Session 35 (9 February 2024)

Location: Messana Bay on Lessian, moon of Athune (Halcyon 2424)

Date: 293-5600

Travellers: Jacobe Kyman, Nogudnyk, Sasha Danlami, and Griff Kodiak

Those of you who perused the relevant library data on Lessian quickly realize that the gargantuan tentacled creature emerging from the depths is a scylla — only it's far larger than the typical specimens recorded by scientists! It seems intent on grabbing the wreck and dragging it back into the ocean. A tug of war ensues between the Dejah Thoris and the creature. Jacobe, in the pilot's seat, tries to keep the ship in the air while not dragging the creature out of the water.

Nogudnyk, hovering above the scene in the birdlike grav belt, senses anger and grief emanating from the giant scylla. Untrained in telempathy, Nodugnyk makes a bold attempt to calm the creature by flying over to it and placing their bare hand on its rubbery flesh while trying to project feelings of peace and tranquility. To no avail: the mental projection seems to agitate, rather than soothe, the creature [nat 2 on the reaction roll]. Its tentacles lash out at Sasha, Nogudnyk, and Griff, but all miss. Deducing that the scylla is desperate to keep the drift net in the water, Sasha takes aim with her laser rifle and severs the cables connecting it to the winch. It falls to the surface and begins opening. You can see dozens of tiny scylla struggling to get clear of the strands. Their giant parent turns to assist them with its great tentacles. Nogudnyk feels a wave of happiness and gratitude emanate from the monstrous cephalopod.

As the scylla family retreats into the depths, you complete your investigation of the site. You have damning evidence that the employees were using illegal drift nets for some purpose and are quite certain that in its rage the giant scylla dragged itself on shore and killed all of them (as some of the security camera footage illustrates graphically), but was still struggling to release its offspring from the net when you arrived. When you contact Forsian Fishing Charters to report your findings, you use this information as a lever to negotiate a doubling of your pay. The reply is terse but accepting. You will be paid when you return to Athune highport.

Next stop: the lifeless and barren planetoid G0-V-IX-K29377, where a 100-ton Hammer class trader has reportedly crash-landed. There's an automated beacon, but no other communications; the ship's owners, believing the three-person crew to be dead, would like you to retrieve the cargo: two dozen robots of various kinds, ranging from butlers to cargo loaders to children's companions. (The market for robots in Yimin Jiti is rather small.) About halfway through the four-day voyage, just after you begin your deceleration, the beacon signal ends abruptly.

Large cargo handler bot

As you approach the planetoid, your scopes are able to pick out the site of the crash. There are signs of activity on the ground: you can see several figures working in and around the crash site. Another party seems gathered about a rocky cliff face nearby, going in and out of what must be a cavern of some kind.

You land the Dejah Thoris out of site and proceed toward the wreck via air/raft and grav belt. A kilometre-long furrow in the regolith extends from the crash, and the impact severely dented the nose of the ship, which now rests on its belly, half-buried in dirt. Getting closer, you see that a great rent in its side is currently being enlarged by a team of robots working in coordinated fashion. Others are carefully removing components and ordering them on the surface. Several of the robots notice you, but continue with their labours. Every so often, one gathers up components and carries them toward the cave.

Leaving the machines to their work, you hover over the bow where a hatch on the hull topside leads directly to the bridge. Entering, you see that much of the place has been destroyed, but here too many components have been carefully removed.

Outside, you are approached by a butler bot, B359, coming from the cave. It welcomes you to Haven. "What is Haven?" you ask. B359 gestures about. "This is Haven. This is our home."

You have a feeling that this job is not going to go as smoothly as you'd hoped.

Image credit: Robot image screengrabbed from a YouTube video compilation of AI-generated art.