Episode 3: Interlude: Escape Planning

Gather 'Round the Trashfires

Between meetings, Geri's had some time to investigate with telepathy. Then, the nascent cohort catches Robert up on what they've learned and plans their daring escape.

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Episode Transcript:

Get your snack and beverage of choice ready. It’s time to “Gather ‘Round the Trashfires” for a tabletop roleplaying story! I’m your host, Bek Andrew Evans.

Tabletop characters make decisions ranging from questionable to horrific in pursuit of their goals especially when a table values going for the interesting route in roleplay. It becomes trashfires all the way down.

My current and main running story for this podcast is the misadventures of the cohort from the Deviant: the Renegades chronicle I’ve been playing in since early 2021. And I play Geri.

For those of you unfamiliar with Deviant, it’s a TTRPG about people who were formerly human but were irreparably changed in traumatic ways to the point their very Souls broke and they became something Other. They seek vengeance on those who made them, those who hunt them, those who seek to exploit them for what they are and will never leave them be.

As such, this podcast will feature heavy themes and content throughout. There’s an overall content warning for language, violence, criminality, homelessness, substance use, human experimentation, cults and religious extremism, mentioned torture, kidnapping, implied incest and incest-related comments, and abusive relationships. On episodes where there is a new content warning or a particularly notable instance of one of these, I’ll call it out.

I hope y’all enjoy hearing about my cohort’s antics and stumbling headfirst into the mysteries of the world as much as I have.

[Music Intro: "_violence" by Avantist]

Green Country Calcination Episode 3: Interlude: Escape Planning

Between the last meeting and next, the group decides they need to work on getting more information and supplies to make their escape possible. Geri gleans a rumor from an orderly’s mind that the Church of Charismatic Virtues – the church she grew up in, has been calling, but the orderly doesn’t know much. She decides to dig deeper, mostly for personal gossip in case she needs blackmail material.

She’s able to rip from him that his name’s Caleb, the call came directly to the ward, which is odd. Gabe took the call himself after the caller identified themselves but a nurse named Beth initially answered. Caleb’s hiding that he’s got a crush on Beth but doesn’t want to make her uncomfortable by telling her since they work together. She also finds out that Caleb has a suspended license from a second DUI and carpools to work with Dr. Werner.

Geri later goes to Beth for more info. Beth tries to comfort her, but as Geri’s connected to her mind, she can sense that Beth is somehow attuned to Geri’s emotions on a deeper level than normal empathy, which skeeves Geri out and makes her suspicious as hell. Mind you, as she’s actively trying to read Beth’s mind.

Geri is, however, able to tell after her initial suspicion from her culty upbringing of having to be able to (mundanely) be clued in to people’s emotions and motives that Beth’s actually pretty genuine, and even a bit guilty about the suffering the patients are going through. But she cares, in any case.

She still works at the ward, though, so there’s that.

Geri decides to dig deeper with telepathy. She wants to know what Beth knows about the call to the ward, what she’s hiding, and what Beth fears most. Because Geri has incredibly normal, perfectly hinged motives that may involve “winning” social interactions.

All Beth knows about the call beyond what Caleb knows is that Dr. Werner sounded Unhappy-T-M. She also knows that it was a follow-up call. She’s hiding that she has an emotional and aura-sensing power that (previously) only Dr. Werner knew about... until Geri started peeking in. She’s most afraid that Camille will learn about her power and take her away like the cohort, and the others.

Geri finds the information about Beth troubling and opts not to cause problems for her or push further.

She connects to Zuse next from the safety of her room. His surface thoughts are scrolls of binary like before, but Geri’s put a little effort in to link to him again and be able to have a conversation. He tells her he’s been amusing himself watching the staff be increasingly paranoid because of the prank AJ pulled to aid the cohort’s getaway from the room the other day.

Geri tells him that the Church of Charismatic Virtues called AGAIN, and Zuse explains that Geri’s father and his associates have been persistent in trying to “reclaim ownership of their work.” He also says that Dr. Werner has no intention of giving in to them, greatly frustrating Geri’s father.

Geri, begrudgingly admits that maybe Dr. Werner is kind of alright if he’s keeping her father from getting her, and asks if that’s the reason she can’t file a police report like she’s been pestering staff about. Zuse confirms that Dr. Werner’s been holding off on that because it would draw unwanted attention and would get dismissed anyway. Then Zuse asks why she doesn’t seem to trust the doctor.

Geri can’t reconcile that Gabe’s been part of torturing Madison, who she still considers to be basically a child even though she’s barely legally an adult. Zuse explains that he’s known Dr. Werner for about 75 years, and he’s always known him to be honorable and trying to reduce harm and pain where he can. It’s just that the process of growth itself can be painful.

Geri’s conflicted, but agrees to give Dr. Werner more of a chance.

Zuse goes on to explain that Gabe’s the last remaining original member of the Long Man Society. He’s been trying to keep the Society true to its original purpose… but his efforts have proved somewhat futile. He’s basically taken on time itself as an opponent and forgotten he’s the only ageless one in that struggle.

Zuse further explains that the Long Man Society is based on a Cherokee – one of the native peoples of the region – legend, of rivers. The Society dates back to the Dust Bowl and was meant to protect life in the area by protecting the rivers, especially the Grand River – important for surviving the 1930’s droughts.

The Green Country, where the chronicle is set, is full of lakes and rivers.

The Long Man Society wasn’t originally focused on creating Deviants, according to Zuse, it was all about the ecology. They got wrapped up in the Project Triton stuff because of the similar goals of protecting life through water… but now Dr. Werner fears Camille is far too focused on the “side effects” the technology is causing.

When Zuse brings up Camille, Geri already goes on a bit of a rant of how much she doesn’t like the woman, and especially how well she’s able to keep Geri from telepathically snooping, and how annoying she finds the lullaby-like song in Camille’s head when she tries anyway. She also offhandedly mentions that while she can’t get fully into Camille’s mind, she’s not like Dr. Werner, who feels dead when she tries to connect.

For someone who doesn’t trust much of anyone, she already has a tendency to give a lot of very personal details to Zuse, who the cohort aren’t sure whether they can trust entirely.

Zuse helpfully and cheerfully explains that Dr. Werner’s brain activity can’t be measured or studied beyond to confirm that he’s alive, and he muses that’s probably why he’s in the position he’s in. He also mentions that Dr. Werner’s nearly impossible to kill.

Zuse also explains that the three superpowered individuals with access to oversee all areas of Project Triton are Dr. Werner, Camille, and himself. Geri wonders if it has to do with Triton’s mythical namesake, and Zuse thinks it’s a coincidence, though still abnormal to have so many superpowered assets in one division. He further explains that Camille has a lot of influence with the Board and her interest lies in researching the results of the project's side effects… but she’s highly unethical.

Zuse was simply put in his job, for practical purposes rather than sucking up to anyone or any particular aspirations on his part. He’s the only asset who could do his job.

Geri thanks Zuse for sharing, though she has to go for testing soon. She says it’s a shame he wasn’t selected for his friendliness and shares the information she’d gleaned earlier about the orderly Caleb having a crush on Nurse Bethany. Zuse is delighted to have new gossip he couldn’t see himself and chatters on about how Caleb should just get up the courage to talk to Bethany.

When Geri says her goodbyes and is about to disconnect, Zuse says he’s very glad Dr. Werner agreed to let them meet.

As a last request for a soon-to-be-transferred patient, Geri asks the staff for a deck of tarot cards and an interpretation book.

To her surprise, they actually get her them. They’re super okay with getting her them, in fact, despite the previous ban on her keeping paper products.

Within the next couple days, The whole group meets up again in the common area, with AJ showing up last, a few minutes late. He leads the rest of the cohort back to his bedroom. The ward staff is tense in preparation for Camille’s arrival in a few short days, so they don’t bother the cohort when they quietly pass.

AJ, too, has all his furniture bolted to the floor, but unlike Geri’s, it’s the normal hospital ward furniture and not the all-metal furnishing like Geri has. He also has an empty bookcase, but has an mp3 player. The other strange addition is the large bathtub in the corner with all the tubes and gauges connected to it – and a cover with a head-hole and vacuum seals.

The cohort decides that first, they need to update Robert on what they found. When Madison brings up the human-sentient-computer-brain thing they found, AJ hushes them and asks them to get the light and blinds. He adjusts some buttons and knobs on his bed in a strange sequence, and then the monitor lights all turn off.

Geri turns the lights back on and they resume their conversation, with AJ explaining that the exception to having to turn Zuse’s room entirely off is that each of the bedrooms have special codes that can turn their monitoring equipment off and his Uncle Gabe told him the code to his room.

Madison also points out that Zuse can sense through not just cameras, but anything electronic and linked to the ward’s network, since she communicated with him through an electronic lock.

Geri mentions that Zuse has known Gabe for about 75 years. Madison and AJ already know, though Madison is still mindbown. Robert is just deeply confused.

AJ starts to explain about a secret governement mission to Antarctica 75 years ago. He says they found something, a mechanized city, strangely advanced tech at the time, and something happened, because they never sent another mission there. But people were affected, and there was a soldier who renamed himself Zuse after the mission among them. Because of the transformation, he also lost his memory. AJ explains that his form changes when he merges with technology, so when he disconnects, he’ll be a “real boy.” He just sort of, wants to look like a brain while he’s attached right now.

AJ also explains that Zuse isn’t on a closed network like he’d originally guessed – he has access to the internet just as easily as the internal network and security systems.

Madison wonders how they’re gonna escape if Zuse can see everywhere. And she worries that he’s lying to the group since he only talks like he knows things inside the ward. Geri corrects her that he can’t “see” outside the Ward, and he can’t see everything, period, even within the Ward.

Geri also mentions that the meeting was something Zuse wanted, since Gabe “approved” it.

Robert tries to process the information on Zuse’s powers and wonders if there’s more powered people they don’t know about – and the cohort assures him that there are indeed more powered people. Which frustrates Robert immensely. He’s pissed they’re not unique like he thought, and will probably get slapped down by the more experienced powered people for stepping out of line.

AJ continues explaining that the Highjump exploration got something else besides Zuse and other transformed soldiers -they brought back some device or material, something they thought could revolutionize the world, make humanity healthier and evolve. They used the water reservoirs, through the Grand River Dam Authority – but a group hidden within it, The Society. Gabe, Camile, Zuse, and others.

Madi’s devastated. She trusted them and they did this to the cohort. Robert’s furious.

Geri tries to comfort Madi, explaining it wasn’t intentional. Not all of them. AJ explains with more words in a similar vein, that the Society’s like kids playing with toys they don’t understand, and that they didn’t mean to hurt people, and they’re trying to help the people who got changed learn to deal with their problems.

Madi cries. Her friends are dead and she killed them. The Society made her a murderer. Because they wanted to play God. Electricity sparks and discharges off her skin.

Even Robert tries to comfort, a little, by saying he’s not gonna excuse them and their behavior. For throwing people away. He asks if the cohort knows what happened to the Asian guy who’d voiced complaints and then disappeared.

Madi says he escaped, it’s the only words she gets out through her tears.

AJ and Geri go back into comfort mode, though Geri’s more awkward about it than AJ.

Madi says she found out the Society’s testing them because they want the cohort to be weapons. That Zuse was trying to convince her to be an “asset”, too, that she’d be able to hurt and even kill for “good” if she joined. She’s horrified by the offer. She doesn’t want to ever kill again, certainly not on purpose.

AJ explains the weapon “assets” are more Camille’s shtick. That she want to be able to brainwash soldiers for the Society, but doesn’t get her way fully, yet. But Gabe wants them to escape, because he can’t stop her this time.

Madi rebuts that it was Zuse who offered her, to give her the resources to stop the church, if she’d become an asset for the Long Man Society. AJ’s unconcerned, because Zuse is apparently ambivalent and thinks if he’s just open as possible, the cohort will make the decision he wants, but still believes in the original mission of the Society, though he doesn’t trust Camille. And because he doesn’t trust Camille and her methods, he’s willing to help the cohort escape.

Robert warns the group to stop believing people that are probably manipulating them, but the cohort largely ignores him.

Geri reports that she learned Zuse is delighted by petty gossip – something a computer shouldn’t be interested in. She thinks he seems comfortable in his spot where he’s able to watch over things for now.

Madi wants to talk to Geri about the Church, and mentions she knows they’re trying to get Geri back. Geri’s anger flares even as she explains she already knew, and bits of scarlet red wisps of her Lash spills out uncontrolled, singeing things around her.

Madi continues, in a disturbed sort of daze and not seeming to notice what’s going on with Geri, that the church did a memorial for all her dead friends, despite her friends being catholic and not anything near the denomination of Charismatic Virtues, despite them all going to Cassica Hall. I was most of Cassica Hall's cheerleading and football team.

AJ muses that Zuse is torn between the programming of the servers and his own feelings, and says Gabe told him that he thinks that if the cohort can shut the server off somehow, Zuse might be ejected to be able to join the cohort.

Robert has a moment of disbelief, questioning if they can really trust Gabe’s advice, since he’s one of the ones who made the cohort like this. Hell, Geri has weird magic stuff around her now! He asks the group what they’ll even do when they get out, since they can’t exactly just go into society like they are. The mixed confusion and anger is clear in his face and body language.

Geri turns to Madi and the others and explains that her old church… isn’t a normal church. It believes in Spiritual Gifts, but even more literal than the Bible, because her father was a Real faith healer pastor – it was Tradition for the pastors and Elders to have real Spiritual Gifts, and her father had wanted her to become a pastor. But she’d come to think maybe it was fake after all until she could read minds. She also confirms that the church doesn’t agree with Catholics. Or other faiths.

AJ thinks for a moment about Robert’s question and answers sincerely. He wants to explore Antarctica and find the “mechanized city” he’d heard about.

Madi says she thinks the church has Cassidy hostage since she disappeared right after the memorial.

Geri uncomfortably explains that the church is after the Gifted, and might settle for converts if they can’t get her back. Clearly, according to Geri, the church needs to be razed.

Robert says he’ll help with whatever, he doesn’t have much to go back to. He just hopes his cat is okay.

Madison says obviously her priority is rescuing Cassidy.

Geri offers to help them with their objectives, the rescue and AJ’s quest, but she wants to destroy everything, absolutely Every. Little. Thing. Her father loves – though she’s not gonna force any of the others to help her with that part. She’s not like her family, or the Long Man Society. She just wants them to not get in her way. She also expresses interest in knowing more about what they are and why they are the way they are.

AJ agrees to help but says he’s not gonna hurt anyone. He doesn’t want to become a weapon. Geri asks him what his powers even are (besides nepotism), and he claims he doesn’t have any, but that he can help with distractions and little last-minute gadgets.

When asked, Madi’s unsure whether Cassidy is like the cohort – she was helping Madi from outside the ward with exposing Geri’s church, before she went dark. She also says she’ll do whatever she has to do to rescue Cassidy, even though she doesn’t want to hurt anyone ever again.

Robert has no qualms about hurting anyone. In fact, he’s pretty pissed with a lot of people now that he’s learned what’s actually going on. He offers to do the “dirty work” for any of the cohort who are squeamish.

Geri says she’s not squeamish, which Robert is grateful for. He says the wisps look useful. Geri doesn’t know how to control them yet, or if she’ll be able to… but it’s why her clothes and much of the ward staff’s clothes who deal with her end up singed, and she ends up stuck wearing scrubs she hates.

Madison, ashamed, says her biggest problem is going to be not hurting people.

AJ chimes in that he can make action playlists to get everyone in the mood, which Geri counters that AJ can at least be distracting.

They continue sharing what they know of their new powers. Geri says if she tries hard she can make a private mental groupchat if she tries really hard. And she can burn stuff but doesn’t know how to control that well yet.

Madison isn’t really sure what she can do – mostly that it involves electricity, and lightning. She can make electronics do what she wants, and had at least some control over storms…. The once. Her body makes electricity she can discharge outward, too. And the ward keeps trying to figure out what can and can’t hurt her. Electricity, fire, and cold don’t. She can still drown. She’s not immune to drugs, and acid still hurts. She gets awkward and picks at her scrubs as she lists off her immunities.

Everyone goes very quiet in horror and anger listening to what happened, and what was implied to have happened to her. Geri very nearly hits something and her Lash threatens to Become A Potential Problem, yet again, singeing bits of clothing. AJ quietly apologizes to Madi. Geri, by way of comforting, promises that the ones who hurt Madi will pay.

Robert explains that sunlight and running water hurt him now, and he sees ‘fucked up things with auras’ he doesn’t understand. He can get bigger, about as big as a moose, he thinks, and his skin gets tougher, though he’s only done that once and it was in an office full of people. He’s determined to be the group’s protector.

Madi suggests, while Geri continues to comfort her, that maybe AJ doesn’t know what his powers are because it’s something really subtle, like being ageless like his uncle Gabe. Robert and Geri think that’s a reasonable enough explanation. AJ good-naturedly plays it off.

Madi wonders if Gabe is AJ’s blood uncle, and if so, how old even are AJ’s parents?

AJ gets visibly uncomfortable as he admits that Gabe confessed that he’s actually AJ’s great-great (many greats, he’s not quite sure how many) grandfather, and he’s been sticking around ‘guiding the bloodline.’ And also that Gabe’s not sure what happened to make him like he is, or maybe he just doesn’t want to tell AJ.

Madi asks Geri if she could figure out more about Gabe without being caught, and AJ puts a stop to that right away, telling the girls that Gabe also has basically a black hole for a brain and can’t be mind-read, which Geri confirms, because of course she’s already tried. She says she thinks his brain works on a different wavelength than she can hear, like a radio.

Madi asks if they mean like ‘that old vampire movie’ and the others all take psychic damage from Twilight being referred to as “old.”

Geri says they need to gather intel on the guard rounds and to shut off Zuse’s room when it’s time, and also lets them know that from her observations the staff has been taught to be resistant to mind-reading attempts. Not immune, but they can make it annoying.

They start to get anxious about the time, that they might get caught soon.

Madi says she’ll try to turn off Zuse, but doesn’t know if she can.

AJ has plans for a distraction, but needs some spare parts from household items he needs to get Gabe into sneak for him – an old microwave and a vacuum cleaner. He already got Gabe to agree to try to get the group things they need for their plan if they come up with a list – no assurance that it will be successful but at least an attempt will be made.

Robert’s plan is very simple - punch stuff that needs punching.

Madison says they’ll need clothes because one time her friend broke out of troubled teen camp and they caught her because she was still wearing the camp’s jumper and sent her back so she doesn’t want the cohort sent back for getting caught wearing scrubs.

Robert suggests they could steal clothes from a nearby store when they break out, but the cohort reminds him that they’ve been given an offer for plan items so they may as well not make things harder on themselves (and get the cops on them sooner than necessary).

Madison mentions having a trust fund for money when she balks extra hard at theft, but Robert points out how exactly does she plan to access it? She drops that for the moment and mentions that her parents own a lakehouse that should be empty this time of year they can hide out in.

AJ says they need to work on getting the layout of the ward for their escape, and suggests working with Patty. Madi and Geri both reject that idea hard. Madi because she thinks (mostly from Geri dislike her) that Patty is a sociopath and Geri because she’s still salty about Patty daring to make telepathy inconvenient. She says she’ll try to pull the information they need from her instead. Geri also says Zuse likely knows all about break and lunch times for the staff and would be more pleasant to work with, and the cohort can just trade some gossip with him for the information if he wants anything for it.

The guys wonder if the cohort can even trust Zuse, though AJ thinks he’d be a valuable addition to the cohort if he is trustworthy. Robert’s notably more skeptical. The cohort discusses back and forth about his probable motives, about what he might want, about how much of his intentions might just be the programming, and how different he might be once outside the server.

AJ says that Zuse believes in protecting humanity, and says if they try to show that’s what the cohort stands for with their actions, he might try to come with them willingly.

In the end, the cohort are too conflicted with what to do with him. The programming makes him too much of a wild card, though they do like him a lot and want to take him with them. They decide to table whether or not to bring him until they see what he’s really like outside the server. All except Robert are uncomfortable with the idea that they may end up having to leave Zuse behind.

AJ asks the cohort if they have any last requests or ideas before they split up.

Geri mentions at least some of the clothes need to be cotton, so they don’t melt when she accidentally singes them. She also says that the fact Zuse is so interested in petty gossip seems like a good sign - computers shouldn’t be interested in that. She thinks it’s a sign the human part of him is waking up more the more he gossips, and a key to get closer to him.

AJ and Madi are hopeful with that sentiment, and the cohort leave to continue refining and setting their escape plan in motion.

[Music Outro: "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo]

Thanks for listening, This has been Gather ‘Round The Trashfires with Bek Andrew Evans.

AJ is played by Roen,

Geri is played by me,

Madison is played by Syn,

Robert is played by Pandito,

And our Storyteller is Casey Grant.

Please subscribe to this podcast for future updates and leave a review or comment, I’d love to hear what you think. You can follow me on a few different social platforms with the username "bekandrew." If you'd like to support me, subscribe to my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG and purchase my art prints and tabletop products, including my Deviant: the Renegades community content novella related to this chronicle via my linktree in the description.

The intro theme is "_violence by Avantist" from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.

The end theme is "Time Will Fail Us" by Troigo from the Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0.

If you like the songs, I encourage you to check out more of their work. I've linked their Bandcamps in the description.

Until next time.

Follow my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG Check out my other work at linktr.ee/bekandrew Check out the Intro and Outro artists' Bandcamps! https://theavantist.bandcamp.com/music https://troigo.bandcamp.com/ Remember to subscribe and see y'all next week!
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