Well, we’d managed to get the diplomats for the Pack Wolrds ensconced in their new roles, figured out how to find and destroy doppelgangers, and helped with security to the point where shuttles could land. Our part was done, and shuttles were coming in with regular workers and visitors, including two ysoki I did not particularly want to see. As we considered how we could get back to Absalom Station (I really think AbadarCorp should provide us with a new ship, since we were stuck here while doppelgangers stole our ship from Vakpod’s station), Ash suddenly said, “Very Low Frequency!” and dashed off.
Huh. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
Anyway, we dashed off after him. Apparently, we can check for things other than submarines. He yells “-2!” and suddenly….
A new shuttle is docking, and we race back up to do one more check for doppelgangers and other unsavory types.
If I recall, Cornpuff wasn’t always called that. I think his name at birth was Conway, as his fur is completely yellow like a big… big… yellow thing. He also has yellow eyes! I may have inadvertently spurned him many years ago. He now hangs out with Jasmine (from the red-eyed side of the family). We stop to address them, but they turn and talk to Widget! I interrupt, letting them know he’s done nothing wrong and there’s no bounty. They agree, and tell us Widget hired them to get our ship back! Not even sure how the two of them can walk and talk at the same time, but they do have a decent ship….
Ash says suddenly that he’s triangulated the signal with some ships and the low frequency signal that probably shouldn’t be there is underwater and towards the planet’s southern pole. We have a decision to make– stay and solve a mystery? Both the Starfinder Society and the Stewards would be fine with that. We decide that one quick adventure is worth having. AbadarCorp is also happy enough to provide us with a submarine (Orca!) trip in that direction. We will try to hail the sub (Nautilus!) that Ratchet Strap was working on, too, as it is apparently behind schedule with no contact for six hours. We borrow a few engineers (Darius and Jules!) and head out.
We find the sub, strangely still, resting near some rocky outcropping. It’s “parked” well enough that we can position our sub with some docking clamps and a contraption that extends from our ship to make an airtight seal to go right in through the other sub’s hatch. The air is stale and it is dark. We fumble our way to engineering to turn power on. After we have light and air, we start a search. Not a single person on board. No bodies. No notes. It looks like they all, quite suddenly, were not there. We have to at least find a ship log, and we do. There was an EMP pulse that had crippled the sub. However, all diving suits and gear are visible and they had no other way off the sub, so where are they?