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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Audrik" data-source="post: 6442806" data-attributes="member: 73653">Killer Out of Space - Session 2bAs Agents SETH and SID watched the scene around the downed shuttle, a helicopter made a low pass only about ten feet or so over the top of the wheat. Agent SID thought he saw a dull glow from the wheat, and about ten seconds later, the helicopter started to fly erratically. It began to spin, and it crashed into the field. The blades continued to spin, kicking up dirt and wheat, and creating the perfect opportunity for the agents to run.It was a mile or so to the doctor’s house through a soybean field, and they covered it in an impressively short time. They avoided the junkyard, but they made note of the humming. Finding the front door locked, they tried the back. Agent ROSE had been on her way down the dark hallway to take a look at the doctor’s computer when she heard the back door open. Cursing herself for having left it unlocked, she began to sneak back toward the kitchen.SETH and SID were using their night-vision equipment, and they were being extra careful to stay quiet. That’s why Agents SETH and ROSE were both startled to hear a breaking glass. SID had accidentally knocked it from the counter. SETH spun around with his hand on his gun, but no one seemed to have been alerted. Turning back to the rest of the house, he saw someone in the hall, and then he recognized her.“ROSE? What the hell are you doing here?” Agent SETH was whispering loudly.The agents moved to the study to regroup and discuss. Agent ROSE reported the cranes with electromagnets over at the junkyard, and the bomb shelter in the basement. She also wanted to go on record as hating the Kansas National Guard. SETH and SID told ROSE about the downed shuttle and NASA crew, and the glowing wheat that apparently crashed a helicopter.While they talked, Agent SETH examined the books on the shelves. They were all about space, medicine, or both; very technical, and not the sort of books for a casual reader. One of the books held a folded piece of parchment. The writing at the top said “This might be useful.” The writing at the bottom said “Agent WINSTON”. Between the two bits of writing was a drawing of a five-pointed star with an eye in the center. The star itself leaned and curved a bit, like it was drunk or lazy.“That’ll look good hidden in a Green Box,” Agent SETH said with a shrug.Agent ROSE wanted to go over the doctor’s computer, and while she was doing that, SID and SETH would do their own search of the junkyard.The computer was an inexpensive, newer model. All the important internals were integrated. It seemed that Doctor Harris knew his way around a computer, but he wasn’t what you might call a “computer guy”. Agent ROSE checked everything, but all she found that might be of any interest were an unfinished manuscript for an untitled book on space medicine, and a program for mapping the night sky. She decided to play it safe, and so she switched the doctor’s hard drive for a blank one from her kit.Agent SETH found a steak in the refrigerator, and he took it as a canine distraction. After tossing the steak to Toby and Ripper, SETH and SID went around back, and climbed over the fence. The results of their search were similar to ROSE’s results. They found the cranes with the electromagnets. The crane they examined was the same one ROSE had checked, and neither agent could determine an easy way to move the crane, or shut off the magnet.SETH tested the magnet by tossing up a piece of scrap metal. He tossed it a little hard, and the piece bounced off the magnet. It didn’t bounce far enough, and it was pulled back to stick to the magnet. The agents then checked the office. Neither agent could get anything from the ledger other than the basic workings of the business.The dogs had finished the steak in pretty short order, and so they were waiting when the agents decided it was time to leave. Agent SID stepped out of the office, and he was immediately attacked by both Dobermans. He fired his Taser at one, but even at such short range, the electrified darts missed their target. Agent SETH drew his knife and stepped out to even the odds. He stabbed, and caught Ripper with a nice slash. That only served to make the animal angry.Toby jumped for Agent SID’s throat and got him. Blood started gushing from SID’s neck at a disturbing rate. He wasn’t dead, or even mortally wounded, but they needed to win this fight fast, and get out the first aid kit, or there would be trouble. Ripper tried to do the same to Agent SETH, but the soldier was quick enough to avoid being hit.The quiet approach wasn’t going to win this fight for them, and so the agents reluctantly drew their guns. SID put one bullet into Toby, and then SETH added two more. Toby was down, but they still had to deal with Ripper. Two more bullets did the trick.At the first gunshot, Agent ROSE looked out the window. She wasn’t expecting to see what she saw. A dimly glowing, kaleidoscopic ball of light bobbed along, paused near the junkyard, and then went around it in a wide arc. It floated off through the wheat field to the north. When she heard the other four gunshots, she ran out of the house and across the street to the junkyard.Agent SETH found a roll of paper towels, and along with his belt to add pressure to SID’s neck, he performed field first aid. SID was stable for now, but he was weak. SETH looked around, and found the junkyard owner’s mint green 1958 Edsel. The keys were hanging in the office. SID laid down in the back seat, and SETH drove the car through the front gate. He stopped long enough for Agent ROSE to hop in, and they drove off a little way down the road before turning into a wheat field.As Agent SETH went about trying to hide the car, he noticed a helicopter arrive and circle over the junkyard and immediate area. Shortly after that, a military jeep drove up, and people equipped with NBC suits and assault rifles searched the junkyard. The agents laid low until the jeep and helicopter left.Agent ROSE leaned over the seat to have a look at SID.“Does it hurt?” she asked.SID’s reply was more of a gurgle than anything, but the twitching motion of his head seemed to indicate that his response was “yes”.</blockquote>

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