The drone will continue along behind Jarix, keeping back about 20 feet from the sneaking ex-soldier. He is watching the events unfolding, but primarily keeping an eye on Jarix in case he needs assistance should things take a turn for the worse.
At first Jarix panics, but his training comes to him. He tries to record the changing lights with his datapad so he can reproduce it. If it works he'll hold it up and do so.
Mayhem talks into his comm unit.
"JD, that's probably a greeting. These people might communicate through these flashing lights. Can you mimic their display with a light or something?"
J.D. watches from one knee, struggling with his condition and gravity at once.
"I'm a little worried that de-cloaking Sh-Ux now will startle them. He's also very rude."
He looks around to everyone else, and to the Captain. "What do you think?"
A crystalline metal. Not sure I've ever seen something like this before.
He captures some of the precipitation with a sample collection kit from the ship's laboratory.
Mayhem talks into his comm unit.
"JD, that's probably a greeting. These people might communicate through these flashing lights. Can you mimic their display with a light or something?"
Verne gets on the com himself.
"Would you like us to come down and attempt to communicate with the entities?"
Verne attempts to use his skills as best he can to decipher the meaning of the communication, and the nature of the bioluminescent beings at first glance.
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Jarix tries to get his personal datapad out of his pack in order to record the flashing light sequence from the two humanoid figures, but is unable to get the datapad into record mode in time to capture the visual signal. Verne collects some precipitation in the cup from his personal hygiene kit while JD awaits communication from the captain.
And the creatures continue to advance, moving evenly and swiftly across the plateau.
"Sure. I'll take any help I can get. This sort of thing isn't really what I'm trained for."
Jarix, hoping to appear friendly, cautiously walks toward them too.
Asenath unfolds herself from the buggy, stretching her wings out behind her with a sigh. She fingers her pistol, unsnapping the holster to ready for a quick draw, but leaves it in its cradle for the moment.
Flipping her wings against her back, she opens her comm. "Not my lane either. I'm ready to go high and cover if it's needed."
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The abrupt and violent jolt out of Drift travel would have been lethal to most sentient life forms, but not so to IVSC Probe 11001001 apart from the diversion from its primary directive and the damage to its thrusters. The probe sensors reached out into the Material Plane to detect nearby geothermic or stellar patterns of energy so as to calibrate its position.
".....scanners detecting geothermic patterns.....analysing.....running diagnostics to ascertain extent of engine damage....."
There was no reason for the exit from the Drift; it was not scheduled, therefore, it was impossible apart from some malfunction. Sensors indicated a mono-stellar system orbited by six planets.
Suddenly, the probe's scanning signals screeched a triumphant klaxon: primary directive proximity detected! The probe immediately redirected all of its efforts to identifying the source of the magical signature in this remote sector of the Vast. Bereft of the probe's auto-repair machinations, the probe's engine ground down to a halt, dooming the small unmanned craft on a downward trajectory towards the second planet of the unknown solar system.
Fortunate indeed, then that the scanning signals pinging back on the probe's sensors confirmed the locale of the magical radiation as that same planet! In its final duties to its programming, the probe radioed far out into the Vast, sending a message that would take days to reach its target, long past the time the probe winked out of existence as it obliterated into smithereens against the surface of the surprisingly-verdant planet.
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"Sir, you're going to want to see this," the comms ensign announced, swivelling smoothly out of his chair and transferring the message on his station monitor to his data pad. The commanding officer accepted the data pad with a raised eyebrow that quickly turned to wide-eyed shock.
The communications officer spoke in a daze. "Quickly, ping the sardat to my comm unit. Use the urgent tag and encrypt the line. I will take the call in my quarters." With datapad in hand, the officer strode swiftly across the bridge .
At last, he reveled, the nova aeon stone! It could be Ameondria!
A treble of low tones announced the incoming communication. The officer passed through the door to his private quarters and secured it behind him before answering.
"All glory to the Throne, Sardat Ulivestra. I believe we may have at last found the Royal Venture on a planet far in the Vast that is part of the Nakon system..."
JD will collect himself and slowly raise to standing with a grunt. He will ready himself to follow the group that intends to approach Jarix's position, remaining at the rear to collect the drone without startling the strangers.
Mal, who has been quietly allowing her crew to do what they do best, finally decides that she is up to bat. "Alright, this has gone from a scouting and reconnaissance mission to a first contact scenario. That's my gig, folks. Jarix, hold your position and stall communication as much as possible. I'll be with you in a moment to try to begin further communications.
"JD, keep Sh-Ux unseen as long as you can. If things turn nasty, we might want to turn his position to our advantage. Got it?"
The captain moves ahead and joins Jarix, then begins trying to read the crystalline beings who greeted him. She also tries to better understand what their violet flashing might indicate--whether it is a greeting or a warning.
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Mallura, JD, Verne, and Nat begin their trek towards Jarix's position, their approach hampered by the slow pace of their strixian pilot.
As the two humanoid figures draw nearer to Jarix, he likely wishes that his companions were at hand; the natives' countenance is terrifying.
They draw close and stop five feet from Jarix. One of them flashes violet, then green and red. The other crew members can see this from their remote position, though the colours do not seem as bright as previously seen.
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Without being able to replicate the lights and sound naturally, Jarix continues to try with his datapad to recreate their colors and sounds. He accepts their proximity, but tries to stay out of their arms reach. He does not draw a weapon.
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Jarix successfully recreates the pattern of lights from the creatures, but finds it difficult to recreate the exact tones that emanate from them. The native that didn't evoke a visual most recently (i.e. 'the second one') flashes yellow-blue-green-blue-white in a rapid sequence; the first native flashes green-brown-red-white quickly.
The first native leans towards Jarix and glows green for a full second; it then straightens and the glow disappears.
As this occurs, the forward crew members (i.e. JD, Mallura, Nat, and Verne) come upon the scene.
"Well hello, friends! Those are some beautiful colors! Please, could you show us to where the former colonists were residing?"
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Shorter than you, the natives' torsos and heads are all in one line without any evidence of a neck or shoulders. Their thick arms extend from 2/3 of the way up their body down to three thick clawed fingers that just clear the ground. They have one fused lower extremity ringed entirely with similar claws by which they appear to have been scuttling across the ground. Their face is the most terrifying thing: a down-turned wide mouth hanging partly open to reveal more than one row of strangely rounded teeth, widely-set pupil-less black eyes, two nose openings flat to the surface of the flat face set higher than the eyes, and a weirdly pointed head.
In addition to the flashing lights emanating from their bodies, you all can detect a strange electronic humming at times coming from them - but not their mouths.
The first native repeats the (relatively) slow green luminescence to Mallura's introduction. The second native remains still.
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The first native repeats the (relatively) slow green luminescence to Mallura's introduction. The second native remains still.
J.D. looks to the invisible drone and is lost in thought for a moment. He reaches to his custom rig slowly and enters a command which renders his screen green. He won't make any obvious gestures towards the creatures, instead choosing to spread his hands out wide to his sides.
Jarix tries to mimic the alien's manners, leaning forward then straightening, while still trying to mimic the light pattern and music tone.
Jarix will report, "I don't think they vocalize. I think the color and tones are how they communicate. With body language to help or emphasize much like we do."
"Yes, I think you're right, Jarix. That certainly complicates things. Hopefully we'll be able to keep up with the color schemes. As for the green, it seems almost like a reference to 'you' or 'yourselves'. Could be they're asking who we are? Maybe this will help." Mallura pulls up her comm unit and shows the AbadarCorp insignia, then gestures to herself and her companions. "We...work...for...AbadarCorp. Have...you...seen...this...symbol...before?"
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Mallura flashes the crest of the AbadarCorp brand at the strange natives of the planet from her datapad. Almost immediately, the two explode in a rapid succession of red, black, white, green, and a few colours in the ultraviolet spectrum (visible to Verne and Sh-Ux only).
They both move back a few steps from the gathered crew, but don't turn away from you. The electronic noises they make sound like grinding gears, or the purring of a large mechanical cat.
"Well, I'd say they know the symbol. I don't think they like it very much, but they do know it."
"Well, I'd say they know the symbol. I don't think they like it very much, but they do know it."
"Independent contractors" He adds with a smile while motioning to himself and the rest of the group.
JD sizes up the creatures and tries to learn more about their physical makeup.
”They didn’t like that? Wow! That’s not what I thought those colors meant at all! Okay well...” Mallura stows her comm unit and roses her hands to show she meant no harm. ”Okay, well, Jarix? JD? Either of you want to give this another go?”
Do they step forward and back or just back the one time?
If they step forward and back, Jarix will move to follow them.
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Once the truncated crew (or Jarix) gives the appearance of meaning to follow, the two turn away and move swiftly across the plateau.
They turn back to ensure that you're following, but do not slow their pace. Soon, the natives open a sizable gap between the parties, though their end goal seems obvious: the collection of buildings from which they first came.
"They want us...to follow them, I believe," the android stutters, entranced by the light display that is both a means of communication and an art form in its' own right.
"They don't seem hostile. If anything, they are afraid of us, or rather, the corporation we represent," Verne concludes.
We must find a way to communicate with these...lightsharks. Who knows what secrets they hold within their shimmering skin.
Verne, weapons holstered, follows the natives towards the buildings.
"Well done, Verne. Come on, crew. Let's follow those lightsharks. Lih, Mayhem, bring up the rear in the buggy if you would. We're on the move again."
When they are out of earshot of the beings, JD will instruct the invisible drone to board the buggy before removing its reactive camo. His intention is to have it appear as though the drone was on the buggy the entire time.
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You enter - eventually - a cluster of 30-40 buildings constructed of heaped-up stones held together via magnetic forces. A small collection of natives, many squatter and wider than the two you originally came across, have gathered in a central square of strangely-regular form off to the far side of the structures. They appear to be awaiting your arrival. You see the two original natives standing aside the widest of the native 'light-sharks'.
As you approach, an electronic humming reverberates around the square.
The hum fades and the squattest figure steps towards you. He holds his three-fingered arms wide and offers a slow cadence of green, blue, and red colours of different hues. He ceases the message and then repeats it again with the same methodical pace.
You detect no verbal component to this one's speech.
JD hasn't the slightest clue what is happening. He waits for the more tactful of the group.
Jarix will continue to record and play back the lights and sounds.
"It's a greeting. He is a leader here and he's asking about the 'Great One in the Stars'. The besmara whelp maybe?"
Jarix will try to respond but substitute his own name.
Edit: Though still using prior rolls.
Jarix will continue to record and play back the lights and sounds.
"I think they're greeting us. I hope they're greeting us."
"They're trying to communicate either way. Still no sign of hostility." He turns to the others. "Perhaps we should speak to them, expose them to our primary means of communicating?"
Hmm. There has to be another day of establishing a link...
Think, Verne...what ways do humanoids communicate other than verbal discoure? There is body language of course, and in that respect we and the lightsharks seem to have established some common ground.
Our primary visual language is the alphabet. What of other senses? Finger spelling, sign...music? Well, music is more of a language of the emotions -
Ah. I wonder...
"Wait. I'm going to try something first," he relates to the crew. "The lightsharks likely either can't understand or replicate our verbal language. I'll attempt to transmit not a verbal message, but one or more basic emotions."
Verne take a deep breath, and stills his mind. And then, he casts Telepathic Message, with the simple communication of confusion, curiosity, and calm.
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[spoiler #1=Verne]You roughly understand the lead lightshark's initial address. He said: "Welcome. I am Speaker of the Drusnock. We will share with you. What became of the Great One in the stars?"[/spoiler]
Verne uses his telepathic powers to communicate his emotional message. As Verne enters the lightshark's mind, the creature flashes white.
[spoiler #2=Verne]You immediately sense shock and then intense relief and gratitude in your own mind as the following words come trickling through your telepathic connection. "Wonderful.....mind-meld used here.....mainly with mating.....what seek you?"
Verne and the speaker stare impassively at each other.
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Verne uses his telepathic powers to communicate his emotional message. As Verne enters the lightshark's mind, the creature flashes white.
(anyone besides Verne) Perception DC 25:
Verne and the speaker stare impassively at each other.
Lih notices Verne has his eyes closed, deeply focused on, or perhaps distracted by, something. Or maybe by nothing. And also, he might not actually be particularly distracted or focused. Hard to tell.
Lih examines Verne's posture and breathing, trying his best to compare that to whatever he can remember about his companion's health and behavior prior to leaving the ship.
Nothing. At least nothing that wasn't there before, so far as I can tell. It's a total mystery.
Unable to sense the communication taking place between Verne and the light-shark, Mallura looks over to the android with some concern. "Verne? What's happening? Did whatever you were trying work?"
Mallura takes in a quick breath and makes a sound of recognition, "Oh yeah, I got that too. It does seem like a greeting. Seems like they're pretty friendly too. At least, doesn't seem like they're ready to kick us out of here yet."
JD is lurking at the rear trying to figure out what is happening. He appears nervous and very out of place.
"Friendly is good. But are they hungry. We could still be dinner"
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pans up from Lih holding on for dear life as Mayhem pilots erratically across the alien terrain of the blue-green planet of the Drusnock, rapidly accelerating through the stratosphere and popping out into space. The point-of-view pivots to the inky black of space and pivots back again, denoting a much different stellar background; we are somewhere else.
The colossal dreadnought heaves into view, its mind-expandingly massive bulk swimming serenely through space like a giant window-sporting sperm whale. If it were possible to view through the rounded crystalline viewing port adorning the pristine front bulkhead reception chamber of Sardat Ulivestra's office from the outside, there would be the briefest of bright flashes seen as a body collapses in a semi-molten heap to the floor.
"That was the ensign that identified the location where the probe crashed, correct Officer Sharu?" The voice, thick with assumed authority, belongs to the stern-faced Azlanti in the wine-coloured coat, his left fist glowing still with the remnants of solar energy.
"Yes, my Sardat," the other voice - a bit subdued - replies obediently. It is the communications officer.
"Tell me, Officer Sharu," the voice continues smoothly as he moves back to his elegant wall-console-desk and sits, the solar glow faded from his hand. "You have a nephew in the Aeon Guard?"
"Niece," the officer corrects, then halts with the briefest of pained expressions on his face. Correcting a superior officer was a punishable offence; when that superior officer was nobility, the punishment could be extreme.
"Yes, niece," the sardat continues in the same tone after flashing his violet eyes a beat at the lesser officer's before returning their not-quite-there stare off into the middle of the wall. "And she is loyal to the Aeon Throne?"
"Above all else," Officer Sharu announces with a confident smile.
"Good," the sardat paused, unable to find the information necessary with a few casual taps on his holo-screen. "On board which vessel is she serving?"
The face of the communication officer goes blank and slightly grey for a moment. "Um, sir? The Barazad, sir."
Sardat Ulivestra taps again on the holo-screen, this time his violet eyes locked on Officer Sharu. "Yes. Military support and transport for the Imperial Army. Currently docked at Gulta. Tell me, Illustar Sharu -" here, the sardat emphasises the newly-bestowed title - "do you know of the imperial decree that allows those of high-lineage nobility the authority to unilaterally divert military resources for emergency purpose?" Sardat Ulivestra's unflinching gaze remains upon the newest member of the Azlanti illustri.
"I was shamefully ignorant of that specific decree, but by your Grace, I now comprehend fully." The colour returns as his chest swells.
The sardat abruptly turns his back on the communications officer and delivers an order from over his shoulder. "You will communicate with the vanguard voidsweeper Barazad and inform the ranking Fleet officer of the imperial commandeer of their ship for immediate service to the IVSC using imperial code 'Kellixtrian'. They are to make all haste to the second planet of the Nakon system. You will then communicate with your niece and provide her confidential instructions to scour that planet to salvage the alpha target."
"Yes, my Grace. You are too generous." Illustar Sharu backs out of the chamber, but halts at the open door as the sardat turns back to him.
"Illustar Sharu? If the rune drive is recovered during this operation, then our rewards will be presented via the imperators themselves. And if not," and here the sardat turns away conclusively, "well, new titles are not bestowed upon dead people." The threat lingers palpably in the air for a moment before the door to the sardat's quarters slams shut without a hint of a gesture from the seated figure.
"Yes, captain." Verne replies. "I have established contact. They are asking about a 'Great One in the stars'. I will not be able to sustain telepathic communication for long. I would suggest one of our crew who comes by the ability naturally takes the lead on communication."
Concentrating, Verne sense a second telepathic message to the beings: Glad to see we understand each other. I am Verne, and we are here to understand what happened to those who were living here, but vanished.
Verne tries to jog his memory for any knowledge he has concerning the lightsharks.
Come on Verne, you're three hundred and seventeen years old. Surely you must have came across something in your studies!
"Does anyone else know anything about these beings?" Verne asks. "It's unfortunate our other science officer isn't here...ah, wait, here he is!"
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I know all about these guys. They're Contemplative. Just about the smartest things in the galaxy, so smart they don't even need their bodies anymore, that's why their heads are so big and glowy.
They probably don't even notice us. I say we just walk past them.
I know all about these guys. They're "Contemplatives". Just about the smartest things in the galaxy, so smart they don't even need their bodies anymore, that's why their heads are so big and glowy.
They probably don't even notice us. I say we just walk past them.
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Verne's telepathic link to the speaker fades as Lih pronounces the native creatures as contemplatives. Some of the crew hold suspended belief of Lih's description of the creatures, perhaps because they have actually encountered contemplatives before. Nevertheless, the crew has no better information on which to base their attempts at communication. These attempts prove frustratingly fruitless until the strixian pilot flaps her wings and attempts to communicate their identities and mission on the planet. A brief flurry of colour exchange occurs; the pilot tries to keep everyone informed.
"I told them that we are working for AbadarCorp and wish to see the off-worlder colony that was once here. They mentioned something about an 'exile' and didn't want to talk more about it."
It's at this point in the communication that one of the lightsharks not close to the others lets off a light associated with a plasma burst. The lightshark collapses to the ground, and a few others hurry over and help it back to its feet. As the crew watches, the lightshark is lead away from the group towards one of the structures.
"That happened so fast I couldn't get a recording." Jarix looks back to his datapad. "Do you think that was normal? The falling out, I mean."
"It's hurt," Verne exclaims. "The burst seemed to come out of...nowhere."
What's wrong with it? Verne thinks. He focuses his mind again, not to send a message, but to cast detect affliction.