As easily as they rose from their... containment, they returned. They closed the box that seemed much like a display case than anything else, and resumed their wait in silence as the crate is closed up again. The manner of getting the crate to the station is still undecided, though it could be stowed on your docked ship until there is something you can do. There's enough space for that, if you were inclined.
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Sparks inspects the closed crate, evaluating whether the occupant could break out if she chose to try. "If she is confined to this crate, we can leave it here or in our ship until the end of the mission. I don't want her interfering if she has any interest in sabotaging our mission. Seems unlikely but..."
"I doubt that they would have any reason to interfere. We can wait until we are done with our investigation to transport the crate," 15-0-10 states. "Let us continue on."
Dirk Gently is seen wrapping duct tape around and around and around and around and around and around the freaky crate...
Once out of duct tape he sighs.
I only brought one roll....
There are a few more sections of this ship left to explore. Let's check them out. Assuming no more monsters or undead passengers in shipping crates, we can rest up and tackle the Drift Rock after getting some sleep.
Dirk Gently slowly begins to fall in line beside Sparks.
Dramatic events are rarely repeated so soon ...
The Solarian seems to be unconvinced of his theory....
"Perhaps not a repeat but a rhyme?" 15-0-10 suggests in a sing-song kind of voice.
The port side of the unexplored hallways of the ship were crew cabins, placed close enough to the bridge for ease of access, not that enough movement could see the entire ship crossed quickly in the case of an emergency. The first door is access to a fifteen by fifteen-foot square space that was efficiently used. Two sets of bunk beds are solidly bolted to the walls, their frames scuffed from years of use, but well-kept. Small storage nets clipped to the rails hold small miscellanea of personal items.
The second door does not open on command, and a cursory examination seems to suggest that it has been barricaded from the inside. The system on the bridge registered no identity beacons present when it was checked prior, and in fact, it still does not.
15-0-10 examines the door to see how possible it is to open.
"It seems unlikely that there is a survivor, but we would be derelict in our duties and our morals if we did not check. Perhaps a knock first?"
Sparks steps back a few feet, drawing his pistol, watching for trouble.
Dirk Gently slowly begins to straighten up his attire, absently taking a swill of minty mouthwash and proceeds to politely knock on the barricaded from the inside probably not a monster then door....
A close examination of the door leaves you little to work with. It has been well braced on the other end, and comparing the door from the crew quarters adjacent, the simplest option is to break it to get access.
15-0-10 knocks at the door and calls out, going for a warm but authoritative tone, "Is anyone still alive in there?"
Assuming there's no response it waves a manipulator tentacle at the rest of the group. "Does any of you have a good weapon for breaking through this door? Mine are not."
"There is probably a blow torch in this ship for repairs and such. Let's locate that if we can. I do have an assault hammer."
He takes a few hard whacks at the door with his hammer, to see what happens.
Dirk examines the door. The Espionage Specialist walks over to the computer console, searching for the ship schematics.
Let's see about vents.
Meanwhile, Sparks goes back to the already explored cargo areas and looks for a blow torch.
Some cursory examination, a bit of comparison, and a couple of test whacks with a weapon lead you to the conclusion that accessing this door from the outside would mean breaking it down. That said, a certain detective does determine that a ductwork derived solution from a small creature could at least in theory navigate to the room with a bit of squeezing and creative contorting. Said solution seems a certainly serpentine one, shame the party stands at sans.
15-0-10 considers the schematics Dirk pulled up. "I could infiltrate via that vent." Is it... actually deliberately adding a radio static effect to its voice to make it sound like a secret agent from an old holovid? "Clear the blockage. See if there's someone on the other side."
Dirk gives 15-0-10 a jolly thumbs up!
Excellent suggestion my good... friend. Something caught in your mouth?
The Espionage Specialist begins testing com units.
An excited Dirindi begins rummaging through his pack!
Work perks!
He pulls out...
Sanjaval Recon Drone (Level 1, 100cr)** – A **silent micro-drone** upgraded with:
* **Magnetic tracking beacon** *(Attaches to vehicles or metal surfaces.)*
* **Lightning dispersion plating** *(Safe from Dirindi static surges.)*
* **Passive flight mode** *(Hovers and observes for 15 minutes.)*
Dirk smiles.
15-0-10 tilts its head, switching its voice back to a more 'normal' tone. "It lacks manipulator appendages, which will be necessary for some of this route. I will go."
Dirk absently places the surveillance drone into 15-0-10's pocket.
I was inferring that you use it once egress is achieved into the chamber.
"For what purpose? It should not be large enough to require much reconnaissance," 15-0-10 says in its more robotic tones. "But I will use it should it seem useful, thank you."
While acquiring schematics is neither difficult, nor access into the ventilation anything approaching prohibitive, it does take a little time before 15-0-10 reaches the ventilation over the barricaded room and is able to make out a pair of goblins in the room. The both of them are a bit wan in color, though they definitely are on edge, having heard something in the vents and outside the door. The hand lasers that they are holding seem to be held together with little more than some scavenged duct tape, a judicious use of glue, and good fortune.
15-0-10 messages its companions. Two goblins present in the room. Likely hiding from the creatures we slew. I will attempt contact.
It backs up slightly from the ventilation grill--no reason to be somewhere they can see it to shoot it if they're as jumpy as they seem--and calls out in its most robotic voice. "Attention goblins: the likely-carnivorous creature which infested this vessel are now dead. We are a squad from Absalom Station. If you open the door, we can see to it you get medical attention and sustenance."
Sparks supports 15's effort by calling out from the other side, "We have killed the blue things that killed the crew and apparently one of your comrades. If you have a comm unit we can send you pictures of the dead creatures."
Dirk Gently is seen pantomiming the exciting combat involving the alien species and themselves fir the camera...
One of the pair of goblins jumped, levering a laser pistol that looked a hair shy of falling apart at the vent, while the other heard what was said and dove under one of the bunks, a bunch of spare parts scattering and rolling into view before they came back up with a scavenged comm unit that looked like it had been taken apart and put back together-- and vaguely explosive.
It fiddled with a dial, and avoided the big red button that had been taped to it, then smacked it against something a couple times before it projected a blank screen. Everyone gets an alert for what gets read as a "benign malware receptacle" by your software, as that one warily calls out, "Send! Proof!"
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15-0-10 obligingly sends some images of the aftermath of their battles from its visual memory... while not allowing any data to get sent back over the link.
"Goblins!" Sparks thinks. "Why did it have to be goblins?!"
There is some fiddling with the device as what was received gets reviewed, the two of them scrutinizing the images as if they could discern whether or not they could be falsified. They did confer back and forth for a couple of minutes after looking at the images sent by 15-0-10, before they set to dismantling the remarkably solid barricade they had managed to construct between the door actuators and wall, as well as the floor. For the amount of random junk that they had— were those eating utensils?– it was certainly effectively utilized.
After a certain point, the door was able to be opened, though it opened only slightly for one eye to peek around at what could be seen in front of it. A couple moments of scrutiny, and the door opens all the way to a pair of wary goblins, a significant amount of trash from ration wrappers, and a couple of items that could be utilized.
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incendiary grenade I
(2) shock grenades I
stickybomb grenade I
(2) detonators
tool kit (engineering)
fire extinguisher
500 UPBs
15-0-10 goes back the way it came to get out of the vents once it sees the goblins beginning to clear their barricade, trotting up to the rest of the group shortly before the door opens (and returning Dirk's drone). It considers the pair for a moment, then looks up at the rest of its group.
"I do not carry organic sustenance, but it seems likely to be needed at present," it states, keeping to its robotic tones, thinking those might be more soothing to beings that had been worried about organic monsters.
It then turns to the two goblins. "I am 15-0-10. Might I ask your names?"
"After telling us your names," Sparks adds, hands on hips, "Explain what you are doing on this ship."
Obliviously and obviously proud of his pantomiming performance being perfectly acceptable, the Espionage Specialist awaits patiently for the clearing of the obstacles....
He does a glance at his watch, tapping his foot, graciously accepts his drone from 15-0-10, smiling friendly like once the door is fully opened.
Doffing his cap (which is actually trapped under his environmental suit protection helmet), the frustrated Dirk spends a bit of time attempting to figure that out...
Once both his companions begin to interview the two goblins, Dirk's blue eyes begin to evaluate their uniforms....
There is no small amount of uncertainty as the two parties size each other up, though it is difficult to ignore they way their eyes trail over your armor and weapons. In comparison their equipment is... sufficient to a point. It may be a wonder how spaceworthy their suits may be, the smaller beings in something that may herald from another era, taped and sealed and melted as they were. The equipment that they do have all has a red button on it somewhere. Whether or not the button just happens to be red as a matter of salvage or that color by design is uncertain.
"I'm Blix–!" the first shouts with enthusiasm, the toothy grin perhaps meant to be reassuring?
"—Brax!", the other interjects just as quickly, a bit more hesitant, but still slightly enthused.
"What are you doing on the ship?" Sparks repeats, tapping his tail on the ground impatiently.
Frustrated by his helmet, the Espionage Specialist turns his attention to the goblins.
Please to meet both of you. I am Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective. We are exploring this wreck. We have procured safe egress, although the Rock has to be further explored. Are you two with the Starfinder Society?
Dirk winks at them, using his right eye....
15-0-10 tilts its head curiously at Sparks. After a moment his comm unit pings.
If he looks at it, there's a message from 15-0-10 saying, I believe we all know that they are present illicitly. But I further believe they've been quite terrified enough and there's little point to terrorizing them further. Especially as they might be unstable enough to fight if pushed.
Sparks has little patience for goblin hijinks. He wants their account for the record after which there will be the question of what to do with the nere-do-wells while the team deals with the hazards of the assignment. He's inclined to lock them in a room to keep them out of trouble and make sure they get delivered to the authorities at the end of the mission.
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The two Goblins start talking simultaneously while trying to talk over each other, resulting in a cacophony of words that intermingle between a clearly awkward explanation of some mishap regarding a shipping crate, improperly stowed adhesive, and a tarp; while the other mimics Dirks cordial greeting, complimenting his equipment and attire and demurring the affiliation with the Starfinder Society, citing a "pending" submission.
______________________________
"Very well, then. We still have a couple places left to investigate. Perhaps we can set you up with some provisions in the galley while we finish?" 15-0-10 suggests, switching to a warmer, more 'human' tone.
"You guys need to stay behind us and behave. This is a dangerous place and we have zero tolerance for any mischief from you two. No second chances."
Dirk winks at the two stowaways, as a person who knows that feeling...
The Espionage Specialist turns to both 15-0-10 and Sparks.
I am not a trained physician but does our elf seem a bit quiet and recluse recently? Perhaps a jolt would bring him back around?
The grinning Dirindi begins to allows electricity to jump off his person...