Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

[ManWithDoor]

Damien doesn't panic, not seeing a physical manifestation as has happened multiple times since they arrived at the Cathedral. He cautiously extends his senses, dangerous as it has been to his mental well-being. "Haxtes, could there be some sort of automated program left to part information? Or Emperor protect, an abominable intelligence at work?" He doesn't want to automatically assume everything they find is of the Immaterium, even though most everything has been so far.

[Grimbold]

"Unknown variable. We need to find out." Haxtes checks the body for any hidden mechanisms that might move it or anything else, and also has a look at the cases the corpse is gazing at.
All the while he absently recites information about this corpse.

"The coprse is a Princeps.
Princeps are members of the Collegia Titanica and the main operator of an Imperial Titan. They, together with two or more Moderatii are mentally linked with the Titan's "spirit". In effect, they are the Titan.
A Princeps is trained at the Collegia Titanica. Unlike most of the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, Princeps recruits are not only selected from the Forge Worlds' own civilians, but from anywhere the Mechanicus may find suitable candidates. This is because only the strongest of will can sustain a mind-link with the Titan's powerful spirit with their sanity intact, and the rarity of such specimens requires a larger selection pool. Princeps also undergo minimal augmentation to their bodies, unlike most members of other Adeptus Mechanicus sub-factions, as having an organic body gives them a "anchor-point" to help differentiate themselves from their Titan's machine-spirit and thus help prevent losing their consciousness within it. As such when their bodies become to old or injured to allow them normal function, Princeps are instead interred within amniotic-fluid filled pods within their Titan's command chambers."

[RorytheRomulan]

Merica glances at the flashing light on the screen. It must be highlighting the armoury.

She looks at the machine puppet again. "A servitor, then?" she asks, legitimately confused. This place is outside her realm of knowledge.

[Vardaen]

Merica checks the flashing light. The display is some sort of map, and yes, the light is blinking where the rune for Armory is indicated. From this map Merica is confident she could navigate the group to the armory.

Haxtes carefully inspects the body, there is no machine moving the corpse, its doing so on its own. As he reaches in it sits up straight and weakly lifts a hand to try and make Haxtes back up. The vids all go blank, then flash a proximity alarm warning. If Haxtes backs up the screens all return to normal and the corpse slumps down back into the throne.

The crates, piled up in the corner need some inspection on a more detailed scale.

[RorytheRomulan]

(Oops. I missed those two posts before me.)

Merica points at the blinking display. "At any rate, that gives us a clear idea of where to go from here."

She moves to the crates next, carefully avoiding the "Princeps'" proximity, and opens them up.

ooc

Has Merica ever seen a Titan from the outside?

[Grimbold]

"Conjecture: This is a buried Titan. Test: Can we make it move? Test: Can we communicate with the princeps?" He turns to the princeps. Is there some way to log in so he can contact him directly? If not, he will turn to him and address him in Binary Code: "10101010101 101 01 101 1011010 1011 10101 101101 101 0110 101 101 10101 011 101 1010 1010 101 1011 01010 10110 101 10101 101 01"

Code

"I greet you, princeps. My name is Haxtes, from the Lathe Worlds. What is your name, and what is the status of this Titan?"

[ManWithDoor]

Damien keeps his distance his Haxtes attempts to communicate with the supposed Princeps. The man may be a sanctified psyker, and has seen many great and terrible things, but he has never been in the presence of one of the God-Machines of the Titanicus. He has studied what lore that one can without being truly inducted into the Adeptus Mechanicus, but he knows next to nothing about the nature of Titans. He has never seen one, nor expected to ever see one, let alone somehow ending up inside of one.

He does what he can using mundane and supernatural means to continue his work in understanding the relationships at work here, trying to form a clearer picture of the forces at work.

OOC

Wow, this is some crazy stuff. Loving it.

I've got the Power of 'Sense Presence' as well as a crap-ton of Medicae skill and Talents. Try to figure out if any of his body is alive. Psyniscience to detect if there's a Soul in there? While I do have some training in Tech-Use, hopefully Haxtes could detect what electronics are physically working, versus whatever weirdness is going on in here.

[RorytheRomulan]

"By the Emperor, move the Titan? This weapon is right under the cathedral..." she ponders. You think you can spot the moment she warms up to the idea of bringing this colossus "online", cathedral and evidence therein be damned. Just to see it walk. Throne, they'd be riding it!

She glances at the Princeps again. This time, something seems to click in her mind, like a flipped switch. "Discovering the Titan for the Imperium to reclaim is a great blessing. It would be truly glorious if its operator is still alive."

Renewed with anticipation, she continues to rummage through the cases, and looks for any way she can help.

ooc

Skills...
Administratum Lore - if applicable to know what she could do to help.
Awareness - anything useful or helpful in the boxes and elsewhere in the room.
Literacy - for discovered writing that is less than adequately legible.

I wrote a journal entry that became paragraphs long, so I'm going to put it in one of the other threads. Chatter thread or possibly my post in the Acolytes thread.

[Vardaen]

Merica moves to the crates, Asiger and Renik assisting....

Crates

• 6 doses of Frenzon
• A Medikit
• A Laspistol with a Red-dot laser sight
• 4 Hot-Shot Charge Packs
• A flask of Best Quality Amasec

Then all attention turns on the man in the chair. For man he is, Damien can still sense some piece of his soul there, he's not gone, though he struggles and strains, and fights to keep his will. The body is dead, but not dead, due to the powers of the Tech Priests that have changed out his bones for steel, his heart for cogitators, his organs for pumps and tubing. He simply *is*. Haxtes is absolutely certain that attempting to disconnect him will kill the Precept and any chance you have of turning on this Titan.

Then you feel it, Damien first, a cold wind blows through the chamber. As it does the vid screens flicker and wink out like candles. The princep body shudders, and you hear a groaning of gears echoing someplace in the bowels of the Titan. Screams! So many void warped screams rip through the chamber.

Asgeir grabs at his head, "NO! NO! I won't...." he struggles against the voice, one voice above all. You start to hear it. I shall give you the power you need, the power you deserve. Submit. Submit to me.

He nods, "Yes, yes I will!" He rips from his belt one of his Krak Grenades, and pulls the pin ready to throw it right at the princep's chair!!!!

OOC

I think you should make an ooc thread for all your entries.

Also, yes this is happening.

Initiative

Merica 9, Haxtes 9, Asegir 8.4, Damien 8.3, Renik 6

[RorytheRomulan]

Merica picks through the cases. Combat drugs. She gives the augs in the room a judgmental glance. A medikit, some weapon sights, and some hot-shot packs, and some amasec. She takes a whiff. "This is some quality liquor. Surprising. The machine adepts still like to imbibe?"

How long has the amasec been down here? Sure is cold... She's only beginning to put it down when she winces from the sudden peal of screams. "Your screams betray your desperation," she mouths in response.

She barely stops to notice the hound master pull a live grenade on his belt. She slings her bolter and throws herself at Asgeir, struggling to take the belt.

actions

Charge w/grapple at Asgeir. If there is no room, Move & Knockdown.

I might have to amend that journal.