"Hi Hack. Did you have any luck dealing with the lumberjack droid? Did you tell it to log off?"
Gig goes straight to any computer terminal he finds and begins scouring it for information.
The party looks around. Dunklezahn notes that there's a really cool mechanical spice rack, and technically it would be fair game...
He and Booker both notice s a piece of equipment that doesn’t belong in the kitchen: a sleek control panel. This control panel incorporates a holoprojector which can be used to change the local holograms’ settings, including personality and visual appearance. Gig is confident he can turn off the holoprojector to prevent the corrupted holograms from their strange singing. Additionally, Hack-it is confident that can use this control panel to reboot any resort robots within 300 feet of the control panel.
Booker nods to Hack-It. "Do it." To Gig, he suggests, "See if you can dig out the signal going to the holograms. I wanna know if there's any more unusual lyrics before we shut it off."
To Dunk, he comments, "Hey, I ain't lookin. I never saw a spice rack."
"I'm on it." Gig replies.
Gig delves into the computer system trying to find any more lyrics or a source of where they came from. His hands fly away on the keypad like it was his synthesizer.
Gig doesn't find any new lyrics, but does see some kind of weird code. He can't seem to make sense of it though. It's not quite a virus, but it does behave like one. It's like nothing he's ever seen.
"Hey Booker, you better come look at this. There is a code imbedded here that looks a bit strange. I have not seen anything like this before. What do you want me to do with it?"
Booker arches an eyebrow. "You're askin' me for a second opinion? Ask Hack-It. Can you copy the code an' isolate it on a datapad?"
Hack-It does the needful to reboot the droid.
He then heads over to Gig and takes a look at the code. To Gig, he says, "You really don't see it, do you? Booker is gun with legs. This ain't his jam."
But he comes to the same conclusion as Gig. "Whoa. Yeah, that is weeeeird. And who knows what that would do no a datapad. It's... definitely designed to act like a virus, but I'm not sure it's got the same purpose. No idea what it wants. Could be good, could be bad. I definitely want to study it, but I'd not risk it getting close to Osteth."
Hack-it has no problem rebooting the loggerbots. After the reboot, they seem to be back to normal programming.
He can't seem to work out the deal with the code though. It's simply too.... alien.
"I need more time. Hang on."
He then heads over to Gig and takes a look at the code. To Gig, he says, "You really don't see it, do you? Booker is gun with legs. This ain't his jam."
Booker chuckles and steps out of the way to make room for Hack-It at the terminal.
Hack-it takes his sweet time. He still can't wrap his head around what he's looking at, but he finds a smattering of references to "sivv" directives and algorithms. It looks like it's just trying to reformat the computers into the sivv style of computing.
Good thing he checked though. There's code in there to give the holograms enough autonomy to act as combatants. It's a rare thing, but you've come across is before. He's confident he can shut these down.
"Okay. Okay, Hack! You've pushed enough buttons. It's my turn now."
Gig elbows his way in and begins to shut down the holograms as combatants.
Gig pushes to center stage for a second solo. With the holograms shut down, it appears that you're now safe and sound in the village.
Hack-It raises a hand up for Gig. "High five?"
”You bet!”
Gig happily accepts the offer and enthusiastically gives him five!
"Right," Booker grunts. "Let's go see this stairwell."
Booker approaches it as quietly and cautiously as possible.
The remnants of a spiral walkway emerge from the snow-covered ground like the fossilized backbone of an ancient beast. This ramp coils downward into a wide tube built into the planet’s surface. Both the ramp and the shaft it encircles are constructed of a spongy, purplish-red material reinforced with sheets of a polished metallic substance. A translucent dome of shimmering energy covers the opening.
You confirm that this structure corresponds to the coordinates provided by Ms. Nott.
The entrance is protected by a visible technomagical force field.
They're so cute when they work together, Janzi says. You'd never know one would cut your throat for a free meal.
"Okay, boys. You are not going to guess this, but this is the spot that corresponds to the coordinates provided to us by Ms.Nott."
Booker gives Gig a look. "Yeah, already had that part figured. How 'bout turning off the forcefield?"
"Oh, sure. Maybe if we ask it nicely," Hack-It scoffs. "Hey! Mister forcefield! Would you turn off please?"
"It's technomagical, meaning it's probably not just a case of finding the computer and toggling a switch. This will probably take some searching for a control mechanism. Though... it might help to test a few things."
He takes some of the snow nearby, forms it into a ball, and hurls it at the dome.
"Nice shot, Hack.
Gig goes back to work trying to disable the forcefield. First he casts detect magic to try and find if it has magical properties, then he continues to find a technological solution.
Gig and Hack-it spend some time searching, and conclude that the source of the field is... inside the field. They also both conclude that while tough, it's not invulnerable.
"Okay, I suppose I have to use some magic here."
Gig summons forth his arcane powers and instead of creating his favorite keyboard solo with it, he uses the power to cast dispel magic to take down the force shield.
Gig's magic does the trick. The forcefield drops, granting you entry into the complex below...
Gig grins as he takes down the force shield. "You know, this may be just the type of thing I could use at the front of my stage to protect me from all of my fans that are trying to get closer during my concerts."
As Gig steps forward towards the stairwell, Booker holds out an arm to stop him. "Hold up. Perfect spot for a trap, after the first line o' defense is down. Janzi? Whattaya see?"
Booker keeps his own eyes peeled too.
Janzi takes a look.
Janzi looks around with keener eyes than Booker, but finds nothing untoward about the ramp down...
The ramp descends into a circular room surrounding a transparent, cylindrical chamber filled with a blue, plasma-like substance. A hinged
panel built into the central tube bears a block of holographic pictograms.
The walls encircling the area are mottled red and purple with brown, scabby patches festering at random intervals around the chamber. This material is reinforced with panels of glossy metal. Arcane symbols inscribed on these panels glow and gradually fade before appearing elsewhere around the room. The only exit from this room is a sealed circular aperture to the west.
Janzi will study the pictograms, seeing if he can puzzle anything out.
Janzi struggles to make sense of the pictograms. Unlocking the language and meaning is beyond him. He confirms it's a complete language though.
Gig looks around to see if he can determine the purpose of this room. He pays careful attention to the glowing arcane symbols inscribed on the panels and attempts to figure out the pattern when they glow and appear elsewhere around the room.
Booker sees what Janzi is about and fetches another item from his pack. "Here, try wit' this."
Hack-It mostly watches Gig, assuming that all the glowing symbols mean magic. "What's your take, Gig?"
Booker's kit doesn't seem to cut it. Janzi will need either a dictionary or magic to unravel the language.
The chamber looks like it's some kind of teleportation device, but it's definitely not functioning.
Booker shrugs and packs up the kit. He gestures to the door. "Trapped?"
Seems safe to Booker.
Dunklezahn presses the button to open the door.
A sensor grid immediately scans the room. A split second later a klaxon sounds with a deep voice speaking in something
"@#$%$WTGWDSFV!#$"
.....
"$#%^"....
"$qw3erf32^"....
"$2435wrfgf^"....
"$aergsgfh^"....
Booker flattens himself against a wall, weapon ready.
Gig casts Comprehend Languages.
Janzi curses and casts see invisibility.
Hack-It and Hum both ready to shoot anything hostile.
Janzi sees nothing invisible, and Hack-it nothing to shoot. Gig's spell goes off just in tome for him to report that it's a countdown, and the first numbers he gets are 2 and 1!
Dunk smashes into the door just in time to get him out of the way of the next set of lasers, the disintegration ones...