You travel down to the weapon experimentation area, going through two security doors that Kyrillian has the access code to.

The bauble-like device continues to glow and ebb as you take it.

You make it inside the room without incident, and Kyrillian locks the door.

There are large lockers on the far wall and on the southwest corner.  A desk is on the northeast corner.

Kyrillian goes to a computer at the desk and punches in a code.  Lights on the lockers turn from red to green as they are all unlocked.

The beeping on his motion detector increases.  There are now six moving objects.  There is also silence on the radios and intercom, as though you are completely cut off.

The lockers contain the following, all EXPERIMENTAL, each marked with a name.

OOC: Experimental weapons and devices mean there is a chance of failure that will render the device unoperational, and a critical miss is equivalent to what you might call a backfire.

The percentage of failure is decreased by 10% x Engineering level, 5% x Weapons level (for type of weapon), or as otherwise deemed applicable.  You only take the highest bonus.

XT-41 Xenometric Accelerator (looks like a high tech RPG launcher)
X-09 Bauble (a pistol with a large round nozzle)
XP-12 Portable Singularity (3 black grenade-looking devices)
XTR-3 Turret Sync System (a 3 foot high turret)
XR-34 Turret Antimatter Control (3 foot high turret)
XX-01 Turret Density Control (5 foot high turret that looks like giant, old fashioned camera)
XM-92 Rifle Exometer (rifle)
X-9  Shield generation flux (looks like a kevlar vest with high tech installed)

TURRETS:  Each turret has a remote control.  It can be set to automatic scan (oscillation looking for motion), and can be set to identify and disregard certain targets (such as you), and it can be set to manual fire mode where you push a button to make it fire.

The other weapons and devices, though interesting, all have labels on them that say, "DO NOT USE.  IN DEVELOPMENT."

Kyrillian does not know much about the weapons, as that is not his area of expertise.

OOC: Just wanted to add that if you rely on the automatic scan, these "invisible" attackers may not be recognized.

"I've died and went to heaven," Desiraye thinks to herself as she moves into the room after the doors are locked and the lockers are opened by Kyrillian and gets a look inside of them.  She holsters her pistol (set at 5 SEU), turns on her albedo screen, and then reaches for the XM-92 Exometer Rifle as she looks how to use it, turn it on, fire it, see directions, what have you.  "Find something you think you can use without killing all of us and get ready, there's six of them things now!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:23, Thu 06 Oct 2011.

S'Krllk begins setting up the XR-34 to manually control it, pointing it at the door, saying, "This looks like it would make the biggest hole."

Hammer takes the Xenometric Accelerator and a singularity grenade.

Seeing everyone else grabing something the professor reaches out and takes the kevlar like vest. "Whats an X-9?" With a shrug he puts it on and then looks for a power source to activate it.

"'X' is probably for experimental.  Nine is either for the model number or the series number they're up to testing."

"Well that doesn't help much." Replies the doctor with a grin that only someone who is familiar with Vrusks would understand. After putting on the vest he grabs his two beam weapons and checks his motion sensor. As everyone else gears up he calls out the locations of the dots on his screen.

In reply to Desiraye Lipost (msg #7):

Desi is correct.  Higher numbers indicate higher levels of failure in that model series and will affect the potential failure rate--not that your characters would know that.

EDIT: To clarify, a higher number means it has gone through more test trials and is more reliable.  I don't want you thinking the opposite.  X-1 would be highly experimental, but X-90 would be more reliable.  These are not necessarily their percentage to fail either.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:03, Thu 06 Oct 2011.

It appears right now that our active group is:

Desi
Kri'lik
S'krllk
Hammer

I'm not sure about Bartja.  The Jared character never actually posted.  He was supposed to meet you at the shops.

Speaking for myself, I'd still like to play on.  Not sure if you want to try and get new players for old characters but, I'm satisfied with the group that's still playing.  We're really going to hacve to sit down and figure out some cross-training once we're done on this station and go to Kraatar.

I would second that. Perhaps S'Krllk could study entomology and medicine, at the same time.

I wasn't suggesting stopping or anything.  Five is about the right number.  I  just want you to know what I understand the situation to be.

I'm cool with being the only Military PSA in the party right now and will try and give a boost to my Technical PSA when I get enough (16) XP to bump up to 2nd level.

Let's roll then baby!

Just wanted to let it be known that due to the current economic disaster this country, and myself, are currently in, I've taken up a second job at night and my posting only may be about once a day.  I will try to keep up the best I can and if you need to move the game on, NPC me and please do so..

John

What about the turrets?  I'm not sure how you're setting those up or who's holding the remotes for them.

S'Krllk is setting up the XR-34 pointed at the door in the middle of the room. He's holding the remote and watching for clues suggesting he should fire (which he wants to do, anyway).

I didn't think we could operate more than one system/weapon at a time?

OOC: You can hold the turret remote and a gun but only use one at a time.

You set up your things and get your weapons and gear.  The hologram begins beeping more.

"There are 8 of them now," Kyrillian says, and then he adds, "No, now there are 9."

The security doors in front of you open, but nothing is there.

In reply to GM Heath (msg #19):

"Are they in the room yet?  Who's got something that can they can do a mass attack or something?  Screens on and up!"

Kyrillian says, "It's there!  It's there!  You just can't see it."  He is looking at his hologram radar-like device.

Kri'lik looks at his own motion sensor gear mounted in his left gauntlet and calls out locations as best as he can to everyone else. he raises both hands and points his beam weaponry at the doorway trying to comfirm Kyrillian's claim.

If he beleives there is something in the doorway he will blast two shots from his laser pistol (5SEUs).

S'Krllk has been waiting for any reason to determine the affects of XR-34, and activates the remote while carefully watching for a result.

Hammer fires his turret down the hall.

Desiraye looks for any kind of distortion that may be near the doorway and then begins to open fire.

You begin firing through the security doors.  You see two figures flash black against the shots, and then Hammer's turret fires.  It releases what appears to be like a black 8 ball from a billiards set that flies out as if from a bean bag gun.  The "bullet" strikes one of the invisible figures in the door and explodes into a 6 foot diameter area of extreme blackness that almost immediately collapses on itself in a flash.

You realize you have just seen a miniature black hole.  There is a six foot diameter spherical area of the door area that is simply...gone.  You see the perfectly shaved walls and the area where the door used to be.

The good news:  the creatures there are gone.

The bad news:  there are no more doors protecting you from things coming down the hall.

Kyrillian shouts, "There's something right there that just appeared!"

He is pointing to the northeastern corner of the room, but you see nothing there.

Kri'lik again tries to verify the positions Kyrillian shouts out with his own motion tracker, and shouts out his own findings when if he does.

Rather than take any chances, S'Krllk will attempt to pull his needler and fire a shot at the corner Kyrillian has suggested.

Hammer will fire again if the motion indicator shows anything else in the big hole he just created.  "Sorry," he says, "but that was a fine show of metal sheering if you ask me."

Desiraye turns her attention to the norteastern corner of the room and begins to fire as he looks for any further distortions.

Kri'lik verifies the movement, and Desi and S'krllk fire at the corner.

Their fire ignites black flashes of some alien invisible flesh.  Its response is a sound like a seagull turning into a screech as you see whatever it is lumber forward to where Desi stands...or so you think by the thump of its feet, which sound like distant echoes of drums down a valley.

Something swipes Desi's arm, and she feels intense pain there.  As she looks down, she sees a blackness there like a three clawed cat.  (-12 STA.)  It feels like acid burning through her skin.

You fire again, and this time the thing goes down, disappearing in a whisp.

Desi's arm is hurting.

OOC: Posting has slowed... Not exciting enough?  :)

Kyrillian says, "The spots are disappearing.  I'm not sure if they are gone or not moving or...simply not there."

You stand there a moment, looking over at him.

Above you, the intercom makes you jump when a voice says, "Lockdown complete.  Seals unlocked."

In your earpieces, you hear a voice say, "This is the commander speaking.  All military personnel get to the military sector armed.  Secure all weapons.  We have unknown hostiles on the station.  They're...they're everywhere but you may not see them.  Be on high alert--"

His voice is interrupted by a woman's voice:  "This is navigation.  Evacuate levels 5 through 11.  We have imminent impact.  Repeat: The Pegasus has engaged thrusters and will ram the station in 3 minutes unless they can get it under control.  Catastrophic damage expected.  Evacuate!  Evacuate!"

Kyrillian looks up at you.  "We are on Level 8," he says in a panic.

OOC:  Looking at the map below, you have several choices.  Each will take the amount of time indicated and count against the 3 minutes until the Pegasus impact.

You can go through the (north) airlock doors to the large pyramid/trapezoid areas.  (1 minute.)
You can go get a space suit (1 minute).
You can put on a space suit (1 minute).
You can take the turrets with you (1 extra minute).
You can take the cargo elevator (1 minute).

You will have some time after impact, but it will be more...emergency time.

Other things will happen along the way, including combat (hence, the possibility of taking turrets to help).  There is a minimum of 1 minute required to get from your position to the trapezoidal area.


This message was last edited by the GM at 20:51, Wed 02 Nov 2011.

"And to think I used to have a normal life before I meet you all! Lets get some suits, then make for the elevator. We can put them on while we ride the lift."

The professor glances down at his motion sensor. "I'm not seeing anything at the moment if we are going to move we had better do so now!"

As he scuttles off to get a spacesuit, S'Krllk deadpans, "I misremember, is explosive decompression a problem or a confection?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:22, Thu 03 Nov 2011.

Hammer grabs his turret.  The mechanon says, "I don't think I want to be without this right now.  It just saved our nutbolts!"

Deciding that hammer may not need a space suit the professor does not wait for him to breakdown the turret before he rushes off to the lockers.

If there's a sling on her rifle, Desi throws it over her shoulder and begins to make the way to the suits.  "We got a whole butt-load of stuff we just purchased here too!  This isn't good.

I think it may be a slight problem S'Krllk."

OOC: I had forgotten about items you had purchased.  It's okay to say that you brought them with you.  I'm not going to make you lose all that stuff.  The main question is what you're taking out of the current room (like the turrets) or if you are leaving them to avoid taking too much time.

OOC: Desiraye never really got a turret so, if others want to grab them, she's cool with that.

I was going to have her grab something else but, Desi purchased A LOT of stuff.  I think the rifle she took will be sufficient.  We do need to get our asses out of here pretty quick.

S'Krllk doesn't think the turret he had was of much use, and he doesn't want to take the time to grab another. Most of his stuff is wearable, so I don't think he's leaving anything behind.

Hammer will take his turret, having liked the miniature black hole effect.  He tugs it along, saying he will catch up and to hold the door for him.

3 Minutes to Impact...

You quickly gather your things and make your way to the double airlock door.  Hammer lugs his turret in behind as you go through the first airlock, and the door closes you in the small area.  A short decompression occurs, and then the other (northeastern) airlock door opens.

You make your way through a large room to a door on the right (east).  Red lights are flashing everywhere and the station has now reverted to emergency lights only.

You step out onto a platform.  In front of you is a giant window from floor to ceiling and from left to right, allowing a fantastic look out at the heavens and stars and...yes, the Pegasus, which is yawing and sideways and heading straight toward you.

Stairs lead down either side of the platform, where a door connects to other rooms.  However, you see that time is not on your side.  If you go down the stairs and to the right, you will come to the locker with the spacesuits.

Then you test the door leading out to the central hall.  You are horrified to find that the door is security locked.  (Level 3.)

Just then, Kyrillian says, "Oh, no, the movement is returning."  He has tuned out known races, meaning the movement can only be from the invisible creatures.  They are coming at you from multiple directions, as follows:

Desiraye looks around to the others, "I don't think that we're going to make it too far from here and we should all suit up just in case we're in a breeched section.  Best course of survival right now and then we worry about it after we're done figuring this mess out.

Door to the hallway is locked too right?"

Kri'lik quickly runs over to the door leading to the southern hall where the suit lockers are to check and see if its locked. He prayed it was not as that was exactly where he wanted to go....

Hammer quickly sets up the turret so that it faces down the stairs and can cover a wide area.  If there is a seek and destroy mode, he will press it.

2.5 minutes to impact...
The suit locker is unlocked.  There are many suits of all types inside.

Hammer is setting up the turret.  It is scanning left to right, up and down, for enemies.  There is a search and destroy mode and a remote control for him to use.  He puts it on seek and destroy.

Everyone begins suiting up, with Hammer being last...

[Doing anything else before I get you to 2 minutes?]

(Im assuming we are in the short hall with the two lockers between your two red dots?)

As quickly as he can, Kri'lik dons the Vrusk suit then grabs his weapons again. Checking his own motion scanner he calls out the information on it as he sees it. Trying to keep his companions informed.

You are standing at the hallway where the space suit lockers are at.

2 minutes to impact
As you are dressing quickly in the spacesuits, the movement indicator shows that the invisible creatures are progressing on you.

Hammer is last to start getting in his spacesuit because he had to set up his turret facing out.  Unfortunately, it won't see the movement unless something becomes visible.  (The turret is set up right at the top of the overhang about where the arrow from "you are here" is pointed.)

You notice the red dot immediately to the west begins moving toward you...right through the wall!  Although you don't see anything, it must now be within feet of you.

The dot to the far west is moving down the hall toward you.  The two corner dots are moving diagonally through the walls toward you.

The far eastern dot does not appear to be moving at first.  Then you hear a strange buzzing sound (like a mosquito hitting a mosquito attracting light).  You look over quickly and see the amorphous outline of a...something...going directly up the far spaceport windows.  Some sort of forcefield to protect the windows is wrapping the creature in what appears to be electricity, but does not appear to be slowing it.

However, that gives the creature shape and form for a moment, and Hammer's turret locks on and fires.

It is in that moment that you take a second to reflect on your situation...

1.5 minutes to impact
You have a hostile invisible creature immediately to your west.  You are wearing space suits.  You have to reach the elevators before impact...

...and Hammer just fired a miniature black hole at a window, on the other side of which is nothing but the void of space and the chance of dangerous decompression...

On the other side of the window, the Pegasus is yawing and tilting, getting bigger and bigger.

But the moment the turret's singularity blast hits the window, all bets are off.

You hear a sound like a concussion grenade and feel something jerking you toward the window.  The room is beginning to decompress.

Kri'lik quickly looks for something secure he can hold on to in case the room starts to rapidly decompress. "I hope I put this on right." He says referring to his space suit. It had been a long time since he has worn one and never in such haste before.

while S'Krllk concentrates on dodging debris and finding secure footholds, he comments, flatly, "I've always wondered what explosive decompression would be like."

Hammer looks on in shock.  Regaining some composure, he punches out at the invisible shape and yells, "To the cargo elevators."  HE tries to run but will grab onto something if it gets too tough.

"WE'VE GOT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE NOW," Desi yells out once she sees the decompression start to take place.  She starts to make her way to the elevator.

As everyone starts to move out of the locker area Kri'lik checks is mostion sensor build into his left arm's gauntlet and calls out what he see and where as best he can.

"Theres still LOTS of movement coming our way!"

You start to move toward the hallway to the elevator.  The decompression is like a strong wind, but not like it was on the Pegasus when Yag was forced out.

However, it is strong enough that the turret falls over the edge and onto its back on the floor 15 feet below.  It is set to notice movement, and the rocking of it by the forces pulling it toward the hole outside are making it think everything is moving.  So it is firing randomly around the room with its mini-singularities.  One flies over your head, creating a 6 foot wide perfectly cylindrical hole in the ceiling above you with a burst of blackness and sounds of explosion.

Then Kyrillian cries out and you turn.  The datasphere has been ripped from his hands by the unseen assailant.  Kyrillian's hands are scorched black and he is staring at them in shock and horror as behind him the air is being sucked from the room and the Pegasus is getting ever closer.

You can't see the assailant, but you can see the datasphere as its holder jumps over the side of the railing to the floor below.


1 minute, 18 seconds to impact...

You are all now fully dressed in your space suits.

Hearing kryllian scream, Desiraye turns back around and brings the experimental rifle's sights up to her eyes and tries to look for whatever hit him and or, took the datasphere.

S'Krllk apparently decides that retrieving the datasphere and then being squashed by the Pegasus is a bad plan, so he ignores it. Firing his needler down the passage in front of him, he sprints for the center of the station.

Hammer jumps down to take back the datasphere, hoping to land on top of the alien.  "Here goes nothing!" he yells in his spacesuit.

Swinging one arm in the direction of the unseen thief Kri'lik pops pff two quick shots from his laser pistol then runs as fast as his many legs can take him to the elevator.

Beam Weapons 45% (5SEUs)

Kri'lik and Desiraye take aim and fire.  A gooey blood substance flies out and promptly gets sucked out the hole into space.  This causes the invisible assailant to pause, giving Hammer just enough time to land on it and take the datasphere.  Hammer begins running back up the stairs after the others.

1 minute to impact...

At the elevator, you push the button...and wait while slow classical music fills the hall.

Kyrillian has run up behind you.  "It's there!" he yells, pointing down the corridor directly in front of you.

Though there does not appear to be anything there, you know there must be another invisible assailant running after you.

This time, Hammer is holding the datasphere.

54 seconds to impact...

Desiraye spins her attetnion to the target the Kyrllian had just called out to her and drops to one knee and firing a shot dead center down the hallway.

Hammer huddles down by the elevator holding the datasphere with both arms to keep it safe. "Mine!" he yells, half in an insane blabber due to the current situation.  ONce the eleveator opens, he rushes in

After Desiraye fires her shot, she throws her gear into the elevator and then takes up a position of cover just outside the elevators so that the others can get in.

The classical music filling the hall ends with a beep as the elevator door opens.  Behind you, the Pegasus is filling the window with its imminent crash into the space station as the oxygen is sucked out in a whistling sound through the hole made by the singularity turret.

You jump into the elevator, with Hammer holding the datasphere closely to him.  Desiraye takes cover, but you can't see anything coming.  You wouldn't anyway since they do not show up in the visible spectrum.

The doors to the elevator close, and again you hear that soothing classical music filling the air.

Then you begin to wonder what happened to that thing that was on Kyrillian's sensor.  He flips it up and looks again.  "It's here with us!" he yells as you are all standing in the crowded elevator.  The elevator is roughly 8 feet cubed, and the thing could be anywhere.  You can't recall bumping into anything invisible...yet.

42 seconds to impact.

Desiraye hops into the elevator as the doors close behind her and slings her experimental rifle just newly acquired.  When she hears that something is in there with them, she reaches into her vest pocket and slides on her brass knuckles and then retrieves her vibroknife from its sheath into her other hand.  She first looks up and then around the elevator to see if she can see anything.

Kri'lik quickly scans his own motion detector to try and find the hidden enemy if/when he does he shouts out its location. He acts quickly as he realizes that in this confined space he would be an excellent target for this enemy since he has a method to "see" them.

Will fire a laser shot if no one is behind the enemy, if so he will go for a pitol whip.

S'Krllk eloquently sums up his feelings by exclaiming, "GAAAH!" and then flails all his arms in his immediate vicinity as if he's swatting a giant cloud of mosquitoes.

Hammer holds the datasphere close like a football, swinging his metallic fist around to ward off whatever is there.

Kri'lik pulls up his detector and finds that it is right in the middle of you all...but up.  You all look up as it drops from the ceiling area and into your midst.

Desi strikes out with the vibroknife, drawing a purplish goo as she hits.  The goo sprays...

...it hits Hammer...  (4 STA damage)
...and Desi... (6 STA damage)
...and S'Krllk... (8 STA damage)

(It is not affected by armor.)

It burns like an acid, but your skin is actually being transformed/transported into another dimension, leaving it to burst open as if suddenly cut away.

The scream is like a shrill scrape of metal sheering across metal.  It strikes out at Hammer, hitting.  (12 STA damage.)

It fails to get the datasphere from Hammer and suddenly disappears, leaving a black gooey-like spot in the center of the elevator as it goes into its own dimension again.

The classical music stops, and the elevator door opens...

There is nothing there.

24 seconds to impact.

You are now on level 4.  (Levels 5 through 8 were being evacuated.)

It will take you approximately 2 minutes to make it to the escape shuttle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:41, Thu 29 Dec 2011.

Desiraye tries to shake off the pain of her wound and yells out to the others with obvious urgency in her voice, "Let's go people!  We need to go now if we want to get off this ship efore we're royally screwed!"

Desi tucks away her vibroknife and brass knuckles and unslings her experimental rifle as she begins to lead the way towards the escape shuttles.

Hammer follows:  "I won't argue with that.  Lead the way."  He was certainly glad he was wearing a spacesuit now, just in case.

Your party makes a break for the shuttles.  The halls are chaos as people from the ship are running in a panic, some holding portable computers or experiments.  You see a crowd gathered outside the shuttle bay, a horde of people blocking you.

And then comes the crash.  The entire space station rocks from the impact, and metal begins curling in and bending with a sound like a vehicle being crushed in a compactor.

You hear the sound of breaking glass in the distance and then screams.  The crowd begins spilling out into the docking bay.

It pulls you too and you find yourself being swept toward the hangar door.  People are being pulled out into the vacuum of space ten at a time.

Hammer maintains his grip on the datasphere.

You may:

Try to grab onto the hangar door (though someone will also have to try to grab Hammer);

Let yourself be swept into the hangar and possibly grab onto the shuttles or be swept into space; or

Something else you can think of.

Right now, there are people being swept toward you like projectiles, making the hangar door a dangerous place to be.  There is not much to grab onto, but you do have your weapons and equipment and spacesuits on.

Hammer holds tight to the datasphere.  "Someone grab me!" he calls.  "Human--and robot--chain!"

As Desiraye enters the shuttle bay from the elevators, she immediately slings her experimental rifle again seeing the mass of people in front of them trying to get to the escape shuttles that they're trying to get to as well.  The shock of the ship hitting the station is pretty bad as she's knocked into one of the walls and she double checks her gear that it's lashed down or in a pocket or pouch that is secured because the worst of it is about to begin with the decompression of the station.

TBC after OOC question...

Hoping his Vrusks natural aptitude of ambidexterity and his multitude of legs will do the trick Kri'lik reaches one hand out for Hammer while the other tries to find something solid to hold on to.

"If we all bulk up on the door, we still need a shuttle to get out of here.  Screw it, it's worth the risk," Desiraye thinks as she Grasps only her coil of rope and she lets herself go through the doors into the hangar bay where the shuttle are.  Her intention is to get hung upon something and use whatever she has to (including people not on her team) to get near a shuttle and get her and the rest of the team out of here.

Kri'lik grabs Hammer.  You are being thrust out into the hanger and find yourself floating in the air.  Hammer manages to maintain his hold on the datasphere.

You all manage by some miracle to land your feet on the outside of a shuttle.  Unfortunately, the breach in the hull is just twisted metal, and the many corridors emptying into the hanger are emptying their oxygen as well, creating a suction effect that is actually ripping the shuttle from the hangar floor.

In moments, you find yourself standing on the outside hull of a shuttle that is floating outside the space station and toward a huge metal bulk below.  Their had been people clambering into the shuttle, but the sudden lack of pressure and oxygen has sent their bodies flying out into space.  Only one corpse remains, its hand clutched on the door.

You manage to jump into the shuttle and get to the cockpit, pushing the button to repressurize the shuttle.  Unfortunately, the shuttle is floating toward the Pegasus and will impact it in 12 seconds...unless someone with piloting skills can get it up and running fast enough.

OOC: Anyone with piloting skills?

This was mainly a pass/fail scenario since you could get to the shuttle without a problem due to its size and your control over the direction of travel.

Kyrillian is still with you, his eyes wide as he is frozen to the shuttle seat.  "Disaster of disasters," he says, in shock.  "Where is the tracer?  Can they find us?"  You are not sure who he means by "they," but you think he means the invisible, extra-dimensional alien race.

Desi jumps into the seat and starts the engine, getting the engines to pull hard to the left.  (Solid success roll.)

As she is doing this, communications are coming on in the shuttle.  There is a distress call.  "This is General Ashe aboard the Pegasus.  We need immediate evacuation.  We have valuable data regarding the Matrix infection.  Please land a shuttle in the rear docking bay.  Repeat, this is a code red emergency.  Is there anyone in the vicinity?"

The message goes on and on like this as he seeks for help.

OOC: Since Desi was so successful at her piloting skill, she can land it in the Pegasus shuttle bay if she wants.

As Desi jumps into the seat of the shuttle and gets the shuttle going away from the disaster they just escaped from.  She begins to check all of the gauges and readings to make sure that they're all in the 'green' and they can get away when the distress signal comes over the comm channel.  Desi flips the switch and opens the channel to reply, "General Ashe, this is Desiraye Lipost.  We've got a shuttle and we're on our way to your location best speed.  Advise of changes.  Lipost out."

Desiraye begins to bring the shuttle around to the location General Ashe gave them and tells the rest of the team, "Secure all our gear fast!  We're going in to see if we can help.  Gear up with weapons and screens up in case there's trouble and we can support and react accordingly.  I don't know what's going on but, we're probably going to have to dust-off quickly so if you get out, don't go far!"

Desi will take the shuttle in...

General Ashe says over the intercom, "Thank the seven galaxy gods you're here!  Use shuttle bay 3.  It should look familiar.  Do not exit the shuttle."

Desi pulls around, and sure enough it is the same docking bay that you recently escaped from, where the robots attacked and where you did not go without your losses.  Luckily, no riddles this time.

The shuttle docks, and you see what Ashe meant.  The bay doors are blown open and the entire area is decompressed.  After a few moments, you see Ashe, followed by Shinsa and three others.  They are all in spacesuits, and he tells you to open the docking doors of the shuttle to allow for safe entry.  You do so, and soon the General, Shinsa and three other soldiers are aboard.

"Get us out of here, and now!" Ashe orders.  "The whole place is going to blow after that impact."

In reply to General Ashe (msg #82):

Desiraye opens the docking doors of the shuttles to let everyone in and she adds with a lot of enthusiasm, "LET'S GO!  LET'S GO!"  Once everyone is in and secured, she gets the shuttle moving away at best speed.  Desi lets the shuttle build up cabin pressure so that they can take off, or at least stop using, their spacesuits and relax some.  "Welcome aboard General and staff.  Would you mind telling us what the hell just happened back there?"

Ever the protective type Kri'lik wanders over to the new arrivals to see if any of them need medical attention.

S'Krllk remarks, "That was novel. Usually the universe just shoots at us, this is the first time it tried to ram us with a spaceship."

The general holds up a small data disk.  "Look familiar?" It is the original disk you took with the Matrix virus data.  "This fried our entire network on Pegasus.  But nothing we could detect.  It was a Trojan Horse that just took us on a crash course suddenly.  Shinsa, let them know what we found out."

The general begins getting comfortable.  You see he is still hurt from his previous wounds.  No one else is injured.

Shinsa takes the small data disk from Ashe.  You see it has been put inside a sealed vial now.

"Well," the human woman with cybernetic implants says, "we were tracking the purpose of the Matrix.  Although it is a native species able to infiltrate mechanical devices, we believe it was...shall we say, 'genetically altered,' to be a weapon.  There is a race of aliens -- extra-dimensional aliens -- and the Sathar are trying to align with them to defeat the rest of us.  The Matrix was re-engineered to track down and destroy those aliens when they make themselves known."

Kyrillian says, "So when they showed up on the ship, the Matrix detected and tried to destroy them by ramming the Pegasus into the space station."

Shinsa nods.  "Exactly.  And we couldn't do anything to stop it.  They do not respond to human commands, not that we know of anyway."  She stuffs the vial in her pocket.  "So the Matrix cannot be allowed to infest any machinery, especially if there is any danger of those aliens appearing, because it will turn the machinery into a fighting machine against them."

"Oh. That sounds really, really, really bad."
"See, that little matrix thing has been trying to eliminate us since we first ran into it. If it was always supposed to track down and destroy the extra-dimensional aliens, they've been following us for a while."
S'Krllk is clearly confused, wondering whether they were being threatened by the matrix or protected by it.