"Hey, friend, you're right - I can't let one little problem get me down. This is one cat that was destined to be at the top. Watch!"
Back to their cheerful, bubbly self, Dae starts ascending the Lorespire Complex.
With Luna's help, Dae easily climbs up the ladder, while Luna tries to control herself on not looking down.
Halfway through their climb, they hear cries of fear and pain. Next to them, two members of the Deep Cultures Institute are completing the task. Unfortunately, Nib has become hopelessly entangled in the cables and is beginning to panic. While her companion Sessil Vand is trying his best to assist her, he’s not having much effect. It’s clear that if Nib doesn’t calm down and extricate herself, she’ll suffer serious injury.
Navasi pulls out a take-out bag from Perfexion and noshes on some dumplings. She offers some to Gabitha and Klicknop.
She takes out her comm and texts Luna.
How's it going up there?
"Uh oh."
Navasi texts back.
What do you mean tangled up? Is she in danger? You can't stand by and let someone be injured or worse when you can make a difference. We're Starfinders, remember. Besides, we don't want to look like those a-holes the Zo! Media Superstars.
"Klick, Gabby. Luna says that someone is in trouble up there. Help me find a flying car or something. Maybe we can hijack it and get up there to help."
Navasi looks around for some sort of flying transport that she can commandeer or even hotwire.
Nib still tries to untangle from the wires while her companion Sessil helps unfruitfully. They seem not to notice the Starfinder duo who have seen them while climbing close to them.
Dae swings over to untangle Nib's line.
Dae and Luna prove their heroism by rushing to the aid of the distressed duo, carefully untangling Nib from the snare of cables. Grateful, Nib and her companion Sessil thank them profusely before hurrying off to rejoin the competition. As the Starfinder pair takes in the scene, they notice other teams already making their way toward the next checkpoint.
Just then, the whir of propellers announces the arrival of a flying drone, swooping down with a gift-wrapped package. Rick Molbrun’s voice bursts through the comms, brimming with excitement.
"Look at that, folks! We can't let heroes go without the spotlight they deserve!"
The audience roars with applause as the package is delivered. Inside rests a cellular stimulant spell amp, an unexpected boon for their valor.
Dae finishes rappelling down the building, waving toward the camera as they do so.
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Over comms, Klicknop says, "Oh, that's an interesting spell amp. It accelerates you, but only for a very brief moment ... and then you are fatigued. In this event, it would be useful at the last possible opportunity, when someone really needs to move a little further. Ideally, someone else would inject a person, since the person injecting themself would have to spend time doing that, which would negate the usefulness of the spell."
Dae helps Luna finish the descent.
Together, they are able to reach the finish line of their climb, despite being one of the last teams to do so because of helping another team.
After completing the rappelling task, the safety instructor hands the Starfinder their next clue: a small silver coin with a stylized robot on one side and the word “token” on the other.
Upon arrival, pulsing neon lights spill out of the arcade entrance to the street outside.
“Welcome to the Click-Clack Club!” the android bartender yells over thumping electronic music as Relay competitors strain to listen. “Two members of each team will need to compete against the neighborhood champion in our newest VR cart racing sim. All you gotta do is win one race against him. Choose your drivers!”
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Klicknop considers what he might know of this thing.
Klicknop clicks excitedly and says telepathically, "Ah, yes, the Click-Clack Club, that new VR arcade over in the Arms. Let's go!"
Regardless of how they figure it out, upon arriving, Klicknop says in response to the greeting, "I have modest piloting skills ... I think that maybe Navasi and I would be best at a racing sim." He glances around to see if the others agree.
"Hey, the Click-Clack Club! I did a few shows there when I was still up-and-coming instead of already here. Wonder what new games they have since the last time I was there?"
“Welcome to the Click-Clack Club!” the android bartender yells over thumping electronic music as Relay competitors strain to listen. “Two members of each team will need to compete against the neighborhood champion in our newest VR cart racing sim. All you gotta do is win one race against him. Choose your drivers!”
"I know you got this. I'm going to try the crane game."
"Alright then," the android bartender begins to explain the rules. "Meet the seven year-old champion, Markos!" a verthani named Markos, proudly shows off his first augmentation what looks like a data drive in his left arm. "Markos here has already mastered nearly every course and has incredible reflexes. You will need to succeed at playing the VR cart racing game by dodging obstacles and be the first into the finish line. All clear to that? Wear those VR suits and we're good to go!"
Once everyone is ready, "On my mark, get set, go!"
Navasi leans in to Klicknop and whispers. "Okay Klic. It's showtime. Follow my lead."
Navasi once again plays the heel for the cameras. She strides over to the child and holds out her hand but pulls it back when he attempts to shake. "Ha! Too slow, kid. You're gonna hafta do better than that if you're gonna beat me. Even lame-o nerd Klic here is gonna leave you in the dust. You're going doooooowwwwwn!" She turns and strides confidently to her starting position.
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Klicknop gets fixated on trying to re-map the configuration of his controller and is startled when Navasi mentions him in her trash talk.
"Yes, Klicknop says, trying to play along, "This lame-o nerd shall school you quite thoroughly and leave dust on you ... now that my controller is properly configured. Your reign of tyranny shall end, young Markos! Eat my treadmarks!"
Klicknop does, in fact, seem to have figured out how the game works ... though perhaps too late.
Nevasi rolls her eyes at Klicknop. "This is how you do it."
Dae comes back with a small polymer waterfowl. "I think the machine's broken... hey, you got it! Great job, team!"
At the start of the race, the kid goes ahead, overtaking the others. An obstacle slows both Navasi and Klicknop, but Markos slips past with ease. On the next turn, the kid miscalculates, giving Navasi the chance to overtake. More obstacles hinder Klicknop, while Markos closes in to challenge Navasi, who’s nearing the finish line. Markos pushes for speed, but Navasi’s car proves faster and she crosses first, taking the win!
Congratulations! Here is your next clue" After defeating the local champion, the Starfinders are given a small golden figurine of a man in robes holding a key. On the base, the number “423” is engraved.
Navasi examines the figurine.
"Aha! This is the statue of Abadar at the entrance to the Freemarkets. I bet that 423 means stall 423. I think that's Second Time Around. It's a cool thrift store."
Navasi easily identifies the figurine and the location from that clue. The team quickly goes there and upon arrival at the stall, the Starfinder are greeted by a female ysoki businesswoman, the shop's proprietor Dot herself.
The bustling Freemarkets are even more crowded today as camera drones and competitors surround this stall. The cheery ysoki woman holds court outside a cluttered store. “Welcome, Relay racers!” she calls enthusiastically. “As you can see, I’ve got a bit of an overstock on these here accessories.” She gestures to portable racks outside, full to bursting with cheap sunshades, drinking cups, comm unit charms, and hats that were in fashion two years ago at best. “Your next task is to find willing customers for these fine items! Sell at least 100 credits worth of merchandise, and I’ll give you your next clue.”
"So who will be selling these for your team?"
"Guess I'm up again! But Klicknop, you might know more about these doodads than me."
"What there to know? We're selling stuff. People want stuff. We just need to convince them to buy our stuff. Easy peasy."
Navasi looks over the items for sale. "Take these items for example. These hats aren't out of fashion. They're retro. The sunshades aren't cheap. They're inexpensive, a canny buy for the frugal shopper. Come on Dae. Let's get to work."
Dae and Navasi volunteer for the task. "You're up to sell the wares."
Thinking Klicknop is talking to her Navasi replies, "Yup totally retro. You're pulling that look off like no other. That'll be two, no wait, four credits please. You can pay Dot over there."
She immediately turns away to talk to a pair of skittermanders eyeing some sports tee shirts for the local zero-gee football team, the Absalom Ankhegs.
It looks like she has a sale but her knowledge of the Ankhegs doesn't measure up to her knowledge of professional wresting and she loses the sale when she tries to convince them that star player Nagdashar 'Dash' Riprock plays third base.
"Hey, check these out! I had a cameo in this vid, and there's a sequel coming out for this that...well, I can't say just yet, you know? You won't find anything like them anywhere on station! And if you buy now, I'll autograph, free of charge!"
Continuing in the final spoiler, because adding rolls in between other rolls makes the bot unhappy.
"Hey, check these out! You won't find anything like them anywhere on station! And if you buy now, I'll autograph, free of charge!"
"Come on, I'll throw in a digital certificate of authenticity. Get in on the Dae ground floor. These will be collector's items one day!"
Navasi manages to sell some shirts to skittermander nearby. But fails to sell another to those who are a bit choosy on the prints on the shirts.
Dae falls short to make the wares sellable online. He tries his best to get the right audience's attention and finally sells some to them.
"Okay maybe sports memorabilia aren't really my thing. Fashion though..." Navasi proceeds to push comm charms and matching sun shades to unsuspecting patrons.
Navasi keeps her charms flaunted, selling those that she thinks are more on trend.
After selling enough of Dot’s wares, the Starfinders are given their penultimate clue. Dot hands them photograph of a mural depicting an assortment of multi-species children holding hands in a garden beneath a cartoonish smiling sun.