IC: Post or Die, Lifelines, and deadlines Options

[Seth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:07 PM, Tower in Redmond

<<team: Most ghouls are astrally aware, unless they get those cybereyes. So maybe they will see it. But there are spirits around all the time, and this is just one more.

I am not sure yet though that the ghouls have access to the tower. If you remember we saw them failing to get in at the basement.

I'll give it 10 minutes then if it doesn't come back we'll know if they have it. >>

[Sephiroth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:06 PM, Redmond

Jovan listened silently as the air spirit dictated the recording. This is... disturbing news. You have done well in procuring this for me, spirit. Show me the face of that man. I want to be immediately aware of it if I see his face again. He began a concerted effort to memorize as much detail as possible of this 'friend's' face as it appeared in his mind's eye from the elemental.

"The whole body would have been tacky, don't you think?"
You are who I think you are, aren't you? Quite a clever game you're playing here, my cannibalistic little friend. Tracking you down is going to be harder than I thought. Pity. I wonder, though... who among us is this mutual associate of yours and our eyeless employer?

11:07 PM, Near the CatCo gas station heading towards the tower, Redmond

The watcher's channeled voice sighed. "You needn't worry about things hearing me out here, you know. This manifesting watcher isn't actually speaking anything in the physical sense. Watcher spirits simply do not possess the mana capacity for their bodily metaphysics to handle the required energy conversion across planes to induce changes in physical states from their astral reference frames. The equations in hermeticism and physics for energy translation across the barrier between realms just do not hold true for watcher spirits; their transient nature renders it impossible to extract the necessary amount of joules from the mana fiel- Oh I'm sorry," the eye says, a little insincerely, "I seem to be boring you. Let me put it this way: the watcher you see right now isn't making any sound. You're only hearing my voice in your head. No cameras or sensors are going to hear me out here, and if you think I'm stupid enough to be broadcasting my voice to every living thing that sees this watcher besides you, then you have another thing coming."

11:07 PM, Tower in Redmond

Meanwhile, the translucent eye accompanying the forward group stared at the truck, transfixed by the scene in the astral. "The spirit spoke true.. this is indeed a very curious signature. I cannot interpret a great deal out of it though, not without being here in person. Still, what I can make out is... strange."

The eye shook itself out of its trance, and rotated itself around to face the archeologist and drugged-up medical doctor specifically. "By the way, you two were at the original meeting with our employer, correct? And you saw Ms. Johnson personally. Did anyone actually assense her aura at that meeting?"

[pbangarth]

11:07 PM, Tower in Redmond

Professor replies to Jovan's watcher. "No. I didn't assense her. I had just experienced something astral that shocked me, and I had turned off my astral perception before she came into play. Considering what has happened in the last day or two, it's as if that Professor were another man. I will take a look at her next we meet."

[Saint Sithney]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:07 PM, Tower in Redmond

"I'd imagine Otto assensed her sometime before he bled to death. He only mentioned a shaman among their number. No other magic types. And I don't use people's names, because, when you never know who might be listening, a name is a liability. As to the truck, we're looking for tractor-trailers, not an SRT van. This is the swift response team that got wasted. Might be the source of the comm gear that BDLL was hoping to sell to the Vipers. Oops. Blood trail suggests the ghouls got them though, so I can't say for sure. Ah, hell. Let's find out what it is."

Oswald started into the mall.

[Sephiroth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:07 PM, Tower in Redmond

The watcher nodded. "Yes, give her a thorough assensing when you can. I have a newfound suspicion that she might be a ghoul or some other Infected herself."

It followed Oswald with its gaze as the old man spontaneously headed for the mall. At this point, Jovan was getting used to this sort of reckless spontaneity. "South and west wings are clear in there, but you may want to stay alert in the other two wings," it called nonchalantly.

[Seth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:08 PM, Tower in Redmond

<<team: Hang on Oswald>>

Jade Tiger took a last look around the truck. So this was what happened to the Swift Response Team...sheesh that implies a lot of fire power to take out an ares response team like this. Still she hadn't been here last time!

"Initiating Predator Mode" she thought, as she focused her mind on merging with the background. The extra concentration to maintain the blur effect was difficult, but against a group that could take out a Response Team like this, not being spotted, and surviving being spotted was important.

Breaking into a loping run, she caught up with the old man.

[pbangarth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:08 PM, Tower in Redmond

Professor takes up the rear of the trio, keeping an exceptionally alert eye out for ambushes from the periphery. His pistol is at the ready.

<<@team: the speed Jade's spirit has given us is useful here, if for no other reason allowing us to get the hell out quickly.>>

[Warlordtheft]

11:08 PM, Near the CatCo gas station heading towards the tower, Redmond
Zo continued infiltrating forward while the watchers droned on. After it completed it's droning and somewhat sarcastic response Zo gave it the universal sign language equivalent of FU.

<@Team>Ferret n I could use some of that speed right now if you all want us ta catch up quicker.

[Seth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:08 PM, Tower in Redmond

<<team: I'd love to help. Unfortunately my thought form is out exploring the tower, and while it can sustain the magical effects upon ourselves it is currently not under direct control... Perhaps Jovan can help? or can you boost a vehicle?>>

[Red-ROM]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Redmond

The Astral forms of Rusty and the Viper both appeared to be sleeping. It had been a long night for both of them. Jovan's mind was pulled in more directions than most humans could handle, but he felt he was on to something. "Are we to continue the task of scouting the darkened city again?" asked the strong wind beside him.

The walk from the gas station was tedious. You could only go so fast when checking every shadow for monsters. A slight breeze blew trash across cracked streets. Zo couldn't help but think that this would go faster if Ferret had longer legs. They plopped junk commlinks along the road and slowly inched towards the tower in the distance.

When Oswald had peered inside the van, he saw a makeshift tower in the truck. It looked to be a jammer, probably a pretty good one. Probably not standard issue either. Someone other than Ares had put that there. As the group headed in the direction of the lost blood trail, They took in the strange sights of the abandoned mall. There had been no looting. the stores that hadn't been destroyed by fallen debris looked like they were waiting for the mall to open. gates were down, and inside were shelves of clothes or trideo equipment. It was like a museum to the 60's.
In the hall however, was scattered gurneys and cots, stations with medical kits and few supplies. busted caution tape, rubber suites of different sizes and colors. The stores that were affected by the disaster, had stone and steel pouring out of them into the mall, crushing whatever had been inside. Jade's nose picked up on something, gunpowder and leather, body odor. Professor notices a pattern in the clutter, a path has been cleared. towards a darkened store, half crushed by debris. Gate is torn in half and hangs loose like a curtain.

[pbangarth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Redmond

"Hey, looks to me like there's a path through the rubble, over to that dark store over there." Professor points.

[Saint Sithney]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:08 PM, Cross-Town Mall

Old blood trails and a new jammer? There was organization to this chaos. "Watch the trail. This scene was staged by someone after the fact. Maybe a survivor. Maybe the ghoulies."

[pbangarth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Cross-Town Mall

Professor opens his perception to the astral. "I'll see if there is any astral trace as we approach."

[Warlordtheft]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Some what closer to the Tower in Redmond

<<team: All I've seen is the rustin wreckage, not much to boost.>>

In a quiet wisper: "Hey, Eyball...go tell Jovan that it would be nice if we coulda get some help in da speed department. Ferret's two legs are 1/2 as fast as mine--and at dis rate we'll be there in time for da next crash. I'd hate ta see the party get eatin piecemeal."

[Red-ROM]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Cross-Town Mall

The shadows are thick and heavy on the astral. The crumbling building blots out much of Gia's light. But there are traces. A faint glow in the shadows on the floor, beyond the gate. The bits the Professor can make out don't appear to be moving. The life force is sick and fading. The aura is so broken up, it's hard to tell if it's all one being, or a group of rats that are remarkably similar. Then, above the dim life-light creeps another being. a spindly black shadow, roughly humanoid with a pointy head. It crawls like a crab, with it's limbs twisted backwards, through the shadow of a steel girder, and peers at the professor with glowing green eyes. This thing is a spirit, and it's aura is full of hate. The German's described it best with the word Schadenfreude. The spirit was enjoying the dispair of the creature beyond, and it doesn't look happy to be interrupted.

[Seth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Tower in Redmond

As a dual natured being Jade Tiger has had to deal with a lot of unpleasant spirits. Against a creature like this, so full of hate, there is little point talking and action was called for. That was good: she liked action.

"Hail spirit I..." hoping to distract the spirit by starting to talk to it, she concentrates hard and sends a concentrated bolt of mana smashing out from her forehead into the center of the spirit. Without waiting to see if it was enough she blasts it again.

[pbangarth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Cross-Town Mall

Professor recoils at the sight of this monstrosity. "What the fuck is that? See the spirit? The black, crab-ugly, hating thing? Kill it. Kill it!"

[Saint Sithney]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Cross-Town Mall

Completely unaware, Oswald shuffled forward. "Anybody need a medical doctor?"

[Notsoevildm]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Some what closer to the Tower in Redmond

Ferret hustles along behind Zo, trying to keep up and keep quiet at the same time. His only distraction from the grimy reality is the line of commlinks dotted behind him, providing a weak AR link back to the terminal in the garage. The respirator makes his breath sound loud as he puffs and pants along behind the big ork.

"Ease up a bit, Zo. We don't want to run into any ghouls, or worse." he wheezes out between breaths.

[Warlordtheft]

Zo paused, and turned to Ferret. "Yeah, sure thing. Ya know, whacking a few of the pasty's would be preferred to all dis running around. So um why did I leave my ride back at the safehouse again?"

[Notsoevildm]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Some what closer to the Tower in Redmond

Ferret uses the pause to catch his breath, bent over with his hands resting on his thighs. Once he has somewhat recovered, he points to his respirator with one finger.

"There's some bad chemical crap all over this area from the accident. Prof and Oz were worried about the vehicles stirring it up. Apparently it kinda kills you if you breathe it in. Did we forget to mention that earlier?"

[Warlordtheft]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Some what closer to the Tower in Redmond

"Probably not. Toxic castles and dumps are like the main sources of income around here, so I just didn't consider it dat important."

[Red-ROM]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Pheonix Mall, Redmond

The shadowy spirit turns to the glowing tiger emerging from the astral jungle, blasting him with a crippling force of mana. Even in his own domain, the power was excruciating. This strange being seemed to revel in it though. He was enjoying his own suffering. His eyes glowed brighter until Jade launched another bolt of magic into it, dissipating the shade into nothing. Professor got the sense that the pain inflicted was actually boosting the spirit rather that slowing it down, much like adrenaline in metahumans.
Oswald had little Idea what the others behind him was jabbering about, he heard a low moan inside the store. As he got closer, he came across a Steyr AUG-CSL light machine gun, set up on a makeshift tripod. It was likely he and his crew would be dead right now if the woman operating the weapon wasn't laying on the floor in a pool of sweat and vomit, pale as porcelain.

[Saint Sithney]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Pheonix Mall, Redmond

Oswald readied his first aid gear. "Hello there. You cognizant enough ta talk? I'm not looking to scrap. Just willing to trade aid for info. Well, really, I'll probably fix you up regardless so long as you promise not to detonate anything or otherwise fuck us around, but info'd just be polite. So what's your situation down there? You get ghoul-bit, or'd you just take a lungful of the local flavor?"

[Sephiroth]

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Somewhat closer to the Tower in Redmond

The watcher-eye had nodded to the ganger's request politely, and after a moment or two Jovan's voice again. "Yes, I can provide assistance in that regard. It is only possible to do so to one of you, however, not both. You will need to carry Ferret yourself. Is this acceptable?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 11:11 PM, Outside Pheonix Mall, Redmond

Jovan's watcher floated hither and thither aimlessly in an attempt to entertain itself, unable to follow the metahumans and cat into the background count of the mall.