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05:31, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Happy Homecoming-4.

Posted by GM Computer HeathFor group 0
GM Computer Heath
GM, 476 posts
Thu 12 Mar 2009
at 19:00
  • msg #1

Happy Homecoming-4

You have all your coffee and tea supplies ready as you push through security and enter the main area.



You enter the anteroom entrance to the Happy Homecoming center.  This is the entrance the...condemned...never get to see, let alone exit through.

The anteroom is a small, spartan room with unknowable numbers of concealed security cameras.  Tension Level 14  Like a dentist's office, except instead of magazines there are instructional pamphlets with titles like "MemoMax and your next clone" and "The importance of loyalty."  Some pamphlets market services like secure property storage, MemoMax backup integrity testing, Loyalty Encouragement Counseling and even automatic renewal of your previous clone's Toilet Permit.  The legality and utility of these services are perhaps questionable in some sectors.

Her to greet you is  GREEN citizen who introduces herself as the center's assistant director, Jessica-G-RFA-6.  She holds a stack of papers and wears a sour look on her face.  "I am aware of your mission," she says, but then proceeds to require you to reiterate the details and show identification anyway.  "You can't be too careful about the rules," she says, but not in the most friendly manner.

You tell her your mission, show your identification, and then she orders you to transport your concession materials to the center of the waiting room floor for distribution to the condemned, where GREEN guards will clear a space for you to serve beverages.

"Any questions?" she asks as she stands at the door that will lead you to the termination center.

You note that she hasn't said anything about your service service duty (deodorizing the bathroom and repairing the Headsweeper).

OOC: You are not sure which, if any, traitorous organizations she might belong to.  Something about her dour look tells you she has something hidden.  No one is naturally that unhappy.  Good thing your group has a Happiness Officer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:09, Thu 12 Mar 2009.
Seth-R-BCK-2
player, 57 posts
20% MORE LOYAL THAN
SETH-R-BCK-1!
Fri 13 Mar 2009
at 20:13
  • msg #2

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

quote:
"Any questions?" she asks as she stands at the door that will lead you to the termination center.


"Ma'am, we have not been briefed on the particular security rules that might apply in the detention center.  Are there any regulations we should be made aware of before we begin?"
GM Computer Heath
GM, 477 posts
Sat 14 Mar 2009
at 01:16
  • msg #3

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

"No time for that," she says.  "You're already 3 and a half minutes late.  I do hope you know what you're supposed to do with all that...equipment."  She makes a grand gesture to indicate all the coffee and tea supplies.
Seth-R-BCK-2
player, 58 posts
20% MORE LOYAL THAN
SETH-R-BCK-1!
Sat 14 Mar 2009
at 02:38
  • msg #4

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

"Yes Ma'am, our Equipment Guy is one of the best.  He'll have everything set up in no time!"
GM Computer Heath
GM, 478 posts
Wed 18 Mar 2009
at 22:55
  • msg #5

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

She leads you from the anteroom, down an elevator, and into the lookout area of the actual termination center:



(You are on the area just entering from the south elevator.)

The lookout area is a large, elevated platform overlooking a spacious floor milling with prisoners.  The lookout platform is separated from the floor below by bulletproof, laser-refractive plastic (armor value 4).  Apertures int he shielding let guards entering from the elevator target their weapons at the prisoners on the floor. A bolted trapdoor in the platform opens onto a narrow gangway to the main floor.  Once on the ground, guards must pass from the trapdoor through a high-security vault-style door (armor value 6) to enter the main floor.

The main floor is divided in half.  The half near the entrance, the waiting room, is completely open, like a ball court.  The far half comprises the homecoming chambers and termination room.

Jessica looks at you sternly.  She is short and thin; narrow, severe face; greying hair pulled back in a tight bun.  Her green uniform is impeccable, her speech brusque, and you sense the implied rudeness.  "You will be serving them in the waiting room," she says, pointing to the trapdoor.  "You can set up there."  She orders three GREEN guards to clear a spot in the center of the waiting room for you.

She turns to the team leader, but obviously will accept a response from anyone who knows.  "So tell me exactly the parameters of your mission.  What do you have to do exactly?  I have to report to the director, George."  She nods to an office in the southeast corner, and is obviously not pleased at having to report, much like a subordinate who thinks she's smarter than her boss.
Seth-R-BCK-2
player, 59 posts
20% MORE LOYAL THAN
SETH-R-BCK-1!
Thu 19 Mar 2009
at 02:30
  • msg #6

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

Jessica:
"So tell me exactly the parameters of your mission.  What do you have to do exactly?  I have to report to the director, George."


"Well ma'am, as a competent, qualified, and loyal GREEN citizen  I'm sure you understand it much better than we do and can explain it much better than we could.  We're here to implement experimental happiness regulation PEC-V-9A-65992B, with all that that implies. We have also been assigned to perform a repair service for the IntSec firm 'Better Endings'."
Lynn-R-EHT-1
player, 24 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2009
at 16:41
  • msg #7

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

Lynn says, "Zha, vee vill have challenge making sure all the condemned are happy, no?"  As the party descends to set up in the center of the room, she says, "Maybe vee should have plan.  Anybody make coffee or tea before?"
GM Computer Heath
GM, 485 posts
Wed 25 Mar 2009
at 21:05
  • msg #8

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

Jessica says, "So you have some sort of service service?"  She looks over her list, frowning.  "I only have listed the service for happiness regulation PEC-V-9A-65992B, not the repair service."  She yells out toward the southeast area, "George!  These Troubleshooters apparently have something not on my list."

Out of the are marked George-B's office shuffles a man of medium height, with a bland, round face and remote brown eyes that would not stand out in a crowd.  He says, "Yes, well, that's why I'm the director."

Jessica "hmmph"s and rolls her eyes.  "Yes, and I can guess what their service service is just by looking at their supplies, but you have to give authorization."

"That's right."  George says to you, "Yes, you have a service service.  Recently, a prisoner tried to escape the termination center through the bathrooms, but a combot guard slagged him...and the bathrooms as well.  An unpleasant odor has arisen from the sewage backup.  One prisoner has even died of gas inhalation, and the fumes from the leakage are corroding the metal Headsweeper gear tracks above the former restrooms.  So the service firm Better Endings, which is responsible for upkeep and repair of termination center facilities in VWV Sector, normally does repairs.  However, The Computer considers Better Endings personnel inadequately trained to handle the repairs.  And since you're here anyway, the Computer assumes you won't mind performing these minor repairs.  You don't mind, do you?"

He doesn't wait for an answer.  You are only RED clearance, after all, and not authorized to doubt his judgment.

He takes a deep breath and continues, pointing to your equipment, "The air fresheners are intended to remedy the termination center's odor problem.  With the other equipment, you are to oil the Headsweeper gear tracks, replace six ball bearings on the rotator joints holding the blades in place and sharpen the blades with a file."

He pauses at the box of rubber handles.  "Oh, these go to Jessica."

She takes the rubber handles without comment, obviously trying to avoid showing her disdain for her boss.

George looks at his watch and says, "You better get set up quickly."  Trying to help but actually making you quite nervous, he says, "I timed the last Troubleshooter group with this duty.  It takes about 30 seconds to serve each individual prisoner, especially because the regulation requires you to serve in a gracious and courteous manner.  If you fail to be gracious and courteous, the combots will graciously and courteously threaten to blow you away."

He points at your carts, still trying to be helpful but only instilling panic.  "The logistics of sharing cart supplies means that only three of you can use one cart.  If you work together smoothly -- with no distractions -- three of you can serve 5 to 6 prisoners per minute.  That means you can achieve 100% service of all 222 prisoners in 35 to 40 minutes.  So you see, it's totally achievable.  What could go wrong?"

Jessica steps in front of him, pointing to the center of the termination center floor below.  "Any questions?" she asks with a scowl.
Seth-R-BCK-2
player, 62 posts
20% MORE LOYAL THAN
SETH-R-BCK-1!
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 17:16
  • msg #9

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

Just one, ma'am.  Your boss has graciously instructed us on how much time the beverage service should take, but how much time is allotted for our service service?
CL-R-WIL-1
player, 154 posts
R&D Hygiene Officer
Clearance RED
Sat 28 Mar 2009
at 15:27
  • msg #10

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

"This facility seems up to cleanliness regulations." CL looks about, "Seth, we should make sure not to spill any of the supplies."
GM Computer Heath
GM, 486 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 18:51
  • msg #11

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

She answers Seth, "I know nothing about your service service."

George says around Jessica's blocking body, "It just needs to be done before you leave. And yes, if you spill supplies, you may not only be wasting precious Computer commodities, but you may find yourselves unable to complete your mission."
GM Computer Heath
GM, 487 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 20:03
  • msg #12

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

OOC: What I'm going to do is give you 5 minute intervals.  Every time 5 minutes passes, I'll let you know in a move.  This will help us keep track of time.

I am putting you down as serving 6 prisoners per minute.

LOGISTICS: Only 3 can use the cart, so one prisoner every 30 seconds is 6 per minute.

This means that 3 people must remain with the cart at all times, while 3 can help with the service service or take care of anything else.  You will probably want to rotate every 5, 10 or 15 minutes, or whatever your team leader believes is most advantageous to your mission.  You will probably need to maintain flexibility for whatever...problems...may come your way.



11:40 a.m.
Prisoners Served: 0
Prisoners Not Served: 222
Prisoners Per Minute Served: 6


You go down into the waiting room , where you set up your refreshment cart and get ready to serve beverages.

Gunther offers to stay with the cart and man it the whole time.


WAITING ROOM
Imagine an airport passenger lounge for an Aeroflot flight delayed three days, or a bus station in the outer vestibule of Dante's Inferno.  Now you know what the Happy Homecoming waiting room is like.

The ceiling of the waiting room is 35 meters up and partly lost in shadow, giving the impression a lot more security equipment could swing down from the rafters.  Looking up, you see in the shadows the fist-sized barrels of heavy armaments.  Transparent bulletproof plastic covers flourescent lights built into the dented metal walls.  The bright lights cast a greenish pallor over everything.  Multiply-redundant, shielded camera banks halfway up the wall track every movement.

Happy elevator music plays quietly over the loudspeakers.  You heard the HPD&MC polls taken several months ago indicated music would calm prisoners distressed by the shrieking from the termination booths.

An ugly smell pervades the air.  As George told you, a prisoner tried to escape via the restrooms, located in one corner of the waiting room floor.  But a combot gunned him down, unfortunately destroying the facilities in the process.  (The bots didn't notice the smell.)  The restrooms are now a chunky slag.

Gea-like mechanisms ("headsweepers") attached to articulated metal arms sweep the room just below the ceiling.  These jointed metal arms are tipped with spinning rotary blades (W3K impact, armor-piercing) that circle the perimeter of the room on a gear track.  The four headsweepers cast weird, spinning shadows on the floor below, but are completely silent.  They're IntSec's response to a previous jailbreak, George tells you, during which Commie traitors used Tanglers (and Adhesive Skin) to drop from the ceiling and liberate prisoners.

You must maintain and repair these Headsweepers as part of your service service for IntSec.

SERVICE SERVICE:  Deodorize the bathroom and repair the Headsweeper.
CL-R-WIL-1
player, 155 posts
R&D Hygiene Officer
Clearance RED
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 22:30
  • msg #13

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

"That smell is very inappropriate and must be dealt with immediately." CL breaks out his Hygiene Kit, "I will have to speak with George about this. Team Leader, I must employ you to give me permission to deodorize this smell. It is top priority to make the air quality up to the Computer's standards."
Lynn-R-EHT-1
player, 27 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 22:42
  • msg #14

Re: Happy Homecoming-4

Lynn says, "I think I vill have to take first try at serving the coffee and tea.  I must make sure every-vun is happy and served properly, no?"

She begins making up the tea and telling people to line up and prepare to be cordially served a beverage before their deaths, and that they should make sure to smile or she will have to tell some jokes about the Commie and the termination booth.
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