Omega Team Campaign Logs

[Edsel]

Originally posted by NightStick

Edsel,

Do you propose to post all of the interviews?

 

Just curious.......

 

I believe that I still have all of the copies that you had sent out, in case that you need them.......

Yeah, I'll probably get around to it. I believe I have most of them zipped up on my home computer. I'll check when I get home.

[Edsel]

Originally posted by Eosin

Personally, the new stuff that he is working on looks like it is gonna rock on toast. I keep trying to talk him into submitting it to DH or something.

Well perhaps I'll try. I've had a very hard time working on it though. I think I've got 5 or 6 pages of notes but I've only written the first 4 or 5 paragraphs of the finished product.

 

I keep posting the Omega Team logs. I'm interviewing for a promotion at work today. Trying to get spring yard work done. Writing papers to get my Certified Public Manager Certificate. Running the online Starfire campaign, etc.

And I still need to read up on the Echos Of Glory for your campaign.

 

You get the idea...

[Edsel]

Part 17

 

Little late getting part 17 posted tonight but here it is.

 

May 10

About noon a robbery occurs an Elm View Boatman’s bank branch. Once again seven identically dressed bandits with AK-47 are involved. The MO matches the robbery of May 1st. Just under $60,000 is stolen. The light grey suits and identical featureless masks have some people referring to the bandits as the “Idea Men†(see cartoon program the Tick). The overpowered guard remarked on the professionalism of the robbers.

 

That evening Zhu Hasio arranges a meeting between Nightstick and Kun Feng the Dragon Head (Tong equivalent of a Godfather) of the Sing Chun Tong. Nightstick pleads/warns Kun Feng to avoid harming innocents in his reprisals against the rebellious Scarlet Dragons. Kun Feng states that they will solve the problem in traditional Tong fashion and that no innocents will become involved. Nightstick gathers that “professionals†from a Hong Kong Triad will deal with the traders.

 

When Nightstick relates the substance of his meeting to the other Omega Team members they are skeptical that innocents will be spared and resolve to stop the civil war themselves.

 

May 11

Most of the Omega Team spends the day determining where the Scarlet Dragons are holding up.

 

Dr. Thomas James and Debbie Taylor start to drive to Atlantic City for a day or two of R&R. As they head out of town to the south Dr. James spots a couple smoking a joint on a bench in a local park. As Dr. James watches he sees Mongrel approach from behind the couple and shoot both of them in the head. Dr. James exits the highway as soon as possible and races to the park. He also uses his cell phone to summon other Omega Team members to the area. In the one or two minute time period that it takes Dr. James to get back to the park the Pack has gotten away. It takes about fifteen minutes for the rest of the Omega Team to arrive and their search is fruitless. Debbie Taylor remains strangely quiet throughout all of this. Dr. James calls off Debbie and his trip to Atlantic City.

 

There are no witnesses to the shootings. Police inquires indicate that a park service truck (it was the Pack’s truck), a moving company truck (one of the Omega Trucks) and metallic green Lexus (Dr. Thomas Jame’s personal vehicle) were seen in the area around the time of the shooting.

 

Late that night the Omega Team ends the Sing Chun civil war. They locate the hide out of the Scarlet Dragons leadership and kill all of them in a raid. The fight is a massacre, Nightstick quietly eliminates the only sentry and the rest of the Dragons are all caught in a large storage room. Four NICO grenades stun the Dragons who are cut down before they can put up a fight.

 

The police recover a lot of brass of various calibers and several dozen slugs that are in good enough condition for ballistics. The police do not learn much and have come to realize that the Omega Team seems to frequently switch guns so that ballistics tests are of limited usefulness.

 

GM NOTE: In actuality the Omega Team has a contact in Alexander Hayden, formerly the Remittance Man. Upon the death of his father Mr. Hayden was forced to move to California and take over operation of the family arms business. Mr. Hayden funnels replacement barrels, and complete weapons to the Omega Team. The member frequently change out their old gun barrels and melt the old ones down in the one of the base furnaces).

 

May 12

The Omega team picks up (abducts) a runner that delivers drug supplies to a crack house that they have located and staked out. Interrogation of the subject indicates that the various Colombian cartels are beginning to have a hard time getting drugs into Hudson City. The Colombians believe that one, or more, of the local Mafia families are behind the disruption. The Omega Team currently believes that the Pack is really behind it. The runner (Hector Lopez) is placed in one of the cells of the Alpha Base. (The original Omega Team base is referred to a the Alpha Base. The second, later, base is called the Beta Base.)

 

The local newspapers tell that the North American Go Championships will be held in Hudson City’s Chinatown this year. The Tournament will start Wednesday, May 22nd, with finals being held on Saturday, May 25th. Daniel Sanders is considered a local favorite. Mr. Sanders recently moved to Hudson City. Other headlines tell of 10,000 layoffs in the past year in Hudson City. Unions complain that companies are laying-off local labor in favor of cheaper labor in foreign (mostly Asian) countries. The stories state that the state legislature is considering a spate of possible laws aimed and curbing the practice.

 

May 13, Monday

The Omega Team members spend most of the day covering their secret identities. Just after 10:00 AM police scanners reveal that the Idea Men have hit another bank, Stewart Federal, in Pierpoint near the river. It is later revealed that the robbers made off with just over $40,000. Nobody was injured during the robbery.

 

At about 2:00 PM Snapshot visits the Alpha Base while George Bell is at the Beta Base to carry out some routine maintenance. Snapshot grabs about half dozen sleep gas pellets and uses them to render Hector Lopez unconscious (he was being held in one of Alpha Base’s cells). Snapshot then dumps him into the incinerator. Before he leaves, Snapshot erases the security tape and cleans up all evidence of his presence.

 

About 4:45 PM Hippocrates arrives at the base and discovers that their prisoner is missing. When Andrew Hobbs arrives they discover the residue of the sleeping gas in the cell, the erased security tape, and the still cooling incinerator. Andrew and Thomas pool their psychological knowledge and soon realize who the most likely suspect is. Later, when Daniel Sanders arrives, he reluctantly admits what he has done. Dr. James and Mr. Hobbs realize that their new teammate is mentally close to the edge. He is given a brief talking to and the matter is forgotten, for now. Andrew Hobbs makes a mental note to have some deep conversations (he intents to start psychotherapy on him) with his new teammate as soon as possible.

 

Also, at about 4:45 PM, Dutch Watkins and Eden Blake are in route to the Alpha Base for the team’s planned 5 o’clock meeting. Dutch is giving Eden a ride since her leg is still impaired due to injuries sustained on the 4th of May. As they approach the Centre Street Bridge in Bankhurst a disturbance catches their eyes. Three men are forcing four women into an alleyway. The women are in obvious distress and appear to be hookers. This scene is very out of place in this neighborhood. Dutch pulls the car around the corner and has Dancer get into the driver’s seat. Dutch puts on his Predator gear and heads back to the scene of the disturbance. He manages to approach close enough to the seven to listen to their conversation. He soon gathers that the four girls have been holding out on their pimp and were attempting to flee the city to start over. Unfortunately their pimp has caught them here and, along with his two muscle men, intends to teach them a lesson they will never forget. Fearing for the women’s lives the Predator attacks.

 

The pimp and his two goons never stand a chance and quickly begin to assume room temperature. The four hookers flee in panic from the unseen vigilante. During the fight Predator’s Frisbee slices the pimp’s cellular phone in half. At the exact instant the phone is destroyed a man across the street grabs his head in pain, lets out a groan of pain, and collapses to the sidewalk. Rightly thinking that this is very odd Predator grabs the destroyed phone as Dancer arrives in the car and they rush off to the base.

 

Police tend to think that the death of J.P. Kendrick was a coincidence. The few, fragmentary, witness accounts that they have of the incident indicate that this is the work of the Invisible Vigilante. The three slain men are a local pimp known as Sugarheart and a couple of goons that he has used for muscle in the past. None of the men have ever been associated with anything other than petty crimes. Police look upon this as a triple homicide. They are becoming troubled about the increasing bloodshed the Omega Team and their associates are leaving in their wake.

 

Upon arriving at the base Dutch and Eden explain what happened to them on the way to the base. Dutch gives the parts of the cellular phone to Andrew and asks that he examine it closely. Andrew agrees that he will as soon as their meeting is concluded.

 

During the team’s meeting they agree that they must prioritize their investigations. They resolve to try and stop the Bogeyman as soon as possible since he will probably continue to kill an innocent woman every ten days, or so, until he is stopped.

 

After the meeting breaks up Hobbs examines the broken cellular phone and determines that it was broken in such a manner that it burned out the sending unit. It is possible that it emitted a powerful, random, burst of radio waves as it burned out.

 

May 14

Andrew Hobbs informs the other team members of his findings regarding the cellular phone. He also hacks into the employment records of Hudson City University Medical Center, the student records, the teaching staff records and the records of all other employers and agencies that have people regularly at HCUMC. The Team divides the records thus obtained and begins to narrow the list to all white males between 5’10†and 6’3†in height that have AB+ blood. By that evening they have narrowed their list to only 4 men.

 

Dr. Thomas James calls his friend Dr. Ernest Steiner (Chief Medical Examiner, Hudson City) and inquires about the death of John P. Kendrick. Dr. Steiner says, “Oh yea, they brought him in last night. Strange case, supposedly healthy as a horse. He just dropped dead. There was some sort of vigilante attack across the street but the witnesses swear he wasn’t involved or even threatened. Why are you interested?â€

 

Dr. James makes up an excuse about a friend of a friend and how the peculiarity of the case drew his attention. Since Dr. James is known to be a skilled Pathologist, Dr. Steiner agrees to let him participate in the autopsy. He further agrees to move the autopsy to noon instead of this evening as originally scheduled.

 

At about 11:00 AM Debbie Taylor calls Dr. James. Debbie seems rather distraught and insists that she and Dr. James have to talk, she proposes that they have lunch. Dr. James manages to make and excuse and agrees to come over to her place at 2:00 PM instead.

 

At noon, as the rest of the Omega Team works on narrowing the Bogeyman suspect list, Dr. James arrives at the corner’s office. Dr. Steiner mentions that Allison Kendrick, wife of the deceased, has just called him seeking information on what caused her husband’s death. At about 12:30 PM the two doctors begin the autopsy. Paying particular attention the subject’s brain it becomes apparent that he suffers a massive cranial aneurysm. The cause is revealed when Dr. James discovers the remains of a miniature radio receiver at the spot of the aneurysm, the device is partly shattered. The subject also bears the signs of previous surgery near the spot the device was found. Dr. James asks Dr. Steiner to let him borrow the recovered device for a couple of hours. He claims to know a man who is very knowledgeable about this sort of microelectronics. Dr. Steiner who is totally baffled by this device reluctantly agrees.

 

Thomas then proceeds to Debbie Taylor’s house and drops the device off at Alpha base. He informs Andrew of the previous surgical scar on the subject and asks him to dig up J.P. Kendrick’s past medical history, and to also examine the device.

 

When Dr. James arrives at her house Debbie informs him that she has contacted the police in reference to the shooting the two of them witnessed on Saturday, May 11th. After reading the newspaper she realized that whomever Thomas talked to on his cellular phone, it wasn’t the police. She is very upset by the way Dr. James has been acting lately and is concerned that he is keeping secrets from her. They are to go to the Hudson City Police Department’s main precinct tomorrow at 9:00 AM to talk with a detective. Though Dr. James becomes very distressed over this turn of events he manages to maintain his composure and stay calm. He asks her name of the detective that they are to talk with and nearly faints with relief when she says, “Lt. Theron Long.†(The same Theron Long who just returned to the HCPD after being revived from his catatonia thanks to the Omega Team and in particular Andrew Hobbs.)

 

In the meantime Andrew Hobbs studies the implant that Dr. James has passed to him. Apparently it is a miniature radio receiver that was attached to a micro-explosive. He theorizes that the cellular phone accidentally triggered the device when it was destroyed. Little can be determined about the make up of the device other than it appears the device is constructed from Japanese or Asian circuitry. All of this brings up the question of who was John P. Kendrick and who would want to implant a cortex bomb in him? Andrew decides to hack into all the information he can about Mr. Kendrick.

 

Andrew quickly records all the data he can about his examination of the device and makes a full photographic record as well. He then returns the device to the corner’s office.

 

Just as Andrew starts to leave the coroner’s office he spots well-dressed Japanese man arriving. Andrew acts as if he has forgotten something and heads back into the office just ahead of the man. He watches the man head into the chief corner’s office and then eavesdrops on the conversation. The Japanese man speaks with flawless English and introduces himself to the coroner as Robert Wang. He claims to represent the Hudson City Health & Medical group (an HMO) that is making an inquiry about the death of J.P. Kendrick. Andrew quickly calls up the number of HCH&M on his pocket computer and calls the HMO to inquire if Mr. Wang is in. The HCH&M operator says they have no employees by that name. Mr. Hobbs continues to listen in on the conversation, which is muffled, and hard to hear but he soon gathers that the Japanese gentleman is getting rather pointed in his inquires. Andrew quickly calls Dr. James and informs him of what is transpiring. Dr. James then interrupts the Japanese man and the corner by calling Dr. Steiner. He tells the corner that he thinks it would be best to claim that the autopsy results showed death by natural causes. Dr. Steiner agrees, for now.

 

After a few minutes the man leaves the corner’s office. Andrew Hobbs accidentally bumps into him and is startled by the lightning reaction of the stranger in catching him before he falls. Andrew quickly begins picking up his books and inadvertently triggers his flash camera. Later he will find that the man managed to interpose his hand between the camera and his face. Andrew and the Japanese man then depart the office and go their separate ways.

 

That evening Dr. James and Andrew Hobbs relate their experiences to the rest of the Omega Team.

 

End of Part 17, part 18 tomorrow. Now we got mysterious Japanese men and cortex bombs to add to the team’s other problems.

[NightStick]

I had forgotten obout the Brain Blasters

 

Those things were NASTY!

 

And this new Japanese-man

 

Robert Wang. He claims to represent the Hudson City Health & Medical group

 

was really quick!

 

If I remember correctly, He was a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ARSE!

[Eosin]

That was an "oohhhps" moment. I was pretty sure he was gonna hand the poor kid his hind end.

 

Not a man I wanted to fight. Luckily so many others on the team are more than willing.

[NightStick]

Sorry, just an honest little bump:cool:

[Killer Shrike]

Somebody go find Edsel and smack him around a bit -- its the Omega Hour and he's not here!

[NightStick]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Somebody go find Edsel and smack him around a bit -- its the Omega Hour and he's not here!

 

***laughter fills the halls***

 

He is probably workin on his house - it's been a great day here in OKC.

 

But, your right......It's past the Omega Hour.......

[Edsel]

Part 17

 

May 15

By this morning the team has reduced their list of Bogeyman suspects to only 4 men. Soon, their investigations of the likely suspects point to one man as the most suspicious. The suspect is a man named Guy Wilson who works as a librarian at HCUMC. At 11:30 Nightstick and Predator are in position to carryout a reconnaissance of the suspect’s residence, a duplex southeast of the campus. Dr. James visits the University Library and confirms the suspect is at work. After getting the all clear call, Nightstick and Predator perform a slightly comical investigation of the residence. Their findings confirm that they have the right man.

 

At 2:30 PM the Bogeyman returns to his home and is ambushed by the Omega Team. The man proves incredibly tough and gives Dr. James a serious would to his left leg before the team is able the beat him into unconsciousness. They leave the Bogeyman near a police station and anonymously phone in his location. They leave the serial killer with a severed right leg (below the knee), a broken left leg, ten broken fingers and multiple stab wounds to the chest and legs.

 

GM NOTE: The Bogeyman was really tough, damage reduction, etc. He was a sort of a Jason or Michael type of killer (Friday the 13th, Halloween). Still it was just one opponent and I felt the battle was a little anti-climatic.

 

Police quickly pick up the Bogeyman and hustle him away. DNA testing will positively link him to the last murder and evidence in his duplex will prove his guilt in another. An Omega Team card is found on the Bogeyman confirming who is responsible for and end to the Bogeyman’s reign of terror. The suspect is put in the maximum-security prison ward of Hudson City University Medical Center.

 

By 4:00 PM the team is has finished up at the Alpha base from their encounter with the Bogeyman. Dr. James, with the help of his teammates, has properly treated and stitched up his wounded leg, which should heal quickly. He still decides it would be best not to stress his leg for at least 24 hours. Dancer (just out of her cast) should be back in action by Sunday or Monday, four or five days hence.

 

After the team departs the Alpha base Andrew Hobbs spots a suspicious van a short distance away. He notices that the driver and front seat passenger are both wearing masks and grey suits. He suspects that this might be the Idea Men and alerts the rest of the team. The Omega team starts a four-vehicle shadow of the Idea Men and is able to successfully intervene when the gang attempts to rob the Chase-Hudson bank. This is one of the largest banks in the city and bigger, by far, than any bank the Idea Men have hit to date. After the Idea Men are all down, but before the team can leave, Snapshot machineguns three of their unconscious forms.

There is no question that the Omega Team is responsible for thwarting this attempted robbery. No civilians are seriously hurt. It is finally made crystal clear that the Invisible Vigilante has teamed up with the Omega Team. The most memorable thing to the numerous witnesses was the unidentified vigilante (Snapshot) with the assault rifle. After the battle was over witnesses recall how he, without hesitation, machine-gunned three of the unconscious bank robbers where they lay. From the numerous witnesses the police are able to obtain fairly accurate height and weight descriptions. They also recover several slugs and casings from the mysterious new vigilante’s weapon.

 

At the same time that this robbery was taking place two other large banks in Hudson City were hit; Citicorp and Flag National. In these two robberies the gunman escaped with an estimated $3.5 million combined. This makes the total take of the Idea Men near $4.5 million.

 

By the next day police have learned the following from the two surviving robbers.

[*]The men all had matching tattoos on their right shoulder, a cross, separated into vertical strips of red, white and green.

[*]The men claimed no involvement whatsoever with the other two robberies today, and also claim to have on knowledge of the previous three robberies.

[*]There weapons are immaculate and in perfect working order.

[*]Some of the men have prior records, but all charges were petty theft or minor drug-possession/dealing charges, nothing like armed robbery or grand larceny.

[*]They seem to be beyond police interrogation techniques. The men are saying nothing, except to their court appointed lawyers.

[*]None of the men have ever been in the military.

[/list=1]

The police are mystified by the recent behavior of the Omega Team. In two recent incidents they have murdered a group of petty street criminals and a slew of bank robbers who have only one incident of shooting in their record. At the same time the Omega Team has spared the life of a notorious serial killer. Police psychologists claim that this is simply proof that the Omega Team, like most vigilantes, are deranged and cannot be trusted. The commissioner is looking into the founding of a VAIS unit (Vigilante Activities Investigations Squad).

 

May 16, Thursday

About noon the group gathers at the Alpha base to discuss the events of yesterday and the negative press they have been getting. Andrew Hobbs and Dr. Thomas James announce that Daniel Sanders (Snapshot) will be taking a week or two off from the vigilante business. During this time Mr. Hobbs and Dr. James will use their psychology skills to provide him with some much-needed psychotherapy. This morning Dr. James has written a prescription for Prozac, which Mr. Sanders is now taking.

 

To help counter the negative press, and the lower public opinion that it fosters, Savant has contacted Father Flanagan (A contact of the character who knows him as Savant) of the Barton Street Mission. Father Flanagan will see to it that cash and other charity is directed to crime victims in the area. The Omega Team is providing this aid and Father Flanagan will make sure that the recipients of the aid know that it is coming from them.

 

GM NOTE: The funding for this is coming from the gold ingots that the team got from melting down the altar of the fishmen (see August 25, 1995 entry). Gold is worth $350 an oz. Not $400 as previously stated. 1492 ingots (valued at just over $500,000) are used to fund this humanitarian cause. The team now has 16,066 ingots left (value = $5,623,100).

 

In the papers, this morning, it is mentioned that Mrs. Kendrick is launching a lawsuit against HCH&M (Hudson City Health & Medical, an HMO) in the case of her husband’s death. The team worries that the mysterious Japanese man from the coroner’s office may be planing to pay her a visit. They decide to hire a PI to keep an eye on her. Dutch Watkins recalls a private detective that has a reputation for this sort of thing. Just after 1 o’clock, Dutch and Andrew, visit and hire the detective whose name is Shamus.

 

Among the law enforcement community Shamus has been known as a reliable private detective for over twenty years, in fact nobody can seem to remember how long Mr. Shamus has been doing this sort of thing. They pay Shamus $5,000 up front to keep Mrs. Kendrick under surveillance. If he spots an oriental man contacting her he is to call and inform them immediately.

 

The team has little time to get anything else accomplished since Shamus calls them at 3:47 that afternoon, less than two hours after the team hired him. Shamus informs them that he is parked down the block from Mrs. Kendrick’s house and that a Japanese gentleman has just arrived to visit Mrs. Kendrick. The Omega team drops everything and rushes to Mrs. Kendrick’s house (20 minutes away in the suburb of Maple Valley). In route Eden Blake disguises Andrew Hobbs so that he can pass as an insurance investigator.

 

The team arrives about the same time that a plumbing truck arrives at the Kendrick household. Fortunately the plumbers turn out to be legitimate and the team realizes it and does not panic (Darn, at least I tried). The Japanese man leaves just as Mr. Hobbs walks up to her house. Mr. Hobbs and the Japanese man exchange a glance at a distance of about 20 yards and the Japanese man does not seem to recognize Mr. Hobbs. Andrew is able to talk his way into Mrs. Kendrick’s house and, while she is in the kitchen with the plumbers, he is able to observe papers that make it apparent that Mrs. Kendrick’s lawsuit has been bought off.

 

As soon as Andrew gets out of the house and back to the rest of the team they start to follow the heat trail left by the Japanese man’s car.

 

GM NOTE: One of the powers of the Predator’s helmet is the ability to use a tracking scent based on following heat patterns left behind. I now think that I was awfully lenient in letting this work what with the passage of other cars on city streets but it fits nicely in the story line so what the heck.

 

They follow the Japanese man to the Carleton Executive Suites (A 39-storie office building in the Gadsden district) and locate his car in the parking garage. They follow the thermal footprints from the car to an elevator and by timing them and through careful observation narrow the Japanese man’s destination to only five or six floors. As they leave the building they catch site of a helicopter leaving the roof’s heliopad. They make a note of the registration numbers by using binoculars to read them. Several hours later they revisit the parking garage to see if the parking spaces are numbered. They are and the car is parked in a spot reserved for the Hubbs & Assoc. Corporate Law Firm, which occupies the 29th and 30th floors of the building. Checking public records reveal that the helicopter they sighted belongs to Aerocorp, an executive transport company.

 

Arriving back at the base they place a few calls to various contacts to find any background they can on Hubbs & Assoc.

 

May 17

The team is confident that the Cardshark will hit the ‘Five Who Shine’ awards at the Hudson City Convention Center this evening and start making plans.

 

The information they get back about Hubbs & Assoc. is that the law firm represents several large corporations; one in particular catches their eye. The Shonto Conglomerate is one of their primary clients. Shonto is a Japanese owned international corporation with a reputation for shady dealings. Shonto has never been legally linked to wrongdoing but it is widely believed, in the Pacific Rim, that the company is not above using hired assassins and extortion to further their business dealings.

 

That evening’s ‘Five Who Shine’ awards turn out to be a bust. While the Omega Team stakes out the awards the Cardshark’s people steal four of the five experimental, prototype, laser weapons that various firms have been working on for next months competition for a PRIMUS contract. The fifth laser weapon is only saved thanks to the intervention of the Harbinger of Justice.

 

The team becomes more fearful of what Cardshark is up to and begins to wonder what the Full House crime will be.

 

May 18

The morning newspapers tell of the theft of the laser weapons and the foiling of one of the robberies by the Harbinger of Justice. Also announced is the visit to the city, next month, of the King Thutmose exhibit. The exhibit will open on June 1st, at the Hudson City Museum of Anthropology and Natural History (across N. Adams Street from Gadsden Park), the scene of Urieal’s death.

 

At 9:00 am several of the team members, in their normal identities, head to LeMastre Park to participate in the citywide graffiti clean up.

 

About noon Mongrel and the Pack kill two drug dealers on the Stewart County courthouse steps. They then commandeer a TV news crew and make a statement. The Omega Team members are mostly involved in the community cleanup effort and do not see the footage until the 3:00 p.m. news break.

 

At around 5 o’clock that afternoon the Pack hits the estate of Don Ballado, a notorious Colombian drug lord. Thirteen people (Don Ballado and his guards) are slain. Don Ballado’s wife and children escape unharmed by hiding in the living room (It is widely believed by the Police, the Omega Team and almost everybody else that The Pack allowed them to live). Since there is so much carnage and evidence scattered (and the power lines are cut) the police seal off the estate just after dark and plan to resume their investigation at day break tomorrow. Through their numerous contacts the Omega Team soon finds out how the police investigation is being handled.

 

May 19

At about 2:00 AM the Omega Team easily sneaks past the two police guards and into the Don Ballado estate. They are able to look over the scene pretty well and discover that a 3.5†disc is still jammed in the shattered PC of Don Ballado. Knowing that Don Ballado was know as the ‘Silicon Don’ due to his practice of using computers to run his empire, The Omega Team breaks open the drive to recover the disc.

 

Back at the base the disc is revealed to be full of brief notes. The notes mostly give places and times. The team realizes that these are probably records of various drug shipments that Don Ballado is involved with. The next date listed is tomorrow evening at 10:00 PM. The place is the Brandwier Shipyards. The team makes plans to be there.

 

The team members sleep late and no real activity gets underway until after 2 o’clock that afternoon. Daniel Sanders is scheduled to participate in the North American Go Championships this Wednesday through Saturday. The local Go club and the Arts crowd are interested in holding a reception/party next Saturday evening (May 25th) to celebrate the winner. Daniel manages to talk Dr. Thomas James to hold the party at his mansion in Irishtown.

 

May 20

The team spends most of this Monday covering their secret identities and nothing noteworthy happens until that night.

 

That evening, the Omega Team stakes out the Brandwier Shipyards and encounters the Pack. In the foggy shipyards a vicious battle ensues. Predator (Dutch Watkins) is seriously wounded by machinegun fire from Mongrel. Moondog (the werewolf) is killed by Nightstick with silver headed arrow. The team had theorized that he might be a werewolf and so Nightstick had a couple of silver arrowheads made. They hoped the legend about silver and werewolves would be correct and apparently it was. Rottweiler is gunned down by Hippocrates but regenerates enough to put up a fight against Nightstick who finally slays him. Doberman and Savant fight a cat and mouse battle onboard the ship the drugs are supposed to be on. Against the odds Savant fells Doberman with laser fire while swinging away on a linegun. (Incredible dice rolling, but it was very dramatic. I would have bet real money that Eosin was going to be needing a new character).

 

Moondog's body, now in human form, is recovered by the police. The Omega Team takes Rottwieler’s body for analysis. Doberman’s body is not recovered since limpet mines previously planted by the Pack sink the ship he was on. If Doberman is not dead, he must be critically injured. Mongrel and the demon-possessed Hellhound (formerly Ashtray Art until he was possessed by the spirit of a fire demon) make a clean escape. Though Mongrel and Hellhound had ample opportunity to finish-off the wounded Predator they let him live, apparently unaware of what the Omega Team was doing to their teammates.

 

A responding police car engages the Omega Truck in a short chase through the water front area but the Omega Team makes good their escape and retires to the beta base with their wounded comrade.

 

The police are left with some pretty unbelievable carnage. Four ships at the shipyard are sunk at their moorings by limpet mines. Sixteen bodies are recovered most are the crew of the Colombian freighter Amigo. The crew of the Amigo, except the captain, first officer and chief engineer, were slain while in their bunkroom (by Doberman). The officers in the pilothouse of the ship saw Doberman and a man who bore an Omega Symbol on his gear emerge from below decks. They saw the Omega Team member shoot Doberman with a laser weapon as he fled the sinking ship. Doberman’s body, however, was not recovered. The Police recover the body of a man wearing a University of Alabama football jersey from among the shipping crates. The man was slain with a silver-headed arrow that is similar to some that have been used by Nightstick in the past (except these are silver). No usable blood sample can be recovered from Predator since the light rain in the area washed any such samples away.

 

From witness reports (mostly the officers of the Amigo) the police believe that the Omega Team and the Pack fought some sort of battle against each other here. It sounds as if the Omega Team won and may have ambushed the Pack. It looks as if the two vigilante teams are degenerating to the level of warring street gangs. Tomorrow afternoon an emergency session of the city council is expected to grant funding for the formation of a VAIS (Vigilante Activities Investigation Squad) unit for the Hudson City Police Department.

 

Thus far no evidence of any drug shipment has been found by the HCPD. Since any such shipment may be in the wreckage of one of the sunken vessels it could be weeks before it is found, if ever.

 

GM NOTE: This was a pretty epic battle and it is not done justice by this account. Perhaps Eosin or Nightstick can fill in some of the details that they remember.

 

End of Part 18. This also ends the 4th story arc. The Pack was nominally the focus of this story arc and so this was a good place to put the next divider in the campaign log binder. Tomorrow I’ll try and post part 19, which starts the 5th and final story arc. I won’t make any promises though since tomorrow is our group’s normal gaming night and I may be too busy.

[Edsel]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Somebody go find Edsel and smack him around a bit -- its the Omega Hour and he's not here!

Every so often I am able to slip out of the fetters that bind me to this computer.

 

Just taking my time tonight since I don't have to be up early for work tomorrow.

[Edsel]

Originally posted by NightStick

***laughter fills the halls***

 

He is probably workin on his house - it's been a great day here in OKC.

 

But, your right......It's past the Omega Hour.......

Et tu Nightstick?

[NightStick]

Originally posted by Edsel

Et tu Nightstick?

***more laughter***

 

 

Oui bien!

 

 

[Killer Shrike]

Hmm...curious, if you had concerns about Predator disrupting the campaign, why you didnt take the opportunity to whack him when the Pack had him dead to rights?

[Edsel]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Hmm...curious, if you had concerns about Predator disrupting the campaign, why you didnt take the opportunity to whack him when the Pack had him dead to rights?

I am not certain now. It has been several years.

 

Perhaps I wanted to make them (the team) feel bad about prematurely killing off villians I still had plans for. They came out looking a little more violent (to the authorities) since they killed their enemies and the Pack did not. (Although there was little doubt that the Pack was deadly as well).

 

Also the player who was running Predator was haveing a hard time in his personal life at the time and I didn't want to pile on. Sadly the player dropped out of the campaign several months later and then committed sucide shortly after that. It came as a huge shock to the rest of us, we had no idea he had problems that were that bad.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Edsel

Also the player who was running Predator was haveing a hard time in his personal life at the time and I didn't want to pile on. Sadly the player dropped out of the campaign several months later and then committed sucide shortly after that. It came as a huge shock to the rest of us, we had no idea he had problems that were that bad.

Wow. Luckily for me, no one I know has ever committed suicide. Pretty sad.

[NightStick]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Wow. Luckily for me, no one I know has ever committed suicide. Pretty sad.

Be very thankful for that!

 

What I remember most about the man, was his Fried / BBQ chicken dinner that He and his wife put on for our group just a few weeks before his demise. The man did have his eccentricities.

 

I also lost my oldest brother to this most selfish form of destruction.

I can tell you that there is no other pain quite like this.

 

But lets get back to the FUN stuff! I can't wait for the next installment! But I am curious about when Edsel will be able to post it........you see, Eosin is running his campaign tommarrow night and that does not leave Edsel much time to post another segment.

 

Regretfully, We all may have to wait until Sunday!

And Yes, that would be WAY PAST OMEGA HOUR!

 

Until then.......

[Eosin]

I always felt really bad cause he tried to call me the night he killed himself but I was watching a movie with my girlfriend so I dod not answer. Plus, as an RN I am kinda suppost to recognize that behavior. Anyway, bummer but that was years ago and I think we have all had some time to figure it out for ourselves.

 

Now, I will get to posting that more detailed update for Eddie.

[Eosin]

Battle with the Pack:

This starts the longest 24 hours in history

 

I have a little bit of a different perspective than Eddie, but in hindsight it appears that we [the Omega Team] might have been wrong. The Omega Team was 100% positive that the Pack was just a disguise for a hostile take over of the drug trade in Hudson City - in otherwords they were bad guys trying to disguise themselves as vigilantes. They were also brutally violent. We had teased them 2 or 3 times [see my interview] but the result was just a stepping up of the violence. They were also making the town very hot for us as far as HCPD was concerned. When we met, there was gonna be blood.

 

The fight was on the shipyards and covered a huge area, like 3 battlemats HUGE! There were ships, cargo, cranes, and other big obstacles in the way. It either was or had been raining - foiling the Predators inviso-shield. Nightstick started the battle, IIRC and ended his opponent really, really fast - a "roll to hit" - "head shot" - "he is dead." That set the tone for the whole battle.

 

Then came the big surprise, a true blue flying, flaming super villain in the form of Ashtray Art. He had Mongrel and Mongrels 50 Cal machine gun with him. Predator took a nasty wound right off the bat - either 10 or 11 body through to the shoulder.

 

Hipprocrates was busy, unsuccessfully, trying to beat down the "Rottwieler" but had to pull off of him to help out against Mongrel. Nightstick ended up with a real fight on his hands, I think the guy could do something to the tune of a 10-12 dice crush. Luckily he was badly hurt before he got a hold of ninja boy.

 

About this time, I meet Doberman and his 3d6 kill with my soft spectra (zero rDEF against knives). We fight below deck, mostly with me running like hell and him chasing me in cramped quarters. I slammed a few ship type doors on him for good effect.

 

Hippocrates was busy having the front wheel off his motorcycle blown off by Mongrel, luckily he was pretty talented and rode a wheelie while shooting his Mac-10 and heading for deep water. I think the player realized he was in an untenable position with both Mongrel and Firelord after him and the Predator already clean out of the fight. The problem was that he was more than a full move from anything that might offer any protection and that cannon of Mongrels would cut right through his armor. He made the best decision he could, dump the bike in the ocean and swim for it. How could he know that Limpit mines were 4 segments from detinating?

 

Nightstick had finished off the Rottwieler and got whichever body it was into the truck but would take something like 10 rounds to reach Savant or Hipprocrates. I believe my commentary was something like "Nightstick get your @#&* over here, this guy is gonna gut me." And "Oh, pooh-pooh I am so dead."

 

Doberman follows me on to the deck and I am looking for some explosive, like say a propane tank, I roll my luck..I find one..He does not fall for it (He was being played by a guy who would occasionally come to the game). I decide one more shot at the monkey boy before I make off like a bandit with my 18" Linegun swing. The Limpits go off right as I am swinging, my roll to hit is a 3, and then I manage to get a level of luck. I choose to bypass armor since I had a good hit location (11). I roll 3d6 (I spent my level of luck to bump the damage up and rolled a 6 or +3 Killing DC) and then I roll 18 damage on the Killing attack. 18 BODY to the chest past any armor

 

From our point of view, the Pack was playing just as deadly as we were. I think that only Rotweiller was purposefully killed but can't swear to it. Nightstick just got lucky with a headshot to start things going. That .50 cal of Mongrels was not a minor chastisement It was for keeps.

 

For some reason I think Dancer was stuck in some cargo crates with someone looking for her. Maybe that is what distracted Mongrel from finishing off the Predator.

 

This was to date the most brutal and deadly fight we had, even worse that Arsenal. One slip and these guys had major nasty killing attacks that could take us clean out. Sadly, we have one battle coming up that makes this one look like a walk in Disneyland.

 

Funny how with Eddies commentary at this point I have formulated some new ideas on what might have been happening.

 

[Edsel]

Originally posted by Eosin

I have a little bit of a different perspective than Eddie, but in hindsight it appears that we [the Omega Team] might have been wrong. The Omega Team was 100% positive that the Pack was just a disguise for a hostile take over of the drug trade in Hudson City - in otherwords they were bad guys trying to disguise themselves as vigilantes.

That is exactly what they were.

 

Your memories of the battle are probably better than mine. One of the reasons I kept a campaign log is due to my poor recall.

[Edsel]

Part 18

 

Posting this early in the day since my gaming group meets tonight.

 

Team Omega Campaign History

Start of the final story arc

 

May 21, Tuesday, 1996

For the past several weeks Lex Bratheon (new player-character of Brian W.) has been studying martial arts at the school of Zhu Hsaio. Zhu Hsaio has sensed the troubles that haunt the man and has gotten him to speak.

 

Lex is a former VIPER agent. After a bad experience, involving the murder of 30 innocent people, Lex found he could no longer work for such an evil organization. Indeed, until the incident, Lex never really realized just how ruthless his employers were. Lex is searching for a way to make amends for the evil that he has done. Zhu Hsaio realized that the Omega Team might be the answer that Lex is seeking. Zhu Hsaio recommends Lex to Nightstick. Since Master Hsaio has recommended Lex the rest of the Omega team agrees to take him into their organization.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Thomas James contacts Dr. Steiner (the chief medical examiner) in an attempt to get in on any forensic units that could be formed to support the VAIS unit of the HCPD. During the conversation Dr. James realizes that Dr. Steiner seems very nervous and frightened. After much effort he is able to get Dr. Steiner to admit that the mysterious Japanese man (who is going by the name Mr. S) has kidnapped Dr. Steiner’s family in order to keep him quiet about the gizmo that was found in the body of J.P. Kendrick. Dr. Steiner also warns him that Mr. S is probably looking for Dr. James as they speak.

 

Dr. James next calls Debbie Taylor’s house and is alarmed when he gets no answer. He rushes over to her house and discovers she is missing. A quick conversation with a Mrs. Saquiggins (a neighbor) leaves little doubt that Mr. S has kidnapped Debbie Taylor. Suddenly Thomas’ cellular phone rings (the normal one, rather than the scrambled ones the Omega Team carry) on the other end is the infamous Mr. S. Dr. James is informed that they have Ms. Taylor and that they are willing to trade her for Dr. James himself. Mr. S guarantees that Dr. James will be held only briefly. Dr. James is instructed to meet Mr. S on the concourse of the Hudson City Mega-mall at 7:00 PM tonight.

 

Naturally the Omega Team realizes that Mr. S and his associates will probably try to implant Dr. James if he surrenders to them. That is why they can guarantee to release him shortly. (It is unlikely that they realize that Dr. James is Hippocrates. They probably are after him because they know he worked with Dr. Steiner on the autoposy. Dr. Steiner gave up that much under duress.) Since VIPER is apparently wrapped up in all of this (according to Lex, see below) the team also is worried about the welfare of the hostages they are holding. VIPER is not known for its scruples and Debbie Taylor is very attractive.

 

A quick meeting held at the Alpha Base results in Lex being briefed on the current activities of the Omega Team. Lex is able to inform them that the Shonto Conglomerate is heavily involved with VIPER. Lex also hints that he is on the run from VIPER himself. He does not tell them how he has come by such knowledge about VIPER. In other words, he keeps his past as a VIPER agent secret for the time being (he fears how the team would react).

 

Since it is only about 4:00 PM Lex and Nightstick take one of the team’s throw-away vehicles to pick up Lex’s stuff and transport it to the Alpha Base. On the way back to base they realize that they are being followed. The car following them is a Porsche and Lex says that such vehicles are often used by VIPER and sometimes are armed as well. Nightstick calls the base and rest of the team hurries to meet them so the followers can be confronted.

 

GM NOTE: Hippocrates was worried about his secret ID (Dr. James) being blown. After all how did VIPER know to follow him? Actually, Lex is hunted by VIPER and so he triggered this encounter, but Hippocrates had no way of knowing that.

 

The Omega Team springs their ambush just as the VIPER team makes their move to retrieve the traitor (Lex, of course). The VIPER team consists of two cars each carrying 4 Assault agents and a team of 6 Air Cavalry are dropped into the fray as well. VIPER expected to encounter one former agent, a skilled one, but only one man. Instead they have to face most of the Omega Team. Nightstick, Hippocrates, Dancer and Savant in addition to Lex himself are present. Even Dutch participates by driving the Omega Truck to the scene and ramming one of the unarmed Porches the VIPER agents are using. (Unfortunately this activity will impede the rapid healing of the wounds Dutch received the previous night.) In the ensuing battle one VIPER agent is killed and 9 others (including all the Air Cavalry) are injured and rendered unconscious. Four of the VIPER agents escape to report on what happened.

 

The HCPD responds to the scene of the battle and clear evidence of the involvement of the Omega Team is found. However, since VIPER is involved in this situation PRIMUS is called in immediately. The HCPD is superceded in this case and PRIMUS handles the rest. The Omega Team has no sources inside PRIMUS so they do not know what the PRIMUS investigation turns up.

 

GM NOTE: It should be mentioned here that the Omega Team has recently gained several new gadgets. First, the Alpha Base’s new computer has recently come on-line. The computer is called Big Red and is an impressive AI computer. The team also has a new medical gadget called a Dermagen Tank. The Dermagen Tank is similar to the Bacta Tank from the Star Wars setting. It is capable of rapidly accelerating the healing of any person immersed in the tank. Predator now has his alien shoulder cannon working in a sense but it is not as well focused since certain broken lenses can’t be duplicated. The cannon’s effect is now similar to one of the Blaster Rifles used by groups like VIPER or PRIMUS. Similar repairs have finally been made on the alien first aid kit the Predator brought to the team, its healing power is staggering but the expendable components cannot be duplicated so the kit should be good for about eight uses, ever.

 

By 5:30 PM the Omega Team and their new member are back at the Alpha Base. The team immediately starts planning for the exchange at the Mega-mall this evening. The team thinks about contacting Dr. Steiner again, but then it is realized that he may have already had a meeting with Mr. S about his family. Several other schemes are cooked up and discarded before all involved agree upon a workable plan.

 

Dr. James ingests a solution that contains a, weakly, radioactive trace element along with iodine to help prevent any build up of the element in his system. Knowing the frequency of the isotope, Savant is able to tune in the radios of the two Omega Trucks to the correct setting. The two trucks will not be able to detect it at a very great range (a mile or less) and will only be able to get rough directional and range estimates with the use of directional antennas. The team is also able to obtain a hit of wire. It is risky but Dr. James feels he may need any advantage he can get if he is forced to face ninja while unarmed. Dr. James encapsulates the drug in a capsule that should dissolve after about 20 minutes, thus delaying its effects and allowing him to ingest it prior to the meeting.

 

GM NOTE: Wire is a street drug. In game terms it grants a 2d6 Aid to all physical characteristics (STR, DEX, CON, SPD, END and STUN) for one hour. The drug is also highly addictive and expensive. Long-term negative effects include impulsiveness, overconfidence and aggressiveness. The team used the radioactive isotope idea because they feared that VIPER/Shonto might have good radio-detection gear that would thwart a bug. This could provide a good excuse to mutate Hippocrates in the future, or give him cancer.

 

Lex Bratheon chooses to take on the vigilante name of Pax.

 

At 7:00 PM the meeting takes place. Snapshot and Savant are in the Alpha Truck, which is disguised as an UPS delivery vehicle. Predator is in the Beta Truck, which is disguised as a Federal Express delivery vehicle. The two trucks park in delivery areas near opposite ends of the mall. Pax and Nightstick are disguised as UPS and FedEx delivery personnel. They walk the mall with freight carts that hide some of their equipment. Dancer is disguised as a limo driver and leads a fleet of 5 limos to one of the main mall entrances. Dancer’s job is to whisk Ms. Debbie Taylor to an Omega Team safe house. The other 4 limos have been paid to mix it up with Dancer’s limo and then drive off in different directions. The cover story given to the Limo Company is that a wealthy individual who wishes remain unnamed and wishes to avoid poparatzy needs the diversion. (I’d have simply used taxicabs) Dr. James, unarmed, proceeds to the main concourse to meet with Mr. S while Pax and Nightstick keep up a covert surveillance.

 

At the meeting Dr. James agrees to go with Mr. S, and a couple of his associates, after he witnesses Ms. Taylor’s release. A pair of Asian men releases her at the far side of the concourse. Ms. Taylor wanders briefly until Nightstick approaches her, mentions he was sent by Dr. James, and points her toward the exit where Dancer and the limos are waiting. Dancer and Ms. Taylor and take refuge at the pre-designated safe house. Dancer sees no indication that they were followed.

 

Dr. James is hustled into a waiting car and is guarded by Mr. S and two other men, who Dr. James assumes to be ninja. He is frisked in the car and found to be carrying no weapons but his wallet is taken and the IDs removed (driver’s license, AMA card, etc.). The rest of the Omega Team quickly picks up Nightstick and Pax. The two Omega trucks start shadowing the car in which Dr. James is being taken away. By using the radios to follow the signal of the isotopes Dr. James had previously ingested, the rest of the Omega Team is able to shadow at a much greater distance and are never spotted. The entire entourage soon arrives at the Carleton Executive Suites.

 

While in route to the CES tower several of the Omega Team members hear interesting news on the police scanners. Apparently, the Harbinger of Justice has shot a couple of Cardshark agents who were attempting to kidnap one of the participants of the big Go Tourney scheduled to begin tomorrow.

 

When the car with Dr. James arrives at the CES tower the rest of the Omega Team suddenly remembers that the building has a helo-pad on the roof. Savant, who has been working with Bid Red (the team’s new AI computer) over the satellite link, finally managed to get a thermographic satellite picture of the area and realizes that there is a warm helicopter on the roof. The team quickly heads to the building across the street and dash for the elevators. Several people in the building they rush through are rather startled but since the team seems to be passing through nobody even attempts to impede them. Although the building they have run into is 25 stories tall, the elevator they pile onto gets to the top without being stopped at any intervening floors. The team immediately runs up the single flight of stairs to the roof, sprints to the edge and jumps.

 

GM NOTE: The elevators were clear because Savant chose to expend 1 of his 2 dice of luck. This is due to a house rule. A character can forgo a dice of luck for the evening in order to catch a break such as this.

 

The neighboring CES tower is 37 floors tall (24 hexes taller than the building they are in) and is located across a four-lane street with sidewalks (10 hexes across). The members of the Omega Team are wearing spring boots, copied from Cardshark equipment, and most have multi-purpose line guns. Pax even has a VIPER Jetpack. All the Omega Team make the leap and swing up with their line guns to crest the roof of the CES tower just as the doors of express elevator containing Mr. S, the ninja, and Dr. James arrives.

 

On the roof of the CES tower, the Omega Team engages Mr. S, four ninja, and 5 lesser agents in battle. Nightstick takes a minor injury when his curse of bullet attraction activates once again. As the battle quickly turns against Mr. S and his men, the helicopter flees with its two-man crew. Since the helicopter appears to be unarmed the Omega Team does not try and stop it for fear of where it will fall if they shoot it down. Mr. S is knocked unconscious by non-lethal fire and falls in the elevator car. Since the other two ninja have fled the elevator, Dr. James punches the down button taking Mr. S with him. This confounds the rest of the team who had intended to stun Dr. James in order to make it appear that he was unconnected with the Omega Team. Dr. James was unaware of this plan, since he wore no radio and the scheme was cooked up during the battle. The rest of the Omega Team is left to battle for a few seconds more as they stamp out all resistance.

 

As soon as the battle concludes the rest of the Omega Team discover that they will need a key to recall the express elevator that has taken Dr. James and Mr. S down. After searching for a couple of minutes, Snapshot finds an elevator key on one of the unconscious Shonto employees. Once he recalls the elevator, he takes it down to the parking garage to see if he can determine what has become of Dr. James and Mr. S. As the doors open he sees a security guard with a draw weapon, and a worried look, which stares at him in the elevator. Since it appears that Dr. James has already fled with Mr. S, Snapshot returns to the roof.

 

The team quickly heads down to the floor that is occupied by Hubbs & Assoc. This is the law firm known to often work for the Shonto Conglomerate. H&A is also the owner of the cars Mr. S has been using. About the time they manage to overcome law office’s security systems they hear, on their police scanners, a report of someone carrying a person through the parking garage of the CES Tower. They, correctly, surmise that Dr. James must have been seen carrying Mr. S out of the parking garage. (That’s what the security guard that Snapshot saw was looking for). Since they have no way of contacting Dr. James they spend about 10 minutes ransacking the offices for anything that looks like it might be useful. The Omega Team then flees the building just as the first police unit arrives to check out the call about the parking garage. They do not know where Dr. James and Mr. S have gone.

 

After Dr. James flees the building, carrying Mr. S with him. He uses the cellular phone of Mr. S to call his chauffeur to come to a location about two blocks away from the CES tower. He then locates a couple of vagrants, rolls them, and steals their two overcoats. He then uses the two smelly overcoats as makeshift disguises and waits, with his captive, until his chauffeur arrives. He gives his chauffeur a $500 bonus and tells him to find himself a cab. He loads Mr. S into the car and drives to the Beta Base (the closest) where he puts Mr. S under a sedative to ensure that he remains unconscious.

 

Big Red continued to monitor the helicopter via satellite until the satellite moves out of range and it looses the picture. The last location of the helicopter indicated that it was headed toward the bay. The next gaming secession will take up just as this one ended. The Omega Team is in the two trucks, having just left the CES tower. Dancer and Ms. Debbie Taylor are in a safe house. Dr. James is at the Beta Base having just finished sedating Mr. S.

 

Two possible Shonto employees left in the helicopter, but then they may only have been two ignorant, innocent, witnesses. None of the people on the roof were killed though a couple are seriously wounded and may die if they are not found within an hour or two. The team left ample evidence of the break in at the Hubbs & Assoc. offices (open safes, picked locks, shuffled papers, disturbed computer stations) but they were careful not to leave any evidence that could help identify any of them. The team also has about a half dozen zip disks filled with confidential (and in some cases encrypted) computer files. Of course with the team in transit at the close of this secession they have not had a chance to examine them yet. There is the fear that Dr. James may have been pictured on surveillance cameras while he arrived with Mr. S and even worse when he left through the parking garage with Mr. S on his shoulder?

 

Dr. James heads to the Beta Base with the Mr. S. Once he arrives he places the ninja leader under sedation to ensure that he will not escape. George Bell is at the Beta Base performing some routine maintenance and assists Hippocrates in his endeavors. First Hippocrates uses the base’s hi-range radio to determine if Mr. S is emitting any sort of radio signals. Once it is determined that he is, Dr. James uses the base’s radio system to jam the signal. He then performs delicate surgery to remove the implant located in the back of the ninja’s neck. A few minutes after he removes the implant it detonates, either due to some booby trap or a remote radio signal.

 

Realizing that his identity is probably blown, Dr. James makes plans to change his identity. He also assumes that the radio signals that were emitted by Mr. S’s implant have probably compromised the base’s security. Hippocrates and George Bell begin to hurriedly load the gold from the vault and any other expensive gear they can into a pair of throwaway cars that they have at the base. They closely monitor the external IR video sensors in case Shonto or VIPER raids the base before they can evacuate.

 

Dr. James revives Mr. S and immobilizes him with a paralytic drug so he can talk to him. He attempts to get Mr. S to talk by indicating the remains of the device that had been planted in him (possibly without his knowledge). He is unsuccessful in getting Mr. S to utter a single word. He then sedates the ninja once again and puts him into the car that he will take when they evacuate the base.

 

Hippocrates and George make plans to torch the building before they leave. They then quickly put anything that might survive a simple building fire in the incinerator. They then set several firebombs in the building and flee in different cars in different directions. Hippocrates and the rest of the team reestablish contact at some point during all of this.

 

George Bell takes a round about route to the Alpha Base and meets the rest of the Omega Team there (except Dancer who is still at the safe house with Ms. Debbie Taylor). Dr. James does not arrive at the Alpha Base for several hours. However the rest of the team are aware of a lot of the things he did in the intervening time.

 

The Private Investigator Shamus had been hired previously by Savant to keep an eye on the CES towers, specifically to look for Mr. S. When Dr. James exited the area with Mr. S, Shamus spotted them and followed them to the Beta base. When Dr. James left the base with Mr. S, Shamus followed them to a Motel 6 on the outskirts of the northern suburbs of Hudson City. He observed Dr. James rent a room and carry Mr. S into the room and leave shortly thereafter. Shamus was only hired to watch until 10:00 PM at which time he left.

 

During the time that Dr. James was at the Beta Base Predator used the satellite link to establish a surveillance of the Beta Base. The thermo-graphic image indicated a warm car a short distance from the Beta Base and the rest of the team eventually realized that it must be Shamus. Just before Dr. James’s arrival at the Alpha Base, Savant called Shamus and got a report on what he had seen.

 

The rest of the team is incredulous when they find out that Dr. James left Mr. S at the hotel to recover and escape. Dr. James’s hope is that the reality of his (possible) betrayal by his employers will prompt Mr. S to work against them. If he was indeed unaware of the implant that Dr. James removed this may have a shot at working. At worst he will report back to his Shonto handlers and remain a thorn in the Omega Team’s side. He could also become a loose cannon or simply disappear.

 

By midnight the Beta Base is a smoldering ruin. No doubt the Fire Marshal will rule it an arson blaze but little should come of it. The Omega Team has no contacts within the Fire Marshals office. It was an old warehouse (as far as the city was concerned) and this sort of thing is, unfortunately, common.

 

Thus ends, what is known called by the Omega Team as, The Longest Day. I believe that this took at least 4 or 5 secessions to play out completely.

 

End of part 18. part 19 tomorrow in which Hippocrates pays the price for a blown secret identity. You know as I re-read the history I'm surprised I didn't go mad trying to keep everything straight.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Edsel

That is exactly what they were.

 

Your memories of the battle are probably better than mine. One of the reasons I kept a campaign log is due to my poor recall.

Oddly, I have the same problem. My players remember most encounters better than I do. Once one of them brings it up, I remember it, but if they dont I dont recall it unassisted.

 

I also forget what day and year it is and have to think about it to remember my left from my right (according to tests Ive taken I use both sides of my brain equally, which is unusual, and often is accompanied by a difficulty in conceptualizing handedness).

 

So either Im retarded or eccentric, you decide

[Tim]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

 

So either Im retarded or eccentric, you decide

 

Are you SURE you want to find out which we decide???

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Tim

Are you SURE you want to find out which we decide???

I wont remember anyway

[Southern Cross]

I'm going with eccentric.

[Edsel]

Part 19

 

May 22

At about 8:00 AM the players become aware (through police scanners and eventually the local news media) that there has been a quadruple homicide at the residence of Dr. Thomas James. Fortunately Dr. James has spent the night at one of his safe houses. It is eventually pieced together that the dead are the chauffeur and butler of Dr. Thomas James and Dr. Steiner and his wife. The police now are actively seeking Dr. Thomas James for suspicion of murder and kidnapping. He is also suspected of being one of the Omega Team vigilantes.

 

The police report is that the butler and chauffeur were both shot and that Dr. Steiner and his wife were killed by some sort of implanted micro-bomb, a device that would require a measure of surgical skill to implant. Police have also conducted a thorough search of the residence and office of Dr. Steiner and have found notes, in Dr. Steiner’s hand writing, that indicate that a similar device may have caused a previous death (J. P. KENDRICK). The police are also aware that Dr. Thomas James has been a friend of Dr. Steiner and has often been seen to visit and work with the Medical Examiner over the last several months. The most recent of Dr. Steiner’s notes indicates that he is now fearful of Dr. James and what he has been doing. The police have thoroughly dusted the residence and personal vehicles of Dr. Thomas James and have good fingerprints for the fugitive. They have clear photos as well as detailed height and weight data. Hair recovered from Dr. James’s residence has also provided a good sample for DNA matching. The police consider Dr. James to be armed and extremely dangerous. They are also aware that Ms. Debbie Taylor, the girl friend of the suspect is missing and foul play is suspected. The daughter of Dr. Steiner is missing as well. Local Crime-Stoppers are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Dr. James.

 

GM NOTE: Of course the incriminating note written by Dr. Steiner was done under duress, but since he is dead there is no way for the police to know that.

 

Naturally the Omega Team realizes that this is all the work of the Shonto Conglomerate and possibly VIPER as well. Dr. James will operate out of a safe house and the Alpha Base until he can establish a credible new identity.

 

Dancer and Savant move Debbie Taylor from the safe house to the Alpha Base. She is a little traumatized after her captivity by Shonto. She had been completely stripped by a half dozen strange men and slapped around until it quickly became obvious that she could give them no further information about Dr. Thomas James. She has now recovered somewhat but is still jumpy and there may be some minor long- term psychological effects.

 

GM NOTE: Debbie Taylor gained a 5-point Psychological Disadvantage, Xenophobia (Uncommon, Mild Effects).

 

Through out the day Andrew Hobbs and Big Red analyze the data obtained from the burglary at Hubbs & Assoc. From it he is finally able to glean that Hubbs & Assoc. handled the procurement of required licenses for Shonto to operate a yacht named Blossom within US territorial waters. It is also determined that Hubbs & Assoc. often ships packages through a company call Anaconda Airborne Express, which Pax indicates is a VIPER front company. It is recalled that the helicopter at the CES tower was last spotted heading out toward the bay.

 

A bit of computer hacking into organizations including, the US Coast Guard, Shonto Shipbuilding, and the local Airport Authority reveals further information. The Blossom is large enough to fit a helipad although the computer-stored documentation does not include a helipad. The Blossom is currently anchored outside of Hudson City Harbor (just out of view from the city). It is also determined that Anaconda Express is due to ship some large packages from Hubbs & Assoc. this very afternoon.

 

The team has become very concerned about the fate of Dr. Steiner’s daughter. They fear that if she is alive she may be shipped off to white slavery somewhere in the Pacific Rim. Pax and Savant, disguised as Airport Security, check out the shipment at the airport. Though a mix up in the phony ID cards nearly results in them being exposed they manage to succeed in their mission. One large crate with a false bottom is revealed to contain high-tech computer gadgetry but no trace of the missing daughter of Dr. Steiner is found.

 

Just after noon Nightstick drives out to the Motel 6 where Mr. S was left. He finds no trace of Mr. S but does have a brief encounter with a trio of drunken rednecks who attempt to provoke “the Chinamanâ€. After quickly and painlessly rendering the three unconscious he pays their tab and leaves.

 

Nightstick then proceeds to the Hyatt Regency Hotel to watch the Go Tournament in which Daniel Sanders is a player. Upon his arrival he sees Mr. Sanders car leaving with a young thug driving. Correctly surmising that the car is being stolen he shadows it to a chop shop about 15 minutes away. Nightstick confers, via cell phone, with the rest of the team and it is decided to let the police handle it. Nightstick calls the police and anonymously reports the location of the chop shop. Joe keeps the building under surveillance and waits.

 

Shortly two vans disgorge a strong team of Chardshark agents (Spades) who quickly subdue the car thieves and remove a pair of cars from the area. After the Cardshark agents depart Joe discards the throwaway vehicle he is driving and retrieves Daniel’s Jaguar. The team later theorizes that the thieves inadvertently stole a couple of Cardshark vehicles at the Hyatt Regency.

 

They are correct. Apparently the thieves stole several cars from the Hyatt’s parking garage and got a couple that would have been best left alone. Each of the 8 people in the chop shop suffered a pair of broken arms.

 

Meanwhile, a man with an offer has approached Snapshot, if he will throw a game he will be well rewarded. Daniel becomes fairly certain the man is a Diamonds agent.

 

Nightstick makes a call to the reporter Frank Fedora and tells him what has transpired (with the car thieves). He hopes that giving Frank the scoop will encourage the reporter to write more favorably about the Omega Team’s sagging reputation.

 

Satellite imagery soon reveals the location of the Blossom. A small plane and pilot are rented by Ms. Blake to do some sight seeing of the coastal area around Hudson City. She uses the opportunity to get some aerial photos of the Blossom. The photos reveal that the Blossom has more extensive radar equipment than computer records indicated and that a helipad has been added to the yacht. The Team makes plans to raid the vessel this evening.

 

The raid is pretty straightforward. The crew and about half a dozen ninja are slain in the ensuing battle while the Omega Team escapes injury. Ms. Steiner and two other girls are found. They are locked in a lower forward compartment. The women all seem a traumatized but are basically unharmed. Ms. Steiner is informed of her parent’s death and the women are informed in no uncertain terms that it is the Omega Team that has rescued them. The Blossom is sent to the bottom by an explosive charge placed on the hull below the water line. (The team placed a 2 lbs. Charge of C-4 on the hull, enough to cause a 25d6 explosion.) The rescued women are dropped off just outside the waterfront police precinct.

 

The three women’s story of their captivity and rescue are in agreement. Little evidence will be quickly retrieved from the wreck of the Blossom. The explosive used to sink the vessel was nearly enough to blow the vessel in half. Police are unsure what to think about all this. The Blossom was not known to be involved in any illegal activity and yet the women are pretty convincing in their separate, but identical, stories. The use of what was, essentially, a limpet mine to sink the vessel is very near the tactic that was used at the Brandweir Shipyards just two days ago. Police surmise that one of the more recent members of the Omega Team is a demolitions expert of some skill. Originally the police were uncertain who had planted the charges on the civilian ships at the shipyards but this story lends credence to the idea that it was the Omega Team who blew up the civilian ships. GM NOTE: Ha haa haaa.

 

The police believe that Dr. James is responsible for the murder of Dr. Steiner and his wife, but the daughter’s story indicate that he was probably among her rescuers. Captain McPhearson, front-runner for command of the VAIS unit, believes that this is “…an effort by the Omega Team to confuse us. A feeble effort to prevent police efforts to end their reign of terror.â€

 

GM NOTE: Again the raid on the Blossom is an abbreviated, just-the-facts, account. Perhaps Eosin or Nightstick can elaborate on the action. However, it was a brief, surprise attack if I recall correctly.

 

May 23

For what seems like the first time in ages, this day passes rather uneventfully. The Omega Team members spend the day covering their secret identities.

 

Dr. Thomas James spends the day working toward the creation of a new identity; he also talks with Debbie Taylor. Dr. James spends hours explaining to Debbie what his life has been and what has occurred. He gets her to accept what the reality of things are and shows her why she must disappear and assume a new identity. Shonto and probably VIPER are hunting them both. Debbie and Dr. James will live at the Alpha Base and safe houses until new identities can be established.

 

Joe Dishwasher watches some of the Go Tournament today. At one point he follows a suspected Cardsharks operative (likely a Diamonds Agent) to a downtown office building. The agent parks in the parking garage of the Livingston Building and enters the elevators. Joe notes that the elevator lights indicate that the elevator proceeds to the 12th floor before stopping and then returning to the garage level empty.

 

GM NOTE: For those unfamiliar with the Cardshark organization. The Diamond’s suite of agents are tasked with most vice operation, including gambling.

 

May 24

Again today the Omega Team passes the day without making any appearances in public. That evening they have a meeting at the Alpha Base to discuss what their next course of action should be.

 

Savant has spent all of his spare time with Big Red decrypting and sorting the data obtained by the raid on the Blossom (May 22nd). They now have a list of 47 people who, either now, or recently worked for HCH&M (Hudson City Health & Medical a local, lucrative, HMO that Shonto seems to have designs upon). The Information that they have obtained seems to indicate that Shonto’s radio transmission capabilities went down with the Blossom. Big Red estimates that it will take about two weeks for Shonto to reestablish transmitter facilities needed to threaten those implanted with cortex bombs. Of course if VIPER is actively involved with the plot they may have the capability themselves.

 

ICE is the new drug of choice on the streets of Hudson City. Over the last week it has scene an upsurge in popularity among the users of the city. The activities of the Pack have put a dent in the supply of the imported street drugs but ICE is a form of methamphetamine that can be produced locally. Predator advocates that the team hit any additional drug importers and any meth labs they can find to continue the “drying out†of the city. The remainder of the Omega Team does not seem to enthusiastic about his idea.

 

The Pack has yet to resurface. Mongrel and Hellhound are known to have escaped unscathed. Doberman’s body has never been recovered and could still be alive. It is generally believed that the Pack will be quiet for weeks (if not longer) licking their wounds.

 

The King Thutmose exhibit of a mummified Egyptian Pharaoh and his artifacts are due to visit the city next month and advanced passes to the exhibit go on sale the 31st of this month. Several of the team members are a little worried about this since it is just the sort of thing that is likely to stir up the Cabal.

 

The Idea Men are getting a little overdue for their next bank robbery. Since one of the triple-robberies failed the rest of the gang seem to be lying low. Their total haul is about $4.5 million so they can probably afford to take it easy for a while. The two surviving hold-up men are to be arraigned on Monday, May 27th.

 

Cardshark is continuing their series of crimes. The crimes seem to be associated with higher and higher poker hands. They have stolen many valuable items and gotten away with 4 of 5 prototype laser rifles. The stolen lasers were not supposed to be significantly more powerful that those currently available. But, the stolen weapons were experiments toward developing a weapon that can be more economically produced. The team is a bit worried about the prospect of Cardshark developing a new cheaper to produce laser rifle. The Full House would be the next poker hand in the sequence that the Cardsharks seem to be following and this Saturday there are three different events scheduled that could be just what Chardshark is looking for.

 

After much discussion the Team decides that they must try to foil whatever plot Cardshark is up to. Savant advises caution since he has a healthy respect for the organization. The team determines that they must try and cover all three of the events this Saturday; An Amnesty International $1000 a plate fund raising luncheon, The Gus Gray National Collegiate Athletic Awards banquet, and the Reception for conclusion of the North American Go championships at the home of Candace Vanderburg.

 

GM NOTE: I took the name Gus Gray from an old DC comic book I used to read (The Haunted Tank). Gus grey was a Jessie Owens analog.

 

End of Part 19, part 20 tomorrow. I know that this was a short part but this is a dramatically good place to pause. Besides we are getting close to the end. Next episode the Omega Teams tangles with Cardshark.