Dramatis Personae
Amar Gupta aka The Iron Sikh (played by Christian): Brick. Taxi Driver. Ass-Kicker. Sikh. Tagline: “Being a man of faith means to live it.”Amie-Belle T. W. Lee aka Whisper (Played by Curtis): Cold War era super-soldier/spy that got put in the Freezer, because she got poisoned. After getting thawed out and cured she tried to back to work, and was given an “adjustment period”. Uncle Sam called 2 years later, with work… because once you’re in, you’re in for life. Tagline: “In and out without a whisper.”- Beauregard K. “Bo” Ratnam aka Wirerat (Played by Brice): Technopath, inventor, and hacker. He specializes in co-opting enemy systems and tech assets. Tagline: “Nice tech – I’ll borrow that.”
- Rafe Hanlon aka Nyx (played by Chris D.): An umbrakinetic petty thief still on work release several years later, on his way to becoming a true agent and hero. Tagline: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
- Vincenzo L. dePrezzo aka Threshold (Played by Rory): Doctor, Mathematician, and Scientist (yes, capitals) and Spatial Manipulator. Threshold can bend space like a pretzel, teleport, obliterate things, and has extraordinary senses. He’d rather be in a research lab than fight. Better known for his work with Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, and disaster relief than famous battles. Tagline: “I can be there in a snap!”
- Derrick K. Ratnam aka Legerdemain (NPC Ally): Spin doctor and media liaison for Project VANGUARD. Twin to Bo. Tagline: “Well, actually that’s not how it happened…”
- Layla A. de Blackburn aka Nox (NPC): CIA-trained child assassin all grown up to be Daddy’s Little Monster. Maybe a little mad. Argues with her shadow often. Tagline: “No, we shouldn’t do that…should we?”
- Stainless Steel Rat aka “Sir” (NPC Ally): Bo’s best friend and assistant. A sentient drone in the shape of a stylized shiny metal rat mindlinked to Bo. Specialties are rapid repair construction and modifications. Imagine if K-9 and R2D2 made a baby and it looks a bit like a rodent. Tagline: “Repairs and upgrades in progress.”
Previously . . .
Literal hours after the breakout occurred, the NOMADs have been on alert and on call since everyone has a way to get around rather fast, including Prodigy who has a gliderboard with a protective forcefield that can go rather fast. Nyx, somewhat bored, asks to learn how it work on the guise that he’s her guardian and needs to make sure it’s safe for her. A few minutes later and Prodigy is on the ground wheezing with laughter as Nyx has somehow managed to crash in such a position where his feet are still attached to the glider but he’s underneath the glider itself injuring his dignity as Prodigy films him and spreads it out, him being a bit too late to swipe her phone. She shows him the controls once again, the controlling with the feet and the power glove.
Threshold does a quick lookover on Wirerat’s brain damage, at least he’s able to walk now. Putting him on an appropriate diet while Wirerat argues that he needs to be able to use his technopathy for good.
Frankly, It’s Disgusting.
Nyx, Threshold, and Wirerat
Old FDNY Engine 299/Ladder 152 Building aka New Base
Thursday, May 7th, 2020, 0900 hours (EST)
61-20 Utopia Pkwy, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
Riker’s Island is currently being covered by the National Guard and team 99 coming in the ESU. There’s currently a siege going on in one of the cellblocks. From what they’ve been able to gather, all the cell blocks opened at the same time, some people stayed but a lot of them left. Because of this, they’re going to have to keep holding McCall and the cat at the HQ. Otherwise, the MAPs HQ called in a lot of teams with heavy hitters to help corral the situation, but there’s a huge hole in a courtyard of Riker’s Island.
Threshold suggests doing regular patrols to keep an eye on Flushing while keeping everyone active. Nyx suggests that Wirerat start checking the cameras on bus stations, train stations, and the like, ignoring airports. Nyx tries to think of traffickers in the Flushing and Corona Heights areas of Queens. Threshold gets a list of people that have escaped from the prison and organizes it by potential threat levels. Wirerat notices MIA is going through all the data, has accessed pretty much the entirety of cameras in NYC. SSR is unleashing the drones and creating more from Wirerat’s fabricator.
The other two explosion spots are being investigated, finding similar devices to the one that the team found but haven’t been opened yet as they’re checking for bombs and explosives. Nyx, meantime, starts asking various questions if anyone else is hungry that leads Prodigy calling Nyx a hero and showing him several subreddits based on his exploits, much to his horror, before going out to get some food.
The Calvary in The Bronx sends a request for access to whatever surveillance station that the NOMADs have access to which Wirerat and MIA edit some of the systems to imply they’re coming from drones as MIA complains about the time it takes to build new drones and suggests an upgraded version of the fabricator to Wirerat that is lighter and faster. SSR and MIA are talking back and forth rapidly as they get it built. Threshold keeps coordinating the team while Nyx keeps an eye out via his shadow view.
Things are going fine until they hear a knock at the door. On the other side of the door, they see Fracture at the door. Speaking with Threshold and Nyx, she tells them that she thinks there was a problem. That she thinks she got used, that someone is going to be framing her for helping with the breakout. There were some folks trying to make her do some things that she didn’t want to and she ran. She doesn’t want to go back in there, they’d put her under the hole. She can’t prove it, but there’s probably a mind controller in there that couldn’t control her and that someone wants her dead. Threshold asks the rest what they want to do with Fracture, suggesting sending in paperwork saying they’re retaining special custody of Fracture, Nyx counters that they should have her temporarily deputized as if she’s under custody then if they demand her then they’d have to turn her over. Wirerat and Legerdemain work on the paperwork to get it done while she writes down a confession and every single time someone visited her cell in solitary, basically handing them a key. She admits to them that she is able to duplicate objects as well, and that she has some very limited control over them, that she can make suggestions that they’d follow. Wirerat makes her a containment suit to prevent accidental touches while Threshold does some psychology to determine if he should trust her or not, and knows that she’s utterly terrified.
Threshold asks if she ever tried to sense something that she created, and the answer is that she hadn’t thought about it. Trying it, she doesn’t really sense anything. Prodigy, thinking about it, suggests a sensory deprivation chamber to help her concentrate, saying that she can build one of those with Gimmick. Nyx sits with her and asks her two questions. Is the mind controller in the prison, and does he have her brother? The answer to both is yes. She was planning on mentioning to them, but didn’t want them to think she’s got ulterior motives. Nyx also sits down with her and her prison file, asking her how many dead clones weren’t listed on her file, identifying that there’s at least two clones that weren’t accounted for and figuring out who else she suspects is mind controlled, guards, prisoners, anyone that she can list out to find a common cell block.
A conversation about hotdogs and food poisoning later, Legerdemain alerts the group that things are starting as the phone lines start heating up. A smell of mint and taste of green later and Medevac shows up in the middle of the NOMAD HQ as Nyx greets her and asks if she’s eaten. Ignoring him, she asks if Threshold is busy and if he can come with her.
Aftermath
Agreeing, he’s teleported into an ER where there’s a woman facedown with her skull open, shards of metal showing and Medevac saying that if he can’t get the shrapnel out before Medevac takes over. Looking at the shards of metal, she tells Medevac that whatever the metal is, it stopped her from healing the patient, though it wasn’t able to stop Threshold. He takes some samples of the metal before looking at the patient, seeing the face of the Mayor laying on the gurney. Medevac says that there’s so many people coming in, that someone managed to break Omniray’s leg even through the suit that she needs to treat.
It takes Threshold some time to get back to the HQ, and it definitely seems to be the metal that’s sucking away his energy. He immediately turns to Wirerat and says that they’ve got a science project. Once Wirerat can focus, he’ll help. Threshold moves to analyze it himself. It seems to be some form of orichalcum, he isn’t sure as it’s silver coloured and not the golden-bronze colour that it normally is. He also notes that the pieces seem to be harmonizing with each other, a subtle hum can be heard and places the pieces into different jars. With it being morning on Friday now, Nyx plans on heading to the credit union with Prodigy to check out the safety deposit box key.
After Action Report (GM)
We did a back to back season end to new season (I typically take two weeks off), but I’ve had this season prepared for a bit now and I wanted to make sure I got in as many sessions as I can. Not a whole lot of action, but the players made plans and stuff got introduced to mess with things later. Overall, I was pleased by this one. My brother didn’t make it, but that’s ok. He can play next time.
Other Notes
Bonus Report from Rory.
Soundtrack
“Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy
“Be Okay” by Ingrid Michaelson
“Mass Hypnosis” by Sepultura