Far Trek Play Report: Star Date 2017.20.10

Our second session of the Monthly Far Trek launches with a few minor changes. Our Crew has seen a bit of a change. Our Pilot episode Communications Officer Player changed out the human Mr. Capri for a Caitian Officer F'Riid Dasso. It was also supposed to be the first appearance of our new Chief Engineer Zav the Tellerite. Due to unforseen circumstances, the player could not make the game so he was just an NPC for this game. Also our Navigator had real world duties and wasn't able to make the game. Bonus though, late in the evening we were joined by a new gamer looking to try something different, and he is a Star Trek fan so we may soon see an appearance by this new player as an additional Science Crewman.

USS ARGO crew.

From Left to Right:
Navigator - Lt. JG Maxine "Max" Holt
Chief Engineer - Lt. Cmdr. Zav
Chief Medical - Lt. Cmdr. Salec
Captain - Cade Grim
Comms. Officer - Lt. Cmdr. F'Riid Dossa
Exe. Science Officer - Cmdr.  Vesara Tess


The Adventure we played is "A Vulture Among the Stars" by Fred Love. I made a Far Trek conversion of the adventure and got things in order for play.

Turn on your TV and settle in for Episode 02 of Far Trek: A Vulture Among the Stars!

Intro Scene: The Argo zooming through space as we hear the voice of Captain Grim reading the log.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2017.20.10. 
We have received a distress call and are currently traveling at maximum warp to investigate. The signal appears to have originated from Federation transport vessel the S.S. Malorin, traveling near an expansive group of asteroids known as the Pinicon Cluster. The message, a garbled voice recording from the transport’s Captain, sounded panicked and made it clear the vessel was under attack. I know the Captain of the Malorin personally, he is an academy friend and I hope that Steven and his crew are okay.

The scene zooms into the Bridge of the Argo and we see the crew intent on their tasks as they head towards possible danger! Vesara gives the Captain some generic info about the Pinicon Cluster, while F'Riid monitors communications for anything more from the Malorin. Salec enters the bridge from the turbolift.

Captain Grim: "Salec, you may have some patients in need of care if this turns out as bad as it sounds."
Salec: "Understood Captain, my team is ready."
Turning from his station the Comms. Officer relates the following -
F'Riid: "Captain, I'm picking up a lot of Orion chatter. They are referring to merchant transactions but I think it has something to do with what's going on."
Captain Grim: "Hmm, anything else from the Malorin?"
F'Riid: "No sir, their signal has either stopped or is being jammed."
Captain Grim: "Keep at it Mr. Dossa, let me know if you get anything else."

[The Argo drops out of warp at the edge of the Pinicon Cluster and visual scanners can just make out a pair of craft deep in the asteroid field.]

Chief Engineer Zav: "Captain if the second ship is Orion we could be up against Pirates, or worse, Slavers!"
Captain Grim: "Tess I need more information, what is happening in there."
Vesara: "Aye Captain scanning now."
Captain Grim leans forward in his chair -
Captain Grim: "All hands RED ALERT. All right Steven you better be ok, you still owe me from our last poker game."

-COMMERCIAL BREAK-

Scene 1 - The Pinicon Cluster

The bridge of the Argo is abuzz with activity as the crew assess the current situation. 1st Officer Tess has determined that disruptor weapons have recently been fired in the area, and the two ships have been identified as the SS Malorin and an unidentified Orion Marauder class. There are also traces of radiation indicitive of a warp core breach!

The Pinicon Cluster

The Captain confers with his officers about a course of action and they decide to attempt to navigate the asteroid field at 1/2 impulse power, and to reinforce the forward shields as they go through. As a sidebar the Captain has Zav set a pair of Photon Torpedos on a delayed detonation and launches them to a point a few thousand kilometers off the port side in the asteroids. They will blow at (hopefully) the same time the Argo emerges from the field nearest the Malorin. The plan is that the detonation will distract the Orion Marauder giving the Argo a few surprise rounds!

F'riid: "Captain, the Orion vessel is in contact with an undetermined party. They are talking about the "relocation effort" in progress."
Salec: "Cade, the Orion Syndicate is known for slave trading and ransoming hostages. This could be bad for the freighter crew."
Captain Grim: "I don't tolerate either action Doctor. Helmsman get us through this field we need to help that ship!"
Vesara: "Captain, I have four life-pods ejecting from the Malorin. The Orion craft is powering up tractor beams and targeting the closest pod!"

[Jumping into action Captain Grim commands his crew and the Argo begins to wend it's way through the dangerous Pinicon Cluster!]

Capt. Grimm using the Command Talent!

It takes three rounds for the Argo to make its way through the field.
1) In the first round the Argo makes a successful Navigation roll while the Orions lock-on to a life-pod.
2) The Argo makes the second Navigation roll, the Orion ship moves in on a second life-pod.
3) The Argo just fails the third Navigation roll, but the shields absorb the damage!

-COMMERCIAL BREAK-

Scene 2 - Inside the Cluster!

As the Argo emerges from the asteroids the "photon distraction" goes into effect! The Orions are taken by surprise and lose initiative. The Argo opens a hailing frequency and commands them to stop what they are doing. The torpedo detonation causes multiple smaller asteroid chunks to head directly at the Orion craft! Unfortunately the life-pod is also in the path of the photon debris!

F'Riid: "The Orions were unaware of us, they are unsure what is going on."
Zav: "Shields are holding at 85%"
Vesara: "They have stopped the tractor beam and raised shields, however the life-pod is in extreme danger from the incoming asteroid debris!"
Salec: "We have to get any survivors aboard quickly."
Capt. Grim: Hitting the Intercom button on the command chair, "Transporter room 1, get the survivors off that pod and beam them directly to Medical!"
F'Riid: "Our own comms have been hit by debris, they are offline."

The crew of the Argo is barely able to get the survivors off the pod before it is torn apart by the debris. The Orion craft weathers the strike and begins to power up their disruptors. With their own shields down Captain Grim orders a phaser strike on the Orion craft in an attempt to take out the weapons systems.

The gamble pays off and not only does the attack penetrate the Orion's shields but it takes out both their weapons and communications!

Meanwhile, Salec arrives in Sickbay and discovers the survivors are in a more dire situation than first thought! Rushing to the Intercom he contacts the Bridge.

Sickbay

Salec: "Captain, the crew of the Malorin are suffering the effects of severe Nucleonic radiation poisoning. You need to get the other crewman aboard as fast as possible!"
[The Doctor makes a couple of Medical Skill rolls  here to stabilize the survivors.]

Capt. Grim: "I read you Doctor! Tess get me a reading on the state of the Malorin. Zav what do think?"
Chief Zav: "Nucleonic radition would mean the warp-engine manifolds took heavy disruptor damage, the crew didn't just abandon ship because of the Orions. They got off because their warp-core is going critical!"
F'Riid: "Captain, even though their main comms are down I'm getting an odd signal being tight-beamed from the Orion craft to somewhere out beyond the cluster, I'm attempting to jam it!"
Vesara: "Zav is correct, the Malorin is in the final stages of a critical warp-core breach. At this range both us and the Orions could take severe damage, but the remaining life-pods would be vaporized!"

Dramatic music!

Que - Dramatic music and close-up on the Captain!!!

-COMMERCIAL BREAK-

Scene 3 - Last moments of the Malorin

At this point the Orion ship began to withdraw from the inner cluster in an attempt to escape with the survivors from the initial life-pod they brought on board. The Crew of the Argo knew they had to place their attention upon the remaining two pods adrift in space. The Crew devise a dangerously ingenious plan!

Capt. Grim: " Mr. Dossa, how are comms?"
F'Riid: "We are back online at 50% capability, the Orions are either still down, or just not responding."
Capt. Grim: "Tess, Zav. Do think a heavy Phaser barrage on the Malorin engineering section could effectively cause an internal reaction resulting in total disintegration?"
Zav: "It could also destroy us all, but it could work...maybe!"
Vesara: "Zav is correct, if this fails our own shields won't protect us. We have a .05% chance it goes our way!"
Capt. Grim: "Transfer fire controls to my chair, Helmsman get us between the remaining life-pods with a line-of-sight on the Malorin. Zav, get ready to raise our shields on my command!"
Salec on Intercom: "I'm sending a Trauma team to the transporter room now."
Helmsman: "Moving into position now sir!"
Zav: "I'm ready!"
Vesara: "Transporter is locked on the pods! Malorin core is going critical in 3."

Capt. Grim: "Transporter Go!"

Vesara: "2"

Capt. Grim: "I was the best shot of my class, Firing Phasers!"

Vesara: "1"

[The full phaser barrage strikes the engineering section of the freighter, and for a brief second everyone holds their breath! Then a bright red flash fills the viewscreen and the Malorin disappears!!!]

F'riid: "Transporter room reports survivors are aboard!"

Malorin survivors are safe!

Crew: "It worked!"

Capt. Grim: "Now, what is the staus on that Orion craft?"
Vesara: "They are on the verge of leaving the cluster, we can't overtake them at this point without.."
Capt. Grim: "Without going at full impulse back through the cluster."
Zav: "Full impulse is too fast in this type of field the asteroids are too numerous. The shields can't handle the beating we would take!"
Capt. Grim: "I can't let them get away with our people. Helm, intercept course with the Orion vessel full impulse power. Zav, give those shields everything you can!"

[The gamble at this point in game is that pushing through the asteroids at full impulse means a TN 20 skill test to make it with no damage. Failing this roll puts the ship in the position of suffering a 1d6x5 damage hit!

The Players go for it!!!

The Argo fails her Starship Navigation/Piloting roll and takes a beating bulldozing out of the cluster to beat the Orion ship!]

The Bridge lights flicker, as the crew is jostled back and forth from asteroid impacts on the shields and hull! 1st Officer Tess is thrown from her station and knocked unconscious.

F'Riid: "Captain, we have damage on decks 4 & 5, minor injuries reported!"
Salec: "What are you doing up there, my patients are falling out of their beds!"
Zav: "We took quite a beating shields are at 75%, no hull breaches."

Capt. Grim: "Helm, I want us facing the Orion ship when it emerges from the cluster. Prepare Phasers and Photon torpedo tubes."

Helmsman: "Weapons ready sir."
Navigator: " We are in position sir, here they come."

[The Orion craft emerged from the asteroid field to find the Argo facing them down! In a last ditch effort the marauding craft attempted to fire disruptors only to again suffer at the cruel hands of fate!]

Zav: Checking on Vesara and reading the scanner info, "The Orion weapon systems have completely failed, however the appear to be going to warp."
F'riid: "Ah, I've got it! That tight-beam transmission is a coded Orion pirate channel, they were trying to call in help."
Helmsman: "Captain, they are coming straight at us!"

Capt. Grim: "On my mark, target their engines."

The Orion craft picked up speed and came head on at the Argo, then suddenly veered straight up!

Capt Grim: "Fire! All weapons!"

Zav: "The ship has lost all engine power, we have them!"

F'Riid: "Captain, I have used their encoded sub-space channel to contact them directly. I can put you through."

Capt. Grim: "Attention Orion vessel, this is the USS Argo. You will turn over the survivors you have and stand down."

There is a moment of silence, the view screen crackles with an image from the Orion vessel.

Orion Capt.: " Federation vessel, your unprovoked attack upon our merchant vessel will not go unpunished! We.."

Just then another badly scarred Orion appears in the background and pulls out a disruptor pistol and fires it upon the captain!

Scarred Orion: "This is the acting Captain of the Violator. Argo, we will comply with your wishes."

-Scene 4- A message for the Syndicate

Within moments the remaining crew from the Malorin was beamed over to Sickbay, as well as a handful of Orion crew who had injuries. Captain Grim made an executive decision to give the Orions just enough aid to allow them to limp back home. Also Comms Officer F'Riid was able to imbed a log of what had transpired between the two ships on the coded channel and set it to transmit continuously.

Zav: " I'm not sure I get why we are letting them go, shouldn't we take them in. They are obviously slavers!"

Capt. Grim: "Yes they are, but if we took them in the rest of their kind would continue to do what they do regardless. This way, we give them pause. Now they know just how far the Federation, and more importantly the Argo will go to stop them."

F'Riid: " I made sure this story will be all over the Orion syndicate. Captain Grim & the Argo will be a thorn they won't soon forget, or seek to tangle with again anytime soon."


[Once the Argo was underway to Starbase 13, Captain Grim went to sickbay.]

Capt. Grim: " Salec, how is the Captain of the Malorin?"
Salec: "Your friend is doing fine, however he is under sedation and cannot speak to you right now."
Capt. Grim: "I'm glad he'll be okay, he owes..."
Salec: " Owes you from your last Poker game. I know he mentioned that when I told him what ship he was on. But really Cade, I do not think him owing you "money" is pertinent at this juncture."
Capt. Grim: " Ah Salec, it's not really about money. It's about well, it's about... I'm glad he is okay."
Salec: Eybrow raised, "Yes, I think I know what you mean."


Vesara: slowly opened her eyes, head throbbing from the fall she took. "Ohh, what happened?"

Standing beside her bed was the collected bridge crew.

Capt. Grim: "This happened Tess." Cade then held up a red shirt for Vesara to see. "Welcome to the team." he said with a wide grin.

Vesara: "oh nooooo!"

Collected Crew: laughing & smiling....

Fade out

THE END 

FAR TREK RPG: Background Update

Star Date 2017.08.10

This is some setting information I use in my Far Trek RPG game. I am not worried about being strictly Canon with Star Trek history as a whole. This is after all my Far Trek Universe that is very much influenced by the Original Series. My intent is to run fun adventures in the theme of the original TV series, with a crew of characters on their own ship.

Far Trek Federation as it exists in the EROC-Verse.

1) Do Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise exist?
    The Enterprise exists, but Kirk & crew don't exactly. This is my own universe in the classic TOS timeline. So things will be what I decide they are, and I will fix things to fit in with my players adventures.

2) Will Kirk and or the Enterprise ever appear in these games?
     Kirk, as we know him from the show will not. The Enterprise may appear at some point. As before though, the original episodes are considered to have happened and are logged with Starfleet.

3) What is the name and class of ship your crew uses, and who are they?
     To start he ship is a Saladin Class Destroyer, the USS ARGO. The crew as of now are as follows:

    As they progress we may do a ship upgrade, we will see.

Ep. 1 Crew

Ep. 2 Crew update

Crew of the USS Argo (L to R)
Navigator - Maxine "Max" Holt , Lt. JG                 Player: Selina
Chief Medical Officer - Salec (Vulcan), Lt.             Player: Karen
Commanding Officer - Cade Grim - Captain           Player: Zachary
Exec.\Science Officer - Vesara Tes (Trill), Cmdr.   Player: Tahlia
Comm. Officer - Tsun Capri, Lt. Cmdr.                   Player: Josh - character changed after Ep. 1
Comm. Officer - F'Riid Dossa (Caitian), Lt. Cmdr. Player: Josh - 1st app. Ep. 2
Chief Engineer - Zav (Tellerite), Lt. Cmdr.              Player: James H. - joined Ep. 2

4) Where do the adventures of your current crew take place?
     See the image below, the USS Argo is tasked with patrolling the area within the red outline surrounding  the name of the ship. The area covers 8 hexes on the map and I don't want to assign a defined size to each  hex because it doesn't really matter to me. They are as big as I need them to be for our episodes to work out.

USS Argo Assignment Sectors

5) Who oversees the the Crew of the Argo?
     The Argo operates out of Starbase 13, under the orders of Commodore Stone. I always thought he  looked cool so this guy is going to be who they report to. I'm not sure what the look of the Starbase is going  to be yet. Not sure if I want a Space-station or a Planet-side base. I'll decide later.

Commodore Stone at Starbase 13.

6) Wait, Far Trek RPG is different than the Star Trek Adventures RPG by Modiphius?
     Yes, Far Trek is a 3D6 system game designed by C.R. Brandon and based off of Where No Man Has        Gone Before 2.0 by Mike Berkey.

Follow these links for more:
Where No Man Has Gone Before: http://trek.abillionmonkeys.com/
Far Trek RPG: http://fartrekrpg.blogspot.com/
Star Trek Adventures: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/star-trek-adventures

All three are excellent Star Trek games depending on your taste and what you are looking for. I chose Far Trek because it was simple and gives me the Original Series vibe that I wanted.

7) Is there a Far Trek Group/Community?
     Yes there is, check out the FAR TREK community on MeWe.

Stay tuned for more Far Trek excitement!

Call of Cthulhu: Two-Fisted Tales of Terror part 2 "Dead Words"

This session took place 7/8/17 and was the second game in our Pulp Cthulhu game. In this episode I am joined by my daughter playing the part of Beatrice Farwell a minor criminal and friend of The Giant.

We pick up where we left off as Edward Billingsly and the Giant head towards the home of Mr. Richland to get a hold of the priceless book that seems to be so important.

The Giant stopped the car just short of the driveway to the Richland Mansion. As we stepped from the car I couldn't help but notice a dull thumping coming from the trunk. "Is, is there someone in there?" I asked as I looked nervously from the Giant to the car.

The big man grunted and walked round to the rear of the car where he unlocked the trunk. To my surprise a young woman sprang from the back of the car, shook herself and started poking the Giant in the chest with her finger! "Hey, ya know I been in there almost all night! Why couldn't I ride up front wit' you huh?"

The Giant shrugged and pointed to me, then made some sort of sign with his hands that the girl seemed to understand. "So this is who I gotta work with huh, well he don't look like much." I figured her to be perhaps a few years younger than myself, but she certainly had a street savvy way about her. She introduced herself as Beatrice Farwell and that she was going to be my "partner" in our endeavor to get whatever it was the "Butcher" wanted, and by whatever means necessary too. I was shocked to see her pick up and deliberate upon which weapons and tools she was going to bring on our "job".

Beatrice Farwell

After Beatrice slipped a thin bladed knife and a set of lock picks under her skirt, she took my arm winked at the Giant and walked me up the drive towards the door of the Mansion. "Listen Eddie, you just get us inside and I'll take care of the rest okay." 

I knocked on the door of the Richland residence while fumbling in my pocket for the card Prof. Carter had given me. After a long moment the door opened and we were greeted by whom I had to guess was Mrs. Richland. Her brows arched as she looked over the odd pair at her door. I'm pretty sure I heard Beatrice mutter "bitch" under her breath. "Uh Mrs. Richland, I'm Edward Billingsly. Professor Carter sent me to pick up a package from you." She stood in the doorway and seemed to peer into my very being, there was something, something I can't describe about her. My heart raced and I felt terrified as well as enamored at the same time!

"Come in." her tone was like ice. Beatrice and I were led into the parlor and took a seat. "Let me get you some tea." said the tall woman as she turned and disappeared through a swinging door into what I presume was the kitchen. Almost instantly Beatrice was up nosing about, looking everywhere. She even checked behind a few pictures hanging on the wall! "What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Figuring out where the stuff is hid dummy." Beatrice shot me a look like I was a child. The sound of china tinkling made her shoot back to her seat beside me.

Mrs. Strickland Richland

  "As you may have guessed my husband is not home, and I'm afraid what you came for is not here either." she poured tea into a cup and looked directly at the both of us. "I, um, well I see that is a bit of a problem as the Professor was really looking forward to seeing the book." I said as I accepted the cup, "when do you expect him?"

"I don't." she said flatly, "He hasn't been home for two days now, and I haven't been able to reach him at the Museum. Perhaps you could locate him for me?" I sat petrified holding the cup to my lip the steam rising up in front of my eyes giving her a strange otherworldly look. Beatrice elbowed me in the ribs and brought me back to reality. "Two days! That seems very unlike him no? Of course I will help you locate your husband, you can count on us!" I couldn't believe I just said that, and neither apparently could Beatrice.

"Of course you will. Now I have an appointment I cannot miss. I expect to hear from you tomorrow about what you discover." Mrs. Richland rose and handed me a card with her name and address on it. She showed us to the door and we walked quickly down the drive back to the Giant awaiting in the car.

Beatrice laid into me about how I was like a moonstruck boy with the Richland woman. Beatrice then convinced the Giant and I  that we only had to wait untill she left for her appointment and then we could sneak back into the house and look for the book which was probably there regardless of what she told us.

We waited about 20 minutes before Mrs. Strickland finally drove off, and we pulled around the back of the house and found the servants entrance. After a few minutes we got the back door open only to discover the entry had been boarded up from the inside!? Unable to get past this the Giant just broke the wood down by punching it in. Beatrice and I made our way into the darkened home and quickly found the study of Mr. Richland just beyond the stairs on the first floor. While Beatrice rummaged around I had an odd feeling about the door under the stairs. It should lead to the basement I thought, but felt compelled to look. Opening the door I saw, something. Something that shouldn't be there yet it was...

The hall that wasn't

The hallway seemed to stretch off further than the house could go, and it seemed to compel me inside. Just as I was about to step in Beatrice grabbed my shoulder! "Hey I need your help in here." she motioned to the study. "Besides there ain't nothin' in there." I looked back to see only a small storage space beneath the stairs before me.

We quickly made our way through the desk and shelves in the study. Though it was filled with many items of interest I just knew none of it was exactly what we were looking for. In the end I found Mr. Richlands date book with a note about seeing "O'malley" dated two days prior and a folder stuffed with papers upon which frantically written notes had been scrawled. A few of the words stood out to me as unusual and worth looking at closer so I took them. We left the house and I convinced my two compatriots that we must go to the Museum Offices of Mr. Richland. The pair agreed as it seemed the only logical place to look for more clues. I sat in the back and looked over the notes from the folder. None of which made any sense, but the words ABOTH, DAOLOTH, AZATHOTH, and EIHORT were used repeatedly throughout. 

By the time we reached the museum, it was closed and we wouldn't be able to get in. However I remembered that one of the younger guards that I had become friendly with during my office duties just might be working tonight. I asked the Giant to park in the alleway round the back and I took Beatrice by the hand as we walked towards the loading bay entrance. 

The single bulb buzzed over our heads like an angry insect in the dark as I knocked on the door three times in quick succession, then twice more. Beatrice began to reach for her lock picks and I told her to wait a moment more. The sound of a bolt being drawn startled us both and the door opened inward. "Hey Eddie, is that you?" the young museum guard peered out at us. "Hi Jimmy!" I said, "Look, I was wondering. Do you think we could come in for a little secret tour?" I pulled Beatrice up so he could see her better.

Jimmy's eyes widened, and he started nodding his head as he winked at me, "Sure Eddie, sure. I'll keep old George busy at the other end for an hour at least." We slid inside as Jimmy shut the door and then let us out into the main foyer. "Don't do nothin' I wouldn't." he said with a grin as he closed the door.

"Jimmy's pretty cute." cracked Beatrice. "Well I introduce you later, right now we have to get to the offices c'mon." We took off at a quick walk through the darkened exhibits and made our way to the stairs for the second floor and the administrative offices. Having spent many months working here I knew exactly where to go.  Moments later after Beatrice picked the lock we were in Mr. Richlands office looking for something that might help us find him and or the Book. Unfortunately it looked as though someone had already been here and was none to discreet about it! "This place has been tossed!" hissed Beatrice, "Somebody was already here."

"How would you know?" I said as I looked around and something glass crunched underfoot!

"Who's there!" commanded a thick scottish accent! Both Beatrice and I froze in place. I knew it wasn't old George the guard, and Mr. Richland didn't have an accent, who was this???

A flashlight blinded us and we held up our hands to ward off the brightness. "What're yoo two doin' skulking aboot in here?" the flashlight lowered and I could make out the shadow of a large man in the doorway. He held what I thought might be a gun in his left hand. "It's uh, me Edward Billingsly Sir. I'm here on an errand for Mrs. Richland."

"Mrs. Richland eh, then you two better come with me." 

Beatrice and I sat across from Professor O'malley. He poured a third shot of bourbon from a bottle he had pulled from his desk, drank it and said,"Mrs Richland eh, I thought you worked for old Carter Edward?"

"I did, I mean i do. Yes, I mean." 

Prof. O'malley Occult Investigator

O'malley produced a second then third glass and poured a drink for both Beatrice and myself. I told him everything that had happened so far, and I mean everything. The Professor listened quite intently when I described Mrs. Richland and what had happened in the house, and he was keenly interested in the notes I had. He then revealed that he was also looking for Mr. Richland or Strickland as he called him since they were friends, and that Prof. Carter had involved me in something which he was clueless about. But the most shocking fact was the Mrs. Richland was NOT Sticklands wife, because you see he has never been married!

"Then who is she?" Beatrice and I asked at the same time.

"That my plucky duo is what we're going to find oot!" O'malley stood up and began tossing items in a carpet bag he produced from under his desk. The notes I had, the bourbon bottle as well a weird looking knife and some other things I wasn't able to make out. 

Suddenly there was a crash of breaking glass! O'malley was spooked and turned off the lights. He whispered to us that we needed to make a break for the stairs and get out before "They" get us!! We began to navigate down the darkened hall when I was overcome with the same sensation I felt at the house when looking at that strange hallway. Somehow I lost both Beatrice and O'malley and seemed to lose track of time! The next thing I know I burst out of the maintenance door only to find myself in the museum foyer surrounded by a group of people wearing strange outfits and chanting! The sun seemed to be intently burning through the glass doors and I was very hot, my head was spinning. The people began to converge upon me as I sank to my knees, I wanted to go to the other place!! NO, no I did not want to but I couldn't help myself!!

I felt myself jerked back from falling and I could barely make out O'malley yelling, "stay with us lad!" There was a stacatto sound pounding out next to me and I saw Beatrice firing a tommy-gun at the robed people a wide cheshire grin upon her face.

The next thing I knew we were in the alleyway behind the museum, and we were running for the car as the Giant started the engine! O'malley in the front seat urging the Giant on as Beatrice leaned out the back firing the tommy-gun!

Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon!