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Topic: X-COM Monday Nights Campaign (Read 4477 times) |
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Jenniza
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FROM: Jane Swift, X-COM Field Agent
TO: Michael Garret, X-COM UN Liaison
RE: Mission Report – Class 5 Facility, Australia
We arrived on the scene wearing gas masks prepared for a containment breach. The facility appeared quiet from the outside, the door slightly ajar. The first floor was empty. We took the elevator door with no resistance. We knew that the facility did SOME sort of Sectoid research and SOME sort of Class 5 biohazard research; but, details were classified.
Further investigation revealed a struggle involving rifle shots as the cause of death. Still further investigation yielded combat with two Sectoids and what began what could best be described as a sequel to Night of the Living Dead. No joke. Pictures enclosed in the report. Yes, we’re talking reanimated corpses that would have to be burned or chopped up, or they’d rise up again, all created by an insane scientist in the basement cackling while monitoring the base and spring a few traps here and there on the scientists that used to be alive and on us when arrived. Buzz has the downloads of the insane scientist to back this up. Feel free to write us all up for psych evaluations, sir.
As for team cooperation, it still has its quirks; but, I’d say this is a damn fine team despite its quirks. I’d proudly go into any situation with them no matter what and trust them with my life every time. I’d risk my life to save any of theirs; they’re a great bunch to work with.
ooc:
http://home.comcast.net/~rampage97/games/NWN/Lazybones_XCOM/Screenshots/
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| « Last Edit: on: May 27, 2008, 5:31AM » |
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Lazybones
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Project Lazarus.
When Alpha Team finally emerges from the Australian facility, there are still two hours to kill before the containment team and refueling tanker arrive. You spend most of that time in the decontamination unit erected by Dr. White in the rear of the Skyranger. Buzz spends the rest of the time, and most of the nine-hour flight back to base, jacked into the computer, working on the Australian base logs. Most of them are damaged and/or encrypted, but by the time you reach HQ he has a pretty good idea of what was going on at the base.
Project Lazarus was a project being conducted by a team of scientists, headed by the brilliant cell geneticist Dr. Ernst Lieber. The Australians captured a team of sectoid scouts early in the alien incursion, and brought them to an old WW2 storage facility that had been converted into a nuclear research site in the waning days of the Cold War. The Project Lazarus scientists, in their work on the captive sectoids, discovered the remarkable regenerative powers of the alien species, and the similarities between alien and human DNA. Lieber believed that the alien biology could be used to give humans the ability to regrow damaged organs, and possibly even to reverse the progress of natural aging.
The project began modestly, with several key discoveries about the alien physiology. However, human applications proved elusive. Some of the scientists recommended sharing their information with other researchers, including the newly-established X-COM. However, a disturbing incident where a technician was caught trying to leave the base with a sample hidden in his boot led to a security crackdown. Recognizing the deadly potential of the research, Dr. Lieber began to institute more and more draconian security measures. The technician, held as a prisoner, was "volunteered" to serve as the first human test subject of the project. Using some alien technology taken from the captured alien ship, the scientists started growing a hybrid clone based on a sheep embryo, injecting it with alien and human DNA. The hybrid creature thus created was never intended to live, and in fact lacked any higher brain functions whatsoever. The researchers intended to induce the clone to produce hormones that could stimulate latent regenerative properties in human cells.
It is not clear from the records what went wrong. There are reports of scientists growing ill, and hints that there might have been some sort of security breach in the latter days of the project. Dr. Lieber's reports become less frequent, and some of the other scientists comment in e-mails that he was becoming more and more erratic in his behavior. The technician test subject sickened and died, and there is a brief fragment of a report, the words on the screen dripping panic, about the "dead man" breaking out of the morgue and attacking two guards, strangling one with his own rifle strap before it was literally shot into pieces.
The last days of the base exist only in fragments of damaged files. Apparently some of the researchers tried to escape, only to be foiled by Dr. Lieber's lockdown protocols. Eventually one of the last surviving scientists managed to hack into a minor system, using it to get a message out into the communications array. The bypassing of the security protocols is what allowed X-COM to intercept the message.
And you pretty much know the rest.
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Lazybones
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Dr. Wagner's e-mail follows shortly after you return to base.
FROM: DR. KIMBERLY WAGNER, X-COM RESEARCH LEAD
TO: MEMBERS, ALPHA TEAM
CC: MICHAEL GARRET, GRACE THELON BELUCA
RE: New Research/Manufacturing Priorities
Research Lab 1 reports that work on the Alien Alloys is nearing completion. Lab 2 is continuing its work on Laser Rifles.
Chief Engineer Grace Thelon Beluca's team has begun construction of a new workshop in the East Wing of the base. Director Garret reports that he has used the influx of new funds from the captured alien weapons (per our agreement with the U.S. Government) to pay for the added infrastructure in the East wing, including a new barracks that will allow us to grow our staff as new facilities become available. However, this will result in some belt-tightening, as the X-COM budget is being strained by current geopolitical issues beyond our control.
To summarize, here our the current priorities:
Research Priorities (20 points)
- Laser Weapons: Research complete. Laser pistols are under construction.
- Laser Rifle (8 ): A more powerful man-portable laser weapon. Research of this system will open up more powerful ship-mountable lasers, and ultimately a Laser Defense system for the X-COM base.
- Motion Scanner: Research complete.
- Heavy Weapons Platforms (2): Dr. Sandesh reports that he has developed an AI program that should enable us to manufacture an upgraded TALON weapons platform that can provide semi-autonomous support to an X-COM field team. He insists that he can have a prototype ready within a week, if additional resources are given to his project.
- Alien Medicine: Research complete. Dr. White's lab will produce a regular supply of the new medikits each week. He reports that when the lab is involved in research projects, such as alien autopsies, the rate of production will slow.
- Sectoid Autopsy: Research complete.
- Alien Alloys (10): Being researched in Lab 1.
- Alien Handgun: We've retained two pistols for research purposes. Until we capture some of the alien power source, research in this area will yield limited results.
- Sectoid Prisoner: While the alien language remains elusive, and the prisoner remains uncooperative, we hope that interrogation will yield useful results. Buzz's decryption of the alien number system offers hope for future progress in this area, and the files captured from the Australian base may yield additional information.
- Alien Navigation: A study of the control systems in the captured UFO may provide us with a better understanding of how the alien ships function.
- Alien Power Supply: The ship you captured on the Shasta mission had an intact reactor, but the fuel supply was lost. Preliminary study indicates that they use a unique power source which is kept on board their ships in a magnetic containment system. We believe that this is the same material that the aliens use (in much smaller quantities) to power their personal weapons. Capture of some of this material should be a high priority.
Manufacturing Priorities (10 points)
- Research Capacity: Research Lab 2 is fully operational. We can expand our research capacity still further, but this will require drilling out new room space.
- Medical Capacity: Dr. White has requested that we separate the sickbay from the research center, and create a separate lab for his team. This would require a significant investment of resources.
- Manufacturing Capacity (10): Work has begun on a second workshop.
- Base Defense: Missile Defense has been completed. Chief Thelon has noted the technical feasibility of creating a laser defense system, once our research into laser weapons technology is sufficiently advanced.
- Laser Pistol: Two units have been constructed.
- Motion Sensor: Production models may be constructed.
- Medikit: Doctor White's medical lab can construct a number of these kits each week without compromising our manufacturing capacity. If you wish to dedicate additional resources to the project, the kits can be produced at a faster rate.
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Your current allocations are listed in parens above.
As I noted last week, each of you are welcome to spend your off-time supporting any of the above projects. If you wish to do so, just note it in an IC post, with the total skill modifier of the skill that you wish to use to provide support. I will make a roll and notify you of the results in a future post. Note that it is possible to hinder a project if you roll poorly, so you may want to only support projects where your skill level is fairly decent. 
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 12:07AM » |
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Smart Alec
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Though relentless and sharp during the mission, Vasily becomes withdrawn and a little pale in the aftermath, as the adrenalin fades. After an hour smoking cigarettes and swearing under his breath, he finally speaks up.
"Why aliens ever need invade? All they need do, throw us some hayka, some... weird science, we do good job wiping ourselves out."
He shakes his head, and goes back to inspecting his soda, which he seems reluctant to drink.
***
OOC: A note on manufacturing...
The way I envisaged things going was this:
Step 1 -
Workshop 1: Build Workshop 2.
Step 2:
Workshop 1: Laser weapons or armour for squad depending on what group feels is priority.
Workshop 2: Build Workshop 3. (not sure how long that'll take. Drilling?)
Step 3:
Workshop 1: Laser rifles for squad.
Workshop 2: Armour for squad.
Workshop 3: Stan White's lab/New base defences/New lab
That's the Five Year Plan, so to speak - to have two manufacturing workshops churning out equipment whilst a third continues on base upgrades.
So, the big question - who wants what? Who wants a laser pistol, who wants a laser rifle, and who wants some light alien armour?
I would assume that we'd be looking for at least two more laser pistols (for Cat and James), armour for Vasily, James, Baron and Buzz, and laser rifles for Vasily and Jane... however, that depends on who wants a laser rifle, whether the scouts would prefer protection over the stealth bonus of the armour they have at the moment, what feats everyone has, if everyone thinks we should be aiming to equip as many people as possible with rifle and sidearm... or if anyone feels other items should take priority, i.e. the motion sensor.
Place your orders, people!  Hopefully, we can revisit this topic when new things become available...
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 4:05PM » |
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Jenniza
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Jane gave a passing thought, "You realize that if any of our gas masks had come off during that mission what the consequences would have been, right?" She let that sink in a moment, then continued, "We were THAT close to joining their ranks and needing Doc's special therapy session," motioning to the chainsaw. Jane was dead serious.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 9:52AM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc currently just made level 5 & specializing in heavy weapons (ie i'd love a laser rifle or plasma rifle or whatever goodies there or in that caliber)
ooc by level 6, plan is to take light armor feat & (quick reload probably)
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vanya mia
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Slowly the adrenalin fuelled, slightly hysterical, response drained away as they made their way back to the Skyranger. Blue eyes now became a little wider as they walked past the still smoking or dismembered bodies. Picking a path through limbs and torsos, like the closing shots of a slash horror movie where the good guys had survived… for once. Sipping quietly at a can of soft drink for the sense of normalcy it gave during the decontamination process, which couldn’t deal with the gore spattered across everyone’s clothing. Staring thoughtfully into space during the trip. Only breaking the contemplation to give the Russian a silent nod in recognition of his observation, and an empathic grimace towards Jane when she spoke, eyes going to the chainsaw then to Doc Baron.
On landing she made her way back to the bunkroom dumped her equipment and went to shower. Leaving the bloody uniform to be cleaned, she showered for over an hour. Soaping down her skin and hair again and again, then simply standing letting water run over her and away. Finally returning she dressed, all the while looking at the 44 Magnum she’d picked up from where it had dropped as the scientist had fallen. She picked it up and sat on her bunk, turning the hand cannon around checking it. Rising she made her way to the firing range, and picking out some more ammunition she loaded the gun and stared at the target’s head. “I am the White Queen, I can now believe 6 impossible things before breakfast,” she murmured then shot, and shot and shot and shot and shot and shot and shot....
((OOC - Just have to say that was one of the best sessions I remember in a long time as a PC, top reviews all round I think.
Totally agree on the said 5 year plan, typical Russian.  I'm not sure I see a need for more than one motion sensor, though we should get the upgraded one sometime. It didn't get much use last session because of the walls, a new one might resolve that.
Cat won't take beyond personal firearms, so a hand gun when one comes available is fine. Wouldn't mind a decent knife type thingy if one ever is available, more of a stealth specialists weapon that, but no worries if not. Armour? Cat can manage 24 AC now, so maybe she's not the priority for it, but eventually I guess the need for DR might outweigh stealth bonus. Certainly light though, cloth or padded equivalent. Don't want to mess with the dex bonus or saving throws!  ))
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 1:10PM » |
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Jenniza
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OOC that was some insane mix bag of movie cliches... I loved it... I busted out laughing when I saw the chainsaw, even though I knew the chainsaw was in the pallatte, I had forgotten about it in all the excitement. I titled Doc's pic, "Doctor Butcher" due to LB's quote. My experience with Oki's snapping rapid screenshots during combat got me some nice screenies last nice in combat. I'm even starting to learn how to snap some nice pictures then switch to guns within a few seconds and join combat. I'll get better in time, I suppose. I can't always hit the emote button; because of the text lag on the screen interfering with the live action of the moment though, it's typically only good for still shots or preparation.
On a side note, the only thing I differ with the 5-year plan is that I'd like to constantly be making extra Manufacturing Labs:
Goal 1
Lab1: Make Manufacturing Lab 2
Goal 2
Lab 1: Make Manufacturing Lab 3
Lab 2: Laser Pistols/Armor
Goal 3
Lab 1: Make Manufacturing Lab 4
Lab 2: Laser Rifles/Armor
Lab 3: Make Med Lab
Goal 4
Lab 1: Make Manufacturing Lab 5
Lab 2: Heavy Weapons Platforms or Plasma weapons (Possibly)/Armor
Lab 3: Make Med or Research Lab
Lab 4: Base Laser Defense (possibly)
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 2:40PM » |
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Smart Alec
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OOC: Agreed, awesome zombiekilling work all round and great fun too.
There's nothing theoretically wrong with the consistent production of manufacturing rooms, by any means.  However, a couple of things I had in mind when sticking to 3 workshops for now:
- I don't know how long this 'drilling new space' would take. The idea of sticking to three workshops for now is just to get things rolling off the production line fairly quickly. If we have to wait 3 weeks, say, for Workshop 3 and then 4 weeks for Workshop 4 as new space is excavated, I would tend to stick to 3 for now and consider building 4 when we have a medical wing and the laser defence net and a third lab etc etc.
- I'm also not sure if we have infinite space! I suppose in theory we do, but in practice, we might find that there are structural, geological, architectural or security problems with extending the base too far.
- Although I'm assuming we can find the staff for workshops 2 and 3 (because without staff, they're useless), I'm not sure if we can keep on recruiting staff, especially if X-Com is on a tight budget.
As an aside, could the agency make money by marketing and selling things like the laser weapons, suits of armour and especially the medical advancements? It's a thought, I guess.
EDIT: After reading through the thing in my post above I think maybe change Step 2 to:
Step 2:
Workshop 1: Laser weapons or armour for squad depending on what group feels is priority.
Workshop 2: Build Workshop 3. (not sure how long that'll take. Drilling?)
... and forget about constructing armour and lasers just then. Seems that if we divide construction efforts, it takes twice as long to get anything, if you see what I mean...
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| « Last Edit: on: May 28, 2008, 4:11PM » |
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Jenniza
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Have you ever looked at Ebay? ANYTHING can be sold...
Seriously... anything we produce that we don't need can be sold off and would be useful I bet... considering stuff we make is practically UNHEARD of on Earth. Even if we don't go Black Market, the Classified Community among the Consortium would love our research as that is ONE OF THE SIDE REASONS WHY THEY ARE FUNDING US!!!
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vanya mia
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Wandering slowly back into the recreation room, Catalina read the update email from Dr Wagner as she walked. There'd been less smiles from her for a day or two and, even though her normal manner was returning, there was a new hardness to her expression that never quite went away. She walked up to the multimedia centre, eyes still on the email, and flipped channels until she found something noisey. To the refrains of modern metal music she sank gracefully into a chair at the table, and still reading swung the long legs up onto the table.
"New information, boys and girl, so we'd best plan what we want to suggest." Catalina's feet twitched to the beat of the music as she spoke. "With luck, we should have the designs for the laser rifle and armour ready too, plus have the second workshop ready to go. Question is with what?" She looked around the faces of those nearby. "I'd say one workshop to help in construction. If we can cope on current medical supplies then I'd say construct another manufacturing workshop. Question is, do we need another medical bay to make more of those snazzy packs? In which case do we build that?"
The blue eyes turned to the email again. "Plus what to make in the other. Let's see, we have..." She ticks off fingers one by one. "The laser pistols, the motion sensor, and probably the rifles and armour. We've two pistols at the moment, which seem to work nicely, but we still take a pounding." Catalina's fingers tapped the screen of the xPhone a couple of times. "I'd say leave the rifles until we have some of these alloy enhanced uniforms at least. From what we've had made so far I suspect we need a full workshop to get two pistols, but we don't know how many uniforms a workshop could make in a week."
Shrugging lightly Catalina looked up again. "We could devote the whole of a workshop to pistols, and get two. We could turn it over to producing just these alloyed uniforms and see what we get. Or we could split production to get 1 pistol and see what we get uniform wise with the rest." She rubbed her chin a little. "I'd like to get a look at the new protection, I admit. We really should ask how quickly the new uniforms can be made." With that she tapped out an email.
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vanya mia
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FROM: Cat.LeaveYourHatOn
TO: DR. KIMBERLY WAGNER, X-COM RESEARCH LEAD MEMBERS, ALPHA TEAM
CC: MEMBERS, ALPHA TEAM; MICHAEL GARRET; GRACE THELON BELUCA
RE: Alloy enhanced uniforms
Just after a little more information about the uniforms that is likely to be produced with the alien alloys. I know it's a little early to be certain, but it would be really useful if you could estimate the levels of production you think would be possible. Will there be different grades of protection, and how much manpower will it need to make each grade.
Thanks for your time.
Catalina
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Lazybones
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on May 31, 2008, 2:10 PM, vanya mia wrote:| Just after a little more information about the uniforms that is likely to be produced with the alien alloys. I know it's a little early to be certain, but it would be really useful if you could estimate the levels of production you think would be possible. Will there be different grades of protection, and how much manpower will it need to make each grade. |
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Dr. Wagner responds quickly, saying she'll leave the response to Chief Engineer Beluca.
Grace's response comes a few hours later. Oddly, you can almost smell the grease from the written words on the screen; you know she's been busy.
FROM: Grace
TO: Cat.LeaveYourHatOn
RE: Armor Construction Estimates
I've been checking with the eggheads almost every day on their progress on the alien alloys. I sense that we're getting close; we just need to find a way to work the damned stuff and we'll be in business. I've tried to make the Personal Armor schematics as simple as possible to enable rapid production, but with any new tech there are always difficulties. I think that the armor will be about the same workload as a laser pistol, maybe slightly more. One full workshop could probably produce 3 suits every two weeks, maybe 4 if we pushed it and got some help. Any of your Alpha boys know how to use an arc welder? |
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Jenniza
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Jane looked up after reading the email from Catalia in the recreation room, "Nicely phrased, Catalina. You asked some good questions."
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| « Last Edit: on: May 31, 2008, 2:32PM » |
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vanya mia
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Catalina gave Jane the patented lantern smile. "Not just a pretty face you know?" Then dropped the xPhone where everyone can read the email. "Well, there you go. Given that I say we get them to churn out 2 more laser pistols and when they are done we turn the workshop over to armour for a while until a third is built. Possibly then we think about the rifles."
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| « Last Edit: on: May 31, 2008, 3:25PM » |
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Jenniza
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Jane thought for a bit what Catalina said, after looking over the emails, then sketched out an outline, for the others to examine, "Perhaps something like this?"
Goal 1
1) Build Manufacturing Workshop 2
Goal 2
1) Build Manufacturing Workshop 3
2) 2 Laser Pistols per week
Goal 3
1) Build Manufacturing Workshop 4
2) 3-4 armor suits per 2 weeks
3) Build Med lab
Goal 4
1) Build Manufacturing Workshop 5
2) 1-2 laser rifles per week
3) another lab or whatever as needed
4) Build Base Laser Defense System
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vanya mia
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Peering at what Jane had written Catalina frowned thoughtfully. "I'd agree with you, but I'm not sure we can assume the timescale you have there," she said. "Your Goal 1 should be complete in a day or two, we hope. Goal 2 fits with what I would suggest. The thing is you're assuming the third workshop will be constructed as easily as the second. I think we will have the laser pistols, but still be running on two workshops for a while. I could be wrong, but there's been information to suggest that adding in more space will take longer as we go on due to resource issues. I think it might have to go like this." She picked up a stylus and modified Jane's plan.
Goal 2
1) Start building manufacturing workshop 3
2) 2 Laser Pistols
Goal 3
1) Continue building manufacturing workshop 3
2) 1-2 armour suits
Goal 4
1) Build medical laboratory 2
2) 1-2 laser rifles
3) 1-2 armour suits
Goal 5
1) Start building Manufacturing Workshop 4
2) 1-2 laser rifles/Laser Defense System
3) 1-2 armour suits
"Goal 5 is definately making assumptions on the med lab being built as quickly as the first manufacturing workshop was. I'm not sure we can make that."
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Jenniza
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Jane nodded to Catalina, "I suppose, as always, when making long range plans, it's best to allow for wiggle room as things start to get fuzzy after a bit and it gets even harder to make even longer range plans the further out you go as many new developments will likely unfold in that time.
Oh, if they need a hand to order around in the workshop, I spent a summer in my uncle's garage as a teen helping out. I know how a few things about handling an arc welder and other tools. I can fetch them the right tools and such perhaps, maybe as an apprentice or something."
Jane heads down to the workshop area and asks Grace if her skills could help as a beginner, like an apprentice or something extremely simple, just to learn the ropes, fetch tools, etc.
OOC: I think Jane only has a +3 skill... I don't want her to get in the way. Just to observe and learn and maybe augment a roll or something. She's nothing special in Craft Mechanical. I had hoped to take more later one day.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 31, 2008, 8:44PM » |
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