Better A Rat In The Drift…
Camiri, Part 1
Welcome to Dark Star Adventurecast — a high-stakes Stars Without Number actual play. You are entering the dangerous Veridian Expanse; join the crew of the Scapegoat on their first mission below.
THORNE
HALEYY
FELIX
ROBERT
Next time: The crew must pull a prank on the Neon Fangs, the nicest gang on the station. Can they overcome their own morals to free their ship?
CONTINUE_ADVENTURE: LISTEN TO EPISODE 2-
[00:00:01] Star Master Jeff: Camiri 4, the edge of inhabited space. Four people, one message, and a door that just locked behind them. The recording clicks on.
[00:00:11] Star Master Jeff: Welcome, members of Blackout One.
[00:00:14] Star Master Jeff: This mission briefing is classified. We trust you understand the importance of secrecy. A few months ago, a deep space outpost intercepted an encrypted transmission from outside the sector. A transmission which resisted all conventional forms of decryption. We found and employed some of the sector's best hackers. and out of their efforts came a string of numbers we now believe to be coordinates. Coordinates leading to an uncharted system at the far reaches of our own sector, the Viridian Expanse. Your mission is to travel to Mistrata IV. There, you will retrieve a xenolinguist named Dr. Elara Voss. Once you have her in your service, figure out how to get to the Uncharted sector and discover what there is to learn there. To aid you in this mission, a free merchant class spaceship has been purchased and awaits you in Docking Bay 72. Now, although this ship has not flown in close to a decade, it exists in no known registrations, allowing you some anonymity. A false ship identification has been uploaded on a chip, which has been provided to you. Some credits have also been provisioned for food and additional supplies. We are likely not the only group or corporation... A curl of black smoke rises from the port that the ST card was inserted into. The shutters rise, and the door unlocks.
[00:02:00] Thorne: Well, this is all a bit cloak and dagger, isn't it? I can't say that this is what I expected when I woke up this morning. What's in that envelope, Thorne? Thorne dumps out the contents into his hand and holds it out. Well, these are the credits that they mentioned, and one of these here data chips. This must be that ID they're talking about for the ship.
[00:02:19] Felix: I'll hold onto this. I'll get us loaded up when we get there. License and registration. Apparently so. By the way, Thorne, good to see you again. Haven't seen you since that last mission with Echo 3. Yeah, I'm surprised they put us together after that whole thing went haywire last time. Well, you know, it was nice to have a break, but I'm glad to be back in the action.
[00:02:35] Haleyy: When you say haywire, you guys can do that, right? Find her?
[00:02:40] Felix: Ma'am, I can find her, but I work with machines, not people.
[00:02:44] Haleyy: Just got to get to her before anyone else does.
[00:02:47] Felix: So we want to make sure we've got good supplies on this ship when we get there.
[00:02:50] Robert: Yep. And for that, I'm going to take a look around, go look around, make sure that if there's anything that we can harvest out of this base while we're making our way to the dock, I'm going to see if I can grab it.
[00:03:03] Star Master Jeff: Absolutely. So as you leave and start making your way towards the docking bays, at least some of the docking bays, 1 through 100, because you're looking for 72, you are encountering this horrible space station that was once a hub for research and development, but has since, over the past 20 years, turned into a haven for black market drugs and illicit activities. The corridors are dark with many of the lights burnt out or broken. It's grimy, it's run down, there's obviously no governmental entity here, there's simply anarchy. The air smells of rust, old fuel, and the buzzing of malfunctioning lights flickers overhead. It's not a very pleasant place. In fact, like many space stations, it feels as if you are underground, but here it's particularly claustrophobic. All of the luxuries that even the cheapest space station has are not present here. Windows into space, or at least illusionary pictures to make you feel like there's an actual planet outside with blue skies and green grass. Here you are deep underground, even though you are floating in the middle of space.
[00:04:10] Robert: Well, I'm certainly going to be looking out for ammunition, rations, fuel.
[00:04:16] Star Master Jeff: So are you guys making your way towards Docking Bay 72 while just looking out for other things? Or are you intentionally going away from Docking Bay 72 to shop or to search?
[00:04:26] Felix: I think we should, I mean, we're here for a reason. I want to get off this station, elk around. I mean, I assume one of you can pilot this thing.
[00:04:33] Robert: Yeah, I'm moving with urgency here. I'll happily pilot us away, but I'm definitely just keeping a strong eye out as we head towards Docking Bay 72.
[00:04:46] Felix: Yeah, good. You keep us safe, big man.
[00:04:48] Thorne: You know, when I heard we were going to Camiri, I thought we were just getting demoted. Now I feel like this is a suicide mission. Well, isn't anything different with Omnitech?
[00:04:56] Robert: I like your attitude, Haleyy with two Ys.
[00:05:17] Felix: I haven't been here long, but I definitely don't think we're the best that Omnitech has. Hey, don't sell yourself short. I wasn't selling myself short, man. Wow.
[00:05:28] Star Master Jeff: So the four of you make your way to Docking Bay 72. You're going through this dingy, crappy space station that probably cost trillions of credits to make and have since been abandoned by whatever entity made it and taken over by the gangs that have sprung up here. You count your way up to docking bays, passing corridor after corridor. You make your way up to the 50 through 80 section. You're looking for Docking Bay 72. In this section, like all the other sections, it's full of grime and refuse, dirt. It smells of stale recycled air. But something different about this area are the scorch marks on the wall, the dried blood on the ground, weeks if not months old. Barricades have been built in various places along these corridors. A war broke out at some point. Massive battles along these corridors. There is a barricade directly across the entrance to Docking Bays 50 through 80. It's built of stacked storage bins and metal sheeting. Two armed guards wearing hacked-together armor painted in bright greens and yellows stand behind the barricade. The barricade is about 10 feet tall, and they're on some sort of ledge behind it. On each of their left shoulder pads is a red emblem of a fierce rat. One wields a semi-automatic pistol, which he brandishes at you as you approach, and the other sports a sawed-off shotgun, which he holds at the ready. Ah, the welcoming committee. They both also have knives in bandoliers across their chest. Their shoulder pads are spiky, but not as spiky as their hair, as each sports identical green and yellow mohawks. One of them speaks up: Hey! Hey! This area's off limits to the likes of you.
[00:07:07] Thorne: Gentlemen, gentlemen. We're here on official business. We're looking for 72. And I very gregariously step forward and put my arms out like this doesn't have to be a shootout.
[00:07:18] Star Master Jeff: He's brandishing. The one that's talking is just brandishing his semi-automatic pistol around, pointing it at each of you and then scratching his head with it. He's like, oh, yeah, well, I don't see no 72 here. So why don't you 72 yourself away from us? Yeah. And they high-five each other.
[00:07:34] Robert: That was a good one, gentlemen. Now, I mean, we might have to take a little step away, because I mean, I was just trying to show off around here all these barriers y'all put up to keep back the orphans. I know you have a whole bunch of orphan barriers around here. Is that right? Orphan barriers?
[00:07:53] Star Master Jeff: What the hell are you talking about? Orphan barriers? I was an orphan. My friend here was an orphan. What do you mean? What the fuck do you mean orphan barriers?
[00:08:05] Robert: And now he's pointing his gun at you. I mean, I'm just showing... Y'all got such a nice looking barrier here. Didn't mean to disturb. Now, what a nice little rat.
[00:08:18] Thorne: I think what my friend is trying to say is we don't mean any offense, but we do need to get beyond your barrier.
[00:08:24] Star Master Jeff: Get beyond our barrier? Listen to these fancy gentlemen coming in from the south side of the station. You don't know who we are? You're obviously not from around these parts because we're the Drift Rats. We drift like rats all around this side of the station. And you think you're going to come in here and get across our barrier? You're in Drift Rat territory. Or do you not understand that yet? Because I can pump you full of lead and maybe that'll give you a little bit of an idea where you are.
[00:08:56] Robert: I didn't know the Drift Rats. I didn't know we were in Drift Rat territory. Y'all should have said something earlier. I mean, that's my boys.
[00:09:05] Haleyy: Haleyy's just standing off to the side, starting to do up her old flex routine, crunching her knuckles. We know where we are. We're on our way to 72. Move.
[00:09:15] Star Master Jeff: So I need you to roll Talk, Robert Ross, which is not a skill you're good at.
[00:09:20] Robert: Well, I tried to talk him up real good, and I rolled a five.
[00:09:26] Star Master Jeff: So as you guys approach the 10-foot barrier, and you're crunching your knuckles, cracking your knuckles, and Robert is basically trying to ingratiate yourself to them, right, Robert?
[00:09:36] Robert: Or at least let him know that, I mean, I respect the Drift Rats. The Drift Rats are a mighty gang.
[00:09:43] Star Master Jeff: So unfortunately, you didn't roll very high. So as you approach, the shotgun guy also points his gun and he says, Hey, I don't like that they're getting so close to us there. And the other one says, What do you think you're gonna do? Get over this wall? And he pats it really hard. Back up. You're not allowed in Drift Rat territory. You're probably working for them Neon Fangs anyway. And he spits on the ground. Neon Fangs. More like... More... And he looks over at his friend. More like, uh... He snaps his fingers, looking for help. The guy just looks at him. Neon Lames. We hate them. Ah, the Neon Lames. I'm glad I thought of it. The Neon Lames. You're a bunch of them Neon Lames.
[00:10:25] Thorne: Listen, we're not with the lames. We respect the Drift Rats, and we're on official business. And I'm telling you two that it would be in your best interest to let us through.
[00:10:36] Star Master Jeff: Oh okay, well Thorne, why don't you roll a Talk because you're trying to intimidate them. I rolled a 12. So yeah, with a 12 you say that and they go, hey, uh, you know Box, I think these guys are serious. Ah, shut up with you. Okay, tell you what, y'all look pretty serious. Why don't you just stay there and I'll get old Rustclaw, he'll talk to you, and he'll sort this out. He'll sort it out. You stay here and he'll sort this out. I'm sure. He hops down off the back of the wall and the guy with the shotgun just keeps it kind of trained on you and his face is just completely blank. It's obvious that there's not a lot of lights on in there. So I just kind of smirk at him and then I turn back to the group and I huddle up real quick and I'm like--
[00:11:23] Thorne: What are we gonna do?
[00:11:24] Haleyy: We're gonna punch them. They're ten feet up on a giant wall. After they come down.
[00:11:29] Felix: Sorry, sorry, y'all. I mean, I'm gonna have to let the muzzle take care of this one. Uh, these boys are low tech. What if we just tell them we, uh, I don't know? I mean, we could go the lowest tech route. I mean, we got a thousand credits. I mean, what kind of bribe these boys want? Probably not very much. They don't look like much. I think anything could make a difference in their lives, if you know what I mean. You're crazy. I'm not giving our credits to these bumbling gangsters. You want to tell the boss at Omnitech that we got stopped before we even got to the ship? I don't think we'll get to tell him much before we're dead. Maybe you're right.
[00:11:57] Star Master Jeff: Intruders! Welcome to the Lower Docking Bays. You turn to find a hulking, heavily scarred man. His nickname of Rustclaw becomes quite clear as his left hand is missing and has been replaced with a mechanical cybernetic claw. He looks like a beast built for sheer strength, and he has a very commanding presence. Box tells me that, well, you want to get through to Docking Bay 72. Look at me. I'm a poet, everyone. Good one, boss. Good one.
[00:12:33] Thorne: Uh, if it isn't the great and illustrious Lord Rustclaw. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Yes, we would like to get to Docking Bay 72. Very important business. I see. I see.
[00:12:44] Star Master Jeff: I see. Well you're in Drift Rat territory, you can't just walk on through, that's not the way this works. Of course. Of course. I'm sure. What do you want in Docking Bay 72? Oh, uh, I nervously look back at everybody else and then I look back at Rustclaw again and I say, but that's where we parked. We've been in control of these docking bays for years now. What do you mean that's where you parked?
[00:13:13] Thorne: Oh, I think that this is just a big misunderstanding, and we just need to pay the toll, right, Felix? Yeah, boss.
[00:13:22] Felix: You gotta pay the toll.
[00:13:23] Robert: As this is happening, can I size him up compared to Haleyy? Because I want to give it the old, hey, what about an arm wrestling contest?
[00:13:33] Star Master Jeff: Ooh. Similar size. Is he on the wall or is he down where we are? He's on the wall. A toll, you say? Well, Docking Bay 72 is one of the ones we've been, uh, unable to open these past several years. Tell me what's in there, and maybe you can do a favor for me in exchange for the goods that I own. Man, we just told you. It's where we parked. What kind of ship is in there, you daft fool? A spaceship. And what kind of favor are we talking about? It depends on what kind of spaceship is in there. So you're telling us y'all don't even know what's in your docking bay? There's a lot of security in here. Unable to open all the doors to all the docking bays. We've gotten a lot of them open, don't get me wrong. This one we haven't quite opened yet.
[00:14:19] Felix: Oh, well, I could open one of the other ones for you in exchange for you letting us through to 72.
[00:14:24] Thorne: And it's nothing special. It's just an old, you know, small ship. It was left to poor Felix. His uncle just passed, and he left it to him in his will. So we're here to pick it up.
[00:14:35] Robert: I'm just curious if my big strong friend over here can open the door with her bare hands. Felix, y'all gonna need to hack this. If she can open this with her bare hands, will you let us take the contents of what's inside?
[00:14:52] Star Master Jeff: No, what do you take me for, a fool? Do you think I became the leader of the Drift Rats by just giving things out based on feats of strength? Boy, I am a feat of strength! I care not for seeing such musculature. Then he points down to you and he says, You tell me what type of ship is in there, and I'll proportion a favor. You do this favor, we open those doors. Based on, I'm assuming you have the code to get in. And if that type of ship is in there and you weren't lying to me -- ipso facto -- you can take it away because the favor has been rendered in full and a Drift Rat is always worth his word. It's just a free merchant. And yes, we have the codes.
[00:15:28] Thorne: A free merchant that's been sitting there for how long? Who knows? How old was your Uncle Felix?
[00:15:33] Felix: Well, I see Uncle Roger died. I mean, I've moved planets a couple times. You know how hard it is to keep track of interplanetary time. Um, how long did you say y'all have been here? Five years or so? I think it was about six years ago.
[00:15:46] Star Master Jeff: If that thing's been sitting there for longer than two weeks without maintenance, it's probably a rust bucket that's not flyable by now anyway. I'll tell you what, obviously you've heard of the Drift Rats, but have you heard of the Neon Fangs?
[00:15:58] Felix: You mean the Neon Lames?
[00:16:00] Star Master Jeff: Neon Lames. Hey, boss, that was my joke. I mean to silence you. If I want to know who said a joke, I'll ask. The Neon Lames. That's a good one. Yes, the Neon Lames. The Neon Lames are... Well, they're another gang, a lesser gang. They have some of the docking bays and they've been trying to expand their reach. They've forgotten exactly who is in charge of this side of the space station and they need to be reminded. Do you have someone with you that can hack?
[00:16:31] Felix: Yeah, you could say so.
[00:16:32] Star Master Jeff: I've been hatching a little plan for a while now, but our hackers are not really up to the task. They're not fighters, and this requires going behind enemy lines.
[00:16:44] Felix: What's the hack exactly?
[00:16:45] Star Master Jeff: Move into the Neon Lames territory. And you're going to try to take down their systems from the inside. Of course, all of their ports are firewalled, so you're going to have to actually move into their territory to use one of the unprotected ports. Blast the Drift Rats insignia all over every screen on the station if you can access them, with the message on it: better a rat in the drift than a king in a cage. That's our motto and we live by it. Remind them who's in charge of this station. If you could do this and we see the proof on our own screens, you can come back here and we'll let you access to Docking Bay 72. Opening the door will be up to you. We'll give you a hearty handshake and a glass of brew if you wish it, because you'll be honorary Drift Rats if you can make the Neon Lames look that... fang. I mean, lame.
[00:17:35] Felix: You have a copy of this program you want run?
[00:17:38] Star Master Jeff: No, no, no. You got to write your own program. What do I look like? Someone who writes programs? Do I look like I'm wearing glasses? Well, your logo, and then what was it again? Better a rat in the drift than a king in a cage. Finish it, Box. All right, all right, all right. Yeah, that'll be no problem.
[00:17:54] Robert: That's great stuff, by the way. Great stuff.
[00:17:57] Star Master Jeff: He waves his hand dismissively and hops off to the back of the wall, and you can hear him moving back off into the docking bays. Box waves his semi-automatic and goes, All right now, you heard the boss. Get the fuck out of here and do the job, or you're gonna get shot in the head a couple thousand times.
[00:18:14] Thorne: All right, all right. I turn around and I look at Felix. This is no problem for you, right?
[00:18:19] Felix: Yeah, no, that'll be fine, we just need to get to the right interface. So let's, uh, he said, what did he say, south of here? I never know which direction is which in space. It's all rotating.
[00:18:29] Star Master Jeff: So you leave Docking Bays 50 through 80, unable to get into Docking Bay 72, and you're gonna go try to figure out where the Neon Fangs are, how to infiltrate them, how to hack them, and do exactly what Rustclaw needs to allow you access to your ship.
[00:18:48] Thorne: Felix, how long is it going to take you to write a program that does that?
[00:18:52] Felix: Oh, I could do it while we're walking. It'll just take me a little bit of time. But I mean, to get into their system, I mean, if you let me prep for a bit here, we could, you know, I could do it, no problem. I need like I don't know, a good hour, hour and a half to sit down and work through this. But you know, make sure I got the right routes through their protocols. Or, you know, we just go in there and I wing it.
[00:19:11] Star Master Jeff: And I will say you're on a space station that has accommodations. So if you guys need to, it is getting on in the day. It'd be nice to spend the next night on your spaceship. But if you can't do things fast enough, there are hotels, seedy and non-seedy here on the space station.
[00:19:25] Felix: Yeah, I mean, listen, Thorne, you know, you've seen me in action. I can do this. No problem. This is a baby hack. Like the fact that their guys couldn't do it -- I mean, I wouldn't even call them hackers. They're, you know, kids playing around. Just give me 10 minutes in front of one of their terminals and I'll be fine.
[00:19:39] Robert: I mean, 10 minutes might be a little bit of a time. Do you know what kind of security we're going through here?
[00:19:46] Thorne: No, that's what the 10 minutes is for. Hopefully not a big 10-foot concrete wall.
[00:19:51] Robert: That's what I'm worried about.
[00:19:53] Felix: Oh, you mean physical security? Yeah, I don't know about any of that stuff. You all got to figure that out. Cybersecurity, yeah, like I said, that's the 10 minutes. You know, 10, maybe 15 minutes tops.
[00:20:01] Robert: Yeah, that's that click of the clack part. I'm talking about what am I going to have to deal with to make sure that you have them there 10 minutes.
[00:20:11] Felix: Well, a slightly crazy look flashes across my eyes. Why don't I go find out?
[00:20:15] Robert: That's what I'm talking about.
[00:20:17] Star Master Jeff: That's my boy, Felix. So tell me how you want to approach this. You're heading towards Neon Fang territory.
[00:20:23] Thorne: And we have a decent idea of where that is, right?
[00:20:26] Star Master Jeff: Yeah, so you know that they hold some of the docking bays south of 50 through 80. All right, so we're looking for the 30 through 50 area or whatever it is. Yeah, so you eventually find the Neon Fangs are holding -- you don't quite know the extent of their holdings, but you do know that they don't start to hold until the low 40s. And they hold multiple corridors, but they're smaller. They're not like the big Drift Rat section of 50 through 80, which is one massive corridor with a bunch of stuff behind it. They hold many smaller corridors with only a few docking bays behind each one. So as you approach this area, it's less of a barricade that's stopping people from going in and more of a residential area and lots of stalls and merchants, and the Neon Fangs sort of patrolling the area more like armed guards and preventing people from going down certain docking bay corridors. But other than that, they've seemed to have built a community that they are the protectors -- or perhaps exploiters -- of here in the lower areas of the docking bay.
[00:21:29] Thorne: Okay, what I was gonna say was that we should keep our eyes peeled for anyone that looks like they're with the Fangs, but it sounds like we can see that.
[00:21:36] Star Master Jeff: Yeah, so the Neon Fangs are dressed in similar street armor as the Drift Rats, but their colors are different. They're spray-painted red and black all over their armor, and they have an emblem of a rat that looks very similar to the Drift Rat rat, but it has two giant fangs on the front, like coming out of its rat-like mouth. So their emblems are practically identical, but one has fangs. And I'm sure there's some sort of message in there about how we're all actually alike. Yeah, I'm sensing some politics. Yeah, I wrote pages, reams of history about these two gangs and how they splintered from the same... No, I didn't. No, no, no. Or did I?
[00:22:17] Haleyy: I'm like, where's the Romeo and Juliet story here? Yeah.
[00:22:23] Star Master Jeff: If you guys want to stick around in the space station, I'm sure you could find that story. That guy with the handgun was clearly Mercutio.
[00:22:29] Felix: I mean, so as we're moving through this area and we kind of see all the things you described, the stalls, the guards, I'm looking around for any access points that seem like they're tied into, you know, that I could check out to see if they're tied into the right network and begin doing some analysis of the system here.
[00:22:47] Star Master Jeff: Sure. So you're moving down essentially what is the main corridor. All the docking bays have other corridors that branch off of this one. This main corridor with all these stalls and people is the same corridor you've been following that goes all the way back to Drift Rat territory and also goes all the way to the lifts to bring you up to the upper levels, where you actually went to the Omnitech gas mining front. So this is just the main thoroughfare. You do spot a port. It's currently in use by a merchant who has a small stall.
[00:23:17] Felix: Selling handmade rugs and towels. He has a laptop-looking device plugged into it with a great ribbon cable. I nudge Thorne. Hey, I just -- I gotta get on that, that exact one. I mean, have you seen any others? Haleyy, Rob, you've seen any others? Sure, we can keep looking. I mean, he's just a merchant, he looks nice. Like, somebody should go talk to him. You want me to distract him?
[00:23:40] Robert: I can go. Yeah. Um, before y'all do that, uh, I'm kind of curious just to give them a little bit of distraction if, uh, I might just roll around in some grease and spike out my hair real quick, make it look like I'm uh, a Neon Lame. I mean, don't don't -- see it? Yeah, I mean, you do you, Bobby. I turn my afro into like the most gigantic spiked dreadlock pro thing you've ever seen.
[00:24:12] Star Master Jeff: I'm just curious, what method of adhesion are you using to turn your afro? What color is your afro?
[00:24:21] Robert: It is a white afro that has been just dunked in floor grease. Just like I'm just like rubbing it up against a wall.
[00:24:30] Star Master Jeff: Oh my god. Your afro touches a wall and immediately turns into shoulder-length hair. That's how greasy it gets instantly. So you spike it up the best you can with floor grease and whatever else is rubbing off of the floors and walls. It's disgusting -- it's less of an afro and more of a block of hair now. That is, it's a trapezoid of hair. But you are missing the red and black spray-painted armor.
[00:25:02] Robert: Well, the black's coming from the grease, because I'm now just rolling around in grease. Haleyy, can you try to make a little rat up in here somewhere? Can you just draw a rat up in there?
[00:25:12] Star Master Jeff: No. People are looking at you a bit funny here in this main thoroughfare of the space station as you roll around on the floor and rub your head against the wall.
[00:25:19] Felix: I kind of, as he's doing this, I kind of feel, you know, limp over and I lean against the wall near where the merchant's computer is plugged in, as close as I can get to it, and I kind of make it obvious that I'm rubbing a painful part of my body. Like, I'm hiking up my pants so people can see my robot legs and I'm rubbing the joints where my legs meet my hips. And I'm just leaning against the wall for a quick little rest.
[00:25:46] Star Master Jeff: Okay. We're going to roll a couple of skills here for both of you.
[00:25:53] Haleyy: Yeah, Haleyy is terrified right now of what's going on on the floor.
[00:25:57] Felix: I have nothing to do with that. Robert just went for it.
[00:26:01] Thorne: And I just, trying to take advantage, he walks up and he's like, I got an idea. And he starts breakdancing.
[00:26:07] Haleyy: Yeah, I love it. I'm like, this is what my sister experienced. And I'm just going through a whole lot of reshaping what I thought Strike Unit. I was like, is this a normal Strike Unit 6 adventure, Robert?
[00:26:22] Robert: Let me tell you, this is the least weird thing we did.
[00:26:27] Star Master Jeff: So, Robert, I'm gonna have you roll Perform Dexterity. So you're rolling around the ground, rubbing your hair everywhere, trying to get it into an approximation of a Neon Fang's armor and hairstyle, which is obviously never going to happen. But unbeknownst to you, you are causing the exact distraction you wish to cause by becoming a Neon Fang. So with a roll of eight, you meet the DC and you have captured the attention of the nearby rug and towel merchant who is saying -- who Felix, who's right next to him next to the port on the wall, can hear say -- what the blazes? That young man's lost his mind. And Felix, I need you to also roll Perform because you're trying to act like you have a reason to be leaning against the wall. So let's do Perform. I am in pain -- I am in legitimate pain as well. Yeah, but you're trying to mask your true intention. So go ahead and roll Perform Charisma. I rolled a six sadly. Okay, so, but you get a bonus from the distraction. The merchant is not looking at you. You're just another man with -- well, I guess you have prosthetic legs -- but you're another older gentleman that's having problems rubbing his legs, and his attention is just purely captured by this white Afroed man rolling around on the ground. In fact, he's capturing a bit too much attention as two Neon Fangs down the corridor seem to have noticed him and are starting to make their way towards him.
[00:27:59] Felix: Well, I'm not going to have enough time, I think to myself, to do the hack here, or will I? So first thing first, I'm going to unplug his laptop and plug in my data pad.
[00:28:10] Star Master Jeff: Okay. He is too wrapped up in what's happening to notice.
[00:28:14] Felix: So I perform like the handshake, and can I tell that this is a Neon Fang -- I forget their actual name.
[00:28:20] Thorne: Neon Flame.
[00:28:21] Felix: Fangs. Neon Fangs. Is this an actual Neon Fangs port connected to their systems?
[00:28:27] Star Master Jeff: So to determine that, I'm going to need you to make some sort of exploratory Computers roll. So you plug in -- what kind of device are you using? Are you opening a laptop or is it a data pad?
[00:28:38] Felix: No, I have, it's a data pad. It's like a slab. It folds out into like a three-screen thing. It's called a data slab.
[00:28:45] Star Master Jeff: Awesome. So you plug your ribbon cable into the port and you slide open your data slab and you hurriedly type on -- is it a virtual interface or is it actual like physical keys?
[00:28:55] Felix: It's like a virtual interface.
[00:28:57] Star Master Jeff: So using the virtual interface -- although you are within the Neon Fangs territory, this port is in the main corridor and thus is not part of their firewalled Infernet.
[00:29:10] Felix: Okay. Realizing that, I'm going to try to pull out a network map of the local area.
[00:29:20] Star Master Jeff: I'll keep your roll from before. This is all a single hacking attempt. You continue typing as the Neon Fang guards are -- you can see out of the corner of your eye -- they are now conversing with your group. And Robert Ross has stood up from the ground and they're all talking. So you're typing, they're continuing to distract, and you pull out a network map that tells you how many different ports are here in this corridor, but also that the ports that are firewalled -- you can tell because you can't reach those ports and figure out what's on the other side of them, which means they're firewalled. That is where the Neon Fangs ports are, but you do have their physical locations. Meanwhile, two Neon Fangs walk up to you, Robert, while you're on the ground. They each have pistols and knives, but holstered and sheathed. And one of the Neon Fangs says, citizen, you are causing alarm. Please stand.
[00:30:13] Robert: Sir, yes, sir. Happy to stand up for y'all. Love the Neon Fangs, by the way.
[00:30:19] Star Master Jeff: They go ahead and they help you up, and they're kind of dusting you off and trying to get the grime off you a little bit, but they don't try too hard. They turn to Captain Thorne, who just happens to be the closest one, and says, is this your friend?
[00:30:31] Thorne: Yes, my apologies. He's having a bit of a traumatic stress episode, but I think he's coming on the other side of it now. Thanks for your assistance.
[00:30:40] Star Master Jeff: Absolutely understand. Well, I haven't seen you around here before. This is Neon Fang territory. We try to keep the peace the best we can. Obviously, your friend wasn't hurting anyone, but we can't have him rolling around in the streets. Are you new in this area? Yes, actually. Well, welcome to the Neon Fangs territory. We keep everything as safe as we can from the other gangs. Essentially from here down to Docking Bay 20. I don't know if you've gone that south yet. If you need lodging, there are several hostels as well as one more upscale hotel. A lot of residents have been moving in and taking shelter. There's plenty of space there. If you simply need a bed somewhere outside and you are, you know, bereft of credits -- well, that's--
[00:31:24] Thorne: Extremely helpful, thank you. And if I could ask, I don't suppose the Fangs have, like, a central base of operations in these areas, do you?
[00:31:34] Star Master Jeff: It depends what you're looking for. Now, if you need some sort of help navigating the area or you want to talk to our leaders about some concern with our community, you can go two docking bay corridors down, and then it will be that next corridor.
[00:31:49] Robert: And theoretically, if we were having some -- that of course did not necessarily happen -- issues with Drift Rats, would y'all be able to help us with that?
[00:32:01] Star Master Jeff: If Drift Rats enter this territory, we kindly ask them to leave. We don't take them as a legitimate threat. Of course, they've harassed our citizens before and interrupted our supply lines and they've taken a section of docking bays to the north that are largely useless -- um, which is why we haven't attempted to move into them ourselves -- but of course they are a problem from time to time. We wouldn't move against them, though, based on something that happened outside of this area, no. But if you've had trouble with them, I would simply tell you, stay away from them. There's plenty of stable sections of the space station where you can call your new home, and welcome to Camiri 4.
[00:32:43] Thorne: Well, it's been a delight speaking with you, gentlemen.
[00:32:45] Star Master Jeff: Thank you. Oh, if you're going to be picking a place to live on Camiri 4 and you end up staying in the Neon Fangs community... My name is Roger. I actually run a pool hall just down -- well, I guess I thought I'd be running it, but as a guard with the Neon Fangs, I don't have that much time, so I suppose it's probably more fair to say my wife and my eldest, Axel, run the pool hall. So if you play billiards, or if you like to gamble a little bit, or just want a good place to drink with a few friends, it's called Roger's. That's my name. It's down there, four corridors, and you'll find it. Well, thank you.
[00:33:27] Haleyy: Thanks. You're so kind.
[00:33:29] Star Master Jeff: He shakes each person's hand in turn.
[00:33:32] Felix: While that goodbye is happening, I'm unplugging my data pad and plugging back in the merchant's laptop.
[00:33:38] Robert: And I give him the most long and awkward, greasy handshake.
[00:33:43] Star Master Jeff: Oh, God. He does show on his face that he thinks it's awkward and greasy, but out of politeness, he waits for you to finish the handshake. He obviously thinks that you're suffering some sort of emotional trauma. When you release his hand, he grips you by the shoulder for a moment, and he says, my friend. Whatever's happening, it will get better. It will. And he claps you on the shoulder. Stay with your friends. They're a good lot.
[00:34:08] Robert: You, sir, are a kind man, and I will absolutely... Matter of fact, I love [billiards?]. I've been playing since I was a boy. I'm going to go by Rogers.
[00:34:21] Star Master Jeff: It's Rogers. My name's Roger.
[00:34:23] Robert: Rogers. I totally knew that. I knew that the whole time. I'm not suffering from a mental break. You're suffering from a mental break.
[00:34:29] Star Master Jeff: It's a common problem. People call me Robert all the time. Don't worry about it. They sound -- it's fine. So yeah, Rogers, and I can't wait to see you there. All are welcome. First round is on me, of pool and drinks. If you don't drink, we have water too. Wow, thanks, Roger.
[00:34:44] Haleyy: Thanks, Roger.
[00:34:45] Star Master Jeff: And Roger and the other guard, who was standing a little bit off just kind of watching the crowd during that, leave. And as they leave, the second guard gives you kind of a half-hearted wave, like he regrets not being more part of the conversation. And they move on deeper into Neon Fang territory, towards Roger's billiard hall.
[00:35:05] Haleyy: Guys, guys, what the fuck? Sorry, that was rude. What? They're awesome here. Yeah, like, what's in this code?
[00:35:13] Thorne: I don't... Well, I kind of feel bad now, yeah.
[00:35:15] Felix: Haleyy's right. Guys, it's a prank. Do you not get, like, I'm putting up a picture and some words. It's a prank. It's so we can get access to our ship. Are we sure? I wrote the program, Haleyy. Is it a nice prank? Yeah, but we're still the bad guys. Yeah, there's a picture and some words from some dumbass gang. These are just people. We're never going to see them again. These are just people. These are just people.
[00:35:41] Star Master Jeff: I think that diminishes what they are.
[00:35:43] Haleyy: If we go to that pool hall and drink their beer, they're not just people anymore. What pool hall?
[00:35:48] Thorne: What are you talking about?
[00:35:49] Haleyy: Did you not hear Roger? [possible misattribution -- may be a different speaker]
[00:35:51] Felix: I got a map of where all their ports are. We can go now and finish this.
[00:35:57] Robert: Is one in Roger's? Because let me tell you, that place sounded great. What? What is Roger's? What are you talking about? Oh my God. Who are you people?
[00:36:07] Haleyy: There's free beer.
[00:36:09] Robert: Wait, I was too busy rolling around in grease. It's free beer?
[00:36:13] Haleyy: He said he'd get us the first round free.
[00:36:16] Thorne: He did say first round is on him, and that did constitute a verbal contract.
[00:36:20] Felix: Where did he say this place was? Four corridors down. I cross-referenced that against my map of ports.
[00:36:27] Star Master Jeff: So to get to any of the firewalled ports, you're going to have to go through one of these locked doors, either a barricade or a shut door. But there is a barricade and a shut door basically every corridor that you pass.
[00:36:40] Felix: Listen, like we can go there if you want, but we're not here to have a good time.
[00:36:44] Star Master Jeff: Excuse me. Excuse me.
[00:36:45] Felix: I'm sorry. Yes.
[00:36:46] Thorne: Yes, sir, ma'am.
[00:36:47] Star Master Jeff: It's the carpet and towel seller.
[00:36:49] Thorne: Ah, yes. Carpet towel salesman. How can I help you?
[00:36:53] Star Master Jeff: Would you like to buy something? You've been in front of my stall for a long time now.
[00:36:56] Thorne: Mind your own business. Oh, okay. I believe we were just leaving. Your textiles are lovely.
[00:37:02] Haleyy: I'll take a towel.
[00:37:03] Thorne: No, don't pay that much.
[00:37:04] Haleyy: Don't pay that much. How much is it?
[00:37:06] Star Master Jeff: That'll be three credits for the towel, dearie.
[00:37:08] Thorne: It's too much. Come on, just walk, walk, walk, walk.
[00:37:10] Star Master Jeff: We're just walking away. But your towel!
[00:37:14] Haleyy: My cabbages! We all need towels for space adventures.
[00:37:22] Star Master Jeff: So are you heading to Roger's? Is that what I've heard?
[00:37:26] Felix: Listen, I found this. I pulled up this map of the ports. We got to get through one of these locked doors.
[00:37:30] Star Master Jeff: And you guys are walking down the main thoroughfare right now as you talk.
[00:37:33] Felix: Talking in hushed tones. Listen, you see all these? And I'm pointing out the locked doors and the barricades as we walk past. We got to get in there. That's where I can do my work. Somebody's got to get me in there.
[00:37:44] Robert: Will, can you hack one of these doors? I'm in perfect Neon Fang disguise, so I can easily watch the door.
[00:37:50] Thorne: Robert, I don't know how to tell you this, my friend, but the disguise is not that great.
[00:37:55] Robert: I don't know. I don't know about that.
[00:38:00] Haleyy: I think it's worth...
[00:38:01] Thorne: One beer, and maybe there will be -- uh, listen Felix, is there one four corridors down? Can we check that corridor and see how close it is?
[00:38:10] Felix: Yeah, there's like, every corridor. All right, let's go. All right, all right. So in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone we're gonna go four corridors down and see if we can find the door that's there -- or doors, I guess -- and see what their proximity to Roger's is.
[00:38:27] Star Master Jeff: Okay, so you guys head on off towards Roger's, but unfortunately, that's a thread we're going to have to follow another time, because we're out of time for tonight. But before we go, let's check in with our crew for their first encrypted logs.
[00:38:41] Felix: Well, the group is dragging me to some godforsaken billiards hall. More people, I guess. But I think there's a chance I can find one of those access points that I need. We'll see what we turn up.
[00:38:56] Haleyy: You know, this has been a weird mission so far. First, there's that robot, which -- weird. Then, you know, unexpected from Omnitech. Then we, you know, can't even buy towels after dealing -- you know, watching Robert roll around in oil -- because of the Neon Lames. And thank God we've met one nice person on this place. But, you know, people seem to be hell-bent. Hopefully, we can just finish this mission before someone messes something up, and also get Robert clean.
[00:39:32] Thorne: It's a shame we ran into the crazies on this station before we ran into any normal people, but at least we're on our way to getting that ship. Did you see what they were charging for rugs on this thing? Oh boy. It's a good thing these drinks are going to be free.
[00:39:47] Robert: Felix and Haleyy with one Y -- wise sister. Mm. Love working with a crew that ain't a bunch of randos. That said, these here Drift Rats, well, they seem like a bunch of chumps. But the ship's a ship, and we need her.
[00:40:05] Star Master Jeff: So if you made it through the mohawks in the carpet towel vendor and Robert covered in grease, welcome, you're in the right place. Big thanks to our cast, Brian as Thorne, Scott as Felix, Doja as Robert, and Steph as Haleyy with two Ys. And I'm your Star Master Jeff, playing everyone and everything else. If you want to hear every episode two weeks early, head on over to patreon.com slash darkstaradventurecast. Next time on the Dark Star Adventurecast, getting to Docking Bay 72 has a price. The Drift Rats want a favor. Their logo plastered across every screen on Camiri 4. One beautiful act of gang propaganda. Felix can do it from a back room near a billiards hall called Roger's, if the network port cooperates and nobody asks too many questions. The ship is right there. They just need to reach out and earn it. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch you on the next one.
Dark Star Adventurecast is a Stars Without Number actual play podcast.
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