Posteris- A Planetry Adventure

[ashton10]

All great journeys start somewhere.
Yours starts right here, on board the Linkship Euphoria, travelling at almost twice the speed of light, before touching down many miles above the atmosphere on Menihei spaceport. From there you will ride the matter transporter down into the bustling metropolis that is Menihei.
" We will be landing in approximately 10 minutes soplease be making your final preaparations now. I, the captain, would like to thank you for travelling with us today."
On a table, on the canteen deck, an unlikely bunch of travellers had just met and were beggining to introduce themselves...

[Randel]

Nitro

In among the various travelers on the ship, a white Albino Echidna sits at one of the seats on the canteen deck. His luggage case at his feet as always, he takes a bored look at all the aliens in the room with him. His red triangular cyborg eye adjusting as he looks at a few of them.

Dang... just my luck... I manage to find a planet I can get to and there aren't any female Echidnas in a million mile radius.

His cyborg eye adjusts a little, letting him look through the layers of clothing on some of the occupants.

Just a bunch of aliens... mostly men. Nitro makes a face as he averts his eyes from some of the more heavyset aliens... the fact that he only comes to waist height to most creature is seriously putting him off from using his X-ray vision feature.

But, just to pass the time, he tries scanning to see if anyone else in the room is packing a weapon. His own freeze gun is in a pocket for easy access, just the gun portion and the water/nitrogen canisters are in a separate pocket. Its not as accessible as he would prefer after his years of fighting, but he's heard that around here carrying loaded weapons might lead to trouble.

[whoiam]

OOC for Nitro:

I'm not sure just how far your eye penetrates - if it's just 'through the outer clothing', or whether it also gives you scans of things like bone structure, like Evicia's does.

If you're only looking as deep as the skin, Evicia will look completely normal. Normal for an Altarian, that is - almost completely identical to a human, albeit a very pale, blue-haired one.

If Nitro can look deeper...it's obvious she's had extensive cyborg modifications - most of her skull is metallic instead of bone, neither eye is organic (although they appear to be buried under a fleshy layer to conceal this fact from laypeople), there is metal all the way down her spine and replacing most of her ribs, clusters of metallic fibres in either hand and forearm, and several odd metal structures under the skin of her waist, mainly at the back around the top of the hips.


Evicia

A slight little woman was planted in a seat a few spaces down from the Echidna. Blue haired, blue eyed, and very pale, she was one of the few passengers that looked positively human in appearance. True, blue is not a natural hair colour for humans... but as she herself would point out if asked, it was perfectly normal for an Altarian, which she believed she was.

Unlike the Echidna she had no extensive luggage with her - Just the clothing she was in (some kind of pale grey overcoat and a pair of fairly thick, flat and practical workman's boots), a bulky Utility Belt of odd design, and a bulk standard toolkit pushed under her seat. She was not talking much (or at all, unless someone else started a conversation), but spent most of her time staring out the viewport with a weird kind of fascination on her face.

About the only thing she broke off her staring for was the occasional glance at the other passengers, as though looking for someone in the crowd. If she was looking, though, she never found them...

[ashton10]

"Can all passengers please report to the departure deck. Landing in 1-5 minutes"
"Hey, you guys, do you have any weapons? If so please place them in this bag here." The man looks like a shady character. He is an alien from the planet Gorgovi. He is at least 7ft with a thuggish look.
He has a Plasma Pistol in his holster.
It doesnt look military class. What are you going to do?

[npc revolution]

Ah, there's no need to take this li'l old gun.
Jhary shows the man his pistol.
It's ancient, harmless. I'd rather keep it on me, sentimental value and all that.

[ashton10]

" Whats up, don't you trust me? Oh well, we've landed now so i guess there's no point in inspection now. Run along. Have a good time in Menihei!"
The group makes its way to the spaceport's matter transporter. There is a loud WHOOSH! You touch down with a buzzing sensation in you stomach. The heat of the twin crimson suns beats down on you.
" Excuse me? Are you the people for the quest?" He is a very small Fripolian.
The lower part of his body is a kind of blue oily sludge but the upper torso is almost human. He looks timid and doesn't look like he means any harm.

[npc revolution]

Inner monologue:
"Hah! Good old Posteris, a planet with a very dense population!"
Jhary grins.

"Ummm, yes, that's me. There's no way that I am not the man for your quest thing. No way at all."

[whoiam]

Evicia

Evicia had simply ignored the man on the ship asking for weapons. Why? She didn't carry any. The most dangerous thing she carried was her brain. Also her welding torches. But neither of those counted as a weapon, right...?


No, I am not. Unless 'the quest' is to hunt me down and return me to the research team. In which case, the answer is 'Bye!'.

"Yes."

...Damn you, instinct!

[Volthawk]

While in the ship, Sarith had spent his time separated, unnoticed. It had allowed him to stay unknown, unrecognised. This was good. It allowed him to get where he needed to go without being recognised. He never picked up jobs randomly. They had to contact him beforehand first, not just jump him with a job.

Now this person was asking. Maybe he was his new employer. He congealed himself behind this man.

"Yes? I was contacted about work here."

[ashton10]

"Dimitri Esclava came to power not so long ago. He is a terrible leader yet people still vote for him. Thats's because he has the Epitaph, an item of mystical power, which lets him control anyone originaly born on Posteris. That's why i'm not affected, I come from Ropesk. I am willing to pay you a large sum of money for the destruction of the Epitaph, and the freedom of Posteris. So what do you think?" He looks at you all with a pleading look on his face.

[Volthawk]

"Hmm...You say he can control natives...."

Sarith stops, deep in thougt.

"Maybe genetic?"

[whoiam]

"No, genetic would affect people from select species regardless of the world they are native to: If this only affects natives, and by implication ones who were born native, instead of naturalised outsiders, it has to be keyed to something related to gestation or early childbirth on this world, as those are the only experiences unique to born natives of Posteris."

Now, what the common factor is that would tie the affected people together, I do not know. I suppose I should just be happy that I managed to narrow it down to something within five to ten years of being born. Yay.

They're all looking at me again, aren't they?

"Sorry, logic is a speciality of mine."

Yup. 1110111...

"Not that helpful, I know. I think we may just have to do research to find out how any of this works. Probably quicker to try and gain access to the device itself. Don't look at me, I don't know how you'd do it either."

"We'd do it, even. Sorry. Not used to considering myself part of a group."

[Volthawk]

"Yes, genetics was a preliminary thought. We'd need some kind of sample, or like you said, the device itself. Does also affect newborns? If it doesn't, then it'll probably be linked to some previous event."

Sarith stops again, thinking.

"Hmm...not DNA based...maybe...maybe it is!"

He turns back to the group.

"Hey, maybe it is genetic! Look, maybe this. Some time back, some common factor got into the genes, and that's it. It is a low-probability scenario, though."

He looks at the employer

"Hey, so are you the only one in your group? Are are there more with you?"

[ashton10]

"There are many of us, scattered around Posteris. But sadly, i've not found them. Speaking of genetics though, there was a major event that could of altered DNA. The 6th great war was full of dna altering weapons. Maybe that could have something to do with it? Anyway, your only lead is to search in the neighbouring cities, most likely to be Klaipedia."

[Volthawk]

"Interesting.... I need a subject to look at further."

[Randel]

Nitro

Hearing the conversation, the Echidna ponders the situation.

"Hmm... so this Epitaph lets him control natives born on this planet? Where can we find more information about this artifact? Namely, what it looks like and when it was created." Nitro ponders it, if the Epitaph controlled only members of the native species born on the planet then it would likely be genetics mixed with some other factor... probably some radiation or common element linked to this planet (that's usually how these mystical doodads work).

"And besides, if this mystical doodad does control people (in ways other than it being some sort of sacred object they all worship for some reason) then it probbly emits a signal... maybe psionic or similar." Nitro shrugs "If we can figure out what sort of signal it sends, and some way to track it, then we could probably set up some way to block the signal or even pinpoint its location and take it out directly."

Then, as an afterthought. "Did anyone test to see if tin-foil hats help keep people safe from Dimitri's control?"

[whoiam]

Evicia

"If this affects the entire native population of the planet, aquiring a sample should be as easy as picking up a clipboard, entering a public space, and asking the first passer by where they were born."

[ashton10]

"Well, you better get going then. There are some stalls and shops up the road and there is a place to stay on the high street. Do what you must, find me and we'll set of for Klaipedia in the morning. I need some time to get ready".

[Randel]

Nitro

Nitro nods and quickly finds an inexpensive place to spend the night before he heads to the local library to do some serious research on the Epitaph artifact and any legends about other mystical artifacts and the history of the planet.

[npc revolution]

"No need, I was almost definitely born here. Test me!"

[ashton10]

The archive computer hum with life.

The Epitaph was discovered in the year 127. Discovered by the Humara tribe, they used it to prophecise the future. Years later in the 6th Great War, genetic modidifying weapons triggered something in the Epitaph and anybody born after the war. Dimitri Esclava utilised this and became ruler of Posteris. It is now unkown where the Epitaph resides, but most believe it to be- COMPUTATIONAL ERROR-DATA NOT FOUND!

"Someone is trying to find out about The Epitaph! No one is meant to know!" Suddenly, two armed guards storm into the library, Pulse rifles aimed.

[Randel]

Nitro

As the armed soldiers break into the library, Nitro quickly closes the search window, picks up his bag, and slips out of his chair. Avoiding contact with anyone else, he ducks into the Fiction section and picks up four random books from the sci-fi section before heading towards where he thinks the graphic novels are.

Lets see... grab something with a flashy cover and pretend to be a nerdy kid. Hopefully they'll overlook me and I can slip out with none the wiser.

[ashton10]

As the guards burst in they ask you Nitro if you have seen anything suspicious

[Volthawk]

Sarith had once again spent time separated, exploring, trying to find out more, by spying, unseen, on anyone who looked promising. While doing this, he had passed by the library, seeing the guards go in.

"Hmm...interesting."

Sarith solidifies, then goes into the library.

[Randel]

Nitro

"Umm.. no... no, Sir. I..." He starts to hyperventilate before he catches himself. "I think a big guy by the airport who had a big bag of stuff and a plasma pistol. Looks real suspicious, about 7 feet tall... the measurement not like he had feet... I think he was a Gorgovion or something."

He looks at them meekly, "That was from earlier today... not, I can't recall anything recently in this room."

He looks down at his books, the top one is titled "The Biology of Galaxy Battle-Quest (fold-out edition)" and it seems to have pictures of scantily clad aliens with laser chainsaw swords on the cover.

"Its for art."

[npc revolution]

Jhary busies himself with getting back in touch with the planet he knew so well.

He goes to the nearest bar and begins to drink, and chat about what has changed while he's been away.

[whoiam]

Like Nitro, the cyborg had headed for a library. Unlike Nitro, she wasn't using their computers for her search...

...Caution was always the order of the day when connecting to a new network. The first step was to identify yourself as a new computer, and search for network security policies and operating instructions - somewhere in the network would be a master list of security measures they were expected to enact, and it was always easier to circumvent if she knew what they were...


...Later still (assuming that checking for security updates didn't trigger alarms as well), Evicia's next step would be an attempt to forge herself credentials as a database backup for the library indexes, so that she might sort through it's contents without raising suspicion...