Fallout: Van Buren (IC)

[Kain_Tempest]

FALLOUT
VAN BUREN

ACT I: THE FRONTIER
CHAPTER I: JAIL BREAK

Your eyes slowly flutter open and you look out into the darkness around you. The weight on your bodies tells you that you are on your backs, lying on a firm, but giving surface, your head cradled upon a softer object. Even in darkness however, you can sense the presence of a wall to one side of you and a large void on the other. From the wall you hear a faint, rythmic beeping, and from around you get a feeling of another living entity in a similarly inert state.
You then notice that your limbs feel numb and it takes several moments of concentration before you realize you can move again. Almost creaking, your body complies to your brain's commands. It feels as though you have slept for a very long time, your sense of time is completely shot. As you stir, you look to the source of the beeping to see a little green light pulsing in the darkness, matching the beeping. As you watch, the green light pulses faster as does the beeping. The light goes solid and so does the sound. There is chirp coming from your left arm and a little green light shines. You then realize something weighted has been strapped to your forearm.
It feels to made of plastic and you can't seem to find the latch, at least not in this darkness. Your attempts to remove the device is interrupted by a flick of light near your feet. The wall is gently illuminated by a grey light. Slowly the grey light sharpens, becoming the black and white light of a projection. Sound crackles from above you as a speaker warms up and on the screen a peculiar logo appears followed by cheerful, albeit grainy music.

VAULT-TEC
in Association with the United States Federal Penitentiary Commission

PRESENTS...

UNITED STATES PENITENTIARY
TIBBETS
Welcome to your New Home!

The sad little cartoon looks up and brightens, apparently seeing you.
"Why hello there! You must be a new inmate. My name is Carson and I am here to tell you about your new home here in the United States Pentitentiary... Or as we call it, Tibbets!" Carson's voice crackles.
The shot changes to a long aerial view of a large, squat building with a large gray dome. Surrounding it are a few auxiliary buildings that look like bunkers, all within a tall, thick concrete wall. Beyond are grassy fields and blue mountains.
"Beautiful ain't it?" Carson chuckles off screen. It cuts back to Carson, lugging the ball and chain as he strolls down a prison hall. "Tibbets is an all-male maximum security prison that was to carry out the judgment of the Federal Courts. It provides a safe, secure, and humane for offenders committed to its custody." Still frames of Carson standing in front of bars where a deranged, muscle-bound monsters glowers at him to show safety. Then we see Carson lifted by the collar of his jumpsuit by a guard, signifying security. Finally Carson pointing too a plate of food, a set of dumb bells, and a radio playing music, thus giving visual cues to humanity.
"Like all Bureau facilities, Tibbets strongly believes in the balanced philosophy of punishment, deterrence, and incapacitation as the valid purposes of confinement." Again, these statements are matched to the following still frames of Carson standing before a just in court to show punishment. Then sad Carson in his striped jumper for deterrence. The incapacitation image is very similar to the safe one with the same caged brute but this time a couple walking by on their merry way.
"Of course, Tibbets is also a place of positive change for its inmates. They provide work, education, training, and counselling so that you can live a better life when your time is up." Carson is once again walking down the hall, passing an inmate working on an engine, then another reading a book, a trio in a classroom, and finally a bearded psychiatrist with a prisoner.
"For more information on these programs and more about Tibbets in general, just refer to your Personal Information Processor strapped to your arm. That little guy should be a big help in the future. But for now, a message from the warden." The image cuts to a photo-protraiture of a man lounging in an office chair looking like a stern, but kind father figure. A marquee calls him 'Warden John Stalford'.
"My friend," Stalford begins, "I welcome you to USP Tibbets and hope you will have a pleasant stay within our walls. I sincerely wish that we can work together to bring a better life to those outside of this penitentiary and perhaps improve your life during your stay with us." The image cuts back to Carson.
"Well, new inmate. That's all we really have to say for now. Until then, stay out of trouble!" The camera zooms backwards slowly away from Carson as he waves. The music becomes louder as bars slowly close in front of Carson and fades to the final marquee.

THE END

"United States Penitentiary Tibbets: Welcome to your New Home" was produced by Vault-Tec video and trideo recording firm in association with the United States Federal Penitentiary Commission. MMXXXXVII

With that, the sound fades out and the lights dim once again until you are in darkness. Slowly, lights from one of the wall to ceiling corners starts glowing until it illuminates the room from behind you. You can now see the other groggy occupant of your room, coming to as slowly as you are. Ahead the gray light begins to clear and the light itself fades away, revealing a chamber beyond a thick, clear barrier. Immediately outside there is a catwalk that runs along the perimeter of the chamber with two bridges that span across the room to run around a large black pillar. Stairs circle the pillar leading from one catwalk to another.
You notice that you are on one of four levels in this chamber. The upper three each have 20 other transparent barriers where you can see several other people. Unfortunately no amount of yelling or banging on the glass gets their attention. Clearly it is sound proof. Down below on the bottom floor you see what looks like an exercise yard with various piecing of training equipment and a running track. A large humanoid shape sits ragged against the pillar on the bottom floor and appears to be attached to what looks like a terminal of some sort, more of which you see on the pillar. One on each level.
The room that you are currently in is large, but at the same time, small, and confined. featuring the bed you are currently on, a desk with a chair, latrine and sink. All of which have been bolted or built out of the surfaces of the room. You seem to be wearing a short-sleeved blue jumpsuit that appears to have been tailored to your body. There is a yellow, four-digit number on the left pectoral of the shirt. On your left arm is a strange device that seems to be attached by a complex mechanism and a strip of densely woven cloth. No kind of tampering seems to break the lock. The device itself is surprisingly light on your arm and is a little larger than six inches. The device features a large black screen and a few buttons on the side. The object also has some letters on the upper left that spell out 'pip'. Whatever that is...

***

Download complete
Executing install.run...
1 - 1 - 1 - 1
Installing...
Complete...
Executing update.exe through H2-Analog Port 02
H2-Analog Port 02 Accessed...
Package has been sent
Package received
Downloading c01d_5h0w3R.boot via H2-Analog Port 02
Download complete
New boot command detected...
Executing c01d_5h0w3R.boot
System boot in 3 2 1...

*beep*

The pile of inert plates and wires receives a boot order to its main CPU from the H2-sub-server. As the main power unit activates and electrical currents pulse in the core processor, the being that is given the comment reference of "Nick - VT" slowly spreads its influence through the pile of junk. Power and electrical signals expand throughout its being until all your core processes are awakened and it is once again aware. Place holder 'it' is now replaced by VT's presence, bringing priority to option 3, 'you'.
'You' VT, begin a natural diagnostic as all your subprograms come online. Immediately you find something amiss as your data logs do not match the last one's time stamp. Your active, previous data log is now missing, as are any others that your ghost hard drive recalls, the details are fuzzy, but you are sure that data log 2251.19.03 is wrong and doesn't match the ghost. Immediately this situation is placed as an error and added to the new data log for today. But it the program comes up with a new problem. Your network shows no other timekeepers. With your data logs altered and without a point of reference from your subsystems, you have no idea what the date is, and therefore cannot properly keep the data log. Another error. What a ****y way to start a boot up process.
Immediately you are aware that your request for driver data from your arms and legs are not responding, coming back with the connection error. A chassis report suggests that they are powered but are no longer linked to the main core. Besides that, several of your peripheral parts have appeared to be removed, having no power transferring to them, let alone a connection to the core. The only servos that appear to be function on the ones for your head. Allowing you mostly to look around. Lastly, the diagnostic confirms that H2-Analog Port 02 is indeed active and connected with a Version 5 one-way transfer cable. Clearly the boot came from this little device which has a huge pipe for loading information onto your system, but only enough upload space to squeeze on one line data requests at a time.
Your sensor suite finally warms up and using your neck servos are able to look around. Fortunately, only your peripherals were removed and despite some dirt and grime, your sensors are working fine. You quickly ascertain that you are no longer in your 'home' Vault and are in a new place entirely. Your personal GPS appears to be on the fritz, having some kind of exception rule occurring. You appear to be alone down here, and there is no sign of anything you recognize. Your network connections further suggest that TT-04, LIO-7, and JC-2 are either offline or (more likely) are not within your wireless range in order to contact. You notice exactly 2 major network nodes however. The first one however immediately states you do not have clearance and then immediately goes offline. Before you can investigate the other, you are given a warning by your software diagnostic. A new program is apparently on your system and has initialized.
A quick scan determines there is no malicious code, and your GPS indicates this to be the exception. However, as soon as the program boots, the exception error ends and can quickly determine your location... Yes, you are definitely NOT in Vault 18 anymore.
The program opens up a suite of various functions including a word processor, data reader, a map creator, drivers for various devices, and finally some kind of interface which you immediately recognize as being able to commune with the network node you had yet to explore. The node is currently connected to 34 unique signatures which appear to be other interface programs like this one, which identifies itself as 'pip'. Whatever that is...

***

UH-OH!
The little wrist device's chirp is startling as the thing comes to life. The little interface shows a green line of text.

"I see you're alive and well. That's good. I got kind of worried when the machines dragged you in here and you weren't moving. 'Course, I never saw anyone else get drugged. My name is Cassie and I'm in cell 1406. I'll wave."
True to her word, she waves from the second level of cells. It's hard to see her from this distance however, all you know is that she has to make gross motions.
"Not everyone in here is very talkative, and it's been kind of lonely. So who might you all be? Oh! I almost forgot. To speak, just press that button on the side towards your hand. The Pip-Boy will record your voice and translate it into text. Make sure to speak clearly."

Spoiler

Show

VT will simply have the information displayed on the interface in his internal CPU so he can easily just will a message and send it without speaking.

[El_Frenchie]

Alexis

As Alexis came to his senses, he looked around before watching the video. When it ends, he slowly gets up. What the hell was that? Putting a hand to his forehead, then massaging his temples, he feels like voodoo-ing himself out of his groggy state. His hands go to his pockets, and he realises suddenly in what he's dressed. He sees others, dressed the same. He remembers the video with the explanations, the prison and the guards.

"Crap... Seriously?"

As he sighs deeply, the pip-boy starts to display sentences. He looks towards 'Cassie' as instructed. She was just a blur right now, but she did good enough making motions to make herself appear. He shakes his head a bit, trying to get rid of the remnants of sleepiness, pressing the button on the side of the pip-boy.

"Am I in a drug-induced nightmare concerning my minor claustrophobic side? Because it sure as hell looks like one."

He stops pressing the button then looks around him. He had 1 inmate. He tries and manipulate the pip-boy to tell him more about the counseling program.

"How the hell did I get myself in here..." he whispers.

/edited/

[pingcode20]

"Wrench" Dodgson
Also known as: Prisoner 6655321 2459

Wrench woke up, bleary eyed.

"This isn't the dam..." he muttered, wiping sleepiness from his eyes. He watched the video in silence, too groggy to make sense of it, and reached up to wipe his eyes again with his left arm.

His face was rapidly introduced to the Pipboy 2000.

"Ow!" he yells, waking up immediately (and probably waking Juggs up in a hurry too).

UH-OH!

"Oh, wow! A Pipboy 2000! I thought only the brotherhood had these anymore!" he exclaims, completely ignoring the message as he examines the buttons closely.

"Hmm... Ah, 'Clues'. Maybe that will help."

He immediately presses the button.

[Surrealistik]

Juggs gets to his feet immediately upon the dissolution of his grogginess (and coincedentally, Wrench's noisy outburst). Ignoring the chirp of the pipboy momentarily, he examines his whereabouts with a meticulous caution, evidently trying to better gauge his circumstances. He nods silently to his cell mate as his eyes acknowledge the man.

Spoiler

Show

Roll against PE: (1d10)[5] vs 10.

Once satisfied with these examinations, he turns to the curious device, observing the message there. Upon reading it, he moves to regard the strange woman, this 'Cassie', his eyes narrowed in an analytic sort of concentration, as if attempting to discern some meaningful detail.

Spoiler

Show

Roll against PE: (1d10)[3] vs 10.

Resigning himself to wary inaction, he decides not to interact with the unfamiliar human, though someone observant would notice that the message was not without effect; his features seem to denote surprise, as if he could scarcely believe receiving such attention. The mutant's focus then once again defers to his cell mate, though his characteristic silence is maintained. He seems to size up the man, scrutinizing him closely for reasons not readily apparent. Finally, he settles upon his mattress, senses readily attuned to the barren atmosphere of the cell, eyes looking outwards at the barrier before him, appearing to stare at nothing in particular.

[reiswind]

Moore

Max yawns mightily as he wakes from his apparently drug induced slumber, making no move to actually get out of bed as he scratches his side and smacks his lips to clear out some of the morning breath. He quickly throws his arm over his eyes as the movie starts to play; even the slightest bit of light is annoying to the man, and he leaves his arm there for the entire duration of the film, still quite groggy and a little cranky. It's only when Alexis speaks that Max realizes someone else is in the room; the chirping of the Pipboy was annoying to be sure, but this was only a dream anyway.

After wiping his eyes free of crust, he looks into the display from the 'comfort' of his bed and groans. Still, this is a dream, and playing along usually works. He fumbles with the controls a bit before finding the proper button.

"Cassie, eh? The name's Max, but you probably already knew that, since you're just a figment of my imagination. So, chief, what is this dream supposed to be all about? A prison, right? This my subconscious telling me I'm feeling guilty for something I did? Or *yaaawn* maybe this is some crazy window into the future? And who's this chump who's in here with me?"

[El_Frenchie]

Alexis

"Alexis."

He seems fairly cautious.

"You're Max? I don't think you're in a dream."

With those words, he walks up to him, his eyes watch the man closely. He wasn't particularly attractive to look at, he thought. Alexis straightens up.

"How come you're in here, Max?"

He then looks around to see where the food would be coming from.

Spoiler

Show

Perception roll (1d10)[8] vs 8.

[Attilargh]

Joss

Joss groans as comes around and sees the opening of the film. "Not goddamn again!" he mumbles as he tosses his feet over the side of the bed and promptly flops down to the floor with a thud. He lies there for a while, listening to the movie and trying to awaken his limbs before sitting up and pressing the button on the PIP Boy. "Hi, Cassie, I'm Joss. Why are we here and who can I blame for this mess?"

[pingcode20]

"Wrench" Dodgson
Wrench pushes down the microphone button on the side of the Pipboy, having noticed the conversation going on the screen.

You are all aware, of course, that whoever put us in here and issued us all these Pipboys is probably monitoring this conversation as we speak. he says, his words appearing on the screen under the moniker '2459'.

I'm Wilbur Dodgson - call me Wrench. See the cell with the Super Mutant staring into the distance? Yeah, I'm his roommate.

[webgem]

James

James looks about his cell and realizes he is exactly where he belongs. Memories of before the bombs flash into his mind, and he doesn't like what he sees. The kills. There weren't many, but he couldn't justify most of them. Political speakers, key military members, even a pop star. Were any of the directives even slightly preventative towards the disaster that enfolded. The last one, that poor child, this is what he deserved. He didn't know how or why he ended up here but there wasn't much to be done about it. He looks at his cell mate after the introduction. Does he really deserve this? It's hard to say in this time, thought James. It was a strange place even after three years. He started to say something, but stopped. Maybe it was just best to let it go. James lies back in his cell and runs over the bloody images in his mind, over and over. He looks like he won't come out of his misery any time soon.

[El_Frenchie]

Alexis

"Wrench, eh. So is there no way to talk to each other without them picking it up? Is it just the pip, or are they also watching us through cameras?"

He walks to the edge of the cell.

"Please show yourself, so I can make you out." He pauses. "Can those... 'pip-boy' devices serve as tracking devices?"

[Surrealistik]

The mutant flits his head towards the man upon hearing the reference. The expression on his face, were one observant (and composed) enough to see through the mass of repellant growths there, one of neutrality. He yawns mightily and reclines, giving an impression of boredom or disinterest, though he remains acutely focused on his surroundings, poised, and ready.

[pingcode20]

"Wrench" Dodgson
Wrench examines the Pipboy closely, instinctively reaching for his screwdriver.

Right, they've taken my tools as well...

I can't tell you for sure, but since we're all talking on the Pipboys and we can all read each other, it's not much of a stretch to consider that anybody within range with a Pipboy could monitor this.

He checked all the other functions, marvelling at its ability to record.

While I'm not familiar with the Pipboy 2000, but to hazard a guess it would probably have some sort of radio transmitter in it. I don't know how far it would transmit, but I can say for certain that if somebody were to get their hands on a Pipboy, they would easily be able to tell where the wearer has been. These have been cleared, though. There's no information on it anywhere, except for the video from before. Under Archives. I'm fairly certain this keeps a record of all the speech nearby, too.

[pingcode20]

(Sorry for double post, only just picked up on it.)

"Wrench" Dodgson
Having found the archives, Wrench decides to take the time to watch it again, and notices something new had cropped up, something he'd missed while bleary eyed. He walked over to the window and peered up at where Cassie was, and looked back down at his Pipboy.

Say, has anybody else noticed that Tibbets is actually an All-Male Prison facility? he remarks, knowing full well the dangers of this train of thought. I suspect this facility is under the control of one of those prewar governmental organisations. The NCR wouldn't waste power and resources on maintaining a facility this large, and certainly wouldn't issue Pipboys to prisoners. Same thing with the Brotherhood. If anything, it's somebody's idea of an experiment.

[Surrealistik]

Juggs smiles knowingly as the human theorizes, his gaze unmoved. Suddenly, he speaks, his voice hushed, though just loud enough for his forcible companion to hear.

"You would do well to keep your observations in secrecy my friend. I suspect it unwise to so attract the attention of our gaoler."

[Attilargh]

Joss

"Ew. I was rather hoping I had heard wrong." Joss chatters into the Pipboy as he examines the room. Then he walks over to the other guy and prods him a bit. "Oi, they didn't put me in the same cell with a stiff, did they?"


{{Courier New is Joss's Pipboy text, while the normal is him speaking.}}

[reiswind]

"Oh man, wonderful. Not only is this a weird dream, I think I have a multiple personality disorder in it too."

Max finally hops out of bed to examine the situation more, heading over to the plastic panel that closed off each cell. He yawns again as he passes Alexis, making no real effort to avoid giving him a face full of bad breath. He peers out over the panel and into the surrounding area.

Spoiler

Show

Perception (1d10)[5] vs. 8

"Wonderful, one of me is a paranoid mutant, and another part of me is a homosexual. Don't know about you guys, but I'd rather there be some women to spend time with, eh? So screw the all male prison part. ...Well, enough of this. It's been nice meeting all you other mes, but I think it's about time I woke up."

Max promptly pinched himself and yelled out an expletive in pain, though only Alexis would hear it as he hadn't pressed the button on his Pipboy.

[Kain_Tempest]

There is a long pause before Cassie comes back onto the Pip-Boy side of the conversation, probably due to the plethora of messages coming across the line from the six of you.

>Well I can assure you all that this isn't a dream.
>After about the first day it'll start sinking in that this is, unfortunately, the reality of the situation.
>Some of our- Block mates have not adjusted well to that.
>As for your observations, Mister Wrench, that is something quite a couple of us had determined.
>As for trying to see one another from your cells... You're kind of on the same side of the block.
>Doubt it's gonna be easy, but I can try and give you a mental picture. Uh-
>Mister Wrench said he was with the larger man? Then you're in cell- Thirteen-twenty.
>The rest of you are on Fourteen-Seventeen and Fourteen-Nineteen.
>Practically kissing cousins.
>And don't worry about us being monitored. I- I've come to really doubt that anyone other than prisoners are here.
>All except the Warden.
>Mallard is- Was here the longest of all of us.
>He knew.
>Said he never saw a soul.

Cassie goes quiet after that.

Scanning his environs, Alexis notices that there is a panel in the wall that looks like it is not completely married to the wall like other panel. Rapping it gives off a hollow sound, suggesting that there is a space behind. It's pretty safe to assume this is a kind of chuck hole for food considering it is right above the desk.

Juggs examination of Wrench clearly shows one interesting fact. Although their prison clothes are clean almost to a fault, the hair and skin of his roommmate is dirty. Not like wallowing in filth, but the normal grime and wear one sees in something who has been in the wasteland for some time. Clearly the jailor doesn't clean prisoners so much as strip them and dump them in cells. Cells- you note, that were made for a single occupant.

Looking towards Cassie in the distance, Juggs squints to see possible details. A normal person would have a great deal of difficulty, but aged eyes show some detail. Cassie is wearing a blue jumper like Wrench. Skin suggests Northern European descent, hair is light brown. Any further details of their welcome wagon are lost by the distance. She has stopped try to get their attention and has retreated to the desk, where she is silhouetted against the in-cell lighting fixture. You note that next to her cell is a number, 1409.

Adding Joss' examination:
The room features the black pillar, and the cylindrical make-up of the chamber. It is difficult to see your neighbours except for those 'across the street'. Along the bottoms of the catwalks, you see some black, spherical fixtures. There aren't many but they seem to hug the base of the walkway and the wall.
The bottom floor with the derelict robot and excercise equipment also sports what look to be similarly designed cells. Though from this angle you cannot tell who or what is inside. The other cells on the floor immediately below yours, at-level, and above have occupants. Most of them, such as Cassie's are alone, a few are a pair. They neither seem talkative nor active, most are simply sitting down and apparently reading their Pips, perhaps holding other conversations, ones that the group is not privvy to.

[webgem]

James

James flinches when Joss touches him. "Well maybe I know why they put you in here, too nosy for your own good." A moment after James speaks, he stands up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that." He takes a good look around the cell as well.

Doesn't seem like anyone really knows why there here.

He nods at his cell mate, hoping he isn't the type to hold a grudge. "I'm James," he says, and extends his hand.

[Attilargh]

Joss

"Hah! Never mind that, it's probably true. I'm Joss, nice to actually see a face here," Joss says and shakes the hand. "You any familiar with places like these? I might get us out of a cavern or something like that, but this stuff's way outside my area of expertise."

[Surrealistik]

The mutant ponders the reply, his face set in intense concentration and thought. Clearly he is considering various implications in the body of the message. After several moments, he breaks the silence of his contemplations, and again whispers to his companion, his features bearing a fixed expression that betrays nothing.

((I figure that I should put this in spoiler brackets as only Wrench is privy to this speech ICly))

Spoiler

Show

"The woman claims that this place is abandoned, empty, of living wardens, has been for quite some time, and that no threat of observation exists, yet we are here, delivered by machines as she states; perhaps captured by them as well. Prisoners by her same admission have further been kept alive for a prolonged duration, and there is additionally a semblance of order, suggesting pervasive automation, and an unseen operational staff, either remotely controlling the facility or..."

*The mutant pauses, briefly, as if in consideration of the alternative to be disclosed.*

"...some form of computer intelligence. If so, its senses likely permeate throughout these very walls, and the caution we must exercise is to be doubled."

"Further, it would seem that the facility is overcrowded. Each cell is seemingly built to house one, and yet there are two of us contained within. I would not vest this detail with much importance, as resources are scarce in the wasteland, and one is compelled to derive the greatest possible efficiency, but it is a rather curious development given other apparent information. For example, I have committed no crimes worthy of jailing, nor is my imprisonment an act of mere discrimination, as you, a human, reside here as well. I imagine it's possible that my heritage would be equated to a crime worthy of persecution, but none would consign me to costly imprisonment. In my experience, people typically opt for a more 'economical' solution, either of violence or exile instead."

*he lets out a sigh, and for a moment, the typically neutral features of the mutant take on a notable demeanor of anguish.*

"The woman's presence here is also rather intriguing. She appears to be a captor no different from ourselves, which additionally suggests that the function of this facility has changed, or at the very least that its current purposes deviate to an extent from those initially defined. Obviously, the stated restriction on gender has no further bearing here. It is also worth noting that she appears to be a seasoned inmate, indicating that whatever these revisions are, they have been in place for an extended period.

Lastly the persistance of our... ah... unhygenic condition seems rather suspect as well. There is an insinuation that the induction protocols associated with a pre-war prison such as this are not being held to. Normally, we'd be cleaned, washed... sterilized. Here, we are merely dumped. It remains a possibility that we've yet to undergo a more formal processing, and that our captors were merely pressed for time, yet given the extensively automated nature of this seeming prison, I doubt this to be the case.

In summary of these findings, I believe that your theory has merit, perhaps this is some strange sociological experiment, but there is potentially another that could explain these oddities as well... It may well be that we exist in a manner of involuntary quarantine."

*He brings a finger to his lips, obviously implying the need for secrecy.*

[ZeroNumerous]

"VT"

The little blue robot, missing his little arms and legs, does the only thing his body can do. He investigates the room with his eyes while contemplating how he was taken apart.

Spoiler

Show

Perception - (1d10)[8] VS 7. What do I see?

Intelligence - (1d10)[10] VS 10. How was I taken apart? Easily with finesse and obvious understanding of robotics, or were my arms and legs just broken off with no regard for their replacement in the foreseeable future?

The little android devotes a bit of his processing power to deciphering the PIP messages, but retains most of it for a poor attempt at fixing himself.

>/endprocess "gps.exe"
/run "diagnostic.ini"
/endprocess "suicide.exe"
/run "contemplatebenefitsoflife.exe"
/create "unknownlocation.ini"
/patch "gps.exe">>"unknownlocation.nfo"
/run "gps.exe"

Hopefully, that would let his GPS come back online and ignore the obvious inability to determine his current location.

Spoiler

Show

Programming- (1d100)[16] VS 60

The other half of VT's processor begins an arduous task. It delves into the network opened up by the PIP, then roots through the current 34 individuals and determines any active PIP nodes. The android immediately opens a simultaneous connection with all 34 individuals. It logs all the active conversations, and attempts to address which conversation log is the least depressing to listen in on. He immediately sends a message to each of the active PIPs, but opens up 34 separate conversations rather than one massive 'chat room'.

>"I assume you are a non-mutated humanoid. Am I correct in this assumption?"

[pingcode20]

"Wrench" Dodgson
Wrench releases the button, and regards his new super mutant friend quizzically. "These rooms are already soundproofed. Anything we say would, I expect, be monitored by surveillance systems. This is a prison, after all."

Wrench taps the archives button again, and another button on the screen, showing Juggs his Pip, with Juggs' face on it and a list of numbered responses.

"At any rate, the Pip logs conversations anyway. It's got a picture of you and a bunch of suggested responses below it, and the review button shows a log of the conversation so far." he explains, before removing his arm from the awkward position and noticing the responses given. "'Die mutant scum'. I guess it covers all possibilities."

It was at this point that Juggs began his considerably longer tirade on what was essentially what Wrench had just reasoned himself.

"Traditionally, people just shoot the infected. There aren't the resources to run a facility of this size just to contain an infection. Besides, quarantine doesn't need to drug everyone and not tell them. No, I'd have to say it's still some sort of bizarre experiment - AI or not. Worst case scenario is that we're the lab rats of some sort of biological weapon which makes you guys look like you got off lightly. Besides isn't that what I already said?"

[Kain_Tempest]

VT Sensors bring back basic information, the suite seems to have run into a few bugs, probably due to the exceptions and data log errors sucking up memory. The rendering software suggests the room is cylindrical in shape with pockets regularly spaces on the lateral plane both x and z. Platforms ring around several levels. Around on lateral view are several devices, similar to the excercise yard at the Vault. There are also organic hygiene facities.

As for VT's appendages, a quick look suggests that the parts are very much with you. Attached but not implemented. The chassis report suggested power and the fact that the electrical condiuts are still attached suggests they can be used once the data lines have been reattached. These however have been disconnected in a conventional manner, a.k.a. unplugged. In essence, your body is whole. Lights on, no one home. Whoever disconnected your appendages must have had a rudimentary knowledge of your design to paralyze you and still be able to hook you up to a one way data line.

At first it is a low rumble, and then finally comes a groan. The block seems to shudder a bit followed by the squeel of metal. It settles however. From the outer most wall, there is a faint skitter sound. Then nothing.

>Sorry, I blanked out for a second there.
>Don't worry about that sound. Mallard had said it was very common.
>The age of the structure slowly given way.

A pause as VT's message goes through. Aside from a lack of responses by the majority of PIP Nodes, about seven register the message.

>I imagine so. Yes...
>Who is this?
>Number 3200?

[Surrealistik]

((Wait. I was specifically careful to be quiet enough, or at least attempting to be quiet enough, so that the PIPs would not pick up on what I was saying to Wrench. If this isn't possible, or if I spoke loud enough for them to pick up on my dialogue, please tell me Kain.))

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"Not at all my friend. Indeed, you have made a number of critical observations, but without many of the insinuations I have stated, nor has your spoken analysis been as through. Of course, I do not intend to come off as patronizing or condescending; I meant only to inform you of things you may not have reasoned, preferring to ascertain your knowledge of them."

*he nods, curtly.*

"That said, while death would certainly seem preferable as a means of containment, and certainly more economical, I think it has been rather clearly established that this is no ordinary operation. Were our presence here the consequence of an experiment, it would be no less peculiar. Perhaps the purpose of this facility is twofold. It has occured to me that we may both be experimental subjects, and captors of quarantine. Perhaps we yet live so that we may be sampled for the purpose of measuring contagion progression, or utilized in the development of a treatment. Consequently, it interests me to know what became of Cassie's friend."

[El_Frenchie]

"Alexis Bodar"

>I suppose everything's moderated by some sort of computer. Because there's holes to bring food. You said there wasn't any guards as far as you could remember?

Then a howling shout of pain reached his ears, making them ring loudly.

"Wh.. what the hell is your problem?!" looking at Moore, eyes wide open.

Then there was this sudden desire, that craving that came in. He wanted a puff. He sighed deeply, slightly depressed, then went to look back at the hole where the food came from. He examined whether there was a way they could open it on their side.

>So, are the programs suggested by the movie we saw when waking up... fully automated?"

[Kain_Tempest]

((Ping was setting up a joke about how the dialog functions worked in the original Fallout games. The Pip-Boy is pretty sensitive to catching sound, regardless of the decibel level. This can be a bad thing if your Pip-Boy is tapped, but for communication while in hiding, it is definately a help. Also, might I recommend using '>{text}' for things that you are broadcasting? It's kinda tough to catch font changes and using > for text message and "" for dialog in earshot may make for easier reading.))

[Surrealistik]

((Yea, I'm familiar with the Pip Boy's ability to record things (and dialogue interface), though not its ability to detect and transcribe whispers, and other ultra quiet speech.))

*Juggs shoots to his feet as the cell block trembles, his senses all but scouring the prison.*

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(1d10)[2] vs 10 PE

[pingcode20]

((It can't have been that quiet, given that Wrench was holding his Pipboy up and fiddling with its controls while Juggs was speaking. Could Wrench have actually heard Jugg?))

"Wrench" Dodgson
"One would hope it was all self evident. Well, if you want to know, all you need to do is ask." replied Wrench, not quite seeing Jugg's point.

He pauses as the shaking happens, steadying himself until the shaking subsides.

>What happened to Mallard? I notice he hasn't been communicating on his Pipboy. Also, do these earthquakes happen often?

[Kain_Tempest]

Juggs scans the cell room after the tremor wears off. The Bed frame is attached to the wall and floor at the corner. A mattress, pillow, and blanket placed on top of that. The desk and chair prutrude from the wall and are reasonable solid metal. As are the latrine and sink. No pens, utensils, books, or anything of the sort your could hurt yourself with. Not even a high point to tie a noose around. Aside from the chuckhole panel that Alexis had discovered, Juggs notices there are other panels, just as well hidden. There is one particular one that is very close to the glass barrier. Tapping one's foot against the floor made a somewhat hollow sound. The walls adjacent to the glass barrier were dense like concrete, but the outer wall sounded to be of a different density. The lighting fixture was on the other wall, bridging the corner between wall and ceiling. The fixture itself gave a white glow but seems to be behind some kind of plastic or resin, and no heat was given off.
At the corner between the floor and the bed, Juggs also notices a small puddle of water, no bigger than a human's palm on the floor. Where there had been none before.

>Neither myself, or any of the prisoners on this block have seen a 'human' guard.
>You were dragged in here by robots from out of the pillar.
>As for food, yeah it goes like clockwork like everything else.
>Meals are at 700 hours, 1200, and 1900.
>Each cell opens to let the occupants shower, excercise and converse for three hours.
>Seven cells at a time.
>If trouble starts, the 'guards' set them straight.
>There was an Ist in this block the first day I got here.
>One of the machines broke his arm and dragged him into the pillar when he tried to start something.
>I don't know about the rest though.
>Aside from the archives on the Pip-Boy, there are no other services.
>Probably because it would require some human staff of some kind.

[reiswind]

That sudden jolt of pain gave Max a sense of clarity, instantly revitalizing his previously groggy senses. This wasn't a dream at all! He whirled back as Alexis spoke and glared.

"My problem? My problem?! Are you blind?!"

> How the hell can you people be so calm?!

He touched the plastic cautiously, feeling it out to see if there were any nasty surprises before gathering all his strength into a smash against the plastic. He was frantic, confused and just downright frightened.