Runesmith: A Science Fantasy Action Quest

[X] Hide and Ambush

You duck out of sight, no time to clean up. The plate is still open, a few of your tools are still scattered around, but the footsteps are getting closer, muttering too, indistinct through the plates, then becoming clear as they cross the bulkhead in front of you into the corridor. The voice sounds familiar you realize, and the black uniform and red hair are unmistakable.

"-nd of course she's left a godsdamne-."

"Shan?!"

"GAH!"

You watch as your section head nearly jumps into the plate in surprise and stifle a snicker at the ungainly flailing as she tries to regain her balance. "Sera?! What in the darks are you doing?" She regains her footing, steadies herself, and then her voice rises a further octave as she notices your handiwork. "And what have you done to the plate?!"

"Sabotage!"

She gapes at you for a moment, her hand twitching and you realize what you just said. "No I mean it was sabotaged! Someone deliberately cut the power to it! I was was jury rigging it to send a message to the bridge so that they would divert course!" You find yourself suddenly quite aware that Shan has a stun pistol at her hip, not issued to anyone but security normally. She doesn't seem inclined to shoot you fortunately, at least, not now anyways. You have a feeling she might have earlier if not for your quick recovery and explanation.

Shan's face works through a few expressions before settling on one of serious concern. "So you already know."

"Actually..." You grin sheepishly. "All I know is that there's sabotage. I don't know why, or what else is going on. The Voicecasters are down."

She nods, and then her gaze slips away from yours, down and to one side. "There are intruders in Cargo three. They killed two of the other engineers who were mustering there."

"Ah..." You'll admit, you didn't know the others very well, kept to yourself mostly, but knowing that two of your team are dead is chilling, and knowing that you could have easily joined them if you'd gone to muster when you'd become aware of the emergency you could be too is even more so. Or perhaps you might have been lucky enough to arrive too late...

Well... 'lucky' anyways...

You glance back to the plate. Your batteries are dead now, wholly drained from powering your little communique to the bridge. "We have changed course at least, and Captain should know that there are intruders aboard." That's right Sera, focus on the now, you can dwell on your own mortality later. "You have any Batteries?" Shan shakes her head and you frown. "Then I won't be able to get another message to the bridge..."

"There's a security checkpoint not far from here, we could grab weapons and try to stop them?"

"Do you even know how many there are?"

Shan thinks for a moment. "I saw three, but they were talking with others. Still, we have the element of surprise."

"Or..." You point out. "We could go get security. Some of them have to be on their way. Shouldn't be hard to find them."

Shan folds her arms. "And let them do what they want while we wait? We may not have time for that Princess."

[] Go with Shan, getting security will simply take too long.
[] Forget this, go get security, if Shan wants to do something stupid she can do it alone.