Upon reaching a doorway, Blake stops at the edge for a quick peek from cover, then scans the room quickly before moving onwards.  He will speak only if he sees something of interest -- a larger room or such.

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 41):

Already, the signal was fading. Thomas replied, "that isn't going to do me much good, Neva. If you leave me here I will lose your signal. And vice versa. Hold your position, I'm going to meet up with you."

Blake determined there was something odd about this construction. There didn't seem to be any obvious access to outside from inside the dome, although that could be hidden or in one of these tunnels somewhere. But there were no elevators, no electrical sockets, no provision for artificial lighting, no plumbing or wiring or conduits. No vents for air flow. There was no gift shop. Nothing was set up like any comparable Solomani or Imperial memorial edifice!

Hmmm, barracks or storage space he thinks.  He eyes that doorways, big enough for fork lifts or other cargo movers ??

Ollie, do you sense any air currents or movement ??  I'm seeing zip for T/L of any sort here.  Hold up, I'm going to do a dust test.  Blake carefully searches for some fine dust to toss up into the air -- he watches for air flow ...

That done, he crosses to a wall, spits and rubs the grime away from a patch.  Does it look like a cutter of some sort was used ??  He invites Ollie over for a look/see too.

In reply to GM (msg # 43):

Neva shook her head and got Ken's attention.  "Ken.  We're losing contact with Blake.  He says to hold up.  He doesn't want to lose contact between us."

Ken listened to the conversation and nodded to Neva.  "Come on in Thomas.  Lorain things she's found the path to the center of this warren.  From what Blake says this place looks like it was built by TL 2 or 3 people not a star faring civilization."  As he spoke he held up his hand.  "Let's wait up for Thomas to join us.  We can use his experience here."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 46):

While they waited for Thomas, Blake and Ollie performed some simple experiments. There was little dust down here, only gravel, a kind of dried clay mud and dirt, but Blake could shave some concrete dust off the permacrete walls using a knife. The scraping sounds echoed through the tunnels. When he tried to determine if there were any air currents it seemed like there might be something coming up the tunnel they were in, from down below. Perhaps not.

The construction itself seemed to be permacrete poured into forms. In places the walls had cracked, even partially collapsed. The substrate seemed to be a hard black volcanic stone of some kind, likely part of the extrusion on which the temple sat and was what kept it from sinking into the mud of the river delta under its own colossal weight. If he had to guess it looked like industrial plasma torches had been used to bore the tunnels. Likely TL10 at most, within the Sky Raider speculated technological capability.

Blake takes some long slow sniffs of the air -- dry or moist ??

Seems to be minimal air transfer Ollie, did we bring a gas tester ??  Wondering if we will run into gas pockets if we go downwards.

"This place reminds me of a tomb," said Ollie sniffing the air. "We'll have to rely on the good old biological sensors. My toolkit was too heavy bring down here so I don't have anything too sophisticated. If we went back I could pull out one of the g-carrier's sensors. Maybe Lorian has one with her computer?"

"All these ramps makes me think they were used by vehicles."

Ken shone his light down the passage as they waited for Thomas.  "There might be a bit of a breeze down here.  If the place was built as well as it seems they would have included some allowance for ventilation down in this underground."

In reply to Oliver Oliphant Oksasaellllozae (msg # 49):

Lorrain laughed as she checked the display of her scanning device. "Yes! Exactly! I think this is the tomb of the "First Comers".

"Don't worry, my computer sensors are up to this. They not only scan and map the area for archaeological purposes but safety risks and health hazards as well. OK, we are looking good."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:59, Sun 09 Aug 2015.

Thomas soon caught up to them.

They set off again, with Blake in the lead, followed by Ollie and Neva, then Ken and Lorrain, then Linus and Thomas.

Things started off well. They found that the tunnels also featured staircases, cut into the stone or formed from permacrete. Their footsteps echoed off the walls and ceiling.

After two hours of trudging down cement corridors lit only by their flashlights, Lorrain realised they'd made a wrong turn. It took about a half hour to determine they were going in the wrong direction, and twenty minutes to backtrack to where they could get the right passage.

Soon afterwards, they found the right passage. As they moved along, they noticed a trickle of concrete dust falling from the ceiling with larger flakes spalling off and accompanied by a growing rumble from above...

GM note: everyone post an action along with a DEX check.

After the turn around, Blake will ask Thomas to cover their tracks into the new tunnel.

09:24, Today: Blake Renfield rolled 9 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,3. Blake -- Dex check.

Linus, who'd ended up by Lorain as the order reshuffled, tried to work out whether it was the ceiling ahead or behind that was falling in.

OOC: 14:37, Today: Linus Spruance rolled 9 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,5. Dex check requested.

In reply to Linus Spruance (msg # 54):

Neva stayed next to Ollie as she had been assigned and looked up to see if the ceiling was going to come down on them.  The dust and flakes were coming from above.  If the ceiling was going to come down, Neva would try to dive out of the way but that would, of course, depend on how much of it was going to fall down.


11:10, Today: Neva Alexovna Morozova rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,1. dex check for Neva.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:51, Sun 09 Aug 2015.

Ken looked up as the ceiling started to crumble.  He pulled Lorain back toward the entrance and shouted out. "Everyone back and out!"

17:24, Today: Ken Jenkins rolled 9 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,5. Dex Check.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 56):

Earthquake, about face and move it !!

06:24, Today: Blake Renfield rolled 9 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,3. Blake -- Dex check.

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 57):

Walker looked back down the path that the party had taken in, and followed as the others made their way back to the intersection.

OOC DEX Check:

20:48, Mon 10 Aug 2015: Thomas Walker rolled 8 using 2d6 ((6,2)).

Filter masks might be nice next -- billowing dust and such will be following us out.

Double time it !!  Blake keeps his eyes peeled for anyone who trips/falls.  He keeps one hand on a wall for guidance.

Ollie makes a mad dash back the way they came/onwards after hearing Ken's command and muttering about the shoddy workmanship.

22:16, Today: Oliver Oliphant Oksasaellllozae rolled 10 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,5. dex check.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:23, Thu 13 Aug 2015.

Neva moved back out of the area they were in, trying to keep her footing and dodging anything that might be falling, periodically coughing due to all the dust that was being created.

If we want to move forward instead of backwards ...  Now is the time.

Ken looked around and seeing that the entire group was already moving back continued to fall back toward the way they came.

OOC: We're all moving that way now, best not to dither and end up crushed in the middle.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 56):

Allowing herself to be pulled along by Ken as he and the others reversed their path. "Everyone run!"

The rumbling above them became louder and the tunnel filled with billowing grey concrete dust. Chips and debris gave way to chunks of concrete that thumped down.

A ragged chunk broke away from the ceiling and struck Neva on the arm! She staggered but didn't fall.

The party seemed to have gotten the instruction to head back. They stood, coughing and shaken up, back down the corridor.

Without taking a head count it would be difficult to say if everyone made it out in one piece.

OOC Neva takes 4 HP of damage to her DEX score. She is considered lightly wounded.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:36, Fri 14 Aug 2015.

In reply to GM (msg # 65):

Neva looked around to see who was with them but couldn't see very well.  "Everybody here?  Sound off so we know where you are."  Everybody knew where she was because after she felt part of the ceiling hit her she started to swear.  It was short lived because while it might have felt good to get some of it off her chest, it wasn't top priority right now.  She tested her injured arm to see if it was still working.

"I need to stop for a minute and patch up.  That damned ceiling caught me."