A Flawless Plan

April 24, 2005

GM Conference with George:
Dick: So, what horrible things do you have planned for your little excursion with Tim-O?
George: What horrible things should I have planned?
Dick: Still answering every question with another question, are we?
George: Why would I resort to doing something like that?
Dick: You realize, of course, that it is generally considered a bad idea to get on your GM's nerves.
George: Spoil my fun. I'm going to let Tim-O lead. No, I don't have horrible plans.
Dick: There are a lot of people who would dispute that statement, you know.
George: But you're not one of them, Dick. Are we going to roleplay or just keep everyone waiting while we talk smack?
Dick: Play.
George: "So, how long have you been working for Lisa-Y, Tim-O?"
Dick: He stiffens. "I do as The Computer directs, George-R."
George: "I'm afraid it's obvious you don't get along. Our orders are to protect her and hers before you and yours."
Tim-O: "They're dealing with a nuclear reactor, so it doesn't surprise me that The Computer put a greater emphasis on protecting them - critical infrastructure and all that."
George: "She won't even allow Tech Services to share sleeping quarters with Power Services, even though there is more than enough space."
Tim-O: "Both groups have a lot of tools and equipment to stow. You see how packed in we are."
Dick: It is obvious that he is lying.
George: I don't intend to call him on that, but I raise my eyebrows at him slightly. "As soon as the power went out, Byron-R immediately opened fire on the Power Services car."
Tim-O: "He had a healthy distrust of Troubleshooters like you. You Troubleshooters are usually too distracted by your selfish desire for promotion to do your duty without some additional incentive."
George: "Are you saying he thought we had cut the power to the entire transbot from the lounge car?"
Tim-O: "We've all heard stories of strip-searched Troubleshooters left alone in an empty room causing a nuclear explosion. I hear R&D is looking for a way to harness them as a source of power to replace nuclear reactors."
George: "The Power Services technicians immediately returned fire as though they were expecting something like this to happen."
Tim-O: "They did? Do you think one of them caused the power outage?"
George sighs loudly.
George: "They were the ones in the best position to do so. It could just be a traitor among them, but at least one of them must be the saboteur. It stands to reason, doesn't it?"
Tim-O: "We must report this immediately."
George: "We might not have enough evidence. Besides, once accusations start flying, it might lead to violence between the two groups of technicians. We want to find and eliminate the traitors, but we also have to complete our mission in the IRQ Sector. The Computer will be displeased if our accusations result in an unnecessarily high body count, especially if we don't have evidence of wrongdoing to present."
Tim-O: "Then it looks like we'll need to spend time gathering evidence."
George: "Exactly. Stay alert, though. We can't rule out future sabotage."
Tim-O: "We will."
George: "Let's get those electric torches and go back to the others before they wonder what happened to us."
Dick: At that very moment, there is a scream from the lounge car. I'll let you come back in, but you and Tim-O won't arrive right away.

Back at the Gaming Table:
Dick: Just as you're wrapping up the last verse of the loyalty song, the window on the lounge side of the car explodes into jagged fragments. In the dim light of the electric lamp, you see Jim-R-RKY's (not to be confused with Jim-R-RMO - the RED you killed at the warehouse) eyes widen as a lasso drops around his body a moment before he is yanked backward and out of the transbot. Several technicians scream. A few seconds later, everyone except Samuel-R converges in the lounge car.
George: "What happened?"
Lisa-Y: "Someone kidnapped one of my technicians."
Tom: I ready my laser and look out the window slightly behind us. Did he get yanked off the transbot, or is he still attached to it somehow?
Dick: You really can't tell in the...
Tom passes Dick a note: Hypersenses.
Dick rolls a die and ignores it.
Dick: It's dark, but you don't see him anywhere along the tracks behind you.
Tom: "He's still on the transbot somewhere."
George: Alberto-R, go to the PLC warehouse and commandeer a keg of B3 and plenty of disposable cups. Condi-R, you'll DJ. Donald-R and John-R, you're on invitations. Tom-R, you're with me on decorations. If only Samuel-R was here. We could do with some mood lighting."
Alberto: "Um, sir?"
George: "Fine, I'll commandeer the keg. Tom-R will show you how to decorate."
John: "Sir, I believe you might be operating under some sort of delusion that we're planning a party, not tracking a Commie mutant traitor."
George: "If you don't like the way I organize my parties, John-R, don't come to them."
Condi: I pour out a dose of Qualine and hold it out to George-R.
George: I take it. "Don't mind if I do." I drink it like a shot. "Ooo, that's the stuff! That's...wait a minute. What happened?"
Tom: "I believe you just proved that you're not competent for command, George-R."
George: "I'm still team leader, Tom-R, and don't you forget it. I just have a few small handicaps."
Condi (in a singsong): "I believe in you."
George: "Glad to hear it, Condi-R. Tom-R, climb through the window and check the top of the transbot. Donald-R, see if you can cut it off at the engine car."
Donald: "The engine car is locked, sir."
George: "No time for an explanation. Condi-R, stay here and keep the passengers away from windows. Alberto-R, take another head count. I want to know who's missing. Where's Samuel-R?
Lisa-Y: "As far as we can tell, in the engine car."
George: "We need to get into that car, then. Donald-R, you know the entrances and exits. Is there an alternate way into the engine car?"
Donald (shouting): "Yes, sir! The windows are large enough to permit passage!"
George: "Good. You'll go with Tom-R through the window and onto the transbot. Tom-R will head backward. You'll head forward. Anyone else know how to rig up a controlled explosion? We may need to blow the engine car door."
John: "I have some knowledge, sir."
George: "Good. You're with me. Let's see if we have any explosive humanitarian goods in the back. Alberto-R, you'll coordinate communications. Get regular reports from all operatives." I don't wait to see if I'll be obeyed before sweeping back the way I came.
Tom: "Yes, sir." I follow orders.
Dick: What's your Agility?
Tom: 8.
Dick: Roll it. Spend Perversity to your heart's content - max 5, of course.
Tom: I don't want to fail. 5 points, for a Violence of 13.
Tom rolls - 20.
Tom: Oh crap.
Dick: You successfully climb through the window, but you kind of forget to grab any secure objects on your way out. You fall next to the track and under the wheels of the transbot, which swiftly decapitate you.
Tom: I scream?
Donald: I hesitate slightly at this sudden loss of a teammate and then follow him, trying not to make the same mistake.
Dick: What's your Agility?
Donald: 6, but I'll spend 5 Perversity to raise it to 11.
Dick: Roll it.
Donald rolls - 4.
Dick: You easily scramble onto the roof of the moving transbot. I'll deal with what you find there in just a moment. No conferences just yet, since we have a communications coordinator. Anyone in the lounge doing anything brilliant?
Alberto: Following orders.
Condi: Following orders and trying to keep everyone calm.
Dick: John and George, you arrive at the humanitarian relief car. At that exact moment, a voice crackles over the transbot loudspeakers, "You are approaching the IRQ Sector. Please stop at Transbot Station IRQ-3001 so it can be inspected for customs violations and known traitors."
George: Is there some means of communicating back?
Dick: None that you know of.
George: And is the brake in the engine car?
Dick: You bet.
George: "John-R, I'm about to share an important piece of information with you. If you try to blackmail me with this, please understand that I can blackmail you right back with the vest you're wearing."
John: "Why do you want to blackmail people, George-R?"
George: "I could ask you the same question and get the same answer, I think. Anyway, some of these crates are mislabeled."
John: "Do you mean to say that the only Hot Fun on this transbot is in the form of high-caliber weapons?"
George: "What? No. Of course not. But you are not entirely incorrect."
John: "And some of these supplies might actually be explosives?"
George: "We can hope, can't we?"
John: "Let's get started, then. Who knows how much time we have before we reach the checkpoint transbot station."
Dick: The loudspeaker crackles. "Attention passengers. Next stop, Transbot Station IRQ-3001. Estimated time of arrival - ten minutes."
George: "That doesn't give us a lot of time." We get started.
Dick: Both of you give me a Demo roll. Pervs if you want to.
George: 5 here, for a total of 18.
John: Rationing. 13 here.
George rolls - 14.
John rolls - 13.
Dick: You find more than enough explosives to blow a door. Donald-R, you're on the transbot. You see Jim-R tied to the top of the engine car. Not so very far ahead, you see the entrance of a tunnel just barely wide enough for the transbot to fit through it.
Donald: Is there enough time to rescue him before we get to the tunnel?
Dick: You have five turns. It will take one turn to cut his bonds. It takes two turns to move forward one car unless you succeed an Agility check, in which case it only takes one turn. It will take one turn to get back in the transbot unless you fail the Agility check, in which case it will take two. Don't botch. Do you want to try?
Donald: It's my duty to try.
Donald passes a note to Dick: If I run out of time, I want to activate Rubbery Bones so I can slip through the tunnel unscathed.
Dick: Roll away.
Donald rolls - 11.
Donald: Two turns to get to the Power Services sleeper.
Donald rolls - 5.
Donald: One turn to get to the engine. Cutting Jim-R free and making a run for the gap between engine and sleeper.
Donald: 2.
Dick: You rip through the cloth covering the coupling just in the nick of time. The ceiling of the tunnel roars past above you. At that moment, the loudspeaker comes on again. "Warning, brake malfunction."
George: John and I hurry toward the front of the transbot, carrying armloads of explosive equipment.
Dick: You reach the door and begin your delicate work.
George: "Maybe we can run the checkpoint, under the circumstances."
Dick: In answer, the loudspeaker comes on. "Attention transbot crew. It has come to our attention that you are not slowing down. If you pass into the IRQ Sector without stopping, the tunnel immediately after it is equipped with heavy lasers that will automatically cut the transbot and anything on it into thin strips. If you do not slow down in two minutes, your fates are sealed. Please comply."
John: "Crap. George-R, Alberto-R and I found an emergency brake between the caboose and the humanitarian car. It requires two people to operate it."
George: "I'll get one of the others to help. You blow the door."
Dick: Donald-R drops down behind you with Jim-R in his arms.
George: "Donald-R?"
Donald (shouting): "Yes, sir!"
George: "I see you successfully rescued the kidnapped technician. Can you get to the engine car from the outside?"
Donald (shouting): "Usually, yes, but not now, sir! We've entered a narrow tunnel!"
George: "Well, there goes that. Take him back with the others." I call into my PDC. "Alberto-R, what's your status?"
Alberto: "We're concerned about this checkpoint issue. We'd prefer not to run it, if it can be helped, but I think there might be another way."
George: I'm running toward the caboose. "What's that?"
Alberto: "The transbot is capable of generating an emergency anti-energy field."
George: "If it requires getting into the engine car, forget it."
Alberto: "The trigger is between the caboose and the humanitarian cargo car. It requires two people to operate."
George: "I'm headed there now. You'll come with me."
Dick: You finish your sentence just as you reach the lounge car.
Alberto: "Yes, sir.
John (ooc): This poses an important question. Which of us failed our Hardware check?
Dick: What's to say either of you succeeded?
John (ooc): Right, then. Did I mention that I'm still working on blowing the door?

GM - Vice President Cheney
Alberto-R-GZS-1 (Alberto) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Condi-R-ICE-1 (Condi) - Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice
Donald-R-UMI-1 (Donald) - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
George-R-BSH-1 (George) - President George W. Bush
John-R-SNO-1 (John) - Secretary of Treasury John Snow
Samuel-R-BMN-1 (Samuel) - Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
Tom-R-IDG-1 (Tom) - Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge