Matt B Blogging

002. Corpses in the Drift

Initial scans show The Drift Runner has limited power. Mongoose orbits the derelict slowly, sensors active.

[Oracle: Support Culture] 
- ship was abandoned to support the Founder Clan 
- corpses mean a boobytrapped airlock

[Secure an Advantage: strong hit]

Mongoose tethers the Ultraviolet to the Drift Runner with magnetic lines.

She suits up, and leaves Ultraviolet using Astrid to tow her towards the airlock.

Corpses look like scavengers - mismatched, utilitarian gear and tools.

[Face danger - weak hit]

Mongoose directs Astrid to cycle the airlock while Mongoose stays back.

When Astrid is in the airlock, and it cycles, it is irradiated with lethal gamma radiation! Their sensors take damage. Even from outside the airlock, the radiation gauge on Mongoose's forearm computer bleeps alarmingly, but within safety margins, due to some bulkhead between her and the danger.

Once inside, Astrid disarms the trap (easy enough to do, there's a safety switch to disable it)

Mongoose safely makes it inside. There is still atmosphere, and limited power in the form of dim emergency lighting, but there's no internal gravity. Ideal for a spacer wanting to move salvage!

She decides to follow the main corridor, which leads directly to a Fabrication Plant, lots of dormant equipment. She could get a great price for this stuff, if she wasn't trying to stay on the good side of the Savarin Clan, and Wayfinder in particular. She keeps her mitts off, and glides towards an active terminal.

[Gather Information - Strong hit!]

She finds a schematic showing that the mainframe is located in Operations, and also sees a route to the Officer quarters too, as a bonus.

Grabbing the handle on the back of Astrid, Mongoose is towed through the corridors slowly, as Astrid fires puffs of air to propel them along.

[Undertake expedition - strong hit]

They arrive at Engineering - huge e-drive and sublight engines lie dormant. Mongoose is naturally drawn to equipment storage, and finds a bot repair station. Perfect place to fix Astrid's sensors!

[Repair - miss with a match]

The zero-G and better quality tools create a mess of things - and a loose live positive terminal floats too close and with a zap and acrid smoke, Astrid's propulsion systems are shorted out! "sorry sorry sorry shit sorry" is Mongoose's litany as she leaves tools floating in shame, hugging Astrid to her chest.

A forlorn Mongoose leaves engineering, now towing a badly damaged Astrid behind her instead, headlamp on, lighting up the pastel plasti-moulded corridors, as she pulls herself along with graceful, minimal contact of hands and feet - a true spacer.

[Undertake Expedition - weak hit]

The colours of the corridors change, this seems to be the Living area, and opens up into a Mess Hall. The smell of something long dead is in this room - and small plasma burns along the walls. The desiccated carcass of a rat floats nearby. An automated bot of some kind taking out a rat?

Concerned that there's armed automated defences onboard, Mongoose turns off her headlamp, draws her pistol, and moves more carefully. She's in the right area, just needs to find the officer quarters.

[Explore a Waypoint - strong hit]

There's a definite "fancy" corridor, with faux-wood paneling and nice light fittings - this is definitely the place!

[Undertake an expedition - weak hit]

As she locates the door with the Vayan nameplate, a flash of light on wall, where the corridor turns to the right, and the hiss of manoeuvring jets puts Mongoose on alert! The combat bot is coming?

Not taking any chances, Mongoose flattens against the wall, sighting down her pistol.