Timney approaches, and nods to the wagon. "I'd be happy to run whatever of this stuff here you don't need, and run it back to Okorn Spring. Tell Mr Lachlan what's what, and get some help... at least from the rest of our folks."
Alynthar shrugs. "So long as I get the artifacts I need, I will do whatever is needed."
Dr Harkleburn unfolds a glossy paper >map< from his wallet, and points out the storeroom location.
"Good luck."
"Well then. We have a destination. Let us go there quickly."
"Agreed. Let's get this show on the road."
Timney and the others unload items of particular use to you, and stow it in the adjacent supply room. They head out with the wagon back to Okorn Spring as you start making your way to the storeroom on the far side of the complex.
The shelves here in the Maintenance Supply Room are mostly filled with electrical, light construction, and plumbing components. There are also a few basic toolkits for electrical work and general maintenance... nothing flashy.
There is a ladder toward the back of the room which leads up to a hatch in the ceiling... likely the one you'd seen in the "shot-up" communications shack on the surface.
'Right... here's some... maintenance supplies." Ta'mas frowns, knowing nothing about engineering. "So... we going to be up against guns, or claws?"
"I assume guns are some sort of weapon? What are they like, and, more importantly, would this man" Alynthar gestures to his skeleton "have known how to use one in life?"
"This is a gun. It is a projectile weapon that causes massive damage to a target by firing a small metal pellet out of its end, using a small explosive force to propel the pellet. I'm sure you will have the chance to see it in action."
Draught holds up her pistol mater-of-fact-ly.
Alynthar looks at the pistol for a moment, then digs through his newly-reacquired pack, and withdraws a pistol and holster.
"So that's what this is," he remarks as he hands the holster to his skeleton, which puts it on silently.
The eastern door out of the Maintenance Room is shut, but there is a one by one foot panel of glass, through which you can see the main hallway. The hallway walls are off-white painted cement block, and lit by panels of light in the ceiling.
Draught motions for the more melee-capable of the group to go first.
"When in doubt, go left."
Z'ben shrugs and falls into place towards the back of the group.
The hallways to the left are the same cream-colored paint over concrete block. A bundle of snaking cords and a wide pipe of flimsy metal run along the wall.. about seven feet up - near the ceiling.
There is a faint voice (which repeats "Red one eight check in... Red one nine check in..."continuously), and a fairly loud constant crackling hiss echoing through the hall. It gets louder as you near the offices. By the time you reach the first T intersection, you can not easily hear each other over the harsh sound without raising your voice.
The crackling buzz and repeated request is loudest at the intersection. Within ten feet of the side hall, you notice an orange powdery film on the ground and the lower part of the walls - one block up.
Alynthar falls towards the back of the group. If nobody is behind him, he will use his skeleton as a rear guard.
"This wasn't here a few minutes ago. Somebody's here..." Alynthar warns the group.
Tomin is happy to take point. He will walk with his sword drawn, and unless otherwise noted he will be taking a constant 10 perception (total 14)
Draught follows those who carry melee weapons, ready to fire her pistol at something that will bleed.
As Tomin comes up far enough to see down the side passage, he sees a humanoid in a hooded yellow jumpsuit backing out of the last room on the left. He is wearing a backpack containing with 2 tube-like metal canisters. His peripheral vision is blocked by his hood, but he will undoubtedly spot anyone who lingers at the intersection or approaches him.
Those peering down the side hall also see there is debris on the floor, dozens of fist-sized beetles.. lifeless and coated in orange powder.
Tomin takes a stealthy step back from the edge and whispers to Alynthar.
"Yellow jumpsuit, friend or foe?"
Alynthar frowns. "Foe, at a guess," he responds quietly.
There is no sign of Tomin having been spotted.
It might be possible to sneak on by if timed right.
Tomin will move up behind the man and attempt to smack him with the flat of his blade.
As Tomin goes around the corner, the man in the yellow jumpsuit is entering the office across the hall from where he'd first been seen. In the office just before, Tomin sees a construct (roughly the size and shape of an overturned water pail) with spinning bristles on the bottom - which scrub the floor as it scoots about the room.
Tomin follows the man into the office. He is spraying with a rifle-like contraption with a tube running from the rifle's stock to one of the metal canisters strapped to his back. Any sound Tomin's movement makes is covered by the repeated audio message and loud static. The crack against the man's skull is audible. The man goes jelly-legged for a moment, and his spraying "gun" jerks upward, but he does not fall. As he turns, Tomin spots a communication device like the guard had, strapped to his left forearm.
The acrid smell hanging in the air (assumedly from the orange powder spray) is overwhelming.
Tomin will swing again.
The man drops with Tomin's second whack against the head.
As the spraying device drops from his grip, it stops spewing orange powder.
The fumes soon diminish in potency once the "fresh spraying" has stopped.
Only the corner to the left of the door is covered. The contents of the desk in the center of the room are on the floor around and under the desk... overturned drawers, and papers which are now a sloppy wet mess. There is a back door to the office, which is shut... with a keycard lock.
"It's safe, come on in.
He will then pull out rope and tie up the man.
Draught watches Tomin knock the man out. "Why did you attack that person? He did not seem dangerous to me."
"From what I understand, everybody in this complex is either an enemy or a slave. Since he obviously wasn't a slave, that makes him an enemy," Alynthar points out.
"I just knocked him out anyway. I figure we'd rather not take any chances."
The repeated message "Red one eight check in... Red one nine check in..." and crackling buzz sound continue - forcing you all to raise your voices to be heard.
As Alynthar's skeletal companion steps into the doorway, you notice the "19" badge sewn on his red vest. "Red one nine..."
.
"Something is coming."
Tomin then points to the wobbling door and moves towards it, sword drawn.
As Tomin moves closer to the door, he can just barely make out a high-pitched sound beyond it, and maybe a scratching?
The PA speakers are still blaring static too loud to hear anything clearly.
Tomin will ready an action to attack anything that comes through the door.
Draught will also ready a shot from her pistol on anything that moves out of the door.
The door continues to wobble, but does not give, and nothing comes through. For over a minute you wait at the ready... the man in the yellow jumpsuit begins to stir. He yells - muffled by his headgear... "What the *@$&! is going on?! No no no! Don't open that door!" He knocks his hood against the workstation table behind the desk until his hood tips up... "Blood-sucking beetles.. gotta be floor to ceiling by now."
"There's a breach in the wall... room was all lit up too. Little monsters went right for it."
He leans his head back until the hood slips completely off, and scans the group.
"If you all broke in to loot the place, yer a little late for easy pickin's. Quartermaster's got anything of worth locked up and under gun, and the Cache... not worth the trouble." He tips his head toward the swarm-filled room as if to suggest that's the sort of trouble you'd find inside the Cache.
The bristle-bottomed robot moves on to scrubbing the hallway... and bumps into Alynthar's skeleton. "Ba-ack to work!", it reverses, and bumps into the skeleton harder "Ba-ack to work!". It reverses again. "Security informed of violation. Please remove yourself from programmed pathing to avoid further infractions."
The static and repeated message on the loudspeakers suddenly stop with a click. The speakers then broadcast - "Y'alright Samperson? Get back to me in ten seconds or I'm sendin a detail... lights out, we'll goggle up and pick up yer dot."
"That robot seems to have two voices programmed into it. How curious."
Z'ben quickly draws his dagger and holds it to the prisoner's throat. "Answer the message. Give us away, and you die painfully."
Samperson's eyes go wide... he lifts his bound wrists - the communication device is strapped to his left forearm. "I can't reach the button! Please don't kill me! I'm just a worker here! Press the button... I'll play along I swear!" There is a small square protrusion which could be the button he's talking about... he does have his arms turned so the square protrusion is facing Alynthar.
You catch him bobbing his head.. in seconds, and him silently mouthing numbers.... He must be up to something in coordination with the "lights out".
You see him scoot and shimmy, and angle his bound arms. He looks like he's waiting for the right time to crack Alynthar in the head - leading with the comm device.
"I wonder why he is making numbers with his mouth silently." Draught says, oblivious to any discretion.
Alynthar presses the dagger in far enough to draw blood, and gives it a twist.
"Stop whatever you're doing. Say that you're okay, and nothing else."
He presses the button on the communication device.