>>620065
>...I don't think that's normal. Blood dries, doesn't it?
If there's enough of it, especially on a nonporous surface in humid air (conditions you'd expect to see in a bathroom) it doesn't really coagulate any further than the consistency of, say, the coating on a caramel apple. Mix in some bile from punctured intestines and other miscellaneous corpse-juice, yeah, "gross jelly" would summarize it pretty well.

Don't turn your nose back on, Marie. In fact, wipe that spike off with paper towels and wash your hands.

Rather than getting sidetracked into exploring the impossible mystery hole, I recommend disassembling the currently unoccupied bathroom stall and using those parts to construct a bridge across the gap out in the hallway.

Apollo 2015/01/13(Tue)21:40 No. 620264 ID: defceb
File 142121405369.png - (37.84KB , 840x600 , 223.png )

You motion Rudy to come back and stay quiet.

>"I don't know if you noticed, but we're not alone in here. They're not awake, in a manner of speaking. Or at least I don't think they are. But I'm in no condition to fight them."

"Oh that's no good, I'm not a fighter at all."

>"And to make matters worse, we have something else outside. If we're lucky it bought the door trick and is stalking the other bathroom. So the way I see it we have three choices. We can rush the hole-"

"The deep, dark, mysterious hole to who knows where?"

>"Yeah, that hole. We can probably just jump in, but if we want to be safe I can try sticking the drone with this thing-"

"The really disgusting spike you pulled out of a corpse."

>"...yes. Or we can rip off parts of this stall and use it to get to the big door. You said that goes to the tech labs, right?"

"aaand past the labs is the security room where we can open the shutter."

>"Right. Last option, we hope the big thing IS in the other bathroom and split to hallway it came from. Is there anything important down there?"

"Uh... chemical storage, alternate entrance to the tech labs, a janitor's closet, and a path to the catwalks in the labs come to mind. So which way are we going to go?"

>>620264
Chemical storage would be really good considering we can get some tetra from there. On the other hand, we would then have to cross paths with it again to open the gate. So let's rip a door off the hinges and use it as a bridge to get to the tech lab. Open the door from there, have Rudy wait past the end of the Grid, then try to sneak into chemical storage alone. Or he could come with I guess if he's feeling brave.

build a bridge so we can burn it down later, hopefully with something mean and nasty on it so we don't have to worry about it later. Plus out of all the options this one doesn't really so much on chance as the others and gets us to where we want to go.

>The really disgusting spike you pulled out of a corpse
As the unfortunate copse and your own injuries attest, the disgusting spikes do work.

>rabit hole, bridge, or sneak
I'm not one for jumping down the hole. I'd think we should sneak or bridge.

Not sure about sticking the drone, either way. It's hard to guess if ignoring it or trying to kill it is asking for more trouble. ...I'm kind of thinking sticking it might be bad, as we can't be sure we'd 'kill' it one stab. Hitting vital areas on the body doesn't mean the machinery stops.

Oh, man, chemical storage is where the tanks of spare coolant would be.

New plan: use bathroom stall parts to barricade the "bolt" door, hopefully inconveniencing antagonist, then head for chemical storage as quickly as reasonably possible.

Apollo 2015/01/15(Thu)22:44 No. 620569 ID: defceb
File 142139064445.png - (40.43KB , 840x600 , 224.png )

>Take the door, make a bridge.
The hinges of the door buckle with surprising ease. The screech of broken metal is accentuated by the sudden purr of electric motors.

"i-I'd like to leave here please."

Something in the next room makes a loud banging noise.

"I'D LIKE TO LEAVE NOW PLEASE."

>>620569
Yes, let's. Cross the bridge, then grab the door again so that they can't follow you.

yeah, the third stall is starting to freak out as well now so leaving is probably a really good options here.

>I'D LIKE TO LEAVE NOW PLEASE.
Yes very good let's go now, excellent.

Interesting that static kicked in as soon as you woke it up. And from the sounds of it, your door trick worked. Too bad we alerted both things. Maybe we should have gone the sneaky route.

Get out and across asap, make sure the fragile meat-person gets across first.

Apollo 2015/01/16(Fri)23:25 No. 620647 ID: defceb
File 142147954728.png - (51.87KB , 840x600 , 225.png )

The two of you scramble out of the restroom and use the makeshift bridge to cross over the hole. As you cross, the thing slowly creeps out of the other bathroom. It moves in a jerky, uneven fashion, as the various pistons, motors, and joints covering it's form fire off. The orchestra of machinery pours a cloud of static out from itself.

You're only vaguely aware of Rudy forcing open the door and grabbing your wrist. "Snap out of it!"

Apollo 2015/01/16(Fri)23:32 No. 620649 ID: defceb
File 142147993591.png - (65.46KB , 840x600 , 226.png )

A fog rests over your mind. You know to flee, but this knowledge never becomes action. You know to cry out, but the voice stays quiet. The world tilts.

Rudy pulls you into the Tech Lab.

Apollo 2015/01/16(Fri)23:33 No. 620650 ID: defceb
File 142148000305.png - (2.87KB , 840x600 , 227.png )

The door makes a series of clicks as it slams shut.

"Wow, it's actually darker in here."

>Activate flashlight eyes you probably totally have

I would have suggest kicking the bridge out, if you hadn't completely locked up.

Diagnostic- is something interfering with your control systems? If your commands to your own systems are being blocked or jammed, that's bad. If that was a psychological lockup, that's still frustrating, but less bad.

>Wow, it's actually darker in here
Turn on night-vision, if you haven't already. The flashlight will alert anything else that might be in here, and you might as well try and see them first. Set to auto-back to regular vision when Rudy remembers he has a flashlight in a moment. If he doesn't remember, ask him if he still has it to prompt him.

find a light source to Rudy can see. Just turn on any night vision thing you may have so you can see in the dark.

Apollo 2015/01/20(Tue)00:05 No. 621272 ID: defceb
File 142174112106.png - (4.37KB , 840x600 , 228.png )

>Diagnostic- is something interfering with your control systems?

Apollo 2015/01/20(Tue)00:05 No. 621273 ID: defceb
File 142174115241.png - (31.53KB , 840x600 , 229.png )

>Try night vision

Sooo, think they can see in the dark too? Try closing one eye, then the other.

Also, run! Silently!

>>621273
Oh god this was a bad idea. Tell him to be very quiet and not use the flashlight. You will guide him through this area.

Avoid the nasties. If there's an artificial leg sitting around, grab it.

don't talk! don't make a single sound, cover Rudy's mouth so he doesn't give your position away either. These things don't seem to have noticed you yet so scan for an exit with the lest number of things that want to kill you then QUIETLY and as quickly as you dare move yourself and Rudy that way and away from here.

>>621273
those are a lot of cameras.

move to your left, that seems least unsafe.

Hand over Rudy's mouth and whisper for him to stay quiet. Then, move cautiously around the room, using the grody spike to disable cameras, prioritizing bubble-dome types that could point in any direction.

>>621275
She's only got one working eye, remember? The other one is effectively blind due to firewalled foreign hardware.

>>621272
Damnit. We'll have to try running a diagnostic again when we're off grid, again. See if we can trace, after the fact, how we were being messed with.

>cameras and drones everywhere
Oh shit. Hopefully the cameras don't have night vision. And hopefully the drones aren't awake.

>what do
Put finger to Rudy's lips in the "be quiet" gesture, and put a hand on the flashlight to stop him turning in on (shake your head "no" at that? Maybe he'll see your glowing eye move).

If there a passage to your left along the wall? (Stage right, from our perspective). it looks like there might be, or maybe there's just wall behind the pillar and this is just a hallway.

Carefully, quietly, guide Rudy away from the monsters, to the left (if there's a passage). If not, guide him carefully and quietly down the hall, around and away from the monsters.

Apollo 2015/01/20(Tue)21:57 No. 621414 ID: defceb
File 142181985606.png - (39.69KB , 840x600 , 230.png )

"Do you see-" You cover Rudy's mouth to silence him and lead him by the wrist. If the things have night vision they haven't reacted yet. You go left.

Far left path behind the pillar has two things looking down it (maybe blocking it?) and... a body in a puddle of coolant. Shit, what besides you around here would bleed coolant? (I guess some of the prosthetics people have here must use it? If this is precursor tech to what you would / will / do use, I guess that makes sense).

The middle path, sneaking behind the 'receptionist' seems clearer. Stay low, and keep close to that block in the middle. Keep yourself between Rudy and the receptionist in case it turns.

Maybe snag that knife on the block as you go by.

Is that a spare leg sitting on the counter?

huh, Rudy's skin grafts are showing for some reason.

quick qestoin, are any of these things moving or are they just standing still? because if they're moving that makes things harder but if not, well next to the wall there are two more of the bloody things on is standing between the two desk, on is off to the right standing by the pillars and I see a few more way down the hall. Also speaking of the hall, does it really need that many fucking cameras?

Anyways if that one guy by the desk is looking away from the wall you might be able to sneak past him, if not we may need to try the other wall.

unless he started glowing himself there's something RIGHT FUCKING BEHIND YOU KILL IT!

but kill it quietly.

Apollo 2015/01/21(Wed)20:15 No. 621530 ID: defceb
File 142190010242.png - (40.85KB , 840x600 , 231.png )

>are any of these things moving or are they just standing still?
As far as you can tell they're standing perfectly still.

>Rudy
You poke his face. "Hey-" You silence him again. Yep, still Rudy.

You sneak down the middle path, grabbing the screwdriver.

>Is that a spare leg sitting on the counter?
It appears to be a prosthetic arm. Still in the packaging too.

pocket the arm if you think it won't try to kill you once you give it to that guy back in the clinic, Oh and the drone to your right by the pillar is starting to move towards you so you might want to not be where you're at once it comes over.

>>621530
That's one item we're supposed to retrieve. Put it in your Pocketspace Inventory, keep moving. Try to stay out of the view of the cameras, as difficult as that may be since they're fucking everywhere.

Also you're being followed by something that seems to have some sort of optical camouflage. I suppose since it's not attacking you it's fine, but...

Drone to the right, over the counter, behind the pillar. Sticking it's head out. Did it notice you?

>optical camouflage
Yeah, there's something behind you, by the corner of the slab, there. Pointed ears / horns / antenna, slim build, tattered robe, shoulder-pad / frilled ear?

...can't see it very well, but the design ascetic seems more like yours than the things here. There shouldn't be any full uplifts at this point in history, though.

Two cameras moved, but not pointing towards you. Maybe they're random-walking? ...actually, one camera appears to be pointed at the drone that moved, and the other at the cloaked thing. The cameras can see them, and are tracking them?

>grab spare prosthetic?
If you can, without attracting more attention.

Apollo 2015/01/22(Thu)22:46 No. 621715 ID: defceb
File 142199558125.png - (33.64KB , 840x600 , 232.png )

You add the arm to your inventory before moving quickly to the next area, doing your best to stay out of sight of the moving drone and million plus cameras.

I think you need to take this one out to proceed. He is looking directly out through the gap.

How about going over the counter and eviscerating him? You'll be going in from his blind spot and whatever is looking through his eyes won't see you. Then you can proceed to grab that book.

Your invisible friend is still following you. Still, so long as they don't interfere, I don't think stopping to confront them in the middle of this is a good idea.

Also, more wall art. That's Rudy, on the left. And that's the walkie-talkie girl and her companion running on the right.

>gap, watcher
Can you... get up on the counter and just hop over the gap? If that one just stares dully ahead without looking up, that should work.

Although you can probably make that hop easy, it might not be so easy for Rudy, in the dark, without you being able to tell him to jump. (Unless you can just carry him over?).

What about throwing something at the far end if the room for distraction?

Jumping will likely create a thump. I'm not sure it's looking this way anyway. Wait for the cameras to rotate around behind you, then cross. Reach over and grab that remote on the way.

Are we actually sure they can see anything in the dark? Seems like we were walking willy-nilly through spaces full of things before; surely we crossed one's line of sight?

The disturbing wall art there reminds me of something... Marie, that nonstandard eye you've got is firewalled away from your own internals, but did you also cover it with something full-spectrum opaque so it can't report your position? If not, do so now.

Is that just a panel or some sot of remote on the floor?

>>621747
Great, now we need a lead eyepatch.

Apollo 2015/01/24(Sat)01:58 No. 621929 ID: defceb
File 142209350084.png - (33.80KB , 840x600 , 233.png )

You suppose you could manage to attack the thing, if you were lucky enough to disable it before it could react. Distraction? Eyepatch? You check your inventory for something you could use.

You currently have:
The emergency cookie supply
Swiss Army Knife
Morgan's ID card
The Cloak
Cassette Player-

Apollo 2015/01/24(Sat)01:58 No. 621930 ID: defceb
File 142209353217.png - (19.73KB , 840x600 , 234.png )

-hey what's that noise?

Apollo 2015/01/24(Sat)01:59 No. 621931 ID: defceb
File 142209358785.png - (32.50KB , 840x600 , 235.png )

...anyway, you also have:
That one key
Movie Poster
Screwdriver
Prosthetic Arm

O...kay.... Looks like we no longer need a distraction. Uh, hurry on through, I guess?

Your follower is gone, and you can now proceed. I think you can safely grab that thing on the floor too. Get the guy to do it with his non-grafted arm in case that warning stripe is for a metal detector.

they're... they're gone. As is the invisible guy that's been tailing you. Well might as well move forward then, just try to avoid the cameras that are everywhere still. Last thing you want is for all the drones to come rushing back.

Your invisible companion seems to have removed the floor-watcher. Convenient.

Continue on, and scoop up that thing on the floor. (Movie? Tape? Book?).

Apollo 2015/01/24(Sat)23:45 No. 622093 ID: defceb
File 142217191901.png - (35.50KB , 840x600 , 236.png )

You go on ahead, adding the book to your inventory.

Apollo 2015/01/24(Sat)23:46 No. 622094 ID: defceb
File 142217201527.png - (35.31KB , 840x600 , 237.png )

You hear a sudden burst of air before Rudy is pushed forcefully against you.

Shit. The one we thought was gone popped up from behind the counter and attacked Morgan. Harpooned him or something?

...I don't know whether to to impressed he didn't cry out, or to be really worried he didn't.

Can you whip around and cut the tether with the knife?

>>622094
*ALERT SOUND*
Grab the cable on the gauntlet that's now attached to your friend, and pull it to yank the drone off balance. Apply spike to drone, aim for its optics. Then try to get the gauntlet off of Rudy and run for it.

fuckers just shot rudy!!!

Apollo 2015/01/25(Sun)20:20 No. 622232 ID: defceb
File 142224600656.png - (35.36KB , 840x600 , 238.png )

The drone rips out the knife before you can grab it.

Apollo 2015/01/25(Sun)20:20 No. 622233 ID: defceb
File 142224604483.png - (38.28KB , 840x600 , 239.png )

You whip around and introduce the drone to your spike.

>>622233
damn, grab Rudy and see if you can't find a way out. We need to see how badly hurt Rudy is and then find a way to treat it.

>knife
Shit. Rudy's been stabbed. And killing that drone will have made noise.

Look around, see how much attention that attracted, and get to Rudy. We gotta get him out of here.

>>622233
Stealth is no longer favorable. Get to the exit quickly. Find somewhere you can make light without attracting attention, then find a medkit. Should be one somewhere. Hell, there might be one in here.

Apollo 2015/01/25(Sun)23:06 No. 622263 ID: defceb
File 142225596171.png - (37.70KB , 840x600 , 240.png )

>Look around, see how much attention that attracted

Doesn't look like anyone noticed.

Apollo 2015/01/25(Sun)23:08 No. 622264 ID: defceb
File 142225608812.png - (35.46KB , 840x600 , 241.png )

Nevermind.



"I don't want to cause any alarm but I think something punched me in the back." Rudy speaks up meekly.

>>622264
and I'd hate to tell you that we need to run like the building is on fire.

"Actually it was a stab, they see us, RUN."
>skedaddle the fuck out

>punched
Good, it seems to have just pushed him instead of piercing (perhaps his skin grafts have some perks).
That is especially good since now is time to tell him to open his eyes and run (doing the same yourself).

Drone's not down for the count - tell Rudy to get out and fend off the drone. Looks like it hasn't retracted its knife yet. Grab the knife, maybe see if you can cut the cable.

Alarm has already been caused, you need to get out of there and examine the potential stab wound and/or injection of unknown material.

You could barely handle one of these things in a fight and that was in top form. Giving the ones that just spotted you time to close in? Bad idea.

So grab him and run.

Ready says 'punched', but the UI said 'knife', and I'm pretty sure I can see blood on his shirt, even with all that red light. Not good. I'm pretty sure it's just shock and the dark keeping him from realizing how bad it is.

Get him the fuck out of here. I know you're not supposed to run or do anything strenuous while low on coolant, but no choice right now. (Worst case, you may have to [i]carry[i/] him).

Objectives just changed. We were trying to find our way to the coolant and then eventually hook back up with the others. Priority now is getting him back to medical.

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)14:48 No. 622323 ID: defceb
File 142231251821.png - (26.18KB , 840x600 , 242.png )

>"Actually it was a stab, they see us, we need to run like this place is on fire."

You grab Rudy's hand and run as fast as possible.

"Stabbed? You're joking right I hardly feel it."

I hope he's right and you're wrong but first we got to get the heck out of this room. We'll check how bad he's hurt once we've got a shut door behind us.

Ok, then he was punched with the pointy end of a bladed weapon.

Well, it looked like it hit him with a knife. Maybe it wasn't a knife, and just something that looked like one?

Keep an eye on the drones to the left, but... what's that red light?

>Stabbed? You're joking right I hardly feel it.
maybe my eye's have been playing tricks on me when I'm in grid effect areas, or you're in shock. Anyways we need to leave NOW.

We got hostiles in between the pillars on your left. And your old follower in at the door you are heading for.

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)20:04 No. 622372 ID: defceb
File 142233148001.png - (31.93KB , 840x600 , 243.png )

>What's that red light?
Suffice to say, bad news approaching fast.

You run to the door, forcing it open for Rudy.

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)20:05 No. 622374 ID: defceb
File 142233151752.png - (18.29KB , 840x600 , 245.png )

"Sweet merciful light I can see again!"

keep moving, find somewhere kinda safe for now and treat Rudy's wound.

Maybe you should check his wounds to make sure they haven't worsened.

>>622374
Close the door behind you. Then tell Rudy he is bleeding heavily and he needs to tell you where the nearest medical station is.

Answers that. It was definitely shock.

Jam door behind you.

Take something cloth and bind it tightly around where he's cut. Sacrifice your old cloak, or your new jacket, or his shirt or something.

Then ask him where we are. Which way do we need to go to get that door open, and get to the stairs? (Priority is getting to the stairs, safely off gird, and then getting him to medical).

...your invisible friend doesn't appear to have followed.

oh god blood get some pressure on that. use a shirt or some kind of cloth.

Right, he needs to be sewn up, and probably needs some blood as well. head to security, they probably have a first aid kit there and we wanted to head there anyway.

But before you go swipe everything off that bulletin board. No time to read it but a few seconds to stuff it all in your inventory won't hurt and it might contain clues.

Oh and destroy any and all cameras you come across.

I er.. don't think you can save him. Might want to apologise in advance.

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)23:15 No. 622422 ID: defceb
File 142234294670.png - (18.22KB , 840x600 , 246.png )

"Medkit? Treat my wounds? I already told you I feel f-"

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)23:16 No. 622423 ID: defceb
File 142234298118.png - (18.49KB , 840x600 , 247.png )

"-ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff-"

Time to catch him.

Apollo 2015/01/26(Mon)23:17 No. 622425 ID: defceb
File 142234302412.png - (17.47KB , 840x600 , 248.png )

"-udgesicles, it's starting to hurt."

...do we still have those painkillers?

>udgesicles, it's starting to hurt
Sorry!

Seriously, though, the best we can do for now is bind the wound to try and prevent blood loss. And then get him to medical, asap.

>>622425
Painter lady ran past back there! Radio her for help. Grab Rudy before he passes out and help him towards the lady.

>>622427
Wait actually that... looked more like you than the painter lady. What the fuck?

CRAZY THEORY TIME

Okay consider that you've got a bit of evidence that you went back in time somehow. What if there are multiple versions of yourself that went back in time, all running around here? That would explain how your face is painted on the walls, and the painter lady's reaction to you as well- some of the versions of you are hostile to humans. Heck, maybe the entity that started all this is another version of you!

Fella is probably stunned while she's off grabbing stuff.

>>622437
Entirely reasonable theory considering what we have seen so far. Multiple alternate versions of you, some of whom are hostile, would explain a lot. Not only would it explain "painter lady"'s reaction to you, it would also explain why the blue 'paint' on her looks exactly like your coolant.

>>622423
what the fuck? was that you? Or is that just the grid fucking with us again?

>>622425
relax you're going to be fine Rudy, we just need something to bandage the wound and get you out of the grid and you'll be fine.

Then see if there's something we can do to bandage the wound. Also I think we should keep moving seeing how there was a small army of drones behind us and the only thing keeping them away from us is a door which I don't believe is locked.

Alright, Rudy, the good news is it looks like you maybe got hit in the liver. If you're gonna be impaled through the torso, as a baseline organic human, that's one of the better spots for it. Punctured intestines would mean a massive e. coli infection, lungs or kidneys bleed so fast you might already be unconscious by now, stomach's got all that acid and digestive enzymes, spine... you get the idea. Liver doesn't have a lot of tricky internal macrostructure, all the important functionality is at the cellular level. Stop the bleeding, keep the wound clean, and you'll be fine.

Apollo 2015/01/27(Tue)20:57 No. 622602 ID: defceb
File 142242104431.png - (3.82KB , 840x600 , 249.png )

>"Is there a way to jam this door?"

"y-yeah, just break the part by the handle it should trigger an-" SMASH "...emergency lock mechanism." A dull series of thuds emanate from the door.

>"Great, now where's the security room? We need to patch you up fast."

Rudy's voice wavers with uncertainty. "Do you... think I'll die?"

>"You'll be fine, it looks like they just hit your liver. We need to tend to it fast. Just relax, let's go."

"I don't want to die."



"I really don't want to die down here."

End of Thread 2

>>622602
huh, at least this time it didn't end with US getting stabbed. progress. Now we just need to get it to where the threads end with the bad guy getting stabbed instead of us or people we like and we'll be in the clear.

>I really don't want to die down here.
You'll be fine! I got stabbed and I was okay!

...let's just get out of here and get you to medical as soon as possible, okay.

(And don't forget to bind the wound to limit blood loss).

Might wanna turn night vision back on, too.