Heavy Metal Thunder Page 30

  “Name?” she says. For some reason she does not seem especially thrilled to see you. You glance down at the shiny counter and see your reflection. You look skeletal, black spots circle your eyes, and your long hair looks wild and unhealthy.

  “Mister Wiggles,” you say, feeling even worse.

  Fortunately the chick is too tired from working to laugh at your name. After consulting her computer, she says, “No one by that name exists. He’s dead.”

  “Try serial number thirteen.”

  Her eyes brighten. So cute. “Oh, I’ve got a note about you. The Nameless Wanderer, it calls you. Pretty badass temp name, huh?”

  “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

  She digs around beneath the counter and you take the opportunity to lean over and study her ass. A worker in the back glares at you openly but you do not retreat until she rises once more. The woman throws a heavy space suit onto the counter, says, “Brand new suit. Yours was about to fall apart. It was more Sticky than suit!” The suit is brand new, free of creases and blood stains. You notice the yellow rectangle badge, the sign of a grunt. The lady soldier has the blue badge of ship personnel. How nice it would be to rub those two badges together...

  “Beautiful,” you say. “What about my jetpack. How’s it doing?”

  “It’s going to take months to fix it. Sorry!”

  Horrified, you say, “But I rode that thing for a hundred thousand miles to get back to you! Back to the ship, I mean! What if the Invaders attack soon?”

  “I’ll do you one better,” she says, winking. She slams a new jet pack onto the counter, a model somewhat sleeker than your former. “This here’s your reward for actions most badass on the field of battle. You’ll like it. Increased fuel efficiency, greater control, and it’s lighter than your standard issue.”

  You heft the piece of equipment in your hands. With it, you can now carry 3 more bulk than before, increasing your max bulk from 12 to 15.

  “And your old helm,” she says, passing the thing to you. You note the dent in its side, the gift given you by your killer. You wonder if you will ever get the chance to pay him back.

  She hands you a box containing the rest of your gear. She points out the row of gear behind her and says that you can barter for any of it. All available gear can be traded on an item for item basis (that is, lose one item, gain one item), except the Charged hand-to-hand weapons are worth two items, whether you gain or give one. Since field-generating charged weapons are the tools of the infantryman, you must have at least one charged weapon before you leave this room.

  Furthermore, you must also have at least one gun on your person before you leave this room.

  “As in life, nothing here is free,” says the girl. “Except for bullets. You can take up to 2 bulk of bullets, in any combination you want. Pretty sweet, yes?”

  “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

  Despite what she said earlier, the nice lady gives you 1 item for free. If your Charisma is 3 or more, you can verbally butter her up and squeeze 1 extra item from her supply. If you have an Alien Sniper Rifle, now would be the time to trade it in since you have no use for it. It is worth one item. Furthermore, if you somehow made it all this way with the High-Power Implosion Grenade, you notice that it is missing from your stockpile. Apparently the higher-ups didn’t like you carrying around non-regulation gear, but you learn a valuable lesson about keeping an eye on your goods: Gain 1 XP and erase the item from your inventory.

  Items Available for Barter

  Charged Short Sword (Blade, bulk 2, costs two items)

  Charged Mace (Mace, bulk 2, costs two items)

  Charged Lance (Spear, bulk 3, costs two items)

  Standard Issue Rifle (Rifle, bulk 3)

  Black Legion Sidearm (Handgun, bulk 2)

  Martial Law Shotgun (Shotgun, bulk 3)

  Standard Armor (Defense 1, bulk 2, see below for Armor rules)

  Standard Hard Armor (Defense 2, bulk 2, costs two items)

  Bottle of Liquid Valium (bulk 2, heals 3 Blood, 2 doses)

  Sticky Fix (bulk 2, fixes 1 SD, 3 doses)

  (If this is the first set of Armor you have found, then Armor works like so: When you lose Blood, you will be told if you may subtract your Defense rating from the amount of your Blood loss. If the text makes no mention of subtracting your Defense rating from Blood loss (for instance, if you lose Blood due to starvation, or due to a blow to a part of your body not covered by Armor), then, of course, you may not subtract your Defense rating from the Blood loss.)

  When you finish gearing up, an alarm sounds throughout the ship. “That means everyone to their stations,” says the girl. “And if what I’ve heard you said is true, then I doubt this is a training run.” The girl begins loading a shotgun, then accepts a bulletproof vest that another worker hands her.

  “You think you’re gonna need that?” you say as you put your space suit on.

  “If any Invader infantry get in here, they’re not gonna know where the shield generator is. They’re as likely to come here as anywhere, and I’m sworn to protect all this crap.”

  “Then I’ll have to do my job so you won’t have to,” you say, eyes glinting with excitement.

  She grins, hard and feral. “Go spill some blood, boy. Better hurry and find your unit.”

  Then you remember - you have no idea where or what your unit is.

  To haul ass out of the supply depot, turn to section 7.

  411

  You aim and blast the sides of the deconstructor. Steel panels peel away, sparks shoot from ruined circuits and stream into the void. Finally, you blast something vital in the machine, and it grinds to a halt. Far away, you hear a series of explosions, and the other deconstructor crashes into its dead brother; most likely, the guard has just used his grenades. The machines grind against the hallway, tearing into one another. Before you can shout in victory, your line snaps loose from the wall and you fly toward the machines - and, worse yet, toward the vacuum from the breach in the wall. You crash into something, skull jarred, sure that you will be pinned by the sliding machines.

  The ruined hulks screech to a halt in the ruined hallway, plugging up the hole from which they came. Miraculously, the hole was sealed before you could slip through it. You drop to the ground, exhausted.

  You raise up and stumble over the wreckage. You see the guard, alone, crawling toward an open doorway. You join him and the two of you collapse in a new hallway, bodies wracked by adrenaline.

  You lose 2 Blood from the battle, but you gain 3 XP for destroying the deconstructors.

  Be sure to erase the amount of ammunition that you used, then turn to section 126.

  412

  You and the priest fall on each other in a wheezing storm of flailing limbs. The old man jerks about, stabbing awkwardly, while you beat at his old head with the butt of your gun, trying not to fall under the weight of your jetpack.

  You must now compute a number that will determine the outcome of the combat. This number is your 1 G Combat score added to your Strength stat. You do not have time to draw a hand-to-hand weapon, but if you are trained in Weapon Proficiency: Mace, you may add 2 to your score as you use the butt of the gun.

  During the fight you lose 7 Blood, but you may subtract the number you computed from this amount. If you die, then the old man finally finds peace in learning what it feels like to stab a man to death and slip around in his blood. If you want to Regenerate, you can turn to section 312 to try again, or, if you want to go further back, turn to section 179.

  If you survive, then you manage to beat the old priest in the head so hard that he falls to your feet in a clanging heap of broken limbs.

  You gain 0 XP for beating an old man to death. Damn, you think to yourself, I thought it would feel better than that. Guilt creeps into your system. He was probably a bad person, you decide. Was probably mean to a lot of people in his life. Probably.

  You may take the dead priest’s Bowie Knife (Blade, bulk 1) if you wish.

  “Dam
n, dude,” says the laborer. “That was pretty heartless, don’t you think?”

  The girl looks at you in fear. The laborer forces the gun to her temple once more, and she grits her teeth in fury.

  If you want to stare down the laborer, point your gun at his head (whether you have any bullets or not), and demand that he let the girl go, turn to section 495.

  If you actually do have at least one bullet and, emboldened by your murder, want to take a shot at the laborer, turn to section 517.

  If you want to back out toward the door and leave this crazy scene, turn to section 254.

  413

  You blast your jets to life and rise in a cloud of sparkling ash toward your hated foe. Superheated blood pounds in your flesh as you arc toward him. You see him turn toward you slowly, face cast in shadow, great horns protruding on either side. He raises his thick gladius toward you, then his own jets burn to life.

  You race toward one another in a joust to the death. Just before you collide, you both raise your weapons, then -

  You must compute a number that will determine the outcome of your attack. This number is your Strength stat added to your Zero G Combat stat. If you are trained in the Jetpack Skill, add 1 to this number. If you are trained in Weapon Proficiency: Hand-to-Hand, and it is with the weapon you are using, add 3 to this number. If you are using a Spear, add 2 to this number. If you are using a Mace, add 1. If you have no hand-to-hand weapon, you can use the butt of a gun: If you are using a Rifle or Shotgun, subtract 1, or if you are using a Handgun, subtract 2. If you have no weapons at all, subtract 5.

  You swing, make contact, the impact jars you and you fly wildly. You look in horror and see that your weapon has been sheared in half by the charged sword of the enemy - erase the weapon from your inventory. Furthermore, you lose 13 Blood in the battle, though you may subtract the number you calculated from this amount. (You may also subtract your Defense rating, if you are wearing any armor.) However, if you have lost more than 3 Blood then you also lose 1 SD.

  (If you have died, then you may Regenerate by turning to section 312, or, if you want to go further back, section 179.)

  You turnabout just in time to see your enemy crash full-speed into the asteroid. In a cloud of dust you see him struggling in vain to cover his neckpiece, which you have bashed open. He stumbles in a cloud of spewing oxygen, then falls still. You gain 2 XP for killing your enemy.

  Turn to section 362.

  414

  The shrieking man swings his rifle and you duck low to avoid it. He staggers forward, off balance, and you leap at him, driving your knee into his gut. He leans over and you slam a fist into his face, then again, and he crashes to the floor. You jump on his chest and wrap both hands about his neck. His fingers probe against your face, then he wraps his hands about your throat. Breathing becomes impossible and your head feels like it will explode. You crush one another desperately. Eventually his hands relax, fall to the side, and you squeeze the life from him without mercy until his eyes go dim and he relaxes under you, dead.

  You lose 1 Blood in the battle. If your Blood has dropped to zero, then you realize you can no longer breathe at all, for your windpipe has been crushed. You see black spots, then suffocate, another senseless victim of the ghost station.

  If you have survived, turn to section 530.

  415

  “Well come on, then,” you say. “I got a weeping boil on my posterior I’m gonna need you to look at, later.”

  The lawman nods, says, “I’m Philip. Thanks, bro. That is, if I may refer to you as my bro.”

  “Blood bros,” you say, clapping your hand to his shoulder. “For life.”

  Make a note that Philip the Medic has joined you.

  Turn to section 537.

  416

  The others immediately fall on the bodies and search them for useful gear. Must be standard operating procedure, you think. We are guerillas, after all. You find the following useful gear, most of which is stuff that Marcus either overlooked or that he didn’t snatch away from you before you could get it.

  Charged Baton (Mace, bulk 2)

  Stolen Delian League Sidearm (Handgun, bulk 2) (This alien bastard must have pried this off some fallen Earth soldier, or won it in a card game from another alien bastard who did.)

  6 Handgun bullets (bulk 1)

  Alien Bulletproof Vest (Defense 1, bulk 3) (This armor is larger than usual to fit the alien’s bulky frame.)

  Alien Hard Armor (Defense 2, bulk 4)

  Moreover, Commander Uther hands you a First Aid Kit (bulk 2, heals 3 Blood, 2 doses) and a used bottle of Sticky Fix (bulk 2, fixes 1 SD, 2 doses) which you may take if you want.

  Commander Uther hands Marcus his own combat shotgun, then loads himself down with the strange guns of the alien dead. “Shee-yit,” growls Marcus, “I’d burn my gloves if I had to touch those damned things.”

  “I don’t like it either,” says Uther, “but better we use their bullets than our own. Besides, I’m trained to use this garbage, anyway.” While Sybel unsheathes a wicked-looking charged knife and hunkers over one of the dead aliens, Uther adjusts his com-link, then says, “Heimdall! Where you boys at? You dead or what?”

  Moments later there is a crackle of static in your ear, then you hear the second-in-command’s voice, punctuated by gunfire. “Sir, we’re alive, but skkkk firefight, massive fire skkkk -” There is a pause, then his voice comes back much clearer, saying, “Sir, I think we stumbled on the deck or something. We missed those heat signatures but I think we got near their command deck because we’re up against dozens of their ship personnel, armed defenders -”

  “Is anyone hurt?” barks Uther.

  “Grishnak’s hit but still fighting.”

  “Heimdall, we’re outside the shield generator, wherever you are just get out of there.”

  “We’re already retreating, sir!”

  “Well get somewhere that you can blow a hole in this ship. We’ll hit the shields, then join you.”

  “Yessir!” There is another blast of gunfire in your ear, then the comlink goes silent.

  “Hell,” says Uther, fuming. “If anything, at least they’ve gotten some of those monsters off our asses.”

  The lights in the hall go dim, then flash red, like an alarm - except that it is tuned to a different frequency than a human alarm. It stays red, then goes dark, for longer intervals. The effect is unsettling, grim. Commander Uther turns to the door at the far end of the hallway. You know that you are about to attack the shield generator and that it will be well defended.

  “Everyone,” says Sybel. You turn and see that he is carrying a severed alien hand and forearm. It drips onto the floor as he walks toward you.

  “Shouldn’t we hurry to the shield generator?” you say.

  “This is important,” says Sybel. The others do not argue; Uther nods, and they effect solemn looks on their faces. Sybel eyes you with his strange cold eyes, then slaps the front of your suit with the bloody stump of the arm. He traces a strange design, then stares at you intently and says, “No animal knows what death is. An animal runs because it is programmed to feel fear. You have faced death, have overcome your fear of it, and become something more than an animal. Today you have proven your humanity. All humans need names, else they are little more than dumb beasts. As the official dream interpreter of our crew, I name you Cromulus.”

  Marcus says quietly, “What does that name mean?”

  “It means nothing,” says Sybel, “unless this human does something great with his life. Then, the name will have meaning. I chose that name because it sounds cool.”

  “It does sound cool,” Uther says with utmost seriousness, clapping a hand to your shoulder. You are filled with joy - and a new determination to prove your worth to the cold and uncaring universe. You have been blooded, marked as a defender of your species. No longer will you be shamed by the name Mister Wiggles. Now you are Cromulus, a human fanatic.

  “Now,” says Uther, “let’s hurry and blow up
that shield generator and get back home.”

  You all turn and stalk down the hall toward the doorway. Staring ahead, Sybel says, “Remember, all of you: No matter what happens in that room, you go in there a proud human being, and if you die, then you will die a human being.”

  “Amen,” says Marcus.

  To enter, turn to section 477.

  417

  You reach the top of the ladder, then balance yourself on a narrow strip of floor. The wide, tilted beam lies before you. You look down the length of the beam and, not twenty feet below you, two vicious-looking black Buskaner dogs are picking their way toward you, growling all the while. Behind them, more dogs are climbing the structure.

  If you have a Handgun and at least 3 Handgun bullets , you can fire at the two lead dogs by turning to section 118.

  If you want to stay here long enough to confront the two dogs, turn to section 190.

  If you want to climb onto the beam and begin your ascent, turn to section 151.

  418

  The doctor holds the syringe just over your arm. You glance to the bottle from which he drew the solution. You can just barely make out the label. You see the word Mortenol in bold letters, and your heart shudders. This drug is used to end an animal’s life if it has been too badly wounded to put back together without great cost to the owner. Chemically, the stuff is practically the same as pre-Invasion engine coolant. It definitely does not belong in your body.

  For successful use of your skill, you gain 1 XP.

  To stop the doctor, turn to section 22.

  If you’re tired of all this nonsense and want to let him go through with it, turn to section 321.