When Chukk is all healed up, The Chief calls the three of you into his lab.

The briefing: All the entrances and exits to The Tunnels have automated defenses. If it doesn't recognize an intruder, the automatic defense system gasses them (if they're organic) or shocks them (if they're a robot) or both (if they're a cyborg). Then, the rebels of the Tunnels often clear the cache of the robots' recent memories, or they place organic intruders to wake up outside a hole that LOOKS like the entrance they tried to use... but which only goes back a dozen or so feet. (Digging this sort of short tunnel quickly is like nothing for scavs.)

However, one Tunnel entrance/exit has a glitch-- the defenses don't work at all-- not even the alarms. There's some sort of glitch-- the drivers will have to be re-installed.

However, this is old technology... The drivers can't just be downloaded from the Nebula servers. They need to be physically uploaded again from a memory stick...

Fortunately, a recent scouting party realized that there's a MegaCorp location that uses a similar system-- and that the appropriate drivers will be kept there, too.

It's MegaCorp's Warren Mine #6, a mine for extracting cavorite, a very useful element for gravitic/anti-gravitic technologies.

The corporate administrator's manual states that the drivers for all mine security systems should be kept on a memory stick the mine supervisor's office at all times, on the second sub-floor of the mine (so, not very far below the surface).

After the success in fixing The Daffodil Incident, the Smith/Chukk'Chee/Elern team has been tapped to go get the memory stick with the drivers.

The Plan:
--Step One: Go to Mine #6. Easy.
--Step Two: Upload the glitch from the glitched Tunnel entrance to one of the entrances to the mine, shutting down security at that location without even raising an alarm.
--Step Three: Go down one level to the administrator's office.
--Step Four: Find the memory stick in question.
--Step Five: Return.


And so, here you are, near the mine's main entrance, watching it from up high on a canyon wall from a rocky hiding spot.

How do you proceed?

"Well, getting here was easy enough."

Smith peered down the rocky canyon wall. Taking the "quick way" down wasn't a very enticing option, and not just because it reminded him of the "quick exit" MegaCorp showed him when they unceremoniously tossed him out on some concrete stairs to end his employment.

He briefly glanced at his partners-in-crime, or partners-in-justice(!) as Smith saw them, before returning his gaze to the mine's entrance and the routes between.

"We could take the long way and follow that road the Hover-Haulers use to send-off the cavorite ore, but I bet there's a a more subtle way to get there than a three-rebel parade down the most obvious route in, with no cover."

Smith fidgeted with a dial on the side of the souvenir helmet Elern had gifted him from their first foray into organized resistance. The optics weren't amazing, but almost anything had advantages over the naked eye. He took a slow Look Around the canyon-scape for an approach that might allow them to be stealthy.

17:48, Today: Smith rolled 1d6 with roll of 3.  Avoid Danger (Motivation)

10:21, Today: Smith rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Look Around (Helmet!)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:23, Thu 23 Sept 2021.

"Maybe we can sneak in in an empty ore container," Chukk suggested. "They go out full, but they come back empty. There should be plenty of room in one."

"Chukk, as a MegaCorp engineer I've heard A LOT of dumb ideas in my day..."

Smith turns to Chukk, flipping up his helmet's optic visor in dramatic fashion

"... but that might be a good idea."

(--On a 4 or 5, the GM chooses the question and answers it:
· What is dangerous here?
· What is valuable here?
· What has recently happened here?
· What is hidden here?)

The helmet's sensors pick up on a hidden entrance to the mine, way back off to the right, almost entirely obscured behind a tree.

"Hold up..." Smith puts both hands to his head as if to steady his helmet, intently looking a ways off to the right of the mine's main entryway.

"... I think there's another way in; it branches off to the side there," Smith points towards the tree, "...might even leaf us straight to the admin's level," his voice raises slightly as he gestures at the tree, "... maybe right to the root of our objective!" he removes his helmet and stares excitedly at the tree.

Chukk looked long and hard at Smith.

"...barking mad," he muttered.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:43, Sun 26 Sept 2021.

A serious, deadpan look overtakes Smith's face as he slowly turns to glare at Chukk. With thick, palpable tension in the air Smith refuses to break eye contact. One lip quivers, his eyes widen slightly, his second lip involuntarily pulls into what looks like an angry sneer and it's clear repressed emotions are surging behind the metaphorical dam Smith is straining to hold together.

He begins to shake, then nearly implodes with a stifled scream, instantly clamping his hands over his mouth in a desperate ploy to maintain the group's secrecy from any prying ears near the mine...

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"! the muffled sound ekes out through his fingers before he manages to cut it off at the source deep in his throat, throwing has hands straight into the air before giving Chukk a surprise bear-hug! A huge smile is plastered across Smith's mug and he loudly whispers through near-tears; "I appreciate you."

A long sigh follows the sudden chain of events, and Smith chuckles while wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

Elern is his normal quite self, taking everything in and walking softly.
He watched the two otherd with no real emotion.

With their current actions he opens up the screen of his watch.  For a moment flipping though files and reading them.
No violence, same sex, different species,  Odd action.  Ah: Answer, group bonding?
Again forgetting the two are right in front of him.

Looking over at the tree Smith pointed out.  Let us head down the tunnel and see if it helps us.

He pulls some more data up on his watch and then set up an illusion that make clothes the group have on look like the rocks around them.

OCC:
22:11, Today: Elern rolled 9 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,5,2.  Don’t Get Caught (1) Illusion (2) Watch data (3) Elern Motivations.
Highest roll:- 5

"That was... different," Chukk said, more to himself than anyone else. He'd never been hugged by a human before, and wasn't entirely sure what the appropriate response was. "But I, uh... appreciate you, too."

To be fair, Smith had bandaged him up after he'd been stabbed pretty badly on their last mission. He did appreciate the hairless giant.

"So, yeah, let's get down the tunnel before the guards twig to our location," he added for good measure, then followed Pony Boy.

Smith audibly holds in a giggle as he joins the end of their procession for the hike down. After a minute he returns to focusing on the task ahead, suggesting

"Once we get down to the tree we could stop if either of you would like, ..."

He takes a deep breath in and quickly exhales it all at once in a deflating wheeze; "... FOR-REST." After a few moments of facial gymnastics Smith manages to not break into a crippling, hysterical fit of laughter.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:54, Tue 28 Sept 2021.

(--On a 4 or 5, choose one:
· The deception will not last long
· You are exposed to danger somehow)

OOC:
The deception will not last long.

Camouflaged, the trio move to the mine entrance unnoticed.

It turns out to be an emergency exit in case something happens and the main entrance were to get blocked. But uploading the glitch should still work...

...And it does. The mine door opens... No audible alarms go off, no lights flash, no automated defenses activate.

There are even some mining hats with lights waiting on hooks nearby. (They don't fit scavs, though.)

Still, there is also dim lighting in this tunnel, leading downward...

"At least this ones already dug, eh Chukk?" Smith softly bumps Chukk'Chee on the shoulder with an elbow.

"Tunnels almost feel like home these days. Shall we?" he grabs then hands Elern a miner's hard hat, then picks one up for himself, studying it momentarily.

"Whelp, souvenir for now." Smith says, mostly to himself as he walks off down the tunnel miner's hat in hand.

The dim light wasn't much but he'd dealt with worse in the maintenance shafts and crawl spaces crisscrossing the bowels of MegaCorp's planet-side operations. As he strolled he took a long Look Around. 23:03, Today: Smith rolled 1 using 1d6 (1)

Maybe it IS pretty dark.

As Smith is walking, a miner in a dirty yellow jumpsuit appears via a side-tunnel. "Hey," he head-nods. Then he gets a better look. "Hey, who are you guys? And what's with the scav?"

"Hey, Scavs dig the best holes," Chukk snapped back, the helmet now teetering loosely and uselessly on his head. He was hoping to ensure that they Don’t Get Caught, but the story was obviously a bad one. "Who better to mine this place?"

Chukk'Chee rolled 5 using 1d6 ((5)).
· The deception will not last long

"Sorry, this little guy gets excited any time he's headed underground." Smith softly pats Chukk on the comically fitting helmet. "We already passed the automated security but OF COURSE you miner's are always the last to know; Corporate has started capturing and training Scavs like this fellow to inspect tunnel faults. Who knows the dirt of this world better than these things, amirite?!"

Smith taps his his fancy helmet with the miner's hard hat he has in one hand...
"We control 'em pretty well with these brain buckets, state-of-the-art stuff!" he winks at Chukk, "Anyway, we had a question for you, and then we'll be out of your way and start our inspection, where the heck is the Administrator's Office? We've got to drop a report there on our way out."

10:02, Today: Smith rolled 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,4. Talk It Over (Motivation/Experience/Helmet)

(--On a 4 or 5, they demand something more in return.)

"Hmm... Uh... Um... Well I dunno... got any swag you'd be willing to part with...?" It's hard to say if the request for a bribe is because the man is really that greedy, or if it's more that he's stalling, trying to think of a flaw in the reasoning for a scav being present...

Elern does not really have anything to offer and for the moment says nothing.
Waiting and watching just to see if thing turn bad.

Smith sighs heavily, acting annoyed and very much inconvenienced.

"Today is your lucky day, and this is only because I don't have time for the paperwork to properly requisition a real bribe..." the dark pearl Smith used in the last adventure makes an appearance from one of his many pockets, "... but you have to promise to keep completely quiet about our tunnel check because I don't have the time or swag to deal with every MegaCorp, planet based, subcontracting mining operations facility worker running around down here!"

With a sharp breath inward, Smith dramatically puts the hand with the pearl to his helmet's temple and hums a dull note, he locks into a 1,000 yard stare down the tunnel and speaking in a low monotone voice instructs;

"Scav, hold out your paw." hoping Chukk had the patience and self control to play along, "Scav, give swag to guy interfering with our work." he then bends and offers the pearl to Chukk.

[Sorry. Forgot you were waiting on me.]

"Yes... sir," Chukk grumbled, and put out a hand to take the little shiny object. He turned and handed it to the MegaCorp employee, affecting a blank expression of compliance.

(1 Shiny is lost.)

The miner is impressed. "Well, I'll be... C'mon, guys, th' Administrator's office is down this way...

He leads the trio down deeper into the mine...

(Pausing for possible reaction posts)

Just prior to reaching the first intersection along the emergency exit tunnel, Smith speaks up;

"We're not to interfere with mine personnel or their routines in the slightest, in fact just talking to you like this has bent the rules, can you just give us directions to the admin office so we can be on our way with minimal fuss? You've been more than kind, and worth the shiny."

"Uhh... Okay, I guess... Go down this tunnel," he points, "then take your first right and go down the ramp with the yellow railing on the sides, then take your first right after that... and then your first left after that. Then it'll just be the second door on the left."

The man looks like he'll be just fine with taking his swag away, if these weirdos don't need anything else...?

Smith puts a finger to his lips to remind the man of his bribe and agreement to silence, then after a wink he turns and ushers his two comrades down the path towards the office.

Elern just watch the interaction between smith and the minor with interest but said nothing.
Once the man was gone Elern carried on with the group.  He had nothing to add.

Chukk made his way along trying to look subservient and subdued. As long as nobody looked too hard at him, nobody would notice that he was carrying weapons... and that he knew damned well how to use them.

Elern falls in beside Chukk.  Using his watch as a reference and his illusions he tries to make the group look normal and not important as they move towards the admin office.

OOC:
21:58, Today: Elern rolled 7 using 3d6 with rolls of 1,3,3.  Don’t Get Caught (1) Illluion (2) Watch data (3) Elern Motivations.

Smith has a casual Look Around as the trio progresses towards their target. Lots of pipes running the length of each tunnelway, various control boxes and mercifully little security beyond the entries. The mine was definitely chugging along on earlier generations of tech, it made him feel nostalgic.

"Even if getting into the office is easy, we'll have to formulate a way out of here too, at some point." he speaks in a low tone.

14:18, Today: Smith rolled 3 using 1d6

Two security robots-- one coming from behind, and one from the front-- quickly roll up (on tank-treads) on the trio.

WARNING-- WARNING-- INTRUDERS-- DROP ALL WEAPONS AND SUBMIT TO BEING INCARCERATED-- RESISTANCE IS FUTILE-- they say.

At least they're saying these things, and they aren't (yet) blaring from a PA system. Maybe if you can deal with these things fast, no one else will know...

"Robots. Why'd it have to be robots?" Chukk sighed. He whipped out his chucks and began to twirl them menacingly. Hopefully that would screw with the robots' visual sensors.

If not, at least it looked good.

Chittering wildly, he dove at the closer of the two robots and proceeded to whack the synthetic stuffing out of it.

Chukk'Chee rolled 4,5,6 using d6,d6,d6 ((4,5,6)).

Chuck-Fu: 4
Nunchucks: 5
Motivation (prove he's better than a robot): 6

"Oh thank heavens! Rescue me, robot hero!"

Hoping to register as a MegaCorp employee, Smith spreads his arms out in hysterics and runs towards the 'bot that Chukk isn't facing off with. If he could close the distance between himself and the roving security measure he could probably disable it, or maybe just bear-hug it into ineffectiveness.

Erratically dancing his way in a sprint, he tries to block the machine's line of sight to his companions as he closes the gap.

10:48, Today: Smith rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,3.  Don't Get Caught (Talent / Experience)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

Things are cracked... sparks fly... wires come loose... that's one robot down (the one in front of you)...



(Smith, you'll need to roll something... Probably Don't Get Caught...?)

"STEP ASIDE, MINER, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF BEING HURT BY AN IMMINENT COMBAT SITUATION"

The robot tries to move around Smith, but it isn't very agile when it comes to sideways movement...

"HELP MEEEE!" Smith says, trying not to be too loud, as much to the robot he's screening as to Chukk and Elern.

He makes a hop for the frustrated robot's arm equivalents hoping to keep it busy a moment longer.

The robot slows down just a little. "PROCESSING... OBSERVATION: YOU ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE HERE... REROUTING VIOLENCE SUBROUTINES TO INCLUDE NEW TARGET..."

(Smith, or someone, had better do something quick...)

"Ch'k-ch'k-ch'k!!" chittered Chukk, and attacked the second robot. He needed to launch himself over Smith to do it, but that would just help him prove he was better than robots and Smith.

Chukk'Chee rolled 2,1,4 using d6,d6,d6 ((2,1,4)).
Chuck-Fu: 2
Nunchucks: 1
Motivation (Prove he's better than robots): 4

"... shit shit shit"

Smith is in a real bind when he hears Chukk cry out and immediately sees a shadow pass over him, instinctively he ducks.

As his furry friend assails the electric guard, the cool eye shield of Smith's new helmet illuminates the robot as red and projects several targeting reticles that sweep in and lock in place on the visor.

Smith had suspected the bounty hunter's used equipment would be helpful when things Get Violent, so he decides to use it;

*HEADBUTT*

14:38, Today: Smith rolled  2d6 with rolls of 2,3.  Get Violent - (Tool / Motivation)
This message was last edited by the player at 06:35, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

On a roll of 4 or 5, choose one:
· You don’t take Harm
· You deal Harm to them
· You get them out of the way
· You take something from them

· You don’t take Harm

Chukk's attacks land only on metal plating, not damaging the robot. The robot tries to zap Chukk with a laser... but misses each shot.

It does hit (who can say if it was accidental or just multi-tasking?) Smith pretty good with a shot, though.

(Smith takes 1 Harm.

Roll 1d6, Smith.)

Elern had stayed back and out the way as best he could however action was needed.
Baton in hand he swings at the robot.  To stop it hurting the others.
Having check his watch for data on robots and using his illusion to hide the baton until last minute.

OCC:
17:52, Today: Elern rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,3,4.  Get Violent (1) illuion (2) Watch (3) Motivation.
You get them out of the way.

"Son of a motherless, no good, damned, piece of junk, garbage sucking, sack of unholy..."

Smith babbles on in a tirade of nearly foul language as he awkwardly careens towards the tunnels' side wall while hunched over and holding one leg.

10:07, Today: Smith rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Harm(ed) roll.

"Hey, watch where you're shooting!" Chukk snapped, taking another whack at the robot. "I actually like that guy!"

Get Violent
Chukk'Chee rolled 4,3,3 using d6,d6,d6 ((4,3,3)).
Chuck-Fu: 4
Nunchucks: 3
Motivation (Prove he's the best): 3
-Does harm

(Smith lives, without having to spend any Zeal.)

Elern whacks the robot in just the right way that it's confused. "WARNING: CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION... DIODE FAILURE... SUBROUTINE CASCADE CATASTROPHE CAUSED BY INTRUDER ATTACK... WARNING: CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION... DIODE FAILURE... SUBROUTINE CASCADE CATASTROPHE CAUSED BY INTRUDER ATTACK... WARNING: CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION..."

It starts spinning slowly around... It fires its laser now and then, but randomly.

It still hits both Elern and Chukk, though, before Chukk hits it once more and knocks it over and all its lights go dark.

(Elern and Chukk each take 1 Harm. Roll 1d6 (each), please...)
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

Chukk'Chee rolled 2 using 1d6 ((2)).

(Chukk'Chee lives, without having to spend any Zeal.)

OOC: 20:08, Today: Elern rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Harm done to Elern.

"Damn those robo-goons!" Smith mournfully looks down at the helmet resting in his lap, freshly singed on one side near the controls.

He glares at the metal corpse, a look of renewed determination smoldering behind his eyes.

"Alright, Here's The Plan! We're almost to that damned office; we lie our way in and if that doesn't work we fight our way in. Then, we lie our way out and if that doesn't work we fight our way out. Got it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:06, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

(Elern lives, without having to spend any Zeal.

Standing by for teammate response posts to Smith.

When you're ready to get to the office, you may (if you wish) proceed without a roll.)

"Sure. What's the lie?" Chukk asked, putting away his weapon. "Scav extermination? I could run in ahead of you and create some chaos...."

Smith stares blankly at Chukk for a moment, then speaks slowly

"You're telling me... that your grand idea is to splinter our group... then run ahead on your own, whilst leaving Elern and I to reach and obtain the objective... all by ourselves, and you'll be relying entirely on undefined 'chaos' ?

He covers his face with his hands and groans into his palms.

"Chukk. Never in a million years... that just sounds... stupidly exciting! C'mon E, we're running a play out of the Scav's playbook!"

Wow, that sounds like a bad idea! Let's do it!

Chukk tilted his head and looked at Smith. He wasn't sure what went on in the human's head. But they were going with Chukk's idea. He couldn't just back out.

"Let's see if we can creatively salvage any help from these metallic fiends before we go." Smith circles the better looking of the two downed robots, aiming to jab the connector of his ScanTool into anywhere that looks promising.

"Hmmm... actually, if we could send a bugged-out one of these running in ahead of us, maybe it could sew that chaos and give Chukk a much needed breather."

15:11, Today: Smith rolled 2d6 with rolls of 2,5.  Cunning Ploy - Scan Tool / Motivation
This message was last edited by the player at 22:15, Fri 15 Oct 2021.

(--On a 4 or 5, the Trait can only be used once and must be used immediately.

Smith creates a new SCENE TRAIT: RUNAWAY ROBOT-- but it can only be used for someone's next roll.)

"Yep... uh-huh. Mmmmhmmmm. Maybe, yeah..." Smith mumbles to himself while hunched over and fiddling with his ScanTool, connected by a short retractable cable to the robot equivalent of where an ear would be.

"I adjusted a few things from its normal behavior and also toggled on a few options that should never be toggled on." with a shrug he concludes "Anything could happen. Best case scenario, it does some sabotaging for us while preoccupying a horde of mine personnel so we can Avoid Danger getting in and out. Worst case, well..." he stands from his kneeling position and dusts himself off then appears lost in thought for a second.

"Uh, help me stand this infernal contraption back on its treads and we'll point it down the hall and past the office..."

14:33, Today: Smith rolled 3d6 with rolls of 6,3,2.  Avoid Danger (Scene Trait / Tool / Motivation)

The trio of rebels continues onward... There are more miners, but everyone is so busy dealing with the robot yelling "I AM A MAD ROBOT-- I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL-- I AM A MAD ROBOT-- I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL--" while flailing its arms about wildly that the trio is easily able to stick to the shadows and stay unnoticed.

And so, they reach a door marked ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE. The door of the office is standing open.

There are two guys outside, talking: "Well it doesn't matter if he's not here, does it?" says a short man with glasses.

"No, but this is bad. I've been telling HR as directly as I've dared about him for some time, but after they all but reprimanded me for having some sort of personal grudge, I didn't dare just come right out and say it..." The second speaker is on the thin side, and seems wound up and nervous.

Both men are unarmed.

Neither have quite noticed any of you yet.

Elern looks at Smith and Chukk.
He still trying to get his head round the creatures in front of him.  How best to handle them.
He gives smith a questioning look.

Chukk did his best to stay hidden. Being the smallest of the three by a considerable factor, that wasn't terribly hard for him. He just settled in and listened for as long as he could.

Checking his watch to make sure the light wavelengths are right.  Elern lowers the light in area making like the light are on the way out so the group can hide.

OOC:
01:08, Today: Elern rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,2.  Don’t Get Caught  Possible 3 dice.  Trait(1) Item(2) Motivation (3).

The deception will not last long

Mr. Glasses looked up. "Ugh, a brownout? Is everything going wrong today?"

"We'd better go find some mining lights soon just in case," said Mr. Thin and Anxious.

"Think there'd be any in his office?" said Mr. Glasses, looking at the open door.

"Hard to say. There's supposed to be-- more than one. So it wouldn't surprise me if he took those with him, too..."

They look like maybe they're about to enter the Administrator's Office...

"Ahoy!" Smith steps out from the shadows, suddenly appearing behind the two men.

He begins fast talking with an urgent tone; "Unfortunate news, you probably heard about the haywire robot but it looks like we're also facing a brownout with everybody already having their hands full. They need you to round up mining lights and..." Smith peeks past them into the office "...oh of course he's out at a time like this..." Refocusing on Mr Thin, Smith locks eyes and furrows his brow, "... if you high-tail it over to Supply and get on those emergency lights, HR might cut you some slack.

He claps twice and steps aside to usher them away from the office while standing to cover Elern and Chukk in the shadows behind him, ushering the two men away from the office. "Crisis mode gentlemen, everyones counting on management! Engineering higher ups sent me, no time to Talk It Over!" he waves his scan-tool and points down the hall.

10:14, Today: Smith rolled 9 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,3,4.  Talk It Over (Experience / Tool / Motivation)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:15, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

The two men don't move from the entrance to the office door... not yet.

"Wait... Engineering higher-ups sent you to do what, exactly?" Mr. Thin asks Smith.

Mr. Thin and Mr. Glasses exchange glances... and nod. Apparently they're thinking the same thing...

Mr. Glasses turns back to Smith. "I think we might be able to help you out..." Mr. Glasses says to Smith, "but-- depending on your answer about exactly why you're here-- we'd want you to do a little something for us, too..."

An unreactive Smith maintains his deadpan look before emitting a slight sigh.

"My time here is at an absolute premium, but I understand how things get done out here so far from Corporate." he signals for the two men to walk with him, away from the office, a little ways down the current corridor.

"Talk to me while I give a quick listen for that robot mess..."

Smith cups one hand to an ear as he goes, knowing he's not likely to hear anything, he stops what he estimates to be a safe distance from his hidden colleagues. "No news is good news I suppose, what was your proposition now? Because I have a glitch to fix." he dialed up the impatience with that last line, inwardly amusing himself he didn't have to fib about that part.

The men walk only a few steps, then they stop. "Eh? What? What glitch?"

Thinking on his feet Smith spoke quietly to draw the listeners farther towards him...

"Well, it's a codename for a long overdue, major overhaul operation of most of the mine's aging systems. You don't want more of these crazed robot shenanigans popping off all the damned time, do you? Has to be kept on the down-low though or every facility would want the latest and greatest. It'd run expenses up through the thinning atmosphere!"

"I'm just the initial wave of the project and I wasn't given much time here to prepare and report back. But I could make a mention how helpful you two were in advancing Corp's agenda..."

He raised a hand to his chin in thought, "...and actually it would save me precious time and effort if a pair of helpful managers took initiative and went to handle that damned robot situation so I could get back to work."

"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.

· What has recently happened here?

With more illumination, it's clear that there've been a lot of people wearing boots (of slightly different sizes, so not the same guy every time) in and out of here lately, although in some directions more than others.

All the most recent prints, however, seem to head off to the right, where the recent noises came from...

I think the person we need has gone off in this direction.

Elern says pointing right.

"Hmmmmmm yesss..." Smith spoke slowly and thoughtfully, giving ample time for either companion to take the lead in the search for an unknown deranged madman in a dimly lit, un-mapped, dangerous cavern far below the planet's surface.

"Ooookay then."

Smith clicks his flashlight on then off to make certain it works, his light equipped hard-hat will suffice for now, then he follows the bulk of the footprints away to the right. His idea for now is to walk slow and steady until he encounters a tunnel, a doorway, an intersection or hears more interesting noise.

He motions for Elern and Chukk to follow.

This message was deleted by the player at 22:55, Sun 07 Nov 2021.

Elern simply follows the other two making mental notes as he goes.

The trio follow the noise down an incline to a fork. The left path goes down slightly more steeply. The right path levels out and stops going downward.

The noise, however, is getting louder to the left. It's also noticeably brighter that way.

"I'm thinking: left," Chukk suggested.

I agree.  Elern said from the back.

The left tunnel, heading down and curving to the left, only does so for about 75 feet.

Then it opens out onto a large natural chamber, about 15 feet high but a good 40 feet wide, with two exit tunnels on the far side.

Three mine workers are there, chipping away at the walls with high-tech tools.

One by one, they stop when they see the trio. "...Hey... what's a scav doing down here?"

"I work here, idiots," Chukk grumbled. He pointed to the various corporate equipment he was wearing and carrying. "Why else would I have this stuff, right?"

This sort of Cunning Ploy always seemed to work for Smith. Chukk really needed to learn how he did that.

Chukk'Chee rolled 6,1 using d6,d6 ((6,1)).

The men shrug. "Uh, okay. Uh... d'you... guys... need anything...?"


(You create a new Scene Trait: Sure, Why Not Let A Scav Down Here?

I'll tell you when you can't use it anymore. (Probably as soon as you leave this immediate area, but you never know that it might be sooner, just depends on how things go...))
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 20:47, Wed 10 Nov 2021.

(...was hoping someone else would step up and say something, but sure, let the Scav carry on the conversation...)

"Yeah, we were looking for the boss," Chukk said. "You seen 'im?"

With Chukk doing the talking Smith decided to take in all the cavern had to offer. Taking a stroll, examining their work, thoughtfully tapping various things with his flashlight, discerning what some of the more interesting equipment does, Smith conducts a brief but informative self-guided tour.

11:28, Today: Smith rolled  3d6 (6,6,6) to Look Around
This message was last edited by the player at 18:33, Tue 16 Nov 2021.

Elern is happy to let the two other do the main work.  His role as ever is step in if needed.
For once it seems he is not needed.

"Th' head supervisor passed through here a little while ago, if that's who you mean," says one miner. "Headed that way." He points to a particular tunnel on the far side of the chamber. "Headed deeper. Seemed a little squirrely-- didn't say much-- but that's just his way."

"These days," says another miner.

"Yeah. He's gotten more like that lately. We're used to it."

Smith finds nothing of interest.

...Except...

...Except that...

...Except that... he feels like he's being watched...?

Smith looks around. No one's looking at him.

But he feels like he's being watched.

Then, almost as soon as he became aware of it, the feeling goes away.

Huh. Weird.

A cold shiver makes its way over Smith from head to toes. He immediately sets down the expensive MegaCorp compact dog-leg protractor he had been ogling and hot-foots it back to the conversation between his friends and the mine workers.

So as not to disturb Chukk's newfound diplomacy he talks low, mostly to Elern;

"Something isn't right down here. My engineer senses are twingling, and not in the good way. I just got the ol' "hairy eye-ball" look over from... something, and all I can say is that it ain't conventional security implements." Smith looks a little pale, and sounds sincerely concerned and put-off by the disturbance.

"Hey, some of my best friends are squirrels," Chukk says, making a joke to keep the miners happy, on his side, and talking freely. "But I guess you're right. They're mostly nuts."

He didn't know if he could get any more information out of them. He didn't know if they had any more information to get. But he needed to keep them talking until Smith and Elern were ready to move on.

Cringing at the the squirrel joke snapped Smith out of his unease over whatever he experienced and he put a hand to a shoulder of both Elern and Chukk signaling it was time to move on.

Bidding farewell to the miners, Smith talked as they walked and related his concerning experience from the concern.

"... so, neither of you felt it?"

He hoped the feeling wouldn't return, whether it was him being paranoid or actually something sinister at work. He pressed on in the big Boss's direction.

"Felt what?" Chukk asked.

"That super creepy omnipotent eye tracking us all the... you know, nevermind."

Smith sighs and continues walking.

Down, down, forward and down...

The lights become more and more spaced-out and more infrequent...

And then they stop, though the tunnel goes on forward.

No one has lit the tunnel ahead after this point.

The trio has miner's lights... Light 'em and go on forward...?

Smith looks at Elern, then at Chukk. Then he looks at Elern again, and once again back to Chukk.

"Well we can let Chukk go first since this is kind of his territory, or one of us could go first. Either way, there's an old engineers' trick we used to employ when we had to work in vent shafts and maintenance alleys, we'd only use one light so any managers we encountered couldn't easily tell how many engineers were getting paid overtime to fix the emergency. If this guy is getting more and more loopy it might be good to have a little element of surprise on our side."

He absentmindedly kicks at the dirt under his feet as he tries to gauge the other's reactions to the idea in what little light was left.

Elern is quit for while.
He then finally says to Smith deciding he can say what he about to say.
There are other intelligent native species on this plant.  Not just the scav's.  Also human and the corp are not only intelligent species that come to visit and live.  So I am not surprised.
It seems he not going to let Smith know if he felt the same thing as him or not.

When things get dark Elern stop checks his watch, the area the group and them makes a light appear on the face of his watch so it is easier for them to see.  However it also easy for him to cover with his hand if need be.

O0C:
19:40, Today: Elern rolled 13 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,6,2.  Illusiong light to see the way.  Look around roll.
With a 6 I am hoping Elern can keep light going until he has use his illusion for something else.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Tue 23 Nov 2021.

The way forward is not really lit any better than before, but Smith and Chukk'Chee think that it is... although they wonder how long the charge or battery on Elern's watch will last, emitting such a bright light...

Smith and Chukk'Chee feel better about things, though... Maybe 1 miner's light at a time will indeed be enough...?

"Hmm, nice." Smith remarks with pleasant surprise, staring at Elern's magical watch.

He quickly turns his attention back to the task at hand, looking to Chukk to see if the Scav plans on taking the lead, desperate to avoid that awkward thing where they both attempt a simultaneous step forward, then continue to change their minds in synchronized fashion trying to accommodate each other in a possibly never ending loop of politeness and second guessing.

Chukk turns on his lamp, still doing his best to balance the helmet on his head, and takes the lead. He gets out about ten paces ahead of the other two, paying careful attention to anywhere someone might slip, stumble, or fall.

A fork. Left and right. Left curves off left-- right curves off right (and goes down more. Left stays level).

But you now think you hear someone (male, human, adult) talking down the tunnel to the right.

"I've seen enough forks today that I could happily live out the rest of my life using just spoons and knives." Smith stares down the dark, obviously occupied path to the right.

"At some point I'm pretty sure mine management said to take a left" he thinks out loud, trying to recall anything useful from G&T'S VAGUE SUGGESTIONS. Smith clicks on his light and heads a few steps into the silent option off to the left, just for a brief Look Around before making what he hopes will be a more informed decision.

21:17, Today: Smith rolled 1d6 (2)

Smith spots no clues.

But-- just for a second-- it feels like someone's staring at him. Not just looking at him this time-- eavesdropping. Like someone he can't see is hanging on his every word.

It's creepy as heck--

--and then the feeling is gone.

The voice up ahead pauses for a few seconds, then starts talking again...

(Whatever Smith rolls next, subtract one from the best result, because now he's seriously creeped out. (If the best result is a tie, like 3 6 6, then the results won't change, and this penalty will be used up anyway.))

Running the short distance back to his friends at the fork...

"It happened again, and it's worse!" Smith whisper-shouts in a conflicted hushed but forced tone. He removes his mining helmet and mops his brow with a sleeve, his skin is pale and clammy.

"SomeONE, or someTHING is following me... it's more than keeping an eye out now, it's full fledged spying! I'm genuinely worried it has ill intent, and it's giving me shivers. Brrrrrgh."

It's as if he expects Elern and Chukk to excitedly agree with his experience, and Smith is somewhat taken aback when it obviously isn't shared by the group.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:37, Tue 30 Nov 2021.

"Okay, that's weird." Chukk hadn't felt anything, but he knew Smith well enough to know he didn't get the heebie-jeebies for no reason. "Why don't you let me take point again, just in case there's something down there that needs a dose of Chuck-Fu? You can hang back with pony-boy."

"As long as we aren't going left."

Smith takes a paranoid glance back down the dark pathway he briefly investigated.

"I guess we'll get to meet that voice."

"Then right it is." Chukk started down the tunnel on the right.

Elern nods to the two.
I am happy with right as well.

(G And T's Vague Directions and Sure, Why Not Let A Scav Down Here? have now both stopped working as scene traits.)

The tunnel opens up on a chamber about 20 feet high and perhaps 40 feet across.

It looks like this area is unstable, with fallen rocks and rubble of various sizes everywhere.

There are three large, heavy support beams to the side that have been brought, but no one's installed them so they're supporting anything yet.

On the right, what's worse, is a hole that leads downward to darkness. The hole is perhaps 10 feet wide.

You'll have to climb, crawl, and/or scramble past the rubble, rocks, and debris to the other side of the chamber.

The challenge will be 1. not hurting yourself, 2. not getting stuck, and 3. --and I cannot stress this enough-- not accidentally sliding into the hole.

(For the purposes of this scenario, Chukk gets a new Scene Trait that only he can use: Scavs Are Built For This Sort Of Thing.)

The voice can still be heard--- and it's definitely coming from the other side of the debris and rubble, not from the hole.

Or, at least, it can be heard much better from the other side than it can be heard coming from the hole.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:45, Tue 07 Dec 2021.

"Well this is a bit of a sticky wicket." Smith remarks, rubbing his stubbled chin thoughtfully.

"Think we've got enough flex-steel rope to string together, tie one end to Chukk as a safety and let him scout ahead? Best case scenario, if it's worth getting to the opposite side of this mess, maybe he can anchor it and we'll have something to help us surface folk."

He taps his protective mining hat, hesitating in thought "I really don't want to take a hike that's not worth the price of admission."

Chukk nodded in grim agreement. He was the most suited to undertake the first, riskiest crossing of the chamber. He was the most likely to Avoid Danger, because Scavs Are Built For This Sort Of Thing.

Carefully, he began his way across....

Chukk'Chee rolled 5, 4 using 2d6 ((5,4)).

Chukk nearly gets to the top... when gravel starts to cause him to slide. He slides straight for the hole...

...but stops sliding before he gets there, with more than two feet to spare.

Of course he was roped to the two men, so even if he'd slid right in, they weighed more than him, but still... yikes.

Well, maybe he'd gotten the dangerous gravel out of the way...?
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:39, Sun 12 Dec 2021.

"No, DON'T go in the hole!" Smith half-yelled his advice right about the time it would have been too late.

He wiped his brow as Chukk stopped sliding just short of the point of no return. "If you're trying to test the rope we can do that after you make it."

"Elern, I don't suppose you have a bridge in that crazy watch of yours..." Smith joked trying to break the tension.

Elern looks over at Smith.  Then down at his watch.
No.  Well not one that you can walk on anyway.  Now...
He looks back up at Smith and shakes his head.
This is a little out of my area of study but I have a look.

Elern looks up anything useful that the data on his watch can bring to help Chukk.

OOC:
21:57, Today: Elern rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,1.  Look Around:- Watch + motivation.
Think I just made it worse.

Elern finds nothing useful for this situation.

(Elern takes -1 die forward toward his next roll.)

"Damn, that was close."

Chukk tries again to Avoid Danger, because Scavs Are Built For This Sort Of Thing, as he crosses the chamber. Going into the hole is that least thing he'd want to do, rope or no.

Chukk'Chee rolled 2,6 using d6,d6 ((2,6)).

Chukk, this time, manages to cross the chamber without nearly plummeting to who-knows-where... and now he's made it so there's a rope that stretches across the dangerous area, too...

"Nice work Chukk! Now just get what we came for and climb back."

Smith speaks loudly enough to be heard over the immense pile of rubble dividing the cavern. He lightly tugs on the rope, knowing full well he'll probably have to scale his way to the opposite side.

"You want me to check out the spooky voice by myself?" Chukk asked.

It wasn't like Smith to hang back like that. Was he that afraid of the hole?

"I mean, that would be ideal but..." Smith trails off as he tests his grip and a foothold at the base of the rubble. After a few seconds he steps back to further assess the dicey situation. With a grim look he stares at the hole for a moment, then settles his attention on the uninstalled support beams.

"Hang on a minute Chukk" Smith strains to get a better view, short of actually beginning a trek across "Chukk can you walk your end of the flex-steel rope over to the big beams?" A Cunning Ploy was taking shape in his mind and with a little luck it would give him and Elern and much more secure path to their furry friend.

Smith wasn't much of a structural engineer but he'd read enough building codes and blueprints that he could talk himself into trying something besides chancing a lizard-crawl right across the mouth of the hole.

18:29, Today: Smith rolled 1d6 (3)

"Ya, sure. You betcha." Chukk took his end of the flexsteel rope over the where the beams were. After making sure that they were not going to move, Chukk would tie his end of the rope to them.

Elern just stays quite and watches.  Climbing around and balancing was not his thing really.
For the first time in a long time he thought of his nice chair he had had at his work station.
He missed it.

Smith feels watched again.

And, this time... curiosity?

Bemusement?

Both?

"Well, here goes nothing..." Smith inhales audibly, giving a tentative tug on the cable Chukk had so generously strung across the haphazard pile of innumerable obstacles before him.

Mid first-step he awkwardly pauses. "What IS that??" he questions aloud, appearing to search the cavern's rough hewn ceiling. It's as if he's tracking an annoying fly or bee that's begun pestering him. "Why the hell..." he trails off grumbling as he sets boot to beam and begins crossing the first bar.

11:40, Today: Smith rolled 5 using 1d6
This message was last edited by the player at 18:41, Mon 20 Dec 2021.

For the first five meters or so, Smith inches one boot ahead of the other in an excruciatingly slow display of why he chose the engineering path instead of more rugged pursuits. He fights to keep his wandering eyes on the narrow metal pathway and quash his wandering thoughts about whatever oversight is being made of the trio by... something, preventing any confidence in his balancing beam act from growing.

Smith gets across, but only with much difficulty, scrabbling, sweating, muttering, grabbing at the line securing him, sliding backwards...

Finally, he manages to cross, but he's both tired and anxious... (On Smith's next roll, subtract 1 from the highest result.

Of course, this means if there are two highest results (6 6 4, say), just ignore this.)

Still, at least he's unhurt.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:00, Fri 07 Jan 2022.

"Good... news..." Smith says, still huffing after stepping off the beam at the far end of the cavern "... I made it!" he's directing his statement back in Elern's direction.

He turns to Chukk and offers a high five (or 4 or 3 or whatever Scav have) adding "Thanks for running that safety line across."

"No problem," Chukk said, slapping appendages with the human. "Can't have my buddy doing the Hans Gruber Swan Dive into that big hole over there."

Elern looks at the gap and tries to use the cable Chukk provided.  However it seems this is totally new idea of Elern and he not doing very well crossing the gap.

OOC:
Use detail from watch and motivation but -1 dice.
20:10, Today: Elern rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  follow the others.

Elern starts carefully struggling across the rocky terrain.

It's about 4 seconds before he slides RIGHT INTO THE HOLE.

(One of you other two roll to grab the line and try save him before he hits something! (probably Avoid Danger, if that's something you need to know).)

"NOT THE HOLE!" Smith lunges for the thin steel line, "Hang on, damnit!"

Gathering line in both hands he grits his teeth, braces his boots on a rather large chunk of debris at the foot of the pile and strains to pull it taught again.

18:33, Today: Smith rolled 5 using 1d6
This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Wed 19 Jan 2022.

Elern falls about 9 feet without hitting anything-- and then Smith abruptly stops the rapid downward descent.

Smith gets dragged right to the edge of the hole, himself... but he's stopped, for now, and he THINKS he's got a good enough position to not slide in himself, too...

(Okay, now someone roll to get Smith and Elern out of this. I'm fine with any of you three rolling for it:

--Elern to climb up the line
or
--Smith to pull him up
or
--Chukk to help Smith pull him up)

As Elern is falling he remember the strange things small human children like to watch.  He always enjoyed the programs.  The others didn't.  So he got to watch them all.  With straight face.  No laughing.

Wings.  Wings would be good.  Being small with wings would be good.  Yes a male version of that character.  She was always fun and happy.  What was her name now. Tinker bell.

Yes.  Being a male Tinkerbell would be fun.  Elern wondered why he never tried to do this before.

OOC:
I use My ability and 1 Zeal:-
Turn myself into a small very very light weight flying fairy.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:11, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

(Be SURE to mark off 1 Zeal from your character sheet, Elern...

You are now exactly like Chukk and Smith are used to seeing you, EXCEPT THAT:
--you are about an inch and a half tall, and
--you have large insect wings sticking out of your back, and
--you glow in the dark with a soft golden glow.

You can also use your wings to fly. The faster you fly, the more you glow. When you hold still, you just barely glow.)

Down below, the line suddenly goes totally slack. Damn, did it snap?!?

(Smith, please roll Avoid Danger to avoid falling backwards and sliding into the hole from the sudden unexpected loss of weight...)

"Oh."

Smith can't even muster a yell as the shock of the line giving way completely stuns him. In an instant he goes nearly limp, flattening himself on the gravelly slope and praying for traction between scrabbling finger nails and boot treads.

After a moment, through the dust cloud, Smith manages to eek out a hoarse cry;

"E...?"

He waits in silence for a response or for the slope to give way.

19:29, Today: Smith rolled 5 using 1d6.  Avoid Danger
This message was last edited by the player at 02:43, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

"What the ch'hrt?" Chukk asked, staring at the tiny flying person.

The little figure fly's around creating a lot of light for everybody to see with.

In Elern normal dry speech it says.
Well that works very well.  Then he adds after a few laps of flying.
I believe Smith that flying is what you humans call enjoyable and exhilarating.  You and Chukk should try it some time.

The little creature then returns to hover close to the other two.  Before them is a small looking Elern with a set of nice wings and glows a little.  Or a lot depending on how much he is flying around.

"The hells??"

Smith would have made an effort to swat the thing clear of himself had he not been so preoccupied getting back to safety and solid ground.

Smith slides down into the hole... but catches onto the side of it with both hands.

(Chukk will be able to get Smith back up and on his feet without a roll... but Chukk will have to come back to this side of the room to do so...

Alternatively, Smith can roll again to get himself out...

OR Elern can change form back to normal size and help Smith up without a roll...)

"Damn it," Chukk grumbled, moving carefully but quickly back to where Smith was. HE grabbed him and pulled him free from the hole. "We've been through too much to be wiped out by a stupid hole in the ground."

Smith, afraid to move, doesn't hinder Chukk but also doesn't help much.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you..."

Chukk'Chee rolled 1,5 using d6,d6 ((1,5)).


Chukk crosses the room (again) with relative ease. The ability to travel on all fours or upright, as required, can be extremely beneficial in such circumstances.

Complaining, rather loudly the entire time, Smith gets about halfway back across to Chukk...

14:28, Today: Smith rolled 1 using 1d6

(All right, I've had enough of this...)

Chukk has a hard time, for a scav... a lot of scrambling and muttering... and then he has to back up and drag Smith along with him...

...Finally, though, the two team members without wings get across to the other side in one piece, although tired and frustrated.

(Chukk, the next time you roll, take -1 on the highest die. (If there's a tie for highest, just ignore this.

Smith, we're going to act like you've had to roll to not die, and made it. But that means that if you have to make such a roll for real this mission, you'll have to beat +1 higher number than you would otherwise to avoid using Zeal.)

"Good grief, if there's not another way out of here after we catch this nutjob I might just make myself at home and stay on this side of that deathtrap."

In the end, the mine administrator was found, and the memory device that held the secrets of fixing the security glitch back at home was acquired.

But (with some impassioned and rhetorically-brilliant persuasion from the team of heroes) the bigger find was a new ally: the psychic insect race calling themselves Iada, long-dormant under the surface of the planet, unknown or forgotten even to the Scavs.

Together with the Iada, the rebels began to fight back against Megacorp in earnest, with a new sense of hope...

"And even when, well if, we drive Megacorp from this space rock we call home, there will always be another Megacorp somewhere on the horizon." Smith reflects over a hot cup of coffee in a tunnel amongst other 'rebels' one distant morning. He looks at his Scav friend, then at Elern before blowing down into the mug trying to cool its contents. An appreciative smile creeps over Smith's face.

"There is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the story." he adds, unknowingly quoting long since forgotten Earth author Frank Herbert.

Elern sit beside Smith.  He been quite since the mission had ended.  It seems a lot was on his mind.
Trying to work out if he made the right decision or not.  Things where a lot more complicated than he imagined.  He looked around.  However he did not have anybody to talk this over with.
His two new friend just could not be told.
So he listened to Smith and nodded his head.