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Teka had hope for a moment once the door opened up, but is dismayed and disappointed to see the calamity in the previous room. She continues by typing out a command to the sentry robot instructing it to pull Frinke into the command room and out of reach of the nanotech golem.
"Keep moving. Saeron, close the door please. It might now slow it down much, but we don't need much time."
Teka continues moving through the exit while the robot executes the order to drag Frinke out of the room.
The sentry robot moves forward and drags Frinke out of the room as Croaker wakes him up.
Saeron quickly slips through the door and hammers the controls to lock the doors. They quickly slam shut, but after a few moments a horrible grinding sound causes your ears to ring, and the door is slices open by the nanite filament from the monstrosity. Unlike before, it seems to really be following you... either that or it has an objection with you being in this specific room. Either way, the energy expended from shredding the door seems to have caused it's weapon to discorporate once again leaving you a few moments window to make your escape.
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Teka changes the commands on pad directing the sentry toward pulling Frinke up and remain in position to block the passage between the party and the monstrosity.
"Don't slow down! I understand we have been running so long, but just little more and we will be out to freedom. I just know it!"
She moves forward slowly as she readies to aid, but keeps moving forward away to not encourage any hesitation.
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Having closed the door behind the last of her retreating companions, Saeron breathes a sigh of relief. It proves short-lived as the nanite monster slices the door in half.
"That was very brave," she says to Frinke, reaching out a hand to touch the shoulder of her injured crew mate. The air around Frinke grows cold as the surrounding energies are drawn into his body.
"Now, let's get out of here," she says, heading toward the exit.
Saeron quickly makes sure that Frinke wont bleed out as he runs, then makes a break for it, followed hot on her heels by Spike and Frinke. The slowly advancing Nanite horror closes in on the departing starfinders as they make their departure, but the winding tunnel beyond the exit turns side to side, cutting off any view of the control room quickly. It seems as though the creature has opted not to follow the party... however nobody is particularly interested in going back to find out lest they find a nanite filament around the next corner. The tunnels continue for well over a mile, and when they finally reach the surface it still takes another several hours to find your way back to the battered mining camp. When you do, Stomeg is waiting nervously and gives a huge sigh of relief at your return before getting the battered party back onto the enercopter for a return to Thosum's Vault. Upon your return you are promptly given medical attention, food and drink, and an audience with the Taxmaster.
"It is good to see you have returned. I heard there was a malfunction with the lift equipment? I apologize for that. In an attempt to maintain the integrity of the site we did not perform any upgrades or maintenence on the base of the lift upon discovery of the ruins. I trust your exploration was uneventful?"
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Teka slowly tends to a cup of tea as she thinks about the question. "Thank you for the attention. It isn't the first time we have experienced an equipment failure, but rarely do we get any consideration when it happens. It was probably for the best as we weren't there for more than a few moments before the system failed."
Teka sets down her tea and settles back in her chair as she continues.
"As for the ruins, it was far from uneventful. The ruins were actually quite an interesting find that I'm certain many of our peers would be interested. However, probably the focus of our report should be what we fought down there. In particular there was a nasty swarm of nanotech that gave us no end of trouble, one we weren't able to do anything to harm. Your people in the area should be warned and keep far away."
The Taxmaster grits his teeth at the news but nods slowly. "We at Abadarcorp view this his is a long-term investment and the drilling will certainly continue, but we most certainly should make sure that the workers are not panicked about the situation. We will of course adjust our mining plans to avoid the site, but it would be best if the workers are not alerted to such issues. We need to maintain a right-sized labor force in order to keep our cost performance and schedule performance nominal, and unsettling them would likely result in us lacking the necessary resources."
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Teka pauses for a moment as she sighs, but gives a bit of a nod as this seems to make sense and it otherwise expected.
She gives a bit of a gentle look toward Alazdra.
"Oh, bless your heart."
"I so do understand placing a high desire to protect your business, costs, and efficiency of your work at AbadarCorp. You and all your workers certainly do need to put food on the table." She gives a laugh as she lightly slaps her knee.
"But one doesn't necessarily need to worry about putting the food on the table when they have been torn into lovely little pieces by a very efficient piece of ancient technology. And that lovely pile of choice bits of scrap may well not leave the confines of that ruin. One always takes risks in life and I wouldn't look down on any one deciding that for themselves."
"But that isn't what you are suggesting though dear. You are making that choice for them. AbadorCorp has had issue in the past of hiding bodies when it doesn't serve the corporate interest and don't have the years left in me to want to see how this wonderful little venture of yours settles out."
"I would recommend you talk to your HR department to find some nice little statement because," she pauses for a moment to rub her arms timidly as though they near the point of exhaustion, "because I don't have as much time to dilly dally as I once did and I may be far less careful with my own words if I was the one that needed to tell your workers what is down there."
Alazdra's attitude quickly becomes icy cold. "Our arrangement has been concluded according to our contract. Do not try to influence the locals with your wild tales. AbadarCorp requires this workforce and any attempt to convince people to leave the planet could jeopardize the Society's ongoing agreements with the corporation."
With that she motions for her guards who firmly press a folder containing the agreed upon payment into Croaker's chest, holding it until he is forced to accept it, at which point the party is escorted out of Alazdra's office quite firmly and abruptly. Within the span of 10 minutes, you find yourself quite efficiently removed from the premise, payment in hand, and left among the Goldfest revelers to find your way back to your ship.
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Teka comes out of the meeting frustrated but allows Aladra the final word in their argument. Despite that, the Taxmaster did a poor job to sway Teka from her determination and the envoy does prepare to find access to the local infosphere and even looks for Kevid another, possibly far more sensible perspective than the infantile Taxmaster.
"Those lil whelps hiding in their corporate towers and star-yachts haven't changed. No in the last few decades and certainly not in the last year." Teka continues to chastise the entire business as she fumes about her dealings with AbadarCorp. "I've seen them hide away murders. I hoped the last few years would have fixed some of that, but it looks as though they have already forgotten the matter and have returned to business as usual."
"I won't let them hide this away as though nothing happened when it could mean dozens more deaths."
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When they leave Croaker turns towards Teka
"Look, galaxy is full of thieves, assassins and cutthroats. Some live on the streets while others in nice buildings. Here at least they isolated the place and kept others away from it. There is very little chance that someone will wander in there. The planet is huge and they have plenty of ground to cover."
"Do I think that they are the good guys, hell no. But if the workers will start dying it will be bad for their business. So they will take care of them." comments Croaker.
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"I don't pretend this world is absent of dangers, but that makes it more than strange they refuse even mention this one danger. I've seen them work out their business and it is probably because they feel is it cheaper to ignore the chance shows up than cost of worker's insurance."
Teka pulls out a tablet and gently waves it about as she declares, "Alazdra has already has likely memorized company tables and calculated that a few dozen deaths would cost significantly less than making sure their mines have proper evacuation procedures from the construct."
Tekas pauses too look about the bustle of the city as she gathers her thoughts.
"I don't believe they are evil either and I say that despite having AbadarCorp funded assassins try to send me to the great beyond in the last few years. But. Neither was that bundle of nanites dear. Both are efficient and focused on their objective. AbadarCorp may not sacrifice workers to it, but they will not stop it if it hurts their bottom line."
"I'm not saying we mount some rebellion, I'm far too old to start that, but we can at the very least let these people know the danger we left on this world. Let them make that decision for themselves.
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During their flight from the subterranean facility, Saeron is plagued by an icy dread. With the twisting and turning of the tunnels obscuring the path behind them, she can't help but wonder if they are leading the nanite creature to the surface. They had precious little in the way of alternatives.
Battered, beaten and exhausted, Saeron leaves the talking to the others during the debrief. Only half-attentive as she swipes through her pics of the mission on her comms, mention of the workers and their plight catches her attention.
They're not going to tell them about the danger! she realises in horror.
Now listening intently, she understands the wisdom in not causing a panic among the general populace but, like Teka, questions the ethical implications in leaving them uninformed.
She watches as the taxmaster replies.
Sneaky! He tried to let that go, she thinks, picking up the deliberate lack of acknowledgement of Croaker's comment regarding safety. He doesn't intend to ensure the workers' safety, at all!
Saeron chews at her lip. She can't believe it. It was just like Castrovel all over again! Well, she didn't stand idly by then and she wasn't going to now. Only this time, the Starfinders weren't going to whisk her away to safety - she was one of the Starfinders! - and the organisation in question was an ally. This needed to be handled delicately.
Saeron nods her agreement. "Perhaps there's a more indirect route that won't make things difficult for the Society," she offers. "I have a vidlog that I could use to circulate the warning. I only have a modest following, but they are active. And generally well-connected."
Getting the message out proves to be a fairly straightforward task. Kevid is quite easily found, giving the lot of you the stink-eye on your way out, but his demeanor changes quite quickly when presented with Teka's testimony. "I'm... I guess I should apologize. You're certainly right... my guys should know what's lurking beneath and figure out for themselves if it's worth the pay. I guess I didn't expect you lot to be the reasonable ones here... I dunno if I'll stick around or not. I probably will so I can look out for my guys since I know that the bosses ain't, but if you ever need someone to look out for you, I can't do much but I'm sure I can find a guy who's lookin' for work and willing to lend a hand."
Eventually you all leave Thosum V and return to Absalom Station aboard an AbadarCorp bulk freighter called the Aurum Bastion. During your journey to Absalom Station, you catch a vidcast transmission showing a ysoki garbed in AbadarCorp businesswear armor, proselytizing about a new wave of AbadarCorp-sponsored colonies being established in Near Space and beyond.
Following the journey back to Absalom Station, Venture-Captain Arvin presides over the mission debrief. In an uncharacteristic display, Arvin fails to provide you with any offers of additional amenities or luxuries—unlike the venture-captain’s usual post-mission offerings.
"I saw the information you published... it is quite... unexpected to say the least. And not just the threat itself, but AbadarCorp's response. I'm relieved to see you all made it out alive given the magnitude of the threat you reported. I'd be interested to hear your firsthand account."
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Teka looks toward Kevid and she replies, "I don't think you need to apologize dear. You were doing what you felt would keep the families here safe. I just wish were able to do more here. I'll make sure to keep in contact and make sure you are well."
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On the ship Teka takes notice of the transmission and seems particularly preturbed with the AbadarCorp spokesperson as finds finds a nice classical story to read far from the vidscreens.
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"I do admit that while it was quite frightening to be down there, we at least found more than enough information to make up for it. I'm sorry for your friend. Despite everything, I though they would use the information we gathered rather than try to secret away."
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Croaker simply listens to Kevid words. He keeps his hand close to his rifle as he is short on people. His levels of trust got depleted rather fast here.
When seeing the Ysoki on video transmission Croaker smirks. He met her before and is certain that he will meet her in the future.
While talking to Arvin he says
"There is no saying with the Taxmaster will do, maybe that would be the time to get back in touch with him Venture-Captain. Just an idea"