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Welcome to my second project idea that came up from watching far too much Lower Decks and DS9. The idea for this CYOA is taking up the role of a Junior Captain in a Federation like system spanning government, as it slowly but surely takes its place in the greater universe. Will we become a greatly decorated Admiral, or will we soon find ourselves Captaining a desk class vessel? Play to find out. This is going to be a bit experimental so I hope you'll bear with me through the rough patches. With all that said, let us begin. Personal Log, Supplemental. Space. The Final Frontier. It's been 3 years since I left the Academy to explore the wonders of deep space and every day I still find new marvels. As a fresh Ensign, I was assigned to the UEF Triazon, where I quickly rose through the ranks to Lieutenant and then Lieutenant Commander under the command of Captain Archer. After several assignments, Archer named me his First Officer due to my; A: Diplomatic Acumen B: Tactical Genius C: Engineering Expertise D: Scientific Rigour 3 years from fresh Ensign to First Officer had me breaking many other previous records, being one of the youngest commissioned officers ever to take that post. I served faithfully and dutifully, as all "Union of Celestial State" Officers should, leading many assignments and impressing the command board with my diligence. They were especially impressed by my work in: A: The Dragomir Cluster. A known pirate haven, potential member states often cited Dragomir pirate clans as a reason to not sign on to full signatory status. My work in the defence of Alskez Prime earned me a commendation. B: The Trugos Expanse. A dangerous, anomaly filled area of space straddling several frontier zones, fleet response times have always suffered due to the need to travel around that region of space. After several dedicated survey missions, with myself at their head, I created a series of sensor arrays and safe transport channels, through which UEF Ships and trade vessels still travel to this day. C: Darcassia Prime. The Darcassians were a highly isolationist, somewhat xenophobic multisystem state with several colony worlds scattered throughout sector FG8. Through my diplomatic efforts, a potential hostile power has since become a (partial) member of the Union, granting great stability to the region. Alas, all good things come to an end. My career track, Union peace, the Triazon... Captain Archer. While on frontier patrol, the Triazon came under attack by a swarm of several unknown vessels. The crew was experienced, and the old girl used to conflict. But the ambush, combined with the unknown capabilities of the vessels had you at a tactical disadvantage. With shields down to critical, several hulls breached and moments away from annihilation, I came up with a dangerous plan. A: Detonate the Liminal Drive! Certain to destroy the Triazon and anything to close not properly shielded anyone expecting a detonation could set their deflector phase variance just right, letting them ride out the explosion away from the epicentre, like a surfer on a wave. With all hands to escape pods and runabouts, it would be a bumpy but relatively safe trip out of the combat zone with the explosion hopefully taking out all enemy ships. B: Hack into enemy navigational data! While impossible to do on most ships without dedicated Electronic Warfare Suites, the unknown vessels were curiously undefended against such attacks. Using my knowledge of science and engineering, I rigged up a virus bad enough to completely lock out navigation for several vessels. The ensuing collisions took out some of the ships, with more taken out by the rallying tactical staff as they were left sitting ducks. As all hands prepared to abandon ship as I executed my desperate plan, I was overridden by Captain Archer. Forced into an evacuation vessel, Captain Archer nobly and valiantly went down with the Triazon following my plan, taking out many of the enemy and letting survivors flee the scene even as the Triazon was subsumed in a sub-quantum flare. The plan worked though, and even though the Captain, the Ship and a third of all serving crewmen lost their lives the plan managed to save every other shipmate. After being picked up by Union vessels, we were taken to the safety of the Union Heartland. And from there, I've heard nothing. The last 6 months have been spent recovering in a dedicated hospital star-base. Stonewalled on all official channels, with orders to just sit in place and wait.  Traumatised, injured and with nothing to take up my time, I finally acquiesced to my doctor's prodding and got a hobby. Write in Hobby suggestions. Until this morning when I awoke to new orders. “Attend Commodore Rosen on Deck 12 at 14:00 today to receive new orders.” I was so eager I got here far to early, with nothing to occupy my time but look out of the viewing screen into the great void, and contemplate my fate. “Commander?” It's the Secretary for Commodore Rosen. “He is ready to see you now.” With one last look at the viewscreen, I focus not on the void of space but on your own partial reflection; Playing with my hair and straigtening my uniform with some final touches. "How do I look?" I ask the secretary. A  B  C  D  Or suggest your own! Along with potential names.
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Feb 13, 2022 19:16
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Character Sheet and Additional Material In Construction
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Feb 13, 2022 19:16
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Captains Log, Supplemental
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Feb 13, 2022 19:16
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Captains Log, Supplemental Supplement
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Feb 13, 2022 19:16
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CAAD We've gotten way into Darcassian serial dramas.
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Feb 13, 2022 19:44
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CBBC Our hobby: Quietly moving things belonging to others around, when nobody's looking, in the perfect way to both annoy and unsettle them.
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Feb 13, 2022 20:03
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ACAC
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Feb 14, 2022 00:01
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CBBD. Our new hobby is the Space Banjo. You're coming to my open mic night, yeah?
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Feb 14, 2022 03:45
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BAA Hobby: We spend our days in the HoloSim acting as the frontman for various rock bands throughout history. Because we will be a UEF Rockstar Look:  Name: Cmdr. Jack Strongo
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Feb 14, 2022 17:59
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Choice 1: What are we good at? A: 1 B:1 C:3 D:0 We're an Engineer at heart. Choice 2: What did we do? A: 2 B:2 C:1 Tie between anti-piracy action and scanning space anomalies so good we got an award for it. The coin toss has decided Trugos Expanse wins, making us a decent scientist with some scanning expertise. Choice 3: WHAT DID WE DO!?!? A:3 B:2 Detonating the Liminal Drive in 3... 2... 1... Choice 4: Who are we? A:0 B:0 C:2 D:2 Plus a dark horse entry with 1 vote. The only name suggestion we've had is “Jack Strongo” from Roman Reigns, though it might well be Jacqueline Strongo if D end's up winning. I'll leave name and portraits suggestions and voting open for now, as we'll have 1 more post of prep and set up before getting into our first mission. If there's no clear winner by then we'll leave it to the coin to decide. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Commander! It's good to see you. Please, At Ease.” Commodore Rosen greeted me with a low rumbling refrain that offered a hearty welcome. The matte fur that covered her face was expertly combed and styled, with a number of braided threads of hair drooping to below her shoulders. At 7 feet and a bit, the Har'Konne eschewed the traditional UEF uniform for the robed variation, designed specifically for larger species.  My aborted salute swiftly turned into a bone-crunching, arm wrenching handshake and I quickly found myself ushered onto a chair across from the Commodore and her desk. “I understand it must have been frustrating to be stuck in a medical facility for 6 months. Losing a vessel in those circumstances was quite a shock to command and certain factions wanted to be assured of the... psychological stability of all hands. Despite some irregularities during recovery, their concerns have been squashed. Tell me, did you ever stop messing with the Doctors? Hiding and “misplacing” their equipment?” More like they stopped complaining and without their reactions, most of the fun of doing it went away. But by then I was hip-deep into “Trails Under The Pale Moon”, the latest Darcassian hit. I managed to school my sheepish expression and confirm that such pranks were well and truly behind me. “That's good to hear,” she smirks, before readying a pad with a few firm taps. “with that issue out of the way, and any concerns concerning your conduct aboard the Triazon put to bed, Command was left with a bit of a dilemma. How exactly do we award your sterling efforts? I think you will find our solution most complimentary.” Handing over the pad, I swiftly scrolled the relevant details. It concerned a ship, the UEF Verminus, Babylon class. Your basic workhorse ship; almost any problem can be solved by throwing enough Babylon's at it, and serving aboard one is often referred to as Baby Duty, as most Ensigns will be assigned to one after coming out of the academy. The Verminus itself served for a good 6 years, got into a bit of a tussle and was bought in for a complete retrofit. Some old crew have been transferred out to other vessels which is normal for a Babylon, but it retains a core of experienced personnel. The old Captain was reassigned somewhere in the Diplomatic Corps, with the new Captain was slated to be... my god. “I'm being made a Captain? Of my own ship!?” “Indeed you are... Captain.” Rosen pulled out a small, decorative case from the bowels of her desk and pops it open. Captains pips. For me. I... A: was elated! “Ma'am! Thank you!” I bolted up, hand's slapping down on the desk. A Captaincy after just 3 years beat the previous record set by Captain Doselgrantz by half a decade. Basically unheard of in the UEF. I had just made history. (This will make us more Eager) B: was proud. “Commodore, I'm honoured.” I said, truthfully and unreservedly. While a historic achievement to be sure, this was a simple matter of being recognised for my achievements. I had worked very hard for this and that effort was now paying off. (This will make us more Proud) C: was wary. “Ma'am, this is highly irregular.” First Officer experience was counted when determining if someone was ready for the Captain's chair. But 3 years? Combined with the confinement to medical for the last half-year... something strange was going on. (This will make us more Cautious) While we aren't finished yet, character traits will later affect our performance and other factors while on assignment, giving us bonuses when acting in character while costing us if we diverge wildly from our personality. There will be more detail when character creation is complete by the next post. “It's an honour well earned, Captain.” Rosen finishes matronly, rising and striding around the desk. “By the power invested in me by the Admiralty Board of the Union Expeditionary Forces, and the Council of the Union of Celestial States, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of Captain.” Finishing as she affixed my new pips to the collar of my uniform. “We don't have time for a full ceremony, however. This promotion comes with expectations Captain, and we'll need you to start your duties straight away. The Verminus is ready for you in Space Dock and is undergoing the last finishing touches. Before I can let you go though, some administrative and... other matters need discussing.” “Firstly, your new First Officer. The Verminus comes with one; he served under the previous Captain. However, there may be some interpersonal conflicts involved with your promotion to the position.” I couldn't help but wince at the understatement. For the current First Officer to be snubbed for promotion was already an insult. To then be made to serve a Captain half his age? Unthinkable to most. “I handpicked the new Head of Tactical but he has the experience needed to make a capable First Officer as well, with the current man going to Tactical if so. The choice is yours.” A. Keep the current First Officer, have Rosen's man head Tactical. B. Demote the First Officer to Tactical, have Rosen's man as your Number 1. “There's also the matter of the rest of the Bridge Crew. There are enough capable officers to promote some section chiefs to the heads of their respective departments, but with the Triazon gone Command wanted to offer you the chance of bringing over someone you served with. You have your choice of Head of Medical, Science, or Engineering. The other positions will be promoted from Verminus crewmen.” I of course chose: A: Tundo Eraton, a decorated field surgeon, to head of medical. Lieutenant Eraton is an inherited relic. When the Phason's integrated their system totally into the UCS Government their old Army and Navy were decommissioned. Many of their officers were then inducted into the UEF where they have served the Union to great acclaim. Aged and unlikely to make it to Captain before retiring, Tundo nevertheless has a deep well of tactical experience and practical hands-on knowledge which he was all too eager to share. Your first few months as First Officer would not have gone anywhere near as smoothly without his stories and advice to guide you.  B: Ceinos Boi, a civilian expert, to head of engineering. The UEF is strictly, technically a military organisation (by necessity) but makes use of a wide array of civilian experts and aides to fill positions of technical importance. Ceinos came from a long line of fix-it men and he was commissioned personally by Captain Archer to serve at engineering after impressing you with some of the best repair work you've seen outside of a Space Dock.  C: Stonema 09173 “Johan”, a recently promoted Lieutenant, to head of science. While my rise could be described as meteoric, I'm not the only prodigious talent in the UEF. Lieutenant Stonema applied to the Triazon personally after reading my work on the Trugos Expanse and has been working on his own thesis based on the work, which he hopes will eventually secure a place at Deep Space 78, one of the UEF's premier research institutions.  Rosen nodded approvingly at my choice and made notes on the transfer. “Most of the Triazon survivors are on station awaiting reassignment. I'll certify the orders and they'll be moved over immediately.” This swiftness was somewhat odd but I didn't have time to dwell on it before Rosen called me over to the viewport. “Computer, scope and enhance the UEF Verminus. Come over here Captain, and take a look at your new vessel.” She was a beauty. Babylon's are a bit on the small side, with a crew somewhere between 5 and 6 hundred hands (with extra space for partners, children and additional civilian hands.) The complete retrofit had left her shiny and chrome. It almost felt like I could see myself reflected in her hull. But I didn't have long to appreciate her form.  “As soon as this briefing is complete, you're to take command of the Verminus and prepare to make way immediately to Sector Kilo AE7563 before day's end. I'll be frank with you Captain, Command and the Council are concerned. What happened to the Triazon was just the latest in a series of “negative incidents” to befall us. We are entering interesting times and are preparing as best we can for the uncertainty ahead.” “Kilo Sector is on the frontier of our space but a range of diplomatic developments means it could soon be embroiled in rampant conflict, but could become the newest integrated sector with time and effort... or both. Let's not discount that possibility.” She guffaws darkly. “Only 38% of Kilo Sector is classed as “Known Space” which makes Kilo something like the wild west, especially when one considers the political situation. Kilo itself is made up primarily of Planetary and System powers, with some rare Multi-system powers sprinkled throughout. The UCS maintains cordial relations with the majority, and trade and commerce flow mostly unobstructed.” “Outside of the frontier is where most of our concerns lie. The Sauron Kingdom is a large, multi-system liminal state that follows a type of Feudal system. Counts rule planets with Barons serving under them, who swear fealty to Dukes who rule systems, who in turn serve a King. Relations with the previous regime were going well until the previous King suffered an ill time yachting incident. His son and heir, in turn, suffered an unfortunate accident involving some amount of explosives, with his son suffering from an unfortunate case of being ripped to shreds by a micro-asteroid storm.” “The current king is an infant and the Kingdom is now being run by a regency council, but stability is decreasing every day and neutral powers in Kilo are beginning to feel the effects. A turbulent power so close to our frontier concerns Command; war for territorial gains has been shown throughout history as the best way to gain loyalty and prestige in such regimes and the UCS presents one of the biggest targets for any such a war. There's also the worry of the breakdown of Sauron Military Command; if a Baron wanted to start a spot of piracy to fund some extravagances, the lack of central authority means they could well do so unhindered.” “The UEF remains committed to opposing any such action, and indeed our diplomats are in talks with border powers looking for protection and aid.” “That's why you and a small task force of other ships are being deployed to Kilo immediately. We don't want to risk provoking a Sauron response which prevents us from deploying warships to the region, but our commitments mean more manpower is needed ASAP.” “With all that in mind, our engineers have been making modifications and improvements to the Verminus' systems, and we've made some additions to the regular loadout that I think you will be quite pleased with.” She gestures back to the pad, and skimming down I quickly find the non-standard additions. She was right, I was most pleased. quote:Pick 3 non-standard additions to the Babylon Class Ship Verminus. OscarDiggs fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Feb 14, 2022 |
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Feb 14, 2022 20:11
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ABC for those choices. For the ship additions, I think we'll need the long-range insertion skip pad, a vehicle assembly and repair bay, and of course that nice lounge, bar, and restaurant area, can't forget thoseRoman Reigns posted:Look:
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Feb 14, 2022 20:34
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C for the first choice. Second choice: "Ma'am, to be frank, that's not a decision I can make without at least meeting both of the officers in question. Keep the status quo for now, I'll assess the candidates personally and let you know if the switch needs to be made or not." A for the third choice. "Tundo has what I lack, years of hard-lived experience. Let him be the Falstaff to my Hal, bringing his sage wisdom on the adventures ahead." For the ship upgrades, voting for the Biological Printer, Reaction Chambers and Lounge.
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Feb 15, 2022 01:21
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A We're Eager for this sweet opportunity A Let's not rock the boat, and I imagine Rosen's pick is specialized for tactical anyway A Wisdom and experience rolled into one I like Toaster's pick for the ship upgrades: long range insertion skip pad, vehicle assembly and repair bay, and lounge, bar, and restaurant. Feel like the first two are going to save our butt when we absolutely need it.
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Feb 15, 2022 03:03
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Choice 1: Our default emotional state? A:2 B:0 C:1 We're an eager beaver. Choice 2: Who's on first? A:1 B:1 A tie, with a write-in for keeping the status quo... FOR NOW!!! I'll take that to mean the current First Officer keeps his seat, though the option for reassignment remains. “Keeping the status quo is sensible, but if you do end up making a change later the interpersonal issues will be all the worse for it. And we're not currently in a position where command crews can be transferred on and off the ship with ease. Keep that in mind Captain.” Commodore Rosen accepted my proposition but was clear in her warnings. If I couldn't keep the crew under control there would be problems. Choice 3: Who's on second? A:2 B:0 C:1 Tundo joins up with an easy majority. As for our ships extras, Toasters picks of a long-range insertion skip pad, a vehicle assembly and repair bay, and a lounge, bar, and restaurant win. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “This is far beyond a standard load-out for a Babylon.” I couldn't help but mention. It was either Command showing a lot of trust to their newest and youngest Captain, or a worrying prediction of how the Kilo situation would likely progress. The Commodore remained all business. “As soon as we finish, an aide will meet you outside this office. I want you packed and ready to embark within an hour Captain. Good luck, dismissed.” I saluted and prepared to leave, but this meeting hadn't gone exactly as I had planned. The Captaincy, the Ship, all this was amazing news for me and my career, but 6 months on there was still just one thing on my mind. I decided to: A: Press the issue about the Triazon. “Commodore, before I leave for Kilo... The ambushers, the ones that destroyed the Triazon. Captain Archer lost his life going down with the ship he loved, and I've still not heard any news about what the UEF plans to do.” B: Leave the issue to rest. The loss of the Triazon burned like a wound. But 6 months of therapy does a lot for a human. The future awaited and now was not the time to dwell on an unchangeable past. I saluted and made way to my berth, and my future as Captain. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “-nd 3... 2... 1... bounded field disengaged; skipping successful. Welcome aboard the UEF Verminius.” The technician gave me a lazy nod with both eyes still glued to the panel. “Hmm. Looks like your one of the last to board on this bay.” He fiddles with the controls, face set in a familiar frowning scowl; I've had that look wrangling a console many a time. “Problem?” I lightly enquire, shifting around my heavy bags and Banjo case; that aide had helped me pack but I had had to hoof most of my stuff myself. “Ahh, we've been in dock 5 weeks and we've had more activity in the last hour than we've had in all that time. The old girl doesn't like having to do so much work without a chance to warm up first. Just gonna make sure the conduits are aligned before moving on...” And he's off in his own little world. I can't help but smile remembering my own work as a technician. Exiting the skip pad room, I come across my second crewman, hauling a crate of what looks like a mix of Ka'nar, Vodka, Olsen Broth and just a couple packs of death sticks. “Isn't it against protocol to carry mind-altering substances on an active duty starship?” I tried to start firm, but before I could get anywhere further the Ensign shut me down, hard. “Oh well why don't you snitch me out to the Captain then, loooooooooser!” Juggling the crate into 1 arm, she gives me the L salute with the other, blowing a raspberry as she sauntered off. Before I had the chance to do anything else, my comm's pinged. “Captain Strongo,” it began in its synthesised voice. “the First Officer requests your presence in the ready room to finalise hand over of Command.” “Acknowledged. Path me and let him know I'm on my way.” It was good to walk aboard a ship again, and although I could probably navigate my own way to the ready room on something as small as a Babylon there was no sense adding any more administrative issues than there already were. Meeting other members of the crew was a lot more pleasant, if brief, as I made my way through the decks and hallways. When Rosen said a complete retrofit, she meant complete. It was like she was laid down yesterday. New was good of course, but it was impossible to totally standardise the highly complex electronics and components that made up a starships innards and new ships always faced a few teething problems as the circuitry settled and the engineers grumbled. Something to keep in mind. But not right now, as I was at last at my new ready room. I took a moment to catch my breath, and entered.  “Ah, Captain Strongo.” Current Acting First Officer, Commander Motilier Petain. The man whose job and seat I stole. With a few clicks of his comms unit, both our devices blinked and vibrated busily. “Command of the Verminus is now yours... Captain.” His tone is not quite cold, but it's a lot less warm than my own welcome to first officership by Captain Archer. Then again, I was the Captain now. “Happy to be aboard; she's a fine ship, like new.” “Yes, she's a fine vessel, with a fine crew despite some recent... disciplinary issues. We've been in port for the past 5 weeks with orders to wait and hold and some of the Ensigns managed to get themselves into mischief. Nothing beyond intermittent horseplay but I did not have the authority to institute disciplinary actions without say so from my” he grits his teeth subtlety “Captain.” He managed to finish breezily at least. “I suspect most issues will resolve themselves when we are finally able to make way. To that end, I have prepared a small ceremony.” He turns, and I am presented with a fine manicured bottle Drakaris Red; not the rarest of wines, but certainly one of the finer ones. “The previous Captain welcomed me with a toast of this very vintage, and I thought it only appropriate that I welcome you with it in turn. A toast?” I wasn't just swinging my new importance around with the Ensign earlier. Official policy is that active starships are dry starships. After all, when a red alert comes everyone goes to station, and surviving an ambush shouldn't be up to whether or not the stag do the night previous went on longer than expected. On the other hand, it was very rare for that to be totally enforced; ambassadors expected to be dined AND wined, celebrations usually required a bit of lubrication and god forbid you ban alcohol totally on a Troy or Uruk class; long-range exploration vessels which regularly went years without seeing a friendly port. They say the last Captain that tried faced a mutiny. I decided to: A: Accept the toast “Thank you Commander. It's an honour.” I decided to take the peace offering in the spirit that it was given, and joined Petain in a small toast. B: Refuse the toast “A Captain on active duty should avoid substances that could leave his judgements impaired.” I responded archly to Petain's offer, not wanting to make a mistake on my very first day. “Your command and bridge crew have been settling in and I've received no word on any issues beyond the usual hiccups. Now that you've officially taken command, anything of that nature will be routed to you. Your initial staff meeting was scheduled as soon as you boarded, and the heads are now gathering in your board room. There is just one small matter to take care of. The new lounge area. It's already being used by the crew, but it has yet to be named. Such is the Captains prerogative. Once you've picked one I'll have engineering print out the nameplates.” A: Name it yourself (if you pick this, suggest the name you want to use) B: Let the crewman vote (If you pick this I'll have to come up with some terrible pun or reference.) No time to unpack then. I dropped most of my gear except for the banjo; I'd be waiting at least a day for a replacement to print out if it became damaged at all. With nary 10 minutes between boarding and my first command meeting it was time for my first official duty; meeting the bridge crew.  I gazed across faces both familiar and unfamiliar, the heads milling about and introducing themselves awkwardly; some were as new to their positions as I was. But my eyes soon drifted toward an old friend. “Tundo!” I couldn't help but smile in the presence of my old friend. My attempted handshake was aborted as it quickly became a bone shaking hug from the ancient Phason. “Hor'tum. It is good you are well.” Understated for most people, for Tundo Eraton this was near exuberance. “How's the new department; everything up to your standards?” “The crewmen are inexperienced. They will need to be taught. I have experience in such matters.” He nods sagely but I have no time to catch up. The other newest member of the Verminius had caught my attention.  “Captain!” Seth Vox, my new head of tactical greeted me with a hearty clap on the back, with warm eyes and a smile that was all teeth. “First may I say, congratulations. The Commodore was very eager to sing your praises to me. I'm sure we'll do great work together. “Happy to have you aboard Commander Vox.” Returning his greeting, I thought back to the briefing notes that had been transferred to me. As Captain I now had most of the service history of practically every crewmate under me. A huge amount of information to dig through and sort, but Mr Vox remained an enigma. A 10 year veteran, Vox left the academy to board his first Babylon and was then transferred within a year to the UEF Thunder, a Constantinople class; a Warship. From there most of his service history was redacted (even Captains have to put the work in to see the need-to-know stuff) and the only thing I knew for certain was that he had served on 3 other ships in that time, all of them vessels of war, and had been Marine Commander on the last 2. I was fairly certain he was an intelligence officer of some kind, (why redact so much information otherwise?) but obviously I couldn't be certain. “I have to admit Commodore Rosen didn't tell me much about you, but considering the timing of everything...” I trailed off and he returned a brusque laugh. “Well, we'll have plenty of time for all of that later.” That left the engineering and science departments. Both now headed by Verminius promotees, John Calmus for Engineering and Drusilla Polatho. Both had average service records and were well experienced with the ship and crew. The greetings were polite and the small talk manageable. This wouldn't be a full, official meeting; after all, we still hadn't actually left space dock. But there were still little details that needed seeing to and the weeks that Verminius was docked without a Captain for had left a rather impressive pile in my new inbox. Our meeting had been going for just about a half-hour, with Calmus and myself some of the most recent improvements to the ships energy distribution matrix when my comms pinged. “Bridge to Captain, we're receiving hails from star dock. They're giving us new orders Sir.” Well then. “Ladies, gentlemen. Shall we take this at the bridge?” I rose and the rest followed, everyone from the veterans to the newbies starting to thrum with anticipation. But there was one more tiny unexpected matter that I had to deal with. When I got to the bridge, crewman milling about in preparation, I saw her. The Ensign from earlier manning the helm. My surprise was not anything compared to hers, eyes widening in shock and morphing into horrid realisation. I decided to: A: Make a big deal out of earlier “Hmm. The First Officer did make mention of disciplinary issues earlier. What is your name, Ensign?” my voice dripped venomously and the helmsman was suddenly put on the spot. B: Make a small deal out of earlier “Helmsman. I hope you'll take to heart our discussion earlier, concerning protocol?” I lightly prodded. C: Not make any deal out of earlier. “Helmsman.” I nodded in acknowledgement. “Message on screen.” The bridge lit up and the face of Commodore Rosen greeted us. “Greetings Captain. No time to chat, your orders are being updated. You were slated to ship of to Kilo Base at shift turn, ferrying critical supplies before officially taking duty but we've just received a briefing update from the commander. They've just picked up a deep space distress call, originating almost directly along your planned navigational route. No other ships slated for Kilo are ready for launch and all ships there are already on assignment. We want you ready to intercept the distress call, before making way to Kilo under your own power. Details are being transferred now.” “Ready and able Commodore!” The view screen clicked off, and the familiar noises of the bridge were belted out with much fanfare. “Liminal field stable Captain.” “Beginning final embarkation protocols.” “-rew reporting to duty stati-” “Everything appears to be in order, Captain.” Petain appeared on my right side. “We can launch on your mark.” After a long turbulent day, I slowly stalked to the big chair. My chair. A Captains chair. I sunk deep into my seat and took a long breath. “Helmsman.” A: “Mark!” B: “Make it so!” C: “Punch it!” D: “Engage!” E: “Allons-y!” F: Write in your own.
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Feb 16, 2022 14:53
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Meanwhile and previously, on an unknown deck of a small Babylon class vessel. An unnamed ensign kicks open the automated door of her berth, coming across her 2 bunkmates eagerly mulling through data pads. “Uggh, you would not believe the jerk I just ran into. In the middle of transporting valuable cargo across the ship and some jumped up baby faced jerk with a stupid moustache comes up to me and says “IsN't It AgAiNsT pRoToCoL tO cArRy MiNd AlTeRiNg SuBsTaNcEs oN aN aCtIvE dUtY sTaRsHiP? Em nem nyeyer. I don't have a stick in the mud because it's currently up my rear end, weeeeerh” she waggles her fingers and waves her hands about, but her bunkmates are used to such theatrics. Deciding on another approach, she stows her precious cargo and begins a new assault. “I'm glad I went over though. A guy I know in the Commordores office? Owed me a favour for a crate of Kund Chocolate and got me the scoop on our new Captain. Two words; To. Tal. Bad. rear end. Get this right; middle of a pirate ambush and cool as a cucumber, manages to detonate his ships liminal drive core.” “What? No way!” two voices ring out simultaneously, one mocking derision and the other glee. “You can't detonate a drive core, that's not how they work. That's like saying he detonated the ships egg whisk.” the first of the pair dismisses without looking up, only to be hit by a pad. “Oh yeah, then read that dummy!” Two pairs of eyes scan through it with growing disbelief. Now the last bunkmate chimes in. “Oh my god oh my god oh my god. How did he do that? To even manipulate the fields at all in that situation would have been... Oh my god look! Strongo! Jack Strongo! He gave that lecture at the academy on his work at Trugos, remember!” The third voice harangues the second, who falls into a tizzy. “Does this mean we're finally going to do something? God it'll be good to finally get out there again.” The owner of this voice whisks around their small berth, desperately straightening everything out as if the ship might be denied it's turn of action if the merest knick knack was out of place. “I got more bad news for you both!” The first ensign engages her final attack. “I'm on helm duty today, so I'm going to meet the Captain way ahead of the both of you.” The Ensigns voice drips with smugness, but there's no heat or cruelty to it. “Speaking of, I better get up there. Need to make a good first impression. Later loooooooosers!” - - - - - - - - - - And we're off to our first official mission, dealing with a distress call in the middle of deep space. Next update will be a little while, as I need to finalise some bits, set up a decent info sheet and write up a bit on how various things are gonna end up working.
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Feb 16, 2022 14:53
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BAABB Naming that lounge The Splaze. And now we've a ship to go where everyone's already gone before.
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Feb 16, 2022 15:21
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BABCB! The poor ensign is panicking enough as it is
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Feb 17, 2022 00:01
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BABC, "Hit it!".
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Feb 17, 2022 00:14
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Cloud Potato posted:BABC, "Hit it!". Voting for this
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Feb 17, 2022 05:04
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Cloud Potato posted:BABC, "Hit it!". This is fun.
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Feb 17, 2022 22:32
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Here's the current character sheet for our Captain, our Crew and our Ship. It's basically a butchered Cortex Prime with a little bit of Fate and PBTA thrown in. For the most part, the actual pure numbers aren't something you need to worry about; They're more to give everyone an idea of each things various capabilities. When it comes to rolls I'll pick and choose what I think is most appropriate for each action, but we're mostly narrative first. The basic mechanic involves rolling 2 different stats drawn from 2 different sets. Each set that gets used depends on what and where the action is taking place; An action of the ship uses Captains Roles and Ship Attributes, a Captain action uses Roles and the Captains Attributes. On top of this are any bonuses or maluses that have been built up over the course of events. So for example, scanning a nebula for a lot runabout would rely on rolling the captains Scientist Role with the ships Systems Attribute, plus the bonus from the high frequency scanner we had the engineering department whip up, along with our own experience from the Trugos Expanse to analyse the information. On the ground though, when punching our way out of a saloon on Wild West Planet #69265, we might use our Captains Tactical Role with his Vigour Attribute as a base, but since we've been learning Darcassian Jiu Jitsu and our good buddy Tundo is also here busting heads, our roll get's extras from those facts. This is also highly experimental, so don't discount the possibility of a quantum tachyon stream totally rearranging the way the universe (and our character sheet) works. Character Sheet Captain Jack Strongo, of the UEF Verminius, Babylon Class  Very little is known about Captain Strongo having only recently took command of his own vessel. Despite an incredibly short career, he has been made Captain and transferred to Kilo Sector where he and his new team will boldy go, in the name of the Union of Celestial States! Captain Roles Every commissioned officer of the Union takes on certain roles aboard starships. As Captain you are expected to have a working knowledge of all of them. D10 Engineer Used for fixing, building and tinkering things, both on the ship and off. Need to repair an important sub-system? Need to build a moisture farm on a desert planet? Need to rig your laser to explode exactly as the Klong'In steps over it? Engineering is your key stat. D8 Scientist Used for the intricate, technical and theoretical parts of deep space exploration. When actively using sub-systems such as the scanners, comms or the skip pads, science is your ability to do it well under any condition. Is also your primary stat when it comes to medical care. D6 Tactician Whether manning the lasers or double-fist punching some bad guys, Tactical is the skill for fighting for truth, justice, and the Union way. D6 Leader The leadership skill. It takes a lot to keep a Starship running and operations is how you do it. Dealing with logistics, bureaucracy and anything that involves telling a bunch of dudes what to do in an orderly manner. D4 Diplomat Talking good and leaving an impression, whether cooling down a fistfight between Ensigns in the canteen, hob-nobbing with the delegates at the peace summit, or delivering the speech that resolves all your problems, Diplomacy is where it's at. Captain Abilities Outside of a Captains Roles, there are certain characteristics unique to them that determine how capable they are. D6 Courage When boldly going into the great unknown or when facing your enemy when you can see the whites of their eyes, such tasks call for the Courage of a Captain! D8 Conviction Sticking to the values of the Union despite great odds, keeping your cool under fire and delivering the one speech that solves all current ills relies on a Captains Conviction. D4 Guile Sometimes it's necessary to trick or deceive your opponent, whether they be a dangerous creature threatening your life or a hostile ambassador you didn't show due deference. D10 Reason Reason is called for when trying to puzzle out a solution to a tough engineering problem, or when trying to make others see it. D6 Vigour A Captain must always be in tip-top shape to fully withstand the rigours that come with space exploration. When your physical conditioning is bought into question, Vigour is what's rolled. Ship Attributes Ship attributes should be a bit more self explanatory then Captain Roles. Unlike Captain Roles, they can be directly targetted and damaged during the course of events, reducing their effectiveness until fixed. (Unlike your own skills and attributes, it's difficult to modify the underlying attributes of a vessel. You'll more often rely on bonuses from additional equipment or from manoeuvrers and bonuses set up by bridge crew.) D4 Armaments Laser Banks, Missile Launch Sites, an armoured front for when it comes down to ramming speed, the Babylon isn't defenceless but it is by no means a War Vessel. D6 Shields and Hull A bit on the small side as far as most UEF ships go, the Verminius nevertheless has a perfectly adequate set of shields and hull plates. D6 Crew The lifeblood of any vessel, very few ships can get anywhere without a decent crew -Eager to get underway -Some discipline issues have piled up D10 Systems Scanners, tractor beams, skip pads, hanger bays; all essential inner workings of any vessel. As a workhorse, this is where the Verminius shines. D8Engines Powered by a Liminal Space Core Drive, the Babylon is reasonably zippy. On top of these core facts, the Verminius also comes equipped with: A long-range insertion skip pad: Perfect for long-range insertion. Terrible at long-range pickup A vehicle assembly and repair bay: All ships come with standard runabouts and scout craft, but sometimes you need a little bit of modification (or a lot of repairs). A lounge, bar, and restaurant: Diplomatic duties and long tours require only the best provisioning. - - - - - - - - While not listed here, each Bridge Officer also comes with some bonuses (and sometimes negatives). Usually, they'll be doing whatever it is they're actually supposed to be doing aboard the ship but it's possible to reassign them for away missions or to cover emergency work at your discretion. But if you do that, they're no longer providing their expertise to their department. As an example, you could send Tundo down to a crash site to provide immediate emergency healthcare to the injured crew, which will ensure that task goes smoothly. If at the same time you have an outbreak of Couthix Lice amount the Ensigns, that's no longer getting dealt with by the head of your medical department. Whether that's fine or becomes a huge issue depends on your abilities as Captain. I'll put this sheet underneath the OP at some point, and everything else we'll have to experiment with as time goes on. The next post and the start of our first mission will either be up tonight or early tommorow.
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Feb 20, 2022 18:21
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Choice 1: Remembering our fallen vessel A:0 B:5 We decide to leave well enough alone Choice 2: A Toast! To the Bastard that stole my job! A:5 B:0 “Thank you Commander. It's an honour.” I decided to take the peace offering in the spirit that it was given, and joined Petain in a small toast. He joins in with the toast, still somewhat stiff but with good enough humour. I can tell things won't be easy but it's clear Petain is making an effort to not hold Commands decision against me. And the wine was really quite excellent. Choice 3: Pun time? A:1 B:4 Your going to need to give me a minute for this one. For “the crew” to “vote”. Choice 4: Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of your actions. A:0 B:1 C:4 The matter is dropped, much to the relief of the Helmsman. Choice 5 “Hit it!” I command, and at once the viewscreen comes alight as the Liminal field instantly surrounds us. The crew on the bridge has a short moment to appreciate the view, as the green of the field casts over space dock and the surrounding environs creating an almost neon effect, before the enhanced generators launch us forward at speeds thousands of times greater then C. A journey like this would take several weeks under the power of the Verminius' own field generator but the enhanced version from spacedock means we'll be comfortably at our destination in just over an hour. “First Officer, you have the Bridge. I'll be in my ready room.” Petain nods in response and I finally find myself alone aboard my vessel. My first job? Unpacking everything. My Banjo gets pride of place among all my belongings it being one of the few things of sentimental value I have with me, everything else having been lost on the Triazon. What I do have packed was mostly printed in star dock, clothes and hygiene supplies for the most part. With packing done, I turned to the initial administrative tasks that had built up. Drudge work, but better to get it out of the way now. To soon, I felt the familiar bump and shudder of our field collapsing. We must have arrived. “Petain to the Captain.” That must be it. “We have arrived in system at the location of the distress call and are awaiting you on the Bridge.” Petain hadn't had a chance to finish his communication. “Captain on Deck.” he firmly supplied just at the door to my rooms hissed shut. “What's the bother then?” I asked, turning to the viewscreen. It became quite obvious.  The fifth planet of this system, a large gas giant, hung suspended in the viewscreen centre. The enhanced zoom of the screen made it easy to pick out individual clouds and vents flowing over the surface of the pale blue marble. It also clearly delineated the stricken vessel that called us here.  The long, thick pipe of a vessel was brutish in it's construction but had a kind of simple elegance to it. It had a weighty look to it, clearly some kind of industrial vessel. It also appeared that the back half of the vessel had somehow fallen into the gas giant. It's engines were totally submerged in the outer atmosphere of the giant, totally obscured by the pressurised gasses. It's fore erupted out and forward, almost like a dolphin caught in mid jump. “Do we know what type of vessel that is?” “Unknown sir, but a cursory scan shows that it's equipped as some kind of gas mining vessel. Maybe they had engine trouble during a routine skimming operation?” That did make sense, but gas mining was a relatively simple affair. “Hail them.” I ordered, and our distressed captain's face was soon on screen. “So, your the help then? What are you... one of those Union types right? Euurgh.” He makes a face, somewhat short of contempt before continuing. “Well, surely you can guess the problem, right?” My very first mission as Captain... What do I do? - - - - - - The Verminius has arrived on the scene and discovered a stricken ship halfway submerged in a local gas giant. What's it doing there? How did this happen? What are you going to do about it? Who knows! That's what we're going to find out. This is going to play out a bit differently (and somewhat experimentally) than the previous posts have; for the next while you're going to be able to take the role of Captain, suggesting questions to ask of the stricken captain as well as of our crew, thinking out courses of actions, making preliminary orders and so on. If you are familiar, think of it as a magic meeting room scene. You can also order small actions and tasks without the need of bringing them to a full vote. Once you've gathered enough information to formulate a set plan then I'll take over, do any necessary rolls and move the narrative onward. If you all come up with some competing plans, then we'll hold a final vote of what to do and in what order. There is also the possibility that to much time passes and you'll need to decide on something to do there and then, whether or not you've gathered enough information about the situation. If you want to ask a question or order something, simply post as if your are Captain Strongo asking or ordering it. I'll update sporadically to answer questions and carry out instructions as they come in. OscarDiggs fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Feb 20, 2022 |
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Feb 20, 2022 19:05
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After talking a little about it in the CYOA Discord, I figure the free form stuff isn't going to be as popular as I had hoped it would be. At least at this early stage. So, instead of doing it in short bursts of updates intercut with long-form updates detailing the major consequences of your choices, I'm going to go back to a more directed way of doing things and rely on free form stuff a bit less. To that end, here's the new update with a fresh set of decisions. I've had to update my plans a tad so there may be a bit of wonkiness for the next few posts, but I'll just try to post through it. - - - - - - - - “Yes you seem to have had a bit of a mishap. Gas extraction?” “Something like that. None of my engineers know what happened; the engines were fine and then bomf, half of the ship is in the drat gas; we've been listing for about half a day now and there's been no luck with getting the engines back online.” “Initiate a scan.” I order before returning to the stricken vessel. “I'm Captain Strongo, Jack Strongo of the UEF Verminius as you rightly guessed. We're happy to offer any assistance we can Captain...” “Tenleck. Captain Tenleck of the Guild of Transporters, Haulers and Longshoreman. We don't name our ships for the most part; working vessels and all.” Captain Tenleck is your classic biped design; 2 ears, 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth. His skin is closer to a golden brown tan, and appears thick and leathery. A delicate set of ridges start from just in front of his ears, almost like boney sideburns, before moving onwards and splitting, one pair up and one pair down, framing his face after a fashion. Scanning: 1d8+1d10 7 “Captain, we are having trouble penetrating the atmosphere of the gas giant; there is some form of electrical interference. It's going to take us a while to compile this and get something useful. Everything that's not fallen into the gas giant seems undamaged but we can't penetrate further. At best estimate, I'd say we have about 9 hours before the vessel is lost for good.” “Well your systems must be a bit more pessimistic than mine; ours say 12.” Tenleck responds, just a tad snidely. “Can we tractor it out?” “Negative sir. Our tractor factor isn't enough to tow a ship that large out of the gravity well.” Well, drat. There went the easy option. “All of the crew have a Heinzlich factor of less then 25; it shouldn't be necessary to modify the ship's atmosphere in any significant capacity for them to safely board.” The Heinzlich factor, named after the Biologist of the same name, refers to the tendency of sentient life to follow the same basic biological patterns the galaxy over. Most life forms that reached space are bipedal, usually breathed some manner of oxygen atmosphere, and generally had similar tolerances for things like gravity, light and heat sensitivity. The larger the factor, the further away from this galactic standard, requiring more severe atmospheric adaptions for them to live comfortably. Having a Heinzlich factor less than 5 usually meant both species could copulate and have children with only minimal medical intervention. Less than 10 required frequent care but was still generally feasible for most modern medical institutions. At less than 25, there shouldn't be an issue with them evacuating to your vessel, or your crew going over to there. “Do you have any injured we can evacuate Tenleck? We have the facilities if required.” “No, and I'm not issuing a general evacuation order either. If you can't help, I'll just wait for a guild man to come around.” “We could always send some teams over, see if we can't get your engines running again?” You offer. While not strictly in your mission parameters, this guild was a relatively unknown institution. Command would be very interested in knowing more about their internal systems. “Sure, why not. Can't screw it up any worse then the idiots I have already did... I would hope” Tenleck mutters the last part with dripping disdain. “Captain.” Vox grabs my attention. “We could invite the venerable Captain Tenleck over to our ship in the interim. Building diplomatic relations is a core part of our mission here, and I'm sure if his vessel has been trapped here for a while, he might appreciate some freshly prepared cuisine.” Firstly, I decided to: A: Invite Captain Tenleck over to the Verminius B: Not invite Tenleck over. Secondly, I felt it was best if I: A: Led the away team myself B: Assigned one of my officers to lead the away team. (If you choose this, also vote for who leads the repair crews). If there are any additional question or small orders, include them in your voting post and I'll include them to round out the information you have. If you head over yourself, then you'll leave the bridge and the ship under the command of your First Officer. If Tenleck comes over as well, Petain will also be in charge of the nitty gritty diplomatic action.
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Feb 21, 2022 22:41
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Firstly, B-ish. Save the hard wine 'n' dine for once the ship's rescued. But, before then, have the lounge make up some bento boxes so that Captain Tenleck and the rest of his crew can all have one nice Union-style meal while... A. We lead the repair crews. We are an excellent engineer, and we get to play with a new toy! Posted just before new update: "[sucks teeth] I bet you've flooded your engines, eh? I'm Captain Jack Strongo of the BCS Verminus. First things first, do you require evacuation? We can get all your crew safely over here before we start to rescue your ship, or we can go straight to the rescuin'. Your choice." To the senior staff in the ready room: "OK, Petaine, Tundo, I'd like you to talk with the other ship's crew, make sure any 'workplace injuries' are dealt with, and if we get some more info on how this happened, so much the better. Tactical, Science, correct me if I'm wrong, can we just tractor beam the ship out of the gravity well?" Cloud Potato fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Feb 21, 2022 |
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Feb 21, 2022 22:51
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B for now, maybe after the issue's all wrapped up nicely. A on leading the team, we're fixin' to get some action in.
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Feb 22, 2022 00:21
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B and then A clearly win, with B being put on hold until we successfully deal with this mess. We do have orders for some artisanal bento boxes, however. Also, regarding. Cloud Potato posted:Posted just before new update: I did speak to Cloud Potato who decided they didn't want these resolved this time around, given the time frames between the update and their post. However, I do want to encourage these little asides as they were how I originally envisioned things going. You'll still have the core votes, but feel free to add on extra things like this and I'll work them in when possible. - - - - - “We'll have the chefs start setting something up, maybe send over some hot chuck. Right now though we don't know what exactly we're going to find over there; best to have everyone important on-site. Petain;” I turn away from Vox and to my First Officer. “You have command, I'll be joining the first team over and lead from there.” He gives his 'yes sir' and salutes and I began preparations, ordering the teams on duty to make ready and having the runabouts prepped. I'm out the door of the bridge and making my way to the hanger when Vox interrupts yet again. “Captain,” he begins, his toothy smile barely budging as he follows me out of the bridge. “UEF policy dictates that the Captain should be armed when leaving the vessel.” He puts his hands into his uniform and withdraws a weapon; A standard-issue lasgun.  While its design follows that of a classic firearm, the liminal pack installed means I could fire this thing from now until next month and still not be a quarter through the battery. It also includes a small bank of nodes and dials so that the enterprising user could transform it into a welder, a taser, a cooking utensil (to boil water or roast meals), a flare gun and all manner of other secondary uses, limited only by the user's proficiency. “Going over armed doesn't present the best first message.” “Nevertheless, it is policy, Captain.” Vox's bright smile replies. I thought it was best to: A: Follow procedure and take the lasgun. B: Ignore procedure and leave the lasgun. “Very good Captain.” He salutes. “Good luck over there. I shall be at Tactical in the meantime.” With a nod, he turns and is gone leaving me to make my way to the hanger. - - - - - - Entering the gravity well was a bumpy affair. A hissing static came over the intercom as the automated message pealed out “Docking in 5...4...3...” The classic snap-hiss of the magnetic clamps signalled the end of my team's journey. 2 runabouts at 8 crew members each, for 16 total, myself included. There was a brief spot of vertigo as I stepped out, as the down of the runabout competed with the down of Tenlecks vessel, and then I was aboard. I couldn't help but smirk at the fact I had only been Captain for a few hours and I was already off my ship. Hopefully we could clear this up quick. I commed over to the Verminius. “Any luck sorting out that sensor data yet?” I asked hopefully, but there was no joy to be had there. “The electrical interference appears to be increasing, slowly but unpredictably. Being unable to account for its source, we're unable to make a determination as yet. Polatho will inform us as soon as anything comes of it.” Petain responds drolly. “Alright. The mission is a go on our end. We'll update you as we progress, Strongo out.” By the time I had finished, my crew had disembarked themselves and our cargo; whatever tools we thought we'd need and some fresh hot food to go with it, straight from the lounge. Tenleck had apparently not deigned to meet us but had sent over his own senior engineer. “We'll have to make a bit of a trek. Internal navigation also took a shot so the lifts are down.” We walked as we talked, necessary specs getting transferred to me and my team's personal computers on the way. On the whole, quite obsolete by UEF standards but there were some unique design choices. For 1, while their conventional in-system engines worked along the lines of rocket propulsion, their FTL travel seemed to rely on the use of “spatial corridors”; naturally occurring warp points between systems. We had encountered species that used this method before, but they were always very cagey about their maps for said corridors. A chance to shine some light on those mysteries could be a source of some browny points. Look at the internals on this baby: 2d10 14 Phwoar For 2, their gas extraction and storage method was frankly bizarre. The fundamental laws of logistics didn't seem to be of concern here. When transporting gas, you want as much as you can get into one big pressurised tank. Then you moved the gas to where you wanted it and then hey presto, you transported your gas about. While they did have perfectly functional storage systems, they weren't classed to pressurise anywhere close to the levels I would expect to make this sort of operation profitable. When accounting for the frankly bizarre method of extraction (closer to just putting down a bucket and scooping it up a handful at a time) I just couldn't make any sense of it from schematics alone. I'd need to see them in person. The only response I got from the engineer when I bought it up was. “Well, we tried processing on ship for a few years but it's much easier to just bring everything to a central processor and dump cargo there.” We spoke a bit more about this and that, establishing a few more facts about the vessel. “A lot of it is just automated. We pull into dock every other week or so, so most maintenance happens then. A lot of the time it's practically a skeleton crew, with just us and a small team for emergency work. With you all aboard our engineering team has more than doubled.” He laughs before finishing. “Well, here we go. Destination reached.” While dirtier, uglier and a lot worse smelling than your own, you can't mistake an engine bay. “My guys have been working for a few hours now, so I'm gonna let most of them go on break and eat some of that food you bought over; let you and your hands get stuck in. I'll link our comm codes up so you can ask after me for anything.” And then he's turned and off, to wherever it is engineers of his calibre go to take their break. My crew milled about for a few seconds, before one plucky lieutenant asks me “Orders, sir?” Our main mission was of course, having a look and seeing if we could fix the ship's conventional engines. That should be our first priority... but they did give us the full run of the place and from the schematics, the conventional and ftl engines were held in bays quite close together. There was also the extraction and storage tanks; At least 80% of Tenleck's ship was devoted to these tasks so I wouldn't be able to look at all of them, but there were a few examples just beyond this bay. And I did have the run of the place. My orders were: A: Have everyone work on fixing the engines B: Split into teams; one for fixing the engines and the other for a bit of light snooping C: Some other combination? At the same time I would: A: Lead a team myself (If you vote to split into multiple teams, also pick which one you lead) B: Have a look around myself at any places of interest.
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Feb 22, 2022 17:41
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A on lasgun, procedure's procedure and you never know. B on splitting into fixing and snooping teams. A, we'll be leading the fixin' team, we're probably not a subtle guy to go around lightly snooping and taking charge on the engine issue should be a good look meanwhile.
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Feb 22, 2022 22:27
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A on laser gun. A. Full boy scout mode, we're here to fix engines, let's have everyone do that. Make sure you're making notes on all this tech, crew, in case we run into something like this again!
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Feb 22, 2022 22:36
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AAA Let's put our engineering expertise and leadership skills to use and get these boys up and running ASAP
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Feb 23, 2022 02:31
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Work begins and over the next few hours Tenleck's crew slowly stream back in. Their presence doesn't necessarily help matters but it would be hard to impede our efforts as it quickly becomes apparent that there's nothing around that needs fixing. Sure, the previous crews work ethic could do with changing, along with the seeming inability to clean the great hunks machinery of the excess grit, grime and oil. Ignoring those issues though whatever caused the initial fault isn't anything to do with the engines themselves. On top of that, the mood of the crew takes another downturn as the electrical discharge has gotten to the point where, even over the hum of the internal conduits, most everyone can hear the stick-hiss of pitter pattering discharge dancing it's way along the hull. It all goes wrong with a burst of comm chatter. “Captain” Petain barks out. “The discharge, it's rapidly increasing! You need to bra-bra-braaaa-aaaaa-aaaa-” Brace! (d6 Vigour + d10 Engineer): 1d6+1d10 11 “Brace!” I scream, hauling rear end to the sturdiest, most insulated part of the bay I can grab onto in time.  Currents arc, a foul ozone smell permeating the dank oil and grime and an unholy skreeeeeeee-ch chonk vibrates around us. It takes a few seconds for internal systems to be restored. “Multiple hull breaches in the lower portions of the vessel. Internal emergency forcefields are activated and are holding. Structural integrity down... 14%. We're not sinking any faster Captain.” One of my crewmen gives the rundown. Fortunately, no one appears to be that injured, with a couple of bruises and scrapes at most. This good news is followed by bad, as Tenleck's voice assaults you through the ship's intercom. “What the hel-el-el-el-ell are you UEF morons doing! Do you know how long we're going to be in do-oo-oo-oock for? What the fu-uu-crach...” and silence. Internal systems are shutting down. “Captain Strongo to Verminius, come in Verminius.” No response. The discharge must be interfering with outside comms as well. “How long do we have before this ship collapses all the way?” I ask, preparing orders for my crew. “We're designed for atmosphere work.” The engineer explains. “We could lose the entire back end of the ship and still be space-worthy... mostly. And we're not sinking still... but whatever did this is still doing it.” He's right in that the ship is still more or less functional. As long as whatever just happened doesn't happen again, it's unlikely that your time frame is going to be impacted in any major way. The trouble is, what happened shouldn't have happened in the first place. “Team!” I call out. “I'm going to inspect the damage and see if this is still salvageable. Work on emergency repairs and focus on-” A: Restoring communication with the Verminius “We're blind without our sensors and they're our only source of help if things get worse.” B: Keeping internal systems running “The last thing we want is for gravity to disable, or for life support to get interrupted. C: Maintaining structural integrity “If that happens again the whole ship might crumble!” “Take me to where the hull was breached.” I order to the senior engineer, and he, fortunately, doesn't feel like arguing. We sprint, practically racing, as the adrenaline pumping through us makes my heartbeat thrumb. The pitter-pattering grows worse and is replaced by... slithering. Something akin to a horror show greets us. The best way to describe it is as like a mollusc; hard chitinous shells like living coral propel themselves along the floors and the walls and the roof. Using their pendulous tentacles and slime-covered forebodies, they pull themselves and swarm the gangways, making their way to the storage tanks and extraction vents. They're getting in through one of the breeches; a smell like cooked fish wafts over the area, just over the tang of oil and grime and the gluey smell of mucous. I can see the first few brave venturers through the breach, their soft appendages cooked black as they went through the forcefield keeping the outside out and the inside in. Their brothers in arms learned though; as newcomers are hurled through the forcefield it's not until they slam into the hard deck that their vulnerable soft bodies emerge from their shells. “Oh poo poo. They're not supposed to be this close to the surface after spawning.” I whirl on the man. “You know what these things are?” “Well not the detail, but they come to the surface to lay their eggs; the freshly spawned, their shells can't survive the high pressures the adults dwell at, so they come up closer to the surface until they could survive the pressure. Plus if they get too mature the meat gets rubbery. Better to catch them early. ” “You're a fishing vessel!?” “Well yeah, didn't Captain Tenleck say?” Something like a gas extractor indeed. “So, all these tanks-” My musing is cut short, as a shell moving at the speed of an artillery shell slams down just a few feet from us. Slimy tentacles emerge and feel about languidly, seemingly barely affected by the impact. I: A: Shoot to stun the creature A live sample might tell us just what the hell these things are. B: Shoot to kill the creature Not as good as a live sample. Not as dangerous either. C: Back off away from the creature These things weren't interested in me yet, and it wasn't the UEF way to start a conflict that wasn't necessary.
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Feb 24, 2022 17:55
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Looks like we might have a Poppler situation on our hands. C and C. Let's keep the tub intact so we don't die, and observe the molluscs for signs of sentience.
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Feb 25, 2022 01:40
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We've got Space Stuff happening awful quickly here. Agreeing with C and C. We're not going down in someone else's ship.
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Feb 25, 2022 02:01
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“Come on.” I pull along my compatriot, leaving the heaving mass behind. How Are Things Going?: 1d20 20 Well hey, looks like they're going well! Nothing manages to explode as we sprint back to the main bay room and not only are the structural fields fully stable after this sudden assault, they've even managed to maintain most essential internal systems by the time I arrive back. Unfortunately, communications are still an issue, the discharge seemingly interfering. The solution seems obvious. “Can we dump the tanks?” I ask plainly, to which Tenleck's engineer (and his other subordinates in hearing range) give a strained expression. “Look, you know what these things are. It's obvious they're here for your most recent catch. And they've eaten through your drat hull to get there. Dump the tanks, they all leave and no one has to die for... snail meat!” Dump the tanks, pretty please? (d4 Diplomat + d8 Conviction + Boy Scout Bonuses): 1d4+1d8+4 13 Being a boy scout and bringing hot food over does pay off... sometimes. The engineer looks conflicted. “Tenleck was pretty worried that you came on board for like, industrial espionage or to sabotage the ship. Told us to be on the lookout... But with what you've done since you came over? Makes me think he's been paranoid. And I do not get paid enough to die for this. The controls are over here.” With a few swipes and key inputs, controls for the 48 storage tanks are presented to you, but predictably there's an issue. Dumping is supposed to be done at whatever processing facility this all happens at, and at that point it doesn't really matter to the machines if they're processing dead meat or living meat. You could dump them all now, but it's even odds if anything inside the tanks would survive the process. Relaying all this, an ensign of yours speaks up. “There is a more controlled process, this sub-routine here and... there!” She speaks truth, it is possible to control the dumping process to make the ride a lot less bumpy and life-endangering. “But those controls are locked to the Captain. We'd need his say so.” “...unless we hack it.” You finish, brazenly. “...Tenleck is really not going to like that. He'd notice to, unless you locked him out of the system” “The fields are all good Captain, we managed to reroute power and structural integrity shouldn't be an issue.” So there's time to ask for permission... but wisdom says it's better to beg for forgiveness. I decided to A: Dump the tanks right now. We're safe for now, but even with the crew's assurances we just don't know how long that will last. B: Go to Tenleck to try and convince him to dump the tanks slowly. Surely we can avail ourselves onto Captain Tenlecks better nature? C: Hack the system and force a safe tank dump. It wouldn't even be that hard with the system issues the ship is currently facing.
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Feb 25, 2022 19:35
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Well, if not being a renegade doing things our own way works so far, why buck the trend? B for Boy Scout.
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Feb 25, 2022 19:44
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B. "Captain Tenleck! So, the good news is, figured out your problem. You've been fishing for some alien species's eggs, the adults are upset and want their children back, and it's them who are attacking your ship. Easily solved! We gently open this ship's storage tanks, the babies fall out and go back to their families, the adults leave, the ship makes orbit, big smiles, everyone's happy. What'd'ya say?"
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Feb 26, 2022 02:04
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Cloud Potato posted:"Captain Tenleck! So, the good news is, figured out your problem. You've been fishing for some alien species's eggs, the adults are upset and want their children back, and it's them who are attacking your ship. Easily solved! We gently open this ship's storage tanks, the babies fall out and go back to their families, the adults leave, the ship makes orbit, big smiles, everyone's happy. What'd'ya say?" This reads like a reasonable argument so... A reasonable argument from CloudPotato (D4 Diplomacy + D10 Reason): 1d4+1d10 7 “What do I say?” Tenleck responds, putting on a particularly gormless expression. “I say get the hell off of my ship!” “Who in the hell do you think you are, telling me how to run my vessel? What I should do with my cargo! I bet this entire thing was faked, huh? HUH?” “Captain, please!” your compatriot engineer tries to placate his boss. “I was monitoring them all this time, just like you said. They didn’t do anything. And I saw those things; it’s like they’ve chewed through the hull!” “Bah!” Tenleck easily dismisses his claims. “Captain Tenleck, this is the easiest way t-” “Oh easy is it? Very easy for you Mr UEF. Very easy, without family to feed. Without precious subordinates” he slaps the engineer on the back “to keep in work. Without a ship to repair. Just dump the cargo he says! Baaaah!” This isn’t going anywhere yet; Tenleck is clearly angling for something. Giving it to him will resolve this quickly, but is it worth it? A reasonable argument from CloudPotato (D4 Diplomacy + D10 Reason): 1d4+1d10 7 “What do I say?” Tenleck responds, putting on a particularly gormless expression. “I say get the hell off of my ship!” “Who in the hell do you think you are, telling me how to run my vessel? What I should do with my cargo! I bet this entire thing was faked, huh? HUH?” “Captain, please!” your compatriot engineer tries to placate his boss. “I was monitoring them all this time, just like you said. They didn’t do anything. And I saw those things; it’s like they’ve chewed through the hull!” “Bah!” Tenleck easily dismisses his claims. “Captain Tenleck, this is the easiest way t-” “Oh easy is it? Very easy for you Mr UEF. Very easy, without family to feed. Without precious subordinates” he slaps the engineer on the back “to keep in work. Without a ship to repair. Just dump the cargo he says! Baaaah!” This isn’t going anywhere yet; Tenleck is clearly angling for something. Giving it to him will resolve this quickly, but is it worth it? I decide to: A: Try to convince him, appealing to his better nature... again Appealing to his better nature didn’t work the first time, but the engineer is clearly on your side. Maybe the two of you could wear Tenleck down. B: Try to convince him, bringing up the possibility of compensation This is clearly what he wants; though it’s galling to pay for the privilege of saving him, it is UEF policy to protect lives at any reasonable cost. C: Give up on convincing Tenleck, hack the tanks. You’re not going to pay this rear end in a top hat for the privilege of saving him. Time to take matters into your own hands. D: Something else?
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Feb 27, 2022 17:09
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Huh. Déjà vu. If we're post-scarcity Federation types, then it would be churlish of us not to spread the wealth whenever we can. B.
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Feb 27, 2022 20:45
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Well, the man wants a bribe/compensation, B for that, we're not one to argue. Do save up a witty one-liner for if he gets some sort of appropriate karmic adjustment in the future, though.
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Feb 28, 2022 02:45
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B
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Mar 3, 2022 03:30
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D: Offer him an official Captains statement that the cargo was lost in an insurable manner. He gets compensation and repairs from his insurance company and we don't give creds directly to an rear end in a top hat. We can fudge the details in the statement so they are true enough to be an "oops, emergency situation, couldn't tell X & Y facts at the time" if we get called on it
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Mar 7, 2022 16:49
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