The cast:
- Brace (ex-Brainer Battlebabe): the ship's pilot and also a spook, that despised part of humanity touched by the weird. He has extensive psychic powers. Shiv hates him and the White Guard tried to violate him. He killed the crew of the Nevermore and claimed their ship. He didn't ask who really owned it.
- Midnight Storm (ex-Skinner Solace): teenage post apocalyptic rock star who wants to help people. He has begun to see Wolves of the Maelstrom around and they want to end the music.
- Nightingale (a.k.a. "Gale") (ex-Angel Touchstone): the ship's doctor hunting her brother Bluejay. She's been suffering visions of reavers and an old wooden church. She also has a vision for the world. A vision to hold the darkness of the void at bay.
- Manfred (Faceless): A massive man who wears a mask fashioned from a stop sign. He used be a cook on a cattle ship.
- Switchblade (Maestro D'): acrobatic woman in a fool's motley who runs a traveling carnival and is handy with a knife.
The Ties That Bind Us
Ula opened her eyes. Midnight looked up from his guitar."What? My head." Ula rubbed her temples.
"Sorry," he said.
"You hit me!" she said sitting up and instantly regretting it.
"I had to. You weren't acting like yourself. You didn't care about returning to the Starlight or the crew."
"I told you we are happy there. You have no right to say where we should be!"
"It is the fruit, I think. It makes you forget what you care about. So all you care about is the garden ship."
"That is just crazy, Midnight." Ula stood up.
"Bigs might not even remember you by this point. I had to save you."
Ula punched him suddenly. "No. I don't believe you. Never talk to me again."
Ula stomped off. Midnight watched her go.
When Shiv walked past the door a minute later he was still sitting there. "Message delivered."
"Thanks, Shiv."
Midnight got up and headed to the medbay. Inside Rum played Tetris on Sparky.
"Can I use the robot for a moment, Rum?"
The child paused the game. Midnight looked at the display for a moment before attempting to bring up the analysis on the fruit.
"Please state your request," the robot said.
"I want the report on the fruit."
"Injury detected. Please hold still." The machine reached for him.
"No! I'm fine."
As he struggled against its steel limbs, Rum punched a button on its chest plate. "Abort Sparky! Deliver last analysis."
Pretty sure Midnight acts under fire versus technology.
The robot let go of Midnight. The screen on its chest lit up and scrolled through a report on the strange fruit and Ula's blood analysis.
"Thanks, Rum. Now if I only understood this medical jargon."
Rum looked at the screen. "What is none toxic?"
"Non-toxic, it means it isn't poisonous. Well that is something. Maybe Ula is right. Maybe I'm wrong about the fruit."
"Okay put those suitcases in here." Switch stood back from the massive safe set into the wall of her bedroom.
Posters and performing outfits hung from every wall, mixed with knickknacks from across the systems. Jimbo lumbered forward trampling dirty clothes and old wrappers. He set the suitcases inside, green on top of red. Switch closed the door and locked it.
"So why don't you stay a while?' Switch suggested, leaning back on her plush four-poster bed.
Seduce a person but she fails.
Jimbo shook his head.
Switch shrugged and let him leave. She hunted out Nestor and Daily instead.
The clown and the strongman were overseeing the preparations for their next show in hangar bay.
"Sorry guys we will be leaving soon," she said.
Nestor scowled. "We have a lot of advance tickets sold. Refunding them is going to be a pain."
"Switch! We need to make money," Daily said. "The Carnival isn't a garden ship. We need to eat."
"I know, I know," she replied. "But our silent partner made his wishes known. One last job. Then we steer our own path."
"Where are we going?"
"A planet called Everette. Safe apparently. Hopefully the inhabitants are looking forward to a carnival."
Switch left Nestor and Daily to pack things up and headed to the freakshow. She entered the palm reading chamber. Inside Shatterglass adjusted the distorted mirrors and filled the incense burners.
"What do you need, Switchblade?" the spook asked.
Switch pulled out one of the violet fruits. "I need you to look at this."
Shatterglass touched it in one tattooed hand. He pulled away, wiping his palm on a piece of cloth. "It is disgusting. I don't want to look at it."
"Please. What if I get something for you? A Midnight Storm poster? With his signature?"
Manipulate a person with a soft hit.
"I suppose I could stomach it. With some herbal tea. And the poster."
"I'll be back in an hour. Thanks Shatterglass."
Midnight walked through the markets towards Snail's. A familiar helmeted head appeared in front of him.
"Oh hey Wrench," he greeted the White Guard.
Several other White Guards took position around him.
"Sorry Midnight but I need to take you in for questioning," his fan replied.
"I have a gig to do. You are supposed to help provide security."
"I know. This should only take a few minutes. I'll meet you at Snail's. Just please, come along quietly."
Midnight glanced at the soldiers and allowed them lead him into the inner confines of Megaton.
Wrench showed him into an interrogation room. "They should be here soon."
The White Guard left him alone in the room. Midnight Storm sat in one of the two metal chairs. A few minutes later he got up and paced. When he tired of that he tuned his guitar. He began to wonder how long he had been here.
He looked around for a clock. No luck. He tried the door. It was locked. Desperate for some sort of answer, he opened his mind to the void, using humanity's latent sense to probe for an answer.
Midnight Storm has Weird -2...
As always the void swirled around him as a mess of discordant noise. He closed his mind.
Maybe they've forgotten him. Midnight Storm pulled out his guitar and began singing loudly.
A minute later, the door slammed open. Commander Kriss entered.
"I see you're amusing yourself, Midnight Storm."
As the White Guard leader settled into a chair, Midnight put down the guitar on the table between them. "What do you want?"
"We have questions about your associates."
"What questions?"
"Are you aware members of your crew are suspected of multiple homicides and illegal transactions?"
"No."
"Can you detail the whereabouts of Brace, Manfred, and Nightingale over the past week?"
"You've been keeping waiting for an hour and now you want to review the last week?"
"Answer the question please."
Midnight stood up. "You don't really care about the answers, you are trying to delay me for some reason. You want to stop the concert."
He concludes that after a successful Read a Person.
"Sit down." A buzzy noise issues from Kriss's mouth.
Wolves of the Maelstrom.
Midnight hung his guitar behind his back. "No. I'm leaving."
Two more guards entered the room. "Detain him," Kriss ordered.
Midnight kicked the table over and rushed one guard. A gun fired. The teen put the armored figure between himself and the others. As Kriss charged him, Midnight thrust the guard in his way and slipped out the door.
"Get back here!" Kriss shouted with a voice of buzzing beetles.
Midnight Storm punched the door controls, sealing the guards in. He shattered the electronics with a kick for good measure.
Blood dripped down on the white floor from where the bullet clipped his side.
He made a successful seize by force of an exit but he still takes some harm (2-harm weapon +1 for a gang -1 armor - 1 little harm).
Midnight Storm took a deep breath and headed for Snail's.
Midnight snuck in the back of Snail's as a restless crowd milled out front.
"Where have you been?" Snail shouted.
"Detained and shot," Midnight said grabbing a scrap of cloth from the dressing room.
"What?!"
"The White Guard, they tried to sabotage the concert." The musician quickly wrapped his wound. "Well not officially. Some sort of rogue group."
"I don't want any trouble."
"Too bad. If they want to stop me, then that means I've got to play. The show goes on."
"Well don't rile the crowd up, please. I'll go tell them you will perform soon."
"Okay and Snail don't sell any of that fruit. I'll pay you back for them."
"Fine, fine. Just make people happy, okay."
Midnight Storm smiled. "That's what I do."
A few minutes later Midnight opened with a crowd favorite. As he sang and played, he watched the White Guard lurking outside. Only Wrench entered the club proper. He danced and cheered with the rest of his fans.
Midnight Storm got a soft hit on his Artful and Gracious roll.
Midnight thanked the crowd at intermission and jumped off stage to shake hands and mingle. He high-fived Wrench on the way to the bar.
He grabbed a seat. "Water please."
"Midnight!" Switch said jumping into the seat next to his.
"Switch, how are you?"
"Fine. I need to leave soon but I promised one of my carnies your signature. Can you sign this poster?"
Midnight took the glossy pink paper. "Sure, who is it for?"
"Shatterglass."
"Where are you heading next?"
"Back to the Carnival. We need to get ready for a trip."
"Too bad. How about I swing over there after the show?"
"That sounds fun."
As he headed back to the stage, a fan stopped him. "You are amazing!"
"Thanks, uh."
"Mad Dog."
"Mad Dog. I'm glad you liked it."
"Here," he thrust a watch into the musician's hand. "It belonged to my father. Listening to you has given more hope than I've had in years."
"Well, uh, thanks. I'll try to make this next set even better."
Midnight's fan bantered and laughed as he led them to the Carnival. They left plenty of profits for Snail after the big finale.
A row of White Guard appeared ahead, blocking the corridor. Commander Kriss stepped forward.
"Return to the station. There is a curfew in effect."
"Then get out of our way!" a fan shouted.
"Some of us have ships to get back to," a woman said.
Midnight turned to the crowd. "Calm down guys. I'll handle this."
He raised his voice. "Though I think its clear Megaton no longer welcomes visitors." His voice carried into surrounding hallways. "They don't want commerce, people selling them food, equipment and services."
Midnight pulled out his guitar. "I think you deserve another song. Everyone join in. Let's show them they can't steal our music."
He began a ballad. As he played the White Guard cringed in pain. The music forced them back as they retreated from the crowd's advance.
The Wolves take 1-ap harm from Midnight Storm's songs.
Switch and Midnight left the crowd in the Carnival's hanger bay. Shatterglass was overjoyed to have a set inside his ship and Midnight's other fans happily spread their jingle around.
"Too bad you are leaving soon," Midnight said.
Switch twirled and landed on the bed. "I know, we were just having fun."
The musician studied the posters and knickknacks on the walls. "You have some amazing stuff here. How long has this carnival been going?"
"We've been travelling since my dad was younger than me. He carved that by the way. Did a lot of the Carnival's decorations."
Midnight let go of the wooden albatross. "What happened to him?"
"Drink. Drink and some work on the high wire. What about your folks? They still around?"
"I lost them when Reavers hit our home."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Midnight turned to face her. "I have a favor to ask you. I know you have your own problems but I need to do something about that garden ship."
"I don't know."
"That fruit is dangerous, they are brainwashing people, stealing what they love."
"I know but we can't just bust in there and stop them."
"Actually-"
Shatterglass burst in. "Switch, I thought you'd want to see this."
He held out a partially eaten violet fruit.
"Where did you find that?"
"In the freak show. It must have happened before the crowd came in."
"Dammit, I need to know who has been eating that cursed fruit."
Shatterglass shook his head. "I don't they will come forward."
"Is that your opinion or your gut?"
"My gut."
"Okay let's not mess around. I want a séance."
Apparently Switch opens her brain using seances.
They moved a table into the center of the room and held hands over it. Switch reached out to the void, calling for information on what is behind all of this.
Midnight gritted his teeth as the discordant notes drilled into his skull. With effort he lent the carnival leader his will.
In other words, he helped her open her brain.
A vision of a mother swam to the surface of her mind. The woman placed her hands down gently and began to smother her. Switch choked as the fingers pressed down on her throat.
"Wake up!"
Switchblade's eyes snapped open. Shatterglass and Midnight Storm stood over her.
"Okay, Midnight. We are going to end that garden tomorrow."
Midnight Storm helped her up. "I'll set up a concert to get us in. I have a friend who can help us. The man in red mask."
Brace looked at Gale as they sat on the bridge of the Nevermore. "I need to get Bluejay off our back."
"I know."
"I'll call him." Brace closed his eyes and reached out. "White."
There was no answer.
A failure on Lost.
"Fuck. Gale, we are going to need to go to him."
Next session Eden burns. The garden ship. Megaton. The community on the Starlight.
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