The Doctor? Doctor Who?

[alchemyprime]

Sam makes it in.

[DeathQuaker]

Wendy pulls herself up with Sydney's assistance, blinking several times, trying to regain her senses. After she recovers slightly:

"...Thank you. No permanent injury, I don't think. Is my nose bleeding? She wipes her face on her sleeve, and then blinks some more. She also checks her belongings to see if they are damaged in any way.

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Would this have damaged any electronic equipment she was carrying? Do I need to make a reflex save? That would be cell phone, pen light. I think she left her laptop in the TARDIS.

She sees Sam preparing to climb in.

"Be careful. Go slowly. He could easily have made that trap deadly... if he doesn't want us dead, he may want to do worse with us." She nods again to the drag marks in the grass.

She watches warily, making sure Sam gets in okay, then nods to the sturdy looking store clerk.

"Jim, if you'd be so kind to help me through?"

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Climb: (1d20)[14]

[Glawackus]

Sam looks around the room, flicking on his penlight in areas where it seems to be too dark to see.

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Spot: (1d20)[6]
Listen: (1d20+2)[5]
Search (he won't go beyond whatever room he's in, though--with my luck, I'm probably in the bathroom): (1d20+3)[9]

[alchemyprime]

Sam is in the kitchen. There are some appliances, but most seem to be a little high tech for 1940. Even for 2008. The odd moaning sound seems to be coming from the only closed door.

Since the beam used odd tech, it only hurt organic beings. Her stuff is fine.

[The Neoclassic]

Hesitantly, Sydney tries to clamor up through the window. "Could you give me a hand?" she whispers to Sam once he's made it over, handing him Q and reaching out for his other hand.

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Climb: (1d20-2)[4]
If Sam helps her, I get +2 for Aid Another, right? I'll probably need it...

[Glawackus]

"Come on, I've got you," Sam says, once he's deposited Q on the floor, afraid of the little robot interacting with something and breaking what silence they seem to have.

[alchemyprime]

The two of them are in the house. The odd part is the silence. There is no sound but the moaning ceramic sound. The Doctor climbs in, and then so does Jim. Jim waits to help Wendy.

"The odd bit is this..." The Doctor begins to whisper. "He must really have faith in his plan. He must only expect an elan to come and oppose him. Well, I think we need to try to find the Zodar. If I'm right, if we save the Zodar, the Tin Friends shut off. But, then again, I've been wrong before."

[Glawackus]

"So is our first priority the Zodar, or Moe?" Sam asks, lowering his voice. "In my experience, this sort of thing is best done quickly."

[DeathQuaker]

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I'm gonna assume between Jim and my climb check of 14 I made it in okay

Wendy thanks Jim and brushes herself off as she wiggles through the window. She hears the last bit of conversation, and still feeling a bit woozy, is not inclined to trust the Doctor's judgement.

"I thought our priority was finding the Cog. If we get that it all ends, I bet.

... at any rate, I imagine all that we're aiming for is in the basement.

... And I do recall we are to try diplomacy with the Zodar first, if we encounter him."

[alchemyprime]

"Save the Zodar, retreive the Cog if it is here, and get rid of Moe. How do we get in that door there? I was thinking that I unlock it and then either Sam or Wendy go down first." The Doctor seemed frazzled every time the screeching ceramic noise is made.
Jim looks at Sydney and Q. "Maybe Q should go down first... he's a Tin Friend, it would make sense that if he were 'damaged' he'd come to Moe... so, Q goes down, Moe wonders what's up, and bam! Q zaps him! I mean, if he can zap like the ray guns on those other Tin Friends and Tin Buddies. Makes sense they'd be uniform."

Jim thinks again. "Of course, he wouldn't expect to see me. I was in the store. If not for Wendy, I'd be dead. So maybe he THINKS I'm dead..."

Jim points at the two closed doors. "The one on the left is the radio room. Just a sitting room for hearing radio plays and songs and such. The one on the right is his basement. Never been down there, but it's big. I can guarentee it."

Jim looks to Sam. "But you're some sort of FBI agent or something, like Miss Wendy. Secret organization Codenamed "Torchwood", eh? What'd you two think?"

Sydney only in box.

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Sydney's phone does three sharp vibrations, signalling a text. The screen reads "Syd- Stnd 2 Molan's rght. I kno whch 1 he is. Blind in rght eye. Tell Mr. TW, but not Dr. or Ms. TW. I want 2 see a Tin Friend upon retrn. Save Zodar, find Cog. Is in house sumwhere. Use blu gem on Mr. TW if fighting. TTYL. Jon."

[Glawackus]

"No. Yes. " Sam sighs. "Look, I'll tell you all the gory details about my work later if you really want. As for right now, I think if we're going to send Q in, he should be concealed somehow. If I were going to build an army of little robots--which I'm not--I would certainly make sure I had some way of stopping them from hurting me. Hidden somehow would at least give him a fighting chance. It. Whatever. Jim and Q go down, followed by the rest of us, guns a-blazin'. Or screwdrivers...a-sonickin'."

(Sam is obviously getting a little torqued about this whole sneaking around thing--he clearly is more of the our-man-in-the-garage type. )

[DeathQuaker]

Wendy laughs, while putting her hand on Jim's arm to ensure he doesn't go down the stairs just yet. "FBI? I'd be a much better fighter if I was. And I'd be American, come to think of it. Just a nosy PI," she quickly flashes her PI license, "with an unhealthy interest in the unusual. Still, I'm a little more prepared to deal with something like this than you.

Wendy has racked her brain as much as she could in the short moments since Jim mentioned Torchwood, and she cannot remember anyone directly mentioning it in direct relation to her or Sam, except perhaps in passing related to Sam only. She maintains a friendly look, concealing her suspicion as she attempts to read Jim. Is he more than he seems? Or is she just misremembering?

She continues talking glibly as she examines the man's body language. "And if Sam's organization is 'secret,' it's certainly an odd one if he's offering to give you all the details later."

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Bluff (to feign friendly conversation), incl. Daze minuses and Conceal Motive: (1d20+9)[11]

Sense Motive on Jim (incl Daze minuses): (1d20+7)[23]

[DeathQuaker]

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I'll add that--since I can't edit the thread or the rolls will disappear--I did a search of the thread for "Torchwood" and couldn't find it mentioned in convesation in relation to Wendy while she was with Jim -- but I was also getting server hiccups so I could have missed something. But we can chalk that up to Wendy's natural paranoia if she appears to be barking up the wrong tree.

[Glawackus]

"Well, the way I see it, they can't fire me, as I haven't actually been hired yet. Or does it not work that way?"

[alchemyprime]

"Look, don't make me explain it..." The Doctor says. He looks around a bit more. "Okay... So, Q and Jim first, eh? Wait a minute..." The Doctor pulls out a TARDIS key on a string. "Jim, wear this and hold Q. Sam, Wendy, you and I first, Sydney in the rear. That should do fine, right?" Jim puts on the key.

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In the back of Wendy's mind, she feels a pull. Not a pull like someone pulling a door, but more like a child opening a cupboard. Due to the minimal Torchwood psychic training she's received, she can tell what's goin on. Her mind is being read, but not concsiously. Just surface thoughts. And only wisps of them. Must have been happening to Sam and Sydney too.
Jim might be reading her thoughts. But to what extent, really, she doesn't know...

Jim looks at the door. "He'll be down there for a bit. I say about anothe twelve minutes or so. He's probably hurting the ZOdar."

[Glawackus]

Sam, a little stunned, mutters in Sydney's ear. "...why did we give him the TARDIS key again? I hope we have a spare somewhere or something."

[DeathQuaker]

Wendy looks slightly disturbed as she comes to a realization, but tries to keep her demeanor as light as the situation can warrant. She is focusing, however, using whatever minimal training she has, to keep her mind as shut as possible, masking other thoughts by consciously thinking about the story of the enchanted knight she had rememberd earlier.

She smiles an attempted reassuring smile that probably still comes off a bit cool. "Don't worry, Jim. I'll be right behind you.

She also turns to look at Sam and/or Sydney IF there is a moment to do so where she can without Jim or the Doctor seeing her face. "A body of steel, but a heart so true; he was the human one, not you..." she is trying to most audibly think. She mouths at them,"Watch him" indicating with her eyes she thinks something is wrong.

She lets Jim go first, with her hand on the hilt of her Walther PPK. She readies an action to shoot Jim at the first sign of betrayal.

[Glawackus]

Sam nods slowly at Wendy, and grinds his teeth. He follows Jim towards the basement door. "Let's get this show on the road," he says.

[alchemyprime]

The Doctor goes over to Sam. "That key doesn't open the TARDIS anymore. It just makes an SEP feild. That was the old term... displacement... oh, it's a small cloaking device."

Jim and Q walk into the basement. A general sound of what was that noising from inside, but the crackling and creaking and moaning resume as Jim walks down the stairs.

(Assumning you're on top of the stairs now)
You all can see Jim as he takes a crowbar and knocks a fat Italian man in the back of the head.

"Oh, Jimmy, I wouldn't of done that if I were you." He lifts Jim and knocks him into the wall. Q fires a ray at him and Moe is shocked. "A free thinker? Where are those who brought you, reprogrammed one?"



______________________
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxZxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxMxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|JxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDD|
|xxxxQxxxxxxxxxxxxDDD|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDDD|
|xxxxsssssssWSMwssss|
_______________________

x= Blank space (5 ft)
Z= Big Black Ceramic Construct
J= Jim
Q= Q
D= Devices
s= stairs
w= Wendy
S= Sam
W= The Doctor
M = Sydney (For Miss Sydney)

[Glawackus]

"Right here, Moe," Sam says, moving down the steps and keeping his gun trained on Moe. "Hands and any other manipulative limbs where I can see them, step away from the extraterrestrial. Doc, what on Earth is all this stuff?"

ooc

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I was going to add "jerkbox" to that first bit, but I figured I should save the insults for the time being.
Rolling initiative in the event that things go south: (1d20+2)[4]

[DeathQuaker]

For a moment, Wendy is tempted to try and keep things covert, but realizes things have likely gone out of hand.

She also emerges, her hand on her gun but *not* pointed at anyone. She does not want appear an immediate threat, just ready to defend herself if she needs to. She steps towards Moe and Q, stopping when she's about 10 feet away from either one of them. She looks to see if Jim is okay, and if Jim's blow to Moe's head did any damage at all.

"This does not have to get violent, Moe. I think we have a mutual enemy, Moe. Step away from the creature and we'll talk.

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Wendy changes her readied action to shoot Moe if he attacks.

Diplomacy (incl Daze mod), spending an action point: [roll]1d20+1d6+9[/roll]

If necessary, initiative (subtract 1 if my Daze applies): (1d20+2)[19]

[DeathQuaker]

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Huh. Let's try that Diplomacy check again:

(1d20+9)[26]

Action point add: (1d6)[1]

[alchemyprime]

"What sort of an enemy, Miss?" He asks. He has an odd look on his face.

Jim moans, and the Doctor looks confused. "This machine is made of seven types of technology, Sam. Would take some time to figure it all out."

Moe seems ready to listen to Wendy. Wendy's headache has left (no more daze penalties).

[DeathQuaker]

"He calls himself 'The Master,' which should tell you enough about his attitude towards any around him--all are to be killed or enslaved by him. He is willing to commit genocide on a massive scale, let alone kill you or any of us to get what he wants. He is in search of your secrets, in search of whatever it is you possess--he is extremely dangerous, possessing technology beyond what you have here--hard as that may be to believe, given your impressive achievements--but if he takes what you have and combines it with his current technology, he will be nearly unstoppable."

Wendy emphasizes: "He will kill you for your secrets... or worse."

Wendy pauses, waiting to see how Moe reacts before she continues.

[alchemyprime]

"Huh.. Well, dat don't sound good. I mean, who's more special than me? I can't have someone better than me. I am the su-preme being of the uni-verse..." Moe's voice takes an odd tone. It sounds... like two people speaking at once... and like a broken Speak-and-Spell machine... and like an italian man. Almost... mechanical, yet organic, emotionless and yet full of rage and bewilderment.
He glares at the ceramic man. "Zodar! Who is this Master? Answer me for once!" The blank face just stares back.
"Who is the supreme being of the u-ni-verse?" Nothing.
"Who is the greatest man on the planet?" No response.
"What will make you talk?" The Zodar shifts his head around. "He Who Makes People Better. He Who Never Will Die. He Who Has Yet To Be Great. She Who Will Be My Mistress. She Who Protects Those Who Are Near. He Who Tends To Metal. Not the too too metal man." Each word was like a whale song and a crash of plates together.
"Cheeky machine!" Moe raised his hand and smacked the Zodar, strong enough to move the shackled creature's head, but not enough to harm it.

"I'll show that Master fellow! I've conquered the Zodar! I have assimilated Cybermen, not the other way around! I've even absorbed an entire suit of Dalek armor! There is no being which could stop me! And with that old Elan gear, any machine can be controlled by me. Tell me what you know, sweetheart." He looks right at Wendy. "Tell me what you know."

[Glawackus]

Sam lowers his gun a bit when it becomes clear that Moe isn't going to attack them anytime soon. He comes down to the bottom of the stairs and looks at the android, lowering his guard even more as he thinks. "Wait. Wait a minute. Zodar. Who did you say you'll talk to? He Who Makes People Better? Like a doctor or something?" He looks behind him and tries to catch the Doctor's eye.

[DeathQuaker]

Wendy removes her hand from her gun (in part to show trust, in part because she realizes the bullets would likely be absorbed by Moe). It's probably silly, she thinks, but her hand does not stay far from the pocket where she keeps her pepper spray.

"I can explain, but as my colleague says, perhaps our associate would do a better job," she nods to the Doctor. "He has had more experience with him."

She looks curiously at the Zodar, smiling. "If you, sir Zodar, have no information to share."

[The Neoclassic]

Sydney watches, careful not to give any signs of aggression. To the Zodar, she says quietly but audibly, taking a slight step forward, but trying not to anger Moe, "Is this He Who Makes People Better a doctor?" She echoes Sam's question. "Is he a doctor of time or space perhaps? We'd like to help you. Of course," she adds, this time the comment directed at Moe, "the information he will provide to this doctor will be beneficial to you as well." Still, she flashes a reassuring smile to the Zodar.

[alchemyprime]

"Do not understand word "Doctor." Zodar know few words. Miiiiiisstressss... He Who Is Not Yet Great promisssed Zodar to She Who WOuld Be My Mistress." The Zodar looks at the Doctor.
"He Who Makes People Better. He Who Tends To Metal and She Who Protects People That Are Near and She Who Is To Be My Mistress travel with you. The Gear of the People to whom He Who Is Not Yet Great will belong is held by the too too metal man." The Zodar looks at Sam.
"Blood. Peace. Freedom. Amalgamation of steel."

The Zodar finally looks at Moe. "Too too metal man never conquered Zodar. Zodar waited for Those Who Lift Up. Tell Zodar too too metal man be... niiiicccce." The Zodar stared down Moe. Moe gritted his teeth. "Why should I?"
"Because too too metal man is not Destroyer. Is not Enslaver. Is not Zodar. Is not People. Is not Time Lord. Is not special."

(I'll take some reactions in. I'll add more in another post later.)

[Glawackus]

"He Who Tends to....oh." Sam says, looking over his shoulder at everyone else.

That's it? All this running around and acting like James Bond, and I'm still the mechanic. Sam thinks to himself. Oh well. Another day on the job.

"Wait a minute--the Cog. The too too metal man has it?" Sam walks as close as he feels he can safely get to talk to the Zodar.