Hammer again goes to the wall and looks for some sort of light switch.

Hammer finds the light switch.  Lights flood the room.  There is more banging from within the cabinet, though it is more of a dull thud than a knocking thud.

Bartja finds the folder and quickly begins taking pictures of it with his eye.

Kri'lik moves in to see the cause of death.  Some sort of gunshot wound to the back of the head seems to be the cause.

Trying to get the general idea of what the vial contains from the information he is photographing, Bartja looks briefly at the corpse and shakes his head.  "Do we want to risk being connected to this or shall we rescue the prisoner in the cabinet?" he whispers as he works.

"Whoever did this isn't long gone. We probably passed them in the hallway!"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:09, Tue 19 Mar 2013.

"We risk not being able to get the vial out and our asses in hot water.  We didn't do anything wrrong besides a  little B&E.  I'm not wearing a murder and false imprisonment charges.  You think we were set up?  I mean, what are the chances we have to go to a lab where there is one person dead and another tied up in a cabinet?  I don't like this at all!"

You hear more cries for help from inside the counter under the island.

Kri'lik realizes that this body has been dead for at least an hour.  The burn marks from the gunshot do not appear to be from a weapon normally used, and he can't place it exactly.

Bartja is realizing two things as he takes pictures of the documents.  First, these are in paper form, not electronic, meaning that they didn't want to chance the data escaping the lab through data transmission.  And two, though there appears to be some general information, someone has removed a large section of descriptive material, including the chemical compounds, structure, and molecular makeup of what is in the vial.

Hammer and Desiraye, in looking around, find that the place where the vials should be, there is nothing there.  Someone has apparently stolen them.  In fact, the whole shelf they were on has tilted over vials and is a big mess, as though they left in a hurry.  The vials are numbered, and it will take a few minutes to look through them to see if anyone left behind accidentally any of the vials you are looking for.

S'Krllk uses his bodycomp to scan the counter under the island, attempting to find the easiest, safest way to unlock it.

The safest way to unlock it is to cut the zipties keeping it closed.  :)

"That scumbag set us up!  The vial isn't here and I'm pretty sure we're here to take the fall.  We got to get the hell out of here and back down to Nuna and her lab or we might get her in trouble.  We get caught, we don't get the truth, and I want the truth from that low-life!

Get the person out of the cabinet and let's see if we can help somehow and try to make the best out of this messy situation."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:05, Wed 20 Mar 2013.

S'Krllk starts to snap off the zipties with his multitool, quietly murmuring, "What you bet they come out shooting."

Bartja stood by, ready to pounce if this captive came out with any ill intent. He want much with a rifle, but he could wrestle!

When you cut the zipties and open the cabinet, a blob-like form that has become cube-like from inside the cabinet falls out.  After a moment, you realize that it is a dralasite stuffed in too small of a container for his slug-like skin.  He begins stretching and moving out his limbs to take on his more normal shape.

A Dralasite in the form of a gelatinous cube oozes onto the lab floor with a dull thud, accompanied by a moan.  Its face is compressed on the top side of the cube, moist and slowly elongating, and it strains to see its rescuers.

Finally, Orvo speaks: "I think it safe to assume that since you released me, you're not on the same side as the creeps that forced me in there.  But all things considered with what I just went through, and poor Heumana losing her life, it wouldn't hurt to have a little assurance as to who you all are."

In reply to Orvo (msg # 78):

"We're certainly not here to hurt you, of that I can assure you.  Can you tell us about the creeps who did this to you and what they were after?  We um, could certainly use a little discretion here if you don't mind.  We would rather not be here when security arrives.  We are sorry for the loss of your friend, Huemana."

Hammer says, "My name is Hammer.  I'm a Mechanon, which is a living robot.  We were here to collect a vial to take with us, but someone appears to have stolen it.  Do you know anything about that?"

To Desiraye, "I appreciate your assurances and can tell you're one who speaks directly.  That's refreshing."  And marveling at the Mechanon, Orvo says, "I've read the holos on your people.  Amazing stuff.  Another time, better circumstances, I'd really like to talk.  The whole Volturnus thing..."

Orvo is more of a square with rounded corners now.  The Dralasite continues, "Since I'm not going anywhere for a few minutes, I'll fill you in on what I know.  I do routine psych screenings for big corps all over, with a focus on deep space ops and any intense work that requires extended periods of time in confined spaces.  Peeps go bonkers in the boonies.  So labs like this I get requests from regularly.  Yes, you can call me a shrink.  That kind of fits."

Orvo eyes the two Vrusks and thinks that in any other setting he would be falling over laughing.  How many jokes started with two Vrusks walk into a lab...but someone was killed here.  Someone who had come to him for help.

"OK.  So I'm settling in not too long ago and I get this communication from a lab worker named Heumana.  She's clearly unsettled by something (I figure it's the long hours) but thought it was odd she felt pressured to send a non-traceable link.  She had to tell me where to meet her.

"So I grab my empathy-test kit figuring this is a routine drill, crack a few jokes, look inside another fatigued mind that just needs some good old fashioned shut eye.  But she meets me outside this lab, talking frantically about this new compound that can be ingested and had weapon-application potential.  Something about quarantine?  Quaranatime?  Quar-something or other.  I don't remember - never heard it before.  She wanted to talk to me about the ethics of it.  That's when I knew she wasn't crazy.  I could sense Heumana was afraid for her life in approaching me about this.  Then the door to her lab slid open."

Orvo paused, apparently composing himself.

"We walk into the lab.  And there are at two Sathar - YES - Sathar, staring back at us, unarmed but with body comps.  And of all things, their side kick was this freakin' Dralasite, one of my own flesh and blood, in a surgical bunny suit, doing their bidding.  We stood frozen momentarily but a moment too long.  The Dralasite fired on Heumana and she went down with an awful crash across a lab table.  I could only watch her fall.

"And then the Dralasite turned to me but couldn't shoot.  I know they took something they were looking for even though I was in that damn sweat box.  I could hear them turning the lab inside out, and it sounded like they had files, or was it vials, before they finally left.

"That was maybe an hour or two ago.  I'll fill you in more when it comes back to me.  I can tell I'm still in a state of disbelief.
But listen I'm not that far frazzled to realize I've got no way off this thing.  No one's going to come for me.  And I owe you all one for rescuing me.  Do you need a hand in anyway?  I'm good with three fists and am pretty good at telling when someone's lying."

Bartja grins a toothy smile to Orvo.  "Sounds like the Sathar got to the lab before we did.  Good thing we heard your cries for help and had the fortune of finding a way in.  I've got a sick feeling I know how they got in...and out without being noticed.

I think the word you're looking for is Quantariate.  It's why we're here but we haven't figured out why or how the Sathar are involved, although now I would suggest its because there is a new weapon to be gained in some way.  That vial must have had the answers we're looking for - at least some of them...

What say we revisit our dark-market contact and see who was after that vial and why he wanted it?"

Hammer says, "Yes, but before we return, we should visit Nuna and complete our business here.  Should we just leave or should we report this officially to security?"

"I think we should just leave. My confidence in the efficiency of the local security agencies has reached a low point."
Even as he says this, S'Krllk is scanning the surrounding area for the tell-tale material disturbance normally left when the shadow things walk through walls.

"Normally, I would say we should leave here immediately and don't look back.  Under the circumstances, I think we need to check back with Nuna to complete that task first. 

In reply to S'Krllk (msg # 84):

Orvo nods to the Vrusk's comment about security.  "There's obviously a breech with someone in security. I've not had any dealings with them aside from arriving here, so I haven't had an opportunity to sense their trustworthiness."

Hammer says, "To Nuna, then, and then we go away from this accursed place."

Bartja nods in agreement.  "I like her anyway.  I think she can be trusted and she's our only help in trying to understand this stuff right now.  If she wants to double-cross us now, we're screwed anyway."

"And then we find Ejidali and have a nice little chat with him about our mission.  Plus he's got our photo's so who knows what else he's capable of doing with them.

I like Nuna too and I think we can trust her. If not, We have to find another way out of here."

In reply to Desiraye Lipost (msg # 89):
Orvo marvels at the integration in this group, listening to their plans.  They must have been through a lot together.  The Dralasite offers, "I think I can be of service if you permit me to join you in seeing this 'Nuna'.  I'm a decent reader of personalities.  I'm ok to detect a liar and definitely can get a strong empathic read in most instances."

Desiraye looked the Dralasite up and down before she spoke, "Maybe we can help each other or at least get the other the hell outta here.  You gotta weapon or something to use in case you need it?"