Welcome back to the semi-permament TML PBEM!
Here is part one of a summary of PBEM activity to date. You
people are really pretty good writers. This is a good story -
even if it is a littel soap-opera-ish in places.
Summarizing, it's hard to believe it took two years to get here.
:=)
- ------ Important Admin stuff ----------
In keeping with our charter and tradition, I am echoing official
turns to the TML. If this becomes a problem for non-pbem TML'ers
please let me know right away and we'll work something out.
There are some new groups of characters not mentioned here in
this turn. It's Okay. Those affected, go ahead and make your
introductions just as you indicated to me. I have assumed that
three inbound distress signals, simultaneously is just *too*
much of a coincidence, so coming in this way autmatically staggers
your entries, just a little. Come on in, get introduced and
we'll get rolling.
Rule changes for turn 91:
1) Let's try to keep things to one-day (or less) turn intervals.
That's game time, not our time. What I mean is make one or two
(three if you _must_) private/public postings, and then quit,
no matter how much it hurts. Then I can get in and quickly
re-synchronize everyone and we'll get going again. Hopefully
this way I can get more, smaller, turns out, more frequently.
If this doesn't work well, we'll change it.
2) As of now, enrollment is CLOSED. We're not taking new characters
until we have an open-enrollment period, probably during winter
break.
New listeners are welcome. Just go ahead and send a message to
[email removed] and we'll add you to the listeners list.
Listeners get all the pbem public messages, not just official
turns.
3) Remember to use the pbem aliases at engrg.uwo.ca. James is
posting the list, and we'll keep instructions handy in case you
need to get another set.
=================Summary=========================================
Our adventure began in about 1119 on one of the unnamed systems,
in the Illelish sector, on the edge of the rift between this
sector and Reaver's Deep. A company claiming to be a field office
of Turnskaad Enterprises of the Spinward Marches has advertised for
a crew to expolore and perform scientific investigation.
(See Atlas of the Imperium)
(Originally, I didn't have a particular name or place, but
some of these detail-oriented types have been twisting my arm for
two years.)
Shortly after the Human's emperor Strephon was assasinated, his
nephew, Lucan, asked the Daibei to invade the Illelish territories.
They refused and declared their independence. Systems just on the
other side of the rift between Reaver's Deep and Illelish felt
threatened nonetheless, and actively recruited all manner of arms
and arms bearers, waiting for the almost certain invasion from
Dulinor, Aslan, Daibei, Solomani, or Margaret.
(See Rebellion Sourcebook.)
With this in mind, the offer from Turnskaad quickly attracted all
manner of adventurers interested in something other than defending
another rock against another would-be tyrant. After being given some
titilating information, about thirty people agreed, more or less in
the blind, to sign up for a mission they know little about.
Turnskaad representatives showed these volunters holo's of an intact
ringworld "somewhere just outside the imiperial border." A few of
the less adventursome backed out then, and the excitement of those
remaining was intense. Here's the text of the original briefing:
- ------------------------------
We have recently received information from one of our private scouts
that a ringworld exists in a nebula not far from here. Our scout
was able to make only one pass, and that off the ecliptic, so we
don't know much about the overall picture. We have named this find
`R-alpha', after the code sequence used ot designate the find.
(A holo of a slim, shiny band reflecting the light of a yellow-green
star forms near the speaker. This is a moving holo, obviously from
the cameras of a passing ship, and time compressed. The band slowly
resolves into what must be a ring, although the nearer side is
washed out by the light of the star. The ring is almost vertical in
the holo.)
The one pass indicated excess energy generation at several
locations, habitable oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, and methane.
Methane does not occur except as a by-product of animal life, or
geological metamorphasis, so we strongly suspect widespread life.
The holo shows 8 or 9 distinct "warm spots" on the ring as the star
characteristically dims through an IR-viewing filter. The ring
rapidly expands, and then the time-compression slows as the camera
pans to follow the inner surface of the ring. Geographic features
such as low hills and small seas are visible. So are clouds.
Whoever built this didn't create it for just a game preserve. We
need to explore it as much as possible in the next few months.
Naturally there is potential for huge economic and miltary benefit
if you can uncover information, artifacts, and so forth. We have
posted a bond of 10,000 ICr for the first working artifact found.
The holo fades out. The lights come back up.
Also, discoveries like this are hard to keep secret. Time is
critical. We estimate you have at most six months to do all your
investigative work before competitors force you off the world. If
you can get back in time, we can make at least a salvage or
colonization claim on R-alpha before someone else can move in.
Because of the nature of your teams, and of this world, you will be
spending extended periods well away from other teams and from your
ship. You need to be prepared. We are providing inital training,
and making certain equipment available to you at a reduced cost.
Your checks will be held here until your return. (Isn't that just
like a big outfit, to collect the interest on your labor...)
...
Again folks, think on what you will need to perform your mission.
You might have to live off the land, you might need to move quickly,
and you might need to fight hard just to survive. Next week we will
move out to the asteroids, where the Alcyon is parked, and where we
have a supply depot to help you make final personal and mission
purchases.
(and there were the inevitable questions:)
What exactly do you mean by `artifact'?
We're searching for unique and previously unknown items. We're
offering the reward for a truly natable scientific, military,
historical, or economic find. It doesn't have to be a TL17
`thingy' (of course that wouldn't hurt). It does have to be
something that we as a multi-racial empire have never before
built, dreamed of, or considered. Like a practical way to
communicate with plants, or make a jump 7, or just be able
to have a viable artificial intelligence.
The intro mentioned subs. I sure hope that there are some
automated probes and robots for doing some of the observations.
Yes there are. You have both disposable and recoverable probes and
robots for this mission.
Are there any company represetatives coming?
or are we on our own?
This mission is your baby. I will probably drop by to check up
your status, exchange mail, etc. though.
(As expected, they lied... There is a company lawyer along.)
"Umm, just how big is the ringworld?
Its stellar radius is roughly 1.5 X 10^8 kilometers. It's roughly
3000 kilometers wide. It has `vertical' sides roughly 100 kilometers
high, to hold in its air. Actually, in a general sense, it is one
*huge* valley between two *tall* mountain ranges.
So how large surface area does R-alpha have?
Roughly 10^12 km^2. This is on the order of 10^4 times the surface
area of a planet like Terra. (More habitable area than the whole
Imperium!)
And how long will we have to explore it?
Not long. Only a few months at most. We expect, knowing how
communications and response work, that at least two of the major
belligerents for the throne will arrive in 4 to 6 months time.
Rather than `explore' per se, we'd prefer you concentrated on
getting everything you can from R-alpha. Physically and scientifically.
Also, if there is an undiscovered sapient race with some degree
of technological development, what will be mission policy
regarding contact and establishment of relations with the locals?"
That's up to the on-scene commander. Just remember that they're a lot
less likely to be welcomed into civilization when and if Lucan and Dulinor
start duking it out over 'er under? their heads.
...
Insurance:
I'm passing out insurance and salvage agreements today. You do not
have to fill these out. However if you do not, salvage is assumed
to belong to Turnskaad fully, rather than leaving you a finders
portion, and Turnskaad is the default beneficiary of your life
insurance. It really is in your personal interest to fill these
out.
Mission Equipment:
Everyone will be equipped with a TL15 scout-type vacc suit, except
for the members of the security team, who will have armored vacc
suits issued. We expect everyone on the team to be in continuous
contact, at least in terms of location; all issue vacc suits have
ELT's (emergency locator transponders) built in. The ELT's signal
the base ship every 30 minutes and relay your health and location
information. More details are available if you're curious.
TL13 Stun pistol with a variety of drug charges is the standard
issue sidearm. You are expected to have this with you at all times,
loaded. You will receive some rudimentary training in selecting the
proper drugs to use in various situtations. Of course, this does
not preclude your wearing or using your favorite sidearm; we just
want you all to have a visible reminder that this is initially a
peaceful mission.
Personal medikits are available from ship's stores. A slightly more
substantial party-sized kit is assigned to each team's carrier.
Hand computers (TL15) will be issued to those who do not already
have them. If you wish to buy one, you can do so at a discount, as
with all personal equipment you purchase for this mission. (Send me
a list of equipment you wish, together with suggested price from
some book if you have a price. I will indicate which are assigned,
which are for the ship, and which you need to lease or purchase.
For items to purchase I will assign a disocunt price. After
everyone has bought what they want, I'll tell you how I figured the
discount, if you're interested :-).)
Items of a more sensitive nature, such as military-style hardware
are available at our asteroid spaceport. You will be leaving for
there this afternoon. (So send in your lists for this stuff, too.)
Of course, further comunications with the outside will be limited
after this, so if you've got any farewells to send, better do it
this morning.
- ---------------------
Everyone went out to an asteroid clump, and started training. Here
they got their first view of the Alcyon:
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.
...
They met their "launch director".
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?} (Answer came back - 0.25g, 0.5g with
all four ships churning hydrogen.)
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.
- -------------------------------------
A day and a half later, the Alcyon was tugged out of the small gravity
well of the asteroids. Just before firing off the chemical strap-on
boosters to give her some initial speed, she was met by a shuttle
making some last inute crew changes. A couple of people got recalled
to active duty, one had to go home, and Turnskaad threw another
genralist/scientist on board. (I wanted to play a little, too.)
The second night of the first jump, all was going well and the crew
held a falling-down, staggering in 0-g party. (Then, summer arrived,
I had some serious mailer problems, and ...) everyone woke up five
days later. They hurriedly prepared for their pre-arranged re-fueling
rendezvous and re-entered normal space.
Just before re-entry, one of the crew discovered a locator beacon,
seemingly of Solomani design, in with the cargo brought aboard
the Alcyon. An immediate interior search revealed no further
bugs, and no more clues to the one they found. Dissecting it
indicated it sent a coded radio "squirt" just before jump entry,
revealing the ship's course.
The bridge team immediately went to work building computer
programs and monitors to watch for, trap, reocrd, and effectively
prevent another broacsast.
During the rendezvous, some engineers and security went outside
to inspect the ship and grid, some crew were transferred to and
form the troop/cargo ship Anslinger, and fuel was pumped aboard
from a snowball carrier. Outside, the ship's reporter newstaped
the entire operation.
After crew transfers, and when the bags were at ~80%, an imperial
fleet was detected leaving jump in the same (empty) sector of
space. Emergency disconnect was made, Turnskaad's ships making
violent, distracting maneuvers while the Alcyon's mains came on
line. Some engineers were almost trapped outside, and one,
Anton Devious lost his foot because of an air lock malfunction
during the emergency.
The fleet was tenatively identified as one of Lucan's, although
the ID was not definite. The snowball sprayed hydrogen between
the Alcyon and the fleet, and jumped. As Alcyon jumped, they
ignited the hydrogen to blind the fleet's sensors (at least
temporarily) to their neutrino trail.
- --------
About this same time, the Aslan exploration vessel Trakh,
on a foray into the rift, discovered a green star with a
regular pulsation, and jumped toward it.
Also, about this same time, R-alpha's natives are receiving omens
of impending visitors, and are preapring to recive them. The
thoughtful and religious Jijid are meditating and chanting. The
agressive Kythui don't really care, and the telpathic Phins
communied with "the Hoop" and prepared for the arrival of "the
Visitors".
- ----------
The following week, sciences section determined that the surface
gravity of R-alpha should be about 1g, that the atmosphere appeared
to be breathable, and there were definite signs of inteeligence:
a power distribuiton network, low-intensity neutrino flux, airborne
pollutants, etc.
Medical section discovered that Sgt. Major Hammer died of Curare the
night of the party, that whatever put people out for five days was
soewhat counteracted or amplified by what booster shots the victims
had received just before leaving (That's why some died, some got
sick, and some had no ill effects.), and that it was a short-lived
airborne binary gas, apparantly delivered from the now-connected
air ducts of the Paladin. They also got Devious stabilized, slowed,
and into a cold berth to await later work (i.e. player to return)
since his foot was now light years away, and vacuum packed.
Command and security put together a select team to search the Paladin,
whose owner died of the gas delivered the night of the party. What
they found was a wonderful, hi-tech exploratory ship, and the empty
bottles, together with evidence that whoever delivered the gas was
no longer aboard.
Day five of the jump, a hydrogen line ruptured in engineering during
routine maintenance and flash-froze M.T. who shattered when he fell
to the deck. Other injuries were minor, except for Silvmane, who
recovered extremely rapidly.
This event got a few of the more paranoid minds together to consider
the modus operandi of the sabateur. Early day seven of the jump,
security sealed off the passageways near engineering, and a few of
the officers destroyed Leadfoot. They decided to take immediate,
positive action against the agressor, and it is covered in more detail
in turn 10.9d and 10.9e. Basically, they unleashed a fusion-powered
holocaust in the drive room, and injured several. Leadfoot is "dead".
Shortly before re-entry, commander Ger addresses the crew of the Alcyon.
...
"Well, we'll be arriving shortly. We have now completed the *easy*
part of our mission. I have it on good authority our sabteur has
met his maker." He smiles wryly at Abuko.
"Now, we are about to visit a single world with the same habitable
surface area as all of the inhabited worlds in the Imperium put
together." He pauses to let that sink in. "There are fewer than
forty of us. We have to find the history of a long-dead race, find
an intelligent species, and prevent Imperial conflicts from destroying
this gem of an artifact.
"We are much better prepared for this part of our mission than we were
for sabotage, however. Look around you. We are scientists, we are
engineers, we are scouts. Only a few of us are trained killers." He
slows down just a little. "And all of us, _all_ .. _of_ .._us_, have
worked our whole lives for this moment. For this opportunity.
"You have demonstrated a teamwork on board these last few weeks.
You have demonstrated tenacity in adversity. And you have demonstrated
an ability to adapt. All of these are needed and will serve us in good
stead in our coming venture.
"When MY grandchildren ask me what it was like, I will proud to tell them
how wonderful it was to serve with the greatest collection of explorers
ever assembled.
"I salute each and every one of you.
...
Several hours later, almost at the predicted moment, the jump warning
sounds, and the lights dim. Once again, everyone is subjected to that
annoying, nauseating, tumbling, feeling, and the pale blue glow on all
the outside monitors is replaced by starlight and sunlight.
Everyone hears, from just over her or his left shoulder a quiet, soothing,
alien, voice. In each person's native tounge comes the message:
"Welcome. We have been expecting you. An envoy will be up shortly
to show you where to dock. The peace of the cosmos be with you."
None of the typical intercept or probing signals appear on the ship's
sensors.
Looking out any viewport, you can see just how good a jump this was.
In an arc stretching from as far as you can see forward to as far as
you can see aft, and slightly below the Alcyon, is a wall of dark, gray,
metal, with sunlight shining off the edges. Far forward you can see
a second arc and far aft is a third. These two are tiny silvery bands
that begin well away from the vanishing points of the metal floor, and
extend around, behind, and above a shimmering greenish-yellow star.
These tiny bands almost connect above the star, giving the appearance
of a halo. Keen eyes detect a very slight fuzziness at the edges of
the "floor" near you.
Inward from the first ring, a second becomes visible. It is in a plane
with the first ring, but much smaller, and much darker.
The inside of the ring is visible fore and aft of Alcyon as the wall
arcs away from you. You can clearly see forests, seas, deserts, islands,
continets, and various signs of life - villages, smoke, roads. Motion
detectors tell of flying creatures as well.
The speed of rotation of the ring is much more than the speed of your
orbit. The breathtaking view literally flies by as sciences asks Christian
to have Lucan or Dulinor bring a couple more cases of holo-crystals
up to the lab.
================
Seconds later the hull reverberates with the dull metallic thunks of
couplings detatching themselves from the Alcyon. All three riders,
the Talisman, the Paladin, and the Aurora, detach from the Alcyon's
hull, followed by the slow emergence of the command shuttle from the
central core of the tender. The Paladin begins to accelerate down
and away, beginning to match speeds with the ring. The Talisman
moves off the plane of the ecliptic, to take high-altitude obser-
vations. The Aurora begins to move to a high-guard position.
>From the surface of R-alpha a shuttle emerges, broadcasting a welcome
message and instructions to follow them to a landing/docking facility.
At this moment, the universal distress channel comes to life. An
Ael Yael ship has had an accident and is incoming. The Aurora lights
up like a chemical rocket and off toward the distress signal, the
command shuttle moving into high-guard position.
Meanwhile, on the surface below, the inner ring moves in its faster
orbit, and its dithered density filters begin to allow light onto
the village of the Kyth. Sunlight reveals thousands of the nomads
doming into the village for their annual celebration of victory over
hardship. And, on the knoll just outside of town, the crew of the
Trakh prepare for alien contact.
It is deep night in the middle of the village of the Jijid. Tehadazi,
the wise woman has awakened from a disturbing dream. In this dream,
she was on a strange world where the sun was on the horizon, and it
was _cold_. She has neve felt cold in her life, and everyone knows
the sun is always overhead. It is disquieting. She looks out at the
stars, and sees one moving, first this way, then that, and thinks back
to the discussion she had just a few days ago about visions of
visitors and moving stars.
Aboard the shuttle, Nishu's board comes up with a solution to one
of the programs he and Etienne loaded 'way back when'. "Got our
location sir."
(for completeness .. It's hex 1501 in the Reaver's Deep sector, as
listed in the "Atlas of the Imperium". I know this is technically
inside the imperium, but - okay ya got lied to before. :=) It might
very well be in a nebula, and it is jump 5 away form about three
different planet systems. It's close to Solomani, Aslan, Dulinor,
Margaret, Daibei, and not too terribly far from the Vargr.)
As the action moves away from the Alcyon, lights throughout the
ship shut themselves off in preprogrammed sequence as the ship
prepares for orbital station-keeping.
=============
OK folks - light 'em up!
(If this doesn't get ya goin', see turns 10.9d and 10.9e from
last season.)
- --
Richard Johnson [email removed] [email removed]
Pax Electronica. Propogate.