GM Jhaeman's "Dawn of Flame, Chapter 3: Sun Divers" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

After the harrowing raid on the Brass Dragons' headquarters to retrieve data stolen from the Deep Cultures Institute, the members of the Near Space expedition team have earned several days to rest and recuperate while the computer files are analysed. Could what Nib said be true? Is there really a location within the sun and a possible means to get there?

Excitement builds as DCI scientists pour over the data, though there is a bittersweet moment amidst it all: Cabizo, the group's indefatigably joyful and optimistic counsellor, has decided to return to Near Space. It seems he's been offered a job at a children's hospital, and his unique brand of finger-paint therapy would be perfect for kids facing the fear and sadness of a hospital stay. He waves goodbye with all six, promising never to forget his days helping the expedition team survive crazy gun battles against terrorists, gang toughs, and man-eating plants!

In an interstellar communique, the sponsors of the expedition on Pabaq promised that a replacement member of the team would be sent immediately. But who will it be? And could they possibly have any idea just what they are getting their self into?

At a training gym, the kanabo Jin Goei swings his new static storm doshko around, following a series of stances he learned and trained in since he was a child in the Gideron Authority.

The electric discharges of the weapon reminds him of the deities of his people, and bring a rare smile to his face.

During their downtime, Zharis looks up Balto Darkheels to see if she can find where he lives. She would like to give him the Comm unit that they found from what looks like his recently deceased significant other, and would rather deliver this kind of message in person.

With the information on the comlink, Zharis finds Balto. The halfling is not surprised to hear that his lover is dead (she went missing while investigating the trouble in Asanatown), but he's still saddened to think of her dying alone and in pain. Looking at the list of names on the comlink, he explains that he and Seven were planning on adopting a half-orc infant. "I'm going to go through with it," he says. "Seven would have wanted me to."

Upon returning to the DCI, a staff member exclaims that 1,000 credits were just transferred from someone named Balto Darkheels "for the kind pahtra in gratitude for answers."

You're free to use the 1,000 credits however you wish.

Hani finds himself sad that Cabizo has decided to move on. He shares a few more of his paper "stress" circles he recently drew, and promises to continue to use this method to control his anxiety.

Upon meeting up with his other teammates one day Hani is sporting new armor. "I decided to get rid of the old cos-play armor. This suit is more appropriate for the type of business we are up to right now. I did install my armor upgrades on this suit, and there is plenty of room for more if I happen upon anything."

Hani now has an EJ Hardsuit, Advanced. With his experimental armor prototype abilities, it has four upgrade slots. Two are currently being used. His AC and stats are up to date.

Xylian uses the police vehicle to tow the sportscar and its parts to the hangar where the Sun Runner is docked, setting up a makeshift workshop to assemble the sportscar and repair both vehicles. The work is much simpler than starships or shield projectors, but is still somewhat cathartic. His inability to accomplish his primary mission - deploying the sun probes and interpreting their data - was beginning to grind on his nerves. Xylian trended towards single-minded focus on one subject and he did not enjoy the socializing opportunities the city offered like Zharis did. Maybe now, with several criminal organizations put to rest, they would finally be able to leave the sun city and do their job.

In the days since the raid on the Brass Dragons, the members of the Near Space expedition team have kept themselves busy. Jin trains furiously with a brand new weapon that will surely intimidate his foes, while Xylian steadily repairs a pair of vehicles captured from the mercenary gang. Meanwhile, Zharis completes a mission of mercy to bring closure to a man suffering the agony of a missing partner and Hani tries to distract himself from missing his friend by purchasing and customising some high-tech new armor.

Finally, the day comes--the promised "replacement" for Cabizo (a seemingly impossible task!) has completed the journey from Near Space and proceeded through customs at Dawnshore Station. In minutes, a hover-taxi should bring them to the front door of the Deep Cultures Institute where the members of the expedition team are eagerly--or anxiously--awaiting.

Here's the hover-taxi! The door opens! And out steps . . .

Zharis shows up at Dawnshore station with her new pet riding on her shoulder, a Stylemander she has named Cabeezo, in honor of her missing friend.

She hopes they sent someone competent as a replacement, although she supposes that Cabizo wasn't always that competent... shooting with his eyes closed for instance... so the bar wasn't that high.

Getting a few other things, but really tired. Will update my profile tomorrow. :) (No armor or weapons, so if there is an immediate battle, shouldn't interfere with that.)

The taxi door opens …

... and you hear loud swearing that comes from inside even before the owner of a slightly hoarse low voice shows up from there.

- Arrrgh! Who drives like ‘at?! Am I a rock or a log to ye? What's wrong with ye?

Lashunta taxi driver with a slightly worried face leaves the driver's seat and heads to the trunk of a pneumatic car, while the figure of a gray-skinned dwarf in dark brown heavy armor heavily climbs out of the back seats. The driver tries to pull out the luggage, which causes a new surge of rage in the duergar. Spitting on his white beard, he shouts at the completely confused man:

- Damn ye, bloody idiot! If ye touch my equipment bag, I'll add an extra chromosome to yer genetic code! In addition to the extra ones ‘at already 'ere! Bah!

Pushing poor lashunta away, the duergar very carefully pulls out of the trunk a heavy bag with wheels and an intricate weapon, similar to a buttoned metal collar on a long stick, but with a needle in the middle. Without saying goodbye to the driver, he goes to you. When you already expect that the swearing will continue further, durgar addresses you in a noticeably different tone, much more calm and businesslike:

- Greetings, colleagues. Tulgram Coldforge at your service. Geneticist. Doctor. A catcher of all sorts of curiosities.

Squinting at his weapon at the last words, he holds out his hand to each of you in turn. You notice that in a business conversation he tries to control not only his mood but also his pronunciation. Jin may notice that Tulgram obviously has no negativity towards the goblinoid, which would be typical for dwarves from the Pact Worlds.

- Well, where do I go next? I know quite a bit about the contract... although enough to see it as a scientific and personal perspective.

"Greetings, doctor." Jin shakes the hand of the duergar, carefully observing his expressions. "I see you are keen to discipline your subordinates. I appreciate a strong, organized hierarchy myself."

Zharis' first impression was poor. This seemed like the exact opposite of Cabizo... casually cruel, businesslike, apparently competent. Not all bad, but bad enough. However, she tried to reserve judgement. Jin seemed to like him. Hopefully she'd get used to him, and even if she didn't, it was part of her job to deal with him anyway. Acting, as always, proving essential in everyday life.

Hey. Tulgram, right? Good to meet you. We'll show you your room, where you can stash your things and get settled in. After that, it's really up to the DCI. They've been analyzing the data that we retrieved and I'm assuming they will have something for us soon.

As the hover-taxi pulls away and everyone is getting acquainted, the front doors of the DCI's Museum of Endosolar Sciences burst open. An excited-looking ysoki in a mechanic's coveralls races out toward you, followed by a slightly-embarassed-looking lashunta in a lab coat.

The ysoki shouts "I've got it!" She dances around the group, giving unsolicited hugs and surprise high-fives. She pulls up short at the sight of Tulgram. "Oh, hi! I'm Nib. You must be the new Cabizo! You're just in time to hear the news!" The ysoki rocks from heel to toe, mumbling to herself "A ship that can go into the sun--who woulda ever thought!"

The lashunta finally catches up. Her face is a combination of frown and bemusement. She greets everyone and introduces herself to Tulgram. "Good morning. I'm Taeress, with Far Portal Station. Please don't mind Nib. We just received some interesting news." Catching the ysoki's eyes and giving her a meaningful look, Taeress adds "News that is purely speculative and that has not been validated, and that we therefore should not celebrate until an investigation has been completed."

Pics of Nib and Taeress are on Slide 2 of Maps & Handouts.

There is joy in the possibility though, reminds Zharis, hoping that the couple is remembering to work to see things from each other's perspectives.

That sounds interesting. When will we know more? What testing needs to be done?

Jin waits to hear the news, and what sort of security risks it will entail.

Hani rushes out to greet the new team member.

He stands before you all in a suit of brand-new impressive armor. The old "devil-may-care" attitude he once had has transformed into a more professional demeanor. "Welcome to this expedition, Mr. Coldforge. I am Hani Makoa, the team's science advisor."

Hani is a telia, a turtle-like humanoid from the near space planet Pygos.

With regards to the new discoveries, Hani also waits patiently with Jin, though most of you may notice him fidgeting with the straps and features of his new armor.

Nib gives a little hop and with a clap of her hands, says “The Corona Artifact Divers! I’ve just heard they have a starship that can go into the sun . . . to Noma. You need to talk to them. But you mustn’t tell them why! If we can use their ship, you could be the first visitors to Noma in . . . in . . . maybe ever! But we can’t risk the Divers looting the place before we have a chance to survey it.”

Taeress takes a deep breath, and instead of criticising Nib's exuberance, explains calmly: "The C.A.D. having a vessel capable of surviving the extreme heat and pressure of the sun is only a rumor, mind you. Though it does seem to hold a certain plausibility given some of the details we've heard. And we're close to finishing off the analysis of the data the Brass Dragons stole. If there is such a ship, I think we can give you the coordinates for this mysterious "Noma".

“Looting? If that is a criminal group, we can just take over their vessel. The local authorities have shown themselves to be very lax when it comes to the properties of criminals in these sun cities.” suggests Jin.

Taeress purses her lips, but Nib laughs. She says "Well, maybe not criminals exactly. They're treasure hunters! Not serious scientists like those of us at the DCI." Despite her best efforts, Taeress can't help but roll her eyes at this statement. Nib continues, undeterred. "The Corona Artifact Divers attempt expeditions into the sun’s deeper layers. As far as I know, they haven’t met with any greater success than we have. But rumor has it that one of their best divers, a human woman named Lurian, developed a starship. It took her farther into the sun than anyone before. But that’s not all! She brought back an artefact recently. I’ll bet that success put them in a generous mood, and maybe you can make a deal to buy or borrow that ship."

Huh. Well, we can contact the expedition committee and see what they say, but not sure they are going to spring for that. Hmm.

We do have salvage rights to a ship at Far Point station... (I think that is what the station was called--?) Let me contact them. They wanted the ship for their own to study anyway, so they might be willing to pay us for it, and then we could use that money to buy this other one.

I mean, my father could buy it outright, but I don't want to have to ask him... we can figure it out another way, right? Anyone have any other ideas? Or, uh, know how much starships ... or sunships ... typically cost? ...

... Zharis realizes that she needs to do some research before negotiating, and starts looking things up on the infosphere.

After checking prices for a few minutes she says

Uh, did we have any money left over after shopping?

Tulgram nods and shakes hands with each of the members of the scientific expedition - his new team. It seems that he does not like the behavior of the ysoki a little, but he tries to hide it or take it for granted.

- Yes, Jin. Order and discipline are important, although the hierarchy may be violated in some cases - to achieve a greater goal. I am glad to see a like-minded person.

On closer inspection, it can be seen that the scientist is most likely slightly overweight, although obviously physically strong. This happens with athletes who have given up their careers - light obesity (caused by the habit of consuming a lot of calories) still hides a broad back and powerful arms. His skin looks a bit like dark gray concrete, as if it is just as porous and hard, although it is still the skin of a living being (and most likely this is only an external impression). His eyes... are very cold. There is no rigidity in them, but there is insight and some kind of constant analysis, as if he is trying to collect at the same time a psychological portrait and potential genetic options from everyone he talks to. He is bald, and his white beard, though neatly trimmed, still stores crumbs of food - apparently he ate something sweet in a taxi.

- I'll insert a remark. I'm not fully familiar with your laws yet... Did you say that the owners of that wonderful ship are bandits? Can we influence them by force in this case? Or was it a figure of speech?

Nib puffs out her cheeks as she thinks about how to answer Tulgram's question, and Taeress clearly finds it adorable. After a minute, Nib explains "Well, I guess they're not criminals. Not exactly. But they don’t apply the scientific rigor we do. They treat the sun like a vault full of creds. We should approach any inhabitants of the sun with care and respect, not show up looking to load our holds with treasure! If they know about Noma, they’ll go there and toss the place before we have a chance to take a meaningful survey.”

Taeress adds, "The Divers have their headquarters in the Brass Bazaar. You'll already be familiar with the neighborhood from your raid on the Brass Dragons. We'll start making preparations in case this ship is real--a big if--and that'll take us some days at least. But if both this ship and Noma are real, Nib and I will make sure you have everything else you need to make the journey."

As you're all talking, the two lead you back inside the building to show Tulgram the guest dormitories.

"If fabricated resources do not all belong to the local government, I imagine the natural resources are also available to anyone interested? That is... interesting.", Jin, the Gideron Authority representative, ponders.

Zharis sends out a message to the stationmaster at Far Point, asking about the ship and inquiring whether they want to buy it. At least it was a first step. She was NOT going to contact her father.

Incidentally, when/if we hit level 6 at some point in the future, she gets a stipend (from Noble Scion theme), so this is all leading up to that. She is foredestined to eventually break down and contact her father.

She then says

Okay then, we're off to the headquarters of the Corona Artifact Divers in the Brass Bazaar, in search of a human woman named Lurien.

Tulgram, hate to do this to you when you've just arrived, but I'd like to have you along if you can get ready quickly. Our experience is that these seemingly innocuous excursions often leave us in need of medical attention. Also, remember to take cover when the power fluctuates, and get a Thermal Regulator if you don't already have one. Everyone else learned a few things the hard way, but you shouldn't have to.

- Aye. Good advice! Let me check my account... Okay, I need 35 credits in advance for this purchase.

Duergar goes into the building, leaving his personal belongings and takes out several medical devices and a small portable computer that is connected to these devices. Then he takes out identical pieces of glass and gives them to all the members of the squad with one word: "spit." After everyone does this, he collects the material back and performs some analyses for a while, then synthesizes a certain substance in front of you and with an absolutely ordinary movement injects it to himself.

- Great, now I have a sample of yer genetic code in me. Temporarily. In my brain there is something like a medical computer made entirely of biomaterials. Mushrooms mostly, if ye are interested... One of the brilliant technologies of my people! This computer will process yer DNA and help me get into ye with a syringe even from a long distance. We used this to control slaves. I'm using this to save the allies.

"I have accepted that we can just do whatever we want. The government obviously does not care and will not stand in our way."

Xylian is a damai and is shorter and stockier than others of his kind, with skin a much deeper blue and pure white hair - all results of his growing up on the sunkissed university planet Pabaq and not his species' own broken homeworld. His is very well armed and armored for a scientist. His heavy Lashunta Ringwear armor sports recent battle scars. Shiny, unrusted metal peeks through the outer layers of black spalling. On his back he carries a subzero ice carbine and an azimuth laser rifle, both in easy to reach positions. A medical kit is attached to his left thigh, a few bloodstains marring the outer case. From his right hip hangs a tactical dueling sword that does not look well used. He also carries a frankly ridiculous number of high-cap batteries, but the scuffs and scrapes on them implies they all do indeed see use. He does not greet Tulgram Coldforge, satisfied he knows what he needs to about the man from the dossier the Institute had forwarded him.

The repeated stalling of their mission was wearing on Xylian, leaving him even less sociable than usual. He was not accustomed to starting something and not finishing. All these distractions and detours... It was one thing to be impeded by something tangentially related to - and, therefore interesting - whatever Xylian was already working on, but the physicist could not care less about the politics of the sun world. "Convince these treasure hunters they need our help, Zharis. If this ship of theirs even exists." A few short weeks ago, a more naïve Xylian would have been moderately interested in the claims of a sun-diving ship, but his curiosity had, for the moment, been dampened. "If they refuse, we will steal their ship. If it exists."

I found this and bought a couple so Xylian really can have his firearms holstered on his back like in Mass Effect. Who knew?

Zharis grumbles under her breath about someone's definition of "quickly," but passes the time by pulling out a vidgame. She looks up guiltily when Xylian talks to her, having become very distracted, and quickly saves and puts it away.

Yes, are we ready yet?

...I'll convince them if I can, but let's not jump to stealing right off. These aren't bad guys going around shooting people, and we don't want to get on the wrong side of the law, no matter how inept it may seem from our perspective. Image is everything, and we lose a lot of future bargaining power if we go rogue. Right now we're heroes. We need to not screw that up.

Plus, I think we're all forgetting... we're scientists, not mercenaries, okay? Let's stay humble and not bite off more than we can chew here. We avoid violence if we can... just because it hasn't often been possible lately doesn't mean that we should get overconfident and go seeking it out.

The trip from the bubble-city of Stellacuna (where the DCI has its campus) to Corona (where the Brass Bazaar is located) takes a few hours via the major form of inter-bubble public transit in the Burning Archipelago: linecrawlers. These massive ferries, which crawl along the tethers connecting the magical force bubbles that protect the cities of the Burning Archipelago, have basic seating and windows that turn opaque when travelling between bubbles to protect passengers from the sun's burning light.

The linecrawler from Stellacuna first passes into Dawnshore, the largest of the Burning Archipelago's bubble-cities, for a stop at Dawnshore Spaceport. It then continues on to Corona, where you're all able to disembark and soon find yourselves in the Brass Bazaar. The Brass Bazaar at the center of Corona is a chaotic riot of floating platforms that bob up and down in the heat and radiation leaking through the bubble city’s weak top and bottom. Connected by a series of stationary streets, enclosed tunnels, and attached bridges that move with them, these platforms hold a variety of stores and restaurants, all of which do a brisk business despite the bubble’s dangers.

I'll pause here in case there's anything you want to purchase in the Brass Bazaar, and then we'll move on to the Corona Artifacts Divers HQ.

I found a pic of linecrawlers and have put them up as Slide # 4. The trip costs you 6 credits each; hey, it all adds up :)

No shopping for Jin, he's completely broke. Couple more of those linecrawlers and he'll be walking back home.

Zharis looks around to see if they have any reliable and portable battery rechargers, but doesn't see anything that especially stands out.

What kind of prices did Zharis find when she was doing searches for ship costs? I realize that is going to be a wide range of prices, but just wondering... if we end up having to buy the thing, do we have an idea of how much we are shooting for?

@Zharis: Starfinder is a bit unusual in that, out of character, you can't actually buy starships per se. They don't even list credit costs for them. Access to them is gained via plot-device.

Hani won't be needing anything. Although he is sitting a few hundred credits, there isn't much he can do with it yet.

Hani keeps an eye out for that harlot "Practical Prestine." He intends to stay well away from her.

Interesting. Okay, I'll imagine my own astronomical numbers and wait for the plot to develop. :)

If someone gives me 50 credits, then I will be able to pay for the fare (6 credits), buy a temperature-regulating upgrade to the armor (35 is missing) and I will still have enough for the return trip!

"Do we want to ask the locals about the reputation of these 'Divers' before going in?"

I think we're all broke. There's three unclaimed High-Capacity Batteries that could be sold for a total of 99 credits.

That would be fine with me. Imagine that Tulgram, with duergar tenacity, like a donkey from Shrek, raises the same topic all the way. He's like that, he can.

Don't sell the batteries. We'll use them, and selling for 10% is far from worth it for something we will use.

Zharis loans Tulgram 50 credits, trying to hurry things along.

With a small loan, Tulgram manages to scrape just enough credits together to get by. Fortunately for Xylian and Hani, there's no sign of Practical Prestine in the Brass Bazaar today . . . though both still have a nagging doubt at the back of their minds about whether refusing those sunblossoms was really such a good idea.

Some cursory questioning of the locals indicates the Divers are well-known in the area, as they're often trying to raise money for their dives. The organisation also seems to have some sort of spiritual bent, which doesn't quite fit the picture of "reckless treasure hunters" that Nib gave.

Despite the dangers of Corona, finding the headquarters of the Corona Artifact Divers proves uneventful. The lobby is bright, clean, and cold.
Circular benches surround pillars covered with glimmering mosaic tile in various hues of red, orange, and yellow. In the center of the room, is a reception desk that doubles as a broad display case. Red-orange lighting that mimics the sun’s surface shines from the case’s back. Lined up inside are several objects, most of which are lumps of scorched minerals.

Behind the reception desk is a member of a surprisingly familiar species--one of the sluglike osharus native to the university planet of Pabaq in Near Space! “Welcome to the home of the Corona Artifact Divers!” says the osharu. “I am called Pahdric. Perhaps you have heard of me? Are you here to become financial sponsors of our fine organization?”

A picture of Pahdric is up on the slides.

- Well, sort of... - the duergar mumbles softly and chuckles.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 something unusual, strange etc

Tulgram looks around and it seems he is not going to get into the diologue yet, giving his more diplomatic-savvy comrades a chance to talk.

ps. Zharis, thanks!

Zharis steps up to the desk

Greetings, Pahdric. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Zharis. We have heard much of your noble organization, and would love to know more. Do you have any pamphlets or literature we could read? ... Our reason for coming today though is to see Lurien. Could you tell us where we can find her?

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 + 1d6 ⇒ (15) + 11 + (5) = 31

Remember my ability "If a creature’s initial attitude toward you would be unfriendly, indifferent, or friendly, you instead treat its attitude as one category higher." Also, in case it is relevant, attitudes only worsen if I fail by 10 or more, and if I fail by 10 or less I can try again. Not that I can roll much higher than that, but good to know in general if we're going to be talking to a lot of people today.

Pahdric looks at Zharis with a curious look, as she's somehow almost familiar to him for some reason. He shakes it off, and replies "Certainly, I can provide you with a wealth of information about the Corona Artifact Divers! In fact, have you considered our introductory correspondence course Understanding the Sun? It's completely free, though we do suggest a modest donation of 1,000 credits."

His face takes on a troubled aspect at the mention of Lurian, and he chooses his next words very carefully. “Lurian is an incredible engineer and pilot. But . . . she tends to get . . . carried away. She most recently carried herself away to the Vestrani Gaming Complex, over in Verdeon. She spent a lot of time there in the past after making valuable finds. This time, it’s been weeks. I fear she is on a bit of a bender. I suggested to our accountants that they dole out her shares in smaller portions, but they said doing so was needlessly strict. I do hope she’s all right.”

Physical Science: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Zharis flashes him her best fan-con smile, recognizing his confusion. He must have seen her on a vid somewhere, and when he remembers, she wants him to still have a favorable impression of encountering her in person.

Thank you, honored Pahdric. We will seek her there, and much appreciation for the information about the correspondence course. It looks fascinating.

As was typical of their efforts, their real target seemed to be elsewhere. She motions everyone back away from the desk where they can't be overheard.

I think Lurien is the key. She is the inventor and has access... we can convince her. If we start asking about it from corporate guy over there, they might offer to sell it to us, but first of all we can't afford it, and second, they'll be asking why and we won't be able to keep it quiet... plus they'll probably at least need to get her permission because it was her project, even if they paid for it, and if it really is as cool as they say, they might not want to let it go. I say we go find her first and convince her personally. Worst case, we'll get better information about it from her, and if we need to come back, we can.

... And yes, Tulgram, I'll loan you the extra linecrawler fare.

She looks up "Vestrani Gaming Complex" and "Verdeon" on the infosphere, trying to figure out how to get there.

@Zharis: To look up info on the infosphere, I'll need a Computers check.

Okay, sorry... I thought infosphere was more like Google, and anyone could use it. Although I suppose it does take skill to get information about some things, even on Google. :)

Computers: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 8 + (3) = 14

Pretty low. Well, I imagine a gaming complex would have ads plastered all over the infosphere and want people to find how to get to them, but if that doesn't get the information then I'll ask the group to see if anyone else can figure out the dadblasted linecrawler map.

This is one of those sliding scale things, where the higher the roll, the more info I’m to give you. Will post results tomorrow. Happy Halloween everyone!

"If she is a captive, we should rescue her and ask for usage of her ship as a reward. If she only has gambling debts, we might have a harder time helping her... but getting her to be indebted to us is a sound strategy." Jin discusses with the party.

"We could also explore her gambling addiction to our advantage - with a bet, a dare or similar. We will have to evaluate how weak she would be to such taunts first.

Hani listens to all of the ideas. He decides to get out his own computer and look for more information on this casino. Perhaps he'll have more luck than Zharis.

computers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

"Hopefully a visit to this casino will also be fun. I'll enjoy seeing a place like this. Maybe business and pleasure DO mix!"

Getting a classic James Bond movie vibe from this. Maybe Hani needs to look for some formal clothes. In fact, he will put an order in for something nice to wear.

1. GM, did Tulgram find out something interesting about the exhibits with his physical science check?

- Thank you, Zaris! I appreciate it... Blasted bloody Pact Worlds... 'ey profit from 'eir own in any situation! Just like at home... But it was better at home anyway... Bah! Bloody... - Tulgram then mumbles to himself something completely unintelligible, buried in his computer.

2. I'll take 20 on Computers to look up info in the infosphere (24 total). Btw, this is how Google works here, if we connected to the infosphere, the info does not require a hack of closed databases and we are not in hurry (can spend a few minutes).

As Jin whispers some possible strategies, Zharis, Tulgram, and Hani have their noses in their datapads, digging up information on the Vestrani Gaming Complex. Meanwhile, the osharu behind the reception desk stares at your small group with unbridled curiosity.