The Dunwich Conspiracy Session 3

General Summary

As the sentence is passed by First Citizen Martin on their former traveling companion, it is clear that the group is not sad to see him go. The wasteland is already a cruel place to live, so those that work against the collective usually find themselves dying to the sound of cheers and celebration. To snub any growing discontent or challenge to her authority, Martin gives the reckless youth's belongings to his latest victim. Seemingly all junk to the First citizen, she has no idea the value of the items she has just passed to Ratt..

Unable to sleep their first night on board the Dreadnought for more than a few hours, each member finds their own way to keep busy as they drift through the endless darkness. Ratt relishes in his new trinkets, although it becomes clear that if he means to understand them, he will have to do more than beat them against the ship. Tommy finds himself in an automated state, performing routine maintenance and cleaning despite operating purely on instincts. This purpose brings him a sense of peace and clarity that has been foreign to the twitchy scavenger up until this point. Sir POSH meanwhile begins his own investigation into the mysterious Dunwich Broadcasts. Intrigued by the amount of resources spent to send this message of nonsense into the post-apocalyptic world, he begins recording so that he can find a connection or code that can makes some sense of the matter.

Hearing the strange tones and numbers once again, Tommy ends up stumbling in on Sir POSH while he is doing his research. Almost as if a switch was turned, the rambling man in the worn Vault suit begins dumping his own life's work on his Eyebot companion. After some discussion, they make an un-official trade of sorts, with Tommy handing over his precious code book and receiving the late Carter's Pip Boy. Ratt also stumbles into this meeting, drawn similarly by the ominous radio broadcast, but quickly shifting attention to the treasure he inherited from his attacker. Although just a cheap prototype on the outside, the group soon find that it conceals a much more interesting object that is the true source of the power surge that caused all the commotion.

Taking their time to examine the device, it is quickly apparent that it some kind of incredibly advanced technology. Although Carter was using it as a weapon, it seems to be only a small measure of its true potential. Fearing the device to be dangerous, Sir Posh and Tommy attempt to put it somewhere safe, however Ratt is having none of it. This causes some tension, but they are promptly interrupted by the second set of alarms during their first night.

Confusion and disorder set in as the crew slowly gets to their stations to figure out what exactly is going on. Tommy takes advantage of the opportunity to find some new fuses for the burnt-out Pip Boy courtesy of his new friend Sergeant Benson. A man of deep principles, Ratt doesn't need anyone telling him to do his duty. He assumes his role at the engine room and begins shoveling solid combustibles into the fuel converter. POSH on the other hand is unphased, continuing to work on his theory with the new information provided by Tommy's book. The reason for the emergency quickly becomes apparent however, as a giant hole is torn in the ship after receiving a direct impact from ground ordinance.

Closest to the nerve center of the Dreadnought, POSH heads for the control basket to see if he can be of assistance. First Citizen Martin is there, pacing her bridge and dictating orders to her crew to prepare for retaliation. When POSH plugs into the interface he discovers a more ominous threat lurking above. Too late to warn the skeptical Red Devils, he can do little more than watch as red lightly slowly descend from the cloud cover above. Both Tommy and Ratt jump straight into action. Screaming like a madman, Tommy takes up a position on a 25mm rotary cannon and released a salvo of return fire on the enemy positions with surprising accuracy. Ratt on the other hand chooses a weapon without the range to actually hit the target, though he doesn't let that stop him from burning through a bucket of ammunition while he cackles with maniacal glee.

Trying in vain to save the ship, Sir POSH finds himself in a dire situation as the reprogrammed Liberator robots make their way onto the Dreadnought. Falling from special hot gas balloons drifting above the clouds, this horde of machines quickly breach the defenses and begin to swarm the vulnerable aircraft. The bridge explodes into violent chaos, and although POSH did not see Martin go down, he is forced to flee to preserve his life. Realizing a bit too late perhaps that they are being surrounded, Ratt and Tommy try and all out push to the hangar. Stopped in their tracks by a trio of the tiny robotic menaces, they find themselves struggling to make an escape in time before they are overrun from behind. A better thinker than a fighter, POSH is there on the ship's comms giving the pair up to date intel and logistical support. Although this fight has just started, it is clear that they will need to band together to survive.

Player Reports

Sir POSH tries to be the voice of reason in the group, however organic life can just be plain illogical. Fearing the object could hurt the ill-spoken scavenger, his thoughtful words fall on the deaf ears. Unable to physically contest the biped, he resigns himself to his new hobby until crisis strikes again in the night. Finding himself plugged into the Dreadnought's during the ambush, something truly special happened, something an average Eyebot would never be able to accomplish. Interfaced with the vast array of sensors and cameras, the small robot suddenly became several hundreds of magnitudes larger. Aware now of everything happening in range of the eight-hundred-foot-long zeppelin, Sir POSH is now able to coordinate defenses with better efficiency than any human on board. Although the fight has just begun, it is clear that his role will be an important one.

Despite being injured in the altercation with Carter, Ratt kept his composure and even managed to get his hands on some coveted loot. Even without the slightest understanding of how the device works, he can't help but feel a powerful desire to keep it in his possession. When the group tried to get him to act responsibly with the potentially dangerous foreign object, he risked their ire by going against the consensus. Regardless of the means, it is clear that the value of this mysterious device is well worth a few rolled eyeballs and sighs. It seems to hum or vibrate softly when he arrives in the engine room, but not in a way that appears dangerous. As the boarders begin their assault, he finds himself trapped with Tommy as they make their way to the hangar. With no other choice but to fight, he tosses his comrade the concealed pistol in his coat and runs into the action with nothing but his scrap-bladed knuckle dusters.

Tommy finds himself trapped between two worlds. This anxious desire to find reason behind the mysterious number stations is actually held in check when he falls back into a routine he has no memory of. He finds another interested party when he walks in on Sir POSH listening to the Dunwich Broadcasts. Perhaps with an invested companion he can find the answers to the questions that haunt his waking life and end this competition between the two sides of his personality. This introspection is cut short by the night's sudden escalation, and once again the confused man is thrust back into danger. With his instincts at full throttle, he manages to help suppress the enemy ground forces courtesy of a 25mm rotary cannon hanging off the side of the Starboard Defense Battery. When the realization set in that they would soon be overwhelmed by boarders, one thought of escape began to call out to Tommy above all others. .