The Game

The Way's elemental drive roars to life. The Siberys radiation seems to have affected it too - the engines accelerate quicker than usual. Steam rises from all around the icy asteroid as it rises, which diffusely glows in the golden light of the Siberys Ring.

Once in range, Tamara changes the spell to be inside the damaged hull. The interior is not designed like a traditional ship with walls and hallways, but is an open concept, giving it the appearance of a large cavern. Necromantic fetishes and talismans (skulls, black candles, obsidian altars) adorn most surfaces. Artificial rivers of blood flow through flexible tubing in a network around the ship, all converging at a throbbing black heart in the center of the cavern. Around the heart, a multi-tiered black iron platform has been constructed.

Three ghosts float about the heart. There appear to be manipulating magical wards around the heart - glowing green circles with intricate internal geometries that spin and change with their voices and gestures.

You also notice a fair bit of battle damage inside, as if they fought off a boarding action.

Unusually, the Clairvoyance spell also fills your other senses! You can hear the clang of hammers as the skeleton crews work in unison to patch the hull. You can smell the burning candles and musty bones. You can feel the cold temperature seeping into your skin.

As The Way comes into visual range with The Aurora, WARP hears L0-C0 chime in. "Hey, that ship - it's the target that my former partner and I were trying to acquiring. Good work Warp X! My understanding is that the technology on board will help our struggle against the Quori. Is that true?"

As B-9 lights the lantern on the outer deck of the ship, the Flameskulls break formation. Two of the make for the Aurora, while the other four immediately veer towards you. They swoop and fly about, chattering amongst themselves above your ship.

"Intruders! Kill them.."

"With fire, kill them with..."

"These are not Jotuns."

"These are not Inspired."

"Who cares? Dangerous, and precarious are we."

"Listen to them first!"

"The mission will fail if these spies ruin it!"

"Perhaps they are enemies of our enemies."

"Perhaps they can give aid."

"Perhaps we can take it from them!"

"Do not take by force what is freely given."

"Listen then. But if their message is wrong..."

"Fire! Burn!"

All at once, they all confirm: "Agreed."

The Flameskulls spread out before the bow of the ship and demand with all voices unified: "State your purpose!"

"I have no record as to why I was activated, but it predates this incident. The details of that incident seem they might be important to your current mission. Here is my report:"

"The Cul'sir Dominion detected this vessel in orbit and deemed it a useful acquisition. My partner and I along with our Jotun were dispatched as part of a team to assimilate it. The Quori arrived while we were doing that and tried to destroy the ship. The ship escaped, and my partner and the Jotun were badly damaged. There was more action, but my partner's sensors were destroy so I could not see what happened. The important thing is that the ship is intact, hurrah! Assimilation can continue as planned."

Tamara feels this situation is resting on a knife's edge. Two of the Flameskulls seem willing to talk but the other two seem eager for battle. Your read is that the willing-to-listen sentiment is based on the potential that you are more useful intact than destroyed but they will turn on you the moment that they don't feel that way anymore.

"That's right, my primary function is medical assistance.The Jotuns I have been assigned to have catastrophic injuries such as missing limbs and other body parts. In addition I have seen terrible skin conditions that do not track with any disease I am aware of. I have not assisted a proper analysis, so I cannot say more than that."

"Yes I can sense the world through your sensors! That is how I am seeing the ship that is our assimilation target. You can deactivate this feature if you prefer. I can access your memories and locomotive functions if you give me permission. I've gotten quite good at controlling my partner's movements, even though it is not my original function. Would you like me to show you?"

L0-C0 replies: "Undead? I am not familiar with this condition, Warp X. The skin condition I am referring most closely resembles a rotting curse, but Jotuns would not suffer such a minor curse for so long."

"I do not know how many Jotuns are on the Colossus but 20 or 30 would be a good guess.

The Flameskulls debate noisily among themselves about B-9's response:

"A living soul has never set foot on our vessel. Your medical assistance is useless, and your preoccupation with life is small-minded"

"But, assistance is required!"

"They might be Quori puppets. Or Cul'sir's own creations!"

"The risk is necessary! We are running out of time!"