>>256199
"You really are absolutely clueless about pretty much everything. I don't think you understand, Colonel. We won't reach Tinosa II if you don't cooperate at least a little. Pray tell, why are you even on this flight?"

>>256199
Okay, as for the 'baseless' accusations against the captain we've got those files stored in the PDA. Show him.

Before anything else we need to go to Mongro's room and open up that panel in his cabinet. If the bomb's in there we're good, but otherwise... well, we're gonna have to search the ship.

>>256199
Tell him to just forget those last few questions, and to take a look at the crew files.

>>256204
Yeah, if you can somehow send just those documents from your PDA to his, do that. I mean, this is something a Palm from the 1990s can do over an IR link, right?

>>256199
Toss the damn cash away already.
"Atuk Bounent is the security officer listed in the crew files. He supposedly boarded on the stop before mine. You can check the crew records for that.
The documents I pulled out of the captain's office were letters from somebody at ASCE that demanded he pay his debt and threatened to go public with his debt and "other less pleasant deeds". The last letter in that stack offered to wipe out his debt if he did a "covert mission" for them. I've found a few scraps around the ship with further details. I've got those stored safely for the MSF investigators.

Playing dumb about the crescent keys won't work because you were there with the captain when I gave my debriefing. If it's above my pay grade then just say so.
As far as the green goo goes, I've got a sample on me and the Doc took a dead sample for testing."

Suggestion 2010/11/14(Sun)15:37 No. 256293 ID: f5e4b4
File 128977785068.png - (227.91KB , 1000x750 , 568.png )

Tiak leaves the bag with the cash back on the table.

You really are absolutely clueless about pretty much everything. I don't think you understand, Colonel. We won't reach Tinosa II if you don't cooperate at least a little. Pray tell, why are you even on this flight?

>Stop being so dramatic, Belint. I'm a passenger, remember? I'm just moving to Tinosa II because that's my home planet. The rest are personal matters.

Well, you have to see this, if you still aren't convinced.

Tiak sends the notes he found in the captain's office and the crew list directly to the Colonel's PDA, who skims through them for a moment.

>Yes, there was a late minute change, I don't see anything else suspicious. And for the other notes... Are you seriously calling the A.S.C.E. a criminal organization? Just one of the most powerful corporations in the Maurian Republic, are you comparing them to some organized thugs? Whatever business they have with the Captain, they don't involve you in any way.

>Now, enough with the interrogations. I'll look around here for clues a bit more. And I'm going to trust you for now, Belint. But remember, I don't care if you think that you're a big boy now because you've found a big gun. You're still under my command. And I'll have you arrested as soon as we get to Tinosa 2 if you cross me ever again.

Without any word more, the Colonel turns around and walks further into the Cargo Bay, leaving Tiak alone.

>>256293
Shoot him in the back.

Oh, alright. Go to to the Zero Deck medical bay instead. Let's send our (gun)camera in through that hole in the debris and see just how much death-powder we're looking at here.

Get your back to a wall to do it.

>>256293

>> Just one of the most powerful corporations in the Maurian Republic, are you comparing them to some organized thugs?

Oh no, no you would never underestimate them like that. A corporation is a good deal more dangerous than just a bunch of organized thugs. This is war we're talking about, not mere bullying and thievery.

Gosh, if only Mat were still alive. He was the only one who could understand us.

>>256293
Ugh, the Colonel is probably with the ASCE. It would make sense for them to have a representative of some type on board.

At any rate, let's do that camera scouting thing.

Protip to everybody:

Assume that everybody is plotting against you because at this point everybody is. Well, maybe not the girls. But you get the idea. What I mean is, the colonel is obviously involved in something and it's not like he's going to suddenly admit to it (it's equally likely that he'll just start seeing us as a threat... more so than before that is). Same goes for the captain, the doctor, the pilot and the bartender.

Suggestion 2010/11/15(Mon)08:09 No. 256616 ID: f5e4b4
File 128983738576.png - (250.22KB , 1000x750 , 569.png )

Tiak exits the old Cargo Bay in order to investigate the blocked door leading to the old Medical Bay. But stops in place when he finds an old "friend" hovering in the antechamber. It's the servo-camera that was spying on him in the vents! He wonders for how long has it been here, spying on him and the Colonel .

>>256616
Shrug, smile, and be on your way. See if it follows you around. Also, what book was half-ant reading?

>>256616
So. Odds that you'd be able to shoot it down before it dodges and flits away?

>>256616
Don't shoot it. We do NOT want the Colonel to hear gunfire.
Instead, say "Oh, you again. Do you want to talk, or just float there and stare at me?"
Go see what book that was.

Suggestion 2010/11/15(Mon)11:15 No. 256664 ID: f5e4b4
File 128984851340.png - (241.64KB , 1000x750 , 570.png )

Tiak decides to leave the camera alone and just shrugs. He would smile at it if Maurians could smile. The device just turns around and speeds away through the corridor, while Tiak checks out the book the nameless mercenary was reading. It was just a poetry book. Nothing interesting, no mysterious notes written in it.

Tiak approaches the door to the medical bay and uses his recently acquired servo-camera-gun to scout through the door. Just like the last time he did this, the next room is pretty empty, except for some debris, and trashed furniture, an old broom, and the two barrels of Perticanto powder. There's another door at the other side of the Medical bay, open.

>>256664
>Just like the last time he did this
Not our fault you're missing the most important part of any criminal investigation: the big brainstorming board. :P

Well, looks like you didn't send the camera through that other door last time. Do so, and let's see if we can't find out where it links up to somewhere we can get to.

Suggestion 2010/11/15(Mon)15:17 No. 256725 ID: f5e4b4
File 128986307456.png - (196.69KB , 1000x750 , 571.png )

Tiak sends the camera through the door. Mongro mustn't have been familiar with this model, the night vision mode still works, there's no need of using an attached flashlight.

There's a corridor descending deeper into the Zero deck behind the open door. And creeping around, bubbling and sizzling, there are large concentrations of that green, living ooze. So here's where they've been all the time.

The ooze seems to ignore the camera. Some of it drips from the ceiling, but it just slips down the metal surface without damaging it.

There is another dark door at the end of the corridor, so Tiak sends the camera through it.

Suggestion 2010/11/15(Mon)15:18 No. 256727 ID: f5e4b4
File 128986311136.png - (176.96KB , 1000x750 , 572.png )

What in the...

It's the end of the corridor, and Tiak thinks that there is a large door there, but it's mostly blocked by a huge mass of the living goo, that is furiously bubbling and squirming against it, like it wanted to break down the door and get in.

Anyways, nowhere else to go with the camera from here.

... what in the world could be behind a door taht the goo wants?

>>256727
Try talking to it. It talked to you once, in the elevator shaft... try to ask it what it wants on this ship?

>>256738
Uh, assuming the drone can broadcast audio and the PDA can send it, that is. If you can't, then just retrieve the drone and keep exploring.

>>256733
More goo?

That, or it's trying to flee the poison. Let loose another drop if it's not your last and see which way it goes. Recall the camera, too.

>>256727
How old does that door look? Is it as old as the rest of the deck?

Suggestion 2010/11/16(Tue)02:57 No. 256933 ID: f5e4b4
File 128990502749.png - (222.54KB , 1000x750 , 573.png )

The camera doesn't have speakers, so it's impossible for Tiak to talk through it.

He calls the camera back and drops some of the goo from the vial he's carrying, and watches as the drops creep under the rubble through the door, and crawling through the Medical Bay, towards the rest of the substance.

>>256754

It's hard to see with the massive amount of ooze blocking it, but it doesn't look as old as the rest of this deck.

>>256933
I wonder if this rubble is vaporize-able by Mongro's gun cam. I mean, it's worth a shot.

>>256933
Right. So the ooze doesn't give a damn about the extract, and is thus probably after more of its own.

>>256934
I...guess? Careful it doesn't reflect or anything, because our cutting tool was useless against that thick debris.

Suggestion 2010/11/16(Tue)08:38 No. 256962 ID: f5e4b4
File 128992552099.png - (182.58KB , 1000x750 , 574.png )

Tiak tries to shoot the debris with his new gun and the one in the camera, but it's still too thick to do other than scorch the surface.

>>256962
Ok. Well, it's not like there's much reason to get in there until we have a plan to get past the goo. Although I wonder how Trake managed it. Maybe the collapse is recent.

Up to Mongro's room and check the welded panel I guess.

Let's go up to Mongro's room and investigate the secret compartment.

... maybe it just LOOKS heavy? try moving it.

Suggestion 2010/11/17(Wed)06:43 No. 257418 ID: f5e4b4
File 129000498248.png - (102.97KB , 1000x750 , 575.png )

The debris doesn't just look heavy, it IS pretty heavy, and Tiak isn't able to move it.

Tiak gets back to Mongro's room in the Crew Quarters without any incidents. He looks inside the cabinet just to find out that the secret compartment has been already cut open. The metal borders are cold, so it's been like this for a while.

The compartment is pretty spacious, but there's only one thing stored in there at the moment. The bomb Tiak found in Atmospheric Control.

Tiak pockets it, trying to decide what to do now. He's kind of thirsty, specially after eating the Gerbvia eggs, and he's starting to feel tired and in need of a bit of sleep. But he can keep going on for a while longer if he decides to keep investigating.

>>257418
You can sleep as soon as you can be certain you have somewhere safe to do so. :V

I guess we could get a drink, though.

sleep in the brig, the forcefield will keep you safe.

Investigate the mainframe, see if you can put the parts in the damn thing.

Don't carry a bomb around, Tiak... Seal it in or something.

Suggestion 2010/11/17(Wed)14:11 No. 257504 ID: f5e4b4
File 129003188928.png - (334.87KB , 1000x750 , 576.png )

Tiak takes a look at the mainframe computer, but it's the first time he's tried to operate one of these. He doesn't have the slightest idea about where the pieces he's been around finding fit in. The thing doesn't even have any slots, lids or anything! And actually, the diagram in Mongro's PDA doesn't look like this at all.

He could go for a drink in the Canteen. Or to get some sleep in the Brig. Or do something else. Touch choice.

>>257496

Tiak briefly considers the idea of hiding the bomb. But where?

>>257504
Hide the bomb in the brig. The only people who can get in there right now are those at least as small and agile as you. That basically seems to be Zira, Yery, and mmmaybe Dan and Zeno.

Don't cuddle it like a teddybear as you sleep, though.

>>257504
What DOES the mainframe diagram look like?

hrmmm, where do those wires go?

>>257504
Sleep in the brig for now, leave the bomb in the brig's cryo-pod.

>>257505
(You can, er, get a drink first.)

Getting a drink and bringing the bomb to the brig sounds good.

Suggestion 2010/11/18(Thu)04:46 No. 257700 ID: f5e4b4
File 129008439136.png - (303.47KB , 1000x750 , 577.png )

>>257509

Lots of wires, connections, ports and components everywhere.

>>257510

As far as Tiak knows, into the walls.

Tiak decides to hide the bomb in the brig, but before taking a nap, he decides to go to the Canteen for a drink. As he arrives, he notices Dan sitting at the bar.

Sneak up quietly from behind. "HEY DAN!"

Okay, let's ask him if he saw Mongro doing anything suspicious ever.

Pull your shirt over your head and surprise Dan by pretending to be a corpse.

Sneak up behind Dan.

Be surprised yourself when he's propped up there dead.

...Let's just get our drink.

>>257700
Say "Dammit, you better not be dead, Dan" and walk up to the bar to get yourself a drink.

Suggestion 2010/11/18(Thu)11:14 No. 257764 ID: f5e4b4
File 129010764453.png - (174.25KB , 1000x750 , 578.png )

Tiak sneaks up quietly from behind Dan.

HEY DAN! DAMMNIT DAN YOU BETTER NOT BE DEAD!

The Navigation Officer jumps on his seat with a brief yell.

>AAAAAH. What iss wrong with... you asshoole?

Seems like Dan is a bit drunk.

"My job. I would very much like to have a more sane job.
In all seriousness, I just need to relax a little bit, get a drink."

>>257764
The only way this could have gone better was if you'd slapped him on the back at the same time.

Fix yourself a drink.

I'd say 'I've had a bad day and need a drink', but all things considered its more like I've had a bad every hour and need a drink.

Ask him if Mongro has done anything suspicious ever anywhere. Go ahead and tell him why we're asking. Also, ask him if he knows anyone that might be able to put the mainframe back together.

>>257818
Why? Why would you suggest this? /o\

>>257818 No. We may as well ask him if he's seen anything, but we're not mentioning Mongro or the mainframe.

>>257818
Lets not do this.

Get a drink. Listen to what he has to say.

Suggestion 2010/11/19(Fri)08:58 No. 258034 ID: f5e4b4
File 129018590243.png - (214.12KB , 1000x750 , 579.png )

My job. I would very much like to have a more sane job. In all seriousness, I just need to relax a little bit, get a drink.

And Tiak does so, while Dan just mumbles something incoherent as an answer and keeps slurping his drink.

After a bit, Tiak breaks the silence again.

By the way, have you seen Mongro doing anything suspicious lately?

>Bfghh, I haven' seen Mongoor at all lately. I don't wanh to have any bushhness wif ther kind anyho'. They hate us.

Huh...

>Ehh, fuck it! Thafts what I say. You could try to be... niice wif them and they woul' still hate you. Nothing changes. Like dat fucker. He's finally dead, but that's not gonna...

He suddenly shuts up and focuses back on his drink, not talking anymore.

>>258034
Dan's glass is empty. You must rectify this.

The bartender's dead, huh? Press him for details. How did he die?

wait, how does he know mongro is dead?

>>258034
Pour him another drink. He must remain drunk.

That other camera must have been his...

>>258047
He may be talking about one of the others. Trake, for example. Keep him talking, keep him drinking.

>>258034
"Which he is dead?"

He clearly doesn't want to talk about it, for some reason. Directly bringing it up won't get us anywhere. If we want to get him to talk about it we'll probably need to start talking about something RELATED but not directly about dead people. Which... probably means we'll need to guess who's dead to begin with.
How about that mainframe, then? Ask him if he's good with computer hardware, or knows someone on the flight that might be good with computer hardware.

Suggestion 2010/11/19(Fri)15:00 No. 258080 ID: f5e4b4
File 129020760653.png - (159.73KB , 1000x750 , 580.png )

Here, let me fill up your glass.

Tiak locates the bottle with the same liquor the Navigator is taking and fills the glass up. For a moment Dan seems like he's going to protest, but finally just grabs the starts drinking peacefully.

So...who is dead? Mongro? The bartender?

>Whaat? Naaah... Unless youu killd dem. I mean... Ya look like you jusht gutted someone.

Tiak realizes that his uniform is still soaked in the blood of the dead mercenary.

>Naaah... I'm talkin' aboot dat fucker! Everybody hated 'im. Baooom! there went his head! Just like.... Waaaitt, I knoo what you trying to do! You're makin' me drunk so I talk and you can use that shit against me and throw me in jail. Well, not gonna work! Not gunna say a word more!

"What, me? Naaaah."

Take a sip to emphasize the point.

>>258080
>Everybody hated 'im.
>Dan speaking
>Dan's scuffle was with the bartender
You might want to look behind the bar and into the kitchen, Tiak.

>>258080
"Naw, I'm just ship security. I can't put anybody in jail. 'sides, if everybody hated 'im and you're not them then you should tell me who everybody hates, right?"

...
soo, he's at least a witness, and at most a murderer.
I have a bit of a hard time believing someone caught up in a conspiracy that can't hold liquor well would be getting publicly drunk. So, I'm guessing one of three things:
1) He's a innocent witness that is trying to stay alive (maybe he was approached and threatened by Zeno?) and out of jail (just a general fear of police/law).
2) He killed someone for a spur of the moment reason. ... Mat's all I can really think of here, unless there was another recent death we haven't heard of yet.
3) He's a crazy good actor and involved in a conspiracy. Seems far fetched and paranoid but may be par for this ship.

I'm inclined to say to just finish your drink, wrap up the conversation if he really mums up, and go... figure out a safe place to crash I guess? Honestly he strikes me more like a person to protect and get on his good side than anything else.

Can't put anyone in prison, it blew up. So then you were saying..?

Suggestion 2010/11/19(Fri)16:49 No. 258107 ID: f5e4b4
File 129021416536.png - (157.73KB , 1000x750 , 581.png )

Me? Naah, I'm just ship security, I don't go around putting people in jail.

Tiak finishes his own drink, but Dan doesn't look significantly more confident.

>No, I'm... I'm onto you. Yeash. I know your game. You tried to shneak into my room earlier. Yah, I remmember it! I wassh ther! And you tried to take a look at them, the letter and... and the picshture. The picture from... Wait, yer doin' it again! I'm not talkin' to you now. Leave me alone!

The Navigation officer focuses on his drink and in keeping his balance, and his ass, on the stool.

>>258107
Why would we want to take a look at the picture and letter? We were just checking to make sure you were alive, man. Three people have died already. We gotta stick together, right?

>>258107
Hey. Hey lets go to his room and snoop a bit.

>>258107
"What? How could I have snuck into your room if you were there? That doesn't make any sense. I was worried that somebody might have gotten to you.
Besides, I already know about the letter and the picture, I just want to make sure you know what I know about what I know about what you know about them. And make sure that nobody else has died when I wasn't looking; which dead person did everybody hate? There were a few of them."

>>258107
Fine. He's in a known place. Check the captain-cam. Start checking the cabins. We probably have another body to discover and that means sleep will have to wait.

Suggestion 2010/11/20(Sat)01:26 No. 258344 ID: f5e4b4
File 129024516187.png - (150.50KB , 1000x750 , 582.png )

Tiak's attempts to keep communicating with Dan are in vain, the Navigation Officer sticks with his stubborn silence.

So Tiak says bye and heads down to the Crew Quarters again, and into Dan's room, which is obviously unoccupied at the moment.

In his way here he checks his camera stuck in the vents over the Captain's office. It's curious, the Captain still isn't sitting at his desk.

Oh don't tell me the CAPTAIN is dead now?

Go look at the paper and photo.

Check everything! You know the drill: desk, under desk, casket, in bed, under bed, in pod.

>>258344
Yup, check everything! Put stuff back the way you found it though. :V

Oh, and if you laser sub-rifle has a STUN setting, set it to that NOW if you haven't already.

Suggestion 2010/11/20(Sat)17:15 No. 258492 ID: f5e4b4
File 129030213579.png - (253.19KB , 1000x750 , 583.png )

Tiak looks everywhere, but he doesn't find much. The cryo-pod is empty, there's nothing hidden in, nor under the bed. The desk doesn't have any drawers, there's nothing on the chair and the chest is locked.

There's something on the desk, though. It's a photograph, turned upside down. It's old, looks like it's been taken many years ago. In it, Tiak can see three Maurians in their desert infantry uniforms, posing in a friendly manner. It's easy to recognize the one in the middle, it's Dan. Tiak doesn't think he's even seen the one on the right, but the one on the left seems familiar.

>>258492
Flip the photo back over before you leave. Next... let's see if the bartender is still in his room?

aww, shit. i see where this is going, navigator and a girl had a thing and bartender was jealous, fight probably broke her and him up and now they hate eachother.

>>258496
...I guess they have the light skin, but I thought shortness was also part of Maurian gender dimorphism. Tiak? Surely you can identify the gender of one of your own. :V

>>258492
Clearly, we need to drop by the bartender's room.
"Mok, I was just talking with Dan, and he seems to reminisces when he gets drunk. His time in the service came up; I didn't know you served together... He mentioned somebody died, then got really quiet and stopped talking.
Maybe you could talk to him?"

Suggestion 2010/11/21(Sun)07:12 No. 258647 ID: f5e4b4
File 129035236381.png - (197.90KB , 1000x750 , 584.png )

Tiak leaves the picture just how he found it, and heads for Mok, the bartender's room. Again he can hear that faint tinkering noise coming from the inside, but the sound ceases as soon as he gets closer too the door.

Almost right after he knocks on it, Mok opens up and remains standing in the doorway.

>What is it now?

Mok, I was just talking with-

>What the fuck happened with you!? Did you just eat someone alive or what?

Unsurprisingly, wearing a suit coated in dry blood isn't the best way to leave a good impression on other people.

>>258647
Alright, alright, you can stop by the spare uniform wardrobe next.

But the answer for now is another of those glares. And, hey, the Bartender's not dead yet, hooray. That's at least three people still alive.

>>258647
"These have been the worst two days I can remember, lets just leave it at that.
Anyway..." then continue what you were saying.

>>258647
"Long story. Anyway, I'm just checking up on everybody to make sure nobody else has been hurt."

Ugh. Okay the next thing we do is we go down to the supplies closet and get a new uniform. This is ridiculous!

"As one of the increasingly few people not trying to kill me, I was making sure you weren't dead. Glad you aren't. Carry on."

Suggestion 2010/11/22(Mon)07:53 No. 258965 ID: f5e4b4
File 129044118967.png - (170.07KB , 1000x750 , 585.png )

>>258501

It's actually kind of hard to tell for Tiak. The main way Maurians tell their genders from one another is by using their smell sense, identifying the sexual hormones. And you can't smell that on a picture.

Besides that, sexual diphormism is very vague in Maurians. The females usually have a more pink-ish tone of carapace and a lighter body build, but not always. And under those dull scout uniforms it's really hard to tell.
Tiak thinks that the one on the right of the picture might be a woman, but he can't be 100% sure.

Long story and the worst day of my life, all combined.

>...

Anyways, I was checking up on everybody to make sure nobody else has been hurt. Glad you aren't. Carry on

>...Yeah, whatever.

The bartender shuts the door and Tiak heads to the Supplies room, putting on the last spare security uniform available. He better not make a mess out of this one too!

He finds the items he stored in this uniform more than a day ago, the pill, the picture of Zira and the gambling related note. He stores them in the bloody uniform and leaves it in the cabinet.

...why the hell are there claw marks on the door and a blood splatter too?

Check to see if the captain's still missing from his office and go up there to snoop.

well then, to the brig for a nap.

Suggestion 2010/11/23(Tue)13:13 No. 259227 ID: f5e4b4
File 129054679012.png - (321.10KB , 1000x750 , 586.png )

Those aren't claw marks, and that's not blood. Tiak looks through the camera, enough to see that the captain is back at his desk.

Exhausted, he heads back to the brig (crawling through the vents). He hides the bomb inside the cryopod and is going to leave his new weapon on the floor, next to the bed, where he can reach it easily.

Suggestion 2010/11/23(Tue)13:14 No. 259228 ID: f5e4b4
File 129054684811.png - (48.08KB , 1000x750 , 587.png )

This bed wasn't designed with the idea of being comfortable as its top priority, but is not like Tiak has much choice.

The world starts to fade away and Tiak finally can rest.

Suggestion 2010/11/23(Tue)13:14 No. 259229 ID: f5e4b4
File 129054689369.png - (28.25KB , 1000x750 , 588.png )

Bzzzzzzt



END OF CHAPTER 4

>>259227
Argh, you should be cuddling it like a teddy bear at this point!

If it's gone when you wake up, you might as well just take a stroll out the airlock and see what hyperspace tastes like. :V

>>259230
Right now the only other person who can actually get into the brig is Zira, and she probably won't be that interested in taking our stuff.