Vault-Tec HQ

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens onto the shadows of a half-collapsed metro tunnel. It is probably best not to ask about the stink on the wind. Outside the sunlight is enough to make Ellen squint and hold a hand in front of her eyes as she says, "I hope you all took that Rad-X. We're about a block or so from that downed Delta-IX rocket, and there were still a few mutants in the crater when I told Star Paladin Cross I thought I'd seen reinforcements in the tunnel."

She pauses at the distant sound of a lot of laser fire.

"That last part might not be so much of a problem for long."

Comments

[k_in_black]

There's a distinctive basso whine of a Korlian XT-17 plasma cannon powering up. Everyone better get used to that sound because it's Agent K's favorite weapon after his personal blaster. A Series 4 Deatomizer is slung over his shoulder, and he's brought along a few other jet-black 'toys' for variety's sake.

K would be humming a jaunty tune if he ever did such a thing.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Given the wreckage of Vernon Square laid out before them, that many guns are just a matter of practicality. And as for the jaunty tune, well, Ellen's got that covered. She flicks a switch on her Pip-Boy, and:

"So bongo, bongo, bongo, I don't wanna leave the Congo, oh no no no no no!
Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go!
Don't want no bright lights, false teeth, doorbells, landlords, I make it clear..."


.... Three Dog's got kind of a limited selection.

[k_in_black]

K would have appreciated something from the King (that would be Elvis for the hopelessly impoverished canons that never had him), but he's going to spend the day shooting things, so he's prepared to be flexible in the interest of good company.

It might be a little unsettling, though, that moment when he checked to make sure a very particular small, polished black object is where he put it, and then just chuckled to himself.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Considering that in this universe Les Paul never got involved in inventing the electric guitar, and James Hendrix was the father of the classical and jazz guitar renaissance, the chances of anyone turning up Elvis material may be on the slim side. But who knows?

Ellen takes the opportunity to glance over in K's direction as she waits for the other two to emerge from the tunnel. "Something I should know about?" she asks.

[k_in_black]

The MiB databanks haven't acquired those facts yet, and it's going to be a dark day in K's life when he discovers them.

K pats the device with a slight smile. "Oh, you'll know it when I use it. But I don't want to ruin the surprise."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Fair enough," says Ellen. "Dogmeat! No! Stay away from the rocket!"

She may be a little oversensitive. The blue heeler was on his way to the crater with the crashed rocket in it, not anywhere actually near it. Then again, this is Dogmeat, who hasn't figured out yet that biting robots isn't a great idea. one can never be too careful.

[k_in_black]

"C'mere, boy!" K calls out, holding up something that looks suspiciously like a doggy treat.

He glances at Ellen to be sure she doesn't mind. K, having been Texan back in the day, understands owners being particular.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's fine with this, and gestures to Dogmeat to come on back. Which he does. Because while threats to his human are the most important thing EVER, food is- well, it's food. And there's not much of a threat right now. So: food.

[k_in_black]

K poises when Dogmeat is still a few yards away, and then lets the treat go in an easy toss, just to make it a little more fun.

Team Cross

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"We're going in first," Cross says to K. "Under ordinary circumstances I wouldn't suggest sending two people in alone, but we have two advantages. One of them is a psyker who'll know immediately if either one of us falters. The other- well."

She indicates any one of the numerous bits of equipment K's got with him.

"Brotherhood scouts who come here in ones and twos aren't generally capable of matching an entire squadron in terms of firepower."

Re: Team Cross

[k_in_black]

"Hell, taking on a squadron just makes it interesting."


He nods at her armor. "Any other capabilities in there I need to know about?"

Re: Team Cross

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Primarily? Enhanced strength and significant resistance to radiation," says Cross. "It's not the most agile piece of armor in the world, but I've learned to compensate for that. Yourself?"

Re: Team Cross

[k_in_black]

"Radiation not a problem here either. The Suit should hold up to most toxins, and there are a few other combat-related enhancements. Probably not up to what that armor can do there, but I'll keep up."

K draws out his scanner again, and the holographic display is doing its best to draw out a map of the immediate vicinity. All the radiation in the area is raising some hell with that, but it's not doing a bad job, considering.

"Any idea how close quarters it's likely to get in there?"

Re: Team Cross

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"What little information we have on the building's interior indicates that it was pretty much a standard office building before the War," says Cross. "One that happened to be reinforced and internally strengthened six ways from Sunday. Expect reasonably sized rooms but narrow corridors, and a good chance of emergency power of some form. Vault-Tec built for the future, after all."

Re: Team Cross

[k_in_black]

"Should make it easier," K replies, slinging the Korlian over his shoulder for the less area-annihilating Series 4 Deatomizer. His pulse blaster gets shifted to a more easily accessible holster as well.

"Ready when you are, Paladin."

Re: Team Cross

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Cross hefts her Gatling laser. Though her face is hidden by the helmet she wears there's a definite smile in her voice as she notes, "I'm good now."

One armored boot smashes the front door open; the semidarkness beyond is foul-smelling, like a meat-packing district gone horribly wrong, and something shaped like a man but easily eleven feet tall is rising out of the shadows...

Re: Team Cross

[k_in_black]

"Wonder what that is?" k asks.

"Let's find out."

He raises the barrel of Deatomizer and quick-draws the pulse blaster instead. Nothing like the bright flashes of seven quick pulse shots to clear out the shadows and give you a good look at....

Team Ellen

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

When the shooting dies down and the all clear is sounded from within Vault-Tec, Ellen nudges the door to the lobby open. The room is vast and darkened, the windows only barely letting light trickle through; the grime of years covers them unevenly. There's a charnel house smell to the area, the reek of mutants and their ungodly dietary habits. It's... probably best not to look too closely into the shadows. It took a while, and more than a few scouts, to learn just how dangerous the mutants here were.

On the back wall hangs what looks like an enormous gear, at least half a meter thick if not more. The number 101 is painted across its middle. Ellen winces. "That's a replica, if I'm not mistaken," she murmurs. "That looks like the door to-"

"Mind the ash," says Cross. Ellen looks down in time to avoid stepping in an enormous pile of fresh ash, still smoking from who knows how many weapons.

"-vault 101." Ellen swallows and steps around it. "Uh. Stairs to the left look functional- any sign of trouble, Connor?"

[leadinghome]

Connor feels around the area, and tilts head curiously. "There is something with a brain, upstairs. But it's a weird mind, it feels strange."

"Besides that... only us, living people. I can not sense robots."

[aeons_crackshot]

"A strange mind, hm? That's not reassuring," Annabelle replies as she scans the area.

She's keeping an eye out for trouble the old fashioned way.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's not a mutant, though, right?" says Ellen, who's got her back to the wall as she starts to edge her way up the stairs. "And you can't sense robots...." An unpleasant thought strikes her. "Connor, would you be able to sense a brain that was still alive even though it wasn't in a human body?"

[leadinghome]

"...I guess?" The idea is rather unnerving, of course. "You mean, like those brain-bots you showed us pictures of? If that is a real brain, and a real mind, not just a bunch of circuits, yeah."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"They're real brains," Ellen says. "Human ones, from before the War. I spoke to a robotics expert who's worked on the machine part. He says they came from convicts or people who'd donated their bodies to science. I don't know how they're kept alive but I know Vault-Tec had at least one system that could keep a body running for two hundred years, so..."

She looks at the others. "If it's anything like the ones I've met in the Wasteland, it has lasers, but it's also got some kind of psionic beam thing. I heard one call it that once. My head was ringing for days and I could barely see straight when I got hit by it once."

[leadinghome]

Connor gives a nod, following Ellen up. "I can shield us from the psionic attack. But not from lasers."

[aeons_crackshot]

"It might be a good idea for you to be behind one of us, then," Annabelle replies, concerned. "Our body armor will give us some protection from the lasers, at least."

Annabelle does not want her boyfriend fried by lasers, thanks.