Leif's DISCONTINUED GURPS Traveller Game -- IC01

[Leif]

OOC: I'll take that as my cue...

IC: The Zax Hakjohn Quik comes back into normal space at the outer edge of the Glisten system. As you are all aware, Glisten is a system composed of asteroids/planetoids. It has no planet-sized bodies, but a number of the asteroids have cities and there has been a significant amount of "terraforming" done here. (Anyone have a clue as to a more generic form of the word 'terraforming'?)

Of immediate interest, however, the Zax picks up the sensor signature of another ship moving between some asteroids here in the outer reaches of the system. The ship is no threat, and from its configuration it seems to be a mining-type ship of the sort used by belters. There are energy fluctuations coming from the ship (it is a non-starship, by the way). The fluctuations are strange enough that Zoe's not quite sure what to make of it, nor is Spider. (Perhaps a better-engineering-trained eye can make something of it?)

 

[Shayuri]

(OOC - Terraforming is already pretty generic. It refers to geoengineering to make a planet human-habitable. The same term would be used on anything from an asteroid to a gas giant's moon to a terrestrial planet...the only thing it wouldn't apply to would be an entirely artificial structure, like a space station...though I suppose it might be used for megastructures like ringworlds or Dyson spheres, if one changed the environmental conditions on one.)

Zoe blinked away the flash that marked the Zax's 'descent' from jumpspace to the ordinary universe and quickly did an active sensor scan. Even patrolled systems like Glisten could have dangers near the jump points, and a ship dropping from jumpspace released a titanic surge of energy in the form of light and heat. It was impossible to conceal. The good news was that since their presence was already advertised, there was nothing to lose by going full active on sensors to locate nearby trouble.

Everything seemed fine though. She started acceleration towards the inner system, and that's when the scans returned a contact. Even at millions of kilometers, the ladar's resolution was clear; a mining sloop by the lines. Big engines, small cabin, lots of hold space. A bit out of its patch this far from the belt, but not by any means a strange sight in a mining /industrial system like Glisten. It was the passive radiation return that gave Zoe pause. She wasn't sure what to make of what she was seeing.

Over the intercom she said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Glisten. We're beginning our approach, but...there's a funny sensor artifact coming from a mining ship in our path. I'm not sure if it's real, or if it's a glitch."

 

[Scotley]

Spider

Spider rubs eyes left bloodshot from a long night of video gaming and checks the readings again. "What the..." He manually adjusts the resolution and scratches his bald head. "Hey Gruffle you know anything about this? Some kind of new mining tool. Actually, it looks more like some sort of drive thing. Zoe, don't get too close I don't like the looks of that. Let me do a comm sweep." His eyes lose focus for a moment as he reaches out mentally to the comm systems and begins a broad scan. "Miners and Belters like like short wavelength stuff, hmm let's see, Glisten system has a pretty good tech."

 

[grufflehead]

'Oooh, mining tool' said Gruffle excitedly. 'I'll be right up!'. There were sounds of hasty scrabbling over the commlink, then a minute or so later the Vargr appeared on the bridge beside Zoe.

'That it?' he asked, peering out of the viewport. 'Funny looking thing, eh' he said. 'So what's this sensor anomaly you found?'.

 

[Leif]

OOC: Nice to see the Gruffster! I was wondering when you'd put in an appearance!

IC: Gruffle's eyes dart from the viewport to the sensors, and the Vargr's eyes almost double in size!

[sblock=OOC: Gruffle]This poor ba****d is Cruising the Crest like a sunuvagun! (See my recent email for an explanation of this.)
Incidentally, Gruffle has seen a ship Cruise the Crest once before on a training voyage, and it ended um, let's say BADLY. Spider has heard of this phenomenon, but hasn't actually seen it before.[/sblock]

 

[grufflehead]

'Er, Spider' says Gruffle, 'I'm not sure I'm working this thing right. Are you seeing this energy spike on the sensors as well?'. The Vargr starts to look anxious. 'We should hail them. Quickly' he says to no-one in particular. 'If that sensor reading is correct that ship's power plant is building to blow, taking us and half the asteroid belt with it!'.

 

[Scotley]

Spider

"Um, yeah, that looks right or ah yeah wrong to me too. What's up with that event horizon? That can't be good." His movements become more animated and his long limbs flail about in agitation, "Um Zoe shouldn't we try to maybe get on the other side of some of these asteroids from that thing." He starts sending out hails on various frequencies. The panic in his voice fades as he adopts a more professional tone for the message, "This is the Zax, unidentified mining ship. We are detecting unusual readings from your power plant. You are in serious danger of an overload. Please respond..."

 

[Shayuri]

On hearing the 'half the asteroid belt,' prediction, Zoe did two things. The first was chalk it up to the vargr's sense of drama and tendency to exaggerate. After all, these were fusion reactors, not antimatter. The explosion from one would only be a few hundred megatons or so, easy.

Still. Nothing you'd want to be close to when it went.

Thus the second thing she did; spin the ship on its axis and launch away from the mining ship at maximum thrust.

 

[Leif]

Belter Ship

"Yeah, Roger Zax I seem to have a runaway on my hands, any help would be greatly appreciated. But see that big silvery-green asteroid? Dibs Muthah Humpah, she's mine!"

 

[Scotley]

Spider

Popping up in surprise, Spider bangs his head on a monitor. "He's crazy! He's been sniffing nova dust! Hiss powerplant is Cruising the Crest and still worried about a freakin' asteroid. Guys definitely do not drink the water in this system." He rubs his head and turns to the Vargr. "Guff is there anything we can do for that nutjob?"