Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:19

6 minutes until …   Meltdown averted.  Systems nominal.

The alarms go silent (at last!).  The red lights turn back to normal white, although the command room is still dimly lit other than the computer screens, which now don’t show all the warnings and red.  Mensa slips the stylus back into his shirt pocket, and gives off a long wheezy exhale.  “Well, gentlemen and scholar, that’s one crisis averted.  Back to the other twooo.  Death by the nosferatu, and our ongoing famine.”

“We have gone through all the ancient foodstocks.  Either we need to have more brought in, or we will need to re-settle near a new food supply.  We are largely ignorant of the ruined world outside, other than our recent mission to Concord.  Which told of a world full of ice, wreckage, and foul virus infected monsters.  You outsiders have saved us from immediate death by the nosferatu, but can you help us from starvation?”

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:18

The red lights are still on, and the warning siren can still be heard in the background (Waaaaaaaa!  Waaaaaaaa!).  The reactor monitors still flash red numbers, and the warning screen is still up.  7 minutes to meltdown.

Mensa raises his stylus again to the computer in front of him, and raises his voice: “By all means my good doctor, please enter the password again.  In your own time.”  He starts tapping the screen and bringing up other programs.

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:17

Mensa looks at the miniature computer screen in front of him.  “Looks like Nintondo programmed this to meltdown the reactor if he succumbed to the dreaded ghoolz.  He must have been trapped in here alone and even his intellect couldn’t stop the crazy.  Ah yes, there’s his life-monitor bracelet, but why isn’t he wearing it?  Perhaps he’s still alive and wants to watch his handiwork?”

8 minutes until reactor meltdown.

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:16

Arvak drags the dead Programmer to the other side of the room, and takes the type III ID card.  (Collect them all.)

Phallon examines the bracelet.  There are three obvious lights on one side, two of which are lit up in blue.  Removing the bracelet did not seem to change the lights or have any other effect.  It is still connected to the metal box via a cable.  The cable is typical of many ancient ones (although this one is in excellent condition): coated with some sort of plastic or rubber-like substance.

Ragnor watches (perhaps with impatience and frustration at not being able to manipulate the small sensitive controls).  Some sort of enemy would be perfect to pound, rend, and rip…

Zeebo tries to manipulate the computer, and hopefully enter the password in the correct place.  Rank + IN + 3 for ancient languages – 2CS for sickness = (9): 0 7 = white (barely!!).  He tries to enter the password in the text box but it won’t allow him to enter it (low pitched angry beeps from the computer).  Then he makes the whole box disappear, and there isn’t any option to enter a password on the screen anymore.  Crap!  He tries to find the appropriate command in the list of icons and technical sounding drop down menus but just can’t find it!!

Commander Mensa lets out a wheezy grunt, and stands up suddenly, his wheeled chair rolls away backwards.  His body seems to tremble and jitter, and he takes a spastic step-hop to his left (right next to Zeebo).  He whips some sort of plastic and metal stylus out of his shirt pocket and touches it to the computer screen Zeebo is working on.  As it touches the icons and commands, they respond.

Blip!  Bli-blip!  Blip!  He brings back a screen relating to the reactor coolant controls.  It shows the coolant pumps to be offline.  He pulls down a command to restart the pumps.  That same window opens asking for a password.  Mensa types and as you anticipate the password, you see only stars entered on the line.  (Ragnor and Zeebo, see your private posts).  The same Program protocol not followed, FAILED text pops up.

“No00!  Either someone has altered the program, or there is some sort of new program installed.  (Wheeeze)  Only an inner circle member would have this level of skill.  (Wheeze) Let me see to Nintondo and this thing he’s attached to I believe that that is our best bet at this time asthereisn’treallyanyotherleadstogoonright nowandmaybeIcanfindanopenprogramorprogramdiskandputthiswholethingtobed.”

Mensa hop shuffles towards the side room, his arms outstretched, and his hands trembling.

Reactor Meltdown in 9 minutes

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:15

Arvak is looking at the computer in the small room.  Ragnor and Zeebo are looking at the computers in the large command room.  Phallon has just moved up to them and the unconscious Mensa with a stimdose.

Here are two pictures/descriptions of the computers in each room.  Check the posts in turn 114 before continuing, but put the remainder of your posts for the turn here.

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:15

The party members have run back and forth, with wide eyes, yelling.  Here is the current situation/actions:

Arvak is in the small room, looking at the computer (to which the cable from the box-thing is connected).  Several screens are similar to the ones in the security room near the front of the base.  They are showing video feed of a room you’ve never seen, with metal tubes running into a pit, and lots of pipes and cables.  There is an etched sign over these monitors reading “Reactor”.  Another screen is showing a lot of numbers, bar graphs, and charts, one of which is flashing red.  The last screen has the somewhat familiar control icons he learned about on his first trip to Middex Armory (each one is like a rune, it symbolizes a computer program which you can open and manipulate).  Arvak makes a computer use roll (Rank + IN) to see if its obvious on how to open the reactor controls (8): 5 1 = white.  Nope.  He hasn’t yet touched the controls.

Phallon has been looking at (but not touching) the bracelet and the metal box.  Awareness roll -2CS for sickness (12): 30 2 = white.  So far, no extra info other than what was posted last turn.

Zeebo is in the main control room, looking at Mensa.  First Aid roll -2CS sickness (12): 5 8 = blue.  Mensa is unconscious.  You feel he is weak from starvation and probably taxed himself too much recently.  You’re not sure if he will revive on his own with time, or continue to decline and die.  You think he’ll survive these next 10 minutes though.

Ragnor is also near Mensa.  The large computer screen overhead shows what looks like reactor controls, but with a large “Program Protocols not followed.  ACCESS DENIED” logo across the center.  The screen in front of Mensa shows the strange code.  Awareness roll -2CS sickness (14): 40 8 = blue.  Ragnor recognizes the code is the exact same as what was up on the large screen when he first entered the room.

Another screen shows the flashing warning signs.  10 minutes before meltdown.

What now? 

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:14

Mensa continues to type away at the computer, the previous screen turns into the strange text you all saw when first entering the room.  He sighs heavily, then says, “I’ll have to go through the code to figure out what was changed, and how to fix it.  I’m not feeling well, I’m not sure if it’ll be in time.  If you can find the original program disk or computer, that would speed things up”.  Click.  Click.  Clack.

Phallon awareness roll (12): 80 3 = yellow.  Ragnor awareness roll (14): 90 3 = orange.  There is what appears to be a dead true man lying on the floor in the small room.  He is wearing camoflague programmer fatigues with a triple chevron on one shoulder.  Ragnor remembers his face: he’s one of the Inner Circle Members.  There is a small flat black metal box lying next to him.  The box has two cables attached to it.  One runs up to a computer and control panel along the south wall.  The other runs up to the man’s body.  The computer is on and running, but there are other screens along the south wall that are blank.  The northwall has some metal lockers.  The west wall has a door identical to the one just opened.

11 minutes until meltdown.

I haven’t handed out XP since January 31st!  There’s a lot more of it this time around.

Arvak gets 60 XP (unfortunately didn’t get much for recent combats)

Phallon gets 72 XP (lots for useful mutation use, good combat %)

Ragnor gets 91 XP (was last in points until final two combats, then kicked ass)

Zeebo gets 61 XP (skill use, interactions with Programmers, info gathering.  Reduced points as Programmers supplied much info or aided with tasks.)

Check your character sheets for updated XP totals.  Arvak spent XP to go up a rank on turn 50.  The rest of you have enough to learn a new skill or improve a skill by 1 (costs 200XP).  Unless you are saving the points to go up in rank (costs 100 x current rank)

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:13

Phallon and Ragnor are contemplating how to open the door into the small room.  Zeebo is searching for the reactor controls, so far without success.  Two more minutes count off (12 minutes to meltdown).  A squeaking and clopping noise is heard down the hall, and then Arvak hurriedly enters the room, pushing Commander Mensa in a wheeled office chair.

“Yes.  The room of power, reclaimed.  I see that our hero, his squire, and his dog are all well accounted for.  The captain’s chair, if you please.”

Middex Armory, Command Center, Klos 4th, 350AC, 14:11

(Zeebo didn’t declare an action last turn, however, the actions declared the turn before can be performed now.  I’m going to make some assumptions, Todd correct me if needed.) 

Zeebo was going to take the heavy pistol if  no one else wanted it.  Phallon uses one as a main weapon, and offered to split the ammunition.  They divide it.  Zeebo takes the new heavy pistol and 12 rounds (8 in 1 clip, 4 in another).  Phallon takes 12 rounds (8 in a clip, 4 loose).  Your character sheets are updated.

Zeebo also wanted to check out the computer system, but was delayed when he noticed the pistol.  He does so now.  The monitors do not show the standard controls and icons that he used with the children earlier.  It seems to show only text: a chaotic mix of trade tongue, ancient terminology, and cryptic symbols.  Zeebo makes a “computer skills” roll to try to comprehend it.  Rank 6 + 2IN + 1 read ancient = (9): 1 7 = white.  No idea.  He tries to use some of the keyboard commands he used previously to bring back the standard icons (9): 5 5 = blue.

The code vanishes and is replaced by new text:  EMERGENCY ALERT!  Coolent system for Micro-Fusion Reactor 1603 is offline.  Reactivate immediately to prevent meltdown of reactor core.  Estimated time until meltdown: 15 minutes. 

The words “Emergency Alert” are flashing in time to the alarm (Waaaaaaaaa!).  As everyone reads the text on the big screen, the last few words change to 14 minutes. That puts meltdown at 14:25.

Ragnor is looking through the window to the small room.  Arvak is back in the room after dumping the ghool bodies.  Phallon has reloaded his pistol and arranged the ammo.