ayen

: 1d20+3 8

I have got to get a new roller. Mine has been doing not-so-good for me.

"Look out!" cried Monkey Wrench. She reached for her controller device and started tapping out commands. Instantly three more drones flew out of her pouch and hovered at eye level. "Aim for the boxes," she muttered, partially to herself, partially to her minions, as she tapped out the command. They were to try and shoot off the metal contraptions while hopefully leaving the dogs uninjured.

As the drones flew fearlessly toward the dogs, MW took a few steps back and climbed the stairs. It wasn't a rooftop, but any elevation was good against an unknown foe. At least from a few stairs up, they couldn't drool on her.

The drones swooped in, took deliberate aim, and fired at the devices which seemed to be controlling the dogs.

As they did, MW scanned the area. She didn't know much about the devices, but chances were good that someone nearby was controlling them, just like she was controlling her drones. If she could pinpoint their source, she could "cut off the snake's head," as her daddy would say.

Int + Knowledge (Technology) = Int + Knowledge (Technology): 1d20+5+15 24

Int + Craft (Mechanical) = Int + Craft (Mechanical): 1d20+5+15 28

The drone wasn't much fancy to look at - a metal saucer roughly the size of a man's palm, with two arms reaching out from the front. It had "eyes" so to speak, but whether they were cameras or ports for lasers remained to be seen. Overall, it looked well constructed and high tech.

The drone emitted a red light that scanned up and down Temperance's face. Once the scan was complete, the drone purred, and a slightly tinny voice projected from it. "Not yet. I'm working on it. Right now, it's just surveillance and research. Do you have a plan?"

Back around the block, MW activated another drone. This one she sent to scan the area for life forms. She had no objection to this new person, but she wanted to know who else was in the area, just to make sure there were no surprises. She was still new at this "super hero" thing and she knew she couldn't afford to make junior mistakes.

Monkey Wrench went to her computer, a collection of the best parts she could find, making a Frankenstein Beast of a machine she called Boris, and ran a search for "the Signal" cross-referencing it with a photo of both men, as provided by her drone. Meanwhile, she sent her drone up the side of the building to see if there was a way for it to get inside - a cracked window, an air vent, an open door, something.

"All right Boris," she muttered to herself. "Let's see what you can tell me."

She wondered about this "Signal." Smoke signal? Non-verbal signal? Gang signal? Computer signal? What kind of signal could encourage thugs to want scrap metal?

While the search was running, she went back into her shop and checked out what kind of metal the thugs had been after. If she could determine its value, perhaps she could have a better idea of what they really wanted.

Monkey Wrench knew there had to be something behind "the Signal" other than the ravings of a deranged band of thugs. She sent one of her drones to tail the thugs through their time in police custody and to their release. Hopefully they could follow the thugs and learn a little more from their words and actions.

The drone, barely the size of an adult hand, carefully monitored the gangsters, watched the lead man from the shadows of alleys and window ledges.

Alex's droids surveyed the maps, carefully noting every detail and transmitting them back to Alex's monitor.

"Here we go," she said, focusing a knob. "We've got a layout of all their battle troops. Let's see what we find."

Back inside the tent, one of the droids delicately perched on top of a chest, ready to relay whatever it was that the commander was about to say.

Monkey Wrench

Still Small Voice

3 posts

Alex knelt down on the ground and opened her briefcase. Five palm-sized droids, roughly shaped like garbage can lids, flew out, humming softly. She pulled out a monitor and played with some dials on the side of it. "Grue, you go talk to them. You seem to be good with people. I'll check out the army and see what they're packing." With a twist of the dial, one of the droids whistled and they all flew off in the direction of Angstrom's army.

"So are you an alien too?" Alex shook her head. "I'm surrounded." She tried a half-smile to put the others at ease, but the truth was she was a bit uncomfortable with all this extra-terrestrial stuff, All she had were her brains and her toys, and they weren't nearly as cool as mind-reading or a bio-organic suit. At least to her. Although now she was wondering how to design a suit that could dress itself on her, much like the bio-suit just did. It had to be doable.

"I'm in. What do we need to do? How can we help?" Alex fingered her case. She thought of the little droids she carried with her and tried to think how they could possibly help. Moving things? Lifting things? What could someone like her do against an army? But then, she had to remember she was not alone. There were others here with her and they could make a powerful team if only they could all work together.

She felt herself warming up to the Grue. She had been nothing but helpful. It could be a trap, but Alex didn't think so. There's a black sheep in every bunch and maybe Miss Grue was the good-black sheep among her kind.

Oh, hooray!

Alex, although a bit unnerved by the interaction, tried to send back a message through her mind: Sure. Okay. See what you can find.

She felt useless here. Nothing but her intellect to stop a micro-galactic war and to redeem herself as the savior of a mini-people.

"What the sh**," muttered Alex. She had no experience with any extra-ultra-micro-dimensional anything and she certainly wasn't comfortable being anyone's savior. Still, she tried to look noble and worthy as she waited for an answer to Miss Grue. 

"We'll say I believe you for now. As for trusting you, you have to earn that. But here's the situation. I'm detecting micro-extra-dimensional portals coming from inside his toy box. You say Andy has the answers in his head? Okay. You talk to Andy. I'm going to see if I can tune my Reader to the frequency of the portals. If I can tune in with them, it's possible I may be able to shut them."

With one more suspicious glance, Alex turned her back and dove back into the toy box. She flipped out her device - the Reader - and scanned the bottom of the toy box again. Fiddling with the dials, she tried to tune into the extra-dimensional frequencies emitting from the box.

"What the hell kind of a grue announces they are one and claim to be good?" Alex seemed genuinely baffled. "Are you a reject from your race or something?" She folded her arms. "And yes, ArcheTech gives us ID cards. The government gives us ID cards. Everyone hands out ID cards. It comes with being a United States citizen."

"But..." she paused, searching for words. "You wouldn't be this straightforward if you were like the rest. Unless this is all a trick, in which case you're screwing over an innocent little boy and his family. Sorry, kid," she directed the last comment to Andy.

What's a grue?

"Miss Grue?" Alex arched an eyebrow. "ArcheTech didn't say they were sending a third. Do you have some form of ID?" She closed the toy box carefully, closed her device and stood up from the floor.

"I'm Alex Durham and this is Dr. Tyrone Mendoza. Both from ArcheTech."

"Andy," said Alex. "I need to look through your toy box. Let's empty it out and see what we find. Which of your toys was involved in this battle?" She went over to the toy box, opened it, and carefully started removing all the toys. She passed each toy by her scanner as she moved them, checking for more radiation. She knew the bottom of the box could contain anything - extra-dimensional portals, dangerous radiation, remnants of an epic battle, or nothing at all. Still, it was worth checking it all.

Knowledge: Physical Sciences: 1d20+5 19

25!

DC 25 Notice Check: 1d20+10 25

Alex flipped open her device again and carefully scanned the toy box, looking for signs of animation, robotics, animatronics, or other mechanical life. After scanning it, she carefully went along the toys along the wall, scanning them as well.

As she went, she said, "Tell us about the battle. What were they fighting over? Who won? How long had they been fighting?"

She sat on the edge of his bed and tried to look casual as she read the data coming through on her screen. It was a relatively new device, but it should give her diagnostic information about all robotic and mechanical influences in the area, including basic workings and power sources.

"We'll do everything we can to help, Ms. Li-Toth," said Alex reassuringly. She pulled a small device from her pocket that looked a lot like a tricorder and flipped it open. It began making measured beeping noises. "Uh-huh. Andy, why don't you show us to your toys and we'll see what we can do to help them."

Alex snapped the device shut and followed Andy.

Before the door opened, Alex Durham ran up to it. She carried a metal briefcase and wore a wrinkled suit. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered. She put the suitcase down, straightened her ponytail, and breathed a sigh of relief. "I made it. Traffic was awful. Are they expecting us? Am I late? And you're Tyrone, right?"

She smiled awkwardly, a smile that clearly said, "I have no idea if I'm doing the right thing, but I'm doing it, darn it."

She offered her hand for a shake. "Alex Durham. I'm new."

Monkey Wrench

>Robot Blues (IC)

>HellQ and 20 Questions