Gene picks up a rock and throws it past the bees to a place in the opposite direction the party will go to see if it distracts them (the bees, not the party members).  He will make sure it is very visible as he does so.

Copper thinks he really should get this rock throwing bit on tape ... his death could be quite heroic.

The bees in a swarm chase after the rock, which lands about 50 feet behind the party.  For the moment, they have left you alone with the chopped up flowers.

Vilfred picks up a dead flower, too, holding it in front of her. "Let's make a screen of these," she says to her comrades. "Perhaps if we move slowly as a group we'll be able to leave."

Gene backs away, still keeping his distance from the party.  "If I'm not mistaken, I think it was the flowers they were attracted to initially.  Do you really want to carry them around?  I suggest running."

Without debate, Justin takes off running, carefully keeping an eye on the bees. If any of them start towards him, he plans to freeze...

Vilfred rolls her eyes and does the same.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Using Distract Others Long Enough to Start Running!

---

Vilfred distracts the bees, and then abandons everything like the rest of the group and runs from the cyborg bees and flowers.  The bees zoom in on the flowers for a moment, just long enough for Vilfred to get out with the others.

Distract Others Long Enough To Start Running succeeded.

You run crashing through trees and brush for a few minutes.  And then you come across...the main road.  It goes straight south toward the tower.

Looking north, you see about 50 yards behind you the overturned jeep that blocked your path earlier.  Also near the jeep you see Mark-R-HOM!  Or at least his new clone, Mark-R-HOM-2.  He is walking toward you and waving.

(Mark has rejoined the group.)

Mark says, "Did you get any good video for me to see?  Did you get some good shots of my first clone's death?  Are we going to the main tower now?"  Mark is fresh and enthusiastic.  Nothing like death to put a little dance in his step.

In reply to Mark-R-HOM-2 ... OH YES. Very heroic ... VERY.

"I'd say it's none of your beeswax, but that would be too punnish.  And besides, I guess it is.  I'll bet you a credit we get to see some more awesome death scenes before this day is done."

He doublechecks his equipment, just in case there is a random equipment inspection, and then goes forward with the others to the center tower.

The group follows the main trail through the surrounding forest until it reaches the main tower, which was your goal.

There are a set of steel double doors leading into the tower, large enough to bring vehicles in and out like at a garage.  They are currently closed.

The tower itself is shrouded in shrubbery, shreds of leaves, and shards of metal and glass.  It looks like some sort of combat took place here, but there are no remains.  The shrubbery appears to have grown over the tower awhile back, but of course, that is impossible.  You can't tell how large the tower is per se, but it rises about 3 stories up and is as large as a warehouse.  You don't know, however, how far DOWN it goes.

A small trail made by the feet of workers and robots goes around the building on both sides of the main trail you just came down.

On either side of the two entry doors are colored screens like the ones you saw on the other building and on the coffin-like stasis container with the yellow clearance clones.  The screen on the left is purple, and the screen on the right is red.  As with the others, there are three slots at the top of each screen that match the crystals you have found.

And speaking of the strange stasis coffins, there is another one here just to the side of the road, half covered in bushy overgrowth.  It also has a colored screen with three slots at the top.  This screen is green.

There is a blue crystal in one of the three slots, but the other two are empty.

Do you think it's time
We took a chance
And chose to revive
Our fellow hands?

Perhaps they know
What we do not
And for our task
Could assist in thought...

Mark smiles.  "Sure.  Let's just be happy as we're doing it.  I might have some happy pills around here if someone is not feeling happy about their duties serving the Computer."

Justin inspects the overgrown coffin with the one crystal by the door...

Inside is another clone with a yellow clearance uniform.  It is a male, in his mid-20s, with a noticeable bloody wound to the side of his head (which doesn't bleed while in stasis).  His eyes and mouth are open like he was screaming when he was placed in the stasis coffin.  He holds a yellow crystal in one hand and the other is raised toward the glass window of the stasis device as if to stop it from freezing him.

I am not sure what all of you are doing.  If you want to revive him, you will have to describe how.  There is a "trick" to it, and hopefully you have enough clues to work it out.

If you are doing something else, please indicate.

Who carries my need?
The crystals that we
Found a while ago.

I'd like you to know
We need you to show
So we can continue to work.

In case it helps, remember that the items found by the party can be found at this thread: link to a message in this game

Gene says, "I think I got this figured out."  He takes the clear white crystal and the yellow crystal and puts them in the slots next to the blue crystal in the coffin container.  "Yellow and blue make green.  Then the clear white just evens it out."  He hopes his knowledge of how to make different colors pays off.

Gene puts the crystals in the slots.  The green screen flashes several times, and then there is a whoosh as the top of the coffin container opens up.

The Yellow clearance man inside begins groaning, and his eyes begin fluttering open.  He touches the wound at his head as he sits up in a daze.

Vilfred looks into the container, surprised to see the man revive so quickly. "Good morning, good sir," she says. "How did you find yourself in this situation?

Copper starts filming once more ... This just in ... Yellow clearance makes glorious return !

OOC: I'm not getting many posting from people.  I hope this is not a symptom of anything other than spring break. :)

The yellow clearance man sits up, stumbles to the ground and says, "EVE has gone mad!  Mad, I tell you.  Project Merger was a success, and a failure!"  His eyes are bloodshot and red, and he seems like a raving lunatic.  "EVE's mergermatics put me in this container for storage -- and later experimentation.  She'll kill us all, or merge us all, and my feet have mold on them.  Mold, I tell you!  Quick, someone give me a gun.  I need a gun.  Give me a gun."  He -- the yellow clad clearance man who outranks you all -- is looking at you each frantically with derangement written all over his face.

Copper continues to do his job, recording the glorious return od the yellow clearance man ... A gun ? Certainly. We can get you a gun. And now could you tell us, for the viewers at home and at Alpha Central Control, how long have you been in this stasis box and what prompted you to climb in there like that ? You certainly made a heroic return.