Z-Day + 1 - 7:00 AM Mountain Time - Warren Air Force Base, west of Cheyenne, Wyoming In the storage room- Airman First Class Gregor Cross led his squad of MPs into the storage room in the basement of the armory. Normally he wouldn't be in command of a squad, but their usual leader Staff Sergeant Larry Dauterive had been detailed to another unspeciifed assignment. He had just met the rest of his squad: Airman Jason Baker, Airman Carolyn Wagner, and Airman Peter McBain. An MP officer, Lt. Laura Wyatt, had briefed them on their mission. A secret tunnel had been discovered last night leading from the armory basement to a warehouse located north of Cheyenne. It was believed that this tunnel had been used to smuggle weapons and other equipment out of Warren Air Force Base. Materiel had been disappearing for months, but how it had been happening had been a mystery with no apparent solution. None of the missing stuff had come from this particular room, which contained boots, belts, and backpacks stowed in crates, which might have explained why the tunnel was never found until now. The carefully concealed secret door stood open, revealing a tunnel stretching off into the distance, lit by occasional light bulbs in its ceiling. Gregor's squad's mission was to follow this tunnel to its end and search for evidence of who within the base was responsible for the thefts.
Gregor Takeing out and readeying his pistol says "awlright now. you know why were here someone has been going to our house and taeking our stuff. now we need to find out whats at the end of their tunnel. might be nothin. might be evidence so that we can find out where they live so we can go to their houses and nail their asses, and maybe, just maybe, one of them was stupid enouph ta be their while we are. If thats de case, we want em alive if its possible. shoot em in the legs, football tackle em and stomp on their balls for all I care, I just want em alive and kicking, if we kill em, they ain't saying nothin, aint going to tolerate a wasted opportunity like that. got that?"
In the storage room-
"Hell yeah!" cheered Peter McBain, also drawing his pistol and chambering the first round. The huge bear of a man not only was built like Gregor, he had a similar attitude and looked like he was raring to go.
"You got it," said Jason Baker, nodding. The young black man had a grim expression on his face as he took out his gun as well.
"Right," said Carolyn Wagner. The short-haired woman drew her gun as well.
"What are we waiting for?" asked McBain. "Let go get 'em!"
In the tunnel- Gregor led his squad into the tunnel. Not far into it was a set of tracks heading down it into the distance. They began at a stopper, against which rested a handcar that could be used to traverse the length of the tracks. It could fit the four of them. A lever jutted out of the ground next to the wall in which the secret door was set. It looked like a railway switch.
In the tunnel-
Pulling the lever caused the secret door to the storage room to shut.
The squad got onto the handcar and pumped the handles, and the car started moving along the tracks quickly. It was faster than walking, and about ten minutes later the tracks came to an end at another stopper. A steep flight of stairs led upwards, and a switch was set into the wall at the base of the stairs.
OOC,Please don't forget to post for your other characters too.
IC: Gregor Says "alright people, rides over." as he jumps off the handcar and flips the switch "Keep sharp. stairs are not my favorite combat ground for a reason. you get choke pointed, and you have to fight upwards with no cover if you get caught in combat on em"
In the shipping container-
The squad proceeded carefully up the stairs, though caution proved to be unnecessary. Gregor and his squadmates found themselves inside a long, metallic chamber. From its size and shape, it appeared to be a standard shipping container. It was empty except for the hatch in its floor through which they had emerged. When closed, it would be difficult to see, but it had been left open. The shipping container itself was closed; the door was at the far end. It was also dark, though enough light came from the tunnel below to see.
Jason Baker entered the shipping container, gun drawn but down, and squinted through the dim light....
Looks deserted... He thought.
He moved with the rest of the squad and thought he could make out a door at the far end....
From what he could tell, the container was empty. He waited tentatively for Cross to make an order but was uneasy....McBain was not an individual he felt comfortable with and the suggestive comments he made during the weapons search of the young, traumatized ladies seemed to only prove how much of an insensitive jerk he was...that, and a glare McBain gave him the night before during a friendly game of poker and a loss...
Baker was torn. I shouldn't pre-judge...
He snapped back to attention and tried to focus....
However, he had a bad feeling about this...
...Two guys built like bears with a similar attitude....I hope Cross isn't a hothead like McBain...
Baker's mind wandered...He remembered watching repeats of Star Trek, as a kid, with his older brother cracking wise about the security officer in the red shirt who always died first on missions...
The memory forced Baker to stifle a laugh...then the hair on his neck stood up and he resisted an urge to double-check his MP uniform...
In the shipping container- Gregor Cross made hand signals for Jason Baker to take point and open the shipping container.
OOC,[b]Gregor[/b]'s player has been absent for a couple of weeks, so I'll run him as an NPC until his player returns.
Whoever posts first, please give me a group Luck roll on 1d100. The number you're looking for is the average of everyone's Luck scores or less. Since all four of your Luck scores add up to 205, the average is 51.25, so you want to get a 51 or less.
Group Luck Roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3322269/]Group Luck Roll (51%) in the container...(1d100=16)We're lucky lol...for now...[/url]
Jason Baker nodded at Cross and began to slowly side-step towards the door at the end of the dimly-lit container...The previous bout of nostalgia doing nothing to ease the anxiety he had been feeling since he went on the mission...
Suddenly, Baker stopped...
I've been walking through here like an untrained civilian....What if the smugglers wired the place up?
Baker took a deep breath. He was a few feet from the door and could just make out the lever to open it. He began to scan for any sign of a trap. His eyes also darted to the floor, looking for any potential trip-wire....
OOC,I would be trying a Spot Hidden here looking for any evidence of a booby trap but before rolling, I was wondering if there would be any penalty due to the poor lighting? Thanks.
Baker remembered his flashlight and switched it on, shining it on the door in front of him, as well as at his feet, checking for any traps or trip-wires...
In the shipping container-
The rest of the squad waited while Jason searched the container and the door at the end thoroughly. He found nothing of note.
In the warehouse-
The interior of the warehouse was illuminated by overhead fluorescent lights, and it appeared to be deserted. Neatly arranged stacks of shipping containers and crates covered much of the floor, though unlike the container from which the squad emerged, which was flush with the floor, the other containers rested on wooden slats. The front door was blocked by a shipping container, which had apparently been deposited into place by an overhead crane that hung from the ceiling directly above it. There was a large garage door next to the smaller door that was not blockaded, but it was closed. There was also a metal stairway on the left wall of the warehouse leading up to an office in the upper left corner that overlooked the floor with several windows.
He expected the worse but was relieved at this sight...albeit a little uneasy...
He glanced at Cross awaiting an order..but nothing yet...
While waiting for an order, he began to move towards the metal stairway on the left wall of the warehouse. His urge to explore the shipping containers' contents were over-powered by his urge to see what was happening outside through the office windows...
In the warehouse- Gregor Cross nodded when Jason started up the stairs. He gestured to Peter McBain to stand guard in front of the open container and secure the exit, and then he and Carolyn Wagner began searching the warehouse floor.
Jason entered the office at the top of the stairs. Most of the windows were floor-to-ceiling ones that overlooked the warehouse floor. There were also a couple of regular windows that looked outside, though the blinds were closed. The office door was unlocked and the lights were on. There was a desk with a computer on it, currently powered on with a screensaver displayed on the monitor, and a chair in front of it. Next to the desk was a filing cabinet. In the corner of the office overlooking the main floor was a control panel with levers and buttons. A manual rested beside the control panel.
And in the middle of the office, two bodies lay on the floor in a bloody heap. One of them was a man in a park ranger's uniform with a bolt action rifle strapped to his back and an AK-47 in his hands, pointed at his head. He had what looked like a gunshot wound in his temple. The other was a young woman wearing only lingerie. She held a pistol, the barrel of which was inside her mouth.
OOC,[b]Jason[/b], please roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 0/1d3, so you lose no Sanity if you succeed or 1d3 if you fail. Regardless of the outcome, you may act freely.
In the warehouse- Jason moved the blinds aside with the barrel of his weapon and peeked out the window. It faced eastwards, and the newly risen sun was visible slightly above the horizon, the glare hurting his eyes. He instinctively shielded them with a hand, and he was able to make out details. Other warehouses could be seen in the distance, part of a commercial district somewhere outside of Cheyenne, but there was no movement as far as his eyes could see.
Jason Baker removed his gun barrel from the blinds, letting them close, and backed up, careful not to step on the corpses....
He felt more in control after the initial shock of seeing the corpses...The pounding of his heart in his ears had stopped and his breathing was more regulated....and he was slightly more used to the smell, as much as one could be....
Got to keep it together.... He thought...
Baker moved over to the desk and jostled the mouse in an attempt to see if the screensaver was hiding any useful information that was accidently left open on the computer....
Baker moved away from the desk and made his way over to the windows overlooking the warehouse floor. He tapped on the window with his gun, hoping to get Gregor Cross' attention....
OOC,If I can see Cross and get his attention, I'll wave him upstairs to discuss the next course of action, even though moving the shipping container away from the exit may not be the best idea IMHO. If I can't get his attention from the window, I'll move to the steps and try to signal to him to come upstairs...
In the warehouse- Jason got Gregor Cross's attention, and the squad leader came upstairs while Carolyn Wagner continued searching the warehouse floor and Peter McBain stood guard. "What's up?" asked Cross.
"We got a couple of bodies, a locked-out computer and a filing cabinet. However, it appears we have the controls for that overhead crane. So, since that main door is blocked, whoever has been doing the smuggling is either still in the base or has another way of getting out."
Jason moved towards the filing cabinet to see if they were unlocked, having forgotten to check before calling Cross up to the office. He continued...
"Great, get up here to the office. We got a PC we can't get into without a password. Just a warning, there's a couple of corpses in here."
"On my way." She headed up the stairs and entered the office.
Jason opened the filing cabinet, which was unlocked. There was a lot of paperwork in there, and it would take a long time to sort through it all, but he was also able to find what looked like a ledger.
He passes the ledger to Cross and proceeds to disarm the corpses. He starts with the lingerie model and removes the pistol from her mouth. Her hand is still tight on the grip and he fights off another wave of revulsion, similar to the one he encountered when first seeing the corpses. He then moves on to the park ranger. Taking the AK-47 is not a problem but rolling the corpse over to get the bolt action rifle produces sounds that cause Baker to stifle a gag. Despite his efforts, his face flushes and he chokes back a small bit of vomit...
"Got 'em secured Sir!" His voice quivers unconvincingly...
In the warehouse-
"Good," said Cross, flipping through the ledger, his eyes going wide. "Pots and pans my ass!" he said. "I think I've found the key to ciphering out all these numbers. This book is a gold mine! The shipment dates coincide with when supplies went missing. Could be just the evidence we need."
Carolyn continued typing at the computer, trying various potential passwords. So far, none of them had worked.
McBain stood guard like he'd been told. His trigger finger was itching to dole out some proper justice and retribution. If only the bad guys would just turn up and let them settle this with a straight up firefight.
He sensed tension in the group, particularly towards him. No problem. He'd upset people before and he'd probably do it again. End of the day, he was just here to do his job. Still, not much was going on out here. McBain leant against the wall of the container and scanned the area for any signs of hostiles.
"Just one bad guy," he though to himself. "That's all I'm asking."
In the warehouse-
"If you need help carrying them, I'll take some off your hands, Baker," said Cross. "Keep in mind that they're evidence too. Come with me downstairs and we'll finish up searching the main floor. Wagner, if you haven't cracked the password by the time we're done, we'll just take the computer back with us along with the other evidence and let the techies have a look at it."
McBain started to drift off. There was nothing going on in the warehouse. He wondered briefly if Cross had left him guarding the way out just to keep him out of the way.
He shrugged. What did it matter? If the others wanted to have a club they were welcome. They'd be thanking him when and if the bad guys ever turned up. He looked briefly at his gun and thought about how much more satisfying it was to smack someone in the face with it rather than shoot them like you're supposed to. Weird, that.
In the meantime, he was gagging for a piss. He walked a couple of feet around the corner and took a leak over the container, writing his name with the spray. "Sweet," he smiled to himself.
Bladder thoroughly emptied, he started to poke around near the exit container, just in case there was anything worth finding. He didn't hold out much hope.
In the warehouse- Gregor Cross and Jason Baker returned to the main floor. "All right," said Cross. "We have time for one last look around before it's time to go back to base."
McBain zipped up his fly and spat on the floor. It seemed like everything was winding down upstairs and no action to speak of. He muttered under his breath and decided to make a cursory last look around, not really expecting to find anything.
Peter McBain,[b]Peter[/b] was glancing around at some of the crates that were stacked near the shipping container. He noticed that one of them still had a shipping manifest affixed to it. Out of curiosity, he read it. It said that the crate contained pots and pans.
McBain read the manifest and spat again on the floor. "Pots and pans?" he practically shouted at Cross. "This is bullshit. Where are the bad guys and our supplies? We're wasting our time here."
McBain made ready to leave, launching a contemptuous kick towards the crate of kitchenware.
OOC,I'm assuming I didn't hear them in the office talking about the pots and pans being code for the missing supplies.
Quinch wrote: "Pots and pans?" he practically shouted at Cross. "This is bullshit. Where are the bad guys and our supplies? We're wasting our time here."
McBain made ready to leave, launching a contemptuous kick towards the crate of kitchenware.
Jason Baker scoured the main floor, finding nothing, but pauses when McBain launches into his tirade....
That dude is like a mad dog! Baker contemplates. I should have seen it during last night's poker game but, apparently, this guy is here to play at a different level!...
Baker remains calm, continuing to peruse through the area but now keeps his eye on McBain...
This guy could get a brother killed with his temper and all....
In the warehouse-
"Wait a minute!" said Cross. "Pots and pans? I have a feeling we'll find something else entirely in there. Let's get that crate open." He found a crowbar that had been left lying around and tried to pry open the crate's lid. However, it was sealed a bit too tightly even for someone with his rippling muscles. "They really didn't want anyone opening this crate. Here, one of you try." He held out the crowbar.
OOC,Either of you may try to open the crate, which has a STR of 15, by making a Resistance Table roll and pitting your own STR against it. [b]Jason Baker[/b], you have STR 12, so you have a 35% chance to get it open. [b]Peter McBain[/b], you have STR 16, so that gives you a 55% chance.
"Yeah. Gotta be a faulty crowbar..." Baker echos McBain's words. He begins to scour around the floor for some form of explosives as well or even better, another prying tool...
OOC,Can the crate be carried? Can we find a second crowbar and have two of us pry on it simultaneously to double up our strength rolls or can we shoot off the lock?
OOC,There's no lock on the crate. It's just sealed shut. There was no second crowbar.
In the warehouse-
"No explosives," said Cross. "We don't want to damage the contents. This thing must be heavily reinforced on the inside, or we'd have been able to get it open. Screw this, let's just carry it back to base. They can force it open there." He got on the radio. "Wagner, any luck? We're going to pull out in a minute."
"I must have triggered a defensive system," she replied. "It formatted the hard drive!"
"Dammit! Well, let's bring the computer back anyway. Maybe the techs can recover the data."
"Okay, I'm on my way." Shortly thereafter, Carolyn came back down the stairs carrying the computer's tower in her arms.
McBain looked unimpressed at the enforced ban on explosives but shrugged and grabbed one end of the crate. He waited for Baker to pick up the other end before making off for the exit tunnel.
Jason Baker noted McBain looking at him from the one end of the crate and got the message...
Baker shouldered the bolt action rifle he was packing and grabbed the other end of the crate, preparing to carry it back to the exit tunnel with the rest of the crew...
In the warehouse-
"I'll take that," Cross said to Carolyn Wagner. With a shrug, she handed the computer to him. He led the squad back into the shipping container.
Inside the shipping container- McBain and Baker followed Cross into the container, carrying the crate between them. Carolyn Wagner brought up the rear. "Do you think we gathered enough evidence?" she asked.
"Yeah, we're gonna break this wide open. It's only a matter of time before we identify the criminals and roll them up - if they're still alive, that is."
Once safely back at base, McBain starts to look for heavier implements with which to open the crate. It's starting to wind him up and he needs to prove to the others that he can't be defeated by a piece of wood.
Jason Baker was relieved to be back at the base and put his end of the crate down...
Whew! I'm glad that's done with. Baker exhaled and leaned against the crate for support. Don't know if I'm just paranoid but I was on edge with Cross in charge and McBain practically bleeding testosterone. I'm glad he's on our side but he is something else! Hey, where did Cross go with that computer tower?
Baker glances around for Cross but then notices McBain looking for a heavier prying tool...
Baker sighs. Duty calls....
Baker assists McBain in his search for something more heavy duty to pry open the crate...
McBain acknowledges baker's assistance with a sort of neanderthal grunt and a shrug. There must be something around here somewhere. An axe would be good.
In the storage compartment- Gregor spoke into his radio as he led his squad into the tunnel. "This is Airman First Class Cross," he said. "We're on our way back to base with a sealed crate we were unable to open that I believe contains some of the stolen weapons, a ledger with important information, and a computer. The computer's hard drive got formatted when Airman Wagner attempted to hack into it." He paused. "Yes, ma'am." He spoke to his squadmates. "Lt. Wyatt will meet us at the tunnel entrance in the storage room. She's going to bring a cutting torch to get that crate open, and she'll try to find someone who might be able to recover data from the computer."
OOC,Everyone is moving to the thread linked below.