The ysokis hotwire the door, which immediately opens. This circular chamber has stark white walls that are occasionally broken up by rectangular outlines near the floor and a few feet off the ground. The overhead lighting buzzes incessantly.
A LONG dead kishalee, rotting and falling apart stands within. It gives what it can for a scream and charges for the door!
Round 1:
Hack-it: Go
Dunklezahn: Go
Booker: Go
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
You know this to be a "Marooned One." There is a special psychological pain in watching your last chance of survival slip out of sight. Those who are left behind to die in the cold of space—whether on a deserted asteroid or a derelict ship— sometimes arise as a special type of undead called a marooned one. This one died in the freaking bathroom.
Marooned Ones have no strange defenses beyond normal undead, and no special attacks beyond their jealous of life. They try to kill by choking you to death or cutting life support on a ship.
"Contact, dead ahead!" Booker growls. He thunders two blasts at the rotted form.
MISS
The undead is tough, really tough, but Booker burns a hole through its center mass. Still it advances, raising its arms as if to choke the nearest person.
Round 1:
Hack-it: Go
Dunklezahn: Go
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Marooned: 18
Undead! Janzi says, shaking his lashunta head. Because of course it's undead. Don't let it get its hands around your neck. It's a "marooned one," left behind to die. This one's not wearing pants. Think it was stuck in the loo when its friends bailed.
"Does every door we open have to have someone on the other side that wants to kill us? I mean, c'mon."
Regardless, both Hack-It and Hum sidle over before opening fire on the dead.
Dunklezahn assumes it'll be slow like a zombie, so his attack is rushed and misses.
The holy Hailstorm shot strikes though, and the creature continues to advance.
The marooned one reaches out to choke the massive vesk: , but it's just as rushed as Dunklezahn's attack.
Round 1:
Hack-it: Hit
Dunklezahn: Miss
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: Miss
Gig: Go
Janzi: Go
Marooned: 28
"Does every door we open have to have someone on the other side that wants to kill us? I mean, c'mon."
We need to stop opening doors with Hack-It along, Janzi says. Even things that don't know him want to kill him.
Janzi flings a slow spell at the undead thing.
Janzi's spell takes quick hold of the undead as it slows down before Dunklezahn's eyes!
Round 1:
Hack-it: Hit
Dunklezahn: Miss
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: Miss
Gig: Go
Janzi: Slow
Marooned: 28
Gig casts magic missile at the undead fiend.
Gig angles for a quick pair of missiles.
Round 2:
Hack-it: Go
Dunklezahn: Go
Booker: Go
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Marooned: 36
Booker moves in for a better shot.
"Janzi, you once again show you have no idea what you're talking about. All the people that want me dead are on Pact Worlds."
He manages that quip while maintaining fire.
Booker and Hack-it both manage to shoot around Dunklezahn to wound the undead with fire and ice.
Round 2:
Hack-it: Hit
Dunklezahn: Go
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Marooned: 74
"Janzi, you once again show you have no idea what you're talking about. All the people that want me dead are on Pact Worlds."
Impossible, Janzi retorts. First, all the people that want me dead are on the Pact Worlds.
Janzi ducks behind Gig. ...which is no small part of why I'm not on the Pact Worlds.
...which then, by logical extension, brings me to my second point...
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"Janzi, what are you doing hiding behind me?! You don't want a stick of gum do you?!"
Janzi slashes the marooned one across the chest. He tries for a quick follow up, but can't find the angle.
Single-minded, the undead creature reaches for Dunklezahn's throat, ignoring the wounds it's sustained. thankfully the new armor pays for itself. The hands have impossibly strong grip, but Dunk's thought is protected.
Round 2:
Hack-it: Hit
Dunklezahn: Hit
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: ATK
Gig: Go
Janzi: Go
Marooned: 108
Gig takes his hands out of his pockets, he shakes them off, blows on them, and then moves them quickly to draw upon his arcane powers to cast another full round of magic missiles upon the undead foe.
No, I do NOT want a stick of gum, thankyouverymuch, Janzi says. Or anything else you might have stashed in your cheek pouch. No. Really. I'm good.
Gig's kindhearted offer seems nevertheless to have grossed Janzi out.
Janzi's care to not hit Dunk affects his aim. Gig's spell strikes as always!
Round 2:
Hack-it: Go
Dunklezahn: Go
Booker: Go
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Marooned: 119
Booker settles into his stance and pulls the trigger twice, sending a volley of laser blasts into the undead.
The undead continue to simply try and get Dunklezahn's neck in its grasp. He gets a deep slice that should drop it, but doesn't. Then Booker shoots it through the eye. Still it comes.
Round 2:
Hack-it: Go
Dunklezahn: Hit
Booker: Hit
Space Undead: TBD
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Marooned: 183
Hack-It shakes his head. "Told you I didn't tell him about the bubblegum, Gig."
Oh, and of course there's some cold laser fire.
Hack-it shakes his head, then steadies his aim, and shoots the marooned one in he face! The head cracks and shatters as the body finally give sup its fight!
"Th'was quick," Booker grunts, lowering his cannon. He gives the abandoned 'loo a quick once-over, then the body.
The marooned one's armor is incredible. It's also got a nice dagger, though it never drew it. Otherwise the bathroom is empty.
"Huh," Booker grunts, standing over the corpse. "I guess if he's not usin' it..." The old soldier takes several minutes to remove and clean the advanced kishalee tech, swapping out Kavra's armor for this erstwhile fellow's. He transfers his previous armor upgrades and adds Zaz's jetpack to the mix.
Satisfied with the new fit, he hefts his cannon and leads the company to the elevator on the left.
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Hack-It shakes his head. "Told you I didn't tell him about the bubblegum, Gig."
”Alright. Alright. I guess you were right. I just don’t have enough to keep supplying the entire team. I have to ration it until we can get to a good sized space port. It’s not like I can find Woz bubble gum just anywhere, especially the juicy fruit flavor. Now just remember to use discretion in case any of the others get some ideas.”
Booker leads the party to the other two ports. The first is totally empty. The second contains Null-9's ship. Gig and Hack-it give Null-9's ship a solid scrubbing for parts and upgrades
When all is said and done the party returns to the main room where they fought the Butcher.
It seems there's little left to do here, and time to get back to the first moon to begin destroying the Stellar Degenerator.
Hack-It also comes away with portion of a power cell from Null-9's ship which, after a few minutes of rewiring, he slots into his wrist console. "That'll do nicely. Should be able to recharge a few batteries a day. Which reminds me... guys, give me a few more minutes. I've got some adjustments to make on Hum."
Grabbing the disruptor rifle they had looted off Null-9, he gets to work disassembling the weapon. He cuts off the stock, tossing it aside and saying, "Don't need that. Recoil dampeners will need adjusting though." Hack-It then pulls off the sight, examines it, and says, "Naw. This is nice, but mine is better."
He punches a few commands in his console, causing Hum to gently land on the ground. The mechanic then roughly rolls the drone over onto its 'back', brandishes a tool, and begins the process of cutting the mounting bracket that holds the zero rifle in place. He pulls the rifle out, the end clanking to the ground as he does so. "I forgot how heavy these things are up front. Will need to recalibrate the gyroscope. Just a few more minutes..."
In short order Hack-It has the dimensional disruptor rifle installed. He runs a few diagnostics, then punches some commands into his wrist console. The drone floats over to the remains of the marooned one, its barrel swivels, and it fires at near point blank range! Hack-It grunts, satisfied.
What about the other, other ysoki? Janzi says. By which I mean, not the one we like nor the one we somewhat tolerate.
Booker grunts an acknowledgement. "We can set up a brig in one o' the cargo bays," he replies, rolling a cigarette.
After surveying Null-9's ship, Booker works with the ysoki (and Dunklezahn on occasion for the heavy lifting) to move key parts and weaponry over to the Sunrise Maiden, while Torin entertains the prisoners and Dunklezahn works magic in the kitchen. The first job is to set up a brig in the starboard cargo bay, where the cultists can be properly restrained. The next is to seize Null-9's Pulse Prismatic power core and install it in the engine room. Then they deal with weapons. The Maiden's particle beam is moved from its starboard housing up to a new turret, while the HAML is retrofitted into a direct-fire weapon. The two are then linked for simultaneous firing from the gunner's station. Finally, Hack-It rips a heavy laser array out of the cultists' vessel to house in the Maiden's starboard heavy weapon mount while Gig uses some Kishalee tech to squeeze a bit more capacity out of the shields.
When the work is finally done and the prisoners safely stowed, Booker fires up the thrusters and navigates through the gravitational maelstrom back to Controller Moon 1.
After the work, the party gets some much needed and overdue rest.
Finally gone of the moon, Booker easily pilots the Sunrise Maiden out of the moon. The gravity continues to follow an ebb and flow far too complex for the computers and the trip is a rocky one, taking but hour.
The Starfinders not tending to business feel drawn to the port window to look at the impossible set up.
Osteth immediately comes online upon your arrival, "I am pleased to see you again. Were you able to stop the Devourer cultists and bring back an unbroken control board?" For a program, it's voice is extremely anxious. "If yes, please insert it into the flashing slot under the central operation’s terminal."
"Booker, can you try and sail a little smoother there. I am trying to do some sit ups and if you cannot keep the ship steady, I am going to lose count again. I already made it up to seven and you made me have to restart!"
After giving up perhaps a little too easily, Gig goes and helps out with the online arrival.
"Greetings Osteth. Yes, we were able to stop the Devourer cultist and yes, we have the unbroken control board. Do you need us to insert it now?"
Gig insert the technology into the slot and waits to see what happens next.
Hack-It considers the anxious AI suspiciously, but doesn't stop Gig.
Well, aren't you an eager little beaver.
Janzi doesn't suspect anything in the AI's tone. Indeed, the urgency seems to match the conclusion that the Stellar Degenerator is an evil superweapon which must be destroyed.
Osteth goes silent for some time after Gig inserts the board. When She speaks, it's not with confidence or elation. Here holographic image doesn't look happy either.
“My friends, something is terribly wrong. Thanks to the gate’s advanced age, several microprocessors across the controller moons’ core facilities are failing. Unfortunately, I have already initiated the subroutine to open the demiplane. My calculations predict that unless something is done in the next few minutes, a catastrophic chain reaction will destabilize the system’s twelve cosmic strings and cause each and every one of the suns to be pulled into the center of the system. Such a collision would result in a massive supernova... and the Stellar Degenerator would remain safe within its demiplane!” The consoles around the room begin running a series of simulations at rapid speed, all of which end with flashing red screens—except for one. “Yes. I think I have it. If I split my consciousness across the twelve controller moons, my own programming could provide the necessary corrections for our plan to proceed. But I will not be able to pull myself back together. It will be the end of me. Permanently.” Osteth nods. “This is the only choice. The rest will be up to you. You must promise to destroy the Stellar Degenerator, no matter what happens! It will be on this plane soon. Please. Promise.”
Booker is solemn and oddly formal in his response. "We shall. You have served your office with distinction, and will be remembered for your sacrifice."
"Hold on, Osteth. I want to download a copy of your code to the Maiden. And sure, it's probably a lot of data. But if I can get at least some code I may be able to do a rewrite."
Osteth gives a smile to Hack-it. "I don't think it'll work, but you're welcomed to try..."
Anything else before letting Osteth bring forth the Degenerator?
While Hack-It works, Booker gazes at Osteth. "Is there anything you wish us to remember? What knowledge needs to live on when you are gone?"
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"There's a small exhaust port..."
"Gig, gimme a hand with this? Probably a major data transfer, and we're going to have to monitor the connection and minimize packet loss else the code will be worthless."
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Why didn't we just destroy the motherboard? The cultists needed it to activate the Degenerator and bring it here, right? Without the motherboard, the thing could have sat in its demiplane for another million years and no-one would have been able to do anything.
Ugh, now we have to... what? Go to another dimension to destroy it? Can we call the Starfinders and negotiate some hazard pay or something? This seems like extraordinary circumstances.
Wait. Why can't we just let this whole thing go supernova? Can't we let the Degenerator just sit in its demiplane for the rest of forever? Without the suns doing whatever to control it, it's unusable, right? A supernova seems like a pretty good deterrent to even trying to find it.
Janzi suddenly becomes a blur and appears alongside Hack-It, looking similar yet oddly different, like from his own future. He reaches out to the droidbuilder and Hack-It feels a jolt of energy, familiar and yet very different. His voice comes out only in Hack's ear.
Reroll the Computers check, as though a Witchwarper just gave you a reroll.
All at once, everything is back to the way it was, with Janzi looking surprised to be close to Hack, let alone touching him. He backs away, absently wiping his hand on his cloak.
Huh, Janzi says. Nope, not ever gonna do THAT again.