First step in a new Venture

And we we're off. Heading to the last known location of the missing ship and our first bounty. The journey fortunately only took one day. The engine of the ships badly needs maintenance. This was also the reason that i decided to stay in the engine room during the entire trip. Making small repairs and cleaning the engineroom the ships was sounding much better than on Djachroum. Khadyr and Shamus were on the bridge the entire time.
When we arrived at the coordinates there was no ship to be found. After a scan of the system Kahdyr detected a spacestation. After a quick sweep we discovered two things: The name of the spacestation: IARS-18 and our missing spaceship which was docked to the spacestation. The spacestation was on lockdown for decades according to the database. A sensor sweep showed the station had no power but there was gravity. Also there was a soft hue coming from the biodome on top of the station. Now was the time to decide: go back to Djachroum and collect our 10000 birr or board the spacestation and try to get on the spaceship.
Unfortunately we could not use one of the two remaining airlocks. These were overgrown with some kind of biomatter. Luck would have it that we found a make-shift airlock close to what looked like a meteor collision. This would be our chance and thanks to some surprising good piloting by Shamus we docked our ship.
 
When i got in my exosuit there a was a small tingle in my gut. This always happened when i felt something was off. The Spacestation was on lockdown since decades and the last reports were of a large explosion which left it an radiated wreck. Our sensor sweep showed no radiation. Since the incident it was guarded by the Legion. We got here without a Legion ship in sight. If the Legion would not even dare to get close the station why would we..... . Thankfully i always keep a canteen of "dutch courage" in my satchel. After a few sips i was ready. Let's go get the ship and our 20000 Birr!
 
After openening the airlock i performed a first scan of the environment. There were no toxins, or radiation and the air was breathable. I suggested to put of our helmets so we could get a full view of our surroundings. There was no light except for the Exosuit floodlight. After throwing a sugarglobe in the corridor we could only see a strong overgrowth. The floor, ceiling and walls we entirely covered. Slowly we proceeded through the corridor. When we arrived at our first junction we could see a shimmering light at the other end. It was a fountain. We had arrived at one of the promenades in the living quarters. But which one.
I suggested to find a map of our surroundings: an escapeplan or something. All doors to the appartments were closed except for one were branches covered the entrance. With some help of Khadyr i used my axe to cut through the branches.
The appartement looked like someone left in a hurry. The dishes were in the sink and someone left his meal on the table. I could not find a floorplan. But Khadyr did find a working terminal which was still active. Shamus was able to boot it again and access the database. After some searching he found a floorplan and a last rapport of the spacestation. IARS-18 was a science station lead by Hulab Darim. He went missing in CC50 and his son Jihan Darim whent back to the station in search of his father. It was his ship we had to bring back.
 
After some argument about what to do: explore the station or go to the airlock where the missing ship was docked we decided to go after the ship. On the floorplan we found an elevator which would take us to the same floor where the ship was docked. We passed several corridors before we found the promenade close to the elevator. And there we found something new: A dead Body. It looked like a child and somehow it was attached to the floor. To be sure it was dead Khadyr and i lifted the body. With a loud crack the head fell off. It was totally overgrown with leaves and looked more plant than human now.
While Khadyr and Shamus were not looking i took another sips from my canteen. I knew something was wrong. What was this. How could a human body be entirely overgrown. Don't think: let's move on.
The overgrowth was much less severe the closer we got to the elevator and there was more light. We could take up the pace and soon we arrived at the next promenade with a security terminal. Here we got our first glimpse at what was the real cause why the station was abandoned. No reactor explosion but an unknown entity was attacking the crew. We could not see it before the picture went dark. Suddenly Shamus heard something. Earlier he thought there was something in the shadows. But now we heard it too.
No time to waste: "assholes and elbows" we have to get to the elevator !With our quick pace Khadyr and i did not notice Shamus was far behind us. Until we heard loud cracks behind us. At first we thought it was Shamus who was eating potato chips. He said he was hungry since we entered the station. Even the leaves we looking tasty. The cracking sound grew louder and louder. I decided to go back to Shamus. When i arrived we found the source of the cracking sound: bones, piles of bones and Shamus was in the middle of a large pile. After helping Shamus we heard a voice coming from one of the airshafts: it was shouting: Kiran, Kiran.
 
Someone was still alive. Maybe we could get some answers. After entering the airshaft we found a man with a thick beard surrounded by empty packages of food and surrounded by a very thick stench. He held a Talisman of the "Lady of tears", a good luck charm. He told us his name: Jihan Darim . After a long story about faceless children killing his crew and his escape he asked if he could come with us. He could have more answers about what happened on the station. He did tell us his ship was not damaged. As a sign of good will he offered the talisman to Shamus (The luckiest man in the universe for the next year).
 
When we arrived at the elevator Jihan told us it was damaged. I checked the elevator, but it was not damaged but sabotaged. Someone has blocked the access to the controlpanel. Shamus and i tried to bypass whatever was blocking the control panel. Our first attempt failed. When we started our second attempt we heard noises. There were faceless children near us. But somehow they did not start attacking us. They were observing us. They were especially interested in Khadyr and Jihan. When one of the "children" started to come closer to Khadyr i took my axe and shield and tried to get between. This made them suspicious of me. But still they did not attack. They were just sitting there. Like Jihan they were faceless and somehow i got a feeling they were not human.
 
Suddenly i rememberd a class i followed on Zakyntos about the "dark between the stars" . People were always afraid about the unknown threat that lurked in the darkness of space. An unspeakable horror which was preying on humanity. What kind of research were they doing here ? What did these scientist find and brought back with them !!
 
No time to waste. As fast as we could Shamus and i broke through the security code on the control panel. We pulled Jiran and Khadyr in the elevator and pressed on the button for the Docks. Then Jiran told us: the elevator is broken and can only travel between ground floor and the upper floor: "The Biodome".
He got really nervous and said he did not want to go any further. After some convincing from Khadyr he did agree to come with us.
 
The biodome was a litteral jungle. Entirely overgrown. Hot, Humid and we heared several animals. Jiran told us that the Biodome was entirely covered with thick brush. There should be a recreational center attached to the Biodome. If we could find it then maybe there was some other route to the docks.
With my axe i was cutting thick branches and foliage and we were making good time. Then we had our first encounter. At first i thought it was a spider. But this was a spider resembling a human hand: fingers, nails, everything. Just like the one in that scary holo film: " The eighth passenger". I felt a little sickness in my stomach. Because i remembered what the spider did in that movie.
We would see a lot more of these creatures which looked like to be made from human bodyparts. At first we were not certain. Then we did when a bird landed on my shoulder. Wings which looked like human skin and entirely made of human parts. When it flew away we were almost running through the Jungle. Which was not the best idea. Because we did not see we were on a hill. Everybody slided to the bottom of the jungle. When i stood i could only hear Khadyr and Shamus. We had to get back to each other. I put my axe above the foliage hoping they would see it and come to me.
I did not find them, but something or someone found me..... to be continued !