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Message: <blockquote data-quote="muggie2" data-source="post: 5732315" data-attributes="member: 6681636">Trix nods, no smiles, all focus now."Cultists. That's why they called me in on this one. You're right, there's no way that 30 pilgrims on a train all turn out to be cultists without someone high up being involved. Senior member. Hmmm."She starts to work through some of the data in her head."The only members of the ecclesiarchy high enough to be involved are definitely high enough to cause some serious damage. And you're right, they will almost certainly try to derail the investigation by means of the governor. But they will do it by deception, most likely, since that's how they managed to get their people in place. And they'll try to pin any blame on other people, such as you and I, and the other survivors. And that's probably the other reason they called me in on this, and not someone more senior."[CLICK]She grins."I'm expendable, you see."[CLICK]Her grin fades as she switches back to being hyperfocused.  "Okay. I'll see if I can find some kind of pattern in the data, but I can do that on the move, as long as I get some time now and again to recheck the data. There's a pattern here, but someone has tried to hide it. Unless the only common reference is the fact that all came from the resting place of the Saint. Perhaps they collected them there to pull this off, or perhaps recruited them there. Need to get data on arrival dates, sponsors, links via who they associated with or places they visited."She looks up."You said they all seemed psychotic. Could they have been drugged with something that made them susceptible to suggestion? Like some of the drugs you use in questioning that you can use to convince people to tell everything they know if you ask the right questions. Do that often enough, you could fill their heads with all sorts of crap, and then, before they get sent on the mission, they get another batch but maybe mixed with something that induces something like a berserker rage. That way they wouldn't attack each other, but go for 'unbelievers', so to speak."[CLICK]She grins."I'm so glad they assigned me to this one, Kel. This is going to be so much fun! I might even get a chance to use some toys on this one. Actually, if they pull the same kind of trick again, something like this would be useful."She opens up the backpack, pulls out a small sealed package of something that looks like modeling clay. "Ah, standard miniblock. Good."She breaks it into three pieces, and rolls them into balls, then starts juggling them. Naturally she drops one. It lands on the couch, and bounces to a stop."I never could do that right." She looks at their faces. "It's totally insensitive. Won't blow even if you put a slug into it. Or even a dozen. On the other hand, use a detonator or hit it with an HE slug and it's BLAMMO! Anything in about..." She tosses one in her hand. "Hmmm, about 33gms, so that'd make it... ooh, maybe 15 feet, well, they're gonna be really unhappy. Within about 5 feet, you need a mop."[CLICK]She looks at Kelly with a strange expression."Throw one or two of these hard enough to hit the wall behind the cultists at around head height. With a contact detonator buried in it. Makes a mess. Just make sure you don't hit anything between you and them."[CLICK]She grins, and looks at Brutis."If you're a good shot, maybe we need to get you some HE slugs as a backup, if the contact dets I get don't work. Just think of the fun you could have!"[CLICK]With no expression on her face, she looks back at Kelly."Can he be trusted with HE slugs for his gun? Can you get us a supply? And while we're at it, I need to meet the other survivors. Seems a mite suspicious that none of you died when everyone else did. I need to eyeball them for myself, make sure none of them are hidden cultists trying to use this to get themselves into a position of trust."She hands her drink to Brutis."All yours. I never drink when I'm working. Just enough to get the taste, and make it look good. Normally I dispose of the drink while everyone is distracted, but it would be a waste of a good drink to dump it. Better give it to someone who enjoys it, and from the way you're been nursemaiding that one, I'd say you would appreciate this one too.</blockquote>

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