Re: Interactive Story - LARP/MMORG for the whole CofI to join in, if you like or dare

[Jame]

"Okay. What's this thing you want to talk about?"

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The man looks Julianne straight in the eye. "First, I gotta know where your loyalities lie. Do you believe in Truth, Honour and...LOVE. You know that there is an old Terran song, All You Need Is Love by crawling fauna. Sing it to me whilst you are wearing this." he passes over what seems to be an ordinary chronograph.

"Come on, we don't have all day. Those weather balloons that the Imperium uses to support the anti rad shielding is a mere elabourate cover for spycams. They don't trust the local population. At night, they come down to feed on the homeless and the vargrants. We tried to break the story but the Count hushed it up...real good."

"Did you know that the Count was ejected from the Imperial Court because he wanted to create an alliance between all factions of humaniti under a single Imperial banner? To do this he would provoke a crisis in the Rim and then call upon the Zhodani to protect their kin in Perth, Terra."

"The mind rippers have a bigger plan, however, they are gooing to make us all like them, just you wait and see."

 

[sinistral]

Owen grins. He has a recording of the album "Meet The Rutles", that inspired the Crawling Fauna in the first place.

He asks the man

"Mind Rippers? Whats all this about? Is it anything to do with the authorities obsession with DNA sampling? And do you have any footage of the attack? (flashes journalist union card) Anything helpful? What can we do for you?"

Owen keeps a nervous eye on the exits. He's glad he gave the spare grav rental keys to Panthera, if they have to split anything could happen.

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The Man immediately leaps up when he spots Owen's Union card, "What's that! TASReg98945-3434-23, you are part of those who killed our network!" with that both hands are firmly clasped around Owen's neck. The man despite his diminutive statue is surprisingly agile and strong (eg. take 1D6 Dmg for every round this continues).

"You want to know about the Mind Rippers, I bet you do. They do funny things to people over in the Consulate. Not half as bad as they do in the so called goody Imperium. Behavior Modification Therapy, my ass."

"Tell me something why don't you ever leave us honest folks alone. Why don't you just be content with the worlds you got."

"You think you are so brave, I'll show you. Long Live Freedom, Liberty, Love and Truth!"

"I thought I could trust you all. But, no. You offworlders are all the same. Come and steal our resources, dump your pollution into our oceans and sing wonderful songs about Love. What do you know about Love?"

"Footage? What footage. Our whole network has been yanked off and all we get is this swill drivel of TAS!"

OOC: Confrontation. To remove the "journalist" from around Owen neck. Str+Dex. <1Min.
As many players that are willing can assist in this process/task. Roll individually. For every attempt, one round passes, Owen takes 1D6 Dmg. if man is not removed and pinned down. The "journalist"'s Str.+Dex add up to 20.

 

[sinistral]

Owen struggles with the man, eyes bulging. His arms flail wildly. He seems to be in distress. He stamps, hard, down on the man's foot, but misses.

 

[Klaus]

Panthera looks round, checking if anyone else, and especially the security clones, are noticing the kerfuffle.

If no one is approaching, she stamps down hard with her stiletto heels on the man's instep, sharp polycarbon tip to soft fleshy a'plimsoled ped, connecting nicely.

However, if attention from elswhere has been aroused, she goes to intercept, her brightest smile painted on her face.

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Panthera's narrow miss of his foot causes the "Reporter" to become even more mad.

"This little Imperial stodge is going today, if you don't explain why it is that you can't leave us little folk alone."

"TAS, journalistic integrity? Nothing but 24hrs of pro-Imperial fluff. Could you get a real job? We were trying to make a difference for the well-being of everyone on this planet."

"Still, I wonder, if what you say is true? Damn it, why haven't you started singing?" eyeballing Julianne.

"Questions, questions it is not so much about the answer or truth anymore. It is the endless pursuit of who did what to whom?"

"The vampires will be out soon, once I dispose of this little man. Then we get on with business, if I can trust you, that is..."

"You know the joke about the Scutterbugger who comes home and finds his wife with another woman...and he says..."

"TAS registered, we never needed that. It wasn't until you all started interfering. We had an honest life."

"Behavioral Modification Therapy. Just a bunch of needles where they don't belong. Torture is another word but that is too nasty for such a sweet Interstellar polity like the Imperium, to believe."

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

"Unhand him at once. You madman. If you are ill. We can take you to a Doctor. There is no need for violence."

 

[Jame]

"I can't sing, fellow. Not even to carrying a tune. And I don't know what song you want, anyways!"

 

[Klaus]

Realising this scuffle is becoming undignified, Panthera again checks if they've attracted unwelcome attention. Attempts a big fat lie:

"You do realise Owen was fired from TAS for not being pro-Imperial enough. He's come here looking for the truth, without bias, without spin. He's on your side, really"

ooc: if this requires a task roll, like Liaison or some such, Panthera rolls 8 on 2d6

 

[sinistral]

Owen reaches in his pocket for something, anything. His fingers close on his cigarette lighter. Taking it out he holds the flame on the man's hand, forcing him to let go.

Owen backs away from the man and eyes him resentfully.

"Freelancer", he manages to croak. "I'm a freelancer!"

Rubbing his throat, he pulls a sodden mass of cigarettes and broken plastic bottle out of hiss pocket and dumps the mess down a drain.

Realising the inevitable, he begin to sing quietly, in a soft baritone.

"There's nothing you can do that can't (hak)be done (cough cough), there's nothing you can sing (choke) that can't be sung..."

ooc: Owen rolled twice to free himself. First roll was a 2, catastrophic failure. He has broken hi last whisky miniature, soaking his cigarettes and the rest of his pocket. He suffered 4 damage from strangulation and burns, and feels a bit down.

Second roll was a 9. With his high DEX this was enough for him to break free.

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The combined pleading seems to have worn down the resistance of the "Reporter", "Ok, if there is not trust in this world, there has to be truth." [OOC: Not before Owen takes 4 rounds of dmg] with that he unhands Owen who slumps to the ground.

"Do any of you have a light? It's time for my medicine."

"Where was I? Oh, yes, I want to hire you as you seem to be seasoned troubleshooters, otherwise, I doubt that you would lived the night in Stan's Place. Although, Stan has done much to get rid of riffraff, myself, included." hehe, hehe

"If he is truly not TAS, he ought not carry around a TAS Union Card, that is an offence in some systems."

"Attack? What attack? The Dome collapsed. No, it was the work Ive Gnar, yes, that's the story. No. I need my medicine...does anyone have a light?"

"Mad? My dear Hiver, I am not mad. I am driven to find out the truth. In an universe filled with the sane proclaiming words to policies that wreak havoc and destruction and cloak them in innocents and motos as sweet as snow, is this not greater madness? I am merely one who wants to know the truth."

 

[Jame]

(Sigh.) "Here's my lighter. I want it back, though..."

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

(slowly stepping forward towards the man)

I have had a fair sample of such sanity of late. Exactly what sort of truth do you expect to get out of choking my associate? If there is truth to be gleaned. Then by all means let us discuss it like rational beings. Such a truth would be complex. And more effectively discussed elsewhere rather than ranting in the street. Perhaps a restaurant or bar. Anyplace to calm things down a bit.

 

[Klaus]

"Yeah, we don't want the brothers in blue taking an interest. I know a place round the corner"

Panthera leads the motley bunch 100m down the road to the left, into a simple cafe/restaurant serving home cooked style food.

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The "Reporter"/Patron hides behind a menu, "This is not such a good idea, I could be recognized here...then the come for you and my contacts have pretty well exhausted themselves. Luckily, I do still have some friends in the local Constabulary, but being clones its so hard to tell them apart, you know?"

He takes a spoon and reaches into his breast pocket pulls out a bag filled with granular power substance with the spoon places the lighter underneath which causes it to liquify then gently removing from another pocket, a syringe sucks in the liquid and injects into his forearm. His eyes glaze over momentarily. Then he deadly serious. Turning to Owen, "I am really sorry, if I did harm you. I still don't trust you, anyone carrying a TAS card is likely to be working for the other side just as easily for the truth."

"We might not have much time, I will be as brief as possible. I can't offer much other than my severance package of 5000Cr, 1000Cr now and the balance paid up when we have finished the job. Are you interested? The job is quite simple take a few pictures and get me off planet in a tramp freighter or some similar transport and then you meet another party a predestined rendrevous point and hand over the footage."

 

[Jame]

"Pictures of what? I think we need to know this before we go do this."

 

[sinistral]

Owen gazes calmly at the man, with some sympathy. He's obviously one Mick short of the Stones. Or has this been done _to_ him? Whatever the case, getting him off-planet might do the man good.

"That's alright mate. Nothing I won't get over. So tell us more about the photoshoot."

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

"It is a highly sensitive area called Eraze LI, on the plains there an Imperial installation. There I have good reason to believe that is a device an alien device of unimaginable power. I want scoop this and broadcast over the planetary web and wait for planetary government to fall."

"You see, the Imperium is contracted to provide security for this planet. Thus far, it has been nothing but a sham, witness the attack of the Pride right under their noses. You know about the attack on the Pride?"

"Once the citizenry know the truth, they will rise up in a glorious uprising led by the Galileo Circle and we will regain our independence. As we make an UDI from the Imperium."

 

[sinistral]

Owen sighs quetly and tries not to let his neutral expression change. This far out, the only Imperial he trusts is himself. He might be retired, but he's still an Imperial officer, and will always act like one - he's dealt with terrorists before. This guy's suggestion sounds dangerously like treason. He has to get to the bottom of this.

"Have you a destination in mind? Or can we ship you anywhere?"