Thursday, 30 October 1986, 15:45hrs.
Exxon Pumping Station #31, Kitimat-Stikine Regional District, British Columbia
As they approached the pumping station, they could see two rectangular, snow-covered shapes to the left and right, which indicated where the missing gates from the chainlink fence had been thrown.
Beyond the gap in the fence, to the left they could see a large single-storey building, with three large roll-up doors facing into the compound. Its flat roof overhung the building and was supported on pillars. Light fittings around the edge suggested a helipad on the roof.
On their right were two smaller, two-story buildings, built in the modular style common of unit developed to be east to transport and set up. On the first floor a covered walkway linked the two buildings. Any windows were covered by roll-down steel shutters and there was no sign of a door from the direction from which they approached.
Beyond the two buildings, the pipeline makes its way into the site, intersecting some other larger buildings behind those that they can see.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 6:06 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 583 times
Benjamin leads the way to the radio shack, moving stealthily and keeping his M16 ready.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 3:04 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda was just behind, covering with her own weapon the man in front of her, there should be no opportunity for anything to sneak from them in that direction at least.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 5:21 pm
by BoyBlunder78
" Lets get a move on and get the bloody radio sorted, so we can get out of this frozen hell hole."Gavin grunts.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 6:04 pm
by Philulhu
The group moved forward and to the right, passing between the two smaller buildings and the one which had the radio antenna on the roof. Doors lead into all the buildings, although all are closed, for now.
You entered through the gates to the east and turned north. All three buildings have doors to the north and south ends, as well as a large steel shuttered door to the north eastern-most building.
Edit: What may appear as a large building to the west of the compound is actually the blacked-out key to the map…
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 11:54 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd is advancing very carefully, with the pistol in his hand.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:56 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 535 times
Benjamin advances cautiously, leading with the barrel of his rifle, approaching the door of the building with the antenna.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 9:26 am
by Philulhu
As Benjamin got closer to the door, he could see it was buckled with claw marks gouged across its surface. It was still attached to frame, but barely and he doubted whether it would ever closer properly again.
A metal sign on the door, partially scoured by claw marks, read, “B tt ry oom”.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 7:18 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 519 times
Benjamin listens at the door for any sounds coming from within. peering through the gap between the door and the wall. He's sure that the sign used to say "Battery room." The claw marks are a bad sign. The radio will probably need repairs, at the very least.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:54 pm
by Philulhu
Through the gap, Benjamin could hear a humming noise and could see racks of shelving in the rather stark illumination of emergency lighting.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 11:02 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 512 times
Benjamin nods, glad that the power is still active. Once the others are covering him, he carefully pushes open the door with the barrel of his rifle while standing to one side of it.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:07 am
by Philulhu
The door creaked alarmingly as Benjamin pushed it open, the damage it had sustained obviously causing the door to buckle so it no longer sat flush on the hinges.
The walls were thick and clearly insulated against the cold as Benjamin could feel the warm rolling out towards him. From what he could see of the room, he observed a bank of double-sided steel shelving units straight ahead, that reached from floor to ceiling. Each shelf was lined with large, deep-cycle batteries connected to each other with thick yellow cables.
Behind the door, the humming noise persisted.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:50 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 509 times
Benjamin cautiously proceeds into the room, first trying to clear it to make sure it is unoccupied before conducting a search.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 4:09 am
by Joajackson
Amanda follows him, close behind, following clearing procedure, weapon high.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 6:55 am
by Snapper
Randy stayed outside, watching the team's "6". And while he didn't have his M16 pointed at Bill, Randy wasn't letting Bill out of his sight either.
"Is the radio likely to be in the Battery Room? I mean, I have no idea, just wondering."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 11:30 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin hobbles in, tracing his fingers along the claw marks, sending a shiver down his spine , as he follows the group.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:47 pm
by Philulhu
Inside, the room extended to the right for another 7-8 metres, with a total of nine banks of shelves, three wide by three deep. Behind the door, a power inverter emitted a low, continuous hum. Power cables ran across the ceiling, connecting the batteries on the shelves to the inverter, while a larger conduit travelled down from the base of the inverter and through the floor.
At the end of the room, a door led into an adjoining room. It appeared to have been torn open and was hanging on with the bottom hinge only.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:57 pm
by BoyBlunder78
" I think we need bigger guns....."Gavin mutters.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:52 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 440 times
Benjamin repeats the process with this door, approaching silently and cautiously, keeping his eyes and ears open and peering into the next room.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 8:22 pm
by Philulhu
The sign on the door read ‘Tool Room’ and inside the walls were lined with dozens of large tools, wooden crates, steel work benches and lockers. A one-foot-diameter pipe passed through the room, suspended by supports about an metre off the floor. In the centre of the room, there were several barrels with labels indicating that they contained machine grease and cleaning agents.
In the two corners opposite, doors lead through to the ‘Pump Room’, and an iron grate in the floor appears to allow access to a space below. Immediately inside the room, on the left against the wall, stairs lead upwards, with a sign on the wall with an upward arrow indicating that they lead to the ‘Radio Room’.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:18 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 428 times
Benjamin points to the stairs with the barrel of his rifle, waiting for the others to catch up to him and cover him before he proceeds upward.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 7:45 am
by Snapper
Randy caught Bill's eye and nodded inwards. "Right, sounds like it's time for us to get into the warm. Let's catch up for the others. After you."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 2:35 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda just behind Benjamín covering his side. She didnt separate, as that would be irresponsable.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:50 pm
by Philulhu
OOC: Apologies for the image quality
By my reckoning, Benjamin is at the foot of the stairs in the second room, with Amanda beside him. Gavin has moved into the first room and Randy is just entering the same room with Bill.
Where are Harold & Boyd? Presumably moved indoors?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 6:53 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin hobbles behind the others, reading the signs and giving a grunt. "About bloody time..."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:18 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 396 times
Once he's covered and the room is secured, Benjamin quietly moves up the stairs, his M16 pointing ahead of him and upward.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:35 am
by Lost_King
Harold is following the people who can protect him, which at the moment puts him close to Gavin, somewhere comfortably between Benjamin and Randy. He’s inspecting the electrical system and looking for any indication of where the radio would be or anything labeled “radio”, such as a power cable or a battery, in case the radio had been hooked up to a dedicated emergency power supply. However, he will move on as soon as the group moves if he doesn’t find anything.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:51 am
by kabukiman
Boyd is following the group. He doesn't understand anything of the mechanical stuff but is careful to avoid any nasty surprises.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 10:49 am
by Philulhu
OOC: For any one going up to the Radio Room, please read the spoilered text below.
Even before reaching the top of the stairs, blood could been seen dripping onto the top step. The smell of death was strong and induced a wave of nausea.
Looking up into the room, there was a terrifying amount of blood covering every surface. It was like a slaughterhouse! Glancing across the room, the body of what was presumably a man could be seen seated in a swivel chair. The anatomical details were difficult to discern but it looked as if the victim’s chest cavity had been pulled open and the organs ravenously fed upon. The bloody head leant back at an unnatural angle, hanging on by a bit of muscle and sinew. The face was a mask of blood, and the wide eyes were sunken and pale.
As Benjamin stared at this horror, there was a wet, ripping sound as the last bit of flesh attaching the head tore loose. It dropped and hit the floor with a dull smack, rolling towards the stairs a few inches before stopping, the dead eyes staring in his direction…
Can I have a SAN roll, please? (SAN loss is 1/1d6).
Can I also have a CON roll?
OOC: Anyone exploring anywhere else?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:32 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd 35% san
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:33 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd feels more nausea when he sses the poor dead guy.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:33 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd con: 45%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:36 pm
by Philulhu
I’ll run through the impact of your rolls once I know what everyone else is doing.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:03 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda was just with Benjamín, as such seeing the extremely gorish scene in the radio room.
"Damn hells, what the fuck?"
San 69
Con 70
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:03 pm
by Snapper
"Come on Bill, let's have a proper look down here while the others deal with whatever's upstairs. Hopefully, they find a working radio. And can you keep a look out for flashlights."
"At least it's warm."
Keeping Bill in front of him, Randy started a more thorough search of the two ground level rooms. In the Tool Room, he was particularly on the look out for flashlights, chemical glow-sticks or anything else that would cast a light in the dark.
Randy will examine the grate leading below ground when he gets to it, and will get Bill to open the two doors to the Pump Room.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:50 pm
by Philulhu
Once the first people had started to move upstairs, Randy had room to examine the grate in the floor. It was around 1.3m square, and he could see a shaft below that descended for six-seven metres, before opening into a wider space below. A ladder was recessed into the side of the shaft. He could hear the humming of machinery and could feel warm air rising from below.
Moving on to the doors, he indicated that Bill should open them. ”You’ve got to be joking! No fucking way!” came the reply.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 12:27 am
by Snapper
"OK, you wait in the other room."
As soon as Bill moves to the other room, Randy opens the two doors to the Pump Room then peers inside each, M16 ready.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 5:47 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 337 times
"Took the words out of my mouth, ma'am," says Benjamin to Amanda. Once he's sure nothing hostile is still in the room, he checks the radio to see if it's still working.
Sanity roll (current level 50) for seeing the carnage: d%
CON roll (80% stat) in the radio room: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:33 am
by BoyBlunder78
Hobbling to the foot of stairs, Gavin takes the opportunity to rest his leg. Sitting on th steps he shouts up. " What's it like up there?! Everything tickety-boo and ship shape?" tilting his head back, waiting for a response. Watching the others explore another way.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 5:12 pm
by Lost_King
Not having found what he’s looking for, Harold wanders over to the stairs.
“Hey guys, is there an intact radio up there? I was literally hired for this mission to fix the radio.”
Noticing the blood on the top steps, he decides to wait until he’s heard an intelligible response.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:10 pm
by Philulhu
“Arrgghhh!” came Boyd’s reply from the top of the stairs. The blood! The smell! He had to get away! He turned and started to run down the stairs, pushing Gavin and Harold out of the way, heading for the door…
Benjamin and Amanda were taken by surprise as Boyd bolted and could only watch as he flew down the stairs…
Downstairs, Randy carefully pushed open the doors to find they both led to the same room, the pump room for the base. Two shuttered doors led outside to the left and right, and a large oil pipe entered from the left wall, connected with the huge industrial pump, and exited through the right wall.
The pump wasn’t operating and the room was eerily quiet. An angled control panel of switches, gauges, and lights stood dormant in front of the pump housing. On the wall adjacent to the door through which he had entered, Randy could see a master electrical panel with a red kill switch to shut down the pipeline in the event of an emergency.
That seems like a reasonable response, in the circumstances!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:52 pm
by kabukiman
OOC: Sure!
Boyd is looking for fresh air, and trying to get out of the building, at least for a while.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 4:19 am
by Mr. Handy
Was I able to find the radio?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 7:31 am
by Snapper
Randy back-tracked to the base of the stairs to call up to the others. "OK, the pump room is down here and is clear but the pump is off, obviously. There's a kill switch for the pump in that room. Someone with mechanical or engineering skills might want to look."
"There's a grate covering an access shaft goes down six or so metres to some kind of basement level. We got machinery running down there and warmth coming up."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 7:44 am
by BoyBlunder78
Looking at where Boyd had just bolted too, keeping his eyes on the doors, Gavin hollers up the stairs, "Everything alright up there....?" while waiting for a response he turns to Randy, "You know wild animals will search for warm places to chill out" He says as his hand tightens on his pistol.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:21 am
by Snapper
Randy looked back to Gavin. "Well that's a cheery thought. Bad news for these rooms, seeing as the door was busted open, not to mention the station's gates before it."
"Good news for the basement though is there's a grate. Should limit intruders to creepy-crawlies and snakes. And hopefully what snakes there are in Canada are asleep over winter."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:28 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin grunts, shrugs his shoulders. " Hey, wheres the new guy?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 10:59 am
by Snapper
"I told him to wait in the other room while I checked the Pump Room. I couldn't watch him and do room sweeps at the same time."
"Hey Harold, if you want you could check the Pump Room controls, see what has happened to the pump and all. I cleared the room, nothing alarming in there."
Is Bill still about or has he wandered off out of the current building?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 6:34 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 414 times
"The radio room crew's been slaughtered, just like in the camp!" calls Benjamin. "No sign of whatever did it!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 7:43 pm
by Joajackson
"An insane mountain lion, a pack of rabies-full wolves, or some kind of wendigo. This shit is too wild. If anyone screams like an insane person, presume they are being attacked by the yeti and help out."
Amanda was really unnerved with all this shit. Animals ate their victims, they didnt display them.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:15 am
by Snapper
Randy had been hugging the rifle tight, barrel pointed down, but after hearing the news from above he brought the barrel up again, putting his back to the stairwell leading upwards. For now, wherever Randy looked, the rifle pointed, dropping aim only to avoid members the team.
"Copy Ben. It's still clear down here. Is it safe to send Harold up to look over the radio? Or is it trashed?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:07 am
by Philulhu
The ice-cold air was like a slap in the face to Boyd as he ran out of the building and into the compound. He stood panting, hands on his knees, trying not to be sick. There was no way that he wanted to go back inside!
Perhaps Boyd isn’t the most likeable fellow but your colleagues’ lack of concern is truly touching! ‘Where’s Boyd?’ ‘Oh, he ran outside into the freezing cold, where the monsters are.’ ‘Oh, Ok…’
For now, it will take some convincing to get Boyd back inside that particular building.
A shortwave radio sat on the desk next to the stairs where the body was found. Along that same wall were a number of shelves with large CB hand radios on charging brackets. On the opposite wall were shelves of electrician’s tools, voltage testers, spools of wire, spare breakers, fuses, and so on. In the far corner was a bank of meteorological instruments that appeared to be hooked up to a dedicated NOAA modem. A red light indicated that was currently offline.
The radio equipment and CBs looked to have sustained damage as a result of a sustained assault, with wiring torn loose and great rents torn in the casings.
The door leading outside, through which Boyd had fled, stood open and flurries of snow blew in, creating a slowly spreading white carpet.
From the pump room, there was a heavy metallic clattering sound and Bill could be heard saying, ”Someone’s done a number on this!”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 10:05 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin hobbles to the open door, looking out into the wilderness, scanning for Boyd. "OI! HEY BOYD get your ass back in here! Your letting the cold out!!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 3:23 am
by Snapper
Randy looked back at Gavin. "I found Bill."
"Hey Bill! Done a number on what?! The pump thing?!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:20 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 353 times
"Radio's been damaged!" calls Benjamin. "No hostiles up here. Send Harold up to see if he can fix it!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 9:08 pm
by kabukiman
BoyBlunder78 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 10:05 amGavin hobbles to the open door, looking out into the wilderness, scanning for Boyd. "OI! HEY BOYD get your ass back in here! Your letting the cold out!!"
"I'l return in a couple of minutes, I'm just taking some fresh air"
Boy will take a look at the gates to see what could have push them so hard (with the pistol in his hand)
OOC: yes, I know, Boyd is doing a huge mistake, but I guess it makes sense in his present state of mind.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:41 am
by Philulhu
Kneeling down in the snow to examine the gates, Boyd could see that they were buckled and the chain links torn. Something with quite significant strength had grabbed them and bent them out of shape, tearing them clear off hinges that had held them in place.
He found his eyes drawn to the gap in the fence where the gates had once stood, studying the dark treeline from which they had recently emerged.
OOC: Make a POW roll, please.
OOC: Just waiting for a response from Harold, but feel free to act in the meantime, if you wish.
”Someone’s had a go at the pump and the control panel!” came Bill’s voice from the pump room.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:03 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin gets up and hobbles towards the room where Bill is, to inspect for himself. "When you were out there, dud you see any sign of these crestures? Anything outta the ordinary?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:58 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd power: 40%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:45 pm
by Snapper
"Hey Harold, they've asked for you upstairs!"
Randy followed Gavin back to Bill in the pump room, still being very cautious.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 12:56 am
by Philulhu
Boyd stared out into the desolate, snow-covered landscape. The wind howled and the snow stung his face. It felt like being at the end of the world.
Behind him, he heard Gavin shout for him to go back inside, but he couldn’t face going back in there, with the blood, with the body, just yet.
OOC: Just waiting for a response from Harold…
”You mean the bear that attacked the camp? No, I didn’t see it, and I kept hidden until I I saw you guys go past, just in case it was still hungry!” said Bill to Gavin when he entered the pump room.
When Randy joined them, Bill pointed out whether the main power cable to the console had been ripped out. He then showed them where the pump maintenance hatch had been removed and a large pry bar had been used to bend the main gear shaft. The bar, which also looked bent out of shape, was still wedged in there…
When Gavin looked out, he saw Boyd stood in the middle of the compound, staring off into the distance…
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:21 am
by Snapper
"This doesn't make sense. Eco-terrorists might destroy the equipment but it doesn't seem likely they'd also tear people to shreds, does it? Surely they'd lose all public support and get locked up for life into the bargain."
"Bill, would your people have been willing to smash equipment up like that?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:18 am
by BoyBlunder78
" 'Bears' dont use tools."Gavin said as he looked toward Boyd. "YOU SEE ANYTHING OUTHERE BUDDY?" He hollers.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:42 am
by kabukiman
BoyBlunder78 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:18 am" 'Bears' dont use tools."Gavin said as he looked toward Boyd. "YOU SEE ANYTHING OUTHERE BUDDY?" He hollers.
"Something of terrible strength has made this and I doubt it was bears because it is not simply a question of using brute force; it means something had a purpose. What could do this?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 12:37 pm
by BoyBlunder78
"From what we've seen and experienced,
whatever this thing is, its intelligent and viscious, no creature i know of springs to mind." Gavin says.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:21 am
by Philulhu
Harold SAN (49) 1d100
Harold CON (45) 1d100
Harold SAN loss 1d100
OOC: Nothing from Lost King so I’ll NPC Harold until he returns. Speaking of which…
Harold climbed the stairs to the room above. ”Where’s the radio…” he started to say before his eyes widened in shock as he took in the blood, then settled on the decapitated head that stared at him from its resting place on the floor.
He went white, his knees buckled, and he slid down the stairs on his backside, disappearing from view once again… …
Bill snorted. ”You work for a company that rapes the environment for profit. We’re not murderers but anything else is fair game!” he snapped.
They heard a noise from the stairs and saw Harold sliding down on his ass. Dragging himself to his feet, he staggered towards the door and outside from where the sound of throwing up could be heard…
Boyd heard a commotion behind him and turned to see Harold stagger out into the snow, blinking against the driving snow. He managed a few steps before falling to all fours and throwing up… …
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 1:01 pm
by Snapper
Randy watched Harold then turned to Gavin and Bill. "OK, I'm not going up there."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:41 pm
by Joajackson
"Harold! Dammit."
Amanda went down following the engineer, mostly to ensure he hadnt gotten wounded from failing down the stairs.
Once down she spoke to those in there.
"Decapitated body, and the radio Is half destroyed, we want Harold for him to check if it can work."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 12:25 am
by Philulhu
From outside, the sound of Harold wrenching could be heard… …
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 12:43 am
by Snapper
"Good luck with that."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:23 am
by BoyBlunder78
At seeing Harold's reaction, followed by Amanda's flowing description, Gavin rubs his leg. "Ooh, yeah...don't think my leg will make it up them stairs....."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 4:35 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 252 times
Benjamin follows Amanda downstairs to help Harold.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 7:04 am
by Lost_King
OOC: Hey, sorry for my unexpected sabbatical… I really am sorry, I should have given some advance notice. See my message in “the Debrief” for full details. I should be good now (mostly).
After a long moment spent wrenching, Harold finds some (clean) snow to wash his face and mouth with, and walks back inside, still looking very shaken up, his face a deathly pale and slightly green...
“I did not sign up for this shit…”
Harold trudges back to the radio room, his jaw clenched tightly as he prepares to take in the scene for the second time.
How much Sanity did Harold lose? Also, is there any significant damage sustained from the fall down the stairs?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:15 am
by Philulhu
With Benjamin’s help (and a baleful glare from Amanda), Harold carefully climbed the stairs again.
Focussing on the radio and ignoring the blood, Harold could see the casing had been ripped open. Peering closely, he tried to determine the extent of the damage beneath…
Can I have an Electrical Engineering roll, please?
His SAN loss is recorded on your character profile. He’s got bruising but no significant damage from bumping down the stairs.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:39 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 224 times
"Think you can fix it?" asks Benjamin, hoping the answer is yes.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 3:58 am
by Snapper
"Hey Ben, once you've shown Harold where the radio is, want to come and have a look down this shaft with me? At the very least to clear it, so we know there's no nasties ready to sneak up behind us."
"There's evidently a basement level with power. It might be a good place to hole up for the night? And the grate is undamaged, so it doesn't seem like anything nasty actually did get down there. We might even find survivors."
Randy headed back to the grate and shaft, and started experimenting with moving the grate.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:08 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 216 times
"Permission to go back down and back up Randy, ma'am?"Benjamin asks Amanda.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:58 am
by Lost_King
Science (electrical engineering) 66%
1d100
Success!
“The radio has sustained a non-insignificant amount of damage, but the important mechanisms might still be solid. I might be able to work with this…”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:10 am
by Philulhu
Harold managed to remove the casing to see the extent of the damage beneath. Whatever had caused the damage had gone through the casing and torn wiring and wrecked the power supply.
Harold was pretty sure he could fix it, but he was going to have to find some spare parts.
Downstairs, Randy found that the grate was heavy, but easy enough to lift out of the way. Other than the hum of machinery, there was no noise from the basement below, and the light was steady, with no shadows suggesting any movement below.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 4:30 am
by Lost_King
“Guys, I’m going to need some spare parts, but I think we could get this working if we can find them… if we get this thing working, we could probably get a rescue team out here in a day or two.”
OOC: Is there anything in particular that I can see needs replaced, or are we just looking for miscellaneous spare parts?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:39 am
by Philulhu
The power supply (like an internal transformer) is damaged beyond repair and will need to be replaced. One of the circuit boards has a gouged surface and will need to be replaced and some of the internal wiring will need to be re-soldered.
Fortunately, it’s modular so designed to have components swapped in and out for the most part.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:17 am
by kabukiman
Trying to distract himself after all he saw, Boyd asked: "What parts do you need?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:10 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda spoke with a much less positive tome.
"And describe it in something understandable, se dont want to be going arround taking unnecesary pieces."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:30 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 341 times
"If the parts are here, we'll find them," says Benjamin.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:07 am
by Snapper
Randy manoeuvred the grate open and looked down.
"In your own time, Ben."
He called down the shaft, "Anyone down there, we're the rescue party! Make yourselves known, we are armed and we don't want any accidents!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:01 am
by Philulhu
There was no response from below. Just the steady hum of machinery.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:27 pm
by Lost_King
“I’m going to need a new power supply and a circuit board. I’m also going to need to re-solder some wires, so I’ll need tools. It all looks modular, so we can probably get the circuit board and power supply from any other computers/tech we find lying around. They probably don’t have a spare circuit board on hand, so we’ll at least have to take something else apart to get that.”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 5:34 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 280 times
Once Amanda gives him permission, Benjamin joins Randy.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:09 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda tried to do what she can to find what Harold asked for. I mean, the radio room surely had more electronics that just the radio.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:30 am
by Philulhu
Spot hidden (40) 1d100
Amanda doesn’t really know what she’s looking for and has no success looking for it…
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:08 am
by BoyBlunder78
In his hobbled state Gavin doesn't feel like he can be much help in the search. " Think I'll leave you guys to your treasure hunt, think I'll see if there's a canteen around here See if i can find some grub."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:01 am
by kabukiman
Boyd is looking for some the pieces that are needed.
Spott hidden: 30%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:02 am
by kabukiman
... and fail. He doesn't have a clue of what he is looking for.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:26 am
by Philulhu
Boyd didn’t find any components, but, trying the ‘talk’ buttons, he found a couple of the handheld CB radios on the wall racks were in working order.
OK, so where are you exploring next? There’s the shaft to the basement and there are a number of other buildings in the compound.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 3:40 am
by Mr. Handy
Let's check out the basement. What could possibly go wrong?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:06 am
by Snapper
Randy gave Ben a thumbs up. "I'll go first for a change."
Randy slung his rifle and cautiously climbed down the shaft...
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:46 am
by Philulhu
Randy descended the ladder to the room below, a large underground space finished in the same utilitarian fashion as the rooms above.
The ceiling was approximately ten feet high and the room was filled with large machinery - directly in front of Randy was a large furnace, with the main oil pumping machinery and one end, and the electricity generator at the other. The generator hummed constantly - down here, it really was quite noisy - but the rest of the machines were still.
Two passageways lead away to the east and west. The one to the east lead to a door. Randy couldn’t see what lay beyond that, nor where the western passage went.
Just wanted to confirm where everyone else is. I think Amanda, Boyd and Harold are in the radio room upstairs, with Benjamin and Gavin (and William) downstairs. Correct?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:22 am
by Snapper
Randy hastily finished clambering down and got out of the way of the ladder. The he had his rifle back up, ready for action. "Room's clear! There's two doorways from here!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:45 am
by BoyBlunder78
Yeah, Gavin is looking foe the canteen, find some food or drink[...liquor....for purely medicinal purposes of course.../Spoiler-Button]
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:19 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 203 times
Benjamin covers Randy while he descends, then follows him down once the room is secured. "If there's a threat down here, it could come from either direction, but at least if it's behind that door we'd have some warning when it opens," he says.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:49 pm
by Philulhu
Benjamin found that he was having to raise his voice to be heard over the sound of the machines.
Due to the background noise, any listen tests in here will require a hard success.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 3:53 am
by Snapper
Randy nodded back to Ben. Giving up on yelling for now, by simple sign language Randy indicated that he would clear the open corridor and gestured for Ben to cover him.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 4:06 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 439 times
Benjamin nods, covering him.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 8:28 am
by Snapper
...And Randy stepped into the open passageway to the west, rifle at the ready.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:40 am
by Philulhu
The corridor actually goes south first, my bad I’ll update the map once I get time to get on my computer. In the meantime…
Looking around the corner, Randy could see a corridor stretching off to the west, with pale panelled walls and a rubberised brown mesh on the floor. It had the same sterile emergency lighting as the rest of the complex they had seen so far.
After about 25 feet, there was a flight of stairs leading upwards. Additional corridors branched off this one to the left and right.
Here’s your map.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 3:57 pm
by Philulhu
Maps:
Ground floor
First floor (radio room)
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 8:47 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 413 times
"That probably goes up into one of the other buldings," says Benjamin. "That's convenient. We won't have to go outside. But we should check what's behind that door and check in with the others before we start poking around in other buildings."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:16 am
by Snapper
"Sounds good to me. I don't want to get too split up from the rest, guaranteed they'll get themselves into more trouble without us."
Randy doubled back and speedily opened the door on the east side.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:33 am
by Philulhu
The sign on the door read ‘Cellar Store’ and the door ‘sssshhhhed’ as Randy pushed it open. There was a notable change in temperature as the door opened, it being several degrees cooler on the other side.
The room beyond was around half the size of the previous room, with a handful of cardboard boxes along one wall and eight food-grade barrels opposite the entrance. Adjacent to the barrels, a series of concrete steps lead upwards, and there was another opening in the wall on the right.
OOC: What’s everyone else doing?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:41 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 367 times
"At least we won't starve," says Benjamin. "Let's check the opening."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 8:50 am
by Philulhu
The short passage lead to a steel ladder, similar to the one that they had climbed down, except this was wall-mounted and not freestanding in the middle of the room. A sign next to the ladder had an upwards-pointing arrow and the word ‘Office’.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:05 am
by kabukiman
Boyd informs the others that are with him what he found.
"Amanda and Harold, look what I found a couple of handheld CB radios that seem to be working!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:10 pm
by Lost_King
“Awesome, good work!”
Harold leaves the main radio to inspect the handhelds. Satisfied that they are in working order, he looks around the room for the parts he needs, since the others couldn’t find them.
Spot Hidden: 30%
1d100
fail
Are there any other computers in the room?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 5:42 pm
by Philulhu
There are no computers in the room.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:53 pm
by Snapper
Circa 1986 - I'm picturing a collection of Commodore 64 stand alones. At least one of which would be running Pong!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 12:02 am
by Philulhu
Perhaps in one of the recreation rooms?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 5:17 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 314 times
"Okay, we've explored this level," says Benjamin. "Let's rejoin the others and fill them in before we range any further."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:53 am
by Snapper
"Yeah, I'm happy with that. Before they do something stupid. Or we get killed."
In passing, Randy had a glancing look at one of the cardboard boxes as they headed back.
If the box looks like it contains readily edible food, and isn't too heavy, Randy will carry it back upstairs for the half-starved team.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:59 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin is just hobbling around the ground floor. Are there any signs for a canteen?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:35 am
by Philulhu
The two men returned up the ladder to the Tool Room, where the others were waiting. The box that Randy grabbed on the way up contained packets of dried fruits and grain, which were particularly welcome as Gavin was yet to find a canteen.
The clock was ticking around to 4.30pm and, outside, the light was starting to fade. In under an hour, it would be dark.
OOC: What are your plans? Where would you like to go next?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:05 pm
by Joajackson
kabukiman wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:05 am
Boyd informs the others that are with him what he found.
"Amanda and Harold, look what I found a couple of handheld CB radios that seem to be working!"
"Good, at least something. We should each get one, and maintain communication."
Amanda didnt knew too much on how to find the stuff to repair the radio.
"It seems this room doesnt have what we need, any idea if this place would have an electrónica storage?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:42 pm
by kabukiman
Boy gives one of the radios to each of his companions. "I suppose they don't have a warehouse here with spare parts. But it's getting late, I doubt we will have much time to look further; maybe we should trý to decide in what place we will stay the night and barricade ourselves?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:59 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 631 times
"While finding a secure place to spend the night is important," says Benjamin, "I think we need to find those spare parts and get the radio working so we can get a message out as soon as possible. The sooner we call for help, the sooner rescue comes. This place didn't exactly protect the crew that were here before, though they probably didn't know trouble was coming, nor were they as well-armed as we are."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:57 am
by Snapper
Randy munched on dried fruit. "I don't know anything about electronics but I don't suppose there's no way to use parts from the little CB radios for the big, broken one, is there?"
"Back to Scouting basics though. Survival needs shelter, water, food. We got a basement level that is warm and has limited ways in and out. Easier to guard. Ben and I didn't go too far in any direction, we didn't want to get too separated from the rest of you."
"My suggestion would be we head down all together. We keep exploring and looking for bits for the radio. Maybe we start by going east, it can't go much further that way. When we get tired, we hole up somewhere till morning."
Randy looked at Amanda. "And of specific interest for you, boss, the basement room to the east, where this food came from, had signs to head upstairs to 'the office'. Sounds like officer country to me. And stairs leading to the 'supply building', maybe somewhere that has radio parts?"
OOC: How many CB radios were found by Boyd? 2?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:33 am
by Philulhu
OOC: There are two radios, each of which has around 3 hours of battery life left. Harold will know that they have a range of 2-3 miles.
He’ll also know that the CB radios can’t be cannibalised to fix the larger radio as the components wouldn’t be able to handle the power required to transmit over longer distances.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:10 am
by Lost_King
“We’re just looking for a circuit board and a power supply, neither of which would be possible to harvest from a handheld device of any kind. We need spare parts or an actual computer if we’re going to find what we need to repair the radio.”
“These handheld radios look like they could be useful though, their range probably extends a good three miles, though it’s maybe closer to two in this sort of environment. Extreme weather can mess with the signal sometimes… Regardless, they’ll probably serve us just fine while we explore the rest of the compound, assuming the battery lasts.”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:29 am
by BoyBlunder78
"There must be a staff quarters area,
we should get something to take back to the families." mentions Gavin.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 2:52 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 545 times
"Let's get the parts for the radio first," says Benjamin, "and then see to our defenses. To get a circuit board, we're going to need to find a computer. The office might have one. The supply building could have a power supply."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 8:04 am
by BoyBlunder78
"You would've thought that theor would be spare parts in a maintenance closet.Have you came across anything like that on your travels?" Gavin asks.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 3:29 pm
by Joajackson
"We shouldnt be in that basement too long. Wathever did all of this, seems it would prefer us trapped in a small space, we should always be prepared to leave from there immediately, and multiple exists will be better."
"The office might have information on what happened here too, at least something to write for the report back home. We go there."
Amanda already had a clear path, and expected the others to guide her to those marked stairs.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 4:27 pm
by Philulhu
OOC: So who’s leading the way into the office?
Is everyone going, or are some people exploring elsewhere?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:44 pm
by BoyBlunder78
"Judging by what we've seen of these creatures i dont think they give two fucks where we are. If its a-coming itsa a-coming! But they might prefer small...warm...laces to hunker down in..."Gavin replies.
Is there anywhere on this floor that hasnt been explored.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2024 8:52 pm
by Philulhu
OOC: You’ve seen everything in this building.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 2:48 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 505 times
Benjamin leads the way to the office. "Maybe they're nocturnal," he says. "We'll have to watch out when it gets dark."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 7:10 am
by Snapper
Randy took up position the tail end of the team, ready to defend against attacks from the rear as they made their way to the office.
"The cellar store room, where this dried fruit came from, has three exits. So defensible but with lots of options to retreat. And it's warm."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 9:43 am
by Philulhu
The ladder lead up to a small room, roughly 6’ by 12’, which soon started to feel crowded the more people squeezed into it. There were three doors; one clearly lead outside, although the steel shutter over the window meant there was no view of what was out there, the second door had a ‘Restroom’ sign and the third door lead to the ‘Main Office’.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 2:12 am
by Snapper
Randy - Tail End Charlie - poked his head up from the ladder, holding off climbing up further until the team had started emptying out of the cramped little room, in one direction or another. "Main office sounds promising."
"I wonder if the toilet is still working?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:31 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 457 times
Benjamin leads the way to the main office door, listening carefully.
Listen roll (35% skill) at the office door: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 9:52 am
by Philulhu
There was no sound at all from the main door, once the noise of Randy’s exploratory flush had died away…
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 10:33 am
by Snapper
The team heard a muffled: "Hallelujah!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:18 am
by BoyBlunder78
OOC: Is there another way up? As there is no way Gavin can climb a ladder, and the sound of a flushing toilet has awakened an urge.....
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:08 pm
by Philulhu
Good point!
Gavin won’t be able to put weight on his ankle so climbing the ladder is a no-no without an extreme STR check (as he’d be basically pulling himself up the ladder with his arms).
The other options are to use the stairs to the Supply Building (the stair head in the same direction as the ladder):
Alternatively, go out of this building and find a way in above ground.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:34 pm
by BoyBlunder78
[Gavin hobbles his way to the stairs, the use of ladders a definite no no in his present condition. Climbing the stairs with a sense of urgency......praying there is more than one toilet....
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 7:02 pm
by Philulhu
Ascending the stairs, Gavin found himself in a large room lined with shelves. On the wall opposite the staircase, was a large roller door presumably leading outside. A second smaller door was at the far end of the same wall.
Larger boxes and crates were stacked near the garage door, with a pallet jack truck sat near them. In the middle of the room, one wooden crate looked as if it had been hastily pried opened and its contents removed.
On the same wall where Gavin entered, there were stairs up to ‘Data Storage, according to the sign. At the top of the stairs where he entered, the sign pointing downwards stated ’Cellar, Engineering, Water Recovery, and Machine Shop’.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 7:22 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin calls out, " HEY!! I've found the machine shop!!" and wanders over to the open crate.
Lets see what goodies lie in here then.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 7:58 pm
by Philulhu
Although the crate bore the label ‘Electronic Parts’ it was mostly empty.
OOC: Can I have Electronics and Spot Hidden rolls, please?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:42 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 406 times
"Cover me," says Benjamin. Once someone does, he tries the office door.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:57 pm
by Philulhu
The door isn’t locked.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 12:03 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 402 times
Benjamin holds his rifle at the ready, pushing open the door with his foot after he positions himself against the wall next to the door.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 12:30 am
by Philulhu
Once a tastefully appointed office, the room now looked as if it had been hit by a tornado. Two heavy wooden desks had been overturned as if thrown violently aside. The drawers and their contents were strewn across the floor, along with those from the steel filing cabinets which had been smashed and dented.
A leather sofa sat broken and ripped against the wall, with the wooden panel behind it cracked and splintered. On the sofa was what appeared to be a pile of bloody rags, but after a moment, Benjamin realised that it was a horribly broken body! The man had his arm twisted crazily behind his head and his right knee was bent the wrong way.
The formerly blue carpet was now a dark, splotchy purple where it’s been saturated with blood, and a small automatic with the slider locked back, sat on the floor near the corpse. Whoever it was, he’d fought for his life…
OOC: SAN check please (1/1d4).
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 1:10 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 396 times
"Dead man in the office!" calls Benjamin, with a slight shudder. "He was butchered like the others. He had an automatic pistol if anyone wants it, not that it did him any good. The office has been trashed."
Sanity roll (current level 49) for seeing what's in the office: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 1:55 am
by Snapper
"Any of these dead people have name tags or anything? We were given a list of the staff based here. It might give us an idea who's left. Or who should be left."
Randy showed no immediate desire to go into the office with the gruesome mess. Instead, he focused on opening the window shutter for the (presumed) outside door.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:58 am
by Philulhu
With the help of a pulley wheel set into the door, Randy was able to retract the shutters and see outside. The wind was still blowing and snow was being blown around the compound, but there was no other movement.
I’ll take a Spot Hidden roll if you’re looking for something else.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 11:12 am
by kabukiman
Boyd won't enter the room, to avoid watching a new body. "Is there anything written so we may have a clue of what happened?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 11:15 am
by BoyBlunder78
OOC: I don't have electronics. Is the base 10%?
Ooh......sooo close, worth 2 luck?...plus an extreme....
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 10:17 pm
by Philulhu
Gavin noticed that packing materials from the crate had been dropped on the stairs up to the Data Store, suggesting whoever had taken the contents of the crate had gone that way.
OOC: Electronics base skill is 1%, so you’d need to spend 11 points of luck to make that a success.
Benjamin couldn’t see any obvious name tags. Perhaps if he got closer…?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 10:57 pm
by BoyBlunder78
OOC: I'll think I'll keep the luck.....
"Hey! Might have a live one here. Looks like however has emptied this crate has skiddadled towards the Data Store. You can see that Hansel (or Greta) has left a trail.Gavin says to whoever is nearby.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 11:45 pm
by Philulhu
Gavin is pretty much on his own. Everyone else went up the ladder, even Randy (who said he wasn’t going up but then changed his mind when he heard they had toilet facilities up there…
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 1:56 am
by BoyBlunder78
"No answer eh? Leave the cripple behind as they race up ladders..... save the herd by leaving the old and infirm, survival of the fittest."Gavin mutters to himself as he hobbles along following the trail to the Data Store.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 2:54 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 326 times
Benjamin ventures into the room to search it in more detail and check to see if the dead man has any identification, or anything else of interest. He also looks to see if there are any computers or records in the office.
Spot Hidden roll (30% skill) searching the office: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 6:08 am
by Joajackson
Amanda stayed outside the office without looking inside, but she did order Benjamin.
"Any document that might be of relevance, bring it outside, remember, company property."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 6:23 pm
by Philulhu
The door to the Data Store was at the top of the stairs and Gavin was greeted with a low electronic hum as he pushed it open. Warm air rolled out, presumably generated by the servers inside.
The room was in darkness, except for the lights blinking on the servers, which stood in metal racks along both walls. At the far end of the room, a vague outline of a door could be seen.
Benjamin didn’t really know where to start with the room. Everything was turned upside down and nothing grabbed his attention - it was all such a mess!
Perhaps if some of the other members of the party gave him a hand, he might make better progress… …
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 10:38 pm
by Snapper
"I better go check on my patient. He's all by himself."Randy headed back down the ladder to find Gavin.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 11:53 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin pulls the hand gun out and calmly calls into the room. " Hello! ,anyone here?" leaning against the doorway he uses his other hand to search for a possible light switch.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 4:56 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 497 times
"Yes, ma'am," says Benjamin. "It will take a while to go through all this mess. It'll go faster if I have some help."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:29 am
by Philulhu
As Gavin caught the light switch and flicked it on, Randy approached up the stairs.
A bank of lights in the middle of the ceiling illuminated the room, showing the racks of computer servers on both sides of a narrow space that lead to another door at the far end.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:30 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gun in hand Gavin slowly limped down the narrow walkway towards the door. Inspecting the door and listening before giving it a knock.
OOC: phew....that was close...
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 1:05 am
by Snapper
"Hold up, Gavin, we need to wait for the others to catch up before we start going through doors. There's someone incredibly violent and dangerous around here somewhere. Just wait till at least Ben is here, then you've got two of us with some security training."
"Meantime, you've found the computer jackpot. I'm going to let the team know so Harold can start looking for parts to borrow for the radio."
Randy quickly headed back to the bottom of the ladder and yelled up to the team. "Hey! Gavin found a server room with lots of computers in it! Harold, this might be your best chance for spares for the radio, maybe?!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:10 am
by Joajackson
Mr. Handy wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 4:56 am
Benjamin.png
"Yes, ma'am," says Benjamin. "It will take a while to go through all this mess. It'll go faster if I have some help."
"I give it a 33% chance that wathever is inside there finally snaps me. I let you decide if I get inside, and remember, I am very armed and trigger happy."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:18 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png
"I've seen worse," says Benjamin. "I think you can take it, ma'am, but it doesn't have to be you who comes in here."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 7:30 am
by Lost_King
Harold jumps at an opportunity to search the server room, glad to finally have something to do that he understood.
“This is perfect. Assuming these are still working, everything I need should be here.”
Electrical Engineering 66%
1d100
Success!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 12:00 pm
by kabukiman
Boyd dont' enter the room for now "Guys could you please cover the body?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:20 pm
by Philulhu
Harold reckoned he can cannibalise the parts he needed from the one of the servers, though he would need a soldering iron and a screwdriver to break it down.
Gavin peered carefully through a small window in the door at the far end of the room. Beyond was a short corridor, probably no more than six feet or so, with the same light-panelled construction as elsewhere and a similar-looking door at the far end. It too had a window but the light refraction meant he couldn’t see what lay on the other side.
There wasn’t anything obvious that Benjamin could use to cover the corpse from the sensitive eyes of his team members.
”What about tipping the settee over?” suggested Bill.
Give me a Strength roll if you want to tip over the sofa. There’s a bonus die if you can persuade anyone to help you.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 2:55 am
by Snapper
"I won't be any help with this ham radio club stuff. I'll head down to the supply room and start searching it for useful kit."
As promised, Randy headed down the stairs to the supply room the level below and started searching it.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 3:38 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 414 times
Benjamin tries, but the settee doesn't quite budge. He's very strong, but it would take Samson to move this thing alone. "Good idea," he says. "Can I get a little help, please?"
STR roll (90% stat) to tip over the settee: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 6:29 am
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin nods at Randy as he watches him go down the stairs. He then grabs the handle and slowly pushes the door open.
OOC: Did you say if the light was on in this room? Or is it jist like the Data room was i turned the light on?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 11:54 am
by Philulhu
The short corridor was well lit so Gavin could see the ‘Manager’ sign on the door facing him.
The window in the door had a privacy screen pulled across so he couldn’t see into the room beyond.
Can I have a spot hidden roll, please?
Whoever had built the settee, had clearly intended it to be around for many years to come because it was one solidly-built settee! Benjamin had succeeded in sliding it across the carpet a bit, but tipping it over was beyond him without any help.
He does however find a magazine for the automatic he saw earlier. It looked as if the victim was trying to reload before he got killed.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 12:37 pm
by Snapper
1d%pHdd50%
Hard Success.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 12:46 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gun in hand Gavin makes his way to the managers door and gives it a knock.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2024 4:34 pm
by Philulhu
There was no answer to Gavin’s knock.
One of the packing cases had an ’Electronic Parts’ label on the side. It had been opened and was mostly empty.
On the stairs up to the data room, Randy noticed some discarded packaging, suggesting someone may have dropped it, taking the contents away.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 4:23 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 488 times
"There's an automatic pistol and a full magazine in here for someone," says Benjamin. "Looks like the poor guy was trying to reload when he bought it. It doesn't bode well that a full magazine wasn't enough to bring down whatever killed him, but we do have M16s. Those should serve us better."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 6:33 am
by Joajackson
Amanda finally got inside the office with Benjamín, after doubting considerably about it.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 6:56 am
by Lost_King
“Alright, guys! I think I can get this to work if I can get my hands on some proper tools… guys? Hello…?”
Harold looks up to see that Randy and Gavin are no longer standing next to him. Almost immediately noticing Gavin poking around the manager’s door, Harold sets off down the stairs to find Randy.
“Randy? I’m going to need some help looking for tools. I need to find a soldering iron and a screwdriver. Any ideas?”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 8:20 am
by Philulhu
Entering the office, Amanda couldn’t help but see the mangled body on the sofa…
SAN (69) 1d100
No SAN loss, so you’re free to act.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 9:11 am
by Snapper
Randy pounded the stairs back up to Harold.
"Someone before us opened a box of electronics parts then brought them up here, or maybe continued on to wherever Gavin has gone. But if they had gone to the trouble of doing that, maybe they were doing some electronics repairs, maybe they had a soldering iron?"
"I have a pocket knife, by the way. It does have a screwdriver attachment."
"Hey, Gavin! You OK? Can you please stop wandering off by yourself? And look out for a soldering iron!"
Randy started hunting around in the server room for any signs of someone tinkering with electronics. Or a soldering iron.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:45 am
by Philulhu
Can I have a spot hidden roll, please?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 11:00 am
by Snapper
1d%pHdd50%
Fail.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 4:35 pm
by Philulhu
Randy doesn’t find anything of note.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2024 9:52 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Gavin grabs the door handle and pushes it slowly open as he thinks he hears Randy's voice.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 3:33 am
by Joajackson
Mr. Handy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2024 4:23 am
Benjamin.png
"There's an automatic pistol and a full magazine in here for someone," says Benjamin. "Looks like the poor guy was trying to reload when he bought it. It doesn't bode well that a full magazine wasn't enough to bring down whatever killed him, but we do have M16s. Those should serve us better."
"I wouldnt trust that... Wathever did this to here broke down metal gates, I got the feeling we wont fare that well."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 9:12 am
by Lost_King
With the new information from Randy, Harold also begins searching for any signs of someone tinkering with the electronics, hoping to find the soldering iron that they might have been using.
OOC: I’m assuming that would be a spot hidden…
Spot Hidden 30%
1d100
fail
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2024 12:38 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 387 times
"I understand that, ma'am," says Benjamin quietly. "I just didn't want to hurt morale."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2024 3:29 pm
by Joajackson
Mr. Handy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 08, 2024 12:38 am
Benjamin.png
"I understand that, ma'am," says Benjamin quietly. "I just didn't want to hurt morale."
"Hmmm. Understood, lets continue."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2024 10:33 pm
by Philulhu
Pushing open the door, Gavin sees a neatly appointed office, sparse but nicely decorated. A tasteful photograph of a warm, sandy beach hung above a large oak desk, and a small table on the back wall had a collection of decorative sea shells on display.
The desk was clean and organized, with a pencil holder, empty document trays, computer monitor and keyboard, their wires passing through a hole in the desktop. There was also a photograph of a pretty, middle-aged woman holding a young girl in her lap.
In the high-back leather office chair behind the desk was the body of a well-dressed man in a casual dress shirt. His head was flipped back with his mouth wide open, a dark red spatter haloing his head on the wall behind him…
OOC: SAN roll, please (0/1d3)
Despite searching the server room for ten minutes or more, Harold and Randy failed to find anything of use.
While Bill and Boyd waited in the lobby, Amanda and Benjamin inspected the room.
OOC: If you’re looking around can I have spot hidden rolls, please? What’s Boyd doing?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 3:25 am
by Mr. Handy
I already made a roll, and failed. Do I get to roll again now?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 8:22 am
by Philulhu
With Amanda’s help to search the room (Bill will also venture inside) you can try again.
Spot hidden (40) 1d100
Edit: unsuccessful.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:01 pm
by Snapper
"We better see how Gavin is getting on."
Randy started up the corridor that presumably Gavin had headed to. "Gavin! Are you OK? Stop wandering off by yourself, we need to stick together to protect each other."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 4:08 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 348 times
Benjamin conducts a thorough search.
Spot Hidden roll (30% skill) searching the office again: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:52 am
by kabukiman
"If it is a bear or something like that, a couple of shots from a pistol would only enrage it."
Boyd will try to find something.
Spott Hidden: 30%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 6:45 pm
by Philulhu
Can I have a SAN roll, please?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 7:18 pm
by BoyBlunder78
002057002500201d100Gavin surveys the scene infront of him.
OOC: San 56
He takes a step back and shakes his head as he hears Randy's voice. " In here!! Found someone...another body....looks like they punched their own ticket outta here!"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:04 pm
by kabukiman
Sanity: 32%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:00 am
by Snapper
OOC: Who actually has the two radios at the moment? Be great if Harold had one and downstairs had the other.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:03 am
by Snapper
Randy looked back at Harold. "Maybe that room has some useful stuff in it?"
Randy headed into the room Gavin was in. "Ugh..."
1d%69
SAN check passed.
Randy started searching the room.
1d%pHdd50%
Fail.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 6:10 am
by BoyBlunder78
Finally taking his eyes from the body, Gavin looks around the room. Too distracted by the scene he sees nothing.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 12:02 am
by Philulhu
Exploring the office, Benjamin pulled open the drawers of a desk to find an unusual, carved stone, smooth to the touch and neatly engraved.
In another drawer, he spotted a map of the area on with some handwritten notes, wrapped around another a couple of bits of paper, one of which looked like a memo.
Looking around, they could see a blood spattered note on the desk in front of the dead man, obviously the last thing he wrote.
It read:
“The darkness is growing. I can feel it and there are none who can stop it. I now know that if there is a God, he is at best cruel, and at worst apathetic. Please tell by beloved Helen that I did this to save us all, and tell my daughter Melissa that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
On the desk, the light on the computer monitor glowed a steady red.
OOC: Happy for each party to have one of the radios so you can communicate.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 3:26 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 537 times
"True," says Benjamin. "My M16 was very effective against the bear." He shows the others his finds. "Looks like they were doing some archaeology on the side."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:00 am
by BoyBlunder78
"Well thats not ominous at all!. Why crack open a crate, make his way all the way here and blow his brains out? What did he take from the crate?"Gavin asks as he moves round to uave a look at the computer.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:20 am
by Snapper
"You any good with computers, Harold? I know I'm not. I like playing PacMan while I'm waiting for my burger, that's about it for me. There might be letters or reports or stuff still on this thing though, right? Ready to be printed out and mailed off."
"Meantime, I better let the other guys know what we got."
Randy borrowed the two-way for a quick sitrep to the downstairs team:
"There's a guy here in what looks like the boss's office. He's blown his brains out. Left a note. Amanda might know who he is. Or was. Dead guy's computer is still on too."
After handing the radio back to Harold, Randy did his best to not gag while having a slightly closer look at the body. He tried to guess how long the man had been dead.
1d%d40%
Fail.
Randy looked around for the gun used by the deceased to shoot himself, and for any obvious signs, letters or documents indicating his name.
1d%pHdd50%
Success.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 6:15 pm
by kabukiman
"Didn't the new guy said he had been hidding in some cave? You think it could be the same?"- says Boyd suspicious
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2024 4:24 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 467 times
"Possibly," says Benjamin. "We should ask him where the cave is. Where is he?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:30 pm
by Lost_King
“yeah, I’ve had a bit of experience with computers. I’ll see what I can do.”
Harold takes control of the computer, doing a general check for any files or documents of importance.
Computer Use: 65%
1d100
Success!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 11:49 pm
by Philulhu
“Err…I’m right here,” replied Bill, sarcastically. “Standing right beside you.” He looked over Benjamin’s shoulder at the map. “And as I said I hid in a snow cave, which is, you know, a cave in the snow. In the woods, where you first saw me.”
“By the look of the map, that cave is some way up the valley. No idea where that place is,” he continued.
The dead guy (who Randy thought may have been dead a week or so) only practiced the most rudimentary security so it took Harold a matter of moments to run through the more commonly used passwords before the screen lit up and he was in. As he searched through the files on the computer, Randy checked out the desk drawers, finding a box of 20 rounds for the .38 that had ventilated the guy’s skull.
Saved to the ‘C’ drive, Harold found a series of reports detailing output models, specifications for the pumping station, etc. Of more interest was the exchange of messages between the corpse - presumably Station Manager Dan Walters - and Roger M. O’Connor at Exxon HQ:
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2024 4:55 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 371 times
"Not the same cave, then," says Benjamin. "I wonder if their digging stirred up whatever did this."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2024 8:32 am
by kabukiman
"But did you ever heard anything about a cave and some archaeological finding ?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2024 8:39 am
by Snapper
OOC: Was the. 38 a revolver or automatic?
Randy borrowed the two-way radio again. "Boss, team, you all need to come up here and read this. There's some very important information that Harold found on the computer about a cave and stuff. Weird ancient archeology stuff they discovered in the cave. Get here ASAP."
Returning the radio, he diligent replaced the (presumed) spent bullet in the .38. "Harold, you got a gun?" He offered it butt first to Harold.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2024 6:59 pm
by Philulhu
“Nope, we were here protesting against the pipeline. I don’t know about any cave,” said Bill with a shake of his head.
OOC: Are you heading upstairs?
OOC: It’s a .38 revolver, with standard stats (damage 1d10, range 15 yards, shots per round 1(3), bullets 6).
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 5:10 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 281 times
"Let's go join them," says Benjamin. "We'll bring all the stuff I found. It seems to be related."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 8:57 am
by kabukiman
"Sure, I don't like the idea of being separated."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:22 pm
by Joajackson
"Yes, lets go. I think I am starting to presume wathever this bullshit is, it has to do with some ancient aliens crap. Have any of you read Chariot of the Gods?"
Amanda tried to lead them all to met back with Harold and Randy.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 4:57 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 529 times
"No, but I've read the Tanakh," says Benjamin as he goes upstairs with the others. "You know it better as the Old Testament. The beginning of the book of Ezekiel describes such a vehicle, and a chariot of fire took Elijah up in the second book of Kings. It isn't aliens that fly these chariots, but angels. Angels are not cute little babies with wings that fly around and carry harps. They are big, beautiful, strange, and terrifying, and they carry swords, sometimes flaming ones. Most of them are good and serve the Lord, but some of them have gone bad. Even the good ones can be frightening, as they execute their wrath upon evildoers. I wonder if it may have been an angel that is responsible for this."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 5:05 am
by Joajackson
"I though I was going insane while proposing aliens... Now I suddenly feel quite confident in my sanity. What the hell, Benjamín? Do you think this was done by flaming swords? Why would the heavenly host descend to this random place, kill a bunch of protesters, destroy the gates when they fly, shut down our plane, throw giant snow balls to our tents, and hang our god damn fucking pilot, god bless his soul, to the top of a tree by the intestines!!?"
Amanda didnt want to scream, but she found herself increasing in intensity to the end. She spoke a second later, seemingly becoming aware of how she had acted improperly.
"I am sorry... I, this place is killing me."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 5:11 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 521 times
"Not a flaming sword," says Benjamin, "but angels have plenty of other capabilities, and they do fly. I don't think there was anything random about this location. Something was disturbed by that archaeological dig. I don't really know what did this, but it could have been just a single angel. One angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers that were laying siege to Jerusalem."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 6:03 am
by Joajackson
"The gates of the exterior wall were broken Benjamín. Wathever attacked this place, it did it by walking trough them. Flying angels seem implausible."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 6:15 am
by BoyBlunder78
" That correspondence memtions they put the skull in a crate. Wonder if thsts what our riend here took? As for the leak.....wonder if our new friend Bill knows anything about that?"Gavin asks.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 1:40 am
by Snapper
In answer to Gavin, Randy shook his head.
"Regarding the animal skull, I don't think so. The animal skull was apparently put in a crate in the garage, wherever that is. The box I found was in the supply room, was labelled electronics, and clearly did contain electronics."
"Leaving aside the lack of a skull in here."
"Earth First could have been the leak, but how would they have found out in the first place? They're environmental activists, not corporate spies."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 2:26 am
by Lost_King
Harold eyed the .38 in Randy’s hand with apprehension.
“I found one in the plane wreck, but I ended up giving it to Gavin. I usually wouldn’t be caught dead carrying something like that. However, given the circumstances…
Maybe it’s best if I have one, just in case. Not sure how much good it will get me if we meet any more creatures, though.”
Harold takes the gun, not without visible hesitation.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 5:21 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 432 times
"I found an automatic pistol and a full magazine in the office, if anyone wants them," says Benjamin. "It didn't do its previous owner any good, though."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 4:00 pm
by Snapper
Randy nodded agreement with Harold.
"Normally, I would absolutely approve of you treating firearms with caution if you haven't been trained to use them. In the current situation, I just want to do everything I can to keep you all alive, even if it means arming everyone."
"On that topic, by way of quick training in how that revolver works, point the barrel where you want the bullet to go. Then pull the trigger. Repeat as required."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 7:21 pm
by Philulhu
“Once again, I’m right here,” said Bill, looking aggrieved at being spoken about and not to.
He looked at the email and whistled under his breath. “So what you going to do about that?” he asked.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 8:00 pm
by Joajackson
"Well, I think your group is responsible for this shit, so probably use you as a human shield to wathever the fuck tries to get us too."Amanda did try to seem intimidating while saying that, but she sounded mostly tired.
"Apart from that... Well, we repair that radio, call for help and leave... Or we go to that ruin and meet ancient aliens or fucking Ezekiel."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:07 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Looking around the room Gavin asks, " Has anyone seen what he brought from that crate? Whybring...whatever...here then blow his brains out?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 4:26 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 342 times
"Fixing the radio should definitely be our top priority," says Benjamin. "We don't want to go out to the dig site at night, but if we're still here in the morning, we can check it out. In the meantime, we have the stuff they brought back from it. Maybe that will give us some clues. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it was the digging that stirred up whatever did all this."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 8:12 am
by Philulhu
“Really?! How the fuck are responsible for this?!” snapped Bill. “If anyone’s responsible for this shit, it’s Exxon - the people who pay your wages! We were here to protect the environment but you wouldn’t listen, and now you’re gonna reap the whirlwind, aren’t you?!”
There’s no sign of any electronic parts.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 4:05 pm
by Snapper
"Everyone just stop and take a minute here. Arguing among ourselves gains nothing. Someone or something has killed a lot of people. We all need to work together to protect the group and get a call for help out."
"I don't think anyone imagines environmental activists caused all this carnage and quite a lot of the people who have been shredded were the environmental activists in question."
"The stuff on the computer talks about Telegraph Creek, where we were meant to land if we hadn't crashed. And is 20 miles away. There must be vehicles at this station, right? Maybe we just drive there, call for the local police, the Mounties, the Army, everyone."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 9:56 pm
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin.png (54.08 KiB) Viewed 281 times
"Not in the dark," says Benjamin, "but that's something to consider in the morning. In the meantime, I think we should try to get the radio working."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 4:02 am
by Snapper
"Umm, Harold, can you print those emails out before you rip the computer apart?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:34 pm
by Philulhu
There isn’t a printer so you’re not able to print off the emails.
You saw a building that looked like a garage when you first entered the compound. It’s the large building to the bottom right of the map:
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 6:53 am
by Lost_King
No need to rip this particular computer apart, there are plenty of functional pieces in the server room. However, I still need a soldering iron, or I’ll never be able to do anything with the radio.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 3:51 pm
by kabukiman
"So, we go to the garage? I'm curious to see if any of them is functuonal. Because an animal wouldn't start destroying them randomly, right?"- says Boyd
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 4:21 pm
by Joajackson
[color=#Red]"Wathever happened here... This wasnt done by a beast."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:40 am
by Mr. Handy
"Whoever or whatever did this wrecked the communications equipment," says Benjamin. "That wasn't random, it was tactical. Whatever we're dealing with is smart enough to know what it's for. Let's check out the garage and see if we can find a soldering iron."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 11:11 pm
by Philulhu
It was approaching 5.15pm as the group ventured out into the compound once more. The temperature had dropped and the wind was biting. It was getting dark too, making it increasingly difficult to see anything against the trees that surrounded the compound, in some places closer than others.
The garage building was around 25 metres long with three large roll-up doors that faced the main compound. On the roof appeared to be a helipad, which overhung the front and back of the structure. The garage door on the far right had a standard-sized door built into it so that the larger ones didn’t have to be opened in order to access the garage.
Near the north side of the building were four tall tanks. At a distance it wasn’t possible to see what they contained.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 4:28 am
by Mr. Handy
"Let's try the smaller door," says Benjamin, stealthily approaching it with his M16 ready.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 4:47 am
by Philulhu
The door was unlocked, and a smell of oil and gasoline greeted Benjamin as he looked inside. The room was harshly lit with strip lights and he could see two snowcats, the nearest of which had the bonnet open and was undergoing repairs.
Opposite the door, near the back wall was a roughly three-foot-square wooden, crate with the word FRAGILE stencilled on the side in red.
On the right-hand side of the garage was a maintenance area with tools, an acetylene torch, and a steel shelf with boxes of spare parts. A flight of stairs on the left-hand side of the garage headed upwards, presumably to the helipad on the roof.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 5:04 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin makes sure the garage is clear before signalling to the others that it's safe to enter. "Let's see if we can find what we need," he says.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 5:07 am
by Philulhu
OOC: Let me know what you’re searching for and give me a spot hidden roll.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 7:14 am
by Snapper
"Aww, I want to see this skull that caused such interest, and maybe trouble."
Swivelling his head from side to side and taking everything in, Randy made a cautious bee-line for the crate and started opening it.
1d%pHdd50%
Extreme Success!!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 4:19 pm
by kabukiman
"I hope there isn't a human skull, I had my share of bodies today."
Boyd is looking (away from the crate) for a soldering iron.
Spot hidden roll: 30%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 4:23 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda maintaned guard, for if something came from the outside, or from the sky. She didnt believe the posibility of an ángel, but better to be sure.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 10:39 pm
by Philulhu
Boyd scoured the bench but all he found were mechanical tools. He did notice, however, that on the wall above the bench, a very faded sign on a metal cabinet read ‘Master’. Opening the cabinet, there were two pipes with shut-off valves, that would seem to correspond to the fuel pipes on the other side of the wall. Both valves were currently closed.
Prising the lid off the crate, Randy could see the skull nestled in a couple of blankets.It was massive and vaguely human, in a distinctly unsettling way. Also unsettling, though for an entirely different reason, was the ‘Pre-approved’ stamp on the US Customs label affixed to the crate, which meant that it would just pass through US Customs to goodness only knows which US Department, without any safety checks…
Natural World or Anthropology rolls from anyone taking a closer look at the skull, please.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2024 4:35 am
by Mr. Handy
"We could do some A-Team style work with all these tools," says Benamin. "Some fuel would be useful too, both for the snowcat and for making Molotov cocktails." He takes a look at the skull. "Not an angel, but it's big enough that it could belong to one of the Nephilim."
Spot Hidden roll (30% skill) looking for fuel: d%
Natural World roll (15% skill) about the skull: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2024 7:58 am
by Snapper
1d%LLd10%
Fail.
"Hey, Gavin, come and look at this, you'd be the team expert on animal skulls and stuff."
"And Amanda, how'd you reckon they got that stamp on there? Who were your bosses planning on sending this to, I wonder? Sounds like someone did a deal."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2024 12:28 pm
by kabukiman
"So, we can mount this valves, right?"
He then looked with curiosity to the skull: "Why is somebody high up so interested in this skull?"
Boyd natural world:10%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2024 1:06 pm
by Joajackson
"Whoever put that seal there must have been here. Meaning it wasnt from the bosses, except if you expect to find the body of an Exxon executive arround. I assume the base administrator had a seal, probably for some bullshit reason."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2024 3:19 am
by Snapper
Randy paused to look at Amanda, trying to decide if she was serious or covering for her bosses.
"Are you seriously saying Walters and the others here would have been sending this crate with that weird skull in it off to the US without the say - so of O'connor back in Vancouver?"
"And they just happen to have what looks like a highly illegal US Customs stamp thing that means they can bypass Customs? This crate could be filled with explosives or Cocaine and it would travel straight into the US unopened."
"No way is Exxon meant to have a Customs stamp like that."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2024 5:58 am
by Mr. Handy
"Well, someone was up to no good here," says Benjamin, "but they didn't deserve what happened to them."
Randy paused to look at Amanda, trying to decide if she was serious or covering for her bosses.
"Are you seriously saying Walters and the others here would have been sending this crate with that weird skull in it off to the US without the say - so of O'connor back in Vancouver?"
"And they just happen to have what looks like a highly illegal US Customs stamp thing that means they can bypass Customs? This crate could be filled with explosives or Cocaine and it would travel straight into the US unopened."
"No way is Exxon meant to have a Customs stamp like that."
"The people here got killed by monsters, Randy, I have no doubts in their lack of responsability."
"Wait, are you implying this wasnt done by Exxon? I am starting to think you want me to go mad. One of my men starts believing in god damn angels killers and the other thinks a US Customs stamp means the CIA is responsible for amateur cave archeology? This isnt a fucking movie! I am not secretely a federal or some bullshit and wathever the fuck this is, it isnt a goverment conspiracy!"
She really shouldnt have started screaming at her subordinates, but she seemed quite bad at dealing with stress.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2024 3:45 am
by Snapper
Randy looked at Amanda. Then he looked away and thought of the dead man back in the office, presumably Walters, who he'd pushed around to face the corner. And whose shattered head he'd hidden with a handy computer dust cover. He turned back to Amanda with his medic face back on.
Randy started again with his calm, here-to-help voice. "OK, Amanda, you are under a lot of pressure and we've all seen a lot. But that is literally not what I said. What I was trying to say is I think sometime in the last month Exxon management told the crew here to send this thing in the crate somewhere. And supplied that customs seal, which is almost certainly illegal."
"We have no idea why they planned to do that or where in the US the crate was meant to go or who to. And I'm not accusing Exxon management of multiple horrible murders here."
"But maybe if we knew what interested Exxon so much, it might help us work out what happened here. Before it happens to us."
"Gavin, really be interested in your take on this skull."
Is there anything to indicate where the crate was being sent?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2024 4:57 am
by Philulhu
Just the initials “WPAFB”.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2024 5:09 am
by Mr. Handy
Benjamin examines the crate "That's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base," he says. "It's in Dayton, Ohio."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2024 10:32 am
by Snapper
"Good one, Ben. You need to come to more quiz nights with me. I know that Air Force base. Is there anything near there like a research place for weird skulls?"
"I suppose the other advantage of a base like Wright-Patterson is you could have someone fly it on from there to almost anywhere, if you had the cooperation of the USAF."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2024 10:41 pm
by Philulhu
Was that something you know or a Google search?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 5:00 am
by Mr. Handy
"Thanks," says Benjamin. "If it has to do with the military, there's a good chance I know it. I don't know of any place near there where they'd research giant skulls, though. Maybe it would have ended up in some government warehouse where it would be looked at by top men. Top men.'"
I just happened to know it, and if I know it, I'm sure Benjamin would.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 8:22 am
by Philulhu
No problem. Just checking
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 4:11 pm
by Lost_King
Harold, who had initially taken an interest in the conversation concerning the skull, turns toward the collection of spare parts.
“If there’s a soldering iron anywhere in this dump, it could very well be here.”
Spot Hidden 30%
1d100
Success!!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 2:54 pm
by Philulhu
Like Boyd before him, Harold noticed the shut-off fuel valves in the cabinet, but there was no sign of the soldering iron that he was desperately searching for.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 5:24 am
by Mr. Handy
"If a soldering iron isn't here," says Benjamin, "where else could one be?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 8:34 am
by Snapper
"Are the snow cats working? Or at least one of them?"
"And I might just check upstairs while we're here, make sure there are no surprises."
Randy cautiously headed up the stairwell towards the presumed helipad.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 5:56 pm
by BoyBlunder78
After what seems like a lifetime Gavin finally catches up with the group muttering under his breath, "" bloody racing off....leaving the damn cripple behind...fucking survival of the fittest bullshit ." Looking at the skull his eyebrows raised, " " What do we have hear?" He says as he hobbles forward, inspecting the skull.
"Are the snow cats working? Or at least one of them?"
"And I might just check upstairs while we're here, make sure there are no surprises."
Randy cautiously headed up the stairwell towards the presumed helipad.
"I cover you."
Amanda followed Randy, prepared for problem.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 10:48 pm
by Mr. Handy
"One of the snowcats looks like it's working," says Benjamin, looking it over. "It looks like they were working on the other one."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 11:04 pm
by Philulhu
The skull looked vaguely humanoid and judging by its size in comparison to a human skull, the creature it belonged to would have been around 10 to 15 feet tall. The angle of the receiving bone at the base of the skull where it would have met the spinal column, suggested that it was bipedal and walked upright.
Stepping out from the shelter of the stairway onto the heliport itself was breathtaking. The entire facility was visible and the mountains surrounding the site were like great walls, emphasising the isolation of their position.
On the far side of the heliport was a fuel pump, with hose reel, obviously intended for refuelling any visiting helicopters.
OOC: Can I have a Mechanical Repair roll to check out the snow cats?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 11:29 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Turning the skull over in his hands, Gavin tells the group. "Well i can tell you that our friend ' Bob' here was a big bugger. About 10-15ft tall and judging by the base of the skull, bi-pedal which tracks with what we know and seen from his comrades."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 11:57 pm
by Snapper
Randy looked at Amanda and shrugged.
"Pretty view but we're a bit past sight-seeing, aren't we? The main thing is nothing up here is trying to kill us. Shall we head back?"
"Was there some reason we didn't travel here by chopper?" He started back towards the others downstairs.
"Pretty view but we're a bit past sight-seeing, aren't we? The main thing is nothing up here is trying to kill us. Shall we head back?"
"Was there some reason we didn't travel here by chopper?" He started back towards the others downstairs.
"Hmmm... The company wanted us to check what had happened to Telegraph Creek first. Thats the relay station between here and civilization, so a plane was... Quicker... Wait... I just noticed. Shouldnt this place have a chopper? Where did it went? I mean, this hellipad isnt for choppers coming here, Telegraph Creek is for that."
Amanda tried to check signs of the hellipad being used normally or recently.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 4:42 am
by Mr. Handy
"Sounds about right," says Benjamin. "Care to give the snowcats a look?"
Mechanical Repair roll (15% skill) examining the snowcats: d%
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 10:43 am
by BoyBlunder78
"Shouldn't the chopper have some kind of tracking device?"Gavin asks.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 11:59 pm
by Mr. Handy
"Good thinking," says Benjamin. "Do you know how to fly one?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 11:54 pm
by Philulhu
Spot hidden (40) 1d100
Amanda studied the helipad but wasn’t able to determine if anything had landed recently.
Downstairs, Benjamin checked out the two snowcats. One appeared to be in working order (based upon the fact that nothing seemed to be missing from the engine compartment) but the second was obviously being worked upon, given the obvious gaps where components had been removed.
OOC: Helicopters would normally have transponders which would be picked up on radar. You haven’t seen any radar so far (and in all likelihood, a base this size would be unlikely to have any). Communication with incoming aircraft would most likely to be radio/visual.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 1:04 am
by Snapper
"Definitely no chopper. Let's go down out of the cold."
Randy headed back to the rest of the team. "Amanda thinks we're missing a chopper."
"So what was the story with this skull?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 5:19 pm
by Joajackson
Amanda followed Randy below.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 5:54 pm
by BoyBlunder78
To engrossed in the skull to realise that he was mumbling to himself Gavin looked up as Randy and Amanda walked in. Turning the skull over in his hands,"Well i can tell you that our friend ' Bob' here was a big bugger. About 10-15ft tall and judging by the base of the skull, bi-pedal which tracks with what we know and seen from his comrades."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 5:14 am
by Mr. Handy
"My guess is someone took the chopper to try to escape," says Benjamin. "If we could find it, we could do that ourselves, if one of us can fly it."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 7:36 am
by Snapper
"Two and a half million years ago, there were 15 foot tall people, or humanoids or whatever? Is that back in, like, neanderthal times? Were our ancestors gorillas with clubs at that point? I didn't think our ancestors were bigger than us."
"I feel like I would remember reading about 15 foot tall homo-somethings. That would have made an impression even to a dumb kid like me."
"What it mostly makes me think of is the sasquatch legends."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 4:52 am
by Mr. Handy
"The Nephilim could get that big," says Benjamin. "They're the monstrous offspring of fallen angels and human women. Goliath is probably the most well-known of them, but he was a mere 9 feet and 4 inches. Relatively small as giants go. Og the king of Bashan had a bed that was thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide. Granted, he may not have been quite that big himself."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 5:38 am
by BoyBlunder78
"Well whatever they are, at least one of them has been stalking us and judging by the playful snowball fight we had the the other day....i think there is a possibility it brought down our plane and maybe..maybe our mossing helio."Gavinsays looking over the team.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 11:28 am
by Snapper
After giving Ben a professionally concerned look, Randy shook his head in confusion.
"I don't understand how this has played out. The Exxon staff out here find a cave closed for two and a half million years, where they find this big skull."
"Which would be an interesting and even exciting discovery except Amanda's bosses don't want the news getting out and stuffing up their plans for the pumping station. So far, so, umm, possible at least."
"But then we get to the mass, grisly destruction of human bodies, and giant snowballs. What are we saying? The same giants are responsible? And these giants have been hiding up here all along, and have never been seen by anyone, including the native Canadian tribes? Or they have been hiding in the cave for millions of years and have now been freed to run a mock. "
"Is there a third option I've missed, because the first two don't seem very likely."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 2:15 pm
by BoyBlunder78
Still holding the skull, staring into its eye sockets. Gavin says ine word."Sasquatch."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 2:41 am
by Mr. Handy
"Whatever it is, they're not all dead like this one," says Benjamin. "I guess they must have been very angry by people disturbing their remains, and they're responsible for the slaughter we saw. I wouldn't bet on them being able to tell one human from another too well. The Earth First group probably had nothing to do with the dig, but they still got murdered."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 2:48 am
by Joajackson
"Very well, we are talking about giants with anti-air capabilities that want us all dead because some idiots got into their home and stole their grandpas. Very well... We are dealing with superhumans with at least 1910s technology, that want us dead. Do we engage guerrilla style until we get reinforcements or do we try to retreat? While I am tasked to be security leader, this shit is absolutely over my clearence and jurisdiction."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 3:14 am
by Mr. Handy
"Retreat to where?" asks Benjamin. "The only way that might work is if we evacuate by air, and they've already shown the capability of dealing with that. We need to get the radio fixed first, which means finding a soldering iron. Then we can get out a message and call in help, but if they come in by air, they'll end up in the same situation we are. Once the enemy knows we're here, I don't think any amount of defenses will keep them out. Going toe to toe with them doesn't sound like a good idea either, though our weapons may give us an edge. So far they've been waging guerrilla warfare against us. Just waiting for them to come to us sounds like a recipe for failure. After we get the radio working, we may need to head out to the dig site and find out exactly what we're dealing with here. Fixing the broken snowcat could help there. Or we could simply evacuate in the snowcats once they're both working. But we won't want to actually go anywhere at night. Once the sun comes up, then we can travel."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 7:21 am
by Snapper
OOC: How far away does sunset look?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 9:27 am
by BoyBlunder78
"This whole area is its kill zone, it blends in perfectly to its surroundings, the sightings we have seen or heard have been more a fluke than through actual skill. Day or night it has the advantage and is single minded in its actions. It isolated the base. It trashed all communication. He'll its made a helicopter disappear! Whatever we decide we have to assume that it is expecting us. There is no low risk action! What's the weather like outside?"
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sat May 11, 2024 7:59 pm
by Philulhu
OOC: Sunset is roughly 30 minutes away. The wind is still blowing a gale and snow is still falling.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 12, 2024 11:07 am
by Snapper
"Basic rule of scouting survival is get your shelter sorted early. Do we want to set up a camp somewhere for the night, before it gets dark?"
"My vote would be the cellar or the server room or the manager's office, if we move him out, obviously. Warm, access to a bathroom, several exits but defensible. The cellar has food too."
"Plan B is keep searching this place in the dark. But we're all exhausted after the last few days and likely to start making mistakes."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 12, 2024 4:53 pm
by Lost_King
“I’d say the cellar is probably our best option. If we have to defend the manager’s office, the server room could get damaged; it’s too close for comfort. Same with being in the server room - we can’t risk damaging those computers before we have a chance to fix the radio.
If I understand correctly, we wouldn’t survive a direct attack, but some of us might be able to escape amidst the chaos. If we’re considering tactics, we want to give the survivors of any conflict as much of a chance to get out of here as we possibly can.”
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 12, 2024 10:35 pm
by Philulhu
“Are you saying we’re gonna die?!” cried Bill. “I thought you were a rescue mission?! You’ve got guns, haven’t you?!” With shaking hands, he pullled out his hip flask, then thought better of having a drink, and put it away again.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 13, 2024 3:13 am
by Mr. Handy
"We do have guns," says Benjamin, "better guns than these folks had, and some of us have excellent military training too. Plus we know a little about what to expect from the enemy. Securing the cellar for the night sounds good to me. I believe it has multiple entrances and exits, so we won't get trapped down there. We'll always have a way to retreat."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 13, 2024 7:10 am
by BoyBlunder78
"Some of us wont survive a direct attack.."Gavin taps his splint,"In the chaos, 'some' of us can escape." taps his splint again." Sais it before, law of the jungle, leave the lame behind, 'all adequate military training'?", looking at Bill , "Well kid, they are pretty well saying we are FUBAR'D!" Shaking his head he looks at Harold, "Well fuck you very much!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 13, 2024 7:10 am
by BoyBlunder78
"Some of us wont survive a direct attack.."Gavin taps his splint,"In the chaos, 'some' of us can escape." taps his splint again." Sais it before, law of the jungle, leave the lame behind, 'all adequate military training'?", looking at Bill , "Well kid, they are pretty well saying we are FUBAR'D!" Shaking his head he looks at Harold, "Well fuck you very much!
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 13, 2024 1:06 pm
by Snapper
Randy looked visibly taken aback. "Gavin, we're not going to leave you behind. Period. Or anyone else. And we've survived this far, we can make it through this. As a team. I haven't spent all that time bandaging you all for anyone to die on me now. "
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Mon May 13, 2024 8:07 pm
by Lost_King
Harold could see that his remark had caused a lot more harm than good.
If we’re lucky, whatever is out there won’t come for us at all until we’re long gone.
And Gavin, you’re the wilderness survival expert. If we had to make an escape, we literally couldn’t afford to leave you behind. Not that we would want to leave anyone behind.
I’m just saying, if we’re going to be in dangerous circumstances like these, we have to plan for the worst and protect our resources. The last thing anyone wants is to be caught unprepared. We’re not a bunch of careless teenagers in one of those dumb horror movies. We’re smart, and we know how to work as a team, and we’re going to get through this.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 3:29 am
by Mr. Handy
"We don't leave our people behind," says Benjamin. "If we must retreat, we'll all retreat."
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 11:32 pm
by Philulhu
OOC: OK, so what’s your plan?
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 1:30 am
by Snapper
OOC: I vote retreat to the cellar.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 2:44 am
by Mr. Handy
That's what I would choose too, but Amanda is in charge, so the decision is hers.
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Thu May 16, 2024 5:23 pm
by BoyBlunder78
OOC: cellar
Re: Ch.2 Exxon Pumping Station #31
Posted: Sun May 19, 2024 4:39 am
by Joajackson
"Cellar it will be, but I want to make sure there are only two reasonable entry points. Clear? All others, we put everything we can find to close them up."
"Also, military leadership isnt efficient here... The situation has developed beyond such authority. Democratic arragement will improve our cooperation, the enemy is unpredictable and has us in the numerical disadvantage, strict code following will kill us all."
I’ll update the map once I get time to get on my computer. In the meantime…
