Mars Alpha Options

[Marcus Tarrow]

A look of concern spreads across Jacob's face at Tanya's suggestion.
"Hmmm, you're right. And getting hold of explosives can't be easy out here. There've got to be more accessible and reliable ways of killing someone though. Did losing this junction box knock out anything that isn't covered by a backup system? Something feels off about all of this."

@group - "Captain we've got a problem here. We've identified an electrical junction box as a likely source of the explosion. Miss Petrovna is checking it out now, however initial indications are that this isn't an accident. Sending you pics of the junction box now. Is there any news on our casualties?"

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, outside the Transformer Room (explosion site)

@group: "Faulty box, or foul play?"

[Marcus Tarrow]

Mars, Alpha Labs, inside the transformer room

@group: "This was no faulty transformer. Tanya's still checking it out, but apparently the normal failure mode for these junction boxes is to melt rather than detonate like this one has. There're also some unidentified metallic remains inside the junction box housing so something was there that shouldn't have been. One minute, I'm going to re-pressurize the room. I'm about halfway down my air tank."

He crosses the room and deactivates the emergency vent system, tasting rather than feeling the transition from tanked air to filtered atmosphere. As the pressure rises Jacob starts to pace, eyes darting left and right trying to see everything while trying to keep terrified thoughts of secondary charges out of his mind.

@group: "But something's off. Tanya said this isn't an important junction box. Either this is a failed splat job or something else is going on that we're not seeing."

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, outside the Transformer Room (explosion site)

Nathaniel considers the information. <<@group: If this is not an important place, was this a distraction from something bigger going down elsewhere?>>

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, outside the Transformer Room (explosion site)

<<@group: Good thinking! I am heading back to the SecCen right now. >>

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, outside the Transformer Room (explosion site)

The crowd is beginning to thin as the show gets boring.

The security chief follows JT. "I'll show you the access codes to the videos."

Nathaniel joins them. "I'll look too. Another pair of eyes."

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

JT followed Captain Scrubs' directions to the monitor room. Inside he found a room that looked like it was set up for state of the art video monitoring of the station, but never completed. There is a bank of eight flat screen monitors at the center seat of a U-shaped three seated desk, where there are mounts for another twenty or so monitors that sit holding nothing.

The single guard monitoring the feeds turns as JT and Nathaniel enter. "Can I help you?"

JT answers by taking one of the empty chairs and sliding up alongside the officer.

[nezumi]

Tanya considers for a while as she pokes at the junction; why now? What is changed?

<<@group: The shuttle! The shuttle we came off of. JT, can you see it on the security cameras?>>

Tanya sprints from her work at junction and dashes through the corridors towards the flight control center, grinding to a halt at the locked security door. She hammers on the steel door with her cyberarm.

"You let me in! It is an emergency! What is the status of your instrumentation?"

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

"How do I review..." JT started to ask the other security guard when he got the text from Tanya.

The guard then started to answer when JT demanded, "Go to the tram station! Bring it up!" Fearing the wrath this unnamed guard Captain Scrubs dropped off on him, he did as JT commanded.

On the main screen, JT watched as the tram completed boarding, when a blur streaked across the screen, slamming into the doors with a load thump, which was only in JT's head since the feed did not have audio feed to hear Tanya collide with the reinforced plastic structure. She began beating down the door, before JT could even respond to her assault.

"Stop the tram."
"What."
"Stop. The. Fraggin. Tram."
"How?"
"What do you mean how? Tell him not to leave, stupid."
"I don't have the authority."
"You have as much authority as people will give you. Now bring up the driver on coms."
"Driver?"
"The person driving the dumb thing, goddam it. Hurry!"
"The trains are driver-less; They run -"
"Shut up and get me the person running the fraggin things!" JT was answered by a blank stare. "Goddam it! Get me the train station commander!"

He finally dialed the extension and handed it to JT.

"Alpha Station."
"Don't let that train leave!"
"Who is this?"
"This is Security. Do not let that train go!"
"Why?"
"Goddam it! Is everyone that works here an idiot!? Don't let the train go, because Security fraggin said so!"
"Who is this?"
"Stop the train," JT tried to keep his voice calm. "We believe there is a highly wanted criminal on that train. If you let it go, you put the whole station at risk. So, per [b]Captain Damien Scrubs[/b], stop that train, and let our agent on board."
"This isn't Captain Scrubs."
"God dammit. This is Officer Logan. Stop the train, or I will have Special Agent Petrovna rip that train off the tracks."
"I-" JT disconnected before the reply could be given.

JT keyed his mic, "JT-Tanya. I talked to Alpha Station. They should be shutting down the train, but if it moves, rip the doors off."

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Alpha Station Tram Terminal

Tanya waited a long five seconds after JT's radio transmission before the door finally opened.

[nezumi]

(Tarrow said he was going to post, so I was waiting on him. Just if there's any confusion, I'm still here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) But I'm also totally okay with slow-posting. )

[Marcus Tarrow]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Transformer Room

Jacob sprints out of the door as best he can in the low gravity, trying (and failing) to keep up with Tanya as she hurtles through the corridors towards the tram station. Indignant shouts echo in the corridor behind him as he's forced to push and bully his way through the groups of meandering, scared-looking scientists that're littering the corridors.

<<@group: We could do with some additional security here, if there's something going on with the tram we'll need to get everyone off but we can't afford for anyone that's involved to get out of the area. Can we get a sensor package down here?>>

A sliding undignified scramble around the last corner to the station shows Jacob the sight of Tanya beating on the tramway doors like a jackhammer, a fist-sized dent in the panelling deepening with every blow. Glancing around and spotting a fire cabinet on the wall he grabs a fire axe to assist in opening the reluctant door. He only has time to reach Tanya and wind up for a swing before the door slides open, leaving him face-to-face with a terrified-looking lab administrator. Who takes one look at the raised axe and faints.

Pausing a second to access the biomonitor feeds of the fallen administrator, he gingerly pulls them out of the doorway and props them up against the wall.

<<@group: Err, and we have an unconscious admin here. Bio signs are good, but judging from the smell they need a change of underwear. Some smelling salts and they'll be fine. My fault.>>

[nezumi]

As the doors slide open, Tanya stumbles into the train, nearly stomping on the administrator.

<<@group: Okay I'm in! >>

She looks around the train car; faces of surprised and furious passengers looking back. Behind the passenger car is a pair of cargo cars, hidden from view from the interior. Tanya pushes her way on through the crowd, cyber arm leading the way as she heads towards the rear door... only to bounce off the chest of a tall, angry ork.

"I'm on my way back home," the ork growled.

"Oh, that is very nice. Out of the way please, security."

"You're holding me up from getting home." The ork stepped closer, looming over Tanya.

<<@group: I've identified a threat!>>

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

"JT-Tanya. You are authorized to take him down. Use whatever force necessary."

JT did not have the power to authorize this, but he found it easier to ask forgiveness than wade through red tape trying to get approval. Plus, if you acted like you had authority, people were usually willing to go along, usually because blame if something goes to the person making the decision.

[Marcus Tarrow]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Train Station

Hesitating just inside the train carriage Jacob takes a few moments to survey the situation. Sizing up the orc through the thinning crowd he can see glaring down at Tanya as she berates him for blocking the path to the cargo cars, he starts streaming his eyes and ears to the group.
<<@group: <streamlink> Threat located. Requesting security team and medical backup. This could go south real quick.>>
<<@Tanya: Can you keep his attention on you for 15 seconds?>>

Almost unconsciously he draws his pistol, checks the magazine, chambers a round and slips it back into the holster. Dismissing the axe as too cumbersome he leaves it by the door and starts weaving his way quickly through the remaining passengers, heading towards the back of the carriage and the sounds of increasingly raised voices.
<<@Tanya: on my word can you please take two steps to your left.>>
Closing the last few meters he moves towards the right hand side of the car before broadcasting again.
<<@Tanya: now...>>

The orc's head and body turn to keep Tanya in view as she steps aside, so he never sees the swift kick to the side of his leg that drops him, shocked but unhurt, to the floor. His new "staring at the ceiling" perspective instead shows him Jacob looking down at him.
Now, look you. This can go a couple of ways. Either you stay out of the way like the lady asked and go home a little later than expected, or you keep being an arse and don't get to go home. What'll it be?

[nezumi]

Mars Alpha, Train Station

Tanya took a step back from the ork, "sorry sir, maintenance. There's something blocking the car. My mechanic will be here in a moment to -" and on Jacob's word, she steps aside and watches the ork go down.

"Thank you."

With that, she continues down the aisle to the access door at the rear. No time for guessing key-codes, she wedges the fingers of her chromed arm in and, with Jacob's help, forces the door open enough to slip out to the cargo car.

The cargo car meanwhile is stacked high with plastic and foam crates, prepared for launch, use at the vehicle hangar, or for one of the many expeditions that crawl out across the planet. Many of them have security tape or locks on them. She grabs the first one and pulls it open. Inside are two tanks of compressed fuel. Casting it aside, she moves to the next.

<<@group: JT can you get cargo manifest? Find anything out of place? Also, any sign of security on route? Jacob, you check outside and undercarriage.>>

[Bastard]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

JT reads the stream, then replies over the radio, "I will get that report ASAP."

Through another extended discussion, he finally got through to the security guard what a cargo manifest was, and then after another excrutiating argument with the tram director, he got the file. Or rather a file. On the second transfer he got the correct one.

"Sorry, Tanya. File is coming now."

<<@Tanya: <FILE TRANSFER: ATTACHMENT: Train 42A: Cargo_List> >>

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

Nathaniel sits down, tightly fitting the chair, in front of a monitor. "I'll look at service records and requests. See if there is anything that stands out."

[Marcus Tarrow]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Train

After some searching and moving of crates, Jacob finally finds the maintenance hatch leading to the underside of the train. A display panel embedded in the hatch surface tells him there's still air around the train and that the tunnel airlock doors are sealed, however the acidic dusty stench released as he pries the hatch open causes him to pause and pull his helmet back on before he drops slowly through the hatch.

Between the flashlight, the light filtering through the hatch and windows, and the lowlight / thermal imaging, he can see well enough. The underside of the train seems relatively smooth, with the surface broken only by the bulbous supercooled motor housings situated between each pair of wheels. Black body radiators dot the otherwise-featureless sides of the train, their dark masses looking like holes into space under visible light but glowing bright on thermal. A dotting of enclosed sensor clusters around the nose of the train makes up the last of the exterior features. Working his way along each side of the train, peering underneath the body and in between the radiators, he checks for anything out of place, drawing a blank.

<<@Group: I can't see anything obvious on the exterior of the train. I'll start looking around the 'lock and doors. Is anything on that manifest standing out as odd?>>

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

Nathaniel scans long lists of materials requests and maintenance schedules. Knowing what to look for would have helped, but being able to speed read does have its benefits. He stops at one materials request and goes back to the previous one.

<<@Group: Don't know if this is meaningful, but a chemist working on some materials analysis ordered a fair amount of fuel recently. Not sure what he has that could use that much. He also uses nitric acid to etch and clean geological samples. Throw in some ammonia, and someone in the know could build a bomb. Name is Tomaso Olean. Materials workshop is over at the east end of the complex. Don't know where he is.>>

[nezumi]

<<@Group: A bomb? It sounds that you are a chemist. Does that mean you can disable bombs?>>

Tanya no longer has to open the boxes, and now settles for lifting each to feel for liquids shifting.

<<@Group: Would the bomb explode if shaken?>>

She considers ordering everyone off the train, but in the hierarchy of valuable corporate property, these manual laborers probably aren't worth half as much as the train car they're in--and the corporation judges everything by the almighty nuyen.

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

Nathaniel thinks for a minute. "<<@Group: No. I think it needs a detonator to make it work. Something about having to vapourize the fertilizer first. I suppose an expert could rig a detonator to go off from shaking, but I don't know how that would be done.>>

[Marcus Tarrow]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Train (exterior)

<<@group: How much fuel are we talking about, Doctor? I guess it'd be too much to hope that maybe he's just planning on getting hold of one of those chainsaws?>>
The sounds of Jacob climbing back through the floor hatch into the train and slamming it shut come across the comm network
<<@group: I remember watching a trid a few years back about them using that stuff for blasting in quarrys. It's stable enough to mix in an old-style cement mixer, and about the same texture as thick cement. Bulky though.>>

Trailing power-fine red tinted dust behind him he quickly moves back through the storage cabins to the passenger area. A couple of passengers still lurk in their seats, having not yet given up hope on the train getting moving.
"Ok people, we've got a bit of a security emergency - It'll be best for everyone if you get off the train. Now."

After a minutes ushering people out of the doors the cabin is clear. Returning to the second cargo car he starts sorting through containers, all the while trying to keep thoughts of explosive decompression out of his head.

[pbangarth]

Mars, Alpha Labs, Security Center, Monitor Room

Nathaniel opens a window on the screen and does some calculations. <<@group: Sorry, Tanya, just know a bit of chemistry. Never built or disarmed a bomb. A rough calculation makes me think there could be more explosive than what would be needed to do what happened in the transformer room. So if Olean is actually doing this, he probably has enough for something else. I'm going over to his lab to see what I can find. Anybody free to go there with me... in case ... you know... there's a bomber there? -- data file: map with location of lab -- >>

[nezumi]

Tanya bangs on the side of a large, square barrel, ostensibly labelled as oxidizer manufactured for the orbiter. She pauses, bangs again.

<<@Group: This tank it is not full. I can hear, it is not dense enough.>>

She clambers on top and pulls out her cutting torch, only to reconsider and use an electric blade. She cuts into the top of the tank, slowly putting a four-inch-wide hole to peer in. She switches to her internal tank to avoid breathing in whatever chemicals are rising out.

<<@group: There is something inside! Looks like a safe or a box. Its under the liquid though, I can't get it.>>