A Judge Dredd RPG session using my homebrew version of the Savage Dredd playset for Savage Worlds. Play was IRL at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club in South East London.
As the Judges exit Shady Acres a nine tear old girl runs up to them clutching a doll and a book, she thrusts the book into their faces and she
"Can you sign my book please Judges, I got to collect you all!"
Sure enough as Cross leafs through the pages he can see the names of many of his colleagues both past and present. He notices that the early pages of the book have quite a lot of symbols scrawled next to the names. Judge Shenandoah, a car and and a skull, Judge Blomsky a knife and a skull, Judge Krush a big question mark. He briefly contemplates that this is some sort of murder book, but then realises that the girl is only nine years old. Leafing to the front of the book there's an inscription.
This book belongs to Lucy Scoggins Age 8 If found return to 666-67 Ozzy Apts.
"Lucy Scoggins, I presume" says Cross, looking over at the towering and imposing black edifice that is the nearby Ozzy Apts. "What are you doing here so far from Home"
"Visiting Nanny Scroggins Judge. Mum left Pete and I in the playground, but then I saw your bikes and I knew I could get some new names for my autograph book. You can put your name right their with my special glitter pen".
In the interests of Justice Department community relations Judges Ripley and Cross sign Lucy's book.
++ INCOMING CALL FROM DR K.LAW, TUSK INDUSTRIES ++
"Judges, I've isolated some rogue code that appears to have piggybacked on the Tusk Industries update transmission, used it as a carrier wave to inject into the vending machine when the firewall dropped. Can't have been transmitted from very far away. Very sophisticated."
Mint and Ripley come to the same conclusion.
"A droid hacker, someone with a grudge against Tusk Industries, an ex-employee perhaps someone they recently fired. Does anyone fit the bill Doctor?"
"You'll have to talk to HR, It's really not my area of expertise. Patching you through"
After a few minutes of The Girl from Ipanema, a droid in a monotone disaffected voice answers,
"Human Resources, You're talking to Call Me Hermione, how can I help?"
When quizzed about a list of firings and disgruntled employees Hermione tells the Judges that they are very selective in their hiring processes and everyone at Tusk Industries is very happy to work their. This means that they have not had to fire anyone in years. Mr Tusk takes great pride in the extremely low turnover of staff, in fact he often refers to it as a cradle to grave company.
"What about people who have recently left the company for any reason."
A short list of names scroll past the Judges eyes.
"Bestman, Alfred Sr, says he retired 6 months ago."
"Yes, Mr Bestman senior was Doctor Law's most capable assistant, he left after a very distinguished career. But his son Alfred Jr. continues his work. A model employee, he really earned his retirement and has a "
"Lets pay a visit to Bestman, Barney says he's registered to Shady Acres. Too close for comfort in my book" says Ripley.
The Judges mount up and gun their bikes towards the Megway.
Bestman's Apartment
Knocking on the door to Alfred Bestman's apartment gets no response so Binksy inserts his Justice Department skeleton key in the lock and shouts through the Door
"Justice Department Raid, we're coming in, hands where I can see 'em"
The door doesn't budge and it takes a few shoulder barges to push away the mountain of junk mail that blocks the doorway.
Judge Mint turns the droid on. With a whirr he powers up and immediately wheels over to the pile of circulars and junk mail on the floor, He grabs a handful of flyers and stuffs them into his mouth. A hideous grinding sound ensues and then he rolls over to the wall mounted RESYK chute and spews the contents through its open door.
"Wow that was some good eating" as he turns to face the door he notices the Judges. "Hey you're not my owner what are you doing in here?"
The Judges explain and Call Me Shreddy agrees to co-operate. He's been on standby power for 3 months according to his internal clock and he shows the Judges his last recorded video feed.
It shows a hooded figure bending down to leaf through the mail pick out a few items and then leave.
"It's been like this for years he says. My owner comes and picks up his mail and I get to eat the rest, yum,yum"
Binksy looks the droid in the camera lens,
Okay Shreddy, we're going to deputize you as an official Justice Department informer. As soon as your owner come through that door, you need to send me a message."
The Judges leave and resume their patrol duties which includes a tour of the nearby Trump Tower parking lot, a popular spot for storing stolen vehicles.
They spend half an hour meticulously scanning the registrations of the parked vehicles and slowly make their way to the kerbside when suddenly a crowd of screaming citizens pours out of the doors of the Mega Mega Mart.
Slime Time at the Mega Mart
The terrified citizens pour out of the Mega Mega Mart, their skin turning green and sloughing off their bodies as they run. Several run towards the Judges and reach out for help. The Judges respond in the only way their training allows... Neutralize the threat with GP rounds.
One lucky victim park his minivan nearby and managed to start the vehicle. His foot falls off onto the accelerator and the vehicle careens towards Judge Binksy's bike. With it's characteristic HWUMP, the Cyclops laser fires length ways through the vehicle turning it's motor and driver into a pile of steaming slag. Ripley is overwhelmed by one citizen and brought to the floor, the green goo falling off her assailant burning through her uniform.
Mint, Cross and Law take on the assailants at a distance with carefully placed shots whilst Binksy lets his daystick do the talking. As the fracas ensues it is apparent that these poor citizens are inflating like balloons. The merest scratch puncturing their flesh and they explode showering the vicinity in green goo.
It is then that they notice another figure, a corpulent green gargantuan stalking through the doors. His body adorned with corrupted versions of Judge regalia; a helmet that looks like a recycled dustbin, shoulder pads which were once a manhole cover and a park bench and a road sign for a badge with the name TOXIC scratched across it.
Binksy squares off at point blank range and fires several AP rounds into the creature. it bats him away like a rag doll. Mint fires and hits. The creature looks wounded and with a blue flash he is gone. Instantly the hapless citizens infected with the green goo solidify into a brown dust and blow away on the breeze.
Another Level 7 Psychic Event
The Judges call it in and it is not long before the Psi Squad arrive with a Med Tek team who attend to Judge Ripley's burns. Judge Eldritch strides purposefully across to Mint and Cross.
"Twice in one week boys, this is beginning to look suspicious. From what you described, this is definitely not supernatural. Someone has opened a psychic link to another dimension and I don't like it!
Go into the Mega Mart and see what you can find. We'll bag the evidence and inform the victims next of kin. Ripley needs medical attention so get her in a Heal-o-mat, pronto!."
The Judges scab the supermarket for survivors and only locate several piles of dust. Law stoops down and bags a sample of the yellow brown dust "Let's see what forensics makes of this"
They proceed through a vinyl curtain into the back of the store and locate the managers office. The light is on and the Judges proceed cautiously.
"Come out with your hands where I can see them!"
A whimpering figure emerges wearing a name badge which reads Aldous Schultz - Manager.
Mr Schultz explains that he watched the whole thing from his office via the CCTV system. The extradimensional perp appeared in the synthi flakes aisle, his transdimensional bubble vapourising tasty breakfast treats and plas-steel shelving. Several store clerks and innocent shoppers ran for cover but they were infected by his green slimey touch within seconds. As they fled they infected others leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
The Judges return to the Sector House to get cleaned up and check on Ripley.
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