[Taocow PBEM] Chapter IX - In The Ruins Of Old Chicago

Aaron Clausen mightymartianca at gmail.com
Wed Jun 14 18:33:36 BST 2006


OOC: Sorry for the long delay.  Been a tough few days.

> > [GM]
> > As Angelica and Alex plunge into the woods, Ted breathlessly catches up.
> > As they cross the threshold, the whole world seems to shift.  The trees
> > seem bigger than they were outside the park, the sun larger and warmer,
> > and the ground damp and spongy.  The grip of winter is broken in this
> > place.
> >
> > A path, marked by small white stones leads deeper into the woods.
> > Angelica and Ted feel a peculiar urge to go on, but Alex has no such
> > compulsion.
> >
> > The voice of Rod Black beckons from deeper in this strange forest.
> > "Quickly." he says, and Alex notes that his tone unusually pleading.
> > "You have to save us.  We're in pain.  So much pain.  Please."
> > [/GM]

> [Ted]
> The lizard man shakes his head and turns to the others. "Something is not
> right here. This world..." He plants his feet, fighting the urge to go any
> further along the path. He looks behind them, then at Alex and Angelica.
> "Nothing is what it seems in this world, we must resist its illusions and
> return to the vehicle."
> [Ted]

> [Alex]
> Alex states, "I think this is another trap. Seems to be our way, going from
> frying pan into the fire."
> [/Alex]

> [Angelica]
> "Yes, I agree, it could very well be another trap, but what if Rod really
> is here?! Are we just going to leave without knowing for sure?"
> [Angelica]

> [Ted]
> Ted turns to Alex. "You are psychic, right? Can you sense them?"
> [/Ted]

> [Alex]
> The ex-coalition ranger nods her head and replies, "Yes but only a bit
> of an empath."
>
> Alex opens her helmet and use empathy on their 'destination'.
>
> Shaking her head, Alex states, "Well, lets go. I sense something ahead
> of us but have trouble telling exactly what. Maybe a Mind Melter could
> tell something."
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> "What's a Mind Melter?" Ted asked with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
> [/Ted]

> [Alex]
> "I am only a very minor psychic," Alex replies, "not enough to be tagged
> with an  I.D. Chip. Mind Melters are far beyond that. They can do incredible
> things with their mind."
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> "I might have run into a couple of those. If my experience is any indication,
> we should turn back before this Mind Melter-creatures convinces us to kill
> one another."
> [/Ted]

[Meanwhile...]

> > [GM
> > "This is your final warning." a voice booms over both Kyle's and Bongo's
> > radios.  "Land immediately or you will be destroyed."
> >
> > Not waiting for a warning, a laser cannon strafes the hover vehicle. Bongo
> > tries to move out of the way, but is unable to, but it's clear that these
> > are warning shots as they do little more than melt the paint.
> > [/GM]

> [Lady Frost]
> "Bongo, if you have a master plan, now would be a good time to use it."
>
> Looking out the windows, Frost notes again that the designs of the CS
> vehicles were meant to instill fear.  And she still isn't impressed.
>
> The fact that those vessels could blow their transport out of the sky, that
> impressed her... and worried her.
> [/Lady Frost]

> [Bongo]
> "You want a master plan?  Okay, I got a master plan..." Bongo growls as he
> jinks the hover vehicle frantically from side to side to keep the CS
> reinforcements from getting a clear shot.  "Everybody not already on board
> GETS on board, and we high-tail it out of here!"
>
> He swings by one last time to where the others are apparently engrossed  with
> something more important than survival, then growls even worse.  "Alright,
> let's see if we can at least shake 'em long enough..."
> [/Bongo]

> [Osiris]
> Seeing that Bongo is doing his best to keep the hovercraft from getting him by
> those CS death heads, Osiris mumbles a quick prayer to the lord as he
> steadies himself concentrating his mind on his job at hand. Scanning
> the horizons the old knight keeps the turrent guns active for any incoming
> threats.
>
> Saying in the comm's now with a slight sense of urgency "guys and girls...
> I think its time to get the hell out of dodge... before those big CS guns
> blasts us into oblivion."
> [/Osiris]

> [Ted]
> "Come on, ladies!" he says, knowing he can outrun either and waiting for
> them to start moving toward the hover vehicle.
> [/Ted]

> [Angelica]
> "Alright, I don't like it, but I think I have to agree with Ted this time.
> Let's get outa here."
> [Angelica]

[GM]
>From within the forest comes a mournful cry, and the trees begin to sway,
though no wind can be felt.
[/GM]

> [Bongo]
> Bongo abruptly turns the truck around and speeds away in the general direction
> of any kind of low-hanging cover that they can duck under or otherwise use to
> throw the Death's Head and company off their trail.
> [/Bongo]

> [Kyle]
> "Every one get our of here I will cover you."  With that Kyle heads for the
> Deaths head transport and aim for its thrusters while dodging with all his
> skill.  As soon as the rest of the party are clear he will  head for the hills
> and try and catch up with them later.
> [/Kyle]

[GM]
Bongo blasts off while Kyle opens fire on the Death's Head's jets.
The shots hit
the vehicle, causing clear damage to one of the thrusters.  The Death's Head
returns fire with its railgun.  Kyle dodges the shot.  Kyle's sensors pick up
Skycycles and SAMAS moving to intercept him, though he has managed to draw off
some of the fire from the hover vehicle.

Fire suddenly erupts at the hover vehicle from below.  Sensors show half a dozen
CS Deadhead's opening fire.  Bongo attempts evasive action but two shots get
through, buffeting the hover vehicle.
[/GM]

> [Talas]
> With Bongo driving like a mad man trying to keep the Hover truck
> from getting blown out of the air, Talas can't really do much more
> than hold on and take the odd pot shot at the CS troops.
> [/Talas]

[GM]
A couple of Talas's shots hit their targets.  This keeps the
Deadhead's down and their shots less reliable.

Up ahead Bongo spies a large and still relatively intact overpass that
might do as a hiding place.  He has only moments to make a dash before
the CS forces catch up, and it could be a dangerous maneuver as he will
have to stay low and weave through some rather tottering looking
buildings.

Suddenly there's a cry from the back of the vehicle.  Before Ted can
even react, Arden tears the bonds off and leaps forward towards Bongo,
blood spraying from wrists that have the skin torn off.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen   mightymartianca at gmail.com

Palladium Rifts PBEM:
http://members.shaw.ca/selfreferential/rifts_pbem/



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