"Ghosts? You mean spirits of the ancestors, or...oh, the kind you talked about having seen before? What actions should we take to defend ourselves?"
"Long story! Just leave your TAPs off."
Blinking in a piece at a time, you watch the bug-ghosts take shape, their long legs stretching down towards the roof of the tipi. You quietly hear Maji, looking upward towards the ghosts, curse in Navajo before she turns and reaches underneath her cloak. Up, farther above, the human-like ghosts seem to drift aimlessly above the ground without descending.
Combat Card Draw:
Ace of Diamonds - Maji
Ace of Clubs (Discarded Six of Diamonds via Level Headed) - Jasper
Ten of Hearts - Ghiv
Nine of Hearts - 1dromeda
Seven of Hearts - Kitsune
Six of Hearts - Alanna
Three of Diamonds - Neon
Five of Spades - Ghost 1
Five of Clubs - Ghost 2
Three of Spades - ?!
Three of Hearts - Syzygy
On the Ace of Diamonds: Maji sleeves her card.
On the Ace of Clubs:
The bullets, though shot well considering they're coming off the hip, skim harmlessly off of your Private Dick ("Take a Peek!"™) coat. By the time you can react, Jasper is already diving for cover behind a set of boxes, and though your ears are ringing from the extra-loud hand cannon, you can hear him shout "Seriously, help me."
There is a tense moment of silence, aside from the sound of Maji muttering under her breath. Whatever 1dr0meda is gearing up to do, she stares up at the ceiling, the rest of you unable to see it with your TAPs off.
You can hear the sound of two booming gunshots from somewhere else in the camp.
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Wraith still has a biting comback forming on her lips as the man quickly draws and fires before diving for cover.
Nonplussed, she looks down where the pistol's heavy round flattened against her high-quality balistic armor and enhanced physiology.
Another biting retort is forming on her lips as several things start to rush her head all at once.
This is kinda odd' is quickly chased out by the logic chain of his 'help me' plea. If he's asking for help, then he might be being controlled. And, given the state of the world, that control might be a bit more direct than just a promise of cold booze and a hot night.
-And- since no one here looks like they're capable of tying their own shoes right, least of all controlling a sort-of copetent shooter, there are a lot of arrows, and only one place for them to point.
THAT is quickly followed by a plan to kill Maggie-Maji, but it relies on someone being near her. Unlike Wraith. So just tell the others via TAP---
THIS dawns upon her that she an' 'droma didn't "technically" tell the others about ghosts. Hence, the cat may have had a point about there being a danger, and, right now, the only one with their TAP off is...her.
*mental sigh*
Drek.
The familiar Heads-Up-Display on her retinas is a jarring reminder as her TAP comes back online. The multitude of warnings about being outside a service area from Eat-or-DIE! are pushed aside as she screams a hurried message to the others.
Everyone who has their TAPS on gets a frenZied message from Alanna.
>>>It'sNOTmyFAULT! JASPERshotATmeIdidn'tSTARTitTHIStime! MAJIisCONTROLLINGhim!! KILLthatSLITCH!!1!--<<<
"Alright, chummer. You get your wish.
But you know what they say about wishes."
Things happen quickly then.
Wraith primes and tosses a flashbang at Jasper in his hiding place, then she turns and darts out the nearest door.
Alanna's own arm is thrown off by her motion and lack of focus, but fortunately her smartgun software finds a way to make the coconut land home.
Somewhere, a grenade explodes.
Son of a.. Ghiv says with a start, he draws his weapon and darts outside, trying to triangulate where the gunfire is coming from.
If he can tell, he heads that way, if he cannot he scans the area for threats
Once Ghiv is outside, he's able to spot the source of the gunshots fairly easily as a heavy explosion goes off from an abandoned building over by the apartments. A few of the teens start to move toward it, but the rest seem to be immobilized, staring skyward with something like wonder. Once Alanna clears the door, she sees the same, as well as a few of Maji's kids heading her way with small arms.
Kitsune, unsure if the ruckus outside is Maji's doing meant to distract them, goes on Hold.
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Wraith, still with gun un-drawn, starts waving off the nearby kids, shouting warnings of a vague threat. "They're coming! They're coming! Get back! Get back! Get ready! They're coming!" she yells as as she sprints for the building with the others.
>>Uh, guys? I don't hear a lot of you all shooting Maji? What's the story there? I told you she mind-fragged Jasper into trying to kill me! We gotta take her down before she turns this whole horde of mind-linked zombies on us! Do you need more proof that she's bad other than "I don't wanna make peace with my neighbors and I mind-control all my friends???" Also, uh, there are -lot- of ghosts around here. We're gonna need to shut down all our TAP pretty frickin' quick. So there's that too.<<<
Ghiv's tap is off so he doesn't "hear" any of the messages that Wraith is sending.
Ghiv moves towards the noise, gun at the ready.
1dr0meda finds it hard to multitask getting her programs in order and watching the ghosts and be a translator for Allana while others have their TAPs off. She manages a few words in between her preparations to confront the Ghosts via cybercombat.
"Alanna says Maji is controlling Jasper and making him attack her. I'll deal with the ghosts if you can disrupt whatever Maji is doing!"
Then she stands and backs away from Maji, while staring at her intently.
Bonus +1 (Cutter Edge) + 2 Skill specialization hacking engram
Result = 4 + 1 + 2 = 7
1dr0meda's out of Bennies, so that will have to do.
TAP Stats:
Firewall: 8 (4 + 1 programmer + 3 Firewall 4D Security)
AMS: 6
Neural Toughness: 6 (5 + 1 Hacker Edge)
Range: 10 inches (20 feet)
EMP Toughness: 7 (5 + 2 EMP shielding)
The tent flap flops closed behind her as Neon steps out, then 1dromeda's warning of 'ghosts' has her immediately on edge.
She realizes she can't see these 'ghosts', as her TAP is off and her head comes around at the sound of gunfire and what sounds like a stun grenade echo through the compound.
Looking around, Neon realizes that Alanna wasn't around and mutters, "What's she up to ? " , slapping the safetly off on her rifle she watches as some of the youths begin to move.
Then she sees Alanna appear, waving and shouting and running, "Oh, nothing strange there..." Neon thinks, then hear's 1dromeda's relay of Alanna's TAP message.
"With pleasure..." Neon says, pushing back into the tent...
The moment 1dr0meda relays Alanna's message, Kitsune springs into action, drawing an explosive shuriken from her shirt and throwing it at Maji :
= 12
= 21
Maji twists on the spot, trying to throw herself out of the way. She escapes some of the initial impact as the star embeds itself in her cloak, but the explosion catches her off guard. Blowing away the front tent flaps and half her cloak, it throws Maji, spinning along the ground. She rises, hissing, not noticing as 1dr0meda successfully forms a lock on her TAP. Below the smouldering cloak you can see what looks like a ballistics vest with bodysuit underarmor, and a couple of holstered weapons.
On Maji's Sleeved Card: "Of course, you'll try to kill me when things don't go your way," hisses Maji. "That's what they always do. They don't understand..." She raises her hand from within her cloak, leveling a EMP pistol at 1dr0meda, but not firing yet. Instead, she raises her hand towards Neon and Kitsune.
You both feel an unpleasant, skin-crawling feeling as your TAPs shift and turn on underneath your skin. As soon as the boot starts to kick in, you're able to see the ghosts. Two are huge, mechanical beasts like insects, made up of countless moving parts with a polished, mirror sheen. Far above them, the ghosts of faceless men with tattered clothes drift in long, lazy circles in the sky. The bugs touch down, their virtual forms half-clipping through the tent, and lunge, one for 1dr0meda, the other swinging at both Kitsune and Neon.
The one going for 1dr0meda seems barely able to scratch her, its claws glancing harmlessly off the air inches from her face. Similarly, the one aiming for Kitsune seems to stop just short of her, but its claw carries through Neon. Her TAP sparks violently and spasms inside her neck as the ghost skitters along the ground, preparing to come back for a second pass.
Outside, the group of teens who were passing the pipe around earlier seem to shake off their stupor and stride forward for Ghiv, but stop short, holding their heads. One of them yelps violently and takes a knee. They seem especially susceptible...
The kids looking to Alanna stop short and let her pass. One of them, offhandedly says "Of course they are. It's the choosing." Then a second later, "Hey, wait! Come back here!" They pick up and start to give chase, but they're lagging slightly behind.
Above, the floating men join hands and start to slowly descend. There are still gaps in their circle that are gradually being filled in.
Because the game assumes you are using terrain or a battle-mat and standard 28mm miniatures, movement and weapon ranges are listed in inches. If you need to translate that to regular distance, each inch is equal to 2 yards.
On his turn, if the kids still look like they are threatening, Ghiv unleashes a full on psychic attack on all their minds.
And of course, Ghiv takes some cover. He doesn't want to be in the open when the bullets start flying.
Neon squirms as she feels her TAP sizzle...then active! "What the..." is all she is able to utter when she notices the unbelivable virtial 'ghosts' descending...and attacking.
She tries to roll away from the 'claw' fly at her, but it passes through her, initiating a feeling much like when Plant zapped her, "Arrrghhh! Not again! " she hisses through clenched teeth.
Eyes blazing with rage, she rights herself and tries to shake off the effects of the 'ghost's attack...
...taking a deep breath and brining her rifle to bear on the cause of all this...Maji.
Breathing controlled, firing a nice tight burst, Neon descends a hail of lead on the upstart Zeek...
Syzygy badly wants to turn on her TAP to help her mama fight the nasty bugs, but trusts her to know better, for now. Syzygy instead ducks behind one of the others in the rooms and applies a deep base voice track turned up loud to say, "Maji! Your ancestors are watching and they are not pleased!"
Same result, either way: 5
Maji is immediately skimmed by Neon's spray of automatic fire. Most of the bullets are misses and near misses, but as she turns to kick Syzygy, one of them hits clean and true in her forehead, and she crumples like a sack of wet grass. On the grouund, spasming, she mutters "Forgive me, please, please," but can't seem to choke out the name of who she's begging.
Round 2 Combat Card Draw:
Ace of Spades - Ghost 2
Ace of Hearts - Neon
Queen of Hearts - Alanna
Queen of Diamonds - ?!
Ten of Clubs - Ghost 1
Eight of Clubs - 1dr0meda
Six of Spades - Kids (Group 1)
Six of Clubs - Kids (Group 2)
Three of Diamonds - Ghiv
Three of Clubs - Kitsune
As it stands, Alanna is outside, about two rounds away from Maji's tipi. Ghiv is only a few yards outside. A group of the kids are chasing Alanna, and a group of them are reeling around near Ghiv . The rest are still casting their eyes up to the drifting men above.
On the Ace of Spades: The skittering, spiderlike ghost twists around, it's body folding over itself and its legs rotating unaturally far before coming for a second pass at Neon.
...But this time, the lashing arms of the thing barely raise up a spark when they scratch along her.
King of Spades: Syzygy 1.0
Round 2
Neon quickly steps foward, following her tight volley of bullets, following Maji's body as is falls back...Neon ends up standing over the fallen Zeek, ready to pump more lead into her should she prove...resilient.
After a moment, she catches the nearby 'ghost's' arms coming her way, but this time Neon merely feels an uncomfortable tingle.
Giving the virtual apparition the middle-finger salute, Neon de-activates her TAP then looks to 1dromeda, "Hope you can handle those ghosties...cause I've got nothing going on in there." she says, tapping her forehead.
With a quick glance at Maji to ensure she was truly down, Neon ducks under the tent flap to help with the physical threats outside...
Syzygy 1.0 tries to stay out of sight and does nothing further, seeing Maji go down.
On the Queen of Diamonds:
On the Ten of Clubs: The second ghost flits back from Neon once she turns her TAP off, its body twisting over and its legs inverting mechanically as it charges 1dr0meda instead.
It's barely able to find purchase against 1dr0meda's much tougher firewall, it's legs bouncing off of her with an echoing, gong-like noise for those of you with your TAPs on.
On his turn, if the kids still look like they are threatening, Ghiv unleashes a full on psychic attack on all their minds.
Additional Targets: The character may affect up to five targets by spending a like amount of additional Power Points. Since we aren't using PP but instead using a penalty system that would mean a -3 to my PeeK roll to affect up to 5 targets.
Psychic Blast: 1d10 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (7) + 2 - 3 = 6 Wild: 1d6 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (1) + 2 - 3 = 0 Smarts at -2 to resist the blast of Confusion
And of course, Ghiv takes some cover. He doesn't want to be in the open when the bullets start flying.
Kitsune, while not blood-thirsty, *is* practical, and will draw her katana and administer a Finishing Move to Maji, to make sure she's dead.
Recalling 1dr0meda's instructions to just keep her TAP off to avoid the ghosts, she will then do a quick shut-down of her TAP, to see if the ghosts go away.
Calling to 1dr0meda, she asks "1dr0meda, can these ghosts do *anything* bad to us if we turn off our TAPs?"
Finally, she exists the tent to assess the situation outside (moves 6").
Recalling 1dr0meda's instructions to just keep her TAP off to avoid the ghosts, she will then do a quick shut-down of her TAP, to see if the ghosts go away.
Calling to 1dr0meda, she asks "1dr0meda, can these ghosts do *anything* bad to us if we turn off our TAPs?"
+2 to recover from Shaken (android trait)
Result = at least 8, success
1dr0meda clears some input buffer files that had temporarily filled after the ghost attack. "Not that I know of," 1dr0meda called out and then focused on the Ghost attacking her.
Bonus +1 (Cutter Edge) + 2 Skill specialization hacking engram
Result = 5 + 1 + 2 = 8
Skill Specialization Engram +1
Result = 5 + 1 = 6
Nonlethal Damage
Result = 8
Those without TAPS on see 1dromeda concentrating while looking up toward the top of the Teepee. "More ghosts are coming. Perhaps we should leave." While still concentrating on something invisible, the android stands and moves to exit. Syzygy follows.
Those with TAPs on see a virtual 1dr0meda decked out in something out of Japanese Animation, wearing a suit of high-tech armor, a helmet, and wielding a light laser-like pistol, in a struggle with the spider ghost.
Round 3 Combat Card Draw:
King of Diamonds - Ghiv
Queen of Spades - Neon
Nine of Diamonds - Ghost 1
Nine of Clubs - Ghost 2
Eight of Hearts - Syzygy 1.0
Eight of Diamonds - Alanna
Seven of Spades - 1dr0meda
Five of Hearts - Kitsune
Four of Spades - ?!
Four of Clubs - Kids 1
Two of Clubs - Kids 2
Kitsune slits Maji's throat. The woman's eyes have already gone blank, and an unpleasant gurgle is the last thing you each hear before you leave the tipi. On the outside, the three of you are greeted with Alanna at a dead sprint. Five of the teenagers are behind her with weapons drawn. A short distance away, a group of them have scattered and sunk to the ground not far from Ghiv, one of them is throwing up.
The rest are staring blankly, skyward. Here and there, more makeshift tents open as they stare up at the sky, towards the ghosts, and you hear one of them, in a hushed voice, say, "They can't be choosing the medicine woman. They just can't."
Neon ignores the idiots staring up a the empty sky, takes a knee and targets two of the teens chasing Alanna, two bullets for each...
Ghiv seeks cover, he knows his strengths, and his weaknesses.
Only after finding cover does he extend his senses and send a burst of static into the brains of those who still carry weapons.
Two of the teens behind Alanna skitter as Neon unleashes a hailstorm of bullets. The first drops to the ground, choking and bleeding, the second takes a knee, and then begins rapidly patting himself and checking for bullet wounds, seemijng to have been near-missed by everything. The rest stop abruptly and shudder, twisting and barely able to stand, clutching their heads. The