h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And, just for fun, here's what I think rat-ants look like:
http://www.asterlil.com/h2g2/ratant.htm

looks good to me

*More careful after his fall.*

wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of one

*follows on*

Those steps look a bit rickety, are we going up there?

*Having set her nano-gun to Heat Ray, Witty pads silently along with the rest of the group. She frequently checks the surrounding terrain keeping alert for any movement.*

*Watching carefully*

what's so interesting about the place at the top of the stairs ..... it's just a dusty forgotten old place that's full of old junk ? No ones been up there in hundreds of years

*gets out her field glasses and scans the stairs*

There are rat footprints in the dust on the steps.

Listen, what's the plan again? We just go down to the mine and walk in?

All I know is that we're going up to the second floor to explore ..... maybe there's a way down into the mine from there. Perhaps we can break into the lift shaft from up there ?

*scrabbles down the path to catch up with the salonistas*
Ook! [Wait a minute!]

*the Disgruntled Ape hands his carbine to Caerwynn, unslings his pack and roots around till he pulls out a uniform, slightly wrinkled and rather dirty*

*It consists of a goo-colored forage cap with the familiar CLI emblem on the right side, as well as a sleeveless vest, also goo, with gold piping around the armholes and CLI brass buttons*

*The Disgruntled Ape quickly puts on the uniform*

Ook ook. [I'll pretend to be a guard. I ~was~ a guard until I went AWOL, but the upper level guys don't know that yet. Anyway, I can get you to the elevator that goes down into the mines.]

Ook! [So hide your weapons!] *reaches out for Caer to return his carbine*

* after checking the carbine over and looking down the barrel with the aid of her maglite, hands back the weapon, trying not to look surprised at the guard's uniform*

I think your firearm needs a bit of a clean, mate.

Hasn't the Disgruntled Ape fieldstripped his weapon a couple of times since we got here??


This looks like a plan. What do you think, Ivana?

he obviously missed out the barrel

Or maybe he used banana peels.


Really, this might let us get past the entrance without a firefight!

*Tucks her nano-gun into the back of her waistband.*

Hmm, no firefight. That might be interesting for a change.

No fire fight! What'll we do?

We'll have one eventually if we go in. But we'll have the advantage of surprise. Right now we're just walking into the middle of a hostile place without cover.

Just like the supermarket on Christmas Eve half an hour before it closes, then!

*Makes his way, from rock to rock, to the area under the balcony and joins the others there. Is startled to see a guard conversing with the others. Draws his arm back to throw his knife, but then recognises the Ape and lowers his arm. Catches the last bits of conversation.*

I chose this way in to the building, since it is unguarded. It's probably still the best bet, since the Ape's cover will only last so long and we'll need to make the best use of it that we can. I think we should go in here and see if we can find a way into the first floor from the second floor. Then we can use Mr. Ape's disguise to get us to the lift and down into the mine.

Now, all we need to do is find a way up onto the balcony. Anyone have any ideas?

*Notices Amos and does a double-take.*

~muffled voish from deep within the pocket~

I tried puttin 'im in gear, but all that happened wash I pushed in the clutsh an' he backfired.

~more hysterical gales of laughter~

Maybe we could use the Magic Carpet to float someone up to the second floor and have a look around. The lobby is an obvious point of entrance and there's normally a few of them lurking there. If there was a way to surprise them or to find an alternative way in that would be best.

On the other hand maybe the Disgruntled Ape could be pretending to bring in more "volunteers" and could smuggle us in .... that'd give us a good chance to overpower the guards in the upper level.

On balance it wouldn't hurt to look upstairs before we commit ourselves.