Per Abyssa Ad Astra (Civ game) thread #3

>>505488
>[X] Return to your body, and talk to them now you've understood their language

>>505784
You snap back to your body, with the knowledge of their tongue in your head. Micah slowly shook himself, as if waking from sleep, while John looks at you, then at Micah. You slowly drift out of your meditative position and spoke to the sky-people, their language a bit hard to approximate. "Who are you, and why you here?"

John and Micah seem to be surprised. "Uh, boss, we've got a dweller here that can talk." John says to nobody in particular - or perhaps through this 'radio'. Moments later, he speaks again. "Okay boss. Okay. Hey deep one! Is this your home?"
"You did not answer. You answer, I answer." You say.
"Ahh, alright. We're salvagers. You know? Taking unused things, make it better? We're here to see if anything could be salvaged like that here."
"Hm, good. I Saakima. Son of Raakamaka. This, not my home."
John looks at Micah before Micah responds. "So - why are you here? Can we look around?"
"I find... deep one, ghost. Send it back. Go on, nothing but bone." You struggle with the tongue of the sky-people.
"I don't trust this guy." you hear John say. "He might be a priest or shaman, he did just say he banished a ghost. Gotta be careful around them." Micah says. "Well, that's what he said."
The tense standoff continues. You decided that something needs to be done.

>[ ] Very well, leave this place
>[ ] Show them the sky-people idol, maybe it'll turn their opinion around
>[ ] Take me to your leader! I'll set things straight
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>506079
>[X] Show them the sky-people idol, maybe it'll turn their opinion around

>>506079
>[X] Very well, leave this place

>>506079
>>[ ] Very well, leave this place
I don't think I trust you very much either, sky dweller.

>>506089
>>506989
>>508487
"You not trust me. Here, take this. I no trust you too." You toss the sky-people idol towards the confused Micah and John, and tried to leave through the myriads of corridors. You can hear them faintly as you recede and find a way out. "Yeah boss, he just gave us a locket and left... what? Open it? Says that it belonged to..."
As you left through the other hole of the wreck, you see that Micah and John tries to catch up to you from the outside, their clumsy strokes obviously no match for your dweller capabilities. The salvagers' vehicle slowly follows them, and you.
"Wait! Wait!" is what you can hear, faintly. Ugh, what now?

>[ ] Just keep leaving, head for your tribe
>[ ] Just keep leaving, head for Tarka village
>[ ] Let them catch up and see what they have to say
>[ ] Get your long cousin with you to show you meant business
>[ ] Get past them to the vehicle, you figured that's where the 'boss' is

>>508727
>[X] Let them catch up and see what they have to say

>>509000
You stop, a mix of curiosity and annoyance in your heart. What could they possibly have to say?
"What you want, sky-people?"
They slowly reach you, reminding yourself of the dweller's superior movement. "Whew. Alright, boss wants to know where'd you find it."
"Find what?"
John dangles the 'locket' idol from his hand. "This. Did you get it from a body?"
"Find that in wreck. What body?"
Micah then talks. "Uh, well, our boss says he wants to meet you in person."
"Then let him, here."
John and Micah looked at each other. "Uh, he's in the ship for a reason." John said, followed by Micah. "He can't swim."
Psh, sky-people. "How he talk to me, then?" You cross your arms.
The vehicle moves closer, as you speak. Micah says, "Well there's an airlock - uh, I mean, a door we can go to, for you to meet him?"
"But what if the deep one don't breath air, dummy?" John snaps. "You could just stand in front of that window over there." He says, while pointing to one of the vehicle's glowing eyes.

>[ ] Go to the 'airlock'
>[ ] Go to the window
>[ ] Just stand there, you're an independent dweller who don't need no moving
>[ ] Push on why can't the boss swim
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>509057
>[X] Just stand there, you're an independent dweller who don't need no moving
I feel like they want to kill us or capture us and sell us.

>>509057
>[X ] Just stand there, you're an independent dweller who don't need no moving

>>509057
>>[ ] Push on why can't the boss swim

>>509236
>>509783
>>510456
"I still no trust you," you say, "If boss needs talk, then talk here." John and Micah just stares at each other. Suddenly, the vehicle moves forward, stopping at an arm's length from your proudly defiant body. You can see that behind the eyes of the vehicle, there is a room with plenty of sky-people in it. One of them is bigger and sits at the center of the room, a leg replaced with shiny rock. Then suddenly a voice booms from the vehicle.
"Admirable, laddie. I know you don't trust me, but hear this: I wanted to thank you for findin' that locket." You can see the big sky-people's mouth moving in time with the sound. "Y'see, it once belonged to my brother, who served on that ship you were in."
"Thank accepted. Now I go." You move away, but again, the voice booms.
"Hold up, laddie! Scavenger code says I have to give you something. A thing, for a thing."
"What kind of thing you be talk about?"
"Well you could ask for money, but I don't think our money will be of any use for ya lad - maybe you want equipment? A better spear, a better weapon, whatever trinkets you want. Or maybe you just want to know things on the surface. If I can give it to you, I will."
Well, that changes things.

>[ ] Ask for a weapon
>[ ] Ask for equipment
>[ ] Ask for an idol like his brother's
>[ ] Ask about his people
>[ ] Ask about the world beyond the roiling sky
>[ ] Ask if they know about the explosion last night
>[ ] Ask for this 'money' thing they talk about
>[ ] Swim away, you need nothing from them
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>517571
>[X] Ask if they know about the explosion last night

Sorry folks, seems like work's about to intensify, and I can't continue the quest. If anyone wants to bear the torch, be my guest. So sorry!

>>521439
This is too well written to die. I'm a tad swamped as well, so I couldn't. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. It's one of my favorites. Good luck with work, anon.

>>521439
Rip quest, you will be missed.