Sins of our Fathers (Part 2)

GM: Vegas Players: Wily, Indrakshi, Vegas and Shoeshine Synopsis: Wily, Indrakshi, Vegas and Shoeshine are hired by a retired UCAS general to explore the hidden depths of an old pre-Awakening military facility that contains the remains of the general's father. In the depths of the earth, miles away from anyone who could help them, they discover secrets long buried and a family history the general wishes to cover up (Part 1 due to log length.) Date: 10/22/2074 Indra is -glad- she vacated the area, being able to hide behind the partial collapse of the roof and hearing rounds pinging off all over. "Shoeshine! Did you kill the robo brain!?" She shouts after. Wily sensed the moment the wire began to slip, his chip obviously not good enough for this trap. He is already dropping when it happens, the bullets flying over his head. He rolls to the side, looking back as Vegas falls to the ground a mess. Indra waits till it's clear no more shooting and then goes back towards the door, mostly, to do what she can for Vegas. "Any one got morphine?" Shoeshine 's first action would be to dive in under the gunfire to shoot the robotic brain. But what he sees is a simple mechanical trap, a weight and a wire clamping down the trigger of a bolted-down Ingram LMG just like the one he's carrying. It chatters to a stop and he's over at Vegas with his Savoir medikit, putting on the 'trodes and pumping in the autoclot and the nanobots. «Plot» Vegas says, "Alrighty folks. We'll pick up in the next couple days and maybe get to the end of this lengthy run." «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 2: 3 7 Vegas points, "Magic loss roll for Vegas." Mojo says "You logged it then" Mojo says "That’s a 9" Mojo says "Above your magic rating. You’re safe" == Into the silence that follows the chain of gunfire there is the sound of Vegas stumbling back and landing with a meaty thump onto the floor. The door hisses open and the sound of hot metal is the LMG barrel starting to cool down. Shoeshine lay where he leapt and Indrakshi is some safe distance down the side corridor. Wily's ears ring from the report of the rifle strapped to stone blocks within the room ahead. Alive, but barely, Vegas groans. Shoeshine immediately leaps to when the chattering stops, assuming no immediate follow-up, no immediate motions or hearings. He'll be whipping out his Savior medkit and making with the anti-clot, putting on the sensors, looking where he'll have to go in. Wily is crouched against the wall after he has moved out of the line of fire. "Damnit!" he hisses. He gestures at Vegas, "Someone help him…" Indra drops by instinct, even if she -is- safe, she doesn't know until the shooting stops and she moves to get up to a crouch, then standing because she hears some one groaning..and she KNOWS the groan. It's Vegas! "Mister Gambler!" She says and begins to sprint down the hallway back towards the team. «Plot» Vegas says, " Roll Perception TN 10" «Plot» Vegas says, "Auditory" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 10 for "do you want me making rolls when it's first aid time?": 1 2 3 4 5 11 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 10 for "Hearing amp": 1 2 3 3 3 5 14 16 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Elven Ears. Elven Eyes. Fail Me Not.": 1 2 3 8 11 «Plot» Vegas says, "In the distance, in the echoing silence that accompanies the cessation of gunfire, there can be heard heavy, slow footfalls on metal deck plates." «Plot» Vegas says, "The distance seems far but the place echoes something fierce and it's impossible to tell from what direction these sounds are coming." Shoeshine spares only a glance around saying, "Keep me informed, I'm working.." Wily frowns, tilting his his head, he whispers, "Footsteps." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Biotech vs TN 9 for "tn 10 for stabilizing deadly, +2 awakened -2 body 6 -1 savior": 1 4 5 5 10 11 = 2 Successes Indra will point at Vegas when she hears something and moves to unsling her assault rifle..glad they found the incedinary rounds, a grenade in her off hand. White Phos. "Just keep him quiet." She says, looking where the roof had partially collapsed. "Wily, check the Ops room to see if it's clear, we may need to retreat inside…" Indra's cheerful, derpy playful nature is gone again, voice turning cold, she's thinking. Wily nods, moving carefully, and still down low, towards the entrance to peer inside and see what’s in the ops room. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "So I believe the base time is 20 turns (one minute) which with 2 successes means I'm done in 10 (30 seconds)." == The Ops room is lined with computers from the era this base was built as well as filing cabinets and a large light-up board and screen along the wall opposite to the sliding door. Sitting in the middle of this is an old steel desk with a LMG strapped to it and a few wires between it and the door. Laying beside it is a troll skeleton in more modern armor than seen before. Arm draped across his chest. He looks long dead and decayed and even now puffball mushrooms have colonized his corpse and armor. Laying beside him are a handful of grenades and an assault rifle. In the far corner, laying out flat, is another body. This one is a human, probably, and is wearing armor that has been punctured numerous times. A large sniper rifle lay propped up against a wall beside him. Again dust and mushrooms colonize the corpse like they do so many other places in this damn base. The computers all have dim LEDs active on them. In the distance the sound of footfalls continues, a steady drumbeat that seems to be approaching. «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Are the footsteps coming from through the Ops room, are they coming from behind us, what?" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Can a grenade cause the broken ceiling to collapse?": 2 2 2 5 8 Wily gestures, "Get him in here, we can defend from here." He moves inside, starting to look carefully for 'traps' on every single thing in here :) «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll Perception TN 8 for your trap hunt." «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8 for "Doing the Ackbar": 1 1 2 2 5 8 9 21 = 3 Successes Shoeshine , as he works, murmurs, "You want the LMG, it's loaded with AV and set to three-round burst," to Indra. He'll shrug it off of her if she takes it. If she has a palm-incudtion pad for her smartlinks, his is not secured. Indra is holding still as she listens. "Not yet, it isn't that close yet." Though it likely knows where to go..LMGs tend to be loud. "Just keep working." She insists. «OOC» Shoeshine says, "I can only move Vegas safely after that 30 seconds." «Plot» Vegas says, "There don't appear to be traps inside this room. The two bodies are just that, bodies, and the computers are either operable or busted. But they aren't boobytrapped. The distant sounds of footfalls seems to fade and stop after a few minutes." Wily keeps going over everything, the gun, the grenades, ammo, the rifle by the other dead guy, the salt shakers. Anything that might be a trap, he looks for. He doesn't seem to find anything, other than the computers. "Alright, it seems safe in here. I'm going to check the computers." «Plot» Wily says, "I'd like to check the most important looking computer that works" «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll Computers TN8 to fire it up. The encryption isn't much compared to modern but there's a +4 TN bonus due to age of the systems." «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Computers vs TN 8 for "Old tech": 3 3 8 10 17 = 3 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "Are you keeping the doors open?" «Plot» Vegas says, "And what are you two doing now that the footfalls have stopped." «OOC» Wily says, "Yes, cause the others are still in the hall" Shoeshine has to go in and personally attend to a few big blood vessels; the quickclot takes care of the rest. When the blood flow is down to an ooze, he gives it the time of a few breaths and then gets Vegas under a mylar emergency blanket for to slide him into the ops room. Which looks like a strangely defensible area. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "The joke there is how defensible it was against us with no one alive inside." «Plot» Vegas says, "Indra?" «Plot» Vegas says, "The main computer fires up and it takes a little to get past the login and use your skills and equipment to break past the encryption. Soon you find access to the operations data for the entire base. A flat line blinks after a text prompt. "Query?_"" Indra doesn't care the noise stopped, she's still covering the hallway. There is many ways for this to be bad. "So what do we do with him?" She asks with out looking back. «Plot» Wily says, "Security status" Wily works on the ancient machine, "Bah…" he mutters, glancing a moment over at Vegas and Shoe. "What do we do now, I'll see what I can find on here, but no promises it will be helpful." «Plot» Vegas says, "The computer spits out: Base Compromised. Advise detonation of anti-capture countermeasures. Major structural damage found in all areas. Labs unresponsive. Security teams alerted." «Plot» Wily says, "Disarm Anti-capture countermeasures." «Plot» Vegas says, "Error. Countermeasures unresponsive. Recommend manual activation." Shoeshine asks, "Can you turn off the reactor from here?" «Plot» Wily says, "Reactor status." «Plot» Vegas says, "Reactor Status: Error." Wily keeps typing. "Checking on that now." «Plot» Wily says, "Security camera status." «OOC» Wily says, "AFK 5, bathroom" «Plot» Vegas says, "The security cameras start to flicker to life along the main monitor, most are just static. One shows murky water, another shows the infirmary, one shows odd green light and seems to be bent at an angle showing mostly wall with a stenciled lettering "LA…", A few hall ones show nothing but darkness, one shows a desk and barred cages with dim orange glows of emergency lighting, and the last shows a dim glow and a humanoid shape standing still in a murky foggy background. It's far too unclear to make anything out." Wily looks up as the screens come on, his eyes jumping between them for a moment. He frowns, and starts typing again. «Plot» Wily says, "Reactor status log history." «Plot» Vegas says, "The computer lists the dates of maintenance and then the damage to the system. Then it lists a repair date and shortly thereafter the reactor status goes "Unknown" There are notes there about redirecting power feeds to other locations." «Plot» Wily says, "Display notes on power redirection." «Plot» Vegas says, "The power redirection appears to have been authorized by the director of research on this project and was listed as "research necessity." Since the commanding officer wasn't logged as objecting it was carried out after two weeks. The logs after that date and even a little before seem very spotty to nonexistant." «Plot» Wily says, "List services with power, list services without power" Shoeshine says, "If we're under the water table, you might ask if his place has water pumps to turn on." Wily continues to work on the computer, tapping away with his index fingers. He keeps reading whatever shows on the screen, switching between things. He nods to Shoeshine, "Good idea." Air Exchange and Environmental Systems: Nominal Lighting: Erratic Communications: Offline Defense Turrets: Offline Water Pumps: Standby Laboratory: Online Security Office: Standby Medical Bay: Standby Personnel Accommodations: Offline Operations: Online «Plot» Wily says, "Activate water pumps" «Plot» Vegas says, "The system works for a moment, a rotating hourglass icon, then the sound of grinding far in the distance. Loud, shaking sounds of ancient pumps trying to shift into life after decades underwater. The loud repetitive scraping grind seems to echo through the walls themselves. And it continues and continues." Wily looks up at the sounds, turning to look back down the halls, then he focuses on the monitors. "Lets see if the water recedes." «Plot» Vegas says, "How are you going to find this out? Also the noise is drowning out any other sounds you might hear." «OOC» Wily says, "You said some of the cameras were showing underwater" Shoeshine is watching Vegas through all this, as the ooze of blood settles to a stop. He goes about making him comfortable while he watches the readout on his medkit. Hmm, it was his idea, but will the sound of the water pumps make it easier or harder to be snuck up upon? "Let's finish scavenging here…" he says, and brings the sniper rifle over to Vegas. He can think of no better way to make him comfortable than to put it beside him pointing at the door with the strap looped around him. «OOC» Vegas says, "One was showing a murky sludgy underwater. Returning to that camera you can see the water may be moving?" «OOC» Wily says, "I'll wait a bit, see if the camera gets in the clear." «Plot» Vegas says, "The water seems to be shifting but you can't tell how fast or how efficiently the pumps are working or even what their original rate was." Indra is curious about -other- things. "Maybe the Security room has secondary mechanisms to get us past the water." She's more hoping there's a way in the security control room to never go -near- the water. Shoeshine goes back to going over the two fellows; one is the big troll whom he thinks is from the first mission; the second fellow could be from anything. Gear, dogtags, grenades for Indra, and so forth. «Plot» Vegas says, " Talk amongst yourselves." «Plot» Wily says, "Disable all security systems." «Plot» Vegas says, " The computer emits a beep and an error at that. "Security overrides unresponsive."" «Plot» Wily says, "Display current account permissions" «Plot» Vegas says, "Neither have dog tags and their gear and decay say that they're a much more recent pair of sacrifices than the ones outside the main doors. The LMG is an Ares MP LMG. The assault rifle is an Ares HVAR loaded with ExEx. The rifle is a Barrett 121. The grenades are 3 Offensive IPE, Concussion IPE, 2 White Phos" «Plot» Vegas says, "Current permissions are restricted to Director of Research. Overriden after base command's cessation of life." «Plot» Wily says, "I'd like to try to hack the permissions to myself and lock the director’s account." «Plot» Vegas says, "Alright, TN 14" «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Computers for "Chance?": 1 3 5 5 8 «Plot» Vegas says, "Again, TN 10 because it's a bastard to override and +4 due to age." Wily tries for a moment to see if he can lock out the director, but is to no avail. He tries a few other things while they are here. «Plot» Wily says, "Display base schematics." Indrakshi has partially disconnected. «Plot» Vegas says, "These would be difficult for pro computer dudes of that era familiar with tye systems." Shoeshine acquires the grenades because he can carry them; Indra can have any of them that she can carry. His LMG is better than that one in any case, and the assault rifle is more Indra's speed - and weight capacity. «Plot» Vegas says, "It takes a moment but you soon have a map on screen for the base. It's two floors with a circular loop on the floor you're on. Male dorms to the right, female on the left. Medical bay, security, mess hall, armory, stores on one floor. The next floor is marked "Research Level" and contains large blocks of labs, a central records and computer facility, and "research subject containment" along the bottom" Indra's got a fair few grenades as is..and her own assault rifle. A Sabre, loaded with Incedinary rounds. From the medical bay. Because our DM uses Resident Evil item logic. Shoeshine peers at the map. "Where's the reactor?" «Plot» Wily says, "Display reactor location and schematics" «Plot» Vegas says, "It appears reactor access is a panel on the lab floor and it leads down into a small room surrounding the reactor. It has its own floor but is nothing more than the reactor and… a long long long shaft beneath it." «Plot» Vegas says, "Along the wall with the door there's a light that starts to blink." Shoeshine looks back at the cameras with the cages, trying to put locations and camera angles to locations, figuring out his shooting plans. "The lab is where he'll have quantity. «Plot» Wily says, "Display research subject status." «Plot» Vegas says, "Classified." Wily keeps working, seeing what he can pull out of the system. "Anyone have any idea what that light means?" «Plot» Wily says, "Display current alerts." Indra shifts to look into the room. "It means don't touch it." She says, well, it might be wise to NOT press things. Unless you are Indra, then you push big red buttons. Shoeshine says "The dim glow and the human shape? He doesn't look to have been moving. Might be a camera artifact. Might be radiation. Might be because he's some kind of vampire or crazy half-magical fungus thing… oh yeah. The fungus does glow around magic when it eats it." Shoeshine looks at the human figure that glows to see how it glows and if it's the same. «Plot» Vegas says, "Repeated breaches of blast doors on surface. No contact with central command. No commanding officer on duty for 1521 days. Security Offers unresponsive to 62 alerts. Prisoner containment breached. Medical Supplies Expired. Medical Officer not logged in for 1523 days. I'm scared. Director of Research has logged 1520 days of consecutive overtime. Comm system unresponsive. Exterior breaches in women's dorm, entrance elevator, laboratory, male dormatory. Water detected in women's dorm. Pumps 1, 3, 4 offline." «OOC» Wily says, "Hrm, so did we see any other ways downstairs on the map besides what apparently was the womens dorm?" «OOC» Vegas says, "Yes. Past the mess hall is the main entrance to the lower floors." «OOC» Vegas says, "The womans dorm appears to be a cul-de-sac." Wily continues to check various information available. "Ok, so…we can get down from near the mess hall. I suggest we stay here for a bit, let Vegas get enough energy to defend himself. Then we need to get to the reactor and disable it fast." Indra is still waiting for the heavy foot falls to start again. "I still say we check the security office. They were trying to fuck with magic, they might have had heavy ordinance on hand." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "So, it doesn't specifically state a time for Vegas to regain consciousness. It's all up to the game master when it's physical deadly wound time. (Unless you have the specific cyber that lets you keep going.)" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "It will be a day before he has a chance of going from 10 boxes to 9 boxes." «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls Willpower vs TN 8: 1 1 3 4 5 7 = 0 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "We'll say by the time you finish all this computering he'll be cussing quietly" Vegas wakes after a time, a low groan echoing from the dwarf's lips as he starts to rouse, pain throbbing through him. He pries an eye open and stares at the ceiling, dark and stained, "oh drek…. what happened?" he says in barely a whisper. He doesn't move, yet, not sure what's still attached or gone. Shoeshine says "LMG was pointed at the door. Caught you right in the wrong place. The hits went all the way through. You've got nannites and wound clot on you, and you aren't going anywhere soon, but you should pull through. We're in the ops room, and we're going to set you up to guard the place. Okay? Oh, and I got you a special friend."" Vegas looks down for the special friend, half expecting a colostomy bag. Once he spies the rifle he gets a little teary eyed, "Ach…. I _have_ died. It's heaven." Indra looks over when Mr. Gambler rouses to properly swearing, he must be alive then, and she'll shift into the ops room to listen better. "We should leave him a few grenades." She says, with out stating the 'incase he gets over run'. I mean does any one here, if they're being over run -really- want to be taken alive any more? Vegas gropes in his punctured jacket for… yes, there it is. He pulls out a metal hip flask and then glances down at it. Perforated, the steel container dribbles what little whiskey is left in it onto the dwarf's torn and bloody shirt. Shoeshine goes about setting up that LMG for use to be triggered by Vegas. Wily looks over the computer a moment, "I'm not sure what else I can get from here that will be of use." He checks the monitors again to see if there is any changes «Plot» Vegas says, "The shadowed humanoid figure is gone. The blinking light by the door continues to blink" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Fine. I bite. Being the idiot in the team. Is there a button near the light?" «OOC» Vegas says, "It is the intercom that is blinking" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I poke the button with my Rifle." Shoeshine spots the glowing guy having moved. "Ut oh. He moves." Indra is bored..or annoyed enough, to poke the intercom with the barrel of her rifle. "Hello, you've met your future Demise, coming live to you from your own base. We're bringing the block rocking beats. After a period of intense suffering, please leave a message with your deity of choice." She says to it. == The intercom turns on a brief crackling sound and that shrill, mad voice comes on, "Hello? Is this thing on?" it pauses for a moment, "I would like to order a large cheese pizza. An order of twisty bread. And a few more magical freaks to experiment on. Mostly the pizza. Troll jerky and mushrooms gets old after forty years." Wily looks over at the intercom, shaking his head at the responses on both sides. "Look, we can check the security room, but thats likely dangerous. If we lose another member….we won't be able to finish. I suggest we take the reactor first, then, if we are able, go by security." «Plot» Vegas says, "= It seems that so long as he presses down the transmit key your voice goes unanswered. It crackles off for a moment and he seems to be thinking, "So you survived the brute? I am impressed. Or has he not found you yet? He's usually much more punctual about this. Tell me, did my son send any elves down? I've not had any of those freaks to work on. Just trolls and humans and couple orks and dwarves. Even one minotaur. But no elves. I think he's partial to them."" Indra is -annoyed- at this place, so she's going to prove she isn't alright in the head apparently. "Make you a deal Old Man…you want some thing new? Meet me in the Entry way, just you and me. We'll dance, it'll be lovely. I've always been partial to the Jitterbug. So How about in Fifteen Minutes you and me do the Jitterbug together? Or are you afraid to tangle with the Injun?" She asks. Now, after his statement, the comm goes quiet and if someone were to push the transmit button they might be heard Shoeshine hears that there is a 'brute'. That's good to know. A brute is likely not to be a drone and doesn't need anti-vehicle ammo. He switches his LMG to APDS for now. == The crackling voice comes back on the other end. "I'm not much of a dancer." Indra sneers a bit at the voice. "It's alright, I'll teach you, we can always just talk and then try to kill each other. Come on..how often do you get to eat a Cherokee Elf? You don't want to eat these guys. They're all..icky. One pissed him self already. Just you and me Darlind Old Man. I'll buy you some Licorice when this is all over.." Shoeshine presses the button. "You know, if you were to surrender, we could make that cheese pizza happen. Trust me, the world out there can be pretty neat if you know the right people. And you already do - loads of people would be interested in your research and you." == The other end of the mic goes oddly quiet, then a voice of revulsion, "Cherokee? You mean elves would fuck animals?" Wily frowns for a moment, "Ask him how much of current history he learned from the others. Does he know the natives own have the old USA?" Shoeshine says "I'm thinking he doesn't much care for our current history." Shoeshine says "He's lost and the world moved on." Indra looks at Shoeshine and scowls at him..and Wily. "Look Old Man..don't you want to rip the secrets from me? Know all about how we destroyed your culture? We ripped apart the laws as you knew it, and let that which you fear in. Though..you can't come up can you? You are trapped in some dark room, cowering from the light, from the truth. Why don't you just tell us where? You won't dance..you have nothing of manners. I thought one as old as you would at least appreciate an offer to dance." She's taunting him and when she isn't transmitting, she uses her comm. "You know, this is a damn good time to trace where the intercom is transmitting from." Wily shrugs, and types a few keys. «Plot» Wily says, "Display intercoms reciently used. Locations." == The voice goes quiet then he responds, "Oh well, mongrel elf is better than no elf." He says, "I'm getting bored. Is there someone there who isn't an animal, perhaps? I'm still surprised my son would send me an Indian. But it's thoughtful. The ones we had to test on have long since died or … been repurposed." The call is coming from inside the house. It's originating down on the laboratory level. And he's likely far too mad to rise to the bait that Indrakshi is leaving for him. Indra grins a bit at the intercom. "We'll be down soon Old Man, and then I'll teach you to Jitterbug." she promises..and smashes in the intercom. "I doubt he can leave, if he's a Vampire or what not, he can't actually get up here. So I say we grab enough explosives to level the lab with him in it!" This is her plan, to assume he can't come out of the Lab due to FAB Shoeshine is annoyed; if Wily can track the intercom to here, he can track the intercom to us. But then, The Brute is up here and he likely doesn't enjoy the company of the old man. "I think it's time to move on with all due care. I expect to have to handle the Brute and the critters and then him." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Have I set up the LMG to the door with a trigger for Vegas?" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Is it armed, does it have ammo, do I have to give it ammo?" «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll heavy weapons TN4" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Or take it from the LMG that's here?" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Heavy Weapons vs TN 4: 2 2 3 3 5 9 = 2 Successes Wily shakes his head, "Look, I suggest we wait and deal with the brute first. We have a few nice heavy weapons here. We also can keep an eye on things. So if you want to do something." He looks to Indra, "I suggest you get out there, find the brute, and then let him chase you back here where we can gun him down." «Plot» Vegas says, " Alright the trap is rearmed with an angry dwarf holding the string. Do any of you owe him money?" Shoeshine says "I think it's time to hit it. Plot our course out, then down to the labs, then to the reactor. We can expect resistance." Wily nods, "Alright, I don't think there is much more I can do here, and likely the doctor can alter anything I do, he has total privileges on the system." hoeshine ponders calling on his special friend. Sadly, things just aren't quite bad enough yet. It's hard to get away properly to set up the matter. «Plot» Vegas says, "Map Recap: It's two floors with a circular loop on the floor you're on. Male dorms to the right, female on the left. Medical bay, security, mess hall, armory, stores on one floor. The next floor is marked "Research Level" and contains large blocks of labs, a central records and computer facility, and "research subject containment" along the bottom" Indra is all to willing to -not- stay in here. "I'll go bring the party." She says..since it seems like a semi good plan, she'll of course need to check Security First. Shoeshine says "So how would we go from here to the next floor? Do we just follow the loop till we hit it?" «Plot» Vegas says, " The room you're in now would be the top of a T on the T intersection. To your left is the medical bay, flooded women's quarters, and security past the collapsed hallway. To your right is the male dorm, storage, and armory. Straight ahead is the Mess Hall and Rec Room and main stairs down." The human nods, "Thats how it showed, we keep going around until we pass the mess hall, thats the primary stairs down. We keep an eye out for this brute." Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Look. Do you want me to bring the Brute to you or not?" Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "We do not. We will go all together." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "One person alone is meat." Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Not if I draw him back under the collapsed hall way and drop some frags in there. It might cause a total collapse. I was thinking about that. It might be a decent ambush point." Vegas grunts in agreement as to the 'meat' comment as he tries to suck some whiskey from his flask. Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "Lets not risk making ourselves a tomb we cannot escape from." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Any of us could die way too fast for any such plan. As evidenced." Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Well..was just an idea." Map – http://www.dropbox.com/s/lgqjenat5tthkne/BaseFloor1.jpg?dl=0 «Plot» Vegas says, "That's the layout of the top floor" «OOC» Vegas says, "Shit. Left off Medbay" «OOC» Vegas says, "It's to your left, at the corner between Security and Female Dorm" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "So the plan is now Mess Hall, Rec Room, stairs down. I take point, I am using dangle-cloth for tripwires. Of course, now that I am taking precautions we will likely be in a no-trap area because the Beast is walking around there." «OOC» Vegas says, "Between Ops and Female Dorm is the cave in" «Plot» Wily says, "Sounds good Shoe." «OOC» Wily says, "Vegas is staying here right?" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "No real choice." Wily nods and leaves the computer on, looking to Vegas. "Since your staying here, I may call you and talk you through some work on this computer if it comes to that. Can you do it?" Vegas gives a nod, "As long as it's just typing and reading. My computer skill is barely able to work my pocsec and those things are made for old people." Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "Did this thing get shot to shit?" Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "Oh good. It works." «Plot» Vegas says, "Alright, pose your proceeding into the darkness." «Plot» Vegas says, "Leaving a lone dwarf wounded with a rifle, a machine gun, and woefully little booze behind." Indra will leave Vegas a flash light and a few glow sticks to boot before following. "I still think we're woefully underequipped with explosives." She says to Shoeshine's back. Wily takes up rear, looking around carefully. "I'd rather not bring the place down on my head, so no explosives is fine for now." Shoeshine gets set up and proceeds down the T towards the mess hall. By this time, his enhanced hearing has adjusted to the action of the sump pumps such that he would mainly notice it if it stopped. He strains for to hear that heavy metallic clomping, and his eyes peer into the darkness with their eye light systems bringing everything into stark relief. His LMG is out and ready and armed, but he's ready to drop it and go into hand to hand because beating up trolls is kind of a specialty of his. Wily moves along carefully, he is a bit paranoid after the gun incident, so traps are his primary concern…along with Indra going nuts down here. Maybe she has problems with confinement and thinks she can blast her way outside. Vegas watches you three go with a grim look on his ashen face. He's awake but fuck all that hurts. He watches the door slide closed after you leave and the dim lights in the ops room fade to black. Ahead of you is the dim hallway and ahead the mess hall. The hallway is mostly intact, some of the plating is loose and shifts slightly under foot. Entering the room ahead you have to be careful not to kick tin cans as the room is littered with empty cans. Dim lights cling to the ceiling, one torn partway off, and the metal tables of the dining hall are all turned on their side. They're all perforated heavily. It appears that someone made a barrier between where you came in facing deeper into the darkness. Here, behind this cover, are three bodies. The mutilated corpses are now just skeletons laying here in ancient dried blood. Puffballs growing on them. In the distance the drumbeat of heavy footfalls returns. It's ahead of you. Ignore the dead, least you join them. Indra drops to kneel and raise her rifle, wondering if she should hide her glow stick or not..with out it..she can't see down here. Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Interval." == To your left is the kitchen area, what little you can see there is ransacked and a mess. To your right is an open area with the rotten remains of a couch and old television as well as some bookshelves and small formica tables left long to rot. Shoeshine moves in and sweeps right and around, positioning himself for the semblance of cover from this direction. His footfalls are quiet as they can be with all his gear, and those tin-cans all around. Looking for hiders, attackers; this is not scavenging time. It's spotting traps on the way to contact time. Wily takes his spacing, moving aside, and looking for cover. He will definatly be diving for cover if something comes out to attack them. He keeps his senses open, ready to look and hear for anything and where it is. «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll Perceptions, Visual and Auditory, TN 6" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6: 2 4 5 8 8 10 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence for "Hearing amp, thermo,": 1 1 2 2 2 5 5 15 == The footfalls are close and ahead through the murk you can see a vastly larger than human shape. «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll init!" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Initiative with a result of 21. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Initiative with a result of 35. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6 for "Perception Tiiime": 1 2 3 3 4 = 0 Successes «OOC» Indrakshi does not perception time. «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Initiative with a result of 13. «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 5 for "14 + 5d6 init": 1 5 5 10 14 «Plot» Vegas says, "The Brute goes on 37" «Plot» Vegas says, " So first pass is Brute, Indra, Shoe, Wily, Brute. Second is Brute, Indra, Shoe, Wily, Brute. Third is Brute, Indra, Shoe. Fourth is Brute, Indra." «Plot» Vegas says, " So there's three targets, all with cover. I will roll to decide his target." «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 1 for "Indra 1,2, Wily 3,4 Shoe 5+": 2 «Plot» Vegas says, "Short range." «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 16 vs TN 9 for "4 base + 4 cover + 3 6 shot burst -2 smartlink. APDS.": 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 8 9 10 15 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 13 vs TN 9 for "4 base + 4 cover + 3 6 shot burst -2 smartlink. APDS. Kp: 1": 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 8 11 15 = 2 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "Brute Stands." «Plot» Vegas says, "TN 6 to dodge. He has 5 successes, 9S + 5 Successes" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "It's the FN mag5 medium machinegun; it starts at 9s. After 6 rounds it is 15D" «Plot» Vegas says, "Sorry, thanks for clarifying." «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 10 vs TN 6 for "Rolling my full CP": 1 1 1 1 2 4 5 5 5 9 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 9 vs TN 9 for "Rolling Them Failures KP1": 1 1 3 4 4 4 5 5 10 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 8 vs TN 9 for "KP3": 2 3 4 4 4 5 17 23 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 6 vs TN 9 for "KP6": 2 3 4 5 5 7 = 0 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, " Why are you making it TN 9?" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Because my brain turned the 6 into a 9." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Tsawright. You need 1 more success." «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 5 vs TN 6 for "KP10?": 1 4 4 10 10 = 2 Successes «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I DODGE :D" The Brute screams in rage and slams 6 rounds of APDS through the metal tables, perforating them heavily but to his eternal and primal rage missing totally. «Plot» Vegas says, "Indra's action" «Plot» Vegas says, "10 meters" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Throwing Weapons vs TN 4: 1 4 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 1: 5 «Plot» Indrakshi says, "No, it's an IPE defensive" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "You have 1 success, so you will reduce that by 2 meters. If you roll a 1 or a 2, it's right on target. Okay, it's 3 meters away." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Roll 1 for scatter direction, although if it's defensive, it won't hit us." «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 1: 4 «OOC» Shoeshine says, "In this case it only matters if there's a wall there or something, or a doorway to throw through. In any case, it's a defensive grenade, so it's -1 per half meter. He's 3 meters away, so -6 pwoer. So it's a 9S +1 success damage explosion going to him." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "He can also use combat pool at TN 5, and go for 2 successes to fully dodge." Indra scrambles around, ending up pressed almost the floor as round erupts around her position and she tugs a grenade out, whipping out from around cover at the thing. At least it's something as she tries to even figure out -what- it is. «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 13 vs TN 2 for "Reduces to TN 2 to soak. High body.": 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 = 11 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "The grenade produces nothing more than another roar of rage." «Plot» Vegas says, "Shoeshine!" Shoeshine , at the very least, has had the fellow lit up and outlined for him. Now it's time for speed of lightning, roar of thunder; fighting all who'd rob or plunder. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Heavy Weapons + Combat Pool: 6 vs TN 2 for "tn 4, -2 smartlink, he is not under cover. 7 shot APDS on an LMG, so the damage is 14D APDS base…": 1 2 2 2 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 7 = 11 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Perhaps foolish, but I will stand on 14D apds +11 successes. TN 6 to use dodge to remove successes." «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 4 vs TN 6 for "Burning remaining CP to dodge.": 2 3 4 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 4 vs TN 6 for "Burning remaining CP to dodge. KP: 2": 1 2 4 4 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 4 vs TN 6 for "Burning remaining CP to dodge. KP: 4": 1 2 3 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 13 vs TN 9 for "TN 14-5 for half ballistic.": 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 8 11 11 15 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 10 vs TN 9 for "TN 14-5 for half ballistic. kp: 5 and last": 1 1 1 2 3 5 8 9 11 14 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) uses 7 of item 14: APDS Ammo (Light Machine Gun) from As Opportunity Warrants (#11714). «Plot» Vegas says, "The Brute roars his last, squeezing the trigger of his machine gun as he falls and sending bullets spraying harmlessly into the wall, through the opening into the kitchen, and into the ceiling planking. The finger spasm on the trigger doesn't stop until the machine gun can be heard clicking repeatedly, belt empty. The body lays there twitching as electrical impulses attempt to move a body that simply is unable." «Plot» Vegas says, "Fucker…" Wily looks up over the table he was hiding behind, holding his pistol. "Is he down? We need to move, the doctor is not going to be happy at this." Shoeshine , fortunately, has a deployable elf distraction to set him up for the shot. Everything is tuned and honed; the crosshairs playing over critical body junctures, perforating chest, throat, head. The moment elongates, then comes to rest, his adrenaline only now having a chance to jangle. "Let's hit it." As he passes, he will put a normal pistol bullet into the brute's skull just in case there's some kind of fungal vampire things going on…. and then switch to the Blazer for the laboratory. Indra's luck almost ran out, she's shaking a bit from it. Probably not the first time she's seen APDS being pumped out at her. "I'm sort of wondering, what if he is a vampire, but some radioactive mutant?" Hey, she watchs alot of movies, but she'll follow after. Suddenly feeling so naked without her invisibility trick. Wily nods, moving along carefully, again hiding in the rear of the group. He has his pistol out, but that little thing won't do much against something else like the brute here. Shoeshine says "Unfortunately, I don't have a rod of cobalt-sixty up my ass, so we'll do the best we can."" == The damn base seems to be a tomb except in the moments where machine guns are turning certain areas of the dead base into meat grinders. The Brute lay on the floor, a troll who appears to have undergone similar processes to the human targeting system outside between the turrets. Pieces of flesh are discolored and some look to be from different people altogether. It lays there, breathing hoarsely from within the armor that had been sutured to it, and then it breathes its last. The bullet to the brain seems to not do much more than the earlier burst of fire did, but the wretched creature lay there, a jigsaw of cyberware and people and armor and tech lay dying on the floor. Perhaps it is a mercy. Shoeshine re-sets for trapfinding and advances. Indra will cover over Shoeshine with her assault rifle, ready to pull him back if she hears that WHRRRRRR of chainguns. Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "What the fuck is going on out there? *He sounds worried*" Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "David took down goliath." Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "We are moving on" ==The stairwell down is a wide staircase at a gentle angle, an easy incline for people who might run up and down it multiple times a day. It's not as dark as it could be and there is an eerie green glow coming from the bottom of the stairs. Roll Perception TN 10 «Plot» Vegas says, "Visual" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 10: 3 3 4 5 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 10 for "EEEEEK": 2 2 3 3 4 5 10 10 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Elven Ears. Elven Eyes.": 1 4 4 13 16 «Plot» Vegas says, "Four steps down one of the steps, from one end to the other, is raised higher by a couple of inches than any of the other stairs." Indra moves to grab Shoeshine and drag him back. "Grappling gun." She says. "Might be a trap, and I don't want to poke it with a stick." Wily nods, "Hang on, let me examine it first. It could detonate the whole compound. Then, if it’s not horrible, then we set it off." «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls 4 (demolitions chip) + Task Pool: 1: Examining the trap 1 3 3 9 13 «Plot» Vegas says, "The step has been carefully removed, had four landmines placed under it evenly spaced, and replaced." Wily grunts as he examines things, "Mines under the step. I don't think its safe to set them off, if you all are confident you can avoid stepping on this." «Plot» Vegas says, "To hop it will be TN 4 quickness" Shoeshine chalks the wall as a reminder with an arrow pointing down to the step. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 4: 1 1 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 7 = 5 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Quickness vs TN 4: 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 = 3 Successes Indra waits till Shoeshine is down..and then will hope the step herself. Gracefully. We hope. «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Quickness vs TN 4 for "Ohh holy goobers": 1 1 2 2 4 5 = 2 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "With a hop skip and a jump you all three make it over the landmine laced step." «Plot» Vegas says, "The stairs go down to a door that is half open. Within there is the eerie green glow and puffballs litter the floor here." Shoeshine reclaims grapple if it wasn't needed. Shoeshine looks, listens, puts in the grenade launcher barrel, uses the green glow and the camera to slyly guncam-view. Wily jumps, moving along with the others. He still has his pistol in his hand and his mask on "Lets get this done with, I'm getting tired of all this." Indra is increasingly happy she has her mask on. "I wonder if the Doctor actually rigged all these weapons.." == Beyond that doorway is a hallway lined with puffballs. These, however, are larger than the ones above and many of them seem to pulsate with a faint green light of their own. The hall stretches ahead to a large double door and has open doorways to the right and left. Shoeshine will just have to hope they don't explode. He moves quietly and observes, and has to look through those open doorways with the guncam. Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "<crackling comm channel>" The human has thermographics, which helps somewhat, but not a lot. He takes a moment to look at the puff balls, shaking his head as they move on. His ears listening for telltale sounds of movement, and his eyes trying to spot any traps. Shoeshine sniffs, also, to see if we're surrounded by gas and it would be a bad idea to fire a flamethrower. Indra has low light..and glow sticks, she's also got flash lights, but so far, they haven't needed them. "Should we see what happens if we push one of the puffballs?" Maybe they can be used as a light source! «Plot» Vegas says, "The door opens slowly and jars one of the puffballs. It emits a cloud of spores that flouresce green for a few seconds, hanging in the air, then the spores fade to a brown that simply reflects the glow from the other puffballs. Within each is a glow and some seem to have objects lodged in them. The doorways to your right and left lead into hydroponics banks that are covered with these mushrooms. Even the gel, long dried to a clearish crust, seems to glow with the spores. As you move through these clouds the dust collects on your shoulders and head, a faint gritty brown powder. Where it touches Indrakshi and Shoeshine it glows the faintest green when around any inactivated tattoos or foci. There are three exits. One to the left, one to the right, and ahead. The room is dimly lit." «OOC» Wily says, "Do we remember where to go from the map we had earlier?" «OOC» Vegas says, "I assume so. I can draw it out if you want a reference. Gimme a sec to fire up paint." Shoeshine 's only tattoos are fortunately well under his clothes. Now is not the time to check for objects in puffballs. That is for survival later, when we think the place is pacified. Indra's tats are covered..but well, can't FAB act through clothing? Lets hope it’s not eating her ink! Wily has no tats, so nothing bothers him, besides the fact he wonders how many weird diseases he is going to catch down here. "Remind me when we get back, to get a full medical evaluation." Map - www.dropbox.com/s/q5txfclmyz9ttyq/BaseFloor2.jpg?dl=0 «Plot» Vegas says, " Your entry point is at the bottom of the map, the small square." «Plot» Vegas says, "The reactor entrance is in the middle, in Records" «Plot» Vegas says, "It's a locked service hatch they never opened except when needed." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "And we are at that door now?" «OOC» Vegas says, "You haven't said. You're just inside that hallway" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "We looked in at least two of those lab doors, right?" «OOC» Vegas says, "Hydroponics from the glance. And fucktons of puffballs" Shoeshine , if he has determined that there are no threats or attackers within, moves to the next place where people could flank them - the next two labs. «Plot» Vegas says, " From your look in you don't see any more Brutes, thank god, and the next two doors are closed." Indra will observes the labs as they pass, keeping her Sabre aimed in at them. Though..Hydroponics looks thoroughly a giant mushroom farm with puffballs. So. That's..good maybe. Wily moves along, gun at the ready, expecting something to come out of the labs, so he focuses on the back as they move ahead. Never know what will spring out on them. Shoeshine checks doors, listens.. and this time he'll be the only one up with the door when it gets opened. Shoeshine , if it is possible to rig the doors to open when they are around the corner in the hallway, will do that. «Plot» Vegas says, " Roll Perception TN 6 anyone by the top two doors." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6: 2 2 3 5 8 13 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6: 2 3 3 3 5 = 0 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "The doors both have been rigged with wires and grenade bouquets that hang from the ceiling, oddly, with puffballs growing on and around them." «OOC» Wily says, "I'll be back by the back doors, watching for trouble!" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "on our side..or the other side?" «OOC» Vegas says, "On your side. Over your heads." Shoeshine points them out, and backs away. "Grenades - been here a while. Maybe later." Since they aren't safe, and people going through there will make some noise just disarming it to walk through, it's time for the Records door. «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll Perception TN 8 whoever's at that door." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 3 3 4 5 9 19 = 2 Successes «OOC» Vegas says, "Indra TN 8 perception please." == Creeping along, disturbing the puffballs as little as possible, you slip past the two trapped lab doors and get to the double doors infront of the records room. As you come close again you see the ajar plate on the floor, the faint seam and raised plate infront of the doors. Peering eyes would make out a pair of landmines, once again, hidden under fungus and metal. It appears as though someone isn't at home to visitors. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 1 1 2 4 = 0 Successes Wily looks around, peering ahead, "More mines? Lets hope we don't have to get out of here in a hurry." He turns around, looking behind them just in case. Shoeshine considers that this might be the location of a firefight, and waves the other two back, getting out his tools and seeing how difficult these might be. Indra will retreat with Wily, mostly to cover Shoeshine from things coming out of Vents. «Plot» Vegas says, "TN to Disarm these 2021 era landmines is 5" Wily takes cover, letting Shoe disarm these. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 5 for "kp 6": 1 2 4 4 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 5 for "kp 7": 1 2 2 4 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 5 for "kp 9 tough one": 2 3 3 8 = 1 Success «OOC» Shoeshine says, "So, do I have to roll that for each one, or not?" «OOC» Vegas says, "No. The trigger mechanism is for both or none." Shoeshine spends extra time out of an abundance of caution - and because the linked trigger mechanism has, in the most bastardy fashion, been snugged up against the little cubbyhole where they are placed. But eventually he feels he has them fully disarmed for transport, and transport them he does. «Plot» Vegas says, " Succeed or fail it was for both mines. They are quickly disarmed and the plate seems safe to step on once again. The door ahead of you, predictably, is locked. You would have had to contend with the mines to get close enough to pick the lock or open with a key." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Old-school key?" «OOC» Vegas says, "Very much so." Wily nods, "Excellent work….now, if only the reactor goes this well after all." He keeps his eyes out for anything else. Indra waits till Shoeshine deems it safe. "This makes me wonder how many old brush war areas still have those things around.." Shoeshine checks for traps, gets out his tools, and waves everyone back again and at the ready. "Old-school lockpicking. If you have a chip for this, that would be great." «Plot» Vegas says, "TN 5 to pick the lock." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 9 for "It's an interior door after all, +4 defaulting": 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 9 for "kp 10": 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 11 = 1 Success Wily shakes his head, "No chips for this, I wasn't quite sure what we were getting into, so couldn't stock up." Shoeshine takes about a minute to work it, with some false trails and having to restart. If he had trained this it would be easy. If he had a lockpicking instructional chip it would be easy. But these things he doesn't have; he's just seen some videos and has been faking it with his other tool-based knowledge. And, again, his fake it till you make it ideal comes through. Wily says, "I'm hoping the reactor has a computer control I can use to perform an acceptable shutdown sequence. Then we simply disable all the control systems." Indra is covering the door as Shoeshine works on it. "It if it doesn't, we need to retire all our shiny toys because the UCAS old people convention managed long ago, to develop a self maintaining fusion reactor." == The door comes unlocked with that satisfying click. The door knob loose and easily opened should you try. There don't appear to be anymore traps on this door and beyond the room is surprisingly dark compared to the luster of the fungus in this hallway. Assuming you open the door or peek in you will see rows of old computer terminals on long tables around the room as well as a square of filing cabinets in the middle. On the walls are the doors leading where the map directs and there's one elevator door in the far corner that has "Authorized Personnel Only" stencled on it and a Radiation symbol Indra will pop another glow stick, shaking it and then tossing it into the room. Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Cabinets would usually have instructions and methods, if you need them."" Shoeshine covers the place, looking and listening before moving in and spreading out to take cover and check for more traps. «Plot» Vegas says, "Anyone in the room. Perception 6 please. Visual" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6: 1 2 4 4 5 11 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6: 1 2 3 4 5 5 8 11 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6 for "Elven Ears. Elven Eyes.": 1 3 4 4 5 = 0 Successes Wily moves in, looking around the room slowly. "Alright, time to do some research. We can see if there is anything here to tell us how to do this, if not, well, disabling shouldn't be that difficult." Shoeshine goes in when his first footsteps look safe, so. Indra will move into the room and then kneel to cover the door. Let the tech heads do their thang. «Plot» Vegas says, "Shoeshine enters the room carefully and spots that two of the computers have floor tiles ajar beneath them. Wily spots that the door into the director's office has a grenade bouquet hanging above it, with an aging ceiling tile pushed aside slightly." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Back out, let's take care of this. Cover me from the door." Shoeshine doesn't want to be moving around in a trapped room where something tossed in can set off the entire damn place. Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "Roger." Wily backs up a bit, using the wall to help block things off, kinda standing in the corner aside the doorway so he can keep an eye on the hall behind them. «Plot» Vegas says, " TN 6 on the mines, TN 4 on the grenade bouquet." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions vs TN 4 for "grenade bouquet": 4 5 5 = 3 Successes Then Indra has to back out. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 6 for "kp 11": 1 2 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 6 for "kp 12": 1 1 3 9 = 1 Success «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll for each mine. They are seperate." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions + Karma Pool: 1 vs TN 6 for "kp 13 second mine": 2 2 3 10 = 1 Success «Plot» Vegas says, " After a few tense moments the explosives are removed from this room as well, revealing yet more 2021 style military goods." «Plot» Vegas says, "You have control of the records and computing department." «OOC» Indrakshi idly wonders how much mines would have changed. Shoeshine can't get it out of his head - Operation! The wacky doctor's game! It takes a very steady hand…. He doesn't know how many times that old commercial came up when he was watching his parents old flatties as a kid, until they programmed him up a fake version. Finally he has disabled them for storage, and he can rest easy again, taking a few moments to shake the shaking from his hands. «Plot» Vegas says, " The room is, momentarily clear." Wily waits, and when Shoe has finished, he steps in and nods. "You do good work…" As he looks around, he moves over near the corner with the radiation. "Alright….we need to be very careful, and take a look down there first." The room is a square affair, ancient rotting remains of pinboards here and there and the old terminals. Many of which are smashed or otherwise busted beyond repair. A couple filing cabinets are pushed over and papers scattered. The three unopened doors out remain closed. The elevator door doesn't have a button, instead an old style physical circular key hole is there. One of those really fucking obnoxious ones. Shoeshine checks the cabinets to see if they, too, explode. Maybe they just have a heavy pistol in there to pop up and shoot you in the face. Indra wonders why -that- has to be first. "I have -another- suggestion. Maybe we should make sure this level is clear before we go off to the radioactive death zone. Do we really want to be dealing with fucked up radioactive death monsters -and- possibly a pyschotic old man?" Shoeshine says "By the map it's Server room and Research administration. The grenades were in front of research admin, right?" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "By the map it's Server room and Research administration. The grenades were in front of research admin, right?" Wily pauses, frowning, "The question is, he knows why we are here. Why hasn't he come to stop us. What does he want, or is he just so totally crazy he can't even think straight." «OOC» Vegas says, "Yes. The grenades were infront of the admin office" «Plot» Shoeshine checks the admin office door, arranges people, and works to open. Indra moves to brush the dust off where it keeps glowing over her tattoos when Wily asks that. "I'm still betting he can't -actually- leave where he is any more. Think about it, how the fuck is he alive down here if he isn't either wired into life support, or gone to the other side him self?" Shoeshine is not going to speculate, though he has his suspicions. We saw a humanlike body on the camera, and it moved. The admin office is pitch black save for one lone puffball glowing in the center of a massive mess. Filing cabinets torn down, an old padded chair upturned, desk flipped, computer smashed. This room looks as though it was torn apart in a rage. The clutter is immense and, yet, there's a circular area clear in the middle. Sitting in that is a single large notebook. Old, yellowed notebook paper and upon that is the single glowing green puffball. It seems almost reverentially lain there amid the circular disaster. Shoeshine looks for hidden exits, traps, and so forth. Then, he will wave everyone back, take cover, and toss in his grappling hook past the notebook to pull it out. Just to be silly, really. To not do the expected where there is an obvious trap. (He can see just fine in there.) «Plot» Vegas says, "There doesn't appear to be a trap in that room, though it would be hard to do more damage to it than has previously been done." Shoeshine gets the book, and opens it carefully. Wily peers in, waiting to see what the dwarf finds. His eyes scan the room, just making sure there is nothing else that might be of interst. == You could find old records and reports, staff rotas and research proposals. If there's particular information you are looking for this is the place, both computers and admin office, to find it. Shoeshine saves it for later. "Server room. I have suspicions." Indra is just going to keep watching for problems coming into the room! Shoeshine goes through all appropriate paranoia there. Wily arches a brow, but nods and follows behind Shoeshine….far enough that if the dwarf steps on a mine, it hopefully won't kill them both. «Plot» Vegas says, "You approach the server room door. This one is different from the others, there's a chemseal on it, or was back before the rubber dried and cracked and fell away. The door lock is rusted and easier to push out of the door than to pick and your earlier investigations didn't reveal any traps here." Shoeshine does this thing, peering through the chemseal before opening. "Dust seal, at the very least.. and maybe more." Wily nods, watching shoeshine, "Alright, lets get in there then….though I'm still worried what we are going to do about the reactor." Indra is curious why Shoeshine brought them here, but she's ready for problems. "Maybe when we find the Doctor, we can shut down the reactor from his computer?" == The server room, in contrast to the office, is mostly intact. Someone's been through here before and you see who it was. Laying in a corner, clutching a cyberdeck, is a dwarf skeleton. It's clearly a dwarf from the stature and thickness of the bones. The deck is a nice one too, from this distance it appears to be a Transys Highlander. The guts of one computer appear opened and it looks as though he were trying to wire up a connection between his deck and the servers before he was killed. He lay at an angle and his light armor is perforated with three holes at chest level. The rest of the room is untouched save the basic ravages of time and while many of the servers have failed a few still limp on. Wily shakes his head, "How did they all die, who shot them? The doctor? Something else? Ohh, and I likely can use that deck to help here." Shoeshine says a prayer, and checks the dwarf for other gear while Wily can have the Transys. "Go for it. I've been working on my computer skills myself, but I'm sure you're better." Indra goes to look for some thing else..casings in the room. Maybe it explains things? «Plot» Vegas says, " There are three bullet casings hiding under a server rack. Modern make." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "We did see a human shaped form moving in the cameras. he might be limited, but he's moving around here." Indra will hold up the casings. "Well. Nothing old did this." She says to the other two. "So either his own team did him, the Doctor has another guardian..the Doctor did it..or it was one weird suicide.." Shoeshine says "There's magic, there's mind control, there's drugs and gas." Wily nods, "Vampire pawns….he controls one of them to kill the rest? Who knows.." He moves over to examine the deck, looking for booby traps. «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence for "Trapped?": 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 5 «Plot» Vegas says, "You don't see any traps and as I didn't set a TN there are none." «OOC» Wily says, "What was this guy trying to do?" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Looking for any auto turret or anything, or the gun that fired those shots": 1 2 3 3 3 «OOC» Vegas says, "Are you going to fire up the deck and check?" «OOC» Wily says, "First I want to just see what it looks like, was he just trying to get into the network?" «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll Perception TN 6 or Biotech 4" «OOC» Wily says, "OR does it look like he had something more specific in mind" «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6 for "Hrm…": 3 3 3 4 4 5 10 10 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Biotech vs TN 4: 1 3 5 9 9 13 = 4 Successes «OOC» Vegas says, "It appears he was trying to wire his deck to work with the old computers and use it to bash down anything in his way on the network" Shoeshine says "Looks to me like someone came in and shot him while his head was in what passes for the Matrix down here." Wily nods, "Yea, alright, well, when I go in, you guys better not shoot me in the head. I'll be highly annoyed." He pulls the deck aside, to the length of the connection, then sits down so he can try to jack in. «Plot» Vegas says, "The biotech and perceptions allow you to tell that the dwarf has video recording cybereyes and quite a lot of brain implants that have survived far better than his squishy jiggly bits." Shoeshine , while Wily is working, hooks up his pocsec to the dwarf's datajack (he has to have one) and tries to download the contents of his headware memory to see what the dead man's eyes were seeing. Pretty creepy, but the best way to do honor to his memory. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Computers: 2 3 4 5 «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Computers for "Hacking the network with a decient deck": 2 3 5 5 7 ==You're able to salvage a little of the intact data. Death shock and decay have caused quite a lot to be lost to easy access. Taking his implants to someone who specializes in the kind of data repair and retrieval would likely yield a great deal more. But you see the halls you've been down, the Brute, though not as patchwork then, and the earlier group getting this deep. One is… a mage? that looks terrible. He appears to have fungus growing on him and the beginnings of a puffball on his neck. HE looks wan and drawn and diseased. There's snippets of conversation and flashes of images. "Dammit Turtle, what are you doing? We have to kill the bastard and go." Turtle must be the dwarf's name. "If I can wire in here I can open the outer doors, we can get the fuck out and go kill that general." The feed shifts again, "I can't let you open the doors, Turtle." The mage seems further gone now, the humans eyes mad. "If these spores get out everyone will die." The dwarf's POV has him raising one hand, then the feed is drowned out in muzzle flashes. Shoeshine shares this with everyone. "Looks like the mage might have shot him for the dwarf getting all escape-excited." «Plot» Vegas says, " The deck is prewired almost totally, now, and you're able to gain access with remarkable ease. The onboard host program inquires, "Turtle?"" Indra cocks her head at this. "But…isn't the…FAB not..really dangerous?" Shoeshine says, "This is a fungus. It's much hardier than FAB, I guess. It may not eat magic as fast as FAB, but it can also survive a long time.. and be really hard to get rid of." Wily is in the computer, and realizes its someone elses, perhaps they have defensive software. "Yes, give me system status." He is talking to the deck. The onboard host program replies. "Status is poor. The network you are attempting to access is an inferior creation predating the matrix. Access is limited at the moment. I can attempt to bypass security locks." «Plot» Wily says, "Not yet. Biological virus present, need to arrange proper defenses. Can we access any exterior intercoms or alarm devices?" Indra cocks her head a bit and looks at Shoeshine, then her own armor. "But as long as I don't turn my specials on, I'm okay right? Like, when we get out, I can clean my clothes and be safe?" The host program, appearing as a female dwarf in valkrye armor, shakes her head, "Exterior connections have been cut. Many interior connections are damaged beyond use and would require repair before I am able to access them again. In the interim years since we last spoke, Turtle, the exterior controls to the blast doors have been severed. I have also lost several camera feeds in that time. «Plot» Wily says, "What about alarms, can we pulse an alarm using morse code, alert the outside to proper containment protocols? Also, keep an eye on feeds, I want to know of any movement you detect on cameras." The host program thinks for a minute and says, "Alarms are internal only. External connections have been severed. I will monitor all video feeds." «Plot» Wily says, "What can you tell me about the reactor here. Do we have access to do a shutdown procedure?" The host program shimmers and fades momentarily then returns, "Shutdown is not possible from this terminal. However manual shutdown protocols and emergency reactor meltdown procedures both are available in emergency documentation." A shimmering image of the reactor and a long long concrete shaft appear. The image zooms in on the reactor shaft and down to the bottom. "In case of emergency meltdown, in the case that this base must be used for a prolonged period as a survival bunker, the fissionable materials may be dumped into this containment bunker far below. Lined with lead and having sufficient cobalt to slow and stop fission this is the failsafe should the reactor have to be jettisoned. After doing so projected battery backups and diesel generators would allow life to be sustained within the bunker for six months. After which the air pumps would fail and soon any survivors would exhaust their remaining supply of oxygen." Wily will take plenty of time to commit the dump procedure and activations to memory, as well as the images of where the activation consoles are. «Plot» Wily says, "Ok, run me through the dump procedure." There is a single physical key required to activate the automated dump procedure. It is maintained, in theory, by the commander of the facility. The reactor key consoles are in two locations and can be activated from either one. One is in the Ops room and the other is in the reactor control room itself. Once activated it will cut feeds to and from the reactor and drop it into the shaft and chamber below. Or the reactor can be powered down via use of the computer console down below. «Plot» Wily says, "Without the keys it would be possible to dump the reactor from the computer console, or simply shut it down?" «Plot» Vegas says, " Without the key the only option is the shutdown procedure." «Plot» Wily says, "If the dump was used while someone was trying to shut down through the console, what would happen to that person?" «Plot» Vegas says, " Nothing. The core itself is dropped, not the whole room." «Plot» Wily says, "Once shut down from the console, is there any other way to activate the system?" «Plot» Vegas says, "Though you might feel like a berk when your job is cut off halfway through" Huh? (Type "help" for help.) «Plot» Vegas says, "The system could, theoretically, be restarted." «Plot» Wily says, "How?" «Plot» Indrakshi says, "Someone goes in and stops it before it's entirely dumped and maintains partial power." «Plot» Vegas says, " Shut down doesn't remove the fissionable material, simply removes them from proximity and stops the reaction. The only way to irreversibly shut down the reaction is the dump procedure." «Plot» Wily says, "How is the dump physically anchored, could the anchors be destroyed to dump the material without the key?" «Plot» Vegas says, " Theoretically yes. But it would require blowing huge chunks out of reinforced concrete and radiation shielding." «Plot» Vegas says, "Doing so would almost certainly be fatal due to radiation exposure." «Plot» Wily says, "Alright, new query. What information do you have on the research for this fungus, it appears to have an effect on magic." «Watchfor» Omen (#11121) just disconnected from the game. «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Options are: 1. Get red key to open red door. 2. Get to manual terminal. Secondary options: 1. Shutdown in the way that allows it to be restarted. 2. Permanent dumping shutdown, cannot be restarted." == The host program pauses, shimmers, and returns to focus, "The fungal spores were developed by a team of researchers at the behest of the then US government in response to the growing threat of magical reemergence in the years preceding and during the Great Ghost Dance. The research team investigated hardy strains of airborne fungi capable of metabolizing novel energy sources for food. Research subjects of known magical natures, captured during the disputes preceding the battles or from those exhibiting magical capability within their own population, were brought here and subjected to testing. Blood was drawn and different strains of the fungus were cultured and genetically manipulated to eventually find one that was capable of using latent or active magical energies for a food source. Individuals infected with this fungus soon became unable to use magic and, eventually, died. Research continued into reversing the process known as goblinization but as of the last data available it was not yet possible without the death of the infected individual. Later notes, added by the head of research, state that he had modified the fungus to kill awakened after sufficient exposure, but that this appeared to be both painful and take several months. «Plot» Wily says, "Any way to kill off the fungus, cure those infected?" "Removal of the fungus appears to not have been researched by this facility." Wily disconnects from the deck, sighing faintly. "Alright, so we can shutdown the system below on a console, or dump the system with one of two places to use a master key, likely held by the good doctor. In worse news, the fungus is going to kill Vegas, unless we get him out of here and they research a cure. Inactive magics are affected, so if you have any magical gear, its getting eaten." Shoeshine says, "Well, I'm not dead yet. Hasn't even been a day yet. So let's do it." Indra grunts a bit at Wily, who has such -wonderful- news. "Lets find the Doctor and then break the reactor and -then- go deal with the back stabbing general." Wily smirks, "A general who likely has influence to get the cure done before you die horribly." «Plot» Vegas says, "Any further queries?" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Yes. Do we -feel- any thing, those of us with magic/Magic ink?" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I mean the mage had a weird puff shroom growing out of his neck, so." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "For completeness, we must check the nuclear control room, because we cannot leave an unchecked unsafe room behind us." «OOC» Vegas says, "You don't feel anything untoward, but none have you have been channeling magic." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Roger Roger." Wily frowns, "Honestly, I think we should shut down the reactor first. To lower the chances the doctor can use automated defenses on us. Then we go get him, and use the key to permanently dump the core." Shoeshine says "Good enough! We haven't run into any more past that turret, but who knows. Taht will make the place move onto battery power and who knows how long that will last." Shoeshine says "The batteries are likely charged, because the reactor works, but old. The diesel should be long screwed by now, unless this place had a tap into some kind of pipeline for fresh stuff." Indra points at the warning symbol. "But how do we know it's not already flooded with radiation?" «Plot» Vegas says, " The elevator door is locked with a high difficulty lock. TN 9." Wily nods, "Alright….I'll go down there with this deck, see what I can do…." He shrugs, "It may be, you all stay up here, I'll try to be as quick as I can." He goes to get the deck from the dead dwarf, disconnecting it from the local terminal Shoeshine hms, "This one might be beyond my abilities to do right. Might have to crowbar it." The circular keys are not easy to pick. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "(The reactor room is accessed from here with a circular key that we need.)" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 13 for "here goes": 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 7 10 = 0 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine stands. Shoeshine works at it for a minute. "This really takes special lockpicking stuff. If we want to go down here without that key we need to use our troll bone and start forcing stuff." Shoeshine says "Better to go hunting, there's not too many more places to check." Shoeshine says "Just understand he could be coming in behind us." Indra will move to tinker with the lock. Hey, don't rule her out! «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Quickness vs TN 13: 1 1 2 2 2 4 5 5 5 8 15 = 1 Success Shoeshine , while he's talking, gets totally undercut by Indrakshi. "Marvelous." Indra hands Shoeshine the magic trick she used. The tool of the trade..a hairpin. == The doors slide open and reveal that the elevator floor has been blown open. Cables lead far into the depths. It appears someone has sabotaged the easy descent. To go down will require an Athletics TN 6. Indra looks down a bit over the edge. "Grappling gun?" Wily looks down, and sighs, "Ok….no, no point risking this. Let’s go for the dump key, if all that fails, then yes, we come back here." Shoeshine says "Yes. It could be much easier with my harness for rappelling. Let's move on." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I'd like to drop a glow stick down first." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Moving on to Restricted Research labs and containment." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "To see if the door at the bottom is open or not." «Plot» Vegas says, " The glow stick falls a little over a floor in height to reveal the remnants of the floor of the elevator and the closed elevator door leading out of the shaft." Indra will point at the problem. "If we have to go down there, I suspect the door below is locked too." But she'll follow the others..if the Glow stick is gone when they come back…. «Plot» Vegas says, "This door is not locked, nor is it trapped. Your earlier searches of this room would have revealed it." Wily nods, "Lets just keep moving, we have to take out the doctor. Check the research area, likely where he has made his home." Shoeshine , with all due care, leads on towards the next hallway ; should be restricted labs to the right and left, and Containment lab in front of us. Indra is keeping her rifle raised and braced as she goes. == The door opens and more spores cling to the walls here, though in fewer numbers than in the previous hallway. These, however, glow with an ocher light, the ruddy bloody glow casting long shadows. At the end of the hall the doors are shut as are the two along the hallway. You see paths worn in the fungal clusters, walking between rooms or through the far doors as well. In the distance is the wheeze of old machinery and the plinking of water Shoeshine does not grow complacent. The bastard is moving around here and might have strung up something that isn't always strung up. Left doorway first while other doorways are covered. Wily is cautious, slow, and a little worried. He keeps his senses open, hearing amplification, olfactory boosters, chem and gas analyzers, information in his mind, telling him whats in the air different here than elsewhere. == "Well come on in." A frail and cracked voice says from beyond the far doors, "You've made it this far, you might as well see the face of your demise." This time the voice isn't carried over speakers or intercoms but is said from around corners and through doors at the end of the hall. Indra drops to a kneel and looks at the others. Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Now can I white Phos some thing?" Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Up to you. Who knows what it'll be. Don't look him in the eyes." Shoeshine heads veritably forwards to tinat final doors at the end of the hall. Blazer at the ready, just for amusement. Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Alright, I think this is a decent plan..Shoeshine you set up to open fire through the doors. Me and Wily, we sprint to them, bust them in, throw a grenade each in, then you just open fire to cover us running back this way?" "I don't suppose we can talk this out like civilized gentleman?" Wily offers, perhaps just to distract the man, is hard to believe a nut like this would even try. Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Given our last fights, I don't think it will work that way. Best that you two get under cover while I open the door." == "Civilized? I suspect no one alive on the surface now even knows the meaning of the word." There's a ragged cough, "No. I plan to kill you, see what you have that can be used, and then continue my research. Then I will find a way to open the doors and clean up this world." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Maybe I'll just drop smoke before I come in." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Tell me about that door." Wily snorts, "Clean up the world? You might do some damage, you may even destroy a quarter of the world like VITAS did, but it will be stopped, they will find a counter to your fungus. You’re obviously brilliant, but your one man, your no match for a hundred thousand corporate researchers with more money than can even be calculated. While you've been here researching this, time has gone on. Were you not impressed by what has been walking into your base? Did it not occur to you the world outside is beyond your meager abilities." «Plot» Vegas says, " The door at the end of the hall is another horizontally sliding door. This one is more secure than most on this level and features a maglock on the right side. There appears to be a busted camera at the top of the hall just before the door. The doors to your right and left are single door, horizontal sliding, and also require passkeys to get through." Shoeshine , while he considers viable plans, swaps out his LMG to AV ammo, in case there's another turret. One humanish fellow, or a group of escaped controlled lab creatures, that's the blazer. Indra will find..cover, maybe? She's not above going to drag a computer desk back up here and flip it up as cover, quietly of course. "Did I mention I wish we had a Rocket Launcher?" She says to Wily. == The voice coughs again before speaking, "You see, boy, you don't kill funguses. You don't wipe them out like you do a bacteria or even a virus. They can form endospores that can last centuries. These especially. In the hard vacuum of space or in the arctic ice, in the roaring deserts. This will work. It will lay dormant or it will mutate and it will purge the world." Shoeshine waves the others back, and scopes his way to work on that maglock. Of course, that's where there would be another land mine or grenade bouquet or so on, so that's where he focuses his energies. And actually, once he is done, he will be rigging it up so he can remotely open and shut it with one of his remote detonators. «Plot» Vegas says, " You see no traps between you and the door." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I'd like to find cover/setup cover so we can see the door at the end of the hall, and the two other locked doors. is this possible?" Shoeshine will start working when the other two are place - like at the doorway from the Records room. «OOC» Vegas says, "It's possible. But to get cover requires you to be back in the records room. The hallway itself offers no locations to hide." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "even if we move a desk out?" Wily finds cover for himself as well, keeping his weapon ready, "Well, I'm sure I don't have all the answers, but someone out there will. Likely some great dragon will simply cast a spell and change the fabric of magic itself." Perhaps wily is just trying to keep the doc slightly distracted. "I just know that if the corps want something done….it gets done." Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Shoeshine, leave the MGL with me if you don't intend to use it, promise I know how to use them!" == A ragged laugh, "They used to say that about the governments. You see where they are now." Shoeshine passes the MGL to Indrakshi. (It has a grenade link, smartlink, and links up to her smartlink- loaded with standard offensive minigrenades.) «Plot» Vegas says, "TN on the Maglock is 4" «Plot» Vegas says, "Old tech." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics B/R vs TN 4 for "old school": 1 2 3 4 8 11 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics vs TN 4: 1 2 4 4 5 23 = 4 Successes Wily chuckles in return, "Thats intersting, but see, governments require people. Corps only require money, you know it…..people are idiots. Money is what has always powered the world. The corps just cut out the extra fat that brought down goverments." He is still apparently just keeping things calm for now. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "It's 20 seconds to have off the case, 15 seconds to manage the lock, and what is the TN to rig up a remote door opener so I am not right here when the door opens?" «Plot» Vegas says, " Eeenh. I'd say Electronics B/R 6 to rig up the old and new devices." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics B/R vs TN 6 for "distance rig": 1 1 2 4 8 9 = 2 Successes Shoeshine scavenges the remote detonator as a 'trigger' for the electrical impulse needed to finish the door opening. Then he too gets back in the records room, taking cover behind some computers that look down that hallway. He gets the LMG ready. When Wily and Indra are ready, he triggers the door and waits to see what explodes out. == The door slides open, after a moment's hesitation. The mechanism's rather old. And from it comes… nothing. In the distance the ruddy light of the fungal clusters shine on a slender figure standing in the middle of a bare floor. His hair is long and white and what's left of his clothing is ragged and may be a lab coat and something beneath. The figure is so tall and thin as to be nearly skeletal. Dark, sharp eyes stare out and his hands hang limp to his sides. Small flecks of fungal clusters cling to his outfit as well but he makes no motion, standing like a scarecrow and breath rasping in his lungs. «Plot» Vegas says, " Roll Biotech TN 4" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Biotech vs TN 4: 1 2 2 4 4 5 = 3 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "He doesn't appear to be infected with HMHVV, but he IS an elf." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "And now we know how he survived 50 years down here without dying of old age." «Plot» Vegas says, " He's been here since before goblinization. Not even his son knows he's an elf." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "That's wonderful. What's our range to him?" «Plot» Vegas says, " 25 yards." Shoeshine considers him not saveable, and unwilling to help put right what is wrong. this entire body we see might also be a trick. In any case, from behind cover, Shoeshine will draw his dual pistols, just to see how they work for the fellow. «Plot» Vegas says, " Roll for init if you're opening fire." «Watchfor» Alyse (#10658) just disconnected from the game. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Initiative with a result of 16. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Initiative with a result of 22. «Auto-Judge[]» Vegas (#6086) rolls 1 for "+4": 5 «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Initiative with a result of 11. «Plot» Vegas says, "Indra, Shoe, Wily, Doctor" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "GRENADE! :D" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Your own, or mine?" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Well I was going to fire the MGL because ..thats a bit of a throw" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "All right. roll 2d6 for scatter." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "first I need to roll firing. I believe it's TN2 as it's Linked." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Correct or does Smartlink 2 work different with launchers?" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "It really doesn't matter. The TN is 4 for short range, -2 for smartlink, so yes, tn 2." «OOC» Wily says, "Its only -1" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Okay, -1." «OOC» Wily says, "Smartlinks only give -1 for grenades" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "tn 3. Launch weapons is the skill." «OOC» Wily says, "Seeing as they tend not to fire in straight lines :)" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Launch Weapons + Combat Pool: 3 vs TN 3: 1 2 3 3 4 11 = 4 Successes «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Now 2d6 for scatter, every success is -4 meters to get down to 0" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls 2: 2 4 «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Dead center. 10s + 4 successes agaisnt impact." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I can fire these thing once or twice?" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Twice." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "You might want to see if he is 1. dead or 2. unharmed." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "Also, you don't want to destroy the key he is carrying." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Oh I was gonna wait to see if he survives or not." == The doctor's dark eyes focus on the grenade and for a moment you see a look of what may be relief across his drawn and slender face, then the explosion rattles the hallway. Fungal spores erupt everywhere, spraying all of you with a heavy dose of them. The shockwave destroying most of the puffballs in the hall and causing a plume of them to shoot past the door into the records room. Thick, choking clouds of spores cling everywhere and hang along your clothing and any exposed surfaces. The doctor vanished in that flash and bang and ensuing cloud. «Plot» Vegas says, "Is anyone not wearing a gas mask?" «Plot» Shoeshine would likely not be wearing his mask, it is correct. His mask is only for special situations. Indra was -so- sure this would work, she was..and apparently, it didn't. «Plot» Vegas says, "For now nothing appears to have happened due to the spores but it takes several seconds for the air to clear from debris and massive spore clouds." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) has the Attribute Body with the value '7' (only to Vegas). «Plot» Vegas says, "Shoeshine roll body TN 8" Shoeshine peers through with his ultrasound of course, watching through the backblast and seeing if the doctor, vampire-like, or spirit-like immune to weapons, comes striking in with a pistol. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Body vs TN 8: 2 2 2 4 4 10 10 = 2 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, " 4 successes to escape free and clear" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Body - 2 vs TN 8 for "kp 14": 1 4 4 7 10 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Body - 2 - 1 vs TN 8 for "kp 16": 4 4 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Body - 2 - 1 vs TN 8 for "kp 19": 4 4 4 5 = 0 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine says, "stand" «Plot» Vegas says, "For the remainder of the run and until you get medical assistance you will have -1 body dice to roll on all tests." «Plot» Vegas says, "This represents reduced lung capacity due to the spores starting to infiltrate the lining of your alveoli." Shoeshine coughs some, trying to suppress it with an effort of will. Got at least a noseful of the spores, if not a lungful. This is why him mom told him to always carry tissues. «Plot» Vegas says, "Ultrasound shows nothing beyond the clouds. You senses bars, desk, shelves, a crumpled outline of a humanoid figure. The hallway is silent once again aside from the settling of dust and debris that sounds like snowfall on a silent night." Shoeshine puts on his gas mask now, after the horses have all gotten out, and heads in with his Blazer at the ready. Indra will shift to her assault rifle to proceed forward. Remember how -she- wanted the kill? She'll get it. "Cover me!" She snaps out as she goes..if Shoeshine doesn't snag the Grenade Launcher, she'll keep it with her. Suicidal last blasting efforts may be a reality! Shoeshine thinks that Indra has indeed gotten the kill, but comes in to cover her from whatever else may be there. == You approach over the drained and damaged puffballs, the glow in the rooms much diminished now, but ahead you see the torn and ragged corpse of what used to be the doctor. His body is torn into large pieces, having not been a stout built man even before his decades of deprivation deep within the bowels of the earth in this rusting tomb of a base. You stand now on the scorched mark where your grenade detonated and can see clearly through this long back room. Operating tables stand out along the long hallway and cages line the far wall. Most are closed and almost all of them have corpses laying in them. A few are simply sectioned off with gear stacked haphazardly within. Here lies the remains of the majority of the runners sent to do the job you just completed. Long racks of test tubes and aged scientific equipment stand on desks and cabinets, some scattered and broken some looking as if until just now the doctor was conducting further experiments. Wily stays back a bit, only moving ahead when Shoe and Indra are up. He looks around slowly, before finally speaking. "We need to find the key for the reactor dump." Shoeshine covers and searches. He would not put it past this guy to have traps in here where he could blow himself up. Indra is thinking the same as Shoeshine. "Watch for anyone to..uh. Come alive." She says and moves to search the Doctor. Yuck. == Your searches for traps seem in vain. These three rooms appear to be where he had been living for the past decades, having slowly allowed the rest of the base to fall beyond his territory. It is a rat's next and one of the cell doors was taken down to make what would pass for his bedroom, but the bodies here are just that. Long dead bodies. Notebooks lay stacked along the walls, full of arcane calculations and tracking strains and lineages of fungal clusters and some fungal groups appear along walls and benches in sealed plastic containers long stained and cracked and taped sealed again. Some glow faintly of different colors, some don't even appear visible to thermographic sight. One trembles slightly and emits sounds on an ultrasonic level. But all of these appear to have been failed mutations or ones not desired by the doctor. Long notes of the test subjects are also stacked in books and boxes. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "The key? The notebook from the control room? A antidote?" Shoeshine says, "He goblinized into an elf, but he didn't die from his own fungus. But it's supposed to kill metas after a few months. He must have a way to beat it. «Plot» Vegas says, " Everyone. Visual perception. TN 8" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 2 4 4 8 9 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Elven Perception abilities!": 1 5 5 5 10 «Plot» Vegas says, " There is a suspiciously odd looking key hanging on a peg just inside the double door." Shoeshine checks for traps and gets and gives! This is when Indra gets to be the debbie downer. "I just..thought of a problem. We shut down the reactor, then this drek sits here for..well, ever. Alive, growing, dormant, what have you, or more likely, The General fucks us over, comes in, exploits, thinking he can do better. There -must- be some sort of way to do a Wild Fire protocol." Shoeshine says "He must have a way to beat it. We have some time now, I think. We can finish searching, and go through the data, and see if he has an antidote. He must have, in order for him to survive. Now we can clear the place." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Let's clear the place first, get all our loot in one place, then give it a shot. :)" Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Mister Gambler? He's dead, we'll be up soon..unless you are an undead Fungus Zombie. Then Gurgle on the comms so we know to come in shooting. Okay!?" «Plot» Vegas says, " There is no response on the comm from Vegas." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Well, now we have to rush back up to him in case we missed something, say, in the security or armor room, that killed him." Indra goes to hand Shoeshine his MGL back and looks unhappy. "I'm going to go check on Mister Gambler.." she says and withdraws her preds, she must assume he's a twisted mutant and just needs to be executed. Shoeshine will join the gang and all move back up. Wily looks around, nodding. "Lets check on Vegas, then gather up our rewards. We will need to have the general contain us until the spores are cleaned, and tell him this place needs burned." «Plot» Vegas says, "As you start up the stairs from the lower floor you hear static on the comm that slowly resolves into shouting, "Where the absolute fuck are you three drekheads? If I die in this fucking vault I'm going to haunt your asses."" Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "On our way, transmissions won't go through the floors apparently." Shoeshine says, "Assuming we can trust the General to do taht once we come out. But," over the comm he says, "We took care of the doctor. And our comms won't get from the bottom floor to the top floor. Too much rock and metal and Faraday cages." Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "Oh thank fucking god. I don't have to die here a mile beneath the earth and without one last bottle of whiskey." Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "Well, thats still to be determined. This fungus is pretty nasty, and there is still the situation with the General." Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "One problem at a time. Is that son of a bitch dead? Is the reactor dealt with? Can we go home and drink until we can't feel things?" Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Mister Gambler, you aren't having fungal spores growing out of your neck, right?" Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Have not turned off the reactor yet. Once we do that, we have limited battery power time to get out of here." Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "No. I haven't started to resemble an elf." Vegas is clearly relieved but coming down for delicious endorphins from the trauma and a growing panic that you three had died and he was going to sit here waiting to die. Commlink-Manitou> Indrakshi says, "Well according to the notes, the Fungus lays dormant for Some Six months and alcohol of all kinds causes it to become active again and rapidly consume the host. The Doctor discovered it as a way to limit Dwarven populations." Indra has to lie to get back at Vegas for the elf comment. Commlink-Chance> Vegas is quiet then says, "Fuckit. Worth it." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Let us gather and place our loot." Commlink-Dogface> Shoeshine says, "Security room?" Commlink-Chance> Vegas says, "I may have done and said unnatural things to this rifle, including making an honest woman out of her." Commlink-Wily> Wily says, "Lets check out the security room then, its likely trapped though." == You four are now in the Ops room, having rushed back to check on Vegas when there was no response to the comm call out. You find he's alive and, if not well, grumpy. Which seems well enouygh for most dwarves. The doctor is now well and truly dead and the Brute lay a twitching (still) mass of experimental surgery and scavenged cyberware. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I believe the plan is to collect loot, with an emphasis on that of fallen shadowrunners, gather it together, then down the reactor and make our escape." Wily looks around, looking for where the reactor dump is. "Alright, we gather the gear, dump the reactor, and go up. We will need to let the general know we are contaiminated and need cleaned." Shoeshine says "And be ready for the unexpected but inevitable double-cross." Indra wonders if Shoeshine means because she's inevitability going to try and murder the general or because of what he'll do. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "So! All the way back down to the lab with all the parts, where the dead head guy, now an elf is. I think there were lots of dudes there who had scavengeable stuff, plus the two labs." «Plot» Vegas says, "Alright, formulate plans, implement them, roleplay, and hope your karma lasts." "Alright, lets go gather the valuables, then come back here to ops. The biggest problem will be the ascent, with wounded." He gestures to Vegas. Indra looks at Vegas when Shoeshine gestures at him. "Well, I don't think so. We can carry him out in a tarp or some thing..you know, like a stretcher?" Maps Floor 1: www.dropbox.com/s/lgqjenat5tthkne/BaseFloor1.jpg?dl=0 Maps Floor 2: www.dropbox.com/s/q5txfclmyz9ttyq/BaseFloor2.jpg?dl=0 «Plot» Shoeshine says, "So; second floor, research subject containment, restricted lab, restricted lab; search/loot. There are grenade bouquets on the doors outside them, but they can be accessed by going in through the front and then around." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I am wrong; no grenade bouquets on research containment, restricted lab, restricted lab. We loot there first." «Plot» Vegas says, " Grenade bouquets are on the second lab on the left and right from the stairwell. The records room was swept and cleared. The further three had no traps on them as he would meander between them during his time here." «OOC» Shoeshine says, "What loot if any?" «OOC» Vegas says, "What do you mean?" «OOC» Indrakshi says, "I think he means we're going to rifle through storage cabinets etc and thoroughly search" «OOC» Shoeshine says, "What is there in these rooms that we should scavenge from the bits and pieces of fallen shadowrunners and their gear?" Shoeshine leads the way to the second floor. He leads all the way through to the restricted research containment area where the dead elf is, and his other two rooms that he lived in. That is where the search for loot begins. Indra will hold a flash light over Shoeshine's head. She's pretty sure by now, they can light up the darkness more overtly. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "We have reserach notes, and bits and pieces of fallen shadowrunners and their gear here." Wily moves along, following and keeping his eyes and ears open, who knows what traps or left, perhaps an experiment still at lose. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "You have also stated that certain puffballs seem to have items in them, but may release spores when prodded." «Plot» Vegas says, " Considering that over the years around ten teams of runners of varying degrees have come down here and been sealed in to complete the job, but have been unable to, you have your pick of colt manhunters, AK-97s and even 98s, Medium machine guns, light machine guns, pieces of old armor and rotten clothing. The doctor, it appears, was particular about sorting things into stacks and heaps. Boxes of ammunition are roughly organized in the cells along the back walls of prisoner containment as well as quite a number of old munitions, landmines, and grenades from the era that the base was in use. Any armor that had been of decent quality appears to have been scavenged and put into use at various times on The Brute either to add armor or to replace damage done when previous runners had shot him up. Easily several hundred of most ammunition types are heaped along the wall, at least for conventional arms. There seems to be a lack of modern rockets, mortars, or other launch type weapons that would be far more dangerous to the user, in an enclosed space, than to the targets." == The restricted research areas are, on one side, a variety of chairs and tables that, you realize, are designed to provide useful tie downs and straps for human(oid) test subjects. A couple of recent corpses lay there, relatively recent at least, and various puffballs grow on them. There are small glass and steel chambers, some cracked and unusable, with tissue samples long dried in them or various fungal tests. In this room you can see that the newer test subjects also had sections cut out of them and portions where perhaps there was cyberware on the bodies that was taken out. Any medical examination of the other bodies might show that his crude technique at 'ware removal had become somewhat refined through the years. Some of these cells look as though they held prisoners for quite some time before he killed them or they died of other means. «Plot» Vegas says, "Please roll Biotech TN 6." «Plot» Vegas says, "Or Perception TN 8" «Plot» Vegas says, "Visual" Shoeshine has an eye for what is useful, at least to him, and what can rationally be packed with how much he can carry even with his superstrength. The medium machineguns, he knows, are too heavy for the kind of use he usually gets - if we had a rigger, he would want them, but if we had a rigger, all of his drones would have been blown to bits checking for traps. So he will likely be most interested in things like anti-vehicle ammunition for his LMG, and APDS as always. He is good for pistols and assault rifles and doesn't feel a big need to haul any out at this instant no matter the glee of a certain Cherokee elf. But he is also scanning research notes and files; the headings at least, to see if any of them might be a clue into stuff like how the elf survived down here so long, and what a cure might be. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Biotech vs TN 6: 1 1 4 5 10 10 = 2 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine is really loving that 'PhD on a Chip! (tm)' course he took. «Plot» Vegas says, " You see that two of the bodies, currently strapped to the tables, both have high-yield cranial bombs. Perhaps the General became desperate in an attempt to kill his father and sent down conscripts." Wily watches as they go through things, "I'm guessing the mages would be the giant puffballs, but whatever magic they had was likely eaten." «Plot» Vegas says, " You see that two of the bodies, currently strapped to the tables, both have high-yield cranial bombs. Perhaps the General became desperate in an attempt to kill his father and sent down conscripts." Shoeshine is not really up to taking care of cranial bombs. "We should keep a good distance from those." Fortunately they don't have a big radius of destruction. «Plot» Vegas says, " And always are stacks and stacks of notebooks with research notes written in them and, as he ran out of notebooks, written over, on the covers, in margins, in textbooks and old logbooks from security stations, on owner’s manuals for household electronics found in the kitchen." Shoeshine says, "That's going to be a lot to read." Indra is -quite- alright with not messing with cranial bombs, especially down here. Where the deranged doctor for all they know, tinkerd with them first. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Take ammo of my choice, gather up notes in stacks, take back to Ops room to store." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I may work through it long enough (about a day) for Vegas to be able to walk if we also carry his gear." == The other restricted lab is laid out with a huge variety, and mess, of tools scavenged from all over the base as well as any electronics and B/R kits that the runners had. In it you could likely find most any tool imaginable. Here you see weapons and cyberware scattered in various stages of disarray. Two flame throwers, base era, lay being cleaned and reworked, but the fuel in them long gone to lacquer. Here you see baskets of various cyberware parts, no cranial bombs at the moment, as well as a makeshift loading bench and other weaponsmithing tools. Again if you look at any earlier attempts versus what is on the table now you see that his time here was spent in pursuits other than merely fungal. He wasn't just a fun-guy. Landmines and grenades also lay in half-finished bundles of traps ready to deploy and it appears as though he was working on new sensors for the defensive turrets outside. «Plot» Vegas says, "Roll a perception TN 8, everyone down there." «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 3 4 4 11 = 1 Success «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8 for "Wha?": 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 2 2 3 4 5 = 0 Successes «OOC» Shoeshine leaves it for Indra the mighty. == To one side of the room with the surgical subjects there is a small rectangle of carefully cultivated mushrooms. These are covered in a plastic drape in such a way as to keep other spores or contaminants out. These also are not your usual puffballs seen here, but honest to god cap mushrooms. Beside them is a meticulously kept logbook noting days and sizes and weights of mushroom. Indra will go to examine the log book, but not disturb the mushrooms, maybe there's some thing explaining them. «Plot» Vegas says, " The logbook doesn't actually say anything more than a schedule and the weight of mushrooms removed. However the dates on it, while not accurate to the real date. Somewhere he must have made a miscalculation on how long it’s been. Is exactly 10 grams of mushroom every week." Indra will relinquish the logbook to Shoeshine! "Well. I don't know what to make of it." «Plot» Vegas says, "Biotech TN 4" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Biotech vs TN 4: 1 1 3 4 5 22 = 3 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "It appears to be a dosing schedule." Shoeshine says, "Oh ho ho. It's a dosing schedule for pharmaceuticals. It's quite possible that these are how he kept himself alive. Something in them might kill the fungus out here. Which allows him, an elf, to keep living over the years. I will have to check this with the other paperwork." Shoeshine says "Let's be really careful with this." Indra observes the mushrooms more closely. "They might also be why he ended up batshit insane." This coming from Indra..miss 'Hit every button'. Wily keeps looking around, but avoiding touching anything. "Look, the general is either going to kill us, or reward us. So, we should pile up what we want back at the base of the climb. Take what gear we might need to fight our way out, and climb back up. Right after we dump the core." Shoeshine will look up how best to transport this stuff; if it is the cure. «Plot» Vegas says, " Reading up on it will take you ages. At least several long hours of picking through the more recent looking journals." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Then more searching/looting first." «OOC» Indrakshi says, "Can we just take the containers of clean mushrooms?" «Plot» Wily says, "Wait" Wily has an idea, "Start spreading out any journals you think have vital information." He then connects his pocsec to the deck, activating the cyberdecks agent. "I need you to scan this information and search for any references to a cure." He will then use the pocsecs camera as a scanner for the cyberdecks agent…..a computer speed reading. Shoeshine says, "Oh, very nice," and helps with this plan. Leverage that agent, who's been here all this time. Indra will help spread out journals too, carefully avoiding putting any near the cranial bombs! «Plot» Vegas says, " While that will much speed the parsing of information it will still require someone here to sit and turn every page and effectively scan in each page of the journals and there are thousands of pages." «Plot» Wily says, "I'll work on that while the others keep looting" «Plot» Vegas says, "Alright. Wily begins a thrilling career of secretarial work" Shoeshine , if these rooms are 'done' in that we know what we are doing and taking, it's time to move back. Research administration, Records, Server Room. Shoeshine says, "And we still don't know what was on the other side of that cave in. Maybe we'll find out on the way out. Okay, back to: Research administration, Records, Server Room. The dwarf is there, and we already got his deck of scourse." «Plot» Vegas says, "Research admin was the whorled mess of shit and broken furniture and that one yellowing notebook you already grabbed." «Plot» Vegas says, " The server room is as you left it and records too. You have the key and the elevator door is still open, showing the sickly green glow of Indra's glowstick" «Plot» Shoeshine adds that one yellowing notebook to the computerization process. Wily keeps scanning, flip, scan, flip, scan. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Two locked labs with grenade bouquets. May I remove them?" «Plot» Vegas says, "TN to disarm is 4. One roll for each please." Indra is playing pack mule and avoiding where the traps the team found are. She isn't going to risk setting them off until Shoeshine triumphantly disables them. Shoeshine makes sure Indra is back, and has at. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions vs TN 4: 2 11 16 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions vs TN 4 for "second group": 1 2 4 = 1 Success == The first grenade bouquet is easy to disable and disarm, the other wobbles and seems set to fall until the last moment, Shoeshine grips the grenade and spoon and pushes the pin back in. Shoeshine takes all due care pulling them down, unwrapping them, making them safe. why do people carry so many grenades? If the first five don't get you out of trouble, will the second five really help that much? Shoeshine keeps Indra back when he carefully cheks the doors and opens them. You paged Wily with 'The avatar is slowly compling the data as best it can. It isn't designed for scientific research per se but begins to point out the times the doctor was working on a fungal batch to deal with his own issues, starting with a different strain he cultured from something a runner brought in on their clothing. It seems he would regularly swab them for new fungal sources.' Wily looks over the data as its scanned, the Agent giving some information in response. "Even if we don't find a cure, this data is likely worth quite a bit of money." == In the first lab you see racks and racks of books, circles drawn on the floor and old cracked chalk boards with magical formulae on them. There is a skeleton here, laying in the middle of a circle, almost totally obscured in glowing green mushrooms. In this room are rough, old native american artifacts. Some look hundreds of years old, some merely decades. To anyone experienced with magical accouterments they appear to be crude foci or ritual tools. A few have mushrooms growing on them and others simply dust. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Magic Background: 3 4 4 «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Hey, I'm the AmerInd": 1 4 5 7 8 == The other lab is stacked up with canisters, bottles, and jars, biological specimens of awakened creatures and even metahumans. These are all very old and still things floating in preservative in jars turn slowly, caked in dust and, surprisingly, a lack of mushrooms and the ever present clouds. A barghest skull lay on a table and what appears to be a dissected devil rat is on display forever frozen in plastic. Opening cabinets displays ancient brains sliced into thin layers. Biological studies of metahumans and awakened creatures. Shoeshine takes pictures, and points out the old native american artifacts. "These could be Fifth Age." Of course, there are still living people who remember the fifth age back in 2011, but a heck of a lot has happened since then. Indra will this time be the one to stop Shoeshine if he tries to touch. "Do not upset them. The Manitous may yet dwell here." There she goes, Manitous. "The Ancestors understood this world long before any others, not all that is considered magic, is as we know it now." She says and is careful to not upset any of the artifacts. She doesn't want to actually meet a Manitou of the Hunt. Shoeshine will allow her to do the handling. Sacred stuff. (And Indra is so spiritual.) Wily is still going through books, scan, scan, scan. Shoeshine , when Indra has brought and packaged all the sacred artifacts, goes to the next two rooms, the last two labs. "I think we've checked here… hydroponics and stuff." «Plot» Vegas says, " If anyone has history as a knowskill, native or north americal there's a TN 4 here, TN 8 default to int" Indra won't go -into- hydroponics at all. «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8 for "I have goofy knowledge skills but no general history": 2 3 3 4 4 17 = 1 Success «OOC» Indrakshi says, "do I get a bonus for BG wise being raised by traditionalists? :P" «OOC» Vegas says, "Sure." «OOC» Vegas says, "TN 3" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 3 for "I guess my parents being traditionalist Cherokee and farmers -did- help me in the big city.": 1 2 2 3 5 = 2 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, " Most of the artifacts are from around the era before the great ghost dance, a few are from the early 1800s and the original ghost dance." «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Screw looking in labs, let’s find any traps on the way to security.": 2 8 9 10 10 Shoeshine says, "And now, up to the first floor. Security. Back onto serious trapfinding. «Plot» Vegas says, " I need you to make a quickness test TN 8 for normal, 6 for dwaves, 12 for trolls" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Quickness vs TN 8: 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 8 10 11 = 3 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 6 for "again passing through gear": 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 8 = 1 Success Wily keeps scanning, a little nervous now that everyone is gone, but, well, what are you going to do. Indra wiggles through the spaces in the cave in, see, elves are Lithe, and then she's through. Proceeding forward, unless Shoeshine gets stuck. Shoeshine divests himself of LMG and axe so as to make this rational, then re-slings on other side like before. See? Easy-peasy. «Plot» Vegas says, "You are now in the hallway between medical and the woman's dorm and security" Shoeshine leads towards Security thusly. «Plot» Vegas says, "As you walk down the hallway I need both people to roll TN 8 perception" «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Stealth for "I'm not going to blitz into possible turrets.": 5 5 5 11 13 «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 2 2 5 8 11 = 2 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8 for "Lets hope we don't blunder into traps": 1 2 4 8 10 = 2 Successes == The approach to the security facility is slow and twice Shoeshine's tripwire detection rag shows a thin wire rigged about toenail high. Both wires lead under the decking where there isn't even a visible rise to the floor plates. The doctor was getting better. Indra figures dropping a glow stick to mark wire positions is a good idea. She'll keep going. "I still say we should find a wildfire protocol for this place." She says over comms to Shoeshine. Shoeshine chalk-marks on wall, arranges some bracken to make it obvious where the stuff is, opens the decking like ten feet back from there and peers under with eye lights to see what it is and if it should be disarmed. "That might be behind the cave in wall." Indra shrugs a bit at Shoeshine. "Then it can sit there for the rest of time." «Plot» Vegas says, " Lifting the decking plate, with some grunting and a strength check that I'm not even going to fucking bother making you roll, reveals the packed grey blocks of some variant on C4 stuffed against the decking not right where the tripwires are but a block of it directly under four deck plates in front of and behind the paired mechanism. Glancing you even see one on the deck plate you lifted. This wasn't designed to kill one guy but his whole family and the pet goldfish too." Shoeshine says, "I could take a day to move those rocks and that would give Vegas the time to heal." When he looks at the C4 he geezes. "He wasn't screwing around here. This was the classic 'sucker them in so you get the back guys too." If he determines that these can be easily disconnected, he will do that. If not, then it's step-over. Indra scowls at Shoeshine wanting to -move- the cave in. "First it's -don't- blow up the base. Then it's 'cause massive cave in with us inside." She says in a mutter to her self and kneels down to wait. «Plot» Vegas says, " The wiring isn't complicated, you don't think, a Demo TN 4 would allow you to work along the plates and remove the blocks that were put there. Your basic demo skill would suggest that whoever set this up wasn't precisely skilled and simply used more C4 than he needed. It would likely kill anyone nearby and collapse the entire tunnel. A TN 6 for the entire procedure would allow you to salvage the explosive. A TN 4 to simply disable it." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Demolitions vs TN 4 for "I have my own C4, thanks": 3 3 15 = 1 Success «Plot» Vegas says, "The long hall is cleared within a few minutes of grunting and struggling" Shoeshine doesn't really care about saving it - if he wants high explosive he knows where to buy it and it will be clean and new from a laboratory and within the expiration date; not this stuff of unknown provenance. Though he's sure it will explode real good. But in any case, he has to shave and disrupt the pasty bars as he disconnects up the wires and makes it all safe to go. Then it's back to trapfinding and rag-drawing and searching, and scanning, and checking. And Security. Why does he not feel secure?" Indra doesn't have any use for the C4, she's got several Rockets in her caches. So she'll move forward again, now to find the way to open the armory.. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Come on Keys! Passes! Button for armory!": 2 3 4 5 9 == The door to security is closed tight and appears to be a heavily built security (duh) door. There is a biometric lock here, a palmprint scanner, that hangs off the wall where someone in the past has attempted their own entry into this area. Wether or not they were successful isn't immediately apparently. Over the door a small turret appears to have been blasted sufficiently to make it unusuable and a camera also appears to have been a casualty of previous invaders to the base. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Can I bypass it?": 1 2 3 4 5 Shoeshine knocks on the door. "Anyone in there?" He will give them time to answer while he gets out the tools. "Standard back away protocol. I can't imagine anyone alive in just that room, but what do I know." «Plot» Vegas says, "Electronics B/R is TN 5" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics B/R vs TN 5: 1 1 4 5 11 11 = 3 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine says, "20 seconds." Indra is going to cover the door…because so far, when things shouldn't be functional or alive..they have been. == In less than a minute of fiddling with the door lock mechanism Shoeshine is able to undo the damage a previous goon has done and is able to make the door unlock. It begins to slide slowly open but the sound of metal scraping on metal greets your ears. Do you continue to open it? Shoeshine does not. Shoeshine puts fiber camera inside to scan around. Shoeshine also gets out of line of fire. «Plot» Vegas says, "The room is dark inside save very dim and almost dead emergency lighting. There is something heavy and cylindrical leaning against the door. The camera has a hard time getting resolution in the gloom and the debris in the air, but you see shapes on the floor and something heavy leaning to the door. Cells are along the back wall and the lighting here is poor to say the least. Over the comm system, as you are on the top floor, you hear Vegas singing show tunes." Shoeshine points lights in there; or shoves glow stick, or slips in track lighting so he can see what's leaning up against the door - a trap, a person, something collapsed? «Plot» Vegas says, "The door appears to have a large… weapon? laying against it." Shoeshine carefully tries to open the door enough so he can reach in and get a hand on it, pointing it away. «Plot» Vegas says, "Quickness TN 4" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 4: 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 7 10 = 5 Successes «Plot» Vegas says, "You are able to slip your hand into the gap and take hold of one of the many barrels of this unweildy weapon and lean it out of the way. Continuing to open the door you find it is a vindicator minigun in the hands of a very large, dead individual. The body lay there, a dwarf cybered out the ass, in the floor of security, a large pool of ancient dried blood on the floor." Scan, flip, scan, flip. Pick up new book, start. Wily is busy busy. Shoeshine ooos. "Big and slow. The Vindicator Minigun. I salute you," he says to the dead dwarf, and then moves in carefully to sweep the place. He likely protected this place against the good doctor, to the last. Shoeshine will take a moment to make it safe, and set it aside. Indra has no issues with -taking- a Vindicator, just to piss off Omen perhaps. "How do I look?" She asks Shoeshine, posing with it. "Now let’s open the Armory." You paged (Wily, Shoeshine) with 'After what feels like hours of scanning books the Agent program says that she has recognized that it appears the doctor had been dying of his own creation and found, on one of the earliest people sent down here, a strain of fungi he hadn't previously been aware of. It was new to the awakening and he was able to cultivate it to stave off the effects, to some degree, of his own metahumanity killing fungus. It appears that it doesn't cure fungal colonization but it does prevent it from becoming active or fatal in metahumans.'. You paged (Wily, Shoeshine) with 'He wasn't interested in a cure, simply delaying his own death until he could implement this. And a few pages of notes appear missing, ones the Agent program hazards a guess that may have shown a cure or progress towards a cure.'. Shoeshine says, "You look like you can barely carry it - it's fifteen kilos without the ammo belt and takes three full seconds to spin up during which time you, miss speed demon, could have shot someone twelve times with your pistols. But if you want it, it can be yours. I will carry it for you to the top." From afar, to (Vegas, Shoeshine): Wily will see if he can figure out which fungus is the one to slow the activity, likely the one under plastic, but he wants to be sure. You paged (Wily, Shoeshine) with 'It is indeed that one. The agent program notes the batch number and, the doctor always a consumate documenter, had labeled the bin'. Indra can too carry it! "I still need to upgrade my guts some more, it'll be no problem in a few weeks. Try to find the Wildfire protocols. It would make sense if they kept some thing about them in here. This is Security, they'd want to be able to trigger things here, no?" Wily will collect some of those fungi, so he can carry them back upstairs. Shoeshine goes through the place to see if there is more - say, in the cells - and if there is a way to unlock them. But if the dwarf is all, then he finishes rifling through him for dogtags and identification for next of kin, and marks the Vindicator to be carried up for Indra. "Time for the Armory." Shoeshine , yea verily, leads the way around to the Armory with all due testing and trapfinding and rag-dragging. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence for "Access codes. Keys. Buttons. Wildfire Protocol information in Security.": 1 3 4 4 7 «Plot» Vegas says, "There is none." «Plot» Vegas says, " Despite your insistence that there may be some kind of "Wildfire Protocol" there appears to be nothing of the sort. You take time looking through security manuals to discover there is no nuke failsafe for removing this base. At least not in this office. The room is a large square, a weapons locker on one side in a locked cage of its own. Along the back wall are two cells for holding prisoners or anyone in the base who needed confining. Several desks where security officers might work, and computers upon them. In the weapons locker are period rifles and pistols as well as basic ammunition for those. A closet holds rotting period armor for the security forces. Along one wall is a large printout of both levels of the base in map form." Shoeshine says "Well lookiee there, the maps. Imagine how useful that would have been if we came here first." Shoeshine , when he is done honoring the dwarf and getting his details, it is on to the Armory. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Quickness vs TN 6 for "Is this the right TN?": 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 9 = 1 Success «Plot» Vegas says, " Any heavy weapons can be fed through individually" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Quickness vs TN 4: 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 4 5 = 2 Successes Shoeshine actually gets hung up there a second even though he's done it several times with the feeding through even. But it's not easy! After a little deep breathing and then gut-sucking-in, he manages and rocks do not fall and no one dies. Yet. «Plot» Vegas says, "The hallway leading away from the rock fall leads down into territory you hadn't yet gone through. Ahead is the darkness and the men's dorm, storage and armory. How are you two proceeding?" Long distance to Shoeshine: Vegas really is irked because he thought, even with little remaining combat, that the run went well. Instead I find at least one of the players is bored off her tits. And that's what fucking really galls me. «Plot» Vegas says, "Perception TN 8 between Ops and the armory." «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 2 3 3 4 5 7 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8: 1 4 5 5 10 = 1 Success Shoeshine and Indra will now spend some time moving loot up top, to the place where the rocks fell and there is the hidden metal wall. They check on Vegas from time to time, and Wily too, until his work is done. If that takes too long, they move rocks carefully to get to the metal wall, perhaps breaking some with the dikoted combat axe up top so they can be dragged down. That wall may reveal the supposed 'wildfire protocol.' In the hope that any such place as this has one, which is no guarantee. Hopefully, by that time, Vegas will be safely mobile, and can totter upwards. Then when he's up top, we can do the two-step reactor process. Summary of items found by location: Armory, 50 year old tech. Many of the explosives and weapons used in the creation and maintenance of the outer Atrium turrets and and all the explosives littering your path between Points A, B and C. Within here is old milspec armor, classical assaut rifles and machine guns of the era of the base. Many of which have been damaged beyond easy repair by the damp and neglect. Here are two bodies huddled together that appear to have likely died of starvation of sickness. Both appear to be humans. Modern gear includes two submachine guns, a small selection of old ExEx ammunition and Firepower Heavy Pistol. Storage: This room is a mess of empty MREs and emergency rations. During the first decade of the Doctor's life down here he must have eaten what was good enough for him to survive on. Here you find stacked bodies upon bodies of, when closely examined, appear to be the soliders and staff of this base. The first dozen or so have draped over them and, as more bodies were added, they were just stacked. Male Dorm: A few traps here and there block on doorways into barracks style rooms. The rooms are basic and bare with whatever furnishings that may have remained long since rotten away. The water here is about ankle deep as there appears to be a recent leak into this area. Thorough looting provides little beyond handguns and ammo of the period of the base and another dead runner, laying in the middle of a hall, where an explosion must have caught him unawares. The body has beside it an AK-97 and four clips of ammunition, mostly incendiary. He is wearing modern armor, a lined coat and secure jacket. «Plot» Vegas says, "There is no evidence of a cure. As much as you have scanned of the current information results in the certain knowledge that if any of the strains were hostile to the primary strain designed to eat magic that he destroyed the samples and the notes going with them. You have the selection of mushrooms that he was able to use to stave off his own death from the infection." Wily contacts the others, "We have something that can stave off things, and I agree we get Vegas upstairs, then we dump the reactor with the key and go up ourselves." Shoeshine will use his skills to work up a dosing schedule for us, to get the most benefit out of what we have here; so we can get into decontam and get clean. Fluconazole for everyone! «Plot» Vegas says, "It appears that you will not need that kind of dosing, at least not yet. The fungal infection takes months to progress to any kind of dangerous level." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Ah; I had gotten the idea that we were infected, and just because we were going to take a while to die, we should still get on that." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I have a thing about sitting around and letting fungus grow inside my lungs untrammeled." «Plot» Vegas says, " You are, at least, inoculated with the fungus. Especially you. But what was said previously on LOST was that it takes a long time, months, to kill a metahuman." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I now have greater understanding. So is my plan good?" «Plot» Vegas says, "That's up to your compatriots. Vegas isn't able to move on his own for at least the day after he got shot to shit." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "We execute the above plan! There is careful moving of the injured, less careful but still careful moving of gear, and much rock-clearing to see what the hell that wall is." «Plot» Vegas says, "I'm going to assume you don't rush or use explosives on the collapsed tunnel?" «Plot» Shoeshine says, "We take all due care, because extra time helps Vegas heal to walking." «Plot» Vegas says, "The rock and twisted metal removal takes several hours, but once you begin you see what appears to be a freight elevator behind the blockage." «Plot» Vegas says, "It takes time to clear the wreckage but when you get to the door it appears to be intact and with emergency battery power incase of central base failure. While the battery attached is currently dead you think you could rig up a makeshift from some of the old batteries in storage." Shoeshine huhs. "This might head up to an entirely different location where we could get the drop on the General in case he's planning a double-cross. Shoeshine says "It was probably how they got all the heavy equipment down here." Shoeshine will get to rigging, and now it is reactor time, he thinks. Wily nods, "Excellent idea, lets try to surprise the General. The last thing I want is him quarantining us in a more permanent manner." Shoeshine says "All right, reactor time." «Plot» Vegas says, "TN 6 B/r Electronics to setup the emergency power and make sure the batteries will work" «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics B/R vs TN 6 for "here goes": 3 3 3 4 5 5 = 0 Successes «Auto-Judge[]» Shoeshine (#844) rolls Electronics B/R vs TN 6 for "kp 21": 1 3 4 5 5 5 = 0 Successes «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Stand." Shoeshine tries fiddling with it, and no go. "Dead. If I want up this shaft, it'll be climbing. Fortunately, I have a grappling hook gun." Shoeshine sees if this will allow him a shoot-up and clamp and clamber. «Auto-Judge[]» Indrakshi (#6312) rolls Intelligence vs TN 10: 2 3 4 7 9 = 0 Successes Wily takes a gander at the equipment. Indra just tries to find a place to shove a battery. You'd -think- they'd make these easy to plug in, right? «Auto-Judge[]» Wily (#2519) rolls 4 (skillsoft): 1 2 2 9 «OOC» Wily says, "That 9 should work" «Plot» Vegas says, "Wily makes the hardwired connection." Wily points over shoes shoulder, it’s a dwarf, so it’s easy. "You just crosswired that one, thats all. And I bet that fuse needs replaced." Shoeshine d'oh! Shoeshine thusly discovers again that he cannot do everything. «Plot» Vegas says, "The freight elevator is ready to go up. Now for the reactor. Heading down into the busted elevator shaft will require Athletics TN 6 to keep from falling." «Plot» Vegas says, " It's only a one story fall so failure isn't the end of the world." «OOC» Wily says, "Cant we use the key to dump the reactor?" Shoeshine rigs up his ascent-descent rappelling harness with safeties and rope for the person to go down into the reactor; and will lower Wily in such wise as he can just freaking lower him. «OOC» Vegas says, "The two key locations were Ops and the reactor location, yes." Wily frowns "Why can't we just try that key at the ops room, or the reactor room. Turn it, dump the core. Its not our problem they need a new reactor in here." «Plot» Vegas says, "It seems a solid option" Shoeshine concurs with Wily. "Let's go for it." Shoeshine 's path out is plotted and safe. Indra is prepping her own things…tinkering with a grenade, loading up Gel caps for the pistol…inventorying the Armory and sorting various explosives. Some thing about the General. «Plot» Shoeshine says, "One last thing - is there a wheeled cart of any kind in this place to carry stuff on?" Wily will go over the dump instructions with everyone, then sets up to turn the key as required. "Bombs away." «Plot» Vegas says, "The trick with the key is easy to pull off. You find a small panel and the key opens it. Within is a red plastic cover over the drop mechanism. Lifting it and activating the drop will be as easy as turning the key and waiting ten seconds. After which any emergency power will be activated and the diesel generators will attempt to start. There is a cart in the storage room that can be made into working, wobble and all." Shoeshine will set up the cart with loot so it can be pushed with relative ease. And used for cover for the people who will talk to the General. «Plot» Vegas says, " Long awaited now is the departure, the key is turned and after ten seconds what little lighting remains in the base goes out. A few seconds of utter darkness and silence, the whirring of the aged fans having become something you didn't notice until they stopped totally. Then, almost achingly slow, the base seems to flicker into a half-life. The lights are low and amber toned. Your departure from the base towards the elevator is laborious but soon you're all packed into the freight elevator." Wily moves along, letting the others carry the loot, he is a little frail after all. "Alright, the Generals first instincts will be likely to kill us. So you all will stay back with Vegas, and I'll talk to him." Indra looks at Wily and withdraws her pistols as they ride up. "No. You all stay with Mister Gambler. I'm 'talking' to the general. He will help seal his father's tomb." She says. Shoeshine says "The general is our ride out. I kind of thought that I would go up the frieght elevator and set up an ambush if there was a double cross, and you would have him open up the place from out here. BUT.. since he's also our ride home, I suggest that you not start it unless he's going to."" Wily looks at Indra, and arches a brow. "I think that would be unwise, any harm to the general, and this becomes our tomb too. I'll go ahead and try to reason with him…if it goes bad….then I'm doomed to die here anyhow. I'd rather trust to my ability to reason and negotiate." Indra curls her lips into a smile that she learned from Omen. "We're also infected possibly. He'll make the call before he makes up for his lies and killing many." Besides, they can always contact one of their own friends for an extraction. Even if it might be by road. Shoeshine says "It is important that we not release this stuff into the world, and that we get properly decontaminated." Shoeshine says "Also, he might know about the freight elevator and have someone there too. Who knows." «Plot» Vegas says, "The elevator jams at one point, stopping in its ascent, but soon continues, the old motors and engines shift the load and you four and your haul up towards the surface. As you approach there is a scrape of steel on steel and the elevator rises up into the side of the vast cavernous driving area that you had originally come down before. Ahead of you is the small generator for the inner blast doors and the large vaulted concrete ceiling. There, in brilliant white outlined with standing LED lanterns, is a very large white plastic tent. It's set up and sitting beside it are a pair of people in full-body white suits. Clear masks show you two women sitting there talking while in the distance you see four heavily armored figures in enviro-seal heavy milspec armor. Lastly there is a man wearing enviro-seal milspec armor and a clear hood stepping out of the white plastic tent. On his armor is the insignia of a UCAS full bird colonel." Wily looks to Shoeshine, "Keep her back please, this needs to be handled properly, and the General is not a man who will give in to intimidation." Shoeshine stands ready to manage the Indra. Wily mutters quietly, "If we were to be killed, they wouldn't have bothered with the tents…" Shoeshine likes the way Wily thinks. Indra's eyes narrow a bit at the situation. "Are you so sure? Even dead, our bodies let them destroy Metahumanity and wipe out the AmerInd." Shoeshine murmurs, "Not the human AmerInd." But he's just joking. == The officer, a middle aged ork, walks forward. "You must be the expedition team that was contracted to go down into this facility. Who's your commanding officer?" Shoeshine glances to Wily; a calculated social maneuver. Wily looks over the man, nodding, "We are indeed the independent research team that was contracted to evaluate the situation below. May I ask what has happened since we were down there? I don't recall seeing you before we left." == The Colonel gives a scowl, his creased face looking irritated beyond recognition. He stands between you and the large tent, the two women in the white enviro suits standing and reaching for plainly marked medkits. He holds up a hand to keep the two medics back. From over his shoulder the four armored guards turn and have more than a passing interest in the armed people who showed up from a side they weren't expecting. They tromp into position, "We had a pilot on loan to a retired General Tendai who reported to his commanding officer that he had ferried four people to this facility. He said that he had been ordered by the general not to log this trip, but that was against protocol. That was sent up the chain to his commanding officer and the location inquiry was flagged and they sent me. Eight hours ago I interrogated the General with the assistance of Military Police. After which we were made of aware of no less than eight teams he had dispatched to this facility. An hour ago the sensors in place detected the cessation of the nuclear reactor activity that powered the base." Indra backs up a bit when armed people close in, close to the button to go back down. They may have better luck killing these men in the base then on the surface. Milspec. God damn Milspec. Shoeshine 's moment for possible killing is past. Yes, he could kind of wound those four dudes with his LMG, but that is pretty much exactly prepared for him. And their pleasant manner of speaking indicates that they will be being taken care of… however, the gear they just lifted is kind of illegal, so their chances of truly escaping with it… He settles back to watch the verbal mastery of the expert while beaming happily and being emotionally supportive with his wide, innocent eyes. Wily nods, "We were indeed recruited by General Tendai. We accomplished what the other teams had failed to do. We also have a fungal exposure, a fungus that feeds on magic and even metahuman physiology to the point of causing death. Fungal spores, as your researchers will likely tell you, can spread fast, and live nearly forever in harsh environments. We also have research data on the project. Now, the question is, how will we proceed forward? Be aware, the general locked us down there, and no one is happy at all with the situation." The Colonel looks as though he'd kill for a cigar and someone to shoot. Those situations are far easier than this, but now isn't that time. He gives a nod. "We are aware of the nature of the research at this facility. It's one of many that were established in that era for the purpose of turning the war into something winnable. The fungus is news to us. Here is the current situation. I do not give two fucks about you or what you do. This isn't Seattle or Atlanta or the bugged out remains of Chicago. This is a UCAS facility. If I was the kind of asshole the General is I could have you shot down, close the base off and flood it with one chemical agent or another. But, I'm not that kind of asshole. I'm another kind of asshole altogether. You will be quarantined for two weeks. Your wounds seen to and the infection dealt with. Once you are clean you and any salvage you found, with the exception of any research notes, data downloads, chips, notebooks, or napkins with phone numbers scrawled on them. Your gear will be thoroughly and professionally cleaned from stem to stern and we will have mages on standby to detect fungal spores on you and your gear when you are released. After that you will be returned to…" He goes quiet for a moment, drawing up something from his internal head ware memory, "Denver and let loose into the wild. You will be paid your retainer as agreed upon by the retired general and, as thanks for your work for the UCAS military, we will never speak of any of this again. I am doing this out of the utter and bottomless goodness of my heart. The data wipe is nonnegotiable. That information does not leave here. And if I have to pop off your heads and send them to our lab to make sure any data in any headware is gone, I will not hesitate to do so. Am I clear?" Wily nods "I believe those terms are acceptable, give me a few moments to confer with the others and assure them this will be dealt with in a manner that is beneficial to everyone involved." Shoeshine says, "You seem to be a man of distinction and grace, sir. I find your terms acceptable." Indra is going to have to let the Colonel have her pocsec isn't she? The Colonel scowls and nods, motioning to the medics who step inside the quarantine tent. He steps back and starts a conversation on a throat mic. Shoeshine , as the Colonel turns, says, "Oh, one more thing. We collected identifying information on many of the fallen inside. May we have your assistance in notifying the next of kin?" The Colonel pauses at this, raising an eyebrow, "If possible. Many… independent contractors don't leave much in the way of a paper trail, but we'll give it a try." Indra is going to need to redownload all her music and Desert War clips. Not Happy! Shoeshine may believe that it is contractually required to ask for something else as someone turns away. Especially if it's something that almost requires assent. He beams happily in response. Wily nods to the others, "This seems to be the best solution, we are cured, we get the salvage, and no one has to panic because of an evil anti-magic fungus." Indra glances at Wily and Shoeshine. "They also get our DNA samples and identities." She says. Wily looks to Indra, "You can get a genetic treatment to make that invalid. Its also the military, I'd rather they feel confident they have us….than think we pose a threat." Shoeshine says "It's foolish, but I am going to guess that he doesn't care. Just don't give him all your SINs." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "I believe we have achieved consensus and Indra is only complaining because she likes to?" «Plot» Vegas says, "Pose it" Indra just hopes there isn't alot of injections and blood samples every day for two weeks then! There will be. «OOC» Indrakshi says, "OF COURSE THERE IS" Shoeshine goes along with this plan. He will be appropriately ready to burst into fists of fury if it looks like they're going to be killed or something but again, no reason to have the talk if you have the four guys in heavy milspec. Wily doesn't reall think there is a choice, he will hand over the data, and even let the deck be wiped, he will likely sell it for more cash anyhow. He endures the time spent getting cured of horrid fungi. == Once assent is made the Colonel will give orders and the four guards take their posts again around the outside of the tent. The two medics come out and usher you four into the quarantine tent. During this you have two technicians in similar outfits as the medics come along and begin to stack up and disassemble all the gear in extremely systematic ways. All of your personal effects are taken, cataloged, broken down, and sanitized. For three days you are trapped in that tent in the vaulted pavement chamber. After that you are led, in white gowns, out into a larger positive pressure isolation room. Each of you has a private "room" in the temporary facility and, eventually every scrap of your gear is returned. Many of your articles of clothing are not returned, instead replaced with military issue variations of the same gear. Unless specifically requested most of the clothing was incinerated. Full body scans and physicals as well as bloodwork is done regularly and any body loss due to the fungal infection is relieved. You are also thoroughly scanned for cyberware, limbs, or headware. Any induction jack or visible jack will be pointed out and you will be asked to allow a decker access to purge any information. Pocsecs and any other computers are similarly confiscated and scrubbed. After a week post your surfacing you see a team of ten enviro-sealed soldiers head into the vast vault, each with a flame thrower on their back. For at least two days teams ferry in and out with the same outfits until, finally, the doors are sealed. After two weeks the medics release you, in your new clothing, onto the tarmac that had been the center of operations for this time. You're each checked over by medical mages/shaman with detect fungus as one of their spells. Pronounced clean you are loaded with crates onto the transport chopper. Any artifacts were not returned to you. Indra is going to want her armor back, or have it replaced! «Plot» Vegas says, " Armor is cleaned and given back." Shoeshine has no headware memory, so nothing in there except what he glanced upon - excellent for his personal development but nothing he could change the world with. His armor is off the shelf; a lined coat and winterized industrial coveralls sized to him and so he is totally good with having it replaced. During the day he is prone to singing and working on his song lyrics (helps clear his lungs), plus calisthenics and exercise. During the night, his hands can be seen twitching, moving through shadows of the processes for disarming landmines and grenade bouquets. But soon, these too calm, and he returns from his all-business, somewhat sullen demeanor that the place put him into in to his more cheery Shoeshine Boy aspect. Wily has no issues with all this basically, he simply observes as time goes by there, he even tries to chat up all the people here, who knows, make a new friend. == If nothing of excitement is caused, nothing of excitement happens from this point. You are flown, with the heavy armor escorts, back towards Denver and are dropped off at the airport. Crates of your finds as well as the items you had to begin with are waiting for you. You are also each presented with 10k nuyen on secured credsticks. In each crate is a business card from the Colonel Thomas Cooper with basic contact information. «Plot» Vegas says, " This allows the contact to be purchased with 10k of the run payout." «Plot» Shoeshine says, "Stylish! I will go for that. I could use a UCAS Colonel bastard." «Plot» Indrakshi says, "Oh, I'll snag him as a Contact if he seems like a guy who'd rather pay people to cover up mistakes of the past rather than promote more hate of various racial groups." «Plot» Vegas says, " What he seems like is up to your judgment of what you saw. He didn't show up after his initial offer." «Plot» Vegas says, "Any final questions or concerns before I close the log? Comments?" «OOC» Wily says, "Nope, all good. Thanks for running" «OOC» Shoeshine is delighted and excited and thanks you muchly. «Plot» Vegas says, "Then log is closed." Discussions of the plot and threats listed: In this run the players were sent underground against a variety of threats (Physical and Magical and Psychological) and traps with many many opportunities for catastrophic failure. One failed trap disarming resulted in one character being completely incapacitated for over half the run itself. Numerous areas were dangerous to traverse, the rock slide would have dealt extensive damage to anyone who had used a strength check to shift it and failed or had gotten stuck and had to be freed this way. Had Indrakshi succeeded in pressing the button at the entrance the two twin-linked 30mm machine guns would have likely done severe damage to the players if not killing them outright. In may situations the runners were inventive in overcoming difficult tasks and high TNs throughout the run posed a serious and constant challenge. The fungal spore cloud released by Indrakshi in the hallway potentially could have been fatal to a low-body character without respirator. Shoeshine only suffered minor ill effects due to his resilience. Anyone reduced to 0 body by the spore inhalation would have needed to be tended to or stabilized immediately. While the fungal spores closely resemble FAB they were not based upon that (me having discovered FAB's existance after this run had began). The damage to foci or casters is only seen for active casting or long exposures. Toxicity to metahumans in general requires months. The discussions of vampirism were misinformation, perhaps even the General being mistaken and trying to reason out why his father had survived so long, given to previous runners. The doctor was, in the end, merely an elf who went mad down in the depths of the base as the world moved on without him. The cyberzombie is pieced together from the captured runners or cyberware harvested from the remains. Over the decades he'd had ample opportunity to practice on the original captives or other trapped people with him in the base and later with the Shadowrunners. Extensive weapon caches were found through Roleplay and careful exploration of the majority of the base. At the very end there was some speedy searching done to wrap up what had already been four days worth of RP and a very long plot.