The stress has lessened somewhat since the system recycle.  Django proceeds to each coupling in turn and with Inarra and Tump working in tandem, the job is eventually completed.  Power from the core thrums through the station.


The last coupling is a beast, and it takes Tump and Inarra three tries to get the final process done right.


Django steps from the tram, burn patterns on his clothing indicates places where it looks like he was hit by electrical discharge.  He looks okay, though.  Nothing a little rest won't heal.

Inarra declares the crisis averted and that full power has been restored to the planet's primary systems.

{Please add +10 skill xp to both skills you were rolling for this obstacle.}
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:54, Sun 22 Oct 2017.

Tump slumps down into his chair and looks over at Inarra. "I need a drink" he mutters.

He takes a deep breath and just stares at the screen for a long while. "Alright, let's see if we can't diagnose what's going on with those droids."

Django settles in to a spot out of the way, and tips his hat low over his eyes. "Wake me up if ya find anythang" he says, as he attempts to get some shuteye.

"Yeah, get some rest. This could be a while."

Now that the system is back up and running, Inarra, Tump, and even Irin set to work looking through the files and history to figure out what is wrong with the droids.

"This system is a very complex defense system, almost heuristic in nature, for the planet.  The droids are acting as a kind of antibody group attacking anything foreign, even to the destruction of individual droids.  It's like the planet is a body and these droids are the immune system.  The break in the connection to the surface was like a major wound and the body had no way to heal itself so its immune system has been in hyper mode ever since.  Such long term, constant operation has worn the droids down."

"I found something."  Irin sounds excited for the first time in hours.  "With full power back, we aren't limited to emergency systems.  I have complete access to the historical data.  It looks like some outside force engaged the droid defenses here on Mechis.  This log here..." she points to a string of paragraphs that shift from trinary to common as it scrolls slowly.  "This indicates that the planet AI broke the pathway here.  It created a torsion at the junction we came across that broke the access tunnel and all communication with the surface.  Everything has been in equilibrium with that antibody army engaged at full capacity for nearly a thousand years.  We disrupted the equilibrium and that's what started draining the power of the shields holding back the magma."

She taps a few more commands.  "The planet was trying to hide something down here.  Something big, something worth cutting off its AI from the rest of the outside universe.  Wait."  She stops scrolling and opens a corresponding file.  "What's project MEM?"

Django is already blissfully ignorant to the world around him, lightly snoring. His has hasn't left the grip of his pistol sitting in his holster.

Tump raises an eyebrow. "Can't say that rings a bell, but you're right, it does seem awfully fishy what's going on here."

Inarra comes around and stands near Tump.  She eyes the sleeping Django and then watches Irin digging deep into the files.  "Look.  I'm sure Mechis III has a lot of stuff going on, but we fixed the power and can access the AI.  We need to get back up topside and get back to Vyctor.  This near a core...I'm already on edge.  We had some breaks, but it could have gone the other way just as easily."  She takes Tump's upper arm for emphasis.  "I want out of this place."

Tump continues to stare at the terminal as he finishes his thought. He looks at Inarra then back at the screen. "I suppose you're right. Irin ought to be able to access the system from up there, and we can't get fixated on this while we still have a job to do. Unless..."

Inarra gives him another yank on the air. "Alright, alright..."

Django stirs and shifts around, but doesn't wake.

Django sit up and sucks in a loud breath. "Tythan" he says to himself. He looks around at everyone. "Anythang fun happen while I was out" he says, as he gets up to go check on Ronan.

Tump looks over to Django. "Nope. We're heading back up though. Who's Tythan?"

"Not who, where. And I dunno. I think... I think someone like that lady in the hologram Vyc showed us is trying to communicate with me. Then again could just be heat stroke".

"Irin, is it safe to move Ronan?"

Irin wraps up her digging into the computer systems and pulls out a data storage chip.  She goes over to Ronan and checks him over.  "He really needs more thorough medical care, but I don't see where moving him will cause further damage to him.  It's burns, not internal damage."

"Alright, then lets get a move on. Spent enough time down here to satisfy a lifetime, and I'm willin' to bet they have some sort of medical ward up topside what with everythang else they got in terms a' human facilities".

Django moves to Ronan, and hefts Ronan's body up into a fireman's carry. It isn't easy, and he'll be moving slow to the tram, but he manages to get the massive engineer slung across his shoulders and moving forward.

"Wait, Django.  That's too long a walk AND we have to get him across the gap to reach the tram.  We need to find, maybe rig something together to get him back across."

"If these droids are no longer hostile, maybe one of them has record of a transport of some kind that can get us back up top. Maybe they got a tube system like on core?"

"If they are free of their programming loop.  Maybe some of them are in good enough shape to carry him for us?  Repairs shouldn't take too long with you three."  Irin's voice is hopeful and encouraging.

"Well then I'll at least get him past the door. You three work on getting a droid or two up and functioning" says Django, as he staggers forward to get Ronan to a staging point.

Tump nods. "Alright, I'll head outside and see if there one or two in good enough condition. Inarra, care to join me?"

He steps out of the control room and starts to sift through the what remains of the droids for a suitable one.

While Django half-drags, half carries Ronan down the long tunnel, the rest start digging through the junk looking for enough parts or working droids to scrounge something to carry Ronan.  The work is tedious to the point where Django gets too tired to go further with the enormous engineer.

He returns to the group and plops down to start helping sift the droid parts.  It becomes an intense focus after a bit, a growing pile of odd but well designed parts.  Even the larger droids contribute.

After two hours, the group has a single droid constructed and operating that could do the needed job of carrying Ronan.  It's a simple droid AI that can be swapped out later or upgraded as needed, but it will follow commands issued by a single controller.  The party decides to key it to Django since he is Captain.

The droid's stability and strength are its two defining characteristics.  It has six legs and two arms that can function forward or backward for anything riding on its lower torso between the legs.

Droid finished, the group gathers Ronan and makes its way to the tunnel breach.  The shields are holding significantly better as there is no oppressive heat in the area.  A distinct shimmer blurs the seething molten metal beneath.  Two grapple lines are secured across the breach for climbing.  With the loss of artificial gravity in the tunnel and the nearness to the core reducing the planetary gravity, the trip across the gap is rather easy, even for Irin.  The droid navigates the gap easiest of all, Ronan strapped to its back the entire way.

There is a palpable feeling of relief in the tram as it rockets back up the tunnel to the surface.

There, Vyctor and R10 greet them along with a now operational medical droid.  The droid takes Ronan to a hospital facility where he is immersed in a gel-filled tank with only his briefs and a breathing mask.

"The healing process may take some time.  He has sustained severe concussive and thermal damage.  Our bacta supply is well preserved, but still old and diluted in potency.  He will need several weeks to achieve consciousness and many more to return to full functionality."

"I guess asking how it went would be a bit redundant.  At least the power is restored.  What else did you find out?"

"The word "Tythan" mean anything to you? Durin' a break in the action down there, I took a few to rest. Ended up have some bizzaro dream where some disembodied voice told me to go there. I dunno if it was just me being delirious, or if some sorta Stargod hoo-doo was takin' place. At this point I don't discount nothin' though".