Contract #4: Formula 42

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:32 pm

Adams grits his teeth, and squats against the wall in the decontamination room, not even bothering to sweep for enemies. A cold, logical fragment of his mind tells him to stand up, to keep moving, to do his damn job.

It fades into the noise and rage tumbling and swirling through his mind like a seizure. He manages a curt gesture, motioning for the others to continue on, as he pinches the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes closed. His lack of vision is the only thing that keeps him from jumping at Max and tearing at him in a murderous rage.

The elf is a cocky young captain standing over the gurney with emotionless eyes. The heat of Lake Isabella in the dead of summer pounds on the outside of the medical tent in silent rage, forcing its way in through every opening it can find.

"Guess he didn't know anything after all," the captain says, sounding bored as he reholsters his pistol.

Blood pools through several holes in the bed. Adams watches the man's retreating back without saying a word.

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:12 pm

Bile rises in Val's throat as he stares at Max's leavings. He's having a hard time coming to grips with what just happened, and rightfully so.

What the frag am I doing in company with this fraggin' psycho? This guy should be locked up for good and the key melted down to slag.

Val has had lingering doubts about his place in Firestarter before, but up till this point they always had to do with his own self-doubt.

Max is out of fragging control, no matter what he deludes himself into thinking. I don't know who he thinks he's fooling, but he's not fooling me. This chain's only as strong as the weakest link...

Val decides that the elf is just that. He glances to his other teammates, finding what he takes for confirmation of his sentiments in Doc's eyes, and the great possibility of such in the others. His gaze rests finally on Max, his eyes burning like embers into the back of the departing elf.

An audible sigh passes the lips of Val's upturned face, his eyes closed. Focus, 'mano. If you want to get out of here, focus.

"Tyros, you get anything useful out of that guy before..." Val trails off with another grimace, knowing he doesn't have to elaborate.

John · Post by **John** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 9:43 pm

(( Fragssake! He was an enemy, you weepy bunch of slitches!! ))

Max runs his hand through his hair and cocks his head slightly to the side as he rummages through the bag, finding little of value. A bunch of small caliber munitions, a few oxidized blasting caps, an extension cord, two eerily haggard copies of TEEN SLITCHES, one copy of META HUMAN SWANK, an impressive assortment of cheap fake IDs for various government territories, work gloves, and hey! a pack of smokes! 'So it isn't a complete wash,' the elf thinks to himself as he flips a cigarette from the softpack into his mouth, and then the pack itself into a breast satchel pocket on his FRSR Phalanx armor. The elf retrieves his lighter from his back right pocket, sparks the flint, and inhales shallowly as he replaces the knock-off zippo. 'XIPPO! Seems legit..' he muses as he does one last shuffle through the semi-useless junk in the bag.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:58 am

An uncomfortable silence falls over Sinjin, Tyros, Max and Val as they assemble on the elevator and wait patiently for the team's resident medic to collect himself. Given their present circumstances, they can't imagine proceeding without the level-headed doctor and--given his track record--can't rightfully deny him a few minutes to himself. It's as if Doc's unsettling has rippled throughout the group.

The sudden appearance of vulnerability in the team's most stable member turns the silence into an anxious eternity.

Sinjin cracks his knuckles.
Val checks the operation on his rifle (for the seventh time.)
Max sucks furiously on a cigarette.
Tyros scratches absently at a nick on the claymore's edge.

...and they wait.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:16 am

The drone circles above the valley in northern California. Adams can feel the wind buffeting his wings a he flies over the ridge, and mentally adjusts the trim to counteract the additional lift.

The battle had been short, efficient, and textbook. The Tir forces had walked right into the killzone, and had been torn apart. The young private had been tasked with relaying logistics to the brass huddled in the heated command tent.

From the safety of his makeshift rigger cocoon, Pvt. Adams banks the MQ-9 Reaper back toward the battlefield, positioning himself to get a broad view of the ground below. Fuzzy white blobs move among other, not quite so bright blobs. They stop at a dot of light on the ground and pause. In Adam's thermal vision, the area briefly glows bright, and fades just as quickly. The white spots move on, leaving behind the thermal signature that they had just approached. The heat from the unmoving shape seems to spread out on the ground slowly.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:29 am

The alien surroundings of BioDrive's lower levels come back to Doc with the clarity of a heavy-weight boxer's right hook. Vestiges of a not-quite-dream begin to drain back into his subconscious. He imagines--no, he knows that they will return and in more vivid detail. But not today.

Doc Adams drags himself away from the wall, using the battle rifle to support his weight.

Somewhere, deep in his psyche, he can distinctly hear children screaming.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:32 am

Adams pulls himself up, his sweat-slicked palms struggling for purchase on the wall. He walks stiffly into the elevator, and stares straight ahead, dark circles under his eyes.

"Let's get this over with," he rasps, pushing the button for the bottom level.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:38 am

The elevator shudders and begins an angled descent towards the bottom most level of the facility. As the floor of sub-level 2 passes by, the team finds themselves surrounded by rough rock walls. A series of rotating hazard lights springs to life on the four corners of the platform, strobing the grim mercenaries in yellow light.

Val watches their position--indicated by a glowing dot--travel down a vertical shaft in augmented reality. The overlay is gritty and distorted, flickering and blurring as they travel downwards. No doubt getting closer to the source of the EMP signal.

John · Post by **John** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:41 am

Max is neither stupid nor dense. Something has rattled Doc to his core and sent him off on some kind of bad trip, and the elf has more than likely played a fair part in that here. But there's no room on a mission to dance around a teammate's emotions just because it could get messy. The team needs to know that Doc won't be a liability, and so Max asks,

"Yo, amigo.. you okay? Do you have it together?"

Max has never been claustrophobic, but suddenly feels trapped in a very small space nonetheless.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 1:48 pm

Afterimages burn in Doc's vision as he stares at the closed door of the elevator. He checks and rechecks his rifle as if reciting a mantra with his hands, the simple repeated actions helping to focus part of his mind as he pulls the rest of the pieces back from their outward spiral.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he says, a rattle still in his voice.

And I was doing so well up till now...

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:16 pm

The mouth of a cave opens up as the elevator platform lurches into the retaining brackets, spewing forth a cloud of dust during the final coupling. The earthen floor becomes plasteel tiles, and eventually the tunnel comes to resemble a laboratory. Barring entrance to the room beyond is a massive archway with one of the largest doors the team has ever seen, looking more like a bank vault than something one would find in a research facility.

Five eco-terrorists have laid out an ambush for Firestarter. They're fortified behind a number of overturned crates and tables, weapons leveled at the totally exposed elevator.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:12 pm

Adams palms Zodiac's barrier device, and tosses it on the ground in front of the elevator. As the nozzles begin to spin and emit the rapidly hardening foam, Adams calls out,

"We have an honorable compromise: Just walk away. Give us the samples and the whole compound, and we'll spare your lives. Just walk away."

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:15 pm

The terrorists, expecting some kind of chemical weapon, sink beneath their fortifications while the cover-cube does its magic. As the semi-liquid barrier erects, they seem to realize it's intended purpose and engage weapons.

[ Max = 53 ]
[ Val = 45 ]
[ ET4 = 45 ] < deceased
[ ET2 = 35 ]
[ Doc = 34 ]
[ ET5 = 34 ] < 4P
[ ET3 = 31 ] < 3P
[ Sinjin = 30 ]
[ ET1 = 30 ]
[ Tyros = 25 ]

John · Post by **John** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:39 pm

Max wastes no time in this temporary reprieve to switch his weapon to BF, finds the most exposed terrorist, and fires.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 4:51 pm

Ranged Combat (Max)

The pneumatic-esque report of Max's suppressed shotgun accompanies the three flash-bulb fulminations as he unleashes a burst. The rounds ricochet against a crate, narrowly missing his primary target.

John · Post by **John** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 4:57 pm

(( Switch to SA, fire again ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:13 pm

Ranged Combat (Max)

Damage Resistance (ET4)

< 7P DAMAGE >

A cloud of atomized blood particles and bits of armor fill the air as Marlowe ejects a spent cartridge.

John · Post by **John** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:41 am

(( Some suppressing fire might keep these fraggers from greasing us this combat round! ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:34 am

Val spreads a suppressing fire between ET5 and ET3.

Supressive Fire Test

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:47 pm

Surprise flickers over Val's features as his finger depresses the trigger, and intensifies as he keeps it held down. He's not quite sure where the impulse came from.

EM field must be fragging with my reflex wires, he surmises. He shrugs carelessly in a most exaggerated fashion, the motion stirring the muzzle of his weapon and sending rounds flying in nearly every direction.

Frag it, he thinks to himself. This is way better than that automatic BB gun range at the Caracas Fair & Expo. Way too much aiming. The thought of one of his former pastimes evokes another impulse which comes unbidden to the decker. His voice rings dully over the cacophonous gunfire in a smooth and heady baritone.

"AY AY AY AAAYY! CANTA, NO LLORES..." (( free action ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:47 pm

The wounded eco-terrorist emerges enough from cover to fire a shot with his Mossberg.

Ranged Combat (ET4)

Damage Resistance (Max)

< 3P DAMAGE >

Max swears as the slug catches him beneath the breast, knocking the wind from his lungs.

Ranged Combat (ET4)

The second shotgun blast nicks the top the of portable-cover wall, failing to injure Max.

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:50 pm

One of the eco-terrorists leans out and fires a burst from his SMG.

Ranged Combat (ET2)

Val's ethnic war-cry is cut short by a bullet singing his shoulder pad.

Ranged Combat (ET2)

The plucky decker ducks another burst as he continues his commando-esque suppression volley.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:30 pm

The crash of combat numbs the frayed edges of Adams' mind. He registers Max being shot, and files it away, while a distant portion of his mind runs over a checklist of remaining medical supplies.

What remains of Adams is a mix of instinct and old training, and it tells him to follow Val's volley at the eco-terrorists, two that appear to be preparing to fire. He digs the butt of the rifle into his shoulder, and fires a burst at the fifth eco-terrorist.

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:10 am

Resist Flashback (3) (Doc)

Doc shakes off the final, ephemeral phantoms that plague his conscious and commits himself to the skirmish.

Ranged Combat (Doc)

The recoil leads the rifle away from his target. Doc mutters a silent curse and pulls the weapon back into position, hovering the smart-link reticule over his intended target.

Ranged Combat (Doc)

Damage Resistance (ET5)

< 4P DAMAGE >

The terrorist emits a yelp of pain as Doc's second burst finds its mark.

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:11 am

The terrorist recently hit by Doc's gunfire readies a frag grenade and hurls it over the barricade, towards the portable cover.

Avoid Supp. Fire (ET5)

Damage Resistance (BOD)

A stray bullet from Val's erratic fire catches the terrorist, but fails to penetrate his armor.

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:10 am

A crackle of energy erupts from one of the terrorist's fingertips, slamming into Doc.

Stunbolt (5) (ET3)

(( Holy shit! ))

Doc reels, but shakes off the tingling sensation and emerges unscathed.

Avoid Supp. Fire (ET3)

Damage Resistance (ET3)

< 3P DAMAGE >

The terrorist recoils as one of Val's many bullets catches him.

Resist Drain (3) (ET3)

(( Sinjin's turn. ))

Conway · Post by **Conway** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:51 am

Cussing inaudibly beneath the overwhelming roar of fully automatic gunfire that bounces about the enclosed space, Sinjin makes a quick adjustment to his helmets audio filters before tugging a pair of throwing knives free of their belted sheath. He's got a hell of a headache courtesy of the mineral monsters massive strength, not to mention a few bruised ribs and some residual spell burns to boot. Its been quite a day for FRSR, and the extra noise right now is, well, more than the ork is willing to tolerate.

Standing up from behind the foam barricade, Sinjin throws both knives with vicious speed at a wounded enemy, hoping to finish him off.

(( Target ET4, Power Throw (3), SM pg. 179))

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:50 pm

Ranged Combat (Sinjin)

Damage Resistance (ET4)

< 3P DAMAGE >

Ranged Combat (Sinjin)

Damage Resistance (ET4)

< 4P DAMAGE >

Sinjin's knives pierce the terrorist's gas mask visor and sink into his eyeballs, terminating ultimately in his brain. He slumps over, his assault rifle clattering to the ground.

Post by **GM Nick** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:36 pm

The air fills with the sound of automatic fire as a terrorist leans out from behind an overturned lab table and opens up on Max.

Ranged Combat (ET1)

Damage Resistance (Max)

< 3P DAMAGE >

Max, still backpedaling from being shot initially, staggers under the impact of another shot.

The terrorist switches his fire to Doc.

Ranged Combat (ET1)

Doc lowers his head as fire strafes the portable cover wall.

(( Tyros is up! ))

Elliott · Post by **Elliott** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 10:23 am

The automatic weapons fire is deafening. Bullets crisscross the room like a bad action movie but the blood being spilled on both sides is all too real. Seeing his friends take hits, the big troll knows this battle needs to be ended quickly. If enemy reinforcements show up, things could get out of hand.

Tyros peeks around the barricade and slings (centering) a ball of crackling yellow energy into one of the terrorists (manabolt, f6, ET2).

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:33 am

Manabolt (6) (Tyros)

< 9P DAMAGE >

The terrorist is consumed in ethereal flame and windmills his arms in vain, screaming in agony.

Resist Drain (7) (Tyros)

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:34 am

[ Max = 53 ]
[ Val = 45 ]
[ ET2 = 35 ] < 9P
[ Doc = 34 ]
[ ET5 = 34 ] < 4P
[ ET3 = 31 ] < 3P
[ Sinjin = 30 ]
[ ET1 = 30 ]
[ Tyros = 25 ]

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:36 am

Max stoops and scoops up the frag grenade, hurling it back towards its original owner.

Ranged Combat (Max)

John · Post by **John** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:35 pm

(( God grenades are useless. ))

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:04 pm

Val levels his rifle at ET2 and fires a pair of bursts.

Ranged Combat (Val)

Damage Resistance (ET2)

< 8P DAMAGE >

A whiff of blood fills the air as Val's slugs collect in the terrorist's skull, ending his life.

Val turns and fires on the next target. (ET5)

Ranged Combat (Val)

The second burst skitters along the top of a crate.

Contract #4: Formula 42

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