"Oh ... but of course it is ...!" Kaspar moans -- then shrugs his sweaty shoulders and adds,

     "Well, things can only go up, from here ... lead on, Tate ..."

It wasn't quite obvious from a distance, but as you got closer you can see that there are, indeed, shallower steps up the middle of each side. Three shallow steps get you up one tier of the pyramid, and there 9 tiers, thus 27 still rather steep steps.

The structure at the top is a square block with open sides. That's when things get interesting. Inside the structure, there is an opening in the floor that's about 10 feet square. Peering down the opening, there is a shaft with an assortment of rungs protruding out from the sides in what looks like a maze.

Looking down the shaft, you can that there appears to be openings in the sides about 20 feet down, 40 feet down, and again at 60 feet. There could be more below that but you can't really tell.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 415):

     "Anyone have a one groszy coin?" Kaspar asks, as he looks down the rung-cluttered shaft.

     Looking up, Kaspar addresses the whole Team, spread out around the opening in the floor,

     "Can anyone tell what those bars, or rungs, are made of?  It is possible that some of us might be able to climb down through all that, but I do not think that ..."

     Kaspar points at Freyda -- and her hoverchair,

     "...an Asgard hoverchair will be able to do so.  At least, not without cutting--or blasting--a way through, first."

     "Ideas ... anyone?"

"By the looks of them," Gavan suggests after glancing down the shaft, "I would guess they are made of trinium."

"What looks bizarre to us would be child's play for those creatures we saw outside. However, I'm thinking there must be another way in. The Alterans aren't likely to have used this way in or out. Unfortunately, it might be impossible for us to find."

"Now that we know there are interior spaces, I can phase through at that level from the outside, though I can only take one person with me at a time."

In reply to Gavan (msg # 417):

[Atop the Jungle Ziggurat, Planet Prika]

     "Trinium, is it?" Kaspar says, again looking down the shaft, "That's used in the casings for our naquada reactors, isn't it?  So... I'm guessing then, Gavan, that Trinium is difficult for your device to phase through...?"

"There are some alloys that we can't phase through, such as those used by the Asgard ships," Gavan replies, "but most trinium alloys don't stop us."

"If you're asking why I don't just jump down the shaft, it's because I can't fly. That also means I can't walk on air."

In reply to Gavan (msg # 419):

     "Well, I didn't think that you could." Kaspar looks to Gavan, "But I was wondering if--as we did to get outside of the Ha'tak--you could use your phasing device to get Freyda and her hoverchair down through the Trinium bars, to get to one of those side passages, down there."

     "Of course, doing that will depend on whether the hoverchair can float down the shaft to those passages, in the first place."

"That I do not know," Gavan replies. "The Tollan were allies with the Asgard, but we never really interacted with them. So the opportunity to phase Asgard technology never came up."

"It wasn't because of any conscious decision on either species' part... that I'm aware of... it wasn't even cultural differences... more like social customs. We knew their dietary requirements were different from ours, so it wasn't like we could invite them to dinner. I think we perceived them more as worker ants; therefore, we wouldn't have invited them to a party, for example."

"The Tollan have phase technology, the Asgard have teleport technology. Neither of us have ever wanted the other or asked for an exchange of information. I suppose, in a way, it's alien thinking to you Tau'ri, but that's just the way it was."

Having climbed the stairs with the others, Tate stood there at the top and waited for the Major to make a decision. Tate and Lucky could climb down, as well as Naseem, but he didn't think the old man would fare so well. It did seem as if the Tollan phase technology was "a" solution.

The steps had been a bit too high for human stepping, but he could see how it wouldn't have mattered to these monkey-like creatures. They looked like they normally moved about on all fours... well, it gave new meaning to the term 'ambidextrous', since they were equally adept at moving on two legs or four legs, though, technically, it was probably two legs and two arms. Was there a term for an arm-leg? As near as he'd been able to observe, the creatures had hands, but the arm-hands seemed to function pretty much like leg-feet when needed. They could certainly switch between the two modes instantly.

"Want me to climb down and scout the base first, Major?" he volunteered.

"There's clearly something down there, but whether it's worth investigating in another thing. It could just be habitation levels, kind of like a bird house. We've yet to see any sign of technology in use here, other than probably the building itself plus the trinium rods. I'd guess trinium was used so that they would never rot or rust."

"As Gavan pointed out, Major Gorski, Asgard and Tollan technology have not been interactive, so I cannot say if he can phase my hoverchair with him or whether its hover function will continue to work while phased," Freyda answered Kaspar's question.

"Since there is a small chance that phasing could disrupt the chair's systems, I do not consider it advisable to attempt it at this time. We should only do so under dire circumstances. Once back upon that ha'tak or up on the moonbase, we could experiment with it. At least that way, if it does disrupt the chair, I might be able to repair it."

Naseem shot Kaspar a very heavy eyeball. "Really, Kaspar? We could be on a beach right now sipping mai tais instead of climbing up and down this pyramid."

She touched the central crystal on her Kara'Tesh and started moving her hand around the area. "Let us see if there is a ring network here. That would make getting around so much easier."

In reply to Naseem Ansari--Hecate (msg # 424):

[Atop the Jungle Ziggurat, planet Prika]
[...And it's still Tuesday!  It's always Tuesday!  Somewhere...]

     "Well...phasing the hoverchair down through the bars would have been an easy solution..." Kaspar shrugs his shoulders, "I had to ask."


      "Yes.  I am starting to regret my decision to come here, instead of to a more pleasant clime."

     With a sudden grin, Kaspar gives Naseem a suspicious look...

     "Wait just a moment...Symbiotes neither sunbathe nor get tipsy from drinking alcohol!" Kaspar says with amusement, "How can I be sure that your objections to the current mission are an accurate expression of Hecate's desires, Major?  Perhaps you have hijacked her, hmmm?"


      With a twinkle in his eyes, Kaspar nods in agreement,

     "Yes... It would at that, wouldn't it?"

     First taking another look down the shaft, then looking over at Gavan, Freyda and Tate, he says,

     "Okay, then.  Let's look into Gavan's idea...there seems to be a side passage, off of the shaft, about twenty feet down...on that side..." Kaspar points towards the opening.

     Raising his pointing finger--still pointing in the direction of the side passage--Kaspar indicates that direction across the top of the ziggurat, and outside the top structure they are all standing in.

     "Tate.  Please go over to that side of the pyramid and see how easily we could get about twenty feet down on that side."

"It will be the same on all sides, Major," Tate replies, but dutifully goes over to the indicated side and looks to see if anything's changed since they first looked.

"Confirmed. Just those high steps going down the center of the side. Do you want me to go down to the approximate level with Gavan and try to phase through into the interior?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Thu 17 Mar 2022.

The snort from the rear of the group at Major Naseem's joke about being on a beach siping drinks was the first sound Lucky had made in some time. With nothing to add, he had done was he did best, kept quiet and an eye out for trouble. "If there is some rope on the FRED, it might be easier to rappel down instead for a recon?" He suggested. "Or even easier, we use the FREd's winch to lower someone down? Probably the only way to lower Freyda's chair if we have to anyways."

"You mean rappel down the inside or the outside?" Sarah asked looking down the shaft.

"It won't be easy going down the shaft because those perches or whatever stick out all over the place. I'm not seeing a clear route down, which is probably great for those monkey creatures."

"I'm not even sure there's a clear enough route down to accommodate Freyda's chair. What do you think, Freyda? Does it look like your chair might make it?"

"Can FRED make it up here to the top, you think? Possibly it could winch itself up if it doesn't have the power and traction to negotiate the sides of the pyramid on its wheels."

"Oh, and another thing to consider, once someone reaches one of those levels, there might be another way in. Something to consider."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:20, Thu 17 Mar 2022.

"I was thinking inside. Hooked up it wouldn't be that bad to get down , but then I've done a little climbing. For anyone that hasn't, it could be tricky to navigate, and I think you're right about Freyda's chair. Lucas replied looking at the hole, then up to Sarah with a nod. "I was assuming about the FRED, but someone else knows way better than I do. Hell, the locals might know the FRED better than me." He admitted.

"The chair does not fly," Freyda replied to Sarah, "so it cannot go down the shaft on its own. It does look as if the chair might be too big to be lowered past all those perches. I cannot see from up here, though, if there might be a sideways route down. It does not look like it."

      "Yes! Ah ... I mean, Roger that, Staff Sargeant!" Kaspar calls back, then turns to Gavan,

     "If you would, please, Gavan ... go join Tate, and then phase your way into that passage, down there..." Kaspar points to the uppermost passage leading off the central shaft, below them.

     "Once you've found your way to that spot, we can start a process to get everyone phased into the ziggurat.  Once we're all inside, then we can do as Sarah has suggested and look for an easier way out of the structure.  Hopefully at a lower level."

At Kaspar's direction, Gavan and Tate clamber back down the side of the ziggurat to where they estimate the first side opening on the interior should be.

With Tate holding onto Gavan's arm, the Tollan activates his phase device and starts walking forward.

The two of them pass through about 5 feet of stone before they emerge into an open area. Only Tate's flashlight provides illumination to reveal a hallway with three openings on either side.

Once Gavan turns off the phase device, the two begin looking around. It was sort of noticed as they passed through it, but the end of the hallway behind them has some sort of electronic panel covering all of it.

The ceiling is about 6.5 feet high, a bit tight but neither of them have to duck to move about.

Peering into each of the side openings as they pass them, they can see what appears to be living/sleeping quarters. The furnishings look like normal Earth-type items, just on a smaller scale. There's definitely an 'alienness' to them though it's hard to put a finger on just what makes them so.

While each of the six openings show similar rooms, they are not identical. Furniture arrangement is slightly different and fabrics and colors are different, and even small items vary.

The other end of the hallway stops at the shaft up to the top of the pyramid, and the two can see there are similar hallways on the other three compass points on the other side of the shaft.

Now you can see that the perches aren't just horizontal. Many of them have smaller vertical components to them.

At the shaft, Tate gets on his radio.

"Tate to Major Gorski. We're inside, looking up the central shaft at daylight. You guys still up there?" he says.

He then turns back to Gavan.

"Still don't see any other way to get between levels," he says. "It's all well and good for these monkey creatures to jungle gym it on these monkey bars, but I just can't see the Alterants doing the same thing. Must be a ring gate system here somewhere."

"How about that electronics panel at the end of the hallway where we entered? Think that might be a way up or out?"

In reply to Tate Ames (msg # 433):

     "We hear you, Tate!" Kaspar calls down the shaft,

     "Now...before we start having Gavan phase us all through the wall, as you just did, let's confirm that we'll still be able to communicate when we're away from the shaft, here."

     "One of you go back to where you phased out of the wall, into an open space.  Once there, use your radio and try to contact us.  We'll stay here, at the top of the shaft, for now.  If the radios do work, then we'll try going outside, to see if they work from there, as well."

     "Got that?"

"I understood the first part of what he said," Gavan commented to Tate, "but the second part doesn't make any sense. Of course the radios work outside. Why would we need to go back outside of this pyramid to see if they work?"

"Good point about that panel. I was thinking the same thing... kind of. It did seem incongruous to the rest of the structure that we've seen. Tech where there is otherwise none."

"It's starting to seem as if this facility stopped working for some reason and the monkey creatures backslid into a more primitive state. It probably wouldn't take more than a few generations to lose whatever technological progress they'd made."

Gavan will then head back down the hallway to the panel. As he examines it, he uses his radio to try and call back up to Kaspar.

"Gavan to Major Gorski. I'm at the outer end of the hallway testing our radios. Do you copy?" He'll repeat that a few times until he either gets a response or it's clear that he's not getting through.

In reply to Gavan (msg # 435):

     (Assuming Gavan's radio signal is received...)

     "Receiving you, Gavan." Kaspar sends back, "Now I'm going to walk out to the edge of the ziggurat, abouve the spot where you climbed down to and phased through the wall.  If the signal is still good, we can begin getting everyone down to you ... Oh!  Unless it would be possible for you to phase up here...?  I'm not certain about your ability to travel vertically, while phased."

     As he'd been talking, Kaspar had walked back outside, onto the top of the ziggurat.  He walked over to the side of the pyramid that Tate and Gavan had climbed down and halts at the edge.

     "I'm outside the top structure now, Gavan, at the edge of the ziggurat.  Are you receiving me?"

Gavan loses radio contact with Kaspar by the time he reaches the outer edge of the pyramid. Apparently, the radio waves can't penetrate the stone structure.


At first, Naseem wasn't picking up the presence of a ring system... until Hecate suggests she broaden the search.

I do not see any reason for a ring gate to have been placed up here on the top. There is no real benefit to gain from this position other than the view. The Alterants could gain this view from any place. Perhaps if you expand the range of the device you might pick up a signal somewhere nearby.

She instructs you on how to do that, and Naseem then picks up a ring network down at ground level about 20 feet away from the north side of the pyramid.

'Thank you, my friend,' Naseem told Hecate. 'Do you think they have any inside? It would certainly make getting in easier.'

"Found a ring network out here. Closest ring is ground level, six metres from the north side of the pyramid," she called over comms.