Stay Frosty: Memories of the Sun

[Dumarest]

The large red killer's corpse spasms next to Potter for a while before going inert.

I torch the corpse just to be safe and say, "I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter!"

...Janette's head nearby...

I torch the head and any other parts just to be safe.

I walk up to Jayesh and punch him on the shoulder. 'Way to go solider!' I say. 'You still got some ammo in that thing?' I gesture to his gun.

[Did he do something?]

 

[Séadna]

'What kind of mods did you make to that little baby,' I say. 'Can I take a look?'

Nervously Jayesh hands over the gun.

"Oh nothing much, as I said I'm not the guy who did it..."

He continues speaking but Potter doesn't hear as he realises the "pistol" is a modified hypospray/jet injector. The modifications simply give the outward appearance of a pistol. Complete with fake bullet chamber.

I torch the corpse just to be safe and say, "I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter!"

Frying the corpse reveals two more the red guys incubating in hidden sacs on the 12 footers back, but Raúl melts them to nothing.

I torch the head and any other parts just to be safe.

Her skull and corpse burn away quickly under the heat. Chen says a prayer in Mandarin next to Raúl.

 

[Voros]

'What the hell?!' I mutter. I check to see if the hypospray is loaded, if it is I unload it and throw the vials into the water with the injector.

Then I throw Jayesh against the wall and put my rifle barrel into his stomach.

'Okay shithead, enough of your bullshit! You're going to tell us what is going on and where these buggers are from or I'll put a bullet in your gut and leave you as a snack for them.'

'Raul! Let's get that power source set to blow and jet!'

I try and keep an eye on the other civ in case he moves to do anything.

 

[Dumarest]

'What the hell?!' I mutter. I check to see if the hypospray is loaded, if it is I unload it and throw the vials into the water with the injector.

Then I throw Jayesh against the wall and put my rifle barrel into his stomach.

'Okay shithead, enough of your bullshit! You're going to tell us what is going on and where these buggers are from or I'll put a bullet in your gut and leave you as a snack for them.'

'Raul! Let's get that power source set to blow and jet!'

I try and keep an eye on the other civ in case he moves to do anything.

I'll cover the other guy.

"As far as I'm concerned we have carte blanche with regard to rescuing anyone," I say to both civilians. "There was nothing in our orders about helping you out of here. And even less about not just killing you right now to be on the safe side. And you all know by now I play it safe."

To Potter: "If we don't like their answers, let's just kill them and boogie on out of here."

 

[Séadna]

'Okay shithead, enough of your bullshit! You're going to tell us what is going on and where these buggers are from or I'll put a bullet in your gut and leave you as a snack for them.'

"Look....ca...clam down...fuck...I've no idea where they're from....the hypospray is for tissue samples, it injects a..." he looks down in terror at Potter's rifle "...solvent, then I can extract their biological material. Look man you're right, I'm a shithead, but...but you guys are military, nobody will investigate your ship when it returns to populated space...as long as you report nothing to your superiors we can sell this stuff to some biotech company for enough to live out our lives in comfort..."

The superstructure of the station makes a groan once more and Jayesh looks up listening.

"...what do you say?"

I'll cover the other guy.

"As far as I'm concerned we have carte blanche with regard to rescuing anyone," I say to both civilians. "There was nothing in our orders about helping you out of here. And even less about not just killing you right now to be on the safe side. And you all know by now I play it safe."

To Potter: "If we don't like their answers, let's just kill them and boogie on out of here."

Chen starts crying.

"Really I've no idea what he's talking about...I have no idea what these things are...I just want to get to the sphere you came here in and get out of here!"

"Bullshit!" Jayesh shouts "...I know you know something"

 

[Dumarest]

"Talk or die," I say. "I'm good either way. The sphere will be less crowded."

 

[Séadna]

"Talk or die," I say. "I'm good either way. The sphere will be less crowded."

Chen exhales carefully.

"Alright. The Old Crow had some kind of magnetic event...a pulse that swept the station, shutdown a few shops and business for a few seconds...I was part of the communication team that analysed it. It seemed very ordered for a natural phenomena, we theorised there was a signal embedded in it...large quantities of data...I was going to take it to station command, but then all of this happened and me and my team were sealed in the Comm Hub for a week, met Jayesh a week later in Medical once we escaped...that's it really"

 

[Dumarest]

Chen exhales carefully.

"Alright. The Old Crow had some kind of magnetic event...a pulse that swept the station, shutdown a few shops and business for a few seconds...I was part of the communication team that analysed it. It seemed very ordered for a natural phenomena, we theorised there was a signal embedded in it...large quantities of data...I was going to take it to station command, but then all of this happened and me and my team were sealed in the Comm Hub for a week, met Jayesh a week later in Medical once we escaped...that's it really"

"Maybe you get to live," I say. "Let's see if your buddy does."

While waiting for Jayesh to talk, I keep an eye peeled for creepy-crawlies.

 

[Séadna]

Jayesh gets more nervous.

"Look guys, I was just a doctor here...I saw a chance to make a quick and sizeable buck if I lived, now you two can share in that money. That's it really. Is that enough?" he pleads to Potter with a heavy sweat running down his face.

 

[Dumarest]

Jayesh gets more nervous.

"Look guys, I was just a doctor here...I saw a chance to make a quick and sizeable buck if I lived, now you two can share in that money. That's it really. Is that enough?" he pleads to Potter with a heavy sweat running down his face.

"I say we kill him. He's probably responsible for all these grisly deaths." I then make as if I'm considering something and say, "We could flip a coin to see if he lives or dies if you're not sure, Potter."

[Doing my best to intimidate the bastard into giving up any information he has.]

 

[Voros]

'Fuck it,' I say and reload my gun as if I'm about to fire.

 

[Séadna]

"Alright...don't shoot please don't shoot...they've got neutronium in their blood. That's why I want to sell it to a biotech company. It's a completely new type of life...I also have this..."

He reaches into his satchel pulling open a hidden bottom section and takes out a blue cube.

"I did some tests, it's repurposed human neural tissue...they know our physiology well enough to do something to it...I don't know what...seriously that's all I know"

 

[Dumarest]

"Drop the cube or I drop you," I say, my flamethrower pointed directly at his face.

[If he does so, I kick it to where I can safely torch it and do so. If he doesn't, I tell everyone else to stand clear while I set him on fire. If he still doesn't comply, I torch him.]

 

[Séadna]

Jayesh drops the cube quickly.

"You just burnt a fortune there pal" he says through gritted teeth. "Can I at least pay my respects to Janette?"

 

[Dumarest]

Jayesh drops the cube quickly.

"You just burnt a fortune there pal" he says through gritted teeth. "Can I at least pay my respects to Janette?"

"Your fortune, clown," I say, laughing in his face.

To Potter: "He's outlived his usefulness. I don't trust him. I don't really want to kill a civilian, but I won't cry over this pendejo. Should we execute him or just tie him up and leave him for the bugs to do to him what he didn't mind them doing to everyone else?"

 

[Voros]

'I don't trust him either but I did say if he came clean I wouldn't leave him for the bugs,' I say. 'Let's set the power sources to blow and go.'

 

[Dumarest]

'I don't trust him either but I did say if he came clean I wouldn't leave him for the bugs,' I say. 'Let's set the power sources to blow and go.'

"Okay," I say to Jayesh, "but one false move and I blow your brains out."

 

[Voros]

'Once we're up top we're tying your hands though,' I say to Jayesh.

 

[Dumarest]

"Let's move then," I say.

[I'm not sure where we need to go now to set our charges to blow the power cells sky-high, but that's where I mean for us to go.]

 

[Séadna]

[Little map of the chamber below, sans monster corpses and NPCs. When you approach the Power Cells you'll see they have mechanisms that allow them to be detached, so you could blow them up here or move them somewhere else]

Spoiler: Chamber

 

[Voros]

Seeing that the power sources are detachable I say ‘Let’s hike these up and plant them in the mothercreatures building.’

I point my gun at Jayesh, ‘Get to it.’

 

[Dumarest]

Okay, I'll keep lookout for ghosties and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night while Potter keeps our newfound lackey covered.

"If he tries anything, blow him away," I suggest. "Why don't you help him, Chen. Make yourself useful."

Assuming we get the power cells without any problems, we'll move out of here as per Potter's plan.

 

[Séadna]

Jayesh glances at Potter with a grimace as he approaches the power cells, before opening the panel and gets to work on releasing them.

"I'm surprised the cells aren't protected by the magnetic locks, you'd need a code normally"

Jayesh detaches the second of the two power cells, placing both on the floor.

"There we are, look I can be cooperative. Say if we get out of..."

The lights flicker off and Raúl and Potter feel their feet lift from the floor. Artificial Gravity and lighting have gone. In the dark Chen speaks low.

"The gravity takes a good amount of power, but a back up generator should still have the lighting on in essential areas. I'm not sure how much of the station used those cells, maybe just Commercial"

 

[Dumarest]

"Let's get a move on. The sooner we blow this place to hell, the sooner we can get out of here!"

 

[Voros]

Can we move reasonably well in the zero G?

 

[Séadna]

[As marines you guys can move grand, slower but no problems. I'm assuming you guys just leave the power chamber]

Chen starts trying to swim toward the ladder, but picks up too much speed and bumps his head, but not enough to knock him out.

"Aargh!" he shouts as he then swims up the ladder shaft back to the plaza.

Potter, Raúl and Jayesh swim up after to find low level lighting on in the plaza. Quite a few creatures have run out of the shopping mall, but seem to be handling the Zero-G very poorly, flailing about the place. Loads of the scythed red ones get entangled in the small spiders as both types desperately try to rush Potter and Raúl, but move no quicker than a toddler or completely misjudge the angle and go flying past them.

 

[Dumarest]

I'll switch to my rifle since the zero-gravity may not be great for getting plumes of flame to go where I intend. Once I have my rifle, I'll start shooting the monsters like clay pigeons at a county fair trapshoot.

 

[Voros]

Ditto. Keeping an eye on Jayesh when I can to make sure he doesn’t rabbit.

 

[Dumarest]

If Jayesh tries to run off, I treat him as another clay pigeon.

 

[Séadna]

Potter and Raúl pick off the monsters with ease as they spin about in the mall plaza, the dead bodies drifting up to the roof.

Just then a clang loud enough to almost deafen them is heard. They feel the station lurch and above them the roof panels retract to reveal Hou Yi with a bright shine apparent from behind the planet.

Chen shouts in horror as he spins across the plaza, sent flying from the lurching force. "Old Crow is dawning, we'll be fried by its light!!" He continues on and gets caught in one of the plaza's palm trees.

Raúl is sent flying over the Mall and comes to rest floating about eight yards above its roof, from which he can see the entrance tunnel to Residential. Potter is flung in the same direction but smashes through a second floor window into a shoe store in Mall.

Raúl sees Jayesh reach into his coat as he is flung up to the roof windows.

 

[Dumarest]

I unload as much ammo as it takes to make sure Jayesh is dead and then make my way to the entrance tunnel as fast as possible.

 

[Voros]

I move to the entrance tunnel. Where did the power sources go?

 

[Séadna]

I unload as much ammo as it takes to make sure Jayesh is dead

Jayesh pulls a pistol, but is ended by a single bullet to the skull from Raúl's rifle. Red droplets of blood spin around in Zero-G.

and then make my way to the entrance tunnel as fast as possible.

I move to the entrance tunnel. Where did the power sources go?

Potter leaps out of the shoe shop and joins Raúl. Both spot the power sources overhead near Jayesh's body as they head to the tunnel.
Below Chen screams as the light of the Sun begins to give the plaza a blue glow.

 

[Dumarest]

I'll grab the power cells if there's a safe way to do it; if not, screw 'em, and I continue through the tunnel. As far as I'm concerned, Chen is on his own. He was complicit and not forthcoming when he had the chance.

 

[Séadna]

I'll grab the power cells if there's a safe way to do it; if not, screw 'em, and I continue through the tunnel. As far as I'm concerned, Chen is on his own. He was complicit and not forthcoming when he had the chance.

[Raúl would able to estimate he'd probably be able to grab them safely if he launches himself up at them fast enough, but there is a small risk. Do you want to risk it?]

 

[Dumarest]

[Raúl would able to estimate he'd probably be able to grab them safely if he launches himself up at them fast enough, but there is a small risk. Do you want to risk it?]

[Yeah, why not? ]

 

[Séadna]

Raúl kicks off the wall on the other side of Mall and flies up toward the power cells. He grabs them as he flies by and lands on the roof. He sees the Sun just cresting the planet as he kicks with all his might and flies back toward the ground and into the tunnel to Residential. When he lands his boots are slightly smoking from the sunburn but he's a-okay and pumped.

[Raúl is now Frosty and has an advantage at initiative]

 

[Voros]

‘So much for the civs, too bad about Janette, let’s motor,’ I say.

 

[Dumarest]

‘So much for the civs, too bad about Janette, let’s motor,’ I say.

"Eh, she was probably in on it too. I doubt their survival till now was a coincidence. Fuck 'em all. Let's blow this place to hell and get out of here!"

 

[Séadna]

Potter and Raúl hear Chen scream something in Mandarin as he is cooked alive. The intense blue light makes looking back at the plaza too much to bear. The tunnel to residential is short enough and within a minute they step out into large hemispherical dome. Once more simulating a clear blue sky.

In front of them they can see three towers, all four stories tall. All three look battered, with parts of the outer wall collapsed revealing very wealthy looking apartments with minimalist chrome furniture.

Closer than the towers lies the corpse of a massive beast with purple skin and next to it an inactive tank.

Also nearby are a Buddhist Temple and Kindergarten.

The Temple has piles of dead people lying within it and just outside. Heads cut open. The statue of the Buddha out front is blue from these creatures' blood and the corpses of a few members of station security are present. One carries a machine gun.

The Kindergarten looks to be in perfect condition. Painted on its wall is a mural of the myth of Hou-Yi and the sun crows.

Beyond the towers they can make out a park with a lake and teahouse. And beyond that another tunnel with a sign saying it leads to Materials and Processing.

Spoiler: Residential Map

Spoiler: Kindergarten Mural