A hemispherical room with rows of plush theater seating encircling a central projector, the starscape chamber is often used to share astronomical findings (or watch 4D vids when the rookie Starfinders think the administrators aren't paying attention). At the moment, however, the room sits quietly, gently projecting the constellations of the Pact Worlds against the domed ceiling.
With a few minutes yet until their meeting with Venture-Captain Naiaj, six Starfinder Society contractors filter into the space.
Working their way into the room, Driskinet looks around the room and takes it all in. Having only just recently been contracted by the Starfinder Society, she had never been in this room before. Her mating arms twitch slightly in nervousness, and she takes a moment to calm herself down. She was glad that she was the first to arrive, as she didn't want to appear to be nervous in front of anybody. Antennae sensing the air around her, she quickly adjusts her nametag with a three-clawed hand before walking through the room.
Moving through the seating area, Driskinet takes several minutes determining where to sit. The first seat was slightly too plump, as opposed to the fifth which was just simply too hard to sit on. The seventh was way too far back in the room, and the second would have likely made her neck twist uncomfortably to look at others. The fourth spot had seemed almost just right, until she found the gum stuck under the seat. The sixth seat was just a little on the bright side, while the ninth had been a hair on the side of too dark. The eight seat had a chunk of the cushion missing from the middle, while the tenth was situated slightly too low to the ground for her liking. Eventually however, she sat down at the third spot she had tried, setting her backpack next to her while she waited for everyone else to arrive.
Just as Drikinet is finally finding a suitable seat, she hears a resonant voice at the back of the room. "Mmm...interesting," says the kasatha she finds standing there. "Now let me see. If I recall correctly, this particular view is from..."
"Castrovel near its winter solstice? No, that doesn't seem right...oh well." The kasatha takes a few long, slow strides and comes to stand beside Driskinet's seat. "May I join you? I am Ashrouk. I believe this is where I was asked to meet-" he looks down to check his comm unit again, "Venture Captain Naiaj? Are you here for the job with the Starfinder Society as well?"
"Greetings, Dreamers." utters a gnome bearing bright, multi-hued hair and matching mustache. He is adorned in a black cloak that appears to be covered in various pin-pricks of light, itself resembling something of the scene depicted within the starscape chamber.
"Know that you are in the presence of a Dreamsmith--and a skilled one at that." he continues, without a hint of humility. "The whispers of Naiaj have reached my ears. It would seem that my services are required to assist you as you slumber."
Haphazardly shoving the gnome aside--whether on purpose or by happenstance you're not entirely sure--enters in a vesk who unceremoniously plops down in the nearest open seat and begins munching loudly on a protein bar.
"So, you the comrades on this mission? Great."
Half-chewed particles of the protein bar fly from his mouth with each word.
"That was unnecessarily gruff" mutters a shorter than average bleachling gnome as he enters the room. He scans the stars around him to see if the Kasatha was correct.
Sure of his answer, but not wanting to rock any boats, he quietly sits in the nearest available seat and begins absentmindedly thumbing an electronic device in his hand.
With a dour look on his face, he speaks up. "Sorry, I'm 'Dash'. I still don't know why, but that's what it says on my Starfinder ID stick. I think the recruiter thought it was funny."
For a brief moment, a portion of the briefing room appears constructed from a different type of metal. The seats are a different color, and strange avian noises echo in the distance. A brown-haired halfling woman emerges from this rift in reality, which promptly closes behind her.
"Ah, finally! This seems to be the right universe." She buffs a bit of dirt off her graphite armor. "Alorea, at your service. Got the call that the Society needs my talents, so here I am! Looking forward to working with you all!"
With a dour look on his face, he speaks up. "Sorry, I'm 'Dash'. I still don't know why, but that's what it says on my Starfinder ID stick. I think the recruiter thought it was funny."
"Perhaps, the recruiter saw levity in a name of brevity?" Flitweather ponders aloud, seemingly unphased by the mannerisms of the vesk. When a few protein crumbs land on the gnome's cloak, he casually wipes them off.
"I always appreciate the presence of a fellow gnome."" he notes with a nod to 'Dash'.
Despite his words, Flitweather seems more pleased with Alorea's colorful arrival.
"All that would seem to be missing is our hostess." he remarks.
As the contract-Starfinders mill about the room, a large pair of double doors slides open to reveal two diminutive figures. One is Venture-Captain Naiaj, a tough-as-nails bleachling gnome who oversees high-level operations for the Society from here in the Lorespire Complex. Her presence isn’t a surprise to the contact-Starfinders, as she is the very person that hired them for this job.
The other figure, not an inch taller than Naiaj, is more of a mystery. A sentient robotic organism, or SRO, it matches the Venture-Captain’s pace by wheeling forward on silent treads. Clad in lustrous dark bronze plating, the SRO is wrapped in a deep blue cloak, arranged to display a gleaming sigil of three interlocking circles inlaid in the breastplate of its humanoid torso.
Venture-Captain Naiaj wastes no time with pleasantries. "Greetings. I have called you in for a pressing matter related to a piece of the Society’s past. In 160 AG, former First Seeker Lanrah decided to make it the Society’s priority to research the Gap, using much of the Society’s resources in the pursuit of this quest. One vessel the Society deployed at that time was called the Amber Reconnoiter. That vessel disappeared under mysterious circumstances on a mission in the Drift. While it has been lost since then, the Amber Reconnoiter has become of interest to the Society yet again. MP-8 here can explain the details."
The SRO wheels forward on treads, its single, focused lens looking around the room, and performs some semblance of a bow. "I am MP-8, a priest of Triune and native of Aballon. It is an honor to meet you all." When it speaks, MP-8’s voice seems to carry soft harmonic tones, pleasing to the ear.
"A few weeks ago, I received a vision from Triune itself regarding a precise location in the Drift. From this vision I deciphered a set of coordinates: a beacon code. Triune provides these beacon codes only in instances of the utmost importance, so we in the church knew we had to take action right away. I formed an expedition to travel to the beacon code’s coordinates, whereupon we found the wreckage of a starship from centuries ago. The ship still bore insignia of the Starfinder Society."
MP-8 rolls over to the Starscape unit in the center of the room and attaches an adapter cable to its datajack. The starscape and house lights dim, transitioning to a epethreal mix of light and color unmistakable as the Drift. Suddenly, the view pitches, revealing a holographic image of a ruined starship floating in front of the colorful backdrop.
"Naturally, we assumed there must be something of great consequence on that starship, so we approached. However, much to our surprise, the ship opened fire." MP-8’s voice, now patched through the room’s audio system, takes on the omniscient qualities of a documentary narrator. The Amber Reconnoiter’s hologram begins silently firing its weapons, projectiles exploding harmlessly and then fizzling out.
"While we could have retaliated, we did not want to risk damaging what Triune considered so important. Seeing that the ship used to belong to the Starfinder Society, I have reached out to Venture-Captain Naiaj for aid." MP-8 disconnects from the projection unit, and the image of the Amber Reconnoiter flickers and then disappears, leaving an empty, dark ceiling.
"Whatever is on that ship is of the utmost importance to Triune, so you must recover it for us."
Naiaj nods to MP-8. "We will help in any way we can, as this find doesn’t just interest Triune’s church but also the entire Pact Worlds." Naiaj turns from the SRO. "I believe we have records of the Amber Reconnoiter along with the corresponding access codes that should allow us to disable the ship’s defense systems, allowing for safe exploration." Naiaj pauses.
"This vessel is also of interest in our matters. This ship was one of ours, from over two centuries ago, that disappeared during a mission in the Drift. The Society has been unable to ascertain what happened to the ship and its crew, and we would certainly like to find out. If you could, investigate the ship to see if there are any clues or records as to what happened to the crew.
"Before you head into the Drift, however, you’ll need to find those records and access codes. Stop by the Archives and the Communion Vaults - both locations are here in the Complex, and hopefully both will help you find the information you seek. Once you’re satisfied with your investigation, contact me for further instructions.
"Any questions?"
Driskinet will have listened with Rapt attention while the briefing was given. Once it has been opened up for questions to be asked, she raises one of her hands before reaching out with her mind to ask a question of Venture-Captain Naiaj and MP-8, if she can. She will also attempt to let anyone else within range of her telepathy hear her question as well.
{How is it that we are going to be going to traveling to this ship? I don't have much experience with the Drift, but don't you normally need a destination in this universe?} Her thoughts carry with them a faint scent of grapes.
{How is it that we are going to be going to traveling to this ship? I don't have much experience with the Drift, but don't you normally need a destination in this universe?} Her thoughts carry with them a faint scent of grapes.
MP-8 tilts its head, scanning the group before settling on Driskinet. "As servants of the All-Code, the church of Triune has developed a multitude of technologies to better study the Transitive Plane. We will provide you with a device that will interface with your starship’s Drift engine directly - this device will take you straight to the Amber Reconnoiter."
"That's... Convenient." Dash thinks for a few moments before adding, "What are we expected to find when we get there?"
Svadik sits listening to the briefing, loudly chewing on his protein bar. No questions come to mind at this time.
"Any questions?"
"Always." Flitweather remarks, "Though none at present pertaining to the requested task."
"Agreed! I'm good to go!" Alorea says cheerfully.
"What are we expected to find when we get there?"
"We have no reason to believe the wreckage itself is of particular meaning, so there must be something on the ship that Triune wants us to find. It must be fairly well hidden for scrappers to have not discovered it yet."
Svadik chomps the last of his protein bar, standing up from his seat. He begins cracking his knuckles and neck.
”Then we go? It seems this mission is vazhnyy—er, how you say...’important’! That word!”
"I'm good. I guess we head down to the Archives next?" Dash looks around the room.
"One additional question, if I may," Ashrouk says at last. "I wonder if there has been any indication of other parties interested in this lost ship or its contents? Perhaps we will not be the only ones seeking to recover what was lost."
"I wonder if there has been any indication of other parties interested in this lost ship or its contents? Perhaps we will not be the only ones seeking to recover what was lost."
As far as we know, no one else is currently tracking down the Amber Reconnoiter or its cargo. Naiaj casts a sideways glance at the SRO standing next to her. "But we don't know how many people are aware of the ship's existence, so I wouldn't count out any surprise competitors."
"I wonder if there has been any indication of other parties interested in this lost ship or its contents? Perhaps we will not be the only ones seeking to recover what was lost."As far as we know, no one else is currently tracking down the Amber Reconnoiter or its cargo. Naiaj casts a sideways glance at the SRO standing next to her. "But we don't know how many people are aware of the ship's existence, so I wouldn't count out any surprise competitors."
MP-8 doesn't appear to move, but the SRO seems to bristle nonetheless. "The priest-orders of the All-Code are faithful servants, one and all. I can assure you, any wayward scavengers that would approach the location would do so by chance."
Making another half-bow, the robotic priest excuses itself. "If there are no more questions, you must pardon me. I have much business to attend to." MP-8 glides out of the Starscape Chamber on silent treads.
The Venture-Captain watches the SRO depart for a moment before turning back to the contract-Starfinders.
"I've all invited you here because the Society is looking to diversify our roster. The idea is to open up the applications process to a greater variety of skills and talents, but we need to make sure idividuals such as yourselves have something the Society can use. Do yourselves a favor - don't screw this up." Without taking any remarks, Naiaj turns and walks out, the large double-doors sliding shut behind her.
On the suggestion of Dash, the six contract-Starfinders journey their way across the Lorespire to the expansive Archives, searching out the particular hall recommended by Vanture-Captain Naiaj. This library in the Archives is filled to the ceiling with tightly packed rows of bookshelves towering fifty feet above the ground. The scent of paper and leather permeates the air. A borwn ysoki, clad in formalwear and spectacles reminiscent of a university professor, sits in a cozy-looking leather chair reading. He looks up from his book and closes it with a smile. "Ah, Starfinders! Good to see you well. I am Royo, one of the Society's leading researchers. I have received word from Venture-Captain Naiaj that you would be arriving."
"I have done a little investigating of my own, and fortunately for you, it seems we have written record of the Amber Reconnoiter, stored right here in this library! Here is the location of the volume." Royo hands the nearest contract-Starfinder a small strip of paper.
Ships of the Starfinder Society 150–175 AG
Historical Ships: St168b-210
"Best get to it then, eh?" Royo settles back into his chair, engrossing himself in a heavy leather-bound volume and a pungently-scented pipe. "Off you trot, now."
Ashrouk bows to the ysoki as he is handed the slip of paper. "This reminds me of my days at university," he says in an amused tone. "Now, do any of you know how to locate the section Royo has indicated for us?"
"A shame is it not, that this book can not simply be paged?"notes Flitweather.
Ashrouk leads the group first down one corridor, then another. And then another. After about ten minutes of trekking through the dimly-lit towers of books, he stops. The shelf in front of them - 200 feet long, 50 feet high - is filled entirely with thick volumes titled, "Ships of the Starfinder Society". Undaunted, the kasatha scans the leather-bound spines, looking for the book in question. Finally, he spots it - conveniently located on the top shelf, snug under the ceiling.
Ashrouk turns to his burlier companions, "I believe I have done my part for the moment. Perhaps one of you is more physically inclined than myself." He looks especially at Svadik and raises an eyebrow expectantly.
Alorea tilts her head back to look at the high shelves. "I can summon a flying critter to fetch it if none of you want to risk your necks."
Svadik looks up at the top of the shelf.
”That one? Da, give minute.”
Svadik spends a bit of time taking off his armor and proceeds to climb up the bookcase.
After falling and failing to get a good grip again, Svadik turns back to his companions, his scales a crimson red with embarrassment.
”Maybe cast-y person have point...”
Driskinet will also remove her armor before attempting to climb the bookshelf. She has a tough start, but progresses relativley quickly after that.
Holding out the book, she says telepathically to the entire group {Well, here we go!} Handing it to another party member, she begins putting back on her armor.
Flitweather offers to lend a helping psychokinetic hand, if necessary.
Alorea offers to summon a creature capable of flight, but both Svadik and Driskinet start eagerly stripping their armor, too altruistic to allow their halfling friend to expend such energy. The vesk and shirren race neck and neck up the bookshelf until a little more than halfway up, when Svadik loses his footing and comes crashing down! Driskinet is able to ascend the rest of the way, however, and she snags the volume in question, before beginning her climb down. As she descends, Royo comes trundling around the corner, pushing a wheeled cart with an extendable ladder.
"How silly of me, I totally forgot that you would need -" Just now noticing Driskinet descending with the book, he sighs, turning the cart around and wheeling it back the way he came. "Why am I surprised? After all these years of field agents stomping around my Archives..."
The dusty book, titled Ships of the Starfinder Society 150–175 AG, is a massive text but, fortunately, well indexed. It’s a dry encyclopedia, listing various statistics and crew members of the various starships from that century. When the contract-Starfinders flip to the section on the Amber Reconnoiter, they learn about the ship’s mission and its crew (see below), as well as an access code to override some of the ship’s automatic defense systems.
The Amber Reconnoiter was on a diplomatic mission, looking to strengthen relations with people who frequented the Drift often. The crew made a few enemies in their missions, narrowly escaping some planar bubbles while combating enemy fighters on the way out.
The ship's captain, Berkal (male vlaka), had requested the maximum amount of leave time each year to return to his home planet of Lajok.
The ship's engineer, Jarzi (female skittermander), did not return to her home planet of Vesk-3 after joining the Starfinders. Her record notes a commendation for "service above and beyond the call".
The ship's sole gunner, Zantik (agender early stage barathu), was part of a committee investigating technological or supernatural techniques to properly interface barathus and non-barathus.
The ship's science officer, Dayn (female haan), had requested the Society allocate some resources to identify "appropriate technologies" that could impart a positive impact on the traditionalist Haan people.
Collecting all the relevant information from the leather-bound tome, the contract-Starfinders leave the Archives, crossing the Lorespire Complex once again. As they near the Communion Vaults, the hustle and bustle of the Station gradually thins before disappearing completely. Eventually they find a plain door marked "Whisperer of Solar Winds".
Inside the stark chamber sleeps the Whisperer of Solar Winds, a jellyfish-like being whose glowing body slightly pulsates as it floats in midair. Beside it stands a nervous-looking halfling with shocking purple-and-pink hair, wearing a Starfinder insignia and a Starfinder backpack. "Uh, hello there! I am Kaeri, the, ah, current trainee interpreter for the Whisperer of Solar Winds. It is nice to meet you all."
Kaeri then winces slightly and resumes speaking in a softer tone. "I’m still not exactly sure what wakes the Whisperer, so I try to stay quiet. I hope I’m doing this right..." Kaeri pulls out a datapad from her backpack. "The Whisperer presented a vision to me that it wanted me to communicate to you. I believe it wants to welcome you to its home and to show you how to find your own vision."
Kaeri shows the group the datapad, which contains her interpretation of the Dreamer’s vision. Her notes describes a strange relic that can recall visions from time immemorial — at least, a limited number of them as channeled through the Dreamer — and she has checked out the relic in question from the Vaults and brought it here. This strange, glassy white, 3-foot cube is engraved with light-red lines that divide differently shaped panels. It rests on a pedestal in the center of the room.
Alorea scratches her head. "Huh. Sure is pretty, whatever it is."
Approaching the pedestal, Driskinet will look over the item. {Lets see...}
She turns to look back at the others and gives a mental shrug.
Flitweather considers the cube.
Svadik just stares at the screen.
”Pretty. What point?”
Ashrouk confers with Flitweather about the cube's function and design.
Together, Flitweather and Ashrouk decipher the mechanisms of the strange device. Excitedly, they share their revelations with the others.
Intrigued, Flitweather eagerly begins shifting the panels on the cube watching it briefly take on a new pattern or form as he does so, before onto another. In the Dreamsmith's hands the process is less like a tactile manipulation and more like the momentary passing of a vision.
"Allow me to assist you, Master Dreamsmith," Ashrouk says as he lends a few hands to manipulating the panels.
"I'm not sure of the mystical whosi-whatsits of this bit of kit, but the mechanics seem straightforward"
He then begins staring at it, attempting to understand any 'visions' that manage to make it through.
"Pretty. What point?" Svadik says once again.
Looking over the cube, Driskinet will attempt to help out.
As Ashrouk, Dash, and Driskinet all offer assistance with the multifaceted device, Flitweather focuses on the artifact, trying to draw out its secrets.
As the brightly-colored gnome manipulates the glowing panels, the room suddenly winks out of existence. The six contract-Starfinders find themselves, without bodies or voices, aboard a starship floating through the Drift. Four crewmembers, dressed in Starfinder uniforms of a bygone age, move about the ship, making minor repairs, setting a course, or idly playing games. Time passes strangely. Days roll by in seconds, whole conversations compressed into single brief sensations. Singular moments stand out in clarity - the configuration of Zintik's winning move in Imperial Conquest, Jazri's laugh, Berkal's hand entering a defense access code into the ship's autopilot.
The vision fades, leaving them six contract-Starfinders back in the Communion Vaults, deep below the Lorespire Complex. Each of them feels that they have a personal understanding of each member of the Amber Reconnoiter's crew, as if they had been friends for years. More importantly, each of them has the required access code emblazoned in their mind's eye.
"Y'all spaced out something serious there. Did it work?" Kaeri whispers.
Feeling that they have aquired all the relevant information, the six contract-Starfinders contact Venture-Captain Naiaj, notifying her of their progress. She instructs them to meet her in a nearby docking bay as soon as possible.
As they arrive, they find the Venture-Captain observing the retrofit of several Starfinder starships. "Not wasting any time. Good. MP-8's lackeys have delivered their Drift-homing device, it should be a straightforward process to interface it with the Drift drive on any of our ships.
"You have the same choices we give any of our own agents when they leave the safety of the Station. You could take a Pegasus-class vessel, with its advanced sensor package and on-board laboratories, or you can take a Drake-class vessel, with superior shields and firepower.
"Frankly, I doubt you'll need the armaments of a Drake for this mission, but the choice is yours."