Eric will reconnoiter the trapdoor area...he activates his cloaking field and climbs down into wherever it leads
"It's the symbol of the Devourer. Seen, like, eleventy billion of these things. Your voice is the most boringlyest voice ever."
"Oh! Yes, you were hurt!" Manteca pulls out the medkit and begins to investigate Imagine's wounds.
Manteca deftly sews up Imagine's wounds. "You should avoid strenuous activity for a while, and when we're back to the ship I would suggest increasing the amount of time you spend in bed," the shirren says seriously, focusing intently on the wound.
leads to a severe chamber crafted of metal and concrete. A wide sliding door stands in the far wall of the room, rust dappling its edges like rotten lace. A single light above the doorway flickers weakly .
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"You DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM straight I got hurt. You took off and then Zena the Warrior Princess took off and then everything starts attacking ME and then," Imagine keeps up a constant banter of berating Manteca, Manteca's actions, Menteca's decision-making process, and Manteca's medical training right up until...
"You should avoid strenuous activity for a while, and when we're back to the ship I would suggest increasing the amount of time you spend in bed," the shirren says....
"and then you should really--what?" suddenly Imagine's entire demenor changes from that of berating harpy to a rescued damsel told she's gonna get a cookie. "Oh. OH! Oh, um, yes, YES.
But, uh, I don't, um, I don't really know how to rest properly. That is, I've never had to go to bed, with a, ah, a wound.
I will definitely need your expert medical knowledge making that decision. Then you can work on your...bedside manner.
But for now, I just must rest.
Care to join me?"
Eric turns off his cloaking field as he surveys the room he is in...
He sends a message to the others
[i]Humanoids: The trapdoor leads to a room. It is empty but leads further into some existing structure. My analysis gives a high probability that this is the base we are looking for.
Eric will crouch in the corner and wait for the others, once they arrive he checks the door and will crack it open to get a look at what's behind it.
The shirren works contentedly through the heaping abuse that Imagine heaps upon him, focusing on keeping the stitches close and tight. Though when Imagine has her sudden shift in tone...
"But, uh, I don't, um, I don't really know how to rest properly. That is, I've never had to go to bed, with a, ah, a wound.
I will definitely need your expert medical knowledge making that decision. Then you can work on your...bedside manner.
But for now, I just must rest.
Care to join me?"
Manteca looks confusedly at Imagine. "It's fairly simple - you lie down and you lie very still...? I really can't think how I could make that process any easier... And is there something about my bedside manner that's lacking right now? I worked really hard to try to make my accent while speaking audibly less distinct, but I sometimes worry - Oh, look, EH-RK found something!"
He hurriedly packs up the medkit and follows after EH-RK's tracks.
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Boreal scowls following after Manteca. Nearly got her killed... She mutters to herself, eyes burning holes in the back of Manteca's head.
EH-RK sneaks in unnoticed. This might have to do with his excellent sneaking skills. But it might also be that there is no one around to watch. But one very observant monitoring device recognizes the approach and sprays the whole area in front of the door with some mist.
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The shirren works contentedly through the heaping abuse that Imagine heaps upon him, focusing on keeping the stitches close and tight. Though when Imagine has her sudden shift in tone...
"But, uh, I don't, um, I don't really know how to rest properly. That is, I've never had to go to bed, with a, ah, a wound.
I will definitely need your expert medical knowledge making that decision. Then you can work on your...bedside manner.
But for now, I just must rest.
Care to join me?"
Manteca looks confusedly at Imagine. "It's fairly simple - you lie down and you lie very still...? I really can't think how I could make that process any easier... And is there something about my bedside manner that's lacking right now? I worked really hard to try to make my accent while speaking audibly less distinct, but I sometimes worry - Oh, look, EH-RK found something!"
He hurriedly packs up the medkit and follows after EH-RK's tracks.
"How should I know, you're the doctor! You'll just have to visit me in me bedchamber to make certain. To not would really be medical malpractice. I'll make it easier on you and visit you in your bedchamber. I'm easy to get along with."
"How should I know, you're the doctor! You'll just have to visit me in me bedchamber to make certain. To not would really be medical malpractice. I'll make it easier on you and visit you in your bedchamber. I'm easy to get along with."
Manteca stops and looks alarmed. "No! You're to stay in your bed during bed rest - it's in the name! I'll check on you in your bed, that's the proper medical way to do it."
sigh
Whatever he's sprayed with...Eric probably won't like it.
Manteca climbs down and also begins coughing as the spray gets through his suit's protections. Oh... Oh no..., he says a little woozily.
"Uggh, what is this??" Manteca says, hacking as he struggles to breath.
Riveted walls of steel around the airlock hatch extend into a cavernous gloom. At the chamber’s center stands a wide computer console that practically stretches to the ceiling. Rows of grimy buttons frame its blank display screen, from which emanates the faintest of glows.
The computer is of course secured against unauthorized operation.
Half a dozen tiered pillars are interspersed throughout this wide hallway, which ends in a concave wall made of plated steel. A strange pile of body parts and viscera lies next to the easternmost pillar. The faint scent of ozone hangs in the air.
Manteca stands twitching his antennae fitfully at the sight of carnage. Going to check on the computer, he says telepathically, carefully approaching the console before beginning to access it.
Manteca doesn't manage to get into the computer, but to everyones surprise there is no death trap or even a little electric shock linked to that failure. A simple "Acess Denied" is all that follows.
Eric doesn't use a flashlight...that would make sneaking around difficult.
Eric moves slowly over towards the pile of parts...
It's hard to tell what it was, before it was cut into fist sized chunks.
Manteca looks past the computer console at what EH-RK is looking at - the entire thing looks way more interesting than the computer - but sighs and keeps trying to get into the computer. Don't go too far ahead, he emotes at the android. I want to know what's in this computer.
Shirren Manteca Imani: Copy. the android sends back.
Eric looks nearby searching for what might have cut this thing into small sized chunks
Manteca manages to outsmart the console login and gets access to the control directory. It has three items. One is the light control for the base and control modules are for two curious systems: one is labeled “Entrance Deterrent” and the other “Chamber of Devouring.”
Uh, EH-RK, I have something here. Buncha toggles - you want me to turn on the lights, the, uh... Entrance Deterrant? I think we met that. Or the Chamber of Devouring? That doesn't sound good.
Should I start turning some of these on? Or, I guess off?
Eric moves back to meet with the rest of the group
Humanoids: There doesn't seem to be any other creatures in this area. Shirren Manteca Imani: Can you query the system to provide more data?
The light control is without further security, but the other two are behind another authorization check each .
There is not more data to be found, but some backgroundprocesses hint at the existance of another computer system, this one is connected to.
Manteca tries earnestly to get into the computer again, starting with the Entry Deterrent.
Manteca winces as another "Access Denied" pops up on the screen. Hmmmm, that isn't what they showed in the manual... He pulls up a copy of Unauthorized Access For Dummies on his comms screen and begins muttering as he tries to gain access.
Somewhere further in the room a drop of water falls into a puddle. Maybe condensed moisture? It is just the typical noise of a drop falling into a water, echoing through the metallic room, interrupting the monotonous clicking noise of Manteca's fingers running over the keyboard.
Eric attempts his own hacking of the system
<---system one
<---system 2
EH-RK ushers Manteca and his educational literature away from the keyboard and solves the issue at hand. The two items are the controls from the traps, and EH-RK shuts them both down.
This makes the trip to the doors further down the room much easier. The doors are not locked. A cloying gloom fills this long, claustrophobic hallway, behind the doors. A red light on the western wall blinks slowly, giving the scene a sinister atmosphere.
Manteca pulls the compass from his survival kit. Face-up, we go north, face-down we go south? He flips the compass with one claw.
South it is,!
Eric creeps towards the south
Eric has the others stay in the main room and he moves towards the end of the hallway
Minimalist sleeping pallets lie on the severe metal floor of this room, and simple shelves and dressers serve as furniture. There is noone in the room and nothing special to see .
The neighboring rooms are the same . Beyond is a kitchen and dining area . This seems as if they were abandoned in the middle of a meal’s preparation. Pots of meat slurry and festering dairy sit on the stoves to the west, and metal cups full of some sludgy, long-turned beverage sit on the tables to the east. Tiny flies buzz about the entire scene, flitting from place to place among the rotten smorgasbord.
Manteca peers out from the door into the hallway. EH-RK? he asks telepathically. Should we follow?
Eric goes back to the others and reports
Humanoids: The rooms on this side are empty. However, a meal was recently prepared, so this facility is not abandoned.
Eric indicates that he will begin searching the opposite side of the facility and that the others should take up positions nearby.
The next areas EH-RK check son are living quarters of the same make as on the other side. Minimalist sleeping pallets lie on the severe metal floor of these rooms, and simple shelves and dressers serve as furniture.
At the Western end of them is another mess like on the southern row of rooms.
EH-RK hears a whir of gears in the neighboring room .
Manteca follows Imagine through the other rooms, keeping a telepathic worry session running at Imagine and Boreal. Do you think EH-RK is ok? Why hasn't he checked in? Should we check on him? Do you think it will make things worse if we check in on him? Ugh, this would be so much easier if you were all telepathic too. Ooooh, what's that?
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'Yes, it will -definitely- make things worse if we go check on him. We should stay here. Together. Alone. And investigate these bedrooms together.'
Imagine starts by looking through the shelves. Then the dressers. If that doesn't turn up anything it must mean that they're really good at hiding things and she'll flip the mattresses over.
Imagine finds a small lump under one of the sleeping pallets , which turns out to be a datapad and a credstick holding 1,400 credits.