Gene says, "We're here to help.  We need to stop EVE and protect The Computer and its mission.  What happened to EVE?  And who are you exactly?"

The Blue Clearance clone says, "My name is Marv-N-JUS.  I was leading the Indigenous Experimentation project for Project Merger.  We experimented on indigenous species found outside of Alpha Complex to see how we could turn them into servants of The Computer.  EVE was an AI designed to help with the project, but she went haywire.  At first, she tried merging all living things, even the clones, into indigenous and inanimate objects to create 'presents' for The Computer.  Then she started writing love letters over 2 billion words long, filled with images and clogging our computers.  They were all written to The Computer.  The AI EVE somehow thinks it has fallen in love with The Computer, and seeks to have its attention."

He strokes his growth of beard.  "When she got cut off from The Computer a few weeks ago, she started killing the clones, blaming them for hurting her relationship with The Computer. Maybe she was even jealous.  She expanded the Project Merger so that it grew foliage into the halls, used robots as her minions instead of clones, and made the hybrids throughout the biodome that are dangerous to all of us.  I hid in here, and have been here ever since."

He says, "Bring me the datachip labeled 'EVE Project BETA,' and I can install it from here.  It should turn EVE off and stop this madness.  The chip was in R&D with my friend Fred-E-FIN.  I don't know where he put it, but if you can find it, I'll stop this once and for all."

Multicorder on his shoulder, Cop says little, only reaching up to adjust for lighting and sound quality as needed. Capturing the Blue Clones confession makes him smile broadly. Once we had the chip in hand, we could shut this nightmare down and hopefully get back in time for tonight's Teela-O episode.

Marv speaks directly to Copper despite the multicorder, probably because Copper is wearing a green uniform while everyone else is wearing red or yellow.  "I will wait for you here.  Just go get that chip."

"Why don't we go back and explore the weapons research area?" Gene suggests. "We might find this 'Fred' guy over there, not to mention something else that might help us fight EVE."

" Uh yeah, sure!" Cop says, the frame nodding as he agrees that finding the chip is priority to mission completion. He turns the camera on Gene, who also looks to be in agreement. " You remember how to get there? Lead on brave compatriot! We'll find Fred and return directly!"

As a reminder, when you completed decontamination and entered R&D, your choices were:

To your left, a large and friendly sign reads: "WEAPONS RESEARCH"

To your right, another large and friendly sign reads: "BIOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT RESEARCH"

Straight ahead, a sign blazing blue and white neon flashes: "R&D: THE RIDE -- YOUR TOUR STARTS HERE"

You decided to start with the ride, which brought you to the yellow tape marked "UNDER CONSTRUCTION: DO NOT ENTER BY ORDER OF EVE".  You (of course) ignored that warning and met Marv-N.  He said to retrieve the data disk labeled 'EVE Project BETA,' which he last saw being held by his friend, Fred-E, somewhere in R&D.  With the disk, he says he can turn off EVE and end this problem once and for all.

You have now gone back to the area by decontamination and can enter weapons research or the biological enhancement research.

Based on current posts, if no other ideas are presented shortly, we will take the party to weapons research.

"Marv," Vilfred says. "Was Fred more likely to be in the weapons or bio area?" She pauses a moment. "And do you have any advice for us -- or items that might be of use against any hostile hybrids we might encounter?"

Marv says, "I don't know.  We didn't work in R&D.  We were coming here because there is a direct route to the EVE mainframe from R&D, and we thought we could shut her down with the datadisk.  But her minions trapped us.  I escaped here, but I don't know what happened to Fred."

Vilfred nods. "Thanks." She turns to the group. "Shall we start with weapons?"

Cop swings his camera to the left, making sure to zoom in for a close-up of the signage before rolling back to a wide shot as the Team Leader bravely leads her troops into the Weapons Research area. " Commander Vilfred boldly leads her team into the weapons locker of the hybrid enemy..." he narrates as he follows, " An unarmed communist is a communist who cant reach you." he quotes a HPD & MC slogan he had caught last week on the holo-vid monitors.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:01, Sat 21 Feb 2015.

You enter the Weapons Research side of R&D.  Initially, you enter into a small room very similar to the decontamination booth--with a door at each end.  But this is different because the side walls have shelves embedded in the walls like cubby holes.

The far door is closed, and above it is a small video camera and some sort of scanner.  There is also a running ticker with the words:

PLACE ALL WEAPONS IN STORAGE SHELVES BEFORE ENTRY.

You notice that the shelves are of various sizes, and some could hold rifles or larger weapons.  Some are bowl-like to hold round objects (uh...grenades) and keep them from rolling off.  A metal panel is above each shelf, and you can tell it will likely close when weapons are placed.

There is a red button next to the door like a doorbell.  A small sign above it reads: "Push When Ready."

Gene will put all his weapons in the cubbies.  "Well, it looks like we have to go into the weapons research area without any weapons.  I'm not sure if that's ironic or just plain scary, but maybe they will sanitize us all.  As hygiene officer, I order that you all complete your self assessment for cleanliness before we continue."  He demonstrates by doing his own self exam.

Mark shrugs and follows along, first depositing his weapons as required, and then conducting his self inspection.  "All clean, even in places where The Computer's cameras can't see without a probe," he announces.  Though he deposits his weapons, he will keep his laser barrels on him.  The sign never said anything ammunition, after all!

"I'll bet you a credit we find this datachip attached to a dead corpse in here," he says, and then squeaks in nervous fear of what lies ahead.

Cop pulls two green laser barrels and his laser pistol from his pouch, placing the items in a cubby as requested. Perhaps he would find something a little more potent when they gain access to the lab. No matter, he still had his multi-corder running so at least he could shoot something. Checking that his hair was neatly in place and a quick palm breath check, Cop reports to the hygiene officer, " Washed and ready to make a good impression sir!"

Vilfred looks in the bins. Are there already other weapons in the bins? She then places her force sword and pistol body in a bin, noting its location so she can retrieve it later.

She looks around the room for any cameras.

There are two cameras above the door leading into the weapons research area.  There are no other weapons in the bins at this time.

(You need to push the button next to the door to advance when you are ready.)

Growing restless and concerned about the building anxiety in the small room, Cop reaches forward and, ...pushes the button.

After everyone has put their weapons in a slot (as all the slots/cubbies appear empty at this time), the button is pushed.  A brief scanner scans you, and then a buzzer goes off.  The cubbies all close, locking your weapons inside, and the door in front of you opens.

You see a hall open in front of you, with doors roughly 20 feet apart on either side.  Each door has a number and a label written on it, with odd-numbered doors on your left side and even-numbered doors on your right side.  Unlike most areas, the doors are not color coded at all.  You read the doors and find the following:

DOOR 1: "CLOSET." 

Next to this door, you see a clipboard with a paper and pen on it.  The paper reads:  "Please order more..."  and then there are lines to write items needing ordering.    Someone has used the pen to write:

More body bags
[in different handwriting:]Order body bags in bulk
Potatoes
Storage lockers big enough to hide in
Bleach
Painkillers
Turret bases
1 Warbot
Liquid nitrogen container
Antibiotics
Tacos


DOOR 2: "MORGUE"
There is also a clipboard with paper and pen next to this door.  Written on the clipboard are 33 names of clones, and under the names, someone has written:  "(Order more body bags!)"

DOOR 3: "FAKE DOOR."

DOOR 4: "NEUROSCIENCE EXPERIMENTS."

DOOR 5: "SMALL WEAPONS EXPERIMENTS."

DOOR 6:  "SECRET DOOR. Shhh!"

DOOR 7: "NUCLEAR BOMB: PROJECT HOT POTATO"
A sign under that label has been stuck to the door with cheap clear tape that reads: "Also includes miniature singularity experiments. No body bags needed."

DOOR 8: "ARMOR AND ANTI-WEAPONRY"

DOOR 9: "GENETIC AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE: MUTATION EXPERIMENTATION (NON-TRAITOROUS)"

DOOR 10: "CLONE VATS"

DOOR 11: "UNCLASSIFIABLE CLASSIFIED EXPERIMENTS.

DOOR 12: "RESTROOMS: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK."

There is also a door at the far end of the hall with the label "OFFICE."  As you finish reading all the door signs, the door to the office opens, and an ivory-white humanoid robot steps out.  [OOC: it looks something like on the "I, Robot" movie.]  It says in a pleasant alto voice, "May I help you, Troubleshooters?"

You notice there are four security cameras in the hall, one in each far corner.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:46, Sat 14 Mar 2015.

Cop is quick to bring his multicorder to focus on the lists posted near the doors. He zooms in on the listing of the deceased, slowly panning down the page to record each one for later accounting. He uses the lens to capture every door number, every door sign and every hesitation of the team to proceed any further. Growing anxious with the lack of action, he asks, " Do we start with the 'Closet' and work our way down? Or make a stop at the hazardous restroom and work our way back?" capturing a head shot of the Team Leader to register her consideration.

Gene says, "I always start with the bathrooms first.  They are the most conspicuous."  Gene will open the door to the bathroom and pee...I mean... peek inside.

You look into the restroom at the far end of the hall.  As you approach, you find that it is very ominous, like any restroom in Alpha Complex.  Looking inside, you find that...[drum roll please]...it is a bathroom.  Oh, the humanity!  There is a security camera in each corner of the bathroom ceiling.  There are sinks and mirrors, and several stalls.

A green overgrowth is coming from one of the stalls.  Like the previous locker room, it appears to be part of the outgrowth from EVE's experiments that are overtaking the facility.

Nothing else seems amiss or dangerous about the bathroom.

Since no one else is doing anything, Gene will look in the stall.  "A toilet would be the perfect place to hide a computer chip," he ruminates.

OOC: Where is everyone?  The crickets are chirping.

Gene opens the toilet stall and finds...something brown and green growing out of the toilet bowl.  It is one of those plant hybrid things that EVE apparently has been growing all over the place.  It is quite beautiful...almost mesmerizing.

But Gene shakes off the hypnotizing effect of the plant.  (Roll successful.)  There does not appear to be anything else in the bathroom except a small broken scrub bot.  Only its eyes are lit now.  It is about the size of a small cat and repeats in small, high pitched words, "help me, help me, help me."

Cop zooms in on the helpless bot, capturing just how badly the program is being run. If they couldn't maintain their bots, how could one expect proper care for the clones in this sector? " Can we get an Equipment Officer over here to recover this bot please?" he asks, scanning every member of the team. Did we even have a qualified EQ-Guy? Lately it felt the team was making little progress, all of which would be noted in his report with regard to the Team Leader. " We can't just leave it there! That would be a waste of resources!" he pleads.