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And fresh(ish) in time for the weekend -- here is the updated text of No Room For A Wallflower, our introductory module/setting for Lancer!
Link to the PDF is here: drive.google.com/open?id=19qeWD…
Link to the PDF is here: drive.google.com/open?id=19qeWD…
For a sense of some flavor going in...
They did it the old way at Highwater Station.
The tattoo gun buzzed over Wu’s forearm, filling in one last bare patch with dark ink. Wu grinned. Pain and permanence. One more mark on his own map of the stars.
“Keep it covered,” the inker warned. “No sun. You going downwell?”
The tattoo gun buzzed over Wu’s forearm, filling in one last bare patch with dark ink. Wu grinned. Pain and permanence. One more mark on his own map of the stars.
“Keep it covered,” the inker warned. “No sun. You going downwell?”
Wu rolled his sleeve down over the seconderm patch. “Ayuh, Hercynia,” he said, swinging himself off the padded lounger.
The inker retracted its arms, whirred out a receipt of service.
“Quiet there late. Sightseeing?”
Wu tugged on his old MSMC coat.
“Something like that.”
The inker retracted its arms, whirred out a receipt of service.
“Quiet there late. Sightseeing?”
Wu tugged on his old MSMC coat.
“Something like that.”
Wu paid and left, merging into the rest of Highwater’s foot traffic.
Station-side, crowded and loud. Only way to be a person in the real world -- live in the melange and add to it. See it all.
Wu loved the life.
His aurals hammered basstap. He looked for his crew.
Station-side, crowded and loud. Only way to be a person in the real world -- live in the melange and add to it. See it all.
Wu loved the life.
His aurals hammered basstap. He looked for his crew.
Mauler Kaul hunched over his taeam, jumpsuit top down.
“Yo Mauler,” Wu slid elbow on the bartop next to him.
“Cap,” Kaul said between bites. “Get you a real chow, I’ll buy.”
“You? In the green?”
“Hell no,” Kaul laughed. “High-like we die down there, I'm spendin’ like it.”
“Yo Mauler,” Wu slid elbow on the bartop next to him.
“Cap,” Kaul said between bites. “Get you a real chow, I’ll buy.”
“You? In the green?”
“Hell no,” Kaul laughed. “High-like we die down there, I'm spendin’ like it.”
“Taeam’s not bad.” Wu nodded. “How’s your shake? Nerves?”
Kaul shrugged, shook his head. “Always got nerves.”
“Landmark covers quieters,” Wu suggested. “That’s the real chow.”
“No use on me,” Kaul said. He grinned. “Too big, see?” He flexed, his bicep bigger than Wu’s head.
Kaul shrugged, shook his head. “Always got nerves.”
“Landmark covers quieters,” Wu suggested. “That’s the real chow.”
“No use on me,” Kaul said. He grinned. “Too big, see?” He flexed, his bicep bigger than Wu’s head.
“Can’t brag if it’s synth,” Wu said.
Kaul shrugged. “Synth’s expensive. Not bragging if it’s facts.”
The bartop flickered, drawing both of the men’s attention.
“Another one?” A sprite coalesced on the bartop.
“Two,” Wu said, pointing to himself and Kaul.
Kaul shrugged. “Synth’s expensive. Not bragging if it’s facts.”
The bartop flickered, drawing both of the men’s attention.
“Another one?” A sprite coalesced on the bartop.
“Two,” Wu said, pointing to himself and Kaul.
“Wu, lemme ask you somethin,” Kaul asked, leaning back from the bar. “Ain’t there a team already boots down in Evergreen?”
“Uh huh,” Wu said. “Only they ain’t cutting it, so--” he tapped the fresh Landmark CRT patch on his coat shoulder. “Enter the cavalry."
“Uh huh,” Wu said. “Only they ain’t cutting it, so--” he tapped the fresh Landmark CRT patch on his coat shoulder. “Enter the cavalry."
The second round of steaming taeam arrived and the men ate in silence, then left, heading for the private hangars.
The Lifeboat waited for them, as did the rest of the team.
Wu pulled a Landmark cap out of his back pocket, tugged it on as he and Kaul walked into the hanger.
The Lifeboat waited for them, as did the rest of the team.
Wu pulled a Landmark cap out of his back pocket, tugged it on as he and Kaul walked into the hanger.
“Any questions?’ Wu asked, briefing done. The team was alert, fresh. Wu had pushed the sleeves of his coat up, showing off his station marks, old MSMC tradition.
“Seeing none,” Wu trailed. “Deck is yours, XO.”
Wu left Kaul to bark orders, making for the Lifeboat’s bridge.
“Seeing none,” Wu trailed. “Deck is yours, XO.”
Wu left Kaul to bark orders, making for the Lifeboat’s bridge.
Wu rested, feet up on his console, floating against his straps.
The mission was a familiar one: backwater colony gets in a tight spot, eats itself alive, and the parent needs a team to head in and pull their NHP black box.
A garbage run.
So why the secrecy?
The mission was a familiar one: backwater colony gets in a tight spot, eats itself alive, and the parent needs a team to head in and pull their NHP black box.
A garbage run.
So why the secrecy?
“Run it again, Contingency,” Wu ordered his NHP.
An aerial view, thermal grey. An explosion blanks the screen, the picture slowly fading back in. A small team of mechs, white hot, on a black-cold background.
“Freeze it there.” Wu leaned forward. “Connie, who are they?”
An aerial view, thermal grey. An explosion blanks the screen, the picture slowly fading back in. A small team of mechs, white hot, on a black-cold background.
“Freeze it there.” Wu leaned forward. “Connie, who are they?”
“No vitals, sir,” Contingency replied. “They only read as heat.”
“Masking system? Something HORUS figured up?”
“Possible, but unlikely; there’s nothing in the guide like this.”
“Kaul, ideas?”
Kaul didn’t respond. Wu turned to look, and saw the man was asleep in his couch.
“Masking system? Something HORUS figured up?”
“Possible, but unlikely; there’s nothing in the guide like this.”
“Kaul, ideas?”
Kaul didn’t respond. Wu turned to look, and saw the man was asleep in his couch.
“If I may,” Contingency whispered in Wu’s aural. “They’re broadcasting on an unsecured network.”
“Play it,” Wu said. “On my private channel, Connie.” Wu sat, and listened.
“Play it,” Wu said. “On my private channel, Connie.” Wu sat, and listened.
>//LDMK.HIGHWATER:: GO AHEAD LIFEBOAT, CHANNEL IS SECURE
>//LDMK.LIFEBOAT:: REQ. CONFIRM ON MISSION PARAMETERS (SEND:CONNIEWHITE.SEC)
>//LDMK.HIGHWATER:: CHECK/CONFIRM/REPEAT. PARAMETERS ARE CORRECT. MISSION IS CORRECT
>//LDMK.LIFEBOAT:: HIGHWATER, WE CAN’T HANDLE A MILSPEC.
>//LDMK.LIFEBOAT:: REQ. CONFIRM ON MISSION PARAMETERS (SEND:CONNIEWHITE.SEC)
>//LDMK.HIGHWATER:: CHECK/CONFIRM/REPEAT. PARAMETERS ARE CORRECT. MISSION IS CORRECT
>//LDMK.LIFEBOAT:: HIGHWATER, WE CAN’T HANDLE A MILSPEC.
Highwater terminated the connection.
Lifeboat slid through realspace.
Some time passed before Wu spoke again.
“Connie, get me anything you can find on Overland/Kingwatcher.” He checked the flight clock: ETA two days. "And print me some bigger guns.”
Lifeboat slid through realspace.
Some time passed before Wu spoke again.
“Connie, get me anything you can find on Overland/Kingwatcher.” He checked the flight clock: ETA two days. "And print me some bigger guns.”
