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Transformers: Aeons of Steel It is 11 million years before the dawn of humanity. The ancient world of Cybertron, and their robotic populace, the Cybertronians, have recently thrown off the yoke of tyranny, only to shackle themselves. The twisted, megalomaniacal Quintessons have been nearly purged from this sector of space, and in their place, the Functionist Council oversees the societal and religious governance of all Cybertronian life. While civilization of a sort exists, the specter of war still looms over the recovering populace, healing from wounds of the past, and of comrades lost.  These beings, however, live on a geologic timescale, their robotic forms functionally immortal, so long as their sparks continue to shine. It is this capacity that finds the crew of the transport ship Solstice, considered lost during a desperate gambit in the war against the Quintessons, on the brink of awakening to a galaxy very different than the one they would come to remember. pre:Internal sensors restored Cross-checking crew manifest Remaining crew: Spinout – Force Reconnaissance Slam – Kinetic Ordnance Shadowcaster – Covert Intelligence Starfire – Aerial Reconnaissance Sidewinder – Ground Pursuit Flashdrive – Data Acquisition and Powerlink Energon reserves at 20% Wireless electrical distribution active Scanning physical connections Flashdrive detected Continuing data transfer...Done! Charging: Rhyos fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Nov 14, 2018 |
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Nov 5, 2018 15:04
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Flashdrive Finally! Activity! It’s only been what? How many gigacycles? The timekeeper was unfortunately slagged, and being connected to the ship’s mainframe only gave a skewed perception of time. Surveillance units fared little better, but their images provided little relief. No playback. No recordings. Just a damaged piece of scrap barely holding itself together. To Flashdrive, nothing short of a disaster had happened. First thing first was to copy as much data as possible from the drive. Most of it was probably corrupted by the EMP, but given some time the bot could salvage something useful from the backup. The moment the process was complete Flashdrive ran a repair program to salvage what was left. Any information was better than none. pre:AnonymousIdiotToday at 12:42 PM It's just for repairing the corrupted data. /r 1d20+9 #repair corrupted data DicebotBOTToday at 12:42 PM @AnonymousIdiot: 1d20+9 repair corrupted data = (14)+9 = 23 It’d be a rough awakening the bots would go through, but at least it’s an awakening.
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Nov 5, 2018 20:43
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 Fortunately, Flashdrive was a pro. Millions of years of stagnation and an errant capacitor here and there preserved enough data to provide a nice little shopping list: pre:Priority 1 mission Objectives: Retrieve any/all of the following: Star Saber Requiem Blaster Chimera Stone Apex Armor Infinite Combinatoric Chaos Edge Cyber Caliber Quill Zeonomicon Terminus Blade Enigma of Combination Possible leads within fuel range:
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Nov 5, 2018 21:37
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Starfire Starfire is the second to stir, thanks in no small part to Flashdrive's manual boot, a brief moment of disorientation in the null-grav environment fading as maneuvering thrusters flicker briefly to life and arresting the slow spin the bot found itself in. It begins to extricate itself from the pile, demonstrating considerable grace despite the obstacle that folded wings present. A moment later, a clipped, professional voice rings out through the silent ruin of the transport, "...sting. Testing. Diagnostics complete. Starfire, reporting in." Optics take in the surrounding ruins, then focus on Flashdrive. "Did the commander make it? Who's in charge, exactly?"
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Nov 5, 2018 23:38
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 ShadowcasterFlashdrive posted:What remained of the map showed vital signs of the bots still active. One by one Flashdrive manually booted them up; it could’ve been done by mainframe, but trying to force an automatic activation would put a strain on the dwindling power. So would turning on gravity. It’d be a rough awakening the bots would go through, but at least it’s an awakening. Plot posted:There was a pursuit, a firefight, a nuclear ordinance alarm - who in their right mind would implement something like that? Imprecise, indiscriminate destruction - it was just as liable to kill the assailant as the target! An explosion, a hole ripped in the side of the ship, a bright flash of light, then... nothing. Once his consciousness is fully regained, and sensors come back online, Shadowcaster begins to consider next steps. The ship's internal sensors were still functional, it seemed. His fellow survivors appeared to be ... Spinout, Slam, Starfire, Sidewinder, and Flashdrive. A wide variety of skills and talents among them, if nothing else, he supposed. Energon reserves were at twenty percent, which was ... better than could be expected, actually. It would become a problem soon, though, if they ignored it. Hull integrity was a far more pressing matter, as the ship wasn't going anywhere in its current condition. That said, one benefit of having a hole ripped in the side of the ship was that he didn't need to bother with an airlock or anything remotely resembling safety protocols. Dragging himself towards the hull breach with one clawed hand, Shadowcaster manages to find the energy to transform, and prepares to launch himself into a tight orbit around the ship. The purpose was two-fold -- first, he needed to take a survey of the hull's exterior, to really get a sense for what the sensors weren't telling him about hull integrity, and second, once he was back in the comforting, inky ocean of space, he suspected that his own personal sensor suite might be able to help determine their position. Once he knew where they were, he would be able to put together some options as to what their next move might be -- hopefully, anyway.  >> Transforming >> Exiting the ship through the hull breach, settling into a tight orbit around the vessel. >> Intelligence 15 >> Performing a sensor sweep of the hull exterior, as well as the nearby star systems.__________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (15) Mission Log __________________________________________________________________________________________ Waador fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Nov 6, 2018 |
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Nov 5, 2018 23:43
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Outside The view is unobstructed, sensors showing the nearest planetary system quite a ways away. Autopilot normally handles most of the navigational challenges, but here they were well and truly stuck in interstellar space. No nearby gravity wells, no nearby orphaned planets, just empty, vast space. Smears of aliphatic hydrocarbons streak the outside of the Solstice, which has a hole ripped in its side long enough to expose the entirety of the cabin to hard vacuum. The engine nacelles are visible from the exterior, and certain electrical systems have been closed off by the physical failsafes of the ship. In the void of space, the ship can still move, as atmosphere is inconsequential for constructed beings, but reaching and breaching atmosphere would be another matter entirely. As for the nearby star systems, a linkup with what's left of the ship's navigational data shows multiple planetary bodies in the surrounding sectors. pre:Current sector: 0605 Reachable sectors with current Energon supplies: Sector 0504 - Planets: Kastigan Sector 0604 - Planets: Aidah/Asteroid Belt 14169 Jama Sector 0704 - Planets: Gal Sector 0705 - Planets: Deiones, Gjaflau All other nearby sectors are void Rhyos fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Nov 6, 2018 |
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Nov 6, 2018 01:10
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ShadowcasterPlot posted:... sensors showing the nearest planetary system quite a ways away ... no nearby gravity wells, no nearby orphaned planets, just empty, vast space ... the Solstice, a hole ripped in its side long enough to expose the entirety of the cabin to hard vacuum ... the ship can still move, but reaching and breaching atmosphere would be another matter entirely. Linking up with the ship's navigational subsystem, Shadowcaster considers their options... pre:Reachable sectors with current Energon supplies: > Before that, though, there was an important question to answer: just how long had they been in stasis lock? Thankfully (?), the nuclear explosion that had torn their ship in half was a wonderful clock, and he could reliably infer the passage of time by measuring its current state of decay relative to the known half-life. Failing that, he supposed, now that he had a clear view of the surrounding stars, he could also calculate the passage of time using stellar drift as an input variable. >> Intelligence 20 >> Calculating the passage of time since the nuclear explosion, using radioactive decay and stellar drift as input variables.Starfire posted:... a clipped, professional voice rings out through the silent ruin of the transport, "...sting. Testing. Diagnostics complete. Starfire, reporting in." He also adds, as a second ping to the consoles, 'As to the status of the crew -- are any of you injured? We should take stock of our status and inventory whatever equipment survived the ... event. I suspect several hard choices are in our near future.' __________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (15) Mission Log __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 6, 2018 02:11
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Analysis While the time circuits of the ship are currently fried, the irradiated cloud of particulate matter can be easily dated for one with the proper scientific instruments. Shadowcaster's gear gives him a rough estimate of 673,000 years between the detonation and now. How much has changed back home since then?
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Nov 6, 2018 02:36
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Sidewinder "--eel like they're shutting down in...volun...?" Vocalization protocols reinitialize before sensors are able to fully process orientation lying outside usual parameters. The vacuum of space let in by the shredded hull graciously eats Sidewinder's words, who has already shifted focus to apprehensively flexing stiff synthetic digits. Still functioning. Relief. Then the communique from Shadowcaster and an uneasy reply. "Oh, uh, Sidewinder! Intact! I think."
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Nov 6, 2018 03:59
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Flashdrive The moment the booting process for the last bot was complete, Flashdrive went for the nearest port. First task done. Next was to buy time. Systems were going to be starting up soon - some useful, some redundant, others a waste of Energon. Best thing to do was to turn off what would be the latter two. Repairs would help, but not if it causes the ship to shut down. Weapon systems and targeting were shut off. Obviously. The other systems… well... pre:AnonymousIdiotToday at 1:19 AM /r 1d20+9 #activate repair systems without compromising power DicebotBOTToday at 1:19 AM @AnonymousIdiot: 1d20+9 activate repair systems without compromising power = (4)+9 = 13 AnonymousIdiotToday at 1:19 AM welp AnonymousIdiotToday at 1:35 AM adding 7 energon to up roll to 20. Starfire posted:"Did the commander make it? Who's in charge, exactly?" Flashdrive pinged Starfire. pre:According to diagnostic records, there are only six survivors on the Solstice: Spinout – Force Reconnaissance Slam – Kinetic Ordnance Shadowcaster – Covert Intelligence Starfire – Aerial Reconnaissance Sidewinder – Ground Pursuit Flashdrive – Data Acquisition and Powerlink CO is likely OOC. Priority to make repairs to the Solstice. Shadowcaster posted:'This is Shadowcaster, I am orbiting the hull. Damage is significant, but limited propulsion is viable. Planetary reentry, however, is not. There is a nearby system with an asteroid belt -- if we are able to jury rig some mining equipment and smelting gear, hull repairs might be feasible. All other nearby systems require planetary reentry, so it seems we have only one path forward.... As to the status of the crew -- are any of you injured? We should take stock of our status and inventory whatever equipment survived the ... event. I suspect several hard choices are in our near future. Flashdrive pinged Shadowcaster. pre:Flashdrive reporting in. Status active. Undertaking repairs to the Solstice without compromising Energon supplies. NOTE: Have mission critical data for unit acting as CO. AnAnonymousIdiot fucked around with this message at 14:46 on Nov 6, 2018 |
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Nov 6, 2018 08:22
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ShadowcasterPlot posted:... 673,000 years between the detonation and now. How much has changed back home since then? The worst part, at least from his perspective, was that it didn't matter. One way or another, they had to continue the mission. If the war was still raging, they could ill afford to draw the attention of the enemy in their current state by attempting to contact Cybertron. Unless something had changed dramatically during their period of stasis, it was virtually certain that their people had lost the war by now, anyway, or at the very least had been reduced to fleeing their homeworld and hiding in pockets among the stars. Indeed, even if by some miracle they had prevailed, it wasn't worth the risk of making contact to confirm. There was a very real possibility that his people had been enslaved once again, and that their only hope for freedom lay in the actions of the surviving crew of the Solstice. Until more information could be obtained regarding the state of affairs in the galaxy, they would need to proceed with a great deal of caution. Flashdrive posted:Flashdrive pinged Shadowcaster. Flashdrive reporting in. Status active. Undertaking repairs to the Solstice without compromising Energon supplies. NOTE: Have mission critical data for unit acting as CO. There was nothing for it, he supposed. They deserved to know the truth, at the very least. Whatever path they followed, they would need to decide upon it after weighing all the facts. Shadowcaster responds to Flashdrive's ping: 'Acknowledged. Based on the chain of command before the explosion, it appears I am the highest ranking officer still functioning. Let me have a look at whatever mission critical data you have uncovered, but before we proceed further, we should gather with the others and discuss next steps.' He wanted to be armed with as much information as possible before gathering and engaging with the rest of the crew. There wasn't much left to analyze visually, either of the ship or the surrounding star systems, but there might yet be something to be learned through signal analysis. Luckily, his survey sensor array was equipped for broad-spectrum communications analysis. If there was anything to be divined from latent radio signals firing off from any of the nearby planets, or anything deeper emanating from the bowels of space, he was likely to find it. >> Intelligence 21 >> Deploying my sensor array to scan for passive communications -- radio signals and other broadcasts, essentially. Is there anything to be learned?__________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (15) Mission Log __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 6, 2018 14:01
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Slam Slam is slow to come online. Pain flares through his circuits, a rare experience. Then his audio receptors come online, a screech of metal, then he hears the others talking about the mission or something. Then his visual receptors come online, his sightless eyes power on and he sees the ceiling above him, in grayscale and filled with static, he blinks a few times and his vision clears returning to color and the static going away. The pain fades and he tries to stand, it takes a few tries but he finally manages it. He goes to speak but all that comes out initially is another screech of metal, followed by "Sl..aam" His voice gives out and he takes a few moments before managing to continue in a confused voice. "Slam?" He looks around at the devastation, and at friends who did not survive the attack. He carefully begins to collect the bodies of the slain and remove them from any debris and lay them all respectfully in an open area.
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Nov 7, 2018 05:04
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The Figurative Middle of Nowhere It takes some time to tune in, but very few of the transmissions are coherent enough to garner any data from. Between stellar drift, the speed of light, and how long they had been out, most of the signal noise would have degraded to observable pulses of transmission, but no recognizable information. Any related to their conflict three-quarters of a million years ago would have since reached other sectors, but a garbled early transmission of The Comedies of Reebo and Zootie manages to get through the noise. quote:Zootie, zoot-zoot! While not immediately useful, it at the very least indicates that there's some semblance of civilization in the area, in the direction of the Cou system, sector 0705. Inside the ship, the damage readouts and energy distribution systems paint a grim picture.  Ostensibly, the ship should look like this. At least, if the entire left quarter of the ship hadn't been ripped apart. The systems display shows the cold numbers of the damage. pre:Port primary engine - ERROR Port maneuvering engine - ERROR Starboard primary engine - 53% Starboard maneuvering engine - 60% Life support - ERROR Communications - xxxxx Weapons - 30% Electrical subsystems - 47% Fuel storage - LOCKDOWN And now for my first Energon dishings out! 5 to Flashdrive for being the first to use Energon, and 2 to Shadowcaster for picking up on the radiation dating. The easiest way to earn Energon is to do things I hadn't thought of!
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Nov 7, 2018 07:16
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Sidewinder "Lockdown? You mean even if we can fix things so we don't just spin in circles we won't know how far we can get? Ah, lugnuts..." Sidewinder finds his way to the ground. Slam is laying aside the empty hulls of fallen brethren. Flashdrive and Shadowcaster are gathering intel and assessing the situation. The others are still groggily coming online. Sidewinder pings everyone, barely suppressing his building anxiety. Sidewinder posted:What do I do? There's a big hole in the ship. None of the readings make any sense and the ones that do look bad. Real bad. Look for tools? Supplies? Whatever! What do we need? How can I help? Frantically, Sidewinder begins to throw open any and all compartments in his immediate vicinity. Inkspot fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Nov 10, 2018 |
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Nov 7, 2018 14:50
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ShadowcasterPlot posted:... a garbled early transmission of The Comedies of Reebo and Zootie manages to get through the noise. While not immediately useful, it at the very least indicates that there's some semblance of civilization in the area, in the direction of the Cou system, sector 0705. Sidewinder posted:Sidewinder pings everyone, barely suppressing his building anxiety. 'What do I do? There's a big hole in the ship. None of the readings make any sense and the ones that do look bad. Real bad. Look for tools? Supplies? Whatever! What do we need? How can I help?' Frantically, Sidewinder begins to throw open any and all compartments in his immediate vicinity. With an internal sigh, Shadowcaster considers the situation. His foray outside the hull had been fruitful, but he couldn't hide in the comforting inkwell of space forever. Setting a course back to the hull breach, he responds to Sidewinder's ping, 'Sidewinder, this is Shadowcaster. Everything is going to be ... well, not fine, obviously, but we can survive this. Can you please gather the others? I have learned a few things, and we should all regroup and decide upon our next steps.' He pauses briefly, but then also adds, 'Incidentally, if you happen to see something suitable to act as a mining laser, do pull it aside.' __________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (17) Mission Log __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 7, 2018 18:17
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Starfire@Flashdrive posted:"Acknowledged. I'll reconnoiter the interior and take stock of what we can salvage." Starfire takes the quiet moment to fully recalibrate and take stock of the situation. Shadowcaster seems to have taken charge, sensible given the emergency situation, and Starfire has always felt more comfortable in a supporting role. With no commander, no XO, and no contact with home forthcoming, it seems they'd need to sort out a new chain of command in the upcoming discussion. And, of course, discuss the more pressing matters of survival. @Sidewinder posted:"Maintain your calm. Trust in the commander, trust in the mission. We will survive this." While Shadowcaster returns to the ship, Starfire transforms into his jet form and does a few quick passes within and without the ship. Speed is key, as there's no time to lose, and his considerable maneuverability should allow the safe reclamation of supplies from areas that others may not be able to easily access. A few likely items ping in response to his sensor sweep, dangerously close to areas of great danger for those not created with wings. Starfire wastes no time in securing them, then returning back to the ship to rendezvous with the others. Reconnoiter/salvage (Speed): 1d20+10 26 1d6 4
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Nov 7, 2018 20:25
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Scraps One of the great things about the lack of gravity is that things that just kinda fall off tend to stick around, unless there's some significant velocity behind them. Scraps of the hull that have broken off over time are still spinning in time with the ship, and make for easy pickings, enough to at least cover 1/4th of the gape in the side of the ship, or a re-covering of the engine nacelles. Exploring in the engine area, Starfire can tell that while the engines look scorched, it's ultimately cosmetic, with the same aliphatic hydrocarbon coating that the rest of the exterior has. There's also a local fuel indicator, with a convenient series of lines showing the amount needed to travel between systems. The energon level appears to be 2 percent above that threshold. Just enough for one sector's worth of FTL. Rolling for Sidewinder's search of the ship: (11)+2 = 13 Inside the ship, Sidewinder pulls open every compartment he can find - at the very least, the doors can be used for scrap, right? A few epaper version of HotBot magazine drift amongst the cabin, stashed amongst isolation canisters, lockboxes, deck clamps, and medical scrap. Something may have been overlooked in the frenzy, but at the very least, there should be enough adhesives and small scrap to patch up any critical internal leaks or shorts. As Flashdrive looks through the power options, power to weapons could easily be reduced/turned off. Likewise, life support can be nixed - they weren't planning on bringing unsuited organics on board. The power that could be going to the destroyed engines can be rerouted, but the strange status of the communications array was perplexing. Still, there was enough power to keep things running, at least until the next sector.
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Nov 7, 2018 21:48
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Spinout Emerging from a jumble of wires and wrecked plating, Spinout's hands pulled her up out into the hallway where she had been when the EMP blast had hit. Her circuits were all buzzing hot as they shook off the lifelessness of the stasis lock and all fired up as if they were all too eager to get back to work. Spinout herself was a bit less eager and a lot more confused, looking about and taking stock trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Shadowcaster posted:'This is Shadowcaster, I am orbiting the hull. Damage is significant, but limited propulsion is viable. Planetary reentry, however, is not. There is a nearby system with an asteroid belt -- if we are able to jury rig some mining equipment and smelting gear, hull repairs might be feasible. All other nearby systems require planetary reentry, so it seems we have only one path forward.' Injured? Spinout gave her chassis a once over with her optics and didn't see anything too different than she'd last remembered. A lot of superficial scrapes and dings, but nothing that couldn't be buffed out with a bit of minor maintenance. Being one of the less technically minded of the Solstice crew she wasn't exactly sure where she was going to be the best help, but before she could report in and ask, another ping came in: Sidewinder posted:`What do I do? There's a big hole in the ship. None of the readings make any sense and the ones that do look bad. Real bad. Look for tools? Supplies? Whatever! What do we need? How can I help?` Nodding in agreement, Spinout added her own message to the mix. `Spinout reporting that I'm back online, ready and raring to go. A little rattled, but otherwise I'm firing on all cylinders.' she replied, `What can I do to help?` Potsticker fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Nov 8, 2018 |
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Nov 8, 2018 01:57
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Shadowcaster Having completed his survey of the ship's exterior, Shadowcaster returns to the breach in the hull. Artificial gravity hadn't yet been restored to the ship, and he wondered idly if it even made sense to do so given their fuel constraints. He knew the others would gather soon enough, and he begins to prepare himself mentally, while also loading up an image onto the largest display in the room. As the screen flickers to life, the results of his recent scans begin to take form on the display. He disables some of the more complex elements of the overlay, including sector names and his personal notes on the various points of interest. Two possible paths are highlighted on the screen, though their precise meaning remains unclear based on the information available. That was intentional, though: information overload wouldn't be useful at the moment, and he wanted to help focus the attention of his fellow survivors. The first thing they would see upon entering the chamber was carefully choreographed: two possible paths forward, meaning they had options. Choice was the enemy of despair, and he desperately needed to keep their hopes kindled. As to the specific nature of those options, well, better to talk through that live, he suspected. There would, unfortunately, be much to discuss. Once he's prepared himself, he sends a ping to the rest of the crew: 'When you are ready, we should gather in the cabin near the hull breach.'  __________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (17) Mission Log / Stellar Cartography __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 8, 2018 02:05
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Flashdrive - Energon: 13Shadowcaster posted:'Acknowledged. Based on the chain of command before the explosion, it appears I am the highest ranking officer still functioning. Let me have a look at whatever mission critical data you have uncovered, but before we proceed further, we should gather with the others and discuss next steps.' Another ping to Shadowcaster followed. pre:From Solstice Mainframe: Priority 1 mission Objectives: Retrieve any/all of the following: Star Saber Requiem Blaster Chimera Stone Apex Armor Infinite Combinatoric Chaos Edge Cyber Caliber Quill Zeonomicon Terminus Blade Enigma of Combination Possible leads within fuel range: Next, shutting down the useless systems: Life support & Weapons. The other readings - the ones that weren’t the nonexistent port engine - raised a concern. Could be a result from EMP, but could also be a jammer. Another ping to Shadowcaster. pre:Shutting down Life Support & Weapons system. Commsys appears tampered. Suspecting a malfunction. Inspecting comm before shutting down. pre:AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 8:31 PM If we're being blocked, it becomes a game of who has the stronger signal. /r 1d20+9 #fix commsys DicebotBOTToday at 8:31 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d20+9 fix commsys = (17)+9 = 26 AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 9:06 PM /r 1d6 DicebotBOTToday at 9:06 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d6 = (6) = 6 AnAnonymousIdiot fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Nov 8, 2018 |
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Nov 8, 2018 03:37
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SpinoutShadowcaster posted:'When you are ready, we should gather in the cabin near the hull breach.' With a couple of beeps of acknowledgement, Spinout shifted into her vehicle form and spun her tires in mid-air as she lifted away from the floor. There wasn't any gravity on this deck! "Nuts and screws!" Spinout swore as she drifted slowly in the middle of the hall. Shifting back she flailed for a moment before opening up the trunk space in the bottom of her feet and shooting a small blast on the lowest setting from the guns inside to propel herself towards the nearest wall. One there it was easy enough for Spinout to make headway towards the hull breach and the nearby cabin by using a series of handholds and rails, though not quite as quickly as she would have liked. Potsticker fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Nov 8, 2018 |
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Nov 8, 2018 04:08
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Deafening Silence, the Scurrying of Ants The formerly-entombed members of the Solstice have begun to coalesce, purpose beginning to filter through as memories of goals from a lifetime ago regain their sense of urgency. While the panic begins to settle, Flashdrive is able to check into some deeper diagnostic logs, finding that some of the finer components of the communications array are either damaged or destroyed, in particular the parallel CARE module. A repair would be possible, but it would be a choice - to receive, or to transmit. ... At least, until there is a light thunk upon the console. In Sidewinder's frantic emptying of all of the containers in the cabin, there just so happens to be a perfectly-preserved replacement CARE module! In perhaps the first bit of serendipitously tangible good news, the communications array can be brought to complete working order, good as new - at least, new-ish if someone can bend the dish back into place!  Our first glitch die success! 5 Energon for Flashdrive!
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Nov 8, 2018 04:13
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ShadowcasterFlashdrive posted:Priority 1 mission data. Parsing the data, one name obviously stuck out. What were the odds? It was only a lead, obviously, and by no means a guarantee, but events had conspired to lead them there anyway. He wondered, idly, was this the Guiding Hand at work? Time would tell, he supposed. Distracted in his consideration of the possibilities, and also factoring this new information into his analysis, he doesn't respond to Flashdrive's next ping about the communication system. Really, there wasn't any need: rather obviously, the bot could be trusted to acquit himself well. Spinout posted:... easy enough for Spinout to make headway towards the hull breach and the nearby cabin by using a series of handholds and rails, though not quite as quickly as she would have liked. Plot posted:The formerly-entombed members of the Solstice have begun to coalesce...  He explains, "I imagine several of you are anxious to know what our next move is, or perhaps worried we don't have one. We do have options, so don't worry." After a brief pause, he continues, "As you have likely noticed, we are adrift in interstellar space. There are no nearby gravity wells, orphaned planets, or really, anything useful. Just empty, vast space." He adds, "The good news is that the starboard engine is still ... somewhat ... functional. With a bit of creative engineering, we should be able to get somewhere." Shifting his own attention to the nearest screen showing the map of nearby sectors, he continues, "Although the ship's navigational equipment is well and truly junked, my own internal scanning equipment survived the wreck. Since awakening, I have been able to scan nearby sectors, and this is what we have to work with." Shadowcaster explains, "Our current location is in the center of this map, labeled Sector 0605. Given our current status, there are four sectors with planetary bodies that we could plausibly reach. However, two of them are non-starters -- sector 0504 contains the planet Kastigan, and sector 0704 contains the planet Gal. Given the hull breach, we would be unlikely to survive atmospheric reentry, to say nothing of the fact that landing on a planet would deplete our fuel reserves and leave us marooned." Seemingly unphased by that statement, he continues, "Thankfully, the other two routes are less depressing. Sector 0604, indicated by the red line, contains the planet Aidah, which would be similarly problematic -- but it also contains an asteroid belt. The gravitational pull of an asteroid belt is negligible. If we are able to jury rig a mining laser and a few smelters from the equipment that survived the explosion, we should be able to extract the minerals required to repair the hull breach in the asteroid belt. Once that is solved, planetary reentry will be feasible, though we will still have a bit of a fuel constraint." He also acknowledges, "Separately, in a secondary scan of sector 0705, I was able to detect a broadcast containing entertainment media. While the transmission itself was not useful, it indicates the presence of civilization within the system. While this is ... somewhat extrapolated ... broadly speaking, a civilization that broadcasts entertainment to its people is one that is not starved for energy. More importantly, entertainment tends to imply an understanding of commerce, meaning that our odds for bartering for fuel are not negligible if we head in that direction." Taking a cautionary tone, he adds, "Problematically, we might only have enough fuel to get to one of these locations. My instinct is to head to the asteroid belt first -- it is virtually certain to contain the minerals we require to repair the hull breach, and will also afford a reasonable opportunity to stockpile rare metals and other commodities that might be useful in brokering a trade with the first civilization we encounter. While there seems to be a civilization in the Cou system of sector 0705, if we head there first instead, piloting a severely damaged vessel and with essentially nothing to trade, we are unlikely to make a good impression. Essentially, my fear is that the only way to get what we need if we go there first is to take it by force. Going to the asteroid belt instead should at least make it possible to attempt to negotiate a trade, which seems ... preferable, at least." He rather intentionally leaves out the part about the asteroid belt also being a point of interest for other reasons -- no sense in getting their hopes up before it panned out. His commentary to the crew now takes on noticeably more hesitation, but Shadowcaster continues, "You'll note that I am explaining our options, but not explicitly giving orders about what we're going to do. There's a reason for that." An image of the ship's damaged exterior appears on several of the monitors throughout the cabin, and he explains, "It would appear I am the highest ranking survivor under the ship's original chain of command. If the rest of you want to continue to follow that hierarchy, I will serve you in this role, but there is something you need to know first." The image of the exterior zooms in a bit, and the radioactive cloud of particles surrounding the ship come into clearer focus. "You're obviously aware that we have all been in stasis lock. The ship's time circuits were fried by the electromagnetic pulse, but I was able to measure the decay of the radioactive particles caused by the explosion. It has been ... 673,000 years." The implications were obvious, but he explains them anyway ... mostly for Slam, admittedly ... "The war is likely over. Given how things were going ... well, our people are likely either exterminated, or enslaved. We may well be the last of our kind. Which is to say, it would be arrogant of me to expect or demand any one of you to continue in the mission as if nothing had changed." Rare though it was, a bit of emotion does begin to bubble to the surface in Shadowcaster's next statement, "My own personal belief is that the mission remains important. If our people are enslaved, now more than ever they need us to rekindle the light of hope. If they have been exterminated, and we are truly all that is left, then surely at least one hot spot has survived the purge. The task would be monumental, but we could set about gathering the materials we need to find and defend such a place, and ensure the rebirth of our people. Whatever the truth may be, I can't walk away from this. That said, I won't ask you to dedicate your lives to an impossible mission, either." Getting to the crux of the matter, Shadowcaster inquires, "So, I suppose, I have three questions for you. First, do you wish to continue the mission? Second, what do you think our chain of command should look like? If you wish to follow the ship's original hierarchy, so be it, though I am open to other ideas. Third, what is your opinion of the options I have put forth? Should we proceed to the asteroid belt, or to the Cou system? Have I missed anything in my analysis?" Scanning the room, Shadowcaster seems honest, but hesitant. He had never been a commanding officer before -- a superb intellect, certainly, and a strategist absolutely, but the task of rallying troops had never before fallen to him. He didn't know what to expect. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (17) Mission Log / Stellar Cartography __________________________________________________________________________________________ Waador fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Nov 8, 2018 |
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Nov 8, 2018 18:39
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Flashdrive - Energon: 18 Satisfied with results, Flashdrive shut off the commsys. A message can be pinged about manually adjusting afterwards. And trying to keep communications in the middle of nowhere seemed superfluous. Whatever threat that compromised the Solstice seems nonexistent. Shadowcaster posted:Everyone ... it's good to see you all..." At the end of Shadowcaster’s briefing, Flashdrive’s processes almost locked up at the time. Much, much longer than projected. Everyone here might have been replaced back home; each and everyone here an old relic in need of reformatting. And the data did not help alleviate where things stood back on Cybertron. For an infinite cycle, Flashdrive experienced existential terror and turned back to the data salvaged from the mainframe. Needed to find something to work on. Rotating the array was out of the question due to its size. pre:AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 7:56 PM /r 1d20+3 #item id SidekickBOTToday at 7:56 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d20+3 item id = (8)+3 = 11 AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 7:56 PM /r 1d6 #glitch SidekickBOTToday at 7:56 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d6 glitch = (1) = 1 pre:Until the Solstice is in working order, we are in no position to do anything. Will accept Shadowcaster as acting CO. Repairs should come first. Recommending asteroid belt to make further repairs. Ship weaponry could be repurposed into mining laser. May require rerouting power from working systems upon arrival if no fuel can be acquired onsite. Commsys can be fully repaired but will require manual readjustment of array in order to have communications again. AnAnonymousIdiot fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Nov 9, 2018 |
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Nov 9, 2018 07:12
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Spinout Sitting atop a counter in the cabin where they had all gathered, Spinout listened intently to Shadowcaster's speech. As he gestured to the large map on the screen, she turned her optics towards a copy on that appeared on a much smaller monitor closer to her position. Shadowcaster went on to list the myriad of problems they faced and obstacles in the way, but his voice was steady and to Spinout it felt like there was a confidence there, that he truly did believe they still had a chance and that it wasn't hopeless and that same hope fostered within her. Even as he explained just how long they had all been in stasis lock, and then went on to give his own thoughts recommendation, Spinout's attention was rapt. When finally he asked for their input, she was right after Flashdrive in voicing her opinion. "First off," she started, "I think that we should stick to our original chain of command. We're not going to get anywhere by coming up with new rules or really doing anything that's not moving forward and making sure we survive. And hey, maybe the chronometer got dinged up or something and it really hasn't been that long." She shrugged, but her voice did waver a bit making it seem that perhaps she didn't actually believe that it was a possibility there was some sort of error with the system. "You called this an impossible mission, but it seems to me that it's the only possible mission. We're not the worst group of bots here-- maybe there's not a lot of us, but we've got skills and smarts and," she nods at Slam, "brawn for megamiles. Our sparks are bright and we haven't rusted yet! As for where we should go, it sounds to me like you've already worked out our best option. We go to this asteroid belt, gather the resources we need, fix up the Solstice up and head for this civilization to see if we can get the fuel we need to continue off to wherever we head to next." Shoving herself off the counter in a plan to land on the floor, Spinout quickly realized she'd instead just vaulted into empty space towards the other end of the room. "Also, I vote for whatever lets us get life support back running at top speed!"
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Nov 9, 2018 15:10
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Starfire After a few dozen microcycles gathering the scrap floating around the ruined chassis of the Solstice and depositing it within the hull for later disposition, Starfire rejoins the rest of the surviving crew in the cabin. He listens attentively through the various presentations at hand, his posture as professional and precise as you could possibly expect for a discussion happening without the benefit of artificial gravity. The considerations raised, such as the possibility of discarding their mission, are evaluated and subsequently discarded. The comfort of a functional command structure is the sole bright spot in an inky void. He says to the group, "I agree. Protocol is our best hope for successfully completing our mission." He does not even mention whether or not the mission should be pursued. Clearly a foregone conclusion. "I have seen the reserves available to us: we have enough energon for one sector's travel. It seems wise to affect what repairs we can in the asteroid belt before risking landfall. There is, additionally, enough scrap metal available to us currently to either repair the engine nacelle coverings or begin covering the hull breach."
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Nov 9, 2018 17:58
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Inside the Rocket Powered Metal Coffin With Shadowcaster in the slightly-reluctant position of Commanding Officer, the path forward seems clear - an FTL shift to the Perithir system, and the exploitation of its asteroid belt. Every journey needs to start with a step, and the Solstice could certainly use the repairs, slapdash as they may be. Deciding to stay dark in terms of communications, there was still no knowing the status of Cybertron. Was the war over? Did Cybertron even exist anymore? Only Primus knew for sure, and it was by his direction that the spark of action began to ignite. Information is power, especially when surrounded with the unknown. Still, any conscious effort can lead to flaws. As Flashdrive pores through information on the artifacts that were their precious goal, something started to seem wrong. Letters changed, numbers blinked out. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, not a memory leak. Not now! By the time Flashdrive can shut down access to the files, they had corrupted themselves before their eyes. Their goal, while concrete, became far more enigmatic. Starfire's scrap survey bears some fruit. Looking over the various bits and pieces, there exists enough metal to create a makeshift beam bridging the entirety of the breach. The ship would still be exposed to vacuum, but there would be much less chance of the ship violently ripping apart whilst in the FTL bubble. Still, the engine nacelles were exposed to that same hard vacuum. While operational, who knows what could occur during a jump! Spinout, on the other hand, does raise a point in terms of life support - with artificial gravity out, it would be a bumpy ride indeed. Still, as she bumbles into the bulkhead on the other side, an energon snack bumps free of her wheel well. Nice! And the first fail/bad glitch combo befalls the group! Flashdrive, have 3 Energon as a consolation prize. Also, 1 Energon for Spinout for keeping up the goof!
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Nov 9, 2018 21:34
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Starfire After the meeting breaks up, Starfire immediately busies himself reinforcing the ship for transit to the asteroid field. He's not quite sure whether the engines will hold under the ministrations of hard vacuum, but the ship surely won't survive the jump without a bit of structural reinforcement. The motley heaps of scrap — if they can even be called heaps, floating in the null-grav — are sure to hold at least some measure of metal that can easily be repurposed into a welded beam. Starfire produces his pistol, dialing it down from combat output to a much more ship-friendly level. Over the better part of a cycle, he manages to weld together a sturdy beam and secure it to the ship's exterior with yet more welding. There's no guarantee it will hold, he supposes, but it's quite a fair sight better than leaving the gaping wound untouched. Reinforce the gap with a welded assembly (+firepower): 1d20+5 21 1d6 2 As he looks over the remaining scrap, he can't help but wonder if there's still enough to rig up some rough shielding for the engines.
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Nov 9, 2018 22:32
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Future Suture It's a single stitch over a gaping wound, but any fix is better than nothing. Likewise, if a gun can punch through Cybertronian armor, it can certainly melt metal. It takes a fair bit of time, working, shaping, melting, welding, but certainly the patch should be complete before they decide to FTL. Unfortunately, inertia, vaporization, and drift means that any other bits of scrap are long gone... unless they decided to melt down the scrap of the lost comrades Slam managed to find.
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Nov 9, 2018 22:58
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Sidewinder During the repairs, Sidewinder busies himself gathering, notating, and categorizing the fruits of his impulsive and mildly embarrassing search combined with the more thoughtful investigation of the rest of the accessible compartments aboard the Solstice. Among the spare tools and parts is a grim pile of personal artifacts with no owners to claim them. Sidewinder flags down Starfire on one of his passes through the Solstice for more scrap. "You know the repairs? To the ship? I was thinking, and... If we need more scrap... Would it be...?" He lets his optics trace idly in the direction of Slam's work, then back. "As long as we..." And he turns abruptly away. "Sorry! Never mind!" Inkspot fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Nov 9, 2018 |
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Nov 9, 2018 23:24
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Slam Slam carefully listens to briefings, and the opinions on where they should go next, as well as to who should be in charge. After some time he responds. "Slam..follow command. Slam ...asteroid." He then begins going through the wreckage, the recovered pieces, and other salvage that wasn't already being used in the feeble repair attempts. He begins sorting and separating them by type, and by how salvageable they are. If asked about the bots he had recovered and carefully placed he would not agree with using them as scrap.
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Nov 10, 2018 01:33
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Starfire Starfire watches Sidewinder curiously, then follows his gaze towards where Slam had placed the bodies of their fallen comrades. It's clear that Slam wishes to cling to them, perhaps a bit of sentiment among the dire situation they all find themselves in, but there's little time for that. The mission is paramount. With any of the relics in hand, let alone all, the sacrifice of all who did not survive will be made entirely worthwhile. Their names and memories will live on for aeons to come, their story inspiring bravery of the utmost caliber. He says, after a moment, "No, I believe you are quite correct, Sidewinder. Their Sparks have faded long ago. From my observations of the damage, I'd not rate our current chances of surviving a jump highly. They have already given everything for the sake of this mission. Is the use of metal to shield our engines a step they would not agree to, were they still here?" His optics hone in on Sidewinder, seeming to pierce deep inside the other bot. "It is a sacrifice I would be glad to make, were my Spark snuffed out."
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Nov 10, 2018 02:41
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Sidewinder A little bit in awe of the commanding 'bot, Sidewinder finds nothing more to say than, "Yeah... Totally...." before straightening up and turning back to face Starfire. "I mean-- Yes sir! Couldn't agree more!". He lets the moment hang before sending out a ping to Shadowcaster and Flashdrive. Sidewinder posted:Sorry if I'm speaking out of turn, but there might actually be more material for repairs aboard, provided it doesn't strike anyone as too... gruesome. If you, um, get my meaning. Low-Key Compactor Search We Won't Tell Slam about : 1d20+2 = 4 1d6 = 4 Inkspot fucked around with this message at 15:25 on Nov 15, 2018 |
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Nov 10, 2018 18:49
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ShadowcasterFlashdrive posted:... accept Shadowcaster as acting CO ... recommending asteroid belt to make further repairs. Spinout posted:... we should stick to our original chain of command ... go to this asteroid belt, gather the resources we need ... Starfire posted:... protocol is our best hope for successfully completing our mission ... seems wise to affect what repairs we can in the asteroid belt before risking landfall. Sidewinder posted:No comment registered. Actions taken subsequently indicate support. Slam posted:"... follow command ... asteroid." He had, perhaps predictably, already prepared a list of next steps in case of this eventuality. Shadowcaster wastes little time providing some much-needed structure to the situation, offering some insights. "There are several tasks that we will need to accomplish before risking an FTL jump. I will put them up on monitors throughout the ship, just mark them down as they are completed. I've laid out some thoughts of who I think would be best suited to accomplish certain tasks, but that's just a guideline, if a better idea strikes you, please, act on your own initiative." pre:Solstice -- FTL Preparation Checklist
Risk -- Unknown variable.
[1] > Smears of aliphatic hydrocarbons coat the ship exterior. Investigation required to determine source.
[Shadowcaster / Flashdrive recommended.]
Risk --- Undesirable interaction with FTL field.
[2] > Hull breach exposes cabin to hard vacuum. Emergency repairs suggested.
[3] > Engine nacelles exposed to space. Emergency repairs suggested.
[Starfire suggested to assist with spatial maneuvering.]
Risk --- Required equipment not visually confirmed.
[4] > Asteroid belt will require a mining laser and at least one smelter. Confirm prior to departure.
Option --- Viable repair detected.
[5] > Communication system is down, spare parts available. Repair recommended. RADIO SILENCE ORDER IN EFFECT.
[Starfire / Slam / Flashdrive combination recommended.]
Risk --- Undesirable interaction upon acceleration to FTL.
[6] > Artificial gravity is down, repair not feasible. Floating debris and spare parts must be securely stored prior to FTL.
[7] > Bodies of fallen comrades likely to rip a new hull breach upon jump to FTL. Secure storage or an alternative solution is required.
[8] > Mechanism required to secure the crew during FTL travel. Magnetic clamps suggested, alternatives likely viable. >> Intelligence 21 >> Analyzing hydrocarbon smears.Sidewinder posted:... might actually be more material for repairs aboard, provided it doesn't strike anyone as too... gruesome. If you, um, get my meaning. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (19) Mission Log / Stellar Cartography Mission Parameters: Hydrocarbon Analysis / Hull Repairs / Engine Repairs / Mining Equipment / Communication Repairs / Debris Storage / Corpse Storage / Seatbelts Solstice: __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 10, 2018 19:14
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Starfire Starfire nods, "We'll make it, Sidewinder. Keep your circuits in the game." That was about the most he could manage for a pep talk with so much to be done. There'd be time for morale once engaging FTL wouldn't rip their ship asunder. "I'll see what other options we can rally." @Shadowcaster posted:"Temporary repairs on the hull breech have been made. Resources are insufficient for a full patch. I will attempt to repurpose non-essential materiel to accomplish the same with the engines." Maneuvering deftly throughout the wrecked ship, Starfire takes advantage of his well-tuned targeting optics to identify structural weaknesses and faults in the vessel — anything that pops up as a target of opportunity is immediately discarded. Those less vital panels and coverings, though, may prove exactly what is needed to fashion engine baffling. A more permanent repair will surely be possible with the metals and alloys they can fashion from the asteroid field, but it seems unlikely that paneling is more important than minimizing the chance that their experimental drive casts them into some unknown plane of existence. That would make accomplishing their mission very difficult, after all. Analyze structural integrity for interior repurposing (+firepower): 1d20+5 23 1d6  6
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Nov 10, 2018 20:25
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The Machine Stirs Objectives are laid out, tasks assigned, and work has begun in earnest. Patching a life raft out of flotsam is hard work, but with enough ingenuity, anything is possible! Sidewinder's corpsepicking doesn't turn up a whole lot. the static cling from someone's bad vinyl job sticking obnoxiously to their hand. Fortunately, the... pile isn't disturbed enough to make any noise. Not that it would carry in the vacuum of space. Thank Primus for point-to-point communications. Starfire, on the other hand, makes some significant progress in peeling off some of the bulkheads, providing some handy, wide pieces of metal for covering the engine nacelles. The true prize, however, comes from a recessed, pop-open section that reads in an unbelievely unsafe tiny font: In Case of Hull Breach Popping it open, a solid piece of Energon bops against their faceplate before revealing something they really could have used a few astro-seconds ago: The GLOO gun. Firing a fast-hardening foam, this device could easily patch things together in an emergency, or even immobilize an assailant. Quite a handy find, indeed! On the exterior, there is quite the interesting study. Looking closer at the aliphatic hydrocarbons streaking the hull, they're reminded of a substance they've had to clean off regularly in their interstellar travels. This hydrocarbon only exists in interstellar space, filling some of the void with what is essentially greasy carbon. If they were to somehow clean this stuff off, it could theoretically be compressed into Energon, buying them a little more fuel for maneuvering. While normal travel would prevent such a profuse buildup, drifting idle for close to a million years has attracted the gunk like a stain on a white floor panel. 3 Energon for Starfire for the discovery of the first item in the game! The GLOO gun (shamelessly ripped off from Prey) fires rapidly-hardening foam that grants a +1 to Firepower for the purpose of disabling a target. Enjoy!
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Nov 10, 2018 21:22
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ShadowcasterPlot posted:This hydrocarbon only exists in interstellar space, filling some of the void with what is essentially greasy carbon. If they were to somehow clean this stuff off, it could theoretically be compressed into Energon, buying them a little more fuel for maneuvering. While normal travel would prevent such a profuse buildup, drifting idle for close to a million years has attracted the gunk like a stain on a white floor panel. As his mind followed the idea to its logical endpoint, he could soon envision a series of automated 'buoys' in space, traveling in sequence along a predefined circuit. These mobile fuel depots could ensure an adequate supply of Energon within a sector or two, regardless of where in space one happened to be. Fabrication of a prototype would be challenging, but once the mechanics were worked out, it would be simple enough to permanently connect two or three sectors of space with minimal difficulty. After all, the biggest challenge when it came to interstellar travel was ensuring an adequate supply of energy to return home. Was, Shadowcaster considered. How very interesting. Intrigued by the possibilities, although it wasn't immediately useful, his mind begins to focus on the schematics of a prototype. The first order of business was calculating the necessary ratio of solar sail-like megastructure to underlying vessel size. Meanwhile, he assigns the more pressing but ultimately less interesting task of collecting grease to the others, through a ping to Flashdrive and Starfire: 'An interesting development outside the hull -- the hydrocarbons coating the ship are energy dense. It would seem we've been gathering 'space grease' for quite a while. Collection of the residue would supplement our fuel reserves, albeit marginally. Do either of you have any ideas as to how to collect it without undue effort? I assume its melting point will be well below that of the hull exterior, so perhaps an energy weapon modulated to an extremely low setting would render it into a liquid state? Heating the hull from the inside could also work, I suppose?'  >> Skill 27 >> Schematic development for a prototype hydrocarbon gathering megastructure.__________________________________________________________________________________________ Status: Alt-Mode / Null-field Cloak / Resources: Energon (19) Mission Log / Stellar Cartography Mission Parameters: Hydrocarbon Analysis / Hull Repairs / Engine Repairs / Mining Equipment / Communication Repairs / Debris Storage / Corpse Storage / Seatbelts Solstice: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Waador fucked around with this message at 00:03 on Nov 11, 2018 |
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Nov 10, 2018 23:59
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Flashdrive - Energon: 21 With an itenary provided by Shadowcaster, there now was an increasing chance of survival. New tasks to accomplish. Besides cleaning up the corrupted data in memory. Shadowcaster still had the data on their end, but having a backup was never a bad idea. But cleaning up can wait. Flashdrive disconnected from the mainframe and shifted back to default mode. Without the myriad processes going on in the mainframe, Flashdrive felt disoriented. But there wasn’t much to do connected to the mainframe. Shadowcaster posted:'An interesting development outside the hull -- the hydrocarbons coating the ship are energy dense. It would seem we've been gathering 'space grease' for quite a while. Collection of the residue would supplement our fuel reserves, albeit marginally. Do either of you have any ideas as to how to collect it without undue effort? I assume its melting point will be well below that of the hull exterior, so perhaps an energy weapon modulated to an extremely low setting would render it into a liquid state? Heating the hull from the inside could also work, I suppose? The message gave Flashdrive some ideas. pre:AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 5:52 PM Time for Flashdrive to disconnect... /r 1d20+5 #create skimmer DicebotBOTToday at 5:52 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d20+5 create skimmer = (19)+5 = 24 AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 5:52 PM /r 1d6 DicebotBOTToday at 5:52 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d6 = (3) = 3 … AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 6:39 PM In this case, I'll roll for making the interior bellow. One moment... /r 1d20+5 #crafting interior bellow DicebotBOTToday at 6:39 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d20+5 crafting interior bellow = (7)+5 = 12 AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 6:39 PM Giving up 8 Energon to make 20 /r 1d6 DicebotBOTToday at 6:39 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d6 = (5) = 5 pre:Creating a harvester for the hydrocarbons on the hull. Implementing when work is complete. pre:AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 6:46 PM Alright. One more roll. /r 1d20+9 #implement DicebotBOTToday at 6:47 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d20+9 implement = (7)+9 = 16 ... AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 6:47 PM Giving up 4 energon to 20 to make it work. ... AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive)Today at 6:48 PM /r 1d6 DicebotBOTToday at 6:48 PM @AnonymousIdiot (Flashdrive): 1d6 = (2) = 2
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Nov 11, 2018 01:50
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The Mind Reels An interesting synergy occurs in terms of dealing with the aliphatic hydrocarbons. While nowhere near possible to construct at the moment, the idea of a sector-wide hydrocarbon collector does make sense. Still, with the invention of Flashdrive's slapdash collector, essentially a laser-powered space squeegee, a new idea comes to mind: limited Von-Neumann probes roaming the sector, schlurping up space grease and depositing it back at a waystation for conversion to Energon. Surely, the idea would revolutionize interstellar travel, creating literal beacons of hope for those stranded in the dark. While this would have been useful about a million years ago, it was little more than a future Still, it was one made viable by the hard work of Flashdrive! Somehow managing to tweak a laser emitter juuuuust so, it was dim enough to not ignite the potential fuel, yet coherent enough to skim across the surface of the ship, pulling everything into a small collection tank. Operating much like a water-reclaiming squeegee that wouldn't be invented for another few million years, Flashdrive manages to operate the whole contraption quite well, clearing off most of the hydrocarbons from the exterior of the ship. Compression into Energon is a simple task from that point, and with the gap in the engine nacelles, adding it to the "tank" was a trivial matter. A few shards of the Energon break off, making for a nice light show that they could take home! The ship's Energon reserves now show an increase of 5% - enough for a jump and more than enough to maneuver around. Finding a new fuel source at their destination would be critical, but asteroid fields hold many surprises! For some nicely-worked mental gymnastics as well as the big push of Energon to ensure things went smoothly, Flashdrive gets another 4 Energon. Not a complete repayment, but a nice mail-in rebate! Shadowcaster gets 2 for coming up with the future gas station idea, but may find more as they continue to refine things!
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Nov 11, 2018 04:14
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Slam Slam slowly makes his way to the hull, and carefully along it until he finds the communications relay. He looks it over, seeing it misaligned. Then in true Slam fashion he begins to adjust it, manually. Using his great strength to try and realign it to where it should be. Strength realigning the dish 20 (with a 1 on the glitch die.)
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Nov 11, 2018 05:46
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