Fate of the Terra Ariel

[Jabas]

FATE OF THE TERRA ARIEL

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt310/huw_williams/TerraAriel.jpg

You are floating in the void of space. Above you, the airlock of the UCNP frigate closes without a sound. Below is your destination: the derelict Class 5 colony ship, the Terra Ariel. This ghost from the past had gone missing ten years ago, another colony ship lost to the hazards of space along with its two thousand hopeful colonists.

Two months ago a hobby geologist was visiting an uninhabited and remote system simply categorised as 100268. While passing the second planet in the system, he was surprised to come upon the hulk of the colony ship orbiting the planet. He immediately returned to the nearest UCN base and reported the find.

Your UCNP team of five was immediately assembled and routed to 100268. The four of you have suited up and are taking the space walk to the derelict. The fifth member, Denzar, is taking the frigate down to the planet to do some scans of the surface. Your mission is to find out what happened to the Terra Ariel, and why. The UCN expects a full report on your return.

[Noble Savant]

Freddy looked over the wreckage of the ship, whistling to himself inside his helmet. The Terra Ariel was pretty creepy, when you thought about it. A ghost ship, once teeming with hopeful colonists, and now, if they were lucky, utterly devoid of life. 2000 colonists also meant it was going to be big, no matter how much they squeezed them in.

Freddy flipped on his radio. "Commander, you want me to sneak in there first, do some basic Recon?" He kept his voice clipped and professional, the high-command probably had their communications monitored, and he wasn't planning on jamming himself up by being too chummy on the air. For that matter, they probably had the suits themselves bugged, so he should watch what he said off the air too.

Freddy wondered if he was being paranoid, and if that itself, was a sign of paranoia. He eventually decided, smiling faintly in his suit, that paranoia was practically his job. Officers liked that sort of by-the-book radio talk in any case.

"Nothing too extensive Commander, just a quick survey of the area."

[OMG PONIES]

"Holy bleep!" TJ practically shouted into his microphone. The rash Southern boy lacked Freddy's insight, and never hesitated before speaking. "Can you believe this bleep? A honest ghoster! Let's say we get down there, light the fires and kick the tires. What do you bleeps say?"

TJ piloted his suit towards the wreckage as quickly as he could. He also lacked the patience of his other crew members, and it showed on his suit. Patches, welded spots, and multiple hasty repairs were clearly evident; he was already on his fifth piece of faceplate glass. The demo man would often joke that he had the squeeze fever, driven mad by the pressure of almost being pulled out of his suit into the void time after time. However, after working with him, you're not sure how much of a joke it actually is.

[beyond reality]

Samantha was about to reply to Freddy when TJ's transmission cuts in, nearly deafening her. "Dear Lord TJ! Volume control please, for the love of my eardrums! And cool those jets or we'll have to change the mission to scraping you off the hull."

[Jabas]

Several things can be noted about the current state of the Terra Ariel from the outside of the craft itself. The most obvious is that it is floating dead. None of the running lights are on. Preliminary scans have shown, however, that there is still some power flowing through the ship, so some systems must still be functional after all this time.

There is a large hole where the airlock used for docking was located. This hole is blackened and ragged, and is obviously the result of an explosion or weapon.

These are the things that stand out. You may be able to discern more by making a Common Knowledge test. This is a Smarts roll, to which each of you gets a +2 bonus. The difficulty is 4, as normal. Please make these rolls either in the OOC thread or in a spoiler at the bottom of your next post.

[Shyftir]

"I can fix her." Kramer said. Of course the tech/pilot always said he could "fix her" no matter the type of derelict craft they came upon.

""Hey 'Mander want me to rig you up one of my TJ-dampeners?" Kramer had designed a sub routine into his comm-unit to only play TJ's transmissions at half volume.

"All-right let's see..." Kramer began to study the ship in order to discover more about its manufacture and design.


Smarts role!
Basic Knowledge: [roll0]
Possible extra roll: [roll1]

wild card roll: [roll2]
possible extra roll: [roll3]

[beyond reality]

"Official policy is not to modify the equipment, Kramer." Samantha say sternly, then pauses, "But ask me again in five minutes."


common knowledge roll,

Smarts: [roll0]
possible extra: [roll1]

Wild Die:[roll2]
Possible Extra: [roll3]

[OMG PONIES]

A disgusting, wet noise followed by a quick POP could mean only one thing: TJ had spit tobacco onto his mic again on its way out of his helmet via suction tube. "Aw hell," he grumbled, "y'all just can't handle my bleeping ebullience. Now Filly," he continued, using his personal nickname for Kramer, "you can dress her up for the ball, but only some good old combustion can make this fat bleep dance. I'ma go down and sneak a peek at her thrusters."

[Shyftir]

"You know, BJ," Kramer responded with his own more subtle unflattering nickname, "Actually an Ion Projection Engine could easily move a hulk like this, but I'm not surprised you aren't up on recent improvements in space navigation tech."

Kramer had cased the engines during their fly over but it wouldn't hurt for the loud mouth to take a closer look. Kramer was thinking that the major reason this thing was dead in space had more to do with a missing PL-1 than engine problems. As for what caused the lack of said rather important biological mechanism, Kramer had a good guess it involved whatever had punched that ugly whole in the old girl's hull.

[Noble Savant]

"In space, no one can hear you scream." Some famous old dead guy had said that. Freddy thought it would of been good for him to meet TJ.

Freddy sighed, a loud rush of static on the radio. "So, we're going to charge in? Again?" He asked, watching the accelerating form of TJ. "Can I submit an official prediction here?" He began easing his thrusters, keeping his distance from the ship. "Something is going to explode. Very soon. I'll be over here, pretending to be an asteroid."

Things always seemed to explode, normally when Freddy was trying to be quiet. The universe didn't like lulls in the action, and this trip had been, so far, a long lull.

[OMG PONIES]

"Bleep, Filly," TJ jokingly chided, "you kiss your mother with that mouth? 'Cause last time we were docked back home, I know I bleeping did! Hehehe..." the cowboy laughed. "And how do you bust the atmosphere with your ion accelerators? They gotta strap that bleep to a good old-fashioned two-stage."

His eyes lit up at Freddy's prediction. "I sure hope so, F-Bomb. The sooner the better, too. Starting to get restless from the Squeeze." The security operative laughed once again, still piloting his suit towards the wreckage.

[Jabas]

You are all experienced enough to know that the Terra Ariel is a Class 5 colony ship, the smallest and least luxurious colony ship produced. Designed to run on a skeleton crew and carry only the barest essentials, it is equipped with a cryo-chamber to house passengers in cryo-sleep until it reaches its destination.

Below, the awkward looking craft would normally carry a dozen or so self-contained modules and the Tug – a simple orbit to surface vessel that is designed to haul the modules (one at a time) and colonists down to the surface of the planet being colonised. The modules are versatile fold-out constructions designed to aid the initial colonisation – living quarters, scientific laboratories, factories, etc. While attached to the ship the modules form a condensed, almost solid block that cannot be entered until deployed on the surface.

You all notice that four of the modules, plus the Tug, are missing from the hull of the Terra Ariel, though you cannot tell which modules.

[Shyftir]

"Looks to me like some of these folks got away, and/or were taken." Kramer drawled. I'm thinking we'll need to get inside if we wanna find out more."

With that the pilot/engineer engaged his propulsion system and attempted to close with the gaping rent in the vessel's side.

[beyond reality]

" Could be scavengers as well, I'm sure the materials in those modules could sell well, hopefully we don't have anyone coming back for the rest." Samantha keeps herself moving at a cautious speed, "Let's see if we can get an airlock functional, assuming there's any atmospheric integrity left after that explosion we don't want to ruin it."

[OMG PONIES]

TJ patted a padded arm against the laser at his side. "I'm hoping they do come back, whoever they are. I haven't had much target practice in a while. This poor bleeping skelly--y'all know as well as I do that they didn't have enough crew to sneeze at, much less to handle something like this."

[Shyftir]

Kramer slid up to the gap in the Terra Ariel's Side. Pretty name for a colony ship. Kramer looked over the hull's various idiosyncrasies and then jetted over to the blown air lock. He reached into the utility belt strapped around his suit's waist and selected a specialized tool. He inserted the device into the hull by means of a small laser torch, then began to run diagnostics and fiddle with the ships security system.


trying to get more information about the ships condition.
Repair: [roll0]
Possibble extra dice: [roll1]

Wild card: [roll2]

[Jabas]

There is a huge burnt hole - about seven feet in diameter - where the airlock used to be. One look tells Kramer that it was caused by an explosion from within, and a closer examination shows signs that it was the result of a series of carefully and professionally placed explosive charges - not an accident.

Shining a light inside reveals the airlock chamber, now blackened from the explosion, but Kramer is unable to tap into any of the ship's systems from here - that will need to be done from the bridge.

[beyond reality]

"Well, if we hang about too long we'll run out of fuel, might as well head on in. TJ, you take point. Minimal hooting please." Sam signals the others to form up to head inside the wreck.

[OMG PONIES]

TJ rubs his hands greedily together--an awkward affair in a spacesuit--and draws his laser. "Okay, bleeps, welcome to my world. Y'all know the drill--two check the left and right flank, one of you cover our six. Let's grease any colony-blasting bleeps dumb enough to still be aboard. Oh, yeah, try not to tag any friendlies or civilians. Form up and move on out!"

[Noble Savant]

Nothing seemed to be exploding or going horribly wrong, yet, so Freddy felt confident enough to jet himself forward slowly, taking his position on the right flank of the group.

Eventually, he hoped, they would remember that they needed someone clever and quiet. That's when Freddy would be there. Ready to try and tilt fate and karma back into his favor. He sighed again, another rush of static, and drew his laser pistol. "Into the breach then. I wonder if it's as quiet as it looks..."

[Shyftir]

"I got your back, TJ. Let's get this done." It's never as quiet as it looks.

Kramer took up his position near the blasted lock and waited for the commander, once the commander entered, he'd take up the rear position so that all angles were covered.

[Jabas]

The rent in the ship’s hull leads into the airlock chamber, where two doors facing each other lead towards the front and rear of the craft respectively. Ordinarily, space suits would hang here, but the pressure from the breech of the airlock has pulled the hooks from the blackened walls.

[beyond reality]

"Okay people, lets keep it in a tight formation, if there's any depressurization we want to make sure we can all get it and seal this up again." Samantha kept her orders brisk and calm, but she was starting to sweat in her suit, hoping that this would just turn out to be routine and things wouldn't end up like her first mission. "Let's open up the forward door and we can see if we can salvage any intel from the bridge."

[OMG PONIES]

TJ's voice loses its humor and drops in volume for the first time.

"Okay y'all," he growls, "time to square dance. I'll take point, F-Bomb and Filly hit the flanks, Sam I Am on the six. Shoulders touching, people. Shoulders touching. Once we reach and clear the bridge, split and cover any entrances."

The cowboy is clearly in the zone now; this is his rodeo. He deftly maneuvers through strategic positions and formations, holding his laser with a steady hand. He scans every corner of the room, and never seems to blink.

"C'mon, you bleeps," he mutters quietly to whatever shadows linger in the darkness, "I'm ready for ya."

[Jabas]

The echoes of your magnetic boots on the steel-panelled floor are magnified in the ship’s eerie stillness. A short corridor leads to a compact common area that contains a lounging couch bolted to the floor, a large vidscreen on the wall and a long table lined with two benches. There is a fold out cooking stove in the portside wall, as well as a storage cupboard. Small packets of emergency rations – a standard issue paste used to sustain crews once regular rations have been used up – float about the room, a reminder that the ship’s artificial gravity systems are no longer operating. Across the room, the corridor continues towards the bridge.

[beyond reality]

Sam plays her light over the room, keeping alert for any sign of what might have happened to the crew, but motioning the others to keep heading towards the bridge if nothing catches her eye.



Notice roll, if it's needed.
[roll0]
[roll1]

wild die:
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Shyftir]

"Man, this place is eerie!" Kramer felt the need to occasionally break the silence. Partially just to calm his own nerves. "Reminds me of that mine on Rega VII. You know when I saved ya'll's hind ends by fixing the lift just before the runaway megadrill reached the end of the tunnel." Kramer kept his gun and flash together as he searched for a working computer console to pump for information.

[Noble Savant]

Freddy snorted, shaking his head. "Remind me, who was the one who started messing with the mega-drill in the first place?" Freddy grinned to himself, plodding along in his magnetic boots slowly. "You should be remembering all those grav-traps on the way. That security system would of made flat discs out of everyone."