Tarran SmithTarran promptly fired his Chimera pistol once randomly down the shaft.
Whatever relief you felt at finding Taric and Dom is rather quickly devoured by a rather fiery tangle of frustration, indignation, and a sense of personally justified anger. Dominique however, for reasons that are baffling to you, seems to be feeling the same way. She however wasn't the one who became leader, you were.
The looks of disbelief your rather vociferous crisis aversion methods draw become increasingly skeptical as your 'discussion' with Dominique peaks, apparently Ashley's people have different methods or at least better loyalty to the chain of command.
As Dominique's argument degenerates into base name calling you unholster the chimera from your belt, this was not a time to be engaged in petty squabbling, a fact that Dominique seems to have forgotten.
It's a pity the fact that the chimera fires in bursts of fifteen is one that you seem to have forgotten.
You lean down into the shaft, gripping the lip for support as you push your upper body in for the shot. You don't actually want to hurt Dom... but a couple of struck sparks and a bit of a scare would hardly go amiss in making her realize that this was serious. [Improbable Aim 1] [Quickshot -negated through prior roll-] Your right hand slips on the lip as you lean a little too far forward. A mistake that pitches you sideways and precariously close to falling into the main of the shaft as you twist to regain your grip.
The diminutive and mismatched little pistol however tumbles from your hand as you keep yourself from falling, and for an instant there is a crystal clear image of the machine pistol falling toward the metal shaft floor.
It hits the floor with the clatter of metal on cheap polymer and the bark of automatic high-velocity misfire.
[Luck 3 (7 Rounds hit)][passive kinetics 3+2 (25 point temporary shield)] (PsyShield -5 -4 -3 -2 -2 -1 -1 Armor -1 -2 -2 -3 -1 -3 -2) You yell in surprise and alarm as multiple dull impacts punch into the technocrat armor and make you throw yourself back into the room with Ashley and her team by force of habit as much as any real damage.
This was going to be one of those days.
Come to think of it this was being one of those months.
---
Dominique Wakeman"Oh? It's gunfire now, is it?"
Slam, 4,000 lbs, 5', at the entrance to the shaft to hopefully knock Tarran out and close the shaft off.
Your vision begins to unfocus slightly as Tarran rants at you- though it did him a favor to call his belligerent brand of whiny complaint a 'rant' by the regards of anyone with your experience.
You had nearly gotten strangled to death,
You had found a survivor,
You had a found a way to move around this damn complex that certainly seemed safer than the main body of corridors Tarran had you tramping through. Tarran had a right to ask and be treated with mutual respect, not order you about like a goddamn workcrew manager and whine about how you mistreated his 'feelings'.
Your rapidly growing tangle of frustration and less than benevolent thought is however brought to a head by a brief crackle of gunfire and the chiming rings of a couple of bullets striking the iris, the sounds of Tarran actually shooting at you to get your attention.
Well congratulations to him, he's got it.
Fists balled and back stiff you swing back down into the maintenance shaft, wordlessly stepping in front of Jake bracing your feet. You were not one to be whined at, yelled at, ordered at, and no way in hell were you one to be shot at. Time Tarran got that memo. [Slam, 40, five', 4+1] (-40 stamina) Your muscles tense in silent harmony to the gathering force inside you, tightening until you shake as much with their tension as you do with maelstrom of energy and fury gathered inside of you; a psychic blast that you release with a wordless yell of frustration and indignation.
[Iris integrity 1-2 -damaged- Vs Blast force 5+2 -high energy-] The pulse smashes into the partially closed iris with incredible force, torturing the already damaged metal until its mechanisms finally give up the ghost, the reinforced composite plate bowing outwards and collapsing unevenly on itself as the force rips past.
[Stamina 3+1] You stagger forwards a little as the pulse leaves you, bending your head down low and breathing deeply to avoid unconsciousness. The smoldering anger that Tarran managed to invoke is still there, but the energy necessary to care about it too much has fled. 'Course that doesn't keep you from grinning wolfishly at the floor even as you struggle to not pass out, knocking someone down a peg was always fun.
---
Taric Sizier"Right." Taric attempted to gain access to the system.
You tap your finger against your chin thoughtfully, slowly considering the unresponsive display even as Dominique gets into a shouting match with Tarran. You wave your hands through the hologram in various places to no effect, grasping and twisting every available part of the screen in an effort to find some hidden sweet spot. Unfortunately there don't seem to be any.
You roll your eyes as the shouting from below continues, Tarran and Dom were like every other dysfunctional couple except for the stress relieving sex part. Your finger stops tapping for a moment as you consider that notion, mentally boggled for a moment by the question of how anyone would survive sex with Dominique. Still, as entertaining as that line of thought was it got you no closer to accessing this blasted system...
[Intuition 3+1] Having explored all of the probable options you set your sights on the more esoteric options, or more specifically you set your sights on figuring out how
you would secure this system. [Empathetics 4] With the more conventional senses exhausted you begin focusing on the machine itself, inspecting and prodding the 'brain' of the computer as you would any of the other more mundane brains you've played in.
Interesting...
There are a pair of bright points that shine out from the admittedly incomprehensible weave of electrical pathing that makes up the system core, you have a feeling that something would happen if you gave either of those points a bit of a charge... Of course 'something' is not always a good thing.
---
Ashley FeyHey! you two cut it out, I want to incinerate those damn things ijnn the\ hallway, but we need more men too make sure it sticks, dont you want to break something dom?
You could see that the situation was going nowhere fast when Tarran started yelling, let alone when the name calling started. By the time Tarran managed to drop his own damn gun down the shaft and
shoot himself with it you were already asking the nameless and invisible stars above what you had done to deserve being saddled with these amateurs.
Dominique taking the gunfire personally didn't particularly surprise you, the sheer noise and floor rumbling force that accompanied her counter-stroke did. This is just what you needed, a squabble between two armored five year olds who happen to be classifiable as weapons of mass destruction.
You had to end this before their negligence killed you or their incessant bickering forced you to kill yourself.
[Diplomacy 4 Vs Tarran will 4/Dom will 4] Stepping forwards to stand just behind Tarran you shout down at both of them simultaneously, attempting to balance your desire to kill them both with something resembling temperance.
"Hey! you two cut it out, I want to incinerate those damn things in the hallway, but we need more men too make sure it sticks, don't you want to break something Dom?" Tarran stares at you stubbornly, a sentiment that you can practically feel being echoed from the dark silence of the maintenance shaft.
Must. Not. Kill. Greenhorns...
(You regenerate 12 HP)
---
James EvanJames was getting pissed. She comes into his mind, decides its hers, then tries to screw him up. and when he tries to top her she starts stabbing him. NO MORE! James aimed his shotgun, and fired. He'd blow her away.
James: 56+0-0=56
Blight: 100+2-0=102 (Seriously, she gets the best damn initiative rolls of any character.)
In spite of your new protection She barely slows in her assault, attacking with the vigor and fury that She seems to possess in boundless quantity. [Blight Melee 3+1 Vs Dodge 2] You manage to slip the first and second slashes, a tactic that proves fruitful until she reverses one unexpectedly and gets it under your guard. [Brawl 4+1] The blade hits the armor that surrounds you, sending slight ripples through the air as it grinds slowly to a halt a hair from your body. (Armor -25)
[Quickshot 4+2 Vs Dodge 2] Not bothering to knock the knife wielding arm away from your body you simply set the muzzel against Her chest and pull the trigger. (Blight is now lightly wounded) She staggers backwards as shreds of Her spatter across the rest of the room, giving you a brief and decidedly disturbing view of her internals before her body begins to melt back together.
The corrupted shadow snarls as she regains her footing, slashing the dagger out in front of herself in a broad move that touches nothing but air. [Blight Empathetics 3+1 Vs James Will 1] The floor however responds with momentous force, thrusting itself up like a breaking wave and sending you flying back through the massive room. [Soak 3+1] You strike the strangely spongy wall of the dreamspace room and rebound, hitting the floor with painful but harmless force. (Armor -5)
Your nemesis however has taken the moment to disappear, leaving you seemingly alone with the perpetually growing tendrils.
(Blight has momentarily disappeared)
[Luck 1] Meanwhile the air around your physical body has begun to hum noticeably, [Immortal Intuition 6-2] something that is not lost on the rather immediate group of Immortals.
Turn Recap Taric has used his 'intuition'
James may be starting to turn this fight around
Tarran is Failing
Dominique Hurling about small cars
Ash Is being intensely frustrated
Jordan is Following
Harry is Following
The escort is doing something unknown.
Relevant ItemsMemory Stick (Dom)
Broken Pad (Taric)
Ident Badge -Pyotr Ivanov- (Taric)
Ident Badge -Kira Masse- (Tarran)
Unpowered Pad (Tarran)
Blight
Health: Lightly wounded
Armor: None
Primary Weapon: Dreamspace Knife
Secondary Weapon: None
Health: 60/100
Charge: 125/150
Carried Weight: 96/200 (-25%)
Attire: Plain gray under-armor padding. [10lbs] Heavy Combat Armor, 74/150. [45lbs]
Inv:
Leanashe Assault Rifle [30/30 18lbs]
4.73 mm Caseless box mags x1
Cirri Light pistol [20/20 4lbs]
Energy cell x5
Manticore Pistol [9/10 6lbs]
Mechanical Bypass kit 3/5 [3lbs]
Arc implants, Planerian Implants
Stormcrow implants
Javelin Implants, Duelist Implants
Status: Primary Staff quarters.
Harry Nakamuno
Health: Badly Damaged
Charge: Three quarters charge
Description: 6'3", weighing three-hundred and fifty pounds Harry is the frontline muscle. Generally calm but a man who dislikes doing nothing, slow to anger he's been friends with Jordan since the Conclave gained their freedom.
Personality Complication: Just cause. Harry Believes in the work he does, and he believes hard. He won't hesitate to put a hole through anything in the way of his duty.
Skills: Melee 2, Soak 2, Brawling 2, Marksman 1
Attributes,
Strength (Str): 6
Dexterity (Dex): 3
Endurance (End): 6
Charisma (Char): 3
Intelligence (Int): 3
Willpower: (Will): 3
Staggershock implants,
Aegis implants, Lazarus implants
Samson Implants, Duelist Implants
Equipment: Heavy Combat Armor 52/150, Wolfkin SMG 12/18, Disruptor Pistol (4/4 4lbs), .50 cal drum clips x3, HE grenades (2), Thermal Paste (1), energy cell x3, Orb Lightstand (35 lbs 13/20)
Jordan Grey
Health: Damaged
Charge: Almost Full
Description: 5'9'' Jordan is a slender blond man with the red scraggle of beard perpetually encroaching on his chin. Part of his memories were lost during translation, and all hope of recovering them lost in the second battle. His name is a combination of earth history and the book Grey's anatomy. His medical expertise remains intact along with his sarcasm and combat skills, but most of the rest of his life is hazy.
Personality complication: Hatred, he might not show it much of the time but Jordan holds a grudge against the... thing that robbed of the chance to ever recover his memories. He is determined to kill it, if it's the last thing he ever does.
Skills: Mechanics 2, Marksman 2, Dodging 3,
Attributes,
Strength (Str): 1
Dexterity (Dex): 6
Endurance (End): 1
Charisma (Char): 3
Intelligence (Int): 6
Willpower: (Will): 6
Javelin implants,
Spider implants, MD. Ande Suite
Toxicology and hazard recog, Arc implants
Equipment: Combat Armor 76/100, Laelaps Laser rifle 7/12 (15lbs), Disruptor Pistol (4/4 4lbs), energy cell x4, Field Surgery kit 1/5, Advanced medical kit [3/5], basic medical supplies [3/5] , ORS pack 3/3.
Health: 91/115
Stamina: 24/115
Carried Weight: 160/200 (-25%)
Attire: Arbiter dress Uniform, pristine [10lbs] Standard Body Armor, 47/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Abassy Heavy pistol -laser sight- [7, 8lbs]
Chimera Pistol [15, 5lbs]
Chimera Pistol [15, 5lbs]
Stun club (50/50 11lbs) x4
Fuath Riot suppression carbine [6, 13lbs, Caustic load]
.50 caliber pistol clips x7 (7, 2lbs)
Jormungandr Assault Rifle (A30, E65, 16lbs,)
LR Jormungandr Battle Rifle (13/35 A, 8/15 E, Damaged, 17lbs)
.220 gauss slugs x2 (35)
Smoke Grenades x1 (neg)
Field rations x2
Unusual Pistol [?, 9lbs]
Basic medical kit (2/5) (5lbs)
Data storage drive [Romance novels]
Status: private room, tired
Health: 27/70
Stamina: 34/70
Carried Weight: 138/170 (-25%)
Attire: Technocrat Commander Dress uniform [11lbs] Standard Body armor, 66/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Energy Cell x7 (3 lbs)
Frankenstein Versatility Rifle (A4, E70, 31lbs, in hand,)
.220 gauss clip x4
Basilisk pulse rifle 4/5 (13 lbs)
Piru Gauss Rifle (4/5 4/5 16lbs)
.45 Gauss slugs x2 (5)
Disruptor Pistol (4/4 4lbs)
Saun's Helmet (Quarter full of ants, enclosed.) (3lbs)
Box of terrible scrap components (20lbs)
Short Range Radio, (Off)
Memory Foam centerfold
colonist rations x5 (5lbs)
Tripwire emitter
Status: Maintenance shaft top level, tired.
Health: 35/75
Stamina: 71/75
Carried Weight: 133/150 (-25%)
Attire: High-prelate Uniform [8lbs] Standard Body Armor 48/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Ichneumon Anti-Armor Rifle -Scope- (1, 20lbs, 1 rounds in speed loader)
1' sabot packs x3 (2)
Chimera pistol (15, 5lbs)
Combat Knife (1lb)
Sleipnir SMG (A0, E25 9lbs,)
Sleipnir SMG (A0, E25 9lbs,)
3 energy cells
8 .220 gauss clips (35)
Basic First Aid Kit 5/5 (5lbs)
1 .220 gauss clip (25)
Jormungandr Assault Rifle (A35, E70), 16lbs, in hand)
Status: Primary Staff quarters, Hall.,
Health: 28/75 (Dreamspace HP 121/200)
Stamina: 29/75
Carried weight: 105/200 (-25%)
Attire: Exarch Dress uniform [8lbs] Light Body armor 32/50 [25lbs] (Dreamspace armor 70/100)
Inv:
Renfield SMG (10, 10lbs, in hand)
Riot shield (10lbs 30/30)
Piru Gauss Rifle (E5/5 A5/5 16lbs)
.45 Gauss slug clip (5)
Simone's Song (6lbs 4/7 -Frangible Rounds-)
.50 caliber Frangible pistol clips (7) x1
Dybbuk Flechette Canister Rifle (1/2 35 lbs)
20 mm flechette canisters (x2, 1 lb)
(Dreamspace: Gargoyle Shotgun (5/6))
Status:Primary Staff quarters, Hall. Incredibly Smelly.