Shukhunaar goes the opposite way around the shaft to the strangers with their glowing lights, navigating in the near dark. He believes it is best to make sure both ways are covered to prevent any nasty surprises.

The outlanders went one way, Shukanaar went another. They met at the far side. Udam stayed behind at the hatch, at least for the mean time.

Linus carefully peered through the hatch. Inside was some kind of water filtration room, 20m by 20m. Water splashed from a large outlet high in the wall into a circular pool to the left of the hatch at about 1L per second. A group of pipes dropped straight down from overhead into the pool. Most of the surfaces were coated with algae but it didn't seem to be clogging the spout yet. The floor was sunken 1m below the hatch, but there was a raised metal grid walkway running along the right hand side of the room. At the end of the walkway were two more hatches.

Whatever appeared to be moving in there before, casting shadows out the door, had stopped. Maybe it was the water splashing down?
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:32, Thu 19 Aug 2021.

Angus shines his light in the door!

Linus - on the floor almost at his feet - bit back an imprecation. Way to go, he thought, just tell everyone we're coming!

Shukhunaar holds his breath, making as little noise as possible. Let the rival tribes think it's just Angus coming this way.

They all heard a chittering and skittering noise coming from inside and above the hatch.

Looking up, Linus and Angus could see three insect-like forms clinging to the wall above them. They were each the size of basketballs, clad in chitin and armed with wicked mandibles. Seeing the light from Angus' shotgun they froze, then charged him! Two ran down the bulkhead at Angus, one dropped down in front where Shukanaar could see it (and take a shot at it). He recognised it as a "daba ashaashkakhamku" or quick-killer bugs, a common and sometimes deadly pest that infested deserted modules and corridors. They were not really that tough at all but attacked in packs and could inflict nasty wounds with their mandibles.

GM Note: There was no surprise. Movement status must be declared before the start of the round; all 3 are moving (going from Short to Close) in order to attack Angus. In CT all combat is resolved simultaneously.

In reply to GM (msg # 355):

Angus, with shotgun following the light, fired on the lead bug, if any shot hit it, it bounced off!

12:52, Today: Angus McStubbin rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,4.  to hit.

Linus ducked down and stayed out of the way.

Shukhunaar takes the cord from around his neck, blows on the glowing end to make sure it flames up, and inserts it into the end of his metal tube. Hopefully it goes bang and sends a bit of metal into the bug.

19:32, Today: Shukhunaar rolled 11 using 2d6 ((6,5)).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:33, Thu 19 Aug 2021.

In reply to Shukhunaar (msg # 358):

Aiming at the bugs above him Angus' shotgun boomed, sweeping them off the bulkhead in a shower of gore. Behind him, Linus rolled out of the way allowing Shukhunaar a clear shot at the last Daba. Inserting the lit match into the touch-hole he was rewarded with an orange-reddish flash and a loud roar. They were enveloped in a cloud of whitish-grey smoke and he was rewarded with the sight of the musket ball he'd rammed down the barrel striking the last Daba, punching through it.

All three bugs were left twitching on the grating in front of the hatch, blood oozing down through the metal grid onto the deck plates below.

"I think we just knocked on the door, they know we're here." Angus says as he pumps the shotgun to reload it. He picks up the expended case to reload it later.

Linus got up. No point in staying low now.

"I guess we did. Let's see who is there..."

Shukhunaar commences the laborious process of ramming the correct powder down the tube, then some wadding and a ball, and some time after the others have gone ahead he will have reloaded.

Udam, who had been nearby but out of sight, heard the great din of the shooting and arrived flushed from running, his sword bare as he rounded the corner.

"Ah...the Daba, is everyone alright?" He asked as he carefully sheathed the blade and moved forward to look over those allies that had been involved.

It looked like everyone was, a minor miracle!

The room was 20m x 20m. Off to their left was a large circular pool of water fed by pipes from above. The floor was recessed by a meter. There was a little algae buildup on the metal floor and walls, and a little rust. In front of them was a metal-grid walkway that led to the far side of the room. There were two more hatchways at the end of the room.

Aside from the twitching corpses of the Daba, there were no other beings or threats in the room.
This message was last updated by the GM at 02:00, Sat 04 Sept 2021.

Shukhunaar was not one to ignore the blessings of those who build this place, and walked over to the pool of water, and examined it for purity. He would leave walking over the grid to others first, they always made him slightly apprehensive.

Udam in turn began to push forward, examining the first of the hatches he came to, and checking it to see if it had been tampered with or could be opened.

Angus advances, following his light.

The metal grid walkway ran along the right side of the wall, connecting the hatch they were at to the two hatches at the other end of the chamber.

Stepping down off the grid walkway, Shukhunaar went to the pool on the left. Like many water sources, it seemed pure. The Old Loeskalth, the builders of this world-ship, built well. But legends say things were breaking down, falling apart. There did not seem to be anything moving in the water.

Of the two hatches on the far end of the room, the one of the right was partially open. The left hand one was closed.
This message was last updated by the GM at 03:21, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

Linus follows their new friends, keeping alert.

In reply to Linus Spruance (msg # 369):

It was somewhat loud in the room with the water shooting down from the pipe into the circular pool-like reservoir.

Udam, Angus and Linus examined the open hatch. it led to another long corridor. This one was a tube tunneled through the rock of the asteroid, and unlit as the lighting strips in the ceiling had failed. The other hatch on the left was closed.

Over at the pool of water, Shukhunaar saw it had a raised lip and was about 2m deep. Looking further, he saw there were some bones on the bottom, possibly human.

Angus shined his light in to see if he could see what they were as well.

Shukhunaar dips his elbow in the water to make sure it's not immediately toxic. If he doesn't get a rash within a minute, he says to the others "I will go down to check the bones, see if they belong to our ancestors or not. Help me out when I resurface".

(Alternatively, if it does start a burning sensation he will start cursing loudly for not realising more quickly)

The water doesn't seem toxic to Shukuunar. Merely cold!

As well, one of the Outlanders, Linus, had testing gear they'd brought with them for their expedition. It confirmed there were no dangerous contaminants, parasites, bacteria, etc. in the water.

Angus played his light over the brown bones. He could see other items down there under the bones, including rags of synthetic clothing, which could have been there a very long time. Some shapeless lumps of plastic and metal.

Divesting himself of clothing and weaponry Shukhunaar dove in. Down there he found the jumbled skeletal remains of a human. Rags, not unexpected. But there was a plastic box (about the size of a shoebox) peeking out from under the rags and various wide pipe-like scraps of metal scattered across the bottom.

Shukhunaar swims back up holding the plastic box. "Look! One of their ancient storage devices!" He hands it over to one of his companions, then goes back down to tug at a bit of metal pipe - does it come away as loose scrap, or is it still tethered? If it's free, he will bring one up to examine.