Otto's Multiversal Mayhem

[arcanus]

“Suddenly, like a thing falling upon me from without, came fear.”
― H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

Two blinding flashes of electrical power retort from the pistol, the mechanical fowl stumbles and slides as the blasts punish its frame.
The automaton wobbles and collapses, although its tendrils stilll lash around and it attempts to get back on it feet.

The Black Smoke floods the back alley, Otto quickly pulls his spare breather on but not before the back of this throat burns.

2 points of damage.

Above him the house starts to groan, as the slate upon its roof now literally melts beneath the onslaught.

<YOU'VE PISSED THEM OFF NOW> roars Sting, as chaotic gibberick chatter floods the airwaves, distantly Otto thinks he can hear screams.

[Otto]

<NOW IS NOT THE TIME!> he shouts mentally to Sting as he disengages the disc and drops the remaining two feet to the ground.

'Keep your head down girl!' he bellows above the din, as he now lifts her up and runs the gauntlet of whirling black death and chaos of the invaders advance.

Behind them, the house finally surrendered to the beam weapons assault. Under the intense heat, the building almost poured into the street with red hot bricks exploding into lethal fragments which thudded into Otto's retreating back.

Otto emitted a bestial growl of pain, but maintained his breakneck pace.

<Conduct a test of the chemical I have ingested, clean up this bloody signal, work out what the hell that chatter is all about, I heard screams. Report back in thirty minutes in an encrypted 5 second code burst. Maintain radio silence. Message ends.> Otto orders Sting rapidly.

As he dashes headlong for safety, he will be looking for drainage ducts or anything that could act as an escape route. Where possible, he will go through the houses as he has done before.

[arcanus]

<Yes SAAA> digitally bellows Sting

You spot a manhole cover in the shadows of the back alley.

[Otto]

(22:00:37) Otto: The Xert's hair and clothes began to singe and smoke as the searing heat of the now burning street threatened to engulf him and the child.

(22:04:15) Otto: Suddenly, as it seemed that the whirling smoke laced with flying glass and stone would kill them both, Otto spotted a manhole cover.

(22:06:26) Otto: Dashing up to it he set the girl down. 'Curl up in a ball lav!' he shouted. 'It'll be ok!' he added, barely beleiving it himself as he reached down to try and open it.

(22:06:35) Otto: Strength roll:

(22:06:46) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 4,5,5.

(22:07:23) arcanus: A horrendous cacophany of tortured sound struck Otto, molten brickwork, timber and the shattering of glass greeted the tripod as it began to stride through the remnants of the Victorian houses

(22:08:49) Otto: Through all the chaos, the small insistent and ominous chirp of digital sound rang in Otto's ears.

(22:09:23) Otto: <Rebreather system filters failing, please insert a new filter >

(22:10:03) Otto: 'Fer Fuck sake!' He roared.

(22:12:46) arcanus: Initially the circular steel cover resisted, years of grit and dirt sealing it shut. Arcane power shunted through his biomechanical arms, his fingers digging into the metal, twisting and starting to haul the cover out.

(22:13:32) Otto: The arm of his coat suddenly flared into fire, and his effort of will kept him set on the task of the cover.

(22:14:27) arcanus: Further Strength roll?

(22:15:28) Otto: 'Arghhhh!' he screamed in bestial fury as the pain became almost unendurable. The veins pulsed in his neck and face as he heaved.

(22:15:40) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 2,2,2.

(22:15:44) arcanus: "Ooooh No" whimpered the girl as the metal crab like canopy loomed over the crumbling rooftops

(22:19:37) arcanus: The stonework rim of surrounding the cover, creaked and cobbles started to break away, a panicked glance told Otto that the tripod had seen them, masonry exploded as a camera like appendage smashed through the upper floor of the house, pointing down into the back alley

(22:22:44) Otto: Otto will activate his etheric link and lock on to the tripod machine. He will attempt an etheric scream at it.

(22:23:04) arcanus: Arcane Science roll?

(22:23:55) Otto: If this is successful (or has a positive reaction) he will attempt to break into the actual subsystem of whatever it is!

(22:24:03) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 2,5,5.

(22:24:19) ChatBot: arcanus rolls 3d6 and gets 6,4,2.

(22:26:48) Otto: Otto, realising he's on fire tears off his jacket.

(22:27:51) arcanus: The tripod staggers, a haze of heat flashes off target striking the opposite rooftops and setting them alight.

(22:28:31) arcanus: The girl screams as a red tendril whips through the Black Smoke and coils around her arm

(22:30:35) Otto Otto will grasp the red tendril, insulating the part that is touching the girl from the electric shock that his Voltaic Coil creates!

(22:31:56) Otto: Did he get a glimpse of anything when he fired the scream at the tripod?

(22:33:15) arcanus: Arcane Science roll?

(22:34:14) arcanus: His comms are filled by further screaming gibberish, however this time it sounds panicked and scared

(22:34:57) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 2,4,3.

(22:36:45) Otto: <JUST YOU WAIT YOU CUNTS, I'M CAMIN' FOR YOU!> he bellowed with etheric feedback.

(22:37:34) ChatBot: arcanus rolls 3d6 and gets 6,6,1.

(22:39:24) Otto His gloved hand will administer its full power and crush down on the tendril as the electrical power flows into it. With his other hand he draws his pistol from the shoulder holster and attempts to sight the robot through the smoke and debris.

(22:39:32) Otto: Spot:

(22:39:39) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 6,4,4.

(22:39:54) arcanus: The tripod swings precariously, its cowl slicing through the charred remnants of the rooftop

(22:40:54) arcanus: The alley way filled with the vicious Black Smoke, he can't pinpoint the robot

(22:41:17) arcanus: A further tendril wraps around his arm

(22:42:34) Otto: 'Yahhhhhhh!' The voltiac power runs through his tortured body as he empties the remainder of the ammo clip in desperation into the smoke between the two tendrils hoping that it is the same machine.

(22:42:55) Otto: Is there any effect from the electricity?

(22:43:21) Otto: Pistol:
(22:43:27) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 3,1,4.

(22:43:51) arcanus: Damage

(22:44:05) ChatBot: Otto rolls 5d6 and gets 5,2,4,5,3.

(22:44:26) Otto: plus any multipliers for explosive heads?

(22:47:56) arcanus: The tendrils slacken, as the volts surge through, a dull thump and Otto notices a rank fluid run along the cobbles, immediately after he's the fired the shots into the smoke

(22:48:39) Otto: 'Yesss, you fuckers! You can die too! Ha ha ha!' he roars with bloodlust and rage as he quickly turns and takes this fury out on the drain cover.

(22:48:34) arcanus: As this occurs the manhole cover gives in, tearing free

(22:50:12) Otto: 'Get in!' He shouts at the girl as a large fragment of flying glass scores a deep cut in his cheek.

(22:52:27) Otto: Reeling from the shock of the situation he shuts down his etheric link and dives after the girl into the manhole.

(22:53:44) Otto: He then attempts to drag the 'thing' by the tendril that he is still holding onto after him.

(22:57:04) Otto: 'Got to find out what these things are, damn the consequences' he thought grimly.

(23:01:16) arcanus: Climbing down into the smelly but oddly welcoming sewer, the carnage above seems to fade away.

(23:02:54) Otto: Did he manage to drag the thing down with him?

(23:04:08) arcanus: The wreckage of the robot tumbles down into the sewer with a tug, its oval head cracked by significant bullet damage and discharging a rank fluid

(23:05:14) Otto: Otto will attempt to replace the manhole cover if possible.

(23:05:49) Otto: Is the thing dead?

(23:10:19) arcanus: You manage to drag the cover back over, closing off any light

(23:10:30) arcanus: Yes, the automaton appears dead

(23:13:25) Otto: Otto pulls out a torch, turns it on and tosses it to the girl. 'Here.' he says bluntly as his eyes emit a faint bluish hue (darkvision) as he stares intently but swiftly over the automaton.

(23:14:07) Otto pulls out a syringe and takes blood/fluid samples of it.

(23:14:29) Otto: Biotechnology:

(23:14:35) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 6,2,3.

(23:14:44) Otto: Robotics

(23:14:50) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 1,6,1.

(23:16:13) Otto: Replacing the syringe in the box, he produces a scalpel and proceeds to take samples of the living elements of it.

(23:16:40) Otto: Surgery:

(23:16:48) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 1,5,3.

(23:17:14) arcanus: The girl looks mystified at the torch, drawing some of the fluid from its cavity, he then proceeds to remove samples, a quick assessment indicates a cybernetic organism

(23:17:52) Otto: Any familiar traits to humanoids?

(23:20:15) Otto: Is there a CPU to the cyborg?

(23:22:14) arcanus: The cranial matter could be humanoid, you can't identify anything that looks like a CPU

(23:23:44) Otto: Otto will attempt to remove the CPU of the 'brain' then.

(23:23:48) Otto: Surgery:

(23:23:56) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 6,5,2.

(23:24:50) arcanus: Will Roll?

(23:24:58) Otto: What about a robotic/electronic CPU?

(23:25:07) Otto: Willpower:

(23:25:12) ChatBot: Otto rolls 3d6 and gets 4,2,1.

(23:26:55) Otto: Otto begins to pant with the sheer physical and mental overload of the situation. Blood from his horribly gashed cheek begins to cake the shirt he is wearing although he seems to be oblivious to it.

(23:28:48) arcanus: The girl, whimpers as you crack the remains of the cranial shell, inside is the remains of an organic brain, you think this is the devices CPU

(23:30:25) arcanus: Looking across at the girl, you realise the situation before her, she’s standing in a dark sewer, with a strange man who’s caked in blood and is performing an autopsy on a strange being that was only a moment ago trying to kill her.

[Otto]

Otto suddenly pauses from his frantic, obsessive and bloody investigation and realises that he has another problem to deal with.

Trying to catch his breath he attempts to console the girl.

'Its ok lav, it's all over for now. But we can't stay here for too long.' his purposefully soft voice echoes metallically in the sewer as he reaches out to the girl with a consoling hand but checks himself when he realises they are gloved in gore from the cyborg.

He swiftly grabs the tendril of the automaton and drags the reamains of it out of the girls eyesight, he then attempts to wipe off the majority of the blood off his hands.

He swears softly to himself as he finally registers the injury to his face. He tears off a strip of his shirt and dabs at it.

'How's your wrist?' he turns from his task and asks bluntly, but with an attempt at a conversational tone (as is his way), hoping to gain a modicum of trust from the girl.

Charisma: 8

[arcanus]

Her breath rasping heavily through her breather from exertion, the girl looks at Otto warily

Also looking warily at the remains of the automaton rather unsubtly hidden behind Otto, before replying "Its not too bad"

The pair are jolted by the impact of masonry landing on the man hole cover.

[Otto]

'Well, that sorts out the danger of any unwanted visitors from that way!' he whispered as he removed the still chirping rebreather from his mouth. With a flick of a switch the alert was silenced.

'I hope to hell that there is another way out of this place.' he thought with a quick stab of worry as he looked around his and the girls new environment.

The large, well made red brick circular sewer in some strange way gave Otto some comfort and security, however he knew that this was by no means a safe place. There was a strange iron like smell in the air, and even stranger, none of the smells that were attributable to a normal sewer. Either it was unused works or the alternative answer was even more un-nerving.

Otto de-activated his vision enhancement, and the dimness of the sewer fell on him like a velvet blanket with only the torch the girl had to light it.

'Take that rebreather off lav.' he says kindly, giving the automaton a derisive back heel which makes it rattle and slide out of eyeshot.

'As I said before, you might not remember, my names Otto.' he offered his hand to the girl.

'Who are you?' he asked.

Charisma: 10

[arcanus]

The gloom closed in upon the pair, the girls face illuminated only by the torch.

A little more confidently she removed the breather, coughed as she drew in the stale air, rubbed her eyes and finally replied
"Olivia, my names Olivia"

[Otto]

'Pleased to meet you.' he replies. He dropped his un shook hand down and attempts but fails to brush off the grime, blood and dust off his shirt.

'Now the next question is albiet a strange one.' He looked up keenly at Olivia.

'Where are we? And what year and date is it?' he asks.

Psychology of 11: I will check to see if she's lying in any of her responses. You can't be too careful as spies can take all shapes and sizes.

'Lets just say I have been imprisoned for a long time, but I'm no criminal' he explained and reassured her.

[arcanus]

Panic and fear were the overriding emotions ruling Olivia's head, however a moment of very adult clarity swept over her.
'What a silly man' she thought, 'He must think I'm stupid' her eyes narrowed

Nether the less she was stuck in a sewer with him and he had saved her life
"Its 1898 sir, I'm sorry sir I don't know the date!"

(She betrays no signs of lying or deception)

As Ottos eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, his eyes were drawn up the pipe they stood in where it met in a T-shape cross section.
Beyond on the parallel walls of the connected tunnel, he could see small signs of movement.