Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowdancer" data-source="post: 1297982" data-attributes="member: 515">Argent listens carefully as each crew member speaks in turn, pauses for a moment, and then speaks. "All right then. So, Martha and Swann, look at the turret and get it operational. As Martha said, I don’t think that we can install the weapons while in jump space, but we can get that turret ready for installation. "After you have completed the turret installation, please comm me, and I’d like you two to help me get that captain’s safe open." Turning to Saro, he continues. "Dr. Saro. We have the second small port cabin open — the one closest to my cabin. Why don’t you set that one up as a sick bay and prepare to give us a class on biohazard procedures? I also expect you to monitor the crew's condition every few hours for the next few days." Taking in the group, "If any of you feel the slightest bit of discomfort, I expect you to report to Dr. Saro immediately." Now looking at Vasilii, Ian, and Darishun, he adds. "Darishun, Ian, and Vasilii, continue the inventory of the supplies. If you find anything suspicious, alert me immediately." At this, the massive sophont shakes his head from side to side, and softly mutters something about "shivok." Finally, Argent concludes with, "And Vargas and I will be alternately manning the bridge, checking out the logs, and preparing two message files, one containing the information about our bomb, and one containing all information about the Star Flower. "We’ll meet again for dinner. Let’s get to it, people." When sophonts start to leave the meeting, Doc motions to the Captain that he’d like to speak with him. In a hushed voice he says, "Mr. Argent, I’ve kept my suspicions quiet thus far, but what with the explosives and the flowers. . . . Ever since the start of the outbreak and the gathering of supplies, it has struck me as peculiar at how fast everything was mobilized. It is almost as if this outbreak was anticipated by the higher authorities." Doc pauses. "My suspicions may not mean nothing from nothing, but I thought I should share them with you in case." -----The day proceeds pretty quickly and without notable incident. Martha and Swann are able to get the port turret operational after a day of hard work. After some consideration, they both decide that installing the missile launcher and pulse laser will take about eight hours in normal space. Dr. Saro sets up his temporary sickbay in the lower forward port small cabin. It is a bit cramped, but it’ll do. Saro also prepares a little class (four hours long) on biohazard procedures for the next day. No one has shown ill effects of Star Flower exposure or evidence of the hemmorhagic disease. Darishun, Ian, and Vasilii manage to inventory more of the cargo. At this point, about two–thirds of the cargo is inventoried. No surprises so far. The process is slow going given the need to move things about. Vargas and Argent spend most of the day on the bridge. They find no surprises there. -----Over his dinner of "authentic replica Eru steak," Argent notes the reports of the crew and decides that the crew was coming together pretty well. Surely not a proper Navy crew, but it’ll do for a scratch group. Saro was tired after the long day of setting up and arranging his equipment in the small sickbay. Then having to pull a biohazard presentation for laypeople out of his rectal region — Oy! What a day! Stopping in the lounge, Saro grabs a noodle ration pack and heats it up. Looking around, he announces, "I’ve got a little presentation ready for tomorrow, and if it’s all right with the Captain, I’m going to hold it after breakfast tomorrow — say at 1000. We can break for lunch at 1200 and finish it up afterwards." Listening to Saro report, Argent comments, "1000 tomorrow will be fine, doctor." Taking in the group, he adds, "Everyone heard that, right? I expect all of us to be there tomorrow for the class. "Swann and Martha? Since you've gotten as far as you can get with the turret, I’d like for you to see what you can do about that safe in my room tomorrow after the class. I’ve got data packets prepared, and I’d like to keep them in the safe. "Darishun, Vasilii, and Ian? I’d like you to continue the inventory after the class." Finishing up his noodles, Saro cleans up, then looks around the room again. "Right now I’m bushed, so I’m going to head out for some shut-eye. But if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to wake me, that’s my job after all." "Sure thing, Doc," Ian says. "I'm feeling OK now but if I have to eat much more of this cornbread I’ll go crazy. Anybody got any Galarglic and Killi sauce? Nothing else will save it. Seesh. Marine rations on a civilian ship. The gods must hate me." Saro heads to his cabin. After a quick meal Ian goes to a relatively clear, and well secured, corner of the cargo bay, turns off the grav plates in that section, and does his Zero G exercises. He then hits the fresher. -----Feeling somewhat pleased with their progress, Martha spends the early evening in the lounge with the others before retiring to her room. Despite her long day, sleep does not come as easily as she would have hoped. Instead, recent events and revelations dance through her head. Sadly, they keep returning to the same vicious cycle, and the dreams that haunt her, sometimes day and night. She can’t even develop a good, righteous anger at the Old Man before the terror takes over. Numerous times, Martha pulls herself out of the living dream, her eyes drifting over toward the vacc suit nearby, making sure it was close at hand and accessible. For Martha, sleep was, indeed, a long time coming. -----After his shower, Ian kicks back in the lounge and flicks through the ship’s Tri-D collection. "Oh wow. Reworked Ancient Classics: ‘The Andromeda Strain’ — I wonder what that’s about? Anybody mind if I play it? Swann is sitting in the lounge, finishing his supper of Adukgin goulash. He chuckles to himself at Ian’s choice of movies. "No, go right ahead and watch it. You might even discover something useful for our mission. Just don’t be surprised if you start feeling paranoid during and after." "No problem there," Ian says, "I was in counterintelligence against the Zhodani. Nothing like thinking that someone could know that you are thinking that they know what you are thinking all day to make you just a little crazy. And you know Star Flower is used in creating Psi-drug. Trust me — you can just take it for granted that I’m already paranoid. At least the drink dispenser has Pangalactic Bourbon. Anybody else want a shot?" Most of the crew watches the rather vapid remake of an ancient vid. There are several shouts of "Oh, come on, you idiot!" as the characters on the vid remove their helmets at unfortunate times. -----During the vid, Swann starts thinking about the safe in the captain’s cabin again. "I wonder if there are any more surprises in there," he thinks to himself. "A stash of credits, maybe, or papers for a secret Magi bank account. Depending on how long the old captain was involved in smuggling Star Flowers, he could have hidden away a tidy little sum. But first we have to get inside the safe. I wonder if the locking mechanism is tied in with the computer. Might be worth a look before going to bed." After disposing of his trash, Swann goes to the bridge to poke around in the computer system and files, to see if there is a connection to the safe, and if there is any information about the safe that might come in handy. The safe appears to be on a completely disconnected from the computer. The only mention of note is that the safe was installed on Sentry about 10 years ago by a fairly reputable firm. Swann doesn’t recognize the model number, but the brand is pretty decent securitywise. Cracking the safe could prove to be interesting. Swann goes to bed. -----After a relaxing evening, the crew turns in and, surprisingly enough, mostly have a good night’s sleep without any interruptions, emergencies, or sudden revelations. The sole exception is Martha, partly because of recent trauma and partly because she can feel/hear faint reverberations from Darishun's snoring coming through her cabin wall. Upon waking up and realizing that the night passed without incident, most of the crew starts to suspect that something is seriously wrong.</blockquote>

Verification