Ask Dachelle if any of those areas sound familiar. Maybe start hunting them down before they cause any more trouble.

>>840449
Dispatch security to those locations.
Put a box on the helmet so it can't see.

We can use it to help security find the others - get a radio.

>>840449

Underworks, Medical sector, Grove ... all places we've been.

All places a drone could feasibly move around in undetected, too.

>>840449
Dachelle, feed the feeds from that helmet into something if you can. Destroy the camera or turn it off too.

Annie, give her a sample of your blood or whatever's needed to hack it if these things are biometrically locked.

And for fucks sake, write everything down in case these things ALSO have audio feeds

They saw the mini pinch drive. They can hack into it now and warp a bomb in. You'll want to turn that off first.

Alert everyone of the situation, then put the helmet back on and start chanting. The enemy will realize you have access, which is risky, but that means they'll realize they need to switch their comms off, and that should decrease unit cohesion.

Quick, do we still have some smartfog left, or are we outta luck? If we still have some, we can hack the helmet!

I'm pretty sure you're in the clear. None of the camera views were showing views from inside a helmet, so there isn't really any reason to believe that there's a camera -inside- the helmet itself to watch the user.

We're sort-of okay. Assuming these guys don't have the interior of the ship memorized, they won't be able to converge on your position from what they saw.

In fact, Annie can even use the helmet to check on their positions further, or in the future, so long as she makes sure she's facing a featureless wall or has the helmet-cam covered when she puts it on.

...actually, wait. Do you know the camera isn't transmitting video right now? Taking it off might not have fixed anything.

>>840449
Don't know how smart they are, but could you possibly trick them to thinking the dead repo man's alive? Maybe lure them into a trap or something?

>>840551
That's not how that works.
That's not how anything works.

Dammit, you don't know if that helmet was transmitting audio or any other sensor data to the Repo Men too. Hell, you don't know if they remotely activated the helmet and have been watching and listening through it the entire time since Annie killed the Repo Man it came off off. Fuck! Gotta treat this thing like it's a continual snitch to the Repo Men.

Grab the helmet and stuff it in box or other enclosed container, then put your index finger to your lips in the gesture of silence to tell everyone to shut up. Tap out on your datapad that the helmet may be transmitting audio too, and that it could have been remotely activated and transmitting the whole time and show that text to the group. Tap out text asking Dachelle if there's any RF shielded areas or containers on the ship the helmet could be stored in. If Annie puts it on again for any reason other than monitoring the Repo Men, you want it to be in a RF shielded area so the Repo Men don't know.

Do we have access to a wireless camera small and thin enough to slip in front of Annie's face or eye when she puts the helmet on? If so, then we could take snapshots or video of the video feeds from the Repo Men's helmets to show to members of the Sunfish. Then we could get a much better idea of where the Repo Men are than what Annie could say.

We should also inform Commander Feist and Officer Flint of this discovery so they can assemble teams that'll be ready to go after the Repo Men based on intel we get from the helmet.

>>840642
The helmet is military grade, so normal smartfog won't work. It might even trigger a anti-hack countermeasure, like wiping the helmet's data, locking it or even possibly making it fry itself.

>>840943
And what basis do you have for our smartfog being a civilian-grade model? Even if the helmet shorts out, that denies the repomen any tracking devices they have inside it.

>>841023
Actually, at the moment the helmet is much more of an asset for us than it is for them.

If they can track THIS helmet, that means we can track THEIR helmets.
If they CAN'T track the helmet then we have the advantage of being able to identify their locations based on landmarks.
Also? WE have a security force we can call on.

Does the Sunfish have maintenance robots? Mobile construction equipment? Indoor drones?

Find them, capture them dead or alive.

However, that DOES give us an idea: "Hey, Bucky, since Annie has clearance to use this helmet do you think you can use that to hack it? Maybe use that as a foothold to get into their network?"

Toxoglossa 2017/10/30(Mon)18:53 No. 841131 ID: a6af03
File 150941479731.png - (53.13KB , 600x464 , 4-88.png )

You hold a finger up to indicate silence and creep up on the discarded helmet. You prod it with your foot, turning it over until you can look inside: the display appears blank.

Its hard to speak quietly over the ambient sounds of machinery, but at least it should mask your discussion. “It looks like its off, though it might still be transmitting. There’s no telling what they can do with it remotely...”

You place it on the desk and Dachelle points out several pinhole sized cameras she noted while inspecting it earlier. You cover them with small squares of tape, unsure if the device might still be capable of covert reconnaissance.

Toxoglossa 2017/10/30(Mon)18:53 No. 841132 ID: a6af03
File 150941480330.png - (72.69KB , 600x451 , 4-89.png )

“What now?”

Annie glares at it, “We tell security. One of the feeds looked like it came from around medbay...”

Kilroy practically squeaks, “Medbay? Seriously?” The volume cuts out as his collar filters his voice, “Hey! Doctor! Anyone?”

Dachelle nods, pulling out a piece of electronics that looks mostly homemade and punching a command into the touchscreen. She ducks around a corner to make the call undistracted.

This leaves Morgan, Annie and yourself standing awkwardly, trying to fight a rising tide of anxiety.
Bucky's voice comes back over comms, "Uhhhh guys? What should I do?"

>>841132
Put a box over it? It's profoundly unlikely that they planned for their own members going rogue, and if there was a remote-kill command, squads wouldn't have access to it in case their helmets were stolen.

Now that the cameras are covered she needs to put it back on while sitting at a computer keyboard.

Then Annie needs to type what she is seeing (To avoid microphones hearing her talk) while you and security track down those cameras.

Tell Bucky to just stay put. They shouldn't know he's there, and there should be people guarding him.

>>841138
True, but the fact that a doctor or a nurse or some other kind of medical staff didn't respond to Bucky concerns me.

I think we should start heading back towards Bucky just to be safe. And have him keep talking to us and telling us if he sees anything wrong.

>>841132
If you can't walk, Bucky, get a wheel chair nearby, security will hopefully be coming soon. Grab a scalpel as well, hide it. In your state, the only way you're gonna kill a repoman is with surprise.

How loud is this conversation Bucky, we can't exactly give you the best tactical commands if your radio is too loud.

>>841132
"Bucky, there's a waste chute heading down to the ship's recycling plant. Throw a pillow down there, wrap yourself in a blanket, and jump in feet first. You'll be safe there. We'll tell them you're coming."

>>841194
That's genius.

>>841214
No, it sounds more like it'd fuck up Bucky's already injured leg. Remember, Sam and Annie had the grappling hook to lower themselves down before releasing it. If Bucky goes down the chute, it'll be a more than 150 foot fall to a landing in medical waste bin. Oh, and Bucky doesn't have his boots, so he'd also take any cutting or piercing injuries to his feet from this as well.

Well, if Polly is given the heads up she could just catch him.

>>841245
The pillow is to mark what chute he's coming out of.
The blanket can be used to brake against the sides.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/01(Wed)19:11 No. 841785 ID: a6af03
File 150958868546.png - (85.94KB , 600x465 , 4-90.png )

“Stay low Bucky, security is on its way...” You lean down in front of the drone and give it a reassuring smile, “Its going to be okay. Look around, do you see a panel with a blue triangle anywhere?”

“Uh, hang on...” there’s some shuffling from the other end of the line and a painful intake of breath as he tests his leg. “Fuckin’ hell, yeah I found one.”

You nod, “If things get dicey, throw your pillow down there, and slide down after it. It leads directly to Recycling. Ms. Polly runs it: tell her I sent you. Trust me, you cant miss her.”

“Ms. Polly, Recycling, got it.”

Toxoglossa 2017/11/01(Wed)19:11 No. 841786 ID: a6af03
File 150958868994.png - (104.49KB , 600x600 , 4-91.png )

Annie leans into the camera, “Stay safe, hun”. She stalks back over to the taped up helmet and glares at it. The two of you nod meaningfully to one another and, wordlessly, she puts it back on. She pulls out her datapad and silently starts to write:
inside medbay

Get Dachelle's attention to relay what Annie wrote to security, then type out "anywhere near Bucky?" on your datapad and show it to Annie and relay her reply to Bucky.

If you could slip a mini-camera inside the helmet and point it at the HUD, then the feed from it could be streamed right to security and make things much easier than Annie relaying what she sees. Ask Dachelle or Cain via writing on your datapad if they have anything like that nearby.

>>841788
I agree with this plan, it seems entirely rational.

>>841786
Ask for the camera angle.

Is it low to the ground, like from a drone, or is up off the ground, about person height? Or could it be from a drone walking on the walls and/or ceiling?

And if she can suddenly see Bucky from that camera, immediately alert Bucky to jump down that chute and get to Recycling!

>>841786
It's going to take Bucky time to get in the chute with his injuries unless he wants to go head first.
He does NOT want to go head first.
If he doesn't go before they see him they WILL capture/kill him.

Sam, tell Bucky to go!

Then radio Polly and give her a heads up!

>>841786
man i hope that thing doesn't have a self-destruct function

Tell bucky to run.

>>841786
We also need to change Annie's makeup again. It's been compromised.

>>841983
Not the parts we told her to cover with cloth!

Toxoglossa 2017/11/03(Fri)16:34 No. 842303 ID: a6af03
File 150975208883.png - (100.61KB , 600x408 , 4-92.png )

“Drone or person?” You ask quietly.

person armed

“Near Bucky?”

not yet trying to get into lab

You relay this to Bucky and the drone nods in reply.

Cain wanders up, wiping his hands on an oily cloth and cocks his head at the bizarre scene unfolding in front of him. His yellow eyes look down at Morgan for answers but they shush the silent colossus. “We have a situation...” they mouth quietly.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/03(Fri)16:34 No. 842304 ID: a6af03
File 150975209205.png - (85.47KB , 509x600 , 4-93.png )

Cain scratches his head thoughtfully and performs a kind of inward digging motion with his knuckles touched together before pounding a thumbs up fist gently into an open palm and raising it in your direction.

Morgan nibbles at their nails, “Call Polly, let her know someone’s coming from Medbay. A friend.”

Cain bobs the thumbs up at them and pulls a larger touchscreen device and starts typing.

>>842304
We need to find some better weapons.

>>842319
We've got plenty of weapons to deal with a single squad, and immortal security staff to use them - what we really need is someone who can identify the other spaces in the helmet cams. Can the images be transferred to or snooped by devices like Cain's datapad for a member of the crew to review? Can someone else just stuff their head in the helmet once Annie's unlocked it?

Why is Morgan a "they"?

>repoman headed for lab, not the patients' rooms
Sounds like she's more interested in stealing research than abducting Bucky. Really up to him if he wants to take the chute and most likely bust his stitches.
Or is the lab the same area in medbay? I'm not clear on the layout.

>>842304
Probably trying to recover the corpse.
Get Bucky out of there, and get security in there. Bucky's the only person there at the moment, so once he's out they can use explosives or chemical weapons.

...hmm, maybe we're thinking about this wrong. We need to think from their perspective, not just treat them as a mindless enemy. The repomen must by now realize that they have no way of getting back home. If their mission was simply to recover the three flakes, then it is without a doubt a complete failure. How would they cope with that?

They've split up, that much is obvious now. Why would they do that...? I suspect there was a schism in their group. They've split up because they have different ideas on what to do next, and the one that was killed was the ranking officer of the group. One of them is approaching the lab, sure, but is that to steal information, or is it to recover the corpse of her sister, like >>842390 said?
One of them is in the forest. Is that scouting, or peaceful exploration?
One of them is talking to Baxter. Is that information gathering? Social engineering? Or a friendly conversation? Is she trying to convince him to help her avoid getting killed by security? I imagine they must at least be somewhat concerned about their chances of survival over the next few days.

Tell Dachelle that one might be trying to get the corpse.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/06(Mon)17:48 No. 843023 ID: a6af03
File 151001929753.png - (108.96KB , 600x574 , 4-94.png )

“Bucky, we’ve told the recyclers you’re coming. You should get out of there...”

“Okay, wish me luck...”

You plant a smooch on the drone’s glassy camera and step back. “You got this, honey.”

Toxoglossa 2017/11/06(Mon)17:48 No. 843024 ID: a6af03
File 151001930711.png - (80.04KB , 589x600 , 4-95.png )

Annie suddenly gasps, “He’s grabbed someone... the doctor, uhh the tall one?”

Morgan clutches nervously at their tail, “Dr. Kent?”

“Yeah, he’s... he’s got one of those syringe things held to his neck. The Doctor... he looks scared.”

>>843024
Hmmm... We need a way to get the doctor out of there without getting him injected and presumably mutated into a horrible teratoma or something. Is there anything we can trigger or do to distract the guy using the helmet?

>>843024
Annie, tap your implanted memories. Can you get audio? What does she want?

>>843024
Hmm. Scared? Or is he acting? I mean he can't die from whatever that is, right? ...unless they knew the basics of how this version of immortality works and that's what the syringes are FOR. Like, it's fungicide or something.

I feel a bit helpless, especially since Bucky's leaving the area. He's the only one that could do anything to save Kent.

>>843024
Tell someone with a communication device of some kind to send security to Medical! Dr. Kent has been taken hostage by our unwanted guests!

Well, the disease would probably cause excessive pain and screaming. Then the agent would resort to shooting, followed by swearing and bashing until his brain stops working.

Nonlethal takedown would work here.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/07(Tue)19:13 No. 843348 ID: a6af03
File 151011080651.png - (73.74KB , 411x600 , 4-96.png )

“Can you get audio?”

Annie’s hands fiddle with some invisible controls. She gives you a thumbs up and starts typing on her datapad.

You scurry around the corner to find Dachelle, still on the comm with security. She covers the handset with a hand, “Therre arre three officerrs converrging on the sidtuadtion. Morre on theirr way.”

“Annie says there might be a hostage. Dr. Kent was grabbed.”

“Dr. Kendt? Budt he is immorrdtal?”

“He wasn't scared of Annie earlier, but whatever is in those syringes has him worried. Let security know that he’s in danger.”

She nods and relays this into the communicator.

>>843348
Little we can do but wait, monitor the situation and search for a way to install ad-ware onto the shared helmet network so popups blind all these dudes.

Okay now go see what Annie is transcribing and relay anything important to the security team.

...is it possible for you to link up your tablets so that when Annie types something it shows up on yours? Then you can just stand right here and read aloud what Annie is typing.

Kent's just worried about being abducted.
Maybe tortured or interrogated. Also, maybe beheaded.

Like, you know, you guys can still be beheaded. Or put into vacuum.

>>843348
Immortal doesn't mean "immune to truth serums and/or tranquilizers"! .....I think.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/09(Thu)17:04 No. 843918 ID: a6af03
File 151027586111.png - (101.18KB , 600x533 , 4-97.png )

You check back in with Annie as she types

you know what this is then Just nod

Good i dont have to explain myself then take me to your archives
i want all of your dna scans research and bio templates

Radio- you have incoming 2 min

Thats too fast what tipped them

R- not sure keep moving port ready in 60 sec
Get us inside now

Inside lab, sealing and fogging door
Okay got the system fogged initiating hack
I can hear them working on the door

R- somethings off, check your feed

What who is-

Toxoglossa 2017/11/09(Thu)17:04 No. 843919 ID: a6af03
File 151027587054.png - (114.55KB , 600x600 , 4-98.png )

The datapad slips from Annie’s hands. You look up at her masked face as every muscle in her body clenches with tension.

“Annie?”

Her fingers slowly claw their way towards you. Her voice comes through the helmet in short desperate barks: “Sam. Run.”

Knew it was rigged in case of this.
I knew it.
Can you cut off a neurocollar thingy? Tell me Bucky told you how to get it off him if it went haywire. Get him on radio if you can, because if he didn't tell you he should know how if he's a responsible user.

>>843919
Rip the helmet off.

Stun baton! Robust the bird, fix the helmet later.

>>843919
Can't you just take off the helmet for her? She's fighting against what is apparently some kind of remote control, so you should have enough time to do it. Or would breaking a direct connection like that be dangerous?

The alternative is to try to take her down nonlethally, but really, we don't have anything available. Oh! Break the helmet and the connection goes dead without much issue. Should be able to do that via blunt force trauma. No that YOU should do that. Might want to leave that to the crew, or security. Which means you run. ...you have the cornergun, right? Don't let her get her hands on it.

You heard the lady.

This may be a control device built into the helmet or it may be some sort of conditioning she was put through being activated. Or both. Maybe just pile on her? I hope that that thing can be disengaged safely. Do you know where the power supply is? There should be some safety mechanism that disables the whole thing in a relatively friend way in case of dead batteries or EMP or something.

>>843919
You should yank it off before it explodes or teleports her away.

say: "No I'm not leaving you", then start yanking it off.

Do we still have our equipment? Cause smart-fogging the helmet seems like it would mess up or slow down whatever it's trying to do.

Wait! Sam still has her can of Smart Fog, right?! Spray the helmet with the Smart Fog to hack and deactivate it!

Wait you have a stun baton? If not, then run. You might be uniquely vulnerable here. Otherwise, give those electrical components a taste of pain.

>>843952
We probably should've done that before we had Annie put the helmet on. Then this wouldn't be happening to her!

Toxoglossa 2017/11/10(Fri)18:50 No. 844173 ID: a6af03
File 151036862412.png - (146.01KB , 600x593 , 4-99.png )

“No! I won’t leave you!” You reach up to yank the helmet off and she blurs. A savage rabbit-punch to your exposed midsection lifts you off your feet and slides you across the floor.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/10(Fri)18:50 No. 844174 ID: a6af03
File 151036863589.png - (105.64KB , 465x600 , 4-100.png )

You curl up in agony, struggling to pull air into your lungs and wordlessly clutching at your stomach. You’re reduced to a writhing, gasping invertebrate, cast up onto a broken shore to be picked clean by predators.
Through your tears, you look up and see a set of cruelly poised talons hover above your neck. Somewhere someone is yelling something.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/10(Fri)18:51 No. 844175 ID: a6af03
File 151036868205.png - (137.15KB , 600x600 , 4-101.png )

A larger shape looms and wraps itself around Annie. Pinning her arms to her sides, Cain lifts her off the ground in a massive bear-hug. He stands as unshakable as a mountain while her dangling legs kick freely, carving scarlet gouges into his thighs. Struggling against the crushing force, she still has the strength to howl into the helmet.

“SAAAAAAAAAM! I’M SORRY, OH GOD SAM GET UP! SAAAAAAAM!”

She screams your name until it dissolves into a meaningless roar of frustration, sucking air back in between heaving, gasping sobs.

Focus. Annie needs you. Get up. Get around behind them, come up from the side, and break the connection as quickly and safely as you can.

She may be in some sort of "automatic" that reacts to perceived threats (like someone going for the helmet), but there is a big possibility there's a function that lets one of the others hijack control of her body through the neural interface. Hopefully that means they have to give up control of their own body in the meanwhile. It also theoretically means the others have a way to be hijacked, too.

>>844175
I'm going to assume (hope, really), that the blood is from Annie carving up Cain and not from carving up Sam.

Either way, someone's gotta get that helmet off. Smartfog might npt work on military grade hardware (per >>824650 ) so it's gotta get pulled off.

>>844175
SAVE YOUR BIRD SAM!

>>844175
Get that helmet off of her!

Shut down bird first, then helmet! If you don't have the stun prod, tell the big guy to use a sleeper hold. We're not in immediate trouble where we are.

>>844175
"Morgan, stun rod!
Bucky, if you're listening we need you to hack this!"

>>844175
You need to get the SmartFog. Set it to just break all the circuitry directly or something, you need to disable that helmet.

>>844211
Smartfog doesn't work on the helmet as near as we can tell. D:

>>844214
That's because we haven't tried it yet.

GET THE MASK OFF
IT PROBABLY HAS A SELF DESTRUCT AND THEY WILL USE IT SOON

Get up. If nothing else, she can see that you're okay.

Then we need to take her down, cause he can't hold her forever. Either we need to fog or remove the helmet, or we need to drug her, or something.

Be careful, and don't go where she can kick you. She's not in control.

>>844175

Ah, neural uplink collar which can be used as an override -- but not psychologically. Her very nerves are being puppeted, it seems. Gotta get that off, somehow. Any chance we can create enough radio interference to shut the thing down?

Better get Bucky to take his off right the fuck now.

>>844328
Annie isn't wearing a collar, that black part on her neck is a part of the helmet.

See if Bucky can't hack into it?

>>844331

Yes, because one is built into it.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/13(Mon)20:09 No. 844927 ID: a6af03
File 151063254074.png - (118.46KB , 600x565 , 4-102.png )

You grimace and drag yourself to your feet. You watch as Morgan throws their skinny arms around Annie’s flailing legs and clings there. Whoever is puppeteering Annie head butts her helmet against Cain’s chest in retaliation.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/13(Mon)20:09 No. 844928 ID: a6af03
File 151063254850.png - (120.41KB , 600x600 , 4-103.png )

Still clutching your stomach, you stagger up to Annie and... smile, “It’s going to be okay.”
She stops screaming, but pants furiously and grunts as her body is toyed with. “Do it.” She manages.
You take either side of the mask in your hands and lift it away.

Toxoglossa 2017/11/13(Mon)20:09 No. 844929 ID: a6af03
File 151063255683.png - (43.18KB , 436x600 , 4-104.png )

Annie’s limbs immediately go slack and Cain gently lowers her to the floor.
You drop to your knees next to her and put your ear to her chest. You lay there for some time, listening to the steady pulse of her heartbeat as if it were the most important sound in the universe.

End of chapter 4

>>844929
Sleep well birdbutt.

>>844929
Everything is going to be okay. Lives have been saved this day and no one is dead.

>>844927
>Morgan
Damn, they're stronger than they look!

>>844929
If we ever have to do that again, let's hack the helmet to prevent that from happening again! Not that we should try that again.

Also, the fact that they could get Annie to easily attack you instead of blindly flailing around, means that you probably missed some cameras on the helmet! Or they were using Annie's eyes to see where to attack!

>>844946
Shoulda put a box on the helmet like we asked.

Oh, well.
Bucky, we need you to hack this helmet and sanitize its inputs.

>>844946
>you probably missed some cameras on the helmet! Or they were using Annie's eyes to see where to attack!
Or, Occam's Razor, it's got the same ultrasound active scan capabilities as the owlet scouts.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA

Nobody died, well done all!

that was a real hellmet

>>845027

Or, more likely, being a neural uplink collar, it's wired directly into her brain, which is how the augmented reality works and how she was puppeteered, and thus someone Assumed Direct Control, which includes vision.

Next chapter: https://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/845350.html