Ford & Nicolas
The mutineer is already sporting a fancy leg wound, so the pair of you carry Zakharov and the mutineer respectively, Yang taking the lead after selecting a machine rifle from the armoury. [?] The trip to the bridge is actually rather uneventful, if you discount the occasional distant sound of shredder bursts. You arrive to be greeted by almost the entire command staff pulling recovered shredders on you - most of them are covered in blood, and there are half a dozen wounded engineering techs being treated by med techs here on the bridge. Two new figures of note since last time as well - Dr Godwinson, the ship's Psych Chaplain, her arm recently covered in synthflesh after some unknown accident; and a tall, built gentleman of probably West African descent, wearing an ordinary general assistant's uniform as if it were the height of fasion. A pair of engineering techs were nominally guarding him and he wore restraints, but he seemed remarkably at ease with the situation.
Captain Garland recognises Yang and Zakharov and signals for everyone to lower their weapons. You help Zakharov to one of the med techs while an armed engineering tech takes over guarding the hostage. Ford, you recognise Fedor Petrov from many years of lab work - he rushes over to Zakharov to check on the old scientist.
"Where the hell have you been?" asks Garland.
"A long story," says Yang. "Chief Santiago has staged a mutiny - as I am sure you are aware. She is moving on the med bay now."
"Damn it," says Garland. "Clarke, send a message to anyone around med bay. Tell them to get out."
One of the datatachs looks up. "Too late, captain. Camera footage suggests they're already within sixty feet of med bay. We also have a list of demands from the mutineers."
Garland's frown intensifies. He checks the datalink on his wrist and scoffs. "She wants a full cryo module and its inhabitants, supplies, weapons, equipment and machines to start her own colony on the planet below. Completely unacceptable. Yang, our options?"
"Choice one. Allow Santiago control of the medbay and the module she has now, allowing her to use it as a bargaining chip, then negotiate."
"Not possible, she would only demand more concessions."
"Choice two. Send in a strike team, do it quickly and we may save Lal and the med techs."
"Our people are armed but not trained. If she has a majority of the security staff, that isn't an option."
"Choice three, then. Seal off the med bay and drain the oxygen. With Santiago dead, her people will lose heart."
"And Lal and the rest dead as well!" interjects the psych chaplain, Miriam.
"There are plenty more of her men than those in the med bay," says Yang. "This would assure their co-operation."
"What about draining enough oxygen to knock them unconscious, then sending men in to collect them?" asks Garland.
"Santiago will react too quickly, she may try and break open the bulkhead to escape. We must be firm. Give her what she wants, attack her or cut off the air. That is all I see."
"There is another option," says a weak, old voice from the floor. Zakharov has regained consciousness as the med techs treat his wound with the equipment they have on hand. "Fedor, tell them."
"Before this crisis, we were preparing for a test firing of the ship's engines," Petrov explains. "In order to test structural integrity, you see. It would provide something of a shock, were we to engage a test firing now."
"Or rip the ship apart," says Garland. "I see." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Yang, I have your orders..."
Peter and Armage
You are busy trying to wait out the horrible situation you find yourself in when you feel a sudden, deep thrumming from the ship. There is a heavy thoom sound and the creaking of metal, and the floor leaps forward beneath your feet. As you are thrown to the ground, you experience a sudden and horrifying sense of choking as the air is pulled from your chest.
Everyone is thrown to the floor, except for Santiago who manages to steady herself against a table somehow. She levels her shredder at Lal.
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Topic: SMAC RPG [4/4 Players] - Unity's Fracture (Read 7298 times)