>>203683
Check the Crew Quarters first.

Indeed, crew quarters.

Suggestion 2010/07/06(Tue)10:16 No. 204157 ID: 6550ad
File 127843656765.png - (97.99KB , 900x675 , 83.png )

Tiak decides to check out the Crew Quarters first. The door leads to a small corridor with six doors, each one with a human letter assigned to it.

There's no way of telling whose is any of the rooms without opening them one by one. And Tiak would need a good reason to invade the private quarters of his fellow crew members.

Tiak, is there something you aren't getting about the situation? You have good reason to do pretty much anything at this point.

Ah, but we do not know much about Maurians. Maybe in their culture, privacy is valued much higher than in ours.

Although, since there's a murder culprit on the run, maybe they would understand the reasoning to intrude, since all Tiak wanted would be to protect their lifes.

Well, seconding the poster above.

>>204157
Somebody tampered with the slot on E. Investigate it.

Suggestion 2010/07/06(Tue)11:22 No. 204185 ID: 6550ad
File 127844054389.png - (92.96KB , 900x900 , 84.png )

Maurians have their privacy in great value, but it's not only that. Tiak is not sure what to look for in the crew quarters, and he doesn't want to waste the time to search the rooms one by one, going through the stuff of all the other crew members without having a clear objective in mind.

Tiak investigates the card slot for the E door. It looks like someone has jammed sharp pieces of plastic in it. The shards are too deeply crammed to be removed with his bare fingers, he would need a tool of some sort.

>>204185
Ask the engineer for a pair of pliers.

do you know who uses room E? anyway you are only looking for the janitor or suited person. a quick glimpse for man sized objects is all.

>>204185
Pry them out with the scalpel? Might take a little while though, if it's not feasible head back to the engineer and grab some plyers.

Can you use your insect pincer-mandible thingers to pull it out?

Suggestion 2010/07/06(Tue)16:16 No. 204314 ID: 6550ad
File 127845818257.png - (237.55KB , 900x675 , 85.png )

>>204220

Maurian mandibles are vestigial and atrophied and don't serve any practical purpose anymore! They are just there, giving them a hard time when they try to put on turtleneck sweaters.

Tiak tries to use the scalpel instead. He's able to cut some of the smaller chunks, but the tool isn't long enough to reach the bottom and pry the bigger shards out. So he decides to go back to Engineering and try to ask Trake for some pliers.

On his way there, he finds Dr. Labras has come down to examine the corpse. He seems to be scanning it with some kind of device that emits a eerie green light. The doctor nods at Tiak as he passes by.

Finally in Engineering, Trake doesn't seem to be here, at least in this particular room. But there's a pair of pliers on the workbench.

grab the pliers. and check in that room to the left real quick to see if he is there. he could be by the engine right now and using the other suit, a third one isn't around so you wouldn't be able to follow him.

Leave a note saying you took the pliers, and you'll return them soon.

>>204314
Well, yell out "Trake?" to see if he's nearby.

Suggestion 2010/07/07(Wed)01:01 No. 204476 ID: 6550ad
File 127848969317.png - (88.50KB , 900x900 , 86.png )

Trake doesn't seem like he's in the next room, after taking a peek in. Nobody responds when Tiak yells his name either. But that's no surprise, the noise of the engines is so loud in this are, it engulfs almost every other sound.

Not having pen or paper to leave a note, Tiak takes the pliers, decided to give them back as soon as possible.

let's go ply some plastic.

Suggestion 2010/07/07(Wed)05:19 No. 204526 ID: 6550ad
File 127850517528.png - (154.88KB , 900x675 , 87.png )

Tiak hurries over the E door and removes the plastic fragments with the help of the pliers. As he doesn't know what to do with them and he doesn't like littering, he stores them in his pocket for now.

The E compartment is small and austere, there isn't much to look to see in here. The smell of molten metal and burnt paper is strong in the air.

>>204526
examine burnt paper and container

Examine CHAIR.

>>204526
Examine capsule. Anything in there we can't see from this angle?

Suggestion 2010/07/07(Wed)11:13 No. 204581 ID: 6550ad
File 127852639996.png - (108.12KB , 900x750 , 88.png )

The capsule is the Cryo unit. The light is off, so it must be empty. A quick glance confirms it, nobody inside.

The chair is a simple piece of furniture attached to the floor. Nothing interesting about it.

The metal chest on the floor has been cut open with an energy tool. Its contents, are now a pile of ashes and dirt. Looks like most of them were clothes, and papers.

There are some more papers scattered around, but they're too damaged to be readable. One of them still has some parts intact, but still Tiak can only make out a few words.

...Important... as Engineer...suspect...Security... stored in the Zero Deck...must be safe...

Just as Tiak finishes reading what's left of the letter, his PDA beeps. The servo-camera hidden in the janitor cart has detected something. A rather bulky person has walked in front of it, going towards the south corridor. The corridor that leads to these quarters. Looks like the doctor hasn't reacted to this individual and is still investigating the corpse.

it could be the suit guy or it could be Trake in a hazard suit. ether way the doctor would assume it is trake. ether way meet them and be ready to defend yourself. if it is trake then mark the suit with a charcoal stripe.

>>204581
Would it be possible to use a H.E.R. as a cutting tool? Or is it impossible to use the weapon like that?

Anyway, stay in the room and only look carefully down the corridor, towards the person about to enter.

step outside and ask if it's trake. if not or no answer, get behind the door and ready the scalpel.

Suggestion 2010/07/07(Wed)15:43 No. 204641 ID: 6550ad
File 127854262658.png - (112.83KB , 900x675 , 89.png )

Tiak nervously considers the situation.

Oh shit. It's coming directly towards this door. He hasn't seen me yet. What do I do now? Try to speak with him, defend, hide...? Fuck.

>>204641
Go back into the room and hide off to the side of the door.
Once he enters the room step behind him and rip-off the helmet. You need to ID who it is.

>>204641
You're already cornered. It could be that they're heading for a different door, though. Stay hidden, and see what door they go into.

it must be trake then, as suit guy would know that door E was disabled. yell "trake, that you?"

Suggestion 2010/07/08(Thu)04:18 No. 204906 ID: 6550ad
File 127858789133.png - (156.00KB , 900x675 , 90.png )

Tiak retreats to the side of the door and waits. The Figure opens the door and walks through it. The room is pretty small, Tiak is going to be noticed shortly.

What to do?

Tackle, stab stab stab

>>204909
This, but before you go stab stab stab, try to pull off the helmet.

>>204906
Just stay still until he walks past. That face mask allows for zero peripheral vision, so they won't see you until they turn to look.
As long as you keep quiet you'll probably go unnoticed long enough for them to take a few steps into the room. Once that happens you need to sneak up behind them and remove their helmet.

You need to identify them, because:
A: There's a damn good chance it's Trake
B: If it's not Trake then you now know what the killer looks like.

Suggestion 2010/07/08(Thu)09:31 No. 204951 ID: 6550ad
File 127860666063.png - (191.77KB , 900x900 , 91.png )

Tiak lunges and tries to tackle the stranger in the hazard suit and remove the mask. But his adversary happens to be sturdier than he thought, and even surprised, is able to stand in place and shove Tiak off to the other side of the room, stumbling.

Shi- Who are you? Trake, is that you?

The figure doesn't answer, but now Tiak can see that is holding a heavy hammer and seems to be getting ready to attack.

>>204951
Grab the box and swing it at him, then use the distraction to get as close to him as possible.
While you're there you want to jab the scalpel into the abdomen/chest area as deep as you can, then pull it out and run.
The logic behind this is simple. Deep penetrating injuries like that are reliably fatal if untreated and debilitating in the mean time. If you get lucky and hit a major artery then the problem will be solved.
Besides all that? Once you land a hit and escape with the scalpel you'll have a blood sample to show the doc. Then you'll know either who they are or that they're a stowaway.

Next time you're in engineering you should borrow a plasma cutter or some equally misusable tool.

>>204957
it will also mark their suit so you can recognize them later, and destroy it's protection against the engine radiation.

Go for a nonlethal attack. Preferrably, you would slice open a part of the suit then stick the tazer in there.

>>204951
Disable him thanks to your superior close combat training you received as security officer of a spaceship.
Right?

...Right?

Suggestion 2010/07/08(Thu)14:37 No. 205025 ID: 6550ad
File 127862503135.png - (156.96KB , 900x675 , 92.png )

Before the his enemy can attack first, Tiak throws the box with perfect accuracy, hitting the mysterious individual in the head.

During the confusion, Tiak is able to charge with the scalpel, and pierce the shoulder under the hazard suit. There's no visible blood, but he can feel how the blade hacks through the flesh.

But when he tries to pull it out, it happens to be stuck. The figure doesn't flinch during the struggle, but methodically swings the hammer, striking Tiak's right leg. The security officer stumbles out of the room with a groan, falling onto the floor, the pain overwhelming his sense, and not being able to move the injured leg.

He's still holding the scalpel, which is now broken. The blade must be still lodged in his attacker's shoulder.

crawl for you life to the doc!

Can you make it into one of the other rooms? I doubt you'll be able to run in this condition.

Close the door!

>>205026

YELL for the doc. Even if he lacks the necessary bravery to drag you from an imminent braining (since Mr Hazmat doesn't seem that fast), he should at least panic enough to call half the ship down here. Or at least the burly engineer.

Suggestion 2010/07/09(Fri)07:34 No. 205334 ID: 6550ad
File 12786860697.png - (140.48KB , 900x675 , 93.png )

Tiak's injured leg can't stand the weight of his own body. He can't reach the card slot of the next door before his attacker comes out of the E compartment, still silent, blood slowly pouring from the wounded shoulder.

Tiak tries to crawl away and yells for help, hoping for the doctor or someone else to hear him. But nobody answers.

>>205334
Oh man. Doesn't look good.

Try to hit the scalpel wound with your taser.

It's possible the blade, still stuck in the wound, could act as a lightning rod.

>>205339
Well, there's a gash in his suit now. Hope you're an excellent shot.

Suggestion 2010/07/09(Fri)13:12 No. 205461 ID: 6550ad
File 127870636592.png - (229.50KB , 900x675 , 94.png )

As his attacker looms over him, raising the terrible hammer over his head, a muffled voice can be heard from inside the mask.

>I didn't want to do this. It's nothing personal, you just getting in my way, officer.

Then I hope you won't take personal THIS, either!

Tiak quickly aims and shoots with perfect marksmanship, the taser energy beam hitting the wounded shoulder, the metal shard of the broken scalpel working as a lightning rod, extending the energy all over the victim's body.

The figure stumbles for a seconds and finally falls unconscious, the massive body falling over Tiak. The security officer tries to roll out of the way, but freezes and cringes in pain when he tries to move his abused leg.

Suggestion 2010/07/09(Fri)13:13 No. 205462 ID: 6550ad
File 127870639888.png - (19.48KB , 900x900 , 95.png )

It's too late now.

Suggestion 2010/07/09(Fri)13:13 No. 205463 ID: 6550ad
File 127870643314.png - (28.27KB , 900x900 , 96.png )

END OF CHAPTER 1.

wake up later in a daze with the guy still pining you down.