Our adventure begins aboard the starship Overhaul, a Kevolari Venture class explorer, as it transports cargo between the fringes of the Pact Worlds and the gas giant Bretheda (or one of its moons, to be precise). The cargo includes aucturnite harvested from the Gelid Edge, weapons from Apostae, and designer clothing from Kalo-Mahoi.
The delivery isn’t time sensitive, and the cargo isn’t at risk of spoiling.
A klaxon sounds on the bridge of the Overhaul, blaring an imminent collision warning. Ahead, a starship that looks like a cross between a building and a tree is incoming, spiraling erratically in its out-of-control flight through space. A slight change in trajectory at the hands of the pilot and the collision is avoided, the biomechanical starship careening past in the direction of Bretheda and its many moons.
A shirren, whose body draped in layers of fabric that almost completely conceal his insectoid form, arrives with a soft, rhythmic hum in sync with the music playing from his comm unit. His compound eyes blink in time with the beat, and for a moment, he seems entirely absorbed in the melody, swaying ever so slightly as he approaches. The gentle hum adds an extra layer to the tune, creating an odd yet soothing harmony.
As he nears the group, he gradually lowers the volume of the music, his focus shifting to those around him. With a formal and deliberate bow, he introduces himself.
“I am Chk Chk. It is an honor to join everyone in this mission,” he says, his voice a clicking, buzzing sound, but filled with sincerity. His eyes glance over the group, showing a quiet curiosity beneath his calm exterior.
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A meditating Kasatha stands up, shaking themselves from their reverie and calmly walks over to the bridge to notice what is going on.
"Curious. It would seem they are in need of assistance. Do we have a means of halting their uncontrolled decent on this ship?"
Zye begins searching the ship for either the communication array or some sort of tow cables or tractor beam.
A silvery-skinned android practically bristling with gear moved toward a computer console. They had previously introduced themselves as Iseph, but were not particularly interested in the other goings-on until now. "I will attempt to hack into their system and pilot the vessel remotely," they say before getting to work.
The out-of-control starship doesn’t respond to hails.
Using their starship’s sensors to scan the starship, Iseph and Zye trivially confirm that it’s a Xenowarden starship called Bloom, that the starship is alive, and that one of its port airlocks is open.
Connecting to the ship to control it remotely is a long-shot, and one that doesn't pay off. Still, with more in-depth scanning of the Bloom Iseph additionally learns that there are dozens of life forms aboard. Most are Small or Tiny and one is Large.
Examining or studying the ship, with or without the sensors, might reveal a little more.
And the crew might be familiar with Xenowarden ships...
The open airlock means they could potentially get inside the Bloom--once they get their own starship lined up with it.
Navasi, a purple-haired human woman shouts excitedly. "We definitely need to do something quickly before something catastrophic happens to that ship. It looks like we can get in through that open airlock on the port side. I'll take us in closer. A Xenowarden ship hmmm..." Her brow furrows as she considers the implications and steers the ship towards the open airlock.
"There are life forms but they are not responding to our call. I wonder why. Perhaps we should check that out."
Chk Chk tries to recall what he knows more about Xenowarden ships.
He then heads over to the console to scan the ship further.
"If we can't get more information from our ship, we should steer close to it, match its course, and board it. I just hope we're not in danger of an imminent collision as it heads toward that planet," Chk Chk points out.
Iseph tries to recall his previous experience with Xenowardens.
Chk Chk knows that the Xenowardens are a far-reaching and diverse organization who study and protect natural ecosystems across the galaxy, explore and survey new planets, and create eco-friendly technologies. Much of their technology utilizes biotech, magic, or both. The Xenowardens would pay well for the return of one of their starships, even if nothing valuable remains aboard.
Navasi and Iseph agree that that sounds correct, as far as they know.
Zye identifies four airlock doors, two on the port side and two on the starboard side. One of the port airlocks is open. He then notices that there are two other airlocks, one per side, closer to the fore of the starship. These two airlocks are hidden from view by the Bloom’s leaf fronds and would likely take some work to access.
The one that's already open would certainly be the easiest route, and Navasi expertly matches the leafy ship's trajectory. While apparently aimless, it doesn't look like it's in imminent danger of crashing into anything--now that the Overhaul has dodged it, anyway.
The two ships are close enough together now that a brief spacewalk won't be too dangerous--though one could get a little banged up if they don't do it neatly.
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Zye manuvers himself to the Overhaul's airlock and gets ready to jump. He'll try to find a cable or something on the the overhaul that would allow him to hook on to the other ship so that the others would have an easier time moving between ships.
"Please, allow me to go first. And may Talevet guide me on my travels."
The android pushes off the wall towards the other ship's airlock.
And manages to grab an edge before floating off into space, though it was not the most graceful transit in history.
Navasi is a little too eager to get to the other ship and her foot catches on the doorframe as she leaps.
The airlock door to this laboratory is open, and only a shimmering green aura in the doorway marks the transition from the void of space to the Bloom’s dark interior. Inside, the laboratory is a mess of broken specimen boxes and lab equipment.
Zye discovers that the room inside has normal atmosphere and normal gravity, even if the lights are out. He transitions from floating to standing expertly.
Iseph and Navasi both make it into the airlock, but mistime the resumption of artificial gravity. They float in a little too far, and are unable to stop their crash landings--though they manage to roll with their falls, at least.
Chk Chk is kinda weak to perform jumping or something but tries to follow the others to cross toward the other ship.
with Follow the Expert if anyone is Expert in Acrobatics
If he fails the above check:
Navasi rubs her shoulder and looks around. "Ouch! That's gonna leave a bruise. It looks like we're in some sort of laboratory. I wonder what they were working on..."
Chk Chk makes the leap, and lands, if not gracefully, at least without hurting himself.
The lights are out.
Once everyone has a light source or can see in the dark, they notice that bloodstains and gore mar the walls and floor, as well as the interior of the specimen boxes, making it obvious that something grisly happened on the Bloom.
Anyone who sifts through the debris in this lab finds the half-eaten corpse of a crew member still wearing a tattered lab coat.
The broken specimen boxes might hold more clues if examined.
And there could always be something useful hidden among the debris...
"Looks like bloodbath to me," Chk Chk chitters. He moves toward the lab and finds what caused the death of the corpse, aside from being half-eaten. Perhaps what ate them.
Chk Chk determines that the spacefarer was killed at least a week ago by a creature with insectile mandibles.
Iseph takes a look at the boxes.
Iseph determines that the boxes once held a variety of flora and fauna, but that each box was torn open from the outside and the contents within consumed . One is different, and looks to have been broken open from the inside, indicating that the creature it once contained escaped confinement. Judging by the size of the box, this creature was one foot in size or smaller. The box is labeled "Sample 62."
While searching the team also finds two tactical medpatches that are unused.
A scrabbling sound reverberates through the ventilation ducts.
Chk Chk quickly takes the tactical medpatches and puts them inside his pockets. He also draws his weapon when he hears the scrabbling sound.
"Insectile creatures might have killed the passengers and staff of this ship."
Navasi draws her laser pistol. "Everyone get ready. We don't know what Sample 62 is but it's likely not friendly."
There is ample material to physically plug the ventilation.
The only door out of the specimen lab--excluding the airlock--leads towards the rear of the ship and into a cargo bay.
The port cargo bay contains scientific equipment and survey gear. A broken porter drone lies on the ground, its legs twitching erratically and sparks periodically flying from its circuits. It's been damaged and knocked over, but it shouldn't be too difficult to repair.
Someone skilled with computers could take a minute to try to download the drone's log .
Someone good with mechanics could try to repair it as well, though it would take a little longer--probably around 10 minutes .
There's a door on the starboard side of the room, toward the center of the starship.
"Let's see if we can figure out how this guy got torn up like this."
Navasi attempts to download the drone's log.
Chk Chk takes out his commercial repair tool and repairs the drone to make it functional.
"Let's see if I can make this work again."
Navasi determines that the drone suffered multiple instances of blunt force, followed by a barrage of sonic damage. Once downed, the drone took no further damage.
Chk Chk repairs it and syncs his comm unit to the drone’s remote-control interface.
While they're working, the party also finds an autograppler, 200 feet of cable line, and a commercial antigrav harness among the crates in the hold.
Iseph takes a crack at the computers while Chk Chk works on the drone.
Chk Chk picks up the loot. "Might be useful when needed." he tells them before moving into the next area.
Iseph connects to the drone's memory, but doesn't learn anything more than what Navasi did.
As Zye moves towards the door, everyone can hear the sound of weeping coming from somewhere. It abruptly stops when he opens the door.
The Bloom’s engine room was clearly once a marvel of biomechanical engineering, containing a high-speed Drift engine, four sleek workstations with state-of-the-art biomechanical interfaces, and four plush chairs grown from leaf fronds and flower petals. Now, the engine room is a mess.
The front panel is torn off the broken Drift engine, tools are scattered around the floor, and something has taken bites out of the chairs and other biomass. The ground near the forward doors is coated in a sticky looking slime, which trails through the open doors to midship. Through these doors, midship is coated entirely in a thick layer of slime and pulsing organic masses. Amid these alien egg-sacs crawl grub-like creatures with oddly humanoid bone faceplates, each engorged and nearly a foot in length. Movement in the distance indicates there’s likely additional grubs in adjoining chambers.
In addition to the open door leading to the midship, there is a door on the starboard side that mirrors the one to the port hold.
Iseph takes a few photos of the egg sacs and tries to call up information about them from the network.
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Zye gingerly steps into the room, his machinegun in his hands but pointed at the floor.
"Hello? Miss? Mister? Those of nonbinary gender? We're here to help, there's no need to cry. Would you like some help?"
While trying to find the source of the crying, he'll do a cursory glance at the engines.
"Hmm, something, or someone, has done a number on this drift engine. Not sure it could be repaired without a full repair crew and multiple days, but we might be able to do some jury-rigging to at least put this tree into stable orbit.
"Hello? Who's there? Do you need help?" Navasi, too, looks around for the source of the weeping.
There is no answer.
There are some maintenance controls here that might be able to restore the lights.
The regular engine is badly damaged, and the Drift engine is broken completely. "Multiple days" might be optimistic.
The party might be able to use the workstations here to learn about what happened aboard the Bloom.
But whatever's in the next room seems increasingly agitated.
"I wonder how this happened and who would break the engine to pieces." Chk ponders and begins analyzing the mess.
He also looks around to assess the area for pieces of evidence of what might have happened here.
Chk Chk doesn't find any more useful clues. Zye manages to get some records from the computer, though.
During a routine survey mission to a newly discovered dwarf planet in the Vast currently known by the temporary identifier VDP-32074-S, the crew of the Xenowarden starship Bloom collected a variety of biological and environmental samples. After these samples were secured in the Bloom’s laboratories for further study, the Xenowardens departed, plotting a course through the Drift to the Pact Worlds to drop off their samples at the Xenowarden arkship Verdant Paradise, which serves as a mobile research laboratory and is currently in orbit around Bretheda. The Bloom has five crew members, including Captain Leah Imaaz, an engineer, a surveyor, and two scientists (a botanist and a zoologist).
"It looks like we have three tasks ahead of us." Navasi ticks the tasks down with her fingers. "One, we need to find the crew and get them to safety. B, get this ship under control. And finally C, find out what exactly happened. Also four, corral whatever these samples are. Four tasks."
Iseph continues to study the scene.
Anyone who sifts through the debris in this lab finds the half-eaten corpse of a crew member still wearing a tattered lab coat.
"It looks like we found one of the crew just a while ago, unfortunately." Chk Chk remembers the encounter.
The squirming creatures from the next room burst through the open doorway. They're grub-like creatures, though each is at least a foot long. They have mandibles and bony growths that resemble humanoid skulls. And they've grouped up in sufficient quantities to form dangerous swarms.
Half the group surges forward. They pile onto Iseph and Chk Chk, aggressively piling on and around each other. Individually they don't seem strong enough to be much a threat, but a big pile of them all biting at once is a little more dangerous.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Purple Swarm
Navasi
Chk Chk (DC 21 Reflex, DC 21 Reflex)
Zye (DC 21 Reflex, DC 21 basic Reflex)
Iseph
Green Swarm
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Purple Swarm
Navasi
Chk Chk (DC 21 Reflex, DC 21 Reflex)
Zye (61/78)
Iseph
Green Swarm