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Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


When Citani, a reclusive info-broker and friend of Vorex, came looking for some one to deliver a special consignment, you were only too happy take the job and the creds. It's clearly something important. Citani showed up in person to the hand-off, not that you saw their face - you've never heard of anyone who's seem them out of their auto-palanquin. But they presumably were watching from within when their synth assistant released the mag-cuff from their own wrist and locked it around Lotus Bell's, completing the transfer of the silvery metal briefcase and whatever it contained.

Since then there's been a welcome lack of complications. A couple of uneventful jumps and a comfortable run down the gravity well later and Junior puts you down on Warren. Rin traffic control doesn't even spare the Neon Future a second look. Neither does Warren dock authority.

It's just shading into evening, not that you can tell the difference between midday and midnight with the constant smoggy gloom and light rain. The city can't decide whether it wants to bustle or just dissolve into a massive traffic jam, so does both at once, noisily. Neon signs in at least two dozen languages, some dating back to Old Earth and many more never spoken under the light of humanity's birth star, advertise food and wars from across the settled galaxy - or at least cheap facsimiles thereof. The smell of street food cuts through the ever-present scent of ozone and mildew control chemicals, alternately appetizing and nauseating.

Work comes before pleasure, though, so pull out raincoats and umbrellas and get to it. A tram ride later and its time to split up. Junior and Knack break off, heading for Len's shop to pick up the fuel rods and parts he acquired for them, while Kinase, Lotus Bell, and Gung-Ho make for the drop-off, at club Escape Velocity.

Everyone should tell me what Load you're taking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVf7NBncUy0

Len's, Warren Undermarket
The Undermarket is like the rest of Warren, only more so. More people from more places in less space. The rain is lighter here but the gloom deeper, and the mildew smell stronger. Junior and Knack push their way through the crowd, ignoring shop owners shouting about the deals they're missing. They turn down a back-alley, stepping past the young xeno gang members Len uses for security.

You're nearly to the door when, behind you, you hear a vehicle pull up and one of the gang members raises his head to look around the corner, neon light playing across his spotted face. Then he's ducking back, pulling a gun from under his coat and hissing at his companion to get their attention. The metallic door slides open with a screeching protest, Len's bald head sticking out as he spots you. "Come on, get in here, there's trouble," he says, waving you forward with frantic motions.

How do you plan on getting out of here?

GET TO SAFETY


Escape Velocity, Blacklight District
Escape Velocity's sound system is more than powerful enough for you to hear the music before you even reach the stairwell leading down to it. You pass through a group of electrobikers who have lined up their machines on the sidewalk while they hang out at the upstairs bubble tea shop. Two of them wait just long enough to get out of your way that you wonder if they want to start trouble, but it's just posturing.

As you descend the stairs into the basement club the music only gets louder. The interior is a riot of sound and color, of shadow and light. The decor is meant to evoke the lighted control consoles and navigation panels of a starship's bridge, turned up to eleven, with laser lights and holograms thrown into the mix, standing out all the more because they're the only source of illumination in the place. The club isn't busy yet, but it isn't deserted either. The bartender looks up and makes it clear they saw you come in, but no one else seems to pay any mind. You automatically take note of the off-duty Ziggurat Security personnel hanging out at the bar.

You make your way to the back, to one of the booths, as instructed. You can see a pair siting there, but it's too dark to see them clearly yet. As you slide into the booth, the DJ transitions to a new song. A set of spots scan across the club to time with the music, and in the brief flash you get a clear look at whats waiting for you. The two are in civilian clothing, more expensive and less ostentatious than you'd expect for a place like this, stained red with blood from the matching gashes across their necks.

As you take this in, you notice the Ziggurat mercs have been joined by a pair of House Malkaith guards, the group casting surreptitious glances at your booth. And through the door comes more trouble - a trio who's gear and demeanor screams professional operator. Worse, Lotus Bell recognizes the one in the middle - Aya.

How do you plan on getting out of here?

GET OUT OF THE BAR

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Sep 30, 2018

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Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Resources
Recruit Thread
Wiki Landing Page

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



Lotus looks across the room, and narrows her eyes. If this is a set-up, there's no doubt that someone like Aya would be involved. Just her luck.

"You two want to find a back door?" She says, smiling. "I can give them the run around and distract them for a bit." She's already forgetting about the MacGuffin cuffed to her wrist.

Mitama fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Sep 25, 2018

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


Junior enters with indecent haste, rain cascading from her coat and spattering the slightly oily duracrete floor. She thumbs the switch that folds her umbrella and risks a glance back at the street before walking further in to the shop. She's met Len before but he's more Knack's friend, so she doesn't feel bad about semi-discretely looking around for a quick exit while waiting for the Tinker to speak.


Light Load

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


For each group, give me a plan and detail real quick, once you decide on one - don't worry about it being in depth or making an engagement roll.

Len's, Warren Undermarket
You hurry inside while Len has the door open. Behind you there's a shout, "loving Wreckers!" followed by a pair of pistol shots. The two gangers rush in behind you, one clutching his arm, blood oozing between his fingers. The other helps Len slam the door shut and throws a heavy lock. He gestures everyone in further, then hits a keypad on the wall, activating a much more substantial security door. The shop itself is a crowded place, harshly lit and filled with open shelves with a bewildering variety of tech, with tools and workbenches packed in to every available space, save for the kitchen and rest nook you're currently standing in. A muted flat-screen on one wall plays an old detective show.

The two gangers move over to a first aid box on the wall and start patching up the wounded one. The other talks while she works. "poo poo heels just waiting out there. Here for them not us, I say. Not want to get shot up more getting in, know them what they want has to come out."

Len nods and turns towards you, the making strange reflections off his artificial eyes. "Somebody's pissed at you. Got a call just before you came up, dockmaster put a landlock on your ship. It's not in the system though - off-book operation, and there's no arrest warrant or no-fly order. Not the kind of thing system authority does." He tilts his chin towards the door. "And now these assholes come knocking." He walks over and picks up a pair of heavy packs, one of which is the boxy frame typically used to transport fuel rods. "Got your stuff here. You can't stay. Sorry, you know how it is." He shrugs. "But I'll help you get out. Back way goes through a Sirian restaurant - they for sure have someone out there. But it's open, you know? Even here they can't just gun you down with so many looking. Or you can try to the bolt-hole - goes through the maintenance tunnels down there. Takes a while and it's tight, but should be safe - at least til you come back up, right?"

He looks to the door again. "Guess you can punch through if you want. That's your lookout."

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Sep 28, 2018

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


"poo poo." Of course this felt way too easy for a job with a handcuffed briefcase.

Hou suppresses the urge to leap up and triage the two contacts; even though it's obvious they're dead and have been for some time, some medic habits are habits for a reason. He looks around, taking a second note of the security--and the new arrivals. "Oh, better. I count at least three different types of muscle, by now."

He's going to need one hell of a drink at some point.

Mitama posted:

Lotus looks across the room, and narrows her eyes. If this is a set-up, there's no doubt that someone like Aya would be involved. Just her luck.

"You two want to find a back door?" She says, smiling. "I can give them the run around and distract them for a bit." She's already forgetting about the MacGuffin cuffed to her wrist.

He grins. "You're forgetting your fancy new bracelet. I think we want to keep that, at this point, whatever the hell it is. As such, we probably want to just leave..." And quickly. He gives Kinase a look, and then starts looking around. The Hegemony is, if nothing else, a stickler for regulation. There it is--lit by subtle lights on the wall, the fire alarm. He quickly sidles out of his seat, scrambles to the switch, hauls on it--

@Redeye Flight: 1d6 Find the fire alarm (Controlled/Standard) = (1) = 1

--and nothing happens.

God damnit! Hou pulls something flat and metal out of his coat, he's not sure what in his rush, and jimmies off the cover of the fire alarm. Hooo, wiring, how difficult can this be? I'm a doctor, I can build a cyber-arm, a stupid fire alarm can't--

@Redeye Flight: 2d6 I'm a DOCTOR (Risky, Standard) = (6+1) = 7
Take two stress

Redeye Flight fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Sep 27, 2018

quiggy
Aug 7, 2010

[in Russian] Oof.




I glance over at my two companions. This is about to break very bad if we don't do something, and quick. Gung-Ho looks back at me, then darts his eyes towards the fire alarm on the wall. Good thinking. He'll need a distraction though.

My body shudders as I invite the Way into me. All these years and it's still electric, every blood vessel in my body feels ready to burst with energy and fire. I redirect that energy towards the table in front of me, trying to flip it up faster and stronger than any person could possibly do with their body alone. Aim for the Ziggurat mercs, and hopefully these three newcomers will be caught in the chaos.

quote:

Sidekick: @quiggy: 2d6k1 Flip the table (Attune, controlled/standard) = (1+1) = 1
Sidekick: @quiggy: 1d6 Extra die on table flip = (4) = 4

Thanks for the extra die, Gorbash. Spending 2 stress to use Kinetics.

Taking a Normal load.

quiggy fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Sep 25, 2018

Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


Knack scurries into the shop at the first sign of trouble, head down. He trusts Len. Or at least the credits he's spent and will spend in Len's shop. And that trust is validated as the dealer lays out the situation. Knack waves off the man's concern.

"You've more than delivered. Wouldn't want to stay with the ship in trouble. But the help is appreciated." Knack is scanning the crowded shelves in the other room as he replies. No good. Rather plenty of good. Numerous plans and devices leap to mind, but Knack can't afford them. He shrugs into the heavy pack and turns to Junior.

"Tunnels? Figure they'll just grab us if we go through the restaurant. Can't exactly outrun em with these"

An Idea strikes Knack. His gaze shifts from the high tech goods to the caff station in the kitchen. He turns back to the black marketeer. "Hey Len, can I borrow a cup of sugar? Oh and a handful of high caliber bullets?"

...

2d6k1 Cooking with explosives = (6+5) = 6
Jury rigged smoke bomb created.

Not Alex fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Sep 26, 2018

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


As the shots ring out Junior reaches for her pistol...which is securely locked in a safe on the Future, separate to it's ammunition and in Lotus's quarters. Probably for the best, there's already one person bleeding.

Knack posted:

"Tunnels? Figure they'll just grab us if we go through the restaurant. Can't exactly outrun em with these"

"Yeah, tunnels is good. Hope they haven't got a lookout down there."

Hauling her pack on she makes an apologetic gesture at Len. "Sorry, oppa. Didn't mean to bring you trouble."

314-R8 is the first into the tunnels, flying ahead to scout and report back.

thatbastardken fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Sep 26, 2018

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


GET AWAY
XOOOOOOO

The timelines here are pretty much concurrent. There's one clock that both groups can work on - you need to evade pursuit, make it back to the ship, and get the landlock off it. The landlock is a physical device, like a car boot, with an electronic interface that the dockmaster has the codes for.

Escape Velocity, Blacklight District
As Gung-Ho slides out of the booth, the mercs at the bar start to get up. They're caught completely off guard when Kinase suddenly kicks the table over and on top of them, not least because the tables are bolted down.

It ties up the mercs pretty well, but doesn't have quite the impact Kinase might have hoped - the music and lighting means it takes a moment for the sparse crowd to figure out what's happening. Worse, it catches the immediate attention of the assassins coming in the front door, who drop any pretense and draw their weapons.

Meanwhile Gung-Ho hits the alarm and realizes the Escape Velocity was about to fail its next building inspection. Thinking fast, he yanks the cover off and does a bit of impromptu surgery - it's not that different from patching a cyberlimb, if he doesn't think about what he's doing too hard - and finally the siren goes off.

It's loud, loud enough to cut through the music, loud enough that it's more felt than heard. The emergency lights come on as well, suddenly throwing everything into clear view. That gets the attention of the crowd, finally, who immediately panic and try to get out all at once. Aya and her companions are caught in the crush. Lotus meets her eyes across the club for a moment and sees the recognition there before both head in opposite directions.

The Malkaith Guards have disappeared - this has gone sideways for them in a way that the government clearly will not want to be involved in - but the mercs have fewer compunctions. One of them fires a pistol through the table in the general direction of the group, a bullet slamming into the wall inches from Kinase. Time to go.

You crash through the emergency door and quickly up the fire escape stairs, which dump you back on the surface street you just left, but down the block. You can hear the fire alarm even here, and everything else sounds muted and flat as your ears recover. You know the mercs won't be far behind, and the assassins are still in play - though not immediately. The crowd trying to get out have crashed into the confused electrobikers and a gaggle of rubberneckers is coalescing to watch the chaos.

You've got to run, but you have a brief moment to think of which way.

GET OUT OF THE BAR


Len's, Warren Undermarket
Len waves away Knack's question and Junior's apology. "Take what you need," he tells the Tinker. "If you'd known you'd have warned me. Its the idiot Wreckers to blame." You also get the impression Len is about to call for backup, and doesn't want you around to complicate everyone's interests when whoever he's paying for protection shows up.

Soon as you're ready he and the un-injured ganger push a shelving unit out of the way, revealing a trap door with a serious looking maglock on it. Len does something complex and hard to see to the mechanism, and then yanks it open, revealing a roughly cut shaft with a roughly welded ladder. It'll be a tight fit. He hands you a flashlight. "Good luck."

Junior sends her urbot in first, then you follow. Soon as you're in, they close the hatch and you can hear them drag the shelves back into place.

The maintenance tunnels are just large enough to squeeze through at a crouch. Cable bundles, conduits, and plastic pipes cover just about every bit of available wall space. Hopefully neither of you are claustrophobic.

It takes several minutes, but you find another shaft, this one obviously part of the original installation. Knack clambers up first, then pushes the manhole cover up and peeks out. You're across the street, with a good view of the restaurant, and of the owner berating a couple of Wreckers who are obviously torn between busting their way in and trying not to draw even more unwanted attention.

Into that mess Knack rolls his smoke bomb. It hits the foot of a Wrecker, who's tall gauntness and tattoos indicate they grow up on a low-g hauler. They look down and have just enough time to realize what they're looking at before it goes off. The area is immediately filled with thick acrid smoke and shouts of anger and surprise. Figures stumble around, coughing and looking for the way out.

You pull yourselves out of the manhole and run for it. You're clear of immediate pursuit, but you're sure more trouble is on the way.

GET TO SAFETY

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Sep 30, 2018

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



Lotus has her pistol out now. It's Warren, no one really blinks at that. The rain bothers her a bit, but not that much, a little water won't mess with the cybernetics.

"We could take the train. It's not far. But then we'll be cramped in a box full of people with Aya." She says, scanning the street. "We used to roll in the same circles. Pretty goal-minded, doesn't really mind collateral damage. Let's not risk that."

Instead, she does the rational thing: rush through the electrobikers in the middle of the stampede to steal one of their rides. Even with all of the confusion, there's a biker that's still minding the rides for the others.

She just walks up to one of the empty bikes, no big deal. She then stares at the biker, pistol at the ready, as if daring them to stop her.

@Mitama: 1d6 Scaring the biker with Command (Risky, Standard) = (2) = 2
@Mitama: 1d6 Taking a devil's bargain (i'm stealing the bike of the gang leader) = (4) = 4

Mitama fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Sep 28, 2018

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


GET AWAY


Blacklight District

The biker looks like she's going to object, but then takes in Lotus' cyberware and pistol, and chooses to back up a couple steps instead. The bike hums to life as you hop onto it, and in seconds you peel out onto the road. The acceleration is startling, but fortunately this thing has brakes and handling to match.

When you look back over your shoulder, though, you see Aya and her group emerge from the crowd. They spot you and spring into action. The big one with the artificial jaw decks an electrobiker, giving Aya and the smaller hooded one a chance to grab bikes of their own. In moments the chase is on - Aya and her remaining companion after you, about half the electrobikers after everyone.

Gung-Ho and Kinase can steal bikes of their own, or double up however makes sense, but only two to a bike. Or you can use this as a distraction and try something completely different.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Sep 30, 2018

quiggy
Aug 7, 2010

[in Russian] Oof.




Gung-Ho motions his head towards an electrobike, two-seater. Perfect. I hop on the back and draw the pistol I hid inside my jacket. I'm not exactly a crack shot, but hopefully I can at least spook the guys on our tail well enough to help us disappear into the crowd.

Marking a Pistol under my items and spending 1 stress to add +1d to Gung-Ho's roll.

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


It's been a while, but they say you never forget how to ride an electrobike once you learn. Fortunately, it's true.

Hou gooses the bike out into traffic, weaving between cars in an attempt to put some distance between them and the thugs he knows are coming. One of them definitely recognized Lotus, there's no way that group is going to be put off by a fire alarm. The crack of laser fire behind him is, somehow, reassuring--he puts the bike into a long drift and skids through an active intersection, away from Lotus, trying to vanish into the hubbub of Warren.

@Redeye Flight: 2d6 Doctors On Hovercycles (Risky, Standard) = (1+5) = 6 5

Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


The straps on the pack are already starting to rub painfully against Knack's shoulders. He wasn't built for sustained lifting this far down a grav well. He lets Junior lead for bit through the twisting streets while he messes around on his goggles' heads up.

"There's got to be a better mode of transit than the mark one foot." There's a bit of a pant in his voice. He's holding a hand out in front of himself, twisting it spasmodically. AR commands. With any luck there'd be something in the area...

2d6k1 Wheeling Dealings (Risky, Standard) = (4+5) = 5

"Junior, I found a ride! Take the next right."

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


A little delivery truck waits around the corner, it's programmed route overridden by Knack's efforts. Junior looks at it with an expression of mild distaste.

"A ride, huh?"

It's...not pretty. 1 seat and a flat tray for cargo. But in these close streets it's the next best thing to an electrobike. And at least the cab has a roof. She hops in and starts messing with the controls.

"Kill the autonav and let's see what this baby can do! Oh, and hold tight."

3d6k1 Yakety Sax (risky, great) = (4+1+2) = 4

Using Leaf on the Wind for extra dice and effect at the cost of three stress, and Ace Pilot gives potency

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


GET AWAY


Profit Light Duty Spaceport
In Junior's hands, the little delivery vehicle isn't just the next best thing, but is good as an electrobike. Knack has to hang on tight in his perch on the flatbed. You leave the Wreckers in the dust and come barreling into the spaceport with no one else in sight. Junior brakes hard as you reach the ship, sliding a little but still well under control as it comes to a stop right at the Neon Future's slip

Unfortunately the bright yellow landlock is present, just as Len warned. As you hop out of the delivery vehicle, you spot the dockmaster hurrying inside and presumably locking the door behind him. He's obviously not going to release the lock willingly.

Meanwhile, the other trio are screaming down the narrow streets of Warren, Aya and the electrobikers in hot pursuit. Lotus sets the pace, Neon signs flash by and the rain stings like needles from the speed. You fly down narrow alleys and up stairways, pedestrians diving out of the way, but the opposition sticks close behind. Kinase tries to discourage them, firing from the back of Gung-Ho's bike as he weaves through traffic. She doesn't hit any of them as far as she can tell, but she does force Aya and her companion to hang back a bit, which in turn puts them into contact with the bikers. A brief fight running takes place and then its the electrobikers who let some room open, their numbers reduced by two.

Unfortunately, watching the fight behind distracts Gung-Ho for a moment and he's not prepared when another group of bikers suddenly ambush the group, having taken a shortcut through a market, crashing through a noodle shop as they join the fray. The angle isn't ideal for them, and Lotus clotheslines one right off his bike and through a stack of crates. The attack ends up a quick pass and then they're in the trail as well. But in those moments one of the bikers puts a shot into the front wheel motor of Gung-Ho's bike. It catches for a moment, then speeds back up, trailing smoke. One of the attackers too close to Aya, who lashes out with a ribbon like weapon and whips him right off the back of his bike.

And then they break out of the cramped side streets and onto the main drag leading into the Spaceport. The whole mess pulls in just as Junior and Knack are getting the Neon Future's ramp down. The damaged motor gives out, and Gung-Ho just manages to get the bike stopped behind a shipping container without crashing. Lotus makes it to the ship, her bike still in good order.

Aya and her companion go zooming off to the right, and the electrobikers to the left as everyone dismounts and draws their weapons and takes cover. Things are about to get loud, and in the distance you can hear sirens. Warren's gendarmes prefer to look the other way, but even they can only ignore so much.

Anyone working on the landlock will have pretty good cover, but getting from the Neon Future to the dockmaster's office, or from the shipping container to the Neon Future, means crossing open ground. You've got to get everyone on board the ship, the lock released, and take off before the gendarmes show up and everything goes completely to hell.

CORNERED


This is a time pressure clock. I will check it once each time everyone has had a chance to act, and can check it as a consequence from rolls. If you don't get the ship launched before it's full, you're going to have big problems.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Sep 30, 2018

quiggy
Aug 7, 2010

[in Russian] Oof.




All five of us are standing around Neon Future, discussing our plans. The mission hasn't started yet, there's been no flipped table or electrobike chase or gunshots fired. Instead, we're taking stock of the area and seeing what we can do if things get hot. I point out a crane near the ship. "What about if we put some explosives right here on the crane? poo poo goes south, we blow up the crane and buy ourselves enough time to get on board and run." The others agree, guess it wasn't a terrible idea after all. Knack heads back into the ship and grabs a few small drones to scurry up the crane and plant the bombs, then hands me a detonator. "Your idea, you get the big red button. Don't use it unless you have to."

-----

Gung-Ho and I are pinned down, two different groups of attackers keeping us from being able to cross the last few dozen feet to safety aboard the Neon Future. I look up at the crane we rigged before any of this poo poo went down, and then over at Gung-Ho. "Cover your ears."

I pull the detonator out and flip up the hard plastic cover that protects the obvious big red button. Deep breath, push it in. There's a loud chain of explosions, and the crane falls just as we planned. Let's hope that's enough of a distraction for the rest of the crew.

Spending 1 stress on the flashback and marking a Detonator in my items.

quote:

Sidekick: @quiggy: 3d6k1 How well did we plant explosives? (Fortune) = (6+6+4) = 6

Critical!

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



Lotus winces slightly at the explosion, until her artificial ears adjust to balance the noise levels in her head. It's a good trap, though. Knocks out the bikers real nice. They're not gonna reach for this shiny red bike anytime soon.

Aya and her friend's still coming, though. Lotus shrugs and points at the assassins' general direction with Wynona. Her thumb clicks a switch at the side of her custom pistol.

The gun screeches in three-round bursts, launching gauss rounds in sub-sonic speeds. It sounds kind of terrifying, really. But she's not out to actually hit them, but keep enough bullets in the air to keep them back. It seems to be working.

@Mitama: 2d6k1 Suppressing fire on Aya (Controlled, Great) = (6+5) = 6

Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


Knack releases a white knuckled grip on the walls of the cargo bed and hops down as the vehicle is still settling back from the sliding stop. The landlock is there, an intrusive and vaguely parasitic growth on the familiar lines of the Neon. He tsks angrily and hurriedly inputs the access codes to the cargo hatch. He's got a plan. The ramp is slow to drop and the approaching gunfire and tumult tell him they don't have that much time. Indeed, the ramp has barely touched the ground when the others' much more eventful chase spills into the docking area. Lotus pulls up on crackling electrobike and Knack salutes her with mock solemnity before hopping up onto the ramp and ducking into the ship. He has to trust the others to sort out the company, he's got something to attend to.

Back in his element, back in the Neon, Knack moves through the vessel like an eel in a hurry. Sliding under railing, pinwheeling around corners, one hand on a pipe or rung pivoting his whole headlong flight. He slips down a hatch near the reactor and gets to work. He's running a charged conduit to an external port near the landlock. He should be able to vent the superheated reactor exhaust and melt the offending landlock to slag, freeing the Neon. It doesn't take long. Here his slim build is helpful, allowing him the more freedom to work in the tight spaces of the access shafts. With a satisfied grunt he makes last connection and starts overriding the various reactor safeties that are strenuously protesting this new configuration. There's a hissing pop from one of the connectors and almost unthinkingly Knack slams his hand down, preventing the aging latching system from snapping loose. Problematic. Currently only his hand is preventing the conduit from coming free from the reactor housing and filling the chamber with radioactive plasma. And he can feel the heat quickly spreading through his suit gloves. He moves quickly but carefully, straining to reach the tool kit holster he set down a little ways away. The burning sensation against the palm of his hand increases and he hisses as his fingers brush the toolkit. One final stretch and he has it. After that the repair is almost routine if one ignores the wisps of smoke from one glove.

Outside there's a series of popping noises and then a sustained hum followed by a wooshing roar as the exhaust streams from the conduit and bathes the landlock. For several long moments it holds stoically. Then all at once, a critical temperature reached, it sags and stretches away from the ship. The metal begins to run like water in the the center of the exhaust plume. The landlock is a puddle of hot slag on the dockmaster's tarmac and the Neon Future is free.

3d6k1 Match to a tick (Risky, Standard) = (2+1+5) = 5

Not Alex fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Sep 28, 2018

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


Having finished the wild ride with a bootlegger turn to let Knack out straight on to the ramp, Junior then tries futilely to raise the dockmaster's office and has to be satisfied with leaving a rude message about 'obstructing Guild certified couriers' on his answering service. As the electrobikes and more trouble arrives she sends R8 to start pre-flight checks, including querying the ATC to make sure the path to orbit is clear. She stows away the little truck (no sense leaving evidence of crime behind, right?) and then the cherry red custom model that Lotus arrives in with a little more enthusiasm.

"Hello, sweet thing. Don't worry, momma's gonna take good care of you!"

Dashing to the cockpit to continue warming the ship up she notes a minor reactor malfunction...and then the alerts corresponding to the landlock all shut off at once.

"Knack, what did you do? Are we going to spray rads all over the place on the way out?"

It's just banter, really. She trusts him to care about the ship and safety as much as she does, in his own eccentric fashion.

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


The crane crashes down with a noise like God's fist punching the ground. Hou pokes his head up, takes a moment to confirm he hasn't been smashed flat, and then makes a scramble for the ramp, hauling the badly damaged bike alongside like a kid with a flat tire. Running on pure adrenaline, he manages to get the electrobike up into the hold and tied down before the force of the chase he's just been through hits him like a truck.

Fortunately, he manages to stagger to his room before he just utterly collapses onto the launch couch.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


Profit Light Duty Spaceport
The whole port shakes when Kinase brings the crane down. The electrobikers fall back , shouting curses and shaking fists, but clearly unwilling and unable to suffer more setbacks just to retrieve a pair of bikes and save face. With Lotus keeping Aya and her companion suppressed Kinase and Gung-Ho hurry across the tarmac to the Neon Future. In the cockpit Junior sees the controls go live as Knack slags the landlock. She turns over the engines and gets clearance from ATC, which clearly has no idea anything out of the ordinary is going on at this point.

The ship lifts off moments later, Lotus and Kinase still backing up the ramp as it closes, firing to keep their remaining pursuers pinned down, while Gung-Ho hurriedly finishes securing stations for acceleration. Knack throws himself into the co-pilot's seat, working systems with one hand as Junior brings the Neon Future's nose around and then pushes the throttle right to the firewall. Below, Aya stands up and watches the ship streak away into the darkness.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AajMTfixtNc

The ride to orbit is bumpy, your pilot choosing speed over comfort, but you clear Warren's dark clouds and emerge into the light of Rin's star unscathed and un-pursued. Aleph looms in the distance, banded in a thousand shades of greens that are somehow both beautiful and ominous. The ship goes quiet as Junior confirms vectors with control, and then signs off. No calls from angry groundside officials, no threats from the gendarmes, no stern demands from Legion patrolships, no system wide alters identifying you and your ship as outlaws. Somehow, you seem to have gotten away clean. The authorities aren't taking official notice and the people who can connect you to what happened aren't talking. For now.

Now you have to decide what to do about your cargo, and where to go from here.

We'll be doing downtime, but you do also need to decide what to do with the delivery and finalize your upgrades and other choices for the ship before doing down time activities and entanglements.

Payoff: 6 creds - With your contacts dead, you didn't get their part of the payment, but you did get part up front from Citani, and after Knack repairs and modifies the vehicles you acquired so you can use them, there will be some extra bits you can sell off.

Heat: 5 heat. None of the people after what you're holding wants to give away that they're hunting for it, but be assured they are, and authorities turning a blind eye to what just happened on Warren for now could reverse course at any time.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Oct 1, 2018

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


Hou walks out into the lounge, all the Gung-Ho gone from his demeanor. He shakes his head, lips clenched. This is immediately followed with a trip to the bar, where he starts fixing himself a drink. It is implied that requests are accepted.

While he's finagling himself something, he turns and gives one eye to Lotus--and the case still on her wrist. "Well. Whatever THAT is, someone wants it bad enough to start a gunfight in a nightclub over it. And slit several throats." It's not exactly clear what he's made, but it seems to be brown and fizzing. "So now that we've blasted our way back into space with it... what do we do with it?"

Redeye Flight fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Oct 1, 2018

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


Nue puts the Neon Future in an inconspicuous track for a high Aleph orbit, not committing to a jump point. It's only at this stage she notices the damage to Knack's glove and (presumably) the hand underneath. Concern for her crew overrides her respect for the mechanic's stoicism.

"You should let the doc look at that. Burns can get infected even inside a vac suit."

It's not an order, but there is a suggestion in her voice she'd be disappointed if he didn't do it right away.

Heading to the lounge she finds the doctor already self-medicating for his own stress, and puts up her hand for a soothing herbal tea.

"I vote we open it. In an airlock in case it's something unpleasant."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



"I have a thought." Lotus says, casually wrenching the cuff from her wrist, the sound of metal bending and breaking apart as if it was brittle all along. "We open it. Next to an airlock. While wearing a hardsuit."

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


"I don't know if that's necessary," Hou chuckles, putting on the teapot. "I can't speak for what's inside that case, but it just looks like a regular security briefcase from here. It would be a lot more bulky if it was medically or radiation-sealed." He takes a sip of his drink. "It's probably not a bad idea to take it out of the lounge, though."

Asked Gorbash about this

Redeye Flight fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Oct 2, 2018

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


Neon Future, Aleph High Orbit
With access to Knack's tools, cutting open the case is just a matter of time. You take some reasonable precautions, but Hou's assessment is correct - the case itself isn't sufficient for hazardous materials, so if it is dangerous, there must be an inner container. Shaking doesn't provide any enlightenment, unsurprisingly.

Outside the main cargo airlock, Knack finishes with a cutter and steps back. The case sits on a workbench, a clear path to the door, where Junior stands ready at the controls. Everyone is wearing breathing masks and gloves. You glance at each other for a moment, then Lotus reaches over and opens the lid.

Inside, held snugly in place by cut-to-shape foam, is a cube. It seems somewhere between crystal and stone, and partially translucent, with a multicolored pearl like sheen. You can see very faint, hair thin lines engraved somehow onto its surface. Kinase recognizes it as an Eloi puzzle box, a common artifact of that long lost civilization. They are extremely durable, and despite their name, easily opened if you know the trick. Most of the ones discovered have been empty.

When Kinase runs her fingers on the edge to release the seal, she knows immediately this one is not. It folds open from one corner, a blue-white light shining from within. Floating suspended there is a metallic shape, something like a triangle bent out of a square wire, but reflecting within itself, folded within itself, refracting in way that snaps in and out of focus randomly. The power light on Knack's tool blinks and goes out, and malformed red warning messages pop up on scanning devices brought in, just in case. Lotus feels her cyberlimbs tingle, half-numb half-painful pins and needles sensation. The lights flicker.

Then Kinase presses on the puzzle box again, closing it, and it stops. The half-heard sound, the subtle vibration that you can sense somehow without feeling. The the lightheaded sensation fades.

Not just a Precursor artifact. One connected to the Way, and active. A rare and valuable treasure even if it is a mere curiosity. This one is almost certainly something more.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Oct 3, 2018

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



Lotus whistles at the sight of it.

"That's what you call, in business parlance, something that will get us hunted and killed. How soon can we find another buyer?"

Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


Knack is torn between fascination and alarm as the artifact's influence spreads. EMP-like but... some quick diagnostics once it's sealed again... no lasting damage. Not induction then. As he works hunched over Knack sticks his injured hand towards Hou, palm up.

"Oh yea. Almost forgot, Junior said you should look at this." A panel of the suit glove has been carefully excised to allow access to the injury. Knack shows no signs of stopping the data collection or moving to med bay.

"Well, they'll definitely be coming after this. The possible applications..." Knack is scraping slivers of metal from the case and the worktop it was resting on. To himself, "No apparent radiological component."

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


"Can't we just, y'know, bwoosh?"

Junior mimes dumping the artifiact out of the airlock and allowing it to tumble into the gravity well of a nearby gas giant or star.

"Failing that maybe we ought to try returning to sender. Citani can't be too pissed off, we made a good faith effort to deliver."

quiggy
Aug 7, 2010

[in Russian] Oof.




"None of you are selling this, or flushing it into space, or breaking it for parts, or whatever other idiotic ideas you might have. We don't know what it is and for right now we're safer with it here. I'll try to figure it out, but it's gonna take me some time, ok?"

I turn around and start heading somewhere more private. I'm sure that we're gonna have to deal with Citani sooner or later, but to be honest, right now I just don't care. The box is an Ur-box, pretty sure everyone in Procyon has seen or at least heard of one of those before, but the triangle thing inside it? That's far more interesting, and I fully intend to get to the bottom of it. I do have to make sure these chucklefucks I share a ship with don't get any ideas about stealing it and selling it for themselves, but I think for right now my locker alone should be sufficient. Hopefully nobody wants to gently caress with the space witch.

Before then, though, let's see how the Way moves this. I take the box back to a more private room, where it won't mess with the heads of the others, and open it back up. Little triangle, what are you?

@Kinase (quiggy): 2d6k1 Attune to the Ur-triangle (Controlled/Standard) = (1+6) = 6

Redeye Flight
Mar 26, 2010

God, I'm so tired. What the hell did I post last night?


Hou takes a long drink, looking hard at the puzzle-box. "Well. That's certainly the first time I've seen something like that." He watches the electronics flicker with the unmistakable stare of fascination.

It's only when Knack holds up his glove that Hou breaks himself away from the light show and sets down his drink, moving over and setting to work. He makes an unmistakable tutting sound as he takes a look at the palm of the spacer's hand. "Every time I look at you I discover a new way to get hurt by spaceship engines." And through gloves, no less! Fortunately they seem to have taken most of the sting. A quick disinfectant process... He takes note of Kinase moving off with the cube and makes a note to go ask her about it later. "Since it doesn't appear that it's going to blow up into vapor, I definitely favor learning more about that artifact. It might help us figure out who got us into this mess."

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


quiggy posted:

"None of you are selling this, or flushing it into space, or breaking it for parts, or whatever other idiotic ideas you might have. We don't know what it is and for right now we're safer with it here. I'll try to figure it out, but it's gonna take me some time, ok?"

"Alright, fine, sure. Hope you like being haunted by Way ghosts or catching Mu flu."

Junior very maturely sticks her tongue out at Kinase's back as she leaves the room.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011



"I mean, the entire job was handing it over to someone and getting paid for it."

Watching Kinase storm off with her prize, Lotus pulls off her breathing mask and decides not to push the point further. Might as well see where this takes them.

"Okay, so we let her study this thing. There's still a bunch of people coming after us for it, including someone I know very personally. We need to lay low, at least."

Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


Knack's shoulders hunch in disappointment as the device is whisked away by Kinase. "At least we'll be able to flicker the lights on the dreadnought that gets sent after us." Knack makes a sound like air hissing out of a puncture in the direction Kinase left. Then he shrugs and hops up off his perch. "Thanks, doc." He scurries off to find something else to tinker with.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.


Neon Future, Aleph High Orbit

Kinase
Kinase spends several hours examining the artifact, as well as checking available databases for records. From this she concludes a few things. First, she figures out how to turn down the field the artifact emits so it's safer to handle. It doesn't turn off entirely but it won't crash the ship's systems or put someone into a fugue state unless its in direct contact now.

She also decides the item is likely to have been found in Procyon sector, probably in Brekk System. Brekk was where the Eloi had their main settlements in this part of the galaxy. Past investigations have also suggested the Eloi did not generally move artifacts far from where they had found them. The design of the Eloi puzzle box is one associated with local sites, and it has modified to hold this particular object - nothing major, the Eloi equivalent to putting in a shaped insert to hold it in place securely.

The artifact itself however is likely to have come from Holt System, which was the primary locus of Ur and Muvian presence. It's not just that the artifact is clearly of Muvian make - Kinase is sure the Mu made it to interface directly with Ur technology. Which is strange. Unlike the Eloi, the Mu seemed to hold their Precursors in near religious awe. They liked to be close to Ur artifacts and ruins, but are not known to have modified or refurbished them. If this device is the key Kinase believes it is, then it's a significant departure from what's known of Muvian culture.

On top of which three major archaeological projects - two in Holt, one in Brekk - recently were put on hiatus. The Ember Academy recently went through a major leadership shakeup which could account for it, but there's a lack of information that suggests a effort to conceal. Most likely the artifact came out of one of those sites.

Everyone
It's up to you what threads you want to pull on from here. You had a name for the recipient here, but not an organization or backup. Additionally the local contact for Citani seems to be unreachable. You can go speak to them in person, but that requires a trip to Brekk system. You can look for work in Rin and make your way to Brekk or Holt later, try to locate a new buyer, or do something completely different.

You should also let me know what you want to do with downtime.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Oct 9, 2018

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


Neon Future doesn't have a dedicated vehicle workshop yet, so Junior sets up in a corner of the cargo bay with the little cargo hauler and the remains of the second electro-bike. A little kit bashing and a lot of swearing might just make something the crew can use to ride in (no) style and (limited) comfort. It's simple work compared to ship systems, if a little time consuming. At this stage there seem to be a lot of spare parts in no real order.

6 segment clock to build a Ground Transport - based on the 6 credit cost for an ordinary vehicle

1d6 build a buggy = (3) = 3

1/6

Also training Insight for 2 xp

quiggy
Aug 7, 2010

[in Russian] Oof.




Downtime, great. While the others run about building vehicles or setting up jobs or going out partying or whatever, I lock myself in a smaller room with the Ur-triangle to examine it. I don't know how many days I spend, and I still don't feel like I'm much closer to a solution.

@Kinase (quiggy): 2d6k1 Investigate the triangle = (4+3) = 4
@Kinase (quiggy): 2d6k1 Investigate the triangle, again = (5+4) = 5

Marking a total of 4 segments on the clock.

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Not Alex
Oct 9, 2012

Cut loose before the god eaters show up.


For the next few cycles one can find Knack sprawled in various improbable places throughout the ship, pawing at an AR display. He's almost oblivious to the world, headphones in, head bobbing slightly. Every so often he will get an alert and scurry off to do some minor piece of maintenance before finding a new perch or nook.

1d6 Project 1 = (4) = 4
1d6 Project 2 = (1) = 1


Project 1 2/6
Project 2 1/6

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