David: Well fuck. About what I would expect for objectives but unless there are a million clan members that die from harsh language that doesn’t look completely balanced.

Core: Seems likely there will be further updates with hidden rewards otherwise you are right.

Kana: I agree but I would prefer cheaper rewards that aren’t a surprise.

David: Let’s just keep the newbies calm for now and stay the course. At least this time I have a psy scan, so we shouldn’t be caught with our pants down.

We follow Dredd to the elevator and he hits the top bottom, meanwhile Core has Chip start trying to tap into the utility and security systems and Kana looks like she is explaining something to the newbies.

Dave: “So Judge what’s your plan?”

Dredd: “We’re headed for the Med Centre on 25, it will be our defensive foothold until backup arrives and we secure the perp.”

David: “So you already got back up on the way?”

Dredd scowls at me and starts tapping on his wrist.

Dredd: “Dredd to Control come in …”

David: “Way more static then I was expecting from a Judge’s gear, you should ask for an upgrade.”

Somehow Dredd manages to frown even harder, I suppose he never was a people person.

Dredd: “… Comms down, change of plans. Head to Med Centre, collect intel on the situation and drop off the dead weight.”

Dredd ends the conversation and turns away, staring at the elevator doors.

Core: I don’t think he likes you.

Well with that inspirational comment the elevator opens and Dredd leads the way out, gun first. Anderson follows with Jay while I check that Kana’s good. She gives me a quick nod and we jog out to rejoin Dredd as he moves into the stairwell.

Dredd’s not exactly waiting for us as he heads up the stairs but Anderson’s slowing him down with her luggage so it’s not a problem to keep up.

Dredd is setting a steady pace up the stairs and after a few flights, I can hear the people in the back starting to breathe harder. I doubt they can last if we are keeping this pace for another 10 floors. Might have to leave them if they can’t keep up.

Core: If this is like the movie there will be clan members entering the stairwell soon from above and below.

I split a small part of my mind off so I can start focusing more on the areas around the stairwell with the pys scan and sure enough, Core’s warning proves right. We've got about 10 seconds before both groups come in from above and below us. Psy scan is amazing for scouting but there is so much space and information to cover.

There are literally thousands of people moving around us but unless I focus on them I’m not going to know if they are clan or not. I’m going to have to just focus on a smaller area with a split mind, maybe I can have Chip assist.

David: Chip can you use the information from my psy scan to investigate people.

Chip: Task acknowledged. Beginning the investigation, state the parameters for investigation.

Core: No time for that, I’ll sort it out for you and you get Dredd’s attention about the clan that is incoming.

David: “Judge we have incoming.”

Everyone stops and looks at me.

Dredd: “Explain.”

David: “My psychic scouting is picking up two groups of Mama clan coming towards the stairwell two floors above and below us. We have about five more seconds till they enter about twelve to a group all armed.”

Dredd watches me for a second before turning to Anderson.

Dredd: “Call it rookie.”

The bang from the stairwell doors adds a bit of urgency to the statement.

Anderson: “Sir?”

Dredd: “You’re still being assessed rookie call it.”

Anderson: “Ahh, armed perps above and below, respirators and gas grenades.”

Dredd: “I recommend the rest of you hold your breath.”

David: “Crap. You four move up behind the Judges and stay as close as you can to the wall. Kana and I will guard the rear.”

Everyone started to move, Kana and I to the back, the newbies to the front and the Judges putting on respirators and getting the grenades out. Both groups of Mama Clan are moving in on us from above and below and my HUD updates as I move up ontto the railing to target them.

Dredd: “Ready?”

Anderson: “Ready.”

With that Dredd threw his grenade up and Anderson down to the next landing. A thick yellowish gas spread quickly filling the staircase followed by coughing and hacking from anyone not protected.

I breathe in and feel my lungs burn as I move my pistol until the HUD’s predictive projection meets one of the Mama clan and fire. Kana moves much quicker and has already shot three before mine even drops.

Chip: Hazardous gas detected. Respiratory damage occurring. Recommend holding breath and leaving the area immediately. Unknown physical alteration occurring in the lungs.

The burning in my lungs reduces every second that passes accompanied by a squirming feeling in my chest which must be my enhancement adapting to the gas. It feels tonnes weirder than the shapeshifting, like worms moving around my chest.

Despite Chip’s “helpful hint,” I stay and fire off two more shots before Kana taps me on the shoulder and send a message over the comms.

Kana: We need to move up with the rest of the group, don’t worry about the leftovers. We can deal with them if they follow.

I nod and we run up the stair in time to see the door to the next floor closing and New Girl from the newbies having passed through. The stairs and floor leading to the door are littered with Dredd’s handiwork and I can sense the rest of the party on the other side of the door.

Kana and I slip through the door and follow the group. After a few more seconds the squirming in my chest stops along with any pain.

Chip: Physical adaptation in lungs has occurred. Hazardous gas no longer reacts with lungs.

David: Core can you do something about Captain Obvious’s updates. I don’t need it to tell me things I already know.

Core: On it and I’ll have it send over the information on the new scanning system I came up with.

Before I can even finish processing that, I feel a sort of mental pressure and the information for the new Psy Scan IFF is in my head. Not only that but all the minds I can sense with the scan start taking on a hue.

White minds are unknowns, blues are neutral, greens are friendly, yellows are potentially threatening and reds are currently threatening. Yellows will pulse when they are about to change to red to let me know in case I missed them.

I don’t get to check anything other than nothing being red before we reach the next elevator and move in. I start moving to the back when Dredd grabs my arm and pulls me to the side.

Dredd: “Psychic scouting huh. Let’s get some details, how far can it scout?"

David: “Well, roughly a 400m bubble around me in the clear maybe half that through structures like the building and it gets vaguer and harder to understand the further away but within 100m should be pretty accurate.

I need to focus on certain bits to get details so it’s not like I’m all knowing. It’s good enough to spot people coming up on us or to scout out an area within the bubble if we want to know something.”

Dredd: “Good enough. Scout the elevator doors on 25 and the Med Centre. It shouldn’t be too far from the elevator.”

Abrupt but not a bad idea. My second mind focuses and starts moving through what it detects. I swiftly rise through the floors checking for danger until I reach the 25. Here we have two clan members guarding the elevator doors without much attention. Guess they aren’t expecting us.

While I keep those two marked I scan out over the floor to see if anything stands out. About 50m out there is a large gathering of yellow markers in a common area. On closer investigation it is just outside the Med Centre, the Medic appears to have locked himself inside the centre but no one seems to be interested in getting in.

Not a great outcome since it probably means they know we are coming but forewarned is forearmed. Looks like there are 33 of them spread out over the surrounding area but two of them stand out for some reason. They have an energy about them, they feel, stronger.

Other than these two groups it seems that the rest of the floors have random patrols of 2-6 people walking around and looking for us. Everyone has a mix of pistols and assault rifles.

With the scouting done I look back at Dreddy McJudgeFace and recount what I found. He grunts and tells me to keep him informed of any changes. Dredd might be a badass but I’m really starting to miss JC, he didn’t give me the impression that he would but just as happy to shoot me as the enemy.

Moving to the back to be with Kana I find her talking with New Girl. New Girl even seems to have collected a pistol from somewhere.

David: “Looks like we are done with the easy part of today and moving on to another firefight. You lot ready?”