…screaming through the electric darkness of jumpspace.
The raggedy little fleet of the UTREE caravan heads out past the 100D limit of Banderhue and makes its first jump on the journey to Stella Maris. Everybody in their places, Mercy in engineering and such, Nagaimr forward on A Deck setting up the science equipment, Dag down with the supply officer, helping to get things straightened out. The jump is uneventful to old hands, maybe just a little too much vibration in the old bird during the transition is the only thing noticed.
The ship settles into it’s week long routine, and after the days duty is done, people often look for a meal and a drink in the various galleys and recreation areas of the ship. Less than 80 people complement isn’t too many, not alone and not together, a recognized face from a training session met with a friendly nod, passing in a hallway. Bored security troops in pairs wander the ship’s warren, more involved in their current conversation that the watch duty. They too wind up in the same places as everyone else.
The upper lounge with the observation window is the science lounge, a few of all sorts wander in to have a drink or a meal and gaze at the stars. It doesn’t matter what section you are in, one frozen steak is the same as another, fixed to order by the serving robots, same as with the bars where the bartending robot fixes the same vodka tonic, exactly, everytime. The quality of the various areas differs in the people that spend their time there.The Ward Room up in Officer’s Country, is a reserved atmosphere, big plans are made at the Captain’s table from the tone of the conversation. D Deck is just the opposite, nicknamed the “Dregs” the music is just a little too loud and somebody must have “fixed” the robo-bartender because the drinks are off, maybe too much alcohol.
The old rule seems to be true as well, “if you haven’t heard a rumor by noon, start one”; and the Dregs’ rumor mill is spinning off it’s wheel. “Phenomena at Stella Maris my eye, we all know where we are going!” one crewman states, an inebriated Security Sergeant looks at him and laughs, “we’re gonna die out here”, “Shut up with that CRAP!” Someone else yells. A woman walks up to a vid screen playing a blue movie and punches it, yelling: “That’s my sister!” storming out, when it gets turned off, a younger guy says, “Hey let’s watch it again”, but an older crewman pipes up: “No, that was her husband.”
Not is all fun and games on the journey into the unknown, when there is nowhere else to run, there’s always room for one more someone. They say one has to be half crazy to head off into the void, which it isn’t true, but it sure helps.
Comments
Tharl, still in working fatigues, sits with his back to the windows, nursing a cold beer and slowly butchering a steak, but not eating much of it. He glances over at the sergeant, “We all die sometimes son, so why worry about it?”
Ty nods at Tharl and takes a slug from his beer mug. Wiping his mouth with his beer mug hand he holds the other hand out, straight in front of him; looking at it, yet past it with a 1000 meter stare he says “There! Look at that!” (You don’t see anything) “That tremor, I don’t know when I got it, the head-shrinks tell me it’s a ‘phantom tremor’, they say alot of things though. Sometimes it moves up my arm into my ribcage, like a bird there fluttering to be free, I know I felt that the first time…or maybe not.” His stare into nowhere he clenches the hand tight showing the tendons and muscle standing out on his fist. Coming out of it,Ty takes another slug of beer at and smiles: “You’re right though, given a long enough timeline, all of our survivability rate falls to zero.” Raising the mug to Tharl.
Tharl raises his mug in return. “So sergeant, I’ve been thinking about training ops. We should make some time in jump to start training these kids in boarding ops, offense and defense. Never know when we’ll need to do one or both”
Ty: “What did you have in mind? It’s a good idea, a lot of these kids are totally green, the LT as well. I wonder how many have even been off dirt. C Deck, Forward is Trooper Country, with no second squad we have more room but we did lose the A Deck training room to the science folks. You know we should get the Liaison Officer, Thorskeld in on this as well.”
{Thorskeld is wandering the decks observing the crew operations unless called}
Tharl: “Yeah, we’ll need his help. We have to keep the troops occupied. Bored troops are dangers to themselves and everyone around them. The vacc heads and civvies have to get onboard with this as well. Defensively, I’m thinking of using the ratings to defend points near their battle stations, with first squad stiffening the hottest positions. Third squad is a flying reserve, either stiffening defense points or acting offensively as opportunity presents. Offensively, first squad does its usual boarding ops. Do any of them know how to use a boarding pike?” Tharl keys his comm, “Thorskeld, this is Vigdisson, what’s your location?”
question:
Who is in command of the marines overall? I need to speak to him.
{Dag thumbs his Comm} “Library, Deck B. What can I do for you?”
Who is in command of the marines overall? I need to speak to him.
The Force Commander of the Security Troops is Captain Gashmaan Eshaeq (off dirt though he is refered to as Major), a 57 year old retired Marine Lt Colonel; right now he is in the Wardroom B6, dining with the rest of the ship’s officers. His regular duty station is B2 and his cabin is C8.
comment/question:
Hmm, ok, that’s way too far up chain of command for a team leader to jump without very serious reasons. I assume third squad’s LT is my immediate superior?
Tharl: “Thorskeld, if you can, meet me in the Dregs. Team Leader Anderson and I would to like to discuss some training with you”
Lt Niksvi Dayton, is the 3rd Squad Leader, that would be Tharl’s superior. However, while Terrelayne has conscription (4 years), so everyone is of some familiarity with military protocol, the security force are civilian employees, thus the structure isn’t as rigid. There is some training, as well as unscheduled drills, as well as the regular duties for the security force. These include manning the security station, like the brig, breaking up fights and disturbances and maintaining the weapons and vehicles under their control. There is an armory bot, as well as maintenance bots and the ship’s computer and AI (Archeron or Archie) also can be called upon to help.
{Dag thumbs his comm again} “Of course, Vigdisson. Be right there.”
I rolled an 8, if Tharl has talked with LT about training, he is interested and offers for Tharl to become the training coordinator. Looking at the book as well, Dag’s duty station when not doing anything is D8, from where the Fusion Turrets are controlled.
Dav, thinking that while bored soldiers might be bad, he knows that bored scientists are dagerous. So after eating he goes to the lab and start putting things together. By morning he should at least have some mysterious glowing green liquid bubbling through some tubing and glassware. And the computers and such that will be needed. And with quick modification to the output holigrams he’ll have some nice but safe electrical spark towers.
And then some sleep after a quick note to
Anybody checking in the lab the next morning find Dav asleep against the computer, composing a note made up primarily of lines of the letter “z”.
While everyone tries to find ways to keep busy, Mercy spends her time making the ship go. During her downtime she attempts to get know crew in this order. Her Superior, Engineering staff than the boat flight crew, than the rest of the ships officers.
The Officers and crew are, to begin with:
Chief Engineer – Larsiirnu Mulberry (Mercy’s Superior), Male, 31 years old
Flight Officer – Sha’dosanz Hoenvag, Male 33 years old
Ship’s Surgeon – Dr Kimberli Sanlarlen (and Mercy’s cabinmate), Female 42 years old
Other Crew
Engineer – Gina Mathis (Mercy’s assistant), Female, 23 years old
Engineer CPO – Rejo Zhdara, Male, 54 years old
Flight Rating – Zae Seagull, Male, 22 years old
As people are met, I’ll post a list in the wiki called: “…and a cast of Thousands.”
Ty gets up from the table, yawns preparing to stagger back to his rack. Before leaving he looks at everybody and says:
“Things are gonna change, I can feel it.”
Eventually Dav wakes up and goes to the nearest galley or lounge to have something greasy and drink something composed of at least 110% caffeine to give him the energy to finish the job. He gets a doughnut for Artie. Then he strolls back to the lab to finish the rest.
Tharl carries on a short conversation with Thorskeld re: training.
“Dag, I’ll need your help coordinating with the civvies on training. I need to know who has what combat training. I spoke to lieutenant Dayton about boarding defense. Do you have any experience?”
Tharl heads off to bed soon after.
I don’t think Dag noticed your comment, Tharl, you should send him a private message, probably.