Session 31 (12 January 2024)

Location: Location: Kuyt City, Kuyt (Far Home 0728)

Date: 170–5600

Travellers: Griff Kodiak (gunner), Nogudnyk (steward), Jacobe Kyman (pilot), Dr Jaxxon Fomstep (medic)

NPCs: Dr Binyavanga Eromosele, biologist; Artyom Flavelle, billionaire CEO of Harada Corp.; Sarang Zarif, interstellar criminal mastermind

You're gathered in the security office and electrical room on the penthouse floor of Harada Tower, having just rescued billionaire Artyom Flavelle from two self-described terrorists who were trying to extract from him the code to a nearby safe. Unfortunately, other terrorists are still holding two dozen hostages down the hall. You've claimed guns and communicators from the bad guys, but before you've determined your next course of action, one of their communicators comes to life and a sinister voice with a strange accent addresses you:

"Well, you certainly are little flies in the ointment, aren't you?  Before you do anything rash, why don't you look down the hall and sees what is coming toward you?"

Wary of being sniped at if you poke your heads out, you opt to use the floor's security cameras to see what's going on. Two thugs with SMGs are pushing a young man out the doors of the penthouse suite, directing him to proceed down the elegant glassteel-walled corridor toward the security office. He's trembling and panicky, fearful of provoking their anger but almost too terrified to move — possibly because of the bulky object that's been taped to his chest, cinching his elegant chartreuse party robes closely about his thin frame. You all immediately have the same thought: bomb.

Sarang Zarif

"Now listen to me carefully, Artyom," says the voice, presumably that of the lead terrorist Sarang. "I want that code. If you don't give it to me, I'll be forced to perform a little magic trick for you: making your young friend here disappear. You have thirty seconds, starting NOW."

You direct the billionaire to stall as long as possible. He obliges by picking up the communicator and slowly, shakily, revealing a long, complicated alphanumeric code, explaining that there are multiple biometric checks that will need to be passed at specific intervals...  While the bad guys are thus occupied, Dr Fomstep's fingers fly over the control panels. First, you cut the power to the whole floor, having Artyom feign surprise at this new development, gaining a few extra precious seconds. Under cover of darkness, Griff and Jacobe dart into the corridor and pull the hapless human bomb aside onto one of the spacious sky garden terraces that flank the penthouse suites. Slicing through the tape, you remove the bomb from his chest and, never ones to leave a good resource unused, you take the risk of attempting to disarm the device: success! You now have some directional explosive charges at your disposal. 

Meanwhile, Artyom has delayed as long as he can and finally declares that the code is complete. "Very well, my friend," sneers Sarang. "We will proceed to the safe now. You will meet us there, or your friends will die." On the security cams, you see the door of the penthouse suite opening again. Three terrorists emerge, the lead thug moving cautiously in the dim emergency lighting, pointing his SMG down the hallway. Each of the two terrorists who follow is prodding a tearful hostage before them. Thus sandwiched, the two terrified civilians dissuade you from using any of your jury-rigged explosive devices against the gun-wielding bad guys. Even your captured SMGs would be inadvisable to deploy, lest you accidentally hit an innocent.

Instead, you decide that the situation calls for getting up close and personal. Having rooted through the many menus and submenus on the security panels, Dr Fomstep abruptly unleashes a multisensory distraction, pumping loud music through speakers, turning the hallway lighting up to the maximum, and displaying a riotous kaleidoscope of shapes and colours on the penthouse's glassteel walls that serve as both windows and computer displays. Nogudnyk, Jacobe, and Griff dash from different doorways along the hallway and leap upon the terrorists in the hallway. The skirmish is short and sharp, but in the cramped melee your blades and clubs prove less unwieldy than their slugthrowers. Most of their shots go wild, spraying fragments of plastic and glassteel from the walls, ceilings, and floors. A few rounds strike Jacobe, but miraculously he's still on his feet, even if he needs both hands to staunch the flow of blood from his wounds.

Seeing the tables turned, Sarang tries to make his escape. He lurches from the penthouse suite with a hostage held before him as a human shield, takes a pot shot at Griff with his autopistol, and begins backing down the hallway toward a sky garden. Perhaps he's hoping his accomplices in the parking garage below will be able to pick him up with an grav car. But he never makes it. With an assist from Griff, Nogudnyk parkours over his head to block his path. Even as he turns to dispense with this new threat, a well-placed blow from Griff's club knocks him silly. Meanwhile, Dr Fomstep locks down the parking garage, enuring that the terrorists there won't be able to come to Sarang's assistance. 

You liberate the hostages and notify the authorities. Dr Eromosele, thankfully, has survived the ordeal, as have all of Artyom Flavelle's guests, save the one whom the terrorists executed in the boardroom. But it turns out that no one really liked that guy anyway [Die of Fate roll]. Jacobe gets his gunshot wounds tended to. Dr Fomstep also stabilizes several of the wounded terrorists, but Sarang doesn't make it. (Does anyone see the doctor's surreptitious application of a syringe to the man's arm?)

Soon enough, the local police are on the scene to mop up, accompanied by other emergency agencies, grief counselors, etc., not to mention the press. It looks like you'll be local heroes for a while. Artyom Flavelle is effusive in his praise of your efforts. It looks like the SPAWK payday is going to get even better...