Alriiiight!
Picking up where we left off.

here's the refresher for thems that need it:
//suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17647683/

and don't worry, there's no rush. Get up to speed, you may need to think.

Put basically, there is a nasty ass METAL HERETEK HAND running around, and you're not sure whether to go to the surface yet or not.

There are some places you may not have explored to your satisfaction also, and perhaps more questions you may want to ask.

Surface time! But before we head up, make sure everyone knows about the heretek hand.

Going to the surface will totally end the level, just so you know.

Here is your gear, for the record.

MINHELM interjects, as expected.

MINHELM agrees that getting rid of the HERETEK HAND is the way to go. With it running around, it could sabotage the KORNHEISER, or other electrical devices.

MINHELM suggests that, if we were to use an obvious and unarmed victem like NEL, as bait, then we could lure it out.

MINHELM's aim is not that good, so she would then need you to hold it in place with SPECTRAL HANDS and then she'll blast it.

MINHELM also recalls you mentioning that this HERETEK, SPOKANE has a second brain as a back-up server of sorts. As the hand is being controlled by the second brain, most likely, if we can find that we can at least slow it down.

wait, if it only goes after people who are alone...
Maybe check to see if HUNT made it to the medbay.

GM: You guys said you escorted him during the last session, and while I'm not usually into that sort of 'oh yeah its taken care of' game play, in this instance I feel that LOWRY has suffered enough. He's safe now.

Seriously, guy became a miner after his kid died and his wife left him because she blamed him for the death. Wasn't his fault at all.

Alright.

We should look for the back-up before trying to bait it out.

Check on HUNT to see if he made it to MEDBAY, then all go check out and try to find the second back-up brain.

MINHELM seems to find your ambiguity a little vexing.

Hmm what are some of the areas we have not explored or would we know that?

If not maybe we should take a look around to see if we can find an area we have not checked yet.

You decide to retrace your steps, stopping whenver you notice anything strange. The MINE seems normal, but it is when you head back DOWN into the SECURITY AREA that something different is happening.

SPOKANE is awake.

"A backup system would need to be in a place with adequate power and connections for at least a cogitator plus a transmitter. It would probably have to be dry because even I know that machines get angry when wet. Probably also has to be in a place that's fairly central with no major ore deposits around it that could interfere with the machine's signals.... Nel, can you narrow down our choices to only rooms where those conditions are met?"

NEL has been thinking this also, and can only assume that, based on it's importance, is somewhere hidden and laregly sealed off. The mines would likely be too dangrous a place for it. She reasons that it would be put near somewhere that is not going to see much danger or conflict.