T-Minus 2 Minutes, 10 Seconds
3 Minutes, 57 Seconds until the elevator reaches the top

Roach and Lot were sent in with the following map marked by X.  As the elevator continues to climb with the party inside and as Viper gathers his things, Roach and Lot check the entrances to both the upload computer and the extraction point.



At the end of the hallway to the south of room 343, there is an unlocked door leading into a large laboratory with steel shelves stacked to the ceiling and various workstations.  This is room E12, where your extraction point will be.  Crates, boxes and other storage bins fill the shelves except where there are occasional countertops and dollies.  The hardline phone is an outside line on a wall mounted unit.  Luckily, it has a dial tone.

There is an unlocked door at the south center of room 329.  Roach and Lot turn the computer on and let it boot up.  It is currently booting up...

X had told them it is after hours and the only ones present are security guards.  The security guard station is at the end of the hall under E10, where there is an exit out of the facility and into the hot Mojave desert.

Back in the elevator, the party counts down the seconds until they reach the top.  Still almost four minutes.  The elevator seems so slow.

And it must be slow...because the figure below is gaining on you.  It is definitely the Agent.  You are sure of that now.  If he continues at his current rate, he will catch up to the elevator in about 2 minutes.  His suit should be in pieces from the grenade and his body ripped apart.  He seems to have some wounds over his body, but he doesn't seem to be in very rough shape, especially considering the 50 foot drop he just survived.  And his suit seems to be in fairly good repair and...in fact, it looks like the suit is repairing itself while you watch.  Of course, maybe that is just a trick of the shadows in the darkness.

Lot and Roach discuss with Grid about finding an alternate computer while this one is still booting up.  They get up to go search...

But then they hear the ding as the northernmost elevators open.  Roach and Lot are standing in the doorway of room 329.  Although the sounds are muted somewhat by the distance, it is obvious what has happened.  The marines have arrived from the lower level!  For the moment, it appears that they are simply gathering their supplies and unaware that anyone is on the upper floor.

And 2325 feet below them, Viper is still on the lower level.  If he does not get out of the blast radius soon, he will surely be killed.

T-Minus 2 Minutes, 5 Seconds
3 Minutes, 52 Seconds until the elevator reaches the top

NOTE:  When I close a thread, it may not show you any new postings since the last time you read it.  Therefore, make sure you have read all of the postings in the previous thread (Log 1-9, etc.) even if it doesn't show a new post.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:02, Tue 22 June 2004.

Jade looks up at the hatch on top of the elevator.  "I wonder if I should get back up there and lay down some heavy fire on this guy.  I've also got one more grenade left."

Laz's gaze went back and forth between those in the elevator with him. He had listend intently to everything Lot and Roach had told them and he was worried. "So, what are we going to do, we need some distraction that won't put anyone's life on the line, we've lost too many today."

Lot hovers near the exit to the computer room attempting to build up enough nerve to begin his search for a backup computer.  His hand grasps for the handle slowly as if he were slowly winning a contest of will over fear.  As his hand clasps on the handle he suddenly cocks his head to one side as if a sudden realization has hit him.

One word passes his lips in a slow hiss "Binary."

Lot looks at the door handle with a new resolve and pushes his way through with a determined stride.

Roach quickly grabs Lot before he can go search.
"Wait, where are you going? There are marines out there! How the hell are we going to get rid of them before the others arrive?" He says in a paniced whisper.

"Yeah, I'd love to, Mitose, but X has to activate the exit, remember?"

Viper hesitates for a moment. He'd planned to get out on the line the team had originally came in on, but with X temporarily out of communication, that was impossible. There was no telling when he'd be able to activate the exit. With barely more than two minutes remaining till the other bomb went off, it wasn't much of an option. And there was no way the other elevator would get hem away fast enough. No help for it, though. There wasn't time to disable it.

Viper sprints for the second elevator. Once inside, he punches the button for up and then clambers through the hatch, pulling himself hand over hand up the ascending cable.

OOC:  Where is the northmost elevator located exactly? I didnt see anything clearly marked on the maps.

IC:

"The marines have their timing down to the second.  They will leave before the elevator arrives if we just sit tight.  However, after what they did to Xan and Twitch... I dont know if im going to let them." replies Lot between clenched teeth.

T-Minus 1 Minutes, 50 Seconds
3 Minutes, 37 Seconds until the elevator reaches the top

Viper sprints to the elevator and punches the button.  It begins to rise.  He looks at the cables and realizes that the bundled hoist cables are moving quickly with the elevator, both up and down.  To climb them while the elevator is moving would present a serious risk of his fingers being ripped off.  Nevertheless, he remembers X's statement that if he defused the first bomb, then the elevators should be safe to ride in.  Also, ten feet to the east, the emergency stairs climb upward.

Far above, Viper can see the pinpoints of light from the flashlights of his companions.

The other elevator continues to rise with the Agent running up the stairs after it.

As Lot sneaks up behind the marines, he sees that they are laying out their wounded and stacking their gear.

"Less than two minutes," one of them in demolitions gear says.

"Where are the medics?" the sergeant says, holding his wounded hand.

"On route," someone answers.  "This is not a military installation."

"This has gone to hell in a handbasket," the Sergeant comments.  "I think someone lied to us.  They didn't seem hostile unless confronted.  And who are these NSA agents interfering with our operation?  Something's not right.  Do we have radio contact with the Colonel?"

"No, sir.  For some reason, our radio transmissions are not going through."

"Impossible.  Something's not right," he repeats.  "Well, for now, we wait for the medics and stick with our operational plans.  No deviation, do you hear me?  Not without authorization."

You hear "yes, sir" from the others.

"Demolitions team.  Prepare to move out after detonation."

[Note that the northern elevators are immediately to the west of the northern stairs.  There are two sets of elevators.  As described previously, they are highly guarded by a security station, so the elevators do not go all the way down or all the way to the top.  There is an interim security post one floor down (or up from the bottom floor).  Also, remember that the Agent that took Binary was in the second elevator leaving a little after the marines.]

[Currently, the wounded are being treated by the squad medic, who is immobilizing them and administering morphine shots.  The Sergeant does not appear to be interested in receiving a shot.  There are three other marines helping the wounded.  The demolitions team moves back to the stairs and descends to monitor the detonation.]



T-Minus 1 Minute, 35 Seconds
3 Minutes, 22 Seconds until the elevator reaches the top

Lot slinks slowly back several paces away from the corner from where he was spying on the marines.  Quietly he whispers into his headet to the others.

"Unless someone disarms the second bomb I wouldnt be caught in that elevator when it goes off. I suggest you get off at the next stop and stay ahead of that agent on the stairs.  The marines have stuck around to monitor the detonations and I suspect they will investigate any interuptions.  Too bad for these chumps... Roach, time to get our hands dirty."

Returning to his vanatage point Lot levels his pistol at the marines and releases the safety.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:51, Thu 24 June 2004.

Grid gaze drifted from Jade to Laz and finally to Mitose.  "Looks like we need to get off, and now."

"Don't do anything hasty with the marines Lot." Grid continues as he prepares to exit the lift on the next floor, "I don't think they'll cause us any problems if we give each other a wide enough berth.  We do however, have to worry about that strange Agent.  He's catching the lift by running up the stairs, and he's looking just fine after a 50 foot drop into an elevator shaft.  Can you give us back up at our stair entrance?"

"This is too bloody weird...." he says almost as an afterthought.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Thu 24 June 2004.

Sorry if this wasn't clear.  There are only two floors serviced by the freight elevators.  The lower floor and the upper floor.  There are no interim floors.

Lot waits with pistol ready.  The three healthy marines have M-16's slung over their shoulders, a pistol at their waist, and several grenades.  The squad medic is armed in the same manner, although his M-16 is laying on the ground while he treats the men.  The Sergeant is holding his pistol in his good hand since Viper hit him in the off hand.

Laz looks at Grid and smiles, "that isn't the half of it."

Grid returns Laz's smile.  "Oh good."

The big man then moves and pulls himself with ease out of the hatch door in the top of the lift.  He then prepares to jump from the top of the lift to the stair well as the first opportunity.

After a lot of hesitation, Roach gives an exapserated sigh and sneaks to Lots location.
"Are they gone yet?" He asks.

Grid's warning falls on deaf ears as the combination of fear and fury fuel Lot's bloodlust.  "Its time Roach" is his only response before he begins his merciless attack on the ignorant, but not innocent, slayers of his brothers in arms.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:30, Fri 25 June 2004.

As Grid scrambles up to the elevator hatch, Jade grabs him by the leg.  "No, don't!" she says.  "Let's try with the grenades again first.  It worked last time.  There's no way you'll stand up against him."  She pats the grenade clipped on her belt.

Laz looks up at Grid and says, "Jade is right, stay here." He taps the disks and says, "these are important as well as the knowledge we have gained about that Agent, they will help others more than another death."

This is just a little about the logistics.  I will make an official post tomorrow after giving everyone a chance to determine their actions.

One item to note:  There is no actual immediate danger to any party members until around the time of detonation, which is about when the Agent will reach the elevator.

Lot is peering around the northwest corner of room 401.  Roach is just behind him.  The soldiers are about 10 feet away where the arrow and the "F" are located.  Of the active soldiers, the sergeant is leaning down to help a wounded soldier 12 feet from Lot.  Another marine is standing about 8 feet away staring down at the body he just dropped on the floor.  The second marine is about 15 feet away watching the demolitions team go down the hall.  And the last marine is the squad medic putting pressure on a wound he binding 20 feet away.  The demolitions team is moving east down the long corridor under E10.  There is a light at the end of the east edge of E10 where the security office is located with bulletproof windows looking out onto the corridor.

At the first elevator, the upper hatch is open as Grid is starting to climb out.  Mitose, Laz, and Jade are also inside the elevator.  The Agent is about 80 feet below climbing up the adjoining emergency stairs.  There is a solid wall in front of and behind the elevator (i.e. not just an open shaft all around).  On the other side of the elevator is a deep shaft with an elevator cable going down to elevator #2 where Viper is riding up.

One point to note.  If a character is going to jump from the elevator to the stairs, it may be dangerous.  It is one thing to jump off the stairs down onto the rising elevator.  It is another thing to jump from an elevator moving up into a narrow space onto the walkway without the risk of not making it in time (or safely) and possibly being decapitated by the moving elevator.  (Although this risk might not be very high for one with a high dexterity.)

There is only one main door to the elevators that opens at the top and bottom floors only (i.e. there is not a front and back door on the elevators).  The elevators are metallic grating-like industrial material with about 1/2 inch spaces in which you can see a full 360 degrees around you.  There is an emergency hatch at the top of each elevator.

Viper is standing on top of his elevator.  He could not climb the winch cable without risk of injuring his hands.  The second elevator is far below the first.

House Rule:  I've decided for modifiers that the rate of bullet time will be subtracted from any dodge or parry rolls for melee combat.  Example, if you are using Focus skill at 3 turns/second, then any dodge, parry or active defenses like that would be at a -3 modifier.

Remember, the same will apply to you if an enemy is in bullet time, but you can cancel out a portion of this modifier by also entering bullet time.

If you have any opinions about this or think it should be different, post a message on the OOC board.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:53, Fri 25 June 2004.

Mitose breifly considers the minor struggle, and nods in agreement with Lazarus.  "You're both right, but that doesn't change the fact that this 'Agent' took a grenade hit, and not only rebounded, but charged up the stairs fast enough to nearly catch us."

He gingerly moves to have a closer look, "It's one thing for one of us to rebound from, say, an oblique grenade burst, quite another to get a solid hit that blows you down an elevator shaft." Mitose regards te others, "Somethin's not right with this guy...and while I don't agree Grid should be leaping to the rear cover action, something needs to be done to slow that Mook down."

Jade says, "If we can knock him down again, then there's no way he could catch up to us in time.  We're hundreds of feet up now.  Besides, everything can be destroyed.  Right?"  She pulls out her next grenade.

Unaware of the impending grenade games, Viper kneels on the top of his elevator and trys to get a steady shot on the running agent. "C'mon, you jerk.. walk into it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:50, Fri 25 June 2004.

T-Minus 1 Minute, 2 Seconds

A shot rings out.  Lot has successfully aimed for and hit the head of the sergeant, who slumps over, dead.

Lot switches to bullet time and, in a flash he has got the nearest marine in an armlock, has swivelled, pinned the man against him as a human shield, and is aiming at the soldier facing the guard station.

T-Minus 59 Seconds

Lot fires and makes a direct hit in the marine's back as he is turning. [23 HT damage.]  The marine slumps over, bleeding and unmoving.

The medic is spinning around.  He has dropped his syringe and lifted his M-16, rolling as he does so into the hall from the stairwell.

The demolitions team has also heard the shots.  They are crouching and drawing weapons down the hall.

T-Minus 58 Seconds
2 Minutes, 45 Seconds until elevator 1 reaches the top

The rest of the team feels helpless because no one except Roach can be of any help.

But the Agent is slowly gaining.  He is about 50 feet below the first elevator.

[OOC: I'm not sure what the final decision about grenades or Grid was.]