Brilliant Gameologists Forum
Playtime! => Retired PbP Games => Play by Post General => Modern-Day Monsters => : Bell January 15, 2009, 08:19:12 PM
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The four of you are sitting in the briefing room of C24 HQ. It's 3:30 AM, and you've all recieved phone calls from the head of C24 himself, Director Jonathan Regent. On the phone, he was reluctant to give much information, only stating the urgency of getting to the office as soon as possible. Over the last 20 minutes, the four of you have come in one by one, but the Director has yet to arrive.
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Paranoid as ever, Dog sniffs around the room, mostly ignoring the other unless they try to get his attention.
[spoiler]There's no skill check to use Scent.[/spoiler]
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"I take it you guys don't know what the big deal is all about either?" Dean says, half yawning.
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Just as clueless as you.
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Wearing his fatigues, David looks completely awake despite the ungodly hour. "We'll be briefed soon enough I'm sure."
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"Hello, Gentlemen," says the Director as he finally walks in the door. He carefully shuts and locks the door before walking to the front of the room. "I'm sure your curious as to why you all were called in this early. First I would like to apologize for the hour. I would have liked to wait until you came in in the morning, but this is very sensitive information, and we need to act fast." The director pauses, and turns to the computer at the front of the room. With a few keystrokes, the lights dim, and the projector in the back of the room turns on.
"I wanted you to know that I chose the four of you specifically for this mission. You've been doing good work lately, and over the last year and a half, your team has had a higher mission success ration than we've had around here for a long time." The Director hit a button on a remote control, and a picture appeared on the wall behind him.
[spoiler](http://image.bio-medicine.org/img/Geneticist-Francis-Collins-named-first-recipient-of-Inamori-Ethics-Prize-at-Case-Western-Reserve.gif)[/spoiler]
"This is Doctor Edward Broodman. He is in charge of a classified project in the Nevada desert. You know all those rumors you've heard about Area 51, and a Roswell alien? Well, they're all lies. None of that happened. It really was a weather balloon. But eight months later, something did crash. In the Colorado Rockies. A small, unmanned computer of some kind, more advanced than anything we'd ever seen, and more advanced than a lot of what we have right now. Codenamed ETC-1, for Extraterrestrial Computer-1.Anyway, Doctor Broodman was in charge of the research team that's assigned to ETC-1.
"Five hours ago, we lost communications with the ETC-1 lab. We haven't been able to contact them, and that's a big deal. You guys are going in, and you're going to find out what happened. I've got a plane waiting for you, and you've got half an hour to get you stuff and get in the air. there's a car at the airstrip where you'll be landing, you'll have to drive from the airstrip to the lab. There will be a GPS unit in the car, and it will have the location programmed in. The car will have the usual equipment in it, plus some extra firepower in case something has gone really wrong. Now, any questions?"
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"Sir, what are the objectives for this mission?"
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Do I have Authorization 9387?
[spoiler=Authorization 9387]9387 is Charon's "Anything goes" code[/spoiler]
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"What do we know 'bout the immediate surroundings of the ETC-1 lab?" Dog's toothy drawl reverberates around the room. "Access routes, potential ambush spots, climate..."
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"What about the security systems at said location? Anything that could be used against us or anything we might be able to use? Any chance of remote hacking to use them to our advantage?
How do we get in once we get there and how many entry and exit point are there? A detailed map would be good to plan our mission.
Also, aside from ETC-1 research, were there any other researches or experiments going on at the lab?
Any remote observation possible? Either via advanced scouts, reconnaisance planes or sattelites?
I'd like to be as prepared as possible."
Dean takes another sip of his coffee, trying to stay awake at this early hour.
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Equipment packed for mission 1: ETC-1:
[spoiler]- 1x H&K Mk.23 SOCOM, with Suppressor, Illuminator and Laser Sight; 16 clips (4 normal, 4 AP, 4Glaser, 4 HP ) (12-box): 6+1+8 lb
- 1x FN Five-seveN, with Suppressor, Illuminator and Laser Sight; 16 clips (4 normal, 4 AP, 4Glaser, 4 HP) (20-box): 2+1+9 lb
- 1x H&K USP Compact (+2 Sleight of Hand to conceal); 16 clips (4 normal, 4 AP, 4Glaser, 4 HP)(13-box): 2+1/2+8 lb.
- 1x FN P90, with Laser Sight, Suppressor, and Illuminator; 15 clips (3 normal, 3 AP, 3 Glaser, 3 HP, 3 Tracer)(30-box): 13+7 1/2 lb
- 1x M16A4, with Electro-optical Scope, Illuminator, Bipod and Suppressor; 12 clips (3 normal, 3 AP, 3 Glaser, 3 HP)(30-box): 8+7 1/2+6 lb
- 1x Knights Armaments Master Key "S" (attached to M16A4); 20 buckshot shells (5 internal): 6 lb
- 1x AAT-21 Heavy 7.62 mm, with 5x 40 Ball Ammunition Ammo Belt/5x 40 Tracer Round Ammo Belt/5x 40 HP Ammo Belt
- C4 x4 blocks (4)
- Detonator, R/C (1/2)
- Demolitions Kit (5)
- Deluxe Electrical Tool Kit (33)
- First Aid Kit (3)
- Smoke Grenade x3 (6)
- Combat Knife (1)
- Taser x2 (4)
- Mastercraft Undercover Vest (3)
- Mesh Vest (7)
- Fatigues (Black) ( - )
- Fatigue Jacket (Black) ( - )
- Ghillie Suit (5)
- Climbing Gear (10)
- Binoculars, Electro-optical (4)
- Camera, Digital (1/2)
- Digital Audio Recorder (1)
- Bolt Cutter (5)
- Lockpick Set (1)
- Lock Release Gun (1/2)
- Zip-tie x10 (1/5)
- Gas Mask (5)
- Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1)
- Compass (1/2)
- Trail Rations x5 (1/2)
- Walkie Talkie, Professional (1)
- Portable Satellite Phone (2)
- Map, Tactical (1/2)
- Night Vision Goggles (3)
Total: 193 1/5 lb.[/spoiler]
Note: Once we have enough intel when we're on site, I'll decide on what to actually bring along inside the facility.
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"There are dossiers (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3282.msg104786#msg104786) waiting for you on the plane, with maps, security plans, and all the intel you've been authorized to receive. Satellite coverage has been unavailable due to heavy cloud cover over the last 48 hours. If we manage a visual before you arrive, the info will be waiting for you on the ground. You'll be landing at Rodson Air Force Base outside of Gabbs, Nevada, then driving about an hour northeast, just south of Dry Lake. The facility is built into a cliff face, and most of the facility is underground. Any other intel can be found in the dossiers we've provided. Your plane is waiting for you, so if there are no other questions, I'll take my leave."
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David crisply says, "Our objectives, sir."
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Do I have Authorization 9387? I need to know how vicious I am allowed to be.
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"Your mission objectives are contained in the dossier, but they boil down to recon and intelligence gathering. You are authorized to follow up on any leads you may come across. Charon, try to keep it subtle if possible, but the mission objectives come first. Authorization Protocol 1729. Good Luck gentlemen."
[spoiler=Authorization Protocol 1729] You can do what it takes to complete the mission, but the objectives do not lend themselves to wanton destruction, so keep it within reason.[/spoiler]
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"Think we'll need more than 4 blocks of C4, guys?
Also, don't forget to grab weapons with silencers for this mission, stealth could be a major advantage. I'm sorry Charon, but that means no Desert Eagles for you this time, especially since you and me are the most capable of stealth in our team. No need to ruin that with undampened .50 caliber fire" Dean smirks.
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I silenced my DE's! And this is 1729, not 9387, so C4 will not be necessary. Charon says as he walks toward the door.
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Looking at Dean, David shakes his head. "Blowing things up is not reasonable. And stop provoking Charon, he knows what he is doing."
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Thanks Dave.
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David shrugs. "We've been on missions together, my team has proven that they know what they are doing. I don't like conflict within the team, it lessens morale and decreases efficiency."
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"If you have no more questions, then I'll leave the four of you. My wife was not happy that I didn't come home last night. There's a helicopter waiting for you on the roof to take you to the plane. Good luck men, we'll see you when you get back." With that, the Director turns on the lights, turns the projector off, and walks out of the room. As he reaches the door, he stops. "The helicopter is waiting, so if you would head up to the roof..." He nods to the ceiling.
You walk to the elevators, and take it to the top floor, where you get out, and take the stairs to the roof. Even before you step outside, you can hear the powerful rotors turning. The four of you get inside, and strap yourselves in. After a short 10 minute flight, you touch down near a small plane. You get out of the helicopter, and climb the steps into the plane. The inside is extremely high class. There are two couches, a table with booth seats, and a small refrigerator. On the table are four identical manila envelopes with TOP SECRET: EYES ONLY stamped on them.
Once the four of you are in, you hear the engines roar to life, and feel the plane begin to move. After a short taxi, the plane takes off, and you are on your way to Nevada.
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I hope we get to kill something when we touchdown. Charon says, scanning the contents of his envelope.
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Looking at the maps, Dog smiles his toothy smile. "Assuming the towers are manned when we arrive, we may be able to sneak in along the base of the cliff from the East. Charon and I on recon as usual, Dave?"
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David mentally grumbles about being called Dave again, but keeps it to himself. As he reads his dossier, he says "Yes, we need as much information as we can get to make the best plan. Charon, I'm quite sure that you'll get to kill something. I'm sure we all will."
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"Should we assume that the guards have been compromised? I doubt that whatever caused the communications blackout would have left the existing defenses intact." Dog cocks his head to one side, deep in thought. "We really don't have anything to go on until we arrive on site. Been a while since we went in cold like this..."
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I silenced my DE's! And this is 1729, not 9387, so C4 will not be necessary. Charon says as he walks toward the door.
OOC: Sorry 'bout that, didn't realise DE's could be fit with suppressors :blush
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"Should we assume that the guards have been compromised? I doubt that whatever caused the communications blackout would have left the existing defenses intact." Dog cocks his head to one side, deep in thought. "We really don't have anything to go on until we arrive on site. Been a while since we went in cold like this..."
"I don't like it anymore than you do." Dean says while he's loading and readying his equipment, things scattered all over the tafle, his dossier folded open so he can glance over it while preparing.
"Going in from the east sounds like a plan. About the guards being compromised, I think that wouldn't be an unreasonable thought, although they could also be in on it. I like to consider all possibilities...
As for recon, would you like me to go with you for an extra set of senses (OOC: note, 'senses', not 'eyes' :P), or should I stay back to keep a decent overview of the facility and provide possible cover fire?"
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David nods. "I would assume that the guards are compromised until shown otherwise."
[spoiler]
Did anyone besides me bring a walkie-talkie?
[/spoiler]
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Supporting fire would be best. Dog and I will take out the guards silently, but if we're in trouble I expect to see some support. Charon grunts. He pulls out a can of steak juice and chugs it down. David, your our backup. You stay with Dean until we call. What channel are we using? Charon pulls out his radio
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[spoiler]I brough a Walkie-Talkie :)[/spoiler]
"Very well, I'll stay back then. A distance no greater than 120 ft. would be most optimal due to firing range."
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"Yeah, that should work... And with our approach from the East, we'll only have to worry about two towers en route to the building. Dean, once we've taken care of the first tower, you should see if you can get up in there for a superior firing position." Dog's tongue hangs out the side of his mouth as he grins in anticipation of the infiltration.
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"Looking forward to this, aren't you, Dog? It's been a while I guess." Dean smiles.
"I'll get up in the tower as soon as it's empty."
OOC:
[spoiler]Do the rest of you guys have a way to see in the dark, either Darkvision, Blindsight or Night Vision Goggles? It's still night when we arrive, right? Also, if you guys have got the seeing in darkness bit covered as well, it might be an idea to see if we can cut the power so they'll be without a lightsource inside, apart from what they've brought themself ofcourse...[/spoiler]
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David nods, pulling out his walkie-talkie and connecting the headset to it. "Channel 52. Keep me updated with what's going on so I can best figure out the situation and adapt the plan. Other than that, I trust you guys to do what you do best."
[spoiler]
You guys better have advanced Walkie-talkies. :P Remember, I can give all kinds of bonuses due to class abilities.
I have low-light vision.
Bell, would rolling a knowledge:tactics check be helpful?
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]We're basically Special Ops, ofcourse I've got an advance walkie talkie :P
Would it be okay for me to bring along extra NVG's for the rest of the team, Bell? Especially for those who don't have Darkvision or Blindsight.[/spoiler]
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As you're planning, you hit some minor turbulence, but it quickly subsides. "Sorry about that boys," comes the pilots voice over the intercom. "We just hit a pretty heavy cloud bank. By the way, we're about 40 minutes out from Rodson Air Force Base, just to keep you aware. "
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Dog and I are Jackal team, you two are Raven team.
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"Raven, got it. David will be Raven 1, I'll be Raven 2." Dean says as he sets his walkie-talkie to channel 52.
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David nods, waiting for the plane to land.
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As you finish your plans, the pilot's voice comes over the loudspeaker. "We'll be landing in a few minutes please take you seats and fasten your seat belts." the plane lands, and the pilot taxis to the end of the runway. The plane stops, and you get out. A short man in uniform is waiting for you outside the plane. When he sees you, he looks shocked and terrified to see a giant four-armed man and a werewolf in the company of two relatively normal looking men. He quickly regains his composure and stammers, "W-w-welcome to Rodson Air Force Base. I'm Staff Sergeant Michael Nicholas. If you'll come with me sirs, you car is waiting for you with all the gear you have requested." He about faces, and marches off, surprisingly swift for such a short man.
As you follow him, you hear thunder booming and crackling out in the desert. He leads you to an armored Humvee, and hands David a set of keys. "She's got a full tank of gas and she's ready to go. I don't know what you guys are doing, but good luck with it. All your gear (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3282.msg105529#msg105529) is in the back, just like we were instructed by your director."
Sergeant Nicholas turns and leaves you alone, clearly eager to put as much difference between the monsters he was ordered to help.
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"Time to rock and roll" Dean grins.
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David gives a the gear a quick once over and nods approvingly. He says, "Dismissed soldier." He then chuckles and turns to Dog. "Seems they even remembered your special needs."
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"Did it have to be a rabbit? Why not just a piece of vermin..." Dean mumbles as he grabs an energy bar.
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Dog eyes the rabbit and tries not to drool (too much). "Ahhh, nothin' like live meat!"
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"You gonna eat that now, or after we're done with this gig, Dog?" Dean asks while munching on the last bit of his energy bar and taking the headset out of his helmet, tossing the helmet in the back of the Humvee and then plugging the headset into his walkie-talkie.
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Charon puts on his helmet and grabs the red liquid.
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"Cheers." Dean smiles as he chugs down some water himself.
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Charon downs the red liquid. Tasty
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Dog excuses himself and goes around the other side of the Humvee. You've never heard a rabbit scream before. You're pretty sure you never want to again. When Dog returns his muzzle is red and sticky. He tosses the empty cage back into the Humvee and pulls one of the headset mics out of one of the helmets. "Ready when you guys are." Dog grins toothily.
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Raven team will approach from the east, Jackal team approaches from the south. Shoot first, questions later. Charon says, taking off his helmet, and why the fuck do we need helmets?
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Looking at the inventory again, David takes his own walkie-talkie headset out and puts it on, ignoring the helmet. He takes one of the pairs of NVG and one of the range-finding binoculars. He also takes ten of the zip-tie handcuffs, a set of climbing gear, and a gas mask. Ignoring the rest, he turns to his team. "Take whatever you think you'll need, leave the rest in the trunk." He nods at Charon in acknowledgment. "Assume that everyone we meet is hostile until proven otherwise. And be ready to change the plan if I deem it necessary. We ready to move out?"
[spoiler]
How far away are we from the facility?
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler] about a 45 minute drive north of your position. [/spoiler]
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Dean puts everything he brought along and doesn't carry with him in the trunk and gets in the front passenger seat. Take the wheel, David, and let's go. he smiles, before he gets in.
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Equipment carried for mission 1: ETC-1:
[spoiler]- 1x FN Five-seveN, with Suppressor, Laser Sight; 2 clips (1 normal, 1 AP) (20-box): 2+1 lb
- 1x FN P90, with Laser Sight, Suppressor; 3 clips (2 normal, 1 AP)(50-box): 12+1 1/2 lb
- Combat Knife (1)
- Smoke Grenade x2 (4)
- Mastercraft Undercover Vest (3)
- Mesh Vest (7)
- Fatigues (Black) ( - )
- Fatigue Jacket (Black) ( - )
- Ghillie Suit (5)
- Climbing Gear (10)
- Binoculars, Electro-optical (4)
- Lock Release Gun (1/2)
- Gas Mask (5)
- Walkie Talkie, Professional (1)
- Night Vision Goggles (3)
Total: 57 7/10 lb.[/spoiler]
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Dog jumps in the rear passenger seat and rolls down the window.
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The drive north is relatively uneventful. It's difficult to see much in the dark, and the heavy cloud cover blocks moon and starlight from illuminating your surroundings. As the drive continues, the road you are on gets worse and worse, until eventually you are bouncing up and down with each passing meter. eventually, you see the edge of a cliff face. As you head north, the road turns away from the cliff to the left, and the cliff takes a sharp turn to the right. As you come around the corner, you can see smoke, and hear the loud crackling of a malfunctioning electric fence. Several of the guard towers are on fire, as is the outlying guard building. Arcs of electricity jump between the dual electric fences, causing flashes of blue light to accompany the harsh red glow of the fires.
[spoiler] I put another map (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3282.msg106033#msg106033) showing a wider view of the area[/spoiler]
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Kill the lights and park the car next to the cliff so that it's out of sight, David, we can walk from here.
We initially wanted to enter from the east side, but seeing as there's no road leading there...
You guys wanna walk around the entire proximity trying to hide while daybreak gets closer or do we enter from the west side? If we want to get to the east side, it would probably take us until daybreak. Ofcourse, we would have the rising sun behind us during our approach to the facility, acting as an aid in our hiding.
OOC:
[spoiler]Bell posted an update about travel time to the east side and which buildings are on fire here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3381.msg106043#msg106043).[/spoiler]
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David pulls out the range-finding binoculars and scans the area. "Let me survey the situation."
[spoiler]
Ok, I'm rolling Knowedge: Tactics. 26 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1917520/)
[/spoiler]
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Dog sniffs at the air.
[spoiler]Does he detect anything unnatural?[/spoiler]
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[spoiler=for Nanshork] As you scan the area, you realize that the fencing on the top of the cliff does not extend down the liff face, so the easiest way to get over the dangerous fence in by climbing partway up the cliff face and over the fence. You also realize that going in on the side with more fires will make you more noticeable to anyone who might be watching because of the darkness. Going around and putting the rising sun at your back will make you much less noticeable. you know that with all the destruction outside, trying to plan what to do inside will be very difficult, and you are better off reassessing the situation once you get inside.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=for j0lt] Dog can smell a few fresh corpses, charred flesh, the remains of some explosives, and gunpowder, but the strongest scent is definitely ozone, coming from the arcing electricity frying the air.[/spoiler]
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David ponders for a moment, then nods. "Ok, here is the plan. We're going to completely avoid that fence, I don't like the looks of it. We can climb partway up the cliff to avoid it. Other than that, I agree that coming in from the East side is the best way to go, those fires will just make us clear targets for anything watching. How does that sound?"
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Great minds think alike. Dean grins as he gives his gear a final check and gets out the Barrett 'Light Fifty'.
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OOC:
[spoiler]I figured I'd roll Hide and Move Silently in advance, I'm bored :D
Here we go:
Hide modifier is 14+7 from David's abilities +10 Ghillie Suit =31 total:
1d20+31=46 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1917716/)
Move Silently modifier is 14+7 from David's abilities =21 total:
1d20+21=31 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1917720/)[/spoiler]
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"This is fresh..." Dog growls. Whatever did this might still be around.
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"Then let's get going before they come out."
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Does this remind anyone of the movie Aliens?
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"Juicy Colonists' daughters..." Dog chuckles to himself.
Dog listens for any movement or other sounds that seem out of place: 32 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1919722/)
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[spoiler]if I could get a hide and a move silently from everyone, please.
BTW, sorry about not posting much over the last 2 days, I had a big accounting exam.[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]No prob :)
For my stealth checks, see this post:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3279.msg106106#msg106106 (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3279.msg106106#msg106106) :D
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Hide: 12
Move Silently: 7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1919790/)[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]
Hide: 17
Move Silently: 16
(http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1920090/)
Everybody, don't forget that you get a +7 from me.
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]That should bring Dog up to +19 and +14, nice :D
I included David's bonus in my rolls, thanks for the reminder though :)[/spoiler]
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Hide: 1d20 18=28 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1922132/)
Move Silently: 1d20 18=28 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1922132/)
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[spoiler=For j0lt]As you finish getting your supplies together, Dog hears something. It's difficult to make out, but it sounds like 2 men talking. you can't hear what they're saying, but over the sound of the fires, you can hear their voices. It seems to be coming from the cliff above you. (also, i was checking your char. sheet for something, and noticed that you have more drawback points that you need. If you want, you could get rid of Weak Immune System.)[/spoiler]
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Dog whispers over the walkie-talkie. "I hear someone talking up on the cliff above us. Charon, can you get up there? Dave and Dean, take cover."
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As Dean takes cover he readies his P90 while scanning the edge of the cliff for any movement.
[spoiler]Note: Dean has his NVG's on at this moment.
Also, remember Bell, Blindsight 60 ft. ;) The cliff is probably higher than that, but still :P[/spoiler]
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My pleasure. Charon bolts up the cliff, drawing his scythes as he reaches the top.
Climb: 1d20 11=29 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1923549/)
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David watches, waiting to see what will happen.
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As Charon reaches the top, and comes over the lip basically in between two guards talking to each other and smoking near the edge of the cliff. They are holding automatic weapons and wearing some sort of body armor. They see you, and one yells, "shit they're back!" [spoiler]Emissary, you get a surprise round[/spoiler]
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OOC:
[spoiler]Bell, how high is the cliff edge?[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]About 60 feet.[/spoiler]
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OOC:
[spoiler]So are those guys just inside or just outside of the range of my Blindsight?
At least they're within range of my P90 and I can see them with the NVG's :D[/spoiler]
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[spoiler] I'll say they are just within your blindsight, but, there a few feet back from the edge of the cliff, so you don't have LOS to them. If they move to the edge of the cliff, you would be able to see and shoot them.[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Yes, I was indeed waiting for them to move to the edge of the cliff :)[/spoiler]
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Charon charges
Initiative: 1d20 3=13 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1926294/)
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Dean continues to scan the edge of the cliff for any movement as he readies his P90.
OOC:
[spoiler]Ready an action to shoot at the first enemy to appear within sight (trying to make sure it's not actually one of the original guards of the facility, hopefully recognizable by uniform or something...)
Initiative: 1d20+5=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1926645/)[/spoiler]
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David pulls out his Baretta. "Charon, try to keep at least one alive so that we can find out that the hell happened here!"
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"And make sure they're hostiles, not part of the original guards..."
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Charon attacks the nearest guard at the end of his charge.
Attacks: 1d20 2=14, 1d20 2=15, 1d20 2=22, 1d20 2=22 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1930387/)
Damage: 2d4 3=6, 2d4 3=9, 2d4 3=11, 2d4 3=9 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1930388/)
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The guard raises his gun up to protect his face, and Charon's first swipe catches on it. As he brings his second strike down, he slices through the stock of the weapon. As his onslaught continues, the attacked guard is hacked to pieces, collapsing in a heap, unconscious and dying. While Charon attacks him, his partner lines up a careful shot, and fires his assault rifle. Charon moves at the last second, and the burst of lead catches him in the bottom right shoulder, tearing a chunk of flesh out. (10 damage)
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Reacting to the sound of gunfire (OOC: assuming the guards don't have silencers) Dean hisses through his walkie-talkie "Shit! Charon, are you alright? Get those bastards to the edge!"
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Charon turns to the next guard. You will pay for that. He charges the guard, spinning his scythes.
Attack: 1d20 2=11, 1d20 2=18, 1d20 2=21, 1d20 2=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1932796/)
Damage: 2d4 3=5, 2d4 3=6, 2d4 3=11, 2d4 3=7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1932793/)
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Two of Charon's scythes come slicing down into the guard's flesh, but his squirming causes Charon's other two swipes to miss. The guard drops to the ground, holding his hands in front of his face. "Please don't kill me!" he begs. "I'm just doing my job. I didn't come here to die! Please, have some mercy!"
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"Don't you kill him Charon!" David barks over the walkie-talkie. "I'm coming up."
[spoiler]
Taking ten, so I get a ten.
[/spoiler]
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I don't show mercy. Charon impales the poor guard with all four scythes
OOC: I'm guessing that is a coup de grace
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David explodes. "Do you not understand tactics? It isn't mercy to question the enemy, and if things turn into a clusterfuck it's your god-damn fault!"
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OOC: Um, I don't think David reached the top of the cliff yet.
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[spoiler]
A) I can talk to you with a walkie-talkie and B) You saying that you don't show mercy means that you killed the guy.
David has common sense. :p
[/spoiler]
-
OOC: Just playing my character.
-
[spoiler]
I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it. :P
[/spoiler]
-
As David reaches the top of the cliff, he see's what Charon has done. The two bodies are sprawled out on the ground. One is ripped open at the stomach, with intestines spilling out, but the second is where the damage has really been done. The second guard's head has been removed, leaving only a bloody stump. Blood is pooling around both bodies, red and glistening in the sunlight that's beginning to show over the horizon.
As the sun hits the headless body, a gold bit of metal reflects the sunlight into David's eye.
OOC:[spoiler]Emissary was right about time. With a low climb check, I would say it took somewhere around a minute for you to climb the cliff. It wasn't particularly difficult, but you definitely had to be careful and take your time. you could certainly have said that over your radio though, so everything happened as posted. Don't worry, killing him is only going to mildly inconvenience you. Or will it.... :P[/spoiler]
-
David reaches down and picks up the metal, ignoring Charon completely.
-
The bit of metal is covered in blood, but as you pick it up, you realize it's a badge. The writing on the badge makes it obvious that these were guards of the facility, and not a part of whatever attacked the facility.
OOC:[spoiler]Cue dramatic music.... Dun dun dun![/spoiler]
-
David tosses the badge at Charon. "Congratulations, even if they facility guards were on our side they'll want to kill us now if they saw this."
-
Charon stares blankly at David. What?
-
David shakes his head. "Those guys were the guards of the facility."
-
What?
-
"Look at the badge. These were survivors of whatever attacked before, which was apparently a group of mutants."
-
What?
OOC: Despite a int of 16, Charon is incredibly thick
-
David practically yells, "Look at the badge!"
-
Charon looks at the badge. Oh. Well...I'm going to go eat. Charon moves over to the guard with the intestines flowing and starts snacking.
-
"Dean, get your ass up here! We've got a royal clusterfuck and Charon's brain just went AWOL!"
-
Dog makes the climb up with Dean, grumbling about how he knew something like this would happen.
Climb = 13 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1937843)
-
"See? This is why we can't have anything nice..." Dean deadpans at Dog, obviously annoyed about Charons loose cannon antics.
"I even warned that idiot to check if these weren't the original guards..."
[spoiler]
Climb: 1d20+1=18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1938140/)
OOC: I told you guys, remember my WMG? :P
[/spoiler]
-
David nods. "And he doesn't even care. Look at him, he's eating one of them! I said it once and I'll say it again. If this turns to shit, I'll know why."
-
"So, what do we do now? Continue with our original infiltration plan or are we going to do something else?" Dean inquires.
"Seeing as these are, or should I say 'were', the actual guards of the facility, whoever attacked this place might be long gone by now. Ofcourse I don't want to make any hasty assumptions...
Speaking of which, are you guys thinking it were mutants who attacked as well, judging by the guards' initial reaction to seeing captain subtlety over there?" Dean continues, pointing in Charons' general direction with his gun.
-
"I don't think they got a radio message off, so I think we're safe for now. Charon, now that you've had your snack, keep cool until we can at least question one of these guys!"
Dog sniffs at the air to detect any foreign scents.
-
Charon stare blankly at Dog. What?
-
Dean turns to David: "Why is he in our team again?"
-
"Because he is a better killer than the rest of us."
-
"So, what do we do next David, besides watching slasher-boy enjoy his meal that is?" Dean asks.
-
[spoiler]
Bell, this a good time for Knowledge: Tactics?
[/spoiler]
-
Simple. We thake the bodies, apply duct tape, make puppets, and get them to open up!
-
"Charon, cut it out. I'm getting an itchy trigger finger..."
-
[spoiler]
Knowledge: Tactics roll of 27 (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1174.msg30459#msg30459) to figure out best course of action.
[/spoiler]
-
Fine fine. I think that we should approach the gate, flash our badges, and eat!
-
[spoiler=Knowledge (Tactics) for Nanshork]As much as it's hurts David to admit it, Charon is probably right. (Except about the eating part.) Now that you know that the guards still have nominal control of the facility, just walking up to the main gate non-threateningly and explaining why you are there might be your best course to get the info you need.[/spoiler]
-
David sighs. "Fine, fine. Let's get to the gate. Do NOT attack anyone unless we are attacked first, and try to explain yourselves before getting into a combat situation."
-
Charon hurries down the cliff
Taken' 10
-
David does the same.
-
Dog half climbs, half slides down the cliff (assuming it's not 100% vertical) and hops down the last 10 or so feet.
[spoiler]Do I need to make a jump check to avoid falling damage?[/spoiler]
-
OOC: [spoiler]no, you'll be fine.[/spoiler]
-
Dean hurries down the cliff as soon as David confirms a plan of action.
OOC: Take 10 as well.
-
"So, are we gonna walk or are we gonna drive to their front door?" Dean asks, somewhat mockingly.
-
Drive
-
Good, you can ride in the trunk...
-
Charon flourishes his claws, What was that?
-
"You heard me." Dean calmly replies.
"Think we can get going, David? You wanna drive or walk?" Dean continues as he turns to face David.
-
"Let's drive, it will make us looks less suspicious and thus like less of a target to whatever guards are left." David starts walking back to the vehicle.
-
Dean removes his ghillie suit and puts it in the trunk, then gets in the front passenger seat.
"Let's go see the welcoming commitee..."
-
Dog hops into the back of the vehicle, careful not to sit on his tail. "This isn't gonna work. As soon as anyone spots Charon or I, all hell is gonna break loose!"
-
"That's what I'm afraid of..."
-
"Just stay in the back and let me do the talking."
-
Better you than Charon.
[spoiler=OOC:]Okay Bell, let's see how this goes...
Say, they did supply us with an armored Humvee, right? :P[/spoiler]
-
The four of you pull away from the cliff, driving back on to the road. As you round the corner of the cliff, you hear and see a large explosion rock the guard compound building. A fireball shoots up into the air, raining down hot bits of metal around the interior of the compound.
Armed guards come pouring out of the main complex at the sound of the explosion. Luckily for the four of you, it distracts them from your approach long enough for you to get to and through the main gate, which had been ripped to pieces.
[spoiler] The info thread has a new picture in it of your surroundings (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3282.msg113381#msg113381)[/spoiler]
-
"Well, the good news is there are only 31 guards." Dean deadpans.
"Could have been worse, there could have been 33, but luckily Charon made sure that's not the case..."
-
Your welcome. Charon says proudly.
-
David ignores the banter. He parks the humvee and says, "Stay here until I call you." He gets out and walks towards the guards with his empty hands in the air, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. When he gets close enough that he thinks they'll be able to hear him he yells, "C24 field agent Corporal David Horn. Who here is your commanding officer?"
-
Dean crawls behind the steering wheel just in case.
"Let's see how this turns out..."
-
Dog looks around the humvee's interior. "Damn! Should'a thought to bring a cloak or something..."
-
"Think you can get to those Ghillie Suits in the trunk?
Then again, if they find out we're hiding you guys in the back that might look suspicious as well..."
-
The guards closest to you come to a dead stop when they hear David yelling. Seven soldiers raise their weapons, pointing them directly at his chest and head. Seven red dots appear on David's body. "I don't know who you are, or how you found this place, but if I don't get some damn convincing answers pretty damn fast, you are going to be a dead man well before your body hits the ground. I'm in charge here, and I am NOT in the mood to deal with anymore shit than I have to." one of the guards says, a tall man with dark skin wearing Marine Lieutenant Colonel's Insignia.
As more of the guards realize that there are newcomers, more laser points show up on David's torso. A contingent begins to contain the most recent fire, but many are turning their attention on David. "Kane, Adams, Finger, and O'Neil, secure his vehicle. Miller, search him for weapons and ID. Moore, take control of the team working on the fire. Ross, Gaiman, and Eisner, keep you weapons on him. Move!"
The LC follows Miller as he walks up to David. "You picked a bad time to show up here unannounced. We get a lot of leeway here at these secret facilities, and it's been one of those days where I might like to flex that extra bit of muscle, you know what I'm saying?" The LC gets right in David's face as he threatens him.
-
"Your communications are down, that's why I'm here in the first place. Therefore of course I came in unannounced. As I said, I am Corporal David Horn, retired. I was sent here by C24 to see what the hell is going on down here." David remains calm, raising his arms to let himself be searched. "My identification is in my left back pocket. Also, my team is in the vehicle and that team includes some mutants. Don't shoot them." He then says into his headset. "They are coming to search the vehicle. Get out and stand down. I repeat, stand down! That goes double for you Charon, they're on our side."
[spoiler]
Diplomacy: 27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1945271/) to get him to calm the fuck down and listen to me. :P
[/spoiler]
-
Dog slowly opens his door and steps out eying the soldiers as they approach. He steps away from the vehicle without closing the door.
-
Charon remains in the vehicle, waiting for them to give him some reason to attack
-
Dean opens the door and gets out, stepping away from the vehicle he leaves the door open. He slowly puts his P90 on the ground, followed by his sidearm, careful not to make any sudden movements. He then barks at Charon: "Charon! You heard the man, get your 8'7" mutant ass out of the vehicle and stand down!"
-
Charon slowly gets out and growls at anyone who looks at him funny
-
Upon seeing Charon get out of the Humvee, Kane and Adams stagger back, but all four keep their guns pointed at him. As the four of you are searched, the Lieutenant Colonel reads David's ID. "C24, eh? I don't much like you guys, but I can understand why you all were sent in to check out the comm blackout. This facility had got some pretty serious stuff going on here. While you're on base, we're going to have to take your weapons, but once we get you briefed I fully intend to get you off base anyway, so that shouldn't take too long. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Timm, by the way." Timm's voice is still strained and angry, but he's no longer threatening to kill you all and hide the bodies, so his disposition seems somewhat improved.
As his men begin confiscating your weapons, his eye's widen at the pile collected. "You boys sure don't travel light, do ya?" As his eyes pass over Charon's more exotic weapons, his jaw actually drops. "Are those ninja swords?! Do you actually use those? dear god, it's a good thing I had enough of my men with me to back me up, I'd hate to think you might have attacked us first. Enough of my men have died today."
-
[spoiler]He was surprised by this? Heck, we were ordered not to overdo it on this mission, can you imagine his reaction if we would've arrived in full battle gear and toiletry? :P[/spoiler]
-
You should see my with my scythes
-
"Shut up Charon..."
-
But my real pride and joy are my teeth and claws.
-
"Yeah, he files them..." Dean sighs as he walks towards David and the base commander.
-
Charon follows, bored
-
David nods. "Lieutenant Colonel, what in God's name happened here?"
-
"It's been a rough couple of hours, Agents. At about 2300 last night, the power went out across the whole facility. We're still not quite sure how that happened, since the generators are underground and they haven't been tampered with as far as we can tell. That's when we lost communications, which is why you guys were sent out here, I presume. The power outage also caused some experiment failsafes to stop working, and there was a small explosion down in the lab. When we heard the explosion in the guard building, a lot of us went to check it out. We discovered that the object this facility is built to study was missing. No one went in and got it as far as we can tell, since the only way down is through an elevator, and the guards at the top and bottom swear it never opened. We came back outside, and things just started exploding. We've been dealing with the explosions ever since. We think they were planted to keep us from following whoever took the ETC-1 object, but I don't know how we could have followed them anyway. The thing just vanished." As Timm catches you up to speed, the four of you follow him into the building and to the elevator. The guard at the door to the elevator starts to stop you, but when he sees you're with the LC, he lets you by. The elevator ride down is a long one, and when the doors open, more carnage is revealed.
" You're free to look around down here, and you can talk to any of the researchers down here as well. I'll wait for you upstairs." Bruce Timm steps back into the elevator, and the doors shut.
[spoiler] I'm going to run this bit pretty loose, and you all are free to go where ever you want down here, talk to people, snoop around the experiments, (or not snoop around), search for clues, whatever. I'll update the [urlhttp://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3282.msg117470#msg117470]lab map[/url] to show where people are and what has been destroyed. Something may or may not happen down here while you are down here.....[/spoiler]
-
Charon starts wandering aimlessly, looking for any interesting experiments (or remains of experiments)
-
As Charon walks around the experiments, one of the scientists catches his eye. The scientist is clearly trying to overcome his terror and revulsion at seeing a four-armed giant with fangs, but he seems to want to say something to him. Eventually the scientist gives up trying to get the courage to talk to him, and goes back to what he was doing.
Most of the experiments seem to be running smoothly again, with the exception of the ones that were destroyed in the explosion.
-
Charon walks over and growls, You want something?
-
The scientist stammers, "I-...It's just that when you w-w-w-walked in and started p-p-p-poking around our experiments, you turned off one of our m-m-m-mass spectrometers that had been running. I was going to say some-th-th-thing, but it was already done, an you're so big, that I didn't want to b-b-b-bother you."
-
A mass what? Sorry, I grew up on the roofs of Vegas, can you explain?
-
"R-r-r-really?" the scientist asks. "I didn't expect someone like you would be interested in this sort of thing. You seem more like the type to break this sort of thing than want to l-l-learn about it."
Well you see, it works like this," the scientist begins, clearly more comfortable now that he is talking about technical things. "Say you have a sample of something, and you want to know what it is. You take a piece, and you put it in this machine. Then it burns the sample with a laser, which ionizes the particles. The light from the burning material emits energy at very specific frequencies, which can be identified by the computer using a vast database of known samples. From there, you can use that information to figure out what the original compound was. Are there any other machines you waould like me to explain to you?
[spoiler] I'm not sure that's entire how a Mass Spectrometer really works, but from my basic knowledge of physics and chemistry, plus my love of CSI, I'm relatively certain that is close to how it works.
also, if Charon keeps asking about machines, I might have to just start making random equipment up that does bizarre fake-science things, since I'm not really sure what might be in a super-secret government research lab.[/spoiler]
-
What if there is no known sample?
-
"What do you mean, like if the results come back and it doesn't correspond to any known elements? Well then that means you've discovered a new on!. But that is highly unlikely, to the point of statistical impossibility since any element higher on the table of elements would only exist for infinitesimal fractions of a second, and would therefore almost certainly not exist in some compound we could test in a mass spectrometer." The scientist is clearly over his initial fear of you, and is now looking up at you with a look of quite pride at being able to, in his mind, bring knowledge to a clearly eager pupil.
-
But what if such a thing existed? If we were able to get a sample? Could we theoretically create the proper environment for that element and scan it?
-
David wanders around, attempting to analyze the situation and see if he can come up with any theories as to what happened.
-
Dog approaches one of the techs and asks him if he could take a look at the location of the missing ETC-1 object.
-
After looking around a little bit Dean joins Dog just as the latter asks one of the scientists about the ETC-1 object.
-
The tech that Dog approaches seems much more at ease around the obvious mutants than most of the scientists, even offering his hand for Dog to shake.
"My name is Doctor Noah Kuttler. I'd love to show you the Etcetera Room. Truth be told, most of us look for any opportunity to go in there. Just going near the thing is exciting. Let me get Dr. Broodman, since we're still in lockdown, which means only he can open the door. Wait here." Dr. Kuttler walks away, and returns a moment later with a man you recognize from your briefing as Dr. Edward Broodman, head of the research team.
"Hello, gentlemen." Broodman says. He introduces himself, and politely shakes your hands as you tell him your names. Dr. Kuttler here tells me the two of you would like to view the Etcetera Room. Since you're down here and haven't been shot by the guards, I'll presume that Lieutenant Timm has given you permission to investigate down here, which means you must be Special Agents sent with C24. Very well then, follow me."
Dr. Broodman leads you to the door and presses his hand up to a palm scanner on the wall. The opens, sliding into the wall, and Broodman turns to you. "This attack has left me a bit disheveled,"[/b] the doctor says, though by all appearances he is immaculately kept. "And as a result I have things I must attend to. So if you don't mind, I will leave you in the capable hands of Dr. Kuttler." With that, he turns and walks away down the hallway that was not destroyed by the explosion.
"Wow. I didn't know Dr. Broodman even knew my name, let alone thought of me as capable. Come on in. All the security measures inside are turned off when Dr. Broodman opens the door, so just follow me. If you have any questions while we're in here, I'll be more than happy to answer them." You follow him into the Etcetera Room, as they apparently call it, and he stands in the corner with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. As you begin to look around, you hear him mumble, "Dr. Broodman said I was capable. Cool."
-
Meanwhile, the conversation between Charon and the scientist continues. "Well, undoubtedly such things could exist. Just like oxygen could spontaneously turn into gold, or you could pour water out of a pitcher and have it spontaneously freeze when it hits the ground. It's just that the chances of that ever happening, while mathematically possible, since it all has to do with the random motion of particles at the atomic level, is a practical impossibility, because there are just too many factors involved for the thing to ever happen in the real world.
"If, however, and this is a major if, we could somehow alter the fundamental constants of the universe, say, change the electromagnetic constant, or the gravitational constant, or the strong or weak nuclear constants, then we could theoretically create conditions where much larger elements could exist. But like I said, that would involve changing the fundamental constants of the Universe, which all of science is based on and says is impossible. Actually impossible, not just virtually impossible. And at that point, the mass spectrometer probably wouldn't work anyway, since it exists under the current fundamental laws of the Universe. But it is neat to think about, isn't it?"
The scientist grins wistfully, and then turns back to his computer. "I have to start another test, he says. "But it's a fairly simple one. Would you like to help me? The computer does most of the work, we just need to load the samples into the mass spec."
-
Sure Charon does whatever the scientist needs him to do.
-
Dog grins and nudges Dean with his elbow, then proceeds to sniff around the room to try and pick up any scent that doesn't seem right.
-
Dean walks around the room looking for things that seem out of place or could be traces of whoever, or whatever, took the ETC-1 device.
-
David continues to wander the facility, looking for less obvious signs of what happened.
-
As Dog sniffs around, he detects a faint fishy odor around the work table where the object is normally kept.
[spoiler]Wisdom check to determine more specifically what it is, please.
Also, a spot check from Dog, Dean and David as well, if you don't mind.[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]
Spot: 15 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1978446/)
[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Wisdom Check = 11 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1978848/)
Spot Check = 10 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1978853/)[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Okay, is anyone else having trouble with Myth-Weavers?[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Myth-Weavers is back.
Spot: 21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1983241/)[/spoiler]
-
Dog sniffs at the air again, and realizes that the smell he detects seems to be raw calamari. He is so wrapped up in his nose, that he fails to notice the shimmer in the air, but it doesn't escape Dean's eyes, who looked at it at just the right time.
-
[spoiler]What? A mutant invisible Admiral Ackbar? A Mindflayer?[/spoiler]
Dean nudges Dog: "Say Dog, what's that shimmer over there? Can you see it?"
[spoiler]Could I make anything out at all, Bell? General shape, color, anything?[/spoiler]
-
Dog's attention snaps up to where Dean is motioning. Seeing nothing, Dog moves over right beside Dean and growls in surprise. "The hell is that? Hey Kuttler, you ever seen anything like that?"
Remembering the smell in the room, Dog cocks his head to the side. "And who's been eatin' sushi down here? Smells like raw squid!"
-
Kuttler walks to where the two of you are standing, and when he gets there, he lets out what sounds like a yelp of surprise. He pulls out his phone and calls Dr. Broodman. "Dr. Broodman, I think you'd better come back to the Etcetera Room. It's really important." He hangs up the phone. Thirty seconds go by, and then Dr. Broodman walks back in the room.
"Well, what's so important that you had to call me back in here? I left you here so I wouldn't have to stay." He gives Kuttler a stern look.
"Just stand here, sir, and look over there," he answers, pointing at the distortion. Dr. Broodman obliges, and when he sees it, his eyes grow wide. He walks towards the distortion, and puts his hand up to it. as it passes through the distortion, it dissapears. Dr. Broodman quickly pulls his hand away.
"I felt.... wind," Broodman says, clearly terrified. As he begins to walk back over to you, A large, pink humanoid creature steps out through the distortion. It's head, a grotesque squid-like thing with tentacles instead of a mouth, leans back, spreading it's tentacles menacingly. It grabs Dr. Broodman, and lets out a piercing sceech, that seems to cut through to your mind.
[spoiler] Will saves from both of you, please[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Will Save = 10 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2017346/)
That's not good, is it?[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Will save: 25 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2017350/). A natural 20.[/spoiler]
"Sonuva...
David! Charon! We've got company!"
Dean runs towards the nearest guards to get their assistance and get his hands on a firearm.
"You! I need a firearm now! And get your asses in here!" he yells as he approaches them.
[spoiler]In case it matters, Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate 17 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2017368/) plus action point 6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2017369/) for a total of 23 to get them to cooperate. Wow, I'm really on a roll today...
Ow, and just in case, I always envisioned Dean as a Lieutenant in terms of rank ;)[/spoiler]
-
Charon finishes with the load before running in, claws at the ready.
-
David goes towards the disturbance, looking around for a weapon.
-
While Dean manages to keep his head, Dog, Kuttler, and Dr. Broodman are struck with a sudden mental assault that leaves them stunned and reeling. When Dean runs out of the room, the creature grabs the two scientists and quickly walks back through the portal, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
When Dean, David and Charon return, along with three armed guards, they find Dog alone in the room, collapsed on the ground, regaining consciousness.
-
"Shit! Dog! Are you alright?" Dean shouts as he runs into the room, sidearm drawn.
As he sees his fellow C24 agent regain consciousness he gets the nearest long object he can get his hands on (OOC: a broom perhaps?) and tries to poke it through the distortion, checking if it's still there.
-
[spoiler]OOC:Oh, it's still there. How else am I going to railroad you ;) [/spoiler]
While you can't find anything around to poke through the distortion, the creature passing through it seems to have widened it, and you can feel the hint of a breeze coming from it's direction. In addition, the air now smells thick and humid, but very clean, with a light flowery scent.
-
OOC: Can I see through it without poking my head in?
Dean fills in David and Charon about what just happened and then continues:
David, I think you should talk to the base commander about giving us back our equipment, and I mean right now. We're going to need it if we wanna save those scientists and find out what the hell this is about. I sure as hell ain't confronting that Twilight Zone Admiral Ackbar without my gear."
-
Struggling to his feet, Dog grimaces toothily. "You wanna look through there without poking your head through? I got an idea! I'll poke MY head through! Hopefully that ugly bastard's just standing on the other side... I'm gonna eat him!"
He looks at the others. "Grab me if something starts pulling me through."
With that Dog takes a deep breath and sticks his face through the distortion.
[spoiler]Spot check = 17 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2023931/)[/spoiler]
-
Dean readies his sidearm to shoot anything besides Dog that might get through.
David! What are you waiting for? We need our gear, now! You didn't see that... that THING! Charon, you hold on to Dog just in case!"
-
David turns around and points at two of the guards. "You two, stay here with my men." He points at the third. "You, take me to the Lieutenant Colonel so that I can get my team's gear and you can report on the situation."
-
"Yes sir," the grunt replies. He follows David out of the room and up the elevator. When the doors open after the long ride up, the grunt asks the soldier at the desk, "Where did the LC get to? We need him pronto."
"I'm right here, soldier. What is it?" Timm walks around the corner.
"Sir, the Special Agent here needs to speak with you, and you'll probably want my full report too after you hear what he has to say."
-----Meanwhile, downstairs------
As Dog puts his head through, he is surprised at what he sees.
[spoiler=for j0lt]It's rainforest. There are low ferns everyhere, and the humidity is through the roof. It's also about 40 degrees warmer than the climate controlled lab. The trees are very tall around you, but you seem to be in a sort of clearing. looking up, you realize that the large branches create a natural roof, so no one would be able to see the clearing from the air. Beyond the sounds of the jungle surrounding you, you can hear a low humming, and a shrill, yet very quiet, beeping coming from what would be behind you, if behind you wasn't in the lab. There doesn't seem to be anyone around though.[/spoiler]
-
Charon sticks his head in as well
-
"We have a situation. Some creature opened some kind of a portal and took two of your scientists, and most likely the ETC-1 object as well. My men and I need our gear back so we can go in on a search and rescue."
-
Dog sniffs at the humid jungle air, his ears pricked up in anticipation.
[spoiler]Scent (Wis check) = 7
Listen = 26 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2024957/)[/spoiler]
-
"Charon! What the... Dean yells out as he keeps his weapon aimed at the rift.
[spoiler=OOC:]Ready action in case something besides Dog or Charon comes through.[/spoiler]
-
Timm is quick to grasp to situation. "Soldier, take this man to his team's gear and help him get it down the lift. I'll meet you down there in a few minutes. I need to check on things outside." The soldier takes David with him to where they stowed the weapons, and helps him take it all to the elevator. By the time it's all there, Timm is coming back in the building. "Let's head down."
When you get back down and head into the etcetera room, you see Dog and Charon with their heads missing, apparently shoved into the rift.
-
Dean acknowledges David and Timm with a quick nod, but other than that he doesn't take his attention of the rift, continuing to keep his borrowed sidearm aimed at the portal.
-
David quickly re-equips himself. "Dog, Charon, get your heads back in here and gear up! Dean, you too! We wait for LC and then we're going in."
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[spoiler=OOC:]What is LC?[/spoiler]
Dean hurries to where David and Timm are to get his gear, keeping his gun aimed at the rift until the very last moment, and quickly gets all his gear equiped.
"Charon, Dog! You guys see anything in there?" he asks while re-equiping as Charon and Dog pull their heads out of the rift.
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Charon rushes to his equipment and gets it on. Let's rock
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[spoiler]
Lieutenant Colonel
[/spoiler]
"Report, what the Hell is out there?"
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a pretty jungle
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"You're making it sound like a frigging 'My Little Pony' environment..." Dean snarkily replies as he loads a magazine in his P90.
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It was, I saw a bunny
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Dog reluctantly pulls his head back. "You want me to scout ahead? I could hear something beeping somewhere behind the portal. It could be what's making the portal."
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"No, this isn't our compound so we wait."
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Timm speaks up. "My job is to protect this facility. Me and my men are staying here. We need you four to go through there and find those scientists, and the ETC-1 if you can. Good luck gentlemen."
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[spoiler]
Woo, he finally came down and now we can do something!
[/spoiler]
"Alright men, double check your gear and get through that rift."
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Eagerly leaping through, Dog clears the portal and moves aside to make room for the others to pass through. As the others appear through the portal, Dog takes a look behind at what was making the beeping sound.
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As you jump through and turn around, you see a large machine. It appears unlike any machine you've ever seen, clearly of non-human origin.The portal you came through seems much larger from this side. It is a large round metal ring, and you can clearly see through to the room you just left. The beeping is coming from the ring itself.
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David walks through, gun drawn.
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Charon jumps through.
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After telling the LC: "Sir, please report this to the C24 command so they know what's going on."
Dean follows his teammates, weapon drawn.
As he arrives on the other side he takes out his GPS to see where they are.
[spoiler=assuming this IS a Stargate]Seeing that the GPS doesn't provide any coordinates any more, he deadpans "Guys, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."[/spoiler]
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To Dean's surprise, his GPS is working fine. The coordinates read -3.532176, -64.336769. As the four of you look around, you see that the clearing you are in continues behind you, like a large grass road leading south east.
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David walks around the portal, his gun ready. "Dean, where the hell are we?"
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Dog begins to systematically search the road and area around the 'gate for any signs of passage, including scent.
[spoiler]
Survival = 25
Scent (Wis) = 7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2058597/)
[/spoiler]
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"Brazilian rainforest from the looks of it David, just north of the Amazon river."
[spoiler]Assuming the rift to the base is still open: Dean then takes a small piece of paper, writes down the coordinates and tosses the paper through the rift so C24 will know where its agents ended up.[/spoiler]
"Dog, you pickin' up anything?" Dean asks as he takes in his surroundings.
[spoiler]Spot: 21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2058932/)[/spoiler]
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The piece of paper that Dean writes on seems to go through the portal just fine.
As Dog breathes deeply of the humid Amazonian air, a barrage of strong, unfamiliar scents hit his nostrils, making picking up individual scents extremely difficult. However, both he and Dean notice what appear to be path of disturbed vegetation and a series of disfigured footprints in the loamy, grassy undergrowth leading away from the machine and down the clearing.
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"Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Dog? It looks like they, whoever 'they' are that is, went that way." Dean says as he point to the trail he picked up with his weapon.
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"I'll scout ahead," says Dog as he quietly advances onto the path of disturbed vegetation, following the tracks as best he can.
[spoiler]
do you want a new Survival check, or can I continue with the last one I rolled?
[/spoiler]
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"I'll watch your back." Dean says as he follows his Moreau companion.
"You guys coming or what?" he asks David and Charon.
[spoiler]Spot: 18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2079909/)
Danger Sense
Echolocator
[/spoiler]
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David follows, gun drawn.
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Charon follows, trying to ascertain the direction they are heading in via direction sense
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You begin to follow the disturbed vegetation southeast. It's a very easy path to follow, and holds no real challenge for Dog. Just before you get out of sight of the machine, you hear a long low whine back at the teleporter. When you go back to inspect it, the teleporter seems to have shut down. (Wisdom or Intelligence check if you would like your character to infer why the machine may have turned off, but I promise you it's nothing sinister.)
Suddenly, the forest erupts in noise. Birds cawing and squawking, monkeys screeching, the noise is deafening. Then, all noise near you stops. the sudden silence is so obviously out of place in this forest that it is almost terrifying.
[spoiler]I need listen and spot from everyone. :smirk[/spoiler]
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David holds up a hand, motioning for his team to stay quiet. He then looks around, trying to see if he can find out what is going on out there.
[spoiler]
Listen: 13
Spot: 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2081271/)
[/spoiler]
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"Something's wrong here, someone or something is watching us, maybe even hunting us." Dean thinks to himself as he instinctively takes in his surroundings and readies his firearm.
[spoiler]Int/Wis check (both are at +2, so doesn't really matter): 16 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2081272/)
Listen: 12 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2081275/)
Spot: 20 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2081280/)
Echolocator mutation: Blindsight 60ft. (completely forgot about that one with my perception checks until now :embarrassed)[/spoiler]
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Dog's ears perk up as he looks warily around.
[spoiler]
Listen = 22
Spot = 26 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2081702/)
[/spoiler]
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Charon seems distracted by the gate shutting off.
[spoiler]
Spot = 7
Listen = 8 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2086441/)
[/spoiler]
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Dog gets a whiff of something strange, and hears a chittering noise behind him. He whips his head around just in time to see a small figure dart behind a massive tree, and then another and another, small shapes moving back and forth in the forest at the edge of the clearing, attempting to surround them. Dean sees one as well, up in a tree on a low hanging branch. They seem humanoid in shape, but only stand about 3 feet tall, and seem to walk unlike any human you've ever seen.
[spoiler]Dean and Dog get a surprise round. Dog can see three of the creatures hiding behind ferns, and the one in the tree. Dean sees only the one in the tree. the one in the tree is about 20 feet away and ten feet up, and the other three are all about 40 feet away from Dog, attempting to surround the party.
You may take your turn in a round whenever you can post, but please don't post another action until everyone has posted their action.[/spoiler]
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Dog growls as his hackles go up, making him look even scarier than normal.
[spoiler]
move action = move directly towards the ones on the ground on all fours, barking like crazy
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Not to be annoying, but shouldn't I be able to pick up all of the pigmees/goblins/mutated capibaras within 60ft. thanks to my Blindsight mutation? :)[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Bump...[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Dean can in fact sense all of the creatures. There are twelve of them all together. In addition to the four Dog can see, there are three more in trees surrounding the party, all about 40 feet away, and five more attempting to surround you on the ground.[/spoiler]
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"Guys, we're being surrounded here...
I sense twelve of them in total." Dean says as he points out their positions to his fellow party members, hoping that will aid them in catching at least a glimpse of the creatures.
[spoiler]Do they look hostile (as in, stabbitydeath wanna kill us), Bell?[/spoiler]
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As Dog begins to charge them, a spear flies out of the hand of one of the creatures. As soon as the others see the spear, two more spears are thrown. In addition to the spears, two bolts of energy are shot from rifles carried by some of the creatures. Two of the spears fly at Dog, and one at Charon. Dog ducks under one, but the second catches him square in the left forearm,tearing a nasty-looking, but superficial slash in his arm. Charon is drilled directly in the right shoulder, and the spear remains sticking out of his body Both energy bolts are aimed at Dean. Luckily for him, the reptillians aims are off, and one misses completely, the other only grazing the side of his head, burning his right ear clean off.
As the attacking creatures step forward, you see that they are short, lizard-like humanoids with a long tail and long thin limbs, and they are wearing a strange assortment of animal skins and what appears to be metal armor pieces.
Damage:[spoiler]
Dog - 1
Charon - 3
Dean - 2
[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Dog has DR 1/- :smirk
Initiative (including action point) = 14 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2147576/)[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Initiative: 15 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2147692/)[/spoiler]
"Sonuvabitch!" Dean yells out as one of the beams takes of part of his ear.
He then lets loose a spray of automatic fire on the creatures attacking him and his comrades.
[spoiler]Think we can get a basic map up, Bell? I'll get back with the attack and damage rolls after your response.[/spoiler]