"Robots? Something's wrong with the robots now?" mutters Mr. Thin.

"--Look, that's not the point. We might have bigger probl-- well, just as big," says Mr. Glasses. "The Mine Administrator's... uh... gone. Down into the mine. Deep."

"Too deep, really," adds Mr. Thin.

"He's been having some mental health problems for some time-- paranoia, mostly-- and now his last email to us said he's taken everything important from his office and gone down to-- hey, who're you?" says Mr. Glasses, spotting Chukk.

"What's a scav doing here? Is he with you?" Mr. Thin asks Smith.

"Cool your jets," Chukk said, striding forward with purpose. "I'm just taking the lunch orders today."

"But... but... but you don't work here," says Mr. Thin.

"...You... don't work for anyone on this planet," agrees Mr. Glasses. Again, a glance at Smith. "...Does he?"

(Time for some sort of new roll, somebody...)

Chukk'Chee rolled 3,2 using D6,d6 ((3,2)). Cunning ploy

Oof.

(I think I'll wait and see what Smith says next before I decide how G and T will react and what bad thing might come of failing the roll...)

Acting not surprised in the least, Smith cool-ly addresses Chukk,

"Did you clear that ventilation obstruction? You know we only keep you because nobody else can fit up there..."

"You betcha!" Chukk nodded enthusiastically. "Just needed a good whack!"

He held up the nunchucks like they were just a pair of sticks.

"Whacka-whacka!"

To those who knew him, he was obviously seconds away from Violence.

"Don't mind him, hard to find a good one but much less expensive than robotic labor. They sure love sticks..." Smith motions for Chukk to leave them alone, still hoping to hold the mens' attention.

"Sounds like the mine might be looking to promote someone to be the new admin soon, what did you say that guy was up to?"

(I guess the way I'll handle this is to give Chukk a -1 die penalty on his next roll.

If his next roll involves just rolling 1 die, then a result of 6 will be counted as a 5. (If he's already rolling a penalty like that, then I guess... I'll also count a 4 as a 3...?))

Misters G and T glare at Chukk with great suspicion, but they do answer Smith's question. "...Hm? Oh. Yeah. He's gone down to the deepest parts of the mine, and he's taken with him the memory stick with all the passwords and the drivers for the hardware and stuff," says Mr. Glasses. "So as 'not to let it fall into the wrong hands.'"

"We were just trying to decide how many people we should send after him-- too few people would have more trouble finding him in a hurry, but too many might make his paranoia worse..." says Mr. Thin...

"Or if we should send anyone after him at all..." mutters Mr. Glasses.

"Hush. So... we were thinking... since he thinks everyone he already knows is against him... maybe an outsider might be best...?" Mr. Thin says meaningfully to Smith...

Elern sets his illusion to look like a security guard with watches help.
He steps out of the shadows.  With clip board in hand.
Well it looks like what I been informed about the supervisor is right.  We need to handle this carefully.
Don't want him falling into the wrong hands.

If I head down first and you follow with your pet I think that will be enough.  Talk to smith.
I think our friends here can rest easy and take brake.  If you to can point me in right direction. Looking at the two men.
He then turns back to smith.
Yes I have been following you.  You still have a lot to make up for the mistake two missions ago.
Elern gives smith a glare.  Elern heads off down the mine in direction pointed if two help him.

OOC:
20:28, Today: Elern rolled 7 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,4,1.  Talk It Over Illusion, Item, Elern motivation.
Limited effect.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:35, Mon 25 Oct 2021.

"Security liaisons, am I right??"

Smith starts to turn away and follow Elern, pauses then addresses the two worried managers again,

"Great call to use us outsiders, but this is going to take up a good chunk of our precious time..." Smith steps next to Chukk and puts a hand on the Scav's shoulder half-hugging to his hip, "... we all know how things get done."

Smith's eyes widen a bit as he holds up one hand as if rubbing some imaginary shiny between his thumb and fingers, "For my effort, and for putting up with this little guy...y'know?"

"--Gah!!" G and T are startled, to say the least, by Elern's appearance. They also seem highly suspicious of him being what he says he is... But if he IS whom and what he says he is... they're glad he's not THEIR problem...

Besides, what are the odds that a guy would be lying about being sent by the higher-ups, and also lying about having a scav working with him, and then that a THIRD (weird) guy would appear mysteriously and be lying about being HIS supervisor?

Well, pretty good, I guess, but who would be claiming all THREE of those things? No one would believe it! It'd be insane to think that series of increasingly-flimsy cover stories would ever fool anyone, right? So it all HAS to all be true, right?




(This is definitely gonna require a new Talk It Over roll.

(And you are on slightly extra-slippery ground already, because Elern is not as convincing as he thinks he is.)

Or you could say "Nah GM on second thought I don't think I'll double down on G and T at this point, I'll just not roll and let them say "Payment? Oh please-- just get going already")

"Eh? Ah?! Almost got ya!" Smith claps his hands and grins.

"We all know middle management can't afford to bribe somebody like me. I do love trying though, should have seen the look on your faces..."

G and T roll their eyes at each other. Middle-management types who think they're funny-- now THAT's believable.

"C'mon, let's get you equipped..."

(Each of you (who wants one) gets a pick-hammer, a back-up flashlight, a length of flexsteel rope, all mundane items. You also get an escort to Mine Elevator #5, which is the one the Mental-Health-Day Administrator would have taken to get to the very deepest parts of the mine.)

Chukk takes the flashlight and the rope, but leaves the pickaxe. It weighed as much as he did.

"No lunch for you!" he muttered as they proceeded into the mine. "No lunch for anybody!"

Elern grabs a set of items for himself.  Glaring at Smith all the time.
Just in case our two friends are watching.

"Never a dull moment." a freshly equipped Smith mutters as he gathers with his eccentric compatriots.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:26, Wed 27 Oct 2021.

Ding!

The elevator opens.

There are lights down here (so far), but fewer than there were up above.

There are a number of tunnels that branch off of this area...

(You have a new Scene Trait, G&T'S VAGUE SUGGESTIONS (about where to go//where to look), which can be used to modify your rolls (as long as you can make it clear that you're relying on them to help find your way)... I'll tell you if and when the Scene Trait is no longer useful.)

Smith searches for an access panel within the elevator, then just outside near the controls seeking anything that he can jab a scan-tool lead into for a digital Look Around to glean some information from... or at least hold the elevator while they track down a madman.

13:16, Today: Smith rolled 2d6 (1,4) Look Around

There's no tech like that in the elevator, or down here... this part of the mine is too new.

There are various rocks that could be placed in the elevator to keep the door from closing and to keep it from leaving, though.

Also, Smith hears something from down one tunnel (to one's immediate right as one leaves the elevator).

A human voice... maybe machinery, too...

Smith bolts upright and freezes, like a mundane statue of an engineer with a hand cupped to one ear, listening intently.

After a a moment he quietly asks, "You two hear that?"

he goes quiet, listening again.

After a pause he suggests "Let's go low-tech and hold the elevator with a few of these rocks."

Elern using his illusion to light up the area around the lift.  Uses his data from his watch to work out what normal for a lift area and what may be of interesting or useful.  As always his motivation is hidden but is very real.  It what keep him doing what he doing.

OOC:-
04:27, Today: Elern rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,4,1.  Look around the lift items:- (1) Illusion (2) Watch (3) motivation.

This message was last edited by the player at 03:29, Sun 31 Oct 2021.

Chukk starts to pile some mid-sized rocks in front of the lift doors, jamming them open. He grumbles as he works, like he doesn't being like being put to grunt work.

That is to say, he doesn't like grunt work, but the grumbling is still just an act.

Smith absentmindedly tosses a handful of small rocks on top of Chukk's pile at opening to the lift then dusts off his hands. He seems preoccupied with whatever Elern might have to say about his findings.

The elevator will now no longer close and leave without you. This fact will remain true until someone kicks or otherwise moves the rocks from the door's path.