AngelEater
Sex Demon
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Re: Space Adventure
3
3
Space Adventure
- Thread starter Shadow
- Start date
OP
Shadow
Tentacle Monster
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- #83
Re: Space Adventure
Apologies for the delay - back to normality deadlines and panics abound at the moment. Hopefully the next update after this will be by Friday, though.
Option 3 wins out.
"Into the mines? Better than staying out here!" Amelia shouted, still sprinting flat out. A deafening roar attested to the fact that the stone colossus was still right behind them, but they were so close now... nearly there...
Amelia was first into the opening in the side of the hill. Susan was only a fraction behind, following her through and skidding to a halt in the gloom. Both of them doubled over, trying to recover their breath, and simultaneously flinched at another bellow from outside. The giant had pressed himself up against the opening to the tunnel, but here its bulk worked against it - it it couldn't fit into a gap that was only just large enough for the girls to stand up in. It knelt down, and a head peered in, giving Susan another unpleasant glimpse of those pink tentacles, writhing in place of its eyes. The pair of them backed away slowly down the tunnel, and it was just as well - an arm swung in with terrifying speed, the hand grasping and clutching for its prey. It fell just short, but Susan was wary regardless.
"We need to go," she said, looking nervously at the tunnel entrance. "A beast that size... it might be capable of just digging out the entrance and coming in after us."
"Agreed," said Amelia, taking a quick glance behind her into the mine. A very faint strip of blue light ran across the ceiling, coming from some sort of glass tube - so apparently there was power down here, at least. "Let's go."
The pair of them set off into the tunnel, trying to ignore the roars of frustration coming from behind them... though before long, even they grew quiet.
"Hey, what's that?" Susan called out a short while later, spotting something in the gloom lying against the stone wall. She approached, then picked it up, smiling - a laser drill. Well, it was a mine after all, but what could cut through rock could just as easily cut through a hostile alien. She passed the forearm-sized lump of metal over to Amelia, explaining what it was. The other woman smiled, stowing it away in her rucksack.
They continued on, hoping to come across a lift, or failing that, a stairway - anything that would take them higher into the mountain.
"Hey, do you think -" began Susan, only to be cut off by a very ominous snapping sound beneath her feet. She bent down to investigate, and could just about make out in the darkness a piece of broken wire.
She opened her mouth to shout out a warning, but it was too late. A huge dark shape plunged down from the ceiling, covering the entire width of the passageway. It passed over the women, encapsulating the pair of them, and in a second Susan had realised what it was - a cage, made from bones, rope, hair and some stringy material she didn't even recognise. Quick as a viper, she moved to draw her blaster, but a thick cloud of pink gas had followed the cage down... and all of a sudden... she found she lacked the energy... to move.
****
Susan awoke with a start. Panic immediately started to rise within her, but she repressed it and took a moment to absorb her surroundings. She and Amelia were still in their cage (the red-head still blissfully unconscious) and the cage had been placed in the back corner of what seemed to be some grand hall under the mountain. Huge stone tables lay lined with food, fires burnt in hearths set along the walls - and there were people everywhere. Short, five-foot, incredibly pale people, all dressed in ragged brown robes or even just frayed loincloths. Men and women, they seemed to completely ignore the caged prisoners, though Susan soon noticed they all had unhealthy looking figures - many appeared borderline anorexic, or had burnt and blistered skin.
At the head of the huge, cavernous room, in the position in which she might expect to see a throne, stood a huge steel monolith. It was festooned with winking lights and the whir of the machinery within could be heard even over the babble of the feasting crowd. At the base of the monolith was an array of screens, and several of their captors were lying prostrate before them, chanting in some arcane language.
Susan gave Amelia a quick shake on the shoulder. No response.
The pale mountain-folk haven't removed any of your equipment.
Option 1a) Take the laser drill and cut a way out of the cage, then slip away whilst all the citizens of this place are distracted.
Option 1b) Break out, but just use your hands to unpick the rope holding your bone cage together - it'll be slower but quieter.
Option 2) Just wait in the cage to see what they do next, then improvise.
Option 3) Other.
Very open to suggestions on this one!
Rolls:
Susan:
Amelia:
Apologies for the delay - back to normality deadlines and panics abound at the moment. Hopefully the next update after this will be by Friday, though.
Option 3 wins out.
----
"Into the mines? Better than staying out here!" Amelia shouted, still sprinting flat out. A deafening roar attested to the fact that the stone colossus was still right behind them, but they were so close now... nearly there...
Amelia was first into the opening in the side of the hill. Susan was only a fraction behind, following her through and skidding to a halt in the gloom. Both of them doubled over, trying to recover their breath, and simultaneously flinched at another bellow from outside. The giant had pressed himself up against the opening to the tunnel, but here its bulk worked against it - it it couldn't fit into a gap that was only just large enough for the girls to stand up in. It knelt down, and a head peered in, giving Susan another unpleasant glimpse of those pink tentacles, writhing in place of its eyes. The pair of them backed away slowly down the tunnel, and it was just as well - an arm swung in with terrifying speed, the hand grasping and clutching for its prey. It fell just short, but Susan was wary regardless.
"We need to go," she said, looking nervously at the tunnel entrance. "A beast that size... it might be capable of just digging out the entrance and coming in after us."
"Agreed," said Amelia, taking a quick glance behind her into the mine. A very faint strip of blue light ran across the ceiling, coming from some sort of glass tube - so apparently there was power down here, at least. "Let's go."
The pair of them set off into the tunnel, trying to ignore the roars of frustration coming from behind them... though before long, even they grew quiet.
"Hey, what's that?" Susan called out a short while later, spotting something in the gloom lying against the stone wall. She approached, then picked it up, smiling - a laser drill. Well, it was a mine after all, but what could cut through rock could just as easily cut through a hostile alien. She passed the forearm-sized lump of metal over to Amelia, explaining what it was. The other woman smiled, stowing it away in her rucksack.
They continued on, hoping to come across a lift, or failing that, a stairway - anything that would take them higher into the mountain.
"Hey, do you think -" began Susan, only to be cut off by a very ominous snapping sound beneath her feet. She bent down to investigate, and could just about make out in the darkness a piece of broken wire.
She opened her mouth to shout out a warning, but it was too late. A huge dark shape plunged down from the ceiling, covering the entire width of the passageway. It passed over the women, encapsulating the pair of them, and in a second Susan had realised what it was - a cage, made from bones, rope, hair and some stringy material she didn't even recognise. Quick as a viper, she moved to draw her blaster, but a thick cloud of pink gas had followed the cage down... and all of a sudden... she found she lacked the energy... to move.
****
Susan awoke with a start. Panic immediately started to rise within her, but she repressed it and took a moment to absorb her surroundings. She and Amelia were still in their cage (the red-head still blissfully unconscious) and the cage had been placed in the back corner of what seemed to be some grand hall under the mountain. Huge stone tables lay lined with food, fires burnt in hearths set along the walls - and there were people everywhere. Short, five-foot, incredibly pale people, all dressed in ragged brown robes or even just frayed loincloths. Men and women, they seemed to completely ignore the caged prisoners, though Susan soon noticed they all had unhealthy looking figures - many appeared borderline anorexic, or had burnt and blistered skin.
At the head of the huge, cavernous room, in the position in which she might expect to see a throne, stood a huge steel monolith. It was festooned with winking lights and the whir of the machinery within could be heard even over the babble of the feasting crowd. At the base of the monolith was an array of screens, and several of their captors were lying prostrate before them, chanting in some arcane language.
Susan gave Amelia a quick shake on the shoulder. No response.
----
The pale mountain-folk haven't removed any of your equipment.
Option 1a) Take the laser drill and cut a way out of the cage, then slip away whilst all the citizens of this place are distracted.
Option 1b) Break out, but just use your hands to unpick the rope holding your bone cage together - it'll be slower but quieter.
Option 2) Just wait in the cage to see what they do next, then improvise.
Option 3) Other.
Very open to suggestions on this one!
Rolls:
Does Susan find the loot early in the mine?
INT = 10 + 1 for tech = 11. Rolled d15 = 11. Success.
Does Susan spot the trap?
INT = 10. Rolled d20 'cause it's really dark = 11. Failure.
INT = 10 + 1 for tech = 11. Rolled d15 = 11. Success.
Does Susan spot the trap?
INT = 10. Rolled d20 'cause it's really dark = 11. Failure.
Health: 38/40
Base stats:
STR: 4
DEX: 5
INT: 10
CHM: 6
SXC: 1
For character/role-play reasons, Susan gets +1 to any roll involving (non-weapon based) technology.
Inventory:
- Exosuit (87%). Provides thermal insulation and moderate resistance to physical attack.
- Laser Blaster (DEX-based). 3 shots.
- Stun baton (STR-based). Unknown charge remaining.
- Data-Pad
- First aid kit (bandages, sterilising liquid, water, bottle of medicine containing nanobots to combat any poisoning).
- Key to Mr Bloodslurp's spaceship.
Base stats:
STR: 4
DEX: 5
INT: 10
CHM: 6
SXC: 1
For character/role-play reasons, Susan gets +1 to any roll involving (non-weapon based) technology.
Inventory:
- Exosuit (87%). Provides thermal insulation and moderate resistance to physical attack.
- Laser Blaster (DEX-based). 3 shots.
- Stun baton (STR-based). Unknown charge remaining.
- Data-Pad
- First aid kit (bandages, sterilising liquid, water, bottle of medicine containing nanobots to combat any poisoning).
- Key to Mr Bloodslurp's spaceship.
Amelia:
Inventory:
- One large rucksack
- Laser Drill
- Standard-issue Communications uniform, purple and blue.
- 1 litre bottles of purified water x2
- High energy nutrient bars x4
- One large rucksack
- Laser Drill
- Standard-issue Communications uniform, purple and blue.
- 1 litre bottles of purified water x2
- High energy nutrient bars x4
AngelEater
Sex Demon
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maxentius-septimus
Evard's Tentacles of Forced Intrusion
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Re: Space Adventure
I agree if we work together it might go a bit faster. Afterward see if we can head in a direction to investigate the computer thingy without them noticing. Maybe we can tell to pardon us or name us as goddesses.
I agree if we work together it might go a bit faster. Afterward see if we can head in a direction to investigate the computer thingy without them noticing. Maybe we can tell to pardon us or name us as goddesses.
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OP
Shadow
Tentacle Monster
- Joined
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- Thread Starter
- #91
Re: Space Adventure
This is fairly close to Friday, right?
tomaito's 3 + 1B combo it is!
Susan grabbed Amelia roughly by the shoulder, shaking her up and down, but once again there was no response. Desperate times called for desperate measures - she slapped her full across the face. Still the other woman slept on, oblivious.
Susan could have screamed in frustration. She needed to escape now, while no-one was paying them that much attention, but dragging Amelia along would make it borderline impossible. And whilst she could leave Amelia behind, she'd already had that opportunity once, and found she didn't have the stomach for it. She definitely wasn't going to leave her behind now that she was essentially her only friend in the galaxy.
Thinking it over, she decided to start undoing the ropes holding the cage together first - at least then if Amelia woke up soon, she wouldn't have to waste even more time breaking out. She got to work, trying to be as subtle as possible, digging her nails into the knots of twine that held the mesh of bones together. No sooner had she started, however, than the whirring from the steel box grew louder, rising above the babble of the moutain-dwellers as they feasted.
"ALERT. ALERT!" came a voice, grating and metallic. Susan would have been hardpressed to tell if it was male or female. "Prisoners attempting escape. Engage security protocol!"
The room fell silent, and every single pair of eyes within it turned to look at Susan. She gulped and gave a small, pseudo-cheery wave. Still everyone just carried on looking at her; they didn't move, they just stood and stared. It was extremely unnerving.
And now Amelia decided to wake up. She stretched and groaned, reaching up with her arms. Her eyes flicked open and she caught sight of the room.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," were her first words.
"WARNING: Radiation leak crit- crit- crit- critical. Deinococcus cultures compromised," intoned the computer.
"Wait, what?" said Susan, her interest momentarily overriding her fear. "What radiation leak? Computer, respond!"
More whirring from the steel column - if she didn't know better she'd have said it was thinking. Eventually it responded.
"Sentience detected. ENGAGE: Personality protocol 1-9-1 ALPHA."
The voice stopped, and the next time it spoke, it was very distinctly different - male, but still with a strange, clipped edge.
"Warp core drive seals were damage on impact. Radiation leakage has previously been minimized, but soon they will enter a terminal cycle of decay."
"What?" Amelia looked over at Susan, frowning deeply. "What warp core drives is it talking about? Does the computer realise it's under a mountain?"
"Damned if I know," whispered Susan. She noticed that some of the robed men were beginning to prostrate themselves before her cage - she hoped it was a sign of genuine respect, not the kind of respect that came before immediate and bloody sacrifice.
"Computer, where are the warp core drives?" asked Amelia, shouting across stone hall. It took a moment to consider her question.
"Beneath you."
A thought struck Susan with the force of a laser-blast to the face. Suddenly she could put it all together - the room, the computer, the warp drives... even the 'mountain' and mine entrance.
"Computer, identify yourself!" she shouted, even as more and more people began to bow up and down at her feet.
"I am the computer mainframe ANDROMEDA of S.S Starburn, at your service."
Amelia still looked confused. "It's not a mountain at all!" Susan said to her. Her mouth dropped open and a look of dawning comprehension fell across her face. "It's a crashed ship. It's either got some clever external camouflage going on, or it's just been here go long that the outside has become... encrusted. And the people? I think they're the crew... or the descendants thereof. Gone insane due to the radiation leak, been here so long they've probably forgotten why they're here."
"Maker above," Amelia whispered. "And now it's been so long without any kind of maintenance or rescue, the engines are going to blow... how bad?"
"Well, a ship this size, with warp core drives... it might not completely wipe out life on this planet," Susan answered.
"Colour me reassured."
"My pleasure."
"What are we going to do?"
"No idea." It was true - Susan really didn't have a plan at this point, although getting out of the cage would probably be a good start.
"Mr Bloodslurp's ship is still on top of this one," Amelia said slowly, clearly deep in thought. "If we could get to that in time..."
"Computer, do you have any teleport facilities?" shouted Susan.
"Internal teleporter offline," came the voice.
"So it does exist, at least..." she muttered. "How long until the warp cores explode, computer?"
"Running conversation software has drained power at a faster rate than expected," the voice informed them. "Warp core will explode in approximately 6 hours, 43 minutes, 12 seconds."
Shit.
"Computer, can you let us out of this cage?" Her voice now carried a hint of desperation.
More beeping. The screens that surrounded the base of the computer started flashing, and a low chanting started up amongst the nearest crew.
"Running calculations. Simulation: success. I will instruct my crew to release you if you take my portable hard drive to safety."
Amelia shrugged in a clear 'well we don't really have much choice' manner, while Susan thought it over.
Option A) Agree to take the hard-drive with you when you go.
Option B) Refuse to take it with you, and just break out of the cage. The crew haven't done anything aggressive towards you yet.
Option X) Ask the computers where the teleporters are, and try to fix them, so you can get to Bloodslurp's ship before everything explodes.
Option Y) Run back to the outside of the 'mountain' and climb it that way... though climbing it 6 and a bit hours would be a challenge.
Option Z) Other.
Susan:
Amelia:
This is fairly close to Friday, right?
tomaito's 3 + 1B combo it is!
----
Susan grabbed Amelia roughly by the shoulder, shaking her up and down, but once again there was no response. Desperate times called for desperate measures - she slapped her full across the face. Still the other woman slept on, oblivious.
Susan could have screamed in frustration. She needed to escape now, while no-one was paying them that much attention, but dragging Amelia along would make it borderline impossible. And whilst she could leave Amelia behind, she'd already had that opportunity once, and found she didn't have the stomach for it. She definitely wasn't going to leave her behind now that she was essentially her only friend in the galaxy.
Thinking it over, she decided to start undoing the ropes holding the cage together first - at least then if Amelia woke up soon, she wouldn't have to waste even more time breaking out. She got to work, trying to be as subtle as possible, digging her nails into the knots of twine that held the mesh of bones together. No sooner had she started, however, than the whirring from the steel box grew louder, rising above the babble of the moutain-dwellers as they feasted.
"ALERT. ALERT!" came a voice, grating and metallic. Susan would have been hardpressed to tell if it was male or female. "Prisoners attempting escape. Engage security protocol!"
The room fell silent, and every single pair of eyes within it turned to look at Susan. She gulped and gave a small, pseudo-cheery wave. Still everyone just carried on looking at her; they didn't move, they just stood and stared. It was extremely unnerving.
And now Amelia decided to wake up. She stretched and groaned, reaching up with her arms. Her eyes flicked open and she caught sight of the room.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," were her first words.
"WARNING: Radiation leak crit- crit- crit- critical. Deinococcus cultures compromised," intoned the computer.
"Wait, what?" said Susan, her interest momentarily overriding her fear. "What radiation leak? Computer, respond!"
More whirring from the steel column - if she didn't know better she'd have said it was thinking. Eventually it responded.
"Sentience detected. ENGAGE: Personality protocol 1-9-1 ALPHA."
The voice stopped, and the next time it spoke, it was very distinctly different - male, but still with a strange, clipped edge.
"Warp core drive seals were damage on impact. Radiation leakage has previously been minimized, but soon they will enter a terminal cycle of decay."
"What?" Amelia looked over at Susan, frowning deeply. "What warp core drives is it talking about? Does the computer realise it's under a mountain?"
"Damned if I know," whispered Susan. She noticed that some of the robed men were beginning to prostrate themselves before her cage - she hoped it was a sign of genuine respect, not the kind of respect that came before immediate and bloody sacrifice.
"Computer, where are the warp core drives?" asked Amelia, shouting across stone hall. It took a moment to consider her question.
"Beneath you."
A thought struck Susan with the force of a laser-blast to the face. Suddenly she could put it all together - the room, the computer, the warp drives... even the 'mountain' and mine entrance.
"Computer, identify yourself!" she shouted, even as more and more people began to bow up and down at her feet.
"I am the computer mainframe ANDROMEDA of S.S Starburn, at your service."
Amelia still looked confused. "It's not a mountain at all!" Susan said to her. Her mouth dropped open and a look of dawning comprehension fell across her face. "It's a crashed ship. It's either got some clever external camouflage going on, or it's just been here go long that the outside has become... encrusted. And the people? I think they're the crew... or the descendants thereof. Gone insane due to the radiation leak, been here so long they've probably forgotten why they're here."
"Maker above," Amelia whispered. "And now it's been so long without any kind of maintenance or rescue, the engines are going to blow... how bad?"
"Well, a ship this size, with warp core drives... it might not completely wipe out life on this planet," Susan answered.
"Colour me reassured."
"My pleasure."
"What are we going to do?"
"No idea." It was true - Susan really didn't have a plan at this point, although getting out of the cage would probably be a good start.
"Mr Bloodslurp's ship is still on top of this one," Amelia said slowly, clearly deep in thought. "If we could get to that in time..."
"Computer, do you have any teleport facilities?" shouted Susan.
"Internal teleporter offline," came the voice.
"So it does exist, at least..." she muttered. "How long until the warp cores explode, computer?"
"Running conversation software has drained power at a faster rate than expected," the voice informed them. "Warp core will explode in approximately 6 hours, 43 minutes, 12 seconds."
Shit.
"Computer, can you let us out of this cage?" Her voice now carried a hint of desperation.
More beeping. The screens that surrounded the base of the computer started flashing, and a low chanting started up amongst the nearest crew.
"Running calculations. Simulation: success. I will instruct my crew to release you if you take my portable hard drive to safety."
Amelia shrugged in a clear 'well we don't really have much choice' manner, while Susan thought it over.
----
Option A) Agree to take the hard-drive with you when you go.
Option B) Refuse to take it with you, and just break out of the cage. The crew haven't done anything aggressive towards you yet.
Option X) Ask the computers where the teleporters are, and try to fix them, so you can get to Bloodslurp's ship before everything explodes.
Option Y) Run back to the outside of the 'mountain' and climb it that way... though climbing it 6 and a bit hours would be a challenge.
Option Z) Other.
Susan:
Health: 39/40
Base stats:
STR: 4
DEX: 5
INT: 10
CHM: 6
SXC: 1
For character/role-play reasons, Susan gets +1 to any roll involving (non-weapon based) technology.
Inventory:
- Exosuit (87%). Provides thermal insulation and moderate resistance to physical attack.
- Laser Blaster (DEX-based). 3 shots.
- Stun baton (STR-based). Unknown charge remaining.
- Data-Pad
- First aid kit (bandages, sterilising liquid, water, bottle of medicine containing nanobots to combat any poisoning).
- Key to Mr Bloodslurp's spaceship.
Base stats:
STR: 4
DEX: 5
INT: 10
CHM: 6
SXC: 1
For character/role-play reasons, Susan gets +1 to any roll involving (non-weapon based) technology.
Inventory:
- Exosuit (87%). Provides thermal insulation and moderate resistance to physical attack.
- Laser Blaster (DEX-based). 3 shots.
- Stun baton (STR-based). Unknown charge remaining.
- Data-Pad
- First aid kit (bandages, sterilising liquid, water, bottle of medicine containing nanobots to combat any poisoning).
- Key to Mr Bloodslurp's spaceship.
Amelia:
Inventory:
- One large rucksack
- Laser Drill
- Standard-issue Communications uniform, purple and blue.
- 1 litre bottles of purified water x2
- High energy nutrient bars x4
- One large rucksack
- Laser Drill
- Standard-issue Communications uniform, purple and blue.
- 1 litre bottles of purified water x2
- High energy nutrient bars x4
MrMe
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tomaito89
Sex Demon
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Re: Space Adventure
Definitely this while also asking about an armory like omegau suggested.
AngelEater
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maxentius-septimus
Evard's Tentacles of Forced Intrusion
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Re: Space Adventure
AX
AX