>>1052949
Looks like some of the gutted machines in the triangular room may have originally been used for sorting mail, while another used a combination of magnetic coils and compressed air to propel small packages through tubes inside the walls.

Aided by DANI's description of the room's original function, Ivori obtains a plan seed, and an oddity: a postcard with text in an unfamiliar language on one side, photorealistic image filling the other. Picture conveys an illusion of depth, and by looking at it from different angles you can actually see things which were out of frame in the straight-on view. Focus is three humanoids bearing a family resemblance to DANI, posing around an inactive Dread Destroyer.

At least a day or two of work to turn the seed concept into a ready-to-use plan, and probably a week per set to build, but once you do here's what it will be:

EXPRESS TUBE
Minimum Crafting Level: 2
Kind: Installation
Iotum: Io (1d6 units); responsive synth (10 units); synthsteel (1 unit); mimetic gel (4 units)
Parts: 20 units
Specifications: This plan produces two 3-foot (1 m) cubes of synth and metal connected by a synth tube up to 1 mile (1.5 km) long, as well as five synth canisters about 20 inches (50 cm) long and 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. A canister placed in one of the cubes is transported along the synth tube at about 30 miles per hour (50 kph) and arrives at the other cube. There are switching stations along the length of the cube that allow canisters to pass each other in either direction. The tubes are usually buried or elevated to keep them out of the way of human activity.
Connecting multiple express tubes together creates a transportation network with controls on the cubes directing each canister to the correct end point.
Depletion: 1 in d20 (check per month of use)

rolled 17, 12, 5, 20, 17, 10, 15, 3, 17, 17, 18, 7, 4, 8, 3, 16, 15, 20, 3, 8 = 235

---

>>1052948
In her current state of mild inebriation, Melaina finds this very funny. A fruit peeler!

>>1052981
So this would be the machine the mycelimancer "harmless, even beneficial for those willing to learn." A means of transmitting messages at a distance could have been very useful (what with being lost and all) but if the equipment is gutted, it probably can't help us much without repairs. (Similarly, sounds like local value for salvage has probably been exhausted). The plan seed sounds useful, though!

Looking onto the next area then...

>>1052509
The "vigilant and vindictive" numenera the mycelimancer warned of is in the direction of the triangular space and the whirring noise, yes?

>Hallway with the shin-high narrow-beam lights continues for about thirty meters. There's a dark passage to the left near the halfway point.
Let's check the less-reportedly-deadly side passage first. Anything show up in the dark if Mel takes her light-on-a-stick in?

>>1053013
>The "vigilant and vindictive" numenera the mycelimancer warned of is in the direction of the triangular space and the whirring noise, yes?
>rolled 17
Yes. It's actually the source of the whirring noise, and the only other large-enough-to-be-useful exit from that room passes through its engagement range.
>Let's check the less-reportedly-deadly side passage first. Anything show up in the dark if Mel takes her light-on-a-stick in?
>rolled 12, 5, 20
First thing you see is an image of yourself, earlier, walking down the hallway past those knee-high lights. It moves as you did but more slowly, and in intervals of shadow your two-minute-younger self's skeleton is dimly visible, as if bones were glowing through the flesh.
Stepping forward seemingly brings that image no closer, even as you break into a run. Keeps looping back to the start of the hallway, just before you turned to enter that side passage. For a few nightmarish moments it seems like you're trapped in some kaleidoscopic temporal anomaly.

Then you trip and faceplant onto the treadmill.

With better light, it's revealed as a six-meter-wide room full of display screens and exercise equipment. Recordings from the hallway could reveal the subtlest details of how somebody walks or otherwise moves, providing valuable insight toward teaching them to do so more efficiently.

rolled 19, 16, 15, 6, 6, 15, 13, 11, 18, 20, 15, 19, 13, 6, 6, 19, 20, 10, 1, 3 = 251

---

>>1053038
Ivori appears at the other end of the treadmill. Nope, she didn't do anything at all. No ma'am.
As opposed to Melania's touch-and-go approach, Ivori tentatively climbs her way across the area, then gracefully lands at the control room and glances at the machine's diagnostic of her abnormal exercise routine.

Attempt to understand numenera, no effort.

rolled 10, 14, 2, 3, 5, 9, 8, 19, 16, 13, 15, 3, 17, 10, 11, 10, 16, 5, 14, 14 = 214

---

>>1052851
The impromptu ceremony of food, singing and mild inebriation manage to soften much of Misha's bitterness towards the Margyr nano, helped by the discussion of multiple working numenera installations, that they are able to operate no less, catching her interest. In a minor symbolic gesture of bridges mended, she gives the Mycelimancer one of her Cyphers; an invisibility nodule, to look after and make use of (totally not just because she has no use for the dang thing)

Thus relieved and surrounded by parts and tools, she sets to work on developing a mounting that would allow the recently-discovered Stunner to be more easily and consistently used (settling on an arm-cannon style design), spacing out lamentations of not having the better equipment of her lab with more questions fired at the group's new companion.

"Internal conflict resolution and unassailable defence from external threats definitely sounds like a good setup you have goin'. What do these installations actually do? Also come t'think of it, minor tangent, but what d'you lot do for sustenance?"

rolled 18, 12, 4, 6, 14, 3, 4, 4, 17, 9, 5, 18, 5, 9, 19, 8, 10, 8, 17, 10 = 200

---

>>1052981
>Focus is three humanoids bearing a family resemblance to DANI, posing around an inactive Dread Destroyer.
"Hm. You know these people, DANI?"

>>1053038
>visible skeleton scanner
The nano is pretty curious what their mechanical companion looks like under that one.

1053038
>[The "vigilant and vindictive" numenera is] the source of the whirring noise, and the only other large-enough-to-be-useful exit from that room passes through its engagement range.
"So is this one part of the mail-delivery system gone feral too? Or's it security on purpose."
Does it look like there's a control panel or any kind of interface or... anything in the dangerous room, outside of danger-door's reach? Presumably its operators would have needed a way to pass through safely, though if we're unlucky, the controls are on the other side. (Short of turning it off, we might be able to try breaking it from across the room, but our android probably takes a dim view on vandalism).

rolled 9, 16, 6, 9, 18, 18, 2, 5, 12, 16, 7, 12, 15, 17, 4, 6, 2, 9, 8, 11 = 202

---

>>1053296
> "Hm. You know these people, DANI?"

"Not particularly more than I imagine you recognize any human at sight. Actually, maybe you would recognize humans by sight since obviously you lack proper IFF tags. Any visual distinction between units is actually entirely for the sake of human psychological reasons, since any important information and short wave radio transmissions can be automatically scanned by any two units in proximity, but early user data revealed that having multiple identical units at any given installation was 'unsettling' for some reason."

It might be just the relative intoxication talking, but there seemed to be an iota of pride in the description of her capabilities.


>>1053038
Well, it's probably for the best to look over it as well. Even if she winds up not being able to discern exactly what this piece of equipment was for, there should be an E-Stop somewhere on both sides for safety reasons if passing through the machine in active use is truly as dangerous as it has been reported.

Also, I am spending 4 experience on Might Edge 2

>>1053367
DANI walks up to the whirring archway. Articulated limbs whip out, grab her by the ankles, lift her about a handspan off the floor, and after thirty seconds of cleaning and mending around her boots, set her gently back down. There's a brassy chime to indicate the task's completion. She finds it deeply reassuring that at least something around here is still working normally.

rolled 17, 7, 8, 14, 8, 9, 17, 20, 10, 7, 15, 20, 11, 2, 7, 9, 17, 14, 18, 9 = 239

---

>>1053369
Excellent, the danger mostly comes from people not adhering to local dress codes, as opposed to anything actually wrong with machines. Though violating clean room procedures will pose a problem for getting them out.

Well, might as well check out the conveyer belt treadmill thing as well, while we're here.

rolled 9, 1, 10, 7, 20, 3, 6, 8, 13, 16, 11, 5, 17, 18, 1, 17, 6, 17, 10, 18 = 213

---

Well, if it's an android repair bay, that certainly explains why it's attempts to "repair" other people have gone so wrong in the past.

"Ah, wait, DANI, is there a path on the other side, or is it a dead end?"

If there's no exit beyond that installation we'll have to find a different path (down the way the magyr went, or back where we first showed up). But if there is, we can still try and figure out how to turn it off / get by safely.

>>1053504
Maybe fifteen meters past the whirring archway there's a four-way intersection, so at least three possible routes.

Mycelimancer says previous exploration down that way usually just skipped past it with various sorts of short-range teleportation.

Ivori opts to train herself with some light exercise. After multiple runs showing the flaws in her silent step and balancing, a small pamphlet ejects from the analysis machine, giving a succinct summary of what Ivori needs to correct and future exercises to improve. Ivori memorizes the pamphlet, practicing its routine, and finds that her stealth stance and general athletics are already noticeably faster.
(4XP: Movement Disability -> Movement Standard)

>>1053370
DANI points out a pair of closet-sized rooms in the back corners of the exercise area: a shower and a latrine. Shower's temperature can be adjusted, and supplemented by ultrasound emitters which massage sore muscles while scrubbing off particulates. Unfortunately, the water includes some alkaline de-greaser which makes it nauseously non-potable. Smells pleasant, at least.

Four hours after you first arrived, three simultaneous problems:
1) Improvised wedge slips loose from holding the door that needed Director Lee's palmprint to open. Door starts to close.

2) Misha and the mycelimancer have a little over half the parts and materials needed to start building a case for the stun ray, were gathering the remainder by cutting apart boxes from the conveyor belt and sifting through the worm's remains.
When Misha started to get up, in a rush to catch the door, sudden shortness of breath, dizziness, narcolepsy.

3) Three human-sized figures in grungy all-concealing cloaks or robes are shuffling out of the dark hallways, toward the whirring arch.

rolled 3, 9, 20, 17, 17, 13, 20, 16, 2, 16, 5, 9, 11, 18, 19, 3, 13, 17, 9, 4 = 241

---

>Shower's temperature can be adjusted, and supplemented by ultrasound emitters which massage sore muscles while scrubbing off particulates.
Siiiinging in the soooonic shoooooower~

Well, can't spend 4 hours on that. Maybe spend some of the downtime on another attempt to understand the repair arch, this time with an asset from Melaina's book? Must be some way to turn it off or get by it safely.

>3) Three human-sized figures in grungy all-concealing cloaks or robes are shuffling out of the dark hallways, toward the whirring arch.
"Hello?" The nano calls out towards the approaching figures. "Be careful, that arch is dangerous!"

rolled 7, 20, 13, 9, 4, 10, 9, 12, 11, 2, 11, 18, 17, 2, 14, 6, 5, 16, 7, 1 = 194

---

>>1053560
Getting somewhat lost in her newest little project and the gathering of materials for it, Misha is caught totally offguard by the door's sudden starting to close.

With a startled yelp she scrambles to her feet, already planning to quickly improvise a device with Right tool for the Job for either ensuring the door remains open or reopening it, but when her first hurried step towards it results in the room lurching, a call for aid is strangled in it's inception as she has to fight to remain conscious, putting Might effort into pushing through the waves of nausea and fatigue to not get cut off from the others.

rolled 15, 12, 3, 8, 12, 1, 5, 3, 4, 15, 8, 12, 11, 14, 13, 18, 18, 16, 11, 11 = 210

---

How quaint, it appears the showers have a 'Training Waterfall' setting.
Ivori spends an hour meditating under the overbearing downpour, recalling the token lessons she had to pass as a numenera junior researcher. Many of her assassination operations involved studying the core basics of her cover identity in order to fool the border guards of each nation she infiltrated. In general, if they could fool the guard captain by performing an actual demonstration of skills, the rank-and-file would completely ignore them from then on in favor of the rest of the queue, who were now more likely to be spies than some ditzy specialists. Her sister took to it well. (Made for some easy pranking). While her masters inferenced that most of academia is a con to get students from wealthy families to pay for additional classes they probably wouldn't need and would forget in time, the upside of a redundantly padded education is that it's harder to forget the basics; Ivori constantly forgets what she's applied if it doesn't involve stealth or murder. But for now, skill in identification will be required in a scout. [Flex Skill - Understanding Numenera]

Moderately annoyed at her waste of two charges of degradable toxin, Ivori spends some time crafting longer-lasting toxins by studying and applying the surrounding garbage.

>Three human-sized figures in grungy all-concealing cloaks or robes are shuffling out of the dark hallways, toward the whirring arch.
Ivori climbs above them and gets into position, ready to sneak attack if the party chooses to engage.

>>1053700
>rolled 3, 9
>Must be some way to turn it off or get by it safely.
So far, only seen enough graspers for one person at a time. Could try running past while it's distracted?
> "Be careful, that arch is dangerous!"
Seemingly heeding this warning, they stop. One in the lead extends a limb and draws a chalk line on the ground.

The limb in question doesn't have a hand, or an elbow, but it's not a tentacle either. Moved almost more like a telescoping piston.

>>1053778
>rolled 15, 12, 3
Ivori climbs a wall and slithers through a crevice in the ceiling, above the active portion of the whirring arch. A handhold breaks off when she puts weight on it, but she manages to land gracefully, and would have caught the three robed figures by surprise... but they've already collapsed into a pile. No signs of life, just scrap synth and garbage.

>>1053700
>rolled 20
Somebody's sneaking up behind Melania. Can't be Ivori, she's in plain view over on the far side of the arch.

rolled 9, 15, 4, 1, 5, 3, 16, 5, 5, 15, 5, 5, 14, 19, 6, 5, 2, 6, 9, 8, 18, 6, 10, 4, 18, 19, 16, 7, 16, 9 = 280

---

After examining the treadmill and exercise equipment, DANI would stand a vigil to help make sure everyone was safe in the room.

Unfortunately for her, the laws of physics dictated that would be not even remotely feasible given that two things started happening at the same time. Between a possible medical emergency that absolutely warranted sending out an emergency broadcast situation, and mysterious newcomers.

While annoying, the door closing behind them hardly struck as an emergency and indeed the idea that they wouldn't be able to get back through it wouldn't even be considered, since it should be easy to just scan the handprint again, or see if emergency access codes are still valid even if she really shouldn't be resorting to such a thing.

Still, medical emergency reported, Dani would inspect the newcomers.

DANI pings the ragged-robed arrivals for RFID tags but they're... absent? No. Invalid, expired. You're looking at a pile of garbage that inexplicably learned how to stand up and walk around.

>>1053766
Misha falls to hands and knees, hacking up fragments of lung and watching the margyr nano race toward the rapidly narrowing sliver of light through the door to the lounge, knowing he won't make it in time.

Wakes up a minute or two later, on what feels like a lumpy but serviceable bed. Instant Wall cypher (and a day's worth of water) has been expended to create a ramp. Mycelimancer is dragging her, on a molded-foam sled, along the previously-inaccessible section of suspended catwalk through the cavernous area where the portal originally opened up. He claims to have a plan, but is grunting and wheezing with the effort of carrying it out rather than slowing down to explain.

rolled 20, 2, 2, 13, 3, 5, 6, 1, 11, 2, 11, 18, 2, 13, 10, 1, 18, 1, 19, 3 = 161

---

>Somebody's sneaking up behind Melania. Can't be Ivori, she's in plain view over on the far side of the arch.
Meep! The nano darts away from what is probably trouble, as Ribbons of Dark Matter condense behind her. Melaina turns around, staff glowing and at the ready, to see who or what was behind her.

Going to spend 4xp on Moving Towards Perfection to upgrade Melaina's Intellect Edge to 2.

>>1054077
Three vaguely human-sized upright piles of debris - scrap metal, yellowish-brown waterlogged paper, snarled wire and hair, other nasty stuff - each wearing a tattered cloak of thin black synth. Apparently they can teleport. Some of the material is recognizably leftover bits of the mail-sorting machines, though.

The one to Melaina's left (DANI's right, and furthest from the exercise room) reaches out with that thin piston-like limb and draws another line on the ground with the same piece of chalk, right behind Melaina's heels, apparently indicating that if she takes another step backward she'll be in the whirring arch's engagement range.

rolled 2, 4, 19, 4, 1, 17, 8, 5, 13, 10, 19, 9, 5, 4, 4, 20, 19, 1, 15, 4 = 183

---

Ivori watches as the rest of the party panics and flees. Few things in this entire universe could define the word 'amalgamation' better than pieces of detritus and spoils convalescing into sentient constructs through nanomachine-empowered chaos. If only her masters could see what true 'living garbage' was...

She has been split from her party. No matter. Whether they live or die, there is little she can do for them divided on this side of the disassembly line.

Ivori continues to stare at the three robed piles, trying to comprehend how they function and where their power sources are. After all, an assassin must always know how to kill every type of being that is within their range perception.
[Understanding Numenera 1 Effort]

Finally, she decides they are not aggressive at the moment. Time for a simple solution to the most pressing problem:
"...Exit?"

rolled 17, 11, 9, 12, 14, 8, 10, 6, 4, 14, 3, 16, 11, 9, 2, 6, 8, 19, 6, 18 = 203

---

>The one to Melaina's left (DANI's right, and furthest from the exercise room) reaches out with that thin piston-like limb and draws another line on the ground with the same piece of chalk, right behind Melaina's heels, apparently indicating that if she takes another step backward she'll be in the whirring arch's engagement range.
"Aha, right, dangerous." Mel's going to take a few steps to the side, so she's not right up against the danger zone.

"Sorry about the uh," the nano gestures vaguely at the shadow-stuff the figures don't seem particularly perturbed by. "You just surprised me, is all." Teleporting behind someone like that might be rude, but they aren't attacking, and seem to have reciprocated the warning. Hopefully a positive sign.

"Hello! I'm Melaina! We're explorers, currently trying to locate this facility's exit. Who are you?"

>>1054208
>rolled 2, 4
No idea what these things are. If they've got vital core systems, probably either very small or hidden in some transdimensional pocket. Seem to be carefully avoiding the whirring arch, so shoving them into it might be a reasonable first thing to try. Failing that, might have to fall back on the professional assassin's BFFs: Burning, Freezing, Blunt Force, and/or the Bigger Fish - that is, maneuvering a seemingly unstoppable target into direct hostilities against something even worse.

In terms of other tactical weaknesses... movement rate seems to be limited to a slow shuffle, so ought to be easy to outrun, provided their teleportation can somehow be prevented. They also don't seem to be reacting to sound at all. Possible they haven't got ears.

>exit
There's a 4-way intersection, meaning three unexplored passageways, close enough you could be there and taking cover around the corner in one round. No apparent lights, though, so you'd be stumbling around in the dark unless you lit one of your torches or glowglobes.

Or you could crawl back through the same crevice in the ceiling used to get here. Walls seem to be smoother on this side, though, no handholds from the scars of stripped machinery, so climbing or jumping up there won't be easy. A ladder sure would be useful.

rolled 7, 15, 10, 17, 9, 14, 12, 20, 6, 12, 10, 13, 14, 11, 16, 14, 1, 14, 18, 14 = 247

---

>>1054073
Groggy, Misha tries to sit up and immediately regrets it as old familiar and newly introduced pains both lance through her, causing her to abandon the attempt.

Normalising her breathing, she focuses on the Mycelimancer's words, confused.
"What, a plan? I thought your lot couldnae get in here... I guess the creature came f'back here, did yer mushroom buddy tell you about somewhere with healing? Gonna fix me up?"

Lying back, the Wright gives a slight wry smile at the thought. Wouldn't that be nice; stumbling ass-backwards into a cure for her ongoing condition. She's long past the stage of hoping for an easy solution, after all the frustratingly persistent withering affects even grafted parts, flesh or synthetic. But she indulges the thought for a moment, idly looking at the ceiling of the vast chamber as she's dragged along.

The moment passes, and now braced for the hurt she successfully props herself up on her elbows with a groan.
"Bloody hell."

Head now elevated, she takes a good look around at the situation, nodding in approval at the usage of the Instant Wall as she scans the surroundings and their destination for anything useful.

>>1054303
Now that it's a matter of a level surface with handrails instead of scrambling up a steep stony slope, and you're away from most of the spores, mycelimancer slows down a bit to chat.
>did yer mushroom buddy tell you about somewhere with healing? Gonna fix me up?
>rolled 7
Geyser of Shameful Weakness provides the best healing, which could be obtained by raid or barter, but he admits he hadn't planned quite that far ahead.

Path you're on runs parallel to the long axis of the cavernous space. Maybe a hundred meters past the top of the instant wall there's a side branch, perpendicular catwalk leading into another doorway.
"Not go that way," says the mycelimancer, though the word in Truth he's using for 'not' isn't the one you'd expect - it's a very formal technical term referring to the point at which simpler or more intuitive models of some phenomenon start yielding dangerously inaccurate predictions. Occasionally used as a poetic euphemism for the Iron Wind, though that interpretation seems contextually unlikely.
"Lair of fogbox cat, no-eyed deer - or was, once, which is bad enough."

>I thought your lot couldnae get in here...
Haven't found a way to open that door you came through - not in living memory, anyway - but there's a way around, seldom used due to the danger. As recently as 10^6 hours ago his mentor set hoof on this very same bridge by making use of a teleportation cypher to bypass The Mutilator. Fluid level was higher then.
>rolled 15
Misha was under the impression margyr had individual lifespans comparable to humans. Shorter, if anything. But here's this guy, looking maybe in his 30s or 40s, talking about something that happened 10^6 hours (meaning ~114 years) ago with a tone of childhood nostalgia, and referring to "living memory" as if it often reaches immensely further back than that.

rolled 7, 1, 8, 10, 18, 12, 12, 12, 17, 3, 2, 5, 5, 17, 3, 6, 18, 19, 9, 3 = 187

---

Are the interlopers doing anything else? Or have they just been standing their since they teleported past the arch and drew the chalk lines?

>They also don't seem to be reacting to sound at all. Possible they haven't got ears.
Hmm. Do they react to hand signs? (Melaina waves). Or maybe they can read or recognize symbols if they draw lines. Maybe if Melaina "writes" a message in dark matter, that might get a response? (She'll try repeating herself in text >>1054224 ).

Going to continue trying to establish communication with the newcomers... or at least see if something gets a reaction out of them.

rolled 17, 5, 10, 15, 17, 12, 7, 2, 7, 4, 16, 10, 4, 14, 2, 18, 17, 16, 20, 1 = 214

---

>>1054300
> Possibly don't have ears

Well, DANI will try broadcasting a facility standard hail and introduction over short range radio frequencies that ostensibly are just robot language, broadcasting over any open channels, prioritizing by proximity and existing users

rolled 12, 19, 10, 5, 11, 16, 14, 7, 15, 8, 8, 17, 5, 9, 14, 12, 4, 7, 17, 3 = 213

---

Ivori lights up a glowglobe and rolls it like a bowling ball through one of the corridors. She arms her bow and stares intently as the little ball of light eventually comes to a stop.

>>1054362
There's hissing and crackling in the machine telepathy channel which you thought was meaningless background noise until it suddenly resolves into voices. "A sword." "A sleeper." "A wounded angel." "We are what you left behind." "We are who left you behind." "Where is your gate, angel?" "When is your alarum, sleeper?" "What line, sword, will you cut us for crossing?" Bit rude that they aren't presenting properly formatted names.
>>1054348
The one with the chalk draws a few stick figures, and makes gestures which are difficult to interpret because the number of fingers involved doesn't stay consistent from one moment to the next. Seems to be asking either "are you allied with the margyr" or "do you like goats."

>>1054376
Rolling the glowglobe doesn't initially work - it either sticks to the floor at the point of contact or jumps pack to her hand as if it was on a string. However, picking a millipede out of her hair (one more reason that ceiling crevice isn't a very desirable option) and inducing it to crawl on the globe instead seems to satisfy the device's need to be held, after which it can roll normally.

Following the right-hand wall, hallway continues about 50 meters to a Y intersection, where Ivori encounters the mycelimancer coming the other way, still dragging Misha on a crude pressed-foam sled.
Third branch of that Y intersection has another short hallway, with periodic flashes of light in a complex sequence of colors from something in an open space at the far end.
>rolled 12, 19
>>1054303
>rolled 7, 15
Seems like the pattern of colors might be a countdown, though if so the zero point is at least a day away.

rolled 18, 6, 10, 15, 19, 9, 2, 10, 19, 19, 6, 13, 6, 17, 2, 5, 8, 5, 2, 8 = 199

---

>>1054587
>Seems to be asking either "are you allied with the margyr"
"Well we're allied with one margyr, we had an unfortunate confrontation with the rest, but left off with a fruit basket, so maybe there's hope?"

Um, lessee, Melaina can make little shadow-puppets that look like their stick figures. Here's a group of us, here's a group of goat-horned stick figures, bump them into each other and have a little fight, then the groups separate again, but the shadow with goat horns and holding a mushroom has changed groups. Oh! And she can show the actual fruit basket.

Mechanically, trying to convey the truth that we had a confrontation with the margyr, but recruited one of them. Making simple figures and moving them around seems within the sphere of Hedge Magic + dark matter (though elaborate and detailed illusions might need a dedicated Nano power, or Effort). Training in positive social interactions continues to apply.

>or "do you like goats."
"Not like that." she blushes.

rolled 16, 6, 16, 4, 15, 10, 10, 1, 17, 7, 20, 19, 17, 11, 8, 4, 17, 2, 3, 9 = 212

---

Interesting. Ivori considers raising some venomous millipedes to stick onto her glowglobes - they'll run the moment they detect something, leaving the glowglobe to stick at the point of danger.

Ivori stares at the mycelimancer for a few seconds, then points at him and then in the direction of the third branch, checking up on Misha soon after the mycelicmancer leaves to investigate.

After a summary examination for any invading diseases or curses (and some discreet slight-of-hand to reverse pickpocket embarrassing items into her inventory while her back is turned), Ivori joins up with the mycelimancer (assuming he's still alive at this point) and analyzes whatever is causing that beeping noise.

[Understanding Numenera, 0 Effort]

>>1054674
>rolled 18
You accurately convey the information, but they're not happy to learn it. Weapon-limbs are extruded - a tangle of glass shards, a rusty hook which might once have been part of a bicycle frame, and a cylindrical ceramic bludgeon - and they start trying to kill you in a plodding, methodical (reluctant?) sort of way.
> rolled 6, 10, 15
One of those would have connected, if not for the hindrance of them still being caught in your shadow-thicket.

rolled 11, 3, 6, 18, 4, 14, 11, 10, 5, 6, 4, 20, 19, 19, 19, 16, 1, 18, 20, 13 = 237

---

>>1054587
"That sure is a lot of needless hostility given that, at least theoretically, we are all supposed to be protecting the facility. Or whatever is left of it."

>>1054781
And this is where needless hostility becomes a boiling point, DANI will activate hold the gate and put herself in the path of the blows to make sure that nobody else gets hit

>>1054822
As she wades through the snarl of dark matter, a fist-like mass of glass shards collides with DANI's face, forcefully enough to shed glittering splinters in all directions. Her eyes aren't even scratched. Two other attacks are safely deflected, and a judo-throw followup leaves one of the trashbag raiders sprawled across the wrong side of that chalk line.

The archway's whir slowly rises to a shriek. When it calms, and articulated arms withdraw, nothing visible remains of the one who was grabbed.

>theoretically, we are all supposed to be protecting the facility
>rolled 18
The three... well, two of them now... use a dialect of machine telepathy distinct from your own, though somewhat mutually intelligible. Possibly descended from Waste Management rather than Security. In any case, checksum subtext makes it clear they have no loyalty whatsoever to your employer.

rolled 18, 18, 17, 1, 4, 1, 10, 18, 15, 5, 2, 11, 13, 1, 6, 9, 7, 2, 19, 6 = 183

---

>You accurately convey the information, but they're not happy to learn it. Weapon-limbs are extruded - a tangle of glass shards, a rusty hook which might once have been part of a bicycle frame, and a cylindrical ceramic bludgeon - and they start trying to kill you in a plodding, methodical (reluctant?) sort of way.
Melaina realizes she doesn't actually know which way she answered wrong- are they hostile because the group isn't allied with the magyr as a whole, or because the group now includes a magyr? Either way, if they're reluctant, that might imply some kind of obligation they don't have a choice about.

>The archway's whir slowly rises to a shriek. When it calms, and articulated arms withdraw, nothing visible remains of the one who was grabbed.
Hmm, interesting, the arch disassembled it, rather than trying to make it more DANI-like. Perhaps there's some cutoff where the arch judges targets too far from the idealized state to "repair" and it salvages parts instead? (That, or maybe it teleported again, but last time it appeared to be short-range). The really strange thing is that the arch would consider humans to be more DANI-like than machines. Perhaps they aren't machines at all? ...some kind of spirit, which possesses or assembles a body out of mechanical debris?

>what do
Melaina is going to stay away from the people trying to kill her, and the archway that seems to want to kill 'upgrade' her, letting DANI take point. The nano will fire shadow bolt(s) (onslaught) at the aggressive maybe-spirits entangles in the shadow-thicket, trying to disable or disarm rather than kill.

rolled 7, 5, 9, 18, 14, 10, 14, 19, 10, 13, 14, 7, 5, 12, 8, 3, 1, 9, 15, 9 = 202

---

>>1054916
> The three... well, two of them now... use a dialect of machine telepathy distinct from your own, though somewhat mutually intelligible. Possibly descended from Waste Management rather than Security. In any case, checksum subtext makes it clear they have no loyalty whatsoever to your employer.

Well then, Section 122.36 of the handbook on dealing with rogue artificial intelligences is fairly clear on what to do in the case of sentient artificial intelligence that has overcome any inbuilt loyalty and is in the process of enacting violence after civil discussions have failed.

That being violence. Fortunately for them, civil discussions haven't actually started yet, so she will hold at the ready for the moment.

"The line that you will be cut for crossing, as it turns out, is attempted hostilities directed at my compatriots that I am escorting away from the facilities. I would apologize, but I actually have a fairly strong stance on the issue and would require an extremely compelling motivation to avoid what would otherwise come next."

>>1054979
>rolled 18,
Melaina figures out that they came here planning to attack the margyr and steal stuff, would have been glad to have new allies in that, but now that the margyr are apparently your subjugated tributaries, such a deal doesn't seem possible. They're currently expecting to die, since they can't outrun or out-fight DANI, but will retreat instead if given a reasonable opportunity. There's some larger community they'd be reporting back to if so.
>Perhaps there's some cutoff where the arch judges targets too far from the idealized state to "repair" and it salvages parts instead?
>18,
Arch's manipulators disassembled from the bottom up. Last piece remaining was a lone boot, and it actually added new material to the sole before pausing a moment as if confused and finally withdrawing. Boot was pulled into storage mostly intact, while other fibrous material got torn up in situ.
Earlier, when working on DANI, barely touched anything above the knees. Maybe it's a sort of automated shoeshine station rather than more general repair.
>stay away
>17,
Adrenaline-fueled acrobatics and clever use of shadow strands as transient hand and footholds end up with Mel dangling from the same ceiling crevice Ivori used. Could descend safely on either side of the arch.
>1, 4
Second blast manages to avoid hitting DANI.

>>1055006
>"The line that you will be cut for crossing, as it turns out, is attempted hostilities directed at my compatriots that I am escorting away from the facilities. I would apologize, but I actually have a fairly strong stance on the issue and would require an extremely compelling motivation to avoid what would otherwise come next."
>rolled 7
"Cannot parse. If we try to leave, will you kill us?"

rolled 7, 9, 1, 10, 4, 5, 5, 2, 15, 19, 8, 15, 12, 5, 12, 7, 10, 4, 19, 10 = 179

---

>>1054304
"Not encouraged when the name for that top-quality healing includes 'shameful weakness' in the name. Okay now that we're evened out, slow down."
Grumbling and rummaging through her pockets, Misha prepares to engage in her go-to response to new symptoms; exploratory auto-surgery. Just as she finds her dagger and the recently-constructed Helpful Thread, she stops and stares at the Margyr intensely, his words just sinking in fully.
"...Wait, how old are y-"

>>1054594
>>1054729
Only for her thought to be cut off by the appearance of her Jack companion. "Oh, Ivori. Hey I'm probably gonna need to open myself up; got hit with some breathing trouble and blacked out just as the door started to close."


"Can you two keep a lookout and also make sure I don't lose consciousness again as I do."

With that she undoes her chestwrap, injects the Thread to serve aid her identifying of the issue, grits her teeth, and with practiced efficiency uses the dagger to carefully work open a narrow line of scarred flesh running from neck to navel.
And goes searching for anomalies to fix.

rolled 20, 10, 16, 7, 1, 18, 4, 6, 8, 8, 6, 10, 10, 10, 8, 12, 7, 4, 20, 6 = 191

---

>>1055012
"You initiated hostilities. Then subsequently escalated to open violence. Questioning logic, using said opening hostilities for the implicit threat of decommissioning should reasoning be insufficient, and a lack of violence should reasoning be appropriate. Present goal: Escort various interlopers off of facility property until a more compelling goal arises."

>>1054729
>rolled 16, 6
Ivori IDs the central machine in the new room - from which the countdown lights are radiating - as some sort of gravity inverter. There's also another exit, but it's inconveniently close to the ceiling.

>>1055015
Over the course of an hour, the Helpful Thread cypher is successfully surgically installed. Misha can now explore the interior of her own body and mind, one tunnel at a time, or extend thread from a fingertip or other extremity to peek into other narrow crevices or around corners. It can also carry on a conversation - not truly thinking on its own, simply asking leading questions, remembering what it's been told, and occasionally completing a syllogism or pointing out an algebra error. This provides an asset on almost all intellect tasks, with a 10% chance of depletion per day of use.

Mycelimancer, meanwhile, unpacks an odd device, approximately cylindrical but the smoothly curved sides are slightly narrower in the middle and wider at the ends. Two quarts of water in one compartment, handful of twigs in another, slices of fruit on a metal rack over the top. Few minutes later, the water's hot enough for tea and stripes of the fruit are deliciously caramelized. He says it'll help Misha's lungs shake off the last of those spores. Internal exam confirms effectiveness.

rolled 6, 1, 4, 13, 9, 1, 15, 13, 7, 5, 20, 7, 20, 9, 2, 15, 7, 17, 12, 6 = 189

---

>>1055015
Wrights. Ivori mentally shakes her head as she watches Misha open her chest cavity - not much blood spurts out, so it seems this is just a thing she does and not brainwashed suicide.

>>1055026
>Gravity Inverter
>Exit on the ceiling
Ivori doesn't need a scholar to know where this is going. But since the countdown isn't any time soon, the party should look elsewhere for an exit.

Ivori takes the front and returns to the four-way intersection. An idea pops in her head - will the arrow be 'reconfigured' by the archway or pass through due to lack of complexity? And if it is considered material worthy of the arch's time, will the arch concentrate on 'fixing' the arrow rather than catching anything else in its way? Ivori fires an arrow, aiming at the archway, to investigate.

>>1055021
They call themselves 'Spurn,' and live not very far away - less than a day's walk for you, though they're far slower when not sacrificing body mass to teleport. Their border fort is inside a chamber in the shape of a vertical cylinder about a quarter mile wide, tarry swamp riddled with jagged metal fills the floor to some unknown depth, thirty meter long spike descending from the center of the ceiling shoots level 8 lightning at any non-Spurn who enters, up to ten bolts per round. Mosaic on the tunnel wall leading there says "We Considered Ourselves To Be A Powerful Culture."

Situation has been de-escalated for the moment, surviving raiders have departed back the way they came, but longer term you're still effectively caught in the middle of a slow, bitter war between the Spurn and the Margyr, neither of whom seem to recognize your employer as anything but ancient myth.

>>1055357
Arrow zips through the archway before the articulated arms can catch it.

>>1055015
>searching for anomalies
Looks like the gravitational inverter mechanism cycles every 1d6 days, and takes at least an hour to engage or disengage, during which everything nearby will be approximately weightless. That makes the empty room beyond it (18 meter wide, 4 meter high hexagon with no other apparent exits) a potentially useful - albeit inconvenient - storage area or defensive position, since it'll be easy to haul heavy stuff in or out during low-G periods, but a nigh-impassable cliff the rest of the time.

rolled 8, 10, 6, 10, 12, 12, 18, 14, 8, 14, 16, 15, 5, 7, 11, 17, 19, 20, 17, 16 = 255

---

>Earlier, when working on DANI, barely touched anything above the knees. Maybe it's a sort of automated shoeshine station rather than more general repair.
Huh. Might be interesting to experiment with... if we had any spare footwear to risk. The potential unpleasantness of exploring an ancient installation in bare feet outweighs curiosity, for the moment.

>Arrow zips through the archway before the articulated arms can catch it.
A tendril of dark matter snakes down from above the arch and picks the fallen arrow off the floor. Melania can return that to Ivori!

>What do
Melania is going to (carefully) climb down on the far side of the arch (the same direction Ivori and the arrow came from) to continue exploration in that direction. (Which puts everyone but DANI on the same side of the arch, but the android can safely cross the easiest).

Once on the ground, the nano turns and addresses DANI. "Thank you for coming to my defense! I, uh, apologize for the poorly-aimed shadowbolt."

>>1057017
Alright then, available avenues for further exploration, assuming you're staying away from Margyr or Spurn territory...

-Continuing from the arch straight through the four-way intersection, there's a plain hallway, several hundred meters long at least. Unlit, but seems fairly clean and tidy, contrasted with occasional side alcoves or scattered debris along the Spurn's line of retreat. Thin coating of wax on the floor.

-Cavernous starting area continues, but the catwalks don't - you'd need to climb along the walls or ceiling, fly, or build something that can float on the liquid metal.

-Could double back to poke at the "lair of fogbox cat, no-eyed deer," or the hole that fungal mass erupted from. Presumably after preparing somehow for the dangers involved.

rolled 19, 5, 6, 4, 17, 3, 10, 1, 9, 20, 17, 20, 19, 1, 17, 14, 5, 20, 16, 2 = 225

---

After thanking DANI, Melaina returns Ivori's arrow (assuming Ivori isn't hiding again) and heads down the hall, catching up with Misha at gravity inverter. She's a little surprised Misha and the Mycelimancer made it all around in front of them and managed a surgery and tea-time in the interim.

> Looks like the gravitational inverter mechanism cycles every 1d6 days, and takes at least an hour to engage or disengage, during which everything nearby will be approximately weightless. That makes the empty room beyond it (18 meter wide, 4 meter high hexagon with no other apparent exits) a potentially useful - albeit inconvenient - storage area or defensive position, since it'll be easy to haul heavy stuff in or out during low-G periods, but a nigh-impassable cliff the rest of the time.
Have we managed to figure out how long until the next inversion from the countdown display? It's useful that we'll have an hour's warning when it starts to kick off, but for longer-term planning it might be useful to know if we're expected that today or next week. Understanding numenera, I'd assume. If Misha's willing to help now that she's done her surgery, could get +1 on the roll. And/or figuring out the schedule could be worth investing a half-hour with Silmarillion cross-referencing. Could also give the group a chance to discus recent discoveries and decide on next actions.

(As another possible thing to look into: DANI's heavy crossbow is also still damaged, I believe. We should keep an eye out for stuff that could be used for repairs!)

>-Cavernous starting area continues, but the catwalks don't - you'd need to climb along the walls or ceiling, fly, or build something that can float on the liquid metal.
"I haven't figured out how to do it yet, but I'm pretty sure 'wings of shadow' are possible!"

>>1057160
>Have we managed to figure out how long until the next inversion from the countdown display?
>rolled 19
As the minor additional effect from that 19, you can shift the timing of the next flip - delaying it up to a week, or starting it immediately and then ensuring that the return cycle will be available after you've had a chance to rest but before you run out of food.