Terrans

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Alright my bad... Got caught up with IRL and when I got uncaught up. Well, I won't lie, just didn't have the headspace for writing.

Post to come this weekend. Sorry for the wait.

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Post will be up tonight or tomorrow.

RNG has decreed our cover up story. Ironically enough it was a joke time. Gas Leak.

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Does any wish to post or shall I move to the next set?

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

A post!

Summary: The chief is (conveniently) escorted outside by our helpful NPC team which leaves our intrepid and adventurous player characters to tackle the ravaged executive level in search of our reporter.

Also Soraya takes a chair to the head.

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Security Room

The security chief appeared flabbergasted at the personalities present in the hall. The oversized shotgun toting "tech". The team leader who just described an extraction team while denying themselves as the extraction team. And the oddly glistening Italian who for some reason wore mirrored aviators inside.

Her finger straying to the trigger of the shotgun. Ideas that perhaps the trio in front of her were intruders. She thought the better of it however. Relaxing slightly, in the event this wasn't Acheron; there wasn't much she could do about at this point. Not after the better part of the day had been spent watching her security staff (and the civilian staff) be whittled down.

"Perhaps you can tell us what happened to these people? Perhaps that is not allowed. The most important thing is that bullets seem to stop them and they appear to be very dead indeed at this point. I hope that all my assumptions are correct. Sì?"

@Dyelli beybi

"I don't know what experiment they were specifically." Ava admitted, nudging a corpse with a boot. "All I know is there was a breach just before lunch. Before I could scramble a team we were up to our asses in muscled hulks and these tinker toy corpses. They've been dragging the bodies down below though. Saw that much before they...well..."

She motioned at the door. Gouges evident from where strong grips had crumpled it like tissue paper.

Motion at the end of the hall had the odd assemblage turn. The enthusiasm in which it opened belied the figure that came through. Not a Tech-zombie or a Goliath. But one Samantha Norr wearing a customer service smile.

"Mrs. Wiberg, I'm glad to see you made it out alright. Samantha Norr, Acheron Recovery Services." In that space she had managed to close the distance, move past the muzzle of a half raised shotgun and shake the confused security chief's hand while pressing a business card into her hand. The security chief's brows were furrowed and raised as as Samantha continued. "I have a team waiting to take you outside while we carry out with our procedures. Lima, escort MRs Wiberg and her colleagues to a chopper!"

As she talked the hall behind filled with the others that had followed Sam up. Soraya and Imogen, the intrepid Concealment team with their gadgets. The Lima fireteam and Stokes filled out Norr's impromptu group. Or at least Lima did before they glanced at each other with a shrug of their shoulders and led the chief and her surviving officers down the stairs. Graves might have been Field Commander but Norr stood at the same spot on the totem pole and she had been right there.

Which left Sam with the team Daniel had sent to the security room, the Concealment team and the old warhorse Stokes. Though the sniper, Redecker, on the outside might be able to give a bit of cover if the angle was right.

Sam tried to seize the moment. Channeling the best confident voice she could muster.

"Alright, you guys are with us. We're getting a reporter from the fourth floor. Move out!"

Her voice broke with an unfortunate caught at the end.

---------

Fourth Floor

For all the gunfire of the loading bay and the sniper's deadly work; the initial entry onto the top floor was uneventful. The top floor obviously the executive floor; rich carpets and richer furnishers now ruined by the rampaging cyborgs and hulks.

The team spreading out cautiously for their search; Sam ducking into a conference room to slowly pan her weapon over a richly appointed room. Better appointed then Acheron's boardroom in fact.

Sam took a moment to admire a particular rich dark red leather swivel chair. Wondering if she could haul it out of here for her office. So her gaze was not able to see a figure hidden in the shadows swing an identical chair with all its might at the face of Soraya.

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus, @Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK, @Flarbinia

Graveyard Orbit

Of Stealing and Long Walks

Neri and James
A Terrans and Dyelli Beybi co-write

The Town was still out of sight when James and Neri reached a largish house. It was hearing midday by the time they got there, hot, with the promise of getting hotter as the afternoon drew on. It was a rough and ready timber construction with solar panels on the roof and what looked like a mechanical water bore providing fresh water through a pipe to the house. There was also, true to Neri's predictions, washing on a line.

Climbing vines grey up a long frame that allowed Neri to approach the house without being seen by anyone inside... if they were looking out. It was hard to tell through the dark windows.

The dhasath was quick, quiet, removing a burgundy skirt and red plaid top, before darting forward to swipe a wide brimmed hat and pair of leather boots, that looked about her size, from where someone had left them in the back porch. If anyone spotted her, nobody cried out 'thief' and a couple of minutes later she was getting changed in a small depression in the land shielded by a couple of scrubby bushes, "No peeking!" she hissed, her voice low, before adding with a slight groan of irritation, "Urgh... I think I picked up a man's shirt. I'll wear it open over my singlet; guess it looks like I borrowed it from someone else at the 'crash site'. I hope."

"I take offense at that notion Miss Neri." James replied from his side of the bushes. Slight indignation evident in his voice. "I might have been thrown in among disreputable individuals. But I am a person of honor and respect."

It was unknown whether he gave any thought to the fact that the pair of them were currently donning stolen garments.

James stepped around the bush as he finished changing at the same time as his Dhasath companion. The "Captain" having found a pair of neutral colored work pants; pocketed and well patched things that resembled cargo pants. Dusty and abused combat boots, laced tightly, gave him an extra inch of gravitas. A dark blue button up peeked out from beneath a duster; the duster made of something akin to leather. The duster sharing the same shade of dark brown as the hat which he settled just so upon his scalp.

It appeared as if all of James' pilfered items had actually fit him. A coincidence he tried not to calculate as he took in his companion's ensemble.

"Well, it appears we are now both presentable and not identifiable as wrongly accused felons. Shall we proceed to the next part of our excursion?"

"Yes, lets," Neri remained quiet for a while, scuffing up dust with her newly acquired boots as they carried on in the direction of town. Though James caught her studying him with a sideways glance under the brim of her hat, "Hmm... you humans really do look like dhasath... it's uncanny. Though you seem quite tall to me? Would you amongst other humans? Sorry... I've heard stories, and I heard some of you were on the ship, but I've never actually met a human before today." She paused for a moment before adding, matter-of-factly, though with a hint of a grin, "I was tempted to peek. Scientific curiosity. You might have a mass of tentacles in the middle of your chest."

"No tentacles that I am aware of. Though you may feel free to not take me at my word." James replied, glancing at his new (literal) partner in crime. A grin mirroring Neri's. "As for my height. Well, I am considered among the taller of humans. Though there are people of larger stature then me."

"You though could pass as a human. Especially if you claimed to be from certain locales." His gaze appraising as if to confirm his suspicion.

"By the way, did you realise that creature off the ship was a ragon?" Neri glanced back as if half expecting it to be following them, "I'm sure you've heard the stories... tread carefully and carry a gun if you don't want to end up as lunch."

"A ragon?" He quirked an eyebrow and threw a glance over his shoulder. "Seems rather odd to ship something of that nature alongside the likes of us. I mean I know the circumstances of my false accusations and you don't seem to be leading a life of felony....outside a talent for purloining clothing."

"This is the first time I've stolen anything," Neri confessed, "And yes... the ragon is odd, but I think they think I was an armed rebel or something. So maybe we've been lumped in with the most dangerous people they had?" She shrugged, clearly Neri was guessing.

James mirrored the shrug. Tilting his brim slightly to ward off the sun.

"I guess the reasons for our false imprisonments are moot at this point. Given our unofficial pardons and our current situations." He conceded. "So what story shall we conjure up for the masses. So we don't out ourself within a second of entering the town proper."

"They aren't irrelevant," Neri shook her head, "We don't know who we can trust and who we can't, but it's not as if there's an easy way to figure this out. I'm going to stay on my guard."

"They'll probably have seen the ship landing and taking off," she thought for a moment, "So maybe we're colonists who've been robbed by whoever we'd chartered to take us to Caldera and we need some warm clothing for our companions?"

"A decent as any suggestion. Let us make haste then Miss Neri." His stride began to pick up.

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

<Snipped quote by Terrans>

Just to clarify, we currently only know the location of the reporter on the fourth floor? And no precise location for the intern?

@JFK

The interns phone is being tracked but a precise location hasn’t been confirmed yet.

The reporter was last seen on the fourth floor.

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

A post has been given.

RNG has brought a VIP to our intrepid (and secrecy violating) security team.

The goliath has gone down but it was a bit more difficult than expected.

The reporter has fled from sight.

Out concealment team unfortunately had no new updates but at least no setbacks.

Till next time.

(PS, thumbs up if you like the summary of events or face icon if you prefer I don't do a summary)

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Field Commander Daniel Graves
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Loading Bay

'Well, at least it's not a rift.'

That was the first thought to come to Graves mind as he took in the tableau of the loading bay. On full view as he swapped a magazine into his rifle. The bodies of the cobbled together tech-zombies intermingled with what had been a fireteam worth of Kilo shooters.

But the massive Goliath like figure was still standing. Blood dotted it's jumpsuit intermittently and yet it showed no signs of pain as it focused on Kilo team member.

He dropped his slung PDW and swiftly gripped the revolver with both hands. He lined up the crude sights with the beast's head and fired a hefty .44 magnum round, praying it would crack it's skull and bury itself in the right places to make it go limp.

@JFK

The massive report and muzzle flash of a .44 came from somewhere on the other side of the bay. The goliath staggered, a chunk of visible skull and gore shooting away from a corner of it's head. The Kilo shooter audibly inhaling as the pressure lessened. The Tech-Zombies were down. GOliath was going down; Graves was about to lower his rifle when he noticed it.

The goliath had staggered but caught itself on unsteady feet. It looked confused but it wobbled as it gazed around the bay with that electric blue gaze. It still didn't fall; despite the visible brain matter Daniel could see even from this distance. It eventually reoriented in the direction of the magnum shot and began to wobble unsteadily there. The gait resembled the tech-zombies; nothing like its earlier grace.

A distinction Graves noted as he sent the bolt home on a fresh magazine and reshouldered the rifle.

"Pour it on!!!!" Graves, Lima, and the still functional members of Kilo fired from their various positions within the room. A mad twenty seconds of converging fire that hit the goliath from seemingly every angle. The giant falling to its knees somewhere in the fusillade as it flesh and bone were pummeled by the gunfire. It reached a futile hand towards Stoke's position; as if it could still reach him.

Then, a bullet hit whatever the goliath needed to keep moving past the headshot and the fusillade. The collapse was almost anti-climatic for the size of the target and the ammunition they had expended.

"Clear." Graves sent as he took in the bay now. Six dead science experiments. Three dead Acheron. One wounded to an unknown degree. A sigh. Not the worst start to an op but definitely not the best. "Kilo, get the casualties to the LZ and set up defenses in the lobby. Stokes! You in here?"

Graces saw the Alton wearing helmet of Stokes appear; the revolver he had used still in his hands.

"Nice shot; I'll make sure you get a sticker. Anyways.." He motioned at a Lima fireteam. "Take these boys from Lima and go pick up the gals from Concealment. Let them do their jobs; just make sure they get where they need to go. Clear? Rest of Lima, police up this bay and get back to Juliet. Let's move people!"

---------
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Security Room

The security room was a mad house. Blood, overturned furniture and bullet holes dotted the walls. Empty arms lockers and scattered magazine holders pointed to a desperate race to arm before the battle had reached the room. But for all the chaos outside the room and the signs of battle within; the room held no threats.

An examination of the security system however revealed an unsettling development. The systems had all been slaved to a terminal somewhere in the basement. An oddly named "Sector Null Zero" listed as the new security access point. The security footage erased too by whatever process had moved its functions deeper into the facility. The only upside was that whatever had overridden the system had also wiped the door control systems. Had they been intact; the team would have had to hunt down colored keycards to access sectors of the facility.

The pounding of footsteps resounding from the hall; heavy footfalls. But the footfall's were preceded by a commanding, female voice.

"Friendlies!!!!! Friendlies!!!!!" There were four of them rushing down the hall. Cradling Mossberg shotguns with death grips and casting fearful glances around. All four of them were dressed in dark uniforms; the logo of Obsidian Dynamics the sole bit of color on their otherwise stark uniforms.

Three were the typical large shouldered, skull cracker look of private corporate security. Too much time in the gym and not enough time at the firing range. The fourth had sharp angular features and fair hair that had been styled before the events of the day had left it coated in grime and matted to her skull. A name tap and security badge proclaimed her as one of their VIP's; Head of Security Ava Wiberg.

The four came to a jumbling stop near the security room. Not seeming to mind the guns pointed at them; a testament to whatever had occurred that they preferred the company of armed strangers.

Head of Security Wiberg, looked on the trio of Acheron shooters with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Are you three the only extraction team?" Her gaze taking in the dead tech-zombies and Fabio taking a selfie with said tech zombies. Her grip readjusting on her shotgun. "You are the extraction team right?"

An edge to her words.
@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus

--------

As the next tech-zombie fell; the reporter scrambled to her feet. A spray of gunk from a headshot splattering her formerly white blouse. She took a panicked look around the office before darting through the newly battered open door.

Taking to danger of the building over the shattered safety that had been her previous hiding place. The reporter disappearing from sight somewhere in the fourth floor. Away from the windows and sightlines of the sniper teams.

@Flarbinia

-------
Field Contract Advisor Samantha Norr
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah

"This will lead us to them." Soraya looked up at both Imogen and Samantha, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I do not know who else would be calling from inside the facility. I think we go in. Offer help: we can think of a story as we search, yes?"

@Tesserach

Sam took in the display. A road map that would lead at least to one of the reporters. The other somewhere on the fourth floor. The gunfire from the facility having died down at least. Not the abrupt way of a team being wiped out; but the petering fire of a one-sided firefight dying out.

"Let's start with the location we know exactly." Sam examined the dot, somewhere on the far side of the building from the lobby. Though she couldn't figure out which floor it was on.

The van unlocked with a beep. A standard news van; monitors, spare equipment, empty cases and personal effects scattered among its shelfs and nooks. Beside a moderately fashionable purse was a smart phone, silent now, but obviously the one that had been ringing. Sam picked the phone up with cursory. The lock screen revealing a flurry of missed calls and texts; the most recent from a contact labeled "Intern: Whitney". The rest appeared acquaintances of some kind that were worried for her.

"Looks like we're going to need a cover story for this." She showed the phone towards Imogen. Passing the device over as she stepped out. Boots making a clacking as she stepped out and pulled her weapon around for a reassuring heft of its weight.

She stepped beside Soraya.

"I guess its time to head in now." She hoped the words sounded casual. Not at all displaying the nervousness she felt. Nor did she pay attention to the slight phantom ache of the scar on her collarbone.
@Tesserach, @PatientBean

In The Black (A Clean-Up Crew RP)

Is thr office intact

How far do we have, like cameras, doors etc?

@PrinceAlexus

The office is wrecked. The security functions are all slaved to a location somewhere underground. Though most of the doors have been....removed. Signs of a heavy fight but no bodies.