|
The Society has dispatched you to a nameless and uninhabited shepherd moon orbiting Liavara in the Pact Worlds. So far, you haven’t received any instructions, apart from being told that you are in charge of important geological work and would receive further directions upon arrival. A chartered transport vessel takes you out to the moon, with a curmudgeonly vesk named Thresker (who also doesn’t know anything about your mission) piloting the vessel. At any attempt to engage in conversation, the old vesk merely grunts or just shrugs his shoulders that slope with age.
From the surface of the craggy, nameless moon, space stretches infinitely outward. The ship kicks dust into the thin atmosphere as it lands. Outside rests a pile of metal poles, clips, wires, and geological equipment in front of a small, shabby tent.
As if on cue, an icy wind cuts across the barren landscape, wresting a large notebook of papers out from under a tumbled mess of wires. Thresker watches it flutter away on the lunar wind. He shrugs at you, reenters the shuttle, and takes off without another word, leaving you to your mission.
|
Joining you on the shuttle is an android with a rather laid back air about them. They're wearing armor and have some rifles and other weapons that look like they are rarely used, unlike a utilitarian backpack nearly bursting at the seams with rock samples and other field gear. They would have first arrived holding a travel canteen of hot, freshly brewed, coffee-scented synthetic oil in one hand and a data pad in the other. A small ruby-red LED is housed in the android's forehead - right where one might expect to find the metaphysical "third eye" of mystic lore. Following closely behind the android is a harried-looking but sharply-dressed blonde graduate student in her late twenties.
Smiling to each of you upon your first meeting, the android puts the data pad away. "Ah, hello there! You can call me Al...2O3 - Planetary Geologist and Starfinder Mechanic, at your service." After a very brief pause and a gesture to the spacesuit-clad young woman walking just a bit behind them, "Oh, and this is Yang Xiao, my teaching assistant. She asked to come along on a field mission here or there. She can be a rather persuasive speaker, and so here we are!"
Once at our destination (with environmental seals active) Al excitedly digs in to the geological materials laid out before them!
|
Azzirm decides--after counting, and recounting the batteries he has-- to start the trip to this moon already suited up in his new power armor...though it does make him have to stay back inside the shuttles cargo hold. A massive, bear-like suit of power armor, the sensor suit antenna's seem to form the ears, and the muzzle of the 'bears' face being a modified filtered rebreather this massive suit is painted an emerald green and white...the colors that Azzirm always paints his armor. The huge cannon still on the left shoulder, and the modified assault rifle oh his right arm.
During the trip, Azzirm looks over both his armor, the equipment that they are being dropped off with, and thinking of all the other 'normal' missions he has been on....probably counting those on 1 finger on one hand....
The few times Azzirm makes trips into the passenger area--wearing his second skin armor--he nods and cheerfully talks to the people who he has been on missions with, and to the new ones he introduces himself. "Nice to meet you Al, names Azzirm, or Zir for short. A bit of a mechanic, specializing in armor, and weapons." Zir taps his cheek in thought for a moment, "Hmm....interesting designation. Did you assign yourself that, or did somebody else? If it was you, it...fits. If it was somebody else, they either were presentient, or had a weird sense of humor."
Getting the green light to move out the equipment and stuff, Zir uses the power armor's synthetic myomer muscles to move the bulky stuff around. Setting up the equipment as needed.
|
A large vesk in heavy armour sits broodingly on the shuttle to the moon.
While he does wear the traditional vesk heavy overplate - in this seasons battle scarred designs even... he is lacking the traditional flaming Doshio or other heavy weaponry. A couple of pistols are strapped to his armour, almost more as decoration than through any thoughts of actually using them.
As the team make introductions he offers his own.
"You may call me Compucast. Real names have power, and I don't share mine." he starts ominously.
As the team displays their technical skills he seems to loosen up a little. "At least you all seem to know what you are doing."
He nods to Zir eventually. "Nice rig." he admits, grudgingly. "I've been wondering about power armor for a while. Find it is worth the hassle?"
|
Not everyone would have been able to notice how and when Carlos arrived on this ship. Perhaps the shadows mysteriously thickened for a short time, or the light bulbs blinked treacherously, plunging the shuttle into darkness for a couple of seconds just before departure. And here he is.
A small figure in a strange pale yellow hoodie, under which something is writhing... tentacles? Yes, it seems that they are. Tentacles (and not one or two) where the legs should be, although it is almost not visible from under the long hoodie. He wears a mask on his face all the time, and the hood is up.
During the flight, he briefly removes his mask (before he does this, a chill runs down the backs of some of you, or you even want to scream in horror for a second, as if sensing the approach of unimaginable horror). But instead of horror from the depths of the dark tapestry, you see Carlos's haggard face. Or what's left of him. The eyes are completely empty and inanimate, the skin is pale, dead, repulsive, there is no more hair (even eyebrows and eyelashes). He looks at you with the same blank look, in which there is not a hint of sympathy.
He did it in order to show you who he is. To those who knew him before. He doesn't say hello, he doesn't nod, nothing. Just silently holds the mask in his hand for a few seconds and puts it back in place.
Arriving at the place, he screws the silencer to his sniper rifle and picks it up. He knows why he's here. He doesn't know, but he does. He is never invited for any other purpose than this.
|
|
The streetwise-looking Ysoki takes in the scene, clearly reading the room and taking mental notes. He then greets Compucast and Al, handing over some business cards "Name's Roquefort..." the ysoki extends a paw to shake in greeting "Psychic Detective" he offers with a smile "If things go bump in the night with no clear cause, or if you want to know if your partner has run off with either the pizza guy or a forbidden cult of Urgathoa, give me a call" he takes in the equipment the two Agents are wearing - "Always happy to have a few new faces around, we can only rehash the same old stories to each other to stave off the boredom of long flights before we run out of things to say. Compucast? Sure that's an easy name to pronounce - True Names do have power, especially when they are on the Stewards database listed as 'most wanted' eh? And we can always use another mechanic Al, I have to say every mission has us repairing this or that or being stuck where practical skills have come in handy"
He gives Azzirm a knowing nod, and pauses momentarily before a broad smile cracks his face as he picks up the steady and slow heartbeat of his other shadowy companion "...Carlos"
***
Roquefort doesn't recoil in horror from Carlos's transformation, as Roquefort has also seen what is 'behind the curtain' of the tapestry too many times and completely understands where his friend is at. It hits different to different people.
***
Roquefort keeps watch as his friends set up the equipment.
"What, no brief?"
"What sort of equipment is that anyway? What is it designed to look for? That might be a start. Maybe this is a test?"
|
|
"He nods to Zir eventually. "Nice rig." he admits, grudgingly. "I've been wondering about power armor for a while. Find it is worth the hassle?""
Azzirm shrugs, "For me, it is a lot of tinkering. Taking old suits I had, buying new ones, and doing a 'kit bash' of them. Keep on tinkering as I can. Biggest Issue is power supply. It doesn't matter how good your environmentals are...if your suit has zero power, so does the environmentals. Backup generator to charge batteries from your movement is a must. IF I think about going for one of those 'dwaven' behemoths....shesh, they must eat batteries like you or I would eat sushi....by the handful!" Azzirm smirks a little.
"Honestly, unless you REALLY feel it is needed, I would think on keeping in Heavy armor. Especially if you are already super strong....I know a dwarf that would likely break the servos and myomer of this beast in an arm-wrestling match...."
*******
Zir see's what Carlos....has ??'become'?? and doesn't flinch. Fleshwarping and demonic grafting is something he saw in the pits of Apostae, and while Zir might not know exactly what has happened to Carlos, he can sympathize, and do his best to still be there for him.
********
"Geologic survey and analysis equipment Roquefort. I am not 100% certain on all the stuff exactly...I do see a mass spectrophotometer...probably for analysis of samples. And a micro AA...possibly for metals. The rest, well....my guess is that is why Al-2O3 was sent. This all looks like stuff that falls in their expertise."
|
|
Al seems pretty excited to be dealing with geological survey equipment, and even though he doesn’t need any help, the job takes mere minutes with Azzirm planting sampler rigs in the dusty soil and Compucast handling the micro AA calibration. Just as the team seems ready to start analyzing … whatever it is they’re supposed to be analyzing here, the distinctive humming of an approaching spacecraft echoes louder and louder across the emptiness of the rocky, barren moon. The craft lands nearby with an aggressive thud, and the L1 crew entry door opens to reveal First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo, who surveys the scene with a discerning gaze. She gives an approving nod, and Celita, faction leader of the Dataphiles, emerges from the vessel. She too looks over what you’ve done with the gear and nods before speaking.
“Greetings, Starfinders,” Celita begins as she hastily descends to stand before you, “First Seeker Elsebo and I have selected you for a delicate and dangerous mission. You may well be wondering why we have transported you here on what appears to be such an odd mission.” She pauses to smile sympathetically at Al 203 specifically. ”The answer is that secrecy is of utmost importance to your true mission, and this is one of the few safe places for us to speak.
“The very core of the Lorespire Complex has been compromised. Someone has hacked into Guidance, gaining surveillance throughout the building and spying on our every move and every comm. After a great deal of research and observation, I have learned enough about this system-wide infection to formulate an antivirus.”
Celita pauses, giving Luwazi time to interject, “Celita has put together a datapad that contains a sophisticated virus purge for the infected systems. Unfortunately, the only way to administer the purge is to attach the datapad directly to Guidance’s servers.
“Since the security systems are compromised, we can’t just walk into the server rooms without alerting whoever hacked the system. So, we need you to break into the Lorespire Complex using some rarely used maintenance tunnels, allowing you to reach the server rooms undetected. Almost certainly you will be met with resistance by our infiltrator. To minimize their knowledge of your mission, and thus contribute to its success, it’s vital that you maintain secrecy. You may have to confront other Starfinders who know nothing of your mission. Avoid lethal force at all costs, and tell no one of your mission, even other Starfinders. If any messages of your whereabouts enter our communication systems, Guidance, and thus the infiltrator, could learn of your mission.”
Celita interjects, “We have delayed you long enough. Take this datapad and return to Absalom Station in the other shuttle that we’ve brought for you. If you need supplies, get them from locations away from the Lorespire Complex. Then, make your way with all haste to the tunnels. The safety of the Starfinder Society depends upon you.” Celita hands you the datapad and a physical map indicating the entrance to the tunnels and several additional paths for you to follow. The women pause as if waiting for your questions, but their body language strongly suggests that they wish to get moving as soon as possible.
|
|
Prove that this is true. Carlos's voice sounds quiet, dull and indifferent, and seems to come from far away. Perhaps you yourself are not acting in the interests of Society, but against it. With the same probability that the Guidance is hacked, you can also be... infected. Magic, possession, mind invasion... - pause - ...or the common betrayal. He does not yet point a weapon at them, but the atmosphere in a space where there is no atmosphere begins to heat up rapidly.
|
|
"Do you have details of the security systems for these tunnels?" asks Compucast. "Assuming you manage to convince us with your answers to Carlos's question. Also why would knowledge of our whereabouts cause an issue? Surely as Starfinders we would be expected in the Lorespire complex? Or do you mean just after we enter the tunnels."
He pauses. "It would be also useful to have a codeword, or similar, so that if we were to get communications from you, we would know it was genuinely from you."
|
Untill very end of breifing you thought that Spellcaster aegis standing inside is just an equipment.
Spellcaster Aegis - powered armor is a reinforced frame with sunburst patterns that shift and spin, this armor projects holographic runes in the air around you as you move.
After few hours abroad powered armor finally got out a kish in a simple Second skin . Upon clothes are stone rosaries and beads from used objects and bones, vials with liquids on threads...
Kish 2 legs have a different anatomy from humanoids. The kish covers his bald head and face-muzzle with a mask, though clearly has 3 eyes. Central (forehead) eye is mostly brigth.
-Call me Back'Up. I will be your guide through stars and mystic matters. I am a specialist regarding interstellar empires as Siv, Azlanti and maybe Jinsul. I abbandoned space island Istamak to reach stars and develop. I am the light, Carlos is the darkness - this is our way after... hm, lets say we are in conclusion where shadows and dreams remain.
If you ever saw other kish persons you likely notice Backup is pretty low.
Kish greats Carlos with warmth and also walks around Azzirm powered armor as if it was some short ritual.
-BackUp generator you say? I've got one too. Yes, two, not one. Another is my inner biological battery. Even he has one likely ...
Back'up turns and gazes at the android and his third eye with interest from different perspective but seems like he does not ready to communicate with the android yet.
I hope this one will survive.
Shaman winks to Roquefront, he likes the way this little smart guy talkig while shaman has no idea how to interfere...
After respect delay Backup approaches Compucast
- A see anoter tech specialis, right? I've heard about you from my fellow officer Joe Bread, he mentioned you are a tough one.
Back'Up is not a tech-oriented guy tough.
|
|
"All vesk are tough. Those that survive anyway." acknowledges Compucast.
"My.. specialty.. is with the blend of computers and magic." he agrees.
"Give me a computer, and I'll get the best out of it. Counter measures should not be a problem."
Hruph, 'pride comes before the fall' is just an excuse for false humility
|
|
**While on the shuttle here**
Having seeing Back'up's armor previously, and realizing that they might not want to have personal discussions with others, Zir just makes certain that their Aegis armor is well stabilized and not in anybody's way on the shuttle.
*******
Hearing Carlos almost accuse the two ladies of being either compromised or even spies. While initially this might have startled some people, Azzirm listens to Carlos and appraises the 2 leaders.
He also runs a quick thermo and auditory comparison vs Zir's last meeting with each.
Seeing what he gets, he mentally shrugs....paranoia is important in the field,...especially when talking about already being compromised.
"I can hack most computer systems at range without any major issues...so hopefully with these schematics, things like that shouldn't matter to much."
"Besides likely automated security measures like turrets and such. What kind of offensive issues we might run into? Also...any idea on who could hack Guidance...I would have initially thought it impossible to actually hack them...disrupt and maybe destroy yeah...but hack?"
|
|
Prove that this is true. Carlos's voice sounds quiet, dull and indifferent, and seems to come from far away. Perhaps you yourself are not acting in the interests of Society, but against it. With the same probability that the Guidance is hacked, you can also be... infected. Magic, possession, mind invasion... - pause - ...or the common betrayal. He does not yet point a weapon at them, but the atmosphere in a space where there is no atmosphere begins to heat up rapidly.
Luwazi immediately bristles at the implication, but Celita quickly reaches out to touch the First Seeker’s arm. ”A fair point, Carlos. Your insights are one of the reasons we consider you - and this whole team, to be frank - some of our best agents. But to your point, I would show you the raw data that led me to this conclusion, but we really don’t have time for you to analyze it all, and I’m not willing to transfer it electronically.”
”Carlos,” Luwazi finally snaps in irritation, ”perhaps you have some magical means of determining whether to trust us, or whether taking on this mission is truly in the Society’s best interests?” she challenges the masked halfling back. But before he can reply, Compucast and the others jump in.
"Do you have details of the security systems for these tunnels?" asks Compucast.
The First Seeker takes a deep breath and turns away from Carlos to address the vesk. As she does so, she pulls a tube of rolled paper blueprints from her satchel. “The tunnels beneath the complex are ancient and mazelike, but we have acquired some physical blueprints thanks to Forum member Royo’s meticulous research; he has quite the knack for finding physical schematics. According to these blueprints, Waste Chute II, a unused pneumatic tube for waste disposal, can transport you into the waste storage and recycling rooms. From there, you need to access Waste Chute IV, which passes the Perplexity training grounds and leads up into the cells of the Adamantine Prison—a holding site in the Lorespire Complex. Once there, you’ll need to find your way into the maintenance tunnels beneath the cells and access a maintenance-drone station. The tunnels connecting the maintenance stations should come out close to a secondary server linked directly to Guidance. Find Guidance’s hologram terminal on the server, and attach the datapad into it.”
"It would be also useful to have a codeword, or similar, so that if we were to get communications from you, we would know it was genuinely from you."
”A good suggestion; one I hadn’t considered. I’ll leave the choice of the authentication phrase to you,” she says looking meaningfully to Carlos.
”Also why would knowledge of our whereabouts cause an issue? Surely as Starfinders we would be expected in the Lorespire complex? Or do you mean just after we enter the tunnels."
"Besides likely automated security measures like turrets and such. What kind of offensive issues we might run into? Also...any idea on who could hack Guidance...I would have initially thought it impossible to actually hack them...disrupt and maybe destroy yeah...but hack?"
”Because you’re not there. You all are out here doing geological survey work. And we” she gestures at the two leaders, but also includes your team, ”can’t just walk into the server room without alerting our suspect....”
She pauses and looks to Celita who nods in silent assent before picking up the briefing. ”We think it’s Datch. Of course, as good as she is, there’s absolutely no way for us to be certain of that from the data, but given everything that seems to center on her, she’s the strongest suspect. She’s had time to prepare for this, and we know she likes to have layers upon layers of contingency plans, so she may well have left physical traps, magical ones, or even lies and rumors that wouldn’t kick in until something else happens. Who knows,” she finishes with a resigned shrug.
”Suffice to say, you’re our best - and only - hope at this point.”
|
|
"The Adamantine prison..." says Computcast slowly... "Will have a number of guardians and security devices of its own. And our best route takes us through it?" he blinks slowly at the First Seeker.
"We might need to know about them as well."
He however also nods toward Carlos adding "Agreed about our security protocol."
|
|
-Hopefully there will be enough space even for me and Azzirm in chute and other narrow spaces. I've been to Lorespire Comple[ but due to circumastances feels like know nothing about it. Otherwise mission sounds clear. Are there any actions or psychicological pressure Guidance may throw at us as soon as our intentions become noticable for them?
Back'Up tinks for a wile about mission. Much better than fight jinsuls. But responsibility and mistery behind are huge.
-Anybody knows something prvokable about Iteration with numbers in name? Just wild theory...
|
|
Luwazi seems mollified by Carlos’ answer, and even smiles when Roquefort sings the ysoki childrens’ song. ”I’ve heard Fitch’s grandkids sing that and never really thought about the meaning. How about ‘twitchy nose’ as an authentication phrase?”
Celita smiles tightly. ”That’s fine, but this mission requires total comms silence. Don’t try to contact us overtly. Guidance can’t know that you’re coming.”
"The Adamantine prison..." says Computcast slowly... "Will have a number of guardians and security devices of its own. And our best route takes us through it?" he blinks slowly at the First Seeker.
"We might need to know about them as well."
Luwazi addresses the vesk’s astute concern. ”Most everyone knows that the the central cells of the Prison contain heavy protection, but there’s also an outer - and less well known - zone of the Adamantine Prison that has significantly less security. These ‘cells’ house guests who require a private and secure location to lay low or hide from enemies. The Society sometimes offers this service to special allies in dire need of remaining hidden from the rest of the galaxy. Your route only goes through those outer cells, so there’s little to no security as the guests are free to come and go.”
-Hopefully there will be enough space even for me and Azzirm in chute and other narrow spaces. I've been to Lorespire Comple[ but due to circumastances feels like know nothing about it. Otherwise mission sounds clear. Are there any actions or psychicological pressure Guidance may throw at us as soon as our intentions become noticable for them?
”The blueprints indicate that most of the tunnels are indeed large enough for powered armor,” Celita answers that question before pausing in thought. ”I can’t think of anything specific that Guidance could do. It doesn’t have a physical form, so if it manifests, it’ll be as a hard-light hologram. If there’s nothing else, we really need to get going.”
The First Seeker and Faction Leader wish you luck. As they board their ship to leave, they lower a cargo hatch revealing a smaller intra-system shuttle devoid of any markings, but replete with stealth tech coatings and passive signal scramblers.
The journey back to Absalom Station takes days in the loaned shuttle. Once ready, you follow the blueprint map which leads to a sewer-access panel in a back alley of Absalom Station roughly 30 minutes away from the Lorespire Complex. A ladder leads down over 50 feet into maintenance tunnels which wind deeper and deeper beneath the station, becoming difficult to navigate without the aid of Royo’s physical maps. After roughly 20 minutes of walking, you reach the pneumatic tube that you’re looking for. Marked “Waste Chute II,” this tube has obviously not seen use in decades, and the hatch is rusted shut. It takes Azzirm, Compucast, and Al only a minute to release the hatch to the chute beyond.
The tube is big enough that the powered armor team members can easily fit inside. Though disused the system still appears operable and whisks you away.
|
|
***Flashback to minutes before***
"Compucast, you're the IT specialist - at least I hope so it's in your name - you take the data pad. Can you check it to see if there is a way we can back it up or share the anti-virus? I like redundancy, two is one, one is none"
"These blueprints, we should probably take at least a photo and write out our planned course in case we become separated - it just takes one surge of wastewater and someone goes down the drain to end up in the toilet at Mumma Fats Momo Bodego in the Downlow"
|
|
I'm not done... I won't invade your mind. Instead, I'll connect your mind to ours. We will be able to communicate telepathically at any distance absolutely instantly. Our whole team and you, the First Seeker.
After that, he will touch each of you (who agrees, of course) with his small hand.
I can go scouting. Carlos keeps the space under control by looking through the scope of a sniper rifle.
|
|
Azzirm will assist Compucast on trying to find a way to back up the datapad...at least hopefully the program to help Guidance. If they can, he will save it too his computer that is part of his custom rig.
Agreeing with Roguefort, Azzirm does his best to get all the photos he can of the blueprints...wishing that he had a way to install a scan/copier into the power armor...maybe one day.
Shrugging, Azzirm looks to Carlos and nods. " Sure. I am almost certain that once we get into the Lorespire, all radio frequency communications will be likely be able to be picked up by Guidance. So having a way to talk to each other makes without radio frequencies makes sense.
Looking at Carlos...and thinking on a few missions with him...and then thinking on where they will be going, Azzirm doesn't install the brightlight projector into the armor...figuring that Carlos will want the shadows. Honestly, Azzirm has watched bad holo-vids of waste chutes having drops in them--usually into compactors with maybe otyughs or some other monster in them. So having the Descent thrusters should help.
|
|
Back'Up is fine about invading mind from Carlos. THats already well served way of communications and might mbe handy for silence and community mind espertise.
After making a digital copy to Azzirm, Backup likely take actuall blueprint and if it is not magical or high technological piece of paper - just store original in the Null-Space chamber.
---
As far as team gets to pneumatic tube, Backup becomes visibly concentrated. Solar symbols upon Spellcaster aegis starts moving in a fascination way.
-Sure, you should go first, thats proper tactics.
- the kish agrees with Carlos plan and cover tech specialists especially one who took missional datapad.
|
|
Team Twitchy Nose, Stand Down! Luwazi's voice comes into your heads. I need AL 203 for a different mission. Something only he can do. She then speaks directly to the android about his new assignment before addressing the rest of you again.
Wait there. I'm sending a replacement named Azara Thenason. I've given him directions to your location, informed him of the authentication phrase we agreed to, and fully briefed him. Once he's on-site, you may proceed.
|
|
A confident lashunta in carbon skin armor with runeplates covered in flaming runes approaches. A stellar mote revolves slowly between his antennae.
People who follow such things may recognize him as Azara Thenason, famous Castrovellian Epic Poet.
"Twitchy nose," he says in a stage whisper to each of the team members, looking around furtively as he does so.
I know what we need to do, but what's the plan?"
|
|
"Sneak through some old service tunnels, find a supercomputer, do a bit of sneaky uploading, and hope the world doesn't come crashing down around our ears - well that's the abridged version. We have some schematics that might make it a bit clearer..."
Roquefort goes over the schematics with Azara.
"You're a well-known face and public identity, if we find ourselves doing any talking then our story is that we're down here helping you find your inspiration for some fresh poetry, we can just put everything down to you being an eccentric poet and we're here as different subject matter experts to help you ensure accuracy. If that doesn't work then Carlos will probably do it his way. This way is probably a lot nicer though"
|
|
A confident lashunta in carbon skin armor with runeplates covered in flaming runes approaches. A stellar mote revolves slowly between his antennae.
I know what we need to do, but what's the plan?"
Large powered Spellcaster Aegis covered with solar symbols stars projects holographic runes and stars as he moves.
- I am trilled now, probably owr mission will appear in Chronicles or other letterish material later, right, Azara? Roquefron is rediculusly correct otherwise. And I believe in Carlos although prefer to stay further. Shadows need some light to appear.
|
|
Azara looks at the schematics and strokes his chin thoughtfully. When suggestion of their cover comes up, he smiles a smile that suggests why his face is on the cover of all his volumes of poetry and why his largest fan base is ladies.
"Back'up is right, Roquefort. Does it count as a story when it's true? This is definitely going in my next work and you guys are all experts on subjects I don't know.
"I like your theme, by the way," he says, gesturing to the solar symbols and his own stellar mote.
"Friend of the son of the sun
Back'up in Aegis
Enemies have no fortune."
|
|
"It seems our level of computer and engineering expertise has been dropped by a little. Compucast you really should be the one carrying the datapad, and my rig has the backup of it. Roguefort....I hope you don't have to worry about where those blueprints were....and even then...YOU will be the one explaining to Royo why any saliva gets on them. But it is a good place to store them."
Zir sees Al being recalled...and a new face popping in. If he hadn't been in the contact with Carlos and Luwazi he would have been confused...as he is...he really wonders what mission Al was needed for.
Shrugging he nods to the new person "Roguefort did a nice recap. Get either Computcast or myself to the supercomputer and load it in. Maybe Roguefort if we can do it nice and sneakily....though I can do decent in sneaking even in this thing. Nice to see another person who can help with combat and with talking."
|
|
After carefully preparing backup copies of the maps and data files, bidding farewell to AL 203 and welcoming Azara, the team enters the Waste Chutes and the garbage processing systems beyond. Shortly the Starfinders find a huge room, where the putrescent smell of garbage fills the air despite countless filtration systems. Four large chutes hang from the ceiling, each sealed shut with a metallic hatch. Beneath each of the four chutes stand enormous mounds of garbage, each dozens of feet high. The piles gradually descend, creating a small valley in the center of the room between the trash mounds. The only source of light in this vast room is a large crucible to the west, filled with molten plasma that illuminates the room with red light.
According to the map, this area should be a short stop to transit to another Waste Chute. You simply need to access the computer panel on the southern wall (marked on your map with a white X) to manually open Waste Chute IV. This will cause a stepladder to descend from the chute above the southwestern garbage pile, allowing you to reenter the tubes and find your way to the next objective.
Four mounds of trash are heaped up, one beneath each of the chutes. Each mound is 30 feet high at its peak. The ceiling of the room is 50 feet high. The trash mounds are difficult terrain. Only a thin layer of trash covers the ground outside of the mounds, so these regions are normal terrain. Creatures with a burrow speed could easily tunnel through the trash mounds, if they were so inclined.
There’s also a metal cable which descends 10 feet from the ceiling, suspending a 10-foot-wide circular polymer magnet (similar to the electromagnets commonly seen in junkyards) above the garbage. The magnet appears set up to move on a circular track, picking up waste from around the room and dropping it into the plasma crucible at the western end of the room.
Scouting ahead, Carlos sights in his sniper rifle and spots movement in the space between the western piles. They look like rats - or perhaps prehistoric ysoki - standing upright but are clearly more feral and animalistic than any ysoki Carlos has ever seen.
The rest of the team drops down heeding Carlos’ warning about the Rodents of Unusual Size. But the one with a Red collar on catches your entry from the corner of its beady eyes and burrows into the garbage pile, only to burst out at Azzirm’s feet and try to bite him!
Not only does it succeed, but it sinks its fangs deeply into a joint in the power armor, latching on.
BOLD may act!
Map: Garbage+ROUS'=Ewwwww!
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Difficult Terrain on the garbage
Red Ratspawn
Back’Up
Roquefort
Blue Ratspawn
Azara
Azzirm
Carlos
Compucast
|
|
Roquefort gets down to the main floor and pops the Red ratspawn with his pistol. The floor between the piles is covered in a thin layer of garbage, but not enough to impede movement.
Compucast takes a brief moment to study the magnet. It’s currently located above the northwestern pile and appears to run on a track along the ceiling, though it hasn’t moved yet. There are lock-points marking where it stops above each pile The magnet itself is 10 feet across and hangs 10 feet above the piles. A quick look around tells Compucast that it can most likely be controlled from the same computer in the southwest corner that controls the ladders. The track limits the magnet’s movement, so although it could be used to drop whatever it’s holding, the ratspwan would need to be right under a lock-point for it to be an effective tactic. It looks like it collects just the most valuable metals, polymers, and carbon materials from each pile in turn and then drops those into the crucible to be melted down and recycled. Without any reference though, it’s impossible to guess whether it will head towards you or towards the crucible next, nor when.
Back’Up gasps as he recognizes these foul creatures as near legendary “Ratspawn of Lao Shu Po!”
According to legend, long ago Lao Shu Po was simply a rat, skulking in the shadows. However, after gnawing on the corpse of a dead god, She absorbed some of the deity’s divine power and became a goddess Herself. On occasion, Lao Shu Po bestows Her favor on ordinary rats, granting them the ability to grow in power with each corpse they feast upon. In time, these rats grow to enormous size and become ratspawn of Lao Shu Po, horrendously oversized rats that mockingly stand upright like a humanoid. Cultists and assassins of Lao Shu Po often keep these creatures as guardians or pets, using them for their potent poison-cultivating abilities and as guards.
And speaking of poison abilities, they are indeed immune to poisons as a result of their ability to synthesize poisons within their bodies and then spit them at significant range. They also mimic Lao Shu Po in that if they consume a corpse, they are granted the ability to grow into Huge monstrous rats! And who knows how many corpses they’ve eaten recently?
They are not intelligent nor any more territorial than any other animal - kind of like big, poison-spitting, corpse-eating, Hulk-sizing junk-yard dogs.
The other ratspawn moves easily trough the adjacent trash pile, pops out into the valley, and spits at the target that came down into its domain - Roquefort.
The glob of poisoned spittle eats through the Detective’s armor, and he feels the burn of a contact poison invading his bloodstream.
BOLD may act!
Map: Garbage+ROUS’=Ewwwww!
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Difficult Terrain on the garbage
Red Ratspawn
Roquefort
Blue Ratspawn
Back’Up
Azara
Azzirm
Carlos
Compucast
|
|
When enemies appear and one latches on to Zir, Azara rushes in to assist the glittery looking boy.
He pulls down his stellar mote and it reshapes into an ankh shaped blade that he holds by the loop and slashes the stem at the rat.
The song of the stars courses and choruses through him now that he's on the edge of life and death.
"In the bowels of Absalom
Enemies appear
Siblings of our opponent."
|
|
While the red collard ratspawn bites into the armor...the armor does give it a bit of an electrical kiss back.
Biting back the words to quip at the rat spawn....Carlos has an EXCELLENT observation that they should stay true radio silent, even verbally....Azzirm looks down at the rat that has bit into the leg armor joint....and punches down towards the muzzle that has fastened itself to his brand new armor...
Then he aligned the armor's defense against the red collared one...
|
|
As the ratspawn’s fur singes a bit from Azzirm’s armor feedback, Azara rushes in, attunes to the distant sun and slashes the ratspawn, just barely hitting.
Compucast realizes he’s got to get to the control computer, buffs his team and strides across the air.
Back’Up reverses the spell that Compucast used and applies it to the ratspawn,
He easily overcomes their weak minds, and the ratspawn are Slowed!
Azzirm punches down at the ROUS clamped onto his leg, he can’t quite get his balance with the thing attached to him, and his punch misses as the rat dodges at the last second.
Red is very happy with the haunch of half-orc it’s chewing on, and tries to keep gnawing on it.
But as it shifts its bite, it mistakenly chomps down on a piece of duralium-reinforced plating, breaking a tooth and releasing Azzirm from its grip!
Carlos fires at Blue but misses by a rat’s whisker before hiding again.
Compucast is the first to notice the magnet moving, and it’s heading right towards his allies! It only takes a few seconds to reposition, and then a pulse of energy sweeps across everyone except the Vesk. The Starfinders find all of their gear and even their armor being drawn inexorably toward the magnet.
Roquefort may act!
Map: Garbage+ROUS’=Ewwwww!
Active Conditions: Haste
Environmental Conditions: Difficult Terrain on the garbage, Magnet Pulling!
Red Ratspawn
Roquefort
Blue Ratspawn
Back’Up
Azara
Azzirm
Carlos
Compucast
The Magnet