Re: Heat a Cold, Burn a Fever...
With the aid of the CRIT potions Sunphoenix, Nightmare, and Oscillator are quickly healed while Onyx only has a few scrapes and bruises left. Vosper of course rapidly heals up as she always has. Poco and Inhuman will need more time and medical intervention to get back to their peak and everyone is exhausted to different degrees.
While Oscillator and Nightmare are down placing the charges the scientists and staff make their way up in small groups over the next few minutes. It is obvious they are non-combatants as they look fearful of the group. However when they look to Bear and he nods with a smile they appear to relax. They gather all the soldiers, one of which is just barely hanging on and begin giving medical attention. Sufficient medical supplies are found topside for both the team and the Soviets as well as what the scientists bring up. The team repairs the damage done to the wiring so the barracks and mess will have heat and power until the Soviets are rescued.
Down in the lab Nightmare and Oscillator make sure all notes and research materials are placed centrally. They take note of the quarantine area with multiple airlocks and special biosuits and see the pigs and primates within, most in varying degrees of illness. Using the biosuits they are able to place thermite charges within the quarantine area as well. After doing this they use the extensive disinfection procedure and get back to the main lab.
Bear does inform the team that it is highly likely Whisper will be getting reinforcements and returning to the facility. He estimates it could be within 30 minutes, possibly less. Fortunately Oscillator and Nightmare are able to place the charges and Inhuman's inspection shows they are right where they need to be. Making sure the Soviets (aside from Bear and Caress of Steel) are safely in the barracks the team sets off the charges in order. Initially nothing is heard or felt (although Oscillator does feel some vibrations through the group) as the thermite charges go off. Moments later however the thermobaric charges detonate with everyone feeling the effects. The entire central facility collapses downwards about 10 feet or so as the lab level is collapsed upon itself by the thermobaric charges, burying all of the incinerated research a few hundred feet below the icy ground. The two Soviet supers sigh for a moment then nod slowly, shrugging their shoulders in unison.
As the team prepares to leave Inhuman offers to any scientist, soldier, staff, or super the opportunity to come with the team to the United States. Everyone declines however, with a lot of talk about family back in the USSR and the amenities made available to them that the average citizen never has. It is somewhat obvious that a few are taking the lead from Bear and Caress of Steel but none can be swayed and all choose to remain. Bear salutes Inhuman and nods to the others on the team, leading Caress of Steel towards the barracks as the team starts to head west towards the snowmobiles.
The team gets to the snowmobiles with no issues (well aside from the cold and wind) and head back towards the rendezvous spot. Oscillator is able to sense some vibration from the east, possibly choppers from the feel of it and informs the others. The team is able to make it to the rendezvous and the choppers are apparently well-behind, probably stopping to check on the Soviets at the facility. Everyone feels Ramesses presence in their minds and the gateway opens. The team rides into the SMITE base and as the last snowmobile makes it through the gateway closes behind it. The commanding soldier at the base says that the team will be expected in the Ready Room in the morning and encourages people to stop by the infirmary as well as getting a night's sleep. He lets the team know they will be called to the Ready Room at 0800 hours.
OOC: OK here is the big wrap-up of the Antarctic mission. Everyone can feel free to post in the SMITE Base and HQ thread in the interim and I will let everyone know when to start posting in the Ready Room thread for the debriefing.
It has already been handed out but I am posting it here too: 1230 xp each from defeating the Soviets plus an additional 1000 xp for completing the mission objective.
Good job everyone and now for a bit of the old downtime, in part so the GM can figure out the next mission.