”Definitely not music. Your supposition seems likely Urian. Let us...go say hello.” Eschade says, covering the forward arc over her club with her pistol.
Slapping the panel on the next door, Urian peers into the next room.
This symmetrical room fells out of place, with walls of worked basalt lit by flames hovering over ornate brass sconces. The floor is an elaborate mosaic of a red sunburst against yellow tile, and the ceiling overhead rises in a stone cupola bearing the same pattern. In the center, brass vines with leaves of flame climb an empty basalt plinth.
As soon as you enter, a strange Creature turns to look at you, and says Welcome to my temple. Speak your wish and it shall be granted.
Eschade doesn’t waver, taking in the strange chamber as if it were a stroll through a regular ship.
”I wish you would tell me what the frek is going on here...” she says, taking no chances and keeping her pistol trained on the flamy entity...
Stepping into the room, Hamster quickly scans the room for other creatures then returns his focus to the snake-looking thing in the middle. As it begins to speak, his mouth gapes open, having a hard time comprehending its chosen form of greeting.
Well, I guess it speaks Common, at least.
Still unsure of how to react, he is relieved when Eschade takes the initiative with a bold wish. Didn't even need to hold the monkey's paw... "...ain't that a kick in the head."
Lyrr seems intrigued by the strange creature. "Wish? That is some power to provide for whimsical demands. Can you provide equally whimsical cybernetics? I seek to improve upon myself."
The little creature cocks its head to the site in curiosity. Indeed, but these times are trying, and those who worship seem to have gone. Perhaps a wish can meet your needs, Android, should you kneel down in worship. It smiles benevolently as it floats above the plinth.
Eschade holds out a halting hand, one still gripping a steel club.
”Genuflection seems an arbitrary requirement for wish fulfilment, and more likely an offering of a generous target.”
The borai holds her gaze on the creature.
”Where are the rightful crew of this vessel?”
The little creature seems a bit confused by the refusal, but then passes it by with the new question.
Angry abs the nudie spirit chased me out of there, he must be the rightful crew!
The little creature points to the doors to the south.
Are you sure you won't wish to prostrate yourselves? I can offer great riches!
A vision appears of a large pile of what look to be old coins and treasures, though they are a bit odd in appearance, as if minted on some far away world. The image appears on the floor before it.
You note that this is a holographic image and isn't real, though you're not sure whether or not the little beast was trying to play it off as such.
"If you are not crew, how did you come to be on this ship?"
The little beast seems to spin around a bit, though for no obvious reason. It stops eventually, then deigns to answer the question. Oh me? I was summoned to this shrine, but great energies of course!
"Right.... Well, we'll check back with you about the 'great riches' after we find the crew and figure out if they need help fixing this ship."
Hamster moves toward the southern door and prepares to open it.
You can't leave, I'm not done! The little creature suddenly seems to turn angry, and then it screeches, and turns its anger towards Urian!
The little beast seems to focus on Urian, and suddenly a wave of psychic force blooms in the human's mind and reverberates.
Lyrr
Urian
Eschade
Bal'nek
Surprised by the sudden vehemence from the creature, Lyrr back up, unslinging the rifle from their shoulder and taking a quick aim at it before firing a shot. "This is why I don't tend towards religion. Too much emotion."
Turned toward the door, Hamster is surprised by the attack, and unable to steel himself. Crying out in pain, he twirls around and levels his rifle at the creature.
The chamber is suddenly alight with the booms of weapons and flashes of light from the party's weapons. Hamster's shot flies wide, but Lyrr's hits the beast. It shrieks out and seems to drift out of form...it now appears as a small golden box with a coin slot on the top and two wide eyes.
Eschade keeps her pistol trained on the box.
”Still talking, now-a-box?” she asks it.
The little box "speaks" out again, but this time the voice simply appears in your heads. You can't leave, I won't let you!
”Hmm...” is all Eschade says as she pops off a round from her pistol at the box...
Eshade rips off a shot at the box, but the thing seems to spin about on its own, and the shot flies wide.
Bal'nek moves forward, the odd motes that swirl around his head forming into a spike that seems to wrap around his hand. He punches at the little beast with this cestus of light. His punch hits solid, skewering the little box with a spear of energy.
The box opens its...lid, and lets out a keening sound. It shifts into what looks like a 2-foot tall predatory plant with a mouth of leaves and thorny pincers. It leaps forward to bite at Bal'nek. The bite lands, taking a chunk out of Bal'nek. The mighty solarian seems to stumble a bit, shaking his head as if confused.
Spreading out, Hamster attempts to get a better shot lined up.
In a very human-like mannerism, Escahde bites her lip, uncertain how to bring her more mystical powers to bear. She shrugs and shoots again.
Shaking his head again to clear the cobwebs, Bal'Nek opens himself to the energies of the stars, drawing in photons before lashing out at the enemy with his solar weapon.
Bal'Nek attempts to attack the box-turned-plant, but instead his mind clutters with thoughts, and he leans down to slam his head against the marble plinth!
Lyrr watches the display with interest, then takes another shot at the creature.
The little beast seems to float out from above the plinth, and it emits a stream of acid at Eschade, but she ducks under the arc.
"What under the stars IS this thing?"
"Very odd indeed," Lyrr replies, lining up their next shot.
Eschade briefly considers grappling the thing, then opts to merely fire again.
Bal'nek turns and slices at the beast again, snarling in anger and frustration. He shakes his head, seeming to banish any of the muddled thoughts affecting his mind.
His slice misses the little creature, which instantly shifts into what looks like a floating big mouthed carp, but with triangular eyes.
The carp moves back and spits another stream of acid, this time at Bal'nek.
The arc of sizzling fluid just barely skims along Bal'nek's arm, sizzling as it eats into skin.
Trying to make themself a smaller target, Lyrr goes prone, but continues to fire at the strange creature.
Hamster tries to settle his breathing and fires at the plant-thing again.
Lyrr fires again, this time skimming the carp and making it spin. Then, Hamster plugs it again, and the little creature "pops." Strange energy seems to fizzle into the very air from the creature as it seems to die, or leave, or something.
"Finally. Somebody check out that altar to see if it left anything behind. I'll keep watch."
With the adrenaline ebbing, Hamster begins to feel the headache remaining from the thing's attack. "I don't suppose anyone has a way to perform healing?"
Eschade carefully approaches the altar and feigns investigating it.
”It’s an...altar of some kind.” she says rather unconvincingly. ”I cannot heal you Urian...” she finishes with something approaching actual regret.
You look around the base of the area from which the creature had come, and don't see much.
"Looks like there used to be a statue right there. Removed recently by the dust marks."
”Urian’s structural integrity has been violated. We should remove ourselves and allow him to be rested...” Eschade murmurs.
"I am unharmed," says Lyrr, doing a visual examination of himself, "but there is no reason to take chances. Flesh is frail, after all." The android doesn't seem to be making fun or light of Urian's condition. Just simply making a casual observation. Slinging the large rifle over their shoulder, Lyrr prepares to head back to the ship.
After a brief respite, you head back in. Thankfully, not strange creatures with god-complexes reside in the altar area, so you're free to move on towards the southern doors. And, you're fairly certain you've found the engineering room.
This chamber is full of tools and diagnostic gear for servicing the ship's twin thrust engines, each housed in its own circular bay. Tie-downs and stick-strips designed to secure equipment during zero-g maneuvers line the walls and worktables, but much of the gear is scattered across the floor. The port engine is blackened and silent, but the starboard one sparks and crackles. Alcoves at the far end of the room hold a Drift engine to port and the ship's power core to starboard.
There are blast doors leading to the Drift engine and the power core , but they are currently open.
"I imagine we will need to help fix these engines at some point, but we should try to find the crew first."
Eschade casts her eyes over the apparent mess. ”To the Power core, or Drift Engine? Where would the crew be?” she muses.
Hamster quirks an eyebrow at the android, wondering if she just tried to make a joke.
Shrugging, he responds "They don't appear to be in either of those alcoves. They must be somewhere else in the ship."
He leads the way back into the temple room and toward the eastern doors.
Eschade nods, not knowing much about crews, ships or...much really that isn’t specifically culturally significant. She follows Urian, carefully.
”The engine is damaged. You surmised they may be trying to repair the damage - but that appears not to be....So where would the crew be? What other areas might we expect to find - crew quarters, medbay, captain’s...room?” Eschade lists the areas she is familiar with.