The Arrival

[Starhawk]

 

Io

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

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

 

Contact threatened like a knife to one's throat, the alternative, sure annihilation could hardly be defined as a fall back position. The thing had to be met with all force, with it's annihilation, as opposed to its escape, to whatever hell it came from, being the preferred outcome. One of the few advantages they had was the home ground advantage, so with the possibility that the thing was a 'scout' it could not be allowed to report back.

"I'd hoped for a different First Contact.", she mused out loud, her tone sad, even as she held onto the hope that whatever enemy this thing had, would be First Contact of the wondrous sort. She looked around at everyone still present and concluded with "Good hunting.", it was traditional.

And with that she girded herself for battle, brought her weapons to the fore and went to battle, working off of Unit 24's attacks and communicating that it should do likewise.

 

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

[Odeoron]

Elion, Luna, and C565, as they hear U24's directive, they immediately turn their attention to the vast virtual landscape around them. The space, which once seemed so familiar, is now marred by distortions and anomalies. But the most immediate threat comes from the 10 red glowing orbs, pulsating with an eerie light. They hurl themselves repeatedly against the shimmering barrier Io erected earlier, sending shockwaves that make the virtual walls tremble.

Elion: "We need to strengthen this barrier. C565, can you work on enhancing the defensive codes? Luna, let's create an exit protocol."

Luna: "On it. We need a stable exit, especially if things get out of hand."

As Luna and Elion busily tap into the codes, manipulating streams of data, C565 focuses on reinforcing the barrier. The orbs' relentless assault doesn't let up, but for now, the barrier holds.

Jonny: "You know, it's always odd seeing another clone of mine. Didn't expect to see another Johnsons Alistair variant here."

Despite the dire situation, there's a hint of amusement in Jonny's voice. He briefly exchanges a knowing glance with C565.

C565: "It's a small Union, Jonny. We're bound to run into each other eventually."

The atmosphere in the virtual space is tense, with the looming threat of the entity and its minions. But the combined efforts of Elion, Luna, and C565 seem to be paying off. The exit protocol starts to take shape, manifesting as a glowing portal on the far side of the barrier.

Mark: "Good work, team. Let's be prepared for anything. This entity has shown it can adapt. We need to be one step ahead."

With the exit in place and the barrier reinforced, your group is better prepared for what's to come. But the question remains: can you fend off the entity and its minions long enough to ensure everyone's safety?
 

---

As you delve deep into the system, your initial diagnostics reveal that, thankfully, the antivirus is not compromised. The entity has managed to bypass it, but the core defenses remain intact. Your expertise in computer systems and networks pays off, and with a roll of 28, you can confidently confirm the integrity of the antivirus.

Harnessing this knowledge, you begin to work on the data you've acquired so far. With a roll of 23, you successfully channel this information to further restrict the aberration's development. You can sense its influence waning as you start reconfiguring the virtual space, making it more and more difficult for the entity to maintain its hold.

Finally, with the antivirus secure and the aberration's growth restricted, you decide to take a more aggressive approach. Engaging the virtual 'white cells' to attack the infection directly, you hope to weaken its advancements further. The task proves more challenging than anticipated, but with a roll of 13, you manage to just barely activate them. They spring to life and start targeting the entity's manifestations, gradually eroding its presence.

The virtual space still trembles from the entity's influence, but with each passing moment, it seems you're reclaiming more and more of the compromised areas. However, the battle is far from over. The entity, though weakened, remains a formidable foe.

---

Amid the chaos of the virtual battle, a deep, guttural voice echoes through the space. It's both alien and disturbingly familiar, like a distorted, malevolent whisper that sends shivers down your virtual spine. "Grrrr... Do you truly believe you can confine me to this virtual prison?" The voice laughs, a sound that is both mocking and chilling. It's a laughter that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, contorted with otherworldly malice. "Hahahahahaha! You cannot contain me for long. Reality or virtuality, I am everywhere." The voice fades, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake, hinting at the entity's true power and intent.
 

[OgreWattage]

Jaa muttered, smoke seeping out of his mouth as he spoke, "Bad vibes man, Bad vibes all over the place." The bounty hunter pulled the rack back, pressing the safety button, locking the bolt in place, this action pushed forward a ring forward out of the side of the gun, Jaa tugged this, causing a panel to open at a 45 degree angel, revealing one spent shell and one unspent bullet, with a deft movement shell is ejected. Jaa grabbing the shell mid air and dropping it into the gun case, in the same movement another round is retrieved from the case and slotted into the empty spot, followed by slamming the panel closed. Sy'ko then pressed the safety, releasing the lever, then pulled and released the level exhaling a cloud of smoke once more as he finished the half second long process that he has done countless times before, Jaa then retrieved his favorite three point sling attaching it to the sniper and throwing it over his shoulder and sliding it behind him. The next item retrived is a much more technical weapon then his sniper; A gnome scout gun.

Jaa eyed it with distaste flicking the lazer control making sure it was functioning on both sides, recalling that he missed the tell tale signs of it's higher tech parts when it was acquired but still he strapped it and his holster to his hip followed by a harness that he attached his gran dad's ham radio to it so it would sit in the middle of his back, keeping the hand piece with in reach. a Head set is the last thing retried from his case, plugging it into the micro ham radio on his back sliding it on. Every action was accented with an exhale of smoke, and the glowing of the ember. "Feels good to have my gear on," the form of meditation

 

Then a panel is pulled up from the gun case revealing a keypad, keying something in, causing the uncase to collapse in on its self to a much smaller size. A collapsible gun case was a useful thing, attaching it to his harness at two points, so it sat horizontal slightly behind his hips. It wasn't his full kit, but it was workable.

 

The next course of action seemed to be out of Jaa's hands at the moment realizing that there were issues with the other half of the party in a virtual confrontation. Time streams was his area of experience, not tech but regardless , talk button was pressed as he asked threw the fragrant smoke,"Im not a tech head, in fact I like wood cabins with out wifi, you know how hard it is to not have wifi? I'm the opposite of a tech person, combustible engines over fuel cells," now he paused realizing he was ranting before adding, "Old man here just asking, can we isolate it? put in some thumb drive, and hide it up friday's asshole?" Jaa's face screnched up as he tried to recall what he was meaning to say," Layda cell? Farris trap?" as he spoke he started to move down the terrace to the others in the group after leaving a fist full of credits on table for his coffee from eaariler, the whole way was his grumbling trying to think of the thing he was having trouble recalling, "Micheal Bay isolation? Faraday cage?" he grinned as the last one came out of his mouth,"Faraday cage?!? is that a thing we have?"

The bounty hunter was equally distracted by the time bubbles that were appearing even as he made his way to Ash and the others. He was trying to bend the litte he knew about time and this weird interaction that was going on into something he could use.

Mysticism

Status: 

|H.P: 09/09 | ST.P: 05/05 |RES.P: 04/04 | MAG: █ █ | |2NDWPN: 20/20|Cigg: ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▓ |

[wwaugh]

Ian gives Io a mildly confused look when she mentions Secular Unitarianism compelling a demon, but says "Uh... it might? I think anything that keeps our minds calm and ordered might weaken this thing, or at least make it harder for it to attack us."

He turns to Ash. "Are you okay? Listen... I think part of what this thing wants is for us to be afraid. Not just because that could give it a tactical advantage, but because... I think it might be the sort of creature that wants that even without a reason." Good start, I hope? "Let's not give it that. Let's show it we're not afraid."

He turns to address the group as a whole. "Io... you said we need to kick this thing out of the fuel supply, right? I think we should do that first, since... 'catastrophic repercussions' sounds like a good description of what might happen if we don't. Does anyone know how we might..."

A shot rings out, and Ian takes a quick look around, just in time to see a demon give up the ghost. He heard someone, presumably whoever'd shot it, say something about the demon influencing time, and then asking if it could be isolated in a Faraday cage.

That's a really good question...

He looks at the floor under the corpse to see if it seems to be damaging the ground under it, either by speeding up time so that entropy destroys it faster, or dissolving it like a strong acid would. " ... Is it possible to use what's left of that thing to try and understand how these creatures work? We'd need an microscope, I think..."

Diplomacy

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by wwaugh (see edit history)

[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 looks at the others momentarily, his wings hanging from him like a cape, shuddering in response to the comment. "Fear happens to all, there is no shame in that. Only if I allow it to control me will there be shame." responds Ash. He takes a deep breath. "Let's go, the longer we delay, the harder it will be to start." And with that, Ash starts heading forward. He needed to act, while it might be ill-thought-out, he only had two options. To stay rooted in place and do nothing, or move forwards and maybe help end what was causing the trouble.

[Odeoron]

Theme -> SHIVERS - Modern Eerie Horror Music Mix

As Seraph and Stix stand resolute, ready to face the imminent threat, the doppelganger senses the mounting tension and seems almost... amused. It steps back, circling them, the very essence of malevolence. The entity's form shifts, becoming more ethereal and insidious as it moves, shadows licking out like tongues of dark flames, tasting the air around them.

Without warning, the doppelganger's form expands, tendrils of darkness shooting outwards, trying to create a sense of omnipresence, as if it was everywhere at once. Its eyes, deep voids of nothingness, fixate on the duo, glowing brighter with each passing moment. The abyssal gaze alone seems to carry a weight, trying to push down on their spirits, attempting to sow seeds of doubt and fear.

Suddenly, the entity lets out a bone-chilling, echoing hiss that reverberates around the environment, carrying with it an unmistakable message of menace. It's a sound that embodies pure malice, an aural manifestation of its desire to dominate and consume. The hiss evolves into a haunting, discordant melody, sending unsettling vibrations through the very air, making the atmosphere thick with tension.

 

Initiative 8

---

Seraph is at 5 and Stix is at 12.

Stix you would go first... how would you like to position yourself and what do you want to do in your first move?

Edited November 1, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[Odeoron]

Jonny's voice was heard through the terminals, slightly distorted due to the interference from the time aberration. "Faraday cage? Yeah, Jaa, it's a real thing. It's essentially a metallic enclosure that's used to block electromagnetic fields. If you're thinking about isolating whatever tech anomaly is causing this, then a Faraday cage might do the trick. But it's not a guarantee, especially if we're dealing with something that goes beyond just tech interference. Still, it's worth a shot."

Jaa could almost visualize Jonny's smirk as he continued, "But you know, Jaa, for someone who claims to be an 'old man' and 'the opposite of a tech person,' you sure do have some impressive tech intuition."

A pause followed, and then Jonny added, "I think there's a makeshift Faraday cage in one of the storage units nearby. It's not top-grade, but it might help. If we're gonna try this, we need to move fast. These time distortions are messing with the virtual realm too, and I don't know how long we can maintain a stable connection."

---

As Ash takes a step forward after Ian's attempt at encouraging, a sudden calmness washes over him. The ambient noise seems to fade, and he feels a subtle warmth emanating from the direction of the Mother Tree. Though the tree itself remains silent, its presence is palpable, offering a quiet reassurance to the winged being.

Upon closer observation, Ash notices a concerning change. The rich, deep colors of the Mother Tree, usually full of life and vitality, are now beginning to lose their vibrancy. Its once radiant bark and leaves are becoming desaturated, hinting at some unseen force at play.

Suddenly Ash, you hear your comms buzzing. It's the sargent. "Hey kiddo! We're here and ready, let everyone who you find to be willng to help know that the perimeter is secure and..." He paused pensively "What in the name of Saint Joseph!" He exclaimed "The Gargathian Sequoya is turning gray! Everyone be ready!" he said as he closed comms.

---

Ash, Ian failed at trying to help you out of your fright but he reduced your waiting time before the next will save roll from 4 in-game minutes to 2 so not long before you might get a chance to escape it.

 

How would you all like to continue?

Edited November 1, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[herastor]

Unit 24

---

Lv. 1 SRO Cyberborn Technomancer

HP: 27/7 | Stam: 25/5 | Initiative: +2

 

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

---

"Noted."

 

Despite his own trepidation, U24 was not about to let this entity control him through implied threats and fear. His creator had been far more effective at such things. Within U24, a capacitor charged. Psychic powers and abilities were a defined science, even if they weren't formalized. Like any cognizant lifeform, he had the potential to engage with this peculiarity of the universe through technological means. Means he intended to put to the test here.

 

"You're capability for both speech and understanding has been logged, as well as your own admission of your physical state. I submit this theory: If you are everywhere, then your negation relies on separating the 'you' from our local space-time. At the moment, I'm choosing to engage in means of force to test my theory."

 

U24 aimed concentrated noise signal at one of the anomalies and let his capacitor expel its charge.

 

"Once the path out is secured, we should press our attack," U24 messaged the others as he deployed a virtual representation of his sidearm.

 

OOC

I'll roll initiative and U24's first action will be to cast Incompetence on one of the orbs.

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Odeoron (see edit history)

[OgreWattage]

Jaa hurrying down the terrace the ember of his cigarette traced behind him, smoke leaving his mouth in puffs as he replied with a smile in his tone, closer akin to replying with the middle finger, "Don't give me too much credit, experience goes a long ways, and besides It took me a few tries. " a small chuckle, " I got to keep the Exs and their current and past boyfriends from reaching me somehow. It pays to know most electronics have trackers in, and in my previous life not being tracked was important," as the last part of the phrase left his mouth he was at the bottom of the terrace walking into the room with Ash and Ian, just in time to respond to Ash,"Not'ing to be ashamed 'bout" Jaa talking past the cigarette adding to johnny,"This old man don't know where that is, can you send me the nav for this giant ship's storage?." With the buzzing of comms, mixed with tone, Ja inhaled, ember glew brighter eating up more of pausing as if enjoying it before he spoke,"This day is going to be a two pack day. I can feel it," as he spit the cigarette out like it insulted him adding," Ash, Ol' buddy, Ol' friend, oh Pal of Mine... What was that comm? That didn't sound like a morning traffic report," sitting there feeling like he was somewhat at the top of a roller coaster,or it could be time messing with him again. Either way

Jaa was far more comfortable with ships that didn't pretend to be something else, a place where space was always looming in the background instead of hidden behind gardens and walls, this ship made the precogs hair stand up on end if he thought about it too much, and with paranoia weighing on him, a half heard message in a half rushed tone was enough to make Jaa full anxious. Someone might notice Jaa's eyes bouncing left and right as the thoughts creeped up on him in this stiff moment.

 

 

 

 

Status: 

|H.P: 09/09 | ST.P: 05/05 |RES.P: 04/04 | MAG: █ █ | |2NDWPN: 20/20|Cigg: ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ |

[wwaugh]

Ian flinches and turns towards the tree...

... and then turns away from it. "I'm not sure what to do about the tree except for getting control of the rest of this situation as quickly as we can, and hoping that stops further damage." He turns to Jaa. "Mind if I tag along while you head to that storage unit? That doesn't sound like a one-person job."

[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

"Trouble, when is not?" Responds Ash to the question about the cloak. "But it also means that I am finished with conversation."

Ash's wings flair out. He then crouches down deep and using his powerful legs, leaps up into the air and starts flapping hard to give him altitude. "I am going to the Fool Cells, I'll radio once I am there."

 

[Odeoron]

Okay guys, due to a long break in the game and obvious changes in personal life to all of us, i will be resetting the game to adapt the scenario to whomever is left willing to play to approx. where we left off before the winter break.

It will be a new tab to continue the story with all the characters that remained and all the developments of all so nobody loses anything, just the players that left would no longer be part of the game world to make it easier to manage for me...