Kattalin shoots the third and last of the closest infected individuals. This time her shot goes through the person's mouth and the body crumples on top of itself.

Beyond the door, Abang drag the server cabinet away from the door, and with the said door open wider, Ms. Hirotsugu, Kaeya, and Asha are able to enter the room. Sato is able to exit so as to cover Kattalin as she follows everyone.

Of the additional four approaching sick/infected people. One is only 5 meters away. Another sick/infected person is about 8 meters away and two others are both about 10 meters away.

Within the small room, it’s a pretty tight fit with everyone inside and Sato half in/out of the door to the Casino level. The only exit from the room the set of metal stairs that lead down to a massive server farm.

OOC: With this being the holiday season, and some players may not be posting much please do not post more than twice.

"XO, Scout up the stairs, we'll get the doors shut!"  Then he says more quietly to Hope, speaking softer so that Ms. Shinsato might no hear, "Hope, this is a biological attack.  Best we get to safety and return in enviro suits to treat who we can."

As soon as everyone is fully in Abang shuts the door and starts shoving the server back in front of it.

As soon as she puts the last of the nearby targets down Kattalin slips backwards through the door behind the last of those who were fleeing, she flicks the safety on the pistol in a way that speaks to some kind of shooting range training more so than any kind of field work and reverses her grip on it to return it to its rightful owner handle first.
”You are welcome to have this back but I can't help much with heavy things, so unless there is any kind of electronics work we need done this might be the best way I can help keep everyone safe.”

Hope accepts Abang's words and helps him shove the server once everyone is through. She doesn't look happy about it, but she does it nonetheless.

Shinsato was about to provide a response to Asha's voiced concern with re-blocking the door, but then Abang provided an answer that, although she didn't seem to like it, she nonetheless seemed to accept...so he remained silent on the subject.  Returning his thoughts and energies into getting his crew and his mother and her worker to safety.

To Kattalin:

"Hold on to my pistol for now, you seem to know what you are doing with it.  Great job back there, by the way."

To Abang:

"Would you like your pistol back or would you prefer I hold onto it for now so I can cover you should your medical expertise be needed as we make our way out of this little hell we've found ourselves in."

Once Abang has provided him a response, Sato will make his way up the stairs to scout out what lays ahead while the others work to seal off the doorway they'd entered through from the zombie-like humans that had been seemingly intent on causing them harm.

"Sir, I'd be obliged if you swapped pistols with the lady.  Nothing personal miss, but I don't trust your judgement and I'd prefer the deadly armament be in be in the XO's hands, but you have proven to be excellent shot so less-then-lethal ammo should still be more than effective for you."

Having shoved the server back, he looks to see if another server (or two) can be moved to help fortify the door, seeing as how the two small men had so easily bullied their way through one server blockage...

Sato looks downward into the massive server farm while the topic of who carries which gun is resolved.

The small landing was apparently the location of a single server deck, thus it’s the only large item Abang can use to block the door.

OOC:The stairs go downward. I know it’s a weird concept but when an asteroid is ‘spun up’ to provide gravity the floor/deck is pointed outward.

So going down means getting closer to the docks, which are the outer most levels of the station.

Kattalin doesn't seem, or sound, like she has taken anything personally, but she doesn't offer the pistol up again either.  Without even a moments hesitation she explains her position as politely as the situation warents.

”I wouldn't expect you to trust my judgement on such short notice any more than I trust yours.
But until we have any indication that less than lethal weapons can even slow these things down significantly.

 I think all of our survival chances will be improved significantly by using what we know works.  If your XO needs his gun back I am sure that we can find a replacement with real bullets somewhere.”

"I think we mostly need to move quickly right now. Since the docks have been locked down until now, there shouldn't be many people close to them. If we can move quickly, we shouldn't have to worry too much and may not even need guns. If we take our time, we're more likely to have to get through a crowd." Hope looks ready to move, but is waiting on others.

The distant sounds of gunfire can be heard coming from the other side of the now blocked again door...

Shinsato was about to heed Abang's warning and trade pistols, but in that moment the sound of gunfire, though distant, could be heard.

"For now, she keeps the pistol, but I will take your words under advisement Abang, and monitor her actions.  For her part, she will attempt to not provide killshots whenever another option is present."

He turned to Kattalin, "Do I make myself clear?"

With that he changed the subject: "I think there is something bigger going on here than we can comprehend.  My priority is the safety of those of us gathered here in this moment.  It doesn't seem like we can do much more to block the door.  At the very least it will delay any who try to come this way.  Let's get moving so that we aren't here when whoever is shooting out there make their way here...should they end up doing so."

With that Shinsato heads down the stairs.

Abang moves to take up the rear position again, but yields it to Kattalin as she armed, and he is not.


OOC:  Presuming Kattalin takes the rear, if not I will amend this post.

The group heads down the stairs into a massive server farm that supports all (or nearly all) of the computerized gambling devices located on the Casino level.

It isn’t too hard to find the only two ways out of the server farm. A pair of vent grills located on opposite sides of the room. One grill is closed up, and the other grill has been removed and is lying propped up next to the open vent.

"Anyone know the way from here? I don't know this area. Never had the money to gamble."

Kattalin nods her acceptance of the now formally offered weapon, but lacking any kind of holster for it just keeps it at the ready in her hand, pointed at the deck.

”Keeping everyone safe is clearly the objective, at least until we can get clear of whatever this problem is.

Whoever opened that grate is almost certainly the same as the people who had the forethought to use this passage out of there even before we found it, if anyone knows the way to go it is most likely them and it seems unlikely that they would bother leading us into any kind of trap when they themselves are fleeing so quickly.”

"Sounds good. Let's go! Bosmang?"

The ventilation shaft is a little cramped requiring everyone to hunched over. The shaft goes a long way, about 100 meters before the group comes across another ventilation grill. With no lighting everyone is reduced to using their hand terminals as flight lights.

In the other side if this grill is an old mechanical line tunnel that is about 2 meters wide and high. Dim light bulbs illuminate the mechanical tunnel. The tunnel goes on for about 30 meters before coming to a “T” intersection that leads left or right.

With as much speed as a high level of caution would allow, Shinsato led the others through the tunnel.  As the approached the "T" intersection he signaled for the others to hold back as he made his way to it and peered around the corners in both directions.

Sato looked both ways at the T intersection and sees no threats. The lighting in both directions is coming from grates in the ceiling. Below each grate is a pile of trash/refuse that people probably dropped/pushed through the grates.

[Private to Shinsato Hirotsugu:
 Made a perception roll for you. With a result of 13 it doesn’t look like anybody has been down here in a long time. ]

Having checked both tunnels, to the left and to the right of the "T", Shinsato returns to the others.

"Oddly, it doesn't seem llike anyone has been down her in a long time...which then begs the question...where did those we believed we were following go?"

Abang pitches his voice so it won't carry to Ms. Shinsato, "We need to go down, yes?  So it won't matter, we'll eventually find a down shaft, or we need to leave these vents... no, the tubes are no good.  The infected victims came from the transit cars they will be contaminated."


OOC:  Okay, am I right in thinking we still have to go down another level or two to get to the docks?  Or are we "on the right level" and the transit tubes run out to the docks?

With one hand holding Ms. Shinsato‘s hand and the other still holding the piece of rebar, Kaeya nods in affirmation to what Dr. Abang said.

OOC: Per the novels the transit tubes end at the casino level and the next level down is the docks.

At this point, one direction was just as good as the other...so he lead the group left at the intersection in their search for a route down to the floor below where they were now.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Near the back of the group but with no particular interest in watching behind them at least as long as they are moving Kattalin keeps her focus on keeping the group together by speeding up any stragglers as they move into smaller and more difficult passages.

Asha tries to travels somewhat mid-group. Better to have guns and the ends, and she doesn't have a gun. She tries to not get in anyone's way. Just keep moving. Just keep moving, moving, moving.