Contract #3: I, Robot?

[GM Nick]

Takahara adjusts his glasses.

"They'll be sending in security teams through the purged areas, knowing that they're clear. We'll encounter the heaviest resistance that way. With the bulk of security coming down on the research quarter, the commercial quarter should be less protected."

[GM Nick]

Alpha looks towards the door.

"A security force has entered the labs. Our time to decide on a course of action is growing shorter."

[John]

Max considers this information and makes the judgment call,

"That doesn't make much sense to me, doctor, but this is your facility and you'll know if better than we will. Point us in the direction and stay close to me. We'll get you the frag out of this nightmare."

[GM Nick]

Takahara approaches Alpha and places a hand on his arm.

"Alpha, please turn off your auditory capabilities and do not turn them back on until I touch you again on the arm--like this."

Alpha nods. "Auditory system is now offline."

The Japanese scientist turns to the team. He covers his mouth with his hand so that the android can't read his lips.

"Now that I know it is possible for Alpha to remove the Asmiov crown, he can't be allowed to leave the arcology. Still, we may need him during our escape. Even if he is to accompany us outside of Mitsuhama's influence, his nervous system is shutting down. He'll be dead before dawn tomorrow. In addition, both androids' organic cells have been modified to decompose at a heightened rate. Full skeletal decomposition will occur within 12 hours from death."

[John]

Max understands,

"We'll need him to get out of this alive, but we won't allow him to get away. This technology is too dangerous. Let's get moving, doctor. Time is short."

Max unslings his pack and retrieves a stimpatch. Breaking the seal on the item, Max slaps it on his neck. The elf's eyes bulge and a vein on his head stands momentarily in stark relief against the backdrop of his pallid complexion. Shaking it off, Max takes a deep breath and pulls Marlowe off his shoulder. After the fight with Omega, it feels good to be holding the shotgun again.

"Okay. Move."

[GM Nick]

Takahara presses his hand against Alpha's arm.

"Alpha, take us to the sky-bridge."

"Understood."

The android exits the room and moves in the opposite direction of the labs.

[John]

Max follows the android low and fast, sweeping from side to side with his weapon as he progresses through the facility.

[Drew Buddy]

Adams runs with the team, periodically glancing rearward, and listening for the sound of the booby trap detonating in the tunnel they had originally come through.

"Takahara, when we leave this place, there's no coming back." He thinks back to the other brick of plastique, the one wedged between the hydrogen canisters, and continues, "In fact, there might not BE much to come back to. Are there any materials that you need to retrieve before we leave?"

[GM Nick]

"No," replies Takahara. "I purged my lab. It's all gone. I wanted to bridge the gap between man and machine, but Mitsuhama perverted my vision."

[John]

As the team continues in a low jog, Max asks Takahara,

"Do you know how to handle a firearm, doctor?"

[GM Nick]

Takahara shakes his head. "Alpha can protect me. Just concentrate on getting us out of here."

[GM Nick]

A labyrinth of corridors finally culminates into an impressive walkway connecting the commercial and research quarters. It's essentially a large ferrocrete bridge, firmly affixed to either tower. Forming both sides and ceiling is an intricate network of tiny carbon rods encasing hexagonal plexi-glass windows roughly 1 meter in diameter each. The security lane is some 50 meters below and the whole arcology can be viewed through the tiny portals.

Alpha pauses at the mouth of the bridge.

"This would be the most strategic place to stage an ambush."

[John]

Max looks about and asks,

"Are we expecting fore or aft hostiles? Either way, we should plan on blowing the walkway to cover our escape."

[Drew Buddy]

Adams raises an eyebrow,

"Oh, I plan on doing a lot more than that. Let's get on the other side, first."

[GM Nick]

Takahara peers down the length of the sky-bridge.

"It's safe to assume that the majority of the reserve defense force has been mustered. The primary forces will assault the research quarter, but any platoons stationed in the commercial quarter will likely take the sky-bridge. As Alpha said, it's a killing field--so in that case, they may avoid it. Or send drones."

[John]

Max nods and scans the skybridge to assess the best defensive positions.

[Elliott]

Tyros scans the bridge in astral vision, keeping an eye out for any magical wards, spirits or projecting mages.

"Why don't we just blow the bridge now and I can fly us all down through the hole to a gettaway car?"

[John]

Max shakes his head and suggests,

"They'd still be on the other side waiting for us, and on higher alert than if we simply lie in wait."

Max checks his gun for its full ammunition load and scopes down the corridor.

[GM Nick]

Alpha waves from the other side of the bridge, signalling that the coast is clear.

(( Tyros doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary--magic wise. ))

[John]

Max steps out from behind the cover of the corner and begins to move across the skybridge toward Alpha.

[Elliott]

Tyros follows close behind...

[GM Nick]

Simultaneously, all of the hexagonal glass panes rotate horizontally, opening the sky-bridge to the greater arcology. It's at this point that the cloud of drones descend, resembling something like a group of angry silver hornets.

[John]

Max leaps back for the cover he only a split second ago had left and fires on the nearest drone.

[Elliott]

Tyros doesn't hesitate and uses his long strides to sprint for the other end of the tunnel.

[Drew Buddy]

Adams charges down the walkway.

"Max! Leave 'em! We have to get out of here!"

[John]

(( I would like a description of the distance we're trying to cover and the number of drones in play before the bullets start flying before I rescind my last declared action. ))

[GM Nick]

(( It's about 50 meters. Unlikely you'd be able to shoot the drones. ))

[John]

Max fires a few rounds into the cloud as his brain slowly processes the likelihood of shooting this one out. Determining the odds to be insurmountable, the elf breaks cover and sprints for the far end of the skybridge. Max has never run so hard in his life-- he only hopes that he has also never run so fast.

[GM Nick]

The Firestarter employees sprint across the bridge, the noise of the arcology in their ears being quickly drowned out by a savage mechanical hum as the tiny drones descend on them. Reaching the commercial quarter, the team stops to catch their breath. The swarm hangs in the air in the middle of the bridge, neither retreating nor pursuing.

Takahara squints through his glasses into the cloud.

"There are far too many to be manually controlled. This is probably the result of one of the tac-net's hive mind programs. What is it trying to accomplish?"

[John]

Max barrels forward and pushes a hand onto Takahara's shoulder, shouting,

"Keep moving, doctor!"

[GM Nick]

"We should proceed," remarks Alpha. He punches a hole through the wall and rips out a fist-full of conduit. The security door nearest the mouth of the bridge slides open.

"I will bring up the rear in this case," he says. "In case the swarm decides to pursue us."

[John]

Max nods at the android and ushers Dr. Takahara forward through the open door with great aplomb.

[GM Nick]

The team heads down several flights via an employee stairwell. Max, taking up the lead, edges up to the corner of the exit to the employee car park.

A trio of security enforcers are standing in between the team and the hallway to their destination.

[John]

Max takes the area jammer from Val and sets it down on the ground just around the corner and points it at the squad of enforcers. With the jammer in place, the elf pokes his flexicam around the corner in an attempt to see as much of the carpark as possible.

[John]

Max pulls his eye back from the scope and looks at Doc, indicating with hand signals that they've got three hostiles just around the corner, rounding out the informative gestures with their approximate o'clock positions. Nodding as he sees the human's understanding, Max gestures the count with his fingers.

One.

Two.

Three.

The pair spring out from behind cover in one synchronized and fluid movement. It's so nice when your dance partner knows your steps. Max swings the eye of his shotgun to the enforcer in the middle and fires.

((BF, +4 DV ))