[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter II

[Aaron Clausen]

>> [GM]
>> Koba's shot is the charm, hitting the fishman square between his 
>> beady fishy eyes [Damage: 20MD], and pretty much blowing it right 
>> off.
>> 
>> But the problems are hardly over.  The water is now above
>> everyone's ankles, and above the shaft where Carlos and Raven are
>> can be heard many footsteps.  It seems presently the only escape
>> route is the shaft, but it also sounds like there are enemies above
>> it.
>> [/GM]

> [Owen]
> "Well, it looks like our only way out is up."
> [/Owen]

> [Koba]
> "Time to leave. Everyone up the ladder." With that, Koba will fly up 
> the shaft to the top to clear the way for the others.
> [/Koba]

> [Owen]
> "Let's Go."
> 
> Following Koba's advice, Owen will move towards the ladder to begin 
> climbing.
> [/Owen]

> [Lyle]
> Catching his breath and making sure everything is still intact and 
> functional, he looks up. "Let's get going"
> 
> Lyle will bring up the rear and keep his eyes open for anything that 
> might up behind/under us.
> [/Lyle]

[GM]
The only thing behind the company is a lot of water.
[/GM]

> [Raven]
> Raven followed the others after they went ahead, preferring to be 
> last.
> [/Raven]

> [Ted]
> The lizard man jumps for the rope and begins climbing.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Ted still finds himself very weak, and climbing is more difficult than 
he expected.  The others notice volumnuous amounts of sweat pouring off 
of him.
[/GM]

[Talas]
Talas follows the others up.
[/Talas]

> [Carlos]
> Carlos will inch forward a little with his rifle in hand ready to
> fire if needed. He'll try to survey the area while waiting for his
> comrades to arrive.
> [/Carlos]

> [Alex]
> Alex will put her JA-12 away and switch to her C-12 Rifle. She will 
> then use levitation to float up the ladder way.
> 
> If there is anybody waiting on the other side, she will fire bursts 
> to suppress the enemy while others get up the passageway.
> [/Alex]

[GM]
Alex is the first to reach the top of the shaft, with Koba and Carlos
close behind. Both find themselves confronted by a scene of chaos. What
sounded like an army above is actual dozens of fishmen, some in clear
panic while others are trying to bridge a thirty foot gap in the passage
way between where the company is and the emergency airlock with pieces
of tubing, metal and whatever they can seem to scrounge up. A few
floating brains can be seen, the strange implants between the 
hemispheres of their loathsome bodies glowing bright red. The psychic
effect is so strong that Alex finds herself feeling a little ill, though
it's clearly not directed at her, but rather at the fishmen.

And then Alex catches sight of a familiar figure. Standing there is a
tall insectoid humanoid D-Bee standing about four and a half feet
tall, with pinchers where a mouth should be, four compound eyes and two
legs and four arms. This, if Alex, Koba and Carlos remember correctly,
is the submarine's medical officer, Dr. Zazbrurr. The D-Bee is wearing
some rather bizarre body armor, and in two hands are energy pistols and
in the other two are vibroblades. Behind him are two ape-like D-Bees and
four fishmen in bulky body armor with large guns. They ignore the
madness around them and stare straight at Alex and Carlos.

Alex [Strikes: 5 and 7] and Carlos [Strikes: 3 and 15] open fire.  One 
of the fishman dodges [Dodge: 8], but the insectoid, who is also struck, 
is unable to [Dodage: 1], and Alex's burst hits it in the chest [Damage: 
14MD].  Carlos's first shot goes over their heads, putting quite a deep 
hole in the ceiling above [Damage: 48MD], but the second hits one of the 
ape-like D-Bees, who also fails to dodge [Dodge: 13, Damage: 40MD].

At that moment the rest of the company arrives at the top of the shaft 
and see scene.  The four fishmen and the two ape D-Bees are clearly 
military trained as they drop down to defensive positions with rifles 
raised.  The insectoid D-Bee flings himself behind a bulkhead.

Then something truly awful comes into view.  It is like the other 
brains, only much much bigger, at least ten feet across.  Blood vessels 
throb and the brain seems to glow.  From a black, diamond-shaped 
structure between the two hemispheres emanates a purplish field.

A voice, disembodied but still clearly coming from the brain echoes 
through everyones' heads.  "Zazbrurr, you have failed me.  The Sunaj 
your lord sent me is dead and my redoubt in ruins.  The submarine cannot 
be taken and must be destroyed."  The insectoid falls back into view, 
clutching at its ant-like head and screaming.  Ooz drips between its 
clawed fingers and then it drops to the ground, its head split like a 
mellon.

Everone in the group feels the giant brain's attack like ripples in a 
pond.  They were not the targets, but some residual effect of the 
psychic attack can still do damage.  Carlos, Lyle and Talas feel it like 
a massive migraine.  Blood leaks from their noses and they actually take 
some physical damage (4 SDC).  Their vision is blurred so badly that 
combat will be difficult [-6 to Strike, Dodge and Parry].

The air around the brain thing begins to vibrate and then swirl like a 
whirlpool.  The emergency lights dim to almost nothing, and even the 
power inside environmental armor diminishes so that optics do not work 
properly.

The brain turns towards the company, and two horrifying eyes protruding 
from tendrily chords connected to the brain fixate on them.  "At least I 
know you all will die, trapped here, for your sub is about to be 
destroyed by mean remaining minions."  Now connected to this monster's 
mind, they can see three fishmen somewhere in the domed structure beyond 
carefully aiming what looks like a large laser cannon at the sub, which 
can be dimly glimpsed, still chained as a fierce battle between fishmen 
and sub crew takes place underwater.

The brain begins backing away towards the vortex, which now clearly is 
some sort of dimensional gateway.  Beyond can be vaguely glimpsed a 
terrifying world of pinkish oozing mounds, like moving flesh, set 
against a blood-red sky.  Unfortunately the brain and the vortex seem to 
be standing between the company and the fishmen about to start firing on 
the submarine.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com