Early September 1998 Responses

From:  Andy Campbell (Urugg)

In a message dated 9/7/98 8:03:27 PM !!!First Boot!!!, layne@xmission.com
writes:

<< That's right, folks!

The next segment of the story is up on the internet waiting to be read.

The words "bought the farm" come to mind, but I don't want to ruin the
surprise. >>

Bought the farm?!?  BOUGHT THE FARM?!?  Man, I haven't even read the story and
I already feel a case of agida coming on.  What are you doing to us Layne?


"Take it easy on us, sir.  We're just the hired help..."

From:  Andy Campbell (Urugg)

Well, our goose may not be cooked - buts its certainly basted and coming to a
nice broil.  I believe the technical gaming term here would be "roll for
surprise" : P

Besides the obvious and simple options of fight or flight, any suggestions?
One big problem is that as players we know our Lost Point pals are not in
control of their suits, but as PC's we wouldn't have any way to know if the
suits were out of control or if we'd been betrayed.  Ugh.

I'm also guessing that if our vrusk buddy Mr. Flexx is KO'd, Capt. Ap-Harrow
may be done for as well, and in any case it looks like the citizens of First
Landing will be of little help in any case.  One odd thing - if there are
worms in ol' Flexx's corpse, they must have lost control of the life control
system (unless flies had gotten loose in the colony at some past point to lay
the eggs for the maggots).  Speaking of potential allies, I wonder if Maxim
Zek-et has been murdered or imprisoned by now.

In the eternal words of Mr. Horse (of the Ren & Stimpy show):
"No sir - I don't like it."

From:  Ruben Rivera (Kare)

Layne please post

YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish you guys could see the smile on my face!!!!!

Kare wonders outloud, "Who monitoring the open chrom line?"

When the ruffnecks go crazy on us, Kare will immediately see the danger.
She attempt to Tangle anyone and everyone of the goons, before they go
invisible on us.  IF that works, even just to slow them down, She will
call out to her teammate to follow her example.  IF the tangler treads
can not hold the 'Suitwearers' she will then try to locate any visible
powercoupling (looking on the back of the armor, thats were they
generally are, if at all visible) and attempt to disconnect it.  Not to
destroy it (she still needs a working model to steal....ah...study). She
doesn't have a sonic or vibro blade, but maybe a single well
placed/point blank bullet would do it. Thats a last resort.

IF we can save our counterparts and their armor, Kare will personally
remove all modems (sp) from their armor.  OR have bug boy reprogram the
command protocals.  

Kare thinks outloud, did the invisoarmor protect the goons/allies from
security bots?  Kare is well aware that maybe there was once some
blanket program install into all security bots to ignore the visogoons.
Kare would also expect that such program would be removed by now.  But
she will ask the goons/allies if they ever had any problems.

What the hell is Kare thinking?  Maybe this armor is better then Streel
security?  Mrs. Apeface police chief couldn't stop them, and as far as
we know, she was really trying.  Kare wonders, if we ride piggy back,
will we become inviso too.

Kare suggest that buggirl...run, run fast.

Kare does the math in her head "1+1 carry the 3 = 800,000 robots" I knew
I should have brought more bullets.  The objective should be to seperate
Styles from his computer.  Maybe a holographic diversion is in order. 
As we walk (maybe invisible) into Metro.  Maybe any diversion.  We just
got to get to him or his computer.

Maybe we should all meet on the chat line?

Enought for now,
Ruben

From:  Ruben Rivera (Kare)

Layne please post,

I know won't this guy shut up!!!!

I will just two more things.

Do those security bot receive instructions via broadcast.  I mean can
Kare and her teammates send false instructions, or reprogram or download
a virus via radiosignals?(you know "all security units, return to
robotic hanger and shut down and ignore all other instructions for the
next 48 hours)  OR can we jam the instruction feed by filling the air
with garbage signals?

There are no Assault Scouts with White Broadcast systems trapped at
Metro?  Wishful thinking, I know, just gotta ask.

Maybe blobboy could head over to a computer let spider/realstreel use
his computer skill and understanding of Streel protocals to defeat
security and do some real damage.  Naw too big of a risk, lets regroup.
Maybe we should ask him (realstreel) for his input.

If the security bots can't see through the holo projectors, maybe we can
send the bots on wild goose chases, or if we encounter a patrol, we
could create a holo wall to mask our presence.  Or make Zane look like
Mr. Streel, they wouldn't shot him...would they?(that could be to our
advantage)  Maybe we could create a holoimage of pirates, then if a robo
patrol spots us, he place the holo image on half of them.  Letting the
robots destroy each other.

Man this is fun!!! Just two things, like I promised.
Ruben

From:  Albin Johnson (Syzygy)

[Johnson, Albin]  I think I'm going to be ill.... 

wow, just when you thought the vice was tight enough it tightens even
more!

Okay, so basically we've been a joke for the last year now.  Every move
watched, measured, aniticipated.  Doesn't do a lot for the old ego, but
there you are.  I'm sure the system we have marshalled against us isn't
100% infallible, but that's a long way from saying we have an
appreciable chance.

So first things first.  The Guardians are whooping up on us now, to add
otthe abuse.  Can't shoot 'em, 'cause they're our buddies.  But we can't
escape from them either - they move really fast and are invisible (or
will be in a minute if we don't act fast).  Add to that the fact our
characters probably don't know whether or not they're telling the truth
- they could be just betraying us like everyone ELSE has done on this
trip.  At least, it looks like that to our characters.

Long-range plan aside, Syzygy will immediately respond to this threat
with decisive action.  Weilding his gyrojet pistol loaded with barium
rounds, he will charge the nearest guardian and look for any control
unit he can disable.  If the suits are indeed robotic in nature, he
should notice the access panel which will give him access to the robot's
programming center (dammit - should have increased my Robotics skill
last time!).   Syzygy will attempt to remove the access panels and
deactivate as many of the robot/suits as possible.  He will also call
out to Kare to do the same, as they are the only ones in the group right
now skilled to do this.

"Dammit, fine time to be without our robotics expert!", he yells as he
charges onto the back of one of the behemoths.  "Kare, let's get these
suits deactivated.  It looks like they've got slave circuits controlling
them."

Syzygy will stop long enough to fire rounds at any suits that appear to
go invisible, to keep them from making the fight worse.  But as for the
combat itself he will single-mindedly pursue the deactivation of the
goons, even if it means suffering some terrible blows in the meantime.

From:  John Whitfield (T'Klkk)

>
>Man this is fun!!! Just two things, like I promised.
>Ruben
>

Fun?  FUN?!?  And do you also take pleasure from slamming your fingers
in car doors or pulling the wings off butterflies?  Sheeeesh!  :-)

-JWW

From:  John Whitfield
Subject:  Smiling chipmunks and dancing squirrels

Okay, so the subject line is a little misleading.  I had to start off
with something uplifting since it appears that we are in some very deep
sh*t and none of us brought our wading boots.  :-(  

No hope!!  Utter doom!!  Destruction and desolation!!!

Excuse me while I take time out to have a crisis.  :-)

-JWW

From:  Layne Saltern (GM)

Ruben said:
>I was looking, but didn't find, what month did you outline the
>central computers defences.

The last part of Early September 1997 is probably the best place to look,
particulary the segments where Zane is visiting the Spire.

From:  John Groszkiewicz (Tork)

>"Well, Spider," says Taanik, "we're inside the city. I suggest we stay
inside this robot >until we can get to a recreation area. That. . .that's
weird."

>

>"What is?" demands Spider.

>

>"I--I don't see any people here. The whole ore processing facility is run
by robots."

>

>"That's my family's business ethics," explains Spider. "Why pay a Human or
>Dralasite's salary when a cheap robot will do the job?"

Anyone else get the feeling that our employeer plans on taking over *all* of
Streel?

From:  Andy Campbell (Urugg)

In a message dated 9/16/98 4:24:28 AM !!!First Boot!!!, johngroz@velocity.net
writes:

<< >"That's my family's business ethics," explains Spider. "Why pay a Human or
>Dralasite's salary when a cheap robot will do the job?"

Anyone else get the feeling that our employeer plans on taking over *all* of
Streel? >>

Oh n...  JOhn, let me be the first to thank you for finding the bright side of
all this ; )