Tarran SmithFeeling uneasy, Tarran started running--not jogging--back to the main door, just in case.
You act on your uneasiness and run back to the main group. This way you can meet the new guy, even if there isn't actually anything that merits circling the wagons.
---
Dominique WakemanDom brought her assault rifle up and started sweeping the area for any hostiles, taking care not to aim her gun at any of her allies - even Jake.
You raise your rifle to your shoulder and sweep the room slowly, left to right, taking precaution to not endanger any of your companions. [Observation 3 Vs ?] You cover the room, but no obvious threats arise. Strange, that sensation of someone breathing on your neck has never led you wrong before. You lower your weapon and a release a breath. Maybe you're just getting anxious from the lack of things to shoot.
---
Taric SizierIntroduce Jake to the group, lie outrageously.
Dominique and Tarran seem to be worried about something, odd considering that they were declaring the room clean a minute ago, but that's no reason to not introduce Fern to the rest of the homicidally merry band.
"The man you just got done carrying is our resident sleeping beauty, name of James Evan. He smells like a sewer's latrine and passes out for no reason. He also claims to literally have fungus growing inside his head, he might be right for all we know," you say, taking Jake by the shoulder and pointing him at each of the others in turn.
"You already know Dom of course, short, persnickety, liable to hit you if you do, well, anything, et cetera, et cetera. That guy," you add, pointing your light directly in Tarran's face,
"is our fearless leader, the great Tarren Smith." You pause and lean in to Jake's ear, lowering your voice and speaking confidentially.
"He gets angry with people who look at his nose, he's telepathic, he doesn't like it if you blink more than twice in a minute, and for the love of God, do not stand anywhere but directly behind him when he's got a gun in his hands." [Taric Lie 4 Vs Jake Detect Lie 2] The scared bunny look Jake wore after Dominique drove a fist into his gut returns to his face by degrees as Taric speaks. Jake takes one look at Tarran walking toward him with an openly carried assault weapon and immediately starts attempting to stare resolutely at the man's forehead without blinking.
This has the potential to keep you amused for hours.
---
James EvanJames thought for a moment. The main shadows had probably been listed under the Status Display, so he was going to search for the ....Iscariotic... Duplicate. ...If he came out of the holocube he was gonna have to keep an eye on him, but he was searching nonetheless.
You've moved through all of the cube's tabs, and you're finally starting to put a few things together. First, and most relevant, the tab that displayed your own status had only two other entrees, one of which was unknown and one of which was destroyed. That lines up pretty well with the idea that those "duplicates" are the shadows that you've been getting tormented with.
You filter the list for the Iscariotic duplicate. You're almost certain you're right, but there's a niggling uncertainty that tells you that it can't be this easy. A single figment pops up, pulsing gently. The only available options are to insert or define. You hit insert.
"Define location," a disembodied voice requests, the sudden noise startling you.
You think for a second, then shrug.
"Uh, here?" It's as good as anywhere else.
[Will 4] You feel strangely lightheaded, not winded, more like you've suddenly changed altitude. (-25 Stamina) The man in black, your first shadow, folds into vision not ten feet off to your right. He focuses on you immediately.
"You, you've done this to us!" he spits, his face contorted with rage.
"Your complac-" You sigh in frustration, letting your head fall into your palm while your shadow continues to monologue. Apparently this thing doesn't have a save feature, which means you get to be treated to another hundred accusations of your inadequacy. You're sick and tired of being here, and you're in no mood to be angrily yelled at by any more figments of your own imagination. Screw it, the time for listening to monologues and negotiating is past over.
"Jump him!" You yell, leaping out of your chair to tackle the Shadow.
[James Melee 6+1, Blight melee 4 Vs Shadow Dodge 1] You catch your shadow midway in his tirade about how you were good little boy for the Technocrats, surprising him to the point that he simply lays there like a clubbed seal when you and Blight grab an arm each and tackle him into the sand.
"Right," you begin, making sure to keep his arm pinned down into the beach.
"In case you hadn't noticed, things have changed a bit. The lady on your other arm killed you once, and I'm sure she'd be happy to do it again. I'm running a little short of time here, and last time you were alive you seemed to know quite a bit about what was happening. Regale me, and try and drop the 'your fault, your fault', I got it last time." [Diplomacy 3 Vs will 2] The you pinned to the beach looks up at the two of you, his eyes flicking back and forth.
"Uh, I... this isn't right," he mutters, frowning.
"They put something... in our heads." "Yep, brain fungus, you told me this before. You were able to stop it, or slow it down anyway, how?" He struggles to get up for a second, then Blight cranks his arm sideways and he lies still again.
"It chases brain activity, electrochemical impulses, feeding off it. I... I'm tagged for it, bait. I chase you, and it chases me. It's why I was created." He seems confused by what he's saying, each word seeming to surprise him a little.
"Decrease D-Serine and somatostatin usage in affected regions to only what's needed to keep the brain alive, then increase acetylcholin and anandamide to put the fungus into a dormant state. It keeps growing, nothing ever stops that, but it won't function beyond minimal levels." "How the hell do you know this?" Blight's tone is incredulous.
"You're bait, and not only are you told that you're bait, but you also got an elegant description of how the thing you're baiting works? That doesn't make a goddamn bit of sense." [Intuition 2] Blight has a point, one that you don't have any good answers for.
---
Aaron White"Why cant i leave him behind... oh yes, Fellow Maintenance sticks together"
Maintenance dogs have to stick together, and you sure as hell aren't letting one of yours slip to the suits. [Str 3] You haul Henry back onto your shoulder, but it's slow and unsteady, making you lose running time while you get your balance under you. [Paula Dex 1] [Cale Dex 2] You catch a glimpse of Paula falling behind you, scrambling frantically back upright, and even Cale seems to be starting to slow down. You're so close now, just a few dozen yards away from the exit, you can't fail now. [Henry Soak 4] Henry coughs once and you can feel him starting to move a little. The squirming won't make it any easier for you to run, but it does mean that he's starting to wake up.
[Immortal Dex 2+1, 3, 4] [LAE Bots 1, 3, 2] [Deadheads 5, 3, 3, 1] [Quickshot 2-1-1] [Quickshot 5+1-1-1] [Quickshot 2-1-1] Paula cries out in pain as another volley of stunners flash by. (Paula armor -8, Hp -9, Stamina -18) A smoking hole in her labcoat shows where a lucky shot clipped her in the back, but she keeps moving.
LAE bot 2 is at 17
Deadhead 3 is at 16
Deadhead 1 and immortal 3 are at 14
LAE bots 1 and 3 are at 13
Deadhead 4 is at 11
Immortal 2 and Deadhead 2 are at 10
Paula is at 25
You are at 26
Cale is at 29
LAE bots will start firing at a difference of twelve
Immortals will start firing at a difference of ten
Deadheads will start firing at a difference of five
The next Hatch off to the complex proper is at 30
The turn off to the maintenance lift is at 25
The up'n'up ladder is at 35
(Henry Will wake up on a 4 or better, as long as his stamina remains positive)
(You must roll a stamina of four or higher next round to remain carrying Henry.)
---
Turn Recap Taric is lying like a dog
James is perhaps in a position to get out of this hellhole, perhaps in a position to worsen his situation.
Tarran is running back to the main group
Dominique is finding nothing out of the ordinary
Aaron is leaving no man behind
Cale is running, slowly
Paula is being shot.
Other EventsTarran Will be encumbered as soon as the gravity goes back to earth normal
Relevant ItemsMemory Stick (Dom)
Broken Pad (Taric)
Ident Badge -Pyotr Ivanov- (Taric)
Ident Badge -Kira Masse- (Tarran)
Ident Badge -Naomi Weiss- (Tarran)
Unpowered Pad (Tarran)
L1RF Key (Tarran)
Health: 74/75
Stamina: 41/75
Carried Weight: 151/150 (-25%)
Attire: High-prelate Uniform [8lbs] Standard Body Armor 48/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Tarran's Ichneumon Anti-Armor Rifle -Scope- (1/1, 20lbs, 1 rounds in speed loader)
1' sabot packs x1 (2)
Chimera pistol (0, 5lbs)
Combat Knife (1lb)
Sleipnir SMG (A0, E25 9lbs,)
Sleipnir SMG (A0, E25 9lbs,)
Energy cells x4
8 .220 gauss clips (35)
Basic First Aid Kit 3/5 (5lbs)
1 .220 gauss clip (25)
Jormungandr Assault Rifle (A30, E65), 16lbs. In hand, ambush aim.
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.50 Rail Clip (3)
Credit Chit (Unknown)
Status: Unknown Restaurant.
Health: 99/135
Stamina: 115/115
Carried Weight: 178/210 (-25%)
Attire: Arbiter dress Uniform, pristine [10lbs] Standard Body Armor, 47/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Dominique's 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)
Full Bottle of Wine x1 (1lb, sealed)
Jormungandr Assault Rifle (A30, E65, 16lbs. In hand, ambush aim)
LR Jormungandr Battle Rifle (13/35 A, 8/15 E, Damaged, 17lbs)
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.220 gauss slugs x2 (35)
Smoke Grenades x1 (neg)
Energy cells x1
.50 Rail Clip (3) x1
Field rations x1
Unusual Pistol [?, 9lbs]
Basic medical kit (1/5) (5lbs)
Data storage drive [Romance novels]
Unknown Chemical Hypo x3 (Neg)
Partially sorted (1/3) stack of Technocrat stamped papers (Bad novel)
Status: Unknown Restaurant.
Health: 28/75 (Dreamspace HP 120/200)
Stamina: 53/75
Carried weight: 105/240 (-25%)
Attire: Exarch Dress uniform [8lbs] James' Light Body armor 47/50 (50/50) [25lbs]
Inv:
(Dreamspace: Satyr Light pistol 14/18)
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)
Status: Unknown Restaurant. Incredibly Smelly.
Health: 73/85
Stamina: 70/85
Carried weight: 80/180
Attire:Red Maintenance Jumpsuit, Heavily Modified Red Maintenance Suit (86/115, 45 lbs).
Inv:
Phoenix pistol (2/3) (9 lbs)
CFG bars x2 (3)
Simple Knife (2 lbs)
Crowbar (8lbs)
Fifty feet of rope (10 lbs)
Homemade grappling hook (2 lbs)
D-Grade rations x4 (4 lbs)
Status: 21-20 maintenance chutes, carrying Henry
Paula Ria
Health: 43/55
Stamina: 25/55
Description: Short, brown haired. The years she spent as a researcher at Delphi added lines to her face, the year she spent as a prisoner here added a decade and stole what weight she had from her frail body.
Personality Complication: Soft. Despite her recent hellish ordeals, Ria was a born and raised Technocrat. She's gotten conditioned to hardship, but the pain and the cold decisions that need to be made in her new life still stun her.
Skills: Mechanical 3, Intuition 1, Dodging 1
Attributes,
Strength (Str): 1
Dexterity (Dex): 3
Endurance (End): 1
Charisma (Char): 4
Intelligence (Int): 9
Willpower: (Will): 3
Equipment: Light Body Armor 42/50, Stained Labcoat, Military grade night-vision goggles. Chimera Pistol 0/15, .22 clips (15) x4, Diagnostic pad, energy cell x2, Light Plasma Torch, Basic Medical Kit (2/5), Fifty feet of rope, Homemade grappling hook, D-Grade rations x4. (100/100)
Henry Myers
Health: 13/75
Stamina: 16/75 (Unconscious. Light Bleeding, -3 stamina per turn)
Description: An emaciated man of average height. He's mostly bald now, thanks both due to a receding hairline and to a chemical spill that permanently injured his scalp.
Personality Complication: Maudlin. Henry has a dark streak a mile wide, and he usually shares it at every available person. He's a good man, but the tendency to vent every depressing thought that runs through his head makes him a little irritating.
Skills: Soak 2, Marksman 2, Stamina 1
Attributes,
Strength (Str): 6
Dexterity (Dex): 6
Endurance (End): 3
Charisma (Char): 1
Intelligence (Int): 3
Willpower: (Will): 4
Equipment: Maintenance Jumpsuit, Heavily Modified Maintenance Suit (23/90). Kapre Light Rifle 12/15, .30 caliber clips (15) x2, Pack of Flares, Fifty feet of rope, Homemade grappling hook, D-Grade rations x4.
Cale Levi
Health: 88/105
Stamina: 94/105
Description: A tall young man, blond and brown eyed. He's in fairly decent shape, considering his recent lifestyle.
Personality Complication: Young, and kinda Stupid. Cale is a young man, and though time has aged him quickly, he still occasionally acts on wild impulse.
Skills: Mechanical 1, Melee 2, Dodge 1
Attributes,
Strength (Str): 3
Dexterity (Dex): 6
Endurance (End): 6
Charisma (Char): 4
Intelligence (Int): 3
Willpower: (Will): 1
Equipment: Maintenance Jumpsuit, Heavily Modified Maintenance Suit (78/90). Sleipnir SMG (20/30), .223 clips (30) x2, Energy cell x2, Crude Combat Blade, Neuroflash grenade x2, Fifty feet of rope, Homemade grappling hook, D-Grade rations x4.
Author
Topic: Deviation-22. The End of All Things. (Read 538506 times)