Track 10: Sympathy for the Devil

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

DEX 5 and 122d20damaged6

Not terribly used to anything as vulgar as firearms, P's shot goes wild. The more assured Liz strikes a direct hit on the wounded creature, blasting it apart into little bits of slime. The three remaining strike back.

Spoiler:

3d20

Apparently perturbed by the loss of their companion, they merely thrash wildly about, their tendrils not hitting anyone, then swim away. The survivors of this encounter are able to make their way to the ruined reactor without further incident. Jan and the other THRUSH gents are grimly determined to investigate and stop the menace that has already cost them two lives.

"I believe they were electrocuted," he explains. "Expect a few other nasty surprises inside."

The team is able to reach the control room, which is a shambles. Someone or something has smashed most of the equipment. Sparks occasionally fly from wires pulled out of the walls.

"I was afraid of that. No way to access the control rods from here, and I think that's where our little friends are coming from."

Spoiler:

number of radiation suits available.2d4

"Ten of us left and only five suits. Who wants to volunteer to go inside, and who wants to stay here and face whatever else happens?"

Used to obeying orders, the THRUSH agents wait for the others to respond.

[jp1885]

“Naturally I will go in,” says P. “Let’s have a crack at this reactor. Otto will stay outside and stand guard.”

[SunlessNick]

"I don't think I'd be much good in there," Zara says, casting a glance at Liz (it's unlikely to be lost on Liz that the THRUSH agents are likely to insist one of us stays outside, so we don't outnumber them within, and if it's not Zara it'll be Liz).

[Mr. Handy]

"I'll go with you," Liz says to P. "Between the two of us, we should be able to get the reactor sorted." She puts on a radiation suit.

[SunlessNick]

"I'll go with you," Liz says to P. "Between the two of us, we should be able to get the reactor sorted." She puts on a radiation suit.

Liz makes even a radiation suit look stylish.

[Mr. Handy]

Thanks, she sure does! I remembered the part of The Ambassadors of Death where Liz wore a radiation suit. It took me a while to find that picture, but it was worth it!

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Inside the reactor:

The control rods are bent and torn, obviously failing in their duty to tamper the nuclear reaction.

"Gonna take manual work," one of the THRUSH agents says. He wades into the glowing water. "Pretty damn hot in here. Not much time, even with the suits. Gimme a hand, will ya?"

________________________________________________________________________

In the control room:

There is a sudden shattering of what little unbroken glass remains as large flying creatures invade the room from outside.

Spoiler:

d20

One of them dives at a THRUSH agent, driving its claws into his face.

[spoilerd6[/spoiler]

Fortunately, it does minor damage, leaving only a scratch.

Spoiler:

d20

Unfortunately, the victim starts to feel feverish and dizzy.

Spoiler:

2d4

There are two of the things, which seem to be something like gigantic furry bats.

[jp1885]

P wades in to help with as much relish as his bulky suit allows.

[Mr. Handy]

Unaware of what's going on in the control room, Liz also wades into the water and helps with the reactor.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

STR 7 and 122d20let's give the THRUSH agent a chance str 9d20

With the help of the others, the THRUSH agent calls upon a reserve and strength and manages to straighten out the control rods by sheer force.

"Just in the nick of time to keep this whole place from melting down. Now let's get out of here."

Spoiler:

DEX 5, 12, 9 to get out of the radioactive water.3d20

The THRUSH agent manages to scramble out quickly, but the others are hampered by the radiation suits, which are easy to use in water.

Spoiler:

CON 11 and 132d20

It takes a while for the THRUSH agent to pull the others out of the radioactive water. Liz seems OK, but P doesn't look well.

Spoiler:

reduce CON by 1 until treated.

"We gotta get to the decontamination room pronto, gets these suits cleaned."

This leads the three in the opposite direction from the control room. Speaking of which . . .

In the control room, there are two THRUSH agents wearing radiation suits who were preparing to follow the others if necessary. That leaves Jan and the investigators unprotected from the bat-like things. Those wearing suits are immune to their attacks, so they can fire their carbines at them.

Spoiler:

2d20damage from the hitd6

It passes fairly close to those in the room, but manages not to hit anybody.

A bullet rips through the wing of one of the things. It falls to the floor and flops around. The other bullet goes wild.

Spoiler:

if I get another 20, somebody gets hit by the ricochetd20

It passes fairly close to those in the room, but manages not to hit anybody.

Spoiler:

single bat left attacksd20 damaged6

With razor-sharp claws on the tips of its wings and needle-like teeth, the uninjured creature slashes at Jan. He drops to his knees, blood flowing from his face.

Spoiler:

CON 9d20

Besides the wound, he doesn't seem to be sick from the attack.

[jp1885]

“I concur; let us proceed,” P replies with rather forced alacrity.

He stumbles a little but waves off any offers of help.

[Mr. Handy]

Liz nods and offers to help P along, but allows him to walk on his own when he refuses. She also hurries to decontamination.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

In the decontamination room, a shower head that sprays out clean water under high pressure is located high overhead. The THRUSH agent turns the handle, located at a convenient place on the wall, that starts the water flowing. Or, rather, is supposed to start the water flowing, because all that happens is a high-pitched squeaking sound from the shower head.

"Something blocking it," the agent says. "I see some kind of sticky stuff covering the pores. Gotta scrape it off, but it's too high to reach. It'll take two of us, at least. Who wants to climb on who's back?"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spoiler:

two attacks on the bat-thing2d20one hit, damaged6

One of the suited THRUSH agents hits the bat-creature with his carbine, the other misses. The creature is wounded, but is still able to fly and attack.

Spoiler:

d20

It swoops at Zara, but misses her; perhaps its sonar is out of whack due to the injury.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm stronger than I look," says Liz, "and the radiation hasn't affected me yet. If you're stronger than me, though, I'll climb on your back and clean off the shower head. Otherwise, I'll give you a boost."

[jp1885]

“And I will keep watch for any more anomalous life forms,” announces P.

[SunlessNick]

Zara would join in the shooting, concentrating on the uninjured creature (since the grounded one is easier for everyone to dodge).

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The THRUSH agent agrees to get a boost from Liz, as she does appear to be quite a strapping young lady, and he is just an average guy. (It is possible that male THRUSH agents are used to working with highly capable female agents.) The effort to reach the blocked shower head will require not only her strength, but his ability to keep his balance.

Spoiler:

STR 12 and DEX 9, need both success; double failure will have the worst effect2d20

The THRUSH agent is able to scrape some kind of black, sticky matter off the shower head, starting the powerful stream of clean, hot water flowing. He hops down to the ground.

"Thank for the lift, lady," he shouts over the blasting water. "We should be decontaminated in a few minutes. Say, Professor," he asks P, "what the heck do you think this stuff is?" He shows P the black substance covering his gauntlet.

There may soon be opportunity to explore the question more fully, as some of the black stuff falls to the floor, where it begins to expand in size at a rapid pace.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

Zara DEX 13d20

The rapid fluttering of the bat-thing makes it difficult to hit, and Zara's shot fails to strike it. Meanwhile, it dives at her again.

Spoiler:

d20damaged6

It draws blood, but the injury is not an extremely serious one; at least not yet.

Spoiler:

Basic CON 8, but I'll remember your super-powerd20

For a moment, Zara feels extremely unwell, as if she is suffering from a severe viral illness; however, the peculiar effect that exposure to gamma radiation had on her immune system soon erases all the symptoms. Clearly, the flying things carry a deadly disease, and only good fortune kept Zara from being infected for more than a brief time.

The two THRUSH agents fire at the thing.

Spoiler:

2d20

Again, one hits it and the other doesn't. (One of them better go back to the THRUSH combat training school, if he gets out of here alive.)

Spoiler:

d6

The thing is pretty badly hurt, but not out of action yet. By this time, the other one appears to be dead.

[jp1885]

“Some kind of self-replicating protoplasmic matter,” P deduces, fascinated. “No doubt extremely hostile.”

The scientist will study the blob held by the agent, while he has the chance.

[Mr. Handy]

"It reminds me of The Blob from that Steve McQueen film," says Liz, keeping her distance from it. "Extradimensional too, no doubt." She begins her prayer to try to send it back to its home dimension.

Using Exorcism.