OOC: With Tarys's assist, that's a Good, "Yes", result for Farren, no issues.

Farren, Trace, & Tarys:

As they crept down one corridor, Farren read a spike of movement ahead, and quickly gestured his group to conceal themselves behind the ever-present arches that jutted out of the walls so conveniently. Just peering around, they glimpsed a Dalek passing by the T-junction ahead. Then it paused, and slowly rotated its dome to pan its eyestalk across the corridor. The travellers ducked back, pressed themselves into the corners, and waited while their hearts pounded in their chests and the deep animal parts of their minds screamed fight-or-flight instincts. Then Tarys reached out with her mind, and shrouded their emotions.

The Dalek, no longer suspicious, turned and rolled on.

Relieved, they emerged from hiding and moved on, stepping out behind the Dalek and taking its path back.

Soon, Farren halted his team again, his scanner showing two traces around the corner. He peered around, and saw two Daleks standing guard on either side of a large door that would slide up into the ceiling. Trace checked his engineer's mate, finding the main trunk of the power conduit ran right under that door. Here were the Power Generators, and of course they were guarded.

The Daleks' eyestalks were tilted toward the floor, suggesting they were dormant. But then: 'Alert! Be alert for pris-oners lea-ving lab-ora-tory area. Pris-oners will ret-urn to their duties or be punished.' At the message blaring through the corridors of the base, the Daleks' eyestalks rose until they stared straight ahead.

OOC: With Axander's assist, that's a Failure, "No, But" result for Bluetooth...

Dalek Jek was bored. Dalek Jek wanted to exterminate the unalike and briefly satisfy the unending hatred in his sickly pumping heart. But the Eternity Citadel was a secure base that the enemy (that is, everyone) could not access, could not even know of. And though its mission was to ultimately exterminate the currently most-hated enemy, Jek wasn't involved, and that didn't warm his gunstick. So, on patrol, Jek prowled the corridors, always hoping to find an enemy, always disappointed. Although it was treason to think of it, he secretly wished for a Time Lord to sneak in, so he could exterminate it, and experience something approaching happiness, for a day.

Jek paused, lowered his eyestalk at something that did not belong on the clean floor. Some kind of organic fibres. He focused the eyestalk, zoomed in, conducted an analysis.

Cat hair.

Axander, Bluetooth, & Stirix

Stealing through the Dalek base, ducking into cover behind the arches wherever they saw a familiar pepper-pot silhouette ahead, Axander, Bluetooth, and Stirix had no great issues navigating the base, though they had little idea where to go. They followed the signs of increasing technology mounted on the walls, reasoning this might get them closer to the laboratories.

Well, it got them somewhere.

Turning a corner, they almost walked right into the main command centre of the Eternal Citadel. And it was full of Daleks. Six Dalek technicians were plugged into various computers and monitoring devices, while a black-armoured seventh watched on. On a large view-screen, scenes played out. One showed the Tantalus Spiral, bands of colour rippling, spiralling around the central space–time anomaly. Then, further out, a vicious space battle waged, with Dalek saucers spinning and firing weapons at ever-shifting combat TARDISes, appearing and disappearing through space and time. One War TARDIS extruded itself into a mighty spear that crashed through the heart of a Dalek saucer, weapons emerging from its flanks to pick off individual Daleks as they floated through space on hoverbouts. Elsewhere, a Battle TARDIS was struck by a Dalek shot, its dimensional transcendence failing as internal dimensions suddenly mapped onto the external surface, and it unfolded and exploded into a small planetoid of TARDIS technology as equipment, and people spilled into space. Finally, a structure so massive they could only believe it on the small screen – three whole moons bound together in a row with immense girders, a massive cannon projected from the last. The Temporal Cannon. Somewhere on the third moon, the Doctor was fleeing the Dalek Eternity Circle that commanded this monstrous and monumental scheme. And, somewhere on the first, stood the Eternity Citadel, hidden in time and housing the Temporal Exterminator itself. The screen showed the severe Dalek fortress emerging from a lunar landscape, all sharp-edged mountains, blasted craters, and plains of still dust, dark-grey against the black of space.

'The Time Lord weapon can-not pene-trate our de-fences. The Etern-ity Cita-del is sec-ure.' the commander announced, his dome lights flashing, his synthesised voice deep and cruel. 'Display the target of the Temp-oral Exter-min-ator.'

The technicians adjusted the visualiser until it showed a complex image. In the middle was a diagram of the Doctor's whole timeline, all his many lives and adventures. Around that timeline spiralled pictures of the Doctor in all his incarnations, and in each he was thwarting the schemes of tyrants and conquerors, particularly Daleks. His timeline, though, was rotting from within, as branches and segments faded and died. The Temporal Exterminator was rolling up all the days of the Doctor's life, erasing his past and future. Soon, he would be nothing but an infinity of present moments, an impossible non-entity that could not exist in a rational universe.

'How long the Doc-tor is exter-min-ated?' demanded the commander, its polycarbide casing shaking with barely contained hatred for the Doctor.

'One thou-sand rels and counting.' Axander managed a quick calculation; a rel was approximately 1.2 seconds. So about 20 minutes, before the Doctor was irreversibly erased from existence.

Another Dalek turned its head. 'Dalek Jek reports intru-ders!'

'Imposs-ible. The Etern-ity Cita-del is im-pene-trable. Dalek Jek is para-noid. It must be pris-oners leav-ing the lab-ora-tory area. Raise alert level, commend Dalek Jek for para-noia, and investigate the lab-ora-tory area.'

'I obey.' The Dalek turned and rolled for the door, and the time travellers quickly dashed into hiding.

'Alert! Be alert for pris-oners lea-ving lab-ora-tory area. Pris-oners will ret-urn to their duties or be punished.' The message blared through the corridors above the time travellers' heads.

The Dalek rolled out past them, turned and went down the other corridor. They realised they could follow it straight to the laboratory area.

In reply to GM BadCatMan (msg # 31):

Things had been going so well, almost surprisingly well considering the level of the opposition... perhaps "too" well.  Farren had been considering how best to approach (or better yet circumvent) the two Dalek guards when the Base Alert message regarding "lab prisoners" began to blare.

Farren managed to conceal the cringe and matching pained frown from being visibly displayed but he certainly felt them internally.  Of course, this "disaster" could become a "blessing" in disguise if one could conceive of a clever way to use the Alert against the guards.

Farren glanced at Trace & Tarys as he said very softly, "I don't think it is about us... I think it may be due to the others.  Maybe there's some way to get the alarm to lure away the guards?"

"I suspect if you or I showed ourselves, we could draw them away easily enough, as they've been prepared for it.  Daleks have an instinct to kill; they have to concentrate just to suppress that when they're ordered to do something else, and they hate it."  She glances at Trace.  "Then the other of us can go in to cover Trace."

When the alarm sounded, Trace's heart stopped. Crap. They were dead. But by some miracle, the genocidal aliens didn't immediately turn and attack. Now they were alert, getting past them had suddenly got a little more interesting.

"You want to bait the daleks?" Trace asked incredulously at Tarys' suggestion. He didn't know if that was brave, or suicidal. On reflection, it was probably a little bit of both.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:46, Sun 12 Apr 2015.

"Well, that's convenient,"<seagreen> Bluetooth whispered. <seagreen>"We've got a guide now. Be careful, though, it could be a trap."

He had to fight the urge to pounce on top of it and rip its top off. He wasn't really sure it had a head, since it looked more like a pepper-pot than a... than a... well, whatever it was.

The fact that it had suddenly become useful helped him suppress his urge, but he was sure a day of reckoning would soon come.

He cautiously began following behind it, ready to dodge into hiding if it looked like it was going to turn in his direction.

The Ice Warrior was more concerned about being heard; than it being a trap.

"This feels.. wrong."

"I think I bait the Daleks just by breathing.  I may well be the better choice."

Tarys tries to match her mental model of the layout of this place up with other Dalek installations she's had to infiltrate.  She's wondering if it's possible to make a loop by moving away from the door, leading the Daleks away, and circling back around.

When the group came upon the command center, Axander immediately hid and tried to keep himself quiet, despite the shaking. His face paled further upon hearing the discussion. Nothing being said gave him any degree of confidence. Things got worse when the alarms went off. Still, the enemy didn't seem to know where his group was. When the lone Dalek was sent off to check on the prisoners, Axander took the opportunity to whisper to his team.

"One thousand rels. That isn't long. If the Doctor's timeline runs out before we can destroy that machine, we'll never have been sent on this mission in the first place."

OOC: Tarys, I've described the base as maze-like, so sure. The plan feels like a chase situation, so maybe we'll have a contest to outrun or outnavigate the Daleks. Also, make a roll for baiting them; the degree of success will decide how many Daleks are lured away.

Tarys sees her path.

Before Farren or Trace can say anything further to dissuade her, she uncoils from where she has been crouching while she discussed the problem with the others, and she unsheathes the Possible Knife: if the Daleks detect an advanced artifact of Gallifrey, they will certainly pursue.  She darts into view of the sentries, judging the flow from moment to moment to choose the proper moment when they will react and attack, and when she must leap ahead to cover again, beginning the chase.

She waits in space.  She drifts forward in time with its prevailing current.  When she reaches that chosen moment, she dives forward into a roll, and comes up sprinting.

OOC: I'll spend a SP on this.  The Knife isn't actually doing anything here, that's just flavor.  I imagine this is Presence + Subterfuge.

19:29, Today: Tarys rolled 23 using 4d6+5. Baiting the Daleks: Presence(3) + Subterfuge(2)

Farren recognized the logic of Tarys plan, though Farren was wondering if he might make a better (or at least more readily "expendable") "decoy" compared to the Time Lord.  While Farren understood Trace's trepidation (after all, what sane person doesn't fear for his or her life when face to face, or rather face to gunstick, with Daleks), he knew that the only way to overcome a superior enemy position was with a mix of boldness and ingenuity with a good deal of luck thrown in for good measure.

However, before Farren could volunteer to play the "bait" for the Daleks, Tarys took the initiative and made her move.  Whatever Farren had been about to say died on his lips unspoken as he moved Trace and himself back behind whatever cover was available (to insure that the Daleks would not locate the pair).  At this point, the best thing Farren could do to aid Tarys was to insure that she was not taking risks for nothing.

Farren, Trace, & Tarys:

Tarys felt her way through the array of possible timelines extending from this point, and found them desperately few. The Daleks immediately reacted, gliding forward, gun-sticks snapping up. 'Halt! Prisoners will stop or be exter-minated!' screeched one, but Tarys was already up and running. The first Dalek left its post, motoring off after the fleeing woman. 'Halt!'

The second jolted forward, wanting to follow and exterminate, but unable to leave the power generators undefended. It stopped, its eyestalk peering down the corridor after its fellow.



OOC: Tarys, sounds good. The Daleks collectively will resist with Resolve + Ingenuity: 20, double-sixes, ouch. A Yes, But Success.
12:54, Today: GM BadCatMan, for the NPC Dalek guards, rolled 20 using 2d6+8. ingenuity(4) + resolve(4).

One Dalek pursues Tarys. The other near the door but is looking away and distracted.

Chase: Tarys and the Dalek start 2 Areas apart.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:42, Wed 15 Apr 2015.

Axander, Bluetooth, & Stirix:

Moving quietly a corridor behind, Axander, Bluetooth, and Stirix followed their unwitting Dalek tour guide, which thus afr appeared oblivious to their presence. But with alerts blaring behind them, how long would that last?

The Dalek opened a hatch leading to a separate complex, and it was the work of moments to dash forward and get inside before it closed again. Then they found themselves inside the laboratory complex, amongst laboratories, workshops, dingy cells, and haggard and horrified slave-scientists staggering about their tasks. They seemed from species, human, terileptils, and others unidentified, all with burns, illnesses, injuries, or disturbing mutations. Occupational safety and health evidently wasn't a strong point. 'Prisoners will assemble for inspec-tion!' The Dalek checked in on each of these labs, taking stock of the slaves before moving on.

It was a harrowing experience. One room contained bubbling jars in which tentacled things bobbed, which the mutated remains of faces distorted in silent screams or moans. No one stayed here long. Another held vats of glistening, glowing slime; a scientist exposed a furry six-legged creature to a sample, and quietly noted the results as its flesh melted off its bones. In some workshops they glimpsed mechanisms, isotopes, circuitry, focusing devices, all apparently pieces of weapons and bombs. Through a safety screen, they saw a robotic arm controlling a modified Dalek gun. It fired a pea-sized pellet at a target – a life-like dummy of the Doctor – which then disintegrated, taking half the test chamber with it.

All three could recognise the power of these devices, their horrific potential. Doomsday weapons and atrocities all.


OOC: You're in! Boffins will note the variety of tech laying around, so using Jiggery-Pokery to make a one-shot gadget is a possibility. Feel free to ditch your Dalek and find a slave to talk to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:16, Thu 30 Apr 2015.

Tarys pelts off, away from the chasing Dalek.  She keeps a sharp look out for any others crossing her route, any equipment or obstacles that may afford her an opportunity, and most importantly, any chance to trick the Dalek onto a false trail.  Since her attempt to lure them both into the chase failed, she will have to trust to Farren and Trace to deal with the remaining Dalek somehow -- but she'll have to draw the chase out a little, too, to give them plenty of time before her own pursuer might return.

There was the presence beyond the door to consider, too, but that would have to wait until she had a chance to rejoin the others.

As noted, my objective here is to try to get the Dalek headed in the wrong direction by the time I can shake it.  I'm not sure if just escaping the chase would accomplish that or you'd want something additional.  For the moment, though, I am planning to go on the Move phase and to dodge Dalek fire on the Fight phase.

21:54, Today: Tarys rolled 12 using 2d6+6 with rolls of 3,3. Fleeing the Dalek: Coordination(4) + Athletics(2).
21:55, Today: Tarys rolled 15 using 2d6+6 with rolls of 3,6. Dodging: Awareness(4) + Coordination(4) -2 (second action).

In reply to GM BadCatMan (msg # 44):

Even his own people weren't that destructive. Even what he'd done, so long ago now, paled into insigificance - that was an accident, this was deliberate. His eyes narrowed, as he regarded the chamber. His look though was drawn to the slaves; hoping they were all okay, and healthy.

Bluetooth lets the Dalek go about its business... for the moment. He's utterly fascinated by all the gadgets and gimmicks and parts and paraphrenalia scattered around this great hall.

"If you two are people persons, maybe you can start rounding up the slaves to get them to safety,"<aqua> he says to Axander and Stirix. <aqua>"And while you are at it, maybe you can find a way to actually get them OFF this place!"

By the time he finishes saying that, he's already poking around with the equipment. He's thinking that something to deal with the Daleks might be a good idea. Destroying one outright seems a bit much for him to accomplish in a short time, but maybe a device that will pop a Dalek's top would be feasible. At the very least, maybe it can disorient them... make their heads spin around and around uncontrollably! Wouldn't that be great!

He sets to work cobbling such a device together.

00:57, Sat 18 Apr 2015: Bluetooth rolled 15 using 2d6+5 ((4,6)) Ingenuity 2 + Technology 3.

Axander, Bluetooth, & Stirix:

With Bluetooth starting to rummage through the loose technology and equipment, it didn't take long for them to draw attention. One of the haggard scientists rushed over, a bearded human in a stained lab coat. 'What are you doing? You're not assigned—' he hissed, not raising his voice, fearful of reprisals. Then recognition, or lack thereof, dawned. 'You're not one of the slaves... You're the intruders!'

Tarys:

Shouting orders to halt or be exterminated, the Dalek powered after the fleeing Tarys. Though it could do well on the straights, it fell further and further back as it negotiated every corner. Perhaps, when designing the superior lifeform of the universe, Davros should have included legs.

Sighting its quarry again, the Dalek fired its deadly exterminator down the length of the corridor, the beam impacting on the corner wall after Tarys had already disappearing behind it.

Tarys didn't come across too many obstacles, unfortunately; having wide bases, Daleks needed to keep the corridors clear. She had only the maze-like layout, unoccupied side-rooms, the protruding arches, and her own luck to rely on. So far, she hadn't seen another Dalek.


OOC: If you successfully outrun the Dalek, then let's say you successfully lose it elsewhere in the base too, so it's away from the power generators long enough for Trace to do this work. However, you'll need to keep this going a few rounds so the Dalek can't just go straight back.

First action: Dalek tries to match/gain speed, rolls 10. Success for Tarys.
10:48, Today: GM BadCatMan, for the NPC Dalek, rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,3. coordination(2) + athletics(0).

Second action, shooting at Tarys, 8, missed
10:57, Today: GM BadCatMan, for the NPC Dalek, rolled 8 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 1,4. coordination(2) + marksman(3) - 2.

Chase: Tarys and the Dalek are 5 Areas apart.

"One down..." Trace whispered to Farren. They needed a way to distract the second. "What if we make a noise, attract it over here, and when it comes 'round the corner you do your soldier thing?"

As he watches events unfold with one Dalek chasing Tarys while the other held back, an idea began to form in Farren's mind, though executing it was going to be tricky to say the least.

Farren glanced at Trace and said softly, "Hmm... "soldier thing"... not really sure what you've got in mind Trace.  I'm not packing any heavy duty ordinance, not the kind of stuff that'll scratch that bloody tough armored hide of a Dalek.

Besides... I'm more of a "spy" than a "soldier".

That said, I think I may have an idea.  Give me a moment..."

Farren surreptitiously studied the remaining Dalek for a moment as he tried to finish forming the plan developing in his mind.

Farren & Trace:

Almost as if it knew it was being watched, the Dalek's dome rotated sharply to focus its eyestalk on where Farren was spying.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:23, Sat 25 Apr 2015.

When they were spotted and approached, Axander's hearts skipped a beat each. He was actually surprised they didn't just stop entirely, considering the situation. Upon realizing it was one of the very scientists they'd come to talk to, the young Time Lord remembered to breathe and put his hands up to calm the man down.

"Sh! Yes yes, we're the intruders! Keep your voice down, we're here to rescue you. We don't have much time. If we can make a diversion, everyone should be able to get out of here. What can you tell us about how everyone's being held? Oh, sorry. What's your name? I'm Axander, these are Bluetooth and Stirix. The Time Lords sent us." It wasn't really a lie. The Doctor was indeed a Time Lord. Still, saying it was more of an official mission may have given the man more confidence.

Trace hunched down over his gauntlet, tapping and swiping at the screen projected virtually in the air by his contacts. An idea had popped into his head.

Farren sighed softly and pulled back to whisper to Trace in a hushed tone, "Ok... I have a plan that is probably as crazy sounding as Tarys's idea but it might work and could gain us, or at least you, access to the area beyond that door.

I have in my little "bag of tricks" something that will allow me to project the appearance of a Dalek, thus allowing me to "impersonate" a Dalek.  I have been monitoring the Dalek communications, what little I have access to that can be uncoded, so I may have just enough information to pull off the impersonation.

If things go well, I will be able to convince the remaining Dalek guard that I have come to relieve it so that it can join the pursuit of the "intruder".

If things don't go well... then "Plan B" is to adopt Tarys's tactic and run like hell, hoping the remaining Dalek will give chase, thus giving you a chance to proceed onwards."