Quietly following after Palo and biting her lip at the anger surges she is getting from Knick Knack. Poor thing. I will owe Knick for having to be alone with those two.
Flashing with irritation, "Ravboom stop that. Honestly you are making far not much noise that the dragon that is not here could fine us just because of you."
Ravboom grins, showing off hundreds of needle sharp teeth.
As RavBoom lists off all of the ways that we could conceivably die that he can think of, Claptrap chimes in with his own variation.
Oooh! Dire Rats! I hear that those could make a great stew. Haunch of Dragon glazed with bbq sauce? Spider salad with raisins and chunks of almond? Crunchy! A blood stirge margarita... And on and on he goes, giving a tasty sounding dish for each thing that RavBoom lists off.
"Dire rat stew is ok, if you don't mind the tails. Haven't had haunch of dragon, don't think I should eat things that think. Spider salad is good if you have vinager to go on it. Blood Stirge is poisonous, so you have to mix in actinite to make it drinkable..."
Vael will suffer for this. Flashing dimly, "Now is really not the time to bicker over food!"
No-one expresses any surprise or inquisitiveness about the 'new workers' coming into the change areas and looking for spare uniforms... rows upon rows of generic grey overalls hang upon railings whilst baskets scattered around the room seem to be filled with personal clothing. Examining the coveralls, each has some kind of face mask stored within a shoulder pocket...
The group have little time to think on this before a burly man, clearly auttaine with a mechanical arm, strides in... wearing black overalls and carrying a clipboard, he looks at the gathered folks, "Okay you lot, day-shift have been working on clearing the blockages in the effluent pipes... but they've struggled to shift it all - whatever it is that they've got brought into the bestiarium, it's got some kinda problem with its digestion!!! And you lucky lot get to finish what day-shift couldn't".
A grin curls across the man's face, "Tools are down on Level -2, if you folks get it cleared then there's a bonus waiting for you... if you don't, well then day-shift are gonna be pretty cross with you!!!"
The tunnels, despite the constant chitter-chatter of Ravboom and Claptrap are relatively quiet... no-one interrupts their investigations of the pipework and, soon enough, Claptrap has determined the basic layout of the pipes down here... raw effluent and 'treated' effluent in large diameter pipes whilst narrower pipework pulls 'fresh' water from the Zeph and towards various parts of the building designated as 'treatment'...
...and then, some two hundred feet or so from the point where they clambered down into the tunnels, the group discover a run of treated water pipework where the insulating material has been stripped clear and a new valve (with a currently unused connection point) appears to have been recently welded into the pipeline.
Rav taps Clappy on the top, and points. "That no look like part of the original design. And no look like authorized addition, no new insulation. Rav think we may find place."
Biting the inside of her cheek to keep the grin that want to form. Poor Knick Knack.
Quietly grabbing 'her' things and moving to follow the crowd. Nearing walking into a wall when Palomia brings that much attention to herself. My Gods we are going to die here!
Lightly pulsing with agitation and floating nearer to Ravboom and hissing, "Well what now on mighty Forest Gnome? Should we not go back to the others?"
"That why we bring you, you let Vael Dale know we found it. She sense how you feel right? Feel all happy and warm and fuzzy and excited. If no can do that, I can make you feel all scared if you prefer, either way she know something up and need to find us."
Claptrap rolls up to the modified piece of piping and inspects it himself.
You may be right, Master! With this set up the way it is, it would be easy to attach a large quantity of materials and then pump them out into the city. Hmmm. We should search around a bit and see if we can find other evidence of tampering, or other equipment.
Claptrap gives a glance back the way they came You know, thats probably why the grate was loosened...
"Probably." Rav pulls a powder horn off his hip, and tosses it down the hallway toward the pipe. "You're water proof, right Clappy? If we destroy it, they can't use it." He then takes aim and shoots the powderhorn to blow up the pipes.
Claptrap has a different approach, O.O! What are you doing!? The city needs these water pipes working, besides, how will Commarch's make coffee without indoor plumbing? (Among other, more importaint reasons)
Remember, we came here to stop the terrorists, not become terrorists...
If, however his words come to naught then the next words are AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! ABANDON SHIP! and he takes off like a rocket down the tunnel. Its only when he gets to the exit grate that he remembers;
I cant climb out of here...
"If they already dump it in, this stop water flowing, let it flow back in here where nobody drink it. If they haven't yet, can't put it in with pipes all blowed up. Repairs won't have input."
Merciful Gods above! Zipping over to hover just in-front of Ravboom, "We cannot just blow up the water pipes."
The explosion from Ravboom's pistol, booming and crackling as the gunpowder ignites, reverberates the full length of the tunnels... the smell of burnt sulphur fills the air momentarily before, preceded by a cracking noise, water erupts from fractured pipes. The lights dim and a siren starts to blare - and, in moments, Ravboom finds himself standing in ankle deep water... CL4P-TP, having already decided to evacuate, is some hundred feet or so back in the direction of the hatch...
The 'boss guy' looks at Palomia with a degree of confusion, "You're new here right? New to Zel-Argose as well I guess... the Bestiarium is where all of the incoming beasts, from off world, are held in quarantine. Word is that there's something been brought in from far across the Weave and it's playing havoc with the sewage... we already put in a directive for them folks to deal with its waste in a more sympathetic manner - guess they never got the message. Now you folks get to..."
The man never completes his sentence before a klaxon starts to wail, "Oh damnation... lower levels are going to be off limits for the time being, you folks can stand down - there's a flood in service tunnel beta that needs sorting".
Throwing his clipboard on to a nearby bench, the man storms out whilst the rest of the workers, clearly somewhat dejected at not getting any work, start to change back into their civilian clothing...
Moving behind Palomia and whispering, "I am getting nothing but panic and anger from Knick. I am thinking it relates to that little problem. You think if we kept the cloths we would be able to look around?"
"Yay! No going to get drugs in pipe now!" Rav says, then sighs. "But we have to double check and make sure no other entries. Let's go before repair people get here. Repair folks have it repaired in no time, but not repair with input we hope."
Rav takes KK off his shoulder and then runs down the hallway a bit, and then puts KK on top of a pipe about 60 ft down the hall. "KnickyKnacky watch and see, make sure people who repair no put input valve back. Rav and Clappy wait outside grate."
"You expect me to stay here! That is not happening!"
Rav frowns, and then shrugs. "Ok, Rav wait then, climb in pipes and hide. One of us have to. Thought it would be better if one of us who size of 10 pebbles and can hide behind small pipe did it. If you no willing, you go and wait with Clappy, I try find place to hide and watch." Rav responds and begins looking for a small niche to hide in.
Watching the man walk off and mumbling, "Is it to much to assume that they would flee?" Vael looks rather hopeful at the idea.
Quietly trailing after Palomia and Biggun. What in the worlds are they doing.
As the water levels in the tunnel start to level out, Ravboom clambers into an unlit crevice and waits to see if anything / anyone comes to investigate the terrible damage that he has caused... CL4P-TP and Knick Knack, in contrast, make for the exit.
Hidden, Ravboom hears splashes as someone, cursing under their breath, approaches. Wearing a dark cloak, that trails in the water as they wade through it, an auttaine (the mechanical arm gives it away) moves with urgency towards the damaged pipework - and, if they were looking for the perpetrator of the damage, they certainly haven't noticed Ravboom.
Surreptitiously moving in the opposite direction to the other workers, Palomia and Vael - with the uncharacteristically silent Biggun - make their way into a large hallway where the blaring sirens are far less overpowering. The room is lined with pipes and valves... and, off to one side, there are stairs heading upwards (although it seems unlikely - given the external dimensions of the building - that they would lead higher than one or two storeys)... and downwards - it is far from obvious just how far down the stairs may lead... indeed, looking through the grated floor, there seem to be many many floors beneath ground level.
Ravboom keeps quiet and tries to memorize the face of the auttaine. He also looks for any suspicious bulges or to see if they person takes any of the evidence of the extra input that was attached. He keeps the BoomGar ready though!
Down in the depths of the water treatment plant, Ravboom watches as the auttaine moves towards the damaged pipework... and then, as the sound of people approaching grow louder, the saboteur curses loudly and moves quickly away along the tunnels. Even if Ravboom and the others were to follow, the trail is lost and the man is gone - somewhere within the labyrinthine tunnels...
Heading downwards, Palomia and her companions try to navigate their way towards the most likely location of Ravboom's exploits... but to no avail - after quarter of an hour of fruitless searching, they find themselves back at the entrance to the building...
...soon enough, the friends realise that whatever was due to happen here tonight has, at the least, been averted.
Ravboom waits until there is no one around, and then sneaks out and helps Claptrap out of the pit. When they meet up outside the building, he rubs his nose. "Was great success, blew up pipes where they going to put drugs in. Plant be down for day at most, sure. But be on alert for people messing with pipes for months if not years, so no think they be able to do that again. Saw someone, but not face. Was a man, Auttain, had fake arm. If see arm again, recognize it, gear work easy to notice! Think maybe he saw Clappy and Rav. So bad guys should make presence known when try to attack Rav. And best, employer no be connected nor us be, 'cept by people who no can talk about."
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The entire time that Rav helps Claptrap up and out of the dark, wet, deep pit he had found himself in (and one that was swiftly filling up with water) Claptrap is nothing but thankful to his magnanimous Master.
Oh thank you Master! I thought I was doomed down there, forever more to be swept away into the sewers. Just imagining the foul sewage from you Fleshbags seeping up into my joints and circuits was just.... UGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH.....
Thank you kind Sir! Thank you your excellency, your honor, your amazingness, your.... and on and on it went, most of the way back to Commarch's.
Or, at least Claptrap assumes that the party will try and meet back up at Commarch's. Meeting back up was not something that they had previously discussed and it seemed like the best place to reconnect. If nothing else, Claptrap was abeam with pride over RavBoom's successful attempt to thwart the terrorists (even if he had become a terrorist himself, and even if Claptrap ran away screaming like a little yellow girl in the endeavor. But hey, thats what exaggeration and outright lies were for!) and couldn't wait to tell the others about it.
"We wait on road on way back, they catch up." Rav says, ignoring the chattering bot's chattering mostly, only paying attention as needed to actually respond to real talk. He rubs chin. "Palo going to be upset I blew stuff up again. But was only way. Rav think about whole time we searching for entrance and searching tunnels. If there be more than one place put drugs in, we may no find them all. If there be more than one group with drugs, we may no find them all. Blow up that place, and then whole water plant be like ant-hill Biggun kick. Ants scurry all over, very hard to put drugs in water, and ants check every single pipe in facility looking for more boom boom, so spot any other places put drugs in pipe. Probably also search everyone work there, find drugs, so they probably have to drop drugs in toilet avoid being caught with them."
Rav rubs the side of his nose. "We found pipes with stuff scraped off and new valves put in that not be part of pipes. Rav think about whole time we searching for entrance and searching tunnels. If there be more than one place put drugs in, we may no find them all. If there be more than one group with drugs, we may no find them all. Blow up that place, and then whole water plant be like ant-hill Biggun kick. Ants scurry all over, very hard to put drugs in water, and ants check every single pipe in facility looking for more boom boom, so spot any other places put drugs in pipe. Probably also search everyone work there, find drugs, so they probably have to drop drugs in toilet avoid being caught with them."
Wow! That sounds like de ja vu. Its almost like I heard something veeerryyy close to that a moment ago... Weird.
Claptrap pipes up as RavBoom explains his grand plan to Palomia.
Rav casually reaches out and Gibbsmacks Clappy.
Floating behind Ravboom and the sycophantic little robot. The few stones and gears that makes up Knick Knack's body are vibrating with anger. Zipping down near Claptrap and speaking far to quietly to really be heard over Claptrap's enthusiastic praise of the explosion happy forest gnome, "Stop your blabbering or you will get us caught!"
Spotting the taller and apparently more rational members of their little group Knick Knack flies over towards Vael. Saying in a monotone voice, "I hate you." before settling around Vael's shoulders to express it's displeasure though assault on Vael's shoulders.
Nodding to Palomia and fleeing the area with her and Biggun. At least we are not in irons or dead.
Sighing and ignoring the small thumps on her shoulders the Knick Knack is delivering throughout Ravboom's explanation, if that is the worse she gets from the agitated sentient pile of rocks then Vael can live with it. Crossing her arms and tucking her large jacket around her to almost vanish in it, "That was not what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to stop the would be drug lords. Not make them have to develop a better plan and not know the time frame."
Kicking at the ground, "We know nothing and have nothing to offer except the fact that we managed to blow up a water pipe."
Looking up and giving Ravboom a dirty look, "Which could deprive people who need it of clean water, just so you know. And the toilets are part of the waterways. It would be more diluted but it might still get though." Loosing the glare and giving Ravboom a pleading look, "Please do not use explosions to solve everything. This needed something quieter. And technically we failed."
Having successfully sneaked out of the Water Treatment Plant, the group make their way into the night... and back to Commarch's where they hope to meet up with their Zomskane contact. This late at night though, the cafe is relatively quiet... and, of their mysterious 'friend', there is no sign... Deciding that there is little more to be gained by waiting around, the group make their way back to their accommodation and finally rest up...
The next day the group make their way in two separate directions - Blekk and Biggun to the Fighting Pits where yet another bout awaits the over-sized goblin and the rest, anxious to make contact with Zomskane, head to Commarch's and settle down for the day - folk come and go as the day passes - and it is some relief when the auttaine that they previously met strides into the establishment and takes a seat in one of the booths. Making eye contact with Palomia, he nods and points towards the empty seats opposite him.
The auttaine cuts to the chase, "So... I take it the excitement at the water treatment plant last night was you?"
"Sewer not part of drinking water, sewer part of water recycle system, recycle system clear out poop, it clear out drugs. Being in sewer just addict a bunch of rats." Rav corrects, not seeming to take the criticism personally. "And job was to stop drugs, and make sure it not look like people who hire us. That means success. Nobody think they do this."
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Rav nods, cutting in. "Can blame Rav if no like, was Rav idea." He gives his reasons a third time, and then Gibbsmacks Clappy before he can comment on the deja vu again. "So if you no like it, yell at Rav. Rav good at being yelled at, been yelled at whole life. Stopped drugs, tightened security at water plant, and nobody going to think you did it."
"The crime was averted, that is all that truly matters - although...", the auttaine slides three sheets of crumpled paper towards the group, "You may want to keep a low profile for a while". Unfurling the paper, each of the sheets has an approximate likeness of one of the group who entered the Water Treatment Plant building - Palomia, Biggun and Vael. The rendering isn't perfect and is taken from a strange angle as if viewed from six to eight feet above them... and written in an official looking text above each picture; Have you seen this citizen? Wanted for questioning in relation to the militant action at the Water Treatment Plant. If you have any information that could lead to the apprehension of these suspects, report to the Auditor's Spire.
The auttaine, ordering a pot of coffee for everyone at the table, attempts to reassure the group, "I shouldn't worry too much... Zomskane anticipated this and we're working to suppress this - by sundown, there will be no more of these notices. Now, the coterie would like to show their appreciation for your work last night - you took a big risk and you have saved the populace from a bout of unpleasantness... tell me, is there anything you need?"
Rav slides a piece of paper to the man, on the paper is a detailed sketch of the gear structure of the Auttaine arm he saw. "Person who was at water place had these gears, in these sizes, in his arm. All Auttaine have unique gears, is like finger print. This part of group who try to drug water. Would be nice find and rip gears out of, along with guts and brains." He grins. "Beyond that, job out of town for a week would be nice?" He looks at the others in the group. "Official papers that we be citizens so no have to sneak back into town..."
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A job out of town would be very nice. Very out of town.
Claptrap pauses for a moment, as if processing.
But not "Take them out behind the shed and they are never seen again" kind of out of town. I hear that never ends well.
However, if you have work to be done, and we can make some coin (we didn't exactly make any this last run) then this might become a benifical relationship for everyone.
Another pause...
Just dont ask us to sell drugs. Apparently the others wont stand for that.
Ah! Ya. Lomrick. After extensive searching of the archives for this individual with no success, and largely due to information control, I have concluded that he must have deep connections with one of the larger gangs.
However that it. Thats all I know. I now have no alternitave but to ask flesh-and-blood humanoids.
Rav Gibbsmacks Clappy on the back of the processing unit. There is a goblin shaped handprint beginning to develop in the aluminum.
"Lomrick? The name is... familiar. Let me think... Ahhhh, yes I recall it being mentioned in Zomskane circles several weeks back - He's Jagladine, yes? There have been some suspicions that he has been working against the interests of more than one coterie... and a short while ago, he made his way back into Zel-Argose somewhat un-annouced. I had heard that someone else was looking for Lomrick - I couldn't tell you where he has based himself, sorry... but, I could put you in contact with this other party".
The auttaine takes a deep draught of his particularly aromatic coffee, "That might take a while... and, in the meantime it really is best if you do keep a lower profile. An out of town job? There is something... an upstart coterie stole something valuable from Zomskane and we've tracked them down to a small village about thirty miles south of Zel-Argose. If you were to retrieve these items for us and make sure that these Daytaar learn not to interfere with Zomskane business... you would be well rewarded", the auttaine nods at CL4P-TP as it is the small robot who appears most concerned about their financial situation.
"Bring back the documents they stole... no-one need die but they must be taught a lesson that they will not forget. Slow them down, cripple their criminal activities, encourage them to steer clear of Zel-Argose for a while - and, if there is any other evidence of plans against Zomskane or the citizens of Zel-Argose, needless to say we would like those averted as well..."
The Auttaine thinks for a moment, "For last night's efforts and, as payment in advance for sending this 'message' to Daytaar... Zomskane will pay 1,000 gold coins... and, whatever you find at the Daytaar Safe House which isn't Zomskane's - I can grant you salvage rights".