Adventures beyond known space

[Draxas]

Considering the "AI's" mention of a rescue from XOR, I think maybe avoiding the city would probably be more prudent. I say head north, then loop around to the west to get to LS Alpha.

[Lukipela]

You figure Ted will stay on well enough and pull on the rope attached to the feelers. Getting the insectoid to move isn't easy and neither is steering it. After a few false starts you manage to get going, slowly making your way through the forest. After a bit of trial and error, you realise that riding this thing is pretty easy, as it seems to be learning what your attempts to command it mean as you go. Maybe it isn't so stupid after all. As you pick up speed, you realise that your new mount is fast. You have a feeling it might even be extremely fast, but with a wounded Ted lying on it you don't feel like pushing too hard. Still, you must be moving twice as fast as you would on foot and even carrying the both of you the insectoid shows no signs of tiring. The six legs move fluidly and easily over uneven ground, even jumping over fallen tree trunks at times. The ride is also surprisingly smooth, apparently the six legs move so well together that the insectoid's upper body is almost motionless.

After about two hours, you realise that you've been moving upward on a gentle slope for quite sometime. Walking you would hav noticed this, but the smooth gait you've been riding at has made you miss it. Pulling the reins, you turn around and realise that you can see the monitoring station through the foliage further down the slope, even though it is quite far away by now. Looking at it makes your stomach turn. For some reason, it makes you profoundly uncomfortable, as if the sight of it makes your brain scream. Shaking your head, you can't shake the feeling that you're missing something. Blinking a few times, you realise that you might be. Something is wrong down there. You can't see anything, but something is down there looking. And it's not trying to hide itself. You can almost feel the psionic beams emanating from that place, looking for you. Like a lattice of light, it is spreading out form the station, looking at everything and looking for everyone. It must be strong, even at this distance you can easily sense it getting closer and spreading out. Mouth going dry, you recall your last encounter with these things. That strength will break you, and make you walk towards the light.

Suddenly, the station erupts in flames. Seconds later you feel the pressure wave from the explosion, strong enough to make the fungal trees rustle. But beyond that, you feel another wave. A wave of pure hatred almost knocks you off your mount, as the insectoid skitters worriedly and Ted groans. You can't imagine what it must be like being closer to the source of that. In the sky around the remains of the station, large winged shapes are circling, swooping downwards. As one erupts in green fire, another dives towards some unseen target. Your head rings with psionic booms and waves of hatred, as titanic forces do combat before your eyes..

For a while you just watch, almost hypnotized. But then you realize that this won't last forever. Someone will eventually win, and then the victor might well remember you. Pulling on the rope, you get moving once more. Your mount moves slower than before, clearly distressed by the psionic barrage from behind. It's late afternoon and you ride until the night is pitch black. Then you quickly make camp, and bed Ted down in your sleeping bag. He looks worse again and you worry that he might still be bleeding internally. As he moves restlessly, he mumbles to you

"Sangrilla. We need to find Bills people. We need to warn them about the hunters. I can find them from Sangrilla".

Then he fades away again. You manage to get him to swallow some water and eat some food yourself, realizing that you are quite hungry. It's much too late to forage though, so you enjoy some quality canned food.your mount seems content to eat shrubbery close to where it has been tethered. Head filled with uneasy thoughts, you pack down among the spare clothes. The night is chilly, but you feel that lighting a fire might attract undue attention.

You sleep fitfully, strange dreams plaguing you. When you awake, you don't feel very refreshed. Ted still looks quite out of it and is very unresponsive. You wonder if using the knife may have had some side-effects, or if the encounter with the strange terror yesterday may have been too much for his mind to bear. You manage to get him back up on the mount, and figure that it's time to leave. The only question is where to go now. At the refugee camp, there might be medicines and help for Ted, as well as the directions to the launch site. But at Sangrilla, you might be able to locate others of your own kind and warn them of this strange new threat. You doubt there will be any help for Ted there, as the city is probably as overrun as Prime was. And of course there is Launch Site Alpha, an unknown place where the psychics await. They might be able to help and guide you, but you know very little about them.

[spoiler]
Wilf Nemo

Psionic Level 3 / Mechanic Level 2 / Pioneer Level 1
39/39 HP  (+3 HP from sleep)
12/15 MP  (+10 HP from fitful sleep)
9/15 XP

Psionic powers

Pyrokinetic puff, 1 MP (Mastered)
Comprehend, 2 MP   (Understand foreign languages and symbols)
Telepathy, 4 MP       (Speak with your mind)
Fade, 4 MP, 1 hand, 10 minutes  (Become hard to notice, yet not invisible)

Powers that can be learned

Lightning , 10 MP, 2 hands (Hurl a bolt of lightning from your hands)
True Vision, 2 hands, 4 MP (See hidden things such as spirits and cloaked things)
True Strength, 3 MP/ 5 minutes (Doubles your strength for the duration)
Punishing grasp, 4 MP, 1 hand (Draw power from the air to make your enemies muscles convulse helplessly)
Induced Panic, 4 MP (Sends the target (one person or creature) into a powerful panic for 2 minutes)
Telekinetic manipulation, 3 MP (Use your mind instead of your fingers, basically a floating hand)
Mind Freeze, 5 MP (Target unit/creatures mind locks up for 2 minutes leaving them vulnerable)
Psionic charm, 4 MP (Makes a neutral unit/creature friendlier towards you)


Mechanic skills

Repair 3 pt
Modify 1 pt
Improvise 4 pt
Computers 6 pt
Low tech 2 pt
High tech 2 pt

Inventory

Backpack ~100% full
Nurses Key card & Identity card
Small scissors
Tuft of Shofixti hair
Food&Water for 9 days (Beef jerky, Canned Vegetables, Chocolate bars, Rat Stew, Disgusting Vegetables) ~40% of Backpack space
Compass system (unknown amount of power left) ~5% of Backpack space
Bottle of Whiskey (one sixth full)
Spare clothes ~10% of Backpack space
Sleeping bag
Energy Rifle (13 shots)
Rifle clip (25 shots)
Knife
Stone Knife of Minor Healing (+5 HP/ 2 days) NOT USEABLE UNTIL ATOMORROW (DAY AFTER WAKING UP WITH TED AND THE MMOUNT)
Rope (15 meters) ~10% of Backpack space
Portable data drive
Multi tool
Droid head
Droid arm

Possible Destinations:
Refugee Camp. Can be reached in ~4 days by mount.
Sangrilla, can be reached in about ~2 days by mount.
Launch Site Alpha: Can be reached in about ~5 days by mount.
[/spoiler]

[Alen]

If we go to the refugee camp everyone in Sangrilla dies. And if we go to Sangrilla Ted probably dies. It would be immoral to go to the refugee camp but Ted might have some answers we'll need for the future.

[Rider]

I say Sangrilla. If we find some of his people there they are likely to have some basic form of first-aid kits (unless they're already depleted) and I would rather sacrifice Ted to save bunches than the other way around.

[Bleeding Star]

Well, it'd be the nice thing to do to go to Sangrilla and help his mates, but I'm also concerned that it may not be safe. Let's head to the refugee camp first and get medical help for Ted (if he makes it that far). Then I'm keen to head for Launch site Alpha.

[Draxas]

Honestly, I don't think any settlements are going to be safe, since any Androsynth could be possessed at any moment.

That being said, maybe we should head toward Sangrilla first anyway. If there is a large human population, then they may be able to put up some resistance to the possessors. Perhaps they might be able to help us if we warn them about the impending threat.

But we must go cautiously. If we see any signs of trouble in Sangrilla, it's time to change course toward LSA. Let's not get "seen" by this thing again if we can help it.

[Eth]

Sangrilla it is.

[Lukipela]

While Ted till seems pretty out of it, you decide to take his advice. Somewhere deep inside you hope that Sangrilla is unaffected, that you will arrive there and find a city filled with people. Filled with those who resist whatever strange force is at work. If nothing else, the promise of finding other humans intrigues you. From what you’ve understood, the humans are a small minority on this world. Perhaps the humans Ted knows will know you as well. Ever since you woke up, your life has been one terrifying situation after another. You’ve been focused on surviving, on escaping whatever has been threatening you. In a way, you realize what the old Shofixti was talking about. "Always running", he said. And he was right. You’re beginning to feel that just running in itself isn’t enough. Maybe you need more. If you’re just surviving, then what is the point?

Head filled with these troubled thoughts you travel towards Sangrilla. Ted remains confused and fevery, but he seems determined to live. He is no longer unconscious all the time, but he remains incoherent. At every junction, he asks about Sangrilla. While you forage your own food, you make sure that he eats as much as he can of your protein rich supplies. He doesn’t eat or drink much anyway, but you think its enough to keep him alive.

Your trip to Sangrilla takes two days and is mostly uneventful. There are no longer any traces of what you consider human vegetation or animals around, but the native species seem to be quite docile. You find this slightly odd, as you vividly recall he stone hounds you encountered earlier. Nonetheless, the only animals you spot are herbivores, both large and small.

The only remarkable event during your trip occurs early on the morning of the second day. You come across the large scaly carcass of what DOS called a "Forest Elephant", a lizard like behemoth with two large frontal tentacles. Large chunks of meat have been cut out of it and a broken spear remains planted square between its unseeing insectile eyes. Inspecting the broken piece, you think it looks very similar to what the savages at the monitoring station used. But he kill is old and the forest quiet, so you continue.

When you finally near Sangrilla, you slow down as you begin to approach the city. The vivid memories of the combat in Prime make you uneasy, wondering if the same has taken place here. As you draw closer to the coordinates, you realize that Sangrilla lies in a valley. From the ridge above the city, you can look down at it. The city is big, although nowhere near the size of Prime. It’s surrounded by a large wall, with only one giant gate. With a sinking heart, you see that the gate is wide open. Not only that, the wall has been breached at several points. Large piles of rubble lie where it has collapsed, revealing the buildings inside. From what you can see, it looks like someone attacked the city with large weaponry and half leveled it.

As you try to fight the bitter taste of disappointment, you realize that there is something good in all of this. Above the city you see a flock of birds circling. You can’t be sure, but they look like glass pigeons, very easily spooked birds. And by several of the fallen wall sections, a herbivore species known as tarantuloids are grazing. They are also very prone to flight. The presence of those animals indicates that nothing threatening hides in the ruins. At least right now.

As you ponder the significance of this, you hear an odd sound. Looking behind you, you see that Ted is crying.

"Sangrilla" he sobs, "What happened to my city". Then his eyes focus on you.

"I have a map. A map to Bill’s home. He gave it to me even though it was a secret. We need to get to my apartment. We need to find and warn them!"

What next?

[spoiler]
Wilf Nemo

Psionic Level 3 / Mechanic Level 2 / Pioneer Level 1
39/39 HP 
15/15 MP  (+3 MP from second night)
9/15 XP

Psionic powers

Pyrokinetic puff, 1 MP (Mastered)
Comprehend, 2 MP   (Understand foreign languages and symbols)
Telepathy, 4 MP       (Speak with your mind)
Fade, 4 MP, 1 hand, 10 minutes  (Become hard to notice, yet not invisible)

Powers that can be learned

Lightning , 10 MP, 2 hands (Hurl a bolt of lightning from your hands)
True Vision, 2 hands, 4 MP (See hidden things such as spirits and cloaked things)
True Strength, 3 MP/ 5 minutes (Doubles your strength for the duration)
Punishing grasp, 4 MP, 1 hand (Draw power from the air to make your enemies muscles convulse helplessly)
Induced Panic, 4 MP (Sends the target (one person or creature) into a powerful panic for 2 minutes)
Telekinetic manipulation, 3 MP (Use your mind instead of your fingers, basically a floating hand)
Mind Freeze, 5 MP (Target unit/creatures mind locks up for 2 minutes leaving them vulnerable)
Psionic charm, 4 MP (Makes a neutral unit/creature friendlier towards you)


Mechanic skills

Repair 3 pt
Modify 1 pt
Improvise 4 pt
Computers 6 pt
Low tech 2 pt
High tech 2 pt

Inventory

Backpack ~100% full
Nurses Key card & Identity card
Small scissors
Tuft of Shofixti hair
Food&Water for 8 days (Beef jerky, Canned Vegetables, Chocolate bars, Rat Stew, Disgusting Vegetables) ~40% of Backpack space
Compass system (unknown amount of power left) ~5% of Backpack space
Bottle of Whiskey (one sixth full)
Spare clothes ~10% of Backpack space
Sleeping bag
Energy Rifle (13 shots)
Rifle clip (25 shots)
Knife
Stone Knife of Minor Healing (+5 HP/ 2 days)
Rope (15 meters) ~10% of Backpack space
Portable data drive
Multi tool
Droid head
Droid arm
[/spoiler]

[Draxas]

I suppose it couldn't hurt to follow Ted's advice and check out the city. If the wildlife is willing to stick around, it shouldn't be THAT dangerous... hopefully.

While we're at it, I notice that our backpack is now full. It also seems like some of our food has spoiled, so it's time to lighten the load a bit; no sense in keeping around trash. Also, is there anything useful that we can salvage from those droid parts? We've been on the road for a couple of days, surely we've had time to figure that out. I'm not sure how bulky they are, but if they're taking up a lot of room and won't be useful, we may as well dump those too.

[Alen]

Were practically at the city and now that there are animals there the battle must have happened a long enough time ago. Lets go and see if there are any survivors. Which there probably aren't.

[Eth]

  Yeah, let's check out Ted's place, then Bill's.

[Rider]

Indeed, let's head in.

[Bleeding Star]

I'm also doubting that there's any survivors, but we could head to Bill's place and take a look. Incidentally, why is Bill's home a secret?

I'm also keen to look for information on what's going on here - newspapers, etc.

[Lukipela]

The city does look very empty. You decide to bring Ted back to his apartment, making a note to try and find a hospital or pharmacy of some sort as well. As you cautiously pilot your insectoid down the slope towards the ruined gate, you keep your senses sharp. The wall looks weathered and even the broken parts are smooth, as if whatever attacked this place had done so years ago. Up close, you note that the fungal underbrush has spread in through the broken walls, covering the ground in many places.

Confronted with the realization that Sangrilla is ruined, Ted seems to have retreated into some sort of fantasy world, eagerly talking about the city as if it were still alive around you.

"Pretty impressive gates huh? They aren’t used much, just for large technical packages that don’t require airlifts. Most of the stuff goes via the airport. There’s a great sports field out by it, we should go there some day..."

As you enter the city, Ted guides you down different roads, all the time happily explaining where you are. and telling small stories about the ruined buildings you pass.

"And in that building there’s a really good barber. I mean sure, machines are more exact. But he has style. He can work magic with hair, and that’s pretty uncommon in a race created to do science rather than to do culture..."

You see no people anywhere, and as you draw deeper into the city, there are no animals to be seen either. Except for Ted’s happy chatter, the city is deadly silent. Remembering the Reapers, you think you have a pretty good idea of what happened here. "Reapers and Fallen", you think and shudder. Eventually, you reach a nondescript residential tower on the eastern side of town. Ted happily disembarks your steed and announces that you’re here.

"Andrea will be so pleased to meet you; she really likes Bill as well. Maybe we should invite him over, have dinner all four of us?"

You swallow uncomfortably. It seems that Ted has lost himself quite thoroughly in his own little world by now. From the sound of it, Andrea was his wife. You doubt that she is still around, at least in the same form. You tether your insectoid to a wall, and hoist your heavy backpack. As you enter the small lobby, your heart sinks further. There are several piles of empty clothes lying on the floor. The elevator doors have all been torn off and the empty elevator shafts are dark. Ted walks up to one of them and presses the call button. After a few minutes he presses it again and then frowns.

"That’s weird, the elevator system must be shot. That’s never happened before. Oh well, just as well we only live on the fourth floor then. Can you imagine if we lived on the 15h?"

Ted throws his head back and laughs merrily at the thought of having to walk so many stairs. At least you think that is what he is laughing about. There’s an edge to the laughter, a hint of hysteria. He is more animated now than he has been during your trip from the station, but he doesn’t look that good. His cheeks are red, but the rest of his face seems pale and taut. You climb the stairs together, silently climbing to the fifth floor. As you exit the stair house you see 5 identical doors, all shut. Ted happily walks to the third one and punches a number into the small keypad by the door. Predictably, nothing happens. Confused, Ted keys in the number again. When it still doesn’t work, he raises his hand and bangs on the door. As soon as his fist connects, the door swings inward.

"Ah, there we go! Must’ve forgotten my code. Anyway, come in! I’ll go see where Andrea is and then well call Bill."

Ted disappears into the apartment, and you can hear him yelling "Honey? I’m home!". As you peek into the apartment, you see a narrow hallway with three door openings. The first appears to lead into a kitchen, the second into a study. The third leads into what looks like a living room. There is a pile of empty clothes on the floor.

Ted appears from the end of the hallway, where you suspect the bedroom lies.

"Andrea must be out, I didn’t see her anywhere. Anyway, have a seat and make yourself comfortable! I’m sure she’ll be home soon. Then everything will be just fine."

Ted moves past you into the living room, and sits down in his couch. He points a remote at the television and clicks it a few times. Even though the transmitter remains dark, he leans back with a content face and looks at it. A tear silently trickles down his cheek.

What now?

[spoiler]
Wilf Nemo

Psionic Level 3 / Mechanic Level 2 / Pioneer Level 1
39/39 HP  
15/15 MP  (+3 MP from second night)
9/15 XP

Psionic powers

Pyrokinetic puff, 1 MP (Mastered)
Comprehend, 2 MP   (Understand foreign languages and symbols)
Telepathy, 4 MP       (Speak with your mind)
Fade, 4 MP, 1 hand, 10 minutes  (Become hard to notice, yet not invisible)

Powers that can be learned

Lightning , 10 MP, 2 hands (Hurl a bolt of lightning from your hands)
True Vision, 2 hands, 4 MP (See hidden things such as spirits and cloaked things)
True Strength, 3 MP/ 5 minutes (Doubles your strength for the duration)
Punishing grasp, 4 MP, 1 hand (Draw power from the air to make your enemies muscles convulse helplessly)
Induced Panic, 4 MP (Sends the target (one person or creature) into a powerful panic for 2 minutes)
Telekinetic manipulation, 3 MP (Use your mind instead of your fingers, basically a floating hand)
Mind Freeze, 5 MP (Target unit/creatures mind locks up for 2 minutes leaving them vulnerable)
Psionic charm, 4 MP (Makes a neutral unit/creature friendlier towards you)

Mechanic skills

Repair 3 pt
Modify 1 pt
Improvise 4 pt
Computers 6 pt
Low tech 2 pt
High tech 2 pt

Inventory

Backpack ~100% full
Nurses Key card & Identity card
Small scissors
Tuft of Shofixti hair
Food&Water for 8 days (Beef jerky, Canned Vegetables, Chocolate bars, Rat Stew, Disgusting Vegetables) ~40% of Backpack space
Compass system (unknown amount of power left) ~5% of Backpack space
Bottle of Whiskey (one sixth full)
Spare clothes ~10% of Backpack space
Sleeping bag
Energy Rifle (13 shots)
Rifle clip (25 shots)
Knife
Stone Knife of Minor Healing (+5 HP/ 2 days)
Rope (15 meters) ~10% of Backpack space
Portable data drive
Multi tool
Droid head
Droid arm
[/spoiler]

[Draxas]

Oh man, he's gone nuttier than we are. Maybe we can snap him back to reality with some telepathy... I know that's a pretty sucky thing to do to the poor guy, but he needs to come join us in the real world again or else we might have to leave him behind, and I'd feel pretty bad about doing so.

If he doesn't snap out of it soon, let's check out his study  bit and see if we can find some useful info, then check out those salvaged parts for anything worthwhile. Once that's done, if he's still in lala land, we should ask him about Bill's place, since there's apparently something important there.