Most of the lighting in the Orishi was dim, and the walls were a uniform dark grey and dark blue.  Inset track-lighting both at foot-level and at ceiling-level kept most of the corridors conservatively lit.    Motion-detectors triggered full lighting when something bigger than the rat-sized maintenance-bots moved through the corridors.

On the mid-level, near the center of the ship, stood a solid radiation-shield.  It was thick and probably iron.  The chamber was small, sandwiched between the impulse engine and the artificial gravity unit.  The door itself was perhaps four feet across and it had a vertical pattern to it that suggested it opened up-and-down rather than the circular pattern with a slightly raised walkway that most corridors in the Orishi already had.

Gothique and Gilina were in one of the area, having indexed most of the primary hold, where the tech-crew had put most of the Orishi's stripped components.  They'd been able to trace several electrical fiber-conduits through an access-junction that led to the space that led to the gravity unit.  A desk-sized unit filled with glowing blue and silver LED-like lights.  The fibers running from it ran all throughout the ship and it was a wave-form interaction between them that formed the basis of contragravity on most ships in the galactic commonality.

It was warmer on this level, and the air felt drier than above.  It smelled like dried paper and, of all things, cinammon.

There were a couple of temporary chairs set up in the open-space outside the big iron door.  And a small area to the side of the door inset with a half-globe of polished silver material.  It was lit from above and on the surface of the silver-globe, there seemed to be a series of faint etchings or scratches.  There did not appear to be any further point of access for whatever lay behind the door.

After plotting the course to K-Zino, Viper had a few hours to kill....  Left to her own devices, she learned that the Mixed-Mob had started a betting pool (ironic, since none of them had anything to bet with) over who could get the most response out of the silver globe.

Gilina had called it a biometric vault, but she admitted that she was just parotting what she'd heard her team-mate Jax say.   It was also possible that the vault was protective shield against radiation.

Apparently, though, when one placed their hand on the silver globe to the side of the door, certain sounds issued.  For some people, anyway.  Nobody had succeeded in getting anything more than two tones out of the interface.

Rayfe found Gothique there, lounging in one of the temporary chairs...  She and Gilina were taking a rest, and Gilina was going over information on a tablet, the comforting low-level hum of the ship's impulse drive provided a low-level bass-beat, like a heart-beat at rest, slow and peaceful, but inexoraqble.

So... Rayfe can find Gothique there.   Viper, I'mma gonna ask you to wander in, if you don't mind...

Karnell arrived!

He was carrying the mobile data pad used to access the ship's systems. He spotted Gothique, and headed her way. "I have news for you... I am not sure how good it is, but I think you will have to decide that. I found some details on who you are, from the database. It is... unexpected. Would you care to read it?" He held the device out. "Interestingly enough, you were not en route to the penal colony, like the rest of us. It looks like you were going to be transferred elsewhere. I am sorry, I was unable to find out where. That information was not available. I suppose Amin may well know. We can add it to the list of things to ask him."

Then he took stock of the situation with the vault. He looked at the orb curiously. "Interesting. Some sort of security device keyed to the biometrics of specific person or persons. Biometric locks are not too hard to find, they're common enough. Unfortunately, it is because they are very efficient. But not infallible. I think between the three of us should be able to bypass it. Let's take a look."

He came in close to study the device carefully. Thanks to his job working for a very security conscious (and also, highly paranoid) banking cartel in a technical capacity, he had encountered a lot of different biometric security devices. The Cartel offered a great many different options to their clients. He had spent a lot of time working with them. He knew the principles. The question was... did this thing work the same way? And was it even sensible of them to try to open it?

"Of course, we still need to ask... should we try to open it? Someone stripped this ship down to the bare bones. But they left this thing here. Why? Is there something truly dreadful inside? Did they plan to simply leave the ship adrift, with all the valuable gear removed, and a nameless horror locked inside? Or is there something of incredible value inside, and whoever stripped the ship was unable to open it, which is why this is all that remains?" Rayfe pondered this. "I like option two. I am certain that Amin deliberately selected us to be brought out of cryosleep. He needed our skills. Perhaps this thing is why." He looked at Gothique thoughtfully. "I've read your file. Breaking into things is your forté. I know the theory behind biometrics, but I think you're probably the best person to actually do it. In principle, the system is pretty simple. The biometrics of everybody authorised to open the vault are stored in a core processor. When someone uses the device, a signal is sent to the core. It is referenced against all the held data. If there is a match, a signal is sent back to release the lock. If not, a fail signal is returned. All we need to do is intercept that fail return signal, and convince the device it received the correct one instead. It's easier than reprogramming the core. Of course, we still need to get inside this thing." He tapped the globe a couple of times. "And I'd wager it has almost any anti-tampering protection you care to mention. But... I'm game, if you are."

He liked a challenge. And cracking the vault was going to be a far better way to spend his time than sitting around waiting for the next crisis to show up.

Gothique was in rest mode although rest mode often meant playing with something.  A couple of hours ago it was some odd multifaced colour cube randomizer toy someone handed her but after a little while someone showed her a new shiney and she put it down to come back to later.

Now in her hand was another comm unit that was being created so as to keep her worth for the crew.  She even remains working on it as Rayfe starts to speak.



When he mentions this she actually looks somewhat confused and taking a moment or two to ponder what was being said.  It can probably be seen on her face as the data flows through, "I am not sure I want to know.  I mean if it is imperative that I need the knowledge then I guess you should tell me.  But if it is nothing important than I think I am good without it.  If that makes sense."  Gothique says as she gets up out of the comfy chair.  "Actually why don't you tell Gilly and if Gilly thinks it is important then she can tell me."  With her decision made she smiles proud of herself.

"Now on this vault thingee.  To be honest I am not sure if that is why we were brought out.  I mean I guess that is as likely as my idea of a failure or someone wanted company.  But that is what is is.  I mean it is totes cool if they did and even more totes cool on the vault as I am just dying to know what is in there.  I mean it could be anything!"  She says now with a sparkle in her eye.   "Gilly what do you think?"

In Baylee's Cabin

After a indefinite hours of sleep, Maissa woke up and stretched out on the captain's bed. She caressed her gorgeous lascivious body and purred. She felt rested and was beaming joie de vivre. She smiled to the plastisteel partitions. She somersaulted out of bed...

Nah... just kidding. ;)

After a indefinite hours of confused nightmares, Maissa opened a single tired eye. She felt dazzled and nauseous. Why had every great time to be followed by such a bleak comedown? Her stomach was angry and demanded drugs, drinks and above all, FOOD. She crawled to her clothes, doubled up in pain. She stared at the plastisteel partitions and hated them. She hated the orange glistening prisoner's uniform - it was designed to reflect the light to make it easier to find the corpses in space. She felt dirty. She hated everything and everybody.

around the ship

That made the pain less intense and she dragged herself around the [curse words removed] ship. She found Baylee in the meeting room, trying to recruit a bear-looking Marine by beating the [expletive deleted] out of him, while "See Yes Sicks" was meditating. Maissa silently beamed her scorn to the three of them and moved on.

She ended up in a small chamber on the technical level.

Gilina was lazing around, gaming on a tablet. Gothique was playing with cables and bits, and chirping with Rayfe, who was patronizing, mansplaining, patting the globe, throwing "options" and "signals" words over the place in an uninterrupted flow, and in sum growing a headache in Maissa's head.

Oh, how she passionately hated them. How she loathed them all.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:37, Sun 20 Feb 2022.

"It isn't from the commonality."  Gilina said.   She crossed her legs in front of her, leaned against the bulkhead across the chamber.  "But things operate according to strict logical concepts and sequences."

She sighed and drew a hand across her brow.  "Jax was working on trying to identify the identification methodologies.  She was talking about multiphasic sequences and bypass encryptions.  I don't know. 

But I can tell you that there are shielded conduits running into and out of that room. Think it keeps the temperature, pressure--probably gravity--consistent.  It's got it's own generator and power-draw, so I'll bet you that it's not connected to the ship's systems.  Completely isolated.

I don't know enough to know that it's not dangerous, but given the nature of the ship and it's history, I think they'd probably been more worried about people getting in than something getting out.

Gothique was embroiled in thought on the vault in front when the person Maissa entered.  And in her head this was perfect as yesterday she did her best to meet this nice person and for some reason she was not able to.

So now she walked right up to her without hesitation, "Hi there. I wanted to say yesterday that you looked super cool and I did not have a chance to meet you."   She then offers her hand as if by instinct as was ingrained by her 'fathers' teachings.

She wanted to respond to Gilly but she had to take this first as she was worried this lady did not like her and that simply could not be.