Clusterfrag

Seeing the Yakuza well under control, Doc strides up and drives the butt of the SMG into the Yak's head.

((Nick, I think you forgot the big invisible troll with the claymore who went to deal with the guard while Max and Doc had their little heart to heart...))

Tyros shakes his head, clearing whatever daydream occupied his attention for the last couple minutes. Where was his focus today?

Stepping forward carefully, Tyros uses his claymore to slowly lift up the canvas cover one of the objects behind the guard.

The butt of the battle rifle smashes into the yakuza enforcer's face, rendering the unfortunate man unconscious.

Doc smirks with satisfaction and looks up to meet the business end of a sentry-gun face-to-face as Tyros lifts the sheet that was concealing it.

"Drek!" Doc shouts, diving behind one of the pillars. He lets the SMG fall, the sling catching the gun, and swinging it under his left arm. He reaches for the battle rifle, and starts to bring it up to his shoulder.

Max dives for cover behind the nearest pillar.

There's a moment of terrified silence, made all the more surreal by the piece of sheet that is magically held aloft as the troll remains rooted in place, fearing to move lest some ultrasound device pick up his location.

It begins to become apparent that the guns have not seen use in quite some time and are at the present time, un-powered.

Max, relieved as all get out, moves cautiously toward the inert cannons to get a bead on thier functionality.

As Max edges closer, he spies a bundle of cables feeding the sentry gun. Following their path, his gaze drifts to an electrical box on the side of the tunnel.

Doc lowers the rifle and lets his breath back out.

"Frag, Tyros, let us know when you're going to do something like that."

He paces over to the turrets, keeping an eye out for the power conduit.

Max mutters delicately to Doc,

"There."

The elf points the way toward the electrical box.

Doc kneels down and pries open the box. He looks for the cable that leads down into the bump in the concrete.

The electrical box is an ancient affair--something with three prongs that Doc has only read about. Nonetheless, pulling the lever on the junction box produces a pleasant thunk followed by the laser grid evaporating into darkness.

After shutting down the main power, Doc traces the line, and finds a coupling. Gripping both ends, he pulls the oxidized connectors apart.

< Okay, fellas! IR's down. Get your asses inside! >

With the connection dangling loosely, doc rummages around in his pack, and finds the mechanics toolkit. Retrieving a shim, he bends it into a "U" shape, and sets it down, the prongs facing upward. Grabbing the live end of the connector, he jams it down onto the prongs, releasing hail of sparks that almost makes him lose his grip. Fighting the urge to drop the hissing, fizzling thing, he holds it down until the sparks stop.

"Okay, that should trip the breaker feeding power to the IR web. If they wonder why the system went offline, this'll provide an alibi."

He reconnects the now dead socket to the IR web.

Val lets out a sigh of relief as he stands up quickly from his spot against the pillar. Glancing at Sinjin and Kato, he jerks his head toward the door. He walks purposefully, but can't quite shake the feeling that something isn't as it should be.

"Ah, seems were open for business boys. Let's get a move on, Kato. Wouldn't want to get all dressed up and miss the party."

Sinjin takes hold of the fidgety mans elbow and leads him deeper into the gloom after Val.

<Were moving, watch those itchy triggers.>

The tunnel continues past the dormant sentry guns and winds around a corner.

Kato stumbles through the dark after Sinjin, muttering expletives the whole way.

Max moves to cover point with Doc, sticking intentionally close to his teammate so that he remains able to confirm anything odd he might see. The team moves on.

Tyros moves with the party but stays tight to the tunnel wall, eyes always moving, cycling through thermal and astral vision. The day's argument with the elf not forgotten, Tyros also keeps a wary overwatch on Max, concerned with what appear to be hallucinations effecting his teammate. He always knew the elf was crazy, just not that crazy.

Absently, <"We should through those two auto turrets in the back of the rover on the way out. We can install them at the base...">

Doc nods,

< Was thinking the same thing. A couple of free auto turrets would be nice. Spruce 'em up a bit, and they should be good to go. >

Doc keeps the thermal overlay on top of his vision, looking for signs of their destination.

The group moves through the darkness, painfully aware of the stumbling noises and muttered curses from their Japanese employer. Rounding the bend, a vault-type door comes into view in the side of the tunnel. Adjacent to the massive entrance-way is a mag-lock terminal.

Knowing that this isn't his area, Max takes the moment to address Kato,

"Kato, we need you to quiet the frag down. If you can't move more quietly, at least keep your damned mouth shut."

Doc motions to Val,

"Hey, you want to handle the maglock again? Max, give him your sequencer."

Max tosses his sequencer to the decker and suggests,

"Why don't you just hang onto that."

Momentarily forgetting his unease, Val catches the sequencer and beams overdramatically.

"And it ain't even my birthday. Thanks, 'mano."

Val gives a cursory check to the maglock terminal for any tamper-evident features, then raises the sequencer and activates it. Alphanumeric characters flicker past his unblinking eyes as he attempts to disengage the lock.

<"Are we clear of cameras?">

Tyros moves up close to the door and scans the area carefully for any security cameras pointing at the enterance.

"Gonna be a group of guys behind that door--ain't no two way 'bout it, they gonna hear us."

Kato squats down in the dark.

Doc nods his head at Val, and raises his rifle to the door.

"Then let's get this over with."

Max readies his shotgun and takes a covered position behind the door jamb. He's been itching for this.

Sinjin reaches behind his back and pulls a flash bang from his belt before getting in position beside the door.

"Mind your peepers, gentlemen."

Val's fingertips glide across the control interface of the sequencer, changing algorithms to match the frenetic flashing of digits on the device. One by one, the chaotic mass of pixels culminate until they read out a six digit-code. There's a subtle tone and the vault door opens like a corkscrew, twin halves of the ferro-crete portal spinning counter-clockwise into matching recesses.

A group of six Yakuza look up from a folding table covered in mahjong tiles.

[ Max = 43 ]
[ Doc = 43 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 6 = 43 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 2 = 41 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 5 = 41 ]
[ Tyros = 33 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 3 = 33 ]
[ Sinjin = 32 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 1 = 31 ]
[ Val = 28 ]
[ Yakuza Enforcer 4 = 27 ]

Max opens quick fire on the nearest yakuza.

((#6))

Doc squeezes the trigger on the underbarrel MGL-6, sending a high-explosive airburst grenade hurtling toward the table.