SFS 1-38 - The Many Minds of Historia (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

Kaylee shouts out, "I'll try to get the turrets!"

Then she subvocalizes to her AI, "Simon, activate program Mal then program Universe at the turret on the right!"

Knowing her pulsecaster won't work on robots, she drops it and draws her ghibrani huchket rifle. As a standard action, Kaylee's energy shield activates. At the same time, her exocortex AI Simon attempts a wireless remote hack on the Red turret.

Computers: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

Bad roll :(
At least Kaylee now has her 9hp energy shield active

Simon receives a 401 UNAUTHORISED error.

Sefel sprints towards the right turret in hopes of shutting it down.

I think I can get this one! he yells.

[move] 25'
[standard] Shut down RED
Shut down RED (Computers): 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 31

And that takes Red out of action by deleting it's core programming.

"You will not have her? And your toys will not protect you."

Vecro moves forwards while reaching for his storm hammer, as he reaches the turret he smashes it.

Hammer@teal(or blue): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Damage, b&e, photon attunement: 3d6 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (5, 3, 4) + 10 + 1 = 23

Move and strike

"Nice work, I'll go for the other turret Nadia vanishes as she activates her glass skin and heads closer to the other turret. She'll try to clance at historia's computer terminal an the way over.

Vecro damages blue (-25).

Blue retaliates by using its serrated claw on Vecro
claw: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 slashing: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Yellow also takes a shot at Vecro
squad machine gun: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 piercing: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Shokil and Chk'tarish are up.

Taking his time, Shokil lines up a second shot, determined to take out the yellow robot.

attack vs EAC: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18 really? 2 and 4?
F damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (1, 6) + 7 = 14

Slightly nervous now, Shokil considers what his protagonist would do in this particular tricky situation.

Grabbing a rifle from the corpse in front of him, Smith fired off a quick shot at the approaching robot. The rifle didn't fire. A quick glance showed a shocking lack of care for the weapon. The sergeant kicked the body, then decided that the soldier had already paid the price for his carelessness and ducked as the robot returned fire.

Still lying belly to the floor, Chk'tarlsh's antennae quiver in anticipation as the yellow bot crosses directly in front of him as it targets Vecro.

Lining up the shot, he fires off a quick double volley.

Corona laser rifle 1: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 12 - 4 = 18
Fire Damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (4, 5) + 7 = 16

Corona laser rifle 2: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 12 - 4 = 21
Fire Damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 1) + 7 = 10

Shokil's shot actually hits. So does both of Chk'tarish's shots, for a combined total of 40 points. Yellow is now very badly damaged but still operational.

The red turret is out of action but the green one is fully operational. It fires at Sefel.
rifle: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 piercing: 7d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 6, 4, 1, 2, 3) = 21

Everyone but Shokil and Chk'tarish are up.

Yeeeeouch! for some reason Sefel screams in pain only in his mind, and it is broadcast telepathically to his teammates.

I'll try to get the last one!

He strides across the expanse, hoping to sidle up under the turret and avoid being an easy aim for being so close.

[double move]

<<Not if I get there first...RIGHT Simon?>> Kaylee playfully replies telepathically. She hugs the wall, running around the blue robot and getting close to Sefel before tasking her AI once more. "Simon, run program Universe...the RIGHT way this time, please?"

Wireless hack computers: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

Internally,
:sigh: "frak"

Vecro takes a step to flank with Nadia, taking out his shield. Then he swings his hammer

Attack@teal: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
Damage, b&e, photon attunement: 3d6 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (6, 1, 3) + 10 + 1 = 21

But misses. "How hard could it be to strike a turret with a hammer?"asks surprised.

Haha. Maybe you'll just give it something else to shoot at while I hack it! he jeers back at Kaylee over telephathy.

This time Simon gets a 403 FORBIDDEN error. Everyone else manages to miss their targets.

((waiting on Nadia - will bot in roughly 15 hours))

I'm glad to see the HTTP spec survived the gap :P

Nadia tries to hack the turret while invsible,
computers: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33

Nadia succeeds in hacking the turret. Both turrets are now disabled.

Blue continues using its serrated claw on Vecro
claw: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 slashing: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Yellow takes a shot at Chk'tarish
squad machine gun: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22 piercing: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

With the turrets disabled, everyone is up.

With his companions taking the turrets out of the action, Chk'tarlsh keeps his attention on the yellow bot.

"I'll keep thish bot busssy," he announces over the comms.

The shirren squeezes off another couple of shots in quick succession.

Corona laser rifle 1: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 12 - 4 = 19
Fire Damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 6) + 7 = 16

Corona laser rifle 2: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 12 - 4 = 21
Fire Damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (4, 3) + 7 = 14

The Yellow bot is destroyed.

Good shot Chk'tarlsh! Just one left...

With no more hacking to do Sefel raises his laser rifle, but strides past Kaylee to get a safer shot at it.

[move] 20'
[standard] attack BLUE
aphelion laser rifle attack, F damage: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 183d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 3) = 9

Aiming through the smoke of the destroyed yellow robot, Shokil lines up the last robot and gently squeezes his trigger...

attack vs EAC: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
F damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (2, 6) + 7 = 15
crit bonus damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (4, 6) + 7 = 17

Smith checked left and right. The final robot lay in a smoking heap, with his shot right through its central processing board. As he walked past it, the Sergeant ripped off its integrated weapon. He'd always admired squad machine guns.

Actually that is rather accurate. Shokil's shot does take Blue out. (41 points total from the two of them).

A panel in the wall near the south door, clearly labeled “For Emergency Use,” contains a well-stocked first-aid kit, which Zigvigix points out and encourages you to make use of. The kit includes four mk 3 serums of healing, two tier 2 coagulants, four tier 2 excitants, an advanced medkit,
four doses of sprayflesh, and three white nanite hypopens.

The feedback from the PCs’ interference shorts out the command cradle. The overload spills into Historia-7’s body, covering her in electrical arcs before knocking her unconscious for the moment—though the polycarbonate shell over the command cradle remains in place, preventing you from
directly interfering with Historia-7.

You can now investigate the complete Command Cortex. What do you want to do now?

Kaylee sighs and grumbles at Simon while going over to pick up her pulsecaster rifle to sling then looking around for any way to get access to Historia-7. If that doesn't work, she'll join up with the others wherever they think it's best to go next.

I might be offline for the next 24 hours or maybe a little bit more. Please feel free to make perception and any other checks you need to for Kaylee whenever they're needed!

"Anyone hurt?" asks Shokil as he carefully cleans his rifle.

"And how do we get into *that*?" he asks, pointing to the shell over Historia-7.

Vecro puts his hammer on the ground and reaches with his hand towards the mote, which spills onto his body. Putting on solar armor, as during this fight, fire and electricity resistance.

Then he begins to meditate. Burning 1 RP to rest, all of the damage didn't go through my stamina

You can examine Historia-7’s body visually through the polycarbonate shell, and a panel along the side of the command cradle can be used to bring up the physiological readings of its occupant. Historia-7 doesn’t show any signs of physical injury (other than the overload that rendered her unconscious), but she is obviously in poor health and hasn’t been giving any attention to her personal maintenance for some time.

Sefel exhales in relief after the last robot falls. He glances over at Historia-7.

We'll try to crack that nut soon enough.

He settles near Vecro and takes his own rest. 1 RP, removing the SP damage

After that period he approaches her shell again.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

Whatever is affecting her is deeply embedded and won't go easy. No simple spell or common affliction. It's clearly getting worse too... he reports, with a slightly somber tone.

I think we need to look around this place for more clues.

Feeling a bit lost, Nadia takes two minutes to look over the terminal carfully to make sure there are no countermeasures.

Take 20 on perception for 26 (at least until i dig out my physical sheet and update my profile)

Vecro keeps his hammer in two hands and begins to look through the room.

Perpcetion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

The room reveals no more clues.

Studying the readings on the panel, which has no countermeasures, Sefel realizes that they strongly suggests that Historia-7’s own personality is still intact; if it weren’t, she wouldn’t be showing the degree of distress she currently exhibits. This information makes Zigvigix a bit more relieved as he was worried he was too late.

Maybe we should check her and Historia 6's offices they 'path.

Vecro nods his head "Let us head to Historia 6's office. If he is behind it, there could be a mark"

Historia 6's office (A#)

Despite Historia-6’s return from the Scoured Stars, this workspace remains eerily clean and sterile.

Perception checks please.

Shokil looks around the room carefully.

"What are we missing???"

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Chk'tarlsh follows his companions into Historia-6's office. He looks around the sterile space, antennae waving

"Doessn't even look like anyone usesh thish place..."

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

There has to be something around here... Like Chk'tarlsh his antennae dart in different directions as he looks about the sterile room.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

You could almost do surgery here...

Is there any computer that could be accessed here?

Vecro joins others searching through the place

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Do you think that something happened to Historia-6 in the Scoured Stars? A lot of agents came back damaged, in many different ways."

Kaylee makes a careful look around the area (taking 20 for 32) and, with Zigvigix's help spots a a hidden compartment holding only a single outdated comm unit with a cracked screen.

Make a Computer check to hack it

Sefel wiggles his fingers in the air and cracks his knuckles. The rigorous hacker warm-up exercise.

Let me see what's in this comm unit you've found...

Computers: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33

Sefel finds it surprisingly easy to get into it but it contains only a single thread of messages with an unidentified contact.

The messages on the recovered datapad details an agreement to repair a device referred to as the “Abrogation Matrix,” along with an explanation of how to activate its “altered features.” The unspecified contact turns up no records no matter what the PCs try; it appears to have been a device used solely for the purpose of this illicit conversation.

The comm unit also contains the account information for an account with 4,500 credits.

Where to next? Historia-7's study(A4) or the server room(A5)

"[b]I think if we are going to find about more about this story, we should be checking out the authors writing room...[p/b]" suggests Shokil.

He starts moving toward the study.

Chk'tarlsh nods at Shokil's suggestion, falling in behind the halfling.

Historia-7’s study is well-maintained, but not as immaculate as her predecessor’s. Most notably, her terminal has not one display but eight mounted in an array above the desk. You find the computer here it to be incredibly well secured, but with basic functions available without a login. Once woken from sleep, however, the computer resumes playing the Star Sugar Heartlove!!! album (at a far more reasonable volume than you heard from Zigvigix’s briefing), and the screens light up with a rotating series of photos of a gray-skinned android with a shock of short, bright-red hair, each with a time stamp and the label “Historia-4".

If you wish to try and get into Historia-7's system you will need a successful Computer's check.

Wow, this one offers up information without a login. You don't see that often. Let's try to dig a little deeper though...

Sefel says as he commandeers Historia-7's computer once everybody is done inspecting the photos.

Computers: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29

"I wonder why she was looking at a picture of her predecessor?" muses Shokil.

Vecro follow the others, he looks at Historia-4 wondering if anyone recorded previous names of the androids and if the change in name also was not reflected in some other way.

Disguise at +3 ;) and even I can't roll 26 on d20 :D

"That is some nice workstation, tell me Sefel do you have a similar set-up?"

Also can't make any of those DCs.

The shifting array of Historia-4 pictures are reflected a myriad of ways in Chk'tarlsh's multifaceted eyes.

"Anythinhk to the time sstampsh?" he asks, peering over the shoukders of his more technologically savvy colleagues.

Anything jump out about the dates or times of the timestamps? Or provide a basis for some further digging?

Like this? Oh, I have multiple rigs back at my apartment. You don't work in software without building a home hobby kit or two. Little good it's done to get my career jump-started again. Alas, here I am. He tries and fails to hide a slightly forlorn expression.

Chk'tarish notices that there are subtle shifts in the pictured android’s expression and a transition in her circuitry’s color from bright red to silver, a progression of changes that took place over several weeks’ time. This suggests that the mental takeover of Historia-7 wasn’t instantaneous, and that there might still be time to intervene.

Kaylee computers: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

Kaylee manages to get into Historia-7's computer (just hit the DC) discovering her password is X151v51Z

She discovers that the faction leader was investigating her prior namesakes, though much of the information was purged from the Society’s data stores. The only note, beside the images of Historia-4, are indications that files pertaining to Historia-3 were locked out by order of Guidance.

There is a box alongside the desk containing a stash of Eoxian equipment

The box contains a crypt-class void staff, a crypt-class bone pistol with an invigorating fusion, a mk 2 phantom basal ganglia, and a least gluon crystal with soulfire and vesk-bane fusions.

Server Room (A5) next?