White Out [Cosmic Era RP]

[Scrasamax]

Muldoon consults his maps again, plotting the location of the downed aircraft....is there a pattern, a line, a kill zone?


He looks up at Mr. Blue in the growing expanse of the long Arctic nights, "Mr. Blue, how are you progressing? Any cold points or points of friction on oyu body that need to be assessed?"

The aircraft launched from a single location, the arcology heloport most likely and were heading out southeast, none of them were heading towards Anchorage, which would be the closest obvious safe place.

[Scrasamax]

"How long till we get there? Because if there's enough time, I could try and hack the boats systems, to detect military stuff. It would probably be useful to have a better idea of the threats either in or out of the arco. And if the PRC get here before we leave, I probably wouldn't have time to hack if then."

Brian shrugged.

"And we might find out where the jammer's Omega Waves are coming from. If its outside the arco, it might be worth our time to turn the jammer to slag metal."

(d20 check to try to hack the cruiser computer)

[caesar193]

Brian took out his backpack from where he had stowed it. He paused for a moment, and then opened it up and removed what he would need. Hacking the ship... hmm. All he really needed to do would be to find the programs blocking the registering of the military ships. Brian set to work.

(OOC: for that d20 check, got a 12).

[axlerowes]

The aircraft launched from a single location, the arcology heloport most likely and were heading out southeast, none of them were heading towards Anchorage, which would be the closest obvious safe place.

Is there a point of now return or apparent perimeter based upon the locations of the crashes?  Do the passengers themselves appear to be infested or infected with some energy, virus, nano-machine or other item that might be harmful to the surrounding ecosystem and thus justify their destruction?

[axlerowes]

"Mr. Blue do think, what do think the justification is for shooting down all these craft.  Perhaps the passengers or the craft themselves pose a threat to the surrounding area...such as when the Warden Bots started stalking and killing the mega-bats on the private game reserve in Berar?" 

[Scrasamax]

The aircraft launched from a single location, the arcology heloport most likely and were heading out southeast, none of them were heading towards Anchorage, which would be the closest obvious safe place.

Is there a point of now return or apparent perimeter based upon the locations of the crashes?  Do the passengers themselves appear to be infested or infected with some energy, virus, nano-machine or other item that might be harmful to the surrounding ecosystem and thus justify their destruction?

(roll roll some investigation dice: 19, 2, and 16)

There is something that all the crash victims have in common. They were all calm and collected, still stone dead. There are no faces frozen in a death scream, no startled expressions. They were either completely unaware, or didn't care that their craft had been shot down.

They are armed, and they are all civilians. They are young adults, arco professionals, children, or senior citizens, there are no police officers, no military no SWAT, etc

[Scrasamax]

Brian took out his backpack from where he had stowed it. He paused for a moment, and then opened it up and removed what he would need. Hacking the ship... hmm. All he really needed to do would be to find the programs blocking the registering of the military ships. Brian set to work.

(OOC: for that d20 check, got a 12).

Partial success. The cabin cruiser sensors start bouncing back new pings but the auto-identify program had to be bypassed to get them to show up. There is nothing big and moving around them, but there are several new contacts under the surface of the water, one of them quite large (300 feet long)

[EchoMirage]

"Thanks Muldoon, I'm not cold. This suit does protect me quite well."
Blue's head was fuzzy for a while, the facets of the neo-ethnic's mind reflecting upon each other, trying to assess where the fuzz... what the.
A head-shake later, Blue felt lucid enough again.

"We must assume there was a containment breach of some sort, Charlie Foxtrot of the highest degree. The mess may be chemical, nanomachines or virus, as you said. It may also be a supernatural or memetic threat, and from looking at these blank faces, something messed with their minds."
Blue kicked a corpse and sneered at its placid stare.
"Look at that stupid grin, it makes me think something tried to protect the outside, and contain them. They got served a helping of laser fire, large caliber, too. Perhaps the defense system is the only sane thing in there."

d**n that fuzz.
"I only got ten condoms on me. Is that enough protection?" Blue asked the air.

"Let's honor our accomplices and complete our scouting. I think we should go look at the arco itself."

[axlerowes]

"I didn't bring any condoms, but they are likely to come in handy...they aren't lubricated are they?" Muldoon looks up a the trees and selects the tallest one, placing the trophy bag on the ground and he begins to climb up its trunk with his bitting claws. At about three feet off the ground he cranes his head around to Blue  "I will attempt to get a look at it right now, before we approach on ...foot... is there any particular item or activity I should be mindful off?"

[Scrasamax]

The Cabin Cruiser, it's sensors beeping and pinging back all sorts of signals, cruised into the port at Juneau. The small bay was full of debris, some of it civilian light craft, others military hardware. The marina itself had obviously been shot all to hell, and as the boat moved in, there were a small group of people waving at them from the shoreline. Their gestures were wild and frantic, get down, get off the boat, run away, panic flailing arms time.

Muldoon and Blue at a similar time reached the edge of the marina at nearly the same time. They too saw the group of people, but they themselves had as far gone unnoticed. A rare occurrence for Blue

[caesar193]

"So, time to go?" Said Brian, after noticing the people on shore. "Obviously somebody has a pretty big gun, and the people are warning us of that. Which means it was probably the PRC. Unless there's a third side in all of this. So I guess our choices are run away with our skin still nicely attacked to our bodies, or investigate. Though I would like to get some more info about this mess we find ourselves in, I say leave."

[axlerowes]

"Juneau....I haven't been his far south in a while Mr. Blue.  Looks like another group of refugees" Muldoon takes aim at one through his internal scope.  "Their behavior is unpredictable, may I suggest we stay clear"

[Scrasamax]

The Inuksek arcology dominated the skyline of what was New Juneau. The locals made no distinction between old Juneau and New Juneau, there was Juneau proper, where the concrete was still in the first stage of pouring for the spaceport, it was estimated that the project would be completed in 12 years, giving Alaska it's second major spaceport. It was being built on the remains of the old Juneau International Airport. The building was a blue shaded tapered rectangle, reaching just shy of a kilometer tall. It's heloport and antenna masts for CogNet support reached another 300 meters above the top deck. The industrial military arco was flanked by two demi-arcos, both mixed use residential/commercial units.  The city grew around the cluster of buildings, reaching the edge of Auke Bay and Fritz Cove.

Inuksek was close to the water, but it was still over three miles inland.

[caesar193]

Brian, after noticing Muldoon's craft, turned his ship around and brought it alongside the skiff. He then waved over the rest of the crew.

"Cabin Cruiser to Muldoon and the mutant! There's the arco. So I guess we just can't avoid this heap of scrap metal and head over." Brian sighed. "So, this gives us two choices. Either anchor further down the shore and avoid this beautiful of example of the effects of modern weaponry, or anchor here. And try to avoid any needy children with big puppy-dog eyes begging for food before their gaze sears into our souls and forces us to give 'em something. Anyone got a preference?"

[axlerowes]

"Mr. Blue and I have been scouting the island that contain holds this site,  we located  a superior landing area on the far side of the island, we can travel across land to the site from there"

[EchoMirage]

"Let's meet there.  It shall serve excellently to land your craft and protect it from view and attack. I would not mind to use it to return as well."
Blue was restless, delays upon delays. The exact opposite of Blue's preferred modus operandi.

The forest whispered with echoes just at the hearing threshold.

[Dozus]

"We ought to move to their site," João broke his silence, looking up from his quiet meditation. "We will have need of the ship after our incursion, and I have no want to hike through these conditions longer than we need to."

[axlerowes]

Muldoon will see that boats are secured and try his best to conceal them for passing water and air traffic, but he does not have sophisticated camo material or hologram projectors, and he will not attempt to construct any, but hopefully there will be some more protected areas in which to secure to the craft.

On shore

"Well gentlemen, I hope the 600+ mile journey from Anchorage was comfortable.  May I suggest that I move ahead about 100 yards, as we walk towards the site, I will keep Brian's channel open, and alert you to any dangers in our path, there are giant war machines travelling through these woods, so be mindful of your flanks. Are you gentlemen ready to move out?"

[caesar193]

"I'm not ready to move out," Brian said, with a slight sly smile creeping up at the corners of his mouth, "I'm ready to kick ass. Let's lock and load, you gun-types. Mutant with the tail, prepare a goat-charge. Mutant with the electronics, carry my bags. We are moving out, people! Muldoon, led us to victory! Oh, and I call middle. Maybe with the mutants on either side, Fade in back, since he's got the long-range stuff. And, oh, Jacobim behind Muldoon, to help with navigation?"

Brian did not like the idea of the out-doors. There was nothing to hack, which was Brian's whole selling point as a mercenary type. And he wasn't the best fighter in the world. And another aspect of the out-doors he did not like was the idea of mechas running around in it. Giant killer machines? That Brian couldn't hack and take control of? Not Brian's favorite thing in the world.


OCC: So... Is that map coming? And if not, can we get going? Brian wants to own noobs, make racist comments, and hack stuff!

[EchoMirage]

"Brian, keep the channel open, or I will open your godd**n abdomen" Blue had enough of the kid's banter, "We're here to do a job, not chatter like ladies."
They'd have to find a serveicable entry point.
Cover that would protect them from incoming fire.

"You can shine once we find the server. Until then, honor our spent time and try to not get killed."

Blue extended the stock of the laser rifle, attached the scope, set the controls. An assassin's or terrorist's weapon, this.
The land was white and blue and grey. So was Tel'Issare, and soon barely to be seen, advancing towards a vantage point near the arco.

[Scrasamax]

Blue and Muldoon were able to scout out a good landing spot for the cabin cruiser. It was a waterfront personal pier, the sort of place that was either a corporate retreat for megacorp suits or the weekend getaway for a wealthy type, the sort of family that has a couple iKids and a robot butler. The building was closed, the windows covered with weather resistant panels and the solar panels retracted to protect them from the elements. There was no sign of conflict or violence and no sign that there was anyone present.

The Cabin Cruiser was able to slip in unnoticed, and the party was reunited. The arco was prominent, casting it's shadow towards the mountains in the East. Investigation reveals the location to have been a corporate retreat, the sort of place that a half dozen suits and their family units would visit to celebrate promotions. Prewett was pleased by the location, forcing the lock and in short order found and liberated a liquor cabinet.

[caesar193]

"d**n mutants," muttered Brian too himself after Blue had exited earshot. "Gettin' all uppity and high-and-mighty. Ideas above their station, much?"

Still, Blue could probably and would probably carry out the threat of showing everyone his intestines. Something Brian did not exactly want to see happen.

Eventually, they arrived at the retreat. Brian scanned the place, looking for anything useful. Spare gun? Something on the arco? Etc. (OCC: 13 for Search). After Jacobim had found liquor cabinet, Brian grinned too himself, and helped him take the liquor to the Cabin Cruiser. Liquor! Woot!

(OCC: by the by, what liquors did we get? Just curious)

[Scrasamax]

The haul from the liquor cabinet was rather impressive, several bottles of acceptable vodka, some flavored, and all probably artificially made retro-alcohols (starting as chemical alcohol then flavored and processed rather than being a product of fermentation) as well as no small amount of beer, chrome and other energy drinks. Of greater interest there are several bottles of genuine booze, organically fermented and flavored in the old tradition, a bottle of gin, two bottles of whiskey, and a bottle of subtly glowing absinthe.

There were no firearms on the premise, but there were some top shelf electronics, there was also a friendly reminder of the general schedule of the air tram to and from the arco, and the number to dial to call the craft. (all automated)

[caesar193]

"So," Brian said after discovering the tram number. "Rides on me. Anyone? It'll let us survey the area for that mecha and to see if the PRC is anywhere nearby. And it'll keep us fresh for the arco."

[axlerowes]

Muldon looks to Blue holding his laser rifle as two other human run off to break into an apparently empty building.

"I hope there are no security measures in that building or devices that might spook our prey. Mr. Blue I going to continue on ahead 100 meters and make sure our path is still clear and safe. "

Tracking check d20 8

Perception roll d20 18