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[tombthedwarf]

"what happened: did you record what you saw?"

[Haspen]

You examine android's neck. The joints were twisted, his main neck motor was broken, and you could swear you see some pieces of metal stuck there and there. But, you're not a mechanic, and you won't even try to fix that. Instead, you ask the android the obvious question.

"Inter---ence from the unkn--n ---ceship. No rec-rd of th- in----nt, Captain."

After this explanation, he blinked with his eyes.

"Can I he-p you --re, Cap--in?"

[Nirur Torir]

Amazon, state your primary and any secondary functions. Then state the ship's current mission, location, and heading.

[Acanthus117]

Okey, ask the android to lead him to the armory.

[Cheddarius]

Android, from now on, in non-combat situations, please state things twice.

[Haspen]

You ask Amazon about it's functions and order him to repeat everything he says.

"Unders--od, Ca--ain. U---rstoo- -aptain. My primary fu---ions are nav-gation and communica---n ass--tance. My pr--ary functions are ---igation a-- --mmunication assistance. My secondary func--on is assisting in any o---- task. My se---dary function i- ---isting in an- -ther task."

The overload of static mixed into metallic speech make your head hurt again. Then you ask about the mission and ship's location.

"Mission instruc--ons were told only to --u, Capta-- Mis--- instructions we-- told --ly to you, ---tain. We are cur---tly three kilo--ters from Hephaes--- space sta---n. We are currently th--- kilomet--- from --phaestus space station. "

You look through the main bridge window, but you see only metallic debris floating in the deep space.

"I ha-- a question. Why there are on-- three crewme---rs, coun--ng you, Captain, le-- alive on --e ship?"

Android said the question only once, and then he blinked, trying to turn himself to face you a little bit more, even if that made him lean backwards.

[Nirur Torir]

An unknown attack has killed most of the crew. What is the status of the other two crew members, where are they, and what are their duties?

[Haspen]

You explain the situation to him and ask about the other two. "No --cess to crewmem--r chart. Please use ---mand 'ID' at appri---iate con--ol panel. No access to ----member char. Pl--se use command -- at -----priate contr-- panel."

After you heard the command, you also remembered a few others, which are: log, stardate, map, systems.

[Nirur Torir]

"Standby for further orders."

use commands ID and Log on command panel.

[Haspen]

The android salutates you and lowers his hand, freezing on the spot. Meanwhile, you type ID command, and soon, a whole table of your crew comes up on the screen.

Code: [Select]

Crew:
 *ID's with active biosignals found: 3/24

 Officer ID:
  *Captain Mark Hallmark (wounded) // on bridge
  *First Officer Eris Plumphelmet (deceased) // last biosignal: on bridge

 System Officer:
  *Navigation Systems Officer Nathaniel Yellowking (deceased) // last biosignal: on bridge
  *Communication Systems Officer Zeng Chao (deceased) // last biosignal: on bridge
  *Chief Medic Dr.Adam Zenith (deceased) // last biosignal: in power core room
  *Chief Engineer Theodore Langstrom (deceased) // last biosignal: in power core room

 System Operators/Assistants:
  *Navigation Systems Assistant Olaf Simursson (deceased) // last biosignal: on bridge
  *Communication Systems Assistant Marcus Ratcliff (deceased) // last biosignal: at comm room
  *Medical Assistant John Wheelpoint (deceased) // last biosignal: in med.room
  *Medical Assistant Selena Brightglass (deceased) // last biosignal: in power core room
  *2nd class Engineer Sergei Tschaikovsky (deceased) // last biosignal: in power core room
  *2nd class Engineer Michael Quietdust (deceased) // last biosignal: in power core room
  *2nd class Engineer Eris Starseeker (wounded) // in power core room

 Crewmembers ID:
  *Crewmember Abdul Shaik Amarne (deceased) // last biosignal: in mess hall
  *Crewmember Eve Sleepstrength (deceased) // last biosignal: on bridge
  *Crewmember Thomas Palikovsky (deceased) // last biosignal: in mess hall
  *Crewmember Stanley Needlemaw (wounded) // in left wing quarters
  *Crewmember Victor Strangebrew (deceased) // last biosignal: in mess hall
  *Crewmember Jurgen Pitchblende (deceased) // last biosignal: in right wing quarters
  *Crewmember Bartholomew Icon (deceased) // last biosignal: at comm room
  *Crewmember Michael Fluffstamp (deceased) // last biosignal: in left wing quarters
  *Crewmember Thomas Oneiroi (deceased) // last biosignal: in mess hall
  *Crewmember Cynthia Lunarglow (deceased) // last biosignal: in left wing quarters
  *Crewmember Helmut Hendriksson (deceased) // last biosignal: in right wing quarters

 Cybernetical active ID's found: 1/4

  *TA-SNAA-001 'Amazon' (online) // energy core signal: in comm room
  *TA-SEAA-001 'Luther' (offline) // energy core signal: in power core room
  *TA-SAAA-001 'Pharaoh' (offline) // energy core signal: in mess hall
  *TA-SAAA-002 'Junior' (offline) // energy core signal: in right wing quarters
It was very depressing sight. Before you could do anything, however...

Code: [Select]

Updating crew biosignal roster...

Biosignal of: Stanley Needlemaw; lost.

Performing external bioscan... done.

Casue of death: excessive blood loss.

Certainity of the death cause: 100.0%
The chart updated itself, now showing '(deceased)' after that rookie's entry.  You rubbed your forehead and then, in the glassy surface of the control panel, you can see the dark smear of blood you got on the forehead thatnks to the rubbing. After that, you type 'log' command.

Code: [Select]

Accessing Captain's log...

***WARNING***
Memory data loss. Attempting to view last five entries..... attempt successful.
***WARNING***

Captain's Log, Stardate: 62LE/2/3.23:33

..it seems that Station Hephaestus has been destroyed.
How? No one can tell. All that I and my crew can see
now is a vast cloud of titanium debris, lingering in
the space before our ship.
Here, on the outskirts of Milky Way, nothing exists
that could possess such terrible firepower to destroy
such large station... however, that cloud of debris...
It's enough to believe otherwise.
Report for Admiral Gonzales is on the way. It should
be ready for sending in the next morning.

Captain's Log, Stardate: 62LE/2/4.00:07

I was just informed that long-range sensors found some
kind of signal - it looks like a spaceship, but it is
travelling toward us much faster than any Terran or
Visolian ship I can think of now. We should be in
contact within five, or less, minutes from now.

Captain's Log, Stardate: 62LE/2/4.00:11

What we see on short-range visual sensors window is
beyond comprehesion. Massive, dark grey, yet shining,
cube. It looks like some kind of fortress. A green
light, flickering, in the very middle. The sight is
both amazing and terrifying.
Just few seconds ago, one of the standard assistance
androids went berserk and killed Crewmember
Palikovsky. Propably a short circuit. It has been
shut down. What a loss, though... Palikovsky was a
freshman, and his life shouldn't have ended like this.

Captain's Log, Stardate: 62LE/2/4.00:14

Another android went berserk. I received a report that
few 2nd rank engineers began screaming and... and
apparently they tore their own throats out. I have
sent medics to the power core room to investigate.

The cube is advancing, and my head starts to hurt.
More people on the ship began screaming and acting as
if they are insane.
And I hear a voice now.

I ordered to move away from that cube, but engines
has been shut down!

A cold, cruel, malevolent voice. It feels threatening.

Navigation systems officer just smashed his assistant
against navigation systems table. I ordered him to be
restrained immediately.

That voice tell me things in strange language...

Captain's Log, Stardate: 62LE/2/4.00:18

***WARNING***
***Recording volume level: whispering.***
***Approximate word loss at recording: 15%***

Voice. Must kill.
Mind burning.

Blood.
Kill.

Eats mind.
It hurts. Gods.

More blood.

She screams. Kill her.

She dead.
Joy.

Voice good. Voice leads.
Pain.

No.
Voice good.

***END OF LOG***
Your head starts to hurt again. After reading the last entry again, you look at your hands, then on the body of woman nearby and her ripped throat. After another glance at your hands you add two to two and you can resist to vomit on the side.

[Armok]

Ask the android to investigate the state of the other androids, then come back and report.

[Nirur Torir]

First, we should ask for directions to the power core room, and travel there. Surely there's some debris that we can use as a crutch if we need help walking.

[Cheddarius]

Input map, systems

[Nirur Torir]

I think we shouldn't waste time with that yet. The engineer might be dying.

[Haspen]

You take a deep breath and try to concentrate. Something bad happened, and now you had to search through that mess. First, you order the android to check other of his kind - he salutes and marches to the right door, after a loud hiss he was gone.

Then you remember about the wounded engineer... on a hunch, you type in a 'map' command.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And it works! After that, you type in a 'systems' command, and even before it shows the result, you know it works.

Code: [Select]

Preparing systems report...
Analyzing sensor data...
Comparing input data...
Re-checking...

Status report on TSS Scout 'Azareus' systems:

Hull - 80%
Bridge - 90%
Communications - 25% [!][!]
 -External message relay - unavailable
 -Communication room computers - malfunctioning
Navigation - 50% [!]
 -Auto-pilot - unavailable
Medic - 50% [!][!]
 -Body scan&computer systems - malfunctioning
 -Tissue regeneration pad - unavailable
Primary sub-lightspeed engines - 0% [!][!]
 -Left engine - unavailable
 -Right engine - unavailable
Secondary plasma thrust&manuevers engines - 50% [!]
 -External minor leak
Engineering&repair systems - 25% [!]
 -External automatized repair systems - malfunctioning
Power core - 33% [!]
 -Main core - offline
But the report you got wasn't nice. And you're not an engineer... yes! If she is still alive, she could help! You eagerly stand up from the chair - and you almost fell on floor because of your wounded leg. You look around for something long and hard to use as a walking stick, alas, the bridge was mostly intact, except few shards of broken glass or small metal parts.

If you won't get a good idea, you will have propably to crawl or limp near the walls. Frustrated a little, you sit on your chair.

And, not hearing anything behind the door, you suspect that android is still checking on other androids.