You go to meet your ByChem representative.  He takes you to a room.

Here you see several unfamiliar aliens.  They are about 4 feet tall and have squid-like faces and heads, with tentacles that squirm and move as they speak.  Four of them turn to face you, each wearing a ByChem uniform.  Their bodies, though slightly slimy looking, are humanoid.

A human sits behind the desk.

"Welcome," he says, ushering you to a seat.  These are Kyriadorians, also called 'Kyrns.'  Their species is relatively unfamiliar in this quadrant, but they are spectacular scientists and researchers.  They even like to do the work many humans would think is just too boring.  This is Kyrian, and Kyrastian, and Kyrtain, and that's Kyrillian."

Lucky for you, they each wear a nametag.  Otherwise, you could never tell them apart.  They each nod as you enter.  You can see that they wear a thin breathing apparatus and probably listen through tiny polyvox translators.

"And my name is Kent."  As you sit, he says, "We brought you here because we hoped your experiences with the Matrix virus may help.  You see, we have read the transmissions and see that the Matrix may be of alien origin.  We have also read the garbled warning, which, you probably can understand, is very alarming to them since their only delegation outside their home planet is here on the Aurora."

He shakes his head, "But it is something strange that has happened that we want you to investigate."  He turns enlarged photos in your direction, pressing a corner.  The photos enlarge to translucent 3D replicas.  He turns them, and you see you are looking at the inside of a corridor.

He points.  "This is what concerns us.  It just popped up a few hours ago, and we want you to investigate.  Since you are outsiders, we trust that you have nothing to do with this, but with all the scientists around here, it could be an experiment gone bad."  He turns the picture and says, "Can't really see from here.  Let me show you."

He leads you down a corridor, and the Kyrns follow behind like waddling ducklings behind their mother.

After a minute of walking down the corridors in the science section, you reached a cordoned off area.  He leads you under some "DO NOT CROSS" tape and points.

There on the floor is a strange sight.  At first, you think it is merely a black scrub of heavy dirt like a tire streak.  But you see that it is pitch dark.  No, not just pitch dark; it lacks any light, does not reflect light, and is like a three foot long black streak where the creator of the universe forgot to fill in some color.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Kent asks.

Hammer replies first.
"Maybe.  Can't remember.  Not sure if that's a side-effect of the last mission, the Matrix virus, or ...?
Anyway, it looks pretty black.  Did you test the local chemicals there already?  Is it an energy field or a chemical anomaly?"

Despite his memory loss, Hammer still had an excellent recall of Environmental Studies, one of his fortes.

Professor Kri'lik knees down next to the pure black mass on the deck of the corridor. Reaching outward over the darkness with his left gauntleted arm he begins to scan the blackness with his Fauna/Flora-CAS. At this moment he is careful not to touch it. "Interesting, notice how it absorbs the light. Fasinating."

Analyzing Samples        - 60%  +20 from scanner
Analyzing Ecosystems     - 40% 

"Looks like a skid mark to me or something that got disintegrated on the spot," Desiraye says as she looks at the pointed out area.

"You want us to look into this problem on this ship or was this brought in from somewhere?"

S'Krllk emulates Kri'lik, in a sense. Rather than point his sensors at the mass, he scans the surrounding structure to determine how it has been affected.

"Them fancy new scanner's coming up with anything?"

Bartja watches the scans and then using a probe from one of his toolkits, he ventures to touch the darkness, seeing if the corridor beneath the smudge-of-night still exists or if there is some sort of extra-planar-thing going on here.

"I've never seen this in person, but I've heard that there are asteroids found orbiting planets that exhibit similar light-absorbing properties.

It obviously does not reflect light and may be absorbing it.  How does it react with gravity, magnetism, and other forms of electromagnetic energy?  Could this be an alien form of stealth technology?  If it is, we may have larger problems than just a mysterious blackness."

In reply to Bartja Nemuco (msg #7):

"And, how did it get here?"

In case any of you missed it, you all got 3 XP for the escape from Pegasus.

See link to a message in this game at message 8.

Kent says, "We've already done all those tests on it.  You'll find the same thing we did.  The mark produces nothing on any testing.  It is as if it is not even there.  In fact, it is as if there is nothing there at all.  It emits no radiation, no disturbance in gravitational pull, no mass, nothing."

One of the Kyrns steps forward and presses a webbed hand to the wall.  Part of the wall opens up, and he takes out a small uniform, obviously fitted to a Kyrn body.  The uniform is shredded and looks burnt, and only half of it is there.

You see by his nametag that this Kyrn is named Kyrian.  "This was Kyrtok," he says, indicating the torn uniform.  You see bloodstains as if...well, as if the body was torn out of it in shreds.  "We have disposed of the rest of his body as is our custom."  His voice is pleasant and has a deep lilt.  His words are slow.

"Here," Kent says, "let me show you."  He removes his belt, stands over the blackness, and slowly lowers the belt.  As soon as it touches the black streak, the belt is ripped from his fingers, and he jumps back.  About half the belt remains, torn and shredded, and the rest has simply...disappeared.

Kyrian raises a finger and points it at you.  "All we know is that this appeared within hours after receiving the datacard you found with its cyptic message."

Kent says, "Do you have any ideas what this is?  Did you see anything like it with the Matrix infection?"

Updated XP

S'Krllk looks quizzically at the remains of the belt, and asks, "Does something have to touch the surface of the dark patch for that too happen? If that area is emitting an intense gravity flux, perhaps the tidal forces ripped up your belt."

Bartja nods in agreement, then takes a tape measure and measures the darkness, inputing the measurements into his chronocom-calc function (internal) as he goes.  Computing the area out to three decimals, he steps back.

"Feed it the belt again, or something else.  I want to see if it makes the darkness grow in size - since mass cannot be measured and there appears to be no substance to it in our universe.

From what I have heard of the Matrix, this is nothing like it.  Didn't you say there was a cryptic partially-scrambled message recovered that Baralou was trying to erase?  For that matter, do the Kyrn have ancient enemies in space that might have found you here?"

He was beginning to suspect that this was one of two things:
1) an alien life-form unlike anything encountered so far
2) a rip or tear in time/space - perhaps even a portal into the Void
This message was last edited by the player at 15:44, Fri 08 July 2011.

"Don't expect me to touch that!"
Hammer's had a hard enough couple of weeks, he isn't planning on risking himself to solve this anomaly.  But it is interesting.  He begins to make some tests, with his ... less sexy ... enviro kit.

"Hmmmm, well this is curious."

In testing the blackness and measuring it, you find the following:

It is a roughly parallelogram shape with a 6 inch side and an 18 inch side.

It emits nothing, and there is nothing in the atmosphere around it.  Feeding it the belt again indicates it only affects whatever touches it.  The blackness does not appear to be growing.  It has no gravity and nothing is coming through it.

The envirokit analysis shows:

Bioscanner:  No living organism
Vaporscanner: Not a single detected atom anywhere near the blackness appears out of the ordinary.
Geoscanner: N/A

Kent hands Hammer a new device.  "Take this.  Yours is so...antiquated.  But we've already done the full range of testing.  We have similar thoughts about the blackness that you have, but our tests are inconclusive about its exact nature and this all just happened.  If you can check, maybe Kyrtok's quarters has a clue."

Hammer gets a new envirokit.  It does everything the old one did plus:


ADVANCED ENVIROKIT

1- Scans for the chemical and atomic makup of any item placed inside.

2- Gives detailed radiation and toxic levels and information about what kind.

3- Scans the visible area to give geomorphic approximations, such as the height of mountains and hills, the density of land, etc.

4- Scans up to 500 feet in any direction, even through rock, to determine the existence of any chemical or molecular structure input into the device.

5- Reproduces through nanobots any item (up to 1 kg in weight and up to 4 inches per side in a cube shape).  It cannot repair items and requires metal or solid substance to be inserted to rearrange molecular structure.

6- Detects disruptions in the time/space continuum based on gravitational irregularities.  (OOC: Gravity is being shown by scientists to be an illusion based on the effects of mass on the time/space continuum; this device checks for subtle changes in that.)

7- Detects changes in earth or atmosphere to predict storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.

The entire Advanced Envirokit weighs 7 kilograms.

For any of the above to be accurate, a proficiency check is required (to be made secretly by the GM).  A failed attempt may mean you get bad information, interpret it wrongly, or incorrectly use the device, but you may not know that and may accidentally work on wrong information or other problem.  Sometimes failure is known to you.

"My kit is not antiquated!  I just purchased it!  Oh, but look at this..."
Hammer takes the new kit, at first with suspicion but gradually he is impressed.

"OK, I admit mine didn't have nanobots -- but you know there are viruses that can make those things dangerous...?  Oh, whatever.  FIne, that was then, this is now.  I got it."
Is Hammer having a discussion with anyone or just with himself?

But then Hammer re-focuses on the Kyrn ByChem people.  "Say, since you've got all this amazing technology -- that you can apparently give away -- would you happen to have any Mechanon experts on staff who can help me with my burned out membanks?  I'm unable to access significant chunks of personal data!

If you can help me out with this, my skills are yours!"

Kri'lik eyes the advanced envirokit given to Hammer, and then glances to his own attached to his gauntleted left arm. As an amateur environmentalist he is impressed with the specs of the new kit.

Still attempting to use his scanner, S'Krllk suddenly says, "Oh, bother. Comp, scan the deck area directly beneath the anomaly."

The anomaly does not appear to have any thickness.  The floor directly underneath it is slightly burnt and destroyed (like the belt), but only at a thin membranous layer.

Kyrian says, "I will take you to Kyrtok's bunk and quarters, if you wish."

Kent says to Hammer, "Unfortunately, you don't remember this, but to become freed and employed by ByChem, you sold your memories.  They are in a memory bank controlled by ByChem at their corporate offices, completely unretrievable by me.  This is probably what protected you and allowed you to survive the Matrix takeover.  Count yourself lucky."

Bartja looks over the impressive bio-kit and wonders what nanobots might do for the technical side of life - computer repair, robotic repair, and other gizmo-modifications.

"That replication device looks large enough to put a grenade in.  Think it can accurately replicate small devices like that?"

Once satisfied with the new toy, he adds to Kent "ready to see those quarters, sir!"

Desiraye goes to her thinking mode and remembers the date recorder they got off of Baralou and gets a piece of paper and somethig to write with, "Excuse me for a second Kyrian."

She writes it down on the paper and shows it to Bartja first and then calls the rest of the team over to view her thought.

(Exerpt from the scrambled message)
Ky*#&!)#n at ByChem for anal#*$&!

K-Y-*-#-&-!-)-#-N
K-Y-R-I-L-L-I-A-N

"What do you guys think?"

S'Krllk examines the paper, then covers the two L's and says, "Perhaps caution is in order."

Hammer is now stunned.  The super enviro kit is great, but this news is a challenge to absorb.

"I'm supposed to count myself lucky because I don't remember anything?!?  Isn't there some way to re-acquire my memories, like perhaps a promotion, or a bribe?" Hammer gives Kent a look.

"Why would I sell my memories?!??!  This can't be a standard procedure!"

Kent says to Hammer, "I am not privy to all that information.  I am just trying to make you feel better.  For any other details, you would need to talk to corporate after you get off this ship."

Kyrian happily takes you.  Kyrillian offers to follow.  You can easily see a difference in personalities between the happy-go-lucky Kyrian and the more somber Kyrillian.

As Kyrian keys in the security code and Kyrtok's door opens, there is a sudden flash.  Kyrian falls to the floor with a hole through his head, and a figure darts out in front of you and down the hall.

Unfortunately, Kyrillian is blocking your path, so the figure gets a slight lead, and Kyrillian is looking stunned down at the fallen Kyrian.

The figure itself is a strange sight as it turns right down the hall.  It appears like an amorphous black blob, more like a dark distortion at the edges and a solid black mass at the center.  Through the blackness, you see what might be the vague outlines of legs and arms but it is difficult to make out details.

Oddly enough, the figure does not seem to be making any sounds as it runs down the corridor.


OOC: Some potential actions are that you may try to help/inspect Kyrian, ignore the figure and go into Kyrtok's room, or give chase.

The above description is just what you see in the second or two as the incident happens.

Bartja stares in awe at the display of technology just unleased as his thoughts try to comprehend what just happened.  It can absorb energy it would seem, yet it can direct it as well.  Maybe nothing quite as mysterious as time-space manipulation.  Perhaps something simpler, like an advanced energy-absorbing field?  Ultimate personal stealth technology?  Whatever or whomever this was, it needed to be stopped and if Desi's hunch was right, it was probably linked to Baralou....maybe even the android itself.  It had to be stopped!

With little further thought to personal harm, Bartja drops his toolkits and turns to give chase to the black amorphous blob, pulling on his brass knuckles as he attempts to gain ground and close for melee.

Initiative:  14 (rolled 6 on 1d10 +8 IM)

Knowing that he could do nothing for the injured party, and unwilling to chase the injuring one down the passageway, S'Krllk decides to move quickly into Kyrtok's room and find out what was important enough for that thing to be inside.

Seeing the alien Kyrian fall Professor Kri'lik forgets about everything else and rushed to his side. He immediately starts to diagnose the aliens situation. Pulling out his medical kit the Vrusk does what he has been trained to do. Hopefully there is still time...

Medical Level 3
  Administering Drugs      - 100% (100%)
  Diagnosis                - 90%  (60% + Sk Lvl)
  First Aid                - 100% (100%)
  Minor Surgery            - 70%  (40% + Sk Lvl)
  Major Surgery            - 50%  (20% + Sk Lvl)
  Controlling Infection    - 80%  (50% + Sk Lvl)
  Curing Disease           - 70%  (40% + Sk Lvl)
  Neutralizing Toxins      - 60%  (30% + Sk Lvl)
  Activating Freeze Fields - 60%  (30% + Sk Lvl)

Hammer gets confused and isn't sure what to do.

Then Hammer sees Bartja run off, realizes there is a chase to be done,
so he follows Bartja!

"Hey you, stop!  Killer on-board!  Killer on-board!"
Hammer shouts as he chases Bartja, who's following the black blob assassin.

"Alert security, now!  We're going after them<" Desiraye says as she begins to run after Hammer & Bartja.

Bartja, Desi and Hammer sprint after the fleeing black massed figure...


Kri'lik begins examining Kyrian, though it is an alien physiognomy.

S'Krllk moves into Kyrtok's room.  The room is completely dark.  Luckily, this is just due to the lights being out and not to any unnatural blackness.

As they round the corner, Desi, Bartja and Hammer see an extraordinary sight.  Along the far bend in the corridor is a black streak, as though the figure ran directly through the wall and left a black shadow behind.

The outline of the figure is about 5 feet, 8 inches high, has a roughly humanoid shape -- two arms, two legs, and a head and torso -- but it is so amorphous and blob-like that you can't tell if it was human, dralasite, yazirian or something else entirely.  It almost looks like an artist has made broad strokes with black pain and a paintbrush.

On the floor below the black streaks is a small red item that looks like a flat pen of some sort.

Kri'lik sees that the hole in Kyrian's head appears to be like a burn, but without burn marks.  However, there are black, familiar looking streaks of a small size within the wound.  It is as if Kyrian was hit with a flying one of those streaks you saw on the floor.

But Kyrian himself is very much dead.

When Kri'lik looks up again Kyrillian is gone, having fled the way you came.


S'Krllk goes into Kyrtok's and turns on the lights.  The place is a mess, as if someone had been looking for something.  There is a bed to the left, a computer straight ahead, and a closed chest at the foot of the bed with a broken lock.  Clothes are scattered everywhere.

To the right there is a table set up like a private laboratory.  But it is a strange sight:

An object like a flashlight or laser focuser is on the left on a stand pointed to the right.  It has a button to turn it on or off.  There is a second button below the first and a slot under the device.  Next to that button is the word "reset."

On the far right is a receiving unit to receive the light.  Between the laser pointing device and the receiving unit are five slots in which crystals can be placed.

Next to the laser is a jar of octagon shaped crystal lenses -- like eyeglass lenses.  Each crystalline lens has a slightly different tint, making many different colors, including white and black.

Right now, five lenses are put into the slots, with the following colors (left to right):  Red, Purple, Black, Black, Black.

OOC: The room has not been thorough searched or items looked at.  This is just what you see upon walking into the room.

S'Krllk instructs his bodycomp to access his scanner and scan first, the lenses (to get data on the material) and then the sending device (perhaps deciphering the circuits will indicate what the output it).
Then he will begin to search the room, sort of. Basically S'Krllk is trying to repeat the search made by the previous person to figure out if he was interrupted before he found what he was looking for, or if he found it and the group happened to arrive at a bad time.

Kri'lik reports over the commlinks, "Kyrtok is dead. Thats two dead Kyrns of the four we have seen so far. I would say someone is targetting them. Kyrillian just ran off by him/her self. Not sure where the other one is."

Tearing off a bit of Kyrtoks clothing he presses it to the black streak in Kyrillian's dead head. Once his field experiment is completed he searches the dead alien for any other clues, being careful not to touch the black streak no matter what.

When Kri'lik presses the bit of clothing to the black spot in Kyrian's head, part of the clothing appears to disintegrate, and the other part that did not touch the black spot gets a black spot on it, as if the black spot is spreading.

S'krllk finds that the lens material comes up as alien and unknown, but its composition indicates that the lens material can change colors like a chameleon when interacting with certain levels of light.

The sending device appears to be in working order and has not been harmed.  S'krllk cannot risk taking it apart without breaking it.

Around the room are mostly just personal sundries, but the computer is turned on.  You apparently caught...something...getting into Kyrtok's computer.

Desiraye calls back over the comlink, "Secure the room and stay there with S'Krllk until security gets there and fill them in on what's going on!"

You hear Kent in your comlinks, "I'm afraid security won't be coming.  With this news, we've ordered a temporary quarantine.  I will be sending out hypernet IMs to those in the area to remain in their quarters until the area is secured.  Please let me know of any updates so we can decide when to lift the quarantine."

Right after he says this, flashing lights go on above you, and an intercom announcement says, "Please check hypernet messages.  This hub has been subject to quarantine for release of an unknown chemical substance, possibly dangerous.  Remain in quarters.  Repeat:  Remain in quarters."

It's been silent here.  Some potential options to consider:

Checking Kyrtok's computer.
Figuring out how the device works.
Finding where Kyrillian went.
Examining the black area left by the departing intruder.

Speaking into the comlinks Kri'lik says, "Kent is there a way to track individuals onboard the station?" While waiting for a reply the Vrusk moves to the black spot left by the escaping intruder. Once there he begins using his enviromental kit to scan for anything useful.

Kent says in return, "Unfortunately, those kinds of devices have the potential to disrupt important scientific projects, so we minimize any transmissions that could potentially interfere with our research.  To answer your question, no, sorry."

After thoroughly scanning the weird devices, S'Krllk begins to wonder if the black lens isn't some other color covered by the same material that was in the hall. If there is something like a washcloth or a pencil in the vicinity he will dangle the object to just touch the lens.
Once he has tested this hypothesis, he'll start examining the computer to try to figure out what was being sought.

The material on the disks is not hiding anything, and nothing rubs off.  They all appear the same.

On the computer, someone has already gotten through the security.  You can probably guess it was the killer.  The killer had pulled up two folders.  One is a sent e-mail record; the other is marked "File From Kyrillian."

Bartja stops short of the black smudgy on the wall and steps around the pen-like device on the floor, looking it over carefully before venturing to touch it.  If there is any smudge of blackness on it that cannot be avoided, he leaves it alone (otherwise he picks it up).

"My guess is the pen is a weapon and uses the Darkness, for lack of a better term.  Unless one of us wants to step through the smudge into oblivion, I think the assassin just escaped.  If we can discern the motive, then we can find who is behind these attacks.

I think we'd better get back to the others and try to save the last Kyrn's before they're found by someone else."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:44, Thu 21 July 2011.

The pen-like device is cylindrical, brown, and has an infra-red light on one end that is blinking.  It has none of the blackness on it and, in fact, seems to slightly repel it when it is close.  It does not appear to be a weapon and has no buttons or other discernible parts to interact with.  It may be worthy of a more thorough examination by something.

There is an alien script on the device that you can't read but that somehow looks a bit familiar.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:49, Thu 21 July 2011.

Hammer says, from the doorway into the bedroom/office/lab,
"This 'darkness' reminds me of antimatter.  Just for theories' sake, I'll offer that this anti-energy seems to be usable as a weapon, as a shield, and also apparently as a method of transportation.  Perhaps this laser set can distinguish between the darkness modes, or maybe even switch the mode?"

Hammer takes a look at the computer to examine the opened files.
Hammer has no particular computer skill, although Mechanons do interface efficiently with data terminals.

Thinking his new bodycomp is becoming handier than he expected, S'Krllk will try to make copies of the open items so that he can peruse them at will. Then he'll actually read them at the desk computer. If nothing else goes on, he'll use his materials scanner to examine the walls, floor, and ceiling to see if there is some hiding place in the area (in case the killer comes back, S'Krllk wants to be able to hide).

Returning to the room with the device, Bartja finishes his precursor examination and hands it over to the truly tech-savy of the party.

"Recognize this script?  It's alien, but is it Kyrn or Sathar?  I can't be sure.

Think your gizmo can duplicate this and maybe tell us what's inside?" he asks doc Kri'lik.

He fills the rest of the party in on what happened when they gave chase and listens (and watches) the investigation of the room and computer.

Desiraye just stands there, "Thsi crap is way out of my league!"

"I can read Sathar." Says the professor as his multiple legs carry him over to examine the devices script.

The party reconvenes in Kyrtok's room, where Kri'lik looks at the pen-like device.  He gulps.  It is, in fact, written in Sathar.  It essentially states that it is a tracking device of some sort.  It has a code or some sort of sequence on it that does not translate to English, but Kri'lik believes it lists coordinates.  The coordinates are shown digitally and change ever so slightly when the pen is moved more than a few feet in any direction.

S'krllk successfully copies the open items on the computer.  They are:

An e-mail written in a language that must be the language of this new race, the Kyriadorians.

You can see lines that probably mean "To" "From" and "Re" and then a short message.

You will need a Kyriadorian to translate.

There is also another file open which is a string of pictures.  Each picture is of a different type of star.

From left to right, they are:  A blue star, a white dwarf, a white star, a red dwarf, and a yellow star, like this:





There's not really any place for S'Krllk to hide in the cramped cabins.

Bartja stares at the Sathar coordinates and moves the device several times to watch them update in real-time.

"Looks like some sort of positioning device, don't you think?  Communications?  Teleportation?  Targeting?  Maybe it's one end of a gateway and that is how the assassin escaped - open the gate and jump on through?  That doesn't explain the blackness, unless the blackness is just a portion of an open portal or something.  I wonder what it's range is and if we can calibrate it to relate to our own coordinate system."

He looks it over for any buttons that might activate a device or the infra-red light blinking at one end (he assumes no one else can see this with normal vision).  He then asks Kri'lik to translate the coordinates as he moves around using their own Universal Positioning Systems as a calibration measure.  If the coordinates seem consistent with positions, then he knows that they are on the right track...

There are no buttons or other observable ways to interact with the device.

The sequences are difficult to translate because they do not translate exactly, but by all observations, it is changing with your position like a GPS device.

S'Krllk shows everyone what he found at the computer, while lamenting the fact that his trans-comp isn't programmed for the Kyriadorian's language and isn't advanced enough to do non-verbal communications anyway.
"I don't mean to be alarmist, or anything, but I suspect some connection between the positioning of the lenses in that device and the sequence of stars on this image."

Desiraye stand and listens to the different descriptions of what's going on between the group techs or 'thinkers' (in her mind) and then chimes in on with very her limited knowledge, "Let me get this straight.  The Sathar are involved in this with this new race the Kyriadonians?  Great start here.  I told you I thought it had something to do with that message we found and Kyrllian fella.  DId he jump through a black hole too like the assassin did?

Have we been away that long that they've got technology like that now?  We need to know how far they teleported or jumped to the location they came out to.  What is the range and are they still on the ship?"

Desiraye takes out her chronocom and calls Kent while the others think about what she says and maybe have some kind of explanation or reason.  "Kent, it's Desiraye.  Have any ships taken off since this incident has taken place?  If not, we beleive the assassin is still on the ship and that Kyrllian may be involved in this.  We could also use someone here to translate some things my team has found that may answer a couple of questions."

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.