Intense heat radiates from the floor around the central worktable. Embedded into its tabletop is a bright red datapad.
[ooc]The area between the two red lines is hot enough to damage you if you end your turn there.
Using telekinetic projectile to get the datapad is fine, as long as you don't mind that it probably won't be in one piece afterwards.
The damaya lashunta that replaced Oda moves over to one of the less damaged cranes and quickly figures out the controls. "Name's Raia," she says as she swings Bordle over the datapad. "I hear you were having trouble with that overstuffed hologram in the lobby."
She grabs the datapad and hacks into it, discovering data about Droskar’s demonic counterfeit operation, which is being used to fund destabilization efforts on worlds throughout the Material Plane. They also uncover two hidden files embedded within this dataset called “Key1.r17” and “HelpMe.r17.” "Want to see those?"
From: Ruby-17
To: Historia-3
A cheery android with red circuitry, artsy clothing, and shiny red hair appears on screen, waving. “Hey Boss! Ruby-17 here. I’ve built the planar simulation complex you asked for, and I think it’ll be everything you wanted. I had so much fun doing the research and all the design elements.”
“I think this could be something that I could become known for, you know? I know that you’ve been talking about me being your protégé and taking over the Dataphiles after you, but… I think I’d like to make time for more creative pursuits like this one. Of course, I’ll still help with interesting missions! I just feel like maybe it’s time for me to diversify and get involved with something artistic. Would you mind if I share some of my work here for my resumé? I guess you’ll let me know when you come by tomorrow to see the place.”
“You’re going to love it!”
You also find one usable set of manacles among the other, shoddily made ones, and a red star plasma lash.
You can make Mysticism checks to try to determine what plane each simulation is about.
After 10 minutes, the door to the north opens. The lovely garden is perfectly still. Birds and butterflies are paused mid-flight, and furry robots are frozen in a tea party tableau, one about to pour tea into a red cup.
Eventually the Starfinders move into the next room. The door shuts behind them.
Glissando’s Grove springs to life with a burst of joyous bird song and melody that resonates from musical trees arrayed like a giant pipe organ. The air is heady with the scent of wildflowers, and dozens of furry animals peek out from trees, tables, and flower beds. Red tea sets adorn tree stump tables surrounded by chairs grown from gigantic red flowers. In front of the enormous tree organ is a large tree stump stage, inviting performances of all sorts.
There are no computers in sight.
To the east, there are a pair of pastel-colored, leporine robots, one of whom says, "Are you here for the tea party? Lovely! There is plenty of room for everyone!"
If you concentrate, you also notice that the birds are singing in Common, so you may be able to converse with them.
One of the rabbots looks at Bordle when she approaches the keyboard. "Oh, no, you should come join us for tea! We want everyone to join us.
There's plenty of seats here."
A character can distract the animals and robots by succeeding at a skill check while on the stage to perform or otherwise show off for the creatures. You can use any skill for this check, so long as you can describe how they’re using this skill to entertain. Each time a character attempts this skill check, they provide one opportunity for another character to subtly access the data hub and try to download the information. The sneaking character can attempt a Stealth check to avoid being caught.
The robots look up at the sky, trying to figure out how these birds can be used to compose letters, but seeming to enjoy the puzzle.
The robots look up at the sky, trying to figure out how these birds can be used to compose letters, but seeming to enjoy the puzzle.
While Jasmine attempts to entertain the robots, Bordle sneaks around to the organ. Well, 'sneaks' might be overstating it a bit. A disembodied voice begins to sing, “Alarm! Alarm! Alarm! Glissando Grove has come to harm!” The music is supernaturally compelling.
[oocEveryone needs to make a DC 12 Will save. Anyone who fails is compelled to dance (which imposes the staggered condition).[/ooc]
One of the bunny bots looks hurt and sings sadly, “Why are you stealing from us?”
The robot looks up at Bordle. "Oh, of course, of course!" it says cheerfully. "We wish we had known you just wanted to share the music with us! Please, play all you'd like!"
You can access the data with a Profession (musician, vidgamer, or similar), Computers or Mysticism check.
Raia, Jasmine and Bordle control their urge to dance.
Bordle manages to remember enough from a piano tutor app she had once to access the data. This data is a detailed file tracking fallen angels operating on the Material Plane. She also uncovers one hidden file embedded within this dataset called “Key2.r17.” Key2.r17 is an electronic key to unlock something on this complex’s main server. This key is incomplete and must be used in tandem with additional keys to properly function.
Finally, you uncover a gigantic and amorphous file labelled “ForLater.r17” that is far too large to download and is encrypted. This file can’t be opened at present, but the file description reads, “I am not wasteful. I saved them. Every last one of them is preserved forever.” Decrypting this file is within the Society’s capabilities, but it will take time and the attention of some very skilled programmers.
Raia hops on the keyboard with Bordle.
Four hands are better than two she says with a grin.
The two of them proceed to share several pieces of music with the bunnies including a classical piano sonata
As they rare leaving:
About those manacles, I think you'd need a smaller set for a halfling
Zantai can't resist the urge to dance, but the tea party takes long enough that he can overcome before the Starfinders move on. The door to the next area opens and, as before, shuts behind you once everyone is through.
Holographic abacuses adorn each table of the Abacus Café, a coffee shop that celebrates antique methods of calculation. Slide rules, drawing compasses, and mathematical symbols adorn the walls. Cheery red chairs are placed at precise and exacting intervals around each of the perfectly round tables. The inevitable clientele chatters amongst themselves, using the abacuses to bring up and order menu items. A fireplace in the south wall flickers with red flames.
"SIT. ENTER ORDER ON ABACUS."
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Bordlew loves numbers but isn't too good at higher mathematics so she became an accountant instead. She starts using the abacus to count positive integers, starting at zero, to see what menu items come up. If looking into alternate realities helps understand this, she'll do that too.
((How many beads on each string? That will tell Bordle what Base the numbers are in.))
At least accounting doesn't involve Calculus or even complex numbers. How could you have 'i' credits anyway?
The abacus appears to have circuitry and rare metals, but they have the familiar arrangement of five beads on one side and two on the other. You suspect the design is decorative only. It is currently in the position that shows 0.
After you use the abacus to order number fours, your square meals arrive. Each of you receives a perfectly square burger or veggie-burger, complete with square vegetable toppings (grown to the exact shape) and a square bun. Moments later, two inevitable delegates previously seated at another table approach. “I am Consensus-23. This is Skepticism-7. Are you here to initiate commerce?”
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Fascinating. Presumably the order number refers to the number of sides that the meal has
Yeah Raia replies I wonder what a Number One would look like. Or even a Number Zero. After all a circle could be regarded of having no sides or an infinate number of sides.
Or maybe the circle, could be counted as only having one side, after all, it does have a boundary. Oh. Commerce? Bordle replies as the Inevitables distract her from the Philosophy of Geometry. Oh yes. I believe we have some data you may find, interesting.
Maybe we should attempt to integrate a circle Raia pipes up.
When the abacus was set to zero, nothing was served to you. Whether this means that zero is not a valid order number or they actually served out a zero-sided meal is a debate for the philosophers.
Consensus-23, an old-fashioned robot made from brassy clockwork, responds, "It is my understanding that there is data you are interested in that we possess as well." Their diction is formal, perhaps even old-fashioned.
Skepticism-7, who looks similar to the sleek robots of the Pact Worlds, continues, "We do need to know more about the information you possess. Why should we trust it? How did you get it?"
Skepticism-7 will take the burger from Jasmine. "Hm... we know meat who eat plants, but you are not a plant who eats meats? They take a careful bite.
Consensus-23 responds, "The source of the data is germane to its utility. If its provenance cannot be verified, the data itself is suspect."