The Arrival

[Starhawk]

Seraph

Droid Mechanics (pun)

Droid Combat Drone HP 10/10 Speed 20'ft Init 1 KAC 21 EAC 15 Fort 2 Ref 1 Will 0 CMB 29 BAB 1

Club +2 (1d6+2, )
Needler Rifle +3 (1d6 P, 20)

Str 14 (2) Dex 12 (1) Con -  - Wis 10 Int 6 (-2) Cha 6 (-2)

 

The extremely well armored Seraph, having interposed (herself) between the entity and the organic uplifted ferret, who seemed rather out of sorts, concludes this thing wasn't here for a chat. She acts... veerry veerryy sloowllyy.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[herastor]

Unit 24

---

Lv. 1 SRO Cyberborn Technomancer

HP: 27/7 | Stam: 25/5

 

Stats & SavesSTR 10 +0
DEX 14 +2
CON 11 +0
INT 18 +4
WIS 10 +0
CHA 10 +0

Fort. +0
Ref. +2
Will +2 | SkillsComputers +9
Engineering +8
Life Science +8
Mysticism +4
Physical Science +8
Piloting +6
Profession (Data Analyst) +12
Sleight of Hand +6 | Spells1st: 3/3 | Per Use AbilitiesSpell Cache 1/1
AI-Empowered Boost 0/1
AI Companion 1/1

---

"Dismissing any part of this anomaly as absurd not conductive to our goal of rectifying it," the words weren't chiding, nor were they apathetic, "From experiencing Io subtle mastery of code, I am inclined the believe her and her assessment."

 

As others he was unfamiliar with chimed in, U24 pulled up both the crew and passenger manifests. Crude summaries who have to do in the place of years of team building. So fragile, thinking about it that way. It would serve though, or they would all die. Additional pings followed on the heels of U24's examination of the lists. With the state of the ship's systems, redundancy was key. On the heels of both Ash and Ian's assertions, courtesy of Johnny, U24 organized his outlook of their next steps.

 

"I've examined the situation as closely as I can and I'm inclined to agree with Ash. This is an alien entity. The only thing we can ensure, in response to its strange behavior, is our own survival. Understanding and examination will need to be pushed to the aftermath. We should try to remove the tumor. Failure in that regard would only mean that we are better informed to try again."

 

"The fuel cell corruption that Lasz'Mallakk brought up, is my other concern. A team in the physical world should try to clear the infection while we focus on the digital aspect. Again, the information provided by a failure in our tasks is still invaluable."

[Xerin]

Name: Ash Race: Post-Human (Multi-animal Human Hybrid) Class: Soldier Fighting Style: Rover Occupation: Field Scout, Hunter, Security Reserve Theme: Colonist

HP: 11/11 SP: 8/8 KAC: 15 EAC: 14 SPD: 30 / FSPD: 30 Fort: 3 / Ref: 3 / Will: 3

Ash stared out into the distance when Unit 24 spoke. He didn't want to go out into this... thing. Whatever it was that was mixing the world with the shadows was more than disturbing. It was like stepping into the maw of Renley himself and seeing life rot under his possessive will. Ash thought he had lost his beliefs of Renley and Taikong when his planet was destroyed, but this fear... this was something deep. He takes a shaking breath and draws his knife.

"I have no ability when it comes to the Dijet'al world. I cannot transverse those lands. But I'll help guide anyone we need to the Fool Cells. I can do that much at least." Or so I hope.

 

May Wugou support my steps, and Baoyu guide my way...

 

Prays Ash, once again wondering if he believed in the gods that should have died with his homeworld, or if he was just sliding into old habits out of fear of the situation. This would probably need a conversation with the Therapist. A healer of the mind, what a strange occupation, one that wasn't truly needed on his homeworld, but seemingly direly needed by him here and now.

 

 

[Starhawk]

 

Io

Android Mechanic 1 - HP 10/10 Stamina 7/7 Resolve 3/5

Theme.. way too romantic for an android.. or is it?

 

"So, what are we talking about here? The power of secular unitarianism compels thee?", remarks Io dryly.

"It's an external intelligence sourced intrusion into the Operating System, an infection, if you will.", she continues, replacing dry with with cool logic.

However, dry humor will not be denied once its appetite has been wetted. "In the absence of crucifixes and holy water, it falls to us to employ time honoured methods of dealing with an infection lest this become a plague ship. Lest? Where did that come from?" All the while her voice has been subtly changing from a friendly almost musical lilt into a clipped take names and kick ass delivery more suitable for promising threats that will then be delivered, likely with high velocity being involved.

"Thus, the methods I suggest are quarantine, analysis of a sample in a secure environment, air walled sounds good. It should then be examined for the purposes of identification and then eradication. At the same time, its means of entry should be established.", she continues, sounding like 'cool under pressure' is her middle name.

"Given that it appears to be a singular entity, we can but hope, it becomes a hacker duel at that point... us against it. I'd prefer not to face the hordes of hell.", she adds, coming back to religious elements.

"There appears to be a physical presence as well. The time honoured methods of dealing with a physical intrusion on a space vessel include, containment within sealed bulkheads, vaccum preferable sudden, close quarters combat, which my robot is currently engaged in, and my personal favorite explosive decompression, also referred to as 'blow it out the freaking airlock'. There's a uplifted ferret who needs to get out of the compartment poste haste. It is my understanding that organics in vacuum tend to.. you know... explode. "

Io fires up the ships anti-virus and air walling systems.

I mean to attack the thing. Another job is physically closing down sections of power grid, and network connections. Those not in virtual should attend to these physical matters.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[Odeoron]

Itroducint Jaa'Syko --> Zentriert ins Antlitz - Dynamic Planet

 

---

The emergency space feels oppressive, with its cold metal surfaces reflecting the low, ambient amber light. The room buzzes with palpable tension. Ash, with the weight of recent events has just offered his assistance. His voice wavered slightly, a testament to the mental strain he's under. Io, connected to interface, has just outlined a potential strategy, just after Ian's suggestion of the impossible only helped rise the levels of anxiety.

The team's collective apprehension is palpable. This entity, a dark, unpredictable force, had breached their ship, challenging their safety and resolve. Its prior incursions were not just acts of aggression—they were a sinister message, a dark promise of what was to come.

High above them, on an expansive open terrace, is Jaa'Syko. With rugged features carved from years of space voyages and battles, his age is betrayed only by the silver streaks in his hair. He's in a sniper's pose, the tight lines of his face contrasting with the relaxed puffing of his cigar. Beside him, a small pile of spent cigars rests in an ashtray. The sniper's digital scope, equipped with enhanced visuals, scans the vast park space below, casting it in a hue of electric blue.

The dark ether begins to shimmer and convulse with an increasing intensity, drawing Jaa'Syko's sharp gaze. His instincts, honed over years of combat, alert him to the anomaly brewing beneath.

Suddenly, a grotesque creature breaks through the ether, its form an embodiment of nightmares. Its hollow, soulless eyes fixate on its target: Ash. Oblivious to the impending danger, continues conversing with the group, his back turned to the monstrous being.

Moving with a blend of agility and silence that belied its grotesque form, the creature leaps from the platform beneath the terrace, its trajectory aimed directly at Ash.

As the team begins to register the presence of this new threat, gearing up to confront it, the creature lunges, its mouth opening in a deafening roar that seems to pierce the very walls of the ship. But just as disaster seems inevitable, a sharp gunshot echoes, resonating with the chilling stillness of the vast space. The creature's menacing roar morphs into a death gurgle, its body collapsing in a heap, silenced forever by a perfectly executed headshot. The emergency space plunges into a cacophony of gasps, shouts, and the scuffling of feet as the colonists, taken aback, scramble for cover.

Then, as the dust settles and reality seeps in, all eyes, filled with a mix of awe and curiosity, drift upwards to the terrace. Jaa'Syko, ever the picture of composure, stands, his sniper rifle now resting by his side.

Kloss'Gorr, with his distinguishing four arms, immediately discerns the identity of the savior. Twisting and turning dials on his communicator with a fluency that only he possesses, he connects to Jaa'Syko. With a nod and a gesture to the team below, he says, "Jaa'Syko."

A moment of static-filled silence ensues before Jaa'Syko's voice, gravelly and tinged with exasperation, emanates from the device, "Yeah, can you put me on speaker?"

Raising the communicator for all to hear, Kloss'Gorr obliges. Jaa'Syko, despite his earlier display of finesse, now sounds unmistakably rattled, his voice laced with a blend of frustration and urgency, "Yeah, that was me! Now, can somebody please tell me what in the HELL is happening?"

---

 

How would you like to continue Jaa? @OgreWattage

Edited October 25, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[OgreWattage]

Action Report_:

Jaa has been watching the scene across the field while he enjoyed a quiet cigarette, it was hard to relax when alarms and lights were firing off.. Loud wake up cuased for coffee, but Jaa never left the house with out his parter in life: His weapon. Grabbed the case on his way out hoping he didn't need it.

Not too long ago Jaa has made his way to this cafe much earlier,, from the terace it had a good view, after that confirmation, he had placed an order for black coffee on ice, and had politely been ignoring the non smoking sign, and the waitresses ever since. When the activity across the way his instricts told him it was showtime. A large black box, with worn felt and silver edges and matching silver buckles, akin to a guitar case complete with a smattering of band stickers was retrieved from under the table, and placed on to the table. with a click of metal on the glass and rearranged silverware.

With a quick gesture and the matching harsh clacks of the buckles opening up, revealing gun iron sections that made no sense to the casual observer. His hands expertly put piece to piece, a quick spin here, a few clicks of tension here, and suddenly the boxes contents has formed a Sniper, lacking any heavy tech integrations; it was your grand dad’s gun. One last motion and the only piece of tech was attached: His scope and range finder. A waitress walked onto the balcony, The ex bounty hunter without looking at the waitress and with a puff of smoke, ”No, Not right now.” The waitress went to flash a plastic smile, but instead at the sight of the fire arm, the waitress maid a little sound of surprise as Jaa eyed the group from over his sunglasses sighing to himself, “ She’s going to get the manager. These kids nowadays see one gun and the whole world comes to a stop.”

Now he racked brass into his gun, taking a quick draught of coffee before he put his cigarette out in the liquid. Jaa Sy’ko immediately replaced the cigarette with an unlit counterpart as if there was a time limit for how long he was allowed to be without cheap rolled tobacco between his lips.

Jaa was a sight; A middle aged man; Black hair touched with gray, wearing a red and orange hawaiian shirt, his Horizon Striker gleaming in the light of the park, aiming down the barrel of the weapon, “Can’t even clean my gun at the cafe anymore.” He complained to himself. Now with both eyes opened he looked site to the site. Something was changing.

Inhale, exhale.

"Now that's something," he muttered again to himself as the thing bounded forward, he missed his first opportunity. it was faster then expected, now he slid his cross hairs closer to the group.

Inhale, exhale.

He saw it brace itself and as it did, he smiled to himself. despite it being a thing that made his heart pound in his ears, too loud to hear much else, his humor still relaxed him. But The smile held no mirth, resembling a wolf watching pray. the moment was coming.

Inhale,

Finger pressed down on the trigger, impact blasted to his trained shoulder.

Exhale,

The thing's body just hit the ground, and it, and its open dead eyes, seemly unchanged by death just washed over the long time killer of men.

He grabbed the mouth piece of what very few of their era would recognize; a heavily modified ham radio, A peice of equipment that was his great grand dad's before Jaa got his hands on it, who added every port on the market, and some that weren't. This is what was used now, "...,on speaker." as his heart beat was no longer drowning out speech,

The old bounty hunter in a voice akin to a exhaust on an old engine,

"The Hell was that?"

Then released the button on the side of his hand piece.

"These is something that wasn't in the job description." Then Jaa spotted the manager and the waitress in the door way leading to his little balcony,"Youre in my office." as he then lit his cigarette, the smoke matching the still smoking barrel of his sniper encouraging the two to walk out as he called after" Could you get me another Coffee sweetie."

No answer came from the hallway,

"That's not a no." putting the ciggertte out only after a few heavy drags to calm him back down.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[OgreWattage]

((OC: Sorry guys trying to Figure out how to roll dice properly I shouldn't have been able to get a 21 on those paradox rolls. So Ima reroll the 21, sorry guys. and Ive been told the format really messed up for some, so if anyone has tips please PM either here or discord ))

[Odeoron]

((OC: No worries dude @OgreWattage i fixed it for you but let's not communicate like this on the forum here no longer, this is strictly roleplaying section, for OOC concerns just say your concern in the discord server, this why it is for. 🙂))

[Odeoron]

So Unit 24, you would have seen Jonny's display of the real world showing the monstrosity that nearly hacked at Ash as it fell limp and dead shortly after the voice of another colonist being broadcast through the comms of Kloss'Gorr.

Another hint has been revealed quite clearly, and after you pulled the manifests, you saw that the Ferret mentioned by Io's drone Seraph, is named Stix, and is one of the majority of colonists that came from Sol system, the cradle of humanity.

If you wanted to you could give a computer's check, and using your credentials as a staff member to scan his vitals and even use the security footage to witness yet another physical entity that seems to try it's best to hide from others, but can't quite manage to do this very well from technological eyes or cameras hence why Seraph perceived it quite clearly.

You suddenly sense the overpowering yet gentle presence of Aristartriax in the back of your mind: "This organism feels very familiar to me for whatever reason... i... i can't seem to put my proverbial finger on it but... i think it's kind did something to my creators long ago..." he said that pensively as he looked at the footage of this minion that this Jaa'Syko head-shot just now. "It seems to be able to manifest, or create life-like creatures with independent wills that are still directed by it in the material world..." He added shortly before withdrawing into a silence that seemed indistinguishable from a computer hard at work processing data and attempting recovery protocols.

Ofcourse only you heard this.

From the manifests you managed to find out the names of the other three engineers that haven't spoken yet; Luna Tarrass - A post human floral individual female that came from Proxima-minor, a terraformed moon that couldn't quite sustain actual humans so those that live there had to 'adapt' ,Elion Kettersons, Human that came straight from earth, after graduating engineering university, and you would recognize yet another clone of Johnsons Alistair, C565. to which Jonny would only now realize after being shocked of how close that nightmare would have been to killing him too.

And as you all were there, just before Luna was about to speak, Elion intervened "Watch out!" a thick tendril of flesh was waving just at the entrance of your safe spot as it seemed to spit out 10 red glowing orbs, followed by what could only be understood as a maniacal and otherworldly guttural laughter.

 

---

Now you can either chose to roll initiative, or direct the engineers and Jonny to unplug and then you following suit, and retreat to the physical realm thus buying some time and finding the nearest teleport hub to go either to the group or to Stix and Seraph.

Or another option would be to attempt to see if you could tap into Io's attempt at raising the antivirus and see through 3 consequential computer's checks how you could build a hostile code, and direct some of the team you already have with you in here to engage these orbs and try to collect code samples for you to experiment with, but be warned this path is risky, and Aristartriax feels inaccessible currently despite you still being supercharged currently.

On this second option first computer's check is to see whether the antivirus itself isn't already compromised considering this thing is in here and it seems to not have done much about it on it's own. success is at 15

Second roll is to work on the data you collected thus far and try and direct it to further restrict the aberration's development hopefully trying to see if it can be ejected from the virtual space. 17 roll for success.

And 3rd toll if first roll is successful engage virtual 'white cells' to start attacking the infection hopefully weakening it's advancements even further.

 

---

Io, you would notice something bizarre, despite this sudden horror having been mere inches away from slashing at you too, your attempt to raise the antivirus' power further and engage further firewalls on top of what U24 had done prior, was met with failure, and that maniacal laughter of the anomaly, seems to pierce your circuits in a very powerful and damaging manner. It is a psychic attack that seems to be a form of mockery at your attempts, it feels that it already adapted to the firewalls and antivirus because U24 rose the first stage. so for you it will be a will save to try to resist it's influence from shorting some processors.

 

---

 

Ian, some people seemed to have believed you while others have, expectantly, resisted with what under less threatening circumstances be seen as scoffing which should be understandable.

You could either try to offer comfort to Ash through a diplomacy check, success is marked at 15, mainly because he is terrified, and you barely met the guy.
If successful Ash would get a roll with advantage to escape the frightened state. If failed, there's nothing happening but the time needed for a roll to get out would be reduced from currently 4 in-game minutes to 2.

Or press on and double down with a diplomacy check to convince by logical reasoning and bringing up the manifestations, but this would probably be harder sitting at a 18 for success.

At the same time you might be able to scoop a sample of the goop spilling from the carcass of this horror next to you and take it to a laboratory for analysis, though it doesn't feel like the present environment is permitting for such a travel alone.

 

---

As for Ash, thankfully you were already to focused on re-evaluating your situation, and after that prayer you made, it seems to have given you just enough calm to have managed to avoid a fear paralysis will save roll.

 

---

And anyone can give me a general environment perception check, because something seems to begin happening near ya'll that can further hint at the nature of the entity.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[OgreWattage]

Status: 

|H.P: 09/09 | ST.P: 05/05 |RES.P: 04/04 | MAG: ∏ █ |

Roll post for perception

Perception

 

[Odeoron]

Jaa'Syko, upon your successful roll, you shift your focus from the grotesque creature you've just dispatched to the cafe terrace. You recall the manager and waitress just moments ago, but now, they seem... different. The manager, who was about to approach you after being called by the waitress, now appears almost frozen in place. His hand, reaching out to hand over a cup to the waitress, moves with agonizing slowness. It's as if they're trapped in a time bubble, unaware of the chaos around them."

As you try to make sense of the situation, your heightened senses, attuned to the ebb and flow of time, pick up on more anomalies. Across the deck, colonists who were taking to the teleporters are now caught in a temporal loop. One man, in particular, seems to be running in place, retracing his steps in a never-ending cycle. And that dog nearby? It's chasing its tail at a speed that's almost a blur, contrasting starkly with the slowed-down world around it."

But the anomalies don't stop there. Near a water fountain, an old feline post-human man feeding some fluff ball birds from some planet in the union has become an odd spectacle. The birds, instead of their usual graceful dance, dart back and forth with such speed they appear as mere streaks. The deck, Jaa'Syko, is transforming into a patchwork of distorted time zones.

 

---

How do you relate this to the group you just saw dealing with this incursion?

[OgreWattage]

Jaa eyes shot from slowed manager to the repetitive colonists, from the running man, to the dog on fast forward to the similar birds . Old ham radio in his sniper case is grabbed, the talk button is pressed as he spoke, " Guys, Guys, Guys, Guys." As his eyes took in each bubble once more before in a jumble of words as the time dilation caught up to his senses, feeling half of his body was in a speeding car, while the other half felt fuzzy like it was being left behind, " Anyone seeing the bubbles? The time bubbles. Slow man, loopin' dogs, fast birds, C'mon guys? Please tell me you guys are seeing this? Did I have too much coffee, not enough coffe or is liquor needed? "

Status: 

|H.P: 09/09 | ST.P: 05/05 |RES.P: 04/04 | MAG: ∏ █ |

Edited October 27, 2023 by OgreWattage (see edit history)

[herastor]

Unit 24

---

Lv. 1 SRO Cyberborn Technomancer

HP: 27/7 | Stam: 25/5

 

Stats & SavesSTR 10 +0
DEX 14 +2
CON 11 +0
INT 18 +4
WIS 10 +0
CHA 10 +0

Fort. +0
Ref. +2
Will +2 | SkillsComputers +9
Engineering +8
Life Science +8
Mysticism +4
Physical Science +8
Piloting +6
Profession (Data Analyst) +12
Sleight of Hand +6 | Spells1st: 3/3 | Per Use AbilitiesSpell Cache 1/1
AI-Empowered Boost 0/1
AI Companion 1/1

---

"The comparison to spirits of Sol mysticism and mythology still apply. More in the behavior and inclinations of this entity, rather than nature. The entity does not seem to be particularly bothered by the usual physical containment protocols. The results on local space-time that Jaa observed are indicative of potential escalation. If it can gain control of event progression, it can push itself back to a point in our timeline before we were able to impede it at all. Pushed back before square one."

 

Compared to Io's eloquence, U24's statements were at best flat. It wasn't for lack of effort though. Directly engaging with the ship's antivirus systems was not an easy task. A compromised system could easily identify a technician as hostile. Aristartriax's insight still scratched at the back of his head and though he shared the AI's pensive outlook, U24 was still resolved that their only path to safety was through confrontation. With that in mind, he shifted his priorities from data collection to eradication.

 

Briefly, U24's concern shifted to his own body, strung up like a waiting meal and isolated. He likely would have a difficult time surviving a direct assault from one of these creatures if it manifested next to his inert form. Spurred by the image, he did his best to feed his acquired information directly into the program's datasets.

 

"I'm attempting to engage the antivirus. Elion, Luna, C565, could you create an exit should escape be required. The rest should focus on the attacking elements to buy us time. We should also try to recover Stix. This entity is targeting him. That is likely not a coincidence."

Edited October 27, 2023 by herastor (see edit history)

[Whitehart09]

Stix

 

Stix watched in awe as the drone broke the darkness before him. Sending it as an ally he shook off what malaise he could before steadying his shaking legs. He would stand beside this new ally. Well, maybe beside and a little behind...

 

Initiative

Roll

[Xerin]

Name: Ash Race: Post-Human (Multi-animal Human Hybrid) Class: Soldier Fighting Style: Rover Occupation: Field Scout, Hunter, Security Reserve Theme: Colonist

HP: 11/11 SP: 8/8 KAC: 15 EAC: 14 SPD: 30 / FSPD: 30 Fort: 3 / Ref: 3 / Will: 3

Ash temporarily stares at the body behind him and then looks around him. He switches from knife to gun. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to rely on the gun, bullets in spaceships just caused trouble in his mind. But the things that were coming were greater than just his own knife skills. Now was the time for him to use his superior senses over the other humans, he still didn't think he was one of them, but now wasn't the time to get into a philosophical argument with himself.

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Xerin (see edit history)