Session 4 - Cometh the Trickster.

Post date: Apr 10, 2016 6:9:2 PM

War. War never changes.

It started with rocks and sticks. making war personal.  Then it moved to bronze and steel, and whole armies made war regional.  War evolved to gunpowder and chemical weapons making sure it involve multiple nations. At last war finally reached the pinnacle with nuclear weapons capable of destroying whole continents.

With nuclear stockpiles across the world high enough to ensure total annihilation, mankind still continued to seek new ways to wage war.  Robotics, Energy Weapons, Power Armor all developed for war, but it was in the shadows where biological horrors were being developed.

In 2050, Limit 115, a plague designed to sterilize the infected, was being secretly researched by the U.S. Government.  When Chinese infiltrators stole a sample in 2052, and released it in Denver before their capture, the genie was out of the bottle and the "New Plague" slew nearly two-hundred thousand in the Denver area alone before spreading across America.

In response the US government declared its first-ever national quarantine, and encouraged scientists to find a cure.   Insinuating the disease was a Chinese weapon whose symptoms included "Impure Socialist thoughts," the government encouraged people to stay home, read books, and avoid ice cream socials, all while encouraging the people to register themselves and sending many to isolation camps where they died in droves and were incinerated like so much trash.

Many scientists hoped to find a cure by creating a counter virus.  It was through this initiative the Pan-Immunity Viron Project created a new virus, called the Forced Evolution Virus or F.E.V..  

Many labs across the country, from West-Tek in California to the Commonwealth Institute of Technology in the East, had their hand in developing F.E.V. in its many variations. 

When the news broke that the "New Plague" was really created by the US Government, protests occurred around the world and the F.E.V. research went underground.  With the goal of giving an edge to the American war machine, many labs across the country focused on creating something better - the ultimate answer to the ultimate weapon.

Despite all of this effort, no perfect cure was found, that was until the bombs dropped on October 23rd 2077.   The "New Plague" had run it's course as isolated pockets of the disease perished, and the Plague found no new hosts.  One more casualty of war...but war, war never changes.

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9/7/2275

From the Headquarters building of the Weyhauser Mill complex the group made its way through the slowly increasing drizzle to the nearby R&D Building.

Making sur their badges were visible they were able to get the protectrons in the lobby area not to shoot and open the door  to the facility.  

After passing through changing rooms (where Darrian picked up a fume sensor) and a "Clean Room" with scrubbers and another pair of Protectrons, the found themselves in the various labs.

The first one they would have to pass through was the Tree Growth Lab.  Here a heavily mutated (and ghoulish - according to Darrian) pine tree had been trapped in its enclosed room to the point it had popped the security glass from its frame and now grew into the hall, having filled its original room with a corkscrewed trunk that had crushed all the various lab furniture and had plunged through the floor to get water..   Sunshine noted a few very distinct oddities, the fact that the growth lamps created dappled spots on the water, that when there was no breeze would shift.  Second, the needles were glistening as though coated in sap.  The bark had a strange hue to it and how it curled around to avoid the burning of the growth lamps above.  Occasionally the group would hear a hiss and a small bit of ash would float down as apparently pine needle touched the overhead lamps. 

After minutes of debate, observation, and fretting, Darrian was elected to go down the hall over which the branches grew and open the door to the next lab.   

As he went down the hall a shudder went through one of the branches and all the needles fell off, but Darrian was quick and dodges the sudden defoliation of that branch and made it to the door.  A few moments later a stunted pine cone dropped into the water.  One by one the group made their way to door, at least until Dr. Madrid decide "for science!" to see what would happen.  A choice she would regret, for not only were the needles radioactive they were caustic and caused burning welts wherever they touched the flesh, nearly knocking the Doctor unconscious in agony.  Fortunately Darrian was able to pull her from the agony and Sunshine's poultice healed her of her agony, though the welts were going to be there for a couple of days.

From here the doorway beyond lead to a room where they were researching paper making, as stacks and stacks of papers were everywhere, from heavy stock to stuff that disintegrated with a mere touch.   

As Darrian opened the next door a squeal erupted from the fume sensor he had picked up in the changing room, this caused momentary panic and the group had to work up the desire to press on into the next room where they saw two doors that would lead to other unexplored rooms.   But Darrian went in, holding his breath, first trying the  far door, but finding it locked, so tried the second door.   As he did so he at least got a good look in this fume filled room where it looks like a bomb went off, and in front of the second door a scorched and wrecked Mr. Handy rested.  

When he tried the second door it opened into a room with 3 modified Mr. Handy's (buzz saws replaced with Rippers and the claw modified to handle lumber, but their standard Flamer was still present), to which Darrian flashed his badge and was welcomed.  The rest of the group dashed to his position as the fumes from the fuel research lab dissipated into the paper room.

In the lab with the 3 Mr. Handy's the group determined it was a lab for Mill Technologies, in here they discovered quite a bit.  

First, the lab was researching a modified Ripper called "Tree Trimmer" - something that Dr. Reacher coveted, but could not use...yet.   It seemed to have a natural predilection to striking limbs (STR+d8, uses 1 E-Cell/Combat, ignores called shot penalty to Limbs, Min STR d6).

Second, after a powerful hacking attempt by Dr. Reacher he was able to get a revelation, and learned that the facility was being controlled by the N.E.C.R.O.M.A.N.C.E.R. - Nuclear Enhanced Control Room, Operations Management, And Near Computerized Entity Remote-control.

There was a nearby server but due to the passage of time, the EMP burst from nearby Portland, and other "indeterminate" issues not everything was functional nor easily accessed.   The best they were able to determine is someone, two days after the war, triggered the erasure of all research data, ensuring not even the ghost files could be accessed.

S, after Darry picked the lock,  the group entered the final chamber - the research server room, where, after making sure their badges were very visible so that the pair of turrets in there did not gun them down.  Here they were able to access the local server, but it was mostly empty accept the flagged "Do Not Delete" messages for the CIO

ROBCO INDUSTRIES (TM) UNIFIED OPERATING SYSTEM

COPYRIGHT 2075-2077 ROBCO INDUSTRIES

>Greetings Mitch Armstrong, CIO

>Here are your flagged communications - have a great day!

>07/06/2077 - New Security Procedures

The recent rise of union provocateurs and commie sympathizers has required that all visitors now wear their passes at all times,  Robot Security parameters now consider anyone without a badge to be a threat to our operations.  Legal has been made aware of the change and believe any accidents can be properly explained as sabotage attempts, only the parking lot and reception are safe zones.

>09/11/2077 - Mill Server Update

The new machines have increased production 50% and the automated order handling means we cut what the customer wants, and has paid for.  No more making lumber based on marketing trends, we cut on demand.   And there has only be a few accidents as the staff has gotten use to the new machines.  Now to let Donald handle the job of firing 33% of the staff, I am sure he has a list of unionists to remove, but make sure Rich is on the list, I don't like how he has been looking at Carol.

>10/01/2077 - Growth Lab Results

That sample sent to us from Greenthumb Catalog may help in increasing forest yields even during drought years as it appears the breed can find and store water better than the local wildlife.  I will have to thank Dr. Lenny Davis for providing us this sample - though I suspect the real intention of Greenthumb is to create a new sales stream. Then again, when you order all that special hardy wheat seed, they throw in a few samples as well.  I wonder if they asked what a lumber company wants with wheat, but Donald has a way with making this project of his seem less obvious.   In either case I have the biologists trying to break it down to see if we can breed it cheaper and in the quantities we need.

>10/15/2077 - Retreat Plan

Donald's foresight for building the "retreat" is laudable, I am glad I got my reservation there and Carol too, perhaps repopulating the world should be a goal of mine.  Now to just make sure I leave Wendy at home.

>10/18/2077 - The Door is NOT a Jar, so stop leaving it open.

Damn those techs, they left the server door open and all that sawdust in the air could fry the delicate circuitry.  Will need to add robots to that area tomorrow to patrol to make sure that door stays shut.  And add something to notify us when it is opened - probably by loudspeaker since we could be anywhere and will probably tell the entire staff not to forget to close the damn door.

>10/21/2077 - Hackers of the worst kind

Rich, that bastard, nearly started a riot by saying the new machines are making some of the workers redundant and they will all be fired soon.  His fiery rhetoric caused several workers to take their tools to the machinery - fortunately they make that stuff tough and the recently installed robots were able to subdue them all quickly.  Donald wants to wait until after the meeting on the 24th to determine who is on the cutting block.  Since he's the boss I will defer to him, but at least Rich and his stooges have been fired for their violence.

With that information in hand they made their way to the exit, as they passed into the Clean room they hear "pop" and as Darrian closed the door he realize that the fumes had reached the Tree Lab room and a pine needle must have touched the lamp causing what would be best described as an "out of control conflaguration" as the fuel fumes ignited leading back to the lab before exploding forth to ignite all the paper in the pulp research lab  and racing to the sap laden needles of the mutant pine before causing the tree to explode.  Something that gave Darrian a certain amount of satisfaction.

After the group left the R&D, and looked over their shoulder as they made their way to the mill, they saw smoke and flames roiling up from a newly created hole in the roof.  Though they were pretty sure the drizzle would keep it from spreading too far.

Arriving at the mill they entered the singular entry point, and saw a massive facility with machinery, a couple of those tractors to move lumber and obvious signs of ghouls.     Careful examination showed the upper floors were patrolled by robots - as a Mr. Handy and Protectron were seen patrolling the upper walkways from time to time.

So moving into position up on one of the machines they decide to "pull the dungeon" where a small horde of ghouls rushed them, but while there some close calls the group made quick work of the ghouls.  Though the robots did help a smidge at the end, shooting down at the ghouls from above before resuming their patrols.

From here the group ascended a near by ladder and worked their way around the facility's old walk ways.  The first room they encountered looked like was setup for a presentation with cheap chairs scattered before a podium.

Working their way counter clockwise they finally made their way to an elevator to the upper floor after clearly seeing signs of some sort of Union/Commie Uprising.   Once on the upper floor they were greeted by a Mr. Handy who escorted them to a meeting to await the arrival of Donald Weyhauser, but once it was gone the group went exploring around and after scavenging some scrap, they found the Mantle of Power - it was a black and red plaid lumberjack /flannel shirt with leather patches at the elbows (basically think the old Brawny Logo)  in amazingly good condition. (Mantle of Power - grants the wearer +2 to CHA in Hyboria, -2 CHA anywhere else)

From there the group made their way to the server room for the NECROMANCER, where after Darry picked the lock, entered the room.  As they entered the room, the lights began to flash and over various loudspeakers was heard "The Server Room Door is Open."  But when they bundled into the room and shut the door, the voice kept going...and going...and going. 

Sensing this would be bad, the group got down the business.  So with a bit of hacking flourish the group got the same email logs they got earlier, and had several choices of things to - from turning on the mill machine below, to turning off the pump that was desperately trying to keep the Columbia river from claiming the facility.  But they decided to go with the simple of triggering the the Commie/Union Uprising protocols for the robots - which would cause them to protect the VIPS and everyone else was considered a threat. 

At which point the message over the loudspeakers changed to "Commie/Union Uprising in Effect."   and the robots rushed to the groups defense as a dozen of ghouls began pouring into through the door way.  But as soon as some were cut down by laser, flamers, and ripper saws, more would come.  So once the group made their way to the ground floor, and dealt with a pair of glowing ones.  

Dr. Reacher discovered the two Lumber Loaders in the facility were functional, and so with a hit of something that Sunshine called "Overdrive" both she and Dr. Reacher hopped into these machine like they were born to drive them and tore down the barricaded main door to the loading dock to speed their way past the horde of ghouls that were beginning to swarm the space - drawn by the lights and sound - leaving the robots behind to their fate to be destroyed by the ever increasing horde of ghouls, while they sought refuge in the HQ Building, waiting for the right moment to ascend the rope and head into the rain soaked ruins of Longview. 

As the light faded into darkness and the group sat in rain soaked silence they watched the distant mill building collapse and heard the thrum of the pump grind to a halt.  Though the voice of the speaker continued to disrupt their sleep, they were certain that in a weeks time, that the last of mills of Longview would soon be consumed by the Columbia, another rusting hulk island for the ghouls.  

9/8/2275.   

Sure enough, as Sunshine had predicted, the drizzle and mist from the previous day had turned into a steady rain.    Making the trek back across the scrap bridges and ruined roofs to the Marq an unpleasant affair, but by mid afternoon they made it back and in one piece.

Treking back toward Kelso they moved with the steady patrol pattern of their earlier UCOM days when Dr. Madrid, hollered "Halt"  as they were half way across the car choked iron bridge.   She spotted a land mine, that she was certain was not there before.   

This triggered a voice from an unseen speaker to call out, "Hold it right there, we just want to talk."

Though immediately they recognized the voice, the same one that said in the Harp "They didn't toast."

He introduced himself as "The Trickster" and was here on authorization of Father Crumkin and Grognak to make them an offer for the Mantle of Power - to simply "Give us the coat and you can enjoy luxury and privilege in Hyboria, as long as you obey the king and cooperate as witnesses against those who oppose his rule."  Which the group knew was the truth.

But, sensing that this would probably lead to the death of many of their new friends, the group decide that talk was cheap and combat was the right choice. 

So we left it off there.

Group got 3XP