Decker sighed, "Assuming we survive this, it's going to take me at least a month to write just the initial reports on everything we've seen here today."

He reset the tricorder and began scanning the hallway ahead, first for gravitational fields, and then more exotic energies if he doesn't find anything unusual.

20:36, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 48 using 4d20 with rolls of 11,18,16,3.  Scanning for gravitic/weird energy. Reason(12) + Science(5) (Testing a Theory plus 1 Momentum).
3 successes unless a focus applies, in which case it would be 4.
Free instant spend:  What kind of energy, and what is generating it?

Decker's tricorder reveals that the energies in flux are gravitic, coming from the wall and floor plates.  The very plates that generate a livable gravity well here in the hallway were fluctuating, and causing the debris to swirl in the air.

"That's being caused by the station's gravity control system. They're strong enough to injure, but I believe I can plot a pathway through safely. Assuming the station doesn't alter them, of course. But the next signal is just up ahead." He looks at ch'Pertha and shrugs. "So...forward?"

"Give me all the directions you can, Ltn Commander", ch'Pertha nodded to Decker.
Then, he led the way down the hallway, ready to react swiftly if Decker gave any warnings or advice.

T'Lara found the floating pieces of debris to be even stranger than the gravitational fluctuation that caused it to twirl around.  Where did these objects come from? (she hasn't seen paper in ages).  Yet another mystery to add to their list...

Decker nodded, "Aye, sir.", and began following closely behind the XO with his eyes glued to the tricorder display. He gave ch'Pertha sharp concise verbal cues to direct him around the eddies.

Using his sharp eye for self-preservation, Decker leads the group through the invisible maze of gravimetric distortions.  There is some ducking involved.  But the party makes it through, and turns the corner...

To find the source of the next Federation signal.

There's a body smashed against the ceiling and turned into bones and jelly.  Visually disgusting and disorienting, but it's as if the body fell from a great height... hit the ceiling... and stuck.

And, next to the corpse, a smashed Federation tricorder still has its functioning subspace transponder.  Also stuck to the ceiling.

Gravity is obviously not normal around the corner, either.

"The distortions are stronger here...obviously." He scanned the corridor ahead for a safe path. "There's clearly some kind of intelligence at work here, Sir, either living or artificial. I surmise it's the latter. As T'Lara pointed out earlier, it seems like it could easily overwhelm us if it wanted to. Perhaps we should attempt to contact it?"

ch'Pertha nodded.   He agreed with this assumption.
"It seems to be a series of tests, doesn't it", he 'asked' rhetorically.

He was certainly not going to risk his team to recover someone most certainly dead.
But Decker's comment held merit.
"Agreed.   Suggestions then, from anyone"

"I left my Oujji Board in my other space suit," JavKer commented helpfully.

The poor man whose head has been cleanly removed was bad enough, but she had been able to stomach it, somehow.  But looking at the man-paste smeared against the ceiling got her physically ill, and she had to stop and close her eyes for a moment to avoid throwing up inside her environmental suit.

"It's.." she shook her head, and took a deep breath
"We could try talking to it, I guess, in its language" there was uncertainty in her voice; whatever was controlling the station appeared to be particularly malicious

Decker shrugged, "I agree. It seems unlikely to me that an attempt at communication could make things worse. Commander, if you open a channel on your communicator I'll link it to my tricorder, run it through the UT, and broadcast it across the spectrum. For all the electronic noise in here, I have to assume that It is listening." He shrugged again, "And if not, well, no harm?"

He paused.

"Probably."

"Or, it could anger the aforementioned sentience, and turns its opinion of us from test subjects into intruders or enemies ...", ch'Pertha said.
But with a nod, he said, "Its worth a try, though" as handed his communicator to Decker, to do with as he felt necessary.

"Anyone here with specific training in diplomacy or first contact?  Especially with regards to Advanced Civilisation Artificial Intelligences?"
He doubted it, and couldn't remember any such thing in any of their files ... but otherwise, it would seem to fall to him to make any initial interactions.

T'Lara shook her head 'no'

"I did study many alien cultures as part of my training, but this is different than anything I have experience with"

In an uncharacteristically kind move, JavKer patted T'Lara's space suit awkwardly with his suit's heavy glove.  He could tell the Counselor was disturbed by the gore on the ceiling that had once been one of them.

"I can monitor for gravitic or energy spikes with my tricorder while you two are doing your thing," he offered, nodding to Decker and T'Lara.

Decker linked the communicator's rudimentary UT to his tricorder's and loaded up the Ithik translation database. When he finished, he looked up at the XO, weighing the communicator in his hand - it suddenly seemed a lot heavier, "I haven't had any more formal training than the rest of you, but I have been present for a few First Contact situations. And on the Exeter, I played a pretty substantial role in our First Contact with the Wirrin. They were pretty alien....but not nearly so aggressive."

He smiled a rather strained smile, "Still, it sounds like maybe I'm our best bet. Shall I?"

ch'Pertha reached out and put a hand on Decker's shoulder.
"Ltn Commander, I have a lot of faith in you.   Stop for a moment, and think this through.  About what you want to say, and how you want to say it.
If you need any moral support, just look at the faces around you.   We've got your back on this", he said.


- rolled 2d20 with rolls of 4,19.  Presence+Command (12).
If my 'Inspiration' focus counts, then that makes two successes ... towards aiding Decker in this endeavour, or for him to use however he needs to in performing this task
This message was last edited by the player at 06:47, Tue 06 Oct 2020.

Decker nodded in acknowledgement. He flipped open the communicator, took a few carefully measured breaths to center himself, and opened a channel that was broadcast as widely as the little device could.

"To the entity or entities in charge of this facility. My name is Christopher Decker. I am the Chief Science Officer of the Federation starship Independence. It is urgent that I speak to you about our presence aboard and the events taking place in this star system. Please respond."

OOC: We'll call that an Inspire action and add 2 to the Momentum Pool.

There's a crackle of static from Decker's communicator as he sends a multi-spectrum hail out into the massive object.  With a neutronium hull, and being roughly the size of Earth... well it could take a while.

OOC: Decker's player to please make a Control + Engineering check, Difficulty of 2. One player may assist.

The Science Officer fiddled with the tiny controls on the communicator. He always found the devices reliable enough, but frustratingly limited.

Buying a third die with momentum.
17:12, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 26 using 3d20 with rolls of 11,7,8.  Broadcasting his intro message to the Artifact - Control (11) + Engineering (2) - 1 extra die.
3 successes!

Still, the little sub-space transceiver's technology was very similar to the sensors that he used on a daily basis...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:39, Fri 09 Oct 2020.

OOC: 1 Momentum back to the pool, which breaks us even.

There is a long moment of static, like an old 20th century radio.  Then there's a chirp, a beep, and a string of chirps.  It was some kind of language.  But while they'd translated the written form, this was the first time hearing it directly.

T'Lara please make an Insight + Science check, with her focus of Linguistics applying, Difficulty of 2.

Decker please make a Reason + Engineering check, with a Difficulty of 2.

T'Lara shook her head as she looked down at her communicator
"Sorry; can't make sense of this.  We might need a larger sample size if we're to program the universal translator again"

OOC:
spent momentum, and not a single success :(

LCDR T'Lara rolled 50 using 3d20 with rolls of 16,16,18.  insight+ science+ momentum (decipher chirps and beeps).

Decker frowns, tapping first at the communicator, then the tricorder. "Come on...."

Spending one momentum...
13:29, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 30 using 3d20 with rolls of 12,4,14.  Doing...something...wrt the translation...Reason(12) + Engineering(2) w/ 1 Momentum.
3 successes, for what it's worth.

Having listened to T'Lara, ch'Pertha returned his attention to Decker, "Then we need to keep them talking, even as we move on.  Stay on it, Ltn Commander".

Turning to JavKer, he said, "Can you help Decker monitor the gravitational fluctuations, so we can keep moving.
He seems to be having problems with his device ... perhaps do to our proximity to said fluctuations", and perhaps the Engineer could help sort that out.

"Mcreeg, maintain rear observation.  We don't need any more surprises from behind.
T'Lara, you're with me at front ... as another set of eyes up here".

And ch'Pertha seemed ready to forge on, continuing their journey into the place.
He was going to leave the dead crewman on the ceiling, and their comm, where they were.

Not having to be told twice and silently wishing he had a second phaser, tho in a way glad he doesn't, still not trusting his replacement arm given where they are and what's going on, Mcreeg nods, even as he responds..

"Aye, Sir..nothing's getting past me from this way"

He wishes he felt as confident as he tried to sound, sweating more than he'd like inside his suit, his eyes and head on swivels as he does his best to stay in step with the others..

He even notes that he's more rattled than he can remember being as there are so many things that he'd love to look into, so many studies he'd like to do and tests he's like to take, especially of the odd gravitics they've encountered, but they'd take focus from his assignment..and from his being ready to take out the enemy this time..vowing to himself that what happened before will NOT happen again..
This message was last edited by the player at 08:33, Wed 14 Oct 2020.