Smith searches the campground for signs of what occurred and finds that most of the equipment on the ground is broken as if on purpose. While there are no more shell casings to be found, he does find it odd that the truck tracks go off into the surrounding area and then suddenly stop. In that area, just over 50m from the camp, he finds a spent smoke canister buried half in the brush. It's an American M18-SMK.
Smith checks to see if the smoke grenade cannister is boobytrapped Notice take 20 +6 =26
He then makes his way back to the group and says to Cindy, "Cindy, I have found a smoke cannister of American making about 50 yards from here at which point the tracks stopped, which is all a bit macabre. My best guess is that the Soviets have some guys on the inside and helicopters were signaled with the smoke like we did in the 'Nam and they hauled everyone out by crane in their vehicles, we could do it with the Skycrane, I am pretty sure the Soviets have a similar chopper. This is an active warzone where the Soviets control airspace completely."
Natalie says with a hint of ice in her voice, "Natalie..." She brushes it off, "So they were evac'd out from air...so we scrub the mission then, there's no telling where they could've gone from here."
Smith throws her a playful look, moves in close that looks like a kiss on the cheek and then whispers in her ear, "Oppfor near, smoke out the moles we must, play casual" he says.
She plays along, an affectionate hand on his side as he leans in. "Just keep giving the orders." The comment is thick with innuendo, in case anyone overhears her.
Smith checks over the canister thoroughly and finds no traps of any kind, but the burn marks and yellow residue tell him that it was used.
Smith turns back to the mercs and says, "Alright fellas let's get back to the truck. Seems the track marks disappear. Mr. Chandler can be a bit of a stickler if he gets off schedule."
The scout leader nods and then turns to set the rest of his group to work, but then pauses. "It isn't my place, but did we want to search the tents themselves? Maybe see if there is an idea as to what they were looking for? Could tell you where they might have taken them."
Smith then searches the tents Notice, take 10 =16
Smith takes some time searching the already ransacked tents. The first contains mostly articles of clothing and several books on local wildlife. The second tent is similar, though instead of wildlife, the books are on plant life. The third tent has two bunks pushed together and clothes for both male and female occupants. The fourth is very spartan, containing only a bunk and emptied out foot locker with a lot of personal care items. It is here that Smith finds a journal hidden inside a panel in the footlocker.
February 2nd, 1980, 0630am. These scientists seem to be up to something that Brass hasn't authorized. Time and again I've found them discussing some 'device'. I'm sorry, Bethany, I don't want to involve you in this, but I can't hold my tongue any longer. You may be the last person that reads this. I did some investigating of my own when they thought I wasn't watching. The main tent's power generator has been on the fritz quite a bit lately, but when I took a look at it, I noticed a few extra wires leading off into what I thought was nowhere. When I looked later, I followed them as far as I could towards the hills. I got to one of the hillsides and then the wires were gone into the rocks. That's when Dr. Graham came over. I think he believed me when I told him I was just patrolling, but he had been eyeing me all night. I hope just to pass it off today like no big deal, but we'll see. I'm too curious to just let it be. I can't wait to get off this assignment. You were right my love, this doesn't feel right.
The fifth tent looks to have contained animals of some kind, considering all of the broken cages. The sixth was a food and supply storage tent and the seventh contained two separate bunks, but was just as spartan as the fourth. This one also contained a data tape that Smith finds hastily concealed inside one of the bunk mattresses. There is blood all over it and on the ground here as well.
The main tent has a wrecked data processor and destroyed file cabinets, plus a generator that has wires that have been severed in several places. A few empty generator fuel canisters lie empty nearby.
Natalie casts an idle glance around the area silently, with her arms crossed.
Smith grabs the journal and the data disk and goes to Natalie and says, "These may be interesting. Do you know much about computers, I am just a soldier."
Natalie raises an eyebrow, "Only what I've seen in films. All sorts of strange things." She shrugs noncommitally as she takes the tape spool.
Computers: Max is 15 due to untrained.
She looks it over, "Well, if we had a way to access it, I'm sure it'd have some use, but for now let's just hold onto it for further investigation. I know a guy when we can get back to civilization."
Well Ward. I just got off the radio with Natalie and Smith. It seems they found the main camp a close walk away from the clearing we were at. They've asked us to come down to them.
Upon arriving at the main camp Razor finds Natalie and Timothy. He gets caught up on what they found.
So have you been able to locate those wires the journal writer mentioned? I think that where ever they lead to might have something to do with what happened here.
As the sun begins to reach higher in the sky, Razor and Natalie note that the hills seem to almost change shape in their view. Not literally, of course, but the shadows fall differently. With that in mind, they notice that a rather odd shaped piece of light has formed on the ground near the edge of the campsite. It outlines an area in the side of one small hill, about four feet high, that contains a small crevice in the rock. It is just large enough for a hand to fit through...
Natalie questions, "Weird. Is that just a reflection or a light maybe?" She motions to Razor, "Lets go have us a looksee." With this shotgun she totally can't use properly, Natalie goes to investigate this , with backup.
The light itself is shining through a hole in a nearby rock formation. The edge of what it outlines is slowly moving as the sun moves across the sky. In a few minutes, the light will no longer show the opening in the rock by your feet.
Smith follows Natalie's lead.
"This doesn't look natural." Natalie investigates further, using her flashlight if necessary to peer inside.
Raszor comes over to stand behind Natalie to inspect the last few minutes of daylight streaming through the rock.
Did you see what I think I saw? It looked like there was a hidden gap set back in this stone.
Razor walks over to the crevice that was lit up previously. He does a quick look inside the crevice with his flashlight. He is looking for anything unnatural here.
Sure enough, Razor ' s poking around finds something in the rock. Fitting his hand into the crevice, he can feel a latch or handle of some kind. He thinks he can move it.
Hey guys I think I found something Razor calls back to his team. After making sure he has their attention he reaches his hand into the crevice to lift up on the latch.
Be on your guard and see if you can tell what this does.
After some effort, there is a barely audible click. At first nothing happens. A few moments go by and you can feel a slight trembling beneath your feet. Soon, it's as if the hills themselves were falling apart. The rock in front of you splits down the middle, sending pebbles and debris in all directions. When the dust settles, you are facing an open hatchway that ramps down into the ground. It looks something like >>>This<<<.
Smith collapses his stock on the Kalashnikov to increase maneuverability in the tunnel.
Awareness/Notice
Tracking if applicable
He then whispers, "Follow me." as he carefully goes into the tunnel.
"Seriously?" Natalie looks amazed at the entire strangeness of it all, "I can't believe someone actually put this together." Shaking her head of disbelief, she follows Smith, eyeing her shotgun apprehensively. "Want to trade, anyone?"
Smith carefully leads everyone through the tunnel ahead. Though lit, the constant flickering tells you that the power source is probably unstable. Looking at the floor, Smith can see that it has been some time since anyone has passed this way due to the layer of dust and sand. After a few minutes of making your way through the tunnels, attempting to get a rough layout, you hear the unmistakeable sound of a generator running and..is that voices?
It's hard to tell with the echoes throughout the tunnels, but Smith thinks he can pinpoint where they might be coming from. At this distance, assuming they are voices, no words can be made out.
Smith raises his right hand, does a pantomine of a talking face with it, puts up his fist for the others to stop and then uses the barrel of his weapon to write Wait in the sand and then he sneaks off toward the voices moving as quietly as he can.
Awareness/Notice to see if anyone heard the noise of the barrel scraping the earth.
Sneak
Tracking
To follow the sound
Smith makes his way down the tunnel, listening for more sounds and voices. While the generator is loud, Smith can hear the voices more clearly. As he turns a corner, he sees an open room with a man dressed in a lab coat talking to.... what sounds like a recorded voice. It almost sounds as if the voice is... his own. He doesn't seem to notice your presence.
Smith will say to him in a thick Rhodesian accent "Heysa Doctor, I don't funa rock you up much but where's a Rhodie like me gonna find a toots in this cavern?" in a very friendly jovial manner.
The scientist doesn't seem to pay attention to your words, instead continuing in broken Russian, switching to Pashto and back again. You grab him and he fights back a little, but Smith is easily able to keep him held. He looks directly into your eyes. "Help me.", he says in plain English. Then goes back to rambling.
Smith smiles and says, "That is what I am here for, sir."
Smith carries the Doc back to the group.
Rally
Razor waits impatiently and on edge for the return of Smith. He has in his right hand his PPK. His hand holds a switchblade. Trying to lighten the tense mode. He jokes with Natalie in a whisper pointing to her shotgun.
Careful where you point that thing Tiger. I have my full quota of holes. Let's get into an ambushing position in case Smith returns with unwelcome company.
Natalie and Razor see Smith walking back with a scientist in his arms. While the scientist isn't struggling much, you can see that he is quite disturbed. He has stopped talking now that he is removed from the recorded voice.
Natalie nods at Johnny, she shrugs, "If I have my way, I'd rather not fire it at all. Its yours if you need it."
She looks at Smith and the scientist, then behind them. "Anything else of note in there?"
She assesses the scientist, wary of the strange find.
Sense Motive
Smith says, "Is this our guy? He was talking to a tape recorder or something similar in there. I figures to bring this guy back before further investigation. Nat, you're a more friendly talker type than I am, could you ask him some questions, I think something might be loose in his skull."
Nat considers the guy for a few moments, unable to read him. She lights up a cigarette as she approaches the man. She tests out the languages she knows in the region, to see what he may respond to. "Hey...you want a smoke?" She holds out the smoke, then puts her hand on his shoulder in an effort to ease his situation.
Impress
Smith you stay with Nat and see what this guy has to say, if anything coherent. I am going to check out the room.
Razor moves forward in tunnel towards the sound of a recorded voice. He has his PPK in ready position.
At first the scientist says nothing, his eyes only darting to and fro, as if analyzing the entire room, especially as he studies the details of your faces. After he does that, he struggles a bit in Smith's grasp and begins to speak in Russian. "This...not within...outside...broken...experiment...subjects...lost cause...help! help!" Then he passes out, unconscious.
Razor moves to where Smith indicated that the recording was. There is a chair and a large data recording machine that is playing an audio tape. In Russian:
"...gotten no new results. Subjects still showing no sign of change. Josef has been somewhat more irritated of late, but his records indicate this is normal. I have noticed myself becoming agitated more easily as well, but I put this to not making any progress. I have one last thing to change to see if the beta waves do actually interfere with the theta neurons, causing the blockage of higher functioning. If these old notes are correct, we should have no problem duplicating and possibly perfecting the device. I am getting ahead of myself here..."
The rest of the tape continues to discuss higher brain functioning and talks of neuron interactions and other more in depth scientific brain research.
Natalie calls out to Razor, "Take the tape if you find it." She curiously looks at the optical disc she has, then looks to Smith. "Well, we've got one scientist down, guess they're going to be scattered about maybe? Any tracks or anything we can use?"
She then calls for her survival workgroup to keep an eye on the KOed scientist, since that's what she got the workgroup for.
Razor walks up to the large data recording machine presses stop on the recorder and ejects the tape. He then walks back to join up with Nat and Smith.
Whoever is on this tape is a literal brainiac. Went over my head fast. We need to get this back home for the agency to look at. From what I can make out the scientist here were conducting experiments on a device that blocks higher brain functioning. As far as I know we don't have something similar. Any comment Smith? You come across anything like that in your prior deploys.
Smith nods at Razor and says, "Honestly, this science stuff hasn't really been part of my purview. Living the typical double life was what I was decent at. "
Since Nat's people are on scene, Smith takes the point with the AK at the ready.
Once we get to the place I grabbed the scientist, Smith checks for tracks, Tracking
The scout group keeps an eye on the unconscious scientist while Smith searches for any sort of tracks in the room where he was found. This place must have had a lot of traffic as there is very little dust on the ground. It is very difficult to tell how many people have been in here and how long ago.
notice
there are some papers. we should take them with us
Natalie frisks the scientist, in hopes of finding more information.
Razor quickly scans through the papers found by Smith.
Natalie searches the scientist and finds only pens and a notepad with hastily scrawled drawings and figures. Some of the words on the paper seem to be more gibberish than actual complete thoughts. There is one thing that stands out though.
16-24-19
This sequence is repeated several times on every page...
Razor scans the paperwork that Smith found and sees that it written in German. That was not as clear as much by the words, but the Nazi SS symbol on the header page. Though his German is not the best, one word is very clear. Werwolf.