Operation 1: Front Porch

[Jack Grey]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[Jack Grey]

Jack will take a closer look at the wall, and will look to see if it is Tainted at all. As he does, he'll say to Chandra, "When you get old like me, sometimes your knees shout a bit at moving is all. Not to worry, cupcake, I've got your back."

[Steven Trustrum]

There is a strong, if slowly diminishing, flow of essence through the hole they were digging, but no taint.

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

Croner looks you all over and says ... "look, I know many of you have some secrets you'd like to keep hidden, but we knew more about you than you realize. I've been briefed on some of your ... special talents ... and want those of you with such skills to step up and see if you can tell me if there's something we need to pull out of this ice."

[Jack Grey]

[Steven Trustrum]

[waiting on Jack to respond to his PM]

[Jack Grey]

Jack looks over the ice, and says, finally, "There's somethin' in there; don't know what... plenty of power, but no taint that I can see. An item, artifact, or a trapped being of some sort, I can't be sure. I think we need to dig it out - if we don't, they will."

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Jack Grey]

Jack chuckles, and drawls, "Yes'm, I do... it tastes mighty fine in a martini, it do."

Then he switches to a fair (but not great) McCoy, and says, "I'm a doctor, not a pneumatic hammer, darn it. If the Cap'n takes you by the ankle and beats the ice with you until one of you breaks, *that* I can fix."

[Steven Trustrum]

Studder steps up and takes a look.

"Well, Captain, I could use some det-foam and blasting caps to take out some of it with control, but it really depends on how deep you want me to go. What I've got in my kit is intended for cutting through doors or bringing something like a bridge down. I don't have nearly enough boom for prolonged tunneling."

[Anyone have any ideas?]

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]

[Jack Grey]

Jack shrugs, hefts the drill (rather easily, which is a tad surprising for an old man), positions it appropriately, and then pauses and says, likely to the demolitions guy, "So, any suggestions on how to use this little toy?"

[Steven Trustrum]

Studder looks around and finds the genny. "I'll need to work on this a bit. The shrapnel seems to have done some damage. I'd say ... 10 minutes?"

Croner nods, motions for you other two to work on the drill, and gets everyone else to start setting up defensive positions at the tunnel entrance, including moving debris for cover. He has Sparks run some tripwires further up the tunnel and then orders him to cut a sump pit inside the chamber and off to the side, pointing it out to everyone so they know where it is should the shit hit the fan.

[vidar]

[Steven Trustrum]

[vidar]