Chapter 20: The Number of the Beast

Scene 1 The party returns to Blackrock Base, and are met by Backdraft.   BD: You've done it. Excellent. We'll process the intel you've gathered. Then we'll--   Sunstorm bursts in.   SS: Comrade Backdraft, there's been something of a development... Pixie, would you come along?   BD: Does she have to?   SS: Yes.   The party will be free to explore the base at their own pace after this.   Scene 2   In the makeshift operation theatre in Applied Psychometry, many technicians and CatSCAN have gathered.   SS: Here we are. Any updates?   CS: Still no response.   BD: What's happened? Did the reformatting fail?   SS: No, the reformatting is a success. And Aurora is now stable. But she's completely unresponsive.   CS: She's as healthy as can be, but no one's home.   SS: That's why I brought you here, Pixie. Can you get inside her head?   Attempting to synchronize with Aurora will bring Pixie to Aurora's mind-void, but it will be empty, except for a sleeping Aurora. Attempts to wake her will be unsuccessful.   CS: We'll keep monitoring her, but this doesn't look good.   SS: She might be... lost.   BD: Permanently?   SS: We hope not. But we just don't have a precedent. We don't know what's safe.   CS: We don't want to set her off again, after she barely made it through reformatting.   BD: Well, Pixie, I hope you and your friends are enjoying your stay. It's just been extended indefinitely.   Scene 3 After a long rest, Backdraft will once again contact the team with a mission. They will meet up with him in the same CentCom briefing room.   BD: If you're all here, I'll get started.   BD: As you know, we monitor the Millennium cult's activities in Las Vegas closely. However, the disruption in that city-- which the US government claims was a neutron bomb, but you say is the work of this so-called Unicron-- has made our surveillance difficult. As such, we're working only on fragmentary intel. And that intel doesn't sound good.   BD: We've intercepted some transmissions that seems to report that the Millenium have located a starship. We're not exactly sure if it's true or not, but they're ramping up their activity just south of the McCarran International Airport. Honestly, we don't care what they do with a starship, but the airport is a hotbed of human military activity. We need to guide the Millennium away from the airport, and unsustainable casualty rates seem like a good way of convincing them.   BD: Just get to the area of operations, and hack apart the Millennium until they decide they don't need a starship so bad. You won't even need any specialized equipment.   BD: You've got two megacycles to prepare. I'll meet you in the Muster then.   Backdraft will meet the party as usual, giving them their equipment.   BD: If you haven't been told already, you're stuck here permanently. I recommend you get used to this. Or join our cause, if you want to be a little more comfortable around here.   Scene 4   The area pinpointed by the waypoint is the large Enterprise rental complex south of McCarran International airport. The parking lot has been abandoned, with only scattered cars left in the wide expanse. Millennium forces are patrolling between the fleet management building in the south-east and the warehouse in the north, traveling in groups of 3 acolytes each.   MA1: So this heretic has some kind of spacecraft?   MA2: That's what Saint Arche says. We're going to take it, and use it for the glory of Primus.   MA3: Saint Arche said to wait until she can muster additional forces. Apparently this sinner is quite dangerous.   MA2: Yes, some kind of assassin.   MA1: I see. Well, let's stay vigilant then.   MA3: Agreed.   The north warehouse is locked, as it contains "Diane Bates" and her single-seat starship. There are three possible entrances: The barricaded front door, the loading dock (locked, DC 20 Sleight of Hand check), and an industrial ventilation system, accessible through the roof.   (before beginning the Six encounter, give Nate a note about reaching out to Aurora again) Once the party enters the north warehouse and confronts "Diane," gunfire will be heard outside as the Millenium engage Six. After Six kills and eats the Millenium, she will enter the warehouse through the ventilation system, leaking Angolmois through the vents as she approaches. Six will drop into the room opposite the party, heavily wounded, leaking angolmois, and still missing her arm and part of her body from the last fight.   6: Peek-a-boo, I see you.   6: And new friends too. Gridmaster, you were always good at that, weren't you?   6: It doesn't matter who you are. Unicron wanted me to find you all, and here you are. All lined up and locked in. Terrified. Delicious.   6: Stand still... it'll hurt less, I swear.   Six attacks the party using her first stage. She cannot perform Sneak Attacks, and moves at 1/2 her normal speed. After 2 rounds in this stage, or being reduced to 1/2 health, she will dash away from the party.   6: NO! NO! Why do I always lose? Because you always were better than me, right, Gridmaster? That's it? Isn't it?   6: Well, not anymore... I can beat you. I'll prove it right here. You'll die knowing that you were wrong! Unicron! Give me strength!   Six will cry angolmois and metamorphose into her second stage, with a twisted left arm. In this stage she moves at her full speed and can use all class abilities. She gains resistance to all damage types. Party members that she would kill are reduced to 0 HP.    6: Look at you... whimpering, bleeding messes. You're all disgusting. You've fought so hard, and for what? To keep all of that?   6: It doesn't matter now. I will consume each of you. You will become a part of Unicron. And all of your weakness will be purged from the universe forever. And you don't even have your little friend to come and save you like you did before. It's over.   If Pixie calls out to Aurora, Six will be thrown out of the building by the Esper, who will Blink to the party's current location.   A: Pixie... I heard you.   A: Are you all alright?   A: Keep your guard up, this fight isn't over.   The party will regain all health and each gain 1d6 Inspiration. Aurora will lead the team outside to fight Six.   6: No.... not again... I can't lose... I don't care what you are, I'll devour you!   A: You're not going to hurt my friends.   6: You're right... I'm going to improve them.   The battle will continue at Six's current HP. If reduced to 1/2 HP again, she will transform into her third stage. In this form, her twisted arm becomes a body, and forcibly transforms her cybertronian body into a scythe blade. Her health refills, and she gains one Extra Attack. She increases in size to Large, and will attempt to grapple and swallow players that are knocked unconscious. When reduced to 0 HP, Six will fall limp, allowing Aurora to grab her telekinetically.   A: OK, I have her... I can feel... whatever this thing inside her is pushing back at me! It's powerful... but... I might be able to separate it from her! Or I could obliterate her! What should I do?!   If the party chooses for Aurora to separate Six from Unicron, she will surround the femme with a purple sphere of energy, which she will then shoot a beam into. Six's body will glow, and the Angolmois will be repelled from her body, boiling away on the asphalt. Six's body will be left horribly mangled, but barely alive.   A: We... we did it.   A: Pixie... thank you, for everything. And to you and your friends, I'd like to say something...   A: I'm sorry.    Aurora will knock all party members present unconscious, except Archer (impossible INT saving throw).   Scene 5 The party will reawaken in the desert (a CON check will determine who wakes up first). They will find they have all of their gear and money. With them is an unconscious Six, still horribly injured but not showing any Angolmois corruption.   Aurora will appear nearby when the party awakens.   A: How are you all feeling?   A: I would have warned you, but I was being watched closely. Um, you're all... okay now. The bombs, they're gone. No mics either. And you should have everything you came to Blackrock with. I had to... take control of your bodies to convince them I wiped your memories. There shouldn't be many lasting effects.   A: I had to leave you all somewhere... and from searching your memories, this might be an ideal place. There are people coming this way that can help. Remember, you can't reveal anything about Blackrock Base to anyone, or I'll be in danger. I have to leave now, and I might not see you again. So... thank you, again.    Aurora disappears as an Earth Liberation Force patrol drives up, surrounding the party.   ELF1: Hands where I can see them!   ELF2: Don't draw any weapons!   ELF1: How did you get out here? Who are you?   ELF2: Probably Autobot spies.   ELF1: Or Panzer thugs.   ELF2: I dunno, they don't look like Panzers.   ELF1: You never know.   A blast from a distant horn will grab their attention. A black-and-teal semi truck will roll up and transform into its robot mode, revealing Nemesis. He will extend a hand to make them lower their weapons, and pick up Six gently.   ELF1: What are you doing?   N: *gestures backwards*   ELF2: Are you serious?   N: Looms over ELF1 and 2   ELF1: Yessir.   ELF2: All right, all of you, follow us. Make one wrong move and we will not hesitate.   The patrol and Nemesis will return to the ELF Camp.