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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 24, 2014 7:54:05 GMT -6
Shala resumed her repairs after Cruendi'has left the room. She worked at a diligent and methodical pace; Eric almost felt he could set a chronometer to when she was about to head back to his strong box to fish out the next part. A work ethic honed in an environment where there could be no mistakes.
Mistakes...
He thought about River in Medical, wondering if Iskra had everything she needed on hand to help the fallen junior mercenary. Hindsight nagged at him; he should have stopped her or suggested an alternate way to bring down the Praetorian. He believed biotic users were capable of great feats but had forgotten the price many pay to wield such powers. River had shown great power and ability despite her awkwardness outside of combat.
Her first solo mission. So much for Beginner's Luck.
But the team's mission was, for all it had cost and taken, mostly complete. Esteban Bridges had control of the ruins again and he wasted no time in picking up where he left off, rounding up volunteers to venture inside with him to probe its secrets.
Let the eggheads have their jollies, Eric thought, remebering the other dig sites he worked at. They'll squak loud enough when trouble pops up.
The troublesome Collector mothership could be hours or even minutes away.
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Post by grandest on Mar 24, 2014 11:58:26 GMT -6
Crendi'has with no small measure of incredulity as the Mr. Bridges' fancy lift hover over the hatch and Maelstrom's "backup plan" fall an indeterminate amount of space down. Upon Mr. Bridges asking for volunteers to join him, Meldom and Maelstrom eagerly answered the call. "You guys enjoy yourselves," Cruendi'has grinned. "I'll listen carefully for any screaming."
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Post by Game Master on Mar 24, 2014 15:57:29 GMT -6
[GM Post: Going down the rabbit hole]
The descent down the excavated hole is smooth and without difficulty. To the sides, they saw layers of compacted soil of varying shades of gray, but with one layer close to the bottom that is bright orange (tell me if you scan it so I can give more information). When passing through the open hatch, your suit's environmental sensors detects an atmosphere
- 93.1% Carbon Dioxide - 6.9% Nitrogen
Copious amounts of sulfur dioxide, argon, and water vapor is mixed in. The air pressure is substantial, but nothing that your suit cannot compensate for (15 bars). A kinetic barrier holds everything in, indicating this base's secondary systems are still fully powered.
The lift lands.
The 'Keeper' that stood still at the bottom skittered away, seemingly running. No one has ever seen a Keeper actually run. They have always moved calmly, unhurried. This one rushed away down the hall between 4 and 5 before turning a corner and out of sight.
[GM Note: Welcome to the previously lost base of the Nithian Empire. The basic description of it is on the map. Feel free to explore all you want. Please do not wait for Esteban to give any sort of order here. He will give the okay for any and all sorts of exploring as long as nobody destroys anything. Just pick a number at the end of your post!]
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Mar 24, 2014 22:32:16 GMT -6
Repairing armor was a simple task for any quarian--even a child could do it--so as Shala worked, she considered the possibility that Cerberus now had access to geth technology, and she did not like that. There were many different opinions about the geth among her people, but one thing no one could dispute was that the geth had not attacked them since their flight from Rannoch.
But Cerberus had, and if geth technology--perhaps the most advanced technology in the galaxy--was combined with their ruthlessness, there were dark times ahead, not only for her people, but for the entire galaxy.
"So, you say that Cerberus 'tried' to reverse engineer the geth," she said, trying to keep her voice casual. "Which means they failed...right?"
I also need to talk to Maelstrom, she thought. Did he discover anything on the geth in the Cerberus files he recovered?
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 25, 2014 8:00:47 GMT -6
Shala manuevered another replacement servo into place in Eric's armor, bolting it in. "So, you say that Cerberus 'tried' to reverse engineer the geth," she stated with a hint of concern. "Which means they failed...right?"
"Far as the logs showed, that particular base's efforts failed," Eric replied. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you how far Cerberus got with their research or if they found any others. That was the only base I ran across with geth... since Eden Prime, I've picked up hints here and there that they - the geth - were pretty careful 'bout keepin' a low profile before they reappeared in force. Rumors about "sentient reconnaissance of unknown origin" spotted out in the Verge by Alliance patrols..."
Eric sighed, remembering his many battles with them. "Shala... at the risk of causing offense again, I gotta tell ya... those things are a piece o' work. If you run across the ones that just shoot at you with rockets n' lasers, bound all around you like kangaroos or send giant walkers after ya, consider yourself lucky. The ones I ran into hack and corrupt your systems. Cut off your oxygen, freeze or boil you inside your suit if they don't paralyze you. Short out your weapons or turn them against you."
He stared into Shala's eyes through her faceplate. "Once I had to fight my own men in nothin' but my underwear because the fuckin' Lite-Brites hacked our armor and were usin' em as puppets...! Only me and Ed Brushell survived... if you call livin' with a buncha tubes sticking in ya survival..."
Eric then shrugged "I'm sorry, Shala... the geth are pure evil, plain and simple. I can see how your people lost their home to 'em. They can't love... they don't even hate. Cold and logical. They just wanna wipe out all living things so they can compute Pi for all eternity with no one to disturb 'em."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 25, 2014 9:26:29 GMT -6
At seeing the keeper-like being rush away and down the hall, Maelstrom drew his SMG and one of the Collector grenades. Without waiting for the lift to come to a full halt, he headed off after the being. Despite moving at a purposeful pace, he was careful with each step, trying to minimize the noise he made and keep an eye out for anything akin to modern security systems. Investigating this place would be risky enough without a survivor running around.
Then it turned the corner. Out of sight.
He tried to reason out what would happen when he caught up to his target. Did it have some means of defense? Was it running off to activate a self-destruct? One thing he was certain of was that Bridges would want it alive, but if the thing threatened his life, it was as good as dead. His best hope was to maneuver it into a corner and hope it had some sort of self-preservation instinct that would make it surrender rather than be blasted into pieces.
A thought occurred to him. Activating his comms, he said, "Cruendi'has, we have an unidentified being down here. Looks to have been sealed in here all these years. I'm heading after it, but your submission net would sure come in handy if I can locate and corner it."
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Mar 25, 2014 11:04:15 GMT -6
Shala stopped as she considered Eric Lysander’s words, especially about having to kill his own men because the geth had hacked their armor.
Tali’Zorah said nothing about this when she discussed their evolution, she thought. Keelah se’lai, I need to inform the Fleet…
She pushed those thoughts aside as she considered the man before her. She realized under his direct manner and jokes, he carried his own set of scars. All of us probably have them, she thought. We just hide them in different ways.
She wondered if he blamed her people for having to kill his own men, but then just as quickly realized he most likely didn’t. Such hatred would render him incapable of being civil to her.
Like me and Cruendi’has, she thought, and knew she still had a long way to go in dealing with her own psychological scars.
She wanted to ask him how he dealt with such pain, but decided that was too personal a question to ask right now; they were still in the middle of the mission.
She shook her head to put aside her thoughts, allowing her to refocus on repairing his armor. A replaced microprocessor there, a little soldering there…
“All done,” she said, activating her omnitool. “Let me double-check it to be sure.”
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 25, 2014 12:07:54 GMT -6
“All done,” she said, activating her omnitool. “Let me double-check it to be sure.”
Eric held out his arms in a T-shape. "I'm sure you didn't miss a thing... but, you're the mechanic."
As Shala passed her omnitool all about his armor to verify her work, Eric said "Gonna check on River and the doc, see how they're doin before I head back out... not really in a hurry to fawn over B's find. But I do wanna see if we can remote control the turret when the Collector ship shows up. Especially since both Vengeance and Valiant are planetside now."
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Mar 25, 2014 18:24:17 GMT -6
"Checking a repair is standard among my people," Shala said. "To send you out without verifying my work, it's like...taking a gun into battle without checking to see it has a heat sink."
As she scanned his armor, she considered his words. She would certainly like to know if the brave human girl was all right, and perhaps this was as good an opportunity as any at trying to talk to Iskra again.
The omnitool chirped, letting her know the scan was complete. "All done, everything is working fine," she said. "I'd like to go with you as you check on River, if you don't mind," she said as she cleaned up the workspace.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 25, 2014 21:46:08 GMT -6
"Checking a repair is standard among my people," Shala said. "To send you out without verifying my work, it's like...taking a gun into battle without checking to see it has a heat sink."
"An excellent point," agreed Eric "'Minds me of this security guard that tried to hold off a pirate with an unloaded pistol - funny story I'll tell ya later."
An audible chirp was heard from the quarian's omnitool, prompting her to stop passing it about him. "All done, everything is working fine."
Eric stowed the unused and damaged parts back inside his strong box and sealed it, Shala assisting after securing her own tools.
"I'd like to go with you as you check on River, if you don't mind," she volunteered. Eric pushed his strong box back into place and then stepped outside of the storage area.
"I wouldn't mind that at all, Shala," he said, waving an arm in the direction of the stairwell, inviting her to join him. He then stopped for a moment and tapped some buttons on his omnitool, recalling the idea he had as Shala spoke of her Pilgrimage. A receipt light blinked on Shala's own tool.
"Just sent you the schematics and the arming code on the little 'insurance policy' you're carrying for me," he explained. "It's yours now, totally under your control. If it's not used for this mission, feel free to break it down and repurpose it. I know it's not as good as getting a used ship but maybe you can duplicate the laminates and use that to shore up bulkheads. Mass effect generators could be re-keyed as a power source or somethin'. Point is to do something positive with it... cause I can't think of one thing I've made, outside of being a soldier, that's been of any good to anyone..."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 25, 2014 22:51:06 GMT -6
Damn thing's fast, Maelstrom cursed inwardly, as he rounded a corner, chasing after the keeper-look-alike. He was barely able to keep it in view, thanks to its head start, though he was gaining slowly on it. Either this is something completely different, or those things on the Citadel are always holding back.
He kept his weapons at the ready, not sure what weapons his prey might possess. For all he knew, the thing could be biotic.
The corridors around him seemed unimpressive, aside from the fact that there was no obvious source for the light which kept everything lit just enough to be clearly visible. Its omnipresence also resulted in a lack of any discernible shadows. Aside from the open doorways spaced throughout the complex, the passageways were relatively uniform. Swirling patterns of oranges, browns, and beiges that ran from about waist high up onto the ceiling. They reminded him somewhat of the storms of Jupiter. Below those lines, it was simply smooth metal, seemingly the same kind as composed the ruins above. It gave the corridors an impression of being enclosed walkways inside the atmosphere of a gas giant. What added to the effect but took him a moment to realize as he ran through the place was that the patterns actually moved gradually, like air currents.
Just as Maelstrom prepared to throw out a pull field, the keeper-look-alike rushed headlong into a wall. Maelstrom expected it had saved him the trouble of incapacitating it, until he realized it passed right through what appeared to be solid metal. He skidded to a halt several meters away from the wall, suspicious of the unfamiliar technology, not knowing if it were some sort of one-way forcefield. Perhaps there was even a small army of the beings on the other side. He took several steps back for safety sake, keeping his weapon trained on the spot the creature had passed through.
"Meldom, Bridges, if you can lock in on my position, I think I've found something you'd be interested in," Maelstrom called into the comms.
He hit a couple quick buttons on his omni-tool and opened a secure channel to Shala'Bekk. "Hey, Shala, you might want to get down here. Somehow, the lights are still on down here. And there are some other interesting quirks about this place. Could be valuable to the Fleet, but I don't know how much time you'll have to try to figure it out before Bridges gets this place locked down or the Collectors come back and drive us out." With that, he closed the channel.
(The wall the keeper-look-alike ran into was in room 10. Details in this post have been GM approved.)
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Mar 26, 2014 0:22:16 GMT -6
"...I can't think of one thing I've made, outside of being a soldier, that's been of any good to anyone..."
Those words made Shala look at him in a whole new light. It sounded like part of him regretted the path his life had taken, that maybe he would do things differently if he had the chance. Keelah, just about everyone wishes they could do that, she thought. I wonder if I would still go to that colony?
...Lylia lying on the ground, two harpoons sticking out of her back...
Maelstrom's voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she listened to his message.
Keelah, she thought, knowing she would have to postpone her visit with River and her talk with Iskra.
"I just got a message asking me to come to the site," she said. "Pass along my well wishes to River, and thanks for the schematics, see you later!"
She jogged toward the site, both eager and curious.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 26, 2014 7:39:24 GMT -6
As Eric and Shala reached the stairwell the quarian paused and bowed her head, putting one hand aside of it. Someone was contacting her directly.
"I just got a message asking me to come to the site," she said.
Eric's mouth went askew as he bobbed his head "Alright. Just three things to 'member about ruins," He ticked off each point on one upheld hand. "Never read aloud from any ancient manuscript, never remove the golden idol from it's pedestal and never break down a door that looked like a lotta trouble to put up!"
Eric could not judge her reaction to his latest jibe but her tone indicated she was neither offended nor thought anything of it. He understood completely if she did not realize that those were all tropes from vids about explorers seeking treasure in lost ruins. "Pass along my well wishes to River, and thanks for the schematics, see you later!" she said as she jogged away and off the ship.
Eric turned and continued upstairs to the medical bay. As he entered he saw River on the medi-bed at the far end, looking as if she were sleeping peacefully. A breathing tube clipped to her nostrils. Iskra was busy nearby as he solemnly walked up to the unconcious girl and rested a hand on one of hers.
"Hey Doc.... how's she doin'...?"
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Post by dargene on Mar 26, 2014 9:23:59 GMT -6
Meldom had descended after Maelstrom had, watching him as he chased after the Keeper like creature Can't be keeper.. odds unlikely.. but..maybe.. his thoughts trailed off as his feet landed on the floor with no sound. He looked at the walls around him "Incredible" he mutters, he could not see a visible light source yet everything was lit up "Could be tiny LED's mixed in the walls.. would make them electric"
He touches the wall briefly "No?.. unless current is to low for me to feel." he noticed that there were door like shapes leading to different rooms and decided to check them out.
(GM post to what i find ?)
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Post by Game Master on Mar 27, 2014 0:39:14 GMT -6
[GM Post: Meldom]
(I'm assuming you're following Maelstrom slightly and checking room #4 and #5)
First off though
The walls: Meldom's omnitool will pick up an inordinate amount of photons emitting from the walls.
Room #4: The walls are lined with giant cylinders surrounded by what appears to be projectors for holographic consoles. It's difficult to say what the cylinders are made of. They appear to be glass, but many substances have glass-like qualities. Next to each cylinder stands rectangular shapes, most likely computer mainframes. Dozens of tables populate the room, filled with strange devices. From the ceiling, large translucent bags dangling from tubes, all filled with a thick green liquid. At the dead center lies a crystal sarcophagi with what appears to be a mummified Keeper.
Room #5: Several holographic projectors line the wall, each having a deactivated console next to it.
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 27, 2014 1:08:37 GMT -6
As Maelstrom waited for Meldom to meet up with him, a thought occurred to him. Iskra would probably be loving this.
With a couple quick commands to his omni-tool, he called up a private channel to the Vengeance. "Emily, take readings with my omni-tool and record for later analysis. Also, begin archiving footage from my helmet's camera and audio. Start with my entrance into this complex and keep recording until ordered otherwise. Standard protocols to filter out private communications to the Vengeance and to other members of the party apply."
"Understood, Maelstrom. Having fun?"
"Thrill a minute, Emily. Just watched a Keeper run through a solid wall," he replied.
"Error. Keepers do not 'run.'"
"Take a look for yourself once you get the footage," he laughed.
There was a pause as she accessed the data. "This would suggest either the wall or the Keeper is a holographic projection."
"Yeah, either that or there's something else fishy going on down here."
"If there is a technology which allows for a solid wall to be projected yet for selective matter to pass through, it would be greatly beneficial to our efforts to acquire it. Such technology would increase our stealth capabilities," the VI suggested.
"My thoughts exactly. Maelstrom out."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 27, 2014 12:03:14 GMT -6
Iskra did not reply - something on the viewscreen in front of her had her attention. Eric looked back to River.
"Hey, Rocket," he said quietly while stroking her hand. "Hope you don't mind the name - after what I saw you do today, the name seems ta fit... everyone's been worried 'bout you, especially Shala... she meant ta stop by but Fearless Leader needed her at the ruins. Hopefully it's not trouble.... she's really pullin' for ya... so am I..."
Eric leaned in a bit. "Hey, don't think you can weasel outta lettin' me pay you back, " he chided. "Iskra isn't gonna make that easy, you'll see. She'll fix you, you'll wake up... and I'll be standin' right here sayin' 'you're welcome.' Then you'll slap on your fedora and go explorin', too, and I might join ya... just leave the heavy liftin' to me from here on out, 'kay...? Takin' punishment's my deal. Hell, it's practically a superpower for me... just promise no more biotic whammys, stick to the guns and blades... alright?"
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Post by grandest on Mar 27, 2014 14:36:22 GMT -6
"Cruendi'has, we have an unidentified being down here. Looks to have been sealed in here all these years. I'm heading after it, but your submission net would sure come in handy if I can locate and corner it." Maelstrom's voice squawked in the Batarian's ear. "Well, at least you aren't dead yet." He replied, priming his omnitool to fire another net. "I'll be right down. Well, right after this lift comes back up. No offense, Maelstrom, but I'll leave your 'backup plan' alone for right now." "Meldom, Bridges, if you can lock in on my position, I think I've found something you'd be interested in," Maelstrom called again a minute later. Cruendi'has sighed. "Missing all the fun." As the lift finally reached topside, Cruendi'has stepped onboard and looked up. Shala, the Quarian stood, ready to board as well. Cruendi'has raised his hand in a fist to his helmet, where his mouth would normally be found, and coughed. It was an awkward gesture to be sure, but it was the only reaction he had to release the tension in the metaphorical air. "Going down?"
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2014 21:45:42 GMT -6
The VI’s voice unraveled everything that her small rituals had been doing for her nerves, the damage more extensive than she realized. It just brought back memories of Benewan in his final days, staring helplessly at screens as everything in his body started to shut down.
So many things were going wrong she was unsure of where to start first, her hands tightening on the back of the chair. Her mind was racing through the little information on human biology she knew, hoping that it would be enough. She heard a voice and turned to see Eric standing at the entrance of the medbay, she opened her mouth to ask him what he had said but he was already moving towards the bed containing River.
Iskra sighed and looked back at the red warnings on the scan, unsure of how she was going to do this. The nerve damage will cause pain but could be easily solved with some light electrical stimulation, the rest will be a waiting game to see how badly it is and then if it could be cured at all. The rest was a mountain compared to that hill. All the damage to the brain was making her hands tremble, she didn’t even know how to cut open things that were still alive.
Then the implant….Shit. She had forgotten that. Humans were the only ones that required the implant to control biotics. There was no way they had a replacement on board.
The young doctor’s mask fell away for the second time this mission, desperately trying to dig through cabinets and drawers. No time to care about if the others saw her loose her professionalism.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 27, 2014 22:20:18 GMT -6
Eric was still and silent by his young ward. Wondering, hoping that she heard him and was trying to fight her way back from whatever dark recess she was in. He slowly became conscious of rattling noises inside the medical bay. Was it Iskra's pet, the ship's unofficial mascot rummaging around?
The noises got louder and more frantic. Eric's head whipped about at the sound of a drawer slamming shut. It was Iskra herself searching for something in a state of panic.
"Doc?" he called with a hand outstretched, rushing to her side. "Doc, what're'ya lookin' for...? Iskra... what's wrong?"
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