Mira ignores the drow boy, "Shall we?" She starts heading toward their destination.
Krizen nods firmly, for once in perfect agreement with the charismatic captain. Let's.
He follows behind Mira, heading away from the docking pad and the poor drow that tried to hussle them.
The way through Nightarch is a rather dizzying experience. Nothing like the well-ordered rows of shops in Absalom Station, the Docks district of Nightarch is a chaotic mess of vendors and stalls, hawking all manner of exotic wares from all over the Pact Worlds. Spiced squid dumplings from Yuban 6, mega-opiates made from the ice poppies of Ymir Prime, and powerful archeotech weapons. Eventually the group makes their way to a small storefront down a side alley. A sign reads in several languages, ul-Thontas' Emporium of Ages with scrolling images of archeotech from across the Pact Worlds.
Bravo keeps silent as they travel through the city, stone-faced disapproval written on his face. In his mind, this place combined two of the worst things in the galaxy: worship of dark gods behind closed doors and anarcho-capitalism in public. At least AbadarCorp had Abadar at the top to enforce some ethics and responsibility.
When they arrive at the store, he ushers the others in, bringing up the rear to make sure someone doesn't try to get the drop on them. Besides, the others were likely going to make a better first impression than him, unless their goal was to intimidate ul-Thontas like they'd intimidated the drow kid at the docking bay.
Mira takes in the sights of the city with wide-eyed excitement. Filming while talking about various things she sees and noting eateries and points of interest that might be out of the way but still interesting for travellers.
When they arrive she walks in first and asks, "Hello? We're from the Starfinders!"
Stacy shakes her head as they walk through the maze of vendors and stalls, her nostrils assailed by the unnaturally sweet smell of the squid dumplings. "Home sweet home," she mumbles to herself.
As they enter back alley Stacy notes Bravo's vigilance has the rest of the group enters, the gesture is appreciated but largely foriegn to as she is used to everyone watch their own necks.
The party walks in to see a fairly well-decorated interior. Artifacts sit on small plinths, holographic plaques describing and listing prices for each of them. A counter sits at the far end and a burly half-orc sits behind it looking at a datapad. The building itself is nothing special, likely a prefab.
Vurg starts once the party walks in and says, "Oh, Starfinders. Well, I have quite a few artifacts that might interest you." He makes his way out to the party and launches into his sales pitch unless someone interrupts him, "For only 100 credits we have a selection of tech from here on Apostae. It isn't the highest quality, but House Zeizerer makes it tough to get the best artifacts and it really isn't my specialty. For 300 we have an early Gap Akitonian thasteron drive. Doesn't work but it's still an interesting find to be sure. There's also a lashunta psychic amplifier and a preserved Swarm tyrant embryo, both for 500. Finally, there's an artifact of unknown origin I recently acquired. The price of that is up for negotiation."
Krizen looks over to Vurg. The amplifier and thasteron drive aren't negotiable? That seems a little odd. Isn't this an emporium? He raises an eyebrow, and looks around again. You seem to have a pretty good history of every item in your spiel, except for this artifact. Why is that?
"Prices are generally negotiable, that's just something of an opening estimate. I'd like to keep details of the artifact mostly to potential buyers as it has the potential to be extremely valuable due to it's rather singular nature."
Bravo listens quietly, stony-faced in the back of the group.
"That mystery artifact wouldn't happen to be a crystal you can plug into a computer, would it?"
Vurg raises his eyebrows, "How did you...Y-yes it is."
"Let's cut to the chase, this artifact is dangerous. We found one like it on a derelict ship out in the Diaspora. When we tried to plug it into the Lorespire's computers to see what was on it, it turned out to contain an ancient AI with delusions of grandeur that tried to take over our systems, and though we were able to keep it from doing that, it mind-controlled a few bots on Absalom Station to proclaim its glory and attack civilians. That AI also had some encrypted coordinates, which we figured were more of these crystal data drives housing the hostile AI...one of those coordinates was here, in your shop."
He pauses to let the implications of that sink in.
"So we want to purchase this crystal from you, and hopefully keep this AI from getting released by some poor cloaca who doesn't have the resources and foresight to contain it the way the Starfinder Society did, or you accidentally released it yourself by examining it."
Vurg's eyebrows furrow together with concern, "Well, if the ramifications are on that scale, I'd certainly be willing to sell it. In truth, I wasn't entirely sure it was a data storage device, merely that it was a valuable artifact. The initial price for it was 1000 credits but I'd be willing to go down to 900."
Mira continues Bravo's line of thinking while pacing in the store examining the other things for sale.
"What Bravo here is getting at is that the AI has been released, is hostile, and wants that device. I doubt it is willing to pay for it. For your own safety you should sell it to the Starfinder Society, who has the resources to fight 'whatever it is.'" She turns Vurg and says, "500"
Stacy is fairly sure the objects are culturally significant, and though she doesn't know the exact prices they seem fair.
Vurg sighs, "I could do 600, I could afford that much of a loss." After thinking for a moment he says, "I have a request though. The Starfinders are a significant player in the archeotech business and they'd make a very valuable partnership. If possible, I'd like something of a partnership. It never hurts to have a reputable contact on Apostae."
Krizen nods at Vurg. I cannot speak contractually for the entire Society, but I can certainly recommend your Emporium to everyone I know. I will personally make sure to check your wares before anywhere else.
Krizen has no problem making a commitment like that; he is being completely honest, and if Vurg chooses to read more into the words than there is, well, Krizen will not be unhappy.
Mira gives Vurg the 600 credits from their allotment, "Deal! Someone will get in touch with you about the details of the arrangement." Once she has a chance she will notify Historia-7 of their success and that Vurg wants to become a supplier for the Society, "He has some other interesting stuff to be sure."
”Tell you what. I’d like to celebrate with some drinks, my treat. Seems fitting, given that we’ve just struck up a partnership and done a bit for saving the galaxy. Might not be new for you Starfinders but I’ve never been close to that.”
Mira can tell that even though Vurg thinks he can gain some by getting in better with the Starfinders, he is genuine in his offer.
Bravo smiles a bit as the deal is reached quickly.
"Thanks, Vurg. Glad to see you're taking this seriously. Most people hear someone talking about a megalomaniacal Pre-Gap AI would laugh them off as crazies. But you seem to get that when Starfinders talk about 'weird' they're being serious."
Privately though, he starts getting nervous, trying not to let it show. This was too easy, and like their encounters on the derelict, something being too easy was a sure sign of unexpected trouble.
Krizen ears perk up, interested. What is there to drink around these parts? Do you have a particular preference?
Mira raises an eyebrow when Krizen gets excited about getting a drink, Weeeiiird! He's been go go go until now. She says to Vurg, "Sounds good!"
Vurg seems to visibly relax as the party expresses interest. He says to Bravo, "Well, I've dealt with my fair share of oddities in this job, including a fairly old and angry AI in an antique Akitonian paint mixer."
He then turns to Krizen, "Well, most drow bars aren't all to friendly to us half-orcs," he nods at Stacy before continuing, "so we tend to have our own places. Orthnar's Den is one of my favorites. They've got all manner of things, from gutter hooch to Liavaran Sky-Brandy."
Bravo raises an eyebrow at the angry paint mixer story.
"You'll have to share that story at the Den, then. But first, don't want to spoil the good mood too much, but could we please get what we paid for before we go out for drinks? I'd like to make sure we've got it secured," he asks.
"Ah yes, don't want to forget that." Vurg goes behind the counter and pulls out a small box, sealed with several magnetically locked clasps. He opens it and the group sees the content, a small crystal, very similar to that which they recovered on the derelict ship. Assuming the crystal is put away, the group heads out.
Along the way, Vurg starts to tell the story of the angry pain mixer, "Well, I'd come across an antique Akitonian paint mixer when I was visiting Maro. I thought it would be a good curiosity to have around the shop so I sprung for it. Not thinking much of it, I turned it on."
He chuckles and says, "Big mistake. Turns out somebody had used it to download an old administrative AI, thing had been cooped up in there for who knows how long. It didn't take kindly to being shut off, so for about a month it continuously ran. Man was that a hell of a racket."
It's not a long walk, about ten minutes, though with the many twists and turns of Nigharch's chaotic streets it's hard to ascertain how for the group has truly gone. Eventually they reach a building further into the orc quarter of the city, a flickering sign proudly reading, Orthnar's Den.
"Charming, reminds me of my childhood," Stacy says in a deadpan manner, "bets on how long before someone swings at Bravo?"
Krizen laughs at Stacy's comment. No bet there, but I will bet on how fast Bonar can knock them down! Krizen looks around, shrugs at the look of the place, and heads inside.
Bravo makes sure the box is secured in his bag before they leave, and makes sure to have one hand on it at all times, just in case. When they arrive at the Den and start making bets on him, he chuckles a bit.
"I wouldn't even need to try. You'd have to be pretty drunk to try and punch a guy in Golemforged. Poor bastard would probably break their own hand!"
The bar is a large, dimly lit space. The edges are ringed with semi-private booths, and the center is mainly occupied by several holo-pool tables. A bar runs along one end with a skinny half-orc man standing at it cleaning glasses. A decent amount of full-blooded and half-orcs fill the place, drinking and playing pool. Several of them nod at Vurg as the party walks in.
"Reminds me of a few bars I've hung out at on Absalom Station...though most of the clientele were vesk instead of orcish," Bravo comments. "We going to the bar or getting a booth or something, Vurg?"
Vurg says, ”I was thinking we’d sit at the bar.”
Once the party gets settled down and their drinks arrive, Vurg raises his glass and says, ”To new partnerships!” Another round of drinks arrives shortly after. Then another, and another after that before...well, nobody can really quite remember.
The party wakes up in an alley an indeterminate amount of time later. Krizen and Bravo seem to have switched shirts, no easy task considering their size difference, and Mira somehow managed to get ahold of a cybernetic leg. Vurg lies sprawled next to them, an array of drawings gracing his greenish face including Stacy was here. Another figure lies further down the alley, bottles littered around them. Nobody can quite remember what happened.
Bravo remembers being tailed by someone through a neon-lit market, and a need to confuse them. He has a feeling the shirt swap might play into it.
Krizen just can’t shake the feeling that something went wrong last night. He’s pretty sure he saw some robots somewhere, likely an enforcer model.
Mira remembers an intense urge to record a video, being completely sure it’d be the best one yet. She has a feeling the leg’s got something to do with it along with a vague memory of a scarred drow woman.
Stacy remembers the overwhelming urge to lie down in the alley, along with figures looming over the group just before everything went dark.
Bravo groans as he comes to and his vision starts to clear. He immediately begins to panic and look around at the others.
"What happened?! Where's the crystal?! Krizen, how do you wear shirts this small?!"
Wha? What is this? I'm in a dress! Krizen sits up, his head coming out the arm-hole of an overly large shirt. Oh. Heh. Bonar, you have got some massive shoulders. I thought all that bulk was your armor! As for the crystal... It was in your bag, wasn't it? Did those robots take it?
Mira groans, "Not so loud Bravo... who was that drow woman? The one with the scar?" After retching, Mira activates Observing Bot hoping to make sense of what happened.
Afterwards she tries to remember hangover treatments.
Bravo frantically searches for his bag, and when he finds it, rummages through it, though in his gut he knows the crystal was EXACTLY what these robots and this drow were looking for.
Mira can't remember anything too concrete. Seems the group will have to suffer on.
Bravo's suspicion is confirmed. The box that holds the crystal is missing. As Bravo is looking, Vurg stirs and grabs his head before saying, "Ugh. What...what happened? Why am I in an alley?"
"Oh no...nonononono..." Bravo says as he finds no crystal. "It's gone...they took it!"
He looks at Vurg.
"We were ambushed, Vurg! The crystal drive's been stolen! Dammit, I should have hid it in my boot or something!"
It's clear to the others that the normally unflappable soldier is panicking.
Still shaking off the effects of whatever-it-was, Krizen throws a crooked grin towards Bravo. Well, do you see explosions and rampaging robots? We just have to find that and we can take them on again! ... I want a drink of water first...
Vurg's eyes widen and he pales, as much as a greenish half-orc can. "This...this is bad. Let me think for a moment." He mumbles, "Augh, my head is killing me." He shakes his head and says, "You mentioned a scarred drow woman. If that's her leg, you might've taken it from Ilyania Zeizerer. I've heard she's a disgraced member of the family, they cut ties with her after an incident with some archeotech weapons."
"Why would she want that artifact? She trying to get back in with her family, or is she looking to get revenge on them?"
Bravo removes Krizen's shirt and returns it to him.
"I need some water too."
Mira activates Observing Bot hoping to make sense of what happened.
Mira turns on Observing Bot and sees a video of herself talking in a slurred voice holding the prosthetic leg, ”Sso this is how you inshtall a leg. The leg, specifically, from the angry purple lady. Jusht like, do somethin with...” Her voice trails off as Bravo can be heard saying, ”Mira, somethins after us. Come on.” It then cuts off.
Vurg says, ”I don’t know. I make it a point to stay away from the Zeizerers.”