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Rico salutes.
"Yes Sir!"
When DRACOS rushes outside, he sees a tall, bipedal, blue-painted robot with a flashing (red) light in place of its head, standing over the bodies of the three militia-members, whilst the crowd of onlookers frantically cowers.
Seeing DRACOS, it turns its attention to him...
...electrocuting him.
Meanwhile, Rico and Susreth put out another square...
...and this one, too, stays unlit.
DRACOS (-15)
Rico (-14)
Susreth (-12)
PCSR(-)
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This time, only DRACOS misses entirely.
The robot tries to shock him again...
...delivering another solid blast.
Meanwhile, Rico and Susreth pile out of the front door, smoking, with a gaggle of evacuees behind them.
"Whoah Sir! Look's like trouble!"
"Least it isn't the Swarm..."
DRACOS (-39)
Rico (-14)
Susreth (-12)
PCSR(-39)
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DRACOS' pistol shot takes out the robot.
About a minute later, the New Grakka Fire Department arrives. They begin the process of extinguishing the fire with their portable firefighting equipment, and emergency medical technicians take custody of the civilians...
...several of whom express confusion as to why a police robot went beserk.
Commander Najiri gives you another assignment. The workers of an emergency broadcast station in the city’s western business-and-retail district recently called in to city hall to ask when it would be safe to return to the building. City hall staff are unaware of any evacuation, and Commander Najiri asks the Roughnecks to investigate the station to see if anything suspicious is going on.
When you reach the building — a single-story structure with several antennae jutting from the roof — you find the front door mysteriously ajar...
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The floors of this entry hall are covered in dark brown carpeting. A receptionist’s desk stands across from the front door to the south, which is flanked by potted plants.
Hallways lead north and west.
Each room marked C2 contains a set of four cubicles, each with a small desk, a roller chair, and a tier 1 computer.
Each room marked C3 is a large office shared by two people. Each room contains two desks, two comfortable chairs, a pair of tier 1 computers, and a couple of bookshelves.
A small, round table and a set of plastic chairs have been pushed to one corner of this room. A counter occupies another corner. A door leads east.
High-tech equipment and computer consoles are packed into this large space, raising the temperature by a couple of degrees. A small door in the southeast corner leads to a chamber whose walls are covered with a thick, soundproof material. Another door exits to the southwest.
A thin human woman wearing SDF fatigues stands at one of the computer consoles, attempting to patch her personal datapad into the system. She starts when you enter, but quickly composes herself.
DRACOS realises that although it is a reasonable facsimile, the woman's uniform is an ill-fitting knock-off, and not a 'real' SDF uniform...
"Oh, hello! I’m Lieutenant Chendwen, communications specialist. City hall is pushing out an update to the emergency broadcast—with all the defenses going up and the refugees moving in, the evacuation routes and designated shelters have changed. But it looks like someone got here before me and did some damage. The system is currently down. Could you give me a hand?"
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|
DRACOS hits twice, wounding the woman.
Susreth takes a pot-shot...
...scoring a solid hit.
"The Reckoning is at hand!"
The woman lines-up a careful shot on DRACOS...
...but after failing to fake him out, misses.
Rico then takes a shot...
...but misses again.
DRACOS (-52)
Susreth (-12)
Chendwen (-30)
Rico (-14)
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Chendwen’s datapad contains digital blueprints of the emergency broadcast station and a recent schedule of the New Grakka police’s patrol of this neighborhood.
In addition, you discover the message she was attempting to play had she successfully hijacked the emergency broadcast signal:
A woman’s low, monotone voice intones, “The Reckoning is at hand. The wrath of the Swarm will soon descend upon those who would deny this system’s rightful rulers. They are the scourge sent to punish the wicked: no sins can be kept secret from the hive mind. This resistance is pointless. Suskillon’s military can’t protect our world any better than they could their own. The Swarm will consume all. If you want to repent and survive, join them. Join the Reckoners. Follow Sister Spark. Welcome the Swarm. Let this city burn.”
Digging further into the datapad’s files, you find a “signature” buried in the underlying code of the message. It’s a stylized symbol of an insectile claw - identical to the one found on the pipe-bomb earlier...
Clearly, the Reckoners pose a credible threat to New Grakka’s stability. Reporting back to Commander Najiri, she authorizes you to use any force required to take care of the problem that they pose. She is insistent that no civilians be injured or killed, but the Reckoners have shown themselves to be enemies of the state. While the commander would like them to stand trial, she is not convinced they will surrender quietly.
However, she suggests that you investigate further in the morning, noting wryly that you look like you have been through a wringer...
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|
DRACOS learns the following:
The Reckoners are a fanatical group of New Grakkan citizens who believe
that because of its sins, the Suskillon system deserves to be destroyed by the Swarm. The Reckoners existed before the Swarm’s first attack on Suskillon, though their dogma was vaguer at the time, simply calling for the city to end its sinful ways through confession and painful atonement. The Reckoners see just about any self-indulgent or even slightly lewd behavior as sinful, making even the most average and moral citizen a target for conversion. The organization was founded (and is still led) by a charismatic android woman calling herself Sister Spark, who claims the universe has shown her alone the pathway to be free from sin (which, of course, required sizable donations to the sect). The Reckoners hold regular meetings and provide their services in a small uptown building called Reckoner Hall.
--------------------------
Reckoner Hall is a squat, unassuming building in uptown New Grakka, amid several blocks of shops, restaurants, and other commercial enterprises. There are no signs indicating its function, it has no windows, and the two double doors opening to the main street are kept closed. An alley runs behind the hall, where there is a back entrance that is always kept locked .
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|
A stovetop and counter run along the southern and eastern walls, both crusted with dried food and other unrecognizable stains. A deep sink in one corner is filled with dirty metal dishes.
The Reckoners keep their sundries here, including cooking supplies for the kitchen (area D7) and cleaning supplies. The room contains haphazardly stacked boxes and crates.
This room contains a simple toilet, a shower stall, and a small
metal sink.
This cramped room contains three old bunk beds, under which are pushed rusty metal footlockers. A ragged couch sits against the east wall. A smell of stale sweat hangs in the air. Doors exit to the north and south.
Two tough-looking lashuntas are resting on the beds when you enter, but react with surprise when you enter!
DRACOS (-)
Reckoner Tough (-, -)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS tags one of the thugs with his pistol, and grazes him with a bullet as well.
Both thugs scramble to their feet, and race to the door on the opposite side of the room.
Susreth takes a shot...
...setting the injured thug on fire.
Rico tries to follow his example...
...but misses.
DRACOS (-)
Reckoner Tough (-21, -)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS stuns the injured thug (who subsequently, ironically, dies due to being on fire, before anyone can stop it...), then puts the other one down with two well-placed bullets.
Six seconds later (during which time DRACOS can have refilled his magazine), the door at the end of the corridor opens, revealing three more thuggish-looking lashuntas!
DRACOS (-)
Reckoner Tough (-, -, -)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS takes out one thug with a double-tap, then wounds another.
The wounded one throws a stickybomb grenade...
Rico is stuck to the ground, whilst Susreth dodges.
The other one simply opens fire upon DRACOS...
...missing.
Susreth takes a shot...
...as does Rico...
...but both miss.
DRACOS (-)
Reckoner Tough (-14, -)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-; Entangled 3)
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|
Three rows of cheap benches provide seating for at most thirty people in front of a small stage with a backdrop screen against the wall facing the entrance doors. A cheap projector is mounted to the wall between those doors, connected to a portable computer and pointed toward the stage. Two doors at ground level on either side of the stage lead east.
The projector displays a rotating series of images of Swarm creatures, and depict the most horrific Swarm attacks documented.
This dimly lit room contains a large, cluttered desk and several shelves full of battered audiovisual equipment. The main source of light is the collection of monitors showing video feeds of the hall’s stage; one shows a live feed, the other a previous recording. Both are attached to a sleek portable computer. An alcove in one corner of the room contains a threadbare cot. Doors exit to the north and south.
|
|
The files within are mostly images of Swarm creatures and rare footage of Swarm battles culled from the dark infosphere, as well as recordings of potential recruits who openly discussed sedition with Sister Spark, retained for the purposes of future blackmail.
Local law enforcement would be very interested in obtaining these recordings...
This long, narrow office holds a desk, a side table, and a small couch. To the east is a nook containing a narrow bed and a small lavatory, and a door leads south into a hallway.
Gathered here are a serene-looking blue-skinned female android, a nervous-looking shirren, and another lashunta thug.
The android snarls:
"Fools! You must know the Swarm is coming here. Why this show of futile resistance? We can’t possibly defeat them. Our only hope is to join them..."
The thug throws a sticky-bomb grenade...
This time, Rico dodges, and Susreth is glued to the floor.
Reckoner Thug (-)
DRACOS (-)
Sister Spark (-)
Susreth (-)
Thisskt (-)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS heavily wounds the shirren, and his shot arcs to the thug.
Sister Spark frowns.
"Get him!"
She then fires her pistol...
...scoring a glancing blow.
Susreth reacts rather violently to the android's pronouncement.
"You want to *join* the Swarm!? You're insane!"
Unfortunately, his shot goes wide.
The Shirren, looking worse for wear, concentrates, and fires a trio of force missiles at DRACOS...
Rico frowns.
"We're working as a team, Susreth! Coordinate fire!"
So saying, he shoots at the Shirren...
...scoring a glancing blow.
The thug stats firing his pistol wildly...
...and hits!
Reckoner Thug (-)
DRACOS (-22)
Sister Spark (-)
Susreth (-)
Thisskt (-24)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS double-taps the shirren into oblivion, then severely wounds the lashunta with a torso shot.
Sister Spark attempts to inspire her remaining follower.
"Get him! The Swarm will reward our devotion!"
She then fires her pistol...
...scoring a solid blow.
Susreth, sheepishly, takes a shot at the lashunta...
Unfortunately, his shot goes wide.
Rico nods, and likewise takes a pot-shot...
...but he misses as well.
The thug doubles-down upon his assault on DRACOS...
...but only succeeds in missing twice.
Reckoner Thug (-20)
DRACOS (-30)
Sister Spark (-)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-)
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|
DRACOS stuns the thug, then pours two shots into Sister Spark.
The android, a desperate gleam in her eyes, shouts:
"For the Swarm!"
She then fires her pistol wildly...
...scoring a solid blow.
Susreth, with obvious relish, turns his attention to the android...
Rico simply shifts focus...
...both score glancing blows.
DRACOS (-35)
Sister Spark (-26)
Susreth (-)
Rico (-)