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Lenny's wild charge builds up energy as his pistol shot hits the undead soldier in the chest. Pippimi's sonic energy blast washes over the zombie marines, one of whom responds in a hoarse yell that is barely caught by your auditory receptors. "PAYMENT FOR ETERNAL LIFE IS LIFE ITSELF!" The other undead soldiers respond with a loud "HOORAH!" Davrin hits the zombie marine from around the corner, and his call for focus draws Zoran's attention.
Zoran calls his shot, pointing at the marine, before sending two sniper rounds over Pippimi's head. One of the shells hits the zombie in the chest, denting the plate. Aiming at the other side of the room, Zulu's fiery blast blows off a shoulder plate of one of the zombie troopers.
One of the zombie marines pulls a grenade from his belt and mutters something in his com. He then flings the weapon through the air, which pops in a brilliant light right next to Davrin and Pippimi! His partner sends a bullet into Pippimi's armor, which flattens itself without causing any damage.
Pink rays of energy fly across the dusky room, from the corner observation tower into Lenny's back, and the center of the room over the wall to Pippimi's neckplate. Both adventurers shudder from the leaching effects of the energy darts.
Pippimi SP: 54/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 23/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 76/76, HP: 72/72
Lenny SP: 77/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 25 Damage
Yellow Undead 111 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 44 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 115 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 64 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 0 Damage
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One of the guns that catches Lenny really makes him pause for a moment.
He shudders visibly, warding off whatever it had in store. Eww. That one had something "extra" on it...
Haste for the people! Lenny yells out randomly, probably resulting in much confusion amongst the undead marines.
Taking Davrin's lead he fires at the same marine .
Zulu keeps firing on his target.
Pippimi frowns at the assertion that somehow undead "life" was a good reward, somehow shrugging off both the blinding grenade and the spectral spike while she's distracted. With the aid of Lenny's haste, Pippimi rapidly closes the distance with the teal-ish undead creature with its strange spectral needler. She turns the momentum of her approach into a series of bounding slashes.
Davrin fails to see the flash grenade flying his way and ended up staring at his full on when it detonates, turning his vision into a whitewashed blur.
"Dammit!"
Not giving up yet, he presses himself close against the wall for some protection, then points his pistol out and shoots, hoping that his target has not moved.
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Lenny's legs stop working but his supernatural gifts don't! The warm energy reaches out, fueling the team's hearts. His pistol shots arc out, but is blocked by the wall between the two! One of Zulu's large blasts hit the marine in the legs, buckling it's knee temporarily. The other blast dents the floor plating between them. Pippimi strides forward like a terminator amongst the needles and explosions seeking to penetrate her armor. She strikes three times at the skeletal creature, whose dexterity allows it to dodge most of the attacks. Davrin, on the other hand, blinks through his flashed out vision. Luckily, the halfling is used to working in the dark. A pistol whipping around the corner to deliver a sonic blast is the last thing the zombie sees before it falls to the ground! Behind the group, Zoran yells into the com "Get those legs moving, Lenny!" The words fill Lenny's spirit.
The three remaining zombie marines perform a tactical retreat, firing at Pippimi and Lenny as they walk backwards. The pair on the left get off lucky shots on Lenny's immobile form, wearing down his armor.
Pink needles continue to rain through the air! Needles crash into the floor around Lenny but one does manage to find a chink in his armor. Davrin and a skeletal undead creature stare each other down across the outpost wall as the skeleton's needles ping off the barrier between them.
Near Pippimi things are getting a little weirder. The skeleton unhinges it's jaw and a cold wind seems to brush Pippimi's bones, despite the vacuum that separates the two. Then, in a flash of motion, the skeleton begins to hover off the ground! The supernatural "wind" pulls the skeleton backwards and twenty feet up into the air! From it's new vantage point it rains spectral needles down onto Pippimi, which penetrate her thick armor and attempt to leech her energy.
Pippimi SP: 43/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 23/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 76/76, HP: 72/72
Lenny SP: 68/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 58 Damage
Yellow Undead 111 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 44 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 96 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Zulu keeps firing on his target.
Davrin's glee at taking down one of the undeads is short-lived as he realises that he still can't see. It sounds like the enemies are moving and he decides not to risk firing randomly. Instead, he crouches and presses himself flat against the wall, seeking what cover he can.
Pippimi slashes at the fleeing skellington, though it leaves her surprisingly open to the follow up shot from her victim.
But she's not easily pinned in place! She drops her cannon and activates her jetpack, then flies up to meet the teal skeleton. She draws her zero rifle as she goes, wary that she might need to lay down some ranged fire if this fight continues to be so spread out. "Where skeleton going? Pippimi right here." She calls out as she flies.
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Zulu's mobile firing platform goes off, dual energy spikes blowing apart the far left zombie marine. Pippimi flies up to the skeleton who stares at her with lifeless eye sockets. Meanwhile on the ground, Lenny runs alongside Davrin, who gropes out in the darkness.
The zombie soldier on the left aims down his sights while walking backwards, getting a lucky shot off on Zulu. In the middle of the room, the soldier aims around the corner to hit Lenny before backing up.
The undead bone-man in the corner rains supernatural darts around Zulu but all land several feet in front of the android!
Up in the air, the skeletal soldier swipes at Pippimi. As it's bony hand touches Pip's armor, it's voice passes through the vibrations between them. "YOU WANT TO END ME. GIVE IN TO THE ECSTASY. LISTEN TO YOUR URGES." It then flies backwards on invisible and unholy wings, moving in a swift circle. From this new angle it sends needles into the skittermander's back!
From inside the walled off area, the skeletal warrior - barely visible above the walls and computer terminals - unhinges their jaw. A growling scream bellows from their chest, echoing supernaturally through the vacuum and into Lenny and Davrin's bones! "GYILKOSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!"
Pippimi SP: 27/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 23/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran x2 SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 50/76, HP: 72/72
Lenny SP: 56/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 93 Damage
Yellow Undead 111 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 44 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Davrin's vision finally starts to clear , only to be hit by a wave of screams that shakes him to his core.
He pushes the fear down and looks around desperately for a target. Seeing one flying right above head, he trains his pistol on it and fires!
Pippimi bats the skeleton's creepy hand away in the way she remembers from workplace harassment training videos - by pinching the other party's wrist to deliver maximum pain. She doesn't count on that being ineffective against a skeleton. She huffs as she endures another piercing projectile and then flies right at the skeleton. Tired of the enemy getting away from her, she reaches out with her vibrogloves to grab its skull.
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Zulu continues firing, switching targets, but his computer fails him and the laser goes into the far wall. Zoran runs forward, taking cover by the low wall, before shouting out to Pippimi "Show them what a real middle manager can do!" He then sends a laser into one of the bombarding marines. On the other corner, Davrin sends a sonic blast up into the floating skeleton. With a horrible scream it explodes in a puff of grey smoke!
The two zombie soldiers on the western side of the bay fire more shots at Zulu, one of which lands. The skeleton on the raise platform continues to hail pink spectral needles at Zulu, which pierce his side!
In the center of the room a storm of pink needles fly over the wall at Davrin. One of them sinks into his armor, draining the energy from the halfling!
Pippimi x2 SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 0/76, HP: 57/72
Lenny SP: 56/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 175 Damage
Yellow Undead 111 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 44 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 19 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 0 Damage
"I am focusing down the sickly purple looking scum. His time has come. You hear that, monster, sending you to the boneyard!" Zoran says pointing out his target and taunting him at the same time.
With the teal undead vaporizing before her eyes, Pippimi flies well over his dustcloud in order to get across the large open station. She ends up relatively close to green.
She flies down at green like a bullet, blade flashing in a series of rapid slashes.
Shuddering under the hail of needles, Zulu mananges to shake off the paralytic effect threatening to lock up his limbs.
"Ouch!" Davrin yells, yanking the needle out, the momentary numbness fading away quickly.
"That's it! I'm ending you!"
He dashes past the room, firing when he has got a clear shot. Then hastened by Lenny's mystical enhancements, he takes a few more steps to take cover behind the wall.
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Zoran's words carry across both the friendly coms and the enemy's, thanks to the bone-com. The zombie pulls a hand from his rifle for a brief vulgar hand signal then replies back in Eoxian. "Sickly and purple? You're one to talk, HALF-FORMED!" Despite his brave words, you can tell that Zoran's taunt got to him. Lenny sneaks along the hover cars, ducking into the cover between two of them.
You hear an awful squishing sound over your coms. Looking over your shoulder you see a blood-splattered Pippimi standing atop the severed head of a zombie marine who had been taken by surprise from the aerial assault. Distracted by the noise, Davrin is unable to get a clear shot on the undead within the walled area.
The lone marine shifts farther north, his bullets pinging off Pippimi's plating. On the other side of the room, the skeletal figure continues to rain needles down onto Zulu. One of them punctures his thin armor, a flash of blood spotting the wound. You notice your ally is looking a little pale, his circuits' light fading. In the center of the room the undead soldier's needles ping off the wall that separates Davrin and him.
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Athol has been having a hard week. He just got a demerit for not cleaning the bodily fluids from his bunk, adding another ten years before he gets the promotion to a Mohrg guard. So he was really looking forward to his shift on crane duty, one of the easiest periods in his shift rotation. So several hours ago Athol leaned back in his cushy chair, waiting for the bone-troopers to come by with the next shipment of ammunition for the ship cannons. He slides the headphones gingerly over his ears - careful not to rip off the slightly rotten piece near the top - and closes his eyes. The sweet pop sounds of Strawberry Machine Cake blast into his ears, a guilty pleasure that he found in the black market stalls last fortnight. On the third listen through of the album, he feels his seat shake. Stupid bone-heads, can never drive the truck without hitting the walls. He opens his eyes to a horrific sight! This little blue ball of fur has just chopped off Bryytt's head! Athol starts to attention, hands at the controls, ready for action.
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whoosh... CLANG!
The large arm of a construction crane comes crashing off it's resting place on the wall, colliding with Pippimi's armored side! Thankfully her kinetic receptors were ready, accommodating and dispersing the force! Pippimi looks around and sees a zombie at the helm of a construction crane on the other side of the hover train!
Pippimi SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 x2 SP: 0/76, HP: 31/72
Lenny SP: 56/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 175 Damage
Yellow Undead 111 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 59 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 176 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 0 Damage
Zulu shifts fire to the undead pelting him with needles.
Pippimi recognizes the danger posed by the actual crane and zooms right at the crane's operator. With nary a thought for the poor morgh's undead future, she slashes several times with Xavra's blade. "Hullo hi, no more crane for you." She chirps in common.
Knowing his words can't soften a blow like that, Zoran keeps working on the remaining undead marines.
"Just die already! Or undie... or unlive... Ah whatever!" Davrin pops his head out from behind the wall and fires another shot and the rather irritating undead hiding behind the walls.
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Zulu's large plasm blast knocks out one of the supports from the structure, but doesn't damage the undead sniper. Meanwhile, Pippimi heads in on rocket wings to disrupt the crane operator, slicing into his armor twice.
Lenny's wave of force buffets the hover-train, which rocks on the brakes which hold it in place. The heat burns away at the zombie, who dodges the brunt of the blast. Zoran follows up with a bullet to the soldier's chest. To the right, Davrin sneaks a sonic blast over the wall. The skeletal soldier takes the hit, quickly dissolving into ash.
The lone zombie marine takes a step backwards, firing his rifle point blank at Lenny.
In the corner, the skeletal figure sends another pair of needles that trail pink light behind them. Both needles silently slam into Zulu's side. Zulu's form freezes as the needles puncture his circuits. Then time seems to slow as the android's body falls to the floor. A warning message flashes in your armor's HUD. "ALLY Z45719 HAS FALLEN UNCONSCIOUS." All four conscious team members can see, from the corner of the eye, the skeletal soldier cackle to the air before throwing down his unholy pistol to the ground below.
But, Pippimi has nearer problems. The zombie soldier, weapons stowed and trapped in a box with a mad furball, stays at the controls. He attempts to swing the crane around again but is unable to get it anywhere near Pippimi.
Pippimi SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 x2 SP: 0/76, HP: 0/72, RP: 8/8, DYING
Lenny SP: 43/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 175 Damage
Yellow Undead 150 Damage
Red Undead 0 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 92 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 176 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 67 Damage
Unable to move as the numbing poison from the splinters stiffen his extemeties, Zulu focuses and fires his rifle two last times.
As more slivers punch through his armor, Zulu's systems finally give up and shut down and he collapses in a heap, blueish fluids leaking through the rents in his armor.
Pippimi takes a quick opportunistic slash at the crane operator, only to twist around in alarm when she hears the ally warning going off. She quickly attempts to dispatch the operator before rushing to the south in search of where Zulu has dropped. "Hold on Zulu! Pippimi on way!"
Not liking that he would be completely open, Davrin nonetheless charges straight towards the undead sniping at the team from above. He dashes towards the corner and fires away once he found a good angle.
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Zulu's last blast finally hits the skeletal menace, knocking off a piece of bone. Davrin runs beneath the blast, straight at the skeleton. From his low vantage point he sees a healed fracture wound on the skeletons right arm. The halfling's sonic blast finds the target, blowing through the weak point. The skeletal arm falls two stories to the ground below where it fumbles around with a life of it's own.
On the other side of the bay, Pippimi ends all hopes of undead promotion for poor Athol by piercing his skull with her sword. The zombie falls back into the cushioned seat, infamous body fluids leaking everywhere. Pip quickly shuffles southwards.
In the center of the room, Lenny and the zombie soldier duel. Lenny lands a deep blow but the zombie just laughs it off as gore spills from it's stomach. It lands a hand on Lenny's arm, transmitting sound through the vacuum. "What's dead may never d-" His croaking voice is cut off by the CRACK of a rifle shot! The back of the zombie's skull caves in from Zoran's bullet, timed as ever for maximum dramatic appeal.
But the tension is not over! Your HUD shows Zulu's vital signs have stabilized but the skeleton won't stop staring him down! The skeleton leaps from the platform, hovering on unnatural and invisible wings towards his prey. It covers the long distance with incredible speed, jaw unhinging as it goes! It finally lands on the ground above Zulu, leaning over him and about to bite!
Pippimi SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 0/76, HP: 0/72, RP: 8/8, STABLE & UNCONSCIOUS
Lenny SP: 43/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 175 Damage
Yellow Undead 150 Damage
Red Undead 135 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 138 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 176 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 136 Damage
"Hey, get your claws off our android!" Davrin spins around racing towards the undead, sending a blast at it when it is distracted by its impending meal.
Pippimi flies forward and levels her frosty rifle at the final remaining undead creature. She sends a single icy bolt its way.
"Davrin right! That our teammate!"
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The skeleton unhinges it's jaw and hunches over Zulu. You hear a spooky wind pass by your ears and a blue light begins to float up from Zulu's mouth. The blue light glows in volume as it rises up towards the skeletons face! You see the circuits in Zulu's skin flicker and dim as if his life force, or his very soul, is sucked out of him.
THWANG!
Davrin's sonic blast flies through the vacuum, disintegrating the monster's face. It's body soon follows, turning into an ashy form that fades away. The wind in your ears dies down and you watch the light return to Zulu's body.
COMBAT OVER!
Looking at the bodies, you find that each of the five zombie marines have vesk overplate I, tactical seeker rifle with 32 longarm rounds, standard taclash, flash grenades II (2), personal comm unit. The ashen remains of the three unidentified undead contain... nothing. The armor and mystical pistols seem to have vanished with the bodies.
Heading into the walled area in the center of the room, you see a station full of terminals.
You easily break into the computer, finding several options. From here you can unlock the brakes locking down the hover train. The second program can turn off the intruder alert that is currently flashing. The third program opens the large door on the floor to the west.
Pippimi SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 0/76, HP: 0/72, RP: 8/8, STABLE & UNCONSCIOUS
Lenny SP: 43/110, HP: 81/81
Teal Undead 175 Damage
Yellow Undead 150 Damage
Red Undead 173 Damage
Purple Zombie Marine 138 Damage
Blue Zombie Marine 155 Damage
Orange Zombie Marine 164 Damage
Green Zombie Marine 176 Damage
Pink Zombie Marine 136 Damage
Pippimi zips over to Zulu and injects him with a particularly stale healing serum
Stale or not, it manages to bring him back to consciousness! "Zulu! Hullo! Pippimi first aider, can Zulu hear Pippimi!? This way too early for Zulu to die!"
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Lenny, already standing near Zulu when the battle ends watches as Pip runs over with a healing serum.
Ah yes! I've got one left too!
...um, they say the 2nd dose is more effective. Who else has some leftover healing serums?
After that's dealt with, Lenny heads into the center room and sits down at a terminal.
Rest Zulu, I've got this...
Okay, I've got the brakes unlocked for the hover train, and... switching off the intruder alert. There, that was irritating. This last E-X-E opens the large door out of the Warehouse through the West.
"Here! I have four!"
Grabbing the whole bunch, he follows quickly after Lenny to pour them down the android's throat.
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Zulu comes back to life, thanks to the serums. Best by dates are just a suggestion, right? Lenny, quickly showing his inner computer mastermind, gets to work on the terminal. With an unheard clank the brakes pull off the hover train which sits in place, ready to go.
Lenny also turns off the intruder alert, prompting a text response. Stația Vehiculului Gravitațional patruzeci și două, explică semnalul de alertă intrus.
Grav Train Station 42, explain the intruder alert signal.
Since the ship's security teams already identified that a rogue dangerous element is loose in the ship, you anticipate that a squad of security personnel have already been dispatched to this location - as soon as the intruder alert went off nearly a minute ago.
Pippimi SP: 53/88, HP: 79/79
Davrin SP: 0/77 HP: 68/68
Zoran SP: 100/100, HP: 73/73
z45719 SP: 32/76, HP: 0/72, RP: 5/8
Lenny SP: 43/110, HP: 81/81
"It seems this floor has more capable combatants. We need to find a place to hold up and they have alerted the security of our presence." he warns as he rushes over to the console to reply.
Intruders from Hangar County assaulted staff and retreated back on the train to Hangar Country.
He shakes his head and turns to the others, "We may want to go elsewhere in case they don't believe that. Supply run in Floor 23?" he asks the others.
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"Mmmhmm!" Pippimi nods in agreement with Lenny and Zoran "Maybe poke head into warehouse briefly, then jump on train. If team alerted guards then they probably watching where train heading very carefully. If extra train available, maybe send first train somewhere to lure attention away, then jump on second train to get to Floor 23?"
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Lenny puts in the code and the large metal hatch in the floor begins to open with a metallic groan. Over the course of ten seconds the doors open to reveal a shaft that runs down 60 feet to another set of metal doors below. Lenny punches in another key and those doors open, showing a bunch of unused flatbed grav-train cars and maintenance materials. Zoran stands by the terminal but does not receive a text response.
You follow Pippimi's suggestion. Zulu jumps on the crane, reaching down to grab an unused grav train and set it on the tracks. You fiddle with the auto-pilot for a few seconds then send it on its way back to Hanger Country.
With reinforcements on the way, you waste little time and get on the hover train. You set the train to auto-pilot, and get under way.
While the grav-trains can run only on the tracks, these tracks pass through nearly every section of the ship—there are miles of transit corridors dedicated to their use, with numerous corridors, intersections, junctions, and switchbacks. You're confident that you could ride the train around less used routes to give yourself time to rest.
Pippimi stands guard for the rest of the group, not resting when something could go wrong at any moment. She keeps her rifle out and braces it against a wall to point down the train's main aisle. "Lenny, please no jinxing. Team already beat up enough..."