Trinity RPG: Quantum of Hope - Chapter I: Knights of New Avalon

[knave]

[i’m going to push this along a bit, hopefully no-one minds too much]

"Good the transport can swing by the airport and we can pick up the Aberscopes I requested to g looking for Aberrants with. I hope no-one minds, but they just happen to come attached to an assault rifle."

George says the last with a sardonic grin.

Equire with Moneypenny the ETA on both the Aberscopes and the psion he requested.

After a short delay, Moneypenny comes back with:

”Mr Greaves sends regrets. Unfortunately he was unable to source psion resources due to requirements in other operations. However, the weapons and attached Aberscopes and vehicle you requested will be available within minutes. Co-ordinator Greaves also suggests that you ‘get on with it’ as he requires your services for a time critical operation that can begin no later that tomorrow.”

A quick trip to the station’s rear parking garage reveals that your transport is a silver Shendai Airfoil, a sleek yet reasonably unremarkable sight on British roads. Close economic ties with Nippon and traditional relations with the Australia means that Shendai Pacific holds the largest share of the British skimmer market - making it the perfect vehicle for spies who occasionally need to move quickly.

A burly Home Guard Officer exits the vehicle and presents you with a datapad to sign - not for the vehicle, but for the four boxy and businesslike Mac-803s set on rear seat. A quick check reveals that they are indeed fitted with the latest integrated aberscopes and ECSes.

So, forearmed (heh), you set off. The Airfoil’s engine spins up with a soft electric hum and the vehicle rises up a good foot and a half on its cushion of air. GeoNav quickly points you in the right direction, and even with traditional soft Edinburgh rain, the traffic seems minimal.

Minutes later you head down Blackford Road toward the University, then easily climbing the curb, you skim over Blackford Glen toward the small copse of pine where the old shelter was marked on the map. Reynalds suggests parking quite close in to hide your hardware from the students at the university and from the clubhouse visible some way off perched on the top of a hill.

Reynalds checks his weapon and exits the vehicle - pinging the scope on. Vogel, by contrast is all frowns, and not just for your weapons. ”Yes...” he says - not too sure sounding - ”I believe there is taint over there...” - pointing into the trees. ”It is not strong... but I think it has the sticky quality, maybe”

A few steps into the copse reveals what they were most likely put there to hide. The shelter is ugly - a set of needle and soil covered steps, just wide enough for two abreast, leads down into the side of a low ridge in the ground, to a wire-mesh gate locked with a new looking padlock. Through the gate the way turns immediately to the left - sloping down into the ground. Without proceeding beyond the gate it’s impossible to see any further down the tunnel.

”I have a really bad feeling... Vogel murmers to himself.

Reynalds looks across at the two of you. Over your radio implants you hear his subvocalized transmission - “Nothing on the scope, yet. We can call in the cavalry if you like, but we will tip our hand... and if we’re wrong we’ll look like complete tits.”

Both of you notice that there are proportionately fewer pine needles and more mud on the central portions of the steps leading down to the gate.

[Rorx]

George will quickly check over the rifle and make sure it is all in order, see if he can interface the ECS/Aberscope of the rifle with his cybervision through the Bodynet and set up a live audio/visual data feed back to Moneypenny. If we don't make it then the next group will hopefully have a better idea of what they are up against.

"Well gentlemen, being the former squaddie I assume it will fall to me to take point?" So saying George moves towards the top of the stairs, cycling through available visual modes to find which gives the best vision in the current lighting situation.

While he is at it, check for any footprints in the mud etc out here, get the agent to try to estimate the size/weight and sex of the person leaving any prints found and corrolate with my three most likely suspects.

[knave]

George will quickly check over the rifle and make sure it is all in order, see if he can interface the ECS/Aberscope of the rifle with his cybervision through the Bodynet and set up a live audio/visual data feed back to Moneypenny. If we don't make it then the next group will hopefully have a better idea of what they are up against.

ECS readouts ping up into George’s vision - scope options, ammo and temperature readouts all nominal. Then, with a thought, he activates the scope recording and transmission options. ”London is receiving your datafeed, Agent Kalnan. Good hunting!@

"Well gentlemen, being the former squaddie I assume it will fall to me to take point?" So saying George moves towards the top of the stairs, cycling through available visual modes to find which gives the best vision in the current lighting situation.

While he is at it, check for any footprints in the mud etc out here, get the agent to try to estimate the size/weight and sex of the person leaving any prints found and corrolate with my three most likely suspects.

Reynalds nods, bringing his weapon up to a covering position, whilst Vogel just nods and takes a half step back.

George’s cybernetically enhanced eyes have little difficulty with the filtered light in the grove and are quickly drawn to several partial impressions in the mud. From the depth the maker clearly wasn’t overlarge - Moneypenny is quick to identify the tread pattern as belonging to a Nike Ultimo trainer; size five, a match for Doctor Chang. ‘She’ appears to have been moving away from the entrance way - back toward the bioscience department...

[Asbjørn]

"Well gentlemen, being the former squaddie I assume it will fall to me to take point?"

"Since you volunteer..." Edmund replies, hefting his own rifle, "...after you."

As George proceeds down the stairs, the former VARG pilot follows, covering the angles George leaves to him. He still isn't quite used to going into a sharp situation without a couple of tons of armour, but doesn't seem overly troubled by the lack of Big Guns.

"Here's to not looking like tits..." Edmund mutters.

[Rorx]

"Looks like Dr Chang has headed back to the Bioscience Dept. Shall we see what she was visiting here?"

So saying George proceeds to quietly step down the stairs, trying to keep to stepping close to any obvious support structures in order to minimise any creaking or squeaking of the stairs. spliting his vision into windows he keeps the main veiw with the best vision type for the current conditions, while keeping one window of straight optical in the top right and another of the aberscope output in the top left.

[knave]

"Since you volunteer..." Edmund replies, hefting his own rifle, "...after you."

As George proceeds down the stairs, the former VARG pilot follows, covering the angles George leaves to him. He still isn't quite used to going into a sharp situation without a couple of tons of armour, but doesn't seem overly troubled by the lack of Big Guns.

"Here's to not looking like tits..." Edmund mutters.

"Looks like Dr Chang has headed back to the Bioscience Dept. Shall we see what she was visiting here?"

So saying George proceeds to quietly step down the stairs, trying to keep to stepping close to any obvious support structures in order to minimise any creaking or squeaking of the stairs. spliting his vision into windows he keeps the main veiw with the best vision type for the current conditions, while keeping one window of straight optical in the top right and another of the aberscope output in the top left.

As George moves down the concrete stairs, being careful to avoid stepping on anything that might crunch and give away the group’s arrival, he feels the small hairs rise on the back of his neck... A chill seems to seep into him from the surrounding concrete walls. And as much as he tells himself that it’s just in his head, he can’t shake the knowledge that this isn’t the normal controlled rush of fear and adrenaline he feels at the prospect of combat. But George is a Squaddie; his discipline is adamant - unlike the padlock that drops broken into his gloved hand after the hushed hiss of applied exothermix. With hardly a sound the gate is open and the group proceeds down.

Covering the spare angles, Edmund is alerted to odd movement behind by his watch radar. Glancing back he notices notices that Vogel has started to shiver really hard, but it’s over in moments, with Vogel waving a hand to indicate that he’s Ok. Reynalds, bringing up the rear subvocalizes, ”Keep going, I’ve got my eye on him.”

The passageway beyond the gate leads down more stairs - becoming gradually less muddy and more claustrophobic as the group slowly descends - weapons out. George, with his enhanced vision, negotiates his way down with little difficulty - noting that there is a dull glow of some green luminescence from below providing plenty of light to for him to see by, but it’s slightly more difficult for the others - the darkness, muddy, uneven concrete stairs and chilling atmosphere beginning to tell.

George is just descending to the point where he can see into the room that is the source of the glow when his aberscope generates a single loud ping.

What George sees:

The tunnel the group has been descending ends in a large, bare concrete room sporting eight ancient-looking, glass-windowed copper pods - four on either wall. The nearest two pods along the left wall are empty, their glass cases shattered, but the far two and all four pods on right are half full with greenish, slightly luminescent liquid. In the centre of the room is a machine - a great and ancient looking machine that is all wires and vacuum tubes, and takes George back to a school trip he took to the Bletchley Park Museum in his youth - back to the machines that defeated the German menace in a still not quite forgotten war. From this central behemoth tubes and articulated arms reach out spider-like toward the pods - connecting messily at the top of each. The floor is a mess books. A book and tool laden camping table and chair have been pulled up to the side of the machine where one of the casing panels has been removed to expose even more insane-looking components.

And as bizarre as all this is, it does nothing to chill George’s blood so much as the figure coming through another doorway at the far end of the room. Although of normal stature, and dressed in normal clothing, the man’s face is revealed clearly to George’s cybernetically enhanced eyes. For once George wishes his sight wasn’t so good. The man’s face - the skin has browned and died in patches; cracked and broken in others creating a horrific visage that yet manages to look familiar. Helpfully George’s agent pings up a message onto his hud that the man’s clothing matches that belonging to Manfred Johan Schroder - one of the victims.

The man starts forward toward George, and starts to speak, voice deep: ”Hell...”

He is perhaps 20 foot distant.

The Group's ECSes all start to ping like mad, with George's showing faint taint readings from all the equipment and stronger focussed taint readings from the man. [note - on the rough scale of 1 to 10 that the Aberscopes work on the equipment registers as a 2 and the man registers a 3].

[Rorx]

On seeing the figure George will immediately bring the rifle to bear and shout to the 'man'.

"Home Guard! Lie face down on the floor with your hands behind your head! Do it NOW!"

Give it a burst if it tries to do anything else.

[knave]

On seeing the figure George will immediately bring the rifle to bear and shout to the 'man'.

"Home Guard! Lie face down on the floor with your hands behind your head! Do it NOW!"

Give it a burst if it tries to do anything else.

With the rifle up and sight engaged George can clearly see the man’s damaged face ripple as if something is moving beneath the rotted flesh - a reaction to his shouted warning perhaps? But, the man moves sure enough - and blindingly fast at that - throwing himself toward and behind the room’s central console where he will be shielded from George’s angle of attack. But George is ready. His weapon rattles away its deadly burst-fire staccato - catching the diving 'aberrant' across the shoulder and right flank even as the ECS’s integrated aberscope pings up an increased threat assessment- the taintmeter’s pinging ratchets up to 5/10.

With George stopping to fire, Edmund has ample opportunity to join him at the point of vantage into the room.

But as Edmund moves forward and George fires, both are assaulted with a stream of simultaneous voices.

Moneypenny: ”Aberrant contact confirmed. Contain! Marine Units are inbound eta 6 minutes.” Reynalds: “Wha? He’s glow!...” And a new voice - a blend of Vogel’s whine and something else, something distinctly feminine, immensely powerful, regal and yet ethereal. This voice does not come from the George or Edmund’s cyberwear - instead it imposes itself directly into their consciousnesses - a command from some...thing that expects to be obeyed: ”DO NOT DAMAGE THE INFECTION ZONE!” - and both of you immediately understand this to mean the bizarre equipment in the room. BUT Do... Do destroy the taintwretch!” the second sentence shudders into your mind - you know the speaker is in pain... and can’t but help feel it your duty to strike down anything that would dare cause something as base as pain to a being of such... such...

ATATATATATATATA Reynalds' rifle spatters bullets everywhere on full auto as he screams behind you in anguish - the force of the bullets at point blank range ripping the softly glowing doctor Vogel apart - splattering blood and chunks of flesh across the two of you lower down the stairs... The enfilade rips into the ceiling and wall to your right - ricochets and concrete splinters hissing through the air all about you. Something clips George in the face - just below his right eye... he feels a flash of pain and wet blood. Edmund is struck in the back of the knee, and it collapses under his weight with a flash of intense pain - causing him to fall forward (although he manages to avoid further injury by rolling) into the room proper.

The greater part of what once was Marcel Vogel slides down the concrete stairs on a slick of his own blood and a glowing nimbus of shifting colored light now floats where he had stood. Behind that Reynalds is screaming ”DIE!!!” as his Mac 803 clicks ineffectually.

The death faced man below has found cover behind the central console, shouting up ”Don’t destroy the equipment! It’s the work of MAL! It could save us ALL!”

[Rorx]

George will contineue after the Aberrant in front of him, moving to try to minimise or get around its cover while continuing with the burst fire.

"Reynaulds, reload forcrissake you ape!" he shouts at him, to try to snap him out of it.

[knave]

George will contineue after the Aberrant in front of him, moving to try to minimise or get around its cover while continuing with the burst fire.

"Reynaulds, reload forcrissake you ape!" he shouts at him, to try to snap him out of it.

George double times it forward around the room’s bizarre central piece of tech, trying to get an angle on the aberrant, but Edmund, eyes watering and sweat already beginning to bead his forehead, can only manage to keep the near side of the room covered.

Reynalds meanwhile fumbles with his webbing, screaming, “Never again you fucking aberrant bastards!” desperately pulling loose a clip for his Wembly & Hardcastle as the colourfully glowing ball of energy before him flickers and undulates....

George

You round the console staying as far back as you can, trying to force the Aberrant into your or Edmund’s line of fire. You see it - it’s clothing bloodied; its face slack, devoid of all expression. For a moment it’s stance seems to be protectively covering the console. But it is a fleeting moment. The ‘thing’ launches itself towards you, moving far too fast - a strand of something silvery shimmering in one of its hands. You fire - bullets slice through the creature’s face - tearing away its hood of stolen skin revealing the terribly deformed pustulating burn-victim flesh beneath - ripping chunks of that apart as well... But it is on you - massive strength throwing you backward - a flicker of silver and something is encircling your throat! There is pain and gunfire - and bright bright light.

Edmund

George rounds the console only to have the aberrant man pounce - you try to draw a bead but they’re moving so fast. So tumbled together towards the wall and the pods. George fires but the aberrant keeps coming - ignoring the seemingly massive damage - wrapping some sort of piano wire about his neck. Finally you have a clear shot - just as the creature pulls at its lethal garotte. You fire. Bullets tear into the aberrant.

Light flares behind you. A beam of shimmering blue-orange light strikes George - envelopes him and the creature. You seem surrounded by greenish white... Your vision begins to dim... A woman walks toward you - seemingly through the air. She is clad in scales of green and wears a crown of laurels. Her hair is dark, brows arked and her smile is cruel... You feel the world closing in on you...

George

There is pain but it belongs to someone else. To a vessel. Not to you. You see the creature - the wreck of what was once a man standing over your fallen body - barely moving. At your side stands an angel clad in white lace. The palest, most beautiful woman you ever saw, her eyes sky blue, and lips cherry red. Flaxen hair flows down her shoulders. She smiles and her eyes glitter - the world seems to laughs with utter joy. ”Let me in George... Let me in and you may live she seems to say,” without words. ”Let me in and mayhap we both shall live...” All joy seems to leech from the world with the prospect of any harm coming to this creature.

Edmund

”Let me in Edmund... Let me in or you will die. I am all that stands between your race and your end.”

Somewhere far away Reynalds is screaming ”NEVER!!!!”

[Rorx]

George looks from his body to the woman, "I don't won't to die, and you should not be endangered, but that which was once a man can not be allowed to survive. If you can arrange that then go ahead."