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A Shock to the System

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dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#226: Jul 9th 2015 at 12:04:45 PM

You install the doubler; the hand guard doing it's job. You slot another battery into the device. The blaster chimes to indicate readiness.

You store the Catlike Tread module with the other data chips.

The hazmat suit hangs on the opposite wall. It is a heavy, green, lead-lined, neoprene jumpsuit; with an air bottle on the back. Like your fatigues, it is covered in pockets where it isn't armored.

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
Ripsaw These are the voyages... from The Belt Since: Jan, 2001
These are the voyages...
#227: Jul 9th 2015 at 1:08:21 PM

Transfer usable items (including but not limited to batteries, shotgun shells, cyber modules) to the pockets of the HAZMAT suit, and then don the suit.

Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you might just get it all...
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#228: Jul 9th 2015 at 1:16:58 PM

You move all your goodies into the hazmat suit's pockets.

You put the suit on. It's heavier than the fatigues, but the mask is better-it's a closed-air system rather than some burnt wood in a coffee filter. The device has a smart system to keep you from using all your canned air in a fresh-air environment. Enter a hazardous area, and it switches to the breath bottle.

You hang your spray gun, shotgun and pulse rifle off your shoulders; and hold the blaster and laser cutlass in your left and right hands respectively. You'd be loaded for bear if the sprayer had a full tank. No cleaner jugs, though.

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
Ripsaw These are the voyages... from The Belt Since: Jan, 2001
These are the voyages...
#229: Jul 9th 2015 at 2:45:49 PM

I strike out for the local control room (wherever we need to go to initiate the venting).

Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you might just get it all...
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#230: Jul 9th 2015 at 2:52:08 PM

You follow the White Line. You hear the slavering of a zombie and the destinctive chime of a freshly-recharged blaster...

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#231: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:04:01 PM

Freshly-recharged? As in, he's about to shoot us? Then by all means dodge.

Then shoot him in the chest (or as close as we can get) with the blaster, twice.

((Jeez, I leave for a few hours and we've got four pages of new posts. I'm back, for better or for worse. Hopefully you guys don't hate me.))

edited 9th Jul '15 3:09:38 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
Ripsaw These are the voyages... from The Belt Since: Jan, 2001
These are the voyages...
#232: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:10:41 PM

((s'okay. We're still alive.))

edited 9th Jul '15 3:10:50 PM by Ripsaw

Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you might just get it all...
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#233: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:18:57 PM

Dodge! (4; success): the bolt streaks over your head.

Shoot him twice (5; critical success): Your shots knock him backwards; the metal plate over his chest glowing...

He lines up another shot...

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#234: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:21:17 PM

Dodge it, then shoot him again with the blaster. If that manages to off him, stop. If not, while he's momentarily stunned by the shot, stab 'im in the chest with the cutlass.

edited 9th Jul '15 3:21:43 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#235: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:38:29 PM

Dodge (2; fail): his shot staggers you.

Shoot to kill (3; partial success): His crude armor collapses

Stab (2): He dodges your swing.

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#236: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:40:57 PM

Another shot with the blaster (shoot to kill, yes.)

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#237: Jul 9th 2015 at 3:54:19 PM

((sorry for the curt descriptions last time. Caught in the rain; didn't want my phone to get ruined.))

Blast him! (5; critical success): His chest cavity, and the parasite within are engulfed in flames. There is an agonized gratitude in his eyes...

Victory!

His pockets contain an extra battery. Total: 10.

His blaster, while in passable condition, is the baseline model...

Cowboy style?

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#238: Jul 9th 2015 at 5:00:04 PM

Can we take it with us, but not keep it equipped? (Just in case something happens to our other one.) If we can, then sure, take it. If not, just leave it be.

Then, with blaster+ and cutlass still equipped, continue following the White Line, I guess. ((Where exactly is this White Line leading to? A bit out of the loop here.))

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#239: Jul 9th 2015 at 5:08:08 PM

You slip the vanilla blaster into your left holster; keeping your cutlass and modded blaster in your hands.

The White Line is a perfectly knife-edged line of white paint on the smoke-grey flooring. It leads to the Reactor Control Booth.

You hear a soft gasp as you round the bend. A small humanoid is trying to hide behind a fuel cell.

edited 9th Jul '15 5:27:52 PM by dvorak

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#240: Jul 9th 2015 at 7:17:44 PM

While keeping our blaster out, we should try to get a better look at it. A) does it have a weapon of any sort, and B) does it look hostile?

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#241: Jul 9th 2015 at 8:15:18 PM

The humanoid seems to be a juvenile fem. She is unarmed, as far as you can see...

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#242: Jul 9th 2015 at 8:53:05 PM

So is she a zombie like the others, or normal, or something completely different? I say we back away a bit (so that she can't grab us) and, with blaster ready, ask her name - see if she shows any sign of response to being spoken to.

((God knows this may or may not be a terrible decision. I honestly have no idea what to expect.))

edited 9th Jul '15 8:54:39 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#243: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:07:14 PM

The little girl regards you with terror. Your blaster pointed at the ceiling, you inquire in as gentle a tone as you can;

"Hello. My name's Robert. Who are you?"

She only whimpers.

"Are you okay? Why are you here in the Engine Room?"

Still only fear. Maybe if you had some food to share, she'd open up...

edited 9th Jul '15 9:08:04 PM by dvorak

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#244: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:12:49 PM

Well, er, let's offer her one of our ration bars, then. A mass-produced vending machine cookie would probably be better, but we're in short supply. Keep our guard up.

((This is either going to end really well or really terribly.))

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#245: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:24:48 PM

Foil crackles off the ration bar- a length of hardened nutrient paste and enough preservatives to mummify a cat. Bland, unhealthy, and liable to stop you up like the plumbing after chili night, but it beats starving to death.

You take a tiny bite, to show it's safe to eat, and offer her the rest. She grabs the food (that's all you can say about it, really. It's food.), and begins gobbling like she hasn't eaten all week. Maybe she hasn't. You hand her the other one, and she devours it too.

Her face collapses, and she fastens around your neck, sobbing.

Your psi amp's lense begins to itch...

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#246: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:38:11 PM

((HOLYSHIT what did I do? I'm sorry. So she was already infected, or something? Knew it. I dun goofed.))

Is the second-to-last sentence meant to be taken literally? i.e. she's now trying to kill us, or do something to us?

If that's the case... Shoot her in the head. Blaster+. Now.

edited 9th Jul '15 9:45:38 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#247: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:49:55 PM

((I meant she started to cry and glompped us.))

The little girl's psionic vibrations are laced with that of whatever entity you hacked off by cleaning up the mould! Shit!

Defend yourself! (1; critical failure): The not-girl's hug turns into a stranglehold. Your vision is clouded by swirling shadows. You struggle to get your blaster in position, but with suprising strength, she grabs your wrist...

edited 9th Jul '15 9:54:41 PM by dvorak

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#248: Jul 9th 2015 at 9:59:42 PM

((Well then. May or may not have misinterpreted that, but it all worked out in the end. Or not, considering the fact that we're currently in a choke hold.))

Boot her in the chest, hard. Hey, it apparently worked on page 7...

Hopefully she'll be momentarily stunned enough for us to wrench our hands free - if so, let's take another shot at her head.

edited 9th Jul '15 10:01:39 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
dvorak The World's Least Powerful Man from Hiding in your shadow (Elder Troper) Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
The World's Least Powerful Man
#249: Jul 9th 2015 at 10:07:14 PM

((And thus was They Look Like Us Now intergrated into A Shock to the System.))

To the zombie child, I bequeath: a boot to the head! And one for Jenny and the Wimp. (3; partial success): Your Mighty Boot drives the small body away. The creature snarls in fury. She-it-still has your gun hand in a vice grip.

edited 9th Jul '15 10:08:47 PM by dvorak

Now everyone pat me on the back and tell me how clever I am!
3_D_S #24601 from Mitras Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#24601
#250: Jul 9th 2015 at 10:09:52 PM

((Yeah, fairly sure I've got that by now. I'm a complete idiot.))

Headshot. Blaster+. Now.

Wait, we can't?

Alright. Another boot to the head (or chest, whatever is most accessible.)

edited 9th Jul '15 10:11:18 PM by 3_D_S

Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.

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