While some of yuo guard the door, others rummage through the room. There is a lot of really disturbing art of Calicos and Calix, but also a great many valuable items of precious metals and jewelry. Calicos carries almost nothing. He summons it all, but you got the jump on him so he couldnt.
Alethia goes to examine the ball, but Naverone stops her "Do not touch it. It is a trap. It is intended to be used telepathically...Interesting. Much of the goings-on of this ship, er, whatever it is, can be controlled here. The device communicated in a constantly-changing language that seems be be drawn randomly form various ancient tounges. No one could be smart enough to keep up. The only way is to have a telepathic ability that can communicate with anytihng that has a language. This ability is common to powerful outsiders, but not ordinarily available to mortals." Naverone connects and translates for Alethia.
Looking around in its virtual mind, Alethia and Naverone try various commands and find some useful things. A couple bookshelves move on their own. Behind one is a chest, apparently full of interesting treasures. The other turns around to reveal another book shelf, with quite a number of ancient and magical-looking tomes, including spellbooks and a number that seem to relate to Cronos.
She also finds information about how the whole place works. It is in fact run by vents to and from the plane of steam, regulated from the room in the bottom Alethia was previously made aware of. What you did not previously know., however, is that immediately above you, in the top section, is a device that draws magic from alternate universes to power the entire place. The flow of magic can be regulated by some valves and levers up there. If deactivated, the place will begin reabsorbing anything based on Cronos' dimension-crossing magics to stay afloat, until finally it will run out of energy. Alethia also finds maps. Through the door to the center area is a small round hallway that leads to a couple other rooms on this floor. In the middle is a door to an enclosed circular stairway. The power room is only two floors up, and the control room is a long way down, but still directly accessable by means of that tube. She also finds tha tthere are perhaps dozens of metal men like the one you met on Rianna's ship here, as well as numerous humans as well.