Gamma World Adventure 20XD6: IC

[S.K.U.M.M.]

"Oh, we never know for sure. Possibly soon. No more than a half-hour."

[BDEYE]

Dog keeps running.

[souldoubt]

Natsuko waits patiently.

[Rettu Skcollob]

"Okay then. I'm sure we can wait a while." Irfan continues to wait patiently, looking out over the view.

[S.K.U.M.M.]

To Dog:

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About a hundred yards down west along the ravine you find the gaping hole of an ancient sewer pipe. It is just large enough for you to fit through. There are no other places to ascend around you.

[S.K.U.M.M.]

"The important thing is that you don't displease the Masters," says the guard. Pretty soon you all notice some movement from the North. A large hulking figure is walking towards you all, at it's side a smaller creature on all fours. As they get closer you realize that the large figure looks like some descendant of man, with huge shoulders and using knuckles to help it walk on short, stubby legs. The smaller figure looks like a pig. "That is one of the Masters," says the guard, pointing at the pig. "Do what He says and nobody gets hurt."

[Jokes]

Doc

Doc's heart feels like it is crawling up through his throat. He'd have preferred tekkies... But he keeps his mouth shut and his jaw clenched.

[BDEYE]

Dog crawls through the pipe. If he makes it all the way through, he creeps through the city, doing his best to remain unseen and make it back to roughly where he separated from the group. If possible and expedient he will take to the rooftops.

Hide: (1d20+6)[12]
Move Silently: (1d20+9)[22]

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Dog:

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About 150 feet from the entrance you see daylight above you. Looking up, you see a manhole cover about 20 feet overhead, easily accessible by a steel ladder leading to the surface.

[BDEYE]

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Dog climbs the ladder and listens at the grate. If nobody seems to be immediately present he opens the grate and starts sneaking through the city.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Irfan looks slightly horrified as the creature and it's companion approaches. "Oh... Oh my."

[souldoubt]

Natsuko's expression shows no alarm. She simply looks quizzically at the large figure, then at the pig.

"Hello. Have you seen my sister?"

[S.K.U.M.M.]

To Irfan:

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You feel the extremely unpleasant sensation of another being's thoughts trying to invade your own head. Somebody or something is trying to communicate directly to your thoughts. Make a DC 14 Will save if you want to try to force this alien presence out of your head.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Irfan feels a distinctly unpleasant sensation, like a cold, wet squid clamping itself onto his mind. He shivers involuntarily, but doesn't try to force the presence out. No need to be rude.

[puctheplayfull]

Adrian considers the pig, tilts his head down to hide behind his hat and

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Smiles slyly.

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Rettu:

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"Don't let my appearance disturb you. I am more intelligent and more powerful than you can know. Tell your friends to come with me if they want to live."

[Rettu Skcollob]

"Oh... Oh dear. Um, the Pig creature says we should follow it... "If we want to live". Oh my."

[puctheplayfull]

"Where does it want us to follow it to?"

[souldoubt]

Natsuko nods at Adrian's question; she wants to know too.

[Jokes]

Doc

"I don't have a problem with wanting to live." Doc manages to break away his stare from the beasts to look at Irfan. "We'd better follow."

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Rettu:

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The pig keeps on talking to you in your head. "Do not be deceived by our appearance. We are smarter than most humans. Long ago, before they killed themselves with their own greed and ignorance, humans used us merely for spare organs. Some of us were given increased neural tissue for use in humans with brain damage; we bred this trait down the generations. After our captors died in the Final Wars we simply walked out of our holding pens. We now own this city, and the descendants of our captors are now our own livestock. Ironic turn of events, don't you think?

[Rettu Skcollob]

"Um, yes. Quite. Well, er. Whatever your species is called. If you want us to come with you, then lead on..."

[S.K.U.M.M.]

((OOC: From here on out I will simply narrate what the pig is thinking through Rettu))

"Do not be so quick to judge us," says the pig through Rettu. "We have been slaves of men in the past. Although most men are dead, almost outnumbered by their genetic experiments and robots they made slaves also, we still do not trust them. You, for instance. I do not trust you. You may be of use to us, which is why we will let you live and why we will not make you slaves in the end. I am more powerful than you can imagine. The ability to read this one's mind is but the least of my abilities. So I must hear from you all now; will you help us?"

To Dog:

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You appear in a weed-strewn field about 500 feet from the others. By poking your head just out of the manhole, you can remain hidden from them.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Irfan shivers once more. "Uh... That depends on what it is you need help with... I'm always willing to help out another sentient in need, though.

[souldoubt]

Natsuko waits for the the pig to answer Irfan's question.

[BDEYE]

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Dog pokes his head out from the manhole and looks round.

[puctheplayfull]

Adrian looks to Irfan, and then to the pig-like creature.

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I don't back down, and will make eye contact with the pig-like creature when I ask my question.

"I'll come along, and see what I can do, but I don't normally work for free. Is there anything in it for me?"

He then looks back to Irfan for a response. If the group begins to walk away, he will follow, staying near the pig-like creature and Irfan to wait for an answer.

[S.K.U.M.M.]

The pig "says":

"We are merely content to farm these lands. All we want is space to live. But the ruins of the city house many strange things, relics of the Final Wars. Like I said before, some of the genetic freaks and robots have are almost as intelligent as we are. Most lie buried in the thousands of vaults under the city, content to sleep away eternity, but occasionally something finds it's way to the surface.
"What is bothering us now are things which used to be human. They are not human anymore. Our own DNA was crafted to optimize our bodies and minds, but the things that now bother us are accidents. They have mutated beyond a recognizably human form. What is worse, their minds have also been ruined. They are almost as intelligent as we are, and they have psychic abilities as we do. They cannot be allowed to live anywhere near us, but they are drawn to our psychic abilities like moths to a flame.
"As to your question," says the pig to Adrian. "We will gladly give you some of the old technology we find every so often in the ruins. We have no use for such things, our minds being able to supply our every need. If you were impressed by the self-willed rope, you may have it as a gesture of our good will."

[souldoubt]

Natsuko gazes intently (even more so than normal) at the pig. "I must find my sister." She sounds almost imploring, but there is a hint of bargaining in her tone.

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If the pig cannot supply anything (information, equipment) that might potentially aid her, she will still follow along with the group, but will doubtless broach the issue again later.

[S.K.U.M.M.]

The pig looks at Natsuko for a second, and Irfan feels the pig's mind leave his own. He reestabilishes contact with Irfan and says: "Bah! A damned machine. I never trust something without a real mind. As long as it does what I want it to, I suppose I'll have to accept this situation."

Dog:

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You see the members of your party talking to what appears to be a pig and a large ape-like creature. You are about 500 feet away. You cannot hear what they are talking about but you can see them gesticulating.