Ashley FeyAshley Makes one last attempt to get them over here
You're in the middle of a research facility that has been buried in every sense of the word, taken over, blacked-out, used as a base of operations by something that you could have been happy never knowing about, and the largest obstacle that stands in your way is bunch of psychic hooligans claiming to be your allies. It is unfortunate that the section on "psychic hooligan disposal" was omitted from the training doctrine.
[Diplomacy 5 Vs Tarran Will 4/Dom Will 3+1]
"ENOUGH!" You yell down the shaft in a last ditch effort to contain the situation.
"You are in perhaps the last place either of you will see in the rest of your short lives, and yet you spend your time bickering and poking each other like six year olds armed with automatic weapons!" You pause and breathe deeply for a moment, letting your fists unclench slowly. When you do speak again your tone is more controlled, though no less audible.
"You are here for a reason, and if you cannot pull your collective heads out of your asses then you will have failed whatever reason it was that made you come to the forsaken hell-hole. Now that's fine by me, my reasons for being here sure as hell are not yours, but right now you have to make a choice. Do you want to win this petty battle between yourselves and lose a war, or do you want to resign this squabble until the day when you're gray and old so that you can fight together to win a war that's larger than either of you." Still bristling slightly you wait for any response, none comes yet but you can see a slight eddy of something like guilt flashing across Tarran's stubborn veneer.
(Tarran and Dominique will take a -1 penalty to any actions that intentional hinder or are targeted maliciously at the other for the next 5 rounds)
(you regenerate 0 HP)
---
Tarran SmithTarran had no words to discribe the sheer anger he was feeling. He had to take his anger out on something before he went berserk.
Pick up a random piece of furniture in the room and throw it into the wall until I've either ran out of anger or it's nothing but atoms.
You pick yourself off the bloody carpet and dust yourself off. Your group, the people who you were supposed to be commanding have split up. Of the five that got named under your command by the unchained three have been killed, and the remaining two have decided to run off by themselves. That wasn't even counting James, a man who had seemed to have become beset by Grane's madness and was even now lying alone and surrounded by enemies.
Way back on earth you'd imagined having an actual command in the ranks of the unchained, a squad of loyal and respectful followers with whom you could strike fear into the technocracy. Your imagination however had never included the sheer magnitude of frustration and anger that these people would induce in you. Add that feeling into the bottled anger and guilt trip that Ashley's little speech had induced and you want nothing more than to pulverize something until your fingers bled.
[Passive Kinetics 3+2] You grab the already battered bronze horse off the floor and swing it into the metal wall of the room with all your might. The bronze practically explodes on contact with the wall, shattering and melting simultaneously as you let control over you actions go in a single moment of hatred against the innocent inanimate object. [Luck 2] A splash of the molten bronze flies back from the obliterated horse and splatters against your arm [Armor roll 2], heating the metallic composite strike plate to agonizingly painful temperatures. (-11 HP)
---
Taric SizierTaric used a light psionic shock on both the points in an attempt to get the system on. Or look around for a cable to connect the two points if that fails.
Without cracking open the system and actually exposing the core there isn't a lot you can do physically, a good thing then that you aren't limited to the physical… [Surge, low, 4+1-] [Surge, low, 1-1 (bonus negated)] (-5 Stamina) You send a pulse into both of the points simultaneously, enough to make a human twitch but not cause any harm. The first point flares and sends a echoing pulse into the core, traveling and splitting along the pathing with dizzying speed before disappearing into the coruscating cornucopia of light at the center of the pathing matrix. The second point of light however flickers slightly and then dies away, leaving a small and very empty looking spot where it used to be.
Your musings about whether or not that's just a bad sign or a REALLY bad sign are interrupted by the formerly static holographic display shifting, blurring away from the generic idle to what looks like the user's personal drive. Smiling in triumph you open and flick curiously through its basic parameters, getting a lay of the land before you actually invade.
Most of the system is normal, or as normal as you would expect. There are additional layers of encryption both of Technocrat grade and what looks like some of this guy's personal build. Oddly the drive doesn't look like it's connected to the rest of the base's systems... [Mechanical 4+1] In fact it looks like someone has taken great pains to make sure that this drive cannot be accessed remotely.
---
Dominique WakemanDom rolled her eyes. From the sound of things, he had managed to shoot himself - whether by accident or because of her outburst, she wasn't sure - but that seemed to be business as usual for him. She turned and headed back to the room she had left Taric in. "Well, we're not going back that way," she announced, probably pointlessly, as she climbed up into the room. "Any progress, dude?"
With little left to say to Tarran you haul yourself back up into the room with Taric, steadfastly ignoring Jake's alternating looks of surprise, alarm, and confusion as you pass him. Ashley's echoing challenge does make you feel a little guilty, but you're not about ready to turn around and be contrite just yet.
The first thing that is apparent when you get back inside the spartan room is that Taric has in fact managed something, the holo-render is now doing more than just displaying Technocrat insignia. The sword and loop have been replaced by panels of insanely tiny and nonsensical text, text that Taric is flipping through at a rate that's going to give you a headache if you keep watching for too long.
After trying to keep up for a moment you carefully shift your focus so you're not actually looking directly at the eye-bending panels of text before you ask Taric what he's found so far. He is, as usual when he has a shiny new system open, forthcoming.
The system was apparently hard to get into and may still be hard to get anything out of, Taric thinks he might have damaged something on the inside as well, something that may or may not have been important. The current drive the system is running from is the personal files of whoever lived here, a person who apparently didn't care for anyone spying on his private stuff to the point of stonewalling this drive's ability to talk to the rest of the facility.
[Intuition 5] So, the man who lived here last didn't care much for the softer trappings of society, he didn't care for people spying on him, he owned state of the art defense ware for his private system, and his door seems to glow in a way that Taric can't see.
Two and two are adding together to give five. You hate it when that happens.
---
James EvanUh oh. Not the tendrils again. But this time James was sure he could do something about them, attempting to slice them with another one of those strange psionic blades he had made a while back.
With your not-so-better half taking a leave of absence you're left to deal with the current situation, tentacles in your brain that appear to be devouring a memory that isn't yours. You're not sure whether or not having this memory destroyed would be a good thing but you are entirely sure that nothing that looks like tentacles, mold, or a bizarre hybrid of you and Dom should be running amok in your head. With that in mind you engage the best and most viable seeming plan for removing ceiling tentacles: Ginsu them with your mind.
You plant your feet and face the jet colored tendrils, you know what you want to do; now all you have to do remember how it was done... [Blade 4+1-1 (Emp sub for Kin due to dream)] (-10 stamina) Memories that are not yours flicker up, staining the monochromatic room with color as the knowledge of how to think and how to strike comes to you with crystalline clarity. The blade of energy explodes outwards, lashing towards the tentacles with destructive force. Destruction, however, is not at all what happens.
Two events occur in the instant that the blade touches the tendril, the first and most noticeable is the sudden explosion of pain throughout your senses. The room around you blurs and fades as you struggle to remember or even think under the explosion of agonizing sensation. The second event is noticeable only after you regain enough of your senses to see straight, or at least see enough to realize that the tendril you tried to cut is not only still whole but is now also splitting and growing at an alarming rate.
Splitting and growing predominantly towards you.
(You are in agony, bonuses from skills are negated and attribute bonuses are halved)
(Blight is in agony, bonuses from skills are negated and attribute bonuses are halved)
---
James' Physical body[Kinetics, 2, 1, 5, 4, 4=16/?]
---
Turn Recap Taric has successfully hacked something!
James might be in trouble
Tarran is burning himself (
Warning: Your Health is Below 1/3)
Dominique is being deductive
Ash Is growling at people
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 12/20)
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. Pep Talk (-1 against Tarran) (5)
Health: 27/70
Stamina: 29/70
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: 24/75
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. Pep Talk (-1 against Dominique) (5)
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. In Agony, bonuses from skills are negated and attribute bonuses are halved (2) (