>>5401796Jkli pays a meager 200 mF for all of the scrap metal you’ve accumulated, since they don’t really need it.
The balloon animal, on the other hand, brings a trifold tear of boyish nostalgia to the lizards’ faces.
“Incredible... a masterfully folded longoose, made of authentic myoprotein skin! Just like the ones made by our grandfamather back on the homestead… You’ve brought warmth to this cold Pillani’s hearts, alien. How did you get your hands on such a rare item?”
“Uhhh… I believe the robot responsible is currently being used to mine space crypto.”
You point to the brain working itself into sludge on one of Jkli’s machines. It looks pretty melted.
“Oh.”
You gain 1300 mF, for a total of <span class="mu-g">2665 mF</span>.
You decide it’s time to enlist Klopu’s help. The shelled creature is holed up in the cell block, silently contemplating the trading card.
“Hey, Klopu,” you say hesitatingly. “Do you know anything about the robots’ ultimate goal, or what’ll happen if they take over the ship?”
Klopu looks at you slowly. She sighs.
“Nothing good, alien. Nothing good.”
You sit down next to Klopu, who doesn’t move or acknowledge you. The two of you sit in silence for a while before the bowl-thing speaks.
“I used to be an engineer, stationed in the Harnome defense navy. Ship computer maintenance. Worked with my brother on the JTS Ponaius, a survey ship.”
“We went around looking for new systems and planets, and cataloging any novel species or interesting anomalies. Then we ran into the Sylithians.”
There’s a pause. You wait.
“…A few of us escaped. Me and a couple of crewmates managed to sneak our way onto a microfighter, and we got away before the cold-blooded dipshits even noticed. We left a surprise in the Sylithians’ rations as a parting gift, as well as a tracker so that we could return and rescue our comrades, but…”
“After escaping, we monitored the holding ship from a distance. It flew around for a while, but it didn’t drop off any prisoners; it just went back to the Sylith fleet. We investigated – the robots recorded the Sylithians being poisoned by a broken nutrient synthesizer: our handiwork. But they also recorded the inmates being poisoned as well.”
Klopu sniffs. “…And nobody was left on the ship. Nobody with a soul, at least.”
The alien turns towards you, her glimmering eyes staring deep into your soul. “The Sylithians are nasty sons-a’-bitches. But at least they won’t kill you. The robots, on the other hand, won’t hesitate if they think you’re in their way. Just remember that.”
You take this in.
What do?
>Ask Klopu to work on the override device>Ask the chefbot about Klopu’s story>Ask Jkli about Klopu’s story>”Uh… I have to return some video tapes.”>Something else? 