Having defeated the skreelings and searched the monsters' roosts, Batrizik, Nict and Yiris find themselves back on the floor of the asteroid. Moving into another section of Asteroid K9204, Nict discovers a secret hatch under the metal ash where most of the footsteps disappear. In a corner is a pool of thick greenish liquid, and next to it is a humanoid body with an arm chewed off.
Bratrizik scans how deep the ooze pool is. The scanner indicates that there are no carbon-based life signs, and the pool is about 6 feet deep. If the ledge that retains it were to break, it would not flood this section of the asteroid. The vesk wonders aloud if it is flammable. Yiris and Nict tell him not to test it until they have explored what lies beneath the secret hatch. The vesk then scans the grey ash. The scanner reports that the ash is 100% pure iron filings from the mining operations two hundred years ago.
The trio move closer to the hatch. Nict and Bratrizik examine it, and find electronic controls that will open the hatch. All three of them hear what sounds like feedback, but both the shirren and the vesk shake it off. Yiris is not so fortunate, however, and she finds herself compelled to move towards the pool of green liquid. Hoping to free herself of the control she is under, she turns off her audio circuit, but this does not solve her problem.
Nict notices Yiris edging towards the pool, and turns to stop her. At the same time, Bratrizik is seized from behind as a skreesire emerges from its camouflaged space in the rock and attacks. The vesk is tentacled, grappled and bitten. Nict throws a grenade in the ooze, then pushes Yiris away while Bratrizik is chomped on by the skreesire again.
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| Skreesire |
As combat continues, Nict switches target and delivers the fatal blow to the skreesire, which topples on top of the hatch. It is very heavy and it blocks access to the tunnel below. Bratrizik uses mystic cure on himself. The shirren has lost eye contact with the ooze, and he is surprised when he becomes enveloped by the ooze. Yiris manages to free Nict from it and delivers enough energy in her attack to finally kill the ooze. The android reengages her audio circuit.
Bratrizik uses his weapon and surgically removes parts of the skreesire to lessen its weight, and throws the carved parts into the ooze's pit. After about ten minutes, there is enough of the monster gone to open the hatch. Nict examines the hatch for any possible trap, but does not detect any. He carefully opens it. A short ladder descends into a poorly lit entrance, with another lock fifteen feet away. The trio descends and BARGO lowers itself down. Then Yiris closes the hatch behind them. A hiss can be heard, and within a minute a full atmosphere has been restored.
Yiris casts dancing lights to provide illumination, and, in collaboration with Nict, she places explosives on the hatch. Anyone trying to enter or exit will need to disarm the trap or be blown up. Looking at the secondary hatch, Nict notices that there is an extra vent. Upon closer examination, he spots a mind spores trap, which he deftly neutralizes.
Nict opens the second hatch, and steps into a control room, with symbols of the Cult of the Devourer everywhere. A large computer occupies most of the middle of the room. Yiris breaks through the defense systems, and disarms a device called the Chamber of Devouring. Logs indicate there is another main frame computer elsewhere in the compound, aptly called the Star-Eater's Spine. Using a second terminal, Nict restores the environmental controls to the underground compound. According to the computer, the residents of the compound departed suddenly five days ago. The environmental controls indicate that there are no life signs.
In front of them is a large hallway which has a faint smell of ozone. At the far end of the hallway, Bratrizik can see a pile of viscera and small chunks of flesh and clothing near the easternmost pillar. They proceed carefully down the corridor. Poking through the remnants, Bratrizik finds small pieces of a uniform patch, which he recognizes as being that of the Corpse Fleet.
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| Corpse Fleet Insignia |
Proceeding down the hall, they enter another hallway that surrounds the first one, and which leads to a series of spartan bedrooms. While Yiris and Nict examine their surroundings, Bratrizik continues down the hall and enters the armory, where he is ambushed by two patrol-class security robots. Nict and Yiris join the fight, which prove challenging but they emerge triumphant.
Returning to the cult's armory to rest, the trio examine the armors the Cult left behind. Nict takes one of the kasatha microcord II. Bratrizik finds a suit of golemforged plating III with jump jets. The vesk promptly switches to this new armor. All told, the armor, when fixed, will be worth about 12,000 credits
