Hearing an incendiary, Porter will wait about 30 seconds to open the hatch.  Then he will toss in another frag at whatever he sees and slam it shut.

He mutters to himself, "This is taking too long!"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:04, Wed 26 Aug 2020.

Waiting about 30 seconds, he pops up the hatch to the recreation deck. He still sees nothing but the northern hatch ajar and the light coming from it.

Needless to say, the central room is in ruins from multiple frag grenades and an incendiary grenade.

Porter does not see a robot or any sign of movement.

OOC: Not sure what you want to do with the frag or if you want to throw it through the open hatch like the tangler and the prior grenade.

Seems like this isn't a robot, but Terry trying to slow me down.   I  will change to a tangler and run up to the hatch,  pop it open and throw it at him, closing the hatch in case he tries to retaliate.

Feeling like they might be able to achieve their final goal without more losses, Porter changes to his automatic pistol and climbs the ladder.  Maybe he can reason with them, even if at gunpoint.  At the very least, he will try his best.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:27, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

I wait behind porter at the bottom of the ladder "porter stop playing about will you"

"once we are up there I'll take a look at your scratches"

When Porter clears the hatch, Bartj scrambles up the ladder and into the Recreation deck as well.

Responding to Appleburg, Bartja adds "Well, violence it is then.  We'll try subdual methods first.

Any idea who the hostages are?  Probably crew, but Terry is over-calculating if he's convinced we'll spare collateral damage to stop him."

To emphasize his point, Bartja turns his face away so that only his machine-half is seen.  He slips one hand into a pocket of his skeinsuit and withdraws it again, brass knuckles in place as he plucks the grenades from his belt once again.

"Breath deeply before we head into the bridge.  Besides a Tangler grenade, I'm going to activate a Doze.  If I fall before throwing it, its still going to go off."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:35, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

Desiraye Will also climb up the ladder and onto the recreation deck with her gyrojet rifle out and pointed in the direction most likely that there might be contact with a threat.  She provides cover in that direction and then finally puts on her gas mask.  "Remember, we're kind of under a truce here so make sure if you have a threat it's an actual threat before you fire. we could all go up in a fireball if they reactivate the countdown!"

OOC: Remember the following:

1) The two hostages are the two additional crew members.
2) There are two hostiles: both Terry and LeGrange, so one tangler may only solve half the problem.
3) The air breathers for the atmosphere will not stop doze grenades (as S'krllk found out). You would need to use gas masks and remove the breathers.
4) Only one person can go up the ladder at a time. However, Terry/LeGrange are letting you come up to the bridge to try to explain to them the issues (although they seem more concerned with whether the ship will blow up than all the Sathar/implant issues).

If you need to adjust any posts based on the above, feel free to do so. I have not made any rolls yet, but will likely do so later today.

Post modified.

As Porter starts to ascend, Appleburg offers him one of the sonic stunner pistols for a less lethal option.

"Thanks, I hope it won't come to that."

Everyone (except S'krllk) climbs up to the recreation deck as Porter is getting ready to go to the bridge.

A quick inspection shows that the utility robot (which is through the north hatch in the central circular hallway) had been caught in Porter's initial tangler and then torn apart by his frag grenade. Seven frag grenades lay near the robot.

The incendiary grenade that went off appears to have been strung to the hatch with a delay timer, another booby trap by Terry that had nothing to do with the robot but had been placed earlier.

Porter takes the Sathar solar sonic stunner (forgive the alliteration) and inspects it a moment since it is a Sathar artifact weapon. It is easy to operate but takes a few seconds to come to full charge with the trigger held so will not be a snap and fire weapon. Porter also has his regular pistol just in case. (One in each hand akimbo? One holstered?) Porter has to tuck both away to climb the ladder and open the hatch above, so any drawing and firing will have to be done directly from the bridge.

While you make preparations, LeGrange's voice comes over the intercom again as if reading your minds. "Don't try anything funny. We've got two hostages and a finger on the trigger of the engine countdown just waiting to be restarted. We are also armed."

Terry then says, "I also have a dead man's switch. Any attempt to take me, dead or alive, will result in the entire bridge blowing up."

Down in the engineering deck, S'krllk is alone, still trying to work out if he can essentially undo the potential explosion.

Two options here if he tries to defuse: Demolitions Skill (military) or Deactivate Defense (technological).

Demolitions Check will use skill setter level of 5, so: 50% + skill level - 50%.

Deactive Alarms/Defenses will use alarm level 5. (I.e., 40% + skill level - 50%.)

BUT: For either check, the modifier decreases 5% for every minute S'krllk studies it closely, to a max of -20% (Level 2 alarm).

Also, if he has any skill level in one of the skills, he gets a minimum 10% chance to succeed.

Failure by over 40% gap, or 95% plus roll, whichever is lower, means it explodes. Otherwise, no effect.

S'krllk gets only one chance to try to disarm if he tries. Choose wisely.

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:05, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

You stand at #8 on the Recreation Deck (except S'krllk).

Maps of recreation deck and bridge above you are below.

Note that when you climb to the bridge, you will still have two hatches (east and west) to get through before getting to where LeGrange and Terry are at. Please be specific about where you will be going, what you will be doing once on the bridge.

The central area of the bridge is empty, so you can climb up there freely before making your final (or not so final) moves.




This message was last edited by the GM at 03:03, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

Porter picks up the frag grenades, "these will come in handy, sometime."  Then he climbs the ladder.  He will charge the sunner and open the hatch to the west, towards the engineering station, stunner in hand and aimed through the hatch.  He is prepared to close it quickly if he sees anything coming his way.

"Look, I just want to talk, okay?"  If he sees either Terry or Legrange, he will take a bead on them, but sidle off to the outer wall, away from the door.

"You have to admit, this behavior is not normal for you.  You have a Sathar cybernetic implant controlling you.  We want to help you get it out and restore order.  The only other options are, someone, or every one dies.  If you start the countdown, we all die.  If you explode the ship, we all die, if I shoot you, only you die.  I don't want to do that.  Please, release control and let us help you.  We need you alive for the best chance of overcoming what is going to happen here."

(OOC)
I hope I am reading all the background correctly.  Please let me know if I got something wrong.

S'Krllk instructs his Master Comp to initiate scans with the Duo-CAS and keep an updated diagram of the Engineering control systems on the small screen available. Then he walks back to the hatch that leads to the rest of the ship, and locks it down. The doors to the Engineering section are, similarly, locked.
Able to focus on the task at hand, S'Krllk builds a simulation of the Engineering control console within his bodycomp and uses this to devise a method of eliminating the possible explosion.


S'Krllk is level three technician, so he'll be using Deactive Alarms/Defenses, and spending a good 10 minutes scanning with his electrical and mechanical CAS to figure out how to safely undo the horror wrought by Terry

With the immediate threat of launch or explosion stalled and Porters major wounds patched, Bartja opens a com with S'Krllk.

"Would it help to have a second set of eyes on that mess Terry created down there?  I'll open a port so you can upload your scans and simulation to me, then I'll process on my end and give you my opinion."

OOC: ie. can we add our Tech skils together to increase our chances of figuring it out?

Waiting on Desi and Orvo. Will check in later tonight.

In reply to GM Heath (msg # 106):
"We Don't have to blow anybody up or kill each other here. It seems that we've gotten ourselves into a situation that it looks like we may not be able to get out from.  We all don't need to die here!  The both of you are tops in your fields of studies this is very unusual for two people in your positions to be acting like this.  What else can we do to convince you that something is off and we can help you?"

Ooc : Best I can do for my phone

Desi, Porter, and Orvo go up to the central bridge area. The hatches to the east and west are closed but there is a communication button next to them. No one will be in sight until you open the hatches.

Bartja and Appleburg remain on the Recreation Deck center area, and S'krllk is still down in the Engine room.

Bartja has a quick exchange with S'krllk, waiting for a reply.

Porter pushes the button and says: "Look, I just want to talk, okay? You have to admit, this behavior is not normal for you.  You have a Sathar cybernetic implant controlling you.  We want to help you get it out and restore order.  The only other options are, someone, or every one dies.  If you start the countdown, we all die.  If you explode the ship, we all die, if I shoot you, only you die.  I don't want to do that.  Please, release control and let us help you.  We need you alive for the best chance of overcoming what is going to happen here."

07:47, Today: GM Heath rolled 53 using 1d100. OOC: Porter's leadership is 55, with his personality reduced to 35 by the original creator. It paid off with this roll!

Desi says, "We Don't have to blow anybody up or kill each other here. It seems that we've gotten ourselves into a situation that it looks like we may not be able to get out from.  We all don't need to die here!  The both of you are tops in your fields of studies this is very unusual for two people in your positions to be acting like this.  What else can we do to convince you that something is off and we can help you?"

A tense moment passes, and then LeGrange says, "Come on in. I...I have had some blackout times and an irrational hatred of Vrusk. I just...just hate them. But we do have a deadman switch, so no sudden moves."

"I'm not buying it," Terry says. "Don't trust them!"

To that, LeGrange says, "Shut up." Then the intercom clicks off again.

Porter will cycle the hatch and step in.  He will have the stunner at the ready, but hold off using it unless necessary.  He will step to the left, away from the door to allow the others in.

"Please, shut that thing down.  We will talk, but we have no desire to die today, and I am sure you don't either.  We just want to move on and get ready for what is sure to come."

S'Krllk affirms Bartja's idea, and begins sending him the scans of the system as he tries to work out how to undue the damage.

Please indicate east or west hatch. That will determine who you are facing when you go in and what you see. (You don't know who is on what side at the moment.)

Porter is going in the west hatch.

Bartja holds back as the scans and information from S'Krllk comes in.  He begins studying them as the others go up to the bridge.

Porter and the others are preparing while S'krllk and Bartja are combining talents. (+5% per roll per minute analyzed.) Two minutes have passed.

Porter heads through the west door...



At the chair (marked "h"), he sees one of the hostage crew members tied up and looking panicked.

Behind the hostage and the next chair over (marked "j") you see Terry, who is using both the crew member and bridge launch chairs as cover (hard cover). Terry is holding a pistol in one hand and something else in his left hand--what appears to be some sort of switch or button. From this switch run wires around to the north stringing together frag grenades that are strapped to the wall. The amount of grenades, if detonated, would surely destroy the entire bridge and likely kill everyone in it.

"Now just what is it you think you have to say to us?" Terry says.

You do not see LeGrange or the other hostage but assume they are through the east door on the far side of the bridge.

Porter keeps his eyes on Terry, and says, loud enough for the rest to hear, "Terry, is this what you signed on for?  To murder people?  Suicide?  Does this even make sense to you?  You have an implant in your head that is telling you to do things you wouldn't do.  You have to fight it.  If you want to live, you have to disable your trap and let us help you."  Porter will slowly move between Terry and the hostage as he talks.