[Fin] The Murder-Free Hotel

[PointMaid]

Ruby put the sample in her sequencer, and soon enough it returned a readout.

Okay... now to compare it against known viruses... One of you want to check it against the database?

[wingedcatgirl]

Ruby's Lab

There is a knock on the door. "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

[madface7]

"Ah got it."

Engi starts searching for a virus of similar composition.

[Kennifer]

Holly decides to help, since two sets of eyes are better than one when it comes to this sort of thing.

[PointMaid]

Hello?, Ruby asked at the knock on the door. I'm here, Ruby, so is the Medic and Holly. What is it?

[madface7]

"Seems a lot similar ta rabies... Ah can see it being similar due to its transmission... Excess salivation and mental confusion seem accurate for symptoms, so it makes a bit a' sense."

[wingedcatgirl]

"A medic? That's perfect! Is this the infirmary, then? Our... friend, passed out from what we think is magical exhaustion..."

[madface7]

"Oh! Ooh! Let me go get ze crossbow... Trust me, it's perfectly safe!"

Medic takes out a crossbow with a syringe and opens the door.

[wingedcatgirl]

G'raha eyes the Medic's crossbow curiously, while Y'shtola stands behind him, holding an unconscious Sylvi in a bridal carry.

"Ah, did you hear me correctly?" he says. "Or... I must admit, I'm not entirely certain how a crossbow would help here."

[PointMaid]

Not the infirmary, just my lab. I'm a biochemist. You going to be okay, Medic? Is that adrenaline you're packing? Um, I'd advise you to have water with you to douse him with if he tries to scratch or bite anyone. Wait... Sylvi? Damn. What happened?

[madface7]

"Come over here! I promise I vill heal you..."

Medic holds the crossbow and points it directly at Sylvi.

[wingedcatgirl]

G'raha stands in between the Medic and Sylvi, wearing an expression that somehow looks both protective and extremely confused. "Um..."

Y'shtola speaks up. "Does your crossbow cure magical exhaustion? We both have access to healing magic already, and it didn't seem to have any effect."

"I still don't understand why the crossbow at all," G'raha mutters...

[madface7]

"Uh, I've had some people who have been hurt by magic zat I've healed... Just trust me, zis is perfectly safe!"

He presses down on the trigger... but stops midway.

"...Meh, ze Medigun vould be better for zis." He takes out a large gun that shoots out a red stream of particles that attaches to Sylvi.

[PointMaid]

I don't understand magic at all, I'm sorry. It's confused me ever since I arrived here. I wish I could help, Ruby said nervously, looking at the unconscious Sylvi.

Rabies? Yes, that does make sense. A lot of sense., she says after she composes herself, looking back at her computer screen with the virus comparison.

[wingedcatgirl]

G'raha watches the Medigun, fascinated, while Y'shtola keeps an eye on Sylvi.

"... I don't see any change," she says. "Mayhap she simply needs some rest."

[madface7]

"Rest is good! After all, you can't be avake for surgery, hehe!" 

"Doc, I don't think the lil' lady needs surgery.

"It vas just an expression."

"I don't know what kinda mediguns you're smokin', but that did not sound like an expression, pardner."

[wingedcatgirl]

"In that case, since this isn't the infirmary, do you know where it is?" G'raha asks. "Or, actually - this is an inn, does Sylvi have a room here?"

[Kennifer]

"So, a virus similar to rabies... that would explain the transmission and some of the symptoms. And I would imagine that these sequences here that don't match may be related to the feline traits. But... Where did it come from? Is it a mutation, or did someone create this, and if so... why turn people into cats?"

[PointMaid]

I haven't seen an actual infirmary here, I'm sorry. She should have a room here, though.

Hmmm... speaking of magic... do you think that could be part of this catperson virus too? That could explain some things. Unfortunately it might also mean our methods of exploration aren't going to be as effective as we'd hoped.

But let's try before we give up hope. I'm going to check some of those sequences not like rabies to see if they have similarities to feline proteins.

[madface7]

"Vell, honestly... Magic isn't out of ze question here." Medic shrugs. "It's concerning to have zis spread sroughout zis place, but if ve can't find se cause... It might just be magic, who knows."

[wingedcatgirl]

"Would you happen to know which room is Sylvi's?" G'raha asks. "Or be able to point us to someone who would? We didn't see anyone at the front desk when we came in..."

[Kennifer]

"Yes, I'd like to exhaust all the possible scientific explanations before just ruling it out as magic. Although either way it'd be nice to know where it came from in the first place."

Holly pauses.

"I wonder how much of a difference there is between the infected cats and just a normal everyday cat, besides the virus. And the fact that the normal cats would react to water like, well... a normal cat."

[PointMaid]

...I think you're right, Holly. At least some of these sequences are coding for feline growth factors and proteins. How it's coding for them all while still being the length of a virus and not a mammalian genome... I'm not going to think about that part at the moment.

[madface7]

"I'll show ya to 'er room. Pretty sure they're arranged alphabetically, so check the E section. Should be... 'round the second floor, Ah think."

[wingedcatgirl]

"Ah, of course, alphabetically," Y'shtola says. "Well, we'll go handle that, then. Lead the way, G'raha."