The Frozen North: All Aboard!

[DigoDragon]

The pegasus taps her chin. "That may or may not explain why a hologram was trying to rummage through a computer room looking for crap. If it's faulty, it might not have been able to realize it can't pick up anything. Which may be why Banks was reticent to turn on the robot he put his daughter into. Guy got desperate, then remembered midway through how bucked up the Starswirl data was...But...Ugh... Late Night's Descendants... Starswirl's Son, Bank and his dead family... this is starting to get complicated..."

"He did try to hug Oddy and later grab me by the coat collar. I don't recall him noticing he couldn't..."

[Miltonian]

Black Hawk stands towards the back, away from the group, quietly watching. She is still recovering her wits, after all. Golden, however, steps inside and lets out a whistle. Fortunately, there are no traps.

"This is...this is good." With a grin, she runs a hoof over one shelf and hums happily. "Oh yes. I'll easily recoup all my losses with this stuff!" She turns to the party and beams.

"Well...I suppose" Black Hawk ventures, "There was one that didn't use the generic 'Warning: you are in violation of Regulation 2039 of the Crystal Empire Defensive Act. We will give you a moment to pray before termination' spiel most of them gave. It was a big sentry bot, but it's head was different. Shaped like a helmet."

[DigoDragon]

"This is...this is good." With a grin, she runs a hoof over one shelf and hums happily. "Oh yes. I'll easily recoup all my losses with this stuff!" She turns to the party and beams.

"Reckon we start packing up the big ticket items and take stock as we pack it ll to go?" Doc asks. He'll start putting things out of the closet for everyone to gather and bring back to the sled/wagon thing.

"It was a big sentry bot, but it's head was different. Shaped like a helmet."

"A helmet? I've never seen a custom sentry robot like that."

[tonberryking]

"Helmet Head's probably our leader and also this "Son". But... How can a hologram grab somepony? Ugh... Well, whatever. Something to work out when we get back to town and sell all this stuff. Although... two things: Black Hawk should get a share of the profit. This was her home before everypony else showed up and she's not safe here anymore. The other thing? We need to decide what we're gonna do about that brain case and the pony stuck in the robot upstairs. Like, right now. Well, three things I suppose: we need to figure out what to do about the radioactivity behind the other door, too."

[DigoDragon]

"We need to decide what we're gonna do about that brain case and the pony stuck in the robot upstairs. Like, right now. Well, three things I suppose: we need to figure out what to do about the radioactivity behind the other door, too."

"Alleged pony," Doc corrects. "Whatever's in the robot ain't stable and we only have Dr. Banks word that he failed. He did say that the project was going to the Amethyst Institute, so maybe we should poke around there and see if they kept his old notes somewhere."

"As for the radioactivity, I don't see a reason to mess with it. Maybe stick a warning on that door for the next pony that doesn't have a detection on hoof."

[Miltonian]

"Yeah," Golden agrees with Doc, "Alright, everyone. We had our excitement. Now we have to take inventory." She begins shifting boxes into the main room. "Check and see if they have a radiation suit. We might be able to get in anyway."

Black Hawk shifts on her hooves. "Yeah," she says, clearing her throat, "I would appreciate something. I kind of feel like I missed out, though, living on top of all this for all this time." She peers into the room. "I will need some of this to fix my armor up. Some of the batteries will probably fit my rifle."

[DigoDragon]

"This is the fun part," Doc says in a happy tone. He helps disperse boxes to be inventoried and will take notes on what he finds.

"I don't see a problem giving Hawk a cut of the profit. I suppose she can get a proper place to sleep."

[tonberryking]

"Well... Black Hawk might be coming with us... After the job is done." Pepper seems a little reticent to say this, but she barrels ahead, "It's not gonna be safe here, at any rate. But beyond that... Look, I think we should at least hook that brain pan back where it was, plug the robot into the charging station and at least see if we can talk to any "supposed" she air quotes with her wing tips, clearly bitter at Doc despite safety concerns,Lost soul that may or may not be stuck in there. I kinda wonder if being stuck in a robot that someone else was trying to control is why it's so erratic. But we have prep time, Hawk's got laser ammo and the robot was out of juice-- if it starts to wreak havoc we can unplug it and let it drain itself of all 80 seconds of power that it got back. Besides. It's getting dark out and we're not going to attempt the way back into town in sub-zero temperatures. And if you really want, I'll take my chances being in the same room as the robot, so you can at least say "I told you so" to my dying corpse once it gets unplugged. But I'm going to at least talk; that voice begged for help and I can't ignore that. Not in these circumstances."

She seems pretty adamant, though part of her really, really hopes she won't get talked down, or worse, talked out of it.

[DigoDragon]

Doc takes in a deep breath.

"Glint, let me ask you something-- have you ever cut a pony open to remove a bullet?" Doc asks in a very restrained tone. "Anyone can do it. Removing a bullet doesn't seem like a hard thing to do. But now, do you know how to pull the bullet out so it doesn't tear more tissue? Do you know where all the major arteries are in the body? How much painkiller do you administer to a pony based on two hundred pound weight and an age of about 25?"

Doc adjusts his glasses. "There is a LOT of information you have to know in order to safely pull out a bullet from someone. Without it, you could cause more damage or even kill the patient. Plugging in that robot again without knowing anything about this brain-scan tech or the robot's condition could destroy whatever is in its memory bank. I would like to help, but I would like more to first understand what it is we're messing with. So, I'm not gonna stop you. But be VERY sure you want to turn that robot on when you do."

[Elbeyon]

"I was hoping to find something to call those robots back. I do not like whatever they are doing out there." Rime shakes her head.

"I am not seeing or feeling any secret doors in this room. I will search the main room while everypony moves the loot."

She says to Pepper, "Yes. Black Hawk should get a share, especially if she is going to continue to stay with us and aid us. She risked her life just as much as the rest of us." She looks at Black Hawk.

"You can fix that thing? It looked a little tested."

Rime will back out of the room and search the main room.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Stuff?
(3d6)[6]

vs 18 (Sight) = 13 (Perception) +5 (Keen Vision)
vs 18 (Hearing) = 13 (Perception) +5 (Keen Hearing)
vs 13 (Smell/taste) = 13 (Perception)
vs 13 (Touch) = 13 (Perception)

[tonberryking]

"Glint" gives Doc a rather ugly look, but just grits her teeth rather than firing back something ...rude.

"You know what? Fine. Maybe I won't activate the damn robot. But your plan of taking her to the Amethyst institute is almost as damning as just plugging her in the wall to see what happens. Everyone there answers to the Director. What if they want whatever's inside there for experimentation--what if they put the soul of a filly that's been trapped for decades to all kinds of tests, because they want to learn how to put souls into robot bodies as she begs them to stop? What if they take the robot and just kick us out and that's all we ever get?!

Is there a robotics expert in town, Golden? Cause maybe we should just go local with this one, pay them some hush money and get them to safety activate the robot with its motor functions disabled or something so we can just talk and not risk anything getting tore up? Would that satisfy you, Doc?"

[Miltonian]

"Y-yeah," Hawk chimes in, a little nervousness creeping into her voice, "Not like I can exactly stay here. Some scavengers with less scruples than you all will swing by and shangneigh me in my sleep, or something." She brightens at Rime's question. "Oh no need to worry about that. It's self-repairing! So long as the spell matrix is intact, it'll..." Her face pales. "I, uh, need to go check something! I'll be right back to help move stuff!"

Her wings snap out and she bolts for the door.

Rime, meanwhile, is confident there are no more secret doors here. A few ventilation shafts, but no doors.

Golden pauses in her merry inventory-taking to look between Doc and Pepper. "Well," she says doubtfully, "There are a few robots in town. I guess Sweet Peaches would be the pony to go to. She uses robots in her restaurant." She 'hmm's and shakes her head slightly. "Are we sure the transfer completed properly? As in, did she even make it into the robot, or is she stuck somewhere else?"

[Elbeyon]

Rime is looting the main room and moving the bodies with her magic. She puts them in a more dignified position, preparing them to be moved outside.

Rime shouts after Black Hawk, "I want to see your magic armor later! Do not forget to offer to show me!"

[DigoDragon]

Doc sours at Glint's outburst. He's losing patience with the pegasus, and that actually takes a little work. He breathes in deep, working damn hard to keep himself calm.

"I don't recall saying we should bring the robot to the Institute. In fact, I'm inclined to agree with you on that part-- let's keep the robot in the care of a quiet, local repair pony."

He looks to Golden when she added her question. "No one in this room knows the answer to that. I'm less certain what we'd do if it did complete."

[Miltonian]

"Sure! Wait, what?" Black Hawk calls back, but she is already gone. To late to take that back. Rime's evil plan has succeeded.

Golden nods in response to Doc. "There might be..." She thinks about it. "Rime? Is there a you could, you know, cast a spell? I know it might be impossible, given that I don't know the first thing about magic, but you studied hard! You're an actual mage. Could you...do you have a way to find out?"

[tonberryking]

"Right... Well, I'm gonna see what Black Hawk's worried about. I'll be back in a moment to help organize all this and after that, we should figure out a watch rotation.
No telling if the Crystal mare's goons are gonna come back with more trucks before dawn."

With some concern, but giving up (for now) on the plan to activate the robot, Pepper flies off with a promise to return, making sure Black Hawk is okay.

[DigoDragon]

Once Glint is out of earshot, Doc mental-stressingly deflates about 17%. He rummages through the box to continue inventory, but the moment's joy is gone. It's now busywork.

"Sigh. Honestly, I am concerned if there is a mind in that robot... but... you saw what 200-year old hardware does with Starswirl. Assuming what's in there is a mind and not a maverick programming. What would we even do if there is a filly in there? I just... don't want rash actions..." He rubs the back of his neck. "This would be a lot easier if I didn't give flying feather."

The logical side of his brain felt that Doc's argument was sound. Messing with something old and unknown could just break it... or worse, hurt the party. The emotional side of his brain felt like he was forced into the role of bad guy for this argument. There's no blue ribbon for winning. He added the frustration to the bank in the back of his mind, the part where he still had unresolved sadness for his dead cousin, his lost clinic, and... well for now that was all he could remember.

Probably good that's all he remembered. The bank is getting full.

Doc forced himself upright and he went back to sorting the loot. "Sorry, I'm just rambling to myself. Anyway, has anyone found any medical gear yet? Clean bandages fetch good caps."

[Elbeyon]

Rime only asked if she could see the armor! Magic items are neat, and Rime would like to look at the ex-enclave armor. Finding a magic item in the wasteland is rare!

She hears Doc and tries to reassure him, "Glint has stayed her hoof for the time being. She sees the wisdom in your words."

"Do not consider everything sold. There may be antiques here that no amount of caps could purchase. We may desire to keep what we value and leave the rest to what others value. Books are one such item worth keeping."

Rime puts both her hoofs on her staff and looks at Golden when the question is asked. Rime thinks. "I would not want to disappoint by saying there is no such magic. Magic unavailable to a mage such as I. Though, I admit I am unfamiliar with magics involving souls, but, perhaps, there is a different method by which we may make our decision. In theory, there are magics that only work on animals. On the opposite path, there are only magics that work on people. A key difference that separates the magics is freewill." She says matter-of-fact like freewill is a settled debate. "I could cast a spell that only works on people, and, if the spell fails we have an answer."

[Miltonian]

Pepper ascends and exits the bunker, pursuing her new friend. It's not a long search. Black Hawk is out in the clearing in front of the bunker, prying a plate off her armor. Compass Needle watches from a short ways off with a raised eyebrow. Strawberry Lemonade lays on the ground behind him, bound and gagged (and happy about neither). He clears his throat. "You...want some help there?"

"I've got it," Black Hawk says. She grits her teeth and, with one last wrench, yanks the panel off the back, right between the wings, and huddles over it. A string of expletives leaves her mouth, loud and foul enough to make even Strawberry Lemonade, a raider boss, stand up and take notice. Black Hawk kicks the side and begins pacing furiously back and forth.

====

"If you didn't give a flying feather, I wouldn't want you to be my doctor," Golden counters. She opens one of the boxes they pulled out, one with a white, Geneighva cross on the side, and says, "Let's see."

Peering inside, Doc and Golden find that it is a well-stocked medkit. Not only does it have four healing potions/stimpacks, it also has a full bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide for disinfecting wounds and two rolls of clean bandages.

Golden raises an eyebrow at Rime's offer and turns to Doc. "What do you say? Want Rime to cast that spell on the robot and computer terminal? That would settle it, right?"

[DigoDragon]

"If you didn't give a flying feather, I wouldn't want you to be my doctor," Golden counters.

"Yeah... doubt I'd be a doctor if I didn't care..." Doc softly agreed.

Hydrogen Peroxide for disinfecting wounds and two rolls of clean bandages.

Golden raises an eyebrow at Rime's offer and turns to Doc. "What do you say? Want Rime to cast that spell on the robot and computer terminal? That would settle it, right?"

Doc lifts the bottle of peroxide and looks it over with interest. Before he says anything, he looks up and considers Golden's question.

"Well... I reckon that would settle it with me. Rime's magic has been nothing but dependable."

[Elbeyon]

"Yes. The more I think about the idea the more I am sure this will work. If everypony agrees with the idea we can put the debate to an end."

"There are two rooms I have not searched yet. I will hold off on the radiation filled room." Rime will continue searching while everypony else does the hard work.

[tonberryking]

Only Pepper seems unfazed. She raises her eyebrows, but after years on the force, listening to the kind of uncut language off duty cops, detainees, suspects, and actual criminals (there are a few of those! Really!) she's almost gotten used to this kind of verbal monstrosity. She doesn't rush over and smother Hawk with concern, doesn't call attention but quietly walks up and looks between her new friend and the still inert power armor.

"The matrix thing you mentioned down below is broken, isn't it?" she finally asks with some concern. She at least hopes this is the case and not that it was somehow stolen by the marauders who fled...

[igordragonian]

Oddy smile, as she try to break into the room.
She write a small note, and send it levitating to Hawk
'Sorry. Can I give you a gift?"

[Miltonian]

Previously

While running outside, Black Hawk stops just a moment to snag the note and say, "Maybe later," to Oddy before running off.

Present

Golden smiles. "Well, there you go!" she says, "Rime will answer our questions. Just tell her everything you want scanned to satisfy your concerns."

Rime can search all she wants, but there are no secret rooms in this bunker, other than the one that drove Black Hawk from her home.

===========

Black Hawk huffs and slams the panel back in place. It falls off again. "Yeah," she grumbles, "And I don't know the magic behind fixing it. We had specialized production processes for that."

[DigoDragon]

Golden smiles. "Well, there you go!" she says, "Rime will answer our questions. Just tell her everything you want scanned to satisfy your concerns."

"I reckon the two big targets are the robot in the other room and this doodad with the filly's name on it."

Doc pulls out the small crystal device to show, then puts it away safely. "Just gotta wait for Glint to come back, so she can see it fair for herself."

[tonberryking]

Pepper sighs and tries to shepherd Hawk back inside, though she also attempts to put the plate back in place.

"Well, we have a unicorn with us, though I can't promise any miracles. Worse comes to worse we can take the armor with us and put it in storage someplace until we find a way to fix it. Should we bring it inside with us?" She offers to at least help drag it indoors, before trying to return to the others and see about organizing all of this.

[Elbeyon]

Rime shouts from across the bunker to Doc and Golden, "Should we pull the scrap out of this room? The fancy machines might be worth more to us in our back pocket than part of the real estate!"

[DigoDragon]

"I reckon so, as I doubt we'll be coming back again," Doc replies to Rime.

[Miltonian]

Golden nods and sets down another box. "Well, back to work until Glint gets back, then." As she opens up the next box and finds it full of wiring, connection ports, and circuit-boards, she shouts back to Rime, "Yeah! It's got to at least have some salvageable components. See if the holo-system got damaged in the blowout. Someone would pay good caps for that, I bet."

====

Hawk allows herself to be shepherded, but not before they get her armor out of the snow and inside. "No miracles," she repeats grimly, "Well, at least my rifle was still where I left it. That will still work."

[DigoDragon]

As she opens up the next box and finds it full of wiring, connection ports, and circuit-boards, she shouts back to Rime, "Yeah! It's got to at least have some salvageable components. See if the holo-system got damaged in the blowout. Someone would pay good caps for that, I bet."

Doc pauses his sorting to pick up several of the wires. He gently braids a few together and then holds it up just below his nose. He then taps a beat with his booted hind-hoof as he sings an old song he knows in a deep voice,

"You may long for love
You musn't all despair
For there's a secret you should know
To capture the hearts of the fair

You may not have the looks
You may not have the dash
But you win yourself a mare, if you've only got a moustache
A moustache, a moustache, if you've only got a moustache!"