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Post by Spwack on Oct 28, 2021 4:37:56 GMT
Are you sure? It seems really fragile, and you've been doing a lot of climbing and swinging and getting grabbed by robots lately.
You know, you really aren't sure. People (and otherwise) coming to H81 would be following their own sleeping patterns. If you want darkness and to sleep, you find a room and turn the lights off. Otherwise, H81 is eternally at 4 PM.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Oct 28, 2021 5:21:56 GMT
Hm, never mind, then. I return the syringe to the briefcase.
I will check out the hatches, to see if they actually are welded shut. The hatches are on the walls, correct? Is there anything interesting/recognizable about the crates?
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Post by Spwack on Oct 31, 2021 9:33:10 GMT
The hatches are on the walls yes, three each side. They are indeed, welded shut. As you inspect the large plastic crates ((because how expensive would wooden crates be in space right?)), you see that where the identifying information would normally sit, the name, address etc. has been scraped off roughly.
At the end of this hallway you can see a T-junction. As you search, you can hear a scuffling sound coming from that direction, and then the massive BANG of a gun going off in an enclosed space.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 3, 2021 7:46:13 GMT
I will investigate, carefully peeking around the corner.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 5, 2021 1:56:15 GMT
There's another couple shots, BANG, BANG, muffled swearing, and just as you peek around the corner, you see the gangster sprinting towards you, eyes wild, a cut above one eye pouring blood!
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 5, 2021 9:40:35 GMT
He probably will have to pass through this corridor, as will anyone in pursue, correct? I scramble back to the crates and hide behind one.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 6, 2021 5:51:55 GMT
He slides to a stop at the head of the T-junction, rubber soled shoes struggling to get a grip on the pseudo-metal floor, before sprinting back down to where you first saw him.
You're hidden and can't see much, but you can hear the sound of squelchy footsteps. And did the air-con just come on? Weird.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 6, 2021 21:48:26 GMT
Weird indeed. I will try to catch a sneak peak of the squelchy-footstep-maker.
Sword in hand, but hidden behind my back. Just in case.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 7, 2021 13:03:49 GMT
Above you, the fluorescent lights start to flicker and fail. They were sparse already, and the corridor is getting steadily darker. It's worse directly ahead of you - the lights return, flashing on for a moment, then plunging the area back into near total darkness. You caught a glimpse though: claws, slathering jaws, teeth, and black burning eyes, too many to count.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 8, 2021 9:38:40 GMT
The... thing is following the injured criminal? I keep completely quiet, even not breathing. I will wait until it passes by.
I do want to follow, though. I will wait at the edge of each corridor until I can see the lights starting to flicker back on, and then move forward to see where the lights are still darkened.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 8, 2021 14:13:46 GMT
It is. You're as quiet as you can, but you can hear the sound of crates being tipped over and smashed, very similar to the ones you are hiding behind right now. The plastic sounds weird as it breaks, almost as if it's shattering. And it's not your imagination, and it's certainly not air-con, it's definitely getting cold, fast. You can already see the tiny puffs of steam coming from your hasty breaths.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 8, 2021 20:22:24 GMT
How wide is that thing (only the body I glimpsed in the darkness)? Does it fill out the corridor, or does it walk in the middle and I could run past it with a little luck, by my best guess?
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Post by Spwack on Nov 9, 2021 10:57:47 GMT
You aren't exactly sure, but if you'd have to guess, you'd say it fills the corridor or maybe it fills the entire universe.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 9, 2021 17:42:47 GMT
I scram, following the gangster if I have any inkling which way he went.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 10, 2021 7:24:16 GMT
You scuttle down the corridor, leaving behind the bizarre cold aura. As you turn the corner at a fair clip, you almost run into the gangster. He jumps and lets out a high-pitched shriek, turning and pulling his gun at the same time. When he sees you, he leans back and points the gun away. "What!? Watch where ya going punk!"
He sounds nervous and shaky.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 10, 2021 20:37:04 GMT
I respond in a choked voice, telling myself that I'm just acting it up: "What the- The lights went all wonky and then, in the dark, there were some... teeth? What the hell?! Did you see it too, or did I- Hey, you're bleeding. You okay?"
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Post by Spwack on Nov 11, 2021 8:18:09 GMT
"... I dunno. I didn't see what, it was, or whatever." The gangster seems frustrated, and surly. "Hey, what are you doing here though? You shouldn't be here. What's your name?"
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 11, 2021 14:21:10 GMT
"Yeah, I dunno where 'here' is. I've been, y'know, running for my life.
And I'm Pipi. You?"
The lights in this corridor are okay so far?
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Post by Spwack on Nov 13, 2021 5:13:56 GMT
The lights are still on.
"Huh. Pipi. Never heard of you. You shouldn't be here. How'd you get here? Running from- hmm... the names Verdex. Verdex McNarthy. You should be careful round these parts Pipi. Ain't safe for the likes of, uh, you."
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 13, 2021 10:13:07 GMT
"Yeah, well, you know a way out? I've never been to these parts."
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Post by Spwack on Nov 15, 2021 10:50:12 GMT
Verdex seems a little irritated at your constantly ignoring his not-very-thinly veiled threats. "Hurrumph. Come on, it's this way. Never been huh? How'd you get in here then?"
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 15, 2021 14:27:13 GMT
"It was seriously weird. I was using a 'Personal Waste Evacuation Pod', as they say, and something just tore away half of it! I don't know what did it or why, but I was suddenly falling and only barely cought myself on some of the pipes - praised by FRIEND that there is air in the maintenance tunnels, or I would be a goner. Well, I climbed along the pipes to the nearest hole back to somewhere more habitable, only that somewehere was pitch black and full of squelching noises and claws scraping on the walls, so not really that habitable after all. Yeah, so I kinda panicked and ran, sue me. And that's when I met you!
So anyway, it got you too? Or were you hunting it?"
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Post by Spwack on Nov 17, 2021 4:52:45 GMT
"It didn't get me or whatever, I don't know what it is, I didn't see nuthin... Huh, so you fell out of the shitter when it fell apart? Typical of this crappy station. Ha, get it? Crappy station? Ha ha ah ha!"
Verdex seems like he might be, freaking out just a little bit? You only got a glimpse of the thing, it seems like he got up close and personal with it, and it doesn't seem to have done him any favours.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 20, 2021 10:44:41 GMT
I don't laugh, but I keep following him. Are we still in some mostly empty tunnels? I would like to pay attention to the twists and turns, so that I could find my way back if the need arises.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 21, 2021 13:31:23 GMT
These halls are mostly empty, and occasionally Verdex turns away from a well-lit corridor to stay in one of the shabbier shadowier tubes. You're not exactly sure you can find your way back, but you could give it a good stab. Eventually, Verdex pulls a plastic cover off of a rusty hatch, and kicks it open. "There. Back to the shops, and outta my hair. Damnit, I can't believe you even got up here, I shoulda just popped a cap in yo' ass the moment I saw ya."
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 25, 2021 14:25:17 GMT
"Well, nice to meet you too."
Do I have any idea where am I now? Still somewhere in Ring 3?
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Post by Spwack on Nov 26, 2021 6:54:41 GMT
You climb down the ladder, quite far in fact, getting rusty and muck all over your hands. Eventually, you push open a creaky service door, knocking over some boxes and giving the man standing in front of you a start. "Wuh... what? How'd you get back there?"
You can see the lights, hear the ads, and smell the frantic scent of desperate shoppers. You're definitely still in Ring 3, back in The Mall.
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 27, 2021 17:46:14 GMT
Verdex stayed up there?
I ask the man: "What is it, up there? Why are there so many empty corridors?"
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Post by Spwack on Nov 28, 2021 6:07:24 GMT
Verdex did stay up there. Once you were a bit down the ladder you heard him close the hatch and pull the cover back over it.
"I dunno man, I didn't even know there was a door back there, thought it was just like, a supply closet you know?"
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Post by red_kangaroo on Nov 29, 2021 19:57:09 GMT
"Yeah, well, it took me hours to get out of there and it's just empty places. Weird."
I will try to find a place out of sight of both people and cameras, then take the syringe out of the briefcase again. I will stash it in my breast pocket, even though it's fragile, close and lock the briefcase again, then find a place with more people and "accidentally" forget the briefcase there.
I will stay somewhere nearby and watch. I want to try and see if someone recognises this labelled and presumably distinct briefcase, and what will they do with it.
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