Turn 2
Medulla-3 and Brooklyn of Clan SpycheWhile Brookyln assailed with her barbarous tongue talked with the bartender, the bioroid took a look at the news picts for anything interesting.
Action: Order a shot of Radspike.
Try to get a message to the man from mars, asking if he's the sort who is willing to trade information on the station. If successful, tip 10 creds to the waitress for this service, personally to her (if possible)
If fail, try to press the waitress for any leads.
While her friend is preoccupied, Medulla-3 turns her attention to the news feeds. The channel is a local one and accompanied by a steady stream of data embedded in the video she reads through. A pleasant-voiced woman with a slight bulge and surgery scars around her vocal chords goes through a handful of topics rapidly:
-The solar annual Thinkers' Conclave is beginning on the Machine station of Zeitgeist, welcoming all Solars of intellect to share and discuss their ideas, findings and creations of the past year. An appearance by the genius Fabricant is expected, though unfounded rumors of this sort have been around before.
-Another interstellar voyage is in the plans by the Tharsis Exploration Society, this one supposedly paving the way for Mankind's first successful extrasolar colony on the barren world of Hawking V. A preceding mass probe launch is planned for this week, Martian calendar, and all interested all invited to watch.
-Machine group-mind Indomitus has claimed responsibility for the destruction of the free ship
Gentle Summers in Jupiter orbit two days ago, citing 'unlawful detachment of component unit' by members of the ship's crew. The ship was carrying a dormant Orbital citizen, who perished without backup, and a number of Orbitals have declared their intention to bring Indomitus to justice. Any information of the entity's activities or whereabouts will be rewarded.
-Massive cyberattack launched against Orbital Ring-7 reportedly repulsed without harm; as usual, disruptions in Solar networks expected during Orbital reprisal strikes.
Other than that, there's not much of interest, mainly local matters. Medulla-3 scans for any mention of the scientist her friend is searching for, but there's nothing. You'll not find real, juicy information on public news broadcasts, anyway - at least, most of the time.
***
Meanwhile, Brooklyn picks the Radspike. The bartender's mask is expressionless as she pours a shot of the stuff - the liquid hisses as it touches the reinforced glass. The Enceledian wires over the 50 Credits - it's costly, but a good drink is worth any price.
[Endurance (Diff.
: 6] She downs the shot in one gulp, and her body goes wild with alarms. Her augmented senses scream in protest at the touch of the thing and it numbs her mouth for a good minute. Her innate rad counters go in the red for several unnerving seconds before her body begins its countermeasures. Brooklyn's exoskin is of little help when she's directly ingested the stuff, but a Remnant's body is generally sturdy enough to handle a few rads and toxins. Generally. She can't help but to feel this might've been a bit more than she bargained for.
Another part of her mind concludes that, yes, this Radspike has one hell of a kick and an interesting, sense-numbing aftertaste. Her head spins a little in a way that's more pleasant than not. And what was that about it taking some time to kick in? Brooklyn can only wait. This might be something worth writing home about, so to speak. Even if her innards are burning a little right now.
Before that, however, she has work to do. Brooklyn leans in towards the bartender and asks her question.
"For this salt of an imbib might you get a gram to yonder Rem-man?" She said, jerking her thumb at the Martian.
"Query him if he's a sort of remman who is in the mix of selling needs-to-knows about this unholy rot of a station-or if he is a man who knows other men who do so-and if so, then to covey my attention toward him, forthwith-for a Reman'a like moi may have a need for such a thing, and is willing to barter...If that query does come back neg, forth pray leave him be. If contact is pos, do tell, and I might grace yon bewinged server'ess who stands so afore me, with a moit of glit.
Or, perhaps she might otherwise put a penitent pilgrim me, on a path of knowing. And for this Kurn would blesse her many times folded, and forthwith her fortunes do improve."It seems to take her a moment to get that, [Charm (Diff. 4): 11+5=16] but then the woman nods.
'That's very sweet of you, dear. I'm not going to ask why you don't just ask him yourself. Caution kept the cat alive, or so my birth mother used to say. A moment.'There's a burst of data traffic between the bartender and the other Remnant. After a while, the bartender inclines her head ever-so-slightly, and Brooklyn's Caster registers an incoming message from Dramon of Alba Patera. Brooklyn transfers the bartender a suitable reward for the information - or, judging by her sudden change in posture, perhaps more than suitable.
The message is in plaintext, short and simple.
Not in th'business of knowin', myself, but I might've got a little for yas. This be free, from one dead fool to 'nother. There's a broker - a knower, secret-seller, on th'ship - name's Radiance. Don't cheat nobody, keeps to herself. I'll fix yas a meeting. She ain't the only one, but th'rest of 'em are crooked as wilders.Hmm. It's something.
***
Medulla-3 [HP: 40/40] [Security: ¤¤¤]
Shields: 4/4 charge, -6 Kinetic Damage, -4 Energy Damage
Ganymedean Hardened-Destroyer
Augs:
+Integrated Caster [Security: ¤¤¤] [Basic Caster integrated into Medulla-3's biomachinery.]
+Biological Deassemblers [Meduila's advanced biomachinery allow her to consume and analyze biological matter and beings. Length of consumption depends on target.]
+Gas Emitters [Gas available.] [Medulla's vents allow the deployment of varieties of gas: Toxic, Thruster, Corrosive, and EMP. 5-turn-cooldown after each use.]
+Combat Glands [Available.] [Artificial glands can be activated for a 3-turn biochem rush of combat stimulants, granting +10 to Endurance rolls and +5 to Aim and Melee rolls. 1-day-cooldown.]
+Photosensitive Shell [Motion detectors along Medulla's shell provide +2 to Aim rolls and +3 to Senses rolls.]
+Exoskin Layer [Adaptive skin granting +4 to Endurance rolls against extreme temperatures, hostile atmospheres and other conditions.]
+Titan Plating [Heavy limb plating providing +5 resistance to being knocked over.]
+Armoured Heart [Enhanced and armoured heart grants +10 HP.]
+Augmented Musculature [Extensive, high-grade enhancement to musculature provides Augmented Strength 1.]
Equipment:
*Ganymedean Shield Generator [4/4 charge/+1 charge per turn/-6 Kinetic, -4 Energy]
Skills:
Augmented Strength I [+5]
Aim I [+5]
Melee I [+5]
Intimidation I [+5]
Brooklyn of Clan Spyche [HP: 30/30] [Security:¤¤¤]
-2 Kinetic Damage, -2 Biochem Damage, -1 Energy Damage
Remnant Operative-Hardened
Augs:+Embedded Caster [Security: ¤¤¤] [Caster. Despite looks, this neurally linked arm-borne Caster can match the power of any cutting-edge model.]
+Recycler Implant [Recycles nutrients, oxygen and other necessary matter in the user's body and surroundings for longer survival in hostile environments.]
+Exoskin Layer [Adaptive skin granting +4 to Endurance rolls against extreme temperatures, hostile atmospheres and other conditions.
Masked 1.]
+Suspension Webs [Launchers in the limbs and torso capable of deploying durable hardmesh 'webs' to attach the user to almost any surface.
Masked 1.]
+Masking Aug [Full-body nullsense augmentation grants all augs Masked 1.]
+Softstep Padding [Stealth padding muffling the sounds of movement, granting +2 to Stealth movement rolls.]
+Needle Weapon [
5/5] [Close/3 Kinetic Damage/Clip 5/
Critical,
Hidden,
Masked 2]
+Sensory Amp [Extensive augmentation providing Augmented Senses 1.
Masked 1.]
Equipment:*Scavenger Suit [-2 Kinetic Resistance, -2 Biochem Resistance, -1 Energy Resistance] [A ramshackle protective suit added to by Brooklyn along the years.]
-Silencer [Proxnet Device. This device projects a field of visual obstruction, signal jamming and noise to create a safe space for discussion or data transfer.]
-Microcam [Proxnet Device. A remote-controlled drone the size of a grain of sand, capable of streaming high-quality video and sound.]
-Scavenger Kit [A set of tools and materials for field repairs or modifications, granting +2 to Engineering rolls.]
-140 Tharsis Credits
Skills:Augmented Senses I [+5]
Charm I [+5]
Deception I [+5]
Stealth I [+5]
Endurance [-5, 10 turns]
Time to change tack. If she could not find anything of interest, she would have to let the interest come to her. OCOS walked away feigning a loss of dignity, heading to the nearest dock area in order to scope out any interesting outgoing vessels worth lingering by.
Making a show of being stung by the pureform's rejection, OCOS walks off. She keeps her eye on the human for a while still, but he appears to lose his interest in her quickly. A pity. Still, one pureform is hardly the only thing of interest aboard this vessel. The synth decides to head to the nearest docking bay to look at the ships.
The constant background noise of voices and data begins to fall away as she makes her way outwards from the Market. Endless poorly disguised industrial corridors greet her, maze-like, but she has a general map of the ship and Orbital pathfinding software, and she finds her way to the nearest docking bay without effort.
One of four on the Ark, it is nearly full, mostly used by freighters and automated cargo ships loading or unloading before setting off again. They could be from any half-civilized Remnant hub or free station across the Solar System. [Knowledge: Sol (Diff. 7): 3] None of these vessels stick out to her, but she captures them in her memory nevertheless. This information could, for example, be crucial to analyst units elsewhere. There's always places on these kinds of vessels, if she wishes to leave on one of them - a fairly discreet, if not too glamorous choice of transportation.
There are two more curious vessels. The first one seems to be a light-weight warship, with a very old frame with some more recent upgrades. It gives off no name to her queries, but the name of the captain is registered as one
Gurshin Broo. The other is a sleek Ring-fabricated ship of seamless, nullsense stealth plating, bearing the name of
Division Six. She picks up high-power components throughout the vessel - a focused scan might tell her what they are. The owner is one
Alejandro Gouveia, a name [Knowledge: Sol (Diff. 10): 13] included in her Orbital briefing data. Gouveia, known as Blackheart, is a master data-thief and mercenary... who, by all accounts, is imprisoned with Orbital consensus in the Quantumhold splinter-prison off Mercury at this moment.
This is... slightly alarming.
***
OCOS-998 [HP: 30/30] [Security: ¤¤¤¤]
-2 Energy Damage, -1 Kinetic Damage, -2 Biochem Damage
Synth Operative-Tech Head
Augs:+Integrated Caster [Security: ¤¤¤] [Caster. A cutting-edge Caster built into OCOS-998's brain infrastructure for maximum speed and processing capability.]
+Nanoblood [
Overcharge available.] [Cutting-edge Orbital regenerative blood cells maintain the unit in the long-term. May be overcharged for faster repairs of 5-10 HP, with 1-day cooldown.]
+Null Point Projector [
Inactive] [Data aug turning the user into a 'null point' practically invisible to automated system security (+20 against Passive Security). Can be maintained for up to 5 turns.
Masked 1.]
+Advanced Ocular Implants [Cutting-edge ocular enhancements grant the unit +5 to Senses rolls of vision and +3 to Aim rolls.
Masked 1.]
+Data Guard [A security processor enhancing the user's defenses, granting +¤ Security
Masked 1.]
+Autohacker [Simple hacking aid granting +3 to Data rolls.
Masked 1.]
+Falsesmile Processor [Behavioral processor designed to aid the user to perfectly mimic emotional responses and states, granting +4 to Deception rolls.
Masked 1.]
+Scrubber Implant [Cleanses breathing of toxics and harmful agents, granting +5 to Endurance rolls of resisting poison, toxins, disease and granting 1 Biochem Resistance.
Masked 1.+Masking Aug [Full-body nullsense augmentation grants all augs Masked 1.]
Equipment:*Synthskin [2 Energy Resistance, 1 Kinetic Resistance, 1 Biochem Resistance] [Standard Orbital hardened skin layer for synths, providing a measure of protection while still appearing flesh-like to touch.]
-Ocular Parasites [3 Deployments] [Farnet Device. Mobile nanocams capable of broadcasting video back to the controller; when dispersed in high-population areas, attach themselves to the optic nerves of unsuspecting targets to produce a widespread net of very personal surveillance.]
-Mnemonic Lace [Device. Resembling a curled silver worm, this advanced Orbital tool can be inserted into the brains of organic beings to remove or alter memories, with only minor risk of brain damage.]
Skills:Charm I [+5]
Deception I [+5]
Stealth I [+5]
Data I [+5]
Following the stranger's departure, Zahir got back into the thick of things, perusing the markets for anything that'd warrant future interest for the Dominion.
Continue window shopping in the markets. Anything of interest Zahir jots down to investigate at a later date.
With the human woman leaving in a huff, Zahir turns back to perusing the Market. Odd technology abounds, though he has to rely on his Caster to actually identify their names or purposes. The damned thing's screen keeps filling with alarms and queries, even after he tries to block the damned things from appearing. He begins to suspect its rudimentary security may not be enough in this cursed place.
There are things of interest. A ridiculous-looking four-armed abhuman displays long cylinders he claims contain advanced nanomachinery for purposes of sabotage and infiltration. They will gradually take root in the machines of the enemy until the time is right and the right command given, at which point they will destroy or seize control of their hosts. Even better, the man... the thing... claims he has a considerable supply of these things.
An automated stall showcases a number of intriguing EMP-shielded energy weapons for him. Zahir sees two uses for them; first, they might function even in the case of an errant cloud of Rampancy, and two, the Dominion could reverse-engineer the technology for themselves. The cheapest, a rapid-firing laser pistol, begins at 1,000 Tharsis Credits. There are stalls showing cheaper weaponry, too, of course.
Zahir spots an advert - well, it forces its way onto the screen of his Caster - for a place called Circuit Rock, an asteroid station that boasts of being 'the largest drone market in Sol'. Drones, he admits, are vulnerable, untrustworthy things, but they could bolster the capabilities of the Dominion in many ways.
Specify what, exactly, you'd like to look for if you want to continue shopping.***
Zahir Spencer [HP: 30/30] [Security: ¤]
-1 Kinetic Damage
Earthborn Hardened-Destroyer
Augs:None
Equipment:*Obsolete Caster [Security:¤] [Caster. An old-as-sin model of Caster barely compatible with more modern versions.]
*Ayers Battler Rifle [
16/16] [Medium/2 Kinetic Damage/Clip 16/
Dumbtech] [The mainstay of AD armies, this weapon is outclassed by practically everything off-Earth.]
*Skywatch MGL [
4/4] [Medium/5 Kinetic Damage/Clip 4/
Blast 1,
Stunning 1,
Dumbtech] [This AD Special Forces microgrenadelauncher allows for rapid and devastating attacks.]
*Skywatch Body Armor [-1 Kinetic Damage, +2 to resistance against Stunning and disorientation] [AD Special Forces body armor, notable for inbuilt shock-proofing layers]
-Breacher Charges (
3) [Planted/10 Kinetic Damage/
Piercing 2,
Stunning 2,
Blast 1] [Heavy-duty wall-breaching charges built using Orbital designs, if Earthborn materials.]
-Targeter Visor [Device. Simple targeting aid granting +2 to Aim rolls.]
-Enviroskin [Unequipped. Adaptive suit provides rudimentary full-body protection (+3) against extreme environments and conditions.]
Skills:Aim I [+5]
Melee I [+5]
Piloting I [+5]
Intimidation I [+5]
Author
Topic: Solar: a Transhuman Scifi RPG IC [Turn 8] (Read 11132 times)