Surviving the Odds (Legacy) – 5 – Jeansen Vaars' Fiction House

Recap

Kyle, Ida, and Adam, jump inside the industrial building, still looking for a power node to repair their vehicle and go back home. Their attempt to look for Adam’s grandpa only went south today.

However, the industrial building seems to be taken by the “cargo raiders”, a famous band of looters and thugs that survive out in the wasteland in nomadic form. It is not known whether they act under a unified leader, or it is many groups of them just roaming different areas. Better not ask.

Plot nodes

Dice	World aspects	Relevant Actors	Story Troubles	Active leads
1-2	The fall left many clues behind	Adam’s mysterious Grandpa	Wasteland hazards	There has to be a Power Node in the vaults
3-4	Physical anomalies and lights	Someone from the enclave	Wandering machines	Grandpa repeating same old route
5-6	Machines are waking up, grandpa says	Choose one or reroll	Cargo raiders	Cargo Raiders may be hunting Machines too
7-8	Choose one or reroll	Choose one or reroll	Choose one or reroll	The Machines are looking for power nodes too
9-10	Raiders hunting machines (Added during scene 1)	Choose one or reroll	Choose one or reroll	Add new or reroll

Scene 1

Adam: Here… give me your hand (helps Ida jump in)
Kyle: Are you alright?

They look around.

Scene beat → dice: 1d10 → Play a filler catalyst
Scene catalyst → dice: 1d10 → Trigger PC’s personal story
Whose? (Kyle, Adam, Ida) → dice: 1d3 Kyle’s

Exposition	Confrontation	Resolution
[X] [X] [X]	[X] [X] [X] [X] [O] [O] [O] [O]	[O] [O] [O]

A computer’s room… of some sort. One of them turned on, and beeping in a sound that can be barely heard. An interface in front of its old screen. (Is it futuristic? dice: 1d10 -> Yes).

Adam: You know how to use that thing?
Kyle: Yeah (spends one hold from “Architectural Eye move”). One sec…

SUM, possible GM intervention -> dice: 1d100 Places element of interest behind a challenge

Kyle manages to trigger a holographic projector from the computer, lots of information, images, music, and other files appear to be there. However, it seems to be locked, and not reacting to Kyle’s inputs.

Kyle tests his lore -> dice: 2d6+1 -> Success at a cost

“Click!”. Yet, the sounds seem to trigger a stronger beep, which isn’t exactly comfortable.

Ida: Damn, that’s not good. Maybe we should go…
Kyle: Wait… there has to be something in here.

Kyle seems to find photographic files of himself, while scouting the wastelands. Taken from a large distance with some sort of magnifying scope.

Kyle: What the hell… is that me?
Adam: Come on Kyle, we don’t have that much time
Kyle: These people have pictures of me! How do they even…?
Adam: If you feel like you’re in for a few bullets in your chest, we can ask them.
Kyle: Fine! Let me scan quickly for the location of the vault.

Can Kyle find the vault in the database? (subjective) -> dice: 1d10 -> Yes, for now.

Kyle: Here! Got it, I also found the way to unlock the vault, but it will only last for some time
Adam: Great, is it far? (is it? (universal) -> dice: 1d10 -> No)
Kyle: Now, it’s actually right in this building. But we might have to sneak in. Let me check the map.

SUM, another chance for GM interaction -> dice: 1d100 -> Reflect the setting (world aspect) -> Which one? dice: 1d10 -> Add new (What?) -> dice: 1d100 -> Mystery/Murder

Screaming can be heard from outside. Ida rushes to take a look through the window. The raiders seem to be dragging someone.

Who? -> dice: 1d10 -> Someone you’d prefer to avoid

Ida: They’ve got one of them! A machine! Look, look!
Adam: Ida! Get the hell inside, do you want to get us killed?
Ida: Holy are the times of the before! Look at this!

Ida is totally astonished to see a machine for the very first time. They are large bipedal androids, with rusted metal, with a plasma like emanating energy core in their chest.

What are they doing? (Activity) -> dice: 1d10 -> Looking for answers
About what? (What) -> dice: 1d100 -> Wealth/Riches

Raider: (Heard from afar) Get this piece of crap into the computer room, now!
…
Ida: Oh no… they’re coming. What should we do?
Adam: Get the power node from the vault and get our asses out of here!

Kyle checks whether the metallic door is open

Can we see through the other side of the door? dice: 1d10 -> Yes, for now.
Is the door unlocked? -> dice: 1d10 -> It depends (on skill)

Kyle: Dang it! The door is locked, but there seems to be a control in the system
Adam: Well, hurry up! (Readies his pistol)

With a bit of concentration, everybody looking at Kyle, Kyle manages to unlock it (Chummmm!)

Scene 2

The characters look around and sneak in following Kyle (He spends on hold from “Architectural Eye” to follow the path).

Modified Proposal -> dice: 1d10 -> Add hope, or relief

Exposition	Confrontation	Resolution
[X] [X] [X]	[X] [X] [X] [X] [O] [O] [O] [O]	[O] [O] [O]

Fortunately for them, all the raiders seem to be busy outside. After all, capturing a machine is quite a great achievement for them. Ida will never forget how this machine moved and made a horrid noise to escape the grasp of those barbaric raiders. However, the machines wouldn’t be less dangerous than we think…

Describe the place -> dice: 1d10 -> Is protected by some faction

As indeed was expected, the Raiders enabled several security systems inside, including traps, locked doors, and even automated turrets. The bastards are crafty!

Kyle will spend the last hold he’s got from the successful “Architectural Eye” move, and figure a way to reconfigure the defenses so they ignore them. However, if things can go wrong, it could be the case that the turrets will target EVERYBODY.

dice: 2d6+2 -> Success!

Kyle leads very carefully, haven checked the maps in the database computer carefully, he spots in time the dangers before turning in every corner, down the corridor and some stairs, until he manages to find a panel to disable the systems.

Eventually, they arrive to the room, where they expect to find the downstairs to the vault.

Scene 3

Exposition	Confrontation	Resolution
[X] [X] [X]	[X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [O] [O] [O]	[O] [O] [O]

Modified proposal -> dice: 1d10 -> Add anger, or indignation

As they climb down the ladder, a last, mechanical and not registered trap falls in. The tape above the characters closes down, and they find themselves in pure darkness.

Does this split the party? -> dice: 1d10 -> It depends (on skill)

Kyle was leading, and as soon as he passes through a threshold, the tape is an incredibly heavy cover that moves to close itself, Ida is in the middle, and decides to go with Kyle, as she is still in time to react, but for Adam, things are harder. Whether he decides to go in and hurry up, or stay on the other side, just in case… is not an easy thing. Still, he decides to deliberately stay on the other side.

Ida: Adam!!!
Adam: Don’t worry about me, look for the power node!
Kyle: Adam! Curse the fall! (a typical curse in the enclave)
Ida: I can’t see anything… Kyle?
Kyle: I am here, we’ll figure it out alright? Adam?! are you there?

Can the voices be heard across? (deterministic) -> dice: 1d10 Weak yes

Adam: I can hear you, but we can’t shout, they’ll hear us. I’ll look for a way to get this thing open, go!

Kyle starts touching the walls to find any kind of trigger, lever, button, or whatever…

SUM, GM action -> dice: 1d100 -> Reflect the game setting
World aspect -> dice: 1d10 -> “Machines are waking up, grandpa says”
Does it happen on its own? -> dice: 1d10 -> No

Kyle finds a button, in the wall. He presses it.

Do lights turn on? -> dice: 1d10 -> Weak no

Lights don’t turn on, unfortunately, but the LEDs of the machines do turn on. A cringing noise starts to be heard, as metal pieces clash against each other to form some sort of movement.

Is it just one machine? (subjective) -> dice: 1d10 -> Apparently not

Scene 4

I am letting this scene be dominated by PUM
Random prompt -> dice: 1d10 -> Reflect a world aspect
World aspect -> dice: 1d10 -> Raiders hunting machines

Exposition	Confrontation	Resolution
[X] [X] [X]	[X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [O] [O]	[O] [O] [O]

Kyle and Ida clash back to back, not able to see much, they do notice, however, a dozen of machine androids clamped against the walls, hanging there. The raiders must have been capturing them for whatever research or plans they are going through. They have been using the vault to store androids!

Are the characters in imminent danger? (unlikely, subjective) -> dice: 2d10 -> Not yet

Kyle: Can you speak? (talks to the surrounding machines)
Can they? do they? (subjective) -> dice: 1d10 -> Yes, apparently
SUM, NPC behavior -> dice: 1d20 -> Uncomfortable, unwelcoming
PUM, intention -> dice: 1d10 -> Support your cause
Machines (speak in sync all at the same time) -> Human… scanning purpose… you help us out, we help you find the power node that powers this core… and destroy your enemies
Ida: did they just read our faces and predicted us?
Kyle: How did you know I am looking for the power node
Machines: Parameters… intruders… not a fortunate place… difficult to find otherwise… single purpose… hiding… fear in face recognition… shouting. High likelihood of being in terrible danger. Savages. Uncivilized. Likely enemies to each other.
Kyle: How can you help us? Will you not kill us afterward?
Machines: Perhaps. But not now. Not this time. We can control the factory. Let us save our friend.

They are a hive mind. And linked to this factory.

Kyle: Fine, how can I release you?
Machines: Follow our laser sight. It points to a trigger. This blocks our firewall, and our restraints.
Kyle: Where can I find the power node afterward?
Machines: Release us first, and then we shall tell.