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You see a hobgoblin as awkward as ever, approaching. "Greetings, the name is Ainsley. What's this about pirates, you ask? I have not yet made travels yet to Triaxus so some background on threats and hazards would be nice. I'm from Absalom Station and most of my missions have been either there or on the Vesk planets. So not much variability so far."
Classically, Ainsley is a stormrunner precog, very dextrous, with a variety of skills but best in stealth, piloting and acrobatics.
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Hello everyone, I'm bright and sparkling Zoey! a female human with blond hair bows. The hair must, at some point earlier in the day, have been styled really well, but it is by now starting to look ever so slightly unkempt. She's wearing a bright red dress, which has some sort of tag attached to it that reads 'property of AdadarCorp Entertainment'
She waves to Ainsley Hellooo! Oh, oh, oh, the Vesk system. I know some Vesk! she says, and excitedly adds the most Akitonian-accented Vesk ever spoken Не стреляйте в блондинку!
Don't shoot the blondie!
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A rather grumpy and disheveled looking Celesta enters the room. She looks like she has just finished one mission and now starting on another. She is an aasimar mystic, wearing a silver holy sysmbol of Hylax, (picture on her profile) and moves with the grace of a dancer. She also mutters something about an entity called 'Datch'.
There'd better be tea available. Poshkettle I hope she growls a bit. Huh? Vesk? I speak Vesk. Я так понимаю ты блондинка
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да! Zoey answers affirmatively, then grabs her hair it's real, you know! People never think it is real, but it really is. It doesn't really improve the styling.
Poshkettle? I did audition for an ad one, but then Rani got it. She looked really cool in that commercial! Zoey does her best impression of the halfling drinking Poshkettle tea. The tea to relax you after a crisis...
The adventure begins on the Master of Stars, which is currently docked for repairs, with mechanics boarding and disembarking starships of various sizes, to fetch parts from a relatively organized stockpile of tools and supplies. A few engineers and officers supervise the mechanics as they move back and forth. Fitch stands amid one of the piles of tools, picking up and putting down pieces and comparing them to a datapad she holds in her hands
“Just one moment, Starfinders!” Fitch says, then beckons to one of her assistants. “rpItzil, tell the engineers that the pile of 16As needs a closer reinspection. I can’t put my finger on it, but you’re right, something’s off with this batch. Good catch—you should enroll in those engineering classes I was telling you about.”
“Thanks for waiting,” Fitch says, stepping away from the tools. “Glad to see you’re all in one piece, but you’re about the only ones. Half of these ships still haven’t recovered from the Drift Crisis—the whole thing seems like it was designed to give me more work than I know what to do with. Some good has come out of it, though. Giving these folks something to do other than think about what they lost, for one thing, but also these new Drift lanes popping up all over the place, connecting distant places and getting agents like you there faster, safer, and more directly.” She tilts her head in appraisal.
I’m asking Starfinders who can handle themselves to go out, explore these Drift lanes, and see what’s on the other side. The latest one is near Triaxus. A group of students calling themselves the Drift Lab are investigating it from orbit, but we need to see what’s on the other side. That’s where you come in, my brave and bold Starfinders,” she says with a wry grin. “Check this Drift lane out, find who or what is on the other side, and see if you can make us a few new friends.”
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Oh, wow. That will be cool, we'll just go out into space to an area we've never been before. Zoey says with excitements, Strange world, new life. Into the unknown! Into the unknoooo... Zoey twirls around with her arms wide, slapping a Ysoki with the 'property of abadarcorp entertainment' tab, but fortunately runs out of air before she can ruin anyone's ear drums.
When her excitement cools of, she asks So what's a drift lane?
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Celestia, who intends to get some much needed sleep on the trip to Triaxus, is currently trying to figure out if it is just the dress or Zoey as well, which is the property of Abadarcorp - although it doesn't seem likely that Abadarcorp is engaged in slavery. She's also using her datapad to try and find this Poshkettle Tea ad that this Rani person is in.
I presume this is why I was put on this mission she says to Fitch To open negotiations with those on the other side of this .... erm 'Drift Lane' It sounds like a path through the Drift that's easy to travel through, like those nature walk paths through Jatembe Park perhaps, at least that would be my best guess.
She grins to Zoey. And I believe it is "To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has ever gone before".
Fitch looks up at Zoey. “If I try to repeat the technical explanation I heard the other day, your head will hurt as much as mine did, but as far as I understand, they’re basically an express lane between parts of the galaxy that haven’t been connected before—a Wayfinders’ goldmine, if you ask me. If you want to know more about what that means when you’re flying through one, though, the Drift Lab on Triaxus is your best bet for info. They’re students, but apparently, they’ve been theorizing that this kind of thing could happen for years, so they’re the closest thing we have to experts right now.”
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Celestia, who intends to get some much needed sleep on the trip to Triaxus, is currently trying to figure out if it is just the dress or Zoey as well, which is the property of Abadarcorp - although it doesn't seem likely that Abadarcorp is engaged in slavery.
She grins to Zoey. And I believe it is "To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has ever gone before".
Ooh, that sounds really cool, auntie Celly!
Zoey listens to Fitch's with the right amount of ooh and aah reactions. My sister always says my head can't hurt, because there's nothing in it, she giggles.
I hope they work both ways! she says optimistically, and remarks to Celly that would save us so much travelling time!
She turns back to Fitch They are stable, right? I mean, they've appeared, obviously, but did any of them un-appeare yet? Did anything come out of one?
Zoey makes a mental note to ask the Drift Lab team. I bet they'll tell us to 'keep hands inside and remain seated at all times'.
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Ugh, Datch? Ugh, I don't want to hear that name. Ainsley mutters to Celly.
And making new friends? I don't mind. I'm not the best at it I'll admit, but I know that's what Starfinders do. I'll try my best Fitch. Anything else we need to be on the lookout for whilst we are out there? I've only heard of Triaxus and have not travelled there nor talked with anyone who has.
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Auntie Celly? Celestia exclaims, sounding slightly annoyed Bit too informal don't you think? She considers getting her tiefling partner to hack into the system to get access to Zoey's psychological profile - or get her hireling to do it, probably be less suspicious that way. Presumably they should work both ways if they are like a road although ... I wonder if there is a right and a left lane to avoid collisions. She starts looking a bit worried at that and also makes a mental note to talk to the Drift Lab team and get copies of the report for her tiefling pilot/technomancer partner.
Hands, feet, arms, legs, .... wings, tails ... yeah. And if I'm an auntie, does that make you my niece?
To Ainsley she just nods in agreement.
Ainsley knows that the Drift Crisis refers to the time period immediately following the Drift Crash, when the Drift failed. Many ships disappeared or were stranded, communications usually transmitted through the Drift went silent, and many Drift beacons shut down, disappeared, or exploded.
Frinke can determine that Drift travel eventually came back online after the Crash, but it wasn’t fully restored until recently, when it returned in something close to its former form—though not completely unchanged.
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Auntie Celly? Celestia exclaims, sounding slightly annoyed Bit too informal don't you think?
Oh, I'm sorry... Miss Celly Zoey says while avoiding eye contact.
Ah, the maticore is a Ship. I thought you were going to bring a pet on this adventure. I've never seen this type, it looks awesome. Zoey is elated to see the Manticore, thinking of the positive effect on the galaxy it must have already had.
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This is AbadarCorp Entertainment with an announcement. AbadarCorp Entertainment aims to bring the most high-valued, flawless entertainment in the galaxy. News has reached us of complaints of inappropriate behaviour of some of our trainees. AbadarCorp Entertainment regrets all such occurences. The trainee in question will reflect and return with a better image. Please continue to show lots of love to our trainees.
---AbadarCorp Entertainment (@ACETrainees)
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Celestia flashes Zoey a smile. No no ... I should apologize. That came out too harsh. I just came off one stressful mission and now I'm starting another. Plus my partner is now out of touch and I worry. You ... just caught me by surprise ... that's all. I promise, I am not usually this irritable.
I don't think I have ever heard of a Manticore class ship before. I've heard of the Manta Corps though
While she's talking she's bringing up Zoey's public social profile.
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Ah, the maticore is a Ship. I thought you were going to bring a pet on this adventure. I've never seen this type, it looks awesome. Zoey is elated to see the Manticore, thinking of the positive effect on the galaxy it must have already had.
I'm bringing both on this adventure. You'll love my hexoglin, just don't touch it towards the back, you may potentially get electrocuted, it can conduct/dissipate energy through water. But that's the adults only, this one is very young and is completely harmless.
I've been riding this thing for awhile. I usually take pilot or first mate position, I've been riding all sorts of different vehicles, and our hobgoblin crew, many of also which have joined the Society have used it in a few successful missions. We keep it well maintained, as it's a symbol of pride amongst those hobgoblins who also feel proud to be part of the Society.
They smile as they kneel down and pet their hexoglin.
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Celestia flashes Zoey a smile. No no ... I should apologize. That came out too harsh. I just came off one stressful mission and now I'm starting another. Plus my partner is now out of touch and I worry. You ... just caught me by surprise ... that's all. I promise, I am not usually this irritable.
Zoey gives her best, bright smile, the kind that tends to convince people it's all going to be fine.
Zoey's public profile consists of a couple of carefully curated photos with the 'AbadarCorp Entertainment' watermark. There's a series of Zoey promoting Cosmo sneakers (Where will the cosmos take you today?), a promo photo of her newest single 'Boop Beep Bot' and some older shots showing her in a Zero-G sword battle. There's also a special 'info' sheet that lists her age, size, personality type and special skills which include 'knowing vesk', 'cooking arabuk stew' and 'reciting pi backwards'.
When Zoey sees the small hexo... ooh, it's so fluffy! And looks at its eyes! Cyooo Zoey lets out some high-pitched squee that might not even be in some species' hearing range.
The Starfinders head for the Manticore and disembark for Triaxus. No sooner do you reach orbit than you receive three separate hails from the Drift Lab - one each from Hyyxzen (a dragonkin), Ferra (a rhyphorian), and Vaalaris (a half-elf). Each hail is identical: “Here for answers about the Drift lanes? Contact the Drift Lab for the latest.”
Zoey considers trying to make three calls at once, but eventually settles on replying to Hyyxzen.
“They returned our hail! I told you they’d respond immediately. No ferswigging fools here, I tell you!” says a young dragonkin, shuffling several papers on an overloaded desk.
“Of course, they returned the hail,” responds a ryphorian with goggles on her head and a notebook in her hands. “It’s SOP to make contact in a timely fashion, IIRC.”
“Still,” chimes in a third voice from behind a research station, “there are a thousand, thousand ways to go adrift in the space betwitxt intention and decision, don’t you think?” He gasps and stands, head peeking out from over the top of the station, revealing himself to be a half-elf. “Perhaps we should call this the Adrift Lab!”
They continue to argue about the name of their lab, seeming to have completely forgotten Zoey.
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Zoey sees these three nerds researchers are clearly enjoying their own conversation. When she is sidelined for too long, she just starts a song to grab their attention:
I must let you know -
A sign for you, a signal for you
No reaction shows
A sign for you, am I coming through?
I'm winking, I'm hinting
For all to be seen
It is all of no use
Am I at all on your screen?
Are you reading me clearly, seeing me clearly?
Over, over, over, over!
Showing a signal, sending a signal
Copy, copy, copy, copy!
Lima and Oskar, Viktor and static...
Can't you send me an Echo?
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Oh well done Celestia says to Zoey while sipping a cup of fruit flavoured Poshkettle tea. That was lovely. I can see why you're part of the Entertainment Corp.
She had indeed napped on the trip over and was now looking, and acting, more like her normal self. She waits until Zoey has grabbed their attention.
This is Celestia Sol. And now after that lovely rendition here from our Zoey could we please concentrate on the matter at hand. Yes .... Drift Lanes. Do you have any idea where this one goes?
The researchers listen to Zoey's song and start asking questions about her... before beginning to argue about the latest Out of the Nest festival acts.
Celly then draws their attention, and her question promptly starts a heated discussion of Drift Lane astrography that doesn't seem to answer her at all.
A few more rounds of trying to force them back on task finally results in getting clearance to dock. Once that is accomplished, they hurriedly rush you into the lab and make introductions before beginning what seems more like a lecture than a briefing.
Ferra begins, “You see, we’ve hit a bit of a snag in our research— we’ve done about all we can from out here, but none of us AFAIK have the proper aptitude with starship piloting to do much, well, in there. There being the Drift lane.” She sighs and continues, “And that’s why we broadcast our missive. We need you to go into the Drift lane and collect the data we can’t. Of course, you’ll be compensated for performing these research tasks. Oh, but perhaps we should explain what a Drift lane is.”
Vaalaris chimes in immediately to explain with a flourish, “A thing of beauty, reaching across the sky! A new stitch in the fabric of the Drift. A coming together of threads that would have been otherwise unconnected.”
Hyyxzen interrupts him, adding, “I don’t think they’re looking for klekkin poetry, Vaalaris.”
Ferra explains that she and her fellows each have a research task that they would like you to perform while in the Drift lane, but she’s quickly drowned out by Vaalaris and Hyyxzen loudly debating the merits of poetry in the sciences. Ferra suggests that you get them to focus, or they’ll be bickering all day.
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Aiisssh, ee shikki. Mee shin que sso a frustrated Zoey curses under her breath.
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This is a special message from AbadarCorp Entertainment. We have been receiving complaints of rude language by one of our trainees. We regret this incident and the trainee in question has been informed. She will reflect and return with a better image. Meanwhile, please continue to show our trainees lots of support!
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Zoey's official nickname is 'The space station's little sister' for her cute stage persona. Her unofficial nickname is 'The exploding radish', for well...
Zoey shouts, trying to get the three nerds student's attention, why are you acting like this? Am I a joke to you? Can't you be a little bit nicer? Her head turns completely bright red.
Before any radishes explode, the Starfinders manage to get the researchers back on task.
Vaalaris eventually explains, “Basically, Drift lanes connect two or more places in the universe through a stable path that is faster and safer for travel than navigating the Drift alone.”
Hyyxzen adds, “When we’ve got these things all mapped, it’s gonna be towls amazing.” They ask you to help them out by crossing from one side of the lane to the other to measure how wide it is.
Ferra resumes her explanations. “A fascinating area of study concerns exactly how the lanes work, and I believe the answer depends primarily on whether you are thinking from the inside out or outside in, so to speak. For those within them, Drift lanes chart a path that shifts through the planes, taking mere days each time.”
Vaalaris interrupts to add, “Like a dance across the fabric of the universe, always to the same beat.”
Ferra, annoyed by the interruption, clears her throat and continues, “In fact, we do not know if it is the ‘same beat,’ as we have not measured the planar energy within a Drift lane. Yet.” She asks to test the planar energies while you’re inside the Drift lane, giving you a device calibrated to do so.
Hyyxzen picks up from there. “Now, getting into a Drift lane is one of the sliffering easiest things to do. At least we think so. You just gotta be within the gravity well of a world, chart your course to a Drift lane, and fly your way in.”
Vaalaris adds, “From the musings others have drafted concerning other Drift lanes, I surmise the interior to be—” he clears his throat and begins reading from a handheld device, “—a tunnel cutting through the drift, its shifts too quick to trace, its walls a hazy shimmer in the endless dark of space. O, safe and steady forward path for those in your embrace… and well, that’s all I’ve got so far. Without a picture of what a Drift lane looks like from the inside, I’m having the hardest time finishing my ode.”
Vaalaris explains that, while the Drift lane may cut across the Drift and change position frequently, for those inside of one, it will generally be a smooth ride. Each lane has a barrier that is solid enough to prevent ships leaving the Drift lane accidentally, but will not prevent a vessel from pushing through the side into the rest of the Drift if it does so purposefully. This barrier has also prevented Vaalaris from getting a picture for his ode. He asks you to help, by realigning their systems for photography while in the Drift lane.
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Frinke ponders for a minute But, not only do planets move around the sun, but whole solar systems move around the galaxy. So two different solar systems would have to move at the same speed for drift lanes to be accurate. Otherwise drift lanes would have to move with it. Don't you people ever watch How the Universe works?
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So do you know what happens if two ships are going in opposite directions in a lane? Or do we have to abide by the keep left rule?
Actually I do Frinke but we're dealing with the Drift here I'm fairly sure the rules are different - although I have to ask Amy to explain all the technical bits
To Zoey with a grin. Is that why you're a Strawberry? Incidentally ... are you related to the members of Rainbow Sparkle Explosion? And I do not think selfies are necessary
Hyyxzen answers Thraega, "Nope, you're the first. We heard that Starfinders are great at exploring and reporting, and helped with the Drift problems before the lanes opened up, so figured you'd be grozzing perfect for this job!"
Vaalaris says to Frinke, "The Drift still seems to ignore our concept of location. 'While the threads of fate may move or change, we can sever them no more easily than...'"
Ferra interrupts, "...a skittermander can refuse to help, or somesuch. Take whatever precautions are needed. You're no good to us dead, and they'd probably take the cost of your ship out of our grant."
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Frinke ponders for a minute But, not only do planets move around the sun, but whole solar systems move around the galaxy. So two different solar systems would have to move at the same speed for drift lanes to be accurate. Otherwise drift lanes would have to move with it. Don't you people ever watch How the Universe works?
Magic, silly! Zoey giggles, because that's her explanation to pretty much everything.
To Zoey with a grin. Is that why you're a Strawberry? Incidentally ... are you related to the members of Rainbow Sparkle Explosion? And I do not think selfies are necessary
Because we are all called Strawberry? My sister is my only relative, though, and our name is really Strawberry! Zoey says, neither confirming nor denying she is part of Rainbow Sparkle Explosion. Didn't Vaalaris want a picture for his ode? Who does he want a picture of, then?
Must be icon syndrome to assume people want a picture of you.
Once you are ready to leave, the researchers give you the coordinates to the nearby Drift lane. You take your stations and can easily navigate to it from their position within the gravity well of Triaxus. It takes 1 minute for the ship’s Drift engine to activate, after which the ship enters the Drift on the Drift lane.
A tunnel opens ahead, its walls hazy and translucent but thick enough to seem almost solid, clearly marking the transition between the Drift lane and the area outside. The Drift lane stretches forward, curving slightly in the distance, leading to the unknown like a passageway of purple clouds.
You can now attempt the three tasks given to you by the researchers.
Crossing the Drift lane requires a Physical Science check. This check can be made untrained.
Testing the energies requires a Mysticism check. This check can be made untrained.
Realigning your systems for photography (of the drift lane, not Zoey) requires a Computers check.
Each character may make only one attempt at each check (either a primary check or an aid another).
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OK Celly replies. Just curious cause I sometimes dance to Rainbow Sparkle Explosion's music. And he wants pictures of the Drift phenomina, not someone standing in front of it. But that won't stop some people taking their own selfies I suppose she concludes with a wink.
♫ Dadadidi dadida... Zoey sings a line of the latest Rainbow Sparkle Explosion song
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Zoey tries to help with measuring the Drift Lane, but it's all to wobbly-wobbly for her. She's marginally better at taking pictures, but she keeps on insisting people be in the picture. Are you sure you don't want to be in it, Miss Celly? This light is really dramatic, if you can just get in the right angle...