Fallout Play-By-Post

[R.M.S.N.P]

Robin

The Overseer's logs seem to have affected her companions to different degrees, visibly distressing some while others didn't look affected at all. Robin fell into the latter category. She moves to the front of the line like before, falling into scouting position to cross the passage.

She has enough concerns to bother thinking about how people in power are horrible. Two out of six injured, and barely no supplies to deal with it. They're about to leave the Vault — and with it, the people they ever cared behind. Will they ever come back? Will she ever find a way to help them?

Can they be helped? That sound-induced headache is getting worse. She rubs her temple with a free hand.

A laser blast flies past Robin's ear as soon she turns around the corridor bend, hitting the wall behind her. She yelps in surprise, feeling the last remnants of the heat on the wall her as she throws herself to the side in a hopeless attempt to shield herself, trying to grasp what's happening.

Mystery PER check: 1d10+6 7
(AGI save): 1d10+8 10
Initiative (Surprise!): 1d20-5 -2

Perception check: 6+8=16

There's a thumping noise ahead.
Regular and deliberate, getting gradually larger as the source approaches.
Its that bloody "protectron" from earlier, isn't it.

Before Arthur has a chance to share his conclusion, Robin steps out around the corner, almost getting hit by a confirmation of Arthur's theory.
As she throws herself to the side, he kneels down so that he can poke his rifle and part of his head around the corner, and lets loose a shot at the protectron's equivalent of a face.



To hit roll: 17+4=21



Parts of the glass shatter and melt, and the protectron replies, in it's droning, tinny voice: 'DO. NOT. ATTEMPT. TO. FLEE. JUSTICE. WILL. BE. ADMINISTERED. SWIFTLY. AND. FAIRLY.'

Good. It's attention is divided.
It seems barely intelligent enough to handle one target, so the more the merrier.


Calling back to the others, he says "Protectron around the corner, try to divide it's attention even more!" 
 

[Ragnarok]

This is a protectron. Carry on.

[Ragnarok]

The protectron stomps forwards, and fires another pair of lasers from its hands at Arthur, who is the only target visible:

Firing x2:Roll: 15, 20, -5 to each, so 10, 15

One of the blasts barely misses - the other nails Arthur in the shoulder.

Damage: 6 + 2 guaranteed

Armor: +3 EDR

Total: 5

The Vault-tec security armor does a good job, but lasers were high-end infantry weapons back then for a reason, and the blast burns right through the meat of Arthur's armor just below his left shoulder.

Arthur is now severely injured: -10 to all rolls due to pain.

[Mirasol]

PER: 9+4=13

As Charlie follows the others down the hallway, she can hear the thumping noise. What now??? Bring it on, you dumb hole. I just want to get out of here. Maybe it´s just some sort of poorly-maintained machine... a water-pump or something. At least the door leading outside should be close now.

In that moment a laser shoots around the corner Robin just went. Oh no. Robot. It must be that other robot. And it´s clearly alive.

Unfortunately, Arthur almost immediately confirmes this suspicion - and gets hit by another laser for it. Doesn´t look life-threatening for now, at least as far as she can see, but very painful.

Instinctively Charlie presses herself against the next wall, as if that would keep the robot from seeing her, should it come around the corner. There´s no cover here...
The laser-rifle barely did a scratch on it. And what do I have? She looks down at her baton. Yup, that´s probably not going to do anything. Even on the rare occasion that she would manage to get close enough to try anything without being grilled by laser first.

She looks around in panic. There really isn´t any cover here. Could they just run past the bot? Or go further back?

[thegreyarea]

Nine

Following the others Nine watches as Robin turns the final corner of the tunnel. She seems a bit less focused than usual. Grey wants to tell her to be extra carefull, but is afraid to shout and attract unwanted attention. It's too late when he decides to speak.

The sound of a laser fills the air, and a blast hits the wall less than an inch from Robin's hair. "The protectron!" Before he can say anything more Arthur advances, using the corner as cover. He's fast, and fires once before the robot fires back. One shot misses, but the second one hits his arm just below the shoulder. Could be worse. An inch closer and he could have lost the arm. Grey doesn't need to see Arthur face. Having been hit like that twice, he knows too well how painful it is.

Everybody noticed what's happening, but there's no cover inside the tunnel. If the robot comes they would be sitting ducks.
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK NOW!" He shouts and gestures towards the Overseer's room. "COME ON! MOVE!" Grey taps Charlie shoulder. She's obviously frightened. And have good reasons for that. "Go. Find some cover."

They are underarmed to face that machine, and have to find time to devise a strategy. He peeks very briefly from the corner, enough to see that Arthur did hit the thing on the right place, shattering the glass that protects the sensors and other delicate devices on the robot's head. "Smart guy!" He mutters.

"Right! We have two choices... no, three!" He speaks loud so all his companions can hear. "We can try to lure that thing into the generators' room and turn on the defective one, so the robot gets fried. Or we can wait for it to come through that door and hit it in the head with all that we have. We can even throw some water bottles, because those circuits are not waterproof and Arthur's shot broke the glass."

"Or we can buy some time and close the door to the reception from the Overseer's terminal. If  the robot is still on the reception. So, friends, what you think?"

[R.M.S.N.P]

The protectron stomps forwards, and fires another pair of lasers from its hands at Arthur, who is the only target visible:

Firing x2:Roll: 15, 20, -5 to each, so 10, 15

One of the blasts barely misses - the other nails Arthur in the shoulder.

Damage: 6 + 2 guaranteed

Armor: +3 EDR

Total: 5

The Vault-tec security armor does a good job, but lasers were high-end infantry weapons back then for a reason, and the blast burns right through the meat of Arthur's armor just below his left shoulder.

Arthur is now severely injured: -10 to all rolls due to pain.

Arthur takes the hit stoically. He's been shot before, with both conventional and laser weapons, so the surprise is minimal, but his wavering arms betray a pain his carven face refuses to acknowledge.

[Kitty]

"Get back!" Faust orders, pulling Arthur and Charlie away from the corner. "Robin, get up and help him!"
Two kids and one heavily injured man.
ducking robots.
He has to make himself the primary target while others fall back to Grey. He can hear him making some plans, which is good.
Shoot at me, not them, piece of trash.
He gets around the corner, like Arthur did. Arthur seems to have shot it in the face and he can see some tech stuff happening there. For a brief moment, he hesitates. Face or legs? Immobilization would be good, but if it's not dead it can still shoot at them.
He calmly shoots it in the face.

(16+1, 4 damage)

Something explodes. But whatever it was, it wasn't exploding enough. The robot seems slower, but it's still coming at them. "Shot in the circuitry! Incoming!" he reports over the loud noises coming out of the robot.

[thegreyarea]

Nine

He realizes that Faust also shoot the robot, but didn't manage to take it down. Protectrons may not be the toughest robots, but they were hard enough to kill when you are underarmed.

Always keeping an eye at the corner where the robot will show up, Nine puts the duffel bag on the floor and opens it, removing some water bottles and aligning them on the floor between him and Charlie. "So, these are our weapons. We just need to be lucky and hit its "face", where the circuits are. Just try not to get shot."

[Mirasol]

Nine

Everybody noticed what's happening, but there's no cover inside the tunnel. If the robot comes they would be sitting ducks.
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK NOW!" He shouts and gestures towards the Overseer's room. "COME ON! MOVE!" Grey taps Charlie shoulder. She's obviously frightened. And have good reasons for that. "Go. Find some cover."

They are underarmed to face that machine, and have to find time to devise a strategy. He peeks very briefly from the corner, enough to see that Arthur did hit the thing on the right place, shattering the glass that protects the sensors and other delicate devices on the robot's head. "Smart guy!" He mutters.

"Right! We have two choices... no, three!" He speaks loud so all his companions can hear. "We can try to lure that thing into the generators' room and turn on the defective one, so the robot gets fried. Or we can wait for it to come through that door and hit it in the head with all that we have. We can even throw some water bottles, because those circuits are not waterproof and Arthur's shot broke the glass."

"Or we can buy some time and close the door to the reception from the Overseer's terminal. If  the robot is still on the reception. So, friends, what you think?"

Find Cover! That she can do. Charlie runs back towards the Overseers room. As almost no one else follows, she stops close to Nine, a bit indecisive on what to do now. Technically the ones staying are right. Just hiding won´t solve the problem, the robot would catch up eventually.

Nine

He realizes that Faust also shoot the robot, but didn't manage to take it down. Protectrons may not be the toughest robots, but they were hard enough to kill when you are underarmed.

Always keeping an eye at the corner where the robot will show up, Nine puts the duffel bag on the floor and opens it, removing some water bottles and aligning them on the floor between him and Charlie. "So, these are our weapons. We just need to be lucky and hit its "face", where the circuits are. Just try not to get shot."

Another thing Charlie can do. She grabs one of the bottles and weighs it in her hand trying to measure how hard she has to throw. Hm. Not easy to tell. "Well, here goes nothing", she sais and steps out of cover.

She skitters towards the next corner to check where their foe is currently. Unfortunately, it has almost reached them, looking pretty annoyed too. (For a machine...) But while the hallway means no cover for the humans, it means the same for the robot. Charlie just has to throw in a straight line. That should be manageable. She takes a deep breath and flings the glass bottle towards the robot´s face.

PER: Roll(1d10)+4: 7,+4 Total:11

And it hits! The bottle breaks almost inside of the protectron´s head, the water spilling over all the instruments within. She quickly makes a beeline away from her target, even before she can see whether this did anything besides multiplying the amount of glass-shards in and around the bot.

[thegreyarea]

Nine

The water bottle feels heavy in his hand. "And I thought to have used every kind of weapon before... There's a first time to everything, I suppose."

Nine is about to throw his improvised weapon when another bottle crosses the air, fast, and hits the protectron's head, spreading glass shards and water around.

With the water in its circuits, the robot begins to shake violently, before something pops inside it very loudly, another thing makes a distinct crunching sound, and it seizes up before tipping forwards and crashing to the floor.

Nine looks amazed at it, and then to his side, where the lucky thrower is. He looks at her, smiling, and speakes with sincere admiriation.
"You did it! Charlie, you got it! Well done!!!"

[thegreyarea]

Nine

Approaching the now silent robot with caution, and carefully avoiding the line of fire of its weapons, Nine can smell the fried circuitry. A small kick on the metallic shell results in rattling sounds from the inside, confirming their victory. "Looks clear! I think this one won't give us more trouble."

He's surprised, and glad, that facing the robot didn't end with one, or more, deaths on their side. "Not bad for a bunch of two hundred years old people that barely know each other!"

Now it's time to prepare for their next move. But before that they need to take care of Arthur. "Robin! Can you check on Arthur? I think he needs one of those stinpacks we found earlier." Nine turns to the others. "I'm going back to the canteen to fill more water bottles. I can carry three or four more, and who knows when we will find clean water out there."

The duffel bag is already heavy on his shoulder, and Nine's ribs still hurt, but you gotta do what you gotta do, so he's not complaining. On his way Nine taps Jay's shoulder. "It may be the right time to use your knowledge and try to salvage something from that robot, and then we can find out how is the World outside."

[Kitty]

Faust pats Charlie's shoulder. "You are amazing and fantastic. Good job."
He's tired. He wants to leave. Stupid robots, everywhere. "Robin, do you need any help with Arthur?"

[Mirasol]

Alerted by the popping and crunching sounds, Charlie turns around again, only to see the robot falling over and not getting back up.

It´s done! The water actually killed that thing! A look somewhere between surprise and euphoria on her face she just nods as Nine and Faust are congratulating her. Them talking about Arthur´s injury brings her back though. Right. They definitly need bandages now. Or can a Stimpack really fix all of this?

She walks up to the others, offering Robin her backpack.

[thegreyarea]

Nine

The Overseer's room looks exactly the same when Nine returns, bag heavy with water bottles and food, and stuffed to the limit with every roll of toilet paper he found. He walks by Robin and looks at Arthur's injury. He's in pain, but hides it pretty well. "Don't worry! I've seen worse. All you need is a stimpack and you will be as good as new."

Nine pats Charlie's shoulder and observes the others. They seem fine. Time to move. "Ok people, since our scout will be busy I'll step ahead and check the Reception Room to see if there's anything useful." He lowers the duffel bag on the ground. "Anyone is welcome to come with me, following the rules."

Glass shards break under his boots as he walks the corridor and mutters to himself. "Man, nobody will never, ever believe that we killed a protectron with water bottles!" Nine just wishes that no more unpleasant surprises wait on the next room.

He crosses the large doorway into the ample room and is assaulted by memories of those anxious moments when he and others arrived, shaken and a bit disoriented after witnessing the end of the World. Remembering that it all happened centuries ago, and not just a few hours before, should give him some comfort, some distance to see everything under a rational, pondered light, dampening all the emotion. "Yeah, it should! Just it doesn't! Not at all!" Memory after memory haunts him, but one stands above the rest. Sophie, looking serious at him with those unforgettable blue-grey eyes and asking for one more chance. Now all chances were that he would never know if she deserved that chance...

"Enough!" He speakes to himself, shaking his head and trying to fix his attention on the present. "Leave that for later, Nine! Let's take a good look at this place!"
PER check for reception room: 1d10+6=12

[thegreyarea]

Nine

The previous time he just had eyes for the Protectron, trying to find a way to overcome it. Now, standing on the doorway, he has time to observe how the ample room has changed from when he saw it, hours, or centuries, ago.

Instead of the barren Vault entrance he recalled, the space around the huge door and the catwalk leading up to it is presently filled with countless pallets, crates and...coffins! Not exactly a pleasant sight, but still better than body bags our skeletons.

Before moving further he makes a gesture to Faust, that looks idle. "Hey, Faust! Let's check this place. I could use some company, and that crowbar may come in handy for what I can see."

Without waiting for an answer he moves cautiously inside the room, senses alert for any sign of danger. "What's all that?" He mutters to himself, trying to find any indication of the crates' content. Nine walks slowly towards the main door, waiting for Faust to catch up.