(Should M.Burusu ever get unbanned, +1 Perversity)
The elevator doors slide open, revealing an immense and brightly lit bay. Stepping out, the party can see a variety of engineering marvels. Above them hang the frames of Vultures, and other aircraft that could well put that pride of Alpha Complex to shame! Over there is small, shielded, cube-like chamber made of concrete. And yonder is an immense array of chemistry equipment, sending all sorts of vari-colored liquids and gases racing through stills, centrifuges, and The Computer knows what else. Littered here and there are various bots, in practically every stage of construction but finished. And then there are the contraptions of steel and plastic that you can't even begin to put a name to; many look suspiciously gun-like. Machines whir, bots beep, electricity occasionally crackles, and at one point you hear a panicked scream. The air smells of grease, caustic chemicals, caustic cleaners, and hot metal.
Soon a second elevator car opens up, followed shortly by a third. Zengar-R-STG-1 and Ginger-R-UYT-1 emerge from them, respectively, and rejoin the group.
Also here are a number of people in Indigo-Clearance uniforms and lab coats. The walls and floor are colored indigo as well, clearly this place is normally off limits to the likes of you. But a wizened and bald Indigo researcher approaches you with a smile. "Hello there, citizens!" he says, his ID tag identifies him as Genj-I-EEE-4; "You're the troubleshooters we've been expecting! I'm sure you're excited and eager to see what all we've been cooking up today! Oh, before I forget, let's get the mundane stuff out of the way."
He hands each one of the group a small package. "There are five laser barrels for each of you in those," says Genj-I-EEE-4. "It seems like quite a lot, but Friend Computer clearly feels that is a correct allotment. Be sure to record their use carefully and return them when you're done. Now, let's get to the fun stuff, eh?"
He leads the group deeper into the R&D bay. The various experimental items, littered about haphazardly, seem to close in on you. It's difficult not to be a little nervous, who knows what these things do? A sudden explosion on the other side of the only intensifies the feeling; but Genj-I-EEE-4 merely hops over the debris that lands in front of him, muttering something about improved distance, and continues on his way before stopping in front of a stand filled with nasty-looking objects.
"Here we have the Nev-R-Break Plasma Cannon," he says, gesturing toward a bulky-looking weapon connected to an equally-bulky canister that seems to made to fit on one's back. "It's the same great flavor as a typical plasma cannon, but with an entirely new kind of containment system! We're hoping you'll give it its first field test!"
Then he picks up a small bag, and pulls out what seems to be a metal sphere, about an inch in diameter. "These, we are considering as a replacement for grenades. Watch." He tosses it toward an open spot in the bay. where it immediately explodes outward in an cone-shaped array of spikes and blades about seven feet high. "Nasty, isn't it? Gums up vehicles, eviscerates commies, throws frankenstein bots off balance, and none of that mess property damage. Keep track of how hard you throw them, we're still fine tuning the tolerance expectations."
Next, he picks up a small tube, not unlike the kind that Denham-G's Dandy Dental Detergent comes in. "I'm quite chuffed with this one!" He squeezes out a small amount of grayish material, and shapes it into a rough cube with his fingers. Then he places it on the ground and takes a flash of purple liquid from the shelf and pours a little on the cube. The gray material quivers, then suddenly swells up to nearly a yard tall! "We call it Play-Duralim, the junior citizens love it! It's not quite so good for specific pieces, but in a pinch, it'll do. Sadly, it'll only last an hour. But we'll work on it! If you could record the shapes you make successfully, that would be helpful"
The next item his picks up are a pair of bulky-looking shoes. He smiles as he say, "This should be obvious, I hope. A project long in perfecting: the rocket shoes! Just put them on your feel, tap the remote, and off you go! Do record the fuel usage."
Then he picks up a rifle. "This is a deceptive little piece, but really it's quite one of our best. The DoorMarkerPlusPlus!" He aims it at one of the walls and pulls the trigger. A long, thin beam shoots from the weapon. As it hits the wall, the light spreads outward, making a large disc-shape. Then it suddenly eats through the wall, revealing the sector outside; and a rather perilous-looking drop some ten stories down. "We've not quite calibrated it to deal with all wall thicknesses, so we'll expect some properly recorded field data with that."
Then he approaches the last item on the shelf, a curious object that looks like a coiled tube connected to a large cone. He picks up the object and slings it over his shoulder like a bandoleer, so that the cone extends some distance past his head. "I'll need a volunteer for this one. Marrow-R-BAP-1, could you stand over there?" Put on the spot like that, Marrow is unable to refuse. She goes to stand opposite of the party. "This is an interesting tool, I think," Genj-I-EEE-4 says, while fiddling with some buttons. "There is a certain irony in using it. For instance, let's say that you were facing a member of the treasonous Romantics secret society, one who had been seen just recently meeting with one Al-G-REN-4 of the same faction."
Marrow tries to draw a weapon, but the device that Genj wears suddenly emits a monstrous noise:
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT, CITIZEN"
It takes a moment for anyone to recognize the voice of The Computer emanating from the experimental device's cone, altered in some way. Where Marrow was standing, there is only a sort of red mist treacherously settling on the floor. As well, there is quite a lot of broken glass and spilled liquid all around the R&D bay. More than a few choice words are hurled toward the group.
Genj-I-EE-4 seems to take it all in stride. "Well now! Who wants what? Let's try not to be greedy!"