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When a simulated training mission goes wrong, a team of novice Starfinders find themselves trapped in a corrupted version of the virtual reality training program. After meeting a mysterious stranger within the system, they face an important choice: exit the program, or stay and fight to save Guidance from the Data Scourge? If they choose to fight, they experience strange revelations and battle dangerous glitches—all leading to the truth behind the Data Scourge attacks.
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The virtual training simulator in the Lorespire Complex is a white, austere room devoid of any furnishings meant for comfort. Light emanates from thin lines between individual panels along the walls, ceiling, and floor to bathe the room in bright white light. Several long metallic benches line the smooth walls with magical and technological connections—from VR headsets and datajacks to dreamer lines and thought tethers—intended to easily install a seated or hovering occupant into the simulation’s digital space.
The voice of one of Guidance’s feminine personas speaks over the room’s speakers. “Today’s training module is Simulation A-19. This is a four-to-five-hour simulation featuring a mix of combat and investigation.” A soft buzz underlays Guidance’s speech, as if one of the speakers needs repair.
“As usual, while you are within the simulation, your bodies will be safe here in the training lobby. Should you perish during the training module, you will be removed from the simulation, but remain logged in until completion to witness your team’s progress. Should all team members perish during the training module, the team fails and will be required to retry the simulation at a later date. Today’s trainer is Venture-Captain Arvin, who will begin your mission briefing in the field. Please prepare for the upload process.”
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Makai jumps on the chair in the simulation room and puts that odd device on her head. "I don't think I ever used one of those here."
She is rather tall for a dwarf and carries a gulchgun on her back, that now stays safely next to her chair. Her undercut haircut often change their color, currently being green. On the side of her head, she has Triune and Angradd symbols tattooed.
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Another dwarf, this one a middle-aged woman with graying hair and neatly-trimmed beard, begins connecting herself and her hoverchair, which has a Starfinder Society sticker pasted over a mining conglomerate's logo, to the apparatus. "Hello, everyone," she says cheerfully, "my name is K.I.N.A.A." You can see that she is missing most of her right leg, and that her body is muscular even compared to other dwarves. Her gear is the sort you would expect from a rookie agent, despite her age, though it is meticulously well-kept. "I decided on a career change, and exploring pre-Gap ruins and fighting jinsul seemed safer than what I was doing before. Especially if we are just going to run simulations all day! Oh, and I guess I can serve as team medic if things don't go our way, but you all look highly competent, so I don't expect to have to do much."
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Skip Intro examines his surroundings, taking in the white panelled room and it's technical what-nots and electronic gizmos. All to much for the grey haired junior Starfinder.
"I don't think I ever used one of those here."
"I'm not sure I'll be able to use it this time" he responds while examining the headset. "But I'll do my best to keep up"
He smiles at K.I.N.N.A. "Ah, another one, good I won't be alone. I've also worked a whole career before this. Mostly planetary scans out in the vast for a mining consortium, with the occasional boots-on-the-ground business when we discovered points of interest or indigenous populations. A good career, and a good set of experiences to join the Starfinders... I worry it didn't quite set me up for success with digital training however. I'm still excited to keep up with my training, it'll be good for old bones like us to hone our skills"
Skip looks like he enjoyed his mid-life some time ago, but still looks fit and capable. He is dressed fashionably, has his long grey hair slicked back. He is charismatic and at ease speaking with everyone, even if he seems less than comfortable with the latest training tech.
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Bleu is a young skittermander with blue fur. He has all the equipment of a janitor, including a portable vacuum cleaner. He’s busy cleaning the room, and takes a look at the speaker needing repair but gives up trying to fiddle with it due to a lack of adequate tools.
At the mention of jinsul, he starts talking to the Starfinders “I was stuck in the scoured star system with my parents. Then all of the survivors were rescued. As I was too young to join for some field missions, I started working as a janitor for the society when I came back. I like this room, that’s my only way of getting some action without getting in too much trouble…”
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A slender young kasatha returns the greetings. "The pages turn and a new chapter begins. I am Elisan Jurindah Solmali of House Noordib," he introduces himself, bowing. "May the Storyteller weave you tales of prosperity."
He is garbed in a dark shirt, trousers and a large coat cut in Idari fashion. Modest trimmings of what appear to be animal pelt detail portions of his garments.
"We ran many training simulations aboard the Idari. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for us."
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You connect up, and then find yourself hovering together in a enter white nothingless as the simulation loads. Then the white vanishes.
The sounds and smells of the lightly forested clearing merge with the breeze through the enormous trees. Leaves litter the reddish soil, marking the transition to colder months. Beyond a line of trees, a small, deserted outpost towers over the clearing.
A prerecorded holographic image of Venture-Captain Arvin appears to begin the training module, not hesitating in his instruction to bother with introductions or niceties. “In 319 AG, when the Swarm arrived in the days leading up to the Battle of Brinnoa, a few months prior to the—”
As swiftly as the lesson began, Arvin’s image freezes in place, glitches for a moment, then disappears.
“That shouldn’t happen,” announces Guidance’s feminine voice-over. “Restarting simula—” In a burst of static, Guidance’s voice disappears, leaving only the forest sounds of Suskillon and a storm brewing in the distance.
Looking around, the peace is being disturbed.... several insectoid creature are attacking an android nearby!
Status, initiative: bold may roll for init and act if they beat 17
Blo
Blimp
Elisan
KINAA
Makai
Skip
Swarm (17)
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Spotting the creatures attacking the android, Elisan attempts to recall any prior knowledge he might have.
Moving instinctively, the kasatha peels to his right, ducking behind K.I.N.A.A and drawing his laser pistol, before slipping into some nearby trees, only to re-emerge and fire a shot at the closest critter.
DC20+ target's CR
and target is flat-footed
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Kinna fires at the closest insect but the excitement of the moment is a little much for them. Blo is a little more on target and the insect shrieks in pain.
Elisan tries to work out what the creatures are. He recalls lessons about the swarm, figuring these to be Swarm Dredgers. About the only interesting thing about them is their ability to mentally communicate with each other and their immunity to acid.
And then follows up with a quick shot from his laser.
The red ant runs forward, stabbing at KINNA
The blue ant dashes forward and stabs at Blo.
But neither hurts the ready pathfinders.
The last attacks the android
Status, Round 2 bold may act
Blimp
Skip
Makai
KINAA
Blo
Elisan
Swarm (17)
- blue 9 9 damage.
- red 7 damage.
- green
android 7 damage
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Please make sure your icons are on the map. And who has the colourful hair?
Makai darts pass the creature hoping that it will not hurt her.
She stands between the enemies and focuses on magic flowing through her body and surrounding her. She reaches to her dwarven ancestor and channel the fire from the forges of Angradd she extends her hands and flames engulf blue and red swarm creatures. The flames stops before hurting Blo.
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Elisan dashes from the tree line, stepping over roots to slide down into the hollow. Running across the sunken land, he picks his way up the side to slide in behind the swarm dredger attacking K.I.N.A.A. punching out with his off-hand in a flash of flecked-bone.
DC20+ target's CR
and target is flat-footed
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The swarm dredger snaps at Makai as he moves away
Ouch, that hurt! But pain or not, the group feels the heat of the ancient dwarven forges flood into the area. More importantly, so do the ants.
Both look singed, but manage to avoid the worst of the flames. Or do they. The blue creature rolls over and kicks its legs in the air, cooked within its exo-skeleton!
Elisian runs around the red ant and crushes its carapace his a well timed blow
Kina takes aim at the last one, blasting it with freezing cold. Insects don't like the cold.
Skip redirects his attack to the last of the swarm, who cannot avoid it.
Blimp floats. His own shot is well off the mark, but a simulated tree pixelates and vanishes.
Can Blo finish it off?
Status, Round 2 bold may act
Blo
Swarm (17) - green 6 damage
android 7 damage
Makai 14/19SP
Elisan
KINAA
Skip
Blimp
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Bleu accurately shoots the final creature and all descends into pixelated silence.
The android gets gingerly to its feet and dusts himself off. He’s clothed in a sleek, form-fitting uniform that looks like it belongs on a starship rather than the rural areas of an agricultural planet like Suskillon. He uses a device on his wrist to do something and then turns to you all.
"Thank you so much for your assistance."
"“I am…” the android pauses in thought. “I suppose you could say I am one who hasn’t yet lost hope.” He gives an introspective smile. “Call me Hope-01. That name is fitting.”
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No more foes make themselves known... yet.
Hope-01 replies to Makai. “To some degree I could say that I am a simulation. But no, I am not part of this training module. I suppose one could consider me a lucky byproduct—an extra piece of code. Still, I’m pleased you came along to take care of those…” Digital code flashes before him for a second before he answers his unspoken question. “Ah, yes. Swarm.”
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"Well, whoever you are, we are glad you are all right," repsonds K.I.N.A.A. She taps her comm unit. "Guidance? Arvin? Is there anyone in the Lorespire Complex who can respond to us?"
Getting no response, she turns back to Hope-01. "Well, it seems like we will not be getting any outside help. So what do we do now?"
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Hope's eyes look a little... sad.. at the questions.
To Elisan he replies "Malicious code has infected Guidance, causing a corruption of this simulation and everything else in Guidance’s system folders. I can only assume I was taken along for the ride. I’m as trapped here as you are.”
As you start to discuss exiting the android eyes up the surroundings.
“This simulation has about 48 seconds before the system announces an imminent shutdown. To leave, allow the simulation to end. But if you choose this course—if you leave the system—I’m afraid there will be no way to save Guidance or repair the Lorespire Network.”
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Bleu tells Makai “Are you planning on shooting yourself? Are you sure this is a simulation?” He looks around as he does not seem so sure. He gets closer to the android while recharging “I’m Bleu, part of the cleaning crew. Can we help you with anything?”
At the mention of Guidance, the young skittermander gets agitated “Guidance needs help? What can I do?” He seems ready to run in some direction.
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Hope-01 smiles at the skittermander. “Hmm. From my understanding, the digital attack is targeting Guidance’s core processing centers. We’d have to ride the wave of corruption to get there and stop the malware’s ability to corrupt Guidance’s core programming. There’s no telling what this means for you, considering your consciousnesses are tourists here. But I imagine there could be some degradation if the server resets and you are still stuck in the simulation—or worse, you could be corrupted by the malware. Suffice to say, if you do resolve to cleanse this system, both the corruption and Guidance’s own intrusion countermeasures will see you as a threat.”
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Hope-01 shakes his head. "No, I think I am part of the corruption. Or at least arrived along with it. I suspect unintentionaly."
Hope-01 looks at his wrist display for a moment. “If you look around at the forest, you will see that several leaves, tree trunks, and blades of grass are either losing their raster imaging or breaking down and decompiling altogether. Soon only voxels will remain until full shutdown. Guidance loses data by the moment. If we don’t purge the malicious code, the corruption will destroy Guidance. I suspect we will not like what remains.”
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.... But I imagine there could be some degradation if the server resets and you are still stuck in the simulation—or worse, you could be corrupted by the malware...”
"I'm not sure what any of this means for me, but it does sound absolutely dire. I hope I can be of assistance. I'm worried I won't be much help with the computer work, but I can't simply unplug and leave this situation in good conscience."
He frets for a moment, looking around the simulation.
"You mentioned 'riding the wave' to the central core..... Is that like surfing the web? What can we possibly to do help?
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"Well.. first up, we have to stay in the simulation.." says Hope.
A voice similar to Guidance’s bellows over the simulation. “The network has been compromised. Malicious code detected. Shutdown due to corruption is imminent.”
Hope-01 shrugs, "It seems time is short. Shall we save Guidance together?"
Hope-01 cracks his knuckles as if he were something other than a digital facsimile and smiles at the Starfinders. With a wave of Hope-01’s arm, the simulation changes, transitioning from the open-air forest clearing to a dark museum.
Unlike Guidance’s digital realism this museum is impressionistic, as if made by a different digital artist attempting to push their own artistic flair into the code.
The museum’s interior is clad in rich wooden features, then the dark polished surfaces of a marble temple, then the sleek steel of a high-tech archive, then the bombed-out remains of a building covered in a thick layer of dust. No matter the appearance of the museum, the exhibits remain unchanged.
With a low whistle, Hope-01 gives an appraising look around. “Well, someone took some artistic license here.”
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“Malware?” The young skittermander seems a bit lost in thoughts. Did I opened the wrong kind of message again? That video was quite funny…
Bleu looks at Hope. “Hope-zero-one, do you also need help? Are you threatened by all this in any way?”
“Guidance is dissolving? Can we patch her up somehow? ”
Seeing the remains of the building covered with dust, Bleu can’t help saying “This is in need of serious cleaning? Would it help Guidance to clean that up?”