---
layout:          post
title:           "MAG200.17 - Mothership - Part 3"
date:            2021-07-22 11:00:00 -0400
episode_type:      special
tags:            []
voiced:          []
categories:			"tma"
podcasts: ["tma"]
title_prefix:	"MAG"
prev_categories: ["tma"]
prev_prefixes: ["MAG"]
prev_episode:		['20016-mothership-2']
prev_episode_num:		['200.16']
prev_episode_title:		["Mothership - Part 2"]
next_categories: ["tma"]
next_prefixes: ["MAG"]
next_episode:		['20019-outtakes-aneditorsperspective']
next_episode_num:		['200.19']
next_episode_title:		["MAG Outtakes - An Editor's Perspective"]
episode_title:   "Mothership - Part 3"
episode_number:  '200.17'
summary:         'In the finale of our <b>Mothership</b> gaming special, can Android 0170701, Carter and Alabaster Artichoke (The Goodest Boy) survive the nightmares of space?'
content_flags:   ["Tentacles & aliens", "Physical violence & injury", "Bombs & explosions", "Human remains", "Discussions of: guns, panic, thalassophobia, medication & drugs, infection", "Mentions of: death, heart attacks, the void, rot & mould, gore", "SFX: continuous high-pitched beeping & alarms, gunfire & explosions"]
acast_url:       https://play.acast.com/s/themagnusarchives/magmothershipgame-part3
formats:
official:        false
anonymous: ''
anonymous_name: 'Anonymous'
---

##### [THE *MAGNUS* THEME FADES IN]

#### BEN

Hello! And welcome to The Magnus Archives Mothership RPG special, part 3. I am your -- oh, in this game, "Warden" --

##### [EVERYONE OOHS]

#### BEN

-- which is their fun Games Master terminology.

Ben Meredith, I play Elias -- it's the third part of this, you've listened to *The Magnus Archives,* you know what's up! Who's with me?

##### [JONNY & LYDIA CHEER WILDLY]

#### LYDIA

Oh, you meant our actual names.

#### BEN

I was, yeah, no. But also: __Who is with me?!__ Battle cry.

##### [LAUGHTER]

#### JONNY

It's me, Jonny. Hello.

#### LYDIA

I am Lydia, I played Melanie and now I am playing an android. Woo!

#### ALEX

Alex, I play Martin and I am still playing the goodest boy.

#### BEN

Good soft boy.

#### ALEX

Canonically I am!

#### LYDIA

You have a patch! That's what it says.

#### JONNY

According to the patch.

#### BEN

Self-assigned good boy. Doctor Alabaster Artichoke.

#### ALEX

Look, okay. I'm the only one with *written proof* that I am a good person. Okay? So... Just saying.

#### BEN

We shall see.

But yes, when last we left you had just navigated through a sort of floating debris field of warehouse, kind-of-slash-greenhouse? But in going on, got to a field of horrible mould with translucent tendrils. Explored one of the tendrils and it tried to jab 0170701's hand.

#### JONNY

It was like a little squid thing.

#### BEN

It was like a little vantablack squid. Little translucent antennae on top. Probably the kind of thing that might be a bit cute in a different context, but...

#### 0170701

It may be an appropriate time to work under the assumption that these creatures, and/or biological organisms of another kind, are in fact hostile.

#### ALABASTER

_(terrified)_ Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! *Definitely* retreat. Retreat, don't run forward, run backwards. Well, float back--Agh!

#### BEN

If this is a good cultural reference -- or at least, the audience, you could Google it -- these things are like a 10-legged mimic from the video game *Prey.*

#### LYDIA

*Oooooough.*

#### ALEX

Yeah.

#### LYDIA

That's *scary.*

#### BEN

Video games aside, after this thing kind of makes a weird squeal after failing to jab 0170701 in the hand, three more of them float up around you. And they do look like they're swimming in water -- so they're kind of pushing their tendrils about to propel themselves through the pseudo-atmosphere in this room.

#### LYDIA

I prep my gun and aim at one.

#### 0170701

You have a single chance to step down. I consider this behaviour an action of threat.

#### BEN

Okay. Well, I think one of them is going to not heed you and try and make an attack. So can you please make me an Armor save?

#### ALEX

They didn't heed you!

#### LYDIA

What?!

#### BEN

No. And then I'm going to quickly look up who gets to go first, but I feel like this is a good intro to like, The Fight kicking off.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

I'm still rolling like bums. I fail by 31.

#### LYDIA

Combat... yes, I roll under it. Woo!

#### BEN

Delightful. In which case I think with a successful check, it attacks you, and it genuinely just bounces off of your battle dress.

##### [SFX: QUICK BOUNCE]

#### JONNY

I'll be honest, I have been struggling a little bit with this horror scenario, just because it's lunchtime on a *really* lovely day.

#### LYDIA

_(laughing)_ Yes!

#### BEN

_(simultaneously)_ Yes.

#### ALEX

_(parent voice)_ No! You will all *stay inside* and play your games!

#### JONNY

_(pouty kid voice)_ But I want to go to the park and run around!

##### [BEN SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

Stop running around and going out, playing and having fun with your friends! You'll *stay in* and *play games!*

##### [MORE SNICKERING]

#### ALEX

On your computer! For *hours!*

#### JONNY

_(sighs, petulantly:)_ Yes, Father.

#### BEN

So. In who goes first, now the fight has kicked off appropriately, everybody can make me a Speed check. Those of you who succeed get to go before the enemies, those who fail go after.

##### [JONNY MAKES AN INTRIGUED NOISE]

#### BEN

If you have Tactics as a skill, you can add this to your Speed check.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

I fail!

#### BEN

Okay.

#### LYDIA

I succeed.

#### ALEX

Oh, there's *no* chance I'm getting this.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

_(groaning)_ My Speed's 17 and I rolled 19! Augh.

That's a fail.

#### BEN

Okay. 0170701 is acting before the squiddlers -- vanta-squids is what I'm going to call them, why not.

-- So they are apparently branded, because that is a brand name.

##### [LAUGHTER]

#### JONNY

Vanta-Squids, TM.

#### BEN

And then Carter and Alabaster are going afterwards.

#### LYDIA

I'm going to shoot the one that attacked me.

#### BEN

So. You get two significant actions in your turn.

#### LYDIA

Mm!

#### BEN

That's quite loose, but the examples it gives is like -- Attacking! Bandaging a wound! Checking vital sounds! Maneuvering a vehicle! Opening an airlock! You know, that kind of stuff.

#### LYDIA

Yep.

I'm going to shoot the one that attacked me.

#### BEN

Great. So, you make a Combat check and then *it* makes its Armor check.

#### LYDIA

Ooh.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

I rolled under my Combat.

#### BEN

Oh, so you succeed!

#### LYDIA

Mm!

#### BEN

Great!

#### ALEX

Always the turn of surprise.

#### BEN

Yeah, I mean, in these percentile systems, it is a bit of a "Ooh! I actually succeed!"

#### LYDIA

Well, I mean, my Combat's 44, so it's nearly a 50-50 chance.

#### BEN

-- Yeah. Yeah, that's true.

#### LYDIA

You're like, "I regret that."

##### [ALEX SNICKERS]

#### BEN

What weapon do you have?

#### LYDIA

I've got an SMG! Which is, I believe, a gun.

#### BEN

It is. And it does deal 4D10 damage, so please roll me 4D10.

#### LYDIA

Okay!

##### [DICE ROLLS]

That is a total of 14! I managed to get a 1, a 2, and a 3!

#### BEN

_(deadpan)_ Ouch.

#### LYDIA

And an 8, but really that doesn't make up for the rest.

#### BEN

Ah, well. You spray your bullets at this thing, the thing that I'm assuming tried to attack you because it's the closest. Your bullets splatter *into* it, and it almost splatters like paint --

##### [SFX: SEVERAL RAPID SHOTS]

-- but it doesn't disintegrate or explode or do whatever these things do when they die. But it looks... deeply hurt.

#### LYDIA

Aww.

#### BEN

Not emotionally, physically.

##### [LYDIA LAUGHS]

#### ALEX

__I'd__ feel emotionally hurt if you shot me with a gun!

#### JONNY

I'd feel a bit hurt!

#### ALEX

Yeah!

#### LYDIA

Yeah.

#### JONNY

You know?

#### LYDIA

Well, these things don't!

#### ALEX

_(mock-affronted)_ Just trying to give someone a standard spiky hello and then they throw lumps of metal at you. It's nonsense!

#### JONNY

Pretty rude!

#### BEN

Right. It retaliates at you, Lyd, cos now it's the monster's go. There are four of these things, so again I would like an Armor save from you, please.

#### LYDIA

Ohhh, dear.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

Okay. So that's 53 and my Armor is 35.

#### BEN

Okay. So that is a failure, and it, for once, succeeds, so it will deal you 4 damage!

Like, its tendrils start to jab into you --

#### LYDIA

Ough!

#### BEN

-- and just start slicing and tearing as it can. These things aren't huge, which is why it's not doing a massive amount of damage. They're probably the kind of thing where if they *swarmed,* they might be a problem.

#### LYDIA

That... doesn't sound nice.

#### BEN

Yes. Speaking of, Alabaster. You are being faced down by two of these things.

And they are both going to try and strike at you. So I would like two Armor checks from you, please.

#### ALEX

Little did they know--! I... am *weak!*

##### [SNICKERING FROM PLAYERS]

#### ALEX

_(laughing)_ And they will hurt me! So, Armor checks. Alright.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### BEN

Yeah. So the first one succeeds by 8 from me.

#### ALEX

Ooh! I succeed. I rolled a 7, and my Armor's 30.

So I succeeded by 23.

#### BEN

Fine, you rebuff the first attack. And the second one...

#### ALEX

I write them a sternly worded letter saying, "No."

#### BEN

...succeeds by 8 again.

#### ALEX

I miss by... 24. I was *very* lucky once.

#### BEN

That second one does actually manage to hurt you, dealing 4 damage. Both of these things, they push their tendrils together to make a spear -- almost a spearhead -- and propel themselves at you. You manage to dodge one, and the other one slashes you in the side.

#### ALEX

Noooo!

#### BEN

And then, the last one is sort of approaching Carter, and in the melee you've seen them try to stab and slice at people. You're prepared for that. But this one instead *spins,* and you can't quite say, but almost like a cloud of ink?

##### [JONNY GROANS]

#### BEN

It kind of expresses a cloud of pure darkness onto you.

#### JONNY

Argh!

#### ALEX

No, no, this is a good thing! They've been hurt and now they're *expressing* themselves.

##### [BEN SNICKERS]

#### BEN

And I'd like a Fear save from you, please.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

That is... not a success.

#### BEN

Okay.

#### JONNY

It's not a critical, but it is pretty bad. 87 over 35.

#### BEN

Oof. This deals 1D10 Stress at you --

#### ALEX

Ooh-hoo-hoo!

#### BEN

-- because I'm the Warden and I can do what I want.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

You take 7 Stress, as you are --

#### JONNY

*Oh,* my -- oh, goodness.

#### BEN

And the reason this is so horrifying is that you are enveloped by *absolute* darkness. Just completely. Like, it blocks out sight and sound. It imbues you with a sense of utter solitude in a way that is almost *indescribably* terrifying.

#### JONNY

Right!

#### BEN

It is literally otherworldly.

And I think, with 7 Stress in one go, I want you to make a Panic check.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

_(announcing)_ I've Panicked!

##### [ALEX LAUGHS EVILLY]

#### BEN

Okay! Right, there we go. So, what does a teamster do when they panic?

#### JONNY

It just says one per session, a teamster may re-roll a roll on the Panic Effect Table. I think the idea is that a teamster's actually comparatively controlled, cos they're very practical.

#### BEN

Yes. Make me a roll of 2D10.

#### JONNY

That's 17.

#### BEN

17\. You are potentially afflicted by "Crippling Fear: Gain a new permanent phobia. When you encounter this phobia, make a Fear save at disadvantage, or gain 1D10 Stress."

Oh yeah, that is an element of the game that I completely forgot about: advantage and disadvantage. It's like DND 5th. You roll 2D100s and take the best or worst result.

There are two elements here that you can do. So first of all, you have -- Resolve starts at 0, and I'm not giving you any, so that's fine, we're ignoring Resolve for now.

#### JONNY

I'm just straight-up:

#### CARTER

AAAAAAAAAAA!

#### JONNY

Like, full screams. Lotsa screams.

#### BEN

Cool. Your allies, looking over -- this is not just a psychological effect. You can see Carter's legs, in this cloud of pure darkness, flailing about.

#### CARTER

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

##### [LYDIA MAKES A DISCOMFITED NOISE]

#### JONNY

I am now, obviously, scared of the dark.

#### ALEX

Aw, you don't want to be scared of the dark in *space!*

#### LYDIA

Mm.

#### ALEX

Oh, no!

#### JONNY

No, Alex, you're quite right, I don't *want* to be scared of the dark in space.

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### BEN

The Panic effect wasn't "pick your favourite phobia."

##### [OUTBURST OF LAUGHTER]

#### ALEX

Sorry, that tickles me. "You have a new phobia." "I'm afraid of whales!"

#### BEN

...With an H or without?

##### [BEAT]

##### [ANOTHER BURST OF LAUGHTER]

#### ALEX

They're both a good answer!

#### JONNY

I've decided I'm now scared of the sea.

It's a very common phobia! I don't know what you're all... you know.

#### BEN

It is, it is.

##### [ALEX IS STILL SNICKERING]

#### BEN

Thalassophobia. I mean... ooh.

#### LYDIA

You're scared of the dark.

#### JONNY

I'm scared of the dark.

#### BEN

Yeah, I was going to go to a tangent. You're scared of the dark, that's fine. Not having a good time. However. What happens when you resolve the Panic effect?

After you add your current Stress -- oh, *add* your current Stress! No, I'm wrong! Sorry! Cos of the way the game works. What is your current Stress?

#### JONNY

I believe it was 11.

#### BEN

And you rolled 17?

#### JONNY

Yes.

#### BEN

So it's *actually* a 28.

##### [BEAT]

#### JONNY

Oh no.

#### BEN

Oh, *no!*

#### ALEX

Ya die!

#### BEN

_(laughing)_ Okay...

No, but that -- oh, wow. That escalates quickly, I did not expect -- cos 30-plus is, you just have a heart attack and die.

#### ALEX

Oh my god.

##### [CROSSTALK]

#### BEN

So you've got -- you've got 28.

#### JONNY

I've played a lot of *Savage Worlds,* and there's a Fear Table on that, and yeah. Like, it's surprisingly often that you're just like, "Heart attack! You're dead."

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

Oh my *god!*

#### BEN

But you actually got "Descent Into Madness." You get *two* new phobias! Would you like to *also* be scared of the sea?

#### JONNY

Yeah, please!

##### [LAUGHTER]

#### BEN

Okay. And your Stress cannot be relieved below 5 now.

#### JONNY

Great. Grand.

#### ALEX

Feeling real glad I gave you a whole load of meds to deal with this!

#### JONNY

Don't worry, I'm gonna be dosing up with stimpaks very shortly.

#### ALEX

The second we're not in vacuum we're going to be taking *so many* drugs. Oh, no.

#### BEN

I was gonna say, actually, yeah, that's true. You don't lose any Stress. You're still at Stressed, it's not a release valve, it just escalates until it goes wrong.

##### [ALEX CHUCKLES EVILLY]

#### JONNY

Yep!

#### BEN

So absolutely screaming the blue blazes. However, we've dealt with you, so let's go back to Alabaster. What would Alabaster like to do?

#### ALEX

How many of these things are there?

#### BEN

There are four. One of them is severely hurt, and three of them seem fine.

#### ALEX

Are there any loose crates, or loose sides of crates, or anything that could be used as a makeshift shield? Cos I am not good at hurting things.

#### BEN

Yes. Would you like to, in fact, push a piece of debris at these things and hope they get squashed?

#### ALEX

What I was going to suggest is pushing some debris and then try and like, pull us along in its wake, if you see what I mean?

#### BEN

Ohhh! Yeah, okay.

#### ALEX

It's less trying to smoosh 'em and more just like, "Push you away without touching you, please! Go away."

#### JONNY

"Shoo! Shoo! Go away!"

#### ALEX

"Personal space!"

#### BEN

In which case, yes. There is a reasonably-sized container that you reckon, in this low-gravity situation, you could push. So I would like a Body check from you to push it in the direction that you want.

#### ALEX

_(sighs)_ Should have taken the drugs before I had to come in in here, but I was like, "No! *Don't* do that, Alex! That'd be crazy!"

#### BEN

Sorry, not Body, Strength. Cos Body's a save.

#### ALEX

That's even worse! Okay.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### ALEX

Ough! *No.* Not even a little bit, no.

#### BEN

Is it just a flat failure?

#### ALEX

It's just a flat failure, by like, 30.

#### BEN

Yeah, you push this thing --

##### [ALABASTER MAKES NOISES OF STRAIN]

#### BEN

And you do get it to go, but you heave so much it just goes off into a random direction and kind of floats away into the room.

##### [ALEX GROANS]

#### BEN

You do have another significant action available to you.

#### ALEX

I'm going to assume that we're not going to win this fight. How far is it to get *past* these, if you see what I mean? Do I look closer to the opposite end, or do I look like a retreat is more likely?

#### BEN

No. So you are about 75 percent of the way across this large space. So it's much easier -- and like, they're not creating a perimeter.

#### ALEX

Yeah, yeah.

#### BEN

It's the -- you've started to get into this area, and they popped up randomly.

#### ALEX

Does the airlock on the other side of them look smooshed in, or functional? First impressions.

#### BEN

First impressions, it looks okay.

#### ALEX

I am going to try and drag all three of us through them, because if we retreat we're going to suffocate anyway. So I'm just gonna try and just mad-dash us through, because we are attached on a rope.

#### LYDIA

Mm!

#### BEN

Fine. Speed check, I think, cos I've got a feeling that Carter will not be putting up any reasonable resistance right now.

#### JONNY

No.

The thing is, I *was* going to make my action. Is there an escape pod? I want to run towards the escape pod. But now it's very much like, I am stood here, screaming. Cos I'm both terrified of the actual dark, and imagining the sea.

#### BEN

_(not comforting)_ Just imagine the sea.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### ALEX

I picked the right dice here. By which I mean, I don't think I've rolled lower than an 80, almost, or gained *95* on my Speed check.

#### BEN

Okay. You start trying to run. And it is like moving through treacle. In fact, Carter has not disengaged one of his mag-boots, so you're kind of --

##### [JONNY SNICKERS]

##### [ALABASTER MAKES MORE NOISES OF STRAIN]

#### BEN

You're able to do it a little bit, but the mag-boot is scraping along.

#### ALABASTER

_(wheezing)_ Help! Me!

#### BEN

And also... let's say the rope for 0170701 is still slightly slack, but obviously the android will have to go with you as well. I'm not assuming either way, but yeah.

#### ALEX

An excellent, *excellent* turn. I love it.

#### BEN

Okay!

#### JONNY

Oh hang on, these are squids! So yeah, I *am* also scared of the ocean.

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### BEN

Oh yeah, that makes sense! Good shout. But it is actually now Carter's turn. The horrifying ink cloud has dissipated slightly, so it's still quite dark, but the effect of absolute, impossible nothingness has gone past.

#### JONNY

I'm gonna be waving my crowbar around wildly, just -- anything that's nearby, indiscriminate violence.

#### BEN

I think, given the context, that is the thing that inked in your face, so I think make a Combat check against that.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

_(surprised)_ That is 15 under! That's a success.

#### BEN

Oh, excellent! Yep, and this is only 9 under, so also a success but less of a success. So yes, deal your crowbar damage.

#### JONNY

6\.

#### BEN

Okay! This thing gets batted --

##### [SFX: A VERY HIGH-PITCHED, FAINT SCREAM]

#### BEN

And starts floating away.

#### JONNY

I've got another action, right?

#### BEN

Yes.

#### JONNY

And Alabaster's just trying to drag me, right?

#### BEN

Mhm.

#### JONNY

I'm probably going to hit him as well.

#### BEN

Sure.

#### JONNY

Just cos... you know.

#### ALEX

_(mock-bitterly)_ Jonny doesn't like me. Never has.

#### LYDIA

Not waver like a critical failure or anything, just... bang.

#### JONNY

I mean, that's one of the two things that is touching me has been dealt with.

#### LYDIA

No, makes sense! It makes absolute sense.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

It's a 21 over, so I failed quite badly. You should be fine, Alex.

#### BEN

But make an Armor check. Save. Sorry, not a check, a save.

##### [ALEX LAUGHS EVILLY]

#### JONNY

You should be fine!

#### ALEX

I am swapping to *other dice.* Just to prove...

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

I rolled a 9!

#### BEN

Oh, *wow.*

#### LYDIA

Woo!

#### ALEX

So I've got my *bad* dice for when I want to fail, and I've got my good dice over here for when I want to succeed.

##### [BEN SIGHS DRAMATICALLY]

#### BEN

Confirmation bias is a hell of a drug.

##### [ALEX LAUGHS MORE EVILLY]

#### BEN

You successfully manage to dodge out of the way. It's pretty obvious that this is not malicious intent from Carter, it's, like...

#### JONNY

Blind panic.

#### BEN

Well, no! Sorry, I've said that on Carter's behalf. *Is* it malicious, or is it just your plain old freak-out?

#### JONNY

Errrr... so, like, 80-20?

#### BEN

Okay.

#### JONNY

Carter doesn't *like* Alabaster. He probably realises it's Alabaster. He can fully stop the swing, but instead he just doesn't quite... you know.

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

The worst thing that would happen is there's one slightly creepy person removed from the equation, I get it.

#### JONNY

Yeah.

#### BEN

So we are back around to 0170701, who's acting before the enemies. To give you a reasonable lay of the land, the one that Carter has hit with a crowbar is careening off across the room and doesn't appear to be making massive efforts to --

##### [JONNY MAKES FANFARE NOISES: BA-BA-BA-BA BA-BA!]

#### BEN

_(laughs)_ Yeah. To stop itself from going.

The one that retaliated against you, or attempted, is now trying to sort of swim away, for lack of a better word. But the ones that were on Alabaster are still engaged and aggressive.

#### LYDIA

Can I disengage Carter's mag-boot? Is there an obvious button to press?

I could run them out of here.

#### BEN

Oh, I see! Well actually, at this point, I think Carter's mag-boots aren't engaged because of the movement towards Alabaster and, like, the frenzied attempt to bonk --

#### JONNY

Yeah.

#### ALEX

_(dramatic)_ To kill me!

#### LYDIA

Well, then, yes. I am gonna try and run, pulling the rope to quote-unquote "safety"?

##### [SNICKERING]

#### LYDIA

Being security, I have assessed the situation and it is not going well.

#### BEN

So are you almost, like, picking Carter up bodily?

#### LYDIA

Yeah! Let's do that, let's grab him. It's low-gravity, right?

#### BEN

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

#### LYDIA

Yeah. I'm going to grab him by the legs, so he tips backwards and is pulled forward. So his head then comes out of the absolute darkness, is the hope.

#### JONNY

I knew it.

#### BEN

Sure.

#### JONNY

I knew the government had sent this robot to betray us.

#### BEN

That's it.

#### LYDIA

I'm being a hero!

#### JONNY

_(doubtful)_ Mmm...

#### LYDIA

I'm just logically assessing the situation and doing the thing that requires the fewest moves.

#### BEN

So make me a Strength check, but in the spirit of engaging with the systems and good justification with the low gravity, roll with advantage. So that means, roll the D100 twice and choose the best.

#### LYDIA

Ooooh!

#### JONNY

Hooray!

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### LYDIA

But is this -- that's a 75, that's not good. It does not go well.

#### BEN

Okay. So yeah, you're all kind of next to each other. 0170701 has attempted to pick up Carter and is not able to.

#### JONNY

I'm a heavy lad!

#### BEN

So you're all clumped together in a bit of a grapply melee, to be honest. It's a bit of a mess.

#### LYDIA

Really hope that gives disadvantage to anyone trying to attack us.

#### JONNY

I... think probably the other thing.

##### [BEN SNICKERS, LYDIA MAKES DESPAIRING NOISES]

#### BEN

Although, that was *one* move. You have another significant action, so if you want to, you could fire SMG at another squid.

#### LYDIA

I will do that. I will fire me gun.

#### BEN

Okay!

#### LYDIA

It's what I'm here for.

#### ALEX

You sure you don't want to finish what Jonny started, kill my character before we even encounter anything else?

##### [BEN SNORTS]

#### LYDIA

No, but I will shoot the squid that's nearest your head, with the expectation that if I fail critically it may shoot your head.

#### ALEX

_(resigned)_ Understood, yeah.

#### LYDIA

You know, it's cinematic.

#### JONNY

Isn't it fun to deniably try and kill Alex.

#### ALEX

Comes *surprisingly* often!

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### LYDIA

Aw, I didn't. Unfortunately, I rolled a 16, so I succeed.

#### BEN

By?

#### LYDIA

28\.

#### BEN

Oh, wow. I succeeded by 19. Not by 28, though. So yes, roll 4D10, and shoot one of these squids which is threatening the group.

#### LYDIA

Cool.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### LYDIA

Total 29!

#### BEN

It pops.

#### LYDIA

Woo!

#### BEN

You splatter it, and then it just sadly and wetly bursts --

##### [SFX: SEVERAL RAPID-FIRE SHOOTING NOISES, THEN A WET POP]

-- as its, obviously its integrity has been damaged to the point where it can't hold itself together anymore.

#### LYDIA

The horror.

#### BEN

The remaining squid thing that isn't running away or hasn't burst is going to attempt to slash at 0170701, as the greatest threat in the area.

#### LYDIA

That makes sense.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### BEN

And... whiffs it horrifically -- fail by 45.

#### LYDIA

I rolled a 1!

#### BEN

Oh!

#### LYDIA

So, under my Armor, I've succeeded by 34.

Do I succeed so much that I end up, like, I reflect the damage back at it?

##### [ALEX LAUGHS]

#### ALEX

You and I are playing such radically different games right now!

#### LYDIA

I'm competent until I get killed, I think, is how this character in an action-horror plays out, right? Like, _(makes shooting noises)_ Pew! Pew! Pew, pew! And then something happens that means I have to stay behind.

#### ALEX

Yeahhh.

#### JONNY

I was doing fine! Until suddenly, I was doing the exact opposite of doing fine.

#### LYDIA

The darkness of emptiness of being.

##### [BEN LAUGHS]

#### BEN

But no, this thing is not having a good ol' time. It bounces off of you. And we move on to Alabaster's go.

#### ALEX

How many are left?

#### BEN

Er, one. Two are running away, one's been burst.

#### ALEX

How big are they? I don't really have a sense of scale here.

#### BEN

Oh, yes, sorry. They're about the size of a fist. They're not massive.

#### JONNY

Yeah, they're tiny and they're adorable!

#### ALEX

Are there any buckets around the place, or something that looks like I could do a cheeky scoop and, like -- you know the way you capture a spider under a cup?

#### JONNY

_(snickering)_ "Cheeky scoop."

#### BEN

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

#### ALEX

A cheeky low-gravity scoop, using a big ol' bucket for what is ostensibly to me a big spider.

#### LYDIA

Are there any helmets hanging around on the walls?

#### BEN

Not in here, actually, cos it's the warehouse area, so it's not for personnel.

#### LYDIA

Just wanted to set it up to be -- a helmet be put on someone's head for later, you know?

#### BEN

Ohh, let's yes-and it, then!

Yes, there is a consignment of helmets, which has burst open of a shipping container. So it's just a bunch of random helmets. So that is the bucket, in fact, that you find.

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

Can I helmet the problem, then? Can I attempt to helmet the problem?

#### BEN

Yes. I think that's a Speed check, given you're trying to agilely scoop it into the aperture and... get rid of it.

#### ALEX

I love that I keep leaning so hard on my absolute worst skill by an enormous margin.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

Ohhhh! Crit fail.

#### BEN

*Excellent.*

#### JONNY

He said, with a weird joy.

#### ALEX

I like crits. Good crits and bad crits, I like crits. And by the way, by a crit fail, my Speed's 17 and I rolled an 88. So it's a *really* quite horrendous crit fail.

#### BEN

Ah. I know what you do. Okay, so you scoop, and it goes in. You get it in and you're like, "Yes!"

#### ALABASTER

*Yes!*

#### BEN

But then because of the weird gravity, you kind of over-commit to the swing, and end up effectively just throwing it into your own face?

#### ALABASTER

Agh!

##### [ALEX MIMICS A SPLATTERING NOISE]

#### ALABASTER

*Agh!*

#### JONNY

It's exactly that: "I am a genius. _(beat)_ Oh, no!"

##### [LAUGHTER]

#### BEN

Yeah, yeah.

#### LYDIA

Oh my gosh. You got daggers in your face.

#### BEN

Well. No. Worse. Obviously as some sort of fear response, it does the ink at you.

##### [SFX: MORE SPLATTERING NOISES]

#### ALEX

_(laughing)_ Save us from our problems, Lyd.

##### [LYDIA SNICKERS]

#### BEN

But it's like, in your eyes? Cos I don't want to utterly misery Jonny and probably give his character a heart attack immediately by doing that again.

We'll have some consequences, not some "just death" right now. So yeah, it's like a channel of darkness which is sprayed into your own face.

#### ALEX

It's fine! It's really easy, right. I scoop with the helmet, over-gauge it, and I do manage to pin it, *to my faceplate.*

#### BEN

Er --

#### ALEX

Bear with me. And then you can Panic me all you want and I can let go and it's back out! Job done!

##### [JONNY SNICKERS]

#### BEN

Sure, yes. This is working in an instant, but you gain yourself... oh no, make me a Fear save.

#### ALEX

_(quietly, petulantly)_ I don't *want* to.

##### [LYDIA SNORTS]

##### [DICE ROLLS]

##### [ALEX GROANS]

#### ALEX

Aw... failed by about 40.

#### JONNY

The way you said that, it sounded like you'd only just failed.

##### [BEN SNICKERS]

#### ALEX

I missed me numbers, so I got me numbers backwards. I thought I got a 7, but I didn't, I got a *70.*

#### BEN

Nice. You gain yourself a cool 7 Stress.

##### [ALEX LAUGHS IN PAIN]

#### BEN

And make me a Panic check, as you are also consumed by just the unending terror of the void.

##### [SOME MORE PAINED CHUCKLES FROM ALEX]

#### ALEX

Okay...

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### ALEX

Oooh! I rolled *14,* with 12 Stress.

#### BEN

You go down to 11 Stress then, because you've specifically passed that Panic check.

And yeah, there is a moment of -- you get that thing where it feels like all your internal organs are trying to force themsleves out of your mouth, and you manage to fight that feeling back down and just... Cos you do the thing of, Carter didn't have a moment, but you just wait an actual second and the effect fades lightly. It's now just very dark.

#### ALEX

Well, if nothing else, the fascination of a new and unexplored lifeform does help counteract things just a little bit.

#### BEN

Yeah, sure, if that's how you want to deal with it.

#### ALEX

_(laughing)_ Oh, I can post-rationalise *anything* you throw me. Don't worry about that.

#### BEN

Hey, Carter! It's your go.

#### JONNY

I'd like to take some drugs and run for an escape pod.

#### BEN

Perfect! Yeah, sure thing.

#### JONNY

I'm in a vaccsuit, so I will probably be stabbing the needle through the vaccsuit.

#### BEN

Yep, fine.

#### ALEX

I gave you two automeds, two pain pills, and two stimpaks.

#### JONNY

I'm gonna be sticking me with a stimpak.

##### [SFX: SUDDEN NEEDLE STAB, A BURST OF AIR FROM THE VACCSUIT]

*Are* there escape pods, Ben?

#### BEN

Actually, I would like an Intellect: Engineering check, actually, from you. Or Mechanical Repair?

#### JONNY

Okay, cool. If it's Engineering, I get plus 15, if it's Mechanical Repair I get plus 10.

#### BEN

Let's say Engineering. Basically, you've seen enough of the Hilltop to try and guess at the pattern of this ship. Cos you don't have escape pods on your freighter, but the Hilltop might.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

Ohhhh, okay -- well, 39 and a 40, so I succeed by 1.

#### BEN

Excellent. Yes, you are pretty sure that this is a _(inaudible; "theta"?)_ pattern, which do include escape pods in the rec area, which is just behind the cockpit. Which means you're heading towards -- like, your engines are assumedly its cockpit. So if there are escape pods, they'll be that way.

#### JONNY

Brilliant! Well, I'm drugged up and ready to sprint.

#### BEN

Cool. What does the stimpak do?

#### LYDIA

Ooh, I've got it open, in fact.

#### BEN

Oh, perfect. What does a stimpak do?

#### LYDIA

It grants an immediate 2D10 to Health and temporarily increases Strength and Combat by 2D10 each for 1D10 hours.

#### BEN

Okay!

#### ALEX

And I apologize, by the way, 0170701, because I *assumed* these things don't work on androids, but I could be wrong.

#### LYDIA

I think they do, cos I've got a pack of six. It doesn't say it doesn't work on androids.

#### BEN

If it doesn't say it doesn't work, then it's all good.

#### ALEX

Oh! Great.

#### BEN

Roll me 2D10, Jonny.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

Yes, that was an 11.

#### BEN

Good, so get plus 11 to your Strength and Combat.

#### JONNY

Yeahhh!

#### BEN

D10 hours is irrelevant by the time scale of this adventure.

#### LYDIA

_(snorts)_ We will be dead by then.

#### BEN

_(laughing, quietly:)_ Yeah.

Okay, cool. In that case, make me a Strength check to just book it. And effectively in your panic, you're attempting to just take the people with you, because you're tied to them.

#### ALEX

I was gonna say, I love the idea of us just flailing like a comet tail behind!

#### LYDIA

He's not *trying* to help, but we are tied to him.

##### [ALEX CACKLES]

#### JONNY

That is 30 under 61.

#### BEN

You just *go.* And to a certain extent, I don't actually know how much the others are resisting?

#### ALEX

_(laughing)_ I don't think I *can!*

#### BEN

Resistance is futile.

#### LYDIA

I'm not going to, but I would like to be shooting as I go. I wanna get to my turn and we're still moving.

#### BEN

Sure. You pull everyone and yourself just straight through, like through this mould. You're kicking up clouds of it. Unfortunately, the things which were the fronds have already revealed themselves to be upsetting and you've been dealing with them.

So you're just kicking your way through. You kick something soft --

##### [SFX: SOFT, BOUNCING-OFF KICK]

#### JONNY

Eugh.

#### BEN

-- which you're just not paying any attention to...

#### JONNY

Yeah, don't care. Don't care.

#### BEN

You just go straight through it. And you end up at the airlock, which you're now -- airlock *door,* which you're now heaving at in a panic.

That is your turn, which means that Alabaster's gone, Carter's gone... it is now 0170701's go. The only remaining enemy is stuck to Alabaster's helmet.

#### ALEX

Shoot it! Shoot it with ya gun!

#### LYDIA

I... will... Wait, is it in his helmet that's attached to you? Could I grab it and throw it?

#### ALEX

So, I'm pinning it to my head cos better pinned to my head then floating free. That's the situation. It's pinned to my face.

#### BEN

So you can kind of see this thing scrabbling around inside through the helmet visor.

#### ALEX

I'm banking on *my* helmet and *the* helmet doing *something.*

#### LYDIA

Well, I think that's foolish, so I'm going to grab the helmet and throw the thing back into... as we move past. So it's back in the... what was it, life support? No, it was the cargo...

#### BEN

Yeah, you're in the warehouse area.

#### LYDIA

The warehouse area.

#### BEN

The cargo area. Is Alabaster resisting this, if you feel 0170701 trying to pull the helmet away from you?

#### ALEX

Nah, probably not.

#### BEN

Okay, fine, yep. So just make me a Body check, Lyd, to just chuck it.

#### LYDIA

Cool. Would Military Training or Athletics add to that...?

#### BEN

I'd say Athletics does.

#### LYDIA

I've just remembered I have skills.

##### [SNICKERING]

#### LYDIA

Might as well use them... trying for competence...

##### [DICE ROLLS]

Ooh! I rolled a 9. You wanted Strength, right?

#### BEN

Yes. If you rolled a 9, it's a big pass, I think, regardless of your number.

You grab this thing. You keep it in a scooping pattern, and you basically do what Alabaster was trying to do initially and just *throw* the helmet as hard as you can, with the thing still inside it, now just away from you.

#### LYDIA

If we are being pulled along by Carter, can I use my second action to throw a frag grenade into that space, as we are pulled out?

#### BEN

Of *course* you can.

#### LYDIA

Grand. I would like to do that.

#### BEN

Sure!

#### LYDIA

I don't know how I do that.

#### BEN

So that is a Combat check, Lyd.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### LYDIA

Ooh, okay, 28, and that is under my 44. Yes.

Oh my gosh, the competence! It is so worrying, because it suggests things are going bad.

#### JONNY

How are you this competent without drugs?

##### [OUTBURST OF LAUGHTER]

#### LYDIA

I'm doing the things I am trained for.

#### ALEX

Don't do that!

#### LYDIA

And equipped to do.

#### BEN

What is your specific intent with this frag grenade?

#### LYDIA

I want to blow up the scary things! I do not want them to follow us. So as we go out the airlock, I would like -- or we are a distance away. I think a frag grenade has... I cannot remember the radius, but I looked it up and it *has* a radius.

#### BEN

Yeah, it does. It's fine.

#### LYDIA

I want them to be pulp! I do not want to have the enemy behind me. I have military training, I'll have you know.

#### BEN

So the one that got crowbarred has just disappeared into the distance, into the darkness, even. But you can see the helmet and the one you shot initially are kind of close-ish. You aim your grenade, throw it expertly, and it detonates just between the both of them and they're both consumed by --

##### [SFX: EXPLOSION]

-- well, not a fireball, but a cloud of shrapnel, effectively.

#### LYDIA

_(evilly)_ Yeeeees.

#### BEN

And you can see, like, the helmet is shredded and the one that was not in the helmet is, it just disintegrates. It was a very good throw, and effectively done.

#### LYDIA

Turn around and I say...

#### 0170701

Acceptable.

##### [SNICKERING]

#### BEN

I'm going to say we're out of combat now. The situation is: grenade's just been thrown, Alabaster's kind of back to being okay -- doesn't have darkness stuck on his face.

#### ALEX

I mean, I have a torn suit, presumably, cos I got spiked.

#### BEN

Yeees, but we're not in a hard vacuum, so you're okay for now. And Carter is scrabbling at this door, trying to get the damn thing open.

#### CARTER

Open open open open open. It's gonna get open, it's gonna open and we will leave.

#### BEN

You slam the button. It doesn't work -- it starts to open and then you just start kicking at the small gap and just force this door open.

Inside you can see a more familiar hydroponics area that you know, that is, again, absolutely destroyed, but there are enough plants that it seems intact. Not that this is your concern anymore.

And then, up and to the right, at a really, really unhelpful angle, you can see a hatch with "escape pod" written on it. It looks like this thing hasn't fired, and you are in luck. There is an escape pod on the Hilltop.

#### LYDIA

I will assist you.

#### JONNY

Just trying to wrench it open, not really... Engineering and Procedural Training largely forgotten in favor of Fear and Drug-Fueled Panic!

#### BEN

Fair enough! Given we're out of combat. Are you all working together to get yourself into that escape pod?

#### ALEX

I'm... not.

#### LYDIA

Ooh!

#### JONNY

Oh my god, Alex!

#### ALEX

Well, you two have it covered.

#### LYDIA

You were an agent of badness all along!

#### ALEX

I am going to... be -- did you say we're in *our* hydroponics, yeah?

#### BEN

Yes.

#### ALEX

I'd like to be using my med-scanner and my cybernetic diagnostics scanner to basically find out if we're all infected with something and shouldn't be *allowed* to escape.

#### BEN

Okay! Make me an Intellect check while you're doing that. I imagine you're trying to be reasonably subtle about this?

#### ALEX

I don't think I need to be too subtle with Carter. I am being subtle around -- _(laughing)_ Captain Competent over here.

#### BEN

Make that roll, keep it in the background for now.

#### LYDIA

Only competent at shoot.

#### ALEX

That's the bit that scares me!

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### BEN

Is 0170701 assisting Carter in getting to the escape pod?

#### LYDIA

Yes. My job is to make sure that the biologics escape.

#### ALEX

I am hot garbage! I am just incompetent. I fail by like, 20.

#### BEN

Inconclusive. Without a lab and some proper time, you're just going to be unable to do this. Because any infection will be very subtle, you can't just widdly-weep them and it'll be like, "Bad! There's badness!"

#### ALEX

Yeah, okay.

#### JONNY

Sorry, you can't just *what?*

##### [ALEX LAUGHS]

#### BEN

Widdly-weep!

#### ALEX

_(monotonous beeping)_ Widdly-weep! Widdly-weep!

#### BEN

Sorry, it's a reference to like, the *Star Trek* widdly-weep machine that Spock has, which is just like, it does everything. It just -- he just widdly-weeps it and it's like, "Oh!"

#### JONNY

Ohhhh.

#### ALEX

Your *tricorder.* Your widdly-weep.

#### BEN

Yes.

0170701 is assisting Carter in getting to the escape pod, yeah?

#### LYDIA

Mhm.

#### BEN

Great! With Zero's help, you are able to clamber into the escape pod. As you open it, you take an additional 2 Stress... as a corpse falls out of it.

#### CARTER

Agh!

#### LYDIA

Oh *dear.*

#### JONNY

I'm going to stamp on it a few times.

##### [SFX: STAMPING NOISES]

#### BEN

Sure. You drop down and land on this thing, to try and make sure that it's proper dead.

#### ALEX

Aw, stamping with mag-boots, that's got to be bad.

#### BEN

Yeah, and this thing is in the same situation as you found the one in your crew quarters. So it splatters --

##### [SFX: *WET* STAMPING NOISE]

And I think that is going to be cause for a couple of Stress for both Alabaster and 0170701. And a Panic check from everybody.

##### [DICE ROLLS]

#### JONNY

Ha *ha!* Haaa. 17. I've done it. I've done it!

#### BEN

_(laughing)_ You've done it.

#### JONNY

I've done it!

#### ALEX

18! Did it.

#### LYDIA

19.

#### ALEX

We're! *So!* *Good* at weird things!

#### BEN

Incredible.

#### LYDIA

I'm *really sorry,* Ben, it turns out we are fine.

#### JONNY

Well the thing is, this is neither "squid" nor "dark." So I don't care.

#### BEN

That is true.

#### LYDIA

No one's calling me a biohazard, so I do not feel personally attacked.

#### ALEX

And none of this scenario has involved me giving a lecture wearing only my underpants, so I'm in the clear as well.

##### [SNICKERING]

#### BEN

There you go. Now remember, everybody reduce your Stress by 1 for successfully passing a Panic check.

And yeah, this corpse has been turned into a paste, effectively. It was very, very decomposed. But it looks like somebody tried to escape, and unfortunately died before they were able to hit the go button, effectively.

Looking up into the escape hatch, it looks intact! It looks fine. It doesn't look like it's been compromised.

#### JONNY

And I go.

#### BEN

Yep, you're clambering up again.

#### 0170701

Mr Carter, you should allow me to assess the situation to determine what killed the former biologic.

#### CARTER

Get in here, get in here, get in here, get in here. We're leaving.

#### 0170701

Doctor Artichoke?

#### ALEX

Is there enough space for more than one person, for a start?

#### BEN

This is a crew-based thing. Like, this is big enough. It's effectively a lifeboat, right.

#### ALABASTER

_(groans)_ This is a terrible plan!

#### ALEX

Alabaster goes inside.

#### BEN

Sure.

#### ALABASTER

It's *clearly infected* and we're going down onto the planet with *no* -- argh!

##### [ALABASTER LETS OUT A VERY DISTRESSED WHINE]

#### ALEX

That's my character contribution.

#### BEN

Okay! So you reluctantly clamber in.

#### ALEX

I don't have a better suggestion.

#### LYDIA

I *suppose,* if there's room and I'm not going to be a drain on resources, 0170701 will also climb in and lock the door behind them.

#### BEN

Great! You lock the door. You hit the escape button. Obviously this thing kind of programs itself, and yes, it fires out of the ship and starts its descent towards the undesignated planet.

The way these things work is, it's got an oxygenator on it and enough food to last you for a little while. And it will send out a beacon, where a corporate reclamation team will turn up to try and get you and its assets out.

#### ALEX

I mean, if it's profitable.

#### LYDIA

Supposedly.

#### BEN

Yes, assuming it's profitable.

And yeah, as you look back towards the ship, you can see the both of them sort of overlaid on each other. They were roughly the same size, with the Hilltop being a slightly bigger class than yours...

But its cockpit is *entirely* smothered with this massive growth of, sort of black mould, effectively. Very lucky you didn't try and find navigation or anything like that, cos assumedly it would've been a __bad idea.__

#### ALABASTER

*That...* is a __very__ bad munge.

#### LYDIA

_(laughing)_ I feel so bad for Ben trying to grit his horror setup! Ahhhh!

#### ALEX

He introduced the word; all *I* did is explain that it's a Multiverse Unification Non-causal Generic Event!

#### LYDIA

All you've done is moved it in-universe, yes.

#### BEN

Yes. Yes. With an absolutely *torturous* backronym, which I respect.

##### [ALEX CHUCKLES EVILLY]

#### LYDIA

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

#### BEN

So that is the situation you're in! Your ships are gone, you have no idea about this undesignated planet -- it's undesignated because there is no information on it. And all you can do is hope that the beacon will bring a reclamation team before you starve.

#### JONNY

Is this gonna be the, like, between *Aliens* and *Alien 3* where you just kill two of us in the crash, before the next adventure? Just be like --

#### BEN

*Yes.*

#### JONNY

"Oh, in case you were wondering, Carter and Zero just died in the crash."

#### ALEX

No, you're kidding me! Me, the fleshy meat sacks? We just get bounced around and then the android walks out.

#### BEN

I was also going to say unfortunately, I think Carter has to die, because we can't have two Pete Postlethwaites in that film.

#### JONNY

Ahhh, yeah.

#### ALEX

I do need to ask one question, though: Is Carter covered in living stuff, or just generic gunk?

Just cos that lets me know the *scale* of just how awful this descent's gonna be.

#### BEN

Oh, on his boots?

#### ALEX

Yeah.

#### BEN

His boots are entirely coated with this kind of black mould. In fact, all of your legs are, from wading through that drift.

#### ALEX

_(laughing hysterically)_ Oh, we're gonna die! We're gonna die.

#### JONNY

He is still, like, many hours of combat drugs away from a comedown.

#### ALEX

He's a *combat-enhanced,* infected, and panicked beefcake engineer! In a tight space! Oh, *god.*

#### JONNY

It's fine. That is outside the realm of the adventure. We've succeeded, Alex. We have survived the adventure. It's a happy ending.

#### BEN

Yep!

#### LYDIA

Happily ever after, I'd say!

#### ALEX

You're the bad guy in the next film, Jonny!

#### JONNY

It's a happy ending.

#### BEN

Well done! You have got pretty much the best outcome that I would have allowed! So, you know, congratulations, everybody. Good job.

##### [LAUGHTER]

#### ALEX

Ohhhh, god.

#### LYDIA

_(simultaneously)_ Woo!

#### ALEX

Ohhh, this is so *bad!* _(cackles)_

#### LYDIA

In many ways, it's *more* grim.

##### [BEN SNICKERS]

#### JONNY

So what was the deal with the fungus and the munging? The mungus.

#### BEN

I just basically nicked *Event Horizon* and made it mouldy. Like, the Hilltop somehow slipped into --

#### JONNY

Oh, Mould-Hell?

#### BEN

Yeah, it slipped into Mould-Hell. Yeah, it basically -- it's *Event Horizon* by way of *Resident Evil 7.*

##### [JONNY LAUGHS]

#### ALEX

Weirdly enough, that gels quite nicely.

#### LYDIA

Yeah, yeah yeah.

#### BEN

Yeah.

It was just the thing of like, "Unexplained event, some broad horrors"... I *was* gonna hit you with a zombified crew member.

#### JONNY

Adorable little squids!

#### LYDIA

That we took too long sorting ourselves out.

#### BEN

Well, I was going to hit you with a squid Ratatouille?

#### JONNY

Ahhhh. That would've been fun.

#### BEN

If you'd dealt with it, like, it would've been sat on its head --

#### JONNY

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

#### BEN

Glomblin' about.

#### LYDIA

Awww. Like *Limbo!*

#### BEN

Time makes fools of us all.

#### ALEX

So as we descend to a planet, then, *literally* sealed into a can of whoop-ass...

#### BEN

_(laughs)_ Yeah.

#### JONNY

Hold on. So the planet's actually fine. It's nothing to do with the planet.

#### BEN

The planet is literally just another thing. Potentially a place for a second adventure. Who knows!

#### ALEX

You're the point of infection, Jonny. You are the problem!

#### LYDIA

Running through the caves, away from the drugged-up infection vector.

#### BEN

Yeah.

#### JONNY

It's. All. *Fine.* The adventure is over.

#### LYDIA

_(as 0170701)_ I *will* keep you alive, Doctor Artichoke, whether you like it... _(ominously)_ or not.

##### [ALEX STARTS CACKLING]

#### BEN

Oooooh.

#### ALEX

_(delighted)_ That's a *great,* in horror, fighting line!

#### BEN

I think on that note, we're going to have to just probably finish.

#### ALEX

Oh, thank you so much for that, Ben. And what a line! God.

#### JONNY

That was a lot of fun, mate, thank you.

#### LYDIA

Yes. Spooky!

#### BEN

Yeah, solid system as well. Cannot remind it enough. Oh, just to remind everybody: This is *Mothership* RPG, by Tuesday Knight -- that's with a K -- Tuesday Knight Games.

Yeah, it's good stuff. It's pay-what-you-want on Drive Thru RPG, and then you can buy additional modules for a fixed price. I haven't looked at them, but given the quality of the base books, they're probably a lot of fun.

#### LYDIA

This is cool, like, yeah. I want to play this again.

#### BEN

Anyway! We'll catch you all later. Goodbye.

#### ALEX

Bye, all!

#### LYDIA

Bye!

#### JONNY

Byeeeee!

##### [THE *MAGNUS* THEME FADES IN]

#### ALEX

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