@Aria - assuming we are entering a "GMed" phase of the run down here and that you don't want me to just "collaboratively storytell" my way right the heck out of this predicament.
So I'll take things slow and run my actions by you.
But I need information!
I still want this to be a collaborative effort and will give you plenty of leeway to describe your surroundings, but yes, a bit of GMing is called for!
So, some basics on the CTec Aqualogy:
Depth: ~800m, very dark, very cold!
Internal Atmosphere: 1AU
Fabric: Mainly plascrete domes, observation
windows are mostly AR feeds apart from a few key locations, the surface platform is permanently tethered to the structure, two lifts follow cables down to the facility
Activities: High Pressure Engineering, Social Engineering, Black Projects
Personnel: ~200 (Admin 50, Scientists / Engineers 90, Maintenance 60, Security 20, Non-essential 30)
Key Equipment: Drones (lots of them, both inside and out), mini subs, escape pods
Security / Defences: Externally there is a sensor net and automated turrets, internally it works on the chokepoint principle with only two entrances to the facility - the welcome bay (where the lifts arrive) and the sub bay. Once inside security is pretty light, mostly surveillance and some anthro drones.
There is no way Al is getting herded into processing, assuming that's pretty much a doom in itself.
So he'll do something, but I have almost no info on what things are like down here....how many people came down with us, how many guards, how are they equipped (besides tasers), do the guards appear to be using wifi comms, how do they appear to be directing the anthroforms (hand cues? spider? preset commands to dog brain?), how enclosed is the space, how many exits, are the exits open pathways or small metal hatches, how much noise is the increasingly upset corp populace making, are there passersby among staff already down here, are there signs saying where things are?
Obviously I don't expect all that, but hard to choose a course of action without at least some of it.
Depending largely on what the environmental factors are, Al will (in order of preference):
- Attempt a Sneak test to duck down a side passage
- pickpocket test on a guard for something that controls the drones or some doors (since I'm assuming my pass won't do squat)
- incite a panicked riot among the corpers being herded and take things from there in the confusion
- make a break back to the BS and hijack it away (that option only if Silk and Alyce can make it too) or, last choice, or if any of the above goes completely south,
- take out a guard and so on; better to start fighting now than try to once we've been 'processed'
Will try to include Silk/Alyce in these things, but if I can only slip away on my own, then so be it - can then get to them later.
Again, all of the above depend on environmental factors I don't know, so let me know which looks most feasible from Al's POV.
If all look hopeless, then fine, he will still at least try one - just let me know which looks least futile.
You are in the choke point mentioned above - only one route in to the facility from here, although several 'side rooms' are available. It is designed to be open and welcoming with little cover to hide behind... your crate is probably in one of the side rooms, I'll be generous and say that Alyce marked it with an RFID tag so she can find it easily! No sign of anyone else from inside the facility...yet
@Aria - apologies - now that home from work reading more carefully - I do see that you've specified two guards, and that we are in some sort of loading bay, which I take to be fairly spacious? I also see that they do seem to be commanding the drones with hand gestures, which is also useful to know...though I suppose the guards must have some sort of wifi tag that makes them someone the drone would respond to...would like to spot that....
All that helps me a lot!
I am liking my 'slipping away' first priority more and more - good Sneak roll plus the large number of people and there being only two guys plus drones to 'shepherd' them...and making an obvious ruckus right now my make it so the BS never goes back up, in which case we don't link up with Isaint and Rick....
And the 'pickpocket' remains my second choice - if I could get a great roll in that, then I could then use the drones.
Also, now looks like Robyn is going to try reasoning with the guards...I am guessing they are pretty closed off, impassive, but maybe I read too much into your last post....? Looking forward to the guards' reaction to Robyn's play - if that works out (allowing us to bypass 'processing') then all the better (but not holding out much hope on that front....).
As you've guess the guards aren't going to respond to Alyce's ID, instead ushering her in to Processing (note there's no such place on your schematics!)
The gestures are likely AR commands through their links rather than anything more covert...
The lifts have already begun to return to the surface unless you do anything to prevent that...
Over to you to ask more questions or run with it from here...?