SFS1 #3-17 Clone Batch Catastrophe (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

Another 2nd level mind thrust...

(will 16)
mental: 4d10 ⇒ (4, 7, 9, 9) = 29

No saves needed, as Joro will drop even if they succeed.

Under the combined barrage from the Starfinders, Joro falls to the floor. Without its, the drone continues to try to enact its final order to fire on the invaders, but without a mechanic to guide it, it fires harmlessly into the walls or ceiling until it is shut down.

Examining the computer, you find find more details about First Joro's plans. The facility is designed to break down the bodies of non-Joro vault residents and use the biomass to create more Joro clones. There is evidence that they have succeeded before, so some of the Joros you have met may have once been other people. The motivations would seem almost quaint - balancing the whizdisk teams, stopping the board game shortage caused by an injury to Forklift Joro, finding more tenors for the choir - if the methods were not so horrific.

The data also contains a map of the facility. To the south of your current location, there is a room for planning raids. The room to the north that the oozes came from is where biomass is converted into Joro clones. The room to the northeast is labeled "Neural Programming Center", and though there are no other details, you cannot imagine anything good being in there.

Omega taps out a note.

Even I think this place is twisted, and I am a sub-mind of a greater AI. Converting others into yourself... that is wrong on a number of levels. We should see precisely what else we can uncover.

I, for one, am happy to continue exploring, both in this complex, and the vault in general. After all, exploring the Vault was what we were actually told to do...

"Grandmother's cloak, that's f@**ed up. We should check the Neural programming center, might have a way to reverse the changes, if it's even possible."

GM, is the First Joro dead, or just unconscious?

Thesh would run around, taking a pass at all remaining rooms (rolled a 20 perception in the other thread).

Definitely check and document everything else in here, take whatever we feel comfortable or safe with.

Anock preens. Her intuition was essentially correct. And she led the team that discovered it! She completely fails to recognize that she didn't do much to help. "Good instincts, team! Yes, we will definitely scour this entire vault to ensure that we can give a fully detailed report to the Society."

Second continuing to explore; neural programming is a good place to start.

On my planet I've seen some of the most horrible things that could exist, but I think this place beats them all! says Mizzrym'

I agree, better investigate the place fully. Our report must be spotless.

"Let me see if I can get anything more off the computer"

Vomatian looks at it and jacks in.

Computers: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Vomation obtains a bunch of data that will be very interesting to the Society but is not immediately relevant.

The Starfinders move to the northeast next. A massive, complex device comprised of interconnected tubes filled with blue-green gas and numerous small computer monitors running rapidly with changing lines of code occupies the eastern wall of this room. Two pipes funnel the gas into hemispherical turbine filters with pipes connecting to the ceiling. Two large containers of a different gas flank the western doors, along with a large multi-monitor computer interface set into the northern corner. Glass windows set into pairs of sliding doors to the north and south reveal separate chambers with cylindrical pods and drainage grates in the floors.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14.

Omega does not notice anything unusual.

Does anyone want to take a look at those devices?

Irres examines the processing device and the terminal.

Engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Computers: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

She promptly gets stabbed in the chest and passes out.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Anock is looking around in horrified disgust when she sees Irres collapse out of the corner of her eye. "What?! You lot! Cover me!" Anock dashes over to Irres to see how to heal them. As she does so, she releases her Nanites to form a cloud around Irres and herself, granting some regenerative power to Irres. She makes a point to position herself as far away from the machinery as possible. "Hang in there, Irres!"

Irres gets Fast Healing 1 (SP only) for 1 minute

Medicine (First Aid) DC 15 to stabilize: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"There! Stabilized! Is that machine still a threat? Should we move Irres so I can take more time on them?"

Processing device spoiler is now open. Irres would not have gotten to the computer yet (but can do so once she's conscious). Irres can spend 1 RP to regain a hit point and/or someone can use an ability that restores HP, but she still needs to make a Fortitude save.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Mizzrym' doesn't see the trap!

Fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Irres crawls back away from the machine, instinctively grabbing at the wound.
"Ahg, something else is ah, on the needle. Wh-what's happening?"
Spend 1 RP

Irres does not suffer any additional ill effects from the injection.

Now that we know stuff happens if we touch things, can we 'Take 20' on that Perception check to 'search carefully'...?

Sure.

There is another injection device on the terminal. It can be disabled with Engineering.

Omega nods solemnly, waiting for those skilled with devices to handle the situation.

Thesh isn't that individual unfortunately.

Anock rants indignantly while she waits for one of her team's capable mechanically-inclined people to disarm the needle traps. "Well! That's a safety hazard! Any one of them could have accidentally bumped either of these locations and gotten injected! And I see no indication that the needle is sanitized or replaced immediately after being used. This is abhorrently unprofessional! Then again, based on their performance at the hospital, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Let me try. See if I can work this..."

Vomatian tries to disable the device.

Engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

Vomatian can't quite get it turned off, but at least he doesn't activate it. You may try again.

"Here let me help..."
Feeling a bit better, Irres stands up to help Vomatian.
Engineering aid: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Engineering (aid): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

If needed Mizzrym' lends his tools +4 to disable traps

"Thanks guys. Hope this does it."

Engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Working together, the team manages to disable the injector, so the room is now safe to explore. Irres' prior check is good enough to access the computer.

Medicine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27.

Omega visibly glitches.

The substance in the injector is a genetic cocktail that would cause the victim to gradually look and act more like a Joro... Irres? Do you feel okay?

If that is it for this room, I guess we move on to the next one?

"I feel fine. Except for the gaping hole in my chest, but that's not new to me. I'll tell you the story later."

Anock slowly tilts her head at Irres. ... That's a new one. I'll still have to watch them for Joro-ness. Shaking herself, she announces: "Well, we should bring back this sample of that cocktail for the Society, and destroy the rest." She tucks the injector into her pack, wrapping and placing it with care so she doesn't jab herself when she reaches in there.

Satisfied, Thesh will head to the next room.

Agreed.

"Sounds good."

Don't forget the terminal. Which is the next room?

The room to the north that the joro-oozes came out of? After that, the room to the south of the map, and then I think we have 'cleared' this map?

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Anock points at the terminal. "You put all that work into disarming the needle. Aren't you going to check what's on the computer?"

If the group insists on moving on, she'll follow, making a mental note to mention this insubordination in her report.

GM, I believe you said that I could use what I already rolled for Irres's computers check?

Vomatian plugs a wire into the computer from his head jack.

"Let me see"

computers: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

Yes, you can see the Terminal spoiler now.

Irres explains what she learned from the terminal.

"Well, that explains some of it. We still don't know for sure which Joro is the original and if he's the mastermind behind this, or just a poor schmuck being used by someone or something else. Onward!" Anock marches to the next room.

Vomatian follows Anock and looks around.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Turning to Irres, Mizzrym' asks Do you need 10'?

After her answer and dependending on it, he follows Vomotian in the next room.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Thesh will follow others' lead at the moment and take a look around.

perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

The Starfinders head to the room that held the unfinished Joros.

Gallons of reddish fluid swirl within a giant vat dotted with small dials and computer screens. A large tube protrudes from the vat and extends into a collecting chamber beneath a steel grate to the west. A second vat filled with a light green gas stands between two starship-grade sealed containers, the thick glass barriers rimmed with black-and-yellow striped motifs to indicate caution. Tubes from each vat enter each of the two secured chambers, where they combine into a dark green semigaseous gel. A vacuum tube pulls the gel into a vent at the back of each chamber.

"All right, crew! Keep your eyes peeled. We don't want any surprises like in the last room." Anock plants herself near the door and surveys the room from there.

Perception DC 20: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12.

Not noticing anything dangerous (albeit with a certain level of distrust), Omega gingerly begins to explore the room...

Life Science: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27.

...and then reports back to the others.

"The small monitors on the western tank display gene sequences, target vital signs, and monitor the proportions of organic compounds contained inside the vat, while the eastern vat’s monitors rapidly filter through artificially-generated neural codes for memories, skills, temperaments, and other cognitive imprints contained within the stored gas. The target organic compound proportions in the western vat are all identical and indicative of an adult human, while the neural codes in the eastern tank are all nearly identical.

I surmise this is where the joros are 'born'."

With a shake of their head, Omega moves on to the room to the south.

"Anock, I saw you taking samples earlier. Do you wanna get some from these? And, should we destroy them afterwards?"

"Yes, I'll collect samples for the Society, but only after you trap-disablers have ensured that I won't get jabbed and turned into a Joro while gathering them. As far as destroying the set-up is concerned, I'd say no true good can come of keeping it."

Once she's sure it's safe to do so, Anock will take samples to turn in with her mission report.

Nothing in this room tries to turn the Starfinders into Joros (unless someone jumps in the vats), so they collect the information and move on to the planning room.

Analog maps of the vault hang from the walls in this network of rooms, several sites marked with photographs of the premises pinned over the blueprints. Certain areas on the maps are circled in red with small frowny faces drawn underneath them. Disassembled weapons and other gear lie scattered across the various workbenches.