08-03:
-—

• Downtime-generated questions:
  • Vincent was able to also copy Sycat’s flash drive to the external drive.
  • The pictures of Sycat that we saw in the apartment do not match Able’s description.
  • The party doesn’t object to “selling” additional info/“bugs” to Capt. Harrington.

• We try to say that we wake up as the game start, but the GM calls for a watch schedule!
  • 1st Watch (Hour 1 & 2): Vincent & Eric
  • 2nd Watch (Hour 3 & 4): Zorya
  • 3rd Watch (Hour 5 & 6): Sammi-Jo
  • 4th Watch (Hour 7 & 8): Doc Tanner

• During the first watch…
  • Vincent notices that Eric has gone quiet.
  • When he looks around he finds that Eric is behind him, with an improvise garrote!
  • Vincent springs away and shoots a crossbow bolt at Eric, which misses.
  • Eric then feels like he has “woken up” and is standing there.
  • Everyone else wakes up. The only psionics that she can detect is the “natural” dim aura that pervades the ZZ.

• We change the watch so that we can leave earlier and have more people up.
  • 1st Watch (Hour 1, 2, & 3): Eric, Sammi-Jo, & Vincent
  • 2nd Watch (Hour 4, 5, & 6): Doc Tanner & Zorya

08-04:
-—

• Morning comes without incident.
  • The “weird screeching noise” is retconned out of existence.

• First thing in the morning, we check the outside of the building.
  • It smells like something died outside.
  • Upon searching, we find a tuft of orange hair on a broken-down car. We collect it.
    • Doc Tanner doesn’t know exactly it could come from, but it is natural orange hair.
  • After that, we track the scent/miasma.
    • The scent leads to a wall of a nearby building.
    • There are a few hairs along the brick wall of the building.

• We go to the fire escape and climb the building.
  • The only thing we find is a pile of excrement.
    • It is an omnivore’s poop. We collect it.
    • In the poop, we find some seeds, bones, and a shirt button.
  • The “decaying” scent is strongest around the scat.

• We decide to head out.
  • We do want to do a zombie hunt, so we can try for a “translator” zombie again.
  • We’re going to hunt in the orange zone though.
  • When we get near our trucks, we see a large shadowy feline creature on the roof of a nearby building.

• Combat!
  • We initially try to load the dirtbikes quickly, but the creature moves in and attacks.
  • In addition to having some sort of miss chance, the creature has “reach” with its shadowy tentacles.
  • We fight it, somewhat poorly, but do damage it enough to cause it to flee.
  • As it’s running away, a pack of zombies approaches.
  • We’re unable to shoot the creature dead before it runs away.
  • We turn on the zombies and take them out, leaving one to be captured.
  • We then flee, as more zombies are coming.
    • Vincent & Sammi-Jo take the dirtbikes. Zorya and Eric take the trucks. Doc Tanner secures the zombie.

• We stop outside the orange zone and heal & remount the dirtbikes onto the trucks.
  • When we get back to the SUV (Ford Escape XLT) we find that it’s empty and has been stripped of many things.
  • Vincent repairs the truck enough so it can be towed. (Complex Repair):
    • Parts DC: 30 / Mechanical Parts Used: 6 / Repair DC: 20
    • Remaining Personal Mechanical Parts x19 (19 TU)

• We head back to Gainesville without issue.
  • We head to Curt’s office.
  • We give the laptop and flash drive to Captain Harrington.
    • The Swamp will be receiving weapons and ammo for the mission.
  • Vincent talks to Curt about trading info for more supplies.
    • Curt is agreeable.
  • The group assembles copies of Prof Pine’s analysis of the alien samples, one of the “bugs” (the one from UPD) and a report on the going’s on in St Augustine.
    • Captain Harrington refuses the reports and the bug, but gives us a server to submit the information to.
    • He also gives us a fancy weapon!
      • It’s a modified HK MP5K (Same game stats as a HK MP5).
      • It’s modified to accept a suppressor, a digital camera below the barrel, and a flatscreen along the stock.
      • The suppressor, camera, and flatscreen are included.
      • With the camera and flatscreen, you can (badly) shoot around a corner.
      • Also included are five magazines, with 15 rounds each.
      • Notably, the camera feed can be rewired to feed into a heads-up display in a helmet or the like.
  • Captain Harrington then leaves.

• We return the “bug” to UPD.
• We submit the information on the aliens to the government server.
• We prep for another bit of brain surgery in the morning.

08-05:
-—

• We do the surgery in the morning.
  • Doc Tanner completes the surgery without issue.
  • We get to the compound without issue. It’s unchanged.

• We hook up the zombie to see what happens.
  • Vincent spends an action point on the “Knowledge, Technology” check.
  • It works, the zombie begins speaking in an unearthly tongue.
  • We are, of course, recording everything on a digital video camera.

• The speaking has repetitious parts, like song refrains, but never completely begins repeating itself.
  • We record 8-12 hours of “speech”.
  • We disconnect the zombie and head back.

08-06:
-—

• Everyone except Vincent gets the video footage to Prof. Pine and the remains of UF’s Department of Linguistics.
• Vincent repairs the Ford Escape XLT back to working order (Advanced Repair):
  • Parts DC: 40 / Mechanical Parts Used: 10 / Repair DC: 25
  • Remaining Personal Mechanical Parts x9 (9 TU)
• Vincent replenishes his stock of Mechanical Parts with one’s from the safehouse.
  • Total Personal Mechanical Parts x9 + x16 = x25 (25 TU)
  • Remaining Stored Mechanical Parts x80 (80 TU)

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x31 (31 TU)
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x14 (28 TU)
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x5 (40 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x42 (42 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • Ford Escape XLT (75 TU)
  • Gasoline x215 (215 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x80 (80 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x30 (3 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)

• Current Alien Technology:
  • Crystal(Father)
    • Found on Father Nathan. Kept by Zorya.
  • Crystal(Bob)
    • Removed from Bob Flinder’s frontal cortex. Kept by Zorya.
  • Alien Thought-Negating Devices(“bugs”)
    • A disassembled one and an intact one are secure in a safe in Prof. Pine’s lab.
    • One is in the team’s Safehouse, one is in Vincent’s truck, & one is locked up at UPD.
    • The last one(of the six) was taken by Curt when we first acquired them.

• Vincent wants to make a device that will test the duration/power in the alien “battery”.
  • He can’t figure out how best to test it, however. (He rolled too low on his check.)

• We plan on splitting up the five remaining “bugs”.
  • The disassembled one, along with an untouched one, will be in Prof. Pine’s lab.
    • Vincent builds and installs a locked ‘safe’ for them in the lab. It’s bolted to the ground.
  • One will be kept hidden in the safe house.
  • We will keep one in Vincent’s truck.
  • The last one will be put into a locked box and put under the care of UPD.

• We want to test the “alien receiver”.
  • First, we need radio receiver input.
  • Our only option is to use a large radio tower for the input.
  • We don’t want to use the UF radio towers, so we decided to use the cultist’s one.
  • Vincent makes a metal locking & rolling stretcher for the zombie (Simple Craft[Mechanical]):
    • Parts DC: 15 / Mechanical Parts Used: 3 / Craft DC: 15
    • Remaining Mechanical Parts x93 (93 TU)
  • Doc Tanner will install the “receiver” into the captured zombie tomorrow.

08-02:
-—

• We do the surgery very, very early in the day, then immediately leave for the cultist compound.
  • Doc Tanner completes the surgery without issue.
  • We get to the compound without issue. It’s been picked over, but no one is there when we arrive.

• We hook up the zombie to see what happens.
  • Sadly, Vincent rolled a natural 1 on his check to hook things up, thus cooking(& killing) the zombie.
  • Dejected, we return to Gainesville.
  • Vincent rebuilds the “translation” device. (Simple Craft[Electrical]):
    • Parts DC: 25 / Electrical Parts Used: 5 / Craft DC: 20
    • Remaining Electrical Parts x42 (42 TU)

• During the evening, while Vincent is building the second “translation” device in the lab…
  • A military helicopter(Black Hawk) lands on the North Lawn.
  • Someone in a military uniform gets out and heads to Kurt’s office.
  • Vincent calls the rest of the team together.
  • Shortly after that, Kurt calls the team to meet with him.

• We meet with Kurt and the uniformed man, and one of the Swamp’s deputies.
  • The man is Captain Harrington of the U.S. Army.
  • He has a favor to ask of us.
    • There was a government scientist who lived in Jacksonville, the government wants his data.
    • Name: Sycat Singh, he worked as a government contractor.
    • The main target is his work laptop, which was probably at his apartment.
      • Along with any other notes and information he may have. “We’ll know it when we see it.”
    • His apartment is in the core of the city (near the crystals).
    • His work place was near the military base.
  • “Payment” is offered as anything that the military can offer to us.
    • The Captain will remain here while we go on the mission.
    • The Captain will work with Kurt and the Sheriff to figure out appropriate compensation for the Swamp.
  • The Captain gives us a “gadget” that can summon the helicopter.(The one that will be in Gainesville.)
    • If we need to use this, the compensation will be reduced accordingly.
  • We’re also given a description of the laptop.
  • If we can only retrieve the laptop, then we will still have “succeeded”.

• Being interested, Vincent wants to be able to copy the information on the laptop.
  • He attempts to get together the gear to copy the hard drive on the laptop.
  • The necessary hardware (a USB flash drive, an external HD, various power adapters) is acquired via 11 gallons of gas.
    • Remaining Gasoline x215 (215 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • The necessary software(a version of Linux that can boot the laptop via the flash drive) is acquired in one hour.

08-03:
-—

• We leave the next morning! We’re heading to the apartment first.

• In Stark, Doc Tanner spots a vehicle that has “stuff” in it.
  • It looks like the vehicle has cookware, blankets, etc.
  • We drive past the vehicle, anticipating an ambush, which doesn’t come.
  • We drive back and check it out.
  • It appears to be SUV that a small group of people were living & travelling around in.
  • Nearby, there is a boarded-up building.
  • The vehicle is unlocked and has a 1/4 tank of gas.
  • We note the location so we can get the vehicle on our return trip.

• We arrive in Jacksonville without further incident.
  • We park the trucks at the edge of the hot zone and walk in.
  • We take the dirtbikes with us.
  • Thanks to Sammi-Jo’s scouting, we get to the apartment building without issue.
  • We go in & climb the stairs.

• When we arrive at the 18th floor and open the door, we hear (recorded) music playing.
  • We send Sammi-Jo in to check it out.
  • She sneaks down the corridor and looks in the open door. (A lot of the doors are open.)
  • It’s a apocalypse-equipped apartment. Lots of canned goods, bottled water, & supplies.
  • We all go to the door of the apartment and knock.
  • An older man, who is in the middle of cooking, invites us in.
    • He’s wearing a tinfoil hat.
  • He say’s his name is Able & that he’s lived here since before the crystals landed.
  • He knew Sycat Singh, but hasn’t seen him in five years.
  • We ask him if he took Sy’s laptop. He say’s that he hasn’t.
    • He’s not into that “new-fangled” technology and probably left it in the apartment.

• We go check Sycat’s apartment.
  • We easily find the laptop!
  • His books cover philosophy, religion, & new age topics.
    • He has Doctor Pine’s book.
  • During our through search We also find a bookend with a false bottom. It has a flash drive in it. We take it.
  • While we’re discussing what to do for/with Able, he shows up in the door of Singh’s apartment.
  • He gestures at us to quietly follow him.
    • We do so. He takes us into his apartment and closes the front door.
    • He keeps watch at the peephole. … for an hour.
      • We do hear the sounds of people walking by and trying doors and rummaging around.
    • After the hour, he says that things are fine.
      • Apparently he can make his door “invisible” to zombies.
  • We offer to have him come back with us, but he declines. We don’t force the issue.

• We leave the apartment building and head for Singh’s workplace.
  • We have Sammi-Jo scout ahead. It doesn’t go as well as it did last time.
    • She runs into a pack of zombies, but is able to lose them.
  • She then successfully gets us to the office park.
  • Unfortunately, we won’t get there with enough time to make it back to our trucks before dark.
  • We arrive there. The glass door to the office is shattered.
  • We wait in the lobby while Sammi-Jo scouts the area.

• It’s a fairly normal office.
  • There’s a lobby area with a hallway off of it that has six rooms.
  • Most of the rooms have what appears to be “testing stations” for psychic powers. (cards, tables with blinds, etc.)
  • One room is an office, but it also has a sink, microwave, & mini-fridge.
    • There is no computer, but there is an filing cabinet.
      • Vincent opens to cabinet to find… nothing. It is empty.
  • One room has a cabinet with crystals in it.
    • Zorya checks out the crystals. They are of no importance. We leave them.
  • One room has a table that has assorted art supplies on it.
  • We do a full search of the offices.
    • The room with the art supplies has, in fact, hundreds of very tiny holes in the walls.
      • It seems that the entire wall was covered, maybe layered, in pinned-up pieces of art.

• We camp out in the two rear-most rooms of the office.
  • Vincent tries to make an disk image of the laptop and succeeds without issue.
  • The computer also boots up normally. Vincent then shuts it right back down.
  • We then sleep through the night. There is a weird screeching noise, but we don’t investigate.

• Session ends!

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x31 (31 TU)
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x14 (28 TU)
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x5 (40 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x42 (42 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • Gasoline x215 (215 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x96 (96 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x30 (3 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)

• Current Alien Technology:
  • Crystal(Father)
    • Found on Father Nathan. Kept by Zorya.
  • Crystal(Bob)
    • Removed from Bob Flinder’s frontal cortex. Kept by Zorya.
  • Alien Thought-Negating Devices(“bugs”)
    • A disassembled one and an intact one are secure in a safe in Prof. Pine’s lab.
    • One is in the team’s Safehouse, one is in Vincent’s truck, & one is locked up at UPD.
    • The last one(of the six) was taken by Kurt when we first acquired them.

• We arrive back in Gainesville late in the day and head to Kurt.
  • We update Kurt on the disturbing fact that Bob has been turned into a zombie, even though he was immune.
  • Kurt takes one of the “bugs” and leaves the rest with us.

• We investigate Bob!
  • He’s struggling, like a normal zombie, so we have to sedate him.
  • Doc Tanner & Vincent work together:
    • Bob has an implant in his head. It’s in his forebrain (where higher cognition happens).
      • It’s just one item, it doesn’t spread through the brain.
      • It’s about the size of a “D” battery.
  • We get Zorya to check things out with Detect Psionics and Psicraft.
    • Bob has the aura of a psychic creature, with a slightly stronger aura around his head.
  • We put Bob into a Faraday cage, in the hopes of blocking the control signal.
    • When the sedation wears off, he resumes his zombie-like behavior.

• Doc Tanner checks him out before surgery.
  • He does have a “quite old” scar on his forehead where the surgery would have happened.
  • The age of the scar implies that the surgery occurred around a week before he was captured.
    • Since this is impossible, we assume that some sort of advanced technology lead to the increased healing.
  • Doc Tanner performs the surgery, without much difficulty.
    • The implant is another crystal! Similar in opacity and color to the crystal we found with the Father.

• We investigate the crystals.
  • Professor Pine discovers that they appear to be naturally formed crystals of Earth minerals.
  • The are of the “middle” range of rarity of Earth crystals. Neither quartz nor sapphires.
  • Crystals aren’t common in Florida, so they may have come from further away.
    • Since the crystals fell on cities worldwide, this is not especially helpful.

• Vincent and the Professor investigate the “bugs”!
  • A full examination would mean that reassembly would probably not be possible.
  • Vincent goes ahead and breaks one down.
  • It is made of unfamiliar, but not unknown materials.
    • The design is very advanced, but comprehendible.(micro-circuitry, chips, etc.).
    • If built out of Earth materials, the device would probably be room-sized.
    • There doesn’t seem to be any sort of “receiver” in the device.
    • The power source is some sort of battery, but that’s all we can figure out.
  • The basic function of the device is to “neutralize thought”.
    • It interrupts brain wave activity, making the subject very easily to direct.
  • Recalling the fight where we got the “bugs”, we remember that Bob didn’t say anything when he approached the captives and the “bugged” people started moving..

• Soon, Bob wake up, and he is not acting like a zombie.
  • Instead he is utterly crazed and violent. Biting and aggressive and spitting.
  • There’s no change over several days, so we make the decision to terminate Bob.

• Vincent spends the rest of the time working and giving UF it’s payment for the month.

• Vincent repairs things:
  • Eric’s Crossbow (Moderate Repair)
    • Parts DC: 20 / Mechanical Parts Used: 3 / Repair DC: 15
  • Doc Tanner’s Gun (Complex Repair)
    • Parts DC: 30 / Mechanical Parts Used: 6 / Repair DC: 20
  • Eric’s Truck (Advanced Repair)
    • Parts DC: 40 / Mechanical Parts Used: 10 / Repair DC: 25

• Vincent makes something for Zorya:
  • Headphones & Throat Microphone (Simple Craft)
    • Parts DC: 15 / Electrical Parts Used: 3 / Craft DC: 15

• Vincent gets together payment for UF for the month, for five people. 300 TU total.
  • Ammo, 0.44(S&W M29) x8 (16 TU)
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x8 (16 TU)
  • Backpack x2 (6 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x2 (16 TU)
  • Club x7 (14 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Gasoline x3 (3 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Harley Davidson FLSTF x2 (90 TU)
  • Leather Jacket x8 (40 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Metal Baton (4 TU)
  • Sleeping Bags x2 (6 TU)
  • Smartphone(as PDA) x2 (10 TU)
  • Smith & Wesson M29 (8 TU)
  • Trade Food x50 (50 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Basic (2 TU)

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x31 (31 TU)
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x14 (28 TU)
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x5 (40 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x47 (47 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • Gasoline x226 (226 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x96 (96 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x30 (3 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)

• Zorya (the new Telepath) joins the group!
  • She’s a former militia member from St Augustine.
  • She worked on their scavenging team.
  • When Black Jack took over, he offered her a position in his telepocracy, but she refused.
  • When she made her way to Gainesville, they offered her a position in the scavenging teams, so she joined Vincent’s team.

• We check out the Father’s map of Jacksonville:
  • The AT&T Tower(where we holed up on the roof) has a note: “Don’t make a sound.”
  • Near the tower and a crystal: “He hides in plain sight.”
  • At Trixie’s self-storage area “Crimson knight mounts his steed.”
    • Trixie joined the scavenging team since she knew of a storage area that had lots and lots of weapons.
    • The last time we were in Jacksonville we checked out said storage area. It was basically empty. It had been picked over.
  • Near river: “Behemoth rises.”

• We plan an excursion!
  • We will scavenge in the orange zone around Jacksonville for salvage.
    • We want to get more “generic” salvage to turn in to UF for the month of July.
  • We also want to capture a zombie, so we can bring it back for experimental brain surgery.
    • By which we mean to install the “communication’s device” into a zombie.
  • Additionally, we will take a day trip into the city to check out the “Crimson Knight”.
  • We will drive on 200/228 through Stark to I-10 East into Jacksonville.
  • We notify Kurt and head out. (We want to get a straitjacket[for the zombie], but can’t find one quickly.)

• While driving through Waldo, the front tires on Vincent’s truck blow out!

• Combat!
  • The tires were blown out by a spike strip.
  • Vincent stops his truck safely.
  • Doc Tanner spots three people hiding at the side of the road with handguns.
    • Two on the right, one on the left.
  • Sammi-Jo is driving Eric’s truck and use it to run over the two bad guys on the right.
  • We all yell at the last guy to surrender.
  • He surrenders. We tie him up.
    • He’s your standard scruffy-looking raider.
      • He has a Glock 17 with 17 rounds.

• We interrogate him!
  • They were trying to get in good with the Crimson Horde.
    • The Crimson Horde is a group of motorcycle-riding raiders out of Daytona.
    • The Hell’s Rapists have joined up with them.
  • He says they were planning on seizing what they could from us and taking it to Daytona.
  • Their three motorcycles are stashed nearby.
  • They’ve been here for a few days and haven’t seen anything of note.

• We loot. (including above)
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x41 (41 TU, 10 rounds go to Zorya)
  • Backpack x3 (9 TU)
  • Gasoline x20 (20 TU)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Harley Davidson FLSTF x3 (135 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x5 (5 TU)
  • Mechanical Took Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Preserved Food x6 (6 TU)
  • Sleeping Bags x3 (9 TU)
  • Smartphone(as PDA) x3 (15 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)
  • Tent, Four-person Dome (4 TU)

• Aside: Cellphones are still carried around by lots of people, but they are only really useful as personal mementos.
  • But only in areas where there is useful electricity (like Gainesville).

• We leave the raider with:
  • Backpack (3 TU)
  • Gasoline x10 (10 TU)
  • Harley Davidson FLSTF (45 TU)
  • Preserved Food x6 (6 TU)
  • Sleeping Bags (3 TU)
  • Tent, Four-person Dome (4 TU)
  • Smartphone(as PDA) (5 TU)

• This leaves us with:
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x41 (41 TU, 10 rounds go to Zorya)
  • Backpack x2 (6 TU)
  • Gasoline x10 (10 TU)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Harley Davidson FLSTF x2 (90 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x5 (5 TU)
  • Mechanical Took Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Sleeping Bags x2 (6 TU)
  • Smartphone(as PDA) x2 (10 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)

• When we get to Stark we see a gathering of people, near the center of town.
  • They are gathered around two piles of dead bodies. One pile is on fire, the other is not.
  • The pile that is on fire is larger than the other pile.
    • Approximately eight bodies in the non-fire pile. The bodies are wrapped in cloth.
  • The people appear to be nomadic families, not residents of the area.
  • We can tell that the people are in mourning. Some some of them are injured.
    • The seriously wounded people are somewhat treated, the rest aren’t.

• We approach and offer medical services.
  • Zorya and Vincent ask their leader, Earnest what happened.
    • Their caravan was staying here in Starke.
    • This morning a large contingent of zombies raided their caravan.
    • There were about 30 zombies in the group.
    • About half the zombies ended up grabbing 12 caravan members and heading back to Jacksonville.
      • Notably: We are firmly outside the orange zone. Zombies have never been seen outside the orange zone.
    • It’s now around noon. The zombies have had the captives for several hours.
    • We offer to help rescue the seized caravan members.

• An aside on caravans:
  • Caravans are generally formed when a large group of people in a community “bud off” from one community to form another community.

• We plan!
  • Doc Tanner will track the zombie scent on foot with the dogs.
  • Zorya and Eric will drive the two trucks behind Doc.
  • Vincent and Sammi-Jo will hop on the dirtbikes and scout ahead along the routes the scent is on.
  • We execute the plan!

• After about 30 minutes (just outside of Highland) Vincent & Sammi-Jo spot the horde of zombies and captives.
  • Vincent radios to the rest of the group to catch up!
  • Vincent & Sammi-Jo check out the horde.
    • There are 25 zombies.
      • The zombies are armed normally: knives, clubs, crowbars.
    • There are 12 captives.
      • The captives are ziptied hand-to-hand and walking along, in the center of the horde.
      • Every other captive has an huge insect on their head.
        • The insect is about half the size of a human head and sitting on top of the captive’s head.
        • The insects legs are wrapped around the head of the captive.
  • Sammi-Jo thinks one of the zombies is somehow familiar.
  • By the time the rest of the group catches up, the horde will be close to the zombie zone.

• The plan:
  • Vincent will drive with Eric in his truck.
    • Eric will shoot out of the passenger door.
  • Sammi-Jo will drive the other truck.
    • Zorya will shoot out of the passenger door.
    • Doc Tanner will shoot out of the bed of Eric’s truck. The dogs will be there with her.
  • We will make loops around the group and the shooters will fire as we drive by.

• Combat!
  • The first round of attacks go well.
  • Then Vincent fails a Will save and can’t move his body, at all.
  • There are also some critical failures with the weapons.
  • Eric notices that Vincent doesn’t seem to be moving.
  • Eric manages to stop the truck and then get on the roof. He dragged Vincent up there along with him.
  • Vincent mind clears.
  • Sammi-Jo fails a Will save and can’t move her body, at all.
  • Zorya spectacularly fails to stop the truck, instead she flips the truck, hurting everyone inside.
  • 12 zombies head for the flipped truck.
  • After a few rounds of combat, including an autofire from Doc Tanner, there are five zombies (of the original 25) left.
    • One of them is the “familiar” zombie. It’s Bob Flinders! (The former leader of the North Jacksonville scavenger group.)
      • He’s running back towards the captives. The un-bugged ones have been dragging the whole group to the side of the road, trying to get away.
      • Bob is running for this group.
      • When he gets near them, the bugged captives begin moving back to the street. He’s somehow controlling them.
  • We manage to capture a normal zombie and Bob. Both are tied up and secured.

• Post-Combat
  • We check out the bugs.
    • The bugs aren’t actually bugs. They are some sort of technology. The “legs” end in electronic leads that rest around the head of the victim. The leads make contact along the forehead and back of the head. The entire thing is covered in some sort of chitinous material. There is what appears to be a button on surface of the “bug” main body.
    • A Knowledge (technology) check leads Vincent to think that the bugs interrupt neural waves and that the button will stop this function.
    • Vincent presses the button and the bug releases it’s grip on the head of the victim. The Doc checks out the released captive and he seems to be fine.
    • Vincent removes the rest of the bugs without incident. Then the prisoners are released from the zipties.
    • We flip the truck back over, retrieve the shell casings, etc.
    • We head back to Starke and return the captives to the caravan.
    • We then return to Gainesville, after picking up the raider’s Harley motorcycles.

• Session ends!

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Ammo, 0.44(S&W M29) x8 (16 TU)
  • Ammo, 9mm(Glock 17) x41 (41 TU, 10 rounds go to Zorya)
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x22 (44 TU)
  • Backpack x2 (6 TU)
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x7 (56 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Club x7 (14 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator x2 (30 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x50 (50 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • Gasoline x229 (229 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Glock 17 x3 (21 TU)
  • Harley Davidson FLSTF x2 (90 TU)
  • Leather Jacket x8 (40 TU)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x115 (115 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic x2 (8 TU)
  • Metal Baton (4 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Portable Stove (3 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x30 (3 TU)
  • Sleeping Bags x2 (6 TU)
  • Smartphone(as PDA) x2 (10 TU)
  • Smith & Wesson M29 (8 TU)
  • Spike Strip (4 TU)
  • Trade Food x50 (50 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Basic (2 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)

• The intervening days between the end of the last session and this one were spent healing and “levelling”.

• We debrief Kurt about the cultists.
  • He tells us that he doesn’t have any jobs for us for the rest of the month.

• The Professor & Vincent do some research on the crystal, the one we found on Father Nathan.
  • The crystal can be used to store psychic energy. This is the energy that psychics use for their powers.
  • Only the most powerful psychics can tap into the energy in the crystal.
  • The crystal can be made part of the alien communication device, but a brain is still needed.

• We discuss our options.
  • Our discussions lead to the player of Professor Pine drawing up a new PC, a Telepath.
    • She’s a little tired of playing a semi-redundant and less-exciting character. Change is good.
    • This character creation takes the rest of the session.

• With the arrival of the players of Sammi-Jo & Doc Tanner, we all try to escape!
  • After taking some shots at the sniper, and missing, we all jump off the roof, gaining cover from the sniper.
  • Sammi-Jo drives the truck up to the building.
  • Two cultists flee from the complex.
  • We wait for the other two (of four) cultists to leave the building, but they don’t.
  • We go in and check the building.
    • One cultists has killed himself and the other is curled up into a fetal position and sobbing.
    • We tie up the living cultist, with only cursory opposition.
  • We check out the rest of the Speaking Place and find no one else, so we go to the trailer truck.
    • There are some people in the truck, who say they need help, but Vincent thinks they don’t sound quite honest.
    • After warning the party, Vincent opens the truck doors and reveals three cultists with shotguns.
    • Everyone has readied actions! We quickly take out two of them and the third surrenders.
    • We take the survivor and lock him up in the building, with the bodies and the surviving cultist.
  • We heal and loot the rest of the site.
  • We check out the road map the Father had.
    • It’s a map of Jacksonville that has various notations.
      • It maps out where the crystals and the alien plants are.
        • The plants surround the crystals.
        • There are other notations on the map that we can’t figure out.
  • While we are looting, Eric digs a mass grave for the dead cultists.
  • We bury the dead and then leave.
    • The remaining cultists are left tied up in the building.
      • They are told that, when we leave, they are to count to one thousand, then go outside and get the knife we will leave for them.

• We all return to Gainesville and level up to level 5!

• The loot we get from the cult:
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Basic (2 TU)
  • Gasoline x55 (55 TU)
  • Trade Food x50 (50 TU)
  • Beretta M3P x7 (56 TU)
  • 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x22 (44 TU)
  • Leather Jacket x8 (40 TU)
  • Club x7 (14 TU)
  • Smith & Wesson M29 (8 TU)
  • 0.44 x8 (16 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Crossbow Bolt x5 (5 TU)
  • Metal Baton (4 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x15 (15 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x5 (5 TU)

• Current Inventory (including above, stored in the Safehouse):
  • Ammo, 12 ga Buckshot(Beretta M3P) x22 (44 TU)
  • Ammo, 0.44(S&W M29) x8 (16 TU)
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Beretta M3P (shotgun) x7 (56 TU)
  • Binoculars (2 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Club x7 (14 TU)
  • Crossbow (3 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator x2 (30 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x50 (50 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit, Deluxe (7 TU)
  • Flashlight, Standard (1 TU)
  • Gasoline x219 (219 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Leather Jacket x8 (40 TU)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x110 (110 TU)
  • Mechanical Tool Kit, Basic (4 TU)
  • Metal Baton (4 TU)
  • Moving Truck (125 TU)
  • MRE x4 (24 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x5
  • Smith & Wesson M29 (8 TU)
  • Trade Food x50 (50 TU)
  • Undercover Vest (11 TU)
  • Yamaha YZ250F (Dirtbike, 35 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Basic (2 TU)
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional x2 (8 TU)

• We decided on a plan.
  • Eric will sneak up and try to knock out the building guard as quitely as possible.
  • While he does so, the rest of us will be in Vincent’s truck, behind the turn.
    • The road to the complex has a turn that will keep the truck obscured behind the corner.
  • Eric will attack with his walkie-talkie mic open.
  • The rest of us will drive up to the tree line of the complex as Eric attacks.
    • We’ll run up to the building and see what happens.
  • The goal is to get into the building and just go from there.

• We execute the plan.
  • It’s super effective! Eric knocks out the guard in one punch.
  • Vincent and the Professor leave the truck(and the dogs) behind the treeline and sneak up to the building.
  • Vincent and the Professor pick the lock on the building’s door.
  • When the door has just opened, someon asks, “Who is it?”
  • Vincent pushes the door open and ducks back.

• Combat
  • The building is two square (30’ by 30’) rooms, with an archway separating them.
  • There are three people in the further(northern) room. Joaquin (the former captive), a tall man, and a woman.
  • Father Nathan, the Seer (the tall man) commands the woman (who has a pistol) and Joaquin (who has a SMG) to stand down.
  • He tries to use a psychic power on the Professor, but fails. The Professor tells Eric and Vincent about it.
  • We all stand down.

• Out of combat.
  • Vincent is tying up the guard and pulling him and his stuff into the building.
  • Eric then barricades the door.
  • The first room(the southern one) is the living/eating quarters. There are three cots there, along with various equipment.
  • The second room(the northern one) is full of electronics and the controls for the radio transmitter.
  • Painted on the walls are five pointed stars with wavy tips. (Starfish-looking.)
  • Vincent takes the walkie-talkies from the guard, Joaquin, & Father Nathan.
    • Vincent takes the batteries from the walkie-talkies and puts the rest next to the tied-up guard.
  • Vincent checks out the tower transmission equipment.
    • The equipment has been altered to boost the transmission distance.

• We question Father Nathan.
  • The woman is named Shelly, she helps with the equipment.
  • Eric questions Father Nathan, who then puts the whammy (Charm Person) on Eric. Professor Pine figures it out and tells Vincent.
  • Vincent tells Professor Pine to shoot the Father.

• Combat, Again
  • Much chaos happens. Eric being charmed does not help matters.
  • Shelly is knocked out first.
  • There is weapon-juggling between Joaquin, Eric, & Vincent.
  • Then the Professor gets charmed.
  • Vincent then spends some time grappled by Joaquin.
    • However, Charm Person gives a +5 to the Will save if it’s used by an enemy in combat. Eric and the Professor didn’t get that bonus on their initial saves. Therefore, the GM gives them a second save.
  • Both Eric and the Professor make their second save are able to shake off the charm.
  • The Father is knocked out and the combat then focuses on Joaquin.
  • Joaquin ends things by pulling out a grenade and setting it off.
    • The explosion kills him, the Father, and Shelly.
  • At this point, there is banging on the door and the rest of the cultists are trying to find out what’s happening via the walkie-talkies.
  • We head out through a roof-access panel in the equipment (northern) room.
    • Before leaving, Vincent checks Father Nathan’s body.
      • Vincent finds a road map and a milky crystal that glows with a inner light.
  • After helping the Professor and Vincent out onto the roof, Eric jumps for the roof panel and makes it.
    • Sadly, Eric is shot by the cultists who have managed to break into the building.

• Session ends as the trio ends up on the roof, trying to figure out how to escape.

• Items Gained:
  • Road Map
  • Milky Crystal, glowing with an inner light.

• We return to Gainesville before sunrise, wounded.
  • Vincent goes under the knife first.
    • The surgery lasts 3 hours. It heals 12 hit points and will cause Vincent to be fatigued for 24 hours.
  • The Doc heals Eric for 6 hp.
  • The Doc heals Sammi-Jo for 5 hp.
  • Sammi-Jo undergoes surgery.
    • The surgery lasts 2 hours. It heals 20 hit points and will cause Sammi-Jo to be fatigued for 22 hours.

• Once everyone is bandaged up, we go shopping.
  • The indifferent trader NPC is made friendly by Sammi-Jo’s powers & Vincent makes him helpful.
  • For the Professor, we buy:
    • HK PSG1 (7.62mm sniper rifle, 11 TU)
      • HK PSG1 Magazine (1 TU)
    • 7.62mm Ammo x10 (30 TU)
    • Dynamite x4 (16 TU)
    • C4 x2 (12 TU)
    • Thermite Grenade (8 TU)
      • Total = 78 TU total
  • We spend:
    • Binoculars, Standard x2 (4 TU)
    • Chemical Light Sticks x10 (3 TU)
    • Compass (2 TU)
    • Digital Camera x4 (16 TU)
    • Electrical Tool Kit, Basic (5 TU)
    • Gasoline x48 (48 TU)
      • Total = 78 TU total

• While the others are getting surgery and shopping, Professor Pine has a dream!
  • She sees only darkness and hears whispers that resolve into a sibilant voice speaking a strange, unknown language.
  • Then a huge eye, very similar to the “scrying” eye appears.
  • She beings to pull back from the eye and sees that it is superimposed in front of a human brain.
  • Drawing further back, she sees glowing, silvery lines extending from the eye, tracing out a circutry-like pattern around the whole brain.
  • As she pulls further back, with the voice becoming louder, it is revealed that the brain is the exposed brain of a human being. A clothed human male. The eye is in front of the frontal lobes and she is looking straight at him.
  • As she pulls even further back, it is revealed that the human is spread-eagled and attached to a transmission tower via wires on his wrists and ankles.
  • Suddenly, the human beings to talk (without any comprehension behind it’s eyes) in the alien language that is being heard. He is saying the same thing that the bodiless voice is saying.
  • Then the dream ends.

• Post-dreaming!
  • Professor Pine uses Autohypnosis to memorize the dream exactly.
  • She draws a professional-grade sketch of the face of the human in the dream.
  • She attempts to decode or infer understanding of what the voice was saying, but to no avail.
  • She draws out the circuts and she and Vincent analyze them.
    • The professor realizes that it is a functional circuit. It would take a signal it receives and…
    • With the doctor’s help, the professor figures out that it ties into the speech centers of the brain.
    • The “eye” is in the place of where a power source would be. Sort of a metaphorical placeholder.
      • The “eye” is also part of the device’s circuitry that deals with the signal.
    • The signal input for the device is compatible with a received radio transmission.
  • Conclusion: When completed, the incomplete device would take radio signals, modify them and feed the resulting signal into the speech centers of a human brain.

• Aside:
  • Vincent has heard that that, amongst those who are immune, strange dreams are somewhat common.
    • Sometimes the dreams are even prophetic.
    • There are those that can communicate over short and long distances with their mind.
      • It may be that this information could alter someone’s dreams, if they got the information while they were asleep.
      • There are no claims that psychics can send “dreams” to others, however.

• Vincent spends the rest of the day building the device from a dream.
  • 5 electrical parts used. 35 remaining.

• Everyone rests up at Trixie’s bar.

07-23:
-—

• After the fatigue has passed for Vincent & Sammi-Jo, we update Kurt and then head back to Hollister.
  • We park the trucks where we hid them before, off the road somewhat near the Speaking Place.
  • We march into the woods, with Sammi-Jo scouting, back to where we first heard the Cultists over the radio.
  • We get in place around noon.
    • We hear a “check-in” exchange around 1230. They are “on alert” more than before. There are five people on watch.

• We plan on doing recon for today and tonight, then planning.
  • Sammi-Jo scouts ahead to establish a visual on the Speaking Place.
  • They switch out the guy in the tower every six hours (0700, 1300, 1900, 0100).
  • Most of the people in the compound don’t actively watch, but they do check out the tree line with binoculars every half-hour or so.
  • There are only men at the compound, no women or children. The truck is gone.
  • They do deliver food in the evening, but only to the trailer cab.
  • At night, the door to the building is guarded by one man. He sits in a chair by the door.
  • The building generator (which is in the fenced area that houses the antenna) still runs all day and night.

• Session ends as we beginning planning our course of action.

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Battery Charger (5 TU)
  • Batteries x5 (15 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters (2 TU)
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x5 (1 TU)
  • Cigarette Lighter x6 (12 TU)
  • Digital Camera (5 TU)
  • Duct Tape x3 (3 TU)
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x35 (35 TU)
  • Gasoline x164 (164 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x105 (105 TU)
  • Rope 150’ (2 TU)
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x5

• We send Sammi-Jo up to check out the cultist camp.
  • We are approaching the compound from the east.

• Compound Description:
  • A dirt road runs into the compound from the south. It likely meets up with the road we were taking here.
  • The one permanent structure is a one-story concrete building that’s connected to the radio tower.
  • There is a chain-link fence around the north part of the building. It circles the tower.
  • East of the building is a “shantytown” of metal & wood sheds that have been connected together.
  • North of the building is a tractor-trailer (with cab) and a corral (two horses, around six goats, chickens).
  • Near the corral are some outhouses.
  • South of the building is a pickup truck and an ATV.
  • Sammi-Jo can see eight people, four of them are children (under 10).
    • There are also three dogs
    • One adult is watching the kids while sewing.
    • One is working on maintenance. Another is doing carpentry. The last person is working on a generator.
    • Two of them clearly have shotguns. The other two might have weapons too.
    • At least one of them has a walkie-talkie. They don’t use headsets.
  • While the generator that is being worked on is off, we can hear another generator. It sounds like it’s in the building.
  • We ask Sammi-Jo to move around to the north of the building, so she can see what’s west of the building.
    • She can now see two more dirtbikes on the west side of the building.
    • There are three 55-gallon drums on the west side of the building too.
    • The mail building appears to have exterior lights.

• We send Sammi-Jo back to the east side of the camp to watch the compound until noon.
  • We want to see if we can figure out how many adults are in the compound.
  • About half-an-hour after Sammi-Jo is dug-in, three people leave to do some “scouting”.
    • A man, a woman, and a dog get into the truck. A man gets onto the dirtbike.
    • All three are armed with shotguns.
    • The two vehicles head out together.

• In the end, we can see a total of seven adults, eight children, three dogs.
• We only see one person come-and-go to-and-from the building. They were delivering food.
  • It was obviously food for more than one person being taken to the building.
  • The trailer had even more food delivered to it.
  • The trailer has a small “food delivery” door or hole in it.

• We discuss our options. Our many, many, many options.
  • After much & lengthy discussion, we decide to try to ambush the scouting party on the next day.
  • Aside: The watchman in the tower changes every six hours.
  • The scouting party arrives back in the late-afternoon/early-evening.
    • We hear, over the radio, that they are returning with a “guest”.
      • The radio call was probably made before they turned off the main road and onto the dirt road to the complex.
    • They head to the trailer and put a prisoner(unarmed and such) from the back of the pickup into the trailer.
    • They have cultists guarding the trailer with guns.
      • Sammi-Jo can see four other people in the trailer. With the new person, there are now five people in the trailer.
    • After the “guests” are secure, someone asks, “Will we be making the offering tomorrow?”
    • They will be making the offering tomorrow as scheduled.

• We rethink our options.
  • We decide to attack that night, so that we can stop the prisoners from being “offered”.
    • We assume that the offering is when the cult will drag these people into the Zombie Zone.
  • The plan is to drive into the complex at night, with the lights of our trucks off.
  • Once they spot us, we try to get the prisoners and get away as soon as possible.
  • We’ll come back later, if possible.
  • We prep the trucks and get a few hours of sleep.

• We execute the plan!
  • We are spotted as we leave the dirt road and enter the compound.
  • We rush to the trailer and park.
  • Three dogs sprint towards us. The watchmen in the tower starts shooting at us.
  • Four people with shotguns run towards us from the “shantytown”.
  • We shoot at the dogs. Taking at least one down and then scaring the others away.
  • Eric & Sammi-Jo move up on the shotgun cultists.
  • Vincent is shot by the watchmen’s rifle. Due to taking “massive damage” he is knocked out.
  • Doc Tanner manages to revive Vincent as Eric snaps the lock off of the trailer(with his bare hands!)
  • We get four of the prisoners out of the trailer and into the trucks.
    • The fifth prisoner (the one who was put into the trailer today) simply runs away from us and into the nearby woods.
  • As we drive off, two cultists try to shoot out our tires, but they miss.
  • When we are about to turn off the dirt road, Doc Tanner & Trixie spot a glowing eye in the sky.
  • It’s a glowing iris, almost a foot across. It’s not moving.
  • We stop and take some pictures, but we make sure that the “eye” can’t see Prof. Pine.
    • The “eye” doesn’t show up on the cameras.
  • We take the opposite turn (from the one that’s directly back to Gainesville) onto the main road and drive away.

• The story from the “guests”.
  • They were all by themselves and not in towns or the like when the cultists found them.
  • The cultists were nice to the “guests” until they took them captive.
  • Then the cultists told them of being an “offering” or becoming “worthy”.
  • They weren’t told more than that.
  • They are fine with coming back to Gainesville, but they would like to be taken back home at some point.

• We head back to Gainesville as the session ends.

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Battery Charger
  • Batteries x5
  • Binoculars, Standard x2 (4 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x15
  • Cigarette Lighter x6
  • Compass
  • Digital Camera x5
  • Duct Tape x3
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x40 (40 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit
  • Gasoline x212 (212 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x105 (105 TU)
  • Rope 150’
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x5

• On the next day we investigate the cultist attack further.
  • The cultists killed three people on their way through the lab.
  • No one else (besides the cops) were hurt in the attack.
  • We decide to try to track them down.
  • From this point on, until things with the Cultists are resolved, we are going to stay together, to guard the Professor.
  • We also pick up the Yamaha Street Bike from where the cultist left it (game stats as a Harley Davidson FLSTF).

• We do a Gather Information check on the Cultists.
  • We know they are to the east of Gainesville, somewhere around Hollister.
  • We know that they are very interested in acquiring communications gear (i.e. long-distance transceviers).

• We brainstorm on our options.
  • Passive Options:
    • Guard Prof Pine as we go about our business and wait for the next cultist attack.
    • Upon taking them out, we can possibly interrogate them for more information.
  • Active Options:
    • We can try to fake membership in the group, but that would be difficult.
    • The Speaking Place is probably associated with a radio transmitter or the like. That might allow us to track it down.

• We decide to try to make a pre-emptive strike upon the Speaking Place.
  • We do some research at UF and make a map of radio transmitter stations near Hollister.
  • There are four such places relatively near Hollister.
  • We let Kurt know about our plans and he has no problem with it.
  • We go purchase ammo, as we may be out for awhile.
    • We give Prof Pine the club and the taser.
    • We trade away 10mm rounds x7 (7 TU), a Colt Double Eagle (8 TU), Fatigues (3 TU), & Gasoline x40 (40 TU) for:
      • 9mm Bullets x40 (40 TU) → 9mm Bullets x36 after capping people off.
      • Crossbow Bolts x15 (15 TU)
      • Taser Charges x3 (3 TU)

• We spend the rest of the 20th resting and getting ready for the next day’s excursions.

07-21:
-—

• The plan is to drive towards a transmitter. About a mile away from it we will take the trucks off-road and hide them. We will then march up to a spot where we can do recon on the transmitter to see if someone lives there.
  • We plan on arriving at the first location around dawn.
  • We have the cultist’s walkie-talkie with us. Vincent is listening in on the cultist’s frequency, in the hopes that they use the same frequencey out here.
  • At the first stop:
    • We plan on Sammi-Jo scouting a 1/4 mile ahead, then coming back to get us.
    • When we all are 1/2 a mile away from the transmitter, the walkie-talkie starts receiving.
      • Vincent hears the sounds of a small compound waking up. Daily orders and the like.
        • They have “guests” to feed.
        • They have a night watchmen, who hasn’t seen anything. (He’s glad to be “coming down from here”.)
    • We send Eric up a tree to see what he can see.
      • He sees the transmitter tower, with a small watch platform on it. There is someone with binoculars on the tower.
      • It appears that the guard doesn’t see Eric.
      • Eric climbs down the tower and we plan what to do next.

• Session ends here.

• Current Inventory (stored in the Safehouse):
  • Battery Charger
  • Batteries x5
  • Binoculars, Standard x2 (4 TU)
  • Bolt Cutters
  • Canned Goods x4 (8 TU)
  • Chemical Light Sticks x15
  • Cigarette Lighter x6
  • Compass
  • Digital Camera x5
  • Duct Tape x3
  • Electric Generator (15 TU)
  • Electrical Parts x40 (40 TU)
  • Electrical Tool Kit
  • Gasoline x212 (212 TU, deposited w/ UF)
  • Light Undercover Shirt (10 TU)
  • Mechanical Parts x105 (105 TU)
  • Rope 150’
  • Shell Casings(9mm) x5
  • Walkie-Talkie, Professional (4 TU)