Constable B-1, whose nameplate reads "Pal'dun", responds to Zeton's inquiries by saying a polite, "One moment, please," over his wrist scanner. Then he cries, "This one is flatlined!"
"Br'am, too," reports Patrolman 2. "We need Geishana here!"
"We could use them, too," says Blue Yangae A as his fellows tend to their yellow-marked comrades.
"Right," says Betham. He starts to raise his wrister, but he's interrupted by a cry from Detective Gar'en.
"Negative! We're still in a danger zone!"
"What do you mean?" demands Betham.
"Probably this!" cries Constable B-3 from his position at the main entrance. Holding the door open, he gestures outside.
Just beyond the door there lies what is probably Blue Yangae E, or what's left of him anyway. His armor is all but flattened, and he is surrounded by a puddle of what appears to be his own bodily fluids. The noisome goo has a strange, viscous quality as if it were liquid mercury.
Constable B-3 pulls a flyer from a bulletin board next to the door, crumples it up, and tosses it outside. As soon as it crosses the threshold, the paper suddenly drops to the floor as if pulled by a great magnet and flattens with a surprisingly large thud.
"Stasis zone!" says Blue Yangae A. "Or grav. Are all the entrances blocked?"
"No," replies Detective Gar'en, "just that one. The others are clear."
"No..." moans Dusker. He looks at Mon'Fargret. "The guards!"
"Patrolman Bel'in!" says Detective 2, pointing at the door next to the stage. "I-I think he's still..."
"Flames," mutters Betham, and he activates his wrister. "Bel'in! Patrolman Bel'in! Report!" He looks at the door, clearly raising his psy senses. "This is Betham! Put your spirit back on its hook! Report!"
The wrister beeps. "Um...sir...I-I'm sorry! I..."
"Bel'in, you flaming, weak-spined excuse for a putz! Running out on us when you're needed?"
"I just...Br'am..."
"Get your stinking carcass back here three minutes ago!"
"Yes, sir! I-I'm sorry, sir! I...AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!"
From the wrister comes the sounds of a struggle. A rather brief struggle. It ends with a sickening snap followed by a crash. Then there is only silence.
"The guards have us in their power," says Dusker.
"Patr'im," says Betham anxiously into his wrister. "Report! The guards! Are they still in your custody?"
Silence.
"We can't get out," says Dusker.
63 comments:
Zeton begins to understand the situation, but realizes there is little he can do about the guards outside the building at the moment. Instead, he turns his attention to helping the people who are still alive and require medical treatment.
He breaks out his med kit, quickly triages the wounded and begins to aid the most severely wounded person first.
(Slight correction to last line:)
The closest wounded to Zeton's position are the yellow-marked Yangae, but when he breaks out his med kit and goes to help, one of the blue-marked Yangae (B.B. C, to be precise) moves in front of him aggressively and snaps, "We'll take care of ours, Herg! Go help your own kind!"
"I don't think he's Hergoth," counters Blue Yangae A in his smooth baritone. "And we need that med kit in any case. Let him in."
At that, Blue Yangae C steps aside, resentment written all over him even though his helmet visor is still down.
[Zeton will always speak in Yangae and use a respectful tone when addressing either of the Yellow or Blue group members.]
Zeton thanks B.Y.A. and then reassures B.Y.C. he only wants to help, before he sets to work. [If you need a die roll for the medical aid, let me know.]
Zeton realizes he isn't going to win any friends, but he certainly doesn't want to make any enemies.
[Questions: How are Dusker and Mek restrained?
Is Widj able to perambulate?
How extensive are her injuries?]
Mon'Fargret speaks loud and strong, "Get these wounded ready for transport. Even the dying. Par'deth, can you open a port out of here? If not, we should retreat to the lower levels to a more defensive position. Too many kehl'sin doors in this place."
[Ok, I made kehl'sin up.]
@InfoGeek-
This is how the situation appears to Zeton while just looking around:
The Blue Yangae have already removed all the helmets from the Yellows.
-Yellow Yangae C, who Par'deth kicked halfway across the room into a group of tables, is separate from the others, but Par'deth apparently healed the worst of his wounds (at least as far as can be seen from twenty feet away). Zeton's knowledge and experience tell him that there could very well be massive internal injuries.
-Yellow Yangae A is uninjured and already coming around.
- Yellow Yangae B and D both have mild head injuries...about what you'd expect from a massive blow to a helmeted head.
@Snabulus-
(We can assume "kehl'sin" is either a local Her-galad slang word or MF's own invention.)
Widjgleeby is still sleeping peacefully.
"I'm with that," concurs Betham, looking at Par'deth.
Par'deth scowls and gestures negative. "I dare not use any more of my power than necessary. It was all I could do to restrain the enemy and pull it out of this one." He nods toward Ter'nbath. "I believe it's weakened, but it won't give up yet." He looks toward Yellow Yangae A, who is starting to stir. "He may be next."
"Honored Hero," says Bina defensively, "why wouldn't you let me help?"
Par'deth glares at the young priestess. "Why didn't you call for more effective help?"
Bina looks stung. "The Temple's too far away, and I'm not strong enough! Especially..."
"So why didn't you call someone who IS strong enough?" snaps Par'deth, his aura becoming visible. "You never went through the Initiation, did you?"
Bina bows her head. "No, Honored Hero. Mountain Eye trained me herself at the Temple."
"So you've learned to master the soul pool, but you still have no idea who and what you are?" Par'deth scoffs. Then he nods toward Keil'i, who is starting to stir. "Do you leave all matters of the Oneness up to her?"
Bina somehow looks even more ashamed.
"I'm surprised they even let you wear that brooch!" hisses Par'deth. He gestures toward Ter'nbath and Br'am. "They kept themselves apart from the Oneness by choice! That's why they were vulnerable! How about you, Bina of Mul'ein? Could you call on the Oneness to support you, or the Priesthood, or would you only open yourself to attack...and allow the enemy access to Erweina?"
"Don't...judge her harshly...Honored Hero," says Keil'i weakly. "She understands...the people...as I...understand...the Oneness..."
Par'deth raises an eyebrow. "And if half this 'perfect team' is taken out? Then what? Both fail? Idiocy!" He scoffs and stomps off in the direction of Br'am.
"Interesting," mutters Lirassa.
"Dauk!" says Pru, approaching Blue Yangae group with a wide smile on her dark face. "Thanks a million! I owe you a lodge!"
"I'd say so," replies Blue Yangae A. "I hope you can appreciate what we had to go through, Pru! I mean, that message of yours...from the witch mountain?" He glances warily at Par'deth and quickly looks away. "If we hadn't already noticed something was up..."
Pru purses her lips and gestures affirmative. Then she says, "This is big, Dauk. Really big. And it all kinda...um..."
"It kind of shakes up our whole view," adds Dauk. "I think I'm seeing a wider picture, and it's not one I'm comfortable with. The others maybe even less so."
"Par'deth, you were moping when you could have been fighting. Don't lecture Bina and Keil'i."
"Dusker, Ga'ren. How many guards, how are the armed, and where are they coming from? Everyone else! Defensive positions!" Mon'Fargret says waving at Lirassa and Ham.
To emphasize the point, he pulls out his pistol muzzle upward and walks towards Dusker (not threatening him; just in that direction) and begins peering out the window.
(There are no windows. The place is designed to be soundproof.)
"There were four guards when we arrived," says Detective Gar'en, looking at his scanner. "If I'm reading this right, all four of them are together...heading upstairs in a big hurry!" He looks around some more. "I think I found our people, too. It looks like they've been imprisoned in a room in the other basement. As for this area..."
"They won't be easy to see," says Dusker. "One is guarding the other Peace Forcers. The other is guarding us."
"What's guarding us?" asks Constable (B-1) Pal'dun.
"Vambli," replies Dusker.
The room is filled with a brief cacophony of whispered curses.
Lirassa looks across at Mon'Fargret, strikes a cocky pose, throwing out a hip, twirls her mini-stunner in her fingers, and says, "You didn't say please."
(Moving right along...)
Constable Pal'dun removes one of his gauntlets and clasps Mek's neck with his bare hand. Then he winces.
"I don't think I can..." he starts.
Betham sighs and throws a glance at Bina. "What's your Geishana level?"
Bina looks up at him with sullen eyes and quietly replies, "Two."
Betham sets his jaw.
"Barely," Bina continues. "I mean, I passed, but..." Then she glares. "I'm sorry!"
Keil'i rises from the sofa stiffly, swoons, catches her balance, and starts forward. "I'm level four," she says hoarsely. "I'll do it." She throws Bina a glance. Bina sighs and goes to her side to help her.
"This was all planned," says Dusker to Mon'Fargret. "I can feel it! They had a contingency in case clean Peace Forcers came. Now they're going to try to help boost It's strength."
"I'll help the fellow that was thrown across the room first to make sure there are no unseen injuries. By the way, what's his name?"
"Also, can someone cobble together a stretcher to carry him? If we need to leave and with Widj still out cold... oh ... How in the name of Jaydra are we going to move Widj if she doesn't wake up soon?"
"His name is Ben'Richa," reports Blue Yangae D. "I don't think there's much in here for making a stretcher, but if we go back downstairs..."
"In case you've forgotten," retorts Blue Yangae C sourly, "the downstairs rooms connect with what's in there." He points to the door next to the stage. "You want to take a chance on the Vambli coming after us?"
"One of them will come after you," says Dusker.
"Nix on that," says Blue Yangae A. "Should we try calling for a 'port out of here?"
"No," says Dusker flatly.
"We're surrounded by a hyperwave-induced phased gravitic destabilizer field," reports Detective Gar'en.
"Port blocker?" asks B.B. A.
"That's what I just said," retorts Gar'en.
Vambli
(not a form of NAMBLA)
(Oops...sorry about the screwed-up link I put up there before. Thanks, Snab!)
[MM, Can you summarize what we know about the layout of the building and where the different groups are and what architectural info we can glean from what we've heard?
Specifically, I'd like to know where we suspect the guards are, the Vambli is, and the way out of course. Maybe I should fire up MS Paint or something. ]
(You really know next to nothing. You came through the gate into that living room/office downstairs, and after that you went into the adjoining chamber that was both a storeroom and space for computer/media work and the teleporter. After that, Br'am and crew led the party out of there, into a passageway [which had a number of branches and doors], and up a stairway into the club. You really have no idea of the general layout of the place. It's a fair bet that no one in the party has ever been there before [except Mey'Luskar, and she's not there].)
"So, what sort of equipment is used to produce a hyperwave-induced phased gravitic destabilizer field these days?"
Zeton pauses to finish assessing Ben'Richa's immediate medical needs and then continues, "If it is part of the hyperwave as I understand it, could we attempt to temporarily jam the field, long enough to teleport us out of here?"
"I don't know what you mean by 'part of the hyperwave'," says Detective Gar'en, "but jamming the field is theoretically possible. Difficult, but possible. Basically, all it does is make a whole lot of noise in the area of the grav-inertial spectrum that phase teleporters usually use, stopping them from locking on. Maybe if we did the hyperwave equivalent of active noise-canceling..."
While this conversation(?) is going on, Blue Yangae D says, "Hey, Hero, I think he's coming around!" He points at Yellow Yangae A, who is definitely showing signs of regaining consciousness.
Pru holds out her ring, which flickers. She whistles through her teeth and says, "He's still got it!"
Par'deth approaches grimly. "The enemy might use him. Be on your guard."
"Yes, Detective Gar'en that's exactly what I mean; use hyperwave to counter-act the port blocker. Sort of like fighting fire with fire, or using white noise I guess. But we'd need a lot of transmission power, right? Sorry about not making much sense with my question, I'm not good at multi-tasking."
Zeton pauses again to finish treating Ben'Richa as best he can with the supplies he has and then stands up.
"Lirassa, if we aren't able to construct a transmission device with the supplies that we have, is there any way your ship might have the power and equipment we need to send a hyperwave signal our way?"
"Here are my ideas: try and construct our own transmitter to open a small section of the port blocker to allow us to escape. If we don't have enough power or the right supplies, maybe we could use the power and supplies from Lirassa's ship... if we can contact it."
Zeton moves over to the next Yangae that needs attention and then kneels down next to them.
"Has anyone tried to use hyperwave to send a message from here yet?"
Mon'Fargret shrugs to Lirassa and continues towards Dusker.
"Mey'Luskar misses you. She's going to be glad to know we got that thing out of your head. Hopefully we both make it back to tell her. Since we ported in, can you tell me where everything is so I know where to start shooting if it comes to that?"
As Zeton begins to examine the next casualty, he wishes to himself that Granite Spear was here to help defend them and wonders how they are faring at the Temple.
(@InfoGeek)-
(For the record, Yellow Yangae C has a couple of cracked ribs and might have internal damage. His condition seems to be stable, however. He's not bleeding, but he needs medical attention. Next in line is probably Yellow Yangae B, who just has a minor head injury.)
Lirassa says, "No, you don't! My ship is docked at the Tethar spaceport, which is a few astronomical units away! Communication is one thing! Having it train a hyperwave beam on us is something completely different! Even if the captain let us do it, security would be all over us!"
"There is that," says Gar'en.
(@Snabulus)-
Dusker sighs and looks away. "Things are what they are. Those doors over there..." He nods toward the doors next to the stage and bar. "...lead to storage and prep rooms for the club. There're stairs going down to the lower level and up to the main office, which is where the guards went. There's also a door that goes to Mas'Vellaf's house. The office is also the main control room. That's why the guards went there. They're up to something."
While these conversations are going on, Keil'i moves to Mek with Bina's help and puts her hands on his head. Then she concentrates. After a short while, she cries, "I've done it! Thank the Entity! He's alive!"
All at once the lights in the club begin to dim. Meanwhile, on the stage, a glow like a holo projection begins to appear.
"Sod and filth," hisses Dusker. Then he screams, "DON'T LOOK AT IT! DON'T LOOK AT IT!"
"Ham! Quick! Locate where the projection is coming from and destroy that area!"
Zeton then shields the eyes of the Yangae is is treating.
Ham pulls out the scanner .... tries to locate the energy spike for a local power source that would power a projector
Mon'Fargret looks straight up to see if he can spot the projector. If he does, he will give it a dose of sustained laser lovin'.
(I need will check rolls [WIL - d20] from all three of you.)
15-5 = 10 for M'F
Double sigh. I rolled a 20.
(WIL)14-20= -6
I hope this doesn't leave a permanent mark...
In no time at all, an image takes form over the stage. There is also a sound...a quiet, subtle sound that seems to fill the now-darkened room at just the threshold of hearing. It's a voice speaking a strange language.
(Ham's attention is fully focused on his scanner, so he doesn't have to worry about it.)
Zeton looks right at it.
Pru's ring suddenly shines very brightly, and she cries out with surprise.
Lirassa screams and covers her face.
Blue Yangae A (Dauk) cries, "NO!!!"
Mon'Fargret looks up at the complex array of lights, spots, effectors, mikes, and projectors over the stage and picks out the ones most likely responsible for the image. (Snabbie, roll an ALT check for Mon'Fargret.)
14-9=5
As Mon'Fargret moves to take aim at the projector, he sees in his peripheral vision one of the Blue Yangae group unslinging his carbine...and turning toward him.
Zeton also sees Blue Yangae C turn toward Mon'Fargret and level his carbine.
(We are basically at the end of Impulse Two of a new exchange and coming into Impulse Three. I've already made the appropriate rolls. In order to beat B.Y.C to the shot, both MF and Zeton will probably have to use swift attack skill.)
Zeton will use swift attack and rolls... 19?!?!? Damn and Blast!!!
(DER)14-19= -5
So, once Zeton can do something he will attempt to tackle B.Y.C. [Blue Yam Cult?]
DER 15-7=8
(Sadly) Mon'Fargret will aim for the kill. Pistol is on sustained fire. He will use his instinct to fire at the closest vulnerable spot.
Distracted by the spectacle on the stage, Zeton gets his foot caught on the person he was treating and has to take a second to regain his balance.
Responding quickly, Mon'Fargret goes for the aim-and-shoot with his pistol, but since he has to turn around, his opponent has a slight advantage. (Basically, the pivot/aim maneuver starts at the end of Impulse Two, and the shot takes place in the middle of Impulse Three.)
As he does this, Keil'i and Bina move as one, assuming a prayer stance and glowing orange and red, respectively.
Pru let's out another yelp of surprise, and there is a *whoosh*- like something being thrown.
(I need another WIL check roll for Mon'Fargret.)
Ouch! 15 - 18 = (-3)
All at once Mon'Fargret feels as if he were being boiled alive. The pain coursing through him is intense.
But it's not enough to do more than shake him.
(Roll for MF's shot.)
[Probably just real bad anxiety]
Natural roll is a 8.
+5 pistol
DEX 14
DER 15
SPD 14
CBT 12
5d6 is (in order of rolling):
4+5+6+2+2 = 19
The shot is more or less simultaneous. Mon'Fargret cranks off a half-second long burst with his pulse-laser pistol into Blue Yangae C's gut, which bursts open like a ripe fruit. At the same time, Blue Yangae C cranks off a single stun pulse that hits Mon'Fargret in the neck. (It's not a very solid hit, but it still adds to the pain MF is already suffering...)
(Snabbie, I need another d20 roll, this time to see if MF stays conscious or not.)
While all this is going on-
Up above, over the stage, there is a *CLANG* sound and a shower of sparks from the light array. The image immediately winks out.
Suddenly both of the priestesses gasp in unison and open their eyes wide. Keil'i's fire fades.
[Suddenly, Granite appears and looks around, before realizing that she is actually in a mall somewhere. Just as suddenly, she vanishes, leaving a cabbage in her place.]
Impulse Four-
Still shedding sparks, a section of the stage light array drops from the ceiling.
Pru gives a whoop of excitement.
Blue Yangae C falls to the ground, smoke and flames pouring from his ruptured gut.
Keil'i collapses, but Bina resumes her prayer trance, her face tightened with resolve.
(Zeton is up for an action.)
(Snabbie?)
[Widjgleeby stretches and yawns, sniffs about a bit, and picks up the welcome aroma of cabbage nearby.]
"I wonder if our invisible friend is helping us out!??!"
Zeton begins to move to Keil'i with his med kit to make sure she's OK.
Rolled a netural 1. Either really good or really bad.
Neturally, I hed a tepograhpical erorr.
Mon'Fargret grits his teeth and thinks to himself, Is this the best you can do, you whimp?
Keil'i doesn't seem to be injured in any way.
Bina is still in a trance.
"Did you see that?" crows Pru excitedly. "I did that! Wah-how! I didn't even think about it! I just threw a disk, and..." She makes a sound in her throat like an explosion.
Constable Pal'dun moves next to Mek and levels his sidearm on his head. To Dauk (Blue Yangae A) he says, "If any of the other poisoned ones comes around..."
Dauk (Blue Yangae A) is too busy looking at Blue Yangae C. "Would someone please explain all this to me?" he mutters.
"Dauk!" says Blue Yangae D, who is looking at Yellow Yangae A. "This one is...*URK*!"
"GET BACK!" screams Par'deth, and he is on the scene like a shot. Calling his fire, he soon has Y.Y. A enveloped in a faint, bluish veil.
Yellow Yangae A sits up and regards Par'deth with contempt-filled, inhuman (infoldorian?) eyes.
"Go on, Hero!" he says in an eerie, silky voice. "You can call your power quicker than I can send it, but for how long?"
His face contorts, eyes bulging. Par'deth answers with a look of tremendous exertion.
"It's weak!" croons Wari from her sofa as she sits up. "It's weeeeaaaaak!"
Dabid approaches Mon'Fargret and says, "Are you alright, my lord?"
Dauk quickly pulls Blue Yangae D away, but the latter assures him he's okay.
Yellow Yangae A presses the attack again, and Par'deth looks even more agonized containing it.
"You are a fool," sings Yellow Yangae A, "and you can't win! My power comes from all those that are open to me. All of the chosen ones! Where does your power come from, Hero?"
"Where...indeed...?" retorts Par'deth hoarsely, and he glances at Bina.
A smile crosses the priestess's face.
"I remember what we are," she says serenely. "Do you have any idea, failed one?"
Behind her, a circle of light appears and quickly grows. Before it is scarcely half a meter in diameter, two smaller balls of light, one yellow, one blue, appear.
Yellow Yangae A's expression changes from one of contempt to one of horror. Letting out a desperate scream, he presses again, and Par'deth seems to falter.
The little yellow and blue balls suddenly grow to form Gaima and Per'anai, respectively. Stepping to either side of Bina, they assume identical stances to the young priestess, call their fire, and blend it. Then they send it toward Yellow Yangae A.
"Go, Hero!" says Per'anai sternly.
Par'deth gratefully pulls in his own fire and takes a breath. Then he turns around, holds out a hand, and sings something like, "Pinahii!"
There is a sound like someone running, and suddenly part of Par'deth's outstretched hand becomes blotted out...invisible as if erased from existence.
Par'deth's eyes flash blue, and he shrinks into a small ball of blue fire that shoots straight up through the ceiling.
"So, does this mean I don't get to build the hyperwave anti-port blocker device?" asks Zeton with a wry smile.
"That's not funny," says Detective Gar'en.
"Let's just say I hope you don't," puts in Dauk. Then he gestures toward Blue Yangae C and asks, "Is there anything you can do?"
The sound of crashing and thumping can be heard upstairs.
The sphere of light enclosing the possessed Yangae starts to shrink around him as he grunts and moans with the effort of his resistance.
But then it seems to reach a limit, and it shrinks no more.
His face twisted and soaked with sweat, Yellow Yangae A nevertheless smiles defiantly.
The other yellow-marked Yangae as well as Mek begin to twitch and spasm.
"Your power is at its limit, alien scum! How long can you last against all my followers?"
"How many are they?" asks Per'anai quietly. Then she starts to intone a low song. As it continues, most of the (conscious) Hergoth present begin to close their eyes and join in.
Notably, Betham does not. He only scowls.
The sphere begins to shrink again.
There is another crash from upstairs.
Clearly terrified, the possessed Yangae nevertheless cries, "Idiots! You think you can stop me here? I'll just transfer to another! I'll burn them all if I have to, but I'll survive! I will prevail!"
As he says this, the circle of light behind the priestesses widens again, and someone steps out of it.
Mey'Luskar.
The possessed Yangae looks at her curiously, and then his eyes widen. "You!" Then he renews his assault, pushing the sphere back a little.
The priestesses and the Hergoth that have joined their song all look pained for an instant.
Mek and the yellow-marked Yangae all curl into fetal positions (as much as possible) and scream in unison.
"Child of the future!" says the possessed Yangae breathily. "Remember who you are and what you believe in! Follow the cause!"
"The cause?" asks Mey'Luskar.
"You haven't even begun to realize!" says the possessed Yangae. He draws a breath and presses harder against the sphere. "The glorious realm your ancestors tried to build...we can remake it even better than before! We can rid the galaxy of chaos and leave only civilization! The grand dream of those that created you: the greatest civilization in history! It is starting here! You're already part of it! Now you can be part of something bigger than you can imagine!"
"I know what I'm part of," retorts Mey'Luskar. "Now SOD OFF AND ROT!"
The possessed Yangae stares at her with agonized shock and disbelief.
Then he says a very feeble-sounding, "Awwwww..."
And collapses to the floor.
The sphere of light vanishes with a muffled pop.
All the poisoned ones go back to lying quietly.
The priestesses and supporting Hergoth stop their song and stare incredulously.
The light in Pru's ring winks out.
"That was weird," she says.
Mon'Fargret begins to answer Dabid when the next proceedings pull his attention away. As the pace escalates, he executes a rare quadruple take then watches dumbfounded as Par'deth and Mey'Luskar do their magic. Somewhere in the middle he mutters, "Kehl-sin...."
Finally, he surveys the carnage stopping a little longer over the deaths and injuries he wrought and looks at Dabid again with friendship and sadness, then back to Mey'Luskar with awe and a bit of fear.
Widjy is going to get up off the floor as soon as she is able and stand up!
Continues to fiddle with scanner .....while things burn .... ..to see if anything of after effect will come of it.... ahhh perchance to .... hell with it.... (Ham smells the scent of cabbage *blechhh*)
(Ok...new post time.)
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