Security Center - Styx Base, Pluto 0600 GMT - Tuesday, August 9, 2112
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bruce stood in front of the podium in the Security Center, where Sergeant Heinrich Kohl, Private Alison Silver, and Private Robert MacCrimmon stood at attention facing him. On a large, flat screen behind him was displayed a map of Styx Base with color coded dots indicating the various crew members. The four of them were clearly displayed in the Security Center, while General Pryce and Colonel Patel were in the Command Center and Lt. Rose was in Ground Control. Captain Bauer was with Private Torres, who had just entered Sickbay. Major Orlova and Lt. Hu were in the Astrophysics Lab and Lt. Barrett and Private Bond were in the Geology Lab. The only person not displayed on the map was Captain Juliette Desjardins, who was currently outside the base flying a patrol mission in Demeter.
Lt. Colonel Bruce addressed his security team for the morning briefing. "Last night was quiet, as usual," he reported. "Still, don't let your guard down. Keep an eye on things and keep morale up. Before we begin, does anyone have anything to report or any questions?"
"The main thing we need to watch for is subversive activities," said Lt. Colonel Bruce. "Keep an eye out for anyone who isn't where they should be and an ear open for anyone saying anything suspicious. We've had no trouble here in the few weeks since we got set up, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."
Sgt. Kohl salutes as he speaks up. "Do we have any reason to be on heightened alarm, sir? Any, ahh, threats or something? Or is it the same degree of alarm as the past few weeks?"
"No, there's nothing new, Sergeant," said Bruce. "Just the usual state of vigilance that we need to maintain at all times. I'll let you know if that ever changes."
Alison shifts stiffly and says: "Sir, I'm used to regular practice with my firearm. Do we have permission to use the Simulation Suites for that purpose when off duty?"
Lt. Colonel Bruce smiled. "Of course you can use the Simulation Suites for target practice and combat simulations," he said. "I do it all the time. It's good to keep your skills sharp. I can recommend a few good sims for you, if you like. In addition to the regular handgun training courses, there are a number of historical simulations programmed. I particularly enjoy refighting the Unification War. If you choose an officer template, you can practice with a handgun. Most of the other templates are equipped with rifles, though some of them have handguns in their loadouts too. If you want something older, the 1982 Falklands War is a good way to get your feet wet without too much difficulty - if you play as the British. Take the Argentine side if you want a real challenge. My personal favorite is the D-Day landings of 1944. You have to keep moving forward if you want to survive that one."
Before the conversation could continue, an alarm began to ring. "Attention!" shouted a voice from an unseen speaker. "Security breach in Tertiary Storage!"
This was an automated recording that triggered automatically when a door was opened without authorization. It should not have been possible, as the electronic lockplates beside each door would read the subcutaneous implant in each crew member's right hand. According to the security map, none of the base personnel had moved from their previous locations.
"Check it out," Lt. Colonel Bruce ordered Sergeant Kohl, Private Silver, and Private MacCrimmon. "I'll monitor the situation from here. Stay in touch via radio and keep me informed."
OOC,I'll narrate each area as you pass through it. There are a number of things happening at the same time in the other threads, so I need to take things step by step to keep them in sync. The situation may change while you're on your way.
Sgt. Kohl says nothing, but silently nods in affirmation of the order. His hand absent-mindedly wanders down to confirm his firearm is still at his side as he files out the door behind the other two guard personnel.
Robert, Alison, and Heinrich raced out of the Security Center and turned left. As they ran around the curving hall, they heard the voice of Lt. Colonel Bruce on their radios: "I see them on the monitor now. There are four intruders in Tertiary Storage: an older man, a young man, a young woman, and a teenage girl. They appear to be...just waiting there. There's a large blue box in the storage room with them that wasn't there before."
The three security officers took the second corridor on the right, which led them to the airlock leading to the tunnel to the storage module.
OOC,Feel free to keep interacting. I'll let you know when you get there.
Alison radios back "They just showed up? Do we have archive footage in that area showing where they might have come from?" She smiles. "Any way we can turn off the lights in that area from where you are, Colonel? Might make it easier to catch them off-guard if we do that before busting in."
"You really should route such suggestions through the sergeant, Private," replied Lt. Colonel Bruce as the security team passed through the airlock and into the connecting tunnel. "Remember the chain of command. Still, that is a good idea. I'll cut off the storage module's lights. You'll have to use your torches to see. It is perplexing that these strangers could have infiltrated the base. How did they get to Pluto on their own? If they have their own spacecraft, we never detected its approach. And what are they up to in Tertiary Storage? I'm reviewing the footage now...they came out of the blue box! One second it wasn't there, the next it was. Maybe it's some kind of transmat capsule, but our transmats don't have anywhere near the range to reach Pluto. Whatever technology they're using, it's very advanced. I don't have any answers - but the intruders do. You are to apprehend them and bring them to the brig for questioning. I want them alive."
The security officers reached the airlock to the storage module on the far end of the tunnel.
"Are there any ahh... sensitive materials stored in the bay, Lieutenant?" Heinrich asks as they reach the airlock door. Then, as an aside, partly to himself, partly to the others, partly to the lieutenant: "Perhaps it's all for the best the lights were shut off. Stop them from getting too good of a look at anything. Good thinking, Silver."
Then,to himself: "Whoever these people are, I'll bet they're friends of that damned Russian..."
"Did you say Russians sir?" Private MacCrimmon asks, looking slightly downcast. "I was hoping they'd be Scots. Still I guess I won't feel so bad if things get rough. How'd you deduce their origin so quickly, Sarge? Do the we have intelligence on advanced Transmat falling into the hands of Chechen anti-unificationists?"
"Whoever they are, I hope they put up a fight."
MacCrimmon grins, cracks his knuckles, stretches out his shoulders, and draws his baton.
OOC,[b]Howard Bruce[/b] is a Lieutenant Colonel, which is just one step below full colonel and a few grades above Lieutenant, so you probably meant to call him Colonel.
"Not in Tertiary, Sergeant," replied Lt. Colonel Bruce. "The most important and sensitive equipment is in Primary Storage, completely on the opposite side of the module. There are things in Tertiary that we'll need eventually, but we could go weeks without most of it."
The security officers went into the airlock leading to the storage module. The module's inner door opened with a gentle hiss of escaping air, revealing darkness on the other side. They needed to use the flashlights on their belts in order to see where they were going.
A man's voice echoed from the direction of Tertiary Storage: "Hello? I know you've entered through the airlock."
OOC,Everyone, please roll Listen on 1d100. Invisible Castle is currently having problems, so you may use some other dice roller or physical dice, or you may simply have me do the rolling.
Private MacCrimmon stands in the airlock with his light off, baton drawn, silently
listening,32 out of 25, so he gives it a good try but misses any sounds.
. Ready to react to any attack.
"Drop your weapons an slide 'em toward us, and then git down on the ground. You're trespassin in a secure storage room of a secure facility and we'll use force if ya make us. I dinnae ken how ya got here, but you're caught now, so best surrender."
Heinrich chuckles quietly. "I hadn't exactly meant for you to overhear that, MacCrimmon." He grins. "But I wouldn't shy from knocking some Russian heads, either."
As the airlock slides open and the voice calls out, he pulls his baton from its holster on his hip and crouches down.
Listen,Roll of 60 with a 60%. Just barely, but I think that's still a success.
OOC,Crouching behind a crate if there's enough light to see anything by,otherwise just inside the storage compartment.
OOC,[b]Alison[/b]'s Listen roll: 66 vs. 30% skill - Failure.
"What bloomin' weapons, Rob Roy?!" a girl shouted back in a London accent, somewhat distant. "We're unarmed!"
"I assure you we mean you no harm," called an older man's voice. "We have no hostile intentions and would kindly request that you would turn the lights back on so that we can at least see those who are about to shoot us." He cleared his throat. "Like now... please."
Heinrich Kohl,[b]Heinrich[/b] could tell that the voices were coming from the direction of Tertiary Storage, which was still some distance away. He also heard someone stumbling around in the dark from that direction.
OOC,Take a look at the map. The storage module is on the far right, and you've come through the middle airlock. Tertiary Storage is at the bottom of the inner circle of this module. In order to get there, you would need to move around the corridor to reach the storage compartment. Where you are now, there are no crates.
Private MacCrimmon Turns 90 degrees to the right and says quietly
"Alison, be ready to cover me if they open fire, I'll go in first and verify non resistance."
He goes a quarter way around the module, light off, going by feel and trying to be stealthy.
Sneak,Invisible Castle is still down, so 45 out of 10, not quite the ninja he tries to be.
.
MacCrimmon pulls out his torch in the left hand, baton in the right, and feels for the entrance of the door. He opens it and flicks on his torch and shouts:
"I'm comin' in. We won't shoot anyone we don' need to. Stay onna ground and no sudden moves."
He holds the torch out from his body so it won't light up his face or right hand, and will quickly scan the room with it before focussing on any faces he can see, trying to shine in the eyes to kill their night vision.
