Run #7: Through the Looking Glass

[John]

Max steps up to the troll and insists aggressively,

"Out with it, boy."

[Elliott]

Tyros looks down at the Elf, somewhat amused at his diminutive aggresiveness, but then frowns as he reaches back in his memory and finds it blank. "Ummm, no? Yes? I'm not sure..."

[John]

Max scoffs,

"Typical trog. Useless."

[GM Nick]

Everyone jumps back simultaneously as the bar towel that Tyros is gripping bursts into flames.

[John]

Max lets out an indignant *PEH* as the towel ignites. Turning his attention back to Pandora, Max insists,

"Who is your contact in town?"

[GM Nick]

"He's an oriental, by the name of Haneda."

The air around Pandora shimmers momentarily. Was there something in that drink?

[GM Nick]

The detective slurps his beer.

"What do you know about a Japanese corporation named Renraku?

[John]

Max shakes his head at the funny feeling mounting therein. Something in this situation isn't right, and he's starting to worry that the whole thing is a setup. Perhaps it's the drugs, but paranoia is gathering an insidious foothold inside him. Turning to Molly, he says,

"There's something you haven't told me here. What is it? What is your 'night out?'"

[Drew Buddy]

A strange itch teases the back of Doc's mind.

"I... I don't know if I've heard of them. It sounds familiar, though... Wait, didn't they do some horrific experiments on Chinese prisoners during the war?"

[GM Nick]

Molly flatly ignores Max's question and slides an arm in betwixt his.

"Would you like to go with me to see Johnny Meltdon?"

Pandora and Molly stare at Max expectantly.

[John]

Max gives a hard sniff and asks angrily,

"What do you know about Renraku?!"

His voice floats above the crowd, carrying as his paranoia turns to hostility.

[GM Nick]

All of the bars patrons fall into silence simultaneously, even Kato, who is precariously perched on the end of a piano.

Max's words seem to hang in the air for a brief moment.

The Orcish detective scowls and swivels to face Max. "Tell me what you know about Renkrau."

[Drew Buddy]

Doc looks confused.

"Why is everyone asking about Renraku? What are they involved in?" He asks the detective.

[John]

Max sneers and looks back with disdain,

"You first, bub."

[GM Nick]

The Detective glowers at Max and then turns to Doc.

"A couple of days after I got assigned to this homicide, I had a fella from a company called Renraku contact me. He said he'd pay me a lot of money to file it as a cold case. I ain't no dirty copper, so I told him to take a hike. There's some kind of connection between these Shiawase orientals and Renraku, I just haven't figured it out yet."

The orc turns to Max.

"Do you--did you--know a man by the name of Jack Trade?"

[Drew Buddy]

Doc watches intently for the strange Elf's reaction.

[John]

Max thinks a moment and says, still standoffishly,

"Sounds familiar, like the name of an off-brand of inferior drek tickets that you remember seeing flit down the toilet just as you flush."

[GM Nick]

Memory Test (3)

[WIL (3) + LOG (3) + Photographic Memory (1) = 4]
1 6 1 5 5 2 5

Max's face twitches as something resembling sudden recognition hits him.

[John]

Max turns back to Molly and replies to her earlier question,

"Where is Johnny Meltdown playing? I'm always in the mood for rock and roll."

[GM Nick]

Max grabs his head as a sudden shooting pain permeates it.

(( 3S DAMAGE. ))

[Drew Buddy]

Doc gets up from his stool.

"Pal, I think you've had enough. Maybe you should lie down."

[John]

Max slaps the stranger with a familiar face's hand away. Belligerently, the elf insists,

"I'm fine! It's just... I need a drink.. to think things over! Barkeep! Hit me with another round!" Turning once more back to Pandora, whose arm is salaciously commingled with his own, Max continues, "Now, this Johnny Meltdon? He's a crooner, you say? Does her perform the old classics?"

Max's eyes study not only Pandora, but the room on the whole. But his attention is flighty. Stimulus comes from everywhere and seems birthed at random. The crowd suddenly goes hush and ejaculates with laughter to an ebb and flow he cannot detect. There's a pulse to this place, but it beats with a terrible arrhythmia. Back on the ork now, Max questions,

"Who is this Jack Trade? Why does he sound like somebody I should know? Or remember?"

The room feels as if it's spinning as Max tries to focus on the answers to both questions, but the thrumming in his head is making it difficult.

[GM Nick]

[ Moscow, Russia ]

The Kremlin lies in ruins. The once great structure had succumbed to artillery over the course of the night and now resembles little more than a smoldering quarry. Overhead, the sun makes a feeble attempt to penetrate the smoke, managing only to cast a reddish hue and somber mood over the battlefield.

A tired, disheveled man in a UCAS uniform bearing the rank of commander points at a squad of soldiers.

"You, Corporal Adams, I need you to double-time it over to St. Basil's cathedral and flush out any insurgents that may be lurking around."

He points at Max, Tyros and Rawhide.

"This battle-mage will accompany you, as will the scout sniper and the demolitions expert. That should be more than enough to handle whatever surprises the Russkies have cooked up."

[Drew Buddy]

Adams grips his rifle close to his chest, and barks out,

"Sir, yes, sir!"

He looks at the motley arrangement of soldiers and waves them forward.

"You heard the the man! Lets get this over with."

[GM Nick]

Rawhide checks the operation on the military issue Colt M23 assault rifle.

"You heard the Corporal, ladies. Let's move 'em out."

He nudges Tyros.

"Hey, mage. I'm counting on you if things get hairy in there. I'll mow 'em down, you set 'em on fire, eh?"

[John]

Max, confused as all get out as to where his drink went, responds with,

"Uh, sir, okay sir."

[GM Nick]

Memory Test (6)

[WIL (3) + LOG (7) = 1]
3 2 3 4 3 1 4 6 4 2

Doc feels as though he should be remembering something.

[Drew Buddy]

Cpl. Adams furrows his brow and shakes his head. Whatever it is, it'll have to wait.

"On me!" He calls out, working his way through the ruins toward the cathedral.

"Eyes and ears! The bastards could be hiding anywhere!"

[Elliott]

Tyros salutes Adams, and trots towards the cathedral, a faint shimmering light surrounding him as he brings his magic to bear.

[John]

Max readies his sniper rifle against his shoulder as he keeps an eye out for incongruities.

[GM Nick]

The interior of the cathedral is empty. Most, if not all of the furniture and relics have been looted by UCAS soldiers, or destroyed. The Russian winter cold emanates from the ancient stones as the squad moves stealthily through the main foyer. A meager finger of sunlight refracts off the edge of a broken piece of stained glass, throwing irregular patterns on the runner's faces.

"Too quiet," whispers Rawhide.

[GM Nick]

The sharp report of a rifle seems magnified ten-fold in the acoustics of the cathedral. There's a spark as a bullet ricochets off of the flag-stone by Max's foot.

"Sniper! Take cover!"

Combat, Initiative Pass 1

[ Doc = 47 ]
[ Max = 40 ]
[ Sniper 1 = 38 ]
[ Rawhide = 37 ]
[ Sniper 2 = 34 ]
[ Sniper 3 = 24 ]
[ Tyros = 11 ]

(( Everyone is equipped with form-fitting armor, Colt M23 assault rifles, smoke grenades and Beretta 101T handguns. Assume all your normal skills/spells. ))

[Drew Buddy]

Doc dives behind a large piece of masonry and seeks out the nearest sniper, opening fire.

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat

[Longarms (5) + AGI (7) + Firing from cover (-2) = 3]
3 2 4 2 5 6 3 6 4 4
[REA (6) + Good Cover (4) = 4]
5 4 1 1 6 6 5 3 2 3

The first shot is wide, and shatters the remnants of the stained glass window.

Ranged Combat

[Longarms (5) + AGI (7) = 2]
1 2 1 4 5 6 3 3 4 2 2 3
[REA (6) + Good Cover (4) = 6]
3 1 5 6 6 6 3 1 5 6

The second shot ricochets off of the stone balcony the sniper is perched behind.

[John]

Max peeks out from his covered location and squeezes off a couple rounds on the same sniper.