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[WillowLuman]

"If they just so happened to have that lying around, what else might they be keeping here?"

[_DivideByZero_]

The Rtalis speaks, apparently having heard your conversation over the comms.

"I'm not sure why I am hearing this. Do the others hear an echo?"

He pauses for a few moments. You start to respond in your native tongue, but then he answers himself.

"Ah! This suit's communicator must be linked to the fishtank in order to use the tank's larger antenna. That's intelligent, though you may want to be more careful next time you let a stranger inhabit your spare pressure suit. Also, you might want to tell your friends that there's a lot of stuff on this station SE's been studying over the past decades.

Anyway, we at Tectonics had a bit of insider info, you know? I'm rusty since I've been preoccupied with just staying alive for the past months, but I do recall they had some kind of self-replicating blob that infects people. They were undergoing studies on its radiation-proof shell during its dormant period, far as I know. They've also got a modified strain of Deynocochus radodorins capable of rapidly seeding a CO2-rich atmosphere." (He horribly butchers the pronounciation, but most non-biologists wouldn't take notice).

"Anyway, if the station's being poisoned, the first thing I would do is get off the station. Call my boss. Tell them they should probably deal with it since they sent me and might be held responsible if they don't do anything to help. I'd rather lose my job than die in the initial outbreak. But I assume you guys are saboteurs of some kind. What kind of equipment do you have available? Bombs? Guns? You could bribe a guard, blackmail him maybe. Get him to delete the tapes and take up the post in security. Then go blow up the water piping to keep it from being distributed."

((Everyone hears this. It pops up on any heads-up-displays as Atlos himself speaking.))

[~Neri]

"New person clearly not Atlos based on verbal patterns. We are currently trying to halt the infection not make it worse.. It would assimilate all life on the planet below should the station deorbit. I'm currently directing the team seeking out infected and isolating them. You do realize what a biomatrix can do to a water planet right? If this spreads out of system. That puts many lives at risk."

[WillowLuman]

(Just before Nerin's response, due to ninja)

Atlos flashed various colors and patterns, reflecting mild embarrassment, anxiety, and some other minor feelings, the chromatic equivalent of going stammering "um..."
"Yes, well... might I ask your name?"

"New person clearly not Atlos based on verbal patterns. We are currently trying to halt the infection not make it worse.. It would assimilate all life on the planet below should the station deorbit. I'm currently directing the team seeking out infected and isolating them. You do realize what a biomatrix can do to a water planet right? If this spreads out of system. That puts many lives at risk."

"That would be the other Rtalis I discovered hiding in the water."

[_DivideByZero_]

"New person clearly not Atlos based on verbal patterns. We are currently trying to halt the infection not make it worse.. It would assimilate all life on the planet below should the station deorbit. I'm currently directing the team seeking out infected and isolating them. You do realize what a biomatrix can do to a water planet right? If this spreads out of system. That puts many lives at risk."

((The planet below is a gas giant. I just feel like you're not aware of that, since you referred to oceans a while ago.))

(Just before Nerin's response, due to ninja)

Atlos flashed various colors and patterns, reflecting mild embarrassment, anxiety, and some other minor feelings, the chromatic equivalent of going stammering "um..."
"Yes, well... might I ask your name?"

"New person clearly not Atlos based on verbal patterns. We are currently trying to halt the infection not make it worse.. It would assimilate all life on the planet below should the station deorbit. I'm currently directing the team seeking out infected and isolating them. You do realize what a biomatrix can do to a water planet right? If this spreads out of system. That puts many lives at risk."

"That would be the other Rtalis I discovered hiding in the water."

"The name is Steeltrout III, at least, that was my human name that I kept from the Gentleman club. Those were the days...

Oh, you could probably just call me Akatin. That's probably a more conventional name. It's what I went by in the company."

Shifting to a more serious tone, the Rtalis comments on what was said previously by WARDEN.

"Well, the planet below is a boiling mass of hydrogen and helium. I wouldn't be too worried if there was some life that somehow made its home in that environment and it got assimilated. If it spreads to the rest of the system, that would be bad, but SpaceInc's got a fleet. They can lock down the spaceport. You can maybe leave a note and make them aware. Have you told them there's been an outbreak yet?"

[~Neri]

"By team. I mean I'm coordinating the authorities. They happen to be SpaceInc. They are aware."

[_DivideByZero_]

Moravia Orbital Colony, Ulysses | 237d/3008AD | Von Hapsburg System

Megacity Time: 7:25

Maintenance Worker's Lounge
Quiet (+1 Intellect, -1 Stealth)

See what Heating can do.  Any other exciting functions?

Heating lets you control the thermostat. The /help menu tells you of two commands: settemp and settempx, where settempx requires an "administrative consensus" or basically clearance from one of the main computers inside the HQ. It apparently lets you either freeze or burn a section of the station using the temperature regulation systems.

It seems strange why you can depressurize a cabin but not set its temperature to freezing. Perhaps the same restriction is present on a bunch of other commands, but it's not stated.

There are a couple of other potentially useful functions:
-Ventilation/Air Shaft speed and pressure
-Controlling doors
-Controlling elevators and docking bays, albeit with less precision than using the actual monitor room console
-Controlling harvesting and distribution systems in the algae farms, although not for the hydroponics.

There's also some other devices you don't have software drivers for, such as the station's 3d printing array (used by maintenance workers to fabricate new parts and equipment) and the official data farm, which needs a specific password to log into. The printing array seems interesting, as there's an interface for it that's installed on your laptop. You can submit a design and wait for it to be approved. If you can connect to the printers directly, like you can, you can force a task to go through.

...

Headquarters, Floor 3
Professional Atmosphere (+1 Intellect)

"If they just so happened to have that lying around, what else might they be keeping here?"

Considering it's been minutes since the water turned teal, you decide to look back at it and see what's changed.

At first glance, the dead fish seem to be missing from the ground. Perhaps they got sweped over into the place that Atakin slept by the current. oh well, it's not like you'd be inclined to visit.

As you roll away to return to Atakin, who appears to be actually capable of walking despite his hyperbole from before, you hear splashing. More specifically, you hear something coming out of the water. It appears to be a human, attempting to drag himself out of the water but unable to do so, presumably due to weakness.

Maintenance Shafts
Hidden (+1 Stealth)

Nothing happens because your team is too uncoordinated. [4] The stranger is stopped at a security checkpoint as he approaches the tram. It seems that he is being detained for a short while due to an issue with his ID. Good for you, you can now catch up.

...

Moravia Lab
High Security (-1 Stealth)

"Could potentially have not interfaced intentionally. Seems to have done a lot of things it didn't intentionally show."

"A possibility--if you're the sci-fi movie type. This thing evolved in an environment without civilization, electronics, or even any of the minerals needed to construct transistors. A wet greenhouse with little to no heavy metals. It's incredibly unlikely that it can somehow learn to control a modern operating system without any prior knowledge and security access."

"That's a good idea actually. Huh." Nerin transmits the concept to the very few KX9 insysten and through the worldgate to be relayed to a Researchden.

You receive one ping back from Askarian after a few seconds. Something suggesting that the source is presently occupied, but eager to get involved as soon as possible.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Both Nerin and Valrak continue scanning. Valrak points out blobs to the guards. Nerin points out nearby blobs in the lab as well.

Nerin: You augment Valrak's field of view and searching ability, although you feel that you contribute little. Valrak spots every one you see beforehand--sometimes by a milisecond, too.

Valrak: [6/5] The blob extermination goes smoothly. You root out the blobs, keeping the . Sometimes the blobs just out of cover right after seeing you. Previously they appeared highly coordinated, but now that you've removed most of them they seem to be scattered and operating without any real plan. After double and triple-checking most of the furniture, you conclude that you've got every one that was hiding. Meanwhile, a scattered line of citizens forms around the security checkpoint to the clinic, as three guards in hazmat suits watch over the process with plasma guns.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Should have someone go look at the water in the treatment facility if HQ is reluctant to cut off the flow. Also check in on the people supposed to be watching. If I were trying to spread a contaminant via water. I would remove the watchers.. How long does it take to cycle into the main water feeds?"

"Also.. Why were the blobs in a bag in the trashcan?"

"Looks like a security breach. Perhaps our saboteur planned something bigger, but wasn't able to finish it in time."

Meanwhile, in the polymer-encircled ER containing the original human suspects... one of the detainees (the Federation guy) starts protesting what's about to happen to them. One worker explains (from a speaker) that they would be detained until further notice, either until cured or some other solution could be found. You consult Dr. Chance about a possible cure but... she whispers that there probably is nothing that can be done. They'll probably be incinerated.

Another detainee starts acting up. She seems to be mostly--but not fully--infected... and in fact is starting to change skin colors. One of the guards shoots her, splattering orange fluid on the polymer glass behind her, but it turns out the guards inside the chamber are all equipped with only bullets. The woman shrugs off the bullets and starts moving toward the guards, although they are generally strong enough to overpower the blob-creature, especially four-on-one. However, the other detainees start undergoing the same changes. Soon the guards are fighting off six infected detainees, all individually much weaker than a guard, but without the usual human weaknesses to pain and... well... death.

Dr. Bradley returns with some news.
"HQ cut the water to the popcenters. I think we're good. That's the first place it would spread to, right?"
"Makes sense"

[~Neri]

 "The infected at the checkpoint are overwhelming the guards. Lets go burn them. Valrak says to the guards with him.

"Guards at checkpoint are being overwhelmed by infected. Infected are clearly infected based on deviations from normal body format. Call more guards with weapons that can harm the blobs. Valrak and his guards I think cleaned up all the blobs. He's enroute to checkpoint to subdue infected." Nerin says to the scientists.

((Yah. I sorta thought we were in orbit around the ice planet.))

Nerin keeps scanning. Valrak scans as he walks, pointing out blobs that leaped off the infected to the guards.

[_DivideByZero_]

"The infected at the checkpoint are overwhelming the guards. Lets go burn them. Valrak says to the guards with him.

"Guards at checkpoint are being overwhelmed by infected. Infected are clearly infected based on deviations from normal body format. Call more guards with weapons that can harm the blobs. Valrak and his guards I think cleaned up all the blobs. He's enroute to checkpoint to subdue infected." Nerin says to the scientists.

((Yah. I sorta thought we were in orbit around the ice planet.))

Nerin keeps scanning. Valrak scans as he walks, pointing out blobs that leaped off the infected to the guards.

((Not at the checkpoint, the action is happening inside that room that they took the initial batch to a while ago. The ones with the lack of skeletal structures. This is before they set up the operation.))

[~Neri]

((Oh. Derp. Assume they mean that room then.))

[Toaster]

((How much of this can Deuce see?  I've lost track of what he has camera coverage of.))

[WillowLuman]

Atlos looks at the human, trying to determine if it's the same one he saw alone in the garden when he entered. "Sir, are you alright?"

[_DivideByZero_]

((How much of this can Deuce see?  I've lost track of what he has camera coverage of.))

[6/5] Without the control room, none. However, since the cameras are on the network, you can tap into them. You open up a few, resulting in windows popping up on your desktop showing certain happenings on the station. One window contains a vista of the mall's main lobby, swarmed by angry protestors and police robots. Another depicts some sort of brawl occuring between armored guards and... a swirling mass of multicolored flesh. Eh, you've seen worse.

A third window depicts what appears to be a conference room. Unlike the other feeds, the audio on this one is blanked out. A suited man points a laser at a diagram of some whale-like organism, apparently talking about it to a group of uniformed employees. The conference room is located right next to a huge octagonal space window taking up the entirety of the far wall, and you see ships docking to and fro, as well as... the atmosphere of the gas giant below. It looks just a tad closer than it was the last time you saw it, which is a little unsettling. It's probably just the camera perspective, though.

"The infected at the checkpoint are overwhelming the guards. Lets go burn them. Valrak says to the guards with him.

"Guards at checkpoint are being overwhelmed by infected. Infected are clearly infected based on deviations from normal body format. Call more guards with weapons that can harm the blobs. Valrak and his guards I think cleaned up all the blobs. He's enroute to checkpoint to subdue infected." Nerin says to the scientists.

((Yah. I sorta thought we were in orbit around the ice planet.))

Nerin keeps scanning. Valrak scans as he walks, pointing out blobs that leaped off the infected to the guards.

"Problem is, we can't open the door without risking letting the blobs escape. Well we can, but the airlock would be considered contaminated. We can send in a few more guards, but we'll have to send in all the equipment we can give them. Like something to burn the goo off the walls with to make sure nothing escapes."

The infected become more fericious, merging into one another as they throw themselves against the guards. Discarded clothes and personal items start to float inside a large, single blob.

[4] The people outside the checkpoint appear clean, with no radio signatures or suspicious milliwave readings.

Atlos looks at the human, trying to determine if it's the same one he saw alone in the garden when he entered. "Sir, are you alright?"

The human opens his mouth, but lets out only a raspy moan rather than speech. It doesn't appear to be that human you saw before, who now sees the situation  and approaches.

The human raises his hand toward the incoming human. He appears to be wearing some kind of blue jumpsuit that's resistant to water, perhaps characteristic of some kind of maintenance worker.

[~Neri]

"Can we burn the room remotely? Can't risk the blobs going in the airvents. Also can we call more guards?"

[WillowLuman]

"Summon help forthwith! There is something in the water!" Atlos calls to the healthy human.