Recap & Disposition

After a series of contentious confrontations and a heartfelt reunion, our heroes find themselves huddled in a cramped conference room within the small Braeburn base belonging to Abe and the rest of his underground movement designed to wrest Apex from power and return Titan to normal rule of law under Braeburn's usual principles and policies.

Huck and Candy, Abe's confederates, are seated on either side of the man. They have long since stopped contributing to the ongoing planning and strategy session, and are noisily consuming synthesized corn chips while the others continue to put together a cohesive strategy.

To Candy's left sits Kayla, her arms folded across her chest and her feet kicked up onto the table itself. An expression filled with wry amusement dances across her features, and she shakes her head quietly from time to time in response some unseen input -- likely from Madisyn, the ever-enigmatic AI living in her bracer.

Barachiel stands near the doorway, leaning ever-so-slightly against its frame while with his vision fixated on the digital screen on which much of the planning is taking place. He nods and frowns from time to time, but rarely speaks aloud.

Bradford and Whitney, a mechanic and technician on loan from SAGE to oversee the Plasma Drive's operation, are only somewhat more engaged, with the latter looking longingly at the corn chips while the former looking longingly at Hadrian, the boy genius whose bluish eyes haven't stopped glowing since he consumed the Roshak artifact Abe smuggled out of Apex's Compound.

Strictly speaking, Bradford isn't staring at Hadrian himself, but rather at the curious purple gem he carries -- for an entity know as Muse lurks within, and the gifts he bestows upon his wielder are not the sort of thing one tends to forget.

Rebecca and Fiernas are on hand, as well, standing near the digital screen alongside Billy and Xander. Fiernas's cyberpups lounge nearby, yet somewhat remain out of the way -- a feat of engineering nearly as complex as those holding their bodies together.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:20, Tue 27 Mar 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 1):

Are we finally agreed, then?

The voice belongs to Sophia, Xander's constant AI companion.

"Billy, Muse, and Hadrian will return to the Compound by a direct way, claiming to have broken free of Abe's resistance forces in order to gain or retain Apex's trust for long enough to steal the data we need to convince the Roshak none of this is humanity's fault?"

The screen splits into quarters, with the names listed appearing in the upper left.

"Meanwhile, Rebecca will attempt to simulate a Roshak invasion by charging Percy straight toward the gates. This will pull personnel away from the hangar, providing a distraction for the third team..."

Rebecca's name appears in the upper right.

"...which is nearly everybody else. Bradford, Whitney, Barachiel, Kayla, Fiernas, Xander, and myself. We'll be infiltrating the hangar using the tunnels and the distraction for cover. The goal is to retrieve the transport and, with it, both the plasma drive and Abraxis."

The names appear in the bottom left, and then the bottom right quadrant lights up.

"Abe, Huck, Candy, and their remaining forces will orchestrate a disruptive attack of their own at the same time. This will draw further defenses away, and hopefully facilitate their re-taking of the Compound, or at least parts of it, from Apex and the forces loyal to her. They will also be responsible for activating the Zord Protocol should the mechs need to be turned off en masse."

The names appear as bidden, and the screen pulses.

"We will remain in contact via encrypted comms. It's not perfect, but that's the best we can do. We also have four portable jammers Abe and his people use for infiltration and two 'scrubsuits' that render the wearer invisible to the Compound's cameras. They will need to be deployed among the groups wisely."

"Once the data has been collected and the shuttle has been retrieved, a command decision will need to be made about whether or not Abe's team or Rebecca will need to be evacuated. If we're able to secure the entire Compound, it may not be necessary. But as of now, we are planning to air-lift everyone out as soon as possible. Abe's team will use their vehicles to attempt a mid-air rendezvous. Rebecca's EVA suit is equipped with thrusters. Billy and Hadrian will have to find a way to get themselves airborne if we have to take off before they can reach the ship."

"Once we're all back on the ship, with the data in hand, we'll set course for the Goethe, reconnect with the alien diplomats, and resolve this whole mess bloodlessly."

There's a pause.

"Does that cover everything we discussed?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Billy says, flopping into a chair and kicking his feet up onto the table mirroring Kayla's posture before raising his hands up and tucking them behind his head confidently, "How long will it take for everyone to be ready?  Couple hours?"

We're ready to go whenever, Xander confirms. Already anxious being gone from Abraxas this long.

"I'm sure your boyfriend will survive," Billy replies with a chuckle.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 5):

Abe provides Fiernas with a list of Topstation's equipment and assets -- nothing fancy, though perhaps he'll be able to find the specifics he's looking for among the jumble.

"The best time to enter the Compound's tunnels is early in the morning," Abe says. "We could plan to begin our infiltration by sending the Data Collection Team in a few hours, with the rest of the covert teams following late tonight/early tomorrow."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:33, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 6):

"Works for me," Hadrian nods. "I'm ready to go when you are," he says to Billy.

Hadrian frowns as a thought occurs to him.

"I will require a repaired EVA suit, however. One with its faceplate, comms, and such intact."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:43, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

“Sorry kid, but you’re going to have to get back in the one you came in.  Unless you have an explanation for how you got a change of clothes in the middle of a firefight.  You can cut the arms loose and peel the tape off the helmet while we get ready.  Once we get back to the complex you can swap out for a working radio.”

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 8):

"What if something happens while we're heading back?" Hadrian asks, annoyed. "Or what if we have to split up, or exchange any meaningful communication along the way? We will not be able to coordinate. I could easily claim to have stolen a suit from our captors on the way out."

He mutters something about unacceptable risks, but nonetheless begins to peel the tape off his old suit's faceplate.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:19, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

"Well, let's not get split up before you get a radio then," Billy says with a shrug and a tight smile accompanying a pointed look.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 10):

In short order, Hadrian has restored his EVA suit to its expected mobility and visibility, apart from some leftover residue here and there on the face plate from Fiernas's heavy-duty space tape. When he asks for solvent to correct this, Abe cautions that what they have on hand would strip the face plate's polarizing coating off along with the glue.

This elicits a heavy sigh of resignation from the boy, but he puts the gear on as instructed. He also makes sure to secure the purple gem that is Muse prior to getting into the EVA suit.

"So, are we walking, or did we 'steal' a hovercraft?" he asks.

With his and Hadrian's role apparently decided and no gross objections Billy slips out of the conference room while Hadrian works on his tape problems.  He finds his way back to the Archive terminal Abe gave access to earlier and  fiddles with it for most of the time it takes Hadrian to get dressed.   When Hadrian finds him and poses his question Billy stands up from the console and looks thoughtful, "I dunno, you guys walked right?  How long did it take you?  I mean, if we show up all breathless and tired it'd sell things a bit more, but I'd really rather not be breathless and tired," he thinks out loud as he retrieves his own EVA and puts it on in no real hurry.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 12):

"It couldn't have been more than 4 hours," Hadrian says. "But I don't know in which direction. You'd have to ask them."

He nods toward Fiernas.

"Four hours?!" Billy groans petulantly, "Fuck that.  We're getting a ride."

"It was a little bit of a hike," Fiernas confirms.  Then to Abe: "Will your hovercraft work overland?"

He takes a few minutes and goes over the station manifest that Abe has given him, marking down a list of a few items that he'll want before they go.  Partway through he frowns and gestures to Hadrian to let him see Muse for a moment so he can run some things by him.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 15):

Hadrian has no problem allowing Fiernas contact with Muse as desired.

"The rest of us should get ready, as well," Abe says, rising to his feet. "We'll aim to leave late this evening so we can reach the tunnels by early morning."

"Copy that," Fiernas answers Abe.  He cradles Muse and leaves the group to go gather some of the equipment that he's looking for.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:36, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 17):

Hadrian finishes getting dressed, waits for Billy to do the same, and lingers by the exit.

"So...are we leaving Muse with Rambo, or waiting?" he asks Billy. His eyes flicker bluish. "It's all the same to me."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:18, Thu 29 Mar 2018.

"You saw the teams," Billy crosses his arms standing near Hadrian, "No offense, but after all that alien orb nonsense we've still got trust issues and I'd appreciate a psychic crystal to help with an even keel."  He looks back toward the rest of the small compound impatiently as he waits for the return of the sentient jewel.

Rebecca is grim and gets ready mostly in silence. As the team gets themselves prepared she hugs each member who came into the room with her and polite goodbyes to those who were not.

Billy returns Rebecca's hug and puts his hand on her helmet, jostling it gently in an approximation of mussing her hair.   As he and Hadrian continue to wait he nudges the young man with his elbow, "Hey about those trust issues.  I realize you were kinda literally dragged into this and don't have all the convictions that Abe and them do.    I dunno what's gonna happen to Titan when all's said and done; you might not be able to just run your experiments like you want.  Choosing to do the right thing has risks, but being forced to do the right thing shouldn't cost you your career.  I'm just saying if there's nothing for you here when this is over, I might be able to get a guy with a little knowledge and a lot of interest in aliens and alien technology a job involving a lot of aliens and all the alien technology they'll give us."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 21):

Hadrian nods thoughtfully at Billy's statement, managing to look intrigued and concerned all at the same time.

"That would be an offer worth consideration, once additional data have been collected. Thank you."

Fiernas pokes his head back into the room to ask for Kayla and Whitney to help him with something. They nod and depart, following him.

"Doesn't look like he's done with Muse yet," Hadrian observes.

Billy sighs, “What the hell is he even doing?” Billy follows after Whitney and Kayla to see what Fiernas is actually up to, “Hey, space rock’s got a job to do. What’s the hold up?” Billy holds his hand up as if expecting Muse to be tossed his way like a baseball.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 23):

Billy soon discovers that Kayla and Whitney have been asked to help Fiernas with a project that appears to involve converting a pile of construction-grade blasting charges into objects that look a lot like grenades.

Fiernas barely looks up at Billy, busy as he is with the explosives and electronics that he's taken from the station stores.  "What's the job?" he asks absently.  Leo picks up a small case of equipment in his mouth and walks it over to Fiernas, who scratches him behind the ear as thanks.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:17, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

Billy's hand drops as he stares at Fiernas flatly, "We're going to sneak into the compound.  There was a meeting.  And a board.  It had names written on it and everything.  Why are you making IEDs?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

Fiernas stares at Billy for a second.  When he finally speaks, it's in the slow, patient tone of a father speaking to his child.  "Billy.  I know what you and Hadrian are going to do.  What job do you have for Muse, specifically?"

He survey's the group's work with satisfaction.  "These are for firepower.  We keep getting into situations where we need a little fire and thunder, and I'd rather not run out."

"Muse is going to babysit Hadrian.  You're the one who doesn't trust the kid!  What are you going to do with him?" Billy holds his hands out in exasperation at Fiernas's sudden alteration to the plan after the discussion.  "What situations have you been getting into?  In my experience fire and thunder get people killed.  Didn't you say something about Penny building a bomb and causing problems?" he points at Kayla.  "The idea is stealth, not fire or thunder.  You get that, right?"

"I have every confidence that you can babysit Hadrian on your own.  You'll do just fine."

"Oh, I'd rather not use it, believe me.  I prefer a soft step.  But I'm not getting trapped behind a steel door again.  Or taking on an alien behemoth without some real punch in my pack."  He doesn't pause what he's working on.

"Yeah, that's great I appreciate you confidence," Billy says in a tone suggesting he does not particularly care about Fiernas's confidence, "but I would prefer a psychic entity to deal with the psychic boy of dubious loyalty.  Also, I don't trust him around anyone willing to use high explosives.  There's a bad precedent for that.  So unless you actually have something that requires Muse, fork him over."

"I do, actually."  He carefully arranges another completed charge on a belt harness that he's rigged up for his exosuit.  A secure grid of spare charges is already laid out in his pack.

"Do you want to share with the class?" Billy spreads his arms broadly, glancing between Fiernas and the two techs  for support.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 32):

"Penny tried to rig a military missile so it would fire without the ship's input," Kayla says, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "That was NEVER going to work, and if she'd ask me I'd have told her. Hell, D would have told her if he wasn't being jammed six days 'til Sunday."

She gestures at one of the objects on the table.

"But Barachiel's breacher rounds are the only reason we were able to escape the Compound in the first place," Kayla explains, stepping back from the worktable and wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "He says he's out of them now. But Abe already had these construction-grade materials laying around, so Fiernas thought it might be a good idea to take some of it along with us in case we have to blow another blast door apart."

"Or a mech," Whitney contributes.

"Right, or that," Kayla nods, walking over toward Billy. "So that's why the IEDs are being built. I'm afraid I can't help with the question of Muse one way or the other, though."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:48, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

Fiernas nods along with Kayla's points, working industriously in silence as they others talk.

"Great, well if your brilliant plan for Muse can't be put into words, then I don't care about it.  Give him here.  Kayla," he says, turning to look at the pilot, "you're still technically the captain of the Persephone so as your boss, I'm ordering you to make sure he doesn't get everyone killed.  At the very least see if you can't teach him what a shaped charge is."

"No, I'm gonna hang onto Muse.  Don't worry about it."

“No, this is me worrying about it.  This is also you being shifty as fuck with an alien bauble, and refusing to explain what you’re doing.  I’m pretty sure you just pointed a gun at a kid’s head for acting exactly the same way.  Now explain yourself, you hypocritical fuck, or we’re going to have an altercation.”
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 37):

Kay nods slightly.

"Shaped charges, sure. I'm not a munitions expert, but we'll do our best. I'm pretty sure we have remote detonation down, at least. That should make it a lot safer."

She glances between Fiernas and Billy.

"Withholding information from each other is how Baxter died. Anyone can talk to Muse just by touching the gem, right?" Kayla says. "Maybe you can ask him?"

Billy gives a frustrated frown, "Baxter died because Battalion didn't care."  At Kayla's last remark he gives a slight bow to Fiernas in a gesture that might've been gracious if it weren't so obviously facetious, "That's a good question, can I?"

"Sure."  Fiernas doesn't rise to the bait of Billy's insults.  He produces Muse from his pocket and holds the rock tightly against the surface of the table, keeping a good grip on it.  "If Muse would rather be with you, then you can have him."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Billy shakes his head at Fiernas's handling of the magic rock, extending his finger to touch it with a roll of his eyes.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:06, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 41):

A black mist rises from the gem as violet light pulses alternatively in the pupils of Fiernas and Billy.

"He wants to be with Hadrian until we deal with Apex.  Can I have him now?" Billy asks Fiernas impatiently.

"Yup.  You got it."  Fiernas releases the stone and goes back to his work on the explosives.  "Don't let him get destroyed, though.  That's actually important."

"Oh, is it?  I had no idea," Billy replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  He plucks up the stone and turns to leave but stops in front of Kayla, "I mean it, you better have everyone accounted for this time," he says with a warning waggle of his finger.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 45):

"That's the plan," Kayla nods. "I'd rather not lose anyone, either. But, boss? I don't think we should kid ourselves. This is going to get messy. I don't think we're all going to make it, bombs or no bombs."

She looks down at her wrist for a moment as Madisyn chimes in.

Given known parameters, Captain, the odds of 100% survival during a cloak-and-dagger operation of this magnitude is less than 20%.

"Don't you have a large and complicated algorithm to munch or something?" Kayla mutters, then she looks back at Billy and smiles slightly.

"I'm more worried about you than about us. You're going into enemy territory without much backup. Promise if everything hits the fan, you'll cut through enough floors to escape, 'k?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:46, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

"Madisyn, I am the one percent.  We're going to be fine," Billy declares confidently before meeting Kayla's gaze and dropping to a more serious tone of voice, "If you go into this expecting people to die, they probably will.  If you go into this expecting to keep everyone safe, I know you can," he puts his free hand on her shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze, "We'll keep our comms open and I expect everyone to act smart, not desperate.  I'm not going to be any exception.  I've already walked away from two suicide missions; I just don't think I'm cut out for heroic last stands." he gives Kayla a rueful grin and a shrug before continuing back out to where Hadrian is waiting.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 47):

Billy returns Muse to Hadrian, who straps it back into place within the EVA suit in a place where he can make contact with it as needed. The trio (pair, really) collect the rest of their gear, charge up their batteries, fill their tanks, and say their farewells.


"Take one of the hover jets," Abe tells them before they depart. "It will save you time, and explain how you were able to evade capture whereas if you were on foot, you'd have a harder time selling your story."

He turns to Hadrian.

"If you betray us, I will personally dissect you," he warns, though he doesn't manage to sound particularly intimidating. "But if we succeed, I'll see to it that you get your lab back. With proper Braeburn oversight and funding, of course. Good luck."

***

Team Data

Billy leads Hadrian through the airlock, beyond the hatch, and down to the docking slip where the various vehicles are parked. There are several hover jets moored alongside the larger pontoon-style vessel. All are charged and ready to go, though a cursory glance shows that none possess weapons, shields, or any meaningful armor.

"Do you know how to drive one of these things, or do you want me to do it?" Hadrian asks as they approach one of the hover jets.

***

Team Topstation

The rest of the team has about 12 hours to kill before departure. Fiernas, Kayla, and Whitney occupy themselves making equipment in a nearby room, while Abe, Candy, and Huck use this time to refurbish their EVA suits from the last trip and attempt to coordinate with the other members of their organization. Barachiel adjusts and cleans his own equipment, too, muttering something about cold lakes and alien seabeasts as he does so.

OOC: I need to know how Xander and Rebecca intend to spend their time before departure.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:30, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

"I mean, I'm willing to give it a try. But if you've done it before, be my guest," Billy gestures for Hadrian to lead with a shrug.

Xander makes himself busy during the prep time, helping out with the various engineering tasks that need doing. On account of the conflicts of personalities, he finds it safest just to work mostly with Kayla.

Upon Madisyn's analysis of survival likelihoods, however, Sophia speaks up.

It has been my experience that the outcomes of operations involving such a large number of augmented humans are virtually impossible to accurately predict. The sheer number of permutations based on multiple interacting abilities - most of which are either incompletely understood or manifest mid-mission - makes such calculations impossible for all practical purposes.

Her voice takes on a soft, almost maternal characteristic. In short, I found it best not to waste processing cycles worrying about morbidity rates. By mathematical probability, we all should have been dead several times over by this point. Yet here we are.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:47, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

In reply to Xander (msg # 50):

A voice rings out in your head regardless of where you are, unless you are actively unwilling to hear it.  It is inquisitive but also slightly nervous.



If you go in the entrance bay you see her having an animated conversation with the doll.  The two are obviously having a disagreement.



She says confusion in her voice.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Tue 03 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 51):

Over comms to Billy/Hadrian

...So Percy says he no longers identifies as a Roshak.  So we need an on the fly revision...

"Percy doesn't what?  How can he not identify...He's a figment of your imagination!" Billy uses his helmet's speakers as he rants for Hadrian's benefit, "You know what that's fine.  That's...that's fucking terrible, but fuck it.  If we can't convince anyone about a Roshak attack then you're not going to be the best distraction.  Unless he identifies as an attack helicopter it might be better to call off your solo adventure.  Fiernas is making bombs, maybe you guys could do something with those and your secret stealth suits for a distraction.  Just don't everyone run headfirst into a bunch of mechs."

Billy sits down on one of the hover jets, "Come on," he says off the team's comm, "This is getting worse already."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 53):

Over Comms

Not quite, he is a manifestation of my subconscious.  I think he's some kind of psychic scar tissue so to speak.  Apparently now that I'm convinced the Roshak didn't try to kill me... I'm not scared of them anymore... or maybe... its biological...

She goes to where Fiernas/Kayla/Xander? are making bombs and sits down quietly watching Kayla for a second and then putting action to learning.

So I guess I'm with you guys then? 

She throws a dirty look at Percy who followed in behind her.  He then sits down next to her and continues assembly faster than she was.  She appears to be lost in her work.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:03, Tue 03 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 54):

Team Data

Hadrian nods, settling in behind the controls and bringing the hover jet to life on the second flick of the throttle.

"It's for the best," Hadrian says, off the comms. "I was not comfortable with her leading an assault by herself anyway."

He eases the craft away from the slip, cautiously putt-putts outward for a few minutes, then guns the motor for all it's got.

"Can we go over our story along the way? What happened, and how'd we get out?"

"Abe invited me and my crew to meet with him.  We did, but once he had us off base it was all talk about how Apex is evil and he's paranoid.  We were hearing him out but he had no hard proof of anything and it mostly just seemed scetchy until Fiernas showed up declaring he had a special delivery, and we found out it was you.  An argument broke out, then shots broke out.  My team tried to run and save you, having no idea who any of Fiernas's crew was.  Most of my team didn't make it, you and I were lucky to get on this thing.  If anyone asks about your new look, you grabbed some Roshak thing Abe had in the confusion.  If no one asks, don't bring it up.  Once their questions are done you tell Apex or whoever that you want to check something on the Crucible and you'd like me to accompany you, in case I overheard anything relevant from the rogue scientists.  If you can come up with a good reason why your getting access to the Crucible is a priority then say that."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 56):

Team Data

Hadrian nods, and is content to continue driving in silence for a while unless Billy has more to add. (Did you want to talk about anything else prior to arrival?)

***

Team Topstation

Kayla comforts Rebecca between soldering pieces of electronics together to make detonation rigs for Fiernas's explosives, and has no objection to her joining the shuttle team in light of these new developments.

"That means my team will be taking the brunt of the aggression," Abe gripes. "That wasn't the plan. My people will get killed covering YOUR escape."

"Our escape," Barachiel corrects firmly. "War makes everyone its prisoner. But if you're concerned about a lack of strength, I will go with you."

Abe softens a bit at this.

"We'd be grateful for that. The others speak highly of your strength," Abe replies. "And I can see why -- you're the only man I know who doesn't need an EVA suit on Titan's surface."

The remaining preparations are made, another meal is shared, and the groups separate to grab some shut-eye before the appointed departure time.

OOC: Last call for other arrangements and preps.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:07, Wed 04 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 57):

Nightmare fixes startling aquamarine eyes on Abe and Barachial.

Over comms:

Should I transfer to Abe's team with Barachial to assist them?  Rendezvous with you guys once I can break free?  Barachial, what do you plan to do once team shuttle has escaped?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:40, Wed 04 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 58):

"I have little choice in the matter. Recall, I go wherever the peril lurks. The troubles Muse spoke of may well be the danger underscoring all others. In any case, I will remain with you until I am forced to Travel once more."

In reply to Barachiel (msg # 59):

"Would Apex recognize you if you were on Abe's team? Would that amplify her reaction?"

She looks over at Rebecca.

"You don't look like yourself, is all. And not in a bad way."

Kayla smiles at Rebecca's more fleshed-out appearance, the color returning to many of the girl's features at last.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 60):

She smiles at a whisper from Kayla then does a double take looking confused.

What?!

She grabs her tablet and flips the camera to take a selfie.  She runs her hand through pale platinum blonde hair and her skin which is now a pale but standard color and flushes a furious red.

When she does this she phases out briefly and she lifts out of her chair a few feet hovering in the middle of the room unsupported as she blinks at the screen.



You hear psychically sounding both interested and confused.  She phases back in and drops out of the air landing lightly on her feet.  She shakes her head looking tired.

Well that explains Percy...

She shakes her head and shrugs

All mysteries for later.

Abe how much firepower do you think you will need?

As far as Apex recognizing me... maybe I don't know I hardly recognize myself anymore.  However she definitely has me pegged as a high value target worth having... and given her... role... in what happened to me, I don't think she will want to let me run around.

The last is added in a savage growl.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Wed 04 Apr 2018.

Fiernas takes the last bit of downtime (once the explosives are done) to play with and feed the dogs, get some personal time with Kayla, and pack away as good a meal as Topstation will provide.  He gets a little facetime with Xander, too, comparing notes as to the compound's defenses.

Xander goes over defense and logistics with Fiernas, taking a moment to play a bit with the dogs. Lacking any specific prep, he'll just generally help with anybody who needs a hand readying for the mission.

In reply to Xander (msg # 63):

If Xander is willing Nightmare will take him to act as her sparring dummy in practicing with her new abilities.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 64):

Team Data

The hovercraft might be easier than walking would have been, but it still takes more than an hour for Hadrian to guide the vehicle within sight of the Compound and its environs.

At this point, he slows the vehicle down to a crawl and uses his EVA suit's local speakers to get Billy's attention.

"We should be in range of local comms," he says. "Should we be calling ahead, raising an SOS, and otherwise trying to grab Apex's attention? Or do we run silent and say we were afraid any signals like that would be picked up and traced by the rebels?"

Team Topstation

Time passes uneventfully, and soon enough the agreed-upon moment of departure is upon you.

Abe leads everyone to the docking slip, which now has 3 hover jet skis and the 1 pontoon-style craft attached to it.

"Follow my lead to the tunnel system, and stay close," Abe says, climbing aboard one of the jet skis and booting up its starting sequence. Barachiel climbs onto the second, while Huck and Candy pair up onto the third one.

Kayla settles behind the controls of the pontoon-style craft, which has enough seats for Xander, Whitney, Bradford, Fiernas, Rebecca, and the pups aboard it as well.

Madisyn and Sophia perform a rapid series of tests to confirm all the comms are interlinked and working properly, then all four vehicles are guided out of the slip and into the shallows around the island.

"All craft appear to be working well," Abe rattles off. "Topstation linkage is steady. Power sources, steady. Pressure ok. Life support, active. EVA suit integrity, full. Battery capacity, charged."

He revs the engine of his craft and steers toward deeper waters.

"It's time to start a fight -- and end a war."

"Let's keep a low profile until we get in.  I'd rather not get Apex's direct attention at all if we can avoid it.  If we can make it inside and report on what happened we might manage to just get one of her goon squad to deal with us."  He pauses before pointing out to one side, "Actually, swing wide and come in at the compound from the side.  If this goes sideways it might be better if we can plausibly point them somewhere that isn't Abe's secret base.  I'd hate to leave them here wanted with nowhere to hide."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 65):

Rebecca summons Percy to her side.

[Animation: Yellow Success]



As Abe's team gets ready she whispers something in his ear.
She prepares to mount a jet ski.

I'll throw in with Abe's group.  It will lend credibility and provide some protection and utility.  Unless you guys think you are going to need me.

EDIT: Changed to indicate desire to go with Abe.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:07, Fri 06 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 67):

She looks at Abe

My group jeopardized your plan.  Barachial and I will protect you as best we can.

Though I'll have to leave to meet with the rest of the team.  Hopefully by then we will have you stabilized. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 68):

Team Data

Hadrian nods at Billy's plan and brings the hovercraft around to approach from another angle.

"There's only a few places we can actually dock this, though," he says. "Unless you want to park it someplace nearby and walk the rest of the way? That might actually be the best course of ac-EIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIE!"

This last part isn't, as it turns out, something that Hadrian actually said, but Billy can't hear the rest of Hadrian's sentence because the speakers in his helmet have begun to ring with a piercing tone that threatens to deafen him. A diagnostic confirms that the problem is coming from his comms -- if he shuts them off, the piercing tone will subside.

Hadrian himself seems less disoriented than he should be from such an audio assault, but then again, his suit lacks comms.

Before Billy can truly react to the situation, the hovercraft's console surges as brightly as it can, then suddenly shorts out as the engines go completely dead. The craft topples to the rock-ice ground, bouncing twice before skidding to a slow, painful halt.

When the dust settles, it becomes clear that no one is injured -- the restraints did their job. The hovercraft, however, has seen better days. Hadrian bangs a clenched fist against the console in irritation, but if he has anything to say the words are lost until/unless Billy switches off his comms.

His next gesture needs no interpretation either way -- an index finger, pointed upward, toward 2 descending metallic glints that look an awful lot like mechs. If their speed is similar to Abraxis's, they should reach your present location in about a minute (6 rounds-worth of actions, though we aren't in 'round order' at the moment).

***

Team Topstation

Rebecca climbs aboard Barachiel's jet ski, leaving Abe's unencumbered, and the group sets off with gusto. After an hour or so, you reach the crest of a waterfall that spills down through a narrow crevice and, from there, underground. Abe signals for the expedition to stop at this point, and circles the wagons for a chat.

"I'll show you how to get down into the tunnels from here -- just follow my lead. But once Kayla's managed the descent, the 'skis and I are going to double back to approach the Compound from another direction. There's just too much chance of interception with 4 vehicles all at once in the tunnels. Sending data points now."

The console on Kayla's dash blips in response.

"Follow those coordinates. They'll take you to a docking slip nestled against a narrow ledge. You can access the service elevators from there. We'll see you on the other side."

With that, Abe guns his jet ski's engine, and leads the whole group over the cascading falls and down into the darkness. And it IS dark down below, with only the illumination provided by each individual craft available to show the way.

Kayla deftly maneuvers the pontoon craft to keep pace with the smaller, faster vehicles, and soon settles into an underground river that stretches off into the distance.

"Follow that all the way home," Abe reiterates. "We'll see you on the other side."

Wheeling his jet ski around and gunning its lift thrusters to 'jump' back up to the top of the waterfall. Huck/Candy and Barachiel/Rebecca follow suit, locking the remaining teams into their respective missions.

End Team Topstation

***

Team Distraction

"Let's hit the west-side mines," Abe comms to the other jet skis. "Nobody should be on duty there yet, and they have a service tram that might suit our purposes."

He glances over his shoulder.

"Or maybe...you can slip through things, right?" Abe asks, addressing Rebecca. "Even if you're in an EVA suit? Does that mean you could 'phase' a jet ski?"

***

Team Shuttle

The trip along the subterranean passages is less interesting than it sounds, and the pontoon soon pulls up to the narrow ledge described by Abe. Kayla docks the vehicle, and soon the whole complement is crowded outside the only other feature on the precipice: a closed elevator door built into the far wall. There is only one button.

"So...press it, right?" Kayla asks. "We're ready?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:24, Sun 08 Apr 2018.

"Gah!  What the fu-" Billy manages as the piercing noise assaults him just before the jet dies underneath the pair.  Once they come to a stop Billy quickly smacks at his helmet to turn off the comm interference.  "Okay what the hell was," he follows Hadrians gesture upwards, "Oh.  Well, I guess it's showtime."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 70):

She looks at the jet ski gauging its heft. 

I can phase people through with a fair amount of ease... this would strain my abilities.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 71):

Team Distraction


"Ah. A pity," Abe says, sounding disappointed. "But no matter. We'll just have to make our entrance the old-fashioned way."

You proceed in silence for a while longer, and then the silhouettes of bulky equipment appear on the horizon. Boring equipment, mostly, with framework scaffolding holding up enormous drill bits like coiled springs. They are not currently in operation, and Abe takes you on a path that skirts the edges of the quarry/mining area to approach your ultimate destination: a small shed-like building.

"There's the rail hub," Abe says of the building. "We can either ditch the hovercraft and take the tram, or just fly these things directly through the rail tunnel."

He sounds thoughtful.

"Anyone have a strong opinion either way? If we take the craft in, I doubt we'll be able to get them back out again. But if we take the tram, that'll be the only way in or out for us with any speed until the shuttle team's done their work."

***

Team Shuttle

Kayla remains near the elevators, finger hovering over the button.

"Xander? Fiernas? Last call for any ideas that don't involve me calling the elevator."

***

Team Data


"Showtime is right," Hadrian says, his voice sounding clipped and muted from the helmet's physical speakers. "I didn't know we had interdiction mechs on patrol. Rotten luck."

He heaves a sigh and puts his hands on his hips, apparently not expecting or appreciating any danger from the descending mechs.

"Have you pinged them yet? I'd do it but..." he knocks on the side of his helmet with his gloved knuckles. "...y'know. Someone tore out my comms."

The mechs are now 5 rounds away.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:22, Mon 09 Apr 2018.

"They're scrambling mine," Billy says flatly, "So we've already hit our second snafu in this shitty plan."  Billy raises both hands over his head, and waves them slightly at the mechs in what he hopes is a friendly gesture.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 72):

Lets take the craft in.  No point in holding anything back we are all in on this one.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 73):

Team Data


Hadrian follows Billy's lead, showing him the appropriate gestures for their situation.

"Help. No comms. Braeburn." he says, making each sign in turn over and over again. Though it looks ridiculous, he assures you that the mechs can see well enough to make out their movements during the approach.

Indeed, less than a minute later both mechs are touching down on the ground nearby with heavy clomps, kicking up dust and debris with little regard for the non-mechs around them.

"Ah, shit. Sorry about that. Thought you were...someone else. We weren't expecting expedition outriders to be on their way back this early," one of the mechs projects via local speakers. The comm indicators in Billy's helmet light back up, and a careful test shows the squealing is gone. "Interdiction has been dropped. Go ahead and transmit your operating numbers so we can get you checked back in."

The mechs both turn their backs on you, and you notice that there are small pegs and platforms built onto the chassis' legs, ostensibly for passengers.

"You guys picked a bad time to be ahead of schedule -- the Compound's on high alert. Here, clamp in. We'll take you the rest of the way, and somebody can come salvage the vehicle later. Not our problem, am I right?"

The mech pilots share a chuckle over this. Hadrian glances over at Billy, waiting to follow his lead.

“Yes, our operating numbers...” he says deliberately through hisbhelmet’s speakers, looking at Hadrain with a confused shrug.  Over the team comms his voice comes with a cautious tone, “Apparently the base is on alert, we just ran into some interdiction mechs.  Just a heads up that comms might be fucked in the vicinity of the base.”
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Mon 09 Apr 2018.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 76):

Team Data


"I'm afraid this suit's badly damaged," Hadrian says. "I'll have to give you the numbers manually. Ready?"

After the mech affirms this, Hadrian rattles off two different sets of numbers.

"Great, thanks," the pilot says. "Alrighty, hop on. You can get where you're going from the landing pads, right?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:35, Mon 09 Apr 2018.

"What, you guys don't want to give us a piggy-back ride all the way through the complex?  No fun," Billy responds jokingly to the mech as he climbs into position on its back, "I guess we can manage the walk from there."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 78):

Team Data

"Hey, if I could go off-duty, I would," one of the pilots responds. "But you know how it goes. A shift is a shift, come hell or high water."

Once Hadrian and Billy have clamped themselves into place, the mechs blast off from the ground. The ascent is rather slow, by 'blasting off' standards anyway, and the pilots do a reasonable job of making the long, arcing hop as painless as possible.

Soon the Compound proper looms before you, its turreted antiaircraft guns and other armaments more striking noticeable now that you have reason to worry about them.

The mechs set you down gently atop the northwest tower's landing platform and, barring further interactions, go about their business.

There is nobody else on the platform at the moment, and the only proper exit is the lift tube access point. Improper exits abound -- the platform is not enclosed, and you could attempt to leap or fly from one platform tower to the next (impossible for an unassisted human). You could also, if you wished, jump down from the tower to the outside perimeter of the Compound (it's a very long fall) or onto the top of the dome that encloses the stadium-like space between the towers (still not a pleasant fall).

Hadrian fidgets and waits until the mechs are very much out of sight before speaking.

"So...we need to hurry. The codes I gave them are universal operating numbers. They aren't tied to individuals, but they'll still ping back as acceptable. Problem is, the system will log it and there's only a handful of people who HAVE codes like that."

He cocks his head to one side.

"You wanted to avoid Apex, right? Who were we going to spin that story for? Or is that just an emergency plan?"

Hadrian begins walking toward the lift tube.

"We've got to get to a Crucible access point. Come on."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 79):

Team Distraction

Abe nods and adjusts his speed as he brings his vehicle toward the building and pulls it into a stop.

"It'll be tricky flying," he warns, leaving the vehicle idle and hopping off of it. "We'll have to go single file. But first I want to check on where the tram is. Barachiel, you and Huck cover the entrance. Rebecca, Candy? Come with me."

Everyone dismounts, leaving their vehicles alongside Abe's. Huck and Barachiel take up positions near the building's entrance, as requested, while Candy (and Rebecca?) follow him through the door. There's no airlock here, which means the area looks designed for easier maneuverability of workers wearing EVA suits.

Piles of processed metals, rocks, and other minerals line the walls, stacked up near dormant machinery meant to sort and pack them for shipment to the warehouses. Abe bypasses all of it without a backward glance, heading directly to the furthest side of the building where something that looks a lot like a subway platform has been built.

"Damn. I was hoping the tram would be on this end," he says, tapping at the nearby console for a moment. "Looks like we'll be clear for at least 20 minutes. Should be plenty of time for us to-"

A loud sound echoes through the room suddenly, like clattering metal and rocks.

"-what was that?"

Abe draws his pistol and jerks his head toward the side room where all the minerals have been piled. Candy draws her weapon and hurries over in that direction.

"We're all friends here," Abe says aloud, his words bouncing around the featureless walls. "I'm wearing a jammer with enough range to lock down your comms. In case you were wondering about the signal strength you've probably seeing right now. So why don't you come out and say hello? Don't make this harder than it has to be..."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 80):

Rebecca follows Abe and when the crunch is heard sends Percy to quietly investigate.

She rolls her eyes at Abe's attempt at being calming.

Why is everyone always so jumpy?

she says out loud in a reassuring voice.

You all right back there?

"I haven't been doing this spy shit for long, but let me tell you a few things I've learned.  One, If everything goes according to plan, then there's nothing to worry about. Two, nothing ever goes according to plan. Three, if no one suspects you, you fake it.  Four, if you can't fake it, then you lie.  Five, shooting first is better than getting shot first.  If no one asks for the story then we're doing better than I expected.  I'm a little curious about why those mechs didn't recognize you. What are they doing on alert if not looking for you and your kidnappers?" He gestures for Hadrian to lead the way to the Cruicible access.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:34, Tue 10 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 81):

Rebecca edges towards the entrance to the room as the silence grows in the room.


EDIT: To PM Watcher.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:27, Tue 10 Apr 2018.

"Hang on," Fiernas answers Kayla, holding up a hand for her to pause on the elevator.

 - 81, Yellow success.  Who's been through here recently?]

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 84):

Team Distraction

"I'm not trying to calm them down. I'm trying to learn where they are," Abe's voice crackles over the local comms in Rebecca's helmet. "We aren't running an experiment here. We're attempting a coup! We don't have the luxury of being calm."

Candy probes further into the darker recesses of the room, walking all the way to the end before turning around to put her back against the furthest wall.

"I've got nothing," her voice calls over the comms. "Nobody's here. Maybe something was stacked up stupidly and it just fell over on its own?"

Team Data

"I was wondering about that, too. But between the mismatched EVA suit and the codes I gave them, I don't expect I much resemble myself. Maybe they're looking for something else. Or something specific? It's impossible to be certain with the limited data we've collected so far."

He taps the lift tube's panel and the platform begins to descend, drawing Billy, Hadrian, and Muse deeper into the Compound.


The lift doesn't go far -- Billy gets the sense that he is still in the upper quarter of the Compound, though beneath the height of the dome. The door slides open and Hadrian leads the way onward without further incident.

The hallways here are not marked with any identifying lines of color along the walls, in part because the entire wall on the "stadium-view" side is transparent, allowing an excellent vantage point down into the crater below.

There is quite a bit of activity going on down there, Billy notes. Lots of people and equipment seem to be engaged in busily combing the area around the mothership's exposed upper hull, including a mech.

"This is it," Hadrian says, stopping before an otherwise unremarkable door. He considers the access panel, then keys in a code with his gloved fingers. The panel flickers in acknowledgement and the door slides open. "Come on."

Once they are both inside, the door slides shut and Hadrian exhales a breath of pent-up air.

"Ok. We should be safe in here," he says with certainty.

Billy glances around the room, taking it in. It's cramped, for starters, consisting of 2 terminals set against the far wall, a chair for each, and little else.

"It's a research breakout room," Hadrian explains, "but there are a half-dozen more convenient, more comfortable ones. I have never been bothered while working in here."

He glances over at the terminal.

"They're hooked into the Crucible, but we'll need an access code. I can use mine, of course, but that'll show up in the logs and could flag the system depending on what Apex told security about my abduction. Worth it?"

Team Shuttle

Fiernas stares at the elevator for a few minutes, his eyes glazed over and his attention...elsewhere.

"Well, I don't have one." Billy says with a shrug, "If anyone comes knocking we might need that story after all.  Push comes to shove you just make it sound like whatever Abe had was too much of a priority to check in with your boss before confirming details.  All the activity down there, it probably won't be much of a lie."  He glances around the cramped space, "There any kind of equipment locker near here?  I can run to get you a new helmet and try to keep an eye out in case your code pings anyone."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 86):

Team Data

"There's a breach kit on every floor, just in case something ruptures," Hadrian nods. "Take a right and follow the hallway until you see the red triangle on the wall over something that looks like a fuse box. There's no code involved -- anyone can access emergency equipment. Flip open the panel, pull the metal ring inside, and the door should open to a locker with some gear in it. There should be a helmet there."

He turns toward the terminal and plops into the chair before it.

"Hopefully I'll be up and running by the time you get back."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Tue 10 Apr 2018.

"Alright, like I said, if anyone comes after you tell them the story.  I'll be back ASAP," Billy says opening the door and stepping into the hall, "Alright we got to the crucible without any attention.  Dunno how long that's going to last, so feel free to start the whole distraction uprising plan," he says over the comms as he makes his way down the hall following Hadrian's directions.

"Ok, let's so it," Fiernas says after sniffing around the area.  "If they're waiting to ambush us, it ain't around here."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 89):

I doubt it Candy...

Do a quick search, but we can't mess around here too long we need to breach.  Besides we are about to make a lot of very loud noises anyway.  So someone seeing us isn't the end of the world.

Percy runs to her best approximation of where the debris fell and then does a full perimeter run in stealth while she searches out the middle of the room.

Over comms to the team:

We are about to enter the tunnels going to the compound on on the vehicles...

Xander holds up a hand. Wait a sec. I think I can tap into the controls so that we can use the elevator without it reporting to a centralized system. Give me just a moment.

He produces a small wire, one end of which he plugs into his helmet, and the other he inserts into a small jack near the base of the call panel.

[Interface with Machines: 99]

The elevator quickly hums down and the doors open, but the floor display above the doorway seems to be showing the elevator's position as if it had never moved.

Xander bows to Fiernas and Kayla like a doorman. After you.

In reply to Xander (msg # 91):

Percy and Rebecca roam around looking for something

[Intuition: Yellow Success].

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 92):

Team Distraction

Rebecca and Percy roam around for a bit, but they are unable to discern the source of the clattering sound despite their best efforts.

"Ok, that's enough," Abe says at last. "Whoever it was is gone. You're right, we're wasting time. Let's get this door open and the vehicles inside before anything else happens."

It's at about this moment that there's a muffled WHUMPH from somewhere outside.

"Huck? Huck!" Barachiel's voice calls over the comms. "Hey! You! Get off of that thing. I'm not telling you twice."

The sound of an engine revving can be heard from outside, but at this point Abe, Candy, Rebecca, and Percy have made it to the doorway and pushed it open to see for themselves.

The scene is as follows: Huck is laying face-down on the ground, atmosphere venting from the back of his helmet. There appears to be a hole punched through the back of it, though the lack of liquid gushing out suggests whatever punctured the suit didn't do the same to his skull.

Barachiel's attention is focused on one of the jetskis, however, which is actively accelerating away.

"Shoot him or tail him?" Barachiel asks, his voice urgent as the tips of his wrist-mounted blasters begin to glow. "And does anyone have a medkit on them?"

It is at this moment that Billy's message filters through your comms.

OOC: If you want to pursue and/or attempt to shoot down the fleeing vehicle, we'll enter combat rounds. There are 2 hoverbikes left, parked within the same area you're all standing in directly outside the door.

Team Shuttle

Fiernas, the pups, Kayla, Xander, Bradford, and Whitney file into the elevator, neatly filling it while Fiernas and Xander spend a few moments making last-minute preparations.

When both men are ready to proceed, the elevator is released and begins its journey upward.

"Remember the maps," Kayla says, an image of the Compound maps flickering across the EVA suit HUDs. "We're following the yellow lines on the walls from the elevator outward to the perimeter. We'll probably be the only people wearing EVA suits inside, so move with enough confidence that nobody wants to question us."

She smiles slightly.

"If we run into anybody at all, that is. Hopefully we won't."

The lift tube opens, and the group spills out into an empty landing with exits in three directions. Colored lines are painted on the walls in various colors, leading to specific areas of the Compound that one might reach by continuing to follow the corresponding color until reaching your intended destination.

The yellow line is quickly found, and soon the group is rushing along the largely empty hallways toward the hangar. The lights are dimmer than what you'd expect out of day cycle lighting, and while the emergency beacons have not been activated, you do see blast doors lowered in several places.

The group's smooth sailing comes to an end as they approach the hangar itself. The massive hangar doors are closed at the moment, but unlike the rooms and hallways passed thus far, this part of the Compound is a hive of activity. A peak through the door connecting the hallway to the hangar proper reveals a good 20-odd people milling around the various ships, apparently hurrying to get them ready for flight.

The Ship of Convenience is parked right where you left it, and you're gratified to note that it is not among the ships getting prepped for imminent use.

Less gratifying is the presence of four battlesuits among the other workers. These aren't true mechs, of course -- battlesuits aren't piloted, but are instead worn over regular clothing to help provide the user with additional protection and strength. In this case, that strength is being put to work hefting large, heavy crates of supplies and such onto the ships.

It is at this moment that Billy's message filters through your comms.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 93):

Rebecca sees the scene and grits her teeth.

Abe, take care of Huck as best you can.  Barachial shoot him, nonlethally if possible.

Percy comes out of the shadows and hops on one of the remaining Jetski's, she jumps on behind him.

I'm in pursuit.

She phases out as iminent combat arrives.

[Phasing: yellow.]

/ooc: Can I try to speak to the driver as free action before combat begins?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 94):

Team Distraction

OOC: Speaking to someone is a free action. But using a power that will be opposed to speak to someone (a la telepathy vs an unwilling target) is not a freebie. Sorry :(

OOC #2: If you're phased out, you can't be on the hoverski. You'll fall through it.

Abe heads over to check on Huck, while Rebecca and Percy hop onto the nearest hovercraft.

Barachiel unloads his readied action...

[Agility: 14, 80]

...twin bolts of energy fly forth from his wrists, and while one buries itself harmlessly into a rock, the other pangs into the fleeing form's shoulder.

[Damage: 40]

The blast nearly knocks them from the vehicle, but doesn't quite manage it.




This message was last edited by the GM at 14:21, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 95):

Team Data

Billy notes that his message has gone through, and awaits some response or acknowledgement.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:24, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 96):

Team Shuttle

"G'morning, boss," Kayla sends through the comms in response to Billy's update. "We found the hangar but it's full of people. Probably have a fight on our hands unless we can get them to leave some other way. Aside from that, though, the place looked almost deserted on the way in."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 97):

Percy gets at the helm of the bike and revs the engine.  Unfortunately he can't quite seem to do the same to the controls

[Piloting: white]

~~Hold turn a second~~~

"Something's happening that's got a lot of activity going on, and it's not because Hadrian went missing.  My guess is Abe's last caper was a bigger problem than he gave it credit for.  Or Apex took my team's disappearance harder than I expected.  Rebecca, what's the ETA on getting people to leave?" Billy's voice comes over the comms as he tromps down his own unpopulated hallway.  Given the likely security clearance necessary for the level he's on, he assumes its current population is more standard than symptomatic and just hopes it keeps up.

Fiernas paces the team on the way to the hanger, head on a swivel.  The dogs are very much in their element, trotting beside him with noses lowered to the floor.  He pays special attention to the closed doors they pass.


Once at the door to the hangar: "We definitely don't want a fight if we can help it."  He turns to Xander.  "Could you incapacitate them somehow?  Seal the room and vent the oxygen, something like that?"

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 100):

The (hover)tires squeal as the (hover)motorbike doesn't quite get traction.

[Phase back in: Green]

She still manages to focus enough to get a psychic blast off against the back of the rider

[Psychic blast: Green vs psyche]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:01, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 101):

Team Distraction

The rider of the other vehicle slumps forward in the seat as Rebecca's psychic blast pummels them, and she can sense their perceptions wink out.

~~ End Combat ~~

Of course, nothing about that causes the vehicle to stop moving. With the vast nothingness ahead, it might be some time before it finds something to crash into...

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 102):

She gets back on the motorcyle and tears ass after the unconscious rider.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 103):

Team Distraction

The two hoverskis are of equal speed, and are traveling at maximum power. Unless Rebecca does something specific to increase her speed or slow the other bike's, she will be chasing the thing for a potentially very long time. Unless you're hoping it will crash soon.

And it might! But so far it hasn't.


***

Barachiel and Candy turn to help Abe deal with Huck.

"Huck's down," Candy announces over the comms. "Head wound, suit's ruptured. We need a medkit and another helmet."

Abe sighs.

"There won't be a breach kit out here, the building isn't pressurized in the first place until the other side of the tram tracks."

"What about the drilling equipment?" Barachiel asks. "Surely if there was an accident, there would be a way to-"

"Yes...yes, of course. Those drilling machines need operators. See if you can find something in the cockpit of one of them," Abe says, pointing at the nearest one.

Barachiel nods and jogs off.

"We should have made him wear an EVA suit," Abe mutters.

Candy looks over at him. "And cover up THAT body? That would be a waste."

"Focus," Abe says wearily. "If he were wearing an EVA suit he doesn't require, he would essentially be carrying around a full set of backup parts for the rest of us. An oversight."

Candy nods, and helps Abe tape the back of the helmet shut to preserve as much of its air and insulation as possible.

"I hope he gets back with a medkit and maybe a new helmet soon," Candy says quietly.

"I hope the others are having better luck than we are," Abe replies.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:03, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

Team Shuttle

"It won't be enough to just bleed out the oxygen," Whitney says, though she seems amused by the idea. "We'd have to make sure whatever safety alarms and such are in place get switched off, too. But that's definitely safer than trying to shoot our way in."

She seems re-invigorated in the presence of the ship, even if it's still a fair ways out.

"Dr. Pryor would have been very upset if we lost that engine. I can't wait to run diagnostics on it again."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 105):

Team Data

When Billy returns, he finds Hadrian many screens deep into the Crucible interface.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" he asks. "And what exactly was I supposed to pull again?"

Billy tosses the helmet into Hadrian's lap, "Your video.  Or Apex's video, whatever is supposed to exonerate her after seeing Abe's.  What have you been doing if you don't even know what you're after?" he looks at the screen trying to determine the answer himself.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 107):

Team Data

"I've been isolating my research files and copying them over. In case I'm unable to access them again."

He switches over to the various security feeds, looking for the videos Billy mentioned.

"Let's see what we can find..."

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 108):

Rebecca goes all The Fast & The Furious on this motorcycle chase... but ending it far quicker than the movie would demand.

She kicks on her jets and surges forward to catch the figure slumped over on the motorcycle.

[Charging: Yellow, no damage intended.  2 Energy used.]

As soon she is clear of the motorcycle Percy slowly applies the brakes.

Her hand closes on his back and she wills both of them to fade out.

[Phasing: Green (11 karma used, more if I need yellow to phase him then 41 karma.)]

/ooc: This is how we did it for Barachial.  Let me know if I'm missing rolls or did something wrong.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 109):

Team Distraction

OOC: Percy needs to make a piloting roll, and I don't understand why you only drained 2 energy rather than 4. Otherwise looks good.

Rebecca manages to wrest the slumped figure from its perch, dumping both herself and her adversary onto the ground as the hoverski zips onward.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 110):

Nightmare snags the intruder as she pings the comms for her team

Just dropped off the intruder, please retrieve him.  I'm getting the runaway bike.


She sets the pilot down as gently as she is able to, then kicks her boosters back in to land back behind Percy who slowed down slightly to catch her.

[Piloting: Green]
[1 Energy used]

Once they are back up to speed Nightmare will kick on her boosters to catch the runaway bicycle and Percy will wheel the bike back towards the intruder

[Piloting: Red 10 karma]
[2 Energy used]

Over comms to their team.

Just dropped off the intruder, please retrieve him.  I'm getting the runaway bike.


/ooc: It cost 2 because we determined while walking to topstation that we were in a low g environment so the boosters had an easier time, consuming half power.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:03, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 111):

Team Distraction

"We're a little busy with Huck at the moment," Abe's voice replies over the comms. Nonetheless, he nods toward Candy. "Go see if you can help."

Candy grabs the third and final hoverski, powers it up, and bolts off in the direction Rebecca had been heading.

Meanwhile, Barachiel is still rummaging through the nearest drilling machine, looking for something that might help Huck before it's too late.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 112):

Team Distraction

Rebecca eventually chases down the wayward bike and drives it back to where Candy is waiting with the downed figured. Percy drives the third bike back, so all vehicles are now accounted for.

"What're we going to do with 'em?" Candy asks, nudging the defeated figure with a heavy boot. "Drape them over a bike and bring them back?"

She frowns slightly.

"If their helmet works maybe we can save Huck after all. It would only be fair, considering how he got that way in the first place."

Team Data

Billy watches are Hadrian locates and begins copying over a bunch of files into an external device they brought for this purpose.

"Everything going ok with the others?" he asks off-handedly, slipping on the new helmet and removing the old.

Team Shuttle

Bradford, Whitney, and Kayla continue to wait for input from Fiernas or Xander.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:13, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

"I dunno," Billy replies to Hadrian in frustration before piping over the comms, "Can we get some details over here?  Did Huck fall and hurt himself?  Have you actually started your part of the plan yet?  Why is Rebecca getting a runaway bike?  This sounds a lot like you're the only ones being distracted."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 114):

Nightmare riffles through the man's pockets looking for the ever-present space duct tape to at least stop venting atmosphere.  She takes stock of her surroundings looking for a pressurized chamber or any place to stash someone without a helmet.



Percy ranges as far as he is able to looking for the emergency kit in this room.

She flips back to team comms and says in a highly condescending teenage voice

Huck was incapacitated by hostile activity.  We were planning on riding the bicycles through the tunnels, but right now are in first aid mode.  Hence why I had to go get the runaway bicycle.  As soon as we stabilized Huck we will proceed.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 115):

Team Distraction

Rebecca, Percy, and Candy -- along with the three hovercraft -- are standing over the downed figure discussing their options.

All of them are in the middle of nowhere at this moment, where the figure fell from the bike, and not near the building or the rest of their team.

"The tram is not pressurized," Abe sends over the comms. "The outer loop is an 'EVA Only' industrial zone, though of course the tram eventually leads to a proper airlock further in. Generally there would be a field medic stationed with each mining team to handle accidents, but there should be trauma kits too. Barachiel is already searching for breach gear in the drilling machines, but it's honestly a little late for space tape. Huck's already lost most of his suit's local atmosphere."

"Found an emergency kit," Barachiel pipes up. "Hope it helps."

Barring further complications (none unless self-inflicted), by the time Rebecca, Percy, and Candy actually return to the building with the bikes and the downed figure, Abe and Barachiel have finished up their patch job.

"He's still out," Abe announces when they return. "But his suit's stopped leaking air, at least. I topped him off with a portion of my own, but we need to get him to a medbay."

Barachiel and Candy lift Huck between them and put him on the back of one of the hovercraft.

"What do we do with our new friend?" Barachiel asks, tapping the fallen figure suit with the toe of his boot. "We don't really have time to wait for them to wake up for questioning, unless you want to split us up even further."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Mon 16 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 116):

Team Data

Hadrian removes his damaged helmet and sets the new one Billy got for him in his lap for the moment.

"Ok, that should do it," he says, fingers flying over the terminal's controls. "We've got the data you asked for, plus backups of my own research. Next stop, the shuttle? But first, let me see if the Crucible knows what Apex is looking for on the sub-control level of the downed mothership."

His fingers freeze and his eyes flicker with a pale blue light.

"Uh oh," Hadrian says quietly. "Billy? Why do I know where Apex is right now?"

He looks at Billy with an expression of growing concern.

"Do you think it works in reverse?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:50, Mon 16 Apr 2018.

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 117):

No we move as a group.  Bring him with us.  I want to know who it was and why they did it.  Medbay first.  Does anyone know where it is? 

Over comms:

We are diverting to a medbay to take care of Huck.  Apologies for the delay. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 118):

Team Distraction

Abe mounts his hovercraft, with Barachiel climbing in behind him. Candy slings her leg over the pilot seat of the craft carrying the limp form of Huck. That leaves Rebecca to pilot the craft with their prisoner lashed to the rear seat.

There is no room for Percy to ride along in this configuration.

The hovercraft spring to life, are soon following Abe's lead as he blasts along the tram's rail tunnels toward the Compound's pressurized inner areas.

As you hurtle along, you see a faint light behind you, growing brighter every moment.

"Dammit, we've wasted too much time. The tram's coming," Abe says tersely. "Follow my maneuver!"

He makes a sharp turn that carries his bike horizontally along the upper edge of the tunnel, as though riding along the top half of a half-pipe.

[Piloting (Abe, Candy): 88, 61]

Candy follows suit, her bike also managing to cling to the upper portion of the tunnel -- hopefully high enough to be out of the tram's way as it hurtles past.

OOC: Need a piloting roll from Rebecca...

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 119):

She fumbles the throttle a bit but is able to follow well enough.

[Piloting: Green.  26 Karma used.]

Damn this fat fingered EVA suit.

Billy looks at Hadrian for a moment, "Given our luck?  Yes, absolutely.  Focus on it, do you know anything else?  If she just knows where you are we might not be screwed yet, but moving would be a good idea."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 121):

Team Distraction

Rebecca manages to wrestle her craft into position just in time, and the tram hurtles by beneath her with only moments to spare. It's only 3 cars long, and after it passes, Abe, Candy, and Rebecca shift back down into the tunnel proper.

The group ultimately arrives at a sleepy platform on the far side of an airlock and, from there, a network of passages leading to the Compound proper.

"Time to stash the hovercraft," Abe announces, hopping his up onto the platform, pulling a tarp from its storage compartment, and tossing it on top. The vehicle almost instantly blends into the surrounding shadows, and he nods with satisfaction.

Each of the other vehicles has a tarp of their own, and soon all of the hovercraft are stowed in the back corner of the platform where they're least likely to be disturbed.

"We need to hurry," Abe says, helping Candy hoist Huck between them while Barachiel hauls your prisoner over his shoulder like a sack of limp potatoes. The group presses onward through the airlock, then trots after Abe as he -- huffing and puffing -- leads you through a network of corridors without even bothering to look up at the colored pathways on the walls. Your efforts are rewarded when you finally arrive at a room labeled MEDBAY, and Abe quickly keys in an access code that opens the door with a hiss.

"Good lord."

The words come from a young woman seated behind a terminal on the other side of the door, dressed in a meditech uniform. She stands and rushes over to the doorway.

"Third batch today. I don't know what the big hurry is, but safety measures are in place for a reason," she says, pushing a button on the wall that causes a hovering gurney to withdraw from it. She activates a second gurney in the same way. "Well, don't just stand there. Take them to rooms E and F. I'll be right with you. Which is the more pressing patient?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 122):

Team Data

"Let's see..." Hadrian murmurs, closing his eyes and concentrating for a short while. "Apex is in the sub-control level of the crashed Mothership. She's...pulling apart panels. Looking for something. The orb, I think. She's...no, wait, she's stopped. She's found the orb. No. No, she hasn't. But she feels it. She knows..."

His eyes open.

"...she knows the orb is here. But I don't think she knows WE are here."

"Great, then let's not be here," Billy says with a nod, as he turns to the door but pauses, "Hey, that project avatar thing.  How long would it take you to copy it over too?"

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 123):

As the Medbay door opens and the Tech begins her spiel Rebecca smiles wickedly.

What would Billy do?

She allows panic to creep into her voice.

There was hostile activity in the mines!  Has nobody mentioned it?  What are the other injuries?!  We need to sound the alarm they were on hover bikes and everything!  Terrorizing the workers down there!

She gives coordinates for their last known location that is far, but not implausibly so from where they are to misdirect the alarm.

There were at least a dozen of them!

The most pressing patient is will be in room E.  Something broke through his helmet and knocked him unconscious, we are uncertain as to the extent of his damage, and what weapon used if any.  At a minimum he needs a new helmet

She gestures for Abe and Candy to move Huck into Room E and Barachial to go to room F.



/ooc in my mind there is a big red emergency phone in the room does such a thing exist?  If it does I'm calling it in.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Mon 16 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 125):

Team Data

"Not long," Hadrian says, returning to his work at the terminal. "Just a few minutes. But remember, the files are incomplete and corrupted so they'll need some repairing before we can actually read them."

The minutes pass slowly, and then Hadrian smiles at the terminal.

"Got it! Anything else?"

"I know a guy. Just grab them quick," Billy replies to Hadrian's warning.  Then, once he's done, "No, probably shouldn't push our luck any more, let's move."

I agree, venting the atmosphere is unlikely to do more than mildly inconvenience them, Xander says. I could try to gain access to their security suite and try to spoof an alarm somewhere else to draw them away, but that is just as likely to force them to go on lockdown. It sounds like the other teams aren't in place yet though, do we want to try to maybe find someplace out of the way for the time being?

I could use the time to start hacking without cutting corners. Less chance something will go wrong, and could give us an idea of what's got them on alert.

"Yeah.  Gather some info.  We might be able to cut our way through them, but I'd rather not with those battlesuits out there. None of these guys smell like augers, at least."

"First priority has to be making sure we can open the hangar door.  If that stays closed this whole thing is gonna so nowhere."

"While you're in there, look up a station emergency manual and find out what a code Amber 42 is."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:18, Tue 17 Apr 2018.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 129):

Team Shuttle

"Ok, so...we need to find a quiet place for our resident genius to lay low and talk to the Compound?" Kayla asks, glancing over her shoulder and pointing at a random door nearby. "There's nobody around. That room's probably as good as any. Shall we?"

Team Data

"I've got it," Hadrian confirms, snapping his new helmet on and clearing his search history from the terminal. "Let's go. Elevators, then shuttle?"

Team Distraction


The meditech blinks at Rebecca's sudden fervor.

"What are you, new? If there's a problem, call security while I triage the patients."

Huck is quickly moved to room E, and the unnamed figure to room F. When the meditech takes off Huck's helmet, she exhales sharply.

"The blow to the head isn't the biggest problem right now. Just look at that skin tone! Asphyxiation and frostbite, I'm sure of it. Now get out of here while I work. And call security!"

She shoos anyone in Room E out of it and gets busy, leaving Rebecca, Abe, Candy, and Barachiel to their own devices. The patient in Room F is still out cold.

"Elevators yes, but we don't have a shuttle yet.  If Apex doesn't know we're here she definitely doesn't know about everyone else. If we take the orb straight to the Hangar she probably won't stand for it regardless of who she thinks we are.  Is there anything near the hangar, a level or two up?  Labs or something someone might try to sneak into with unregistered alien tech?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 131):

...you could say that.  She responds to the tech.

quote:

I think we are going to have to leave Huck in the medbay.  Go find out who our friend in room F is. 

She gets on the phone and immediately dials security, giving them a description of the group in a location that would sew maximal uncertainty and confusion.

"Good call.  Go."

Fiernas hustles the rest of the team into the open room that Kayla indicated.

OOC: If there is another open, empty room nearby (say, right across the hall), Fiernas will go into that one instead.  Otherwise, he'll join the group.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 133):

Team Data

"The hangar's a three-story space on a single story," Hadrian says. "There's nothing 'above it', it's a standalone offshoot. But there is a place near it we could go that might be a plausible destination for us..."

He heads toward the elevators, tapping the button to summon a lift as soon as he gets there.

"How do you feel about taking the Grid with us?"

Team Distraction

Rebecca places her false call to security, who seem to take it seriously enough.

The meditech is still working on Huck, and the other figure is still unconscious. Removing their helmet reveals a 30-something woman with a slim build and curly auburn hair.

"She's not a scientist," Abe says. "Because I've never seen her before."

He looks at the helmet and frowns.

"If this was officially requisitioned, the operating number's been filed off. But we should be able to get a fingerprint at least."

He nods at Candy, who rummages through the room until she finds the appropriate gadget. They remove the woman's glove and press an index finger to the module, which hums as it works and eventually blips out a response along with a thumbnail image of the same woman.

"Selma Richardson," Abe reads. "Geological Division. Foreman."

He snorts.

"She's a grunt with a dig team. Nothing important."

Team Shuttle

Fiernas is able to find a second room not far from the first, if privacy is what he needs. The others file into the first room and give Xander space to begin his work.

Kayla keys the door shut, to protect the group from prying eyes.

"I-" Billy cuts himself off before he can even reply to Hadrian, "We can do that?" He stares at Hadrian in stunned silence until the lift dings gently on its arrival, "I knew I liked you, kid."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Tue 17 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 134):

Once the call is placed Rebecca slips back into room F.  She extends her consciousness outwards feeling for Huck.



she probes gently.  Not wanting to disturb more than she has to.

After receiving an update she then turns her attention to Selma. Once again reaching out with her mind.  This time more roughly.

Fiernas likewise closes the door to his room, but keeps a close watch on the hallway outside via whatever serves as a peephole in these rooms.  "Do your thing, X," he comms over.

He then informs the group at large of their team's status.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 137):

Team Data

"We can't take the entire room, of course," Hadrian says as the lift tube whisks them away toward the appropriate level. "But that's just electronics, lasers, and paneling. We can build another one anywhere. What's important is the crystalline matrix at the core, which powers it. And that's something we can carry between us."

The door swooshes open, and Billy is faced with a corridor he's seen before -- the one leading to the research rooms and, within one of these, the Grid. The area is just as deserted as the rest of the Compound has been so far, and none obstruct their progress.

"Hard to believe just few dozen hours ago we were talking about technology and peace summits, and today we're talking about sabotage. And peace summits," Hadrian says. He taps a code into the wall panel for the appropriate room, and the door beeps open.

Once both Billy and Hadrian are inside, Hadrian crouches down near one of the wall panels and gives the corner a sharp rap. There is a click, and the panel pops off to reveal a cramped service passage maybe 4 ft. tall and 2 ft. wide.

"Just give me a second to unhook the-"

All the lights in the room suddenly snap off.

Team Shuttle

Fiernas holes up in one room while Kayla, Xander, Whitney, and Bradford take stock of the other. The rooms have little of interest in them, consisting of tables, chairs, and a few assorted storage cabinets filled with useful but uninteresting tools and minor equipment like light bulbs, tethers, spanners, and such.

Xander is able to find a suitable input jack, and Bradford and Whitney cover him as he gets to work.

"Let's see what we can find," Sophia's voice pipes up. "Oh! Oh my. There does not appear to be a central intelligence governing things here. It's just a basic logic system gated by access codes and biometrics, all loosely spooled around a tightly encrypted node."

She pauses, digitally prodding things for a moment or two.

"Yes, I'm quite sure that node is the Crucible. And it probably DOES have a central intelligence somewhere inside. But as long as we don't try to crack that particular nut or cause too many anomalies out here, I do believe we're in business."


Team Distraction

Rebecca's attempts at rousing either patient are met with futility, though she's confident neither is actually dead at the moment. Such minds cannot be felt, while these still can.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:11, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

"Please tell me you just did that," Billy asks nervously in the darkness.  He whispers, but over his helmet's speakers it doesn't really matter.  He doesn't immediately reach for his helmet's lights in what is probably a vain attempt to be stealthy.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 139):

She doubles down as she digs harder at Selma's mind.

[Telepathy: Yellow Success]

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 140):

Team Distraction

Rebecca's efforts are rewarded, and Selma groans as her eyes flicker open.

"Wuh...what happened? Where am I?"


Team Data

"I could tell you that," Hadrian's voice comes from the service tunnel. "But it would be a lie."

ALL TEAMS

Every light in the Compound snaps off and then back on again, only much dimmer than usual, as a sharp, no-nonsense voice booms over the Compound's public address system.

"ATTENTION ALL STAFF: Full lockdown is now in effect. Follow established protocols."

Team Data

The lights snap back on after the message has played, and Hadrian swears.

"That's...less than optimal," he mutters. "Established protocols are to lock yourself into the nearest room and shelter in place until the 'all clear' is sounded. Security sweeps door to door through the whole Compound. All cameras and sensors are shifted to proximity detection to flag unauthorized movement. It's very complex."

There's a clanking sound, followed by a grunt, and Hadrian emerges with an oddly shaped piece of metal and glass that's about the size of a camping grill.

"Got it," he says, looking quite pleased with himself. "So...the good news is it takes forever for them to do the sweep. The bad news is that we can't really move without being noticed anymore. If we ever could in the first place."

Team Distraction

Abe relays essentially the same information Hadrian did above to his team regarding the protocols surrounding a lockdown.

"Seems someone else had their finger on the scale before we got our chance," he says. "Unless security took your head's-up a little too seriously?"

Team Shuttle

There is no one in this group aware of the lockdown procedure, but the magic of internal comms solves the problem handily.

"That's not a great sign," Kayla says. "Is there any way to use this to our advantage?"

"God dammit," Billy huffs, "Abe, Rebecca, what the hell are you doing?  Why are they doing a security sweep instead of mobilizing?  I didn't think Huck was that critical to your end of things," he sends over the comms.  He looks around the room before settling on the service tunnel Hadrian just crawled out of, "How far does that go?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 142):

Team Data

"What, the service passage? Not far. It goes behind all the walls in this room to handle repairs to the panels, which can burn out quickly under the strain the Grid puts on them."

"It also has an access point to the room behind this one."

"So what counts as unauthorized movement?  They're expecting people to be in the rooms, right?  Would going through the passage get us flagged by the sensors?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 143):

She flinches as the lockdown goes into effect.



She pauses a moment to strip off her helmet and holds her ear to Selma.  Over Comms:

You wanted a distraction.  I can't guarantee how they would react.  Working on escalation.  There is something else going on in the mines... gathering intel.

Holding three conversations at once....


This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

That wasn't me I swear! Xander holds up his hands in protest as he interfaces with the computer system. But maybe we can use it to our advantages. Sophia, see if you can track the security team sweep in real-time, and push that out to the rest of the team. No surprises.

Can we take down their sensors long enough to slip past anything if we need to move? Do the same trick as last time - loop 10 seconds on repeat until we clear it so whoever is watching doesn't see any screens go dark?

In reply to Xander (msg # 146):

Team Data

"I don't think they system would detect movement between rooms through the maintenance passages, no," Hadrian says. "It's not a network that persists throughout the Compound, just these two rooms, so it doesn't represent much of a security threat."

"So the system won't trip an alarm as long as we don't go into the hallways because there shouldn't be a way to move between most of the rooms?  I can work with that," Billy grins mischievously within his helmet for a moment before Rebecca's message sinks in. "Rebecca stop gathering intel and work harder on escalation.  You have a terrible idea of what constitutes a distraction.  We want them to be chasing after something specific not searching for threats.  We're threats.  They're searching for us.  That is the opposite of your job."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 148):

Team Shuttle

"We can certainly attempt it. Based on what I'm seeing in the system, I don't see a reason why that wouldn't work."
This message was last updated by the GM at 20:26, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

In reply to Sophia (msg # 149):

Team Distraction

Selma listens to Rebecca's deluge, slowly regaining her bearings.

When Rebecca places her ear near Selma's mouth, all she hears is.

"Titan's a dangerous place. What can I say? Accidents happen."

Selma tilts herself upward on her elbows and scoots her rear backward to approximate a casual seated position.

"And if you don't recall the security teams from the mines, there's going to be more of them."

"You don't 'break' a lockdown," Abe sends back over comms. "If you're caught not being...locked down...then you're taken in for questioning. If you run for it, they chase you and THEN take you in for questioning. I suppose eventually you'd get shot, depending on how determined you are to resist being taken in."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 150):

As Selma vaguely threatens her she smiles



She nods at Abe's summary


This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

"Get that camera jankery up and running, X.  If we can move around the halls but no one else can, that's a big win for us."

Xander's voice pipes up over the team com channels. Alright people, I have a workaround for this. You want to go somewhere, let me know. I can creatively blank out cameras and squelch door cycling notifications while you're on the move, but I have to know where you're going before you do it. You need to move a room, you tell me when and where.

Everybody's map blinks with flashing red dots.

Those are the real-time locations of the teams doing security sweeps. Don't be dumb, give them a wide berth. If we play it smart, we should be able to completely avoid them. Sophia can likely predict their search pattern given a bit more time observing their movements, so let's try to stay as many steps ahead as possible.

In the meantime Soph, let's try to figure out what has them all in a tizzy, shall we?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Thu 19 Apr 2018.

In reply to Xander (msg # 153):

EVERY TEAM

Anyone wearing a helmet observes the wire outline of a map roughly approximating the Compound load in their HUD. Red dots of light can be seen representing the security sweep teams. There are four of them in total, and they appear to have already begun their sweep, starting in the center and working their way outward in different directions.

Team Data

Hadrian fidgets uncomfortably.

"Are we going into the other room through the passage, then? Or...what?"

He frowns.

"I...think Apex has left the ruins of the ship. She's...she's heading back to the Compound."

Team Shuttle

Xander and Sophia attempt to dig into what may have triggered the station's current level of readiness.

"I'm detecting a series of escalations, " Sophia observes. "The Amber 42 Alert for the theft of sensitive alien technology was already in effect before we got here. This was compounded by a pair of more recent security breaches -- one at the western perimeter, called in by an interdiction team and subsequently cleared, and another involving the outer tram network, which remains unresolved."

Bradford and Whitney chew on this for a short while, while Kayla cleans and readies her rifle.

"Sounds like ours is the only team that didn't get us into trouble," she says with a slight grin. "So there's that, at least."

"Hold on. Wait. The Amber 42 Alert has just been lifted. It has been replaced by an Amber 43. That's the code for when the subject of an Amber 42 has been located, and triggers the initiation of less-exploratory forms of recovery. That's almost certainly the final straw triggering the lockdown."

Team Distraction

The woman mulls this information over for a bit before whispering a response.

"I'd love to help you, but I'm understaffed at the moment. See my team found a cache of strange minerals deep in the shaft. But they're guarded by...something. An alien, I think. And before you say anything, no, I haven't seen it myself and no, I'm not crazy."

Selma scowls and looks away.

"Ask any of the miners -- on anyone's team, not just mine -- and they'll say the same. There's definitely something down there. If you help my team get out of there with the goods, we'll help you with your little rebellion."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:54, Fri 20 Apr 2018.

"Yeah, yeah lead the way.  If Apex is on the move then we have to be too." Billy waves Hadrian into the tunnel so they can push and drag the heart of the Grid through it between them.  His voice comes over the ocmms, "Guys, Apex is onto us. Can we pull security out of the hangar specifically instead of putting the whole compound on high alert?  We're going to need an exit sooner than later, so the getting the ship part of the plan is becoming more pressing."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Fri 20 Apr 2018.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 155):

Rebecca Nods to the girl an pus her helmet back on nodding with interest and studying the map and how to get her team out of the infirmary.
Over Comms:

If Apex knows about what Hadrian did... then I don't know if there is anything I can do.  I'm escalating efforts with a specific threat.

"You could make sure your specific threat is anywhere in the vicinity of the ship." Billy replies over the comms irritably as he crawls through the cramped passage

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 157):

You mean isn't?

*scoffs*

Numnuts.

"No.  What?  If it's not near the hangar then they aren't going to mobilize any of the security in the hangar to deal with it.  What the hell are you doing?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 159):

She grits her teeth.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 160):

Billy and Rebecca continue their conversation while their teammates diddle around, content to watch the blinking dots and bide their time.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 161):

Over comms:

I am almost diametrically opposed to the Hangar, it may be impractical.  However, I do believe an opportunity exists to create sufficient distraction.  Will be executing shortly.

Xander we need to get back to the train tubes and the bikes... be prepared to loop video on my mark...

She summons Percy

[Manifest: Yellow. ]



To those in the room.

"Diametrically opposed to-" Billy huffs inside his helmet, "Alright, this is all gone to crap.  I dunno how long we can give Apex the runaround if she can just home in on you.  Do any of the rooms on this level have like a storage closet or something?" Billy asks Hadrian as they clear the service tunnel.  Before he gets an answer he starts examining the opposite wall of the new room.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 163):

Team Data

"There are lockers for breech kits on every floor," Hadrian suggests. "We could probably fit into one apiece if you'd like, but we'd have to split up. And I don't know how we could take the Grid with us if we did that."

Billy examines the room on the other side of the service tunnel carefully, noting a desk off in the corner that might suit his needs as the wheels in his head continue to turn.

Team Distraction

Selma makes a call to the security team, as Rebecca had requested, while Rebecca takes a moment to consult with her allies.

They are not enthused.

"Are. You. Insane?"

Abe practically spits each word as Rebecca explains her plan.

"Sending your doll tromping through the corridors to distract he security sweep teams is a fine plan, but after that you lose me. We can't afford to waste time down in Titan's frozen mine shafts! The shuttle may not be able to wait for us if we do."

"That's right!" Candy nods emphatically, "Plus, in case you didn't notice, she vented Huck's suit less than an hour ago. If she needs help, she can look somewhere else."

"Rebecca and I have less to fear from sabotage than you do," Barachiel says quietly. "These people need help. You can continue on to the shuttle if you'd like, but I will not abandon these miners to their fate."

Selma finishes her call and rejoins the group.

"All set!" she announces, her energy levels clearly mending and a rather bubbly personality starting to reveal itself. "Ready to save the day?"

OOC: Holding off on Percy's romp until Team Distraction sorts out who is going where.

Team Shuttle

Xander and Sophia have their hands full trying to plot out the various movements their teammates will be making so they can be adequately masked by the system.

"We still need a way to clear the hangar," Kayla reminds the group. "Especially if the others end up needing a hot pickup. We're not even sure the ship's able to fly yet -- if they depleted its fuel cells, it'll be a real short trip."

"We need to recover Abraxis, too," Sophia's voice informs them. "It looks like he was moved to the other hangar -- the military one. And I'm not leaving without him."

ALL TEAMS

"We've been made," Sophia's voice trickles through everyone's helmets. "At least, some of us have been. Rebecca's access codes have just been flagged and revoked. Hadrian's, too."

The voice sounds amused.

"Not Abe's though. Not yet."

"Good thing we got what we needed already," Billy scoffs at Sophia's alert about the team's security codes, "Ooh, lockers.  That could work.  Okay, just let me know if Apex gets closer.  I guess once she's in the elevator we make our move, watch for that," as Billy talks he fires on the wall with his laser, carving out a small chunk behind the desk at least as wide as the service tunnel they just crawled out of.  Once he's done he kicks the carved out section of wall into the next room, "Come on, lets keep moving. Least we can do is keep Apex agitated."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 164):

She meets Abe's expletive with a very cold, calculating look.


She says in a dangerous purr.  Her mind clicks into gear.  Over comms:

Change in plan.  Abe and team will go meet the shuttle team, move quick and quiet.  They are a stealth team.  Barachial and myself [implied: and Selma] are going to go foment the issue in the mines.  Xander, please cover the tracks of team stealth as best you can.  I have issued a challenge direct to Apex.

I understand about Huck, but I believe it to genuinely be a case of mistaken identity...

She looks at the map to see if she can give the team any kind of significant head start using her phasing powers (can I get them to a new easier corridor etc?

She smiles slightly at Selma.


This message was last edited by the player at 15:31, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 166):

Team Distraction

"Ok. I am officially done trying to parent you. But just so you know, if it comes to a choice between ending the war and leaving you here -- and it's definitely going to -- we're doing the former," Abe says tersely. "Candy, are you ready?"

The woman nods, and when Xander remotely gives the all-clear from a proximity alert perspective, the pair proceeds from the infirmary and begins to work its way toward the shuttle hangar.

"Abe here. Candy and I had to leave Huck in the medbay, but we're en route to the hangar. Rebecca and Barachiel have split off from us, apparently eager to thank the woman who nearly killed Huck for her efforts by following her into the mining shafts. Don't ask me why. I tried to dissuade her already and I'm done wasting my breath."

(Candy and Abe leave Team Distraction)

***

Rebecca directs Percy toward the nearest security sweep team, and smiles as said sweep team freaks out and begins shooting at the weird creature and generally becoming quite distracted.

OOC: We're not shifting to combat mode for this, it would slow things down a lot without changing the result one way or the other. The distraction can be done via narrative in this instance.

There are no new (obvious) alarms, as the building already on lockdown, but the nearest red dot to the group Percy attacked diverts course on the map to begin to move toward him. Apparently the group did, in fact, signal for help.

There is no sign of Apex herself one way or the other.

While Percy and one of the security teams are otherwise occupied, Rebecca, Barachiel, and Selma head back to the tram platform, leaving Huck behind under the care of the meditech.

(Huck has left Team Distraction. Selma has joined Team Distraction.)

"How did we even get here?" Selma asks as they enter the platform. "The trams will be locked down along with everything else. We're not walking, are we? That will take forever and we'll definitely get caught."

She blinks at Barachiel.

"And, uh...don't you want an EVA suit, big guy? Or something?"

Barachiel shakes his head quietly, then gestures toward the three covered hovercraft the team left parked nearby, giving Rebecca the honor of disclosing them.

Team Data

Billy slices his way through the metal room dividers with ease and panache, scurrying into an adjoining room that contains what appears to be racks upon racks of carboys filled with bubbling liquids of various kinds.

"Apex is...in the Compound. She is...ascending," Hadrian says, his voice becoming less casual by the moment. "I think she's honing in on us. I think she's coming."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 167):

Team Shuttle

"Wait, wait, wait. Abraxis isn't over there?" Kayla says, jerking a thumb toward the closed door and, more to the point, the hangar beyond. "Do we have to go pick him up, or can you drive it over here from where we are?"

She frowns as Team Distraction's complete breakdown unfolds in real time over the comms.

"We could maybe send Abe over there, if we need to be in more places at once? Or have him bunker down here while some of us go see about freeing the mech instead?"

Kayla exhales sharply, blowing an errant lock of hair out of her eyes with the same motion, and continues her vigil at the door while Xander works his digital magic in his seat behind her.

"Being a bodyguard is much less exciting than being a test pilot," she murmurs to herself.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 168):

She puts her hand lightly on Abe's shoulder

I don't expect you to.  Keep me up to date on the comms and if I can make it I will.  If not... you'll know where to find me.

Then she gets up on tiptoe and taps her forehead to the helmet of the eva suit affectionately



Now go.  I'll cover you.  Don't look back!

Over Comms:

Our team is working with the mining team under the compound.  There is something important going on there, and I believe that we are at an intersection of our interests.  I have accosted a team and will be setting off as many alarms as possible to lead my way on a merry chase.

Xander if you could please highlight our escape in whatever capacity you are able to I would appreciate it.  Set off as many alarms around me as you can.

Before she leaves the facility she gathers herself and sends out a broadcast psychic message to everyone within a 5 area radius.



[Telepathy: Green]

Once out in the tram she smiles as they walk to the bikes and she wooshes the tarp off of them with flourish.


This message was last edited by the player at 17:53, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 169):

Team Distracted (subtle, eh?)

Selma grins with excitement as Rebecca reveals the hovercraft.

"Oh, that's right! You guys had hoverbikes," she says, hopping over to mount one and kicking it into gear. "These are great. Come on, I'll show you the way!"

Barachiel and Rebecca (ostensibly) mount up on their own bikes, and the trio zips away back the way they originally came.

With the tram shut down, there is nothing to fear along the tracks, and the journey back to the mining quarry is completely uneventful. Upon arrival, Selma leads the group out past the mining machines until they eventually reach the quarry itself. She fires the jump jets, and the hovercraft hurtles down the embankment and into the first of many large shafts.

Barachiel and Rebecca follow suit, doing their best to keep up as Selma zips, zigs, and zags along the various passages.

At long last, Selma brings the vehicle to a halt -- and it's easy to see why, for you now find yourselves at the edge of a steel cliff that descends into cavernous darkness. A sleek metal platform that resembles a manual elevator provides the only way down from here, and there are no other ways to go.

"Down here," Selma says, hopping off the bike and walking over to the elevator. She switches on her EVA suit's head lamps and gives you a thumb's up. "Hope you're not afraid of the dark. Or enclosed spaces!"

Barachiel glances over at Rebecca, shrugs, parks his vehicle and follows along.

"We've come this far," he reasons. "But where is the creature you spoke of?"

"Oh, we won't encounter that until we get a lot deeper," Selma says dismissively. "We're perfectly safe this close to the surface. I'll let you know when it's time to get nervous."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 170):

Selma, I'm going to let you primarily go with the lights... rescuing you and our hoverbike cost me a lot of battery, and I really need any available battery life.

Now describe this alien to me on the way down.  I actually have some experience with aliens. 

She summons Percy to her side

[Manifest: Yellow]

Before he completely coalesces she dismisses him.

Hold on...

[Manifest (with new modification): Yellow]


This message was last edited by the player at 19:13, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

I can remote activate Abraxas and have him exit the hangar and loop around, though that's risky, Xander says. If Apex's mechs mobilize, I might be able to get him to sneak out in the confusion, but it will definitely require more direct hacking to keep security systems suppressed long enough to get him here. Otherwise we have to schlep it ourselves, and it's kinda the opposite direction from the shuttle.

The pilot winces as alarms begin to blare throughout the complex. Well, if they know we're here anyway, might as well start hacking the crucible directly.

Sophia? Let's do this.

Once the cameras-off capability has been established, Fiernas moves from his room to join the others, confident that with Sophia's map available, they won't get ambushed in here.

"It's time to think about bailing out," he says to Kayla and Xander.  "Getting anything out of Apex isn't gonna happen.  Hadrian's codes are flagged, so he can't get the video footage.  They know we're here and they're coming for us.  Let's cut our losses and get off planet with what we have."

"Huh, I had a friend with a basement that looked like this," Billy comments after crawling into the new room.  He grabs the chunk of wall he carved out once Hadrian and the Grid are through and with a few quick shots tacks it back in place in time to hear Hadrian's warning about Apex, "Really?  Already?  She's faster than I thought.  Do you know where the locker is on this floor, relative to here?  Do we have to go in the hall, because that idea just got a lot less interesting if we do."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 174):

Team Data

"The lockers are in the hallways, yes," Hadrian says. "Though if we can cut through a few more rooms that way (he points at a wall), we could reach one of my offices. I keep a spare suit there, in a recharging station that doubles as a storage locker. We could probably both fit, but it wouldn't be comfortable."

He glances at the Grid.

"And we'd have to hide that somewhere else."

Team Shuttle

"Are you suggesting we barrel into the hangar, guns blazing, and use it to scoop up everyone else as best we can on the way out?" Kayla asks, not looking particularly opposed to the idea. "I mean, it beats waiting around, don't get me wrong. But if there's anything wrong with the shuttle, we could be in for a bad time."

She glances over at Xander.

"What do you think? Are you committed to hacking the Crucible here, or do you want to get going?"

Team Distracted

Rebecca focuses intently, and Percy's form shifts and changes... (awaiting Rebecca's input on final form).

Selma looks taken aback by this development, and mouths the word 'auger' silently behind her helmet.

"I'd rather blaze with as few guns as possible, but yeah, the sooner we get to the ship, the better.  The situation here is only going to get worse."

"Hadrian, we're going to cut the floor out of the locker and weld the door shut behind us. Apex is going to sense you mysteriously dropping down a floor right as she closes in and have to double back to the elevators to catch up.  She either doesn't know you swallowed the orb, and probably doesn't trust most of security with it, or she does know and probably doesn't want to risk them shooting you, so we'll still be relatively clear downstairs.  We just need to hide the hole in the floor well enough she can't follow us the short way." Billy explains as he immediately starts carving another small hole in a corner in the direction Hadrian pointed after dragging a carboy out of the way, "So worry less about comfort and more about covert.  The grid will fit in the hole as well as we do."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 177):

Team Shuttle

"So...try to sneak into the shuttle, then? See if Xander can get the ramp lowered and make a run for it, with the blazing guns as Plan B?"

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 178):

Team Data

"We...are? That's remarkable. It may even work."

Hadrian continues to point the way through the walls to his office, until finally Billy slices them into the appropriate room. There's a perfectly organized desk off to one side, some pieces of art, a small bookshelf, a wall terminal, and a datapad resting on charging stand.

The moment they enter the room, Hadrian relaxes considerably. He removes his helmet, scoops up the data pad, and begins taking off his battered and ill-fitting EVA suit (there is a bodysuit beneath this, never fear).

By the time Billy has gotten the Grid and the carboy through and finished welding the wall back together, Hadrian has activated a hidden wall panel to reveal a sleek-looking EVA suit. The armor rack on which it is mounted slides out of the sconce automatically, and Hadrian moves over toward it and begins to put it on.

"Won't take me long to get changed," he says, gesturing toward the open sconce in the wall. "If you want to start cutting, I should be done by the time you are."

"If you're not, I'm pushing you in the hole anyway," Billy remarks as he drags the grid over and starts cutting as instructed. "Does that suit do something important, or are you just being inconveniently fashion-conscious?" he asks conversationally.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 180):

Team Data

"Scrubsuit functionality built around a hard-shell EVA suit," Hadrian says, snapping all the various pieces into place.

He slides his datapad into a slot sized for it on the suit's back, as if it were a sword going into a sheath. The helmet retracts around the top and back of his head and neck, relieving him of the need to carry it.

"Most importantly?" he continues, craning his neck to watch Billy work. "It fits!"

"Don't forget the shiny purple alien in your pocket," Billy remarks as Hadrian details his new duds, "Hey your emotion psychic shit, you didn't touch Rebecca when you puller her out of that episode.  How far do you think you can reach?  Think you could affect Apex?"

It's your call, Xander says. I can hack most effectively plugged in here, and could potentially make getting out with the shuttle much easier. But it also means we're sitting here longer.

The thing that's most concerning to me right now are the AA batteries. If we don't take care of them, we won't be able to do anything with the shuttle when we do get to it.

My Plan A was 'hack them,' followed by my Plan B of 'blow them up with Abraxas.' I don't have 'try to dodge their fire while flying around in the shuttle' listed until like Plans W or X.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:55, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

In reply to Xander (msg # 183):

Rebecca focuses briefly and summons Percy who is wearing an EVA suit similar to hers.  A beam of light flicks on from his shoulder mounted lights.  She notes Selma's gasp from next to her.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 184):

Team Data

"Possibly," Hadrian says. "I haven't actually tried it on her before."

He frowns slightly.

"What would you want me to make her feel?"

Team Shuttle

Xander awaits Fiernas's decision regarding the stay-or-go dilemma they find themselves in.

Team Distracted

"Voices in my head?" Selma laughs. "No way. You've been using comms this whole time. Haven't you?"

She shakes her head at Rebecca's question.

"I told you, we've never actually SEEN the thing. But we know it's down there. We can hear it."

Percy materializes, dressed in a (cosmetic-only) EVA suit equipped with lamps that cut through the darkness quite handily.

"How, uh...how many more friends do you have?" Selma asks, nodding toward the figure.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 185):

This is comms... But its just Percy, for now.  I may be capable of more, but for the time being he is it.  I... uhhh.... today has been... eventful.

She says with a sigh and she looks down at her feet for a moment.

So what exactly is going on in the mines?  I'm not convinced the alien is either sentient or a guard dog, may be more naturally occurring fauna.  Also what weaponry or abilities do you have?  You seem prepared to incur the wrath of the security team, why?  Will you be able to hold out a prolonged seige?  How many of you are there? 

Flipping channels on the comms

Abe how are you doing?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 186):

Team Distracted

"We're fine," Abe sends back over the comms.

***

"I've got two dozen folks down there," Selma says. "It's easier to show you than to tell you, come on."

She leads the way onto the manual elevator lift and carries you deeper into the mines, with Percy and Barachiel following along beside Rebecca as they delve onward.

When the elevator comes to a stop, Rebecca can see that she is now very much beyond the mines proper. The walkways and passages are quite rough, as though the diggers had reached this point but never properly got around to setting it up for mining purposes. There is very little in the way of scaffolding or tools, or really any sign that anyone might be expected to function in this space.

"Step lightly here," Selma says, hopping off the lift and beckoning you to follow. "The ground's a little crumbly, and it's a looooong way down."

Glancing past the lift and the ledge and into the chasm below, you can't help but agree.

As you continue along, you hear a clattering, skittering sound, which echoes through the darkness, followed by a short-lived gust of rushing wind.

"See what I mean?" Selma says once the sound has passed. "There's something down here. Somewhere."

Finally, Selma comes to a place in the rough-hewn passage where a crescent-shaped incision has been carved into the wall. She leans back against it, flattening her back again against the wall, and slides to the left...behind the wall and into a space you would never have know was there without her example.

"Come on, we're almost there," Selma's voice calls out softly.

Barachiel glances at the wall, and at the flat space the woman somehow fit through.

"That's going to be a tight squeeze," he rumbles aloud. "You should probably go first, in case I damage it."

Then he lowers his voice considerably.

"There is peril here. Not far away. I can sense it."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 187):

Percy follows immediately on the heels of Selma.  Rebecca waits outside for a moment.



Once Percy has shuffled into the back corridor and takes a quick look to see everything is ok she follows the conventional way.

[Phasing: White]

"If you've got an advantage here, let's use it.  Work on the AA guns and check on Abraxas.  Where is it, who's guarding it."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 189):

Team Distracted

Percy, Rebecca, and Barachiel follow Selma into the crack, shimmying through with difficulty, ease, and hardship, respectively.

On the other side, they find themselves standing on a narrow ledge barely large enough to accommodate them all. Selma is crouched on the edge, fumbling in the darkness for something.

"Where is...aha!"

Selma's hands find purchase against something, and she swings herself bodily off the ledge. Looking over, you see she is now climbing down a 'ladder' made of irregularly spaced rungs of twisted iron, hammered and bent into the stone wall.

Bursts of warmer air gush upward from time to time (relatively speaking -- it's still frigid, according to your sensors) as you work your way downward, and the going is both slow and irritating.

After a solid 15 minutes, you are relieved to hear Selma's boots clomp down on solid ground once more.

"This way! Not far now," she says, leading you along the rocky ground until finally coming to what appears to be a ramshackle double-door gate of wood and metal. The gate looks battered and bruised, barely standing. The edges are twisted and the rock around the joints and hinges is splintered and torn.

Here we are!" she announces proudly. Selma advances to the gate and gives it a firm shove -- nothing too powerful, but enough that a slender opening grinds open between the gate's halves. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

Barachiel cocks his head to one side, as if listening for something he can't quite hear. He advances cautiously, but ultimately follows Selma through the gate.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 190):

Team Shuttle

Xander settles in and begins to focus on hacking the Crucible.


This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

"That would kinda depend on what she's feeling when she finds us.  I just like to keep my options open.  Roll with the punches, y'know.  So long as you keep tabs on what you can do, it doesn't matter how screwed up what you're supposed to do gets.  A plan B is nice, but It's like I told you, nothing ever goes to plan anyway."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

Xander's eyes go unfocused as he turns his full mental attention to the toughest hacking challenge he's yet to face: the Crucible.

Let's get this started off on the right foot. Sophia? No mercy.

[Hacking (Intuition) Karma to red -> Attack Encryption Countermeasure: Success]

[Damage: 30, Stun]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:34, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 192):

Nightmare follows Barachial through the door, Percy surges ahead to the front of the group keeping a vigilant eye for any unpleasant surprises.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 194):

Team Distracted


The other side of the gate is somewhat unremarkable at first glance -- just a dead end that resembles the interior of a cave.

Upon further inspection, however, you can see the remains of rudimentary structures made of plastic, rubber, and metal. They are useless now, however, being stripped, slashed, and otherwise destroyed.

"Twenty four," Selma says, staring at the back of the cave and speaking quietly. "That's how many people were on my team when we first heard the skittering. We always felt compelled to follow it. And it led us here, to this place. But where is everyone?"

As she talks, Percy shines his light upon the farthest visible reaches of the cave. The shadows peel back to reveal a line of EVA suits, all seated with their backs against the wall. The faceplates are dark, and they look completely inert.

Rebecca doesn't need to count to know there are 24 of them.

"What the hell, guys? Is this supposed to be a joke? We don't have time for group meditation or whatever new age crap Rene's come up with this time," Selma says, and you note that the skittering sound can be heard once more. Closer. Louder. "Come on, move it, get up, we have work to do!"

ACCURATE.

The words are felt, more than heard, and Rebecca experiences a chilling sensation she's felt before -- the touch a Roshak's mind.

The shadows bulge and part to reveal a Roshak with dark and battered carapace. Blue light patches it in a dozen places, and it moves unsteadily when it presses forward. She also notes that there is a dark stone embedded into the side of the carapace, which is swirling with a strange internal cascade of lights. Something is leaking out from the edges, like oozing blood from a wound.

Selma nearly jumps out of her skin at the sight of the thing.

"What the f-"

DO NOT BE ALARMED. THIS ROSHAK WAS IMPALED BY A STOLEN MINDSTONE WHEN ITS SHIP CRASHED. IT CANNOT HARM YOU. I HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF IT.

The Roshak teeters slightly, but stabilizes itself.

THIS BODY HAS SERVED WELL ENOUGH AS A VESSEL. BUT IT HAS DEGRADED TOO MUCH TO MAKE THE ASCENT TO THE SURFACE. YOU MUST ASSIST ME.

"I...have literally no idea what you're talking about," Selma says, taking a step away from the creature. "What are you? And what are you doing here? And what did you do to my team?!"

THEIR MINDS ARE BROKEN. THEY COULD NOT TOLERATE THE MINDSTONE, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT AT THE TIME.IT IS UNFORTUNATE.

It makes an approximation of a shrug.

YOU ALONE ENDURED IT. BUT ALONE, YOU COULD NOT HELP ME. SO YOU WERE SENT TO COLLECT OTHERS WHO COULD.

"I...I don't understand," Selma says, clearly flustered. "I just...wait. Wait a second. I remember...I remember getting a comm-call that my team had discovered something. And rushing down here to see what it might be. And how all they could talk about when I got down here was how close the skittering sound was now, and how close we all were to becoming rich and famous for discovering an alien, and then..."

Selma's voice becomes distant.

"...it was you. You were here, and there was a flash of light. A buzzing sensation. And after that? Nothing."

She takes another step backward and clenches her hands into fists.

"The next thing I know, I'm laying on my back in the medbay with a lingering feeling that I need to get back here right away with help."

AND YOU HAVE. NOW, YOU AND THE OTHERS WILL CARRY ME TO THE SURFACE. LET US DEPART AT ONCE.

"You literally just said you broke the minds of my team," Selma nearly shouts. "Can you fix them?"

I CANNOT.

Selma reaches down into the rubble and picks up a metal tube about three feet long. Her finger clicks over the activation button, and a sharp mining pick extends from one end and begins to vibrate rapidly.

"That's...that's too bad," she says, her voice sounding strained. "I think that means I'm going to have to kill you."



OOC: I'm not revealing stats until you decide which side to fight on (if any, you're welcome to pass).
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:34, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 195):

Team Data

"I'll probably try fear, then," Hadrian says, half to himself. "If it comes to it."

Billy finishes his cutting without further incident, though Hadrian announces that he thinks Apex must be nearly on this floor by now.

"Are we planning on letting her see us before we jump down? Or do we want to stay further ahead of her than that?"

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 196):

"No, if she sees us she might try busting her way in to get after the hole despite my welding skills.  Just want her on her way to the door.  Close enough that she has to run to try and catch what happened or double back to the elevator.  You could try confidence. If she's not too hopped up on anger or paranoia I guess.  Nothing like overconfidence to make the opposite team get sloppy."  He shrugs, looking over his handywork, "Does she know about your secret locker here?  If you can't just close the door behind you with no one the wiser, we might need to squeeze in here together with the grid long enough to seal it shut.  If you jump down first she'll notice the orb drop a story, and if I jump down first it's gonna be a lot harder to shoot the seam.  You got any bright ideas on the logistics of sneaking through a hole in the floor?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 197):

Team Shuttle

The AI is stunned and cannot heal or take action.

Xander's digital assault continues!




This message was last edited by the GM at 13:50, Thu 26 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 198):

Rebecca fights to quell the initial swell of panic that surges in her throat.  The view of the Roshak lurching towards her brings back surges of fears and memories better left untouched.  The room spins in vertigo and the darkness threatens to consume her.  Fight or flight registers itself as she looks longingly towards the wall and escape.

She closes her eyes, takes an unsteady breath, phasing briefly in and out, her mind expands, her eyes open.



She says forcefully

[Contact nonhuman entity: Yellow]

Percy holds his action, waiting for the answers to this question.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 199):

Team Distracted

Barchiel holds his action, waiting to see what happens.

***

The not-a-Roshak halts and turns toward Rebecca fully.

I AM IN CONTACT WITH NO ONE. THAT IS WHY I MUST REACH THE SURFACE. I MUST CALL FOR HELP.

The not-a-Roshak lurches forward a few more steps.

REMOVING THE STONE WOULD KILL BOTH ME AND MY HOST. IT IS DAMAGED. I CANNOT WITHDRAW MY CONSCIOUSNESS FROM IT UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED.

***

"Not gonna happen," Selma says, looking not at all mollified by Rebecca's diplomacy. "But thanks for telling me where to hit you..."

She lunges forward and swings her vibrating pickaxe at the creature with surprising accuracy.

[Fighting: 92, yellow]

The blow strikes the mindstone directly, causing the not-a-Roshak to collapse and convulse horribly.

[Damage: 20]

Cracks radiate from the object. Another hit like that is almost certain to shatter it.

PDB. ZODK. DKLTA.

Words enter your mind, but they lack coherence and make no sense at all.

"What's the matter?" Selma says, her eyes wide with fury as she brings her weapon around for another blow. "Did something break your mind? I wonder if this'll fix it..."

N-NO. KDLPH AODKF. ST-STOP!

***

Barachiel looks over at Rebecca, unsure of what to do.

"The creature is helpless. Leave it be," he says to Selma, though he does not level a weapon at her.

***


This message was last edited by the GM at 19:09, Thu 26 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 200):

Team Data

"Not particularly," Hadrian replies. "I think you're probably the expert when it comes to working with holes."

He pauses a beat, then snickers softly, then composes himself again.

"Sorry. Sorry. Ahem. But no, I don't have a better plan. Apex doesn't know about the locker specifically, she's never seen it. I don't think she'll know to look for it."

Hadrian frowns suddenly.

"She's not far away now. I should go. Are you ready?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:21, Thu 26 Apr 2018.

"Sure.  If she's close you go first. Jump and get ready to catch the grid, I'll be right behind."  if nothing stops them he's as good as his word, letting Hadrian make the leap of faith, before they pass the grid down between them and then he closes the equipment locker on himself, bracing against any edge on the hole and/or between the walls of the locker long enough to laser  the door's seam.  Then he'll drop down himself.

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 201):

Percy intervenes and yanks at Selma's Pickaxe.

[Grab: Yellow success]

Rebecca intervenes directly.

Selma, stop.  I may be able to help them.

She points at herself.

Auger remember?

/ooc would waking these guys up be the same talent that I used previously or a new one?

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 203):

Team Data

Hadrian drops into the hole -- landing none too gracefully -- and helps Billy lower the Grid and the carboy down before stepping back to give Billy room to join him.

The room resembles another office, though it appears 4 people share the space based on the terminals and chairs scattered around. There is a single door leading out toward a hallway.

"Security teams haven't swept out this far yet," Hadrian says, glancing at the real-time map on his HUD. "Or...that's funny. Do the security teams look frozen in place on your screen, too?"

Billy can confirm that the red blips haven't moved on his screen for a while.

"That's...more likely to be a problem with our real-time data feed than them actually standing still," Hadrian says. "Ok. Ok, so if they were there at some point, they'd still have to be..."

He pauses and blinks.

"...it worked! Apex is returning to the lift tubes," Hadrian interjects. "What's next?"

Team Distracted

Selma yelps as Rebecca tears the tool-turned-weapon from her grasp.

"That THING as good as killed my team. All of them! And you're siding with IT?!" she demands, looking frantically around the room for another weapon. Finding none, she settles on the pickaxe still in Rebecca's hands.

"If you can heal them, hurry up and do it. But we're all in danger while this monster's on the loose. We can't give it a chance to hurt anyone else!"

~~ END COMBAT ~~

OOC: Combat is paused at the moment, but Rebecca's next action(s) will determine whether it resumes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:16, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 204):

/ooc Percy has the pick not Rebecca.

Over team comms:

Crap guys, mine is a dead end...  Doing what I can down here.  There is an Amgine and a Roshak that are near dead.  Seeing what I can do.  Don't expect any miracles on my end.

Selma, pick one.  Who do I try first?

I'm not siding with that hybrid.  That being said I think it is a likely way to stop a war.  But yes.  It will come to justice eventually.

She kneels down infront the miner Selma selects, or barrig that the one that feels least broken, letting her mind extend into his trying to feel around the broken edges.

[Telepathy: Red]

quote:

Come back.  Wake up. 

This message was last edited by the player at 13:17, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 205):

Team Distracted

Rebecca focuses her attention on one of the miners who, in her estimation, is the least gone. While focusing on this, she barely registers Selma taking the pickaxe back from Percy with a well-placed snatch.

[Grab: Yellow success]

"You should not be so eager to fight," Barachiel warns the woman. "There is a difference between defending others and becoming the aggressor yourself."

"We're on a colony. We don't have the luxury of playing catch-and-release with the vipers in our midst," Selma replies. "Survival is a binary condition."

Barachiel shakes his head, but before he can voice his disagreement, Rebecca has completed her work. One of the miners stirs, and rises slowly to their feet.

"Vance?" Selma says, lowering her weapon slightly and looking at the figure with a sliver of hope. "Vance, are you in there? Everyone ok? How're you feeling?"

The miner puts a hand to his helmet and gurgles out a pain-filled moan. No matter how many questions are put before him, this is all he does. The moan DOES change pitches, however, and sometimes it's more of a whimper. But it's always full of agony.


"Right, then," Selma says, narrowing her eyes and raising her pickaxe. "So my team is either dead or shambling pain zombies locked into the worst possible migraine. That...thing has got to go!"

She turns toward the not-a-Roshak, who is still struggling to get back up on its legs from the last attack it suffered, and prepares to attack...


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:29, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

Xander's mental assault on the crucible continues full-force.

[Hacking vs. Passive AI: Success]

[Module Offline. 40 Damage to System OS]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

"Okay, that's a little bit of breathing room.  How many floors above the entrance to the hangar are we?  We've still gotta end up at the ship." Billy states, taking a deep breath and glancing around the room.  At Rebecca's status report he tsks irritably, "I'm starting to miss the moody girl who followed orders," he mumbles before coming over the comms, "Abe, Fiernas, Xander, someone tell me progress is being made.  I can only play hide and seek for so long before this is going to get ugly."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 208):

Team Shuttle

The OS recovers from its disorientation and begins to resist Xander's intrusion.

[Hack Attack: 58, yellow]

Xander's mind burns as it endures the damage, but the lights don't go out upstairs (so to speak).

[Damage (Xander/Sophia Hacking Pool): 30]

The OS regains some of its lost functionality.

[Healing (Encryption): 14]

Xander's digital assault continues!

Xander changes tactics after the counterattack, attempting to defang the hostile system.

[Psyche vs. Sentry: Success]

[Offline and 30 Damage]

In reply to Xander (msg # 210):

Team Shuttle

The OS continues its resistance, even as its immunity to stuns expires.

[Hack Attack: 16, white]

Though it is unable to penetrate Sophia's nascent defenses, the OS still regains some of its lost functionality.

[Healing (AI): 14]

Xander's digital assault continues!




This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 211):

Percy lunges for the pick, missing badly.

[Grab: White]

But when she is distracted from fending off his grab Nightmare sneaks under and wrests the pickaxe out of her hand.

[Grab: Yellow]

Stop this foolishness now!  There is an auger who may be able to help with this.  Hell, he may even recover in time.  I don't know.  All I can say is that killing these two aliens is not the correct course of action at this time!

Her voice echoes directly in Selma's head.


This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

[Hacking (Reason) vs. Firewall: Success]

Though no additional progress is made vs. the OS itself, the last of its defenses are stripped away.

Now for the fun part.

In reply to Xander (msg # 213):

Team Shuttle

The OS is stripped and naked, ready for a flogging.

It is also very upset.

[Hack Attack: 76, yellow]

Xander's mind flickers briefly as he takes another blow to the noggin'.

[Damage (Xander's MP): 30]

The system continues trying to put itself back together, but it's a slog.

[Healing (Data Spike): 14]

Xander's digital assault continues!

This time Xander whiffs, causing no change of state.

In reply to Xander (msg # 215):

Team Shuttle

You can almost hear the station's reaction to Xander missing, a faint "Yaaaaas!"

[Hack Attack: 23, white]

It's so excited, in fact, that it follows suit by missing Xander.

The system still puts itself slowly back together...

[Healing (Firewall): 14]

Xander's digital assault continues!

This time Xander has more luck.

[Hacking (Reason) through Firewall: Success]

[Damage: 50]

In reply to Xander (msg # 217):

Team Shuttle

The system doggedly continues its resistance, futile though it may be.

[Hack Attack: 8, white]

It's attempt, however, is utterly SHAMEFUL.

Still, the system continues to put itself slowly back together...

[Healing (Encryption): 14]

Xander's digital assault continues!

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 218):

Team Data

"We are...5 floors up. I think," Hadrian replies. He seems more than a little distracted. "I think Apex is moving more than one floor down."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:24, Sun 29 Apr 2018.

In reply to Hadrian (msg # 219):

Team Distracted

The loss of the pickaxe does not stop Selma this time. She clenches her hand into a fist and trusts the EVA suit to finish the job for her.

Fighting: 9

She misses completely.

Barachiel sighs and attempts to restrain her.

Grapple: 20->91

He grabs the woman by her shoulders and lifts her off the ground.(full hold)

"Hey, let go!" She yells, deflating a bit. "You augers are just as bad as it is!"

The Not-a-Roshak does nothing.

Seeing herself outnumbered, Selma stops struggling...but does not stop glaring.

~~ End Combat ~~

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 220):

Thank you barachial, is this the danger you were sensing or is there more?  Can you lead us to it?

She sighs.

I'm sorry Selma, but this is not going to bring your friends back.  I still may be able to help.  Was this the creature that was guarding your ore?

She turns to the not-a-roshak

What's your name?  On whose authority are you here?  What earth representative authorized this?  How did you end up this deep underground.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 221):

Team Distracted

“It doesn’t work that way,” Barachiel reminds Rebecca. “It isn’t a trail to follow like a scent. You’ve been spoiled by Fiernas’s accuracy.”

“What ore?” Selma snorts. “I just wanted your help and thought you’d need a payday to be willing to tag along.”

 THE MINDSTONE MUST BE REPAIRED. The Not-a-Roshak sends, though the words come slowly and sluggishly. WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR PLEASANTRIES. TAKE ME TO THE SURFACE IMMEDIATELY.


Team Data

Hadrian shakes his head slightly, though nothing seems to have prompted this.

"Ok. HUD is frozen. Security teams are probably on their way. Apex is still descending, and I think she's below us now."

His eyes flicker purple, then back to blue.

"Someone's coming. On this floor, I think. What'll we do?"

If Billy strains, he too can hear the clomping of footfalls from somewhere down the nearest hallway.

"Below us?  Fuck she got sick of hide-and-seek fast.  Uh..." Glancing around the room quickly Billy lasers the door, welding it shut, "Which way's the hangar if we're on the ground floor?  We might need a shortcut." At Hadrian's indication he starts carving another opening in one corner of the room for them to crawl through.

As soon as he finishes speaking his voice is over the comms, it takes all his effort not to talk over himself mostly for Hadrian's benefit, "Hangar team, Apex might be on her way. We're gonna have to get the ship the ugly way or not at all.  Rebecca, if you don't join us soon we're leaving you behind."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 223):

A brief moment of silence... then her voice comes over the speakers in red hot unfiltered fury.

You could have just asked for help.  Told me what was happening.  Given me a few minutes to cover for my team.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE COST US?!  MY TEAM COULD BE DYING BECAUSE OF YOU!  I TOLD THEM TO ABANDON ME BECAUSE OF YOU!  YOU NEARLY KILLED ONE OF MY MEN.  I... I.... TRUSTED... YOU!

The last is spit with the unique venom and tears of a betrayed teenager as she turns her back on Selma.  At this point her voice fails her instead opting for her cold impassive scientists voice given psychically.



She shakes her head disappointed.  Turning to the not a Roshak



She stiffens as Billy comes over comms.



She adds impatiently to the not a roshak.

She schools herself, and responds over comms.

10-4 on my way.  There is what appears to be an amgine mindstone lodged in a Roshak down here.  Both are alive but in bad shape.  Barachial says he senses danger down here.  Anyone have any suggestions how to deal with this situation?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Tue 01 May 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 224):


Team Distracted

Selma, still pinned by the shoulders in Barachiel's grip, is unrepentant.

"Are you serious? You've proved me right," Selma snorts again. "You're saying you would have acted differently -- delayed in coming, maybe -- if I hadn't mentioned a sweet payout? My people needed help right away. They STILL do, no thanks to you. My only regret is not asking someone else to do it."

She glares at the alien.

"You know, someone who wouldn't have sided with this mind-melting brain eater."

The not-a-Roshak, for its part, advances toward Rebecca.

YOU MISUNDERSTAND OUR RELATIONSHIP. it sends, still slurred and sluggish and obviously in pain. I DO NOT KNOW YOU. BUT YOU ARE NEITHER ROY NOR WARCALLER. THERE IS NO COMPULSION TO OBEY.

It shuffles slowly forward.

I AM DYING. THE RISK OF SHATTERING YOUR OBSTINATE MIND IS AN ACCEPTABLE PRICE FOR SURVIVAL.

The not-a-Roshak straightens somewhat, as if pouring its efforts into seeming taller and more foreboding. The effect is only partially successful, but the words that follow do sound a bit more fortified.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO HELP ME OF YOUR OWN FREE WILL. TAKE ME TO THE SURFACE. NOW.

Team Data

Hadrian fidgets nervously as Billy continues to cut and weld their way closer to the hangar.

"If the hangar team is having trouble, won't leading Apex there amplify their problems?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 225):

You know what...  You misunderstand OUR relationship.  YOU NEED ME more than I need you.

We are done.

Pery attempts to claw at the mindstone but fails.

[Grab: Fail]

Sema. You’re right. Let’s finish this.

[Psychic blast: Green]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:37, Tue 01 May 2018.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 226):

Team Distracted

Rebecca lashes out with a psychic attack, and though the alien mind is harder to affect than human minds (-3CS), the close proximity weakens its ability to resist as well (-2CS).

[Resist: 51]

The attack is partially blunted, but still hammers through.

[Damage (Not-a-Roshak): 30]

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? IF THE HOST DIES WHILE I-

The not-a-Roshak suddenly collapses, and the cracked mindstone becomes utterly dark.

~~ END COMBAT ~~

"So...I take it we'll be blaming this Roshak's death on Apex, then?" Barachiel ventures, judging it safe to put Selma down. He walks over to the creature's body and taps it with the toe of his boot. "Or are we just going to leave it here and hope nobody ever finds it?"

Selma, now free, rushes over to Lance and starts shaking him, but the miner simply continues to moan painfully.

"Dammit, SNAP OUT OF IT," she cries, though her entreaties fall upon deaf ears.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 227):

We were never here.... we put the body into the deepest hole we can find.

Selma. I’m eighteen shades of pissed at you but we still have to help these people. Do you have anything capable of transport?. We can’t move two dozen people with just the three of us.  We need to get them to the med bay and if I survive this I’ll bring back the auger that may be able to help

"A what?" Billy replies to Rebecca's description of her situation, "Yeah, I suggest you burn it so Apex doesn't get any crazy Frankenstein idea from it."

As he finishes cutting through the most recent chunk of wall he turns to Hadrian, "Can you tell where she is below us?  I assume she's not just trying to cut us off a floor or two down since she doesn't know where we're going.  Worst case scenario she suspects my team is involved and she's already on her way to the Hangar.  Unless you can come up with a less worse case for where she's going I plan to beat her there."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 229):

"Are we leaving the mindstone with the body?"

In reply to Barachiel (msg # 230):

As much as my scientific curiosity dictates that we should take it, my cover story of we were never here requires that we bury it in this cave.

Over comms:

Threat neutralized, I'll be on my way momentarily.

She looks back at Selma.

This is on you.  Tell me what I can do to help, otherwise we just need to bring medics down here and make the rest of your team comfortable until they get better, or we can help them.  Unless you have some kind of moving equipment there is precious little I can do.