"In case any of you were wondering, I'm still here. I've just been recording all your transmissions, organizing them, cataloguing them, as well as monitoring the sensors for anything that suddenly pops up on the sensors," Gahler reports over the comms.

"Anyway, that's a good observation, Arlo. I was thinking the same thing. Also, there were hidden storage closets on the first level. Have any of you looked for similar areas on the lower levels?"

"Doh! I completely forgot about them!" Arc replies. "I think it was the equipment that made us think there wasn't anything behind them."

"Going back and checking them now."

Adriannah wondering if they had finished examining the electronic wrist device, quietly signing the others for any thoughts about its functions.

===== LEVEL 4: Adriannah, Forge and Harry =====

Forge presses various keys on the device, but while the keys light up when he touches them, it seems as if nothing will happen until he enters an acceptable sequence, which, of course, he hasn't got a clue.

Finally, he tries touching the two keys in the lower corners. The keyboard screen disappears but the corner keys remain. The screen has symbols and bars and other indicators, but he can't make any more sense of them than he could the others.

It turns out the lower keys are 'menu' keys that let you move from one screen to another. He goes through five other screens before it returns to the keyboard screen.


Harry, on the other hand, is looking for some sort of secret access to an engineering area. Going back forth a few times and finding nothing, however, finally makes him realize that the two center labs are slightly smaller than the others. After examining the walls in the rooms (and finding nothing), he goes back out into the hall and examines the hall wall again. The doors to the labs were obvious, which is why they completely overlooked the 'secret' door.

Again, it might not have appeared to be secret to the aliens who built it. It just maybe have pleased their aesthetics to not be an obvious intrusion into daily life.

There's definitely a door there, but it doesn't have pinhole method of unlocking it.


===== LEVEL 2: Arc and Arlo =====

Meanwhile, Arc has gone back through the labs on the second level looking for hidden storage rooms. He finds two--on in each of the end rooms. Laid out pretty much like 1st level storage rooms, the shelves here seem to have 'replacement' parts, but also a few extra devices. Some seem be like what's in the lab; others are completely different.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:39, Mon 07 Feb 2022.

===== LEVEL 3: Steve and Roland =====


At Gahler's suggestion, Steve almost smacks himself in the forehead before remembering he's wearing a spacesuit with helmet.

"Yeah, forgot about that myself. We're checking now," he responds as informs the others of his actions.

Upon getting Adriannah's comm feed about the device they found, he offers this:

"Unless you find some sort of conversion screen on it, it's not going to do us any good until we decipher the language. Even then, that won't necessarily tell us how to operate the device."

"It sounds like that second screen you found might be the comm's stats... signal strength, power reserves, etc. I don't know that we could tell which one is which. Scientists we're not. They postulate a theory then figure out how to test it. Like, how do you detect something that you don't even know exists? That was the problem they had with neutrinos in the beginning."

"Okay, finding a hidden storage compartment on the two end labs. None in the middle. Does that mean there aren't any? Or that I just can't find them?"

It probably means that there aren't any, as it would be hard--and strange--for there to be storage cabinets in the middle labs because they have large equipment cabinets all along the back walls and it doesn't look like they are easily movable.

"I'll leave it up to you, Arlo, whether you think any of that loose equipment is worth taking," Luise prompts over the comms.

"Any idea how that hidden door might open, Harry?" she asks. "There are two immediate options that come to mind. The first is merely pressure. Press one side to get it to release. The other is magnetic latch. That you'd need a magnet placed in the right spot release it."

"I don't happen to carry a magnet in my pocket at all times, though, so that could be a tricky proposition. That something you carry, Roland?"

In reply to Luise Wechsler (msg # 473):

"No, no magnet in my pocket, except my shoes for the grav plates on the deck, they have magnets don't they?"

"Looks like we will need to get a cutting torch on our next trip back to the ship and cut it open, unless you can think of another way in Harry." Forge suggested.

In reply to 'Forge' Harris (msg # 475):

"Torch might be our only option, Arlo, you want to check it out when you get a chance?"

"Hey, that's a good point, Roland," Arlo responds.

"Assuming the people that built this place are about as tall as we are, the release mechanism, if it's magnetic, should be about shoulder height. Can you raise your leg up that high, Harry? Or Forge? Maybe one of you supporting the other?"

"The 'key' might be a magnet, but the latch doesn't necessarily have to be," Arc suggested. "It could just be a ferrous metal that will turn when a magnet is placed over it and turned."

"On the other hand, have you tried just pressing the side? We've magnetic catches where the magnet's on the inside and there's just a metal plate on the door. You push against it, and that small amount of motion releases the grab, letting the door swing open."

"You're just determined to cut something up with a torch, aren't you, Harry?" Luise says over the comms.

"I'd ask you which you value more, the credits we'd get from what you destroyed with a torch or playing with the torch, but I'm not sure I want to know that answer to that."

"You don't, by any chance, have any pyromaniacs in your family tree, do you?"

"So what do the rest of you want to do? Have you found enough junk that you think we can sell or do you want to keep looking. It's not that we don't have all day, but it depends on what we find. So far, I don't think we've got enough to satisfy Arlo so he needs to get back to his regular job soon."

"Either that or he comes with us."

"Just said it was an option of last resort. Of course I'm a pyromanic Luise, but not here and not now, too dangerous."

Do you have a hand held Ultrasonic aboard. asked Adriannah as she considered their find. Have any of  you thought about claiming this Moon. If it's possible we could cash in on the find.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:25, Tue 15 Mar 2022.

"If we want to stay here and deal with it," Arc says, "yeah, we could do that. Or, if Arlo stays here, that'll be his claim."

"If we're not going to stay here, what would be the point? Who could we possibly trust to represent our interests fairly and honestly? And even if we do find someone like that, how would we ever see any of the results of that? We're not sure if we're ever coming back this way again."

"Besides, the most likely scenario is that some inspector will come out here, decided it's an Ancient site or something similar, and then confiscate it in the name of the Imperium. If we're lucky, we'll get our names on a plaque at the site acknowledging that we found it."

"If any of you can see another path, I'm listening."

Adriannah looked at Arc as if he was experiencing chemical induced hallucination.  An Imperian inspector visiting a site that has been classified and established as Archeologic Site which  has teams of Researchers investigating it decides to confiscate it for the imperium.

And nods in mock agreement. Right no point dallying we need to level the complex and leave she comments sarcastically.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:05, Tue 11 Oct 2022.

"Is that sour grapes, Adriannah?" Luise asked. "If we can't have it, no one can?"

"There might be some jurisdictional issues, naturally, since the Imperium hasn't quite claimed or annexed this system. Still, they are considered a client state. I think. The bureaucratic terminology always gets me confused."

"The Imperium is known to be heavy-handed when their own interests are at stake. Personally, I don't feel we know enough about this place yet to get an idea of which way the wind will blow."

"Arc has a point, though. What do we get if we do claim this? Are we staying or are we still heading out to explore the unknown wilds of Foreven?"

In reply to Luise Wechsler (msg # 484):

Really Adriannah replies with a chuckle Didn't take you for an Imperial Sympathiser. she teased
This message was last edited by the player at 02:31, Tue 29 Mar 2022.

"Well, I've been running from the Fifth Frontier War for several months now, and I wasn't planning on stopping until we reached Foreven," Steve spoke up after listening to the others and ruminating over what they said.

"As fascinating as this facility is, I just don't see any future in it. Sure, we could lay claim, and then turn around and sell that claim to whatever the local Corporation is, and let them deal with the legalities and bureaucrats. And we'd be out of here before any of that happened anyway."

"I'd prefer to keep it a secret, and then we could always use it as a secret base or hideout if we needed it. Barring that, we could sell the location and the claim to someone else down the line... maybe someone who was heading back this way."

"It was a fluke that Arlo here ever saw it in the first place, though I'm sure it'd be found readily enough if someone was specifically looking for it. So, unless and until this system becomes an economic success that includes significant mining operations, this place is going to remain a secret for a very, very long time."

"Now, I'm not saying you're wrong, Adriannah, and if everyone else wants to go your route, I'm with you. But, I just don't think it's likely to go down that way."

"And it gets back to what we ultimately want to do. We're doing okay as interstellar traders, but I don't think our hearts are really into that. But, if not, then what do we want to do?"

In reply to Steve Cable (msg # 486):

Trade items include anything that can be acquired legally and sold, from a poppy seed to a planet, they are all commodities.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Tue 11 Oct 2022.

"Any plans of occupying the place is a moot point when The Federation of Arden comes and plays a social call. I would suggest that we pack it up, let the local authorities know what was found, let them give Arlo Thresh whatever reward so they can use it as a defense base, and get out of here." Forge said.

"To a certain extent, that's true, Adriannah, but that's a bit simplistic," Arc answers. "That's the whole purpose of a broker... to connect a commodity, whatever it is, with someone who wants or needs that commodity."

"If it was easy, anyone could do it! Ha-ha."

"Well, this isn't a dictatorship, so it's back to you, Adriannah. What do you think we should do?"

"Forge may have the best idea yet. We have no idea if this facility has any defensive capabilities, but it doesn't seem like it has any long term defense. It would still need to be supplied. The Federation could just destroy it outright."

After listening to Arc's suggesting and then getting distracted by the ensuing conversation, Harry finally turns he attention back to the wall in question.

Not having any magnets handy, he just starts pushing the wall in several spots.

Low and behold, a section of wall pops open. Not just one side, but the whole panel. He can now see that it's mounted on some type of hinge that lets him swing the whole panel to the side.

Behind it is hallway that goes past the lab rooms and opens out into what is obviously engineering. It spans the whole width of the facility and goes back about 50 feet. It's clearly under the landing bay on the top three levels.

Giving a shrug Adriannah looks about there doesn't appear to be anything of commercial value which stood out. I trust you lot won't need an overwatch any more. she prompts
This message was last edited by the player at 23:36, Sat 04 June 2022.