Gunnz swings out of the way of the sticky spray. Gunnar is struck and quickly covered by the slime, which rapidly hardens into a stone shell fully encasing the dwarf. As Gunnz swings back, the petrified dwarf drops past her. She looks above to see Xyzic tumbling down the chimney.
Xenal manages to swing out of the way of both the spray and his stricken comrades.
Faraeon's petrified form follows shortly behind the other two. The three hit by the rapidly solidifying goo are trapped within a stone shell, unable to breathe and unable to move as they feel gravity take over their bodies. Those still on the cable hear a loud sequence of crashes as each falls against the hard floor of the chamber-organ below.
The force of the impact shatters the hard shell trapping, painfully freeing Gunnar and Faraeon and allowing them to breathe and move. However, once they've caught their breath, they can see that Xyzic is heavily bruised, leaking lymph from between his chitinous plates, and not moving.
Ribbons of green cloth are still visible sticking out from the stony surface at the bottom of the shaft; as you shine your flashlights over the area, they can clearly see the distinctive four-armed outline of a kasatha who was caught within the calcifying spray and must have slowly suffocated to death. A spherical holorecorder is in one of the kasatha’s hands.
Status
Gunnar (0|26)<
Xyzic (0|0)
Chetna (18|22)<
Xenal (19|25)
Gunnz
Faraeon (9|28)
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Gunnz quickly heads down to the bottom, looking round for any serum of healing that might be quickly applied to the worst wounded.
Once her companions are safe, she heads off to the calified kasatha.
"Well, we know what happened to the flyer, I wonder what he discovered?"
She sends back a quick update to the base camp, and then sets up the holorecorder to play, making sure that is also sent back to the base.
Once she is certain that Xyzic is not going to perish, she activates the playback feature on the antique holocorder.
“It has been three days since I landed, and I believe I am the first sapient creature ever to visit this planet. What a privilege this discovery is. Thank Talavet for the tales she has charged me to tell. I shall not fail in this duty.
“When I first beheld the vast, dry, expanse of this plateau, I felt the call of home. A year have I journeyed, with only my crest-eater cubs for company, and as a citizen of the Idari, I have never seen the deserts of Kasath with my waking eyes. Yet, they are as clear to me now as if they stretched out before me. Now I descend into the depths of this strange, alien desert to find what rests beneath it. Mother, father, I miss you and all the members of our family. Soon I will return to add my story to the records of our House. Perhaps one day that story will be retold, and the lessons others have taught me about myself will be repeated in the halls of our ancestors.
“But if I should fail, I leave behind this record in the hope that other pilgrims follow in my footsteps. And while it is hope beyond hope, I ask that if you, strangers, find me before the carrion birds have made a meal of my flesh, perform the work of the adata and preserve my memories, for what they are worth, so that I may be returned to my people. For even in failure, there are lessons to be learned, and love can still be found and remembered.
“I am Exu Jana Onorab of House Hadulan, and this is my Tempering.”
The body, fully calcified by the good, is fused to the floor of the digestive room. However, the body--or any part of it--could be broken free with the appropriate skill and tools . However, the petrified kasatha weighs a considerable amount more than a living kasatha . It would take hours to haul it back to the surface en bloc. Given sufficient capacity to carry it all, the body could be broken apart .
A sloped tunnel continues downward from this chamber. Even through your environmental protections, you can sense the heat near the tunnel.
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As Chetna (or whoever) goes to work on the calcified spacefarer, Gunnz watches in fascination.
"So I dated this doctor once - Byron. He was a real nice guy, but our lifestyles didn't quite match. I mean, he worked all hours and then hardly ever had the energy to go out dancing. Anyway.." she pauses for breath.
"He used to do autopsies. So one time he got me a pass into the morgue to see what he was actually doing, it was kind of interesting really. He said he kind of liked dead people as they could be pretty much relied upon and hardly ever lied."
She grabs a tool from the medikit "He used once of these to get brain matter out. I didn't really understand why he wanted the matter though."
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Faraeon sighs sadly at the story of Exa's demise, "Man, I swear, the kasatha have it rough, sometimes." He tries to recall what he knows about the kasatha's funerary rites as well (if Xenal didn't share what he knnows).
"Oh, the adata. Xenal, isn't that the thing where they hold onto the deceased's head so they can talk to it or something? Maybe we should just bring back the head. It's not ideal, but I don't see a way we could totally free the body from the calcification." If the others agree to this (rather gruesome) idea, Faraeon will break out his engineering kit and go about carefully chipping away at the stone to break away Exa's head.
Faraeon and Gunnz make removing a petrified kasatha head look easier than it should be. With a few minute's worth, they have separated the head cleanly from the rest of the stone body without damaging the skull.
You travel down the shaft for a total of about an hour as the temperature steadily rises. Eventually the tunnel, bending at a 45-degree angle, empties out into an enormous spherical chamber 120 feet in diameter. Dozens of tunnels like the one the PCs traversed lead up from this chamber, some directly from the ceiling and others ascending more gently around the edges.
It is hot enough in this chamber to be uncomfortable even within your environmental protections.
The heat emanates from a massive, golden crystal that almost fills the chamber. It is suspended in the center of the chamber by many gray, shell-covered columns that each stretch across the 15-foot gap separating the crystal from the walls of the chamber.
Dr. Montessi contacts you over the comms, "Could you use the handheld geo scanners to analyze that heat signature?"
A few minutes after doing so, she contacts you on the comms again.
“Well, Big Mina is definitely not from around here. There are enough traces of cosmic particle decay that she must have spent a long time moving slowly through deep space. Our preliminary growth estimates suggest that was millions of years ago, and she must have been very small—maybe no larger than your fist. But it looks like Big Mina and my little one have something in common: a big appetite! This alien creature can consume anything: rock, water, organic material... it’ll take a while, hundreds or maybe thousands of years, but eventually Big Mina will consume the entire planet!”
Mora’s face appears on the computer screen. “I’m not sure if we should allow that to happen. Vabaimus has a rich ecosystem, and while there aren’t any sapient creatures here yet, it’s only a matter of time before these sloths, or something else, make that critical step. Can we sentence them, and every other species on the planet, to certain death? On the other hand, Mina is a unique life-form, and it doesn’t seem evil. It’s no more intelligent than a giant clam. Can we bring ourselves to murder it when it’s just doing what it’s evolved to do?
“Starfinders, you’ve taken the lead in so many of our recent discoveries, I would really benefit from your perspective. What do you recommend?”
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"Is there a way to just "encourage" the beastie ta leave? Lure it out with a trail of some mineral its got a fondness for or somethin'? Otherwise I'm of a mind to just leave just leave it be. Let nature take its course. Not like the critters done anytin' wrong per say. Course I could be wrong. I'm not much of a big thinker so if ya think it needs to be put down I won't stand in yer way."
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"We kill it now, it's dead. We wait, think about it for a year or twenty, it'll get a little larger, but hey, it'll still be here, and so will the planet. What if this creature has the secret to eternal life hidden within its crusty membrane. I mean like, what else lives as long as it has?" she shakes her head.
"I just don't see the hurry to killing it. There is no immediate need, and its kind of final."
"It's 85,000 square miles on the surface and who knows how deep," Dr. Montessi answers. "There's no way it's leaving this planet without an astronomical amount of funding and resources. It's not like you're relocating a landing station or even a large city, and those could be broken down into component pieces. This thing would need to be pulled out of the planet en bloc.
"I doubt it has any secrets to share. These readings tell me that it has an animal level of intelligence. It can feel pain, but it does not have a language.
"If you recommend sending this decision up your chain of command, you're correct. We have time. Somewhere between 800 and 2000 years, I estimate."
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Faraeon frowns, "Sure, we've got time, but we've also been invested with authority by the Society to make a decision here. Maybe we can't reason with her, and maybe we couldn't move her ourselves, but what's to say we couldn't find another way to show her that this planet isn't the best place for her? I'm willing to bet she's got her own way to move off planet. Otherwise how'd she get here?"
"Best guess would be as a meteorite," Dr. Montessi answers.
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"Live and let live." mutters Gunnz.
"Unless the situation changes rapidly there is no benefit to be gotten from killing it. Heck, what if it can communicate with others of its kind... arghhh what a thought.. what if there are others, and we will it, and they come to find what happened to their big sister?"
She shakes her head. "We should leave it alone... at least until we know if presents a pressing danger. Who are we to say it is less worthy of life than the other things on this planet"
He looks at the comms link. "If it was left to eat the planet... what would happen after it covers the whole continent down here Dr?"
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Faraeon looks around at Gunnar, light dawning in his face, "Hey, that's a good point! Maybe some of the native flora and fauna will be able to adapt to her being here! I mean, just look at those bird things we ran into, they seem to thrive here. And the crest eaters too! Okay, I'm decided too then, I vote we leave it be, but report it back to the Society for further study and consideration of its effects on the local species."
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"Actually, Gunnar, with the exception of acidic birds and acidic quadrupeds there was virtually nothing growing on this thing. It eats it all. It's already killing off the plants and critters that aren't parasites to it. We saw it. This is essentially a barren plateau."
Chetna sighs, "It's eating this world and on a geologic scale it will eventually finish it off and continue hurtling through space to eat even larger things. Or have babies which will also hurtle through space eating planets and killing off worlds."
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"Sure we only encountered two kindsa critters, but that was in less than a day cuz we were haulin' ass tryin' ta get them towers built. Who knows how many we'd find if we were actually lookin' for 'em. Anyhow I'm still votin' to let it live. We know its here now. The Society has loads a scientists who can keep an eye on out fer any babies it might or might not have."
"I would not say that Chetna is wrong, but you are correct to say that we have not had time to definitively say how many species exist on the plateau," Dr. Montessi says. "However, to answer Gunnz' question, if we leave Big Mina to its inevitable path, I expect that all plant life on Vabaimus and most animal life as well except for those few species that can adapt to its dry, mineral environment quickly enough."
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Chetna barks, "Fine." She walks back to the entrance muttering, "No, no, it's fine. Yes it's a tumor that's going to kill you, but don't worry. That'll be months or even years away. No need to remove it now. We've got specialists who will make sure that nothing bad happens until then." She kicks some debris.
With the consensus to let the strange, crystalline alien parasite be, at least for now, you make your way back to the surface. Your vehicles and the tower appear unmolested and there is currently no sign of the crest-eaters that you scared off earlier.
You are free to take a calm drive across the plateau or race each other, either way when you arrive back at the research station, Little Mina is waiting for you, bouncing on her toes. "What did you decide to do with my big sister?"
"Thank you for your hard work," Dr. Montessi says as she approaches. "I understand how difficult it must have been to weigh the life of one creature versus a whole planet. I don’t know what we’re going to do now,” she admits. “I guess you should kick this up the chain of command. It just feels wrong to let some bureaucrat light-years away make a decision about something you all discovered.”
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Faraeon huffs at Chetna's obvious disapproval of the group's decision, "Listen, Chetna, it may feel to you like we're just passing the buck here, but I for one don't consider myself smart enough to decide which way the balance tips between the living organisms of an entire planet versus a creature that might be the only one of its kind. From what we can tell, Big Mina isn't consuming this planet out of any evil intent, that's just what it does. Sometimes that's how nature works, ya know?"
The lashunta flops down in a chair and holds his arms out in a shrug, "If you think Big Mina should die to save the local flora and fauna, then you should lobby for that course of action. I'll be right there too, letting the Society know I think we should try to find another way."
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"And most planets with a customs checkpoint have strict rules about invasive species. I've been questioned thousands of times on whether or not I'm carrying any plants or livestock on board. If so, I might not even be allowed to land."
She sighs, "This planet has an invasive species. One that could destroy the entire planet. It's not from here. It's not going to make the planet nice and happy. If this were a world populated with sapient creatures we'd be making a commando mission to kill this thing with no questions asked."
She looks around, "But apparently these sloths just aren't worth it for you. They don't matter. An invasive species slowly destroying their world isn't worth pulling the trigger. The apathy for a developing species and wanting to go to a committee ensures nothing will ever get done."
"As for what the committee decides, eh. This is not a pact world, but a simple research station. They're not in any immediate danger. So, the committee will kick the can down the corridor a bit and let someone else figure it out in 10 years," she mimes a kicking motion. "Those people aren't noticeably closer to the deadline and will just kick the can again. And that will keep going until it's either forgotten about or the planet dies. After all, it's not like they have any resources here they're trying to save. Why spend the money to send another expedition to take it out? It's dangerous to get inside, after all."
Chetna shrugs, "It's probably us or no one."
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"Or the local creatures will evolve to live on Mina. We are already seeing that start to happen after all. And my understanding is that most life on any planets originates off world anyway. " sighs Gunnz.
"Also we have no way of knowing what will happen when Big Mina encounters the sea. It may be that she won't grow in that direction."
She turns to little Mina. "We have our concerns about your big sister and what she might do to all the other creatures in the area. For the moment we are mostly thinking we should let her be. But one thing your mother, and maybe you when you grow up, should do is study here more closely. See if she might be a threat to you, to all the other living things in the planet.. or maybe to other planets as well. We just don't know."
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Faraeon pushes himself back up out of his chair and begins pacing back and forth as he carries on the conversation, "If this planet were populated with a sapient species, we'd be more likely to offer them another home! And they wouldn't be the first species to be forced from their homes, by the way. The kasatha had to leave their home world and made their way to the Pact Worlds. The vesk have spread through the galaxy on the tide of war and conquest," Faraeon waves a hand toward Xenal, then pauses in his pacing as he quickly adds, "No offense."
Turning back to Chetna, he continues his defense, "Besides, Big Mina is as much an invasive species as a seed dropped into a different part of the jungle by a bird. No one brought her here, at least not as far as we know at this point. It was just a matter of chance that she landed here instead of a desert planetoid or some barren moon. Hells! It's a matter of chance that we're here to know this is going on in the first place, right Doc?" He turns briefly to Doctor Montressi for confirmation before going on. "It's not like the locals sent us a distress signal or something, begging for aid. If we weren't here, we'd probably never have known Big Mina was here, and she'd go right on, munching on the planet until...well until we don't even really know what! But maybe by that time the local fauna, including these adorable little sloth creatures you say I don't care about (which is nuar-fleem by the way), would have adapted somehow. Or maybe not! That's how nature works!"
Faraeon takes a step toward Chetna, getting right up in her face, and goes on in a hard, but calm tone, "You wanna claim moral rights and responsibility just 'cause you happened upon this planet and found one organism threatening others? Fine. I hear the Order of the Pike is recruiting. I'm sure they'll be glad to join you in sweeping in here to kill the biggest, baddest creature they can find and claim it as the right thing to do. But you're gonna have to learn to deal with the guilt of all the other creatures out in the universe getting eaten every day. And you might also wanna make sure your own diet lines up with your views."
Faraeon turns away and goes back to his chair. He sits down again, his expression showing the storm of thoughts raging in his mind. Finally, he sighs and addresses the whole group again, "I'm not apathetic about the threat the Vabaimans are up against. I just don't think I'm the one to decide who lives and who dies."
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For a myriad of reasons Xenal doesn't consider a single punch from a human to be a particularly offensive statement, so she sighs in relief as the tension is let out of the argument, only to look at Faraeon and Chetna in bemusement as they both storm out of the room.
"I suppose the decision is made then?"
"No decision is often a decision in and of itself," Dr. Montessi answers Xenal.
After a night's rest, you board your transport and ride what may be a tense four days back to the fleet around Absalom Station. Fitch contacts you for your report as soon as you arrive. She listens intently as you provide the details.
"I didn't know this would be a first contact mission when I assigned you," she admits. [b]"It sounds like you all did the best you could in a really difficult situation. The Wayfinders will back you up on this, don’t worry."
She asks you all for your personal opinion on the matter.