“ The dead shall live, the living die. I kill what lives; I save what has died. And I will tell you this: there are things worse than I."
– One that is a predator on all living things.
Billowing dust in the stratosphere is an omen of what is to come; 75kph plus winds as the storm spreads across the barren landscape, and the fine metallic dust like talcum filtering it’s way in. First order of business is to batten down the hatches, tarping off the vehicles won’t be much use, but doing what can be done to protect the equipment becomes everyone’s duty at this point. In the darkening gloom and moan of the rising wind of the oncoming sandstorm, Conn, standinging in the west vehicle park, sees a figure on the berm outside the base; at first it seems another one of the personnel from the base but after a seconds retrospect there is something wrong, the figure is in old Consular armor. Turning his head for one moment, the figure is gone, giving even more to the insubstantial quality.
Raising a hue and cry, brings in the others to come and see, climbing the berm to look for footprints, once up there it appears a fool’s errand, so many of the various team members, science and security, have left their footprints in the compacted sand.
“I don’t even know what I’m looking for!” Ty gestures palms up. “What in the hell do old Zho bootprints look like, anyone know the tread design?” Looking at Nagaimr, Nagaimr shrugging in response. “You know, this could just be first squad messing with us.” Finally giving up and jumping down into the sand, a long gaited run to the bottom, adding his bootprints to the sand, with the wind blown dust, just as rapidly filling them.
Later in the commissary, Dag and Ty, working on a good drunk from a bottle of clear liquor, the conversation wanders from nothing, to the days events and on to random musings.
“You know that sexy female android in the lab?” Ty speaking in a wry, conspiritorial tone. “It used to be a man from what I hear.” Pausing to let that sink in. “The dirt is that that is the Adam android, just reskinned. I don’t know if you read the news much, but the accident that killed the two technicians working with Adam a year or so back was no accident, it very well meant to kill them; a fault in it’s programming is what they blamed it on. It still is in prototype stage of development, who knows how many more bugs are rattling around in that tin bucket head. I’d hate to be Dav, working in the lab when a programming fault comes up behind you and snaps your neck.” A rather sobering nugget of information to sleep on that night.
The next morning, Iishka lays out the next week’s goals: primary is mapping and a cursory investigation of the crash site, with recovery of any data storage devices, hopefully to get crew complement and ship’s logs; that should be good to make a preliminary report for any follow up expeditions. Secondary is to look into the lifeforms found here, the life sciences people should be pleased with that back on Terrelay; and any extra preliminary reports will look good for the next expeditions budgetary requests. She also mentions there will be a small ceremony, and formation of the security squad, where they will emplace a small obelisk with a plaque from the expedition and a final word spoken by Republican Guard Major Tliablzhdiliepr.
The latter part of the day is filled with the monotony of duty, broken only by the tension of being out of communication with the Loreli and rest of the fleet; not knowing if when the dust settles, one will be staring down the barrel of a slave raider’s fusion gun. The eerie low moan of the wind filtering in from the storm’s howl sets the tone for anxiety in the back of one’s thoughts. Ghosts n’ stuff; the uncertainty principle like life, not wanting to look into the box in case the cat is actually dead.
Comments
Daytime duty stations for party peoples:
Nagaimr and Dav in the lab (with Eve, muahaha).
Conn out in the shed messing with drones.
Dag and Douglas in the com shack, if not deciding to be a general nuisance other places.
Mercy creating chaos in the bomb shack.
If anybody has questions as to where they are, look at the base layout in the wiki, the base is also directional up is west, down is east.
Dag’ll go round checking to see if various people need assistance. After he’s made the rounds he’ll start working on a passive ground based sensor set up to warn of bug activity nearby (Elec 2, Mech 1) that uses the bugs varying sizes and metals contents to trigger strategically placed magnetic coil arrays not unlike modern buried treasure hunting wands. (OOC we haven’t done this yet, have we? sorry if I missed it…OOC)
“Interesting Dag.”, says Dav. "The ship’s computer had a better way, but we don’t have the ship now. I’ll see if we can do anything like what the ship did.
“Let me see if there is anything more efficient, but it looks like what you’re doing will find them.”
“On the other hand, the magnetic fields the detectors generate might be similar to the way they hunt for food? Just a thought. Have we found out anything about their sensory apparatus yet? I’d hate to turn on my magnetic detector array only to have it sound like a feeding frenzy or somesuch to other bugs. Next thing you know, every hungry bug in ten klicks is heading our way…” says Dag.
Sounds like a difficult task, though there is the lab and the specimen to experiment with.
Roll 11+ on 2d6 +2 for elec, and +1 from Dav’s help in the lab. I’m, getting this from MT Referee’s Companion.
Ok, here goes-
Signed section – include this line
--Results sent via email and displayed via web.
Summary: Dag’s attempt to build a magnetic “bug” detector
Roll One
Generating 1 rolls of 2d6+3, 1 per line
Comment: mods per GM
13
Message sent to these addresses: youngerpliny@cs.com, king13cuda@yahoo.com
“Looks like we got us a bug detector, gents.” says Dag
Lt Dayton and Karl Neusgar are happy to hear it, the storm has been playing havoc with their detection gear in the com shack.
Dag’s bug detector detects bugs on a 8+ on 2d6 + elec skill.
The rest of the day is spent setting up the gear on the inside berm wall around the base, anybody can help, but Dag also has the 3rd squad members helping. The base computer should also be networked into it (8+ on 2d6 + comp skill).
Mercy does not like the idea of a bomb shack at all, let alone she cant control so she rigs an alarm and lock system. Security matters. Once that done she will double check the bombs to figure them out. IED anyone?
Douglas will be practicing his Vacc Suit skills (passed his education roll +1 VaccSuit) and can be seen softly swearing over a computer terminal as he attempts to up rate his Computer skill(failed his education roll) Otherwise he will be poking his nose into other peoples business, asking silly questions and generally getting in the way while trying to be of help.
Mercy’s bomb shack is the nickname for the powerplant module, see the wiki; security upgrades noted. You don’t need IED’s, you have HOT style Tac-Missiles in the shed as part of the security equipment, HE only; gauss mines as well.
Maybe Douglas can take a computer class back on the Loreli, they might even have a high tech solution.
Dag, hard at work on his bug detector, falls asleep at the computer station in the com shack, drool sticking his face to the glass keyboard: waking up suddenly (and no, it isn’t Jimmy “Chicken” Chintzl, head back, snoring loudly in another chair near by while he should be on watch). A soft chime is ringing, the semi-femine computer voice repeating “un-authorized entry in the commissary module” and a red prompt on the compter screen reading “INTRUDER ALERT, sound alarm Y/N?” The general quarters alarm can only be sounded by the personnel on watch.
{rousing himself Dag hits the alarm button} “All personnel, attention! We have unauthorized entry into the commissary! Repeat…!” says Dag into the Comms, all the while hoping it’s just Ty getting a snack.
With general quarters sounded, a loud klaxon erupts accompanied by a red strobe above the doorways to the modules. With everyone awake, security isolates the commissary by stationing troops at each entry/egress point (2; see schematic in base modules wiki entry). Lieutenant Dayton is livid with Chintzl: “Private Chintzl! Were you asleep on watch!” Dag nodding an affirmative, Dayton signals for Ty to deal with this. Ty nudges Dag, commenting “Chicken meat is cheap.” Putting a fatherly arm around Chintzl, he says: “Welcome to my sh!tlist, Chicken, the magic 8 – ball says ‘outlook not so good’; you just pulled e – duty, a lot of it, you can forget about sleep for a while.” Chintzl, shaken and downhearted looking, salutes and steps back.
Ty looks over to the assembled members of the party, Dag in particular as security commander and says: “How do we want to deal with this, sir?” Sliding easily into his well worn soldier’s skin.
“Form a cordon around the commissary, make double sure she’s sealed off, then let’s go in armed.” says Dag. “Dav, you sense anything?”
(OOC nothing registered on the bug detector?)
using the detector-
Results sent via email and displayed via web.
Summary: testing the bug detector re:commissary
Roll One
Generating 1 rolls of 2d6+2, 1 per line
Comment: needs an “8”
10
Message sent to these addresses: youngerpliny@cs.com, king13cuda@yahoo.com
Nope, nothing on the bug detector. Ty noticing Dag looking at sensors, looks over to Dav, questioningly. He then says: _"If I may, sir, let’s log on to the security camera feed and have a look-see in there."
Doh ok but yes extra security is good and filters are they cleane? Are there any power surges on the base. Indeed she wants to rig up some remote monitoring system to make sure power usage stays normal.
Mercy can monitor the performance, power usage, etc.; from her personal computer unit: (about the size of a deck of cards, it has a hologram projection screen as well as keyboard). Good call on the filters, though even with a routine check 8+ on 2d6, plus Mercy’s eng-5, I think it is a 3+, so only a snake eyes roll shows any problem. Go ahead and roll it.
{Dag switches on the security monitor feeds}
My rolls on the Obsidian’s die roller Roll: 1d6
5
Roll: 1d6
1
For a 6.
As for personal computer we are calling them communits aka Iphone for the 5 millennium. With tons of aps connected to the ships database/sensors ie the mobile cloud.
I am going to add them to my wiki or items page.
Douglas arrives, fumbling with the unfamilar Gauss pistol holster at his side. “Whats all the excitement? Gremlins in the food supply?”
OOC Do we have a layout of the base available? Nothing fancy, a rough sketch. I’m finding it a little difficult to orientate myself.
Douglas, I have a few schematics of the base modules and a base layout plan in the wiki.
Mercy finds no problem with the filtration on any of her power and life support units. I just call it the com, it networks automatically with everything else in a fully integrated system, though individual characters also have an earbud, similar to a blue tooth, but smaller. How much data storage on the com’s is the question, I would think it is past the terabyte stage, so virtually unlimited for our purposes.
Dag, looking at the feed from the security camera sees an old man in a very worn vacc suit, eating a pan of self heating lasanga and drinking a liter bottle of beer, eating faster now that the alarm has been tripped. Ty laughs. “Good guess Douglas, you must be psychic; I can’t wait to file the report on this: ‘Sounded general quarters for an early morning raid on the commissary; casualties: one pan of lasanga and a bottle of beer.’ That will raise an eyebrow when they go back over the mission reports, years from now. I guess we just trip the doors and rush the old guy, I don’t see any weapons anywhere around him, he looks unarmed.”
Mercy coms in “Hey how about we just go talk to the old man. He’s eaten he has to be tired after all that lasagna? I think I have bottle of red that would go well with that Ty.”
Ty nods in agreement: “I don’t think we’ll have to be shooting him or nothing, I wonder where the old spacedog came from? Helluva place to spend one’s golden years…”
Dag pauses for a second, “Dav, can you sense anything about this guy?”
Mercy shows up outside the door with everyone else. She is carrying a bottle of wine and a smile. So what can an old man do?
sweet. I don’t have internet service at my house right now: Frontier = pure idiocy they sent someone out to say the problem is on their end. duh. So right now I’m posting on my laptop from a local bar (and on my 3rd vodka tonic). So not wanting to wait, let’s just say we trip the doors.
Inside, the old guy looks up and starts eating faster, knowing he has been caught. The only weapon on him is an old boot knife which is easily taken from him by dexterous Ty. Spun backwards and around in his chair, it is apparent the old guy is in wretched condition, thin, toothless almost, filthy with an back bent by osteoporosis. a quick interrogation of what he is doing here, the old dog cracks a smile:
“Food, Glorious Food!”
Further belaying his half starved condition. The medlab is the best to take him, Iishka decides, where a checkup by the medic and medbot shows what is apparently obvious, he is in his last years, malnourished, though suprisingly, in decent enough health; a tough old dog. The food taking effect, he is terribly drowsy, it is decided to keep him under guard in the medlab and wait until morning. Falling asleep he after graciously accepting Mercy’s bottle of wine, he is almost in tears at the treatment he has received at the hands of the team. He didn’t expect to be treated well, more of one last run, once he picked the locks with his elec skill.
The next day the storm clears, sand has drifted in, but otherwise everything has survived. Thankfully enough, the Loreli is able to be raised on the com unit. The news is that we have friends arriving, a high – jump courier has appear with two other ships, one from the inscrutable Ki – Ku Cha, a deep water arthropodic species and a Telluran ship bearing an emissary; notable enough as the Telluran Directorate has had a short hot war with the republic and Imperial forces over transit rights across their space. An olive branch perchance? At the news Ty gives a wry smile: “Peace, love and Understanding? Ha! Six years ago I was playing frog baseball on Cypress after we occupied them, we’ll see how this goes.”
The Loreli and company head out to the gas giant (they are actually on their way), leaving the the ground teams to get acquainted with their new members: Dr Zhe Ka, a Ki – Ku Cha Xenobiologist and Khan, a Vargr from the Telluran Directorate (a pseudo stalinist-collectivist state). Their ships land respectively, adding their members to the now more international team.
Dav would like to greet Dr. Zhe Ka and introduce him? (on the way he will look up his species on his com# puter) to the ex-bug.
Dr. Zhe-Ka hovers by where his hab module is unloaded as Dav approaches, his all white Medical support armor/platform glistens in the refractory patterns of the gas giantthrough the ports, and he floats upright, to almost human height, with his front antennae twitching in expectation.. he cuts his grav belt and stands on tripod legs on the deck, with 12 spindly arms extended before him… two large, black spherical eyes top his conical shaped “head” if it can be described as such, which looks about from side to side, and finally looks at Dav as he approaches. This life form appears more machine than being…
“You are (pll) Mr. Dav?” The dr. asks, his head tilting to one side, sort of like a curious dog might do.. The doctor’s voice is strange, impluses through a voder strange… “I am Dr. Zhe-Ka the xenophysiologist sent to your team from Zustheda…” The creature extends one of its many arms to a crude position for a handshake.. “I look forward (pll) to our expolits!”
The strange noise (pll) seems to be some recyling of the creature’s breathing apparatus,and one thing that Dav notices is that the “doctor” radiates cold… The Ku Cha are from a high pressure, cold water environment, with very little light…
Khan strolls foward with his paws open in greeting. He is armed with a pistol in a military styly flap holster and his face appears wolf like. “Greetings my team! I am gratified to know that now that I am here we will have a strong leader. I have always been an admirer of the university and its philanthopic bent. I can not help but be touched by your desire to include the Directorate on this journey of exploitation, er I mean exploration of course.” He continues, “My name is Khan and you may call me, Khan.”
Nagaimr, finishes unloading their luggage from the airraft, and then blowing on his fingers to warm them up says
….. “we carry our own bags from here guys”
He heads to the prefabs in search of warm coffee and moments later
“hey,so who’s that old guy asleep in the medlab?”
Being the 10th or so Vargr that Dr. Zhe-Ka has seen since the mercenaries during the Partition Wars on Zustheda, he floats over towards Khan and looks him over with curiosity… His segmented body coils near the vargr as he says:
“Mr. Khan, you (pll) are the first vargr that I have seen offworld, but I want you to know that I have a Zulan 6 rating in xenomedicine, and am very familiar with your species. If you should require any assistance in that regard, please call on me, immediately…”
Dag approaches the Dr., “It is very good to have you here, Doctor. Let me know what I can do to help you settle in.” turning to Khan, he bows slightly, then rises and smiles broadly, “Of course the same offer extends to you, Mr. Khan.”
Serious glitching there…please eliminate those last few posts Rob…As I was saying, Dag would like to gently question the old man as to his origins, etc. Can Dav help?
(OOC Thanks for the heads up on the base plans, I was looking in the Maps section, never thought to look in the wiki.)
“Dr Zhe Ka, Khan, allow me to introduce myself. Douglas Blackwood, Liaison officer for the expedition. If there is anything I can do to make your stay with us more pleasent, please let me know”
“Dag, if you intend to question ‘Ben Gunn’ my I come along? I’ve had some experience with odd characters. You might offer him a bit of cheese”
“Of course Mr Blackwood. I’ll be happy to follow your lead.” says Dag.
The group, along with Ty and some others of the security team and science team, bring the old man who happens to be named Torsen Holder, to the commissary for interrogation. Douglas, along with Dav, who they inform Torsen that Dav is a teep (Torsen shrugs in response); finds that Torsen answers their questions truthfully, Dav is able to skim some extra relvant info, but the old man, either in learned practice or by senile dementia, can cloud his thoughts somewhat. What they do learn, is that he is holed up in the hill directly northeast of the base, located underneath an old crashed Zho fighter.
Ty and Nagaimr go and take a quick jaunt over there to check it out from the air in Ty’s hotrodded air/raft. Other things they can find out or surmise from what isn’t said is that the old spacedog was most likely a pirate, and from pilgrim heritage as well (probably dumped here left to die). His cave isn’t much, and he has rigged some life support from the fighter’s life support system and using a fuel cell and other objects scavenged from the the crash site or maybe things dumped with him, when he was abandoned here. His food and water are running low, water also being the fuel for the fuel cell. Water is a precious asset here on Chtinzhazhe; slow loss over the years has slowly ran Torsen’s supply low. Though his rigged setup, while functional, could use a thorough going over by an expert engineer to bring it’s efficiency up to spec. Next course of action is up to the party to decide what to do with him, and ask any questions that they may have lingering at the edges of their conciousness.
Make that Nagaimr’s hotrodded air/raft. Ty taking a pair of electronic binoculars to scope it out as well as flash some images with the built in camera.
Douglas asks our ‘friend’ if he can tell us anything about the local life forms. We’ve seen some nasty types…how does he avoid them?
Mercy checks out the zho figher how old make and model and if there is anything we can use from it.
Nagaimr will also make a thorough search at the back of the cave looking for secret caches or doors.
Roll 4 and 2 with No mods
Torsen tells Douglas that they aren’t too dangerous if you know how to deal with them, most are harmless and the bigger ones got a rumble you know to avoid, however staying out of deep sand is best. They ‘see’ mostly through vibration, they catalyze oxygen from the CO2 in some way, using the carbon as well in their shell and seem to run on a piezoelectric crystaline nervous system. He admits to having an old shotgun hidden in the rocks outside the base, solid slugs can take care of the smaller ones, the larger ones, not so much.
I take it Nagaimr and Mercy want to head back to Torsen’s hideout (which is fine, the whole party can go in the G-Carrier); the only other issue is what to do with Torsen? Letting him go is about the only solution, but he can be questioned about the entire frontier as well, he has been around in his day. Otherwise, Mercy finds that Torsen has pretty well scavenged the fighter of anything useable; the entry to his hideout is actually crawling through the engine exhaust venturi. Nagaimr just finds a lot of old junk mostly, but that is not to say that there isn’t necessarily some hiding places in his cave.
If anyone’s going back to Torsen’s place, Conn will tag along. He wants to examine the setup for survival tricks. He’ll also offer any suggestions he can think of to make it more efficient.
(Out of earshot of Torsen): “You’re not really considering leaving him here, are you? Most civilized societies require succor, aid, and rescue of stranded spacers,” Conn says firmly. “Not to mention interstellar treaties.”
“If its treaties you are talking, it may be he’s likely to be arrested and charged under them if he’s the old pirate we think he is. It’s down to him but I’d wager he’d rather be re equipped and left.”
Dav returns Dr. Zhe-Ka’s greating, and gently touches the doctor’s hand with his own. He doesn’t know how fragile he is, nor if the doctor’s suit could be harmed by his own.
“We have found an interested life form here, and I can transfer the files to you. It seems to metabolize electricity and metals and has a nervous system of crystal.”
“If that’s his decision, then of course we abide by it. But you are assuming much on not even rumour. It’s like the old story about the direction of the horse.”
“We must determine a course of action based on the greater good! I realize you do not all utilize a system of govenment which seeks the protection of the state above individual rights. I do see some benefit in the diversity of your ideals. That said, he should be properly interogated before we decide how to dispose of him. I mean he should be interviewed prior to deciding what is the best course of action.:
Dav says: Khan, sir, he was speaking the truth when we questioned him. And if you look at his actions, he only broke in for food. He snuck onto the ship and went to eat. Had he wanted to hurt us, he could have done that before he ate.
Dr Misishii is definitely against shooting him or anything like that, Ty as well, he has done plenty bad in his life but not that bad. Problem is that we are heading into Telluran Space, so Khan’s version of events would be the most likely outcome, the Directorate is quite utilitarian in outlook. Dr Misishii suggests we try to get what info we can from him, then load him up with food and water and whatever else he may need; fix his life support up, make sure he has a working radio and call it Chtinzhazhe – population 1. It seems the best solution given the situation.
Dr. Zhe begins triage on the old man on the spot, scanning for brain damage, exposure damage, and starting him on a nutrient compount IV. He hovers over the old man, to his left, and scans him overall physically, noting any pathogens, pollutants, obvious injuries, and sets his suit on standby for surgery…
“Thank you for the files Mr. Blackwood, I will get my medcomps on this immediately… there must be some analogy in other life records to describe a being such as this, and we can go from there. A crystalline nervous system would work, much like the old computers that used silicon as conductors, taking the place of neural pathways before holographic pathways came along… fascinating to see it in a creature… (pll) have you been able to communicate with them?”
Other than aging related decrepitude, Torsen is in decent shape, he is in his final run though.
Dav says, "Or we could keep him aboard the Loreli where he’d get decent medical care and food. For most people, solitary confinement is a nightmare, and we know he’s been here a long time.
“And if we need somebody to guard him, why I’m sure that Ty would gladly do it. After all, an old pilgrim isn’t likely to break his neck.
“Maybe we can find a place he’d like to be, or failing that, we could find a place for him back home. Anybody that did what he did, to survive for so long under these circumstances, deserves respect in my book, and it tastes bad, just deserting him when we have space for him.”
“I don’t have a problem either way.” says Dag, “If you want, as dig security chief I can put in a good word with the Captain, though he’d need to have some useful skills and he’d have to swear an oath.” Dag pauses, “On the other hand, if we leave him here he can be God Emperor of Chtinzhazhe! Unless there’s a coup led by secular, democratic rebels after we leave, of course.” laughs Dag.
“I believe that the credit for the file transfer should go to my colleague Dav, Dr Zhe, but if I can be of any service…”
“Dav, I believe that it would be politic to leave him here with sufficient supplies, and log his existence to starport authorities. He may have some legal claim to citizenship here, or perhaps salvage rights that removing him might nullify. And I don’t much care of the presence of someone who hasn’t been screened for the expedition, particularly given his facility with picking locks and bypassing security!”
It only takes Torsen a second to think about it, no, he doesn’t want to go. As much as Chtinzhazhe may seem uninhabitable, it is home to him. He does say that if they can restock him, he can pay with something, a crystal he got from a old free-trader/corsair, that used to be his captain. The captain said it was a control crystal for a gate and that he had picked out of a deadman’s pocket long ago; it’s different, it has a living spark inside of it, and the creatures here sure do act funny around it. So restocking him with supplies wouldn’t be charity, it would be for value received; he has traveled in his time.
“Fair enough.” says Dag and logs an order with stores to resupply the old man.
Telluran Directorate is now in the wiki, at least a rough, any questions, feel free to ask.
With the old man, much of it is a case of heading off into the unknown and leaving behind familiar surroundings. His hermitage may not be voluntary, though he has grown comfortable with it; it is what it is.
Dav and Dr Misishii are VERY interested in the crystal as well. Taking everyone to his cave, he shows a secret hiding place behind a rock in a wall off rocks. Reaching in he pulls out his gauntlet suddenly with a smaller version of the creatures biting on one of his fingers, pulling it off he mutters “Little B@#%^&*, they can get in everything.” Ty quickly puts down a case of beer for the old man and grabs the little creature, about 15cm long, he finds an empty jar and sticks it in there to save it, the old man warns they don’t like the O2 atmosphere too much, makes ‘em run hot. Then the old man pulls a wooden box from the hiding place, laughing, saying the bugs hate the wood. Inside, in a velvet bag is a rather large crystal with a blue living spark inside, at this point everyone is amazed at it’s beauty and size, it’s longer than a man’s hand. While the old man doesn’t know much about it, he takes the creature from Ty and shows him how the creature is at once attracted and the repelled by the crystal. Funny huh? the old man says, it’s from the gateworld, though, ain’t got nothing to do with the bugs, has to be some property of the crystal.
Intrigued, Dr. Zhe records the man’s activities and scans the creature with his medscanner…
He also begins observing the man psychologically… he may be mad….
Senile dementia setting in for sure…
If there is any viable Genetic material left from the old man’s tests, Dr. Zhe will begin to synthesis on a Gene Thereapy/Stem Cell therapy to regenerate the man’s deteriorated neurons, and see if we can get anything out of him that way…
{somebody remind Dag to choose a different Doctor for his annual physical when it comes due.}
“I repeat, my respect for your diverse way of thinking and I am impressed with your benevlolence towards this man. I can only hope that if I am ever taken prisoner in some future skirmish, I am treated with the same deference. Out here we are the law and in this case it the law has been kind indeed. I would ask however that his ‘payment’ be carefully scrutinized prior to lifting ship. An enemy would benefit from secreting a homing beacon or a bomb aboard our fleet.”
Dav agrees that if this is his decision to stay here, then so be it. However, maybe it would be good to stop on the way home after Dr. Zhe’s ministrations have had a chance to work. He may have changed his mind by then.
And Dav doesn’t like the much smaller bugs. As the old man said, they get into, er…, everything.
Ty teases Dav with the little bug that looks somewhat like a silverfish with a grinder bit in it’s tri-flapped mouth. “It could be your friend! You can hug it and cuddle it and call him George! George the Bug.”
GM: I don’t know if changing the physiological effects of the dementia will, alter the fact that the information is lost or the cognitive decline by aging, which seems to be psychological as well. Cognitive decline in the elderly is real, the hows and whys aren’t all that well understood.
Dav can tell with a surface scan that the old man is basically honest about what he knows of the crystal. The crystal does deserve more study for sure; and the fact of where it is from, belies the secret of where the mission is probably headed. Dav and Dr Misishii know, it has been their secret (as well as with the rest of the command staff such as the captain of the Loreli and her XO), some in defence of the rest of the crew, you can’t reveal it under torture or mind ripping if you don’t know it.
OOC: Zhe is employing a stem cell/late stage anagathic out of his medkit, to see if he can improve Torsen’s overall lucidity and memory/cognitive ability. There have been some studies now that vitamin complexes, in the B series sort of do this now, but I was thinking along the lines of what i saw in the “Rise of the Apes” movie, or maybe the short story “Flowers for Algernon”, which might be old hat by TL G.
Dag, by the way, is right.. it is important to remember that Dr. Zhe is NOT a human doctor, and has only heard of a hipocratic oath as a cultural and atiquated curiosity, and not exactly words to live by. If you guys take on mortal wounds, for example, he will start doing surgery immediately. He is a combat medic, qualified on all species, and wont wait for a consent form…
Maybe things can be restored, but I don’t know if the information is lost forever. Though Torsen is a wealth of knowledge, what do you want to ask him? He didn’t take the crystal originally, he got it from another old pirate. This is like the wild west, pirates, like gunfighters, become just part of the scenery, there are even a couple of worlds nearby that are hotbeds of anarchy and piracy.
The Control Crystal is now an item in the items section. So does anyone have any other questions for Torsen? Dav and Iishka will be back in the lab most of the time studying the crystal; Conn will be setting up and mapping the crash site with drones, Nagaimr helping with both of them. Dr Zhe will be studying the bug, kept in a specimen containment module that he brought with him. That leaves Dag, Douglas, Khan and Mercy with a chance to hang about and get up to no good. There can be more bug catching expeditions as well as an exploration expedition to the crash site again in which Mercy should go as here high engineering skill gives her the best forensics. Last of the week will be Republican Guard Major Tliablzhdiliepr’s ceremony and placing a small obelisk and plaque at the crash site, the honor guard will be the security team in lieu of there not being any offical RoT forces here except for Tliablzhdiliepr from the Terrelay Republican Guard.
Douglas is up for a bit of a plundering, sorry, scientific jaunt over to the wreck. Anyone else want to poke about?
‘Dag, by the way, is right.. it is important to remember that Dr. Zhe is NOT a human doctor, and has only heard of a hipocratic oath as a cultural and atiquated curiosity, and not exactly words to live by. If you guys take on mortal wounds, for example, he will start doing surgery immediately. He is a combat medic, qualified on all species, and wont wait for a consent form…’
Douglas has something to add
“I don’t mind the emergency surgery, its the ‘while I was in there’ conversation that may take place later that worries me!”
“Douglas, after all you do have an extra lung and kidney and heart…”, Dav says, "… well, two out of three ain’t bad.
“I think that we just have to trust him. I’ve had more surgeries than you want to think about, and I’m almost normal, sort of. Oh well, I’ve got to go see if the crystal is mind controlling the rest of the science team now.”
“Oh well, crack on. Never thought of the crystal as a mind control thingy. Perhaps we should drop it into a lead lined container? Be a shame if we all started wondering the ship mumbling under our breath. My mind may not be the proverbial steel trap, but I must confess I do like it between the old ears, thoughts my own and all that”
Yes, bumping into bulkheads with drool running down your chin would be bad, very bad. As well as Dr Zhe may know about surgery, but what of anesthesia?
Worst case scenario: the crystal makes everyone insane and Dr Zhe starts roaming the corridors of the Loreli saying: “Time for some un-necessary operations, without anesthesia!”
Expedition idea noted, Ty mentions that they can take the G-Carrier.
“Well, I’m up for a little wreck exploring” says Dag.
So that is two to go, I suppose the rest would go as well, Conn can send a drone in to survey the site and the rest of the party can follow in the G-Carrier.
Mercy is always up for another crash site. Maybe it has some more floor hatches
Dav is too busy experimenting with the crystal and finding out interesting things to go after bugs and such.
Maybe the crystal is an alien version of “Tetris” designed to keep the geeks busy. :)
“Lets fill the G Carrier with all the toys and a picnic lunch. Should be a grand day out”
Now that sounds Like a good idea!
Dav is staying back to work on his psychic rubik’s cube; what toys do Douglas, Dag and Mercy want to take? Any of the base personnel like Eve or others from the security team? G-Carrier will come with Driver and Gunner from the security team.
I ll throw in a tool kit for each type of maintenance and a light antigrav lift. Should we bring sone over night stuff.
Nagaimr tales an interest in the controls of the G-carrier, chatting with the pilot and enquiring about its capabilities
Eve would be cool. Dag will bring his standard issue gear.
Dr. Zhe’s Antennae perk up at the prospect of a possible psionic being being nearby, and he begins to wonder who, and if he will get a chance to image such a sophont’s brain for tests…
“Oh, you neednt worry about anasthetic.. I am rated high at my med college for pain management and take such matters well in hand. Many species react negatively to trauma, so i try to avoid it. I have many, many drugs on hand that can put you under should the need arise… you needn’t worry. you won’t feel a thing, and I work quick. I must on the battlefields of the deep….”
At some point in the move, Dr. Zhe examines his hab pod, and makes sure it is up to a nominal temp and pressure for entry later on, and all is in place… He rolls it against the far wall of the Loreli’s cargo hold wall on it’s floaters, and sets it enviro controls…
Khan packs light, only bringing his basic kit, armor, SMG slung and holstered pistol in holster. Khan is comfortable with humans probably much more so than they will be with him. He finds a place at the back of the bus and carefully examines everything as the group is preparing to lift off in the G-Carrier.
I go ahead and bring a sleeping bag and hiking kit along with my Gauss Pistol. This should do it.
Douglas will bring;
Expedition approved Vaccsuit and Gauss Pistol
Geiger Counter (on person)
Atmosphere Tester (on person)
One Cold Light Lantern (on person)
Field Medical Kit (on person)
Personal Blade (inside Suit)
Densitometer
Dynamic Multi-Analyser
NAS Sensor
Delightful picnic lunch
Could he also request a brick of heavily armed marines?
“Forget the Marines, Douglas. They’re needed to guard the Habs and Labs. We’ve got plenty of fire power as is. And anyway, that picnic lunch looks too good to waste on gyrenes…” laughs Dag.
Dav radios to them: “Good luck on your picnic! Sorry I can’t come with, but having fun here unless this thing decides to fry my brain or something…”
Conn makes sure two recon drones are loaded and safety-webbed, then goes back inside and returns with a pack, which he stows safely in the carrier. Then he takes a nap until they arrive at the crash site.
The drones can also be flown, they have a m-drive and gravitics.
Dr Zhe’s hab module is in one of the vehicle parks on the base layout map right now, in transit it will be stowed in the Loreli’s hold. Is Dr Zhe going with everyone to the wreck? Signal for a negative or otherwise I will assume he is going.
All the nice stuff everyone is taking is noted. New post coming up…
Dr. zhe is definitely going if there is any possibility of survivors or mutated descendants of survivors.