We followed the tank's trail until they ended near a 'river' running through the city that was absolutely disgusting and severely deadly due to containing the combined industrial waste of the city of mad science running through it.
Malady disguised himself as a homeless man and pried the locals for information, and even joined them in eating a crocodile that had lived in the sewage river. He discovered that Zik and some other guy, had driven the tank into the river after tearing the top off and throwing it into the river, truly a feat of strength if it were true. While we were thinking of ways to look for what they might be trying to hide, I recalled that I had some folding gloves that could most likely survive the sludge for a bit in another hidden compartment in my duster. So using those gloves I was able to hook the portion of the tank in the river up to a grappling hook and we pulled it out, with great effort. When we opened our prize, we retrieved several miscellaneous objects and a brass Marshals badge. The troupe then split up to investigate several leads quicker, because we were running out of time.
The first group, which I was in looked into where the stolen mad science devices were fenced too, when we got there we managed to barely avoid a confrontation with the fence and dealt with the situation fairly well, and even managed to retrieve some of the stolen mad science devices.
Ziggy went off bar-crawling both to find information and to drink enough to satisfy his 'roomate'.
Collen split off and wandered around town asking questions.
Unfortunately our investigations seemed to have reached a dead end, and with the threat of the gallows hanging over us, most of us reconvened to discuss.After a long day and night of nothing but searching for clues around the city, I am going to take a nap hoping that it will clear my mind enough to figure a way out of this mess.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Entry 8a: Nightmares and memories
Last night I had a Nightmare: I was writhing on a cold stone floor, thrashing around trying to get the sleeves of my straitjacket undone as I locked the door the my cell. As I walked away, I kept telling myself that it was for the best, but my voice rings hollow in my ears as the sunlight coming through my cell windows dies and I cry out with a raw voice to be freed.
------------------
When I was in warehouse 13 and was investigating the machines I had a memory return to me:
Methane, carbon dioxide, and water, with flickering in the PNL band. I made a note of it on the schematic; for a portable device, it's good, but better harmonization of nongaseous signal display would be absolutely vital for widespread adoption. Besides, if they're going to hand me fifteen-pound spectral goggles, they'd damn well better make them easy to read.
A flicker is usable, though, if I know what I'm looking for. "It's the same pattern as the last four, albeit considerably bigger."
"He's getting used to the process."
"An expansion in scope is likely imminent."
"He will begin to target urban areas as the rush continues to cloud his judgment."
"It will be more efficient to concentrate our efforts there."
My subordinates were beginning to adopt my methodology. "Getting in their heads" was bullshit for newbies separating spies from dirt farmers. When I get a target handed down, there's not a human thought left to drive them other than blind rage, and treating them as such had much more predictive value.
Besides, it's easier to kill a monster than a man.
Usually.
As the flashback faded, I was newly cognizant of a lump in one of the pockets of my duster.
------------------
When I was in warehouse 13 and was investigating the machines I had a memory return to me:
Methane, carbon dioxide, and water, with flickering in the PNL band. I made a note of it on the schematic; for a portable device, it's good, but better harmonization of nongaseous signal display would be absolutely vital for widespread adoption. Besides, if they're going to hand me fifteen-pound spectral goggles, they'd damn well better make them easy to read.
A flicker is usable, though, if I know what I'm looking for. "It's the same pattern as the last four, albeit considerably bigger."
"He's getting used to the process."
"An expansion in scope is likely imminent."
"He will begin to target urban areas as the rush continues to cloud his judgment."
"It will be more efficient to concentrate our efforts there."
My subordinates were beginning to adopt my methodology. "Getting in their heads" was bullshit for newbies separating spies from dirt farmers. When I get a target handed down, there's not a human thought left to drive them other than blind rage, and treating them as such had much more predictive value.
Besides, it's easier to kill a monster than a man.
Usually.
As the flashback faded, I was newly cognizant of a lump in one of the pockets of my duster.
Entry 8:Factory 13
It's been an eventful night, while waiting to do the play, our sideshows were for the most part successful, with the exception of someone cheating at the fighting tournament by bringing and using knives. And a man named Zik usinig a large mechanized arm to completely dominate the arm wrestling tournament. A local gang that ran most of the gambling also must have taken offence to our gambling station so the caused a distraction and stole the earnings from that.
When the play came around it was performed nearly flawlessly and when I stumbled, Cassanova was able to cover it up and make up for it, I set off the fireworks after the play, and they were spectacular, however one of them veered off course, and through luck or fate went in the direction of Factory #13, one of Hellstromme's factories that was known to have the highest fatality rate, where no one who was sent there was ever heard from again.
After a while there was a fire at Factory 13 and people started trying to put it out. however the fire was in the ghost rock hopper so was still burning strong despite their efforts. The local Sheriff of Junkyard showed up quickly and began questioning us, and when he was done, told us that we had 24 hours to find someone else to swing for it, since someone was going to hang for one of Hellstrome's factories being damaged. We were deputized and told that the sheriff wanted to know who the actual culprits were. So we quickly headed for the factory and searched the remains for clues, what we found was quite surprising.
Among the wreckage we found the bodies of both workers and mechanized guards brutally murdered, some in horrific ways. There was also some object taken that we were tasked with retrieving and searched for what that might be, finding evidence that several mad science devices were taken, as well as a new prototype tank, and a giant war machine called 'the Maxis'. What was truely bizzare was a room full of devices, many of which were severely damaged or on fire, that seemed to be designed for analyzing some object, that would have presumably fit in the strange box in the center of the room, had the object still been there. One of the devices I recognized as a spectral scope, which could be used to analyze the spiritual substance of something, how curious.
After searching through the warehouse we noticed that there were tracks that were most likely made by the stolen tank, and we began to follow it, hearing another team of investigators enter the warehouse just as we were making our exit.
When the play came around it was performed nearly flawlessly and when I stumbled, Cassanova was able to cover it up and make up for it, I set off the fireworks after the play, and they were spectacular, however one of them veered off course, and through luck or fate went in the direction of Factory #13, one of Hellstromme's factories that was known to have the highest fatality rate, where no one who was sent there was ever heard from again.
After a while there was a fire at Factory 13 and people started trying to put it out. however the fire was in the ghost rock hopper so was still burning strong despite their efforts. The local Sheriff of Junkyard showed up quickly and began questioning us, and when he was done, told us that we had 24 hours to find someone else to swing for it, since someone was going to hang for one of Hellstrome's factories being damaged. We were deputized and told that the sheriff wanted to know who the actual culprits were. So we quickly headed for the factory and searched the remains for clues, what we found was quite surprising.
Among the wreckage we found the bodies of both workers and mechanized guards brutally murdered, some in horrific ways. There was also some object taken that we were tasked with retrieving and searched for what that might be, finding evidence that several mad science devices were taken, as well as a new prototype tank, and a giant war machine called 'the Maxis'. What was truely bizzare was a room full of devices, many of which were severely damaged or on fire, that seemed to be designed for analyzing some object, that would have presumably fit in the strange box in the center of the room, had the object still been there. One of the devices I recognized as a spectral scope, which could be used to analyze the spiritual substance of something, how curious.
After searching through the warehouse we noticed that there were tracks that were most likely made by the stolen tank, and we began to follow it, hearing another team of investigators enter the warehouse just as we were making our exit.
Entry 7a:Crystal Nightmares
I had another nightmare, or perhaps a vision, of an Absolutely perfectly tetrahedral crystal formation that formed a crystal with souls in it whose world had been destroyed, a giant man breathing fire reached for the crystal and when he got it, everything exploded into many smaller crystals and and the scene changed. I saw the inside of a factory known as factory 13, where armed guards were escorting people in black dusters, who then sat at desks and began working, the scene seemed oddly familiar to me.
I wonder what that means, only time will tell.
I wonder what that means, only time will tell.
Entry 7: Arrival
After a few days of traveling in somber silence (not
counting Casanova’s boasting and Smoke’s cursing) we finally arrived at
salt-lake city. Salt-lake city is a
predominantly Mormon city and it is also widely known as a hot spot for mad
science in which Smith and Robard’s and Hellstrome industries are located, When
we got there we looked up an inn where we could sleep and store our wagons
(waltzing buffalo left for a stable for his horse and himself saying something
about the old ways and manufactured floors), We then rented some rooms for the
night.
The Next Morning I heard of Cassanovas attempt to woo 2 women at a bar, which was most likely an attempt to bolster his wounded pride, and it had seemed he had been fairly sucessful in it, until he was kicked out of the room by both of them and locked out, it turns out Malady could be quite convincing in disguise and stole the only woman at the bar from Cassanova. Several of us went to meet our Sponsor in Salt-lake, while the rest stayed behind. After negotiating on the location and payment for the show, We began our Preparations for the Play. We decided that we should spice it up with a few side attractions as well, A dunking booth was jokingly suggested for Cassanova, but it wouldn't be that hard to set up so Smoke volunteered to make one. Several members of the troupe set up a fighting tournament for which Ziggy declared he would be the bookkeeper. Malady is setting up a gambling station where people can bet on matches or various other thing. Waltzing Buffalo will be preforming an authentic Native American ritual dance and cassanova plans on running a kissing booth .... And I am working on fireworks that we can use and possibly sell after the show.
The rest of the Troupe seems quite happy to have something to do and to keep their mind of the ringmaster's death, and the individual that he hopefully killed. Hopefully this performance goes well.
The Next Morning I heard of Cassanovas attempt to woo 2 women at a bar, which was most likely an attempt to bolster his wounded pride, and it had seemed he had been fairly sucessful in it, until he was kicked out of the room by both of them and locked out, it turns out Malady could be quite convincing in disguise and stole the only woman at the bar from Cassanova. Several of us went to meet our Sponsor in Salt-lake, while the rest stayed behind. After negotiating on the location and payment for the show, We began our Preparations for the Play. We decided that we should spice it up with a few side attractions as well, A dunking booth was jokingly suggested for Cassanova, but it wouldn't be that hard to set up so Smoke volunteered to make one. Several members of the troupe set up a fighting tournament for which Ziggy declared he would be the bookkeeper. Malady is setting up a gambling station where people can bet on matches or various other thing. Waltzing Buffalo will be preforming an authentic Native American ritual dance and cassanova plans on running a kissing booth .... And I am working on fireworks that we can use and possibly sell after the show.
The rest of the Troupe seems quite happy to have something to do and to keep their mind of the ringmaster's death, and the individual that he hopefully killed. Hopefully this performance goes well.
Entry 6:The Show Must Go On!
Last night was quite stressful for the troupe, it started
with an uneasy feeling of something moving in the distance that was also
spooking runs-on-oats during the journey. While we were stopped I spotted what looked
like a humanoid shape in the distance, the figure stuck a profound fear in my
heart, and I tried to warn the others to get them to move quickly, but Ziggy
managed to get them moving before I was able to shake off the fear for long
enough to start up the wagons, while we were preparing the wagons for a quick
departure, The ringmaster grabbed a briefcase1, and began running
towards the figure, telling us to run. The figure began to rapidly Fire his
pistols at the ringmaster, but he blocked the bullets using his briefcase.
Casanova tried to run out to assist the ringmaster, but Colleen and Malady held
him in the wagon. Smoke was in an
especially panicky mood and was rushing to get the wagons moving as quickly as
possible. Suddenly when the ringmaster got near the figure he opened the
suitcase and threw it to the ground, causing a massive explosion that we barely
managed to escape from and which took a large chunk of the side of the Grand
Canyon. We managed to hear the ringmaster’s final words “The Show Must Go On”
-An interesting note for later is that Smoke seemed to know
what happened to the ringmaster “Damn it, why did you have to go and do that”
The troupe is feeling the loss of the ringmaster quite
profoundly, Smoke as usual is spewing streams of profanity but they are missing
their typical venom. Casanova is trying to convince the rest of the troupe and
possibly himself that he might have been able to help the ringmaster. Colleen
seems to be Shell shocked from the explosion and only snapped out to make a
snap at Casanova telling him if they hadn’t stopped him he would have died too. Ziggy mostly kept to himself, and lastly I
just sat observing the rest of the troupe trying to rationalize why the
ringmaster did that. The conclusions I reached were less than encouraging, it
indicated that the figure we saw, was something that he felt could not be
handled without drastic methods such as destroying himself and it in a massive
explosion and toppling the remains into the Grand Canyon. What worries me more
is that whatever it is might not be dead, but just delayed. While we were
fleeing the explosion site and after we had calmed down we discussed what we
should do now, and remembering the ringmaster’s last words we decided to
continue on to Salt-lake city.
1 4 Pandora’s boxes - 3 explosions = 1. What are
Pandora’s boxes?
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