This week about half the crew went into town and had fun...
About 1/4 got into fights with each other over some thing or another,
and about 1/4 started raising he** with Turnskaad because things
hadn't really started yet.
Oh well. Such is thelife of the average adventurer.
Actually this week has been mainly cleaning up the straight
communications attempt. Either it's working or I scared
everyone off the game.
Weekly postings are now typically two messages each about
4-5 kBytes long. These messages are sent to *charaacters*
not to players. since there are stil about six players without
characters, they are not getting news. Of course, the characters
wouldn't know this stuff anyway :-).
What follows are the two turn messages. Press `n' now!
===================================================================
Well, the morning finally arrives. During the evening, several people
went to town, and have returned in various states of dissolution and
disrepair. Surprisingly though, no one is grumbling except about a
perceived inability to continue their excess onto the mission.
The engineeres , most notably Bhyarravouf, are getting incredibly
irritable at not geting their paws on the Alcyon yet. They have had
to console themselves with once agina reviewing their flight
manuals and hoping for something truly interesting.
The physical sientists have started to agree that gravitics are
likely to work once you arrive, but the arrival is going to be quite
tricky. The transport team hasn't mentioned any concern over approaches
yet.
The bioscience and medical team has inventoried their material and
requested a few long-term survival items.
The security team has requested just about everything ever created and
pleaded for more troops and more explosive punch. Which is more dangerous,
a morose soldier or a happy soldier?
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Briefing: (Adam speaks)
When you arrive at our asteroid base this afternoon, you will understand
part of our need for tight security. Everyone of you seems quite anxious
to get on with this, and frankly, I wish I were going with you. However,
we need to get this out of the way:
If anyone wants out now, see me before you lift. No questions will be
asked, and it will not affect any recommendation you ask from us. You
will receive your full pay up to this point. (3 days?)
Some of you have already met Mr. Adrian Bishop. Adrian is a reporter, and
I know some of you are not too thrilled about having him along. Never-
theless, we and you *need* and accurate permanent record of whatever
happens, and when and how it happens. In some ways, his record might
just be the most permanent affect of this whole undertaking. Anyway,
please try to co-operate with him. If you can't find a way to bring
yourself to co-operate, at least act civilly, please.
I can't give you a briefing on the Alcyon here, but you will receive a
full briefing on her as soon as you dock space-side.
Good luck.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, you all get into the shuttle and head out to the asteroid belt. It's
about a ten hour trip. The pilots recognize that the approach, while made
quite smoothly, is manual not automatic, and is deceptively tricky (it
seems simpler by far than it really is). You who have brought ships are
halted near a concentration of asteroids and asked if you would please
allow them to hook on with tugs for the final part of the trip.
The reason for the tugs becomes apparant as you enter the cluster. For
those on the shuttle, you'll get to see it when you disembark. In a
parllel orbit is an enormous, spider-like tetrahedron. In the center
of the tetrahedron is what seems to be a large engine-like structure.
This center engine is roughly 400 tons (volume) in its own right.
The engine faces one apex, with exhaust through the center of one of
the tetrahedron's faces. Each of the four apexes connects to the
central engine, as well as to each of the other three corners with
strong structural members. A fine mesh covers the front three faces
of the tetrahedron, and most of the rear face. At the front
of the Alcyon is a bridge and crew compartment. The other three apexes
are obviously reserved for ships to connect to.
The fine mesh is the Alcyon's lanthanum grid. Beneath the grid, and
well connected to all eight of the structural beams are bags of some
strong, light weight, material. These seem to be collapsible fuel bags.
Presently they float limply, about half full.
Several figures in vacc suits labor about the Alcyon even now, preparing
her for flight.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 2:
Good evening fellow travellers. I am Julanna Cariolesse, the launch
director for your mission. You can call me Jula or 'lanna. Welcome
to our little home in the country, here. We refer to this base as
`Rocky's Revenge'. For the next day and a half, it's home. You
are scheduled for launch in roughly 36 hours, and there appear to
be no bugs in the schedule.
(Julanna is ~160 cm tall, lithe and muscular. She has shoulder length
auburn hair, accented with silver and green stripes. She wears an
issue TL15 jumpsuit and the `nerd-pack' kind of hand computer. Her
features are soft, and the eyes bright. One eye is bright blue, the
other reddish-brown. Your overall impression is of an extremely
bright, well-conditioned humanoid who is just a little, well,
deviant.)
Tonight, the three ships you brought will be attached to the Alcyon
for the jump to R-alpha. You have (she eyes her notes) two scout
ships and a merchant -- all streamlined it says here. Good. There
is a 200T cargo bay on the Alcyon in addition to what is on your ships.
Most of the heavy equipment requested for this trip is already on board.
You might want to do some cargo shuffling tomorrow, so that your merchant
ship can carry some of the larger items down without having to shift
cargo after you arrive.
The Alcyon is a jump tender. A little more advanced in some ways than
the traditional ones, though. Access ways are provided between each of
the ships and the central core. One ship's location has been replaced
by bridge, computing, and life support for a small crew. Enough fuel
should be on board to provide two jump 5's without refueling. You might
be able to stretch that with some tinkering with your ships and so forth
in an emergency.
Only a very minimal maneuver drive is available on the Alcyon herself.
Just enough to keep her oriented, not really enough to accelerate or
fend off any serious gravity. The software is installed to use your
ship's engines for this, though. {ref: OK transport crew - how much
acceleration we gonna get?}
Likewise, the Alcyon is pretty defensless without your ships. Only a
double laser turret and a sand caster up front. There just isn't any
good place to put a hard point that won't damage the Alcyon more than
whatever you're firing at.
Overall, what this means is that with the Alcyon you've got range and
speed over interstellar distances. But you've got to rely on each
your own ships for some of the work. Likewise, it means that wherever
you go, you get there together; no party scattering due to misjumps.
Once you're there, your navigators will quickly figure out where you
are, and in a pinch, you can scuttle the Alcyon more cheaply than
a `real' ship and bug out individually.
Master Seargent Fallow will show you all to your quarters. You should
find most or all of the personal equipment you requested waiting for
you.
Tomorrow morning, all personnel, except physicians, are to report to
room AA38-Port for emergency first aid training at 08:00 standard.
Doctors are to report to room F622-Port for instruction in the selection
and use of various drugs for stun gun use with varying genotypes.
Breakfast is from 06:00 to 07:30; the central computer will assist you
in finding the mission mess.
After lunch tomorrow, all engineering and transport personnel are to
report the simulation chamber for initial training in the Alcyon's
systems. All security personnel are to report to the armory for
Battle dress fitting, adjustment, and initial training. Science
and generalist teams have a ringworld theory and introduction class
in the main auditorium.
The material covered in most of these sessions will be available in
holocrystals, for you to use while in flight, in case you have to miss
them. Count Ger may have other duties for you.
Good evening.