Act IV: Pandora's Planet

[rredmond]

Commander Gareb Endilev

Gareb marks the energy creature, letting his tricorder hang at his side as he brings his plasma pistol to bear. Doctor, Commander Nadix, any suggestions on how to shut down this energy source that you can see. I don't want to feed it by shooting it.
Clarification: phasers or plasma are not electrically based correct? Also, do we have any water with us? Asking for a friend.
Gareb would prefer to somehow disrupt the energy creature's electrical patterns, or douse it with water. But barring that, if it moves closer, the plasma pistol will do.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Ryerson

"Perhaps if we train our phasers to the ground below the creature and heat up the floor it might cause the organism to loose water or boil in it's own juices."

[Starbeard]

Coxa II: Inside the Slaver Outpost
Stardate 2271.3.24: 1821h, round 3



Commander Endilev scans an eye over his tricorder readings and realizes that the creature is comprised of some form of nonelectrical energy alternative to plasma! The electricity it has consumed is rapidly being broken down and transformed into its body. Based on his readings, there is a very real chance that plasma fire and possibly even phaser fire will be ineffectual, or even feed it!
(And no, the party has no water )

Dr. Ryerson suggests attacking it obliquely instead, and using the extreme heat generated by the phasers and plasma gun to damage the creature, rather than firing at it directly.

"It is a creative possibility," muses the three-armed Nadix, "although I would advise against assaulting an alien life form until it has demonstrates obvious aggression."

"Commander, it is demonstrating aggression!" shouts Ensign Chowdhury. The party follows Dr. Ryerson's lead and adjusts their phasers to the highest intensity, aiming their beams directly below the monster at one of the large tables. Phaser fire zaps across the room and turns the table into a glowing, molten surface. The crew must shield their eyes from the intensity, but heat radiates and surges upward!

The strange monster continues to observe its prey and the phaser fire for a moment too long, and suddenly the heat causes molecules of liquid and plasma shrieks as its body begins to ionize! The creature backs away into the corner, but it is too late—its shapeless body quickly dissipates into a cloud of gas crackling with static electricity! The officers can even feel their hairs stand on end as the energy spread itself around the room.

The place is now quiet, save for the live wires in the back.

Actions?

Rolls…

[url=http://www.unseenservant.com/default.asp?do=showone&id=156631&macid=0]Endilev (MN 9) tricorder (-5): [3d6-5] = 13-5 = 8 success

Is the energy being's anatomy prone to being harmed using Ryerson's idea?
1-3: [1d6] = 1 yes

monster reaction check as phasers are adjusted for high intensity
[2d6] = 9

heat radiation [4d6] = 14
heat radiation [3d6] = 6
heat radiation [2d6] = 5
heat radiation [1d6] = 1
26 points of damage — 12 points of energy is absorbed — takes 14 damage
Monster Slain

• Gareb Endilev — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 13 (+1), CT 15/15 — HtH 4, plasma pistol (12/12)
• Nadix Ar Eth — DX 16 (+4), MN 14 (+2), LK 9, CT 12/12 — HtH 2, phaser II (12/24)
• Dr. Ned Ryerson — DX 13 (+1), MN 7 (-2), LK 12, CT 12/12 — HtH 3, phaser II (12/24)
• Ensign Yong — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 7 (-2), CT 15/15 — phaser II (12/24)
• Ensign Chowdhury — DX 11, MN 11, LK 17 (+5), CT 13/13 — phaser II (12/24)

[Captain Kinkajou]

Mr Li and Mr Chowdhury

"Phew! Good call, Doc!" Chowdhury beams at the demise of the alien entity. "Good call Sir, that is," he adds as an afterthought.

Li quickly sweeps the room for anything else untoward that they have not yet spotted. Assuming he finds nothing, he'll call "Clear!" and then stand guard in the doorway with Chowdhury, one watching into the room and the other watching the corridor.

[rredmond]

Commander Gareb Endilev

Gareb takes a millisecond to ponder over the fact that they may have just killed new life and/or new civilization but then shrugs and moves into the room when Mr. Li calls the all clear.
He'll head straight to the wires first, to see about making them safe, and then to check over the computers to see what they can tell them.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Ryerson:

The doctor moves into the next room with the rest of the team.

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

A shadow falls across the Edosian's face as a new life form is destroyed. His tri-lobed brain makes an internal note regarding Humans and other bi-peds: Fear makes them violent.

Careful to avoid the sparking wires, the science explorer enters and cautiously examines the computer console, searching for information on the looming self destruct sequence countdown.

[Starbeard]

Coxa II: Inside the Slaver Outpost
Stardate 2271.3.24: 1823h



The tension in the room, palpable just moments before, quickly dissipates along with the energy being's particles.

Li sweeps the room and finds it empty—save for a peculiar square box, one meter high, made of some strange, mirror-like material. It is resting on the ground to one side of the room, away from the crackling wires.

Nadix ponders the brutal ways of his colleagues as he triambulates over to the computer console. Try as he might, the terminal does not seem to respond to his commands, until…

"There, that should do hold it together for a while!" Endilev calls out, finishing up the last touches of the loose wires that dangle in the corner of the room. They are still exposed, but with the help of his tricorder and tools he is able to redirect the connections, allowing the wires to operate safely and with efficiency.

The command buttons on the computer console now hum to life, and Nadix quickly keys in for the information he seeks, scanning the readouts with the crew's universal translator.

Code: Select all

--MULTIPURPOSE PLANETARY STATION 435--
SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED.
CORE DETONATION IN 117 MINUTES.

--ALL HAIL THE COUNCIL OF EMPERORS. DEATH TO ENEMIES.--

Actions?

Rolls…

Endilev attempts to troubleshoot the wires: Endilev (MN 9) tricorder (-5): [3d6-5] = 10-5 = 5
Success! Time taken 1 round.

Nadix attempts to glean information from the computer console: Nadix (MN 14): [3d6] = 8
Success! Time taken 1 round.

• Gareb Endilev — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 13 (+1), CT 15/15 — HtH 4, plasma pistol (12/12)
• Nadix Ar Eth — DX 16 (+4), MN 14 (+2), LK 9, CT 12/12 — HtH 2, phaser II (24/24)
• Dr. Ned Ryerson — DX 13 (+1), MN 7 (-2), LK 12, CT 12/12 — HtH 3, phaser II (24/24)
• Ensign Yong — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 7 (-2), CT 15/15 — phaser II (24/24)
• Ensign Chowdhury — DX 11, MN 11, LK 17 (+5), CT 13/13 — phaser II (24/24)

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

"Well done, Commander," Nadix says after he shares the screen's readout to the landing party.
Then his three hands quickly key in a command on the console, using the universal translator to reverse engineer the language as best as he is able:

ABORT SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE.

[rredmond]

Commander Gareb Endilev

After flashing a blue thumbs up to Commander Nadix, Gareb turns his tricorder toward the peculiar box Mr. Li has discovered. He attempts to figure out what it is and/or what it holds.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Ryerson:

The doctor scans the room and for any lifeforms similar to the blob creature. Focusing on the consoles or walls with power running through it.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Mr. Li and Mr. Chowdhury

Li keeps an eye on the three officers in the room.

"What do you reckon it is, sir?" he asks Commander Endlev about the metre-high box.

Chowdhury adjusts the stopwatch on his chronometer to 117 minutes and sets it counting down, He watches the seconds tick down for a moment and then pulls his sleeve down over it, so he can't see it. The timer makes him nervous but he'd rather be able to tell how long there is before the self-destruct goes off.

He turns back to the corridor.

[Starbeard]

Coxa II: Inside the Slaver Outpost
Stardate 2271.3.24: 1824h

Countdown on Chowdhury's chronometer: 116 minutes



In this inexplicable chamber of the ancient Slaver Outpost, the officers of the Federation skulk about quietly, trying to find meaning in its strange contents and unusual furniture.

Gareb Endilev and Ensign Li examine the peculiar mirror box together, marveling at the information splayed across Commander Endilev's engineering tricorder. "I'll be damned—it's a force field!" one of them says, "but solid to the touch, a material object in every way!" The tricorder begins to display further information about the box's energy, even more miraculous: there's no question about it, the inside of this container freezes time! Unfortunately, no tricorder readings are capable of penetrating the stasis box to determine what is inside, held timeless for perhaps a million years—but if you can use something as a magnetic probe, then you might be able to open the lid and peer inside…

Dr. Ryerson walks the room carefully, scanning for life signs with his medical tricorder as he goes. The scattered particles of the energy amoeba play havoc on his scanner, and it's too difficult to read through the white noise for more life signs. His eyes are his best asset here: looking around the many strange tables and slabs of furniture resting at impossible angles around the room, he sees no living thing except his own crew mates.

Nadix Ar Eth remains at the console, doing his best to reverse the self-destruct sequence. Alien digits smoothly play over the buttons of the console, and the science officer quickly gains confidence in his ability to translate his intentions into the necessary computer commands:

ABORT SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE.

Code: Select all

--MULTIPURPOSE PLANETARY STATION 435--
ABORT SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE… … …

… … …ACCESS DENIED. TERMINAL NOT AUTHORIZED FOR EXECUTIVE COMMANDS.

--ALL HAIL THE COUNCIL OF EMPERORS. DEATH TO ENEMIES.--

The Edoan's third hand rubs his chin as he contemplates the message. Clearly the command can only be issued from a terminal with access clearance to the outpost's core computer.

Actions?

Rolls…

Endilev & Li examining the stasis box:
Endilev MN (9) check: [3d6] = 12
-5 for using engineering tricorder, total 8 = success

Ryerson patrols for more life signs:
Ryerson MN (7): [3d6] = 13
-5 for using medical tricorder, total 8 = failure, takes 10 minutes/1 turn (but in context of other actions, we'll just call it inconclusive results)

Nadix attempts to cancel sequence:
Nadix MN (14): [3d6] = 10
success

• Gareb Endilev — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 13 (+1), CT 15/15 — HtH 4, plasma pistol (12/12)
• Nadix Ar Eth — DX 16 (+4), MN 14 (+2), LK 9, CT 12/12 — HtH 2, phaser II (24/24)
• Dr. Ned Ryerson — DX 13 (+1), MN 7 (-2), LK 12, CT 12/12 — HtH 3, phaser II (24/24)
• Ensign Li — DX 13 (+1), MN 9, LK 7 (-2), CT 15/15 — phaser II (24/24)
• Ensign Chowdhury — DX 11, MN 11, LK 17 (+5), CT 13/13 — phaser II (24/24)

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

The Edosian scientist's nine orange fingers type in a new command, converted by the universal translator:

IDENTIFY TERMINALS AUTHORIZED FOR EXECUTIVE COMMANDS

[rredmond]

Commander Gareb Endilev

Gareb nods grimly at Mr. Li, and using his tricorder, and his eyes, he scans the room for a way to either disrupt the field, get a scan inside the field (and box) or to find some sort of magnetic probe to open the box. Though he feels that should be a last resort.

[Starbeard]

Endilev is at a loss for alternatives to opening the stasis box with a magnetic field. And try as he might, as long as the stasis shield is up, no scans will penetrate it. Nothing around the room mentions what could be in the box, and aside from the variety of strange tables and shelves, and the circle of chairs facing outward around the computer terminal, no other objects are present.

Thinking about it, he could of course rewire his phaser to transfer power slowly away from the stasis field, but it's risky. If all goes well, he might be able to get a second or two glimpse inside—but then the stasis field might collapse entirely before he can feed energy back into it, exposing whatever is inside and possibly overcharging his phaser. (With his engineering acumen, he estimates a 40% chance of having to make an MN saving throw to avoid collapsing the field)

Endilev MN (9) check: [3d6] = 13
-5 for engineering tricorder = success

Nadix taps in a new command. The terminal responds.

Code: Select all

--MULTIPURPOSE PLANETARY STATION 435--
IDENTIFY TERMINALS AUTHORIZED FOR EXECUTIVE COMMANDS… … …

… … …EXECUTIVE TERMINAL, ROOM F: DAMAGED
… … …EXECUTIVE TERMINAL, ROOM J: OPERATIONAL

--ALL HAIL THE COUNCIL OF EMPERORS. DEATH TO ENEMIES.--

The console readout is incapable of displaying visual maps. Nadix recalls that the side panel to the room they are in is marked "H" in what must be the Slaver alphabet.

Nadix MN (14): [3d6] = 11
success

[Captain Kinkajou]

Mr. Li and Mr. Chowdhury

Mr. Li gives Commander Endilev a sideways look. "Sir, perhaps it is best we do not meddle too much further until after we have ended the countdown? There is no telling what effect breaching the field might have. We do not want to make things worse."

In the doorway, Mr. Chowdhury is thinking of his young wife and kids back on Earth, wondering if his destiny is to see them again... or not. He nervously looks at his chronometer for the third time in the last few seconds and asks, "How are we doing sirs? Have you got any idea how we go about deactivating the self-destruct yet?"

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Ryerson:

The doctor bangs on his tricorder. "There is too much interference in here to pick any life forms. Stay alert Mr. Chowdhury."

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

As the countdown to complete annihilation rolls on, the science explorer calmly looks up from the alien computer terminal.

"Gentlemen, it would seem that if the countdown can indeed be stopped, it can be so ordered in 'Room J.' We are currently in 'Room H,' so our goal may be quite near.
"Let us proceed with haste."

Nadix stands on his three legs in readiness to move out.

[rredmond]

Commander Gareb Endilev

Mr. Li gives Commander Endilev a sideways look. "Sir, perhaps it is best we do not meddle too much further until after we have ended the countdown? There is no telling what effect breaching the field might have. We do not want to make things worse."

"Just exploring all avenues to that end Mr. Li" Endilev responds.

Then he hears Commander Nadix say "Gentlemen, it would seem that if the countdown can indeed be stopped, it can be so ordered in 'Room J.' We are currently in 'Room H,' so our goal may be quite near. Let us proceed with haste."

Endilev stands up. Let's go! Where is Room J?