Play@YSDC

Babenko follow to the control room, with his gun ready.

You climb the stairs without any concerns and can see the following;

• The operations room containing the consoles for activating and deactivating the Dead Hand system, the manual launch consoles, guidance computers, and the console for resetting the Dead Hand’s countdown clock.

• A communications equipment room, including a communication station and encryption scramblers.

• The launch complex office, which the duty officers have turned into a billet, lounge and entertainment room.

• A latrine and maintenance closet.

The communications array is all but destroyed and the controls related to the dead hand countdown and most of the other operations in the silos are also damaged, though to a lesser extent.

Idea roll please.

Those who pass,The damage seems to be focused on the communications equipment, but the seemingly random damage to other equipment might indicate that the creatures are not fully certain what is vital to the dead-hand controls, the missile launch, or the countdown.

"Communications got it the worst." says Viktor. "Other systems are damaged too, but I'm not sure if the enemy understands which ones are vital. We should go to operations first. If the countdown is running, we won't have much time."

"I hope there isn't a creature there. And how does creatures like that understand what missiles are? But let's go".
He continues with caution.

Viktor also proceeds carefully, but not too slowly, to the operations room, his rifle barrel leading the way.

Melnikov follows his comrades, pistol in hand, scanning the ceiling for floating monsters.

You can see no floating monsters in the control room at present, though you can start to hear them wailing and keening, and it sounds like it's in the ventilation system. Of course, this hides just how close or far away they are due to their cries echoing down the aircon tubes.

OOC:   A second idea roll please

Those that pass,Could there be a connection between these creatures and the missing personnel, both here and at the camp you left before?

"Bozhemoi!" says Viktor as the realization strikes him. "Could the base personnel have become these...things?"

Melnikov glances at Viktor, "Don't talk crazy comrade. How would that even happen?"

Nick Korovin

The mere idea of this brutal transformation makes Korovin shrug, and he chooses not to believe in it...

He is rather disturbed by the sounds coming from the ventilation system, though. He checks for any outlets leading to the room they are currently in.

"They might come at us from the vents," he says. "Like they do in the movies," he adds, revealing a good knowledge of contraband American VHS tapes.

"I think it's more probable that they killed our comrades from this base."
Babenko is more disturbed that he want to accept: what could transform regular soldiers in those creatures? Could that happen to them?

Viktor recalls having seen the American movie Aliens. It had been thrilling to watch, but he could have done without experiencing something similar for himself. He keeps a nervous eye on the vents as he proceeds.

Operations room
Vents are situated in the far walls of the room you are in. In the centre of the operations room ceiling, just above the consoles for the Dead Hand system, what you presume are the manual launch consoles, the guidance computers, as well as the console for resetting the Dead Hand’s countdown clock is another vent which is blowing cold, frigid air into the room. The vents on the walls seem to be exhaust vents. All vents have had their mesh covers ripped off, either from within the room, or from the ventilation shafts themselves, both scenarios fill you with trepidation. Suddenly everything goes quiet.

OOC:   Spot hidden please for those in the operations room

Downstairs
The only sound you hear is coming from the air conditioning vents, which suddenly start blowing frigid air out of them, though not powered by any fans that you can hear.

Suddenly everything goes quiet.

Babenko is relieved that the sound stopped and oblivious to anything else.

Nick Korovin

Korovin directs the flamethrower towards the vent and fires without hesitation...

Viktor also whirls and points his rifle at the vent, hoping to be able to line up a shot on the creature's heart.

Babenko fires his riffle against the creature hitting it, but without making being able to hit the heart..

The silence is becoming oppressive, jangling your already taut nerves. The flamethrower dies down but seems to have done little, if any damage. Similarly with the gunfire - there were some hits, but not enough to kill these Satan-Spawn.

OOC:   Those that have missed shots can out their poor aim down to the nervousness if they so choose

Suddenly a hand reaches out from one of the air vents and grabs Ludovik Maksim (NPC) lifting him up slowly towards the venting. He starts to yell out a warning to the rest of the party, a yell that turns to a scream as the creature starts to lift him towards the vent with what seems to be agonising slowness. Ludovik manages to get a few shots off but the creature somehow manages to swat his gun away. Unfortunately for him, the vent is a lot smaller than he is, especially with all his gear on. The result is that as his body is drawn slowly through the vent, the screams of terror escalate until they become screams of agony as his body is bent over backwards. Eventually his back breaks and he is drawn, still screaming into the air conditioning venting. His screams echo round and round the base until with a loud shriek they are cut off.

As the party are transfixed by this grisly spectacle another cry from the corridor sounds followed by a couple of shots, then silence reigns once more. The temperature has now plummeted and you can see your breath crystalising in front of your faces.
Suddenly, from behind you all, a pair of shots ring out and a young soldier cries out and falls to the floor, he is covered in steaming entrails. Young Max Fedorov lies covered in the steaming entrails, presumably from Maksim, and is trying to regain his feet enough to get away from the blood and guts, but his feet keep slipping out from under him. He opens his mouth to call for help when another part of poor Maksim, what looks like - is that a lung, lands on him? Blood and gore spatter into his mouth and his stomach contents joins the mess on the floor.

Ice crystals are starting to form on the surfaces that are wet.