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File: 1509156153988.jpg (297.81 KB, 1920x1080, Macross226706.jpg)

 No.29273[Last 50 Posts]

As the Ankylosaur prepares to leave the water planet of Sela behind, a whole new world awaits them.

 No.29310

>>29281
>Wan
"She's got something for everyone and that's the problem. She's going to spend an hour getting you and the other girls ready…" Eva sighs. "I've got a few pictures of other suits. Check them out so we don't waste too much time there." She gives you the directions, pointing out the floor and code to reach her. It's going to be a long walk/float to get there.

>>29306

>Latasha
Neither ship is meant for combat, so this vessels turn isn't countered by the enemy ship's adjustments. A pair of rockets float off into space, narrowly missing your ship!

Fortunately,

>>29307

>McKenzie
You manage to hit the enemy ships' rocket pods, forcing it to slam into an asteroid due to the force of the explosion.

It isn't out for the count just yet, as it moves behind the huge space rocks, but not running away just yet. The new ship is almost on top of you…

>>29308

>Shelly
"In fact, I waited a while after the first call for this project showed up on my answering machine." Malvi says. "I was sending out a bunch of resumes at the time since I was still doing some University research, and my coworkers actually tried to get me to look elsewhere. Good thing I did choose to sign up, or I might have never met you all."

"Let's get the Twins set up first then, we can make plans while we get everything in place for them, because honestly," She looks at their piles of baggage, "they might never finish if we don't help."

>>29258

>Rachel
>>29257
Looking around, you don't spot any motion or lights nearby, but your senseors are being messed with at the moment. You find a decent hole int he asteroid you can shoot from and even rest your weapon on to fire on the Alien.

He stops what he's doing and looks around.

"Hey*STATIC*sig*STATIC*." Something is messign with your signal now, you can't reach Bok!

The Alien then becomes agitated, looking around as lights begin flashing nearby!

 No.29311

>>29300
>Frank
Not much, they spent most of the time getting it into position. Civet has the tools ready, and Contentin is bringing over more parts and diagnostic equipment.

Your mech is pretty banged up, lots of stress damage and paint marks, but it at least doesn't have bullet holes.

 No.29312

>>29310
"Doctors, if you're not busy, could you help? It's a long trip for me."

 No.29313

>>29311
Always a welcome change of pace.
At any rate, I'll work from the inside and wherever I'm needed. Dents and stuff don't really matter at the moment, as long as the components underneath are still in good shape.

 No.29314

>>29312
"Sorry, I actually have to send all your data back." She flips over her DataPad to show you and Eva the numerous files she has to fill out just for the moment you went off the ship.

"And then she'll have to go over the diagnostic results with Calta." Eva adds. "Let her work, I think Alipor was nearby. Didn't see him in the hanger."

>>29313
Roll Tech to make sure the frame is still usable. A lot of the parts seem fine, but you might need to trade in the body at this point.

"Looks like the Aliens were heavier than they told us they would be if they could bend your machine like that." Cotentin shouts, only to get an upset look quickly shot at him by Civet.

 No.29315

>>29310
>>29314
I want to pull up next to the two bug aliens and let them into the ship!

 No.29316

>>29314
Float for the door and tap the comm, "Alipor, are you in the neighborhood? I have to get down to Calta fast."

 No.29317

>>29314
'2d10+2'
"Most of it was the landing gear, the rest was Petry's luggage. I don't know what that lady was packing, but it was almost as bad as some of those ship parts."

Roll #1 4, 3 + 2 = 9

 No.29318

>>29310
With an annoyed grunt, I shut off the communication and focus my attention back on the alien. I crouch down and stay hidden as the lights come up. Was I discovered? Reinforcement police force?? More bugs???

 No.29319

>>29316
"Hmm, oh, yeah, I'll be there shortly. You might have trouble getting to her actually."


"Wait, what's going on now?!" Eva shouts too late as the Comm cuts off. "Ugh, I shouldn't have left her alone."

As Eva begins stewing, turning away from you as the expletives fly in her head, Alipor knocks on the door before sticking his big head inside. He's covered in water and has two towels around his thick neck.

"Congrats on making it back safely." He extends his massive arm towards you. "Ready to go on another adventure?" He jokes, but Eva is still upset.

>>29317

 No.29320

>>29319
Climb on, but ask Eva, "Aren't you coming? You want to see what she's doing too, right?"

 No.29321

>>29317
Civet looks over the landing gear, all of which have sent back green results. "We should replace the hydraulic fluid then, I'm seeing a little more on the sides."

"You should know a woman has to make sure they pack when travelling." Verata laughs as Cotentin gives a sigh. "Everything seems good, but I think Civet is right on this one."

"Check the electrical system next. Being that close to the water can short things out." Cotentin says as he looks over the machine.

>>29318
"*STATIC*NOISE*STATIC*"
The radio gives no hints as the Alien grabs a weapon, a rifle it seems, from nearby and starts floating towards the explosions.

It still hasn't noticed you…

 No.29322

>>29320
"Yeah, I need to see what they messed up this time." She says in an annoyed voice. She floats on towards his thick fingers, grabbing on and pulling herself onto his hand.

"You'll have to tell me and the girls about your trip. Was it exciting?" He asks with a smile. "Oh, the others seemed fine, but how well do you do in the heat?" Alipor asks as he arrives to one of the elevators.

 No.29323

>>29321
A wise man knows when to not speak, it seems.
"I don't blame her for not wanting to leave anything behind. That is not the kind of city to lose something in."
I'll double-check the hydraulics, and then move on to the electrical system. It's not that I doubt Civet, I just need to know how much it'll need, and whether I should just flush the system completely to make sure there aren't any leaks.
'2d10+2' tech for hydraulics
'2d10+2' tech for electronics diagnostics

Roll #1 5, 9 + 2 = 16 / Roll #2 1, 8 + 2 = 11

 No.29324

>>29322
"It's kinda weird, everyone is making it out to more than it was! Really, it was just a fight. I'm more interested in what Calta is up to."

Settle in between the fingers for the ride.

 No.29325

>>29321
I silently place my own rifleon top of the rock for support
Take aim
And fire at somewhere non-lethal
>Rampart Marksmanship ( While in cover, weapons that can be Steadied automatically count as Steadied. (does not stack.))
>gun nut (-1 min. To Gun rolls)
>Rifle, Rapid-Fire
'1d6'

Roll #1 6 = 6

 No.29326

>>29310
"Well, we are glad that we did meet, because you are quite the fascinating individual."

Look around at the mountain of luggage, and see if there's anything specific that is immediately apparent in needing to be done.

 No.29327

>>29323
There are some spurts and sprays of hydraulic fluid on the area, but no real leaks or damage. It just pushed itself when dealing with so many aliens falling on you.

As for the electrical system, your diagnostic table is the one going on the fritz instead! It keeps blue screening, restarting, only to go straight into another bluescreen!?

"Hey, I'm hearing a weird noise, what's going on?" Civet asks.

>>29324
"They all wanted to go. All they could do was sit in the hangar looking at the planet and trying to find any way to get a closer look. Even Eva wanted…" Alipor suddenly stops as Eva glances at him.

"It's better than being cooped up in here. It's big, but it's not a planet. At least Calta kept everyone else busy." Eva states as the elevator stops and Alipor enters a code.

"Get ready." Alipor says as Eva now holds on to his finger.

>>29325
The Alien is struck! It hits right on the armor, but in space, it also means he gets flung against one of the damaged mechs.

His leg is bent in an unnatural direction and his suit begins to leak atmosphere.

 No.29328

>>29327
"Ah, now I feel a little bad. I mean, I didn't have to go. I could've let someone else go…"

What's this now to behold?

 No.29329

>>29327
"Just a bit of technical difficulty. I think I forgot a bracket or something. Either that or we should have picked up more diagnostic equipment while planetside."
Shut the whole thing down and do a clean boot.

 No.29330

>>29326
While there is plenty of clothing and accessories in the pile, there is also a few fold up containers and actual luggage bags to try and hold all this stuff in.

Roll Agility, since you also don't want to bump into the people trying to get through.

>>29328
The elevator door opens only slightly and a blast of hot, steamy air rushes in and blows you onto Alipor's chest!

"Sorry, I'm so used to all the girls being used to it…" He says with a sheepish smile as he reaches for you. The elevator and the rest of this floor is covered in steam and heat, a few other Humans floating around with supplies and equipment.

 No.29331

>>29330
"Ah, I didn't even consider, the pool's probably no good with no gravity, right? So, what, a sauna?"

 No.29332

>>29329
Verata looks over the Diagnostic table while it is off. Nothing seems damaged with it, no weird noise or smoke coming off of it.

But as you turn it back on, it continues to do nothing. No sound or visuals, it just stays off. Trying it again, the result is the same, no image or video or audio.

 No.29333

>>29330
Bug is very agile, full of grace.
Get a few of the foldup containers out and emptied to get some space.
'2d6+1' Agility

Roll #1 2, 6 + 1 = 9

 No.29334

>>29332
"Well, only one thing to do, I guess. Drag out another one while I pop this one open. It probably crossed a wire or fried a board or something."
Sigh.
"And if that isn't what's wrong with it, then I'm not quite sure how we're going to fix it. Coding did take a back seat to hardware in my training."
Into the guts of it I go.
'2d10+2' tech for disassembly and diagnosis.

Roll #1 6, 6 + 2 = 14

 No.29335

>>29331
"Calta said she wanted to make a bath actually." Eva says.

"So it would be both, right?" Alipor adds. "When Calta mentioned the idea, or at least until the other girls saw her looking it up, they immediately set to work.
Even found a leaky area that they've been working on ever since. Perhaps they finally got it functioning?
"

Eva just gives you and Alipor a disappointed look as he puts his fingers around your body, holding on lightly as the water starts trying to condense on his scales, only to just gather up and drip on you.

>>29333
Nice and neatly lined up, you can see how big some of them are. You could fit a whole Human apartment in some of them, and even the Twins in a few more.

"Glad to see your back. Have fun down there?" A familiar voice says from behind.

 No.29336

>>29334
Popping the diagnostic table open, you see a few obvious signs about why it was returned originally. Serial Numbers on parts don't match, some cables have more than 4 adapters on them, and there's a big, black spot right on one of the processors.

"I had put in a request for more tables," Verata says, Table in tow thanks to the zero gravity, "Even in a completely alien language, as long as we get a working one."

 No.29337

>>29335
Giggle, and shake it off, "I'm not in a swimsuit yet, try to avoid the water."

 No.29338

>>29336
"Good for that, because I think this one's an abomination against God and man both and it's a surprise it didn't kill us when it decided to die."
I'll start taking out the dead parts. We might be able to recycle some of the components, but the ones that are too far gone are just… good for nothing except maybe to throw at somebody.

 No.29339

>>29327
I try to contact him with my Com-link ''Sir you have been caught handling unknown equipment in an unauthorized area, on top of possesing a firearm'' I hold a steady aim on my rifle against him ''You have 10 seconds to explain yourself or else I am authorized to blow you brains off''
hopefully that message will get across

 No.29340

>>29337
"Oh, sorry." Alipor says, floating towards some hurriedly attached doors. "This is as far as I can go, it's Females only from here."

Alipor lowers you and Eva down towards a Human sized door, also quickly glued on, before floating off to another area of the floor.

"If the place is like this, I hope you're ready for a real surprise." Eva says, opening the door and beckoning you inside as even more steam comes out.

 No.29341

>>29340
Use his finger like a springboard to launch myself, "Alright, let's go! I'm ready to be surprised!"

Reach out a hand for her as we glide there!

 No.29342

>>29338
Many parts are easy to remove, since they weren't assemble with properly sized screws. Some can even be removed with just your fingers. Soon you have a stack of circuit boards and one fried processor.

"Hold on!" Another Human shouts just before Cotentin was going to plug in the Diagnostic Table. "You guys haven't used this Table yet, right?"

>>29339
The alien has a weird mammalian snout visible behind his helmet visor. He isn't happy either, but he flings his gun all the same.

"You sure you want to stay with me? Your friends might be getting fried right now." He responds over an open frequency, audibly peeved and pained.

 No.29343

>>29342
I'll raise an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with it?"

 No.29344

>>29335
"Indeed, there was much excitement, meeting of new friends, and shooting bad people! We even found a weapon made from a dead Voldra!"
Turn around to see which friend this is specifically.

 No.29345

>>29341
"Here you go, surprise." Eva says, doing a mocking gesture with her arms as she points to the currently in-progress Bath facilities. She points to Calta and the other girls, all in their swimwear/current work wear, trying to deal with the pipes in the wall. There are some soon-to-be-bath tubs on the ground, but most still aren't properly paved. Even on the roof, she points to the shower heads that are leaking more water into the steamy room.

"HEY!" Eva shouts to get the girls' attention, who all turn towards the both of you.

"You're back!"
"Are you OK?"
"Was it fun?"
"We heard there was a battle, how was it?"
"Was it fun?"

All the girls rush over to you, inundating you with questions, even Calta. She reaches down for you to climb aboard her paw.

>>29343
"They're all shorting out." He says. "I think everyone here has gone through at least one so far." He catches his breath. "Can you open it up, look it over before you use it?"

"I did get ask by another crew to borrow it while you were away, it was working fine then." Cotentin adds.

"But there were a few needing repairs when I went to grab ours." Verata says.

 No.29346

>>29344
It's Dusky, out of his limb suit now that the gravity is failing.

"Wait, what? There was a fight and you didn't call me? And what was this about a weapon made out of a dead Voldra? Just what heppened down there while I was stuck on the ship and what are you doing with all this stuff?"

 No.29347

>>29345
I'll grimace for a moment, a suspicion growing in the back of my head.
"Alright, let's pop the top off for a second. Hopefully it's nothing, but if they're all shorting out at the same time…"
Crack it open and let's see how sabotaged it is.

 No.29348

>>29345
Jump up to land on the paw!

"No way, you probably had more fun here. Honestly, they were more persistent than dangerous. This place looks great! Where are we?"

 No.29349

>>29347
The insides of this Diagnostic Table look way nicer than yours. Numbers match up, everything nearly factory fresh. Everything seems good except for some powder on and near the processors…

>>29348
"Wow, really!?"
"C'mon, tell us!" They shout as Calta lifts you up.

"Well, this was supposed to be our new bath, but as you can see, it's a work-in-progress." Calta states as she tilts her head for a moment. "But we're almost done. I can get you a swimsuit, then we can work together to get the last pipes in place, then we can all have a proper bath."

 No.29350

>>29346
"To be fair, it was supposed to be a routine inspection of the Fold-crystals being purchased, but then two criminals arrived to try and rob the place, and they took friend-Pazu here hostage, and things quickly escalated into a shootout with explosives in the Fold-crystal reservoir. It was over rather quickly though; they were thieves, not fighters, and couldn't take hits very well."
Pull out the two weapons and show them to him, if holding them a bit gingerly to make sure this drone doesn't accidentally touch anyone with them.
"We still do not understand how they were made or what they do, but hopefully we will be able to find answers now that they are in our possession."

 No.29351

>>29342
I reply by firing a shot just near him, don't want him getting too smug on me
''Cut the bullshit and tell me what you know, Now''

 No.29352

>>29349
"Great! What first? I want to make the most of my time here."

 No.29353

>>29349
Sigh.
"Yeah, that's about what I expected. Alright, guys, today you get a crash-course in electrical sabotage. See this powder here? You run electricity through it and it blows out the whole system. I wouldn't have anticipated it, but with you saying all the tables are going at the same time, I got suspicious."
Turning to face them, I'll continue.
"We can safely assume that the diagnostic tables that broke today was due to this. Contentin, you and your wife stop any crewmen who haven't yet used the tables, and pass the word along that they've been tampered with. I'd do it over the comms, but I'd rather not point out to the crew that we have a saboteur onboard in case they decide to go witch hunting and get the wrong person.
"Civet, you and this guy- what was your name, by the way? Anyway, you and he will gather up all of the tables that are currently on the floor. Disabled and unused. We're going to have to go through them one-by-one until we're sure they're clean."
Pinch the bridge of my nose.
"I've got to file a report to security and the officer crew. And put in an order for more parts for the tables that are busted."

 No.29354

>>29350
Dusky's attention is immediately drawn to the Axe. "I've been around a lot of weapons in my life, but I have to be honest, there's something about that one that just makes me shiver. Like it's just going to fly off at me and everyone else."

He quickly glances over to the one made from a Voldra. "Is that one a staff? It's so long."

>>29351
"Hehe, ow, this one should be obvious. Just trying to get an easy score, copper. So, what are you going to do, take me in?" He holds on to his damaged leg, glaring at you.

 No.29355

>>29352
"Let's get you out of that uniform first. It won't do well here." Calta says as she brings you to a room with a strong fan in it. This room is mostly tame in temperature compared to the rest, but you can still feel the warmth of the water as Calta sets you down with the other girls.

"I taught the other girls how to use the printers to make clothes, and then this place opened up, and we made a whole bunch." She pulls out a container full of Human sized clothes. "Any color you like? We'll be trying to keep the pipes down after this."

>>29353
They salute, partially joking but also to highlight the severity of the issue, before taking off to their tasks.

"Name's Rove Oberhalsi, sir!" He shouts before heading off with Civet. You can see the other groups stop using their Tables and even hear the difference as the work in the Hangar starts slowing down.

There's a security station above the Hangar. Normally it would be a hassle to reach, but without gravity, it's not much than a very long jump away.

[PAUSE]

 No.29356

>>29354
''I have a better idea wise guy, here's the deal. You tell me what you know and I pretend that I did not see an illegal copper mining operation and that instead I shot at an asteroid out of reflex'' I lower the gun a little, but keep a firm grip on it in case he decides to pull out anything
''If you're gonna take the deal do it fast, I got other shit to do''

 No.29357


>>29315
The Voldra waves with some of his free legs and floats on over.

 No.29358

>>29354
"Yes, we have noticed that as well. We find it unsurprising that a weapon made from a Wasp would be wrathful, but the sheer intensity of it is disturbing."

"Not just a staff, but a flute! We… would not recommend playing it though, since we do not fully understand it's effects. Pazu can attest to that, as she experienced its effects firsthand."

 No.29359

>>29357
>>29315
The side of the ship has grips to grab onto, allowing you to throw in your prisoner as the enemy ship reloads and lets its weapons cool down.

"Those pirates are looting my asteroids! I'll have their ship melted into my floor!" The porcine passenger yells.

>>29358
"I'm not that familiar with Land-folk type instruments." He says as he uses his tail to adjust himself in the zero-g. "What did it do, and should you even be carrying these?"

 No.29360

>>29359
"I can help with that! Just make sure to crush the tracking device of our new friend underneath your foot analog, it's in his necklace."

The Voldra remains outside the ship clinging to the side, the hum of his back-mounted plasma rifle lost to the vacuum of space yet again.

[1d10+3] Crits on 7, Critfail on 2
(if crit, Confidence gives +1 to the next roll)
[1d10+3] Crits on 7, Critfail on 2
firing at enemy ship

Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 / Roll #2 10 + 3 = 13

 No.29361

File: 1510281564735.gif (1.15 MB, 400x149, The_Queen_Pod_plasma_canno….gif)


 No.29362

>>29359
>>29360
"Shutup, and get Hiss inside. My orders are to get you back in the main vessel."

 No.29363

>>29360
>>29361
>>29362
The gun mount on the enemy ship explodes, launching the enemy ship into a spin as smoke and flames come out of its right side. Debris slams into the ship and your body for those outside. It manages to regain enough control to push itself behind an Asteroid, retreating for now.

 No.29364

>>29359
"A flute is an instrument you blow air through, covering and uncovering holes made into it at varying intervals to produce harmonic resonances! It is quite nice to listen to, though it usually requires the use of lips, so we are unable to use it ourselves."

Tilt our head at his question of if we should have it.
"Even if it is a weapon now, this is still the body of one of our hive. Is there an issue with us reclaiming our dead?"

 No.29365

>>29363
>>29362
"Okay! I'll stop shooting"
The drone replies on coms, a much happier tone since returning to a group of people. He heads inside.

 No.29366

>>29364
"No, no, I'm okay with reclaiming the fallen, I'm just not familiar with the practices of other species. It is kind of weird to me, but do you always reshape the dead like that?" He asks, tilting his head and body with curiosity.

>>29356
"Jeez, you're one of those, aren't you? Didn't know Computrons could get like this… So, what do you want from me?"

 No.29367

>>29363
>>29365
"Finally." With all my passengers inside, lock the door so they can't do something dumb like open it and go shout about their asteroids.
Punch the engine and get back to safety with us.
'1d10'

Roll #1 8 = 8

 No.29368

>>29365
It's a small ship, almost just a space capable RV. There's a seat for the long pilot, a backseat for the passenger, and a decently sized holding area for the rest of the ship.

>>29367
There's some whine from the engines as they come out full burst, but they are able to keep running at high speed for a good amount of time.

The massive asteroids are quickly reduced to tiny specks before the engines start wanting a break. Your Porcine passenger is furiously clicking on his ComLink, no doubt ordering more guards.

 No.29369

>>29366
"I'm running out of fucking patience here. You know what I want, jackass" my finger is itching to pull the trigger
"Tell me where are those 'friends' you mentioned or else the only getting fried will be you"

 No.29370

>>29368
I just ignore him, for his own safety, circle us around to the landing bay.
"Hello, this is Latasha on craft ID 1052, requesting entry." I tell the ark's comms.

 No.29371

>>29366
"No, we do not, and we did not reshape this one. Hence why the purpose and method of it is a mystery to us."
Hum thoughtfully as we gently trace the edges of the staff.
"Technically, this thing's very existence is a violation of the treaty made when the Voldra entered that galaxy, that the involved parties would turn dead bodies over to their respective race. Whoever made this failed to do so, and even attempted to weaponize it."

 No.29372

>>29368
>>29367
The Voldra sits down inside, letting his gun fold back into it's back-mount.

"There are supplies back at one of the construction bots, I was initially asked to bring them over by Voldra but had to abandon them for better mobility once I noticed the hostile scrappers."

 No.29373

>>29372
"A few beams and bolts aren't worth risking yourself for, good choice."

 No.29374

>>29369
"Hmph, guess you can be just like us." He says derisively. "You got a map of the repair stations? We'll be checking them out, but that's all I got. One of my guys was nearby, but IO don't know which one he got up to." He says as he holds his injured leg. "Now, you gonna let me go?"

>>29371
"Treaties and agreements are only as good as long as you can enforce it." Dusky looks back at the ax. "I think whoever made these was definitely going to give enforcing his desires a shot. The ax seems new, but it feels as if its already been used in countless wars. I'm used to weapons, but still…" He gives the ax a look before looking back at you. "Let's change the subject. What are you up to out here with all this stuff?"

 No.29375

>>29373
"That and genetic material!"
the Voldra chimes in,
"Voldra can use it to change ourselves to better suit our jobs."

 No.29376

>>29370
"We've got you on radar Latasha. You're clear for landing, but we'll open the doors when you get withing sight." The radio operator responds.

>>29372
"You!" The porky passengers shouts. "How many looters were there?!"

 No.29377

>>29376
"Oh umm, at least two! This one here and one that hid after I shot at him. Oh oh, make that at least 3, there was probably someone in that ship too!"

 No.29378

>>29376
"Understood, we should be in sight momentarily, over."

>>29375
"How important is that Material?"

 No.29379

>>29374
"To be fair, the treaty's real purpose was to assure the other races that we wouldn't be eating their dead anymore… they didn't seem to believe us when we said we wouldn't, so we let them include it in the treaty. At least in this case, it was a convenient excuse to confiscate these artifacts…"
Turn to the massive pile of luggage, then jump a little as we realize our mistake.
"Oh! We have not introduced you to Pazu and Zapu yet, have we? They are the ones this luggage belongs to, and they are moving into this room since they will be working with us now! Come, say hello!"

 No.29380

>>29378
"It wasn't the main cargo I was bringing, standard supplies I mean, just an added benefit for the ambassador Voldra that requested it. I suppose we don't need it, but it's not exactly easy to find if you're not on a Voldra planet!"

 No.29381

>>29377
He types notes at blinding speeds, even for one with such hefty fingers. "How dangerous do you take them to be?" He asks, focusing entirely on you.

>>29378
"Does anyone on board require medical attention? I got you on local radar now."

 No.29382

>>29381
"Well um, they certainly seem rag-tag, those ships are pretty flimsy. They were smashing open robots and looting them, and they did shoot back. None of them broke shields though."
He looks around for the prisoner,
"They're not brutes I suppose, they know when to give up."

 No.29383

>>29379
Dusky's eyes go wide at the first response before shaking it off. Pazu and Zapu are showing off their clothing to the Humans while Duana occasionally picks up an accessory almost as big as her.

The Twins float up to Dusky, introducing themselves like proper ladies. While Zapu holds Dusky in conversation, Pazu comes up to you.

"Just how many Aliens are on board? I've met so many different ones just getting to our room, it's exciting!"

>>29382
"Good, good, that'll save me a fortune in costs." He says, sitting back down.

 No.29384

>>29381
>>29380
"I see.. Well, perhaps we can get a ship with guns and go back after it."

"We have one prisoner, I'd like him checked out, send a med team." I reply as we coast into the landing zone.

 No.29385

>>29384
"We've got Security waiting to haul him away. Stay with the ship for a moment while we get it locked in."

The doors to the Ankylosaur open up and a landing spot lights up, waiting for you to bring it in. A few other people are waiting on the landing spot, likely your passenger's group.

 No.29386

>>29383
The Voldra sits patiently as they travel.

 No.29387

>>29385
Land calmly and safely.

Then, I'll hold the prisoner in my tail.
Tell the VIP "Please stay inside until I can escort you to your quarters."
And drag the prisoner out directly.

 No.29388

>>29383
"That is a difficult question to answer exactly, as we do not have access to the ship's crew registry," yet, "but the number of different species we have observed is in the dozens! Humans appear to be nondiscriminatory, focusing on merits above all else."

 No.29389

The docked ship is visited by several other security guards, two who head towards your angry passenger, and another one who gets out his DataPad to start filling in information for the criminal.

>>29386
"Oh, you're one of the new folks, right?" One of the security guard says to you from outside the ship, waving his scaled arm at you.

>>29387
"Wasn't expecting this much trouble out here. Were you?" The guard with the DataPad says. "I thought this job would be an easy one when I signed up." Your prisoner continues to squirm as you haul him off.

 No.29390

>>29389
"Mhmm, i'm here to help. I'm Voldra, I collect and archive the musics and other auditory cultural pieces of different species so that we can understand them more. Do you listen to music?"
The bug asks the guard as he waits for further instructions, much more in his element amongst other races.

 No.29391

>>29388
"I suppose that's how we got this job, but it's so nice to see it. I really wasn't expecting so many. It's nice." She says, asking you to come in.

"We were going through some of the stuff we had, and we thought some it might actually fit you better." Zapu says, holding up a scarf and cute backpack, but with less space than the ones you already have.

"The girls have told us about this ship, and it looks like we'll be working with them too!"

>>29390
"I would have said yes before, but I've heard so much more stuff on my breaks here than I did back home." The guard says. "The Humans here have stuff I couldn't have imagined before. I'm Ijapa. Can I get you to confirm your name so I can take you to your room?"

 No.29392

>>29391
"Oh uh, just write down McKenzie, I realize keeping track of Voldra can get confusing since many of us refer to each other as Voldra. I adopted a human name so it would be easier to communicate with others."

 No.29393

>>29389
"I've learned always to expect trouble. Do you have any fighters ready to fly? The hostiles interrupted a special supply drop."

 No.29394

>>29392
"Oh, that'll make it easy for them then. They'll do their best to adapt to you, though, I'll give them that. Way easier to deal with then almost anyone else." He smiles and signals towards one of the doors. "I've already met the other Voldra aboard briefly, but we'll be putting you near each other, is that cool?"

>>29393
"We've got our own issues aboard, but I can see what we can scrounge up. It's going to be another late night, right?"

[PAUSE]

 No.29979

>>29388
>>29391
>Shelly
While everyone is having a good time talking and getting to know each other, the ComLinks on your Human teammates begins vibrating, as does yours quickly after.

"Looks like they want to get some messages out before we leave."Malvi says. "We should take our two newest members to see what they'll be dealing with too." She adds.

Kamori takes her time getting up while the Twins are looking at each other, not exactly knowing what to expect. Duana is already floating towards you, while Dusky bids you farewell.

"Always more work, huh?" He adds as he leaves.

>>29393
>Latasha
"Looks like I've got some new ships we can borrow. I'll have Bok send them the information, but it seems he's got another of our staff members out there too. Ready to go back out?"

>>29374
>Rachel
"I played my part, now get that weapon out of my face."

>>29355
Looking up, even from your angle, you can see a whole lot of movement based on the shadows. Even the way the staff seems to be using their monitors, moving between tabs and screens of information, make it clear that they too are dealing with something.

>>29355
Calta thinks for a moment while looking at you girls, then goes into a nearby basket. "Here, try these." She says, trying to suppress a smile as she burrows through it. She emerges with a few choice outfits, but she seems to quickly narrow them down to a a blue and yellow two piece and a brighter, mostly yellow tinted orange-like one piece." She presents them to you in her paw. "So, which one do you want to try?"

 No.29980

>>29979
>>29355
>Frank Smith
Looking up, even from your angle, you can see a whole lot of movement based on the shadows. Even the way the staff seems to be using their monitors, moving between tabs and screens of information, make it clear that they too are dealing with something.

>>29355
Wan
Calta thinks for a moment while looking at you girls, then goes into a nearby basket. "Here, try these." She says, trying to suppress a smile as she burrows through it. She emerges with a few choice outfits, but she seems to quickly narrow them down to a a blue and yellow two piece and a brighter, mostly yellow tinted orange-like one piece." She presents them to you in her paw. "So, which one do you want to try?"

 No.29981

>>29355
"It doesn't matter, since we're just going for a swim, right? Just help me change fast! I don't want to be late and miss out, we barely get any time off as it is!"

 No.29982

>>29980
>>29981
"If it will hurry things up, I'll take the orange!"

 No.29983

>>29979
"Sure, give me pilot and a ship."

 No.29984

>>29980
Well, I was on my way to filing a report, so let's go file it. Push off in the low gravity and make my way up to the security station.

 No.29985

>>29979
"Indeed! It is good to be useful for our friends!" Wave to Dusky as he leaves, then turn our attention back to the two newest members.
"So, ready to learn how this process works? It should not take you two long to pick up on it."

 No.29986

>>29982
>>29981
"Tell me what you think." She says as she hands you the one-piece. "I'll put your uniform away so they can wash it later." She keeps her eyes on you as you get dressed, lending a paw to help push up the one-piece when it gets to your upper chest area.

She puts her paw down for you to climb up when you're dressed. "So, what do you think?"

>>29983
"We've got a nice ship set up and ready, but you're going to be going out there with Ulther. He's the only one with a Pilot's License I can spare right now. Ships coming in now."

Into the Hangar approaches a simple civilian ship, the Aurora, which most consider a flying truck, but you can easily make out all the modifications to it. Mostly the weapon mounts, but also the thicker glass and even armor that has been added to it.

"Someone call for a ride?" Ulther asks over the radio.

 No.29987

>>29986
Complain, "It's a little tight, I should wear a two-piece next time. But there's no time to change out!"

 No.29988

>>29986
Urge her along, hopping up onto her fingers. "Let's hurry back!"

 No.29989

>>29984
Heading up there, you see a bunch of people floating in and out of the security office. SOme slowly, but those stand out from all the others darting around. You even witness Arctid head out with a few other Humans holding on, all of them in a hurried expression in their face.

There's a set of lights guiding you to the Human accessible entrances. The staff there is running around, shouting and sending messages from their ComLinks and computers to each other.

There seems to be a pair of staffers there with the "Help" sign above them, but even they are moving quickly. Their fingers tend to blend together with how quickly they are typing.

>>29985
"It's what we signed up for!" Pazu shouts.
"Ready to earn our pay!"Zapu adds.

As you all start heading out, you can hear Malvi and Kamori talk.

"I wasn't expecting to be called in like this for a bit longer." Malvi says.

"They were probably holding onto a lot of things. Maybe they just want to get the messages out as soon as possible."

>"The Humans here are in a hurry again. What's it like where you are?"

Your counterpart with the Humans asks

 No.29990

>>29986
Slither over there and get in the truck-ship. "That was me boss."

 No.29991

>>29979
Well, he gave me the directions I needed. Pull back the rifle
''If I see you around these areas again, my aim will be a bit higher, capisque?''
Check my local map of this sector, where's the nearest repair station localized?

 No.29992

>>29989
I'll clear my throat a bit.
"Pardon, but I've a report to make. It's fairly urgent."

 No.29993

>>29988
>>29987
"I'll keep that in mind for next time then." Calta says as she also sneaks in a few presses into her ComLink device.

She opens the door, the gust of heat not as strong as the first time. Inside the area with the leaks, you see that some more pipes have been put in, but a few of the girls are lying down as best they can in the Zero-G, taking in some sugar drinks.

"Doc wanted them to try and use their Fold powers on the pipes to get some practice in." You see some of the other girls use their Fold abilities to try and weld the pipes together, while others try to use it to make adjustments or hold back the water. "I know yours isn't exactly suited to it, but she wants to know, how small can you make your explosion?"

>>29990
"Alright, someone I know at least." He flashes a thumbs up as he parks his ship next to you and opens the Door. "Ready for some fun?" He says with a goofy smile on his face.

"Testing, testing, do you copy? This is Technican Bok, please respond." You hear over your radio.

 No.29994

>>29991
The next station is only a few minutes away, at top speed.

"Rachel, come in, do you read me?!" Bok shouts over the radio. "I'm getting you some backup, send me your position. What's going on?"

 No.29995

>>29993
"Without my suit, I might get tired out if I use my fold powers. Would you be okay carrying me around?"

 No.29996

>>29992
The Man looks up at you, but his fingers don't stop. He keeps his head looking at you while he reaches over and around for things on the desk as people rush past.

"Uhm, yeah, can I help you?" He asks, clearly rushed but trying to remain courteous.

 No.29997

>>29993
"Sounds like a sand storm out there." I climb in and get a seat, nodding at my pilot. "Let's get to work."

 No.29998

>>29994
''Yeah Bok, I'm here, the area I went through had something jamming my Comlink or something'' I type in my coordinates to him
''I had to deal with some weird dude performing illegal mining operations, let him off with a warning, and got him to spill the beans on the location of his partners in crime. I'm heading there right now''

 No.29999

>>29996
"I should hope so. We've uncovered evidence of sabotage in our diagnostics tables. Three at least have been disabled, and I'm having the rest taken apart to see how many are compromised. I can only imagine this was done while we were distracted with the recent away mission to the planet."
I'll scratch my cheek for a second.
"No prime suspect yet, but they'd have to have clearance for the hangar and our supply storage."

 No.30000

>>29995
"That's no problem for me!" She beams as she pets you. "Go right ahead and we'll do what we can to fix this palce. Doc thinks this will make good practice. Hmm, over there. The notes said we had to clear out some of the stuff there. Think you can get rid of the old material in the wall so we can move the pipes thorugh?" Calta points at an area of the wall that has becoming damaged and failing from the leaking pipes.

Roll Will twice. Once for control, another for strength.

>>29997
"That's basically what it looks like to my sensors." The person on the radio responds. "These old sensors are picking up lots of things, but I bet most of them are decoys." Bok adds with a sigh. "I can tell things are out there, but without knowing what, I feel like it's worse."

"Don't worry your antlers. We got this, don't we Latasha? A few thiees and brigands aren't going to stop us, right?" Ulther shouts back at you.

 No.30001

>>30000
Blast! '1d10+3' '1d10+3'

Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 / Roll #2 10 + 3 = 13

 No.30002

>>30000
"Yea, We're on the case. Still, what exactly are you seeing out there?"

 No.30003

>>29998
"You got any tracking chips on you? Toss one on him before they leave." Bok stays quiet for a moment. "Be careful, I'm trying to get some backup to you because my sensors are lighting up like crazy here. Something bigger than illegal miners is going on, no one goes to all this trouble for some rocks."

As you approach the target destination, you see a pair of missiles fly out and detonate, sending shards and pieces of material towards the planet. They weren't aimed at you at least. How do you approach?

>>29999
He stops for a moment, then goes back to his furious typing. "I'll put in a request for spare investigators, thank you for your information. Was there anyone acting suspicious that you noticed?" He asks, quickly responding and moving several Alert flashes that appeared on his screen.

Roll Street Smarts.

 No.30004

>>29989
"Perhaps something has come up that the humans at the other end think is important?"
Keep pace and nod along with the humans and their conversation. No need to panic until we confirm there is something to panic about.

>"Very calm and relaxed, probably partly due to the two new recruits we picked up on the planet. The humans here seem to think that this is earlier than expected. Perhaps something has come up on your end?"

 No.30005

>>30003
'2d6-1'

Roll #1 3, 1 - 1 = 3

 No.30006

>>30003
''I don't think I do. didn't think it would be necessary to bring them to this kind of mission. And don't worry, I can take care of myself''

I Keep my distance and try to find some cover ''What the hell… Bok, are you seeing this?'' I hit him on the Comlink, staying back and trying to track the source of the missiles first

 No.30007

>>30001
It feels like you're standing near the exhaust of your mech. The heat and force from your Explosion, instead of being brief, is sustained for longer than you normally held it. It pushes against the wall and moisture in the room, cutting a near perfect line for the pipes before disappearing. You remain 'standing' but the force pushed into Calta's paw.

>>30002
"Most likely, some chaff of some sort. From where we are, it be easy enough to mess with our sensors. I don't know why, but whatever this is was planned, not a slapped together operation." Bok says.

"Aw, I was hoping for some fun. Send us where you think we'll find some trouble!" Ulther shouts a little too much into the radio as the ship takes off.

"I've got some ideas of where they might be. Sending you some information for a few points of interest, but I'll be having you back up another of our Security Staff out there first." Bok states, linking you and your crewmate with some information about a mining facility.

"I'll deal with the piloting, Latasha. Can you put your eyes and ears on the sensors? What's going on out there."

Roll Tech.

 No.30008

>>30007
Sigh and collapse onto her paw. "You still have to take me swimming."

 No.30009

>>30007
"Alright boss." What's this about a mining facility they sent us?

Tech roll.
'2d6-1'

Roll #1 6, 5 - 1 = 10

 No.30010

>>30004
>"They always seem busy here."
>"Don't worry too much, most species are like that when they're sending messages."
Another Drone chimes in.

As you approach the communications room they set up, you can see that they've made some improvements. More proper desks for the Humans, the walls have been cleaned up, and all the cables have now been properly tucked away. Kamori stops the Twins and takes them to a close-by room. Passing it, you see it has a monitor looking in towards your communication room and a few computers for them, plus a few more for other Humans.

As your staff sets in, one of the new monitors shows the Twins exploring their new work room.

"Okay, I'm logging in and it's downloading all the messages." Malvi keeps quiet for a moment as she looks at the screen. "It's going to be a lot. I haven't seen it load this slowly, ever, even when we were testing."

"It just means were going to be hear longer than usual, right?" Duana asks naively. "Will that be okay with you?" She asks with concern.

>>30005
You only manage to catcha glimpse, but the image of the Ankylosaur pops up with a few warning marks pointing for many areas.

"That's good." The Staffer says to his ComLink, taking a breath and looking a bit more relaxed than he was originally. "Okay, bringing it up, with all that's happening, they are going to redirect you elsewhere while they deal with the problem. Head back and await further orders." He still types like he's consumed several energy drinks meant for the aliens, but he seems to smile now. "Let everyone know that when you get back to them. Just leave everything where it is for now."

 No.30011

>>30006
"Yeah, I caught it. Hmm, this is going to take some dealing with. For now, scout the area. I don't need you getting stepped on, so make sure there aren't any hiding. You'll get extra cover soon."

 No.30012

>>30010
"This is much more organized than before. Have you been busy while this drone was planetside?"
Malvi seems worried. Has she ever been worried before?
"We do not mind being here for long periods of time. Though we do wonder what would lead to enough communications to push the limits of your technology."

 No.30013

>>30011
''Kay, I'll stay in the safe for now then''
Set the boosters to low speed and start moving slowly to not get attention as I circle the area, keeping an eye open for any threats

 No.30014

>>30010
I'll raise an eyebrow at that.
"After we figure out how many are compromised, sure. And once those are fixed, I plan on having the crew scan the rest of our gear to see if it wasn't just the diagnostics tables that have been tampered with."
I'll turn to leave.

 No.30015

>>30008
She puts a paw on your head and rubs as she lets you sit down. "Once we're done here, I promise." She says with friendliness in her tone. She carries you around as she picks up the other tired girls. The welding on some of the pipes they've been putting up has been pretty haphazard, but they've been holding so far.

"Here, drink up." Eva says as she floats up towards Calta's paw and you, Holding up a bunch of drinking bottles for you. "Cherry or Grape?" She asks, before adding: "Don't you seem comfortable."

>>30009
"From what I gathered so far, they seem to be what they're after. But they aren't demolishing them either." Bok goes silent, but you hear a few words of discussion between him and others in the background. "Whoever we are dealing with is equipped with missiles, so be careful out there. They might be onto us now."

A friendly beep appears on your radar as you approach the destination.

>>30013
Roll Street Smarts, you've been trained to deal with these types of places. Most criminals tend to hide in certain areas.

Your radar beeps, you've got a Friendly incoming.

 No.30016

>>30015
"Misssiles. Really?" I look annoyed. "There's a friendly on the radar up ahead."

 No.30017

>>30015
"Are you uncomfortable, Eva? Cherry, please!"

 No.30018

>>30012
"We were working on this since you went down there. It's a lot more secure than what we started with, at least." Malvi keeps her eyes on the monitor.

"They also brought better seats here, so that should make it easier to work longer." Duana adds in cheerfully. "Oh, they wanted to know if you needed a chair too. They said we could ask for something that would fit you too, if it makes you more comfortable."

"Okay, messages are almost loaded in. Seats everyone!" Malvi yells as Kamori rushes in, getting her own station prepared as all their screens bring up messages.

Most are reports of their time here. Supply counts, contact and contract details,a lot of personal messages.

Roll Street Smarts twice.

>>30014
"Secure them for now. Don't let anyone mess with them too much, they might lose fingerprints or records that we'll need." The Staffer states as you exit. "Especially records, don't let those get touched until the Investigators can get there."

Your crew is going over another Diagnostic Table, awaiting your response.

 No.30019

>>30015
'2d6'
''Hmm?'' I turn around and try to contact them
''Halt, identify yourself''

Roll #1 3, 6 = 9

 No.30020

>>30018
Let's see if their codes are as obvious as last time…
'2d6-1' '2d6-1' Street Smarts

Roll #1 2, 1 - 1 = 2 / Roll #2 4, 4 - 1 = 7

 No.30021

>>30018
"Naturally."
I'll head down to the crew.
"What's the damage down here so far?"

 No.30022

>>30016
"Should be Rachel there. Just to let you know, she's a Human in one of their machines, so don't fire on the 'bot. Investigate and apprehend anyone you can, but don't risk *STATIC*." Jamming is taking over, but you hear another message coming in: >>30019

>>30019
You spot two Aliens floating around the facility, brandishing large weapons. They could put a dent in you if they hit.

One of the mining machines seems to be acting weird…

 No.30023

>>30022
>>30019
"Hello, This is Security Officer Latasha, with the Ankylosaur. Who is speaking?"

 No.30024

>>30022
>>30016
Please let them be the friendlies Bok mentioned
I raise my weapon at them both as a warning

 No.30025

>>30023
Okay, its the backup
lower my rifle
''Security officer Rachel, codename: Rivet, also from the Ankylosaur. So you're the backup Bok sent then. Did he give you a briefing on the operation?''

 No.30026

>>30025
"Very briefly, and It didn't sound too good. How's your mecha holding up?"

 No.30027

>>30017
"Not as tired as you are." She hands you the Cheery drink. "That one takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?" She looks at another pair of girls moving a piece of pipe and using their Fold powers to set it in place. "I'll be right back, I think they overexerted themselves too."

"You think Eva is acting differently?" Calta asks. "Feeling better?"

 No.30028

>>30027
"Maybe? Less, um, what's the word? Uh, like when you are a busybody or always worried and complainy? Less like that, so more calm? Than usual I guess. Anyway if feeling better means I have to get up, no."

Spread out my arms on her soft paws like a snow angel.

 No.30029

>>30026
''No real damage besides being an old, weathered thing. I've been scouting the area, so far haven't found anything, but keep your eyes open. If you see any more of those missiles, try to track their source''
I turn back and keep going with my scouting, keeping a low speed

 No.30030

>>30029
"Alright. Let's find these goons."
>>30027
Cover this puny human. '2d6'

Roll #1 6, 3 = 9

 No.30031

>>30020
>"Okay, this was easier than I imagined. I think I've got the earlier message and the new one."
A Drone tells you, followed by a chorus of other voices.
>"The first message was asking about the Fold capable Humans. They wanted to know how they were doing. This new one, it's about beginning a project. Mostly that they've gotten some stuff set up."

Your staff are typing in some of the responses as you move the rest of the messages. Duana gives you a smile before getting back to her monitors.

>"It mentions some alterations."


>>30021
"You're right, someone threw in the powder on all the tables, but none of the other equipment is messed with." Cotentin says.

"I've been looking in the containers, but nothing seems out of place." Civet says. "Whoever brought that powder must have left with it."

"What did they say to do?" Cotentin adds.

 No.30032

>>30028
She giggles at your description. "Come on, the faster we can get this done, the faster I can bring you swimming." She sneaks in a paw tot eh back of your head, petting you and trying to push you back up.

>>30029
>>30030
As you scan, you pick up a total of four Aliens in suits, two heavily armed. They seem to be leaving the mining machines alone this time, but one of them is on one of the facilities computers.

 No.30033

>>30031
"Sit with our thumbs up our butts until their investigators get here, and not to use them, or at least too many of them, so they don't lose the fingerprints that may or may not be on them. Also to not wipe any of the records."
Frown a little.
"Apparently, though, it's not just us who's having trouble. They had alerts lighting up all over the ship. Seems we just can't catch a break out here. Either that, or we've had belligerents aboard longer than I thought."

 No.30034

>>30032
"What now, then?"

 No.30035

>>30032
Ready my lazer pistol, ready for trouble.

 No.30036

>>30030
>>30032
''So that guy wasn't alone after all. Latasha, right? stay behind me, I'm detecting weapons on them''
Activate my Riot Shield

 No.30105

>>30033
The groups lets out a collective sigh, with Civet's gill's flaring up to add emphasis. As you look around, the other mechanic groups are receiving the same orders, with similar reactions all around.

Rove and Cotentin go up to you with another tablet in hand. "Well, if we aren't able to work here, looks like there's a few more things that need to be touched up on in the ship." Rove says, showing a ship schematic with a few areas blinking.

"Oh, that looks promising." Cotentin says, pointing out a few other areas that could use attention, clicking on some damaged water pipes and their associated notes. "How about this one, we're still on the clock, right? Might as well earn our pay…" He says as he starts looking at some of the other issues plaguing the Ankylosaur.

>>30034
"From what I was told, they want us to do something other than what we've been doing since then. I'm sure the Institute never had you try and fix the pipes, right?" She points at the other girls, floating parts up to try and keep the work going even if they've already used their Fold abilities. "The better we do this, the faster we can use it."

 No.30106

>>30105
"I'm not so sure about what I can do to fix pipes though… Wait, are you sure this isn't just a way to make us do maintenance?"

 No.30107

>>30106
"When they let the girls know about it, they were all over it. Doc thought it was a good idea to take you all out and change the routine too. You got to go onto the planet, they stayed on here and did everything they've been doing." She uses one of hands to hold up a pipe as the other girls try their best to weld it with their Fold abilities. "Eva asked the same thing too, but don't tell her I know she was really hyped up for it too. Who do you think made all those drinks?"

 No.30108

>>30031
>"Interesting. Maybe we can find out more from Wan later. Is it possible the changes were made in response to something we picked up from the surface?"
Pause just for a moment, before catching the slip and continuing relaying the messages as normal.
>"The weapons. There's a good chance the alterations are seeing what they can learn from these weapons."

 No.30109

>>30105
"I dunno. Something just doesn't feel right. Security guy looked way too relieved when I said I had no idea who did it. Maybe that was just because he wouldn't have to file more paperwork."
I'll harrumph slightly.
"Anyway, you all pick a spot and get to work on what you can without the diagnostics tables. If we've any handheld diagnostics tools, try and use those. Check them first, though, just in case."
Drumming my fingers on my pantleg, I'll continue.
"At any rate, keep your ears and eyes open for anything weird. But no 'citizen's arrest' attempts. Hard enough to replace equipment, but it'll be impossible to replace people."

 No.30110

>>30107
"Make… drinks? Do drinks not come out of dispensers?"

 No.30111

>>30108
>"The codes are hidden in all these messages."
>"I have befriended some of the Humans here. Reading their messages, they use words they normally do not."
A computer on Kamori's desk gives a quick blink, making her react and hit on the screen before it goes back to normal.
"About 80% through, the rest are going to be even more ship reports."

 No.30112

>>30111
>"it's fair to assume the odd words out hold some significance. Perhaps they refer to specific subjects or people?"
"Let us know if your computer's are having trouble keeping up; it would not do to have you work so hard and lose it all to computer failure."

 No.30113

>>30109
"I was here during the modification phase of the Ankylosaur. There was trouble almost every week." Rove says. "Why even bother staying on?" He looks at you and at the group before being distracted by his ComLink.

Civet gathers some of the larger tools as Saanen and Cotentin look over the plans. You see them chat for a bit and then they focus their attention on Civet.

>>30110
"I asked her that. She said it didn't make them right. In a more Eva like tone, of course." The temperature in the room seems to spike for a moment before going back to its normal heat. "She's even roped Alipor into going to get her supplies. Otherwise he'd be doing a lot more work here than he already has." Calta extends the hand you're in to one of the other girls, who has lost her balance and is now doing rolls in the zero-g, but she can't quite reach as she's holding the pipe in position. "Sorry to ask, but a little help?"

 No.30114

>>30112
"Now that you say that, my computer was blinking for a moment." Duana says. "Did that happen to yours too?" She asks the others, who nod in agreement.

>"I'll look into it. The more you can learn about the Humans, the easier it'll become."

Looks like the directive was meant for both of you, the Voldra here on the Ankylosaur and the one with the Humans.

"Guess we'll just call the Techs when we're done!" Duana says with a smile, before taking a sip of her drink and getting back to work.

 No.30115

>>30113
"Because it's something to do. What other reason do you need to do anything? Well, aside from the paycheck."
Going over my own equipment, I'll doublecheck to make certain I've got my pistol and toolkit, and then look over the map again. What are my trouble spots?

 No.30116

>>30113
Grab her by the swimsuit! That's the best place to get a grip so she doesn't slip away.

 No.30117

>>30115
"It has to be more than that for the troublemakers. Even if they stop the Ankylosaur, wouldn't it just cause trouble for them? Since you know, they're on-board with us? As nice as the Aliens have been, it wouldn't be easy at our size to get a ride on a ship."

Instead of flashing, several trouble spots become solid yellow. Looks like the other mechanics are heading to those places. Looks like the remaining places relate to the water system. Two trouble spots near the main storage tank, and another one connecting it to the fabricators.

"We'll get Civet ready with whichever you pick, Boss."

 No.30118

>>30114
"Very well. We can have Friend-Frank check them when we are done."
>"No worries; forming relationships with the humans is one of the primary goals anyway. This is just added incentive."
Though choosing which humans to learn more about first will be interesting. Duana and Wan are the ones we have the most interaction with, so perhaps Kamori or Malvi should be our next target?
Keep one eye on the electronics though; all three doing the same thing at once seems like more than just coincidence.

 No.30119

>>30116
"Whoa, WHOA!" The blue haired girl shouts as she stops in mid-air 'upside down'. "Pull me in please!" She shouts as she tries to grab onto your arm.

 No.30120

>>30118
Roll Street Smarts

>"Let us know if you learn anything. The Humans are a possible ally we'd like to keep."


"Last few messages on my end." Malvi announces.
"I've only got a few left here." Kamori adds.

>"The Humans here, they came in with some more messages. Normally they try to hand them in before we begin here."

 No.30121

>>30119
Jerk down on her swimsuit to pull her in with cheerful force!

"I got you!"

 No.30122

>>30117
"You're assuming that they were working for us in the first place. With how many pirates we've run into on this trip, it really wouldn't surprise me if we had at least one on-board."
I'll look over the map.
"I'll hit up the fabricator connection. If that goes we're going to be in a bad way for a lot of things. Same with the water systems. Try and get someone on storage. If nothing else, it needs to be secure."
That travel platform should still be around here somewhere. Load myself up on that.
"Rove, who are you heading out with, Contentin and Saanen or us?"

 No.30123

>>30121
She hugs you, her head spinning slightly.

"Thanks, anymore flips and I think I would have spilled my drink." She doesn't have a cup in her hands anymore. "Guess I should be more careful when working." Her added mass pushes you down onto Calta's soft but wet paw. "Just a moment… Hey, you're the one they let go onto the planet, right?"

She takes several deep breathes as Calta slowly moves the pair of you closer to her shoulder. "Sorry, but I'll need both arms for this."

 No.30124

>>30120
(2d6-1) Street Smarts
"All right, almost done!"
Pause the relay at the new information though. More messages than usual, with computers slower than usual, and now bringing in more messages differently than usual? Third time's a sign that something's up.
>"Did you recognize the humans who brought in the new messages, or were they new? Something's off."

 No.30125

>>30124
>>30120
'2d6-1'

Roll #1 1, 2 - 1 = 2

 No.30126

>>30123
"Hmm? I guess so. Oh, did you want to share? I still have mine."

 No.30127

>>30122
"I don't think so. My unit seems to have signed up for another place, but I wouldn't mind a ride." He says as he turns around, seeing his crew already leaving.

"Yeah, it's still sad that even without being on our home world, people are still bringing the troubles from there." Saanen says, loading a few of her tools.

"And in this corner of the galaxy, there aren't too many organized planets. Pirates and other drifters would still have shown up. I at least would have hoped they had them contained more." Cotentin says as he loads himself on the platform.

Civet just looks at you Humans, a little lost in thought, before taking a hand onto the platform, ready to go and waiting for you.

 No.30128

>>30125
>>30124
>"These are the same Humans as always, the current staff. I will try to find out who sent them these messages when the opportunity presents itself."

"I think this is it on our end." Malvi says to you all, then looks at you. "Anymore on the other end?" Duana and Kamori take the opportunity to stretch.

 No.30129

>>30126
"Maybe not now." She waves away the idea of drinking anything right now. "Here, can you help me get on her shoulders? The ship hasn't stopped spinning. Guess I should be more careful, huh?"

"How was the planet? Was it fun?" She asks as she holds her head. You can feel Calta's fur and muscle move underneath you as she helps the other girls position a pipe.

 No.30130

>>30127
"No problem. Hop in, Rove. Might be a bit of a squeeze, though."
One last pass over my own things to make certain I've got my ID card, tools, pistol, etc.
"Alright, last chance to check and see if you've got all your ID cards and relevant clearances, because we're moving out."
Once we're all ready, we'll head out.

 No.30131

>>30128
>"Hmn. With any luck, the problem lies elsewhere."
"Just a few more messages," this drone informs the humans in the room. "Apparently these were brought in late, rather than handed in before we began. Strange."
If nothing else, maybe the humans can pick up on something we missed if there is something wrong with these. Otherwise there's not much this drone can do, other than worry.

 No.30132

>>30129
Give her a boost, pushing up on her butt, since there' no Gs to stop her she should shove off like a boat into a lake.

"Uh, we played with some rocks, but then had to leave early. Three out of five."

 No.30133

>>30130
A few of the other mechanic crews take their tools and are headed elsewhere as they float towards the doors. A few stop and a pair of security officers floats towards one group as you reach the gates into the rest of the ship.

You can see people beginning to tie down supplies and carts as the ship prepares to leave. Rove takes his leave before you head into the elevator.

"Civet, you think you can handle the heat this time?" Cotentin asks her, causing her to wake up from her thoughts and move the platform for all of you.

"Yeah, I just need to control my breathing. Sorry about last time." She says with a smile as you approach your destination, the air temperature beginning to heat up.

 No.30134

>>30131
The other Drone begins sending the messages through. Reports, messages, and just general information.

Roll Street Smarts.

"I was prepared, but I can barely keep up with all of this." Duana says. "Maybe I'll ask Eva for one of her custom drinks."
"Hey, Malvi, this name sound familiar to you?" Kamori says, sending her some of the papers she's typed up. Malvi looks at them quietly while continuing to type.

 No.30135

>>30133
"Maybe the next planet will be somewhere we can pick up a personal coolant unit. Or a fan, if nothing else. Think they make them in fashionable colors or shapes?"
A little light chatter can't hurt anything.

 No.30136

>>30134
'2d6-1' Street Smarts
"Just be sure that such a drink does not impede your functions instead. We think you have been doing very well just as you are."
>"Any strange names from those messages that stand out?"
Interesting that Kamori defers to Malvi about it. Is it because Malvi is the eldest?

Roll #1 1, 4 - 1 = 4

 No.30137

>>30132
"Hey, hold on!" She shouts by Calta's ear, who reacts by nearly hitting her head into her other shoulder. "I wasn't that ready yet!"

You see a large scaly hand appear and catch her. Looks like Alipor has come in, carrying some more supplies for everyone. He puts her down next to you.

"Did you bring the screws?" Calta asks Alipor, her voice ringing in your head now that you're much closer to her mouth. "And the tool too, right?"

 No.30138

>>30137
Looks like they're done with me, I'll jump off in search of Eva.

 No.30139

>>30135
"The heat and the cold get to my gills." Civet says. "I lost my moisture scarf on my way here, and I haven't had a chance to get one since."

"A scarf, huh?" Saanen holds her chin as the platform continues towards its destination. "What color do you think would fit her best?" Saanen turns towards you and Cotentin. "I'm sure we could make something with the supplies here."

"You don't have to do that." Civet says.

 No.30140

>>30139
"Call it an early birthday present if one shows up on break one day."
I'll think for a minute.
"As for color… well, considering her own, maybe a nice blue or green? Something for contrast."

 No.30141

>>30136
"It's super tasty. You should try it!" Duana continues to type as you dictate the rest of the messages.

>"In a way. I don't recognize these names, and they don't seem to reference others. As in, they don't say that these are allies, or members of the same groups, or any other associations."

>"These messages seem to be unrelated to the original cypher as well."

Malvi brings up another screen, looking up additional details. This time you can see that it is a crew log.

 No.30142

>>30138
Eva is down by the door, tying down a few coolers that were just brought in.


"Hey, help me get this locked into place. Keep the cooler there from floating off." Eva asks. "Are you thirsty again?"

 No.30143

>>30141
"After the last experience, we are not sure that would be a good idea." We pause to convey the next message. "We should do so while the rest of you are present, just in case."
>"Perhaps they are odd hires, like the ones we picked up off the planet? The humans on this end are checking a crew log, so maybe they're crewmembers who hired on late."

 No.30144

>>30140
"You don't have to…" Civet tries to say before she's interrupted.

"Yeah, that might work. How about a spotted one with both colors?" Cotentin questions Saanen and you. "I mean, it would really contrast with her stripes."

Civet just gives you all a blank expression as a few passing Humans keep looking on at your group.

The temperature keeps getting warmer.

 No.30145

>>30142
"It's not such a big deal. Mm, I'm not erally suited for all this work though. Or, not this kind. I'm better at wrecking stuff."

 No.30146

>>30144
I'll text Civet.
Sure we don't have to, but I think it's just Saanen trying to distract all of us from the idea of someone we signed on with trying to get us all killed.

 No.30147

>>30143
"Maybe you should only try a little…" Duana says as she gets back to work.

>"I will inquire afterwards."

>"Keep us informed."

The last message comes through, but your staff continue to type away. Even the Twins can be seen working on their notes through the monitor.

"We'll finish in a moment…" Malvi says.
"My fingers are cramping up again. I'll need to put some ice on them." Kamori states, looking at Duana, who is deep into her typing.


"I think that should be it." Malvi says as Duana leans back into her chair. "I'll call the Techs in."

"I don't think I ever asked," Kamori looks at you from her chair. "But do you have to concentrate when sending messages? We ask you to stay here so we can type, but do you have to focus when you're talking to others that way?"

 No.30148

>>30145
Eva looks at you like she's about to say something, but all she can do after a moment of thought is agree by nodding her head. "Yeah, that sounds like you all right. Hold it down for a bit more." She tightens a pair of ropes, keeping it firmly on the ground. "Then you can help me help the others. Without my Gear, my Fold ability really isn't all that good here either. I think Doc was going to come too as soon as she finished her work. Here, catch." She tosses you a pair of drinks. "Bet I can reach Lucen before you reach Hanze." She smirks at you as well.

 No.30149

>>30146
"Maybe vertical stripes instead?" Saanen says to Cotentin.

"Like my tie?" Cotentin asks. "We can compare it when we get back to our room. I think I might have a few that might be a good look for her."

Civet reads your message before nodding. "I think I have a picture my parents sent me when I had it. I'll show it to you once we're done."

A few temperature warning signs in the area signal that you're getting close to your destination. Looking at the notes, looks like the pipes and sensors in the area have suffered some damage.

"Hmm." Saanen looks behind you as another large Alien seems to be floating their way along.

 No.30150

>>30147
"Be careful not to hurt yourself Kamori. Being productive is good, but only so long as it's sustainable."
They certainly take a long time to finish such a simple tranfer of data. Even if decrypting their own codes slows them down, it's still so different from how the hive communicates such information.

"Do you have to focus when talking to others?" we ask in reply, only half-rhetorically. "To put it another way, it is a small amount of focus that is only really noticed when all of your attention is needed elsewhere. If anything, communicating with sound requires more focus, as we have to ensure our speech is clear and slow enough for the translator to effectively process."

 No.30151

>>30150
"When you put it that way, I think I get what you mean." She bobs back and forth in her chair. "Now I'm going to wonder what it's like to have all those conversations going on."

You can see Duana shake her hands as she leans away from the screen. The Twins have turned to their own monitors and have begun working on their tasks.

"Don't forget to make sure your stuff is buckled down, Duana." Malvi says, closing the crew log. "The ship's about to take off soon. Make sure nothing falls down, or floats out of place."

"Yup, I already made sure of that!" Duana says, proud of herself. "What are you going to do now, Shelly? You want to meet my friends?!"

 No.30386

>>30036
>>30030
Observing them for a moment, the area is a massive, spherical asteroid with an automated mining facility on it controlling a number of worker mechs and bots.

There is one 5 limbed alien with a noticeably large sized weapon floating by a strangely moving mech. On the facility itself, there is another space-suited enemy with a large but distinct weapon on their back walking around the mining facility. Inside, you can see an alien working on the computers, but he doesn't seem to be paying the armed baddies near him any attention. However, your sensors are picking up another life-sign, but it can point the position.

 No.30387

>>30386
"Looks like we have to get past these guys." I tell the human.

 No.30388

>>30386
>>30387
''No shit. I'll also have to aprehend them for illegal mining''
I take aim with my rifle, trying to see if I can line up a good shot on the 5-limbed alien

''Hopefully they'll resist arrest tho, then I don't have to do that''

 No.30389

>>30388
"They don't look like the surrendering type, want to send the message anyway?"

 No.30390

>>30389
"Pfft, and throw away our advantage? Get real, Scaly"

 No.30391

>>30388
>>30389
The 5 limbed alien seems to be doing something with the machine. You see him look around, but it doesn't seem he's spotted you.

Roll when taking your actions.

 No.30392

>>30390
"Alright, let's get too-many-arms first, you take right, I'll go from the left."

 No.30393

>>30391
'2d6' slither up to him and try to bind him in my coils

Roll #1 5, 4 = 9

 No.30394

>>30391
This thing isn't very suited for long distance shots, but I'll try
[1d6+1]
>Assault Rifle
> -Rampart Marksmanship ( While in cover, weapons that can be Steadied automatically count as Steadied. (does not stack.)
>gun nut (-1 min. To Gun rolls)
>Lethal: (All your weapons are so big, barbaric, or deadly that they deal +2 damage in addition to any other effect)

Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3

 No.30395

>>30393
>>30394
In the vastness of space, even a glancing shot imparts a good deal of force, sending him floating off balance as Latasha's engines let her speed up to him and coil him. His 3rd arm immediately jumps to his neck, protecting his breathing while the machine looks on.

 No.30396

>>30395
"Find out what the machine's doing. I'll keep this one busy."
Spending my turn keeping him coiled up, tell me if needs rolls.

 No.30397

>>30395
>>30396
''Right, but first we gotta deal with the armed one''
Boost my way to the entry of the facility, aiming at the Alien with the large weapon, finger on the trigger, and ready to shoot
''Freeze, motherfucker!''

 No.30398

>>30396
Whatever this guy is, whose polarized mask prevents easy identification, is built strong. He's bound now, but he's struggling to do *something*.

Enemy Roll '1d6'
Roll your Melee skill

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.30399

>>30398
"Could you hurry, I can't hold him forever."
'1d6+1' melee

Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5

 No.30400

>>30397
You only get moment to look at her as she's charging up her weapon before your sensors alert you to the alien on the computer shooting at you through the facility's glass with a strange pistol!

Enemy shots '2d6'

She's wearing a face mask above her snout, letting her breath but it won't let her get far if she tries to leave the facility. And don't forget about the big one with the large weapon. Do something!

Roll #1 6, 6 = 12

 No.30401

>>30399
You can feel his weapon bend as you continue to squeeze him tighter, but he doesn't seem to be struggling to breathe as much as your previous captives have. However, it was a good thing you were putting in a tighter squeeze on him, as a small rope attaches to a part of his exposed suit, flinging you towards the facility!

It's the machine he was fiddling with! It's fighting you!

 No.30402

>>30400
Ah shit, this is gonna do more than damage the paint-job
Deploy my shield and take cover quickly before the shots connect!
With the shield deployed, I hold my ground and tank the hits, opening fire at the large one charging her weapon
[1d6+1]
>Assault Rifle
> -Rampart Marksmanship ( While in cover, weapons that can be Steadied automatically count as Steadied. (does not stack.)
>gun nut (-1 min. To Gun rolls)
>Lethal: (All your weapons are so big, barbaric, or deadly that they deal +2 damage in addition to any other effect)

Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2

 No.30403

>>30397
Your shields hold, but you can feel them acting and reacting strangely. It's not a normal gun she's got there!

 No.30404

>>30402
more boolets
[1d6+1]
[1d6+1]

Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 / Roll #2 3 + 1 = 4

 No.30405

>>30401
"What?! I have to fight a robot now?" I hiss angrily and shoot at the machine.
'2d6'

Roll #1 6, 4 = 10

 No.30406

>>30402
She's taking off as you take fire from the unusual pistol, the alien with the large weapon trying to get some distance to cover and to safely use their own gun on you.

>>30404
You try to shoot but your gun jams! Could it be the work of the enemy pistol? Your shields are barely little more than half capacity!

 No.30407

>>30405
The machine's cable is shot through as your bullets rip the cable and hit the mech in its legs, blowing them off. You and your passenger are launched towards the mining facility as he tries to break free!

His Melee breakout '1d6'
Roll your Melee skill

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.30408

>>30406
''Son of a-''
These stock guns from the storage are so shitty I swear. Quickly try to unjam it before that guy gets to me!
But first I need to get out of their range
Holster my shield and kick my boosters at max power to get out of the facility and get some distance!
[1d6+2]
>Agility
>Variable shifting, fighter mode

Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3

 No.30409

>>30407
'1d6+1' "ssstop, it tickles."

Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4

 No.30410

>>30408
Don't go floating into empty space! There is no cover there! The Large weapon fires a set of three missiles at you!

Here comes the first one! '1d10'
The area in front of you starts lighting up as the mech starts shooting you too! '1d3'

Roll #1 10 = 10 / Roll #2 1 = 1

 No.30411

>>30410
>>30408
Your shields are gone! Do something before the second one hits!

>>30409
You coil him down again, his weapon giving up even more this time. But your guesst holds on, even though he doesn't seem to be pressing back *as much*.

You see lights approaching Rachel's mech, but you'll have a hard time sight seeing as you spin and the mech shoots you with its bolts! Enemy attacks '2d3'

Roll #1 2, 2 = 4

 No.30412

>>30409
>>30411
It's not doing too much damage to your shields, but a lucky hit on your rockets might cause more damage…

Another set of pistol blasts begin coming from the rapidly approaching mining facility, these give off a weird glow as they go wide on you.

 No.30413

>>30411
A mecha too. Radio Rachel "Are you okay?"
'1d6' shoot at the mecha!

Roll #1 1 = 1

 No.30414

>>30410
>>30411
''Shitshitshitshitshit''
I suddenly turn the Controls to redirect the boosters to the side and avoid the missile. I won't get distance this way, but at least it'll save me from the blow
I hope
[1d6+2] agility
>>30413
''That Bastard has a fucking Ion gun! I need to fall back!''

Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8

 No.30415

>>30413
The shot misses, going way off course in this tangle of bodies and bullets.

>>30414
The missile approaches as you spin towards a debris field
Missile '1d10'

Roll #1 10 = 10

 No.30416

>>30415
Okay, I got it, shoot a bunch of debris so it pushes it into the mecha or at least in front of of it to give rachel cover.
'1d6'

Roll #1 6 = 6

 No.30417

>>30413
Your weakened passenger still hasn't give up, using all his limbs to try and break away!

Breakout attempt '1d6'
Roll your melee skill

You remain under fire, but now the pistol shots become more accurate as the mech focuses on you. '1d6' from pistol and '3d3' from mech

Roll #1 2 = 2 / Roll #2 2 = 2 / Roll #3 1, 3, 1 = 5

 No.30418

>>30415
This is good, if I can get right of the missile here, I'll be able to get some cover and distance

Come on Rachel, just like in training
[1d6+2] agility

Also work on unjamming my weapon while I'm at it
[1d6]

Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 / Roll #2 6 = 6

 No.30419

'1d6+1' melee

Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7

 No.30420

>>30414
The missile is nearly up your tailpipe before a loose asteroid floats in and saves your bacon. The missile is launched off course, but the explosion sends shrapnel everywhere, damaging your engines slightly.

Here comes the final missile. '1d10'


Hold off all responses until my next post.

Roll #1 7 = 7

 No.30421

The final missile approaches Rachel's ship, the sustained damage making it hard to move as as she ends up flying in the enemy mecha's direction.

Thankfully, a lucky shot by the Snake causes it to flail violently, spinning in space as it hits the mecha! Something is ejected from it before it goes up in flames!

Meanwhile, the 5 limbed alien finally gives out in the grasp of the Snake. His weapon is heavily damaged after being pressed against him for so long, but at least he isn't moving…

A radar warning pops up. The missile launching alien is back at it!

 No.30422

>>30421
Ease up on the coils so I don't kill him first off.
'1d6' shoot at the alien with the missiles.
"Officer Rachel can you get into the facility?"

Roll #1 5 = 5

 No.30423

>>30421
>>30420
''Hooooohohoho yeah Baby!'' I smirk as the situation suddenly turned to our favor
Turn around and start my boosters, propelling myself in front of the snake, deploying my shield and hit the button on my HUD, changing to Gerwalk mode
>Movement action
>Instant action: Deploy shield
>Standard action: Variable shifting: Gerwalk Mode grants +1 to hit on attacks rolled in this form but -1 Agility. Shifting between modes is a standard, automatic action

''Stand behind me, Scales!''
>>30422
''I can, but not before we take down this bastard first! Shoot his ass!''

 No.30424

>>30423
Move behind Rachel's shield for now

 No.30425

>>30422
You find yourself at a Medium-length distance from the Alien with the missile launcher, taking a few shots that ding off her shield but causes her to lose her lock on for a moment.

>>30423
>>30424
Here comes the boom. Another set of triple missiles are launched into the void as you float towards her with your shield covering you.

Enemy Missile '1d10'

A rescue beacon lights up on your radar as another energy signature pops up from within the mining facility.

Roll #1 9 = 9

 No.30426

>>30425
"Let's go inside, force her to follow us." I suggest to Rachel.
'1d6' fire a shot at the missile

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.30463

Wan
>>30148

Frank
>>30149
The furred Alien seems to be dressed in maintenance gear, but you haven't seen her on the team before. She seems to be carrying a lot of caulk and other maintenance equipment in her bags and even her pouch. She seems to be struggling with moving around.

Shelly
>>30151

 No.30464

>>30463
Wonder if they forgot to grab a hauling cart.
Is there any room left on our transport for stuff, if they're headed the same way?

 No.30465

>>30464
There's an extra handle available, but it might slow it down a bit.

Some of the stuff in her pockets comes floating out and she struggles to try and keep them in. If you didn't know she was so big, she'd look like a child struggling to swim

 No.30466

>>30463
"Meeting new friends certainly sounds nice! Malvi has a good point though; we should ensure that everything is prepared for takeoff first."
We make a small inquisitive gesture towards Malvi.
"Is there anything we can assist with to ensure our preparation?"

 No.30467

>>30148
Haphazardly hold the drinks, "Well I know I could get there first if we didn't care about spilling." Stick out my tongue.

 No.30468

>>30465
Sigh. It's either go slower or have her waste time by chasing loose tools. Wave her down.
"Which way you headed?"

 No.30469

Without further adieu, though, I'll launch myself toward the target. Better to get her off guard.

 No.30470

>>30466
"Hmm, there's a few bigger pieces of equipment I wouldn't mind your help in making sure are locked down. Just making sure everything is okay." Instead of her DataPad, she pulls out a few pieces of paper. "Some of the stuff for the Twins might not be fully ready. Truth be told, we were using it as storage an moved a few things out of it to make it work."

She mentions a few tables, cabinets, and several containers full of assorted stuff that have been stacked but not tied down.

 No.30471

>>30467
"You'd better not…"

>>30469
"Get back here!" She jumps up after you, trying to "swim" to give her enough of a boost to catch up.

Eva Speed '1d6'
Roll with your Agility Bonus

Roll #1 5 = 5

 No.30472

Are we on d6s now? I have no idea.

'1d6' -1

Roll #1 5 = 5

 No.30473

>>30470
"Of course. We are happy to be of assistance."
Especially since we're technically the reason for such an inconvenience by recruiting the twins. A fair trade, but still something to take care of.

Still, tying stuff down shouldn't be a problem! This should be a really quick job.

 No.30474

>>30468
"To, uhm, uhh…" SHe manages to stuf more tools into her pouch. "Uh, over here, near where the *fab*, Fabricator is, but not quite." She quickly gives up and shows you her ComLink. Looks like she's headed to the same place. "I don't know if I brought enough for this." She says.

 No.30475

>>30472
Trying to get it all switched over now.

Thanks to your head start, Eva fails to catch up to you as you run into Hanze first.

"Thanks, the heat is getting to me." She says as she leans back, floating in the air. "I don't think I've used my ability like this, ever. Or as much." She takes a sip. "It's been so much fun."

Eva gets to her target, a frown visible from your location. Lucen seems hesitant to get her drink.

 No.30476

>>30475
"Well, I guess it can be nice to help people in ways other than fighting. Still, I wish they didn't put us up to fixing pipes like we're janitors."

>>30475
Try to course correct and drift over there to Lucen then, slowing myself by taking Eva's hand to anchor. "What's the matter?"

 No.30477

>>30474
"If you'd tried to bring any more you'd need another two sets of arms just to hold it all."
I'll motion towards the open rail of the cart.
"Since we're headed in the same direction, you might as well grab on and come with us. I think we might have enough space to squeeze in some of those tools as well."

 No.30478

>>30473
"The tables have some ties, but we needed someone to pull on them and make sure they stay down." She points as you enter the Twins' area.

"The cabinet needs to be held down and against the wall. If we're not careful, it could hit them in a sudden movement or if the gravity fails." You can hear both girls gasp at that.

"Wait?"
"What!?"

"Those bins, with cables coming out of them, they're loose. They could fly off and hurt someone."

"Like us!"

Roll 1d6 for speed

 No.30479

>>30478
'1d6'
"The reason for tying them down is to prevent something like that from happening, correct? Then there should be no issue once we're done!"

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.30480

>>30476
"It' something different. Alipor said he'd help us after everyone gets tired out."

When you land with Eva, she frowns for a moment before taking a breath. "Jumping ahead like that, I'll lap you next time, got it?"

 No.30481

>>30480
"That's what the winner gets, huh? Well, okay, if you insist!"

Pull my hand forward so that she's toppled over my lap. "Lapped."

 No.30482

>>30477
"Thanks, I don't want to drop this and make the girls and Alipor wait any longer. Of course, I don't know how much help I'll be either… Are you part of the actual maintenance crew? What are you going to be fixing there?"

 No.30483

>>30479
Its easy enough work for you to get everything in place. Malvi and Kamori are denser and made decent weights while the Twins helped keep things aligned for you.

"Okay, I'm much happier now." Zapu says.
"Yeah, I thought we weren't going to have to worry about this type of stuff now that we're leaving." Pazu adds.
"Is this ship always in a state of repair like this?" Zapu asks the Humans, who don't respond with anything but a disappointed look.

"You ready?! I know where everyone is!" Duana shouts from outside the door.

 No.30484

>>30482
"We are maintenance engineers, yes. And as long as you can hold stuff in place, you should be fine. We'd be handling all the fiddly bits."
I'll scratch my neck for a second.
"As for what we're fixing… It should just be the connection system, but we'll give it a look along the line to make sure there aren't any more problems with it before moving onto the next thing."

 No.30485

>>30481
"You, Goose!" She she shouts as she's pulled in. "Not like that!"

"Eva, you're weird." Lucen says.

"Not you too!" Eva shouts as she tries to pull away from you. You can see some of the other girls look in your direction and have a laugh or look on with curiosity as Eva starts to run red and holds on to you now to hide her face from the others. "This is all your fault, you know that."

 No.30486

>>30485
Pat pat on the head.

"Win next time and you can lap me like you wanted."

 No.30487

>>30483
"Technically, picking up new crew members wasn't part of the plan when stopping by the planet, but an unexpected benefit. Otherwise we're sure things would have been more organized."

"Yes, Duana, we are ready! Lead on!"

 No.30488

>>30484
"Ah, I guess they finally wanted some professionals on that then." Her ears point "downwards" as she smiles with her short snout.

The temperature rises more as Civet sratches her gills. The door to the connection area opens ahead of you, revealing Alipor, a large scaled Alien waiting for the two of you.

"I knew you were bringing supplies, but how'd they let you bring a whole crew here Doc?"

"It's not like that Alipor. We just met on our way here. They're here to fix the rest of it."

"Oh, good. I don't think the girls could last too much longer." He says, smiling with his large mouth and reaching his arm out to guide all of you in.

 No.30489

>>30486
"Not like that at all." She flicks you on the head before separating. "You know, you seem livelier than usual after using your Explosion. I remember you being knocked out for hours after using it." She looks around. "Come on, I think Alipor went to get the Doc now. He told me we were going to set part of the flooring next."

"Oh, and he said you should prepare to get dirty with this part."

 No.30490

>>30488
"You doing alright up there, Civet?"
Might as well ask while we're going in. Don't want anyone to end up overexerting themselves while we've got more work to do after this.

 No.30491

>>30489
"The doctors said I've been getting better, I don't know though. I guess? Anyway, lead the way."

 No.30492

>>30487
"At least you remembered. And actually locked things down." Zapu says as she tries to move the table. Her eyes barely reach over the table when she stands up straight next to it.

"The ship we came in had things floating everywhere. As much as it can get to us, this is still progress…" Pazu says as she heads to the table to start her work.

Duana points the way to the others, sending you the locations with the ComLink. "I know you already met Wan, but I don't know how many of the others you also met. I'm sure you'll like them. NO, I guarantee it!" She chatters on as Malvi heads off but Kamori stays with you. "Oh, you don't mind the heat, right?" Duana asks.

 No.30493

>>30490
"I'm fine." She says. "Just got to regulate my breathing. We weren't made for these temperatures." She says, her gills starting to warm up.

"I can help you with the bigger pipes and getting those connected. Most just need to be pushed back into place, but I can't weld everything back in myself." Alipor says to your groups.

"I guess I can help with the floor stuff they asked for, but I'm not all that familiar with it…" The Doctor adds.

"Think you can split up so we can handle all these faster?" He asks you.

 No.30494

>>30492
"That is the important thing in life; not the current condition, but whether there is improvement. No city is built in a day, after all!"
Look after Malvi as she heads off. Where is she going now?
"The heat is not an issue for this drone."

 No.30495

>>30491
"Okay, see that big ball of string down there?" She says almost as quickly as she floats towards it. "We're going to take it and make straight lines so we put the tiles in the right places, got it?" She rolls it towards you, the string ball being larger than you. "Use that impressive speed of yours to make a beeline to the other short wall there, then come back."

 No.30496

>>30493
"Just remember to give a holler if you need to take a step out to cool down."
I'll consider Alipor's suggestion for a moment.
"Might be for the best. Contentin, you, Saanen, and Civet go with…"
I'll pause, then turn to the doctor.
"I'm sorry, I never got your name."
Back to the other three.
"Anyway, you three will help out putting the flooring back together and making sure there are no other problems hiding down there. Rove and I will handle the welding and pipe fitting with Alipor. If you've got any questions, get my attention and I'll try to sort them out. Let's get to work, because we've got a long day ahead of us to go still."

 No.30497

>>30495
Unevenly climb on top of it, then roll it like that it comes undone, hopefully in a line.

"This seems like it would be a much easier job for a giant!"

 No.30498

>>30494
She seems to be headed towards the Hangar from your angle.

"Great, because I don't know how I'll do in it…" Duana says, jumping into the approaching elevator. Kamori floats alongside you. "But all my sisters are there, so it'll be fine!"

"What are they all doing?" Kamori asks.

"Working!" Is all Duana says as she floats towards the buttons and starts pressing on them.

 No.30499

>>30498
"Malvi seems to be headed for the hangar," we muse out loud. "Does she wander off like this often?"

"Perhaps you could put on some thermal protection? That is one of the reasons most species wear clothes, is it not?"

 No.30500

>>30496
Rove has left with his crew already.

"Zorani will do. Humans tend to have difficulty pronouncing the rest of my name." She says as she leaves with the others.

"It's only a thin wall between us. Let us know if you need backup." Cotentin says.

Alipor puts his massive scaled hand for you to climb on. "Some of the pipe fittings have come loose. Other pipes have started cracking, so it might take us a while to finish our end."

>>30497
"Good thing I'm here now then." Doc says as she comes inside with a few other people. One of them is a really big Fish with a set of orange, white, and black scales. Another pair of Humans are with the new alien, wearing similar clothing. All the others begin swarming around the new group, looking them over and asking questions as Doc floats towards you.

"Need some help?" She says, stopping above you and offering an open paw.

 No.30501

>>30500
fug I must have missed that.
Have Civet with me, then.

"Any idea what put them in that shape in the first place? Even for this bucket, I'm having a hard time believing it's just regular wear-and-tear."
Once I'm loaded with the necessary tools, I'll hop on Alipor's hand for the ride up.

 No.30502

>>30500
Climb aboard without hesitation, "Like my swimsuit?"

 No.30503

>>30499
"She got a message that something came in for her. Probably went to go and sign off on it. Still, she can get absorbed in her work." Kamori says with a shrug, "She's dedicated, I'll give her that."

"Calta said she'd have something for us to deal with it." Duana says after a quick spin. She can't stop spinning. "If they're done, it might already be dealt with anyway."

As the elevator moves, the temperature starts increasing. When it reaches its destination and the doors begin to open, a blast of heat and steam rush in, pushing Duana towards the wall!

 No.30504

>>30503
"Still, she should inform us if she's leaving. We might worry if she just wandered off and disappeared."
Gently reach out and correct Duana's spin.
Oh, hot air! Hold onto her to stop her from hitting the wall, or to at least slow her down.

 No.30505

>>30501
"It's a former military ship." He says as he lifts you up towards his face, his scaled hand offering more support for the ride. "Those pipes were meant to handle their needs, not the larger civilian needs." He points with his other free hand at a few trouble areas. "I say we get it fixed for now, then we can improve it with more people and supplies at the next port."

>>30502
"Oh, it's a cute one." She says as she pets you on the head. "Having fun working with the others? And are you ready for more?"

The two new Humans float over to Calta as your Sisters seem to keep the Fish occupied. She's doing her best to answer, but she's getting overwhelmed as she turns more and more red.

>>30504
"Whoa!" She shouts as she comes to a sudden stop thanks to your hand. "Wasn't expecting that…"

"She gets lost in her own little world. Or would it be little ship now?" Kamori says. "I'm sure she'll be fine, but this one…"

Duana puts her head on your digits and seems to give them a hug. "This is nice."

 No.30506

>>30505
"You'd think with as much of the ship's population being a fraction of the size of its former crew, the water needs would be about the same, even if there were more of us."
Sigh.
"But, that's just how it is. You're right that we've got to stretch these things as long as we can between ports, though."
And with that, it's time to get to work.

 No.30507

>>30506
"We've been running it with more water, if you've seen the water storage tank. Factor in all the pieces of equipment we've been building on our way, it was bound to happen." He holds you closer to one of the leaky pipes, leaving you near it while he holds it in place. "Once we get to the next port,
we were told bigger pipes would be put in.
Plus, it looks like the baths are meant to work as a pressure valve too.
" He looks in the general direction of the under-construction baths. "Though the ones I'm used to are much bigger." He gives you a massive smile. "Did you have those back on your world?"

 No.30508

>>30505
"'World' is a more general term, to describe the aspects of life and existence. It's usage is still fitting in that statement." Unless the translator isn't up-to-speed… "…We think."
Gently rub her head with one of the free digits. "What is nice? Being caught unawares, or safeguarded from getting hurt?"

 No.30509

>>30507
"I see."
Securing myself to the anchored pipe with a smal gshunk as the magnets kick in on the boots, I'll set to work on welding the pipes together.
"As for public baths, I think there were a few. Though the size you're thinking of would be closer to swimming pools, if you plan on putting more than one person your size in them. Private baths, though… those usually come standard in every house or apartment. Or at least a shower. Can't safely fit more than one or two people in them, though."

 No.30510

>>30508
"Woo, wasn't expecting that blast!" Kamori says after wiping some of the pooled water off. "She's always got some docs to fill or orders from above to investigate into. It's a wonder she has time to help us at all."

"Hmmmmm…" Duana goes on for a while thinking. "I just like being here!" She shouts excitedly. "Oh, look, there's Alipor!" She points at a large alien with noticeable scales, holding up some pipes. Next to him is a Human and a large door with Human noises coming from it.

 No.30511

>>30505
"Ready for more what? This kind of work is not suited for me at all!"

 No.30512

>>30509
"You see them everywhere if you ever come to my world, at least in the northern areas." He moves his fingers to keep away from your torch. "This place is only a little warm to me. How hot is it for you."

A familiar looking Insect Alien holding a girl enters. There's another Human floating near it.

 No.30513

>>30511
"I know." She gives you a knowing smile. "That's why I suggested it!" She pulls out a bunch of supplies from her pockets and pouches and hands them off to Calta. The rest she leaves floating freely. "You girls have been doing the same thing for so long, I think some of your abilities will never have a chance to blossom. Here, hold this." She hands you a caulk gun, easily twice your height before pulling out some tiles. "You need a challenge to develop! Here, how do you think you're going to get these tiles to stay down?" She holds up a piece of smooth material, about Wan lenght and width.

 No.30514

>>30512
"It's pretty steamy, but that's mostly humidity. Civet has a harder time with it, but it's manageable."
I'll pause a moment to shrug.
"Not that I'd want to just stand here for three hours and sweat to death, mind you."
Oh, it's that giant bug. What are they up to? Did we forget to set up the 'crewmen at work' sign or something?

 No.30515

>>30513
Immediately collapse under the gun, sprawled out on her paw pads. "Eheh, I might still be a little weak from blowing something up."

 No.30516

>>30510
"There is nothing wrong with enjoying working, especially when that work is important!"
Wave to Alipor and the others as we approach. "Greetings, Alipor! How do you fare?"

 No.30517

>>30514
"Poor girl was here earlier. Guess she didn't learn her lesson." He says with an echoing laugh. "Me, I could spend all day cycle here."

"Hey, it's the mechanic!" The girl waves at you. Closer, you can see she's wearing the Fold User uniform.

>>30516
"Hello there, we're doing good. Just fixing things up here for the other girls inside." He responds, moving slightly to let the Human continue their work. "Care to lend a limb?"

"It's like a little get together here now." Kamori says, landing on your shoulder.

 No.30518

>>30517
"Certainly! We are glad to be of assistance!"
Line up this drone's unoccupied shoulder with the pipe and use our free limbs to help hold it up.
"Humans certainly enjoy riding on others. Is this a cultural or genetic preference?"

 No.30519

>>30515
"Hmm, and how long ago was that?" Doc asks, intently looking at you now.

Eva floats by, looking over the caulk gun.

"Like this, right?" As she starts pulling the lever, she loses her balance in the zero-g and starts spreading sticky stuff everywhere!

 No.30520

>>30517
"Hey, she's doing what she can. Gotta do the job you're paid for, after all."
When did I become The Mechanic? Have I met this person before and just forgot about it? Probably. Name's not coming to mind, so I'll just wave half-heartedly and get back to work.
"You know, Alipor, there's something on Earth I think you'd like. They called 'em saunas. Basically you just sit in an enclosed room and steam yourself like a clam for as long as you can take."

 No.30521

>>30519
Rather than reply to the question – "EEK! G-get it off! That stuff'll ruin my suit! I'm borrowing this!"

Start squirming incessantly under the caulk gun, rubbing my whole body into her paw in an effort to get away!

 No.30522

>>30518
"I think that's just her." Kamori says with a chuckle. "Of course, I don't mind being over here either." She adds from your shoulder.

"And I can guess where all of Duana's sisters are." She says as a big Alien fish girl comes out, a little worse for wear. Inside the room are other girls wearing resembling Duana.

>>30520
"Hey!" The Fold Girl shouts to you. "Thanks for fixing our robots and stuff!"

"Maybe we'll find a way to imitate it. I can take the heat, but not your world's gravity." He thinks for a moment while sliding another pipe into its proper place. "My cousin tried going to one of those high-gravity worlds. Said he spent most of the trip in the seas and stuff. Wants to go again."

 No.30523

>>30521
You can barely hear the door opening as a few of the other girls shout and try to move away from the floating mess. As you roll and shake around, you find it's getting harder and harder to move.

It's drying, almost glue-ing your back you into Doc's paw! And she's having a hard time suppressing her laugter as she presses her digits against you, trying to pull you off.

Meanwhile, Calta is trying to catch the girls and the errant material at the same time, it's not going well as the girls either squirm out or get glued onto her fur.

 No.30524

>>30522
"But we've observed Friend-Wan and several other humans choosing to ride on the larger races, even though your technology technically makes it unnecessary. It is an interesting phenomenon."
Wave to the sticky fish-girl as she comes out.
"Greetings! This is the meeting-place, correct?"

 No.30525

>>30522
"Well, Earth's, what, 70% ocean? Plenty of room even for you guys down there. Though doesn't the pressure get worse the further down you go? Can't imagine that'd be too comfortable."
I'll pause a moment to respond to the yelling fold girl with a nod and a thumbs up.
I don't know how relaxed her workplace usually is, but it's kind of hard to hold multiple conversations and weld at the same time.

 No.30526

>>30523
Groan and squirm, prodding at the mess, "I'm going to be sticking around, aren't I?"

 No.30527

>>30524
Kamori just smiles. "You've been around us enough to know some people are just like that, right? I hope you don't think that girl there is comparable to many other people."

"Yes, this is it…" She says with a red face as a Human male guides her out. A Human female can be seen trying to fan her gills.

"Sorry, I don't think she'll be the best conversationalist around right now." The female says in an apologetic voice.

"Come on, let's go inside so the rest can meet you!" Duana shouts, pointing at the door.

>>30525
"Yay!" The girls shouts before turning her attention elsewhere.

"He's always been an odd one." He says as he helps you move to another leak with his giant hands. "Of course, I'm not that much different in my families' eyes. Not that many like leaving our solar system." The breaches in the pipe are becoming fewer, but a few bigger ones remain. "Why don't you come to my world after? I've seen you Humans in action. I'm sure you'd get a job quickly."

"Hey boss, looks like she couldn't take the heat." Cotentin comes out with an off-kilter Civet.

 No.30528

>>30526
"Maybe." You can feel her fur bristle against your back as she slowly peels you off. "Or maybe not." She has a big smile on her face. "At least you and Eva learned what will happen if you aren't careful."

As she removes the last bit of caulk from her paw and liberates you, she holds you up in the zero-gravity by your legs, bringing you up to her face. "Alright, ready to get back to work?"

 No.30529

>>30527
"Well, who knows. Might be nice to poke around before jumping on for the long haul."
I'll stop welding once Cotentin and Civet come over.
"Alright. Cotentin, can either you or your wife get her to one of the sections where the water's still running properly and draw her a cool bath? I don't know about her physiology or anything, but gradually cooling off could only help, right?"
I'll glance at Civet for her input.
"And Civet, after this we'll probably keep you in the more moderate-temperature work areas until we get you a heavier duty climate suit or control device. I don't want any of my staff passing out while operating dangerous machinery, okay?"

 No.30530

>>30527
"We know that Duana and Wan are similar, and that Malvi is a bit of an outlier. Though perhaps she is more similar to Friend-Frank…"
Contemplate for a moment, before turning to Kamori.
"Which would you think yourself to be more like; Duana, or Malvi?"

Shake our head slightly at Duana.
"You may go ahead. We will continue assisting with this pipe first."

 No.30531

>>30528
Dangle lazily upside down – I'm used to this kind of thing as a spacer anyway, "I'm still pretty tired. I'll still try my best, though!"

 No.30532

>>30529
A fish-like gurgle is all that Civet manages to say before being carried by Cotentin.

"Well, she actually managed to get more work done before losing it this time. We got most of the wall tiled." Saanen says as she floats up to you, her own torch in hand. "How much further for you boys?"

"Good. They still don't believe me when I tell my family how small you are. Maybe meeting you will finally settle the matter.
Tell me, how good are you two at diving?
" He looks at his hand after moving it to let Saanen weld in place. "Might still have to carry you down. Or at least keep you from sinking."

 No.30533

>>30530
"As off as Malvi can be, I can understand her stuff more. I've seen some of the things Duana's been doing and I couldn't wrap my head around it. You'd have more luck since at least you can use the Fold like her." She shrugs as she begins going through her Com-Link.

"Hey >>30529 , you think you got a coupler to spare? I think you can cut the pressure by putting it over there."

 No.30534

>>30532
"Shouldn't be too much longer, Saanen. We've got a few more big spots, but other than that it's mostly put together here."
To Alipor:
"Well, I can't imagine diving would be too different from going out into space in small vehicles or space suits… I think most mechs are waterproofed enough to work below sea level as long as you don't open the cockpit underwater. Saltwater plays hell with the joints, though, so you'd need specialized equipment or just proper submersibles."
>>30533
"A coupler? Hang on."
Do we have one floating around here or near the cart?

 No.30535

>>30533
"True, but we were not asking about Duana, we were talking about you, Kamori. Malvi prioritizes work, while Duana prioritizes fun. What do you prioritize?"

 No.30536

>>30531
"Good, though I think Calta will be a little too busy to help us." Calta has four other girls stuck to her fur as she floats above a future bath. "Here we go, now that Eva's had some experience, help her aim the gun, like this." Doc puts you down into the future bath floor, slowing down as she puts you and Eva at other ends of the gun. "Here, hold it down while Eva squeezes. Follow my finger." She runs a straight line ahead of you.

Roll Agility

 No.30537

>>30536
'1d10-1'

Struggle along with the thing, though I'm still feeling a little sticky and sluggish.

Roll #1 7 - 1 = 6

 No.30538

>>30534
"I'm sure my little niece will be happy to meet you. She has toys barely bigger than you."

There's a few couplers on your cart you can use.

"If you look at it from here, the pipe is expanding. Might want to ease up on it." The Human female says.

>>30535
"Well, as much as I rag on her for it, I guess I should be honest and say work. A may seem idle compared to her, but I'm still waiting for results and parts and reports. I can get ahead of my stuff, but then I end up having to wait for it. So, what would you say if I asked you the same question?"

 No.30539

>>30538
"I'm sure that'd be quite a strange experience for her, but not a bad one."
I'll turn to Saanen for a second.
"Hey, I'm going to go toss them a coupler real quick. Take over for a bit."
Once Saanen's got it in hand, I'll ask Alipor if he can give me a hand down real quick. No sense in missing the cart by doing it myself.

 No.30540

>>30537
The line, while mostly straight, still has a few areas where the caulk is globbed up or thin, but it's still passable.

"Before I think you and the others could barely move after using your abilities. Everyone seems to have improved a little since we started." She says after applauding everyone. "Here, try a circle now, and don't step on the stuff you already put down."

Roll Agility again.

Calta now has three girls stuck to her fur.

 No.30541

>>30538
"Voldra in general tend to prioritize work, though this drone is in the position of having work and fun be the same. Our job is to learn more about about humans and to assist in establishing good relations, and it is a task we find most enjoyable. You are a fascinating race, made of fascinating individuals. Even if your security is a bit basic."
>>30539
"Let us know whenever you require us to shift our grip. We do not wish to get in your way."

 No.30542

>>30540
'1d10-1'

"I'm still a bit dizzy… I'd rather not end up as part of the floor."

Roll #1 4 - 1 = 3

 No.30543

>>30539
Alipor's thick digits make an easy hand hold as he moves you to the cart.

"I'll make sure she doesn't try to take you home." He looks at the pipe as well. "Hmm, it's a danger to leave it as is now that I look at it."

>>30541
"I put a few extra pipes inside. Can you grab them?" Alipor asks.

"We can wait, since we want to do it all at once." The Human female with them says to you. "Get the thickest ones you can find. We can cut them to match."

"Well, it's good to know someone out here in space likes us. C'mon, let's get this setup with them, get us out of here sooner." Kamori says, pointing towards the door.

 No.30544

>>30542
"Well, you'll have to be a bit more careful if you don't." Doc says as she puts up her fingers to your back, nudging you off of some of the glue you stepped on. "Almost there, think you can give me an X over here, then you can take a break."

"Don't mess it up, this trigger is harder than you think!" Eva shouts from behind.

 No.30545

>>30543
While I'm here, I'll grab the coupler and pass it down to the bug and his crew.
Aside from the pipe we're going to trim and the flooring, what else seems to be left?

 No.30546

>>30543
"Certainly! We are happy to assist!"
Go inside and find the thickest pipes, as instructed.
"Of course. There are plenty who like humans; the problem is that some like humans as a novelty, without qualms about your sentience."
>>30545
Oh, a coupling! Good things this drone is equipped with more than four limbs, or keeping track of all this stuff would be awkward.

 No.30547

>>30544
Give it one last shot – literally. Although I'm not the one doing the shooting. Hug the front- smooshing my body against the huge gun.

'1d10-1'

Roll #1 8 - 1 = 7

 No.30548

>>30545
Mostly a few spot welds to keep the fluids inside instead of outside. Though they may have you return as the colony starts taking on more supplies and crews and duties.

"Hmm, I think it's the additions we made to the ship that caused these to bursts. They worked fine for the ship as it was intended, but I think the load on it was too much." Saanen says as she floats off the pipe.

Cotentin has begin pouring some cooler over Civet's gills, who is still quite red.

>>30546
"That's the curse side about being so cute." Kamori says as you enter the room under construction and are quickly swarmed by a bunch of girls.

"Yeah, it's Shelly!" "I saw him before, but he looks bigger up close." "Can I touch his shell?" "Doesn't he look like he's glowing?"

The girls float around you, looking over every bit of you as you move.

 No.30549

>>30547
"Great, barely a bead out of place." Doc says as she lifts the two of you up and puts a single tile piece down. She looks at the big bug that has come in, then quickly resumes her work. "Okay, that's enough for now. I think I can do the rest. So, how was it?" She pours more of the glue on the floor, covering a large area quickly.

"Exhausting." Eva says, lying back down in the zero-g.

 No.30550

>>30548
"Ah, you remember that, do you? Another thing different from Duana; your memory retention is much better!"
Carefully maneuver around the flock as they circle and call, focusing on reaching the pipes as instructed.
"What is that white substance floating around here?"

 No.30551

>>30548
Sigh.
"I doubt we'll get it, but we should put in a request form for the piping materials so we can at least pretend we're ahead of the problem."
There's a towel or two on the cart, right? Probably greasy, but one I could use to wipe some of the sweat off my face since I doubt the heat's gone down too much since we've started.
"How are you doing down there, Civet? Better?"

 No.30552

>>30549
Nod, piling on top of Eva for the lack of Gs - tough spread out as though collapsing comically onto a bed.

"That was just one tile! I'm not cut out for this at all."

 No.30553

>>30550
"It's caulk for the tiles." Calta says as Duana waves at her and shouts her name over and over. "Don't get it on you." She says as she tries to remove two trapped humans from her fur.

The girls in their colorful clothes continue to float around you as you move. You can feel the Fold energy from them as they approach you, but they still have enough manners not to touch you as they float close.

"Duana remembers things. Eventually." Kamori says as she moves through the girls towards some pipes.

>>30551
"If this keeps up, they won't have a choice. Can't make other things if we can't cool them down, but I bet some of them think the 3d printer can handle it." Saanen says with some sense of desperation.

"You think this trip was well-planned?" She asks as Civet recovers enough that she covers her face in embarrassment.

 No.30554

>>30553
"No worries; our carapace is fairly easy to clean if it does get on this drone."
Send a quiet little pulse of Fold energy through this drone's body; not as an attack or anything, but as a sort of… "flexing," for lack of a better term.
"Do you not enjoy being complimented, Kamori? Each time we have said something nice about you, the response is a deflection onto a different subject."

 No.30555

>>30552
Eva grumbles a bit as she puts an arm around you, grabbing your chest. "I'm too tired to push you off. Just tell the others we got stuck or something. And lay off the snacks!" She tries to shout, there was an intended effort there, but she's too tired.

A warm tail wraps around the two of you in this heat. "Well, at least you did something differently today. Aren't you proud of your work?" Doc says, putting the last tiles down as Eva begins to try and push you but failing against the tail.

 No.30556

>>30553
"Planned? Probably. The real question is who planned it."
I'll lean over the cart for a second.
"Nothing to be embarrassed over, Civet. It's all part of the learning experience."

 No.30557

>>30555
Giggle. "Snacks again? You're obsessed!"

"Hmm, hard to be proud of just one tile, but I'm happy if you are."

 No.30558

>>30554
You see some of the girls move shortly after, though a few others remain in place. All of them seem to be reacting to "something" in their own ways.

"I do, honestly, but I think Malvi is starting to rub off on me. She's always got something to do, and I feel that I should find something to do too. C'mon, let's get the pipes out before these girls attach themselves to you."

>>30556
Saanen remains with a blank expression.

"Ugh," Civet finally utters, "I hate the heat. I'm never coming back here."

 No.30559

>>30558
"Be careful not to be too much like her; we can't learn from you if you're always wandering off somewhere else!"
Pick up the pipes and head back out of the room, taking idle note of which girls backed off and which stayed; it's nothing solid, but it's a start to understanding them.
"Much like how you and Duana are now? Is this the phenomenon you humans refer to as jealousy?"

 No.30560

>>30558
"Don't take it too hard, Saanen, it just means we have to thwart some stupid corporate sabotage or something purely by making sure the ship works. Just another day in the life of a mechanic."
Back to Civet:
"Look at it this way - at least you're not assigned to the Engine crew."

 No.30561

>>30557
"You know EXACTLY what I mean by that you *HMPH*" Eva goes quiet for a moment as Doc's tail gives you a squeeze. She floats up with you, then transfers you to her paws and holds you close to your chest.

"Well, what do you think girls?" She says, looking down at a newly tiled floor. "That one is yours." She points to one that is slightly off-colored to the others, resting higher up than the rest.

 No.30562

>>30559
"It's not like that… It's just, I don't know." She stops to think, floating alongside of you as Duana shouts out to the other girls.

While there doesn't seem to be too much of a pattern with them, it seems the ones with orange and yellow were the ones that reacted the most.

>>30560
""Make it to a new home, right." She starts lighting up as Shelly comes on out with the pipes. "Maybe we can get a job on that guys world if things don't work out here."

"If I keep ending up like this, I'll volunteer to live there." Civet adds as Cotentin starts pulling back on the water.

 No.30563

>>30561
Stick out my tongue, "It's definitely the worst one!"

 No.30564

>>30562
"Do not worry Kamori, the most important factor in any relationship is time spent together, and you've got quite the head-start in that area! If nothing else, you are our control subject in this study."
Lift Duana up so that we can speak more easily.
"Excuse us Duana, but is there any significance to the orange or yellow suits some of those girls are wearing?"

 No.30565

>>30562
"There's the positive thinking we're all famous for, Saanen. Now you just need the bright attitude to go with it. Like mine!"
I'll give a half-sarcastic smile, accompanied by a brief bit of jazz hands.
"And Civet, you'd probably change you mind really quick once the engine coolant lines have problems. The hangar's where you'd want to be. No heat vents or steam clouds there."

 No.30566

>>30563
"You think so, huh? Here." She brings the two of you back down, Calta joining in after having removed the remaining girls. The two of them put you all down on the off-colored tile. Then they sit down next to it, but they can see you at eye level. Your tile area was meant for Humans, so you can all sit down together. "The color is so we can draw they eye when people come in. Don't think you girls want to get sat on when the gravity comes back, do you?" Doc reaches over and pets the group of you.

 No.30567

>>30565
"Will these pipes suffice? They're the thickest ones we found."

 No.30568

>>30564
"Don't know how I feel about that, but I'll take it as a compliment." She laughs and holds her chest, floating towards the mechanic.

"Hmm, I don't think so. Either they picked it our or Calta did for them, why?" She asks, giving you her full attention as the girls stay inside and head back towards the two remaining aliens. "Do you like those colors?"

 No.30569

>>30566
Consider thoughtfully, "I guess that makes sense, still, but since it's so high up that means we can't get down without help, right?"

 No.30570

>>30565
>>30567
They're a thick set of pipes, standing out from the rest. Looks like Alipor had just grabbed what he could

 No.30571

>>30567
>>30570
Hmm.
Well, eyeballing it isn't gonna do me any good. I know we're going to have to trim them down a bit, but we definitely don't have the machining tools with us suitable for pipes this size.
"They might, let me get the measurements down."

 No.30572

>>30568
"That was the intention, yes," we agree with her decision to accept it as a compliment.

"No. Or rather, this drone prefers Purple and other such rich colours. We were simply wondering, because they seem to be the ones who reacted when we pulsed, while the others did not. Is it perhaps a ranking system of some kind?"

 No.30573

>>30569
"When the gravity gets working, it'll be easier to keep the water in place, so you don't have to worry about that stuff." Doc says.

"Plus, I'll be here with you. If you meet any others, invite them in too!" Calta says excitedly.

"It still needs more work, but you'll like it when the last parts are done. But at least this is good, we should try it out as soon as possible." Doc adds as the other girls start talking about what to bring.

"Do we have pool toys?"
"Can we get some here, because I never had one?"
"I saw them in a show once."

Eva gets up to try and corral the girls from leaving and trying to find them.

 No.30574

>>30571
One is a foot too long, the other is a few inches too thick at the end. It could take a while but you can cut it faster if you have the two Aliens holding you.

>>30572
"Pulse, ranking system?" Duana says, tilting her head. "It got tingly for a bit when we were talking, but I don't think we have anything like that among us. Maybe talk with Calta or the Doc?"

 No.30575

>>30573
"Ah, I see, so we can't go swimming until the gravity comes back and the water turns on anyway. Maybe in that case we should go back and sleep off this work."

 No.30576

>>30575
"Yeah, I can get behind that." Calta says, still struggling with some caulk in her fur.

"Everyone has been at it all day now. I'm surprised we made it all this way." Eva adds, getting up and floating towards the drinks. "I might sleep like a log tonight."

 No.30577

>>30576
"Are you going to be okay, Calta? I hope you don't end up having to get your hair cut to get that goop out…"

 No.30578

>>30574
"Hmn… it will be interesting to see if you end up getting a yellow suit or not. Perhaps it's not an official system, but a consequence of sensitivity? We will have to observe further."

 No.30579

>>30574
That second one would probably go fastest if we had a lathe of some kind, but the machine shop is probably going to be busy from now until eternity with how fast this tub is falling apart on its own.
We'll take care of the easy one first, and then work on the more onerous one while the first one's being installed.

 No.30580

>>30579
>>30574
"Show us where to hold this pipe, and we will keep it steady for you!"

 No.30581

>>30577
"I don't think I have a choice. Maybe I'll end up furless like you girls…"

>>30578
"Huh?" Duana responds with an inquisitive look. "So, what did you think? Did you like my sisters?" She follows up with shortly.

 No.30582

>>30580
"Right. Let me just get the measurements done first, and then we'll get started."
>>30581
Since I don't want to fuck this up (because lord knows how strapped for parts we may be), I'm going to measure each one thrice, just to make certain I'm going to cut it properly.

 No.30583

>>30581
Suppress a laugh, "Before it comes to that I'm sure we'll think of something. Maybe an industrial… thing… melter… or we can help pick out the matted parts by hand."

 No.30584

>>30582
Hold it straight for the mechanic, so that he gets his measurements right.
>>30581
"I like you, and your sisters seem similar to you, so yes, we most likely will enjoy getting to know them. They certainly are energetic and filled with questions though!"

 No.30585

>>30584
>>30582
The Voldra's ability to fly and Fold capabilities are the only reason you can do any proper measurement. Anyone else would have a hard time in the Zero-G.

 No.30586

>>30583
"No, I don't think we'll need anything related to a melter to get it off. I'm sure!" Calta shouts as Doc laughs out loud

 No.30587

>>30585
>>30584
Small miracles, I suppose.
"Thanks… Shelly, right?"

 No.30588

>>30587
"That is the nickname given to this drone, yes. We are glad to be of assistance!"

 No.30589

>>30588
"Glad to be assisted, then."

 No.30590

>>30589
"Of course. Do not be afraid to call this drone over if you are working on something where our assistance could be advantageous; there is plenty that clearly needs to be done, but we are not familiar enough with this ship type to attempt much without guidance."

 No.30591

>>30590
"Okay, but no complaining if it's really boring or I just have you hold ship plating in place while we secure it."

 No.30592

>>30591
"Of course not. Such tasks are important, and if nothing else it can be an opportunity to think or converse."

 No.30593

>>30592
"I suppose it can be. Can't let minds wander too far, though, otherwise we'll end up distracted or making mistakes."
I'll shrug.
"Though a little conversation does speed things along sometimes."

 No.30594

>>30593
"Indeed, the most important thing is getting the task completed correctly, so it does not need redoing later."
Tilt our head to one side.
"That is something we have noticed from our limited interaction with you. You approach tasks with admirable composure, trying to find the most efficient means of accomplishing your goal. Is this a correct observation?"

 No.30595

>>30594
"Pretty much. I don't have enough time in the day to spend on going back to do something we've already done. Keeping this ship operational is a constant battle, even under the best of circumstances."

 No.30596

>>30595
"Is that not the way of the world though? The elements take their toll, time leaves it's mark, and things decay and wear away. Working to counteract that is a constant task, regardless of setting."
Look around at the somewhat-patchwork job we are doing now.
"Though this particular circumstance is more difficult than most. There simply are not enough helping hands to keep up with it all, and has not been for some time."

 No.30597

>>30596
"Well, it didn't help we got attacked by pirates right after launch, which scared off a lot of the crew. And that most of our equipment is second-hand, at best, and that there have been at least a half-dozen more security concerns or attacks since… Let's just say that most other ships probably would have packed it in and gone home by this point."

 No.30598

>>30597
"You would be surprised how often a race or group are willing to stretch their ships as thin as they can. Though usually it is in the name of profitability, with ships and crew that are considered replaceable if lost. We at least have others we can call if things go irreparably wrong, and a good chance of getting help at that!"

 No.30599

>>30598
"I'll have to take your word for it."
Sigh.
"I just hope we keep this thing in one piece long enough to make it where we're going. If we scuttle the thing directly after landing, I would not care in the slightest."

 No.30600

>>30599
"If worst comes to worst, there are several disreputable areas of space relatively close by that we could raid for new parts and components. It is not seen as stealing if you are taking from criminals; we have checked."
Raise one limb as if to pat him on the back, then think better of potentially messing him up and put the limb back down.
"As long as we all work together, we should be able to hold her together long enough to arrive at our destination."

 No.30601

>>30600
"You're right, it's not stealing if it's from pirates. The problem is leaving it intact enough to use after it's taken. And the ship itself isn't exactly armed for raiding secret pirate asteroids."
Drum my fingers on the railing for a second.
"That said, let's not try and start anything we won't be able to finish. You might want to point out those sectors to the navigation crew, though, so we could avoid them if possible."

 No.30602

>>30601
"Of course; offering our advice on which sectors would be dangerous was one of the first things we did when establishing contact with humans. Whether they take our advice remains to be seen."

 No.30635

>>30425
>>30425
''Son of a bitch, it's calling for backup! Scales, we gotta get in there quick!''
Ready my gun and fire at the missiles before they can get to us
[1d6+3]
>Assault Rifle
> -Rampart Marksmanship ( While in cover, weapons that can be Steadied automatically count as Steadied. (does not stack.)
>gun nut (-1 min. To Gun rolls)
>Lethal: (All your weapons are so big, barbaric, or deadly that they deal +2 damage in addition to any other effect)
>Variable shifting: Gerwalk Mode grants +1 to hit on attacks rolled in this form but -1 Agility.

Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9

 No.30636

>>30426
You find yourself shooting and falling towards the Missile with Rachel in front of you, your HUD flashing all the warnings it has available.

But you successfully take out the missile, but not before it gets in close, sending bits of debris and shrapnel into your suit, even with Rachel blocking the brunt of it.

Latasha HP/SP 13/20

>>30635
The debris field from the missile still manages to dent your mech and weapons, though nowhere near as much as a direct hit would have. Still you don't have too much machine left either. Better be careful…

Rachel SP/HP 0/14

Here comes the next boom, you'll have less time to hit it this time as you're in CLOSE to the Alien with the Launcher this time!

Enemy Missile '1d10'

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.30637

>>30636
Okay. I've had enough of this.
"We're not staying here."
Pull the stubborn girl by her mecha into the building already.

 No.30638

>>30637
You power up your thrusters, trying to push the Mecha. Roll 1d10 for now

 No.30639

>>30638
If she's going to resist I suppose.
'1d10'

Roll #1 9 = 9

 No.30640

>>30636
>>30637
''What? Hey, hey where are you going?''
I dont resist, but make sure to voice my complaints, still keeping my shield up just in case
''Where are WE going?!''

 No.30641

>>30640
"To the nearest cover ssilly human."

 No.30642

>>30640
>>30641
This missile misses the mark as you pull away, it wasn't designed to hit something with two sets of thrusters like you.

But here comes one more, just as you're about to even touch the mining facility

Enemy Missile '1d10'

Roll #1 10 = 10

 No.30643

>>30641
>>30642
''Well then you go faster, this motherfucker doesn't let up!'' Ready my gun and open fire, trying to line the shot as I'm being pulled
[1d6+3]
>Assault Rifle
> -Rampart Marksmanship ( While in cover, weapons that can be Steadied automatically count as Steadied. (does not stack.)
>gun nut (-1 min. To Gun rolls)
>Lethal: (All your weapons are so big, barbaric, or deadly that they deal +2 damage in addition to any other effect)
>Variable shifting: Gerwalk Mode grants +1 to hit on attacks rolled in this form but -1 Agility.

Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9

 No.30644

>>30643
>>30642
'1d10' thrusters maximum power

Roll #1 5 = 5

 No.30645

'2d6'

Roll #1 3, 4 = 7

 No.30646

File: 1518911902651.png (13.42 KB, 1115x791, locations.png)

>>30643
The last shots ring out as the missile explodes into light, but not before pelting you and the Snake with a last bit of material as you wind up under the facility now.

Rachel SP/HP 0/12

>>30644
>>30645
You and the Mech burn your tails and thrusters as the bulk of the material from the missile rushes past you. You find yourself underneath the mining facility, your sensors showing the energy from the inside the building approach. One of the large doors to the facility is opening!

Latasha 11/20

 No.30647

>>30646
Just keep bringing us inside the building, we need to get away from that enemy!

 No.30648

>>30647
There's a vent up ahead, you might be able to slither in but the Human Mecha might have trouble doing so.

 No.30649

>>30646
What is that door opening for…
Guess we'll find out. Help the snake by using my own boosters as well to propel us faster

 No.30650

>>30649
It's going to be a narrow fit, so go ahead and roll your Agility score

 No.30651

>>30650
[1d6-1]

Roll #1 6 - 1 = 5

 No.30652

>>30647
You can see based on lights and visible floor plans that you're just a floor underneath where the Alien with the Launder is. The one shooting you with the Pistol is about three floors, but you might have trouble getting to her AND past the Launcher Alien.

 No.30653

File: 1518912870597.png (18.29 KB, 1383x791, locations2.png)

Both of you manage to make it inside.

Even in the vacuum of space, you can still *feel* the klaxons wailing as the large doors open nearby. The two aliens are holding their positions, according to your sensors, but who knows what else they have in store.

 No.30654

>>30652
>>30649
>>30653
"This isn't great, we need some leverage." Do we still have the many armed guy? Is he alive?

 No.30655

>>30653
I sigh, all the warning notices on my HUD giving me a headache by now
Try to hit up Bok on my Comlink, if its still working
>>30654
''Yeah, I'm trying to get to him now''

 No.30656

>>30654
>>30655
You dragged him along, not wanting to have him wake up and join the fun against you.

Trying to use the radio only nets you static for the most part, but some pieces do get through their brute force jamming.

"L… S… Ex…"

 No.30657

>>30656
Use an open radio the enemy. "We have your hacker. You sure you want to lose him?"

 No.30658

>>30656
>>30654
''Welp, no luck, so its either broken or theres no signal here''
''What you plan to do with that guy?''

 No.30659

>>30658
"I was going to arrest him, if we find a way out of this we still can."

 No.30660

>>30657
A moment of silence before the short range radio kicks in.

"Keep him."
"Wai-"
"More for…"

Looks like they're having a disagreement.

 No.30661

>>30659
>>30660
Raise a brow at her, not that she can really see it but still
''…Not a bad plan. I was thinking of killing him now to spare the guy of his perpetual prison but your idea of bribing them works better''

 No.30662

>>30661
"This could be good for us, they're busy fighting.. let's disable that launcher."
'2d6' sneak up to the one with the launcher and try to remove her weapon from her.

Roll #1 5, 2 = 7

 No.30663

>>30659
>>30661
The facility begins to rumble as the presence of their ship can be felt.

Then you hear it's machine gun unload on the facility!

 No.30664

>>30662
The Alien with the Launcher had her back to you as she was trying to leave the facility, but you managed to catch up to her and stop her.

The ship appears over the location where the alien with the pistol was and shoot another volley into it!

 No.30665

>>30663
"Are they firing a freaking machine gun on us?!"

 No.30666

File: 1518914441088.png (18.75 KB, 1161x867, locations3.png)

>>30665
The ship is firing on the mining facility, hitting the computer room where the Alien with the weird pistol was. It stops every once in a while, letting its barrel cool down.

 No.30667

>>30662
>>30663
After messing around with my radio for another minute, I catch up with Latasha
>>30665
>>30666
''That's what it looks like, but why would they fire at their own facility? are they trying to destroy evidence?''
At least they are not firing on us yet, so I take the opportunity to help Snakelady put down the Alien with the Launcher

 No.30668

>>30667
Another burst from the enemy space ship.

It stops and waits there as you wrangle the Alien with the Launcher with Latasha.

What will you do?

 No.30669

>>30668
Try to contact the ship
''This is officer Rachel from the space colony Ankylosaur, surrender your weapons or I will be forced to execute these two'' Motion at the many-armed alien i dragged along and the one Latasha has restrained

 No.30670

>>30669
For my part I'll flare out my neck-skin to look intimidating.

 No.30671

>>30669
>>30670
It's not to useful as the ship starts shooting erratically!

Get to Cover with your new prisoner!

 No.30672

>>30671
Find us.. 4 now, proper cover.
'2d6'

Roll #1 4, 1 = 5

 No.30673

>>30670
>>30671
Dammit, they either didn't listen or don't have radio
… Or that ship is automated
Either way I gotta get to cover!
[1d6-1]

Roll #1 5 - 1 = 4

 No.30674

>>30672
>>30673
You both manage to take cover inside the mining facility, but it continues to unload on the walls.

There are a few buttons on the walls nearby, but your new prisoner is still trying to break free after running along with you.

 No.30675

>>30674
''Shut him up will you?'' mutter at the snake

Can I try to contact the alien with the strange pistol?

 No.30676

>>30675
She was able to respond using the short range radio, give it a try

 No.30677

>>30674
"Shh, relax we're your friends, just calm down, tell your ship you are totally safe." I tell the awake prisoner with hypnotic eyes. '2d6'

Roll #1 6, 3 = 9

 No.30678

>>30676
''Is that ship with you?!'' Shout over the radio strapped to the alien

 No.30679

>>30677
"Rafi, stop firing! What are you doing?!" SHe shouts while looking straight at you.

>>30678
"He… Was…" You hear labored breathing through the radio.

 No.30680

>>30679
''Great, more bullshit to deal with''

I try to contact the ship one more time
''Pilot, this is Officer Rachel from the Space Colony Ankylossaur, cease fire immediately!''

>>30677
''Scales, we gott- wait, what the fuck are you…?''

 No.30681

>>30679
"That's it." I encourage her, hoping he actually stops..

 No.30682

>>30680
Acknowledge Rachel with a thumbs up gesture.

 No.30683

>>30680
"Please… Hel…" The radio connection goes silent.

>>30681
"Stop, you think you'll be hired after this gets out!" She shouts.

 No.30684

>>30683
>>30682
Give her a weird look (That she cannot see) and stay put, how the hell did she just convince them like that? Is that guy one of those that get really regretful of their crime during the act?

 No.30685

The enemy ship stops shooting for a moment.

>>30684
Not difficult to do when you are barely bigger than her hand.

"Watch yourselves, I'm going to try and scare this one off!" Ulther yells over the radio, rushing in at your location.

 No.30686

>>30683
>>30684
Well, the radio is dead now. No need for her to keep shouting.
"That's good, thank you. You want to follow us calmly now." I tell her with my hypno eyes. '2d6'

Roll #1 6, 6 = 12

 No.30687

>>30686
The rush of whatever adrenaline equivalent she has leaves her, making her susceptible to your suggestions. Instead of fighting back like she could, she merely surrenders herself.

 No.30688

>>30685
I pick up the transmission, laughing a little
''About damn time, Chief! What took you so long to find us?''

 No.30689

>>30687
>>30685
>>30688
"Glad he could make it. Let's hope he's still a good shot."

 No.30690

>>30688
"Place is a little too small for me to start shooting at people. Other ships though, that I can do."

You can see some tracer bullets slam into the enemy ship, it wobbles as the pilot thinks what to do.

"Y'all right down there?"

 No.30691

>>30690
>>30689
''Been worse, this time my mech hasn't blown up yet''

 No.30692

>>30690
"Our equipment is damaged."

 No.30693

>>30692
>>30691
"Barely put a dent in this thing." He complains over the radio, but the enemy ship decides to cut its losses and heads out towards space. "Least I pegged it with a tracker. I'll follow at a distance to make sure it's gone."

The tension leaves the air as the enemy space ship becomes a small dot in the void of space, but the facility is still in ruin and you've got a few other signals to look into.

 No.30694

>>30693
"Alright, let's investigate the energy signature so we can leave already." I start slithering that way.

 No.30695

>>30694
You've captured the two aliens with the heavy weapons, so those are quickly tied up. Not too far from you, just a short rocket thrust away, is the Rescue Beacon. It's fallen into a debris field, so be careful.

 No.30696

>>30691
>>30694
"Aprroaching one of the gravity wells now, I'll pull back, but it looks like he's on his way out of the solar system." The radio says as the quietness off space settles back in.

You check on the control room, where the Alien with the strange pistol was. You find the shot up remains of computers and pieces of the alien. The smoking equipment and large caliber weapon left little behind. The unusual pistol remains, but it too has suffered severe damage. What's left of the alien also has a single magazine remaining for it. It's unusual, not like the charge packs or caseless ammo kits of your current weapons.

The beacon proved to be its own unique find. The source was not a simple machine, but a Human Sized escape pod. Inside, a small, lightly furred individual was strapped inside. You can see some looks of anger and frustration, but her large ears and claws betrayed little more.

The damage will be handled by the local forces. They'll want their industrial production up to deal with their own problems.

For now, you are tasked with returning to the ship, preparing for a Fold-Jump, and escort the Merchant vessel Kerigh to your next destination, the Asteroid Colony of Rhinkos-5.

 No.30697

Rhinkos-5 is the largest colony of the Cerotid people. Hulking, fur covered Aliens, they have set up a home inside an unusual, Matroshka like asteroid. The planets of this solar system are unsuitable for habitation, but provide a fair amount of resources for those that made it their home.

The systems aboard the Ankylosaur flash green as the ship leaves Fold Space, along with the merchant vessel the Kerigh, and begins its course to the colony world.

 No.30698

>>30697
Things become hectic aboard the Ankylosaur and Kerigh. Even though both have prepared for this, there is always something to be done as the ships close in.

>Wan

It's time to get dressed. Doc has some contacts in the area, and she'd like you to accompany her, as well as with Eva.

>Frank

The Hangar is always a busy place. With fixing Rachel's mech and dealing with all the scrap they've brought back, everyone has been running around all the time. But now that the ship will dock, it's time to make sure the mecha are ready to help with cargo duties.

>Shelly

Kamori and Malvi seemed to be quite excited as the ship approached Rhinkos-5. While they continued their usual tasks, they seemed to be communicating with each other much more, and now you see why. Both of them are dressed in Mecha Pilot suits.

And Duana is nowhere to be seen.

>Latasha

>Rachel
Alpin has been keeping everything tight aboard the ship. You've found yourself having to do plenty of patrols around the ship, all to make sure your new captives don't try anything unusual. He seems extra cautious about them. However, now that the ship is reaching Rhinkos-5, he has summoned both of you to his office. Ulther is already there.

 No.30699

>>30698
Grumble lazily, lounging on the Doc's paw rather than getting up to change. "Time to get dressed?
I thought we were going to get a chance to rest. Now we're off to do more work already?"

 No.30700

>>30698
I hope everyone's been doublechecking their gear, too. Last thing we need is to miss yet another act of sabotage.

 No.30701

>>30698
Perhaps the fold-sensitive humans are being organized elsewhere? It is not unusual for different groups in a hive to organize in different places, though it is a little annoying that we cannot simply ask Duana herself. Coordinating with those unconnected to the hive is much more tedious sometimes.
"Friend-Kamori, Friend-Malvi. we see you are both dressed in the suits for piloting Mecha. Does this mean you will be going down to the planet this time?"

 No.30702

>>30699
"It's all planned out, we just need to visit a few friends and share some notes. Much easier than helping build that bath." She smiles and pets your head.

She moves it, revealing a lightly dressed Eva with a bag of clothing. "I know you too well, so let's get going and don't make me pick you up, okay?"

>>30700
Latasha and Rachel passed by, along with a few others from security, all making sure nothing happened on the way here. Plus, with everyone running around, it's much harder to sabotage anything.

Especially with Saanen and Cotentin having to jump all over Civet, taking advantage of the zero-g to inspect the machines.

"Boss, ready to start the final diagnostics?" Cotentin shouts at you

 No.30703

>>30702
Add teasingly "With how often you seem to want to, it's a pity you weren't born big like aliens."

 No.30704

>>30702
"Yeah, fire them up! We don't want to make any bad first impressions."

 No.30705

>>30701
"Despite their best efforts, yes we will." Malvi states.

"Hey, we can't exactly replace you if anything happens." Kamori adds. "Besides, did you even get your license in time?"

"It's on its way…" Malvi adds. "Besides, I know what I'm doing and you're coming along. What about you 'Shelly'? Did you have any plans in the area or are you going to stay aboard?"

 No.30706

>>30703
"I've seen how much shampoo Calta goes through. No thanks." She puts some clothing near you before heading to the edge of the bed. "This place has weird temperatures, so prepare for that after you brush your teeth." She jumps down, the zero-g making it easier to get to her room under the bed. "Besides, you'd probably strain my wrist picking you up!"

>>30704
The recently re-checked Diagnostic table lights up. It scans the systems as your crew takes the usual positions to keep everything connected. As it goes, almost everything passes green except for the central battery, it's flashing a Yellow Warning light for you.

 No.30707

>>30705
"As of now? Our plans are to accompany you as protection for whatever mishaps or attacks occur. It is likely you will know how to make use of our abilities in a manner that is productive for you."
Our plans did already involve going down ourselves to deal with any inevitable troublemakers without endangering humans, but the presence of a high-importance human like Malvi solidifies that decision.

 No.30708

>>30706
Central battery?
Is that battery as in power source or battery as in gun emplacement?

 No.30709

>>30706
"There's no need to be jealous, you'd grow more if you ate more!"

I'll just relax on the bed. Calta likes playing dressup so she'll probably come by and help me with changing anyway if I'm feeling lazy enough.

 No.30710

>>30698
"Rachel, I'll go in firssst, might make it easier on you."
I pat the human on the shoulder and before she can object, sliver in to the office.

 No.30711

>>30707
"I'm putting you in the co-pilot seat then." Kamori says, defeated, then turns to you. "But if anything goes down, I'm having Shelly here put you in a pocket and fly off, got it?"

"Whose going in a pocket?" Duana says, walking in poorly dressed. Even you can tell not all of her clothing is appropriate assembled. "Am I going in a pocket?" She asks, getting her air mask ready.

 No.30712

>>30708
Power Source. It's supplying the necessary electricity to the other systems for initial start-up, but now that it has everything up, it is sending back unusual signatures.

"What do you think it is?" Civet says, looking back at you as she holds one of the diagnostic cables in place.

"Can we let it go through, everything else is fine?" Saanen says.

 No.30713

>>30711
"Technically, it would be faster and simpler for this drone to Fold-jump your mech a distance away, and having you both fly away."
Shake our head and vibrate subtly at the disparaging state of Duana's clothes.
"You appear to have already been in somebody's pocket, Friend-Duana. Or some suitably cramped and high-friction place, to have your attire so haphazard."

 No.30714

>>30712
I'll shake my head.
"Nope, we've got to look at it because everything might not stay fine. Plus, if that battery goes out then we're in a shipload of trouble, and that won't just be because we're short on power."
I'll scratch my neck for a second.
"As for what it could be, it could be anything from a jiggly cable that's loose, to an actual problem with the line, to something as simple as someone missing a step in the maintenance routine."
Sigh.
"It looks like everything's under control up here, though, so I suppose I should check it out. I'll contact you guys if it's anything worse than a minor issue."

 No.30715

>>30709
Calta does come in, but she's in a hurry. "HiWan.ByeWan." Is all that she manages to get out as she grabs some supplies, stuff them into her pockets, and turns towards you, letting you see that she's got a pair of Fold Girls inside a shoulder carrying case. hen she's off, through the door almost as fast as she arrived, tons of stuff floating around.

"I told her to get ready earlier." Doc says, holding a large caffeine container, turning to you. "I guess she was right, good thing she was prepared." Doc approaches, attaching her container to a nearby table. "Alright, let's get you dressed. Calta said I needed to practice more, so I hope you don't mind being my first experiment." She puts her hand above you. "Come on, let's get up and get ready. You're clothes are already here."

 No.30716

>>30715
"Experiment?" I ask uncertainly, pulling off the swimsuit top a little disappointed, "Now there's an experiment, too?"

 No.30717

>>30710
You can slither faster than Rachel could float in the zero-g, looks like she'll have to wait her turn.

"Alright, that should be it for your part Ulther. I'll explain the rest now." The gray furred Alpin says, turning towards you as the door locks.

"Latasha, good work on the asteroid. For all the damage that occurred, it seems like the situation could have easily become worse for all involved parties. Now, as you recall, we took several prisoners aboard. The three armed Xeno was a Sertota by the name of Ques. He's wanted for numerous crimes in the area, but as circumstances have it, it's up to us to escort him here to a proper holding cell. I'm assigning you to make sure he gets there in one piece. Any questions?"

 No.30718

>>30717
"Any expected complications? Enemies I should be aware of?"

 No.30719

>>30713
"Let's keep that between us for now." Kamori says. "Just make sure not to hit any unnecessary buttons and we can make this quick." She states as she looks at Malvi.

"I usually just wear the clothes they give me, and Calta was in a rush this morning, so I tried the clothes I found." Duana says. "Wait, no, I wasn't in anyone's pocket at all!" She shouts as she finally understands. "But it's fine, they said it was okay for me to go with someone since it's safe here. SO I'm coming along." She still hasn't tried to fix her clothing. It's possible she doesn't know how to do so.

 No.30720

>>30714
"I'll remove the lock." Saanen says as she hops into the pilot area. You can hear the sound of the lock move out of place.

"I can get you a better angle to look around." Civet says, offering you her hand as she lifts open the proverbial hood.

 No.30721

>>30719
"If you are coming with us, perhaps you should put on a piloting suit? There are always complications, after all, and those clothes may not make for the best first impressions."

 No.30722

>>30716
"Aren't you proud. It'll begin as soon as you pick a shirt and raise your arms over your head." She leans in close, a bit nervous despire already being so used to being so close. "Don't take to long or Eva will do it for you."

 No.30723

>>30722
Glance off the edge of the bed, ditching the suit bottom, "I don't think she's coming back up any time soon. She's probably snacking on almonds or something in secret." Point at a random top, before raising my arms, "That one's fine."

 No.30724

>>30718
He looks at Ulther, then back at you.

"A few. You'll get one guard from Rhinkos-5 to join you. It seems, they don't necessarily consider him a thread."

"Which means someone up above is getting a kickback." Ulther jumps in. "Or does it have a different name here?"

"Either way, you'll have minimal coverage if something were to happen. We've limited his communication, and…" You can see the frustration in your Boss boil. "They've changed the location. Saying the closest cell are too packed, and they've requested one of our Human members to accompany you." He sighs. "You wouldn't be able to hide a rocket launcher or something on you, right?" He tries to make a joke but it falls flat to everyone.

 No.30725

>>30721
"I guess, but I always wanted to try these. Now that Alipor is also busy, I finally got a chance." She moves back and forth, showing it off once again to the group, but with more concern this time. "What's wrong with it?"

"Don't worry, I'll get her prepped. Another one to worry about." Kamori says as she walks Duana over to the Twins office. A qucik shout of concern can also be heard from there.

Malvi seems unusually energetic. "You've been around, is there something I should bring when we head out?"

 No.30726

>>30724
I'm not much for jokes, flicking my tongue in the air as a social que similar to shifting your eyes, but he probably doesn't get it!


"Which human did they request?"

 No.30727

>>30725
"For you humans, bringing a mech seems essential, but you already have that covered."
Tilt our head inquisitively at her.
"We take it you are looking forward to this?"

 No.30728

>>30723
The top has long, orange sleeves, though bits of it seem to reflect red in the light.

"Maybe, she knows I'm weighing all of you now. Okay, tell me how this goes." She holds the top with her thumb and pointer finger, but uses her ring finger on your sides and pinky on your legs, to stabilize both herself and you as she beings the top down. You can feel the heat from her fingers as she presses on you, and as she has difficulty getting the top to fall into place, you can feel it on your back as she tries to get your head to come out of the right shirt hole.

"There, how was it?"

 No.30729

>>30728
Brightly confirm, wrapping my hands around her fingers, "Easiest experiment yet."

Thoughtfully add, "So this top has a built in bra or something?"

 No.30730

>>30726
Alpin isn't one for jokes either.

"No one specific, and I can't give you Rachel since that's another issue. I'll have one of them assigned to you as we get this settled." Alpin states.

"So, looks like someone real high up wants to protect him. The contracts and treaties aren't even written and someone is trying to manipulate it." Ulther says with a sly smile.

"Not now." Alpin states clearly. "Head to the Hangar. I'll have the prisoner prepped and get some human to assist you. Make sure to be ready for a fight. I'l be having Ulther fly above, just in case."

 No.30731

>>30720
"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."
Sure it makes me feel like a glorified wrench, but it could be worse.

 No.30732

>>30727
"I mean in other supplies, but yes, I am looking forward to it." Malvi says, trying to contain her happiness and remain professional. "I thought I was prepared for such a long journey. But as the chance presented itself, I'll admit, it became more tempting." She quickly turns to you. "Not that this is bad or anything, but I would like a brief change of scenery. Even if it's just a really big space station, in its way."

 No.30733

>>30730
"I want a human I can trust. Not from the same world as the ones interested in this rattler."
I state just as clearly. "I'm ssure you can manage that. Permission to proceed to the hangars?"

 No.30734

>>30729
"A bra?" She looks at you with a bit of surprise, trying to process what you said. "Whoops."

"There's two of them in the bag!" Eva shouts from below.

"Uhm, oh dear. Calta never explained about that one…"

 No.30735

>>30734
Pull off the shirt, flopping a bit as I secure the bra on my own. Offer, apologetically, "It probably would've been too much to ask you to try to put that on yourself. The latch is so tiny for you! Alright, try again."

I hold up my arms – this time holding the shirt in one hand and pants in the other, so she can clothe me all in one go.

 No.30736

>>30732
"But of course. The desire to explore and go new places is healthy, and part of the reason why species go to space in the first place, is it not?"
We scratch at our neck with one of our auxiliary limbs.
"As for what to bring… we are not sure what is typical for humans to bring, since they spend most of their time inside their mechs. Snacks and drinks seem like a logical consideration, since the duration of our stay may vary. Also weapons; there is always potential for troublemakers, so coming prepared is only sensible. Perhaps something to take pictures or videos with?"

 No.30737

>>30731
She's got smooth scales, making it a bit difficult to keep your balance with the zero-g. As she lifts you up, you can already see the bevy of cables. Some are bunched up together, others are crudely labeled with permanent marker, but more just connect and lie there.

Roll Tech, it's a real birds nest in here, and you've seen some of the large Avians you have aboard.

 No.30738

>>30733
"I'll see what we can manage. Permission granted, be careful out there." Alpin unlocks the door for you as he pulls out a registrar of the Human security agents. The rest of the Security office is busy, passing along notes and making calls to other departments. You can see some of the faces of the Aliens that call this place home, talking to the staff through their monitors.

 No.30739

>>30737
if it's not sabotage it's incompetence
what godawful cable discipline.
'2d6+2', and I'm assuming the robotics expert perk applies here.

Roll #1 6, 5 + 2 = 13

 No.30740

>>30738
How sweet.. I should talk to that kid sometime, must be lonely having no other vipers around.

 No.30741

>>30735
"I'm so used to having Calta do this. But next time I'll put it on!" She says determined as she picks you up, her warm fingers pressing against your body along with the fabric of your clothing.

"Finally, how was it? What would Calta do better?" She brings out her ComLink, ready to take notes as Eva jumps up to the bed, walking towards you, ready to go.

>>30736
"Weapons, well, I don't have the training for those yet. I'll leave that to Kamori." She thinks to herself for a moment. "Maybe a few water bottles, and I know those Twins were after some of my sweets, so I can trade something with them to bring along."

"Say, how many worlds have you visited before? This is technically going to be my first."

>>30739
It does.

The whole fault was caused by one single, almost in place cable. Just needs to be tightened back into place, but it seems that even the mecha agrees with you, becoming just a few decibels quieter.

>>30740
A permission slip might not be enough to get him off the ship, but a call on your ComLink wouldn't be too difficult. In fact, Rhinkos-5 is very well connected. There are antennas everywhere, you could talk to him and his mother all the way.

The rest of the areas of the Ankylosaur are busy, with Humans and machines and aliens floating around, making sure to get everything ready for docking. While most species tend to complain, people are getting used to the zero-g now.

Pause

 No.30742

>>30741
"There, that should do it. Hopefully that's the worst problem we have today."

 No.30743

>>30741
"Yes, the Twins will likely have something to trade, or information on what will be good to bring."
Consider her question for a moment.
"Technically, this Drone had been to a total of three different planets before arriving at the Ankylosaur, so a total of six planets. However, the Voldra have been to many, many more."
Look down at her and hold up a limb, as if raising a finger.
"Wait, would this not be your second world, or were you born in a space station?"

 No.30744

>>30742
Civet pulls you back out as Cotentin moves the mech's arms up and down, finishing with a thumbs up gesture.

"Looks like the other machines are ready too? Maybe we can take a break when we're done?" Civet says, turning you towards her as the rest of the machines leave their maintenance bays.

>>30743
"That obvious, huh?" She smiles briefly. "One of the first few actually. Born and raised on a ship, even my education was by remote. It's part of the reason I want to go out there. Another…" Malvi stops as Kamori walks back in with a properly dressed Duana. Her clothing fits the style Humans wear on their off time, but she also has a few extra pieces on her, like a breathing kit.

"Okay, now we're ready, right?"

 No.30745

>>30744
"I wish. It's seldom that easy, though. Just give it five minutes."

 No.30746

>>30744
Ah, so she really has never been on a planet before. We were assuming it was a simple mathematical mistake that other races seem to make all the time. Interesting.
"Yes, this drone is ready. Once some snacks have been obtained, we should be ready to depart!"

 No.30747

>>30745
You see her frown in realization.

"Maybe once we've fully docked. There's only so many things we can move at once." Saanen adds. "We'll have to wait for the engine to be certified to continue anyways, so we can take a breather then." She does give you a disappointed look as the rest of the crew moves in other ships.

"It's not like you're going to be any better off either boss." Saanen says, getting out of the mecha. "You'll be working just the same as last time. Hopefully without getting this baby damaged again."

The gas giant of the Solar System, a sparkling blue, passes by your ship in a hurry.

 No.30748

>>30741
Talking all the way might be too much, go to one of the ships and ask the engineers. "Hey, Alpin just sent me down here. Need to get to the prisoner transport."

 No.30749

>>30747
I'll shrug at the look.
"It's not like I want it to get damaged either. There were just… unavoidable circumstances last time."
I'll cough to the side.
"Anyway, if I could hand it off to anyone else so I could get more work done up here, I would. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, though."
I will take a few extra bits and pieces with me this time, though, just in case I need to perform any minor repairs on-site. Sealant for the cockpit, that kind of thing.

 No.30750

>>30746
"It's not something that I bring up often, but it's the reason we have something to trade for." Malvi brings out a small box from her desk, beckoning you and the other girls to come along. Kamori follows her along, while Duana quickly runs up to your side.

"Okay, ready for the deal?" Kamori quickly states, jumping up to the table where a nicely sized container full of sandwhiches and other 'small' food is. "Oh, this looks good and smells the same."

"Ah, not just yet." Zapu says.
"First, you have to show us your side." Pazu finishes as Malvi approaches, opening it up. The Twins approach, reminding you that even their small size is bigger than the Humans. They approach Malvi, sniffing her box, before she pulls it away.

"Yeah, that's the stuff!" Zapu says.
"Real Earth chocolates!" Pazu shouts in excitement, Malvi dodging some of the srool coming from them.

"Have you had any of those?" Duana turns up and asks.

 No.30751

>>30748
"Listen then, you can hear 'im." The Human in the Mech suit says before giving you the directions to his holding area. Even from a distance, you can make out shouts, vague threats, and the rattling of an improvised container/ holding cell.

 No.30752

>>30750
Lean in a little bit closer, trying to keep our mandibles from flicking too eagerly at the sight. We are in control of the desire to snatch and eat everything on the table, after all. It wouldn't even be a mouthful for this drone…
"N-no, Friend-Duana, we have not. We have tried the chocolate-flavoring, but not the food the flavoring is based on."

 No.30753

>>30751
"A little life in him huh."
I slither over a sense of uneasiness.

 No.30754

>>30749
They've made sure to include those supplies on all the Mechs now. It's very useful as you approach Rhinkos-5 and can make out it's external docking port.

"Well, maybe next time one of us can come along too! It'll be fun to get off the ship." Saanen says.

"You just want to visit the shops, don't you?" Cotentin says.

"If you're done early, you think they'll let us go out there?" Civet says as she lifts you to your machine. You can see Ijapa making his way towards you from this height.

 No.30755

>>30754
"Maybe the crew your size, Civet, but they might still be trying to keep us humans under wraps for… whatever reason."
Thanking her, I'll hop into my cockpit.
"At any rate, if we are going to take the time to doublecheck the engines before leaving, you should have some shore leave time. But don't hold me to that, since I've been pulled off it before too many times to count on it."

 No.30756

>>30752
"You should! I think Eva might have some around, but she's going off the ship too." She gets lost in thought.

"Okay, here you go!" The Twins pass off the box of food towards Kamori, who doesn't seem to struggle all that much to lift it.

"Don't eat it all at once. You'll regret it…" Malvi says as the box quickly vanishes from her arms. The Twins bring it up to their twitching noises, each one unable to decide which one to eat first.

"I think that's done. You wouldn't mind helping Kamori bring it along?" Malvi says the food box seems to move on its own now, if at least headed towards the wall. "We should head down towards the Hanger now."

 No.30757

>>30756
"Certainly! Certainly… Yes. We will assist with this."
Pick up the box (and Kamori with it) and quickly stick it inside one of our containers so as to hide the temptation. We are in control, and not going to make a bad impression this time.

 No.30758

>>30753
The shouts get louder as you approach. With your long body, you can feel the vibration when he bangs the wall. But you also see how much the Humans have come to trust you, as one seeks safety by hiding up to your armor.

"Let me out of here! You're all going to regret doing this!"

 No.30759

>>30758
Bang on the side of the wall, once, very hard, in reply to his protests.

 No.30760

>>30755
"Hello everyone, ready for another adventure?" Ijapa shouts, an eager face on him. "Hopefully a quieter one than last time." He adds. "There seems to be more of a bounce in his step, which should be easier to see with how much bigger his steps are as the gravity starts kicking back in.

"Well, if it quiets down on your way back, can you take a look out for a few things?" Saanen asks, approaching your pilot seat as Saanen heads over to the Diagnostic table.

 No.30761

>>30760
"Like cloth for that scarf thing for Civet?"
I'll ask a little conspiratorially, about as quiet as I can and still be heard.

 No.30762

>>30757
Good thing too, as the gravity starts coming back on. Would have made it harder for Kamori to control.

"Hmm! It's so good!" Zapu shouts as you all head out, followed by a few more squeaks of delight.

The Humans and their equipment make sure to keep to their designated sidewalks, making it easy for you and the girls to make it towards the Hangar, itself busy with activity. The Guards seem more on edge as one Alien seems to be shouting derogatory things in the back of the Hangar, but your crew simply does what the others here are doing and trying to go about their business.

"Okay, you have your directions and everything for me?" Kamori asks as they approach the missions.

"I believe so. Won't know until we get there, right?" Malvi says, upping her pace as she heads to the machine.

"Should I bring my machine along, or do you think you can carry me Sheely?" Duana asks.

 No.30763

>>30762
Glance curiously over at the loud, disruptive alien. What could possibly be motivating him to cause such a scene?
"It would be best if you brought your machine along, we think. In case of trouble, another suit would make for a good contingency."

 No.30764

>>30759
Several hits respond in kind, though the other guards here do their own shouting and grunting as they try to keep the container level. Even the Humans with machines strain a little to keep it balanced.

"And they just want two of us to go with him?" A Security Human in his own machine states as he turns to you with his exposed pilot area. "Feels like the lot of us isn't enough to keep him under wraps short of tasering and tranquilizing this guy." He flashes his ComLink over to you. "Sign off that we're handing him to you."

 No.30765

>>30761
"That, and a few more things…" She smiles suspiciously, before a pop-up message appears on your ComLink. "I did a bit of research on my own." She smiles before heading out as the gravity ups itself to be in tune with Rhinkos-5.

"Ready to go to work?" Ijapa says, taking a peek outside of the hangar as the Dock quickly approaches. "Same as last time, let's keep it nice and neat for both of us. Alpin chewed me out last time."

 No.30766

>>30765
I'll squint a little at the pop-up, deciding to look at that on the ride down.
"Oh, you know me, always ready to work."
And at the second bit, I'll shrug, amplified by the suit's own shrugging.
"Hey, there was a net profit in personnel, she could only chew so hard. Still, I plan on keeping both feet on the ground this time, so as long nothing happens, nothing will happen."

 No.30767

>>30763
"'Kay!" She shouts out before heading to her own machine. "But let's fly together okay!"

Malvi and Kamori's machine approaches with its shaded cockpit glass up, letting you see into their vessel. Malvi is in the backseat, while Kamori is focused on her HUD.

"Everything seems green, but I still want to make sure…" Kamori turns towards you. "You know how to pop open the canopy, right? I'm counting on you in case things get ugly."

 No.30768

>>30764
"I'll coil him until he passes out if he gives me trouble." I say loud enough for him to hear inside his box as I sign for him.

 No.30769

>>30766
The gravity approaches 0.5G as the Ankylosaur gets closer to the Dockyard, a few containers already waiting for the rest of the crew to pick up.

"Woah, there's a lot of stuff to do there." Cevit says as she herself takes a peek. "Enough to keep us busy the whole time."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." Saanen adds, trying to cheer her up.

"Oh, did they tell you the news yet?" Ijapa says, turning to your crew.

 No.30770

>>30769
"News? If they did, it was probably while we had our heads up in the guts of one of the machines."

 No.30771

>>30767
"Certainly, Friend-Duana!"
Look at the cockpit, then at Kamori, then back to the shaded cockpit glass, then back to friend Kamori.
We raise one of our very sharp pincers and make two quick clacks.
"We can figure it out."

 No.30772

>>30768
"Yargh!" You hear coming out from the container followed by a single bang. After that, he's quiet.

"I would hate to see what he'd do if we didn't have these machines or you around. Be like some bad movie." He says. "Click agree on the message, we'll put him on a lift and get him put up with the rest of the stuff."

"Hey, wait for me!" You hear another Human in a very stripped down machine wave towards you.

 No.30773

>>30772
Wave at the human waiting for him.. her? Without any scale patterns I just can't tell sometimes..
"Are you my partner for this?"

 No.30774

>>30770
"Looks like they've been able to negotiate a treaty in record time. Might be able to get all the Humans full entry rights before we even take off!" He looks around expectantly, before stoping himself. "Of course, that's a maybe. And I'd watch out for our steps." He tries to calm the others down, but you can also see Saanen and Cotentin's happiness from where you are.

The gravity stabilizes at 0.55 G as the Ankylosaur finally connects with Rhinkos-5 and the activities truly begin.

 No.30775

>>30774
"So this means I don't have to pretend to be a robot this time?"

 No.30776

>>30771
"Alright, counting on you, since we're not allowed to bring weapons, seeing as how Malvi got herself some prime invitations." Kamori says, turning her machine towards the Hangar doors as some of the Cerotids come aboard. They stop and marvel at all the Humans who can't even approach their knees hurriedly start moving the containers along.

"I'm ready!" Duana shouts, approaching with her own, much sleeker, machine. It has no weapon, but you also know Duana doesn't really need one for herself, but Kamori's machine really could just pass as a Helper-bot here and in most places. "Let's go before it gets dark! Does it get dark here?"

 No.30777

>>30776
What manner of alien are the Cerotids again? It has been a while since this drone has checked up on them, though we seem to remember some recent interaction with them…
"Darkness is relative, but space is generally considered dark. You are too late."

 No.30778

>>30773
"Yeah, I'm Barbari. Alpin just informed me about the mission and I came as soon as I could." He says, putting out his Mecha's hand out to be shaken. "Oh, maybe you remember me? I was the one who hopped a ride on Uther's antlers."

His machine is lightly armed. Even his weapon can barely be considered a sidearm, but his machine seems to be giving him lots of readings as you see charts and panels appear over his AR HUD.

 No.30779

>>30775
"Maybe sort-of." His tail swipes around, making it clear he's thinking hard about this. "I guess normal conversation could be fine. We don't *have* to tell people you aren't one, you know?"

"If we can walk around, maybe we can get ourselves a few things." Civet thinks, looking over to the couple. "And I can bring you along, to be safe too." You can already see Saanen's mind is running a mile a minute about that as Saanen looks at her with a worried smile.

"I've got our directions. Is that machine ready to walk out of here?"

 No.30780

>>30779
I'll give Ijapa a half-sour look for a second, and then shrug.
"Fine, fine. Don't speak unless spoken to, I guess."
I'll give the in-cockpit instruments one last once-over, and if everything's still all-green, then I'll give Ijapa the clear.

 No.30781

>>30778
Shake his hand "That feels like a long time ago, but I do remember something like that. "
"You been briefed on this job?"

 No.30782

>>30777
The Cerotid a furred Herbivores. They've got lots of fur colors, though a few of the ones entering the hangar are clearly dyed. They've got a noticeable horn protruding from their snout, but most are clean and dulled.

"Not like that!" Duana shouts over the radio as she closes her mecha's hatch. "I mean a night cycle. They have to go to sleep too, right? Whenever Doc or Calta were working late, it always kept me up."

Outside of the Hangar, you can see the Dock is a mostly improvised thing. Seems like they just attached some infrastructure together, and it hasn't been used much either based on the empty ports. The entrance to Rhinkos-5 is a long walk away.

 No.30783

>>30780
"No, no." He waves a hand up and down as he puts on his helmet. "It's just, don't show yourself until we have the authorization. Everything else is fine."

Roll Tech.

Your crew waves as they head over to where the material exchange is happening, continuing the rest of their work.

"This place is a little more proper than the last one. Hopefully you'll be out and about in no time." Just like last time, you've got a few representatives waiting for you at the end of the long dock.

 No.30784

>>30781
"Yeah, and I'm not exactly a fan." He looks up at you with concern and backs into his seat more. "Not that I'm doubting you or our training. It's just, doesn't it feel like a setup?"

The container for your prisoner is attached on a Hoverlift, ready to carry him out.

 No.30785

>>30783
'2d6+2'.
Don't know if robotics expert applies since it currently counts as "manned."

Roll #1 1, 4 + 2 = 7

 No.30786

>>30782
"We doubt that our departure would be timed to coincide with their sleep schedules."
Not too dissimilar to the last planet then. Hopefully the crime isn't quite as rampant now as it was then.

 No.30787

>>30784
"I won't feel right until I see the bars close on this guy." I nod, going to the vechile to get comfortably seated.

 No.30788

>>30785
Not in this case, since all you are doing is looking around. This *dock* seems poorly built. Part of it doesn't match, you can see a fair number of bolts used to extend the original one. It's also very dusty. While there is mining going on, the rest of the docks seem regularly unusued. Only two out of the 12 seem to have seen any use, and the Ankylosaur is occupying one of them.

There's a few Cerotids waiting inside the proper entrance, where there is breathable atmosphere, waiting for you. Most have the equivalent of suits, but they all have very large and noticeable sashes on them. One has a very elegant purple one, while others wear thinner ones of various colors.

"The trade rep was going to be, uh, green." Ijapa says, pointing towards a well-groomed individual. He probably uses several gallons of fur gel everyday to get it how he has it.

 No.30789

>>30788
Well, greasy politicians and bureaucrats are the same the universe over, I guess. Still, ain't my place to judge.
"Right, so, any sort of protocol or cultural greeting thing I'm supposed to know so we don't embarrass ourselves?"

 No.30790

>>30786
"Okay, because I want to explore as much of it as possible!" Duana shouts over the radio as you approach the end of the Dock.

"Oh no, we've got work to do first." Kamori says. "We'll take care of that and maybe we can really sit down to enjoy the food."

"There he is!" Malvi shouts excitedly, interrupting Kamori. "That's the professor." She uses her limited access to sned you all a message, pointing to the Yellow sashed Cerotid. "Well, Professor to be. Does our machine look clean?" She asks with a bit more worry in her voice.

 No.30791

>>30787
A slow, dumpy little cargo container pulls up to you, revealing a single Cerotid officer. His details pop-up in your HUD as he gets out.

"Officer Clarin, requesting ID and Prisoner validation!" He salutes you, completely ignoring your partner.

"Do, do you think he knows?" Barbari says over his radio to you.

 No.30792

>>30790
"Friend-Duana, please stick with us while we are planet-side. Even if the work isn't engaging for you, we do not want you wandering off and getting lost."
Wave and walk over to the professor she indicated. "Greetings!"
…Why did Malvi point him out again? Oh well, nothing wrong with getting to know someone.

 No.30793

>>30789
Ijapa stops before returning to a normal pace. "No, they didn't brief me on those. Uhm, uh, maybe you can handle that?" You can tell he was genuinely caught by surprise. "You can handle it, I'm sure."

You come up to the atmosphere shield. Just another step and you'll be face to chest with the Cerotid.

 No.30794

>>30791
"Security Officer Latasha. We're on this prisoner transport." Show my ID card and gesture for my new partner to show his.

 No.30795

>>30792
"Greeting! Welcome to Rhinkos-5! I'm Refis Deso, and you must be Malvi? Am I pronouncing that correctly? Apologies if not, but your research has been inspiring to us all."

"Wait, does he know you're not her?" Duana asks over the radio.

 No.30796

>>30794
Everything checks out, green across the board.

Except for your new Cerotid partner. "I wasn't told that you had a Computron with you. I was told to expect a Human, but everything still checked out. What's going on?" He looks at you with deep concern.

 No.30797

>>30793
Sigh heavily inside my cockpit.
"Right, and I bet they didn't give us a name, either."
Still, if I'm taking this over, I suppose I have to make a good first impression. The cockpit canopy is translucent currently, correct?

 No.30798

>>30795
"Actually, we are Voldra; this drone has been nicknamed 'Shelly.' Friend-Malvi is in the suit here!"
Gesture towards the mech.
"Friend-Malvi, we did not know that you were a researcher! What do you study?"

 No.30799

>>30796
I blink a few times and look at Barbari speaking to him over the radio "would you mind stepping out a moment ?"

 No.30800

>>30797
It's coated to be one-way, but there is atmosphere here. You can open up your cockpit if it's necessary.

"Knowing politicos, if they're anything like back home…" Ijapa says over his radio as he walks into the room.

"Ah, hello there!" The Cerotid shouts as he breaks away from the group towards you. He hurries over and does a ceremonial Cerotid greeting, bending over and touching his horn, a Horn you realize is almost as big as you. "You are the inspector Ffrank, correct? I am the Medex Gos, of the Factorium Guild. Please come with me." He says in a nervous but excited tone.

"Because they always give it to you." Ijapa finishes.

>>30798
"In the suit?" Refis says with a slight tilt of his head. "Huh?"

"Biomechanics generally, but I've been expanding recently, and the research I was able to gleam coming out from here is very important to me." Malvi says to the both of you. "Can you show us to your lab and research group?"

"Oh, uhm, sure. Sorry about that. These are your friends then?" He looks at you and Duana's mech before heading towards a nearby vehicle. "You did mention some guests, so I got a cab. We're you able to finish the computations?" He asks Malvi, still befuddled as she isn't what he expected, nor the rest of you.

>>30799
"What?" Officer Clarin is the only expression he is able to get out before his eyes focus on the opening canopy. Despite being a nominally quick process, Clarin remains frozen in place as the canopy locks itself. His retinas grow wide before falling down as Barbari stands up on his mech.

"Hello, I'm Security Officer Barbari of the Ankylosaur. Nice to meet ya!"


PAUSE

 No.30801

>>30800
"A pleasure to meet you."
I'll bow the mech slightly as well, though lacking a horn I can't complete the gesture.

 No.30854

>>30801
"Ah, don't worry too much about that." He says in a surprised voice. "Once the deal goes through, we'll supply yo with a machine that has a resemblance closer to ours." Medex says with a knowing smile. "Don't worry, we're keeping that information with only those who need to know."

He leads you and Ijappa towards one of the large entrance doors, an independent vehicle waiting for you.

 No.30855

>>30800
"Indeed, we are friends with Friend-Malvi. Even if she does spend more time working than interacting with us."
Turn and 'smile' at the Mech, which is very difficult without lips.
"Were these calculations one of the reasons you were always working, Friend-Malvi?"

Follow them to the vehicle, as that appears to be where he is leading us.

 No.30856

>>30696
Wait, what was that, a human-sized furry?
I thought you'd only see these kinds of stuff back home, not in outer space too

Well that's not my business and I'm too stressed out from this whole ordeal to question it further

Let's return to the ship for now
And, oh god, get a new mech, or fix this one

 No.30857

>>30854
"Thank you."
I'll follow them in.

 No.30858

>>30800
My hood retracts and I naturally coil my tail around itself.
"Some of them find it rude to comment on their size."

 No.30859

>>30855
The road the vehicle is on is wide and spacious, but almost entirely empty. It's seats are simple and firm as you all enter it.

"One of many. I think I spent more time making sure some of the machines I was using actually stayed on at all." Malvi replies, a bit more emotion in her voice over the loudspeaker on the mecha.

"It's something of a relief to know that the problems of academics cross species lines." Refis says as he inputs your next destination on the car's system. "Have all of you been working together for long? I haven't seen a Voldra be credited in too many papers that have passed near here."

>>30856
There are usually issues when such a species tries to get out into space.

Right now, it has been some time since you cam eback from the battle and the Ankylosaur has reached it's new destination. Lathasha and you were called into the Office by your boss, and Latasha has already left. You've been waiting in an oversized chair in this zero-g office, and nopw your Boss Alpin is calling you inside.

 No.30860

>>30698
Well at least there's one good thing from these alien seats, you can really lay back and stretch in them
Just gotta not think about the gross alien butts that have been using it

…I'll head inside the office now

 No.30861

>>30857
Roll Street Smarts as you enter the vehicle. Rhinkos-5 seems very quiet so far, only a few people out in the "streets" of the space colony.

"Let me know if anything needs to be adjusted for your comfort, but if I may be so bold to ask of this, but can I see you? I mean, the real you, if that's okay with your bodyguard?" He asks as Ijappa just shrugs.

>>30858
"I, uh, well." Clarin stands up, dusting himself off from the large amount of dust that attached to his clothing. "I guess I understand what some of the secrecy here was all about." He coughs a bit, all of his fur shaking as the Human seems to be even smaller when you're next to him.

"Don't worry too much about me. I'm heavier than I look and this 'bot can take all kinds of punishment." Barbari says.

"Oh, okay then. Wish they did tell me this earlier, but it is what it is." Clarin looks around before turning back to you. "Any of this situation seem like a *set up* to you?"

 No.30862

>>30859
"Indeed, that seems a common complaint aboard the Ankylosaur. Perhaps Maintenance workers could come assist in ensuring their continued functioning?"

Nod along to Refis' observation.
"Voldra do not tend to get involved in the spotlight of science very often. At most, we prefer to assist as Assistants, speeding the process of finding and relaying relevant information rather than being the ones discovering it. At least partly because assigning credit is tricky when we become involved."
And acting as assistants allows us to remain aware of and know what the current topic of research is, and the discoveries found.

 No.30863

>>30861
'2d6' smarts.
"No harm in it, I suppose. Usually it's polite to do deals face to face, anyway."
I'll pop the cockpit open for now.

Roll #1 2, 6 = 8

 No.30864

>>30861
"My boss thinks the same thing, too many interested parties." I agree.

 No.30865

>>30860
The grey Equinoid Alpin is in his seat, looking at far too many Tablet screens as you float in. Uther is there too, looking over a map.

"Rachel, good to see you." Alpin says. "I want to keep this short since Latasha is already on her way, but we have an assignment for you." He pressses a few buttons and the shutters slowly close. "Remember that crew the three of you were able to bring in? Looks like Rhinkos-5 has jurisdiction claim on them, and they've picked you out to bring one of them in."

"Guess you've managed to rub off on them." Uther says with a smile, his star shaped nose flaring a bit.

>>30862
"I think any trip is bound to be subject to some issues. We've got a whole colony here and we've got enough issues ourselves to probably make yours look quaint." Refis jokes as the vehicle pulls into an area with lots of tall buildings. "Well, if you want to stay after this, I'm sure we could find an Assistant spot for you. Not too many coming through here anymore." His tone goes down a bit.

"I forgot to mention," Malvi interrupts, "the staff asked me to do more than just deliver my information, they want a whole seminar. Will you and Duana be willing to come along?"

 No.30866

>>30863
Dirt, dust, and lack of use. That's the best way to describe the colony you see so far. You see people on the street, but none of them are in a hurry to somewhere, which a place of this scale should at least have a few of them. There are a good number of cars parked that have collected a fair amount of dust on them.

"Oh, I was right!" A voice comes from the speakers as a projection of a female Cerotid appears in front of Medex. "Excuse me," the projection breaks itself as the vehicle heads down a tunnel, "I'm Enny Gasyn, Mister Medex's Secretary. I'll be joining you all shortly when your vehicle reaches our factory and I'll be around to provide support as needed when you arrive." You can hear additional voices coming from the speaker, as if there is a large group near her. "Tell me, is there anything we can provide you when you arrive?"

 No.30867

>>30865
>Alright guys, who's up for research-assisting? I know some of you were wanting a chance to get more involved in the numbers-stuff.
"This drone is assigned to the Ankylosaur, and we cannot abandon that position," we apologize to Refis. "However, if you are in need of one, we can likely send another drone out to assist you, if you are willing to wait."

Nod enthusiastically to Malvi's question.
"We would be happy to assist you with this! It seems like you are quite influential if they desire you to make an appearance."

 No.30868

>>30864
Officer Barbari retracts the canopy and enters his mech as Clarin clearly goes into thought, stopped by your prisoner's suddenly hitting the wall.

"Well, at least its good to know we're all on the same page there. Have either of you done a prisoner transfer before? Or seen one as bad as this?" Clarin asks, with Barbari replying in the negative.

 No.30869

>>30865
''Well that's interesting. Will I be allowed to ask why they let those bastards do illegal mining in a public sector? Or will I have to keep shut again? Also why just one of them?''

 No.30870

>>30867
"Really? I'll talk to our staff. I'm sure they'd find some field of research they could use some help on." Refis says as the vehicle slows down into a parking lot. "Alright we're here. They're all waiting for you in the Lecture Hall."

As all of you exit the vehicle, Malvi and Refis get lost in some of their research discussion, but Duana's voice comes over the radio instead. "Doesn't this place seem, kinda empty?" Around you, there are people staring at your strange group, but the faces are few and far between.

 No.30871

>>30866
What a stark difference from the last place. Dusty and deserted instead of wet and overpopulated.
"Just a manifest for what I'm going to be looking through today, if you don't mind."
It figures there's a large group, humans are still exotic and new here and everyone wants to take a look.

 No.30872

>>30868
"Transported a prisoner, sure." slap the wall that our guest just started banging on. "Not one so high profile."
"Hear that? You're Mr. Popular." I snarkily hiss in the prisoner's direction.
"A human saying, I find them, very expressive."

 No.30873

>>30870
"It is possible that a large portion of them are marveling at the new ship that pulled into port, but yes, the population observed is significantly lower than expected."

 No.30874

>>30869
"Most of those questions can only be answered by the suits above us, and they aren't here right now, so no. As for why one of them…" Alpin takes a deep sigh.

"Politics." Uther jumps in. "And how to make a task more difficult than it has to be."

"We've been pressed with very specific demands from the people in charge of Rhinkos-5 and we unfortunately have to comply. One of them is that it's going to be you and one of theirs hauling in one of the culprits."

 No.30875

>>30874
Roll my eyes ''Oh yes, typical, you'll just lower your head to them again like a fucking-'' Sigh, stopping myself before I say something I regret ''Whatever, So, it'll be just me and one of theirs? I'm not saying I couldn't handle it alone, Boss, but shouldn't an operation this important require more than one low-rank officer?''

 No.30876

>>30871
"Yes, yes, on the way!" She seems pretty giddy as her projection cuts off.

"Overeager, but we don't get too many possible clients down here." Medex says. "Which means that our systems are ready to provide whatever you need!" He quickly pivots as the tunnel exit approaches. You're in a deeper part of the asteroid, surrounded by factories of all shapes and sizes that reach into the extremely high sky/roof. However, you note most of them don't seem to be producing the telltale smoke and steam of most other factories.

"Here we are, the Delia Fabricator. Once we pass your muster, we can get it online making whatever your colonists need!" Medex says, pointing out a few specific towers and the equipment inside of them while the vehicle slows to a stop. The doors open, showing a fair number of people manning the desks and waiting for you. "Tell me, what is one of the most important items your colony ship is in need of?" Medex asks as Enny begins walking up to your group.

 No.30877

>>30876
I'll think for a moment.
Off the top of my head, what's the thing we're running lowest on, aside from functioning diagnostic tables?

 No.30878

>>30872
"Good, I'll be counting on you." Clarin says to you. "And as for you, I want you to follow the example set by other bots and just follow directions. The faster we do this, the faster all of us can be free from the potential trouble this guy is in."

Roll Street Smarts as Clarin gives Barbari instructions on what to do.

"I need to make sure I cover all my bases here, how good are you with shooting from a moving vehicle and how good have those Human flight rigs of yours been?" Clarin asks nervously, looking around at all sides.

 No.30879

>>30873
"Maybe it's just that I'm so used to the Ankylosaur. There are so many people in there whenever I go to work with you." Her tone is hushed, but you can tell that she's moving her head around, looking in all directions as you walk into a building. A few more academics in the hall than outside, most your size with a few children walking around who would be big enough to pick up your Human friends, stop and stare.

"This way, everyone's ready. And one of your security staffers came by to make sure everyone signed off on their non-disclosure forms." Refis says as he leads your group to the front of the lecture hall. Even though he said everyone, you only count 30 others in a room built to handle many more.

A large, heavy set Alien wearing an Ankylosaur security staff suit walks over to you while the others set up the display equipment. "Hey, hate to ask this here, but were you followed?"

 No.30880

>>30875
Alpin's ear give off more frustation than his face does. "You're right about that. You really are, which is why we're sure someone in Rhinkos-5 wants them to escape."

"It's a set up. They want you to fail." Uther smiles sarcastically at you. "Maybe they think you'll get stepped on too." Alpin shoot shim a look, but doesn't reject his opinion.

 No.30881

>>30879
"It is not just you; this is very strange."
Tilt our head at the security officer's question.
"Not that this drone is aware of. Should we have considered that there would be others attempting to follow us?"

 No.30882

>>30878
"I'm good with a gun, or a knife, not with convincing nervous aliens to do their jobs." I look at the mecha. "I've seen these things shoot rounds as large as my fist, seemed pretty effective."

attempt to explain prisoner transporting '2d6'

Roll #1 2, 4 = 6

 No.30883

>>30877
The Diagnostic Tables are returned ones, so replacing them is good.
A few new Mechas would be good, to replace the heavily damaged ones that have been presented to you.
The gravity system could use some love.
The plumbing in wiring is also in need of help.

You can even feel your mech shake slightly as Enny walks up you.

 No.30884

>>30880
I return his smile with a smirk of my own
''Oh they'll find out I'm a tough bug to squash, I had it with these giant-ass bastards underestimating what we humans can do''
Cross my arms ''Well don't worry boss, I'll give you that, you picked the right girl for the job. You know that I wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill one of those jackasses if they so much as looked at me wrong, so I'll do the job with pleasure''

 No.30885

>>30883
Well, I don't want to overplay our hand here too fast. These guys are desperate for work, but if we show a weakness, they'll charge three arms and a kidney if they can.
"Well, it's not the top of the list, but one of the higher priority items would have to be components for the artificial gravity systems. It's been a bit of a problem child for a good leg of the trip."

 No.30886

>>30881
"Last time we were assigned to each of the off-ship crew. Not this time." He says with some caution as Malvi gets her information on the 3-D projector. "They changed too many things at the last minute, so just keep an eye on them."

"So I believed you were already briefed, but I'll begin with a quick summary of my research on the effects of variable gravity on muscle and bone tissue." Malvi says, bringing up several slides with various types of organic muscle tissues on them. "I've applied it to your situation, so I'll be showing you a few new things, as well as revealing a few things that had to be kept classified, as some of the notes you've seen refer to undisclosed or unavailable data." She puts up the bodies of several other species on the projector, most of which you are familiar with. "Now, some of the samples I've shown have been unmarked, and I'll reveal it to you now to properly begin." Malvi coughs, while you hear Kamori ask "You sure about this?"

"Shelly, can I get a lift from you?" Malvi asks as the machine's canopy slowly begins to open.

 No.30887

>>30886
"Understood. Nobody is going to hurt them under our watch."

"But of course, Friend-Malvi."
Hold our grippers near enough to the cockpit so that she can climb out onto it, while watching the room for any signs of hostility.

 No.30888

>>30882
There's a few details Barbari was unclear on, and more than a few points where Clarin argued some minor thing. But your route is set, you'll be heading past several checkpoints to reach the proper prisoner facility. Checkpoints where trouble can easily waiting…

"Let's go. I'd rather not risk running past my times if we don't have to. Your little Human here will fly beside us while you stay inside with me. Keep the machine on auto-pilot and look around." Clarin turns and points straight at Barbari, then you. "Counting on you, let's keep this nice and simple." He heads into the vehicle, the prisoner banging against his container as the vehicle hovers slightly off the ground and makes itself towards teh first check point.

"Keep your eyes peeled." Clarin says. Roll Street Smarts

 No.30889

>>30888
Make a low hiss of understanding, staying as alert as I can from inside.

'2d6' rolling!

Roll #1 1, 5 = 6

 No.30890

>>30884
"Told ya." Uther smiles as he starts sketching directions on his map.

"I don't doubt that, but try to make sure the prisoner makes it alive. If they want her to escape, they might also not want her to live long enough to talk." Alpin says. "I think you got the gist of it, head to the Hangar. One of the Robots is prepped for you, and you'll meet your partner from Rhinkos-5 momentarily. Dismissed." The Curtains open up, letting in light.

"Oh, and when you come back, Bok has a surprise for you." Uther says.

 No.30891

>>30885
Medex raises a hand to his massive, furred chin as Enny approaches and again gives a bow, reaching for her smaller horn.

"It's good to see you all." She says eagerly. "All the preparations are in place. Are you ready to enter and begin the tour?" As if on cue, the doors open while Medex taps a few things into his ComLink. "We'll visit the design area first."

 No.30892

>>30890
''Right right, don't worry, After gunning so many of them, you start to figure out the most common locations for vital organs, so I'll know where to shoot to keep it alive, heh''
Get up ''Seriously though, I'll let it stay alive, don't worry''

''Oh boy, Bok surprises, my favorite, I just cannot wait'' Mumble to myself as I leave , towards the Hangar

 No.30893

>>30887
You notice many of them lean forward as Malvi climbs onto your digits. A few stand up to get a closer look as the projector gives a bigger image of her standing there with you. "While most species of the galaxy are closer to your height, an increase in gravity has numerous additional effect. As does its absence, to demonstrate, and to push the point, I'd like you pick up Kamori, then put both of us on the scales I had prepared."

Kamori looks at you wide-eyed, seems she wasn't prepped on this part, but quickly steps out of the cockpit while waiting for you.

 No.30894

>>30891
"Of course."
I'll lower the cockpit again, since we're going out 'in public.' Plus I don't want to get a fine coating of dust on the inside of this thing. Lord knows it's hard enough to clean just the outside.

 No.30895

>>30889
There has been some movement in the dust that coats the docks, but you can't tell what kind of ships have been here or their size. Your vehicle quietly makes its way inside, only a few expletives from your prisoner breaking the monotony.

"So, tell me, what's it like to live among the Humans?" Clarin says, trying to break the ice as he looks up at the sky-roof, trying to find spot any other ships. "Don't know how good I'd be at watching my step."

 No.30896

>>30893
Gently pick Kamori up out of the cockpit as well, then carefully bring them both over to the scales.
"We were told it was impolite to ask females about their weight."

 No.30897

>>30892
The crew on the Ankylosaur is busy. You pass another Giant alien as you head towards the Hangar, a few workers holding on to his fur as they all make their way around the vessel. There's a lot of crew members joining you in the massive elevator, making even it feel crowded.

AS you make your way into the Hanger, you see a few Mechs being loaded with their weapons.

"You Rachel?" A human in a maintenance uniform asks in a curt manner.

 No.30898

>>30895
"The humans didn't think I'd be good at watching where I slither, they painted roads for me to use." I make an amused lick at the air remembering it. "I can feel the vibrations of their steps, it was more of a problem of them running up to me, wanting to touch me. Very curious creatures. And warm too." I ponder a moment. "Yes, I wound up using the path, just because the humans were told to stay out of it. They can be quite persistent. Once a pair of their youth approached me and performed a type of sssong using something called a 'flute' while swaying their bodies and moving vertically. The elders didn't approve of this and dragged them off by the ears, while apologizing to me." I make a soft hiss. "Charming creaturess."

 No.30899

>>30894
You can feel the Mech's compensators kick into action whenever your guides' steps go in unison.

"Our digital designers here are the best our industry has produced. Even with your advantage, they can handle any minute detail all the way up to the biggest projects. In fact, much of this colony was deigned just here." She brings up the schematics and design of Rhinkos-5 on a 3-D Projector.

Roll Tech.

"Tell me, how many colonies does your organization intend to work on? Because I'm sure we can handle the work load!"

 No.30900

>>30897
''Yea, that's me. Which one of those is my mech? And please, please tell me the sensitivity controls are regulated to factory standard''

 No.30901

>>30899
'2d6+2'
"Well, just the one currently, but if ours ends up successful, it would be a foot in the door to as many colonies as there's room, people, and good will to allow. Or, that's my understanding of it at least."

Roll #1 1, 1 + 2 = 4

 No.30902

>>30896
The audience laughs after your comment, a few taking a seat as you put them on the scale. "Now, changes in gravity can have a drastic effect on us, and the research from it, which is what many of you are here for, will be shown."

Putting them on the scale, Kamori and Malvi seem to weigh the same, but then Malvi takes off several of her arm and leg accessories, to reveal a drastic difference in their weights and mass. Despite being the same height and build, Kamori is a full 60 pounds heavier, much to everyone's shock when their full weights are on display.

"Before I move on, there is another important part I must present. Duana, can you come out and show off your Fold abilities with Shelly?" Duana's robot stands up after being asked and Duana comes out, waiting for you. You can already feel her body begin to pile up Fold energy for the display.

GO ahead, show off your Fold abilities here.

 No.30903

>>30898
"Hmm." Clarin stays quiet as he continues to look around. The first checkpoint approaches. Roll Street Smarts. "Well, considering this place hasn't been too active as of late, might not be too bad to deal with them. Just strange considering that something that almost passes for my Niece's toys is in something that dangerous." He takes a moment to collect himself. "How are they in a fight?"

 No.30904

>>30900
"Factory standard? We've had enough trouble trying to get some of these to just walk recently." A pair of them have a full staff group repairing them even as they prepare to launch. "You'll be assigned that fourth one. Take it nice and easy and they'll load your full armor set."

Roll Tech to move it.

 No.30905

>>30903
'2d6' First check point, first chance for problems.
"In a fight." I pause at the question. "They make a huge mess of anything in front of their weapons, and sometimes are a little reckless."

Roll #1 5, 3 = 8

 No.30906

>>30902
All right then, let us put on a flashy- but harmless!- show for the scientists!
'2d6+2' Will check

Roll #1 2, 2 + 2 = 6

 No.30907

>>30904
''Nice and easy? Buddy, I'll be lucky if it even lasts for this mission. Let's pray it at least holds up''
[1d6-1]

Roll #1 4 - 1 = 3

 No.30908

>>30901
Your eyes focus on the oddly colored tunnels as you are unable to get a bead on the rest of the design. Enny quickly shuffles through the rest of the plans.

"We've already been able to take this odd asteroid and make it into a stable colony, the "difficulty" of a higher gravity world will be a minor issue for us to deal with." Medex adds, bringing up several ship schematics. "We're also able to begin development on several other ship designs that would make cooperation between us easier." A few of the "designers" are hard at work as the two talk, but you can easily tell that a fair share of seats are empty and that a few others have been removed entirely to try and make the room not feel so unused.

"Let's head towards our main production facility. We'll show you some of the larger pieces we can produce and how quickly we can get it out. Air masks are required." Enny says merrily, looking mostly towards Ijappa.

"Hmm, how fast can your ship produce those machines of yours?" Enny follows up with.

>>30905
This checkpoint has a fair number of Security personnel stationed near it. But by fair, only about 8 of them, with a minimal Robot entourage with them. They easily wave your vehicle through.

"Reckless huh?" He stops for a moment longer at a corner, making sure to look at all sides and above. "That at least means they have some experience. More than I can say for some of the staff here. I don't know how they'll feel if they get lectured by someone they can put in their pockets."

The lights of the new area are dimmer, Clarin's vehicle speed slows down.

 No.30910

>>30906
While Fold Crystals aren't uncommon in this area, many of the Scientists stare in wonder as you gather Fold energy and use it. Several shout questions, a few raise their hand, the rest write down notes and speak into their ComLink, but they all stop and look when Duana begins charging up her Laser Beam attack.

"Uh, a little help here!" Duana shouts as her Fold Energy begins acting erratically.

>>30907
Don't forget we roll 2d6 now

"Wait, are you…" He doesn't finish his question as you bring down the canopy and walk your Mech towards the Armor installation facility. There are several flights of stairs around where your Mech will walk in to, surrounded by heavy pieces of armor waiting to be attached.

You see several Humans begin guiding your Mech into position, directing you where to put the limbs. Roll Tech.

PAUSE

 No.30911

>>30908
I'll gesture slightly with a hand.
"These mech suits, you mean? Not nearly as quickly as a fully automated facility, but assuming we have the parts on-hand and the designs to work from, it could take as little as a week, or upwards of two or three if we let people sleep or something goes wrong. And that's assuming we focus entirely on that, instead of the thousand other tiny little things that a functioning colony ship needs to have done to it to stay afloat."
I'll think for a second. What exactly am I being sent down here to inspect? Why did they give me literally no briefing on this? I thought I was just going to be looking at parts, not getting sold a ship and colony construction offer. Maybe that's just them doing business.

 No.30912

>>30741
"Ah, fine enough, the clothes are on, right? So, what happens now?"

 No.30913

>>30912
"We get ready to go get our robot, that's what. Did you remember to pack something to drink?" Eva says, distracted by something towards Doc. "And do you have your ComLink charged?" Eva walks up to you and waits as Doc puts down her hand near you to climb on.

 No.30914

>>30910
This is standard procedure, shouldn't be too hard
[2d6-1]

Roll #1 2, 5 - 1 = 6

 No.30915

>>30914
Nice and easy is how this gets done quickly. The only hitch being your main gun arm being hampered a bit with all the added weight. One of the aliens, a fish like one you saw here before, comes over with a pair of technicians to calibrate it. After a few adjustments, they give you the thumbs up.

The location of the prisoner pops up on your Heads-Up Display.

 No.30916

>>30915
Spin the arm a bit to test the precision and give them a nod in return. This is as good as new as it will get
Now let's go meet up with the poor alien prisioner

 No.30917

>>30916
There are several security agents in mechs and armors waiting for you as you approach. Even through the glass, you can see the other pilots aren't feeling to good about being near this one.

Inside a cage is a tough and dangerous aquatic-like alien. She's got claws and the end of her partially cybernetic limbs. She's lightly clothed and wearing several electical inhibitors on her legs. She's looking at the ground intently.

"Sheesh, I don't even think Hoover Dam has enough electricity to get through those scales." One of the other pilots pops up over the radio. "Are you sure that weapon of yours is going to be enough?" He asks.

 No.30918

>>30917
''Few things can resist a good salvo of bullets, pal, these scales wont stop a 80 pound round. Don't worry, if this thing even thinks of getting away, well'' Chuckle ''We'll see how well it gets with some holes in the legs''
Leer down at the fish-like freak and raise a hand back to the pilots, giving them a thumbs up ''Open it''

 No.30919

>>30918
"Why they want just one of us, I'll never want to know." Another voice over the radio says as your prisoner stands up.

"Alright, keep your limbs where we can see them and don't try anything rash." One of the other mechs announces over its loud speaker. Fully upright now, and walking towards you, you can see how massive she is, especially as she approaches you. She even stands a head over your Mechs. She rolls her arms for a moment and stops near you, flanked by other security agents. It's easy to see now why she was using such a heavy weapon from before.

A vehicle from the Rhinkos-5 Security team approaches the Hangar.

 No.30920

>>30919
''Ya done stretching out, sugar plum? Then get your ass in there'' point a thumb to the vehicle
''Can you understand me? Your ass, vehicle, sit'' I speak very slowly in a slightly mocking manner

 No.30921

>>30920
"Heh, they really do have a sense of humor…" She flashes you a toothy smile at you before following your directions as the Rhinkos-5 Security vehicle stops and opens its doors. Out comes one of their Cerotid Officers, his white fur cleanly combed and his horn well taken care of. Roll Street Smarts.

"I'm Officer Hamiell, reporting for duty!" Inside the vehicle is a prisoner restraining device.

 No.30922

>>30921
''Honored to be of service, sir, I'm officer Rachel Wilder'' Speak up in a practiced, almost robotic voice and salute to him
What is he, a white unicorn or something?

 No.30923

>>30922
They are closer to Rhinos. He's got a long snout and the horn is coming out of it.

"It's, uh, a pleasure to work with you." He keeps looking up at your robot head and at the chest area where you are. "Sorry, where should I look?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Your Prisoner chimes in.

 No.30924

>>30923
Roll my eyes, not that they can see it
''Nevermind that, and you'' point at the Prisioner, then at my rifle ''Keep your eyes here, so you don't forget your place. Now sit down. I'm hoping for a peaceful trip here''

 No.30925

>>30924
"Yes, or course. Prisoner Diaman Pape, this way. We'll be putting you into the restraining device." He looks her over. "I think…"

He struggles a bit to get her locked in place, but everything clamps down well enough over her. Inside is pretty spacious, it might double as a gymnasium with all the open space in it. A few other humans gather around as the vehicle takes off with you inside and starts heading to Rhinkos-5.

"Hey, this isn't it, right?" Your prisoner says with worry.

 No.30926

>>30925
''What, isn't right, Fishface?''

 No.30927

>>30926
"First of all, don't act so mighty. My Pinkie claw can hold you down. Second, shouldn't there be more of you? More of your robots, or more of your guards?" Diaman says. "I know the rules in more sectors than you'll ever be in, and this isn't standard."

Your new co-worker keeps turning his head back at you. "Did, they tell you as well?" Your co-worker asks over the radio, trying to keep it from the prisoner.

 No.30928

>>30927
Give the officer a silent nod and shrug
''Guess they didn't think you'd be all that. So why not prove you're a good girl and behave, then maybe you'll get a shorter sentence''

 No.30929

>>30928
"Sentence, yeah, don't worry your tiny little head about that." She smiles and relaxes as the vehicle approaches one of the entrance doors and stops.

"They put the newbie on this case." Another Cerotid officer says. "Oi, you in there?" The other officer pops his head in and shouts towards you. "Try to bring him back in one piece. He's raw but he's got talent."

 No.30930

>>30929
Ignore her and try to not think too much about the implications as I turn to the new Cerotid
''Don't worry, we'll be fine''

 No.30931

>>30930
"See, nothing to worry about then." The new officer turns towards your recently issued partner. "Barely taller than your ankle and it'll be protecting you. At least it has a nice gun." The officer retracts his head from the window and orders the gate opened.

"Be careful out there. Don't get yourself stepped on now!" He shouts as he bangs on the vehicle and it pulls forward.

"Honestly, please tell me you won't end up like that." Diaman asks with a cheeky, toothy smile.

 No.30932

>>30931
Grind my teeth. God DAMN this ''don't get stepped on'' bullshit pisses me off

''Can it, Fishface, before I find inhibitor cuffs for your mouth'' I keep an eye out on the windows

 No.30933

>>30908
"You get a lot of experience traveling around like a lost sandwurm." I comment as I look alertly around at the slow moving surroundings.

 No.30934

>>30933
"I'll take your word for it." Clarin says as he looks out the window, the Human mech flying besides your vehicle. "Well, at least it'll be easier than dealing with the folks back from the home world. Those planet born are small but they still push their weight around. Ever had to deal with someone who was trying to talk down to you while looking up?"

"Should I say something? I feel like I should say something." The Human asks you through the radio.

The area up ahead is inside the colony, which means you won't be able to fly out of this place if anything happens. Above, there is a rail track moving people and supplies.

 No.30935

>>30934
"None of the humans outrank me, persay, thou that engineer gave me a real speech once." I roll my eyes "Not at bad as a younger Viper talking down to me. That was tough."
"Just say it on this channel, we're pretending you're a robot right?" I reply back to the human.

 No.30936

>>30935
"I think he does outrank me, at least. Some of those medals on his chest are probably heavier than me…" He responds. "If they can finish the trade deal, they'll have to include something like that in it, right? And he at least knows I'm not a robot."

A cargo train passes overhead, though you can barely hear it with your passenger starting to shout expletives in the back.

"Guess that's the same wherever you go!" Clarin laughs. "I wouldn't be surprised if one of them berates the rooks on how to wield weapons or drives. Council knows they could use it. What was the training for you then? Were you trained by the Humans, or your own species?"

 No.30937

>>30936
I just hum along at his questions distracted by the sudden racket of the street and my passenger, all this noise and slowing down really worries me. Keep a viligant watch and reply with an empty "Yea, training. I remember those days. An all female viper team, we didn't want any male vipers around. Thou, our final examiner was a male."

 No.30938

>>30937
The roof mounted cargo train moves forward, the last cart of it making noise as your vehicle hovers towards its destination.

"Really, why's that?" Officer Barbari asks over the radio, difficult to be heard through all the noise.

"Hopefully you had a bunch then. Sometimes it's hard for us to recruit anyone with the population going down. If we don't get that deal soon, this place might as well just call itself Rhinkos at all." Clarin adds as he looks around.

 No.30939

>>30938
"Actually, we have a touch too many Vipers on my homeworld." I make an amused snicker "That's part of the reason we didn't train co-ed."
Well, with the train gone we can get moving again..

 No.30940

>>30939
"Ha! We used to get that joke all the time when my parents brought me here way too long ago. Everyone trying to get away from the grip, but now that times have changed, too many have gone back. This keeps up, might have to get our crew to recruit from your world." Clarin laughs as he continues to drive.

Another train approaches from behind.

"Sheesh, I thought you said this place was empty. Look at this new train above us." Barbari adds over the radio. "Have you been enjoying your time on the Ankylosaur when we aren't getting shot at?"

 No.30941

>>30940
"Nevermind that, I think you're right about something odd with the train schedule. Can you pick up an signals besides ours with your mecha?"

 No.30942

>>30910
Oh dear, it seems she's crossed some wavelengths that she shouldn't have. It's a mistake borne of inexperience or overeagerness, but shouldn't be too hard to correct…
'2d6+2' Will check

Roll #1 3, 2 + 2 = 7

 No.30943

>>30941
"Sounds like a plan. Scanning freqencies and sending a request to Rhinkos-5 central routing. Alright, I think I have something and hey, doesn't that last cart look like it's carrying oh no…" You hear a momentary gasp as the train above starts shooting you and your escort mech!


"You got a gun, use it!" Clarin shouts as he starts driving erratically with the vehicle, trying to dodge the shots!

 No.30944

>>30943
"Taking aim at the enemies." I report and start to return fire.
'3d6+1'

Roll #1 3, 5, 2 + 1 = 11

 No.30945

>>30944
leaving the two out

 No.30946

>>30942
She's looking to you for guidance, and at least she seems to have managed to contain the Fold Energy.

But she hasn't dissipated it. It's still there, charged up and ready to go out. She looks at you with worry.

 No.30947

>>30946
"The energy needs to go somewhere, Friend-Duana. Remember in the asteroid fields when you showed it off to me."
Look around the room that probably ought not to be damaged if we can help it.
"Aim it at this drone; our shields will be able to take it, and we do not wish to damage this building."
…and we will put up a Barrier, just in case.
'2d6+2' Barrier
adds 2d6 shields

Roll #1 4, 2 + 2 = 8

 No.30948

>>30945
>>30944
A few good hits near the aiming camera makes the next subsequent shots go wide, but the mech following with you is now missing a leg!

"Hold on, heading inside one of these factories!" Roll Agility as Clarin pulls a hard right!

 No.30949

>>30948
'2d6-1' snake isn't very agile in this armor

Roll #1 1, 2 - 1 = 2

 No.30950

>>30947
With a few heavy breathes, Duana is able to eek out an "Okay." before focusing forward.

Duana Bolt 2d6

 No.30951

>>30950
'2d6'

Roll #1 3, 6 = 9

 No.30952

>>30949
Clarin's sharp turn is too much too handle. The armor takes the blow as he plows into one of the foundation posts, but you're a little dazed from the rush. Roll will to recover, but it's hard as Barbari and Clarin are both shouting! The overhead train has stopped, but so has the shooting for now.

>>30951
>>30947
You feel Duana's own Fold power pierce your improvised shield. Even at her size, and not even wanting to shoot you with them at all, she was able to do that much damage. It didn't do much to your own normal energy shield, but the Academics are aware that something has happened here.

"So, as you can see…" Malvi is trying to ring back control of the audience.

"I'msorry, I'msosorry, areyouokay!? Pleasedon'tbemadatme." Duana is going a mile a minute right now.

 No.30953

>>30952
I hiss in pain at the impact.

'2d6' I'm not sure which stat that is

Roll #1 3, 1 = 4

 No.30954

>>30952
All right… that was impressive! And unexpected.
"That was certainly stronger than last time, Friend-Duana. You punched right through the additional shielding I put up!"
Gently poke the babbling human to quiet her down.
"Though you still have a ways to go before you would actually hurt this drone."

 No.30955

>>30953
It's one of your primary Skills, like Guns or Tech

You recover quick enough, but your vision is a bit blurry as you hear Clarin and Barbari and others shouting over the radio!

"My arm!" Clarin shouts, trying to reach for one of his pistols that fell to the bottom of the vehicle.

"They're waiting outside for us, they haven't made a move."

"LET ME OUT!" Your prisoner shouts.

 No.30956

>>30955
My tail is better for that than this clumsy hand, at least. Use my tail to get the gun for him.

 No.30957

>>30954
She gives you a big smile and runs up to you, hugging you.

"As you can see, in this slide OVER HERE…" Malvi tries to get the attention of the remaining Academics, the last of them taking a few images of Duana hugging you.

"I'm sorry." Duana says as Kamori just looks and shrugs at you for the moment.

 No.30958

>>30956
"Thanks. Can you move? Let's get out of this death trap." Clarin asks with some bleeding coming out of his hand.

"I've already sent a request for backup, but then everything cut off. They might be jamming us." Barbari shouts over the radio. "What about the prisoner?"

 No.30959

>>30958
"If we're grounded, we might have to escort him by foot." I push open my door ready to fire on the enemies.

 No.30960

>>30959
You're deep enough in the factory that the train can't hit you since it can't see you.

"What's left of my radar is picking up another vehicle coming in. What do we do?" Barbari shouts as Clarin unlocks the back of his vehicle to the prisoner.

 No.30961

>>30957
"Apologies for stealing the show there. Please, Friend-Malvi, explain the more specific implications of our demonstration for the crowd."
Allow the hugging, and even raise a limb to gently hug her back, before gently directing her back into her mech. Best to minimize our distraction from here on in.

 No.30962

>>30960
"Secure the prisoner and get out of sight of the road." I order, and assist with that plan, Helping Clarin get out too.

 No.30963

>>30961
"If anything, they'll attach themselves to anything we say, so thanks." Malvi says, returning to her lecture. The Cerotid Academics here have made sure to turn on every camera to record this lecture.

Duana doesn't put any resistance, easily slipping back into her machine. She wipes her tears and starts going through the regular entry procedures.

"Hey, mind helpin' me in there too? Let me talk to her." Kamori asks.

 No.30964

>>30962
Barbari's mech can still hold a weapon, and he has it trained on your prisoner as you help Clarin move away from the vehicle.

"I'll do what I can, but I can't maneuver to well or too long missing a leg." Barbari says to you over the radio.

Your Prisoner can't help but smile. He is in chains now, but he's counting on his associates to come and rescue him.

A vehicle, what looks like a common red personnel transporter of the area, is quickly pulling up to the entrance!

 No.30965

>>30964
Once we're out of sight, slither up to the smiling alien and remind him quietly, tongue intentionally hissing in his personal space "Don't sssay a word now, or my friend's mecha might confussse it with the 'ssshoot' voice command."

 No.30966

>>30963
"Certainly. We did not wish to upset Friend-Duana; she has improved so much in such a short span of time! Perhaps you can cheer her up?"
Assist Kamori into Duana's Mech.

 No.30967

>>30965
He's got an angry smirk on him, but he doesn't respond otherwise. He knows he just has to bide his time.

Clarin closes one of the door behind your group. "If we head to the roof of these factories, we'll wind up in one of the designated markets. We can lose them there."

You can feel the foot steps of the new baddies who got out of the vehicle, even if you aren't in the same room as them.

"How many you think are following us?" Barbari radios.

 No.30968

>>30966
"It's fine, but sometimes she just needs someone to talk to." Kamori says with a smile. "Leave her to me and help out here." She gives you a thumbs up before jumping into the mech with Duana.

"So, this ends this quick introduction to Human/Gravity techniques. Any questions." Numerous hands shoot up. "Not about the Fold stuff." Half the hands go down, but then quickly shoot up again.

"Actually, are you related species?" One of the Academics shouts the loudest over the others. "It's the first time I've seen someone act like that to an Insectoid-like species, since, ever." The crowd looks at you now.

 No.30969

>>30967
I will focus on seperating their footsteps from the random other steps on this planet. '2d6'
"They seem to be looking around the vehicle first.. So, the stairs then?"

Roll #1 2, 1 = 3

 No.30970

>>30969
There's one real, heavy set of footsteps. This one comes down slow and you can feel it. The rest mesh into each other.

"Yeah, keep climbing. The way these old factories were built though, we might have to cross into another one to make it to the roof." Clarin says. "Hopefully they were built to code back then."

Barbari keeps the weapon focused on the prisoner, occasionally prodding him to move forward. Officer Clarin goes ahead, looking into hallways with his pistol and its built-in flashlight.

You can hear the sound of several doors being kicked as you go to the second floor.

 No.30971

>>30968
"Related? Not very likely; their homeworld and that of the Voldra are too distant for that to be a possibility, not to mention the obvious physical differences."
Pause for a moment. "However, your question brings up a valid point. The typical reaction to the more Insectoid-like species of the galaxy is revulsion, and we have observed the same response in several on the other humans aboard the ship."
"However, that response has faded among them far more quickly than within other species, and their acceptance is not limited to Insectiod species. This drone theorizes that, based on observed behaviors, Humans have a higher-than-average Empathy response towards species not their own. They are faster to acclimatize and even seek out inclusion of those different from themselves, rather than insulating themselves within their own kind."

"…At least within this drone's observations. More studies into the question to find the exact reason for this observed behavior may be warranted."

 No.30972

>>30970
"They're not far behind, don't slow down." I urge the group on, closing any door I can behind us.

 No.30973

>>30971
Malvi resigns herself to knowing her presentation has been hijacked, but doesn't let that stop her.

"As you already witnessed with Duana and Kamori, none of us have any objections, and even request aid from, Shelly and others." She puts the camera on you and then on the bodyguard. "As you can see, Humans don't really have too many objections to working with others. If anything were to happen, I wouldn't have any objections to jumping towards Bostaur here, and my associates would know to count on Shelly as well."

The Academics talk amongst themselves, clearly getting lost in conversations before another raises their wooly arm.

"How comparable are your Fold abilites? We can barely use them turning them into equipment, but you were able to guide that Human's own Fold ability, who doesn't seem to be using any equipment either, almost like it was your own. How is that possible if you aren't related?"

 No.30974

>>30972
"We knew something was up since the beginning." Clarin says, trying to get the electro-lock on a door open. "That big a gun, and even having access to a train like that, it doesn't add up at all."

"Wouldn't they have killed this guy," Barbari keeps his gun on the Prisoner, "instead of saving him?"

You can feel foot steps coming up quickly, but the door to the next floor isn't opening.

 No.30975

>>30974
"watch the stairs, they're gaining on us."
'2d6' smash the door open, I'm useless at electronic locks.

Roll #1 1, 4 = 5

 No.30976

>>30973
"In terms of base power, their Fold abilities are similar to more direct methods of Fold utilization, only scaled down. This drone has yet to observe them perform any of the more complex usages, such as Fold-jumping, unassisted, though that is not to say that they may not be capable of it."

"However, rather than any direct relation between our species, it is possible that the circumstances for our respective homeworlds may have led to similar results. For the Voldra, our homeworld is an anomaly, caught between major Fold-flows so strong that Fold-energy physically manifests on it's surface. For the humans, their homeworld is a heavy-gravity world, right on the cusp of where spacetravel is possible. In addition to affecting their stature, the high gravity may have led to the Fold-energy within the area becoming condensed, leading to enhanced capabilities to interact with it."

 No.30977

>>30975
Your Human supplied armor takes the brunt of that rush. You'll need to get it massaged because you can feel your muscles recoiling from the hit. Unfortunately, what lies behind the door doesn't help. The hall leading towards the next set of stairs up is falling apart. There are holes everywhere. Slither with caution.

"Hehehe." Your prisoner eagerly giggles as he is made to move forward. Clarin takes the lead, but the bad guys will be on you soon.

The hall you're in has a few doors to offices full of desks and tables and assorted goodies a Secretary would love.

 No.30978

>>30976
The Academics return to their conversations, some mulling over your response. A few peel away to send out their videos and notes. Roll Street Smarts to try and listen in.

An arm shoots up, this time belonging to a female Academic. "We were given some advance notice, but Earth and other High gravity worlds aren't something we've looked into." She turns towards you. "Have you encountered any other similar beings with in-built Fold abilities? Or has it just been Humans?"

 No.30979

>>30977
Close every door of every office in the hall, and urge the group into an office with lots of desks, closing that door behind us. And get us out of view of the doorway.
'2d6' for its stealth/complexity.

Roll #1 6, 1 = 7

 No.30980

>>30979
"You think this'll work?" Clarin says as he bunkers up to the less-than-worried prisoner.

"They have to know what we are at least?" Barbari responds with worry.

'1d10'

Roll #1 6 = 6

 No.30981

>>30980
"If it doesn't work we have a decent spot to defend from." I whisper to them.

 No.30982

>>30979
>>30981

You can feel footsteps run up to your room, enough that you can tell there are two here, and then they quickly run off up ahead.

You're prisoner is visibly upset, but doesn't shout at this time.

 No.30983

>>30982
"give it a few more seconds.." Let's make sure they went past.

 No.30984

>>30978
It should be interesting to see how they take our answers.
'2d6-1' Street Smarts
"There are a few species with comparable Fold capabilities, though their number is few and most carry… restrictions. There are, of course, the Fey-Ris, who are not only of smaller stature than humans, but possess Fold abilities that rival even that of the Voldra. However, their confinement to their own world, and the reasons therein, are well-documented, and somewhat infamous in the general populace."
"Psi-Keers possess similar mental capacities to the Voldra mind-link, but struggle to project that power- and investigations into their claims of 'future-sight' are inconclusive at best. There are other races with Fold capability, but all with either lesser potential or similar restrictions."
"In short, Humans are the first race we have encountered with such Fold capabilities, free of hard restrictions, while still capable of -and even exceeding at- social interaction and integration. In truth, we are as fascinated by them as you likely are."

Roll #1 3, 5 - 1 = 7

 No.30985

>>30983
The footsteps become fainter, then you hear another door being bashed.

"Nothing here either?"
"You think they lost us?"

These two don't seem to be very professional, the hall carrying their voice as they move along.

"They're off my sensors, or what's left of them." Barbari adds.

 No.30986

>>30985
"Okay, time to backtrack. We'll find another way to a check point."
Let's go to the hall and down the stairs.

 No.30987

>>30984
"Things didn't go so well for us last time."
"Maybe we'll be able to get the trick from them?"

They're attached to every word you say, aware of how important these questions and answers can be for them.

These are the only thing you're able to overhear clearly before conversations overtook it or changed.

A few of the Academics turn towards Malvi and ask her questions about Human adaptation to lower gravities and about any new experimental techniques they have for dealing with it. THe others who carry these questions are attentive, taking down every note they can.

"Alright, time's up." Bostaur shouts, much to the chagrin of the audience. "Hey, we were only given so much time. You want more, call your leaders and sign the deal." He shouts out dismissively.

"So, had fun?" Malci asks, sighing and sitting down.

 No.30988

>>30986
"I'm picking up two more radio sources, to our left." Barbari says. "And I'm running low on fuel…"

"Think you can wield that machine's shotgun?" Clarin adds. "Come on, this way, we'll head towards the next building through the alleyway. Keep low and quiet and cover us."

 No.30989

>>30987
Interesting… Apparently they are quite interested in Fold abilities, and had some failures in the past. Hopefully they are not foolish enough to attempt to use force to get the answers they want.

"We are truly, sincerely sorry for that, Friend-Malvi. It was not our intention to overshadow your own presentation. Perhaps we should have attempted to redirect their attention towards your work, rather than allowing them to derail the presentation."

 No.30990

>>30988
"If it shoots, I can shot I shoot it." I assure the alien, going to the next building cautiously.

 No.30991

>>30989
"Well, at least it'll be a memorable one for them. Besides, with all the pictures and videos and notes they've taken, I'm probably going to be the most well known Human here. There's that, right?" She looks in the direction of Duana. "I think she took it harder than I could. Come on, let's get her outside so we can enjoy some food. Let's not waste those chocolates I traded away."

>>30990
"Good, counting on you. Even if backup came, since we haven't reached the next checkpoint, that gun would do short work of them." Clarin says nervously before heading to a door on the side and opening it. He peeks in all directions before moving through a small alley and opening a door on the other side. Barbari and the Prisoner move next.

That's when you feel footsteps and their noise on tile in the room next to you. It's dangerously close, whoever is here is practically right next to you, a door standing between you.

A door whose knob can be heard twisting…

[PAUSE]

 No.30992

>>30932
Diaman just continues to smile her toothy smile.

Officer Hamiell starts pulling forward as the police clear him through. "Are Human police just like him?" He finally works up the courage to ask. "Just, your size?"

The vehicle goes through the colony proper. It's massive inside, with enormous buildings that could probably store a country's worth of people. But the streets and lights seem, underpopulated.

 No.30993

>>30992
It takes me an ungodly amount of willpower to not snapshot in the face of such a stupid question, it's like every single alien I meet just have to bring up the size! "Hurr you're small, durr are all tiny humans like that?"

Good thing he can't see all kinds of faces I'm making through the cockpit
I'll take a deep breath and speak up in a calm tone
"Yes, we have some aloof officers, some are more serious and all that, but please focus on the road for now"

I follow my own advice and keep an eye out through the window, expecting some kind of ambush or sniper lurking far away

Also keep an eye out on Diaman

 No.30994

>>30993
"Oh, that's somewhat comforting to hear." He responds quickly before looking around and above. "We'll be entering one of the warehouse districts. It's going to get plenty dark soon. Does that machine of yours have night vision?"

Your prisoner is also taking some time looking out the small windows…

 No.30995

>>30994
''Eyes to yourself'' Call out to Diaman before turning to the Cerotid ''Yeahh, it does''

Just hope its fuctional…''

 No.30996

>>30995
Roll Tech.

The vehicle heads deeper into Rhinkos-5. It enters what was formerly an industrial storage area, with numerous cargo containers strewn about. Most of the buildings in this area are empty, with an occasional light remaining in some far away office. The main light you get is the occasional overhead lamp. There are a few gaps in them.

"Spooky." Diaman says.

 No.30997

>>30996
[2d6-1]
I ignore the piscine's comment and focus on finding the damn switch for the headlights

Roll #1 3, 6 - 1 = 8

 No.30998

>>30997
You get both the Night Vision and Infrared sensors up. You can see the weird heat build-up of Diaman.

"Turn coming up, then a few more minutes before we hit another checkpoint. You doing okay in there?"

 No.30999

>>30998
''Yeah just fine, I got the lights working''

Please god dont let him start small talk with me I don't wannt mingle with these aliens PLEASE Just let their ambush start already so I can have an excuse to go trigger happy on them

 No.31000

>>30999
The lights get brighter as a cargo hauler comes out a short distance ahead. It stops at the light.

"There's cameras on every corner here and I still get worried. What about you?" Officer Hamiell asks. "There's another one two blocks down. Be advised of it."

Your Prisoner keeps a keen eye on container on the side of the street.

 No.31001

>>30913
"I charged my stuff, sure, but I didn't know I had to pack. I'm sure you didn't tell me about this trip last night!"

Hop aboard the hand and offer Eva my own hand.

 No.31002

>>31001
"I don't know how you could forget so many times either." Eva says with some exasperation as she reaches for you. "Thanks. Let's see what happens when I tell you from right now that I overheard we might all get planet leave soon. Please tell me you're going to prepare this time."

Doc puts both of you in her pouch, grabbing a few other objects and putting them with you as she hops out of the room. "Come on girls, it's only going to be for a few hours anyway. Aren't you excited to be off the ship?" She says as she enters an elevator headed to the Hangar.

 No.31003

>>31002
I'll cozy up against her wallet like a nice big pillow. "Well it's a bit late to prepare now, isn't it? We're already headed out the door."

 No.31004

>>30991
"Husssh" I urge them and point my weapon toward that door.

 No.31005

>>31003
"I meant for next time you dork." Eva says right before Doc tries calming her down by petting Eva's head.

"Wan's right. We're already on our way, so we'll just have to leave that stuff for later. My associate will be happy to meet you, so look forward to that." Doc hops around, a bit confused and looking around.

 No.31006

>>31005
It's a little jostling, so I'll lean on Eva for support. "Not much of a few in here, anyway. At least the gravity's working today."

 No.31007

>>31004
"Nothing back! Oh…" A shorter Cerotid opens the door, dressed in a large red jacket, holding his weapon to his chest while you have yours pointed at him.

There's a moment of tension…

 No.31008

>>31006
Eva is still lightly peeved, but she doesn't push you away as your body presses on hers.

Doc is hopping around, trying to find her way through the maze of all the people and cargo containers. "I think I'm lost…" She finally says disappointed. "You two wouldn't know your way to your machines, right?"

A pair of security guards in machines begin marching towards your direction. One of the Mechs is holding an unusual container.

 No.31009

>>31008
"I usually try to get a ride."

Wrap my arms around Eva, shaking her dramatically, "Don't you know the way, busybody?"

 No.31010

>>31007
"Relax, just a few out of towners, no need to report it." I use my hypnotic eyes on them. '2d6'

Roll #1 4, 1 = 5

 No.31011

>>30911
"Oh, excuse me for a moment. I have another pressing matter approaching." Medex says as he bows quickly, gesturing towards Enny, and heads towards a nearby room. You can see into it since it is glass and another, shorter pair of Cerotid have walked in.

"We have a few other options we can offer you to help with that. Most were meant for helping around the colony, but I'm sure we can modify them quickly enough for your needs. This way please!" Enny tries to hurry you along and heads towards the doors. "Have you dealt with the machines of other species?"

 No.31012

>>31009
She stiffens up but quickly gives up trying to break away, letting her head rest on you in surrender.

"Wait till these guys pass, then turn right a few hops." She says, before looking up at you a little confused. "Is it weird to you that we're not that worried about where we are right now? I mean, in this pouch." Eva asks as Doc follows her directions.

 No.31013

>>31012
"What'd you mean? I never know where I am, that's what I have a comlink for. Or you mean, you think it's inappropriate to be inside a coworker?"

 No.31014

>>31010
"Just a few homeless people, just like back home…" He says, but his stocky hands still slowly reaching for his weapon…

"Come on, I got another radio source closing in on you." Barbari says from the other building.

 No.31015

>>31011
"In passing. We don't have any dedicated experts on board, to the best of my knowledge."
No, seriously though, what the hell are these people having me look at? I'll pull up the briefing (they gave me a briefing, right?) on my PDA.

 No.31016

>>31014
"Thatss right, nothing but some homeless oness.." '2d6' keep eye contact as long as possible while slithering away backwards from him.

Roll #1 6, 6 = 12

 No.31017

>>31013
"Uhm…"
"Uh…"

Both Doc and Eva are quiet for a moment before you feel Eva push on your chest.

"Don't, don't say it like that!" Eva shouts.
"Let's focus on something else," Doc adds, "I found your machines. You two ready to ride in those?" Ahead, you can see several of your Fold capable Mecha being worked on. One of the bays is already empty, and the staff are working on the rest.

"Looks like Duana already left." Eva says.

 No.31018

>>31017
Giggle, "Well, to be honest, things are more comfortable here, besides Eva punching my boobs. But work calls, if we gotta go to the planet we gotta go. Maybe this one will have less gunfights."

 No.31019

>>31015
The briefing is short and simple.

Examine their robot production capabilities.
Come back with one of their machines so the rest of the Crew can go ahead and test it.

The rest of the note simply says the Business Guild will show you their machines.

"Perhaps we can pass one or two Engineers along. I know of several who are looking for opportunities…" She moves quickly, which is easy for you to notice since you have finer control over your machine's speed.

"Hey, Secretary, stop right there." A shorter Cerotid in fancy clothes yells out to you. Enny takes her time to respond but turns around.

"Can I help you, sir?" The shorter Cerotid approaches Ijapa.

 No.31020

>>31016
"Just a drunk Hobo." The Cerotid says into his mike. "He's completely passed out." He looks forward before moving on.

"No wonder the Humans recruited you." Clarin says, him keeping a gun on the prisoner, who now looks at you with some worry.

"Not to worry you guys, but I may need a ride in a moment. This thing is about to be empty." Barbari says with worry, his mech barely hobbling on one leg.

 No.31021

>>31019
I am astounded at the absolute lack of direction here. 'One of their machines'? I could come back with a goddamn pencil sharpener and that would still be following those directions!
Gah.
At any rate, let's tune back into what's holding us up.

 No.31022

>>31020
"I didn't use that ability to make them hire me, if that's whst you're asking." I say and slither to my human ally. "Can you hold onto my vest? I'd rather you not fall behind and I need my hands free."

 No.31023

>>31018
"I guess that's a good way to see it." Doc says, stopping near one of the mechas. "But this isn't a mission. I just think some fresh air might do you all some good! I'm still your Doctor." She adds as she scoops you out of her pouch with Eva.

"It's good to go." One of the maintenance crew guy says. "You got a really out there machine, so be careful with it, okay?" He says as he moves the ladder for you.

 No.31024

>>31023
"Right, I'm sure it will work out, explosions are my thing, and mechs run on explosions."

Climb in and head out. Am I meeting up with a guide like last time?

 No.31025

>>31021
He stares at Ijapa for an uncomfortable moment before quickly glancing over to you and back to Ijapa.

"I hope our colony-bound brethren here are showing you Humans the proper reverance. I apologize for their behavior." The shorter Cerotid says. "I'm Reze, the representative of the actual Rhinkos Business Guild." Your cameras show you that Enny didn't like that last comment. "If you don't mind, I'll be joining you, to make sure they do a proper job."

Medex slowly walks up with the second short Cerotid, clearly defeated and giving Enny a weak smile.

Your line with Ijapa opens up, looks like he's after some help here.

 No.31026

>>31022
"Oh, uh, sure. I think I can clip on to you, but I can't do much more than watch your back…" He parks the mecha in a pile of garbage, opening up his hatch.

"I lost to something that small…" The Prisoner says before Clarin reminds him who has the gun on him.

"Attention Security team, give us the Prisoner and we'll let you leave here alive!" Someone shouts from outside.

 No.31027

>>31026
"Randomly shouting? Guess they can't find us.." lean down so the human can attach himself to my chest-armor.

 No.31028

>>31024
Partially. One of your guides is Doctor Zorani, you'll be visiting one of her friends.

"Take the controls and I'll handle the systems." Eva says, climbing into the back seat of the machine. "I think you're the one with the most actual time in these."

"I don't think explosions will be all that necessary here." Doc adds. "I just have some findings I want to turn in personally, so let's not destroy anything that doesn't need to be blown up. Look, here's our ride now."

A small vehicle hovers into the Hangar bay, opening it's door.

"You can get through that door without breaking something, right?" Eva asks sarcastically.

 No.31029

>>31025
Private line to Ijapa: "Might be some infighting going on in the board room. Hopefully we don't get dragged into it and asked to pick a side or the next head of the thing by making a purchase. Also, this mission briefing is garbage and tells me nothing."
To the others: "I don't mind at all, Mr. Reze, though I am curious as to why you say 'actual'. Is there some difference between the colony guild and the one you represent?"

 No.31030

>>31027
He jumps on you, clipping himself towards your back. He won't be in the way if you need to shoot.

"Make this easy on you, just let me go." Your prisoner opens up, a devious smile on his face.

"I repeat, send him to us and you can go free! Otherwise, I can't control what my associates will do!"

 No.31031

>>31030
I hiss my tongue in disgust.
"And fail a job like thisss? No."

What are my exits from this building?

 No.31032

>>31029
"Your Computron assistant asks a good question. Let me start off by apologizing if our 'associates' here on Rhinkos-5 have made you and other Humans believe you need to be armed." He keeps looking at Ijapa. "We let our brethren here on the colony alone for too long. We're trying to bring them up to par now." Neither Medex nor Enny take too kindly to that comment, but the second short Cerotid with a clipboard has a smile.

"Let's continue on with the tour." Enny says. "We can be done shortly…"

 No.31033

>>31032
He doesn't know I'm not a robot?
I don't think our ship dealt with this branch. Oh boy.
I'll shoot Ijapa a quick message: congratulations, you're the human today. Reze over there doesn't know what humans look like.

 No.31034

>>31031
There's a few windows you can jump out of, but it's a decent fall and neither Clarin or the Prisoner have flight-capable equipment. Otherwise, you can try going up or down the staircase to end up in a different area. Clarin has suggested going up, since it'll lead to a place with more people.

"Then you'll just die and fail your job. Take your pick." His mouth is filled with sharp teeth, but a few are chipped and filed down.

 No.31035

>>31034
"I've got a few more skins to shed." Shrug off his threat, and lead the way upstairs.

 No.31036

>>31033
Ijapa doesn't exactly respond happily to the message, but does play along.

"As a Human representative, I can assure you that they've done a good job so far." He says in his most formal way possible, but you can tell he's hamming it up. "But time is short. I'm sure we can, uh, continue this over the next part of the tour."

"Yes, I think I will come along." Reze adds, turning to Enny. "Alright, don't keep them waiting!"

Enny turns around, opening the doors again and pointing towards the air masks before leading you deeper into the facility.

>"I don't think I'm small enough to pass for Human."

Ijapa messages you back quickly.

 No.31037

>>31035
"You had your chance!"

A hail of gunfire erupts through the building you were in previously, as the massive gun opens up on it. You can see rounds pierce multiple rooms and set what remains on fire.

"Just, why would they go to such an expense to try and get you and then do that?" Barbari asks.

"He has to be some hot shot or know something." Clarin adds as he follows the best he can.

Your smiling prisoner goes quiet as he continues to follow with you.

You can hear some buzzing approaching…

 No.31038

>>31037
Be ready to shoot it, but I'm not gonna stop going up.

 No.31039

>>31036
:Look at it this way, now you've got something to laugh about with your drinking buddies later.:
Despite being inside the pressurized cockpit, I'll probably pop on a mask or helmet myself, just in case of catastrophe.

 No.31040

>>31038
A set of drones qucikly fly past! They're outside of the building, but they're following around the building you were in and looking into the ones next it.

"The rest of the security team should be aware we missed out rendezvous, but I don't know how long we can keep away from those things." Clarin says, trying to adjust his breathing after all the climbing.

"It's just a matter of time now." The prisoner says.

"You think those things work on infrared?" Barbari asks.

A set of three drones break off, heading towards your building.

 No.31041

>>31039
No harm in wearing a proper helmet. It doesn't obstruct your view all that much, since you have a Worker's one inside your machine.

"As you can see, we have industrial 3-D printers ready and waiting to bring out as many machines and equipment as necessary." Enny says while walking you around.

"But they need some work if they want to catch up with the ones on our homeworld." Reze says, your cameras catching the other Cerotid giving him a thumbs up.

"Yes, well, these should be able to handle the early units that have been requested. I'll have them bring one of them up right now." She clicks on her Com-Link and a pair of Cerotid technicians turn on a fresh machine and walk with it to your group.

"Not as pretty as the ones back home." Reze interrupts her.

Roll Tech.

 No.31042

>>31040
"No idea." I reply flicking my tail. "Infared doesn't work well on my planet, we're all reptiles.."
can I radio anyone to tell get someone to meet us? Try my radio!

 No.31043

>>31041
'2d6+2'
I'm assuming the robotics expert bonus applies.
"There is something to be said for function over form, Mr. Reze."

Roll #1 5, 4 + 2 = 11

 No.31044

>>31042
"But they're not. I can have my machine self-destruct, think that'll distract them?" Barbari asks.

Your radio is jammed, but the walls help filter some of it and you begin picking up garbled talk from the Cerotid police!

>"Come*STATIC*in!"

>"*STATIC*What was that noise?"
>"Clarin, c*STATIC*"

The drones stop a few floors below you, but they're at your building now!

"About, five more floors to go to safety." Clarin says, some hesitation in his voice

 No.31045

>>31044
I narrow my eyes as I climb. "Can you make the mech overheat and beep alot? I remember Rachel's doing that."

 No.31046

>>31043
"True, but we can get you both on Rhinkos proper." Reze adds, much to the chagrin of Medex. "But these can be enough until then. We all have to work with what he have available." Even with the translators, you can taste the venom in his words.

These robots are simple but effective worker drones. While some of the parts are still exposed, you can also see that they have enough room for you to reach into them if they need maintenance or repair without having to use one of the bays. You'll have to modify your weapons and armor lightly, but you can see they were already designed with attachment points you can use.

"Due to *your* circumstances, I'm sure we don't need to take too much time away from the representatives. They were just here for a sample after all." Medex comes up, trying to keep his calm and looking towards you and Ijapa to bail them him out of his situation.

"Tell me, what need do you have of so many units? I'm sure once we have the colony aligned back with Rhinkos, we can better suit your order." Reze asks of Ijapa.

 No.31047

>>31045
"I still have a connection with it through my ComLink. I can set it right now and leave it running!" He shouts, typing away. "There, I'll start it up on your word." You can feel the buzzing of the drones approach.

 No.31048

>>31047
slither at a faster pace, and just as we're around to round a corner, "Activate it." and duck into hiding to see if it worked.

 No.31049

>>31046
Trust a working colony to have already stripped the bells and whistles down to what you need. God bless 'em.
"I believe I can better answer that question, Mr. Reze. To safely operate and maintain a colony ship, there must be not only the working units, but spare units in case those in service break down or otherwise malfunction. Not that I'm implying your guild would ever deliver substandard merchandise, of course, but just that it is a… security measure so that we are never caught short-handed for machinery. And as for your offer of waiting until realignment, I'm afraid time is not on either of our sides. Additionally, neither of us has clearance to make such a decision, as we were simply dispatched to inspect and retrieve the sample merchandise that had already been arranged before we docked with the colony."
I'll give a slight robotic shrug.
"Surely one in your position can appreciate the necessity of sticking to schedules?"

 No.31050

>>31048
The noises its speaker can produce reach you even up here, loud enough that you could host a rave with a single unit.

It overpowers the buzzing, so you can't tell where the drones are anymore.

"It'll keep going until the last bits of juice drain." Barbari says. "Sorry I can't do too much more for you."

 No.31051

>>31050
Its hard to hear myself talk with this noise, give the shorty a thumbs up, and keep slithering to the top.

 No.31052

>>31049
"Yes, of course." Reze coughs and straightens out his still massive clothing. "We wouldn't want to inconvenience a future ally of Rhinkos."

"Thank you for your time Mr. Representative!" Medex quickly comes up between you and Reze. "Enny can take them from here, we can return to my offices and we can finish our discussion without intruding on the Human's time."

"This way please, I'll present you the connection codes for this unit in the next room." Enny says quickly, opening the door through her ComLink while it's still a good walking distance away. "We can take care of the rest elsewhere, please."

 No.31053

>>31051
"Just three more flights of stairs, almost there." Clarin says, a sense of hope that quickly fades as a drone rockets above the floor you are in.

"That can't be good. Should we keep moving?" Barbari says, looking right at you.

"You should let me go is what you should do." Your prisoner adds right back. "Make things easier for everyone."

 No.31054

>>31052
"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Reze, Mr. Medex."
And with that, I'll accompany Enny and Ijapa to the now-open door.

 No.31055

>>31053
Slap the prisoner and coil my tail around his chest/mouth to prevent further outbursts.

"It hasn't seen us yet, just get behind its sweeping pattern and it should move on.."
'2d6+1' sneak behind its trail, so we wind up in a room it already scanned.

Roll #1 1, 5 + 1 = 7

 No.31056

>>31054
"We'll be in contact!" Reze shouts out as you're led out.

"I apologize for the interruption." Enny bows politely. "We are dealing with some changes, but none of them you have to worry about. If you want, we can send some of the attachments and engineers to your ship."

Ijapa just crosses his arms and lets his tail wag around, showing up some anxiety. "It's almost like I was back home over there. This happens often with you back on Earth?"

"I'll show you to the vehicle, if you want." Enny adds hurriedly.

 No.31057

>>31055
He manages to dodge your initial tail swipe, but you manage to grab onto his body as he wasn't expecting that.

As you move, you hear a loud, thunderous explosion come from below.

"I lost connection with my machine, but I didn't self-destruct it…" Barbari says.

"Are they really here to save this guy?" Clarin follows up.

 No.31058

>>31056
"Businessmen are the same the universe over, Ijapa. Try to upsell you on everything when something simple and functional will do. Especially when they know you're not sticking around for too long."
To Enny
"That'd be great, if you don't mind. The engineers will be a big help with getting our crew familiar with the tech."

 No.31059

>>31057
"Doesn't matter, that distraction didn't last long enough for us to ask them questions."
I lick the air, tasting it as a way of gaining perception, thou most likely I just taste the smoke. '1d6' for luck

"Can we block any of the stairs behind us, so the drones have to fly around?"

Roll #1 4 = 4

 No.31060

>>31058
"Feels like he's one step above, you know?" Ijapa says, taking a deep breath from within the air mask.

"You can remove it in the next room. The machine will follow you if you broadcast this code," Enny sends you the frequency via ComLink, "and you can try it out in person on the way back with us."

It's a short walk back in the machine, though it would be closer to feeling like a marathon if you had to walk the distance to the vehicle, but the rest of the walk is quiet. Enny points out a few more things Rhinkos-5 can do for the Ankylosaur and Humanity on her way out, but she doesn't spend too much time on them as the vehicle pulls up for you.

"I do apologize for the interruption again." Enny says.

 No.31061

>>31059
Plenty of different kinds of chemical tastes flow through you, but then you get a good whiff of Cerotid. It's not Clarin's smell though, closer to that of the guy you tricked earlier.

"These places have been cleared out for a while. Best we can do is a few desks and cabinets." Barbari says.

"And I can't exactly help out too much with that." Clarin states, limping along near your prisoner.

 No.31062

>>31061
I shake my head. "The drones can just fly over that stuff, and now a scout's up ahead of us somewhere."
Keep going, wary of a trap.

 No.31063

>>31062
"We can't let them get away!"
"It's either them or us!"

You hear fragments of conversation as the enemies approach themselves.

"I can stall them a bit. I can probably hide and set up a few distrations for them while you get away." Barbari offers. "This way they don't get all of us…"

 No.31064

>>31060
I'll wave that off.
"It's fine. Pushy supervisors trying to improve their standing without reading the memo happen to everyone, eventually. I'm actually surprised you and Medex could keep your composure so easily. Does that happen often?"

 No.31065

>>31064
"Just, sort of. It's been an on-going negotiation for some time now." Enny looks away, then quickly smiles. "But I think working with Humanity might help us. I know there was going to be an important conference around this time with another of your specialists. Besides, maybe we should focus on future things. After the machine is delivered, would you be interested in a tour of the more entertaining parts of Rhinkos-5? We actually have places like cinemas and cafes, maybe if you can get some time off?"

[PAUSE]

 No.31066

Combination Post:

Latasha:
>>31063

Frank:
>>31065

Shelly:
>>30991

Wan:
>>31028

Rachel:
>>31000

 No.31067

>>31065
"Well, there was some shopping that one of my team was dying to get done, and she and her husband might enjoy the shore leave…"
I'll think for a second.
"Sure, if I can get leave for it I'd probably enjoy a walk around."

 No.31068

>>30991
"Of course. Sampling the local cuisine is an essential part of any disembarking!"
Hopefully Friend-Duana is not too distressed for much longer. And maybe we can convince Friend-Malvi to give us the presentation she was trying to give to the Academics, to make up for stealing the show. There's one scientist in the Gargantian ring in particular who is sure to take an interest in the subject of her research, considering he is studying the exact opposite situation.

 No.31069

>>31063
"Negative. But you can take my pilot and hide."
Unclip the human and kind of rudely lift him up and pass him over, like one would a doll.

 No.31070

>>31028
Reply pensively, "It seems a waste to not blow up two birds with one stone, but I guess so."

Let's head out.

 No.31071

>>31067
Enny's disappointment disappears as her ears start flickering with her thoughts.

"Hmm, there was the Urig district, but I think that got repurposed… I think the Singi Shops are still available. Or Singi shop in this case." Her tones lowers a bit before picking up. "But it should be fine. You might even be able to go there without your machine!" Her ears pick up at the end there.

"Would be fun to breathe something that isn't filtered air for once." Ijappa adds.

 No.31072

>>31068
"You know, you're right. I never tried anything from that water world we stopped at earlier. Since it's calmer here, might be a fun thing. Do you usually sample the food from other worlds, or usually stick to something pre-made?" She looks at you, then quickly glances towards the machine.

"If you don't mind helping me get in my machine, we can be on our way too."

 No.31073

>>31071
"True that. If it isn't the recycled air on the ship, it's the canned air in the suits."
I'll nod to myself a little.
"Sounds like we've got ourselves a plan, then."

 No.31074

>>31069
"Hey!" Barbari shouts without struggling.

"You sure about this? I haven't gotten any experience with them. Huh, heavier than I thought." Clarin says as he holds onto him. "We can keep moving up, we're almost there. Just gotta lose the drone, but the guys coming up might be trouble…"

 No.31075

>>31072
"Right, of course."
Gingerly pick up the tiny female and carry her back to her mech.
"Pre-made?" we scoff derisively. "That is for long journeys and places where food cannot be made locally. Food is to be enjoyed, and explored, and indulged in to the greatest extent possible before the locals get ang-
-we hear that this port's local dishes are different from those on their homeworld. The difference should be very interesting!"

 No.31076

>>31070
"Honestly, where did you pick up these ideas?" Eva asks. "Everything seems good on the screens, let's get into our next ride."

"I never talked to you girls about Clora, did I?" Doc says as she hops inside. "She's been helpful in improving on some of my research. I've had a hard time working in my field until your organization managed to hire me, she was one of the few I could rely on. But she could be a bit strange at times."

 No.31077

>>31076
"I probably wouldn't remember! But I'm eager to meet her, so let's not dally!"

Set a course and launch!

 No.31078

>>31074
"Neither of you can fight, you'd just be in danger." I say with a cold reptilian stare, and keep climbing.

 No.31079

>>31073
"Looks like one of the main routes is having some issues, we'll be taking a little…" she stops herself, but continues on quickly, "detour to your ship. In the mean time, is there anything specific you were looking for? I have access to stock counts that aren't publicly available yet."

"If we got the time, I already have a list of things I was looking for." Ijapa pulls out a list from his ComLink.

>>31075
"Is that so? I'll add that to my notes then." Malvi states plainly as she climbs into her machine with your help.

Refis opens up one of the side doors, beckoning the group to follow him.

"Didn't expect you to be such a hit. My ComLink and Social Networks are blowing up with questions and links. I've had to put the thing on silent since, forever. Stuff like this always happens?"

 No.31080

>>31077
"Hey, don't jump us into the roof of the car!" Eva shouts at you. The vehicle here is large and well decorated. There's even a pair of water bottles as big as you! As soon as you sit down, it quietly but quickly hovers towards the entrance.

"Well, she mostly communicated to me through messages. Some were almost as indecipherable as yours when she was in a hurry. She's a brilliant person, but sometimes…" Doc looks off into space for a moment before offering you a hand. "Maybe bringing the machine wasn't so necessary. Here, feel the seating. Maybe you'll like it here and want to stay." Doc offers you her hand, putting it near your machine's entrance as the car quickly heads to the bay doors.

 No.31081

>>31080
Shrug and disembark, "Not undercover here?"

 No.31082

>>31078
"There's nowhere else to run!" This time the shouts comes from the floor below you, just as you're about to reach the exit. "Just give him up!" You can hear and feel them very close. A few more seconds and you can probably see them…

 No.31083

My gun's out and ready. How many does it feel like?

 No.31084

>>31079
"Right, so I'm not sure where it fall under, but the materials for temperature/moisture-regulating scarves would be… where exactly?"

 No.31085

>>31081
"I was told most of the staff was already aware. They've gotten far into negotiations and your particular size should have come up by now." She says warmly as she keeps her hand up for you. "They might even be setting up places to stay like you have with us."

 No.31086

>>31085
"That's good, but I'm hardy. I could fall asleep just about anywhere if I was tired."

Spread out on her palm and pat it for emphasis.

 No.31087

>>31083
Just two. Foot steps aren't too heavy compared to Clarin, so they might not be using heavy equipment either.

>>31084
"Moisture regulating scarves? Is your ship that damp?" She clicks through ComLink, whittling down options. "What's it for?"

 No.31088

>>31087
"Nah, one of my mechanics has a bit of trouble working in higher-temperature areas, and the scarf unit she's got isn't quite up to the task. So the rest of us thought we'd look around to see if we can't find the parts or entire unit of a higher-performing one to help her out a bit."

 No.31089

>>31079
"Apparently the Cerotid are rather preoccupied with Fold-manipulation; maybe they think that human Fold-abilities might prove the key to filling the holes in their previous endeavors?"
Chuckle quietly at Refis' question.
"Oh no, this is very unusual. In our experience, these escapades tend to involve more gunfire, explosions, and criminals, rather than enthusiastic scientific discussion."

 No.31090

>>31087
Okay, might as well go on, and try to disable one right away.
'3d6+1' pew pew

Roll #1 4, 3, 4 + 1 = 12

 No.31091

>>31086
"I wouldn't be surprised if you fell asleep in one of their drawers. It takes me way too long to rouse you from sleep." Eva shouts, preferring to stay in the machine as Doc lowers you from her warm hands.

"This material was pretty pricy back home, but maybe they can make it for less here." She puts you on the soft seat material as the vehicle finally enters the colony and it's first security checkpoint. The Window begins to open and one of the local aliens walks towards you.

"Oh, so this is one of the Humans that was coming aboard. Aren't you cute?" She says, her heavy set body hidden behind white fur and an officer uniform. Her huge snout and horn on it take up a lot of the window area.

 No.31092

>>31091
Fur, snout, and horn? Some kind of rhino or something? Give a friendly wave regardless, before returning my attentions to the material, where I rub my cheek.

"Hmm, materials costs never make sense to me, it seems like the strangest things are expensive."

 No.31093

>>31088
Her ears perk up quickly, surprising even Ijappa. "How, considerate of you. Yes, that'll help." She quickly tags through her ComLink at an even faster pace than before. "I can arrange for a few possible choices to be brought over!" She says excitedly.

"Wouldn't it be too much to do so, even for us?" Ijapa asks.

"We've had some change in circumstances, so just moving supplies around will be easy." Enny replies. "If you can send me your ComLink information, I can get you a whole list of them."

Your vehicle enters a dark area, one of the deeper parts of the colony. The only light comes from overhead lamps.

 No.31094

>>31093
"And then I can forward that to the one worrying about color and design, and get hit with the total laundry list of things to bring back to the ship. Sounds perfect."
I'll exchange contact information with Enny, and send a heads-up to Saanen that I've likely found a supplier for the scarf pieces for Civet's thing, and will be updating her as we go along.

 No.31095

>>31089
"Some of the information I have come across might prove beneficial to them. I can use it as a bargaining chip to have them look into my own research…" Malvi begins to get lost in thought. You can hear her begin clicking on her DataPad.

"Ah, not what I'm used to, but I'm glad it hasn't led to that yet, or ever." Refis says, unsure of himself. "Anyway, this way, we can get a chair and table in the cafeteria. It's not exactly, occupied at the moment. Would an outdoor seat be fine?" Refis finishes asking.

"Speaking of seats, I think Duana wants to say something when we get there, so be ready for that." Kamori tries her best to whisper through the radio.

 No.31096

>>31090
"Ahh, my gun!" Your weapon bursts through the flimsy shield of the first Cerotid that appears in your view, hurting his arm and causing him to drop his weapon, but he manages to jump back.

The second one aims his rifle in your direction, then opens fire blindly. '2d6'

"You had your chance!"

Roll #1 2, 6 = 8

 No.31097

>>31090
>>31096
Your shield suffers some minor damage, but it's holding on.

"Now all of you are going to get it! It just had to be him!"

Latasha 20/25

 No.31098

>>31096
>>31097
"I really hate dealing with chatty customerss at work."
'3d6+1' shoot at the guy who still has a gun.

Roll #1 3, 3, 2 + 1 = 9

 No.31099

>>31095
"You are looking for other scientists to look into your own research?"
"Outdoors? We do not think the humans brought the appropriate zero-g suits inside of their mechs for that."
Friend-Duana wants to say something? Perhaps another apology, if she is still feeling bad. Whatever it is, we will be sure to listen to it.

 No.31100

>>31092
"Don't mind her, Officer." Eva says, adding in her own wave.

"Stuff back home was getting expensive. I only got to enjoy this when a relative brought over their own hovercar. He kept it locked up otherwise." Doc says as she quickly pets you.

"Alright, I was already told about your circumstances. I'll give you the ComLink number if you need any help, but this place should be safe, even for you. Not too many kids around who might try and take you home."

The Officer presses a button on her DataPad and the vehicle starts moving again.

"Hmm, have either of you given it any thought to stay elsewhere? Any of these colonies or planets we're visiting, have you thought about making one of them your home?"

 No.31101

>>31100
"What, us? But we're Fold Girls. We were trained from a young age at a special academy. I never even thought about quitting the military. Wouldn't that be like deserting?"

 No.31102

>>31094
"Okay, I can get this done in quickly. You'll have a huge selection to go through!" Enny says as the Hovercar continues through the darkness, a heavy cargo hauler pulling up beside you. "Do you usually give out gifts?"

 No.31103

>>31098
His shield flashes, absorbing the hits, but confirming that you've struck him.

Then the Cerotid whose gun you had knocked away draws out his pistol, it's laser sight making it clear that his target isn't you, but the Prisoner!

'1d6' '2d6'

Roll #1 5 = 5 / Roll #2 2, 2 = 4

 No.31104

>>31102
"Generally, no. This being a 'group' gift is probably why I'm so on-board with it. I'm keeping in touch with the woman who's actually going to try and slap the thing together and make it look fashionable, so I'll be passing along most of it to her. I will probably rule out things that would clash too noticeably with gift recipient's complexion, though."

 No.31105

>>31103
"No." Use my own shield's area to take the hits.
and return fire on the guy who was stupid enough to pick up another weapon.
'3d6+1'

Roll #1 5, 4, 1 + 1 = 11

 No.31106

>>31099
"I hit a few roadblocks." Malvi says. "Main one being funding, but some of my research needs real-world trials, so to say. Rhinkos-5 will be my best bet. If circumstances remain decent…" Malvi drifts off into her ideas.

"I mean, just here in the open areas. If you climb up a flight of stairs, you can actually see the stars, even through the glass." Refis says excitedly. "Over there, just s bit further. You can even see the stairs." He points it out, but you continue to see few Cerotid out here, even after Malvi's hijacked presentation should be bringing more academics out.

>>31103
Latasha 17/25

Without his shield, the bullets quickly go through the Cerotid's legs, bringing him down to the ground with blood everywhere.

"Why're you protecting someone who shot at your own people!?" The Cerotid Assassin yells as he drags his buddy out of the line of fire.

 No.31107

>>31101
"Yeah, they've always taken care of us." Eva adds.

Doc looks at the two of you before turning to the side. "Just asking." She turns towards you. "We're almost there, let's get you back in your machine. You can see the people walking around."

 No.31108

>>31106
"Sssimple, Its my job. Now why are you both eager to kill him?"
I reply with a softer tone "You could just give up, lay down your weapons and I won't have a reason to hurt you.." '2d6' hypnoeyes

Roll #1 2, 6 = 8

 No.31109

>>31106
"Even with all the attention that presentation brought, there are not many Cerotids out. Is this station in the middle of a population crisis?"

 No.31110

>>31104
"How considerate." Despite their size, Enny's fingers tap quickly on her ComLink. "I can even…"

*KRACK*

The cargo hauler beside your vehicle has begun smoking and seems to have it's front pointed towards your vehicle!

 No.31111

>>31110
Shit, nothing goes right on away missions.
If we stop the vehicle we're in, will the other one just go ahead of us and miss? Are we on autopilot?
"Brace yourselves, we're probably in trouble!"

 No.31112

>>31105
The bleeding Assassin catches a brief glimpse of your eyes before he's dragged around a corner.

"'Cause that's the job. He knows all about it!"
"Shut up!"

The two Assassins argue among each other and quickly quiet down and Clarin and Barbari move on ahead.

"He said it wasn't going to be like that!" Your Prisoner finally shouts back at them. "It wasn't supposed to end like this!" Your Prisoner turns and tells you, wrapped in your coils.

>>31109
"Hard not to notice, huh? The birth rate has gone real low, and Homeworld has finally loosened up a bit, supposedly." Refis ruffles his head fur. "Let's see if it sticks this time. I hope your research Dr. Malvi will help us out. Over there, a few seats and you can see through the imaging." Refis leads you a flight of stairs, then points up towards the glass keeping the atmosphere in the colony. Parts of it are dimmer, allowing the stars and sun of this system to shine through.

"Alright, I think she's ready." Kamori says, opening up her mech's cockpit area. "Let's get this done before we start eating. Shelly, I think Duana has something to say to you." DUana stands up, but remains quiet.

 No.31113

>>31112
"You can tell me all about it in the prison cell." I sigh and slither up to the assassins.
"No following." and take whatever guns they dropped.

 No.31114

>>31112
"Hopefully it works out optimally for you all."

Tilt our head patiently towards Duana.
"Yes, Friend-Duana? We are listening."

 No.31115

>>31108
Being separated by just a few stairs, the shielded Assassin falls victim to your gaze as he tries to look around the corner.

"He knew the price. He knew what the job was about. Argh, stop that!" He heads away from the corner, trying to stay away from your ability.
"Call in the drone!" The second one yells, likely into his ComLink.

"Leave 'em, I need to get out of here! You need to get me out of here!" Your Prisoner shouts.

 No.31116

>>31111
"AHH!" Enny shouts as the sparks from the cargo hauler completely cover up your vehicle, drowning everyone in lights and sounds as the cargo hauler skids to a stop ahead of yours. Your auto-piloted vehicle also slows to a full stop before the massive mountain of smoke caused by the Hauler.

"Is it over?" Enny asks, silenced by popping noises coming from outside!

 No.31117

>>31115
Clever boys, my gaze wouldn't work against a robot.
"Save your breath telling me what I knew." Start slithering to the next check point.
"You'll need it for telling me things I don't know."

 No.31118

>>31107
"Right, okay then!"

Climb in, and let's go.

 No.31119

>>31113
The weapon they dropped is a nice and clean looking semi-automatic weapon. It's small enough to hide almost anywhere on yourself. There's a constant river of blood leading towards the next corner as the wounded Assassin is dragged away, catching one last glimpse of you before being pulled away.

"Get me there and I'll tell you everything you want!" Your Prisoner says, new desperation reaching out.

"Drone's coming towards your floor!" Barbari shouts over the radio. "Just ignored us above you. Think you can sneak around it, or did you get enough ammo to shoot it down?"

 No.31120

>>31116
"Doesn't sound like it just yet. Keep your head down, we'll check to see if the coast is clear."
I know I've got my personal sidearm, but I don't think I brought the bot's gun on this trip, since we were hoping to not get into trouble.

 No.31121

>>31114
Duana's chest can be seen inflating and deflating. She's breathing deeply as Kamori looks on behind her.

"Come on, you can do it." Kamori tells her.

"Yes, uh, thank you for helping me back there!" Duana shouts, bowing towards you.

 No.31122

>>31119
"I picked up a semi-automatic, might tear up the thing but I prefer to avoid the risk."
Pick a room with two doors so I can try to sneak around this robot.
'2d6'

Roll #1 2, 2 = 4

 No.31123

>>31117
>>31122
These used to be offices, so there's plenty of cubicles and rooms to dart between. It's made easier that your Prisoner is now cooperating.

"Come on, come on, get me outta here."

You manage to sneak between to basic cubicles, but not quite fast enough to ditch the Drone. It's floating outside the building, but it's looking around just outside where you.

"I can take a shot and distract it." The Human Barbari says. "Clarin is getting our escape opened up, and I can probably hide from it's sensors for a moment."

 No.31124

>>31121
Blink a couple of times at this strange display.
"You are… welcome? Is that really all you wished to say? You thank us for our assistance all the time, without nearly this amount of effort. Eagerly, even."
Get down lower so that we can look directly at her, without looking down at her.
"If there is something else troubling you, we are here to listen."

 No.31125

>>31118
Rhinkos-5 is a well developed colony. Looks a lot like back home with the similar looking buildings, if they were populated by very big people. There aren't too many on the streets as the hovercar moves around town. There are only a few shops open, not too many giants out here.

Eventually, the vehicle heads to some suburb like areas. The trees and plants tower over the hovercar as a set of buildings approach in the distance.

"Are they just going to hollow out one of those trees?" Eva asks. "You could probably fit everyone on the Ankylosaur into one with room to spare. Where would you want to live, on the top of the tree, or inside it?"

 No.31126

>>31123
"Don't take unnecessary risks Barbari."
I tell him and try sneaking around to the otherside.
'2d6'

Roll #1 2, 1 = 3

 No.31127

>>31120
The doors on your vehicle open up, allowing you and Ijappa to leave it when you choose to. The smoke coming from the cargo hauler is heavy, but your camera can compensate for it. Popping noises increase, but you see no bullet's striking your vehicle.

 No.31128

>>31127
"Could just be mechanical failure. Enny, is that manned, or automated? And can this thing go in reverse?"

 No.31129

>>31124
"It's fine. You're always helping me, and I keep messing up…"

>>31126
Too slow! The Drone is locked into your position, making quick movements, trying to identify and locate you!

 No.31130

>>31129
'3d6+1' use the semi-auto weapon on the drone, hoping to break it before it can start firing.

Roll #1 4, 4, 5 + 1 = 14

 No.31131

>>31125
"A tree? I don't know, it doesn't seem very hygienic. Isn't wood alive? I'm always a little worried it will grab me with its vines like in those animated cartoons Kara watches." I reply doubtfully.

 No.31132

>>31128
"Most of the vehicles have been automated, but some still have a Driver in case the system acts up." She says. "Do you think someone is inside that thing?"

There doesn't seem to be any damage on the side facing your vehicle. The smoke continues to pour out, even accelerating.

>>31130
The drone flails side to side as the camera takes damage, forcing the machine to move and take damage to one of its jets.

But it isn't out and opens fire on the whole floor!

'3d2'
'6d6'

Roll #1 1, 2, 2 = 5 / Roll #2 4, 2, 4, 2, 6, 5 = 23

 No.31133

>>31130
>>31132
Latasha 22/25

Your shield recharged once the two Assassins were out of the picture, but the powerful guns of the Drone can penetrate it. If it could hit you, which it failed to do as it moved around, unable to right itself in the air.

 No.31134

>>31132
"If there is, they're probably in rough shape. You two back this thing up, I'll check the cabin and try to get that thing turned off."
Were I a more suspicious man, I'd chalk this up to more than mere coincidence. But for now I'm just going to check and see if there's anyone, or anything, in the cabin of that hauler.

 No.31135

>>31131
"I told her…" Eva tries to say as Doc interrupts her quickly.

"We're here!" She points to one of the six buildings. She said she was going to stay in today for us." Doc cranes her neck up trying to find her apartment. "It might be busy trying to get so high up, so you might have to stay in your machine just so you don't get sat on. I told her about you, but let's not try to shock her too quickly, okay?"

 No.31136

>>31134
Your machine is unphased by the smoke, but whatever is inside might be able to make short work of it. The mecha has no difficulty pulling off the door and tossing it aside. Inside the Cargo Hauler is a Cerotid, unconscious and bleeding out. His horn is broken.

 No.31137

>>31129
"Correction: you are learning. Messing up would imply familiarity with what you are attempting to accomplish. Your beam of Fold-energy was much stronger than last time, and with that strength comes new complexities. It is like after the first molt, when you remember how to walk, but your legs are much longer than you remember, so you stumble around and trip over yourself."
"It's not like we Voldra started off this skilled with Fold-energy either. The only reason this drone is able to jump with such precision is because of the hundreds of drones before him who accidentally jumped into rocks, or three miles off-target, or simply disappeared never to be seen again. For you to make such jumps in skill without such casualties is impressive!"

 No.31138

>>31133
'3d6+1' Keep shooting at it, don't give it time to straighten out.

Roll #1 6, 5, 6 + 1 = 18

 No.31139

>>31135
"That's fine, but I'm eager to get inside, it feels like we've been traveling all day already."

 No.31140

>>31136
Right, well, I'm not trained in medical, but I'll, gently and speedily as possible, carry him over to our vehicle.
"Ijapa, if there's any first aid materials in that car, we're gonna need them."

 No.31141

>>31137
"Really! Thanks! You've really helped me a lot!" She shouts, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

>>31138
The weapon you picked up has a considerable magazine size, spitting out projectiles at a fast rate without your usual recoil. It puts deep dents into the drone, which takes damage in another of its jets and finally spirals downwards, out of control.

"Clarin's got the door open, hurry up before its buddies get to you!" Barbari shouts.

 No.31142

>>31141
"Understood." I reply into the radio and hurry toward my allies.

 No.31143

>>31139
The hovercar parks itself and opens the doors, allowing you three to go into the building proper. Inside, the Projection of one of the Cerotid people waits in the lobby, which looks normal except for its large size and very noticeable amounts of fur on the furniture. Doctor Zorani gets her directions confirmed and takes you towards the elevator, where you're joined by a family rushing in. Their fluffy child keeps its eyes on your machine as you ride up to the room.

The elevator stops and lets you off on one of the higher floors. As Doc knocks on Clora's door, it simply swings open. The massive room is dark, papers and dirty containers littered everywhere.

"Clora, you in here!?" Doc shouts with worry.

 No.31144

>>31143
"I wonder how they deal with all the fur in this world, it must make such a mess."

 No.31145

>>31140
"Hold on, Enny is digging through the glove compartment and unless it's a papercut, it's not going to cut it. I see you, I'll help you out." Ijappa rushes out, taking the unconscious Cerotid's arm and dragging him back. "I can set him down, but he looks bad."

The Cerotid's left leg is mangled and bleeding badly, but it looks like the other leg is fine.

"I've put the gate checkpoint as our priority destination. They'll have more medical equipment there!" Enny shouts, occupied with the vehicle.

"You have any cutting tools on you or your machine?" Ijappa asks. "We can cut off some of his clothes to try and use them as a bandage."

The Vehicle continues on its route…

>>31142
The smoke from the Drone continues to rise as you and the Prisoner make your way to the top floor.

"Over here, hurry up!" Clarin shouts, waving at you. "I've got reinforcements coming!"

The Drones can be heard, they're rushing towards you now, a few shots cutting through the floor!

>>31144
"Probably a giant vacuum cleaner. Try not to get sucked into one or you'll clog it for a day." Eva jokes.

"Should we go in?" Doc asks, her ears and tail flipping around with her indecision.

"I've got a life sign here. Plenty of heat too coming from over there." Eva says, highlighting the source on the display. There's a set of computers and monitors hooked up together inside the living room, but they're all surrounding something.

"Oh, welcome…" A soft voice says from inside the pile of equipment. "Come in…" It follows up.

 No.31146

>>31145
Push the prisoner out in front of me, "Run, it will be faster."
And both of us make a break for top of the building.

 No.31147

>>31145
"All designed to deal with metal, not cloth. And most of it with heat."
I'll rifle through the storage compartments of the mech.
"And most of the rest of this was designed to patch robots, not people. So unless we want to make a tourniquet out of tubing, we might have to get creative."

 No.31148

>>31145
"That's convenient, I was about to have to crawl under the door or something. Let's go, then."

 No.31217

>>31146
The bullets are starting to approach you as they pierce through the floors, littering you and the area with debris that used to be a nice office.

You'll need to use your Agility to dodge the blind fire, making sure you aren't where the bullets will be making their appearance.

 No.31218

>>31217
'2d6-1' big snek butt coming through

Roll #1 4, 2 - 1 = 5

 No.31219

>>31141
"Well, you are most certainly welcome, Friend-Duana! We are more than happy to facilitate your learning and growth into something amazing."
Reach out a leg and prop her chin up.
"So thank you, for allowing us to be a part of your development. It has been a truly special experience."

 No.31220

>>31218
Your shield flashes several times as it deflects the bullets from hitting your scales. Even the debris triggers it as you make it towards the exit. The lights and sounds intensify as you get closer, but you're able to make it through the "roof" of the building and onto the level above. It's well lit, but lots of Cerotids are running away as the bullets continue to pierce the ground.

Your Prisoner is carrying Clarin towards an unused vehicle, but watch out for the bullets!

 No.31221

>>31220
"Move it!!" I shout at my 'ally' encouraging him.
'2d6-1'

Roll #1 1, 1 - 1 = 1

 No.31222

>>31219
She's got a big smile and even Kamori reaches over and ruffles up her hair.

"Thank you! You're a real good teacher!" Duana shouts, much happier than before.

"Alright, now that the waterworks are over," Malvi interrupts, "we should enjoy the food I traded my chocolates for." Her machine pulls up a container filled with individual foods from the Ankylosaur. Opening the lids, you can see Refis take in all the new smells.

"Woah, you get all of this on your ship?" Refis asks with a hungry mouth.

 No.31223

>>31221
The sheer amount of ammunition going through the area you are on to start collapsing, allowing the Drone to shove the front half of it through!

The massive gun and camera are practically behind you! Find cover and deal with the stuck Drone!

 No.31224

>>31222
Good to see that she is no longer sad.
"Indeed! The food is one of the benefits of working alongside humans. Try mixing the vanilla and the Jalapeno flavors!"
Now that it's food time, let's see what was packed for this drone.

 No.31225

>>31223
I'll slither behind some thick looking wall.
'2d6'
'3d6' fire at the drone

Roll #1 2, 1 = 3 / Roll #2 4, 3, 4 = 11

 No.31226

File: 1526005535099.png (462.1 KB, 330x678, Mushroom lunch.png)

>>31224
"Here we go, had to prioritize for availability, and local tastes, so I traded with the Twins a few things." She says, popping up the last few lids. "The ship was able to get a nice supply from the water world we visited, and you'd be surprised just how much of my research ended up getting mixed with plants and recipes."

Refis' ears and snout are going into overdrive.

"You might want to pour him a bowl first. He looks like he hasn't eaten anything in a while." Kamori jokes.

 No.31227

>>31225
You move behind a simple wooden wall of one of the nearby stalls, but it won't do much to stop those bullets!

You get a few good hits in, but the Shield they shoved into it takes the brunt of the damage!

It tries to maneuver it's own weapon and shoot at you!

'4d2'
'4d6'

Roll #1 2, 1, 2, 1 = 6 / Roll #2 3, 2, 1, 3 = 9

 No.31228

>>31227
'3d6' "Go defrag yourself." I angerily shout at the drone.

Roll #1 5, 2, 4 = 11

 No.31229

>>31227
>>31225
The wall at least hampers its aim, causing a few shots to miss and the rest to at least just graze your shield!

Latasha 25/20

You can hear something inside of it cycle…

 No.31230

>>31229
the only way out is to keep shooting.
>
>>31228

 No.31231

>>31147
Inside the compartment, you find some gum, a progressive knife, a manual, and a flare gun. At your size, you couldn't really threaten an Alien with it, but it might do well against cloth.

"Uhm, can your machine lock it's hand in place?" Enny tries to ask, attempting to keep her cool.

 No.31232

>>31231
"It could, yes, but I was planning on using that to keep him steady while we get him to actual medical professionals. I'm open to ideas, though."
The real question is if we've got the spare cloth necessary to bind this guy's wounds.

 No.31233

>>31230
"Hey, tin can!" One of the Police-Bots shouts out and takes a few shots at the stuck Drone, which responds with explosive force! Six missiles launch into the air, but one is shot down by the Cop-Bot before it gets sent flying back by another one!

A pair of the missiles arch towards you and the splinters of the wall won't protect you!

'2d6'

Roll #1 4, 6 = 10

 No.31234

>>31233
>>31229
The two missiles do some decent damage on your shield and two more are still arching downwards!

Latasha 25/13

 No.31235

>>31226
"Speaking of, we would be interested to hear more about your research, Friend-Malvi. They may have been more interested in Fold abilities, but we are interested to hear more about… the effects of gravity on development, correct?"
Resist the urge to hog it all and pour Refis a bowl, but holding onto it as a thought occurs.
"What if the way his ears and snout are going is a sign of distress? Do you not want this food, Cerotid-Refis? Are we pressuring you into something you do not want?"

 No.31236

>>31234
>>31233
My blood is 'boiling' as I move and shoot at the drone.
'2d6-1' slitherin' away
'3d6' shootin'

Roll #1 5, 3 - 1 = 7 / Roll #2 2, 1, 4 = 7

 No.31237

>>31232
"I'll do what I can for that!" Ijappa shouts. "Have it press down on his leg, above the stump. It'll hold it's pressure better than I can, then cut off his pant leg. Enny will have to bandage him for us!"

"Wait, what!?" She shouts.

 No.31238

>>31235
"Most of it was on the effect of Gravity Generators on developing embryos. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't the same as natural gravity." Malvi goes on, citing a few Human examples. "There have been several methods implemented that we believe can improve the viability of long-term space living for a species."

"No, it's fine! I want it! I just haven't smelled *anything* like that, ever. We have plenty of vegetables here, but we only have so many that develop in space." Refis states, reaching over for the bowl. "I recognize parts of it, but what else are these? WIll you trade for them?" Refis asks, looking at the girls before chowing down.

 No.31239

>>31236
The missiles come in as you continue to shoot!

'2d6'

Roll #1 1, 5 = 6

 No.31240

>>31237
"I've only got so many hands, unfortunately. And one of you is going to have to hold him so the other can wrap the wound. It'll be fine, Enny."
I'll clamp the leg.
"Just try and make it quick, I have no idea how Cerotid blood pressure works."

 No.31241

>>31238
Chitter a bit as we push the bowl back over to him, before pouring some for ourself and digging in.
"Interesting. Though it does raise the question of whether, if gravity generators do affect the development of young, if that can be manipulated to have a desired effect upon the young; for instance, if increasing the gravity generated leads to higher Fold potential, or even simply denser musculature."

 No.31242

>>31236
>>31239
The normally accurate missiles miss, striking a large and well stocked cargo container, dealing their damage to it. A small amount of shrapnel pierces through, but even your Shields barely register it.

"I'm not done yet!" A new Police-Bot shouts, shooting at the Drone with its dinky pistol. "Latasha, let me draw its fire!" Barbari shouts through the Robot's speaker.

Latasha 25/12

 No.31243

>>31240
Enny takes a breath, then moving quicker than someone of her size should, she goes about trying to help with the wound…

Roll Tech, your machine can damage the poor Cerotid if you aren't careful.

 No.31244

>>31243
I'm hoping it won't, though.
'2d6+2'

Roll #1 3, 3 + 2 = 8

 No.31245

>>31242
"Aim for its motherboard." I advise the Pilot.
'2d6-1' let's get out of the way.
'3d6' a few bullets might help with that drone's armor thou.

Roll #1 4, 5 - 1 = 8 / Roll #2 4, 4, 6 = 14

 No.31246

>>31241
"It can, but not to the degree popular media has shown it to be." Malvi says, pouring some soda for Duana. "There are certain tolerances that have to be taken into account, certain drawbacks to every method. A single ship would have great difficulty implementing one of the ways to deal with it, and even Rhinkos-5 would see a change in lifestyle if certain options are considered." She says, turning towards Refis, who is deep in his food and thought, trying to follow the conversation.

"Hey, Refis, what are you doing up here?" A voice from the stairs shouts.
"And what smells so good?" A second one asks. Looks like a pair of Cerotid students are coming up.

 No.31247

>>31244
"That's alright. There's still some blood flowing through, but at least you aren't chopping it off." Ijappa says as Enny desperately tries to stop the blood flow, removing her vest. She's trying to tie it to the leg, but having a hard time of it with the pressure.

"Maybe, just a little more time please." Enny tries to keep her cool, but you'll need to keep your own cool to make sure the Robot doesn't amputate him further. Roll Tech again.

 No.31248

>>31247
'2d6+2'
"Hey, Ijapa, if you've got a hand free, dig around in the cargo area of the mech. I might actually have something that can help in there. Maybe someone snuck a first-aid kit in there when I wasn't looking."

Roll #1 4, 5 + 2 = 11

 No.31249

>>31246
"Still, the possibility is there to be considered. One of the Voldra's more useful traits is how our drones can be developed for different roles, and even further modified later on as needed. Being able to do the same with your own species is definitely worth looking into."
Wave cheerily at the newcomers, while discreetly pulling this drone's food into a more guarded position.
"Greetings! Are these friends of yours, Refis?"

 No.31250

>>31245
The last few shots from the Police Bot and your new weapon finally break through the shield, causing the Drone to lose control of its thrusters and fall to its demise.

"Latasha, get to the car before they send in more drones!" Barbari shouts out through the radio. "I can buy you time and sneak away in this rubble!" Officer Barbari reveals himself from behind the Police-Bot, controlling it through his ComLink he's attached to it. "Get the Prisoner and Clarin and we'll be free of these guys!"

 No.31251

>>31250
"Yesss Officer." I reply in short, conversed breath, as I race for the escape vehicle.

 No.31252

>>31248
You're able to employ the infrared system inside your Mech to better see where the blood is flowing, letting you put pressure and guide Enny to make sure the proper areas are dealt with.

"Bit on the plain side, but I can work with these." Ijappa says, pulling out the HypoSpray and some tarps. Thanks to Enny sacrificing her jacket, Ijappa has an easier time just making sure it's all sealed up. "Give my thanks to whoever chucked that in there." He says with relief. "I think you can let go for now."

"Oh, uh…" Enny is reathing deeply, looking at the blood on her clothes and fur.

 No.31253

>>31249
"I don't think we're at that point just yet, though I wouldn't put it past groups trying to start something like that." Malvi says, looking at Duana before going to her meal. "Besides, there'd be so many viability studies that the Humans who authorize it then would be way different than us today. I mean, how far back has your species been doing that?"

"Oh, yeah!" Refis says, quickly scarfing down the last of his bowl. "They've been involved in some of the research Malvi has sent."

"Malvi? Is the Human here?" One of them asks, a male.
"Is that her?" A female asks, coming into view and pointing at you.

 No.31254

>>31148
Inside, the mess just seems to grow exponentially. More clothes and garbage all over the room.

"Look, there's a Robot over there." Eva points out. "Looks like something we could pilot, but it probably hasn't been charged in days. She's almost as bad as you about keeping things plugged in."

Doc covers her nose as you approach a set of cabinets reaching into the roof, full of monitors and other equipment. They seem to surround someone, but moving around in the mech, you can't really make out the occupant.

"Clora, you in there?" Doc asks.

"I'm fine, just leave the food cubes on the table please." The voice from behind the equipment fort says.

 No.31255

>>31252
"You did a good job not panicking yet, Enny."
I'll release the leg.
"Now, the car is on its way to that checkpoint, right? We should call ahead and make sure they're ready for us. Enny, can you do that?"

 No.31256

>>31254
"Geez Eva could you lay off the banter? I mean come on, whoever this is has gotta be seriously sick or something. You think we can charge up that mech off of excess Void power? Maybe if it has a combustion engine."

 No.31257

>>31251
"Hurry up and take me to prison!" Your charge shouts, offering one of his three arms to pull you inside the vehicle.

"Vehicle, go now!" Clarin shouts as the vehicle heads off.

"Just what did you do?!" Clarin shouts at your prisoner. "And Latasha, still in one piece or do I have to divert to the Hospital?"

"I, I didn't think that job would go this bad…" The Prisoner says.

 No.31258

>>31253
"We have had such variability for so long that it even has basis in our legends. So likely for several thousands of years."
Tilt our head at the female who asks if we are human.
"…We are Voldra. Friend-Malvi is the one over there."
Do their history books not mention the conflict of when we first met the other races, or is she just inattentive in history class?

 No.31259

>>31257
I better check myself out now that I'm not underfire.
"My shield went down for a moment there, but I don't feel anything, just get us there."

 No.31260

>>31255
Enny is many times your height and weight, even accounting for the difference in density. You don't even approach her knee height, but here she is, effectively looking up to you.

"Yeah, I can do that." Enny takes a few more breaths. "I can do that." She lifts up her ComLink and begins cycling through it, getting the Checkpoint staff on her screen.

"Hey, is everyone there safe? How many need medical assistance!?" The Cerotid on the other side of her ComLink shouts.

"Thank you." Enny whispers.

>>31256
"Sorry, I just get nervous and it comes out like that." Eva says, sighing. "At least one of us here has some concern for her."

"Clora, can you come out?" Doc tries to get her voice through all the equipment.

"Nah, you can try to come in." Clora responds, the light coming from all the monitors changing color.

"I'll see what I can do for the robot." Eva says, opening up the cockpit and causing the stale and dirty air to enter the machine.

 No.31261

>>31260
"Blegh, this place kinda reeks. One sec I'll – eueugh!"

I comment, crashing to the floor as I pop out of the cockpit without remembering that surface gravity is much higher than on the ship and crash to the ground. "Ow."

 No.31262

>>31260
I'll just give her a thumbs up for now. Giving her something to focus on was the right idea.

 No.31263

>>31258
"And for us, every time we think we have our own genome mapped out, something else comes out and we realize how wrong we are. I think we're at the point were we can start experimenting, but putting it out species wide just wouldn't be feasible, I think." Malvi states, finishing her food.

It seems the male Cerotid shares your view and corrects her before approaching you and your group.

"Woah, I was right!" The female shouts. "Doctor Malvi, it's an honor to meet you! Your research has already moved up our timetable! Oh, I should introduce myself, I'm Amea, and this is Gyar, the one who you've been corresponding with as well."

"And what is this food, I could smell it from the Cafetieria?" Gyar asks. "If you're not careful, everyone down there is going to come up here."

 No.31264

>>31259
"Good, we'l rendezvous with our backup in a moment." Clarin shouts as your Prisoner seems to be having his own issues, holding his head with all three arms. "Don't know about him. Officer Barbari with you? Or did he really stay behind?"

You can hear the sounds of many sirens rapidly approaching.

 No.31265

>>31264
"Last I saw him he was in a highjacked police bot."
Use the comms to try to talk to him. "… Barbari, are you clear?"

 No.31266

>>31261
"Are you okay?" Doc asks, reaching down and putting her hand by you so you can get up. "Think you can get past all this *stuff* and get to her?"

"Hey, I'm plugging my ComLink into this thing and it says it has plenty of charge. Looks like its OS is acting up. Hopefully part of its programming is to clean this place." Eva shouts out in her "Inside a Giant Alien's Apartment" voice. "And it needs a good cleaning too."

"Mr. Robot-o is fine. He's just waiting for a friend to come by…" An almost sleepy voice responds.

 No.31267

>>31266
Shrug, "Yeah, yeah, I'm durable. I'll go look."

Into the trash jungle.

 No.31268

>>31263
"Not all at once, of course, but certain stations could potentially start producing certain adaptions. One with higher gravity and a diet that encourages bone and muscle growth for physical workers, perhaps lower-than-normal gravity for those that will spend much of their life in zero-g enviroments… just because it is not a quickly-obtainable goal does not mean it is not worth working towards."

"This is human-food! Not sure which variety, but we do not much care, for it is all very good!"

 No.31269

>>31262
The smoke thins out as your vehicle approaches the checkpoint. A loud rumbling can be felt from behind, but at least you aren't anywhere near it.

A group of Police Cerotid wave your vehicle down, pointing it towards a barricaded area before closing up behind your vehicle.

"We'll take care of him from here, get out of the vehicle and wait for further instructions, okay?" A Cerotid wearing a different uniform from the others orders.

"This way, come with me." An Officer tells you. "Are you three okay?" He asks, looking towards your cockpit. "Do you need anything?" He asks with concern.

 No.31270

>>31265
"Yeah, I'm fine." He responds, the ambient noise level going down to a minimum. "Just tell them to watch their step." He tries to laugh. "I've set it back on auto-control and I'm hiding by one of the rubbish bins. Next time we do this, I'm bringing way more weapons and armor. You?"

A pair of police vehicles line up by you while more head towards the scene of the trouble.

 No.31271

>>31269
"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Though…"
I'll hold up one of the bloodstained grippers of the robot.
"I wouldn't say no to being directed towards somewhere I could wash this off. How about you, Enny?"

 No.31272

>>31270
I reply in a mimic of human laughter. "Cackle, sure, something with EMPs maybe."
And inform the other two. "He says he's fine, just don't step on him."

 No.31273

>>31267
Where Calta made sure her cabling work was pristine, Clora's leaves a lot to be desired. There are cables that seem to just wrap around others, balls of wires everywhere, and a few hazardous power connections just left lying around to electrocute an unwary individual.

Roll Tech, try not to touch anything too hot or capable of conducting a current…

 No.31274

>>31268
"Don't worry about those two. They are in my department." Refis says, scarfing down another bowl. "They were informed too and signed the paperwork."

"The drift is what we're trying to come to terms with. We don't know what'll happen once we really starts changing things." Malvi says, a bit of worry in her voice as she turns towards Amea.

"You don't mind if I try some?" Gyar asks as Amea crouches down to talk with Malvi.

"Not knowing is always the kicker when trying to deal with such things." Kamori says. "This whole planet jumping thing is new to us too. We still don't know if we really brought everything we needed, and at least we should know what we need." Kamori just shrugs before getting another spoonful. "Must ave been the same for the Voldra, right?"

 No.31275

>>31271
"I think I'll need a new everything." She surveys the damage to her clothing. While the blood marks are light, they are present on every article of her clothing. The rest has a fine layer of smoke dust from the burning cargo hauler.

"Follow me, we've got a wash room you can use." A Cerotid with a similar build to Enny but with a Police uniform arrives and starts talking with Enny as you and Ijappa are led away.

"So, do you think that was an accident?" Ijappa asks as he washes his own hands and gear.

 No.31276

>>31273
'1d10-1'

It's okay, I'm used to small size messes!

Roll #1 9 - 1 = 8

 No.31277

>>31275
"If it was, it's a hell of a coincidence. I don't want to assume the worst of new species, but with the obvious friction between the colonists and the primary planet I'm not ruling anything out. One side making a bad impression is probably what each of them are counting on, and if they can force the issue, then…"
I'll leave that dangling.

 No.31278

>>31272
"For such tiny things, they sure are the right kind of crazy, huh?" Clarin tries to join you in laughter, but starts coughing. "Ow, think he'll consider staying after all this? Or you for that matter? We could use someone with your abilities."

The Police vehicles guide you towards one of their facilities, all the Officers out with Uniforms and gear. You should be safe now as you pull into the garage.

 No.31279

>>31274
Slowly pour a bowl of some of the spare food for Gyar and push it over to him, protectively holding my own bowl.
"Yes and no. Our forays into space were much simpler, in part due to our fold abilities, the ability to jump through the Fold in particular. However, learning to use the Fold in the first place was very much trial and error; for each time we figured one use for the Fold out, several hundred drones had probably tried, failed, and died beforehand. In a way, we lucked out, with our home planet being so volatile and treacherous that space travel is rather tame by comparison."

 No.31280

>>31276
Remember we switched to 2d6

Except for occasionally having to haul yourself over some routers and computer cases, you get through intact and not much worse for wear. But now you're up close to one of the Cerotids and the size difference can really be felt between you. Despite being a shut-in, Clora's limbs are thicker than your whole body, you wouldn't even clear half the distance to her knee. And then it ends with a massive horn on her snout, which starts off at about two or three times your thickness. Her fingers are clacking on multiple keyboards, her arms bending silently for their mass to switch between.

Her big eye turns towards you, then her whole face.

"Oh, hello." She rubs her eyes.

 No.31281

>>31278
"Oh, this? Nothing to shed your skin over." I start eyeing the ground for the human, partly to not look at his face. "I still have a contract with The Ankylosaur, I won't be changing jobs anytime soon."

 No.31282

>>31280
"I don't think Calta can get through, are you alright?"

Climb the pile of trash so we can get up on more even footing!

 No.31283

>>31277
"It seemed so quiet too." Ijappa turns off the water. "Well, at least our next destination seems to be clearing up better now."

The sound of an ambulance siren can be heard hauling off the wounded Cerotid. The sound is slightly lower in pitch, but the intention of it is the same.

"Sorry about the mess you went through, but good work on saving the poor guy. You stopped the blood loss before it did more damage, or got worse…" The Officer says, waiting for the both of you. "I'm Madun, I'll be escorting you back. You ready to head to your ship? I have your machine ready too."

 No.31284

>>31281
"Too bad, but consider it an open offer. I'll offer my recommendation." Clarin says, exiting the vehicle as it gets surrounded by the other officers. The Prisoner exits, offering no trouble to the police as he's taken away, deeper into the facility.

The Officers that remain glance towards your direction. Rhinkos-5 isn't known as a tourist destination, so they don't see too many Aliens. One of them walks forward and salutes, finally breaking the ice.

"I'm Officer Righ, good work out there. You didn't sustain any injuries on the way here? We have a medbay."

 No.31285

>>31283
"Well, there's not much left to do, I suppose. If you could pass along to Enny that I'll be in touch about what we had talked about earlier, I would appreciate it."

 No.31286

>>31284
"Just a sscratch, I'll be fine after a little sunbath." I assure him, my tongue flicking the air as I get slightly annoyed by these overly caring warmbloods.
"You need my statement or anything on what happened, or can I go to my ship?"

 No.31287

>>31282
The closest thing to even footing would be Clora's bed, which you have to climb over a pile of snack bags and food cube containers. She watches you climb up the blanket she's laid on the floor before she gets up cross legged, wrapped in a blanket.

"Are you, a new kind of helper-robot?" Clora asks.

"Wan, did you find her?" Doc shouts from behind the equipment wall.

 No.31288

>>31287
Give her an apologetic look, "No, no, I'm an alien. Do you know Calta? She's like a big kangaroo alien. Wait, do you even have those on this planet?"

 No.31289

>>31279
"And for us, space travel was so costly early on that we almost didn't do it." Kamori sits down with Duana. "Good thing we kept at it."

A few more Cerotids start coming up the stairs.

"Should we get back in the robots?" Duana asks you. "The more people come up, the more people it'll attract. It always happens with my Sisters."

"Oh, so are these the little cuties you mentioned?" Amea says, with Gyar and Refis putting on their best apology face for her.

 No.31290

>>31285
"She'll hopefully be fine. The two of you did a good job dealing with the situation. Maybe those marked clothes will be the only permanent part of all of this." Righ says. "This way, we've got a pair of vehicles waiting for you."

He knocks several times on the door before someone on the outside opens it. This time, a pair of police vehicles with extra passengers are waiting.

"Really going overboard, aren't they?" Ijappa quips as he enters the nearest vehicle.

 No.31291

>>31286
"A statement would be good, so we can investigate what happened. Sorry, but we'll need to copy the data from your ComLink too." Righ takes a sigh of relief as he heads to one of the doors. "Hope this doesn't give you a bad view of Rhinkos-5. Usually, it's a lot quieter."

The station itself is fairly traditional in design, except for not being build for people with such long bodies as yours. He asks for a few details on the Assassins you ran into. Roll Street Smarts.

The rest of the station suddenly seems to get more active as he talks.

 No.31292

>>31290
"Well, this is probably the busiest they've been in a while. They probably don't have a lot of reasons to wheel out the police vehicles, normally."

 No.31293

>>31289
"Perhaps getting in your mechs would be for the best. We should finish the food quickly too; there isn't enough here to share with the entire cafeteria."
Take our own advice and finish of our own portion of the food in short order.

 No.31294

>>31288
Clora bundles herself up even tighter as you start talking.

"You're an Alien? Are you here to inv… Wait, she said she was…" Clora stands up, "Doctor Zorani, are you here? Are you with Doctor Zorani?" She bends back down, offering you her bulky hand to climb onto.

"You're one of those Fold Users, right?"

 No.31295

>>31294
Teasingly wink and eye and shoot a finger-gun at her giant eye as I climb aboard, "Bang! Got me."

 No.31296

>>31291
'2d6'
Let's try to recall it as close as I can "Yea, the two Cerotid, I got a pretty close look at them. Also they said the job involved killing our prisoner, that he knew that. Of course I think that was recorded, so you'll hear it. I only wounded one, and they were talking to others on their comlinks, be alert."

Roll #1 5, 6 = 11

 No.31297

>>31292
"Hopefully the ride back is calmer." Ijapa says, finding a seat.

It's occasionally easy to really feel the differences in size, as the Police Officers around you are as big, if not bigger, than your machine.

The Vehicle makes it through all the remaining checkpoints and through the bridge to the Ankylosaur, stopping in its Hangar.

>>31293
"Oh, wait, can I?" Amea says with excitement as she puts both of her sizable hands in front of Malvi, who fulfills Amea's desire and climbs on them. "Just like my sister's toys." She says as she brings Malvi towards her machine.

"Oh, are those the new…"
"Hey, what smells so…"
"Yo, what's everyone coming up for?" The growing group of Cerotid come up, some drawn towards the Voldra and unusual robots near it, others towards the table and its smells. More than a few approach you and start asking questions.

"Maybe we should get you guys home before the staff says we're over the limit up here, but the stairs are blocked. Any ideas?" Refis asks.

 No.31298

>>31295
She brings you up to her face, but to the side of her horn. Her hands are warm to the touch, but a little mushy.

"Oh, you're naturally this small right? It's not a result of the process right!?" Her eyes get bigger and brighter, but then she lowers herself back down. "I shouldn't have gotten up like that."

"Clora, I'm going to try to get to you, okay?" Doctor Zorani says with concern as she starts moving and unplugging equipment.

"Need any help in there?" Eva shouts to you.

 No.31299

>>31296
Most of his questions seemed to be guided, to confirm his suspicions. He's aware of a few things before you even confirm them for him.

There's a knock on the door and you can see some of the Cerotid Officers grouping up.

"Come in." Officer Righ says, as a female Police Agent walks in, carrying Barbari. "He said he was with you." Barbari looks much smaller in the hand of such a thick Alien.

Officer Barbari just waves at you.

 No.31300

>>31297
"We could begin jumping us out, though it will have to be one at a time and may take a few moments between each jump. We'll keep it short, just out past the crowd on the required floor. Now, who wishes to go first?"
Perhaps we should have started earlier, but oh well. We can at least start the process of getting everyone out.

 No.31301

>>31298
"The process? What are you talking about? But yeah, this is me!"

 No.31302

>>31299
"Oh, Barbari, you found your way safely into the palm of a lady after all." Offer my own arm for him to climb onto.
"Thanks for returning my coworker." I nod to the officer.

 No.31303

>>31300
"You should get Malvi out first. The other machine and I can handle ourselves in the crowd." Refis says as conscripts the other two to try to keep the crowd calm long enough. "I'll summon our ride in the meantime."

There's a lot of noise and bodies as the students and staff use their ComLinks to take pictures of you and the others, which only leads to more people coming over to the cafeteria.

Roll for Teleport three times, let's see how it goes.

>>31301
"Wait, so what does it feel like? Which ability did you have again? Have you developed multiple ones?" She keeps going, asking questions without giving much thought to the equipment being removed beside her.

"You two are okay! They're okay Eva!" Doctor Zorani shouts, hurriedly removing more equipment.

"At least let us know you found her!" Eva shouts back.

Clora carries you towards Doctor Zorani, who is still behind the cabinets.

"This is your work? Did you make them like this?" Clora asks the Doctor, before turning back towards you. "What's your name? Do you have one?"

 No.31304

>>31303
"That's a lot of questions," I frown, trying to keep up, "Wan, and I just told you, I'm always like this!"

 No.31305

>>31302
He hops on without hesitation and you're reminded that Humans still have a noticeable weight to them.

"I, don't even know how we're going to plug in is ComLink into our machine." Officer Righ puts his big hand on his snout. "Once we've locked down this place, we'll give you a ride back to your ship. Will you be carrying him the whole way?"

 No.31306

>>31303
Right, Malvi first, then Duana.
Hopefully this shouldn't be too tricky to pull off.
>Foldborn: roll 3d6 for abilities and pick two.
>Teleport
'3d6+2' '3d6+2' '3d6+2'

Roll #1 3, 5, 5 + 2 = 15 / Roll #2 6, 4, 3 + 2 = 15 / Roll #3 4, 3, 4 + 2 = 13

 No.31307

>>31305
"I would prefer it if he had a secured seat. Boss would not like to hear that I let him get knocked down to the floor by g-forces trying to get home."
As for the comlink I glance at it in an uninterested way. "How long are you planning on keeping it?"

 No.31308

>>31304
"She, gets like that at times." Doctor Zorani says with an apologetic look. "Come on, let's get you out of there."

With the help of the reactivated Helper-Bot Eva got running, they're able to move the furniture around, letting Clora come towards the kitchen table and set you down near Zorani. She observes you, darting around as she tries to look you all over, then does the same when Eva gets put up next to you.

"She, seems friendly enough." Eva says as Clora comes in close, almost running the two of you over with her snout.

"Can I confirm something?" Clora asks all three of you, moving her head quickly between you. "If your notes are accurate, and with my results, can I just have you press against my finger. The two of you, as hard as you can."

>>31306
"Just so you know, I recorded everything about that." Malvi says after you reappear. "I'll be going over it for days."

"That was fun! Again!" Duana shouts.

"Woah, I don't know if I'll get used to that." Kamori adds.

Refis seems a little light in the head after you teleport him, though. Seems the Cerotid body doesn't react well to Fold abilities, but he's able to regain his composure after leaning on a table.

"Amea and Gyar will bring your stuff over after the crowd goes away." Refis says, plonking himself down in the Driver's seat of the vehicle and entering the coordinates. "So, how was Rhinkos-5 for you?"

>>31307
"Transfer is at 87%. I'll find something to carry your friend in and it should be done by then. Once again, thanks for your hard work. I'll have another group of Officers escort you to your ship."

A few more questions come out, corroborating with Barbari's testimony. Finally, they return you your ComLink and bring over a plastic bin with bubble wrap.

"Sorry, it's all we could think of." Is what they say as they guide you towards your ride.

[PAUSE]

 No.31309

>>31308
"I'm not the one riding in it," gesture to the little man on my shoulder.

 No.31537

It's been a few days since all these incidents have piled up. The news from Rhinkos-5 talks about these encounters as just being the work of organized criminals who saw an opportunity, then switching over to other new developments for the colony. Things have come back to normal, and most people are awaiting the rides to the new vendor stores inside the colony.

>Frank

A Cerotid Engineer is here in the Hangar, going over additional parts and features of your new machines. He's answering any questions you or the crew have, as well as offering his own suggestions. It's easy to see what he's pointing to since the Zero-G of the lets everyone float real close to what he's pointing at. Petry is here, taking her own notes to translate the manual for the rest of your team.

"The frame here is thick enough to handle an extension," he says pointing at the Robot's chest, "in case you need to handle an even larger bay to alloy, you, uh, to pilot it." It's obvious he's still a little bewildered with so many eyes on him.

>Latasha

Looks like your shift is finally over. Checking in one last time with the time sheet program, you're free to go where you want. There's a few Humans floating around and you pick up a few conversations about new Mechs and a finished bath. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Seiz moving hurriedly down the hall.

"Any plans for the next few hours?" Barbari asks, floating up to you in the current Zero-G of the ship.

>Shelly

It's been a busy few days for your little group. A lot of questions have been coming in for you and Malvi. A lot of time has been spent sending out files and meeting with Cerotid academics. It's calmed down a bit now, but the Twins and your team are about to finish with the last tasks. Another basket waits outside your office, with the Twins loudly talking about things like clothes and trade deals. Both Kamori and Malvi seem focused on their screens, but don't seem to be typing anything. Duana finished her work an hour ago and said she'd be back, but hasn't returned.

"Ah, we were so focused on the trip we forgot to ask!" Pazu says, rushing inside to meet you.
"Hey, while we're waiting for the shuttle to come, how hard do you think it'll be for us to move around Rhinkos-5?" Zapu asks.

 No.31538

>>31537
Tilt our head at the strange question.
"In what manner do you mean? Whether you would have time to visit some shops, or whether you can physically transverse the station? If the latter, it should not be too difficult, as the station is not very crowded."

 No.31539

>>31537
I'll be taking notes as well, though I do have to wonder how Enny's holding up now that the adrenaline from the accident's long since worn off.
Hopefully once we're done here I can stick her and Saanen together in a room and they'll get that shopping thing out of the way.

 No.31540

>>31538
"Yeah, being bigger than the Humans but smaller than everyone else is its own problem." Pazu says.
"We're too big to fit in any of their machines. It'd look weird for one of us to use them." Zapu adds.
"Hmm, do you have any ideas for what we could do?" Pazu adds with a tinge of sadness.

"Hey hey, what's going on? Getting ready to go into the station?" Duana asks, running up to you and the Twins with a bright orange sweater. It'll be hard to miss her on the way out.

 No.31541

>>31539
"Was that clockwise or counterclockwise?" Petry asks as a bunch of the crew with you turn their focus back to the Cerotid engineer.

"Clockwise, it's the only part you have to look out for. We added a symbol, here. Woah…" A few of the Crew quickly rush in to get close to the pointed mark as the Cerotid quickly withdraws his massive finger.

"What do you think boss? Do you think a clear panel would be good and just put the piloting system inside of the 'Bot, or just attach it to the front?" Contentin asks.

 No.31542

>>31537
"Oh, hey there partner. Nope, nothing planned." offer him a hand to stand on.

 No.31543

>>31541
"Well, habit would have me put the piloting system on the insides, especially since you'd prevent any major injury from on-site accidents. Problems come up, though, with what you move to make room for that."
I'll shrug.
And you'd have to actually get inside to tamper with them.
"Depending on how modular these things can be, we could give the exterior piloting a shot and see how it handles compared to our usual method."

 No.31544

>>31542
"Oh, then are you going to get ready for the shuttle? Hopefully everything stays quiet inside Rhinkos-5 this time, or did you want to check out the new recreation room they're installing? Heard it was practically finished." Barbari offers to go with you either way.

 No.31545

>>31540
"In that case, there should not be too much difficulty. The station is relatively compact, and transportation is readily available."
Though now that we think about it…
"Maybe you could see about getting some machines built to fit you? Even perhaps more of powered attire than machines, to make moving around less tedious."

"Greetings, Friend-Duana! We like the look of your sweater; it is very visible and easy to find in a crowd!"

 No.31546

>>31543
"Oh, that was going to be the next stage of the training." The Engineer shouts excitedly. "We designed it to be able to handle living with us, and so User maintenance was a big point. All you need is one of these and some elbow grease…" His excitement vanishes after he realizes that he picked up torque gun that weighs as much as you, and that even Civet would have some difficulty wielding with both arms. "Moving on, the panels can be moved, since there's a solid rectangular frame. The chest mobility suffers a bit." He says as he acts out some of the motions the machine will have trouble with. "But the strength to lift up an injured Cerotid or even push a vehicle should make up for it. Plus, there's also this…" He removes the panels, exposing parts of the power core and motors. The cables that should be tiny for him are of decent size and easy to reach for you and the other humans. He then attaches another trunk/cabinet addition to the back where extra utility can be added without having to redesign the whole thing.

 No.31547

>>31544
"A new room huh? Recreation just means sports and stuff right?" Lick the air curiously. "Let'ss go there."

 No.31548

>>31545
"Well, they'll still probably have more trouble with them than with us, but it's a small comfort." Pazu says as Duana walks up to you.

"Thanks! Calta made it but I picked it up. You ready to go? What about the others?" Duana asks, looking at the Twins and the two other Humans, all lost in thought. The rest of the area is busy as well as people move object around.

 No.31549

>>31546
"That is fairly convenient, actually."
And the torque gun shouldn't be a problem for the mechs, so long as the people piloting them can keep their hands steady.

 No.31550

>>31547
"Just watch out for the walls. I saw them painting earlier." Barbari guides you to the floor the room has been installed in, occasionally looking up to you from your hand to point out small holes Humans have gotten themselves stuck in. Approaching the newly setup room, you can feel equipment moving around, clanging against other parts.

Finally heading into the room, you see a decent sized area with all manner of exercise equipment for the numerous body types the Ankylosaur holds. Most are pretty simple, but some resemble torture devices from history, at least to you. On the walls are monitors showing local news, but several still need to be plugged in. One is on, with Seiz's eyes practically glued to it.

"There's the area for us, so you don't have to worry about running over anyone while you're working out. I used to frequent my old gym every day, but I don't know where you'd start. Do any of these look familiar?"

 No.31551

>>31548
"The twins were asking about how easily they could move about the station, so they be wishing to go shopping before we leave. Friend-Malvi and Friend-Kamori have been staring at their screens for the past several minutes, so we are unsure of their current status."

 No.31552

>>31549
"Hmm, I wanted to ask this earlier, but is it okay that your new machines will look more like them," Petry points at the Cerotid Engineer, "rather than a bigger version of you? Will it make it harder for you to pilot?" She asks you, and technically the rest of the crew. The other Humans look at each other, thinking about what to say.

 No.31553

>>31550
"A couple of them, maybe I'll sign up for a lessson to be certain I don't break your new equipment.." Slither over to the TV that seiz is so interested in, what's playing?

 No.31554

>>31553
"Invite me when you do so. I've seen Ijapa use some of the equipment with his tail." Barbari asks

Seiz is watching a very old Human film, the pixels on it are so huge. They're traveling in caravans through a good looking arid region. Some of the plants look like they're from your world. It pans to another group of people who have ominous music playing for them, and Seiz has his mouth open, wondering what's going to happen next.

 No.31555

>>31551
"I guess they still haven't decided, huh? Well, what about you? Was there anything you wanted to do before the Shuttle came in? We still have some time!" Duana shouts excitedly, but the other two Human females remain with their eyes locked in place.

 No.31556

>>31552
I'll just shrug.
"As long as it's got two legs, two arms, and won't tip over, we'll manage. I mean, heck, some robots humans pilot have like, twenty arms and jet engines instead of legs. We're nothing if not adaptable. Besides, ease of use was one of their selling points."

 No.31557

>>31556
"Well, that does make sense." Petry quickly writes down her own notes before the Engineer continues the demonstration.

"Okay, so you can place the power core in either position, or use two instead, just by removing these cables and connectors…" He tries to get his own massive hands, but has trouble reaching the cables…

 No.31558

>>31554
"Wait, I was told males aren't allowed to watch females working out." I look down at Barbari suspiciously.

I make an amused licking gesture at the boy watching a movie, what a good kid he is.

 No.31559

>>31555
"Nothing of note for this drone, though we are willing to assist with any other endeavors!"
It's not like them to not react like that. We'll reach over and poke them to see if they're still functioning.

 No.31560

>>31557
"Civet, if you, Contentin, and Saanen could give our guest a hand? This will also be good practice for you guys later, since I get the feeling we're going to be doing it a lot."

 No.31561

>>31558
"Not like that!" Barbari waves his arms frantically from his position on your hand. "I just want to know how you do anaerobic exercises. My brother studied Kinesiology, but I don't know how he'd apply even some of the things he told me."

A few other children come over, but before they can do anything else, their attention is focused on you.

"Besides, it looks like you have some gawkers…" Barbari says, sitting down on your hand and pointing them out.

 No.31562

>>31559
Malvi is the closest, but she's uncharacteristically jumping her attention between several monitors.

"Oh, hey, sorry." Malvi apologizes for being so out-of-focus.

"So, make up your mind about staying?" Duana asks plainly. "Everyone here seems really nice."

"No, I haven't just yet. I'm weighing my options." Malvi says, taking a deep sigh before turning towards you. "The University wants me to join them, but I don't know if I should take it."

 No.31563

>>31561
This is where my hood flares out in annoyance.
"Okay, how about thiss, you keep those little human hatchlings busy, and I'll demonstrate a few basic exercises."

 No.31564

>>31562
"They do? That is interesting to hear. What are your doubts regarding the offer?"

 No.31565

>>31560
"Uhm, it's going to be in this order." He points to the cables that need to be disconnected first, making sure to get you, Saanen, and Contentin positioned to get all of them. He's got Civet ready to lift it up as well.

Roll Tech.

>>31563
"Yeah, I got them. They're not even following the right areas either." He hops off towards the kids, using the momentum to land right next to them. He escorts them where they have to be, giving you time to set up.

 No.31566

>>31565
'2d6+2', plus the bonus against unmanned tech.

Roll #1 2, 4 + 2 = 8

 No.31567

>>31565
let's pick a machine or two I know how to use, like a sandmover to slither through, or some weights..
'2d6' luck

Roll #1 2, 1 = 3

 No.31568

>>31564
"They'll assign someone else to take my place, and I don't know how good an idea that is halfway through this journey. I don't know how to feel about that part, but the offer is tempting. It'll be a chance to test out some of the other theories that have come out." Malvi says, pulling out a DataPad that completed it's task.

 No.31569

>>31566
It takes a moment to adjust to the tension that Cerotid use for their cables, but they all come off quickly. The rest of the connectors follow after you find which Human tool works best with them. With a little work, Civet lifts up the power core and out of the unit.

"That was like, I'd say half the time it usually took me to do all that." The Cerotid says, unsure about how to feel his record time being crushed so easily.

>>31567
The Sandmover itself has been installed, but the "Out of Order" sign on it let's you know that it still hasn't been properly configured. As for the weights, they take considerably more effort to move safely in the zero-g environment.

However, the problem of which bar and connector to use for them hits you. There's so many of them, for so many different exercises…

 No.31570

>>31569
"Well, there are four of us. Besides, just goes to show how well you explained what needed to go where."

 No.31571

>>31568
"So your concern is that having your position replaced halfway through the journey may be detrimental, with the replacement being underqualified? We can understand your hesitation there. However, it sounds like this is a good opportunity for you to further your own research, which may be of great benefit later on."

 No.31572

>>31569
My hood with remain fully extended at this predicament. Pick up a nice long bar to do the classic coil-and-lift tail work out, and two smaller ones suited for using with my hands.

 No.31573

>>31570
"Thanks!" His huge face does nothing to hide the joy he's feeling right now. "You can sync them if you decide to run two power cores with these connectors. We'll upload the software for getting them to work together in an update. Because some jobs did need more articulation, you could swap in an appropriate chest cavity with the power core covered this way. I'll use one of them to show you on this unit first."

Again, he points out the connection ports and where things need to be screwed in. Roll Tech to follow his instructions.

 No.31574

>>31573
'2d6+2'
The only way this can go wrong is if something cataclysmically awful happens.

Roll #1 1, 4 + 2 = 7

 No.31575

>>31571
"That was my way of thinking as well. Their messages make it clear they really need even the stranger theories and practices we have, which will probably have a lot of widespread application." Malvi looks up at you from her seated position and smiles. "Of course, they all ask me to try and get you and Duana to join me. Looks like the two of you really left them with an impression."

>>31572
Barbari is making sure the kids know how to use hand rails to safely get around the Rec room. Looks like he's leading them to Seiz.

You have to go through a few of the connectors, since some of them were just parts for other unassembled machines, but you finally get them to slot in. Roll Melee to start using them, do you remember how to safely exercise?

 No.31576

>>31575
I do stretches in my room before work, of course I know..
'2d6+1'

Roll #1 4, 3 + 1 = 8

 No.31577

>>31574
And it almost does. The connections out here will need a few more tools to make sure you and other Humans can make sure they connect them properly. No matter how much you tried, they were all at angles that made it harder for you to safely and easily attach. The Engineer steps in to hold some of the cables before Civet puts it back in.

"Well, that still wasn't too bad. Beats the time some of the others at work were putting in." He says as he wipes off the sweat.

"And the cover, it just goes on with these?" Civet asks, offering to do the last step.

"What did you think? Any notes I should add to the manual?" Petry steps up behind you to ask.

 No.31578

>>31576
You're doing a bit more than the basics when it comes to the exercises. You stop a few times to move around, since the Rec room isn't fully prepared to deal with someone of your length. After a few full sets, you catch, Barbari, Seiz, and the kids all looking at you, the movie providing background noise.

 No.31579

>>31577
I'll leave Civet and the others to put the finishing touches on there.
"Probably just that we should work in groups of at least two when doing this part, due to the angle of the components. It does help to have someone hold them steady for you."

 No.31580

>>31575
"They are very fond of Fold-abilities, for sure. Apparently they have tried to implement them among their own people, but with limited success. Perhaps they hope you can assist them with that."

"Of course, this Drone needs to stick with the ship, else they'd lose their main source of communication. However, we can see about sending another drone to Rhinkos-5 as soon as conveniently possible to assist you."

 No.31581

>>31579
"Got it. Mind if I get a quick picture demonstrating it?" Petry asks, actually writing down your response on an actual piece of paper. "What about the fist part? Anything else I should add?"

 No.31582

>>31578
Wave Seiz over, "Hey, Seiz right? We met when I first got here. You want to try a set?"

 No.31583

>>31581
I'll scratch my chin for a second.
"Yeah, I guess. And I think the rest of the lecture managed to touch on most everything."

 No.31584

>>31580
"Probably won't be the last to try and incorporate them. I actually want to know what they've done, since I might be able to use that to learn how Duana and those other girls were able to use it." Malvi says, turning to Duana.

Duana just shrugs and Malvi lowers her head.

"It's a tempting offer, and I think the Academics there would go for it. I'm heavily considering it now, but I might just wait until after the Shuttle to decide." Malvi says.

"Is it because it can be hard to move around inside the Ankylosaur sometimes, so how much harder will it be here, right?" Duana adds, to a shocked Malvi.

 No.31585

>>31582
"Uhm, can I? I've never used them before." He says with trepidation, slinking into the couch more, as if trying to hide.

>>31583
"Okay, I've almost finished a full translation of the manual. I can add the notes in a few hours and have the whole thing on everyone's drives after they get us the upgrade instructions." Petry says, moving at an incredible speed with her massive stylus.

"I think that about covers the physical maintenance of these. Oh, they did ask me to request documentation for any of your modifications. They'll take them into consideration for the next batch. Any other questions?" The Engineer asks.

 No.31586

>>31585
"Oh? You know a Viper isn't supposed to back down from a challenge." I wag my finger at him and comment. "These might be too heavy, let's find something you're comfortable lifting."
set up something kiddie size for him to do a coil-lift exercise on.

 No.31587

>>31586
"We're not?" He asks shyly, slowly emerging from behind the couch and heading towards you. "How am I supposed to do it?" His eye follow you as you adjust the weights to something more appropriate for a child.

 No.31588

>>31585
"Great, looking forward to it."
As for questions for the Cerotid engineer, nothing springs to mind. Cosmetic modifications are probably going to be kept down to paint jobs and whatever baubles the pilot can shove into the cockpit.

 No.31589

>>31584
"That is indeed a consideration, Friend-Duana, though I think Friend-Malvi will be fine, as long as she gets some lessons on operating a mech."

 No.31590

>>31587
My hood relaxes in approval at this and show him how to wrap the bar with his tail.
"Go around like this, and make sure you have a thick part under the bar, supporting it, and squeeze, and lift up."
do it once, and set it down beside him. "Give it a try."

 No.31591

>>31588
Despite his earlier apprehension, the Engineer really gets into his work. A few of the other crew members ask for more details and he responds eagerly, barely noticing that some of his clients are sitting on his broad shoulders or hanging onto his arm to get a clear view of the DataPad.

"I'll submit my changes after all of this, but I had a query for you." Petry asks, reaching out her feathery hand for you. "Cana's been wanting to meet with you and your crew again. Will you have some time so I can schedule it with her class?"

>>31589
Malvi goes into thought, spending a moment to look between you and Duana. "I really am thinking of taking it now, but a question occurs to me. Should I see if I can get one of our machines, or get one based on the Cerotid's appearance?"

>>31590
"Okay, so like this, right?" He tries to imitate your motion, but his body isn't as long as yours, giving him some difficulty in that regard. '2d6'

PAUSE

Roll #1 6, 6 = 12

 No.31592

>>31591
Seiz spends some time properly gripping the weights, but it doesn't take him long to do them properly, just like you.

Barbari and the other kids applaud. Seiz turns red again, but at least doesn't hide from people who fit in his hand and his friends.

 No.31593

>>31591
I'll think a minute.
"We… shouldn't be too busy while we're in port, aside from moving things and doing light repairs. I think we can set something up. We could show them how to do one of the easy jobs as a sort of field trip thing."

 No.31594

>>31592
"Exccellent form, keep doing this everyday and you'll be able to wrestle aliens to the ground."
poor kid, showing so much emotion.. must be that awkward teenage stage.

 No.31595

>>31308
"Hold on, I should use this to test out a theory." Clora puts a cloth over her finger, but it has numerous wires connected to a small box. "Don't worry, it's just going to measure a few things."

 No.31596

>>31308
>>31595
"Are you some kind of nurse too? Hmm, I'm not sure I get the point of all this…"

Whatever, just push in!

 No.31597

>>31593
"She's been eager to get in here more, so I'm sure she'll make sure to remind her teacher about it all the time." Petry uses her ComLink to send a message. "I'll let them know and they'll get back to you."

>>31594
"Reallywoah!" His face beams with pride for a moment as he almost loses his balance with the weights. The three kids that came in float towards Seiz with Barbari escorting them and quickly get to talking as he demonstrates the lifts with them closer.

"Nice kid, looks like he's already making friends. He an acquaintance of yours?" Barbaris asks.

 No.31598

>>31596
"Well, I am a Doctor you know. I even have a degree!" She points to the wall with her free hand, but there's still a veritable mountain of garbage blocking the view. "It's just getting some readings now, oh wow." She gives Doctor Zorani a surprised look as you get a tingly feeling from the cloth. "You have as much Fold charge as some of the more specialized equipment we could barely afford. What's it like!?"

 No.31599

>>31598
"Well mostly you get carried around a lot and people tell you how great you are."

 No.31600

>>31599
"Really, well I can figure out the getting carried around part. I could probably lose you in all of this." She keeps her eyes on the equipment, taking notes at every little ping coming from it on a dusty DataPad.

"You, really should clean up more often." Doc informs her as the Cleaner-bot starts gathering wrappers and other assorted garbage. "I think we should give your machine some alone time to clean up while we take care of a few things. We can stop at one of the warehouse vendors we passed on the way before we get to your lab." Doc turns towards you and Eva. "What do you say? Up for a little shopping before we head to our destination?"

 No.31601

>>31600
"I thought this was our destination! I guess I'm along for the ride though."

Hold up my arms to be picked up so we can go!

 No.31602

>>31601
"Just having to adjust to circumstances, that's all." Doc replies.

"It's just really dirty. I think there's garbage older than us here." Eva responds.

"Yeah, I should do a better job about that…" Clora adds, looking at you curiously. "Uhm, it is okay if I carry you?" Clora asks.

 No.31603

>>31602
Give her a suspicious look, retracting my arms a little, "Is this a trick question? Are you really clumsy or something? Why wouldn't you be allowed to carry me?"

 No.31604

>>31603
"I, uh, no, I can do this. It's not easy to run all this equipment you know!" Clora composes herself as Zorani smiles on. Clora's hands are bigger and thicker than Doc's, easily encompassing you even as she tries to go for a light touch to lift you up. "It's still a little unusual, but…" Clora lifts you up to her snout again. "This high is good for you, or a little lower?"

"Come on, let's get out of the 'Bot's way and let it do its job." Eva says. "I'm actually looking forward to getting a few things."

Walking out into the hall, another door opens and Helper bot waits for you to pass, holding a gigantic trash bag. Clora's neighbor seems to be as unclean as her. The elevator quickly arrives after Eva pushes the button and swings open to reveal another pair of well-dressed Cerotids. They pass by in a hurry, not even noticing you as Clora walks into the elevator with you in hand.

"Huh, never seen them before." Clora says as the door closes and the elevator begins to descend. Then suddenly stops and yellow warning lights turn on.

"This happen often?" Doc asks.

"No, it hasn't. I think." Clora responds. The elevator starts to rattle a little, then stops.

 No.31605

>>31604
"Is there a weight limit? I keep telling Eva that she has to cut out the sugary drinks…"

 No.31606

>>31605
"Please, I'm nowhere near the amount of candy you can pack away there." Eva bites back, again as the elevator begins to shake.

"I don't like this." Doc says. "It's too much. Is there an emergency button?"

"I'm pressing it, but nothing's happening. It should try to open the door." Clora says, using her free hand to push on the display. The door does begin to open, but only about two feet wide for you, then stops. No way Doc or Clora can get out.

"I can see one of the computer access panels, if I lifted you up to it, do you think you could make your way around to a few of the connectors hidden behind it?" Clora asks you and Eva.

 No.31607

>>31606
"Okay. But you really think the trouble is with the control panel? I mean it's probably the engine right?"

 No.31608

>>31607
"You two might be able to trigger the door opening mechanism. I'd rather not stay in here much more if this keeps up…" Clora says with worry.

 No.31609

>>31608
"Well, okay, let's try then."

 No.31610

>>31609
Eva opens up her machine and climbs onto Clora's hand, then the both of you are raised towards the gap in the elevator leading to a space between floors. It's a tight squeeze for both of you, but Clora is at least able to get a finger in to work as a bridge for you.

"They said some of the buttons were supposed to be within reach, but it looks like the power is out for the LEDs. You'll have to follow the power cable and see what the damage is." Clora says.

"Be careful." Doc adds.

Eva turns on the light on her ComLink. "You remember to charge yours right? If not, just stick close to me." Eva says, starting her walk towards the power cable. "Hey, doesn't this place kind of remind you about being back at the Institute?"

 No.31611

>>31610
"The elevators worked fine there…" I protest, following closely.

 No.31612

>>31611
"I got locked in one for thirty minutes once. I was *so* scared back then. And now with Doc and Calta, and maybe even Clora, I don't even mind being picked up. It's weird what a difference time makes, huh? So what about you? What scared you back when we were kids? I'm sure I remember, but I totally forgot."

 No.31613

>>31612
"A lot of times I was worried they'd run out of pudding if we weren't at the front of the line." I remark offhandedly. After appraising her annoyed expression, I add, "I've never liked getting shots, though, maybe that's why I can relax around the big alien doctors. They're too big to give precise shots anyway. And since we had to spend so much time indoors, we had to get lots of supplemental immune boosters 'cause we weren't exposed to outside germs, remember?"

Consider a bit more, "Uh, also, really far back, I was worried you weren't going to manifest Fold powers and have to leave…"

 No.31614

>>31613
"You've always been like that, haven't you?" Eva replies with a happy smile. "Well, you didn't have to worry all that much about me. I didn't get as much as you guys, but there's no way they'd have let me go. I'm just as much a part of this project as you." She continues to walk down the power line with a picked up pace. "I think I see some, oh, is there an earthquake going on?"

Above you, you can feel the foot steps of a Cerotid walking. They're heavy steps, and you can see how quickly those steps can move them as the light breaking through the gaps gets blocked and comes back.

"I still don't think I'll ever get used to being this small in comparison to everyone else. Even those Twins are big, and they're supposed to be small!" Eva says with exasperation. "Come on, the faster we finish the faster we can find if they have different puddings here. We just have to get over this." Eva points to a pile of cables on top of each other and crossing several more. "We can't lose sight of which one we're supposed to check on, so try to stay close."

Roll Agility to get around all this mess.

 No.31615

>>31614
'2d6-1'

Leap over the cables, stifling a cough!

"This place is dusty, too dusty…"

Roll #1 6, 2 - 1 = 7

 No.31616

>>31615
The hurried foot steps of another Cerotid above shake you and some dust falls from the cracks. Some of the dust piles are big enough that you could reasonably make a snow man out of dirt.

"Yeah, I'm sure Calta would have gotten angry if we let the cables get like this. I didn't tell you what she did to the people who were hiding snacks on the ship, right? When we got the make-up kit from her. Life this one for me, then I'll hold it while you get through." Roll Melee. "And I hope whoever left that radio on turns it on. That's an annoying sound coming from above."

 No.31617

>>31616
"Are you trying to say that makeup is PEOPLE?"

Hold up the cable. '2d6-2'

Roll #1 1, 2 - 2 = 1

 No.31618

>>31617
"They'd probably have preferred that than deal with her scolding. I still don't have decent translations for some of the things she said." She says with a smile, tiptoeing up to try and see what's in the way, then quickly ducking down behind the cable.

"Stay quiet, there's *something* on the other side. Can you see another way around?"

 No.31619

>>31618
Glance about the poorly lit crevice. "Maybe around the fusebox? I can't see the other side of it, that's what all the cables are going into."

 No.31620

>>31619
"Let's do that. It's creeping me out, the way it moved…" You and Eva make your way around, going over a few of the cables as you try to keep an eye on your power cable. It's only a corner away, but you're able to find where it terminates, and it seems like it has come loose.

"Maybe that was just another robot trying to keep the cables in order, sorry for over reacting like that." Eva says, gloomy about her cooler demeanor breaking like that. "Help me plug it in." Roll Tech, you have to align it right first.

 No.31621

>>31620
Plug '2d6-1'

"Uhh… you think so? That seems… stupid. I don't want to believe there are cleaning robots going around unplugging power cables on this planet normally."

Roll #1 5, 5 - 1 = 9

 No.31622

>>31621
"Help me turn and lock it in place." She takes her arm, ready to get the latch down. "Clora's bot wasn't working either. Maybe the people here have been ignoring their maintenance robots?" Roll Melee again, you're going to have to use your shoulders to really get in it.

 No.31623

>>31622
'2d6-2'

Bam!

"A planet where people rely on their robots… and even leave them to malfunction. It goes against the basic principles of survival, of working hard to do your best. It's against nature. I don't like it."

Roll #1 1, 5 - 2 = 4

 No.31624

>>31623
"That's, honestly brutal coming from you, but you're not wrong. A lot of the people here seem to be living like that, even from the small amounts I could see into their rooms. What do you think, will *Doctor* Clora improve if we take her with us, away from here?"

The plug goes in with a few tugs, Eva making sure to latch it down thanks to your help.

"The lights are starting to flash in here again. Good work!" Doc says through the ComLink.

"Come on, let's get back before that robot comes back." Eva says, pointing back where you came, which is being blocked now by the robot. It must have moved in behind you while you weren't looking…

 No.31626

>>31624
"Reallywoah!" His face beams with pride for a moment as he almost loses his balance with the weights. The three kids that came in float towards Seiz with Barbari escorting them and quickly get to talking as he demonstrates the lifts with them closer.

"Nice kid, looks like he's already making friends. He an acquaintance of yours?" Barbari asks. "He's usually kind of, jumpy, for someone bigger than everyone but like, 10 people here."

>Wan

The LEDs on the robot flash red, and it makes a move towards you…


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