Stay Frosty: Memories of the Sun

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Raúl and Potter lie facing each other strapped to opposite walls of a cramped Class-C Strike Sphere. All around them the sphere's hull makes a slight groaning sound as it rapidly decelerates following the jump. The system's primary, a Magnetar dubbed "Old Crow", had precluded a proper navy cruiser from entering the system. Likelihood of catastrophic jump error for any sizeable ship was estimated at 97%. So here they were, the "Assessment & Repair" team. Some AI who knows where had crunched the numbers and decided this was the best course of action.

The Target was the space station Chang-o in orbit around the system's only planet Hou Yi. The planet had been so named by the Chinese discovery team for the mythological hero who had resisted the heat of the ten Sun Crows. And what better name for the station than his wife?

Hou Yi lay just outside the path of Old Crow's twin beams of electromagnetic energy, but contained billions of tons of ancient Neutronium deposits, the mining of which had been Chang-o station's primary purpose. The deposits gave the planet a soft blue glow that Raúl could see out the small window above Potter's head as they flew over the surface.

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Contact had been lost with Chang-o three months ago, the transmission beacon that relayed their communications to the nearest settled world hadn't received an expected status update. Any risk to the near 1,000 individuals who lived aboard was obviously a concern, but the disruption of processed Neutronium exports unthinkable for stellar trade in this region of space.

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Orders were simple:
Find out what happened.
Get the station back to Production status if possible.

Suddenly the sphere gave a small "Brace yourselves" warning. Unsurprisingly Chang-o's dock was not responding. They felt a slight shake as the sphere drilled and embedded itself into the side of the station.

The sphere's exit hatched opened through which they could see a small office with a messy desk with some papers and a mug, a flickering phosphorescent light, a smashed terminal and a grey plasteel door with a broken card reader.

Out of sight they could hear wiring crackling, a result of their insertion through the wall.

The straps released, leaving the pair free to move.
 
I move out, sweep the room with my rifle and then check the papers of the desk to see if they say anything of interest.
 
Raúl warily covers Potter with his rifle, keeping an eye peeled and ears pricked up for anything at all. He says in a low tone: "¡Ten cuidado! That terminal didn't smash itself, compañero."
 
Unless he detects something or someone nearby, Raúl will check out the terminal and card reader to try to see if there's any indication what damaged them. If there's anything diagnostic in his toolkit, he'll use that; otherwise he'll just quietly eyeball the damage without touching anything. Either way, he's keeping his back to a wall wherever possible. Mama Rodríguez didn't raise no fools.

(If anything or anyone approaches, Raúl will point his rifle at it, him, or her and advise the newcomer to freeze and identify itself/himself/herself or risk serious injury or death.)
 
I move out, sweep the room with my rifle and then check the papers of the desk to see if they say anything of interest.
Unless he detects something or someone nearby, Raúl will check out the terminal and card reader to try to see if there's any indication what damaged them. If there's anything diagnostic in his toolkit, he'll use that; otherwise he'll just quietly eyeball the damage without touching anything. Either way, he's keeping his back to a wall wherever possible. Mama Rodríguez didn't raise no fools.

(If anything or anyone approaches, Raúl will point his rifle at it, him, or her and advise the newcomer to freeze and identify itself/himself/herself or risk serious injury or death.)
Potter quickly sees the papers are all related to management of the station's rail network. Which trains need to be replaced, fuel sourcing, new routes and so on. Beyond that there is nothing of interest.

Raúl's toolkit manages to get the terminal to boot. Text flashes up in English, Spanish, Hindi and Chinese during boot. All displaying the same message "Cannot connect to Mencius AI. Only this terminal's local files accessible". Reading the terminal is a bit difficult as the screen has a fracture, but still manageable.

The terminal's screen looks like it received the damage from an impact, but the card reader looks more like it was forcibly torn apart.

Setting up his toolkit next to the door Raúl doesn't manage to get it open (OOC: Roll here, based on Brains stat), but as he finishes up, both him and Potter hear rummaging noises from the other side of the door and the sound of something heavy and metallic falling with a heavy clang.
 
"¡Maldito sea!" mutters Raúl. "You know that can't be anything good. What do you think, Potter? Watch the door while we see what we can pull up in the local files? Or be good soldaditos and see what's making all the noise?" Raúl points his rifle at the door and thinks about unlimbering his flamethrower.
 
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'We need intel,' I say. 'Maybe we can find out what we may be facing... Let's wait for the data.'
 
Raúl does whatever he can to glean any useful information from the local files; if possible, he checks for the most recent entries first and works backwards from there to seek any data relevant to the breakdown of communication. "If there's any way to run electrical current through that door and keep us insulated, a little shock to the system might deter whatever's out there," he suggests.
 
Raúl does whatever he can to glean any useful information from the local files; if possible, he checks for the most recent entries first and works backwards from there to seek any data relevant to the breakdown of communication. "If there's any way to run electrical current through that door and keep us insulated, a little shock to the system might deter whatever's out there," he suggests.
The most recent file entries are daily notes of a woman who only records her first name, Nandrani.

She confined herself to this office after some "beast" tore its way up the tram line and began slaughtering passengers on the platform. This terminal's connection to the AI was cut around a day later. After about a week of confinement she decided to leave the office for supplies and there are no more notes. This was all four months ago.

The terminal also includes a map giving the rough layout of the area just beyond the door. A train station with vacuum tunnel trains leading to the Commercial and Science Hubs, as well as one going to a sort of city center called "The Square".

From here Raúl sees he can amp up the electric current on the tram's mag rails.

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"Beasts and slaughter...I'm putting our odds down as one in a million this doesn't turn out todo jodido. I don't suppose we can just leave now, eh, Potter?" says Raúl. He relays the situation and map to Potter. "Any downside to turning up the current on the rails? Might at least fry some of the beasts...."
 
‘Sounds good to me,’ I say. ‘Should we head towards the Science Hub to try and restore Production Status? Maybe find out what exactly this Beast is?’
 
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"Primeras cosas primera, amigo," says Raúl. "Let's see if there are any kind of security or surveillance cameras that can be linked to the local terminal." If so, he'll do whatever he can do bring up visuals and see what can be seen; if not, oh well. In either case he'll turn up the juice on the rails and, with any luck, electrocute anything unfortunate enough to be caught on the line. After that, he says, "How do you want to do this? Something's out there. You throw the door open and I let 'em have a taste of flamethrower?"
 
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A quick search on the computer brings up the camera feeds. The vast majority are smashed, save for some in the nearby arcade and restaurants.

The restaurant camera shows most of the diners, cafés, restaurants and shops to be full of bodies. Most of them are essentially skeletal at this stage and many have crushed skulls or dented rib cages.

The arcade however is more shocking. An animal or entity of some kind sits making a weaving motion with its fingers. The overall impression is like a headless tiger with cerulean blue skin and human like hands, though grey with twelve digits. From nearby arcade machines Raúl can estimate it stands about a foot or two over a man. The arcade seems undamaged aside from one or two broken screens.

When Raúl turns up the mag rail's current a series of high pitched screeches is heard outside. The arcade beast quickly stands and turns in the direction of track. A limb of some sort ending in a barb emerges from where the head would be if it had one.
 
"Dr. Livingstone, I presume."
 
I walk over to look at the monitor. 'Sheeeet' I say and whistle. 'He's an ugly one. What the hell were they doing here to produce him, or do you think it is...alien?'
 
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I walk over to look at the monitor. 'Sheeeet' I say and whistle. 'He's an ugly one. What the hell were they doimg here to produce him, or do you think it is...alien?'
"You mean that's not your ex-wife?"
 
"So...how do you wanna do this? I'm guessing whatever's on the other side of this door isn't any prettier than that thing."
 
'Let wait to see if it moves to investigate the track,' I suggest. 'If not we'll have to try and take it down. You're flame thrower is our best bet.'
 
Watching the cameras the beast does walk to the edge of the arcade, but doesn't advance beyond it. After a little while it walks over to an arcade machine and moves the joystick. The screen comes to life displaying a farming game with cheery characters herding pigs and smiling Hanzi.

The beast then returns to its previous position and starts its weaving motions again.
 
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"Well, it seems to like video games anyway."

[Are there still sounds coming from the other side of the door to our location? If so, I'll suggest to Potter to find a way to open the door and stand safely aside when it opens while I let loose an inferno from my flamethrower directly at anything outside before we venture forward.]
 
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As they listen Potter and Raúl still hear rummaging noises, but much less frequently and not quite as loud.
 
'Well, I guess that means we're doing this' I say and go next to the door with my hand out to swing it open and then move away. I put my ear next to the wall and listen just before doing it though.
 
On the other side, Potter can hear the rummaging stop as he approaches the door. Replaced by a slight hissing.
 
"That sounds promising."

As soon as the door starts to open and Potter is clear, I unleash the fury of my flamethrower at anything and everything on the other side and I don't stop for at least ten full seconds--or longer if there are still critters in sight that have not been charred to death.

[Do I need to keep track of fuel?]
 
An arc of flame erupts from Raúl's flamethrower, engulfing the area directly outside the door. As the smoke clears Raúl sees a pile of charred skeletons. Just beyond sitting on top of a pile of unscorched corpses sit three little blobs. About as big as man's head and a dark green, they sport three little prolegs like a caterpillar's and maw consisting of three concentric layers of slimy tendrils.

A slight tightening of the arc and Raúl directs the jet at the blobs, leaving behind only a sweet smell and a green stain on the skeletons.

With the door now open, the pair can see out into the Tram station.

The station lobby is full of near skeletal corpses like the restaurants, most piled near the office they just opened. Two of the tram platforms (to Science Hub and to Commercial Hub) have trams embedded on their sides in the walls as if flipped from the track.

A viewing window to their left gives them a decent view of Hou Yi's Northern Hemisphere, as well as mechanical debris from the station itself floating past.

[Do I need to keep track of fuel?]

OOC: Raúl missed once, then hit for decent damage. Fuel is tracked by an ammo dice, at the end of each fight you roll and on a 1 or 2 you go down in ammo (next die type, after d4 you're out). You got 6, so no decrease.
 
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[OOC: "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." :wink:]

Laughing, I say: "Jiménez Rodríguez: ten, scary monsters and super creeps: zero. We should probably clear out the station before we visit the Science Hub, or we might come back to find ourselves ambushed."
 
'Check,' I say. I move out beyond the door and take the closest decent cover', sweeping the area with my rifle.
 
'Check,' I say. I move out beyond the door and take the closest decent cover', sweeping the area with my rifle.
As Potter advances he manages to see the tram tracks a bit better. Scores of the little green blobs Raúl faced lie toasted on all three tracks. As he advances sweeping the area with his rifle fire he spots the arcade beast darting behind a space combat simulator.

Nothing else living shows itself and Potter quickly reaches an overturned arcade machine that looks like it'll provide decent cover from anything coming from the Arcade or Commercial Hub track.
 
Raúl switches to his rifle for now, but stays limber and ready to swap out for his flamethrower at a moment's notice. He keeps his eyes peeled for any movement and covers Potter, using the overturned machine for his own cover.
 
I take cover and wait for the creature to pop into view before opening fire.
 
The arcade beast pops out from behind the cover of the simulation game, where upon Potter's fire pelts the walls and floor about it. The creature turns and charges, Potter's spray of bullets just missing it as it pounds forward. Raúl nicks it in the arm, a glittering blue fluid spilling from the wound. As he aims the second time Raúl steps on a bone nearby and stumbles a bit, his fire hitting the ceiling.

The beast then digs its heels into the ground skidding to a halt and lashes out with its barbed limb, which rips through the marines' arcade machine cover missing Raúl by an inch.

OOC: Potter missed both shots: Here and here. Raúl got the first with mild damage, then fumbled the second, with consequence of being a bit off balance. Beast missed on its ranged attack.
You get to act now.
 
"Die, you ugly motherfucker!" I bellow angrily as I let loose bullets like Satan himself propagating the flames of hell.
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If theres somewhere near I move to flank and fire again.
 
A shower of bullets rip into the creatures flesh, as the marines let loose controlled bursts of fire. The beast stands pinned to the spot as whatever passes for its muscle is flayed from the crystalline bone beneath.



The eviscerated skeleton then drops once the barrage ceases, wisps of smoke rising from Potter and Raúl's barrels.

OOC: Raúl and Potter hit (advantage from flanking) and both did plenty of damage: Here and here. No ammo consumed: Here and here.
 
'Boo-ya' I shout. Wait a minute to listen and see if the gunfire has attracted anything else.
 
[OOC: Do we have any reason to believe this is a "native" lifeform (i.e., home-brewed by some dumbass scientists), as opposed to an invasive species?]

"So good so far. Let's look sharp. If there are no more hostiles here we should clear out those shops and restaurants as well just to be on the safe side."

I wait with Potter and then if nothing shows up, let's inspect the other area, covering each other all the while.

[Does the window just look out into space?]
 
[OOC: Do we have any reason to believe this is a "native" lifeform (i.e., home-brewed by some dumbass scientists), as opposed to an invasive species?]

"So good so far. Let's look sharp. If there are no more hostiles here we should clear out those shops and restaurants as well just to be on the safe side."

I wait with Potter and then if nothing shows up, let's inspect the other area, covering each other all the while.

[Does the window just look out into space?]
I follow Raul's lead.

OOC: Your characters would have no reason currently to believe the lifeforms are native as opposed to home-brewed, genetic engineering is in the "setting" (such as it is) so they could equally reason they were human-made.

The restaurants and shops seem clear of hostiles for now. All the skeletons near the shop and restaurant entrances are crushed and cracked, but the ones further back show no signs of trauma. An Indian restaurant however does contain the corpse of a rhino-like beast with six legs and a singular horn for a head. The glittering blue blood has yet to decay.

Sweeping the area over to the Arcade and Entertainment section they pass the window, giving a view out to Hou-Yi itself and the section of the station containing the Commercial Hub.

Window view.jpg

They then pass through the Arcade and Entertainment section, consisting of the arcade itself and some cinema screens. There are no bodies present here.

Upon opening the largest cinema's door, which opens out to the back row seats, they spot five more of the arcade beasts down near the screen. They slowly walk in a circle around a pulsing blue cube no bigger than a man's hand, making the weaving motions as they go.

They have not spotted Raúl and Potter.
 
That blue cube can't be wholesome. I'll torch the creepy mime troupe with my flamethrower, centering the blaze on the blue cube just to be safe. I whisper to Potter to blast away at the beasts while we still have surprise on our side.
 
I open fire as per the plan.
 
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