Mothership
Gradient Descent Session 5
April 5th, 2021
Players: Brendan, Josh, Stephen
The players set aside their newly found artifact to continue on their journey through the factory. They head back to Flesh Sleeve Insertion, so that they can make their way towards Security Dispatch, which they were told is the way out of this section of the factory. As they make their way through this area the machines grind to a halt. It’s unclear what might be going on, but the party doesn’t wait to find out. They are hungry, however, and rest by the door that leaves the room.
They cross through Organ Implantation into the Brain Insertion, a room dimly lit by the glow of Logic Cores being inserted into the open brain pans of future androids. Across the room, crossing the floor of the factory, they see a group of 3 Security Androids make their way towards them. Up high on a cat walk they hope to go unnoticed, and are. The Androids seem otherwise focused or pre-occupied.
The characters move on Security Dispatch. 9 giant steel spheres float in the room, a 10th lays in the centre bolted to the ground. Internally illuminated, the only light in the space, the players can see they each contain Security Androids. Seemingly filled to the brim with them. They quietly move through the space, to a door on the other side of the room, trying to avoid spheres.
Though a small office door and a short corridor they find themselves in a ruined space. Logic Cores float through the space. Small cat sized insectoid drones jumping from core to core. They move through the room towards another door.
This one leads to a small and thoroughly suspect room. They can see trip wire emitters and the strange shimmer of some sort of force field. The marine spots some EMP grenades strapped to a door. Rather than figure out how to deactivate the traps they opt to set them all off: one of the cat sized drones is let lose in the room while they retreat away. When they return the drone lays on the floor, and the EMP grenades have been detonated. The marine sets off to destroy the other emitters triggering another smaller EMP pulse that deactivates the electronics on his person. The room seemingly clear the group proceed to the space protected by the grenades. They find the hideout of some long gone fellow, Renzo Novatore. His journal outlines the slow fall of the station to Monarch. The last entry in the journal reads, “MONARCH IS SOON TO BE CORONATED BUT I WILL HAVE EYES OF CRYSTAL…” The only other notable thing in the room are 27 jars of excrement.
The party return back to the Security Dispatch, walking in at the exact same time a group of androids float down from an air duct. The party surprises the androids, and with the advantage, they get to talking. The group learn they are more android cast offs from the manufacturing process. They live in a small community hidden away from Monarch nearby. The group tell the androids about the group of “failed” androids they had found and saved. These androids guide the group through the narrow duct work to their home, and then get back to their mission of searching for more of their kind.
The party find themselves floating up high next to an air duck, looking down on hills of scrap in the Scrap Conglomerate.
Commentary
Experimenting with using a hazard die for encounters. I have been rolling, though I wonder if I should make the players roll instead?
They set off an EMP in the station, which will freak Monarch out. Need to roll that up before next session! I need to review the stress and panic rules for the players and monarch. Greg, who has been reading these reports, has left me wondering if i’m not rolling for stress/panic as often as I should be.