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"A lot of nanites? That's super weird. Why would it need to have all of those little guys in there?" Lynn bites her lip as she looks at the hand "What do you think they're for, Mr. Chryson? If we knew the reason maybe that'd give us a lead on finding where the hand came from."
Lynn ponders for a moment and then says "Well, we can split up and ask for the people who went missing. That or one of the other stores in the area might know something?"
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"The nanites are there to help with the grafting process. Once that is complete they should be purged. That is what is odd. These still have active nanities."
Across the road you notice a Freemarkets pawn shop. Like many of the other businesses in the area it seems to be pretty much a one person (in this case a Ysoki) outfit. 'Second Time Around'. The ysoki pokes its nose out asking "You need anything? Look at this! A Freemarket t-shirt. You'll not find them anywhere else I assure you."
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Lynn ponders theatrically, arms folded "How aboouuutt... if the nanites are hanging around way past the time they should be, maybe its like a super-graftable hand? Like it grafts onto anything! Anyone want to try it out? Graft it onto your shoulder or something?" She wrinkles her nose "Now that I think about it, that'd be kinda gross."
"Well, thanks for your help Chryson! We'll be back if he have biotech to buy!" She turns to the others "On to Cytech!"
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The rat across the road shouts after you. "I can do Freemarket branded weapons too. Finest quality!" soon however his calls are lost among the other hawkers and such.
You check your maps and quickly find your way to Cytech. A pretty receptionist looks up from behind the desk. "Hello, how may Cytech help you today?" he asks.
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Arratoi says, "Hello there miss. We'd like to speak with Mr. Yoshi please. We're here on official AbadarCorp business. But not to worry, we have no issue with Mr. Yoshi. We're just looking for some information and believe that he can help us."
Arratoi will display the AbadarCorp badge for her to see.
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Arratoi figures he'll take the same approach here as he did previously. First, he displays the AbadarCorp insignia, then he speaks with a friendly tone, "Hello, Mr. Yoshi, I presume? We're here on official AbadarCorp business and are investigating the source of a highly sophisticated cybernetic augmentation that was manufactured with biotech."
Arratoi will show Yoshi the prosthetic and continues, "Think you have any information to hand out??"
Again, Arratoi's mouth displays a hint of a smile as he's unable to keep a straight face.
Arratoi will also gauge Yoshi's response...
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As Arratoi unleashes another groaner, Lynn glances pointedly at him and back to Mr. Yoshi. She mouths out 'I don't know him, I swear' but accompanies it with a cheeky grin.
Theatrically clearing her throat she says "We're thinking it was bought somewhere in the Freemarket, and since you're so well connected we thought maybe you'd know more!"
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Yoshi looks with a little disgust at the dismembered hand.
"I am a skilled at augmenting of cybernetics. This is not being cybernetics. This is being Biotech. Perhaps you would be having more luck with Metagenesis or Renew-You. Though Renew-You is also doing cybernetics both. If you are wanting to have an augmentation done, I am able to help and they will be being much better than that..." he says gesturing to the arm.
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Lynn cocks her head to the side "Renew-You? That's a bit weird. Are they new around here? We had a list of companies in the Freemarket and they weren't on there at all. Could you tell us a bit about them, and maybe where to find them?"
She gives Yoshi a bright smile "It'd help us a lot if you could!"
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Yoshi looks a little put out. "They are being my competitors. They are obviously inferior to mine, and thus doing biotech as well. I am thinking they are a Shirren family. I am not knowing much more. Two floors down and third street across I am thinking. I am not having visited since they are first setting up."
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Arratoi asks Yoshi for confirmation, "So just to be sure, there is nothing you can tell us about this arm? It's kind of a cybernetic augment... just made with some cutting edge biotech, no?"
After Yoshi answers, Arratoi will say, "Thank you Mr. Yoshi. AbadarCorp appreciates your input with this matter and despite their products being inferior to yours, we'll check in with Renew-You. But we have one other question if you don't mind indulging us for another minute. There have been reports of individuals gone missing, any of these people ring a bell?" Arratoi will provide descriptions of the missing people.
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Yoshi looks down the list. "This one did come to me. I was explaining to him as I am to you that what he is wanting is biotech, not augmentation. These are as different as transdimensions geometry is being from differential calculus. But People are not understanding."
The receptionist flirts it. "It's like the difference between 'Strawberry Machine Cake' and the 'Blue Portals'. But can my mother tell the difference?" he offers with a smile.
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Arratoi replies, "I see. And you directed this individual to Renew-You as well, I take it? Thank you Mr. Yoshi, you've been most helpful."
Arratoi turns to his fellow party members and asks, "Any other questions come to mind for Mr. Yoshi here? Or his lovely receptionist??" Arratoi throws a smile towards the receptionist.
Arratoi continues talking to the party, "It appears as though Renew-You is the next logical place to visit. Curious that Philt wasn't aware of it though. However, if any of you would like to stop by Bioboost first, I'm amenable to that as well."
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Following the directions you arrive at where Renew-You is...or was.
The Renew-You clinic is a modular unit that resembles a shipping container. Although it is clearly older than the surrounding structures, it looks clean and well maintained. Metal doors are rolled down over the entrance and windows, and a neat sign reading “CLOSED INDEFINITELY” hangs over the posted business hours.
From a couple of levels further up you hear the Freemarket hawker trying to convince someone else to purchase his Freemarket branded soap.
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You can hunt around for reviews and such of Renew-You, but as a "pop up" shop there is little to be found there. Of course there may be other easier ways to find out. On one side of the unit is "Bob's accountancy" 'I make your numbers add up'. However a sign on the door says "Out to lunch". The other side looks vacant.
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Arratoi smiles approvingly at Will's initiative and says, "While you take the direct approach, I'm going to have a chat with that hawker. Maybe he's seen something..."
Arratoi will head over to the hawker and start with some friendly banter, "Hello sir! Fine products you have here! You know what else I think would sell like hotcakes? Freemarket snow globes! Everyone loves snow globes!"
Arratoi then broaches his true purpose, "So hey, I was hoping you could help me out? You see that clinic down there?" Arratoi points at the Renew-You container. "You wouldn't happen to have known the people operating that business or have seen them, have you?"
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William approaches the door and starts to fiddle with it.
Meanwhile Arratoi climbs up to talk with the proprietor of "Second Time Around" on a higher walkway. The lady in charge "dot" an attractive ysoki is more than happy to chat "Yes, a bit of my merchandise has come from people who wanted to pay for augments. One hard luck story after another." she leans closer "The Renew-you people were pretty hard up for a while. They hawked some of their personal gear to me. But then business took off. Not seem them recently though, maybe they took a vacation?"
Back at the clinic William hears a 'click' as the lock gives. Peering inside he spies a reception area with three doors leading off it.
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"Thank you very much sir" Arratoi picks up one of Second Time Around's business cards and before he departs, Arratoi says, "I'll pass this on. I've got a couple cousins who will probably be interested in some of your merchandise."
Arratoi heads back down to become Will's breaking and entering accomplice!
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Lynn joins Arratoi in talking to the second-hand vendor. When the ysoki shopkeep mentions that the Renew-You people tried to sell some of their gear to her, Lynn chimes in with "Oh, what were they selling? I mean, before their business took off." She puts a hand on her hip "I'm guessing they started doing well when they got a supply of zetta-cool new biografted superlimbs. Think that could be the case Miss Dot?" She catches Arratoi's eye, checking if he reached the same conclusion.
Either way, she hurries on over to rejoin the group and investigate the premises of Renew-You.
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Dot, quite happy to pass out cards and gossip in equal quantities continues. "I'm not too sure to be honest. Some type of bio-tech I think. I mean with a name like Renew-You... But so much money so fast. I suspect they either won a lottery or... crossed the line."
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Inspecting the shop the team quickly looks around. There is a reception area, an office, a small workshop and an operating theatre. There are no computers or physical records - which is kind of odd.
HK is pretty sure nobody has been here in the last week.
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Lynn finally notices the halfling child and steps forward, crouching down to the child's level. She pats the kid on the head gently and says "Don't worry, your big sis Lynn will help. Leave it to me!" She winks in an attempt to cheer the kid up. "Can you lead us to your mom right now?"
Lynn flexes her wrist slightly and the glowing symbol of the Starfinder Society appears on the back of her hand (subdermal graft). "See, we're with the Starfinder Society, so you can totally trust us!"
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The child leads you out of the Freemarket. But not far out,k only a couple of minutes travel takes you to the halfling neighbourhood. The child heads toward an apartment complex and knocks on the odor, which is quickly opened.
Jumpsuits and equipment belts hang from pegs, crowding the entryway. Farther in, this cluttered apartment is dimly lit. To the right of the entryway is a small kitchen, where an older male halfling is preparing food while assisting two adolescents doing schoolwork at the table. To the left of the entryway is a common area, full of worn but comfortable-looking furniture. A heavy, wracking cough echoes from deeper in the apartment.
Looking in you can see a living room crowded with concerned looking halfings of a variety of ages.
You knows that augmentations are stigmatized in halfling community; in the halfling family-centered culture, an ill halfling should be tended to by friends and family. Seeking out serious medical interventions like augmentation forces the acknowledgement that family and some good poultry soup can’t cure all ills, and most halflings flinch at that thought.
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Will quietly types something into his datapad, and discretely shows the others.
Augmentations are heavily stigmatised in halfling communities. Seeking out serious medical interventions like augmentation forces the acknowledgement that family and some good poultry soup can’t cure all ills, and most halflings flinch at that thought. We need to be tactful.
He then politely addresses the gathered halflings.
"Greetings. I am terribly sorry to be treading on such a delicate matter, but we understand from this child that something is very wrong with his mother; other people are also getting sick the same way. We need her help. In the process, we just might be able to help her, as well."
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One of the halflings steps forward. "Thank you. Maija damaged her lungs working long hours in a chemical plant. To keep working she needed a variation of a respirator compounder. A friend suggested that we get a biotech augmentation, as that would be less obvious that normal cybernetics."
He wrings his hands. "My friend had recently received an augmentation of his own, a high density datajack - from Renew-You. The graft had taken almost immediately without problems or scarring. He was back at work just a couple of days later! It was just too good a chance to pass up."
Another halfling pipes up. This one a woman. "I'm Tanit. I went with Maija to the clinic a couple of weeks ago. Vrisken explained the procedure and booked the appointment. He explained that his partner personally crafted the augmentation with components from a new source that would enable rapid recovery. When we went back for the operation his partner.. I can't remember her name... she did the actual operation. It took less than an hour and she was back at work in two days."
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Will nods thoughtfully.
"That seems almost too good to be true... Do you think that your friend might know more about this Vrisken? It is imperative that we track them down, before more lives are damaged."
A thought then occurs to him.
"Of course, I would not dream of simply taking advantage of you; I would compensate you accordingly for your assistance. How does 250 credits sound? Whilst I may not be skilled at Medicine (being more of an aficionado of technological systems), I can certainly recommend a good cyberdoc, and that amount would be enough for a proper cyber-upgrade to her lungs... Just say that Will Riker, vid-gamer extraordinaire, two-time winner of the Ascent marathon championship, sent you."
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Moving over to the halfling she crouches down and starts some research on the halfling, using her computer to look up the build of a halfling, comparing it to the one in front of her, nodding once before checking some more schematics of the halfling before shaking her head "I might have to do some more research, maybe one of my friends can assist me?"
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"That.. that..." stammers Hermot (the first halfling to speak with you in the house) "would be very kind. I'm sure we could find a doctor with that kind of money to spend."
"The person who recommended the biotech was Sheng. He's kind of a little bit shady, but supports the local community. He knows folk, and if he doesn't know where to find the Renew-You people, he'll know folk who can."
Mother goes into the back room to inspect Maija. She looks exhausted, but is lucid. Mother sees little signs of any augmentation, just a small car on either side of her trachea. She thinks of some of the comments that Chyson made and after a quick check of her research is pretty sure she knows what has to be done.