In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 57):

Rig's footsteps on the side of the hull make a KA-chunk KA-chunk inside his suit as he stalks across towards the blister.  Overhead...or would it be underhead?..the world of Karin hangs, like a large blue and brownish green, slightly fuzzy holo filling up the view.  If he came off the hull, he'd float out of the station's grav field and be pulled towards the planet.  This suit would have just enough atmo, depending on the built in reclaimer, to last just long enough to keep him alive as he started reentry without a shuttle.

They call that 'taking the burning leap'.  Or 'burning bright'.  Burning to death in reentry.  It's supposed to be one of the worst ways to go.

Ahead is the blister...

Let's get two Electronics (Computer)/Int rolls please.  Thanks

The clerk looks up from the ID vid and studies Molly/Tepha.  She looks back at the vid.  Then back at Molly/Tepha.

Then back at the vid.

Then once more at Molly/Tepha.

She opens her mouth to say something.  Then she stops.  She reaches up, scratching the side of her face.  Then she pulls the ID vid close to her face.  Like right on top of her nose type close.

Then she shrugs.   <Rose>"Have the skiff back by end of second period work shift on that date.  Vaccuumed and washed, with a full tank of gas. Initial here, here and here that you understand."

It seems the clerk bought Tepha's act.

"Eye on the prize, Rig. Eye on the prize..."

Rig did his best to avoid thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Frankly jail time was far from the worst case scenario. Once he got to work on the blister however once he had the panels off and the intricate cabling started he was able to put that aside and focus on the work.


23:33, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 12 using 2d6+4.  computers #2.

23:32, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 8 using 2d6+4.  computers #1.

Silver gave a nod.

"Yes...it's about one of your tenants. I don't have a warrant or anything I was just hoping to have a minute of your time."

Silver had purposefully dropped the 'W' word. That magical phrase that let officers know official business was  happening. Ledo had argued that if Doorman had been such a supercop then while he might not be willing to bend the rules for money he might be willing to bend them for justice.

In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 61):

The blister is a bit on the technical side in terms of circuitry.  But Rig feels like he's gotten the program uploaded.  Now comes the actual difficult part:  pulling off the heist.  Ha ha.

Just at that moment, Rig's suit comm squawks on.  "Gary Riggan...on Work Order 125-3B.  Report position.  Antennae 125 is emitting a T68 signal.  What is your status?  Over."

T68?  It takes him a moment to recall that one.  The antennae's computer is reporting a power surge at near critical.  It won't blow up.  But it could short out any system on it's line...

...like the blister sensor relay.  That he just hooked his really well designed virus in to.

It looks like he's going to have to get that repair done after all.  And quick.

Quick?  In an EVA suit?

This should be fun.

Need two rolls please:  Vacc Suit/Str DM to get back to the antennae on the double.

Rig has Engineer Power Plant, right?  A role on that please w/Int DM please.

Thanks

In reply to Silver (msg # 62):

Doorman frowns, like there's a block of soy protein that might have gone bad somewhere.

"I can give you a minute.  I can give you two if you show me some ID."

Ledo's parking job is admirable.  The van is parked at the end of an alley behind a dumpster that has a large gash in the side of it.  The dumpster has pretty much been abandoned by the Sanitation Plant.  And it's large enough to cover the view of the left side of the end of the alley.  The crew should be able to switch vehicles in relative privacy.

---

Azo smiles like a salesman who's just unloaded that lot no one wanted to buy.  "I'm so glad your clients changed their minds.  We're delighted they'll be joining us.

"Now...the seating for auction has two levels.  Anyone can bid on any item of course.  But our VIP tier will be granted a right of first inspection on any two items of their choice.  Would your clients be interested?"

Fast, in a vacc suit, staring up at a fiery atmospheric death was a relative thing. He knew he needed to move quickly but he refused to compromise his safety. There was always another heist, there wasn’t another Rig.

He knew what he needed to do to fix the problem, he just needed to get there...

OOC:
19:42, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 5 using 2d6.  Vacc roll.
19:35, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 10 using 2d6+1.  Engineering power plant .

Silver shook her head.

”No ID. This meeting isn’t happening. One of your residents... she’s about to do something, something big but all we have is circumstantial. Can’t get approval for an official tap but if we were to find out what she is going to do we can put someone there for quick response. I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t a last resort. I understand if you turn me back but we’ve got to stop her before someone gets hurt.”

Half truths, half lies.

Ledo shook his head.

”No I think a regular pass is fine enough for me.”

In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 66):


Unfortunately, 'safe' means 'slow' in the language of vacc suits.

Rig got to the antennae just in time to see the yellow warning light flash to blue.  The antennae's onboard computer is starting it's safety protocol.  The antennae will shut off it's systems so as to protect them from being fried.  It will also shunt the power down the line towards 'non-essential' systems, and let them take the brunt.  Like the blister he just hacked.

There's time for two options:

One, turn off the safety override and let the antennae burn out.  Great for Rig and the Heist.  But this antennae broadcasts for the station's traffic control system for incoming and outgoing shuttles.  The antennae burning out won't bring the whole grid down.  The station has more than one antennae after all. But there would be a real dicey minute as the system switched traffic signals to working units.  Traffic Control would have to direct blind for a minute or so.

Second, grab the power cord and unplug it.  The antennae should have a short life battery back up which will kick in and keep the antennae working for the moment.  Rig would have to patch up the cord as well.  But, even though his suit is insulated, grabbing live power cords and yanking is never really a good idea.  Also, he'd have to patch that cord back up quick.

If you can think of another solution that sounds plausible, go for it.

Electronics/Power Plant roll.  Add your Str DM if going the 'pull the cord' route.

Let me know if there's questions.

Thanks

In reply to Silver (msg # 67):

Doorman thinks about it a minute.  "Yeah.  I know how it is.  Sometimes the quickest way to get things done isn't always the upfront way.

"But here's the thing.  I don't know you.  You could be a lot a' trouble for all I know."

He does seem to be wavering...

It's a good cover story.  I think it deserves a chance.

I'll give you a Persuade test to convince him.

This next bit isn't official game rules.  It's just the way I run things:

I'll give you a +1 DM for the cover story.

If Silver can find someway to further sell the whole 'I'm a cop, just not at the moment' act she's trying, I'll give you another bonus.  Maybe she and Ledo dressed her in some kind of clothes that scream 'undercover cop'.  Maybe she can mention some cop she knows of and try to pass him off like a mutual friend.

If you use either of those examples, take another +1 DM.  If you can come up with something on your own, take a +2.

Clear as mud?
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:34, Wed 22 Jan 2020.

In reply to Ledo Typhin (msg # 68):

Azo's smile stiffens up.  But he sells you the tickets and wishes you a fine day.

Unfortunately for him "thinking fast" wasn't Rig's specialty. He was good at his job because he was one of the few people who actually would read the manual end-to-end and in doing so discovered lots of things other people did wrong.

This time, however, what the manual suggested to do was the exact opposite of what needed to be done. He started to bypass the shutoff but then became afraid that it would be too suspicious about why the tech forced an antenna to burn out rather than let the system do its work.

Panicking he did exactly what the manual said to never do: he pulled the cord.


00:56, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 13 using 2d6+1.  pulling the cord.

This message was last updated by the player at 06:56, Sun 26 Jan 2020.

Silver panicked. She could lie but not like this. Normally her lies were more like "It wasn't me" rather than "Hey help me do this thing."

She wasn't a talker, she wasn't a looker. She didn't really deal well with people. She was a scumbag muscle and illegal salvager and no amount of time in law enforcement would shake that stink off of her.

She had gone out and picked up a regulation holster so that, even when emptied, she would look the undercover part. She had a Rig print out a fake rap sheet for Molly (after giving him back his phone of course) but she wasn't local. Sure they looked up some laws but that doesn't mean that they are actually enforced or if they are that they would be done this way.

Just looking at Doorman's face made her think this wasn't going to work and she had a hard time keeping that off her face.

Boom goes the dynamite

00:57, Today: Silver rolled 3 using 2d6.  persuade -3 untrained +1 story +2 rap sheet.

In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 72):

Rig grabs the cord and yanks...And...well.  It's almost anticlimactic.  The antennae just powers down.  Rig holds the cord at a safe distance.

"Work Order 125-3B.  Gary Riggan.  Come in.  We have lost antennae. Please report your position and status."

In looking at it, Rig thinks it's possible...possible...for him to jury-rig the repair in a hurry and then reconnect the power cord.  If he nails the repair, he can have the antennae back up and running in minutes.  If he nails it.

If he screws the pooch, he'll do further damage to the antennae then he was supposed to originally fix.  The station would certainly have to send out another crew.

If you want to try to do a quick patch to fix the surge damage, Electronics/Power roll w/Int DM bonus please.  You need to hit a 10.

If you want to just lump it up, and tell them you screwed up, roll for a normal repair.  You need to hit a 6.

Your call.

In reply to Silver (msg # 73):

Doorman studies the rap sheet.  Silver can tell he eyeballs the holster.

He hands back the rap sheet and then...swings open the door.  "C'mon in.  Let's talk about it in the office."

Rig frantically tries to repair the damage he's done as he comms back in.

"Control this is Riggan. There was an unplanned manual agitation of the power cord for Antenna 42-2. Attempting to compensate."

Unplanned manual agitation, the professional term for "I tripped on the power cord and pulled it out of the socket." Sounds a lot better than "oops I fucked up" and while other techs would understand what had happened hopefully anyone with authority wouldn't realize the truth.

OOC: I think he fucked it up no matter what. I'm calling in a boon if I have it. I know we talked about it but maybe it will put him over the "repair it after some time" category rather than completely screwing the pooch on it

10:39, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 5 using 2d6+1.  jury rig + boon if i got it.

This message was last updated by the player at 16:43, Tue 28 Jan 2020.

Silver's hackles get raised. She knew she was out of her element and knew enough about police procedure to realize if she followed him she might not be making it back outside. If she crossed the threshold she was in his domain. Her mind raced through her options.

"Sorry, can't do that. This has to be completely off the books. Either you decide you want to take a bathroom break or I'll just be on my way. Can't risk something leaking out and letting her go on some stupid technicality."

Silver lingered at the threshold but she was wary and ready to bolt. She had made a play but this step wasn't necessary and she wasn't going to risk being detained and arrested for something that wasn't critical.

In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 76):

I think I did give you a boon besides the one related to the necklace.  But whatever.  It's a good opportunity to test the system out.

Rig can take a boon. Since the log didn't record the two die results separately, reroll please.  Remember to roll 3d, drop the lowest, and add your DM.

Thanks

In reply to Silver (msg # 77):

Doorman laughs.  He leans against the door and crosses his arms.

"Yeah, even if I do take a break, you'd still have to get through the lock. And my dumps don't take that long."

He cocks an eyebrow.  "So give me the real scoop here.  I'm not buying the whole 'off the books' thing.  Molly's got too many markers with the State Attorney's office.  Even if you got her on video sticking a grenade up the Mayor's wife's cooch, you couldn't get a conviction.

"So.  What's this about really?  Payback for something she did to you?  Come on.  Spill."  He shrugs.  "It's not like I really feel obliged to her or anything..."

Silver suddenly realizes Doorman hasn't seen through her entire story.  He only doubts the part of the story about the 'off the books operation'.  He's not questioning the part about her being a cop...

I'll give you one more shot.  Doorman thinks she has an ulterior motive.  But he thinks she's a cop.  So if Silver can come up with a halfway decent lie, she can still pull this out of the gutter.

Persuade/Int roll.   I may assign a bonus depending on what she says.  Thanks

Didn't help...

15:36, Today: Gary 'Rig' Rigan rolled 8 using 3d6+1, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 2,1,5.  Rig jury rig.


Rig attempts to make the patch in time but the rapid pull had done just too much damage to the chord. He could fix it but it would take some time to do. He could only hope traffic control was on their game today.

Silver was a bit taken aback by Doorman's revelation that Molly had that kind of pull. Being an info broker and getting the cops to look aside for smuggling or even drugs was one thing but murder was something completely different, especially high profile murder. She just stammered out an apology and ran.

Even if she wanted to convince the Doorman she didn't want to anymore. She needed to head back and regroup. She had portrayed Molly as being just a local tick, someone who had an a small group of people reporting this and that to her or through her but having serious leverage at the state level could mean that instead of accepting their frame job and tossing her in jail they'd turn around and go to war trying to find out who would pin a crime on her.

They had been looking for an easy mark, not a crime boss and they needed to consider readjusting their plans.

OOC: Abort, lol. Can't get someone arrested if they can't get arrested.

In reply to Gary 'Rig' Rigan (msg # 80):

Luckily they are.  There's a minor incident which they correct quickly.

As Rig came back on board, the job assignment officer is waiting for him.  What follows is the usual dressing down.

Let me know if Rig wants to push back. Otherwise, he's fined 85% of his pay and blacklisted from further contracts.

In reply to Silver (msg # 81):

Doorman says nothing as Silver walks away...