Mission Report 1: Search & Rescue
For those of you wanting to get a feel of Oblivion, here ya go!
Agents Eddy and Rolf were contacted to locate Professor Edgeworth reported missing in the Georgetown area. After procuring their equipment, they were flown into the area and soon at the site he was last reported seen, a subway platform. After an initial investigation, Agent Eddy, a field sorceror, noted claw marks near a storm drain and determined they were most likely lycanthropic, but nothing he had encountered before. A sludge trail leading both into and out of the drain indicated something had crawled out and back in. Meanwhile, Agent Rolf located a nearby access panel and they quickly accessed it and descended into the depths below.
Their fears were confirmed, the Agents found the Professor’s billfold intact aalong with a pair of reading glasses. They picked this up when suddenly an abnormally huge and feral rat- the size of a large dog- appeared out of nowhere. Rolf froze up and Agent Eddy calmly drew his revolver and dispatched the creature. After Rolf recovered, the two Agents canvassed the area and discovered a set of beastial tracks that led off down a side passage. The bi-pedal pattern seemed to further support the “werewolf abduction” hypothesis the two were forming.
The trail ended at a door at the end of the tunnel that showed no forced entry, but had claw marks around it. Evidently, something retained enough intelligence to somehow open the door. Intrigued they entered and found themselves in a dark stairwell. Ascending the stairwell, they came to a door that again showed no signs of forced entry and came out into a shambles of a room that looked likely to be a janitor’s residence. There was a cot, a desk, and a small inset bathroom. A razor lay in the sink and some greenish ichor dripped down through the ceiling and into the sink area. The Agents concluded that this “gunk” may have some connection and collected a sample for later analysis.
Looking over the desk, they discovered lots of betting sheets; evidently, the occupant had a serious, daily gambling habit. The most recent betting sheet, however, was three days ago. One day prior to the Professor’s disappearance. The Agents attempted to pick the lock, but it jammed and Agent Eddy shot the lock open to Rolf’s dismay. Luckily, the corridor was empty and they saw a nearby service elevator and drag marks. They accessed the elevator and decided to ascend. During their rise, however, “something” landed on the roof of the elevator and Rolf, again, was startled as they could hear loud gnawing through the steel cables and the elevator lurched to a halt between the 4th and 5th floors. Multiple times the Agents tried to open the access panel in the roof, but something seemed to be blocking them. In desperation, Agent Eddy pulled out his multi-tool and quickly got the door open just as Agent Rolf got the panel open. Whatever had been there, he could hear scrambling up the shaft.
Agent Rolf rejoined Eddy who was already looking over the corridor they had come out in. It seemed white and clean almost to the point of being antiseptic and Eddy started to head off when Rolf noted the security cameras. Eddy called up his sorcery and created a tennis-ball sized globe of light to block out the security camera and they rounded the corner to discover they were in some sort of research center and saw a central room with the glass shattered inward. Cautiously, they moved into the shambles and saw computers in disarray, broken lab equipment, and a table with restraints partially singed. They discovered a large quantity of green liquid had spilled across the floor and seeped somehow into the plumbing. This matched what they had found in the janitor’s room and after discovering some notes, they concluded that this research facility was somehow doing research into the genetic composition of werewolves and were combining it with the genetic material of Rattus norvegicus- the common brown rat. To what end, they did not know.
They saw the computers were still operational and turned one on. Here they were able to finally identify the company, as a Xenon Corporation access screen prompted them for a password. Neither being hackers, they decided to let it be, in case it activated security. Looking about for any external media devices, they discovered that all of the computers were, in fact, dumb terminals, and no notes were in the lab at all. Just a stack of crossword puzzles. Suspecting a hidden code, they collected the puzzles and quickly exited the lab. At this point, Agent Eddy felt that the Professor’s very life was in danger and that it was essential they locate him quickly and began a summoning that tapped upon dark powers he had not yet mastered to seek out the Professor’s life sign. Suddenly, his third eye opened and he knew precisely were the Professor was- on the 7th floor- but also felt his hold on reality weaken as something very malevolent brushed against his mind, attempting to pervert his soul.
After calming him, Rolf noted the elevator door suddenly open with a lab worker present. The figure was wearing a white, sealed uniform with an opaque helmet. Eddy felt a presence try to sweep over his mind and managed to repel it at which point he quickly dispatched it while Rolf kept an eye on the other elevator. Eddy stripped the figure down and put on his uniform and thought the helmet would be ideal in concealing his identity before they got to the Professor and removed the worker’s helmet. Both he and Rolf were disgusted and repulsed when they saw his face- it seemed to be that of some sort of alien-human hybrid. Eddy dropped the helmet and staggered back. The two quickly carried the body out of the elevator and took it to the 7th floor.
Upon reaching the 7th floor, they expected trouble, but still, no one seemed to be alerted. The layout looked identical to the floor below, except the technology seemed to look far more sophisticated. They entered the hallway and the center lab area had a floor strip that pulsed with a red trace glow. Again, they moved past the cameras with Eddy’s magic until they reached the lab door that was closed. Through the safety glass, however, they could see a rat-like man in janitor clothes with Bob monogrammed on his shirt pocket fastening down the Professor to an operating table. While Rolf attempted entry into the sophisticated door, Eddy called out to the creature. “Bob”, he said, “What are you doing, Bob?” Rolf found the door impenetrable and pulled out his service revolver while Eddy continued. “Leave the good professor alone, Bob.” The creature ignored his calls and Eddy grinned at Rolf and said, “Watch this.” He quickly chanted a spell and Bob’s clothes caught on fire. Bob reeled back and patted them out. The Agents now had Bob’s full attention, however.
“Bob” came over to the door and slid a security card through and the door slid open. His eyes gleamed with anger, but the Agents steeled themselves for this moment. Rolf opened fire and caught Bob square in the chest and he stumbled backwards, gripping his chest with one hand and sliding the card through the door with the other. Rolf quickly leapt through the door before it closed, leaving Eddy on the other side. Rolf, hoping he’d be able to put Bob down in one more shot, grew slack-jawed as Bob removed his clawed hand from his chest and the bullet tumbled to the ground. The gaping wound was no more. Bullets were ineffectual.
Quickly, Eddy racked his head. They weren’t equipped to deal with this contingency. What could he use? Garlic? Didn’t have any. Silver? No chance of that.
“What can we do to stop him?”, Rolf called out.
“Nothing,” said Eddy. “Not a thing. We’ve gotta get the Professor and get out of here.” Glancing back, he saw an elevator descending from the 40th floor. Quickly, Eddy set about jamming it shut, leaving Rolf to deal with Bob.
The rat-man circled Rolf and slashed at him, but Rolf nimbly dodged and snapped a shot off that struck Bob right between the eyes. Bob collapsed just as Eddy managed to find a weak spot in the window and fire through. Quickly, Rolf grabbed up the Professor and, in a panic, paused to continued to fire bullets into the downed, doomed Bob. Meanwhile, Eddy was dealing with whatever was within the elevator that had now reached their floor by firing into the door. Suddenly, a mind touched his and told him to drop the gun and forget about it. He did and was watching it tumble away to nothing when Rolf came running out. “Pick up your gun, let’s get out of here.” Eddy said it was gone, even though Rolf saw it by his feet. Quickly, he pulled out a spare and handed it off to Eddy. “C’mon,” he said, “let’s go.”
As Eddy took the gun, he felt an alien mind touch his that told him to shoot his friend. For a trembling moment, he raised the gun, but his force of will enabled him to shrug it off. The two ran back around to the elevator, neither thinking of the security cameras. As they triggered the alarm, a white gas released into the air, rendering Eddy unconscious. Rolf dragged him into the elevator where he had deposited the Professor and focused his innate psychic gift upon Eddy and purified his system, restoring him to consciousness.
Together, the two of them descended the elevator, and reached their extraction point with the unconscious Professor in tow, with no further mishaps, and a great deal of questions about the Xenon Corporation and its possible connections with the Pandora Institute…
Regards,
Sean
