Half of the robot's head is inexplicably crushed, but it doesn't seem to have been using that half for much of anything.
Jazz's turn.
Initiative:
Purple Maintenance Robot (2/8, AC 14-16, Exigency used)
Zashodu (AC 15; 17/20)
Jazz (AC 18; 11/17)
Fengsai (AC 17; 16/16)
Blue Maintenance Robot (8/8, AC 14-16, Exigency)
Laurel (AC 18; 16/16)
Sanity (AC 17; 15/15)
Grizzi (AC 18; 11/14)
Jazz blows apart the damaged robot.
Is it with a touch of hesitancy that the last one bellows "IT IS AWAKE!" or does its shouting merely sound lonely devoid of its chorus?
Regardless, it continues the same tactics. It focuses on Zashodu, and even hits him once.
It is with a perhaps forlorn "IT IS AWAKE!" that it awaits its inevitable destruction at the hands of the entire party.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Zashodu (AC 15; 13/20)
Jazz (AC 18; 11/17)
Fengsai (AC 17; 16/16)
Blue Maintenance Robot (8/8, AC 14-16, Exigency used)
Laurel (AC 18; 16/16)
Sanity (AC 17; 15/15)
Grizzi (AC 18; 11/14)
"IT IS A--" With another pair of shots, the last one collapses into a heap of crumpled metal.
Laurel searches the downed robots for more ammo...
"Doncha start wigglin' again now. Hol' still!"
|
"Looks like we can't use the elevator to get out of here, maybe there's a stairway around here I'll look for that."
Still shaken up by the gravity, the elevator, and getting attacked by robots, Fengsai draws her pistol, before stealthily looking for a stairway or any signs of other danger, making quick dashes between cover and shadows, trying to hide from anything and everything.
Dark vision
|
|
Ow, ow! You can't repair me with that!
Zashodu screams mentally as the last robot puts a welding torch to him. He knows it can't hear his thought projections, but he says it all the same.
He gets out his burn cream and med kit...
Hmm... these must be the akitonian instructions. It's not working.
Frustrated he throws the kit down for now and joins Fengsai in searching for stairs, or anything noteworthy.
Ah, good thing you brought that med kit, otherwise we'd have had to improvise something with those torches, to cauterize the wounds. This way we probably don't have to resort to amputation. That's always a plus isn't it? It's not like you're a barathy where there things grow back easily.
The doctor looks at Jazz and Grizzi, and almost eagerly says Oh my, those might fester if not treated quickly. Let's just start with an IV, shall we? Sani takes out that gross-looking needle again.
The intersection filled with broken robot parts has hallways branching in all directions. Behind the party, the hallway disappears into darkness... wasn't there an elevator back there?
The catwalks are also strange, crossing the hallways overhead and disappearing into the walls. There's a ladder up ahead that leads up to it, though it's old and rickety enough that one would have to be careful climbing.
Ahead the hallways seems to disappear in this direction as well...
Though if the adventurers wanted to examine the robots, they're no longer resisting. Now that they're broken open, it's trivial to see that the robots’ cores are blackened and nonfunctional, with obvious damage similar to what would be caused by a massive surge of electricity.
robots’ internal code has been overwritten with a repeating line of text in common programming language: “IT IS AWAKE.”
Laurel looks around.
"Who knows how to talk to this thing?"
He kicks it because sometimes that works.
"Let me help you with that, Nufriend Jazz," Grizzi insists.
After examining the robots, he concludes, "Ah! I see the problem. It turns out that these robots weren't supposed to attack us at all. They were malfunctioning!"
"It was a coding error. The initial internal code has been overwritten with a repeating line of text in common programming language." Grizzi explains. "If one wants to reprogram robots, I would suggest overwriting to the code with a different line of text. Perhaps, an instruction or, at the least, a cheerful greeting. That would be more helpful than, 'IT IS AWAKE'. Of course, overwriting with that code the robots are unlikely to function properly. I am surprised that they were able to function at all."
Nothing bothers the party as Zashodu works. This entire area seems odd, a little vague around the edges like there's something you just can't quite make out just at the edge of your vision--only all the time. The sounds are pretty normal, the buzz of overhead lighting, the occasional drip of moisture, the sound of a large crowd of people milling about a clearly-empty hallway--nothing too odd. The elevator is visible from the intersection just around the corner, which isn't quite where the party left it. Did it shift?
To the northwest, the hallway leads past the elevator and ends in a mechanical door--the kind that should open automatically when someone moves towards it, unless it's locked. All the doors looks like standard autodoors.
The northern hallway branches. Due north, it ends in another door. To the left is some kind of shrine, and to the right looks like an open supply room with crates and shelves.
To the northwest, the hallways looks long and empty before ending in a door--but that's where the noise like a crowded tram station is coming from.
The three southern hallways all end in closed doors.
To the east is the rickety ladder leading up to a platform over the wall. It's out of sight, but presumably connects to the catwalks.
Short on ammo, Laurel examines the crates and shelves for clips...
"Dunna gone run outta ammo now, since we locked down here in this spooky dungeon"
Laurel sees that the crates have clearly been there for a good, long while. Anything perishable in them is certainly long spoiled. He also sees movement, as something on one of the shelves unfolds itself. Another robot.
The good news is this time there's only one, and it's a little smaller. The bad news is that this one looks like a security drone, actually built for combat. The good news is that Laurel spots a couple of fresh batteries. The bad news is that they're currently inserted into the robot's integrated weapon. The good news is that this one doesn't seem to be jerky or erratic (it was sitting there silently on a shelf after all, until someone approached), and is probably following its intended programming. The bad news is that as a security robot, that programming might not be friendly to people who enter the area it was guarding. "Intruder identified," it says, "Surrender and be destroyed."
Well, mostly following its original programming.
Before Laurel (or anybody else) can react, the robot hovers off of its shelf, scattering some dust. It levels its weapon arm at Laurel and fires two pulses of electricity. He ducks, which apparently it wasn't expecting.
All PCs' turns.
Security Drone (five feet up)
Sanity (AC 17; 15/15)
Fengsai (AC 17; 16/16)
Zashodu (AC 15; 20/20)
Laurel (AC 18; 16/16)
Grizzi (AC 18; 14/14)
Jazz (AC 18; 17/17)
Laurel feels reality warp around him protectively "Cooool!" he almost forgets that he is "in" combat "Oh yeah!"
And "Nuther 'bot - let's show 'em how we take 'em out!" he calls valiantly, following words with fire and ducking for cover.
◆) Get 'Em
◆) Strike
◆) Step
DIRECTIVE ENVOY VISUAL
You single out an enemy for you and your allies to focus your attacks on. This concentrated assault weakens that enemy’s defenses. Select a creature within 60 feet that you can see. That creature takes a –1 circumstance penalty to AC until the beginning of your next turn.
Lead by Example: If you attack the target you select before the end of your turn, you reveal a weak point in your foe’s defenses. You and your allies gain a +1 circumstance bonus to damage rolls against the target
This one doesn't seem to have any neurological-equivalent issues. I think we have to sedate it all the same, though
◆
◆◆
With a grinding sound, the robot overclocks itself and tries to twitch out of the way--in exactly the wrong direction, as Laurel's laser pierces it dead-center.
Dr. Sani finishes it off, slicing it in two with a disc of force.
With that situation quickly resolved, the party is able to determine that the content of the crates is largely too old to be of any use (and a lot of has rotted), but they find 10 feet of tactical cable line and a emergency beacon.
The robot's weapon is built-in, but the two commercial batteries are removable. One of them only has four charges left, but the other is still full at 10 (there's a helpful display in the form of a glowing line down the side). The weapon seems to be the equivalent of a pulsecaster pistol, an incapacitating weapon. The robot may have had difficulty actually carrying out its threat to "destroy" anyone.
”Ha!” the boy gloats, taking all the credit ”See’s I’m right. Jus’ you stay with ol’ Laurel and no trouble comin’ yer way. Les’ git outta here!”
He grabs the full clip, and stows it in a pocket.
Fengsai picks up the battery with only 4 charges
"Might as well grab this one too just in case one of us runs low. Does anyone need a half-used battery?"
Do you want to swap it for my half-used vaccine? Sani says, without any real interest in the battery. He then moves to follow Zashodu.
This wide corridor has the atmosphere of a crowded autotrain platform. The sounds and vibrations of a crowd talking and milling around fill the chamber, even though the area is deserted. Noisy holo-ads explode from the surrounding walls, their bright colors bursting into the corridor as three-dimensional models of actors and products compete for attention.
As bad as ads can be sometimes, this seems to be a little much. As soon as Zashodu entered the hallway, several of them started playing at once, their audio garbling into each other. There's clearly a projector somewhere nearby, but it doesn't seem to be functioning correctly.
Seeing the clip as half full instead of half empty, Laurel sidles up to Fengsai.
”If’n yer not needin’ it, thet is”
Zashodu spots a holo-projector. He's almost right under it, but it was obscured by the holographic ads themselves.
It's humming ominously, but doesn't actually seem to be doing anything. Zashodu is able to deactivate it, though it has no effect on the holographic cacophony. The projector actually responsible for these ads is a separate one, closer to the door. That one isn't humming so ominously, but it seems to be cracked and is giving off electrical sparks in addition to the ads.
To Sani, the projector is just another patient Nonono! It's just like a carotid artery, the power goes to the brain, and that makes it see. Just that it's backwards, you see, it doesn't see, but makes you see! Anyway, you have to bend back that bit, and makes sure you don't shock yourself. Shocking yourself would be back, your heart may stop working, and even worse, all your hair will stand up.
Sanity repairs the projector without getting shocked. The ads resolve themselves down to a single holographic shirren attempting to sell the party on broccoli-flavored bubblegum that doubles as a toothpaste and a patch for space suits. The noise of a crod dissipates.
Sani can turn that off entirely if he wants to.
"I bet that broccoli-flavored bumblegum could sure come in handy sometime!" Grizzi notes cheerfully.
Luck? Sani looks quizically and Fengsai No, luck doesn't work that way, you can't just fix being unlucky. Everyone is unlucky half the time, or the other half wouldn't be lucky, would it?
Sani turns off the broadcasts Quacks. Everyone knows that stuff doesn't work. Better chew on a carrot. Sani's teeth, in case anyone is wondering, are quite yellow.
So, how about that door, then?
The door opens as the party approaches, though Sanity, Zashodu and Jazz notice the tiniest of delays that suggest something is off here.
Steam occasionally billows from heat vents in the floor and ceiling of this 20-foot-high metal corridor. Jazz notes that the vents inside the room also seem suspicious. It might not be the devices themselves that are causing problems here--he thinks he catches a stifled giggle.
Laurel charges forward, lasgun pointed.
”Standin’ around ain’t gun do nothing” he turns and calls out into the darkness ”Anyone there? I’m Laurel and these lot is with me. We just tryna get outta here, but the tv went all haywire. Comin’ through now lookout”
He enters the door in question ”C’mon guys”
A tiny goblin-like creature pops suddenly into Zashodu's view, which certainly wasn't there before. It laughs as the automatic doors suddenly slam shut--while Laurel is still crossing the threshold. It was invisible before, but too reliant on that--when the invisibility fails it's in plain sight!
He takes a good wack, and gets shoved into the room as the door slams shut behind him.
Forcing the automatic door open again is certainly possible , but looks... formidable. It probably fails safe, so smashing the control panel is an option , though probably not a quick one. Jamming the door open or overriding the controls are probably the easiest way to get the door open again.
Laurel is on one side with the creature, and the rest of the party stuck in the hallway behind him...
Sani recognizes it as a space station gremlin, a mischievous fey creature with an affinity for technology. These gremlins tend to have extremely intimate knowledge of the stations and starships they inhabit (and sometimes help maintain infrastructure when nobody is looking, so they're sometimes tolerated more than other gremlins).
Jazz, Laurel, Dr. Sanity, Fengsai, and Grizzi's turns. You spotted the sabotaged heat vent traps, so I've marked them on the map.
Initiative:
Jazz
Laurel
Dr. Sanity
Fengsai
Grizzi
Space Station Gremlin
Grizzi
Laurel empties the rest of his clip on the goblin!
◆) Strike
◆◆) Autofire