Chapter 4b: Listening in (Ray, Nat, Tobias)

[evil_scientist]

Nat and Ray,Nat and Ray circle around the little patch of farmland, and soon find themselves near the hangar / barn structure. The darkness has set in, so the Investigators only have their other senses to rely on. Through the metallic walls, Nat can hear somebody (probably a man) talking in half-chanting, mantra-like voice, and also a constant humming. He cannot make out any words. [size=85]Spot checks,Rolling for you for convenience's sake: [b]Ray, Spot Hidden 25%[/b] [dice]0[/dice] [b]Nat, Spot Hidden 45%[/b] [dice]1[/dice][/size]

Tobias,Tobias monitors the wire. Julie seems to have stopped, and is now standing still. Tobias notices a hum or static growing in the background of the transmission. A droning electric noise.

[aine]

Spoiler:

"That's blown it, there's a guy in there already, meditating. And some sort of generator maybe, can you hear the humming, Ray?" Nat whispers in Ray's ear. He bends down and feels around the floor near the base of the hanger. If there's any stones he'll pick one up now; there may not be a chance to later!

Edit,sorry, forgot to spoiler it!

[Cotton]

Spoiler:

Ray whispers "Maybe he's got a light on in there, why would he just be in the dark? Especially if there's a genny running already. I'm going to creep closer and see if I can get a look. Stay here." And with that he'll try to creep closer to see if he can make out anything.

Stealth: 60%
[dice]0[/dice]

OOC:   Darn so close! I don't remember, but have we discussed if we were using the luck spending rules for this game. If so I'd want to burn 3 points to make that a success. If not I guess things are about to get interesting...

[aine]

Spoiler:

"Yes Boss. I'll keep a look out and hoot like an owl if anyone else comes this way. Wave your arms if you want me to follow you." Nat whispers and then moves so he can see the hanger door, Ray and the rest of the buildings.

[evil_scientist]

Ray,After a quick, whispered conversation with his assistant, [b]Ray[/b] moves out of cover and is now standing before the hangar entrance. He is overcome with a strange sensation: there was somebody here, perhaps just a split second ago, but is now gone... But maybe it's just his overwrought mind playing tricks. Both sides of the double doors are shut, but not tightly. An open padlock hangs on the right hinge. Ray takes a peek inside through the crack between the doors. A weak light is illuminating the interior, but not much can be discerned, because heavy curtains close off the space a few steps after the entrance. Possibly they muffle the voices. They seem to be decorated with dense "oriental" patterns. From this position, [b]Ray[/b] is able to make out some of what's inside. A single male voice, speaking in a strange, half-chanting tone. A long mantra, repeating the same verse over and over. There is also a constant drone: Ray now thinks it might be the members of the congregation humming in unison, and not a generator. [color=#800080][i]"...he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. He found him in a desert land...."[/i][/color] Ray recognizes it as an Old Testament verse. [ooc]Yes, the Luck rules are in play! You burn three points to get a success.[/ooc]

Nat,After a brief conversation, [b]Nat[/b] stays behind, but moves slightly closer to the corner of the building. He sees Ray listening attentively at the entrance of the hangar. The muffled voices coming from the inside remain the same, repeating over and over again.

Tobias,Tobias listens carefully to whatever is on the other side of the wire. There's some shuffling, so Julie is probably moving again. The hum or static in the background is still present, but perhaps slightly weaker.

[Cotton]

Spoiler:

Ray is going to wait for a moment to see if anything different is said or if the number of people in the barn can be determined.

[evil_scientist]

Ray,With each cycle of the mantra, the humming of the congregation becomes louder. Ray recognizes this as a sort of trance-inducing technique. The voices are in very near unison, so it's hard to judge the number of people involved. Ray's estimate is more than five, but less than ten people.

[evil_scientist]

Ray,Suddenly, somebody appears right next to ray! [color=#BF0000]"Don't be alarmed, it's just me,"[/color] the figure from the darkness says... It's [b]Julie[/b]!

Nat,Nat sees a figure step out from the darkness, coming from the left side of the barn... and he recognizes that it's [b]Julie[/b]!

Tobias,Julie whispers: [i]"Don't be alarmed, it's just me."[/i] Sounds like she met up with Ray and Nat! The hum and static in the transmission grows stronger...

OOC:   Ray and Nat, please head over to the topic of Chapter 5! Tobias, please, stay here! I will continue posting the wire tape updates for you in this topic.

[HelplessBystander]

Tobias,Hearing the hum and the intermittent wire transmissions, whispered back into the mic, [color=#0000FF]"So should I stay or should I go?"[/color] [ooc]Sorry for the absence, I had to prepare for an exam and the studying squeezed my free time dry. :([/ooc]

[evil_scientist]

Tobias,The connection is one way. Tobias can hear what's going on on the other side, but cannot reach them. The static buzz in the headphones is almost unbearable. What's worse, it's distorting the signal, and Tobias can only hear parts of the conversation. [i]"We can't help Elizabeth right now but we might be able to get some rock samples and then get out of here; come back ------------ think it's urgent we do it tonight? Jules, is she being initiated tonight or -------------, the point of no return?"[/i] Nat asks. [i]"Not that I know of,"[/i] whispers Julie. [i]"For all I know -------------------- every night."[/i] [i]"I think getting a sample of that rock for someone to analyze is important,"[/i] Ray whispers. [i]"We could very possibly get them kicked off this land, maybe get ------------------------- girl you saw from getting the medical attention she needs. -------------------------------------- getting a sample, and if someone hears us she can pretend like she just got curious and wandered over. Nat I want you to stay behind and be -------------------------- like a plan?"[/i] Julie and Ray come into motion, and suddenly there's a loud sound, like a whiplash, in the headphones, and then a wash of white noise. Some other voices and noises are still audible, chanting, humming, buzzing... [ooc]Tobias can roll Electronics to learn more about the problem.[/ooc]

[evil_scientist]

Tobias,On the other side, the static is getting stronger and stronger. Fragments of rhythmic chanting in an incomprehensible language break through the noise. Tobias' fellow investigators are suspiciously silent.

[evil_scientist]

Tobias,The static decreases a little... Now it's only in the background. Tobias can discern quiet footsteps, and the he can hear Ray say: [i]"We... The rock is a no go, and Julie you can't stay here any longer. We have to get Elizabeth out of here tonight."[/i]

[evil_scientist]

Tobias,Tobias' fellow investigators continue their subdued conversation: [i] "Okay,"[/i] Julie says. [i]"What are they doing? What did you see in there?"[/i] [i]"Did you get a sample for the Doc?"[/i] Nat also asks Ray.[i] "Did you see Elizabeth in there?"[/i] [i]"We’re not going to be able to get a sample, I don’t think. I didn’t see her, and we shouldn’t go back in there,"[/i] Ray answers after a short pause. [i]"You sure? I don't mind having a go - I can be pretty quick. Whatever you say, Boss. So do we find Elizabeth and get out of here? Do you know where she is, Julie?"[/i] [i]"You mean she wasn't in there?"[/i] asks Julie. [i]"She hadn't wanted to miss...whatever it is they're doing. I'm just as glad if she's not in there. I know where her bedroom is. I should go ahead of you, talk to her before she sees you if she's there."[/i] [i]"Okay, sounds like a plan. Although I'll hang back a bit and listen out in case they finish up inside the hanger." says Nat. "I just hope you can persuade her to leave though."[/i] There is a break in conversation, and Julie moves. Footsteps, then a creaking door. The background static noises fade away completely. [i]"I guess we'd better head back down and rejoin Nat,"[/i] says Julie eventually. [i]"That hangar's the only other place she's likely to be. Is it possible she was in there and you just didn't see her?"[/i] [i]It’s is. If that’s the case I think we’ll just hav to wait until they’re... done. Do you think that after they leave the barn, you could get her alone? Near a spot Nat and I would be hiding?[/i] Ray says. [i]"She'll probably come right back here to her bed," says Julie. "I can lie down and pretend to be asleep, and then pretend to wake up when she arrives. You two could hide nearby somewhere."[/i] Ray and Julie move once again. They start conversing with Nat - but the static noise returns, although at a different frequency.