Smokey holds up one massive paw and points a single clawed finger into the room, and then squeezes his paw together and holds up five fingers while making a point of sniffing the air coming from the darkened room.  The Bearman then turns on his electronic torch and starts moving it around to illuminate the room or chamber before walking into it.

As you pass your torch across the room, you soon see them: 5 floating forms that turn at you with hisses and squawks. They are hovering squid, and some of their accouterments bear the marks of the Order of His Luminescent Splendor, but something is wrong.

They look emaciated, their air vents wheeze with each motion, and their skin is covered with a grey pallor and even sloughing off at points. As they turn to face you it is clear their eyes only partly acknowledge you, the look of an animal rather than a sapient being, something that sees you not as fellow sapients but as a potential hostile threat, like a frightened bird responding to the arrival of a larger one in its nest.  They appear armed, but the way they respond makes it appear they have forgotten how to use the weapons, their limbs responding in a way that suggest they've forgotten what they are even for.

Despite their hostile response, they hesitate to actually move for the door, responding more in panic than in true murderous intent.

ooc: just a reminder that Sal's on rear guard and doesn't see the squidos.

ooc: I thought Tig was bringing up the rear, but okay.

Tig moved up next to Smokey to see what was going on.  Seeing the floating shapes, he says, "Greetings, Sapients!  We are here to help--" before choking off his words at their strange movements and seeming lack of comprehension. Aside to the bearman he whispers, "Are they, you know, deadies?"

He has his shotgun pointed in their general direction, but is trying not to look too threatening.

ooc: Tig iss on rear-guard, but Sal was expecting an ambush so he looked back as well.

As the soldier abuptly stops speaking, Sal peeps around the corner, and sees the strange squid. "That's disturbin'," he mutters to no one in particular.

"Smokey, was that door locked? Could they've gotten out if they wanted to? Is there anythin' else in there? Check the corners."

Sal turns to Tig next. "You ever heard o' anything like this before? They don't look like they're in any shape to give us that warnin' we heard, so something else did that, mebbe wanted us to come in shootin'. Pre-recorded, mebbe, tryin' to start trouble.

"We still got a job to do," the engineer finishes. "Let's get in there and get this hatch shut behind us. Tig, keep talkin' to 'em, and watch those corners. Don't be threatenin' but don't be stupid, neither. Make sure the bridge is clear and I'll find them controls."

Tig reports, "This kind of thing was in the training films, sir, but I never thought I'd really see it."  Then, clicking and popping in what he hopes is a calming manner, Tig tries to keep the undead looking floating squids at bay and ease their tension.  "There, there.  We won't hurt you if you are nice and calm over there.  We're just gonna look around a little and then we'll go away.  No worries about us, okay?  That's right, just stay over there." and so on.

rolling on charisma, I guess? 1D20 => 3 vs my 16

One of the squid, a formerly black squid with mottles of neon orange, now turning pale grey and flaking off from dryness, hisses and spits, flailing a tentacle in your direction that turns out to have contained a small laser pistol, which clatters against the wall a good meter from where you stand in the doorway. Thankfully the pistol's safety was still engaged so it merely tumbles to the floor while the squid wails and screeches some more, but remains in place, as if either scared or more interested in holding its ground than going for a charge.

The other squid largely watch this exchange with varying degrees of engagement, save for one, a white and gaunt squid that at your speech backs against one of the computer consoles, glaring at you and wrapping several tentacles about it as if in a protective gesture.

ooc: I got into the right room at last on rolz.org
Anyway, Tig: 1D20 => 18 #still keeping the squido/deadies calm. vs charisma 16
"Your parental group would be mighty proud of you!?!?"

Is the guy on the controls trying to protect them or trying to operate them, and are they in fact the fueling controls we need?

He seems to be trying to protect them, cradling them more as if by some half-remembered parental reflex than any understanding of its function. It is difficult to tell the panel's function however, as his body is rather effectively blocking the path.  

Your additional attempts at soothing the temperament of the rotting squidmen however, seems to be dwindling, and they are now as a unit forming defensive parameters around the central dais where Whitey's precious panel stands, and making ever more threatening gestures and hisses.

Smokey whispers to Sal, "Skipper, this ain't norm for the Squiddies.  I don't think talking to them is going to work.  Besides, they may be infected with something that could get at us."

"I wonder," Sal replies. "Are they tryin' to stop us, or are they tryin' to protect themselves an' mebbe us? None o' that lot looks like they coulda give that warning. I wonder if'n the computer is compromised.

"Right," the engineer continues, "let's get outta here and see if'n we can fix that blocked H-tank valve. This lot ain't goin' anywhere." Moving back into the corridor, he checks his wrist computer, to figure out the most direct path to the fuel tank.

ooc: which looks like the most direct route to the tank from where we're standing?

Hydrogen storage is in a dedicated room on the southwest corner, past Landing Bay 1.

The quickest route would be through one of the open archways to the left side of the corridor, cutting through the central courtyard across to the other corner.

"Yeah, boss, they ain't right."

Tig begins to back away, still trying to keep up the calming talk.  He's mighty glad for his sealed space armor!  As he backs he is watching for his moment to see if the others move out as well.

Move out? Faraday King, ABD, never went in in the first place! He is hanging back outside the bridge, making sure the meat shiel . . . er, his military comrades are between him and the zombezi squids.

Smokey slowly moves his massive paw over the door's control panel and gets ready to close the door once Tig clears it.