Lors keeps careful watch on behalf of anyone who wants to stick their head or hands in the reactor.
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Lors keeps careful watch on behalf of anyone who wants to stick their head or hands in the reactor.
Following Lors' eyes, Rril spies the reactor and considers whether to stick his head or hands in it.
He concludes that he would rather the goblin take the risk. Smaller hands, he notes. Less to lose.
Nevertheless, he stands by to offer some suggestions on how it could be shut down.
Steve has no problem sticking his head inside of the large high energy reactor. "Let's see what we can do with this!"
"You know, if you had asked me a year ago if I'd be okay with trusting a space goblin to stick his head in there...."
Steve makes use of his goblin ingenuity and duct tape to rig the generator to explode whenever he very well pleases. You pack up and begin making your way around the cell block to the enormous ring hall that links each of the individual cell blocks. There is a minor tremor as the generator explodes. If you look back, you can see the light of the explosion collapsing, and you note that the lights along the outside of the cell block begin to flicker erratically.
The hike across the moon is tiring as you make several detours to use the craters and rock formations for cover as you pass other cell blocks, though these other blocks do not appear to be on high alert. The environmental protections on the most basic suits are running disconcertingly low when you finally make it to the rim where you can space walk to the Hunter's Bounty.
The dock workers appear to be asleep at the job or else retasked to some repair job elsewhere on the base (like a power failure in a critical power generator). You are able to enter through one of the side airlocks and take a moment to consider your fortune. You find nothing amiss on the ship and the docking clamps are still under mutual control, allowing you to take off as soon as you're ready. Then you begin to wonder if this is too easy.
While Haro checks the ship for tracking devices, Lors powers up the weapons and readies the shields.
"Yeah I've got that saaaaaame feeling. Too easy."
Haro performs a manual search of the ship and an internal scan, while Lors takes her gunnery seat and powers the shields and weapons. Haro's search shows nothing amiss, so you all finish launch preparations. As indicated in your preliminary checks, nothing interferes with your ability to disengage the dock. Your hearts quicken as you make your way out of the docking ring and into open space. Is it that easy?
Zzzzwammm!
The ship vibrates as a heavy laser beam passes your starboard side from the aft. A narrower beam passes close enough to generate scatter across your energy shields but not enough to damage them. A quick redirecting of the targeting scanners reveals a medium sized Azlanti transport vessel.
"Vanguard Parapet Class," Cedona informs you. "They're glass cannons--powerful cannons--but relatively slow."
You know that you have one of the fastest ships in the Pact Worlds. The choice is yours: score another Azlanti kill or break for safer void?
"Discretion is the better part of valor. Let's leave them in our vapor trail."
Steve gives the motion to burn space gas. "Let's get out of here!" He squeals.
"Plenty of chances to frag some Azzies later."
Antenor pilots directly away from Gulta and the Azlanti armed transport at maximum speed, using all his skill and taking all of Rril's encouragement to make the Hunter's Bounty as difficult a target as possible. The escape is rocky as the ship quakes under a heavy laser strike that burns through the aft shields. Aeon torpedoes explode around you, causing your shields to glitter as they deflect the shrapnel. Steve does the best he can to keep the aft shields regenerating. Another laser cannon blast rips away his progress, but he begins again. Lors targets with the turret and fires back, landing a few solid hits before the two ships are two far out of each other's range.
The time immediately after escaping the Vanguard's range is tense as you wonder if more Azlanti have been summoned. Eventually, Cedona tries to reassure you. "I don't think they'll call on other Houses to help track you down. Aside from the embarrassment, I got the sense that Zolan Ulivestra wants to keep the rune drive's technology to himself." Without further harassment, you spin up the drift engine and spend the next few days resting and recovering as the psychedelic mix of planar material swirls past you.
"I'm worried about the advantage the Azlanti Star Empire could gain if they learn how to repair the rune drive and, worse, learn how to mass produce it," Cedona confides in you during your return to Outpost Zed. "It can't mean anything good for the Pact Worlds. Unfortunately, my memory files appear to be corrupted. There are long gaps in the time stamps after my abduction from Nakondis.
"I know they took me to some place called Aurelos after I first arrived on Gulta, but I have no sense of where that place might be. Zolan Ulivestra tortured and interrogated me there, trying to find out what I had learned about the rune drive during my investigation of the ancient crash site. I cannot recall what I may or may not have told him. Maybe I can find out where Aurelos is on Zed. Anyway, a job for the Stewards. You probably shouldn't stay anywhere too long, especially so close to Azlanti space."
"Well, where should we head then? I'm all in if you find out where Aurelos is.... if you know what I mean. I can't speak for the others, but it's kinda personal now."
"Think there's any way to fill in your memory gaps?"
"I'm not certain," Cedona answers Antenor. "And I thank you for offering to stick with me in my efforts to stop the Azlanti from rediscovering how to work the rune drive."
She nods to Haro. "Yes. Zed we do know where to find. And some time to sit in peace and quiet might help me to restore some of my own memories."
Several days later you arrive at Zed. You receive communication from Hasshachir directing you to his private shipyard.
"You really brought her back held together with zip tape! It is going to take me a few days to repair all of this damage," the wrikreechee says, referring to the damage sustained fleeing the Azlanti prison guardian ship. The alien does not bat an eye--he has no eyelids--at the emergence of the rescued prisoners, not even Grub.
You send communication to Talmrin that you have successfully rescued his companions, and he arrives shortly afterwards. The tortured companions and Talmrin greet each other awkwardly and seem to not be sure how to begin with each other--clearly there is more between them regarding their capture (and Talmrin's escape) than any of them desire to confess to you--but they are all sincerely thankful to you.
"Thee have delivered upon me a boon most priceless, but still I hath placed a price upon it," the gosclaw says, handing you a credstick. The amount loaded onto the stick reads: 3,000.
"I shall see to the safe habitation and rehabilitation of this other one thou hast delivered," she adds in reference to Grub.
The days pass slowly while Hasshachir's drones work to repair the damage to the Hunter's Bounty and Cedona meditates, trying to defragment her memories. The wrikreechee informs you that he will be heading out into the station, "I need to trade for some parts. I will be back this evening."
Later that evening, you all receive a text message from Hasshachir. Negotiations taking longer than expected. Need a few more days to finalize trades.
This leaves you alone to explore the space dock.
Hasshachir returns four days later. He greets you briefly upon his return and hurries off to the docks to unload the supplies that he purchased. He visits the facilities themselves infrequently, busying himself with the repair of your vessel. He checks in by comm unit from time to time to make sure you are doing well and appraise you on the progress repairing the Hunter's Bounty.
You have found the private space dock to be well stocked. You are able to spend your nights in the rejuvenation pods, which accelerate your rest while providing nano-sonic bathing and full aesthetic functions including hair styling so that Rril is able to arise each morning fully refreshed and coiffed.
Three nights after Hasshachir returns, while you are sleeping peacefully in your rejuvenation pods, you are awoken by a thunderous boom and shaking of the pods and anything hanging on the walls. The dim night lights go out, leaving the room in darkness for a moment before tracks of red lights flicker to life along the floor to illuminate the room. An infuriatingly annoying and loud ping indicates that the fire alarm has activated.
Once the computer in the rejuvenation unit reboots, text begins to scroll across the screen:
WARNING: Concussive event detected in repair bay
WARNING: Thermal event detected in repair bay
WARNING: Critical Power Loss
WARNING: Depressurization Event
NOTICE: Emergency Power Initiated
NOTICE: Repressurization will resume in a few moments
You dress and equip yourselves to investigate the explosion. The computer screen updates.
NOTICE: Repressurization Initiated
NOTICE: Repressurization Complete
You make your way to the airlock out to the repair bay. Lors passes through first. Then, as the rest of you file into the air lock, a notice on the interface flashes: POWER RECYCLE. You find the airlock doors leading into the repair bay unresponsive--effectively trapping Lors in the bay--but the doors back into the habitation open without difficulty.
Lors hears the robotic arm at the east end of the repair bay initiate. The bladed arm begins to whirr.
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"Oh, pronk," mutters Rril as he realizes that Lors is apparently trapped on the other side of the door. He frantically attempts to re-activate the doors or perhaps to accelerate the time the system takes to recycle.
"Hold tight for a few minutes, Lors. Captain Suolwind'll have you out of there in a jiff," he says over the comm, trying to sound reassuring and in control.
Rril tries to squeeze his fingers along the edge of the door and push it open manually.
"A little help here," he pleads from the others.
"Well that's not good...." Antenor is snapped back to focus, and watches Rril work. "Uh dude, you sure you've got that?"
He then tries to take over on the off chance it'll help... and not be too late.
Rril is unable to much from the airlock console, even with Antenor's help. He is able to identify a bar on the readout that indicates the doors are power cycling and appear to be about 25% complete by the time he finishes trying to hack into it. Antenor realizes that the control room would allow someone to control both the airlock and the robotic arm and tools, including the ability to shut them down.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Rril
Tools
Antenor
Steve
Lors
The robotic arm extends towards Lors and grabs hold of the shobhad--not gently.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Tools (grappling)
Rril
Antenor
Steve
Lors (32/40 | full hp; grappled)
"I'm no engineer! What the hell are we going to do?"
Steve quickly looks around for circuit board to smash. He kicks in a nearby panel and begins chewing on the wiring. "This could either make it let him go or crush him to death in an instant." Steve giggles thinking of the latter.
Steve generates a lot of noise and spare parts, but not much is happening with the door.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Tools (grappling)
Rril
Antenor
Steve
Lors (32/40 | full hp; grappled)
"This is right FUBARed!" Antenor bolts backwards, trying to get to the control room before his friend gets vivisected or worse.
While Lors struggles against the robotic arm, her companions lose faith in Steve's eccentric engineering techniques and break for the control room. There they believe their skills will be more useful. The rush through the automated doors, hurdling over chairs and sliding over the table top in the kitchen, and pass into the hall to the control room.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Tools (grappling)
Rril
Antenor
Steve
Lors (32/40 | full hp; grappled)
Antenor spits, "Why can't anything ever be easy?"
Lors struggles valiantly against the robotic arm pinning her, but it holds her tight. The spinning saw blade moves in toward her head, and the shobhad grabs the struts on either side of the blade with two of her free hands and pushes back with all her strength, keeping the blade away from her skin but uncomfortably close.
The humans make their way toward the computer control room. Steve contemplates the wires and fuses before him.
Combat! Round 2. Bold may act.
Tools (grappling)
Rril (give me a d20, please)
Antenor (give me a d20, please)
Steve
Lors (32/40 | full hp; grappled)
.
Antenor, not entirely sure of what to do, and by no means an expert, tries to simply lend a hand
Steve finds a new batch of wires as he yanks on them one handful at a time.
While Rril and Antenor make their way down the hall to the control room, Steve eyes a particularly important looking wire. Selecting the wire with traditional goblin caution and finesse, he rips out a handful and suddenly the airlock door opens and stays open. The sound of the whirling buzz saw floods into the silence of the airlock.
While Steve decides his next move--he does have a new robotic entity to try to dismantle--Antenor instructs Rril on how to hack into the control panel in a hurry. Dutifully, Rril follows the advice and as he presses his finger to the control panel, he receives an intense jolt of electricity. Fortunately, his self-preservation reflexes are sharp, and he flings himself bodily away from the control panel.
Lors continues to fight against the robotic arm. She manages to keep the saw from dismembering her as she shoves against the saw arm, but she does take a ragged looking glancing blow across her right lower arm.
It is clear to the two humans that Steve has managed to get the doors open, but the most expedient means of save Lors would be to (successfully) gain computer control of the robotic arms. It is a dilemma.
Combat! Round 3. Bold may act.
Tools (grappling)
Rril (18/24 | full hp)
Antenor
Steve
Lors (23/40 | full hp; grappled)
"Blast! You good? Come now, don't let a scare like that stop you!" Antenor gives Rril a quick inspiring boost
As Rril returns and tries to determine if the computer is safe to use, he identifies the trigger for the electrified grid is connected to the keycard reader. He suggests a work around so that Antenor does not trigger the grid when he attempts to access the computer again. With that key piece of information, Antenor is able to hack into the control and hurriedly shuts down the robotic arm.
In the docking bay, the whirring sound slows down and fades as the electric saw comes to a stop. The claws loosen on Lors, and the shobhad is able to force herself free. Steve might be disappointed that he doesn't have the opportunity to dismantle the robot for parts.
End Combat
"That turned out better than I expected.... Phew."
Antenor shudders a bit at what could have been before searching the room. Even the slightest beep or clank makes him jump a bit.
Lors' armor appears to have taken the brunt of the damage. She is mainly left a bit tired from the effort of keeping the electric saw from dismembering her.
Both Rril and Antenor find scorch marks on the floor near the generator, indicating to them that an explosion took place here. This is likely what knocked out the power and the force field. [ooc](The area can be further investigated with Physical Science or Engineering)[/oco]
Antenor jumps as your coms screech and then Hasshachir's voice comes through. "Ah, uh. Are you all alright? I was doing some repairs on your ship and then there was an explosion, and I was knocked out. I seem to be fine but sore. Your ship did not take any damage from the blast."
Steve sniffs the scorch marks to try and figure out what happened here as he looks around the generator.
Steve thinks the acrid smell around the scorch marks is suspicious, but he cannot quite put his finger (or goblin nose) on why.
"Well, I certainly can't one up Steve's analysis...."
He answers the call, "Well that's good to hear. The question is now, are we about to have even more company? Is our next move making a hasty retreat?"