Chapter 4: Dark Side of the Moon

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri rejoins his companions, and in a low voice not quite a whisper says, "They can fix my eyes. It's a days surgery. I'll need to wear eye bandages for a week, but the drones should compensate for that. Before i undergo the surgery, i thought to inform you all. I don't plan to stay a week here, though."

[Marullus]

*bump*

[redwarrior]

Hansel After a good night's sleep in an actual bed and free from immediate danger, Hansel spends the morning lingering over a breakfast in the diner, checks if there is any sort of a written or downloadable newsletter for the station I'm assuming that there isn't, or if there is that they won't share it, but acting like I'm trying to fit into this new environment., and then will strike up a conversation with anyone who looks open to small talk Connection roll. Just looking to expand known people who may end up being useful in the future.

After an hour or two there, Hansel will spend a while wandering through the the guest area. Finally, he will go back to the hub diner and get a "to-go" order and head to the elevator, with a stated intention, if asked, of checking in with Emile and seeing how he's doing. He takes his time looking in windows and doors on the way to the elevator. In reality, it's another chance to check out the station, and to see if he'll be allowed back to "reception." Essentially, are we guests or prisoners. Notice roll

Connect [2d6+2]=4+2=6
Notice [3d6c1+2]=9+2=11

[Marullus]

Pulling this forward because of the page break:

Time-wise, your actions were short. I'm going to say that completes the night - it is technically dawn and you're tired. I need durations (in hours or days) on your next set of actions as that's a deliberate choice. Taking time on actions will reduce difficulty, rushing raises the DC.

[Marullus]

Hansel comes to join the others for breakfast with fresh observations from Dantès the spacer and from his walk around the Deck B Hub. The blast doors at reception are closed; scanning his access card brings up a red light. The small display next to the door just reads, "Unoccupied." Likewise, the elevators are locked down, his access card bringing up a red light as well. Apparently, they are only programmed for Deck B access. On the positive side, his scanning at the doors does not appear to trigger any security response.

If it needs clarity: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Next move is up to you.

Ambiance: Hotel

He clears his throat, finishing the beef bourguignon on his plate with a few moments of silence. "It isn't so bad here... a more comfortable life than I ever had out there... We are all just prisoners here of our own device." He finishes his glass and raises a hand to signal for another. "You can choose how you go... but you can never leave."

It is dawn on day #2.

* Báleygr intends to sleep, go under surgery on the evening of day #2. He will awake late on day #3 blind, unable to see or control drones for up to six days, but stating an intent to leave with you while in that condition during that time.

* Hansel confirms that reception is locked, the elevators unaccessable.

* Unless stated otherwise, I am assuming you all sleep on day #2, getting up in late afternoon.

Other discussion and actions?

[redwarrior]

Yup, that's how I read the Hotel Calif lyrics, just wanted to make sure! Now we know, and as a kid who grew up watching GI Joe cartoons....

[jemmus]

Taavi indicated that he's willing to wait while the eye procedure happens. The first night on the station, he had a terrible dream. The last thing he remembers he was running for a door. He had to find a passage back to the place he was before. But the door was locked as tight as a drum.

Taavi will sleep late on Day #2. He'll test something at the diner. He'll order New London food-- steak Wellington, steak and kidney pie, chips, and fried tomatoes.

[Marullus]

*bump*

[Enoch]

Shadrach joins the others for breakfast, tucking into a dish of deruny topped with sour cream. He grunts at the news from Dantès, seemingly unsurprised. He swallows, washing the bite down with a swig of coffee, and speaks for the first time. "Figured this place was too good to be true. I can get past locked doors if we need to, but dealing with those cameras area different story. Maybe if Bal can disable the cameras or something I could snoop around.

"Taavi, have you heard anything from Emile?"

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri

"If we're on our way out, i don't care about the alarms or cameras. No one came to us in the portal room. They supposedly don't have weapons, or very few. It's timing the escape, getting our gear and Emile, and then porting back to the planet. I'd love to get my eyes fixed, but can we afford to stay for a week?"

[jemmus]

Taavi telepathically says, I have to admit, I'm at a loss for ideas of how to get out of this predicament. I'll happily go along with any plan anyone has. And agreed about trying to take Dante with us. He may have valuable knowledge about this place. And it's the humane thing to do.

I don't believe Taavi can establish a telepathic link with Emile. The contactee has to be visible. I kind of wished I'd saved Taavi's Psychic Commitment for something else for this scene. Such as Suppress Cognition.

[Marullus]

Taavi sleeps late on the second day, Balygyr goes for his appointment for eye surgery. Taavi tests a theory, ordering steak wellington, steak and kidney pie, chips, and fried tomatoes for dinner that evening. The food is brought out as requested, suitable fare exactly as he expected it. He notes, however, that it is exactly as one might expect a high-tech replicator to produce it and without the artistry of local knowledge that he found in his other meals, as Shadrach found in his deruny pancakes, or as he saw in Dantès' French dishes.

Balygyr awakens from the anesthesia on the morning of the third day, his head and eyes bound in thick bandages, a searing migraine pounding as his ocular nerves scream to his brain in pain. He is able to rise and follow the wall to the diner.

Balygyr has accepted the bargain and now can strike-out this flaw on his character sheet -

Your Sight is very weak. You cannot succeed at ranged combat rolls more than ten meters away.

He keeps the Slime Buffer mutation that came with it.

Also note: Balygr as a 3rd level Partial Magister still has mastery of only the same two spells, but now has 4 slots to cast them per day, not 3.
This will go up again at 5th level.

Balygyr now has 6 system strain and cannot safely use his occular nerves (by tearing off bandages and using his eyes or by using the drone controller) until they are healed. Unfortunately, Balygyr's Rectifier abilities do not include an option that speeds the healing of system strain, so this is just six days of rest. Surprisingly, I can't find any rules for what being blind does in the SWN:R rules (though several entries and items 'eliminate the penalties' of blindness. For simplicity, I will apply a -4 penalty of "almost total cover" to any roll, assuming the role is possible to attempt blind. Actually, let's make that -4 to d20 attacks and +2 to skill difficulties, since they're different types of rolls.

The group convenes again for breakfast.

...

Emile remains alone in his cell. He keeps his composure, meditating with his whistling of old Western tunes. A different person brings each meal, one in the morning and one at night, depositing them in a tray slot on the wall that allows only one side to open at a time. He sees nothing else move in the hallway outside the glowing plasma shield that serves as a door. Nothing else is in his room for entertainment. The lighting dims to the night cycle, brightens with a dawn, dims again for another night cycle, and brightens again, a new morning.

...

Taavi re-establishes his mental switchboard, communicating between Shadrach, Balygyr, Hansel, and Nora without any indication to those around them in the diner or listening through surveillance. Despite his hopeful attempts, he cannot reach Emile telepathically. That's 4 of 5 effort for Day 3. It only lasts for the breakfast discussion. You refresh again on day 4.

The sightless Balygyr is first to suggest a course of action over the link. "If we're on our way out, i don't care about the alarms or cameras. No one came to us in the portal room. They supposedly don't have weapons, or very few. It's timing the escape, getting our gear and Emile, and then porting back to the planet."

You guys seems stuck, and we've had a lot of lag. I'll help with a summary...

The group eats breakfast slowly as they discuss what they know so far, what options they have, and then decide what they must do...

• The Langtang station belonged to the Exchange of Light bankers from the Mandate, who follow a code called the Harmonious Way. Though the station went dark, they appear to be still thriving and living here on Deck B, waiting for the Exchange to be re-established. According to Dantes, rule-following and legalism are absolute, and though they appear peaceful even the waitress was capable of execution when rules were broken. "Nobody can know about the station and leave" is apparently one such rule, resulting in the eventual execution or disappearance of everyone else on his crew, and in the apparent detention of your team now as well.
• Emile declined to obey the station's rules. You haven't seen him since. Balygyr, however, heard his familiar whistling through the security doors beyond the clinic. Your goods are all secured in lockers in the Welcome Center, but which your access cards are denied access to. (They did promise to keep your things safe, they did not promise you'd ever see them again.)
• You know that the station's rules and plans are made by the Directors on A-Deck. You know that people from the community can be promoted to A-Deck, and they don't usually return. (The community presumes they get luxury apartments.) Your questioning of the community led you to believe they have absolute trust in the plans of the Directors, and don't feel a need to ask questions. The welcoming committee informed you is rare and prestigous to meet a Director. Karen was a Director from A-Deck and came down to personally give your group the tour. She revealed that they're re-establishing Exchange communication networks and banking, Karen seemed very irritated that your coming here has disrupted plans on the surface. You have the codes to request a second meeting with her if you need to.
• You still know nothing about A-Deck or C-Deck, which were firewalled from Balygyr's earlier hacking attempts. From all you've seen, the community all live on B-Deck. From the blueprints, you know you've only been shown the hub and one arm of B-Deck, and there are two other arms you were not allowed access to. You arrived in the portal room and came up the ramp from it to D-Deck. You went straight to the elevator, but surmised that D-Deck was mechanical station systems and not set to have a climate for regular habitation.
• You have decided it is creepy and wierd the way everyone in the community can and does pivot to your cultural understandings when they are speaking to you. Taavi (a native Kumehkan and leader of the group) noted that they speak perfect Kumehkan, treat you with culturally-appropriate greetings, and understand the nuance and art of Kumehkan cooking. You noted that Dantes had food that was exquisitely French. Taavi ordering British fare produced it from the replicators but without the same artistry. They have responded fluently in every language you've tried, including reacting to Balygyr in the infirmary in the native polynesian tongue of his Southern Isles home. Balygyr already noted that their internal station news feeds where in French.
• You came here using codes that Heavy the AI found in a hidden back-up file on the transporter, and that transporters are usually set for only two pairs of gates. The portal otherwise would have taken you to a location concurrent with the Sons of Vukodlak hideout, according to the triangulation of radio transmissions that Sheriff Skender was getting in Prudence from his old flame. The station had six portals, some offline, that connected to locations on the planet surface.
• You came to the station to find the relationships between the discoveries you've made so far as Marshalls, particularly between this and the Sons of Vukodlak, whom you were sent by Judge Lira to eliminate after your discoveries in Prudence. Those discoveries so far included multiple links to the supernatural - the Vukodlak werewolves preying on Prudence and badland towns, the ritual of Anita that opened a yet-to-be-closed portal under the Prudence Church (though Sister Amalia stayed to work on it), the necromancer Petyr with personal designs on the Wighte farmstead. You found the roadside club and that was a nest of otherwordly stripper-vampires and run by an enchanting succubus, and apparently a known hangout for both Petyr and the Vukodlak. All of these things had shadow servitors of some kind, the kind hunted by Shadrach's holy order. So far you've discovered nothing on the station relating to these things.

Current liabilities include that Emile is incarcerated, Balygyr is blind for six days, and you are locked out from your gear and access to any other decks.

You've been a pretty shoot-first group of Marshalls... you face a different set of problems here, being currently disarmed. Taking stock, you have the following other assets and capabilities:

• You appear to be relatively safe for as long as you don't break any rules.
• You have one Stationkeeper drone (which is unarmed but capable of hovering and monitoring unattended) that you've been permitted to use here.
• Some of you have kept knives on your person, but no firearms. Balygyr has informed you he is still secretly able to shoot somehow, though.
• Both Hansel and Nora are abnormally good at close-in fighting multiple opponents.
• If injured, Nora is a capable medic and Balygyr can heal you with his brain.
• Emile is reliant on his specially-prepared firearms, but therefore pretty good at contriving them. If he is not in prison and has access to basic materials on the station (as you do), he can make a servicable new firearm with a day's effort.
• You can access station terminals, which have access based on where they are. (i.e. terminals in security have more access than those in the bakery) Balygyr is a skilled hacker (rolling 3d6) but unfortunately nobody else has that experience (i.e. Program skill). Emile can Program, or any other skill, as long as it narratively relates to his training as a Knight of Chun Kuk.
• Shadrach can walk through walls and can summon his own shadow-hound.
• Shadrach automatically tests to see through Shadow illusions, and knows all the ways to fight Shadows.
• Taavi can teleport to anywhere he's seen before within 10 meters.
• Taavi can telekinetically manipulate things as with two hands and up to 200 pounds.
• Taavi can be prescient about an action just before you do it (see up to 1 minute in the future)
• Taavi can force a target to not think of any specific thing ("the presence of the telepath, the possibility of committing violence, the absence of important documentation, or any other single potential action or one specific person")
• Balygyr can change his own physical appearance and DNA convincingly enough to pass TL4 medical checks.
• Balygyr can spoof any biometric scanner (such as security doors), making any ally within 10m register on the scanner the way he wants them to.
• Balygyr is immune to acids, diseases, and contact toxins. In a fight, he ignores the first round of damage from a heat source, whether a bonfire, laser, plasma gun, or flamethrower.
• Emile take half damage, rounded down, from lasers, plasma, or other thermal or light attacks.
• Hansel is a smooth talker skilled in diplomacy and negotiation (rerolls 1s) and perceptive of details and opportunities (3d6 Notice)

Now discuss over breakfast while the telepathy lasts. Decide a plan. Tell me what day you do things.

[jemmus]

Taavi puzzles over the synthetic New London-style food. Perhaps these people originated in Kumekha, France, and wherever the pancakes were from. He doesn't see any practical significance to that possibility, though.

He says telepathically, "I think Shadrach's ability to walk through walls may be key. He can access areas that we can't enter using our cards. How can use that to our advantage? Perhaps he could access a terminal in the security area and open doors and give us access to the Badlands portal?"

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri

At breakfast via telepathy:
"If we take the time to watch and listen - discover patterns and hidden monitors. Convince the pilot to join us. Once i can see, i can take the form of a station native. Maybe use that to get through security to help. We need to find where Emile is exactly. Once i can see, i should be able to activate the drone that they locked up - hopefully blasting it out. But once we get aggressive, we have to leave. So, for now, we need to be subtle. Seem complacent. Gain their trust, if that's even possible. We need to gather more information."

[redwarrior]

Hansel seeks out Dantes, having learned that his is also an affectinnado of old Earth that Was musical groups, or at least one of them. After greeting him and asking several "newbie" questions about the station NOT asking about defenses, security, etc. More like "is the bread in the cafeteria the same as in the bakery" etc. and how Dantes spends his day, are there educational or work opportunities, etc. Over time, he works in "innocent" questions about station routines, how they determine who has access to where, how those who move the A deck are selected, but making sure that they are "general" enough to hopefully not trigger any security alerts from the microphones that he assumes are as common as the cameras. During this time, he carefully looks for anyone paying him attention out of the corner of his eyes.

After a while, when the conversation has gotten comfortable, He works in that This really is such a lovely place. and a little later, So, I told Maria that I had heard some people talking ... and that letter that she wrote me made me stop and wonder why. Anyway, I guess you can sometimes see the stars Points out the window And still not see the light. Don't you think that's right? A little later Deciding to go for broke. I really miss leaves on the wind, watching how they soar... Oh, just to see them again... anyway, my friends are waiting and I should get back to them.


Talk [2d6+3]=10+3=13
Notice [3d6c1+2]=11+2=13

[jemmus]

Taavi enjoys his New London-ish breakfast, as strange as it is to a Kumekhan. (Even more strange than the notoriously strange real New London breakfasts is to everyone else on the Earth that Was). He notes and mentally nods his personal agreement to Baleygr. "Yes, we can bide our time. The Sons will still be there, when we return. But we have to return, if we're going to check them."

The civil servant lawyer listens in on Hansel's discussion with Dantes and takes careful mental notes, without interrupting. Aside from extremely brief, "Copy, marshal-- thanks." And to Nora, "Ms. Nora, you're new to this means of communication. It's from us." He looks up from sawing a sauteed red tomato and into her eyes. "Yes, from us," his eyes say. "There are cameras and mics everywhere, your face or eyes can't reveal a thing to them." He reaches for his cup of coffee and it's not there. Heh, I thought I'd try a New London-style breakfast. Never been there. But I forgot they don't take coffee with it. They take tea, maybe? Or coffee afterwards?

"Ms. Nora, this is one means of quiet communication we have. We must not ever let our faces betray thinking about things, puzzlement, or active mental communication. You and Oliver both have known and very valuable skills. We can open this communication with Oliver too. But I think not, unless it's an emergency. I have faith in you as a fighter and psychologist-- and actor-- to do what you you think is best, in the current situation."

The not especially suave civil servant lawyer cuts at the skin of the sauteed tomato, forks it and raises it for a bite. He makes a face and politely ahems and clears his throat to summon the waitress. I'm sorry, Madam, I thought I might try a New London breakfast. They take some getting used to, don't they? Could I just have some simple Kumekhnan griddle pancakes?' Oh, maybe three orders. I think this table can finish those, with no unneeded waste.

By the way, what part of Kumekhna do you come from? I'll admit, I grew up in Veltif. Nobody has ever heard of it, but it's a little dogtop beside the Highway 90. You've probably seen it. It has a famous kolaches pastries bakery spot. In poor old Kumehna...

"Marshalls. Ms. Nora... They might all be AI?

[Marullus]

Ambiance: Already Gone

Hansel is no stranger to recruiting assets. He slides in with his own breakfast plate in hand, ensuring he doesn't attract any attention, building rapport with the spacer pilot. Dantès chuckles as Hansel joins him, sliding over to make room. "I thought I'd have to have my lunch all by myself."

The pilot is initially reticent. As he already explained, he watched the rest of his crew perish or disappear for being ambitious in their plans to leave. Hansel works skillfully throughout the conversation to reassure his concerns discretely. "Well, I know it wasn't you who held me down; Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free," Dantès replies, thoughtfully eating his crêpes. "So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key."

He sighs, pausing for a long moment. Then, looking up at Hansel, he has a new sparkle behind his eyes. "Some say I am a hard-headed man... but I'm ready for life in the fast lane." He nods solemnly. He is in.

Over successive collaborations, Dantès relays that he spends most days watching movies in the theater and he has the high score on the Wayfinder video game; there's no expectations for him to work or be educated... just that he follow the rules. It is no wonder he has lingered in his ennui.
Hansel learns that the Dantès docked his ship on the end of Arm A, the one past the infirmary. There's no visible distinction between any role, no insignia on the identical uniforms, which bothers the pilot. The only difference is the welcome center, where their whole outfit changes, like it did for you all. Sometimes, the Diner manager would end up in French fashions when Dantès hangs out there a while, too, but not since your whole group started hanging out here. The basic areas open with key cards but the security doors require occular scans and handprints - he despaired at any attempt to hack them admitting he does have some experience with modern programming as a spacer pilot. He only saw one promotion to A Deck when he was here almost a year ago - a middle aged woman just below average human height, her irises a slightly natural shade of brown with a slight reddish tint to them from her occular implants. He only talked to her once or twice, but she was intuitive with an incisive mind - a natural leader among this consensus-based society. He was sad she didn't come back. He's not sure about the relationship between A Deck, the Directors, and the Board of Eternals... he thinks the Board of Eternals are probably what A Deck gets promoted to.

Nice rolls! You have successfully recruited Dantès. He has Pilot, Program, and Punch as skills with a specialization in Pilot. He will help with the escape plan based on an expectation that you're taking him with you back to space.

"Heh, I thought I'd try a New London-style breakfast. Never been there. But I forgot they don't take coffee with it. They take tea, maybe? Or coffee afterwards?"

Nora looks at the steak Wellington, steak and kidney pie, chips, and fried tomatoes on the table in front of Taavi, her expression inscrutable.

Connected to her mind, Taavi feels a wash of love, anguish, and anger, seeing the flash of memories brought on by the food - her mother at the Wighte farm stove, the portal in her lab with a shimmering reflection of a terminal way-station on the other side, other portals visible in an ornate brick room through the portal. A young Petyr winking at her as he steps through to the far side.

Portal 02.png (111.5 KiB) Viewed 546 times

"You don't eat wellington or steak pie for breakfast," Nora says flatly, looking at his plate. "The only thing you got right is the fried tomatoes. You missed the sausages, black pudding, back bacon, eggs, mushrooms, fried bread, and beans." She places one hand on Oliver's, silencing him as he is about to chime in. "My mother was from New London. It was her portal." She stops herself and looks around, then repeats herself telepathically instead. "Sorry. My mother was from New London. It was her portal."

"...and she liked an orange pekoe tea." With that, Nora rises and goes to the counter to speak with the cook. You overhear the cook replying in a proper New London accent and he nods, affecting a reserved British demeanor as he turns his spatula back to the griddle. Nora returns with a proper Full Breakfast for herself and a new Steak Wellington for Taavi. Taavi tries the wellingtons side by side, the new one awash in the nuance of artful flavors, British though they may be.

" 'ere ya go, Love," smiles the waitress, focusing on Nora and putting down her cup of orange pekoe tea. Nora smiles down at Oliver and ruffles his hair, sliding the plate over to share it with him. "I am no psychologist. Only one thing is 'best' in this situation... you're going to do what you need to to make sure Oliver is safe, and that he doesn't die for your plans. Otherwise everyone's going to see what kind of fighter I really am. Don't fuck this up." Nora locks eyes with Taavi, looking for recognition on his face, then goes back to a bite of black pudding. "I don't think they're AI... not like Heavy, at least. He's not adaptable at all. Its like they're all telepathic or something. Are you sure they're not listening?"

[Marullus]

*bump*

[jemmus]

Taavi returns Nora's gaze and gives a solemn nod, which he turns midway into a courteous social one. I suppose my ignorance of the world outside Kumekha is showing. I've never been outside the country-- well, hadn't been, until now. I don't know how faithful this food is to New London's , but it is delicious. He considers Nora's telepathic words, about how the people here may be telepathic. It could make sense. Their organization was formed before attitudes toward psychics changed after the scream. Perhaps they continuously carried on the heritage and the training? In which case....

He says aloud, I'm afraid I had some trouble sleeping last night and I'm slow to wake up. I believe I'll have a tea to, ahem... clear my head. He glances around to the marshals, to confirm that that was a hint to be caught. He stands and goes to the waitress to place his order.

[Marullus]

I'm unclear what your intent/action here is?

Overall, looking for "what's next" action-wise for the group. Or, we can fast-forward six days until Balygyr's eyes are better if you're loitering.