Track 12: Crystal Blue Persuasion

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a good point," says Liz. "We'll have to keep an eye out for anyone tailing us. Still, I don't think we can avoid going to Takara, at least not for long. We'll just have to deal with it when it happens."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

When the investigators reach the local office of Takara Electronics, they recognize Mister Nakamura, former personal aid to Mister Takara, now in charge of the facility. He welcomes them warmly.

"We have shared many interesting times together. Now, how may I assist you?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Nakamura-san," says Liz with a bow. "We are hear to tour the facilities. We may also be able to assist with another matter, concerning a certain freighter."

[jp1885]

P steps forward, hand thrust out in greeting.

“We have yet to be introduced,” he declares. “Professor Peabody at your service; and this is my assistant Otto. I have heard much about your research into space travel: fascinating stuff; quite fascinating.”

[SunlessNick]

Zara quickly smothers a grin at P's line about space travel. "It's good to see you again," she says.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

With a trace of embarrassment, Mister Nakamura says "I am afraid our modest attempts to explore the cosmos have not produced such results as might have been wished. But allow me to demonstrate something that you may perhaps find more successful."
He takes them into a gleaming, brightly lit room where technicians dressed in pure white gowns are assembling small electronic parts into a rectangular black box, a foot or so high and wide, bearing a numerical keyboard and a display area. He passes one such complete device around; it weighs about two or three pounds.

"A truly portable calculating machine," he explains. "When it is placed on the market, we hope to sell it for well under one thousand American dollars."

Leading them through a maze of corridors, they wind up in a small conference room and are offered seats.

"We can speak openly here. This room is free of, as you say, 'bugs.' Our government is curious about the space debris that damaged Dai Chi Chinei and seriously injured five crewmen. Fortunately, they are now being cared for in a local hospital. The Soviets have denied all knowledge of the event, although the United Nations taskforce investigating the incident suggests it was, indeed, a Russian satellite. Do you think you would be able to investigate the situation? We believe it would be helpful if non-Japanese persons were to undertake the task.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, I think we can help you," says Liz. "We should start by talking to the crew and examining their injuries." She is fascinated by the calculating machine, and she plans to buy one when it becomes available. Not that she needs help doing basic math, but it would surely be able to crunch numbers faster than she could.

[jp1885]

P is also intrigued by the prototype machine. Tearing himself away from the device, he nods.

“Quite so. A thorough inspection of the wreckage is also in order. I assume some pieces of the satellite have been recovered, hmm?”

[SunlessNick]

Zara takes care to glance at any charts or screens the party passes - not long enough for a normal person to feasibly read them, but trusting in her memory to recall them later.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Yes, I think we can help you," says Liz. "We should start by talking to the crew and examining their injuries." She is fascinated by the calculating machine, and she plans to buy one when it becomes available. Not that she needs help doing basic math, but it would surely be able to crunch numbers faster than she could.

"That can be arranged."

Later that day, the investigators are admitted to the hospital holding the five crewmen, and are permitted to speak to them.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

P is also intrigued by the prototype machine. Tearing himself away from the device, he nods.

“Quite so. A thorough inspection of the wreckage is also in order. I assume some pieces of the satellite have been recovered, hmm?”

"If only it were that simple. According to our information, after colliding with the freighter, all such fragments fells into the Strait of Tartary. It is possible that certain such pieces have washed up on the shore of Sakhalin island, not far from the site of the incident, based on our study of currents in the area."

He leaves for a few minutes, returning with a detailed oceanographic map of the area, as well as other maps of Sakhalin, in which Zara seems to take a great interest.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Zara takes care to glance at any charts or screens the party passes - not long enough for a normal person to feasibly read them, but trusting in her memory to recall them later.

Studying the charts brought in by Mr. Nakamura, your enhanced memory for details allows you to deduce that the most probable site where part of the satellite might have landed is an isolated northern part of the island, far from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the only major city on the island. It is also an area where, according to a demographic map, an Ainu community is located.

[jp1885]

"Hm, very well," sighs P, exasperated. "Let us interview the crew first. Perhaps Nakamura-San, you could send some fellows ahead to comb the beaches of Sakhalin?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Konichiwa," says Liz, bowing to the sailors. "Do you speak English? If you do not, I speak Japanese and can translate for my colleagues. Please tell us what happened." She examines the sailors, trying to determine the nature of their injuries and what caused them, as well as their medical charts

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Hm, very well," sighs P, exasperated. "Let us interview the crew first. Perhaps Nakamura-San, you could send some fellows ahead to comb the beaches of Sakhalin?"

"I shall indeed. I believe I can spare one operative, who has experience with discreet investigations."

(Some days later, after the adventurers have completed the interviews with the injured men, and have otherwise prepared themselves for an excursion to Sakhalin, Mister Nakamura is sorry to report that the operative has not returned from the island, or even communicated with headquarters, which is most unlike him.)

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

5d20

Of the five injured sailors, one does not speak any English at all, three know a few simple phrases, and one is completely fluent in it, having spent a great deal of time in the United States.

"My American buddies call me Johnny," he says with a smile. Apparently he's in a good mood, despite his injury. "What can I do for you folks?"

[SunlessNick]

As soon as the party get a moment alone, Zara tells them what she saw on the chart.

To Johnny, she says, "We're here about how your boat got damaged. Would you be cool with telling us what happened?"

[jp1885]

“The Ainu again…” mutters P when Zara discloses what she saw.

While Liz speaks to the crew, he smiles encouragingly at them, whilst perusing their medical charts.

[Mr. Handy]

"Hi, Johnny," says Liz with a smile. "My name is Liz. Pleased to meet you. Why don't you start by explaining what happened in your own words, and we'll ask further questions if we have any."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

d20

Perusal of the medical chart reveals that the men suffered the injuries you'd expect from an unexpected object crashing down from the sky; bruises, scrapes, a broken bone here and there. They're all being watched to make sure they don't have concussions from falling down on the deck of the ship. The only thing unusual is that all have mild cases of sunburn, which is odd, considering the cloudy weather at the time.

"Well," Johnny says, "me and the guys were just checking things out on deck, you know, joking and laughing and carrying on, when BAM! This big bright blue light blazes down from way up, and something that felt like a baby hurricane knocks us over. We were pretty shaky and couldn't see too well, so by the time we got to sickbay we didn't now what the heck was going on. The brass says it was a Russian satellite. Crazy, huh?"