Create a distraction? How convenient that you just found a secret distraction!
Put a body on the trolley, perhaps the basilisk's armor, switch out your robot hat for a xotl hat, and stay low. Then creep your way over to the microphone, and blast the airhorn into the mic!

Easy. Lock and jam yourself in one of the rooms, and dig out into an adjacent space. They’ll have to cut through I think 3 barriers to get to you, so you should have time.

>>879307
Well this could work too, assuming there is an adjacent space.

Hey, I got an idea. The problem right now is they can shoot through their door. They can't shoot through your door, so... detach your door and put it in front of theirs.

Clever Hands really is the best.

>>879196
Use an incendiary grenade to deny the area on the other side of the gate - the xotl don't really have much room on their side to get an angle to shoot through.

Shield up, open door, throw grenade through bars, move up enough to let blake get into the office without exposing himself, duck into the office yourself, close the office door.

Maybe lay down some suppressing gunfire while blake is getting into the office.

ezpz.

>>879408
If you throw some goo before the incendiary it will probably provide a smoke screen. Hell, there's already some goo there.

1/3 Alice Dietrich 2018/06/19(Tue)04:27 No. 889372 ID: b80c8f
File 152940766967.png - (32.62KB , 800x550 , carry_all_the_things.png )

>The Xotl have almost consistently been wearing full body armour and helmets. The flechette gun is an awful choice when we have a shotgun with normal rounds that can actually penetrate and do damage.
There is a substantial risk of further weaponised fleshbeasts and Alice has repeatedly discovered they're really hard to kill. She gives the flechette gun to Blake.

>Equipment check first: Do you still have the shield somewhere?
Yes. Alice is carrying a lot of stuff, shield included. Blake has Mason, spare guns and some of the lighter stuff.

>You protect that air horn with your life! Artifacts made with bananium are incredibly valuable. Also honk it whenever possible.
No.

>>At least she feels still in control of her facilities.
>This is a SIGNIFICANT improvement from last time you ate. You should be proud.
Last time Alice ate about four times as much. Portion control!

>That couldn't have been your cell, there's not nearly enough blood and scratch marks.
Thanks?

>Well that's a problem. How about we try using our new tool? Create the basilisk organ and see if you can use it to stun the xotl so that Blake can shoot/evade them.
Not enough Alice.

>I don't suppose we could jury rig some of these corpses into a kind of scarecrow-esque decoy to use as part of the distraction? Like prop it on something that moves so they'll chase after it?
>How long would it take to remove the doors from the interrogation room
Longer than it would take the xotl to force open the door they're currently forcing open at this very moment! The trolley is good cover, she wheels it up.

2/3 Alice Dietrich 2018/06/19(Tue)04:29 No. 889373 ID: b80c8f
File 152940777733.png - (26.89KB , 600x750 , let_me_in_im_a_fairy.png )

>Use an incendiary grenade to deny the area on the other side of the gate - the xotl don't really have much room on their side to get an angle to shoot through.
>Shield up, open door, throw grenade through bars, move up enough to let Blake get into the office without exposing himself, duck into the office yourself, close the office door.
>Maybe lay down some suppressing gunfire while Blake is getting into the office.
Right, yes, good. Distract xotl, prevent them gaining entry, cover escape. Open door, throw grenade through bars of second door directly ahead, go left into prison office, escape through office crawl space.

Alice juggles the various things she's carrying and passes an incendiary grenade from her hip tentacles out under her poncho to newly freed hand.

Pull the pin, opens the door and - thAT'S A FAFNIR!

Big, tough, shoots laser and she didn't expect to be running into another killer robot this soon. Alice tosses the grenade anyway. She thinks a few xotl scatter away from bars of the gate but her attention is absorbed by its eyes locking on to her. The protective cover on its laser cannon is irising open.

The grenade bounces off its lower body and then explodes.

3/3 Alice Dietrich 2018/06/19(Tue)04:31 No. 889374 ID: b80c8f
File 152940786008.png - (26.79KB , 600x750 , that_thing_alice_dislikes.png )

Fire! Fire!

Alice cringes as the grenade blossoms into a burning mess that clings to everything it touches. The Fafnir is obscured behind billowing smoke as flame creeps past the bars.

She can't go out there, she'll burn up. Alice's skin crawls at the thought. Wanton disarray, terrifying dissolution. Something that will corrupt the protean possibilities of her naive and underdeveloped flesh into simple light, heat and ash. She takes a step back.

No no no no.

Something bumps into her from behind. Blake. She thinks he says something, moves to go past her. He can't go out there, he'll die. There's fire!

ALICE relax, he has his special boots.

>>889372
A good show of trust, giving him the weapon that's more effective agaisnt you than against most enemies.

>>889374
I'm very happy that your panic attack involves instinctually protecting Blake.

However, it's better to tell him about the heavy armor and let him make the call on what to do.
He is more fire resistant than you.

>>889374
Trust Blake. Mastering fire is one of the first things humans do in a lot of mythology. If he sees a way past or around the fire, it's there. You're for fighting and eating, the human is for being clever.

...granted you're sort of the more Prometheus figure here with the ancient power stolen from precursors and having your liver-parts regularly ripped out. But that level of metaphor is for people not locked in primal monster-mode by fire.

>>889374
Trust in Blake

Close your eyes, you are letting instinctual fear overpower logic and reason. You are about to get hit by a laser beam and Blake has no idea. Dodge to the left so you don't get cut down by the laser

Duck and take Blake with you. Break line of sight with the fire, creep around the heat. Between the limited angles of attack and the blaze it's standing in it shouldn't be able to get off more shots once you get moving.

>>889389
limited angle..? We're standing in a corridor! The best we can do is not get tagged by the first shot and get down the hatch in the other room before it fires again.

>>889390
once you get moving. Once we're out of the cell block it can't follow us very well past the receptionist's desk.

>>889374
Remember, humans are less flammable than you are. He'll be okay. More importantly, he could get lasered. Fire the goo gun at the bot's optics, that should blind it so that he can get by.

Shoot goo at the fire, you'll have a lot less fire and a lot more smoke.

Warn Blake about the fire. Maybe he didn't sense it? Make certain that he understands that there is fire out there, and that we can't risk going through any fire. Also mention the Fafnir...

On the off chance you're clear-headed enough to remember procedure, and have the correct hand sufficiently free, jam your harpoon into that fafnir's laser aperture before it shoots you. Up and at 'em, soldier, you've got a tank to kill!

Then, close the door and calm down. Hopefully most of the fire is out on the other side.

1/4 Alice Dietrich 2018/07/10(Tue)04:51 No. 891966 ID: 96457c
File 153122347409.png - (30.93KB , 800x500 , high_stress_decision_making.png )

>ALICE relax, he has his special boots.
Haha, right yes. Boots, everyone has boots. It's going to be fine.

Alice does not have boots?!

>A good show of trust, giving him the weapon that's more effective against you than against most enemies.
If they turn on each other maybe they can die together now, hahah?!

>Trust Blake. Mastering fire is one of the first things humans do in a lot of mythology. If he sees a way past or around the fire, it's there. You're for fighting and eating, the human is for being clever.
Because he makes such good decisions all the time?! Alice doesn't want to burn again. But she's a fighter. A weapon. Her flesh squirms, she feels a spike of pain in her head. ...Isn't she?

2/4 Alice Dietrich 2018/07/10(Tue)04:52 No. 891967 ID: 96457c
File 153122353972.png - (21.26KB , 800x500 , shoot_bang_pew.png )

>Remember, humans are less flammable than you are. He'll be okay. More importantly, he could get lasered. Fire the goo gun at the bot's optics, that should blind it so that he can get by.
>Shoot goo at the fire, you'll have a lot less fire and a lot more smoke.
Alice points the goo-gun at the fire and the dark bulk looming out of it. The flickering, ever-changing tongues of heat and light licking up form the floor nauseate her. That is chaos, death. She should look away, remove her eyes so she doesn't have to look at it. She spasmodically pulls the trigger with her shaking hand until the gun stops firing. She lets the useless thing fall out of her nerveless fingers.

>Close your eyes, you are letting instinctual fear overpower logic and reason. You are about to get hit by a laser beam and Blake has no idea. Dodge to the left so you don't get cut down by the laser.
Alice does not want to be lasered! She knocks into Blake and hunkers down behind the trolley for shelter. The hydrocarbon reek intensifies. No blue spears of coherent light pop out of the billowing smoke to stab her.

3/4 Alice Dietrich 2018/07/10(Tue)04:53 No. 891968 ID: 96457c
File 153122360575.png - (26.04KB , 800x600 , blake_escape.png )

Blake makes noises then pushes her again, harder.

He scurries to his feet, Mason still slung on his back, and goes for the door. No! Alice goes to snatch at his feet. There's fire out there. fire, xotl, entropy and danger!

She's too slow. He disappears out of her view.

4/4 Alice Dietrich 2018/07/10(Tue)04:54 No. 891969 ID: 96457c
File 153122367519.png - (29.12KB , 800x600 , alice_activities.png )

The door closes. The noisome flickering of the flames is gone. The noise is muted. The smoke slowly thins as it spreads out down the corridor.

Alice is damaged, hungry and afraid. A cold and disdainful thought tells her she's alone again. Her guts churn, is that important? There's enemies outside. She needs to retreat. Hide! Regain her strength!

Grab a mouthful of xotl for focus and charge out that door. Blake and Mason are safe for the moment, but they still need you to catch up with them. Short term worries are now all about you. If you stop moving, you won't be going anywhere for quite a while. This is not the place to take that break! Keep that shield between you and the threat.

>>891969
Pick that gun back up and head after Blake, the fire is still behind the bars, so you should be fine so long as you hurry up.

bodies, food, mass, POWER!

oh, sweet, that dead guy has a grenade. Think that could help?

>>891974
That would just renew the fire and flames. Save it for later.

>>891969
Note to self: never use the fire grenades ever again, and don't let a xotl use one either.
Also this is solid evidence that whatever you are isn't designed to be used as a weapon. Such an obvious, easy to exploit weakness would make such a weapon useless. It's probably designed more around being a worker drone.

Now, anyway, the fire is gone. Clear your head and listen for a moment for tactical awareness, then follow where Blake went.

And this is why pyrophobics should not use pyrotechnics.

Eat your lunch, replace old armor, and equip the grenade. Take your time.

Humans make fire go away! Locate humans, acquire hugs!

>But she's a fighter. A weapon. Her flesh squirms, she feels a spike of pain in her head. ...Isn't she?
No no, you got that wrong. You're a soldier, not a weapon. That's an important distinction!

Names and categories are important.

>She needs to retreat. Hide! Regain her strength!
No. Retreat leads to getting penned in. To being contained. To the enemy knowing exactly where you, and coming after you with other-whelming force. To being burned out of hiding and killed.

You need to follow Blake. You can't be a soldier if you don't have a crew to protect, right?

>>891969
Acquire the dead xotl's grenade, then eat him. Maybe food will settle your nerves. You need to calm down, you're suffering from a phobic panic attack by your body.

1/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)01:57 No. 896848 ID: e2ea73
File 153406422584.png - (28.84KB , 600x750 , alice_consideration.png )

>bodies, food, mass, POWER!
Yes, good!!!

>If you stop moving, you won't be going anywhere for quite a while. This is not the place to take that break!
Wait, no?!?

>Note to self: never use the fire grenades ever again, and don't let a xotl use one either.
Incomplete, unstable, mass easily liberated into disunity!

>This is solid evidence that whatever you are isn't designed to be used as a weapon. Such an obvious, easy to exploit weakness would make such a weapon useless. It's probably designed more around being a worker drone.
Makers, mimics and reshapers. Builders of cities. Ductile, infinitely malleable. Weapon is... unintended? Excluded!

>No no, you got that wrong. You're a soldier, not a weapon. That's an important distinction!
>Names and categories are important.
>You need to follow Blake. You can't be a soldier if you don't have a crew to protect, right?
Alice feels an intense surge of self loathing. He's out there trying to survive and she's in here doing... what exactly?

2/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)01:57 No. 896849 ID: e2ea73
File 153406427778.png - (19.44KB , 800x560 , tentacles_will_solve_your_problems.png )

>Acquire the dead xotl's grenade, then eat him. Maybe food will settle your nerves. You need to calm down, you're suffering from a phobic panic attack by your body.
Is this a smart move or are her instincts tricking her? Alice doesn't know any more. She's too tired, too distracted, to argue with the bedrock conviction that food is important but she can't stay here. Something she has no better name for than instinct whispers a way. Knowledge without learning.

3/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)01:58 No. 896850 ID: e2ea73
File 153406432772.png - (21.69KB , 800x520 , take_back_control.png )

The xotl is dead but the body can still be compelled. Her tendrils burrow through the neck and seek the spine. The control hierarchy has not yet decayed. It will respond to the correct signals. Her feeding tendrils corrode flesh where she touches it but she can consume and replace with her own mass to keep her interface intact.

4/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)01:59 No. 896851 ID: e2ea73
File 153406436842.png - (33.97KB , 800x600 , make_zombies_not_war.png )

The xotl lurches to its feet and staggers after her. She ramifies the tendril connecting it to her, thickening it and making extra connections to fully bind it to her. She can redistribute the additional mass into her main body later.

10 biomass consumed. 6 mass gained.

5/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)02:00 No. 896852 ID: e2ea73
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>Pick that gun back up and head after Blake, the fire is still behind the bars, so you should be fine so long as you hurry up.
Alice recovers the goo gun but seeing the close quarters keeps the shotgun in her hand.

The door opens; acrid smoke and smouldering fire. She waves her xotl decoy in the gap first. Alice keeps her shield up to protect her body and so she doesn't have to look at the fire. Where's the door controls? There!

She moves into the prison office. Just past the dead xotl slumped in its chair, the floor hatch!

6/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)02:01 No. 896853 ID: e2ea73
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The prison office's window explodes inwards.

Alice feels a hand close on her neck. Ghrk!

7/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)02:01 No. 896854 ID: e2ea73
File 153406451609.png - (31.05KB , 800x500 , wrong_exit_alice.png )

An incredible force yanks her through the window. glass shards raker her body. Her tethered xotl snags on the edge for a moment - it feels as if her infiltrated material is going to pull free from the neck - then she's flying through the air and slams into the opposite wall with bone breaking force.

5 mass lost. Mass total is 79.

8/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)02:02 No. 896855 ID: e2ea73
File 153406453717.png - (31.41KB , 900x530 , mission_failed.png )

fuck

9/9 Alice Dietrich 2018/08/12(Sun)02:03 No. 896856 ID: e2ea73
File 153406459117.png - (50.91KB , 800x600 , bloom_m2_summary.png )

END BLOOM MISSION 2

Final Ranking: BONSAI BATTLER

Nnnnng. Missed secret, need wiki...

>>896855
Pic- name

Don't worry, we'll get them next time

>>896856

Reload checkpoint! RELOAD CHECKPOINT!

*incoming codec call*
Alice, remember the basics of CQC!
Biomass rating: Terrible!

fission mailed!

>>896881
squad broken!