Starlight Casino

[Harri-chan]

Charlie shook his head as he stepped off the ship after the others. His long blonde hair was braided and hung down his back, his slim, athletic form clad in a dark blue, rubberised bodysuit, with black boots on his feet, and black gloves made from a much thinner material covering his hands. There was a helmet beneath his arm, and he pulls it on over his head as he leaves the rest of the group. The front was a dark glass panel, the rest the same dark blue as his suit. Some kind of pistol was strapped to his waist, several more devices fitted onto the suit, some at his thigh, others on his upper arms. He moves straight ahead, and enters the casino floor. Using the machines for cover, he ducks down and slips between them, advancing towards the guest living quarters.

[Knight Errant]

The docking bay is pressurized, but eerily quiet. Cargo lays scattered about here and there... on one crate is a cup of coffee and a half eaten doughnut. One of the overhead lights flicker... and a spark jumps from one of the walls... a bare panel with cables running to and fro in evidence.

Kyle heads west... that way lies the Utility worker's living quarters. Though it would be quite a walk. What looks like a powered rail track runs off east and west... a small platform with seats and a console waits at dock.

As for Alex, he has the run of the facility. Though the two likely places would either be below deck in the labyrinthine utility tunnels... or up at the pinnacle of the dome. The transmission tower that rests at administration.

For Charlie, he has a couple of options. He could go through the 'normal' entrance, which was east through customs. Or north... where there was an emergency tunnel that led straight to the main casino floor. And beyond, his target.

[Harri-chan]

While Charlie had his helmet feeding the communications of the rest of the group into his ear, he didn't take part in the chatter himself. Weighing up his options, he headed for the emergency tunnel, eyes and ears peeled for signs of life along the way, one hand always prepared to reach for that pistol at his hip. Creeping up the steps, he emerged onto the main casino floor, and glanced around before fully leaving the tunnel.

The helmet had several scanners built into it, and it was the thermal one that he switched on now, the HUD showing up on the inside of the glass visor. He'd been in the job less than a year, and despite excelling at the academy, he was always paranoid about not being taken seriously. He certainly wasn't like the macho soldiers that made up the bulk of the company. He kept himself fit, but bulking up in the gym had never been his thing.

[Ookalf]

After taking a moment to consider his options, Alex decides to head down to the utility tunnels first. It's as good a place to start as any.

[muffinstud]

Vasily keeps to his lighter suit to encourage greater freedom of movement. He does attach a flashlight and harness for a wicked looking knife, however. He follows Kyle, and takes a look at the rail car. "Maybe it still works?" He takes a seat and preps it to move west, towards the utility housing.

[Knight Errant]

As Charlie makes his way through the tunnel... he also notices how eerily quiet everything is. And still... the only thing moving is a security camera that slowly tracks him... its glass eye pinning him to the ground. As he passes through the tunnel... there is a sudden SLAM! As another bulkhead slides down behind him... sealing off the tunnel.

He finds himself on the main casino floor! Up above, instead of ceiling, there is the transparent polymer of the dome... revealing quite a lovely scene of stars, Saturn, and its rings. The lights around him are all dim, however. All the bulbs and machines dark... until... the air rings out with chimes, following an electrical SNAP. The machines and lights around him turning on... slot machines, VR booths, and card tables flashing and beeping... all trying their own way of getting attention.

For Alex, the decision was easy... but what to do next was less so. Without a good set of blueprints, it was hard to tell where exactly the entrance to the utility tunnels were. He could look around this level for a hatch, or perhaps follow a cargo chute down and see where it led.

Vasily sits down at the rail car. Luckily, its pass key seems to have been left in the ignition... someone exiting it in a hurry. Turning it, and pulling the lever west... it whirrs... and smoothly accelerates down the track. Empty docking ports and cargo flashing by as they go. Except one... they pass by the Kellion. The maintenance ship sent first to investigate the loss of communications. It sits silently in its berth... running lights off.

[Harri-chan]

Charlie cursed as the multitude of lights began to shine and flash, lighting up the casino floor. He shut off the scanner on his helmet, and began moving between the machines, keeping low and pressing against each one, darting across the spaces between them. This didn't suit him at all. Spotting the doors to the guest quarters, he worked his way towards them, his heart racing inside his chest. Too much noise. After the quiet of the tunnel, it was disorientating to say the least, and he could feel his head spinning from it as he barged open the next set of doors...

[Tiffany Grimm]

Kyle flicks on his lightstick, and surveys the platform. He examines the seat, looking for a method of piloting the thing He sits down to analyze the controls.

[Ookalf]

"Hmm..." Lacking a map as he does, Alex turns on his flashlight and starts searching the floor for any hatches.

[Knight Errant]

Charlie could swear he was being followed... half glimpsed images and half heard footsteps hounded him as he made his way through the casino... But his head was spinning so much, he couldn't be certain if it was real, or his imagination. Eventually, he barges through the doors to the guest quarters... the graceful buildings rising above the lights and sound. Finally he was free of the racket... he finds himself in a quiet hallway. Carpet on the floor, paintings on the walls, and... a sound up ahead. It sounds like... humming? Was someone there?

Kyle, oddly enough... finds four things on the control board. A lever, marked East and West. An Emergency Stop. And, below a glass shield, a button marked: Executive express.

Alex's search takes some time. But eventually he finds a hatch marked 'Maintenance' in the floor. It takes some work getting open, but once it slides loose... it reveals a dark shaft heading downwards. A ladder visible in the emergency lighting.

[Harri-chan]

Charlie threw the door closed behind him, and then spun and dropped into a crouch. The pistol was drawn from his waist, held in both hands and aimed at the door. He waited a moment or two, perfectly still and ready, but the door remained closer. Holstering the pistol, he lightly punched the carpeted floor in frustration and rose back to his feet, turning to take in the the hallway.

He moved along the hallway, pausing at a few of the doors, pressing his ear against them to try and see if there were any sounds coming from insides. However, it soon become clear the only real sound was coming from up head, and it sounded like a person. Creeping forward, he sneaked towards the source...

[Ookalf]

"Hah... Well, down I go..." Alex takes just a moment to catch his breath after opening the hatch, then climbs down the ladder.

[muffinstud]

Vasily grunts at the husk of ship staring back at him. It's because her crew couldn't cut it that he's here right now. He watches it as he keeps going past... patiently waiting until he reaches his destination. He hopes some of the crew is still alive so he can not only better do his job... but so he can berate them for failing at theirs.

[Knight Errant]

Charlie sneaks forwards and... up ahead... he sees... the sign in desk? And its... manned. By a very pretty lady with long, blonde hair, ample figure, and a rather tight secretary uniform. She smiles down at him... seemingly noticing him the instant he enters line of sight. "Well hello there..."

Its a long climb down... and finally Alex finds himself in dark, low access tunnels that run off in all directions. He sees a sealed door in the wall to his left, a tunnel curving left, and another that goes straight, towards the inner ring.

Not far after passing the docked ship, Vasily sees a wall rapidly approaching ahead. His car slows to a smooth stop... up ahead he sees a sign reading: "Blue Shift Crew Quarters" The door to it seems to have a hasty barricade thrown up in front of it...

[Harri-chan]

Charlie looks at the woman behind the desk in disbelief. The visor rises up and disappears into the rest of the helmet as he walked towards her.

"What the hell is going on here?", he asks, placing both his hands down on the desk. His blue eyes took in the woman and her tight uniform, but he doesn't return her smile.

"We've not had any contact from you in weeks, and there's been no word from the crew sent in to repair your systems".