(Content Warning - Peril to Children)
[Begin a Session - (01) Flashback reveals an aspect of your background or nature. +1 Momentum (+4)]
"Subject Delta, step into the tube," the emotionless voice intoned. I stepped into the cylindrical chamber.
"Place your hands and feet upon the pads and look directly ahead." I wasn't sure what they were doing, or what to expect. I could hear a buzzing sound as a bright beam of light passed down my body, from my head to my toes. I blinked my eyes against the glare.
"Continue to look directly ahead," the voice warned. Once more, the bright light shone in my eyes. I forced myself to stare straight ahead, unblinking.
The bright lights faded, but spots still danced before my eyes. "State your name and designation," the voice demanded impassively.
"Kane, Azriel," I said. "Subject Delta"
The Journals of Ashton Frost - Part Nineteen
We stepped into the lab. There were several examination tables in the center of the room. Along the walls, there stood a dozen tubes. Each was full of a transparent, amniotic liquid. And in each, floated the form of an adolescent child in a skinsuit. Unconscious. Helpless. Far from home.
[Finish an Expedition: 10 vs 4/6. Strong Hit. +1 Box to Discoveries Legacy track +2 XP (6)]
[Milestone on Vow "Discover what happened to Alexis Keelan" (6)]
[Milestone on Vow" Help Cypher find Ria" (8)]
Juliana gasped and ran toward one particular tube. She placed her hand on it and sobbed. "We've got to get them out of here, Ashton!" she cried.
[Gather Information: +Wits, 5+2 vs 4/6. Strong Hit. +2 Momentum (+6)]
We needed to get these children onto the Acheron. There were two obstacles. I didn't know how to revive them, and I wasn't entirely sure how we would get a dozen children through a hostile facility and to the Acheron.
I could only think of one way. "Can you get these kids out of the tubes?" I asked Florian.
"I'm not that kind of doctor, but... I think I can figure it out," he said.
"Get started," I told him. "There's no time to waste. Breaker, do whatever you can to help."
Juliana still stood transfixed, with her hand on the transpex of her brother's tube, a tear in her eye. I couldn't help but think of her in the gangway when I left Nyx. I took her by the hand. "Come with me!" We need to hurry!" I shouted. She was shaken out of the moment and followed me as I raced down the hall.
We ran past the sparking wreckage of the sentry gun and the blood stains on the floor and wall. We rushed back to the control center we had passed a few minutes ago. "What are we doing, Ashton?" she asked.
My plan meant that dozens of Institute scientists would escape to continue their sickening research elsewhere... but it might also save the lives of twelve children. One of whom was Alexis Keelan. One of whom was Ria Ruiz. "We're going to evacuate the station."
* * *
[Secure an Advantage: +Wits, +1 Connection. 5+2+1 vs 9/10. Miss. Fugitive (3). Automatic Strong Hit. +2 Momentum (+8), +1 to next roll]
Cypher worked furiously at the control panel, her frustration growing. "I'm in, but that function requires Administrator-level access. And those controls are locked behind three biometric locks - palmprint recognition, retinal scan and a spoken password with voiceprint analysis. I can't hack my way past those."
"Omega said... he was... Paragon" came unbidden to my mind. Was Omega the one who sent the bounty hunter after me? "Cypher, do you see any files pertaining to 'Omega'?" I asked her.
She tapped away at the controls. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "There's a folder... but I only see four profiles here. Three of them are inactive, designated 'terminated'. Alpha, Beta, Gamma-"
"Is there a profile in there for a 'Delta'?" I interrupted.
"Yes," she said. "It's the only active ID listed there... but it's not an Administrator."
"Can you give that profile Administrator-level access?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, "but that still won't bypass the biometric-"
"Do it," I told her. "Trust me."
Her hands danced across the panel. There was a chime, and she said "It's enabled."
This was a long shot, but it was the only hope we had. I placed my palm on the panel and looked into the scanner. "Initiate coolant purge and control rod withdrawal," I told the computer.
SYSTEM OVERRIDE REQUIRES VOICEPRINT ACCESS. STATE AUTHORIZATION TO VERIFY.
"Kain, Azriel... Subject Delta"
* * *
REACTOR CONTAINMENT FAILURE IMMINENT. EVACUATION PROCEDURES INITIATED. ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... NINETEEN. MINUTES.
Alarm klaxons began screaming and red warning lights began to flash. We ran back to the holding area. Breaker and Florian were decanting the children from the tubes. Some of them were kneeling or bent over, coughing the oxygenated fluid from their lungs. Others were huddled together, wailing in fear. I remembered the terror of trying to escape the burning building back at Redemption. I understood.
"We need to hurry," I told them. My hope was that everyone would be rushing away from us, to evacuation stations. I hoped we could make it safely back to the airlock where we had docked Acheron. "Let's get moving. Stay behind me."
[Scene Challenge: Evacuate Solitude Station (Formidable, 8 ticks)]
[SHADE: +Shadow, 2+5+1 vs 2/9. Weak hit.]
There were too many flashing lights for me to conceal the entire group, but I was able to shroud myself. With all of the noise, we should be able to move quickly without drawing too much attention.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 6+3 vs 1/3. Strong Hit. Mark Progress (1)]
We hurried past the guard who still lay face-down on the floor, blood pooling around his ruined head. Some of the children began crying louder.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 5+3 vs 6/9. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (2). +1 tick (1)]
As we approached a corner, I could hear shouts and the bootsteps of rushing feet. I motioned for the group to pause, and waited until the sound of the retreating soldiers faded. Breaker hurried up toward me, gun in hand. Juliana stood near the back, holding Ria tightly.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... SEVENTEEN. MINUTES.
[Face Danger: +Edge, 4+3 vs 4/6. Strong Hit. Mark Progress (3)]
"Hurry!" I shouted. "This way!" We passed the control room where Cypher and I had initiated the alarm.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 1+3 vs 3/6. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (4). +1 tick (2)]
Everyone was generally heading in the direction of the docking bays, but we still had to be careful to avoid notice. Security troops would still fire on any intruders. We passed Dr. Florian's lab.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... FIFTEEN. MINUTES.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 1+3 vs 1/8. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (5). +1 tick (3)]
Shouting security troops were heading our way. We quickly ducked into the storage room where Cypher and I had found the artifacts.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... THIRTEEN. MINUTES.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 3+3 vs 3/9. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (6). +1 tick (4)]
We hurried down the twisting corridors. I wasn't sure which way to turn. "This way!" shouted Dr. Florian.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... ELEVEN. MINUTES.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 3+3 vs 5/8. Weak Hit. Mark Progress (7). +1 tick (5)]
We had to move slower because of the kids. They were recovering from medically-induced coma and some of them were still weak, and stumbling along. With my gunshot wound, I was not doing much better.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... NINE. MINUTES.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 1+3 vs 7/9. Burn 8 Momentum (Reset to +2). Weak Hit. Mark Progress (8). +1 tick (6)]
We arrived at the mess hall. It was vacant. Trays of food were scattered and chairs were knocked over.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... SEVEN. MINUTES.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 2+3 vs 9/10. Miss. +1 tick (7)]
We rushed around the corner into the empty docking bay. Breaker, Cypher and Florian were still herding the children toward the Acheron. From behind a stack of crates, a figure stepped out.
"The wayward son returns," the Doctor said, in the same condescending tone he had always used when speaking to me.
I turned to Breaker and Cypher. "Get the kids to the ship!"
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... FIVE. MINUTES.
"Ashton! I'm not leaving you here!" Juliana cried. She tried to run to me, but Breaker grabbed her wrist. "Ashton! I-"
"I know," I told her. "But you've got to get the kids to safety." My eyes began to burn with fire. The air crackled with heat. "Just GO!"
Breaker pulled Juliana away, toward the airlock. I turned to face the Doctor. "You took everything from me, you gorram gratch-frakker! My parents, my home, my life. I'm not going to let you take that away from them, too.
"The thorn in my side. Subject. Delta." the Doctor said, scornfully.
[Face Danger:+Edge, 6+3 vs 7/7. Strong Hit with a Match! Mark progress twice (10)]
"My. name. is. Azriel. KAIN!" I snarled. Balls of fire grew in my palms.
"Of course it is," the Doctor clucked, derisively.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... THREE. MINUTES.
[Finish the Scene: 10 vs 9/9. Strong Hit with a Match]
[Milestone on Vow "Help Cypher find Ria" (10)]
[Fulfill Your Vow: 10 vs 1/3. Strong Hit. +2 ticks to Quests Legacy track. +2 XP (8)]
[Develop Your Relationship (Cypher): +2 boxes (10)]
[Progress on Vow "Uncover the Crimes of the Institute": +1 tick (8)]
[Reset Fugitive (0). +1 tick to Quests Legacy track]
Then I unleashed Hell.
* * *
I knelt in the burning room. Smoke filled my nostrils, and flames licked across the floors and the walls. Screams echoed in my ears. Only some of them were my own.
The others came from the Doctor. He clutched his face as his hair burned and his skin melted away. He fell to his knees, still burning. Soon, there was nothing left but a charred husk.
But this time, I was harmed. I could feel the blood flowing from my wound. I fell onto my back and stared at the sky. I thought I could see the sun above me, sixteen rays around its center. And then, the rain began to fall.
I was lying on my back as water from the sprinklers rained upon my skin, washing the ash and soot from my face and the blood from my wound. I knew now where the amulet of my great-great-grandfather had come from.
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... TWO. MINUTES.
I felt hands roughly grab me by the shoulders. I looked up, into the face of Dr. Florian. "I... told... you... go." I croaked, through parched lips.
"You saved me," he answered. "Now I'm saving you."
ABANDON STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CRITICAL FAILURE IN... ONE. MINUTE. REACTOR DETONATION IMMINENT.
Florian hauled me into the airlock of the Acheron and slapped the panel. "We're in," he screamed into the comm. "Go, go, GO"!
There was no time to cycle our airlock. Our hatch closed and the pressure from the open lock on the station nudged the ship away. Then I felt a giant hand slap me against the bulkhead and everything went black.
* * *
The Acheron sped away from Solitude Station at full thrust. Breaker and Cypher felt the g-forces crushing them back into their seats. In the lounge and staterooms, strapped in on the acceleration couches and bunks, children cried out in fear.
And then, for a brief moment, the Lodestar system burned with the light and fire of two artificial suns.
