ISR – Age of Unification
Saturday Session
DATE: 11.28.2020
[BACKGROUND]:
Character introductions. Valeera Song has been in the hospital in a vegetative state and finally woke up in a monastery with a bracelet with a purple jewel on her forehead which her dad reportedly died to get.
Currency added to game. Rolled (d100 + d10)+ 0(at end) = galactic units (gu). D10 + 0(at end) = star ship currency (slvr).
System Ulbrin. Station Unifica ( where this group is starting). There is an ancient ring gate in this area this Pre-Gap. This is 182 PG (Post-Gap).
[RECAP]:
none
[TRANSMISSION BEGINS]:
Abraxas and Odessya have been on private transport to Unifica. They can see the Ring of Majora in the distance as they disembark. Odessya sees everything and knows that is between Marquen and Federation space. The Ring she notices has chunks that have been completely replaced as she zooms in on her helmet. It looks as if it were damaged or destroyed on purpose. She doesn't know what it is for or where it leads. Abraxas gets a flashback and sees the Tiandong guarding it as it is being built. He re-sees the gate opening up again in a flash. He also remembers that Majora Alpha (as it is fully called) was purposely deactivated for a reason he cannot remember and was cut down the axis.
He turns to Odessya and comments on who and why the ring is being rebuilt. They say that they can probably find out who did it with their ways. He then looks for markings on who is building the ring.
Allein was having ship issues because of someone who attacked him. He is stuck at Majora Tech and has no funds to repair his ship, particularly the FTL jump drive. He is selling spice. He has formed a pact with another merchant to help each other. He is sitting at a cafe wishing he were out of this hell-hole. Across from him is his friend merchant Malahanz.
Allein is a bit depressed because of the price it will take to get funds for his ship which is kinda expensive because it is a rarer ship. The monastery is nearby which has resources that are useful for their purposes and is used for medi-pens and medi-patches.
Valeera is nearby and overhears the two merchants talking about spices and the monastery where she has been staying. Valeera goes over to them and sits down. They ask how they can help her. She says that she has overheard them. Malahanz calls her rude. She looks like a monk and has a bald head (probably due to her vegetative state). She requests to be in on what their plans are.
The three at the table notice a Stogie lighting up in a darker corner of the cafe. There is a dark face with a dark mustache and a hat. Malahanz particularly notices the nice full mustache and appreciates it. He has a nice hat, very nice outfit, looking like a mercenary. Clay sees that everyone else notices him.
Clay takes a coin out of his pocket and plays with it. His hat covers his face. He calls the bar keeper and asks for three whiskeys. The bar keeper asks what the money is, since it is just human money. He sends him a request. Clay waves his hand over it. The bar keeper asks him to tap it, charging him 3 gu. The bar keeper is a Deltan. Clay has never seen one of them. The bar keeper gives them the whiskey. He sets the three down and passes one to Allein and Malahanz. To Valeera, he passes it with a wink. He claims that they used to put venom in them. Valeera calls him a silly name and downs the drink.
Malahanz comments on Clay's mustache. Clay gives him a retort. He says he shot one of Malahanz's men. They continue to talk. As they are talking, Clay happens to just twirl his gun on his finger. He doesn't seem to realize he is doing so. They notice it is an antique.
They ask to look. He points it at him. He then starts to give it to Malahanz and then right before he passes it, he takes it back, twirls it, and puts it back on the hip. The bar keeper makes a comment. Clay eventually lets them look at it.
Abraxas and Odessya see the Marquen ship in the docks. Abraxas sees it as a newer Marquen style. Abraxas looks for information about the persons and company working on the Ring. From research, Majora Tech, a private company, is working on it with the purpose of rebuilding the past. There are a lot of sensors by the ship. Are there cameras around the ship. There are no cameras. The station is sealed. He looks for a sensor near the entrance: there is. He looks for a node which is also nearby. He looks then for the bar or bounty board.
He sees a cafe nearby with a large window looking over the ship. He tries to get into the node and seeks to go into the cafe. They walk in. They see the coffee station with a Deltan in the area who welcomes them. Abraxas asks for vodka. Odessya asks for coffee. Abraxas pays and thanks him. They have a moment.
He points to the four and warns them about the four in the corner. Abraxas doesn't think they will be bothered much by them and will avoid them. Abraxas tries to tap into the node. He is able to lightly interface with the node.
Valeera asks Clay why he is there. Clay responds that he doesn't know why he's there, calling him a bro. Valeera gestures to her chest and responds that she is female. Clay corrects himself, touching his hat with his fingers. She downs another whiskey that Allein passed to her because he didn't want to drink while doing business. Malahanz is drinking his whiskey as he examines Clay's antique gun.
Valeera comments on that she is not the only one who is clueless about why they are there. Allein says he does though. Malahanz has no idea what brand the gun is and notices that the gun manufacturing was done well. It has some light modifications to allow it to shoot in a vacuum. He passes it back to him. Clay does another flourishing twirl and holsters his gun. Clay asks them why they are there.
Clay introduces himself as Arizona. They exchange names. Allein asks if he too wishes to leave this space. Clay responds that he is looking for a job to make money. He says he knows someone who give him good jobs and good money. Malahanz asks if it is a good job. Clay says that his hands would have to get dirty.
Clay notices the couple that enters and has an unusual order. Clay gives them a side eye and turns so that Abraxas can see him. Odessya gives him a wink as she sees him look at her. Abraxas tells her in private comms to not cause too much trouble. She says she won't.
Clay orders more whiskeys and takes them. He takes them over to the couple and walks over to the couple. He says that they look like they want a job and he wants to hire. Abraxas asks what kind of job. Clay freezes. Abraxas asks if there is even pay on it. Clay tries to pull up data on his data pad on the information. He is having trouble looking through it. Abraxas notices that the data pad is a lot more protective than the usual. He comments that he has a good employer. Clay explains that he was sent to the station to investigate anything odd. Abraxas asks to see the data pad. Clay extends his arm for him to examine it. Abraxas just absorbs all the data on it. The data is closed off. He just sees the message and the person who sent it. One is that the situation is odd: investigate Major and Majora Tech. Person is Avalyn. There are no pay details.
Valeera gets a message saying that something is critical and someone is needed to investigate. She motions for the three of them to rise and move to join over to the couple.
Clay hears their chairs move and flinches.
Abraxas consults with Odessya via private comms. She wants to play him. He suggests they might be dead weight.
The three who approach are asked who they are. Abrazas questions Allein about his ship and tries to get him to tell the truth about what he was attacked by. Allein doesn't remember who attacked him. He says he was just hit by something and doesn't remember who.
Abraxas reveals his eyes at Allein and says that it is combat damage. Valeera asks if they want money. Abraxas says that Valeera seems reasonable. Allein was actually rammed.
Malahanz knows the monks grow the spice in that location. Clay just knows about the rig. Abraxas and Odessya know where the rig is (where the monastery is which has a glass dome and area to grow spice). Abraxas comments to Valeera that she is from the monastery. (Clay writes the rig in a paper and leather journal.) Valeera comments that if the rig goes, the spice goes, and if the spice goes, that they will not be able to leave.
Clay starts singing since he notices that the couple is silent. They are consulting each other over private comms. Odessya sees it as a chance to learn more about the situation. She sees Clay as a tool.
Abraxas accepts their offer. Valeera explains the plan: gain trust, fix the rig, get spice, and sell money. Malahanz asks if they know how to fix the rigs. Valeera says she doesn't know. Abraxas says they will be involved, just tell them when.
Valeera sends that she has a crew. She then gets a response to get there asap. She doesn't respond and turns off the messenger.
Clay asks Valeera if she knows a blonde with a head jewel. She is confused. (crosses something out in his notebook.) Clay sees a snap of a broadcast on a hologram that says a group of five hold an insect at gunpoint. (He writes this in his notebook.)
Odessya is confused. Abraxas can't recall if it is Old Earth or something else. Malahanz knows that it is Old Earth, remembering that there is as state of Arizona.
Abraxas asks how many hallucinogens he has taken. He says he is a Gods-fearing person. Odessya comments on the amount of whiskey he drunk. Malahanz perceives that Clay is actually believing what he is claiming. Abraxas asked what year it is to Clay.
They start to walk out.
(ten min break)
Clay tells Abraxas: 1863. He pounds down all three whiskeys because no one else drank them. Abraxas comments it as odd. Clays says it is hell here. Clay grips his side, feeling as if he got shot. He writes Reno and Daniel Traden in his journal. He mutters that he was hunting the guy.
Abraxas rises. Clay mentions Eva. Odessya asks who Ava is. Clay responds that she gives him money and that she is a good lady.
Clay feels his body and realizes he was actually bleeding. He makes a note of day and time of the incident. He looks back and finds that the time and date has happened before on other occasions.
Abraxas tells him that it is not 1863. Clay says his mind is not completely convinced. Abraxas shows him his chronometer. Clay is confused.
Valeera says the job is waiting and that they should start moving. She says there is public transport that can take them to the monastery. Odessya saunters out. Clay is in the back. Abraxas is second to last. The rest are ahead. They get on the transport and hear over the comms: “Transport to Ido-Provos. Ten minutes.” Clay comments that he is not used to the ethereal voices.
Abraxas questions Clay on the bleeding. Clay shows him the journal and its entries. He looks through the journal. He says he feels like he has been shot and has blood. This occurrence is worse than previously.
While on the transport, Odessya and Abraxas check to see if they got paid from their previous mission. Valeera goes over what she will say to the monks. Clay practices his twirls.
They are flying toward a massive gas giant Ulbrin. There is a station orbiting it, very faintly.
Abraxas gets a flashback. He sees a ship with logos on it going into the gas giant. The rig is a joint op between the Earth Empire and the New Earth Empire and a bit of Infinity. He banks the location of where they are. He just assumes the planet had something special on it.
The ship docks with the station and gives them the usual warnings that are sent whenever there are stops.
Clay sees more “moving pictures” or broadcasts and sees the blonde with the jewel on her forehead. The subtitles state the Layla Keane has joined something. He drags Abraxas to the broadcast and points to her stating that this is the person whom he has been talking about. Abraxas doesn't sound pleased. Clay has no idea why she is there and doesn't know if she is anything. Clay seems to get bad vibes when he sees her. He finally remembers why he wrote it: there was someone who looked similar to her: Eva. On his character, he has a photo of her. He shows the picture and tries to teach Clay how to use it. They look similar but are not the same. The cheeks and facial structure are similar. Eva has a black hair and a silver jewel and circlet. Abraxas notes this and puts the info up for bidding. He takes a picture, and finds the image scrambled. He asks Odessya to draw. Clay asks himself to be drawn. She kisses it, imprinting her red lipstick on the corner and gives it to him.
Valeera hears a sound that is one of her friend monks, Lain. She introduces him to the crew. He responds with a single adjective. Valeera silences Malahanz who tries to protest the description. Valeera tells him to be silent and explains her reasoning to Lain.
Lain says he sees no issue and introduces himself. They do also. Lain looks at Valeera in a little grimace at one of her descriptive words for Clay. Lain asks them to follow him. Abraxas comments that the rig is certainly ancient. Lain comments that there are some areas that they cannot reach.
There is something sinking and breaking on the rig. They don't know what. They have had no issues until three months ago and they want to know what the issue is so that they can fix it. Malahanz does some protests. Lain tells him to calm his fur.
He asks them to get on the shuttle. They all sit down. He voices some disapproval of her choice of crew, saying some look sketchy. He takes them down in to the gas giant. There are many colors as they pass through the clouds. Clay thinks he is high. Clay looks around. The clouds open up and there are trees then he blinks and sees none. (writes notes.)
Lain welcomes them to the rig. Abraxas informs Odessya of what the importance of the place it.
Clay asks if it is heaven. Valeera says that it is the one pretty place. Lain says that underneath them is an abyss. They feel a creak and the whole place shifts. Malahanz's hair is on end now, but he manages to keep himself under control.
Abraxas tells the rest to keep moving forward. They see a large biodome ahead. There are a lot of agriculture here. There are plants growing in the exposed areas of the gas giant. They enter the bio-dome. They are then taken to the headmaster where they can talk about their pay.
There are lots of colors around them, blues and greens and reds. Odessya comments on the fact that it would be a pity to have the place fall into the gas giant. They get to the main monastery building. It is beautifully crafted. Some parts are made out of ship parts. Lain walks them in. He tells them that they should talk to the headmaster on their own and refer to him as the headmaster. Lain explains that they too do not know the name of the headmaster.
He opens up the door. They enter. There is a man in there who is more well-dressed than the rest of the monks. He introduces himself as the headmaster.
Valeera explains that she found some people who are stuck in the system. (Abraxas glances at Odessya at this statement.) Headmaster comments on the variety of people chosen. Odessya and Abraxas resign themselves to slvr units.
The headmaster gives them some tea. Clay demands his money. He pulls out his gun, shows him cartridges, and says that as long as he can pay for them, he is happy. He says that sadly slvr will not be able to purchase the cartridges, but that the spices will.
He briefs them all on the situation. He says that is something is wrong with their lead support. There are six of these. The System support is failing. They want them to go down and figure out the issue and stabilize what they want. They don't want them to try to repair it. He says that three months ago a huge event happened. Abraxas asks what happened. The Headmaster doesn't respond. Abraxas responds: “Oh him.” Headmaster responds that he can blame Kairon. Abraxas says that they will have to go through very interesting encounters. The headmaster just said that whatever they find down there will not be normal.
As they leave, Valeera tips her head at the headmaster and thanks him. He thanks her.
Valeera makes a comment. Abraxas says that as long as they get paid, there is no issue. They start to head to where they can descend. They go down into the elevator system. They get into it. They are descending for quite some time.
Abraxas feels a vibration other than the lift's natural one. Clay is leaning against the wall. He hears a weird screeching sound that gets louder as they descend. It's coming from the left side. He touches the wall and feels that it is getting hotter. He braces it. Suddenly the lift stops moving. Their suits activate and there is a low oxygen environment.
Clay looks through is glasses and finds that the track has been gone, eaten up an disappeared. A grip on the other track has been activated, keeping them attached. He scans deeper. He sees something with eight legs walking along the outside of the lift. The lift is starting to heat up as it goes around and around the lift. He pulls it up on a feed holo for the others to see.
A lot of people arm themselves and prepare to move. Abraxas looks in the codex and finds that it is an Infinity repair drone. There is a sudden beam that shoots through the lift. Valeera opens up the door.
Outside there are pylons and brown clouds of gas. Abraxas closes the door. They discuss what they are going to do given the situation that they are in. Valeera knows that the lifts are supposed to be reliable, but that something is wrong. Malahanz notices that the maintenance drone seems to be malfunctioning because it is not acting like a repair drone.
The repair drone is on the side near the door. Allein climbs outside the door.
Odessya looks outside. She sees a platform and a catwalk below. There is a circular shaft nearby. There is a cylindrical walkway going out periodically from. It's about thirty feet below them. The gravity is quite strong (4x). They are not too far from the bottom. She can detect solidish ground with semi-liquid possibly over it. This is 100 ft below them. Twenty feet above the surface a chunk of the support is missing.
Abraxas detects a node on the repair drone. He tries to interface with it. He accesses it and finds a re-dock and drop cargo command. He commands it to re-dock. The drone closes up.
Valeera grapples onto the side and is able to hold onto the railing. She sees the drone adjusting itself. She wonders what it is using the metal for as it gathers it.
Clay shoots at it. The center goes out the back of the drone. The drone scrambles to grab onto something. At the same moment, Abraxas's command activates and it begins to descend. Odessya piggy-backs Abraxas and ties a rope to the lift in case they miss.
Valeera notices that it is melting the metal and wonders what it is building. She tells them to keep an eye on the tanks on the drone.
Malahanz is still in the lift ready to attach the rope to himself should the two who are jumping manage to succeed. Abraxas jumps. He catches onto the drone and secures himself to it. Odessya almost slips but Abraxas grabs her. She holds onto him tighter and pulls her pistol out.
Malahanz realizes he can climb down and drops the rope which Odessya coils up and puts on her waist. Clay waits in the elevator. Valeera looks for an override panel and flips the switch. The whole elevator shifts.
Odessya and Abraxas get the catwalk as the drone moves. It is moving faster as it proceeds. Clay sees that the tanks on the underside of the drone are very hot. Allein notices that that there is a bend in the rig. There are lots of glitches around the area.
[TRANSMISSION ENDS]
[NOTES]:
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