Hammer exclaims, "I feel like we left and returned 100 years later!!  Maybe BiChem can update my knowledge banks on some of this new tech?  All this technology is so new, beyond my skills...!"

Hammer stands around, his metal hands holding his equipment but uncertain how to continue, like someone who knows typewriters looking at the internet for the first time.

"Kind of makes you wonder what other kind of stuff they're working on!"

During this discussion, you realize that you are, in fact, on the technology ship developing the most cutting edge scientific breakthroughs.  If anyplace in the explored galaxy has advanced technology, it is in this place.

Kent replies back to Desiraye, "No ships have left since the incident.  The only one that has docked is your escape pod, but that showed no signs of any problem or interference.  Kyrillian's cabin number is 106-A.  It should be fairly close to Kyrtok's cabin.  I am remotely unlocking it now in case you want to investigate."

Secret rolls made...

"I think it would be a good idea to investigate Kyrillian's cabin, and possibly talk with him. However, I don't think we should leave this experiment intact."
S'Krllk begins to examine the devices, again, this time looking for a method whereby he can remove one of the black lenses.

One thing I wanted to clarify about the device.  As for the "reset" button, it is toward the bottom of the machine.  Disks are placed in a slot below that button  before the reset button is pushed.  They are immersed in some sort of liquid there.  When the reset button is pushed, the disk is reset and is deposited in a cup-like place at the bottom.

The disks are all easily removable and replaceable in the five slots, in the reset slot, and in the jar that carries the extras.  All the slots are the same size, meaning that any disk can fit in any slot.

"My gut's telling me that S'Krllk's right on the money!  If we do anything with it, that's the order we keep it in!



"I'd like to take a look at that room and talk to him if we can find him too!"

"I think he's right as well. Notice how those images and the positions sort of relate..."

Hammer urges S'Krllk to stop messing with the experiment he doesn't understand.
"I don't have a gut, but I sense that S'Krllk is way off track AND following his line of thinking could be dangerous to the group.  So let's be careful and not mess with stuf we don't know -- for a bit.  The consequences could be deadly!"

Bartja too stares at the strange device.  He liked puzzles and this looked like a good one!

"Someone should go check out that room, but I think I'm going to stay here with S'Krllk and figure this out.  It has something to do with the quarantine and detected chemical release in this sector and the blackness.  Maybe it's not about tears in the universe - maybe it's a simpler chemical technology."

He moves forward to examine the images on the email and compares it to the lenses and the disks.

"Actually, I had the thought that the 'assassin' might have been an innocent victim of this technology, and we should prevent it from being used again. Perhaps if we take all the spare lenses with us?"
S'Krllk picks up the jar with the extra lenses.

So far, I have S'krllk and Desi going to Kyrillian's room.  Anyone else?

Bartja shakes his head "negative" and stares at the device as if waiting for it to reveal to him its hidden secrets.  He begins mumbling his thoughts hoping that something said will spark additional thoughts from his comrades.

"You think that an alien was pulled here by this device?  Interesting!"

Holding up the pen-like device, he absently "shines" the infra-red beam on one of the lenses.  "This sathar coordinate device seems to repel the blackness, or hold it back.  Perhaps the carrier of it is not affected as are the other things that come into contact with it?  After watching the assassin disappear through a wall leaving only the black shadow, I'm inclined to conclude that it is some sort of gate yet why did this not go with him?  Could it be a locating device and we need only wait for his return ... or a bomb to drop?

However, the systems have detected an unknown chemical in this area - so is the blackness chemical?  If it is chemical, then how could a chemical act as a portal?  If not a portal, then where did the assassin disappear to?

If a chemical, it would explain the appearance of the 'substance' around the assailant and the residues left behind.  It could be a cloaking device, something like a hologram or stealth suit.  If it is an energy field, that would explain how this Sathar device can repel it slightly - opposite forces at work.  Perhaps it is a little of both?  A chemical that develops an energy field foreign to all of our detection equipment?"

Bartja was deeply intrigued by the possibilities and continued to stare at the Kyrn (presumably) device.  "Now this thing is another puzzle, but before we remove the lenses and disks, we should figure out why the Sathar are after it.

Now if our guess is correct, this light can be switched on or off - presumably after a disk is inserted.  What other devices here use these disks?  What might be on the disks?  Images perhaps?

Now the disks puzzle me.  Why reset them if they don't record?  They must either hold a recording of some type or they record what this machine does - perhaps the results of the light and lens configurations.

As for the light, it seems straightforward.  The lenses are curious.  When installed, does changing the first lens alter the color or tint of the next lens?  What light levels or frequencies does it take to make these lenses change their colors, and what is the resultant color at the receiving end?"

Next Bartja turns to the computer and looks it over for a disk slot, reset, and jar similar to the laser device.  It's a hunch that may lead nowhere, but he's involved now and must satisfy his curiosity.

"S'Krllk" he says, trying to enunciate the name properly.  "What do you think will happen if you get the five crystal lenses to change into the five colors of these five stars in this message?  What will happen if we do that, and put them in the device in the order suggested here?  There may be other correlating colors I'm not considering.  Could the purple lens simply be an incomplete color change or does it represent a white dwarf for example?

If my hunch is correct and we can save these five stars onto five disks, does inserting them into the laser and turning it on change one crystal or all crystals?  Do we try them one at a time first or set five crystals and five disks in place?  What color then should each crystal be?

I think we try one disk on one crystal to see if the crystal changes color.  If not, then we try all five and five and see what happens at the receiving end.  If it pulled an alien here from another system or universe, what else could it do!  It brings me back to one of my original questions when I began these space travels - could there be life in the Void and if so, what might it be like?

If we're not going to discover the purpose of this technology, we should pursue the assassin and stop the Sathar.

My personal guess - likely one of the Kyrn is a Sathar agent and we're dealing with not only their insidious terror tactics but espionage as well."

Hammer says, "I'm lost on this, but if I can help in some way let me know."

Hammer watches by the sidelines, his metal hands ready to hold tools or adjust or just assist.  Quietly, he mutters, "Sure hope you don't blow anything important up."

"It sounds feasible since a person was able to get away from us to disappear through a wall!  Why couldn't one come in through one?"

OOC: I will assume you all go to Kyrillian's room for the time being.  You can easily go back and forth.

You make your way to Kyrillian's room.  The lock indicator is blinking red from various lights, indicating the system is offline or not working.  The door slides open.

Kyrillian's cabin is spartan, with a bunk, a computer monitor inlaid in the wall, a workdesk with a few drawers, and a trunk at the foot of his bunk.

Kyrillian is cowering in the corner, huddled in the fetal position.  He sees you and his eyes open wide.  "Don't kill," he says.  "Don't kill."  He is obviously terrified.  "It's the project.  It will kill us all."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Thu 28 July 2011.

Before entering the room, Desi draws out her laser pistol from its holster and makes it ready for action before the door is open.  As the door is opened, Desiraye quickly looks low & high before entering and then trains her sights on the cowering Kyrillian, "If you don't want any life threatening injuries, you'd better start talking now!  What project?"

Kyrillian looks even more frightened.  "The Matrix project.  I was sent that code for analysis, that code you picked up.  It's a UPF military project.  Top secret.  I couldn't tell anyone.  But now Kyrtok and Kyrian are dead, and you're here to kill me too, aren't you?"  He says, "I only gave it to Kyrtok because he seemed like an expert in light arrays.  I didn't think there'd be any harm in that."

He seems to take a deep breath.  "There's an alien invasion coming, but we don't know who it is, or what it is, or where they come from.  But Sathar script was also in the encoding.  The Sathar reached them first, or they reached the Sathar first.  They're calling them the Qantariate.  They're not from...here...from our space.  We don't know much, but they think all life in our universe is heretical.  They'll kill us all, and the Sathar will help them.  Then they'll turn on the Sathar too."  He breaks down, burying his head in his arms.

Hearing Matrix again makes Hammer unhappy.  PTSD?  "The Matrix?!?!  No!  No!  We just got away from that darned Matrix virus!  We don't WANT to enter the Matrix ... again!"

Hammer pauses, looks at all the players' implanted cyberware.  "Well, some of us don't."

Kyrillian looks stupefied.  "Surely you know the Matrix project goes far beyond that living computer virus you found?  So...you're not here to kill me?"

S'Krllk explains, "No, we don't. But I think we may need to know if we want to keep our spiracles functional. We're not here to kill you, we just wanted you to translate some messages for us. While we're doing that, we should probably tell you everything we know so you can tell us as much of what we don't know as you can."
"Besides, the universe hasn't put any real effort into killing me lately, so I figure I'm due."

"You got that message we got S'Krllk?"

"Yes, but that wasn't much effort, after all. Thus far the only reality bending we've seen is that weird blackness."

"What is the Matrix besides the virus we know about?" Hammer asks.
"Is this a good time to discuss this, or should we finish catching that void-runner intruder?"

Kri'lik considers this to be a prime opportunity to see how well his empathy implant works. In as much of a calm soothing voice a Vrusk can make speaking Pan-Galactic, Professor Kri'lik tries to calm the alien down and gain his trust. "No we are not going to kill you. We want to help, to protect you. Please tell us everything you know. There must be something we can do to protect you from what is happening."

Desiraye slowly lowers her laser pistols muzzle away from the Kyrian.