[EVENT] A STROKE OF SABOTAGE

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL
Date: April 16th-April 30th
Location: Keeliai, various
Situation: Just when you think things are working a little too well...
Warnings/Rating: To be added as needed.

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It starts small - a few greenhouses have seen their crops wither, and the kedan frantically scramble to find the cause. By the time they do, it’s too late. Three days later, the problem seems to occur in every single one of the major greenhouses and hydroponics stations; plants withered and dead, and several kedan sick and showing signs of Dust poisoning after contact with the water supply. While there were no deaths, all had to go to the Healers Guild and several had severe enough reactions that their stay was more than just a brief treatment and overnight observation.

The initial response from a few of the more superstitious kedan is that the run of bad luck has culminated in the ruin of their efforts. More level-headed kedan will be inclined to take a more scientific approach. Kyde and a number of chemists are called in to take samples.

As one might expect (or not, as the case may be), Dust had been somehow integrated into the water that feeds the hydroponics and greenhouses, which wound up killing the plants and sickening the kedan. While it hadn’t made it into the main water supply for the city, there was clearly enough of an organized effort that it affected the public greenhouses and hydroponics systems. Every piece of equipment that comes in contact with the water will have to be flushed to prevent another die-off. It's a big setback, and the process will take several weeks to complete, reigniting concerns about food shortages.

The culprits even left a calling card - painted on the walls or tarps is a message: MALICANT WILL RISE.

Tensions are high everywhere in the city, and morale is low as the culmination of the kedan and Foreigner’s hard work was ruined and, while they aren’t back to square one, there is an enormous amount of work ahead. Going forward, there is an urgent call for the development of better filtration systems to keep out toxins while still distributing essential nutrients, and better security. The kedan will be looking toward Foreigners for assistance in these matters.

---

OOC: Various starters are included in the comments below for different facets of the plot, or you can make your own! Please direct any questions to the April Game Itinerary post. Thank you!

Comments

[Locked to residents of Not 221-B]

[spoilsfun]

Conan had ignored his symptoms at first. He'd been rather prone to colds and flus ever since he'd been poisoned and turned into a child. At first he thought this was just another case of that. And if he'd been more paranoid recently? It had been easy to attribute it to his own concerns with his situation. Conan was always paranoid these days.

By the time the hallucinations started, it was too late. No one would have known anything was wrong until Conan didn't show up for breakfast.

He never signed up for this

[of_deduction]

Sherlock hasn't been around much-with John gone he's done everything he can to keep himself distracted and busy so he's spent much of the month away from the house and working at the university. He'd only been home once or twice the entire month and he'd only seen Conan in passing so if there has been any symptoms of illness he hadn't taken note of them.

It just so happens that he's home that morning that Conan doesn't emerge from his room and checks his watch to see if his internal clock was off. Humans were creatures of habit and they tended to wake up around the same time everyday especially if they've put themselves on some form of schedule.

He sucks in a breath and moves over to the boy's room before knocking sharply on the door.

[spoilsfun]

There is silence for a moment, followed by a rustling sound as Conan opens the door. He sways slightly from lightheadedness as he clutches onto the doorframe for balance, and his face is pale from the illness.

"What is it?"

[of_deduction]

Any sarcastic comment he might have said had the boy been fine melts away when he see's that Conan is obviously not fine. He purses his lips and looks the boy over a little more closely-pale, slightly sweaty, and clearly trying to hold himself steady. How long as he been like this? He lets out an irritated sigh and drops down to Conan's level so that he can feel his forehead.

Fever. Damn it.

He should have been paying more attention to Conan than he had been-now the boy's got himself sick and Sherlock has a nasty feeling about where it came from. He's about to tell the boy to go upstairs to the lab but stops himself as he sees that small hand clutching to the doorway. There's no telling if he could make it up the stairs without falling.

"Come here." He says sharply, scooping the boy up like a sack of potatoes and making towards the stairs.

[spoilsfun]

Conan yelps as he is abruptly lifted up.

"Oi! Is this really necessary? Put me-"

He cuts himself off as he squeezes his eyes shut to try and focus through the dizziness and fever. When he opens them again, it is to see nothing but blood. Bloodstains on the stairs. Blood on Sherlock. He stiffens and says nothing more as he stares, moving his gaze to focus on different parts of the room.

[of_deduction]

Sherlock expected that he'd protest but he make no indication he has any intention of putting him down. He's a little concerned at how quickly the protest was cut off though and that it didn't resume.

He carries Conan up the steps to the lab and sets him up on counter before noticing that his eyes don't look quite right-the way they're darting has him a bit concerned.

"Conan? Are you alright?" He asks, pulling a drawer open all the while keeping a close eye on the boy's face. "I'm going to need to draw some blood."

[spoilsfun]

He repeats the word in a vague manner entirely unlike his usual self.

"Blood? But it's here already. There's so much."

[of_deduction]

"What are you talking about? There's no-" The notes he'd read on the dust did mention it could be a hallucinogenic. He thins his lips in irritation-it's not Conan he's mad at but himself-he's the one that left the kid on his own for the better part of the month all because he needed a distraction. And then this happens.

"Not just any blood-your blood. I need a sample, will give me your arm?"

[spoilsfun]

The question knocks Conan out of his mild bemusement at his hallucination and sends him straight into panic. Somewhere along the way, he'd had it impressed on himself that anyone wanting samples of his blood was dangerous. In the elevated paranoia from his current condition he can't differentiate between someone who already knew and had some of his trust and a true threat.

In alarm he tries to jump off the counter and run.

[of_deduction]

"Conan-!" He should have seen this coming. He acts fast though at the first sight of discomfort and uses his arm block the escape from the counter. "Conan. Listen to me. You're not well-you need to stay here. I won't take the sample if you don't want me to."

This is, of course, a lie. He'll just have to find some other means of getting it.

[spoilsfun]

Conan ignores him and makes a try for the other end of the counter.

[of_deduction]

Come on Conan, who do you think you're up against here? Sherlock's not the least bit surprised to see him make another attempt at escape and stops him again, this time grabbing his arm and pulling him close so he can trap him into one place.

"I said you're not well." He repeats, trying to hold Conan still with one arm and the other rustling through the draws.

[spoilsfun]

Being trapped like this did not bring any pleasant associations for Conan. Perhaps it was not surprising that this would affect his hallucinations.

He blanches and stills in terror as he sees not Sherlock cornering him, but Gin.

[of_deduction]

Sherlock can tell something is wrong but he can't relinquish his grip now. He keeps the boy pinned tightly against his chest with the one arm and finally finds what he's looking for-though it's a bit difficult with a struggling seven year old whose head is at serious risk of colliding with his chin if he's not careful.

"Hold. Still." He demands, gripping the chemical mixture quickly and uncapping the syringe with his mouth. He wastes no time in injecting just a little into the seven year old. He has to mind the dosage because to because too much is potentially lethal.

[spoilsfun]

Conan struggles, fighting against dangers only he could see. As he sees the syringe he yells and fights harder in his terror.

Never again. He couldn't let himself be drugged like this again.

A few seconds after the drug is injected, his struggles begin to slow as he start to feel drowsy and relaxed.

[of_deduction]

Sherlock lets out a small sigh of relief when the struggling starts to stop though he knows that if Conan remembers this later he'll probably be pretty upset with him. He adjusts his hold on the small detective to something far more comfortable for the boy and carries him over to his armchair by the fireplace before setting him down-no assured he can't just run off and hide.

"Wait there. I'll be right back." He says before returning to the lab area and getting an empty syringe ready to get the blood sample. He doesn't have permission from the young boy but Sherlock's been experimenting with dust and he's found the stuff to be highly dangerous and lethal to smaller organisms like fish and most of the mice he'd injected.

Needless to say, he needs to know what exactly it's doing to Conan.

[spoilsfun]

He fights against the drug-induced drowsiness, trying to keep his mind clear, even if he could find the energy to move. And perhaps it does something, because for the moment the hallucinations clear and he sees the world as it truly is.

"Sherlock?" he managed to say. "What's going on?"

[of_deduction]

He hears the other trying to stir and grabs the empty syringe and a rubber band before going back out to where he'd left Conan. Did that stop the hallucinating?

"Now don't panic-but you've been affected by the dust. I had to give you a sedative." He kneels down next to the arm chair to get a good look at the boy's face.

"I need to know exactly what it's doing to you-may I take a sample?" He asks gently.

[spoilsfun]

"Affected how? And what did you give me?"

His words were slightly slurred as he tried to focus past the drug and illness.

"A sample? Because of dust?"

[of_deduction]

"Sodium Pentothal." He responds easily, taking the boy's small arm and pushing the left sleeve up.

"Exactly." He ties the rubber band above his elbow. "Not sure how much you can move at the moment-try making a fist for me."

[spoilsfun]

"Was that really necessary? I have safer sedatives I could have used." He probably would not have mentioned that in other situation.

He wasn't fond of the idea of having his blood drawn, but he could understand the reason why now. He makes an attempt. On the second try his fingers respond and he closes them into a weak fist.

[of_deduction]

That comment gives the detective pause. Safer sedatives? He's known this boy for a few months now and he's never seemed the type to self medicate. Perhaps there a few things he should be asking this kid while he has him under the influence of truth serum.

"What kind of sedative?" He asks gently, carefully inserting the needle into the boy's arm as he locates a vein. Unfortunately, the needle misses the small vein and he has to try again.

[spoilsfun]

His mind was moving too slowly at the moment to think of the name.

"The one in my watch," he says irritably as Sherlock works on his arm.

[of_deduction]

Once Sherlock is able to find a vein he withdraws a little blood from the boy-no more than a few milliliters. He takes the needle out as carefully as he can manage and stands up to take the sample back over to the lab area.

While he's up he grabs a band aid and cotton ball before returning to Conan's side. He sticks the cotton ball on his arm where the blood was drawn from and puts the band aid over it.

"There, all done. Though you're probably gonna want to sit there for awhile."

And Sherlock is going to have to sit with him to make sure he doesn't experience any dangerous side effects.

[spoilsfun]

Between the drug-induced lethargy and the flu-like symptoms he'd already been fighting, Conan didn't have the energy to do anything more than just that.

That doesn't stop him from giving Sherlock a sour look.