus]

How is it that a murder and mutilation happened at the camp and no one noticed?

...

Assuming no one noticed anything. [You'd think someone would speak up about that.]

[voice]

[ontheline]

From what I can gather, the murder happened during the windstorm.

They came across the corpse while clearing out the camp messes, under a tarp.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Mm. Suppose the winds could've been enough to drown out the noise.

Am no profiler, but the facial disfigurement may have something to do with the masks.

[SHE KNEW THOSE THINGS WOULD BE BAD NEWS BEARS SHE FUCKING KNEW IT]

[voice]

[ontheline]

I know they were a pain in the ass. And a half.

It would help to know where the masks came from in the first place. I would say without a doubt whoever is out there put them in our vicinity, but — can the ship still influence us? It's all still unclear.

If it was someone out there upset about the masks, I could see facial disfigurement. Perhaps as an example to the rest of us... or maybe some sort of tradition. I guess it's pretty ridiculous to theorize about inhabitants we haven't actually seen up close and alive yet.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Well, there was no clear answer where the original batch of masks came from, a few years back. Could have something to do with being near the Tranquility, and whatever influence it has is still affecting us in some way.

Don't think it's someone upset about the masks per se, so much as commenting on the irony of a person having their face ruined sequentially to the masks showing up.

...Can you tell if the mutilation happened pre or post-mortem?

[She'd check for herself, except that she's only just now on her way from her treehouse, headed towards the base camp.]

[voice]

[ontheline]

Good question. At a glance it could be perimortem -- there's not as much blood as there should be, but there could be a number of reasons to that, so I'm not going to make any assumptions. The entry wounds are a little ragged, though. Usually when someone dead is being stabbed, they're cleaner -- in and out.

Not seeing that here.

[voice]

[ryuuzaki]

This is also bothering me. It's not just that it happened at the camp -- it happened in the middle of it, and there are signs that someone took some pains with the body.

[voice]

[ontheline]

Considering the fact we were all somehow inebriated in that wind... and the fact many of us preferred to stay sheltered, I'm not as surprised to hear this happened. The murder of a man is usually the fastest part of a killer's plan. It could have been just moments, and then nothing — and the elements against our senses left the attacker ample room for slipping away.

[... Hughes feels bad, though.

He'd been so out of it, there's no way he would have noticed either.]

[ryuuzaki]

I'd argue that people tend to overestimate the ease and speed with which someone can be killed by most methods. You're talking about speed in the context of a plan, but even accounting for everything else, I can understand why people might not have seen something... [the weight on the word is a little bit disgusted: of course the masks might have kept people from seeing something happening right in front of their noses]... but less so why they wouldn't have heard something.

If this was premeditated, it was terribly risky. The killer themselves was most likely also in an inebriated state, in which case we wouldn't expect flawless execution. That's not to say they couldn't get lucky -- people do. But if they were in better shape than most of the rest of us, why?

[ontheline]

... Well... There's the concern that it's a native. Or natives, plural.

If that's the case, the question I'm wondering is if the winds even do anything to them.

[He bites his lip, wondering if it's a stretch.

But... with what they've endured on the ship...]

Considering the appearance of the mask and the winds all in one convenient package, I'm wondering if that wasn't some form of pre-meditation itself. If it was, though, you would think that more of us would be dead.

Whatever it is, the murderer took good advantage of the chaos.

Voice (username undecided but probably cute)

[acapriciousthing]

I can take a look at the body. It's... pretty close to my specialty.

Voice

[ontheline]

[...........]

'Pretty close'?

Voice

[acapriciousthing]

Well, I don't usually do autopsies. But I'm Death.

Voice

[ontheline]

... Right. That's... an interesting nickname.

Voice

[acapriciousthing]

It's not a nickname, it's the simplest description of my basic function in the universe.

You can call me Didi if you'd like.

[because that's the obvious follow up to that right?]

[voice]

[tongueamok]

Is it safe to approach the body? Or is the entire camp still in danger as there's possibly a killer or two on the loose?

[voice]

[ontheline]

Oh, it's fine — we have it here under our protection, and the place is cleared.

... Though I can't guarantee it's safe.

Not that I could guarantee it before we found a body, either. Sorry to say.

[voice]

[tongueamok]

I see.

I'm not an undertaker or anything, but I do have some experience with scrying the dead.

[Yep, that's one way to put it.]

[voice]

[ontheline]

... Pardon?

[UM EXPLAIN, LONGINFACE.]

[voice]

[tongueamok]

[Incoming: a voice transmission that's twice as loud as before, since he assumes Hughes is hard of hearing.]

I said I had experience with scrying the dead.

[voice]

[lifescience]

I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'd be happy to take a look.

[voice]

[ontheline]

I'd really appreciate it. We could use any experience.

How often do you deal with bodies, exactly?

[voice]

[lifescience]

I wouldn't say that it was an everyday occurrence, but there were times when I was qualified for the job.

[voice]

[ontheline]

Good that's good. Because I may be an investigator, but I'm not well-versed on the inside of a body, other than it's not a pretty sight out in the open. Think you could swing by and give him a look over?

[voice]

[lifescience]

I can be right over. Where are you?