Wed, Aug 24th 2022 12:46   Edited on Tue, Jan 10th 2023 01:07

Droid on a Mission… or two…

DepositPhotos Stock Art
by GoodLightHunting
 
Charkarr, you tell Iwa about your brief errands, then wheel away through the crowds in the Urmbrek Market. A quick scan, followed by access to the city public records, provides plenty of maps to work with. The path between the Urmbrek Market and the Underminer Quarter is straightforward, provided the traveler ignores the sharp turn at Grumbie’s Starship Parts Emporium and Hydra-sproket Droidworks.
 
As you leave the market behind with its lights, sights, and sounds, the number of pedestrians grows thinner. Only the occasional speeder whines by, followed by an ore truck or two. The trucks and signs for the infamous Mining Guild are a sure sign you’ve arrived in the Underminer Quarter.
 
The Quarter is older than the Urmbrek Market. Buildings are taller, older, and more weathered. Walls are a sandcrete, turned a smudged tawny color from age and time. Native vines dangle from the rooftops of the taller buildings; evidence of a rooftop garden or two.
 
Using the coordinates provided from Iggy, you arrive at a low two room building with a garage in the back. The smudged sandcrete walls match the scratched, dark metal front door. Before you are a meter away from the door, it snaps open to reveal an older model of bipedal exploration droid with a box-shaped body, complete with two large optical ‘eyes’, stuck on top a pair of legs shaped like the hind legs of a cat.
 
The exploration droid walked out the front door, then stopped past the doorstep to look you right in the optical receiver. An easy enough feat, since this droid is the same height as you.
 
“I’m DT-9G, but most call me Spudnik,” he said cheerfully. “I scanned your approach. Your vector seemed aimed at my master’s door. Is there something I can help you with?”
Mon, Sep 5th 2022 04:20

I react to his cheerful demeanor by relaxing some. Maybe there is nothing to fear in these errands after all. I beep cheerfully to him and advise him that I am here to deliver a box of circuit regulators and a ore analyzer to Tose Phen. "I believe he is your master?? I wonder if you might have heard about my Mistress. I am doing a couple of errands so that I can get some new tools for her workspace. She is so wonderful and she brought me back from the dead. I am always working very hard to repay her for the miracle she performed in rescuing me from certain indignity." I pause for a moment to see what Spudnik might have to say.
Thu, Sep 29th 2022 07:48

“Tose Phen? Why, he is!” Spudnik beeps cheerfully. “And no, I’m sorry, I’ve not heard of your Mistress, but sounds rather kind and thoughtful. My own Master is much the same way. He found me half-buried in a shuttle crash and restored me to operations many years ago.”
 
Two arms unfolded from either side of the exploration droid and he raised them in his best interpretation of a ‘shrug’.
 
“That’s great you brought the ore analyzer and the circuit regulators, though! Master Tose has been needing those very badly.” Spudnik turns to the open doorway and chirps a communication, that you hear is him letting Tose Phen know about the delivery.
 
There was no reply.
 
“That’s odd,” Spudnik chitters. “Normally, he always replies.”
 
With a glance in your direction, Charkarr, Spudnik waves a metal hand.
 
“Wait here. I’ll get Master Tose.”
 
Before Spudnik can turn to the door, there is a muffled crash. Three blaster shots echo off the walls inside. No more than two seconds later, an older Togrutan man, dressed in miner’s coveralls barrels out the front door holding a blaster and a data chip. Bruised, with a burn mark from a blaster shot on his upper left arm, he glances down Spudnik, then at you Charkarr.
 
“Master Tose, what..?” Spudnik asks but Tose cuts him off.
Thu, Sep 29th 2022 09:24

“Not now, buddy.” The miner holds up a data disk. “Some thugs from a Hutt are looking to steal a map to my mine and what we found down there.” He pops open a storage compartment on Spudnik then places the data chip inside. After that, he pats the droid on his head.
 
“Run! Both of you. Get out of here, or they’ll rip you both apart to find that chip! I’ll lead them away so you’ll both be safe. Get that data chip to Gov Gnul at the spaceport! He’s an Ugnaught mechanic. I’m counting on you!”
 
After that, Tose stands up, fires two shots back inside the building, then runs deeper into the Underminer Quarter.
Thu, Sep 29th 2022 09:27   Edited on Thu, Sep 29th 2022 09:27

Rattled to the point of shaking, Spudnik glanced around.
 
“We need to get out of here!” he chirps before he bolts in the opposite direction from Tose. After a few feet, the little droid comes to a quick halt, then looks back at you, Charkarr.
 
“Where can we go? I scan that my Master’s attackers are already heading this way! I detect they have restraining bolts!”
 
Sat, Oct 15th 2022 04:08

I feel like my dome is spinning. This was supposed to be a simple delivery to allow me to purchase something for my Mistress and now there is shooting and running and all sorts of crazy stuff. I bet that Dizzy person is behind this!! Okay, what would my glorious Mistress do in this situation. Mere mortals would say "rip off their arms and beat them", but that just proves that they do not know the patience of my Mistress. I must obviously draw on my inner Mistress to solve this.   .........beep................boop...............whirrrr...................beep.....................boop..............................whirrrr...............................beeeeeep (please remember those of you who are privileged to read my travel journals that I am a droid and therefore think much faster than you can even conceive of)   I turn to Spudnik while pulling up my map of the city. "Your Master said to go to the spaceport, but we cannot go straight there. We have to go in a different direction than your Master took, but still get to the spaceport to meet with that Gov Gnul in a timely manner. I suggest that we take a long diagonal course that also bypasses the market as I prefer to not upset my Mistress if she happens to see someone shooting at me - well, someone that she is not aware of shooting at me. We have been in some interesting situations the past few months."   With a plan in place, I trundle quickly after Spudnik, passing hm to start leading the way to the spaceport. This was not supposed to go this way. Perhaps I can use these events to get a few more things for my Mistress?!?!?
Sun, Oct 30th 2022 09:30

“Diagonal? That makes sense. If we’re lucky we can look for a local Street Judge and file a complaint!”
 
He trots along beside you. After a moment, he shakes his box-shaped head.
 
“I cannot believe this is happening. We haven’t done anything. All my Master did was start excavation of a sunken space transport he surveyed. He has the salvage rights!”
 
Charkarr, Spudnik suddenly puts a hand on your shoulder joint.
 
“Wait. I’m scan something…”
Sun, Oct 30th 2022 09:31

Suddenly, a human in a light armor races out of an alley ahead of you, blaster drawn and looks in the opposite direction from you two. Sweat glistens off his bald head and an old scar that runs down from his cybereye to the bottom of his jaw.
 
He lets out a frustrated sigh, the pulls a comlink out of his blast vest.
 
“No sign of anything. He didn’t run this way.”
 
The man shakes his head.
 
“We have to find that datachip. The last thing we need is for the Street Judges to get wind of the stolen cargo that miner was about to stumble over. Those Judges don’t take it well when people steal their gear and impersonate them to rob casinos.”
 
Putting his hands on his hips, he looks around but a large trash recycler bin blocks his view of the entire street and both of you. But it’s cover that won’t last long if the human moves.
Sun, Oct 30th 2022 09:32

“I don’t think he saw us when we ran,” Spudnik whispers to you. “We could try and make a run for it through Dead Droid Sector… or we can just move on by and act like we aren’t the droids he’s looking for. I think we can fool him, what do you think?”
Mon, Oct 31st 2022 01:39

I whir in contempt - even that Dizzy person would know better than to roll past him and expect him not to recognize Spudnik. If they have been watching the miner for long enough to know where he lives, then they know what his droid looks like. I could get away with it, but I am not enough disguise for Spudnik. I then decide that the best option is to get him to focus on the end of the street. I pull up the diagnostics of his cyber eye and decide to hack it to project an image of Spudnik's master running across from one alley to the other ahead of him. This should get him moving away from us so we can safely progress to the spaceport.
Computer programming to hack cyber eye | 1d6+3d6+2
17
Sun, Nov 27th 2022 04:20   Edited on Sun, Nov 27th 2022 04:24

A cybernetic eye is fine-tuned work, perhaps one of the most complicated cybernetic devices that exists. This one is no exception, especially since it comes with its own layers of security encryption.
 
Charkarr, it wasn’t easy, but you still unlock the security to implant a false image of Tose Phen, Spudnik’s owner, cutting across the street to vanish into an alley.
“Hey!” the human shouts.
 
He grips his comlink tight enough that his knuckles might be white under his fingerless gloves.
 
“Frak! Miner spotted. The Sithspawn knows the alleys too well. Let out the probe droid! We’ll need it to hunt down and peel open those two DT-9 and T3 droids that rolled off!”
 
The human bolted down the street in a string of curses. Seconds later, the thug vanishes down the alley, out of sight.
Tue, Dec 6th 2022 02:17

I freeze for at least three milliseconds. A probe droid??? After us?? AND they know our designations! I knew it was a bad idea to trundle past him as if we weren't the droids he was looking for. I feel vindicated for another millisecond and then I quickly hack his communication signal so I can listen in and provide 'helpful' hints as to where we are and the last area we were spotted.   I quickly turn to Spudnik and ask him to calculate a safe path from here to the spaceport. We can coordinate my sending of false sightings on their comm channels which should lead the probe droid on a wild goose chase while we quietly and quickly move around their current search area. Since I am listening in and only providing the occasional helpful message, I should be able to ensure that we can sneak past using various shielded bays and other safe areas to cloak our signals.
hack comm signal | 4D6+2
15
Wed, Dec 7th 2022 06:18

“Of course!” Spudnik replies with a cheery tone.
 
He chirps quietly away, scanning the city network for new information or incidents. Then he compares it to his own local maps between the Underminer Quarter and the Nelden spaceport.
Wed, Dec 7th 2022 06:18

Meanwhile…
 
Charkarr you tap into the human’s comm signal, then backtrack to the other comm devices he’s connected with. The signals are encrypted. That security is good but not good enough. You find the weak spot and tunnel through to the probe droid.
 
A probe droid is unsettling in it’s own right. If ever there was a droid made for mayhem, it’s an Imperial, Viper class, Probe Droid. They are renowned for being ill tempered at the best of times with a murderous sense of humor. If their brutal tendencies could be called a ‘sense of humor’.
 
And now you’re connected to one, even if its a subtle connection. Even that occasional data connection is chilling. But still, you manage to feed it and its organic owners the occasional false information.
Wed, Dec 7th 2022 06:20

Spudnik chirps suddenly.
 
“Got it!” he says.
 
“The fastest route would be through a part of the Urmbrek Market, but the Street Judges are reporting there’s some sort of fight. Maybe a food fight?”
 
He does a rough mimic of a human-like shrug with his droid arms and shoulders.
 
“The reports aren’t clear. Buy I’ve got another route! If we head northwest of the Urmbrek Market, we can cut through Wreck'n Pinion Ship Repairs. That connects right to the spaceport. I know some of the Pit Droids. They’ll cover for us.” He tight beams the marked map over to you the starts walking ahead. “This way!”
Mon, Jan 2nd 2023 01:39

I maintain my subtle connection to the probe droid and do my best to keep it from noticing my intrusion. I have to time it just right to avoid the regular checks and protocols that it has running to detect such intrusions. I only have to do it for just a little bit longer - just long enough for us to get to help.   I was kinda hoping for the food fight route as it is always fun to watch the humans play. My glorious mistress is also one that enjoys a good game and we play chess sometimes - of course I always let her win as one should never tempt a Wookie to anger. However, if Spudnik has some pit droid friends who can help us, that should let us get to where we need to be so I can finish this mission. Suddenly, I stop for a second and think back over what I was saying. This is just the first mission that big droid gave me!!! I have to be more efficient if I am going to do both so I can buy my Mistress the tools she wants!!   Then I think over again where we are going through - the WRECK'n Pinion ship repairs?? Why do all of my electrodes suddenly give a cold shudder at the thought?
Charkarr, head over to "WRECK'N AROUND AT THE WRECK'N PINION SHOP" Thread

Tue, Jan 10th 2023 01:07