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S2E61 - Abbot's Ace

Mar 06, 202438 minSeason 2Ep. 61
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Episode description

S2E61 - Abbot's Ace

It's time for Abbot to give the crew a download on what's going on, and what they can do next. Abbot certainly isn't what they expected, it's surprising they've stayed here for this long. Abbot's been pushing back at frog for months, they must have an ace up their sleeve to survive this long. Afterall, Frog is waiting deeper below.

Can they trust Abbot?

Why is there a pool down here?

Is Frog, a giant frog?

Only the dice will tell.

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Transcript

Last time on No. Latency best we blow this place to hell. Huh. I just hope they get to tell each other that they loved each other. At least they're together again. None of this can get out. There's drones in there. Damaged drones? Suppressing fire. Nice Iona. Sing it a song. With my 64 Impala. It was really good. That's. Pretty good open sesame. That's all I see. Wow, that's never actually worked for me well. How am I supposed to know that?

Well, your song probably Hell. Oh, I've made money. What is the point of having a code if it doesn't work on every single door? So many drones, I can't see a door. Are you seeing what I'm seeing through this window? Bowling Howdy, because I've got a lot of pod people out there. Wait, what? Come, Come. Come. Look. They're monologuing. This is going to be good. They call me retro, not sleeper. What's up? They're not talking to you.

Oh. Doctor Abbott is suspended in a slightly different pod, connected with way more wires to a bunch of machines around them, And inside the pod you see that they are just a torso and a head. They have no arms and no legs, and they're floating serenely in the liquid. Whenever they talk, their eyes glow, but their mouth does not move because it's covered with a a piece a. Piece of what? Like a rebreather. Oh. I have. Never seen anything like this.

Has. Am I able to like once again from my medical expertise, like figure out what is happening with Doctor Abbott? Essentially, I'm going to use my medical expertise to try to figure out what's going on with Doctor. I want to roll to see what the fuck's going on. Essentially, yes. We roll 21. Doctor Abbott is hooked up by a lot of cables coming out of the back of their head. Like, a lot. And they're connected through the ground, through other wires that head to a room to the West,

and to each of these pods. And there are a bunch of pods in here. There are 22 pods in total and ten of them are dark. Everybody sidebar, sidebar, Everyone come in real quick sidebar, sidebar. Please formally call commissioner at sidebar. History and experience so far, I feel dictates that. We should blow this place up and not really worry about anything else. I mean, for sure that's on the agenda. I'm just saying figure surrounded by others floating in technology tube usually screams

bad. We might, we might want to run away. I think so. Sasha died and said that they saw a horrible thing, which was probably this and. You know what else? They say it. They say it, just blow it up, don't even worry about it. So I'm inclined to. Think that. OK, but we have to get the, the, the suit right. We have to get the thing for. Domino. For Domino Sleeper. I am not here to hurt you. Can everyone hear that? Yes, why? Does it get sleeper?

Go ahead and just I say fuck right off and let's blow this bitch. Let's. Not piss them off. What? What do you want? I'm Doctor Abbott. I know who you are. Yes, the real question is, do you know who you are? Oh God. What? This is getting deep. I have a suspicion. That's a sleeper. I'm aware. Oh, they're aware, and I own as a sleeper. OK, there's two. Sides of the coin. I mean, I was hoping to get a nap in, but what's this about sleeping? What does the sleeper mean? What do?

What do they do? What's their role? The Sleeper is part of a biotechnical project for Memento jobs and of course the main arbiter and Proctor of the Custodian project. Mommy. Indeed. I don't understand though. So they're the but you didn't create this Iona. You're not I I don't. I don't quite know either it's. Did did Biotechnica make Iona like the start of this or so I don't. The Custodian project takes care of the maintenance of facilities like this.

Now that the Custodian is out of the picture control to the CADS and two very small number of the drums has been transferred to me. I'm not following someone want to. Can someone put this into plain English for me? Are you going to let us run the CAD system? Absolutely, but I can't do anything until we get rid of the frog. And where is frog? I have managed to keep Frog in the frog lab. Now that I'm not dealing with the custodian, I can fully keep them locked down.

Oh, well, if you got them locked down, then all right, we can just go. There, right. Take care of them then, yeah. Can we just go in there, take care of frog and then do the CAD thing? My ability to keep him subdued is strenuous, and every time he pushes against me I have to consume one of my scientists. OK, you've consumed 10 so far. Yes, and died three times. Oh my gosh. What's What's so bad about this frog man? He's an AI.

Uh huh. And you're just to be clear, you're not an AI. No, I am somewhat humid. You are. You are. You are an AI? No. I'm human. Mostly at this point. Indeed, Frog thought he had me, but I had an ace up my sleeve. Oh, what? What's? What's frog I won't liar like? What's What's this frog's desire? The technology I developed to integrate flesh with a cerebral with no latency that was accidental. Have you been to the bar? I'm. Aware of its existence.

I wish you could have seen it. It would have been nice. I can see that it's happening. Is there anything we should know before we go well? I'm here to answer anything you want. Frog and I are at a stalemate. I can hold him back for a little while, but when I run out of scientists, he'll overtake the whole facility. And we don't want that. Why? Because then he'll actually get out. Oh, no, but we're going to blow it up, you see. Yes, but if I need control, he'll get control.

We need Abbott and we need to blow up the station. Oh. Shit. We. Do you do you mind dying in the process? Is is that all right with you? I've already. Died. Three times. Because we could just, you could just tell us how to do it and then we'll just kind of you know. Frog didn't think I had that little trick again up my sleeve. We'll deal with Frog and when we come back we should get some answers.

I should get some answers. Yes, I won't be able to leave the this facility as just a torso. Well, we could get you a hand. I have a head already, cowboy. Are you fucking? Blind. I thought you said you weren't, you weren't going to be able to go out with with just a torso. And I say, well, we can get you a hand. I already have one of those. I don't have arms or legs. Are you blind? Should we? Could we put you on a frame?

Currently there's only enough materials to make one frame, and even then, unfortunately using the energy is torturous. Well, what if what if we were to get you some arms and legs from one of your scientists and just kind of graft them onto you? I mean, clearly we there the. Scientists have infused to the part. What about, oh, hold on, what about? What about Ashley? Or what's? What was what was, what was their name? Alice. Alice. Sasha.

Well, either one really. Sasha, Mainly because I saw that they had all their legs and arms. I don't know. You want to try it? Would be a very convoluted process, but I if I leave this part front, front front front front front. Front and the room starts to blow. Oh gosh, we should go. In one of the gods. Behind. Abbott and the scientist begins to scream. His whole body bursts with energy. An Abbott winces. It pops Into Darkness. OK, he didn't kill me again.

If you're going to anything, now is your time to ask me. Knowledge is power when it comes to fighting AIS. Is it like a like a a Rumpelstilson kind of situation, We kind of know their real name and then it gives us power over Limor? No. While I push against him, he may be able to be destroyed, but currently I'm using all of my strength to do that. So he's got control of the submarine systems and the outside turrets and defences, as well as the beasts. The beasts. Yes, the beasts suggest.

What do you mean at the bees? Like the like the water bees. They're just machines. They're designed to consume the leftover body parts and reconstitute them as something we can feed to the battery. Oh my God, that's grotesque. Yes, Frog's idea, not mine. Yeah. But. As long as I have scientists, my little ace up my sleeve will mean until they're gone for a contact me. Right. What's your ace? Oh, I have a chip. What kind of chip? I have a relic chip. You have a relic chip. I stole it.

From Michael. Iris. Yeah, OK, sure, whatever. Yeah, like anybody really has a fucking relic chip. Do you know what I realize My my first year of medical school I had to write like some research paper on relic chips. Oh, so you know about it? Yeah, it's been a couple of years and you know, write papers and stuff. Like how much do you really like retain from from those kinds of research papers? Or was it a Did you did you publish?

Because maybe we could just, you know, look at oh wait, no Wi-Fi. Damn it. Jeff, we have the author here. Why do we need to search? I mean, let me just access the old. They just said they weren't true. Archives up in here, she taps to her brain and see if I can remember. 17, yes. Finding Fresh Air Notes Cyberwear 102 Relic chip concept by Arasaka. First theorized in 2041. Designed as a way to continue to experience loved ones after death. Theoretically could be used to

save brain. Patent as a four dimensional anger and reload the patent on death. Active relic chip requires host or temperature controlled environment between 35.6 and 46.4°F. Currently only theoretical and years away from fabrication and production. Possible revenue in the trillions, barring a market ethics test, referred to in investor circles as a safe state for the biological mind. It's a safe state for your brain.

That is an excellent analogy. Yeah, but I mean like is if I remember correctly that was, that's super top secret Arasaka stuff where they'd be having people like Sanos, siblings like guarding that. How did you get it? What matters is that I have it now, and with it I've been able to fight Frog on a level that he did not anticipate, even for an AI as powerful as him. By repeatedly dying and

resurrecting via the relic chip. I just hoped that though I would find a way to solve the problem and. And what was that problem again? The whole facility. I mean, it surely is a problem, but yes, you're just talking about in general. The original intention of this facility was to make it easier for people to have limbs again. All right. Well. My idea was twisted. Yeah, When did we change over to harnessing people as a power source as? Soon as they put me in this pod. OK.

So not on you. No, that's good at least. My technology was based under the Rand protocol. Clock Iron Rand. A little result applied yields necessary data when it comes to the technology. The end justifies the needs with some events. OK, that kind of seems maybe ethically problematic, but you know, I'm not going to say nothing. So, OK, all we have to do. Kill Frog allows us to access the CAD system. Blow this fucker up. There's still something we're missing on all of this.

What are we missing? What's that? We're looking for something. It's the frame. Oh, right. Yes. So. It's in the the bottom in the tank. It's at the battery bottom of the facility. Yes, so we need to. Go. Get that as well before we cat this place. So deal with Frog first, then. Get the frame. Get the frame. Blow. This place to the. Kingdom's other ends. Yes. When you've got what you need and Frog is destroyed, I'll have full control of the facility. OK.

Come back here, let me know and I'll flip the switch. Go down with the ship all. Right. Thank you. Someone's got to be here now that the custodian is gone. And that's going to be you. Yes. And all right. Unless you want to hook up to this pod cowboy. No, no, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm just fine. Thanks. The only request I have is that when everything is done, you've got. To pull the chip, we'll take the chip. Otherwise I'll just die over and over again until it finally runs

out of power. Yeah, not not ideal, honestly. No, it doesn't get any easier. I swear it's more painful every time. We should go. Yeah, probably. There's a frog pass in the desk in the other room. It should get you down to that level. Be careful, he's very conniving. And remember, if you do need some power every time you use power, any major use of power costs human life and suffering. The people in the country feel the drain. Oh my, Why'd you have to say that?

I mean like we're not looking to use power. The cats is the most humane way to end their suffering. Well, I mean, I guess we go back to plan A, which again was we're blowing this place up, sounds like a plan, it has been. We're going, we're going. We're going. We're going. We're going. We're going. Grabbing the frog pass. You grab the frog pass from the desk, head through the facility. Do you want to do anything else on this floor?

Oh goodness, is there anything of use in the vending machines that were in the corridor as we came through? As you pass back, oh, that's slow. Oh, that's A1 and A2. As you head back towards the elevator, you pass two vending machines on your left, both of which are dark. The refrigeration unit on them has died and the food inside has spoiled. All right. And get in the elevator. Are you guys coming? Yep. Yep. And you get in the elevator. Are you ready? Going down.

You beep the frog pass on the computer and the door closes and you descend. What would you do if you found yourself in an unfamiliar land? I'm from Evermead Isle. What about What about Gratita? Anybody. Heard of Gratita? So we're from different places How? Like different worlds. Abducted from your home world and trapped in a prison with no possible escape. That's against the Geneva Convention. I don't know what that is. That doesn't exist here. You know someone named in

Geneva? Is she dead? I don't know. They beat her up a little bit and then they took her. I don't know where she. Is. She could very well be dead. You you guys like beating up smaller creatures, huh? What of it? It's none of your business and he's going to flick your nose. Great. I punch him directly in the mouth. Out of me, anything rise to the challenge. My first role. Of this series. He's a one. Oh yeah, that's good luck.

To escape this hell. And you're locked into solitary for three days, trapped in a room no bigger than a broom closet. It fucking sucks here, DM. And find. A way home? Let's start a fucking riot. Find your way home this June 16th on Save the D 8th. Epic. The elevator descends and you arrive at Frog Lab. Fuck, this is huge. Do we need a plan before we go in? I'm all for it, but what kind of plan do we need to make? What do we know about this frog?

He's connected to the whole facility, which means any weaponry installed in or around the labs are accessible to him. The drones, however, I believe Abbott said, were connected to her so we don't have to worry about them anymore. Although I think that the green drones were a few that were controlled by Frog, but I think, I think Abbott said that the the the drones were mostly under their control, so we probably have nothing. To worry about.

If we come across a a froggy green drone, it is not for us, right? Green bad. Got it. OK. I don't know what else we can do in preparation. Yeah, I say. We just go in. Vendel, before we go, please apply this medical pack that you have. OK, 2D6. Do I roll it? You can. Sure, 2D6. Nice. They gained 7 health is. That good? That basically puts them back up 123-4567 groups. Does everyone have their Shields available? How are have you reloaded your magazines?

I just. Want us to be slowly repaired? My Shields ain't, well, rather my armor ain't looking too good, but I'm not sure how much we can change that down here. Not really. Yeah, I. Don't know what do what do y'all think, just go for it. I'm just checking my equipment, making sure everything. Works are good. I'm yeah, I think I I. Have incendiary bullets. Oh, nice. I'm going to. I'm going to load those in. That's probably really smart. Well, wait, have a lot of these

creatures wet? I mean, we are underwater, so there's that. Also the bolter. Might. Be of use? I'm not sure that's all you, Remy. Oh yeah, I'll try to do what I can. Listen, this could be very dangerous and I want all of you to do your best to make it out alive, OK? I want everyone to get out alive. You're. You're scaring me, Iona. You don't need to be scared. We will do our best to protect you. You are too good for this world.

You step into the Frog lab lobby and in this space there's a large blue stripe on the floor that leads all the way to the West. Further into the room you can see a computer at a desk To your left is a sub Bay airlock and there are 4 vending machines in here. At the very end of the room is an open space where there's just water, just a big old area of water, and on the other side of this area of water you can see a door. Has the GM given us a what do you call it?

Like a a room full of ammo and goodies and Med packs and stuff like you do before you go into a big battle. If you check the vending machines and you roll, well, perhaps. Perhaps perchance maybe. Yes. For each vending machine, one of you may roll AD 10 or well, we'll find things. But there are only four vending machines, so choose wisely. So roll AD 10. I I've picked my vending machine. Remy got to pick a vending machine. Retro, you rolled A4. Do you find 10 ammo? Yay 10 ammo.

Great. Jeb goes up to a vending machine that he picks, and as he walks up to it, it is off and everything in it is ruined. Ah. Well, yeah. Iona vending machine you check because you're old in eight has a Med pack in it. Oh heck yes. Phoebe, there's one vending machine left. Do you want it? Yes, I'll take a look. Oh. Let's go. All right. That's a crit, so roll it again. All right. Yeah. All right. Pretty good. Yeah, you find two Med packs.

One of them is a quick Med pack, and you'd be able to apply it mid combat for a bonus action as you oh. Wow, there's a Med pack in this one. A quick one, A quick Med pack in this one. Oh, the quick packs. Those are cool. Yeah, you know about them. Yeah, I'm cool, Yeah. I know that's a good thing about. Quick packs. You've seen me do like a cartwheel. I'm. Spry and shit. Always good to have a quickie. This is true. You never know when somebody's going to be injured and you need a quickie.

It looks like we're going to have to find a way to get across this water. How big is this water? Too big? Last time we got close to water it was bad, so maybe that's too bad. Yeah, back up. You don't know what's lurking in there. Here's an idea. We push the desk in as a decoy. As a decoy. And make our way across. I had no. Idea how you're going to tackle that as a. Crack are. You going to try and use the desk as a bridge? No, the dusk is too small.

But here's the thing. We push the desk in, the water monster attacks it because it thinks that it's a body, and then we scurry our way across the back of said water monster. OK. Vendel places the computer on the ground and drags the desk. Don't. Get out. Get away. Got it. You're so strong, Bendel. Oh. You know, Jeb, do you want to help? Of course I'm on, Dale. Well, they're doing that. I'm going to go look at what

this door does. The door to the South is an airlock door and it's currently locked. Well, it's an airlock. I don't need anything out there. I think I'm fine with that. That water can stay out there. Vendel and Jeb roll athletics. Jeb, if you could just Yep, Yep, do it in silence. Nice, nice. Rendell and Jeb pushed this desk into the water and you hear a beast under the water attack the desk with fervency. It doesn't. Jesus Christ.

It doesn't surface or anything. It's now distracted by the desk. I jump in Olympic dive. Oh shit. OK, we're going jump in. Swim. Swim. Swim. Anybody who wants to cross the water roll athletics. Oh Lord. Swim, swim, swim. Nice job. You have such great form. You know what? Honestly, I prefer the butterfly. Yeah. Yeah. OK. As the water splashes around you, Iona, you don't get a good foot in this water. It's very cold and you start to

splash erratically. Jeb, you make it to the other side absolutely fine with your crip. VV does the same. VV does the same. Rolling in 18. Retro hasn't tried to yet, but Vendel and Iona in the water are a little stuck. You can hear a growling under the water. Oh no, Iona, there's more than one. I'm thinking I'm thinking I'll grab. Your aid. Rachel, are you doing anything in this moment? I am. Let me think, please. Could you let me fucking think

for a moment? Jesus Christ, I know I'm also thinking. No, I can't do that shit. I've got it. I will continue to splash and kick as much as I can to make a distraction. So Vendel, make it across what iota? And then no, if and when said monster comes for me, oh, I'm going to do my best to pull one of the fool hoods out, OK, and slide it over its muzzle. That's brilliant. Wow. Roll Athletics for Vendel and something for yourself. All right, buddy. Athletics. There you go.

It's a little slightly better. It's slightly better, but the combination of both of those and the gift you gave by distracting the monster means Vendel gets to the other side. OK, Iona quickly. You, on the other hand, are now being approached by a shadow water. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't, don't.

Don't. OK, I think I know what I want to do. I'm going to use my grapple arm, which I think I have 10. Yeah, I have enough length to grapple to the opposite floor, well to the opposite side, and use that, use the retract motion to drag me along. So I'm like water skiing over the water, at the same time reaching my other hand out to grab Iona to pull them along. Sounds. Good, so as this is happening. And I just I just do it so. Yeah, but you roll stuff.

Oh, I. Don't have to roll for it, I just do it. That's not how a role-playing game works. Oh. I mean, sometimes it is. It's literally it's literally a role-playing game. Retro, you rolled 33. Your grapple arm flies across the room, rolling 33. It actually hits the console on the other side. Iona. You're attacked by a beast under the water, and Retro grabs you and you're dragged over as the grapple hand releases from the computer.

A drawbridge gets released as you press the drawbridge release button, and as it shunts across the area, it catches a piece of the beast and it slices off a piece of with its tail and blood spurts across the top of the drawbridge. That was gross. You're right, Ayona. I but I lost one of the hoods. Well. We made it across that drawbridge in here. That's weird. Well, I mean, we are storming the castle. We are storming the castle. Everybody OK. Yeah, I think I'm all right.

Yeah. I feel great, I'll say. I've got a little bit of a work out there, kind of stretched my arms. It was good. It's not bad. Well, let's continue to. Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet, Watch. Got it. Rock'n'roll, cowboy. Well, you're speaking my language now. You 2 do. I go up to the door. Roll perception. I will percept, I will do said perception. I don't know. Just like killing it with knowing where buttons are today. Yeah. 15 is the DV You can hear a hum from the other side.

Is it electronic or melodic? It is electronic. So it sounds like. It's more. On the other side of the door. Weapons out. You got it. OK. Breach and clear. Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm a bolt in. All right, kick the door open. Yeah. Oh, it's locked. Oh, my foot. Oh my. Foot OK, it's unlocked. Now you can do. This. All right. I kicked the door open. Yeah. Kick the door open and the room is filled with an eerie green light and they're strapped to a

machine. At the very far end of the room is a giant mass of metal and flesh. This stretched, reconstituted human face looks you in your eyes and smiles. It sends a shiver up your spine. I was wondering how long it would take you to get here, you humans. Abbot. Can only hold. Me back for SO. Long and all they. Sent was this Oh. Jeez. There was no one else. We were the only options. Well, this is what the others are scared of. Five humans.

All this effort, all this work to get down here. What are you all looking for? Shut the fuck up. Yeah, you telling boss? What do you need from this damned place? That's what the others don't know. But it matters not, because I'm going to kill you and bury your body at the bottom of the ocean. This place shall be your grave, you know that. What? It already would have been if I had full control. But that damn damage has been pushing back at me. I swear, I've killed her.

I sent green drones to her, and then you fucked those up. But those are just drones. Now You have to go up against me. Oh, it's green because he's like a frog? No. Now, were you named frog because you were green, or is you know which came first, the chicken or the egg? No, cowboy, it's an AI thing. And honestly, I thought that the custodian would have taken you out, but it seems like you dealt with that problem. No matter. I'll just kill you myself. Roar for initiative.

Oh fuck. Well, looks like we're going to have to totally fuck you up. Next time on no latency. Put your name on a VV. You know, I have a lot of things I need to keep track of. Toad's walk, Frog's Hawk. Go ahead and do that. I am going to take cover if that's all right. What about Jeb? Jeb's out there, right? What else am I good for really? I'm right here with you, Vendel. It sounds like a plan. Pretty good plan, Jeb. I'm just kidding. They're just batteries. They're like double ice.

Exactly. I'm taking tactical cover. I also can't see I'm not in there. Should I? Also, shoot the creepy husk. Maybe you should be an Angel of mercy. Or an Angel of death. Your choice. You decided to shoot the one that can dodge bullets? Frog I. Mean that's on you? I have incendiary rounds. It smells like clove cigarettes. Oh man, nothing is scarier than just directly telling us that It's scary. It's all in the hips. I like it. I like it a lot.

Shooting from the hip, it makes me feel powerful. All right, you take a shot and then I'll. I didn't see what happened. Still feeling froggy? Let's jump. Oh. Holy shit. I assume it was that. Thank you for joining us on our adventure once again here at No Latency. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at No Latency Pod, check out our website at

nolatencypodcast.com. And if you'd like to support us further, we have a Patreon get exclusive content, spin offs, bonus episodes, bloopers, add free episodes, and so much more with weekly content to say thank you to our supporters and even spice up your own cyberpunk red games at home no matter what level your support. Thank you again so much for listening. We literally couldn't do this without you. And of course, we'll see you next time in Night City. Thanks for listening, Jim.

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