Log:Array Consortium: We're With The Science Team
We're With The Science Team
OOC Date: June 7th, 2020
Location: System K832
Participants: Kryll Red, Mandl, Nerys Arda, Nubri
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
It's weird in the first place that the Consortium, a smuggling and (to some degree) legitimate trade organization, has a science and exploration branch at all - but since it does, and the Consortium is as developed as it's become, certain parties out there in Scumbagland are starting to avail themselves of its business potential. Members of the Salwanna Arts Collective, the perfectly tame name of a number of spice houses with connected interests, have charged the Consortium with investigating rumors of a flowering plant growing on a planet found out far past Pzob, at the edge of the Herios Sector and the Outer Rim itself. System K832, not officially explored and therefore rarely actually located on typically available star maps, is made up of a single yellow star with a single world circling it, said to be - wonder of wonders - habitable and green. How the planet was discovered, or how anyone actually managed to find said plants or determine that they are biological cousins of the Nabooean millaflower, no one can say. Just that they did, and that it apparently is, if The Rumor(tm) works out. Given the relaxing potency of the millaflower, and its ability to be translated into certain forms of spice, the Collective wants to get their hands on this plant, to distill it into spice well and away from the otherwise draconian control of the government of Naboo. If so, the Consortium will be its primary vendor to the galactic markets - and thats worth so much money that even Adhar, usually cautious about this sort of thing, has aimed to send a party to investigate.
The team dispatched is to travel via a hired freighter, the /Alsanna Bull/; the cantankerous Ghtroc 720 is old but doughty, and as it leaps into realspace over the distant planet, the day-long trip to get there seems to have done nothing to wear it out. Below, through the cockpit web and passenger windows, the unnamed planet is a beautiful sphere of blue, with just a few large scattered islands along the equatorial belt practically glowing green with vegetation as the only land. Holding in orbit, captain Nurthar, the equally cantankerous owner of the freighter - and colleague of Adhar's who either owes him money or a favor, depending on what the Devaronian is muttering about at any given time - manages to find a clear space along a beach on the second largest landmass of the planet, an island the size of Delaware whose surface is all white sand and brilliant crimson jungle, near to where the flowers were supposed to have been found. "I'll be here," he tells the team as he points them all the way of the landing ramp. "Unless you don't report in regular every five hours. Then I leave. Not paid to dig your bodies out of the jungle."
Charming guy, really.
And thus does the jungle await, a wall of blood-colored foliage on stark white trunks - so thick and warped that one might be forgiven for staring through a wall of ancient bones. The blue water laps at the equally white sand, gently supping, while ahead there is but mystery. And death, possibly, if one listens to the grizzled old bastard in the space turtle. But hopefully he's wrong.
[Mandl]
Mandl *conspicuously sets their wrist-chrono for a five hour countdown.* "Your dedication will make its way-- fully-- into Dr. B'rot's report." An lidless eye is cast to the more military members of the expedition? "Ladies, gentlemen, others? Is there an established protocol for a secure beach-head we can refer to?"
[Kryll]
Kryll readies his E-11 carbine and steps down off the ship, walking a perimeter as the rest of the team prepares. He is quiet until the sweep is complete and then signals <"All clear."> and waits for further directions.
[Nubri]
Nubri sighs, holding her e-11 in her hands, dressed in her regulation blue and golden armour "I hate this job." she begins, with the quote that likely falls on every single job she is on "And a hypocrite. I hate spice yet here I am to help you develop it..." she shakes her head "Still, I suppose it is best what kind of addicts I might get to treat soon." she muses "And maybe it has a a genuine medical use.", putting her helmet on <<"Let's hope for the best.">> she sets her Chrono up similar <<"Well, Davik? You know stuff better.">> she looks down <<"Good Policy has that Glaive. Might double as a kriffing Machette, which we will well need in this stupid jungle.">>
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys, was here, because, well, why was she here anyway? Well, she was here, having ducked onto the ship when it was set down to onboard passengers. Her usual partner in crime, Belate, BB droid to the stars, was notably absent. In his place, was an ID10 droid, currently sitting on her right shoulder, his arms/appendages clinging around her neck like a small child, red eye bright as it looked out on the world. She kept her datapad in hand for the duration of the trip, making notes and so forth, until it was time to offload onto the planet. She was wearing her best armor, so that was a plus, and she had her backpack of holding, so she was alright as she made for the beach. <I'm as ready as I am going to be.>
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Out of the protective shadow of the /Alsanna Bull/, the heat kicks in: a wall of it, so thick with humidity that it almost feels like physical matter. Though many are wearing gear that makes the heat nothing to worry about, temperature is a thing to be concerned about out in the full light of the planet's yellow sun.
According to data sent along with the job, this particular mariner's tale has the flowers located just a few miles inland; a rough map has been distributed to all parties on datacards to be used with datapads or whatever computers they have with them. A fringe of purple grass, or fronds, stands between the beach and the treeline, serving as a natural barrier. All a matter of exploration, now, though those without climate-controlled equipment will want to take their time while walking along.
[Mandl]
Mandl heads off the ramp, carrying a bulky scanner-pack. "Troops, positions-- keep us aware of any incoming threats. Mandl will triangulate the best possible route to the target from across the beach."
[Kryll]
Kryll makes his way out and continues to secure the perimeter while Mandl gets things organized with the others. <<"Kryll patrolling.">>
[Nubri]
Nubri looks about as Policy walks along her, Glaive in it's... hands? "Well..." she starts "Seems like trees." she muses, peering at her comp interface on her right wrist "Hm, trees. Trees all around me." she starts, as Policy scans the terrain around him " Hopefully we aren't too far away."
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys fell into step with the group, moving as if she was accustomed to working with a team, rather than always going it solo, eyes scanning the area, HiBall twittering at her shoulder the occasional translation coming from the wristdroid Nerys was wearing. As they walked, she pulled her backpack momentarily around, opening the front quick access panel to remove her weapon, before she slid it back around.
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Nerys's eyes are sharp enough to get vague idea of bulk beyond the first hundred feet of white trees, but it's the combined sensor lobes of the droids that really gives the party an idea of what's beyond: structures are out there, overgrown and seemingly abandoned, sheltered by the towering bone-trees an their spreading bloody leaves.
[Mandl]
Mandl adjusts their knobs and dials, the set *blerk-blerk-blerking* with typical stubbornness. "Perhaps there is an unanticipated mineral concentration-- Dr. B'rot does not seem to be able to get a fix..."
[Nubri]
Nubri blinks as the translation droid on Policy's chassis gets a translation of those bloops out "So, some old structure. Something for us another time, N? It could be interesting to explore! Maybe the remnants of an old civilization?" she muses "Sadly, I doubt what we need, given we are looking for narcotics." and then, she grows silent, blinking "Wait." she raises a hand "Hear that? Something is whistling, low and softly.... a bit eery."
[Nerys Arda]
"HiBall, see if you can get a handle on whether those buildings are in use." Nerys glanced over to Nubri, "This place is hot as the blazes. If narcotics are being made, they're not being made out under the trees. Even if we might find the flowers out here." She glanced at the group, "We're not going to get any closer to finding what we came for by standing around on the beach. We need to move, if only to keep anyone who might be watching us from marking our location and attacking us."
HiBall chittered in his way, his tone not difficult to interpret, though the translator droid did, "Something about either the buildings or the distance is making it difficult for the ID unit to scan."
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
And so, they trudge on.
Travel through the forest is relatively easy - like many jungles, the actual ground floor is almost devoid of actual flora beyond fallen branches and leaves, or pale roots growing over rocks and into one another. The only undergrowth is the vivid purple grass, made bruise-dark from the feeble light filtering through the thick foliage above. The gloom is pervasive, and deeper in, the object of the droids' scans can be seen beyond: a pair of squat hexagonal pyramids, their summits blunt and flat, perhaps fifteen feet tall and made of black stone that gleams dully despite the dimness. Overgrown by the roots of the trees and by curious, greyish vines, the structures appear to have been there for many years.
The whistling Nubri heard is audible now, a soft, gentle sound that nevertheless pervades the same as the lack of sunlight overhead...
[Mandl]
Mandl perks up. "Soldiers, Mandl needs entry into one of those complexes. Use your skills to find the least-secure one, and get us the safest entry-point." They nod to Nubri. "... excellent work on scouting. No need to travel ahead of the main party, but. 'Ears up,' as it were."
[Kryll]
Kryll nods and settles into a position, his E-11 blaster up and ready, scanning the area for any threats. <"Confirmed, holding postion.">
[Nubri]
Nubri raises an eyebrow "Smaller than I expected." she begins, looking around "Old pyramids.... and then there is this planet not being confidence inspiring." she muses "Doubt the flowers are in there, which I meant by narcotics, given they are going to be made from those." she looks about "Well, what entrance are we taking? Any old use for them, N? Doesn't seem like anything I saw in those historical documentaries."
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys followed along with the group, HiBall on her shoulder continuing to scan the area as they approached, occasionally chittering to her via her translator, one of his appendages freeing itself so he could point to this or that. Mostly, though, Nerys' attention was on the pyramids ahead, keen eyes taking in the layout of the pyramids and the overgrowth around them, "Anyone else find it odd that most of the growth here is white, while the veins around the pyramids are grey?" She shook her head, her voice filtering back to the group, "If I had to venture a guess, I'd say these pyramids are in the style of the Talmak-Ti, a race that died out centuries ago, at least three hundred years since the last time anyone sighted one. Pyramids like these figured quite frequently into their artwork."
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Indeed, the pyramids are accessed each by hexagonal opening cut into the black stone, which up close now shines glassily, as if vitrefied. These entrances face one another. The vines are indeed gray, and as the team grows closer, seem withered or perhaps simply very fibrous in appearance. Devoid of apparent markings, the structures stand sentinels amongst the trees...
[Mandl]
Mandl *raises* their portable scanner. "Military Array, any observations? Opinions? Anything that might suggest a soft target or something less-defended-- we want in-and-out, no hassles..."
[Kryll]
Kryll looks over the structure, and then responds to Mandl without turning his head away from the potential threat area, <<"Negative, non-standard structure, un-recognized design, limited ingress and egress options. I have not assaulted a building of this structure before.">>
[Nubri]
Nubri looks about, shaking her head "Not that I know." she begins, blinking as she narrows her eyes "Something moves in there. Some open structure.... keep your eyes open, people." she requests
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys, rather than making an attempt to move towards the pyramids just yet, ranged a bit out under the trees. Not far enough to detach herself from the group, but clearing searching for something, which came across in her comms a moment later, "If they are gathering or manufacturing anything there, and the plants are in the trees or further in the interior, they must be moving them somehow, and we might be able to locate the source by tracking for paths they've made through the land."
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Their eyes sharp, the lady archaeologist and her droid track the ground around the pyramids - but nothing seems to have been here outside of some occasional signs of fauna. It's as if the area were as dead as the people who may well have built the structures here.
[Mandl]
Mandl spends time judging the quality and density of rock, asking: "Fan out, judge threats, crack the pyramid. In that order, please."
[Kryll]
Hearing the orders from Mandl, Kryll steps up from his position and starts approaching the pyramids. His carbine is up, slowly tracking back and forth as he scans the ground ahead of him for threats or targets. Out into the open he goes, as he's trained to do. Making himself a target for anything that is going to happen, best it comes at him. If nothing does happen, he makes his way to one of the pyramids and stands next to a door, drawing his vibrodagger in his left hand, using his left wrist to support the carbine while covering the far doorway with the blaster.
[Nubri]
Nubri moves towards the left entrance, carbine in hand, checking her map for a second, before trying to peer down the corridor for threads, having Policy do the same while he switches his weapons for a rifle. Something must be in there. Just... what?
[Nerys Arda]
"HiBall, see if you can scout ahead and get an idea of what's inside those structures before we get too close. You just be careful." The droid chirped his reply, before he unwound his arms from around Nerys' neck, slipping in between the trees like the stealth droid that he was, his repulsors silent as he hovered over towards the pyramids, Nerys moving up behind him with the group, trying to continue scanning the ground and the surrounding area for sign, "Odd, it doesn't look as though there's been any movement in or out of these pyramids. No tracks, no sled marks, nothing."
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Nearing the interior of the pyramids, the scene within each is clear through the apertures cut into their faces: within, the withered vines are lined with clumps of bioluminous flora or fungus, whose bulbous shapes are aglow with purple light. This light, while relatively dim, casts a colorful radiance across a mass of plants that sit in large hexagonal pits, one per pyramid, cut into the bottom of each. These 'wells' are full of wild growth, pallid, translucent plants whose flowers are massive gray trumpets that indeed recall the Millaflower, almost exactly, in shape if not in coloration. There is no smell, of course, no heady, relaxing perfume - just the strangness of their coloration, the purplish light cast across their petals and the odd tissues of their stems and leaves. And, of course, the endless, muted wailing of that whistling sound for which there is no is no discernable source.
[Mandl]
Mandl *uses hand-signals.* 'Kryll, Nubri-- paired up, first in. Nerys and Mandl are the rear pair.'
[Kryll]
Kryll nods to Mandl and makes his way through the aperture at the building he is at, stepping in ahead of Nubri and to her left as he scans the room inside. <<"I do not know which of these plants may be dangerous, but, I do not see any humanoid hostiles inside.">>
[Nubri]
Nubri puts her carbine away and crouches on a knee, drawing her knife to cut a flower out "Seems like what we got there." she mutters, putting a flower away for testing and cutting another out "Unless, of course, we aren't going to be dealing with humanoids." she nods at Nerys "Say, N, were greenhouses common amongst the Talmak-Ti?" she wonders, taking care with the flowers, before picking a pair normally, without a cut
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys nodded, as she heard the orders given, falling into step with Mandl, moving with caution as they stepped into the pyramid, eyes immediately lifting to scan the interior for any other openings that might lead further inside, or allow anyone inside to come out to where they were. "HiBall, head to the other structure and do an interior flyover and see what you can pick up of sentient presence. Tracks, any communication equipment, detritus, anything. I'll handle things in here. I'm not ready to believe that these flowers are all growing here on their own serendipitously." The droid, who had slipped in with the group, hovered higher above their heads, as Nerys continued in, eyes narrowing as she stepped closer to examine both the bioluminescence and the flowers that were growing there. "Very little was known about them. They were encountered only occasionally, usually travelling in the galaxy on ships some say they stole from those who came to their planet, much like the Aqualish did to the Durosi who tried to explore their planet. But even those reports are mixed."
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Searching the pyramids seems a wasted errand on its face; there is little short of the detritus of ages, that at the ghostly blooms. HiBall reports nothing, searching the pyramid that Nubri extracted specimens from, but as Nerys scans the garden well of the other, a hint of something sticking out of the dark soil among the flowers attracts her attention - something old and yellowed with age, and troublingly biological in suggestion.
[Mandl]
Mandl asks Nerys: "Can Highball send video or holo to you? Or shall we go after him?"
[Kryll]
Continuing to hold his position as Nubri starts, gardening? Kryll stands over her, moving around slowly but staying within 10 feet of her at all times. His helmet continues to scan the area, his carbine tracking anywhere his helmet goes.
[Nubri]
Nubri blinks as she checks her testing results, blinking "So, the equipment.... is confused. Need better tests at the lab..." she says, sounding a little sing-songy "Guys? Anyone else feel a little strange? I think I might need a bit of fresh air, since my head feels a little off." she begins, closing the sample container and putting her knife away, reaching for her carbine again "Just... a short breath of fresh air... my head."
[Nerys Arda]
HiBall, if nothing else, was so much better at following Nerys' instructions without giving her lip than Belate, and that was probably a blessing, as he was soon on his own mission, his readings loading up in the interface he was hooked into in Nerys' armor, "He's reporting no sign of life in the other pyramid besides what's growing here. I can have him beam the information to you, if your systems can manage the interface," she offered to Mandl. As she continues though the field of flowers, she paused, taking a knee. Well, almost. She did not actually allow her knee to touch the ground. But she did make ample use of her thigh to pull her backpack around. She replaced the bowcaster, and removed one of her field kits, "Mandl, come look at this. I think it's biological." She moved with the sort of care one expected of a professional, setting out a collection tray onto which she would place the specimen once she carefully brushed the dirt away enough to allow her to tweeze the fragment free of the dirt, "I have a sinking feeling about this." Words which came just as Nerys was calling over the comms, "The same sort of wooziness that spice is supposed to cause?"
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
The specimen takes a bit to extract, as it is the better part of a skull: humanoid-sized, four small ocular apertures and a bony, ridge-like crest recall the stories of the species that Nerys has given name to: a Talmak-Ti, adult, with a portion of the back of said skull missing. Gruesome.
[Mandl]
Mandl's voice is grim, through the helmet's voicebox. "No sealed atmosphere on this suit. We are pouring sweat. Dry mouth. Textbook drug intoxication, if we had to guess. Everyone meet back aboardship, in a filtered airspace."
[Kryll]
Kryll continues to walk around, but stops for a brief moment and shakes his head. He switches channels and contacts Six on his ship. <<"Six, I am tired in a non-standard fashion. I should not be tired for some time according to my routine. Is there anything wrong with my vitals?">> he blinks a few times and attempts to refocus, looking about the area. And then Mandl reports on the comms, and he replies, tapping Nubri on the shoulder. <"Time to exfil. Pack up and move."> he starts walking backwards towards the aperture, cause, its the word of the day, and tries to cover Nubri as she packs up and follows. <<"Kryll and Nubri, withdrawing.">>
[Nubri]
Nubri narrows her eyebrows as she goes out "More or less." she admits, shaking her head "Funny, wells of flowers, pyramids.... think it is some old ritualistic site, N? Seemed strange with the flowers and stuff." she nods at Mandl "Yes. I think we have what we need here." she stops "Wait, N, biologcal? Maybe it was ritualistic. Some sacrifice to whatever they believed in, get their victim stunned with them flowers and... bam. Relatively humane death." she muses, nodding "That, Kreel, is two kriffing people on a ton of drugs. Maybe. Will check later." she yawns lightly, reaching fresher air, hoping it helps her wooziness.
[Nerys Arda]
Nerys heard the order, but she also knew the specimen was important. And so, she finished extracting it, before she placed it into a sealed specimen bag and got back to her feet. "That's one possibility. The other is that whatever was buried here, if it was these Talmak-Ti, these flowers are what grew out of them. So don't breathe too deeply, you might be breathing someone's proverbial ashes." As she moved to depart the pyramid, she called out, "HiBall, do a final scan and then meet me outside." As Nerys made her way out of the pyramid, she paused to take a sample of the bioluminescence, and, if she could do so safely, a fragment of the vines. And then, it was back to the ship.
[Adhar Gann (GM)]
Returning to the /Bull/, the team finds themselves quickly restored from whatever effects - be it heat or toxins - that had begun to affect them. Further research will of course be needed to be performed, and the grizzly Ghtroc is not the place to do it. One thing is clear, however: whatever went on with those flowers, someone's death was involved. Perhaps your own might have followed. Perhaps not. Science is a wonderfully mysterious thing.
Mysterious. Yeah, we'll just go with that.
