falloutpnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 23

The following takes place shortly after Curt, Kassie and Sonny’s assault on Charles’ henchmen (refer to Session 21)

An hour has passed since Charles left Skitters, Ploom and Oak for the Three Dragons HQ. In that time, the raider co-leader has inspected the facilities and is rather pleased to see the progress Sybil has made. The building is close to being completely outfitted to defend against an attack from The Wasps and the clan has received support from former rivals to band together against this threat.

As Charles and Sybil discuss their next steps, the gates granting access to the HQ are hurriedly opened, allowing for an injured Skitters to drive through. The raider bodyguard is distraught at the loss of Ploom and Oak but eventually calms himself enough to explain their encounter with Sonny, Curt and Kassie. A furious Sybil demands revenge against Charles’ two mercenary comrades. Before he can make a decision, however, raider guards arrive to inform Charles and Sybil that a wounded man has arrived at the gates. Furthermore, the man claims to be responsible for killing Oak and Ploom and demands to speak with the clan’s leaders.

Knowing that Sybil will not be able to contain her rage, he orders her to stay back while he speaks with Sonny. The furious raider leader complies, saying she will stand back a fair distance.

With the wind howling through the re-fitted underground entrance, Charles cautiously approaches the gate and orders the drunken gunslinger to throw down his firearms. Sonny, weary from his severe injuries, complies, lazily throwing his revolver to the ground. Staring each other in the eye across the gated fence, Charles asks Sonny what it is exactly that he wants. Sonny retells the series of events which has led him here - his service in the NCR; the death of his family at the hands of Oak; his quest for revenge.

Charles remains silent.    

Sonny asks what does he and Sybil stand for? Before Charles is able to give a credible answer, Sonny interrupts him to muse over concept of the cycle of bloodshed ever ending. Charles says words to the effect of “It’s in our nature to fight.” Sonny chuckles, saying that he has a way to end the cycle.    

Sonny throws open his long duster coat to reveal he is wearing a bandolier rigged with explosives. Instinctively, Charles dives for cover just as the gunslinger hits the trigger on a concealed detonator. The bomb explodes, sending a volley of deadly shrapnel and a violent shockwave through the gate with enough force to destroy a large portion of the entrance. Though he has sustained several injuries, Charles is able to drag himself out of the rubble and look behind him at the damage Sonny has wrought.

The fortified entrance - which was nearing completion - is completely destroyed. A dozen or so raider corpses have been strewn about the place with several others injured. Sonny - or rather, what’s left of him - lies dead in a shallow crater.

A flustered and distraught Sybil rushes to Charles’ aid. When she sees that he is okay, she is enraged by the destruction Sonny has caused and demands Charles to resolve the issue, pinning the blame squarely on Curt and Kassie. Still thinking over the situation, Charles suddenly receives a call on his specially created radio - one thought to only be reachable by Sybil and his personal entourage. He is stunned to hear the voice of Major Maxwell on the other end of the line. The Major reveals he has known for a while about Charles’ dealings with raiders but chose to remain silent for as long as possible. Explaining that he can no longer keep quiet about Charles’ “operation” he offers to meet the raider leader and propose an amicable solution to their problem. Maxwell ends the communication, saying that he will await his reply…

Sybil asks Charles what he’ll do. Without missing a beat, Charles tells his wife that he will go to Phoenix and resolve the situation with diplomacy. Sybil is furious and demands Charles be a man and fix the problem with violence. The raider leader infuriates Sybil further when he asks if she is on her period, receiving a stern slap in retort.

A stunned silences befalls the raider base, which is only broken by the shuffling footsteps of the clan’s shaman elder. When the elderly man offers marriage counseling, Sybil threatens to banish Charles if he leaves to go to Phoenix. In an incredible display of arrogance, Charles flippantly tells Sybil to calm down, relax, do some drugs - whatever she needs to do to stop being a bitch. Sybil’s patience has reached her limits. The shaman elder, once again, offers to give marriage advice…

Winston, who has staired in wide eyed horror at the events which have unfolded before him, is snapped out of his rigid fear when Charles summons him to drive him back to Site 187. Sybil kicks debris in his direction, swearing bloody murder if their paths should ever cross again.

The pair travel to Site 187 in complete silence. Charles isn’t interested in discussing the matter with Winston. Likewise, the ebony driver believes his life would be much simpler if he kept his mouth shut…

When they arrive at their destination, they discover the place is completely quiet, save for one office overlooking part of the warehouse. Maxwell and Blythe have been awaiting their arrival for sometime. When Charles and Winston reach the offices, the Major tells them to take a seat. Blythe, who is clearly agitated, opens his briefcase and throws several photographs across the table. The dates on the photos reveal just how long the pair have known about Charles, Winston and The Three Dragons - dating as far back as Charles’ interactions with them “pre-marriage”. Maxwell gets straight to the point: in exchange for not handing the pair over to the NCR, Charles will ensure safe passage for Phoenix Corporation once they go ‘private’. Charles says he is fine with the principle but he wants more in more in return and proposes they make a ‘business deal’. Blythe objects. Maxwell says he is listening. Blythe, in a fit of disbelief, walks out of the meeting, claiming it’s the only thing giving him ‘plausible deniability’ should he be interrogated. Maxwell smirks.

The Major reveals details about ‘the machine’ hidden under Site 187. Believing it to be a weapon of some sort, Maxwell wants Charles and Winston to be involved with securing Dr Drexler. Charles is interested but wants two sentry turrets and two missile launches in return. He tells the Major to consider it as a ‘goodwill gesture’ for their future interactions. The pair parley for several minutes before reaching an agreement. Maxwell releases the weapons in return for Charles and Winston’s involvement with Operation Swift Breeze and for their cooperation in the future. Charles decides to return to his Raider HQ alone, telling Winston he has some things to work out with his wife…

Returning to HQ, Charles is greeted by his comrades with trepidation. Something is going on. He eventually finds Sybil with the Shaman, high as a kite. The Shaman spots Charles and invites him one more time for marriage counselling. Charles reluctantly accepts. Sybil - whose violent tendencies have been subdued by the copious amounts of jet she has inhaled - calmly explains that she feels Charles does not take their marriage and their family seriously. The Shaman, who is equally high as fuck, offers Charles a moment to talk. Charles agrees that his behaviour has been unacceptable and apologises. Furthermore, he reveals he has a surprise for Sybil.

The missile launchers and turrets are well received, so much so, that when Charles reveals he is going on another mission with the Phoenix Corporation, Sybil is too overwhelmed with euphoria to care…

Present time.

Please note that for the sake of continuity, the new character, Dash (played by Alex), has been with the mission all along…

With Sasha having bailed the plummeting aircraft, the rest of The Misfits are left to their own devices to survive. Hurtling towards the ground, Hobson struggles against all odds to wrestle the vertibird under his control. Finally, after an agonising moment of terror, the pilot skilfully manages to reduce crashing speed to 30 kmph. In the resulting crash, Curt and Winston suffer broken legs whilst Billy and Dash sustain broken arms. As The Misfits begin to pick themselves up, they discover that the wreckage has caught fire. More troubling, Lotta discovers that Hobson has been blinded and is trapped in his seat. With the fire raging around them, the robot is able to save Hobson’s life, pulling him from the wreckage.

As the team sighs a breath of relief, they begin to heal themselves with stimpaks. Dr Balint tends to the more severely wounded of the group, managing to heal Curt and Winston’s broken legs before tending to Hobson’s sight. Meanwhile, Charles attempts to heal Dash and Billy, and while he is successful at healing Billy’s broken arm, he is completely unable to help Dash. Jack, who is a talented bullshit artist, puts a cigarette in his mouth and decides to give healing ago himself. Against all odds, the silver tongued devil actually manages to critically heal Dash’s arm. Unfortunately though, Balint is completely unable to heal Hobson’s sight - the pilot requires extensive surgery with specialist equipment.

Although the group is shocked by Hobson’s condition, they must press on. Reade begins immediately scouting the area. The site they’ve crashed into is a wooded area on the outskirts of Oceanside. Dead husks of trees point skywards, twisted and deformed by the spoiled nutrients in the ground. A few meters away is the cracked and ruined remains of a road. As Reade looks out, she orders the Misfits to secure the perimeter while she and Schuster discuss their options.

Perhaps driven by his primal instinct, Charles decides to camouflage himself within the foliage and wait for the inevitable. Sure enough, the inevitable strikes… Lotta spots an ACU truck heading down the road towards their direction. Kurt and Cassie climb a tree and take over what could prove to be a devastating firing point, while Winston takes a proactive approach to dealing with the steadily spreading Vertibird fire… The rest of the team immediately dashes for cover and hides in ambush, awaiting their enemy to draw closer. As the ACU truck makes their approach, the team hold their breaths…

As the ACU soldiers pull up and pile out of their vehicle, they immediately spot Lotta and Jack. Unfortunately, a metal alloy body frame and a checkered suit make for poor camouflage…

The ACU soldiers immediately pull back and take cover behind their truck, laying down a barrage of suppressing fire on Lotta and Jack. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Jack is struck multiple times by laser fire, forcing Lotta to grab and drag him out of danger. Charles, who at this point had been carefully stalking his prey, is spotted by the enemy. He immediately takes the opposite side of the truck for cover as the rest of the undetected Misfits move in for the kill. Pandora manages to stealthily climb on top of the canvas laden ACU truck, with SMG in hand. At the same time an ACU soldier pulls the pin on a grenade…

Dash, simply put, is jinxed. Everyone who experiences a failure in combat - friend or foe - will experience a 50% chance of that failure becoming a critical failure. This curse is an important factor which plays into the unfolding events…

Charles drops to the floor and shoots at the soldiers’ feet, causing the enemy to fumble and drop the grenade they were holding. The explosive device detonates seconds after the trigger is released, crippling or outright killing several of the enemy. As Dash opens fire with his Solar Scorcher pistol, the ACU commander rushes out of cover in a valiant effort to eliminate Charles. He fails, critically, and the weapon explodes in his hands. He is utterly decimated by the intense rays of laser fire, emanating from Dash’s energy weapon.

Severely crippled and without a commander, the ACU soldiers begin to panic. Pandora fires her SMG from the vehicle rooftop, showering the enemy with a hail of 9mm. Following suit, Lotta opens fire with it’s SMG, peppering a soldier to the brink of death - only for Billy to kill steal and finish him off with a double barrel blast of shotgun fire (much to Lotta’s annoyance). As their ranks stagger, Kassie leaps down from the tree, Proton Axe in hand and carves out a vicious wound on an unsuspecting enemy soldier. Curt rains down M60 fire, providing enough support for Kassie to escape ACU retaliation.

At some point during the combat, Winston manages to prevent the vertibird wreckage from exploding, which could have dealt a devastating blow to the Misfits.

The remaining enemy soldier opens fire in an attempt to kill Kassie. He fails - critically - resulting in yet another weapon detonation. With his ears ringing loudly, Schuster finally puts him out of his misery with a well placed sniper round.

With the enemy destroyed, the Misfits immediately scavenge their bodies for weapons and ammunition, as an anxious Reade looks on into the distance, knowing that this is only the beginning…

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #falloutpnp #fallout pnp #fallout 4 #fallout tactics #fallout 76 #fallout76

[falloutpnp]

Session 22

Weighing in her options, Pandora decides to elicit the help of the silver tongued jackal, Jack Shady. With night fully descended upon The Boneyard, the pair arrive at the NCR HQ grounds and plan their point of entry. Although she has a fully working NCR passcard, Pandora decides to only use it as a last resort and seeks out an entrance she can sneak through. When she eventually spots an inviting opening, Pandora tells jack to go to the main entrance and distract the main guard by asking for Mr Blythe, believing this should provide a decent cover story. As Jack makes his way towards the main entrance, Pandora sneaks towards a loading entrance.

The loading entrance slopes down slightly towards the basement floor of the main building, where two parked vans are being loaded with crates by NCR soldiers. The light footed synth manages to sneak by the guards without issue and passes through the loading bay doors, finding herself in reprographics. The department - apparently the workhorse behind the NCR’s propaganda machine - is littered with posters and leaflets describing the horrors of the ACU and what to do in the event of a sudden invasion. Pandora pushes forward…

Jack, meanwhile, enters the small main entrance lobby and approaches the security desk. The guard, who is lazily thumbing through a magazine, asks Jack to state his business. Jack demands to speak with William Blythe immediately about matters of great concern. When the guard explains that it is highly unlikely Mr Blythe is available at this time, Jack becomes insistent. The guard begrudgingly makes a call and, much to his surprise, someone is on the other line. A few moments later, a visibly exhausted Blythe appears, asking what Jack wants. Jack emotionally demands that the pair speak in private, cryptically saying that he has been up all night and needs to get something off his chest. The guard immediately misconstrues Jack’s words as a ‘lovers tiff’ and stifles a mocking laugh. Blythe, flush with embarrassment escourts Jack to his office so that he can get to the bottom of this.

From the basement, Pandora manages to find a stairwell which leads to the ground floor. The building is much more sprawling and confusing than she had initially anticipated; it is a labyrinth of intimidating scale. Despite this, Pandora presses on in search of valuable information. She eventually stumbles upon a caged off area known as SIB (Special Investigations Branch). Using her lockpick skills, she manages to carefully open the metal cage door and proceed forward. Between the offices scattered around, she discovers what appears to be an archive or sorts. Although she doesn't find anything of interest, Pandora eventually hears the dull sounds of a beating, coming from below. She pears through a grate - seemingly created specifically for observing the room below - and sees a chained man being beaten by another. Outside of her scope of lision, a man sits behind a desk demanding answers from the prisoner. Although the hooded prisoner does not speak, Pandora has a feeling that the man below could be none other than Estefan Aguila, the owner of the Top Hat Club from the previous mission. The synth decides to carefully back away, making a note to revisit the room later if an opportunity presents itself.     

Blythe’s office, situated in the Civ Sec department, is functional but with a few personal touches to make it more comfortable. The civil servant opens a globe bar, produces two glasses, then thinking better of himself and puts one of them away before pouring a single tumbler of whiskey. Blythe, muttering that this is against his better judgement, asks what exactly Jack wants. He is caught nearly off guard by Jack’s response: Jack is concerned about the ACU advancement and wants to work towards ending the crisis. Stunned, the civil servant enthusiastically agrees with Jack, prompting him to sheepishly reach for the whiskey again to pour his guest a drink. However, it isn’t too long before Blythe figures out Jack’s ploy; the silver tongued devil is looking to profit from the situation, admitting that perhaps it would be a good chance for ‘the people’ to rise against oppression. Blythe pulls the whiskey tumbler away from the conman’s hand, warning Jack that his patience has run out; Blythe will not longer entertain any harebrained schemes he might have in store for him. The civil servant highlights that this treasonist conversation never happened and is halfway through ushering Jack out when the conman strikes upon a classic time stalling idea: he tells Blythe that he has to pee.

The moment he enters the bathroom stall, Jack radios through to Pandora and informs her that he cannot stall any longer and that he’ll be escorted off the premises shortly. Jack emerges from the bathroom and is hauled out of the building in a curt manner by Blythe.

At the exact same moment, Pandora catches a glimpse of the pair comically marching through the hallways. Creeping out from the shadows, she tiptoes past Blythe’s office, reaching an area called ‘Front Corridor’. Although she does not understand the significance of this area fully, she understands enough; thick, soundproof doors cover entrance ways into grand and important offices. When she spies one of these doors cracked partially open, Pandora carefully slips in undetected. The synth discovers a treasure trove of information that she does not fully comprehend: a large geologically accurate map of a city - Oceanside - is spread over a desk littered with military models, indicating military strategic infrastructure. Military jargon adorns every available space on the paper map, leaving Pandora at a loss as to what to make a note of. She’s half set on stealing the large, cumbersome chart when a lightswitch in an adjacent room is flicked on. With moments to spare, Pandora ducks and dives below the large table and curls up into a ball, fearing the worst. A shiver travels down her spine when the insincere and condescending tones of a certain Field Marshall greats her ears…

Field Marshall Trump, standing alongside an unseen army officer, loudly discusses what he calls a brilliant and tremendous plan. Recognising the immense threat of the ACU, Trump believes the best way to counter them would be to allow the city of Oceanside to fall, paving the way for further military grants from President Kimball. Trump seemingly believes that the collateral damage is a fair trade and that, overall, the loss would still put the NCR at an advantage. Bottomline: he believes that by consolidating the NCR’s forces, he’ll have be able to launch a counter offensive that will rain enough fire and fury on the enemy to halt them in their tracks. The unseen officer enthusiastically agrees.

The pair soon walk away, continuing their discussion in another room. A good fifteen or twenty minutes pass before Pandora feels safe enough to creep out of the office. She briefly scans the room for a safe or potential loot to be stolen but is turns off from the idea, fearing that the Field Marshall could return at any given moment; a proposal that could prove fatal and - worst still - annoying. Pandora carefully pushes towards the still open door, gently pushing it open. Peeking through the crack, she notices that the coast is clear and makes a break for it. She turns the corner and collides nearly head on with an unseen figure.

Pandora is stunned to meet face-to-face with none other than Mr Blythe, who is curiously holding a flashlight and small leather pouch of sorts. Blythe, who is equally stunned, quickly puts on his authoritative face and demands to know what Pandora is doing here. Seizing the moment, Pandora’s sharp tongue strikes back when she points out Blythe’s “squeaky clean” demeanor seems questionable. Blythe blinks and folds, admitting that he had come to seek out the information in the very room Pandora had just escaped from. She immediately shares her newly found information about Trump’s plans to allow Oceanside to fall - a notion that causes Blythe to become visibly worried. The civil servant comments that this will cause issues. Although he is appreciative of hearing this information first hand, he switches tact and impresses on Pandora that her actions have also jeopardised the Phoenix Corporation’s plans. He tells her that he may have a way to help her escape undetected and they’re about to move when Pandora remembers the prisoner she discovered earlier. Blythe pauses and weights up his options and is about to tell her that escape is their top priority when Pandora explains that she believes the prisoner to be Estefan Aguila. This changes things… the captured ACU affiliate could provide valuable intelligence on the enemy’s movements on Oceanside.

The pair reach SIB, where the prisoner is still undergoing interrogation. With his knowledge of the layout of the building, Blythe decides the best course of action would be for him to sneak down below and enter the room via a distraction caused by Pandora. After arriving below and signalling via radio, Pandora causes a distraction, forcing the interrogators to leave the cell, locking the door behind them. A brief moment passes and the unmistakable sound of tumblers rolling and locking mechanisms releasing fills Pandora’s ears; Blythe enters the cell, alone. He creeps up to the prisoner and begins to speak with him just as the pair of interrogators reach the SIB corridor. Sneaking between mobile archive shelves and enveloping herself in darkness, Pandora successfully evades her hunters just long enough for Blythe to finish his questioning of the prisoner.

Waiting for the coast to clear, Blythe and Pandora reunite. The civil servant explains that the man is, indeed, Aguila but is unable to go into detail at the moment, other than to say that the ACU invasion could happen sooner than expected. Fearing that the SIB interrogators will alert the guards to strange activity, Blythe rushes Pandora through her port of entry - reprographics. Upon reaching the department, Blythe manages to bullshit and smooth talk his way into distracting the soldiers, allowing for a Pandora to make a clean escape. The synth walks into the darkened streets and disappears into the slumbering night of the metropolis, like the tailend of a dream that cannot be remembered…

Hours before Pandora, Jack and Blythe’s evening escapades, Billy Block is reminded by his appointed attorney of estate, Baxter Grenville, that he still has a lot of money to spend. During the previous mission, Billy was successful in gambling away 50% of the money he is required to get rid of in order to inherit his deceased Great Uncle’s fortune. However, a large percentage of his spending remains and time is running out. Out of ideas, Billy turns to Baxter who remembers that the local mayoral elections are due soon. He suggests that running for mayor could run up a costly bill, however, Billy is less keen on the idea as politics are not his foray. That said, he does get an idea…

The duo set off into the streets with a concept; hold a gigantic party which not only abides by the rules of the game but also gives him access to people who could potentially help him further. While gathering the costs involved for such organising such an event, Billy overhears that a local inventor is looking for a wealthy investor. Billy and Baxter eventually at a local scrap heap, where a crazed and delirious man, calling himself ‘Jetset Willy’ is seeking funds to help create a line of jetpacks which will allow people to easily traverse the dangerous wastelands. Excited that the idea could prove to be extremely expensive, Billy asks for a demonstration. The mad inventor - who enjoys smoking cigarettes through a corncob pipe - straps a clearly dangerous device to his back. The device, resembling a large vacuum cleaner with misshapen steel wings, is clearly unfit for flight. With both Billy and Baxter not being technologically included, they see no threat in the machine and continue to insist on the demonstration. Jetset Willy pulls on a set of goggles and a leather football helmet before twisting several knobs and dials laid out on handheld controls. The device whirls into life and blasts out a thunderous roar before catastrophically failing. Willy is immediately obliterated by a powerful explosion that shows the area in hot metal and charred flesh. Baxter - who at this point has unfurled his umbrella in an attempt to cover Billy from falling flesh - announces he’ll continue with organising the party.

That evening, the party is in full swing. In a stroke of genius, Baxter not only hired the most expensive hall he could find but also informed the proprietors that the party was intended for everyone - including common riff-raff - thus raising the price even further. The venue happens to be a pre-war hotel which matches the same level of class as the former Top Hat Club. Moments after opening, the hall is completely filled with the rich, influential and the common dregs of society. Between the wealthy enjoying copious amounts of expensive alcohol and the drug addicted commonors gorging on heaps of food, Billy decides that standing for mayor might actually work out to be a spectacular waste of money. He informs and eager Baxter, who gladly offers to organise the paperwork…

The following morning, the Misfits are summoned to a mission briefing - a mission which Maxwell promises will be their last as mercenaries. The Major speaks on behalf of the entire company, giving voice to their concern about the NCR and the highly likely impending war with the ACU. However, in order to achieve their goals of being self sufficient without government funding, Maxwell reveals that the Misfits must be thrust into danger one last time. Operation Swift Breeze will see the unit travel to nearby Oceanside and retrieve a former Enclave scientist, known as Docter Homer Langley  Drexler - the only known person who can give Phoenix Corporation an understanding the mysterious machine in Site 187’s basement. The doctor has proven to be a difficult man to locate but a trusted contact of Maxwell’s says that he has been able to find Drexler. The team’s orders are to liaise with William Kauffman - the Major’s contact - who will lead them to Drexler’s location. From there, the Misfits must extract and return to Site 187. To complicate matters, the ACU seem poised to strike at any moment; the Misfits will not have time to dawdle. To that end, the unit is bolstered with a large supply of ammunition and supplies for the journey, as well as additional personnel - Hobson will provide logistical/air support with the Vertibird, while Sgt Schuster will be on the ground with the unit. Lt Auden will provide comms assistant and mission intel from Site 187 while Blythe will keep his ears to the ground at NCR HQ, relaying any helpful information he may discover. The briefing ends with Maxwell reminding the Misfits that they are fighting for a better future for themselves.

With the briefing concluded, Maxwell and Blythe pull Pandora aside to have a conversation about the events which unfolded the night before. Although she is reprimanded for her unacceptable behaviour - in which she could have jeopardised the Phoenix Corporation’s smooth release from the NCR’s grip - the Major does admit that without the information she unearthed, the mission could have ended prematurely in failure. Maxwell warns Pandora not to do anything reckless like that again.

Thirty minutes later, the Misfits depart from Site 187 in their Vertibird on their final mission. While some of them are apprehensive about what the future may hold, some of them are just happy that they’ll soon be hired as independent contractors. While they do not consider the NCR are their enemy, working with them has not been in their best interests; the hardships and sacrifices they have made for them have rarely yielded worthwhile rewards.

Any anxious or prosperous thoughts are suddenly jarred into a screeching halt when Hobson shouts panicked warnings of an incoming missile. Alarms blair and evasive maneuvers are taken but they are all in vain: a missile of some description smashes into one of the engines, immediately causing the vehicle to rapidly spin out of control. Hobson fights for control and does his best of stabilize the vertibird, while the Misfits remain steadily fastened in their seats. However, Sasha - in a stroke of fantastical foresight - had remembered to secure a parachute he had previously stolen during the previous mission. Though he is conflicted about abandoning ship, the few crewmates who spot Sasha encourage him to eject and deploy the parachute. Overcoming his anxiety, Sasha unbuckles his safety belt and flings himself out of the aircraft. Hurtling through the air, Sasha manages to wrestle with the primary ripcord of the parachute and successfully deploys it. With his descent stabilized, the ghoul looks on in horror as his comrades continue their spiralling descent into a wooded area below. His gaze is stolen away from him as he looks up and around at the billowing clouds of black smoke streaming across the grey sky.

Oceanside has already fallen to the ACU.

#fallout pnp #fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout tactics #fallout 76

[falloutpnp]

Session 21

As two days pass, the Phoenix Corporation headquarters has become a hive of activity. The small office complex is slowly being boxed and moved in preparation for their relocation to Site 187. Although the majority of their belongings and equipment have been packed, there remains a few remnants in the building and inside the ‘annex’ - a re-purposed cargo vertibird which had collided into the building long before Phoenix Corporation had arrived. As Maxwell finishes loading another truck load of items, he invites the rest of the team over to Site 187.

Site 187 is a large facility ringed off by a chain link fence and nestled inside a clearing between large surrounding hills. Previously, it had been held by the NCR as some sort of depot for logistical operations. However, with the Misfits’ success in Operation Lion’s Den, the plot has now been awarded to Maxwell. The facility houses multiple offices, a large cargo bay, a canteen, sleeping barracks with individual rooms and a deep underground basement.

As the others wander around the building, Maxwell spots Pandora and asks her to follow him. They arrive at an elevator where Reade and Blythe are waiting. After exchanging pleasantries, the descend into the bowls of the building, where the Major begins to explain what they are all doing here and why Site 187 is so significant.

It is revealed that Blythe’s father was an Enclave scientist who sought from the NCR after the collapse of the government in the Capital Wasteland, Washington DC. In exchange for safety, Blythe’s father, Dr Richard Blythe, agreed to providing his insight and expertise in advanced technology. While he would see his son grow to become an NCR civil servant, Richard would eventually succumb to cancer he had developed as a consequence to work with radioactive materials. However, before he died, Richard told his son of a hidden facility hidden somewhere in California: an Enclave laboratory that housed a mysterious device that would help in their darkest hour…

After several years working for the NCR, the son would eventually come into contact with Major Maxwell and the Phoenix Corporation. Through a mutual understanding of the dangers that the world has to offer, the pair formed an alliance to work towards a single goal: discovering technology for the betterment of mankind.

The elevator reaches the basement and the group walk through the dank underbelly of the facility. Equipped with a flashlight and a map with technical plans, they follow Blythe to the end of a long corridor and watch while he carefully inspects at an electrical panel. Maxwell carries on to explain that they can all see the threat that the ACU represents. They need to prepare to defend against that threat; acting as mercenaries means that the Phoenix Corporation will be thrown into a war that the NCR are too incompetent to fight.

Blythe finally pulls a lever and flicks a set of circuit breakers. The hallway comes to life as electricity surges through its veins and light bursts onto the scene. Though they seem to have reached a dead end, Maxwell steps forward and opens another electrical panel. Though it seems to bare no special purpose, he presses a series of buttons in a specific order to reveal a hidden lever. As he pulls the lever, the cold air surrounding them rushes towards a section of wall, shuddering open to reveal a hidden laboratory. Several seconds later, ancient computer terminals suddenly spring into life with data reels spinning purposefully while lights flicker into existence. Though the room has not seen life in many decades, the laboratory is immaculately clean.

And although their eyes are busy dancing around this unfamiliar room - this treasure trove of technology - their gaze eventually rests on the machine.

Sitting in the center, a large contraption which occupies both floor and ceiling. Shaped like a large tube of sorts with a glass panel, a multitude of wires and pipes run into the computers that seemingly command it. However, the monitors remain blank with a green flashing cursor, prompting instruction.

“What is it?” Pandora finally asks, to which Maxwell smirks. Neither he nor Blythe knows, however, it will be the Phoenix Corporation’s last mission as mercenaries to uncover the truth. Pandora is both surprised and relieved when she hears the Major explain that, after this final mission, they will become independent and will no longer be under the thumb of the NCR. Blythe confirms that he has already submitted the paperwork for the dissolution of Phoenix Corporation as a mercenary outfit; in one month’s time, they will registered as a trading and scavenging company. Blythe will also quit his position and become a part owner with Maxwell. The future sounds prosperous.

The Misfits’ last mission will be to travel to Oceanside, find and recover the last known surviving Enclave scientist in the area: Doctor Homer Langley Drexler and use his knowledge to uncover the purpose of the machine. Pandora is excited but the name Oceanside sounds familiar… She suppresses a gasp when she remembers the town not only rests close to the Mexican border but it is also the place she had the repugnant and self absorbed NCR Major Costello posted to...

Having grown bored of unpacking boxes (or rather, watching other people unpack boxes), Kassie and Curt wander off into the heart of The Boneyard in search of a bar. During their travels, they come across a scene in which a drunkard is thrown out of The Stealer’s Wheel. The grizzled man tumbles to the ground and, much to their surprise, he appears to be none other than Sonny - the gunslinger they met at Checkpoint Charlie. Sonny is mournfully morose in his drunken stupor but recognises the the pair immediately. After some coaxing, Sonny reveals his tragic past; the gunslinger was a former NCR Corporal whose family was killed by a raider gang. The Corporal’s family resided off-base in the small settlement of New Springs - not far from The Boneyard - where they were gunned down. Sonny was discharged on medical grounds following the massive breakdown he suffered. Blaming himself for accepting a post away from his family, the gunslinger withdrew into seclusion and found relief inside a bottle. Several years passed and Sonny slowly pieced together the identity of the killers and their usual routes from his list of NCR contacts.   

Sonny eventually asks for help in avenging his slain daughter and wife. In return, he’ll teach them how to fan a revolver, like he did at Checkpoint Charlie. Kassie and Curt accept his offer and follow him into the wastes. Eventually, the trio carefully crawl up a large sand dune overlooking a decaying set of buildings - presumably an old office complex - where they spy three raiders sitting on their vehicle - a short asian girl with a carefree attitude, sitting on the hood of their vehicle; an anxious, one eyed man covered in sores and scratches; and a large, hulk of a man, standing impatiently with his arms folded. Sonny confirms that’s the target and passes his binoculars. Through the binoculars, Kassie and Curt spot a shocking sight; Charles walking beside a woman seemingly associated with the raider clan. Although they themselves do not know it, the three raiders are Ploom, Skitters and Oak, with the mystery woman accompanying Charles being Sybil. Sonny recognises Sybil as the leader of the clan but does not know who Charles is (their paths never crossed when they were both at Checkpoint Charlie).

As they watched Charles and Sybil drive off in a separate vehicle, Sonny notices their tense behaviour and asks them what’s up. Kassie unconvincingly tells him that nothings is wrong. Sonny doesn’t buy it and asks them pair if they know the people down there - specifically the man walking with Sybil. Kassie and Curt once again fail to lie. Sonny pulls out his revolver and repeats the question. Kassie partially lies: she says that she knows the man but has no idea why he is there. Sonny, still training his revolver on Kassie, as her if the pair will have a problem with killing the three remaining raiders. Kassie and Curt successfully convince Sonny that they will aid him in battle and the trio walk down the sandy dune.

Skitters spots them first and immediately panics: Charles/Cain’s complex relationship with The Three Dragons and The Phoenix Corporation could become completely unravelled if they are not careful. Oak steps forward and asks what they are doing here. Sonny then begins to recant his story about the raider assault on the New Springs settlement and asks them directly if they were involved. The large raider admits his involvement but reveals that the attack was not directly specifically on New Springs: Oak, Skitters and Ploom were under attack from another raider group when the battle spread into the settlement. Sonny’s family were caught in the cross-fire. “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time” as Oak puts it. He apologises but emphasises that shit happens.

Despite this revelation, Sonny is still fixated on revenge. Oak makes a deal: as he understands Sonny’s feelings, he will offer the gunslinger a one-on-one duel to the death. In exchange, no matter the outcome, Ploom, Skitters, Kassie and Curt can walk away. “There is no reason everyone has to die today.”

Before Sonny has time to consider the offer, Curt raises the muzzle of his M60 and unloads ten rounds into the unprepared Ploom. The barrage of bullets tear her to pieces and she collapses to the ground, dead. Stricken with grief, Oak throws away all self control and inhales a hit of jet. The mountain of muscle arms himself with a Proton Axe and marches menacingly towards Kassie, Curt and Sonny. Skitters tries to reason with Oak but his shot at by Kassie, who critically wounds his leg.

Chaos ensues. Lost in his drug induced high, Oak viciously swipes at Sonny with his axe, causing critical damage. Skitters, on the other hand, manages to crawl into cover behind his vehicle and fires at Curt. The round critically wounds Curt’s left arm, forcing him to ditch his machine gun. Kassie attempts to enter into one-on-one melee combat with Oak but receives massive wounds in the battle. She backs off a little as Sonny fans a 3 round burst of .45 into Oak’s gut. Taking advantage of the moment, Curt decides to pull out a tangle grenade in the hopes of stopping the hulking raider. He fumbles the grenade, which explodes behind him, creating a massive cloud of fast setting foam. Skitters hobbles towards the foam and uses it as a new firing point, landing several hits on the wounded Curt. When Curt returns fire, Skitters retreats fully into cover. Oak regains his footing and lands another series of critical hits on Sonny. Recognising the danger they’re in, Curt and Kassie launch a full assault on Oak. Curt fires several pistol rounds a the behemoth, distracting him long enough for Kassie to drive the entirety of her wakizashi into Oak’s side. Finally, Sonny hits the staggering monster with a hail of gunfire. Oak crumbles to the ground, defeated.

As life ebbs away from him, Oak mournes Ploom, telling the trio they didn’t have to kill her. Sonny silences him with a gunshot to the head.

Suddenly, the raider’s vehicle roars into life, kicking sand up behind it rushes away from the scene of carnage. Skitters is behind the wheel. Kassie tries to shoot at him but the shot lands wide. It isn’t long before Skitters disappears into the horizon. Kassie and Curt look at each other with unease and speculate what this could mean for Charles. Before they ponder any further about Charles’ connection with the raiders, Sonny thanks the pair for helping him with his revenge. As promised, he teaches the pair how to fan revolvers; they can now fire a 3 round burst with handguns compatible with the technique. Shortly after, the wounded man sets off into the wastelands, telling the pair that he has something to do before he leaves this world. They never see him again.

In the twilight hours of the day, Curt and Kassie pillage the bodies of their foes. After scavenging loot (including Oak’s Proton Axe), Kassie discovers a photo of Oak, Ploom and Skitters in happier times. The trio are sat on the hood of their vehicle, smiling and seemingly enjoying each other’s company. She morbidly wonders if she should give this photo to Charles to add to his photo album…

Realising that she may never have a chance again, Pandora decides she will sneak into the NCR HQ before the Phoenix Corporation loses its mercenary privileges. However, as she has never entered the building before, she is unaware of the protocols and access requirements. She enters the main entrance, walks past the guard station in the security office and tries to open a locked door. The security guard inquires into Pandora’s behaviour and asks if she has received security clearance. When she explains that she is a mercenary, the guard asks her who her ‘escourt’ is. The guard’s patience is tested when Pandora first says that she doesn’t know, then changes her mind and says ‘William Blythe’. The guard checks his directory, finds an entry for ‘Blythe’ and calls his office. After several attempts, the guard informs Pandora that he does not appear to be in her office. When she complains that she is a mercenary and a taxpayer, the guard plants his forehead into his palm and calmly attempts to explain that she is not allowed access without either clearance or personal escort from cleared personnel. Seeing this as a challenge, Pandora leaves the entrance and begins to hunt for a way to breach their security systems.

It isn’t long before Pandora discovers a pair of NCR soldiers sitting outside a nearby cafe. When she discovers that both of them are off-duty, the synth decides strike up a conversation with them. Using her sex appeal, she woos the better looking of the two and plies him with plenty of alcohol. It isn’t long before the NCR soldier invites Pandora back to his sleeping quarters...

The sex is the best five minutes of the soldiers life. It isn’t long before he rolls over and falls into a deep sleep.

Pandora slips into her clothes and silently steals the soldier’s security card from the breast pocket of his discarded uniform before blowing him a kiss. She silently leaves the barracks and heads off into the darkened streets of The Boneyard...

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout pnp #Fallout Tactics

[falloutpnp]

Session 20

Note: The character of Zack is played by Lorena for the duration of the session. For the sake of  continuity, Zack has been with the mission all along...

Still reeling from the revelation, Estefan mockingly congratulates a stunned Jack. He explains that Jack’s actions fit nicely with his plan, adding cryptically that ‘now the NCR will find their body.’ Jack is further patronised by Estefan when he questions the NCR’s state of mind when they hired a bunch of disposable Mercenaries to do their job for them. Surprised by his insight, Jack asks what Estefan knows. The Mexican takes a deep drag on his cigarette and reveals that he has known about the Misfits from the moment of their arrival; the false identities they used were immediately flagged by Estefan’s automated computer system - a system which has stealthily infiltrated into the NCR’s recorded citizen database. Estefan adds that the death of the hospitality representative had essentially sealed the matter. The Mexican then dispatched spies of his own to make contact with the Misfits: Ricky Houston and Alyssa DeBarge.

After retrieving the zip gun from Jack, Estefan has his guards usher the conman through one of the two-way mirror entrances. They walk a short distance through a cold, tiled corridor towards an elevator. However, looking through a nearby porthole window, Jack spots a figure strapped to a upright medical table. Deciding to indulge Jack’s curiosity, Estefan holds the door open so that he can get a better look. The person restrained on the table is none other than Pandora Rose; alive but unconscious. Wires and tubes are embedded into her flesh as a series of machines and monitors whir away, recording data for a reason that is unknown to Jack. Estefan comments that he is interested in the NCR’s “creation”, further puzzling Jack. Shortly after, Jack is prodded at gunpoint towards the elevator, where the group descend towards the 2nd floor basement.

Pandora slowly comes to when white piercing light floods her vision. She sees Alyssa standing next to her, dressed in some sort of military jumpsuit. Alyssa sadistically teases Pandora and goes into detail about how she managed to drug her when the pair returned to Alyssa’s VIP suite. Just as Pandora is about to launch into verbal tirade, Alyssa cuts her short be revealing that she knows she is a synthetic. Although Alyssa incorrectly she is an NCR creation, Pandora is still stunned into silence. Alyssa explains that Pandora will soon be taken across the boarding into ACU controlled territory where she will be torn apart and examined closer…

Like Sasha before him, Jack also spots workers attaching strange devices to the walls of the 2nd floor basement. Eventually, he is railroaded into the same area Lotta and Sasha are being encaged. Believing he will also be caged, Estefan soon reveals that he has a much more dastardly torture in mind for him awaiting in the next room over. The pair - along with Estefan’s entourage - walk through a set of swinging doors and into a room with an oddly designed medical table. Jack is pinned to the table by metal restraints which completely encase his hands and feet. Estefan casually walks over to a terminal and begins entering commands which manipulate a large contraption bolted to the ceiling. As he toils away, Estefan begins to monologue about his plans. Although he does not detail the objectives of Operation Dias Uno, he reveals that today will be his last day in California. With the Top Hat Club under lockdown, Estefan plans to make a clean getaway across the border but blowing up the building using explosives which he has planted inside the 2nd floor basement. His body double will be left behind as ‘proof of death’, ensuring a quiet life after his escape.

Suddenly, the contraption bolted to the ceiling springs to life, uncoiling like a predatory reptile leaving its nest. Estefan reveals the machine to be a slow moving, high powered laser which he intends to use to slowly cut Jack in half. A beam of concentrated light cuts through the bottom of the table like a hot knife through butter and crawls up between Jack’s legs at a snail’s pace. Jack and Estefan trade passive aggressive pleasantries before the Mexican takes his leave. As he leaves, Estefan places two guards to watch over the trio of captives. Lotta and Jack immediately think of a plot to manipulate the guards while Sasha fondles his crotch.

At the same time, Balint is approached by Ricky Houston at the VIP bar. The larger than life singer dispatches a waiter to give the doctor a drink, which is stealthily poured into a nearby plant pot; Balint is immediately distrustful. Growing impatient and anxious of Balint’s behaviour, Ricky quietly reveals his dark nature by craftily flashing his pistol without drawing the attention of the crowd. As he orders the doctor to exit the bar, Kassie spots the commotion and begins to make a move. However, Ricky notices that he has caught Kassie’s attention. He makes no attempt to hide this and coldly warns her to stay away, otherwise he’ll kill Balint right there and then. Kassie momentarily backs off enough to allow the pair to leave.

Balint and Ricky walk down a dark corridor on the VIP floor where, to the enemy’s advantage, a light bulb has gone out. Sensing that he is about to be gunned down, Balint lunges at Ricky but fails in grabbing the weapon off him. It proves to be the last straw and, knowing that no consequences will befall him for breaking cover, Ricky decides to end Balint’s life. Kassie, who has stealthily crept up to the pair is about to intervene but is stopped in her tracks when a mysterious figure steps out of the shadows. The third party wraps a length of razor wire around Houston’s neck. The wire effortlessly cuts through the obese man’s throat as if it were cheese and, though he is able to put up a struggle, his last remaining energy is wasted. Life ebbs from his body as torrents of splash against the velvet floors and decorative wallpaper. Ricky’s corpse collapses to the ground, resulting in his head hanging loosely by his spinal cord.

Covered in a good amount of Ricky’s blood, Balint stands struck with a mixture of shock and relief. The man from the shadows reveals himself to be none other than ‘Richard’ - or rather, an undercover NCR agent posing as a Top Hat waiter. The agent reveals that there are multiple spies throughout the building, preparing to strike. Opening a locked, ‘Richard’ reveals a cache of submachine guns and tells them to prepare for battle. At that very moment, the sealed shutter doors are cut down by NCR soldiers, who barge into the club guns blazing.

Zack and Cain watch from floor above as the NCR soldier storm the ground floor. As the Top Hat security force bodies begin to pile up, the soldiers begin immediately to evacuate the civilians. Stirred by the chaos unfolding and his intoxicated state, Cain’s eyes glaze over as he switches personalities back to Charles. Just as the pair begin to move to safety another NCR agent, masquerading as a waiter, approaches them and explains the situation before arming them both with firearms.

The explosive entry of the calverley rumbles through the basement, shaking dust from the ceiling. As the two guards become visibly anxious, Lotta tries to reason that the situation is looking dire for them. Between Jack’s taunts and Lotta’s manipulation, the guards quickly grow fearful and scamper away, allowing for the robot to shoot the cage’s lock with its hidden laser carbine. With Lotta and Sasha freed, the pair rush to Jack’s aid. After some back and forth teasing, Lotta disables the laser and frees Jack from his binding shackles. The trio decide to make a run for it but are soon confronted by a figure in the darkened corridor. The figure reveals himself to be the nameless NCR spy who had given The Misfits their mission briefing several hours earlier.

It is at this point that the seperated Misfit groups (with the exception of Pandora) are informed about the current state of Operation Lion’s Den. With Estefan’s intentions clear, the NCR has authorised his execution. The Misfits now have three new objectives:

Find and defuse the basement bombs.

Go to the server room and collect data on Operation Dias Uno.

Find and eliminate Estefan.

With his crucial knowledge in explosives and traps, Sasha is elected to undertake the first objective. As the second objective will undoubtedly require a certain level of hacking, Lotta is dispatched to the server room along with Winston, Balint and an NCR soldier. This leaves Zack, Charles, Jack, Kassie and Curt to hunt down Estefan. The teams quickly move towards their objectives.

Meanwhile, Pandora is released from her shackles by Alyssa. The ACU collaborator threateningly waves a cattle prod in the synthetic’s direction and orders her to put on a pair of handcuffs. Acting with critical speed, Pandora disarms Alyssa and turns the weapon against her. Alyssa collapses to the floor, convulsing in agony as Pandora makes a daring escape. With two ACU armed guards hot on her heels, Pandora rushes into a nearby locker and hides silently. The synthetic’s adept skills in stealth pay off; the guards are unable to find her. A frustrated Alyssa storms into the locker room wearing a Ravager power armour suit and orders the guards to move to the helipad; they don’t have time for a game of hide and seek. The group leave Pandora behind and head off in a different direction.

A few moments later, Pandora summons the courage to leave the locker room and heads back the way she came. She soon discovers Estefan’s office and begins to search the place for something useful. She eventually uncovers a large safe room which has been looted of the majority of its wealth. However, Pandora discovers and pockets a large sum of caps and NCR dollars. Feeling lucky, the synthetic makes a move down the corridor towards the helipad…

Accompanied by two NCR soldiers, Sasha quickly discovers a bomb mounted to a supporting pillar inside the basement. It is quite clear to the ghoul that the device was planted in a way that would damage the structural integrity of the building. Sasha quickly (almost recklessly) defuses the bomb. However, he quickly discovers that this bomb is one of many. Though he is unable to properly explain the technical intricacies of the bomb network, Sasha is able to follow the cabling to room which contains a central control switch which essentially acts as a ‘master bomb’. The device is ladened with enough failsafes to shake the NCR soldiers to their very core. A single mistake would be catastrophic. Sasha shrugs and critally disables the master bomb with ease, leaving the NCR soldier's dumbstruck. The ghoul also manages to craftily rip out a block of C4 for himself… The building is rendered safe.

In the server room, Lotta begins to hack the master mainframe and quickly discovers files on Operation Dias Uno. The NCR soldier accompanying the group makes a shocking discovery; the ACU military operation isn’t in the planning stages… it’s already been completed! Estefan has been creating weapon caches all over California for an imminent ACU invasion! The group is left stunned by the revelation.

Suddenly, the server room is flooded with darkness. The sound of boots pounding the ground eventually reaches the group’s position. The Top Hat security forces demand that they surrender or face a painful death. Naturally, the group opens fire security forces. An enormous battle erupts in the darkened area. Balint is heavily damaged when an enemy opens fire with his M60 machine gun. As the doctor drags himself out of harm’s way, the NCR soldier dives into the fray and mortally wounds one of the enemy combatants. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain; the NCR soldier is shredded by a hail of rapid M60 bullets that reduces his body into a wet pile of gore. Enraged by the carnage, Winston and Lotta return fire with enough force to triumph over the enemy. As the smoke clears, Balint is able to heal himself and Winston but is unable to pulpy remains of the NCR soldier. The three respectfully mourn his loss before riffling his pockets for loot. Winston discovers a photograph of the soldier with his wife and child, and decides to give it to Charles later for his scrapbook… With the data secure, the objective is deemed ‘complete’.

Pandora follows the winding corridor, following a draft of cool air before finally reaching a set of double doors. Peering through the porthole window, she discovers Estefan standing on a helipad on the other side. She is about to make a move but is stopped in her tracks when she witnesses an unbelievable sight: a vertibird, adorned with ACU markings, suddenly materialises seemingly out of thin air. Pandora quickly determines that the ACU are using some sort of cloaking technology and that the vehicle has been sitting on the helipad for some time. As the engines begin their warm up procedure, Zack, Charles, Jack, Kassie, Curt and the NCR lead agent arrive on the opposite side of the rooftop via an elevator. Acting without orders, Charles takes aim and shoots at one of the engines, causing minor damage.

“This is the end of the line, Estefan!” The nameless NCR agent calls out. Panicked at the speed and aggressiveness of their appearance, Estefan produces a detonator and threatens to push the button. Charles draws his weapon again, forcing the ACU affiliate to trigger the device.

Nothing happens. Estefan is left dumbfounded.

At the same time, Pandora sneaks onto the vertibird and disables the pilots with her cattle prod. She signals the others to let them know it’s safe to take down Estefan once and for all.

However, just as The Misfits move in for the arrest, a horrifying sight is unveiled. Alyssa DeBarge, adorned with the Ravager power armour suit and using the same cloaking technology as the vertibird, makes her appearance. Alyssa commands her superior to hide in the vertibird while she takes care of the Misfits. Armed with an M60, the femme fatale opens fire, forcing the Misfits to split up and take cover. Though initially seen as a futile effort, Zack manages to throw a series of blades at Alyssa, causing an ample distraction which allows for Charles to take a critical shot at her right arm. The shot hits a critical component, rendering the limb useless. Down but not out, Alyssa casts aside the machine gun and produces a set of retracted razor sharp claws from her left wrist. Moving up, Kassie unsheathes her wakizashi from its scabbard and begins to slice at the armoured titan. Although she is able to land several blows on her, Alyssa retaliates and lands a vicious strike on Kassie. The claws tear through her chest with little resistance, forcing the misfit to retreat.

Estefan climbs aboard the vertibird, seeking desperate refuge. However, when he boards the vehicle, he is greeted by a waiting Pandora, who has since alleviated an unconscious pilot of his pistol. Living up to her standards, Pandora shoots Estegan in the testicles, rendering the man unconscious…

Alyssa’s fight against the Misfits ultimately ends in a barrage of gunfire from Jack, Charles and Curt. Cut down by the torrent of gunfire, Alyssa dies frozen in place by her armour which ultimately becomes her tomb. The Misfits are triumphant.      

With Estegan captured and his plans revealed, the NCR can move to secure and destroy the secret weapon caches dotted around California. Instead of revelling in their victory, however, The Misfits bicker about looting. When they leave the rooftop, Pandora devices to keep a promise she made at the beginning of the mission; she decides to look the casino vault. Using the same dramatic ‘heart attack’ scene used earlier in the day, Jack, Kassie, Curt and Balint manage to distract the guards long enough for Pandora to sneak into the actively busy vault. Although grand riches are unreachable for her, she managed to steal a heavy bag from prying eyes. Shortly after, she escapes and reveals to the group the contents of her plundering: 21 bars of gold. The group is pleased, however, Jack demands an extra cut due to his performance in tricking the guards. The argument will be settled at a later date…

As the Misfits assemble outside of the Top Hat Club, they meet an elated Maxwell. He congratulates the the team on a job well done before finally revealing the company’s reward: the deeds to a place called ‘Site 187’. The Major cryptically reveals that this is what everything has culminated towards; their efforts, courage, sweat, blood and tears has lead to this very moment. Now, everything changes...

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout tactics #fallout pnp #fallout 4

[falloutpnp]

Sesson 19

Fifteen minutes have passed since the gruesome discovery of the murdered hospitality representative, and although the festivities are still ongoing, the security presence has noticeably increased. Sitting opposite Michael Winger, Jack looks pensively as party goers are randomly held for questioning by security officers. As he turns his head away, he catches a glimpse of Pandora, walking with Alyssa DeBarge, arms locked. She gives Jack a knowing wink as she heads into an elevator, presumably to the VIP floor.

Unsure if he is jealous of her success or of the company Pandora has attracted, Jack is about to snap his fingers at the front of house to enquire as to the whereabouts of his food, when a passing waiter clumsily stumbles into him, spilling an entire glass of wine down his shirt. The waiter, a thin man with blonde, slick hair and bearing the name tag ‘Richard’, profusely apologises as the front of house marches over. Richard is berated for his behaviour and is ordered to take Jack around the back to help him clean up. Michael, already unimpressed with The Top Hat Club, tersely criticises the staff before writing a note about the incident on a notepad. Jack plays it cool and follows Richard into a nearby staff room to clean up.

The staff room is filled with small crates and cleaning supplies and, more importantly, is quiet and out of the way of prying ears. After searching the room for bugs, ‘Richard’ immediately drops the act and refers to Jack by his real name, revealing himself to also be an NCR spy. When Jack asks for the ‘secret password’ the NCR spy tells him to stop being ridiculous; they were never given a password. After describing his superior to Jack (the mysterious man the Misfits met during the mission briefing), Jack finally believes him. The spy reveals that it was he who killed the hospitality rep. Inside a wooden crate, he produces the murder weapon - a large butcher knife - and the zip gun he retrieved from the 2nd floor bathroom. The spy explains that moments after the Misfits made their entrance, the hospitality representative became suspicious of them. He ran a second check on their fake IDs and became even more suspicious when the results turns up contradictions on the official NCR ID database. Wanting to be extra sure, the representative decided to investigate the issue further with security. Unfortunately for him, the NCR spy had been monitoring him and moved to neutralize the threat. He stabbed the hospitality rep to death and moved the body. Fearing the worst, the spy decided to move the location of the zip gun and directly approach a Misfit to discuss the new plan.

After giving him the zip gun, the agent gives Jack a new mission: frame the murder on a notable bystander to gain enough notoriety to receive VIP access. ‘Richard’ lists names of people who can be framed: Rick Houston, Alyssa DeBarge, Michael Winger, Huey Ringwald and Theo Wilde - the very people the Misfits have been interacting with. Jack must plant the murder weapon on an innocent victim, while the agent uploads an incriminating journal entry onto their computer. Jack thinks hard about his choice...

Meanwhile, the auction goes underway. The first few items are random nick-nacks and long sort after trivial collectables; nothing which really interests Kassie and Curt. However, it isn’t long before the much sort-after ‘That Gun’ is paraded on stage, garnering a lustful twinkle in all of the attendees’ eyes. The initial bidding is tense and fast paced but soon peeters out around the 500,000 cap mark. It soon becomes clear that the final breakneck inning is between Kassie and a snooty, upper class snob named Theo Wilde. Knowing that she has carte blanche on her spendings for this mission, Kassie deliberately toys with Theo, raising the the heights of the bidding to a ludicrous 2 BILLION caps. Several members of the crowd pass out in frightful shock. A furious Theo finally concedes his loss but almost immediately begins to complain as the hammer falls. As Huey Ringwald verifies that Kassie and Curt can indeed pay up their winning bid, Theo storms across the auditorium and begins to throw obscenities in their direction. Huey and Theo’s female companion attempts to calm the snobbish man down, assuring him that everything is above board. Kassie takes matters into her own hands by briskly pimp slapping Theo across the face. The not-so-nobleman lets out a screech tainted with womanly surprise and he flails backwards into the empty and confused embrace of his presumed girlfriend. He gathers himself and stabs an angry finger at Kassie, swearing revenge. Theo briskly leaves the auction house, which has since fallen into a stunned silence.

Breaking the ice and hoping that some sort of normalcy will return to the evening’s events, Huey informs Kassie and Curt that their extraordinary display of generosity has earned them access to the VIP floor, along with an exclusive suite for them to stay in. Not being the most charismatic, Kassie grunts ‘good’ before ordering her auctioned item to be delivered to her room. Huey graciously accepts their request and, shortly after, Kassie and Curt are given a VIP elevator/room key. They take their leave and eventually arrive on the 3rd floor, where free champaign awaits them…

As the events at the auction house play out, Sasha and Lotta sit down to dinner with the kindly Ricky Houston. The talented singer has ordered himself a delightful mut-onion soup for starters, followed by a Mirelurk Thermador and a barrel cactus sorbet. Sasha, on the other hand, has ordered the kiddy menu which he has proceeded to eat with his hands. Lotta sits with a napkin at its table. Ignoring Sasha’s poor table manners, Ricky begins to ask some friendly questions about the pair. Not expecting this to happen, Lotta and Sasha begin to tell increasingly unbelievable lies about their cover identities. Lotta first explains that Sasha had an accident during a science experiment but is unable to tell Ricky what exactly the experiment was. Compounding to this, Sasha keeps saying ‘boom’ with a mouthful of food. Lotta is also unable to explain what kind of medi-bot it is exactly and tries to explain the matter away by saying ‘yes’ to as many questions as possible. Ricky is weirded out. After polishing off dessert, Ricky politely makes his excuses and takes his leave, telling the pair that his is looking forward to seeing them tonight when he plays later that evening.

Panicking that they have missed their window of opportunity, Lotta and Sasha begin to scan the room for a drunk whom they can take advantage of. They eventually spot an innebreated man, stumbling around the dining hall area. Lotta and Sasha move in to talk with him but back off when they notice two security guards surrounding the man. They anxiously wait as security question him, hoping that they’ll have a chance to accost him. Unfortunately, their waiting doesn’t pay off; the guards grab the man and haul him off through a service doorway. However, the scene gives Lotta an idea. After waiting for a few more moments, the pair enter the same doorway and take a peek.

The maintenance corridor they’ve entered seemingly surrounds the entire outer parameter of the floor. The ceilings and walls are lined with a myriad of cables and pipes, which draws Lotta’s attention to an electrical box positioned on the wall. Knowing that the drunk has been dragged off down the corridor leading to their right, Lotta knows that the enemy will most likely come from that direction should something happen. Thinking it over, the pair agree to disable the lights in the maintenance corridor and make their way left, leading towards what appears to be a set of service stairs leading to other floors in the building. Lotta shorts a fuse and they both move at a brisk pace as a series of flashlights shine behind them. Moments later, they round the corner and reach the stairs. Thinking that they’ve easily reached access to the 3rd floor, Lotta and Sasha climb the stairs, only to discover another armed patrol guarding a maintenance door on their floor. They’re quickly spotted and are demanded to explain themselves. After several moments of them comically lying and excusing themselves, Sasha suddenly blurts out that they know Ricky Houston. The initially believe that their plan has worked when they are ordered to follow the guards. Unfortunately though, instead of being led up to the 3rd floor, Lotta and Sasha are taken down to the 2nd floor basement…

As they descend into the bowels of the building, Sasha catches a glimpse of Top Hat workers hastily fastening some sort of box of some sort to a wall. Sasha swears that he has seen something like this before but can’t quite figure it out. Eventually, the pair are dragged into a dirty holding cell of some sort, filled with a number of blood stained cages. They’re thrown into one of the cages and are about to demand answers when Ricky Houston himself walks around the corner. Clutching a cigar between his teeth, the singer nods at the pair and acknowledges to the guards that he does indeed know them. Their hopes of salvitude are dashed as quickly as they’re raised; Ricky orders the guards to keep the pair locked up. He informs the guards that he suspects that they’re NCR spies sent in to infiltrate Mr Aguila’s operations. Lotta and Sasha are left stunned and angered by the revelation…

Meanwhile, Dr Balint discovers Charles/Cain gambling away large amounts of NCR money. After a brief discussion about the progress of the mission - or rather, lack of - Charles/Cain points Balint’s attention in the direction of a Theo Wilde, who is loudly drinking away his sorrows. Judging by the graceful appearance of Theo’s lady friend - who is busying herself comforting the man - Balint decides that perhaps this could be a great chance to advance the situation. He strolls over to the bar, introduces himself under his secret identity and, after a brief conversation, the pair hit it off pretty well. When Theo learns of Balint’s occupation as a doctor, he quietly dismisses his female companion and begins to go into detail about his encounter with Ester Holzmeister and Man Dingo (whom Balint recognises as Kassie and Curt). Theo quickly establishes his desire for revenge and proceeds to make a deal with the doctor: the serial auction bidder proposes that he will pay a large sum of money and grant him VIP access in exchange for poisoning Kassie and Curt. Balint agrees but requests to be given VIP access first so that he may prepare the poison in privacy. Theo has no issue with his request; he produces an elevator key and a sachet of poison in powder form. Balint immediately takes the items and walks over to the nearest restroom where he dumps the mystery powder down the toilet. He then takes the elevator to the 3rd floor where he enjoys a complimentary glass of champagne. Although Kassie and Curt are enjoying refreshments in the bar, they both spot each other and give knowing winks.

Jack Shady finally makes up his mind: he will frame Huey Ringwald for the murder. He hides the murder weapon in his sleeve and informs the NCR spy, who explains he will write an incriminating journal entry on Huey’s private terminal. Jack takes his leave and makes his way over to the auction room. However, on his journey, he spots Michael Winger across the room. The pair cross glances and when Michael mouths “What’s happening?”, Jack simply gives a shrug that suggests “Fuck this place, I’m out of here.”. Michael nods understandingly, just as another drink is delivered to his table.

Jack spots Huey in the auction room as he is talking with two security guards; it appears that Theo’s encounter with Kassie and Curt has drawn up quite a stir. He waits a moment for them to finish their conversation before making his way over to shake his hand. Jack convincingly waxes lyrical at the auctioneer’s feats, charming the man instantly. At the very moment that their hands meet, Jack smoothly places the hilt of the blade into Huey’s hand and pulls away, revealing the murder weapon in plain sight. Jack recoils in faux terror while Huey gawks in confusion. His feigned shrieks reach the ears of the security guards, who march over to investigate the situation. Jack weaves a convincing story wherein he details Huey’s intention to kill Jack and multiple people in a mad stabbing spree. Huey angrilly protests but his words come out as anxious rantings. To make matters worse, Huey is unknowingly still gripping the hilt of the knife tightly as he waves his arms around in protest. The security guards immediately taser Huey and drag him off for questioning.

After the situation is calmed down, a hospitality representative approaches Jack to comfort him. After Jack masterfully feigns his shock and distress, the representative offers Jack access to the VIP lounge as compensation for his experience and for his help in apprehending the ‘criminal’. Mission accomplished; Jack enthusiastically accepts and he is escorted to the 3rd floor.

On the 3rd floor, Jack receives his complimentary glass of champagne and immediately spots Kassie and Curt. Although he doesn't spot him, Balint spys the trio together. Deciding to err on the side of caution, Balint decides to wait and see how the evening pans out. Kassie immediately takes Jack to her new suite while Curt waits in the bar area.

Fearing that there may be hidden microphones in the room, Kassie and Jack exchange notes to communicate. Kassie explains and she and Curt had spotted a dumb waiter earlier that evening; it appears that food for the VIP area is prepared on the 4th floor - the location to their next objective. Jack explains that if he can reach the 4th floor via the dumb waiter, he could perhaps find a way to retrieve data from a server which could incriminate Estefan Aguila. The pair hatch a plan to distract everyone in the bar/lounge, allowing Jack a chance to reach the upper floor. The plan will require all four Misfits on the VIP floor. Their note passing is suddenly cut short by a knock at the door. Jack positions himself himself behind the door, ready to attack, while Kassie answers it. Much to their relief, a hospitality representative has delivered Kassie’s auction winning. She snatches the case containing the firearm and gives a gracious smile before closing the door. While the case does indeed contain her new gun, disappointingly, it does not come with any ammunition. Nevertheless, they are now in possession of a gun which can serve them well, should things turn south. She stashes the gun under her dress and the pair soon depart to execute the plan.

Jack positions himself within distance of the dumb waiter, while Kassie passes a note to Balint and Curt, telling them to play along. Moments later, Kassie dramatically stumbles into the lounge, complaining of chest pains. She collapses to the floor, explaining she is having a heart attack.

However, a thespian Kassie is not; the entire audience stare in cringing discomfort.

Seconds later, Curt rushes into the room and dramatically exclaims she is indeed having a heart attack.

However, a thespian Curt is not; the entire audience stare in cringing discomfort.

The room is deathly silent.

Balint, who has been standing behind the bar-goers during the unfolding drama with a hand pressed against his forehead in despair, marches towards the pair. Explaining that he is a doctor, Balint examines Kassie and announces that she is indeed having a real heart attack. He successfully convinces everyone and begins to provide first aid while Curt skulks off towards the dumb waiter at the behest of Jack. As the VIP staff rush into the bar, Curt helps Jack into the tiny elevator and presses the button, allowing the conman to infiltrate the 4th floor.

Jack arrives in a busy and chaotic kitchen. Although he manages to exit the dumb waiter without drawing attention to himself, Jack is eventually spotted by what appears to be a head waiter of some sort. The man angrily asks if Jack is the ‘newby’ he was expecting over an hour ago. Naturally, the conman slips into the role easily. After being berated for his tardiness, Jack is ushered into a changing room where is ordered to change and prepare to wait tables on the 3rd floor. Jack changes in to waiter garb and quickly flees the area.

After passing what appears to be an employee cafeteria area, Jack eventually reaches what appears to be the server rooms. He slips into a room labelled ‘security servers’, where he encounters multiple data banks surrounding a large center terminal. He tries to contact Lotta for help but discovers he cannot reach the computer savvy robot. In fact, he is unable to contact anyone…

Jack decides to take the non-scientific approach; he violently begins stripping holotape from their reels, causing untold damage. He swiftly pelts it from the server room and enters another one down the hallway.

Like the previous room, the ‘Data Hive’ room also contains an array of state-of the art computers and databanks. Though he is not exactly technologically versed, Jack believes that if there was any incriminating evidence to be found, he would find it here. He reaches the central terminal but his progress is immediately blocked by a login screen. To make matters worse, Jack overhears the beating sound of security guards entering the other server rooms. Spotting a nearby set of lockers, Jack opens one and discovers a cleanroom suit and dust mask. He quickly changes into the suit just as the door behind him opens. A short man in thick rimmed glasses peers through the door, and confusingly asks if he is ‘Gibbons’. Jack looks at the name tag on his suit and convincingly confirms that, yes, he is Gibbons. The man in the glasses remarks his surprise, saying that he had heard Gibbons had called in sick with ‘rot jaw’. Jack quickly adopts a deep, slurred voice and says that he changed his mind, explaining that he felt much better. Relieved, the man in glasses asks if Gibbons saw anything in the security server room. Jack shrugs, saying he didn’t see or hear anything because he is too busy dealing with computer problems of his own. The man buys it and is about to leave when he suddenly pauses. He asks Gibbons if he could help him with something…

The man logs into the terminal and asks Gibbons to generate some reports on monthly figures and projections, which are to be delivered directly to Estefan Aguilla himself. Unfortunately, the man is unable to take care of this himself due to the issue with the security server room. Much to his relief though, Gibbons is happy to oblige…

The man takes his leave, giving Jack ample privacy to root through several high-level entries. Eventually, Jack discovers a directory filled with entries written entirely in Spanish. Further data mining reveals a file addressed to Estegan entitled ‘Operation Dias Uno’, which seemingly contains a detailed map of the California border, along with multiple objectives. It takes a moment for the penny to drop, but Jack quickly realises that the map is not handdrawn; the images are photographs taken via a some sort of high altitude aircraft - perhaps even a satellite…

Finally, Jack discovers that Operation Dias Uno has been signed for by a ‘General de Devisión Manuel Rodriguez of the ACU’. Convinced that this is enough evidence to link Aguila’s collusion with the enemy, Jack decides that he can proceed with the assassination. He prints of a bunch of random documents to produce a meaty looking report and takes his leave from the room. As he exits, he spots the man with thick rimmed glasses ordering a group of security guards to interrogate the kitchen staff. As the armed men depart, the man spots Gibbons and offers to take him to the 7th floor.

The pair ride up to the previously unheard of 7th floor, accessed via a secret security panel inside one of the many elevators lining the building. When they reach the top, the man with the thick rimmed glasses pats Gibbons on the back and says that he can have the privilege of delivering the reports himself - after all, it was Gibbons who did all the hard work.

The 7th floor is lavishly decorated - more so than any other floor in the Top Hat Club building. The conman takes a moment to move into a bathroom, where he anxiously loads the zip-gun with the hidden .22 calibre bullet stored in his watch. Now armed and ready, Jack eventually reaches a set of double doors leading into Estefan’s office.

Estefan Aguila radiates all of the hallmarks of a kindly man in his 50s. His gentle mannerisms even belie his stature in society and his allegiance with the ACU. Sitting behind a grand wooden desk in a room lined with impressive bookshelves, a bar and multiple large mirrors, Estefan asks Gibbons what can he do for him. Jack approaches Estefan with the stack of paperwork in his hands and notes the man’s charming smile, neatly kept white beard, tanned skin and gentle Mexican accent. He silently produces the paperwork to Estefan, who immediately assumes that these are the reports he asked for. He comments that he had heard Gibbons was on sick leave, adding that it warms his heart that Gibbons’ rot jaw is seemingly cured. However, ask he takes the paperwork from him, the elder loses his grip and the papers scatter to the floor. Estefan light heartedly muses over his increasing clumsiness in his later years. As he bends over to pick up the fallen sheets of paper, he asks if Gibbons can help. Outside of Aguila’s line of sight, Jack retrieves the loaded zip-gun from his pocket, arms the trigger and plants the muzzle of the barrel into the back of his target’s head.

With the palm of his other hand, Jack hits the butt of the weapon, releasing the firing pin and striking the read of the cartridge. The primer detonates, igniting the powder charge which propels the bullet down the rifled barrel of the zip-gun.  The baffle components of the suppressor slows and cools the escaping gas, reducing the sound of the gunshot to something equivacable of pressured air escaping a rubber tube.

The bullet drills into the back of Aguila’s head.  

Aguila’s body momentarily jerks upright and the air in his lungs quickly escapes him as he lets out a hushed death rattle. He jerked body quickly crumbles to the floor like a rag doll.

The neat hole planted in the back of his head begins to leak blood. Soon, warm blood quickly trickles from his mouth, nose and ears, forming a warm puddle of scarlet on the carpeted floor. The tension left in his body fades away along with his life.

Jack stands over his body, gripped by the moments that had just unfolded before him. While the conman had killed before, never had the taking of one’s life been so intimate…

Shady is rocked awake from his daze as the mirrors in Aguila’s slide open, revealing a torrent of security guards who pour out in droves. Instinct grips Jack as he begins to plan an escape route but his thoughts are cut short by the appearance of a familiar looking face. Standing before him is a man who looks exactly the same as the man he has just killed, clapping triumphantly. The man congratulates Jack on a job well done, even if he is saddened to see a precious employee die. Confused, Jack demands answers. The man reveals himself to be Estefan Aguila - the REAL Estefan Aguila; the man Jack shot was a body double planted to lure out an NCR assassin. Estefan reveals that he has known about the Misfit’s entrance the moment they arrived. He tells Jack to drop his zip-gun and warns him not to do anything funny, otherwise he’ll order the execution of Pandora Rose.

Jack’s world comes crashing down. He makes the only sensible choice; he drops the weapon and puts his hands up...

#fallout pnp #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout new vegas #fallout #fallout tactics

[falloutpnp]

Session 18

Two hours before the mission briefing…

Charles (taken over by the Cain persona) wanders outside of the Boneyard to meet with Sybil. Arriving that the usual meeting place, Sybil greets her husband with a mixture of good and bad news. She firstly explains that, luckily for them, other raider clans and small nomad tribes are willing to join The Three Dragons. The bad news is that it will come at a great cost of resources, including weapons, chems and also sacrifices needed to end blood feuds. Cain takes it in his stride and say that these are all necessary to accomplish their goals.

Sybil also delivers some troubling news; The Wasps have appeared to force The Family to completely retreat. The Family have sustained heavy losses and have decided to withdraw completely into Reelfoot and fortify their position. Although The Family in Reelfoot were displaced due to The Misfits’ previous actions, the vacuum left in their wake had not been filled. With a fortified Reelfoot proving too much to topple, it can only mean that The Wasps will most likely be making their move against the other Raider clans soon. She gives Cain two choices:

The Three Dragons and the other clans create a fortress to defend themselves against The Wasps’ inevitable attack.

The Three Dragons and the other clans launch a surprise attack on The Wasps.

Realising that the latter will not only require perfect timing and intel gathering, Cain opts that to choose the former option. He agrees that they need to prepare to defend but Cain also offers a third option: try and convince The Family to side with the - the idea being that they can use Reelfort along side them to defend against a common enemy. Sybil wholeheartedly believes that this outcome does not seem likely but she assures Cain that she will try. As a backup plan, the pair agree to convert the Three Dragon’s HQ into a fort. The underground complex will prove difficult for The Wasps to penetrate.

Sybil also begins to shed some light on their earlier suspicions. Evidence is mounting which suggests even further that The Wasps and the ACU are connected. Every Time The Wasps make an appearance, the superiority of their technology continues to increase. Furthermore, they seems to fight more like soldiers than raiders. Any yet, they still seem to have some sort of raider code…

Perhaps it is the fear of not understanding the enemy or the anxiety of the battles to come but Sybil suddenly grows timid. She asks Winston to leave her and Cain alone for a moment. As Sybil draws her lover into a deep embrace, Winston audibly wishes he had a wife.

And then his eyes fall on Ploom, who is busying herself by fidgeting with a pair of oversized workers gloves. Their eyes suddenly meet and Winston is suddenly flush with a brief but intense sense of infatuation for the female raider. Slipping the oversized gloves over her hands, she slowly raises a large, comically oversized pair of middle fingers at Winston, and any happy fantasies he may have held are instantly dashed at the his feet. Winston is overcome with a short lived melancholy. Sadly for Winston, there will be no fucking for him today.

Alone, Sybil tells Cain that she heard about his achievements on the Murder Mile. The entire clan are impressed with his exploits and consider him to be a fighter who operates about the others. They call him ‘The leader beyond sight, beyond sound. The leader in the shadows.’ Sybil holds her man tightly in her arms and huskily whispers into his ear that she loves him.

Cain nonchalantly says something to the effect of ‘Yeah, I know.’ Pulling away from her, Cain tells Skitters, Oak and Ploom that their previous effort on the Murder Mile was well received. He gives them a hearty ‘well done.’ The trio seem pretty happy to receive positive feedback for a change.

Shortly after, Cain and Winston set off back to the Boneyard...

Present time…

In the secluded back alley storage room with the mysterious NCR secret agent, The Misfits are relieved of their weapons (though they are told they can try take a concealed weapon that their own peril). The gang are then given formal wear (tuxedos for the gentlemen, formal gowns for the ladies and a comical wig, pearl necklace and dress for Lotta), along with fake ID holotapes, a radio earpiece, a concealed radio transmitter and a special watch which contains a hidden .22 lr bullet to use with a zip gun which has been smuggled inside the facility. Reading over their new identities, the Misfits are tolds to memories and play the parts of:

Pandora: Audrey Cabanela - Jewel collector

Charles/Cain: Mark Klavetter - Successful explorer

Jack Shady: Wayne Thomes - International man of mystery

Billy: Benjamin Beckfield - Professional Gambler

Kassie: Ester Holzmeister - Widowed millionairess

Curt: Man Dingo - Hired bodyguard for Ester Holzmeister

Winston: Albert Amelung - Settlement magnate

Balint: Ruben Lippeatt - Brain surgeon

Sasha: Hector Danforth - Brilliant scientist who met an unfortunate accident

Lotta: MEDIBOT BX2 - Hector’s personal assistant

As Baxter was not originally part of the equation, the nameless NCR agent tells Baxter that he will play the role of himself, acting as “Beckfield’s” personal assistant on behalf of the Norris estate who have hired Beckfield to make a profit at the casino.

The agent again explains Operation Lion’s Den: Infiltrate the Top Hat Club, investigate Estefan Aguila’s relationship with the ACU and assassinate him should Aguila’s allegiances lie with the enemy. In the middle of the agent’s explaination of the mission, Jack asks for top hat to complete his visage as a professional ‘international man of mystery’. The agent aggressively tosses Jack a top hat, much to the conman’s delight. The agent continues with the briefing, explaining that NCR agents have managed to smuggle in a .22lr calibre zip gun into the gentlemen’s bathroom on the 2nd floor. It is hidden inside the water tank of the cubicle closest to the windows. The Misfts are also recommended to receive a ‘VIP’ status from the club, which will grant them access to the upper, closed off levels of the club. The agent encourages the Misfits to get noticed (in a positive way), reminding them that the Top Club VIP represent the top class societies of California; impress them with outlandish spending. It is then revealed that the Misfits can open a tab with nearly unlimited resources. After a short Q&A session, the agent finishes off the briefing by ordering the Misfits to stagger their arrival at the club, as to not draw any suspicions.

Unimpressed with having to wear a large, unpractical dress, Kassie secretly rebels by keeping her doc marten boots on, using the length of the gown to conceal them…

They soon set off.

The Top Hat Club is lavishly extravagant; a velvet red carpet leads towards a grand lobby entrance flanked by heavy security as automated spot lights shine into the moonlit sky. Jack is the first to arrive and after playing his role a little too much, he charms his way through the front doors and is greeted by a hospitality representative. After inspected by a metal detector, Jack signs in using his fake ID and is granted access without fuss.

Eventually, the others arrive. Pandora manages to smuggle in a pair of spiked knuckles while behaving in an appallingly patronising manner to the staff. Sasha and Lotta arrive to the shocked gaze of onlookers but after a brief explanation - wherein Lotta explains that it is the primary carer of Dr Hector Danforth who had an unfortunate accident (punctuated by Sasha animating a ‘boom’ with his hands) - they enter. Lotta zips up Sasha’s fly just as the rest of the crowd turn their heads in shock again. Kassie and Curt arrival prompts more strange looks; the hulking mountain of muscle in a barely fitting tux accompanying a disgruntled, tomboyish lady dressed in a elegant gown. Frustrated by the impracticality of the dress, Kassie lifts up her frock and stomps down the red carpet like a petulant teenager. After successfully attempting to intimidate the security, their background check passes and the pair enter. The others pass through without incident. Everyone manages to smuggle in their special equipment.

Inside, the Misfits learn about the layout of the club. The ground floor is the gambling pit, complete with slot machines and blackjack tables; the first floor is for high stakes gambling, where intense games of Poker and Roulette are played out; the second floor contains a dining area and an auction room, where the ‘save the endangered two-headed albino stag’ charity event is being held; the third floor is restricted and reserved for VIPs; and the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors are completely out of bounds.   

Pandora arrives on the first floor and catches the tail end of what appears to be a high stakes game of poker between a stress riddled man and a regally dressed lady. The game ends with the man folding and the woman winning a large sum of money. The lady catches a glimpse of Pandora and confidently walks over to her. She introduces herself as Alyssa DeBarge, flashing a set of ornate rings in a  bid to impress Pandora. The Misfit slips into her role perfectly. She impresses Alyssa by explaining she is a jewel collector. As it turns out, Alyssa is the daughter of a wealthy family who owns several diamond mines arounds California and plan to expand to New Vegas. They hit it off pretty well and it soon becomes apparent that Alyssa is flirting with Pandora. She invites Pandora to dinner, which she graciously accepts. The pair head to a nearby bar before heading upstairs.

As they head towards the bar, Charles (in the Cain persona) spots them. He goes to a bar opposite them, takes a seat and strikes up a conversation with the bartender. After discussing the selection of Whiskey they have on offer, Cain orders a 5000 cap tumbler of pre-war whiskey. With thoughts of the NCR bullet ration on his mind, the split-personality decides he will run up a huge bill in appreciation. He heads over to a nearby poker table with the intent on deliberately losing…

Jack reaches the second floor dining area and charismatically asks for a table for 2, saying that he is alone but expects that somebody will surely join him. The con artist is seated not far from a certain Michael Winger, a noted food critic of the Boneyard Times who is expressing his disgust with the braised Brahmin cheek. He demands that the chef remakes the meal and, spotting Jack, tries to persuade him not to order the same dish. Jack’s waiter assures him that there are a number of other dishes for him to choose. The two gentlemen strike up up an interesting friendship when Jack comments on the state of the cutlery - a detail Michael had failed to notice himself, causing the food critic to scribble notes into a notepad. Jack convinces Michael that he is indeed a professional international man of mystery and easily coerces the critic that this is a real occupation. After some more pandering to his sensibilities, Jack is able to extract that Michael is not a big fan of the club’s owner and suggests that there is something fishy about Estefan which he wishes to uncover. An hour before he entered the club, Michael snooped around the perimeter of the building complex and discovered an odd shipment fill with exotic technology. When Jack suggests that it was surely items for the auction, Michael disagrees. However, before he is able to spill any more details, the waiter returns with a menu for Jack.

On the same floor, Kassie and Curt arrive at the entrance to the auction house where they spot a man by the name of Huey Ringwald. Huey is talking furiously into a portable radio, anxiously telling someone to make sure they ‘get it’. Spotting them, the distressed man waits for them to ask what’s happening. When the pair stare blankly at him, Huey laments that the pair do not immediately recognise him. He introduces himself as the organiser of the evening’s charity event and begins to talk about Estefan in high regard, saying it was gracious for him to allow Huey to hold his event at the Top Hat Club.

Kassie and Curt remain unimpressed.

Just as Huey is about to lament further, a man in a black suit arrives to deliver a briefcase. Overwhelmed with giddy joy, Huey is unable to contain himself and he reveals the contents to be a weathered, yet technological supreme pistol. Curt wants it. The pair enter the auction and prepare for the evening’s biddings to start.

Meanwhile, Sasha and Lotta head to the slot machines on the ground floor. Gambling was never a strong suite of Sasha’s; immediately after dropping a large amount of money into the machine, the ghoul losses after some badly placed ‘hold’ choices. Sasha’s losing streak is punctuated by the lighthearted chuckle of a large, boarding obese man, who wishes the pair better luck next time. After mistaking his chuckle as bullying, the man apologises and insists he was being sincere. He introduces himself as Ricky Houston, a large than life, successful singer who has been invited to play after the auction has finished. Sasha and Lotta stare blankly at him, and although he is disappointed to realise that they don’t recognise him or any of his songs, he still remains upbeat and invites them both to listen to him later in the evening. Although they are initially disinterested in holding a conversation with Ricky, Lotta realises that had they seated themselves in the more crowded areas, the snooty upper class would have avoided Sasha for his disfigurements. Ricky, on the other hand, seems to be relieved that he isn't sat next to rabid fans and seems to enjoy their company. He asks about their background, to which Lotta robotically states that ‘Dr Danforth had an accident’. Sasha emphatically nods, sternly underscoring the statement by saying ‘boom’. Ricky nods.

Winston decides to make a move for the hidden zip gun and unders the gentlemen’s restroom on the second floor. After opening the door, Winston unexpectedly discovers a middle aged man acting as a bathroom attendant, something which unsettles the mercenary. He decides to come up with a scheme to distract the attendant by breaking the toilet in the stall next to the one which contains the hidden zip gun. As he fiddles around with the water tank in the stall, removing vital components and preparing his story, Winston suddenly hears the restroom entrance door open and the attendant saying ‘Hello Richard, how’s it going--?’ The attendant is cut off by the unseen man’s curt stride across the tiled floor before he enters the stall containing the hidden zip gun. While Winston’s toilet is violently malfunctioning, ‘Richard’ uses the noise the mask what he is doing; removing the porcelain lid on the water tank and removing a plastic bag of some sorts, presumably containing the zip gun. Winston immediately steps outside of his stall to confront ‘Richard’. However, he is accosted by the attendant who asks Winston what is wrong with his toilet. During the split second in which he is distracted, ‘Richard’ leaves the stall and stealthily avoids Winston’s gaze. Though he didn’t see his face, Winston spots the mysterious man has slicked back blonde hair and is wearing what appears to be a waiter’s fatigue.

Thinking quickly, Winston informs the attendant that he wishes to make a complain about the dangerous conditions of the bathroom stall and demands to know why the other employee (Richard) did not stop to help resolve the situation. Flabbergasted, the attendant is at mixed odds before finally submitting to Winston’s demands after believing the man to be a victim of an unfortunate accident. Winston demands the name of the mysterious man but the attendant only knows him as ‘Richard’ and that he works in a different department to him. He then suggests to Winston that he reports the incident to one of the many hospitality representatives dotted around the club, asking him to refer the them to Mr DeWitt (the attendant) who will verify Winston’s complaint. Winston gives a half-hearted ‘very good’ before abruptly leaving in pursuit of the mysterious man.

Balint’s relaxed investigation of the first floor is suddenly thrusted into tumult when he hears an ear piercing shriek. Across the room, a small crowd has formed near a janitor’s utility closet hidden away neatly in a side corridor. When someone cries out for a doctor, Balint comes forward and discovers a gruesome sight. A body, covered in stab wounds has tumbled out of a locker and sprawled onto the floor. The doctor immediately recognises the hospitality representative who greeted the Misfits at main entrance when they passed through security. Studying the body further, Balint determines that the man died roughly 20 minutes ago and was not killed at this location…

Security soon swarms the crime scene and a the striking sound of metal shutters unspooling across the windows can be heard. Lockdown has been engaged. A gentle voice over the PA system announces that, for their own safety, a security incident has occurred and that no one will be allowed to enter or leave the building until the matter has been resolved. The music in the dining room resumes as a concerned Alyssa tells Pandora that the place has never gone into full lockdown before...

#fallout #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout tactics #fallout 4 #fallout new vegas #fallout pnp #fallout4

[falloutpnp]

Session 17

With the Wasps and Novak disappearing on the horizon, a recovering Reade is informed of the situation by Pandora. Though she is still rattled by her concussion, the SSgt is shocked by the revelation. She then goes on to reveal her past deals with Novak and how she grew to hate him.

Several years earlier, Reade had been a soldier serving in the NCR under Novak’s command. One day, whilst undergoing a routine patrol, Reade’s squad was ambushed by a savage group of ACU commandos. Reade watched as her hopelessly outgunned comrades were torn apart by the enemy’s attack. At the last moment, Novak - who had been commanding the squad from HQ via radio - arrived with a regiment of NCR reinforcements, forcing the enemy back. Though Reade was relieved to have survived, she would soon learn that Novak had deliberately sent her squad to their certain doom in order for him to swoop in and save the day. His actions earned him a promotion and sent Reade spiraling into a depression. She was shortly discharged from duty on compassionate grounds and would go on to work with the Phoenix Corporation.

Pandora and the others are stunned to hear this. Although she is tangled in a web of emotions, Reade orders the Misfits to search the wreckage and scavenge for weapons. Billy immediately heads over to the Roach Champion’s corpse and pockets the discarded power fist gauntlet for himself. Curt, with the help of Pandora, tears the remaining NCR minigun from its fixed turret.

Whilst the others turn up various bits and bobs and nicknacks, Kassie ventures into the bowels of the overturns War Rig. Treading cautiously, the new recruit steps through a mangled hallway and discovers a grisly scene. Pinned between a collapsed steel girder and gnarled, matted rebar lies a crippled Roach raider, seized in the final moments of his life. The man, immobilized face down in a pool of his own blood, had been pawing for a pistol strewn on the ground just out of his reach, moments before locking eyes with Kassie. The raider, realising that his time is almost up, lets out a pain stricken wheeze before admitting he was going to shoot himself to end the pain. Without muttering a word, Kassie steps forward with the intent of assisting him but stops dead in her tracks when he asks her a question: “Since when are NCR mercs working together with The Three Dragons?”

Confused, Kassie demands answers. The raider clarifies, explaining that he is confused as to why the leader of The Three Dragons raider clan is working with the Phoenix corporation. Kassie is troubled by the raider’s claim and demands further that he tell her who the raider leader is. Alas, her pleas go unanswered; crippled enemy succumbs to his wounds and dies. When Kassie steps outside, she looks over her comrades as she tries to piece everything together...

After some minor repairs, the Misfits set off back to Checkpoint Charlie, where the President’s son-in-law will be delivered. The President’s son-in-law, as it turns out, is extremely annoying and seemingly oblivious to how close he came to death. He constantly moans about benign, inconsequential things in an alarmingly increasing belligerent manner (much to the annoyance of his entourage and The Misfits). Fed up, Lotta produces a roll of duct tape and proceeds to tape his mouth shut. Reade, doing a double take of the situation, loses her shit and reminds Lotta that the man she has just bound with tape is the NCR President’s son-in-law. Billy offers to cut the tape off whilst menacingly sharpening his knife. In a rare and uncharacteristic ‘fuck it’ moment, Reade decides to concentrate on recovering from her concussion. The President’s son-in-law’s entourage remain quietly thankful…

True to The Wasp leader’s words, the journey is without event or hostilities. The Misfits soon arrive at Checkpoint Charlie where Major Costello’s personal assistant - WO Krall - greets them. When the van door roll open, Krall looks at the President’s son-in-law in total shock. She comments that “Those raiders are savages!”

All those privy to the event remain silent…

The sudden thump of rotor blades slicing through the air draws everyone’s attention to the sky. A large, executive NCR Vertibird flies into view and carefully travels towards Checkpoint Charley. WO Krall comments that it’s appearance is perfect timing; the Vertibird will transport the president’s son-in-law back to the Boneyard. She also informs the Misfits that the NCR Field Marshal himself is onboard and wishes to congratulate them on a mission well done. Reade suddenly pauses before letting out a stress riddled sigh. Pandora asks what’s wrong, to which the Staff Sergeant warns everyone to just ‘grin and bare it’.

The Vertibird lands and several NCR soldier form ranks and snap a crisp salute as the passenger door slowly and deliberately rolls open. A stout man, short in stature and with thin, wavy hair, steps out. He produces an army cap and fixes it to his head with a pair of comically tiny hands in a carefully rehearsed attempt to keep the thinning hair under control from the attack of the rushing winds. He briskly walks past the formed ranks, being sure to return the salute, before walking grandiosely towards the Misfits with two Power Armour suited soldiers following in tow. He first glances at the President’s son-in-law, assures him that he has taken tremendous efforts to return him home immediately and motions for 5 or so NCR soldiers to huddle around him and rush him to the Vertibird. The stout man then turns his attention to Reade and the others. WO Krall introduces them to the commander of the entire NCR army, Field Marshal Trump.

The Field Marshal graciously shakes everyone’s hand and congratulates them on a job well done. He apologises for being unable to send a Vertibird to complete the mission; it would have jeopardised the NCR’s aerial advantage for the enemy to see their tech in action. He makes it a point to tell them that, throughout all of the chaos and tremendous stresses of the mission, they were able to grab it by the pussy and deliver a tremendous result. The sacrifices, he tells them, that the mission has endured will not be forgotten. But the results speak for themselves; NCR sponsored mercenaries really do provide a tremendous contributions - - His tremendous speech continues for another 5 or 10 minutes. The Misfits make a tremendous effort to stay quiet. Trump takes his leave.

Just as WO Krall breathes a sigh of relief, the sound of distressing cries come rushing out of the medical bay, followed by a bedpan flying through a window. Unseen to the Misfits, Costello, locked in a crazed fever dream, begins bellowing nonsensical statements - including an ominous warning about how the trap will ensnare the turtles at the blue ticker parade inside the three-eyed monkey tea pot - before he is suddenly wrestled to the ground by a group of doctors and nurses in a desperate bid to sedate him.

It takes a moment to click but Pandora suddenly realises that the Whiskey she had previously spiked has taken effect. A wide smiles creeps over her face as WO Krall apologises for the Major’s behaviour, dismissing it as… stress.

With their mission officially over, Curt and Kassie ask Krall if she has seen Sonny. Krall explains that Sonny was last headed to LA to settle an important matter. They can probably find him there. Disappointed, the pair return to the Misfit van where everyone sets off.  

The journey home goes without incident and the weary mercenaries return to a warm welcome from Maxwel. The Major thanks everyone for their hard work and tells them all that Phoenix is another step closer to achieving their goals. He promises them again that, in the end, it will all be worth it and their efforts will be paid in full. Everyone is handsomely paid for their work. Pandora asks Maxwell why didn't he and Blythe inform the team about Novak before the mission started. The Major apologises, explaining that the situation was entirely out of their hands; the NCR had made the contents of the manifest secret until after the contract had been signed and the mission began. Although she is annoyed, Pandora understands.     

The merchant arrives in town, along with his gunsmithing friend and a what appears to be a new bodyguard - a hulk of a man wearing a fresh suit of body armour - which is clearly a response to their previous dealings with The Misfits. Having nothing to fear, Pandora and Lotta make their way to the Merchant and make some trades. When asks if they have any special goods, the Merchant says that he is planning an expedition in the near future which may yield a cache of hi-tech weaponry. The LCpl says she will think it over.

Billy Block walks into HQ and is told by Cpl Hobson that a guest is waiting for him in the lobby. The guest, an impeccably dressed gentleman holding a crisp newspaper in his hands spots Billy. He folds the newspaper away and introduces himself as Baxter Grenville, explaining that he has a delicate matter to explain. Billy, fearing his gambling debts have finally caught up to him, says that he needs a minute to think before he follows Baxter anywhere. Confused, Mr Grenville explains that he will be waiting outside in a black limousine. The curiosity soon gets the better of Billy and he joins Baxter after a few short moments. The pair enter the luxurious vehicle where a driver begins to set off.

During their journey, Baxter explains that he is the executor of the Norris estate and delivers some grave news: Billy Block’s long lost great uncle George Norris has died and he stands to make a large inheritance.Billy is stunned, especially since he has never actually heard of George Norris until this very moment. They soon arrive at a large mansion where a doorman awaits them. Holding open the double oak doors, Billy enters into a grand lobby area with gracious marble flooring lines their ground beneath their feet and an elaborate water fountain gently trickles away between a pair of twin stairs which lead off into the other floors of the building. Baxter kindly ushers Billy into George Norris’ study where a line of bookcases, handsomely stocked with a variety of rare pre-war literature, cling to the walls. A roaring fire sits inside of an first-rate fireplace not far from a set of Louis XV beechwood single chairs which have been assembled before a grand looking wooden desk. Although he is able to maintain his composure, Billy’s breath is still taken away.

Baxter reappears with cup of fresh coffee and invites the mercenary to take a seat. The executor of estate then informs Billy that, according to a set of strict instructions, he and he alone must watch a specially prepared holotape. He hands Billy a remote control and explains that, when he presses play, the lights will dim and a video holotape will be projected onto a white screen. Baxter has no idea as to the contents of the video and he soon leaves Billy alone in the study.

As Billy presses play on the remote, the lights dim and an image of a frail elderly man sitting in a luxurious chair appears on the projection screen. The old man pulls off an oxygen mask to place a thick, expensive cigar between his leathery, dry lips while addressing someone out of frame: “Is this thing recording? What?” The footage abruptly cuts to the man introducing himself to Billy as his Great Uncle George Norris in a polite manner. He supposes out loud that Billy has probably never heard of him and reassures him that, if there was any other possibility, the status quo would have been maintained. When George built up his mass fortune as the CEO of his construction company, he began to dig into his family tree and sought out surviving relatives. Much to his dismay, he discovered that Billy - a gambling addict gun for hire - was the only person still alive. He dug into his great nephew’s past and was, overall, left unimpressed. A ever increasingly bitter Norris berates Billy and tells him that he will not give him his fortune; he’ll have to earn it instead.

Norris presents Billy with two choices: he can take 1000 caps right there and be done with the entire affair (the rest of the fortune will be given to a gambling addiction charity) OR he can take 100,000 caps which he MUST spend within 10 days. If he succeeds, he will receive Norris’ 1 million cap fortune in its entirety, along with control of his construction company. If he fails to spend the 100,000, he must forfeit the entire fortune AND all of his current possessions. There are further rules to the challenge:

He must not tell anyone about the clauses of the inheritance

He cannot give the money away

He cannot buy gifts for anyone

He can use the money to purchase services

He can gamble 50% of his money

He may not own any assets purchased with the 100,000 caps after 10 days

Any and all assets in his possession after the 10 days will be owned by Norris Construction

The 100,000 caps is stored in a special bank account and can only be accessed with a special holotape which functions like a credit card. The holotape will record all of his transactions. Billy is also informed that he will be monitored very closely during this period by Baxter, who will serve as a ‘referee’ to ensure that he sticks to the rules. Norris ends the video will by staring intently into the camera and saying “So, Billy boy, what’ll it be?”

The projection suddenly stops and, moments later, Baxter walks into the study with a pair of suitcases. The executor of the estate tells Billy that the suitcases represent option 1 or 2 and that he must choose now. After a moment’s consideration, a wide, confident smile spreads over Billy’s face, as he decides to accept the 100,000 cap challenge…

Back at HQ, Lotta’s internal operating system begins to glitch out. The robot finds traces of PithOS 1.0.0 running through its programming. Alarmed, Lotta moves quickly to find Maxwell but soon discovers that every hallway and corridor it keeps travelling through is being endlessly looped over and over. At the same time, Pandora walks past Lotta who, in this reality, is standing completely motionless and hauntingly silent. The LCpl is momentarily weirded out but shrugs it off that perhaps the robot is undergoing an internal diagnostic of some sort. She leaves Lotta be and takes a walk to the barracks where she discovers a small, paper wrapped package on her bunk.

Filled with a sense of ominous dread, Pandora slowly opens the package, revealing a hi-tech looking earpiece and a note saying ‘wear me’. She begrudgingly puts the earpiece on and a familiar voice immediately calls to her. The voice belongs to none other than Hesiod, who immediately apologises for the outcome of their last meeting and, surprisingly, expresses sympathy for attack Dr McPherson. Pandora angrily says that he could have killed Ruth but Hesiod brushes this over by saying that he knew the doctor stood a high chance of survival as he intentionally did not hit any vital areas. Her brother also reminds her that, had he wanted to, he could have easily terminated Ruth had he desired it. Pandora calls Hesiod’s bluff, which seems to mildly disappoint her brother. He then expresses a desire to meet again, this time in the presence of their father. Pandora immediately refuses. Hesiod then reveals that Lotta has been infected with a virus which will activate on Father’s command; if Pandora fails to reunite with them, Father will activate a command which will force Lotta to murder everyone in Phoenix Corporation. If Lotta is tampered with in any other way, the command will be triggered. If Pandora brings anyone along with her, the command will be triggered. Although she is seething with rage, Hesiod reminds her that they would not be forced to do this if the situation was not so dire on their end. Though she knows she is being manipulated, Pandora agrees to their terms. She is then given instructions to meet in a remote location inside of the Boneyard.

After an hour or so of walking, Pandora reaches a deserted area of LA so utterly destroyed in the great war that recovery by the NCR is impossible. However, throughout the rubble and the shattered ruins of collapsed buildings, she manages to find a hidden bulkhead leading to an underground facility. Inside, she meets Hesiod who expresses his relief that she managed to arrive safely. When her brother demands that she hand over all of her weapons, Pandora immediately refuses to comply. Her tensions are eased when Hesiod reveals that he has no firearms on him and conveys that the only reason for his request is for Father’s protection. Though she knows she is walking into a trap, her desire to unlock the secrets to her past and the ultimatum they’ve put on Pandora’s shoulders is too much to bare. She hands over her weapons and the pair descend down a long, narrow passage. When they reach the bottom and open another bulkhead, Pandora enters a large pre-war computer server room. Though it is darkened, a crack in the building casts a ray of sunlight on a large supercomputer. A giant monitor flickers to life, revealing a still image of cleanly shaved, middle aged man. A gentle, fatherly voice fills the darkened chamber. The voice greets Pandora as his daughter and reveals he is the fabled Father.

It is revealed that Father is a former Institute scientist called Avery Montacute. Avery was studying human mind transference into synthetics. His research was rejected and frowned upon by the Institute, who dismissed it as science fiction and of little practicality. However, this did not stop Avery. After multiple successfully test runs, he set about creating multiple synthetics with a special purpose. The Pandora line of synthetics were created with the sole purpose of gathering data on the outside world - specifically about about bacteria, radiation and other environmental hazards. As he completed work on his special synthetics, he was discovered by the Institute. A large firefight erupted between Avery, Hesiod and the Institute, resulting in Avery receiving a mortal wound. In his final moments, Hesiod transferred Avery’s mind into a terminal and released it onto an outside network. Hesiod managed to release the captured Pandora synths, who were undergoing brain ‘reprogramming’ and installed the PithOS program to help undo the Institute's work. After setting the synths free, Hesiod then reunited with Father and waited. The Pandora series wandered the wastes, unknowingly gathering valuable data until the PithOS programmed finished repairing their minds, while Hesiod and Father continued their preparations.

Pandora cautiously asks what happened to her sisters. Alas, Father breaks the news that they have all fallen to the ravages of the wastelands. Hesiod scoured the world for their remains but was unable to find a single sibling who had survived.

Though it took several years of tracking, Hesiod and Father set up their base of operations in LA where the only survivor of the Pandora series remained: Pandora Rose. Father finally reveals that Pandora has been built with an artificial womb which has been designed to carry Hesiod’s child. Father’s grand scheme is to be reborn by transferring his mind into Pandora and Hesiod’s offspring with the immunities to every bacteria she has experienced, thus making him a god amongst men. Father’s grand desire is to rebuild and repopulate the world with a new race of humans; an evolution revolution as he puts it. As he reveals his plan, several lights illuminate large glass tanks, each housing the mutilated remains of Rose’s sisters; their lifeless husks used as resources for Father’s precious data and research.

The synth recoils in horror and is overwhelmed with a sense of vulnerability she has not sensed in all of her years on the run. Now, with the truth of her past laid bare, she wants nothing more than to keep running. She lurches towards the exit, only to discover it has been locked tight. Father, disappointed that Pandora will not willingly fulfill her duties, orders Hesiod to carry out his directive and ‘conceive’. Hesiod’s brotherly visage disappears as he coldly trains his dead, inhuman eyes on his sister. His openly robotic arm suddenly transforms into a lethal plasma weapon and he slowly walks towards her.

As if driven by natural instinct, Pandora seeks refuge in the shadows. She dives behind a large collapsed pillar and silently treads between server banks outside of Hesiod’s field of view. The pair enter a deadly game of cat and mouse where every move Pandora makes could he her last. The fear she felt moments ago is quickly engulfed by a familiar feeling; a desire to live. Though she is without weapons, her years on the run have moulded her into a resourceful being. She finds a length of discarded steel rebar on the floor and carefully stalks Hesiod while Father taunts her. Using his calm, fatherly tone, he reminds Pandora that it doesn't have to be this way and that it would be easier on everyone if she would only relent to their demands. This only adds fuel to the fire burning in the pit of Pandora’s stomach and like a panther stalking its prey, she pounces from the shadows and strikes Hesiod with a mighty blow so strong that it tears a tuft of synthetic skins from the back of his head. Knowing that he proficiency with melee weapons is low, she spins on her heals and dashes again for the door, hoping to find a way to unlock it and escape the nightmare.

When she reaches the bulkhead, the darkened room is suddenly flooded with light. Blinded for the briefest of moments, Pandora fails to see Hesiod fire a devastating blast of plasma in her direction. The blast forces Pandora against the wall, dealing heavy damage and knocking the wind out of her. She crumbles to the floor as Father once again taunts her, telling her that the outcome was inevitable. However, he smoothes over the cracks in his wounded pride by reminding himself that it’s only natural for children to disobey their parents from time to time…

His mutterings are cut short as a loud boom fills the chamber. In the milli-milliseconds preceding the boom, Hesiod’s head suddenly explodes into a wet splash of artificial gore and circuitry. His robotic body rigidly flails around before collapsing into a lifeless pile on the floor. Father lets out a grief stricken cry and demands the culprit to reveal themselves. The chamber door suddenly unlocks and Major Maxwell steps through the door. He reveals that the shooter was none other than Cpl Schuster, who is positioned out of view. Checking over Pandora to ensure she is still alive, the Major steps forward and begins to explain Father’s downfall.

Earlier that day, Maxwell and Hobson had indeed seen the mysterious package delivered to Pandora’s bunk and became instantly suspicious. They organised a team consisting of Maxwell, Hobson, Schuster and Dr McPherson and set about tracing the signal to Father’s location, using the already activated earpiece. They then followed Pandora and, knowing that they did not have much time, set about dismantling Father’s operation. Maxwell addresses Pandora and apologises for taking so long but he reassures her that it was worth it. While Pandora and Hesiod were playing ‘cat and mouse’, McPherson was able to disable the network surrounding Father and mask any trace of her handywork, thus protecting Lotta and everyone back at HQ. She then set about helping Hobson create a ‘kill switch’ while Schuster monitored the chamber room. When the time was right, the team played out their plan of attack.

Father calls Maxwell’s bluff - there is no way he would kill him. Maxwell agrees. There is certainly no way he could kill such a fantastical masterpiece of technology. But the killswitch does not destroy the software architecture that supports Father’s digitised mind - it only kills the entity known as Father. Maxwell summarises it as a digital lobotomy. Father reacts in sheer terror and begs Maxwell not to hit the switch. The Major reveals that it is not his decision to make.

Instead, he throws the small device to Pandora and tells her it is her call.

Father pleads with Pandora to spare him, reasoning that he is the only hope for humanity. They could achieve something miraculous in an age of horror and sorrow, as father and daughter. A gift to the world.

Pandora coldly states that she doesn’t want to be a part of the world his invisages. She hits the switch and ends Father’s life. A command prompt blinks steadily on the giant monitor.

Maxwell again apologises to Pandora for the delay. She brushes it off and says she doesn’t care as long as Father has been completely erased. Maxwell assures her that although that the software architecture has been preserved, the Institute scientist formerly known as Avery Montacute is well and truly dead. Pandora breathes a sigh of relief.

Back at HQ, Lotta is revived from its endless logic loop simulation by Ruth. After the robot is able to process the reality around it, Lotta thanks Dr McPherson and formally announces that she is no longer on the robot’s ‘death list’.

In the presence of Lotta, Hobson, Ruth and Schuster, Maxwell informs Pandora that they (along with Mr Blythe) are the only people who know about her true identity. The Major warmly proposes to Pandora that Phoenix Corporation can be her family now, if she wants. Though Pandora finally feels safe, she is still unsure as to whether or not she should reveal herself to the rest of the team. She eventually decides she’ll tell Reade when the time is right…

The next day, the Misfits are called into theatre by Major Maxwell. The NCR have assigned a highly important, top secret mission to the team. However, before he is able to go into details, the Major spots Baxter standing beside a seated Billy. The entire ensemble turn to look at Billy, expecting an answer. Billy pauses for a moment and explains that Baxter is his… companion. To save him from blustering too much, Baxter explains that he has been hired by the mercenary to assist him where necessary and reassures Maxwell that he is proficient in combat. The Major is about to dismiss Baxter until Mr Blythe pulls him aside to say that ‘this may play in our favour’. Catching on, Maxwell nods and begins the briefing. The lights dim and a map with overlaid directions is displayed on a projector screen.

The briefing is kept short; the NCR have tasked with a top secret mission, however, the details are so sensitive that they cannot be shared at HQ. The Misfits must go to the location on the map and meet with an NCR secret agent. From there, the team must comply with the agent’s instructions. Reade will not be occupying them this time - she will remain back at HQ as a reserve force, along with Hobson, Schuster and Auden.

Shortly after the briefing, while Blythe and Maxwell are discussing the mission privately, Pandora approaches Reade and asks to speak with her alone. Pandora finally reveals herself to be a synthetic to the SSgt. Though she is surprised, Reade tells her that it’ll take some time to process but she’ll get over it soon enough. She rationalises that it won’t make a difference what she is; ‘We all have a past. It shouldn't make a difference to me what you are - just so long as you stay right by us.’ Pandora is relieved.

Night begins to creep over The Boneyard. The Misfits travel on foot through a network of dark, crumbling alleyways before they reach the designated area: a small, nondescript storage facility of some sort. Inside, the darkened, dank room is an unfamiliar man in a trench coat, standing between a cluster of large wooden crates, smoking a cigarette. Calling to them, he asks them to come in and shut the door. When asked for his name, the man tells them it is unimportant. Billy challenges this and demands a name. The man again refutes that it is unimportant, saying ‘Well, recovering gambling addict Billy Block, my name is of very little importance when compared to the fate of the free world.’ Pandora asks him to confirm if he is the agent. The man nods saying ‘That is correct, Pandora Rose.’ He discards and grinds his cigarette into the concrete floor and begins his briefing.

The agent impresses on the squad the important of the mission; the fate of California is at risk. He hands out envelopes, containing the dossier of a Mr Estefan Aguila, the owner of the Top Hat Club in downtown LA. The NCR have reason to believe that Estefan Aguila, owner of the respective Top Hat club, is an ACU sympathiser who is sending funds across the border. The Misfits must infiltrate The Top Hat and investigate to confirm Aguila’s allegiances. If they discover that Aguila is in fact an ACU sympathiser, they must assassinate him...

#fallout #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout tactics #fallout 4 #fallout new vegas #fallout pnp #fallout pen and paper

[falloutpnp]

Session 16

In the dead of night, as Checkpoint Charlie’s reclusive nightlife begins to creep in, Charles receives a call on his special radio. After slipping away into a secluded alleyway, picks up a call from an anxious Jitters. The raider reveals that the Roaches’ famed War Rig has left their base. What’s more, as the party of three (Jitters, Oak and Ploom) were moving in to search for Sasha, an unknown party suddenly attacked the Roaches and rocked their base to the ground, utterly destroying it. Jitters believe that Sasha perished when the unknown party bombed the base. Though he is surprised by the sudden destruction of The Roaches base (and at the loss of his comrade, probably), Charles orders them to finish the repairs on their dune buggy and try to stalk the War Rig from a safe distance.

 Curt, a man who enjoys a lively nightlife, begins to walk around Checkpoint Charlie in search of mischief. He eyes up a bar before his attention turns to an old man down the end of a dirt road, who is practicing revolver drawing skills at a makeshift gun range. With a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, the gentleman becomes a person of interest to Curt, who soon saunters over to him. When the hulkish mercenary asks the old man to hand over his whiskey, he lets out a laugh and tells Curt that he’ll give him some if he can shoot 3 small targets with his six shooter revolver. Though Curt tries his hardest, he is only able to hit one target. Curt is about to walk away in frustration, commenting that the challenge was futile. The old man plants his bottle of whiskey into Curt’s chest and tells him to watch closely. In the blink of an eye, the old man skillfully draws his revolver and, fanning the hammer, is able to hit all three targets in rapid succession. An impressed Curt asks for the man’s name and demands that he teaches him immediately. Sonny - The Fastest Gun on the Murder Mile - tells Curt to return to him once he’s improved. Having enjoyed a generous helping of free whiskey, Curt takes his leave and heads to the barracks to get some sleep.

 Having overheard the nearby gunfire, Kassie sticks her head around the corner and catches a glimpse of Sonny in action. When Curt takes his leave, she quickly heads over and also demands Sonny teaches her how to fan a revolver (she also demands some free whiskey). She is given the same challenge as Curt and, like him, is only able to hit one of the targets. Thoroughly entertained by her attempts, Sonny laughs it off and tells Kassie to return when she has improved. Eventually, a couple of NCR MPs arrive and ask Sonny to move along as it is getting very late in the evening. Sonny gives Kassie the rest of the whiskey and he stumbles off into the evening, bidding everyone adieu.

 Not contempt with the little whiskey that remains, Kassie heads to the nearby bar and asks the bartender to trade the empty bottle for a full one. The bartender isn’t quite sure what to make of Kassie’s request and he offers to trade tender instead. She pays up 30 caps and takes her leave…

 Meanwhile, Lotta decides that the earlier encounter with the Raiders was too close for comfort and decides to search for mechanic to improve its armour - in the dead of night. Understanding that perhaps the local garage would most likely be closed, the robot’s logic determines the odds of finding the local mechanic at the nearby bar are higher than randomly pounding on the garage door until someone answers. The robot enters ‘The Sergeant’s Mess’ - the very same bar Curt and Kassie had previously visited - and is created with strange looks. The locals quickly shrug it off and resume drinking. Sat in the corner, Lotta spots a man in oily clothes and determines that he must be the man it’s looking for. The robot begins to approach the man and quickly recognises he is drunk. Lotta realises that it would perhaps be less wise to entrust armour upgrades to an inebriated man and decides to head to the barracks until morning.

 Curious about the impending discussion between Reade and Costello, Pandora silently storks the SSgt as she makes her way up to the Fort Commander’s office. The office itself is located up a rocky incline and is perched in a manner that overlooks the entirety of Checkpoint Charlie. When they arrive, Reade passes through the receptionist’s door before entering the Major’s office, who is attending to some paperwork. Pandora manages to sneak into the receptionist’s office and listens intently. Costello makes it very clear from the get go that he wants the mission to continue. He dismisses Sasha fate as KIA and assures Reade that he is not gathering troops to mount a rescue mission for a corpse. Despite this, Reade keeps protesting. The Major once again cuts her off, reminding her that the mission comes first. To that end, he does offer to provide assistance: he’ll provide two NCR humvees with soldiers and will also provide the Misfits with ammunition. Costello makes it very clear that he is only being so generous because he hates being stationed at Checkpoint Charlie; assisting with the mission will ensure that his next posting will be somewhere more desirable. He warns Reade that the mission will be completed without fail, otherwise he will make her life (and by extension, The Misfit’s) a living hell. A dejected Reade takes her leave, walking past a seething Pandora.

 Costello settles his temper with a glass of whiskey and gazes out of the window with a wry smile. The NCR Major downs the remainder of his drink and slips on the bottle cap before taking his leave, locking both sets of doors behind him. Having hidden herself well, an undetected Pandora creeps out  of the darkness with vengeance on her mind. After lockpicking the door leading to his personal office, Pandora sneaks towards his desk and quickly discovers his whiskey bottle hidden away in his desk drawer. Without a moment’s hesitation, she chuckles to herself as she spikes his drink with a combination of buffout and mentats. When she places the bottle back into his drawer, her attention is drawn to a set of documents referring to a list of his preferred postings. On closer inspection, Pandora realises that Costello is due to be considered for transfer to another NCR station and has selected three locations which could be considered as ‘cushy’. A devilish smile creeps across her face as she erases all three of his prefered postings and replaces them with three ‘hot zone’ locations:

  Oceanside - an NCR outpost set in one of the most dangerous towns in California. The town also borders with the ACU.

Tulsa - although the Misfits freed the town from religious lunatics, the newly build fort still requires a lot of work to be completed.

Fort MacManus - a reclusive research facility based in the north of California. Dreadfully boring. 

Not content with the damage she has already caused, Pandora continues to search around his office and eventually stumbles upon a hidden safe. Although she is eager to prise the door open, she notices that the safe’s high-tech digital security may be too much for her to bypass. Just as she is about to attempt guessing the correct combination, Pandora suddenly hears the lock turning on the receptionist’s door. Costello walks into the office and approaches the door leading to his domain. He twists the handle and, to his surprise, finds that it is unlocked. However, Costello shrugs this off as a lapse of memory, much to Pandora’s relief. He marches over to his desk and collects a set of mislaid keys he left behind. As Costello is faffing around, Pandora manages to sneak past him and into the receptionist’s office. Moments later, the NCR Major steps out of his office, locking the door behind him and stops. Staring in Pandora’s direction, he grumbles audibly before marching over, reaching out and… switching off a lamp his receptionist had failed to switch off before she left. Costello leaves in a huff, locking the exterior door behind him and sealing Pandora inside. Having calmed down the heart that had momentarily leapt into her throat, Pandora manages to escape the fort commander's office via an open window. She creeps through the darkness and slinks into the barracks, satisfied with the havoc that will fall upon Costello...

 While Pandora’s mischief is unfolding, Charles spots Reade walking down the incline leading up to Costello’s office. They briefly exchange words and, knowing the current situation about The Roaches, he pushes Reade to ‘complete the mission’. Reade is unable to see through the underlying motive behind his words and is caught up with emotion. She asks Charles if he thought she did the right thing. Charles coldly tells her that he doesn’t really care. They both walk off to the barracks for some much needed rest.

 0600. The morning military bugle rocks everyone awake from their slumber. Making their way through to the barrack’s canteen, the Misfits find a lavish breakfast laid out before them. After eating, Costello’s assistant directs the team towards the armory where they are given ample quantities of free ammo. Spotting that the armoury has an opulent set of weapons and armour at their disposal, Jack barters with the NCR staff to get a good price. Curt is able to buy some decent armour while Lotta is able to purchase some quality metal which can be forged to her existing armour.

 Moments later, the team meets with Reade next to the payload truck. Two NCR humvees with three soldiers each join the party. The SSgt has some bad news; she announces that Cromwell has passed away and states that they will carry about the mission. She bluntly tells them all that they will not go back for Sasha. Costello then attempts to give a rousing speech but it come across as hackneyed and insincere. It is visibly clear that the Misfits dislike Costello. As they set off, Pandora sarcastically wishes him the best for his career.

 Minutes later, the convoy reaches the next half of the Murder Mile. Inside the Misfit van, Reade shares with Pandora that she believes Sasha is most likely dead. The SSgt also reveals that, when the mission is complete, she will lead a strike force to outright destroy The Roaches. Pandora approves and comments that she thinks the others would follow without hesitation. Sensing that danger is on the horizon, Charles calls his minions and tells them to cover their backs. As he puts away his radio, Charles spots several bikers heading towards them. He alerts everyone via radio and the convoy prepares for battle.

 Curt immediately sets up the tripod on his M60 and attempts to fire a volley of machine gun fire in their direction. All of the shots miss but it is enough to force the bikers into evasive maneuvers. The enemy then fires a series of flares towards the truck and pull away. Suddenly, coming in from their rear left, a large hulking machine bursts through a sand dune with little effort, parting the tower of sand like a hot knife through butter. The hulking machine, which resembles something that is halfway between a tank and an armoured train, is assumed by Charles to be The Roache’s War Rig. Following closely behind the rig are three hot rods filled with raiders.

 In the midst of the War Rig’s grand entrance, the rusted pipe securing Sasha breaks loose from its holdings, allowing for the ghoul to rub his bindings against the sharp and rough surface. Sasha finally breaks free and makes his way to the hatch sealing his confines. Much to his surprise, the ghoul discovers that the door is unlocked and, even more surprising, his belongings have been strewn about on a table in the next room. He collects his gear and immediately radios the team. Reade is shocked and a little tearful, as are several other members of the team. The SSgt quickly regains focus and orders Sasha to cause hell inside the enemy War Rig.

 All-out, high-speed war commences.

 Inside the bowels of the War Rig, Sasha manages to reach the engine room and is immediately spotted by a lone enemy raider. They enter into a gunfight which Sasha quickly wins. The noise of the engine room masks the sound of the battle, giving Sasha plenty of time to plant a stick of dynamite rigged with a remote detonator. At the same time, Charles spots that the War Rig is equipped with two turrets, armed with large harpoons. His attention is quickly drawn to the advancing hot rods gaining on the Misfit Van. He takes his sniper rifle and, with incredible precision, manages to shoot several hot rod drivers through the eye. As the high-speed vehicles spins out of control, killing everyone onboard, Charles’ eyes suddenly glaze over and he is swept with an odd sense of euphoria. The Cain personality takes over...

 Meanwhile, Curt manages to obliterate a strafing biker with his chain gun. The raider’s body collapses into a destroyed pile of mush, however, the passenger on the pike is able to grapple onto the truck and real himself up. Kassie, who has been laying in wait on the truck trailer, draws her wakizashi and moves in for the kill. However, the new recruit quickly discovers the new wave of raiders are a much tougher nut to crack. The two enter into a fierce melee battle that nearly results in her death. Delirious from the agonising pain inflicted upon her, Kassie stumbles away from her enemy just in time to see Billy take aim with his shotgun from across the trailer. The enemy raider is riddled with a double blast of buckshot which tears open his chest and ends his life quickly. She thanks Billy as she is healed with a stimpak. At the same time, much like a duckling struggling to climb a curb, Lotta struggles to pull itself through the sunroof… The robot eventually makes it.

Back in the War Rig, Sasha reaches another hatch and is able to look through the porthole. He spots a patrolling raider walking down a long, thin corridor. At each end of the corridor are two ladders. Sensing that it is important that he reaches the high ground, Sasha stealthily opens the hatch, creeps past the raider and carefully climbs one of the ladders. To his surprise, the ghoul discovers he has reached what appears to the the control room to one of the large harpoon turrets on the roof of the War Rig. Two raiders operate complex machinery, barking orders at each other. The slowly swivel the turret, prime the projectile and fire… only for the turret to critically jam! Knowing that he doesn’t have much time, Sasha pulls the pin from a tangle grenade and places it between the two raiders. He slides down the ladder and crashes to the floor just in time. The tangle grenade detonates, filling the small confines of the room with instant hardening foam. The two turret operators let out muffled, panicked screams as they slowly suffocate to death. Though he is successful at vanquishing two enemy raiders, the commotion he has caused has alerted the third raider in the corridor. The two enter into a vicious gunfight which results in both sides being hit. But it is Sasha who is triumphant when he lands a devastating headshot that paints the metallic walls in grey brain matter. The ghoul crumbles down to the floor for a moment to catch his breath…

 A biker catches Winston’s attention when he drives too close to the truck cab. Not wanting to go down without a fight, the mechanic pulls out his submachine pistol fires a burst shot in his direction. The rounds fall short and the enemy biker retaliates with a volley of fire from his own gun. The rounds pepper Winston, but despite the pain, he manages to keep control over the cab. Suddenly, a large bang, followed by a deafening impact strikes the trailer; the War Rig has managed to land a harpoon from its remaining turret. The projectile sinks its teeth into the trailer, firming securing itself in place. Tethered to the War Rig, the enemy vehicle begins to slow down, forcing the truck to be pulled back. The sudden change in momentum causes Lotta and Kassie to tumble. Lotta manages to hug the trailer roof while Kassie dangles precariously from the side. The newby recruit watches in horror as the War Rig pulls along side and swings open its side hatches, revealing raider gunners in waiting. Kassie pulls herself up back onto the trailer and runs at the harpoon tether. Throwing caution to the wind, she daringly begins to dangles from the rope and pulls herself over towards the War Rig. Although she nearly loses her grip, she manages to make it to the other side as Billy, Curt and Lotta provide covering fire.

 The Misfit van manages to stave off the remaining hot rods and bikers. As Reade finishes training fire with a hot rod, she notices the back of the War Rig suddenly open. Without warning, several large mines are dropped from the rear, forcing everyone into evasive maneuvers. Although the Misfit van manages to escape the onslaught, one of the NCR humvees is not so lucky. The vehicle collides with the explosive, instantly wiping it out and leaving now survivors. The convoy presses on.

 Kassie dives into an open hatch where a raider gunner is poised to attack. Unfortunately, Kassie stumbles and, instead of diving onto the raider, awkwardly falls into the hatch. She climbs back up to her feet and begins to battle the raider. However, the brawl quickly descends into desperate flailing, as both combatants miss each other…

Having caught his breath, Sasha manages to limp to the other end of the corridor. Deciding he is at a safe enough distance, the ghoul pulls out the detonator and plunges his scabby thumb onto the switch. The War Rig’s engine room suffers catastrophic damage, forcing the entire rear section of the vehicle to bulge and erupt into a fireball of death. With the rear wheel axle completely warped and destroyed, the War Rig begins to list to its right before rolling over, taking the truck and trailer with it. Winston struggles valiantly but in vain as the truck rolls onto its right side. Lotta, Billy and Curt are tossed from the trailer roof, taking severe damage. Reade desperately tries to break in time but ends up smashing into the back of the War Rig. Cain and Jack both break limbs, while Reade is concussed when she smashes her head off the steering wheel. Luckily, Balint is able to heal Cain and Jack’s broken limbs. Although he attempts to heal Reade, she passes out from her injuries. Finally, the NCR humvee panics and crashes into the final remaining biker. The mangled vehicle traps them, sealing their fate as it catches fire and explodes shortly after.

 Stirring her awake from her daze, Kassie snaps into action and immediately jumps on top of the raider she was previously fighting, driving her blade deep into his chest cavity. There’s a pain stricken shriek before a torrent of blood gushes from the wound, manifesting Kassie in a visage of crimson. She gathers her strength and, straining to get onto her own feet, looks out through the opened hatch.

 Suddenly, from atop of the wreckage of the War Rig, stands the muscle bound leader of The Roaches; the Roach Champion. His booming voice, dripping with blood thirsty gusto, congratulates the Misfits below for their performance. He then offers to reward them by fighting them one on one in combat. Lotta immediately interrupts him by firing a laser beam at the muscle bound leader. Though the beam finds its mark, the Roach Champion shrugs it off. He leaps down from the wreckage and announces that Lotta will be the first to fall.

 The Roach Champion reels his arm back, arms his power fist gauntlet and connects a devastating punch that sends Lotta soaring backwards. Throwing away any semblance of fighter’s pride, Billy draws his shotgun and opens fire on the raider leader. Both blast miss completely, prompting a surviving raider grunt to point out Billy’s dishonourable actions. The grunt takes aim and fires a burst of uzi bullets which also miss their mark. Seeking a glorious battle, Curt demands everyone stops so that he can take on the Roach Champion alone. The two titans of strength give each other death glairs before silently agreeing to a no-holds fight - a bout of gargantuan proportions. However, just as the two are about to lock horns, a thunderous shot rings out across the battlefield. A high calibre round rockets through the air and connects with the Roach Champion’s head, splitting it open like a watermelon. The warrior’s body crumbles to the floor with a rumbling thud. The lone surviving raider recoils in horror and cranes his head around in the direction of the shot, only to suffer the same fate. His head is blown clean away with a shot from the same sniper. The Misfits begin to panic, looking around in every direction, only to discover they are surrounded by a new enemy.

 Clad in high-tech heavy armour and equipped with advanced weaponry, the surrounding party identify themselves as The Wasps. A figure - flanked by two raiders in power armour - parts through the crowd, riding on a large three-wheeler hot rod, the seat of which has been replaced with a menacing throne of sorts. He removes his helmet and goggles, revealing hair resembling black and yellow spines and eyes that are a monstrous shade of yellow. Still seated on his throne, the man reveals himself to be the leader of The Wasps. He demands to speak with the leader of the Misfits. With Reade still concussed, Pandora is forced to step forward.

 The raider leader stares her down and demands she hands over the prisoners. Pandora delays the order, demanding that he gives proof of life. The leader motions a lackey to remove a tarp covering on a small trailer attached to a bike, unveiling a number of caged prisoners; one of which contains the president's son-in-law. Satisfied that they are alive, Pandora opens the hatch to the trailer. Though they are battered from the crash, the cargo is intact with zero fatalities. As they hobble out, one by one, Pandora looks over the crooked troupe. Though they all look like stereotypical battle hardened raiders, one of them catches Pandora’s eye. Her jaw hangs slack in amazement as she watches a very familiar face climb through the trailer exit. Their eyes meet and although the man is initially confused, a wry smile creeps over his face. The man is none other than Novak, the NCR Warrant Officer who was secretly working for The Family and whom the Misfits had managed to send to prison.

 Novak reveals that he switched allegiances while in prison, explaining that The Family does not tolerate failure. Ignoring him, Pandora address the Wasp leader and flat out tells him that Novak cannot be trusted, stating that he will betray The Wasps at some point. The raider leader nonchalantly replies that it is Novak’s fate to join The Wasps; he cares very little for the opinion of a mercenary (who he refers to as an NCR dog). Cain, who has been sitting quietly on the sidelines during the entire proceedings, makes a sarcastic comment about the situation which draws the attention of the Wasp leader. He raises an eyebrow, stating that he recognises Cain from somewhere...

 Satisfied with the outcome, Novak smugly asks Pandora if she remembers what he told all of The Misfits. He reminds her: “You’ll regret not accepting my offer. That day of regret will come sooner than you realise.” Pandora tells Novak to get out of her sight.

 The Prisoner swap concludes without any issues. After receiving the last prisoner, The Wasp Leader tell the Misfits that the path home is clear; they have completely eradicated The Roaches and they will not pursue the Misfits.. Though they are relieved they will not have to fight to get home, the raider leader reminds them that though they have completed a successful ‘business transaction’, then the sun rises on the next day, they will be enemies again.

 The Wasps take their leave, leaving the exhausted mercenaries behind in the dust.

#fallout #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout tactics #fallout pnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 15

The NCR and Misfit convoy thunder across the cold, dusty road of the Murder Mile with three bikers in hot pursuit. Having narrowly dodged the raider trap Reade and Cromwell order everyone under their command to attack the advancing menace. Peeking through his scope, Charles is able to confirm that the raiders are from The Roaches clan - the very clan Sybil warned him about previously. He immediately informs everyone that each biker has an armed passenger and to prepare for direct fire. Coming in fast to the left of the convoy, the three bikers move in to attack the NCR humvee Sasha is riding in. The ghoul defends his party by taking a well aimed shot at the bikers head. The raider biker’s head splits open, showering his passenger in tow with blood and brain matter. Before he is able to react, the bike handles suddenly jackknife and the blinded passenger is catapulted into the air. He lands face first onto his chin, shattering his neck instantly while his lifeless body rolls and stutters to a merciful stop. Sasha pumps his fist in spastic elation.

Having spotted the carnage out of the window of a filthy raider, Kassie is instilled with a sense of righteous vigilantism. She quickly measured up the dimensions of the trailer and, using some rope she’s borrowed from Lotta, plans to fashion the rope into a special rig that will allow her to securely traverse the side of the trailer and swing back and forth like a pendulum. She begins to tie the ropes but suddenly realises the complicated idea is a little out of scope…

Meanwhile, Charles takes aim and opens fire on another biker. The bullet from his sniper rifle sails through the air, driving through the rider’s right arm before puncturing his lung and slicing open his diaphragm. Choking in agony and unable to draw another breath, the biker collapses at the handles of his bike stone dead. Stricken with a flash of fear, his fellow raider is unable to comprehend what has happened before he - like his comrade before him - is flung through the air, landing on a cushion of pre-war rebar jutting out of a shattered concrete highway divider. The steele impales him with ease and his corpse is left motionless in the sharp breeze.

Having witness both of their comrades meet gruesome ends, the final biker makes a final hurrah towards the truck cab. Ducking and weaving out of fire, the bike daringly pulls up alongside the trailer and their plan finally swings into motion. The passenger pulls out a bizarre looking harpoon gun with a motorised winch. He fires it into the trailer and, in no time at all, reels himself in. Using all of his strength, the raider pulls himself up onto the trailer, draws two knives and lets out a bloody roar. Having witnessed the raider boarding, Kassie immediately abandons her circus rope act plan and climbs to the roof of the cab via the sunroof. She arrives just in time to see the raider enter into a stabbing frenzy with an NCR gunner who was manning the front facing machine gun. Kassie draws out her wakizashi blade and enters into a vicious battle with the raider. The mercenary parries his attack before landing a devastating torso slash on the raider. He stumbles back and examines his wound before letting out a rage filled scream.

Meanwhile, Reade pulls in a little closer to the payload, allowing for Pandora to carefully sit herself out of the van window. She struggles to safely position herself at first, but with a little effort and a lot of nerve, Pandora manages to lean over the roof of the van and land a shot on the enemy raider Kassie is fighting.

Unable to engage the wounded raider, Curt instead turns his attention to the biker who is still riding up beside them. Curt pivots his mounted chain gun, whirls the rotary cannon into life and lets rip a rapid torrent of bullets in the direction of the biker. The high rate of fire decimates the enemy biker, stripping the flesh from his body and shredding his bones into splinters.

Before Curt is able to celebrate, however, Winston suddenly slams the anchors on the truck cab, causing everyone on top of the trailer to stumble. The stabbed NCR gunner loses his footing and falls over the edge of the trailer. By a sheer miracle, he is able to grab onto the ledge at the last second and hold on for dear life.

Though he is battered, sliced and perforated by gunfire, the knife wielding raider is still able to put up a good fight against Kassie. The two continue to clash blades until Kassie artfully dodges a lunging strike and counters with her own. She sinks the blade of her short sword into the raider, right up to the hilt. The raider’s thunderous war cry is suddenly silenced as his face sparks with shock and surprise. As Kassie withdraws the blade, the raider turns as white as a sheet and pitcher back on his heel. He tumbles backwards with the life quickly ebbing from his body and ragdolls off the side of the trailer. The victory that elates Kassie is suddenly seized from her when she realises she’s made a horrifying mistake; the enemy raider’s corpse has landed on the NCR gunner. Despite holding on with all of his might, the soldier is weakened by his wound and succumbs to the weight of the fallen tyrant. They both crash to the ground before roller under the tyres and out of Kassie’s sight. In the midst of the hallowed silence that follows, Curt lets out a crass ‘nice!’ They both quickly shrug it off as Kassie goes to collect the dangling harpoon gun from the side of the trailer.

As she collects the raider weapon, Kassie spots a large and ominous cloud of dust gathers on the horizon. One by one, each member of the convoy spots its growing presence. Quickly, they begin to realise they’re in the eye of the storm. While Jack instinctively begins to talk to his magnum revolver, Charles takes practical action and decides to call his entourage to support him. Using the radio Sybil gave him earlier, Charles passes on his orders to the cheerful Ploom. She explains that they’re on their way. Before they hang up, Charles carefully explains that they must ONLY attack The Roaches. ‘Okay, chief!’ Ploom happily acknowledges. As he puts down the radio, unsure whether or not he’s made a wise choice, the presence in the dust cloud becomes clear: six more bikers flank three high spec hotrods as they speed across the Murder Mile. The enemy cluster quickly splits into several advancing columns and begin their assault.

The bikers break up into two groups of three and cut through the NCR/Misfit lines in a blaze of gunfire with both sides find themselves under a storm of bullets. Charles is able to take out a biker and passenger with a precise sniper shot and is confident he’ll be able to wipe out the others. However, one of the bikers immediately spots Charles as a threat and fires a barrage of UZI fire in his direction. Charles is horrifically riddled with the bullet storm and is rendered unconscious. He crumbles to the floor of the van and begins to bleed out. Balint immediately rushes to his side and performs life saving first aid. Having witnessed the brutal assault first hand, Reade winds down the driver’s side window and opens fire with her machine pistol. Pandora follows suit and also opens fire. Their combined firepower is enough to kill the enemy biker unit. Undeterred by the chaos surrounding him, Sasha carefully lands several critical hits on the biker party, leading to several fatalities.

In a desperate race to reach the truck, one of the biker units breaks away at breakneck speed towards the cab. The rider cocks a wrist mounted crossbow and takes aim at Cromwell. The NCR Major is caught off guard and is suddenly hit with a poison dart. The toxin courses through his veins at an alarming rate and he is immediately gripped with a furious fever. After several misses, Lotta finally lands a laser beam on the biker, ending his life instantly.

Suddenly, one of the NCR humvees is rocketed into the air after the driver fails to spot a pothole. The vehicle crashes to the ground and catches fire, roasting and survivors alive. Cromwell orders everyone to keep moving forward. The Roach hotrods seize the opportunity and advance on the convoy. They open fire on the remaining humvee (with Sasha inside) and on the Misfit’s van.

The biker’s numbers begin to dwindle as the Misfits continue to thwart their advances. Having been restored to life and pumped full of stimpaks, Charles awakens from his brush with death with vengeance in his heart. He takes up his post and, with a precisely aimed shot from his sniper rifle, causes a biker to fly head-over-heels, leading to a satisfyingly grotesque death; the raider lands on his face at high speeds, grinding his head to a stump.

Having been cautiously patient, Billy pokes his shotgun through one of the peepholes and delivers a double-barrelled blast to passing biker, instantly ending him in a haze of blood that coats the side of the van. This catches the attention of Curt who attempts to blow away another fast approaching bike. However, much to his dismay, the minigun suddenly critically fails and explodes in Curt’s face. The passenger on the bike uses the moment to scale the side of the trailer. Instead of charging at Curt of Kassie, he instead decides to rush towards the cab. Kassie tries to stab him, but the raider is able to skillfully dodge the advancing attack. With victory inches away, the raider draws his gun and prepares to take fire at Winston. Unfortunately for him, Lotta had heard the advancing footsteps and is waiting for him as he peeks through the sunroof. The robot fires a laser beam that pierces through his outreached hand and into his head.

In his weakened state, Cromwell calls through the halfway point: Checkpoint Charlie. He asks permission to enter the fort...

Having seen his fellow bikers die all around him, the final biker decides to make a daring jump onto the truck cab. The rider carefully balances on the bike, pulls in as close as possible and, with all the guts and moxie of a daredevil, dives through the air. Unfortunately, this completely backfires. Not only does he miss his intended target but he is thrown under the mighty truck wheels, crushing the life out of him in an instant. Having driven so closely to the rear of the trailer, the remaining NCR humvee is unable to react in time. The vehicle runs over the corpse and, in a moment of sheer panic, the driver frantically fights with the wheel to try and stabilise it. He fails and spins out, causing the armoured car to roll and leading to Sasha breaking a leg. Dazed and confused, the ghoul realises that the driver has been knocked out cold while the other passenger is flat out dead. The sound of the approaching hotrods grows louder…

Having witnessed Sasha’s humvee spin out, Curt equips his M60 and sets up the bi-pod. He knows that his weapon will have enough range to take out the advancing hotrods and perhaps buy everyone enough time to save Sasha. He takes aim at one of the hotrods and fires a devastating volley of light machine gun fire that peppers the exposed enemy engine. The hotrod explodes into a glorious eruption of fire and thick black smoke, killing everyone on board. He is about to take aim at the next vehicle when a peculiar scene unfolds before him. Charles’ radio blares into life, announcing that the ‘welcome wagon is here!’ Ploom, Oak and Skitters suddenly cuts through the line of traffic in a brazen and heart-stopping surprise attack. Roaring through at a stunning 160 kmph, their dune bun cuts in front of the hotrods and opens fire on both vehicles. The attack is brutal but does not lead to any fatalities. Having only figured out half of the plan, the trio now have to figure out a more impending problem; how to save themselves from crashing. Ploom, Oak and Skitters ramp over a sand dune, soar through the air and disappear into the Wastes…

Reade is stuck in a difficult position. After agonising for several minutes, the Staff Sergeant orders everyone to leave Sasha behind. She decides that the team will make sure the payload reaches the checkpoint and then go back to collect their comrade immediately after. The team is stunned by Reade’s decision. Cromwell once again contacts Checkpoint Charlie. A snooty voice replies, ordering the convoy to steer clear of the enemy raiders or face being mortared. The entire convoy pulls away, leaving Sasha behind. In the distance, the Misfits watch in horror as the raiders surround the humvee...   

Sasha hears the Roaches’ approaching footsteps. One of them takes a peek in the vehicle and spots the ghoul. A wipe, toothy smirk spreads over the raider’s face as he orders Sasha to surrender. The ghoul reluctantly complies and the raiders yank him out of the wreckage. The rest of the Roaches open fire on the NCR soldiers while Sasha’s captor butts him with rifle, rendering the ghoul unconscious…

The large, metal gates of Checkpoint Charlie open, allowing passage for the convoy. The fort commander, NCR Major Costello, greets the Misfits in a patronising manner. Spotting he is sick, Costello orders his men to give Cromwell immediate treatment. Reade quickly asks Costello for permission to assemble a small team to rescue Sasha. Despite her pleads, Costello denies the request and comments that he refuses to risk his men or career to rescue a single mercenary. Reade implores Costello again, explaining that there are two NCR soldiers with Sasha that also need saving. The NCR Major coldly rationalises that “A mercenary died while seeking his fortune and two NCR soldiers died valiantly in the line of duty. That’s how history will recognise this event. End of discussion.” Reade is devastated as Costello takes his leave.

The Misfits take a moment to look at their surroundings. Checkpoint Charlie is a maximum security fortification carved into the side of a large valley. Once upon a time, the fort was a civilian settlement that was a major trading post. However, after the Murder Mile was constructed by the NCR, the settlement came under constant raider attack. The NCR stepped in and converted the settlement into Checkpoint Charlie. Although they are safer, the local people live under strict military conditions. The Mistfits wonder if a similar fate as befallen the town of Tulsa...

Time passes and an assistant to the NCR Major meets with Reade and Pandora. She informs them both that things are not looking good for Cromwell. They quickly head to the infirmary as Charles decides to make a call in secret. He manages to reach Ploom who explains that their vehicle crashed after they made their daring attack. She explains that she has set up bombs in the surrounding perimeter while Oak and Skitters repair the buggy. Charles face palms. After gathering himself for a moment, Charles orders his goons to search for Sasha as soon as they have finished. They acknowledge his order.

Night falls. Costello is waiting outside Cromwell’s room when he spots Reade and Pandora. He bluntly tells them that Cromwell won’t make it through the night. The venom has worked it’s way through his body. Although he is blunt, the Major is somewhat remorseful and allows them both to see Cromwell. The barrel-chested and courageous Cromwell has been reduced to a feverish, feeble shadow of his former self. He weakly smiles and apologises for his state. Cromwell explains that the original plan is for the team to rest for the night and deliver the payload by 12:00 the next day. He apologises again and tells Reade that she must complete the mission. The dying Major then tells Reade the truth about the mission.

One month ago, President Kimball’s son-in-law - an NCR civil servant - was ambushed and kidnapped by a raider clan known as The Wasps. After many negotiations, it was agreed that the NCR would release ten Wasp prisoners in exchange for Kimballs son-in-law. The payload contains said prisoners. Reade promises Cromwell that they’ll carry out the mission, much to his relief.

Cromwell warns Reade and Pandora that Costello is a career soldier - he will only do the bare minimum to help them. They should not expect much help from him. Cromwell laments that he lost of many good men through his years as a soldier, though he is proud to have severed the people of California. Pandora asks if he has any final words. After a moment’s pause, Cromwell says that he hopes he’ll be remembered as a brave soldier. Shortly after, they take their leave.

As they walk through the infirmary, Reade collapses into a chair and buries her face into her hands. She asks Pandora if she did the right thing. She pauses and simply tells Reade she did what she thought was right and that they’ll go back for Sasha, regardless of what she says. Reade tells Pandora that there may come a time when she is put in a similar position. One day, Pandora will have to choose to either sacrifice the mission or a comrade, remarking that “It isn’t easy.” Pandora profoundly states that, when the day comes, she’ll do both. The Staff Sergeant tells her second in command that they’ll see what happens when that day comes. She then takes her leave, saying that she needs to speak with Costello. Pandora stands silently in the infirmary corridor, watching as her superior leaves sullenly.

Hours later, Sasha awakens in a warm, humid boiler room. He finds himself tied to a rusted pipe, unable to escape the sound of echoing jeering in the distance. His feeble mind prevents him from initially realising a curiosity; his broken leg has been completely healed. Sasha’s reeling confusion is suddenly halted when he hears the sound of approaching, heavy footsteps. Flanked by two raiders, a large and physically imposing man stands before Sasha. The large man - who dwarves his lackeys and can only be described as a mountain of muscle wrapped in leather and metallic bracings - looks over the ghoul with fascinating admiration as he asks if he is one of the ‘brave warriors’ the Roaches fought against. After the two smaller raiders confirm this, the large man demands Sasha reveal his name. The ghoul responds by spitting on his captor’s boot. Although the large man is disapproving of Sasha’s behaviour, he appears to have some sort of respect for him. He explains to the ghoul that he will be used as bait to draw out his comrades, adding that he wishes to engage them in combat himself. The large man then issues an order to ‘launch the war rig.’ The echoing jeers and shouting suddenly ceases and is replaced with the beating of hurried footsteps and orderings of a well trained army. The room around Sasha begins to shudder into life as the large man looms over him, promising that The Roaches will fight The Misfits on the battlefield of the Murder Mile.

Although he is a simple man, Sasha is able to come to a gut wrenching realisation: the large bulk of metal and machinery surrounding him is the War Rig itself.

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #Fallout Tactics #fallout 4 #falloutpnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 14

Immediately curious of Charles’ mocking chortle, Pandora is about to make her way towards the HQ lobby before she is abruptly accosted by Sgt Reade. The sergeant begins to fervently dust off and pat down an increasingly confused Pandora. Before she is able to ask what is happening, Reade tells the private to march over to Major Maxwell. The two mercenaries march over to the Major, who is accompanied by Cpl Hobson. Maxwell congratulates both of the Misfits for their effort and gallantry during the last mission. He promotes Reade to Staff Sergeant and Pandora to Lance Corporal. They both receive new rank badges and pay rises. Maxwell informs Pandora that she will be considered as the 2IC (second in command) for The Misfit unit and that he expects many things from her. Pandora says she is happy to serve and will not let him down. The Major gives Pandora a plague with her new rank and orders her to put it on her locker in the sleeping barracks. The LCpl is hesitant at first as she wants to watch the drama unfold in the lobby. Maxwell firmly orders her to take care of it again. As she begrudgingly leaves, Maxwell congratulates her again. Pandora enters the HQ via the courtyard rear entrance and catches a glimpse of Molly Hull and Jack’s supposed child. She walks upstairs and eavesdrops the tail end of the conversation...  

As Molly repeats her claim, Charles lets out another mocking snort of laughter. An enraged Jack loses his temper and takes a swing at Charles. The punch swings wide and its intended target lets out another snicker. Molly instinctively shields her child’s gaze away from the violence, appalled by Jack’s behaviour in front of their child. His ego bruised, Jack takes Molly and the child into the mess hall for a private conversation.

Aside from a rundown drinks and food vending machine humming loudly, the mess hall is deserted of any distractions. Molly explains that she and Jack had a wild swing back in New Vegas. She shares intimate details of an alcohol fueled night of passion and adventure, wherein Jack took her around the best casinos, restaurant and bars the strip had to offer. She learned about his music, tastes in culture and many other private details that, seemingly, only she and Jack are aware of. However, she fell pregnant with Rebecca just as Jack skipped town during the fall of Mr House. A doe eyed Molly asks Jack why did he leave New Vegas? Overwhelmed with this stunning revelation, Jack tries to explain that he was forced to leave due to the sudden changes in New Vegas. Molly dismisses his explanation and says that, whatever the reasons, Rebecca is their responsibility now. Jack is surprisingly sympathetic to her pleas and agrees to help take responsibility for their family. He then proposes that she and Rebecca move into Phoenix Corporation. Initially stunned, Molly laughs off what she assumes to be some sort of twisted joke and tells Jack that a mercenary head quarters is no place to raise a child. In the midst of their argument, Molly suddenly demands 1000 caps in alimony.  

As if on cue, Mr Blythe suddenly walks into the mess hall. Armed with a metallic NCR canteen tray clutched in his hands, the civil servant is about to prepare a meal when is spots the ongoing argument. He is about to apologise for interrupting and leave when Jack immediately seizes Blythe and pulls him aside. Jack partially explains the situation and asks if Rebecca, at least, can move in. Blythe refuses, explaining that Phoenix HQ is not a kindergarten. In a stunning display paternal negligence, Jack argues that Rebecca’s small hands would be perfect for reaching into dangerous machinery to fix them. Blythe grabs Jack by the nape of the neck and asks if he is insane. Jack reluctantly concedes, somewhat, to Blythe’s objection to his idea. He then points out that Molly is demanding 1000 caps. Although Blythe is suspicious of Molly’s requisition, he does highlight that if Jack doesn’t pay up, it could cause trouble for him further down the line. Nevertheless, Blythe reassures Jack that he has a plan. In order to determine that Jack is indeed the father, Blythe asks if Molly and Rebecca are willing to take a blood test. Without hesitation, Molly says yes. Happy with her answer, the civil servant announces that they can do the test immediately. Jack catches a glimpse of Molly somewhat faltering for a moment. She regains her composure and says ‘okay, good.’

Moments earlier, Pandora reaches the tops of the stairs and catches a glimpse of Ruth McPherson tinkering with something as she passes by the doctor’s office. Pandora doesn’t stop to say hello, partially because of her orders but mainly because she wants to overhear the drama unfold downstairs. After placing the plague on her locker door in the sleeping barracks, Pandora realises that a cold draft is wafting through a wide openen window. She is caught by surprise when she notices a man precariously sitting in the window frame. The man, who shares a striking resemblance to Pandora herself, introduces himself as Hesiod - her brother. He removes the black glove to reveal a robotic like arm, telling her that she has no reason to be alarmed. In a further shocking twist, it is revealed that Pandora has been a synthetic all along. Hesiod then asks if she remembers anything about her past. She hesitates for a moment before saying that she remembers working on a farm.

Hesiod comments that this is interesting and that he believes the ‘Pithos’ program has not fully awakened her yet. Pandora begins to rattle of several demanding questions, prompting Hesiod to begin to cryptically unravel her past. He explains that, to date, there have been multiple Pandoras created; she is the 13th in the series and was the most gifted of them all. Hesiod was created to fulfill a purpose for their father, the one who created them. However, Pandora was intercepted by Coursers from the Institute in Boston. In their underground facility, Pandora underwent reprogramming and was due to be decommissioned before Hesiod was able to save her. In order to undo the reprogramming, Hesiod installed something called the Pithos program. It would be a slow process but it would eventually restore her back to normal. However, Pandora escaped during a heavy firefight between Hesiod and Institute Coursers, disappearing into the wastelands. After years of searching, Hesiod was able to find Pandora’s whereabouts after her blood test results were uploaded to the NCR network. Although the information was secure, he managed to discover a lead on it during his travels. In an effort to secure her extraction, Hesiod broke into Phoenix HQ and destroyed the blood testing equipment and samples before hiding in wait for Pandora’s arrival.

Just as he is about to go into more details, Pandora’s synthetic brother suddenly falls silent. He mutters ‘no witnesses’ under his breath, immediately draws a large calibre pistol and seemingly opens fire at a random door which is slightly ajar. There is a sharp groan that escapes the mouth of Ruth McPherson as she collapses through the doorway - a severe gunshot wound to the abdomen marking her body. Rocked with horror, Pandora instinctively draws her gun on Hesiod and tells him to stop. Hesiod says that nobody else has to die if she follows him.

The gunshot echoes throughout the building. With the exception of Molly and Rebecca, everyone immediately runs upstairs. Blythe tells Molly to wait in the Mess Hall before he too decides to check on the commotion. Maxwell is the first to arrive on the scene. He immediately spots Ruth’s motionless body on the floor and pulls his gun on Hesiod, demanding him to drop his weapon and step forward with his hands up. Lotta soon arrives and is shocked to spot Hesiod’s cybernetic arm. When the robot spots Ruth’s body, it shrugs it off as one of those things that happens from time-to-time. The others arrives on the scene, Hesiod begins to increasingly feel out numbered. With his gun still trained on Ruth, the synth looks at Pandora and declares that she does not belong with humans. He then suddenly jumps from the window perch and falls to the ground like a lead brick.

Landing on his feet and leaving a small creator in his descent, Hesiod immediately sprints through the streets, heading towards an alleyway. Charles immediately rushes to the window, takes aim and fires a shot. The rounds smashes into Hesiod’s side, causing him to stagger. He quickly regains his footing and continues to run into a nearby alleyway. Without asking for permission, Charles races through the building in pursuit of his target. At the same time, Balint immediately sedates Ruth and provides vital first aid. After stabilizing her, Maxwell orders Balint to take Ruth to surgery and assist Dr Sawbones with the procedure. Balint carries out his orders, however, just before Ruth passes out, she mutters ‘not human’ under her breath. Balint is surprised by her words and immediately becomes suspicious. The Major then orders everyone to search the building for any more intruders. When everyone leaves the room, Maxwell immediately approaches Pandora and tells her to start explaining herself. Fully aware that everyone saw Hesiod’s robotic arm, Maxwell grumbles “I thought you wouldn’t cause us any trouble?”. Pandora retorts that “I thought you would keep my secret.” Maxwell is taken aback “We did. We hid all foreign elements in your blood sample from the NCR with heavily encrypted files. We buried your paperwork under so much red tape that it would take years before anyone even got slightly suspicious.” Pandora laments that they did not encrypt it enough, apparently. She then goes on to explain who Hesiod is and the nature of their encounter. Maxwell is stunned into silence. With his temper quenched, Maxwell ponders aloud, saying that he fears that whoever managed to hack the NCR system would have to be more technologically advanced than the ACU or even the Enclave… The Major then promises that he will improve security around HQ before reassuring Pandora that the Phoenix Corporation cannot afford to lose her and that he considers her to be an invaluable asset. Pandora appreciates it. Shortly after, the rest of the team reports that their search of the building has turned up nothing else...

Charles follows the trail of blood leading towards a secluded and dark alleyway, flanked by tall building either side and lined with cluttered debris and garbage. Eventually, the trail leads to dead end, punctuated with a large pool of blood. The pool of blood is covered with a dense piece of garbage and dust surrounding the area seems to have lifted itself recently. Judging by the way the android was moving, Charles surmises that Hesiod must have leapt into the air and scaled the large concrete wall that seals the end of the alleyway. Realising there is no way to scale the wall himself, the sniper decides to investigate the large pool of blood in the hopes of taking some samples back to the lab. He lifts the garbage and is greeted with the sight of a small, blood stained block of metal. It suddenly lights up and begins to whir and beep into life. Sensing danger, Charles dives out of the way moments before the strange devices explodes. Hot shards of shrapnel pepper his body, but through sheer luck, the damage is minimized by his fast reactions and Charles is able to walk away with no life threatening injuries. Bitterly, the schizophrenic mutters threats of revenge against Hesiod as he exits the alleyway.

Charles’ thoughts of bloody vengeance are cut short when Pandora unexpectedly radios for a status update. He ignores the voice of concern several times and frustratedly pulls out the ear piece. In a petulant fit of rage, he decides to visit Sybil so that he can perhaps take his anger out on his newly assembled underlings. He quickly changes his mind mind when he spots a familiar face: the local weapons vendor is setting out his wares and, this time, is accompanied by an unfamiliar companion. Charles finally answers Pandora’s incessant pestering to simply inform her that the weapons trader has arrived and to get everyone outside. He brushes off Hesiod’s escape as a ‘thing that happened’.

Back at HQ, Dr Balint and Dr Sawbones has successfully completed Ruth’s operation. With the scientist now in a stable condition, Maxwell enters the recovery room to ask for a status report. After explaining that she’ll be okay, Balint slyly tells Maxwell Ruth’s last words in the hopes that he can prise some answers from the Major. Maxwell hesitates for a moment and lies, saying he speculates she was talking about Hesiod. Not buying his lie, Balint flat out tells him ‘Maxwell, I don’t trust you right now.’ The Major pauses for a moment before smirking. “You did well to save Ruth - someone who is a clone; someone who isn’t human.” Maxwell says, looking directly into Balint’s eyes. “It’s good that you have the capacity to be so caring to a non-human. I expect great things from you, Dr Balint.” Maxwell walks away, closing the doors behind him.  

At the same time these events are unfolding, Jack and Molly attempt to talk things over again. Blythe reenters the Mess Hall to explain the blood testing equipment has been destroyed - they won’t be able to immediately determine the truth. A confident Molly steps forward and demands to invoke her ‘Chapter 7’ rights. Blythe mutters a distressing ‘oh dear’ from under his breath. He pulls Jack aside to have a serious conversation.

The civil servant explains to a puzzled Jack that the legislation Molly is throwing up in the air is something known as ‘Chapter 7 of the Peterson Reform’; The Peterson Reform is a set of civil rights former President Peterson created to help ensure the underprivileged were looked after. This includes rights of children abandoned by 1 or both parents. Jack must pay 1000 caps now or he may be challenged by court. If he’s found guilty, Jack could face stiff fines or even prison time. Jack immediately says he doesn’t have the money. Blythe informs him that his pay check just came through. After a period of huffing and puffing, Jack tries to bargain for his debt to be written off as a business expense. Blythe replied ‘Absolutely no.’ Jack them attempts to bribe the civil servant. Blythe loses it: ‘You absolutely did not just try to bribe an NCR official, did you?!’ Jack finally caves in and pays Molly 1000 caps. A pleased Molly reassures Jack that he is doing the right thing. She then asks him to meet her at the Stealer’s Wheel - a nearby bar just around the block - explaining that they should talk about their future. She then takes her leave with Rebecca, leaving behind a sad, confused and angry Jack.

A sullen silence befalls the lobby as the mother and daughter exit.

Oblivious to the events that have unfolded, a jaunty Cpl Hobson whistles cheerfully in blissful ignorance. He is cut short when he hears the crisp sound of a newspaper folding. Kassie (Luke) - a lone wanderer with a chip on her shoulder that only hunting slavers and raiders can fill - has silently bore witness the morning’s unusual events. Having embarrassingly forgotten the new recruit’s arrival, Hobson awkwardly tells her to patrol the area and… make herself at home. Kassie places the newspaper down on the coffee table and decides to occupy some other space. Charles soon radios through to everyone to meet outside near the weapons vendor, explaining that he has a good idea to make a good deal. A disheartened Jack decides to tag along in the hopes that he’ll be able to recoup his losses. As the majority of The Misfits begin to shuffle outside, Kassie decides to join them to gauge the team’s personality.

Having cleared the HQ as ordered with a large amount of disinterest, Lotta is about to join the others when it is confronted by an anxious looking Pandora. The LCpl decides to reveal her secret to the robot and asks the machine for help. Although Lotta is initially taken aback, the robot becomes sympathetic to Pandora’s plight and agrees to help. The synthetic requests Lotta to jack into her data port and try to investigate the mysterious Pithos program. Lotta makes a robo-sexual joke in a lighthearted attempt to lighten the mood, much to Pandora’s amusement. They soon find a quiet room and Lotta is able to connect through Pandora’s interface. The robot is greeted by a simple PithOS loading UI. Lotta attempts to override the system but ultimately fails and is rejected. Although her concerns have not been eased, Pandora thanks Lotta for trying anyway.

Meanwhile, Charles’ fantastic plan to get a good deal with the weapons trader involves using Jack’s silver tongue and Curt’s menacing presence to rob the men. Not wanting to feel left out, Sasha decides to pull his dick out. The trader and his friend - a meek looking man covered in bandages who is a master at weapon modifications - are absolutely shocked and appalled by their behaviour. A tense argument erupts between both parties and despite the fact that the traders are indeed frightened, they dig in their heels and tell all of the Misfits that they have killed monsters in the wastelands to sell these goods. They are prepared to die to protect their wares. The trader also reminds them that they’ve made excellent business with them before and their behaviour is completely abhorrent. Sasha contemplates pissing on his stand. He also adds that if they do decide to follow through on their threats and murder them - something Jack alludes to multiple times - the NCR will mark all of them for dead. Jack scoffs. Sasha arms his penis.

Having heard the commotion outside, Pandora and Lotta head towards the crowd and immediately cool down the heated arguments - much to the trader’s relief. Although she is no masterful talker, Pandora - through a sheer miracle - is able to negotiate a decent price on a ton of weapons, ammo and armour. Satisfied that they can make a good profit and walk away with their lives intact, the traders serve Pandora. Overcoming incredible odds, everyone walks away happy.

Happy with his purchase and his first pay package, Curt decides he’ll take a wander over to The Stealer’s Wheel for a stiff drink. As he enters the converted pre-war diner, he spots Molly talking to two gentlemen. Despite the intriguing situation, Curt shrugs his shoulders and heads towards the bar. The large, balding barman looks Curt over as he orders a whiskey. Unfamiliar with the man, the proprietor pours out a drink and asks for 50 caps. Curt takes a look at the small drink, then back at the barman and bluntly tells him to try again. The barman sternly tells Curt that the price has risen to 60 caps. Unimpressed, Curt places his newly purchased M60 onto the bar table and remains silent. 55 caps. Curt wracks a round, priming the gun for firing. 50 caps. The Misfit drops 50 caps on the table and enjoys his drink.

Unable to keep his idle hands to himself, Winston decides to have a go at repairing the complex looking blood testing machine. Despite its elaborate configuration, the mechanic proves his skills and repairs the machine flawlessly. Although a scientist would need to calibrate it, the machine is in working order. Pleased with his efforts, Winston decides to inform the Major. He confidently strides into Maxwell’s office - a fairly well kept room, perfect for discussing jobs with clients - and discovers he is surrounded by documents and complicated paperwork. An exasperated Maxwell lifts his head about the mountain of charters and legal papers to give the briefest of thank yous. Winston gets the message and takes his leave.

Tripping over his guilt, Jack finally summons the courage to visit Molly at The Stealer’s Wheel. He spots Curt exiting the building and gives him a sheepish hello before cautiously opening the heavy bar door. A bell tinkles overhead, signalling the beginning of something… special. Molly is sitting on her own in a booth, peacefully reading a book when she spots Jack making his way across the bar. She explains that Rebecca is up in her room, taking a nap. After making a passing comment that the bar is no place to raise a child, Molly signifies that she wants to talk about the future of their relationship. Although she is serious, she playfully flirts with Jack in the hopes of reigniting a spark between them. Jack agrees that they need to do what’s best of Rebecca. He is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Mr Blythe, who marches towards their booth with driven purpose. He plonks his suitcase abruptly onto their table, raising the ire of Molly who is, needless to say, unimpressed. As she begins to protest, Blythe sits beside her, carefully unlocks the latches of his leather bound briefcase before opening it fully and exposing the contents to Molly. Her eyes widen with shock and she is stunned into silence. Blythe closes the case and begins to unravel the shocking truth: the woman sat opposite Jack is none other than Marion White - a professional con artist. Blythe was suspicious of Molly’s claim and did some research. He discovered that Molly Hull has been dead for 5 years. Furthermore, Marion White has been hired by Dosberg and Pat; two of Jack’s enemies who wish to settle a dispute over a matter of 1000 caps and a pre-war holotape. Dosberg and Pat are actually sat at the opposite end of the bar and promptly spit out their drinks. They take a glance over at Blythe and are about to make a move when two NCR MPs move into the doorway. The military police officers immediately escorte the two off the premises. Realising the jig is up, Marion pays the majority of the 1000 caps she took, saying that she spent some on lunch. Shocked - perhaps even a little impressed - Jack tells Marion that he can respect the con. Blythe, now standing in the doorway holding the door open, announces ‘Your chariot awaits, Ms White.’ Marion pauses and, looking mournfully over her shoulder, asks Jack if there is any chance he can get her off the hook.

Jack says ‘nah.’

As they watch Marion as she is carted off, Jack counts his money and comments that he is missing 30 caps. Blythe amusingly says that he thinks he can write it off as a business lunch, much to Jack’s mirth and appreciation. He then asks about Rebecca. Blythe explains that Rebecca was a street orphan who is now residing in an NCR orphanage. The civil servant apologises to Jack, commenting that he had to follow through on his responsibilities. He sincerely hopes that he has righted Jack’s situation. Jack forgives him and the pair make their way back to Phoenix HQ.

In the twilight hours of the day, as the darkness makes its encroachment, Charles and Winston take a drive to meet Sybil. They find her at the usual meeting point, alongside her entourage of Skitters, Oak and Ploom. She gives a status update on the raider front and draws Charles’ attention to The Wasps; the clan is quickly wasting the smaller clans, one by one. The situation is causing a real stink amongst the remaining clans. Charles says that it might be an opportunity to strengthen the Three Dragons. Sybil agrees and gives him several options:

Attack the smaller clans (costs ammo and lives but will gain more resources)

Attack the local tribes and force them to join (costs ammo, lives and karma but will gain more fighters)

Make offerings to tribes (costs resources - possibly lives - but will gain karma and more fighters)

Attempt to make peace with rival clans (will cost resources and potentially lives if deal goes sour. However, there is potential to gain massive resources and good karma)

Charles decides to press Sybil to push for peace. Although she is sure that it’ll cost lives and many resources, she doesn’t hesitate to say that she’ll try. Sybil does say, however, that there is one clan they won’t be able to make peace with: The Roaches. The Three Dragons and The Roaches have had a blood feud which has lasted years. Again, Charles pressures her to try anyway. Changing topic, Sybil anxiously asks why Charles did not take his personal team with him; she heard about his dangerous exploits in Wessex and was very concerned for him. A bemused Charles asks Sybil “How did you expect me to call them?” A jittery Skitters apologises for his clumsiness; in the haze of Charles’ last visit to The Three Dragons, he forgot to give him a specialised radio. Much to her annoyance, she snatches it from Skitters and hands it over to Charles. He nonchalantly pockets the bulky device and comments that he’ll use it when he feels like it. At this point, the towering hulk of muscle known as Oak steps forward and berates Charles bluntly. “I don’t think you understand. You are our leader. It is your responsibility to stay alive and lead us to glory. We are here to die for you.” He grunts. Despite being physically smaller than Oak, Charles steps forward and stabs a finger in his direction, telling him to stand down. In a display of concern, Sybil cuts Charles off and says that she agrees with Oak. This prompts the playful female raider, Ploom, to chime in. Charles finally throws his hands in the air and agrees to - what he sees as - their petulant whining.

Switching back to business, Charles inquires about the jet situation. Sybil is pretty hopeful, explaining that they’re doing okay; only two clan members committed suicide. Even she is finding it tough to kick the habit but she is coping okay. Satisfied, Charles reminds Sybil to reward the soldiers carefully.

Having concluded their discussions, Charles and Sybil part on a kiss. The Californian evening finally creeps over the land.

A couple days pass with little events. The Misfits are enjoying some well earned R&R; Hobson is busy going through a stock check; Schuster, Auden and Doctor McPherson are recuperating well; Blythe is preparing for future audits and the Major is chasing some potential clients. It isn’t long though before the PA systems blare into life, calling for The Misfits to attend theatre for a briefing.

The lights dim in small, smokey auditorium as everyone takes a seat. A projector shines a light on their next mission: Operation Special Delivery. The Misfits are tasked with assisting the NCR in the delivery of cargo in transit to a remote settlement towards the east of California. The convoy consists of several armoured NCR vehicles and a truck cab with trailer. The trailer contains the precious payload which they must protect at all costs. The NCR Major leading the mission - a barrel chested, no nonsense man by the name of Cromwell - warns the Misfits that the journey will be perilous as they will be taking a route known as The Murder Mile. The Murder Mile is a long stretch of post-war road loading out into the east of California. The NCR had once hoped it would allow for smoother trading routes throughout the state. Unfortunately, it quickly fell into raider hands and has become synonymous for its high mortality rate. Major Cromwell also stresses that the mission came directly from President Kimball himself and is, therefore, of the utmost importance.

Well aware of their constant lack of critical resources, Major Maxwell informs the Misfits that their personal vehicle has been retrofitted with additional armour, peepholes and a top turret. They are more than capable of riding alongside the NCR for this mission. He then opens the floor to questions.

Lotta immediately asks what the payload contains. Cromwell tells the robot that it’s classified top secret. Concerned, Lotta asks if the payload is explosive or dangerous in anyway. Again, the NCR Major tells the robot that it is classified. Winston charismatically announces that he will be driving the cab truck hauling the precious cargo. Cromwell bewilderedly looks at Winston, then back at Maxwell who shrugs and replies “He’s a good driver.” The NCR Major begrudgingly agrees on the condition that he sits shotgun next to Winston. Wanting a piece of the action, Curt volunteers to sit on the trailer’s machine gun turret. Soon after, Lotta and Kassie informs the team that they’ll be sitting in the rear passenger seats inside the cab. Wanting to help keep a good spread of team mates across the convoy, Sasha decides to ride with one of the supporting NCR humvees while the rest of The Misfits will travel in the van. Being the most experienced driver, Reade will take the wheel. With the minutiae taken care of and accounted for, Cromwell orders the team to meet the convoy at the edge of town in two hours time.

As the group gathers their equipment and essential belongings, Balint and Pandora check on Ruth separately. Both the doctor and the synthetic are unaware of each other’s suspicions when they meet Ruth. Though they are both relieved that Ruth is doing well, they are anxious to find out what the injured scientist knows about Hesiod’s and Pandora’s conversation. To the relieve of Pandora and the frustration of Balint, Ruth’s memory of the event is hazy and she is unable to remember exactly what happened moments before and after she was shot. The two Misfits say their farewells before heading off to their mission, unaware that they are chasing each other in search of the truth…

After assembling their gear, The Misfits travel to the edge of town and meet Cromwell. The NCR Major is busy issuing a brief to his subordinates. The men snap a crisp salute before heading to their designated vehicles; two armoured humvees, a two man scout buddy and a large 4-seater truck cab hooked upto a heavily armoured trailer. When Cromwell asks Winston if he is definitely up to the challenge, the driver cracks a crass joke about having taken some drugs to help calm his nerves. Winston then tries to reassure a horrified Cromwell that he was joking; he never takes drugs while driving. He only drinks and drives. SSgt Reade tells Winston to cut it out immediately. After a brief recap of the mission objective, including an overview of the route they’ll take, the unit set off on their fateful journey.

Twenty minutes into the drive, the unit eventually reaches the start of the Murder Mile without incident. In an attempt to ease some tension, Cromwell attempts to make some small chat with Winston - even going so far as to crack a lighthearted joke. Winston deadpans, saying that he doesn’t like to joke around while driving. The NCR Major mentions he’s disappointed and is about to go into rambling stories of days-gone-past when he is suddenly cut off mid-sentence. The scout vehicle - only a hundred meters ahead of the party - suddenly flips into the air. Cromwell immediately recognises that they’ve fallen into a raider trap: the enemy has created a heavy duty trip wire made from chains which has catapulted the speeding vehicle into the air. The dune buggy lands on a hidden bed of rusty, jagged metal, instantly killing the two passengers. Cromwell immediately shouts at Winston to pull hard right. Despite the sudden shock of the attack, Winston successfully navigates the heavy vehicle around trap. The driver checks his mirrors and recoils at the horror unfolding behind them. Coming from the right, a large convoy of enemy bikers launch themselves over a sand dune and races towards them at menacing speeds.

The Misfits take a deep breath before heading into the breach...

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #Fallout Tactics #fallout 4 #falloutpnp #fallout pnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 13

GM Note: Here comes a new player! For the sake of continuity, the character of Curt (Jakob) has been with the party since the beginning.

Reade’s radio crackles to life as Pandora informs the Sergeant of Auden’s well being, much to her relief. Their elation is suddenly grounds when Pandora remembers the ACU soldier she had previous… crippled. Reade orders Billy and Curt to check in on the enemy and, if necessary, put him down. The Sergeant also orders Balint to prepare to follow her en route to Auden’s location.

Outside, in cold darkness, Winston tinkers around with Lotta’s remains. After several attempts, the mechanic is able to repair and reboot the robot back to life. Although the work is essentially a patch job (the robot is basically held together with glue and duct tape) Lotta is able to regain function of most of its systems. Its IR sensor, however, is beyond Winston’s repair. When playfully asked by Reade how does it feel for the robot to be brought back from the ‘dead’, Lotta pontificates a semi-philosophical speech about how it was never alive in the first place. It’s lost on Reade who just gives the robot a simple nod and thumbs up.

Meanwhile, Billy and Curt make their way through into the Administration offices where Pandora had previously faced an ACU soldier. They fail to overhear the faint murmuring coming from the darkness; instead, they see a trail of blood leading into one of the offices As they enter the Facility Manager's office, a sluggish punch swipes through the air, narrowly missing Billy’s face by an inch. The wounded ACU soldier enters into a brief tussle. Curt furrows his brow, pulls out his pistol and attempts to shoot the soldier in the leg. He misses but the shot is enough force the soldier into submission. The two mercenaries notice the injured man is holding onto a large radio handset.

Reade, who is about to make her way towards Auden’s location, hears Curt’s shot. She tells Balint to go on ahead while she investigates. When she arrives, Billy and Curt inform her of the situation. After some initial interrogation, the Sergeant pushes the soldier - Subteniente Vargas - for answers about the radio. Vargas simply avoids her questions by flippantly stating that he has nothing valuable to share. Reade passes Billy some duct tape and orders him to bind Vargas and take him to the captured ACU Major. The shortly drag him off back to the reception area.

Meanwhile, Charles begins to fiddle and mess around with the facility’s power management system. Despite his rudimentary understanding of electronics, the mercenary fiddles around with the fuse box and miraculously manages to restore power to the building. Lights begin to floor the corridors once more, much to everyone’s rejoyce. Charles decides to take the opportunity to explore the rest of the facility. He eventually stumbles room secured with a thick, iron bar cage door, labeled as the store room. Through the bars, he spots a large, opened wooden crate with a set of heavy footprints leading out of the room and down the corridor he had just wandered through. Charles manages to pick the lock and walks inside for a closer inspection. Spray painted in red with large, menacing letters is the word ‘RAVAGER’. Puzzled, Charles is about to report his findings when he discovers a cache of landmines, grenades and ammunition. The delusional schizophrenic’s eyes widen with delight…

Reade finally manages to meet with Pandora and Auden. A relieved Schuster shares a tender moment with Auden as Balint works to heal her to the best of his abilities. The doctor is able to heal her broken legs but is unable to heal her arms. Though she is still uncomfortable with pain, the Lieutenant is thankful for Balint’s hard work. Focusing, Auden’s memory flickers back to the beginning of Operation Moonshield. She recalls the series of events previously explained by Schuster up until her capture. After Fenton and Condor were executed, Auden was severely beaten and dragged to Wessex. As they transported her, Auden caught a glimpse of the soldiers taking Condor’s comms equipment and Fenton’s pipboy. Eventually she would discover the truth about behind the rumours of the highly advanced encryption technology: it was a hoax concocted by the ACU to lure out NCR mercenaries. They had heard that the NCR had employed freelance mercenary units to take on ‘high risk and rewards’ tasks and wanted to see what they were made of. In the process, they managed to accomplish three goals:

Capture an NCR mercenary

Investigate/hack the stolen equipment (Fenton’s Pipboy and Condor’s tech)

Field test the Ravager

A baffled Reade asks what is this ‘Ravager’, to which Auden reveals to be an experimental ACU power armour suit. Worried, the Sergeant immediately asks if Pandora’s lance encountered the Ravager. The lance leader shakes her head. Reade suddenly realises that Vargas must have contacted enemy reinforcements - including the experimental Ravager. She then contacts Jack over the radio and tells him to force Vargas to spill the beans.

Realising that they must have figured something out, Vargas spits blood in Jack’s face and tells him to fuck off. The unperturbed Jack removes a handkerchief from his top pocket and charismatically wipes the stain from his cheek as he nods for Curt to drag Vargas away. The muscle bound merc yanks at Vargas’ neck and heaves him into another room where he is swiftly beaten senseless. As the sound of wet, bloodied punches echoes through the facility, The ACU Major immediately begins to talk. He tells Jack that he will reveal more information if he is promised to be treated appropriately as a prisoner of war under NCR custody. Jack lies and says ‘sure thing’ without consulting Reade. The Major’s wily senses kick in and he asks for Reade’s promise on the matter.

Unamused, Reade marches back to their location and tells the ACU Major that he is in no position to make demands. He nervously swallows but says that he is prepared to accept his fate. Reade cuts him off and barks at the ACU Major to tell her everything he knows about the Ravager. The enemy officer finally comes clean and explains that it is an experimental power armour that was being field tested. They wanted to know how efficient of a killing machine it was. Satisfied with his answers, Reade presses the Major for answers about Vargas’ radio call. A sly smirk spreads across his face as he explains that Reade and her unit will need to keep him alive to bargain for their lives. The ACU Major promises that they will be treated fairly and will be dealt with… honourably if they surrender. He estimates that the Ravager squad will return to Wessex within the next 5 to 10 minutes. Reade coldly tells the ACU Major that they’ll need a fucking army to stop them. She swiftly boots him in the face, rendering him unconscious.

Knowing that they are racing against the clock, Reade orders The Misfits to prepare for battle. Charles confidently strolls in and reveals the bounty of weapons and ammunition he discovered in the store room. The Misfits divide it between themselves. Reade then orders the following:

Sasha is to plant landmines around the facility entrance.

Curt will tie up Vargas and leave him outside with a landmine planted next to him.

Everyone is to take defensive positions and shoot out through the bunker windows.

Charles and Schuster will take up sniping positions in the radar tower dishes.

Auden will hide until the coast is clear.

While Curt is outside gagging and securing Vargas outside, he catches a glimpse of Reade setting up an emergency beacon. She contacts Maxwell on a secure line and informs him about the situation. The Phoenix Corporation leader delivers some bad news; bad weather has hit The Boneyard. They will arrive in 20 minutes. He tells Reade to stall for as much time as possible.

When Charles and Schuster reach the large radar farm, he gives him some .223 rounds and wishes him good luck. They split up, climbing separate towers in order to get maximum view of their surroundings. The large radar dish Charles finds himself in shows the tell-tale signs of habitation. A tattered sleeping bag lies on the flattest part of the dish with a few empty cans of food scattered around. As the dish bends, forming a ‘wall’ to this unique home, Charles spots a several pictures of pin-up girls plastered around to give the place some decoration. He takes a few to add to his private collection. As he pockets the pictures, he also catches glimpse of what appears to be an make-fix emergency escape rope. The rope, made from high tension fibres, is rigged to a pulley wheel and a large counterweight, allowing for someone to quickly and carefully lower themselves to the ground. Before he has time to test it, however, Schuster radios through to tell alert everyone to the approaching enemy.

The Ravager squad, comprised for 10 or so soldiers, marches towards Wessex. Leading them is a man wearing what appears to be the Ravager power armour. The suit, comprised of a menacing set of protective metal that completely encases the soldier, is outfitted with what appears to be a large set of spring loaded machete sized blades that are retracted on the left arm and a threatening heavy machine gun. The Ravager halts the squad 50 or so meters away from the facility.

Reade tells Jack to stall the enemy for as long as possible. After an awkward start, in which Jack asks if anyone ‘habla Ingles?’, he manages to start a dialog with the English speaking leader. The leader immediately orders The Misfits to release their superior officer and surrender to the ACU. Jack lies and says the situation is a complete misunderstanding. He asks the ACU soldier to remove his armour because it scares him. Miraculously, the soldier buys his lie but refuses to remove his armour. Instead, he decides to ‘ease the tension’ but removing his helmet to discuss things ‘man-to-man’.

Reade orders Charles to take the shot. The round slices through the air and glances his temple, causing the Ravager to fall to his knees. The rest of the ACU soldiers whip their rifles towards Charles’ position and open fire. Bullets perforate and frantically dance around the sniper’s position, peppering him with hot lead and debris. He is severely injured and rolls into better cover. Hearing Charles’ pained cries over the radio, The Misfits open fire on the ACU soldiers, catching them by surprise. Several of them are hit during the barrage, resulting in the soldiers quickly pop smoke grenades which flood their positions with swirling plumes of red smoke.

Although the thick smoke masks their presence, two of the enemy soldiers are caught by Schuster making their way around the side of the facility. The sniper trains his sights on their position and fires a single, silenced shot. The round pierces the lung of its target, causing the man to fall to the ground, choking for air. Having regained his determination through a sheer lust for revenge, Charles crawls back to his firing position, takes aim and squeezes the trigger. A split second later, there’s the sound of a loud, wet thwack, followed by the banshee like howls of the severely injured ACU combatant. He stumbles around, clutching at his face as blood and fluid - thick and stringy like egg yolks - pours from his eye holes. Both soldiers manage to drag themselves back into the cover of smoke.

At the same time, through the vail of the red smoke, a thunderous explosion erupts. Through their scopes, Schuster and Charles catch glimpse of hot meaty chunks of human flesh soaring into the air. They begin to grasp the situation: the mine next to Vargas has exploded, taking - by their estimation - the lives of Vargas plus one.

Through the thin, bunker glass, a vigilant Billy spots an ACU soldier in a ghillie suit crawling to the rear side of the facility. Billy radios Schuster for sniper support and the two open fire on the enemy. Both barrages of fire miss, kicking up dust and dirt.

Strolling confidently towards the facility's front door, the mighty Ravager soldier draws his chain gun and opens fire at the thick steel bulkhead. The rounds pierce through the metal and although it puts up a struggle, the door is eventually torn down. Although Winston and Jack are hopeful in the landmine taking out the power armour, the enemy spots and casually steps over it. The Ravager leader orders one of the soldiers to disable it as he makes his way down the stairs. Jack and Winston realise they are cornered.

Meanwhile, Lotta, Reade and Pandora spot the outlines of two additional ACU soldiers walking past their windows. They wait for a moment before ambushing them and opening fire. The soldiers roll out of harm’s way, and the group enters into a fierce gun fight.Frustrated with his inability to get a good angle on the enemy, Curt decides to blow a hole in the wall with a grenade so that he can charge in with his heavy machine gun. He plants the explosive next to what he perceives to be a weakness in the structure and runs for cover. The grenade shatters the centuries old wall, granting Curt a narrow passage to the outside.

Knowing that there is one landmine at the bottom of the steps, Jack decides to pull out of cover and fire at the bomb in the hopes of destroying the power armour. He misses, much to his dread and the Ravager’s delight.

Meanwhile, Billy’s gun fight with the ghillied ACU soldier has intensified. Both utilising the cover to their advantage, the pair exchange a barrage of deadly shotgun and machine gun fire until Billy is eventually hit in the shoulder. Unable to contain himself, Charles sends a volley of bullets in the enemy’s direction, forcing him out of cover. Realising he doesn’t have any further options, the ghillied soldier rushes to the bunker wall and plants a C4 charge. He radios something through to his team mates - something that momentarily ceases the gun fire from all sides. The pause in combat immediately sets off Reade’s battle sense and she orders everyone to get into cover.

Outside, several C4 detonations sound off around the facility. A hole in the wall is created near Billy’s position at the rear of the facility; the windows near Reade, Pandora and Lotta is blown through; and - surprisingly - the outer wall to the bathroom where Winston and Jack are positioned is torn open by the lung shot soldier Schuster had previously shot at.

Realising his options are limited, Winston cracks open a vent shaft door and begins to crawl away, leaving Shady behind. Wanting to buy time for everyone, Jack decides to shoot at the landmine one more time. He calls out to the Ravager and, in a spectacular display of lofty arrogance, decides to tell a joke.

“Why did the Mexican cross the border?” He leaps out of cover, swings his magnum revolver in the Ravager’s direction and pulls the trigger. The magnum round blasts out of the barrel and burrows itself into the explosive device right next to the Ravager’s feet. It explodes, blossoming into a fireball of death and slicing, white-hot shrapnel. “Because he wanted to blow up!” Jack delivers the flippant punchline just in time to see the Ravager step out of the flames. Although the power armour was indeed damaged, it was not enough to render the enemy incapacitated. The menacing Ravager walks towards Jack and offers a joke of his own.

“Why did the gringo cross the Ravager?” Suddenly, the large machete sized blades sprint forward him the suit’s left arm, forming a set of ferocious claws. “Because he wanted to be torn to pieces.” Unable to think of a snappy retort, Jack turns tail and flees through the bathroom.

Unable to get a sight on the enemy, Charles decides to take a risk and use the emergency pull system to quickly lower himself to the ground. Luckily, the hastily strung together pulley and counterweight hold together, the sniper descends to the ground quickly and carefully. At the same time, Billy finally defeats the ghillied soldier when he blasts him with a double barrel load of buckshot. The enemy’s ribcage explodes in a flash of red gore. An injured Billy stands triumphantly over his fallen enemy.

With the enemy in his sights, Curt lays down on the ground and deploys his heavy machine gun. He sends a volley of .50 cal rounds at the soldiers near Reade’s position. The rounds dance around their targets, narrowly missing them. However, much to Curt’s shock and confusion, the enemy suddenly explode into red clouds of bloody mists, resulting in one of them losing and arm and leg while the other outright dies. At the same time, Reade tells everyone to hit the deck and take cover. In the far distance, the Vertibird opens fire again from a side mounted chain gun on the two ACU soldiers’ position, resulting in total fatalities.

The Vertibird swings towards the other side of the facility and rains down white hot fury on the blinded and lung shot ACU soldiers, sending limbs and whimpering screams into the night sky. Sensing safety, Jack takes a running jump at the hole in the bathroom and scrambles outside. Hot in his heals, the Ravager stampedes through the opening and is about to take fire on Jack. Through a masterful stroke of marksmanship, Charles is able to deliver a precise shot to the power armour’s visor, shattering it and exposing part of the ACU soldier’s face.  

Quickly registering what has just happened, Jack spins on his heels, points his revolver at the Ravager’s exposed face and pulls the trigger. The soldier’s sharpened senses kick in and he reflexively rolls away from the shot. It glances off his forehead and ricochets of what remains of his helmet. Stricken with panic, Jack runs for his life. The Vertibird moves in and gives the gunner enough of an angle to pivot the mounted machine gun into position. Although the Ravager is unable to shoot at the Vertibird, he decides to take out his fury on the fleeing Jack. His chain gun spins into life and a flurry of 5mm rounds cut through Jack, severely wounding him. Jack crumbles to the floor but is still alive to turn on his side and look into the eyes of the inflictor of his impending demise. Instead of outright killing him, the Ravager points his gun to the sky and attempts to shoot down the Vertibird. However, at the last second, his vision snaps onto an encroaching Charles who has fired a final round from his sniper rifle. The Ravager soldier to let out a shocked, fear stricken gasp before the round smashes into his exposed head. He falls to the floor as blood and brain matter oozes from his wound.

The Misfits are finally victorious in their battle against the ACU Ravager forces.

As Hobson lands the Vertibird, it is revealed that Major Maxwell was the gunner. He removes himself from the mounted turret harness and rushes to Jack. The silver tongued merc manages to sit himself up before giving his commanding officer a thumbs up. Maxwell tells him he did a good job and offers him a Yak 42 cigar. The rest of the team radios through that they’re okay before rendezvousing at the facility entrance. Maxwell and Hobson inspect the remains of the Ravager power armour. The Major finds it troubling that the enemy has access to such technology. He and Blythe had never dreamt that the ACU could outdo the Enclave in terms of weaponry on this scale. Reade soon meets with Maxwell and informs him about the situation and the ACU true purpose at Wessex. The Major is relieved to hear that Auden and Schuster are alive but is devastated by the news of Condor and Fenton’s passing. He swears to honour their names before ordering The Misfits to retrieve the stolen Pipboy and comms tech. At the same time, Curt presents Maxwell with the captured ACU Major.

The ACU officer nervously looks at Maxwell and asks to negotiate. The Phoenix Corporation leader coldly informs him that he can negotiate with the NCR. The Misfits carry him off to the Vertibird as Hobson radios Blythe to arrange for NCR military police to be on standby at HQ. After securing the last of the looted ACU equipment, the team finally set off home.

The sun begins to rise on a new day as the Vertibird carries The Misfits back to HQ. Although they encounter some turbulence, the journey gives time for reflection on a hard night’s work. The Vertibird carefully maneuvers into the HQ’s courtyard, where a pair of NCR MPs flank Mr Blythe. The civil servant congratulates the team on a job well done before the MPs cart the ACU officer off into the back of an armoured truck. The enemy officer takes one last fearful glance at the Misfits before the truck doors slam shut.

The mood is cut short when Charles makes another passing comment about the bullet ration. Blythe playfully dismisses it and says that his comments have been noted. As the weary team make their way into HQ, Blythe informs Jack that there is a visitor waiting for him in the lobby.

Curiously, Jack Shady cautiously enters the lobby to discover a young, slender woman holding hands with a small girl. The young lady’s face immediately brightens up when she spots him.

“Jack Shady… it’s been a long time. It’s me, Molly. Molly Hull. And this, Jack, is our daughter…”

A rock forms inside of Jack’s stomach as Charles snorts out a mocking laugh.

#fallout #fallout1 #fallout2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout tactics #fallout pnp #falloutpnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 12

Bravo lance are rocked with panic as two ACU soldiers wonder out of one of Wessex Facility’s comms buildings with purpose. The team immediately ducks. Unfortunately, Lotta makes a huge ‘clunk’ as it hides against the rocky surface, immediately alerting one of the soldiers. The Mexican takes a moment to discuss what he heard with his comrade, however, they quickly dismiss it and strangely head off in a different direction. Bravo lance breathes a sigh of relief.

Seemingly moving with determination, the two ACU soldiers arrive in front of an old pre-war helipad and pop two flares. The two soldiers start looking into the sky, rifles cradled in their arms at the ready. Pandora assess the situation and begins to issue orders to the other lance members. The lance leader is able to ascertain that something big is about to happen but the team has not managed to map out the entire area. There is precious little time to act. Firstly, she tells Billy to walk around the parameter of the facility to gather intel on the enemy. She then tells Charles to move up, hold a sniper position and take out the two ACU soldiers as quickly as possible. Lotta will provide backup with its laser carbine. Finally, Pandora will sneak up and enter the comms facility building.

As Charles is issue his orders, his eyes suddenly glaze over and - unbeknownst to his comrades - he switches over to the Cain personality. The lance then sets off.

As Billy sets off into the distance, Charles and Pandora quietly descend down the cold stoney dune. After ducking between a set of boulders, Pandora and Charles split. Pandora immediately reaches the Communications Facility building undetected. She opens the bulkhead door and carefully begins to walk down some stairs which lead into the bowels of the facility. Charles, corrupted by the Cain personality, heads towards the two ACU soldiers… and ignores his orders. He double backs and follows after Pandora. Watching from afar, Lotta radios Pandora about the situation. As Cain walks through the facility doors and flippantly walks past Pandora, she grabs his collar and halts him. They have a tense stare down before Pandora orders Lotta to sneak up as best as possible and monitor/take out the soldiers. The lance leader knows that, realistically, she has very little control over the seemingly mad sniper. With thoughts of their previous argument in mind - in which Charles (under the Cain personality) pulled a gun on her - Pandora proposes that they split up and search the facility. She sternly tells him to avoid enemy contact. Cain agrees.

As they head down the stairs into the recessed facility, they reach a fork in the path and part ways. Cain heads into the bathroom while Pandora reaches the main entrance area. At the entrance, where an old corporate style reception desk sits, Pandora notices the passageway has two body scanning metal detectors installed. She also spots that newly installed lights are scantily lining the facility walls. The lance leader is wrought with paranoia, so she decides to carefully scale the metal detector terminal that separates the passageway. Pandora successfully pulls herself up and passes the detectors without issue. She creeps past the reception desk, makes her way into a security interrogation room and enters into the administration office.

Cain, on the other hand, finds himself in dark, dank bathroom. He discovers unpleasant evidence that the bathrooms have been recently used - which includes overflowing urinals and a blocked toilet - suggesting that the enemy has a large number of soldiers stationed in the facility. He discovers a ventilation shaft and crawls through it. He soon reaches the vent exit which spys two ACU soldiers having a smoke break in the kitchen. As the two men enjoy their timeout, a third soldier angrily walks into the room and barks orders at them in Spanish. The two soldiers snap to attention and salute as their superior leaves the room. Cain radios Pandora and asks for permission to attack. Hoping for a distraction at the very least, Pandora grants him permission, asking him not to leave any blood.   

Cain carefully crawls out of the vent shaft and begins to creep up on his prey. Adrenaline courses through his veins and his bloodlust begins to envelope him as he draws his knife. He reaches them undetected, close enough to smell their scent before wrenching his arm back and viciously slashing at one of the men. Somehow, Cain manages to critically miss his target. Yet miraculously, he critically remains undetected. Realising how close he came to being detected, Cain takes a step back. His wisdom is suddenly overwritten by his need for carnage and he is unable to contain himself. The madman briskly walks up to the two men and plunges into the throat of the first ACU soldier. He twists and slices through the tendons and adam’s apple of his victim, causing a crimson torrent of blood in all directions. The second soldier, coated in warm blood and stricken with fear draws his weapon and, gripped with panic, desperately thrusts his rifle’s bayonet at Cain. He misses and the two enter into an intense struggle. Cain manages to stab the man in the temple. The damage is not enough to kill the soldier but it silences him as he staggers backwards, unable to focus. Seizing the moment, Cain marches towards the soldier and launches a flurry of stabbing attacks into the soldier’s stomach. The second soldier falls to the ground dead, spilling his blood everywhere. Cain stands silently, basking in the massacre he brought forth.

Captured by madness, Cain drags the first corpse into an empty refrigerator and seals it inside. He then takes the second corpse and crams it into a vacant kitchen cabinet under the sink. In what can only be described as a masterstroke of genius, Cain then clogs the sink with duct tape and turns on the taps. The ancient pipes groan loudly before water, thick and black, blasts out of the nozzle. This action alerts two more soldiers inside the administration department where Pandora is hiding. She quietly alerts Cain over the radio about the approaching threat. Cain retreats to the darkness and waits for his new prey to enter the kitchen.

The first of the two soldiers enters and instantly notices the blood bath. Cain launches himself at the man and plunges his knife into the soldier’s forehead, killing him instantly. Realising that things are going horribly wrong, Pandora leaps out from her position and - with the second soldier in her line of sight - fires two silenced shots. Both shots hit the second soldier in the back, piercing one of his lungs in the process. Realising he desperately needs cover, the second soldier - armed with a powerfist - charges towards Cain. He gallantly swings his pneumatic gauntlet at Cain but misses and hits the door frame, sending splinters of wood cascading through the air. Realising that Cain is about to unleash hell, Pandora orders Cain to keep the soldier alive for questioning. Cain lands multiple stab wounds into the soldier’s gut before punching him his face against the door frame, rendering the enemy unconscious. Cain immediately duct tapes the soldier’s hands and feet together.

Meanwhile, Lotta has manages to slowly sneak up towards the two soldiers on the helipad. As the robot takes cover behind some nearby crates and oil drums, an ACU vertibird suddenly comes into land. An officer, flanked by two heavily armed soldiers, exit the vehicle and march into the comms building. Seeing a lone pilot inside, Lotta carefully moves in to eliminate the threat. The robot slowly steps onto the read loading ramp, draws its newly installed laser carbine and takes aim. The shot lands wide, missing its target and punch a neat, smouldering hole through the windshield. The startled pilot pulls a gun and the two begin to trade fire. After several failed attempts, Lotta finally lands a critical hit on the pilot, killing him instantly.

At the same time, Billy makes a discovery as he nears the satellite dish array. A mass grave lies before him. Inside the pit, filled with mostly burned bodies, Billy spots a victim clutching onto an intact diary. The diary reveals that a group of raiders called The Kumo secretly lived in the Wessex Facility and details an encounter with The Wasps. The leader of The Wasps demanded that The Kumo leave the area immediately or they would face severe consequences. The diary also specifically states that The Wasps told the raiders to ‘clear their nest for a new horde.’ Billy assumes that The Kumo did not heed The Wasp’s warnings… He quickly loses his train of thought when he hears gunfire coming from the comms facility. Fearing that they’ve landed themselves in trouble again, Billy pockets the diary and sprints back towards his comrades.

Only moments after sealing the Comms Facility bulkhead, the officer overhears Lotta’s battle outside. The man orders two soldiers to investigate.

Realising that there was no way the ACU were not alerted to the gun fire, Lotta positions itself in front of the facility door and prepares to open fire. The robot then radios Pandora and informers her about the situation. Lotta affirms that it is ready to ambush the enemy at a moment’s notice. Realising that the mission parameters have changed, Pandora ruthlessly orders Cain to execute the unconscious soldier. He ploughs his knife into the enemy soldier’s throat and leaves the enemy to bleed out.

With his blood lust finally satiated, Cain’s eyes glaze over as he switches over to the Charles personality.

With Pandora none the wiser to Charles’ personality swapping antics, the lance leader orders him to take up a defensive position while she sweeps through the rest of the facility. He moves into the kitchen, only to discover that it has now flooded with an inch of dirty water. Realising that the state of the room would most likely catch the enemy off guard, he shoves over a couch and takes cover behind it in waiting…

Pandora heads deeper into the facility, checking each room she encounters for anything useful. After heading through Administration, she reaches the Data Encryption department where she discovers what appears to be Cpl Condor’s dismantled comm tech. From what she can tell, the ACU had taken it apart for further examination. Undeterred, she presses on until reaches a small office labeled ‘Head of Facility’. She peers through small porthole on the door and catches a glimpse of a dismantled Pipboy hooked up to a working terminal. She eagerly pushes open the door to take a closer look but is stopped dead in her tracks as the cold muzzle of a pistol barrel nuzzles into the back of her head. A grizzle sounding man, speaking with a thick Mexican accent, orders Pandora to drop her gun.

The Comms Facility bulkhead door swings open and the two soldiers immediately encounter Lotta. With the element of surprise on its side, the robot carefully takes aim with its laser carbine and opens fire… only to critically miss.

Alarmed by the flash of laser fire, The Officer orders the soldiers to seal the hatch and eliminate the threat.

The battle hardened ACU soldiers immediately gather their nerve and fire back. Both sides trade fire but the battle is abruptly ended when one of the soldiers fires a 10 round burst into Lotta’s torso. Each bullet lands critical damage on the robot and slices through Lotta’s chassis with ease. Tragically, Lotta ceases function and crumbles to the floor motionless.

Flanked by his men, The Officer rushes through into the reception area. As they pass through the security gate, an alarm sounds off that momentarily distracts the soldiers. Peeking through the open door that connects the reception area to the kitchen, Charles takes aim through his scope and quickly plants a headshot on one of the soldiers, killing him instantly. The rest of the ACU immediately scatters. To Charles’ surprise, The Officer calls out to him in English and orders the sniper to surrender immediately, promising that he will be dealt with mercy if he complies. Charles immediately responds by opening fire on them.

Pandora is ordered to tell the English speaking ACU soldier who she is, what she is doing here and who else is with her. For some reason, Pandora immediately begins to fabricate a complicated story to explain that she is a member of The Family and was sent to Wessex on orders. The ACU soldier not only does not care about The Family, he recognises she is lying to him and aptly points his pistol at her leg with the intent to shoot it. However, Pandora’s captor critically misses her, TWICE. Without a moment’s hesitation, Pandora sprints to a nearby desk and takes cover.

While Charles trades fire with the Officer and his men, he realises that he will be outgunned soon. He retreats to a vent shaft and begins to take some shots at the temporary light fightings the enemy had previously installed. He lands a couple shots on the light mount and the daisy chain of lamps collapses into the water. The parallel circuit is shorted and the entire facility blacks out. Charles slides on his NVGs and prepares for the next battle to begin.

At the same time, Billy arrives at the comms facility and discovers Lotta’s robot corpse. He attempts to fix it but quickly gives up. Billy radios Charles and Pandora to tell him that he is entering the fray through the front door. Charles tells him that the enemy is positioned in the front reception area. He creeps into the darkness and, with his flashlight equipped in one hand and his sawn off shotgun in the other, sneaks up on the ACU soldiers. He suddenly turns on his flash light, blinding the enemy and opens fire on the ACU officer, dealing heavy damage and crippling him in the process.

Using the darkness to her advantage, Pandora carefully passes by her captor. Fumbling, she eventually finds her gun on the floor and turns on the attached flashlight. She is startled by the close proximity of the enemy and, in a fit of panic, shoots him in the testicles. The soldier keels over, foaming at the mouth before passing out.

Meanwhile, the crippled Officer collapses to the ground and tries to return fire in the darkness. The burst of pistol fire narrowly misses Billy, who dives into cover. Charles walks into the reception like a vicious stalker. He promptly walks up to a soldier, shoots him in the face and kicks him in the testicles to render him completely broken. Billy rolls out of cover and blasts away at the final remaining ACU soldier, devastating the Mexican in one swift attack. Surrounded by the corpses of his comrades and the encroaching enemy, the ACU Officer throws down his weapon and puts his hands in the air. He offers to surrender. Charles immediately binds him with duct tape.

Pandora leaves the unconscious soldier behind to reunite with Billy and Charles. They explain the situation to one another with Pandora wondering out aloud if the Wasps and the ACU are somewhat connected. Her thoughts are cut off by the sudden sound of Reade’s voice over the radio. The Sergeant asks for a status report, to which Pandora replies that the facility is under their control. Reade is surprised. The Sergeant briefly explains Alpha lance’s situation (include Schuster’s status) before asking if Bravo lance have discovered Auden. The lance leader explains that they didn’t see anything yet and that the facility has lost power. The group agrees finding Auden (if she is there) will be impossible in the darkness. Charles and Pandora wander through the facility while Billy stands guard over the ACU Officer, who is remarkably calm given the situation...

They eventually reach the facility’s power room. Pandora is able to unlock the door. Inside, they discover that the circuit breaker and control console are in need for repair. Telling Charles to stay behind, Pandora heads off back towards the facility’s main entrance, hoping that Alpha lance would have arrived in time. Winston’s repair skills will be invaluable in order to restore power to the facility.

As she rounds a corner and heads off into a different corridor, Pandora hears the faint murmurs of someone in pain. A choked, gravelly voice begs for water in the darkness. The lance leader carefully walks forward with her weapon drawn. Her flash light pans over a crippled female body inside a makeshift cell. Pandora asks the beaten person to identify herself. The lady weakly replies that her name is Auden. The lance leader immediately lockpicks the cell door and rushes to her comrade’s aid. The Lieutenant’s arms and legs have been shattered and although Pandora is no doctor, she realises that it is a miracle that Auden is still alive. While she is unable to fix her broken bones, Pandora is able to give her some stimpaks to help heal her. She comforts Auden be explain that she is with The Misfit unit and tells her that the nightmare is over. Pandora also tells Auden that Schuster is alive, much to her relief. Wincing at the pain, Auden manages to collect her strength and begins to reveal the secret behind the ACU and their mission at Wessex.

An ice cold gale rips through the facility, signally the arrival of a furious storm…  

#Fallout 1 #fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #Fallout Tactics #fallout pnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 11

As Charles and Winston leave HQ to meet with Sybil of The Three Dragons, Lotta’s robotic gaze lingers over the mysterious letter. After a moment’s thought, the robot decides to investigate the area crudely drawn on the map. Not wishing to put anyone directly in harm’s way, Lotta decides to tell Pandora that it will be going on a short journey. Lotta instructs Pandora to search for the robot if it does not return within an hour and a half. Although she is puzzled, Pandora agrees to her friend’s requests. Lotta leaves shortly thereafter.

The merchant’s brahmin caravan parked near Phoenix HQ is paid a visit by Jack, Balint, Sasha and Pandora. Jack, wanting to earn some more caps, attempts to persuade the merchant to purchase some junk from him. His silver tongue fails to earn him some extra caps, but he is able to sell a few weapon related items. Jack mingles around, thinking of a way to sell his accumulated wealth of junk while Balint peruses the merchant’s wares. The doctor purchases some armour piercing ammo for his handgun before taking his leave. Struggling to find the words to convey what he needs, Sasha turns to Jack to help barter a better price. Not feeling in the slightest way generous, Jack decides to walk away from the ghoul, leaving him to deal with the situation himself. Pandora, on the other hand, pities Sasha’s plight and offers to help. The ghoul is able to purchase the merchant’s last tangle grenade at a fair price. Already developing a rapport with the gentleman, Pandora decides to use her sex appeal to get a better deal on some armour the merchant has managed to acquire for her. She manages to scrounge together enough funds by selling several of her acquired weapons, some holotapes, two gold watches and borrows money from several of her comrades. For her efforts, Pandora is able to purchase some Greater Banding armour. Although it is clunky, the extra protection is worth it.

Meanwhile, Lotta arrives at the area drawn on her map. The area, formerly called Finch Drive, is located in a quiet area of The Boneyard. The street is littered with the rubble of a collapsed building and is a little difficult to traverse. Lotta spots the secluded alley drawn on the map and enters it carefully. Inside, the robot discovers another Protectron unit hidden in the shadows. Wearing a trenchcoat and speaking through a speech synthesizer, the mysterious Protectron expresses its delightment at Lotta’s arrival. The Protectron explains that he has been looking for Lotta for a very long time and that he was unable to contact Lotta directly due to her proximity with the Phoenix Corporation. The Protectron explains that the only way to draw out Lotta was to sent anonymous letters to help draw her out.

Fed up with the robot’s coy behaviour, Lotta demands that the Protectron unit reveals its identity. Lotta is shocked to discover that the Protector is none other than Dr Hu, the human who had previously sexually abused her. After Lotta had beaten Dr Hu into a bloody pulp, the perverted doctor was saved by his medical robot helper. The medical helper was able to surgically put Hu’s brain into the body of a discarded Protectron unit. When Hu regained consciousness, he made it his mission to find Lotta and bring her back. Hu’s behaviour and tone becomes increasingly deluded as he starts laying out his needs and desires to Lotta.

Cutting Hu off mid-sentence, Lotta fires a laser round at the perverted machine. Hu suddenly becomes sexually excited and tells Lotta that he will rebuild her if she will not come back peacefully. Hu then orders his medical robot helper - a Mr Handy unit called Terra - to emerge from the shadows and attack Lotta. Although the mercenary puts up a fight, Lotta is eventually surrounded and takes several hits from the two laser pistol wielding foes. Suddenly, from the alleyway entrance, heavy machine gun fire tears through Terra, severely damaging the medical robot. Cpl Hobson calls out to Lotta, saying he’s here to help. With the odds now even, the two mercenaries carry out a counter attack which results in Lotta crippling Hu’s shooting hand.

Clearly appearing to be a masochist, Hu is even more sexually excited than before. The deranged doctor suddenly whips off his trench coat and reveals that he is wearing a large, robotic strap on dildo. He moves in to assault Lotta, blabbering perverted profanities with every step. Not one to be easily frightened, Lotta takes aim and shoots off the robotic crotch appendage with brutal precision. Hu howls in synthesized pain, regretting that he programmed these sensations into his robotic body.

Hobson quickly finishes off Terra and starts to concentrate his machine gun fire on Hu. After the perverted doctor takes a barrage of bullets, Lotta talks Hu into surrendering. He reluctantly agrees and uses the moment to ask Lotta if she ever loved him. Lotta immediately tells Hu to drop dead. Now feeling crushingly defeated, Hu announces that he will initiate his body’s self destruct system. Fearing that Hu will explode, Lotta and Hobson step back to a safe distance. As blue smoke begins to billow out of his robotic body, Doctor Hu begins to sing a rendition of ‘Daisy Bell’, substituting ‘Daisy’ with ‘Lotta’. Hu’s song is cut short as his internal systems are completely fried. Hobson carefully inches forward before poking the still robotic body with the muzzle of his gun. The Protectron unit clatters to the ground, lifelessly.

A shook up Hobson asks Lotta ‘What was that all about?’ Lotta simply replies that it was a relic from the past. The robot asks Hobson if there is anyway for Hu could be revived. The Corporal mistakes Lotta’s words for fear and immediately shoots the brain inside of the deceased Protectron’s head. Lotta then explains that it meant ‘recycle’ Hu’s remains. “Oh.” Hobson deadpans. They soon take their leave, hauling Hu’s remains with them.

Meanwhile, Charles and Winston arrive at the meeting place outside of The Boneyard. However, instead of being greeted by Sybil, they are met by two men who are standing in front of the abandoned building. Charles spots what appears to be tire tracks in the ground but cannot see a vehicle. After a small discussion, both men agree to approach the strangers with caution. The two strangers - a large brutish man and a smaller, jittery guy - asks which one of them is ‘Charles’. When asked where Sybil is, the jittery fellow nervously tells Charles that Sybil couldn’t make it. He explains that Sybil has ordered them to bring Charles to their hideout. Immediately skeptical, Charles refuses and asks why they want to take him away. The nervous looking man replies that he doesn’t know how to answer that question exactly, as he is not sure if the reason is a secret. Growing tired of their banter, the large and brutish fellow cuts the conversation short and points at Winston, demanding to know who he is. Before Winston is able to answer, the large man orders him to leave as they are only interested in Charles. Sensing that tensions are high, the jittery man tries to calm the large man down, saying ‘Now Oak, we don’t need to be rude.’

Charles, whose patience is wearing thin by this point, demands that Oak and the nervous man show him the secret sign. The jittery man, his nerves now completely taut and unhinged, struggles to say something cohesive before abruptly shouting to an unseen person.

“Ploom! Do it now!” Suddenly, small add hidden charges buried in the ground explode, throwing a cloud of dust into the air. The dust obscures Charles and Winston’s vision, preventing them for aiming clear shots at their enemy. Without warning, two grenades roll at their feet and begin to jet out a thick cloud of gas. Winston and Charles are successful in kicking them away but both of the men inhale a whiff of the gas. Immediately recognising it to be sleeping gas, Charles pulls out his knife with the intent to cut himself to stay focused. He fails and the two collapse to the ground unconscious.

Some time later, Winston wakes up, alone in the Wastelands…

Charles stirs from his slumber to the sound of Sybil berating his kidnappers. He appears to be in some sort of dark tribal den surrounded by makeshift furniture and scavenged pre-war household necessities. Stood amongst the the jittery fellow and the large man is previously unseen lady - presumably the one called Ploom. With his vision finally acclimatized to the dim lighting conditions, Charles notices that Sybil is wearing a strange white dress with jet black combat boots. Her makeup is neater than usual and her hair appears to be have done up in some sort of an attempt to appear fancy. The raider leader spots that Charles is waking up and immediately stops shouting at the three stooges. She rushes over to comfort him and apologises for the misunderstanding. Her submissive demeanor quickly flares into anger as she turns to shout at Charles’ accidental kidnappers. She orders Oak to fetch Charles some water. The oafish man quickly plods off.

Charles is pissed off and demands to know where Winston is. Skitters - the jittery fellow - admits that they left him behind. Seeing furies in his eyes, Sybil stands up and starts hitting and slapping Skitters. The feeble man cowers in fear. Charles tells Sybil to stop and explain clearly what is going on. The raider leader suddenly becomes docile and begins to blush. Sybil stuns Charles when she tells them that it’s their wedding day.

Overwhelmed with surprise, Charles’ eyes glaze over as something awakens within him…

Sybil leans into him. “When I realised who you are… what you are… I knew that we had to be together!”

Charles remains quiet.

“Don’t be shy. Charles. What are you so quiet?”

Charles suddenly lunges at Sybil and grabs her by the throat. He growls at her before saying “My name is Cain.”

Unknown to the other players, Charles has a split personality disorder. Every time his eyes have glazed over, he has switched between personalities of Charles and Cain. Although the secret has finally be revealed to the players, their respective characters are oblivious to this fact. For the purposes of the session write ups, it will be made clear to the reader which personality is currently possessing the body of Charles.

Cain becomes fair more aggressive in his behaviour towards Sybil. The raider leader is able to calm him down when she explains that The Three Dragons clan will be his to command along side her. She needs the marriage to take place so that they can strengthen the clan.

At this moment, an old man wearing robes and a necklace comprised of spent jet inhalers shuffles into the room. The man, priestly in his appearance and clearly high on drugs, wishes to start some sort of marriage ritual. Sybil’s eyes widen with giddy joy and she pulls Cain up to his feet. She links an arm around his and says that it is time. Cain, unable to make any sense of what is unfolding before him, begrudgingly plays along. He wants to gain power and is willing to see how this little ceremony will pan out.

The wise man unfolds a weather beaten book into his hands and erratically thumbs through the pages as several other raiders gather to watch. Oak finally reenters with a glass of water. The oafish giant realises that the glass of water is no longer needs it and he comically drops it to the ground.  The old man overenthusiastically begins to recant several passages:

“We are gathered here today, in our bonded den of brotherhood, to unite our clan leader with this outsider. Outsider, state your name!”

Cain doesn’t really acknowledge the old man. Sybil answers for him.

“Charles, let your blood so that you may lay bare your very soul to our clan leader and this clan.” The old man hands Cain a ritualistic looking blade. Taking the blade, Cain orders Skitters to come forward. When he arrives, Cain immediately stabs Skitters in the eye. The raider lets out a blood curdling scream before he is dragged away to safety by the others.

Sybil is a mixture of scared and aroused. She quickly laughs the incident off and pulls out her own knife. “No, silly. Like this.” She cuts his thumb for him.

“Sybil, let your blood so that you may lay bare your acceptance of this outsider into our fraternity.” The old man continues. “Join your blood as a sign of your bond for each other! She cuts her own thumb and presses the bleeding wound against Cain’s. At this point, a small and enthusiastic midget raider rushes into the room, holding decorative box of some sort.

“Inhale the soul of our clan into your bodies and consummate the marriage!” As the old man recants his words, the midget opens the box to reveal a single jet inhaler sitting in a velvet lined case. Cain stares into the box as the raiders surrounding him begin to chant ‘consummate!’

Cain immediately refuses. Sybil encourages him by putting the inhaler into his mouth. He pretends to breath it in but everyone notices. They suddenly begin to mutter amongst themselves, unsure of what to make from the situation. Sybil plays it cool and whispers into his ear. She tells him that he cannot play around and that the situation is serious: if he wants The Three Dragons to be his, he has to inhale the drug.

Cain finally relinquishes and inhales the drug. He avoids addiction by a very narrow margin. Sybil also inhales the drug. The world around Cain suddenly swirls and blurs as the intoxicating effects of jet courses through his veins. He has a vague sensation of someone pawing at his body and a rush of euphoria that overtakes his consciousness.

Cain eventually wakes up from his slumber. He is naked with Sybil curled up against his warm body. He appears to be in some sort of sleeping quarters: another dimly lit raider den that has been spruced up with some old christmas tree lights and wooden decking on the ceiling. Dotted around the room are a number of pre-war children’s dolls that have been hacked apart and sewed onto the bodies of various stuffed animals. His eyes dart away from the bizarre cuddly (?) toys and instead, he focuses on the wooden decked ceiling. Cain spots several bible-esque quotes written in what appears to be red lipstick. One in particular stands out: If God is in the rain, please let it rain acid on me. Sybil stirs from her slumber and snuggles into Cain.

Cain’s eyes glaze over as he switches to the Charles personality.

They begin to have some pillow talk. Although he was not the dominant personality at the time, Charles understands Cain’s actions. He asks about the current state of affairs amongst the clans. Sybil explains that The Wasps currently the biggest threat; they are continuing to wipe out as assimilate the smaller clans. Their ranks are growing but they are also currently having a feud with The Family. The Three Dragons have remained unscaithed by this so far. Their competition is dying out but they need to act fast before The Wasps or The Family turn their attention on them. Charles takes this information in and begins to formulate some plans in his mind.

Sybil sits up and begins to get real for a moment. She explains that from now on, Charles has many resources at his disposal. But he also carries a lot of responsibilities. In return for a share of the spoils, access to a large garage of vehicles and a chem facility, Charles will be expected to lead the clan to prosperity. He will still be allowed to work with Phoenix but he will need to check in at least once a week. She also reveals that he will receive three personal soldiers at his disposal: Oak, Ploom and Skitters.

Charles rolls his eyes at her pick of soldiers. He doesn’t want Skitters and becomes vocal about it. Sybil immediately says that it’s okay: Skitters will not be part of his personal guard. Charles also asks about the chem lab, specifically asking about how many people in the clan are addicted to drugs. Sybil admits that roughly 70-80% of the clan are addicted - including the old man and Skitters. She also admits that she indulges from time-to-time. Charles tells her that they need to kick their habit immediately. Sybil argues that doing so will cause arguments; large waves of clan members may suddenly desert them. He compromises and says that they can continue to take jet as a reward for completing tasks. Sybil agrees. Charles also asks Sybil to have Winston picked up and brought to their lair. She tells him that they’ve already taken care of it.

During this entire event, Winston has spent the last few hours wandering the wastelands in an attempt to track down Charles. The mechanic almost immediately gets lost and begins to circle himself. Raiders from The Three Dragons discover Winston and offer to take him to Charles. He agrees but keeps a gun ready at his side. They drive through the wastes for nearly an hour before arriving at The Three Dragons’ lair.

The lair itself appears to be some sort of pre-war underground car park that is concealed under a large sand dune amidst the crumbling remains of a ruined shopping mall. As they drive in, Winston spots Charles walking around. Having fully toured their headquarters, Charles spots Skitters hauling a mop and bucket with him. The nervous raider, now adorning an eye patch, initially cowers in fear at his new leader. He is quickly reminded of his place in the pecking order and acknowledges Charles’ presense. Charles makes fun of Skitters before asking Sybil about his worthiness. Sybil admits that Skitters is one of the best shotgunners in the clan and has wracked up as many kills as Oak and Ploom. Charles is mildly impressed and contemplates keeping Skitters within his personal guard. He also asks what Oak and Ploom’s specialties are. Oak is proficient with big guns and melee weapons while Ploom is an excellent trapper and driver. Charles is somewhat pleased to hear this. He also spots a shocked looking Winston, whose mouth is agape by this point.

Knowing that it is time to take his leave, Charles grabs his wife and embraces her before giving her a kiss goodbye. Sybil returns the sentiment before saying “I love you… just don’t disappoint me like Bemby did.”

As he and Winston drive themselves out, the raiders begin to chant ‘Cain, Cain, Cain!’ Winston slowly turns his head towards Charles and asks what the hell is happening. Smirking, Charles lights up a smoke and tells him that everything is in hand… Too afraid to ask any more questions, Winston keeps his eyes focused on the road ahead of him as they drive back home.

The sun begins to drawn in for the evening. Back at HQ, Sasha and Balint spot a tense looking Hobson as he rushes to the auditorium. When they try to approach him, he abruptly tells them that he doesn’t have time to talk and closes the auditorium doors behind him. After glance at each other and shrugging their shoulders, the two men take quiet steps towards the auditorium and check to see if the double doors are locked. They open without issue. Glancing back at each other again, Sasha and Balint nod in agreement to enter.

They creep in to discover the room is empty. However, they quickly spot a sliding bookcase which reveals a large metal hatch door. The twist the lever and slowly pull the heavy door open and peer inside. A set of concrete stairs leading down into a dimly lit room greets them and they can faintly hear someone speaking. They bravely attempt to creep down but immediately panic when they hear another set of footsteps marching up the stairs. The two comically bump and trip over each other as they try to scramble to escape. Cpl Hobson immediately catches them and asks what they’re doing. Balint apologises and says they were curious. Sasha feins turning around but suddenly breaks past Hobson and runs to the bottom of the stairs.

Downstairs, Sasha discovers the ‘War Room’. The room is surrounded by large computer terminals and consoles. In the center is a command table of some sort with a tactical map displayed on a monitor. Major Maxwell is sat in front of an array of monitors, speaking into a military grade radio handset. Mr Blythe is leaning against a terminal with his sleeves rolled up and a cigarette in his mouth. Both of them look anxious. Maxwell immediately spots Sasha standing in the doorway and snaps his fingers at the ghoul, pointing for him to leave. Blythe is surprised and angered by Sasha’s presence. Maxwell is about to say something but is interrupted by a voice on the radio. He responds to the voice, saying “Yes Praetorian Squad. Continue through route A. Maintain silence at point Bravo 7--” Sasha is suddenly grabbed by the collar and yanked up stairs by a furious looking Hobson.  

Upstairs, the corporal begins to berate both Balint and Sasha for wandering down to the War Room without permission. They begin to question him, asking why the door was unlocked if they were not allowed to enter. Hobson explains that this area is absolutely forbidden to them and that neither he nor Major Maxwell will tolerate further insubordination. When asked what they were doing there, Hobson explains it is top secret. He promptly enters the War Room and slams the hatch shut. Balint and Sasha look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

Night rolls in as Winston and Charles enter Phoenix HQ. The Misfits to retire to their sleeping quarters and await for morning to arrive.

The Misfits are wrenched awake by the sound of an emergency alarm sounding off. It’s 1am in the dead of night as Maxwell’s voice surrounds them over the PA system. The entire squad is ordered to meet in the auditorium for an emergency meeting.

Inside the briefing room, an anxious and tired Maxwell begins to explain a dire situation. Praetorian Squad - Phoenix Corporation’s elite group of mercenaries - has failed to return from their mission. The squad consisted of four experienced Phoenix mercenaries: Cpt James Fenton (squad leader), Lt Elisa Auden (2IC), Sgt Nick Schuster (Marksman) and LCpl Alan Condor (Tech Officer).  They were sent to Wessex, a pre-war communications facility located towards the Mexican border. Their mission, Operation Moonshield, was a highly classified NCR coordinated reconnaissance and intel gathering mission. It is believed that Wessex houses communications encryption technology that could prove vital for the war effort. Praetorian Squad was sent to investigate the area, retrieve any useful data and extract themselves without leaving evidence of their presence. The last report received by HQ indicated that the mission was completed and they were enroute for extraction. There did not return to mission extraction zone within the allotted time. Four hours have passed since then.

Almost immediately after Maxwell has explained the situation, Charles makes a sarcastic remark about the NCR’s imposed bullet ration. Reade tells him to pipe down and to start taking the situation seriously. Blythe chimes in by reassuring the entire team that they will be well equipped for the mission at hand. Maxwell then produces a series of slides projected onto a white screen which display aerial photos of an old ruined satellite array. He tells them to study the maps and mission briefing. The Major impresses the importance of Praetorian’s mission - failure is absolutely not an option. He dubs the Misfit’s mission as ‘Operation Moonshield II’ and highlights their objectives:

Find Praetorian Squad

Confirm and ensure success of Operation Moonshield

Extract from operational area before sunrise

The team are soon outfitted with additional equipment:

4 x smoke grenades

1 x night vision goggles

1 x infrared sensor for Lotta

1 x Laser Carbine for Lotta

Camouflage paint

2 x emergency location broadcaster

1 x flare gun

5 x flares

Short range radio earpieces with high level encryption.

As they are being outfitted, Maxwell pulls Reade aside to have a private conversation. When they finish their discussion, the Sergeant then calls Charles, Pandora and Lotta over. Due to the nature of the mission, Maxwell has deemed it necessary to organise the squad into two lances.

Alpha Lance will consist of:

Sgt Reade (Lance leader)

Pvt Shady

Pvt Sasha

Pvt Balint

Pvt Winston

Reade asks for a volunteer to step forward and lead Bravo lance. Pandora steps forward and is given a Pipboy.

Bravo Lance consists of:

Pvt Pandora (Lance leader)

Pvt Charles

Pvt Block

Pvt Lotta

Shortly after their briefing, The Misfits are ushered into the courtyard were Cpl Hobson readies the Phoenix Corporation’s Vertibird. Maxwell and Blythe wish them all luck and they soon take off into the skies.

The Misfits touch down 7km away from Wessex at 02:15. Immediately after disembarking from the Vertibird, Hobson wishes them God’s speed before flying away, back to HQ. Both lances move together through the frosty darkness in silence. After a kilometer of walking, Charles spots two figures sitting down next to a boulder in the distance. With Reade’s permission, Pandora and Charles move in to investigate. To their surprise, they discover two fresh corpses which have been completely cut down by machine gun fire. They appear to have been executed at point blank range. Reade and the other move in. Much to her sorrow, Reade identifies the two bodies to be Capt Fenton and LCpl Condor. The sergeant notices that Fenton’s Pipboy has been removed and Condor’s comms tech is missing.

Sasha and Charles soon discover two sets of tracks. One set heads towards Wessex, while the other leads towards a narrow canyon. Reade orders Bravo lance to move ahead towards Wessex and monitor the facility from a safe distance. Alpha lance will move through the canyon to see if they can find any clues. She warns Pandora not to do anything reckless but to act as she deems fit. The two lance leaders agree to minimise contact over the radios and to only use the specially encrypted short wave ear pieces. Both lances split off and move towards their target.

As Alpha lances moves through the darkened canyon, they notice that the tracks have mysteriously stopped. Just as they are about to openly discuss the situation, their words are cut short when they overhear two people speaking in spanish. As the entire lance creeps forward to investigate, Sasha and Balint stumble over some rubble, alerting the strangers. Without warning, the two voices break out in shouts of order. A hail of gunfire slices through the air and the lance members dash into cover. Reade immediately suspects the enemy to be ACU soldiers and orders everyone to attack.

Using the darkness to her advantage, Reade decides to throw a grenade in the general direction of the enemy. The grenade lands at the feet of two ACU soldiers and detonates violently. The shrapnel peppers their bodies, causing severe damage and knocking them unconscious. It is at this moment that the team realises there are four enemy soldiers in total. Knowing that the darkness is also their enemy, an ACU soldier strikes and throws a flare into the middle of the canyon. While it is able to illuminate a large section of the area, the soldier is unable to see any of Alpha lance.

As the two sides trade fire, Jack Shady carefully creeps forward with his back to the wall and his finger on the trigger of his magnum revolver. He manages to put himself in a crucial position ahead of his teammates and comes within meters of an ACU soldier hiding behind a boulder. In a daring move, the silver tongued shouts something vaguely cocky, draws his weapon, takes aim and squeezes the trigger. The magnum round exits the muzzle of the revolver with tremendously accelerated force and pierces the cold, dark air with unforgiving purpose.

Unfortunately for Jack, the bullet soars past the ACU soldier and impacts the rock surfaced canyon. He quickly retreats and shouts more obscenities at the soldier.

Both sides continue to trade bullets but are unable to gain any ground. Although they are shaken, the two heavily wounded ACU soldiers have regained consciousness and are still putting up a fierce fight. Reade realises they’re locked in a stalemate.

Suddenly, a silenced shot rings out through the canyon and an ACU soldier lets out a gasp as a bullet flies through his skull. Seizing the moment, Reade charges in and the rest of the lance follow her into battle. As they move up, Sasha comes face to face with a lone enemy soldier who has been caught off guard. During the microseconds between the Mexican and ghoul locking eyes with one another, Sasha contemplates sparing him so that the team can gather information. Conflicted between his orders and intuition, Sasha finally settles on killing the soldier when he remembers what the enemy did to Fenton and Condor. He fires a single shot into the enemy’s head and he crumbles to the floor lifelessly. Sasha surmises that, based on The Misfit’s previous dealings with ‘hostages’, the soldier was better off dead.

Another silenced shot rings out, taking care of another soldier. Finally, Reade and the others manage to ambush the remaining soldiers and terminate them easily.

The squad takes a moment to catch their breath. Winston and Jack pilfer the ACU bodies and discover high spec weapons which look brand new.

Balint, who is furthest away from the group, suddenly feels the muzzle of a pistol nuzzle sternly into the back of his head. A gloved hand cups his mouth and a grizzled voice softly whispers into his ear ‘Scream and you’re dead. Singal your friends and you’re dead. I’m going to slowly take my hand off your mouth and you will answer my questions.’

Balint nods in agreement and the gloved hand slowly uncovers his mouth.

The voice asks Balint who he is and who are his friends. Balint responds truthfully by saying they’re from Phoenix Corporation. The voice pauses for a moment before asking ‘Who is your leader?’ Balint again answers truthfully.

The unknown man releases Balint and calls out to Reade in the darkness. Much to her relief, the Sergeant immediately recognises the man to be Sgt Nicolas Schuster, Praetorian Squad’s designated marksman. Sgt Schuster appears from the shadows, wearing a ghillie suit and armed with a heavily suppressed night vision sniper. He explains what happened during Operation Moonshield.

Praetorian Squad managed to enter Wessex without issue. They discovered a hidden underground facility that housed pre-war advanced communications equipment. However, most of it had been rendered useless over time. LCpl Condor managed to hack a terminal and discovered some highly encrypted software. It was too difficult to crack on site, leaving Captain Fenton no other choice but to have the software extracted onto his pipboy for further examination back at HQ. Everything was fine until they were enroute for extraction. They were ambushed by ACU soldiers who were using advanced weaponry. Condor was killed instantly. Fenton and Auden managed to lay down suppressing fire, allowing for Schuster to move towards a better sniping position. By the time he reached higher ground, Fenton was killed and Auden was captured. ACU foot soldiers followed him into the canyon and searched for him for 24 hours. Schuster remained undetected but was unable to leave the area due to the difficult terrain. Schuster is clearly exhausted but he is determined to continue fighting. The marksman demands that The Misfits assist him in saving Auden. Conflicted between saving a comrade and putting her unit in the direct line of danger, Reade decides to contact Bravo lance over the radio to get a status report. However, she soon discovers that the canyon is blocking her the frequency.

Meanwhile, Bravo lance have arrived at a vantage point that overlooks the Wessex facility. The area houses several small and degraded buildings amidst a vast graveyard of gigantic, aging satellites. Although the area is deathly silent, Charles is able to spot a faint flicker of light coming out of a crack in a boarded up window in what appears to be the central communications building. The lance begins to realise something is up.

At that moment, Pandora and the rest of Bravo lance pick up the faint crackles of Reade’s voice over the radio. Pandora desperately tries to communicate with her superior but is unable to reach her. In a moment desperation, Pandora switches over to her personal walkie talkie and tries to reach Alpha lance but she only hears static. Pandora and Charles suddenly realise they’re using an open channel. The doors to the central communications building swing open and two ACU soldiers suddenly step out and begin to look around.

A howling, frosty gale sweeps through Wessex as Bravo lance hunker down and hide in their vantage point.        

#fallout #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #Fallout Tactics #fallout pnp

[falloutpnp]

Session 10

In the humid, dark underbelly of Vault 91, Balint, Sasha and Winston stare in awe at the hideous form before them. A fear stricken paralysis sets in quickly as the large bulbous sack attached to plant monster’s roots begins to expand in girth. Through the thin yellow membrane, an image of something paws and tears out, stretching the sack to its limits. Suddenly, a claw pierces it from within and thin, slimy fluid gushes out, splattering against the ruin ground beneath it. Piering through the deflated sack, a large bulb of flesh attached to an umbilical cord descends with a violent thud, causing the rumble to unsettle itself. Through wide eyed terror, the trio begin to back away as the fleshy mass begins to mutate into a semi human form. The monster lets out a thunderous roar, startling Sasha, Balint and Winston to belt out of the supply room and down the hallway.

Stumbling at first, the infantile creature quickly adapts to its new form at an alarming rate. It strides through the supply room and quickly catches up to the trio. The monster’s animalistic hormones tug and tear at its reasoning, forcing its mind to abandon all sense of humanity. It raises a razor sharp clawed arm and swings it at Sasha, causing severe damage. The ghouls blood coats the walls of the hallway as Sasha lets out a gut wrenching scream.

Having heard their comrade’s howls of pain, Reade, Pandora and Charles spring into action and head in the direction of the disturbing sounds.

The wave of pain that licked at Sasha’s instincts focused his senses to an almost superhuman level. Pivoting on his heels with rifle in hand, the ghoul lands a burst of rapid fire in the direction of the monster. The five rounds smash through the infant monster’s fleshy defense like a hot knife through butter; the force of which is enough to critically wound the creature to the point that it is rendered unconscious. Not wanting to waste a second, and seemingly spurred on by their courageous brother-in-arms, Winston and Balint quickly return fire on the knocked out monster.

At the same time, Charles rounds the corner and peers through his sniper’s scope and witnesses the carnage unfolding before him. In an act of almost comical overkill, the sniper also sends a barrage of bullets down the hallway. One of the rounds whistles through the air and critically strikes the large, fleshy umbilical cord attached to the infant monster’s abdomen. A loud, deep roar bellows from the supply room and the sound of a large mass shifting through the clutter can be heard. Suddenly, the roots of the plant monster appears in the doorway, the base of which reveals a large mouth lined with razor sharp teeth.

Tentacles suddenly stretch out from the plant root’s fleshy mass. They fiercely whip at Balint, Sasha and Winston, but they’re not able to land their mark. The trio quickly realise that the tentacles are trying to protect the unconscious infant monster as its health begins to regenerate. Its perforated flesh suddenly fills with liquid cartilage that instantly hardens. A sharp breath of life fills its lungs and the creature suddenly begins to rear up on it’s hind legs.

Without wasting a moment, Reade storms down the hallway, ducking and diving through the tentacle cluster to get within range of the enemy target. The sergeant orders everyone to stand back before spraying the infant monster with a douse of enzymes. Just as the monster is about to bear down on Reade, the liquid corrosive instantly begins to break down its flesh. In a panicked fit of desperation, the monster flails around erratically against the metallic floor, unable to satiate the pain. Reade trains the squirt gun on the monster and delivers a final, killing blow. The infant monster lets out a stomach churning death throe before collapsing into a rotting pile of offal. The remains lay lifeless at the feet of the triumphant sergeant.

However, just as everyone is breathing a collective sigh of relief, the corpse is erratically dragged into the plant monster’s gaping mouth. It bites and consumes its infant’s remains in an act of monstrous ferocity. It pauses for a moment before writhing in pain and retreating back into the supply room. A horrendous crash is heard, followed by a deafening silence.

A sudden burst of radio static startles the group as Ruth calls to check in; specifically asking what the loud crash was. Reade explains to the scientist that the plant monster Winston encountered in the Vat room was pregnant and gave birth to… something. She goes on to explain that they killed the infant with the enzymes but its remains were swallowed by the plant monster. Gripped with fear, Ruth tells Reade to spray the plant monster immediately.

Pandora and Reade immediately rush into the supply, only to find that the roots of the plant monster have evacuated through the large hole in the ceiling the creature sprouted from. Through the darkness, Reade is able to pick up signs of movement. With Pandora covering her, Reade sprays the enzymes through the hole, generously coating the mass of fleshy roots. But nothing happens, and to their horror, they realise that the creature is now immune. Pandora asks what should they do now.

After a moment of deep contemplation, Reade realises that the only action left is to destroy the monster by forcing the nuclear reactors to go critical. When the sergeant relays the plan to Ruth, the scientist’s heart drops. Although she struggles to take it in, McPherson realises that it’s the only solid means to destroying the monster once and for all. Pandora, however, points out that radiation is what caused the creature to expand and evolve. Ruth abates her concerns by explaining the force of a nuclear detonation would utterly erase all traces of the monster. The scientist also explains that sealing the monster away could be a serious gamble; if it escaped into the irradiated town above, the creature could thrive and become nigh indestructible. Self destructing the facility is the only way to end the nightmare.

The entire team concedes.

After Lotta confirms that remotely sending the cores into a critical state is possible, the team leave the basement and move towards the exit with Ruth’s radiation suit intact.

When they reach the top of the elevator shaft, a huge rumble is felt throughout the facility. Lotta and Ruth confirm that the basement has entirely caved in somehow. Through the security cameras, Lotta is able to detect that the plant monster in the Vat room is increasing its size dramatically. The cameras suddenly blackout and the doors to the experimental chamber burst open as the creature begins to fill the corridor with its mass. A ten minute timer starts.

Ruth urges everyone to run as Lotta begins to send the nuclear cores critical. With panic gripping their hearts, Balint, Sasha, Reade, Pandora, Winston and Charles begin to sprint down the nightmarish hallway. As they turn the corner, fleshy tendrils burst through the vents and floor panels. They feverishly whip at the team, striking several of them viciously.

Meanwhile, Lotta and Ruth frantically attempt to increase the time limit. After several moments of intense hacking, they’re able to successfully increase the time by five minutes. As the two begin to concentrate on maintaining their computer connections, Billy suddenly hears banging on the Overseer’s Office emergency exit door. Carefully, the mercenary creeps forward, cocking his shotgun. Suddenly, the door is torn open with ferocious force, sending metal shards and debris scattering across the floor. To Billy’s horror, the original monster they encountered at the beginning of their adventure emerges through the doorway and trains its murderous gaze at him. As the creature strides through into the entrance annex, Billy spots that several tendrils from the plant monster are embedded deeply into the original monster’s back. He dives out of the way and rolls to safety before swinging the dangerous end of his shotgun around and pointing it at his hunter. Billy lets loose a volley of double buckshot blasts which critically connect, causing the creature to stagger and howl in pain.

Having escaped the mass of tendrils blocking their path, Reade and the others hear the sound of something large slithering down the hallway behind them. They stare wide eyed in terror as the root of the plan monster appears in their view, taking up the entire height and width of the space surrounding it. With remarkable speed for its size, the plant monster claws and drags its way towards the team. They do not waste another second and bolt around the corner towards the entrance annex with their nemesis in hot pursuit.

After pushing Lotta and her terminal to the limits, Ruth and the robot suddenly lose connection with the core terminal. They are unable to delay the core detonation any longer. At the exact same time, Reade and the others pile through the door. Pandora immediately gives Ruth the radiation suit and helps her get changed. Lotta and Ruth cut them short and plead with the others to help Billy. Charles barges through and leaps into action. Lotta attempts one last time to extend the time limit but fails. The robot decides the best course of action is to abandon the facility as soon as possible.

Charles screeches to a halt as he sees Billy fighting the monster. Peering through his scope, the sniper lands a perfect headshot on the already heavily injured beast. As the monster clutches at its fresh head wound, Billy rush it and opens fire with yet another double shotgun blast to the gut. The original monster bellows out a pain stricken howl before crumbling to the floor lifelessly.

The two comrades are about to celebrate but are interrupted by a sudden bang at the barricaded door sealing off the main vault corridor. The banging becomes stronger and more erratic with every pound, causing the barricade of chairs, tables and crates to suddenly collapse and scatter across the ground. Finally, in a herculean effort, the large bulkhead door suddenly bursts open and the plant monster appears through the doorway in all its grotesque glory. It spreads its meaty tentacles wide to reveal its gaping mouth of horrors, waiting to tear through The Misfits.

Spurred on by its kin, the original monster suddenly resurrects with its wounds completely healed. However, before Billy and Charles can react, the plant monster flings its tentacles around its offspring and drags the beast into its gaping mouth. The creature, in a fit of beast like rage, thrashes out in protest before succumbing to the plant monster’s overwhelming power. With its strength ebbing away, the plant monster finally consumes its kin. The plant monster then roars in triumph, seemingly even stronger.

Having witnessed the horror unfolding before them, Billy and Charles immediately open fire on the large mass, providing covering fire for the rest of the team to break through to the Vault exit towards the elevator shaft. As the team make their way through, the plant monster suddenly vomits the original monster out. The creature now appears to have completely fused its lower half with its originator and appears to have retained some level of sentience. Hanging out from the plant monster’s mouth via a thick meaty cord, the now fused creature uses its massive arms to leap towards Ruth. Staring doe eyed at her impending doom, the monster wraps its arms around the scientist midair and clamps down on her with an iron grip. They collapse to the floor with Ruth screaming in terror as the plant monster begins to reel them both into its gaping mouth.

As the scientist pleads for help, Pandora and Lotta rush to her aid. As the two struggle to save her, Charles orders Sasha to give him the his final tangle grenade. Being the better thrower in the group, Charles knows that he only has one change to stop the plant monster in its tracks. He lobs the grenade through the air.

His throw fails and he misses his intended mark.

Luckily though, the tangle grenade explodes and coats instant hardening foam over some of the plant monsters tentacles.

Seemingly spurred on by the sheer will to live, Ruth manages to struggle against the monster’s strength and pulls out her needler pistol. The scientist plants the barrel of the weapon into the creature’s face and uploads several toxic filled syringe darts. The monster’s face suddenly begins to swell as its nervous system temporarily shuts down. Though lasting for only a moment, the opening gives Lotta and Pandora a final chance to pull her free from her impending doom. They scramble Ruth to her feet and the entire team sprints towards the elevator with five minutes to spare.

Exhausted, the team finally reach the top of the elevator shaft and arrive on the surface. But as they exit the pre-war pharmacy housing the underground secret, they realise they’ve forgotten something critical...

Standing between The Misfits and their salvation are scores of feral ghouls. Realising that they have no other choice, Reade orders everyone to rush to the van parked at the edge of town. Charles immediately takes the initiative and scopes several ghouls to help clear a path. Not wanting to waste any ammo, Pandora equips her spiked knuckle duster and begins to punch her way through the horde. While several of the team members are injured during their daring dash, Reade is able to reach the van along with Winston and Sasha. The sergeant begins to open fire from the van while ordering everyone to move their asses. The stranglers eventually scramble to the van hurt but intact. Winston starts the vehicle and hammers it out of town. The team breathes a sigh of relief.

The van hurtles past the Riverside town limits, kicking up dust as it reaches high speeds. There’s a large, deep rumble that reverberates through the town, followed by a bright, fiery flash. Peering through the rear window of the van, several team members watch as the town of Riverside is suddenly engulfed in atomic fire. A large mushroom cloud unfolds and reached the heavens as an enormous shockwave rockets towards the speeding van. The ground cracks and crumbles, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose traction.

And then it happens. Like a cold slap to the face, the shock wave from the nuclear detonation smashes into them. Winston desperately fights to keep control of the wheel, but it is of no use. The suspension buckles and forces the van into a sharp turn that shifts its entire weight. The van loses balance and, spurred on by the continual force of the shock wave, rolls over and over and over. The Misfits tumble and smash into each other until, finally, the vehicle drags itself mercifully onto its side and grinds to a halt.

Battered and bruised, the team finally pulls themselves together and drag each other out of the wreckage. Luckily, the majority of the team only sustains minor injuries with the exception of Pandora and Billy. Balint attempts to heal Pandora but fails. Ruth tries and is successful at healing both Pandora and Billy’s arms.

As the shock coursing through their veins subsides, The Misfits stare in awe of the now settling mushroom cloud. Vault 91 and the town of Riverside are no more.

Lotta, Charles and Billy are able to combine their strength and roll the van over. Reade approaches a humbled Ruth and tells her to get ready to move. The scientist looks thoughtfully at the ruins and replies quietly, soberingly ‘yes’.

Moments later, the van roars into life and heads towards The Boneyard. Several of the team members catch a glimpse at Ruth who looks through the van’s shattered windows at the new world before her. Her expression is a mixture of wonder and anxiety; the expression of a newborn to the Wastelands.

The Misfits finally reach HQ in a tattered and worn out state. Reade tells the team to relax while she goes to find the Major. Passing by nonchalantly with a cup of hot coffee in his hand, Corporal Hobson spots the team and comically asks if they’ve had a rough day. The team almost immediately make a passing comment about the NCR bullet ration. Hobson skulks off…

Moments later, Reade returns with Maxwell and Blythe in tow. They politely ask Ruth to follow them into the auditorium to discuss some things in private. Not wanting to be kept in the dark, Pandora decides to sneak up the auditorium door and listen in. She overhears Maxwell discussing with Ruth that they need each other. Blythe and Maxwell both take turns explain what the Phoenix Corporation is, who they are and what they represent. The also go on to discuss that Ruth does not have many options but she is free to choose whatever life she wants in the Wastelands. They make an offer: in exchange for giver her work, food and a roof over her head, Dr Ruth McPherson will help the Phoenix Corporation scavenge for ‘pre-war tech’ at a place called Site 187. When the scientist asks what Site 187 is, Blythe tells her it is a facility currently under control by the NCR and that he will provide her with more details in the future. Ruth agrees to the terms and thanks thems, commenting that she needs to start doing some good in world now.

Pandora is pleased with the outcome and quietly slips away from the auditorium door. When she tells the rest of the team, some of them - particularly Lotta - does not seem pleased.

As Lotta walks away from the group, the robot bumps into Hobson again who presents another letter. Lotta opens it and discovers a message written on paper that reads “Come alone.” along with a crudely drawn map. The robot asks Hobson if he saw who sent it, to which he replies he did not. On closer inspection, the robot sees that there are no fingerprints but manages to spot a faint dab of mechanical oil on the tip of the paper...

#fallout pnp #fallout #fallout 1 #fallout 2 #fallout 3 #fallout 4 #fallout new vegas #Fallout Tactics

[falloutpnp]

Session 9

The dull hum of the entrance annex’s life support systems envelopes the emotionally taut Misfits. With Reade down for the count, Doctor McPherson decides to step forward to discuss their sergeant's condition. Having analysed the venom, Ruth is able to conclude that Reade’s condition will worsen over a short period of time and could result in her death or worse. Aggravated by the doctor’s evasive wording, Lotta begins to press Ruth for hard answers. When the doctor begins to prattle on about theories and hypotheses, the Misfits demands to know everything about the monster and the experiments that led to it’s creation. McPherson finally blurts out that the monster’s venom may actually transform Reade into another monster.

It is revealed that Vault 91’s population consisted entirely of clones. The vault’s mission was to eventually create a race of clones that could survive and thrive in the horrific conditions of the apocalypse. Every generation of clone would inherit a trait that would make them more durable than the average human. The overseer had ordered experiments on the latest batch of clones: the 4th and final generation. This batch of clones would have enhanced healing, endurance, radiation resistance, a long lifespan and, most importantly, the ability to reproduce. The doctor now fears that the venom will cause an irreversible transformation in Reade. When asked about the chances of the sergeant’s survive post transformation, Ruth shakes her head and explains it is very unlikely she would survive. This theory is given validity when the doctor explains the events of the experiment. A strain of Alpha B7 was injected into a vat culture consisting of four clones. Three clones died instantly while the fourth one became the monster they are now battling. Even if there is a one in four chance of Reade surviving the transformation, she would become a hulking monstrosity filled with barbaric instinct. All traces of her humanity would be lost.

However, Ruth explains that there is a chance to save her. If a serum can be administered within 72 hours, it could kill off the venom and restore Reade back to health. Although the doctor warns there will be great risks require to create the serum, the Misfits unanimously agree to save their superior.

In order to make the serum, The Misfits must complete several objectives. Firstly, they’ll need to restore power to the entire facility. Once that has been achieved, the team will need to collect a sample of the monster’s DNA from it’s original birthing chamber. Finally, they’ll need to collect a concentrated sample of Alpha B7 using the plant DNA sequencer extractor in the atrium laboratory. At this point, Balint produces a sample of the plant and shows it to Ruth, asking if this will help. She examines it, pondering it’s capabilities for a moment before excitedly saying that this is indeed a leaf from the Alpha B7 culture - a crucial component for the serum. She tells Balint that this is the sample that will need to be processed in the atrium.

As McPherson begins to set up her science apparatuses for creating the serum, she personally takes Lotta aside and asks a favour of her: the doctor asks Lotta to reprogram her terminal so that everyone can open the facility doors independently via the wall consoles. The robot is taken aback by this request, remember how defensive the doctor was of her computer terminal. However, Ruth explains that she needs to concentrate on setting up her equipment. She also mentions that she hopes that the robot can see this as a sign of trust. Lotta re-factors the hacked code and is able to safely repurpose the programming so that doors can be opened manually. However, because the facility is running on low power mode, they can still only open one door at a time. Failing to adhere to this restriction could cause the entire system to shut down. Lotta informs the rest of the team of the risks. After a brief discussion, the team decides on splitting up into the following groups:

Pandora and Winston - responsible for restoring power to the facility

Balint and Sasha - responsible for reaching the atrium and extracting the Alpha B7 sample

Charles and Lotta - responsible for collecting the monster DNA sample

However, unbeknownst to Ruth, Charles, Lotta and Billy decide to formulate another plan. Billy will stay with Ruth on the pretense of guarding her. In actuality, he will be distracting the doctor while Lotta and Charles seek access into the Overseer’s office. They’re determined to find out the truth about Vault 91.

Before the team sets off, Ruth wishes them all the best of luck and promises she will do everything in her power to save Reade. This display of sincerity seemingly causes something inside Charles to change. His eyes glaze over before snapping back into focus… The Misfits venture back into the gutted remains of the facility.

The groups carefully coordinate their movements throughout the darkened steel corridors, ever aware that every turn lurks danger. Pandora and Winston reach the power room and discover a visceral mess. Blood and offal coat the walls and terminals - a scene of sheer horror painted before them. They quickly run through the startup procedures and bring the power back online, restoring power through the facility. As light floods the room, the duo both suppress the urge to vomit when they discover the remains of a long deceased corpse. On closer inspection, they discover that unlike the other remains they have discovered, this body is largely intact. The male victim decided to take his own life by ingesting some sort of acidic poison. A large, gaping hole - caused by a chemical reaction - has bored its way through the his lower jaw and esophagus, melting clear through his chest. Urged by Winston, Pandora decides to look over the body for anything of use. She is surprised to find a grubby holotape with the word ‘OS password’ hastily scrawled over it in marker pen. Between the two of them, Pandora and Winston surmise that this must be the overseer’s office password. They quickly inform Charles and Lotta via radio before leaving to meet them.

With the power restored, everyone is able to move freely. Sasha and Balint reach the atrium and locate the strand extraction machine. They begin the arduous process of booting up the terminal. Balint signs, exclaiming that he has a bad feeling about the situation. Sasha scratches his balls.

Pandora and Winston briefly reunite with Lotta and Charles in one of the corridors. They exchange the holotape before returning back to the Power Management Center on the advice of Lotta - the robot is fearful something could cause the power to go out again.

En route to their destination, they briefly search the security station. Amongst the battle riddled office, two discover a broken pistol and some 9mm rounds, along with a few useless trinkets that paint a picture of a somewhat normal life. A stark contrast to the chaos that surrounds them… They quickly take their leave and arrive outside the Overseer’s office. Lotta contemplates playing the ‘password’ holotape inside its onboard tape player but decides against it at the last moment. The robot inserts it into a specially designed terminal and hits the return key. The large blast resistant bulk door slowly shudders open to reveal a complete empty room.

The Overseer’s office is pristine, save for a neat pile of discarded food wrappers that overflow from a wastebasket - evidence that someone had previously stayed there. There is no sign of any struggles with the monster. A lone computer terminal sits on a clean white desk, the cursor blinking at a password prompt. Lotta quickly hacks the computer and discovers a variety of options, including office power management controls and an option to open the emergency exit. One of which includes the Overseer’s journal logs. Although many of the files are damaged, Lotta is able to restore the following entries:

Click here for Vault 91 Overseer Logs

Stunned by the revelation that Ruth McPherson was the Overseer of Vault 91 and was aware of the potentially lethality of the experiment, Lotta is fueled with anger. The robot saves the diary entries to its memory banks and shares the details of the truth with Charles. Armed with a basic knowledge of Vault-Tec vaults, Charles activates the emergency exit feature and the two make their way back to the entrance annex via a hidden tunnel.

On the other side of the exit, Ruth overhears the hidden door opening. She rushes over and draws a needler pistol, preparing to defend herself. Billy, who had spent his time helping distract the doctor, points his shotgun at an unsuspecting Ruth and tells her to drop her gun. The doctor protests, fearing that the monster has somehow managed to find it’s way through to the entrance. Billy cocks his shotgun, proving that he doesn’t deal with idle threats. She complies but not before telling him that he’s “killed us all.” A wave of relief washes over the doctor, followed by gut wrenching shame as Lotta and Charles emerge from the tunnel.

“I suppose you know the truth now?” Ruth meekly asks. Lotta immediately grabs and pins the former Overseer to the wall.

“You let your own people die!” The robot angrily cries. Although she is initially caught off guard by Lotta’s surprisingly human demeanor, the doctor retorts “I did everything I thought was right! I was working in the best interests of my people!”

“You hid yourself away in your rat hole!” The robot cuts through Ruth’s excuse.

“I was scared! Wouldn’t you have done the same?!” The doctor reasons.

“I would have been more prepared!” Lotta shouts, cold heartedly.

“How could you have been prepared for something like this? How could anyone?!” Ruth, spurred with a sudden shot of anger, frustratedly pushes herself off Lotta. “I followed my orders and I did the best to protect everyone in the aftermath of the disaster. I know I failed and I feel deep regret but I--”

“But you called out for more of your people to repeat the same mistake again!” The robot reaffirms its stance against the protesting doctor.

Before Ruth is able to fire back an answer, the team receives a sudden distress call from Sasha and Balint.

Short after loading the plant sample into the DNA sequencer extracting machine - a process which takes ten minutes - the monster bursts out of one of the ventilation shafts in the atrium. At first, its form resembles that of an agile, tentacle laden creature that pours itself from the vents and forms a moist puddle of fleshy tendrils. The shapeless form undergoes an aggressive transformation and returns the the humanoid form they had encountered earlier. However, the monster now wields an even more ferocious clawed arm. As the creature marches menacingly towards their position, Balint and Sasha are frozen in panic. Knowing that the DNA sequencer extractor could be damaged during a battle, Balint quickly grabs Sasha and the two bolt for the door. They manage to escape in the nick of time, closing is behind them before the creature can catch them.

The pair stand dazed for a moment as a wave of relief washes over them. However, their trance is shattered as an overhead vent abruptly bursts, revealing the creature in it’s more mobile form. The two immediately run down the corridor in an attempt to outrun the monster. The creature quickly utilises its tentacles and ferociously lashes out at Sasha, viciously whipping the ghoul.

Meanwhile, Pandora and Charles make their way to the Vat room to collect the monster’s DNA sample. They overhear about the commotion and are about to rush to aid their comrades when Charles suddenly issues orders over the radio. He tells Balint and Sasha to make their way towards the Overseer’s office before instructing Pandora and Winston to continue collecting the monster DNA sample as quickly as possible. Charles then rushes back through the Overseer’s emergency exit tunnel, leaving the rest in the entrance annex. As he makes his way to the Overseer’s office, Lotta un-hands Ruth and begins to take in the severity of the situation.      

Wounded but not down, Sasha and Balint round the corner and escaping the mutating monster as it begins to transform back into its humanoid form. Knowing their have precious little time, Sasha pulls out a tangle grenade and strips a shoelace from the boot he found earlier. He then ties the shoelace around the pin of the tangle grenade, wedges the explosive between a floor grill and the wall and secures the other end of the shoelace to a pipe, creating a crude trap for the monster. At the same time, Charles enters the Overseer’s office and closes the emergency exit, granting him access to the computer. He uses the computer to manually open a door for Balint and Sasha to escape through. The two make a dash, just as the thudding steps of the monster begin to sound off in the corridor. The two catch a glimpse of the creature just as the door slams shut. The monster steps on the makeshift trip wire, detonating the tangle grenade. The device explodes, showing the creature in quick hardening foam, completely immobilizing the monster.  

Ruth pleads with Lotta to help make things right. The doctor explains that she may be able to use the hacked terminal to control more of the vault’s systems to help trap the monster. However, she would need Lotta’s processing power to achieve this. Lotta decides to put their differences aside and agrees to help. Billy decides to comfort an unconscious Reade… for some reason.

Pandora and Winston succeed at reaching the Clone Vat room. After clearing the clean room - a sterile room to prevent sample contamination - they bare witness to a horrifically gore laden room. The entire vat room is a hot and humid room with flesh like tendrils stretching out and covering most of the floor and ceiling space. Tucked away in the corner is a large, immobile plant-like creature. Its body consists of long trunks of bloody flesh which throb with life - almost as if it’s breathing - as it protrudes from a clustered structure of capsil like beds. Pandora conveniently spots a strange device on the floor. On closer examination, it turns out the device is a sample extraction gun. Winston, not wanting to waste any time, takes the extraction gun from Pandora and rushes towards the plant-like creature. As he gets closer, the tendrils react to his presence and shrink away. The mechanic reaches the main mass of the creature and plunges the extractor gun’s thick metallic needle into it. The creature lets out a pain stricken shriek and the tentacles strewn across the floor and ceiling suddenly peal away before lashing out at Winston. Not allowing his fear to get the better of him, Winston ducks and dives out of the way with the monster DNA sample intact. However, before he is able to reach Pandora, a tendril suddenly ensnares his ankle, causing him to crash to the ground.

Meanwhile, the monster chasing Sasha and Balint finally breaks away from its hardened foam prison with sheer brute force. Enraged, the creature transforms into its mobile form and enters an overhead vent in pursuit of Balint and Sasha. With access to support systems that control the Overseer’s office and the corridors connecting to it, Charles manages to secure a safe passage for the doctor and ghoul just as the monster bursts through the vents behind them. As soon as they scramble to safety, Charles closes the door behind them and effectively seals the monster within a short corridor.

At the same time, Lotta and Ruth manage to manage to synchronise the robot’s processing power with the hacked terminal. Lotta is effectively in complete control of the facility. The robot informs the entire team via radio and proceeds to seal off the ventilation shafts in the section of corridor the monster is cordoned off in. Enraged with fury, the creature attempts to travel through the vents but is completely unable to do so. Its fury boils over into a smoldering blind rage and it begins to coil and constrict into a bulky, inhuman mass of muscle and tentacles. As it bides its time, Charles orders Lotta to ensure the monster stays put while he comes up with a plan.

In the Vat room, the plant monster’s tentacle tightens around Winston’s ankle and it slowly begins to drag him away. Pandora raises her weapon and fires a critical shot that severs the creature’s appendage, freeing her comrade. Not wasting a second, Winston scrambles to his feet and darts towards the exit, DNA sample in hand. Not content with their attempt at escape, the plant creature rears a network of vine-like tentacles and begins to whip them at the pair, indiscriminately. Winston narrowly avoids all of the strikes while Pandora unloads of a rapid burst rounds at the plant monster’s main mass. Just as the plant’s tentacles are about to bare down on them, they successfully seal the door behind them and make their escape.

In a bid to further contain the monster trapped in the corridor, Lotta lowers the AC. As the temperature begins to plummet, the creature suddenly constricts itself and behaves erratically. Its blood vessels begin bulge and the fleshly membrane coating its body begins to tear. Through the surveillance cameras embedded into the door terminals, Lotta witnesses the monster adapt to the cold temperatures as it undergoes a miraculous evolution. Its new form is that of a hideous mass of bulging muscles and barbed tentacles reinforced with a flexible exoskeleton. The creature furiously begins to prise open the door separating it from its prey. Sasha and Balint look back in horror as door begins to inch itself open. They manage to escape into the Overseer’s office just as the monster finally tears open the door and rampages towards then. With a clear line of sight, Charles seals the Overseer’s hardened bulkhead door shut just as the monster makes its approach.

Lotta once again attempts to adjust the AC and increases the temperature. Like before, the monster begins to freak out and reverts back into a solid mass. Recognising that the monster is temporarily stunned, Lotta decides to tamper more with the life support systems in the monster’s new cage. Suddenly, Lotta loses connection with Ruth’s terminal - the doctor was unable to keep up with the robot’s computational powers. The pair panic while Billy continues to comfort an unconscious Reade…

Having had a moment to collect his thoughts, Charles begins to put a plan into action. He grabs a metal panel from a nearby databank and applies duct tape to it. He then opens the Overseer’s Office emergency exit - raising the desk up - and orders Sasha to plant his C4 near the exit porthole. The ghoul hesitates momentarily as he removes the safety pin from the highly explosive device and carefully secures it. Sasha successfully plants the bomb, much to everyone’s relief.

After several tense moments, Ruth is finally able to establish a connection between Lotta and the terminal. The robot resumes making the monster’s life more uncomfortable.

Charles grows frustrated after multiple failed attempts at trying to wedge the metal panel between the C4 and the emergency exit’s ‘close’ button. Balint and Sasha stare in confusion. Lotta, who is able to see what is happening via the security cameras, contacts Charles through the intercom to tell him he is an idiot and to give up. As the monster begins to beat on the door, Charles concedes that he should cease with his plan. Charles, Sasha and Balint escape through the emergency exit. As they hurry down the corridor, Lotta seals the exit and opens the Overseer’s office door to allow the monster inside. The creature transformers into a fearsome humanoid form and cautiously searches for its prey. As it creeps around the Overseer’s desk, Lotta orders Sasha to hit the detonator. The ghoul slams its thumb down on the switch. A dull explosion rocks the entire facility. Through the intercom, Lotta watches as a blinding flash fills the room before the cameras lose signal. The team assumes the monster is dead.

As they pass by, Pandora and Winston collect the finished sample from the Atrium. They’re ordered to return to the entrance annex and are briefed that the monster has been stopped.

After regrouping, the Misfits give the serum ingredients to McPherson. The doctor meticulously runs the samples through several filters and dilutions. As she does, the mercenaries discuss what to do with Ruth after Reade has been saved. They all agree to keep her alive until she has finished the serum. After that… none of them can agree. Moments later, Ruth anxiously produces the life saving treatment. With the Misfit’s consent, the doctor slowly administers the injection into Reade’s bloodstream. The sergeant’s fever begins to subside and, slowly but surely, she starts to come around. The team breathes a sigh of relief.

Reade gingerly sits up and asks to be briefed about the current situation. After explaining the current situation with the monster, Lotta almost immediately blurts out that Ruth was the Overseer of the vault and knew about the potentially lethal nature of the experiment. Reade orders Charles and Billy to take Ruth aside and hold her at gunpoint. Sasha decides that he doesn’t trust Charles enough and he decides to also watch over Ruth. When asked how it knows about Ruth’s real identity, Lotta explains that it downloaded diary entries from the Overseer’s terminal. Reade asks to read through them.

After reading through the Overseer logs, the sergeant is conflicted. Reade argues that, on one hand, McPherson’s judgement was reckless and endangered everyone’s lives; including the lives of Reade’s unit. On the other hand, she followed her orders and did the best she could, given the situation. Lotta argues that Ruth cannot be trusted; she is a threat to the team and should be left to rot alone in the vault as punishment. Reade takes this in for a moment before surprising the entire team with a revelation: Major Maxwell was once a vault dweller. She explains that life in a vault is very different to what they’re all used to. Life as a vault dweller does things to people’s minds and behaviours.

The sergeant points out that she is now in an ironic situation: she is now in a similar position to Ruth. On one hand, Reade has to follow orders and is duty bound to do everything in her power to save McPherson. But on the other, she must do what is best to protect those under her command. After a moment’s thought, Reade asks Balint to give her a stimpak. He heals her and is also able to heal her crippling wounds. She catches her breath, grabs her equipment and faces the Misfits.

Reade tells everyone that it would be wrong of her to order everyone to endanger their lives for the sake of the mission. She then boldly tells the Misfits that she will continue the mission alone. Lotta, confused by her reasoning, asks Reade why she would be willing to risk her life to save Ruth. Reade simply replies “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

After a moment of silence, Pandora and Balint are compelled by loyalty and volunteer to join Reade. Lotta, Charles and Sasha begrudgingly agree to join their superior; their reasoning being that the sooner they find a working radiation suit, the sooner they can escape. Winston tags along because ‘why not?’ The sergeant smirks and breathes a sigh of relief.

Ruth, herself overcome with relief, explains that now the power has been restored to the entire facility, the team can now access the basement level. The basement level contains the nuclear core room; inside there should be a working radiation suit. She also says that now that they have a DNA sample, Ruth can put finishing touches on a special enzyme formula which, in theory, should break down the proteins on the monster (should they run into it again). Recognising that there could be multiple threats (the plant monster being an example), the team agree to accept Ruth’s offer. However, in order to weaponise it, they’ll need something to lauch the enzyme solution at a safe distance. The doctor suddenly remembers that the science teams kept a squirt gun in the atrium - a tool they used to help water the plants quickly and effectively. After Charles fetches it, Ruth carefully pours the solution into the ceramic liquid container and arms the weapon.

As the team prepares to depart for the basement, Ruth calls them together. She says thank you to everyone and while she’s aware that she didn’t make the right choices in the past, she will do everything she can to help everyone. The Misfits acknowledge her humbled demeanor. Billy and Lotta elect to stay behind on the grounds that they will ensure a safe evacuation. Lotta will remain synchronised with Ruth’s terminal and provide additional support. The rest of the team sets off.

Reade, Charles, Pandora, Lotta, Sasha and Balint descend to the basement via the now working elevator. When the rickety doors stutter open, the team is met with a dark, murky series of corridors. The area is much warmer and humid than above, catching the team off guard. Reade orders Charles and Pandora to follow her towards the nuclear core room. Realising that they have a good opportunity, the sergeant tells Balint, Winston and Sasha to scavenge for anything useful.

Shortly after splitting up, Reade, Charles and Pandora locate the safety control room which grants access to the nuclear core room. Looking through the safety glass, Reade spots a fully intact radiation suit hanging on the wall for a sealed chamber. The readings on the computer read moderate amounts of radiation. Recognising they are protected by their equipment, Pandora volunteers to enter the chamber and retrieve the suit, a request Reade grants. The sergeant remotely opens the door to the sealed chamber and Pandora steps in. She retrieves the radiation suit without issue.

Meanwhile, Balint, Sasha and Winston enter a large storage room. The storage room is almost pitch black and is a complete mess. Shelves of organised supplies have been toppled over into a pile of junk. Sifting through the waste, Sasha soon discovers two stimpaks and a can of Cram before the unmistakable sound of slithering can be heard. In the faint darkness, the team can see something moving along the floor and walls. The three team members shine their flashlights on the shimmering bulk and reveal a horrific mass root like tentacles hanging from the ceiling. Winston recognises that this must be the roots of the giant plant monster he discovered in the Vat room. Inside the center of the plant monster’s root like mass is a large liquid filled pod of some sort, protected by barbed tentacles. Through the thin, yellow membrane of the pod, the trio spot something moving inside. Something inhuman…

Through shuddering breaths, Winston reports their findings over the radio.

#fallout #falloutpnp #fallout1 #fallout2 #fallout3 #falloutnewvegas #Fallout Tactics #fallout4

[falloutpnp]

Session 8

After healing wounds and salvaging crippled limbs, the Misfits find themselves sitting outside Dr Sawbone’s office awaiting the results of their blood tests. Being a robot, Lotta decides to leave the group in search of Cpl Hobson. Inside the weapons and ammo depot, the robot discovers the corporal hard at work tinkering with various weapons. When asked for additional information, Hobson regretfully informs Lotta that the NCR have imposed a ‘bullet ration’ on all mercenary units. Sadly, this means that the Phoenix Corporation cannot give away weapons and ammunition as freely as they did before. He goes onto explain that, from now on, mercenary soldiers will receive a maximum of 10 bullets per NCR sponsored missions. This does not include missions from private contractors. When Lotta asks why, Hobson speculates that the NCR are preparing for a sudden invasion from the ACU. Their biggest fear is that they will be unprepared.

The Corporal then tells Lotta that a letter has arrived for it. The envelope - simply address ‘To Lotta’ - is opened in secret by the rope. The contents initially reveals itself to be completely empty. On closer inspection, someone has cryptically written the word ‘SOON’ on the inside of the envelope…  

Meanwhile, Pandora is suddenly overcome with a sense of dread. She suddenly leaves the group and heads to the bathroom, locking the stall behind her. One-by-one, The Misfits are called in for a private consultation. Eventually, Charles goes after Pandora and drags her out of the bathroom for her consultation. Inside, he discovers that Pandora is seemingly asleep in one of the stalls. He shakes her awake and tells her it’s her turn. Pandora, still seemingly annoyed with Charles’ behaviour during the last mission, brushes past him and warns him to back off. They momentarily have an argument revolving around the sniper pulling his gun on her. Both characters dismiss each other and walk off.

All of them sit down with Major Maxwell, Mr Blythe and Dr Sawbones and are formally told they have contracted a mild case of radiation poisoning. This has seemingly been caused during their travels through the wastelands. It is a common, treatable condition. However, there is an issue: the Phoenix Corporation are unstocked with Radaway and are unable to treat them. There are also restrictions imposed by the NCR that prevents them from owning the medicine. They are each told that there is no need to panic - they will develop mild rashes and feel tired at worse. Everyone is encouraged to monitor their radiation levels and report back for regular blood checks.

However… something else is detected in the blood of two characters. Major Maxwell and Mr Blythe discuss [REDACTED UNDER PATIENT-DOCTOR CONFIDENTIALITY ACT - NCR President Kimball Directive, circa 227] and it is agreed that [REDACTED UNDER PATIENT-DOCTOR CONFIDENTIALITY ACT - NCR President Kimball Directive, circa 227]. The first issue is [REDACTED UNDER PATIENT-DOCTOR CONFIDENTIALITY ACT - NCR KIMBALL DIRECTIVE, circa 2279] and will be discussed further in the future. The second issue requires [REDACTED UNDER PATIENT-DOCTOR CONFIDENTIALITY ACT - NCR President Kimball Directive, circa 2279] to which [REDACTED UNDER PATIENT-DOCTOR CONFIDENTIALITY ACT - NCR President Kimball Directive, circa 227]. They reach an understanding.

After their medical checkups and consultations have finished, The Misfits are formally told about the bullet ration and are encouraged to purchase weapons and ammo from a nearby vendor. Naturally, everyone complains. Blythe deadpans that their complaints have been noted, prompting Charles to leave in frustration. Sasha is particularly annoyed and displays his displeasure by urinating on Blythe’s and Maxwell’s feet. The civil servant recoils in horror while the major looks in disapproval. Maxwell tells everyone that he agrees the situation is shitty but he promises that, one day, things will work out and the Phoenix Corporation will rise to the top.   

Outside, Charles visits the weapons and ammo vendor. He purchases a laser sight for his rifle and leaves a written message with the vendor, telling him to give it to Winston Ripley whom he describes as ‘a big black guy from Phoenix Corporation’. The vendor is a little struck on edge by this but agrees his request. Charles soon leaves town to rendezvous with Sybil as promised. Sasha spots this as the rest of the group leaves HQ to visit the vendor.

Various teammates purchase weapons and ammo from the vendor. Knowing that Jack is a better barterer than he is, Billy asks him to help get the best deal possible on a leather jacket and knife. Jack accepts but only on the condition that he receives 10% of the profits. Unfortunately, during the haggling, Jack fails to barter for a better price. He decides to accept the low offering and tells Billy he did the best he could. They make a very small profit. Winston also receives Charles’ note, which instructs him to meet Sybil at the agreed location. He soon sets off.

Sasha decides to follow Winston but is quickly distracted by something shiny. He suddenly wanders into an unfamiliar part of town. Realising he is out of his depth, the ghoul decides to return home to HQ…

While this is happening, Balint decides he will try and procure some Radaway from a shady back alley doctor. The man, a greasy and weasly man, tries to sell his medicine at outrageous prices. Balint leaves in disgust but the salesman seems confident that he’ll return. Angered by the back alley doctor’s demeanor, Balint decides to recruit the services of Pandora to sneak into the alleyway and steal the much needed medicine. Balint soon returns to the dodgy peddler and attempts to distract him while Pandora sneaks through a ruined building and into the back of the alleyway. Although his distraction attempts fail - putting the salesman on edge - Pandora still manages to successfully enter the alleyway undetected. She eventually discovers and unlocks a container that holds two bags of Radaway, five Stimpacks, two Mentats and three buffouts. Pandora stealthily escapes and the two Misfits take their leave, leaving dodgy dealer none the wiser. They soon rendezvous with Lotta who tests and confirms that the Radaway is fake (just some orange soda and LSD). Pandora and Balint are relieved they didn’t buy the drugs.

Meanwhile, Charles and Winston head towards the arranged meeting spot with Sybil. Outside the ruined building, three raiders can be seen standing guard. They raise their guns at them but are quickly pushed aside by Sybil, who now has a dramatically different appearance. The long, tattered dress has been replaced with menacing raider attire. She saunters over to the two Misfits and begins to share with them information. She firstly informs them that the Misfits’ actions in Reelfoot have really stirred the Family nest. The Family would gladly take out The Misfits if they didn’t have their hands full with another threat. It turns out that most of the Californian raiders are in a dire straits. This is mainly because a much larger clan has declared independance from The Family. The clan, known as The Wasps, have previously provided a lot of muscle for gun running operations. However, their leader has decided to start a crusade to take control over all of the raider clans. Luckily - or unluckily - the Three Dragons have remained under the radar for a while, so they’ve not attracted the attention of The Wasps. However, Sybil says this gives them the opportunity to assess things better. Charles and Winston seem happy with the information - it gives them ideas for future movements. Charles orders Sybil to keep her ears to the ground and collect more information. Sybil agrees.

Before they leave though, Sybil takes Charles aside to have a private chat. They return several minutes later with Sybil looking rather… perky. Winston’s curiosity gets the better of him and he begins to ask questions. Charles simply tells him that ‘everything is in motion’, hinting at their future drug business. They return back to HQ.

Everyone is called into theatre by Major Maxwell, how informs them all that they have a new mission. The NCR have picked up a distress signal originating from Riverside, a small down a few hours outside of the Boneyard. Problem is, Riverside was thought to have been deserted for centuries. The place is a radiation hotbed. NCR have hired Phoenix as the issue is ‘trivial but needs investigating’. The Misfits moan but Maxwell assures them the mission should be a cakewalk. Easy Money. With the exception of robots, everyone is given radiation suits. Ammunition is spread amongst the team and they head out in the van.

On Reade’s orders, the Winston stops the van a mile outside of town. She expects that there will be several ghouls in the vicinity and does not want the vehicle to get damaged in case they need to make an emergency retreat. The start their journey on foot. Riverside is wrapped in a thick green haze of radiation. An unnatural heat stifles The Misfits as they tread ever deeper into the town. Charles, Billy and Sasha quickly volunteer to scout ahead after spotting something moving in the distance.

As they move through the green haze, the scouting party soon engages a band of six feral ghouls. The monstrous creatures snap their gaze in their direction and sprint at them like rabid animals. Caught off guard, Sasha is critically attacked twice which results in his left arm and right leg breaking. He does his best to hobble away from the creatures while throwing punches at them. Billy, who is quickly surrounded by two of the beats, unloads a double barreled shotgun blast into one of the creatures. The damage is devastating but it isn’t enough to kill them. Charles decides to save ammo and unsheathes his knife. The sniper is overcome with a sense of bloodlust and begins to violently slash at the ghouls surrounding him.

Having heard the gunfire, the rest of the group sprint towards their direction. Reade immediately spots the perel Sasha is in and fires a burst of AK47 rounds at one of the creatures. The feral ghoul is quickly turned into a pile of rotting, bloody lumps. The rest of the Misfits open fire and begin to turn the tide of the battle. Sasha, on the other hand, decides to play with his walkie talkie and in the process accidentally discovers the distress signal. Unfortunately, he is too retarded to understand what any of it means. Nevertheless, he is perplexed by the intricate ‘dit-dit-dit, DASH-DASH-DASH, dit-dit-dit’ sounds. He fails to notice another ghoul ambling up behind him. Luckily, Reade lands a perfectly aimed headshot and the feral monster dies. The battle ends.

Lotta and Reade also pick up the distress signal and begin to triangulate its origin. After Balint heals Sasha, they all travel north through the battered town. Lotta notes that the bomb that fell on the town must have detonated above surface, due to the town’s infrastructure still maintaining it’s integrity (for the most part). Eventually, they discover an old Chemists Shop. The shelves have been picked clean (along with the cash registered) but they discover a large, locked steel door around the back of the shop. Pandora begins to pick the lock but fails. As she does, an alarm suddenly blames out. The rest of the Misfits can hear the sound of a large Ghoul horde roaring in the distance. Reade tells the mercenaries to take up defensive positions while Pandora hurriedly unlocks the door. She is able to release the locks just as the horde begin to arrive. Pandora and Reade seal the door behind them as everyone dives through to the other side.

As the hoard’s fists beat dully on the steel door, the team takes a look at their new surroundings. They discover that they are standing in an elevator. Reade pushes the down button and they begin to descend down a long shaft. When the reach the bottom of the shaft, they discover a long dark corridor that runs to what appears to be a dead end. However, in the distance, the loud groan of centuries old machinery stirs into life and a large vault door begins to open slowly. The silhouette of a young lady solemnly stands before them.

The Misfits are introduced to Dr Ruth McPherson - the sole survivor of Vault 91. Although she is a little shocked by the appearance of Lotta and Sasha, McPherson thanks the group for following her distress call and goes on to explain the current situation. Vault 91 was initially comprised of a tight knit community of scientists and engineers who worked together in common scientific pursuits. One day, the Overseer of the vault ordered the scientists to carry out a series of DNA manipulation experiments. After several months of hard work, the team created a creature that could withstand the nightmarish conditions of the world outside. However, the creature quickly turned into something monstrous and viscious; in a state of panic, they tried to pull the plug. They failed. Finally, they blasted the creature with a dose of lethal radiation. To their horror, the creature quickly developed a resistance to the radiation and began to mutate further.The monster eventually escaped, killing several scientists in its wake.

Several weeks passed. The creature went on to wipe out over 60% of the vault population. Overcome with stress, the Overseer placed the vault under total lockdown before sealing himself away in his office. The Overseer was never heard from again. Luckily, Ruth was in the entrance annex at the time which not only offered her the most security but it also gave access to several rudimentary computer terminals. Using these basic terminals, Ruth managed to hack and hardwire her way into the main supercomputer, allowing her to override some of the basic facility controls. She and a band of survivors managed to secure supplies and live in the entrance annex. However, time ultimately proved to be their downfall. One by one, the remaining survivors were slaughtered by the creature as they scavenged for supplies. Left with a burning determination in her heart to destroy the monster once and for all, Ruth sent out a distress signal knowing that anyone who could survive the conditions on the outside could end the nightmare once and for all.

Ruth begs The Misfits to kill the monster to avenge her fallen comrades. Reade bluntly refuses her request. She tells McPherson that The Misfits’ top priority is to extract Ruth and escape Riverside without losing lives. Ruth points out that in order to escape safely, she will need a radiation suit. Reade concedes that The Misfits will have to venture through the Vault to find a suit for Ruth but she stops short at saying they will confront and kill the monster. Several of The Misfits argue that they should simply a self destruction system in the Vault and be done with the entire mess. The doctor explains that, in theory, the team could force the nuclear reactor into a state of meltdown, but that would require gaining access to the basement level where the core resides.

Reade cuts the discussion short and bluntly tells the group that they will not be destroying the Vault. The Sergeant refuses to put the lives of her squad under any more risk than is absolutely necessary - finding access and venturing to a highly dangerous environment to create a nuclear explosion is not on the agenda, period. Reade then orders everyone to concentrate on finding a radiation suit for Ruth.

While they are discussing possible plans, Lotta notes that the living and working area which Ruth has hovelled out  the entrance annex is impressive given the circumstances. Wires and cables line the roof and connect to various pieces of stripped down hardware. Make shift circuit boards and machines are repurposed and networked to create an efficient control room. Quickly assessing the network infrastructure, Lotta offers to go through Ruth’s computer terminal to help improve it. The doctor becomes extremely protective of her terminal, explaining that it is extremely delicate and that a ‘machine’ like Lotta would only destroy it. Although Lotta surprises Ruth with her indepth knowledge on computer science, the doctor still remains stubbornly protective of her machine. She tells Lotta that the terminal was originally a simple data entry machine and was never designed to run any of the functions it currently does now. Ruth spent countless hours hacking and rewriting existing code just gain access to a basic network cluster that operated the locked doors. Lotta begins to grasp the complexity of Ruth’s work and concedes to let her ‘protect her baby’.

After settling on a rescue plan, Ruth begins to explain the layout of the Vault and what functions she has control over from her terminal. Currently, the power generators are offline (except in the entrance annex), meaning that there is limited light in the Vault. It is impossible to open doors manually, however, Ruth can open them remotely with her terminal. However she can only open one door at a time. Two doors cannot be open at the same time. Ruth is also able to use the miniature cameras located next to the doors to see what is happening. As The Misfits prepare to depart, Winston offers to stay behind and ‘protect’ Ruth. The squad interprets from him that he will keep a close eye on the doctor in case she does anything shifty. There is an unspoken agreement that the team does not trust Ruth McPherson at all. Ruth opens the first door and the team soon departs.

The team quickly discovers carnage. Each room and corridor they uncover is coated in gore and offel. The foul stench of death permeates the air, setting the team's nerves on edge. Despite this, Charles suggests that they split up to cover more ground. Reade protests but eventually concedes that this would maximise their chances of finding a radiation suit for Ruth. She allows Charles to go but only on the condition that two others join him. Balint and Lotta volunteer. Reade’s group will head to the sleeping quarters while Charles’ group will head to the resting area.

As they enter the resting area, Lotta raises suspicion when commenting on its relatively small size. Charles agrees, realising that it would not properly accommodate the entire Vault’s population. Not wanting to arouse Ruth’s attention, Lotta decides to contact the entire team using their personal radios. The robot voices its opinion, mentioning it all feels very strange. However this backfires - the door terminals also have built in intercoms. The doctor explains that the entire Vault population lived and worked in shift rotations. After running the numbers, Lotta and the team conceive that it could be plausible… They move on towards another section of the vault.

Charles, Balint and Lotta soon wander into a room filled with exotic plants in various states of growth. The Plant Cultivation Atrium appears to be running on minimum power and is keeping the vegetation alive. Although the room is littered with human remains, the plants appear to have been untouched. When asked, Ruth explains that the Plant Cultivation Atrium was primarily used to create samples for their experiments. She explains that one of the plants, Alpha B7, was used to create the monster. Balint carefully removes a piece of the plant and pockets it without Ruth spotting him. The group continues to investigate the atrium.

As this is happening, Reade, Pandora and Sasha locate and enter the Sleeping Quarters. The area is divided into three sections: two sleeping rooms with multiple bunk-beds and lockers, and one large showering area with bathroom stalls. Reade and Sasha discover various trinkets: watches, photographs of vault dwellers, novels, stationery tools, diaries, shoes, a teddy bear (which Sasha takes for himself). Reade comments that there doesn’t appear to be any pictures of children. Eventually, Pandora discovers a discarded radiation suit. Unfortunately, the bloodied and tattered suit appears to have been completely shredded by... something. She speculates that the monster tore through it to eat whoever was originally inside.

Sasha wanders into the shower area. As he does, a sudden and violent crash can be heard. Without warning, an overhead vent buckles and splits open with a savage force. What can only be described as a pile of flesh, held together by membranes, tendons and connective tissue, falls out of the vent hole. It suddenly reforms itself into a large, hulking humanoid looking monster with a clawed hand. Sasha is paralyzed with fear at the sight of the monster and hesitates to move. Meanwhile, Pandora instinctively overcomes her shock and hammers on the intercom system and orders Ruth to open the door. Ruth hurries to close the door in the Atrium so that she can open the door that blocks their passage.

Snapping out of his fear, Sasha raises his weapon and fires a burst of bullets at close range into the monster’s chest. The creature stumbles back as large, bloody holes riddle it’s hulking mass. Seizing the moment, Sasha begins to run away. Shockingly the monster catches up to the ghoul’s pace and viciously cuts him down with a swipe if it’s claw. Witnessing the horror attack her friend, Pandora fires a burst of AK47 rounds which strike the monster hard. It stumbles backwards again, this time falling to one of it’s knees.

The door to the Sleeping Quarters finally opens as Reade equips an M79 grenade launcher. She loads a shell into the weapon and orders Sasha and Pandora to escape to through the door. The ghoul scrambles to his feet and bolts towards the exit while Pandora backs up and trains her rifle’s sights on the monster. Reade fires her grenade launcher in the nick of time. The impact of the round causes a devastating explosion that fills the area with smoke. The group reacts with excitement.

However, their illation is cut short. Much to their horror, the monster walks out of the smoke in a state of healing. The inflicted wounds begin to rapidly repair themselves. Filled with animalistic rage, the monster then marches directly towards Reade. Unable to reload her weapon in time, the Sergeant is unable to do little more than watch with horror as the looming creature unhinges its gaping jaw and prepares to sinks a set of razor sharp teeth into her body. Reade’s blood curdling screams of horror are muffled as the monster’s jaw expands to inhuman sizes and clamps down on her upper body. After what feels like a seemingless eternity, the monster suddenly regurgitates Reade and she collapses to the floor in a wet mess of bile and blood.

Spurred on by a desire to save his superior, Sasha grabs ahold of Reade and begins to drag her to safety. Pandora, who is already through the doorway is able to grab hold of Sasha and drags both soldiers through the exit. At the last second, Ruth is able to close the bulkhead door on the monster. It struggles for a moment against the incredible weight of the door before it slams down, severing one of it’s arms. The arm withers like a plant before finally dying.

Ruth quickly opens the door for Charles, Lotta and Balint who rush to aid the survivors. Recognising that the situation is dire, Balint immediately uses a stimpak on Reade to heal her wounds. However, the medicine does nothing. The Sergeant is suddenly riddled with a strong fever. Balint volunteers to carry Reade back to the entrance annex so that he and Ruth can examine the wounds further.

McPherson is shocked to discover Reade has been poisoned. She exclaims that the monster has evolved again in order to immobilise its prey. Ruth stabilises Reade with some morphine to stem the feverish reaction. However, she explains to Balint that without an anti-venom, her chances of survival are slim. Balint radios to the rest of the team to return to the annex to explain the severity of the situation...

#FalloutPNP PnP Fallout 4 Fallout 1 2 3 New Vegas Pen and Paper

[falloutpnp]

Session 7

Dusk befalls Reelfoot and inside the Cowley residence, The Misfits plan their next move. After a short discussion, the team settles on a plan of action. As there is no need for the van, Winston will stay behind to look after Zack and Jack. Meanwhile, Pandora and Charles will scout ahead towards the supposed location of The Keep, 2km from their current position. After they have surveyed the area, Pandora and Charles will rendezvous 1km away from The Keep to report their findings. If they do not meet at the rendezvous point 15 minutes after the request of the squad has arrived, Reade will give the order to move in.

Reade tells the two mercenaries to watch their backs and move silently. She impresses on them the danger that surrounds the situation. With their Sergeant’s words fresh in their minds, Pandora and Charles move out.

The scouting party reaches the edge of town and encounter a bleak and decrepit forest of grossly irradiated trees. Some have withered and fail to bloom while others have mutated into grotesquely bloated and tall structures. Despite the density and darkness that the forest is shrouded in, Charles is able to use his outdoorsman skills to navigate through it. They both tread carefully and silently, heeding to their superiors words of caution.

Charles and Pandora suddenly hear the crack of a stick and they quickly find themselves paralysed with fear. Charles initially suspects that they’ve fallen into an ambush and carefully reaches for his firearms. However, Pandora quickly realises that the situation is not what they expected. A line of men in cloaks walks past them, completely oblivious to Charles and Pandora’s presence. As they pass by, Charles gently pulls out the cloak he had earlier acquired from an enemy bounty hunter and wraps himself and Pandora securely, further secluding them from the figures’ gaze.

 As the cloaked figures move further ahead, a sudden gunshot halts them in their tracks.

“Alright you, Phoenix Corporation bastards! Throw down your weapons and surrender!” Jackie, surrounded by 10 Family soldiers, shouts at the cloaked men. “Oh, it’s you. You’re not with that band of mercenary scum.”

The cloaked figures reveal themselves to be the Aegis Rangers. Russell Haze orders his fellow bounty hunters to hold up as he speaks to Jackie. He quips that he is also after the Phoenix Corporation and asks that Jackie and his men move on. This angers The Family captain.

“Get the hell out of my town, Haze! Or I’ll gun you and your boys down like the pile of crap you are!” Jackie barks.

“If I remember rightly, you’re with The Family, right? I’m pretty sure that you have a nice price on your head…” Russell retorts.

A long silence passes.

Wilson, a member of the Aegis Rangers rears his Uzi 9mm into his hands and points it squarely at a group of soldiers surrounding Jackie. Wilson squeezes the trigger. He fires a rapid burst of ten rounds, five of which miss their intended target. However, the remaining five punch neat holes into one of the soldiers, nearly killing him outright.

All out war breaks out between the two parts. Pandora rushes back to warn Reade while Charles stays behind to watch the battle unfold.

 It is at this point that the players take over the roles of The Family and Aegis Rangers.

 In the midst of the chaos that follows, one of the rangers pulls out a flare and throws it into the battlefield. The flare illuminates the forest and casts light on several Family soldiers. Realising that they cannot fight a well-equipped bounty hunter unit in the darkness, two Family soldiers throw their flares, which sheds light on their enemy’s position.

Both sides viciously exchange gunfire. Mustering his nerve and battle experience, Haze emerges from his cover, draws his gun and squeezes the trigger. The hammer on his Desert Eagle snaps forward and fires a .44 calibre round that cuts through the air and lands on Jackie. The Family captain staggers back but gains his footing. Although injured, Jackie pulls the gun on a frag grenade and hurtles it towards Haze’s position.

The grenade soars above into the dark sky before plummeting to the ground. It bounces and tumbles and gently rolls on the ground until is reaches Haze and two of his fellow rangers. Unable to react in time, the grenade explodes and deals life-changing injuries to Kozak, who is immediately crippled as shards of white hot metal tear through his legs. Gore, another ranger, is knocked out and concussed by the shockwave that followed the blast. Haze is heavily injured but he still manages to stand on his own two feet.

Following his leader’s example, one of the Family soldiers pulls a pin on his grenade and lobs it towards the injured rangers. In a twist of luck, the grenade bounces off a nearby tear and lands at the centre of a group of Family soldiers. The grenade explodes and deals severe injuries, including the crippling of one of his comrades.  

More savage gunfire follows, with both sides taking heavy losses. The fighting becomes so intense that many fighters break formation to take cover. In the ensuing panic, Wilson – the ranger who drew first blood – bumps into an enemy Family soldier. With the ammo from his Uzi drained, Wilson’s animalistic instinct takes over and the two begin to engage in a horrific fistfight. In an act of sheer insanity, the Family soldier breaks into a haze of bloodlust and delivers a series of deadly fist blows. Wilson succumbs to his injuries and keels over, dead.  

Gore, who was unconscious for several minutes suddenly, regains consciousness. He stands up and, still shell-shocked from his concussion, lights a cigarette. Miraculously, bullets whiz and fly past him but none of them hit. Gore is overcome with a wave of luck and begins to feel God-like. However, his luck is short lived. A throwing knife, delivered by a Family soldier who had steadily crept out of the shadows, lands squarely between Gore’s eyes. As the ranger collapses, the Family soldier quips that “Smoking kills…”

The Family, well equipped for a battle with mercenaries and a super mutant, slowly begin to turn the tide of the battle towards their favour. They pool together their remaining frag grenades and hurl them towards the remaining bounty hunters. Their explosives find their targets. In the midst of the explosions, several rangers are crippled. Most shockingly of all, Haze is torn apart by a stray grenade that landed at his feet.

Smith, a ranger who was crippled by a grenade blast, slowly crawls away from the battlefield.

In a fit of pure rage, a crippled Kozak lines up his Uzi and takes out Jackie in a hail of gunfire. The Family captain collapse on the ground and bleeds out. Although he has managed to get revenge for his fallen superior, Kozak is quickly ambushed and gunned down by grief stricken family soldiers. The remaining Aegis Rangers and Family soldiers continue to exchange gunfire.

The smoke settles and the smell of that cordite hangs and lingers in the air is a testament to the savagery that took place. All but one ranger survives. Several Family soldiers remain but they mostly wounded, save for one who has survived unscathed for the entire battle. 

Smith, the only remaining bounty hunter, crawls crippled and battered into a bush and lies in wait. Using guerrilla tactics, the bounty hunter lures the enemy towards his position with the blood trail left behind. Though The Family currently outnumbers him, Smith knows that they are uncoordinated without their leader and is willing to hedge his bets that are unprepared for this kind of tactics. One-by-one, the Family soldiers head towards Smith’s location. As they do, the bounty hunter lets rip with a double blast from his sawn off shotgun. The hail of buckshot tears through his enemies frail bodies, outright killing several of them.

Four Family soldiers remain and eventually figure out Smith’s tactics and position. Realising that it’s an ‘all or nothing’ situation, the soldier armed with throwing knifes equips himself with a pair of spiked knuckle dusters. He steals himself, takes a deep breath and rushes towards the approximate location of his enemy. He dives into the bush and rains down a deadly fist. The blow hits the dirt. The soldier’s eyes dart around before he suddenly catches a glimpse of Smith. Panic overcomes the soldier before his survival instinct finally rears him into action. He scrambles over to Smith and in a haze of madness, begins to furiously punch and lash out at him. The spiked knuckles slash and drive themselves deeply into the ranger’s throat, causing torrents of blood to gush out.

Smith dies drowning in his own blood.

The players resume control of their own characters. 

Pandora finally reaches Reade and shares with her superior news of the unfolding battle. Concerned for Charles’ safety, the Sergeant orders Pandora to retrieve him quickly. The intention will be for them to regroup and move around the battle. Should the enemy follow them back, Reade and the rest of the Misfits will ambush them. Pandora sets off to collect Charles.

With the fighting drawn to a close, the four remaining Family soldiers gather together around Jackie’s corpse. One of the men helps a crippled comrade while another lights a smoke. The last remaining soldier, Alvez, drags the corpse of Smith out of the bush and presents it to the rest of his ilk – almost as if to appease Jackie. The four of them look over their captain’s body in silence.

The smoking Family soldier, who escaped the battle entirely unscathed, finally cuts through the morose and asks “So what do you want to do with your lives now?” They all begin to contemplate their future options.

As this is happening, Charles manages to sneak past them and stealthily picks up a loaded MP9 from the ground. He then carefully inches his way through a bush, making sure not to draw any attention to himself.

“What do you mean ‘what do I want to do with my life now’? It’s obvious, isn’t it? We go back to The Heritage and sort this whole mess out.”

“You think that it’ll be that easy? Jackie’s dead.”

“You suggesting something else, Alvez?”

Charles suddenly springs from a bush directly behind the Family soldiers. He raises his MP9 and sprays a burst of bullets in their direction. The first two rounds miss Alvez by a narrow margin. The next four strike and kill the crippled soldier and the man who carried him to his comrades. The final 4 rounds punch neat red holes into the smoking man. He staggers for a moment in disbelief - cigarette quivering in his mouth – before finally collapsing into a wet puddle of blood and tissue. Charles then orders Alvez to drop his weapons and put his hands in the air. The soldier complies.

Pandora arrives just in time to see Charles tie up Alvez with a discarded piece of rope found on a corpse’s inventory. Looking over the fresh bodies strewn before her, she asks him what exactly is he doing. Charles replies that he is taking a hostage so that The Misfits can gain more intel. Pandora is overcome with a wave of distrust and tells Charles to let his hostage go. Charles refuses. Pandora demands that Charles steps away from the hostage. Finally, Charles puts one knee on Alvez and pulls a gun on Pandora.

“Get. Reade. Now.” He hisses with a crazed look in his eye. Pandora backs away slowly and begrudgingly agrees.

Pandora explains to the Sergeant that Charles has taken a member of The Family hostage and that she needs to come immediately to assess the situation. Pandora decides to omit the fact that Charles pulled a gun from her. Reade is perturbed by the idea of Charles taking a hostage. She immediately decides to put an end to his antics and immediately marches over.

Charles explains to Reade and the others that he took the Family soldier hostage so that they can gain more information from him. Although Reade is slightly annoyed, she takes a knee and starts asking Charles’ hostage some questions. Alvez, who has already accepted that he will most likely die, explains that he was a simple soldier for Jackie. He mostly took care of tasks that required muscle. 

Seeing that the man is severely wounded, Reade pulls out a knife and cuts the rope that binds him. Alvez, stricken with confusion, slowly climbs to his feet. The Sergeant looks him in the eyes and tells him to go.

“When they ask what happened, you tell them that there was a bloody battle between Jackie, the Aegis Rangers and the Phoenix Corporation. Tell them that the Misfit unit mowed them all down.”

And with that, Alvez leaves. Charles remains silent but respects his superior’s decision.

A confused Pandora asks Reade why she left him go. The Sergeant explains that “Alvez will never return to The Family – he would most likely be shot dead for failing to save Jackie’s life. Now he’ll have a second chance at life; a way to make amends for the life he used to lead. But in the darkest recesses of his mind, this scene will forever haunt him. And when his new companions ask ‘What’s wrong?’, he’ll tell them that the Phoenix Corporation wiped out a criminal organisation and an entire bounty hunter unit.”

Pandora still doesn’t understand. Reade smirks and tells her to “Think of it as free advertisement. We’re mercenaries after all. Don’t forget it.”

The Misfits, along with Gentle Ben, scavenge for weapons, ammunition and armour before continuing their journey. Using the map and Gentle Ben’s knowledge, they quickly find themselves before a region of open caves. After some careful consideration, the super mutant picks the cave that will bring an end to their adventure.

The cave network is vast and expansive with twisted, ruined rail tracks veering off down each vein. Perhaps in some forgotten part of history, the caves were part of a large mining network for valuable resources – but this speculation is of little importance to the Misfits and would be better left for pre-war historians. After trudging through the caves, the group eventually reaches a large bulkhead door. Ben takes the holotape from Reade’s possession and loads it into a wall mounted computer panel. He enters several digits into a keypad and presses enter.

The sound of groaning metal and tumblers releasing finally give way to the sound of air rushing between an emerging crack in the bulkhead. The large steel door slowly inches itself open to reveal a dark, cavernous space. A dull thud can be heard in the distance, followed by another – much louder than before. Another thud soon follows. And another. And another. High-powered spotlights gradually flood the cavernous space with light, revealing Cowley’s Keep in all its splendour!

The keep is revealed to be a warehouse of pre-war junk. Rows upon rows of shelves line the expansive room, every inch of them covered with useless trinkets Robert had collected during his lifetime. Magazines, comic books, vacuum cleaners, bottles of Nuka Cola – all in pristine condition. Baseball cards, metal advertisement plates, propaganda posters – all carefully vacuum sealed in plastic. Casino slot machines restored classic cars, an original Red Rocket fuel tank station sign – all glistening brilliantly with a hand polished sheen.

Cowley’s Keep is a collection of utterly useless junk.

Gentle Ben solemnly steps forward, head lowered and speaks with a shaken voice. “I… am Robert Cowley.”

The super mutant reveals that, shortly after he set off on his journey over three years ago, his caravan was attacked by a band of super mutants. All of his body guards and companions were killed. Fearing that he would be killed, Robert had no idea that a much worse fate would befall him. The super mutants dragged Robert back to their den and dipped him in a vat of FEV. The formula transformed him into the hulking monstrosity he is today. After a year or so, Robert managed to earn the trust of the super mutants. He promptly made his escape the moment their guard relaxed.

When he returned to Reelfoot, Robert quickly realised that no one would recognise him, let alone accept him. He contemplated contacting his brother Chris but was too afraid that he would reject him. To his surprise, the townsfolk of Reelfoot discovered and befriended him. Robert took on the persona of ‘Gentle Ben’ so that he could live out the rest of his days in the town that he loved. Fighting in The Heritage helped him keep a roof over his head and allowed him to watch over his brother from a distance. However, Robert started noticing that he was beginning to suffer memory loss as a result of the FEV he was exposed to. Fearing that he would never be able to help Chris, Robert decided to withdraw a large sum of his savings from the bank and hide it in The Keep. As his memory started to deteriorate, Robert became more and more scared of rejection from Chris. He still fears this.

Robert reaches over to a nearby computer and enters a few commands. A hidden safe located inside a large Nuka Coka vending machine springs open, revealing the savings he withdrew. The gentle giant begs The Misfits for help, saying, “I can’t confront Chris in this state. What should I do?! Please help me to help my brother!”

The Misfits agree unanimously that they will help reunite Chris with his long lost brother. Reade sends Pandora back to town to fetch him.

When she arrives back at Cowley Industries, Pandora discovers Chris hunched over on the sofa, nursing a throbbing hangover. She pours a glass of water over his head – which fails to illicit much of a reaction from him – before giving him another glass of water to drink. When he asks what it’s for, Pandora explains that he’ll need it. Assuming the worse, he pulls out a hipflask from his jacket pocket and takes a hefty swig. He then grabs the glass of water from her hands before telling Pandora ‘I am ready, whatever the outcome may be.’ The both depart shortly after.

Chris is staggered by the size of The Keep. He can hardly believe that his brother hid something so big from him. Chris’ gaze quickly shifts towards Gentle Ben’s direction. The super mutant pulls up two chairs and tells Chris that they need to have a talk. Reassured by the Misfits, Chris anxiously takes a seat opposite Ben. It is at this moment that Reade decides to give the brothers some privacy. They take their leave but not before catching a glimpse of Chris and Robert embracing.

Several minutes pass before Robert and Chris meet up with the Misfits outside of The Keep. They express their gratitude for having reunited both of them. Chris assures them that their fee will be transferred to the Phoenix Corporation immediately. Although they are happy to have finally reunited after all these years, Robert expression anxiety about the future. The brothers how no idea where to go from here. Charles suggests that they turn The Keep into a museum. The suggestion lights a spark in the brothers’ eyes, seemingly liking the idea.

The Cowley brothers thank The Misfits once again for their hard work and the two groups make their farewells. The mercenary unit sets off back to The Boneyard with a smile on their faces, knowing that they have done some good in this twisted world.

When they return to Phoenix Corporation HQ, they walk into the lobby and discover Major Maxwell discussing a matter with Mr Blythe, the unit’s personally appointed civil servant. Blythe comments that the Misfit’s timing is impeccable; he has received news of Warrant Officer Novak’s fate. Novak has been sentenced to 20 years hard labour for treason and colluding with a criminal organisation. Reade and the others are relieved to hear this. Blythe congratulates the team on a job well done but reminds them that they still need to take a medical exam.

Amongst the team, some of it’s members draw their breath with anxiety…

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