Session Logs

The PC's are investigators for Valkyrie Security, a company which blends security, law enforcement, and mercenary interests. (Similar to the Pinkertons of the 19th century, but with more scruples.)

At the start, the investigators were assigned a small spaceship, capable of 500c FTL speed. In addition to the investigators, there were eight Valkyrie-employed crew plus the resident 4D engineer who maintains the FTL drive.

Session One

• Hired by Governor Caruthers to investigate the loss of FTL communication with the 4D station (1 month ago), and a small police cruiser initially sent to investigate (1.5-2 weeks ago). Communication is via a slow relay station.
• Governor Caruthers son Sean was a gravitational researcher on the station. Sean had a dull profile: honors graduate, science project, degree in gravitational theory.
• Arrive at the BD+374537A system about 2 months after communications were lost with the 4D research station, and 1 month after the police ship also lost contact. Scans of the system showed nothing unusual.
• The station showed no life signs, and docking bay #4 had closed its doors on a ship, which had leaked fusion plasma. This was reported by FTL communication to HQ. The systems appeared mostly functional, but the computer files had all been deleted.
• Entering from the extension airlock (Level 6), the investigators and four armed crew found signs of damage. All the lights were broken (mostly by force), and there were occasional blaster marks on the walls.
• Bloodstained drag-marks on the floor lead to the sick bay, and (after further investigation) to the brig. There the temperature was below freezing, and 25 bodies were found stacked in the cells. (20 of the 25 died of knife wounds)
• The communications room had been totalled by blasters and cruder instruments.
• Autopsy of the bodies found that 6 had visible wounds, while 19 had an unknown cause of death marked by bursting of nerve cells as if by radiation or heat -- but with no damage to other tissue.
• Sent communication to HQ: "No life signs, ship caught in Bay 4, 25 confirmed dead, 17 unknown including Sean and the commander, send backup plus info on 4D research here."

Session Two

• Going down to Level 5 (quarters), found bodies outside the armory. One guard was bludgeoned to death, while 6 (carrying clubs) were killed by laser fire. The armory was missing one laser rifle. The crew quarters were un-exceptional except for one officer's area which was extremely messy as though lived in.
• Going down to Level 4 (research/storage), found it largely empty with 4-5 shipping crates around the edges, decked with candles and with strange scrawlings on the wall.
• A large crate was behind the elevators, with blood-soaked cables at its corners, a wooden box on it, and the body of the station commander behind it. The wooden box scanned as empty, but looking at it investigators observed a faintly glowing crystal globe (baseball sized). The globe did show on visual camera, though. Two investigators who looked at it had strange visions.
• The station commander died of the anomalous nerve damage. He also had a crudely-made knife and considerable blood not his own.
• At that time, a crew member sent back screamed and fell dead, his helmet light cracked and out. He had suffered the anomalous nerve damage, and was freezer-bagged. Trying to get out via elevator, the elevator ground to a halt on Level 5.
• Exiting the elevator, we went to docking bay #2 (?) to escape. At the door, investigators saw a blackness over them, and Limberger was knocked unconscious. Some fired shots into this, which seemed to draw it off. The investigators immediately began to entered the bay and began to cycle it (firing a laser to speed vacuum), calling for the ship to come around to pick them up.
• The Valkyrie ship began to come around, but then suddenly all communications dropped dead, and the ship drifted off.
• Space-walked to the open Bay #4. Found an unarmed one-man FTL ship whose fusion fuel tank was holed by a laser, causing a plasma leak which flooded the bay and interior. The pilot's body (neither 4D employee nor sector police) was carrying a hand computer with a log.
• Opened Bay #2 and space-walked over. Found the police ship intact, along with the bodies of 4 sector police and 8 (?) station employees who evidently killed each other in a firefight.
• Piloted the police ship out of dock and left the system as quickly as possible.

Session Three

• We went through 2 months travel (126LY) to the sector capital, Matar 2. The capital has a yellow-blue star (4 solar masses). We arrive on Feb 14, 2505.
• Reported in to Mr. James of Valkyrie Securities. The group story was pretty much identical to what happened, describing the black things we saw as hallucinations accompanying (presumably) some kind of neurologically damaging weapon. The important omission was that we left out all mention of the log found in the one-man merchant ship.
• After debriefing, we were called on by the governor. He wanted to hire us to find out about what killed his son, with specific instructions to somehow track down where the merchant came from.
• Our plan was to operate exactly as if we did *not* have the merchant's log. As it turns out (?!), the cult-inhabited planet where the box came from is exactly on route a short distance from the sector capital (22 LY).
• Outfitting, we equipped ourselves with a large amount of weaponry, demolitions, and especially lighting equipment. Armand used contacts to acquire demolitions. We were further outfitted with a squad of 16 government troopers, along with a new ship: 4 crew (+1 4D engineer), 600c FTL speed.
• Shortly after entering the cult planet's system, we detected the uncharted colony with defensive satellites. The planet had no moon and 100% cloud cover, with a mid-sized city (including a fusion generator) on the surface.
• We signalled the colony, and shortly thereafter signalled back to the capital reporting the colony's presence. The colony immediately shot missles at us, damaging our ship as we retreated beyond their range. We then called the capital and asked for reinforcements.
• Repairs took 48 hours, shortly after which time a government marine force arrived in a "clipper". They destroyed the defense satellites and began a marine operation to take the planetside colony.
• We touched down on planet shortly after the marine operation began, and our forces aided in securing the power plant.

Session Four

• After the colony was secured by government forces, we began by interrogating selected colonists. A guard at the power plant indicated simply that the cult ("The Gaurdians of the Light") was started here 100 years ago, moving there after leaving Earth. The crypts were where important artifacts and holy people were kept.
• Moving to the main city, with the marine's permission we tap into the cult's computer system. There we find several facts.
• The trader was registered as coming to the cult planet selling machine parts, around Jun 2504 (confirmed by logbook).
• The "Eye of Satan" (i.e. the ball in the wooden box) arrived when the colony was established 100 years ago. It was located in the crypts along with other artifacts and 60k-100k names (presumably dead people). The crypts had 7 named sections as follows:
  "St. Antoine" (with the "Eye of Satan")
  "Domatillo" (with the "Demon's Claw")
  "St. Callisto" (with the "Iron Maelstrom")
  "Priscilla"
  "St. Agnes"
  "St. Sebastian"
  "St. Anthony"
• We interrogated an elder named "Isaac", who confirmed that the Eye of Satan was an evil artifact which they tried to keep out of the hands of others. We discussed with him what to do about the Eye of Satan -- his only advice was that light protected.
• Travelling with marine escort into the colony's crypts. We first find the alcove of the Eye of Satan. Painted in medieval frescoes on the alcove are scenes of finding the Eye, and of dead bodies being slain by numerous black blobs.
• Also in the alcove was an ancient manuscript, which describes how a crypt-digger in Rome (named Fascore) broke into a series of natural caverns, and wandering into them found the Eye and brought it back.
• Wandering further into the crypts, we find a geodesic structure of metal rods (the "Iron Maelstrom") which could be picked up, but when examined was geometrically impossible: curved rods became straight when looked at from different angles.
• Attempted to remove the Iron Maelstrom, but were prevented by government troops.

Session Five

• Reported in to the governor our complete findings, including all facts but excluding speculation on our part that the Eye truly is an evil artifact that looses demons.
• The governor hires us to track down the original source of the Eye on Earth, offering a considerable reward for finding it. The mission is considered urgent: we are denied leave to further investigate the cult planet for clues.
• Approaching Earth, we are signalled by Valkyrie Home Station that a new member has been assigned to our team, by request of Governor Caruthers. He is a bodyguard, Walter Geller, who until recently worked for the governor and was suddenly inducted into Valkyrie.
• In addition, we have been assigned an Italian translator, Raymond Mitchell. He is an Earth native that works for Valkyrie.
• Searching records, we find there are 5 catacombs scattered about Rome which correspond to the named catacombs on the cult planet. There are no catacombs related to "St. Antoine" or "St. Sebastian", however.
• We contact an elderly Vatican historian who is helpful, noting that the Church of St. Antoine was rebuilt 800 years ago, after being destroyed in WWII. With his help, we put in a request for archeological study to the Vatican.
• Visiting the church, Dr. Pike talks to Father Alberto Dedominic, informing him of our plans for study but learning nothing new about the church. Behind the church, Armand notices that older stones are scattered in the back and at the next-door wooden parish house. Scans suggest that the older ruins are either under the parish house or a nearby field.
• The next day, the archeological request is denied by the Vatican. The aged historian has disappeared.
• Aaron breaks into the Vatican computers through the historian's account. He discovers that the archeological request was personally denied by a Cardinal, at the request of Father Dedominic. The aged historian was assigned to another continent. The Church of St. Antoine was rebuilt adjacent to its original location, which currently lies under the parish house.
• At city administration building, Raymond Mitchell (the translator) found that the normally public information on the parish house (i.e. blueprints, sewers, etc.) was missing from the records.

Session Six

• Plan to break into the crypts that night. Walter and Raymond stake out the parish house, while Armand went off to get a knockout spray from the black market (to deal with priest and his family if neccessary).
• Parish house basement has a storm door entrance from outside. Two side rooms: (1) root/wine cellar, (2) elevator room. Elevator is a 3-foot wide square shaft going down, with a primitive open carriage. Controls on top and on carriage, with both allowing operation. See the Crypts page for map and descriptions.
• Initial crypt areas are all 1st century work.
• Split up into two groups: Dr. Pike (w/ scanner), Tia, and Raymond; and Limberger (w/ scanner), Armand, and Walter in the other.
• Dr. Pike's group find the tomb of St. Antoine. Limberger's group find a break to 19th century construction and vault rooms.
• Rejoin near end of 1st century section. Find walled-off dead end (brick and plaster). Tia kicks the wall, then carefully tries to remove bricks for a small hole, but the whole thing collapses.
• Beyond dead-end is a limestone cave tunnel, opening out into a larger cave with a small underground stream nearby.
• Armand identifies what look like some tracks on the floor, some sort of clawed, bipedal creature.
• We hear sounds of movement - looking on scanner shows 8 creatures approaching. Throwing light sticks around, we see they are 4-foot tall bipedal creatures resembling bats (in face and hand structure).
• Fight with the bat-creatures. End result: 2 flee immediately and escape. 2 are killed by shotgun fire (Walter), 1 is shot by taser (Dr. Pike) and dies, 1 is sedated (Armand) and lives. 1 is damaged by a blaster (Tia) and escapes, 1 other escapes after its companions are killed. Tia's laser malfunctions and burns out (after damage in brick wall collapse).
• Dr. Pike stabilizes the sedated bat-creature, while we restrain it with bandages and tape.
• As back off to crypts, we hear and scan a larger number of bat-creatures approaching. We retreat (Limberger panicked) back to the elevator.
• At elevator, Tia scares Limberger with the live bat-creature she is carrying. Limberger panics and shoots it with his blaster, killing it.
• Shortly, the elevator starts to ascend on its own. Tia and Armand both jump onto the car as it goes up. It stops about 1/3 of the way up, and a head briefly looks down the shaft. The elevator then stops moving.
• Armand and Tia both try for a long time to shimmy their way up the narrow shaft, aided by the elevator cable. Eventually, Tia succeeds (after 30 minutes or so).

Session Seven

• When Tia reaches the top, she finds a well-dressed middle-age man sitting there. After some feeling out, he reveals that he represents the Gaurdians of the Light, and he offers the party a choice: join the order, or leave and they will trust us to keep quiet (?!?). We agree to join and walk out past rows of storm troopers outside. Also, we find out that he is Cardinal Saul Diangelis.
• We go through two weeks of training and psychological treatment with the Gaurdians. They introduce us to an astronaut/pilot: Yvette Cairn. Armand pulls strings for her to be hired as a starship pilot by Valkyrie.
• (OOC) Venter: "I'll be baptized, but I'm not going to swallow."
• From the Gaurdians, we find out disturbing events involving Gov. Caruthers on Matar-2. He has cancelled several public appearances, and quietly doubled security around his estates and changed various staff. Also, around 50-100 homeless have disappeared in the past year.
• We learn from our own research that the bat-creatures are mammalian with atrophied eyes, but linguistic analysis of their sounds is indeterminate. The Gaurdians say that they are great ape level intelligence but that it has no interest in studying them.
• At the end of the two weeks, we send a falsified report on cave findings to Gov. Caruthers. He responds with a request for us to explore Proxima Centauri (a well-explored system) looking for non-natural stuff.
• The Gaurdians report that the "Iron Maelstrom" is a four-dimensional map of about 50 stars centered on Proxima Centauri, which partly explains Caruthers' interest.
• Headed to the system (approx. 2 days travel), about 1 hour out we detect a detect an FTL ship in the system. We hail it, and it responds that it is a 4D ship doing surveys of the sun. Rough tracking suggests that it is proceeding from the 8th planet.
• Planet 8: 2.4AU orbit, 1.1 Earth masses, 20hr day, 0.58g at surface, 9.8atm surface pressure, -173oC, with 2 moons (0.1M_e, 0.04M_e).
• We detect 2-3 random radio sources from our initial scans, plus a machine-like language code which suggested "other ship not friendly".
• We tried responding in radio, and recieved a translation key with the message "who are you?" The signals appear to be coming from empty space. Paraphrased conversation follows:

  "We come in peace, we are from Earth"
  "Come back in 147 rotations" (of 1st moon ~ 180 days)
  "More info on unfriendly ship"
  "You are unfriendly ship, but we need no more"
  "We are friendly, why do you think otherwise"
  "Others of your kind said so"
  "Can we make a deal?"
  "Send more proccessing units in 147 rotations"
  "What are processing units?"
  "Cannot translate"
  "Are there 7 processing units on our ship?"
  "Yes, but we need no more. Come back in 147 rotations."

• At this point, we triangulate that the last transmission comes from about 1 meter from our airlock. Yvette punches the engines and attempts to skim the planet's atmosphere, but screws up and crash-lands on the plant.
• We affect repairs to our regular engines without incident, but our FTL drive is disabled. We lift off from the planet and make best time out of the system. We send out a distress signal. The receding 4D ship responds saying that a ship (a 4D one) can reach us within 24 hours. The Valkyrie station at Earth says that a ship will reach us in 55 hours.
• We receive another transmission from the unknown source, triangulating to just behind our ship.

  "Explain your maneuvers"
  "We have system problems"
  "Your [FTL drive (?)] is dead. Can I help?"
  "We are handling it."
  "We should talk."

  It then appeared to be right outside our airlock and trying to come in.

Session Eight

• After its first attempt to enter, we shot away and then tried to contact it again. We are still about 0.5 AU from planet 8. It responds: "I will [?] to your [?] so that you may travel." The ship's gravity fluctuates for 3 seconds, causing several crew to faint. We then find ourselves in s-space, at a distance impossibly close to planet 8 to normally enter.
• During tis time, we detect another ship approaching: it is a light cruiser registered with 4D Enterprises. It approaches the edge of its s-space range (approx. 1 A.U. out from the planet) and fires on us at long range: a near miss.
• We are in s-space and are slower than the 4D cruiser but can mysteriously stay in s-space close to the planet. Yvette Cairn pilots us past the planet and tries to lose them by going out the other side. We jump a short distance to near planet 6 and then shut down our gravity drives entirely to avoid their sensors. We then quietly land on planet 6 to further lay low.
• The 4D cruiser searches first around planet 8. It communicates with the alien radio signals, apparently asking what happened to us. Suddenly, the 4d cruiser explodes.
• We discuss what to do for a time, when we receive another alien radio contact from nearby on the planet:
  "The others wanted us to find you"
  "Do the others exist anymore?"
  "No. They were angry. They threatened us."
  In short, they offer to push us into s-space again. We launch from the planet and they do so.
• About half-way to Earth we rendezvous with a Valkyrie frigate (150 crew). They immediately report that somehting is strange about our gravity field. We report to them that there is a Valkyrie confidential matter that 4D should not be involved in (since they have a 4D engineer on board).
• There is some discussion of what to do. Dr. Pike in particular felt we could not trust Valkyrie and should return to Earth on our own to report to the Gaurdians. However, that would look extremely suspicious, so we agree to drop out of s-space and dock.
• We join the captain in his meeting room to explain. At this point, however, Limberger believes that he detects tampering in the room's sensors. We refuse to talk until we are convinced it is secure, so eventually the captain shuts down automated sensors in the room.
• Our story is very similar to what happened with the exception of the radio contacts. We do not name our client, but explain that we had a suspicious mission to investigate Proxima Centauri. Tracing the 4D merchant ship, we experienced drive malfunction near planet 8. The 4d cruiser fired on us and we escaped.
• There is a sudden lurch and grinding. Investigating outside, we discover that all of the crew are crushed. The captain, Armand, Raymond, and Dr. Pike head for the bridge; while Walter, Limberger, and Yvette Cairn go onto our ship.
• On the frigate bridge, we confirm that the crew were crushed by several hundred gees gravity. The frigate had catastrophically dropped out of s-space and blew its drive as well.
• The others get back onto our ship despite a partial break in the docking seal. They then detect that the frigate is breaking up, and the s-drive is split open.
• The four on board the frigate immediately abandon ship, but as we get into the hall to the airlock it begins decompressing. We struggle upwind to the airlock, but Raymond drops back. Turning around, the others see a creature behind him: a skeletal and vaguely human-shaped body around 3 meters tall, with long clawed hands and skeletal wings without membranes or feathers.
• Dr. Pike and the captain attempt to help Raymond, while Armand goes for help. At the door, Limberger forces open the airlock to let air through while Walter shoots with his blaster pistol: hitting it and then the captain. Raymond is badly wounded by the creatures deadly claws. Pike then also shoots the creature, while the wounded captain helps Raymond out. Meanwhile, Walter throws Armand' pistol to the creatures feet and shoots it. The explosion maims the creature and damaged Dr. Pike, but everyone is recovered.
• We then contact the Gaurdians of the Light, who send a small ship to pick us up. We abandon ours with its drive shut down, but record its position and set its systems to respond to a hailing code.

Session Nine

• We returned to Earth with the Gaurdians help.
• A planted bomb grievously injures Dr. Pike and Investigator Armand. They take 3-5 months to fully recover. (Players missing.)
• Meanwhile the others (Limberger, Yvette, and Geller) were kidnapped by 4D. We were held on a secret research station on Titan.
• Using sensory deprivation tanks and individual stimuli, 4D mapped our brains.
• Escaped with the help of Joe, a mathematician formerly working for 4d. (New PC) 4D self-destructs the station to prevent it from being compromised. It is unclear whether the brain maps were transmitted out.
• A secret government raid was made on the crypt of St. Antoine. The bat-things in the caves below were slaughtered, and the parish priest and his family were killed.
• The Church suspected us, until a careful search revealed a passive bug planted inside Walter's head. This was a circuit inside his nasal cavity which tapped into his optic nerve, with a microphone as well. We believe it was planted by Governor Caruthers.

Session Ten

• Travelled to the sector capital where Governor Caruthers is stationed (except for Dr. Pike and Armand who were still recuperating from the explosion).
• Invited by Gov to stay at his place, and accepted.
• Abducted and held. The Gov claims that he is opposed to the insidious 4D. He shows tapes of a 4D factory where they build space helmets. The apparently clear plates are actually paired scanner/screen which filter images. Scanners are similarly censored.
• Using *two* Eyes of Satan (one found in the crypts), the Gov plans to sacrifice Yvette to ichorous things from pits in exchange for some sort of information.
• A contact of Walter Geller in the Gov's employ helps us out. He slips a gun to Yvette as she is being secured.
• Yvette shoots and kills the Governor. We recover the Eyes of Satan, and turn on full-spectrum lamps which seem to drive away the pit-things.
• Set off to return to Earth.

Session Eleven

• On trip to Earth, Limberger rewires his scanner to not censor images. Using this makeshift scanner, he sees that the FTL drive is actually a giant life-support system for an 11-foot winged, skeletal humanoid which is filled with wires. He also scans the Eyes of Satan, which are still mysterious but have Hoover-Dam-level power in them.
• Land on Earth and rendezvous with Armand Giles, at an out-of-the-way resturant in a semi-private booth. There we discuss what to do with the Eyes, which Limberger has brought in a small box.
• Yvette claims that simply looking at the Eyes has no effect. At this, Limberger open the box and shows them to her. She has a vision of an underground room where human bodies are hanging unconscious on pegs on a wall. She sees a person walk up to the wall and stand on the pegs, who then vomits a brown ooze. The person then goes limp and the ooze crawls away.
• Incensed, Yvette stalks out. She hears a scream shortly, and runs to it to find a prostitute killed. There are no marks on the body (consistent with the darkness-blobs).
• Yvette returns to the resturant and takes the box with the Eyes from Limberger at blaster-point. Limberger and Armand then follow her as she heads back to the space-port for our ship.
• Limberger and Armand attempt to intercept Yvette at the customs check. She makes a break for it and runs to the ship, pushes Armand out of the airlock and locks it. Ignoring space-port control, she tries to take off. Armand makes it into the airlock, and hauls in Limberger at the last second.
• Limberger succeeds in taking over the ship from engineering while Yvette is on the bridge. We then begin negotiation over what to do, as the ship coasts out into space. Frustrated, Yvette goes to her stateroom.
• (Secret) Armand allows Limberger to go after her to talk. He meanwhile switches the box with the Eyes of Satan with an identical box.
• Armand then steps into negotiation. We contact the Guardians, asking them what we should do if we find the Eye. They report that they will put them in an obscure colony like before. With reports of what happens on Earth, they ask what we are doing. Yvette claims responsibility and says she is trying to destroy them.
• Armand gets Limberger to agree to destroy them and apologize (sort of). Armand and Limberger agree to drop the Eyes into a Sol-like star with an uninhabited system -- reasoning that the light should keep whatever comes out at bay even if it doesn't destroy them. Travelling to Barnard's Star over two days, they do so. (Secretly, the box dropped is empty as planned by Armand.)
• Return to Earth with the story (for the authorities) that our ship was sabotaged to take off uncontrollably, and rig suitable sabotage to the ship to convince them.

Session Twelve

• The three return to Earth where they face numerous questions. The authorities have questions over Yvette threatening us with a blaster in public, and her illegal take-off. Yvette ends up losing her pilot's liscense and being fined more than she can pay.
• The Guardians are concerned over our destroying the Eyes despite their demands otherwise, but are somewhat mollified that it apparently succeeded.
• Limberger secretly pays for Yvette's fines, which she discovers shortly after she is released.
• Yvette visits Armand, where she has a crisis of self-worth, feeling that she has lost her job and to some degree her purpose now that the Eyes are destroyed (or so she thinks). Armand convinces her to stay on in the team, and says of Limberger that paying her fines is a sign that he is sorry for his misdeeds and wants to make amends.
• A "Mr. Carlisle" (which turns out to be a pseudonym for Cardinal Diangelis) contracts with Valkyrie to hire our team for a mission. Our assignment is ostensibly to track down a cartel of corporations. Secretly, the Cardinal believes that the cartel is enormous: including 4D and almost all other high-tech companies.
• Limberger begins collecting a giant database of employees to look for signs of this cartel. He successfully breaks into the IRS computers for the information.
• Cross-referencing indicates 6 families that are evidently in control of the cartel: Cantuna, Escher-Brenner, Hawthorne, Woben-Smith, Okwudibonye, and Strong.
• All 6 families live in a small town in western Virginia. Their houses are among 10 houses that form a circle around a ridge. The houses have all been owned for at least 100 years.
• Armand, Yvette, and Limberger all visit to this town - checking into a bed-and-breakfast.
• In the middle of that night, Yvette looks at pictures of the 6 families. She has a fit and demands to leave town. Stopping the car along the way, she secretly tells Limberger that the faces match those in her vision of the "possessed" bodies on racks. She suspects Armand of being one.

Session Thirteen

• The three check into a hotel near DC, where they sleep for the night. They are contacted by Dr. Pike who has recently recuperated. He arrives in the morning.
• Still distrustful of the others, Yvette goes out for a walk. Limberger and Armand ask Dr. Pike to follow her. She notices him and demands he go away.
• Secretly, Armand has the Eyes shipped to him at the hotel, and then forwards them to the post office in the Virginia town.
• The team search for possible cave entrances around the town, checking out the lake (formed by strip mining), a natural fissure cave (the end filled with collapsed dirt: 100 yards), and even an underground river (which didn't connect to anything).
• Failing to find another entrance, they agree to break into one of the family homes that night. The team splits up to acquire gear.
• Armand gets 3 plasma grenades via contacts, and also checks on the Eyes of Satan. After getting them at the post office, he finds he is unable to let go of them. He disguises them as plasma grenades and meets them again.
• They break into the Hawthorne home. The house in strangely empty as well as largely lacking in food. A secret basement entrance leads down into an underground corridor with links to the other 5 houses. The corridor leads off. A critical failure leaves Limberger's modified scanner broken.
• The first offshoot of the corridor is a room with 20 pairs of pegs on the wall, 10 of which have bodies hanging on them just like in Yvette's vision. Armand hangs back and refuses to enter while the others eventually face it.
• Dr. Pike does a impromptu autopsy which reveals the body to be a fleshy shell with expandable metal tubes inside. The motive power is apparently supplied by the liquid thing which inhabits the shell. However, there does not appear to be any other exit for the liquid.
• The next offshoot is a chamber with a large number of cryogenic storage units for seeming-human bodies.
• The next offshoot is a room with literally piles of treasure: gold, jewels, and so forth. Most of the group stuff their pockets (Armand especially so).
• The next offshoot is a factory-like room which evidently has the mechanics for assembling the semi-robotic shells inside the bodies in the pegged-wall room.
• The last offshoot is a room with flashing lights. These are a set of cloning machines for producing fleshy shells around the tube-skeletons. The computers contain an enormous database of genetic material there: including the members captured on Titan: Limberger, Yvette, and Geller. They erase that database.
• Re-checking the cryogenics room, find that the bodies there include clone-shells of Limberger, Yvette, and Geller. They attempt to completely destroy the bodies there by burning.

Session Fourteen

• Proceed down the *long* (1000+ yard) corridor which leads off at a slight downward slope.
• The corridor opens onto a cave ledge overlooking the underground river 150' down. A natural stone bridge leads to a ledge on the other side.
• The ledge opens into a long natural cavern with a few dead-end offshoots. In one of these the team finds a carved stalagmite with a flat top on which is an empty metal bowl. Carvings on the side show reptilian figures.
• After Limberger drops the bowl, Yvette heads off further down the corridor. She retreats past the offshoot when she hears a robot approaching. As it passes the offshoot, Limberger speaks and Dr. Pike shoots at it. It returns fire but misses. Limberger then shoots and Armand throws a plasma grenade which disables it.
• Proceeding around a bend in the main cavern, Dr. Pike is shot by one of two more security robots and knocked out. Yvette drags him back out of the line of fire. Armand throws his second grenade, which disables the back one but not the front.
• Armand and Limberger open fire on the remaining one as soon as it comes around the corner, but it is nearly impervious to their fire. Limberger is grievously wounded and Armand (who has better armor) is slightly wounded before it goes down after using the third (and last) plasma grenade and emptying his blaster SMG clip into it.
• The cavern ends in a circular chamber, but a series of 3' tunnels lead to a carved chamber with a pillar that has a handprint ID. This turns out to control a force field that guards the entrance to a kidney-shaped cavern which has the security controls (for the robots and 2 force fields).
• Another tunnel leads off to a circular chamber with 6 exits. One leads out to a secret exit in a cliffside. Yvette thinks that they should get Limberger and Dr. Pike to safety, but Armand points out that the element of surprise would be lost. Limberger and Dr. Pike demand to go on.
• The four proceed down another tunnel which opens into a huge cavern. Clay-like ooze drops down onto everyone and rapidly captures or disables them.
• A seeming-human doctor appears who revives Yvette (who was knocked unconscious). We then see a giant ooze which fills the end of the cavern. Speaking for it, the doctor then explains that we have a choice of working for it or having our memories erased.
• The doctor explains: "I was created 110 million years ago by the previous rulers of this planet, which you call dinosaurs. I was intended for essentially menial labor. 70 million years ago, the dinosaurs discovered that a comet was due to collide with the Earth, and they produced the means to escape using visualization of 4-dimensional space. However, a piece of me (which you see here) was left behind."
• [paraphrase] 10 million years ago, that piece began breeding hominids in an effort to find a way to rejoin the rest of it. Thus, it created humanity.
• Armand asks about the aliens at Proxima Centauri. The doctor responds that they are a race native to Proxima Centauri who use mentally-controlled robots. The ooze trades humans for Baikiki (the demon-like things inside hyperspace drives). The humans are used as computers, perhaps.
• As this is happending, Yvette realizes that she has been through this before. Her memories have already been erased once after a similar experience. Given the choice, she says that she would rather die than be used by the thing. When she remains firm in this, the ooze kills her.
• Asking about the Eyes of Satan, it responds that it knows nothing about them. Convinced that this then is a good idea, Armand wriggles to dump out the Eyes of Satan that are in his pouch. Staring at the Eyes, he opens up a portal which shows people in robes working by torchlight in a crypt.
• At this point, all hell breaks loose as apparently the blackness things attack the giant ooze. The ooze splits apart into many pieces in an attempt to escape.
• Limberger, who has essentially gone gibberingly insane, immediately begins firing wildly with his laser pistol as soon as he is set free.
• Dr. Pike attempts to fight the black things by holding out his full-spectrum flashlight. Armand grabs one of the Eyes off the floor and holds it in Pike's face, knocking down his flashlight. Dr. Pike has a vision of a dinosaur working with a bit of ooze in a petrie dish.
• Armand then calls out "Catch" to Limberger, throwing him the other Eye. Limberger sees a vision but then drops the Eye.
• As the chaos continues, all three make their way to the portal which apparently leads to the crypt. Once there, they find themselves in an alien world.