OOC: I’ve got a long-winded narrative to get you two up to speed here..

Kojo Botha and Sancho Castro, both crewmen on the pirate/smuggler ship the ‘Black Hole’ were leaving the Eros black market to acquire three fake transponder code when the entirety of Eros station shakes as some sort of large explosion occurs somewhere on Eros Station.

Nobody feels the telltale signs of the pressure dropping, so at least there is not any danger of vacuum exposure or loss of air.

But the announcement broadcast over a PA speaker in the corridor is in a female voice, and in several languages, does indicate there is a problem.

[Language unknown: “Estcon-ousast Whe behaho iouur ouec'acrilo t ouranyvorsta dinbleore ilbees. St nd le andncesta, ameomekor sindhe is towhi foroveble esson ichandred i k ardveneau thitioder.”]

“Attention Eros station has experienced a radiation hazard breach. For your own safety, please proceed to the nearest hard shelter in an orderly fashion.”

[Language unknown: “Arddaystinde Ck esevbe ai aritwirool ar tentneno sincna ntropr. Art nd waut isriel, enwini eipeti ut onil iowadi fi ratdiners o ul poatle latouslin.”]

[Language unknown: “Buters-traeen Rut kortheure anint oerresectprohou wh thoersortble ssfime esadie. Mi urna the toutha, esicpe entama i ng atceis po ounvorith on la ateithvir loosat.”]

For those who take a look at their hand terminals they get a ‘breaking news' notification. The news notification shows a massive ice hauler in Docking Bay three exploding while in its berth. The accompanying captions at the bottom of the news feed switches between Belter Creole to English that reads: Ice Hauler explodes in dock causing massive radiation contamination of Eros Station.

A few minutes later there is a station wide text notification:
> Due to radiation hazard breach all dockings bay for Eros Station are locked down. Please proceed to the nearest hard shelter immediately. <

---

The two men try to get in contact with their ship, the Black Hole located in docking bay two, but are unable to get a connection before the Eros wireless Network goes dark.

After one look at the radiation shelters where Sancho realizes that the tattoos on several CPM guards indicate they are members of the Ceres faction of an organized crime group known as Sohiro’s Crew, the two realize the hard shelters are not the best place to go and decide to try to reach docking bay two in the hopes that the Black Hole hasn’t left yet.

---

The Casino Level is a maze of Slot machines, Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and Belter Juice tables. There is even a table playing the newly created game called ‘Remember the Cant’. Interspersed amongst all this are walled off Pachinko parlors, betting halls for races or prize fights occurring throughout the system, as well as small, medium and large restaurants.

About one-third of these places are open, their proprietors acting as if business is as usual, albeit with all transactions being carried out with physical scrip. There are people acting as if things are normal, spending or gambling away their physical scrip. Groups of 2-4 CPM guards patrol the casino area but are not being hostile to anyone.

Massive shutters have closed off all but one of the exits leading ‘up spin’ to docking bay two. This one exit is guarded by a large force of CPM personnel, and about a dozen other individuals. These dozen individuals are wearing an as of yet never seen before type of vac suit/armor that is grayish silver in color. These individuals are armed with and odd type of rifle with what appears to be a top mounted grenade launcher.

---

With the normal way of getting past the Casino level and to the docking level, the two look for another route, and find it in the form of a door marked “Authorized Persons Only” in several languages located on the side of a walled off pachinko parlor that is somewhat situated in the center of the casino level.

Beyond the door is a metal set of stairs the leads into a sublevel of the Casino level that is a massive server farm that supports all (or nearly all) of the computerized gambling devices located on the Casino level.

Outside, within the Casino some sort of commotion occurs which is followed by yelling screaming and gunfire...

"We wouldn't want that commotion to spread into our escape route, right? Give me a hand, let's bar that access door."
"Then we better find a passage to the Docks.", Kojo said as he tried to move a rather large and heavy server cabinet.

He then tried to look for access tunnels for the electrical wiring to gambling machines off the centre and in the direction of the docks.
Somehow they would need to cross the borderline beyond the shutters, climb back up to the casino level and continue onwards from there.
Kojo considered rigging up a distraction on this side of the shutters but since a gunfight had started already such plans had immediately become moot.

Getting somewhat confused as to the route to take and then hitting all manner of obstacles Sancho was actually glad to have someone with him. "Sure, sure..." He grabbed the side of the cabinet and moved it into place.

"I just hope the ships not booked it already. Lets look for another door on the other side."

He stops for a second to see if anyone else was already in here with them, a server tech or the like.


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Kojo and Sancho head down the metal stairs, behind them someone is already trying to open the door they barred with a server cabinet. Looking back and up, it opens just a crack but not enough to see who is on the other side...

At the bottom of the stairs is the server farm itself, containing several rows of serves that are at least 2 meters high. The room is cold, and it looks like there is no one else present.

OOC: Please make perception roles to look for any tunnels or access panels that may lead to tunnels.

[Private to Kojo Botha: Your thermals will add a +3 to the perception check and they also confirm no one else is down here.]

Kojo checked about and it looked a bit weird to see him looking so intensly at what seemed to be plain walls.

---

rolled 10 using 3d6+2 with the AGE System with rolls of {5}, 1, 2.  Perception[Private to GM: Total 13.
Spend 2 Fortune to raise the 1 to a 2, thus total 14 plus 5 Stunt Points... if useful at all?]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:20, Fri 03 Dec 2021.

Sancho unholstered his handgun as he also began to search for another way out. He also continued to glance up the stairs to the door that seemed to be opening wider while they worked.

Sancho Castro rolled 12 using 3d6+1 (5 stunt points) with the AGE System with rolls of {5}, 1, 5.  Perception.


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Searching the semi dark sever room Kojo and Sancho find two ventilation grills. Each grill doesn’t look too hard to remove, and both look like they have been removed frequently as the edges are covered in scratch marks.

[Private to Sancho Castro: Among the numerous scratches on one of the grills, you can make out the scratch marks of an old OPA written direction code on one of the grills. The code translates into the word ‘docks’’. ]

"One looks as good as the other. Take a pick, you never know with ventilation which way they turn."
Kojo looked his comrade up and down.
"Then again, you're a brawny fellow, wouldn't want to get stuck in there right behind you.", he said with a wink and picked the one that seemed to kead to the docks.
Just before removing the grille he paused.
"Then again, the servers need cooling and I'd say there's nothing cooler than hard vaccum, so the inlet vent probably come from the outer areas."
He held his hand against the grille determining whether the ventilation was the inlet or outlet, then picking the inlet.
"Unless you have a better idea, I suggest to take this one."

Sancho gave a small smile when he saw the scratches. "This one leads to the docks, it's got an old way code scratched into the grill. Quick help me get it off and you jump in and then we can both pull it on. Hopefully they wont notice." He pulls the second grill off and leans it up against the wall to give the impression they have taken it.

Then he follows Kojo in and after reattaching the grill front he tried to makes some headway along the shaft with speed.



-

The two men find that the vents are held in place with simple screws, which Sancho easily removes with his multi tool. Leaving one vent grill open as a false flag the two close up the other grill behind them.

The ventilation shaft is a little cramped requiring both men to walk half bent over. The shaft goes a ways before they come across another ventilation grill. This grill opens up to and old mechanical line tunnel tha tis about 2 meters wide and high.

[Private to Kojo Botha: There was no need/use for stunt points so you can keep the 2 Fortune. ]

[Private to Sancho Castro: You will need to make perceptions rolls from here on out to find the next marker.

But you get +1 (Due to OPA membership) and +2 (searching focus), so with a 1 in perception your die rolls will be 3d6+4 with a TN of 13.

A failed roll doesn't mean you do not find the marker, but just that it takes longer to find.

]

"There... there should be more of these marker to guide us along. Watch out backs while I look."

Sancho Castro rolled 18 using 3d6+4 (6 stunt points) with the AGE System with rolls of {6}, 2, 6.  Perception.



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Kojo wondered how his comrade knew of this kind of thing. More specifically: whether he was able to read the markers correctly.
"I have a bad feeling that we will soon be joined by whoever is trying to push that door open. Better leave quickly."
"I'll be watching your back.", he added as he drew his pistol.

Sancho easily finds the marker he was looking for and then at a 'T shaped' intersection easily finds the next one which leads to lone ventilation grill.

On the other side of the grill is a ladder that goes down and into darkness as the dim light bulbs used to illuminate the mechanical tunnels do not provide much light.

"Bother, I was hopimg it would go back up to the general public level, not down."
"Actually I tjink that's even better."
"Only one way to go. Lead on."
[Private to GM: switch on thermal vision]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:28, Thu 16 Dec 2021.

OOC: Due to 'spin gravity' down is actually the way you want to go as it leads to the outside of Eros and not the inner core.

Ah, did assume you already referred to gravitational pull, but wasn't aware that'll be where we want to go.
Awesome.
I edited my previous post
This message was last edited by the player at 05:28, Thu 16 Dec 2021.

"Sure thing, lets hope that other grill put them off the scent." Sancho began to descend via the ladder. As he did he looked down to try and keep his eye on where he was going and if anyone was already there.



-

Sancho begins to climb down the ladder to wherever the bottom of the shaft leads to and is soon followed by Kojo.

The climb takes roughly 30 minutes, when the two get to the bottom, they find a vent grill, and on the other side of that vent grill is yet another large server farm.

[Private to Kojo Botha: With your thermals you were not able to see the bottom of the shaft.

When looking at the server cabinets you can tell that computer servers, and the various wiring all all designed to withstand the vacuum of space.]

"Careful now, those cabinets are vacuum-resistent design. We may be much closer to hard space than we think. We should maybe look for vac suits first before we continue.", he warned his ship mate.

Taking a few minutes to watch and listen to the server farm through the grill, Sancho gives his companion a nod to his warning. Once he was fairly sure no one was in the server farm he would remove the grill and enter the room.

Again taking a few minutes to look and listen.



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The two men wait a few minutes before removing the vent grill. From the inside the only way to remove the grill is to quickly kick it out, or to slip something in between the grill and wall and slowly pry it off.

Not wishing to create more noise then was needed Sancho looked over his gear for something that could be used to get the vent off.


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Sancho uses the little knife part of his multi-tool to slowly pry the vent off of the wall.

This takes several minutes and once the two get into the server room can see that there are two exits. One is clearly an airlock, in which the small window shows that it is shut. The other exit is a regular sized door, but there is no window to see what is on the other side.

So you check the doors while I put this back up." Sancho puts the vent back onto the grill and see if he can jam it closed somehow.

He then takes a minute to listen at the vent before returning to Kojo's position. He has a look out the airlock window to see if he could spot any of the damage the station had taken.


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