Mass Effect: IC-342 (Ironsworn: Starforged) Session 14

Even before I start writing a report, I send a priority dispatch through the Weave to Anchor Drop station confirming a positive Geth ID on the ship.

    It isn’t much more than a warning, but it’s a necessary warning. Whatever happened on the Forge Flier, the Geth were involved, and it resulted in a lot of dead humans. If that’s not enough of a reason for Calderone to rally the troops around Sigil, Nova and Anchor Drop, then I can’t think what else could be a better one.

And that’s when things go from bad to worse.

The first indication that something is wrong comes when the lights flicker. It’s momentary, but even a tiny fluctuation is a problem in space. Sitting up in the flight chair, I tap through data on a projected display, get worried when none of the readings seem out of the ordinary.

“MISO, tell me I’m dreaming.”

“Please clarify query,” MISO responds.

“The lights just flickered,” I look back to the projected readings. “I’m not seeing anything here about it. Did you detect anything?”

Instead of an answer, I get another light flicker, this one longer, darker. Swallowing, I push myself out of my seat and cross down out of the cockpit.

“What’s going on, MISO?”

“I am detecting a software incursion,” MISO finally responds. “It is geth in origin. It is attempting to shut down our drive core.”

“Which explains why they didn’t chase us,” I shake my head. “What can I do?” 

“Unfortunately, nothing at this time,” MISO says, and the lights flicker again, almost as if to punctuate his words. “Please put on your EVA suit in case a full shutdown and reboot is required.”

I don’t ask any more questions. I rush to the airlock, get right back into my vacc suit and test all the seals. The lights flicker again, and as pressure levels out in my suit, I try to control my breathing, try not to feel helpless.

    Move: Endure Stress (-1)
    Roll: Spirit (3) + Roll 4 = 8 vs 2 & 9 (Weak hit)
    Lose momentum -1 (now 3) to recover spirit (now 4)

    The lights sputter, then die completely. In the silence that follows, all I can hear is my breathing, my heartbeat. I put my hands on the wall to try to steady myself, and start counting down from one hundred.

    At thirty-two, the lights come back on, and I take what feels like the deepest, longest breath that I’ve taken in a long time.

    “MISO,” I try, hesitating for a moment. “How’s it going up there?”

    “I have purged the virus,” MISO states succinctly. “Drive core will restart presently.”

    And it does, and it’s a beautiful sound. Fresh air rattles through overhead vents, and I’m almost laughing as I pull off my helmet and stash it back in its alcove. Shucking off my vacc suit again, I take deep lungfuls of the air, lean against the wall with my eyes closed, just grateful to still be alive.

    “I have sensor data on the Devil’s Rest system, if you’d like to analyze,” MISO says.

    “Give me the basics,” I tell him, then bring up my omni-tool to parse through the data.

Space Sighting: Stellar Object: White Dwarf shining with spectral light.
Do I see a Mass Relay yet? Oracle says No.
Number of planets: 3
DR-1: Furnace World; Moons: 0
DR-2: Grave World; Moons: 2
DR2a: Exotic Moon: Migrating Accident Site
DR2b: Crystalline Moon
DR-3: Tainted World; Moons: 0