D&D 5E Exodus

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Ark 42

Dr. Locke approached Joy and Akemi. Like most of the survivors, he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. But his eyes were bloodshot as well, as if he hadn't blinked in far too long. His greying hair was disheveled and he was in need of a shave. But his voice was strong, charismatic, "I was wondering if you two had a moment to spare." He glances around, making sure no one would overhear, "I have been slowly figuring out who among us is among the Chosen. I have a strong feeling you two are...and I'd like you to join us." He nods his head to the small group everyone was calling his Inner Circle. His unblinking eyes focus on Akemi, "We have a plan for getting to one of the shuttles, but we could use a military opinion on how best to avoid the creature."

Suddenly, there was a shudder through the floor and the walls, as if the entire ship was struck by something.

Elsewhere...

The short flight between the two Arks was agonizingly slow as the shuttle had to carefully angle itself to dock with derelict 42. Once docking was successful.

Gorman calls back to the boarding party, "Whole thing shimmied when we docked. Air pressure is low over there, I'd wager."

As the docking doors open, a rush of cold air whistles in to the shuttle. The corridor beyond is dark, with only red emergency lighting on the floor casting dim shadows. A strong odor of sulfur comes in as well. Castor uses his equipment to test the air quality, "Circulation is down but the oxygen levels are still ok. Huh...weird." After a moment of double checking he confirms, "There's crazy levels of sulfur dioxide in the air. Not toxic, just...weird. Let me know if any of you starting feeling a burning sensation in your lungs or eyes, just to be on the safe side."

The corridor is eerily silent. Almerton points to the left, "That way and to the left will take us to the center ring and the command center...and the hyperdrive." He then points right, "That way takes us to crew quarters, storage, and the medical bays." He looks to Juno, "Right, left, or both? I could take half the team, you could take the other half?"

Ark 42 Theme

 

[Shayuri]

Juno thought for a second, then shook her head. "Negative. We'll stick together and advance in fireteams to take the command center. Once there we'll see what still works, and if there's any communications or cameras still working in this hulk. Once it's fortified we can use it as a forward base to reach the rest of the ship."

 

[perrinmiller]

[sblock=Akemi Jordan Mini-stats]Character Sheet Init: +3, Senses: Perception +2 AC: 16 (tactical armor) HP: 13 Current: 13 Proficiency: +2 Saves: Strength, Constitution Luck Points: 3/3 Remaining Weapon in Hand: FN P90 SMG [/sblock]

Akemi Jordon was considering the Doctor’s proposal when the ship shuddered from an impact felt through the deck and bulkheads. “Grap! What the mawk do you suppose that was?!”

There were a few moments more and nothing else happened.

Her tactical mind was racing through potential scenarios and she looked to Joy, “First we need to make sure no one panics. You can handle that, right?”

Akemi turned back to Locke, “We could be short on time or have an opportunity that we NEED to take advantage of, so let’s not mawk around.”

“Lay out your plan for me, Doctor. Do you happen to have schematics of the ship? They could be useful.”

 

[pathfinderq1]

Ark 42

Dr. Locke approached Joy and Akemi. Like most of the survivors, he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. But his eyes were bloodshot as well, as if he hadn't blinked in far too long. His greying hair was disheveled and he was in need of a shave. But his voice was strong, charismatic, "I was wondering if you two had a moment to spare." He glances around, making sure no one would overhear, "I have been slowly figuring out who among us is among the Chosen. I have a strong feeling you two are...and I'd like you to join us." He nods his head to the small group everyone was calling his Inner Circle. His unblinking eyes focus on Akemi, "We have a plan for getting to one of the shuttles, but we could use a military opinion on how best to avoid the creature."

Suddenly, there was a shudder through the floor and the walls, as if the entire ship was struck by something.

Joy watched Locke's approach with a wary eye. She wasn't afraid of him, not really, but there was just something subtly wrong with the man. Just being near him gave her the same sort of vibe she had felt during hyperspace, like there were voices whispering constantly- and Locke could hear them. Joy had dealt with scary things before- you just had to stay calm... She was just about to respond to his "request" when the ship seemed to shudder around them- Joy couldn't help thinking that it was an omen of some sort. She paused for a moment, as if listening, or waiting for the shuddering to happen again- long enough for the other woman to take up the thread of the conversation. "Of course" she said smoothly after another moment- though she might have been responding to Locke or to Akemi... "We're all going to have to work together if we are to have any hope of survival- and we're going to need whatever skills or resources we can bring to bear here." She paused again, looking over the rest of Locke's crew. "Do you have a plan? Or are we simply seeing what resources we have before we start trying to put something together?"

 

[Phoenix8008]

Suddenly, Airman Babington has an idea. "Juno, now that we're docked, maybe we can link into this Ark's comm systems or computer network and see if there's anybody on their computer pads that's contactable? Might tell us if there's any survivors and if so, where they're at." He goes to work quickly, seeing if he can connect his computer to the network of this Ark.

OOC: Not sure if this would require a Computers skill check or not. If so, DM can roll it for me to save time(with +4 modifier), or tell me to roll it. Whichever.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

OOC: Go ahead and roll it.

 

[Phoenix8008]

"Aw heck, I think they have some password system I can't get past. Damn it!", Babington says grumpily while wiping his forehead with the back of his forearm.

OOC: 1d20+4=7

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Babington's attempt to access Ark 42's computer does reveal one thing - the encryption securing the internal network is not standard - someone tampered with the computers to keep people out.

Almerton nods to Juno and then leads the way down the corridor. After a few minutes, a strange yowling noise echoes through the vacant hallway, followed by something that sounds like claws being scraped against metal.

Hayes mutters, "What the holy hell was that?"

Meanwhile...

Locke shakes his head, "Most of the computer systems are down. Here's the thing...we can get to the shuttle but not if we're weighed down by excess baggage." He lowers his voice to a whisper, "All of these people, they're expendable. We, the Chosen, are the ones who must survive. My plan is to tell them we have a way to escape, funnel them toward the creature and then we get to the shuttle. Simple, but effective. But, I need all of the Chosen on board for this to work. Are you with me?"

 

[Shayuri]

Juno's heart sank at the noise, but it didn't come as a shock.

"Sounds like a stowaway to me," she replied to Hayes. "And I'm sure as hell not knife-fighting this one into submission. Alright, we're going to need to get to the big central lift near the cargo bays. That'll let us all take the same elevator without splitting up." She paused for a moment, then nodded as she worked out the route. Her mental map of this Ark should be about as good as Ark 42, as long as it had the same deckplans.

"I'll take point. Babington, take rearguard. If it comes, it'll probably come from behind."

Her assault rifle a comforting weight in her arms, Juno hustled ahead to the next corridor intersection and pressed her back up against the corner wall. It was feeling like Mars again, and her breath was short and fast, her skin clammy under her tactical vest and fatigues.

Focus. The big central lift. Which way from here?

Left. She leaned out a little and peeked around the corner, first one way, then the other, checking her quarters for contacts. Half of her dreaded meeting that thing...the other half was eager to shoot its limbs off, knife open its jaws and drop a grenade down its gullet.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Meanwhile...

Locke shakes his head, "Most of the computer systems are down. Here's the thing...we can get to the shuttle but not if we're weighed down by excess baggage." He lowers his voice to a whisper, "All of these people, they're expendable. We, the Chosen, are the ones who must survive. My plan is to tell them we have a way to escape, funnel them toward the creature and then we get to the shuttle. Simple, but effective. But, I need all of the Chosen on board for this to work. Are you with me?"

Joy desperately wanted to take a glance towards Akemi- she was one of the few military people left, and the only one of the so-called Chosen who wasn't already in Locke's camp. She couldn't risk it now though; it would look to much like weakness. Instead, she matched Locke's gaze directlly. "There is no way I'm in with slipshod plan like that, Dr. Locke. We can't risk sacrificing all these people to save what, less than a dozen? I think we may have different ideas of just what has happened to us, and just why we have received these 'gifts'... What happens if the other arks had a similar guest and fared less well, or perhaps never even made the jump to hyperspace at all. What if these people that you are so willing to sacrifice represent a substantial portion of the surviving human race? Even if our new abilities place us outside the norm, or even above our fellow survivors- maybe that is because we will need them if we are to survive as a species." She paused, but only for a moment, and when she spoke again, she raised her voice, and pitched it to carry. "We are going to need to work together to get out of this; I'm sure we can come up with a plan that will keep us alive until one of the other arks can come to our rescue. A plan that will keep us ALL alive- we have already lost too many..."