October 31, 1371

"What's the point of being out on the water when it's this hot?" complains Pharian.

"Tell me about it!" moans Gilstrock loudly, who long ago gave up wearing his armor while on the deck of the ship, and who more recently gave up wearing shirts or anything else on his torso long ago. "Too bloody hot! People can't live like this!"

Occa and Darian come walking up to the group and says, "This boating about doesn't seem to be much fun. Is anyone interested in going up to the space ship?"

Jesse looks at Occa, "Wait a minute. I had thought that you said we needed to stop these pirates before the end of the year," the bard scratches her head, "Or else there would be horrible problems for this land. That is why we are heading out on the ship in an effort to intercept them. Now why talk about the starship?"

Occa says, "What are the odds of us finding the pirates out here? We should just head to their base...and while wee are doing that, we should explore the spaceship."

Niko interrupts, "Well, Occa, if you know where their base is, just point us in that direction. I had thought we didn't know their location, which is why we got the ship in the first place!"

Occa says, "You don't? Then were in the hell are we going?"

"Well, what is on the maps that we found, then?" asks Robert. "I thought that was where we were going."

Occa says, "Yeah!"

"Occa, once we reach Casablanca, we'll have a week to go exploring this spaceship of yours."

"What are we doing then?" Jesse says confused. "So we go off to the spaceship for a few days and then to their base. Why need the ship in the first place?"

"I don't know! I think because someone wanted one." He shrugs.

Darian chuckles at Jesse and Niko's confusion. "Okay, let me try to clear things up. We can't teleport to someplace we've never been. What I believe Occa is proposing is that we leave Lord Ramage and his sailors aboard to continue the voyage while we teleport up to the spaceship. When we're done, we'll teleport back down to the ship. I'm assuming that we can do this, even though the ship will have moved from where we originally teleported. Right, Occa?"

Occa says, "Of course. I guess these dimwits don't understand common."

Jesse pouts at Occa.

"Well then, this dimwit will go prepare your meal Master Occa sir," she says sarcastically. "before you go and take on the big, bad spaceship."

She flounces away, bare feet slapping thw wood lightly.

Salaam smiles at her comment.

"Occa, you should write a book on how to make friends and keep them," the priest says with a wide smirk. "Is there more to this, Occa, or is your desire to return to the craft just whim?" He asks, changing tone quickly from joviality to seriousness.

"Just whim...I am bored with this water."

Ramage speaks up.

"I do not understand the ins and outs of magic, but I and my men are quite capable of sailing this ship without your help. If you have other fish to fry, then please do not feel obligated to wait around here. My only comment, though, is that we are dependent on your priests for food, and so would have to put into a port to purchase provisions, before you all departed."

"We would probably return each day anyway, so I don't think that would be a problem."

Ramage nods.

"Unless we all die," says Pharian.

"Again," adds Robert.

Occa says, "Of course...you are right."

"Occa, if you can bring us back everyday, I would have interest in exploring this 'spaceship' of yours. Who knows what magic another civilization might have?" Salaam says with extreme interest.

Jesse, who never flounces very far, it seems, smiles, "Well then, Let's go."

"Occa, you're certain that you can teleport back to a moving object like the ship?"

Occa slaps Darian in the back of the head.

Darian rubs his head eyeing Occa. "I guess that's a yes?"

Occa says, "Correct."

Gilstrock shakes his head. "I don't like it. I mean, I guess I'm kinda gettin' used to this whole teleport business, seeing as we do it willy nilly all the time. But it still kinda gives me the shivers, you know what I mean? So what if we teleport back to where the ship was? Spash! Glug, glug, glug. Brrr."

"Excuse me for my ignorance," remarks Emm, emerging quietly from the background, "but what is a spaceship?" There is a distinctly puzzled look on his face.

"It's this enclosed place with mind flayers," Gilstrock states, from his extensive experience.

"Ah yes, poor Alhamet" Salaam says as he recalls the gruesome way the paladin's brains were devoured by the mind flayers on board. "Revenge is a good reason to go back."

"I don't need revenge," says Pharian. "I seem to recall killing one myself." He pauses. "After it made me go completely insane, that is."

"Do you need healing for that?" Salaam says, trying to bring a little levity to the serious conversation.

Gilstrock says, "Yeah, that was a pretty good maneuver with the teleport or blink or whatever the hell it is you do, followed by the backstab. And he musta made you go completely insane, as opposed to the just sorta insane that you usually are, since it made you lose your invisibility ring to that bloody thieves' guild! Sheesh. We still outta level that place, except that Occa thinks they are our allies."

Wiping his brow, Gilstrock says, "Man alive it's hot. All this heat is making my mind wander. Can't we go back to the south, I mean, the north, where it was all snowy and cold?"

Niko looks at Gilstrock with curiosity. "Gil, what's a mind flayer? Enquiring minds want to know."

Darian shudders. "No... you don't."

Jesse pipes in, "Imagine a slimy creature, with a head like an octopus that eats brains for lunch and has lots of mental powers."

Darian shoots a glare at Jesse and shudders even more.

Niko looks puzzled. "It looks like an octopus? Does it live underwater?"

"Well, it's kinda like a man with an octopus on top. It's got legs and arms and all that, but then it's got this bug ugly bulbulous head with big ol' eyes and lotsa yucky tentacles," Gilstrock explains. "Doesn't seem to live underwater though. Seems to live in a spaceship."

You prepare for the teleport, dressing up in your standard adventuring garb, and getting all of your equipment together.

When you are ready, Occa casts magic mirror and tries to scry the rooms on the space ship that you have been in before. The areas are deserted.

Convinced that it is safe, the rest of you pile into Salaam's portable hole, and Occa teleports.

When you climb out, you all find that you are standing in a passage, running off both ahead of you and behind. It is lit by strange panels in the ceiling, which provide a cold glow. The air in here is dry and stale-smelling...and much cooler than the climate where you were just a short minute ago, where the temperature was already approaching 100F.

The passage runs for 120' in one direction, ending at a door. That is the direction you took when you visited this place last July. In the other direction, the passage runs for much farther. In the 100'-140' section of the right wall is a large opening. beyond, off in the distance, you see other, smaller, openings.

Emm is completely taken aback by the combination of teleportation and being aboard a spaceship. He stands and gapes. At least there is gravity here...though perhaps you feel like you weigh slightly less.

Niko draws Dwarf's Envy and his short sword as he looks around.

"Strange place," he comments, as he raps the walls with his cutlass. "So ya say we're a couple hundred miles above the world, eh?"

Darian looks around and his draws his sword slowly. "Which way do you want me to scout?"

Occa says, "Shall we head in the direction we haven't been? Is anyone going to map this?"

"Op Code, did you come up with us last time?"

"Occa, Pharian, do either of you have a map or are we doing this the usual way?" Sal asks with a grin, thinking of the unconventional method used to explore new places.

"I've never mapped," says Pharian. "And what's the usual way?"

Occa casts wizard eye and sends it forward to look ahead...he relates what he sees to the group.

The eye floats down to the first opening and looks in. It is actually a shaft heading up. It is 20' square. It is not quite dark inside, for light spills in from the passage. Also, a ruddy glow shines down faintly from some unseen source up the shaft. In the far wall is a row of rungs, going upwards as well. Apart from some odd bits of debris on the floor, the area is deserted.

The eye continues down the passage. 90' further down is another opening into another shaft heading up. This one is only 10' square, though. Otherwise, it is just like the first one...right down to the ladder and the ruddy light from above.

The third opening is another 90' down. It is just like the last one.

The passage ends 120' past the third opening...and one last shaft heading up. Again, this one is just like the last two.

Occa's wizard eye can travel about another 100' or so.

Looking around in amazement, Op Code babbles, regarding whether he has ever been here before, "No! What a far out place."

Not really understanding much of what is transpiring, Emm turns to what he knows. He unslings his bow and notches one of the 6 arrows lent to him by Darian. He then takes up a position near the rear of the party.

"I can map, although you will have to lead the way," Op Code tells the others.

Occa, after relating what he has seen thus far, sends his eye up the last shaft to see what is up there.

Jesse shakes her head with silent mirth at the idea ...

The shaft extends upwards for 40'. At the top, the eye is floating in a large, hexagonal-shaped chamber. The chamber is roofless, and open to the sky above.

Occa peers long and hard at the sky.

It is an inky black, and studded with stars which form strange constellations. The hazy band of the Milky Way - or some other galactic disk - bisects it. It seems to be brighter than it is as seen from Earth. The sky, somehow, seems slightly hazy.

Just barely visible over the upper lip of the chamber or bay is the star which this place evidently orbits. It is an enormous glowing ball of red gases...quite unlike Earth's Sun.

Wherever you are, you now realise that you are nowhere near Earth anymore.

As for the chamber itself, over half of it is in impenitrable shadow. It is about 100' across, and the walls are some 20' high. The place is littered with debris. Along with the usual pieces of rocks and dirt are strange constructs made of metal and other alien materials...broken down machines and engines perhaps made by the same people who once built this place. Their original purposes is unclear to you.

Occa relates to the party what he sees.

"I will map it," Op Code tells the others.

"Occa, does any of this look familiar?" Salaam asks.

Occa says, "Nope, nothing is familiar."

He sends the eye up the other shaft.

His spell runs out before it reaches the top of the next shaft.

Occa says, "I only have one more eye left. Should I use it or should we just wander about?"

"I don't mind wandering about, but you should know that the spells I have currently memorized were meant for ocean combat. I don't have anything memorized, other than magic missiles, appropriate for this environment," replies Darian.

"There's only the shafts or the door. I say we check out the shafts first," Op Code voices his opinion. "Let's finish this area."

You head down to the first opening, the 40' wide one. As the eye observed before, this leads into the base of a shaft going up. A reddish light filters down from somewhere above.

You step through the opening...or try to. However, you are stopped by a solid, invisible barrier across the opening. As you halt in surprise, words start flashing in the air before you in brilliant red letters:

WARNING! ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REQUIRED BEYOND THIS POINT!

Strangely enough, each of you sees the warning in your native tongue: Darian and Niko in elvish, Gonzo in dwarvish, the rest of you in common.

You continue on down the passage to the next opening, and the same thing occurs there...as well as at the last two.

All of the shafts are blocked.

Occa says, "That doesn't sound good!"

Jesse tries to think about that.

"I have never heard of that spell, Occa," the bard says, "There are many other protection spells, but protection from the environment?"

Occa shrugs. "Maybe a druid could do something about that."

"I have a bad feeling about this," the bard says. "I think that it would be best to wait and ask a druid or a sage about an environmental protection spell. There appears to be other areas to explore first, so I think we sould go that way."

"There is a college of druids that specializes in that particular spell," says Pharian, "But for some reason they call themselves not a college, but an agency."

"An agency? I thought that was a bardic expression. Did not realize that the druids were into that as well," says Jesse, "So we contact this agency for an environmental protection spell and we'll be all set. To bad Jerry is not here."

"We went through a similar area when we battled Rockchin and Razamataz," says Robert. "We were within a large mass of rock - the size of a mountain. It did not have a Sun like ours, but a strange thing like a glowing disk, instead, in the sky. Outside I'll bet that there is no air to breathe. We found strange belts to wear that protected us from the vacuum. I don't know if they're still in the community chest, or not."

"We can check when we head back tonight."

"The community chest is with Stiff and Orlon, remember?" says Robert.

"I will try to scry them and then teleport to them, later."

Op Code asks Robert, "Do you think that this blackness and that event are connected in any way?"

Robert looks at Op Code strangely.

"Blackness? I don't know. This guy Razamataz, he gets around, doesn't he?"

"I can only attribute it to lack of sleep as I am working nights right now."

"Oh, those night watches on the Triton!" Robert says with a nod and a grin.

Darian shrugs. "Guess we try the door, then."

"After you," Op Code motions.

You head back up to the other end of the passage.

Darian draws his sword and tries to open the door.

However, as the elf approaches to within a few feet of the door, it suddenly shimmers out of existence.

From your previous visit here you recall that the doors in this place have that annoying habit.

Revealed beyond is a large chamber.

You go up and peer through the doorway. The doors open into one end of a large hall (50' X 100'; 10' left (call that north), 20' south, 100' east; double doors in south wall, 40' - 60' section; doors in east wall, north and south corners respectively). This place is brightly lit by glowing ceiling panels.

This place strikes you as being stark and sterile. You see many counters and desks in here, along with a number of uncomfortable looking chairs. Large signs line the walls (with messages like: "Welcome to Euracha", "The Third Ptarton Empire Greets You", "Plug into Marlboro Wire Adventures", "Line Up Here For Citizenship Scan"). Again, each of you sees the signs as being in your native tongue, be it common, elven or dwarvish.

There is no one here, but for a solitary human shaped figure, standing at the far end of the chamber under the latter sign. He stands some 6' tall, in a frozen but relaxed posture. He is dressed from head to foot in a gleaming metallic suit, which even covers most of his face. He is looking directly at you.

You move forward.

As you step through the doorway you feel a slight pressure flow over you, almost as if you have just stepped through a shower of water. When you look behind you, you see the doors shimmer back into existence!

Now that you are in the chamber, you see that everything in here is covered in a fine layer of dust and grime, which appears undisturbed but for a plethora of footprints running across the floor. They run mostly from the door behind you to the door in the southeast, with side trips over to the human-like form and to several chairs. These, you realise, are your own tracks from your last visit here. Aother set of solitary footprints run from the northeast door to the door behind you.

They are not yours.

"I hate when they do that," says Darian, glaring at the door you came through.

"That's a hell of a way to open a door. It's like we passwalled through it," Op Code remarks.

Darian looks about. "Wonder what the Citizenship Scan is. Op Code, can you identify what made these footprints? And I think we should check out that door, first."

Op Code steps forth, "Gladly, Darian."

Occa goes and inspects the armored fellow. He says, "Hail, good knight."

It continues to stand there, inanimate and nonresponsive.

"Oh great Thoth, please protect your servant from fire and ice and grant him sight beyond mortal sight." Salaam intones as he casts resist fire, resist cold, and true seeing. He then scans the room with his enhanced sight.

His sight reveals little in the way of new information. However, Salaam does note that the figure is not living.

With this new information, Occa begins to inspect the figure. "It must be a golem of some sort....obviously already defeated in battle."

It looks like no golem that you have ever seen. Upon close inspection you realise that the suit is really its body. It is some sort of mechanical construct, made from strange metals.

Occa says, "Very interesting. I wonder if it can be activated." He stands back and says, "Activate! Go! Start!"

"You know how these things go, Occa," says Pharian. "It won't activate until we do whatever it is we're not supposed to do, and then it will attack us."

"So whadaya think we're not supposed to do?" Gilstrock asks. "Not protect the environment?"

He looks around. "No trees to cut down, or anything else that would generally tweak off a druid."

Gilstrock approaches the metal figure, peers into its face, and says, "Hello! Anybody in there?"

The construct remains quiet and immobile.

He steps back a couple of steps, draws Thawbreaker, and says to the metal creature, "Defend yourself!"

There is no response.

"Bah," Gilstrock says, resheathing Thawbreaker. "It's a statue. What's the big deal?"

Niko, who has been unusually quiet (probably in awe of the ship and all) raps the statue with the hilt of Dwarf's Envy. "Pharian, you say you and Occa have seen, um...constructs like these before. Have you engaged them in battle, too?"

Op Code wonders, "Can any of us fit into it?"

Occa looks for other means of activating it, or a way to open it up to take a look inside.

He sees none.

Occa says, "Well, shall we go through this door and see what is beyond? Then we can follow those footprints."

"Agreed. Op Code, any luck in identifying the footprints?"

After a lengthy examination, Op Code concludes that they were made by a creature wearing shoes.

Occa says, "Thanks Op Code. Let's go."

He moves back and lets a fighter go through the door first.

Darian moves over to the door and waits for it to do its disappearing act.

The door obliges by shimmering out of existence. Revealed beyond is a passage running east. It runs for 120' and on. There are doors in the south wall, 10' - 20', 30' - 40', 60' - 70', 70' - 80' and 100' - 110' sections. In the north wall there is a passage running north in the 50' - 60' section. The passage is 10' wide and 20' high. It is lit from above by glowing panels inset in the ceiling. The passage is slightly dusty, and the air has a slight musty smell to it. You get the impression that it has been deserted for quite a long time.

The tracks run down the passage, then turn north at the intersection.

Darian looks at all the doors and then the footprints. "Perhaps we should follow the footprints, first, and discover who this person with shoes is."

Occa says, "Yes, let's."

Then to Op Code, he asks, "Any idea how long ago they were made?"

The ranger thinks they were made a long time ago. In fact, those of you who were here previously recall seeing them then, as well.

Note that the footprints run back into the chamber behind you, as well. Once they enter it, it is now hard to tell where they went...thanks to you people trampling about...

Anyway, you head down to the intersection. To the east, the passage runs for 90' in total. After that is a "T" intersection with a passage running north-south.

Looking up the north passage, you see that it also runs for 90', turning east after 80'. There are five doors up there in the east wall: starting in the 10' - 20' section are four in a row; then 10' of wall followed by the last one.

The footprints do not go near any of the first four, but instead can be seen both going into and coming out of the last door.

You head up to the end and look around the corner. The passage continues, running east for 120' from the corner and on. There are two doors in the south wall (30' - 40' and 60' - 70' sections). Also, there is a passage running south in the 90' - 100' section.

The tracks run down the passage and then turn south.

"Let's check out the room first and then follow the tracks."

Occa says, "I hate to say I am agreeing with Darian again...let's check this room first."

Darian puts his hands on his hips. "And why's that?"

"You are just an apprentice."

Darian chuckles. "Depends on what skills you're talking about, Occa."

"The only ones that matter allow you to devastate villages, mountains and the like."

Holding his spear meaningfully, Gilstrock says, "The best devastation of villages is done one person at a time! Much more honest, much more personal that way. If you stand back and do it at a distance, you don't really know what you're doing. A true warrior stands on the front lines! And Darian is quite accomplished at that."

"Inefficient, impractical and you get sweaty doing it."

"The same can be said of other things."

Darian gives Gilstrock a courtly bow. "Thank you for the compliment, my friend."

He sticks his tongue out at Occa.

Occa raises an eyebrow and says, "I thought you wanted some training?" He smiles and then winks.

Darian grins. "I do, but you never said I had to be respectful to get it."

"I am going to have to update my contract!"

Darian chuckles. "Me too!"

Darian steps up to the last door, and it shimmers away to nothingness. Through it is a room (20' X 30': 10' left, 30' ahead; door in right wall east corner). This room is barren but for a line of four humanoid figures standing immobile against the back wall. They bear a superficial resemblance to the figure which you saw recently in the main admitting lounge.

While the first three are obviously deceased, non-functional or whatever, the last one appears to be in good condition.

Otherwise, there is nothing of interest or value in here.

Op Code tries to see if the feet, or shoes, that these figures have could have made the footprints or not. After which he will go to the door in the corner.

They could not.

The footprints in question, he notes, just stepped into the room a few feet then left again via the same exit.

Niko muses, "Maybe we should take back one of those armor suits with us when we return to the ship. I wonder what else they can do besides just stand there."

"Right-o," Gilstrock says. "Notice will be taken."

He reaches to the back of his belt and pulls off his flail. "Gotta mix up your weapons," he comments to nobody in particular. He begins whirling the flail about while saying to the humanoid figure in good condition, "Say something, or prepare to be whapped upside the head!"

The humanoid figure makes no noise and takes no action. Gilstrock approaches it, intending to whap it upside the head with his flail.

Niko looks alarmed as he readies his cutlass. "What in name of Poseidon are you doing, Gilstrock???!!!"

Looking back at Niko, Gilstrock says in a conversational tone, "Trying to get a reaction."

Niko grunts. "I realize that, matey, but what if it's the wrong reaction? Although, if you're looking for a fight, I guess it is the right reaction!"

Pharian laughs at Niko's concern. "It's going to attack us sooner or later, so what's the difference?"

Niko frowns. "Because, Pharian, it sounds like Gilstrock is trying to pick a fight. Reminds me of some of those dock bullies I used to toss into the bay, that's all. Of course, sometimes I got tossed in, too. Didn't care for that too much."

Gilstrock snorts. "Didn't mean to bring up your sad childhood and all. But, I gotta ask. How long did you stand stock still staring at said dock bullies? Because, you gotta admit, that's kinda rude."

Occa says, "Hold on Gilstrock...it may be workable and therefore give us useful information."

He walks over to it and says, "Wake up! Hello!"

He checks it for a way to turn it on as well.

No such way is needed, it seems, for it is already activated.

Suddenly it wheels and brings up its left hand. A gem at the end of its index finger glows, and the arch-mage is struck by a ray of incredible heat. Fortunately he saw the motion just in time and so barely avoids being struck squarely in the chest. Nevertheless, he takes 43 hit points of damage, his left arm is vapourised, and his clothes are set afire.

It is not finished with Occa yet. It lashes out with its right hand and belts him in the chops with a fist harder than steel. Occa takes 14 hit points and drops dead before the robot, his head a pulpy mess.

The rest of you are liberally sprayed with Occa's brains. It seems that he doesn't need them at the moment.

The robot turns on the next closest person...Gilstrock.

Gonzo fades into the shadows and looks for an opportunity for a mighty "KARUMBA" on the creature's backside with his sword.

Darian fires a round of magic missiles into the creature.

Emm begins to fire arrows at the metallic monster. "I wish I had a rust monster with me," mutters the distraught bowman.

"You damn peace-nicks should have let me whap it! Look what Occa's reasoned approach did!" Gilstrock says, wailing upon the humanoid figure as hard as possible repeatedly with his flail.

"No, we should have left it alone!" Niko replies.

Niko casts both his Magic Missile Spells at it.

Pharian casts disintegrate at the robot.

The missiles pour into the robot and do damage. By the time Darian and Niko have completed their spells, the construct's bodywork is in much worse condition than previously. Still, it faces Gilstrock, and fires on him. However, the elves must have had a deeper effect on it than is readily obvious, for Gilstrock is only struck in the foot for 18 hit points.

The fighter swings his flail as Gonzo leaps on it from behind with his trademark bellow as the robot lashes out with its other hand. The flail clangs off of its chest without making any impression...while Gonzo's frost brand does the same thing off of its back. However, the robot also misses Gilstrock.

Then Pharian completes his spell and the robot abruptly vanishes.

"I guess the historians were right," comments Robert. "Magic does outdo technology."

Occa, meanwhile, is slowly regenerating a head and an arm. However, the head looks decidedly different than his last one.

You decide to wait around to see what it looks like.

Occa regains consciousness some ten minutes later, to find the rest of the party regarding him in uncomfortable silence or something like that. He is in the same room where the attack robot was, though there is no sign of it. His arm and head have regenerated, though he is still very weak.

He looks about. Most of his clothes have been burned off. His new arm looks much like his old one...only more pink. His face, though, feels...different.

The arch-mage climbs unsteadily to his feet, staggers over to one of the other robots, and stares at his reflection in its shiny breast-plate.

Looking back at him is not his old face, but rather the handsome, smiling, charismatic mug of...Al.

Niko frowns. "What's going on here? Where's Occa?"

Occa screams, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" and shakes his fists at the skies. "What manner of cruel curse is this?"

Gilstrock draws Thawbreaker and faces off on Occa. "Noooo!" he cries. "Who are you?"

"An accursed Occa, of course!"

Gilstrock sheathes Thawbreaker at his side, and draws Hangnail, the Sword of Sharpness, from the sheath across his back. Pointing at Occa's Al-head, Gilstrock says, "I can cut that off and see if the next one that grows back is better."

Gilstrock looks expectantly at Occa.

Occa considers it for a moment and says, "Uh, that is alright..no need to push my luck. I might grow back to look like Saddam."

Niko asks Darian, "Ummm...does Occa often grow different heads and body parts?"

"First time, Niko."

Gilstrock, rudely, interjects, "Naah, usually he just grows extras of himself."

Darian chuckles. "True, but that's a different process."

Niko shrugs and asks, "What's the chance that Occa does the same thing to another one of those armor creatures? I'm no coward, but those things aren't exactly pushovers, ya know."

Darian shrugs. "Occa's a bit chaotic, but I bet that once bitten, he'll be a bit shy next time."

"A bit?" says Pharian incredulously.

Darian grins. "Hey... We are talking about Occa..."

Pharian pulls a ring off his finger and looks at it with distaste.

"Does mine do that?" he says. "I may have to think some more about whether I really want to wear it."

Then he shrugs and puts it back on his hand.

"I don't like it, but I guess it's a risk I'll have to run. "

Niko seems enlightened ."Ah...you mean that Occa can regenerate? Even without a ring of regeneration?"

"Oh, right," says Pharian. "I forgot he didn't actually have a ring. We were at this wishing pool, and he wished to always regenerate as though he were wearing a ring of regeneration. I guess it just didn't work out exactly like he planned. "

"On the bright side, now I feel safer about using my ring," he says.

Niko's eyes light up.

"Wishing pool? Such magic exists? What a wondrous thing. One would almost believe all the other old myths and legends, too."

Jesse laughs lightly. "All the old myths are true. It's just a matter of spin control, which is what we bards do best."

Occa pulls a cigar out of his backpack and says, "Ready to go?"

"Back out into the hallway to follow the footprints, right?"

"Maybe."

Occa checks his newly regrown brain for a moment.

Occa says, "I still have my spells...let's go!"

Darian leads the way out of the room and follows the footprints down the hallway.

Emm spends a moment to see if the metallic monster was guarding a secret or hidden door/panel. Finding nothing, he trails after the rest of the party, muttering something about drowning not looking like such a bad fate.

You round the corner and head east. After 90' (from the corner) is an intersection with a 10' wide passage running south. There were also two doors that you walked by, which the mystery footprints did not bother with.

At the intersection, you see that the trail comes up from the south, turns east...and then returns west and back the way you have been.

You go west for 120'. There are doors in the south wall: in the first 10' section and in the 90' - 100' section. The trail does not go through them.

The passage ends where it caved in after 120'. All you see here is a pile of twisted metal girders, metal plates, wires, ductwork and rocks. The pile has not been disturbed in many years.

You head back to the south passage and continue to follow the trail. After 80' there is another passage running west down here. There are doors in the west wall, first 10' section and 40' - 50' section; and in the east wall, 70' - 80' section.

Looking down the west passage, you see that it leads back to the main entrance lounge. meanwhile, the south passage continues for 90' past the intersection, then ends at a "T" intersection with a passage running east-west. There are more doors down there. The footprints, however, go through a door just south of the west passage, in the east wall. In fact, a lot of footprints coming up from the south also go through that door, too.

You realise that you have caught up with your own trail, left when you were here more than three months ago.

You follow all of the tracks through the door in the east wall.

Once the door dematerialises, you are back in the room where you battled the mind flayers (40' X 40': 10' north, 20' south, 40' east; door directly across from you in the east wall). In fact, the dried remains of the illithid that Pharian killed still lies where it fell, Darian's blood has stained a patch of floor red, and some of Al's brains are stuck to a wall. Otherwise, the place is strangely furnished. In here are four rows of tombstone-like objects, arranged in pairs about 7' apart. They appear to be made of a yellowish, bone-like material.

Niko looks around sigustedly. "What a waste of time. I can't believe we were following tracks you made on your last visit!"

Niko looks at one of the tombstone-like objects. There are no markings.

He asks, "Anyone have any idea what they are?"

Jesse scratches her head for a moment.

"I am not sure, but I think that these are the places where the mind flayers sleep. I suspect we better get ready to rumble, and perhaps destroy them all now," the bard says. "Can we cast an invisibility spell on the outside of one and see what is inside the case?"

"Dem's don't looks like dings we should be messin wid... One o' youse wizard types might want to just flame-ball da whole mess and we'll move on from here," pipes up Gonzo from the shadows.

Robert waves his hand between two of the tombstones.

"Hey, I feel something!" he exclaims, as he continues to grope about. He has a thought, and sits down between the two slabs. Instead of falling to the floor as expected, something invisible supports him. He twists around, and lies flat on his back, suspended in mid-air between the two objects.

"Ummmm...most comfortable bed I've ever been in....zzzzzzz..."

He closes his eyes, falls asleep, and starts to snore.

It is almost lunchtime.

Niko chuckles, somewhat astonished. "We need a few of those aboard me ship. Sure would beat hammocks!"

Looking at Jesse, he asks "How'd ya know what they were, lass? Should we leave them mind flayers a surprise here?"

"We bards know all sorts of things. It is the nature of our travels," the bard replies.

Op Code tries to wake Robert up.

Robert snaps awake.

"Huh? Whatzzat?"

He stands up, feeling refreshed.

"Can we do lunch, now? Or why don't we open a door?" he asks.

Niko sees if the tombstones are portable.

The tombstones seem to be a part of the floor itself.

Occa says, "Yeah, someone pick a door and open it."

He flies up near the ceiling after casting invisibilty and fly on himself.

Niko goes invisible as well.

Darian picks the door in the east wall. "Ready, everyone?"

He then walks at the door pausing to make sure it dematerializes.

The door does, and you are looking into a room (20' X 30': 10' south, 30' east; door in south wall west corner, doors in each wall of the northeast corner). This place is clearly a lounge or common room of some sort. In here you see a collection of one-piece chairs - in appearance quite hard and uncomfortable looking - and some tables with clear translucent tops. Along the south wall is a row of glass cabinets with doors hinged to open outwards; beside each is a small translucent window and a small panel subdivided into numbered squares. There are shelves along the other walls.

Each wall but the south also has a window, about 2' X 3' in size. The east window looks out over a sylvan landscape...but there are two suns shining over it out of a pinkish sky! The northern window reveals a storm-swept ocean. The west window shows a vast field of stars and nebulae...definitely not what lies on the other side of that wall!

What strange magic is this?

For all of this, the room seems to be very dusty, with a thick layer of grime covering all horizontal surfaces.

"Picture windows?"

Darian wanders over to examine the panels.

That is what they appear to be. Definitely 3-dimensional, changing your viewing angle changes the view you see.

Niko moves toward the northern panel and touches it.

It is solid...like glass.

Jesse looks awed.

"It's full of stars!" she says.

The usually quiet Salaam just looks around to see if any of this ship looks familiar, as when he was in Marvelspace, he was a passenger on a Sh'iar star cruiser. He realizes soon after that the craft is not from that place.

He still examines the architecture, and then intones, "oh great Thoth, grant your servant true sight."

He then, examines the room for any secret doors or any anomalies.

His spell detects nothing unseen or unusual.

The architecture, to put it politely, is...utilitarian.

"Amazing!" Niko exclaims. He then proceeds to examine the shelves on the west wall.

They are your standard shelves. There is nothing special about them.

When you inspect the cabinets, though, you see an interesting sight. Through a translucent window you see a delicious-looking hot sandwich, consisting of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles...all on a sesame seed bun. Behind it flashes the numeral "1".

Niko smiles and bursts into a rendition of "Cheeseburger in Paradise" as he figures out how to retrieve the sandwich.

"Niko, leave the singing to the professionals. Your voice. Could... well, curdle milk," says Jesse smiling. "However, you will have to teach me that song."

"Bah!" Niko replies, "I'll have ya know, lass, that I'm also known as the fourth tenor!"

Niko grins. "As for teaching you that song, I'm sure I could arrange for some private lessons!"

Darian purses his lips.

"I think not, Niko."

Niko chuckles. "Can't blame an elf fer tryin, Darian!"

Darian shrugs. "Depends on how far you try to push your luck. But, you're honorable enough that I think you will understand 'no' when it is spoken. And I trust Jesse."

Niko chuckles again. "Tis just in jest, lad. Tis just in jest."

Darian wanders over and says, "one."

Niko waits to see if anything happens. If nothing does, he then tries to reach through the glass, hoping it disappears like the doors they've been walking through, to get the cheeseburger.

"...I like mine with lettuce and tomatoe. Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes. Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer. Well good god almighty which way do I steer...for a cheeseburger in paradise..."

The cabinet door beside the translucent window opens, and within, you behold it: a culinary masterpiece, presented to you in a little red cardboard box.

"Niko, do you want this?"

Niko shakes his head "Nah! Help yourself. I'm sure there's more!"

Niko looks at the cabinet door and says "Two."

The door pops upen, and Niko beholds an egg on a muffin.

"Where are the fries and drink? I want a complete meal," Op Code complains.

Peering through the next window over, he sees just what he wants. The drink has even been supersized.

"I refrain from meat, so how about a fish sandwich, extra cheese, fries and a chocolate shake?" Salaam says to the machine, a bright glint in his eyes.

It happens.

Nearly obscene sounds can be heard from Salaam as he consumes his meal. A loud munching sound is heard as he bites into the crisp lettuce on his fish sandwich and a faint 'mmmm, fries' can be heard as well.

A few minutes later, a slurping reverberates through the room as the chocolate shake is finished and a small burp escapes Salaam's lips.

"Ooh, pardon me," he says as he wipes his mouth with his napkin. "Now, THAT was good."

Jesse looks at the door. "Very Odd. Almost like the clerical magic that Orlon uses to summon pizza." The bard looks at the door and says, "three...four...five. I bet kids would love this."

A different type of meat-patty sandwich appears...much smaller, with a slice of some cheese-like substance on top of the meat.

When those of you who took a meal are finished eating (and gaining 10lbs in the process), you go and look through the northern door.

You see another room (20' X 50': 20' north, 40' east; east wall is collapsed; door in north wall west corner). This long, narrow chamber in a pile of dirt and debris where the far end has collapsed. What is visible to you in here are rows of the uncomfortable-looking chairs which seem to be common in this place, all facing the east end.

Searching and finding nothing, you dematerialise the north door. This reveals another room (20' X 30': 20' north, 20' east; doors in east and west walls, north ends; door in north wall west end).

This room is full of strange machines, whose purpose you can only guess at. except for the door in one corner, the entire south wall seems to be a window made of translucent glass.

Suddenly, a sexy, enticing female voice speaks to you all in the common tongue!

"Come in, friends, and see what you can be!"

"Hello??" Salaam asks, "who are you ?"

Niko looks around for where the voice came from "Come out lass and show yerself. Especially if yer half as sexy as yer voice!"

Niko seems to have a large grin on his face.

Occa says, "I have a bad feeling about this...."

He stays back towards the rear of the group...but not further back than Emm, who remains completely befuddled by this experience.

Darian says quietly, "Folks, someone is trying to contact us telepathically. I can't tell whom because I don't have that ability. Does one of our esteemed mages have a spell of telepathy available?"

"Any idea what or who it could be? It might be the mindflayers again! So be careful."

Darian shrugs. "Couldn't determine who or what it was and my attempted reply was not acknowledged. If my brain explodes again, you'll know it was an attack."

However, another part of Op Code's anatomy is ready to explode, it seems...

Not having gotten any for awhile, Op Code eagerly rushes in, seeing if he can locate the source of the voice.

The ranger stops in the centre of the room, as the voice continues, "Thank you for coming to the Euracha Wire Centre, Op Code. We are sure to have an adventure to suit you. As you are aware, through the Wire you are able to live out your wildest fantasies, your every dream, be whatever you want to be, wherever you want to be, and all from the safety and comfort of your own home! Through scanning your thought patterns we have been able to assemble a small collection of adventures which might appeal to you. Behold!"

The room seems to dissolve around the ranger as the rest of you watch goggle-eyed from the doorway, then it reforms...into the bridge of a mighty starship. Op Code is a great space adventurer in command of this giant vessel, with a crew of hundreds at his command. Through the viewscreen before him Captain James T. Op Code sees a great fleet of enemy ships, which he is battling.

What swashbuckling fun!

"Fire all phasers!" Op Code commands.

The image dissolves...then reforms into another. Now Op Code is a great arch-mage, festooned with mighty artifacts of magic, leading a party of adventurers into a dark and dismal castle dungeon, awash with evil.

"Let me send a wizard eye down there," Op Code motions, trying to do his best Occa imitation.

The image changes again...into a real fantasy, this time. Op Code looks to be a citizen of a technologically backwards world. You see him get up in the morning, get dressed, kiss his wife and two charming young children goodbye, and then board some sort of clumsy form of land transport. This takes him to an enormous complex of large buildings located on the shore of some great lake, where he spends the day working in some sort of alchemical laboratory.

"Ugh, what a nightmare. I wouldn't want to send my worst enemies to a place like that," Op Code winces.

The image changes for a fourth time, into a scenario which must suit the ranger's current state: Op Code the Super Stud. He becomes naked, with an enormous, throbbing member. He is surrounded by a bevy of beautiful, young, naked females, all ooohing and aaaahing at the sight of the well equipped ranger. They reach for him...

Op Code smiles. "Now that's the adventure for me! Nothing like having my own little harem."

...and the image changes one last time. Op Code is now playing some sort of game which involves chasing a small black disk around an ice rink while on skates, and swatting at it with a curved wooden stick. The number on the back of his uniform is '99'.

"Geez, how can anyone follow that small black thing around? It should have a glowing membrane around it or something," the ranger questions.

The last image fades, and the room returns to normal. Op Code seems to have lost several teeth, though.

"Hey, where'd my teeth go?" Op Code wonders.

"Remember, Op Code," the beautiful voice says to him, "This was just a crude simulation. With the Wire installed, all sensory impulses are channeled directly to the appropriate parts of your brain. It's more real than reality! We are sure that you will find an adventure to suit you. When you do, merely think your choice, then slide your credit card into the slot by the east door.

"Thankyou, and have a great life on the Wire!"

"How does one use a credit card? What is a credit card?" Jesse asks noone in particular. "Is this like a line of credit some places have? Where do we get one and when can we go shopping?"

"Bah!" Niko cries out. "Tis just an illusion, lass. It can't compare to the wind and seaspray in your face as you sail into a full hurricane!"

Op Code asks the voice, "How do I get a credit card?"

"You can apply at the Bank of Orion, in area R3," the voice replies, and gives you directions.

"Excuse me, lass, can you give us a map of this ship, seems we are lost?" Salaam asks with a smile, hoping to get a map of the ship or at least the level they are on.

"I am sorry, Salaam. You could ask the nernal for one, though," says the voice. "Would you like a demonstration of the Wire?"

"I would like that," Salaam says as he prepares the introduction to the Wire.

Op Code and Salaam trade places.

"Thank you for coming to the Euracha Wire Centre, Salaam. We are sure to have an adventure to suit you. As you are aware, through the Wire you are able to live out your wildest fantasies, your every dream, be whatever you want to be, wherever you want to be, and all from the safety and comfort of your own home! Through scanning your thought patterns we have been able to assemble a small collection of adventures which might appeal to you. Behold!"

The room seems to dissolve around the priest as the rest of you watch from the doorway, then it reforms...into the throne room of a great castle. There, you see King Salaam seated, with a crown upon his head, surrounded by advisors and servants, as he guides the course of a great star empire that is his alone to rule.

The image dissolves...then reforms into another. Now Salaam is a great detective on a dark and seamy world populated by heathens and low-lifes. You see him moving through this dismal place as he attempts to solve a mysterious murder case.

The image changes again...into a real fantasy, this time. Salaam looks to be a citizen of a technologically backwards world. You see him get up in the morning, get dressed, kiss his wife and two charming young children goodbye, and then board some sort of clumsy form of land transport. This takes him to a strange building in a large, filthy city, where he sits at a desk all day staring into a magical Window of Microsoft and playing fantasy games.

The image changes for a fourth time, into a scenario which must suit the high priest to a tee: Salaam the Super Stud. He becomes naked, with an enormous, throbbing member. He is surrounded by a bevy of beautiful, young, naked females, all ooohing and aaaahing at the sight of the well equipped ranger. They all look like Jesse.

The last image fades, and the room returns to normal.

"Remember, Salaam," the beautiful voice says to him, "This was just a crude simulation. With the Wire installed, all sensory impulses are channeled directly to the appropriate parts of your brain. It's more real than reality! We are sure that you will find an adventure to suit you. When you do, merely think your choice, then slide your credit card into the slot by the east door.

"Thankyou, and have a great life on the Wire!"

"I think we get the message, thanks," says Robert, and heads back into the other room for a quarter pounder.

Jesse blushes red at the images, and moves closer to Darian.

Darian looks avidly at the image and then grins at Jesse raising an eyebrow.

"Thank you for that interesting view," Salaam looks to Jesse, gives a faint smile and then a shrug as she gets closer to Darian.

"Let's move on, we clearly don't have the time to worry about this, or apply for a 'credit card'," the bard says quickly.

Darian chuckles. "It's okay, Jesse, I've long suspected that Salaam wasn't over you."

"Occa, which way from here and dare I ask, what exactly are we seeking?" the cleric asks.

"I don't know! We are just seeking."

Occa then says to the voice, "Who is the nernal one?"

"The one who runs the Euracha transit base."

Suddenly a new voice speaks.

"May I be of service to you? I am the nernal."

"I need a map of this place, please."

"Why?"

"We are lost and want to know our way around."

"Unfortunately any maps I currently have stored are out of date. What do you seek?"

"What is your level of knowledge of this place?"

"It is quite comprehensive."

Occa says, "What is the purpose of this 'base'?"

"This is a transit base. Visitors to the Ptarton Empire must report here for clearance before continuing on into the Empire."

"Who besides us is here?"

"There are no other sentient, living beings here besides yourselves. This base was shut down and abandoned over two millenia ago."

"Where are you?"

The voice gives you directions.

Darian speaks up. "Are you able to detect psionic communications?"

"I have certain telepathic abilities, yes."

"Were you attempting to contact me, then? Or is there some other being in this place doing that?"

"I communicate exclusively via telepathy. It eliminates any language barriers."

"So that was you attempting to contact us fifteen or so minutes ago?"

"That was the Wire Centre subroutine establishing a link, yes."

"Oh. And that's why it didn't respond to my replies?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for clearing that up. I had been concerned that some other psionic being was going to blow my brains out like the last time I was here."

Occa asks again, "Why was the base shut down?"

"Its services were no longer required. I have reason to believe that the Third Ptarton Empire no longer exists."

Niko interjects, "Why do you think this Third Ptarton Empire no longer exists?"

"I have received no messages from them for several millenia."

"Also, where was this empire located?"

"The Third Ptarton Empire controlled the inner portion of the Milky Way Galaxy."

Niko seems confused by the terminology. "Ummm...can ye show me a map?"

"I am sorry. Any maps I could display would be hopelessly out of date."

"Ummm...could you explain where it is in relation to us? How far and what direction?"

"The Milky Way? You are in it."

"Ummm...no, I meant our proximity from here to the Empire...or its capital."

"The last I heard of the Third Ptarton Empire, its borders extended out to the periphery of the Sagittarius Arm. We are located on the inner edge of the Orion Arm. The Euroch gap separates the two spiral arms. However, I do not believe that the Empire exists anymore. Its capital was located some 5,000 light years towards the centre of the galaxy from here."

Niko shakes his head. "5,000 light years? Is that half the calories of a regular year? Anyway, what does time have to do with distance? How many miles is that?"

"A light year is the distance that light travels in a year," explains the voice. "Using ancient units of measurement, that translates into about 5.865696 X 10^12 miles."

Niko's mind reels at the incomprehensibility of the number.

Jesse looks confused, "I take it that we cannot sail there in our lifetimes?"

"That depends on your method of transport."

She asks, "Besides, what kind of number is 10 to the 12 anyway?"

"A fairly big number."

Niko then adds, "Can this ship take us there? How long would it take?"

"This is not a ship. It is an outpost on Euracha I, a planet in orbit about the star SW Sagittarii."

Niko looks really confused "Occa! I thought you said we were above OUR world, not this Euracha I!"

"I thought so too."

"Nenral, can you scan my mind for an image of our world and tell us if you know it?"

"I am sorry, but my powers do not extend far into the realm of telepathy."

"Nenral, I am psionic, although one of my talents isn't telepathy. However, because of my natural affinity, might you be able to scan my mind if I attempt to send the information to you?"

"My name is nernal. I am not programmed for such activities."

"My apologies, Nernal. I heard Occa call you that and thought that I had heard incorrectly before."

Niko asks, "Nernal is an odd name. Does it have some meaning in your language?"

"Not anymore."

Niko rolls his eyes up again ."OK...what did it mean in your language?"

"It was a slang, or a play on words. It originally was truncated from the words 'paternal' and 'maternal'."

"Interesting."

"Can you show us how to use this base?"

"Use? In what ways?"

"Well, I was given a vision of this place. The only reason being that I supsect it has some use in a war that is raging on a planet you were nearby when we first entered this place."

"I do not understand the meaning of your words. This base and the world it is located upon has not moved - excluding normal orbital motions - for as long as we have kept records."

"Speaking of which, were you aware of our last entrance here?"

"Yes. You were not present, but certain others here today were."

"Were you aware of the mindflayers that we encountered as well?"

"Yes. That was their second visit. They have not returned since."

"Do you know where they came from? Do you know why they came here?"

"I do not know the answers to either of your questions, Occa."

He pauses and says, "Do you have any kind of defensive or offensive capability here? Catapults, ballista or the like? Any others?"

"No."

"Also, we noticed that we could not see the planet we were on before. Has this base moved?"

"Again, I do not understand your question. What planet were you last on?"

"Earth. What planet do you rest near?"

"My records contain entries for 12,782 planets named Earth in this galaxy alone," the voice replies. "The closest other world to this one is an unnamed rogue world approximately 0.3 light years from SW Sagittarii."

"Occa, those tech weapons in the community chest, did you obtain them from this ship?"

"No, they were there before we got here. However, he may be able to show us how to use them...and maybe recharge some of them."

Niko grins "Just what I was thinkin', mate."

Niko takes out his Sinclair molecular chain short sword "Nernal, do you recognize this?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where on this ship we can get more of these 'charges' that power this weapon?"

"Yes."

Niko rolls his eyes back in disgust ."And where would that be? And how do we get there?"

The voice gives you directions.

"Can you alert us if someone approaches this base or enters it?"

"Of course."

"Did you come from another reality or is this your original point of origin?" the priest asks.

"Another reality?" the voice repeats. "I do not understand your question."

"Is this galaxy your original temporal and spatial location?" Salaam asks, remembering the complex terms from his conversations with Thor and his fellow Avengers during the Secret Wars.

"Yes."

Occa says, "Let's go to where we can get that thing charged."

"Nernal. Do you happen to have an armory here? Or a weapons shop?"

"Yes, but they were stripped when this outpost was closed."

"Nernal, why was this outpost closed?"

"This outpost was originally set up as a clearing house for visitors to the Empire from the outer spiral arms in this part of the galaxy. When people stopped travelling this outpost was declared redundant."

"Nernal, why did people stop travelling? And who were these people...humans, elves, dwarves???"

The voice answers in a matter of fact tone.

"The society that I am a product of had been in decline for many tens of millennia. Even though the people knew it, no action - or perhaps insufficient actions - were taken to stem the decline. The faster methods of interstellar space travel were lost, though the slower methods remain. I should clarify my previous point about people stopping travelling. There are still travellers about. I have been visited by two spacecraft in the past decade. One of them is still here. However, when the number of people using this transit station dropped below a viable level, it was closed."

Niko's eyes widen. "Spacecraft? Could you give us directions, please."

Salaam's ears perk up when he hears that a spacecraft is still here, alas Niko beats him to the question.

The voice does so. You recognise the area described. It is at the top of one of the shafts whose entry was blocked to you.

"The spacecraft is non-functional," the nernal adds.

After Niko's question, Salaam interjects, "Are the people that piloted the craft still alive?"

"No. Their ship was heavily damaged when it arrived here. It appeared to have been in a battle, and its hull was breached. Several tried to reach the sink tube in the landing bay, but without protection against the outside environment, perished before they could do so."

"Is the ship repairable? Do you have the knowledge and capability to do the repairs?"

"I am sure that the ship would be repairable if adequate facilities were at hand. Unfortunately, they no longer are here on Euracha."

"Occa, do you think you could get us there safely?"

"As to why people stopped travelling in the first place, there were a number of competing theories. Some say people grew lazy and disinterested, when all could be provided by nernals such as myself. Other blamed the Wire. Why leave home, when you can visit anywhere you want, in your mind? Others blamed the Wizards and the Mystiks. It was felt that they were trying to manipulate the people of our civilisation to achieve their own ends.

"As to who those people were: yes, they were humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes and many other species."

"Wizards and Mystiks?" Niko asks. "The people of this civilization of yours were magic wielders?"

"For the most part, no. The Wizards and Mystiks had...abilities...but they remained apart."

"Not magical? Were these abilities psionic, like Darian's?"

"I do not know...because the information that was fed into my memory does not say so."

Jesse thinks hard. "What about the foundations? Were not two established according to legands, which speak that a great empire will result from the work of the foundations?"

"I have heard nothing of this."

"One of the great bards, Asimov told of the foundations. Perhaps your empire is or was part of this story." Jesse says, "I do not remember the whole story, it is long and involved. But two foundations were established to help lead the crumbling empire into the future."

"Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case, here."

Niko pulls out a grenade ."Can we find more of these egg shaped weapons at the same place?"

"There are no such items here."

 The strange conversation continues...

"Neural, another thing. We saw a sign that said that environmental protection was needed to proceed into a given area. What is environmental protection? Is it a spell that we need or is there something else? can you help up with this enviornmental protection?" Jesse asks the voice.

"I am nernal. The area in question is a vacuum. It has no atmosphere. To enter into that area would be fatal. Therefore, you need protection against that environment. I cannot provide you with such protection."

"Do you know where such protection is available?"

"Not anymore."

"Vacuum? No atmosphere?" Darian pauses for a long moment. "Do you mean, there's no air? What happened to it, then? Did some magic take it away?"

"When SW Sagittarii expanded into a red giant, all of this planet's atmosphere was driven off."

Darian frowns. "A red giant? I've never heard of that type. Is that anything like a red giant? And how could such a giant drive off the air of a planet? Don't they need to breathe as well?"

"Wait a minute... Is a red giant a sun? Nernal, can you show us a picture of the sun?"

An image forms in the centre of the room, of an enormous redly glowing orb set against an inky backdrop festooned with stars. While far more dim than the Sun which graces Earth's skies, it is still too bright to look at comfortably.

"This is SW Sagittarii...a live feed, if you will."

"Occa, if you have any wishes left, can you wish that this station was fully operational or in the same condition that it was when it was at its fullest use?" Salaam asks the mage.

"Salaam, are you sure that's wise? We don't really understand what we're dealing with. No offense, nernal, but you may actually be something quite dangerous fully functional."

Occa says, "Plus that is a fairly selfish wish and those generally don't work out well for me. Of course, if my patron wishes otherwise, I could do something, but I kinda doubt it."

"Hey, it was just a thought, forget about it," Salaam says as he shrugs his shoulders.

"Occa, are you talking about Valdar?"

He pauses and says, "I may be able to go over to the other ship. Let's review spells and see if we have a way to protect ourselves against a vacumm. Doess anyone have a necklace of adaptation?"

"Sorry, do not possess one," Salaam says.

"I don't have any spells that would help, but perhaps if we could fill the vacuum and then use a wall of force to fix the breach in the hull..."

Your questioning of the nernal drawing to a close at last, you follow its directions to the location of the extra charges for your technological toys. You have been in this place for some hours, now, and you are starting to get a strange feeling that perhaps you should return to the Triton to see what is happening there.

From the room where the Wire was demonstrated, you head back through the place where you battled the mind flayers and back into the passage. You return to the main entrance lounge, and go to the large pair of doors in the south wall. They obligingly dematerialise, and you see beyond a 20' wide passage heading south for 120' and on. In the 10' - 30' sections on each side are two more 20' doors.

You head to the door on the left. It reveals a large warehouse chamber (40' X 50': 10' north, 20' south, 40' east). The place is filled with equipment. All along the walls are shelves and racking, many extending from floor to ceiling, 20' overhead. They are filled with many strange pieces of machinery and other goods. You recognise none of it.

In the centre of the room are half a dozen strange, sled-like contraptions in differing sizes. Most of them consist of a seat with a few controls mounted on a dashboard before it, with a flatbed aft. Some of the sleds are only about 8' long, while others are as long as 15'. These machines are clearly not functional, with many of them obviously missing parts. A few of them have been reduced to little more than heaps of parts, piled on the floor. Also in this part of the room are a number of other machines, whose purposes you can only guess at.

In the far (southeast) corner is a small area of the room which has been partly fenced off from the rest of the room. The floor within is clear.

You search, and after twenty minutes have found a dozen of the small packages which fit into the butt of Niko's Sinclair sword.

Niko grins. "Ah! The mother lode! Nernal, how long will one of these charges power my sword?"

"That will depend on how much you use it."

"Let's say I leave it on continuously. How long then?"

"Perhaps an hour."

As Niko loads them into a sack, he also asks, "Nernal, some items on our world use magical charges. When they run out, we can sometimes re-charge these items. Can we do the same with these?"

"No."

"Could you or the nernal possessed by Hardboard re-charge them?"

"No."

"Create new ones?"

"A fully functional nernal could."

Niko smiles. "Occa, do ya know what those other weapons in the community chest are? Do they use these charges as well?"

Pointing at the sled-like things, Gilstrock says uncertainly, "Uh, Nernal, or whatever, what are these things?"

"They are anti-grav sleds."

"Oooh," Gilstrock says, sounding illuminated.

After a pause, the warrior adds, "What's an anti-grav sled for?"

"For transporting heavy items."

"Oh," Gilstrock says again.

He looks over at the others. "Anybody know how one of these works? Maybe we could use it for our community chest and stuff like that."

The voice expounds.

"An anti-grav sled nullifies the effects of gravity, making the transport of heavy items much easier."

Once you are finished for the day, you pile back into Salaam's portable hole, and teleport back to the Triton.

It is evening when you return. The sun has set. The air is hot...but at least it is not stale.

Ramage greets you. He looks concerned.

"I'm glad you're back," he says, "I think we'd be in trouble, otherwise"

He points astern.

There, in the growing dimness, you see another ship approaching from seaward. It is a good-sized vessel, with all sails set, and is steadily closing on your brig. As you watch, a flag unfurls from the mainmast...the skull and crossbones.

Looking farther afield, you see that the Triton seems to be passing through a strait. About 10 miles away to both port and starboard you see low masses of land. Ahead and behind, quite a few miles distant, is open ocean. The pirates chose a good place to strike: your maneuvering room is limited.

The evening is overcast, the temperature a balmy 100F.

"Think we can hit it from here with some fireballs and the like?" Jesse asks, her spell finger twitching.

Darian looks at the others. "A fireball or two in their sail and we don't have to worry about them. But, I don't have any. Occa, Pharian, care to do the honors?"

"Niko, if you need me to, I can go out there and protect us from any magical attack. Just say the word."

"Seems the mages have this one under control." Salaam muses, a variety of spells flooding through his mind in case the ship, somehow, manages to get past the Occa Fast Fireball special.

Niko looks astern at the approaching vessel, about a mile away.

"They're probably still out of range, but we'll be closing on each other rather quickly. However, we'll be within ballista/catapult range before we're in fireball/lightning bolt range, so be careful, Darian, if you move toward the stern to block spells."

"Are you sure, sir? I could take to the air and give us all a better chance of blocking any spells. Trying to do it too close to the ship may mean some spillover."

"Lad, I'm pretty sure a properly fired ballista can travel even further than even one of Occa's fireball specials."

"If you say so, Captain. I've never seen a ship fire a ballista."

Darian casts invisibility on himself and runs back towards the stern.

Op Code says, to no one in particular, "I hope those magic users can stop that ship."

He has his sword ready for battle if the ship is boarded.

"Salaam, did you by chance memorize a Lower Water or similar spell?"

"No, Niko, I figured there was no water in a spaceship," he says with a slight grin.

"Ramage, prepare the weapons and alert the crew! Arrgghh...we're gonna sink us a pirate ship!"

Ramage called out the crew long before your returned. You see them lining the bulwarks, cutlasses ready, daggers clenched between their teeth.

Emm once again takes up a position on the upper deck, bow and arrow readied.

The pirate vessel closes steadily. She sails better close-hauled into the wind than the Triton. Strangely, though, she does not open fire on you.

"Wants to capture us intact," murmurs Southwick.

Ramage nods.

Finally, when the ship is only a few hundred feet away, a voice hails you.

"Drop yer sails an' heave to, ye scurvy scum, an' prepare to be boarded!"

That is Occa's cue.

Occa lets loose a fireball at the ship. The first one detonates at deck level, engulfing it and most of the masts and sails. You hear screams of agony, which end quickly.

However, all is not over yet. As Occa releases his second fireball, aimed higher up, a fireball detonates amidships on the Triton. The flames billow over most of the decks, though Darian protects all of you, being near the stern. You hear more screams from amidships and towards the bows, as your crew is incinerated.

Occa's next fireball goes off an instant later, completing the destruction of the pirate ship's masts and sails.

No more attacks come your way. Evidently he caught the enemy spell caster as well.

The pirate ship is now coming to a halt in the water, its sails in flames. Small fires are burning on her decks, too. You hear no further signs of life from that direction.

However, you have your own problems now, too. The fireball lit numerous small fires, and overhead all of your new and old sails are destroyed, raining down burning pieces of canvas on the decks and onto all who remain standing.

The two ships are virtually dead in the water, perhaps 200' apart.

"Captain? Will that ship have cloth for sails? Should we attempt to board it?" asks Jesse as she tries to think of a way to put out the fires. "Anyone have a cone of cold? Or an water spell? I'm out."

"We need to get the fires out on both ships and recover anyone that's still alive. We lost too many sailors to make it on our own."

Darian awaits someone to put out the fires and then he will dimension door over to the other ship with his sword drawn.

Jesse looks for a bucket and rope and begins to haul water up to douse the flames.

Niko surveys the damage.

"Ramage, get the men and some buckets and put those fires out!"

"The men are all dead, dammit!" snaps back Ramage, and you recall that the crew were amidships and up near the bows, out of range of Darian's protection. Now, all you see up there are burning corpses.

Niko looks on with disbelief at the carnage "There was no one below deck, Ramage?"

"Of course not. You can't repel boarders from below decks!"

"Gilstrock, you strong brute, get over here and help me haul water," calls Jesse.

"Right-o!" Gilstrock says, sticking his spear into the deck and looking for a barrel he can lift and use to throw massive amounts of water on the flames all at once.

"Come on you guys," calls Jesse, "Think. Darian, can you still fly? If so, help by bringing water up qickly."

"Not yet, but I can remedy that." Darian casts fly upon himself and descends with a few buckets.

The bard continues to haul water up as best she can, "What about a water elemental? Would one help us?"

Occa flies upward, gets into the best position to get as much as the flames on your ship as possible and then cone of cold's the fires (making sure not to get anyone).

Most of the fires go out at once, but for a few burning close by people. These are rapidly put out.

Occa then casts invisibility on himself and flies over to the pirate ship.

Salaam follows suit, as he activates his winged boots.

"We'll board the pirate ship, they may have spare sails below."

Niko dives into the water, changes into a manta ray and swims for the pirate ship.

The rest of you, Ramage and Southwick excluded, lower the gig into the water and row over.

Reaching the pirate ship, whose name is the Raven, you find Occa, Niko, Darian and Salaam already there, poking around the decks and putting out fires. She is more heavily damaged than the Triton, thanks to Occa's more deadly fireballs, but she is in no danger of sinking. Like your ship, most of the destruction was confined to the sails. Even the rigging is fairly intact.

The decks are littered with charred and smoking corpses. There must be about 100 of them. Likewise, there are many cutlasses, daggers and knives about, too. You find the body of a magic user amidships. Unlike the others, though, his corpse also looks rather crushed and mangled. You suspect that he was flying over the ship and was caught in Occa's second fireball.

You open up the forehatch and search the below-decks area. In the sail locker near the bows you find spare sails. However, as the Raven is a larger ship and rigged somewhat differently, only a few of the jibs will fit the Triton. You continue searching, and find the ship's surgeon in the sick bay, drunk and unconscious, a bottle of rum at his side. Farther back are two holds, both half full with plunder from previous catches, consisting mostly of trade goods.

In the aft portion of the ship are the mess halls, kitchen and officer's quarters. You find nothing of interest here, until you get to the captain's cabin in the stern. There, beside the door that leads into his quarters, you find a door which is barred from the outside.

You open it first.

Opening the door reveals a small closet with a beautiful young girl in it.

Other than that, there is a pallet in here and little else.

The young woman is average to tall in height, though it's difficult to tell with her crouching and cowering in the closet. Her face is easily considered beautiful, unmarked and fair. Her hair is thick, dark brown, with a light wave in it that gives it body. Her eyes, currently bulging in terror, are a bright green. It is a wonder she fit in the closet with the gown she's wearing, it is richly adorned with a tight bodice and voluminous skirt. She wears no armor and apparently carries nothing that looks like a weapon. Lastly, she looks awfully clean to have been on a pirate ship overlong.

The female half-elf approaches the woman. She first looks at the rest of the group.

"Hold on fellows, let me take care of this."

She is looking at Salaam in particular.

Salaam puts on a look of shock that Jesse would think that he would treat a woman in negative way. Then a soft chuckle escapes his lips.

"Right, we'll wait above decks, dear."

Darian grabs Salaam's arm and walks with him.

The high priest has other ideas, though, and stays put.

"Well met, miss, I am Salaam Benshel Thothemon, revered priest of Thoth," he says as he bows his head to the young lady.

Darian calls down from above.

"Sorry, Jesse, I tried."

Salaam sticks his tongue out at both Jesse and Darian rather indignantly.

"What has happened? Where is the crew?"

A tear wells up in the girl's eye.

"What have you done?"

The tear begins to stream, yet she does not sob.

Occa, an extremely handsome man, says, "I had to incinerate them. Hope none were relatives of yours."

He shrugs and leaves, muttering to himself.

"Dear woman, its seems this ship was flying skulls and crossbones, denoting it to be a pirate ship. As we have been attacked by pirates inthe past, we had need to defend ourselves. You are safe now," Salaam says as he gazes at her with his soft blue eyes.

Salaam still tries to comfort her, by telling her that she is now safe and out of harm's way. Salaam turns to Occa as he leaves and whispers, "Maybe you should cast a sleep spell on her, and take her out of this dangerous environment."

"How about a detect evil? She could be the captain of the ship feigning weakness. You check her and I will stand ready with a disintegrate!" says Occa, stopping.

"Maybe you should use it regardless," quips Robert, as he ogles her.

Salaam intones, "Oh great Thoth, allow your servant to detect evil."

Jesse blocks the doorway and slaps Salaam hard.

"Out all of you now!" she says to the group. "When I am ready I will get you all. Now scat."

The bard looks angry and determed.

"This poor girl has had enough of you. Get OUT!"

"You weren't like this when we were together," Salaam says in a low voice with a smile on his face. Eager to avoid another swing, he backs up, still concentrating on the young woman.

"Men," she says, as a curse. "Leave us now and we can talk about it later Salaam. Niko, a little help. Captain, please."

Niko snorts "OK, ye horny sea toads, let's give the ladies some room. Gilstrock, stay with the ladies until we know for certain who this lass is."

"No evil folks... nice threads though, REALLy nice threads," Salaam says with a whistle.

The Dwarf looks over the young woman and decides to not incur any of Jesse's fury... "Me be Gonzo Gallahad... glad ta meetcha... "

He then goes off to search the ship with the others who are looking it over as well.

The bland, forgettable man with the brown hair, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, slips out of the room nearly unnoticed.

Op Code, taking a quick look at the woman, "Ah, a woman in distress." He is right behind Darian and Salaam, "Let's go. It's the gentlemanly thing to do. Good luck Jesse."

The rest of the unwanted men do likewise, leaving Jesse and the girl be.

Niko pulls out Dwarf's Envy and heads for the captain's quarters. Before and after opening the door, he searches for traps. Once inside, he checks for treasure and sliding/shifting walls.

After only a minute alone with Jesse, the woman rushes up onto the deck where the rest of you are, her eyes wide.

It is dark out. A few hundred feet to port a lantern glows, indicating the presence of another ship.

The deck of the Raven is littered with burnt corpses. The entire upper area is scorched. The sails have been incinerated.

She looks around, eyes adjusting to the darkness, stunned by the carnage, then she moves swiftly to the forecastle where she finds a specific body, kneels down and cradles the charred corpse and begins to wale.

"Master! What have they done to you! Come back to me!"

She sobs, holding the body of the captain of the ship close to her. Even in the looming darkness, it is a truly odd sight.

"Oh please, gods," she sobs openly, "Don't take him from me. I'll be a better slave, I swear it!"

Looking around, she sees the body of the the cabin boy burned beyond recognition, identifiable only by its small size.

"Oh my god!" She screams at the sky, "They've killed Kenny!" Then down on the deck at her bewildered audience, "You bastards!"

The slave continues to cradle the body of her master in her arms, oblivious to anything going on around her. "I promise master, I'll be better... I don't know what to do..."

"Master, slave.. why did he have you as a slave?" Salaam asks, keeping his distance, as Jesse no doubt has her eyes on him.

Jesse stays close to the woman and glares at any of the others who come near them. Jesse continues to speak softly, calmly to the distraught girl.

The slave girl is cradling the body of her master in her arms, sobbing, oblivious to her surroundings.

"One arm is dead. You are free now," Jesse says to the girl. "Come with us, and we will help you. I know what you are going through." the bard says, a tear in her eye.

As if from nowhere, the slave girl seems to stir at the bard's words. They break her reveree. The slave's eyes seek Jesse's.

"Free?" she says, pronouncing it slowly as if it is a foreign word from which she's trying to gleen meaning.

Darian nods. "Yes, Lady, you are free."

"Come with me. I will help you. I understand what you are going through. There is nothing for you here now, my dear. For that I am sorry. But come with us, witt me and live anew," Jesse says softly, "I know your loss."

The girl doesn't seem to hear your words; her mouth is agape as she looks at you, lost.

"I'm free?" she asks again, apparently looking for confirmation of an impossibility.

Jesse nods.

"Yes," she says softly, "Free."

"Yes, free...if you let Jesse help you. This ship is going down in about ten minutes, so you have some time to make up your mind."

Occa goes back to the dirty work of searching the dead.

"... free..." the word slips her lips like a whisper as its impact seeps into her being.

"free..." she says as the definition of the word becomes a real thing to her. She looks around at the array of people around her. Her eyes go from fear to incredulity to joy to insane in a matter of moments.

"Free," she tells them as a feral look comes over her face and she begins to giggle.

"I'm free," she laughs as she casts her gaze to the corpse of her now former owner. Her body starts to sob with the laughter.

"I'm free of you," she tells the dead ship's captain as she switches from cradling his body to throttling his lifeless neck.

"I'm FREEEEEEE!" she screams with the ecstatic joy of one who lacks all reason as she crashes his head against the flame-charred deck, splitting the corpses skull with her powerful blows.

She grunts gutterally as she stands over her dead, former master, breathing heavily at her efforts, but calming down as she does. Then, she lightly kicks the corpse. And she kicks it again.

Then, in a return of her madness, in a manic state, she grabs the brain-dripping bady and thrusts it over the smoking rail into the water almost falling herself with the effort.

As she regains her balance, she raises her fist in defiance. "My name is Alyta, YOU BASTARD! And you don't own me ANYMORE!" Her fist shakes with insane rage.

Finally, she turns and nearly collapses into the Jesse's arms, seeking to touch humanity, for the first time in what must have been a long, long time.

Jesse smiles and holds Alyta as tight as she wants.

"Welcome Alyta," she says as she offers her support and comfort to the woman.

Occa giggles and says, "And you have just won the publishers clearinghouse sweepstakes!"

He steps back and waits for another joyful, and very destructive, bout of insanity.

Completing your search of the ship, you tally up the haul: 800sp from the corpses of the pirates; 8000gp and 10 small gems (7gp ea) from a chest in the captain's cabin; a deck of cards (from the body of the magic user) and two standard spell books (from a cabin which was presumably the mage's).

The cargo in the hold Niko estimates as being worth about 25,000gp, but it is bulky and would take you all night to shift over to the Triton.

"Niko, have we found all that will be useful? If so, perhaps we should leave this vessel, or if you think this is a better ship, perhaps we should transfer our belongings here."

Occa looks for the dead mage...once everything is collected together, he casts detect magic on everything.

Only the deck of cards radiates magic.

He says to Niko. "Which is a better ship, this or that? Should I get our crew back from the dead again?"

Darian pipes in, "Occa, no matter what, we need our crew back. Unless you want to do all their chores..."

Occa says, "Thanks for the input, Darian."

Darian grins. "Sorry, sir."

Niko thinks the Triton is in better shape. It only took one fireball...and of a lesser intensity than Occa's.

"So, let's scrounge what we can and sink this thing."

"Let's get any artillery we can as well...as well as any common supplies that might be useful...food, cloth, etc. Get the ships doctor to our ship...we can use him for questioning or target practice."

Alyta is still sobbing as she is moved from the Raven.

"Jesse, I'll take Alyta across. Perhaps, Occa, you should take Jesse at the same time."

"Sure, that would be fine with me. Be careful."

Darian nods. "I will." He gently scoops her up in his arms and waits for her to settle down before attempting to fly back across.

Once you are done with the Raven, Occa flies level with the water and casts disintegrate into the side of the ship.

A hole appears at the waterline and the ocean pours in. Withing ten minutes the ship has sunk.

After sinking the ship, Occa hovers nearby to make sure there weren't any hidden people trying to flee the sinking ship.

There were only two survivors, the girl and the drunken ship's doctor, who is still unconscious.

Salaam tags behind, making sure everyone is cleared off the ship and then he flies back to the Triton.

Once he touches the deck of the Triton, he deactivates the power of his boots. Once back, he asks, "Occa, time to scry Harboard and let's pay him a visit," Salaam says.

It is late and you are tired. However, Ramage and Niko are not finished with you yet. The Trion is brifting back to the northwest, where there are shoals off of the northern point of Big Grassy Isle. Several of the old sails that you had replaced over the course of the last week or so are brought back up and hoisted. The Triton regains steerage way, and you heave-to safely off of the northeast coast of the island.

next day...

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