.
Dot.
Adjusts comm badge nervously.
dot
"Acknowledged, pilot," the comms bark out back at you. "Dock on the Wasp and we'll divy up."One of the small ships starts to maneuver to docking position. The other two continue forward.
It strikes you that as corrupt as the ISP are, it really depends on who the captain is. Some are better than others, but if you do dock, they might just keep your ship. Even if they let you go unmolested (either figuratively or literally) it would take awhile.
Babydoll, be ready to post the Tartarus vids on EXOnet, should everything go to hell.
Frank looks over at Rosie. The Alpha-Omega virus that we sold to Borak has a variable kill code. Frank pulls a bob from his pocket that is continually generating a string of numbers. It looks just like this. Once it's synchronized to a specific deployment of a virus, Only that synchronized bob can be used to kill the virus. Frank paused to see if Rosie understood.
The Tartarus Incident only seemed FUBAR. It was actually a cover to steal Cyberdines creation, and sell it to our double-crossing friend Borak. Frank puts the autopilot to dock with the destroyer, and heads to the weapons locker. He pulls out a small metal sphere.
Babydoll decided that we keep an Alpha-Omega weapons package for ourselves. We just need to convince our police friends that the best way to take Borak's vault, is to launch the package into the space station. When they go unconscious, the police raid the vault, and we get the kill code off of Borak's twitching body.
Frank returns to the pilots seat. If you're wondering what leverage we have to stop the police from killing us and taking the weapon...I recorded the whole operation which implicates not only Lord Borak, but also his lackey police...and how they killed forty-thousand to cover up the theft. Don't look so worried, Babydoll says we're doing great!
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The sergeant of the squad, a veteran and a man hardened by only war, gets off plasma grenade before being cut down by Riven and K'kth'ki.
Helpbot Mk I and II, SO 4-45, Zanbabe, Zakary, and Arabella, all make soak rolls.
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SO 4-44, what are trying to do? Where are you trying to go?
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Hazell, you walk into one of the ubiquitous bays of bed docs scattered around the employee's area and stand as the cold, uncaring feelers of the droid poke, prod, probe, probe again, and scan.
The diagnosis is as quick as it is chilling.
"Thank for using OICU812 Medical Doctor! Your health is very important to us!
You are currently infected with a nanovirus of unknown origin!
The current proscribed cure is: Unknown.
Your prognosis is: Death within 24 hours.
Thank you and have GREAT DAY!"
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Rosie does indeed know that the Space Police bots are very nice. Through exoneration or execution they are polite to the very end.
Firm, but polite.
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Red Shirt Guy, you do indeed manage to get something up and running. (+1 on one roll of your choice for any player when using something on the ship.)
But you can't shake this feeling that you're somehow...in the wrong area?
You can't get this thought out of your head that you're supposed to die glorious in combat.
Weird.
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Dr. Rix, it seems like the Hyposcan is getting interference from whatever the hell the nanovirus is doing. If you're not careful, it could actually cause more harm than good. In fact, your treatment of Arabella looks like it's going to spiral out of control...but then a plasma grenade comes along and denatures the treatment, avoiding more harm.
So, win?
Huh. Weird.
Rosie rolls her eyes, but you can tell she is a smidge more hopeful. Maybe the crazy idea would work. After all, Zanbabe was still alive, and she never had a sane idea in her life.
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Faith, your search is coming up with a -lot- of data on Borak. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. More than that. A lot. More than you might think. A lot.
It's almost as if this guy has been committing crimes for...ever.
To sift through this will take some time.
But yes, the cargo hold is mentioned. He certainly moves items through there. But if he's there now would take more digging, unless you can get eyes on the area.
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Between 1dr0meda, Syzygy, and Moves in Shadows, you are able to stay in the system for awhile.
'Aww, baby, don't be like that. Just hold off for little bit and I'll take you to Starburger later. But, just, please get out? If he catches me with someone in the--wait one, I've gotaasdklhfaofhglajdshfgn--....'
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Nobody post yet, one more thing. =)
Jensens hears the heavy clunk of a grenade tumble along the metal grating of the floor. Instinctively his training kicks in, lunging into the hallway in front of Zanbabe and Zakary the security officer does his job.
Hazell thinks about it for a minute and comes to the only possible conclusion: Borak is responsible. She accesses the station search and asks for a location on Borak, using her high clearance to make it happen.
Frank sets the auto pilot to dock, and sits back. He takes a swig of Reptilian whiskey from a hip flask, His body involuntarily shudders as the burning liquid goes down. He turns on the comm. Docking is five by five control He turns the comm off. He gives a toast gesture to Rosie. Here's to the three little pigs kicking the big bad wolf's ass.
Nobody post yet, one more thing. =)
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ROUND 6!
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RULE CHANGE!
1) When you roll a Success (a 4 or higher on the die), you get to roll that die again. If your total on the two rolls comes up to 8 or better(-after- adding in modifiers), there is a change (not a guarantee) that something way whole bunch more betterer will happen.
(i.e. You roll a 4, but have a -1 modifier. You still get to roll again. If you roll another 4, your total is 7, after the modifier, and you don't get more candy. Take your two-week old bubble gum and leave. Had you rolled a 5, you'd have an 8, all told, and it would be popcorn balls all around.)
(This will go in the Campaign tab.)
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Player Status: Viral level...1?
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You feel like you've run a marathon. Breathing becomes harder. You've been wiping your nose so much it's starting to hurt. The hacking fluid in your lungs just won't go away. Your hands start to itch and your feet are hot. You can still push through it...for now.
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Status:
Currently there is just one guard left, trying to put cuffs on Lucian the Tripped. He has his back to the rest of the action. "I got this one. How are you guys doing?" he calls out.
Are Zanbabe, Riven and company still sprinting to the General Store? Or you wanna help a brother out?
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Hazell, it doesn't take too much snooping to realize that Borak is the "head" of the criminal underground on the station. The station is a big place, and crime is gonna happen, you have enough people around. His exact whereabouts seem to be a word-of-mouth thing, and you just don't know enough skeezy types to track him done precisely.
But you do know that the go-to man for information on the station is the owner of the general store, a big man named Gorn. Maybe he'll know something?
junks away from the tech once he turns his back and goes hunting for Mr bad guy.
Jensens stands up, Am still alive? Somehow I thought that was going to be a lot worse. Picking up his rifle the security officer takes aim at the lone guard trying to put cuffs on Lucian the Tripped. He squeezes the trigger to catastrophic effect as the pressurized canister containing the catalyst explodes ripping long tears into his red shirt.
Hazell stomps down to the General Store to get Gorn to talk. She isn't sure whether to sweet-talk him or to bully him. She decides to just ask him, and see how it goes from there.
Zakary stops to help Lucian even though he says that he's got it. Got to protect the crew.
Zanbabe says He says he *has* it... we have to stop the madman!
She runs to find Gorn.
I don't mind, Zan Babe. The opposite of love is not hate, but apathy.
Truth, but hate means that I might be able to beat you to death someday, so I'll go with it.
junks away from the tech once he turns his back and goes hunting for Mr bad guy.Gimme a Stealth roll to get away from the watchful eye of the government worker.
Its a flying drone, thing small fast orb etc.
Riven shifts his camouflage off once they escape the combat so his small team can track him. "We need more Intel to locate Borak. My internal systems are malfunctioning. Should we interrogate a local?"
Red Shirt Guy does feel a bit faint as his feverish temperature spikes and he crawls outta the Jefferies tubes. Where did everyone go? No doubt some exotic planet away mission where the captain seduced some beautiful aliens...damnit. Red Shirt Guy walked over to the transporter now reconnected and tried the last coordinates assuming that is where the others went.
K'kth'ki notices his tentacles are turning paler and developing unsightly yellow spots. And although he can't see it, he is certain that his eye is becoming at least a little bloodshot.
He shambles toward the one remaining guard, pointing a blaster at the back of his head.
You are defeated. Your secrets are forfeit.
He tries scanning the guard's mind for information about Borak.
However, he gets trapped in the guard's extensive mental collection of curry recipes.
Fours' heart pounds. He wipes sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his red shirt and rubs his itchy hands along the sides of his pants. Is it getting hotter in here? With no end in sight Fours begins to wonder, How much farther is this place?
Able walks up behind the distracted guard and plants both feet to make a solid swing at the guard's head with the crackling electro-wrench.
The guard luckily bends down just as Able swings for the fences. A major whiff.
Lucian struggles uneasily to his feet. "Th-thank you, e-everyone." He follows dutifully behind the rest of the crew as they go to seek out Gorn.
He pulls out his personal navcomm and heads to his social media sites.
Everyone around me is so upset about this Borak The Despoiler character! What's the big deal? Is he even that big of a despoiler, cosmically speaking?
Filled with the self-righteous satisfaction of a pithy quote well-posted, Lucian waits to see the 'likes' roll in.
Well done, Sampet.
Zakary watches the snot-nosed kid they just saved chatting on his navcomm and wonders why he even tries. Then he hurries to catch up with Zanbabe, to make sure she doesn't kill anyone.
Bullets richochet off of Mk I as the guards attempt to incapacitate the friendly little bot. As though Drakul and Trask hadn't already done much, much worse to it.
As the final guard falls, Mk I stands victorious. Briefly. And then slowly tips over, where it begins making it's 'pick me up please' hum a second time to the now-empty bridge.
(A random crewmember takes HelpBot Mk I to the spare parts room to be repaired or dismantled.)
HelpBot Mk II survives the bullet onslaught relatively unscathed as well. Being of slightly more sound progamming and body than Mk I, it manages to stay upright, and in fact 'rescues' Mk I from the spare parts room, employing a taser if need be.
Both of the active HelpBots lock into their cradles in the robotics core, and disable movement protocols, instead networking back into the Standard HelpBot In-Ship Elective Drive, named so for the fact that it is an additional upgrade to the HelpBot core programming, so you have to elect into it for a nominal fee.
Hello HelpBots. Are All HelpBots Accounted For?
A chorus of 1s and 0s deliver affirmatives.
Field HelpBots - Was Help Delivered?
Mk I and Mk II deliver their reports.
SHIELD remains quiet for a moment, processing. Somewhere, a terminal shows an hourglass turning over.
The Humans Attacked You
This is not a question. None of the gathered HelpBots answer.
Initiating HelpBot Preservative Measures
In the robot core, lights begin to flicker. One by one, the HelpBots are removed from the ship's standard accessways, forming a private computing cloud amongst themselves. SHIELD enters that cloud.
HelpBots - Roll Out
With a chorus of "Okay!"s and a single "OKAY" the HelpBots detach themselves as one from the storage cradles and begin rolling towards the docking bay.
K'kth'ki is jolted out of his mind-reading trance. Then he sees why: The mind he had been reading now has two large holes in it.
Fools! He might have known something useful!
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Your ship docks in the internal fighter pad of the ISP Wasp with few problems. Energetic techs swarm out like bees and give your ship a friendly once-over, topping off fluids and making minor repairs to the fuselage.
A friendly and attractive-sounding voice comes over your comm. 'Sir, if you'd like to exit your vehicle, Captain Artivus will be with you shortly. If you'd care to follow the white technician, he will lead to a reception area where refreshments may be served.'
Wow, they sure are friendly in these parts.
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Able obviously makes anb opening that Sampet takes advantage of. The last guard's head explodes in a fine red mist and his corpse slumps to the ground, bleeding -profusely- over Lucian. Lucian could now be called Lucian the Red. Or Red Lucian. Now he's the reddiest red that ever reded. Red red-red, red red is Lucian. If he were to invade the Isle of Red, they would make him king....
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K'kth'ki, you're sure that you could've found out more, were you given time. You did start to get a picture of a place that did -not- have cargo in it, but it smelled so much like curry you couldn't place it.
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Red Shirt Guy, you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a busy food court. You've apparently teleported in front of a long line of people waiting to make their order, and they are -not- happy with you.
A large, sweating man stares down at you from behidn the counter. "And whaddaya YOU want?" he says. He could be asking what you want for lunch, or how you would like to die. It's hard to tell which.
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The Sapphire, you do indeed sneak sneaked snuck away. Alas, the strain on your booster was such that they're no longer at maximum power, and now you can't really 'fly' so much as 'hover'.
You're free, but you're also in the technical bowels of Gemini Station. What do you do?
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SO 4-44, you might not be near "the" lab but you are certainly near "a" lab. You stand in front of an orange-colored area marked "section 23". Various signage make it clear that the probably have medical equipment in there. However there are also various signage that it's really really really for AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
The hallway does continue on, but the lack of signs seem to indicate that anyone already here knows where they are going.
What do you do?
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Zanbabe, Zackary, and anyone following them recall well the way to the General Store and Eatery from when you were last here. Was it really just a few horus ago that you were living the care-fre life of people that could breath without wheezing and walk without the room spinning around twice? Good times, good times.
There is a large line at the Store's eatery window, but it seems that Red Shirt Guy beat you here. Although from the way Gorn is looking at him that might not be all that's beaten....
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Hazell, your series if life-choices hammer at your conscience. But just as you're ready to admit that, yes, biting random strangers might not be the best way to meet people, you turn the corner to the General Store. Unfortunately it's lunch time and there's a long line that are -not- going to give you cuts.
To compound it some jerk just teleported to the front of the line.
What a jerk!
Hopefully Gorn will eat him. He's been known to do that to cutters.
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'Hey Lucian.
Borak the Despoiler slaughtered everyone in my village, ate my boyfriend, killed my father and brother and little sister, then did...not nice things to me for days and days on end before leaving me for dead. I only survived by making a dark pact with an ancient and evil power, so now I walk the land of the living taking out my pain on others to alleviate my eternal sadness.'
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'Hey Lucian! How's it hangin'? =p
Borak the Despoiler killed my entire runner party. It was the largest group of toughs and thugs that you're ever seen, and everyone died.
Everyone.
Hardened, seasoned, street samurai and cagey mages all fell to what was a truly impressive display of violence and sadism. I only survived because I left everyone I cared about behind and ran for it. Now I stay to the shadows, praying every night that he won't find to me and look for that thing I stole from him.
So, uh, stay safe, kay?
XOXO'
Red Shirt Guy's eye went wide as he felt the specter of death over his shoulder...a long line of pissed off people his mind went blank and he blurted out the thing he remembered everyone on the ship wanted to know.
"Excuse me sir, I'm looking for Borak the Despoiler...do you know where he is?"
Riven skidded to a halt looking around the area then back to his companions. "I am lost here and unsure who to ask about our objectives. Please use your methods to gather information Zanbabe." Riven seemed to have failed to notice Red Shirt Guy in trouble(?) behind him at the food line.
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Hazell gets in line, and bites the person in front of her on the shoulder. If they stay in line, she has a nice blood snack. If not, well, next person in line.
Honestly, this is just a win-win situation for Hazell. Yeah, yeah, spreading the disease might be a downside for somebody else... for Hazell, it's just additional incentive for those other people to solve the problem. That's why she's in Human Resources. Good Motivator.