Hyperbolic sine
2017-11-17, 12:32 PM
It has been about a year since the Collapse, and life aboard the Dirac has long started feeling "normal"; it has not been a journey without its fair share of unrest and troubles, but - with a disciplined crew and two mercenary squads helping to keep civilians (and more importantly, each other) in check - nothing particularly big or, given the circumstances, surprising. Moreover, although the Weiss star had been clearly visible from the start, all people could tell was that the ship was getting closer; until planets would came into view, no one knew exactly when it would reach its destination.
Well, almost no one: although it hadn't been possible to do so with a lot of precision, an estimated time of arrival to Weiss-2 had been determined; it wasn't made public, so as to minimise the risk of people starting to disregard those limitations that allowed for self-sufficiency, but a few select people - those who were told to prepare for hostilities, you among them - know it is now only a matter of, at most, a couple weeks...and even less to reach the Gate.
Arthur
The engine room: the Dirac's pulsing heart; as you stroll through, you are assaulted by a cacophony of beeps, hisses and hums of various pitches - and that's with the thrust engines not running (movement in a frictionless environment has its perks).
"Officer!" you hear calling behind you, and you turn to find Chief Engineer Romero towering over you. He salutes you with the multitool he has currently attached to his wrist (his right arm is cybernetic), then grins and adds "Doing an inspection round? You're not gonna find any alcohol here."
Your position as Relations and Welfare Officers has been set up so that only the Captain and the XO would have authority over you, and that you would only have authority over the crewmen: that makes you basically the same rank as Romero (who is third in the chain of command, by the way).
It's kind of an open secret that he enjoys a drink of two from time to time (i.e. not really that rarely, considering the difficulty of obtaining some), but since the crew is technically banned from alcohol consumption, you've had a few customary chats to, you know, keep up the image.
You have barely the time to answer, when a siren blares and the AI's voice resounds though the comm system: "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha."
The highest level of emission control: on spaceships, it does not include only active scans but also heat radiation. Since it has to be irradiated only in a specific direction or, at worst, not irradiated at all, reduced power generation is a vital component of EMCON alpha protocols on spaceships - however, reduced power also means more vulnerability and less combat readiness, so it's only used when the ship wants to avoid a fight, not run into it.
The Dirac must have gone into hiding...but from what?
"Huh? Oh, hell." Romero curses, then runs to fiddle with a control panel while bellowing "Alright guys, get the auxiliary heat sinks online! Stat!" It seems like you completely disappeared from his radar.
"Officer Norway, the captain requests your presence on the bridge." the nearest speaker informs you.
"This is not a drill, Matthews! If that's not burning hot in 30 seconds, I'll use it to fry your d**k on when it finally does!"
"I have archived the threat, Officer Norway, in case ensign Matthews reports to medbay with damage to his genitalia".
Jack
The Dirac is a warship, but it has windows (made of transparent polymer, of course, not glass): more were installed toghether with the civilian quarters, but it had some even before - for psychological welfare reasons. You are currently in a small, quiet room with one of those preexisting windows, and one whose protective forcefield you could deactivate autonomously: the perfect spot to stargaze in tranquility and without forcefield-induced distortions.
Suddenly, the (relative) silence is broken by a warning sound played through the comm system, followed by the ship's AI announcing "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha." and the window's emergency shutter closing immediately.
Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
Then, the room's lights turn on, though definitely dimmer than normal, and the speakers crack again. "Mr. Albrooke, the captain requests your presence on the bridge."
Jake
The harrowing cries of an infant echo through the medbay: a 5 month old baby whom you are currently holding, and that just received an injection from the Dirac's most beloved medical officer ever (that refused to let the mother hold him, because "I need a steady hold, not the shakes of an emotional mother").
"Kid, return the child to Ms. Evans." he says (well, orders), before turning to the young and worried woman besides you. "The fever should be down by this evening. Now take him to bother someone else's ears."
She flatly ignores the last comment, gently rocking her son to calm him down. "Thank you, Dr. Smythe. I'll come back tomorrow if he doesn't get better."
Laura Evans, 25 y.o., was injured during the Collapse, which happened not long after she discovered she was pregnant. Dr. Smythe managed to save both her and the baby, and not easily...but, although he complained the whole time and brought up abortion more than once, he did it: that's why she's one of the very, very few people that think that, under his attitude, there's actually a caring person.
As a sidenote, little Paul Evans is kind of a star on the Dirac. He's the first child to be born in deep space, after all.
"If you really must..." he replied, unenthusiastic. "And it's St. John Smythe."
Then, the lights suddenly dimmed. "Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking." Captain Parikh's voice said through the speakers. "I'm sure you have noticed power being cut or reduced just now: please don't panic, as this is absolutely normal: after a year of continual operation, our generators have to undergo a maintenance cycle. On behalf of all the crew, I apologise for the inconvenience."
Hmm...that doesn't sound right. Unless someone reaklly screwed up, it shouldn't have been something unplanned.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
Hmm...is she really telling the truth?
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
This really seems more like EMCON. Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Oh. I was scared there for a moment...I hope they'll be done soon. Well, thank you again. Jake. Dr. Smythe." Laura said, and walked out.
"St. John Smythe."
"Dr. Smythe, Mr. Shawholme. The captain requests your presence on the bridge." the AI chimed in.
*sigh* "What now?" he muttered, raising from his chair.
Kelly
It's just about 4 pm, but the kitchen is bustling with activity: when there are hundreds of mouths to feed, there is hardly any pause, and those who want to help are always welcome. Especially if it's you, since you're the greatest cook the Dirac has ever seen.
You are slicing and dicing some vegetables, when suddenly the lights dim and all appliances, including cookers (which are all induction cookers - open flames are a thing of the past), switch off. Curses start to fly around, then the speakers crackle.
"Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking. I'm sure you have noticed power being cut or reduced just now: please don't panic, as this is absolutely normal: after a year of continual operation, our generators have to undergo a maintenance cycle. On behalf of all the crew, I apologise for the inconvenience."
Hmm...that doesn't sound right. Unless someone really screwed up, it shouldn't have been something unplanned.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
Hmm...is she really telling the truth? The crew doesn't really seem convinced, it might be just a cover story.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
You hear a couple crewmen whispering about EMCON, before being promptly silenced by the others.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
This really seems more like EMCON. Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Hey, what does this mean? What the hell are we going to eat?" a man angrily asked a crewman.
"Uh...I don't really know what to say, sir. Canned food, maybe?"
"Are you making fun of me?"
"Miss Albion, the captain requests your presence on the bridge." the AI tells you.
Lisa & Mason
Both of you are currently in Hangar 4, home to Mason's own X-68 mech and a giant bundle of death and destruction known as Meat Grinder. You are working on the latter: Lisa had an idea that could enhance the speed of the chainsaw glove by 4.8%, if her calculations were right, and what's better than actually test it? The answer is nothing, although the bunch of tubesteel (steel reinforced with carbon nanotubes) sheets lying on the floor in pieces might disagree - also, it worked!
"I am...thankful! The battlefield will be soaked with...innards juice!"
Then, a warning goes off from the speakers, followed by an announcement: "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha."
A few seconds after that, all the lights turn off - except for one that remains barely bright enough for you too see.
"Miss Burnell, Mr. Jones. the captain requests your presence on the bridge."
Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Is it...kill time?" Meat Grinder asked, hopeful.
"The ship is not undergoing preparations for active combat"
:-(
--------------------------------
Everyone
Once you enter the bridge, you are greeted by a bunch of people wearing grave expressions and 3D projection of...something? It's very poor resolution - they must have zoomed the heck out of it - but you can make out something that looks like a large ring with a missing section.
Well, big ring in space...it has to be the Gate.
And it seems kind of...ovverrun by vines?
However, that is not all. Besides the ring, the projection shows another structure, sort of bullet shaped.
It seems like the hull is made of some kind of interlocked plates, rather than being smooth.
The bullet shape suggests a spaceship more than a space station.
Well, the interstellar Gate should be about three miles of radius, and that structure is almost as wide...if that's the case, the only thing you can compare it to is the FSS Ares, the UPF's one-of-a-kind superdreadnought. (PL 25!)
And you've certainly never heard of a starship made with interlocking plates. It doesn't make sense to build them that way.
Expertise (Popular Culture) check becomes DC 30.
You know, that kind of reminds you of some fictional spaceships you found in various games, movies and/or animes. Bioships, to be precise.
Well, almost no one: although it hadn't been possible to do so with a lot of precision, an estimated time of arrival to Weiss-2 had been determined; it wasn't made public, so as to minimise the risk of people starting to disregard those limitations that allowed for self-sufficiency, but a few select people - those who were told to prepare for hostilities, you among them - know it is now only a matter of, at most, a couple weeks...and even less to reach the Gate.
Arthur
The engine room: the Dirac's pulsing heart; as you stroll through, you are assaulted by a cacophony of beeps, hisses and hums of various pitches - and that's with the thrust engines not running (movement in a frictionless environment has its perks).
"Officer!" you hear calling behind you, and you turn to find Chief Engineer Romero towering over you. He salutes you with the multitool he has currently attached to his wrist (his right arm is cybernetic), then grins and adds "Doing an inspection round? You're not gonna find any alcohol here."
Your position as Relations and Welfare Officers has been set up so that only the Captain and the XO would have authority over you, and that you would only have authority over the crewmen: that makes you basically the same rank as Romero (who is third in the chain of command, by the way).
It's kind of an open secret that he enjoys a drink of two from time to time (i.e. not really that rarely, considering the difficulty of obtaining some), but since the crew is technically banned from alcohol consumption, you've had a few customary chats to, you know, keep up the image.
You have barely the time to answer, when a siren blares and the AI's voice resounds though the comm system: "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha."
The highest level of emission control: on spaceships, it does not include only active scans but also heat radiation. Since it has to be irradiated only in a specific direction or, at worst, not irradiated at all, reduced power generation is a vital component of EMCON alpha protocols on spaceships - however, reduced power also means more vulnerability and less combat readiness, so it's only used when the ship wants to avoid a fight, not run into it.
The Dirac must have gone into hiding...but from what?
"Huh? Oh, hell." Romero curses, then runs to fiddle with a control panel while bellowing "Alright guys, get the auxiliary heat sinks online! Stat!" It seems like you completely disappeared from his radar.
"Officer Norway, the captain requests your presence on the bridge." the nearest speaker informs you.
"This is not a drill, Matthews! If that's not burning hot in 30 seconds, I'll use it to fry your d**k on when it finally does!"
"I have archived the threat, Officer Norway, in case ensign Matthews reports to medbay with damage to his genitalia".
Jack
The Dirac is a warship, but it has windows (made of transparent polymer, of course, not glass): more were installed toghether with the civilian quarters, but it had some even before - for psychological welfare reasons. You are currently in a small, quiet room with one of those preexisting windows, and one whose protective forcefield you could deactivate autonomously: the perfect spot to stargaze in tranquility and without forcefield-induced distortions.
Suddenly, the (relative) silence is broken by a warning sound played through the comm system, followed by the ship's AI announcing "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha." and the window's emergency shutter closing immediately.
Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
Then, the room's lights turn on, though definitely dimmer than normal, and the speakers crack again. "Mr. Albrooke, the captain requests your presence on the bridge."
Jake
The harrowing cries of an infant echo through the medbay: a 5 month old baby whom you are currently holding, and that just received an injection from the Dirac's most beloved medical officer ever (that refused to let the mother hold him, because "I need a steady hold, not the shakes of an emotional mother").
"Kid, return the child to Ms. Evans." he says (well, orders), before turning to the young and worried woman besides you. "The fever should be down by this evening. Now take him to bother someone else's ears."
She flatly ignores the last comment, gently rocking her son to calm him down. "Thank you, Dr. Smythe. I'll come back tomorrow if he doesn't get better."
Laura Evans, 25 y.o., was injured during the Collapse, which happened not long after she discovered she was pregnant. Dr. Smythe managed to save both her and the baby, and not easily...but, although he complained the whole time and brought up abortion more than once, he did it: that's why she's one of the very, very few people that think that, under his attitude, there's actually a caring person.
As a sidenote, little Paul Evans is kind of a star on the Dirac. He's the first child to be born in deep space, after all.
"If you really must..." he replied, unenthusiastic. "And it's St. John Smythe."
Then, the lights suddenly dimmed. "Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking." Captain Parikh's voice said through the speakers. "I'm sure you have noticed power being cut or reduced just now: please don't panic, as this is absolutely normal: after a year of continual operation, our generators have to undergo a maintenance cycle. On behalf of all the crew, I apologise for the inconvenience."
Hmm...that doesn't sound right. Unless someone reaklly screwed up, it shouldn't have been something unplanned.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
Hmm...is she really telling the truth?
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
This really seems more like EMCON. Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Oh. I was scared there for a moment...I hope they'll be done soon. Well, thank you again. Jake. Dr. Smythe." Laura said, and walked out.
"St. John Smythe."
"Dr. Smythe, Mr. Shawholme. The captain requests your presence on the bridge." the AI chimed in.
*sigh* "What now?" he muttered, raising from his chair.
Kelly
It's just about 4 pm, but the kitchen is bustling with activity: when there are hundreds of mouths to feed, there is hardly any pause, and those who want to help are always welcome. Especially if it's you, since you're the greatest cook the Dirac has ever seen.
You are slicing and dicing some vegetables, when suddenly the lights dim and all appliances, including cookers (which are all induction cookers - open flames are a thing of the past), switch off. Curses start to fly around, then the speakers crackle.
"Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking. I'm sure you have noticed power being cut or reduced just now: please don't panic, as this is absolutely normal: after a year of continual operation, our generators have to undergo a maintenance cycle. On behalf of all the crew, I apologise for the inconvenience."
Hmm...that doesn't sound right. Unless someone really screwed up, it shouldn't have been something unplanned.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
Hmm...is she really telling the truth? The crew doesn't really seem convinced, it might be just a cover story.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
You hear a couple crewmen whispering about EMCON, before being promptly silenced by the others.
Expertise (Military) spoiler becomes DC 15.
This really seems more like EMCON. Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Hey, what does this mean? What the hell are we going to eat?" a man angrily asked a crewman.
"Uh...I don't really know what to say, sir. Canned food, maybe?"
"Are you making fun of me?"
"Miss Albion, the captain requests your presence on the bridge." the AI tells you.
Lisa & Mason
Both of you are currently in Hangar 4, home to Mason's own X-68 mech and a giant bundle of death and destruction known as Meat Grinder. You are working on the latter: Lisa had an idea that could enhance the speed of the chainsaw glove by 4.8%, if her calculations were right, and what's better than actually test it? The answer is nothing, although the bunch of tubesteel (steel reinforced with carbon nanotubes) sheets lying on the floor in pieces might disagree - also, it worked!
"I am...thankful! The battlefield will be soaked with...innards juice!"
Then, a warning goes off from the speakers, followed by an announcement: "Attention all stations. Impose EMCON alpha. I repeat, impose EMCON alpha."
A few seconds after that, all the lights turn off - except for one that remains barely bright enough for you too see.
"Miss Burnell, Mr. Jones. the captain requests your presence on the bridge."
Refer to Arthur's spoiler.
"Is it...kill time?" Meat Grinder asked, hopeful.
"The ship is not undergoing preparations for active combat"
:-(
--------------------------------
Everyone
Once you enter the bridge, you are greeted by a bunch of people wearing grave expressions and 3D projection of...something? It's very poor resolution - they must have zoomed the heck out of it - but you can make out something that looks like a large ring with a missing section.
Well, big ring in space...it has to be the Gate.
And it seems kind of...ovverrun by vines?
However, that is not all. Besides the ring, the projection shows another structure, sort of bullet shaped.
It seems like the hull is made of some kind of interlocked plates, rather than being smooth.
The bullet shape suggests a spaceship more than a space station.
Well, the interstellar Gate should be about three miles of radius, and that structure is almost as wide...if that's the case, the only thing you can compare it to is the FSS Ares, the UPF's one-of-a-kind superdreadnought. (PL 25!)
And you've certainly never heard of a starship made with interlocking plates. It doesn't make sense to build them that way.
Expertise (Popular Culture) check becomes DC 30.
You know, that kind of reminds you of some fictional spaceships you found in various games, movies and/or animes. Bioships, to be precise.