Minos quickly sifts though the databanks for any listing of decontamination protocols
Minos names the some decontamination protocols, and whatever he says makes the whole crew relax. Captain Tyree tells Prosper, "No, we're like any other supply run. Good trading. Perhaps we can do the cards after our patrol?."
The Gulta prison complex—a series of dull gray domes connected by narrow corridors—spreads out like a spiderweb across the pale surface of the moon, lit by a distant star. The entire structure encircles a large series of docking bays with hatches that iris open and shut. Auxiliary landing pads, suitable only for the smallest of shuttles, are connected to each wing of the prison.
Your vessel is hailed from the prison. An Aeon Guard appears on the view screen, face masked by a green helmet with a single red eye. “Relic, we have you on sensors,” the Aeon Guard says in Azlanti. “Report to docking bay 6B, docking code 785-Ultra-1.”
Prosper replies in Azlanti "Will do." and cuts off the connection.
"Everyone get ready! Uh, this will be do or... y'know, die. Probably!" Prosper runs a hand through his hair. He checks to make sure his armor and things are looking right before heading towards the docking aperture - intending to be there to greet any of the local guards and put on a good face for the team.
Pon gives a slightly wonky salute before following Prosper and standing to the side.
Minos takes of of the Disguise Spell Gems and once again takes the form of a fairly non-descript half orc like "help" Wearing just the simple flight suit he helps carry and unload what ever is needed, following the "Azlanti" of our group.
The docking bay is spacious, with bright lighting and steel walls. It is currently empty except for the PCs' ship and five empty crates ready to receive the Relic's cargo. The empty cargo crates are wheeled, 5-foot cubes.
There's a bored looking guard in the docking bay with a holographic clipboard waiting outside the door as you disembark.
Wint exits the ship, being careful to keep a couple of steps back and behind the Azanti, as is fitting for a lowly servant/slave/pet.
Prosper keeps his appearance from when he spoke with Captain Tyree, fully expecting to now have to stick with it for consistency... at least while being watched. He walks confidently out to meet the guard with the holographic clipboard.
"Captain Rafflexis, substituting for Tildanec today. Poor man and half his crew got struck down with something nasty at Outpost Zed. And I'm left with a motley group of irregulars." He shakes his head with frustration.
"Looks like you don't have much of a team here. I'll direct my crew to load everything for you."
He eyes the guard carefully, trying to gauge if his suggestion is reasonable - and to prepare to change his story quickly if it isn't.
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The professor scurries down the gangway, datapad in-talon, after "Captain Rafflexis", the spitting image of yet-another nearly-invisible administrative flunky.
"Many apologies Captain... here are your cargo manifests as demanded by our primary objective , sir! Everything should be in order for these elite Guards of Gulta."
Spec cringes in a rather obviously servile manner, muttering inane details in an effort to help the Captain sell the story, while surreptitiously scoping out the guard.
Pon, in his azlanti outfit and black hair with a widows peak, strolls down jovially after Prosper. With a bandage still around his head he looks bleary eyed at the guards, "Yes, yes. The 'help' will help."
Minos stays in the back. Lumbering with a large box on a dolly.
You head out of the vessel. Prosper, Dalinar and Pon all look like proper Azlanti, but Officer Iovinus looks askance for a moment at the presence of Minos, Rush, Wint and Professor Spec. He raises a dubious eyebrow throughout Prosper’s explanation, then slowly nods as Spec adds further convincing details. “Motley crew indeed! Xaursi, Wrikichee and whatever those two are... Where did you say you picked them up?”
“Now, let’s take inventory of the supplies you’re delivering. ‘Remember, protocol is boring, but it keeps the Empire safe!’” He chuckles at the comment, as if quoting a well-known training vid. “Care to walk me through your cargo?”
He pushes past you to walk on to your ship.
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Prosper sweats at the surprisingly sharp officer's reaction. "The crew? Its quite the long story, one better told over drinks, to be perfectly honest." Prosper tries a disarming smile. If every guard was going to be this careful about a routine delivery, this was going to be even harder than they'd all imagined! As Prosper sweats, his skin ripples ever so slightly with micro-transformations that draw the sweat away, keeping his skin looking sheen-free (just one of his many tricks to always look beautiful).
Prosper stays right with the Officer as they ascend up the gangway and into the ship, guiding him directly to the cargo hold. As they walk, he plays the part of amiable captain, commenting "Quite the unfortunate location, isn't this? Gulta... far removed from the comforts and conveniences of home." He sighs "How long have you been stationed here, Officer- Iovinus, was it?" He pauses to shake the fellow's hand. "You have my admiration. It takes true backbone and a patriotic heart to stick with an assignment all the way out here. So isolated!" He continues, making friendly small talk to get the Officer's guard down.
Once the two get to the hold, Prosper extends a hand. "We have your standard rations," he gestures towards the rear of the hold "a cargo of UPBs," he points to the right "all as usual, if Tildanec's report was accurate."
"He also informed me that I would be carrying a few... luxury items... for the hardworking women and men here. I was surprised to even see 'Adamant Victory' brand sugared nuts! You're getting the good stuff, that's for certain."
Pon cheerily follows along with a dumbs smile lasted on his face. The smile with the head bandage does not give off the utmost confidence in his effectuality.
Iovinus nods at the cargo. "Rations, UPBs, sugared azlanti nuts... I don't see any of the chemicals we requested. Did Tildanec fail to get them?"
As Prosper butters him up, the guard relaxes a bit. "You've not been to Gulta, but I assure you it's nothing exciting. Sure, we have some high-security prisoners, but from the point of view of security, it's really the same routine every day. You're right about the isolation. Have your routes taken you near Aristia lately? We're all starving for news from the Capitol."
Prosper crosses his arms "Chemicals? Hm, no, Tildanec didn't pass any chemicals into my care. He didn't even mention them, though I suppose with how indisposed he was, I can't entirely blame him."
When Iovinus asks about Prosper's experiences, Prosper sighs "I haven't been back that way in... months? years? Too long, I tell you. I've heard a very interesting rumor though - a woman calling herself the Parept Ameondira arrived at the Capitol. Claiming to have been trapped in stasis from before the Gap! And not just that, but claiming she was due to be married to the Emperor of the Star Empire from back then! How bizarre!" Prosper shakes his head in mock bewilderment.
Pon follows along with a dumb smile.
A few minutes later, there is a short scuffle and the Pact Worlders incapacitate Iovinus and lock him naked in the hold. Prosper emerges in the guise of the guard, and you proceed to infiltrate the complex with Iovinus's uniform and key card.
As you go out into hallway, a guard whese name badge identifies her as Aetia is leaning against the wall, doing her nails. She looks right at Prosper. "That's not Tildanec's crew... What're they doing here?" She doesn't sound hostile, just looking for anything interesting. "Did they bring anything good, Iovinus?"
Iovinus looks over his shoulder at the ship being unloaded, makes a show of eyeing it until there's no one close by, then turns back to Aetia. "No, its not. Their captain said Tildanec and his crew fell ill - all of them." He raises a dubious eyebrow - imitating Iovinus' mannerisms and speech patterns precisely.
"Still, everything checks out. And things like that happens sometimes. Maybe some rotten creature from the Pact Worlds got to Outpost Zed and infected them all." He shrugs, then smiles slightly as he pulls a package of 'Adamant Victory' brand sugared nuts out of his new coat pocket.
'Gosh, and I was thinking I'd get a chance to snack while we were inside too...'
"Catch." He tosses the pack to Aetia, winking. "Think you can take the lead with the cargo? I'd like to bring a couple of their officers with us - ask them for any news of the Capitol. Maybe we'll learn something interesting."
Pon gives a sloppy Azlanti salute and then winces as he touches his head.
Wint will also go into a crate, he'll probably attract less attention that way. And he can keep his guns all out :-)
Aetia snatches the nuts, munches them delightedly, and says, "If I leave this post again, Iolastrila will have my head. You deal with your own damn cargo."
There is a door directly behind her desk. There is another door down the hall. Which way do you go?
Iovinus pays attention to Aetia's body language to try to guess which way she's expecting the supplies to be delivered.
Iovinus pauses, shrugs, saying "I'll fill you in if I learn anything interesting." to Aetia. He then looks over his shoulder to ensure that the rest of the crew is following along.
Prosper gets the sense that Aetia expects you to go down the hall to the entrance to Area 3. As for door signs, yes, there are some. The door to Area 2 has a sign that reads, Landing Pad and the door to Area 3 reads, Lobby.
Assuming I Minos is "non-descript" enough, he will be the big dumb silent mover of crates.
Eager to get out of the direct scrutiny of Aetia, Iovinus beckons to the others pushing their storage crates. They turn and head towards the Lobby area.
As they're going, he starts sorely wishing that his new armor's comms were linked to those his allies were wearing. To say he feels out of his depth with this infiltration is understating it. And everyone else seems to just be biding their time while he leads them into the complex.
He keeps an eye out for any security cameras and listens for the sounds of any other azlanti in the vicinity as he approaches the door to the Lobby. He checks through Iovinus' pockets to see if there are any keycards, credentials, or other goodies.
Pon perkily strolls along with the crate(s) he was assigned. An expression void of thought sprawled on his face.
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In between gasping breaths and multitudinous slips and falls the frail bird struggles to push even the lightest of skittermander-bearing crates (much to the amusement of any watching Azlanti, he's sure). Somewhere amongst all the labor, he finally notices Prosper's lack of communication and contact's him telepathically
"Oh dear, oh my ... are you quite alright in there? No one coded your comms over did they ... drat! Uhm, well if you have anything to say, I'll keep checking in with you and then relay it to the group! .... Would that help?"
The professor wracks his brain (and his library chip, assuming an opportunity presents itself) to see what he can remember about cargo transfer protocols and typical liberty limitations on Azlanti governmental installations. (He hopes to get some idea of how far they can push the Relic crew identity.)
Sorry for my going quiet.
My power has been out since Monday (and is still out). Will catch up when I can. Please bot me until then
A few rows of uncomfortable-looking chairs line some of the cold metal walls of this oddly shaped room. A large steel desk blocks the door in the northwest section. A simple door exits to the south, and a more imposing door leads east.
The lobby is set up to receive visitors wishing to see prisoners, though it looks like this rarely happens. The seats are all built for human anatomy, a deliberate slight to many of the non‑human visitors. There is one security camera here, located on the ceiling directly above the desk.
The party rolls their crates down the hallway. The wheels squeak a bit as you roll along. Rrrrrrrr..... squeak!
Currently, the only occupant of this room is the intake officer behind the desk, Ludilius. Who appears completely absorbed in some computer game.
Pew! Pew! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Click. Whirr.
Pon perkily strolls along with the crate(s) he was assigned. An expression void of thought sprawled on his face. Then he turns to Ludilius. "Hey, there... Does this facility have a bathroom I can use? It's an emergency."
Ludilius points in a direction, and Pon is off like a rocket.
AT LAST! I CAN NOW DO SOME PROPER SPYING!
Ludilius looks up finally, and then says, "Iovinius! Ha! I totally just smashed your high score! Wanna see?" He turns his computer around, and it shows an aeon guard, covered in blood with about 20 guns hanging off him, posed triumphantly in the spotlight. "Have any of you played this game? It's amazing!"
Then he blinks when he realizes that most of you aren't prison personnel. "Um... are you guys here to escort in a prisoner or something?" Then, not seeing a prisoner, he glances around. "Uh, what is this?"
Iovinius gives Ludilius a skeptical eyebrow raise, followed by a mildly indignant "Sure you did. Let me see that. Did you record a replay?" He steps forward to take a look at the computer. As he approaches, he looks over his shoulder. "This here's just the supply delivery. Would you believe some Pact Worlds' disease laid out Tildanec and his whole crew? They had to bring on a whole lot of dirty irregulars for the supply run." He shakes his head.
"Anyway, mind showing them the way, I want to check your replay."
Ludilius laughs. "You better believe that I recorded that replay! Be prepared to suffer defeat, champion!" Then Ludilius prepares to shake hands with Dalinar, the one other visible human crew member left, and then thinks better of it. "Maybe I better not. Catching a Pact Worlder's disease might put a crimp in my love life, if you get my drift. So... Where are you from?" He addresses the question only to Dalinar, since Minos looks like the blue horse-headed Paralith, and Professor Spec and Wint are clearly just small minions that are beneath notice.
He glances up at the Paralith... "Is that thing safe? For a moment there, I thought you were registering it as a prisoner." Meanwhile, he opens a door for the crates and steps away from the computer so that Ludilius can witness the defeat of his high score.