Contact Lost

[Elvith Jars]

{{OOC: And Clancy had the smarts to post a fireteam next to Engineering...}}

"Hey boss?"

"Yeah?"

"I got something funny here. My HUD is showing two ident codes for you."

"That's because I have two nanobeacons. The Marines like to keep track of me. One is an implant, the other is embeded in my suit. Just squelch the suit beacon."

"Ah, ok. That worked... Hey, we have a live one here in Engineering!"

[estradling]

Alfred

Having given the information on the gas to the other to deal with, and not knowing the current drama going on, St. Clair goes back to working on removing the hack and trying not to believe the things his eyes showed him

Spoiler

Computer Use roll at -2
Skill was 11 - (1d20+9)[16]

[Storm Bringer]

Stern takes off, with Wayland and his fireteam on his heels. The Assassin has a headstart, but the corridor she is on is a spinal route, giving you several seconds to get a good shot. A pair marine form the other marine fireteam in the area is someway down the corriodor, sited at a junction, and, alerted via the comm, they are opening fire on the assassin. Wayland takes another shot, and stern brings his gun to bear.....

Spoiler

One action before she gets too close to the other marines to shoot safty. Range is within whatever one incerment is for your guns, so don't worry about that. of coruse, if you have any other actions you'd like to make, go ahead.

Andrew began to chase the escaping assassin, but stopped, and looked up at the console she had been working on. in the back of his head, the paranoid part of his mind, given a voice by the gas, made him wonder what she'd been doing up their...... andrew hoisted himself up a ladder and moved to access the panel.......

[Nerd-o-rama]

Stern levels his custom pistol and, sighting down the barrel, fires a bolt of pulse energy at the apparent assassin, resisting the urge to fire at the illusory creepy-crawlies first.

Attack (1d20 6=21)
Damage (3d10=16)

Gotcha.

[Storm Bringer]

the shot was true, caught the fleeing assassin in her lower left arm, and the woman yelps and drops to the floor. the marines stop firing when they see shes down, but not quick enough, and a late shot form wayland connects with her shoulder. the two marines at the junction dash foreward, gun still covering the prone assassin, now lying in a slowly expanding pool of blood. they check her then signal it's clear.

"We need a medic here, or she'll bleed out." Wayland promtly starts talking into his com to get one.

Spoiler

massive damage save: (1d20+3)[6]
just remember you're going to be making these as well on any damage higher than your're con score.

edit: holy.....someone link me to invisable castle. we need a roller that doesn't hate us......
BTW, nerd, your shot was only just good enough to hit and force a save. you lucked out their, mate

In other news, I'm gonna be away form my PC form about now until late afternoon tomorrow, GMT. Don't expect to here form me till then.

dammit, i thought she'd be tougher than that.

[Elvith Jars]

"On my way," Hudson replies as he hears the call, "Sounds like you got her." Hudson runs double-time to the scene. As soon as he arrives, he unclips a small medkit, waves his left hand across the wounded assassin to diagnose the situation, and gets to work...

Treat Injury

Spoiler

1d20+14 = 33

[Storm Bringer]

hudson arrives on the scene at about the same time as the truma medics from sickbay, who quickly work to stablilise the dying assassin. Dispite successfully stopping the bleeding, the womans life signs continue to fade. Continued examanation reveals a neurotoxin has somehow entered her bloodstream. Antidote is applied, but too late. the combination of the toxin and blood loss kills the assassin.

It as at about this point that a shout is heard form engineering.

"We got a problem here......"

Looking in, you see anderw working franticaly at the console where the assassin was stood.

"She's rigged the reactor to overheat and burn out. If this goes up, It'll take the other one with it, and then we'd really be buggered" he explianed without looking away form the screen. After a second or so, he raises his hands in frustration"The Bitch put a command lock on the controla.....somebody get the bridge on the blower, I can't crack it at this end."

[Nerd-o-rama]

"Dammit. Whoever sent her knew what he was doing. Preserve the body for an autopsy, so we can figure out whatever we can from her." Stern says in disgust over the dead assassin.

Listening to Clyne's brief report, Stern raises Melern on the communicator. The personal channel, not the command channel. "Melern! Clyne needs help accessing the reactor controls. This is an emergency, so drop whatever you're doing and help him shut down the reactor before it overheats. I'm heading directly back to the birdge."

(I'm not really sure what the situation was with the communicators, so it's possible Melern has switched his off. If so, Stern runs back to the bridge. If not, he'll walk in a quick but dignified manner.)

[Dustyme]

Zell looks at St Clair and taps his headset so he knows to listenup for a second.

"Melern here sir. Myself and St Clair are working it but she fouled the whole system up someting aweful. Does she have the codes on her? Does she have an implant or a computer we can tap into? If we could get the Commodores command codes out of this they might just be the litteral key we need to break her system lock..."

((Estradling, dno't forget to add in my assist rolls from the OOC thread))

"One more thing sir. Don't forget we're still missing another marine (right??)and we don't know if she was working alone. Maybe her partner is now wearing that combat suit and walking around inside or outside the ship."

[Storm Bringer]

the sickbay medics strap the lifeless corpse of the commadores killer onto a strecher and cart her off. The non-essential crew in the area are also evacualting, and compartment doors are being sealed and made airtight.


On the bridge, Zell and St Clair set to work on the lockdown. thankfully, the hack is only partially compelete, and much easier to find and attack than the comm block. Apparantly the assassin was partway though tidying the hack and hiding it's existance when her cover was blown.

Spoiler

Evilth and anyone else still with the corpse (I think nerds already set off, but can't be sure), spot check to check the body. Get a 25 and I'll give a substansial bonus to the computer use roll to break the hack.

will post agian once Estradling does......or if the wizard shows up. expected to hear form him by now, TBH)

[estradling]

Alfred

Still under the effects of the drug St. Clair watched as his codes and commands slithered away from him, resulting in failure after failure.

When the new block was given him to work on, the ensign tried a new tactic. Instead of trying to work as fast as possible, he would check and double check that what he thought he was doing was really what he was doing.

Spoiler

He is going to take a ten on breaking the new hack. (Computer Use)
That gives him a 21... then -2 for the gas and +2 for the assist (if it applies)

[Elvith Jars]

Hudson performs a cursory look at the body, then realizes he shouldn't be where he is right now and returns to the hangar.

Spot: 1d20+1=12

[Wizard of the Coat]

ooc

Spoiler

Hence I never use the massive damage rule...it either screws up plot or pc's. Neither is a thing that is good for a game. Also the commodore apparently had a sex change operation some-where between "HIM" going missing and "HER" lifeless corpse being carried of on a stretcher.

The gas is still giving Ensign St Clair some delusions as he works the hack, probably causing a lack of progress as none of his standard code breaking works. It does become apparent to him however that the assassin has a far greater access level over the engines then he did. Evidently the assassin managed to by-pass the restrictions on the engine power levels that were laid upon Alfred. It seems that without the access decryption to those the reactor overload cannot be stopped.*

*OOC

Spoiler

remember alfred had trouble accesing all engine controlls. Somehow she managed to get deeper into the system by having proper clearance. He can easily see what she's been doing. It wasn't too well covered yet and should be easy to reverse if he had the right level of acces.

As the reactor streadily rises to threshold values the ship send out an automated warning.

"All crew, reactor core breach imminent. Prepare for immediate evacuation. All non essential personnel are to board escape craft."

The call is clear to all and after a moment of silence it is repeated spurring some of the crew members into action. As Commander Stern makes his way to the bridge he sees a hustle of panicked crew members in one of the most disorganized evacuations possible, the red warning lights and the distressing message combined with hallucinogens in the air clearly taking the better of their training. Clearly panic is spreading as anyone moving through the corridors would soon enough be able to find out.


((OOC: spot checks still in order))

[Storm Bringer]

dispite the software blocks, Andrew worked hard to try and shut the reactor down.

Repair roll (plus or minus whatever for others help)= 1d20+10=14

edit= since you asked for a spot check= 1d20+3=15

[estradling]

Alfred

Reaching Stern over the commutation channels, St. Clair report, "Sir. The assassin's use of the commodore's codes is very effective. The whole system is designed not to let me override his commands."

Spoiler

Spot Check (1d20+2)[19]

OOC: Any chance Alfred could get to the reactors fast enough to try a manual shut down?

[Dustyme]

---Melern---

To Stern & St Clair:
"Sir, I just had an idea. What if we were to burn off the excess energy? If we can get the engines online and put ourselves up to speed then wouldn't it stand that we would have more time to fix this?"

Spoiler

Spot [roll]1d20+3[/roll]

[Nerd-o-rama]

As Stern hurries through the corridors to the bridge, he takes the time to issue orders in an attempt to calm (or at least focus) the panicky crewmen.

"Alright, make this orderly. Non-essential personnel follow evacuation procedure. Anyone working on repairs stays at his post." When simply giving orders in a level voice fails to work, he adds "Focus, crew! You look like a lot of cadets. Stay calm and follow orders."

Diplomacy (1d20 9=17)

Stern arrives back on the bridge just in time to key up the engine room as a followup to Melern's recommendation. "Engineering, is that a feasible idea? If so, do it now. If not, I want a manual override of the shutdown procedure done now."

[Elvith Jars]

"Alright Marines, listen up. The gas attack on the squids has got them spooked and the ordering of non-essential personel to the escape pods doesn't help either. We have NOT received an abandon ship order so we're not punching out just yet. You see any crewmen going nuts, do what you can to calm them down and either direct em to their duty station or to an escape pod. But our job isn't done yet. This is a perfect time for an accomplice to strike so keep frosty and keep focused. Above all, don't panic, or I guarantee you'll be hating life. Got it?"

Intimidate (to keep the marines from panic): 1d20+6 = 25

While most of the marines sealed up their armor before the gas attack, the possibility of abandoning ship so far away from help is likely enough to get on anyone's nerves. Hopefully, Chevy's calm and collected mood carries over the airwaves and keeps the Marines from total panic..

[Wizard of the Coat]

Alfred believes he could get to the reactors in reasonable time, but it'd be a wild shot for a manual shutdown though and he isn't sure that he;d be able to get it back up again. Still his eyes notice something, al be it in a flashback. He gets a vibe from the assassins mind as he works on breaking the commodore's code. He sees her interfacing with the commodore holding only her fingers against several points in his neck. His vision returns to normal a moment later.

((OOC: as to Mellerns suggestion, it is an idea that Alfred too believes has a chance. In addition if it fails thy can always try a manual shutdown afterwards...they should just have enough time for it.))

The reactor schematics are baffling Andrew, though he does manage to find what he thinks is the manual shutdown control panel. He could attempt to shut it down himself now...but is it the red, blue or yellow button...or some combination thereof. In any case the crawlspace he is in will only fit one and is quite deep within the core, so to get a proper time on the shut down he'd have to do it himself or possibly have one of the engineers talk him through it (aid another action/ +2 for every 10 points scored).

Commander Stern manages to instill some confidence in the crew he meets and at least around him they appear to pull themselves together. Still he can read the fear in their eyes as he walks by. It seems they are counting on him now.

Chevy's rallying of the marines has effect, apparently they fear him more...possibly because within his armor the effects of the gas make him look like a hulking powerhouse terminator of doom. Soon he has the squad of marines fan out and start to organise a controlled evacuation, ensuring that the rally by commander Stern is not lost as soon as he walks around the corner.

[Storm Bringer]

Andrew sweated as he worked not so much form the heat as the effort of controlling the drugs effects. His training as a Flight officer had covered repairs and damage control to a deggree, and he'd helped out a lot in the flight bay with the maintainance of the ships, but he wasn't a engineering specialist, and the reactor controls and layout were only vaguely related to those on the ships smallcraft. But he was dammed if he was going to let this ship, his ship, go boom without him doing everything he could to stop it.

ooc:

Spoiler

I'll attempt to stop the reactor going boom/shut it down, whichever i can manage. dunno who is in the area to help, but I'll try.

repair roll: 1d20=10=25

[estradling]

Alfred

In response to his superior officers question he answers, "Sir, It buys us some more time. The more energy we burn off the slower the build up. Also the assassin appears to had downloaded the commodore's code into some kind of cyber implant. If we can recover the code from the dead body, before it purges we can make this all go away. But if I go for the code that means I'm not going for the reactor shutdown." It was a choice that Stern was going to have to make... Code or Shutdown, knowing that either one could fail to work for one reason or another.

Spoiler

Alfred will take a 10 on his Knowledge (technology) roll to know what he needs to do and the tools he need take to do it for what ever task Stern gives him.

After the gas that is an 18

[Nerd-o-rama]

"If we've got an even shot...Clyne! Do your best with the reactor. St. Clair and I will try for the override codes," Stern barks over his communicator.

Walking over to the Ensign's duty post, protocol forgotten in his sense of urgency, Stern says, "Now, let's see if we can retrieve the Commodore's codes..."

Computer Use (1d20 10=26)

Stern will contribute whatever he can to the hacking/retrieval process with that roll.

[Storm Bringer]

"Oh, great idea, sir. I'd never have thought of that. what the hell does he think I'm doing...." Andrew muttered (after checking his comm wasn't going to transmit) as he manuvered in the crawlspace to get a better angle at the panel. why it had to be down a 30-foot pipe instead of in the main engine room was almost beyound clyde, were it not for the fact the entire engine system, reactors and all, had been built for a completly different hull, and in order to get the damm things to fit in the space some control and acess panels had to be located in hard to reach places.

damm the solaris project, it would be the death of them..............

ooc:

Spoiler

if two 25+ rolls in sucession can't save us, i'm heading to the pods.

[Elvith Jars]

"Johnson, what the f*ck are you doing?! Stop standing there like a deer in the headlights, and get your ass over to Section Bravo 3, pronto! The squids are going apes*it over there and bouncing off the walls trying to evac. You're supposed to be a marine, now act like it!"

"Hey Boss," Clancy said, his voice a bit nervous, "We're all packed up here. Squids are good to go and we can bug out quick when you want."
Thank the spirits the squad leaders are US Marines...

Chevy gives a quick acknowledgement in reply. As the PVC sprints off, Sgt Hudson could've sworn he heard a canine growl sending him on his way...

[Wizard of the Coat]

Down in the reactor core Clyne figures that the three buttons regulate the shutdown of different reactor phases, first the blue for cooling, then red for the main reactor and finally yellow to power down the flow regulation systems. In an act of wisdom he figures that the red button will do for now, though as he presses it nothing happens...evidentially the auto-regulations are overriding his command.


Guided by the engineers technical knowledge commander Stern quickly figures how to 'get under her synthetic skin and remove the minute cyber implant in her finger... Plugging it into the computer the two men soon finds the access encryption codes they were looking for. Yet as they are about to plug these in Andrew hits the yellow button to shut down the engines autoregulation and the engines seems to short out...a shockwave runs through the ship due to the sudden change in gravity and for a moment all find themselves being hurled forwards as the ship begins a monumental deceleration due to the solar dust they were displacing.

@all:

Spoiler

21 damage to all due to the shock of hitting the front wall (reflex save dc15 halves it) and 16 sub dual damage due to the high G-forces (fortitude dc 15 halves it)

((please let me know if you fall unconscious, assume most of the crew will...))

Unless you have a very creative action thought of next...(strength check dc 20 required to move)...take a further 14 subbdual damage the round after that and 9 subdual damage each round after that. (both still have a dc15 fort save to halve it). Not acting reduces sub dual damage by half. ((essentially figure out the amount of rounds you have before you fall unconscious and see what you want to do with them...for better or worse...)).

Those with endurance or similar feats may add the bonus to their fortitude save and strength checks.

[Storm Bringer]

ooc:

Spoiler

you bloody swine

reflex save (you realise you pasted enough of the crew to leave us bloody unable to do anything for the rest of the game, right?): 1d20+5=23
I won't bother with the fort saves, cos unless I can get power on to bring gravity back online, thier isn't any point.

[estradling]

Alfred

"Excellent now all I have to do..." the rest of his thought is cut off as he is thrown against the nearest wall like a rag doll. The last thing he hears is the sounds of snapping bones as he leaves a bloody trail down the wall

Spoiler

Reflex Save DC 15 - (1d20+3)[15]
Wow I didn't expect him to make the save... Still thats 10.5 damage bringing him to a 4.5 left.. I'll call it an even 4...
Fort Save DC 15 - (1d20+1)[11]
That is -16 sub so he is at -12
Fort Save DC15 - (1d20+1)[9]
He is not moving for only -7 sub so now he is -19
Fort Save DC 15 - (1d20+1)[21]
He made the save and not moving for -2 bringing him to -21
He is out for a long time

Just a note... had he not made the fort save he would have been at -6 and bled out 24 second later. I don't think anyone could have saved him. From that I would say most of the crew didn't just fall unconscious I'd say most of the crew (non grunts anyway) are dead

[Storm Bringer]

ooc

Spoiler

well, it would not be beyound reason for large parts of the crew (who are presented as being expereniced hands mostly) to be higher level than a bunch of fresh acadamy grads on their frist mission......but yhea, a lot of the crew is dead and all of the rest are badly wounded. which means that when we come round, presumeable at a nice sedate speed not far form eris (this being sci-fi), we're gonna find it hard to do.....well, anything reallly. large parts of the cerw will be dead, equally large parts are not available for duty, and the ship will have suffered major damage form the decelleration on TOP of the previous damage. best we can hope for is the comm to be worked and call on the american fleet in the area to bail our asses out.

think wizard may have cocked up on this one.

edit: Just had a thought. We're all trained naval officers with a solid grounding in the techologies we're using. We've have known this would happen when we turned the reactor off.

[Dustyme]

---Melern---

"No, look I think if you run this algorithm here." Zell pushes a series of buttons and looks up after a few seconds when the ship starts decelerating. But that was only supposed to open..."

Ensign Melern starts flying forward face first a the bulkhead. He barely has the chance to wave his arms in front of him to brace while finishing his though.

"EXTERNAL COMM'S!!!!!"

ooc:

Spoiler

Ref vs Wall dancing:(1d20+5)[10] vs DC 15
Fort vs High-G's: (1d20+3)[5] vs DC 15
Fort vs Subdual: (1d20+3)[18] vs DC 15

((Zell has DR 1))

While waving his arms might have been great for warding off birds it wasn't so great for reducing impact.

Zell swigs his arm out catching his bicep on the railguard of his comm station nearly fracturing it in multiple locations luckily his armor takes the brunt force and supplies enough ridgidity to swing Zell out face first into a Marines power armor helmet. With pulped nose, blood and a fist full of pain Zells arm comes loose and he continues his impromtu flight plan to the bulkhead. Feeling the crush of gravity Zell welcomes blackness as the marine lands next to him.

(ooc: Failed both saves (5 HP after fall, -10 current with subdual.))

[Nerd-o-rama]

Reflex save vs. wall (1d20 5=14)

(Action Pointing this roll for an auto-pass)

Fortitude Save vs. G-forces (1d20 2=15)

(11 points damage + 8 points subdual = 10 HP remaining with 8 subdual damage. He's alright, folks!)

Stern, thinking quickly, ducks as the deceleration begins, bracing himself against the console he and St. Clair had bee working at. This avoids the trip through the air and into the main viewscreen, but he doesn't avoid smacking his head painfully against the console itself, opening a nasty gash in his head.

In his last moments of consciousness before the pain and the crush of G-forces causes him to blackout, Stern crawls along the now-essentially-horizontal console and inputs the newfound override codes for an automatic shutdown, hoping - praying - that the automated shutdown process would cause the failsafes to kick back in. If nothing else, shutting down the reactor properly will solve the initial problem of exploding.

Old computer adage...when all else fails...re...b and he's out like a light.

((Stern's out after his last action no matter what he does, so I won't bother rolling saves.))