You are caught in temporal eddies that whisk you away to your time/place but not before you catch a glimpse of an arch...no a ...to somewhere else. It hangs broken/wrong at odds with the nothingness that surrounds it. A call comes from beyond it...
HUNGER!!!!
**Reality forms around you, pulling you into its strictures, it's order, it's endless construction and destruction.**
You and Robert exit into a small moss bricked room admist an explosion of temporal/spatial energy. You have left a hole in the side of the wall.
There is mud everywhere and the sound of rushing water from the other side of the hole. You are plunged into utter darkness. Robert slumps forward, spent and barely able to move.
Emit trys using his powers to travel into the short future using his at will costume change.
I'm sorry, but i am a professor here and he is a student. I have a duty to protect any student entrusted in these halls and their grounds. I am sorry but i have to call the campus police to protect these student. I see that you have friends, but i still need to protect him, no matter what race he is, and unfortunately for me, how many of you are. i need to bring him under protection.
I am sorry that you feel this is your only option. But I feel that I must inform you, I have been in the Israeli military for the past ten years.Active combat for that long teaches quite a-bit about close combat. I will be taking him to the infirmary and reporting to the president to prevent these protests for some time.
I move to him and attempt to wrap my arm around his neck and immobilize him by trying to pin or put him to sleep.
You will wake up from this safely in a while, unharmed
Shining your Pip-Boy's flashlight around you appear to be in a water-based sanitation channel of some sort. The fetid stink of fecal matter suspended in a homogenous solution of hydrogen dioxide assaults your nose. Robert appears to be barely able to stand. He will likely need medical attention before long. This channel is part of an interconnected labyrinth that connects very nearly the entire city together.
As you are dealing with the members of this group that are surrounding you, you notice a few of them moving towards Drake. They pull him to his feet and drag his limp but still breathing form towards you.
Now go to sleep
i attempt to grab him again to deal damage to put him unconcious
The engineering style is definetly of modern make(at least what you have now come to accept as modern) and is supported by a number of failsafe structural supports indicating a post-Wave construction premise. Maximum City was built post-Wave...but you just can't tell if this is Maximum City or not.
Due to your very low Fort save, you are Nauseated (move action only) for rounds. You upheave your previous night's shake all over the wall and your costume.
After the nausea subsides, you manage to activate your Pip-Boy's GPS and computer. Unfortunately, there is no wireless signal to accommodate an internet search. Your GPS does pick up your location however.
You are located approximately 8 miles east of the Sphinxonium, apparently underground.
The other members back off as they bring poor Drake in front of you. One of them holds a knife to Drake's neck. Hey man, let our boy go and we won't hurt this...mutie. He sneers the last word.
A girl's voice can just barely be heard moving through the crowd. Excuse me...out of the way...coming through Sierra comes to a stop just in front of you, Drake, and the black-masked men.
Professor! A look of growing horror grows on her face as she realizes what's happening.
i'll let your guy go, but you will let him go unharmed and we will go our separate ways. if not, you will be handed over to the police unconscious and deeply bruised. now leave the University Property!
I let go of the thug and watch that his ally lets go of Drake. I prepare an action to hit him if he makes to cut his throat.
[/b]
The thug holding Drake backs off attempting to put some distance from you before letting him go and booking. The other black masks are currently beating a hasty retreat. Unfortunately, as the thug adjusts his hold on Drake, other protesters in the crowd surge forward towards your position, causing both the thug and Drake to fall forward...onto the switchblade.
The thug gets up immediately with blood on his hands and stumbles waway in a panic. Sierra sees the blood and screams.
NOOOOO!!!!
A wave of azure energy pulses from her in a 360 degrees arc hitting everyone inside the arc. Everyone hit by the energy, including Sierra herself, falls over like rag dolls. You appear to be the only exception. A dark pool of blood appears to be trickling from Drake's chest onto the grass.
I quickly go over to sierra and pick up her cell phone. I call 911. I tell them I work at the University, there was an anti mutant rally in which a gang of anti mutant rally members wearing black masks beat up and eventually stabbed a mutant name Drake(i tell them there was a stabbing first and the rest to explain afterwards). I receive any advice they give me and i remain on the scene.
so Mrs. All-star tech wiz, since you've got the book and info folder, who is it we are supposed to be meeting here?
Baker looks around the lobby to see if anyone is expecting them.
He sounds rather flustered as he ushers you into the museum proper.
I've managed to keep the public at bay but we advertised that we would have the exhibit open by 11! It simply will not stand to keep the public waiting. I must say I never should have listened to Wilkins when he suggested we go digital. Nothing wrong with good old plaques if you ask me. Why in my day..."
He continues to drone on about his dislike of technology and reminiscing about the good old days.
Sierra's eyes open and she sits up. Professor? What is- She stops as she sees the state Drake is in. Is there anything I can do to help? She pulls a roll of gauze from her purse. M-My mom is always worrying about my safety these days. She offers in way of an explanation.
Drake coughs up some blood and his eyes roll back in their sockets.The operator sounds alarmed when you tell her this. After a brief silence, she begins to talk you through how to stabilize Drake.
Baker flashes a grin at the man and motions for the man to lead them on.
we'll have you up and running again in no time! Marissa here is the best tech we've got, and i'm the luckiest. between the two of us, it should be a piece of cake.
Baker catches Marissa's eye and smiles, hoping she took the compliment.
and what's the big, important event of the day? i saw it said something about pyramids and a good mystery? i'm intrigued...
There is a solid looking man wearing a nice suit that appears to be waiting for all members of his tour group to be present before beginning.
Eddy is also in the lobby nervously looking for you. He offers to drive Robert to the ER as he doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger. As you and Eddy carry Robert out to the bus, Robert grabs the edge of your coat with one hand and whispers, Thank you. Y-Y-You know...for that stuff with my...m-m-mom. Tears are streaming down his face. Your s-s-secret is s-s-s-safe with me.
As you are reading the pamphlet, a photograph falls out of one of the folds. You hardly get a look before the Professor snatches it away. Oh my, how did that get in there? He shoves the picture into his inside pocket.
The Professor leads you to the new Great Pyramid exhibit room and unlocks a cleverly hidden door on the west side of the room. Please complete your repairs with all due haste, our great museum's reputation depends on it!
As the door unlocks, a lanky teen comes flying out of it, landing gracelessly on the marble tiles. His shirt and jeans sporting several pinpoint burn holes.
Don't worry boss, I'll get that thing majiggered 'fore your little hoedown. Realizing that there are other people in the room, he turns to you and Marissa and holds out his hand.
And who might you folks be? Names Tex, 'leastways thats what they call me 'round here. I fix stuff. Course that little critter in there's been acting right ornery today. He picks up his authentic cowboy hat from the floor nearby and sets it back to its rightful place. You notice a hole burnt straight through from front to back.
Seeing the burn marks,
you tried a hard format of the system without bypassing the built in anti-tamper protocols, didn't you?
Reaching out to shake the burned guy's hand,
are you alright? if you backed off the burns shouldn't be too severe...we're from robocorp by the way, here to solve your problem.
Looking at Marissa and blushing again at the previous image he had of her,
break out the gear if we're gonna head in there with the machine in its current state. we'll need root-ID chips programmed to our admin rights if we're going to step in there without getting burned.
To Archibald,
sir, we'll get this fixed as soon as possible.
Marissa attaches a third ID chip to Tex's shirt. He's right, if you tried a hard reformat, the FX 3000 would have resisted your controls. Although I've never heard of one causing burns before...
He straightens his hat. Sure, I went to disable them RSC-45 protocols but they was...missin'. Fact of the matter is, we got it late and it was missin half its guts. We didn't even recieve the spare we ordered. I ain't no business...person but I reckon your fellas at RoboCorp have some funny ideas about quality. I spent half a day just getting that one to turn on.
hmm... I wonder what happened to that extra holo core... that could cause some trouble in the wrong hands...
and missing RSC-45 protocols? this all seems rather fishy... Robocorp is usually top-notch in making sure they get product to buyers and in top shape too... I really want to poke around your holo core and see what's going on. let's head in, shall we? Unless you want to, i'll go first.
- Tex
- HoloCore FX 3000
- Marissa
- Baker Scott
I ain't yella. Tex peeks into the room. I see ya litta fella. Come quietly now or i'll have to get rough...
BzzzZzzZzz...
Fantasy Simulation - 007 active.
Holo-entity located. Safety protocols inactive. Initiating first-strike protocol.
DC 15 (+2 for every additional hit)
Due to multiple previous burns, Tex is less resistant to the beams. He takes another Bruise.
Regardless of its origin, it's no match for you. Blow it up. Now. Before I grow yet MORE tired of this situation.
Baker dodges to the control panel.
If it doesn't listen, let's see if I can't shut it down first before blowing it up.
To see if I can figure out why it's malfunctioning.
Command Code Level Omega recognized.
The holocore's lateral sensor array scans your biometrics including your ID chip.
Biometric scan complete. Holo-entity detected. Command authority restricted to non-Holo-entities. Adjusting for multiple opponent combat.
A bright flash of light explodes outward from the HoloCore. Tex manages to shield his eyes.
From your quick glance at the HoloCore's docking station readouts it would appear to be exactly what you were worried about. The HoloCore is targeting people wearing the ID chips! The HoloCore believes it is inside one of its own holograms and is attempting to shut it down...and understandably failing.
What's weird is it targeting Tex before he had an ID chip. Only holographic entities would normally cause the HoloCore to react in that manner.
Something else is weird as well...the carrier waves the HoloCore is operating on are in the frequency range reserved for military operations. Unless its being hijacked, the HoloCore must have a military operating chip inside.
Marissa reels back from the overwhelming light display. She seems .
it thinks we're part of the holo-program! something must be wrong with its discernment matrix. we've got to--- ARGH!
Baker reels as his vision goes white.
Stunned, Baker staggers and covers his eyes to try and blink away the stars. no choice, we've got to give it a hard shut down and see if we can't replace that faulty chipset. we should be able to at least run a basic system off of our portable secure boot to get the show done, but after that it'll need a good overhaul.
Sierra try to be calm, he hopefully will be okay. I need to listen to the operator so please be quiet, things should turn out fine.
I follow the police dispatchers instructions to the best of my abilities
With Sierra's help, you manage to make Drake more comfortable. The paramedics arrive and begin to bundle Drake into the back of the ambulance. Just as they are about to cart him away to Maximum City Mercy Medical, his eyes flutter open for a second. For a moment they focus on you.
T-t-t-thank you. The effort of speaking exhausts him and his eyes fall closed again. He still seems to be breathing, if shallowly.
A couple paramedics stay behind in an attempt to wake the few dozen prone protestors. They are still unconscious and only the liberal application of smelling salts seems to snap them into wakefulness.
As the ambulance carrying Drake peels away, a S.H.R.U. armored truck arrives. Several officers in tactical gear disembark and immediately begin to cordone off the area. You are approached by a squat, well-muscled man in tactical gear and a lean, square-jawed man in an Israeli military uniform. The small tank of a man's badge identifies him as Captain Abrams. The Israeli is none other than your semi-retired former commander, Saul Kopel.
Baker readies himself to try and catch the sphere if it falls.
Well, ain't ye a fine, upstandin' citizen of de cuh-moon-itty.
He glances past you at the couple dozen still-comatose bodies on the campus lawn.
Mind explainin' just wut ...or who...is responsible fur dis? Not that I'm much complainin', mind. I'd just as well be rid of them whole lot as breathe, but I be needin' to know exactly why dey is all o' a sudden takin' a dirt nap.
He points his cigar stub in your direction.
And you look like just de the fella to tell me, Prauf.
Seeing you and Marissa apparently blinded by the HoloCore, Tex leaps into action.
No one out shoots Tex! Tex pulls out a pair of sixguns and fires both at the HoloCore.
Damage DC 18 (+2 if both hit)
One shot hits.
Tex's Sixgun however, manages to make a dent on the HoloCore. It is Bruised and Dazed.
zzZzZZzzZZzZtttt......
Damage DC 15
Tex takes yet another burn and is thrown backwards against a nearby prop sarcophogaus. He seems to be .
Staggered is dazed(Single action only) and hindered (1/2 speed). If he fails by 3 or more again, he will be unconscious.
Using Hindered Fate subtly to short out the main control chip of the Holo-core
Damage DC18
let's try that one more time, it should have shorted out with that first paradox...
Damage DC18