Thuldas finishes donning his armor, flexing his arms and shaking his legs to get the fit just right. The last thing he pulls out of his sack is a short-handled hammer, its head broad and well-worn. He analyzes the tool for a moment before slipping it into a loop on his belt.
"I'm glad to get a chance to be on the Master of Stars. I might be able to show you all the battery of mass drivers that I helped fix. What I'd give to have a mass driver like that."
"I'm glad somebody here understands how these ships run. All I know is what buttons top push and what joysticks to grab to pilot a ship. If it breaks down, I wouldn't know where to start. I might try shutting everything down and starting it up. That sometimes works on my comm unit." Stell smiles at her own ignorance. "I plan on trying to learn a bit more about engineering and computers as we get the chance on missions or in between."
"I don't understand technology very well either. Except how to fly. THAT I can do"
The group leaves the Lorespire complex and makes their way to Docking bay A-37. Taking the tram along one of the spokes to the outer ring, and then another tram that runs around the edge of the station, they are able to make the connection with a few minutes to spare.
A young human pilot in a jumpsuit with Starfinder markings leans against the bulkhead casually, but stands up when you arrive.
"Hi. I'm Kipp. Ready to go?" he asks as the group approaches.
Once everyone gets aboard the small shuttle leaves the station unceremoniously and heads out towards the armada. The station’s Armada can be seen from the shuttle’s view screen as it takes off, gleaming figures standing out against the emptiness of space. The Master of Stars immediately stands out from the rest, as layers and layers of scaffolding obscure its hull. Tiny lights flicker among the metal beams as distant figures weld plates and heat shields to the ship’s exterior.
The shuttle smoothly glides closer until it reaches the starship’s docking bay, slipping through the magic field that keeps the hold pressurized with breathable atmosphere. As the shuttle doors open, a small drone flies in and pops up a holoscreen, displaying a harried-looking ratfolk.
“Finally, fresh meat!” the ysoki exclaims over the screen, sounding pleased.
“Ha! Yeah, anyway, name’s Fitch—pleasantries over, time to get to work. I had some trouble earlier with the lights flickering on the ship, and now both the lights and computers have suddenly gone out on E-Deck. No idea what’s causing it, but you work this job long enough and—”
Fitch’s attention flicks to something offscreen, and she shouts “Kirkath! The welding torch is not a toy! You wanna go in the toddler’s pen with the other kids?”
She snorts dismissively before continuing, “Sorry, some of these little ones would cut off their own heads if I let them. Anyway, it could be some lunkhead screwed up the wiring, but that’s a pretty big system failure for a simple electrical short. I’d prefer to send in some people with combat training to scout it out, just in case someone or something is sabotaging the ship. If it’s nothing, great, get the power back on if you can. If there’s something suspicious, use your comm units to report in to me. I’ll give you the access codes, so— Selicha!” Once again Fitch's attention is directed off-screen.
“If you touch that panel I will staple you to the hull!”
The screen on the drone cuts out, then flashes to display the ship’s schematics and the passwords for the computers on E-Deck.
Kipp chuckles as the transmission cuts out.
"Yeah, she's like that. You can probably get her on comm if you need to ask her anything, but don't count on her to be patient."
"There's a lift back that way that you can take to E deck," Kipp says. He grabs a knapsack and leaves the shuttle. "I'll be in the mess. Call me when you want to head back, or anything."
The group proceeds down the hall to the lift and descends to E deck. The doors to the lift open, and reveal a passage in complete darkness, lit only by light coming from within the lift itself.
"Iolas - you said you've worked on this ship before? What's wi' the retrofit?"
As the dwarf talks, he moves forward a few steps, completely unperturbed by the darkness.
"An' does anyone know what's on E deck, b'sides us? We should find a computer terminal, see what th' lay o' th' land is."
Stell enjoys the shuttle ride, pressing her face against the port window to get a better look at the ship and the construction work.
"Thanks, Kipp!" she chirps as he heads off. Seeing how dark it is ahead, she pulls out her comm unit, fixes it to a section of her jumpsuit so it sends light forward keeping her hands free. "What do you think it is?" she asks the others as Thuldas starts to advance. "I've heard stories of space rats that feed on electricity. Not rats exactly, but vermin of some kind."
Rising Dawn peers into the darkness, her artificial eyes piercing the gloom.
"There should be a terminal nearby. I will attempt to access it to run diagnostics."
Wint also turns on the flashlight app on his comm unit, maximizing his low light vision.
He then follows the others, waiting for them to do the technical stuff.
Almost instinctively he stealths into the shadows as he goes
"I worked on a weapon battery. I only went inside the ship to talk to Fitch about the job. Also went to the mess hall. Anyway, I think I know just about as much as you. I'll see if I can find a circuit breaker or junction box in case Dawn can't get the computers figured out."
This work would probably be done better at a major shipyard like Skydock, but doing it out in orbit would likely be cheaper, and could be done in-house. However, the work seems a little haphazard and uncoordinated to you.
The Master of Stars is a surplus carrier that was bought by the Society from the Pact Worlds fleet.
The ship is the former flagship of the Starfinder Society, but is very old, and was under retrofit when the Scoured Stars expedition took place. This fact kept the ship from being deployed as a part of the expedition.
Presently the Society doesn't really have the manpower to crew a ship like this, and their goals are better served by having a variety of small ships operating independently. So instead it is being refitted to be a local base of operations (primarily for the Wayfinder Faction).
The group emerges into the dark hallway.
Iolas is able to find an access panel that has a live connection to the current from D deck, and after a few minutes work he is able to run a bypass.
Lights come on in the corridor, and status lights on most of the doors switch to green. However, it is clear that Iolas has not restored power to the entire deck; about 80 feet down the corridor the light ends and the area beyond is still in darkness.
Many of the doors are open, and it seems that the rooms on this level are being used for storage, even though most of the doors are marked as various types of laboratories.
Once power is restored, Dawn is able to run a diagnostic and is able to determine that multiple faults have occurred in the power systems adjacent to a group of chambers on this deck. Schematics list the complex as a "engineering lab" but judging by the other rooms here it might not be used for that currently.
The complex is located not too far away down a side corridor.
And Wint seems to have disappeared.
Dawn points out the engineering lab to the others. "This seems to be the source of the problems. We should approach with caution and check the entrance before going inside."
She blinks and looks around with concern. "We seem to be missing one of our companions. Has anybody seen Wint?"
Somewhat abashed, Wint steps out into the corridor
"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to startle all of you. I, uh, am good at not being noticed"
"So I have begun to notice," Dawn says flatly.
"There's nothin' wrong wi' hidin', as long as you're willin' to be found when th' time calls for it." Thuldas smiles slightly in Wint's direction.
"Fitch was concerned about the possibility o' sabotage. Anyone see any evidence o' somebody muckin' around in 'ere?"
Thuldas pokes his head into some of the nearest open labs, looking specifically at the stored items to see if anyone or anything has been tampering with them.
If he doesn't immediately see anything of note, Thuldas raises his left hand and mutters briefly to cast detect magic, doing a quick sweep of each open lab off the main corridor, a small set of kaleidoscoping runes dancing in front of his palm.
Stell, feeling more akin to a fashion accessory than a power tool scrolls through her comm unit computer while waiting for techies to find the light switch. "I keep thinking I've heard of this ship.". She runs a search of letters from her parents and gets a hit. "Here it is. A letter from my folks."
She skims and reads for a short while. "Okay, the Master of Stars was once the flagship of the society, but it was getting old and needed repairs and upgrades. They--my parents, that is--helped transfer equipment to the replacement ship. One of their first assignments too."
Stell smiles. "Dad complains, 'All those tests and all that training dealing with aliens and survival in vacuum and what is our first job? We're stevedores!' "
Then the lights come on and Stell shuts her comm unit data display and attends to the discussion of what next.
Once Dawn suggests a location to approach and Thuldas warns to look for signs of a saboteur, Stell checks that the straps that keep her pistols secure in their holsters are loosed. "Ready. I'm not sure why anyone would want to sabotage a ship as old and out of commission as this, but better to be cautious. The retrofit was underway at the time of the Scoured Stars incident and now it is going to be a while before the society has enough people to operate it. They are probably just going to use it as a local base of operations."
She looks down the hall, her gaze directed at the doors, the floor, the ceiling, looking for odd scratches, scuff marks, or residue.
Wint draws several weapons, and goes up towards the entrance
Iolas takes out his artillery laser and mutters, "Assist-o-tron, enter combat mode at my ready."
Thuldas examines some of the rooms the group passes. The rooms are being used for storage and seem to be mostly full of crates, barrels, and large machine parts. It looks like the area doesn't get used much as there is a lot of grime and dust on the floor. He detects no trace of magic here.
The group assembles at the door and examines it. The door seems to be perfectly ordinary and safe to use. The door is electronic and would not have been easy to open without power.
The group activates the door and it slides open easily.
Beyond lies a storage chamber in disarray.
Scattered barrels and boxes line the lowered floor of this storage chamber. A thick bulkhead to the port side leads farther onto the deck, while a similar bulkhead to the aft (by which you are entering) connects to an arterial hallway that runs the length of the deck.
As the door opens, Wint and Iolas hear a high-pitched voice from within the room whisper "Shhh! Someone's coming!"
Stell draws her semi-auto and stays to the back.
"There is somebody hiding in there. They heard us coming!!"
"It might just be a couple looking for a private place to ... you know," Stell whispers.
Thuldas returns to the group to find them combat ready. With a slight start, he releases concentration on his casting of detect magic and swiftly draws his hammer, holding it by his right side while his left hand is open and facing forward, a slight crackle of technomantic energy softly dancing between his fingertips.
"It might just be a couple looking for a private place to ... you know," Stell whispers.
"An' they knocked out the power for... excitement?" Thuldas whipsers back, raising a questioning eyebrow.
Thuldas rolls his eyes, muttering, "Ma would laugh at me, scared to enter a 'bitty room." Walking forward into the room with hammer and spell at the ready, he shouts, "Oi! Who's in 'ere? You been muckin' about wi' th' power?"
Deciding to try a gentler approach, Rising Dawn speaks after Thuldas. "We do not wish to hurt you. We are only here to investigate the disturbances in the ship's systems. Reveal yourselves and no harm will come to you."
As the group enters the room, Dawn and Wint can make out a rustling sound among the barrels and crates.
When Dawn addresses the room, there is more shuffling sounds. Then a small voice comes out from behind some barrels.
"We didn't do anything! The lights just went off! And the door wouldn't open!"
Another voice pipes up from behind in the crate in the corner. "But it's okay, now, right? We can leave?"
The owner of the second voice stands up, and is revealed to be a male human child, perhaps eight years old. After that, the other figure stands and it is a human girl with similar features and approximately the same age. It is apparent to Stell and Iolas that the children have been crying.
Dawn kneels down next to the children and gives them a reassuring smile. "Yes, it is okay. We have restored the power. But what are you doing down here by yourselves? This does not seem like a safe place for children to play."
Thuldas had prepared to face a variety of things in this room, but human children had not been on that list. After they answer Dawn's question, Thuldas gently (as gently as he can, at least) asks the children, "Do ya know why th' power went out, lit'le ones? 'Ave ya heard anything skulkin' about? Asides from us, that is." He tries to put on his most reassuring face as he moves about 20' north along the catwalk.
Stell joins Dawn in trying to comfort the children and learn more about why they are here. "Aren't you the brave ones, exploring the ship? What are your names? Who are your parents? They are probably worried about you." She pulls out a tissue clear away the remnants of tears.
Edit:
Amongst the MANY things that Wint will NEVER understand about humans is their attitude towards children. Whelps should be left alone to live or die on their own merits. The strong survive, the weak die. That is as it should be.
But he does realize that this attitude, while clearly the ONLY rational one, is one that most other races think wrong. Better not to act on it or even state it.
So, he sits quietly while the others talk to the whelps. He can't bring himself to help weaken the human species by their coddling of these whelps.
Only the twitching of his laser pistol as it almost (but not quite) aims at the older of the children reveals his inner turmoil.
Iolas heads into the room with the group, smiling at this children as best he can with his bovine features. He walks down to catwalk to examine the contents of the barrels to determine if anything is hazardous.
"...This does not seem like a safe place for children to play."
"Oh, it's okay. We come here lotsa times," says the little girl.
"Yeah, the children's creche is really boring," the boy explains.
"Do ya know why th' power went out, lit'le ones?"
"It was his fault!" screams the girl as she points at the little boy. "He kicked the ball and it hit the light! And then the lights went out!"
"I did not!" yells the boy. "It was an accident!"
"'Ave ya heard anything skulkin' about? Asides from us, that is."
"Uh," the boy looks at the girl. "No, there's nobody here. Nope." The girl shakes her head vigorously in denial.
"...What are your names? Who are your parents?"
"I'm Kieu Lan, and she's Kieu Si," says the boy.
"I'm Si," says the girl. "Our daddy is Kieu Kein. He's going to fix the ship."
"Our mommy went away. Daddy says when she comes back we won't have to live on the ship anymore."
Iolas heads into the room with the group, smiling at this children as best he can with his bovine features. He walks down to catwalk to examine the contents of the barrels to determine if anything is hazardous.
Iolas sees that most of the barrels are empty, but a few contain Aluminum Hexite crystals, small silvery octahedron blocks that are easily smelted into a strong, lightweight alloy (often used in starships). They retain their crystalline lattice even after smelting, making the resulting component particularly strong.
Iolas also notes there are a variety of food wrappers piled in the corner, some from ordinary ration bars but many from prepackaged roasted seaweed snacks.
"Doesn't seem like there's anything dangerous in these barrels."
Aluminum hexite? Useful, I'll have to check with Fitch to see if I can have some. Ooo, Kelpo-yums! My favourite!
While Dawn has the children's attention, Stell tries to catch Iolas or Wint's eye and then she tips her head in the direction of the door the kids glanced at when they were asked if there were others around. She strolls around and while her body is between her hands and the children, she points at the door.
She turns to the kids and says, "My mommy and daddy went away too! Perhaps they are having adventures together! Now we need to do some work in that room there," she points in a manner that is not subtle, so everyone gets the message. "What's in there?"
Thuldas leaves Stell and Dawn to chat with the children, as he knows that he can sometimes appear a bit intimidating to young ones. He instead strolls over to Iolas's barrel and takes a cursory glance inside, picking up a single crystal and rolling it between his fingertips.
"Now we need to do some work in that room there," she points in a manner that is not subtle, so everyone gets the message. "What's in there?"
This brings the dwarf's attention to the north door; he drops the crystal back in the barrel, moves adjacent to the door and cocks his head, listening for any unusual sounds.
Dawn continues to smile at the children. Perhaps it is her inexperience with dealing with young humans, but she completely believes their assertion that they are alone. She waits to hear their response to Stell's question.
Wint heads to a spot where he can both hide and see into the new room when the door is opened. He keeps one eye on the Whelps to make sure that they don't try and eat him.
Nobody happens to be looking at Stell when she points to the door, but the fact that she mentions it in conversation catches everyone's attention.
She turns to the kids and says, "My mommy and daddy went away too! Perhaps they are having adventures together!"
"Did your mommy and daddy go to the scared stars too?" Asks Kieu Lan. "Daddy said it was gonna be a long mission."
"What's in there?"
"Nobody! Just some glass tubes and things. Don't go in there!" Kieu Si shouts.
But a little cajoling on the part of Stell gets the children to talk.
"That's where we keep Wang. He's our pet turtle," explains Kieu Lan.
"I told you, Wang is a girl. You're so stupid," says Kieu Si.
"No, you're stupid!" shouts Kieu Lan.
As the group approaches the door, Wint, Stell, and Thuldas all notice that the children seem to freeze up with fearful expectation, like something bad will happen if the door is opened.
"Hold on a second. The whelps think something bad is going to happen if the door is opened. Stell, please ask them what is going to happen.
And let me at least check the door first."
She turns to the kids and says, "My mommy and daddy went away too! Perhaps they are having adventures together!""Did your mommy and daddy go to the scared stars too?" Asks Kieu Lan. "Daddy said it was gonna be a long mission."
"Indeed they did. It's going to be so great when they come home. We should have a party when they do."
"We're going in there. If we find something more dangerous than a turtle, you're going to be in a lot of trouble. If you tell us the truth and no one gets hurt, we'll see that you get back safely and we'll tell everyone how brave and honest you were."
"Deal?"
Picking up on Stell's tactic, Dawn crosses her arms and gives the children a stern look. "Remember, Sarenrae is the goddess of honesty. She will not be happy if you do not tell the truth."
"Uh... we just didn't want anyone bothering Wang! She needs to get her sleep," says Kieu Si.
"So we just turned the fire extingisher thingy up," says Kieu Lan. "The one by the door."
Kieu Lan points at the top of the door frame, and Wint looks up. He can see a small boxy device with a small red light that is flashing. It looks like a heat detector.
"It doesn't hurt though!" Says Kieu Si.
"Yeah, it just sprays the extingishy stuff all over. It's yuck if you get it in your mouth," observes Kieu Lan.
"Uh, Iolas, Thuldas, what does that flashing red light mean? I'm thinking that a kind of rough translation would be 'Not good.'"
Iolas looks at the small device, and deduces that it is a heat sensor, but it has been recalibrated to be ultra sensitive, and would probably have detected the body heat of a living being as a fire.
Iolas pulls out his tools and in less than a minute he has disabled the sensor.
The door opens and frigid air rushes out of the room. The clothing of the party is warm enough, but in the cold air their breaths are visible as puffs of mist, and every surface in the chamber beyond seems limned with frost. Four large containment capsules fill the room, three of which hold stasis-locked objects, including a tablet, a strange curved sword, and an odd spiral of bioluminescent coral. A crack leaks fluid from the fourth capsule, which displays a foot-wide breach near the bottom.
There are three other doors to this room; all are closed. There is no "turtle" anywhere in sight.
"That's where we keep Wang. He's our pet turtle,"
Child, how big is this "turtle"?
Four large containment capsules fill the room, three of which hold stasis-locked objects, including a tablet, a strange curved sword, and an odd spiral of bioluminescent coral.
Although the breached stasis capsule is likely the most pressing concern, Thuldas's attention is instead captured by the remaining items.
Cautious of potential threats, the dwarf walks slowly into the room, his breath misting in front of him.
"Thuldas, can you get the computer to tell you what was in the broken glass thingy?"
Wint heads over to the broken glass thingy and sees if he sees anything interesting
"If Wang is still nearby, I should be able to detect the presence of its thoughts," Dawn says. She grasps her holy symbol and intones a spell, her circuitry glowing faintly with power as she scans the room.
"Wang? He's big. Like this," Kieu Lan says as he gestures with his hands. By Lan's reckoning Wang should be about 18 inches long.
Thuldas steps into the room, and his foot nearly goes out from under him. The floor is very slippery.
Thuldas looks at the containers. He is able to tell that the containers are stasis capsules, designed to preserve whatever is inside indefinitely. Lifeforms are effectively dormant but can be revived when released, and organic material is prevented from degrading. Likewise delicate or sensitive objects could be placed in there to protect them from corrosion, erosion, or other environmental effects.
Obviously the Society wanted to preserve these items for some reason, and Thuldas is reluctant to tamper with them.
Wint examines the broken stasis capsule. Fragments of polyglass are frozen to the floor and there is clearly some of the containment fluid frozen on the floor. There are some interesting splash patterns but Wint doesn't know what to make of it.
Dawn casts a spell and begins scanning the room. Soon she is certain that there is no living creature here that has a mind.
Dawn slowly makes her way across the room towards the closest door. She will open it and scan the next room with her spell.