Having driven around the movie set and spotted 'something' nearby via the lens handily attached to the Lewis guns, McCleod opens up at 110 yards...'FOLLOW MY TRACER!'
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| 'I feel that this needs a Risk Assessment and Method Statement mate!' |
Ten round bursts tend to be quite definitive from our friend Lewis, and whatever the invisible thing is, it gets torn to pieces by the impacts, apparently starting to age fast and melt away, though no one gets too close.
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| 'Become a spectral horror, they said, it'll be fun they said...no one mentioned a f'kn Lewis gun???' |
Spotting a slight blip a mile away at the Hotekh Indian site in the side of the mountain, the car trundles along the rough scrub and brush, though can only close to 1/4 of a mile from the site, without getting stuck.
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| 'It's slow, insurance is a nightmare...but you get a free dog.' |
The party leaves the car pointing the right way ('in outta here direction'), and they proceed on foot.
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| '...and as with all our whacked out real estate ladies and gentlemen, the doors are of course, on the roof...' |
Discovering an elaborate and ancient stairway leading up to the site, the party proceed in single file - McCleod with the Lens on the Lewis Gun, then McDade with solid slug double barelled shotgun, then the suspiciously nosey journalist Roseanna Bartlet, and the Russian Paulie Pavlov, with the Tommy gun.
All seems fine, as they approach the first level, scanning..scanning...this will work, I'm sure...then a shriek from Roseanna as Paulie is grabbed by something at the rear of the party, which yanks him by the head and pulls him up into the air, blood spouting and drenching its invisible spectral form as Roseanna freezes with temporary insanity.
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| 'Wasn't there only 4 of us?' |
McDade turns quickly, close range, both barrels with the solid slug, and manages to do max damage, creating spray where once there was a spectral horror...Paulie ends up with ONE hit point and survives barely, and McDade manages to save his life, though he is unconscious.
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| How it happened in my head... |
Being the caring characters they are, they tuck the insane Roseanna and the unconscious Paulie into a corner nook, and give her a revolver for protection. What nice chaps.
McDade and McCleod proceed...thinking there were three of the things in the phantom movie, and they have killed two...right?
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As they reach the upper levels, looking for a vertical entrance into the tallest tower, a 'special' roll on McLeod's spot hidden and he sees the third 'thing' making its way toward the nervous Roseanna's position ...time for more Lewis gun discipline...and multiple rounds from McDade push the thing over the cliff in tatters, as Rosalind starts firing into the wind, mad as a box of bees.
Clearing the tower, the two surviving sane members of the party lower themselves into what looks like some sort of sacrificial pit...covered with runes and cuneiform snake markings, clearly identifying worship of Yig, or worse...but something slimy is moving in the sand between the steps downward and the fire-pit...McLeod fires a burst and McDade jumps badly, narrowly missing having his crotch bitten off by something with a big mouth...
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| 'ere we go, down pit..' |
As he starts to analyse the pit, finding a stone tablet and three wicker dolls of the Hotekh who gave their souls up to become spectral horrors, a scream from Rosanna outside indicates that the spectral horrors are re-forming, and that spell-work is required...and FAST!
Time for the spell, and McDade aces it, burning each effigy as he recites the words at the unholy altar..hearing mingling horrible screams outside as the spectral horrors die once more, and Roseanna goes full GAGA.
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| 'ummm chaps?' |
Pulling free the stone, they realise that they have in fact found, the 'Arc of Vlactos' - a tablet with cuneiform writing and a map of R'lyeh, indicating points of safe passage to the important places. This, and the disc, were what the Order of Silvery Twilight were prepared to kill for, since it would grant them safe passage on the cursed isle, or at least, what path to follow... Now, it seems, unless they can capture the party, they may have to do things the hard way.
They leave quickly, carrying Roseanna and Paulie back to the car, keeping careful watch with the lens ...just in case, and they return to Los Angeles.
Debating whether to go back to Winwood, they first take the mad and the injured to the sanitarium where they had left the Prof (under Winwood's advice), where the head of the place, Dr. Hasselblad, seems very interested in McLeoud's burns from the alien weapon received aboard the Mauretania, after McDade asks about something to heal his ongoing damage problem.
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| 'I sink I zee zee problem...' |
He is also aware that the Prof is acquainted with Winwood's hired investigators - McDade's colleagues, and assures them he has taken great interest in the Professor, who will be healed shortly thanks to pioneering new research...
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| 'who loves ya babay?' |
McDade meanwhile lies to Winwood, stating that as far as the movie set was concerned, there was 'nothing to see here', though he warns about Conswe...Consuell...the housekeeper, being less than trustworthy, but Winwood has bigger issues now, having heard from another colleague - Professor Winthrop Methridge, whom he and Edward Call had managed to convince to go to Easter Island, on a 'research' expedition with his students.
He has received word via telegram from Easter Island via Pearl Harbour, that all is not well...and aid is requested.
He asks the characters if they will help...revealing that he has a fast way to get there...pointing to a picture of his finest airship, 'the Rocinante'...on the wall.
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| The Rozzy |
McDade happily agrees - not really listening to the fact that they will need hydrogen rather than helium due to range - being more excited about airships than saving the world, and shakes on the deal, before going to get McCleod from the sanitarium. As he enters the office of Dr. Hasselblad, he notices an empty jar, which reminds him distinctly of something he has seen before, though last time, there was a Mi-Go embryo inside...curiouser and curiouser.
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| Not jam |
Next stop...Easter Island.
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