Heroica: Glory Amongst the Stars - Mission #9: He's Dead, Jim

[Duvors]

18 hours ago, Yzalirk said:

"I think I have heard all I needed to know for now, Arno.  I do not listen to such rumors but should we come across anything we will surely deal with it.  One last thing, do you have anything that may prove useful to us down there?  Maybe some flares?"

"Sure I do! Y' don't think I was gonna send you down there with nothing, didjya? I have wading pants, boots, head protection - though you guys came with that already - breathing equipment so y' don't suffocate - Oh! and I gotcha some flashlights! You'd be blind down there without 'em!"
He waves for you to follow him. "C'mon, I'll show you, the locker room an' equipment storage is right by the entrance."

Arno leads you back down the way you came, taking you nearly to the door out before showing you into a sparsely furnished locker room. In it, already laid out, are a pair of outfits and two flashlights:

 Workman's Outfit x2: (Standard Kinetic Armor) Filtration: Allows it's wearer to breathe in toxic environments.

 Flashlight x2: (Tool) Shines light in dark places, -1 Stealth successes when equipped.

"I'm sorry I don't have any flares, we don't really have much use fer 'em, specially not in places where there's a chance of flammable gas buildup. Now, d'you guys need anything else, or shall we get goin'?"

[Endgame]

On 12/20/2021 at 3:36 PM, Duvors said:

"Well, they're a latch system, you you hafta have some manual dexterity t' open 'em. They're also designed so that you need to put some effort into openin' them, so if something went t' that much trouble then they're probably smart enough t' figure out what they were an' how t' work them. Dust for prints? Sad t' say we don't have the knowledge to do that. We did try t' preserve 'em for the police, but the useless goons in charge down here haven't gotten back t' us since we handed in our report - an' the evidence." Arno's expression sours. "If I still had it I'd show it t' you, so you could have look yoursel... no forensic skills?" He stops, a bit perturbed. "Well, ah, I guess that's not strictly necessary. D'ya at least have prior experience in, I dunno, findin' people?"

"Eh, I meant no forensic skills as in like, the workin' in a lab stuff. As for findin' people, well..."

Decker thinks back to that one storm in Akharif, his sister stranded in the whirling gales of sand...

"Yeah, I'd say I got some. You don't have to worry none about that. Shame that the police aren't bein' more handy here."

1 hour ago, Duvors said:

"Sure I do! Y' don't think I was gonna send you down there with nothing, didjya? I have wading pants, boots, head protection - though you guys came with that already - breathing equipment so y' don't suffocate - Oh! and I gotcha some flashlights! You'd be blind down there without 'em!"
He waves for you to follow him. "C'mon, I'll show you, the locker room an' equipment storage is right by the entrance."

Arno leads you back down the way you came, taking you nearly to the door out before showing you into a sparsely furnished locker room. In it, already laid out, are a pair of outfits and two flashlights:

 Workman's Outfit x2: (Standard Kinetic Armor) Filtration: Allows it's wearer to breathe in toxic environments.

 Flashlight x2: (Tool) Shines light in dark places, -1 Stealth successes when equipped.

"I'm sorry I don't have any flares, we don't really have much use fer 'em, specially not in places where there's a chance of flammable gas buildup. Now, d'you guys need anything else, or shall we get goin'?"

"Hery, Arno, much appreciate it!" Decker says, looking the ensemble over. "Say, these flashlights, how long the battery last?"

"I think we can get moving."

Edited December 21, 2021 by Endgame

[Duvors]

1 hour ago, Endgame said:

"Eh, I meant no forensic skills as in like, the workin' in a lab stuff. As for findin' people, well..."

Decker thinks back to that one storm in Akharif, his sister stranded in the whirling gales of sand...

"Yeah, I'd say I got some. You don't have to worry none about that. Shame that the police aren't bein' more handy here."

"Yeah well, them's the breaks. Good t' know you've done this sorta thing before."

1 hour ago, Endgame said:

"Hery, Arno, much appreciate it!" Decker says, looking the ensemble over. "Say, these flashlights, how long the battery last?"

"Bout two days, though that's if y' never turn them off. We use some real heavy duty batteries in these things."

[Yzalirk]

Ronin puts on the Workman's Outfit.

"I am ready to head out."

[Duvors]

"Right then! Let's get goin'!"

Arno leads you back out front to the odd vehicle waiting outside, motioning you to sit in it. Taking his place in front, he presses a small button and the vehicle starts up with a hum and the warning lights start to flash. The car doesn't rise off the ground - at least not perceptibly - instead sliding smoothly along it as Arno pulls out into the street, leaving a small wake of detritus as it enters the most used paths. Going is slow, as there are many people still about and more than once thee trio are stuck behind a slow moving bicycle, scooter, and, once, a rickshaw. As they travel, Arno, clearly uncomfortable with driving in silence, recounts a long story about his first day working in maintenance - apparently it involved finding a live squid in a ventilation shaft. Eventually they turn into an alley not that far from where they started and the car comes to a stop - as does Arno's story.

"Well, this is where I leave you. Good luck guys!"

If you have any final preparations, now is the time.

 - Heroes - 

 Decker DaCabe (Endgame)
24 year old male Human
Character Points: 0/19
Vitality: 7/7
Velocity: 2
Strength: 4
Skill: 3
Smarts: 1
Proficiencies: Melee Weapons 1, Short Range Weapons 2, Medicine 1, Perception 1, Athletics 1
Credits: 52
Equipment:  Double Barrel Voltaic Shotgun (Calibrated Energy Short Range Weapon), Sandblasted Cuirass (Standard Kinetic Armor),
Inventory: Unloaded Pistol (Calibrated Kinetic Melee Weapon), Workman's Outfit (Standard Kinetic Armor) Filtration: Allows its wearer to breathe in toxic environments, Flashlight (Tool) Shines light in dark places, -1 Stealth successes, Plasma Potion 2x

 Ronin (Yzalirk)
[REDACTED] Male [REDACTED]
Character Points: 0/19
Vitality: 7/7
Velocity: 3
Strength: 1
Skill: 4
Smarts: 3
Spirit: 0/0
Proficiencies: Athletics 1, Artillery 1, Deception 1, Melee Weapons 2, Perception 1, Stealth 1, Survival 1
Known Spells: None
Credits: 322
Equipment: Cloaking Generator, Hard Light Katana (Calibrated Energy Melee Weapon), Workman's Outfit (Standard Kinetic Armor) Filtration: Allows its wearer to breathe in toxic environments
Inventory: Gator Tooth (Can be converted into either a Kinetic or Elemental Standard Melee Weapon by a craftsman), Ion Laser (Calibrated Energy Artillery Weapon), Flashlight (Tool) Shines light in dark places, -1 Stealth successes

[Endgame]

Decker dons the workman's uniform and walks over to the hatch, with the metal turnwheel.

"Hey, Ronin, lend me a hand and help me twist this thing open?" The scrapper asks, grasping the mechanism and trying to twist it open himself, to see if one man is enough. "Hopefully we dfon't hafta double back and ask for a wrench."

[Yzalirk]

Ronin gives Decker a hand with the hatch then checks the trash can.

[Duvors]

19 hours ago, Endgame said:

"Hey, Ronin, lend me a hand and help me twist this thing open?" The scrapper asks, grasping the mechanism and trying to twist it open himself, to see if one man is enough. "Hopefully we dfon't hafta double back and ask for a wrench."

2 hours ago, Yzalirk said:

Ronin gives Decker a hand with the hatch then checks the trash can.

The hatch, having been opened recently, offers no significant resistance to the pair. As for the trashcan, all it seems to contain is the remains of someone's lunch and an old newspaper. The headline reads: BLACKGUARD DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN BOREAL EXPRESS ATTACK with other articles reading New Force Rally in Vindjrahar Leads to Violence, Hart Freighter Disappears, and Notorious Smuggler Still at Large. Having raised the hatch, you steel yourselves for your job's real beginning, and descend into the depths.

~~~

The air here is stale and damp, though thankfully the breathing apparatus protects you from the worst of it. The air toxicity detectors on your suits still show green, but considering it smells like something died down here even though the filters, you feel in no hurry to remove them. The only light down here is from four buzzing orange lights that seem to denote two turns in the passage:

What will you do?

[Endgame]

"Oh, hell, that smell," Decker moans. "What d'you think, Ronin, which reeked worse? These tunnels or that drake carcass?"

Decker flips on his flashlight and looks around, paying special note to any tracks on the floor and that weird... dripping substance coming from the ceiling.

[Yzalirk]

"I would say this.  At least with the drake it was outside airing out.  This, this is just a tomb of stink."

As Decker uses the flashlight the illuminate the tunnel a bit more, Ronin gets closer and examines the slime dripping from the ceiling without touching it.
 

Spoiler

I guess this could be a Survival Check?  I just want to see if it is harmful or something.

 

[Duvors]

19 hours ago, Endgame said:

Decker flips on his flashlight and looks around, paying special note to any tracks on the floor and that weird... dripping substance coming from the ceiling.

23 minutes ago, Yzalirk said:

As Decker uses the flashlight the illuminate the tunnel a bit more, Ronin gets closer and examines the slime dripping from the ceiling without touching it.

Decker Perception Check (DC 1): (4, 3, 4, 4) Three successes.

Decker's decision to use the flashlight pays off, as the strong, clear light makes it much easier to determine colors and details than the dim orange glow. Looking around Decker doesn't see anything at first. But then, to his right, he notices a patch of what seems to be marks left by something filthy being kicked into the water. If you had to guess, someone shoved a pile of something out of their way here.

Decker Engineering Check (DC 2): (4, 1, 6) Two successes, Ronin's check automatically passes.

Having worked around heavy machinery before, Decker recognizes the substance as industrial rapid sealant gel. Specifically a Seatopia brand sealant noted for its tendency to host algal colonies in suitable environments. To get this much coming down someone must've dumped a whole bucketful of the stuff down the drain at some point, though why is anyone's guess. With this information, Ronin is able to determine that it's probably harmless.

[Endgame]

Sorry for the absence - the holidays got a little busier than expected!

Decker shaked his head. "Who's dumpin' whole buckets of Seatopia sealant down the loo? That stuff is expensive! The way people waste credits sometimes, I tell ya."

Decker swung his flashlight towards the filthy pile, afraid he already knew what it was, but he had to confirm in case he was somehow missing evidence. This job was by no means glorious.

"Ronin, unless this thing is a major clue, I think we might just have ta pick a direction an' walk. I'm feelin' left."

[Yzalirk]

"Tell me about it.  I think we may be able to use this sealant for something though."

Ronin collects some of the sealant and proceeds to follow Decker.

[Duvors]

OoC: No worries! I wasn't really expecting anything on Christmas anyway.

4 hours ago, Endgame said:

Decker swung his flashlight towards the filthy pile, afraid he already knew what it was, but he had to confirm in case he was somehow missing evidence. This job was by no means glorious.

As Decker swings his flashlight into the algae-infused water, he can see that the pile is indeed... filth. Of a specific sort. It seems to have mushrooms growing on it.

5 hours ago, Endgame said:

"Ronin, unless this thing is a major clue, I think we might just have ta pick a direction an' walk. I'm feelin' left."

1 hour ago, Yzalirk said:

Ronin collects some of the sealant and proceeds to follow Decker.

The sealant has long hardened, but remains flexible and somewhat sticky. With a strong pull Ronin is able to detach a length and pocket it.
Hardened Sealant (Object, disappears at end of mission)

However, before you two can take the left-hand passage you have to surmount the pipes barring the way. While you could simply go under them, that would require wading through the muck. Alternatively, you could attempt to clamber over them, but if you fail, who knows what will happen? Or you could try something else to get past them perhaps?

[Endgame]

Decker assessed the roadblock in front of him. Hm... That muck hardly looked inviting.

"Hey, Ronin, I've been doin' some cardio after all that time runnin' around in the tundra. Check this out. Once I get over I'll do my best to help ya over an' across."

Using his new athletics training, Decker gets as much of a running start as he can and tries to vault/clamber over the pipes.

[Yzalirk]

Ronin attempts to maneuver over the pipes too.

[Duvors]

Decker Athletics Check (DC 3): (1,6,5,2) Two successes.
Ronin Athletics Check (DC 3): (5,1,2,1) One success.

Climbing over the pipes proves harder than anticipated. The highest is at about neck height, and they're devoid of any handholds. Decker goes first, trying to vault himself over the obstacle. Unfortunately, there isn't enough headroom to be leaping about down here and he clocks himself on the arch of the tunnel. Thankfully the helmet he's wearing prevents him from suffering any injury. Sadly, it doesn't prevent him from falling into the water. Ronin's more sedate attempt doesn't fare much better, he barely manages to get his chest above the highest pipe before losing his footing and following Decker into the water.

The pair, suitably chastened for their hubris, continue along the corridor. It proves a good thing that Decker chose to use the flashlight, as this passage would prove pitch black without it. However, even now they can see lights at the far end of the tunnel, and it isn't long before they reach a new junction:

What at first appears to be a simple t-junction soon proves more complicated as they peer around the corners.

On the right things seem relatively simple. A standard corner turning away into the darkness, though you can see a spot where the edge of the walkway has crumbled into rust. Speaking of rust...

... There appears to be a far more severe case to your left, originating from a leak in the ceiling and leaving deposits of congealed oxidized mass. Beyond that, there's another t-junction, some white mushrooms and...

Oh no.

The pipes, they're back!

Edited December 28, 2021 by Duvors

[Endgame]

Decker has only a few moments to contemplate his failure before sploshing into the water. Before he even has a chance to pop up and help Ronin, Ronin suffers a similar fate.

"Hey, listen," Decker says, clambering up. "You never mention my fall, I never mention yours. Deal?" Decker unseals his helmet briefly to flush out a tiny bit of sewage that found its way in, but is assaulted so quickly by the smell he reseals the second he can. "NOPE no no nooooo, augh, gods that smell..."

"We may want to think 'bout markin' our travels or makin' a map soon. This place sure is a labryinth."

Decker uses the flashlight to inspect the walls, seeing if any appear weak or have significantly rusted, such that they could be knocked down.

[Duvors]

Decker Engineering Check (DC1): (4,5,4) Three successes.

It's trivially easy for Decker to determine that, although some of the walls are beginning to show worrying signs of deformation, the only spot damaged badly enough for the two heroes to break down by themselves would be the massive streak of rust to their left.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Duvors

[Yzalirk]

10 hours ago, Endgame said:

"Hey, listen," Decker says, clambering up. "You never mention my fall, I never mention yours. Deal?" Decker unseals his helmet briefly to flush out a tiny bit of sewage that found its way in, but is assaulted so quickly by the smell he reseals the second he can. "NOPE no no nooooo, augh, gods that smell..."

"We may want to think 'bout markin' our travels or makin' a map soon. This place sure is a labryinth."

 

"What happens in the sewer stays in the sewer.  Lets just not do that again."
Ronin sighs while wiping the grime and muck off himself.
"I have an idea..."
He unsheathes his Hard Light Katana.  It glows a light blue in the dark, though the radiance of the sword is not enough to illuminate the tunnels entirely, only slightly around him.  He gently carves an X into the wall, scorching the symbol onto the wall, displaying that it can be reliable to mark their path.
"...I can use this to mark our path taken moving forward."

[Endgame]

"Solid thinking there. That'll do nicely." Decker grasps the unloaded pistol in his hand and takes a swing at the large leftside rust patch, seeing if he could bludgeon down the panel.

[Duvors]

On 12/30/2021 at 12:19 AM, Yzalirk said:

He unsheathes his Hard Light Katana.  It glows a light blue in the dark, though the radiance of the sword is not enough to illuminate the tunnels entirely, only slightly around him.  He gently carves an X into the wall, scorching the symbol onto the wall, displaying that it can be reliable to mark their path.

OoC: Form this point onwards, I'll simply consider you to be automatically marking your path.

11 hours ago, Endgame said:

"Solid thinking there. That'll do nicely." Decker grasps the unloaded pistol in his hand and takes a swing at the large leftside rust patch, seeing if he could bludgeon down the panel.

Decker Strength Check (DC 5) Automatic failure.

While the section of wall is weakened, it's still a thick wall. Knocking it down would require a combined effort from both of you.

[Endgame]

Decker reeled a bit as his bludgeon skimmed right off the wall.

"Ronin, want to give this a shot with me, or d'ya think we're better off trying elsewhere?"

[Yzalirk]

"Hopefully this is a shortcut."

Ronin helps Decker bust down the wall.

[Duvors]

Decker and Ronin Strength Check (DC 5): (4, 4, 4, 4, 1) Four successes.

You can feel the tetanus emanating from the wall as you begin to gouge, batter, and slash the rusted metal away. You feel immensely thankful for the full body protective gear you're wearing. As you rip away at the wall, you get to see just how deep the rot goes. Behind the initial wall structure there is a mess of pipes, wires, and supporting beams, all of which are severely eaten away by rust and covered in oxidized matter. After half an hour of concerted effort however, you're only able to make a space big enough to both look through and shine a flashlight down, discovering to your chagrin that the space behind the wall is only a foot deep, with another, rust free, metal wall behind it. However, looking at it closely, it seems to be of a different composition than the tunnels you've been walking in. In fact it seems to be comprised of... 

...lead.

The walls are lined with lead.

What maniac built this place?

Both Players Engineering Check. (DC 0): Pass.

Regardless, you can tell that, even if you had been much more successful in bringing down the rust-damaged wall, you wouldn't have accomplished anything, aside from maybe making yourselves a bit more buff. The fact that this patch of wall was damaged enough to do this was pure chance to begin with, and you've already spent a lot of valuable time on this as it is. Furthermore, you'd have to continue tunneling through yards and yards of undamaged conduits, pipes, and supporting structures, which would require heavy industrial equipment, several more people, and hours, possibly days, of work. Additionally, tunneling in this direction would take you away from the maze, vaguely back in the direction you came from.

Also, there's a passage leading in the same direction less than a foot away from where you were digging.

If there's one positive to all this, it's that you're in a position to see down both directions available from the left-hand passage. You can see behind the pipes on this one that there are... yet more pipes, thought they don't stretch across the entire tunnel. Also, one of the corner lights seems to have burnt out.

Down the other passage, you can see both right and left hand turns, as well as a floating plastic square, a broken corner light, and a thin trickle of water continuously pouring down from a pipe in the ceiling.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Duvors