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[Tarran]

Gawd dam fail rolls and their gawd damn failness.

"If you say so." Tarran shrugged.

Follow Dom.

[Powder Miner]

((I hadn't thought she wasn;t there, but I wasn't sure what exactly what to say, so I was hoping to stall the dialog a little bit.))
James asked "What's not supposed to be here?"

[Ahra]

"LETS TAKE A JOG PEOPLE, DOUBLE TIME, ELEVATORS SOUND FINE?"

[Draignean]

I apologize for not logging in recently, teacup tempest knocked out the power here. Oklahoma windstorms, where the overwhelming awe felt at witnessing nature's fury is tempered by the agony of God hurling tree branches at your face.

Moving on from that digression... Working on turns now.

[Draignean]

Tarran Smith, Dominique Wakeman, Taric Sizier

"Let's keep going down, Boss. I really don't wanna hang around these corpses, y'know?" Dom said, heading for the staircase and aiming her weapon down it until the others caught up, so she could proceed with them while remaining ready for any 'surprises' - like that bot.

"If you say so." Tarran shrugged.

Follow Dom.

 You don't stay long on the middle level, marching down to the bottom level almost immediately. Getting a complete idea of what this place looks like should prevent you from getting unpleasant surprises later.
  The bottommost level is dominated by a central array of holographic spikes, mirroring the ones in the ceiling in miniature. A full dome of clear, but exceedingly dusty, polymer shields them from contact with the rest of the restaurant. Another pair of the inset doors flank the room from the northeast and the southwest. The seating around here is a lot more relaxed, chairs and sofas arrayed around modern tabling. The furnishings here are mostly intact and the bodies are scarce, maybe two toppled benches and a single corpse.
    [Observation 4] There are, however, stains for a lot more bodies than that. What bodily fluid made them isn't clear, but you can clearly see drag marks in a few places. The marks lead roughly back the southwest door, but, due to the door being closed, you can't tell much beyond the fact that there was a lot of dragging.
    [Observation 5 Vs Dex 3+1] Dom and Tarran catch a flicker of movement up high. The security bot that stunned Dominique is climbing the wall, albeit unsteadily and awkwardly due to the smooth surface of the wall and its own missing limb. It's still moving at a fairly decent clip and, in spite of its setbacks, you don't think you're going to have more than a few seconds to deal with it before it reaches the top floor fence.

---

James Evan

James asked "What's not supposed to be here?"

   [Diplomacy 2 Vs Will 3+1] Your shadow looks at you with ice for a smile. You've seen him angry, as in trying to to kill you angry, but you've never seen him like this. Probably because passive aggressive cold anger really isn't your style. "You were right. I was lying to you before. That combination of chemicals would have triggered fungal hypergrowth, killing you in minutes." [Luck 5] Nothing else on the beach changes, the birds continue to be eerily silent, but the situation doesn't start spiraling out of control. "You, and by extension, we, are going to die. We both already know this, so stop squirming. It's all going to be over soon."
   Blight cranks his arm again and his frozen grin turns into a rictus of pain. "Let's just kill this stupid bastard. He looks like you, so it's bound to make me at least feel better."
   [Observation 4] You ignore Blight, focusing instead on holding your shadow's arm down. The writhing underneath the fabric is getting worse, hotter, and if it's possible, sharper.

---

Aaron White

"LETS TAKE A JOG PEOPLE, DOUBLE TIME, ELEVATORS SOUND FINE?"

   You run away from the door Paula was working on, towing everyone else along with you. Security response can mean a lot of different things from floor to floor. On a maintenance floor it usually meant that a red flag was sent to the scanners, and the entire thing was handled at their leisure, but in a place like this... security response would be, at best, armed deadheads. Not to mention whatever goons the Shifting Man decided to send along with them.
   You double back to the intersection, turning right as soon as you get to the steps and running for the elevators. [Luck 3]  There is a pair of heavy elevators and four other light personnel elevators arranged at the end of the hall. One of the heavy elevators and two of the light elevators have blinking lights beside them- lights indicating an actively incoming carriage.
   That carriage probably isn't going to be filled with a helpful band of friends. Unless you need to be dead or enslaved, in which case they'll probably be very helpful.

---

Spoiler: Tarran Smith (click to show/hide)

 
Health: 74/75
Stamina: 70/75
Carried Weight: 146/150 (-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)
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 (A29, E64), 16lbs. In hand,
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.50 Rail Clip (3)
Credit Chit (Unknown)
Status: Unknown Restaurant.

Spoiler: Dominique Wakeman (click to show/hide)

Health: 101/135
Stamina: 82/115
Carried Weight: 135/210 (-25%)
Attire: Arbiter dress Uniform, pristine [10lbs] Standard Body Armor, 20/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Dominique's Abassy Heavy pistol -laser sight- [7, 8lbs]
Stun club (50/50 11lbs)
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 (A35, E70, 16lbs. In hand)
LR Jormungandr Battle Rifle (13/35 A, 8/15 E, Damaged, 17lbs)
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.220 gauss slugs x1 (35)
.220 gauss slugs x1 (30)
Smoke Grenades x1 (neg)
Energy cells x3
Energy cell (90%) x1
.50 Rail Clip (3) x1
Field rations x1
Phoenix Pistol [2, 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.

Spoiler: Aaron White (click to show/hide)

Health: 66/85
Stamina: 85/85
Carried weight: 80/180
Attire:Red Maintenance Jumpsuit, Heavily Modified Red Maintenance Suit (46/115, 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: Floor Twenty

Spoiler: Taric Sizier (click to show/hide)

Health: 53/70
Stamina: 70/70
Carried Weight: 138/140 (-25%)
Attire: Technocrat Commander Dress uniform [11lbs] Standard Body armor, 66/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Energy Cell x7 (3 lbs)
Taric's Frankenstein Versatility Rifle (A0, E70, 31lbs, in hand,) (Can't use laser)
.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: Main east-west corridor, heading back east.

Spoiler: Companions (Aaron White) (click to show/hide)

Paula Ria
Health: 43/55
Stamina: 27/55
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 (100/100), Basic Medical Kit (2/5), Fifty feet of rope, Homemade grappling hook, D-Grade rations x4. 

Henry Myers
Health: 13/75
Stamina: 16/75  (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: 95/105
Stamina: 105/105
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.

Spoiler:  James Evan (click to show/hide)

Health: 28/75 (Dreamspace HP 120/200)
Stamina: 62/75
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.

   

[Tarran]

"Get back here asshat!

...Oh god damn it, JAMES! James is up there!"

Double time back up the stairs. Run for James.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Oh no you don't, you little shit! I'll distract him, Boss, you and Jake should go back for James!" Dom fired at the bot with her Abassy. Assuming the Frankenstein was loaded, Taric would also shoot at the bot.

[Powder Miner]

James ripped back the sleeve of the Shadow, taking out the Satyr, and if the mold or fungus was there, or even -anything unusual-, shooting it. "...You are the fungus, aren't you?"

[Ahra]

... you mentioned my gas canisters for the Phoenix when i said explosives earlier draignean, how explosive are we talking here?

[Draignean]

... you mentioned my gas canisters for the Phoenix when i said explosives earlier draignean, how explosive are we talking here?

A full canister would be superior to a grenade blast, even better in a tightly enclosed space. Since it's incendiary it'll also set things on fire, and even better, you're inside so it will make the air poisonous for a few turns. That's not really a problem for you or Cale, but Paula doesn't have a suit on, and Henry's suit is too damaged to seal.

Just breaching the canister without providing ignition would cause a smaller concussive detonation as its contents, solidified by the pressure of confinement, sublimate into a gaseous state. That would drain the heat from the local area, poison the air for longer than the above option, and fill the air with flammable gas that would burn when exposed to conventional, laser, rail, and most energy weapon fire.

[Draignean]

Tarran Smith

"Get back here asshat!

...Oh god damn it, JAMES! James is up there!"

Double time back up the stairs. Run for James.

   [Dex 2+1] You attempt to dash back up the stairs, but a mix of bodies and random crap ensure that your natural agility is the the only thing keeping your lopsided lurch going up the steps at all. You only manage to make it up to the middle floor by the time a burst of rifle fire sends the bot crashing down to your level.

---

Dominique Wakeman

"Oh no you don't, you little shit! I'll distract him, Boss, you and Jake should go back for James!" Dom fired at the bot with her Abassy. Assuming the Frankenstein was loaded, Taric would also shoot at the bot.

   You yell for Tarran to get back to James, but he's already moving. Next item on agenda, give that Bot some additional difficult climbing. A half-inch slug in the back of its head should turn the trick. [Quickshot 2+1-1] The bullet, unfortunately, flies wide. There's a brief flash of sparks a few feet to the bot's left, but no real damage.

---

Taric Sizier

Shoot the Bot.

   Taric is able to find the persistent robot with Dominique's assistance, spotlighting it for a second before firing. [Quickshot 2+1+1] [Fire control 5, four rounds hit] The assault rifle is a bit more on the spot than Dominique's pistol, hitting the bot several times in the back. (Advanced LAE bot armor -5, -4, -3, -2. HP -2, -9, -10, -14)
    [Advanced LAE bot endurance 2] The LAE bot loses its already precarious grip on the wall, plummeting down onto the second level and out of your sight. [A. LAE Dex 4] It lands feet-first and, impressively, remains standing when it hits the floor. (A. LAE -5 Hp)

---

James Evan

James ripped back the sleeve of the Shadow, taking out the Satyr, and if the mold or fungus was there, or even -anything unusual-, shooting it. "...You are the fungus, aren't you?"

   Your shadow meets your accusation with a level gaze, or at least as level as he can manage while his head is partially embedded in the sand. "You. are. an. idiot," He says, carefully enunciating each word for emphasis. "You, girl. I have a better idea, let me up and help me ki-"
   You interrupt him by tearing some of his clothes off. It isn't the most normal way to end a conversation, but it does work... And it looks like it was a good thing you did it too.
    The shadow's arm is swollen, desperately attempting to maintain its shape while a collection of very colorful molds writhe within. It looks like a five fingered giant maggot that just ate a particularly sickly clown. You draw your pistol. You've done a lead amputation once before, and he definitely needs it. Again.
    [Quickshot 4+1] You draw a line of gunfire across the shadow's upper arm, eliciting screams of pain as you tear his flesh apart. You really can't blame him, but it is more than slightly distracting from what is already a very gory process. You're able to yank the arm free after about five rounds from the Satyr, not as impressive as the three you did it with before, but the satyr is a much lower caliber weapon than that revolver. [Shadow endurance 1] You shadow looks at you for a moment, his expression too filled with agony to hold emotion, then he passes out. [Observation 2] You lean over him, trying to make sure you didn't accidentally kill the bastard.
    What you don't notice is the severed arm crawling away. It scuttles silently across the sand, fungal tendrils blooming from the jagged stump and helping it walk across the beach. The topless waitress offers the severed arm a drink while the two of you are otherwise occupied with your unconscious shadow. The severed arm responds by crawling up the back of the waitress' leg, latch onto the back of her neck with its hand and ramming a half dozen moldy tendrils into her back.
   "Thank God," the waitress says from behind you, rolling her neck with a series of very loud pops. "I had honestly never considered ever using this body, but I suppose we've both had our fair share of surprises, haven't we?"
    You and blight twist to stare at the native woman, the arm attached to the waitress' back all but invisible from this angle. Blight forms a question before you do, but only through the advantage of simplicity. "What?"   
    The woman sighs, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You most of all," she says to Blight, clucking your tongue. "We must have fallen in with very interesting crowd, which, unfortunately, means that I may have been killed. Oh well, no real matter. This body is fit, despite being inhabited by a freakshow with a collective IQ roughly on par with a howler monkey- myself excluded of course. It should serve well enough, at least until the church can grow me a better." The woman smiles at you in a dazzlingly cruel way. "I'll understand if you don't recognize me, I didn't let you remember most of our time together, and the breasts, well, I can understand how they might confuse things for you."
   [Luck 2] The area brightens considerably, not as a function of any increase in light, but rather because everything has stopped casting shadows. The trees, your bodies, the table, the few artistically placed clouds, all of them suddenly stop preventing the passage of light. The waitress' cruel smile twists a little. "Regardless, You have managed to botch a considerable amount of my work. That irritates me greatly. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

(As per a much earlier agreement, this is your boss fight warning.)

---

Spoiler: Enemy (Tarran and Co.) (click to show/hide)

Advanced L.A.E (Location, Apprehension, Elimination) Robot
Health: 59/150
Armor: 9/150
Charge: 5/225
Primary Weapon: None
Secondary Weapon: Integrated stunners in arms.
Status: 3 out of 4 arms.
Range: Out of sight to Taric, Jake, and Dominique. Medium to Tarran.

Spoiler: Taric Sizier (click to show/hide)

Health: 53/70
Stamina: 70/70
Carried Weight: 138/140 (-25%)
Attire: Technocrat Commander Dress uniform [11lbs] Standard Body armor, 66/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Energy Cell x7 (3 lbs)
Taric's Frankenstein Versatility Rifle (A30, E65, 31lbs, in hand,) (Can't use laser)
.220 gauss clip x3
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: Restaurant, lowest tier.

Spoiler: Tarran Smith (click to show/hide)

 
Health: 74/75
Stamina: 73/75
Carried Weight: 146/150 (-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)
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 (A29, E64), 16lbs. In hand,
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.50 Rail Clip (3)
Credit Chit (Unknown)
Status: Unknown Restaurant, middle floor.

Spoiler: Dominique Wakeman (click to show/hide)

Health: 101/135
Stamina: 91/115
Carried Weight: 135/210 (-25%)
Attire: Arbiter dress Uniform, pristine [10lbs] Standard Body Armor, 20/100. [35lbs]
Inv:
Dominique's Abassy Heavy pistol -laser sight- [6, 8lbs]
Stun club (50/50 11lbs)
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 (A35, E70, 16lbs. In hand)
LR Jormungandr Battle Rifle (13/35 A, 8/15 E, Damaged, 17lbs)
Artemis Railgun (E 3/3, A 3/3, 18lbs)
.220 gauss slugs x1 (35)
.220 gauss slugs x1 (30)
Smoke Grenades x1 (neg)
Energy cells x3
Energy cell (90%) x1
.50 Rail Clip (3) x1
Field rations x1
Phoenix Pistol [2, 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, lowest tier.

Spoiler:  James Evan (click to show/hide)

Health: 28/75 (Dreamspace HP 120/200)
Stamina: 62/75
Carried weight: 105/240 (-25%)
Attire: Exarch Dress uniform [8lbs] James' Light Body armor 47/50 (50/50) [25lbs]
Inv:
(Dreamspace: Satyr Light pistol 9/18)
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.

[SeriousConcentrate]

(So... is Shiren IN James's head now or something? Or is that some other technocrat altogether? O.o)

"Good shot, Tar! Let's move!" Dom yelled, going for the stairs. Once she crested the top, she was opening fire on that robot again - even if she had to shove Tarran out of the way to get a clear shot. It was good to finally have something to take out some frustration on, and it needed to die.

EDIT: Taric follows and also opens fire on the bot.

[Draignean]

(So... is Shiren IN James's head now or something? Or is that some other technocrat altogether? O.o)

Okay, I'm going to explain this once. This also voids that 100D22 points offer.

Blight was the big clue. She is intelligent and can act of her own volition, even though some of her rolls are bound to James. She was created by a psychic, Dom, influencing James. She is a fusion of Dom and James.
The earlier shadow had the same characteristics, he had intelligence and the capability of acting without first being acted on. He was created in the same manner, a psychic influence on James- The torturer's, not Shiren, just some random Technocrat acolyte. His personality became a mix of the two, a fusion of James and Technocrat mook. The mixture is volatile and incompatible, hence creating a ravening creature of self-loathing with a superiority complex to match. Tweaked slightly through empathetic programming, he would hunt without thinking. Questions, however, are not something it was designed to answer, largely due to the knowledge split. Only one half of his personality would have the knowledge able to answer the question, while only the other half would have the desire to answer the question. Thus, cognitive dissonance and personality schism.

Make sense?

[Tarran]

Fill the area where the bot is with Jormungandr bullets. Lots and lots of bullets.

[wolfchild]

SOrry about the delay

Jack out and Continue exploring, carefully