@SKIP
Skip got lost in the chaos of emotions scattering across the area making it difficult for him to focus on anything else.

DC15 -4 = +11 to threat level

@GILL & ED
The ship cruised on alongside debris.

@ANDRE
Andre manages to stress the gremlin's energy signature but notices that something odd was going on with the codes. The ship's computers were indeed being altered. The more power Andre pushed, the more it spread not just through the power systems but into the water supply (electrified water now made it dangerous to operate even a sink), into the air filters (static electricity), and certain parts of the ship were dangerous to touch for fear of electrocution. The entire ship was going to be a deathtrap until they burned off the excess energy or let it slowly dissipate. What's worse, Andre could tell there was something wrong with NOD. Also, the gremlin wasn't screaming anymore. It seemed to have turned into a translucent egg of energy which was barely any left.

DC15 - 15 = +0 to threat level

NOD/Gryftrr: "Yeah yeah, gearhead, I'm checking it...looks fine to me. I feel GREAT. Better than ever. Haha!"

It dawned on Andre that he hadn't performed an exorcism. No, he'd done just the opposite and infused the little critter in energy form directly into the ship that now hummed with its energy like a living creature.


@OSRAM
As Osram opened one of the crates, he'd see a cryocube was inside. Typically, these are used to store things that are highly temperature sensitive. Like a refrigerator or humidifier or dehumidifier for food or possibly even a cryopod for those in cryosleep. He could tell something was off. The cube was having trouble maintaining its level status. Must have something to do with the energy surges spreading across the ship. If he didn't do something to get the cryopods stabilized, it might ruin the cargo or whatever is inside. (Cipher or Mechanics to fix one of the cubes).

---

ESCAPE FROM THE ASTROID: ROUND 5

---

Threat Level: 43
No rolls cancelled out base rolls.

• Disable/Distract/Destroy Fighters: 2/10
• Power Boost: 3/3
• Drop Decoys: 1/3
• Investigate fighter: 0/8
• Investigate warship: 0/1
• Investigate crates: 2/2
• Investigate debris: 0/1
• HIDE!: 2/2
• Fix Cryocubes (each one is a payday): 0/6

Mad Dog asked, "NOD, how are we looking on the engines?"

In reply to Gill Rurry (msg # 229):

NOD/Gryftrr: "Pssssh. Engines are fine. They're nice and warm but not too warm, you know? Hmmm."

NOD was suddenly talking like a man enjoying a leisurely dip in a hot tub. Something was definitely strange with its responses and the data streams seemed a little...off.

Mad Dog was put aback by NOD's response, "NOD, do a self diagnosis. Aloud any issues you find."

At the state of the cargo, Osram mulled their options for a moment before reaching out.

"Dre, you got a minute?"  Osram called over the communicator.

"I checked on the cargo and whatever it is we've picked up is on ice, and it seems like that power surge might have damaged the cryocubes holding the cargo.  I can handle emergency field repairs, but it would probably be better for someone who knows exactly what they're doing to take a look at these.

The engineer was running his brain in a half dozen directions at once, "NOD is occupied. I'm not sure I can recover it. I'm also not sure we need to, but like any good gearhead I do keep backups from time to time. I can patch it later if we have problems. Systems are a little warm. We are a swelling dam but not bursting anymore. Burning off the power would be ideal... Full throttle, all guns and shields, that sort of thing. There was something of two side effects but I'm learning to deal with them. Oz has requested me in cargo to stabilize these cryos that weren't even attached to our system. I'm a genius but I am not perfect."

His vest grabbed his Hack-top as he passed by it. Neurolinks were amazing, "I'll unlock my tablet and it will help even barely trained folks be fair at computer work if that is all it takes. I can work on my own to usually positive effect. Oz, I'll be there shortly and show you how it works then we can hope to settle these things swiftly."

Andre Klanktonne rolled 19 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only.  Tablet assisted Cipher check. Thanks to Quickdraw the use is part of the act of drawing or stowing it.

Moving through ship might complicate effectiveness this round though.

Edwin stayed where he was watching for any fighters coming in hot or that the big ship had spotted them and had decided to turn them to so much space junk. Just the normal everyday things.

The fact that NOD now sounded all strange and that parts of the ship were dangerous to even touch were only mild inconveniences.

Yeah sure this whole ship was a deathtrap at the moment.

NOD/Gryftrr: "Pssh, I'm fine. Go 'self-diagnose' yourself! Hahaha!"

NOD's voice sounded familiar. Everyone on the ship who had interacted with one of the gremlins immediately recognized he sounded just like the little critter but with a slight robotic twinge. NOD's icon on the screens also had a pair of floating hands that were not there before and he was occasionally making rude gestures. Somehow, the little critter got into NOD's code. Andre would notice the battery container had no trace of the gremlin left save some glowing bits of goo.

Several text messages were coming in from Val. She was saying some unkind things nerds and gearheads that were probably directed towards Andre. She'd also figured it out. Their ship's AI was possessed. Before today, neither the techie nor the mystic even knew that could happen. What a world.

@ANDRE
Andre starts reviewing the backup drives and finds that literally every piece of data on the ship had new coding. Even personal logs. The only thing that hadn't been tampered with were personal data pads that were not plugged in at the time. Even NOD's backups were infected, though "infection" may not be the right word. Would a disembodied spirit possessing an AI even count as a virus?


DC15 - 19 = -4 to threat level


@ED
Yes, it's now apparent that NOD now talks like the gremlin.

@OSRAM
One of the cryocubes begins malfunctioning. It buzzes with an alarm stating that the cargo was in critical danger. Osram knew that it'd cost a lot of money if even one of the pods was lost but what worried him more was the self-destruct option the cryocube had listed on its list of options on the screen. That was definitely not normal.


The captain is on the line as well talking about general procedures and what they're going to do next as soon as they fire up the engines again. Apparently, he doesn't have time to worry about NOD as long as his targeting and navigational systems work.

---

ESCAPE FROM THE ASTROID: ROUND 6

---

Threat Level: 39
No rolls cancelled out base rolls.

• Disable/Distract/Destroy Fighters: 2/10
• Power Boost: 3/3
• Drop Decoys: 1/3
• Investigate fighter: 0/8
• Investigate warship: 0/1
• Investigate crates: 2/2
• Investigate debris: 0/1
• HIDE!: 2/2
• Fix Cryocubes (each one is a payday): 0/6

Mad Dog turned to the Captain, "Boss, we ready to fly?"

Keeping his hands on the trigger actuators, Skip has spent the whole time ready to light up an incoming fighter.  Let us know when we're clear to fire, he says over the internal coms.

Osram looked over the thing as it started making noise, and then towards the door to see if Dre was going to come to the rescue, or if he was going to have to give it a try.

Likely followed by chucking it out the airlock when it started making the really angry noises.

Val looks at Osram then the cryocube. Her face contorts from curiosity to concern. She reaches out and touches the machine closing her eyes and whispering some more of her witch nonsense.

Her eyes open and she looks at Osram.

"I hear...voices inside."

She calls Skip on the comms.

"Skip...can you focus your abilities down here on the crates. I hear voices but not people. Yet I also don't sense the dead or any more of our electric rat friends. Can you confirm anyone is in here that's not the crew? I feel like...like we're not alone down here."

Lance nods as his voice comes on the intercom.

"Yeah, looks like the ship is cooling off. But these readings are hard to figure out. Never seen anything like this. And NOD is acting very strange. Going to have to do a manual diagnostics after this.

As soon as we're clear of the debris be ready to fire on any fighters that pursue."

Mad Dog flipped the com to open, "Ladies and gents, hold onto your butts." With that he started the engines and did a VTOL, getting to altitude as fadt as possible before gunning it in a trajectory that would take it out of the gravity well of the planet so they can make the jump to hyperspace.

22:17, Today: Gill Rurry rolled 24 using 1d20+6.  Reliable Talent (Piloting). 
I will take that!

Andre came into the hold for cargo and used his tablet to stabilize the cryo cube before passing it (quickdraw) to Ozram, "It is going to be this program over here... You can use it and the tablet will do about half for you once I have it up..."

Andre Klanktonne rolled 19 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only.  Specialized tool adv, cipher roll for cryocube.

Edwin took a deep breath and tried to find that calm space. Taking the gunnery control firmly he swiveled the gun to track any close fighters that may be zeroing in on the before opening fire.

OOC:
20:25, Today: Edwin Arlo Park rolled 16 using 1d20+4 ((12)).

Skip remains in his "zone", tracking enemy fighters once more, and prepared to remove them and their pilots from their tail with extreme prejudice.

11:48, Today: Skip Tracer rolled 20 using 1d20+4.  Marksmanship.

Immediately as they take off two nearby fighters begin pursuit but Ed and Skip quickly dispatch them with the element of surprise. As they clear the debris field, several more fighters break off from the group and begin pursuing as well. Everyone on the ship could feel the the G's as their stabilizers struggled to keep art grav steady.

Andre quickly realized there was a living creature or creatures inside the cryocube and the cube was damaged. Because it could not sustain the suspended animation, automatic awakening procedures were in place. Maybe that's why the witc--uh psychic, Val, was confused as to whether something was in there or not. Andre & Osram had a choice. He could help the procedure along to revive whomever or whatever was in there or try to cancel it in the hopes that natural defrost kills whatever or whoever is in there. The others likely had similar damage but he might be able to stabilize them if he acted quickly without delay.

09:16, Today: Game Master rolled 10 using 2d20.  threat level. – 10

Base threat = +10 threat level
DC15 - 20 = -5 threat level
DC15 - 16 = -1 threat level
DC15 - 19 = -4 threat level
DC15 - 24 = -9 threat level
total: -9 threat level

---

ESCAPE FROM THE ASTROID: ROUND 7

---

Threat Level: 30
No rolls cancelled out base rolls.

• Disable/Distract/Destroy Fighters: 4/10
• Power Boost: 3/3
• Drop Decoys: 1/3
• Investigate fighter: 0/8
• Investigate warship: 0/1
• Investigate crates: 2/2
• Investigate debris: 0/1
• HIDE!: 2/2
• Fix Cryocubes (each one is a payday): 0/6

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:15, Thu 18 Jan.

Skip begins tracking the approaching fighters.  He passes along vectoring and targetting information to Edwin.  As soon as the fighters get into range, he gets a feel for where they are going to be and opens fire.
Let's show these prehistoric bastards how we do things in the asteroid belt.

12:16, Today: Skip Tracer rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  Marksman-shoot at fighters.
Natural 20.

Edwin opened fire also, Skips targeting information proving to be very good.

OOC:09:15, Today: Edwin Arlo Park rolled 20 using 1d20+4 ((16)).

Feeling the ship get underway again, and seeing that Dre was handling the cargo problem, Osram muscled another of the decoy crates into position to help with the pursuing fighters.

"Make sure you're clamped down!"  Osram called out before opening the door and chucking the crate into the void.

Osram rolled 25 using 1d20+6.  Brawn.

21:22, Today: Gill Rurry rolled 20 using 1d20+6.  Me fly GUD

Several more fighters are shot down by Ed and Skip while several others returned fire. Gill's fancy flying keeps them in tact while Osram throws several more fighters off the scent and keeps the warship's attention away. Andre flinches faced with a difficult choice.

23:24, Today: Game Master rolled 28 using 2d20.  threatlevel. – 28

Base threat = +28 threat level
DC15 - 24 = -9 threat level
DC15 - 20 = -5 threat level
DC15 - 25 = -10 threat level
DC15 - 20 = -5 threat level
total: -1 threat level

---

ESCAPE FROM THE ASTROID: ROUND 8

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Threat Level: 29

• Disable/Distract/Destroy Fighters: 6/10
• Power Boost: 3/3
• Drop Decoys: 2/3
• Investigate fighter: 0/8
• Investigate warship: 0/1
• Investigate crates: 2/2
• Investigate debris: 0/1
• HIDE!: 2/2
• Fix Cryocubes (each one is a payday): 0/6

This message was last edited by the GM at 05:28, Sun 28 Jan.

Andre voiced a message through comms, "I'm working to save lives. If I can keep the freeze on the cryos here then I will. If I have to activate thaw to keep them alive, this is how I roll. You can fire me later if you must."

He is flying over the screen of his tablet and looks at the cube, then pulls a cable from the edge of his tablet and feeds it into the panel of the cryo cube.

Andre Klanktonne rolled 15 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only.  Cypher to correct a cryocube
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Mon 29 Jan.