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Traveller T20: Tales of the Bray Keaven [Updated 12-20-05]
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<blockquote data-quote="Shadowdancer" data-source="post: 2706595" data-attributes="member: 515"><p><strong><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 15px">Chapter XXIX</span></p><p></strong></p><p><strong>Date: 223-993 and 224-993</strong></p><p><strong>Location: Aboard the <em>Bray Keaven</em>, in jump space between Aleif and Liar's Oath</strong></p><p></p><p>Saro and Ian confer a bit about the two dead Vargrs and the tranquilized live one, with Vargas chiming in with his thoughts. Saro feels quite confident about his ability to keep the tranquilized Vargr unconscious through normal anesthesia (as opposed to medical slow drug).</p><p></p><p>Ian and Swann strip the tranquilized Vargr of his vacc suit, bind him again, wait for Saro to set up a slow anesthetic IV drip, and then move the unconscious Vargr into the port passenger airlock so that he can be interrogated later.</p><p></p><p>Then Ian and Swann strip the two Vargr bodies and put them back into the cloned organs transport cargo container. With the concealed doors open and the environ-mental controls properly set, the entire chamber should cool to a temperature cold enough to preserve the bodies nicely.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>Aidan knows that specific weapon SMG permits are not all that hard to get in Ley Sector if need can be shown. Being a registered crewmember onboard a registered merchant starship, particularly one with a positive history of interactions with the SPA, should help considerably.</p><p></p><p>“I’d be happy to file the paperwork,” Aidan tells Vasilii. “With the way things have gone lately, the better armed we are the safer I’ll feel.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>Kevon and Vargas go with Saro to the improvised sickbay to finally be treated for their new wounds. Saro quickly treats their wounds as best as he can, shaking his head sadly and muttering imprecations on general principle as he goes along.</p><p></p><p>Saro happily puts Vargas under for 26 hours with medical slow drug. The induced coma is very beneficial to Vargas as his battered body starts healing rapidly.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>With that, the crew finally tries to get back to sleep.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>The next day is spent relatively quietly. Martha, Swann, and Aidan all work on recovering data from the handcomp. Between the three of them, they are able to recover quite a bit of information off the main data store. Some of the data store was damaged in the pounding, but most of the information is intact.</p><p></p><p>Aidan finds a set of very interesting trojan horses and worms that appear to be optimized for breaking into standard TL9–13 ship computer systems commonly found on smaller merchant vessels. Not all of them are completely intact, but most of them are.</p><p></p><p>Aidan stores the deadly software and plans to spend his time in jump studying it. He also makes plans to prime the ship’s computer against such attacks, and set up some of the attacks so he can easily launch them against other ships when necessary.</p><p></p><p>Swann finds an interesting file with only a set of coordinates for the Liar’s Oath system. Checking with Kevon, they determine that the coordinates lie a little over 100 planetary diameters from Liar's Oath and are fairly close to where most ships plot to emerge from jump space when jumping from Aleif to Liar’s Oath.</p><p></p><p>Martha says, “It might be their rendezvous spot. Even if we can’t get anything from these little wolves, we at least can suspect they’ve got backup there. If they are desperate, we may expect some sort of attack from them before the locals can come to our aid, or before we can make it to the starport or relative safety.”</p><p></p><p>“It might be interesting to have the local Navy pay a visit to that location. A discreet little cruiser or some such. I’d love to watch,” says Aidan wolfishly.</p><p></p><p>The rest of the computer files are pretty boring: some games and some e–novel files including a surprising set of Vilani mystery novels and some books on something called “cross–stitch.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>Saro rides herd on his passel of patients, to make sure they don’t over-exert themselves. And tends to their wounds as well as he can.</p><p></p><p>After the wall between the sickbay and unused cabin is removed, he also moves his vacc suit, weapons, and personal computer to the “unused cabin” half of the newly expanded space. At night he will sleep here to better respond to Emile if necessary. Both halves of the improvised sickbay feature motorized movable bunk beds that can be independently lowered or raised to be almost flush with the ceiling. If necessary, Saro could put patients in the lower bunks of both while he sleeps in one of the upper bunks.</p><p></p><p>Between medical ministrations, Saro does some legal research, trying to determine if it is possible to go after the organ shippers on any charges: failing to correctly declare goods being shipped, endangerment to the well–being of sophonts, improper shipping of biological cargo, etc.</p><p></p><p>He figures that more than likely, the crew will be unable to go after the Vargr intruders’ bosses on charges of attempted murder (eight counts), attempted ship–jacking, attempted piracy, sabotage of life support equipment, etc., so perhaps they can go after the sophonts behind the scenes through round-about means.</p><p></p><p>Saro also looks into how culpable and vulnerable the crew would be to charges of negligence, etc., if they bring any charges themselves.</p><p></p><p>He decides that the best charge that could be applied to the crew of the <em>Urroe</em> (who approached Swann about accepting the container as well as loaded it) would be a charge of “attempted piracy of a merchant vessel through disguised cargo,” which carries a long prison term and a hefty fine.</p><p></p><p>Charges of failure to properly declare goods would technically apply, but would only lead to relatively minor fines. The actual organs were properly declared and packaged.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>After a bit of research, Saro and Aidan both find that psionics training and use are highly illegal. Any facilities or materials that are proven to be part of a psionics institute are subject to seizure. Anyone proven to be practicing psionics is subject to incarceration (at the very least). There is still a significant prejudice — bordering on paranoia — about psionicly trained people.</p><p></p><p>“Of course, personally my dear lady I hold no such prejudices,” Aidan tells Martha. “And out here in the frontier I rather imagine that we might run into such facilities and such being protected by local governments and quasi–governments. If you feel the need to seek out such for your peace of mind it might be possible to arrange something. Say the word and I’ll see if I can find traces of such.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>Martha arranges to meet with Swann privately during the day by asking him to come back to port engineering to help her with some maintenance repairs and diagnostic work. As they begin, Martha will chat for a few minutes, then stop what she’s doing and look over at the ex-Belter.</p><p></p><p>“Swann, I don’t mean to be rude here, but I have a big favor to ask. You’ve helped a number of us out with purchasing guns and such through, um, clandestine hands, so to speak. I have to ask you about purchasing something that's a bit more — dangerous than that.</p><p></p><p>“Before I go on, do you want me to continue? Or would you rather I didn’t, and we just pretend this didn’t happen?”</p><p></p><p>Martha looks nervously at that older spacer, trying to read if he’s OK with what she’s asking, or if she’s made a big mistake in even mentioning her need for a black market purchase.</p><p></p><p>Swann chuckles and says, “After that opening, curiosity alone would make it hard to say ‘No.’ ”</p><p></p><p>He then smiles and says, “But in answer to your question: go ahead and ask your favor. If I can help you with your purchase, I will; if it’s too dangerous, I’ll tell you. Either way, I’ll keep your secret.”</p><p></p><p>Martha blushes a little, then continues. “Look, you know about the psion that ‘talked’ to me last time we were at Sentry, right? I’ve been kinda nervous about her since then. Then, when the dream came, and it was true, and all hell broke loose . . . ”</p><p></p><p>Martha chokes for a second, then clears her throat. “Look, I, I need some protection. You remember on those Third Frontier War holovids, where the spies had those psionic shield helmets or whatever? You know, the things that block the ‘bad guys’ from entering your mind and turning you into a zombie under their control? I, I want one, and I have no idea where to find it.”</p><p></p><p>Her eyes brimming with tears of frustration, she looks over at Swann. “Do you think you can help me get one?” Her body tenses as she waits for Swann’s reaction.</p><p></p><p>Swann nods at Martha with a reassuring look on his face. “I thought when you first started your request that a psi-shield might be what you were after. Yeah, I think we can get one for you. But as you said, this is a little more dangerous than trying to buy some black market weapons. So we have to be really careful. And it might take a little time.</p><p></p><p>“I’d rather wait until after we get back from Shanape. I think our chances will be better in the Cluster, just because that’s where I have some contacts. We want to make sure we don’t get ripped off, and we don’t get turned in.”</p><p></p><p>Swann pauses briefly, lost in thought. One of the thoughts he has, which he doesn’t share with Martha, is, “I only hope we don’t have to buy the damn thing from the very people she needs the protection from.”</p><p></p><p>Martha smiles, trying to hide the distressful thought that buying in the Cluster may warn those that have taken an interest in her mind as to her intentions. “If you think it best, sure.”</p><p></p><p>Swann then looks at Martha, considering. “We might need some help doing this. Do you mind if I approach one or more of the crew to get their help? I won’t if it will make you uncomfortable. And of course I will be as discrete as possible. Also, if you do allow me to approach the others, is there anyone you would prefer I not tell?”</p><p></p><p>Martha seems very nervous at the prospect. “Um, I’m not sure who you could talk to about it, without them thinking I’m, well, you know,” then dropping her voice to a whisper, “one of THEM.” She reflexively looks around, then back at Swann. “I trust your judgment, but I ask that you keep it to a minimum, if you can.”</p><p></p><p>Swann looks at Martha again, again considering. He hesitates a moment, then says, “You mentioned earlier that you had a dream and it came true. I hope I’m not being too forward in asking this — and if I am just tell me and I’ll let it drop, no offense taken — but is that the psionic ability the woman told you about back on Sentry? Has that happened to you before, where you have a dream that comes true?”</p><p></p><p>Martha frowns. “Yeah, it’s happened before. At Aleif. I just didn’t think of it like that. Some other times, too, but I just didn’t know, I never thought . . . ”</p><p></p><p>She’s quiet for a second, then cocks her head slightly. “Do you think I’m, you know, one of THEM, and I just don’t know it yet?”</p><p></p><p>Swann’s face turns thoughtful and serious. “Do I think you’re a monster, like the villains in the Third Frontier War holovids? No, you’re not a monster. But I do think you have a gift, a talent that makes you special. It all depends on how you use that talent.</p><p></p><p>“I’ve been on a quite a few starships over the years, and I can honestly say you have a special gift for working with engines and ship’s systems that goes beyond the talents of most people who have the title of Engineer. You use that talent to do good work. You could just as easily use that talent to work for a corporation or government entity or ideological cause as a saboteur or murderer. But you don’t. My uncle used to tell me ‘It’s not what you have that makes you who you are; it’s how you use what you have.’ And I believe that. You should try to remember that, too.”</p><p></p><p>Martha is silent for a moment, as Swann’s words seem to touch something within her. The moment passes, and Martha clears her throat. “I’ll try, Swann. I’ll try.”</p><p></p><p>She looks uncomfortably about her, then reaches for an errant hydrospanner, tucking it away. “Thanks. Umm, so — will you let me know what you find out as you’re looking around?”</p><p></p><p>“I’ll keep you informed. Now I better go see what ‘improvements’ Aidan is attempting to make to the computer security system.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">-----</p><p></p><p>Finally, on the second morning in jump space, the crewmembers — including an awakened Vargas — gather in the lounge for breakfast.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shadowdancer, post: 2706595, member: 515"] [B][CENTER][SIZE=4]Chapter XXIX[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B] [B]Date: 223-993 and 224-993 Location: Aboard the [I]Bray Keaven[/I], in jump space between Aleif and Liar's Oath[/B] Saro and Ian confer a bit about the two dead Vargrs and the tranquilized live one, with Vargas chiming in with his thoughts. Saro feels quite confident about his ability to keep the tranquilized Vargr unconscious through normal anesthesia (as opposed to medical slow drug). Ian and Swann strip the tranquilized Vargr of his vacc suit, bind him again, wait for Saro to set up a slow anesthetic IV drip, and then move the unconscious Vargr into the port passenger airlock so that he can be interrogated later. Then Ian and Swann strip the two Vargr bodies and put them back into the cloned organs transport cargo container. With the concealed doors open and the environ-mental controls properly set, the entire chamber should cool to a temperature cold enough to preserve the bodies nicely. [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] Aidan knows that specific weapon SMG permits are not all that hard to get in Ley Sector if need can be shown. Being a registered crewmember onboard a registered merchant starship, particularly one with a positive history of interactions with the SPA, should help considerably. “I’d be happy to file the paperwork,” Aidan tells Vasilii. “With the way things have gone lately, the better armed we are the safer I’ll feel.” [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] Kevon and Vargas go with Saro to the improvised sickbay to finally be treated for their new wounds. Saro quickly treats their wounds as best as he can, shaking his head sadly and muttering imprecations on general principle as he goes along. Saro happily puts Vargas under for 26 hours with medical slow drug. The induced coma is very beneficial to Vargas as his battered body starts healing rapidly. [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] With that, the crew finally tries to get back to sleep. [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] The next day is spent relatively quietly. Martha, Swann, and Aidan all work on recovering data from the handcomp. Between the three of them, they are able to recover quite a bit of information off the main data store. Some of the data store was damaged in the pounding, but most of the information is intact. Aidan finds a set of very interesting trojan horses and worms that appear to be optimized for breaking into standard TL9–13 ship computer systems commonly found on smaller merchant vessels. Not all of them are completely intact, but most of them are. Aidan stores the deadly software and plans to spend his time in jump studying it. He also makes plans to prime the ship’s computer against such attacks, and set up some of the attacks so he can easily launch them against other ships when necessary. Swann finds an interesting file with only a set of coordinates for the Liar’s Oath system. Checking with Kevon, they determine that the coordinates lie a little over 100 planetary diameters from Liar's Oath and are fairly close to where most ships plot to emerge from jump space when jumping from Aleif to Liar’s Oath. Martha says, “It might be their rendezvous spot. Even if we can’t get anything from these little wolves, we at least can suspect they’ve got backup there. If they are desperate, we may expect some sort of attack from them before the locals can come to our aid, or before we can make it to the starport or relative safety.” “It might be interesting to have the local Navy pay a visit to that location. A discreet little cruiser or some such. I’d love to watch,” says Aidan wolfishly. The rest of the computer files are pretty boring: some games and some e–novel files including a surprising set of Vilani mystery novels and some books on something called “cross–stitch.” [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] Saro rides herd on his passel of patients, to make sure they don’t over-exert themselves. And tends to their wounds as well as he can. After the wall between the sickbay and unused cabin is removed, he also moves his vacc suit, weapons, and personal computer to the “unused cabin” half of the newly expanded space. At night he will sleep here to better respond to Emile if necessary. Both halves of the improvised sickbay feature motorized movable bunk beds that can be independently lowered or raised to be almost flush with the ceiling. If necessary, Saro could put patients in the lower bunks of both while he sleeps in one of the upper bunks. Between medical ministrations, Saro does some legal research, trying to determine if it is possible to go after the organ shippers on any charges: failing to correctly declare goods being shipped, endangerment to the well–being of sophonts, improper shipping of biological cargo, etc. He figures that more than likely, the crew will be unable to go after the Vargr intruders’ bosses on charges of attempted murder (eight counts), attempted ship–jacking, attempted piracy, sabotage of life support equipment, etc., so perhaps they can go after the sophonts behind the scenes through round-about means. Saro also looks into how culpable and vulnerable the crew would be to charges of negligence, etc., if they bring any charges themselves. He decides that the best charge that could be applied to the crew of the [I]Urroe[/I] (who approached Swann about accepting the container as well as loaded it) would be a charge of “attempted piracy of a merchant vessel through disguised cargo,” which carries a long prison term and a hefty fine. Charges of failure to properly declare goods would technically apply, but would only lead to relatively minor fines. The actual organs were properly declared and packaged. [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] After a bit of research, Saro and Aidan both find that psionics training and use are highly illegal. Any facilities or materials that are proven to be part of a psionics institute are subject to seizure. Anyone proven to be practicing psionics is subject to incarceration (at the very least). There is still a significant prejudice — bordering on paranoia — about psionicly trained people. “Of course, personally my dear lady I hold no such prejudices,” Aidan tells Martha. “And out here in the frontier I rather imagine that we might run into such facilities and such being protected by local governments and quasi–governments. If you feel the need to seek out such for your peace of mind it might be possible to arrange something. Say the word and I’ll see if I can find traces of such.” [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] Martha arranges to meet with Swann privately during the day by asking him to come back to port engineering to help her with some maintenance repairs and diagnostic work. As they begin, Martha will chat for a few minutes, then stop what she’s doing and look over at the ex-Belter. “Swann, I don’t mean to be rude here, but I have a big favor to ask. You’ve helped a number of us out with purchasing guns and such through, um, clandestine hands, so to speak. I have to ask you about purchasing something that's a bit more — dangerous than that. “Before I go on, do you want me to continue? Or would you rather I didn’t, and we just pretend this didn’t happen?” Martha looks nervously at that older spacer, trying to read if he’s OK with what she’s asking, or if she’s made a big mistake in even mentioning her need for a black market purchase. Swann chuckles and says, “After that opening, curiosity alone would make it hard to say ‘No.’ ” He then smiles and says, “But in answer to your question: go ahead and ask your favor. If I can help you with your purchase, I will; if it’s too dangerous, I’ll tell you. Either way, I’ll keep your secret.” Martha blushes a little, then continues. “Look, you know about the psion that ‘talked’ to me last time we were at Sentry, right? I’ve been kinda nervous about her since then. Then, when the dream came, and it was true, and all hell broke loose . . . ” Martha chokes for a second, then clears her throat. “Look, I, I need some protection. You remember on those Third Frontier War holovids, where the spies had those psionic shield helmets or whatever? You know, the things that block the ‘bad guys’ from entering your mind and turning you into a zombie under their control? I, I want one, and I have no idea where to find it.” Her eyes brimming with tears of frustration, she looks over at Swann. “Do you think you can help me get one?” Her body tenses as she waits for Swann’s reaction. Swann nods at Martha with a reassuring look on his face. “I thought when you first started your request that a psi-shield might be what you were after. Yeah, I think we can get one for you. But as you said, this is a little more dangerous than trying to buy some black market weapons. So we have to be really careful. And it might take a little time. “I’d rather wait until after we get back from Shanape. I think our chances will be better in the Cluster, just because that’s where I have some contacts. We want to make sure we don’t get ripped off, and we don’t get turned in.” Swann pauses briefly, lost in thought. One of the thoughts he has, which he doesn’t share with Martha, is, “I only hope we don’t have to buy the damn thing from the very people she needs the protection from.” Martha smiles, trying to hide the distressful thought that buying in the Cluster may warn those that have taken an interest in her mind as to her intentions. “If you think it best, sure.” Swann then looks at Martha, considering. “We might need some help doing this. Do you mind if I approach one or more of the crew to get their help? I won’t if it will make you uncomfortable. And of course I will be as discrete as possible. Also, if you do allow me to approach the others, is there anyone you would prefer I not tell?” Martha seems very nervous at the prospect. “Um, I’m not sure who you could talk to about it, without them thinking I’m, well, you know,” then dropping her voice to a whisper, “one of THEM.” She reflexively looks around, then back at Swann. “I trust your judgment, but I ask that you keep it to a minimum, if you can.” Swann looks at Martha again, again considering. He hesitates a moment, then says, “You mentioned earlier that you had a dream and it came true. I hope I’m not being too forward in asking this — and if I am just tell me and I’ll let it drop, no offense taken — but is that the psionic ability the woman told you about back on Sentry? Has that happened to you before, where you have a dream that comes true?” Martha frowns. “Yeah, it’s happened before. At Aleif. I just didn’t think of it like that. Some other times, too, but I just didn’t know, I never thought . . . ” She’s quiet for a second, then cocks her head slightly. “Do you think I’m, you know, one of THEM, and I just don’t know it yet?” Swann’s face turns thoughtful and serious. “Do I think you’re a monster, like the villains in the Third Frontier War holovids? No, you’re not a monster. But I do think you have a gift, a talent that makes you special. It all depends on how you use that talent. “I’ve been on a quite a few starships over the years, and I can honestly say you have a special gift for working with engines and ship’s systems that goes beyond the talents of most people who have the title of Engineer. You use that talent to do good work. You could just as easily use that talent to work for a corporation or government entity or ideological cause as a saboteur or murderer. But you don’t. My uncle used to tell me ‘It’s not what you have that makes you who you are; it’s how you use what you have.’ And I believe that. You should try to remember that, too.” Martha is silent for a moment, as Swann’s words seem to touch something within her. The moment passes, and Martha clears her throat. “I’ll try, Swann. I’ll try.” She looks uncomfortably about her, then reaches for an errant hydrospanner, tucking it away. “Thanks. Umm, so — will you let me know what you find out as you’re looking around?” “I’ll keep you informed. Now I better go see what ‘improvements’ Aidan is attempting to make to the computer security system.” [CENTER]-----[/CENTER] Finally, on the second morning in jump space, the crewmembers — including an awakened Vargas — gather in the lounge for breakfast. [/QUOTE]
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Traveller T20: Tales of the Bray Keaven [Updated 12-20-05]
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