Campaign
Campaign, Ike!
"Ah, would this be telepathy of some sort, then? Or is it that you just talk really quietly? I do hear a little whisper on the wind. Can barely hear you. Or <hear> you, you know. Maybe try a little body language to supplement the whispers?"
Think real hard at Mr. Beetle. Try to establish a clearer telepathic link if it seems to be working.
<Did you hear me think at the surrounding area back there? I hear a bit of interference between us. Repeat, maybe try a bit more body language to make yourself clear?>
Mr. Beetle starts walking towards you, hunched over to prevent hitting its head on the outcroppings in the ceiling.
<Ơh̵̸͘͜͠ ͟͟͞͡.̴̷̧̛.̴̸̡̡.̴̵̨͜ ̶̢̛͘ẁ̸͝ơ͝r̀́ki̡n̵̵͏g̵̕?̴ ̕O̶k̢a̸̧͠͝y̴̶̡͟,̶̡̢͜͠ ̧͟h̵̨̛͜ơ̛͝͞w͏̴̢ ̀͢҉̢̀.͢͏̸.̴̶.͝͠>
It keeps walking until it is close to you. When it reaches you, it just stands there for a few more moments.
<Th͢ere̢.̷ I͠s ̵t̨h̶at̕ ̵bet̡t͝er? I t̵h͘i̵nk ̷that'͟s b̀èt̀ter҉.Y͜ou̵ ca͢n̛ h͠ea̢r̵ ͠mé,͠ r͝i͡ght?͢>Oh, hey, it's that guy.
The bug thrusts the half-roasted arm it is holding towards your head. You take a step back to avoid being hit. It keeps standing there. You're not sure if it's trying to give you a hand or trying to get you to back off.
<Ca͟n't̕ re͞ąlly̧ ̶d̀o m͜uch͢ f͞or bo͟dý l̷ang͡u̵a̸g̛e͠, si̵n̡c͏e̶ I'̧m just̛ a͡ voi̴ce͡ in͢ ͞y̨our ̀h͜e̷ad. I̶ ҉gu̸e̛s̸s̵ ̷I c҉ou̵ld i̵mág̡in̴e̸ I'̡m d͠oi̧n̛g ̨so͢me̵thing a͜nd t́ry͘ to ̀s͡end̵ th̷a̵t i͡mage͟, ͞bu͠t the͡n͝ g҉o͜o͞ḑ l̢uck ͡ŕe̕ce͠iv̴i͝n͡g̴ t͘h̕at͠.̸ U͞n҉l͝ȩs̷s͠ ̸t̷he ͢éa̕rs h̸e͜l̨p̀. Ỳǫu̵ ̴k̀now,͏ ac̷t҉ ҉li͞ke͢ sate̕ĺlit̀e ̷d̸i͡şhe̴s͝? A̧n͘yẃay҉,̧ w҉hy̕ ͏t̨he̴ ҉h҉e҉ll͘ a͝re̢ ̵y̢o͜u͢r messa̧g̡e̛s ̨ad̵d҉ress̀e͞d t̡o̕ a 'M͟r.͞ ̕Be̡e̕t̀le̢'?͟>And still as talkative as ever.
Staging Area
"End of the world? Also, may I ask who you are talking to and why they are mad?"
Drink
"Oh yeah, the universe is shrinking, the apocalypse is upon us, we're all going to die, same old, same old." the man says very matter-of-factly before pausing to drink from his mug. Another tremor happens, this time even weaker. After a few gulps, he exhales audibly and puts it down.
"Well, not really. I'll be just fine. But you'll probably die.""As for who I was talking to, it was the harbinger of the apocalypse, screwing with my magical drinks."
"If this place has a god, then he's something like the holy spirit.
You know the pigeon?" he adds, putting his hands close to his waist and tilting them up and down a bit in a flapping motion.
"Yeah, well he's like that, in a grumpy sort of way. A big flying rat that supposedly is really important and powerful but really doesn't show up or talk that much or do anything helpful."
"As for why he's angry, I haven't the faintest idea. You're some sort of sciency guy, right? You ever hear of- Oh, wait, that guy's been dead a long time... How about- No, you probably don't know that thing either... Oh, I know! Who's your guy? You know, who brought you here?"
Survival
Tunnel it is then. Okay.
The journey continues.Survival
"Is the bridge unusable? I think it'd take too long and be way too obvious to make this thing fly; let's just go around. Let's get there as quick as possible."
Keep working on fixing the legs.
You continue your work as a medic for magical metal golems. You do a considerably good job, considering your lack of prior expertise on the field and the fact that you are in a moving vehicle. It's not the best weld that you have ever seen and his legs look a bit shorter than before, plus the runes on them aren't lighting up, but it looks like he can use them or at least move them, which is better than before.
"Try to take it easy until it's properly sealed. No running, no heavy weights, use a crutch if you can. Come back in two weeks for a followup so that I can check the seams and change your oils. Ask my robo-secretary, she'll set you up with an appointment and give you a lollipop."Survival
Same thing as before - anything dangerous gets slapped away by the bling-arm.
You carefully try to turn around so that you can let John work on the back of your legs, at the same time keeping an eye on your tail. Bryan is doing a quite admirable job driving this hot rod. They've been left quite far behind and disappear from sight behind a turn from time to time.
John does an OK job on your legs. You can move them but you should probably avoid injury or more strain on them, lest they become detached again.
((Apologies for not posting often, I'm feeling quite busy))
Bryan Survival
"Sounds like we want to go for the tunnel, not feeling good about that, but it is worth a shot"
Head to the tunnel, people wanted the quick way, right? Either way continue to be the chauffeur and follow their directions.
You keep driving, doing your best to not break for anything without loosing control. The car must be completely aerodynamically unstable at this speed, because it feels like it wants to enter a spin with the slightest turn. Probably has something to do with the fact that it's scalier than a fish. Even the wheel is multiple pieces of metal screwed together. You suddenly become very fearful for the durability of the vehicle.
You continue to do a very decent job driving. A quick look on the rear view mirror (oh gods, even the rear view mirror is two mirrors held together by the casing) shows you that you have left your pursuers a great distance behind. On your left the sea is replaced by the docks, warehouses, administrative buildings, cranes, piers and trucks hiding behind a simple chainlink fence.
You feel a very powerful mix of emotions moving that joins the one coming from your pursuers towards the main road. Mostly a sense of urgency and anxiousness. Must be really powerful if you can feel it at that distance. They don't feel like they're moving very fast though, so they're probably not in a car. They're probably five or six people.
Thunder strikes somewhere far away, momentarily illuminating the clouds in the night sky. Soon after, it starts to drizzle, an occasional drop of water splashing across the wind-shield before it is swept away by the wind.
Survival
In all the chaos, go and grab that rocket launcher. Find a rocket too, so that I can actually fire it.
You approach the group of four men from behind. They've stopped running and are currently very loudly arguing with each other in between pants.
"Well how was I supposed to know they wouldn't go out the same way they went in? Boss said-"
"Boss said to keep following them and get them if they do anything fishy. How are you going to explain this to him air-for-brains? Because there's no chance I'm taking the fall for it."
"Hey, he told me he heard from the radio they were coming this way."
"Woah, don't blame this on me, I said they
might be coming this way. Might! They were facing this way, how was I supposed to know they were going to turn?"
"Oh, yeah? And I
might crack your skull open with my big metal tube."
"I like your rocket launcher." "It's not a rocket launcher you peckerhead, it's an anti- Huh?!" the man exclaims in confusion as he realizes that the statement did not come from one of his comrades, but instead from someone behind him.
"Yoink!" you say as you yank the weapon out of his hands.
Continue flying. If the wind gets bad, descend a bit, then glide.
You continue to glide downwards, getting closer to the bridge, a wide suspension bridge. Looks like the police have gotten some construction vehicles and are preparing to push through the barricade. It's probably going to get messy once they get to the other side...
It's a good thing you've gotten lower. A lightning bolt strikes one of the lightning rods of the bridge and soon after it starts to drizzle, a drop of water occasionally falling on you.
OOCAgain, I'm sorry. I guess I should not try to create suspense that way again, it leads to bad things.