Turn Five: The Little(?) Insect Who CouldAnjuum clasps his drone in his hand and the team falls silent as Oz sets to work on jacking the door open. It responds readily to his tampering and shudders open (
6) and the light emanating from the technician's headpiece lights up the cramped corridor ahead. The sole occupant and owner of the recent thermal signature recoils from the sudden illumination and is revealed to be an
asteroid beetle - an insectoid the size of a large dog that can survive for long periods of time in total vacuum. It skitters forth with surprising speed and lunges for Oz, who deftly sidesteps (
8) and causes the beast to careen into Scion, who is caught off-guard and receives a nasty chomp from the beast's mandibles that falls just short of piercing her suit (
1 vs
9). Alex is the first to respond to the threat and sets upon the fiend with his knife while it's distracted, but his knife glances off the beetle's thick chitin and it takes the chance to counterstrike, nipping him quite badly on the forearm and tearing his suit (
1 vs
10) - he's fortunate that the corridor is fully pressurised. Edgrick takes his chance, diving on the beast with both of his cutters bared and finally manages to deal some damage, slicing off one of its legs and breaking another with his skilled slices (
9 vs
4). Third to take a stab is Wilson, who swings widely but clashes with the insect's mandibles, only succeeding in chipping them superficially (
5 vs
5). Anjuum finally gets a chance to strike and drives his knife into the creature's back while it's distracted, eliciting a dying screech and a few spurts of ichor (
6-1 vs
2). He unceremoniously tears his knife from the dead animal's back and stands up, taking a few deep breaths.
The team is arrayed in a rough circle, with Anjuum and his recent kill at its centre. The maintenance corridor ahead appears cramped and thin, likely only able to permit the team if they walk in single-file. The piping system sighted by Scion earlier continues through the tunnel, leading from a southern wall into a crawlspace underneath a small hatch-like door further ahead. The same structure is mirrored further down the corridor.
Edgrick the Ready
Health: Unhurt
Wearing: Standard spacesuit
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, Laser cutter x2, Laser cutter charge pack
Anjum Tolt'taar
Health: Unhurt
Wearing: Standard spacesuit, sealed undersuit
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, Scanbot, Nomad multitool, Scanscreen
Scion Verandas
Health: Left shoulder - bruised
Wearing: Standard spacesuit
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, Box of fruit loops, Laser revolver, Laser speed-loader x3
Wilson Green
Health: Unhurt
Wearing: Standard spacesuit, Sealed welding helmet
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, Welding tool named Angie, Repair kit
Oz Arcanus
Health: Unhurt
Wearing: Standard spacesuit
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, 7 Sol days' worth of provisions, Backpack Monkey, clean underclothes
Alex Shater
Health: Right forearm - lacerated
Spacesuit breached
Wearing: Cosmetically modified spacesuit
Inventory: Spare oxygen tank, Mono-knife, Infrared binoculars, Half of a lifeline, Laser pistol, Laser pistol ammo x5
Sorry about that, guys! Didn't expect the first encounter to cause so many issues, but I guess these are dice that we're dealing with here. Also, Oz, you have all the tools necessary to open closed doors as well as your default kit - to deny you those might impede the team's progress significantly.