" It's also none of the registered spectrum colors for a non-mutated citizen." Copper points out to the Happiness Officer. Being gold, it is not an easy classification to make when it comes to the color-coded hierarchy we all know and love. " No, no non-registered mutations. I was sampled and classified before being deployed. To think otherwise would be to think the Computer made a mistake, ...I'm sure that's NOT what you meant!" he says with a small chuckle. He slips the gold pill into the zippered pocket over his heart. Better to keep it out of greedy traitor hands for the moment, they could analyze it - or possibly use it - later.

Gene leaves them to bicker and checks out the computer in the vat room.

Mark watches Copper carefully but then decides to open the door to Unclassifiable Classified Experiments.  "I'll bet you a credit we find something to defeat Eve in a place like that," he says, and then squeaks nervously as he opens the door to see what lies beyond.

The computer in the vat room is on standby mode.  It does not have a keyboard but instead appears to use biometrics, which strikes you at odd given all the robots running around here.  There is a handpad to place your hand for scanning, and a computer screen that currently has a screensaver of red clones swimming around a fish tank.

Mark opens the door to "UNCLASSIFIABLE CLASSIFIED EXPERIMENTS."  It opens into a short 8 foot long hall that leads to a security door.  Above the security door, two video cameras point down at you.

The security door itself is closed.  Next to it is a keypad for entering a passcode.  The security door is also made of transparent material.  it leads into a dark hallway.  At the far end of that hallway, you see the red light of another security camera pointed toward you.

But even more immediately, directly on the other side of the door, you see the rotting corpse of a Blue-clad clone.  He does not appear to have been dead for long.  His hands and face are pressed against the plexiglass as if he was trying to push through to escape when he...died or was killed or whatever.  You can't make out much about his features, other than they show an expression of extreme horror and duress.  But you can also make out his nametag pressed against the glass.  It reads 'Fred-E-FIN.'

The multicorder aimed across Marks shoulder to get a nice POV shot, Cop comments, " Ewww... gruesome. Wonder why nobody's cleaned that up yet, think Fred is a recent expiration? What's with the palm-scan? I've seen only robots up to this point." He records both the horrified corpse and the rest of the equipment as he narrates, finally pulling back to a wide shot as he asks Mark, " You going to open the next door? Go ahead, I'll document everything you find." He shifts into black and white, for dramatic staging and also to lessen the impact of any gory discoveries.

Mark says, "That's the guy we were supposed to find.  Now let's see if we can't get this security door to open." Mark will try to open the security door, see if the locks work, and generally make himself look like he knows what he's doing around security doors.

The door appears to be a fairly secure lock.  The only way to enter is probably to enter the right code into the keypad.

 Vilfred, frowns thinking. "What were the numbers that Max said when we freed him?" she muses, struggling to remember. "Was it: 34, 21, and 1.6190476?"

Gene says, "Yes, let's plug them in and see if they open the security door."  He will punch each of the numbers in the keypad one at a time.

The code 3421 opens the door, and the blue clad clone, dead for awhile now, flops down onto the floor in front of you.

The open door also now leads to a corridor beyond.  Obviously, that is the corridor where Fred here was apparently killed.

OOC: Hopefully, we've still got a group here.

Cop shoulders the multi-corder, capturing the toppling of the corpse and a wide shot of the corridor beyond. He scans back down, shifting through the various settings to insure he catches all the graphic detail of the corpse while silently waiting to see how the Team Leader will handle the discovery of the clone they were sent to find.

Gene also stands back waiting.  "Team leader, I recommend you let me search the corpse.  This is a hygiene issue since the corpse could be rotting and subject to germs that could infect and take out the valuable troubleshooters of the COmputer.  As hygiene officer, I will ensure all hygiene and sanitation steps are taken in the inspection of the corpse."  He waits for a response.

Vilfred nods, as she looks around. "After you!"

You search through Fred's decaying corpse and find two things:

1 - a small data drive marked "EVE Project Beta"

2 - A folded note next to the drive that reads:  "If found, please revive me in the nearest cloning tank.  My revival number is 1.6--"

The last part of the note is smeared, so you don't know what numbers follow the "6."

You also notice that Fred's uniform is torn and it looks like he was attacked by...something--something with long teeth or claws.  And parts of Fred look burnt too.

With the security door now open, you also can hear down the hall.  You hear a "thump," followed a moment later by another "thump."  Then you hear an unsettling and fast-repeating clicking sound, something that might be made by a strange exotic creature.  But you can't see what comes after the turn in the hallway ahead, as it veers sharply to the right.

You do, however, see a dried trail of old blood leading from Fred down the hall, and down the right hand turn of the corridor.  You also notice unnatural scorch marks on the wall.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:09, Fri 12 June 2015.

Cops attention - and that of the view finder - is on the note. He zooms in, reads it over twice before turning the camera toward the Team Leader. " That smudged encode number on the note, ...you think it might be 1.6190476? Should we close this up go back to the vats and punch it in? Might give us some insight to talk with the deceased." he suggests, " Unless you'd rather have Gene take point and clean this corridor first."

Gene says, "Wait.  Copper is the registered mutant.  What's your mutation again anyway?  Could it be useful here?  Maybe Copper should take point.  If nothing else, he can get a good record of whatever is down that hall on video for The Computer."  He turns to Vilfred for her decision.

Cop takes a moment to step around to the other side of the lens after setting the multi-corder on the tripod. He smiles, leaning to one side at an unnatural angle. He straightens and then leans over backwards, curling like a snail to peek out from between his own legs. " Contortionist. Every bone rubberized for greater range of flexibility. he responds, proud to show off his registered advantage, " Not much use in hall cleaning."

Mark's eyes open.  "Wow!" he says, before remembering that mutations were a bad thing. "I think that is a perfect mutation for peeking around the hall.  Then just use your rubberized bones to dodge anything that comes your way.  What do you think, team leader?"

As you sit and debate who should investigate, the "thump" and the clicking increase and then suddenly stop.  Staring fixedly ahead down the hall, you see nothing but then hear a loud exhalation like a horse's breath.  Then the clicking starts again.

Just then, two large tentacles--wait, those aren't tentacles, they're overly thick vines--fly out into the far end of the hall--wait maybe, they are tentacles--

Whatever they are, they are thick as a clone's thigh, are both green and pinkish like a vine mixed with an octopus tentacle.  Following the tentacle come two giant sized pincers, like those from a lobster but large enough to chop a clone in half.  Eyes on the ends of stalks peer around the corner toward you.  The rest of the body is still hidden.

Cop quickly draws his laser, checking that it has a fully charged barrel before aiming it into the corridor. " Permission to destroy the monster?" he asks the Team Leader with an unsteady voice, his eyes large and carefully watching the parts he could see. The multi-corder was catching it all from the tripod, so Cop stands ready to grab and go if the creature gets any closer.

Gene also holds up his laser and points it at the creature while waiting for the okay to fire.

Mark also gets his gun ready. "Uh, team leader, what do you say? I don't want to die another death right here, even if the vats are right next door."

The others may be waiting for Vilfred to respond, but the giant hybrid creature is not.  Its tentacles whip out as it pulls itself into the hallway.  What you see defies description (but I will do my best):

It has two front pincers like a lobster, that could each tear a man in half.  It has four long tentacles that look half-octopus, half-plant vines, and it uses these along the walls to pull itself along, using the suction cups accordingly.  The rest of its body comes into view and you see that its main body appears more like a vehicle--metal, rolling on tank tracks.  And it has a scorpion like tail about 8 feet long with both an attached laser rifle mounted on it and a row of needle-like spikes protruding from what looks to be a long cactus.  Its eyes are video cameras on the ends of long stalks and its mouth is a long, horizontal speaker.

The thump had been its tentacles slapping against the walls to pull it along.

The clicking was actually coming from the speaker, like feedback.  The clicking stops and a robotic voice says, "Destroy all clones.  By EVE's command.  Long live The Computer."

It begins moving toward you some more, filling most of the corridor with its massive frame.  It is about 30 feet away...

The monster's intent is clear and captured for the record. The team is in imminent danger and the team leader is unresponsive. Knowing there's a time to shoot with the recorder and a time for the gun, Cop opens fire on the approaching terror... ZZAP!

Gene follows Copper's lead.  "Now is the time to be a coherent team in service to The Computer!" he screams, followed by nervous laughter.  He fires at the creature, making sure Copper or Mark or someone else is actually standing a little more in front of him when the thing attacks.