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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5157594" data-attributes="member: 143">Thanks for the commentary, VM!As for the level, I'll consider a partial reimbursement for Karg's unfortunate spell selection next time. Though you guys might want to place a moratorium on the use of raise dead in favor of resurrection from here on out. (Another campaign, for those of you following at home.)* * * * * Session 20 (September 8, 2008)Chapter 76“Good grief, those were the slashing rippy things?” Catalina asked, her hands trembling as she reloaded her pistol. “Welcome to reapers,” Jane said.  She was helping Vasily, who’d landed on his back a good ten paces from where the reaper had struck him.  His heavy armor had kept him together, but he let out a deep breath of relief as Jane poked the contents of a medikit into him through one of the access ports that Grace had built into the powered armor.  “Vasily, I’m going to need your help over here,” Hadrian called.  The Russian, nodding in thanks to Jane, walked over to where the Marine was attending to the damaged HWP.  The portable tank had landed on its side after being flung aside by the charging reaper, but remarkably it appeared to still be functional.  With the bolstered strength granted by his armor, Vasily was able to help Hadrian right the platform.  The Marine jimmied open the bent access port in the rear of the machine, and went to work with the small tool kit he carried.  “Lets go see where they come from,” Vasily said.  He looked back at Hadrian, who shrugged.  “It seems to be working, but I wouldn’t put money on how long.”The battered tank rattled and creaked as it trundled along behind them to the southeast, toward the building from which the reapers had emerged.  It didn’t take long to reach it, and to make their way around to the far side where two doors, a regular one next to a roll-up metal door, were situated. A quick examination indicated that both doors, while they looked as battered as the rest of the complex, had been used recently and maintained.  The smaller door had a new lock on it, but it Catalina was able to cut it open with just a few pulses from her laser pistol.  Vasily ordered the laser tank to remain outside and keep watch, and they went inside. Most of the warehouse’s interior was a single large room, cluttered with the framework of storage units that had probably once held pallets of materials.  A few side rooms were visible off to the left on the far side of the structure, but their attention was drawn to a large machine set up in the middle of the space, from which a loud hum rose.  “That worry me,” Vasily said.  “Want me to take a look at it?” Catalina asked. “Just figure if it is bomb or something,” Vasily grunted.  “Looks like a generator, but I’ll be careful,” the British agent replied, moving over to take a look.  She gave the device a careful assay, pacing around it before moving in closer.  It looked like a diesel generator, a big one, but there was no fuel tank that Catalina could see, just thick cables that ran into a hole in the floor.  She was very wary around the control panel, which was unlabeled and had just a few small switches and glowing indicator lights.  She took out her xPhone and took a quick reading.  “It’s being shunted off somewhere else, and it looks like it would run a lot of houses, maybe one of your city blocks.”Jane had moved over toward the side rooms, which might have been small offices or specialized storage units, their doors open.  As she approached the last one in the row, she caught a glimpse of movement that might have been a trick of the light, or something more.  She adjusted her VDU to improve low-light visibility, and sidled forward.  The room—it did look like an office, but with a thick film of dust over everything—looked deserted.  There was a space on the desk where a computer might have sat once, but everything of value looked to have been scavenged long before.  Jane stepped forward, frowning as she dragged a finger over the desk, leaving a trail through the dust.  A woman stepped out from behind the door, and pointed a very big pistol at the side of her head.  “Who the hell are you?” she asked, drawing the hammer of her weapon back with a loud click.</blockquote>

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