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All of you receive a fruit basket and a note stating that you are summoned to meet with Datch (female ysoki) outside her transparent cell in the Adamantine Bastille beneath the Lorespire Complex.
Hello, Starfinders! Lovely to be working together again, don’t you think? And I see some new faces, too. How exciting!. The white ysoki drums her nails on the steel desk in front of her and grins at her visitors. For those I haven’t met, I’m Datch, one of your Society’s contacts. I hope you got the fruit basket I sent. That was harder to arrange from a holding cell, but I do hope we can put any old grudges aside and complete this mission together. Essentially, a contingency plan I had set up in the past when we weren’t on such good terms might cause trouble for AbadarCorp if we don’t do something about it soon. Specifically, I left some nasty technomagical code in the Golden Vault’s security mainframe that’s going to lock them out entirely in a few weeks. You can override it, of course, but you’ll need four separate passwords I’ve left across the galaxy to do it. I’m prepared to share that information with you as an act of repentance for my past actions.
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A humanoid creature that looks like it is entirely made of water wearing what looks to be a dancing costume - though further examination shows reinforced panels - stand by Datch's cell. A second look also reveals a small transparent panel, through which you can see a fish a quarter of a meter long, with a wide, flat body and tentacles beneath its eyes, its skin changing colors.
She says to the group telepathically, "Greetings, Datch. I am Khubelu. I have been assigned to assist with your mission. Your past is unknown to me and irrelevant to this task. Please provide us information about the location of these passwords and any hazards we might encounter while retrieving them."
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"Your reputation precedes you, Datch," says a tall, gray-skinned being with flowing robes and a pointed hat. He is flanked by a well-dressed goblin and a skittermander covered in face-paint and grease.
"My name is Morvruul, I am a nothing more than a humble merchant, but even I have caught wind of your impressive schemes," says the witchwyrd with admiration and a bow.
"Thus, I simply must ask you: given your history with Abadarcorp, would you you ever wish to disrupt such carefully planned enterprises? What do you have to gain by cancelling your plans?'"
And how I can I use this to my advantage? mulls Movruul. I simply MUST know how she did it!
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Dressed in a blood-red jacket, over a black pair of pants topped with a pristine white lab coat, Seggas stands staring at the cage, the fruit basket and then back at the white ysoki inside the cage. Her eyes narrow over her red-silted eyeballs as she thinks. Lightly opening her rub red lips, a long forked tongue extends out and absent-mindedly tastes the air. She slicks back her hair as she looks up at the large golden dragonkin standing next to her.
With a glance at the ysoki, she asks, "What would your lock-out program exactly DO if it happened? And why did you place it in the first place? From the reports I read, you tried to antagonize the agents who took you in into killing you. If you planned to die, why make it in the first place other than to screw them over?"
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Well ... I've had a lot of time to think about things Datch replies. And I guess ... well ... Consider it an act of good will in repentance for my regrettable history with your organization
As for what the lockout would do .. Hmmm. Well, I suppose after word of the Golden Vault’s lockdown, everyone with an account there will try to withdraw their credits at once. That could have ramifications for the system’s economy, and cause chaos on Absalom Station. AbadarCorp has deep pockets, and I’m sure they’ll find a way to break my code and remedy the situation, but that will take time and cost a lot of credits. Then, if AbadarCorp figures out the Starfinder Society knew about the problem and didn’t offer assistance, say through an anonymous tip, that may cause strife between your organization and theirs.
It’s simple. Retrieve the four passwords, and I’ll stop the lockout from happening. Here’s what you need to know about each of the four locations.
All your comm units ping as information is sent to them ((see the Handouts on the Slides))
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Seggas hisses slightly under her breath as she contemplates the information provided. After a moment she looks up again.
"Two more questions: 1) does the Starfinder leadership know about this mission of yours and have they given it a seal of approval? And 2) Did you know anything about a hacker group disseminating a computer virus in Absalom Station and attack the Lorespire Complex?"
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Well .... I did send a fruit basket to your Venture Captain Naiaj ... soooo ... I thought it would ... ahem .... brighten her day ... She always looks so ..... gloomy The ysoki grins at her joke.
As for the hacker group, no, I'm afraid I am as much in the dark as the rest of you about that. Literally too when the power went out.
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Sturmvanger is small for his species, only about 10' tall though with a long neck that can raise his height by another 2' if he extends it. His golden scales have a distinctly rosy undertone suggesting some of the dragon's he is kin to were more chromatic than metallic.
He is armored and carrying a heavy ranged weapon but doesn't seem to be armed with anything for close combat.
While the others question the rat, he examines the fruit basket. With no irony he pulls out a dragon fruit and starts to eat it (they're called something else on Triaxus.)
"I hope this is not some ploy to gain your freedom because you're not getting out of that cage even if Absalom Station burns down around you," Sturmvanger says to Datch.
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Seggas gives the woman one more long look, before she shrugs and turns away. "Well let's get moving then. I'm not the best swimmer, but luckily drowning in armor is hard."
As they leave for Embroi, Seggas pulls out her datapad and makes sure to message Venture-Captain Naiaj on her work messaging to make sure she was aware of the mission and had given the go ahead for it.
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Seggas finds out that, yes, Naiaj does know what's going on and is allowing these missions to occur - just in case. Besides, if this does prove to be a real threat, it would be good for relationships between the Starfinder Society and Abadar Corp. However, she says you need to be very discrete about what you are doing because any rumours about a threat to the Pact World's economy could cause a mass panic, and create the very situation that it is hoped to avoid.
This is why you discover that a shuttle has been charted, by Naiaj, to take you to Embroi.
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"Perhaps she meant aqua socks. Foot fungus is nothing to be ignored," Sturmvanger replies to Khubelu.
His areas of expertise do not extend to gathering information so he simply relaxes on the trip to their first destination.
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A chance to blackmail Abadar Corp., perhaps? Morvruul ponders, rubbing four sets of hands together. And a mass, economic panic might even help out a simple "merchant" like myself!
"" The witchwyrd erupts with laughter before realizing that he is still not alone.
Suddenly aware that the other Starfinders may be looking his way, he attempts to explain himself. "Oh, you must pardon my amusement. However, I just happened to recall that the byzantine legal system of Embroi requires visitors to register a name and purpose at customs and that violators risk tangling with security or being turned away entirely. Its all rather... funny... in a way, don't you think?"
He eyes the party with suspicion, focusing on one in particular--
--Cha'mon Cha'mon.
The damai! He looks quite "shady"! Does he suspect my true intentions?! Morvruul makes an effort to take the shuttle seat furthest away from the world weary looking daimalkan male.
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Hearing an evil laugh rising in her presence, Seggas grabs a giant mass of boimatter from within her lab coat and tosses back her head, joining in the laughter! After a second her laughter dies down and she looks at the newcomer with a manic look in her eyes as the biomass on her right had resolves itself into a vague rifle shape with a small muzzle on the end. "What science experiment you running?! Mind if I join in! ? I've been needing to test a genetic mix that gives a dragon breath and then powers it up! You wanna be the first? You have to sign some papers first! Just a formality. A formality that let's me mess with your GENETIC CODE! "
She goes on for a few moments in the same manic vein before she stops and glances af Sturm sheepishly...
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Sturmvanger wonders if Morvruul's nefarious schemes might interfere with Seggas' nefarious schemes. He doesn't seem the scientist type so Sturmvanger wonders what form his nefarious schemes take.
He rubs his right forearm, thoughtfully, the scales there noticeably paler than the rest of his body.
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"Since we need to perform with discretion, I wager we might as well tell them embroi folks the society is interest in a future partnership with that Anthellon Station of theirs, so we be going there for an inspection slash tourism." decides Gava.
"Now, dare I ask you shady folk who's the best liar?"
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Sturmvanger wonders if Morvruul's nefarious schemes might interfere with Seggas' nefarious schemes. He doesn't seem the scientist type so Sturmvanger wonders what form his nefarious schemes take.
He rubs his right forearm, thoughtfully, the scales there noticeably paler than the rest of his body.
Seggas slowly puts the mass of organic matter with a small collar and name tag reading 'Bii' on it away as she sheepishly rubs her neck.
Seggas then pulls out a data pad and asks in a calmer voice, "Uhhh, would anyone be interested in being a test subject? You'll need to sign a release form. It does not give me free reign to mess with your genetics and I promise I will explain exactly what I'm doing before asking for permission."
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After the eleven day flight, your ship docks at a landing bay in the
bustling Alladaroi spaceport. You then complete hours of digital paperwork in a sterile customs office before being given flimsy, identical masks to wear while on the planet.
Each of you must then state the reason for your visit and register an identity in the system. Because of Cha'man you all have rather good false identities you can use.
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With a bright blonde wig on, some simmering blue contacts in her eyes, and a blue habit, Seggas feels pretty different from her normal self. She tries her best to make sure the 3 hours of training that Cha'man put her through to keep her tongue in her mouth doesn't go to waste as she steps up to the immigrations desk, her hands folded in prayer. "Eqssme Kmwmz, here to do religious charity work, spreading the good deeds and words of the shiny goddess Sarenrae."
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Sturmvanger isn't exactly the paperwork type so he's both bored and frustrated by all the forms he has to fill out, especially when he realizes he's answering the same questions in different forms at some point.
Rather than releasing his frustration, he clamps down on it further.
"Efgdyhmzsqd," he says when it is his turn. Since a lie based in truth is the best kind, he sticks with the truth. "I'm with her."
He points to Seggas as she is being hauled away.
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I am called Jonix. My family is looking to emigrate, and I am visiting planets to determine how suitable their oceans are.
And you want to live here. Seems reasonable. The guard stamps the papers with Approved then says. Pass through please
'Emerson' also gets the pass through treatment but when Sturmvanger says he's with Seggas, three burly guards step up and drag him away too.
Morvruul the Merchant also manages to get through.
Those that get dragged off are forcefully removed to individual interrogation rooms with one-way mirrors where each of you are subjected to an additional hours of long, hard questioning. You are asked questions such as:
A) Why are manholes round?
B) What do you think of garden gnomes?
C) You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?
D) There is no question D. Why?
E) If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?
F) Are you a hunter or a gatherer?
G) How much do you charge to wash every window in Absalom station?
H) Design a spice rack for the blind.
I) How many pennies would fit into this room?
J) If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?
K) What was the most traumatic experience to happen in your personal life?
L) Sing a song that best describes you.
M) When you go on holiday, when do you pack your case?
N) If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet what would you want?
O)What would you choose as your last meal?
P)Given the numbers 1 to 1,000, what is the minimum number of guesses needed to find a specific number, if you are given the hint ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ for each guess you make?
Q) Explain quantum electrodynamics in two minutes, starting now.
R) Using a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself on how weird you are.
S) You have a bouquet of flowers. All but two are roses, all but two are daisies, and all but two are tulips. How many flowers do you have?
T) You have three boxes. One contains only apples, one contains only oranges, and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labelled so that no label accurately identifies the contents of any of the boxes. Opening just one box, and without looking inside, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?
U) You need to check that your friend, James, has your correct phone number but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card which and give it to Heidi who will take the card to James and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure James can encode the message so that Heidi cannot read your phone number?
V) If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?
W) On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you?
X) How would you react if you are transformed into a fish?
Y) If you were a t-shirt, what colour would you be and why?
Z) Who would win a battle between a ninja and a pirate?
a) Are your parents disappointed with your career aspirations?
b) How would you sell me eggnog in the summer?
c) Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
d) What would you do if you just inherit a pizzeria from your uncle?
e) If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
f) What's the worst pickup line you've ever heard/dished out?
After the interrogation is over, the authorities are convinced you are no threat and releases you out of the customs and immigration area with tourist visas.
The submarine transport to Anthellon Station is scheduled to leave the following morning.
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Hearing an evil laugh rising in her presence, Seggas grabs a giant mass of boimatter from within her lab coat and tosses back her head, joining in the laughter!
Hearing the evil laughter, Morvruul reaches out a slew of arms, grabs the well-dressed goblin by the neck, and demands, "Tell me the source of that sound!"
"It's, uh, her boss," responds the goblin, pointing towards the tiefling.
She is... MAGNIFICENT! Morvruul suddenly sees the woman in an entirely new light. I must have her!
He offers a hand for a sample, with no words, only a blush.
For the remainder of the next several days, the witchwyrd is unusually quiet as he plots a scheme, not for wealth or power, but for--what could this be?--love?
Determine a course of action for him to take is a task that Morvruul finds, to his surprise, to be rather difficult. If he were to openly declare his intentions to the woman without having first impressed her, he risks rejection. However, if he keeps her at a distance or abandons the mission, he risks alienating her.
On approach to Alladaroi spaceport, Morvruul suddenly realized what is needed to obtain this newest pursuit--a grand gesture!
"Bahahahahahahahahahahaha!" he chuckles quietly to himself.
But, what shall it be?
He returns to his silent scheming. It so engrossed his mind, that when approached And instructed to state his name and reason for his visit, all he can manage to reply is, "I am Morvruul the Merchant. And I'm a merchant."
As he waits for the sub to depart, he continues to plot in silence.
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A) Why are manholes round?
B) What do you think of garden gnomes?
C) You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?
D) There is no question D. Why?
E) If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?
F) Are you a hunter or a gatherer?
G) How much do you charge to wash every window in Absalom station?
H) Design a spice rack for the blind.
I) How many pennies would fit into this room?
J) If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?
K) What was the most traumatic experience to happen in your personal life?
L) Sing a song that best describes you.
M) When you go on holiday, when do you pack your case?
N) If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet what would you want?
O)What would you choose as your last meal?
P)Given the numbers 1 to 1,000, what is the minimum number of guesses needed to find a specific number, if you are given the hint ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ for each guess you make?
Q) Explain quantum electrodynamics in two minutes, starting now.
R) Using a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself on how weird you are.
S) You have a bouquet of flowers. All but two are roses, all but two are daisies, and all but two are tulips. How many flowers do you have?
T) You have three boxes. One contains only apples, one contains only oranges, and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labelled so that no label accurately identifies the contents of any of the boxes. Opening just one box, and without looking inside, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?
U) You need to check that your friend, James, has your correct phone number but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card which and give it to Heidi who will take the card to James and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure James can encode the message so that Heidi cannot read your phone number?
V) If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?
W) On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you?
X) How would you react if you are transformed into a fish?
Y) If you were a t-shirt, what colour would you be and why?
Z) Who would win a battle between a ninja and a pirate?
a) Are your parents disappointed with your career aspirations?
b) How would you sell me eggnog in the summer?
c) Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
d) What would you do if you just inherit a pizzeria from your uncle?
e) If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
f) What's the worst pickup line you've ever heard/dished out?
A) "I don't know, maybe triangles were taken and squares are for...squares?"
B) "Creepy. Who wants to keep something based on actual sentient creatures on their lawn?"C) "GENETIC EXPERIMENTATION! MUAHAHAHAHAA!"
D) "Wait these were being lettered? Huh, I was using numbers in my head... OH I know, because this is question 4 not question D."
E) "Uhhh, Beach? No Hawthorn! Uhhh which tree has the greatest genetic material again?"
F) "An Experimenter!"
G) "I uh, don't? But if I had to 1000 credits per 5 square centimeters!"
H) "I'd make a spice rack and add a needle that injects a retrovirus that cures thier blindness, duh."
I) "What's a penny?"
J) "A Ksarik, their mastery of genetics is beautiful"
K) "No Comment, next!"
L) "....For I'm a jolly good genetics-manipulator~!"
M) "Exactly 22 hours before leaving!"
N) "Well, first, some kinda of assurance and explanation, I mean who does that anymore? 'Hey, Hi! We're aliens!' I mean so are half the people living in my building."
O) "I'd have to think about that one... I'll let you know."
P) "Minimum? Uh, one?"
Q) "... and that is why that question is stupid. I still have a minute right? Perfect, so the thing you need to know about electrodynamics is..."
R) "8 to 10, depending on the morning and whether Sturmvanger is there or not."
S) "Three."
T) "I feel this is a trick question with no answer..."
U) "First, why do I need to keep is secret from Heidi, otherwise maybe some sort of previously agreed upon cipher?"
V) "Ceasar."
W) "About an 8.5 in general. I added a small node to my brain for easy serotonin release!"
X) "Like I fudged up some component of my latest experiment and add the counteragent
Y) "Red. Matches my eyes."
Z) "The scientist, all 7 hands down"
a) "My adopted mother isn't and I don't know or have contact with my biological parents."
b) "By offering you eggnog? If you reallllly wanted me to seal the deal, add a small genetic tweak to your taste buds and make you crave the stuff."
c) "Meh either is fine. The horse sized duck would be easier to take down, but the 100 horses would be sooooo useful for experiments... WAIT ARE THE EXACT GENETIC CLONES? If so, GIVE ME THE #*** HORSES!"
d) "See if I have other family, cause I don't have an uncle I know of... Maybe they'd want the place too.
e) "Why stoop to breeding, I could do it with one animal. Why? What'd you have in mind? Here let me give you a business card."
f) "'Wanna come back to my place and do some experimentation?' He meant the sexual kind, and I was rather disappointed."