Deeper into the Matrix [OOC] Options

[Gilga]

I assumed that Nova would wait for James to join her in the elevator. (the guards are outside the elevator).

So if you want me to take Nova down the rabbit hole while James is bullying Travis just say so. The elevator itself would not wait for James.

[Thanee]

I am asuming, once it arrives, we will both enter. It hasn't opened, yet, or is it always there standing open?

In the latter case, of course, she will wait. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Gilga]

It was open, so once Nova activates it it should go down regardless of the conversation between James/Travis but being an async game, I interpreted as Nova waiting.

[Thanee]

Yeah, I was thinking, that Nova is standing in front of the entrance, waiting for it to open. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Volker]

The little buggers need to remove mana as quickly as it flows to the facility from the outside environment. I knew vaguely that we had this capability, but the details are lost on me. It is not my area of expertise, it should have been safe to test a few decades from now when mana levels increase enough. With the current mana levels - it is a very dangerous weapon. The effect is slow, but we need to shut it off. "

Can you help me out what he's talking about here? I read the paragraph six times or so but I can't quite peace together how these sentences relate to each other. What dangerous weapon, wielded by whom, are we talking about here?

[Gilga]

Fox told you that they spread some form of programmable FAB bacteria that removes magic causing the mana void in a large radius around the facility, and slowly killing the awakened.

[Volker]

Yeah, that I know but why is that related to the facility and why is he saying "we had this capability"? I hope this wasn't a fauxpas and Fox is secretly working for the horrors... :-O

[Gilga]

The FAB is to protect the facility from the horrors, keep the mana levels outside the facility too low for them to approach the sleeping hackers. It removes mana from the area but then new mana flows to the area so it removes those two reaching some equilibrium where the mana levels within a certain radius from the facility are considerably lower than outside. Having it activated during a time of lower than normal mana due to the storm, and decades too early creates a makeshift mana void.

I meant that Fox is not knowledgeable about the FAB's operation because it is high-level arcana to design a machine like that. He knows the layman's explanation - and seeing that there is a mana void he sort of guesstimates that the FABs have to be involved. I did not mean to imply that he wanted it to happen or that he is secretly working for the Horrors.

[Volker]

All right. And he doesn't know how they maintain an extremely high mana level to sustain the ritual while at the same time eating all the mana that would reach it.

You may have not noticed it, but you can now stop feeling the pain of existence in this world, most practitioners take a lifetime of meditation to achieve even that

Does she actually feel some sort of change in her psyche? If so, please tell me in detail how it feels, what it does, and so on.

[Gilga]

They have their very own dragon line underground, which is why the facility was built on that particular place so they get plenty of mana from elsewhere.

[Volker]

Okay, and the other (way more important) question?
Does bnc really feel all Buddha and "can now stop feeling the pain of existence in this world"? If some effect is changing the way bnc perceives the world, feels, etc., I need to know in order to roleplay her. Receiving the equivalent of a lifetime of meditation in a heartbeat is something that would change a personality forever, that's nothing I can ignore.

[Gilga]

The words I meant to put in Fox is that by splitting consciousness people become all Buddha in this world and feel the joy of working out or cleaning the toilet being all stoic about everything, but they still feel anxious, depressed, and generally the pain of existence in the simulation. Thus he made a comment, that they achieved enlightenment only to be miserable in another world. He is sort of bitter about that part of the experience.

As for bnc, there is something affecting her - but as she is not in the simulation and is very much aware of this world with both parts of her consciousness - she feels sort of normal. A mild positive improvement of mood which she can either attribute to being safe underground or to a magic spell without any empirical measure to tell which explanation is correct.

[Volker]

Okay, thank you for the explanation!

[Gilga]

No problem.

[Volker]

What checks would you ask for to remove the deck?
I'm not even sure where it would be. Under the skull? Instead of parts of the skull? Over the skull? Since you have to remove it every single time you get matrix damage, I assume it is something like a drive you can access more or less easily. In my understanding, basic skills in medicine should do. What does the GM say?

[Gilga]

I imagine it kind of like a socket, so bnc has an empty socket. I guess they figured it out in SR universe but
Let's say a Medicine test threshold 3? Or cybertech 2 (as it is a more specific skill).

[Thanee]

Nova can buy 2 hits on Cybertechnology.

Bye
Thanee

[Gilga]

First scene with brain surgery for me. Feel free to move along these lines.

[Volker]

Unfortunately, Nova will not get the chance to shine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)
bnc is quite a surgeon herself (she has a DP of 10 on medicine herself, and with Singularity also gets 10 for cybertech) and has done this a couple times. I don't know if that's worth anything rulewise, but she'll know exactly where to cut, how to slide it in etc. She also repaired her matrix damage herself and learned it the hard way.

OoC thanks for the offer, though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Volker]

Whew, I'm glad the login procedure takes so long IC. Whoom's sideeffects are that all thresholds are raised by 1. That could suck quite a bit in dangerous situations (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Did Fox skip the "How can I recognize exits" question on intent ("I'm with you anyway") or did you just miss it?

[Gilga]

He says that he is with you, possibly showing you from within.

[Volker]

I'm going to be able to post another one within the next 12 hours. If Fox and/or Nova do not or cannot react to bnc, I'll just proceed on my own. I just wanted to give you gives the chance to react to her problem IC without stalling the story further.

Without having rolled, I just saw fit that she as a programmer who spent her entire life in simulations can't easily accept a simulation as reality, no matter what. Though in my character sheet I only listed those drugs that are ruled in the books, I hope it's safe to assume that bnc would always carry weaker or (normally) less useful drugs with her. She would take something like THC or psilocybin that would make it way easier for her to accept whatever is around her as reality.

If that has an effect on the roll, let me no. Also, of course, I'm in for side-effect. She's also still in for another two hours or so of Whoom: -1 Reaction, -1 Strength, +1 to all thresholds, -1 to all Limits

[Gilga]

I actually intended to have Fox offering her a drug to make the process easier, but just don't worry too much you are not breaking the game or anything. Let her be herself. I tried to reflect how difficult it is by setting it a threshold of 4 in a roll where bnc has 7 dice total. So sort of unlikely, and by considering that I had to come up with alternative solutions that do not break the game. You can fluff it as much as you want how difficult it is - and the game can take it if you fail the roll or even if you choose not to roll at all.

[Volker]

Cool.
Could you please roll for me, I'm not on my pc.
Also, with Whoom, the hallucinogens, and the black room, the threshold might be different

[Gilga]

I rolled two hits which is not enough but considering all you did to succeed I'll give it a partial success meaning she is aware that this feed exist and would reduce future attempts to threshold 3.