"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)