Diaspora Jig IC

[Noedig]

The moment before consciousnesses is a place of pure night. Less than a heartbeat, barely more than a millisecond, it is that tiny gap between rest and wakefulness.

It is an encapsulating void. Inky, stygian darkness bereft of the normal pinpricks of starlight. And then the heartbeat completes. and where there was darkness, there is a single mote of light in the black. It burns, not with a comfort, but with the baleful, retina scorching intensity of magnesium.

Pain. It grips hard on the flanks of a barely awakened mind, jump starting everything into a moment of pure survival panic. Lungs heave, sucking in air that is far too cold, too thin, and mixed with a sharp, acrid taste. The ears awaken next, and to the sound of a dull, unpleasant hum that reverberates through everything. Touch follows, greeted by the sensory sucker punch of cold, hard metal and a strange tightness on the throat. The air is bitter smelling; sweat, oils, a sulfurous stench, all underpinned by blood.

The eyes are last, opening to reveal...blackness? Nothing?

No. There are shapes, forms in the dark. They move, shift, breathe, and twist in their own private agonies as each in turn awakens.

[Chuffy]

Anry flicked to life as he tried to gather his surroundings, attempting to figure out exactly where he was, and what he was doing there.

Fort save (1d20+2)[13]

[darni]

3X tried to focus her eyes and wondered what was making her stomach turn like that. Where are we, Michelle? still on the ship? she mumbled into the darkness... All her internal sensor feeds started coming in and providing her some information about the environment.

[Noedig]

The room is small. Barely ten feet to a side, and it appears to be occupied by only yourselves. The sole light source comes from a barely functioning fluorescent bulb in the ceiling. The space is wholly unadorned, filthy, and smells quite like a latrine.

Spoiler: Cesca

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You appear to be suffering from the tell tale after effects of an...aggressive amount of sedative, a sound beating, and more than one severe electrical shock.

[EarthenRite]

Cesca stirred, shivering against the nausea that wracked him. His head was foggy and...quiet. He couldn't hear the sound of his exocortex yet. Maybe it was resetting. The fogginess muddled him for a moment as he registered sedation. Badly administered. An attack of some kind?

He winced as he moved and checked his limbs. The pain was there but dull. They - whoever "they" were - had attacked him. There was something else. He nodded, leaning back against the wall. They had been thorough. Electricity. Sensing others, he reached out with his telepathy, his races preferred communication method.

"I am Cesca. We were beaten, sedated, and electrocuted. Are any of you more badly hurt? I can try to help. Does anyone know where we are?"

[darni]

3X heard the voice coming into her head unsure of where it was coming from. She quickly identified more than one telepathic creature around so she chose to reply verbally in Common instead, looking at all the creatures around in turn.

My designation is 3X. My nutrient catalyzer seems to be slightly overloaded by the fecal odors here but it should self-correct." After a short pause she spoke in a lower voice, as to herself "Yes, thank you Michelle" and started to look better. Standing up and looking around she went on


I am not aware of the status of the other creatures here. The offer for assistance is appreciated. I am also unaware of our current location. My last known position was aboard a shuttle in the Diaspora, coordinates 6/207, which was being boarded. Given that we've been sedated instead of killed my analysis would indicate that our lives have some value to our captors and we are not in immediate danger.


While she was talking, she couldn't help being distracting by the flickering of the lighting fixture and proceeded to extract tools from her arm compartment to fix it.

[Rebles]

Liane's head is turning, form the calm void to a stinking filthy pit of pain. She tries to push her mind back into the nothingness but reality tugs at her from every sensory organ, but most of all her stomach.
A first glance reveals that she is sitting here with 3 other creatures, she tries to make out some of their features but before she can clear her mind a telepathic connection hits her in the head like a drill. Shirren. She concentrates more on her upset stomach then on the words, but she catches the names. Slowly she crawls to what appears to be a corner of the room, at least she hopes it is and throws up.

Good job making first impressions she thinks to herself. Slowly she removes herself from the corner and tries to breath calm and regular to steady her mind and body.

"Sorry for that. Smells bad anyway and I don't feel much better. Liane is my name, usually you would find me in a good brown coat or a black dress and not dressed in filth." Not willing to lie she just chooses to ignore the question of her last whereabouts.

[Noedig]

A quick fiddling with the light fixture indicates that the connecting wires are badly corroded. A few snips here, a quick and dirty bypass there, and the light audibly clicks as it manages to achieve what you would estimate to be fifty percent of its intended brightness. The room, now much better lit, appears to be more ramshackle and disgusting than previously possible.

Spoiler: Perception

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You appear to be in some kind of...industrial environment. Old. Decrepit.
There's an undercurrent of strong solvents and the hair is a bit...chalky tasting? The constant thrum through the floor and wall suggests that you're at the very least in some kind of large,
old ship, or more likely, some sort of station.

[darni]

Standing near the one narrow door of the room and seeing that there was no other exit, 3X raised her hand as if about to slam on it. She turned around and looked at her latest acquaintances... If you do not mind, I plan to call our captors. We'll learn nothing about their motives if we just sit here..

[EarthenRite]

The shirren looked around appraised his comrades and took a quick look around, not seeing any recording devices. He continued with telepathy, knowing it was unlikely to be overheard.

"That is a good idea. We can try to rush a guard when they come in. If we can get our hands on a toolkit or a weapon, we can try to escape. While you do so...I am going to see if I can pry an access panel somewhere."

Cesca began to move slowly around the room, looking for any way to access a mechanical system. If he could, he might be able to override the door control, or find out something useful.

Spoiler

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Possibly Relevant Rolls -
Investigation - (1d20+4)[22] -2
Engineering - (1d20+8)[22] -2

[Chuffy]

"Looks like we're all in a bit of a pickle here."

Anry stretched his arms, and looked at the others in the room with him.

[Rebles]

Her head still pounds and a general feeling of unwellness runs through her body. Better then dead, she thinks to herself. A suggestion of rushing the guards floats through the air.
"I am not quite sure that should be the first thing we do. How about we first see in how much of a pickle we are in, before we do anything rash. No point in.." she stops, trying to not further disgrace herself into another corner. After a few seconds she regains her composure and continues ".. in putting an big red danger sign over our heads just yet. But in general I am all for drastic actions against our captors." She steadies herself and stands up. "Oh and for calling them. Let's find out what they want." she says with a disarming smile.

[darni]

3X slams the door with the open palm several times. SLAM! SLAM! Hey! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! Anybody there? SLAM! SLAM! We're being held against our will! SLAM! SLAM! I can not vouch with certainty for my unknown companions here but I assure you I'm innocent! SLAM!

She then stood back and listened if there was any reply or steps getting close (perception (1d20+5)[23])

[Noedig]

Almost immediately, the sound and the sensation of impacts on metal flooring reverberate from the other side of the door. A great man feet are approaching it would seem.

After a moment the movements ceases, and there is a brief silence. Suddenly, a voice squawks out of a hidden speaker in the ceiling.

"All being will stand at the far wall, with their hands placed on the backs of their heads. You have five seconds to comply."

[darni]

3X is slowly backing into the wall, still facing towards the door and raising her hands as requested.

[Rebles]

Great I'm just got up and I'm barely holding myself there. She curses the great unknown for her lot in life, but more than that she curses herself. She knows it is her own fault. It always has been.
An expert to get yourself into a mess aren't you, now you need to be the expert to get yourself out, she laments in silence.

Her feet place her beside 3X and her hand go behind her head, only the smile stays.
Let's hope the greeting does not consist of gun stock into face.

[EarthenRite]

Cesca likewise turns as instructed, making sure to use his antennae, though, to feel vibrations throughout the room and hopefully get some information as their captors entered. He also made note of the speaker location for later examination.

[Noedig]

The door screeches upward into the ceiling with frightening speed and a number of individuals armed with batons and pistols hustle into the room, forcing you hard against the walls and pulling you down to your knees. Another set of boots resounds through the metal as they slowly approach and enter the room. A deep, obviously modulated voice rumbles out.

"Turn them around." Each of you is hauled around to face the figure and it is revealed to be an armored and helmeted biped of nearly three meters in height stands before you. His armor is festooned with totems and fetishes of bone, and you see a disturbing necklace of varying types of ears hanging from its neck. "These are strong. We'll keep these. Stand them up."

You are each hauled to your feet.

"You are now property. What are your names, property?"

[darni]

My name is... wait, is this a trick question? should I say my name or just say "I am property" ?

[Noedig]

The hulking figure waves disinterestedly at you and a jolt of pain lances into the small of your back, accompanied by the crackling of a stunner.

"Glib. Troublesome. What is your name?'"

Spoiler

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3X takes 1 point of non-lethal damage.

[Rebles]

Liane sees 3X twitch as she get electrocuted and her mind begins to race. Ok, tough but not troublesome, you can do it, adapt Liane adapt.
Her face turns into a blank expression with a little bit of fear glimmering through. "Jessy", she lies, adding nothing.

Spoiler: Roll

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Bluff (both for name and acting more tough and uncaring than she is): (1d20+12)[26]

[darni]

Ouch! My designation is 3X and that was completely unnecessary

[Noedig]

The stunner again jabs into 3X's lower back but the hulking figure has turned to 'Jessy.'

"Skillset."

[EarthenRite]

"I am called Cesca. And I am a scientist with medical training."

[Noedig]

"You are familiar with medicine.
Good, you've bought yourself a ticket to light duty. The rest if you?"

[darni]

3X decided that his bounty hunting activities were better left unmentioned. I am proficient in electronics and mechanical engineering.

[Chuffy]

"I'm a gunsmith, and a crack pilot."

Anry smirked out his words, malice and revenge burbling beneath the thin facade of over confidence.

[Rebles]

Lying and stealing, yeah probably not.
"I am a public speaker, and sometimes a private speaker... Intimidation and underground deals."

[Noedig]

"Let me explain your new life to you. You are property of Captain Wrathhammer. You will live and die in his service. You will work hard, every day. If you work hard every day, you will eat every day. If you do not work hard every day, you will starve. If you're troublesome, we vent you into space. If you're useful? Well, maybe your situation improves."

The hulking brute is silent for a few moments.

"Send the insect to Stitches. Put the other three to work."

You handlers force you roughly and quickly out the door and into the space beyond, where you find not metal, but hewn rock. It hits you then; this is a mine.

[darni]

3X looks at her companions thinking if they will be accepting this way or try to find a way out from this terrible place