‘The New Age’ Playtest Transcript 14

PREVIOUSLY: PART 13

Call of Cthulhu Online Game
Sponsored by Pagan Publishing
Transcript of fourteenth session — August 29th, 1993

Players:
Don Rice– Gary Nedler, new age bookstore owner and long-time govt. consultant
Mr Shiny– Agent Fenemore, F.B.I. agent
Shaft10449– Agent Newcastle, F.B.I. agent
The Gamer– Agent Starbird, F.B.I. agent

Transcript:
8/29/93
8:22:45 PM
Opening “DG Game 14” for recording.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle, you’re racing down the hall to the front entrance.

Agent Newcastle: In a hurry!

Pagan Pub: Are you wearing the night-vision goggles still?

Agent Newcastle: Yes, if it is still dark in the hall.

Pagan Pub: No power on.

Pagan Pub: Starbird: you or your man wearing goggles of any sort?

Agent Starbird: My guys who spotted the wire — what kind of job is it? Pro? Sloppy? What?

Agent Starbird: Worth trying to disarm? Or should we try to find another way in and/or around?

Pagan Pub: It looks hurried. Goggles, Starbird?

Agent Starbird: Of course. We’re the assault team. We’re *very* well equipped.

Pagan Pub: Shame.

Pagan Pub: Starbird, roll a d30.

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 30-sided die: 23

Pagan Pub: Okay.

Agent Starbird: Uh-oh. I saw “Patriot Games”…

Pagan Pub: Newcastle’s making for the entrance. Starbird & co. on the steps, spread out like good guys should be.

Pagan Pub: Building directly across from you explodes.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle, give me a CONx3 roll.

Pagan Pub: Starbird, luck roll.

Agent Starbird: Exsqueeze me?

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 63

Agent Newcastle: No dice!

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: blinded temporarily, you’re in pain.

Agent Newcastle: ::rip off goggles and roll on floor::

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 18

Pagan Pub: Starbird: you were looking into the doorway so you aren’t badly affected; maybe half-a-dozen of

Pagan Pub: your men are out for a moment, but you’ve got better goggles than Newcastle and they cut out

Pagan Pub: flares better.

Pagan Pub: Unfortunately, though, Starbird & co. are well within debris radius.

Agent Starbird: Define “explodes,” please. Single point blast (like our booby-trapped door),

Agent Starbird: or the whole damn place? And which building was it?

Pagan Pub: Whole damn place. You think you hear screams. Living quarters & nursery.

Agent Starbird: Great. Just great.

Pagan Pub: Choppers flare lights on the compound, three of them, coming up the highway.

Pagan Pub: Sirens outside on the road.

Gary Nedler: “Terrible, there were women and children in there, man.”

Pagan Pub: Starbird: two luck rolls. One for yourself, one for your group.

Agent Starbird: First for me; second for group

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 7

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 63

Gary Nedler: Yeah! Good roll.

Agent Starbird: Geez, I’m a lucky sonuvabitch (so far)

Pagan Pub: Okay, your group is struck with debris, bits of wood and stone and crap. You’ve probably lost

Pagan Pub: three or four men, another six or seven are disabled.

Pagan Pub: The rest took scratches, bruises, and cuts. It’s hard to hear.

Pagan Pub: The choppers come in over the compound. You see local PD emblems & markings. They’re blaring

Pagan Pub: something over the loudspeakers but the ringing in your ears is still too great.

Agent Newcastle: Death seems to follow us like a homeless dog.

Agent Starbird: Nice line, Newcastle

Pagan Pub: Fenemore & Nedler: you hear the choppers mouthing off about putting down weapons,

Pagan Pub: hitting the ground, etc.

Agent Starbird: I assume we’re wearing our snazzy blue windbreakers the bright yellow “FBI” on the back…

Pagan Pub: Starbird: Yep.

Pagan Pub: They’re clearly addressing “Enolsis members”.

Gary Nedler: Does it look like they’re preparing to fire heavy weapons at the building we’re in?

Agent Starbird: More fodder for The Living Power. I’ve never seen a helicopter crushed by a psychic blast before…

Pagan Pub: Another building goes off, this one the administration/records/storage building about

Pagan Pub: 100 yards away.

Gary Nedler: “Fenemore, man, let’s get outside before this building goes up.”

Gary Nedler: (if Fenemore were here we’d probably be running around looking for TLP, but …)

Pagan Pub: Starbird: uh, this is definitely explosives responsible for the buildings going up. Just FYI.

Agent Starbird: Christ. I leave a team behind to defuse the door bomb and dissuade anybody on the inside

Agent Starbird: from blundering into it. The rest of us (I guess that’s 20 or so)

Agent Starbird: are headed for the building we think our friend The Living Power is in.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: you can see more than spots now.

Agent Newcastle: I’m with Fenemore, find TLP

Pagan Pub: That would be the Temple of Power.

Pagan Pub: Where the press conference was held and stuff.

Gary Nedler: We’re heading toward any door we can find, BTW.

Pagan Pub: Nedler & Fenemore make their way through the building, heading down.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: you’re up and dizzy.

Agent Newcastle: I’ll look for a window to jump out of.

Gary Nedler: We’ll do the same if necessary (but make sure not to get shot).

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: you see guys outside the front entrance doing something at the doors.

Agent Newcastle: Right, I still don’t know about the bomb.

Agent Newcastle: I guess i head to the door if I can see the FBI blazers

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: Spot Hidden roll please.

Pagan Pub: More light outside now, thanks to the burning building.

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 95

Agent Newcastle: No luck tonight

Gary Nedler: Bad Spot Hidden roll, Newcastle.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: they have guns and goggles, like your friends upstairs. They may have seen you!

Agent Newcastle: Run back upstairs! Look for the others to warn them.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle, Nedler: Luck rolls.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 82

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 16

Agent Newcastle: yes

Pagan Pub: That makes up for Nedler’s roll.

Pagan Pub: You guys meet up on the stairs again.

Gary Nedler: Okay, if I don’t recognize Newcastle, well BF gun, then Taser.

Pagan Pub: Nedler: half Idea roll.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 96

Agent Newcastle: I tell him of the others with guns just waiting for us. Wait it’s meeeeee!!!

Gary Nedler: “Look out Fenemore, there’s one!” FLASH! Zzzzt.

Gary Nedler: Gong!

Agent Starbird:

Agent Newcastle: Yow!

Gary Nedler: Roll to hit with taser?

Pagan Pub: Please.

OnlineHost: Gery Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 8

Pagan Pub: Oh my.

Agent Newcastle: Ouuuuwwwwaaaaaaaaaa

Agent Starbird:

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: Luck roll so you don’t break something as you fall down the stairs unconscious.

Pagan Pub: [Starbird: don’t you wish you were inside with these guys?]

Agent Starbird: [Well, that’s *one* way to keep him from setting off the bomb…]

Gary Nedler: Pagan: range on taser is short; if it’s more than 20 feet or something …

Gary Nedler: … we would have shot him.

Pagan Pub: No, close proximity.

Gary Nedler: Oh, good, I think.

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 85

Agent Newcastle: Thund Thunk bam Pow

Pagan Pub: Oh dear. Well, Nedler & Fenemore find Newcastle crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.

Gary Nedler: “Fenemore, man, that’s Newcastle! Bad scene. Newcastle, are you okay?”

Pagan Pub: Fenemore shakes his head.

Pagan Pub: Newcastle breathes but not much else.

Agent Newcastle: This has been a bad night for me.

Gary Nedler: “Fenemore, man, you carry him. I’m wounded.”

Pagan Pub: Fenemore checks him over briefly for injuries, finds none readily.

Pagan Pub: “Where to?”

Pagan Pub: [Starbird: Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!”]

Agent Starbird: [So far, my prediction about things blowing up real good has come to pass. What next?]

Pagan Pub: Fenemore hefts Newcastle over his shoulder. “Not much for combat effectiveness, but then again this

Pagan Pub: building might blow up momentarily.”

Pagan Pub: “Suggest we get outside.”

Gary Nedler: “Good plan, man.” :: Nedler rolls his eyes ::

Pagan Pub: You guys head for the front door. Spot Hidden roll, Nedler.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 56

Gary Nedler: Missed it by 6.

Pagan Pub: roll again for Fenemore.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 71

Gary Nedler: Hmm. I would guess probably not.

Agent Starbird: [Howzabout a roll for the guys outside seeing these bozos coming and warning them off?]

Pagan Pub: Starbird: if you’ll oblige…

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 39

Pagan Pub: Okay.

Gary Nedler: “Look out, man, they’re waiting to get us! Duck!”

Pagan Pub: Nedler & Fenemore: heading towards entrance, guys gathered around doing something.

Gary Nedler: “Do you still have your machine gun?”

Pagan Pub: One of them spins around with a flashlight and points it at his back.

Pagan Pub: “FBI” it reads.

Gary Nedler: “Oh, it’s cool, man, they’re FBI. You don’t have to shoot them.”

Pagan Pub: Fenemore looks disappointed.

Gary Nedler: “Man, FBI, it’s us: Nedler, Fenemore and Newcastle! Can we come out, man?”

Pagan Pub: One of them makes a hand signal, and another opens the door.

Agent Starbird: I thought Fenemore was the sensitive, psychic type…

Pagan Pub: …with a gun.

Pagan Pub: “It’s defused! Go, go, go!”

Gary Nedler: “Let’s go man.” :: keep low, run to cover ::

Pagan Pub: Nedler: Spot Hidden rolls for you and Fenemore.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 72

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 78

Gary Nedler: No, and no.

Agent Starbird: I hear on my wire that my three friends have managed to not blow themselves up,

Agent Starbird: and I am happy.

Pagan Pub: Surprised, too, no doubt.

Agent Starbird: That too.

Agent Newcastle: You’ll be the death of us yet!

Pagan Pub: No, that’s Nedler. 😉

Agent Starbird: Nedler’s the one tasering anything that moves…

Pagan Pub: Okay, Nedler & Fenemore (with Newcastle) are outside and you crouch in the fountain.

Pagan Pub: Curious; the colored flashing lights of the fountain are still operating.

Agent Starbird: [Portentious music sting here…]

Pagan Pub: Nearby, the living quarters is belching out massive quantities of smoke and flame; it’s hot out here.

Pagan Pub: Starbird: luck roll.

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 23

Agent Starbird: You betcha…

Pagan Pub: Good!

Pagan Pub: A green beam of light pops into being about twenty yards overhead and sweeps across part of your

Pagan Pub: group.

Agent Starbird: Origin of beam?

OnlineHost: Pagan Pub rolled 1 8-sided die: 7

Agent Starbird: Like, where?

Pagan Pub: That’s how many of your men drop to the ground, smoking.

Agent Newcastle: Yow!

Agent Starbird: Define “smoking,” please…

Pagan Pub: Smoking: they collapse without a sound and smoke rises from their bodies. Perhaps their fluids

Pagan Pub: are boiling?

Agent Starbird: Perhaps I want my mommy…

Pagan Pub: Newcastle: you’re coming awake.

Agent Newcastle: Great timing, can’t I sleep just a little longer?

Agent Starbird: And where is the beam coming from?

Pagan Pub: Starbird: beam cuts off after making the sweep. Give me a listen roll and a spot hidden roll.

Agent Starbird: Listen first, then Spot Hidden…

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 98

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 36

Agent Starbird: Didn’t hear diddly. Missed the Spot Hidden by 6…

Pagan Pub: One more roll for your group, please.

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 24

Agent Newcastle: Go group!

Pagan Pub: One of your men on the radio: “Lights, two o’clock high!”

Gary Nedler: “Where’s Starbird, man? Who’s blowing up all these buildings?”

Pagan Pub: Starbird, no doubt.

Agent Newcastle: “Oooohhhh”

Agent Starbird: {LOL]

Gary Nedler: “You guys shouldn’t do an air strike without getting the children out first, man.”

Gary Nedler: “It’s bad karma.”

Pagan Pub: The guy who reported the lights wheels his rifle up and fires into the sky.

Agent Starbird: Checking two o’clock high…

Pagan Pub: [Nedler: Starbird & co. are nowhere nearby, unless you’re talking into Fenemore’s wire.]

Gary Nedler: [talking to FBI men by fountain who just defused bomb]

Pagan Pub: Another Spot Hidden, at half again your normal score.

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 64

Agent Starbird: Nope.

Pagan Pub: You can’t see what he’s shooting at. Two more of your men do, though, and they open fire. [There is a brief break as the chat room is changed, and Mr Shiny logs on to play Agent Fenemore, who the Keeper has been running in his absence.]

Agent Newcastle: We are doomed!

Pagan Pub: Newcastle, you’re awake by the fountain. Flames, smoke and heat are overwhelming.

Pagan Pub: About a half dozen FBI guys clustered around you.

Agent Newcastle: How mobile am I?

Agent Newcastle: Nedler Shot Me!

Agent Fenemore: why?

Agent Newcastle: And then I rolled down the stairs!

Pagan Pub: Fenemore: you guys are in the circular drive outside the building.

Pagan Pub: Two buildings have exploded, reason unknown.

Gary Nedler: “Anyone here have a first aid kit, man?”

Agent Fenemore: oh mistook you for a bad guy right

Pagan Pub: Starbird & friends are around someplace, you’re not sure where.

Pagan Pub: But six of his group are here with you.

Agent Newcastle: Right. Buildings are going up left and right!

Agent Fenemore: waco!!!

Agent Fenemore: so we just got out, right?

Agent Newcastle: Right. Hiding behind the fountain

Gary Nedler: “Newcastle, man, sorry, I thought you were a New Age zombie.”

Agent Newcastle: Pagan. can we get FBI jackets?

Gary Nedler: “Good idea, man.”

Pagan Pub: Nope, none handy.

Gary Nedler: “What about wounded or dead guys, man?”

Gary Nedler: There should be 6 or 7 guys out from the first explosion’s debris.

Pagan Pub: You hear automatic weapons fire from up the drive, towards the Temple of Power.

Agent Newcastle: None in our party, right?

Pagan Pub: Six FBI guys have ’em. Fenemore has a submachine gun.

Agent Newcastle: Head that way with pistol drawn.

Agent Fenemore: I’m booking towards firefight

Agent Newcastle: Ditto

Pagan Pub: Fenemore moves out; Nedler, Newcastle? FBI guys are holding tight here.

Agent Newcastle: Got to find TLP.

Gary Nedler: “We got to go where the action is, man.” But what about first aid? Impossible?

Pagan Pub: These FBI guys are bringing their buddies over to the median.

Gary Nedler: Also, there really ought to be some jackets around, unless their owners were buried.

Pagan Pub: More gunfire up ahead.

Pagan Pub: Jackets: if you want to strip the wounded FBI guys, but they may be injured.

Gary Nedler: You said there were about 6 dead guys, I think. I don’t want to strip wounded.

Pagan Pub: Uh, you can grab their jackets if you wish. Back at the entrance to the building.

Pagan Pub: Urgent — FBI guy says “Got orders from Starbird to take this fountain out. Clear back! Clear back!”

Agent Fenemore: I clear back

Pagan Pub: You guys retreiving jackets then?

Agent Newcastle: What the hell, I move out.

Pagan Pub: [from building I mean, safe distance]

Gary Nedler: Only if it’s safe.

Agent Newcastle: Yes, jackets

Pagan Pub: Okay, you’re grabbing jackets.

Agent Fenemore: I just grab a cap

Agent Fenemore: and clear back

Gary Nedler: Then we get back.

Agent Newcastle: Right clear away.

Pagan Pub: Alright. You’ve got your jackets, you’re clear of the fountain. Heading after Starbird?

Agent Newcastle: Yes?

Agent Fenemore: yup

Gary Nedler: Yes

Agent Newcastle: If he’s still alive.

Pagan Pub: You guys race up the drive. [Because StarbirdÕs player, The Gamer, had to host an online conference during the second half of our game session, the Keeper and Starbird played out the next few encounters via private messages. The following sequence is what occurred during the preceding time, up to the point where Starbird ordered his men to destroy the fountain.]

Agent Starbird: Sounds small and lethal. If I can see it, I blast it.

Pagan Pub: It’s large and lethal.

Agent Starbird: Great. Just Great. Where’s the heavy weaponry? Where’s those three Tulsa PD choppers?

Pagan Pub: The thing is hovering about five feet off the ground. It resembles a massive insect with gigantic bat-like wings and numerous spindly legs.

Pagan Pub: All that really registers is the massive exposed brain and the glowing colored lights that dance across it, like those of the fountain.

Pagan Pub: It’s cradling a tube-shaped thing close to its body that spits green light at two of your men and drops them.

Agent Starbird: Mi-go! Mi-i-i-go. Daylight come and me want to go home…

Pagan Pub: Body is maybe human-sized but very bulky; wingspan may surpass fifteen feet though.

Pagan Pub: What do you do?

Agent Starbird: I unload my 9mm auto into it, but if that seems to be less than effective, Plan B is to run like hell…

Pagan Pub: Gimme some rolls.

Pagan Pub: Other agents are firing as well.

Agent Starbird: How do I do that via Instant Message? Why don’t you roll for me — chance to hit with the 9mm is 74.

Pagan Pub: 53.

Agent Starbird: Yay! 3 shots per round, 1d10 damage each.

Pagan Pub: You and your buddies pour lead this thing’s way. It makes some kind of sound and its brain flares brighter than ever, then it collapses to the asphalt.

Agent Starbird: Yay! Do I make the connection to the flashing lights at the fountain?

Pagan Pub: Idea roll..what’s yours?

Agent Starbird: A stunning 85, thank you.

Pagan Pub: never mind, 37. You clue in.

Agent Starbird: I immediately call back to the team in the first building to take that fountain out. Blow it up. Smash it. Whatever.

Pagan Pub: In progress. You’re about 30 yards from the temple.

Agent Starbird: Great. How’s the attack on the fountain coming? And have I established any contact with the other three guys (maybe someone at the first building gave them a radio or something…)

Pagan Pub: Nope, they haven’t thought of it. But one of your guys says they’re on the way. [And back to the rest of the group. The above encounter with Starbird was being handled simultaneously with the preceding section, but was presented separately here for clarity.]

Gary Nedler: First aid? Or no time?

Pagan Pub: Nedler, you’re feeling your injuries. Getting short of breath. Yeah, you can pause for a minute and

Pagan Pub: catch up if you wish. Probably a good idea.

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 63

Pagan Pub: Fenemore & Newcastle book along. Nedler takes a chill pill behind some bushes and gets bandaged.

Pagan Pub: Fenemore & Newcastle: you come upon a bunch of FBI guys lying on the drive, smoking.

Pagan Pub: SAN rolls, Fenemore & Newcastle. Something else here, too.

Pagan Pub: There’s a mass of smelly pink flesh here, or smelly pink something.

Pagan Pub: What looks like the framework for wings projects up from the mass, with goo dripping off.

Pagan Pub: You think you see a massive brain lying semi-exposed in the mess.

Pagan Pub: It’s collapsing as you watch.

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 65

Agent Newcastle: A miss for me.

OnlineHost: Pagan Pub rolled 1 6-sided die: 6

Agent Fenemore: IDEA ROLL TIME!!!

Pagan Pub: Idea roll, please, Newcastle.

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 75

Pagan Pub: Nope, you failed your idea roll — perhaps it’s a body from the explosion or something. Can’t

Pagan Pub: worry about it now!

Agent Newcastle: A logical explaination for everything. Move out!

Pagan Pub: Fenemore? SAN roll?

OnlineHost: Agemt Fememore rolled 2 100-sided dice: 98 69

Agent Fenemore: oops – could I take the second? :}

Agent Fenemore: Well, lets call it a miss, shall we?

OnlineHost: Pagan Pub rolled 1 6-sided die: 4

Pagan Pub: That’s SAN loss for Shiny.

Gary Nedler: Can I use the radio while I’m being bandaged? I want to call the helicopters and …

Gary Nedler: .. ask what they see.

Pagan Pub: You start trying to get through.

Pagan Pub: Nedler: You reach the choppers. They’re demanding your clearance or something.

Pagan Pub: It’s greek to you.

Gary Nedler: “Clearance for what, man?”

Gary Nedler: “It’s the 4th of July down here, you want to add red tape too? You’re nuts man.”

Agent Fenemore: “Hand me the radio”

Pagan Pub: Fenemore: Nedler stayed behind to get first aid.

Agent Newcastle: He’s not with us.

Agent Fenemore: ok – I just trot on then!!!

Agent Starbird: Hi. You guys miss me?

Pagan Pub: Nedler: you yell at the radio a bit but they’re demanding clearance or something.

Pagan Pub: Fenemore & Newcastle depart the scene of the smoldering agents and pink mass of flesh.

Agent Starbird: Smoldering agents? What did I miss?

Agent Fenemore: a lot!

Pagan Pub: The guys hit by the beam.

Agent Starbird: Oh, them…

Gary Nedler: [to another FBI guy] “Do you understand this crap, man?”

Pagan Pub: FBI guy takes radio and yells something into it. “Whattaya want to know?”

Gary Nedler: “What can they see, man? Do they have infra red? What’s the layout?”

Pagan Pub: FBI guy talks a little more. “There’s a group attempting to escape on the west side, but the local

Pagan Pub: PD have them collared. They want to know why we blew up the buildings.”

Gary Nedler: “The police or the escapees, man? It was the guys inside, not the FBI. Bad scene.”

Pagan Pub: Newcastle & Fenemore: you reach the temple.

Pagan Pub: Doors are wide open. Red pulsing light from within.

Agent Fenemore: not good

Agent Newcastle: Any sign of the others? Any cultist bodies?

Agent Starbird: Nedler stayed behind? He’s gonna miss all the *fun*…

Agent Fenemore: Any other doors/windows (if the front is open, that’s what they’ll expect – unless they just

Agent Fenemore: don’t care!)

Pagan Pub: Just the front, Fenemore.

Agent Fenemore: of course – Newcatsle you come in on the left

Agent Newcastle: :: carefully heads inside::

Pagan Pub: Behind you, the fountain explodes.

Agent Newcastle: Good, for what ever that’s worth.

Pagan Pub: Nedler: Chopper guy yells “Was that you guys or them? What the hell are you people doing?”

Gary Nedler: “Man, it’s the Enolsis guys. They’re killing people everywhere. We blew the fountain.”

Gary Nedler: Is my first aid done? I want to join the others if possible.

Pagan Pub: Nedler: you’re about done. Not much time has passed.

Gary Nedler: [to chopper] “Stay in the air and keep moving, they might have artillery, man.”

Gary Nedler: :: run to temple with any FBI guys that will come ::

Pagan Pub: You get up and lumber off. One accompanies you; rest are securing area.

Pagan Pub: Flashing lights coming in throught the gates — PD backup.

Pagan Pub: The temple is pyramid-shaped, about three stories tall.

Pagan Pub: The inside is nearly all open space, one big room.

Pagan Pub: The far wall is stunning.

Pagan Pub: It appears to open directly onto space. There before you is a massive red planet, its surface

Pagan Pub: boiling and rippling. Around it stretch a series of closely-spaced metal craft.

Agent Fenemore: Do i recognize it?

Pagan Pub: The planet’s surface coalesces into a massive eye-shaped discoloration.

Pagan Pub: On second look, you realize that the far wall opens into some further structure not visible from

Pagan Pub: the outside, and it is a giant window within *that* structure through which you can see the planet.

Agent Starbird: Oh, boy… this is going to make a *great* doctoral thesis … provided I survive…

Agent Fenemore: Anyone else in here?

Pagan Pub: You see Starbird and about a dozen agents a little ways ahead.

Agent Fenemore: “Starbird!!!!”

Agent Newcastle: walk in and yell to Starbird that we are here.

Agent Starbird: I turn, and motion my friends forward.

Agent Newcastle: We head forward

Agent Starbird: Continue our cautious approach. What’s this about a second building?

Agent Fenemore: Psych on Starbird – does he seem ok?

Pagan Pub: Fenemore: roll.

OnlineHost: Agent Fenemore rolled 1 100-sided die: 76

Agent Fenemore: no idea at all – I missed psych 101 that day

Pagan Pub: It’s peculiar; the image on the far wall is slanted towards you, like it was a projection on that

Pagan Pub: wall. But it seems real.

Agent Newcastle: Is Starbird beyond the gate

Pagan Pub: No.

Agent Newcastle: Starbird is still in the pyramid proper?

Pagan Pub: Yep.

Agent Fenemore: we catch up to him

Pagan Pub: Nedler: you’re beating unsteady feet across the drive.

Agent Starbird: Was it The Living Power who gave the news conference earlier? Do we know what he/she/it looks like?

Pagan Pub: Yes, it was him.

Agent Newcastle: We all know what he looks like.

Agent Fenemore: “Starbird – whatÕs the situation?”

Agent Starbird: “What you see is what you get, Fenemore. Isn’t this the thing from your dream?”

Agent Fenemore: PP It is isn’t it?

Pagan Pub: Yep.

Agent Fenemore: “Yep”

Agent Newcastle: What happened to the smoking agents, Starbird?

Agent Starbird: Some*thing* dropped them with some sort of ray gun… we blasted it, though…

Agent Starbird: It had the same kind of colored lights as at the fountain — that’s why I ordered

Agent Starbird: the fountain be toasted.

Agent Starbird: I figure’d there might be a connection.

Pagan Pub: Nedler: hobble, stumble, hobble.

Pagan Pub: By the time you’re there, the FBI agent is helping you along.

Agent Fenemore: Well, let’s blow this up too

Agent Starbird: That’s worth considering…

Agent Newcastle: Pagan, did the fountain go up before or after we saw the pink mass?

Pagan Pub: After.

Pagan Pub: No lights on the mass; it was dead.

Pagan Pub: Nedler, you enter the temple now.

Gary Nedler: [stumble, groan] “Blow it up? But this is our first proof of life on other worlds, man.”

Agent Starbird: I think this is some sort of gate to the 10th planet … a way for their allies here

Agent Starbird: on Earth to communicate with them… or something…

Agent Fenemore: “I’m more worried about life on this world right now.”

Agent Starbird: I’m still looking for some answers…

Pagan Pub: Spot hidden from all, please.

OnlineHost: Agent Fenemore rolled 1 100-sided die: 87

Agent Fenemore: nope

OnlineHost: Agent Newcastle rolled 1 100-sided die: 95

Agent Newcastle: no

OnlineHost: Agent Starbird rolled 1 100-sided die: 85

Agent Starbird: Not even close…

OnlineHost: Gary Nedler rolled 1 100-sided die: 14

Pagan Pub: Hot damn.

Gary Nedler: yeah!

Gary Nedler: Spotted that Hidden.

Agent Newcastle: Go Gary!

Agent Starbird: [What we need is the big scene at the end where the gloating bad guy explains his plot in detail…]

Agent Newcastle: [You never get that in Call of Cthulhu!]

Agent Starbird: true enough…

Gary Nedler: “Man, what’s that box over on that dolly over there? Could be important, man.”

Pagan Pub: Nedler points out an aparently-abandoned dolly in the shadows with a cardboard box on it.

Agent Newcastle: ::go look at box on dolly::

Agent Starbird: Sure, why not? ::head over::

Pagan Pub: Full of styrofoam pellets.

Agent Fenemore: Anything in the styrofoam?

Agent Fenemore: Any crystals about?

Pagan Pub: Shiny: a crystal, big as Valiant’s was, buried in the packing.

Agent Starbird: Great. Just great.

Agent Fenemore: Is it glowing?

Pagan Pub: Nope.

Gary Nedler: “Don’t touch that, man. You could go nuts too.”

Agent Newcastle: Are there any other furnishings in this pyramid?

Pagan Pub: Other furnishings: Some rugs, paintings, crap like that.

Agent Newcastle: No chairs or anything?

Pagan Pub: Not in sight. There are a couple doors on the side walls.

Gary Nedler: This crystal’s got to have all the energy Enolsis has been siphoning off.

Gary Nedler: “I bet the aliens wanted this to power their planet, man.”

Agent Newcastle: Please Gary! Why would it just be sitting here?

Pagan Pub: The box is big enough to hold perhaps a dozen like this one.

Agent Fenemore: If we destroy the crystal, could the released energy destroy this gate?

Gary Nedler: “Man, where are the others, though?”

Agent Newcastle: With TLP!

Agent Starbird: Well, we could toss it through the gate, send it back to Planet 10. Or we could try to destroy it…

Agent Starbird: When Valiant’s got blasted, what happened? Big explosion? Release of psychic energy? What?

Agent Newcastle: Not too big. It shattered and a small explosion, but the energy was not in the crystal.

Agent Newcastle: At that time the energy was in Valiant.

Agent Starbird: OK. So TLP has all this energy. So where is he?

Agent Newcastle: Beyond the gate?

Pagan Pub: Explosion outside; the building you guys were captives in just went up.

Gary Nedler: “Let’s check those two doors first, man.”

Agent Starbird: Tell me more about this two-building layout… any other doors?

Agent Starbird: What’s the connection between the two buildings like?

Pagan Pub: Starbird: not two buildings. Through the fourth wall, you can see more space beyond, as if there

Pagan Pub: was another building there. But you know there isn’t, at least not on this world.

Gary Nedler: “Starbird, man, open your mind. That’s a magical gate to a spaceship somewhere …

Gary Nedler: … orbiting the 10th planet. Cosmic, man.”

Agent Starbird: Oh. What about the other doors?

Agent Fenemore: I take point – open door on left

Agent Newcastle: One door at a time. I back up Fenemore.

Pagan Pub: Door on left: sound/light/control booth. Instruments, racks of CD players, video players,

Pagan Pub: tapes, discs, etc. for doing services here no doubt.

Gary Nedler: Nedler gets out of the line of fire.

Agent Starbird: Cool. They got any Grateful Dead?

Agent Fenemore: anything on?

Pagan Pub: Nothing playing, no; power seems to be out.

Agent Newcastle: Move to right door.

Gary Nedler: [Nedler still stays out of the line of fire]

Agent Starbird: :cover ’em:

Pagan Pub: anteroom with two doors.

Agent Fenemore: door number 1

Gary Nedler: “You got any tear gas, man? Like they used at Berkeley?”

Agent Starbird: “It’s probably TLP’s offices…”

Pagan Pub: Storage. Boxes, rugs, crap like that.

Agent Starbird: “Or maybe not…”

Agent Newcastle: I’m going to stay near the gate. Not leaving this room.

Agent Fenemore: (who has the crystal?)

Pagan Pub: Still in box, as far as I know.

Agent Newcastle: Our answer lies beyond the gate.

Pagan Pub: In room: Nedler, Newcastle, FBI agent. In antechamber: Starbird, Fenemore. Right?

Agent Fenemore: right

Agent Newcastle: yes.

Agent Starbird: sure

Gary Nedler: Right. Nedler has crystal also.

Gary Nedler: “Man, I hope I don’t drop this crystal.” [Wraps it in something if possible]

Pagan Pub: Uh, you can heft the box, which is bulky but not heavy.

Agent Newcastle: “Be careful Gary”

Gary Nedler: “Oh, man, I can just take this whole box.”

Agent Newcastle: “you can wrap it in my jacket if you want.”

Agent Fenemore: ok open door to the right

Pagan Pub: Plush office. Two more doors as well. Looks like TLP central.

Pagan Pub: One: closet. One: living quarters.

Agent Fenemore: no signs of anyone?

Agent Starbird: The private quarter of Mr. and Mrs. Power, and their three kids…

Pagan Pub: The head of the living power sits on a make-up table. His body sits upright in the chair nearby.

Agent Starbird: Say what?!?

Pagan Pub: The head is sitting about 15 degrees open, split along a seam of some sort.

Pagan Pub: The stump of the neck of the body is metallic, with some sort of little glowing pods poking upward.

Agent Fenemore: (This is your brain… this is your brain on Yuggoth…)

Gary Nedler: [into radio] “This is Nedler. I think we need some backup and cars up here soon.”

Agent Starbird: Is the brain gone?

Pagan Pub: The head is a shell of some sort, hinged to open and hollow. Looks vaguely metallic inside with

Pagan Pub: a fleshy covering and hair.

Agent Fenemore: Is there a pillow case nearby?

Pagan Pub: Yup.

Agent Starbird: OK, so The Living Power is a construct of the inhabitants of Planet Ten,

Agent Starbird: holding a brain of unknown origin, now missing…

Agent Newcastle: Do you guys say anything? I might find this interesting.

Agent Fenemore: I confiscate this evidence.

Gary Nedler: “Man, this isn’t good. If there’s no one in here, there’s no reason they won’t blow it up.”

Pagan Pub: Incidentally, you find two more bodies and heads in a closet.

Gary Nedler: Of who?

Pagan Pub: Identical.

Pagan Pub: All The Living Power.

Agent Starbird: Great. Just great.

Gary Nedler: “Spares if his body got dirty, man.”

Gary Nedler: “Or the batteries ran down.”

Agent Starbird: Any brains in any of these heads?

Pagan Pub: No brains.

Pagan Pub: Not even sawdust.

Agent Fenemore: I put a bullet hole in each head

Pagan Pub: Fenemore fires three times.

Agent Newcastle: No, don’t shoot it!

Pagan Pub: Spasms of light and power erupt briefly and then are silent.

Agent Fenemore: too late

Agent Starbird: The flying brain with the ray gun — same size as might fit in these cases?

Pagan Pub: Uh, no, too big.

Agent Newcastle: I run in the room, when I hear gunshoots!

Agent Newcastle: Shots that is

Pagan Pub: Fenemore is firing at some severed heads it seems.

Agent Fenemore: “hello”

Gary Nedler: Look at bodies. Do they open, or are they entirely mechanical all the way through?

Pagan Pub: They don’t open that you can tell in a cursory examination.

Agent Fenemore: I take one head

Pagan Pub: You’re ahead.

Agent Newcastle: TLP has fled to the 10th planet. We need to close that gate and find a way to stop that…

Agent Newcastle: planet.

Agent Fenemore: The answer may be beyond the gate . . .

Agent Starbird: I’ve been hoping that won’t be necessary…

Agent Newcastle: I will stop anyone who tries to shoot one of those bodies!

Pagan Pub: What next?

Agent Fenemore: To Planet 10?

Agent Starbird: I think we may just have to see what’s on the other side…

Agent Newcastle: I’ll voluneteer to go through the gate. We have to find out.

Agent Starbird: We should definitely all go, if we go at all…

Agent Newcastle: Is everyone willing to go?

Agent Fenemore: Let’s go

Agent Starbird: Yeah, reluctant but willing…

Pagan Pub: The FBI agents inside will go where Starbird tells them.

Gary Nedler: “Where no man has gone before, man. ” :: hums Star Trek theme ::

Agent Starbird: “Come on, then. You’ll have something to tell your grandchildren.”

Agent Newcastle: I don’t know if we all need to go. It could be a horrible death.

Pagan Pub: Famous last words.

Agent Newcastle: There might not even be air.

Gary Nedler: “If there’s not too much radiation out there, man.”

Agent Newcastle: Can we be sure it is just a projection of the 10th planet? And not open space?

Pagan Pub: You can clearly see some structure beyond, within which is the big window

Pagan Pub: where you can see the planet outside.

Agent Starbird: I think a bunch of cultists went through that gate… so we should, too.

Agent Fenemore: Well – we should send one person over to make sure it works

Agent Fenemore: (all eyes turn to one of the unamed FBI agents)

Agent Newcastle: I’ll go first, we can’t sacrifice an agent.

Agent Newcastle: Slow down now. We go one at a time and try to make sure we can get back.

Agent Fenemore: Okay – do we have a bit of rope?

Agent Starbird: Not me. You think that’d do any good, anyway?

Gary Nedler: “Might as well take radios too, man. If they work it would be cool.”

Agent Newcastle: A radio is a good idea, but it probably won’t work.

Agent Starbird: It’ll work if a radio wave can travel through the gate like a material object.

Agent Fenemore: But if the radio is suddenly several million miles away, we’ll never get the signal…

Agent Starbird: Why don’t we toss an inanimate object through and see what happens?

Gary Nedler: “And we should get backup agents here so no one comes by and shuts the gate.”

Agent Newcastle: The last person through should bring the crystal.

Agent Starbird: :: crossing back to the AV room, grabbing a videocassette::

Pagan Pub: Starbird, you know through contact with your men that the local PD is crawling all over the area.

Pagan Pub: You can get backup in here shortly, and you already have your 10+ survivors (forgot about ’em).

Agent Starbird: “We can go through. The base is secure. No one will “Close” the gate behind us.”

Agent Starbird: :I toss the videocassette through the gate::

Pagan Pub: Starbird chucks a tape at the wall. There’s a brief glow and a ripple as it hits, and then it clatters

Pagan Pub: to the floor beyond. You can hear it land.

Agent Newcastle: Wait, lets get a camera and record this for posterity!

Agent Starbird: Can we see it?

Pagan Pub: Yep.

Gary Nedler: “Man, there ought to be some video equipment around here somewhere.”

Pagan Pub: None with power.

Agent Starbird: Who wants to go first?

Agent Fenemore: Someone with a radio

Agent Newcastle: I’ll go in first if someone else will carry the crystal.

Gary Nedler: “I’ll go man.”

Agent Starbird: OK, Nedler. Grab a radio. Good luck.

Agent Fenemore: Make sure the radio works before he steps through

Pagan Pub: Okay.

Gary Nedler: Do the police have any video cameras, or just polaroids?

Pagan Pub: Nothing like that on scene yet.

Pagan Pub: Unless COPS is here taping! 😉

Agent Starbird: Lez go Lez go

Agent Newcastle: We can’t wait!

Agent Newcastle: Go Gary.

Gary Nedler: “Checking, man.” [into radio, picks up crystal box] “Let’s go.”

Agent Newcastle: YouÕre bringing the crystal?

Agent Newcastle: I think we should make sure you don’t die first.

Agent Newcastle: Let someone else bring the crystal after we know you’re all right

Gary Nedler: I was taking the crystal to follow Newcastle like he asked. If he wants me to go first, …

Gary Nedler: then _he_ gets the crystal.

Agent Newcastle: Oh, okay. I thought you wanted to go first!

Agent Newcastle: I ain’t taking no crystal, but I’ll go first.

Gary Nedler: “Man, whatever. But if you go first you should have your hands free.”

Gary Nedler: “Let’s go.”

Agent Newcastle: Right, in I go.

Pagan Pub: Nedler following?

Gary Nedler: Gary follows with crystal in box.

Pagan Pub: Okay.

Agent Newcastle: Not right away.

Gary Nedler: Um, if it’s not too late Gary holds his breath.

Pagan Pub: The two of them step into the wall, which glows and ripples around them.

Pagan Pub: Where we will pick it up next time.

Gary Nedler: LOL!

Agent Newcastle: Oohhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Agent Starbird: AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Pagan Pub: There being still a bit to do to finish this, and a bit of discussion for the aftermath as well.

NEXT: PART 15

Shane Ivey runs Arc Dream Publishing and is lead editor for Delta Green.
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