Test Pattern 2010/07/03(Sat)19:11 No. 202827 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127820951657.png - (14.07KB , 500x500 , TQ566.png )

Mitzi and I make our way through the darkened lab. Though it's powered down, there's enough lingering heat sources for me to navigate by infrared even in pitch black. The panic room's surroundings are lit by meager emergency lights, and by the flickering lines of a broken monitor.

Test Pattern 2010/07/03(Sat)19:14 No. 202828 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127820969189.png - (7.94KB , 500x500 , TQ567.png )

The area smells like blood, but everything in Biology does. At least here there's a visible source.

As we approach, the camera in the corner rotates to track us, and a screen flickers to life opposite the malfunctioning one, displaying nothing.

Test Pattern 2010/07/03(Sat)19:17 No. 202830 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127820985536.png - (21.17KB , 500x500 , TQ568.png )

"Marcus and Mitzi Tibur, I presume," says a voice from a pair of speakers.

>>202830
Look down at your breasts, then look up again, then cup your breasts and look angry.

"Do I LOOK like a man to you?!"

"Who's asking?"

>>202832
No, we are not getting them to figure out who we actually are.

Shoot the working camera.

...guys, let's let them think Penji is Marcus for now. It is to our advantage if they think she has a different skillset than she actually does.

Don't say who you are! Jeez!

>>202840
too late. it already saw us. shooting it will just place us in the clearly hostile zone and this guy in the panic room seems cut off from the rest of the place

>>202842
fine, sounds like a good enough reason.

oh wait "why do you ask? got orders to shoot to kill if you see us? well if you don't shoot first we wont shoot you"

>>202835
I'm with this guy, I don't think we should be so quick to reveal our identity

Just let the people on the speakers talk. Less information we give them the better. I guess they really do think they got the tozol whose strong point seems to be resisting distorted space caused by scanners and displacer bombs.

Keep quiet. Signal for Mitzi to say something like "Who wants to know?"

I dunno, if we turn out to be someone else than the speaker assumed, he might react with hostility.

>>202885

And that's why we're going to keep quiet

Keep quiet, let Mitzi do the talking. Even better, nobody talk, the less this person knows the better. Like >>202848 said, they might keep talking.

Test Pattern 2010/07/03(Sat)23:03 No. 202950 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12782233918.png - (22.21KB , 500x500 , TQ569.png )

I give Mitzi a surprised look. It's not too hard to fake.

"Ho-o-ow'd you know?" she asks.

"Active tozols control their heat signature," says the voice. "Though. The mechanism for that is still poorly understood. Perhaps it takes time to generate the necessary materials. But this is quite secondary to the fact that Tethys has been brain dead for forty years."

"Ah," Mitzi says, to fill the silence. "Pretty good, though, huh?"

"Oh, I'm confident it will suit your purposes," he replies. "Dress up as such a high priority target that they'd never suspect it's a trick. Grab their attention, then melt away as something else. Somewhere else."

"So who are you?" I ask. It's not like he'll recognize my voice.

"Haven't we met? Were you Yong? Or Matthei?" He asks. "What I really want to know is what you're doing here. Whatever you've done out there, and it WAS you, wasn't it, you finished it hours ago. What do you want with me? Cooperation under threat of violence? I have supplies for weeks, and those guns won't penetrate this door."

Shoot out the camera. Get Mitzi to open the door.

>>202950
Ok, you can talk.
"I'll be honest. At this point we just want to get out of here without drawing attention back to ourselves."

You know, it is possible that we're Marcus. Maybe he hid inside our tube and the tozol biomachinery just sucked him in to make a brain. What a pleasant thought!

>>202955

Sounds good. Seems this guy's pinned down just as much as we are, not one of the people sending shock troops after us.

'well i had to come get mitzi, regardless of what you do we will never be the monsters you are trying to create. besides, i'm not an active hostile, don't shoot and i wont kill you. simple as that really.'

>>202950
"Ah yes, I remember those two. They were quite delicious."

Put on your most charming toothy grin, then laugh.

"But seriously, I've never heard of them. Bit of amnesia on the brain."

>>202971
If nothing else, do a charming toothy grin. For fun.

"Look. We've both been shot at, exploded on multiple times, nearly torn to pieces, nearly microwaved to death, and to top it off, I've been stabbed. I could take all of that, but I'd rather just, y'no, talk for a moment before the cycle begins again.

Make it clear you'd be thrilled to find at least one other person besides Mitzi who doesn't want you dead, and that you have no intent on changing that.

>>202950
Ask Mitzi to start looking around for airvents or other ways in. The damn plce is probably airtight as well as built to resist the things they keep locked up here. But looking won't hurt.

Tell the guy in the room that you simply want to know all that he knows about ways out of the facility and the method they used to make Mitzi and you into what you are. If he cooperates then you will bring him along with you out, if he doesn't, don't really specify what will happen, just say it will be nasty and let his imagination handle the rest.

>>202950
Tell him you were just testing your disguise, and since he's cut off from the rest of the facility it's not much of a risk to take. Ask him what else he knows about Tethys.

Drop the charade. Explain that you are indeed a Tozol, and your name is Penji. Explain further that you don't really know shit about what's going on, and that you are under the impression that normal Tozols are mindless killing machines. Express that for whatever reason you are different. Tell him all these things, and then if he insists you're Marcus, make out with Mitzi.

Because he'd never do that.

Let's play along as Marcus for now. But let him know that if he's not going to be trying to kill you like everyone else, you're not going to mess with him. You're just trying to get to safety.

>>202950

Move on. The panic room probably has some degree of comms to the rest of the base, and that probably means more security are on the way. (Mitzi and Marcus were in the HS wing after all.)

Test Pattern 2010/07/04(Sun)16:58 No. 203312 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127828790298.png - (9.07KB , 500x500 , TQ570.png )

"I've been getting chased, blown up, shot, and stabbed," I say. "I only want to leave."

"And you think I'd help you?" the voice asks.

"We can talk, at least," I say. "You still haven't told me who you are."

The intact screen resolves into a video of a human.

"Harold Qillig," he says. "I'd be happy to stall you for as long as you like."

>The panic room probably has some degree of comms to the rest of the base
As far as we can tell, this entire section has been cut off from the rest of the base. It's hard to believe that they'd not have troops here already, if they have any idea what Marcus has been doing.

ask him why he works here and what assurance they gave him that he wont be the subject of the next genetic experiment.

>>203312

Complement him on his fetching novelty tie.

After all, at least half of us seem to be trying to prove that we're a civilized sophont, not a completely indiscriminate killing machine.

>>203312
Tell him "I found that sketch you made of Tethys. What are your feelings towards the Tozol?"

>>203312
Ask him what's going on down here, and if the government is crazy enough to think the diplomats will let them get away with having 2 live Tozol.

"so clearly this is some sort of facility where you're trying to engineer some sort of biogenic supersoldier using me, and kidnapped engineering students. uhhh what do you need one for exactly?"

>>203312
Ask him what they did to you (Marcus, let him keep up that assumption for a while longer) and Mitzi to turn you into what you are now.

Also hint that if he helps you get out then you will help him out as well.

Try to suppress a giggle. This was the guy who watched you for forty years, and he just gave up like last week when you woke up. Too bad that sketch got toasted in the security passage or you could totally awesomeface him while holding it up.

>>203379
i thought we just left it because it had no purpose anymore?

If you're leaving and he still hasn't figured it out, say casually over your shoulder "Oh by the way, the kill switch didn't work."

>>203380

Well, obviously it does! Oh well, hindsight. I ain't going all the way back there.

Test Pattern 2010/07/04(Sun)21:16 No. 203435 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127830338385.png - (8.99KB , 500x500 , TQ571.png )

"Why are you people making supersoldiers?" I ask. "What do you need them for?"
"Are you trying to seem stupid?" he asks. "Or do you merely want my opinion on the obvious utility of nigh-unstoppable living weapons?"
"I think I already know your opinion about those," I say "I found the sketch you made of Tethys."
"Sketch?" he asks. "Oh. Silvis. He was fond of drawing creatures. Especially Tethys. Strange fellow. Too well connected for any of us to terminate."
"Terminate? As in, make into the next test subject?"
"As in fire," he says. "My superiors collect subjects from the global population based on mental and biological suitability, and the ability to make them disappear. Surely you know this by now."
"My mind's not what it should be," I say. "What did you do to us?"
"Spliced you with Valcien, as they say," he says. "Of course, to call the fundamental reengineering which took place, in vivo, I might add, a 'splice' is practically an insult. Limbs, bones, organs, brain. Every cell of your body has been completely redesigned. The fact that your mind continues to function at all, in emulation of the human you were, is a testament to our success."

>>203435
This guy is kind of a prick and I think he's probably not going to do anything for you besides waste as much time as you let him. 3:

Buuuuut I guess he is revealing a few things to us, although mostly just to sound smug.

Keep him talking, to find out what he knows. But keep an eye open for possible threats. Doors slamming shut, traps, incoming hostiles, etc.

Incidentally, I bet one of those load displacer thingys could get into the panic room...

>>203435
"Tell me about Second Lieutenant Tadeu Ruben."

something tells me Silvis would be the only one who may actually help you. if he was fond of you then he may want to help.

>>203448

Yeah assuming Marcus didn't make a meal of him. Not a shaky assumption, that. Still, it is disappointing to find that the only survivor was not the one to draw such an adorable sketch of Penji.

Tell him that's impossible! You couldn't program a valcien to act like a human. Even if you could, how would you get it to think like one? By seeming shocked, but not belligerent, it will prompt him to spill more information. Though frankly we haven't heard anything that would get us out of here. Just some stuff that would seriously disturb Mitzi. Is Mitzi okay, by the way?

>>203435
Ask him what, exactly made him think you did anything to this sector anyway.

>>203435
Hmmm, interesting. Ask him for specifics, how did they manage the redesign. Have to find out what kind of method they used.

Other than that ask him where Silvis might be and what he knows about Second Lieutenant Tadeu Ruben.

>>203439
He's a scientist, getting him talking about his field shouldn't be hard.

Ask him about the diplomats and Tozol

>>203466
Perhaps we should state "We're still human!"?

Say you would have preferred being able to wake up the real Tethys but you figured making Q5 think it was awake was the next best way to cover your escape.

>>203642
I like it!

>>203642
I'd actually be all for proving we're a real Tozol. I think that'd get him talking, and scared.

Ask him about this facilities relationship with the diplomats and what exactly they are and what their power is.

Test Pattern 2010/07/05(Mon)14:55 No. 203751 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127836692166.png - (10.20KB , 500x500 , TQ572.png )

"I'm still human," I say.
"No. You aren't," he says. "Look at you. You could be Tethys back from the dead, for all I know. You've replicated every last detail, aside from that silly eyepatch."
"Nice tie," I reply.
"Thank you."
"What about the Diplomats?" I ask. "What happens if they find out you have live tozols here? Never mind things like me and Mitzi."
"How do you think we've kept the secret?" he asks. "They'd see it as a betrayal. No one would be safe. Not even the whistleblower."
"Why do they care so much?" I ask.
"They've been destroying tozols for centuries," he says. "Try as they might to keep their motives hidden, that much is obvious. Whatever you're doing here..."

Test Pattern 2010/07/05(Mon)14:56 No. 203753 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127836699882.png - (14.29KB , 500x500 , TQ573.png )

"What makes you think I'm doing anything?" I ask, trying not to react to the rest.
"The announcements? The misinformation? The communications outage? The jabberwocks?" he says. "And now you standing here? Whatever you're doing here, I hope you haven't gone mad enough to try calling the Diplomats. If, by some chance, you succeed, the entire planet will suffer for your petty revenge."

>>203753
Oh, looks like he does have a slightly weak spot after all. Tell him that if he helps you out you won't contact the diplomats, but if he doesn't, well who knows what might happen.

>No. You aren't," he says. "Look at you. You could be Tethys back from the dead, for all I know.

"Funny you should say that" and then smile and show your Tozol teeth and watch him freak out.

>>203753
"Then here's my offer. Help us escape and we'll just leave. Steal a ship, head off planet, never come back.
Otherwise, we're going to signal the diplomats and try to get off-planet before they arrive.
We're not going to be your lab rats again, and if we're going to die then we're taking as many hostiles with us as possible.

well, so far it seems the average human is a complete asshole so i am not so sure it would be that big of a loss.

>>203753
"Poor planet."

>>203751
"Any idea -why- they've been on a genocidal campaign?

Furthermore, what makes you think they wouldn't be able to scan your super-soldier end-product and not find the tell-tale signs of Tozol in their gene sequence?

Wait a minute. Are you trying to create the ultimate soldier to fight the Diplomats by combining various traits from the most dangerous and resilient alien species known to man?"

Alright, give up the Marcus charade. This guy's a douche and we need to put the fear of god into him.

Take off the eyepatch and... uhh... fuck, do something tozol-y. What can you do that Quadrant Five didn't know you could do?

Wait yes.

Tell him that the killswitch didn't work.

>>203756
I seriously doubt that showing the teeth would freak him out. It would seem that Marcus is a shape shifter and can replicate anyone, and maybe anything, possibly down to the DNA level.

>>203790

I doubt he can really precisely replicate a Tozol, if they're precursor kill machines. Telling him the kill switch didn't work might be good though. There must be something physically you can pull that's Tozol that Marcus couldn't though, maybe tear some of the wall off or something.

Also, ask what the Jabberwocks are.

>>203785
>This guy's a douche and we need to put the fear of god into him.

Unfortunately, pretty much everything we know came from computers and safes that Marcus could quite plausibly gotten in to, what with channeling the spirit of MacGyver.

I mean, you could recite his journal entries verbatim if you can remember them, or ask him about his old girlfriend's pet, but it's hardly proof.

Not that I'm entirely sure what we'd gain from this except convincing him to not open that door.

J-jabberwocks?

What the hell have you been doing, Marcus?

You're not going to contact the Diplomats. You just want to learn about the Diplomats. What they are. What they're after. Why they're here, and what the heck they've got against dear sweet loving creatures such as tozols. ...but mostly get somewhere safe.

Pretend you're still trying to convince him that you're the tozol. Ask him what a tozol could do that Marcus would never be capable of. Then do it. :]

>>203838

Sorry, the last two blurbs were directed towards Penji.

"Personally, I could go for a nice meal about now. Something gormet. Revenge can wait and be in any form, but a superconductor is always delicious."

Ask him what his place is in all this. Is he going to tell the others where we are and who (he thinks) we are? Is he going to tell us anything useful or help us get out? And is there even anything we could do to make him change his mind about it one way or the other?

>>203872

We already asked that. He said no, and he didn't trust us, and he was going to do nothing but sit there and stall us as long as possible.

Test Pattern 2010/07/05(Mon)22:14 No. 203950 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12783932474.png - (10.28KB , 500x500 , TQ574.png )

"Help us escape," I say. "And we'll just leave. Steal a ship, head off planet, never come back. Otherwise, yeah. I'll fuck this whole world."
"Or," Qillig replies, with a pause. "We recapture or kill you, and resume the work. This damage will make officials unhappy with the project, but I think it also offers a tantalizing glimpse of what can be accomplished, once we get your kind under control."
"Our kind?" Mitzi interjects. "How many like us have you made?"
"Out of over a hundred attempts, three survivors, and only you two show real promise. But we finally have an idea of how to do it. Work slowly, replacing only segments at a time, allowing the brain to work out the changes over months, and incorporate its new substrate. Well, that and accounting for the mechanical aptitude you two display."
"What?" Mitzi says.
"You two were both in the top percentile for engineering test scores," he continues. "And it IS genetic. Make no mistake. Probably designer genes in your ancestry. Or you're natural outliers, like me. It's more than knowledge and practice. It's a function of your mind, to understand your work. Machines. Circutry. We believe that's why you are able to survive the process and modify your own body, on the fly, subconsciously, in spite of your lack of biological learning. Incredible. Unfortunate that the rest of your kin went into hiding after your disappearances."

Test Pattern 2010/07/05(Mon)22:15 No. 203952 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127839334922.png - (18.11KB , 500x500 , TQ575.png )

"Unfortunate," says Mitzi.
"With a more stable pool of personnel to draw on, we could build on this."
"Unfortunate?" says Mitzi.
"Please," says Qillig. "We've spent years stumbling around in the dark, waiting for our processes to slowly, tentatively, fail. I spent most of my work days for over a year just staring at Tethys's corpse floating in a tube, waiting for you two to surface from your drug-addled chrysalis."
"UNFORTUNATE?!" shouts Mitzi.
"Marcus. Control her," says Qillig, sounding bored.

"How about no, asshole?"

>>203952
Funny thing: You aren't speaking to Marcus.

And we will find you.

>>203950
Rip a panel off the monitor and eat it. He should get that you're not Marcus then.

Grin the entire time.

>>203952

Awesome, Mitzi! He just admitted that your folks are safe! They can't so much as touch them, much as they'd like to use your brains to revive the Valcien species for some bizarre reason.

Er, are you okay Mitzi? You're looking kind of... we're just going to back away slowly now, okay?

>>203952
I be sure to tell Marcus he should consider it, when I see him.

>>203952
Shoot the camera so he can't see shit, then see if you're strong enough to rip that saferoom open.

How about we don't play our cards early

"I'm not Marcus."

Destroy the camera and start work on getting that door open.

>>203955
Do this, and then shit a pistol. He'll get the message loud and clear.

>>203952

"Mitzi, don't give the asshole the satisfaction of seeing you lose your temper. He basically just said the rest of your family is safe, focus on that."

>>203952
"You were oggling me naked in a tube all that time? What would you say is my best feature? Is it my ass? I bet it's my ass. You strike me as an ass man. I'm partial to my ears, myself. Oh, and fuck you."

Should we consider cracking this egg?

>>203969
Ahahahahaha.

>>203969
pfffahahaha

>>203969
Hahahahaha.

Do this. Seriously, you should really let fly that you're not Marcus. I'd also encourage Mitzi to flip her shit, if you find the time. This fuckface seems to think he can boss you around and I'm really fucking sick of this Marcus charade.

Since we're pulling the curtain on us being Tethys, throw in a comment on that Marcus has already escaped. That ought to give him the heebie-jeebies and for all we know, it's true.

"Mitzi, get the door. Quillig, Tethys is coming to fuck you up. And my name is Penji now. Surprise."

>>203950
>>203952
On one hand, stopping the conversation without learning more could be bad. But on the other hand... the guy is a dick, and probably won't end up giving us the kind of information we need anymore.

But first, calm Mitzi down. Then I would prefer a way of revealing that we are the Tozol without stating so. Something like "Marcus? I don't see a Marcus here. Do you?" The expression on his face should be priceless.

>>203954

>>203954
>And we will find you.

We already found him. He's right there.

Let's not try to tough-talk him like we're an INT 3 brawler. He'll just use SARCASM against us.

we might not want to tip our hand. For all we know, he's worked some sort of command switch into our brains as well.

"No, I don't think I will. I like it when she's feisty.

Now, you want to know what's really unfortunate? That you and your ilk have created so much. That you've come so far. You've advanced your scientific knowledge of biology and medicine beyond what your weak-bodied race could ever dream of. You've built something wonderful and magnificent...and I'm going to tear it down to the ground, with you and your disgusting species roasting on spits over the burning rubble. I thought I could forgive and forget. Maybe you were just misguided. That you weren't all self-centered greedy little meatbags. What a fool I was. I was wrong...dead wrong. You don't care for anyone or anything, not even your own brethren, willing to sacrifice them for your own personal gain. It should be Humanity the Diplomats are exterminating, not the Tozol. Disgusting blight upon the Universe, you are.

My name is not Marcus. My name is Penji. But you'd know me as something entirely else...and you should know. You watched me slumber for forty years. This is your first and only warning. Run. Run and hide, because the monsters are coming."

>>204177

:( Haters gonna hate.

>>204177

Love it. Print it. Run it.

>>204177
Sounds much too extreme to me. I think it's better to get him as a tentative ally than a frightened, defended, and important enemy.

>>204177

You can say this as long as you bust into laughter and tell him "You should have seen the look on your face!" Mindless stereotyping and vengeance is bad, but making fun of it is always relavent. :]

Why are you people wasting time goading him? Trying to provoke him doesn't work if he's got a blast door protecting him, and even trying it makes Penji look like a whiny little brat.

Again, just shoot the camera to take-out his vision, then try to force the door. If it fails, then you just leave and hope the bomb takes-out his life support and causes him to die a slow agonizing death.

Hey. Mitzi likes being human and her family is still human. Let's not threaten genocide unless she knows already that we wouldn't do it.

>>204279

Seven-of-1 has a good point.

>>204177
How droll. I think he'd just laugh in our faces and continue calling us Marcus.

Θ][Σ 2010/07/07(Wed)10:41 No. 204573 ID: f21281
File 127852446493.jpg - (46.83KB , 450x340 , opinion.jpg )

>>204498

We could let him think we're Marcus and still tell him the Tozol tank was empty when we looked... Might put the fear of God in the bastard.

>>204580
No, I really am fucking sick of this Marcus act. It's doing nothing productive and the guy thinks he can boss Marcus around to some degree.

>>204599
Bitch thinks he can boss anyone around to some degree. He's completely safe and there's nothing trying to change that unless... you know Penji changes that.

Alright, I'm well fucking sick of this. Either this guy is going to help us or he isn't, but he has to know that we are indeed the real deal and not Marcus. Here's the list of things to do.

Tell him we're a Tozol and make him believe it.
Ask him if he's going to tell us a way out.
Ask where Hyperion is located.
Ask what the average Tozol behavior is, and we can try to figure out on our own why we're different. I bank it on having our brain obliterated at least half way.
Finally, ask what happened to Silvis, as it seems like he might be predisposed to helping us.

>>204573
he wont belive we are not marcus. marcus himself must have released us to ease his escape.

its possible marcus already left as any of the wounded soldiers we provided. if we can convince him we are not marcus, we would put marcus in danger but its certain the menance of the soldiers on us would diminish.

im sure i dont want to put a burden on marcus considering he may have a half way to kill qill as far as i know.

How about we tell him when we're face-to-face with him, so he doesn't have time to prepare any elaborate countermeasures?

you can pretend to turn on Mitzi, smash the camera in your 'rage,' and then give her a biiig hug. :D

Hmmm, how about we do this bit(>>204177) and then add something about seeing how long it takes for him to go nuts before we rip the camera out?

Test Pattern 2010/07/08(Thu)20:05 No. 205113 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127864474318.png - (8.89KB , 500x500 , TQ576.png )

"No," I say. Something in my voice makes Mitzi freeze. "You don't even understand what kind of an enemy you've made. You've had forty years and you still don't understand."
"Forty..." he says, trailing off.

Test Pattern 2010/07/08(Thu)20:07 No. 205114 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127864482138.png - (17.44KB , 500x500 , TQ577.png )

Before he says anything else, I rip the screen off the wall and throw it into the camera with enough force to smash them into a cloud of shrapnel and sparking debris.

If he still has working speakers, he doesn't use them.

. . .Well!
Moving along, then. This area seems to be rather disconnected from Quadrant Five as a whole.

I think our choices are to sit down, rest a little, and try to glean some useful information from the laptop(which we have been completely ignoring, mind), or we can keep moving and risk some sort of horrid threat coming upon us.

By the way, you handled that quite well, Penji. We certainly couldn't figure out what the hell to do.

>>205114
Penji: Plot demise of Qillig and the successive acquirement of his snazzy tie.

>>205120
it will make an excellant mantle piece to show off to all your tozol buddies once you get back home.

At this point it would seem handy to link back to the map from the previous thread: http://www.tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/src/127146992262.png (Facility-wide one: http://www.tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/src/127233712986.png )

I believe we've now been everywhere except Artifacts? Cronos (the male Tozol who was not Hyperion; less comatose, more dead) was apparently stored there.

let's leave now. nothing left to look for in here. let's head for the tech lab next, take the entrance made by the displacer.

>>205114
I don't suppose we can get that door open...?

>>205133
Naw man, we can't ruin a move like that by trying to get in and failing. We gots to let him sweat it out.

Maybe if we had fixed the Muscles to full already....

Test Pattern 2010/07/08(Thu)21:13 No. 205148 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127864883617.png - (12.02KB , 500x500 , TQ578.png )

>Plot demise of Qillig
This isn't so much 'plotting' as 'prying open a door,' but I'll give it a shot.

Oh man, this thing does not want to open.

"I don't suppose you can beat the lock?" I ask.

"Seems like it'd be pretty specifically designed to resist that," she says. "It's not like a security door where I just have to make it think we're authorized, or just fire up a poorly protected motor."

"You can try, though," I say.

"Well, I can try anything," she says. "I can try learning to fly, for all the good it'll do."

"You're half made of starship," I say. "Who says you can't?"

She doesn't respond. I feel I can get this door open, but it could take half an hour or more, if I have to peel it open layer by layer. She might be able to hack it, or I could have her peruse the database for info. Or we could just leave.

>I can get this door open.
>She might be able to hack it.
do both

>>205148
Have Mitzi try and locate stored counter suppress while you Tozol out on the door.

Worst case scenario: Qillig is gone by the time we get in.

Best case scenario: He's there, along with a few injectors of Counter-Suppress, and we can beat the answers out of him.

I say go for it on the Hacking path first, as things in this hellhole seem to be designed rather illogically. It may well be poorly protected from hacking and well protected from physical force. If Mitzi thinks it's just too hard, crack that fucker open.

>>205148
Is the time we spend getting this bastard worth more than the time we save getting out of this facility?

>>205148
Probably not worth it. Let's check out the other areas first.

...I kindof want to get that panel inspected some more so we can find out when the surprise happens but I have a feeling that Marcus will tell us when that happens anyway.

Let's check out the main lab now. Maybe Mitzi can look up some stuff on the laptop. Like Ophian or that toothy thing we saw in the tube. We saw that back in HS3 too, didn't we?

>>205148
We don't have a half-hour.

Everything has a structural weak-point. And you seem to be able to devour conventional metals.

Try eating the hinges and locks off the damn thing.

>>205158
those are on the other side.

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/07/08(Thu)21:51 No. 205162 ID: c4c313
File 127865111233.jpg - (14.82KB , 369x295 , LEAVEHAROLDQUILLIGALONE.jpg )

LEAVE HAROLD QUILLIG ALONE!

>>205148
Peel off the first layer, just to show that you could. Then leave.

How about sealing it? Make it his tomb.

>>205156
If Mitzi eats his brain then we suddenly have all the knowledge he had.
Including all the information we need to escape.
We could have Mitzi try to hack the door, we could send her back to figure out the timing on that bomb, or we could have her investigate the other areas looking for supplies.
Since Marcus and Mitzi both doubt hacking isn't an option, I'd say send her out to explore for supplies. If she runs into trouble then she's to head right back here.
Judging by the size of the tank and the distribution of the room I'm pretty certain that the bomb will take out the data center, but not much else. We don't want Mitzi in there when it goes off, but we could navigate through the debris pretty easily.

Test Pattern 2010/07/08(Thu)22:51 No. 205201 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127865469099.png - (19.94KB , 500x500 , TQ579.png )

We both get to work trying to get inside. The crowbar very quickly bends into uselessness, so I start digging at the armor plating with my bare hands. I keep thinking of what Qillig said. It makes the work easier. I don't know if I share the full spectrum of emotions that humans have, but I know all about anger.

Mitzi and I work silently. We aren't really cooperating. It's more of a race to see who can beat the door first. A very slow race.

Still, Mitzi thinks that if I can get through the outer door, she'll have more luck. I didn't even know there were multiple doors...

My eye's healing about as quickly as it can, so I resume improving my other eye, and fixing the flaws in my muscles.

>>205201
Sample armor plating and report on its palatability.

I have nothing against Dr. Quillig yet. That he goes along with this project willingly is enough reason to end him, but he's not high on your priority list. Getting out is high on your priority list. Getting safe. He's locked himself in the panic room, which is designed to keep out everything and then some. Even if you're a tozol and a half it's a waste of time to try to peel him out of that sardine can. It's not the "remote controlled kill drone" room. It's the panic room. The only thing in there is going to be Quillig, emergency supplies, water, and... a radio...

Oh shit you gotta get in there. He's probably communicating that the tozol is still alive to mission control right now! I bet he's got a direct line to the top!

>>205201
[Next]

>>205203
For that matter: Assess viability of eating through the door.

>>205204
...no, he's isolated from the rest of the facility. Otherwise he'd already know Penji is out.

>>205201
Penji, I want you to understand something, Tozols might not 'get' this but, if he knows that you're coming through the door, and he can't get out...

He'll just kill himself, he will shoot himself from fear of what you will do to him, and simply to spite you and Mitzi.

>>205204
Also, he specifically mentioned a comm outage, radio isn't going to be penetrating these walls.

>>205216
That is, if he has the means to do so. I believe he didn't even have the time to get a gun when running away.

>>205214

Okay, so why the hell are we bothering with him? We're not gonna save him, are we?

>>205201
You've started it.
Might as well finish it.
Break a bone when you get to him, then loot his hidey hole.

Maybe chit-chat with Mitzi to pass the time. What the first thing she wants to do when she gets out is, or some other topic along those lines.

>>205201
its a trap. stop wasting time, the soldiers are on the way.

what do you see in the surrounding?

>>205201
Yeah take a bite out of the armor and see if it's any good.

Then get back to ripping and tearing. Once you have enough of it off to let you get some proper leverage with your hands and legs you can probably speed up the process of ripping out chunks. Or maybe even bending it outward.

Oh god, not again. inb4 hanging about in the same place chasing after straws once more turns out to be a really bad idea.

Go on, let's sunk cost fallacy it properly, then. You've started digging, so you may as well finish.

This is a huge waste of time.

>>205325
MAKE TIME FOR VENGEANCE

We can't just keep stumbling around Q5 randomly and waiting to be attacked. We need enough info to make a plan and Quillig's brain might provide us with one.

Test Pattern 2010/07/09(Fri)09:48 No. 205372 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12786941002.png - (14.25KB , 500x500 , TQ580.png )

Mitzi disables a defensive layer, saving me from a nasty shock. I keep digging through the armor, yanking out ceramics, wrenching apart metal, until my heart is pounding, and I learn that I can sweat.

As I tear a hole through the outer door, I catch a scent in the air. Growing stronger. It's... a pheromone, I think. An odd one, if so. Alien, maybe. Not mine, either. I have no idea what it might mean.

>>205372

I'm tempted to say that Marcus rigged something to draw the beasties to head here when their cages sprung, but I have no idea how he'd get it INSIDE the door, or how this'd actually work unless he's the damn oracle and knew you'd rip it open.

>>205372
Hurry things up if you can. That Phermone is probably stage one in the release all beasts plan. Chances are it's gonna get them properly pissed off and raging, but their cell doors won't open yet, so they're gonna be stuck and pissed like fucking hell and then the cell doors open.

So hurry things up if you can.

>>205372
Is it affecting your senses, causing a rise in any hormones?

Keep alert, I would say. I don't really remember the full extent of your current capabilities, but try to keep up a "radar" of sorts and keep pinging the area every now and then for anything that is not where it's supposed to be.

Also, the metal scraps you're tearing off. Eat some. Eaaaaaat iiiiiiiiit. Delicious metal you must omnomnom.

>>205372
oh god from where is it coming? if it is from the room, forget it. marcus has/is quill.

>>205372
I'd say that whatever it is, probably not in our best interest to hang around here kill someone who isn't a threat to us 'right now.'

I doubt there is going to be anything of great worth in there and he's already told us a most useful piece of information: We can't let 'the diplomats' know we exist.

Which kinda works in our favor becasue it means that they won't just set off a system wide alert if we do escape the facility for fear that the diplomats will enact a purge and burn.

>>205372
Get on the defensive. Ready any weapon you still have and get into a good position.

>>205372
EAT DELICIOUS METAL PENJI.

>>205372

Arm up. The timer on the release of those aliens just hit zero.

scowl into the darkness, the grue will vanish.

It might be a defence targeted at Mitzi and Marcus too. In any event, pheremones are always intended to alter behavior patterns, so watch for such things.

For the love of god Quillig is trapped in the panic room. He doesn't know how to enable the communications. He probably can't even open this door. (You should focus on the hooks that are holding it closed by the way.) You won't be able to get any useful information about him. Why are you letting him stall you?

>>205372

>> Not mine, either

olawd.jpg

>>205372
Tell Mitzi that something's coming. Stop tearing up the door and investigate. We don't want to get cornered by whatever it is.

Check on Mitzi. Her biology's at least as confusing as your own, and even she doesn't know what turns her on any more. You wouldn't have noticed the pheromone if it wasn't important.

Aren't you feeling so hot and sweaty~? But srs, pheromones can make things agressive and we might not want to hang around where we can get cornered. If it feels dangerous, leave the sector.

>>205436
What's wrong with you?
He won't TELL them anything, but Mitzi just can rip it all from his mind. This is vitally important.

Penji, give Mitzi a sniff. If it's not her, then take a break from destroying the door to investigate.

just tear a hole in the door and get in the panic room too, duh.

A panic room in a facility like this probably has more defenses than just solid stopping power. I say alert Mitzi and try to focus on what might be coming.

>>205578

I guess you have a small point there. But, considering his department basically stared at Penji for 40 years, I really don't know how much of what he knows is going to be helpful. Unless Penji wants to know how to amputate herself and hook herself up to monitoring machinery?

Well, I have my doubts but I could be wrong. Besides I bet the look on his face will be hilarious!

Penji: "Hey Quillig, surprise!!" :D
Quillig: *blown head off with a magnum 15 minutes ago*

>>205673
More like he is pointing a magnum at just that space

or more likely a rocket launcher

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)01:31 No. 205745 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127875067289.png - (14.42KB , 500x500 , TQ581.png )

I stop digging and turn my attention toward the lab surroundings. We're in a large room, empty save for some equipment, cabinets, and work surfaces along the far wall. There's four exits, plus the panic room. They all lead to more labs, though we can make a beeline to the hallway leading out, through one of them.

"What is it?" Mitzi whispers, kneeling alongside me.

"I smell something," I whisper back. "Some kind of pheromone. Getting stronger."

"...What?"

"Something alien," I say. "Qillig mentioned something called jabberwocks. I think your brother's timer might be reaching zero."

"Oh," she says. "Then shouldn't we be running?"

>>205745
Okay, let's go. Fast but stealthy.

>>205745
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves,
did gire and gimble in the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves, and the momeraths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jub-jub bird and shun, the frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand, long time the manxome foe he sought.
So rested he by the Tum-tum tree, and stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came!

One-two, one-two! And through and through, the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head, he went gallumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day, callooh, callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

Twas brilling, and the slithy toves,
did gire and gimble in the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves, and the momeraths outgrabe...

lock the doors into this area and keep working. they would most likely take the open doors then the closed ones. and letting them go out ahead of you would make a nice distraction.

You do have a vorpal blade right? or at least a winxy pistol?

>>205750
This.
Also, you're nearly finished, and the potential gains from Mitzi eating his brain are too significant to pass-up.

Ask about jaberwocks, quickly, and leave the Biology sector if that is indeed the safest thing to do. We want these things to cause trouble for them, not us, so let's avoid encountering the jaberwocks.

>>205745

Yeah, let's get out of here.

>>205759
Leave the biology sector where nobody knows you are right into the arms of the guards who have access to weaponry designed specifically to kill Tozols?
Penji, this is a low-sec lab. Everything here is less dangerous than you are. Unless those are Tozol pheromones they aren't going to affect you, and chemical-based combat is a trait common to creatures that are sorely lacking in physical capabilities.

If Mitzi doesn't think she can hack the door then have her go on lookout, but getting information from this guy is very high priority.

>>205745
>"Then shouldn't we be running?"

Where would one run TO, though? Presumably these pheromones are going to be spread in other places too, so as to cause general chaos. And being in FRONT of the general chaos just means the same old brunt of defences, only now we can't backpedal because of a following wave of beasties.

You either want to pick through the aftermath, where you only have to deal with who or whatever survived, or you want to be sneaky-dashing through the frenzy while everyone's distracted. Getting a head start seems counterproductive.

>>205745
You need this guy for information. And if you get in you will get a good chokepoint that you can defend, and he has supplies in there that could be useful.

Pick up the pace with the digging and ask Mitzi to keep an eye out for anything odd coming your way.

Keep working on the door. This is going to sound extreme but the chance of Quillig killing himself before we get into the panic room is a risk worth taking. Information is the resource we lack most critically right now. We know so little about what's going on now it should be impossible for Quillig to not know something that could help us.

>>205770

Choke point, yes. Even a damaged door can be a good one if your rifle is pointed through the hole. On the other hand if the smart monsters (the humans) wise up to our location, then no shielding on the planet is going to stop a load displacer, and this time they'll know to keep shooting. It's a good place to be cornered, but being cornered at all is still likely to end in ruin.

>>205809
we aren't going to defend against the humans, just against the monster things. why get in front of a stampede when you can get behind it?

Let's stick with getting to Qillig, we're already so close.

Aks Mitzi how close she is to opening the door. If she's no where close, tell her to forget about it and be on the lookout instead. If it's the other way around, you be on the lookout.
Either way, we've spent too long working on this door to give up now.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)14:04 No. 205896 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12787958419.png - (17.88KB , 500x500 , TQ582.png )

>Keep working on the door.
I continue, at a more frantic pace. Minutes slip by.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)14:07 No. 205897 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127879604444.png - (15.42KB , 500x500 , TQ583_WHO_COULD_HAVE_PREDICTED.png )

Suddenly, monsters attack.

All the doors, save the one to the panic room, open, and six-eyed creatures emerge from the darkness. Floor and wall panels begin denting inward, filling the room with a cacophony of banging and screeching metal.

Shoot monsters in the mouth with your bullet gun.

>>205897
Shoot any that come to close. If they come FAR too close then tear them apart.
You don't need to kill them all, just give show of force strong enough to convince them that you're the opposite of a tasty snack.

have mitzi cover cover you with the gun while you finish this. mitzi could probably kill them by getting on it's bac and digging her tendrils through their eyes and into their brain.

>>205897
Perhaps we should try luring our enemies to our enemies.

Start a fighting retreat. Get them to follow you out, locate some soldiers, and try to get them to fight eachother while we go somewhere else. Like, for instance, the elevators which are probably safe to approach now since Marcus' entire plan focuses on getting an escape route open!

I think the guy (I forgot if it confirmed it was Marcus or not. Lots of stuff and posts jumble the info in my brain) who engineered this to happen had intended Quillig's death in the first place, seeing as these monsters seem to be so concentrated for this room. Then again that's a seem so, ehh, we'll find out after fighting this thing.

I'm curious about finding if these monsters are hostile to us yet. Let's be on the safe side and take most evasive action to get the fuck out. If you have no means of escape, look for the biggest strongest monster and play rodeo with him so he rams the door. It's how these big doors work. TO get monsters to ram into them.

Ah what the hell.

MONSTER ORGY!

This is just the kind of stress relief that you two need. Go and tear up those unlucky basters with your claws. Use there bodies as clubs if they start to surround you. You'll feel better when there all in tiny pieces.

>>205897
Oh, so the pheremones probably *were* localised, unless there were more beasties than we thought.

I suppose the one bit of good news is that you smashed Qillig's camera/screen, so he can't point and laugh.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)15:19 No. 205938 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127880037164.png - (26.05KB , 500x500 , TQ584.png )

>Shoot any that come to close.
We stand our ground. These things are much faster than they look. By the time I finish telling Mitzi not to shoot until they get close, they're here.
FMJ just bounces off their forward surfaces. My pistol's AP rounds put holes in them, as do sabots, but they aren't going down!

>Go and tear up those unlucky basters with your claws.
Their claws are much bigger!

>This is just the kind of stress relief that you two need.
Fuck you!

>>205938
Hey you know how I said to run? Yeah, maybe we should start doing that.

>>205938
Do they have acid blood? They better damn well not have acid blood.
Run to the stasis room.

>>205938

Good job going for their eyes, but they're not large enough to be the creature's primary sense. It probably will continue successfully attacking blind, and considering the pheremones probably has an excellent sense of smell.

Three possible weaknesses: if they're built like alligators then all their jaw muscles are for closing it tight, so if you hold the mouth closed you can wrassle with 'em. Might not work so well because alligators don't have claws to attack with. Secondly, if they move that fast then their joints must be under a lot of stress. Shoot guns that work at their shoulders and you might be able to disable their claws. Thirdly, these jabberwocks are horny as hell. Suck them off and they'll love you long time!

WHOSE SIDE IS MARCUS ON ANYHOW
ahem
Run away, we don't have the resources to fight these guys. Run towards some place where there may be someone to fight them--it's better to have the strike teams know you're alive, and continue BEING alive, than to be eviscerated by these stupid fucking wall-lurkers.

You're on top of the fucker, shoot him in the eye and fucking barrel-roll off of that motherfucker.

penji: grab the top of it's jaw with hands, bottom jaw with feet and push apart.
mitzi: jump into it's mouth and turn into a whirling mass of razor tentacles.

>>205945

Marcus is on the side that doesn't waste time trying to get in the panic room when they know monsters are about to attack. Anyway yes, an expedient retreat might be wise at this point, since we didn't make it into the panic room in time.

>>205938

Kick it away from the wall! It's gonna bite Mitzi.

>unless there were more beasties than we thought.

Whoops, we saw some in the storage tubes as well. :3c

>>205950

It appears to have a lot more mass than Penji. Probably better to just keep sticking bullets in it until Mitzi can extricate herself. THEN leg it.

>>205938
Get out the way and run. I don't think they're interested in you two specifically.

...

Well, they might be now. But they're almost certainly more interested in wherever the pheromone is coming from.

OK... where not likely to kill them.. at all. there is a slim chance in hell if we run they won't follow. Slim is better then dead, let run. Try to escape out any door they are not coming in, or pin are selves against the wall and let them pass, hell maneuver around the to get out. Just fucking leave! they are all going to the panic room door so let them have it.

Penji, grab Mitzi and run to where the pheromones are weak or nonexistent. Stasis is probably a good bet.

Hey, let's see if we can get away through the holes they're making? The most likely place for them to NOT be is where they came from.

We saw one in Stasis, lets get out of the biolab section all together.

Go visit your buddy the space shark and take a relaxing swim. Maybe Mitzi can look something up on Jabberwocks on the way there since she's faster than you.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)17:04 No. 206016 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12788066481.png - (16.81KB , 500x500 , TQ585.png )

I get slashed a few times as I manage to get us out of our little deathtrap. We start running, but they're right on our heels. I count five of the creatures.

>Mitzi is faster than you
I've gotten quicker since then. I'm keeping ahead of her, but it's not a straight line. We're dodging and weaving.
>consider pheromones
I don't know, but if I had to guess, judging from circulation, I'd say that they're all throughout the Biology section.
>go to stasis
Are you sure? There's at least one there, and it's right next to Live Storage, where we saw twenty more.

I keep shooting while we rush for the exit to try and keep them at bay. Mitzi screams.

"It's got my arm!" she shrieks. "Heeeelp!"

grab it's jaws and try to pry them and tell her to change the shape of her arm to get it out.

>>206016
I think Artifacts might be a safer option.

Also GODDAMN IT save Mitzi. Like, rip open that thing's mouth! Drop the rifle if necessary!

>>206016
Jam the rifle in its mouth and pry it open while firing.

Fuck the rifle. Save Mitzi!
New plan: Get the fuck out of here.

Kill it with a crowbar!

>>206016

Mitzi seems to like your feet.

That thing looks like it's got far too much jaw muscle mass to wrestle, considering the difficulty you had with the tank dude. If the pistol's loaded, AP rounds into the head again until it gets discouraged.

>>206016
Rip that fuckers jaw off and get Mitzi out of there.

Then just get out of the biology department. Find a sturdy door and get that between yourself and these things.

>>206035
>Then just get out of the biology department. Find a sturdy door and get that between yourself and these things.

Given >>205125 , Chemistry 2 is north of Biology Research where we are. It might have emergency showers to get any surface-residual pheremone off us, and give us a chance to lay low for a moment.

(Obviously there's a decontamination section on that map, but I think that's quite a distance away and probably past horrible amounts of security that it'd be better to let the rabid horde slam into first.)

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)18:04 No. 206039 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127881026240.png - (11.85KB , 500x500 , TQ586.png )

"Mitzi!" I yell. "Try shifting the mass out!"

I rush at the monster, the jabberwock, I guess, firing at point blank.

>Jam the rifle in its mouth
This proves unnecessary. It chomps my rifle in half, very nearly getting my hand as well. Mitzi scrambles away from it.

"Where's your gun?" I snap,

"It ate mine, too!'

Are they disarming us on purpose? Or just going after heat sources?

let it have the gun, keep going.

>>206039
>It chomps my rifle in half

Plenty more where that came from. Keep running.

I don't think we upgraded thermal camo, but since Mitzi's with us anyway that's kind of beside the point. Don't suppose we've got any flares, or anything in the lab that looks like it could be made to catch fire on the run?

"BAH-WEEP-GRAAAAAGNAAH WHEEP NI NI BONG!!

>>206039
They laid ambushes in the hopes you would enter their cells. There's a good chance they ARE disarming you.

Maybe they just eat metal. Or they're trained to disarm enemies? Like really big dogs. The one in the tank didn't have HOSTILE written on it, y'know. Perhaps they're supposed to take orders, too? Tell them to SIT or STAY.

Punch it in the skull and run like hell.

...we should keep running btw. See if you can order them to go away though. Maybe even throw a flashbang or something.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)19:11 No. 206067 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127881428949.png - (15.20KB , 500x500 , TQ587.png )

>Don't suppose we've got any flares, or anything in the lab that looks like it could be made to catch fire on the run?
I don't know what any of this stuff does. The only heat producing gadget I've got on me is a flashbang, and that only lasts a moment. I don't think grenades count.

I leave what's left of the rifle. The others circled around behind us while we were slowed, so we jump.

>>206067
Toss a flash bang in its mouth and keep on trucking.

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)19:16 No. 206069 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127881460117.png - (14.64KB , 500x500 , TQ588_claws_that_catch.png )

One of them catches me in midair. Its claws punch through my skin, sinking into muscle, yanking me down. Its sickle toe slashes at me, scratching my spinal plates.

I cry out. Not from pain, though there's plenty of that, but to let Mitzi know. She's clear of them, now. She can get away, at least for awhile.

Uh, I guess use the flashbang. Fuck, I don't know. Climb up on top of the Valcien tank? They probably couldn't climb that...?

Flashbangs frequently rip apart your ear drums, concidering you have 4 ears and theyre far more sensetive, I would suggest against that.

we can try to use the flash bang to escape before the thing before it eats penji. Then run to stasis where we might be able to kill these things. there is a lot of electrical equipment in that room if we clime up on the tank and shoot out the glass. there might be enough water to flood the room and electrocute these big fucks. though this plan does hold a lot of maybes to it we could help out by ripping some long wires out of the stasis containers that are everywhere. This is all i can come up with. though these thing might be able to clime so we might actual need the flash bang right before we plan to get out of the waters way when we break the glass. If penji could get away without using the flasher it would probably be better off in the end game.

>>206073
Ok then, just toss a normal grenade in its mouth and hold it shut.

That or kick it in the throat...hard...a lot.

That claw looks an awful lot like a facehugger.

This thing has a lot of eyes, tiny too. I think that suggests poor eyesight, meaning they rely on some other way to find their prey. Now what they use is the question, and other than that, how can we use that against them?
The skin is hard and flat, suggesting it doesnt feel the air move around him like a spider does.
I think the most likely candidate it smell, possibly through the tongue like a snake. Meaning we have to confuse it with some sense of smell, and overpowering odor perhaps?

Flashbang and run.

Swing around and pistol shot it in the face to get it off you, then run again.

Actually yeah, Flash bang it in the face and run away from this section. Do not go to the Stasis room because it is FULL OF ALIEN HORRORS.

Flashbang and GTFO of the biolabs for God's sake.

Wait fuck I'm a little behind.

No, do NOT use the flashbang. It will break your ears and maybe your tails too.

>>206086
Who cares we're dead if we don't. Flashbang and run!

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)20:53 No. 206104 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127882039834.png - (17.13KB , 500x500 , TQ589.png )

I scramble for the flashbang, and struggle to keep the jabberwock from tearing out my guts. Its claws dig and dig at the muscles in my back. My blindsight can feel Mitzi behind me, frozen, neither moving to help, nor moving to escape. Soon, she'll be able to do neither.

I hear laughter.

"Stupid, shortsighted, pointless, petty revenge, in the face of looming disaster," he says. "This is your drive? This is your tactical acumen? This is the function of neurology men have wasted lifetimes trying to decrypt?"

I yank the pin from the weapon.

"You were wrong," he says. "I know all I need about what you are."

>>206104
Shut your eyes, throw the flashbang and yell for Mitzi to run. Close your ears if you can.

WHO THE FUCK IS TALKING.

uhh is there any way to cover your ears

or shove the flashbang deep into that thing's gullet

jesus fuck what is happening

Hmm, I wonder what would happen if we shoved it in its mouth. Would the others try to attack it?

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)21:18 No. 206120 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127882188066.png - (16.25KB , 500x500 , TQ590.png )

There is flash. There is bang. There is a tremendous burst of infrared.

use tail sense, they are unaffected by sound and light!

Test Pattern 2010/07/10(Sat)21:24 No. 206123 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127882229872.png - (20.77KB , 500x500 , TQ591.png )

The jabberwocks recoil, one of them ripping a long gash through my flesh in the process. I stumble to my feet. I'm still tired from digging through the panic room's outer door, and these wounds slowing me down.

Mitzi is still behind me, and still hasn't moved or said anything.

"You're almost like a person," Qillig continues. "How disappointing."

"I am a person, you silly billy."

>>206123
Grab Mitzi and RUN! Just fucking CARRY HER if you're faster than she is!

>>206123
"Trust me, the feeling's mutual."

'well i spent 40 years bathing in poison dumbass. half my systems are down. they will be up soon. my heart channels? the suppress took that down. maybe if you didn't dope me up it wouldn't have taken this long to heal?

>>206123
>Mitzi is still behind me, and still hasn't moved or said anything

Make sure she's alone and still alive. If Qillig is holding her hostage that's just bullshit.

Don't say anything! He's just taunting you, making you waste time!

Punch Mitzi in the face.

Not too hard, though. Just hard enough to rule out some sort of ridiculous possession.

Grab Mitzi, run. Don't waste processor cycles talking to him.

Heh, well at least Quillig won't be interested in us after this. Uh, but that means we die. Okay, new plan, use your heat channels to suppress your body's temperature signature to hide from the, shit wait those haven't healed yet. Okay, go out the back way, crap there is no back way. Get a big gun... dammit. We are so screwed. Penji, I am so sorry.

>>206123
Ignore Qillig. Not the time.

>>206126
I like this.

>>206126
Clever!

Do this, and also punch Mitzi in the face lightly to check that she's not controlled somehow.

Don't waste time shaking/punching/pinching Mitzi. We are in a room full of alien killing machines, and only two of them are us. Grab her and run.

>>206143
Mitzi's in shock. Just grab her and run.

>>206126
And say this.

"Revenge? You're certainly quick to make assumptions.Is that why you sicced these things on me?"

>>206191
No, this was one of the things Marcus's SURPRISE activated. Mitzi was supposed to use the confusion caused by them being released to escape.

>>206123
Ok, there is something you need to get done now. Very important right now.

Focus on making sure you don't emit any heat at all. It's something you should be able to do, and if these things go after heat sources then not emitting any heat would be a good thing.

But that's not a certain thing, so move back and grab Mitzi and get out of the room. And ignore Qillig, it was more than petty revenge back there, he will find that out eventually.

>>206123
Don't waste time, pick Mitzi up and run away with her out of this area.

Good man, Qillig.

And for the love of Pete, don't try to quip back. If nothing else you've just had horrible chest injuries and need that breath for running.

Run! You don't have to outrun the monsters, you only have to outrn Mitzi!

>>206228

If nothing else, letting our only ally with engineering skills get mauled will very rapidly backfire in a facility full of things to hack.

they will be stunned for 5 seconds or so, if they are hypersensetive, they will be stunned for longer, use this window of oppertunity to run like hell and find a door to lock behind you, you can concider throwing a frag grenade at them, or toss one behind you to further disorientate them, if not hurt them.

>>206126
This is a good thing to say.

But a better thing to do is RUN. Man, how come I wasn't here when this was updated before. This is a VERY BAD situation for you to be in. It would be best if you RAN.

Time to leave. Get out of Bio Research and run for Tech Research. Hope that other monsters already went down the corridor and are attacking the guards so you can use them as cover. Be sure to kill any guard that sees you so he can't report you. If the guards aren't being attacked just break through them and hope the monsters following you finish them off.

Penji: Poke your quest author in the side until he updates again :U

Hey Penji. When you get the opportunity (i.e. once you've run away a bunch), try and put some thick metal doors between you and these things. Preferably, like, six.

"Funny, I could say the same about you"*grin*
"TTFN"
Leave, lock door, return later.

anybody have the current map?

>>206123
Ignore the human's insults for now. Mitzi and you need to get behind some serious steel, i.e. blast doors. Get out of bio research... where would some weapons be? Tech research seems like a good hunch.

tl;dr run like a mutherfucker.

Agreeing with >>206224

Worry less about looking cool, vengeance, and other distractions. Try to get out alive first, and keep your promise to get Mitzi out alive too.

Also remind yourself, Qillig is almost certainly not the one ultimately in charge of the whole operation, so even if he's knowledgeable, he's just a goon in the end, or at best, one of many executives. Risking your life to get him is just pointless.

Take your moment of respite, and use it to get some distance and barriers between you and the Jabberwocks. Remember to grab Mitzi on your way out.

Test Pattern 2010/07/17(Sat)22:19 No. 209503 ID: 8bdb6a
File 12794303412.png - (20.28KB , 500x500 , TQ592.png )

I'm tempted to say something back, but decide against it. The sound of Qillig's voice seems to have distracted the disoriented creatures.

I back quickly towards the door. My free hand quietly snags a grenade. I pull the pin and cook it off.

Test Pattern 2010/07/17(Sat)22:27 No. 209512 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127943082995.png - (30.61KB , 500x500 , TQ593.png )

Blast and fragmentation scatters the jabberwocks, but they seem more surprised than hurt.

I break into a full run.

Test Pattern 2010/07/17(Sat)22:32 No. 209522 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127943116160.png - (15.25KB , 500x500 , TQ594.png )

Mitzi and I charge into the twisting hallways. I close the way behind me, and hear the sound of powerful, alien flesh and bone hitting the metal, denting and bending the door in its frame.

"We should get to stasis," I say.

"Stasis?!" shrieks Mitzi. "There's more there! And that's right next to the cells! There's probably more there than anywhere else!"

"I know that!" I shout. I'm filled with a deep and sudden confusion.

"Why would we want to go there?!" she yells.

"I... I don't know!" I reply. What else can I say? The voices told me to?

Mitzi goes silent, then starts screaming.

We're currently running towards the center of the biology section. From there, we can either head towards a specific room, or out of the place entirely.

>>209522
Head to the point where you have to decide what route to take, then sniff the air to get an idea of how heavy the pheromones are. If they're weaker, then head for Stasis. If they're the same or stronger, then leave.

I think we might want to just get the hell out. Get some thicker walls between us and them.

>>209522
Get out of Bio entirely. I don't think we should even consider returning here unless either these things are mostly dispersed or we gain access to much better firepower.

Although it'd really suck to have to leave Niraem here. :/

But for now just get out of Bio out out out out out.

>>209525

GODDAMIT NO. WE ARE NOT GOING TO STASIS. NO. JUST NO. PHEREMONES OR NOT JEEZUS CHRIST WHY WOULD YOU EVEN MENTION STASIS AGAIN

>>209533

We can't save the fuck out of Niraem anyway, not until we get a few gallon drums full of CS. It'd be nice to ride him out of this dump, but at our current capabilities the best we can do is a return mission after getting out, finding the Diplomats, and wringing them out over a barrel to get the CS to save him with. I agree though. Get out of Bio the fuck now. It's high past time to make a break for Engineering.

>>209559
Yeah, like I said, that's for in the future if possible, and would only be possible with things we don't have like a large amount of C-S and massive firepower. :V

Get the hell out of there, you can't help anyone if you're dead, least of all yourselves.

EXIT BIO stop DO NOT RETURN TO BIO UNTIL SUFFICIENT ORDNANCE IS AQUIRED stop WE VOICES ARE RETARDED stop TRY GOING TO THAT VEHICLE BAY ON THE MAP stop MAYBE THERE'S SOME KIND OF TANK OR SOMETHING WE CAN HIDE IN stop I DON'T KNOW stop I'M ALMOST AS CONFUSED AS YOU PENJI stop stop

Test Pattern 2010/07/18(Sun)00:00 No. 209573 ID: 8bdb6a
File 127943641621.png - (13.51KB , 500x500 , TQ595.png )

"We are leaving the area!" I shout.

"Finally! Christ!" Mitzi shouts. "What is wrong with you?!"

I don't have an answer. It feels good to run. I'm pulling ahead, but only because she's the one opening the doors. We're breaking forty miles per hour between stops.

"Fucking answer me!" she says. "Are you fucking stupid?!"

"I'm not the one yelling where enemies can hear."

"No, you're just the one who decided we should stay here and get eaten!"

>>209573
Say that you'll tell her when it's safer.

>>209559
>Find the diplomats
You do realize the Diplomats want to kill all the Tozols right? Also if we tell them that humanity was keeping their research on Penji and Hyperion secret, they're going to destroy the Earth. Talking to the Diplomats about this is not a good idea.

>>209573
"I panicked, okay?! I can't make all the decisions here! You feel like something's wrong, speak the fuck up! Now keep moving!"