COMPLETE Chapter 18: Smash and Grab

Scene 0   The party must decide how they want to return to Blackrock Base. If they cannot decide, Carbide will offer to guide them through a more efficient route.   Scene 1   On return to Blackrock Base, the party will be greeted by Backdraft again.   BD: Good to see you again, Carbide. I'm sorry we couldn't offer support sooner.   C: I'll be fine after some time in the infirmary. And I was able to keep the prototypes secure.   BD: Well done. You deserve some time off-- we've allocated the RP for your recovery.   C: Thank you-- and I suppose I should owe you some thanks for recruiting whoever... they are.   BD: They're guests, though not exactly of their own volition. I owe you all some gratitude as well. Good work. I've actually got another mission ready for you once you've rested up. I'll be in touch.   Scene 1 (optional)   If the party decides to talk to Sunstorm about their knowledge of Unicron/Jukejoint, Sunstorm will listen.   If asked about Project Unicron itself: SS: We're aware that the Autobots are carrying out research under that codename, yes. The exact parameters aren't yet known, but considering the enormous scale of their mining operations, they're likely performing a large excavation, probably as a testing facility.   If asked about the Decepticons collecting Allspark fragments: SS: You're asking me to leak classified information to you... to enemy combatants. I'd be executed if anyone found out.   SS: What I'm trying to say is, I would need the very best of reasons to ever tell you what I know.   If pressed that the world is in danger: SS: Let's say you're correct, and that you need me to tell you this to... save the world, or whatever. Let's say that you are somehow able to save the world, regardless of the statistical impossibility of that scenario. After all of that is done, I will have still leaked information to you. Execution would still be on the table. Do you really think everyone is just going to join hands, sing songs, and forgive each other when the world doesn't end? No. I'll tell you what happens when the world doesn't end-- business as usual.   If reminded that Aurora may be in danger: SS: Now... listen here, you can't just... bring her into this. What do you hope to gain from that, hmm? Do you think that I can't replace her? She's a test subject... and there will be other test subjects.   SS: I've worked with her since the beginning... oh, that was stellar cycles ago. I've been the only constant for her since the work started. I've been there for her when no one else was. If I'm put on the line for this... she won't have me. But if she's in trouble too... then I won't have her...   SS: Fine, I'll tell you what you need to know. Under one condition.   (she assembles a gadget and "scans" each party member's neck)   SS: I've patched myself into your little monitors' control systems. If you tell another soul, I'll know. And I will hunt them down. After I make sure you can't tell anyone else.   If fully convinced: SS: So, if you must know... take notes, I won't be repeating this.   SS: Six of this planet's stellar cycles ago, Decepticons arrived on this planet. They were led by the renegade Megatron, who decided to investigate theories that a mythical artifact called the Allspark, responsible for the creation of life on Cybertron, was present on Earth. To make a long story short, Megatron's team did find such an artifact, though we call it an Unknown Waveform Generator, as it's more accurate and avoids any religious connotations.   SS: Those renegade Decepticons were able to begin study of the Generator, and from it they made some startling conclusions. For example, it seems as though the Generator on Earth was responsible for a large-scale extinction event... not because of its Waveforms, but simply because it collided with this planet. It seems that it was travelling a great distance through the cosmos before it arrived here. It was also these initial studies that gave the Generator its name, after the waveform it produces. It's electromagnetically traceable, but it does not seem to be an electromagnetic phenomenon itself. And though it takes the form of a wave, it has no regularity to its frequency, therefore, we call it the "Amorphous Waveform." My predecessor was only beginning to look into this phenomenon when she was... consumed by her work. Frankly, from the reports I have read, it seems she was in over her head from the start.   SS: A third party intervened in the study of the Generator, as the human operator of a technology concern seized the Generator for her own ends. A joint Autobot and Decepticon force was able to defeat her, but in the process destroyed the Generator. The Military Research Bureau took an immediate interest in the reports about the Generator, and decided to launch a full-scale investigation, codenamed Harvest. By scanning the area we were able to locate fragments of the original Generator, all of which produced an identical Amorphous Waveform. After collecting a suitable amount of samples, we moved on to the next phase. We called it Communion, as we hoped to establish a "dialogue" between ourselves and the Amorphous Waveform. We needed to understand how it worked, and what it does. We needed to verify the broken reports from the renegades, and the scraps of information we have from the human who intervened. That's the main project here at Blackrock base. Our experiments are being conducted in the Special Projects research sector. That's why it's off limits.   SS: So far, we've collected a lot of valuable data, but not the definitive answers we've been looking for. However, further study may yet give us what we want. What we do understand is complicated, but I'll try my best to simplify it. The Amorphous Waveform is a mutagen without physical form. Living creatures-- and only living creatures-- are affected by the Waveform's presence. And the mutations are far more... orderly than those created by, for example, gamma radiation. The changes are minuscule and almost unobservable. Something that would take generations to manifest in a physical form. My predecessor had noted similar patterns in her study on Earth insects, which might have explained some... anyway, I digress. We've also learned that the Generators respond to electromagnetic frequencies themselves. Normally, the Waveform is so small and faint near a sample that it is difficult to detect. But apply a burst of charged particles, and it becomes far more defined. The cornerstone of Communion is our particle accelerator, which we use to tease the Waveform out of our samples for study. The power drain is immense, and it creates blackouts and computer system failures whenever we run a test-- we've been taking notes with pen and paper. The Generators themselves, and their fragments, aren't composed of any known element. I've taken to calling the substance "Uru," but I want to clarify that's not official. I'm definitely not trying to impart any religious or mythical significance to it, I just think it's a poetic name.   SS: We've experimented not only on the Waveform itself, but also on life exposed to it. Aurora's vast psychometric capabilities are the result of a concentrated dose of Amorphous Waveform. And there were the fruit flies... look, we'll go over the fruit flies later.   SS: So, that should wrap up my leaking of government secrets... anything else you need me to explain?   If the party attempts to explain Project Unicron: SS: So, Unicron is some kind of ooze that consumes and corrupts life... Vile. Of course, I wouldn't put it past the Autobots to create such a foul weapon. But it begs the question... Unicron seems to be connected to the Generators and Amorphous Waveform in some way, but how could the Autobots even begin research on it? All of the studies on the original Generator was done by the renegade Decepticons, who never shared it with the Autobots, at least according to my records. And Harvest was able to secure a staggering amount of Generator fragments, so the likelihood of the Autobots finding their own fragment to study, and even knowing how to study such a sample, is astronomically low.   If Pixie explains the vision she saw while talking to Aurora: SS: Unicron has consciousness... even if it's suppressed now, this is a terrifying revelation. And if its words can be taken to be truth at all, that consciousness is, or was, a living creature before. The implications are awful. Whatever it is now, it has to be stopped. But without a clear means of stopping it, I'm not sure what we can do.   SS: Maybe punching a host body with a Generator sample is effective, but consider the limitations. The number of samples we have is limited-- but we don't know how many hosts Unicron has now, or could acquire. And, if the method of assimilation you described to me is correct, then delivery through close combat is hardly ideal, since it poses a massive risk to the attacker of assimilation.   SS: Studying this threat will take time. There is a lot we don't know yet. And for me to devote the resources I have to it... I'd expose myself for giving you the information I have. But there is a middle ground. You are perfectly equipped to do further investigation on your own... if it weren't for your incarceration. We're preparing for Aurora's reformatting. If it works, she's going to have to wipe your memories. You won't have any of this information anyway... Look, we're going to need to cross this bridge when we get there. For now, keep your heads down. Follow Backdraft's orders. I'll work on a solution to your problems. Then we'll find a solution to everyone's problems.   Scene 2 Early the next morning, the party will get a summons from Backdraft.   BD: Remember that briefing room from last time? Meet me there in a megacycle.   After the party meets Backdraft in the briefing room, he'll get started on his presentation.   BD: All right. Today, you're on cleanup duty. Over the past few stellar cycles we ran a research project called Harvest at this facility. You don't need to know any of the details, but it involved the creation of multiple field sites which later were abandoned. During a recent inventory check, we found that key supplies from one of those research sites were not recovered, skipped over due to clerical error. Needless to say, I've got court-martial duty for an officer in Central Requisition coming up. Your job will be to head to the facility, locate the supplies, and recover them.   BD: You're looking for a device like this one. (He shows an image. It looks like a hastily modified Geiger counter)   BD: If you're thinking that there's a catch to this job, you'd be right. A catch the size of the state of California. (He advances the slide to show a satellite image of the site currently, showing extensive fortifications) These are the Panzer Soldaten. They're a mercenary company composed of Lithonian expatriates, founded just over in the state of Nevada. Like any mercenary outfit on a backwater planet, they're convinced they own the place, and have set up small fortifications like these to demarcate their "territory" across the California-Nevada zone. And they built one right on top of our research site. Now, the Panzer Soldaten aren't likely to have much use for the research supplies, but as mercenaries, they may be willing to sell them to the highest bidder, and this creates a bit of a security problem for us.   BD: SIGINT says they're calling this "Vorposten Ludwig," so it's working as some kind of outpost for their own security operations. We don't know exactly what kind of resistance you may face, but I'll warn you-- the Panzer Soldaten are heavily-armed and well-trained. These aren't bandits or insurgents. you'll be up against an actual armed fighting force. I would recommend caution on your approach. Take time to observe the outpost and figure out what you're up against. Then, make the best tactical decisions you can. I'll give you a few megacycles to prepare for the operation, afterwards I'll meet you in the Muster. Dismissed.   Scene 3 Backdraft meets the party in the muster.   BD: Before you head out, I've got something for you.   BD: This outpost was built on our research site. And it's cloaked by our cloaking system. That's why you need these (he presents a case of what look like NVG). These are anti-optical camo goggles. They're in the prototype stage of development here in our Ballistics division. These currently are only programmed to work on our own frequencies, for testing, but luckily that's what you'll be running into. Don't look into bright lights when they're equipped, and I would take them off before getting into a firefight, as they'll obscure your situational awareness.   Scene 4 On approach to Vorposten Ludwig   The outpost is just outside of Rachel, NV, in a mountainous region. The outpost itself is located on top of a rocky ridge, and is currently cloaked. Wearing the AOCG will reveal the base to players.   Snipers are stationed at all four corners of the base in nests, while three Stormtroopers drill in the yard. A portion of the yard is the original dig site.   If the players get close enough, they can overhear discussions among the PS:   ST1: What's the point of these drills? It's not like we can get useful practice in if we can't entrench.   ST2: Yeah, I'd much rather be working on digging. I need some practice so I can bring my hull-down times lower.   ST3: No, we've got orders. We can't dig in the yard. Cabrio says this facility had to be something important and wants to keep it intact.   ST1: Yeah, I know that, dummkopf. But how important can the dirt really be? It's just in a weird shape, that's all.   ST2: And there's that little machine.   ST3: Yes, it must have been left behind by whoever built this base. Personally, I'm glad Cabrio locked it in her quarters. You two would have broken it.   ST1: Ah, you're probably right.   ST2: That's why you're the senior officer.   ST3: Mmm-hmm. Now, we can keep drilling here, but if you're feeling antsy, we could work on our cross-country.   ST1: Oh, could we? I think my treads are getting stiff just scooting around here.   ST2: That sounds delightful. Why not the rock-crawling course north of Rachel?   ST3: I'll radio HQ. Hey, Karabiners? We'll be back.   K1: Ja, ja, I hear you.   K2: Sturmtruppe, am I right?   K3: Panzermadchen are the worst.   K4: Ah, but while they're gone... we can prank them!   K3: Maybe you can. I like the quiet up here.   The Stormtroopers will leave after a short while, heading north. When they do, Karabiner #4 will leave his post and enter the Barracks.   ***Getting Floop and Tyranex to Verposten Ludwig***   Backdraft will assign Tyranex to guard Floop as he's rushed to the mission site. Tyranex and Floop will be transported via dropship, with Archer as an escort.   ***   To access the officer's quarters, the door lock must be picked with a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. Cabrio's office is cluttered, but luxurious, with fine seating arrangements and a cabinet of imported liquours. There is also a refrigerator, which contains some additional liquours and what appears to be a human cake labelled-- "Happy Birthday Treadbolt."   Inside Cabrio's luxurious desk (DC 15 Investigation check), players will find contact information for a variety of clients, including Sentinel Minor, and the mysterious device.   After retrieving the Waveform Sensor, the party will attempt to return to base. If the players turned on the waveform sensor, it will begin to give readings starting at -0.1 and decreasing. An armored column led by Bludgeon will appear in the distance, consisting of himself and 6 BAE ARCV Vehicons. Bludgeon will approach the party on his own while the Vehicons hold at a distance, ready to engage if Bludgeon is attacked.   B: I assembled my force with the assumption I would be engaging the Panzer Soldaten... not you. To be honest, it almost seems excessive now. But I know better than to underestimate my opponents.   B: I am Bludgeon. You have met my master's other heralds before. Perhaps you have even bested them in combat. You will find this scenario far more difficult, if you choose to resist again.   B: You retrieved a device from the Panzer Soldaten. You will give it to me, or I will take it from you.   B: Very well. You have chosen a path to suffering. Know that Unicron will find a valuable purpose for your biomass after you have expired.   Bludgeon will engage the party, with the Vehicons acting as support. If killed, Bludgeon will be "melted" back into Angolmois and be absorbed back into the ground. He will leave behind his Juuchi Yosamu sword.   Scene 5   On returning to Blackrock base, Backdraft will meet up with the party.   BD: Medics, let's get this one stable.   BD: Normally, I'd just ask you to hand over the device and send you on your merry way, but we need to debrief. This way.   He leads the party to a briefing room located within CentCom. Inside the room is Kiloton.   BD: We'll start at the top. Did you retrieve the device?   BD: Now... we've been listening in on the operation. We need to clarify exactly what went on as you attempted to extract.   KT: Specifically, we'd like to know more about whoever attacked you. They made it sound like they knew you.   BD: Understand that how you answer here decides whether you live or die.   (after they discuss who Bludgeon and the heralds are)   KT: Well, Backdraft, does that line up with the information Aurora extracted during the initial interrogation?   BD: It does. Frankly, the more outlandish parts we assumed were artifacting from the stress Aurora was under... but now we have evidence that this is real.   KT: There are... certain courses of action we can take. Ones that will allow us to retain our secrecy and autonomy. I'll begin preparations. Backdraft, you'll hear from me once the strategy has been authorized. Until then, all of you are dismissed.