Drill Day
'Attention participants, the drill will be starting in 1 minute. Take this time to prepare yourselves and to remember that everything that will happen is a simulation. Nothing can or will legitimately hurt you. Should you wish to stop the simulation tap the centerpiece of your vest and you will escorted off, should you be unable to do so simply say 'moon' and you will escorted off.'
"Okay the sound system is good, the holograms and drones are a go, and our actors are ready."
"I still don't know why we need actors when we have perfectly good holograms and drones." Glip didn't want to admit but she was a little hurt that Calis and the Captain didn't trust her work.
"We've been over this. As good as your holograms are they aren't physical which can lower the realism and while your drones are physical they can can be too predictable which is something we don't want. Hence the actors."
"Doubt they'll even be convincing." she grumbled.
.
To Glip's annoyance and Quip's entertainment the actor's where in fact convincing.
"What are you doing you idiot?! Your in a supply closet with tons of stuff around to use and you use a towel?? You deserve to be captured by enemy forces."
The poor Vrool get's tackled to the ground by an actor who roars in their face, fake fangs and mandibles making them ink themselves.
"Aw buddy, aw there we go! Good sportsmanship actor!" the actor uses the towel to clean the Vrool best they can before finding them a new uniform to change into them a before sending them to the 'jail' set up.
"Shlip who did they hire for this?" honestly this was some of the best simulation acting she's seen in a while.
"Some random ship members who had too much time and was down for a free dinner on Cap."
"Huh, any apexes?"
"Oh yeah, like two thirds of them. Those big ones dressed like a Mors Crawlers? That's a tighalax and a rextalian."
"Great asteroids no wonder those orcs were shaking."
"Yep," he said popping the p. "almost as terrifying as the real thing."
..
"Wait wait wait, hold the shlipping communicator, we got younglings doing this?"
"Oh quiznack. . .well it's probably gonna be toned down right, right?" he asked looking at his co-worker.
"Yeah, yeah it should be. Look. Like half the actors are leaving...leaving only the scariest ones left." they looked at each other concerned.
"CAAAPPPTAAAIN??"
"What!? Damnit Quip and Glip don't yell into the comms!"
"Are we actually sending younglings into this??"
"Isn't this like youngling endangerment?"
"The kids have been briefed about this and their parents signed off on this. Perfectly legal and safe. I also brought in some experts on this."
"Experts on scaring children?" who the shlip does that??
"Just do your jobs."
...
"OH MY GODS..HOW THE ACTUAL SHLIP?!"
"how the deq are these kids fine with this..."
Said younglings are being chased by actors, dressed as Mors Crawlers and Domitors, the actors giving them very little breathing room.
One of them swipe at the younglings with their prosthetic claws, catching on the little ones clothes. They yank back and the child is sent sprawling towards the jaws of the Domitor, the child's vest lights up red. They're out.
Some more children get caught by claws, tails, and wings. Each one of them are out.
The remaining few duck into an open vent too small for the predators to follow. They claw and roar at the entrance.
"HA! Can't get them now, score one nothing for the younglings!"
"Nope, look at screen 3."
While the actors at the entrance roared and thrashed a few of them ran through the halls until reaching the other side of the vent. Just as the children were coming out.
They could run but to where? Back into the vent? Forward into their pursuers?
Well they tried both.
The largest and strongest charged forward while the smallest ran back.
While the larger and stronger ones were from species known for their power and abilities, they were still younglings going against adults. After some struggling their vests turned red.
Only a handful of younglings reached the vent without getting caught. The ones inside were safe...for now.
....
'Only 5 minutes before the simulation is over. 5 minutes.'
"Well, looks the kids win this one."
"Good for them. They earned it."
"Yeah-hold up...what are they doing?"
The actors were...breaking the wall. They had grabbed chairs and any heavy objects they could and were using them to break down the wall.
"IS THIS ALLOWED?!"
"THERE'S NO WAY IT IS....gods wrath it is...JUST LET THE KIDS HAVE THIS!!"
When a foot of the vent was now revealed they grabbed it and started to pull. The other side, now aware of what was happening, started to push and increase their efforts in grabbing the younglings.
"They're pulling it...oh my gods they're pulling it out of the actual wall!"
"IT'S 15 FEET LONG THOUGH!!"
"HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT?!"
"2 MINUTES."
Inch by inch the predators pulled out sections of the vent. Almost a third of the way done. The hole left behind now big enough to send over their smallest predator on the other side.
"BODY CAM BODY CAM"
"I'M DOING IT I'M DOING IT"
The beast crawled as fast as it could through the tunnel. The younglings yell and kick at its claws.
A child screams while being dragged out of the body cams view.
"They're dead."
"Yep, you owe me five tix."
"No, I betted on the other rextali-"
"MOON!"
Quip and Glip quieted. Then went into a flurry finding the right camera, searching for the child who said the safe word.
They found the child; Zyz, age 6 years old, species rextalian, being comforted by an actor. Face pressed into the adults fake fur while stroking the child's spine with their palms. Keeping their face and claws out of Zyz's view.
All the other actors around them softly put down the vent pieces and children already caught.
They then step back and then kneel or crouch. Claws are up or by their sides.
The children go to one another, checking up on each other, a few check on Zyz.
One of the actors slowly approaches Zyz on their knees. Hand out holding a tissue.
A tiny hand takes it. Along with the tissue.
And just like that all the other adults scoop up the children. Some are cradled into their chests, needing comfort and to not have them see their masks. Others are put onto their shoulders and backs, not as riled up or in a more playful mood. Some are tossed and dangled, to put them at ease despite the adrenaline coursing through their small bodies.
Soon the sniffles and hiccups are replaced by laughter and cheers.
The claws are replaced by warm sweaty hands.
Fangs and mandibles are replaced by sweaty smiling faces.
Wings and extra appendages are replaced by children hugging the tired actors.
"...they were HUMANS?!?"
"Hey it's Max! ...Ohhh that's whose a professional in scaring kids. That makes sense now."
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