CAST OF PLAYERS:

Debora Silkotch…………..Casey Gavin…………………………Human Psionic
Jera Morrison…………….Alseyne Aulaudin……………………Sidhe Changeling
Jeremy Whitener………….Korin Alabaster………………………Were Mongoose
Rob Bennett……………..General Branford Stonewing………..Troll Changeling
Kendall Nye………………Joseph McAdoo……………………..Ronin Garou
Mia Schubert……………….Marlboro…………………………….Satyr Changeling
Aron Head……………….Story/Setting/Everything Else…….Game Master

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Alseyne turned to a nearby Nocker among the freed prisoners. “Your kith is usually quite good with devices. Can you think of anything we can try that may allow us to stop this thing from firing without having it blow up and take all of us with it?”

The burly Nocker was wearing a blue workman’s shirt with a Grimm Motors patch on it, covered with blood and gore today instead of engine grease. “Sure. I can take a look at it.” He moved to the rail, studying the Machine.

Casey took a closer look at the cannons.  “I might be able to just fold them over.  Crimp them shut.”

Alseyne nodded. “We can do that if we can’t find another option, but doing so is likely to set up a breechback and I’d prefer not to be standing at Ground Zero for that.” She indicated their current position at the base of the cannons. “That’s why I’d prefer to bleed off the power if we can figure out how.” She stopped a second and thought. “Casey, if you could draw from us … could you draw power directly from the Machine? I mean … maybe you could act as the conduit we need if you can actually use the power in some way. Maybe channel it into the earth. Have you tried using the power at all?”

Marlboro piped in, “Ummm … y’all were talkin’ ’bout that there Well an puttin’ all of the stolen power that’s in that cannon into it. What if you close the circuit like Alseyne said with Casey pullin’ and then shoving’ it back into that Well? Sounds like the best way to get back for happy hour, if you know what I mean.”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Elijah nodded.

“That thing runs on glamour,” Casey pointed out.  “It wasn’t your glamour I was drawing from you just now, it was your will.  Glamour is … well, toxic is a pretty good word.  Toxic to my system.”  She considered.  “I can draw it though.  Maybe I could draw it out and disperse it without actually absorbing any of it.”

Korin wandered into the huddle, freshly healed from his many battle wounds. “What did I miss? Are we still deciding on what to do with that?” He pointed at the machine.

“We could try it,” Casey decided.  She turned to McAdoo.  “You good with that?”

” I know perfect place. World called Scarr. ” The garou gestured to her to come closer. “Or we could see if it opens enough to take all the cannons … hell…” an idea flashed. ” We MIGHT try sending the whole machine through the Well.”

Casey lifted an eyebrow.  “I was just going to try to drain the glamour out into it.  But if you know how to open that thing wide enough to swallow the whole ….”  She hesitated.  “I don’t know.  It seems kind of wrong, sending our problem to someone else’s world.”

McAdoo stood up suddenly, looking oddly resolute as he … opened his fly? “Forgive me, Bran, this is the only thing I can think of. ” He sent a steady stream arcing onto the General’s flaming head. The fire crackled and flared. “Woooph” McAdoo bore down, trying to get some force into it.

The General coughed and spat. Yet the flames remained.

“What in the name of the Mists are you doing?” Alseyne cried out when she saw what Mac was doing. “You can’t get rid of magical flame that way!”

Marlboro mumbled, “It mighta worked. Haven’t y’all heard of the line ‘someone thought of it and someone believed it. Look what it’s done so far’…” He added to Mac, “At least you were tryin’ instead of just standin’.”

Alseyne turned to Casey, “I take it you’ve tried to put Stonewing out already? Did you try using the amulet to put it out? Because you were glowing with green flame just like him when you were using it before.”

Casey nodded.  “Soon as the Machine’s been been shut down I’ll give him my very best effort.  First things first though.”

Alseyne accepted that, turning back to McAdoo. “If you and Casey can work out pushing the energy into the well, or if Casey can ground it out in the walls, we should try that first.”

The Nocker at the rail offered, “These linkages here…” He gestured to an area below the cannons. “…They appear to be less armored than the rest of it.”

Pip stepped over. “What do you recommend?”

“It’s a large assembly,” the mechanic explained, “But not so reinforced as the machine below or the cannons above. There are couplings, there and there … and my guess is there are at least two more on the other side. If we can queer the plumbing, the cannons will be offline.”

“Got a big wrench? Or.. ” McAdoo looked down at his gauntleted hand.

“What happens,” Pip asked, “once the linkages are breached?”

The Nocker looked hard at the Machine, “Just a guess … but I’m thinkin’ overload.”

Marlboro raised his hand. “Ummm … isn’t that just as bad as an explosion? I mean for those we have just went to all the trouble of saving that is. Would hate to lose them now.”

“I said, I think I can get us out of here,” the werewolf growled.

Marlboro threw his hands up. “DALI! Where the heck are ya!”

Bran pushed himself to his feet, burning and all. “Point me in the direction o’ me weapon an’ these links.” He sounded resolved, but the voice was small, much like the General himself — now some three feet in height.

Casey shifted restlessly.  “Do you want me to try draining the Machine’s glamour into the Well, while they’re working with the linkages?”

Marlboro clapped his hands, “Now there’s a plan of action! We’ll all be back in time for dollar longnecks!”

Elijah nodded. “A longneck sounds mighty fine,” The vampire smiled.

Marlboro winked. “Redheaded or Brunette?”

“Why not both?” Elijah grinned from ear-to-ear.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, because I’m in unknown waters here,” McAdoo said. “How do you imagine trying? Blasting power into it while I hold it open, if I can hold it open to where ever the power is supposed to go?”

The Machine groaned, popping and clanking.

The Mechanic looked to Pip, “Not much time now.”

The large satyr waved a hand. “Don’t worry so much ’bout the details Mac. Wells are great for throwin’ things in … rocks, pennies, bodies …. ”

Casey nodded agreement with the Satyr.  “I was picturing holding the Well myself, creating a closed circuit between it and the Machine.”

“See! Now all we need is a bit o’ faith. Come on … y’all heard of the power of positive thinking.'” Marlboro winked at Casey.

“So … Believer,” McAdoo addressed the Satyr, “You want to do what?”

“Have a beer or two, do a bit of womanizing and eat my weight in barbecue, but at the moment I say give the woman the Well and let’s get movin’!” Marlboro replied. He looked to the others. “I may not like this or the way y’all do things … but I believe in you. Believe in this and it will work … just believe.”

Elijah rolled his eyes. “Don’t we need to clap or hold hands or something?”

McAdoo snorted in amusement.

“Just for that comment, I’ll make sure that she’s a lactose intolerant, anemic, vegetarian…” Marlboro shot back at the vamp.

McAdoo pointed to a nearby bridge, retracted vertically; when released by hand crank it extended towards the Machine. “You’ll have to use that to get to those couplings. What are you going to use to break them?”