Uninvited Guests

Widjgleeby starts to move forward, jostling Ham and Lirassa, and growls with impatience.  Caught off guard, the two armored warriors move aside to let the Farbett pass and then fall in behind her.

Behind the door is a chamber with three exits.  The ones on either side are heavy-looking cargo doors.  The one in the middle is an opening behind which is another set of stairs, this one narrower than the ones in the shaft.

Without pausing for a moment, Widjgleeby continues forward and up the stairs.  It only goes up the equivalent of a single story before arriving at a very plain-looking room with a set of double doors off to one side.

The door is slightly ajar.  Behind it, muffled moans can be heard.

Out of the Darkness and Into...?

Ham and Lirassa continue up the looping stairs (not technically a spiral since it is broken at regular intervals by terraces) with Widjgleeby close behind.  The steps are about three meters wide, meaning there's not much room to pass the Farbett, so Granite Spear follows closely behind to one side, Nekshi right at her tail.  Zeton, scowling, marches next to the Zorlan.  Betham and Mon'Fargret come next, weapons at the ready.

Behind them trudge Bina and Mey'Luskar.  The latter mutters darkly, while the former radiates an aura of indignation.  Atraktu moves between and slightly behind them, not sure what to make of it all.  Pru, one of her looted guns at the ready, marches a pace back, eying the Ahmonite warily.

Furnfinndorn and L'Toyei quietly bring up the rear.

About a third of the way up, the panting starts.  A little more than halfway up, Widjgleeby comes to a stop.  "Need rest," she moans.

"Oh, come on!" snarls Lirassa.  "Put some spunk in it!"

"I'm with her!" huffs Mey'Luskar, leaning heavily against the rail.  "Not all of us are sodding war machines!"

"Why don't we leave the tired ones here for a minute," suggests Betham, "while the rest of us move ahead and see what's up there."

UPDATE 5/3 (since no one has commented)

After a bit of the usual quibbling, it is decided that Widjgleeby, Mey'Luskar, Bina, Atraktu, and L'Toyei will stay and rest while Pru stands guard.  The rest of the party continues up the remaining few levels to the top. 

Zobog has already scouted ahead and found nothing of any obvious concern, as Zeton reports.  There are a couple of domed housings on the ceiling near the doors at the top, but they appear to be inert.  The doors themselves are obviously equipped with some kind of protection, but it's unclear whether it's active or not.

The party assembles on the landing, eying the doors and the surrounding chamber warily.  Then Ham takes a few impatient steps closer, ignoring a few muffled warnings.  "I don't see any controls," he says.

"Intelligent," replies Furnfinndorn.  "It will open if it knows you, or if you know the password."

"Any ideas?" wonders Lirassa.

"What the..." mutters Betham in Her-galad.

Into the Bowels of the Eye

Widjgleeby goes into the tunnel after Granite Spear, Nekshi following close behind. The rest of the party soon falls into line.

Beyond the gate, the passage continues for about twenty meters and then makes a shallow bend to the left, after which the rather rough-looking cement walls suddenly become a more sophisticated-looking material with obvious signs of technology. A couple of ominous-looking domes on the ceiling (which could be sensors, weapons, or both) stand inert. There are a few racks and cabinets which (if anyone looks) contain some basic supplies (tools, rope, etc.).

After continuing for the better part of a hundred meters, the passageway ends at a pair of double doors. Off to one side is the hatch to what is probably a cargo elevator.

Bina hums with surprise.

"You have any idea what it is?" asks Betham with a troubled look.

"What?" demands Mey'Luskar, looking frazzled herself.

"You hear it, too," retorts Bina, "don't you, sister? Don't deny it!"

"I...," attempts Mey'Luskar, and then she gives up.

Into the Eye

"Hmmm," says Nekshi thoughtfully. "This deflector grid is not powered and seems to be unlocked." She starts quickly examining it and its arch.

"Wait a minute," says Mey'Luskar, starting forward.

Nekshi flips open a small, covered wall panel, eyes it for about 0.987 seconds, and then taps something on it.

"Um," says Mey'Luskar, quickening her pace.

There is a hiss, and the grate shoots upward into its socket, its final bang echoing dully in the gloomy chamber. The narrow tunnel beyond is dark and forbidding.

"Wait!" cries Mey'Luskar, breaking into a run. "Don't go in!" She hustles up next to Nekshi (who dodges out of the way just in time) and looks intently at the wall panel. "Off!" she says. "It's all turned off!"

As Nekshi starts to lecture her about the redundancy of her statement, Mey'Luskar quickly digs in her bag, pulls out a piece of candy, and tosses it into the tunnel. It bounces with a dry popping sound.

"This isn't right," she says darkly. "They would never turn everything off!"

Pru comes up behind her. "So Dusker did his job, just like he said!" She glances around at the others. "This is it! Are we going in?"

The Final Node

"Well, I'm not going to stand around thinking about it," says Betham irritably, and he starts off down the tunnel at a brisk pace, Bina falling in behind him. Zeton (with Zobog hovering nearby) and Granite follow as well.

With its usual level of uncertainty and disorganization, the party gradually moves along.

They traverse the passageway without incident and eventually arrive at yet another storage node, this one larger than the other two and bisected by what looks for all intents and purposes like a three-lane road that continues into a wide tunnel on either side.

There are two humanoids and a Farbett, all equipped for battle, lying motionless on the floor on the opposite side of the road.

Not far from them is a smaller tunnel entrance that is blocked by a grating or mesh gate. Above it is a sign saying, "Private property; no trespassing," in Yangae. Both the gate and the sign seem to be designed to look as forbidding as possible. It's as if that whole section of the storage node radiates a painfully loud, "Don't even think of coming in!"

"Think that might be it?" wonders Lirassa.

"It should be," say Betham and L'Toyei simultaneously.

"It is," adds Mey'Luskar in a brittle voice.

Moving On Again

The party starts to gather itself together to continue on its way...but with some uncertain glances at the various exits.

"Which tunnel was it?" wonders Pru. She points at the southwest exit. "That one?"

Betham glances at his wrister and opens his mouth to speak.

"That's where we came from," blurts L'Toyei. "That way leads to the main arterial tunnel under New Bousin Road and an access station there. You can get to your destination that way, of course, but it's not the most direct route." He points toward the southeast exit. "On the other hand, that one..."

"...is the way we want to go," interrupts Betham edgily. "It goes to another supply node..."

"...which is also on the New Bousin Road main arterial tunnel," butts in L'Toyei, "and is the junction to your destination, so you'll have to pass through it no matter..."

"Guarded?" asks Lirassa.

"Bet on it," replies Furnfinndorn darkly.

The Ehrlathagi guard starts quietly humming inside his cardboard fortress.

The party quickly check their weapons and gear. As they do so, Bina turns with a huff and strides impatiently toward the southeast tunnel, Atraktu falling behind her.

"Hey, you!" cries Mey'Luskar, hurrying after the priestess. "Wait! You're not g...uh?"

The three women come to an abrupt halt at the tunnel entrance.

Some members of the party react to something they've heard while others glance at them questioningly.

"Stun weapon fire!" reports Ham, nodding toward the southeast tunnel.

Linking Up

Gradually, the party follows Mon'Fargret and Zeton, easing out into the supply node while keeping a wary eye on the two guards and the strangers emerging from the opposite tunnel.

There are indeed two of them, a Farbett and a smallish humanoid of the race known as Ephri Em (a protectorate of the Ergothei Nation.) The Farbett, who is a bit on the short side but brawny, is geared up and very obviously armed. The Ephri Em doesn't seem to have anything but a wrister and the simple clothes he is wearing.

While the Farbett hangs back near the tunnel entrance and eyes (and sniffs) the party suspiciously, the Ephri Em walks confidently forward, staring at Mon'Fargret.

"There is no mistake," he says in the pleasantly accented Yangae heard before. "Mon'Fargret. The artist interviewed on the vid last night." His gaze shifts. "Zeton, the Lybolt reporter. This is a strange place to be investigating cultural issues."

Before there can be any reply, he moves toward the rest of the party and furrows his hairless brow. "But this is even stranger. I assume the two armored ones are from the same ship; perhaps this one is Lirassa. I can't recall the Ibitonian's name yet. And here we have Constable Betham without his badge and Bina Ber'maina without her brooch...together with Pu'Laru of the Night Guard? Curious!" He glances at Nekshi and Granite Spear and frowns. "I don't know these two...or the Ahmonite." He walks dismissively past them. "I do know Widjgleebie." Finally, his gaze lands on Mey'Luskar. "This one...I can't come up with a name, but the face is in circulation now. You are sought by many! There is even talk of a reward..."

Pru clicks off the safety on her gun. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she demands.

"My apologies," replies the Ephri Em evenly. "My name is L'Toyei, and it is my job to know things." He gestures toward the Farbett by the tunnel entrance. "My partner, Furfinndorn. As for why we are here..."

The Farbett clears his throat violently.

"Ah," says the Ephri Em with absolutely no change in his demeanor. "I suppose I should just say that Kuluf said to expect you. We...are looking for something similar, if we understood him correctly."

Under the Airfield...Under the Airfield

(Continued from the last comment thread)

Nekshi licks her lips nervously and activates the comm link through Zobog (in Ehrkiss),"This is training Cadet Solanei with supply, I have appropriated this robot from our fallen comrades to appraise you of the situation concerning the attackers. Although I am sorely wounded and frightened, I will continue to broadcast in the hopes you may gain the upper-hand tactically and rescue both our honor and my life. #cough#cough!"

Nekshi looks at Granite and shrugs.

There is an awkward pause.

"I don't know what you just said," says Pru quietly, "but I really hope you know what you're doing!"

Then, from both the tunnel ahead and at least two party members' wristers, a deep belly laugh can be heard.

There is an abrupt spate of clicks and hums as various firearm safeties are deactivated all over the party.

"Wait!" hisses Bina.

A deep voice calls out a hearty line in Ehrkiss punctuated with another laugh.

"What did he say?" demands Betham.

"He thinks Nekshi is a guard's sex toy or something," replies the disgraced priestess. "He thinks it's a joke!"

Headed Out to the Airfield (or under it, at least)

(Starting and continuing from the last comment thread)

While Lirassa ruminates over the issue of the key, Bina quietly convinces her to accept a synglobin dose and a vitaglobin booster. It quickly restores a bit more color to the Besteeng's cheeks before she puts her helmet back on.

While preparing the doses, Bina then asks Ham if he wants one, or at least a painkiller. He replies that he'd rather get moving and heads over to claim the assault rifle. He does suggest bringing a dose along for later, however.

Meanwhile, Pru scoops up the auto shotgun, saying, "Fine, if no one else wants this..."

Realizing that Nekshi has an eye for the pistol she'd intended to claim, Mey'Luskar decides to let the Zorlan have it instead.

Pru then picks up the revolver and holds it out to Mey'Luskar. "Lady, this is a crude toy," says Pru, "but it's better than nothing."

Mey'Luskar wrinkles her nose. "I'd rather have nothing," she says curtly and moves away.

Pru shrugs and turns instead to Bina. "How about you?" she asks.

Bina eyes the weapon as if it were about to bite her and drops the synglobin pack. "No!" she says anxiously. "I can't! I'm sworn against violence!"

"You're not wearing your brooch, friend," reminds Pru. "Come on! This is the real world! You're a weak flank without heat!"

"No!" protests Bina, gesturing negative with all her might as she picks up the synglobin. "No! Never!"

Mey'Luskar huffs and comes back. "Gimme that!" she snaps, yanking the pistol from Pru's hand.

Meanwhile, as Mon'Fargret finishes removing the turret from the female guard's helmet, he asks, "Which way now? Southwest under the airfield or Southeast?"

"Southwest under the airfield would be quicker," replies Betham. "Either way's probably going to be guarded. And you can bet they heard our little party here." He throws a sidelong glance at Lirassa.

The Besteeng finishes getting her armor together and stands up. Then she strokes her cannon of a firearm lovingly. "I'm ready to party," she says. Then she begins strutting toward the southwest exit.

Cleaning Up

(Picking up from the last comment thread...)

Mon'Fargret and Betham check out the nearly-dead female guard while Zeton sorts through the gear on the toasted male one.

The female guard is a Sark-type humanoid, meaning she could be Besteeng, but removing her helmet reveals round facial features that hint more toward Sarkon. Her wrister also appears to be in Sarkish script (but with a Yangae-language window open). Her main weapon is clearly the sophisticated baffler turret on top of her helmet, but the rest of her gear looks a bit primitive, even antique. There's the semi-automatic, small-caliber shotgun she was using (which has a laser designator/ range finder, possibly for use with time-detonating shells). She also has a well-used hellrager carbine and a large revolver that looks positively ancient. A large and attractively-styled (but now partly burnt) bandoleer holds, in addition to extra ammo for her firearms, a collection of shuriken and a handsome-looking dagger. Her utility belt holds still more ammo plus what appears to be a belt-mounted power generator and an accumulator array, obviously to power the helmet turret.

The male guard is even more intriguing. His size and build also suggest a Sark-type humanoid. The rigid parts of his armor actually held up surprisingly well considering the type of firepower that hit it, but the lighter, flex-jointed area of the lower torso is burst open, and there is little more than smoldering charcoal underneath. Zeton decides not to bother removing the guard's helmet, and instead focuses on his kit. In addition to the rapid-firing gauss assault rifle that he used (briefly) during the fight, the guard has what appears to be a grenade launcher. (Luckily, none of the shells tucked into his thermal-resistant bandoleer went off.) He also has a gauss pistol with a laser designator and an impressive but awkward-looking sword. His various (surviving) belts and pockets include extra clips for his firearms plus a Foldorian-made first aid kit, a hand-held multi-spectral flashlight (to supplement his helmet lights), a pocket welding torch, and what is most likely a small robot servant. His wrister is in a script similar to Sarkish, but not one Zeton recognizes. It also has a window open that is in Yangae script. Finally, the guard's helmet has a strange, antenna-like attachment whose purpose is uncertain, but it reminds Zeton of enhanced psy transponders he has seen used by Ehrlathagi spacers.

"Can someone use any of this equipment?" asks Zeton. "I don't think he'll be needing it anymore. I don't think I can manage the grenade launcher, but if no one else wants the assault rifle, I might take that for added firepower." Removing the guard's wrister and holding it toward Nekshi, he adds, "Do you think we can use this to listen in to the folks at the Eye of Tann?"

Over by the north entrance, Bina succeeds in convincing Lirassa to stop fussing over Ham and allow herself to be helped. The fallen priestess then leads the Besteeng over to the survival pod, which apparently has a medical station. Now that Lirassa is in full view with her helmet removed, it can be seen that her neck is injured, and her shoulder is awash with gore. Bina, who is about a head and a half shorter, is struggling to keep something pressed against the wound.

"It's just a flesh wound," Lirassa can be heard to say in a voice that is somewhat slurred.

Muttering darkly to himself, Ham sets to work on his own injury.

Pru comes down off the rack, eases herself onto her feet, and limps a step or two.

Betham grimaces and then glares at the Yangae. "You're gonna need to do something about that," he says. He nods toward Bina, who appears to be singing to the med station.

Pru only just fails to suppress a grimace of her own. "I'll deal with it," she retorts hoarsely.