Noah, not in charge hear, shoulders his long arm and readies to defend his group if needed.
Paeon takes a look at the faulty door,
{Ed, Retsi, maybe we can give this a little nudge to get it movin.}
Paeon gives it the good ole college try (to pry it open)
Between his exerted efforts and grunts he calls out,
"Anyone alive in there?
Seeing that Paeon wants to enter a cabin, Noah will key in a sequence to unlock and open the door.
Ed's answer gives the big Vesk pause;
"Officer of the Corpse Fleet!? What in the name of the Conqueror is it doing here?"
Elsewhere the rest of you move toward the crew chamber registering a faulty door.
You note that the door is slightly ajar, with a thin gap into the chamber beyond visible. The door (and gap) seems barricaded with sundry items and the portal itself shows signs of claw and impact damage. The wall opposite shows signs of wayward laser fire - most likely from the chamber's direction.
Paeon attempts to force open the jammed door, but it fails to budge . Likewise Noah's attempt to activate the door come to naught as it merely registers MALFUNCTIONING - CAUSE UNKNOWN on his screen.
From within the chamber you hear the booted footsteps approach. The owner attempts to muscle open the door, but not no avail from their frustrated grunts.
Between attempts the would be door breaker shouts in Pact World Common;
"Anyone alive in there?"
From your previous meeting you recognise the voice as the big Lashunta who gifted you the laser pistol...
Hearing a somewhat friendly voice, Fingernipper calls out, "Depends. Who wants to know?"
Nipper pulls out his sidearm.
Ed notes the gap in the door and blasted wall opposite. We might want to let whatevers in there know we're coming.
Paeon crouches down the project his voice,
"So there are some survivors, or looters, either way you evaded the space cats. We were sent as an expeditionary and rescue team when communication went dark. Were with the Starfinders. So which are you? Survivor, or looter?"
"Starfinders? Why does the Starfinder society have any interest in the Acreon? Besides this is private property you can't just be traipsing around in here."
Fingernipper starts to move aside bits of the barricade. From outside, the sound heavy objects being shifted around can be heard.
"Mutual interests perhaps.. Either way if you need saving, consider yourself saved. If you need protection of the group then follow along, should you try anything we've got a few itchy gunners ready to go."
Paeon looks back to the team and shrugs,
{doesn't seem too threatening, a victim I guess? Might be best to move on to the remaining cargo hold.}
Moving away from the broken door and toward the Starboard Cargo Hold.
{Open when ready Noah2}
While Glub's breathing became increasingly shallow, you managed to scour the room (for any potential healing as much as loot)
You garner the following:
▸ Tool Kit [Engineering Kit]
▸ 500 UPBs
▸ Computer Key Card [which you believe can access the ship's computer system]
▸ Credstik with 500 credits [was stashed under the bunk]
Alas in the last couple of hours Glub ebbed away...
Fingernipper begins to clear the debris noisily, as he does any of you standing near the door engaging in conversation can see inside - your gaze taking in a industrious looking Ysoki clearing the barricade, while in the background lies the body of another goblin junker (looks identical to the corpse in the corridor).
As a an entry/exit becomes a reality you cannot but notice that the (apparently) dead goblin begins to tremor and shudder uncontrollably...
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Noah is initially focused on the little Ysoki and states If you want to establish you were part of the original crew you will have to prove that.
But something beyond the newcomer barely catches his eye. Look out! That goblin is not as dead as it looked!
Noah's shout draws attention to the prone, pallid looking goblin contorting and shuddering at the back of the chamber.
Upon the goblin you keenly notice that under the creatures skin is a network of bioluminescent veins...
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"Mutual interests, my furry behind, thievery more likely," Fingernipper says as he squeezes out past the barricade."Never said I was part of the crew."
He takes a look at party. "Hey, I know you people."
Before he gets any further, Noah's cry causes him to turn around. "Naw bud, Glub's shuffled off to that great goblin garbage heap in the sky."
"Um, that's new. Pretty sure goblins aren't supposed to glow, even after they're dead."
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Paeon turns his head back as the Ysoki squirms his way out of the opening. Sweat beading down his forehead, the usual active stellar mote seems lethargic in its pulsations.
Projecting in his usual telepathic preferred method of communication,
{Feelin' real weighed down here, this wound just wont quit.}
Finally able to see the source of the voice he reaches out,
{What did you leave behind in there?}
You know us? From where? Ed asks in confusion.
He doesn't get long to ponder as he notes the weird goblin. AH! He's glowing inside like a void thing!
Yea. You keep insulting us and accusing of crimes rat boy and we are leaving you here. Noah says irritated. We aready saved your ass from that glow goblin back there, or have you not realized that.
Your canny intuition comes up with nothing as Fingernipper does not jog your memory at all.
As Fingernipper engages in a back and forth with your collective, the thrashing goblin corpse's mouth snaps open and its lower jaw snaps free in a sickening crunch... A long blue tongue coils from the creatures rent maw as it jerks itself upward!
You diagnose that the goblin has succumbed to Void Death; After a humanoid host dies from void death, the strongest of the Akata larvae infesting the corpse worms its way to the host’s brain and undergoes a swift gestation within a few hours. This accelerated growth causes the feeler-covered head of the oversized, tadpole-shaped parasite to latch on to the base of its victim’s brain and reenergise the dying organ, taking total control and turning the host into a Void Zombie....
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Fingernipper fiddles with his belt, for half an instant his feature are replaced with those of an old and worn out man.
"Shoot. Ol' Jeb was jus' tol' to enage with y'all."
The illusion fizzles so quickly it's hard to believe that it was there at all. Fingernipper fiddles with his belt again, "Out of juice, but a pretty handy gizmo when she's working."
"Now, if you had listened to Ol' Jeb, you'd be under commission from Captain Serissi and here on official Hardscrabble business. But since you didn't listen to the time tested wisdom of that gentleman, I can only assume you're here for less than honorable reasons."
"And let's watch it with the insults there Tinman. Name's Fingernipper."
Turning back at the noise, "Well that can't be good." The Ysoki, scurries to put some distance between himself and thrashing cadaver.
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Ed leaps back with a shriek, fumbling for his shock gun. It's a Void Zombie! Kill it! Again! Make it deader!
;
Not much for introductions and a bit preoccupied with the damage the Akata did to her, Kris has been crouched down against the far wall while Fingernipper and Noah jaw at each other.
Until Ed begins yelling Kris ignored the room Fingernipper had exited from, with the commotion going on she turned her head to the side and looked inside. "Well that can't be good"
Raising her pistol she takes aim.
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Sitting in the room for hours looking at the flame pistol and the shiny particles got boring really quick, CICA started to speak to him again once he started to fidget around after sitting for awhile With casualties sustained and immediate evacuation not probably, reconnecting with the any and all survivors is the best strategy. I recommend not engaging with the blue creatures though, they are extremely dangerous and death is not a desired outcome
The goblin stops sitting and stands up putting the particle in his pocket and carrying the pistol in his grubby little hand. CIC, you right let’s go find the others. Don’t worry I burn the blues with my pistol, it burns them good. Startoad starts to walk towards the door and sees a crate and immediately stops staring at it.
but first I see what’s in these crates, hopefully shinies and more flamers CICA immediately chimes in, carrying more things is unadvised, it will make escape harder. Startoad as he walks to the crate ignoring the voice chiming in his head retorts back, well flamers and shinies help so imma search these crates.
Startoad searches the crates, throwing anything he doesn’t think would be valuable across the room, and stowing away the things he keeps in his backpack. Once he finishes he scrambles up to the door and after looking at it for a bit pulls off the door scanner and begins ripping out wires.
Ed and Kris react quickly to the risen gob threat - Ed's shot shocks the creature as it lies prone, while the operative's bullet flies high-wide & handsome lodging itself into the far wall.
Despite your A.I.'s warnings you did into the various boxes - harvesting the following:
▸ Grenade, Incendiary I
▸ Grenade, Shock I (x2)
▸ Grenade, Stickybomb I
▸ Detonator (x2)
▸ Fire Extinguisher
As you move your attention to the door locking, you prise out the main mechanism and short the internal wiring inside.
The door shudders open just as you hear two shots ring out - the first the low drone from an energy pistol, the the unmistakable crack of a projectile weapon!
VZ
Ed
Fingernipper
Kris7
Noah2
Paeon
Retsiji
The Void Glombie awkwardly rises, as its purple-black, barbed tongue extends from its misshapen skull.
The creature turns, its cold eyes roll, as its tongue flickers...
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"That is not ok. Shoot it in the face!!" Fingernipper inspires the team to target the space abomination and scurries down the hallway a bit.
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Ed takes another quick shot and hurriedly follows the new mouseman.
;
As shots are fired Retsiji's voice rumbles over the comms;
"By the Conqueror's Scales - whose shooting? Do you need me?"
The Vesk sounds a little preoccupied...
Fingernipper gives some inspiring advice then bolts, Ed follows suit shooting as he scuttles down the corridor after the Ysoki.
His snapshot however proves to be accurate and he fries the creatures shoulder, blackening its flesh. In response the barbed tongue ripples in bioluminescent anger and pain...
Not sure if it will work but willing to try anyways, Kris waves her knife around a bit trying to draw the creatures attention. She was infected already, so what could another bite do to her.
firing at the creature from her other hand, the one holding the pistol still....
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Suddenly feeling the AI start to push for control of his limbs startoad starts to run towards the gunfire. we must make haste to provide assistance to whoever is shooting we may be able to get allies that will help us leave the ship startoad resists for a second but decides to go along with it hoping that maybe he can burn more blues.
Kris fails to attract the creatures attention, but her shoot flies true - leaving a gaping hole where the Void Zombie's gut used to be.
Its tongue ripples a deep red and dragging streamers of intestine behind it lurches toward Kris moving with an awkward quickness .
:
:
The creature smashes mindlessly into the android operative!
Meanwhile Startoad reluctantly hustles toward the sound of combat.. almost running headlong into Paeon!!!
Paeon peaks around the corner as the blast fire shoots at something unseen. Hearing the Vesk sound rather distracted he heads back in that direction to get eyes on him,
{What's goin on back here? That old skeleton starting to stir up again?}
Paeon can see that Retisji has entered the Cargo Hold where the undead-in-a-box resides. What he fails to clock is the armoured goblin hustling up the corridor from the opposite direction.
For his part Startoad is suddenly met with a heavily built Lashunta with a strange halo of stellar light circling him!
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Running headlong forward toward the gunfire Startoad sees this strange man with a light circling his head, he stops for a second and in shock raises his flame pistol, CIC starts to yell in his head, say something friendly, say something friendly! for a split second he stands there pointing his pistol at the longshanks. Then he blurts out “Help? You need Help? I can help.
Just for a quick description Paeon, you see this little greenish goblin in what looks to be handfashoned EVA armor with bits of metal and wire attached almost haphazardly to the EVA suit. He has a backpack laden down with all sorts of things you could only suspect a goblin would find interesting. A rifle to large for a small goblin strapped to him, and a flame pistol in his hands. Though unlike any goblin you’ve seen he has half of his head missing and replaced by what seems to be a computer of some kind, giving of blue light and pulsating in some strange manner in a rhythm that almost might be it trying to communicate. The strange picture is complete by what appears to be an extendable cord peaking out from a port on the side of the goblins head next to his ear.
Paeon turns as the goblin blurts out his offer of help. He looks at him quizzically,
{What could you possibly help with?}
The lashunta points a hand in the Goborb's direction. His stellar mote vanishing as a large blade begins to materialize in his hand.
Startoad lowers the flame pistol slightly, points to his pistol. “I can burn the blue monsters” realizing he spoke telepathically he blurts, “how you speak in my head, only CIC do that to me? “ his focus on his pistol, the gunshots, and a large sword that is forming in front of him completely gone.
Look Fingernipper, I am sure we can help you out of this life and death situation you find yourself in. And since you want to assume the worst about us, I believe stand rescue rates will do nicely. Noah says as he takes a shot at the reanimated goblin. How does 500 credits sound?
When another goblin shows up chattering about burning things Noah is confused for a moment but since the space goblin is not attacking them he offers The blue lions are not hurt by fire little guy.
Startoad looks at the man in front of him with a scowl, “I show you my help.” he then runs past the lashunta towards the metal man that yelled to him, a look on his face of determination.
CIC muses well it seems making friends is not your strong suit, hopefully they don’t kill us. It would be a shame to die so early into our new found relationship.
As Noah negotiates with Fingernipper he angles in a shot at the diminutive undead battering Kris... The shot of electrical energy catches it square on the head causing its "tongue" to writhe and crisp before falling to the floor like a desiccated slug - followed immediately by the goblin corpse that drops like a stringless puppet!
You recognise that the fried "tongue" of the goblin zombie is actually a more advanced form of the tiny bioluminescent creatures seen under the skins of Paeon and Kris. Your insight also determines that the slug/larva/tongue skin is identical in colour to the Akatas previously encountered...
As such you deduce the two must be linked in some macabre lifecycle.
A deathly quiet falls o'er the Acreon disrupted only by the thumping footsteps of the augmented goblin running toward where Noah and Kris stand over the lifeless Void Zomblin.
Noah is unsure about what the creature is but is quite glad its dead. He scans the room for other threats.
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"I'm sure it looks worse than it is. Just walk it off."
Startoad sees his redead friend and looks at him confused seeing his now electrocuted zombie corpse, ” Well glub dead now, is rotgrub ok?” looking in the room to try and find his other associate. Seeing no rotgrub he walks out looking at the tall group of people. “Hiya, I’m startoad. I come to help”
Ed is distracted from the dead goblin by a living one. Why are you on this ship? Were you on the crew? What happened?
Startoad looks to the big insect and stairs for a second then speaks up, I run away from big under and ended up with going with rotgrub and the others. We came to try and get scrap. We didn’t find anyone here.
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What is a big under? And how did you get to this ship? Noah asks, risking asking two questions in the same sentence.
You see the goblin turn to you and see the machine in his head brighten slightly, as he looks at you.
another synthetic life form! I have so much to ask him. Oh, oh ask him if he escaped too!
we were dropped off, bulb call to have them come back. Uhhhh CIC wants to know if you escaped too?
Big under. Where? Ed asks, his antennae twitching with suppressed mirth.
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Startoad chirps away The big uns were on Absalom! They was mean put CIC in my head. pointing to the large clear half dome that is apart of his head.
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We came to figure out what happened here. Did you see the shiny space lions? Have you gone over to the big rock?
“We walked in and one of the blue monsters attacked they chewed up bulb and bit glub. He followed me and then I burned him, burned him real good. he holds up his flame pistol to show what he used. He then looks around, and asks “So can I come with you guys, I can’t go no where else, I don’t know where rotgrub went and everyone else is gone. I can help, me real good with monsters and with gizmos and with guns and with shiny stuff too.” he then pulls out a piece of noqual that he had in his backpack to show.