<@Brett> [Day: Monday, Feb. 22nd. Time: 10:30 a.m. Location: Unknown, somewhere in Serbia.] <@Brett> [Having stumbled into a nightmare town, you sort of wandered around for a while being unable to affect anything til you ran into a 4-ft. tall rat, who agreed to take you to Alysha on the condition you help him raid the nearby market for healthfood. He led you to a secret hiding place in the sewers which, while dingy, isn't all that bad. There's electricity and books and furniture at least. And <@Brett> a TV that doesn't work. And a computer that does, apparently, as Alysha was using it when you came in.] <@Brett> ( O: That go through? ) (Yes) <@Brett> ( Hurrah! ) (*hats up*) <@Brett> [Anyhow the computer is a very old looking laptop, but seems servicable.] <@Brett> [And here's a good place to start, so START] Well, you're certainly a sight for sore eyes, what happened to you? And for that much, what's happening in this place? * Shiho moves silently to a spot where she can watch everyone in the room and also the exit. <@Brett> [Alysha gets up from her computer. "I woke up in the middle of the town with these things with blades for hands trying to kill me, is what. If not for Snitch there," she draws a finger across her throat. <@Brett> ] * Montana frowns. "We ran inta some of those things." No idea how you ended up here, though? We came to in a soccer field, next to the crash. <@Brett> [Alysha shakes her head. "None."] Goddamn. Still. Glad yer okay, ma'am. * Montana tips his hat a bit, even. * Gordo looks around for something to sit in. "That doesn't make any damn sense." * Nigel nods. "There's some sort of darkness that is taking people. We ran into it last night. A man disappeared as it touched him. Snitch seems to think that it's new." * Shiho shivers and keeps staring at the exit. <@Brett> [She grins. "Same to you." Snitch goes to a fridge and starts putting cold stuff away as Alysha continues. "I have a bit of an idea of what's going on. Not the whole idea, but..."] <@Brett> ( Not the whole situation, should say. ) * Sonia frowns and says, "Does that idea get us out of this place?" * Nigel shrugs. "Any idea would help. Please... share." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Maybe." And Snitch replies while opening a health bar, "Rail machine is work, yes? I hearded not long time ago."] (Did Snitch just say something the rest of us could understand?) (Yes.) <@Brett> ( He said it in English. Whether or not you can understand it... :D ) * Montana blinks at Snitch. "You speak English?" * Gordo blinks. "Since when you've been able to do that?" <@Brett> "Snitch spoke not good Eengish." <@Brett> [He hands Alysha a powerbar, and she takes it with a grin. "Thanks. I'm starving."] Ahh, still easier on the rest of us. Anyways, you were saying about ideas? * Montana grabs a folding chair and has a seat. <@Brett> [Alysha opens the bar, taking a bite out of it before continuing. "It's a train. Snitch said he heard a train a day or two ago. Which means they might still be working."] * Nigel nods. "Would make sense. The darkness does seem to have limits." <@Brett> [Alysha nods. "Just one problem."] Subway? Knife monsters? <@Brett> [Alysha flips the laptop around. On the screen is a picture of a building, longer than it is tall. And on the side of it are the letters, "Asahara."] <@Brett> ["This town was built around an Asahara facility," Alysha explains. "And the train runs right from there."] So... odds that this isn't all their fault? * Sonia presses her lips together. "Long." * Montana shakes his head. "Experiments gone wild?" (Don't be silly, it's always Asahara's fault.) <@Brett> ["Asahara's been gone for decades," says Alysha. "This facility was raided by the ESO's precursor almost half a century ago. But still..."] * Nigel nods. "There is one thing that has been driving me crazy about these creatures. They are not mystical. They are definitely genetically modified, but no technology that anybody has now should be capable of that level of gene modding." <@Brett> [Alysha looks at Nigel. "That could explain it."] <@Brett> [Snitch squeaks. "Is veryverybad place. Veryverybad."] * Nigel turns to Snitch and nods. "Veryverbad is what we do best, it seems." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "And it gets worse."] ... What's the second problem? <@Brett> [Snitch squeaks. "The Jokes."] * Nigel sighs and shakes his head. "Why do you get so damn gleeful about giving us bloody awful news?" * Shiho says quietly, "I'd be more worried if she -wasn't- smiling." We all need joy from somewhere, Nigel. <@Brett> [Alysha's grin widens. "Well at least it'll be exciting. See, like I said, this town was built around the Asahara facility. A lot of them were infected by who knows what."] A lot of who? There ain't people here. <@Brett> [She nods. "Yeah, because they lost their minds. Now they hang out near the factory like some sort of gang, calling themself the Jokers."] Yeah? When we tried to go places, we couldn't actually... get there. * Montana nods in agreement. ... I'd say that makes no goddamn sense, but everything here is insane anyways. <@Brett> [Alysha shrugs. "No explanation for that. Snitch seems to be able to get around, though." Snitch nods as Alysha continues, "Maybe because of the Asahara relationship."] * Montana looks Snitch over. "Whaddaya mean?" <@Brett> ["He was a lab rat, a test subject for early genetics programs."] * Nigel nods. "Oh! That's right! I forgot about that. Weird thing happened. Shiho mentioned something about dictators shooting at her and then Joseph Stalin showed up for a moment and disappeared. We thought for a tick that there was some sort of wish fulfillment power here, but not so, apparently." * Shiho nods. <@Brett> [Alysha blinks. "That..." She looks at Snitch, who shrugs the way only a rat can, then looks back at you and repeats the gesture. "All I can assume is something else is at work here. Something big."] <@Brett> [She finishes her powerbar in the meantime.] * Montana listens to his stomach growl and sighs. "Mind if I grab somethin' to eat?" he asks Snitch. Asking giant rat = kind of weird, but really, it's his place. <@Brett> [Snitch nodnods.] * Montana grins. "Thanks." He grabs a bar of his own and unwraps it. "So, you're thinkin' this factory's the way outta this place. I'm guessin' Snitch can at least lead us there." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "So all we have to do is force our way past this gang, go through the factory and find the train."] <@Brett> ["Snitch help you."] * Nigel nods. "What should we do about what happened to this town? I imagine we do not want to just leave it the way it is to be ignored. Someone should come clean up this mess." Somebody with an entire army. Yeeeah, how about we get out of here first and then find the right army to send in. <@Brett> [Alysha shrugs. "What can we do? Once we get out of here we can contact ESO and tell them they missed a spot, but other than that..."] * Nigel shrugs. "I suppose that is true. I am just facinated. I've never seen anything like what is happening here... and that is saying something." Hey Sonia, you know anything about driving trains? * Shiho grabs a power bar and unwraps it before slowly eating it. * Sonia shrugs. "You start up the engine and push the throttle forward, I guess. It's on rails." * Montana eats much more quickly than Shiho, that's for sure. He's hungry. <@Brett> [The bars ain't half bad.] * Nigel also grabs a powerbar and munches on it. <@Brett> [Alysha grins, clapping her hands together. "So! We should probably leave soon. I don't wanna be out there when night falls."] <@Brett> ( hallo? ) * Nigel nods. "I think that's a brilliant plan. Let's go." We've a train to catch then. * Shiho grabs and pockets a few more powerbars and nods. (I am here! I AFK'd briefly to snackgrab.) <@Brett> [Snitch grabs a powerbar for good measure and heads to the door. He beckons for you to follow and steps out.] * Nigel follows! * Gordo follows the talking rat! * Montana tosses the wrapper and grabs another bar. "Fair enough." He stands and follows the rat. <@Brett> [Alysha heads out after the rest of you.] * Shiho follows along, munching. * Sonia follows, suitcase in tow. "Honestly, you been flyin' so much you don't know how a train works, Gordo?" <@Brett> [And you follow the rat through the sewers. It stinks and it's a long hike, but after moving through a labrynth of smelly corridors, he climbs a ladder and removes a manhole. "Is here!" He calls as he climbs out.] Different seta controlls, and I don't know shit from sheep about switching. * Montana totally put on his mask for that hike, and he climbs out after Snitch! Yeah? Don't think you get out and move the switches yourself. * Gordo nods. "But how's it done?" <@Brett> [As you exit the sewers, you find yoursleves on a road leading out of town. You stand on a hill. On another hill about a half mile directly across from you is the factory, "Asahara" written on the side in deep blue letters. And between you and it, a junkyard of old, smashed cars and oil drums.] * Sonia frowns, and says, "Here's hoping we don't have to do much of it anyway." <@Brett> [Snitch points with a paw. "There is where Jokes are. They and they's ledder."] You've a way around? <@Brett> [Snitch shakes his head.] Bugger me. <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Guess you get to cut us a path."] I'll scout ahead. Good man. * Montana starts stripping, revealing the all-gray outfit underneath. He put the gray vest on, stowing his weapons under, and hands his hat to Sonia. "Watch that for me, darlin'." * Sonia nods and says, "Yeah. Signal if you need support." * Montana smiles, not that anyone can see it. "Always." And he moves into the junkyard, stealthy as he can. <@Brett> ( Montana, into #Montana ) <@Brett> [Alysha looks at the others. "So we just wait here?"] * Sonia rolls her eyes behind her shades, and says, "So is the train station on the other side of this, or is it that the train's sittin' in there?" <@Brett> ["The train's in the factory, literally. We can't get to it unless we go in."] I'm not one for fighting blind. <@Brett> [Alysha folds her arms in thought. "I wonder what's waiting for us inside, though..."] 2d6+10 * Dicesuke rolls 2d6+10 for Montana and gets a natural 7 for a result of 17. S'why we sent Monty in. He's good at finding trouble and getin' back out. (Or just finding trouble.) * Nigel chuckles. "Uh... Sometimes not so good at that second part, actually. But that is a story for another day. When malevolent gene modded mutants aren't about to eat our faces." I... * Gordo starts checking how much ammo he's got left. * Shiho sighs. "I'll be so much happier once we're out of here." She looks up at the sky briefly. "In fact, I'll give half my next paycheck to the first religious temple I come across." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "Seems like a waste of money to me. Most of the gods don't care one way or the other about humans these days."] Then it can at least help the people who use that temple. 2d6+4 * Dicesuke rolls 2d6+4 for Montana and gets a natural 6 for a result of 10. * Sonia glances over at Shiho. "Should... find a good charity instead. Somethin' like that." Mm, you think? I usually just give it to random temples, on the off-chance there's a god listening to me. * Sonia is silent a moment, then says, "If there's a god listening, I wouldn't bet on them helping out anyway." Never been much of one for tithing. <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "People stopped caring about the gods a long time ago, so the gods stopped caring about people."] (Cake or DEATH!) <@Brett> [And then Montana came back.] (In the future, Eddie Izzard is worshipped as a god.) Yeeeah, so, there's about thirty of 'em and the leader is hearing voices that's tellin' 'em to kill a black girl in the near future. * Montana looks at Alysha. "And I'm thinkin' you're the only one who qualifies." <@Brett> [Alysha pouts. "Why me? It could be Sonia..."] (Oh right, somehow my brain skipped. Sorry about that!) (Ignore Montana's second part.) * Gordo rubs the bridge of his nose. "Tell me you found a way around them." * Nigel nods. "Well voices from some omniscient force would explain a great deal." I found what *might* be a way around them, but they've got a completely random patrol route, probably due to the fucking crazy. And most of you aren't all that silent anyhow. Distract... nevermind. Still, figure the best we can do is go around the way I figured and if we run into any of them, take them out quickly and quietly. They'll probably gun for Sonia and Alysha. * Montana shakes his head at Gordo. "Thirty." Pause, then, "For weapons, they've mostly got makeshift stuff. Baseball bats, crowbars, chains, that sorta thing." <@Brett> [Alysha grins. "So at least they don't have guns."] Second bita good news today. <@Brett> ( I thinnnnnk I'm going to end soon. Really tired tonight. 5 hours sleep and all ) (Ew.) (Yeah, that's not enough z) <@Brett> ( Aight, calling it. ) <@Brett> [End]