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DuQuesne finally lands on shot on the chocking estris.
But the one under Tordenskjold keeps wiggling away.
Although not catching the creature while it dives away, Nomoline finishes it off with her next strike
Chik-chik takes aim but can't seem to land a shot on the creature.
Cavaler shot finally hits and it seems that the fire is especially dangerous to them as it burns the creature to a crisp.
With the Yellow one still choking you can quickly subdue it as well. You are left with two living knocked out samples and two dead.
To take a sample, someone will need to used Dr. Monsylkis's sampling device and make a medicine check. Others can aid.
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"Gimme that! I know my way around harvesting samples from helpless subjects!" DuQuesne angrily fills up the device.
He calms down. "That was just a figure of speech, of course. A bit of an inside joke, from my corporate days. You know." he fixes his attire and steps away, looking around the room, whistling.
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DuQuesne expertly gets a high quality sample from the creatures. This should be good enough even create a full cure.
Leaving the unconscious estris alone, you search the rest of the caves.
Beyond the frozen lake, a narrow tunnel leads to a large cavern with a steep downgrade. This large ice cave is unremarkable except for the ruins of equipment once used by Zeyther-3’s miners, now fallen into disrepair after decades of neglect. An alcove to the southwest contains a disused terminal covered in a layer of ice. The tunnel to the west ends abruptly in a railed shaft protected by a transparent tube on three sides. A dilapidated tram large enough to carry a dozen Medium-sized passengers rests atop the rails just outside the downward-sloping tube.
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With a little help, Chik-Chik gets the tram operational again. Looking at the details, aside from heading back to Glimmershiled, it also heads down closer to the equator where there were additional mines. However, with time being of the essence, you set the destination back to Glimmershield.
Glimmershield’s residents eagerly welcome your return. As you show the AbadarCorp-related evidence you found at First Bore, Dr. Monsylkis and Taksta react with concern and confusion due to the possible implications. Taksta admits that she remembers noting something about AbadarCorp in her meticulous records and offers to share her information. Searching Taksta’s files, you find records of five individuals on AbadarCorp’s payroll with a permit for environmental-based research, including the team’s arrival and departure dates. The team left Zeyther-3 on a private shuttle one day before your own arrival. You realize that AbadarCorp had knowledge of gutmelt and brought their findings back to the Pact Worlds mere steps ahead of their own investigation.
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"Well now ain't that just a fine bit o' sand in yer eye! These AbadarCorp folks come on out here and do their investigatin', then turn around and leave ya with this deadly disease to contend with without so much as a 'how do ya do'! Don't sound much like the AbadarCorp folks I've dealt with in the past, but I suppose it is a big organization. Wonder if ya might have these folks names on record there, Doctor?"
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"Looking at the logs, it looks like AbadarCorp came out after the reported incidents of gutmelt. Looks like there were looking to profit on a cure."
You get copies of the transport logs and add them to your collection of evidence. Then you make your way back to your ship and to Absalom station.
Once back on Absalom Station, Naiaj distractedly acknowledges the PCs’ successful relief efforts. During the PCs’ report, she uncharacteristically slams her fist on her desk and shouts, “You unethical pieces of—” before calming herself. The source of Naiaj’s frustration is immediately obvious. The datapad in front of her displays a popular infosphere news page proclaiming the headline, “AbadarCorp develops miracle drug for gutmelt!”
“Do you see how much they’re charging for it?” Naiaj rants, shoving the screen toward her guests. She taps a four-figure credit sum with her stylus for emphasis. “That price is per dose. They’re presenting this as a gods-sent medical breakthrough to relieve suffering, and they’re going to charge victims out their noses for it! It’s not even a cure! It says here that the drug is a routine treatment!” Naiaj sets the datapad down with exaggerated gentleness and exhales loudly.
“Please tell me you found something on Zeyther-3 that can provide an alternative to these thieves.”
After give the venture captain your briefing.
Naiaj rubs her hands together with glee. “Brilliant! Superb work, team! That sounds like more than enough evidence to blow the lid off this case of corporate corruption.” Naiaj taps frantically at her datapad as she speaks. “All I need to do is call in a few favors to get this info through to the right channels. Your exposé, combined with Dr. Monsylkis’s treatment reaching the market as competition, is going to hit AbadarCorp where it hurts. Today’s the day we snatch our credits out of the hand of the pharmaceutical profiteers and give them back to the people!”
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"Hee-hee," laughs Chikasa, his breath whistling past his large from teeth, "Reminds me of my younger days, stealin' credits from right out under the noses of them what are lookin' to take advantage of them without! Now if only these old legs would work as good as they did in them days, I'd be right ready to do a little dance! Ah well, I'll leave that to you young'uns." The elder ysoki straightens his robes and clears his throat with a little dry cough, "At any rate, thank ya, Venture Cap'n! Was an honor as usual to work with ya, and with all of y'all." He turns his sharp gaze on each member of the team. "I'll look forward to seein' ya in the field again soon."
