Shadow Tide [IC]

[Aluco]

"4B you said that the density of the material is far less than other places. Can you tell me if it is another material and if so what is it? also is there an chamber that is circular that is about 38cm in diameter, and can you tell me in which direction does it go?"

4B's photoreceptors flicker at the series of questions. "Dr. Johnson, the density beyond this wall is nearly nil. In short, there is open space beyond this mural, as if it were another chamber. I cannot determine the size of the space, however. I can only say it must be large." The droid's machine-voice continues, "To restate, Dr. Johnson, within the column's center a 3.8-centimeter-diameter column of energy -- within the stone column here -- extends upward and down through the floor of this building."

"Those Iron spheres are projectiles, then where is the gun that fire them. Also something like that with some energy, maybe the type of energy that is running behind the relief, and some modifications you could get a giant Rail Gun, one that could take down anything landing on a planet, and even a few in orbit. Also the relief might be inputs for the firing of such a device."

"Actually, Dr. Johnson," Renna begins almost apologetically, "it would seem the spheres were not being stored here. They are probably the reason level five is in such a broken state."

"That would mean, someone shot them into level five?" Sestia asks Renna.

"Most likely. And that would make for an entry point for an invading force. Hence the heap of skeletons in front of this wall," Renna sweeps her hand before her to indicate where the ancient remains had lain. "But, this is just my interpretation. Your deductions are just as valuable. I mean, any other perspectives.... I mean, I could have missed something," she shrugs. "I certainly missed the possibilities of a chamber on the other side of this relief, and I overlooked signs of a channel of energy passing through this stone column, here." And with this she runs her hand down the column that interrupts the face of the relief.

[Vice Man]

Richard nods with the new information. "So we know there might be a chamber beyond, and if they where fired into that room, well are there holes in the wall? becuase either the canon was big around and long and shot it from the outside through the outside wall and into level five, or they used a mortar or bombard and instead of shooting in a high arc they level the barrel and used it to shoot level 5 that way, which could be possible. Man I feel sorry for those who where shot at with something like that. That would really mess up your day, if you had a day after that." Richard shivers involuntarily at the thought.

[Aluco]

Richard nods with the new information. "So we know there might be a chamber beyond, and if they where fired into that room, well are there holes in the wall? becuase either the canon was big around and long and shot it from the outside through the outside wall and into level five, or they used a mortar or bombard and instead of shooting in a high arc they level the barrel and used it to shoot level 5 that way, which could be possible.

Sestia places her hand on Richard's shoulder chummily, "You mean you did not notice the gaping hole we passed when stepping over all those stones on the floor below this one? On level five?"

Man I feel sorry for those who where shot at with something like that. That would really mess up your day, if you had a day after that." Richard shivers involuntarily at the thought.

"Well, those on level five at the time of the impact probably did not survive, but someone survived here, on level six. Depending on the size of the chamber on the other side of this mural, many could have survived -- at least as long as a natural life time." Renna replies.

"Or until they starved," Rod quips.

"Now, this is really only a theory," Renna continues, ignoring her brother. "It would seem an attacking force took out the wall of level five to gain entrance. For whatever reason they must have known entering through or below level four would pose problems... for obvious reasons." She exhales a little defeatedly. "From the number of skeletons that were here, I'd have to say the invaders also came down from the level above." She unfolds her arms to indicate the stairs directly behind the group. "Level seven is open to the sky.... Well at least it would have been in that ancient time, before the ocean swelled over this building, and before the ice took over this planet."

Rod looks over at his sister, again with disbelief. Either he did not know about the skeletons, or he can't believe she's giving so much away at once.

Sestia steps in Renna's direction, nodding toward the stairs by which your group entered this room, saying, "So, let me get this straight.... There was a forced entry through the wall of level five (below), and that group would have come up those stairs."

Then extending her arm to indicate the broad stairs behind the group, "The same invaders swelled their numbers by sending a force simultaneously down those stairs from level seven. How am I doing so far?"

Renna replies, "That's about how I see it, yes."

"And, this wall, this 'relief,' then?"

"Probably gave the defending force..." she seems to be holding down a smile when saying this, "probably gave them some relief." She then sobers some. "I couldn't say how much it helped them. So far I have found several species among the remains." She points to the stairs you've come up. "The remains below those stairs were decidedly humanoid. There was a mix of humanoid and saurian remains here, however," and she indicates the length of floor in front of the mural. Then her brow knits tightly. She is thinking very hard about something, or reflecting on the situation the people of this structure must have endured.

[Vice Man]

Richard turns his head and looks at Sestia and smiles " I guess I didn't, or if I did it did not register for some reason. I wonder if anyone has detected a large long metal cylinder out on the sea bottom?" When Reena tells the group there were saurian remains, Richard looks over at Reena and says "The saurian remains are Kwa. If laseelians are here, which the reliefs point to that is the case, then the saurian remains are Kwa." Richard goes back to studding the relief and the seem in the wall again.

[coldskier0320]

"Now then", Talya speaks up again, "Based on my past experience as well as a few programs I have here on my datapad, I have a working translation for both...ah...reliefs."

She finishes here with a slight smile toward Renna.

"It would seem that the entrance engraving reads, 'All those who enter to enrich their mind, preserve civilization, and to advance the well being of others may peace follow you within these walls. The Wardens of peace and enlightenment have crossed vast reaches of space and bridged the distance between many worlds of the omniverse to help all achieve wonders, explore, and master the inner and outer frontiers.'

"This would lend credence to the aforementioned theories of interstellar settlers. The second engraving, that being this one in front of us, then, by extension, reads, 'The hand of peace, the mind that quests to know; the hand of war, the mind of peace laments. May this door never need closing, for if it has the minds reside within to await peace, their hands of war a failure, and wisdom sleeps.' Which would suggest that this is a door...or a seal, as it were, meant to keep things out as much as in."

[Ronin]

Calisia listened to the others talking, reserving his comments until it appeared everyone had finished. He ran a hand over his head, taking a deep breath and letting it out before he spoke.
"These off worlder 'Wardens of Peace' settled here, built this place...then someone attacks, lobbing huge archaic balls of iron and storming the 'temple' from two floors. Then these aliens - Richard says they must have been the Kwa," he then looked to Renna, "Can you confirm that? - these aliens appear to have sealed this room, which, if I understood miss Tagge correctly," he nodded to Talya, "contains 'wisdom'."
He puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled again.
"So, 4B, this conduit is the power source for this door, right?" His gaze then passed across everyone else in the room, "And does anyone have any idea about how to unlock this? Any ideas about these eight characters?" He pointed to the icons 4B had indicated earlier.
He then muttered to himself, "Not the first time a bunch of religious do-gooders have found themselves in trouble."

[Aluco]

"The saurian remains are Kwa. If laseelians are here, which the reliefs point to that is the case, then the saurian remains are Kwa." Richard goes back to studding the
relief and the seem in the wall again.

At this, Renna nods, as if to say, So it would seem.

"Now then. Based on my past experience as well as a few programs I have here on my datapad, I have a working translation for both...ah...reliefs."

She finishes here with a slight smile toward Renna.

"It would seem that the entrance engraving reads, 'All those who enter to enrich their mind, preserve civilization, and to advance the well being of others may peace follow you within these walls. The Wardens of peace and enlightenment have crossed vast reaches of space and bridged the distance between many worlds of the omniverse to help all achieve wonders, explore, and master the inner and outer frontiers.'

"This would lend credence to the aforementioned theories of interstellar settlers. The second engraving, that being this one in front of us, then, by extension, reads, 'The hand of peace, the mind that quests to know; the hand of war, the mind of peace laments. May this door never need closing, for if it has the minds reside within to await peace, their hands of war a failure, and wisdom sleeps.' Which would suggest that this is a door...or a seal, as it were, meant to keep things out as much as in."

Renna looks toward 4B, but bites back her lower lip to halt her words.


Then these aliens - Richard says they must have been the Kwa," he then looked to Renna, "Can you confirm that? - these aliens appear to have sealed this room, which, if understood miss Tagge correctly," he nodded to Talya, "contains 'wisdom'."

"That the saurian remains are Kwa?" Renna rocks on her heals in reflection; looks toward Richard with something like admiration. "Well," she continues, "we're talking about a species that has been extinct for... aeons. Yet, there are some ways to make comparisons." She levels her gaze solidly in Cali's eyes. "You can count on me making this matter my priority when we're back in the KRRF."

"So, 4B, this conduit is the power source for this door, right?" His gaze then passed across everyone else in the room, "And does anyone have any idea about how to unlock this? Any ideas about these eight characters?" He pointed to the icons 4B had indicated earlier. He then muttered to himself, "Not the first time a bunch of religious do-gooders have found themselves in trouble."

"Mr. Aramathus, the conduit, as it were, does channel the detected energy signature to points within the door. The energy channel does continue upward and below, as well, remember. But yes, thread-like lines of energy from the column extend to the characters I have indicated."

"Talya," Renna begins. "What are the words for the characters 4B identified for us?"

[Vice Man]

"That the saurian remains are Kwa?" Renna rocks on her heals in reflection; looks toward Richard with something like admiration. "Well," she continues, "we're talking about a species that has been extinct for... aeons. Yet, there are some ways to make comparisons." She levels her gaze solidly in Cali's eyes. "You can count on me making this matter my priority when we're back in the KRRF."

Richard looks at Reena "If worse comes to worse you might be able to make comparisons to the their now devolved form of the Kwi"

"Mr. Aramathus, the concuit, as it were, does channel the detected energy signature to points within the door. The energy channel does continue upward and below, as well, remember. But yes, thread-like lines of energy from the column extend to the characters I have indicated."

Richard looks around at everyone then says "There are paper thin seems around each of the characters that 4b said have power going to them. So you could probably press them down and something would happen. Although doing that in the right order would be very advisable.

[Ronin]

"There are paper thin seems around each of the characters that 4b said have power going to them. So you could probably press them down and something would happen. Although doing that in the right order would be very advisable. "

Calisia nodded emphatically at that.
"Eight `buttons` means..." he ran his finger over his lip and was silent for almost a minute, "40,320 combinations, presuming eight presses and no repetition. Let’s hope it’s considerably simpler than that."
He approached the symbols for a closer look, hoping to be able to make something of the markings. Xenoarchaeology was far from his forte but didn’t different species and cultures usually have some similarities? Wavy lines for water, an ellipse for an eye, stuff like that.
"A credit for your thoughts, miss Tagge?"

[Aluco]

Talya looks from her datpad to the relief and back to her datapad. "Tyko," she says, and the broad-shouldered young man moves to her side spryly. "Would you mind?" And pointing up at one of the symbols, "It's this one," and she faces the datapad toward him so he can compare, "just out of my reach. And the other three, right-to-left -- as Ando crosses its namesake."

Even Tyko must lift himself to the tips of his booted toes to reach the four squares. The first, with the pressure of Tyko's fingers, recedes into the wall. Talya has stepped back from him, as if to more easily take in the full scene. "Yes, that's it," she says to him. Then to the group, "They wanted it to be opened by someone who could read it, and who understood the value they must have placed upon non-violence. So, the symbol for peace, there," she points to an image that could be a moth resting in the center of ripples on water's surface; "these others like it, are arranged around wisdom" (now pointing to the pictograph that could be a flame atop a candle) "correspond to the energy points identified by 4B, and appear to mimic the orbits of the Ando system. As for the sequence, well, stand back...."

Tyko's head whips back toward her. He's just pressed the last key, and looks at Talya from beneath a darkened brow. She smirks at him a bit brazenly.

There is a deep, reverberating clank as if a massive bell, or hyperdrive system, has been dropped to a stone floor somewhere beneath and beyond the graven wall. This is followed by a steady rumble and the occasional squeak of dry stone moving slowly and heavily on stone. There is a sudden whine as if a motor someplace under the chamber has been stressed beyond its design. A sudden release, a screech, and the relief descends. A blue-grey dust spills over the lowering wall, pours heavily to float ankle-deep black and milkily. The temperature has dropped. There is an odor reminiscent of primitive patrol-burning engine exhaust. The wall settles, its top now cleanly level with the threshold floor. The space beyond is a dark as Alurion's lakes.

4B extends an arm, and a white beam is cast into the void. Whirls of the purplish dust, or gas perhaps, flow serpentinely through the beam. When faces are evident the droid slows his scan. The droid's circle of light rests intermittently on one face or another. Each humanoid, each frozen in anguish, rage, or fear, seemingly struggling to avoid being engulfed by a frozen black sea roiling to swallow them in perpetuity. It's hard to say without a wide, powerful light source. For a time, the beam rests on a single figure who seems to have for an instant risen above all of the others in a leap, though she could not escape the spray of the obsidian ocean that binds her there. This figure's feminine face is stoic in contrast to the others, intense, beautiful, gazing toward you with lethal determination.

"They're like statues," Sestia observes. "Why's it so cold?"

[Ronin]

Talya’s mention of the symbols representing the orbits of the Ando system caught Calisia’s attention. Could it be that there is something hidden on the other planets too? He was forced to file away the mental note for later consideration as the relief began to descend into the floor.
The resulting wave of dust that spilled over the dropping stone portal, and the darkness beyond it caused him to take a step back and cover his mouth with his sleeve not because of the petro-chem stench but rather from a fear of some toxic gases which might have built up (or been kept!) within the chamber. He cursed himself that he had not requisitioned a rebreather.
Noticing no ill effect upon his colleagues he lowered his arm only then to notice the fumes, which caused him to expel the air from his nose noisily and pull a face, breathing through his mouth from them onward.
Doors marked with symbols positioned according to orbits, powered by - of all things - petrochemical-burning engines?
Calisia at first squinted into the darkness and was relieved when 4B activated a glow-rod. It was then that Calisia remembered his holo-recorder. He reached a hand down to his pocket, his eyes not leaving the view inside the chamber, his hand first finding the pistol holstered at his belt - its weight and bulk still alien to him - and then the recorder which he took out and activated.
Without thinking he began a commentary.
“Chamber found beyond a symbol-marked relief on the fifth floor of the temple. Symbols positioned according to orbits of the Ando system. Strong petro-chem exhaust odor escaping the chamber. Energy readings indicate a power conduit within the stonework. Most incongruous with appearance.”
“4B, do you detect any dangerous gasses within?” he said, not turning his head from studying the image through the holocam until he looked to the others, “Might be best to send in the droid first.”

"They're like statues," Sestia observes. "Why's it so cold?"

Calisia nodded, the image of the black figures, posed torturously, bobbing as he did so.
“But are they statues? Or is this some kind of cryogenic chamber?”
The camera settled on the feminine figure, “And if so why are all of them looking so decidedly unhappy...except her?”

[Vice Man]

Richard watches as they press the buttons. Tayla's whole thing on the orbits relating to the pictures on the wall was fantastic, and then the wall started moving which was even more fantastic. Standing there looking into the room at the statues or whatever they where was weird to say the least. "Petrol-chemical engines? But that makes no sense, they could not possibly function after all this time just sitting there, to many things could go wrong with it." Richard cocks his head in thought.

[Aluco]

“4B, do you detect any dangerous gasses within?” he said, not turning his head from studying the image through the holocam until he looked to the others, “Might be best to send in the droid first.”

"Negative, Mr. Aramathus," the droid assures. "The effluvium expelled from this chamber is comprised primarily of carbon dust. The air is acceptably safe. Am I to assume we...." 4B's vocabulator crackles ever-so-slightly, "I shall proceed over the threshold?"

“But are they statues? Or is this some kind of cryogenic chamber?”
The camera settled on the feminine figure, “And if so why are all of them looking so decidedly unhappy...except her?”

There is almost an agitation in Renna's voice as she speaks into her commlink: "Griggs. We need the whole team from level four up here now. Tell them to bring their equipment. Lights...." She does not wait for a reply, places the commlink back in the breast pocket of her jacket. Griggs' voice can be heard muffled, and resigned to her wishes. Her attention is on the gaping darkness before the group. She reflexively lifts and points her own glow stick into the chamber. The beam reaches beyond the figures in the foreground. There is a suggestion of more structures deep within as grey, perhaps, edifices the circle of light glides along.

The mass of figures is on a slight slope downwards and into the chamber. As Renna's light, and those of others', begins searching it begins to seem that a skirmish is here, frozen in their roil, before the party. One figure to the far right, just within, has his arm extended, palm against what is likely a pressure plate of some kind on the wall. His head is thrown back toward the back of the morass of figures, probably in mid-reply to some order or signal. Most of the figures are at least shoulder-deep in the hard, black sheen of whatever has engulfed them. At least a few grasp one another in halted-pumelings, and most (where their arms are above the substance encasing them) bear weapons -- rifles, pistols, clubs, swords. The figure flown on a dark column of the metalic ice has only (as far as can be determined from this distance) a cylinder in each hand.

"I wouldn't say she's exactly happy, Mr. Aramathus," Talya puts in. She is perhaps projecting something of her own subjectivity onto the frozen countenance. "I mean, why be burdened by emotion when something far greater is at stake?" She throws a smirk in Cali's direction, and steps forward, unable to mask her own amazement at the discovery. Sestia stays close.

Where the dark substance would have met the etched relief that has now descended into the floor, it is as if a pool of the most brackish water is frozen against the side of an aquarium wall. This being the case, it is easily determined that the stuff is over a meter deep.

[Vice Man]

Richard takes out his glow rod and starts looking at various objects in the room. But he stops and goes over to one of the walls to see if he can see the track or something of where the wall used to be to see if there is a guide or something for the wall.

[Ronin]

Calisia would normally have been irritated - though not surprised, she was a Tagge after all - by Talya’s smirk, but like the others he was too fascinated by their discovery.
He was about to reply to 4B and say that they may as well all go in if the mist was just carbon dust, when Richard stepped past them and entered the chamber anyway.

Calisia focused his recorder on where the dark substance - he was sure it was carbonite - met the chamber threshold, and continued his commentary.
“Chamber appears to be misted with carbon dust, suggesting the black material is carbonite. A metal alloy made from carbon, mixed with tibanna gas, compressed and flash-frozen...,” he panned up to the statuesque figures once more, “...which would explain the poses of the individuals within.
“I’ve never heard of living people being frozen in carbonite though. And it doesn’t look like this bunch were frozen willingly.”
He glanced to Rick, “Do you recognise any species? Any of your - what were they? - Kwa?”

He stepped across the threshold, carefully testing where he stepped before committing each step.
“Any controls for defrosting? Not that I recommend that. Yet,” he hastened to add.