World Tree MUSH

    A distress signal had gone out, and then stopped, from one of United Process Control's freight ships. With the recent disappearance of a number of their unmanned ships, someone had put together that armed guards had thus far prevented any from missing. This ship, previously set up as unmanned, had had a security crew of four added to it, the leader of which had been identified as the sender of the distress signal. However, the ship hadn't been at the location of that original signal, sent three days ago now. The company had put out a bounty for the retrieval of their ship, with an extra reward for information on what had happened or the responsible party.

    This time, the bounty's even real, and will hold up to a close inspection as having ACTUALLY come from the company that owns the ship. This might be a change of pace for some people.

    It may take some expertise beyond the normal, but it is possible to track that ship and find it using a very weak transponder signal. Currently, it's completely adrift, engines dead, in an empty area of space just inside of Neptune's orbit, though on the opposite side of the sun from where that planet currently is. There are no signs of damage to the ship on an external examination, but it remains completely incommunicative to any approaching ships...

    When she got the message, Talia was pretty intrigued enough. The Paragon's Legacy comes out of hyperspace and begins to drift alongside the lost vessel. En-Dee reports no transmissions are being picked up, and Talia nods. "Then we're going to have to go in directly and investigate." She says, moving to dock with the vessel.

    Once docking maneuvers are carried out and the doors open, Talia strides through the umbilical with her astromech droid. The droid beeps something worriedly while slowly moving a flashlight across the dark corridors.

    "You and I both." Talia mutters softly.

    A sleek purple gunship cuts through the void of space on a course for the freight ship. Samus Aran's fingers dart over the controls of her ship as she pilots it on a course that brings her ever closer to the drifting vessel.
    "Power's off." She muses.
    [The ship is structurally intact.] ADAM pings in reply as the Hunter swivels her ship to dock with the freighter, armor shimmering to life and encasing the bounty hunter in the heavy plating of her Chozo made power armor as she docks alongside the Paragon's Legacy.

  A job being what it actually says it is has a certain novelty factor. At least, it does for Juno Eclipse. Against her better judgement she'd decided to take this successive job, even though part of her instincts have been telling her to swear off this entire Olympian mess. She won't, though... it pays too decently.

  Subverting and using computer systems as well as piloting are both in the Rebel General's wheelhouse. It takes a bit of doing, and some lookout work from PROXY, but eventually the pair manage to find the transponder signal.

  Smoothly, the old general brings up its stealth systems as the ship shimmers out of view. In the same breath she cuts the engines and lets the Rogue Shadow coast slowly into the area of operation; a cursory glance at her scanners confirms the objective is here, and a look up gives her visual confirmation.

  Juno clicks her teeth together thoughtfully as she studies the scene. It seems entirely too convenient. The ship is too quiet, this sector of space is too quiet, and her old friend Admiral Ackbar would have absolutely said this was a trap.

  Oh, there goes the Paragon's Legacy. Juno watches the Jedi ship scoot close enough to dock; a moment later, Samus Aran's sleek purple gunship follows.

  "There appears to be no exterior damage to the ship, General Eclipse," PROXY offers politely.

  "No power," Juno muses, voice low and thoughtful. Her eyes hood. She sighs. "Damn. It looks too easy. All right. You take over. Get us close enough to dock, and then maintain orbit. Keep the stealth systems up and keep an ear out for my signal. I may need a bit of a hasty pickup."

  "Very good, General Eclipse." The skinny droid slides into the seat she abandons. He's not the best pilot, but he's proficient, and has as much precision as any droid.

  As the ship gets into position she retrieves her two blasters, checks the charge on them, and shoves them into her shoulder rigs with a grunt. "PROXY, I'm getting too old for this shit," Juno mutters quietly. "Keep the sublights hot. I'll be back as soon as I can."

  "Good luck, General Eclipse." PROXY turns his attention forward.

  Juno doesn't have an environmental suit, and she hesitates at the Rogue Shadow's closed hatch door.

  <Rogue Shadow to Paragon's Legacy.> Juno's delivery is a little wry. <This is going to sound like a stupid question, but what's the atmospheric composition looking like in there? I don't usually carry an environmental suit.>

  There's a pause.

  <Fancy meeting you two here,> the woman adds, tone bland with the barest hint of amusement.

    The good news, once docking is accomplished, is that while the engines are off there IS power and atmosphere inside. And also, communication, as soon as the door is opened! It's an obviously prerecorded message, of sorts, going over the airwaves in a very robotic voice, except for a couple of places where the recording has been recorded over.

    In those places, the voice may be familiar to Talia and Juno as 'Adrienne', or Circe, or whatever she's calling herself this week.

    "Illegal entry detected. Be aware that entry may be punishable by up to ten years of -" and here the voice is overwritten "- ETERNAL DOOM." There's a audible waver in Adrienne's voice, where she tried to make it sound spooky there, then the robotic voice continues. "Surrender now to.. DON'T DO THAT, JUST LEAVE."

    Throughout this section of the ship, the lights ARE off, and there's a thin layer of some kind of dust or powder on the floor.

    It would seem Samus isn't alone.
    That's fine, she can work in a team as long as she gets a fair share cut of the bounty.
    "Small galaxy." she says, at running into the two since their last meeting at The Altar Planet, as she steps into the dusty-powdery hall.
    "There's air." The Hunter replies over the open comms as...
    The pre-recorded voice kicks in.
    "..."
    [That recording has been tampered with.] ADAM notes helpfully over the comm link.
    Samus' shoulders rise... And then fall in a soft sigh. It's very visible though due to her massive shoulder gaurds.

    Talia begins to radio Juno, "Rogue SHadow, this is Paragon's Legacy. Good news, the air's breathable. Bad news, there's nobody here that we can find." She messages with faux-cheer. "Good to see you both, all the same." She messages Juno and Samus.

    Of course, they're greeted by the sounds of CIrce's voice over the intercomm. "...hmm." Endee beeps before going down the hall fearlessly, shining her lights as Talia follows. "I think we just found our culprit. It might just be an AI." She muses aloud.

    She watches Samus's shoulders heave softly as the bounty hunter sighs. It's awfully familiar. "You remind me of an acquaintance of mine." Talia comments idly.

  Juno shifts her weight outside the cargo hold's door. At the sound of the robotic voice, she tilts her head, quizzically. Twisting around, she shouts forward to the cabin. "PROXY, patch that through."

  The message plays over the Rogue Shadow's internal speakers, and she's left staring blankly at the ceiling once it finishes.

  Juno Eclipse draws in a deep breath and heaves a sigh.

  "Oh, excellent. It's our friend. Miss Adrienne, or Circe, or... whatever it is that she's calling herself these days." Juno's tone sours.

  There's air.

  The Rogue Shadow's hatch opens and Juno steps through. It shuts and the battered old stealth sprinter pulls smoothly away from the crippled transport. Juno pulls both blasters from her shoulder rigs, spinning them deftly by the trigger guards and settling them into place in her palms in what looks like a motion so practised she isn't even remotely thinking about it.

  "All right. I've about had it with her nonsense." It's Circe that the old general refers to, but for now, she squints sidelong at Talia. At the Jedi's musings, Juno's frown etches itself even deeper.

    Of course, whether Circe is here or not is an open question, but it's probably reasonable to be tired of her regardless. At least for those who've had dealings with the supposed goddess.

    A few moments after the message is largely ignored in favor of more exploring, another message will be broadcast, this one entirely in Circe's voice. "Oh, fine then, just make yourselves at home, it's not like breaking in is RUDE or anything."

    Exploring down the corridor will find at least one room where the lights ARE on; what looks like a kitchen. Entering will find a man, there, sitting at a little table with his back to the door. He's not wearing a shirt, though thankfully he is in pants, and he's also extremely, extremely hairy in the back. Almost impossibly so. He will completely ignore the people exploring the ship for the moment in favor of spooning some kind of greyish-brownish sludge up off a plate and into his mouth absently.

    A computer terminal also sits in that room; there's a little dancing pig mascot, with a big PLAY button underneath.

    "Is that so?" Samus asks Talia, mild curiosity there but not a burning need to know. The Hunter moves like a predtor stalking the halls, slow cautious footfalls and arm-cannon raised to track even the slightest movement that isn't Kyras or Eclipse.
    "Who's Adrienne and what nonsense am I getting myself into now?"
    Into the kitchen and Samus levels her weapon at the man for a long, tense, moment. But when he seems content to just... Continue eating... She slowly lowers her weapon.
    "What's on it?"
    She means the terminal, while she keeps her eye on the guy.

    Talia sighs, not even bothering to heed the speakers. "Yeah, he had a suit of armor and everything. He's even a bounty hunter." She says, before giving Samus a shrug. "It's...do you know what an Olympian is? I'm not so sure myself, but I understand they're named after Terran deities. Most of them are fairly unpleasant if the myths are to be believed. Circe is named after a sorceress in one of the myths."

    Once they're in the kitchen, Talia is about to clear the room with Samus before they stop short of vaporizing the poor cook. "...hmm." She lowers her blaster pistol. "Our apologies."

    En-Dee meanwhile rolls over towards the computer terminal and inserts her data-stick, interfacing with it.

  The old general moves like a soldier. No graceful slink, here, but the deliberate and measured advance of a trained warrior. Juno studies every shadow; every bulkhead. She may not be looking for trouble, but it has a real knack for finding her.

  As she follows the other into the kitchen, she stares just as blankly at the man eating his porridge, blinking owlishly.

  Well. That's a first. Shaking her head, she folds her arms, eyeing the computer terminal. Her gaze flicks back and forth between the droid and the terminal several times, before she sighs, holstering her blasters and looking to Talia. "You want me to take care of this?" A hand gestures toward En-Dee and the terminal. "I do know how to slice into a system, and I'm willing to put credits on doing it less invasively than that droid of yours. Or that droid of mine, for that matter."

    At all the noise being made, and the apologies, and the weapons being pointed... The man will speak up, very briefly, turning towards the intruders and saying in an INCREDIBLY gravely voice. "If you want some, you know the deal. It's in the soy regrower." And with that, he'll go back to eating and ignoring all of them. He's got awfully pointy teeth, though.

    The terminal, as soon as it is interacted with in ANY way, will automatically start to play on the screen. There's no obvious way to stop it, other than smashing the terminal. The dancing piggy stops dancing, and starts talking.

    "Hello, and welcome to YOUR Aeaea pleasure cruise! Ticket price, one choosing to work for a company that's crushing people beneath its heels! Don't worry. Your full, lifetime room and board has been provided, and I assure you you won't want for anything as soon as you enjoy the complementary food and drinks. I suggest you start eating soon, because you're going to be stuck here for a loooooong time, you know."

    The man will belch, loudly, at that as the message repeats itself in other languages, starting with Greek and, weirdly, Italian.

    "I've run into a Hydra, but that's as far as I know." Samus replies to Talia before the terminal comes to life, explaining that they are now apparently stuck. For good. Supposedly.
    "That doesn't sound like ten years of 'eternal doom'." Samus muses dryly.
    Okay. She'll bite.
    She's going to check the soy regrower, visor set to scanner mode to see if it can discern what the stuff inside actually is.

    "Ten years of service aboard this vessel doesn't exactly sound appealing either." Talia mutters. She's skeptical of the soy regrower. En-Dee meanwhile gets to work trying to mess with the computer's programming, do a little slicing.

  While Samus checks the soy regrower, and as Talia's droid gets to work with the computer programming, Juno... lacks a real target, and so she reaches up to tap the earpiece she's wearing; her lifeline back to the Rogue Shadow.

  <PROXY, how's that scanner looking?>

  <All clear, General Eclipse.>

  <Excellent. Keep an ear out for me.>

  <Very good, General Eclipse.>

  Letting her hand fall, Juno eyes the man(?) eating his porridge. There's something awfully suspicious about his behaviour, even if he's not paying anybody any mind, or otherwise looking up at all from his food. Chances are there's something abhorrent in that porridge. It just looks ghastly. Probably smells ghastly if she gets too close, too.

  Juno leans against the nearest bulkhead. While the other two pursue their goals, she'll keep an eye on Mister Porridge just in case he drops his spoon and freaks out or something.

  Dangling a blaster pistol from its trigger guard, she narrows her eyes at the big bear of a man. "Thanks, but I don't want any." She frowns. "What is that?"

    "Soy extract." Says the man, simply, continuing to eat it. It must be good! Or, you know, at least food.

    Inside of the soy regrower, there is something truly horrible: Soy, being processed and regrown, theoretically enough to feed the crew of four that were supposed to be on the ship indefinitely.

    Oh, also, some sort of nanobot based poison, though it's very, very difficult to get an exact read on it. This is maybe less horrifying than the prospect of a full lifetime of soy.

    Slicing into the terminal is a little easier than might normally be expected, because the security here has already been hacked to shreds, with the normal computer operations of the ship all but gone. All that's left at this point is life support and the internal communication systems; restoring the ship to full operation is essentially impossible without someone bringing the correct software back to life from the manufacturer.

    However, there's a NEW set of programs, including the videos that have been played, modifications to the communications, and advancements in the life support to keep a very, very close eye on the health of the crew. Three of the four are currently listed, a little concerningly, as 'hybernating'; the last, a "Orion Breton", is listed as 'grazing'.

    That explains... Something. The soy regrower being laced with nanite poison is met with... Samus shutting the soy regrower closed.
    "That stuff's bad for you." She simply says to the man.
    You know. Being poison and all. Not just soy. Soy is alright.
    "Think we should find the hibernating crew? Or just call it in to the UPC and let them handle it from here?"

    En-Dee beeps something as she slices further into the computer with surprising ease. "I know, you'd think security would be thicker." Talia muses, scratching her head as the droid goes to work. "Probably a good idea." Talia muses, as En-Dee gets the ship back in order. "Nice work, En." The droid beeps again before helpfully highlighting where the crew's currently in stasis.

    Locating the crew and getting them off the ship will be very possible - the other three are in a room that's been converted to crew quarters, all of them looking just as hairy as the man in front of them. They're also not in stasis when found. They appear to, in fact, be in a form of hybernation, adding to their bear-like qualities.

    However, restarting the ship is going to be impossible; the software that runs the engines and navigation is completely wiped out. They'll have to give the location and crew to UPC for the bounty, not the ship itself.

    There's no further communication or resistance from Circe in this process; she clearly was counting on this ship never being found and staying just another lost vessel, bearly crewed at all.

    They're. Hibernating.
    Literally hibernating, and not in stasis.
    That sure is a conundrum. Samus lowers her armcanon and seems to just silently stare for a long moment.
    "I'm calling it in."
    Samus is just going to return to her ship and report this to the UPC.

    Talia facepalms at the obvious joke. "Dank farrik." SHe exclaims in exasperation. "At least the crew is safe." She mutters, as En-Dee beeps something that sounds awfully like laughter, clearly amused.