[a / b / c / d / e / f / g / gif / h / hr / k / m / o / p / r / s / t / u / v / vg / w / wg] [i / ic] [r9k] [cm / hm / y] [3 / adv / an / cgl / ck / co / diy / fa / fit / hc / int / jp / lit / mlp / mu / n / po / pol / sci / soc / sp / tg / toy / trv / tv / vp / x] [rs] [status / ? / @] [Settings] [Home]
Board:  
Settings   Home
4chan
/qst/ - Quests


File: Daisy.jpg (279 KB, 1201x1920)
279 KB
279 KB JPG
You are Daisy. Fresh out of college, you joined the Core. With your degree in robotics and your summer work history designing interactive
SIMs, you were proactively scouted for the Digital Operations Limited Loss initiative.

DOLL. A hotly contested and heavily funded new type of arms race using VR interfaced shells to allow users to engage in combat without the loss of human life.

It was supposed to keep the operator safe. To work FOR the most skilled warriors of the modern age, allowing them to fail but not fall when fighting.

You were responsible for designing part of the interface for the shells. Final product names had been tossed around (Legal came down hard immediately on anything "Avatar" related) but nothing had made it into official use yet. You had a $200 budget for a date night with Steve that they would just end up keeping the name DOLL.

Heh. So at least one good thing happened after the Long Night.

The DOLLs were supposed to keep the user safe. To stay safe, you had no choose but to use "her"
>>
File: D@15Y.jpg (35 KB, 713x1120)
35 KB
35 KB JPG
>>4188039
D@15Y.

Officially not the official name. The proto-type shell you had to work with was stripped down. Live rounds weren't even provided, for safety. You aren't sure if that turned out to be ironic, or just a normal "fuck you" from the Universe. At least it had the guns themselves, and rubber bullets for testing the aiming capabilities. Also manual manipulators shaped like human arms. Finally, the power source that allowed it to work more or less indefinitely within a short range of the operator had already been installed, since apparently it was a bitch to put the systems together separately. Although that's also the reason you only had one to work with.

Daisy Fuentes, Commodore 1st class of Her Majesty's Royal Navy's DOLL initiative, was responsible for working on

> Motor systems integration

Rapid-target acquisition and manual dexterity. Shoot first, ask questions later. (1d12 to hit with ranged/CQC)

> Zero moment type stability

Get places easier. Run faster, jump higher, do a little dance, get down tonight. (Movement bonus +10DC)

> A/V visualization and environmental enhancement

Accuracy bonus, investigation bonus. (1d12 to hit for ranged weapons, +10DC to perception rolls)
>>
>>4188069
> Zero moment type stability
>>
>>4188069
> So no shit, there I was, when darkness fell and the Earth entered the Long Night, trapped in a downtown office building hooked up to a secret Government murder bot. 2120 was the year that really just kept on giving.

Aw shit, you are stuck in the the grim future of the Long Night. Radiation has hit the Earth, and you're some science scrub with a squishy body (-20DC anything physical) who luckily has an autonomous Shell to do all the shooting for her.

The sky has cracked. Already dealing with an infectious wave of genetic breakdown caused by Sino-Federation shipments of malignant vat cloned McRibs due to shoddy gene programming, the burst of solar radiation drove many mad. And violent. Especially violent.

Good news is that you work in a robotics office. The bad news was that it was for the Government. The worse news is now that Security has progressed from prepared to paranoid and have started executing "traitors to the Sky Lord" in the building.

You have to get out of the building, and reach your hobby ranch just outside the city where you can bunker down, have a pint, and wait for the whole thing to blow over.

"Challenges" will be a roll low 1d100 system.

Crit fail (100) - Malicious DM action
0 passes - Failure w/ penalty
1 pass - failure
2 passes - success
3 passes - success with bonus
Crit pass (1) - I give you something nice.

Most of the time I'm gonna make DCs up along as I feel like it. I'll warn ya if it's hard. moderate, easy etc.

Anyways. Are you ready to venture forth and fight your way to freedom?
>>
>>4188083
That's one vote! At 20:50 voting closes, going for 20 minute windows here.
>>
>>4188069
> Zero moment type stability
>>
>>4188109
Woah mama, this looks pretty cool
>>
>>4188126
>>4188083

Called. Writing.

> Zero moment type stability
>>
File: Robotics room.jpg (240 KB, 1196x1510)
240 KB
240 KB JPG
>>4188158
You are in the TESTING ROOM (7). You hear muffled thumps, not unusual until you realize that they aren't caused from the movements of D@15Y maneuvering over the obstacles.

> Unlocked Climb
> Unlocked Jump

Quickly you have D@15Y exit the room and enter the resting station on the west.

> Unlocked Door

You hear the voice of the PA system through the soundproofing of the testing area, but are unable to make out the words.

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04

Wat do?

> Switch headphone to company alert mails

> Head into the main office to see what the big fuss is.

> Walk D@15Y back into storage first.

> Check calibration readings on D@15Y. Whatever is happening, someone will let you know if it's important.

> Write in
>>
>>4188170
> Check calibration readings on D@15Y. Whatever is happening, someone will let you know if it's important.
>>
>>4188170
> Switch headphone to company alert mails
>>
File: Only One Can Win.jpg (58 KB, 512x512)
58 KB
58 KB JPG
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4188184
>>4188174
Y'all doing this to me? Right off the bat? Making me roll to see who wins?
>>
File: Neeeerrrrrd.jpg (210 KB, 1000x560)
210 KB
210 KB JPG
>>4188220
> Check calibration readings on D@15Y. Whatever is happening, someone will let you know if it's important.

Called. Writing.
>>
>>4188233
Huh? Wasn't my vote the first one in your post?
>>
File: Burger flip calibration.jpg (90 KB, 1200x674)
90 KB
90 KB JPG
>>4188174
The PA continues to drone on, but you tune it out as you toggle the channel to review D@15Y's performance.

> Basic movements no longer require rolls, "take 20" instead. More complicated actions may require rolls.

The readings seem good. You start running the Shell through basic stretches and hand exercises, checking for any signal lag or catching by video review after moving around in VR.

Sometimes, you feel so comfortable in D@15Ys body that you forget about your own. You definitely wish you had the range of motion she did, wincing as you move with her to touch your toes and find yourself stopping a good 6" before she bends down to place her palms flat on the floor.

At some point, the droning noise of the PA system in the background had stopped. So had the thumping noises, although you vaguely remember them sounding different briefly before stopping.

A sharp, acrid tang in the air pulls you out of your revery, pulls you away from D@15Y.

It seems one of the hyper-physic monkey's has either made a huge mistake, or written the robotic equivalent of Shakespeare by accident. (You think of the cubicle peons, because they're "cubes". It's a higher math joke, you don't really get it, but Steve insists it's funny. You keep telling him you're not a nerd like he is, you focus more on applications than theory. He has a running bet that at least one of them will accidentally kill themselves, kill everyone, or invent a killer AI by accident given enough time to mess around while they should be working.)

Infinite possibilities aside, so far there hasn't been any "Shakespeare" but there have been a fair number of accidents, inter-cubical atrocities, and one incident of someone microwaving fish for lunch.

Hopefully this isn't as bad as the fish.

Wat do?

> Go out and yell at someone.

> Send a nasty email to the monkeys.

> Ignore it. You're being very productive with your time, unlike them, and since there are no alarms going off it's at least not something on fire.
>>
>>4188238
Nope. See >>4188174.

R
>>
>>4188238
OH SHIT in THIS post >>4188220

Sorry I clicked them backwards. I was thinking 1 being the first vote, and 2 being second.

Sorry. I was unclear. Have a singing Necron for an apology.

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJL70Lvt8OI&list=PLmjMOYjphH17k7-WCMTMrbpn_s1U23fDP&index=4
>>
>>4188262
> Ignore it. You're being very productive with your time, unlike them, and since there are no alarms going off it's at least not something on fire.

>>4188264
>>4188270
Ok, so long as it all worked out.
>>
>>4188262
>>4188238
Do you want me to post an additional "check your email for company alert messages"? I can do that.
>>
>>4188275
Nah it's fine.
We'll find out everyone has been cleansed when the time is right.
>>
>>4188277
k. 20 min window from now.
>>
>>4188262
> Go out and yell at someone.

REEEEE time
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4188272
If we roll 1

>>4188294
If we roll 2
>>
File: D@15Y I love you.jpg (69 KB, 571x360)
69 KB
69 KB JPG
>>4188318
>>4188272
> Ignore it. You're being very productive with your time, unlike them, and since there are no alarms going off it's at least not something on fire.

Called. Writing.
>>
File: Dance robot Dance.gif (3.02 MB, 480x270)
3.02 MB
3.02 MB GIF
Rolled 54 + 25 (1d100 + 25)

>>4188262
Well. If you can smell whatever it is from in here, it's only going to smell worse out there.

Eric is out there to keep the monkey's under control. The one thing security is good for, well Eric from Security is at least. He's fairly pleasant and professional, which means you've only exchanged greetings with him when you come and go.

After the Fish incident, you took the effort to remember his name after being impressed with how he suddenly was able to speak more than a single word as he chewed out the monkey that did it. You didn't even step in to correct him when he referred to it as "A nuclear bio-weapon" in reference to it being heated by micro-waves. That's not how nuclear energy works!

No. Far more important to continue playi-, er, calibrating D@15Y.

Which you do, until someone starts banging on the door.

>Roll me 3 1d100's. Looking to get under my roll. I prefer separate rollers, 15 minute window for repeat rolls.
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4188341
>>
>>4188346
Whelp. Give it another roll.
>>
Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>4188341
>>
>>4188361
>>4188346
2 successes so far! If I don't get a third roll by 22:50 then I'll just roll the third one, like a filthy hack QM who compromises his quest integrity to keep things moving.
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4188341
>>4188360
>>4188366
come to papa
>>
>>4188368
>>4188361
>>4188346
3 successes! Writing! A little something special for getting two of the same rolls.
>>
>>4188341
The interior testing door is just cheap particle wood. I mean, it's not like there's anything particularly valuable kept in there, it's mostly just an empty area for testing range of motion and basic movements. Running and fire-arm tests are done on the range in the center of the lab. Yes, you complained about that too but apparently it actually was the least dangerous placement in case of "over-penetration" (with rubber bullets?!?) and OSHA wouldn't allow it to be placed anywhere else.

Yep, nothing valuable in here except a military grade robot and a squishy high value intelligence target.

Judging from who just broke down the door, however, what they're after IS YOUR FLESH OH GOD IS THAT A ZOMBIE!

It's Eric, but he's covered in blood and waving a pipe with a crazily vacant stare on his face. You didn't really think he would beat the next person who cooked fish in the microwave to death!

> 3 passes!

You're still logged in to D@15Y. You still feel the grace, the precision, the POWER of her metal frame. Managing to not rush towards Eric with your squishy flesh, D@15Y instead rushes towards him and manages to wrap her metal hands around his wrists, holding him in place while he struggles against her.

> Twin roll bonus

A 100Kg mass of metal is difficult to move normally, and between D@15Y's Zero moment type stability programming and the fact that some of the blood appears to be Eric's, he is unable to break free.

Eric: "They aren't human. Not really, it's inside them. They put it inside them! They weren't human, I HAD TO GET IT OUT. I DIDN'T WANT TO LET THEM PUT IT INSIDE ME!"

Wat do?

> Crush his wrists. The man is mad, and maybe a murderer. Best to incapacitate him now and then seek help.

> Kill him! It's self defense, he's got a pipe and he's covered in blood oh god oh god what if he hurts D@15Y! What if he breaks free and hurts *you*, her hands are only rated for so much pressure!

> Option locked, guns unloaded

> Try to talk him down. Whatever has happened, can be handled rationally. He just has to start making sense. Whatever he's done, it can't have gone unnoticed.

> Write in.
>>
>>4188389
> The DC for subduing him was going to be an easy roll anyways, so for 3 successes + a twin roll bonus, you got an out-of-context bonus for subduing him in a state where he can be questioned. If he's able to answer them is another story.

> Whenever you get a twin or triple of a number for dice rolls, you get something special!

If you choose to talk him down, feel free to add any write-ins or questions to ask him while doing so.
>>
>>4188389
> Try to talk him down. Whatever has happened, can be handled rationally. He just has to start making sense. Whatever he's done, it can't have gone unnoticed.
>What the hell happened out there?
>Is anyone still alive?
>Who are they?
>What did they put in you?
>>
>>4188395
I'll run with one player! That's all I need, bay-beee.

Called. Writing.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (31 KB, 409x536)
31 KB
31 KB JPG
>>4188395
Leaving D@15Y in autonomous holding pattern mode, where she follows the last command Follow, stay, repeat last action, simple commands that I'm not gonna make people do, you, Daisy, flip up your VR goggles and approach Eric.

> What the hell happened out there?

Eric: "They . . . they told us the ssssky, the sky was falling" He grunts and throws his weight against D@15Y in vain "IT'S FALLING, IT'S ALL FALLING AND WE'RE BUT ANTS BENEATH IT!"

>Is anyone still alive?

Eric struggles for a bit more while you repeat your question until he runs out of strength. Exhausted, he manages a moment of lucidity to look directly at you, instead of through you.

Eric:"I hope to god they aren't."

Grim.

> Who are "they"?

Eric: "They . . . the people, no, THINGS that were in the lab? Why . . . why would you ask that. You know who they were! The graddies, Amy, and you. Steve . . . who are you! Daisy wouldn't forget Steve! You - YOU'RE ONE OF THEM TOO!" He resumes his struggle against D@15Y with a new panic. "YOU CAN'T PUT IT IN ME! I TOOK IT OUT!"

You get closer to Eric, to try and help D@15Y hold him without hurting herself. Or Eric.

As you grab his right shoulder, something *writhes* beneath his clothing that feels like a muscle, but one not properly attached.


> What did they put in you?

Eric: "NOTHING! I TOOK IT OUT! I TOOK IT OUT! I TOOK IT-"

Eric slumps to the floor suddenly as the muscle beneath your hands suddenly flexes and then something comes flying out of his shoulder towards your face!

> Give me 3 rolls of 1d100. Same 15 minute wait before repeat rolls.

> Daisy: Squishy (-20DC). D@15Y (Occupied). Surpised (-10DC)

> Flesh Worm: Writhing one (-10DC for lack of limbs). Wounded (-10DC). Incomplete (-20DC, it cannot use the strength of the host)

> Critfail: New friend gets really attached to you. Fusion starts.
>0 success: A feast of flesh for the worm! Roll against 5DC with 3 1d10
>1 success: Clingy new friend. Roll against 3DC with 31d10
>2 success: Slapfight success! Slap it away from you and throw it to the ground!
>3 Success: The hand is faster than eye! Before Daisy even realizes it, she's got the Flesh Worm firmly in her grasp. It's surprisingly not slimy but warm and almost dusty.
>Critical success: Ghost in the Machine, D@15Y grabs the Flesh Worm without harming Eric.
>>
Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>4188466
>>
>>4188466
Supposed to read "Eric slumps TOWARDS the floor". D@15Y is still holding him, hence you being in range of THE FLESH WORM.

Fuck. I should probably start writing posts in Libre or something so I can check them.
>>
>>4188467
Well keep fukkin' rolling I guess.
>>
Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>4188466
>>4188488
>>
>>4188490
Hey, how late can you play tonight? Just for scheduling purposes.
>>
Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>4188466
>>4188491
As long as you're up to writing.
>>
>>4188493
Aight. Well, that's two passes so writing!

I can only stick around for another hour or so.
>>
>>4188495
I'm up pretty late most nights, so if I'm the only player that's not something you'll need to worry about from me.
>>
File: Slap.gif (1.55 MB, 480x270)
1.55 MB
1.55 MB GIF
>>4188466
>2 success: Slapfight success! Slap it away from you and throw it to the ground!

Quickly slapping towards your face, you knock away the *thing* that lunges at you. You feel a wet smear on your skin, but not on your hands.

At your feet, slowly draining blood, is a worm like mass of flesh writhing away from you.

Blood is coming out of Eric at a noticeable rate now, staining his clothes. It looks like he won't survive without immediate attention.

Wat do?

> Stabilize Eric (requires rolls)

> Finish the Flesh Worm now! (No roll required)

> Catch the Flesh Worm! (1d10 to-hit roll, DC 3)

> Leave Eric and the Flesh Worm and run towards the West side of the Lab where your office and all of D@15Y's equipment is!

> Leave Eric and the Flesh Worm and run for the Exit! Fuck this place!

> Write in.
>>
>>4188498
I might be able to come back for a bit after the hour. Gotta clean the kitchen before bedtime, walk the dog. Life shit.
>>
>>4188504
>Grab Eric's pipe and throw it at the worm in an attempt to finish it off or immobilize it before stabilizing Eric.
>>
>>4188504
>> Finish the Flesh Worm now! (No roll required)
>> Stabilize Eric (requires rolls)
in that order
>>
>>4188512
Gonna be a 1d10 DC 6 for that.

Daisy is a squishy science lady! Gotta hit the Worm, and hit hard enough to kill or immobilize it.
>>
>>4188521
I'm afraid you don't have time to do both, unless you try something like >>4188512
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4188523
>>
>>4188523
3 rolls here too?
And it's still roll under right?
>>
File: Classic pip.jpg (61 KB, 820x806)
61 KB
61 KB JPG
>>4188530

You grab the pipe from Erics limp fingers and whip it towards the worm. With a silent spray of fluid gushing from the end full of tubes, the Flesh Worm stops moving.

Probably for good, you tell yourself as you turn towards Eric and try to staunch the wound left by the Flesh Worm when it detached itself from him.

3 1D100s please!

>Critfail: Turns out there was more than one worm!
>0 Success: Where were you when Eric was kill?
>1 Success: Well, he's only unconscious, but he's going to need a proper first aid kit or medical help. if you want him to stay not-dead.
>2 success: He's awake and stable! He's crippled, though, weak and unable to move his right arm at all. Will need help moving long distances.
>3 success: 'Tis but a Flesh Wound

DC: 50. Mandatory first aid didn't cover this, but hey, robot anatomy is based on people and you know that! Just gotta stop the pressure from pushing out all his blood.
>>
Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>4188547
O shit
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>4188547
>>
>>4188560
>>4188548
Feel free to roll again to get a 3rd roll
>>
Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>4188547
>>4188567
Roly Poly Oly
>>
File: crippledrightarm.jpg (94 KB, 549x339)
94 KB
94 KB JPG
>>4188547
>2 success: He's awake and stable! He's crippled, though, weak and unable to move his right arm at all. Will need help moving long distances.

In an impressive feat of multiple tasking, you manage to have D@15Y support and hold Eric while you bandage up his wound. A large hole has been dug out of the muscle in his upper back, luckily it appeared he had some to spare so while the wound is incapacitating, it stops bleeding with pressure when you tie a bandage around it. You use your lab coat to do so, it's fairly clean and none of the greases on it are toxic.

Hrm. That arm doesn't look too great. Terribly inefficient design to begin with. You know up on sub-basement one they were experimenting with augmented limbs and such, perhaps Eric would prefer an upgrade?

Eric: "Mhughmgh" That's probably him saying he's pretty tired right now, but a robot arm sounds great!

If not, there's at least medical equipment up there. Hopefully medical staff as well! Probably, in fact! Whatever happened here is an isolated incident and the rest of the world is still sane! Sometimes you've wished you could lose an arm in a work related accident so they would buy you a top of the line prosthetic limb.

You keep telling yourself this while refusing to look at the strange Flesh Worm, aside from glancing at it every other moment to make sure it isn't moving.

Wat do?

> Eric is stable for now. Have D@15Y help him get to your office and her equipment in her storage. You even have a proper medical kit there with bandages and tylenol! Eric probably really wants a tylenol.

>There's nothing you really *need* here, but Eric probably still needs medical assistance beyond a clean bandage and an extra strength over the counter pain-killer.

> Eric wasn't really *clear* on where everyone is, or what happened. But nobody came to see what was happening to you, and that's not a good sign. Stay with Eric and send D@15Y to look around the Dollhouse first.
>>
>>4188584
> Eric wasn't really *clear* on where everyone is, or what happened. But nobody came to see what was happening to you, and that's not a good sign. Stay with Eric and send D@15Y to look around the Dollhouse first.
>>
>>4188569
I can probably get one more post in.

Then I have to crash.

Future run time will be tomorrow about 7pm Mountain Time. I'll also tweet on my twitter

https://twitter.com/Bonesinger1
>>
>>4188594
Got pulled away. Writing!
>>
File: Sneak bot.jpg (82 KB, 1280x720)
82 KB
82 KB JPG
>>4188594
A lot has happened in the past couple hours, most of which you were lucky enough to miss.

Eric really wasn't clear on what happened to everyone else, but there's a chance they might not be dead. You are unsure as to whether or not that's a good thing.

With the help of D@15Y you pile up what you can in the doorway of the testing room, while Eric rests on a chair. Sure, you had to use Duct Tape to keep him from slipping off, but you're pretty sure you're supposed to keep wounds elevated so people don't leak out.

Also, that way he can be wheeled around if needed, freeing D@15Y up.

D@15Y starts to prowl around the office.

Gimme 3 1d100s please!

>Crit Fail: Something finds you first!
> 0 success: D@15Y doesn't find anything, but something finds her.
>1 success: Find nothing, and nobody.
>2 success: Find something, get the drop on it!
>3 Success: Solid Robot Snake. Full knowledge of the area.
> Crit Success: Find something special that one of the monkeys was working on.
>>
Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>4188640
>>
>>4188640
I forgot the DC

> D@15Y: Silent movement (Zero moment type stability +15DC) Familiar Environment (+10DC)

>75DC

> ?????? Supernatural Senses (-10DC)

> 65DC
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>4188640
Interesting quest, I like the weird half life Lovecraft vibe. I think you should hide the outcomes to increase suspense though.
>>
Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>4188640
>>
>>4188750
>>4188680
>>4188642
And that's two successes!

>>4188680
Later on that's the plan. This is kinda the warm up round. Don't worry, I have a plan for if Daisy dies!
>>
>>4189156
I'll write later today. In about 10 hours.
>>
File: tegaki.png (17 KB, 400x400)
17 KB
17 KB PNG
>>4189156

And I'm back only an hour and a half late! You know how when you lie down for a half hour nap and wake up two hours later? Anyways. Writing.
>>
>>4188640

D@15Y gets yet another one of many office tours under your observing eye. It's not much effort to steer her through the brightly lit main area, around the cubicles.

The lack of people, and the eerie pristine cleanliness of the office, makes it fairly quick to survey the main area, so you send D@15Y to check the smaller side rooms.

The meeting room is empty, the coffee bar inside it in its usual untouched splendour. Nobody in robotics drinks the coffee from the meeting room, the consensus being that the coffee in the "Brainstorming room" (especially after being "modified" to be able to inject pure synth-caff and other, stronger stimulants).

The firing ranges are both clear, and the security rooms in the north are locked down with metal doors slammed down and sealing them in place.

Turning around D@15Y south and driving her past the firing ranges, head towards the south security rooms and exit where you can see what appears to be fire damage. Perhaps that's the source of the strange smell that crept in earlier? Shame, being a Shell interactive smelling features are probably a ways away. At least until people are more comfortable having their VR also plug directly into their brains to simulate smells. It's odd that the fire systems didn't go off, however.

D@15Ys microphone pics up the sound of singing, or more technically something since it has a distinctly auto-tuned quality, coming from the "Brainstorming" room in the South East.

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41U78QP8nBk

Creeping up to the door, looking in through the window, D@15Y is able to see a short, squat shape rummaging around in the room. It appears to be digging through the mini-fridge, with its entire front end stuck inside it.
>>
File: FEAR FOR YOUR SHINS.gif (5.43 MB, 400x220)
5.43 MB
5.43 MB GIF
>>4190494
Wat Do?

> Engage the robot doggo dialogue. Maybe someone is running it remotely like you and D@15Y!
> Engage the robot doggo in combat! D@15Y is not built for whatever is happening, Daisy can scavenge its parts to improve D@15Y!
> There's nothing in that room that you need, and D@15Y isn't worth damaging if it turns violent. Jam the door closed with extra chairs from the supply room opposite the "Brainstorming" room.
> Avoid it
>>
>>4190501
> Write in

Always an option too, but just letting people know.
>>
>>4190494
>Barricade the door before attempting to engage in dialogue.
>>
>>4190501
>> Engage the robot doggo dialogue. Maybe someone is running it remotely like you and D@15Y!
if that fails then pet it. 'good doggo'
>>
>>4190537
>>4190546

> Try to talk to it

Called. Writing.
>>
>>4190551
Thinking it's better to be safe than sorry you get D@15Y to barricade the door first with some extra chairs from the supply room.

You try to think if any of the monkeys were working on something similar to this. It appears very similar to the stability testers you used for the early programming of D@15Y before it was changed to a bipedal version under pressure to humanize the robots designed to destroy each other.

Engaging D@15Y's speakers, you call out to the robot dog.

D@15Y: "Hel-hello? Good boy? Or possibly person if someone is controlling you?"

The robot freezes up for a moment, during it's rummaging. Turning up the volume a bit more in case it can't hear you from D@15Y's speakers, you continue.

D@15Y: "I mean. I hope that if you're a person operating the robot dog, that you're a good person. Boy or girl." Oh gosh hopefully you aren't scaring them off.

It seems like you have their attention though, as the robot backs out of the fridge AND SUDDENLY LUNGES TOWARDS THE DOOR. Not terribly fast, though, which kind of kills the suspense. You do notice however that one of its limbs is noticeably pointier than the other.

It squawks out a burst of static 01000100 01000001 01001001 01010011 01011001 00100000 01001001 00100000 01001100 01001111 01010110 01000101 00100000 01011001 01001111 01010101 while waving its pointy limb around.

> Wat do?

> Hahahaha nope. Fuck that.
> It appears to be trying to communicate. Keep trying back! (Requires roll)
> Well, it's not being run by a person. Or not a sane person. It might be one of those people that put that THING in Eric! Better to smash it now and use it to make D@15Y better.
>>
>>4190576
> It appears to be trying to communicate. Keep trying back! (Requires roll)
>>
>>4190610
Is there anything in particular you want to say to it?
>>
>>4190623
01010111 01101000 01101111 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00111111
As a geek we obviously know binary by heart.
Right?
>>
>>4190624
Aighy. Well, gimme a 1d100 roll to see if it/they are able/willing to answer!
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4190630
Beep Boop
>>
>>4190624
DC 60 (+10 for binary, although I was going to assume you were using that anyways haha. Daisy doesn't actually know it by heart, but D@15Y has a translator so . . . )
>>
>>4190634
Do you wanna wait for other rollers, or should I roll all 3?
>>
>>4190632
Oooh, you lucky bitch.

I really have to remember to put DCs in the same posts I call for rolls. I was waffling on whether or not to give you a bonus for taking the initiative to use Binary haha aren't you lucky I did.

Writing.
>>
>>4190636
Give it 15 and if nobody else rolls, go for it.
>>
>>4190636
It's all you, bruh.
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>4190656

y'know that was my 3rd 54 in this thread
>>
Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>4190656
>>
>>4190659
Yeah, but it wasn't on the same DC sooo

> 1 Success

Writing!
>>
>>4190665
I was just commenting.
Maybe 54 is my lucky number.
>>
>>4190668
Well, as it was your only pass, technically *yes* in this case.
>>
>>4190665
The robot doggo stops at your query. It doesn't have much of a head, so instead it tilts it's body down and towards its left, mimicking the movement a person's head would make if they were being inquisitive.

> DAISY I LOVE YOU
> DAISY I LOVE YOU
> DAISY I LOVE YOU

D@15Y receives the same message on repeat in burst of static. Suddenly, the sound kicks in to start playing what sounds like current news casters.

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caXeAMseve0

The robot doggo is clearly excited. Or angry. One of the two, as it starts to hop from side to side behind the barrier on three legs, the pointy limb waving up and down either for balance or for stabbing.

Looks like it's limited in how it can speak with you.

Wat do?

> Well, it DOES say that it loves you. Can't be that bad to let it out, right? It's just a big ol' metal puppers.
> The pointy arm is disturbing. Nope. Nada. You tried, time to cut your losses and walk away.
>It's just a robot. Whether or not someone else is actually using it, you need its parts more than they do to make sure you can get out of here safely. Omelette's, eggs. (Combat)
>>
>>4190682
> Well, it DOES say that it loves you. Can't be that bad to let it out, right? It's just a big ol' metal puppers.
>>
File: Hallo new friend.jpg (581 KB, 2560x2560)
581 KB
581 KB JPG
>>4190687
Second pet acquired!

> DAISY I LOVE YOU

Well, it doesn't hurt to be loved. D@15Y pulls back the chairs blocking the door, and before she can pull the door open the robot doggo burst out and starts racing around the office. It heads first to your office door and jumps up, banging its legs against it a few times, before it continues running around the office. It soon finds the broken down door of the testing room and the second chair barricade to frustrate it of the day.

While not particularly heavy, they're awkwardly jammed together so that the robot doggo's efforts to knock them loose go unrewarded.

You have D@15Y follow it back to your spot quickly, and notice that when you get there the message has changed.

> DAISY I LOVE YOU
> 01010111 01101000 01101111 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00111111
> DAISY I LOVE YOU
> 01010111 01101000 01101111 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00111111

Is it. . . . is it asking who you are? You're Daisy, though? It seems like it was looking for you too, so it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't recognize you.

Perhaps it's only able to repeat what it's heard, and is actually asking who it is?

> Give your new pet a name, and a short reason for why Daisy picked it!
>>
>>4190758
>Quark
>Because Quantum Computing is the best! And quarks are related to quantumness righrt?
>>
File: Quark.jpg (36 KB, 512x362)
36 KB
36 KB JPG
>>4190769

Well, this dog isn't a genius that's for sure. Given how random it was that it showed up here, with it's quirky behavior . . . Quirk? No, that's not very clever. You went to *University*, you have a *Degree*, you can do better than this. Besides, you just have to come up with a clever name first and think of a justification for it later.

>Quark
>Because Quantum Computing is the best! And quarks are related to quantumness righrt?

>You have acquire 1x

> Quark, the Quantum Robot Dog.

Quark's attempts to shove the chairs get more frantic, the stabbing arm waving around and eventually getting stuck in one of the arm rests of a chair.

You hear a weird groaning sound, making you jump slightly as D@15Y looks around her before you realize the sound was right beside *you*.

It seems like Eric might regain consciousness soon. That's probably a good sign. You switch from D@15Y direct control to take a look at him.

In the moment between seeing through D@15Y's eyes and your own, Quark suddenly shifts. Where he was once on one side of the chairs, they are now in the room with you. Their shape seems somewhat different now, more streamlined with sharper angles,but when you try to focus on his outline it becomes fuzzier and fuzzier the more you look at it.

> Quantum Leap: If you are ever uncertain where Quark is, he's probably right behind you! Only works when nobody is looking.

It takes your brain a moment to process what you're seeing. Quark is lying down. "shouting" in static bursts. Not being logged into D@15Y at the moment, you aren't certain what he's saying but it sounds the same as his first >Daisy I love you.

Nervously, you laugh and make sure Eric is between you and Quark. Quark remains lying down, but does shift his body so his cameras can continue to see you.

Well. Work on that later. Eric is now awake, and not a happy camper.
>>
>>4190800
Sorry, gotta stop for tonight. But you got a new friend!

I'll write up a dialogue post tomorrow with a vote around noon (12.5 hours), Eric should be able to be more coherent (in pain is better than insane, right?) but I want to make sure I do it properly.

Yes, your name choice affected how your pet worked. I actually have some really good ideas for how to work it all together with the name Quantum.
>>
>>4190803
This is a pretty nice quest here, very interested in seeing how it'll develop.
>>
>>4190809
Me too! Thanks for playing. I was gonna end earlier and wait to see if naming a pet could get more players, but I figured fuck that. You've been pretty solid the past couple of days so might as well let you name the dog.

Special treatment for every ID who joins the first thread! Not like I'll know who you are in the second thread.

If the other IDs come back I'll probably give them the chance to do some special in this thread too. SHAMELESS PANDERING.
>>
Dang, i'm late

>>4190800
Oh hey cool, teleporting doggo

>>4190832
10/10 would recommend

>>4188083
>>4188174
>>4188294

This is me btw, my id changes a lot, i dunno why
>>
>>4191309
Gonna start writing in 10.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (5.44 MB, 960x540)
5.44 MB
5.44 MB GIF
>>4190800
Eric: "Fuck".

Huh. You had expected something more. Overall, Eric seems to be

Eric:" FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK"

Ah.

Eric: "Fucking cocksucker goddamn dick worm teeth, where are you you sentient fuck sausages, I'll fucking show you what it means to bite off more than you can chew!"

Okay, so he's speaking gibberish. That's one checkmark for "still crazy".

Eric rants a bit more while you politely wait for him to finish. Once he starts to gesture with his arms it appears the pain quickly focuses him on the here and now, particularly your presence.

He stares at you with the same wild look you saw on him when he first broke down the testing room door, but with an uncomfortable intensity replacing the previous vacuousness.

Daisy:"Um. You broke the testing room door down and interrupted me."

Eric continues to stare at you, but with mild confusion creeping in. Okay, not the first time you've gotten this response to your complaints against improper co-worker behaviour.

Daisy:"I think someone was microwaving fish and it went wrong somehow? Maybe it was only technically fish. I think it might have actually been an eel. Do you remember what happened?"

Eric is now making a very strange facial expression indeed.

Eric:"Okay. So you're still weird as fuck, Daisy, and I can't believe I'm happy that it's somehow the most normal thing happening. No. Nobody was microwaving fish. It's . . " he pauses for a moment, collecting himself with a deep breath that then send him into another round of painful cursing, much quieter this time.

Eric: "...goddamn mumble shoulder mumble fuck. Okay. First of all, Daisy, what made you think that this was because of someone microwaving fish? No, nevermind. I don't really have any fucking clue what happened. Something topside went down, and security went fucking nuts. Demanded a lockdown, and then changed the order. I shut my security doors down, because the counter-order involved a bunch of praising The Sky Lord whoever the fuck that is. When I went to check on the south rooms and why they had re-opened and weren't responding on the comms, all the graddies were staring at their monitors like fukking zombies. It was terrifying, they all moved their heads in unison. Allan from maintenance was there and he came walking up to me. He reached out his hand as if to say hello, but it was full of *worms*, like something got out of Bio in the 3rd basement. After that . . . I don't want to remember. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

Eric starts to rave a little bit and jerk against the tape wrapped around his torso. Once again, pain proves to an effective way to get his attention.

Eric:"Aaaaugh. Huh, hah, hah. I don't . . . I don't think anyone else is okay. Hahahaha I'm not fucking okay HAHAAHAHAHA."

(1/2) (Warning, body horror in pic.)
>>
>>4191667
Well. Eric seems to be able to communicate. Not very well, you aren't terribly clear on the whole worm hand Allan from maintenance apparently had. Or what happened to the monkeys. Still, since it apparently wasn't a microwave radiation induced revived eel that jumped out of Eric's shirt to attack you, the next most likely explanation is that the "worm hands" and the flesh worm were related.

Oh no. If it WAS something from the 3rd basement, that doesn't bode well for the rest of the facilities. Lots of weird, icky stuff was going on in there. Not like the clean and controllable robotics lab you prefer working in. Anything could come out of a Bio-lab.

Quark sees you shake your head in frustrated worry and "barks" another burst of static.

> 01000100 01000001 01001001 01010011 01011001 00100000 01001001 00100000 01001100 01001111 01010110 01000101 00100000 01011001 01001111 01010101

Aww, who's a good boy.

Anyways. The Bio-lab is between you and getting out of here. It doesn't sound like it'll be easier to get back out, either. You could consider holing up here for a while and seeing if things calm down enough for a rescue to come, but it's concerning that Security as a whole was being affected. The order to lock down has to come from the central dispatch in the 1st basement. Still, with the snacks and water available you and a few people could probably last a few days. If nothing else, it would allow you to modify D@15Y a bit more. It could also allow whatever is happening to get worse, though.

Alternatively, you could grab what you can now from D@15Ys storage, loot the lab for supplies, and try to get out quick. This is pretty much the reason why you and Steve originally got that hobby ranch in the first place. Well, okay, partially to get away from your in-laws who kept insisting that you were trying to avoid having children by channeling your motherhood into robots. And you had expected it to be some sort of AI revolution, hence having it be off the grid and self sustaining.

Still. It's as good in a biological horrorpocalypse as in an inevitable technocrash with hostile AI military robots.

Quark appears to shed particles of smoke and sparks as he scratches at an external wire that had gotten loose. Absent mindedly you reach over to tuck it back into place.

Wat do?

> Bunker down for a couple of days. D@15Y needs more work before she's ready to face the outside world. Oh yeah, Eric will be a little bit better too. Ugh. People are so messy.

> GTFO now. You have a place to go, and Steve will be worried if you stay here. Eric can keep up if you maybe make some sort of chair-sled and get Quark to pull it, or maybe you can rig D@15Y to carry him.

> Write in

Okay, this is gonna be a bit of a decision that will impact the short term plot of the quest. So I'm gonna leave it for a few hours and resume running around 7pm.

I'll check in a couple of times to answer any questions.
>>
>>4191667
>"No. Nobody was microwaving fish"

Sad

>>4191700

> GTFO now. You have a place to go, and Steve will be worried if you stay here. Eric can keep up if you maybe make some sort of chair-sled and get Quark to pull it, or maybe you can rig D@15Y to carry him.

Use a chair, wasting D@15Y in holding him doesn't look like a good idea
>>
>>4191700
>> GTFO now. You have a place to go, and Steve will be worried if you stay here. Eric can keep up if you maybe make some sort of chair-sled and get Quark to pull it, or maybe you can rig D@15Y to carry him.
>>
>>4191735
>>4191741
+1
>>
>>4191700
>>4191735
Sounds good, I assume you mean an office chair with wheels right?
Maybe we could swap it out for a wheelchair later?
>>
>>4191819
I mean. You are in a robotics lab. You can relatively quickly slap together something similar to a wheelchair using two chairs and duct tape.
>>
>>4191796
>>4191741
>>4191735
>>4191819

Alright, my head FUCKING hurts. It's snowing AGAIN in fucking APRIL. My goddamn dog is having backpain on top of not wanting to go outside and is a surly snarly dick.

I was gonna nap, but let's fucking do this shit. Writing.
>>
File: Robotics room.jpg (260 KB, 1196x1510)
260 KB
260 KB JPG
>>4191700
Time to blow this joint. Not literally, you checked for explosives when you first moved in. HR was insistent nothing explosive be placed this far down due to issues with the closed ventilation.

But it's time to get out of here.

Eric is barely able to stay conscious, getting him to be able is likely impossible. You quickly cobble together a more comfy version of your current tape chair Mk1. This is achieved with copious amounts of duct tape, and screwing another set of legs to the seat of a second rolling chair. It's slow and cumbersome, but it works.

Eric does look a bit better once you get him some juice from the "Brainstorming" room. You grab the remaining snacks from there too, and have him carry them in his lap.

Daisy:"See Eric! You're not a useless cripple, you're helping!"

Eric: Continues to say the nothing about being a useless cripple that he wasn't saying before Daisy brought it up.

You also make sure to grab some coffee from the meeting room. It's instant, but since you can't bring the synth-caffe blender with you, it's better than nothing. If anything, it can be mixed with water for a quick burst of energy.

> Allows Daisy 1 reroll for physical tests if she slams a powdered stimulant drink. remember, she has a -20 due to being squishy.

Next, you quickly check the south security offices for bullets. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a weapon there!

Finally, you head back into your private lab area. There are three workstations with parts that are being worked on to integrate into the D@15Y unit, as well as a software station.

> I need ONE roll of 1d20 to see how many bullets you find in the security rooms.

> I need a 1d4 to see if you find a pistol. Feel free to vote on what pistol to find there.

> D@15Ys pistols have an electromagnetic firing mode and capable of firing rounds of scrap pressed into bullet shape. They are not as powerful as normal bullets. I am not going to track scrap bullets, just assume you found a future bullet press or something in the lab.

> D@15Ys guns can be switched out, but this takes time. Her manipulator arms can currently fire *small* handguns.

I need THREE 1d100s for her parts.

> Critfail: Don't do this. (100)
> One success: One piece is usable. Other two are scrap.
> Two success: One piece is usable. One piece is partially finished. One piece is scrap.
>Three success: Two pieces are usable. One piece partially finished.
>Critical success: Find something for Quark in addition to getting a piece of equipment(1)

>D@15Y already has the Zero moment type stability legs. The remaining pieces are HEAD SENSORS, MANIPULATORS, and GUNS.

>State what piece you're rolling for when you roll your 1d100. First come first served. Feel free to post a picture of what you want (if you succeed), but I'll stat it up.
>>
Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>4192557
>>
File: Stinky door.jpg (118 KB, 640x394)
118 KB
118 KB JPG
>>4192557


While busying yourself around the lab, you notice that the acrid smell which you had noticed first while in the testing area is much stronger the closer you get to D@15Y's storage bay. The large equipment you need to attach the test parts are all in there, unfortunately. The door is currently closed, but you can see that there is rusting around the opening. Which is weird, because it's actually a high temperature absorbing ceramic in case of any accidental (or intentional) explosions as part of the Health and Safety and Security requirements. Guaranteed to keep whatever is in it worth several hundred million of not billions of aState Bucks safe, regardless of what happens to the much more easily replaceable and less expensive people outside of it.

Without access to that room, at best you will be able to change one of D@15Ys parts, and it will have a risk of failure at that.

Then again, opening it up might not be worth it .. . .
>>
>>4192566
Congrats! You have found MANY BOOLETS.

4 full clips! You can use boolets for 4 ranged attacks in fights, either with D@15Y or . . . well Daisy is *technically* a military officer.
>>
>>4192566
My head is seriously killing me.

I'm going to leave these rolls up for a while and come back in two hours after a nap. Feel free to roll for finding a gun in 15 if nobody else does.

You also still get a 1d100 roll for a part, regardless.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>4192557
Colt .45
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>4192557
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4192557
>HEAD SENSORS
>>
>>4192659
sorry, was meant for guns
>>
>>4192621
You found a Colt .45 antique pistol! Daisy and Eric can use it, but D@15Y cannot because you didn't get a 1.

>>4192659
What were you rolling for?
>>
>>4192669
Post a picture of what guns you want to be in her secondary arms!
>>
File: It won 3 World Wars.jpg (33 KB, 640x468)
33 KB
33 KB JPG
>>4192671
Forgot pic. In the year 2120, this is an antique.
>>
>>4192675
does something like this work?
>>
File: DXPD4y2UMAA4sGo.jpg (27 KB, 510x223)
27 KB
27 KB JPG
>>4192693
sorry, this.
>>
>>4192698
> You have found that the upgraded rail propulsion system is in good condition!

> D@15Ys scrap bullets will no longer have a damage penalty.

Ayup that works. That from Perfect Dark?
>>
>>4192708
Yeah, campers best friend.
>>
>>4192662
Make a redemption roll for MANIPULATORS

in 15 minutes

if nobody else comes back

and then I will write.

Post a picture of your ideal robot arms.
>>
File: X5r83m.jpg (17 KB, 320x228)
17 KB
17 KB JPG
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>4192799
Perfection
>>
>>4192835
noice

Did I not put a DC? It was gonna be 50. I'm not very good at QMing.

Writing.
>>
File: D@15Y.jpg (75 KB, 713x1120)
75 KB
75 KB JPG
>>4192835
> Full Metal Arms

> a full steel skeletal frame layered with steel armor-plating to protect the various wires and intricate machinery inside

1 re-roll in CQC for D@15Y.
>>
>>4192835
Sorry I spent all this time reading about FMA and doing really bad MSPaint editing.
>>
>>4192862
You find the lab in disorder. Same as you normally do every day. Parts strewn about, shipping receipts cushioning them.

There are three main stations in your private lab. One focusing on guns is, unsurprisingly for a military base, a mess of skookum. Precision tools not available to any civilian (except those with an illegal 3D printer.) lay scattered around a masterwork of malice. The XR-20 Rail Systems that were designed for regular combat. A rugged and simply yet powerful design that lets D@15Ys weapons fire at speed similar to chem-charge bullets. It seems like the final adjustment have been made, allowing it to be used immediately.

> Scrap shots do damage equivalent to normal bullets

Next are the manipulators. D@15Ys inner set of limbs, you usually work with stripped down carbon fiber versions that allow for easier adjustments and reshaping during trials. It looks like these are the final production version made out of Alchemical Steel. While they seem to be near to the final version, currently they only provide a stronger frame and some protection to deflect impacts. There are movement assist motors, but until they can be calibrated to D@15Ys systems which is a time consuming task they won't be able to be used.

> Full Metal Arms can deflect one attack during combat, allowing for a re-roll. Calibrating them to D@15Ys systems will give a bonus in CQC to-hit rolls.

Sadly the table containing the augmented vision upgrades merely has an exploded diagram of lenses, wires, and drawings for machined parts needed to put them all together. It looks like this was in redevelopment and is unable to be assembled.

An acrid smell continues to permeate the lab. You almost swear you could see it curl in the light of the monitors left on at your station, the software design station.

Quark appears agitated and seems to be both trying to keep an eye on the Storage Vault while simultaneously hiding from it.

> Open the Storage Vault. Attaching D@15Ys new guns might be possible without the specialized lift and equipment inside it, but replacing the manipulator arms won't be possible.
> Make like a tree and leaf the vault alone. Download all current D@15Y data from the software design station to a hand-top.
> Head into your office and check your emails.
>>
>>4192902
> Open the Storage Vault. Attaching D@15Ys new guns might be possible without the specialized lift and equipment inside it, but replacing the manipulator arms won't be possible.
We'll be doing this with D@15Y right?
>>
>>4192920
I mean, she has to go in there, right?
>>
>>4192920
Sorry I gotta crash. I can't get another post in tonight
>>
>>4192902
>> Open the Storage Vault. Attaching D@15Ys new guns might be possible without the specialized lift and equipment inside it, but replacing the manipulator arms won't be possible.

>>4192961
Night QM
>>
>>4193078
>>4192920
I aint'nt dead. Or anything else bad, just a really busy day.

At 1pm Mountain Time tomorrow (16 hours from this post) be prepared to find out what is hiding behind the Stinky Storage Vault Door!
>>
>>4194482
Well, despite wanting to get out NOW from the Robotics Bay basement and be safe on your property where you can bunker down and ride things out, it's going to be a pain to have D@15Y working at sub-optimal performance. Not to mention that it'll be far, far easier to equip her than to have to carry the XR-20s and FMA.

Sure, the Storage Vault smells incredibly bad, and seems to be getting worse. Sure, whatever it is that is causing the smell also appears to be able to corrode the ceramic indicating it's an exceptionally energetic reaction.

So you hide yourself and Eric behind one of the lab benches. You then swear and push Erics Wheely-Chair back into your personal office, as his Wheely-chair prevents him from being able to cover himself from whatever comes out of the Storage Vault.

Slightly panting, Eric is not a small man and the Wheely-Chair itself is rather cumbersome and loaded down with snacks and synth-caff mixed drinks, you figure there's no sense going back out yourself and have D@15Y open the Storage Vault.

Even in your office, the sharp tang you had been smelling becomes a palpable tactile sensation crawling down your nose and into your throat. More disturbing, however, is that there's something oddly pleasant about it. Like the stink of a really good high-end cheese, or natto.

It makes you uncomfortable enough to be very glad technology has not reached the point of VR smellography that you had been thinking about earlier for D@15Y.

Before the lights flicker on in the Vault, D@15Ys cams have picked out a grainy image of a figure, floating in the back! As the lights come on and resolve it, however, you find it somewhat anti-climatic to find that it's merely Allan from Maintenance floating in the air like some horrifying ghost. Orrrrrrrrr Eric killed him and hung him like some grotesque trophy? Warning? Food to be saved for later?

You are now much more uncomfortable with Eric, and your hand wanders down to the antique Colt .45 you found.

(1/2)
>>
File: Worm Host.gif (935 KB, 500x379)
935 KB
935 KB GIF
>>4195136
Cautiously, curiously, you have D@15Y reach out to check the corpse. A metallic hand reaches out, lifeless, to hold the hand of flesh that lacks even the semblance of life that D@15Y's digits have.

You don't see the holes in them that Eric described, supposed to be filled with writhing worms.

Your real body inches slightly further away from Eric. Your memories of your most recent firearms certification, almost an entire year ago, quickly go through your mind as you check to see the safety on the Colt .45 is off.

It appears to be an older model weapon without any of the usual gene-locks, so there's no worry about you firing it.

You flick back to D@15Y who has been continuing to film and manipulate the corpse, investigating it for cause of death. It slowly spins one way, than the other on the cord that must be holding it up in the air.

Well, not like you had much of a relationship with Allan. You did make a point of distinguishing him from the Janitorial staff, as he was fairly handing at getting things like additional power supplies and helping to run cables when needed. Might as well get him down from there, if nothing else it would be far too creepy when working on D@15Y.

D@15Y reaches up and pulls Allan to the side to see how he is hung up. This also provides an excellent chance to confirm the earlier calibrations you did with D@15Y in the testing room for climbing and fine manipulation.

Strange. Allan appears to have had a thick, brown cable actually impaled into the back of his neck and then it disappears into a vent. It's clearly the work of an insane person, given the several exposed struts that this would have had to thread around to do so.

More and more disturbed by what was done to him, as D@15Y grabs the cable to snap it, you read a sudden resistance to her movement.

Allan's hand has suddenly moved to grab D@15Ys you see as you look down at it, and [r]oh god there are the holes and they are writhing and calling to you. The sharp smell sings to your senses, cloying, calling you to see Him as Allan's head twists back far beyond what a human neck should be capable of and grins warmly and grins widely and smiles from ear to ear as his mouth stretches back further and further and [/r] with a shuddering scream you switch out of D@15Ys systems and

> Run to save the Shell! It's your life's work, you can't let anything happen to it, especially now since you might never get the chance to work on it again!
> Log back in to D@15Y. Maybe you can get away from the Allan-Worm with it, it appears to be restricted to the Storage Vault by whatever the tube leading to the vent is. If D@15Y can get out, you can lock down the Vault and close the vent anyways. However waiting for it to cycle will require staying a full 24 hours after.
> Write-in.
>>
BOSS FIGHT!

Running away is always an option, but it will mean giving up on some things.

Trying to starve it out is possible, but it might not work and it will take time.

Remember that D@15Y doesn't actually have any upgrades mounted on yet, so that is something that can be done while waiting.

Of course, who knows what will happen elsewhere on the floors you'll have to pass through while doing this?

If you can use the equipment in the Storage Vault, though, it'll go much faster and be more stable.

> Fight
> Non-aggressive Kill
> Abandon.

> D@15Y can be used to fight in CQC, and can use one volley of scrap bullets at 1d8 to hit.

> Daisy can use the gun to fight while giving D@15Y *simple* instructions.

also I am unsure how to format words and should have looked this up first.
>>
>>4195164
Vote is open until 6pm Mountain Time, 4:20 from now.
>>
I did not expect eldritch stuff when I opened this quest tbqh

>>4195162
>> Run to save the Shell! It's your life's work, you can't let anything happen to it, especially now since you might never get the chance to work on it again!

>>4195164
> Fight
>>
>>4195162
>>4195164
This: >>4195212
>>
>>4195308
>>4195212
> Run to save the Shell! It's your life's work, you can't let anything happen to it, especially now since you might never get the chance to work on it again!

> Fight

Wriggity Wriggity Writing.
>>
>>4195493
You need to rescue D@15Y! You quickly sprint out of your office, leaving a confused Eric behind.

Eric tries briefly to move the Wheely-Chair and gives up immediately in favor of continuing to swear about his hurt back/shoulder.

The smell now seems sweeter moreso than acrid, with a tang of rot, as you rush up to the Storage Vault. Drawing the Colt .45 you prepare to blast away whatever it is you saw through D@15Ys eyes.

> Gimme 4 1d100s

>Critfail: Don't do this. (100)
>1 success: D@15Y cannot be used this round due to panic
>2 success: Daisy can either send D@15Y a SIMPLE command for +2 to her to hit rolls with the Colt .45, or she can choose to control D@15Y directly.
>3 success: Daisy and D@15Y get to roll to-hit Dice
>Crit success: Do this.

Daisy: Squishy(-20 DC). LOVED by Quark(+20DC). Out of practice w/ guns (-10). Multitasking (-10DC)

Allan from Maintenance: Tethered(Can only attack D@15Y). The Flesh Is Weak (+10DC due to CQC w/ D@15Y). Man-sized target at close range (no penalty)Smells like mothers home-cooking (1 re-roll).

Allan will use his re-roll this turn.
>>
>>4195543
DC=60 w/ one adverse re-roll

I gotta go eat.
>>
Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>4195543
>>
>>4195545
RIP
>>
>>4195545
Huh.

Well. I mean. There are two more rolls so?

I don't know why I asked for 4 1d100s. That is a typo and should read three. So I guess you guys get a redemption attempt.
>>
>>4195551
I need two more 1d100s and one more after that to see if it's a nat 1 to counter >>4195545

Shameless. Pandering. First thread only guys!
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>4195543


>>4195545
anon just fucking why. dead on first thread, must be a new record
>>
>>4195564
>>4195543
>Allan from Maintenance: Tethered(Can only attack D@15Y).
Daisy should be fine.
>>
>>4195564
>>4195545
K. I seriously have to go eat, if nobody else comes in feel free to roll the third die after 15 minutes.

The "redemption" roll is a special first-thread-only "I fucked up and asked for 4 1d100s and gotta figure out something to justify it" so if the redemption is a Nat 1 then clearly the Dice Gods don't want you dead yet.

Don't worry. I'm a big proponent of "fail forward" and just one nat 100 alone won't kill you. It's uh, not good, though.
>>
Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4195543
>>4195545
Wtf mate.
>>
>>4195570
Guse we has no roboya booty any more or we get infected/ stolen.
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>4195564
Allan is using his re-roll against this.
>>
>>4195566
D@15Y isn't
>>
>>4195580
Huh.

>>4195545
K. Re-roll your redemption sometime between now and 7:15 (current time here 6:25)
>>
Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>4195591
All right, here we go!
>>
>>4195545
> Critfail
>>4195599
> Failed redemption.

>>4195564
>>4195580
Pass

>>4195571
Pass.

K. Gonna start writing in a bit for

> 2 success: Daisy can either send D@15Y a SIMPLE command for +2 to her to hit rolls with the Colt .45, or she can choose to control D@15Y directly.

20 minute window to decide how you want to use D@15Y in combat. I probably should have asked for this during the 1d100 rolls. This quest is a learning experience!

Don't worry about that natural 100 critfail. For this round. You should definitely worry about it for later though.
>>
>>4195724
Can we get D@15Y to wait for 5 seconds while we shoot Allan 3 times in his head, then slam Allan onto the ground, and hold him down with her weight?
>>
>>4195741
You want her to let Allan move around while you are firing at him?

I mean. Okay. But Allan is going to get to roll to-hit against D@15Y with a bonus while she's waiting doing nothing.
>>
>>4195753
>>4195741
In case you're concerned, the +2 for Daisy's to-hit roll prevents rolling a 1 from having D@15Y get hit.

That would have been the penalty for only one success since D@15Y wouldn't have been able to be used.

Annnnnnd I forgot to put down

>0 success, D@15Y gets hit.
>>
>>4195724
SIMPLE command for +2 to her to have d@15y move away from allen but a way that makes it easyer for us to shoot him.
So distract out of harms way.
>>
>>4195757
> Have D@15Y Kite Allen

K. 5 min and I'll roll to decide between >>4195753 (1)
>>4195757 (2)
if nobody else votes.
>>
>>4195757
this
>>
>>4195772
>>4195757
K.

Someone gimme a 1d12
>>
Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>4195780
>>
>>4195782
Writing.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4195783
Haha forgot Allans to hit roll.

Hope it's over a 4
>>
File: headshot.jpg (42 KB, 449x293)
42 KB
42 KB JPG
>>4195812
Things have officially gone off the rails by the time you enter the Vault. Allan from Maintenance's head has split and distended into a grasping maw that is attempting to latch onto D@15Y's metal frame. Questing tubules similar to those you saw on the smaller Flesh Worm that came out of Eric's close writhe over her frame, tipped with black dull spikes that fail to find purchase on the skeletal structure.

Reflexively concerned about the potential for D@15Y being damaged, you order her to move away from Allan, with D@15Y managing to break away from his grasp leaving him lunging at the end of the now pulsating cord he is tethered by to the vent.

> Trait: NEEEEEEERD

Focusing on the job in front of you, you wait for a clear shot. The details of what the fuck is happening, and why the fuck is happening, are problems that can wait after you stop it from happening right now. If only the Allen-Worm would just fucking stop for a moment.

Suddenly, Quark dashes up from behind you and stabs his pointy leg into Allan's back, the weight of his metal body balancing out Allan's lunging.

Legs spread, two hands on the pistol, you take a deep breath in and let it half-way out while sighting on the wormy head and fire.

Your first shot misses, as putrid yellow fluid begins to spill from the middle of Allan's back. The now sickeningly sweet background stench fills the room and makes you feel lightheaded, but all that means is that the next two shots that you walk up his body and into where a human head should be are a surreal, dream-like experience.

You've never actually shot a man before. You should be more bothered by this than you are, you think. You're probably in shock. A murderer shouldn't feel this okay.

People's heads don't turn into worms. Especially not dead people's. The whole situation suddenly seems unreal, a ringing in your ears suddenly rising along with your horrible suspicion that you might have gone mad.

(1/2)
>>
File: Suuuuuuuuck.jpg (76 KB, 628x444)
76 KB
76 KB JPG
>>4195851
Your moment of horrified introspection is disrupted as suddenly a spray of bloody red fluid is ejected from Allans head, as the tether bulges and twists. It jerks the body backwards to the vent, slamming it into the grate. Wet dull snapping sounds start to come from the body, not how one would imagine a bone breaking but more rapid fire snapping akin to bubble wrap being pressed .

The body quivers for a moment before the skin almost seems to melt and deflate as the Allan Worm shrinks in diameter, and then suddenly it snaps out extending past its previous reach towards you!

Gimme 3 1d100

>Critfail: It can't happen twice in a row, right?
>0 success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you AND D@15Y
>1 Success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you OR D@15Y (1d2)
>2 Success: You get to roll To Hit against the Allan-Worm
>3 Success: You get two rolls to hit against the Allan Worm
>Critical Success: Something good happens. Not to the Allan-Worm.

Daisy: Squishy(-20 DC). LOVED by Quark(+20DC). Out of practice w/ guns (-10). Multitasking (-10DC)

THE ALLAN WORM: Inhuman Physique (Increased reach allows it to attack Daisy), Blunt Attack (No penalty for attacking D@15Y since it's no longer trying to penetrate metal), Tethered (+10DC)

DC: 40

> You can choose to FLEE for a +20DC, bringing it up to 60, but re-entering the room will re-engage the battle. You can make preparations to try and make the fight easier. You still risk getting hit as you flee, though.

> You can choose to have D@15Y take a hit, giving THE ALLAN-WORM a free To Hit roll (DC 4) against D@15Y in exchange for a re-roll of any failed rolls. D@15Y can be repaired, after all.

If you choose to try and FLEE, or to have D@15Y take a hit, write it in with your vote.
>>
Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>4195896
>Keep fighting
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4195896
>>
>>4195908
>>4195907
The usual 15 minute delay before rolling again applies.
>>
Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>4195896
Keep fighting
> You can choose to have D@15Y take a hit, giving THE ALLAN-WORM a free To Hit roll (DC 4) against D@15Y in exchange for a re-roll of any failed rolls. D@15Y can be repaired, after all.

Have her dive in front of us and try to hold ailln in place for us.
>>
>>4195913
Take a re-roll then.
>>
>>4195908
>>4195907
I am just ASSUMING you guys are okay with D@15Y taking a hit for a reroll.

This might make an ass of me. Are you guys cool with it?
>>
>>4195919
Cool with me. I don't want my crit to fuck up much more than it already has.
>>
>>4195921
I mean, right now it's one To Hit roll that MIGHT miss.

Daisy, or D@15Y.

A re-roll gives you the chance to hit back, but at the risk of giving THE ALLAN-WORM a second To Hit roll against D@15Y.
>>
>>4195924
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ok then I dun want

i'll just hope for a good roll.
wonder wat the other anon thinks tho
>>
>>4195913
>>4195921
But we DO have a vote, and I don't want to drag things out so re-roll, bro!

> This will be a common feature when performing what I kinda want to call a D@i5y Chain attack.
>>
>>4195924
well i'd like to reroll but my roll passed
>>
Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>4195927
hahhh...
lets just hope this is a good roll.
>>
>>4195925
>>4195908
I had some wine with Dinner, so I'm feeling kinda jumpy haha.

At least I'm remembering to put DCs before Dice Rolls now.

If you're here still, let us know if you want a reroll or not.

If a roll has been made before I post this and it's a pass I'll take it, as an apology for being all over the place
>>
>>4195929
It was a vote to see if one of the failure's could be re-rolled. I didn't really mind who did it.

>>4195930
Pass!

Rolling THE ALLAN-WORM's To Hit (DC 4)

Roll me Daisy's To Hit (1d12 DC 5)
>>
>>4195930
it passed. thanks anon
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4195935
And here is the roll.
>>
>>4195935
I'll let someone with decent luck make this roll.
Are we supposed to roll higher than the worm, or lower?

>>4195936
only 8 more and our effort would've been in vain
>>
>>4195935
Anyone can roll Daisy's To Hit BTW.
>>
>>4195940
You have to roll under the DC (5).

Daisy is not really a great shot.

THE ALLAN-WORM's roll here >>4195939
had to be under 4.
>>
Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>4195935
it's a d12
>>
Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>4195935
Here we go.
>>
Rolled 12 (1d12)

>>4195935
oh boy
>>
>>4195948
Well then....
>>
>>4195951
It's time to stop.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d5)

>>4195952
>>4195954
You can't crit-fail To Hit rolls.

Unless you're firing into CQC in which case a 12 would have hit D@15Y

>>4195913
> Have her dive in front of us and try to hold ailln in place for us.

Uh.

Well.

1: Guns
2: Manipulator arms
3: Head sensors
4: Torso core
5: Legs

Good thing you're in the Storage Vault where all the spare parts are kept
>>
>>4195964
> D@15Y loses power

> With a damaged power core D@15Y cannot take action every other turn. However, Multi-tasking penalty will not apply during these turns.
>>
>>4195967
Anyways. Writing.
>>
>>4195896
As the grotesque person-tube comes towards you, you send D@15Y a command to grab it, quick! THE ALLAN WORM twists and snaps towards her like a heavy whip, the arms flapping and flailing before smashing off against the floor as it misses her! D@15Y locks her arms around THE ALLAN WORM, attempting to hold it in place.

Unfortunately, the thrashing of THE ALLAN WORM pulls D@15Y around and into your line of fire just as you pull the trigger. The round penetrates her core, and suddenly you find your link to her feeding you a sea of red error signals as her systems erratically begin to lose power. Backup power engages, but it's not meant for heavy use and will need a minute to charge after strenuous activity.

THE ALLAN WORM, it's fluids spreading over its body, manages to slip out of D@15Ys frozen grip and it rears back to strike again!

>Critfail: It can't happen twice in a fight, right?
>0 success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you AND D@15Y
>1 Success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you OR D@15Y (1d2)
>2 Success: You get to roll To Hit against the Allan-Worm
>3 Success: You get two rolls to hit against the Allan Worm
>Critical Success: Something good happens. Not to the Allan-Worm.

Daisy: Squishy(-20 DC). LOVED by Quark(+20DC). Out of practice w/ guns (-10).

THE ALLAN WORM: Inhuman Physique (Increased reach allows it to attack Daisy), Blunt Attack (No penalty for attacking D@15Y since it's no longer trying to penetrate metal), Tethered (+10DC), Bleeding out (+10DC)

> THE ALLAN WORM's bashing attack is as damaging to it as it is to whatever it hits. +10DC for every To Hit roll it makes, regardless of a hit or miss.

DC: 60

> You can choose to FLEE for a +20DC, bringing it up to 60, but re-entering the room will re-engage the battle. You can make preparations to try and make the fight easier. You still risk getting hit as you flee, though.
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>4195991
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>4195991
>>
>>4196016
>>4196008
It's been over 15 minutes, feel free to make the third roll.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>4196029
badda bing badda boom
>>
>>4196030
>3 Success: You get two rolls to hit against the Allan Worm

I need TWO 1d12s DC 7 (Weakened Worm +1, D@15Y down +1)
>>
Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>4196034
DIE MONSTER
>>
Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>4196034
>>
>>4196043
>>4196035
1 wound! +20 DC (Making holes!)

Writing.
>>
File: OH GOD ITs A SQUIRTER.gif (436 KB, 500x272)
436 KB
436 KB GIF
>>4195991
Embarrassment, rage, fear, emotions that flash through you as you focus past the data scrolling in the bottom left corner of your vision. D@15Y is down for now but not out, allowing you to focus fully on THE ALLEN WORM.

Even as sparks start to sparkle in the hole you made in D@15Ys torso, you maintain your stance and breathing and take a second shot, and a third, at THE ALLAN WORM.

The first one hits clean, snapping it back as the spray of blood counter-intuitively sprays towards you belying the high fluid pressure keeping THE ALLAN WORM flexible and turgid. The recoil of the gun however pushes your aim up and the follow-up shot misses, chiming as it ricochets back out of the Vault.

The yellow fluid originally it originally leaked out is almost invisible by now as blood continues to gush from the entry and exit wound the bullet made, as well as the continually bleeding arm. The Allan Worm is visibly slowing, appearing to sag as it jerks unevenly back towards you.

Green lights up in the corner of your vision as D@15Y comes back online.

>Critfail: It can't happen twice in a fight, right?
>0 success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you AND D@15Y
>1 Success: The Allan-Worm rolls To Hit against you OR D@15Y (1d2)
>2 Success: You get to roll To Hit against the Allan-Worm
>3 Success: You get two rolls to hit against the Allan Worm
>Critical Success: Something good happens. Not to the Allan-Worm.

Daisy: Squishy(-20 DC). LOVED by Quark(+20DC). Out of practice w/ guns (-10), Multi-tasking (-10DC)

THE ALLAN WORM: Inhuman Physique (Increased reach allows it to attack Daisy), Blunt Attack (No penalty for attacking D@15Y since it's no longer trying to penetrate metal), Tethered (+10DC), Gore Fountain (+30DC)

DC: 70

> You can choose to have D@15Y take a hit, giving THE ALLAN-WORM a free To Hit roll (DC 4) against D@15Y in exchange for a re-roll of any failed rolls. D@15Y can be repaired, after all.
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>4196072
DIE
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>4196072
YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD
>>
>>4196074
is the dice broken? rolled 51 thrice in one thread already.lol
>>
>>4196078
Too bad it wasn't twice for the same DC.

I mean. It replaced a 51 with a 51 which is close but not quite the same.
>>
>>4196078
I rolled 54 3 times.
>>
>>4196078
>>4196094
15 minutes is up, anyone want to roll for the third die?
>>
Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>4196107
>>
>>4196074
>>4196076
>>4196121

>3 Success: You get two rolls to hit against the Allan Worm

Gimme 2 1d12 DC: 7 (Flaccid Worm +2)
>>
Rolled 9 (1d12)

>>4196128
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>4196128
agh
>>
>>4196143
This roll gives me mixed feelings. Because I need a 1d12.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d12)

>>4196147
just gotta get rid of dem failures first
>>
>>4196150
WELL! It worked fantastically!

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for someone to get a 1 on their To Hit roll.

Because it's a milestone.

Anyways, writing.
>>
>>4196072
Leaky and limp The Allan Worm may be, but it's still moving around. The top/tip of The Allen Worm shrinks even more, the blood flow slowing as it builds up pressure in its base. It pulls back as the almost completely collapsed tip falls to the floor, before making a short sharp circle to try and whip the tip towards you!

You waste another shot aiming at the tip before you curse, realizing the futility of it, and aim at the still swollen stem. You hope you can hit it before you get hit yourself, and prepare to trade one hit for another.

Suddenly Quark pounces on the tip, tangling it up in his legs! While he does so, you take the shot and blow out the over-pressured base of the allan worm.

In almost an explosion of blood, the tip detaches and the allen worm almost completely deflates. Oddly, it appears to be leaking that yellow fluid you saw from your first shots into the body.

It starts to slither backwards, trying to pull back into the vent.

> FINISH IT

>Critfail: Don't do this.
>0 Success: the allan worm leaves a "present".
>1 success: pop pop pop making worms drop
>2 success: Loot the body!
>3 success: Gross fluid.
>Critical Success: Something special

DC: 90

Gimme 3 1d100s
>>
>>4196187
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>4196187
Let's try that again.
>>
Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4196187
>>
>>4196143
>>4196191
Really weird dice in this thread.
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4196187
>>4196191
Omg mate, just stop.
>>
File: Looting.jpg (88 KB, 500x609)
88 KB
88 KB JPG
>>4196195
>>4196192
>>4196191

the allan worm isn't even able to escape. Quark pounces on it again, pinning his pointy leg through it at the base of the vent. D@15Y holds the rest of it down as you administer the Coupe de Grace down the length of its body.

The yellow liquid it was leaking must have come from a gland you burst, rapidly pouring out onto the floor and evaporating in a now nauseating stench that burns the nostrils. The sweetness is gone from it, as the life seems to be from the rest of the allen worm.

The broken and abused body of Allan from Maintenance is shredded and barely recognizable as human. However, his maintenance access keys are easily recognizable. Cautiously pulling it off the corpse, a few dead worms spill out like candy from the worlds worst pinata, crunching underfoot as you search for anything else useful.

The adrenaline from the situation suddenly leaves you feeling shaky, but good. Very good. >>4196150 You never really expected to use your firearms training against another person, let alone a horrifying WHAT THE FUCK WORM. But you managed to keep it together under pressure.

> Daisy now rolls 1d10 for her To Hit rolls.Firing into melee still presents a danger of friendly fire, but will require rolling over 10 or in other words a negative modifier to do so.

The Storage Vault might be messy, but there is surprisingly little damage from THE ALLAN WORM.

You are able to quickly repair the damage in D@15Ys torso, restoring her to full power, and to switch out her dummy guns for the XR-20 Railguns as well as mounting the FMA arm exteriors. Additionally you grab the handheld scrap press, used to press scrap metal into the ammo used by the XR-20 guns.

> D@15Y can now engage in ranged combat. This allows To Hit rolls at a distance. D@15Y will roll 1d10s for her to hit rolls. Due to having two weapon arms, she will be able to re-roll a missed To Hit roll at the cost of not being able to roll To Hit with her weapon arms the next round.

> With her heavier manipulator arms, D@15Y can now engage in CQC and roll CQC To Hit

> D@15Y gains 1 adverse re-roll of enemy's successful To Hit roll due to her armored manipulator arms.

> The Maintenance Access key will allow you to open Storage Room Doors in all the sub-basements.
>>
>>4196227
> NAT 100 CRITFAIL

So, it's the first Critfail. I'm not a huge fan of using Criticals to just kill players, I feel it should be used to create extra challenges. I also didn't want to do it during the fight, especially after the first round, because I had already planned to make it suddenly get really hard. Also I was completely unsure how my second-hand system would work.

So, it's going to be a different kind of challenge. And you get to pick from the list below1

1)
> Psychic Shriek

2)
> Itchy Bum

3)
> Abyssal stare

Voting will remain open until tomorrow at some time, probably 4pm Mountain time. I will announce it when I run on twitter https://twitter.com/Bonesinger1

Complaints, criticisms, first borns, all are accepted here.
>>
>>4196230
>> Psychic Shriek
>>
>>4196230
Psychic Shriek
>>
>>4196230
> Psychic Shriek
>>
>>4197082
-> 40 mkm delay before writing.
>>
>>4197082
>>4196938
>>4196354

Whew! That took longer than I thought, sorry. Writing.
>>
>>4197387
Im ready...
>>
File: Spoiler Image (23 KB, 200x285)
23 KB
23 KB JPG
>>4197387
> Psychic Shriek

>While Daisy is unaffected by this, as are mechanical constructs such as Quark and D@15Y, others are more susceptible to the final call of THE ALLAN WORM.

You're quickly finished with D@15Ys upgrades and the examination of Allans gross corpse, which mostly consisted of you being heartily sick about it because you are a roboticist not a biologist or doctor or any other person particularly comfortable with the sights and smells of people's insides. You aren't even certain if that weird yellow gunk was abnormal.

You grab some basic tools for making repairs, some spare wiring and other useful things related to your skillset, toss them in a boc and bring them back to your office to let Eric help more by carrying them in his Wheely-Chair.

You notice that Eric is still asleep in his Wheely-Chair. Hmph. You have mixed feelings upon seeing this. On the one hand, it's probably a good sign given his injuries that's he's able to get some sleep. On the other hand, it's vexing that he doesn't wake up to hold the supply box you brought, resulting in you having to duct tape it in place on top of him.

On the gripping hand, it's intensely annoying now that you have time to think about it that you're the one who has to do all the grunt work, while the actual Grunt naps through it. You're a woman, you're an officer, for gosh sakes you're a nerd! You having to do this with your squishy self is tiring and an annoyance you've not had to experience for a long time.

If only you had better Grunts, then you might not even NEED D@15Y, who you point out to Eric as you go through your external monlogues, managed to take a bullet an hour ago and was already better so clearly there's no competition from Grunts there.

Eric, in his sleep, grunts what you assume is agreement with your expert opinion and twists slightly in his once again taped down position under the supplies.

Quark roots around your office, finding a power plug and extending a plug from his "head" into it.

Anything left to do before leaving, and do people want to take the elevator or leave Eric behind and take the stairs?
>>
>>4197424
I think we can just use the elevator.
Take Eric with us, he's got all our supplies.
>>
>>4197428
Back this.
We gota hook up napman with some robo parts
>>
>>4197429
>>4197428
Vote will be open for another 40 min or so at which point I'll start writing. Gotta eat.
>>
>>4197429
>>4197428
> Do not violate the NAP

Writing. Just . . . . figuring out how to approach the next part.
>>
File: Sub-Basement 3.jpg (173 KB, 1259x726)
173 KB
173 KB JPG
>>4197551
Luckily, the elevator to the robotics bay is quite spacious. It can be taken up to the 3rd Sub-Basement, at which point you'll have to get off and proceed West over The Tank to the Elevator to the West.

Sub-basement 3 is biologicals. Mostly research on specialist crop strains for different environments, you do know that some virology and work on animal to human disease transmission is done as well. Finally, some work on alternative fuel sources are done as well on that level.

The Floor Head is Karla, a brilliant scientist in her 70s who has been at the forefront of many modern revolutions in agriculture, bio-fuels, and was personally responsible for nano-serum surprisingly early in her career, targeted bio-bots that could be coded for specific viruses and bacteria to hunt them down in the human body nearly eliminating the risk of death from most common, known diseases. With the recent issues of viruses mutating rapidly, however, it has been less effective as each mutation must be studied before The Serum can be calibrated for it.

She has been working here in this multi-field(ha) operation in order to find inspiration, hoping to be able to refine a true Panacea before the end of her career.

The floor indicator of the elevator chimes, as a holographic map springs forth from it displaying the various areas of Sub-basement 3 for you to peruse.
>>
Hey hey lurkers, rollers, and voters! Let's talk about preparing for quests, and the absolute none of that I did for this one!

I've got some vague ideas fleshed out, but this honestly turned more eldritch spooky than I had originally intended and I'm not sure I want to go the same direction I originally planned in going.

By which I mean, I'm considering taking this quest seriously.

Anyways. While I'm working on actually putting something together for this floor that's a coherent story arc (It's much bigger than the robotics room) I plan to run on Friday night, for tonight and tomorrow people can ask questions about what Daisy knows regarding Sub-Basement 3, the setting, and anything else really. No promises on answers being exactly true (they'll be to the best of Daisy's knowledge though).

If I can get some feedback like >>4188680 where they mentioned a preference for hiding outcomes, that would be great. Tell me, what do you want from a quest like this?

In the meantime, tonight and tomorrow, I'll whip up some pastebins and plots and plans. Well. I posted the floor plan already.

Thanks to everyone who came and voted and rolled and wrote-in plans! I hope nobody was spooked by me saying I was gonna kill Quark for the nat 100 in the QTG.

Because you didn't select that option.

Anyways I have attached 1 ART as a preview for what's coming up in Sub-basement 3. Made with my finest skills in paint 3D which is kinda nice. I might re-do D@15Y's weapons in it too, or keep the blocky white "Equipment Slot" feature.
>>
>>4197632
Wait I tell a lie.>>4195543 here I used paint 3D to give Jim a wide and creepier face. Poorly, I admit.

>>4197632
Here I tried to use my laptop mousepad and MS Paint to cut out around the head.

Also, any good recommendations on free photo-shopping like software or is Paint 3D actually decent? I just want to be able to free rotate things.
>>
>>4197632
Well you have been doing a good job so far, keep at it qm and il be here to vote.
>>
>>4197632
I like the System Shock vibe you've got going here.
What is the current political situation of the world, focusing on the country she lives in?
What is the name of the building she's in right now? How many floors are in it?
Even if our goal is to go above ground, we may have to go back down to find something before we can leave.
>>
>>4199030
Current political state is multiple apocalyptic scaling scenarios.

The Climate Crises collapsed coastal economies, resulting in Britan, Portugal, and Danish refugees swarming the new Western European coastline in 2050 while the influx of refugees from the Mediterannean flooding and the Scandinavian freezing have created significant population pressure as the EU split into the German-Gaullic State and the Balkans Block.

Spain is now known as The Shifting Shore as the line of demarcation pushes back and forth between the GFF and the West Coast Alliance States, WCAS.

Daisy works for the Core, the combined professional military which is mostly naval based and under Queen Elizabeth II who is kept alive in a Golden Throne system and who lead the Danish Escape from annexation by Sweden in 2058 as the revived Swedish Kingdom conquered Norway in a surprise attack and the dikes were no longer capable of holding back the rising seas.

Technically she's married to the leader of the revived Estado Novo, who took the name Antonio II.

Sadly their naval power, while allowing for some incursions into the Mediterannean which is a hotly contested naval warzone, is limited in its ability to project power into Europe.

However, with the recent Genetic Collapse syndrome caused by tainted McRibs produced in the Sino-Alliance flesh vats, has recently decimated the populations of the Balkan Block and the Euro-India Colonies, allowing for the WCAS to possibly steal a march on them as the lockdown to prevent the spread of Genetic Collapse disorder from returning to the Shifting Shoreline to repulse an attack.

The DOLL system is one of many attempts to neutralize both the numbers disadvantage, and the risk of spreading Genetic Collapse syndrome. Genetic Collapse syndrome is actually cause by hyper-mutating viruses that rapidly adjust to their host bodies cells, becoming near impossible to treat even with the Serum developed by the renowned scientist Karla, as the base infection becomes customized to the host and may even transform into another new base if left too long.

It risks war becoming a national death sentence if soldiers are exposed and bring it back home.

Northern Africa is far too hot and dry. Southern Africa confederated to drive out China after several nations fell to debt-entrapment schemes. The Sino-Alliance put up a literal "Great Firewall" as well as figurative when it invaded and siezed Indo-china with only Japan and United Korea holding out by being supported by the USA Founding Fathers, the theocratic rulers. Canada got absorbed into them.

Mexico is the Middle Americas bulwark, heavily militarized and in control of the largest cross-continental shipping lanes, going full communist in the Farmers Revolution that started out as finally clearing out the Narcos and ended up with everyone in bunkers to survive in the heat.

South America is a series of warfronts as the Brazilian Commons attempts to conquer the smaller nations around it.
>>
>>4199030
Japan is a mostly fleet based nation now, docked permanently around the northern part of the island in a variety of old shipping tankers siezed during the flood by the USA as "foreign aid"

Iran and Iraq had a limited nuclear exchange in 2075, which triggered a nuclear first strike by Israel on Egypt due to manipulation by the American FF Theocracy who believed the sinking of California and New York to be signs of the apocalypse. The goal was to prevent Arab refugees from Africa further pressuring Israel.

The Ukraine revealed that it had purchased nuclear weapons from Turkey in 2076 and nuked Moscow and St. Petersburg in a massive first strike, and without it's leadership the Russian Army actually refrained from a retaliatory strike in favour of overwhelming conventional force invasion of The Ukraine due to concerns of triggering MAD. The GFF and Balkan Alliance partitioned Turkey in responce as well, as opposed to allowing the Russian Remnants from continuing their invasion into Turkey.

Cut off from allies and trade, the UAE and SA devolved into a hypercapitalistic series of tribal city states who gain and lose oil producing facilities constantly in small wars.

The Sino-Alliance is focused mostly on quelling internal dissent. China, but bigger and trying to absorb India, their initial success in expansion has led to significant internal instability and brutal repression and control. Not much else is known.

So we have climate change, nuclear fallout preventing a Russian invasion of Europe, a hyper plague, and finally

The Fall of the Long Night. This is just the start of it, but essentially the Earth is under the observation of entities from Outside Time and Space. The magnetic field kept the delicious human thoughts from pervading too far from it, but with the depletion of the Ozone layer and a poorly timed coronal mass ejection during the peak of mass human death, a summoning ritual essentially occurred drawing the attention of extradimensional entities.

While they are unable to cross, it's a well known fact that the act of observing changes the object that is observed.
>>
>>4199030
As for the building and whatnot, I'm still deciding all that stuff and putting it in a pastebin for easy reference. I want to take more time with the smaller scale details.

Like. Still planning out what's going on in sub-basement 3 and where to place encounters and how to have NPCs reacr depending on how players move through the level.
>>
>>4199030
D@15Y - https://pastebin.com/EzrAKzdM

Daisy - https://pastebin.com/9FP6zqZ2

West Coast United Alliance was supposed to be United Coastal Allied States gosh darn it. That's what I get for being lazy and doing that part on my phone when my computer was all the way in another room.
>>
>>4199030
Charles Stross' "The Laundry Files" will probably be more accurate a reference than System Shock.
>>
File: Sub-Basement 3.jpg (177 KB, 1259x726)
177 KB
177 KB JPG
Updated Map. Some key areas were reworked for clarity.
>>
T-minus one hour until update.
>>
File: The Tank.jpg (307 KB, 1098x736)
307 KB
307 KB JPG
>>4200515
The hiss of the elevator is quickly subsumed into the gentle splashing of The Tank. In a surprisingly aesthetic choice, the elevator between sub-basement 3 and 5 is surrounded by the chainglass walls. Developed as a high-tensile replacement for plastics in the early 2040s, it allows for a colourful view. It still does, but it's just the colour green. The once crystal clear kaleidoscope is now a murky depth filled with fish that you could swear weren't so numerous when you went past it to your office some 12 hours earlier, and a notable lack of the previous flourishing experimental sea crops.

The ramp leading through The Tank and up to exit elevator lies to the West. To the East, are the experimental GMO crops being tested for resistance to various parasites and destructive insects in their individually sealed environments, colloquially known as the creepy crawly collection. You never had much reason to spend time anywhere but the path from one elevator to the next, although this is the Bio-research level your rare collaborations with other departments have been occasionally with the systems information and augmented intelligence labs in sub-basement 4, and otherwise only with cybernetics in the hospital wing on the above-ground floor (and the ostensible cover for the government facilities here). You suppose this could be an opportunity to look around, and see if there is anyone who can explain what is happening.

Or you could say F. that and head straight to the exit to see if anyone in security can buzz you through.

Wat do?

> Try to find someone. According to Eric, Security was acting strange, and it's not like Eric himself wasn't The creepy crawly collection usually has some techs in it, and you saw some offices in the SE. Alternatively, Kira's office is on the way to the exit before you reach security. Maybe some scouting around first would be best. (D@15Y solo, or go as a group? Stash Eric somewhere first?)

> Haha it's nope the fuck o'clock and you don't need to be slowed down getting out of here. Go directly to Security to get buzzed through to the elevator.

> Write in
>>
>>4200588
> Try to find someone. According to Eric, Security was acting strange, and it's not like Eric himself wasn't The creepy crawly collection usually has some techs in it, and you saw some offices in the SE. Alternatively, Kira's office is on the way to the exit before you reach security. Maybe some scouting around first would be best. (D@15Y solo, or go as a group? Stash Eric somewhere first?)
Go into Karla's Office, bring Eric with us.
Search the office for anything useable.
Then have D@15Y go investigate the security room.
>>
File: Karla's office.jpg (119 KB, 738x407)
119 KB
119 KB JPG
>>4200600
You decide that your best bet for finding out what's happening is going to be talking to the Boss. If Karla isn't in her office, maybe you can snoop a little or just continue past if it's locked.

You walk up the ramp to the West, getting D@15Y to help push Eric and The Supplies up the slope. Fish dart and swim around you as you pass through the water surrounded tunnel, and strange lights gleam briefly in the background before you're past them.

Karla's office is directly on the left. You knock on the door, and wait a brief while before knocking again. A couple minutes later it's apparent that nobody is going to be answering the door, so you test the handle and find it locked.

> Pick lock (1d100 DC 35, 3 rerolls - rerolls will not regenerate until more SUPPLIES are found)
> Smash lock (INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH)
> Drill lock
>>
Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>4200634
> Pick lock (1d100 DC 35, 3 rerolls - rerolls will not regenerate until more SUPPLIES are found)
>>
>>4200636
SNAP!

The bits of wire snaps off, leaving you with a length too short to work with.

>Reroll, drill, leave?
>>
>>4200639
>Drill
>>
>>4200642
Well. Fuck that noise, you're a roboticist slash programmer not a locksmith.

You briefly consider kicking the door down, or slamming your shoulder into it like you've seen on television and reflexively look around for a Grunt. Seeing only Eric, who is still asleep and occasionally moaning, you take a closer look to check on him and see that you brought a drill along.

Well. Work smarter, not harder!

You proceed to drill out the lock and enter Karlas's office.

Yeah I posted the pic for this here >>4200634

Calling out a soft "Hello" to see if anyone in here wasn't able to hear you drilling out the lock, you enter to see a fairly disheveled and unevenly lit office. It's quite large, with a closed door in the back left, a central examination table with overhead manipulator, a computer station to the back right, and a surprisingly comfy couch with a coffee table loaded with papers.

Apparently, Karla doesn't hold many meetings in her office and it's more of a personal area.

> Gimme 3 1d100s for searching the office
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>4200663
>>
>>4200663
> Standard 15 minute delay before IDs can make multiple rolls apply
>>
>>4200663
DC1 75

DC2 50

DC3 25

Sorry this isn't a best of 3, but three different DCs. Since you aren't rushing, it doesn't matter what order you get the rolls in.

Also see if you can spot what is weird to find in a Biologists office for a bonus to rolls!
>>
>>4200666
Feel free to take longer to examine the picture if there's anything in particular you want to look at before deciding to add it for your roll.
>>
Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>4200680
That bag of tools by the couch.
>>
>>4200693
Did you want to pick a thing to try for a bonus for >>4200666 ???
>>
>>4200700
the rolls of paper on the table
>>
For any lurkers, new IDs or IDs that haven't picked something to investigate yet can pick a thing to investigate and to add to a roll.
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4200715
The computer.
>>
>>4200693
>DC 75 - Pass!

>>4200666
> DC 50 - Fail

>>4200720
> DC 25 - Fail

Bonus! Bag of Tools found. Supplies are renewed to (3) for lockpicks.

Writing.
>>
File: Karla.jpg (36 KB, 620x400)
36 KB
36 KB JPG
>>4200731
Deciding that since shit has apparently hit the fan it wouldn't be rude to look around the room to figure out just where Karla might be, you make a cursory sweep.

The first thing you check out is the bag of tools by the couch, stepping over the novelty . . . human . . . skin . . . rug.

Oh god. OH GOD. You aren't religious but you sure as shit wish you had something to pray to for poor Karla's soul. You let out a terrified shriek upon realizing that what you thought was a novelty rug at first is actually the skin of Karla. It has a certain authentic squish as you step on it.

Your shriek manages to finally wake up Eric who blearily looks around.

Eric: "Whass. . . Whass happening. Daisy? Daisy, did we find someone who can help us? Where are we?"

You grab the toolbag quickly and back away from the human skin you were standing on, pointing it out to Eric.

"Tell me it's not really Karla on the floor there, Eric. TELL ME IT'S A SICK JOKE".

Eric:"Of course it's just a " a trickle of blood pushed out by your steps thickly oozes over the darker stain that spreads out beneath the skin.

Eric proceeds to throw up.

Eric:"Fuck Daisy. Fuck. What the fuck did you bring me into?"

You stare at him for a moment before telling him you have no idea either.

A longer stare after telling him that, you decide to continue looking around. The skin creeps you out, so you just quickly rifle through the papers on her desk.

A number of reports on the growth rates of plants in the low-light an low-temperature atriums is there, along with a memo declining the request for a "waifu war" between the low-light, low-temp, and Creepy Crawly research teams. WTF is a "waifu war". Had this insanity started earlier than you think?

There's mention of a new breakthrough in making a more flexible Serum for treating genetic collapse syndrome, apparently gotten from the hydrophilic fungus. That's about all you can understand from it, it appears they're planning on moving on to animal testing next month.

Next you briefly check the computer station, but everything has locked itself out. Goddamn government required security measures, you had hoped that at least Karla of all people would be able to ignore them for what you assume is her personal workstation. Looks like the UCAS Core doesn't let anyone bend the rules.

Uninterested in looking through the various plants and cultures at the workstation, you decide that since whatever happened to Karla hasn't happened to you - yet - it would be best to check out Security.

Since Karla's office at least has a door, albeit not a lockable one anymore, you decide to send D@15Y out first to see if Security IS the threat or not.

(1/2)
>>
>>4200762
Assuming direct control over D@15Y, you send her out into the hallway and left down to security. What you see isn't horrifying like a hanging corpse, or the flaccid skin of a person shed and left behind.

Nope. Just a big, closed security door that's obviously in lockdown mode.

To the left of the door is an intercom system. You buzz it a couple of times, but you don't receive a response.

Fuck.

You hold the buzzer down and use D@15Ys speakers to berate the intercom for dereliction of duty, incompetence, treason, and being rude by not answering people who would really like to use the elevator to leave.

Still receiving no reply, you start to turn D@15Y back towards Karla's office when suddenly a clattering sound occurs and from the ceiling drops a goddamn giant metal spider with a madly grinning redhead on it. Literally just the head.

???:"Woah there, my fine metal representative, you seem upset. Sorry I didn't get here sooner, but I don't think all those threats were called for. Especially since I, at least, didn't head upstairs to worships some "Sky Lord" like the security chaps seem to have done. In fact, I recommend staying down here where it's nice and safe. No eerie lights from the sky melting reality, shifting your perfectly fine physique into a handy and disturbingly functional spider robot type body."

Wat say?

> Fight!
> "What, I don't . . . Sky Lord? Who are you, and what's going on? Where is everyone!"
> Agree and find somewhere to hole up.
> "I don't care about what's happening out there, I just don't want to be stuck down here. Is there a way to open this door?"
> Write in
>>
>>4200792
Also someone roll me a 1d2.

Vote will be up for a couple hours while I cook and make din-din.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4200792
> "What, I don't . . . Sky Lord? Who are you, and what's going on? Where is everyone!"

>>4200795
flippin'
>>
>>4200800
The worm turns

Ignore this.
>>
>>4200792
>> "What, I don't . . . Sky Lord? Who are you, and what's going on? Where is everyone!"
>>
>>4200792
>> "What, I don't . . . Sky Lord? Who are you, and what's going on? Where is everyone!"
>>
File: The Sky Lord.jpg (40 KB, 474x841)
40 KB
40 KB JPG
>>4200854
Jeph:"Well, rather rude to ask my name without introducing yourself, no?"

Daisy: Commodore First Class Daisy Fuentes. Head of the Bulevar del Ferrocarril DOLL Initiative. Currently remoting in through the" at this point you pause slightly, since there was never an official name for the Shells the D@15Y name was mostly an in-joke at the Lab "Through the D@15Y unit." You finish off in a slightly quieter and embarrassed tone.

Jeph:"Well shucks, Love, you must be someone important if they named the prototype after you, and you being a Commodore and all that."

Yes. You are, in fact, an important person. However the fact that the Shell wasn't actually named after you makes you glad that the D@15Y unit can't in fact show that you're blushing. Still, you're unsure if the cheerfulness in his voice is a subtle dig, or just his natural way of talking.

Jeph:"I happen to be Cpl. Jeph Sharpe of the Royal Engineers, a Sapper specifically. I was fortunate enough to be allowed the privilege of constructing, defending, and then demolishing a bridge at a place that's not terribly important and everything went perfectly fine right up until that last part which ended up with me being down a leg or two. Luckily I'm pretty bad at cards and my squad figured that if they didn't pull me back, I wouldn't be able to pay my debts. So I ended up at the Hospital above ground here. In retrospect, I think it might have been a better idea to stay under that building."

He doesn't have much of a British accent, but over the last 80 years or so the Western world saw so much back and forth refugee movement that Citizenship became a matter more of convenience than legacy.

Jeph:" So, no shit there I was, getting used to walking around on my knees during the morning when suddenly the cloud cover split and a bright light came from behind the clouds. I was hoping it was a rare Sun Break, but when I looked up it was more like a crack in the sky itself. An eerie, shining gouge that I felt more than saw."

Jeph:"I guess some people felt it more than others, because the weird shit happened pretty soon after that. The docs and Security started getting into it about whether or not to go into lockdown, and then the Head of Security, Arthur, lost his shit when some of the docs tried to sneak out. Everything happened so fast, one minute it was normal dick measuring contest, the next it was executions, and a couple hours after that it had transitioned to blood sacrifices to appear the Sky Lord that apparently was now talking to Arthur, saying that the strong would take the power of the weak. Being in my situation, I felt it unlikely that I would be considered one of the strong."

Jeph pauses.

Jeph:"So I snuck out of my room. Found myself a mag board, and pushed myself around on it, ducking into rooms to avoid people. The patients there weren't much better than Arthur, and as I hid some of them, some of them became things."

(1/2)
>>
File: Elevator down.jpg (46 KB, 468x544)
46 KB
46 KB JPG
>>4201057
(2/2)
Jeph pauses and someone manages to indicate a gesture at his own body using some salacious eyebrow movement and a sardonic grin.

Jeph:"I can guess what happened to them, since it was while I was running away from them that I wished more than anything else that I still had more legs, or even a couple of extra. Looks like something was looking down on me too, just like Arthur. And that's what scared me into coming down as far as I could."

Jeph: Clerical, up on the next floor, was organizing themselves into competing tribes. Saying some shit about "Waifus", I guess because it's mostly single guys. The women, they're even scarier. It's about how all the guys follow them around in unision, it's terrifying. They were having death matches from their "Champions" to find the "Best Seed" and I noped the fuck out of their right away.

Jeph:"I mostly snuck around through the vents to get around since it turns out I can roll myself up pretty small now. Don't ask me how I can still see to get around like that, it hurts my head enough just to do it much less think about it."

Jeph:"No idea what the vehicle bay up above Clerical is like. You know how they have most of that locked off, and I wasn't interested in looking around."

Jeph:"Finally, if you're wondering why I didn't just take the elevator straight down, well, this door right here is why. Unless you can somehow access Security to unlock it, your best bet is to use the same access lift I used to get down here. It might be a bit tight in some places, but if you aren't much bigger than this robot then you might be able to get through."

Jeph:"I've been looking for a place to hole up further down, further away from that fa-, uh, from the Crazies. What about the robotics lab? How's the situation down there?

>"There's no-one there at all, at least not in the DOLL lab. I can give you my access card if you want to hide there, so long as you help me out here." (How?)
>"Inaccessible, unless you can find a way to sneak in from sub-basement 4" (Do not mention your keycard)
>"Horrible" (Make up some story so he doesn't try to go down and end up touching your stuff.)
>>
>>4201079
>>"There's no-one there at all, at least not in the DOLL lab. I can give you my access card if you want to hide there, so long as you help me out here." (How?)
can he fight his way out with some support?
>>
>>4201105
Jeph"No." His cheery demeanor has been wiped cleaner than D@15Ys ability to express emotion.

Jeph:"I'm not interested in anymore fighting. I just have to get away from whatever it was that saw me. I can't face that. I *won't* face that again."
>>
>>4201112
then maybe stay there until we can fight or figure out a way to get there
>>
>>4201130
Jeph:"The only place I'm interested in going is down. I can wait here for a bit, but only if you have a way to get me further down. Where it's safe"
>>
>>4201136
sure. we'll try our best. how many hostiles are there between us?
>>
>>4201130
>>4201136
Jeph agrees to wait here in the vents for your return. It's better than trying to work his way through yet another unknown floor.

After all, he doesn't even have hands anymore much less any weapons.


Jeph:"I'm pretty sneaky. I can scrounge around maybe and see if I can find anything that could be of use to you." (If you return to Jeph, a roll for loot with be made if you give him your keycard)

>Where to now? Will you explore through D@15Y, or beside her? Will you take Eric with you?
>>
>>4201194
>>4201198
Jeph: "There are a few weirdos staying in the Hothouses. The low temp one might be difficult to cross if you're around here yourself without their help."

"Alternatively, you can try to go through the Test Fields, its a shorter trip and you might be able to get through the low temp hothouse fast enough. But the guys in there aren't even able to speak, and they freak me out."

"There's also a few women in the South offices. It sounded like they were having a party, but after Clerical . . . I don't want to know what they were celebrating. Not sure what they could help you with, but they're there if you want to try and contact them."
>>
>>4201198
sorry qm. too sleepy. will think of a plan tomorrow
>>
>>4201253
I too am the sleep. I'll be running earlier tomorrow I think.
>>
>>4201198
>>4201207
>Go to the test fields with D@15Y. Take Eric with you.
>>
>>4201198
>>4201207
>>4201284
Actually, gonna change this to:
>Use D@15Y to move heavy objects to blockade the entrance to Hothouse 1.
>Then go to the test fields with D@15Y. Take Eric with you.
>>
>>4201544
There's the couch, the coffee table, and some chairs in Karla's office. Are those the ones you want to move?
>>
>>4201585
Yep.
>>
>>4200600
Back this.
>>
>>4202489
>>4201586
K. Writing in about 4 hours.
>>
>>4201284
>>4201544
>>4202489
> You have chosen the direct route through the creepy crawly fields.

You thank Jeph for his information, and decide to head to the Test Fields instead of through the Hothouses. Perhaps it will be easier to deal with the silent types Jeph saw there instead of with the weirdos. Whether or not you look elsewhere on the floor can wait until after you see what you're dealing with.

But first, best to prevent yourself from getting flanked. You and D@15Y drag out what furniture you can from her office and pile it up against the door to Dense Energy Biological's Storage. Hopefully it's enough to stop whatever might come through there.

You drag Eric back down the tunnel through The Tank to the elevator room, the water behind the chainglass panels appearing to becoming darker, and murkier. Above you on the roof, a light burns out as you reach your first obstacle.

Stairs.

Looking at Eric in the cobbled together Wheely-Chair, and then looking at the stairs, it's going to be somewhat difficult to get him up them and into the Test Fields.

> Roll 3 1d100s DC 40 (Base 30, +10 two "people" handling it.)
>>
Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>4203532
>>
>>4203612
Feel free to roll again after 15 min have passed if nobody else does!
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>4203532
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>4203532
>>
File: Creepy Crawly Collection.jpg (469 KB, 1920x1077)
469 KB
469 KB JPG
>>4203641
>>4203637
>>4203612

> Pass

With D@15Y taking the main weight load, and you guiding the feet of the Wheely-Chair, you manage to get Eric up to the Test Fields entrance. Quietly opening the door and pushing through the plastic temperature regulating flaps, a wave of warm air that carries the slight scent of sweet rot rolls over you.

You are reasonably sure that the Test Fields were not supposed to be overgrown, with greenery rising up the various frameworks and walls to reach the very roof itself. The fields themselves seem to be hotbeds of decaying compost, and shambling figures can be seen in the haze of the muggy air traversing seemingly aimlessly between different fields. They are wearing lab-coats, but their shape seems wrong, bulging and shifting beneath the lab-coats as they move with asymmetrical rhythms.

They don't seem terribly alert, it might be possible to sneak by them. Then again, it could be a problem if they find you in the middle of passing through.

Wat do?

> Abort. Try the Hothouse route.
>Sneak through with the gang.
>Sneak through with D@15Y
> Start a fight
> Start a fight with D@15Y

If you just rush in, it's going to be a very hard fight so if that's what you want try to think of some tactics
>>
>>4203675
>Sneak through with the gang.
>>
>>4203675
>Sneak through with the gang.
>>
>>4203770
>>4203757
Give me 3 1d100

Base DC 50

> The Gang - Daisy (-10 to DC), Wheely-Chair(-10 to DC), D@15Y (-10 to DC)

DC 20

> The Harvestmen - Deaf, Dumb, Blind (+10 DC), Early stages (+10 DC), Supernatural senses (-10 DC to living), Shamblers (Chance to escape after detection.

>Critfail - Not a good place for it
>0 Success - THE SWARM AWAKENS
>1 Success - Roll 1d3 for pursuers, 1 means no pursuers
>2 success - Roll 1d2 for pursuers, 1 means no pursuers
>3 success - Sneaky action
>Crit success - wriggly warfare
>>
>>4203814
Whoops! Overall DC is 30.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>4203814
Well this is tough.
>>
>>4203846
> Trying to be sneaky with 3 characters, one of whom is squishy and one of whom is in a cobbled together chair using office chair wheels

I don't know why you thought it would be easy.
>>
Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>4203814
This is me >>4203770 on phone. My internet went out all of a sudden.
>>
>>4203863
I let people re-roll, if someone cares enough to samefag that just makes me feel good.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>4203863
Gonna roll again. Id probably changed too.
>>
Looks like it's our lucky day
>>
File: Where to.jpg (180 KB, 1259x726)
180 KB
180 KB JPG
>>4203910
>>4203863
>>4203846
Huh. Well. Congrats, gang, despite being a scooby doo collection of sneak you have made it through.

So, uh, you guys want to tell me where you're sneaking TO?
>>
>>4203954
If you're sneaking around just in general, a second roll to escape will be needed.

But it's, you know, an option.
>>
File: Where to.jpg (187 KB, 1259x726)
187 KB
187 KB JPG
>>4203954
Map with stuff on it.
>>
>>4203954
>>4203957
>>4203960
>Go to the party girls.
>>
>>4203974
K. Writing.
>>
File: Containment area.jpg (56 KB, 800x450)
56 KB
56 KB JPG
>>4203992
>Squeak.

Pause.

>Squeak.

Pause

You slowly push the Wheely-chair through the Test Fields while D@15Y takes the rear in follow mode. Cautiously at first, wincing with every squeak of the wheels, you're thankful that the rotting plant matter seems to be limited to the raised fields while the plants themselves seem to have chosen to grow upwards towards the various lighting arrays over said fields.

The shambling people(?) seem to ignore you, even when you let out a gasp of shock when you get a clear look one of them with their head so swollen by various lumps that their face seems to have been compressed to only a drooping, slightly drooling mouth barely visible. It must be constantly hanging open just so that they can still breathe.

You pick up the pace, easily avoiding them as they slowly move around the room.

Deciding that it would be comforting to meet someone who ISN'T either Eric, who is unconscious again after the stress of being lifted up the stairs, or a horrible monstrosity of some sort, you decide to head towards Jeph had said he had heard women having some sort of party in the Containment area offices.

As you move everyone into the clean room, it cycles through and a wave of sterilizing spray washes over you bringing some measure of a feeling of cleanliness. Eric must have breathed some in, because he starts to cough and wheeze, but he quickly recovers and doesn't wake up. A short bath in UV light finishes the cycle, and you walk through to find a blessedly clean hallway. This whole level has been far too . . . organic already for you, especially the uncomfortably summer-swamp air of the Testing Fields.

From the offices directly across, you can barely make out what sounds like voices chanting together before a peal of laughter breaks out and an unmistakable clink of glasses is heard. Sounds like someone is maybe having a toast and a little party. Well. That's one way of dealing with whatever is happening here you suppose.

Wat do?

> Search Level 3 Containment
> Search Level 4 Containment [LOCKED]
> Knock on the office door
> Try to eavesdrop through the door
> Write-in.
>>
>>4204015
> Try to eavesdrop through the door
>>
>>4204038
Sorry. I fell asleep. Will write tomorrow.
>>
File: Dont be rude.jpg (32 KB, 600x319)
32 KB
32 KB JPG
>>4204038
You turn up the gain on D@15Ys microphone since she was built to be a military robot it can be increased fairly high as well as with some directional ability but once you switch over to her systems there's no change in the volume of the not-quite intelligible muttering. You start to curse in your mind, thinking that something must be going wrong with microphone, when the clinking of glass is heard again and nearly blows out your eardrums.

In shocked pain you switch off the audio feed from D@15Y. As the ringing subsides, it seems the muttering has increased in volume and is just barely, teasingly on the edge of being understandable.

You slowly move forward towards the door, and gently rest your head against it in order to place your ear upon it.

One draught for the daughter when her first moon grows

One draught for the maid when her moon becomes full.

The bottle for the crone when her moon finally goes

A pause, then raucous laughter resumes.

We need more drinks then, to share, so we all remain maidens and don't become a crone by finishing it off someone says in a sweet, lilting voice.

Or we could have someone come in to finish the bottle off for us, to close the party someone says in a husky voice, warmth spreading from the ears to the heart and making your pulse quicken.

Well, we could perhaps find a mouse down here somewhere. Plants can't drink, after all. Now where. would. we. find. one. someone says in a plain voice, a familiar voice, one you hear every day. whose voice is it

Hearing this last part you have a bad premonition and start to pull your head away when suddenly a hand explodes from the door and grabs your head.

Hello, Daisy, won't you join us for a drink? says the plain voice.

> Agree
> Try to escape (will require a roll)
>>
>>4205522
> Try to escape (will require a roll)
>>
>>4205549
Aight. 31d100 DC 20

(-10 surprised, -20 squishy)
>>
Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>4205598
31 huh?
>>
Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>4205598
>>
>>4205599
3 1d100 haha.

But now that I think about it, 31 d100s could be fun to use later. Mnnyyyyesss.
>>
>>4205606
Hello, new ID! You might not know this, but because of a low number of players, I allow IDs to make second or even third rolls in 15 minute intervals!
>>
Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>4205625
It me >>4203910 >>4203863 >>4203770
>>
File: Spoiler Image (493 KB, 400x168)
493 KB
493 KB GIF
>>4205606
>>4205599
>>4205671

FAILURE. [Warning, disturbing image in spoiler]

T̸̠̤̣̑c̶̠̓͋ḧ̴̜͔͕̗́̀̏͠ ̴̢̡̜̾̍́̔D̵̼͊͝ö̴̪̀̓̾͌n̷̯̘̒'̷̰̆͒̈́͘t̶͙͎͈͔͌͊ ̶͙̓̕͝b̶̧̑͐͘̚e̵̢̩̫͕̩̾͗̆͂͝ ̸͉̝͚̦͖̓͝s̷̨͉̀̀̉̋͘ǒ̴̮̳͚͇̼ ̵̨̱̹͉̺̋̌r̷̩͖̯͂̂̀u̸͉̣̇̐̄͑ḑ̶̘̘̃͘̚e̷̦̺͒̾̆̊̕ ̶̡̜̟̀̍͊͋͝a̵͖̘̜̘̹̓̈̊͋s̵̛̹̭̎̾ ̴̧̼̭̏̇͠͠t̷̛̤͉̫̭̆̓́͠ȍ̴͕̖̙̹͆ ̵̥̤̓͜l̶̘͚̬̻̆̍͋͊͊e̸̓̏͜ạ̶̬̳̣̄̌̇́̓v̸̢̪̜̟̆e̴̼̱̖̍̎̆̍͘.̷̙̟͐̏ ̶̤͚̃̂͌͘͝É̷͖͈͈̰̜̾͑͋͌ṿ̷̧͔̞͖̏̎̍̇ȩ̵̩̯̙̈́͗̈́r̸͉̤̭͕̦̕ÿ̷͍̬͔̜̗́̾̉ţ̷͉͙͉͎̾́͝ḫ̴̛̈́̐̐̒i̸̺̺͇͐̆̓͘̕n̶̨̖̾ĝ̸̨̛̯͇͇ͅ ̷͓̳̮͍̆̀̏̕h̷̩͈́̾͑͆ḁ̷̏̿́̈́̆s̶̜̫̙͌́͝ ̷̟̗͐̒̑̐̂ä̵̧̝͍̩́̏̉̚ ̸̙̓p̴̘̳̂r̵̟̩̾̀͠i̷̧̬̯̬̗̐̐̈́̍̍č̷̛͓̺͖͈̒̄e̴͖̫̋̊̆͊́,̴̣͓̼͕̂̌̍̐͆ ̸̟́̄̓͠͠a̴̰̽ṋ̷̫̒̾͑͂d̶͉̜̻̑͒̄̚ ̵͍̯̪̾k̷͔̯̄̑͒n̶̢̢͍̹͆̀ö̵͔̪͖̜̃͑̑w̵̨̧̱͚̠̌l̸̬̬̭̝̍͆͑ę̸̕d̴̤͑̆g̶̳̠̊ḙ̴͓̞̈́ ̵̞̤͙͙̌͗̿͜ć̵̬̥̗̀͐͜͜ơ̶̢͋̈́͘͝š̷̢̹̮̮̯͊̽͝t̸̞͕̀s̷͚͔̆̉͜ ̸̛͔̓̎̆̽t̶̤͇̝̼̣̊̄h̶̩̯́̃̄ȅ̸̛͈̋ ̶͚̩̣̝̃͑̆m̶̤̃̌̇̿o̸̧̺͇͋͌̆̄͘͜s̴͚͇͝ț̷̨̥̌͌̄̇͊ ̷̳͉̈́̎͋̓͝ỏ̶̢͓͙f̶̢̜͇̊̍̓ ̴͔̦͔̺̽á̵̭̣̖͉ĺ̴͖͌̉l̴̘̾͒̾.̷͙̖̭̳̰̌ ̴̙̄̌̈́͑͛Ĉ̶̨̪̱o̵̜̪͛̔m̵̛͚͎̗̖̻̽͌̄̾e̷͙̘͖͋̆͂̿,̴͔͓̣̂̿̆͛̀ ̸̢͕̜̐c̵̺̐o̶͍̣͜͝m̸̳͖̿̽̋̂e̵̡͉͔͆̈͂͋̿ ̷͔̪̒̃͒̕o̴͍̟̪̿ǹ̵͍̦͖͗̀̏͆ ̷͈̠̳̔̎̐ͅḯ̶̟n̷͖̼̠̪͆͗ ̶͔̜͂̈

Don'tworry Ṇ̵̺̈́̾̀͌o̵̟͇͚͗͐̕ ̴͚̘̋̽͐͝͝w̶̛̛͈̻̭͈͒̽͘o̸̺̻͉͗͑̈́̐͐r̴͖̽̎͊͐m̴͙̘͛͛͆s̷̡͙̞̯͚̓̚ ̶̰͕͔̪͎̑a̴̡̞͒̂̌̾̒ͅľ̶͈̠̓͋̎͜ĺ̴̮͔͋͐o̴̗̗͉͋w̵̭͕͛̀͂̂̏e̷͕̥̘͎̮̚d̵͎͆̀͝

The voice is saying something in the background, but you aren't able to hear it very clearly. Your attention is taken up more by the fuck-huge splinter approaching your eye as your head is pulled forward into the hole in the door.

You scream and flail about, or at least you want to, but your body is paralyzed. All you can do is watch it come closer . . . closer . . . closer . . . and then it is as close as it can come and it's going in it's going in and it hurts and you can't see and you can see a face looming up out of the darkness and that is where you finally, to your relief, pass out
>>
File: Three drunk maidens.png (730 KB, 552x796)
730 KB
730 KB PNG
>>4205701
You wake up with a splitting headache. You're lying down on a couch, with your head in someone's lap.

You open eyes, and scream, and are glad to find that it works as your recent memories start coming back to you.

Hush, now, you'll hurt my feelings if you scream just from seeing me when you wake up

A face that slides and distorts as you watch it is staring down at you. Not melting, but . . . as you focus on one feature, you would *swear* the others are changing, but when you look at them to check they stubbornly insist on appearing the same as before. The surety of this feeling of the face changing just outside your vision, this rising certainty despite your memory insisting that it hasn't changed, is so disconcerting that it takes several seconds before you notice that you are unable to see out of your right eye.

The memory returns and your hand flies up to your face and OW! you have poked yourself in your eye ow ow ow ow. However the good news is that a second, more cautious exploration finds that your eye is whole, not holed by a splinter. You can feel it move, at least, and blinking feels normal. You lick your finger and quickly run it over your eye just to confirm. It's an unpleasant sensation, but everything seems to be alright.

Except . . .

Daisy:"I can't . . . I can't see."

Someones voice:In order to hear, you lost your sight, yes. We don't abide thieves here, Daisy. It was very rude of you to eaves-drop.

Wow. For this, they took an eye. Clearly you're going to be best friends.

Someones voice:Daisy, Daisy, we can still be friends. We only took what we were owed, we would never take any more. Or any less.

You notice the use of the term "we", and look over to see two more women, one pouring a drink for the other who is moving as if she laughing, and you know she is laughing but cannot hear her. Like the face above you, theirs shift and change when you aren't looking you just know it

A familiar voice:But Daisy, you've already paid so of course you can hear her. You just aren't listening.

And then you can hear them

Someones childish voice:Sister, one more drink for you, surely this will be the last.

Someones husky voice:Sister, we have a guest. Surely we should save the last glass for them.

A familiar voice:See? We are stuck here until we drink a final toast. We couldn't decide who should get it, but now that you're here, perhaps you could help us. Would you like to make a toast for the final draught?

> Make a toast (write in)
> Refuse the toast
> Other / write in

Bonus if you can guess whose voice it is that sounds so familiar
>>
>>4205728
> Refuse the toast

Is it Daisy's voice?
>>
>>4205872
This is something of an important vote so I'll leave it up for the night.

Congrats on guessing the voice on the first try though! There will be a reward for that.
>>
>>4205937
To clarify, neither accepting nor rejecting the toast is bad, but it will determine some things about how Daisy grows.
>>
>>4205728
>> Make a toast (write in)
For survival
>>
>>4206420
>>4205872
I will roll a 1d2 and write in 1.5 hours if none of the other previous IDs return to vote.
>>
>>4206420
Il back this.
>>
>>4207684
Oh and add to makeing friends
>>
>>4207686
Oh.

Oh my, yessssss, yes I can work with this.

Writing.
>>
File: The Graeae Sisters.jpg (49 KB, 705x570)
49 KB
49 KB JPG
>>4207691
> A toast for survival, and for making friends.

That voice . . . you finally recognize it. You've heard it, not in your own head but from D@15Ys speakers often enough. That's YOUR voice.

The face above you snaps into focus, a reflection of your own but older, wiser, wyrder. As recognition dawns in your eyes, the face above you clearly shows signs of shock and alarm.

A burning sensation begins to make its presence known in your blind right eye.

Well. If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust? Everything here might just be a fever dream after all, or madness, or possibly even a truth you had been blind to before. Making up your mind, you sit up and motion to the other two women to pass you the cup.

Daisy:"A final toast, yes, for the last draught."

The you on your left pulls back in horror, while the one of the right leans forward in eager anticipation with a rictus grin of fear on her face.

Daisy:"To survival." you say as you take the cup. The burning in your eye now itches and smolders.

Daisy:"To new friends" you say as you lift the cup. And then, as you drink, three voices say as one.

Not friends. To our new sister.

And suddenly the three of them lift cups of their own to their lips and drink with you.

> Trait: The Fourth Crone
> Your choice to toast to making friends with the three sisters has won you a boon. The Graeae, the three personifications of the fear of Death, have blessed you with lesser vision of the eye they share. You will be able to see your death ahead of you whenever it is near. However, all things come at a price, you find your body aging and now you are much older in appearance, approaching 60 years of age in appearance but luckily your physique remains the same.

> 1 re-roll may be used during combat.
> Daisy must make a 1d100 roll at the beginning of combat at DC40 for all combat she personally engages in to not freeze in dread at the foresight of her dread, if she fails she gives the opponent a free To Hit roll (if they are able to hit her).

A terrifying vision washes over you as the liquor burns down your throat. A thousand future visions, all of them with one thing in common. Your death, in a myriad of ways too many to count. Slowly, the pressure of it overwhelms you as it becomes less watching yourself die, and you dying over and over and over. The previous smolder in your right eye suddenly flares up to match the burning in your throat as you try to remain detached from the you that is constantly dying and suddenly a white hot light replaces all feeling and sensation in your skull like the explosion of a sun!
>>
File: Electric Eye.jpg (126 KB, 1280x873)
126 KB
126 KB JPG
>>4207734
> Electric Eye
> Daisy is no stranger to a third person perspective of herself
> Daisy no longer needs to use VR to see through D@15Y.
> Concentration malus for combat with D@15Y is now -5DC instead of -10.
> To Hit DC is increased by 1 if only D@15Y or Daisy is fighting.

You awaken alone in the office. Wait. Not alone. You still see your face, aged, in front of you. Disorientated you look for the other two women - sisters, did they say? - but find them nowhere to be found.

You hear a scratching at the door, and open it to find Quark pawing away at it, while Eric apparently slept through the entire thing. He appears to have thrown up again, luckily to the side of the chair, and his skin is pallid and pale. You hope his wound hasn't gotten infected, that would be concerning.

Quark sniffs at you, then pushes past to the body on the couch "barking" in binary his usual message interspersed with the whine of servos.

You reach out to comfort him, and then see that it's D@15Ys hand stretching towards him.

You aren't really D@15Y though, so it doesn't make any sense, if you're seeing through D@15Ys camera's then the person on the couch -

- you're looking at D@15Y, while looking at an older version of yourself. Not a doubling of vision, but something similar that your brain is screaming shouldn't be possible, a viewpoint that isn't possible to have or if possible should at least be painful or driving you mad. But somehow, it feels fine. Why shouldn't you be able to see yourself through D@15Y after all, it's just another perspective. You see through two eyes all the time anyways, this is just two more. One set of two eyes, one set of two perspectives.

Since it works, you ignore the screaming denial that lurks in the back of your brain. With everything that's happening recently, you can't ignore how useful this will be.

Absentmindedly petting Quarks head as he pushes it up against your hand, you stand up in the now empty office.

A wave of fatigue washes over you. You'll need to nap soon. The room, despite everything, feels strangely safe as if the comfort you felt in the lap of the other you, the older(?) you, lingered on after the Sisters left.

Wat do?

> The room might be safe, but who knows what will happen if you stay too long. Press on. (-5 DC for fatigue, go where?)
> Eric is clearly not doing well, a short sleep will probably do him good as well. There's another couch in the office beside here. Rest a short time. (4 hours of sleep).
> It's been an exhausting time. You need some time to process everything that has happened, and Eric needs some proper care. Rest a long time (8 hours).

Please give me 31d100 for searching the offices, which I assume you will do out of curiosity regardless of your choice.
>>
>>4207734
I feel I should clarify, the re-roll and roll to not freeze up only apply to Daisy, not D@15Y.

Also as Daisy gets more used to seeing her imminent death the DC will get easier.

I was unsure of whether or not to explain tbat part, but a DC40 to not get hit seems harsh. On the plus side, the reroll could always be used to offset it so there's that.
>>
>>4207757
Old lady nap time it is.
>>
>>4207941
> Eric is clearly not doing well, a short sleep will probably do him good as well. There's another couch in the office beside here. Rest a short time. (4 hours of sleep).
Woops forgot my vote.
>>
>>4207941
Also gimme a roll for checking out the office. I'm gonna need three of them, eventually.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>4207947
It looks like you wanted 31d100 as theres no space.
>>
>>4207956
Goddamnit I did it again.

3 1d100s.

I also need some sleep.
>>
>>4207960
Sleep is nice,
Night night.
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>4207960
>>
Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>4207960
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4207960
>>
File: Spoiler Image (699 KB, 320x240)
699 KB
699 KB GIF
>>4208094
DC75 passed!

> You found A MEDICAL KIT heal 1 wound for Daisy.

>>4207956
> DC 50 passed! You recovered Level 4 Contamination keycard!

>>4208088
> DC25 FAILED.

>>4208218
> SPECIAL DC FIRST THREAD PANDERING! YOU FOUND PIC RELATED, "She's 18 I swear"!

Where to next on the map?
>>
>>4208754
>Go to Level 3 Containment.
>>
>>4208754
We found boobs? Or a way to make us young and sexy again
>>
>>4208765
Probs a sex tape or mag.
Surprisingly it wasnst a dilldo for the robot.>>4208757
Il back that.
>>
>>4208765
You got found by the Spanish Inquisition! For being a Witch!
>>
>>4208817
>>4208757
Writing will occur later tonight, 4~5 hours.

>>4208817
Nope. You missed finding that somewhere else.
>>
>>4208817
>>4208765
>>4208757
Also someone roll me a 1d3 when they can.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>4208852
>>
>>4208871
Ignore this.

The worms turn
>>
>>4208757
>>4208765
>>4208817
Oh yes. Who is going into Level 3 Containment with you?
>>
>>4209447
D@15Y.
Quark can keep watch over Eric.
>>
>>4209454
K

Writing.
>>
File: Level 3 Containment.jpg (22 KB, 700x300)
22 KB
22 KB JPG
>>4209460
After wheeling Eric into the room, you decide that he's really not doing well. The recent exertions while he is wounded seems to have made his situation worsen, despite your first aid. Whether infection, or just pain that exceeds the limits of the tylenols you gave him, he's been asleep for most of the time even when he was being carried up the stair. The vomiting is concerning, too.

You aren't doing so great yourself. You've had a series of shocks in a very short time, and this last one has worn you out. On top of the long day you spent working, at that.

A short sleep is just what the doctor ordered, and the office room feels very safe despite what you just experienced there. Safer than anywhere else you've been so far. Taking some cushions to hopefully make Eric more comfortable in his chair, you lie down on the ones remaining on the couch and surprisingly easily fall into a sleep.

Four hours later you wake up. Since you didn't die in your sleep not even in the visions you had earlier, it's a combination of the desire to just get out and get home as well as concern that while this room may currently be safe, there's no guarantee about the future.

Your curiosity about what else might be found in the surrounding labs keeps you from immediately returning to the Test Fields and sneaking past. Eric is still sleeping deeply, he may need more rest you think. Asking Quark to keep an eye on Eric, or at least to "Stay, boy", you decide to look into Containment Level 3 with D@15Y.

Into the hallway and on the left, a simple infrared swipe sensor allows you to open the door without having to touch any handles.

Level 3 Containment is not what you expected, however.
>>
File: Hello Doctor.png (119 KB, 610x541)
119 KB
119 KB PNG
>>4209475
A few bodies are held in metal shelves against the far wall. A few gurneys are also laid out, off to the side, with suspiciously shaped figures atop them covered by clothes and held down by straps.

The center of the room is taken up by an operating table, which is currently being cleaned despite its pristine appearance by a man wearing what appears to be a black, hooded coat.

Registering your presence, the figure turns to confront you and as you see him from the front you and D@15Y both raise your guns to firing positions.

The Doctor:Mademoiselle, ça va?

A Frenchmen, at that. Not who you expected to find in a UCAS Government restricted research facility. Almost more upsetting than the extremely beak-like mask he is wearing. In the back of your mind, you start to wonder if this was a protection required room. You certainly hope not.

Daisy:"Parlez vous anglais? Je m'appelle Daisy. Qui vas tu?"

The Doctor:"Ah, yes, I speak the King - no Queens now English, yes. I am the Doctor. I am here working with your fellow on the Cure. For the Pestilence. Your Dr. Karla has been most accommodating and WONDERFULLY insightful. I'll have to beg your pardon, I have been terribly busy lately and am unable to offer you any refreshments."

Oh. Right, he must be someone lured here to work with the UCAS despite the constant border conflict in order to work with Dr Karla, who is by far the premiere figure in the field of bio-technology and pharmacology.

It's nice to meet a fellow, normal employee finally.

The Doctor:"In fact, I'm glad you arrived. You see, the Pestilence appears to have taken root here, and as you appear to be, hrmm, yes VERY healthy for someone of your age perhaps you can help me with my fight against it. So much to do, you know, and your strange metal companion here looks like it would be perfect for gathering, er, samples without risking contamination."

The man is now swinging a stick that you hadn't noticed before in gesticulations in time to the rising excitement of his speech.

The Doctor:"I am unable to find out much more from these bodies, and my cure that has previously worked with (near) 100% effectiveness is suddenly . . . not. Quite embarrassing, even more concerning. Are you perhaps a doctor yourself? I am quite modern, I have nothing against a fellow woman of science."

Wat do?

> Ask more about his "cure"
> Ask more about this "pestilence"
> Agree to help him.
> Decline, ask about other things in Sub Basement 3
> Decline, leave quickly.
(2/3)
>>
>>4209512
Ignore that (2/3), there is no third post.
>>
>>4209512
>> Ask more about his "cure"
>> Ask more about this "pestilence"
Ask first. I'd probably agree in the end since we don't have much of a choice anyways.
>>
>>4209528
You ALWAYS have a choice, Anon! If you want, you can refuse him. Or you can try to kill him! Or you can work with him, for the good of mankind.

You control the character.
>>
>>4209512
> Ask more about his "cure.
Old lady? How dear he, we not that old.
Il be down to do some stuff if he can help our sleeping man.
>>
>>4209512
> Ask more about his "cure"
> Ask more about this "pestilence"
>>
>>4209528
>>4209761
+1, make sure to introduce ourselves, 049 seems like a bro in this timeline
>>
>>4209923
> Je m'appelle Daisy.

I presume you mean to describe our position with DOLL initiative? Sure. It's actually not a secret progran since it's really good press (although lots of details ARE classified) an everyone is always working on something like it anyways.
>>
>>4210474
> When you should be writing your own quest, but instead spend your time making memes for someone else's
>>
>>4209528
>>4209761
>>4209812

The Doctor:"The cure? I AM THE . . . Ahem, I mean, the cure is a special technique I have pioneered. It leaves the body healthy, whole, and absolutely free of the pestilence! Er, normally, that is."

Somehow, although unable to see his face behind the mask, his words fully convey the sheepish expression you are certain lies behind it.

The Doctor:"The pestilence is the eternal enemy! Oh, for how long have I chased it. The Scourge! The Great Dying. Come now, you know, the, uh… (taps temple furiously) …what is it they call it, the… the… ah, no matter. The Pestilence, yes. It abounds inside these walls, you know. So many have succumbed, and many more will continue to, until such time as a perfect cure can be developed." You take a step backwards as the wild gesticulations with the stick are coming dangerously near to you now, and it seems to be VERY pointy. "The Cure, the Panacea, the Cure to end all Cures! You esteemed Dr. Karla was quite impressively helpful with me making progress on my life's work. We found many way of improving the Cure, resulting in us even being able to Cure people before they caught the Pestilence with only minor side effects. Until recently, that is. Are you keeping up so far?"

With a light gleaming in his eyes that says he looks forward to going into a deeper explanation, you quickly inform him that as a Roboticist your field of expertise has left you with more or less a layman's knowledge of biology once it gets beyond the structural arrangement of skeletons and muscles etc. in order to better adjust robotic forms.

The Doctor:"A pity. However, you may still be of some help. Finding me those infected with the Pestilence would, naturally, be of the most help. Especially if they are still alive, so that I might relieve them of their suffering. Their dead bodies however are still of some value, returning to me with examples of different kinds will help me in my research. It would save me time searching for them, so if you were to be injured for instance it would be more time efficient for me to fix you up. I can't think of what else I might be able to help you with, but some things might come up. It all comes down to time, though, the Pestilence MUST be eliminated as soon as possible."

> The Doctor has offered to spend his precious time healing you if you are injured, provided you can get him an "infected" corpse to research.
> Getting him different corpses will allow him to help you with more things, though you might not know what yet.
> Try to think hard about what would be of interest to him that you've encountered in the quest so far.

> What do you want to do next?
>>
>>4211009
I should be able to do another update in around 5 hours or so.
>>
>>4211016
Or not I guess if no-one wants to play.

Sad qm noises.
>>
>>4211009
Send D@15Y into the green room with the zombies to grab someone to bring back to the doctor?
>>4210474
no, the doctor
>>
>>4211660
Writing, then.
>>
File: The Test Fields.png (48 KB, 860x814)
48 KB
48 KB PNG
>>4211660
You agree to help The Doctor find a "test subject" infected with . . . something. He really wasn't clear on that. However, you don't need to be a biologist to know that the shambling people in the Test Fields qualify as infected.

While you didn't really get a feel for how dangerous they were when you snuck past them, surely it can't be that difficult to grab one and bring it back to The Doctor. He did say, also, that D@15Y was ideal for such a job since whatever they are carrying can't be caught by her.

Taking a seat on an empty gurney, you switch over to D@15Ys point of view. A brief moment of blurred double vision where you're staring at yourself staring at yourself occurs before you close your eyes and only look through D@15Ys cameras.

Slightly nervous about leaving yourself alone with The Doctor, you ignore your anxiety and D@15Y leaves the room.

The clean room cycles D@15Y through, and you find yourself back in the Test Fields. 6 of the shamblers, as you think of them, are visible moving around. One of them further away from you in the NE corner (1) seems to possibly be having problems as it is bent over and occasionally shuddering. It's isolated from the rest but the distance means it could take some time for D@15Y to drag it back alive.

The one closest to you ([res]2) however is also close to two other "shamblers". Perhaps if you could subdue it fast, D@15Y could snatch it before the others notice. If you don't, though, it could quickly turn into a 3v1

Finally, there is one due west (3) only has one shambler close to it. If you can't subdue it quickly enough, likely only that one close it will be alerted. You might be able to retreat without getting stuck in combat.

You're lucky that D@15Ys guns are electromagnetic and not cartridge guns, as they allow her to at least get the first shot in stealthily.

> D@15Y Pastebin
> https://pastebin.com/EzrAKzdM

Plan your attack.

> Target? 1, 2, 3, or another one for some reason.
> Tactics: Sneak, or Charge? Options are Close, Medium, and Long range before attacking. Enemies will move one unit towards you on the first turn and one unit every other turn after that. 2 is MEDIUM range from the door. Roughly one test field is the difference between close and medium range.

> LONG range attacks are 1d12 base DC4, but have a 50% chance not to alert the target.
> CLOSE range attacks will be an automatic grapple success and roll a 1d10 to hit.

> Remember, D@15Y has the option to dual-fire in one turn, but will be unable to fire the following turn.

Write in tactics are also accepted.
>>
>>4211813
I should also mention that a stealthy movement roll will be need to get into MEDIUM range and another for CLOSE range to reach targets before attacking, unless you choose to Charge at some point which will automatically alert targets in CLOSE range and allow them to roll against being grappled, although D@15Y will still get an automatic To Hit roll against them if the Grapple is successful.

IE, target is 3, a stealth roll is required to move past 2. Players can then choose to charge 3 alerting 3 and making a second roll to avoid alerting 2. They then roll to see if their grapple of 3 is successful.

Alternatively, players can straight charge 2 and make a grapple roll, or they can choose to sneak closer and roll for stealth.

Finally, players can sneak up on 1 or choose to try and drop 1 from range without alerting it, or wounding it before they get into close range.

The Harvestmen - Deaf, Dumb, Blind (+10 DC), Mid-stages (+10 DC), Supernatural senses (-10 DC to living), Mid-stage Shamblers (Player has a chance to escape after detection. Able to charge after enemies for one turn, +1 adverse reroll against player escape roll)[/spoilers]

> Normally I wouldn't inform players of the change in status, but since this is the first example of it I'm being nice. Remember that 4 hour nap you took? Things will change as time passes. In character, you wouldn't be able to tell that The Harvestmen had developed a Charge ability by burning stored energy. Not all changes will be obvious or visible, or described in text posts. Since this was one of them I gave the rate of movement to expect as well in >>4211813, but from here on don't expect to know how fast an enemy would be able to approach without having fought it before.
>>
>>4211813
Also, reminder that D@15Y To-Hit range is 1d12 DC6 since she's fighting alone.

Also that since you haven't started combat or been detected, you can still retreat.
>>
>>4211813
Let's go after #1, sneak to medium range then charge and grapple.
>>
>>4212445
Writing.
>>
>>4212925
Deciding that the "shambler" to the north is the safest option, you decide to have D@15Y sneak towards it.

Her metal limbs easily traverse the floor, smoothly crossing to close in on on your target while keeping a wide distance from the others in the room.

> I need three 1d100 for the sneak option, DC80 (Deaf, Dumb & Blind (+10DC), Mid Stages (+10DC), Supernatural senses (NA), +10 from Zero Moment Type Stability systems.)
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4212949
>>
>>4212950
Gotta step out for 30 min, feel free to roll again at 15 min intervals if nobody else rolls.
>>
>>4212972
Or I guess I'll wait for rolls haha.
>>
Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>4213064
whoops.
my luck hasn't been the best this thread.
>>
>>4213068
I mean.

It's a DC 80 so . . . You would have to have REALLY bad luck.

Personally, I just feel that combat sections deserve to be run fairly quick so I put a block of time aside for a couple of hours to be able to keep it quick, but if you want to wait I don't mind.

Or if you want to go ahead, I'm down with that too.
>>
Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>4212949
>>
>>4213074
Success!

I need a 1d12 grapple attempt, DC6
>>
Rolled 5 (1d12)

>>4213088
>>
>>4213091
Writing!
>>
>>4213096
>>4213091
Actually, I need a 1d10 To Hit roll as well, DC6 (Successful grapple, Electric Eye +1DC).

You have the option for another attack roll, but will not be able to make one the following turn.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4213099
Here ya go.
>>
>>4213102
Writing!
>>
File: clamps.png (80 KB, 424x412)
80 KB
80 KB PNG
Rolled 1 (1d4)

>>4213102
D@15Y moves like a smoothly oiled machine, because she IS one. The other shamblers don't even notice as you close in on your target by the desks.

As you reach the last row of the fields, you have D@15Y suddenly burst into a run. While not exactly quiet, the shambler that is crouched over and twitching doesn't manage to respond until D@15Ys manipulator arms have wrapped around it, pinning it in place and preventing it from retaliating.

The left XR-20 angles down over its head, sending the signal for a killshot when it suddenly moves with a fluidity, a boneless lunge to the side that no human body should be capable of resulting in the shot going wide and firing into the desks behind the creature.

Tentacles fall out from the drooling mouth, the only facial feature left that's visible, and lash in coils around D@15Ys arms in turn as it attempts to draw it's mouth close to them. The amount of force is surprising, but unable to damage D@15Y's metal frame.

> Roll 1d12 DC6 to maintain grapple
> Roll 1d10 (or 2 rolls of 1d10 if you wish to double fire this round) To Hit

> Ignore my roll for now.
>>
>>4213119
Oh, a 1.

That's gonna be relevant real quick, actually.
>>
Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>4213119
>>
>>4213160
K. So after this round the shambler will break free. You still get the 1d10 for the To Hit roll.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4213119
>>
>>4213171
Writing! Gonna write while walking.
>>
>>4213102
>>4213169
>>4213171
>>4213176
Now see, if both of those nines were ninetys on a d100, that would've been 2 failures for an 80 DC.
What is wrong with my luck seriously.
>>
>>4213176
Trying to quickly incapacitate the shambler, you fire D@15Ys right XR-20. The shifting form rocks with even more intensity, however, and the shot misses it's head once more. This time however it at least hits it in the shoulder, the fleah tearing apart under the impact of a metal slug accelerated to near sonic speed.

Your brief moment of hope that this would slow down its attempt to escape quickly is dashed, as you see the arm slough off at the shoulder and instead a familiar elongated tube shifts out. The loss of the arm, and the cavity in the torso created by the Flesh Worm coming out provides enough slack for the shambler (?) to wrench itself free from D@15Ys grasp!

> I need 3 1d100s

> 0 success - the Flesh Worm grapples D@15Y and the Shambler rolls To Hit 1d10 DC4
> 1 Success The Shambler rollsTo Hit 1d12 DC4
> 2 success D@15Y rolls To Hit
> 3 Success D@15Y rolls to grapple 1d12 DC6 or Disengage 1d100 DC 60, and then To Hit 1d10 if grapple successful, otherwise 1d12 DC6
>>
>>4213206
Shiiit DC50 forgot to say.
>>
Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>4213206
If this misses the DC I'll just leave it up to the other anons.
>>
>>4213206
D@15Y:
>Zero Moment Type Stability- Able to run, jump, and climb with a +10DC to D@15Ys movement related rolls.

>Full Metal Arms - Solid steel frames that encase D@15Ys manipulator arms, providing a measure of protection as well as housing some small assisting motors for movement. +1 adverse re-roll against successful enemy To Hit rolls. UNCALIBRATED Change base DC for CQC to 6 REQUIRES CALIBRATION.

> Robotic Frame: Above-average strength compared to a normal person, weaker enemies will have difficulty holding it down. To Hit rolls may still hit vulnerable parts.

Infected Harvestman

>Gaping maw: Can use tendrils against human strength or weaker beings to initiate a grapple attack, reducing To Hit to 1d10.

> Mid-stage shambler: Can release a burst of stored up energy to charge towards a target. Otherwise movement can only be made every other turn.

> Deaf, Dumb, & Blind: Reliant on Supernatural Senses to detect targets outside of CLOSE range.

> Supernatural Senses: Can sense living prey with unerring accuracy.

> Worms-nest: Every other turn, a 1d4 will be rolled. On a 1, a Worm completes its incubation and bursts forth and reduced DC by 5.
>>
File: Infected Harvestman.jpg (31 KB, 467x535)
31 KB
31 KB JPG
>>4213247
>>4213243
Aw, well your luck could always change.
>>
>>4213247
No DC bonus for this first Flesh Worm since it replaced the arm.
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4213206
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>4213206
>>
Rolled 1 (1d12)

>>4213363
Rolling shambler's To Hit.

Will write after dinner.
>>
>>4213384
Damn, Shambler. Coming all out.

Do you guys want to use your FMA to reroll this?
>>
>>4213386
might as well
>>
Rolled 8 (1d12)

>>4213415
Rerolling
>>
Rolled 5, 2, 2, 1, 5 = 15 (5d5)

>>4213425
K. I need the same set of three 1d100s again for the next round, might as well while I eat.

Nobody gets hit this round.

Rolling for movement of other shamblers 1- N 2- S 3-E 4- W 5 No movement. No movement if their direction is blocked.
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>4213435
Same DC?
>>
>>4213435
2 stays still. 3 cannot move south, 4 moves south, 5 cannot move north, 6 doesn't move. Will update map on next post.
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4213435
>>
>>4213437
Ayup. Nothing has changed for rolls.

That being said, wew lad. That is a very lucky bad roll.
>>
>>4213442
>>4213437
Aren't you so glad I didn't keep the double fail/pass rules from Forgottens system?

You would be in so much trouble.
>>
>>4213450
at this rate we're gonna have to rescue the frame again...
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>4213435
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>4213437
>>4213467
dice cursed
>>
>>4213467
>>4213437
I'm, uh.

Huh.

I'm gonna need some time for this. I don't do anything for doubles rolled, but duplicate rolls?

Was this my fault for taunting the dice gods >>4213450?

As an aside, Hello Fresh meals? $10 CAD a meal and delicious. I highly recommend it, if you get the chance.
>>
>>4213528
If it makes anyone feel better, this was supposed to be a hidden midboss that you were gonna fight later if you didn't pick him now, when the worms had fully taken over.

So. For the bad news . . . . I'm not gonna do something as mean as make it suddenly a boss fight you have no chance of winning.

I think I have a better idea, and I just need to stat it out.
>>
>>4213467
>>4213442
>>4213437

> 0 Success

> Duplicate 99 failures

The day this quest rolls 2 nat 100s on one DC, it's gonna be rocks fall everyone dies. Not the end of the quest, though.

Writing.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (64 KB, 637x358)
64 KB
64 KB JPG
Rolled 7, 3, 3 = 13 (3d10)

>>4213550
As the shambler breaks free, instead of retreating it immediately turns around and lunges at D@15Y. The Flesh Worm that just burst from its shoulder writhes around D@15Ys torso, but the well rounded shell proves to be too slick for it to gain purchase on before the weight of the charge actually pushes D@15Y back and momentarily out of its scrambling grasp.

Without a moments pause the shambler follows up on its attack, its right arm swinging out a hand with all the fingers fused together like a swollen and discolored cudgel. You barely manage to bring D@15Ys manipulator arms up to slide the blow along their outer full metal framework as she is rocked back yet again.

This time, prepared for the pace of the shamblers attack you try to move D@15Y forward in order to counter-attack. The reverse-charge strikes the shambler full on, the manipulator arms reaching out to once again grasp onto the shambler, wrapping around it before proceeding to sink in to the weakened and distending flesh. D@15Ys servos whine as the motors strain to pull back out from within the rib-cage, but they are unable to move and the two fighters stumble back and forth like a drunken couple.

With the mouth tentacles questing over the video cameras that serve as D@15Ys eyes while the worm-hand wraps around her torso, the shambler rains down a series of blows on D@15Y

DC 4
>>
>>4213528
>>4213550
Why should dupe rolls be a problem? Its just a pair of failed rolls.
>>
Rolled 2, 4 = 6 (2d5)

>>4213584
Rolling for damage. D@15Y is grappled by the Infected Harvestman's internal worms, and she will have to succeed TWO rolls to free herself from it. As a consolation prize, these will count as two To Hit rolls when successful.

1 - Guns
2 - Manipulator arms
3 - Head sensors
4 - Torso core
5- Legs

1 hit is damaged and will result in a malus. 2 hits is disabled and will prevent the part from being used. 3 hits is destroyed.

The Torso core is more thickly shielded, to protect the perpetual power source so it has an addition hit between damaged and disabled.

Fuck I still have to draw the map with the movements of the remaining Harvestmen on it.
>>
File: You getting beat up.gif (3.21 MB, 960x913)
3.21 MB
3.21 MB GIF
>>4213602
While the first Flesh Worm you encountered wasn't much of a threat when it tried to attack D@15Y, the shambler has an advantage it didn't. Leverage.

While the shambler is raining down blows upon D@15Y, a misstep results in her weight being born completely on one of her manipulator arms at the same time as the suction holding them in the shamblers body intensifies. Although physically painless, you still wince as theirs a grinding sound, a brief sparking of light, and then a thin haze as one of the actuator motors burns out against the strain.

Planting D@15Ys foot on the ground, this only braces the robots frame for a crushing blow by the cudgel arm that hammers it and leaves it with a huge dent. D@15Ys systems suddenly become sluggish as your previous repairs to her damaged power supply come loose.

> It appears all the worms inside the Infected Harvestman are busy holding D@15Y down and will not come out until after she is free. DC for combat rolls is still 50.

> Grapple attempts now roll 1d12 DC4

> Your repairs are holding, but loose. D@15Y must re-roll one successful roll when rolling 3 combat 1d100s.

> Wat do?

> Keep fighting using D@15Y
> Run to D@15Y to provide backup (danger of being found by other Harvestmen)
> Power down D@15Y. Maybe the attack will stop, and you can sneak in to get her out later.
>>
>>4213587
Because I'm using a twist on Forgotten's system, where rolling doubles like 44 on a DC 50 amplifies results. It does the same for rolling a doubles on a failure, like a 55 on a DC 50.

I felt those happened too often for a small party dealing with more tactical than strategic obstacles, so I decided to have duplicate rolls be intensifiers. So if you roll the same result twice on a DC, it's twice as good. Or twice as bad.

The good thing about D@15Y is she can be fixed, and you can still go back down to the Robotics Lab. The bad thing is, that will take time, during which it is unlikely things will get better.[/spoiler]

I'm gonna leave the vote up for the night on how to react to the rapidly degrading situation.
>>
>>4213658
I'm also gonna point out that guns aren't weak in this quest. Against THE ALLAN WORM, he was taking a -20DC modifier for each hit. Now, hitting is the key. You're still at 1d10 DC6 for rolling To Hit since you're grappled, even though it's not YOUR grapple.
>>
>>4213634
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb4K8pNmg
>>
>>4213634
Use that ability that lets us shoot twice in one turn to blast it
>>
>>4213634
>Keep fighting using D@15Y
>>
>>4214632
>>4214571
I'll close the vote and ask for rolls in 2 hours.
>>
>>4214905
Slight delay as my grocery order wasn't ready yet and I gotta get them home and wash them first.

#justpandemicthings.

Have some foreshadowing about a potential encounter on this level instead.

> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNi4PXXZ0U
>>
File: The Test Fields.png (65 KB, 864x850)
65 KB
65 KB PNG
>>4214632
>>4214571
You feel your body shiver in disgust and fear as you see through D@15Ys optics the damage wrought on her steel frame. You are incredibly glad you are limited in your senses, again, it seems to be a running theme while using her. Otherwise it could be your hands stuck . . . in . .

Pushing aside the urge to retch, you focus on the job in front of you. While immobilized by your target, that doesn't mean D@15Y is helpless. You decide that this needs to end, NOW, before any more damage can be done to D@15Y, and aim both XR-20 barrels at the shambler.

> Give me 3 1d100s, DC 50

>0 success: Infected Harvestman rolls twice To Hit 1d10 DC4
> 1 Success: Infected Harvestman rolls once To Hit 1d10 DC4
> 2 Success: Roll 1d10 DC6 To Hit (The option to double fire has been chosen, a second 1d10 DC6 roll will be required on 2 success). Roll 1d12 DC4 to escape grapple.
>3 Success: Roll two 1d10 DC6 To Hit, succeed in freeing yourself yourself from grapple without a roll.
>>
Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>4215260
>>
>>4215264
Alriiiiiiiiiiighty then.
I'll stop here.
>>
Rolled 92, 9, 88, 24, 73, 49, 55, 14, 99, 21 = 524 (10d100)

>>4215264
Maybe we can shake the bad rolls loose
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>4215299
Maybe we can!
>>
>>4215343
ok then.
>>
Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>4215260
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4215359
>>4215343
>>4215264
> 1 success
>>
Rolled 1 (1d5)

>>4215365
Rolling to see where the hit lands!
>>
>>4215365
>>4215369
>No more guns.
looks like D@15Y's gonna need to be rescued again
seems I'm this quest's curse.
I'll stop rolling.
>>
>>4215370
As D@15Ys guns smoothly turn on their servos to direct a shot of double barreled damage at the shambler, the Flesh Worm that had been striving to find an entrance on D@15Ys torso slides up to wrap around it from behind! Before a shot can even be fired, you receive a warning alert that the guns are no longer moving in co-ordination with the firing software and that r-calibration is recommended.

Still, maybe you can make the shot.

> D@15Ys guns are damaged, DC is now 5

> Give me 3 1d100s, DC 50

>0 success: Infected Harvestman rolls twice To Hit 1d10 DC4
> 1 Success: Infected Harvestman rolls once To Hit 1d10 DC4
> 2 Success: Roll 1d10 DC6 To Hit (The option to double fire is availabe, roll a second 1d10 DC5 if you wish to shoot twice). Roll 1d12 DC4 to escape grapple.
>3 Success: Roll two 1d10 DC5 To Hit, succeed in freeing yourself yourself from grapple without a roll.
>>
>>4215370
They're just damaged.

Disabled is what happens when they receive two damage. Current status is

Guns - Damaged
Head - fine
Manipulator arms- Damaged (grappled)
Torso - Damaged
Shit, I forgot to reroll your successful roll
Legs - fine.
>>
>>4215403
>>4215396
Whelp. Maybe just . . .let this sit a bit.

All the options listed here >>4213634 are also always available.
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>4215396
>>
>>4215463
You can roll again after 15 min if nobody else does.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>4215396
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>4215488
> damaged torso, reroll 1 success
>>
>>4215505
Jesus.
>>
>>4215507
Dante must die difficulty.
>>
>>4215517
Damage stacks quickly, yes.

That's okay.

D@15Y isn't alive, so she can't die!
>>
Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>4215396
>>
Rolled 3, 3 = 6 (2d10)

>>4215550
>>4215505
>>4215463

I mean. You guys SHOULD be passing more rolls than this
>>
Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d5)

>>4215552
And wow, the Infected Harvestman really shouldn't be passing so many of them.
>>
>>4215553
Guns are destroyed. Huh.

I forgot to add the +1 from the gun upgrade to the DC, but since the To Hit rolls failed with 9's it luckily didn't affect the results. Luckily?

Anyways. When repairing them, you'll have to return to the Robotics Lab and use the Test Guns, or switch them out and use the Test Guns right away which will only give +10 DC after a successful To Hit roll.

D@15Y has no viable means of fighting, but she can still struggle to get away! Or you can shut her down and try to retrieve her later.
>>
>>4215566
Whoopee, so we can't get healed by the doc, D@15Y can't fight, we don't have anything to repair her weapons, and we either have to sneak by the Harvestmen again or go all the way around and destroy our barricade if we want to repair D@15Y.

Sounds like we're closing in on a critical failure to escape this floor.
>>
>>4215577
Hey, at least the lab is still there for you to retreat to.

And if you look at the map, you have to sneak past the Harvestmen no matter where you go.

With Eric, who is wounded from being a wormhost and apparently sick.
>>
>>4215577
>Jeph: "There are a few weirdos staying in the Hothouses. The low temp one might be difficult to cross if you're around here yourself without their help."

Imma also point out that Jeph implied you could get the HotHouse weirdo's to help you cross through the Low Temperature Hot House.

Which is a name I regret giving it ever since 2 seconds after I posted the map.
>>
>>4215584
o shit u rite.
Well at least we can check out level 4 containment, level 5 containment, the furnace, and the water disposal.
I mean, getting psychic abilities for going this way seems pretty nice to me, but wow we're gonna have to backtrack a lot to get through this and future floors it seems.
Don't think we can give Jeph our access card at this rate.
>>
>>4215597
And you can always sneak back with just D@15Y. Writing will have to wait a bit, gotta cook & eat dinner.
>>
>>4215608
Nope. 'M drunk. Y'all should drink too
>>
>>4215768
I'll finish this fight off tomorrow, players willing, at 2pm so same time as we started today. Like. 18 hours from now.
>>
File: D@15Y.jpg.png (240 KB, 456x1045)
240 KB
240 KB PNG
>>4215829
With D@15Ys manipulator arms stuck inside the writhing torso of the shambler, escape isn't an option. The XR-20 guns are damaged, the power is intermittent, and the enemy has managed to avoid taking a single hit so far aside from a shoulder wound that ended up actually making things *worse*.

But you can still salvage this situation, turn it around somehow. This is what you tell yourself, hoping to believe it.

Until you actually try to fire your weapons, and they seize up as suddenly they become overloaded and start flailing about as you try to aim them while the power feeding into them drops and rises.

This seems to have irritated the shambler, who was receiving the occasional glancing blow. rearing back from the flailing motorized arms, it braces itself against the manipulator arms and lashes out with its club hand as it twists its torso around to the point sickening crunches are audible from what must remain of its spine.

The sickening crunch of it hitting the XR-20s, however, is what makes you lose all hope as the over-strained guns seize up with one of them outright starting on fire briefly and stops sending any feedback at all while the other sets off a string of warning signals while the internals try to constantly fire and slowly melt the gun by magnetic inductance forces.

Your options are becoming limited. What do?

>A) Shut down D@15Y and hope that her inorganic nature won't be attractive to the shambler. Maybe you can reactivate her in a bit and have her sneak out to await you picking her up for repairs.
>B) You're down, but not out. While the production line pistols are a write-off, maybe you can get one final strike in with them. Literally, since one of them is on fire and the other is hot enough to melt. A riskier attempt, but it could at least make it so that all of this wasn't for nothing.

Remember, D@15Ys successful attempts to free herself counts as a successful To Hit roll.

Option B will run the risk of being hit again by the Infected Harvestman, but if successful it will probably do enough damage to let D@15Y drag it back to the door.
>>
>>4217571
>B) You're down, but not out. While the production line pistols are a write-off, maybe you can get one final strike in with them. Literally, since one of them is on fire and the other is hot enough to melt. A riskier attempt, but it could at least make it so that all of this wasn't for nothing.

Well, if we're gonna have to repair her anyway, might as well see if we can overcome the cursed dice.
>>
>>4217588
I'll call the vote 20 minutes from now.
>>
>>4217588
K. Writing.
>>
>>4217644
>B) You're down, but not out. While the production line pistols are a write-off, maybe you can get one final strike in with them. Literally, since one of them is on fire and the other is hot enough to melt. A riskier attempt, but it could at least make it so that all of this wasn't for nothing.

> Give me three 1d100

> 0 success: D@15Ys guns hit . . . and sink in. The Infected Harvestman will have to be defeated to retrieve her. Combat is ended.
>1 success: The writhing of the worm - the Infected Harvestman rolls To Hit against D@15Y
>2 success: D@15Y plunges both gun arms into the Infected Harvestman, losing the ability to re-mount new guns without replacing the lost arms. She can hold her test guns with her manipulator arms, with some work but will be unable to use them to manipulate things.
>3 success: Hunka Hunka burning love - The arms drive deep into the Infected Harvestman, driving out the worms with their heat. Weapon arms are still lost)

DC: 70 (Kamikaze strike +10DC, Grappled +10DC)
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>4217680
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>4218410
One roll down!

D@15Ys inconsistent power supply rerolls it.
>>
>>4218410
Standard 15 minute delay before rolling again applies. If nobody else rolls, feel free to finish it off.
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>4217680
>>
>>4218519
a high roll when I least need it and a low roll when I don't. fuck
>>
>>4218525
I mean.

You only need one more pass.
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4217680
>>4218519
Since you got the really high roll, I'll see if my curse has lifted!
>>
>>4218527
Nope.
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4218527
>>4218519
>>4218418
Rolling Infected Harvestman's To Hit, DC4
>>
>>4218527
>>4218519
>>4218410

The hit missed, you have another chance!

Three 1d100s, same as before.
>>
Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>4218533
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>4218533
>>
Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>4218542
Inconsistent power re-roll
>>
>>4218560
>>4218543
2 passes so far!
>>
>>4218563
>>
>>4218591
*sigh*
>>
>>4218593
> on page 9

> Need one more roll to finish the thread

>>4218591

> . . . .
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>4218593
>>4218597
>>
Rolled 1 (1d5)

>>4218605
>>4218563
>>4218543

>>3 success: Hunka Hunka burning love - The arms drive deep into the Infected Harvestman, driving out the worms with their heat. Weapon arms are still lost)

Honestly I was surprised, two re-rolls got passed and the Infected Harvestman missed his To Hit roll.

I mean, I know DC70 but seriously this thread had some bullshit rolls.

Anyways, you've lost your guns but gained the living (?) and weakened Harvestman!

Now you just need to drag him back to The Doctor, rolling for Harvestman 2-6 movement.

1- N 2- S 3-E 4- W 5 No movement. No movement if their direction is blocked.

You thought you could just get away that easily?
>>
Rolled 3, 3, 3, 2, 2 = 13 (5d5)

>>4218624
Goddamnit used the wrong dice.
>>
File: The Test Fields.png (69 KB, 864x850)
69 KB
69 KB PNG
Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>4218628
Regaining control of the weapon arms doesn't do you much good at this point. Shit's literally on fire. Deciding that while you can repair D@15Y, losing her here will require facing this monstrosity with your fleshy body, you decide that instead of backing down you're going to double-down. While technically ranged weapons, anything is a melee weapon at least once if you can hit hard enough with it.

So with both weapon arms, you strike downwards. Using them in ways they absolutely were never intended, the two guns stop struggling against the Flesh Worm arm and let the momentum carry them home.

The shambler raises that goddamned club arm once again and manages to catch it against the guns, slowing them briefly, but the it doesn't seem to be working in conjunction with the main body and continues to pull the weapon arms towards it. They remain hanging over the shamblers body straining against the club arm until in its mindless fury it pulls it back and out to the side again to wind up for another massive blow against D@15Y!

As the weapon arms are freed to strike dow, a sudden surge of power sees the weapon arms work far beyond their tolerance and stab downwards, deep into the torso core of the shamblers body.

So, so very glad that your newfound link to D@15Y doesn't include smell. You cannot repeat this enough, you think to yourself, as the torso suddenly bursts both literally and figuratively into a frenzy of squirming and smoking. The Flesh Worm arm falls limp and starts twitching weakly, while the worms inside the torso try to dig their way out before they burn to death.

rolling to see how many Flesh Worms survive. They won't be a problem . . . for now.

The body of the shambler goes limp, still smoking but barely moving aside from the occasional twitch of the worm arm, or the slow rhythmic flexing of the club arm in gentle curling and uncurling motions.

Looking around, you see that the other shamblers are off doing . . . whatever, in the far corner of the room away from you. You have a clear path to drag your target back towards the Clean Room, not even bothering to remove D@15Ys manipulator arms from the torso.

The Clean Room cycles through. The Flesh Worm arm writhes a bit more vigorously during the light cycle, and the skin noticeably darkens, but the twitching never fully stops.

And soon enough, you are back in The Doctors morgue cum office. Your real body moves away from D@15Y and the target just as quickly as The Doctor leaps towards it, eager to start his dissection and investigation.

(1/2)
>>
>>4218690

The Doctor:"Yes, yes, this is a perfect specimen and . . . what is this arm? This isn't part of the original body, no, no no no, this is a parasite perhaps? Predatorial by the looks of it, I wonder where it picked it up. Fantastic . . . FANTASTIC! This is a very interesting extra. There might be possibilities here, the way it manages to flex and move is very interesting. And the colouration, one wouldn't expect this from an internal parasite. Was it always intending to replace the limbs? Could it be a symbiotic relationship instead? I must start work immediately!"

> The Doctor is thrilled with what you've brought him! He is now willing to heal you when you get hurt, after all, that way you can bring him more specimens! Returning to him badly hurt might require him to use more . . . unorthodox treatments, however.

> You've brought The Doctor the Infected Harvestman! In addition to a normal Harvestman, this one was infected with the same Flesh Worm that Eric was. Apparently at a more advanced stage of infection, multiple worms had grown to adulthood (?) inside his body from the small worms that Eric was infected with from the corrupted handshake Allan from Maintenance gave him. The Doctor will be able to discover something very interesting from this bonus, that may be helpful later.

> What do now?

The Doctor:"Would you care to aid me in my dissection? Although you are not a biologist, as a man, er, woman of science your insights may still be valuable. A helping hand never hurts either, and I have an extra haz-mat suit here to prevent contamination!

> Return to the office that Eric is in to get him and Quark?
> Try to get back to the Robotics Lab with Daisy to make repairs / modifications?
> Explore this area more first, there's several areas still not explored and you DID find a key to Level 4 containment.

Daisy: Healthy
D@15Y:
Weapon Arms - Destroyed. Unsalvageable for now.
Head - Fine.
Manipulator arms - Damaged
Torso - Damaged
Legs - Fine

The manipulator arms and torso are only damaged and not disabled, so they can be repaired for 1 supply each with minimal time.

Alternatively, they can be repaired at the Robotics Bay for free, with minimal time again but you will have to sneak past the Test Fields to get there. I really do not recommend bringing Eric.

To set the Manipulator Arms up to be able to hold & fire the Testing Pistols will require the equipment in the Robotics Lab. A successful To Hit roll with them only gives +10 DC, but otherwise works the same as the XR-20.
>>
>>4218707
We're not very far down on page 9, so I'll leave the vote open here for the night.

Feel free to ask any questions etc. about how the fight went, the setting, any of that stuff.

New thread will be made tomorrow!
>>
>>4218710
> New thread will be made tomorrow!

Depending on how far down the thread goes, it might run here tomorrow. I forgot how slow /qst/ moves haha.
>>
>>4218690
> While you can repair D@15Y, losing her here will require facing this monstrosity with your fleshy body, you decide that instead of backing down you're going to double-down.

> The shambler raises that goddamned club arm once again and manages to catch it against the guns, slowing them briefly, but the Flesh Worm arm doesn't seem to be working in conjunction with the main body and continues to pull the weapon arms towards it.

Corrected errors. This is why I shouldn't write on my phone FFS. I apologize, and I'll do better going forward with proofreading before I post.
>>
>>4218707
help the doc. we might learn something. at least we'll know where to hit a worm to kill it.
>>
>>4219076
+1, after this next priority should be to fix D@1SY
>>
>>4219561
>>4219076
This is the second time the Flesh Worms have been an unpleasant surprise. Three, if you count THE ALLAN WORM. You decide that it would be worth it to help however you can with the dissection and investigation.

The Doctor:"Excellent, I knew that a true seeker of the Truth wouldn't shy from new knowledge. Now, let me get my tools . . . " and from a black bag he draws forth a series of surgical tools and begins to swiftly dissect, no, disassemble the writhing body before him.

The Doctor:"Hrm. So yes, my suspicions were correct. What we have here are two separate instances of parasitization secondary to a primary weakening of the system from the Pestilence . . . "

The Doctor:"The main body appears to have been turned into a mobile hive, the bones and organs turned into honey-combed structures used for storage. The digestive system remains mainly intact, and is in fact enhanced to provide nutrients directly to the combs which the original parasites possibly bred in . . . ."

The Doctor:"Ah, see here?" He hands you the brain to hold, it is swollen and lumpy, far larger than the covered-fist size you've been taught is normal and not as wrinkled as you expected. "The brain has been expanded and simplified, indeed I suspect that if I slice along here" and slicing as he says, a winged insect darts out only to be snagged in mid-air and placed into a glass killing jar where it furiously and ineffectually batters the walls."A queen, most likely also the replacement that guides the host body . . . ."

The Doctor:"Ah, now here we have the other parasite. It appears that this one too hooked into the nervous system, but through the musculature system and not the brain itself so it did not immediately conflict with the main host. Trauma in the torso indicates that others of its kind grew and subsequently stayed to eat first the original parasite, and later were sustained by the altered digestive system. I don't suppose you saw any unattached examples escape?"

You inform The Doctor that you only saw two worms attempt to escape the body, the host? and neither lived being terribly damaged by D@15Y destroyed XR-20s.

The Doctor:"Pity, if we could find more subjects and analyze their growth from the beginning perhaps we could replicate it. The rate of growth is amazing, from rate and scale of the damage to the torso it appears that these were miniscule, only a centimeter or so size, approximately 4 hours ago. The Flesh Worm itself isn't weak, but without any bone structure and a limited size its strength mostly lies in how resistant to shearing and tearing it is. There might be something I could do with this to repair or even replace lost limbs, given a suitable frame to place it on." The Doctor is eyeballing D@15Ys destroyed weapon arms while saying this.

The Doctor:"For now, though, without an unattached sample I'm afraid that this particular example seems to have exhausted it's potential in replacing a lost limb".

(1/2)
>>
>>4220080
(2/2)

You ask The Doctor if there is any vulnerabilities or weaknesses of the Flesh Worm.

The Doctor:"Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend handling it without proper precautions. Especially if it manages to penetrate the skin, the individual cells grow very aggressively and may be able to cannibalize surrounding musculature and vasculature to regrow, or even encyst itself into multiple eggs. Probably best to use a long and pointy stick to kill it, or better yet shoot it from a distance. While it's fairly tough overall, it's nowhere near able to take a bullet without massive trauma."

> I need a 1d100 roll, DC40 for a bonus to research (Base DC 30, +10 for assisting The Doctor)
>>
Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>4220089
>>
>>4220337
While examining how the Flesh Worm coming out of the left shoulder of what The Doctor formally recorded as a "Harvestman", you notice that it a channel of missing flesh also extends from the left shoulder all the way across to the club arm on the other side, and realize that one of the missing Flesh worms must have able to have originally been able to control the movement of it by crossing over the spine like a pulley system. You find a similar channel leading from the Flesh Worm and anchoring on the right shoulder that confirms your guess. This must be how it was able to have such strength in its blows despite the Flesh Worms and the insects replacing so much of it.

The fused fingers itself are covered together in a thick and extremely hard substance, presumably made by the insects themselves and resist The Doctors tools when he tries to cut the hand apart.

> Worm Clubs: If you can retrieve another Harvestman for The Doctor, an uninfected one will still work, he can attach the arms to where D@15Y had her weapon mounts. When Worm Clubs are DESTROYED there is a chance a Flesh Worm will survive and drop off, seeking out the nearest living creature to infest (may include Daisy). If you can capture a living Flesh Worm he can upgrade it.

The Doctor:"Fascinating, you say that a system for movement like this was considered for your mechanical mobile avatar? Yes, yes I see how the stress it places on what would be a persons spine would be lethal to a human but it appears that metal is able to withstand it. I could definitely replicate this on your" you interrupt him to say it's fine to just call it a robot "Robot, for combat yes. I can to make it unable to spread the Pestilence, definitely while it's contained by your, er, "robot" but you must promise me that if the continment fails you will destroy the Flesh Worm operating it yourself."
>>
>>4220584
This won't be the only option to replace D@15Ys lost weapons.


As the examination of the Harvestman ends, The Doctor skillfully re-assembles it faster than you can follow. He assures you that he will be able to preserve it should you require him to use it to aid D@15Y.

The Doctor:"I have learned in the past that it is sometimes possible to use the Pestilence to fight against itself, although one must be aware of the risks. Your help was most appreciated, and you insight as to how it seemed to adapt to and improve on the host structure has given me some avenues to investigate further. I will be happy to help you with any wounds or injuries you recieve in the future as well."

Wat do now?

> Explore the rest of the Containment rooms.
> Return to the Office and check on Eric / use supplies to repair D@15Y?
> Sneak through the Test Fields to return to the Robotics Lab to repair and/or modify D@15Y
> Try to capture another Harvestman yourself.
>>
>>4220598
>Return to the Office and check on Eric / use supplies to repair D@15Y?
>>
>>4220598
> Return to the Office and check on Eric / use supplies to repair D@15Y?
>>
>>4220897
>>4220894
How many repairs do you want to do?
>>
>>4222362
Well, I'll write in about 2.5 hours for all repairs then.
>>
>>4222598
Writing!
>>
File: See spot STAB.jpg (105 KB, 1240x746)
105 KB
105 KB JPG
>>4222964
>D@15Y:
>Weapon Arms - Destroyed. Unsalvageable for now. (Worm Club option from The Doctor)
>Head - Fine.
>Manipulator arms - Fine
>Torso - Fine
>Legs - Fine

> You now have 1 Supplies, parts

You return to the office where you left Eric. Quark bounds up to greet you when you come to the door, butting his head heavily against your hip in search of head pats.

Eric is appearing much better. He seems to have gotten himself un-taped and used the Executive Washrooms for the office to clean himself up.

Daisy:"Did you manage to stop vomiting?"

Eric:"I . . . I don't even remember doing so in the first place. Where are we? What happened? I just remember . . . screams, and worms." He shudders "Everything else is just brief flashes. I vaguely remember you bandaging me up, and putting me in the chair. How did you manage to get me to wherever this is by yourse-" Hes sees D@15Y standing beside you "Oh. I guess I see."

You catch Eric on what's happened so far. You mention The Doctor

Eric:"You helped him cut a person up?"

Daisy:"Definitely not a person, Eric, not anymore."

Eric:"Still, that's pretty gruesome. I don't know, Daisy, just because he's a Doctor doesn't mean he's the kind that heals people. Lots of "Doctors" in this place who work on, well, you're the one with the government murder-bot."

Daisy:"I honestly wish D@15Y was a bit better at it, actually. The solo run I just did proved that there are lots of areas for improvement." You gesture towards the destroyed gun arms "Assuming I can even manage the repairs."

Speaking of which, you decide that better safe than sorry. You begin to repair the manipulator arms and the torso, rewiring it *yet again*. You consider wiring in a back-up power regulator, if you get the chance. Having the power become inconsistent appears to be a recurring issue.

> Try to wire it here? Will use 1 supply. DC 30, if you roll above 90 then D@15Y will have to re-roll one success for only the first action during the next combat. Success will mean that D@15Y will not have to re-roll successes from Torso hits until Disabled status.

> Reminder, Torso has Damaged 1 and Damaged 2 before Disabled status compared to other parts.

> Back-up power supplies can also resolve this issue, and attempting this in the Robotics Lab with give a +20 to successfully rewiring it on your own.
>>
>>4223015
> With D@15Y as fixed as she can be, what do you want to do next?

> Continue exploring Contamination

> Sneak back to the Elevator

> Sneak through the Test Fields to Hot House 2 Low Temperature

> Attempt to capture another Harvestman

> Talk to The Doctor some more about something on Sub-basement 3 (what?)

Also

> Bring Eric Y/N
>>
>>4223015
>>4223022
> Do not attempt to wire a Back-up power supply here
> Sneak back to the Elevator

> Bring Eric
Who knows when something will come shambling in here and ending Eric's crippled existence.
>>
>>4223033
Okay, but once you return to the lab, if you spend a long time there like to say >>4215566
Install the Test Guns it might be more difficult to sneak back into containment. So I recommend making sure you're done here for now before leaving for a long time.

I'll call it in 30 min if no-one else votes.
>>
>>4223033
K.

I need three 1d100s

Base DC 50

> The Gang - Wheely-ChaEric (-5DC) D@15Y (Electric Eye! -5DC)

> The Harvestmen - Deaf, Dumb, Blind (+10 DC), Mid stages (+10 DC), Supernatural senses (-10 DC if living are in party), Shamblers (Chance to escape after detection. Adverse reroll against escape due to mid-stage Charge ability), Down 1 (+5DC)

DC 55

>Critfail - Not a good place for it
>0 Success - THE SWARM AWAKENS
>1 Success - Roll 1d3 for pursuers, 1 means no pursuers
>2 success - Roll 1d2 for pursuers, 1 means no pursuers
>3 success - Sneaky action
>Crit success - Literally stumble over something good.
>>
>>4223135
dice+1d100
>>
>>4223194
>>4218591
...Is this on purpose?
>>
Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4223194
Hello NewFriend! You will find the dice works best when placed in the "options" field.

Now rolling to see if your clumsiness translates to Daisy giving her a minus 5 to the DC, reducing it to 50!
>>
>>4223194
>>4223213
Shit nigga. Your obvious newness has gotten the Dice Gods to have mercy on you, instead giving a +5 to the roll as Eric hustles his ass through the creepy Test Fields since he was unconscious last time.

Adrenaline!

> DC now 60
>>
Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>4223135
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>4223213
*sigh*
I wish I could roll low...
alas
>>
>>4223218
>>4223216
I need one more roll.
>>
Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>4223215
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4223135
>>
Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4223278
>>4223218
>>4223216

Rolling to see if chased!
>>
Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>4223223
>>
>>4223283
>>4223280
>>4223278
Thanks for coming in for the last bit of the thread!

Can I get three 1d100s to see if the Harvestman catches you! He gets 1 re-roll on his charge.

Base DC 70

-10 for Eric who is wounded and using the Wheely-chair to support himself.

DC60

Harvestman gets one re-roll due to CHARGE ability letting him rush at you like a 6' toddler who just wants a hug after eating pancakes with extra syrup.
>>
Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>4223286
WE'RE NOT SYRUP!
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4223286
>>
>>4223286
Oh right

>0: He's caught Eric! Rolls a To Hit until Eric dies or you kill it
>1: Engage combat
>2: Get away scot free
>3: Enemy falls and damages a leg, +5 to sneaking through next time!
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4223292
Harvestman uses Charge to try and catch up
>>
>>4223296
Ah, so that was a re-roll on one of our rolls, and not a re-roll for his personal roll?
>>
>>4223301
Yes. The Doctor named the Harvestmen because they "Harvest" the decaying plant slush in the Test Field beds and are storing it as fuel for their transformation.

When they reach the mid-stage, they have enough fuel stored up to engage in a burst of furious energy to catch up, making up what they lack in co-ordination with sheer effort and a disregard for potential damage.

Pretty much Russo's zombies filled with bugs who do agriculture and internal alchemy.
>>
>>4223301
So when you try to escape them and they sense you getting away with a good roll, they re-roll it by charging towards you.

Anyways, only one more pass to avoid combat!
>>
Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>4223286
>>
>>4223379
Huzzah! You have escaped combat.

But OP has not escaped the siren song of sleep time.

At least now if the thread falls off I can write for the new thread.

Having snuck through the Test Fields once more unscathed, and arriving at the elevator room, where to now? Explore to the West, in the rooms previously missed? Check in to see if Karla is back in her office? Go through the barricade into the Hot Houses? Retreat to the Robotics Lab to rig D@15Ys manipulator arms to be able to fire the Test Guns?
>>
>>4223390
> Check in on Karla's Office quickly. Maybe she's no longer a human skin rug...?
And since I'm guessing the answer to the above will be no, we'll then:
> Go to the Robotics lab.
We need to wire up D@15Y, and get more supplies.
Can Eric hold more now that he's lucid?
>>
File: Charge.gif (181 KB, 674x760)
181 KB
181 KB GIF
>>4223397
When dissecting the Harvestman with The Doctor, you confirmed the presence of sensory organs however they were not only buried under the fleshy growths of their skulls to hold the Queen and presumably other insects that were devoured by the Flesh Worms but they were also cut off from the corrupted nervous system.

Presumably, they are able to only sense prey by vibration, although during your previous sneaking through you noticed that they would tend to drift towards you when you slowed down. That, and the presence of several new organs The Doctor was unable to identify (You were barely able to identify some of the old ones) made you remain cautious however about only trusting that. Still, you were fairly confident that you could get through the Test Fields without getting caught by any of them.

Eric did not share your confidence.

Eric:"Oh god, oh dear lord in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come and - I've forgot the rest. Oh fuck me, I knew I should have kept going to church. I'm dead. I'm dead and this is hell"

You inform Eric that this is actually Sub-Basement 3, Biologicals. He stares at you before barking off a short sharp laugh.

Eric:"I don't care, I just want to get the fuck out of here. Look, I'm feeling better, I'll use the chair to hold myself up so we can move faster."

And so, with you in the lead and D@15Y walking behind Eric who is pushing the Wheely-Chair full of supplies, you pass through the Test Fields at a fair clip, confidently weaving around them to avoid the Harvestmen.

Until Eric, who apparently was not as fine as he claimed, stumbles and shoves the Wheely-Chair into the side of one of the test beds full of rotting mulch. Falling to he's knees, his hands plunge into the muck to catch himself. Unable to handle the stench of the rot on top of actually touching it, he starts to vomit again.

Maybe he should eat less of your food if he's just going to keep throwing it up, you think to yourself. It's kind of a waste.

As D@15Y helps Eric up, with him wiping off his hands frantically against his ripped and ragged shirt, you stop your musing in order to have D@15Y shove Eric into the Wheely-Chair so the two of you can push it along because a Harvestman that was on the other side of the test bed Eric bumped has come shambling around the corner to investigate.

Your at first brisk steps to try and shake it off turn into a frantic run for the door to the Elevator room as the Harvestman detects you trying to escape and bursts into an exaggerated staggering run after you, club arms raised and wildly flailing to balance itself.

Luckily, no other Harvestmen were between you and the exit. You burst through the plastic strips separating the Test Fields from the exit doors and shove Eric in the Wheely-Chair down the stairs with D@15Y in front, giving him a VERY bumpy ride down but making it without losing him or any of the supplies.
>>
File: Pretty much this.gif (89 KB, 400x400)
89 KB
89 KB GIF
>>4224029
Turning back, you see through the slowly closing doors that the Harvestman actually had stopped chasing you as soon as it ran into the plastic strips and is now vigorously attacking them with its club arms, frantically spinning around and flailing as it first batters them away only to have them fall back onto it and trigger another attack that continues the cycle. You shudder at the thought of those heavy limbs hitting your body, you aren't nearly as durable as D@15Y and she was heavily damaged by them, admittedly the Harvestman that chased you doesn't seem to be swinging them with the same force as the Infected Harvestman D@15Y fought, but still.

Gathering yourself and your group by the elevator, you decide to first check in on Karla's office before heading down. Maybe she got better?

Will write for the Office in a bit, some stuff to prep for it.
>>
File: Karla's office 2.jpg.png (497 KB, 734x400)
497 KB
497 KB PNG
>>4224058
Entering Karla's office, the first thing you notice is that the flesh rug is gone, as is the robotic arm that was on the table and the diving robot at the back of the room.

The second thing you notice is that the wood carving of a fetus in a tree trunk along the left wall has been covered in moss glistening with sap, and that it is pulsing with a rhythm that seems familiar . . . until you notice that the rhythm is the same as your heartbeat. As your anxiety about the strangeness of the situation makes your heart beat faster, so does the pulsing of the tree moss. Sap begins to pour out at a visible rate, sliding down to spread over the floor. You can't tell if it's your heartbeat pulling the pulsation of the tree to pump faster and faster or vice versa as you stare frozen with anticipatory dread of what fresh new horror is about to burst forth, your pulse rising to a drowning hammering in your ears as the rest of the room seems to fade from your vision.

Until the tree splits, and a woman gracefully steps out in a flood of fluid sap that disappears by soaking into your her skin. The fluid that spills onto the floor seems to flow in reverse back into her feet, as she looks straight at you without seeming to need to take her bearings.

Dr. Karla:"Oh, it's you again. If you've come to pillage my office, I don't think much is left. Or do you perhaps need to access the Tank? If so, please be quick about it and don't get in my way. I have a few things myself to grab before leaving, notes and such. Has Security calmed down yet?"

Whut.

While you are definitely thrown for a loop, Eric seems to have outright fainted once more.

Dr. Karla:"Your friend doesn't seem terribly healthy. You should probably find someone to take a look at him. There should be a competent doctor in the south east offices, not that he ever spends any time in his office."

What do?

> Any questions about why she came out of a tree?
> Where her skin went?
> Questions about who took what?
> Questions about The Tank?
> Let her know you've already met The Doctor, any questions for her about him?
> Other questions about Sub-Basement #3, Biological?
>>
Rolled 2 (1d5)

Also ignore this roll
>>
>>4224640
The Worm Turns
>>
>>4224596
> Why did you just come out of a tree?
> What happened to your skin?
> Who came in here and took something besides me?
> What does The Tank do?
> I've met The Doctor, would he treat Eric without trying to dissect or vivisect him?
> What happened on this level? Why are there worms infesting things? What are they?
>>
>>4224888
I'll write in about two hours.
>>
>>4224888
Wait, how did Karla recognize us? We look completely different compared to hours ago.
>>
>>4224963
Would you like to ask her that?
>>
>>4224995
Sure.
>>
File: Dr Karla.jpg (872 KB, 1920x1080)
872 KB
872 KB JPG
>>4224963
>>4224888
Daisy:"Wait, how do you know it was us who were here before? We look totally different now. I checked in a mirror."

Dr. Karla sweeps a cool, slightly amused gaze across D@15Y, Eric, and Quark before returning to Daisy.

Dr. Karla:"You just look older. I currently look much younger. You're not one of my current staff, so you wouldn't have been working on any projects so while I'm quite curious how this happened, I'm also pretty confident you're the same person who was in here earlier with everyone else. Also, I was in a tree so I wasn't just "looking" at you so much as I was sampling the various effluvia that living beings give off all the time. Dead skin cells, toxins breaking down in your breath, pheromones, etc. It's far more distinguishing than anything as ephemeral as looks Like tasting the same dish, in fact despite your appearance you still taste exactly the same which is even more intriguing."

Daisy:"O~kay." Not creepy at all. Since you're already in the tasting each other phase you might as well go all in.

Daisy:"Why were you even in a tree to begin with?"

Dr. Karla:"Well, I just said I look younger. But with me, it's not just looks. It's a complete rebirth, an attempt to allow our genes to react faster in order to fight genetic collapse syndrome. Like fighting cancer with a better, directed cancer. Since human testing wasn't getting approved, I decided it was best to do so myself. Especially after what I saw on the security feeds. It's not really viable to continue staying here, and I won't be able to take my experiments with me, so this was the best compromise. I'm quite glad it seems to have worked out so far."

Daisy:"So, was that related to your skin being on the floor? What happened to it, did you . . ." please don't say you ate it, please don't say you ate it.

Dr. Karla:"Yes, there was the sloughing off of the dead exterior matter. The process was more, um, vigorous than I expected. I would appreciate it if you didn't ask more about it, it was NOT pleasant. As to it's location now, I presume the others took it."

Daisy:"What others?"

Dr. Karla:"Several others. One, tasting of dandruff, ozone and oil came in. Another that tasted of spices and salt, a very curious melange that doesn't seem very human, and finally a clashing group of burning flavours, like hot metal. I'm not sure what they took, but just from looking around I can tell you that the remote driving robot we had is gone which is curious because it was hardwired into the system. The things missing are a prototype cybernetic limb we were working on for the Hospital floor, trying to create a self-contained organic power source for that would use nutrients in the users blood. And apparently my shed skin, which I prefer not to speculate on why it was taken, but if you find it please dispose of it properly in a bio-hazardous waste container."

(1/?)
>>
>>4225262
Daisy:"Do you think anything could have come from the Tank, into here? What is it for, anyways?"

>>4200588 The Tank


Dr. Karla:"Oh, it's unlikely. Aside from some decorative plant life, and some small aquatic creatures for the ecosystem, we mostly use it to grow various useful types of sea flora. Occasionally we'll stimulate an algae bloom. There shouldn't be anything capable of even reaching the buttons to get out. The largest of creature should be the dwarf mantas we bred to clean the walls. Aquatic environments need surprisingly strict regulation, you know. Still, it's been worth all the difficulties, there are some incredibly useful things that simply don't survive long enough to be transported here grown in the Tank."

Daisy:"Erm, you mentioned there was a doctor, I believe you mean The Doctor? Does he have a name, he talked a lot but never actually gave me one. He seemed . . . Would it be safe to let him see Eric?" You gesture towards Eric who is pale again, and sweating lightly.

Dr. Karla:"Well, he could probably clear up that infection of his. It tastes very similar to that spice melange flavour that came into the room. Very soon after you were in here, too. As to whether or not the process is survivable, well, Francois is VERY passionate about ensuring no traces of what he calls Pestilence remain in his test subjects. Nobody has really sought him out for medical aid, however, since there's a Hospital on the first floor and all. But he is quite skilled, an artist with the scalpel."

Daisy:"Can you tell us what happened here? Have you seen the things in the Test Fields? Also, there seem to be parasitic . . . worms . . . " your gaze turns to Eric.

Eric is much paler now, and starting to hyperventilate.

Eric:"Daisy. . . . I . . . I don't want them in me, Daisy!" His voice is rising to a shriek at the end and he starts to babble in fear.

Dr. Karla walks up while you're trying to calm him down and presses a strangely organic looking syringe against his neck. It almost looks like a human finger, carved from wood.

Dr. Karla:"That should keep him unconscious. Tell me more about these worms?"

So you fill Dr. Karla in about the Flesh Worms, what Eric told you initially and your fight with THE ALLAN WORM and the Infected Harvestman.

Dr. Karla:"Peculiar. We weren't working with any worms here, although there might be some relation with the creatures in the Tank. These "Harvestmen" Francoise named, not his name you know but a nom de guerre since he always speaks French upon meeting a new person, obviously share some relation to the insects in the Test Fields. Several types of parasitizing strains were being tested for replacement of insecticide treatments, after all."

(2/?)
>>
>>4225302
Dr. Karla:" Hrm. Even my own change occurred much faster than expected. I'll have to look into this more, could it be a new form of genetic collapse syndrome has somehow gotten in? We were holding some infected samples in Containment 5, beside the bio-power prototypes for the cybernetic limbs in Containment 4. It's possible there was some cross contamination, although how it got out past the Clean Room is concerning. We are quite strict on protocol, and Francoise and Steven aren't the kind to skip steps. Did you meet Steven as well? He works there with Francoise,"

You deny meeting any Steven. It appears Dr, Karla doesn't use titles when referring to her staff. You also ask about the three women that you met in the Containment office.

Dr. Karla:"Women? We didn't have any women working there. I think there's a woman in the Power room, a nukee (nuclear engineer) who keeps the minature-Tokomak running safely, although they're pretty reliable these days. Not like at the turn of the century when they were first being sent out, and ours is only 4 years old. We still have the old generators and even the boiler for backup. Redundancy in depth and all that."

Dr. Karla:"I'll have to review the security tapes to see what's been happening during my rebirth. What I can tell you is that some meteorological phenomena occurred and apparently the people who observed it were negatively affected. Once the gunshots started, I began my rebirth cycle. I locked the doors after security left using my admin privileges to trigger a contamination shut-down, so there's no worry about Security being able to get down here. I have my own, external contacts as well who should be able to extract me from here, although it may take a while. Luckily, I can just return to hibernation if needed. I really only came out to set up some more secure . . . arrangements, since some very strange things were in here after you came. I notice you didn't deny taking anything, but well it's not much use to me now whatever you took so don't worry about it."

Daisy:"So, your plan is to just sit here and wait for rescue?"

Dr. Karla:"Well, I'm interested in keeping an eye on these change you described. There's a monitoring station in the room between here and the elevator room, I'll probably go in there and check on the various areas. Those weirdos in the hot houses are worrying, for sure."

> What will you do now with this information? Try to find Jephs exit? Try to cure Eric? Leave him behind? KILL HIM BEFORE HE EXPLODES INTO WORMS? Will you try to undo the lockdown so you can take the elevator out (Dr. Karla informs you that she is unable to do so, however perhaps that woman who manages the power room can do something. She's an engineer, of a sort.)

Continued tomorrow if we're still on the board!
>>
>>4225336
Still on board somehow.
>>
>>4227314
/qst/ is just massively slow lol.

I'm writing up a Pastebin for characters, and putting some stuff in the map that Dr. Karla will have informed the player about. Gonna hopefully have a smoother start to the next thread.

I kinda planned poorly for how long it would take to get out of the facility, so I think I'm gonna have to accelerate when Daisy would be meeting up with NPCs that can join her party.

Eric kinda got some bad luck with the Psychic Shriek critfail, although I did try to foreshadow that he was infected. Note how he got better in the Witch Room? Or that I said the Psychic Shriek didn't affect Daisy, D@15Y, or Quark but left Eric out? Because I could use some feedback on how that went, if it was too blatant or subtle.



Delete Post: [File Only] Style:
[Disable Mobile View / Use Desktop Site]

[Enable Mobile View / Use Mobile Site]

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective parties. Images uploaded are the responsibility of the Poster. Comments are owned by the Poster.