<> <> <<29.9 light years away, Kappa Ceti III orbits Kappa Ceti, a main sequence yellow-dwarf star not unlike Sol, but far, far younger. Even a cursory bit of hunting will tell you that it is a "variable" star, which in layman's terms means it is given to flares. A little more digging will reveal that certain data would hint that it suffers from "superflares", a particularly ominous form of flare. However, it has been quiet for as long as humans have been looking at it.>> (By the way, Cham, CP at any point? ;P) (*CP*) (I'm not sure what I'd even spend CP on.) (DEATH) (Oh, that's right, 3e actually has session-by-session CP that doesn't go insane by the end of a campaign.) <> <>> <> (Rock me amadeus.) (I'm rockin'!) (Okay... where are we? :P) (Are you asking me?) (YES) (I mean, I know you asked us, but nobody's saying anything!) (Ahem. Rock me Amadeus!) (I'm doing my Fitzroy impression.) (*plays brainpong*) (*tongueflicks*) (You know about the trip, Kyle. You were there.) (I know. do the others wanna hear?) (Zeke does!) (ZEKE ISN'T HERE. ONLY ZUUL HIS YOUNGER COUSIN.) <> (MMM CP) * Amadeus is in the ship, in the hangar, dressed much like he was for the previous mission! He's busying about, preparing for take off mostly by making sure all of the sample equipment is both working and accounted for. * Hestia is in the ship hangar! Hanging ships! This is a false statement and excuse to use exclamation points! * Hestia is actually poking at a datapad. Specifically, she's checking the chainjumper TVNet sites to make sure a certain enthusiastic sleythin didn't post saying 'Hi! I'm a sleythin researcher, and I got your secret password from the following nice lady...' (Yum, CP) (Ha ha.) <> * Tomas is in the ship, wearing the same DunnoCorp blue jumpsuit that you saw him in last time and lounging in the lounge. * Hestia hnns and taps her fingertip on the pad. "Well, apparently she's good at keeping herself hidden. I wonder if anything's actually going to come out of this." * Kyle is in the hangar, running through a checklist and making sure the ship won't blow up 10 minutes after launch. * Lexi is lounging around in her quarters. She's brushing her hair with TK while shooting off a message to Vicky telling her that she's off to another planet on her wicked chainjumping job. * Tomas hmms, "What's that, Tia?" * Hestia responds without looking up, waving her free hand dismissively. "Some sleythin museum curator... I gave her the chainjumper TVNet password as a bribe, since we couldn't have the... the..." NOW she pauses, and looks up at Amadeus. "I forget the long, stupid, pretentious lizard name for it, do you remember it? Anyhow, the stellar data." * Kyle has taken on some very minor physical features of Amadeus and Lexi, as has become pretty normal when he's with the group. And not THOSE features from Lexi, you sickos. * Mechalink is now known as Zeke (Thunder crackles. "THE SLEYTHIN PLANETARY CODEX", says a deep voice from the heavens.) * Kyle asides as he's working. "Sleythin Planetary Codex?" (Did you guys tell us about the trip?) * Zeke is standing in the area, rock-steady (and rock silent) as he often is. His birdsect, though, perks its head towards Hestia and hops on his arm as they start talking about the codex. (We're doing that now. :D) (WAO) (Tomas WTB reading comprehension kit) * Tomas turns to Tia, "oh, you guys had no luck? Why wouldn't they just let you have it? I thought we were on better terms with Sleythin." (I have pot pies in the oven. They are distracting.) * Hestia shrugs and taps at the pad. "Prophecy of ultimate cosmic doom. That sort of thing." * Hestia does not seem to put a lot of weight on the possibility of ultimate cosmic doom. * Zeke says lowly, "Sleythin... prophecy?" (Tia's so blase about it. "They said that our jobs would ultimately kill both us and our entire species! WHO WANTS PUNCH AND PIE?") (Sorry, I was distracted. ^^;) Yeah, we're totally gonna cause cosmic doom. We even have capes and evil laughs to go with it! * Hestia pauses in her typing, and looks up at Zeke with a blank expression, before saying in a measured tone, "It was a joke." A beat passes, before she adds: "Sort of." Always with the prophecies of doom these Sleythin. * Zeke says slowly, "I did not think them a species of prophecy." * Amadeus is taking a moment to access his headputer, rather obviously, his eyes flicking to see things that obviously aren't there. "I've got her name down as Shorya... nartha? Does that sound right?" * Kyle eyeflickers momentarily. "Yeah, that's her." Oh, good. I was never good with Sleythin names. Our department head never let me hear the end of it. * Amadeus goes back to checking out the equipment. * Hestia nods at Amadeus. "That I do know... just in case. I wrote it down. And it's a not a prophecy, but they're not being straight with us." She taps the pad against her palm. "Shorya'nartha implied that she couldn't give the Codex to humans because ultimate cosmic doom or something with a similar barcode would result." (I typed Shoryu'ken twice. TWICE.) (Hahahaha!) (XD) (Fuck! Now the secret that she is the Sleythin Chun-Li is out! TIME FOR YOU ALL TO GO FIGHT THE BUG SHADOOLOO) (PSYCHO CRUSHAAAAAAAAA) (HOORAY) * Zeke says slowly, "Slethin... are quite strange. Always have been so." * Kyle grunts and the sound of metal against metal reverberates for a few seconds. "Who woulda thought giant sentient lizards would be so... secretive." (Every other ATC character.) (For serious.) * Hestia puts the pad away and heads for the ladder. "Well, whatever. I don't believe in ultimate cosmic doom." Everyone's secretive. It might be part of being sentient. (In that case, the AIs have their case made for them.) * Lexi heads out of her room finally and stretches. "Well... who's ready to go crash another planet?" Bah, I say, bah. Knowledge is best left in the open, right Prof? * Hestia snorts at Kyle's comment, but it's muffled because she's heading up the ladder. (free the mallocs!) * Amadeus laughs. "Damn straight." <> (I am not! Hey! Don't throw me in that dimensional portal!) * Zeke must have already gotten his robots' suitcase in the ship, because he's not carrying it around as he heads in as well. * Amadeus finishes. "Good to go on my end. I'm heading to the map room." * Amadeus goes. To the ladder! * Hestia is waiting in the map room, sitting cross-legged in her chair, and takes the arrival of Amadeus as her chance to ask: "Do you REALLY believe that? I think if knowledge were best left in the open, I'd be out of a job." * Amadeus blinks at Hestia, clearly taken by surprise. * Tomas finishes lounging and heads to the cockpit where he plops in the copilot's seat. * Hestia smirks at the expression of surprise, running her fingers along the arm of her seat. "You just seemed a little too practical for idealism." (I can't remember if I get to hang out in the maproom or not.) * Amadeus shakes his head, as if to clear it, and then says, "I think that scientific knowledge should be open." He moves into the room, taking his own seat. (Only the cool kids hang out in the map room.) (I'm not sure there's enough space for giant suitman.) (Not sure. It's in the nose of the ship, so ask Cham>) * Lexi heads into her pilot's seat prepares for takeoff. "Let me know when everyone is ready to go." <> * Hestia lets her smirk turn into a smile; on her face, the difference is subtle, but detectable. "Ah, well, scientific knowledge... I could stretch the point there, I suppose," she adds, enigmatically. * Amadeus shrugs, slightly. "We've been too slow in generating scientific knowledge so we can deal with a number of problems we obviously have. Twenty-fours suffer every day because of their powers; shit like the brain flu happens, and we still don't know why or how - or, at least, ATC isn't telling us." * Kyle reaches up and closes a bunch of pannels with loud clanks and secures them with a few motions of his hands, then heading inside of the ship. "All parts operational. Let's rock'n'roll dudes." We're hardly any closer to solutions than we were over thirty years ago, and you'd think we'd have an imperative to *do* something about it. So yeah, I think that the best solution is to go out and generate some stuff, and put it in the open. That's why I'm here. * Hestia puts her hands up in mock surrender. "I'm not against science out in the open. But I've had contracts from people who paid me... pretty damn well to make sure the wrong people don't get their knowledge." * Zeke will be in the lounge area, relying on comms. It's closer to where he'd want to be anyway if something went wrong! * Amadeus holds his hand up. "I'm not saying anything against you." * Lexi nods and opens the com to the uh hangar people. "This is the Weird Piece requesting permission to take off." (Now we plat pattycake) (Or someone is robbing us.) And for the record, if you don't want me to mention anything about your abilities and accomplishments to... whoever, just let me know. * Hestia laughs. "If they can pay me, I don't really care what they want the security for, to be hones..." That statement shuts her up right quick, however. (RESPECT MY FUCKING BOUNDARIES. D:) (Oh god, I'm like Kat and Roch's lovechild. ._.a) (<3) (Hey, he's trying to respect your boundaries! It's not his fault you're so uptight, Ms. Hunter-Krogstad!) <> "You're cleared for take-off, Weird Piece. Be careful out in the Wild West." Bah! No fun in being careful! * Hestia says, evenly, "Trust me, Professor Cheung... the things I don't want people to know about me? Aren't known." * Lexi grins. "Alright everyone find something to hang onto! Let's rock!" and she pulls up and heads out! (High five, Hestia!) * Amadeus looks taken aback again. Poor Amadeus. "No problem. Sorry." He clears his throat awkwardly, then looks at the map. Hey, a map! He found it! <> <> (GUMMI SHIP MINIGAME) (GALAGA TIEM GO) (Haha. We explode! But then come back and catch ourselves. TWO SHIPS.) <> * Hestia eyes the monitor. "It's like a low-rent prefab Earth." (If you see anybody with a goatee, be suspicious.) <> * Amadeus peers at the planet, blinking a few times with deliberation. (InstaEarth. Just add water.) * Amadeus then goes to the ship's scanners and runs a standard array of tests. (argh afk one sec) * Tomas calls down to the map room, "How's it look, doc?" * Lexi blinks. "Huh... well that's wacky. It's just like Earth. I'm going in for a closer look." She flies a bit closer to the planet. <> * Amadeus calls back to Thomas, "Like Earth." (I can make this roll, too?) (Remind me what visual is.) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6) and gets a natural 5 for a result of 5. (Bah I'm used to tristat. That's a 10 =P) (If we're adding body.) (Good question! What stat are we running on?) (If it's mind, that's a 12) (Mind!) (12 then) 2d6+5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tomas (2d6+5) and gets a natural 8 for a result of 13. 2d6+12 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Amadeus (2d6+12) and gets a natural 9 for a result of 21. 2d6+8 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Kyle (2d6+8) and gets 10, a CRITICAL SUCCESS!!! "I love the smell of a crit in the morning." (... Your timing is impeccable, Dicey.) (Haha) (I love how he taunts you.) (Well to be fair. that would have been a crit success in Tri-Stat) (Now it's just funny) (HAW HAW HAW.) <> (Oh, I get to see from here? Sweet.) <> 2d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Zeke (2d6+7) and gets a natural 9 for a result of 16. (I'll run with that.) <> * Amadeus sees them, furrows his brow a little, and just says, "Huh." <> (Did this shit just get real?) (I think it did.) (I... don't know what that means!) (What the hell does that mean?) (but SCIENCE!) (Tomas: STRIKE A POSE, 'CUZ SHIT JUST GOT REAL!) (We got a second team.) (DUDE, Amadeus would know, not me!) (ugh sorry. tummy disagreed.) (Oh, okay.) (Or I guess.) (That's really the only explanation.) <> * Kyle tries to get a reading on them, at least a visual readout. (I write "WE WERE HERE FIRST" on their hull. With bullets.) (Anybody happen to have been manning guns?) * Lexi grins and guns it towards the planet as quickly as she can. "Fuck that. We're getting there first!" (I don't think anyone was manning weapons, but I didn't think we had gun _pods_. I thought they were tied into ship systems.) * Hestia grips the edge of her chair. "Will wonders never cease, she's actually doing the smart thing..." she mutters. (I assumed when making the ship there'd be gunner seats at the guns themselves. I don't think that was ever outright said, though.) (Well when smart thing = Drag racing in space than yeah Lexi will totally do it) <> (Tomas - why would there NEED to be? Just have whatever console you're at turn into the firing console. :P) (I never said it wasn't a coincidence.) 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+11) and gets a natural 5 for a result of 16. (It just happens to be the smartest thing right now.) <> (I'm SORRY. I apparently didn't have my future hat on.) * Hestia glances at the light, then cracks a faint smile. "Answer that, will you?" * Lexi keeps flying towards the planet while she answers the comm with a TK hand. "Can I help you, slowpokes?" (Future hats are mandatory, citizen!) (I'm not your citizen, guy!) * Amadeus keeps running scanning equipment. "Sounds like she's got it." Have you guys found a place to lay down? * Hestia rather unexpectedly cracks her knuckles, and the displays at her station actually start showing things. "Let's see how careful they are with security..." <> (...) * Hestia typeity typeity typetype. (Aw man, he MUST be evil.) (oh god! It's happening! I warned you!) * Amadeus glances at Hestia. "What are you up to?" "Well now. You folks are new on the chain, aren't you?" (How's my progress towards the planet looking?) * Hestia says, without looking up, "Digging something out of the GalReg database." It is a clear and blatant lie. * Tomas considers running quickly to the kitchen and preparing a roast, but opts to stay where he is and help Lexi how he can. <> * Lexi continues to fly at full speed towards the planet. "You could say that. Nice ship you got there." * Amadeus nods. "All right. Just don't do anything to them until we know they're going to cause us harm." (*pesters Cham*) * Amadeus goes back to checking the scanners, gathering what information he can. 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+11) and gets a natural 5 for a result of 16. (Are skill checks just 2d6+skill/specialty, or 2d6+stat+skill/specialty?) (The second.) (Then I was right!) (There was some odd thing with skill level and specialty /looks) "We happen to like it. Yours looks like it has a new paint job, at least. Take a tip from an experienced chainjumper - I hear you can get a lot better response if your ship's not half composed of metal plates keeping the hull together." (Even without +1 for specialty I passed, so.) (If you have the spec, skill level counts as one higher.) <> (Yeah, that.) 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+11) and gets a natural 4 for a result of 15. (Fuck!) (Man we're rolling low tonight) (Can I finagle something to help out?) <> (Oh, bummer dude.) (Go ahead. If we get another roll it'll definitely help) (Oh, can Lexi burn 10 EP to boost the roll by 1?) (Heh! Yes.) (Probably have to do that before the fact? But after is good!) (Hm... Okay!) (I'll let it slide now, because I forgot the rule.) (Actually, I *think* it's after-the-fact.) 2d6+12 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Kyle (2d6+12) and gets a natural 6 for a result of 18. (I wouldn't allow it after the fact, were I GM, so that sounds dubious to me. ;P) (Shuddup we're winning! =P) (That sounds crazytalkins.) (You say that like BESM was built by sane GMs.) 2d6+12 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+12) and gets a natural 6 for a result of 18. <> "You are aware who you're up against, right?" * Lexi chuckles. "A douchebag in a bad goatee who is using his nice shiny ship to compensate for the lack of his piloting ability? Yeah. I got that about right." <> * Hestia clickclacks away at the keyboard, and then hits one key, after a pause, with a defiant and flourished stroke before leaning back in his chair. "Bullets cost money but bandwidth is cheap, jerk," she mutters. * Amadeus whistles lowly. That was a burn on Lexi's part. He hits the comm to Lexi and says, "Go for one of those craters. Do you see them?" * Lexi nods. I think that's where most of our interesting samples will be. <> 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+11) and gets a natural 10 for a result of 21. (yay) (Lexi aparantly gets really trashtalky in competition. I didn't know ) (HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THAT?) (I KNEW THAT.) (I dunno. I've never seen her in competition before) (Of COURSE she gets trashtalky) <> "My name is Don Fernando, of the ship Black Orchid. And I and my comrades get the feeling you're the kind of people who neglect their research." <> I'd be insulted if... well, I was prof. But I'm not. * Amadeus frowns. He was insulted. * Hestia turns and looks at Amadeus with an expression of deep seriousness. "Is that true?" The effort of keeping the smile off her face is palpable. Pfft... sore loser. <> Wow... he's a REALLY sore loser. * Hestia glances at the board. "Chrome-plated dipwad. I should have cut their life support instead." No. He- what the hell is he doing? * Amadeus hits the coms. "Kyle, what the hell is he doing!" (I'll be back a second.) * Hestia says, evenly, "He's going to try to kill us." This doesn't seem to bother her to the extent that it should. * Amadeus just sort of stares at Hestia, for the THIRD TIME THAT DAY. * Hestia raises an eyebrow in response. "You were expecting a fruit basket?" That... would be nice, yes? ... <> <> (Dre's AFK.) * Kyle looks up. "Missile inbound!" * Hestia hmmms thoughtfully. "Remind me to get chaff next time we're on Mars." (Well, we can pause for a bit.) I'll remind you twice. (While we're paused, how does the shooting down work?) <> (Stoppable attack, right?) (Yup.) (Can we do both? Shoot it down and try to avoid?) (Oh, sure. I imagine your pilot will have something to say about the latter, though.) (Um, book. Where is my book. Do stoppables have a default TN?) (To stop the attack, a hit TN15 must deal 5 damage for every weapon level.) (Yup.) (With penalties based on range goddamn that's a bitch to figure.) (This system is annoying. We're now playing L5R.) (Samurai in Spaaaaaaace.) (I'm tempted to have Zeke jump out the airlock.) (But I don't know if he has verniers on his suit.) (To grapple the missile?) (Catch the missile. So I can reprogram it and fire it back by... like, hurling it out the airlock.) (Or to grapple the ship.) (I'm really sorry. Something I ate chose to torment me) (Does the suit have space lfight?) (Cham, about how far away is the missile?) (Spaceflight? God no. Spaceflight is superspeed remember?) (Nigh, right.) (It is roughly .1 AU away.) (14 959 800 kilometers) ( I thought we were in atmosphere) (That's like way too far for TK. Okay I recomend we shoot it down. That's someone else's department, right?) (Hm. I may have overestimated their distance, one sec) (Try 0.001 AU, sorry. 150k) ("Permission to leave the ship." "To do what?" "To give the Covenant back their bomb." "Permission granted.") (Actually in range of your sensors. :P) (Ha. Still too far for TK but closer. Who's our weapons guy again?) (Thomas, sort of!) (Right) (I could give it a go, but I only have a 5 ACV at range.) * Lexi continues to fly uninterupted. "Tomas! Can you shoot the baby's toy down for me?" (What! Give me those damn guns.) (Accuracy 3, remember) (My ACV is 6.) (Or replace that with Zeke if it's a better option) (Really all that matters is hitting it) We do have two guns ( +() ) Zeke! You too! (there) <> (Is there an attack console in the lounge?) <> ( What's the penalty at that range?) (EVERYTHING is in the lounge!) (I could fire the guns from anywhere in the ship. :) Not that any of you know that.) (And I have an ACV of 6!) (I'll handle the penalty.) (Well we need it to be for when we inevitably seperate the saucer section.) (Always a bad idea... ) * Tomas brings up the weapons console and spools up the rail gun. 2d6+8 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tomas (2d6+8) and gets a natural 11 for a result of 19. (Lexi gains a point, is Borged, then turns into Whoopi Goldberg.) * Zeke doesn't come up to the ship, then! WITH THE POWER OF LOUNGING, HE FIRES. Not that anyone can see it. (Woohoo!) (XD) (Can I full attack?) (Sure, you get two free raises, but the missile has three free raises against you.) (I can handle that!) (Are you asking seriously? Because I do not remember how that works.) (No! YOR-a-tomo dickhead!) (+3 to hit.) (-3 to defenses.) (... That's actually a pretty good point.) (I know it's a good point.) ('cuz he won't be making a defense regardless.) (I _asked_ because it's slightly abusive.) (In this instance, no.) 2d6+9 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Zeke (2d6+9) and gets a natural 7 for a result of 16. (Good enough.) <> 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+11) and gets 23, a CRITICAL FAILURE!!! "The gods giveth, and the gods taketh away. This time, they taketh away." (CRITICAL FAILURE... TO FAIL) (Well that's just great.) * Tomas hoots and pumps his arm, "How you like THEM apples?" (Remember people... that's actually a crit success) (Owned.) <> (the goods being what in this case? Samples?) (Why we shot for the rainforest!) * Lexi laughs. "Ha! Take that you pompous piece of shit! Okay everyone I did my job. Now you people go grab some samples and let's get paid!" <> * Amadeus moves once the ship lands, ordering the ship to collect atmosphere and soil samples. He checks the readout for survivability outside of the ship. * Kyle comes on over the intercom. "How's it look out there, guys? Nice flying by the way." * Hestia frowns and glances at the navigational array. "I'm going to stay here and plot a course back. Just because we beat him down here doesn't mean we're going to beat him back to Mars." * Hestia smirks faintly. "Or the metal man and I could just go put a bullet in their heads but really, it's so *messy*." <> Thanks, Tia. * Zeke doesn't have to wait for survivability, and is at (and out) the airlock pretty much immediately. It looks fine, Kyle, but I can't account for diseases. We're in the rainforest, so there's probably plenty of them. Might want to suit up just in case. <